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Chapter Text

While Kazuichi had never really been a morning person before, he absolutely hated having his sleep disturbed after he woke up from the Neo World Program. In an environment where he wasn’t constantly fearing for his life and watching out for betrayal, he had come to appreciate the soft fluffiness of the mattress in his cottage and the distant, hypnotic crash of waves against the shore. Sleep had been hard to come by since he emerged from the virtual reality world, and it also served as a sort of refuge from the memories he had regained a couple of weeks after returning to reality.

With all of this being said, it was no small annoyance to him when he was awoken late one night by his ringtone and the blinding white light of his cell phone on the nightstand next to him. He groaned in protest, but sat up quickly as soon as he was conscious enough to think; the caller was likely Hajime or someone equally important, since telemarketers weren’t exactly common after the Tragedy. He glanced at the dazzling screen through tears, resisting the urge to look away into the comforting darkness of the rest of his room, and sure enough, the caller ID read Hajime Hinata. He threw off his blanket and swung his legs to the floor while simultaneously accepting the call and bringing the phone to his ear.

“What’s goin’ on, man?” he asked, trying to keep the irritation out of his sleepy voice. “Someone wakin’ up?”

“Yep,” Hajime responded from the other end. “Ibuki’s pod is showing signs of increased activity.”

“Man, couldn’t she wait until morning?” he complained, slipping on his shoes. “Ya don’t mind if I come in my pajamas, do ya?” He heard an amused chuckle.

“Fine by me. Everyone’s here but you. I thought I would have mercy and let you have a few more minutes of sleep while I gathered everyone else.”

“Well, thanks for that,” he replied with a laugh of his own. There was a short moment of silence. “Wait, everyone? Even-?”

“Oh, well, not him. I don’t want to ruin the last good sleep he’ll probably have in a while.” Kazuichi flung open the door to his cottage and set off toward the building where the pods were kept. He winced at the chill in the air, the cold breeze seeping through his soft shirt, and silently cursed Ibuki for making him leave his warm bed.

“Alright, well, I guess I’ll see ya when I get-,”

Suddenly, a scream pierced the night air, low-pitched and absolutely filled with something Kazuichi didn’t want to name. It rang out through the row of cottages before everything fell silent once more, only for another scream to follow shortly afterward. He stopped in his tracks and looked around, tightening his fist around the phone.

“Souda? What’s going on? Was that-?” Hajime’s voice was strained and filled with worry. Kazuichi probably would’ve been touched by his concern if he wasn’t preoccupied with more important matters.

“Yeah, I think it was. Crap, what do I do? D’ya want me to check up on him?”

“Please. After what happened with Mahiru…,” Kazuichi shuddered as he remembered the sight of the red-haired girl’s silhouette on the edge of one of the island’s cliffs, preparing to throw herself into the jagged rocks far below. It was a miracle that Hajime had managed to reach her before she could, using Izuru’s running talent and, no doubt, some of his good luck.

“‘Kay. I’ll call ya back later.”

“Let me know if you need any help, alright? I want to stay with Ibuki if it isn’t too serious, but it shouldn’t take long for us to get there if you need us,” Hajime told him anxiously.

“Sure, man. I will.” With a tap, he ended the call and broke into a run, racing down the boardwalk with a sudden sense of desperation. He couldn’t blame Mahiru for feeling the way she did; once he regained his own memories a couple of weeks after waking up, he had been unwilling to eat or sleep for several days. It was easy to imagine anyone falling victim to the self-loathing they’d all felt in the beginning, and based off of the screams still ringing out from one of the cottages, this case wasn’t any different.

Kazuichi practically leapt onto the cottage’s porch and knocked sharply on the door, more to indicate his entrance than to ask for permission to enter. He swung it open quickly, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the complete darkness inside the cottage. Once he could see, he almost dropped the phone that was still in his right hand, and he took a tiny step back in shock.

He had never seen Gundam Tanaka like this.

Chapter Text

Kazuichi stood frozen in the doorway, staring at the dark figure sitting at the end of the bed on the left side of the room, illuminated only by the silver moonlight streaming in through the open door. Tanaka’s hair was down and extremely messy, rogue streaks of pale grey and black falling over his ears and forehead. His eyes were noticeably both grey and missing eyeliner, and his scarf as well as the rest of his regular attire was missing, replaced with some comfortable-looking silk pajamas. What shocked him most about the breeder’s appearance, however, was not the lack of his ordinary demon-lord getup, but the expression on his face.

Tanaka was staring down at his clenched fists, his eyes wide with horror and brimming with tears, to Kazuichi’s shock. Seeming not to notice him in the doorway, he let out another scream, bringing his hands to his head and tearing at the roots of his hair as he squeezed his eyes shut. Kazuichi jumped, realizing that he should probably be doing something, and crossed the room in two strides to sit on the bed, directly in front of the panicking man.

“Hey, hey, Tanaka!” He was forced to practically shout to be heard over the other man’s screams, and when he received no response, he grabbed Tanaka’s arms, pulling them away from his hair. “Tanaka!” Finally, the breeder noticed him, but his eyes were still wild with horror, and he made no effort to remove his tensed arms from Kazuichi’s grip. The tears in his eyes suddenly spilled over and rolled down his pale cheeks, and his body began to shake with sobs, though at least the screaming had stopped.

“I-I…,” he began, his voice weak and cracking. Kazuichi was astonished. He had been amazed by Tanaka’s bravery during the fourth trial, as unwilling to admit it as he had been at the time, and he had felt both awed by and jealous of his ability to face death itself with a graceful, even cool demeanor. What could he have possibly remembered to make him break down like this?

“Hey, it’s okay, man,” he told him. The sense of rivalry and hatred he had felt since Tanaka had befriended Sonia completely evaporated within him, and he was surprised to find that he felt almost protective of the sobbing man in front of him. He had never expected to see him like this, and he had never expected seeing him like this to affect him as badly as it did.

“I-I k-killed them.” Tanaka forced the words out through tears. Kazuichi felt a sudden sense of dread, and his grip on the breeder’s arms relaxed. “San-D...J-Jum-P...Maga-Z...Cham-P… I- with my own hands-!”

“Wh-what?” Kazuichi breathed, letting go of Tanaka. He blinked back tears of his own as the breeder’s words sunk in. He had befriended the Four Dark Devas of Destruction in high school, using his unique strategy of bugging them until they accepted him. He refused to believe that they were dead, and at the hands of the person who had raised them and loved them for years. It made sense, of course; Tanaka had loved and valued them more than anything else, so of course he would want to kill them himself while he was seeking despair, but it still felt unbelievably cruel to Kazuichi.

“Th-they trusted me, and I-I betrayed them! I was supposed to protect them, k-keep them safe…,” Tanaka buried his head in his hands, no longer making any attempt to hold back his tears. For him to be devastated enough to drop his crazy speech patterns, Kazuichi realized, he must be absolutely traumatized, and he understood exactly why. He reached out his hand again, this time to awkwardly touch the breeder on the shoulder. Why did seeing him cry wrench at his heart like this?

“H-hey… it’s not your fault. We told you… we were all brainwashed, remember? It wasn’t you who… who did that.”

“It was me to them!” Tanaka shouted suddenly, shaking Kazuichi’s hand off his shoulder and raising his face from his hands to fix him with a piercing glare. “From their eyes, it was me…. They trusted me until the very end!” The mechanic desperately tried to think of something to say, something that could snap Tanaka out of the horrible state he was in.

“You can’t blame yourself! You didn’t know what you were doing!” He raised his voice to match the breeder’s volume, hoping that his words didn’t sound as hollow as they felt. He could forgive Tanaka, or any of their friends, really, using that logic, but he knew that he couldn’t forgive himself. He grit his teeth as memories flashed through his head of the things that he had done, but he pushed them aside. Tanaka was more important right now.

“It all happened ‘cause of Junko. She’s the reason we did what we did.” Tanaka continued to stare at him, tears still falling from his eyes, but he seemed to be listening. “It’s not your fault, man,” he repeated somewhat weakly, softening his tone. The two stared at each other for a long moment, the room entirely silent save for the sound of quiet sniffling, before Tanaka let out a strangled cry and moved forward suddenly.

Before Kazuichi could react, the breeder had his arms around his stomach, burying his face in the mechanic’s pajamas and sobbing into his chest. He sat there for a moment in shock before he slowly laid his hands on Tanaka’s back, embracing him as best he could given their awkward positioning. He felt incredibly helpless, incredibly confused, incredibly incredulous at the situation, a situation that he never thought he would find himself in in a thousand years. For some reason, however, he didn’t mind Tanaka’s arms around his midriff or his face buried in his chest, or being in such close proximity to the person he once thought he hated at all.

What he did mind, however, was the fact that Tanaka was crying. He rubbed the breeder’s back in what he hoped was a comforting manner, wishing there was something he could do to assuage the torrent of sorrow and pain the other man was feeling. He didn’t want to think about what might have happened if he hadn’t been there, if Tanaka had just been left with himself and his crushing guilt. They stayed in the same position for what seemed like an eternity, until Kazuichi was relieved to hear the breeder’s sobs gradually fade into faint sniffles. Suddenly, Tanaka seemed to become aware of the situation, and he pushed away from the mechanic quickly, sitting up and wiping his eyes with his forearm.

“Do not… tell anyone of this,” he ordered, the command made far less assertive by his sniffling and faint voice. Kazuichi was relieved to hear him return to a somewhat normal speech pattern, and he smiled, giving the breeder a thumbs-up.

“No problem, man.”

Chapter Text

“He still hasn’t come out of his room, huh?” Hajime sighed, setting down his chopsticks and closing his eyes. Kazuichi took another bite out of his muffin, wincing at its somewhat powdery texture and hoping that Teruteru would wake up soon.

“Yeah. I haven’t seen ‘im since a couple nights ago, when Ibuki woke up,” he replied.

“He needs to cheer up soon. I kinda miss his crazy talk,” Akane commented from the table beside them, her mouth filled with a rather heavy breakfast of grilled steak. Fuyuhiko, sitting across from her, looked up from his plate and raised an eyebrow.

“You’re… really not the type to hold grudges, are you?” he asked, to which she responded with a confused tilt of her head.

“Huh? Why would I be?”

“Wha- but he-!” Fuyuhiko spluttered, before sighing and shaking his head. “Nevermind.”

“I do hope he comes out soon.” Kazuichi felt a wrench of both jealousy and concern in his chest as he turned to Sonia, who was standing at the edge of their table, next to Hajime. She was staring at the floor in an uncharacteristic display of low spirits, her right hand clenched tightly around her left forearm as she spoke. Kazuichi had told them all what Tanaka had remembered, but, of course, none of them had held it against him. Sonia was clearly devastated to learn of the fate of his hamsters, but she seemed to be more worried about the breeder himself.

“H-hey, I’m sure he will, Miss Sonia!” he told her with an unconvincing smile. “Nothin’ can keep that guy down for long!” She seemed to perk up at his words, and she straightened, her face setting in determination.

“Yes, you are right.” She smiled brightly, and Kazuichi nearly fell out of his seat. “He is not like us mortals, after all.” He grit his jagged teeth, feeling the all-too familiar sensation of being stabbed in the heart. Why did Tanaka’s craziness have to rub off on her?

“I hope everyone cheers up soon,” Hajime remarked, and the mood sombered once again. The hotel was noticeably empty, with only the five survivors gathered to eat breakfast, despite the invitation they had extended to the those who had woken up. Mahiru was still recovering from regaining her memories, and Ibuki still hadn’t fully regained her motor ability from being in a coma for so long.

“They sure are takin’ their sweet time wakin’ up,” Akane said, standing up to get a fourth serving.

“What’s up with the order, anyway?” Kazuichi asked, scratching his chin. “I thought the imposter guy would be the first to wake up, since, ya know… he was the first to go.”

“I think they’re waking up based on the severity of their wounds,” Hajime told him. “Both Gundam and Mahiru suffered head injuries and died pretty much instantly, and Ibuki was strangled to death, which is relatively less severe than some of the others.”

“In that case, Peko…,” Fuyuhiko grit his teeth and looked out the window, his remaining golden eye shining with pain. The group focused on their food as they remembered the brutal deaths each of their friends had experienced, Kazuichi paying close attention to Sonia to make sure she wasn’t too upset. The conversation limped on like a wounded animal for a bit longer, but none of them could ignore the tangible absence of the rest of their class.

“Well, I’m goin’ to train,” Akane declared with a sudden air of determination, setting down her plate so hard that Kazuichi feared it would shatter. “I hope old man Nidai wakes up soon, so we can spar like we used to.” Almost immediately after she had disappeared down the stairs, Hajime also pushed back his chair and stood up.

“I think I’m going to go check on everyone who’s still asleep,” he told them. Fuyuhiko perked up at his words, his brow still furrowed as it had been for the last several minutes.

“Hey, mind if I tag along? I… I kind of want to…. And since I’m on watch tonight, anyway…,” Hajime nodded with a reassuring smile, and the baby-faced gangster stood up, shoving his hands in his pockets. Kazuichi realized with a surge of excitement that he was being left alone with Sonia, and he sat up straight in his seat, trying to play it cool. To his shock, as soon as Sonia saw that the two had left the room, she actually sat down across from him, staring directly at him with a look of determination.

“I have been meaning to speak with you for some time, Kazuichi,” she told him, and he felt color rising in his cheeks as she said his name.

“M-me?” he raised a hand to his face, his eyes widening. “Really?”

“Yes.” She nodded and leaned forward, her green eyes sparkling and her golden hair shimmering in the sunlight filtering through the window. Kazuichi felt his mind go wild with possibilities, and a surge of excitement coursed through him as he realized that today might finally be the day he had been waiting for for so long. Perhaps she finally reciprocated his feelings, or perhaps she had reciprocated them all along, but had been unable to act on them due to the circumstances-

“You were the one who was present when Gundam initially regained his memories, correct?” Kazuichi’s world crashed down around him, and he deflated in his seat. Of course this was about Tanaka. Tanaka was the only one Sonia ever wanted to talk about.

“Yeah,” he responded sadly. He felt a cold knot in his stomach as he remembered the sight of the breeder crying and the feeling of his head against his chest, but he pushed the memory away. He should be sad because Sonia had just blatantly rejected him, not because he found the sight of his romantic rival crying to be unbearable.

“I visited him and knocked on his door yesterday, but he did not respond,” she told him, her determined look replaced with one of concern. Concern for a friend, Kazuichi was sure. “I thought that he may simply have been sleeping, so I visited him again later that day, and then again earlier this morning, but he did not respond then, either. I even announced my presence at the door, thinking that he may answer if he knew that it was me who was knocking, but it made no difference.” Kazuichi clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes.

“How dare he ignore Miss Sonia?” he said, half to himself. However, before he could continue, all signs of softness vanished from the princess’s eyes, and she raised her head to spear him with a glare.

“Do not speak about him in that way!” she ordered, and he jumped.

“O-of course, Miss Sonia! My bad!” She sighed at his meek tone, the anger disappearing from her gaze.

“That is not what I meant to speak to you about, anyway,” she said, shaking her head. “If you were the one to comfort him initially, perhaps he will be more responsive to you.” Kazuichi leaned back in surprise as the princess stood, putting a hand on her hip and pointing at him commandingly. “You must go to his cottage and attempt to draw him out, or at least speak with him! I leave this matter in your hands!” Her commanding tone and determined gaze drowned out any protests Kazuichi might have had, and he felt the sudden urge to follow her to the ends of the earth.

“Right! Anything for you, Miss Sonia!” He raised one hand in a stiff salute before he knew what he was doing, and she nodded, satisfied.

“Good!” Her facial expression relaxed and she dropped her hands, before curtseying with a cute smile. “Thank you, Kazuichi.” With that, she made her way to the stairs, leaving the mechanic sitting alone in his seat, turning a startling shade of fire-engine red. However, a moment after she left the room, the spell seemed to break, and he buried his head in his hands and groaned in frustration.

“What did I just agree to?” He stared at the wooden surface of the table for a long time, wondering if there was any way out of it; Sonia didn’t say he had to go do it now. “Ugh, am I gonna have to be that weirdo’s personal babysitter or somethin’?” However, the more he thought about the idea, the less adverse Kazuichi felt to it, and he realized with a start that he was actually worried about the breeder. He rested his chin on his hand and furrowed his brow, questions popping up in his mind like water rising above oil.

Has he been eating properly? Based on his own personal experiences, it was possible that Tanaka hadn’t eaten since he’d regained his memories, which had been about two full days ago. In fact, Kazuichi hadn’t seen any food in his room that night, and if he hadn’t left since then, then it was actually probable that that was the case.

If he wasn’t eating, then it was possible that he wasn’t taking care of himself in other ways, either. He might not be sleeping, and while there was running water in his cottage, it was possible that he wasn’t drinking anything either. Kazuichi tapped his foot anxiously as his brain reminded him that humans could only go for about three days without water. What if he was already suffering from dehydration? What if he was already…?

Kazuichi realized with a start that there was another possibility he hadn’t considered, a possibility that explained why he hadn’t been seen and he wasn’t responding to visitors. If he had been left alone for two days with nothing but his guilt, with no one to talk to…

“N-nah, that’s ridiculous,” he muttered under his breath, trying to swallow the lump rising in his throat. Of course he couldn’t have done anything drastic; they would have smelled blood coming from his cottage. Then again, he might have done something that didn’t involve blood, like hanging himself, though Kazuichi couldn’t think of anything he could have done that with. He was managing to calm himself down, taking comfort in the rhythmic sound of distant waves, when another thought occurred to him.

“Ach!” Kazuichi stood up immediately, feeling the blood drain from his face. “His scarf-!” He tried once again to calm his imagination, but he couldn’t prevent himself from considering the possibility. He fought the urge to immediately run out of the hotel, and instead picked up a glass of milk as well as an empty plate, which he piled high with fruit, bread, and some of the steak Akane had left unravaged. If Tanaka was still alive- no, since Tanaka was still alive, he was going to need something to eat and drink. Balancing the plate on one hand and clutching the glass in the other, Kazuichi hurried toward the stairs and power-walked out of the hotel, his mind racing.

Chapter Text

Kazuichi hadn’t considered how difficult it would be to knock on Tanaka’s door with his hands full of food and drink. He stood outside the cottage for a moment, staring at the door helplessly, before he sighed and decided not to bother with knocking at all.

“Hey, Tanaka, you in there? It’s me, Kazuichi. Could ya let me in?” Kazuichi didn’t actually expect a response; Tanaka had been far closer to Sonia, both in high school and in the Neo World Program, so if he hadn’t answered the door for her, then he surely wouldn’t answer the door for him. With these thoughts in his mind, the mechanic almost dropped the food in his hand when the door opened a crack.

He felt a massive surge of relief as Tanaka’s eye appeared in the crack, though some of his suspicions were confirmed as he noticed the darkened bags under it. Kazuichi quickly regained both his balance and his composure and smiled a somewhat awkward smile.

“Hey, man,” he said cheerfully. He was doing this for Sonia. “Everybody’s been worried about ya.” Tanaka didn’t respond, but opened the door a bit wider, revealing his entire face. His hair was still down and even messier than before, and he still wasn’t wearing his red contact lens. “Mind if I come in?”

Tanaka opened the door all the way and stepped aside, which Kazuichi gratefully took as a signal to enter. The plate in his hand was beginning to feel rather heavy, and the glass of milk was extremely cold, the condensation threatening to freeze his skin off. He set both down on the small coffee table Tanaka had moved into his room the week before, letting out a sigh of relief and wiping the condensation onto his jumpsuit. He cast a cursory glance around the room, which was still very dark, but Tanaka’s curtains didn’t cover up the entire window, allowing a sliver of sunlight to shine through.

“I brought ya some food,” he told the breeder, who was still standing by the door and staring at him. He was rather discomforted by the other man’s silence, especially since he was normally so ridiculous and over-the-top with his booming speech. The two stared at each other for a moment, before Kazuichi laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. “Well, I guess I just wanted to check up on ya. I can just leave the food with you, and-” He took a step toward the door, but Tanaka swiftly moved in front of the doorway.

“Stay.” He backed up, trying to hide how intimidated he was despite the breeder’s messy appearance, and laughed nervously again.

“O-okay, sure.” Tanaka moved past him, shutting the door as he did so, and sat on the floor at one end of the coffee table, looking up at Kazuichi expectantly. The mechanic walked over and sat at the other end, crossing his legs and placing his hands in his lap. The other man was still not wearing his ordinary attire; in fact, he seemed to be wearing the same pajamas from the other night, and Kazuichi wondered with a bit of disgust if the man had even taken a shower. The two sat still for a long moment, the breeder simply continuing to stare at Kazuichi with an unreadable expression and making no move to reach for the plate of food in front of him.

“H-hey, man, ya need to eat,” the mechanic told him. “Have you eaten at all the last couple days?” Tanaka looked away, his lack of answer an answer in and of itself. “Come on, dude. Eat somethin’.” There was yet another short pause, and Kazuichi sighed and sat up straight.

“Look, man, I know where you’re comin’ from. When I first remembered, I didn’t wanna eat at all, either. But I promise ya things’ll be a lot better if you eat.” Tanaka slowly opened his mouth to speak, but Kazuichi continued before he could. “I know ya don’t think you deserve it, but we all gotta keep goin’.” Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. “Isn’t that what ya told us after that trial? Somethin’ about how livin’ without wantin’ to live is an insult to life itself?” Tanaka’s eyes widened, and he seemed to lean back a bit in surprise. To Kazuichi’s relief, a small smile appeared on his face a moment afterward, and he closed his eyes peacefully.

“Yes… I suppose you are correct.” With that, he reached forward and took an apple from the plate, taking a small bite and chewing slowly. His eyes widened, and, seeming to realize how hungry he was, he quickly finished the apple before reaching for a slice of toast. Before Kazuichi knew it, almost everything on the plate had vanished, and Tanaka had drained the glass of milk of every last drop.

“Huh? Are ya not gonna eat the steak?” the mechanic asked, tilting his head to the side. Tanaka shook his head.

“I do not eat meat,” he responded, picking up an orange, the only other food left on the plate.

“O-oh, yeah, that makes sense.” Kazuichi felt like an idiot for not realizing that the Ultimate Breeder was a vegetarian. He also felt a slight prick of disappointment at Tanaka’s words; if he was truly feeling like himself, he probably would have said something far more convoluted, and he probably would have said it at a far greater volume. However, he was glad that at least Tanaka was speaking now, and he was especially glad that he had managed to make him smile. He wondered why the breeder didn’t smile like that more often; he looked pretty cute when he did it.

He immediately caught himself, and nearly reeled backward in shock. What was he thinking? Sonia was cute, not Tanaka. There was absolutely no way that he thought about that weirdo’s smile the same way he thought about the princess’s. He felt his face heating up, and, despite his every attempt to stop it, he knew he was blushing. Fortunately, the breeder seemed to be quite preoccupied with the orange, struggling to pierce the tough outer layer without damaging the fruit, so he didn’t seem to notice how flustered Kazuichi was. Just in case, he pretended to be busy tying his shoe, which was already double-knotted.

“The princess,” Tanaka said suddenly, not looking up from his orange. “Is she… angry?” Kazuichi glanced across the table in surprise, but the breeder mentioning Sonia didn’t make him feel as jealous as he thought it would.

“‘Course not,” he responded with a reassuring smile. “No one’s mad at ya.” He paused for a moment, before asking a question of his own. “Is that why ya didn’t answer her when she visited earlier?” Tanaka looked up, seemingly a bit surprised that he was aware of Sonia’s visits.

“...Among other reasons.” The breeder looked back down at his orange, having managed to peel off the rind, and picked off the white strings still left on the fruit. Kazuichi waited for his explanation as to what those other reasons were, but it didn’t come, and he wondered why Tanaka could possibly have not wanted to see Sonia. After all, the two seemed to be so close, much as he hated to admit it, and she was so wonderful that Kazuichi would jump at any chance he could get to see her. He felt rather indignant that Tanaka was able to simply snub the princess so easily, but he supposed that there must be a good reason for it.

“And you have not told anyone of… exactly what occurred when I remembered?” The breeder still did not look up, but Kazuichi saw him furrow his brow as he remembered the events of two nights ago. The mechanic winced as an image of Tanaka crying popped up in his mind, and he felt a stab of grief as he recalled the fate of the Four Dark Devas of Destruction.

“No. I promised, didn’t I?” Kazuichi had told everyone what the breeder had remembered the morning after Tanaka had his breakdown, but he didn’t tell them how badly the memories had affected him. The other man gave a hum of assent, his mouth full of orange. The mechanic practically fell backwards in shock as he realized how Tanaka was eating the fruit, and he pointed an accusing finger at him, causing him to look up in surprise.

“Hey! What’re ya doin’ to that orange?” The breeder had taken a bite out of it as one would an apple, completely ignoring the natural divots in the fruit that would allow him to pull it apart into neat slices.

“I am… eating it?” Tanaka responded, his eyes glinting with confusion.

“Come on, man, that’s not how ya eat an orange! Just look at it!” The other man looked rather alarmed at how distraught Kazuichi was, and glanced down at the fruit as he had told him to. After a pause, he looked back up, his confused expression not alleviated in the slightest. “Geez, dude! Has no one ever taught ya how to eat an orange? No- even if no one’s taught ya, you should still know just from lookin’ at it!”

“Well- perhaps I enjoy consuming oranges this way,” the breeder responded rather indignantly, his eyes glinting in annoyance at Kazuichi’s exasperated tone.

“What’re ya, masochistic?” the mechanic asked hypocritically. “It’s so messy like that, and ya get all the stringy white parts in your mouth if ya didn’t peel it right!”

“Perhaps you simply lack the requisite skill to peel an orange,” Tanaka fired back, his voice raising to match Kazuichi’s. The pink-haired man stood up from the table, scowling angrily, and the breeder also put the instigating fruit on the table and stood without hesitation, fury shining in his grey eyes.

“At least I’m smart enough to know how to eat one!” he retorted. “How dumb d’ya have to be to miss somethin’ that obvious?” Just as he’d hoped it would, the other man’s face collapsed into an expression of rage at his words. He spread his feet apart and clutched his right arm, glaring daggers at Kazuichi from beneath his mop of matted grey-and-black hair.

“Do not mess with me!” he shouted, an intimidating aura seeming to surround his entire body. “I am Gundam Tanaka, Supreme Overlord of Ice! Do you wish for me to cast you into an early grave?” The angry expression instantly dissolved from Kazuichi’s face, and he laughed a pleasant, relaxed laugh that made the Supreme Overlord of Ice freeze in shock.

“Good to have ya back, Tanaka.” The breeder stared at him for a moment, before dropping his arms to his sides and assuming an ordinary standing position.

“You fiend…,” he muttered. Kazuichi beamed at him, quite pleased with himself for executing such a brilliant plan, though he hadn’t quite planned it at first. After a moment, Tanaka smiled back at him cautiously, a tiny smile that made the mechanic’s heart leap completely platonically. The short silence that followed was different from the ones before it, filled with warmth and a newfound sense of trust between the two.

“But, seriously, though, let me show ya how to eat an orange.”

Chapter Text

“Hajime…,” Kazuichi whined, drawing out the last syllable to emphasize his displeasure. “Even if we’re soul mates, I’m not gonna let ya take Miss Sonia from me!” Hajime laughed, his expression a mixture of amusement and embarrassment, and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. After leaving Gundam’s cottage, the mechanic had immediately sought out Sonia to inform her of his good deeds, and had been irked to find her walking down the path in Jabberwock Park, conversing pleasantly with Hajime. As if it isn’t bad enough havin’ to compete with Gundam for her.

“I’m not trying to take her from you,” he explained, raising his hands in an attempt to abate the pink-haired man’s fury. “I just- ach-!” He grunted as Sonia pushed him out of the way, her green eyes sparkling as she stared at Kazuichi with an adorably enthusiastic expression.

“Well?” she asked expectantly. “What news do you bring? Have you managed to coax Gundam out of isolation?”

“Uh, maybe?” he responded, and then rushed to continue as her expression twisted into a frown. “Ah, but- I-I got ‘im to eat, though, and he almost seemed like his normal self after we talked! He did the whole ‘I am Gundam Tanaka’ thing, so I think he’s feelin’ better.” Kazuichi noticed Hajime trying to hide a chuckle over Sonia’s shoulder at the mechanic’s somewhat lacking Gundam impression.

“Excellent!” she declared with a satisfied smile. “You have done well. Now, I must go see him for myself at once!” The princess speed-walked in the direction of the cottages, leaving Kazuichi standing in a stew of ecstasy at her compliment and horrible jealousy at her quick dismissal. He felt Hajime staring at him sympathetically, and he turned to him with tears in his eyes.

“It’s not fair, man,” he sobbed. “The only one she ever cares about is that weirdo. I’m doomed to die alone.” He buried his face in his hands, wishing he still had his beanie to hide under.

“Hey, come on, Kazuichi,” he said, patting his back reassuringly. “We’re still young, right? There’s plenty of time for you to find someone.” The mechanic shook his head, and Hajime laughed. “Don’t worry. If we’re both still single by the time we’re thirty, I’ll hook up with you.”

“Really?” Kazuichi asked with a smile, looking up and wiping his eyes. “Thanks, man.” There was a pause as the other man smirked at him with an eyebrow raised. “Wait- no! Hey, d-don’t trick me like that! I like girls! Girls!”

“Who says you can’t like both?” Hajime asked with a wink that left only his green eye unexposed, and the mechanic responded with a deadly glare. “Okay, okay, sorry.” Kazuichi let out an indignant puff and folded his arms, beginning to walk down the path, though his pace was slow enough to indicate that he wanted Hajime to follow. There was a brief silence as they began slowly walking through the park, before his friend spoke up. “Hey, did you really manage to make Gundam feel better?”

“Yeah, I think so,” he responded. “I kinda had to start a shouting match with ‘im to do it, though.”

“I’m surprised he even let you in,” Hajime remarked. “I went by his room yesterday and asked to come in. We got pretty close in the Neo World Program, close enough for him to call me his friend, so I thought he might let me in. He didn’t even respond, though.”

“Really?” Kazuichi looked over at his friend in surprise. So it wasn’t just Miss Sonia he wouldn’t let in? “I’m surprised he let me in, too, though. The longest conversation we’d ever had before today was an argument.”

“And yet you still managed to cheer him up,” Hajime remarked with an odd smile. Suddenly, he stopped in the middle of the path, forcing Kazuichi to stop too and look back in surprise. “Hey, Kazuichi.” His friend leveled both eyes at him, green and red. “I think you’ve changed.”

“H-huh?” the mechanic stuttered, somewhat frightened by his sudden seriousness. “What’s that s’posed to mean?”

“You’re more dependable,” Hajime told him with a smile. “And more understanding. You’re way more open to people. Basically, you’re more mature.” Though he was surprised by his friend’s words, he was unable to keep a smile of his own from spreading across his face.

“R-really? D’ya really think so?” Kazuichi asked sheepishly.

“Really. I’m pretty good at reading people, even without my new talents.” The mechanic’s smile faded, and he looked away from his friend and down at the path.

“I think… after what we’ve been through, it’s difficult not to change.”

“Kazuichi Souda!” He practically leapt out of his jumpsuit at the sound of Sonia’s commanding tone, and he turned to stand rigidly at attention as she hurried towards them, her expression triumphant.

“Y-yes, Miss Sonia?” he asked, fear and excitement pounding simultaneously in his chest.

“Never learns, does he…,” Hajime muttered. “How dull….”

“You have done brilliantly!” Sonia told him as she reached them, stopping at the same time as Kazuichi’s heart.

“R-really? I have?” He felt his cheeks turn red, and happy tears welled up in his eyes.

“Absolutely!” she responded.

“Did Gundam let you into his cottage?” Hajime asked, smiling at the both of them.

“Not precisely,” Sonia responded, some of the enthusiasm briefly dropping from her face before it instantly returned. “However, he did respond to my voice. He told me that he was unable to leave his cottage because he was ‘not in the proper attire for an audience with the Dark Queen’.”

“Oh, yeah. I kinda forgot he calls you that.”

“M-Miss Sonia isn’t a dark queen! She’s the picture of light!” Kazuichi protested, and to his surprise, the princess turned to him with approval shining in her eyes.

“His high spirits have returned because of you. You have my gratitude.” Before the mechanic could react, Sonia leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on his cheek, stunning both men into silence. She pulled away with a satisfied smile, uttering a farewell that Kazuichi didn’t hear a word of, before turning and walking in the other direction down the path.

“Hey, Kazuichi? …Earth to Kazuichi?” The mechanic ignored Hajime’s words and raised a hand to his cheek, fingers ghosting over the spot where Sonia’s lips had been. He was completely stunned, but he braced himself for the wave of emotions he was certain he would feel at any moment now. However, as he stood perfectly still with his hand frozen to his cheek, the shock of Sonia’s actions gradually faded, and he felt… nothing.

Wh...What the hell? Sonia, an actual princess, whom he had admired for years, had just kissed him on the cheek. He should be over the moon, completely elated, but he felt nothing but a sense of fading surprise at how unexpected it was. He felt his brow furrow, and barely noticed as Hajime stepped in front of him and waved a hand in front of his eyes.

“Kazuichi?” his friend repeated. “...Crap. I think he’s broken.” His words were obviously meant as a joke, but the mechanic detected a slight tinge of concern in his tone.

“I-I don’t… feel…,” Kazuichi began, before trailing off uncertainly. He suddenly shook his head as if to clear it, lowering his hand from his face and smiling unconvincingly. “It’s nothing. Hey, I gotta go, man. See ya later.”

“Oh… okay,” Hajime responded, surprise evident in his voice. “S-see you later.”

The mechanic turned and walked briskly down the path, suddenly eager to reach his cottage. His mind raced and he tried to force himself to feel something, anything, as he crossed the bridge to the first island and spotted the rows of cottages in the distance. This was the scenario of his dreams, the moment he had waited for since he had first seen Sonia’s face when he entered Hope’s Peak Academy. Sure, he was glad that he had managed to make her happy, and he was proud that he had earned her gratitude, but it was as though the kiss on the cheek had meant nothing to him. That’s impossible! He grimaced, clenching his fists. I love Miss Sonia, so why…?

He reached the porch to his cottage and yanked the door open roughly, stepping inside and slamming it behind him.

Chapter Text

Kazuichi stared up at the ceiling, trying to make out his outstretched hand in the darkness of his room. He was certain that it was far too late for him to be awake, but, though he was physically exhausted, his mind wouldn’t let him fall asleep. He kept replaying the events from earlier that day- if it even was still the same day- and trying to make some sense of the way he felt. He sighed, letting his hand fall to the bed, and rolled over, staring at the square of moonlight streaming through the window to illuminate the floor. Was he so traumatized by the events of the Tragedy that he was unable to feel the same way about Sonia as he had at Hope’s Peak Academy?

There was another possibility, one that he didn’t really want to consider; perhaps he had never really loved Sonia in the first place. He was certain that it would never have occurred to him that he didn’t love the princess before he went through what he had during the Tragedy, or he would have denied it altogether without any thought. He knew, however, that he had to be more honest with himself and the others if he wanted to live in the new world with them. Perhaps Hajime had been right; perhaps he had changed. If his love for Sonia had really just been infatuation, though, surely it would have faded by now. He wouldn’t still feel giddy whenever he saw her smile and feel a prick of jealousy whenever he saw her with someone else.

“No, there’s no way,” he muttered into the darkness. “I’ll always love Miss Sonia, no matter what.” However, even as he spoke, a voice in the back of his head told him that perhaps it was that mindset that had fueled his infatuation with the princess all along. He groaned in frustration and kicked off his blankets, standing up and crossing the room before he knew what he was doing. He opened the cottage door and stepped outside, taking a deep breath of the clean night air, and began to make his way down the boardwalk, hoping that the sound of distant waves would help to clear his mind.

He winced as he stepped on the edge of one of the sharper stones making up the walkway, regretting his decision to leave without putting on his shoes. However, the thought of returning to his cramped, dark cottage to retrieve them made him shudder inwardly, so he simply clenched his fists to distract him from the pain. He had no idea where he was going, or even why he had left his room, but at least walking took his mind off of his conflicted feelings toward Sonia.

He subconsciously raised his hand to touch the spot on his cheek where the princess’s lips had been, trying once again to jumpstart his emotions by recalling the moment she had kissed him. It had been brief, and he had been so surprised by the sudden action that he had difficulty remembering exactly what it had felt like. Her lips had certainly been soft, he thought, but they had been pursed tightly, as if it had been more of a polite kiss than one of affection. Of course it had been a polite kiss.

Kazuichi realized with a start that he had arrived in front of the building where the pods were kept, and he stopped in his tracks, glancing over at the door. If he remembered correctly, it was Fuyuhiko’s turn to watch over their comatose friends, in case any of them woke up during the night. He approached the entrance slowly, wondering if talking to someone might help, though he was reluctant to enter the building. He had been quite close to the gangster before the Tragedy had occurred, and they had seemed to retain their bond despite everything that had happened since they attended Hope’s Peak together. He put his hand on the doorknob and turned, letting the door open slowly on its own.

The room was dark, illuminated only by the eerie green light of the pods and the blue glow of the monitors surrounding them. He looked away from the machines quickly and spotted Fuyuhiko on the other side of the room, the left side of his body visible only because of Peko’s pod next to him; the mechanic couldn’t help but think that it was easy to imagine that the other man still had both of his eyes, with the slashed remains of his right eye shrouded in darkness. As the door opened with a creak and Kazuichi stepped inside, the gangster half-rose from the chair that Hajime had brought in for the night watch and whipped around, clearly alarmed by the mechanic’s sudden entrance. However, as the baby-faced man recognized him, his expression relaxed, and he sighed a somewhat angry sigh.

“Care to knock?” he asked pointedly, sitting back down and folding his arms. He raised an eyebrow as Kazuichi approached him wearing nothing but light blue pajamas and fuzzy socks. “What’re you doing up, anyway?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” the mechanic replied with a yawn.

“Tch, don’t talk to me about not being able to sleep. You’re lucky you don’t ever have to do this. I thought you didn’t want to come in here, anyway.”

“...Yeah. I guess so. And I should be fine, as long as it’s not too long.” The gangster looked slightly surprised at Kazuichi’s meek acceptance of his venomous words.

“Did you have a nightmare or somethin’? You’re even more of a pushover than usual.”

“You’re even more irritated than usual,” the mechanic retorted, smiling to take some of the bite out of his words and sitting on the pod directly behind him. He winced at the feeling of the cold, sturdy surface underneath him, but he was too mentally and physically exhausted to care much, and he reminded himself that it was only glass. Fuyuhiko’s eye widened at the disrespectful gesture, and he glared daggers at Kazuichi, made more intimidating by the eerie green light around them.

“What the hell are you doing?” he shouted, unfolding his arms and clenching his fists. “You can’t just-,”

“Relax, it’s empty,” the mechanic interrupted. “Besides, this one used to be mine, anyway.” The gangster took a moment to process his words, and for a moment Kazuichi was afraid that he was going to decide to be angry anyway. However, Fuyuhiko simply clicked his tongue and looked back toward Peko’s pod, folding his arms once again. The room fell into silence, broken only by the dull hum of the machinery around them, and the mechanic winced, trying to block out the sound.

“You never answered my question,” the gangster said suddenly, without taking his eyes off of the pod. It took a moment for Kazuichi to remember the question he had asked.

“Oh, about the nightmare? Nah, I haven’t slept at all, actually.”

“Somethin’ keeping you up?” Fuyuhiko asked, his tone dull so as to hide the concern in his voice.

“Uh… yeah.” The gangster paused, waiting for him to continue, and looked up with a raised eyebrow when he didn’t. The mechanic didn’t speak for a long while, trying to think of a way to bring up the subject and deliberately avoiding his friend’s gaze. Finally, he opened his mouth hesitantly, deciding to risk the short man’s anger.

“Hey, um… this might be a bit of a weird question, but….” Fuyuhiko’s eye narrowed at that, but he didn’t interrupt, which Kazuichi took as a signal to continue. “Do you, um….” He stammered and trailed off, suddenly losing all confidence in what he was saying, before starting up again. “Do you think that you, um, love Pekoyama?”

“Wha-!” The gangster let out an involuntary exclamation of surprise, his eye widening as he quickly looked away. “And why the hell do you ask?” The mechanic thought he saw a tinge of pink on Fuyuhiko’s cheeks, but it was difficult to tell in the dark room. He grit his teeth and scratched the back of his head, realizing that there was absolutely no way the short man would answer his question unless he was honest with the reason that he wanted to know.

“I… kinda need a… frame of reference, I guess? ‘Cause I-I don’t really know if I actually love Miss Sonia,” he admitted, feeling as though he was slowly pulling out one of his own teeth and probably cutting his hand in the process. The gangster’s tense shoulders relaxed somewhat, and he turned to face Kazuichi once again, his expression guarded.

“What makes you think that?”

“Well, she…. It’s a bit of a long story, but I did a favor for her, and she kissed me on the cheek, but-,”

“She actually did that?” Fuyuhiko interrupted, straightening in his chair.

“Don’t sound so surprised!” the mechanic shouted, feeling his heart break from his friend’s betrayal. He groaned in frustration, wondering if every one of his friends saw him as such a hopeless loser. “Anyway, she kissed me on the cheek, but I didn’t really… feel anything. I shoulda been delighted, but I just… wasn’t.” He growled exasperatedly, putting the heel of his palm to his forehead. “I’ve been waitin’ for this for years, ya know? It’s just so… annoying! The one time she actually pays attention to me, it’s like it doesn’t even matter!” Fuyuhiko closed his eye, seeming to consider his outburst far more seriously than Kazuichi thought he would. He had been slightly afraid that the gangster would just click his tongue and tell him to get over it, and that things like this didn’t really matter considering their situation. However, the baby-faced man sat entirely still for quite a while, his expression solemn, before opening his eye and looking at the mechanic once again.

“When was the first time you thought you were in love with her?” he asked.

“The moment I saw her,” Kazuichi replied confidently. “That day at the orientation, she was just so perfect, and beautiful, and-,”

“Then you probably don’t actually love her,” Fuyuhiko interrupted bluntly, and for a moment, the mechanic was speechless. “If you thought that you loved her before you even got to know her, then that’s probably just an infatuation with her looks.”

“There’s no way!” he protested. “Her personality’s great, too! She’s so polite and kind, just like a princess!”

“And that’s probably why you thought you were in love with her at first, since you assumed that she would be polite and kind, as a princess. What about the other parts of her personality? Her obsession with the occult, and serial killers.”

“Well, that’s…,” Kazuichi trailed off, realizing that the gangster had made a good point. He was a bit put off by Sonia’s more… unorthodox interests, and he had simply tried to ignore them and not think about them too much. “Sh-she’s just… a bit different.”

“See?” Fuyuhiko said with a smirk. “Have you considered that you might not actually be in love with Sonia, but with an unrealistic image of her you’ve made yourself?” Seeing the mechanic’s confused and indignant expression, the gangster sighed and continued. “You just accept the parts of her personality that you like, and ignore the ones you don’t. You aren’t really in love with Sonia, you’re in love with the version of her that is pretty and kind and polite. The version of her that’s obsessed with the occult- and the version of her that prefers Gundam over you- doesn’t really mean anything to you.” Kazuichi physically flinched at his words, feeling as though he had just taken a punch to the gut. He began to wonder if talking to the baby-faced man had really been worth it, but, deep down, he knew that this was something that he needed to hear.

“Well… when ya put it like that, it makes me sound like kind of a jerk,” the mechanic whined, but Fuyuhiko stared at him with no hint of sympathy in his gaze.

“You kind of are.” Kazuichi deflated, feeling tears stream down his face at this horrible betrayal. Had he really been that awful all this time? Was his ‘love’ for Sonia really as shallow as Fuyuhiko made it sound? The gangster turned back toward the pod and closed his eye, and when he spoke again, the mechanic was relieved to hear that his tone had softened somewhat.

“You definitely thought that you actually loved her, which is probably why you’re so confused now. But, since you’re actually in love with this imaginary version of her that you’ve invented, it makes sense that you wouldn’t feel anything when the real Sonia kissed you. You just don’t feel that way about her.” Kazuichi sat in shock, pondering Fuyuhiko’s words and realizing with horror that what he said made perfect sense. It made sense that he wouldn’t feel anything if he wasn’t actually in love with her, and it made sense that he wasn’t actually in love with her if he was just in love with some perfect person he had created in her image. It all made so much sense. He stared at the gangster in amazement, and when the short man noticed his gaze, he furrowed his brow, clearly flustered.

"Wh-what? What’re you lookin’ at me like that for?”

“It’s just…. You’re really insightful for someone who’s so mean and grumpy all the time,” he told him, his awe making him tactless. Fuyuhiko glared at him, and this time, Kazuichi was certain that there was a tint of red on the other man’s cheeks.

“D-don’t be ridiculous! I just…. Y-you’re just too much of a dumbass to figure things out yourself!” The gangster huffed angrily, looking away and closing his eye even as he blushed furiously. The mechanic laughed far more lightheartedly than he had in awhile, despite the terrible truth that the baby-faced man had just dropped on him. There was a short, comfortable silence - comfortable for Kazuichi, at least; Fuyuhiko had tensed up in his seat and was keeping his eye squeezed firmly shut. The mechanic felt a calm, peaceful feeling settle over him as he sat next to one of the best friends he could ever hope for, and he smiled a small, happy smile.

“Thanks for helpin’ me out with this, Fuyuhiko,” he said quietly, and the gangster let out a puff of forced anger.

“Tch…. You’re welcome, Kazuichi.”

Chapter Text

The serenity that Kazuichi had felt when he was with Fuyuhiko had completely abandoned him by the next morning, to be replaced by a mixture of irritability at his lack of sleep and confusion at his dilemma with Sonia. The gangster had certainly managed to shed some light on the subject, and the more the mechanic thought about it, the more he had to reluctantly concede that the other man seemed to be right. It would not be easy, however, for him to simply drop the feelings he had harbored for years, even if those feelings weren’t actually love, and he wasn’t entirely sure if he wanted to.

Kazuichi glanced over at Fuyuhiko, who was in his usual seat at the table beside him. The gangster seemed to notice his gaze, and they held eye contact for a moment before quickly looking back down at their plates. Hajime looked up and raised an eyebrow, noticing the odd exchange.

“Did something happen between you two?” he asked, glancing from one to the other.

“Uh, no, not really,” Fuyuhiko responded somewhat awkwardly, unable to keep his eye from flitting over to Sonia, who had pulled up an extra chair to sit next to him and Akane.

“You are not fighting, are you?” the princess asked, her brow furrowed. “Now is not the time for quarreling. It is important that we remain close to one another, for our own sake as well as that of our classmates.”

“Yeah, you’re right… S-Sonia. We’re not fighting.” Kazuichi had to practically force the name out, and he felt as though he had committed a terrible crime the moment the words left his mouth. The instant he spoke the princess’s name, Fuyuhiko glanced across at him sharply, and Hajime’s head jerked up in shock. However, Sonia simply nodded, seemingly not noticing that he had dropped the title he typically used.

The mechanic deliberately kept his eyes on his food, refusing to meet the stares of his two closest friends. He had spent most of the walk back to his cottage the previous night and the time he spent laying in bed, before drowsiness made his thoughts incoherent, considering what he and Fuyuhiko had discussed. If the gangster was right, and he was truly in love with a fabricated, perfect version of Sonia that he had invented based on his idea of what she should be like, then he had concluded that the first step in moving past his infatuation was to stop calling her by such a reverent title.

Suddenly, Kazuichi saw Sonia’s eyes widen in his peripheral vision, and he felt a stab of fear as he wondered if she had noticed what he had said and was displeased. However, as he dared to look up at her, he saw that she was not looking at him, but rather at the stairs behind him, at the other end of the room. Her face suddenly melted into an adorable smile, and Kazuichi gritted his teeth and quickly averted his eyes.

“Gundam!” the princess cried, pushing back her chair and hurrying toward the stairs. The mechanic straightened in surprise and whipped around, spotting the breeder walking slowly toward the group, his demeanor uncharacteristically hesitant and unsure. He had donned his demon-lord attire once again, complete with one red contact and eyeliner. His hair was still down, but it had clearly been washed and brushed, and Kazuichi couldn’t help but smile as a massive wave of relief washed over him.

“I am very glad that you have decided to join us!” Sonia exclaimed as she reached Gundam, seeming to glow with happiness and relief. “Do you feel any better?” The breeder huffed and looked away, his cheeks tinged a slight shade of pink.

“Better? Do not be so foolish,” he told her. “I have undergone trials in other realms the likes of which you could not fathom. In comparison with the horrors I have faced in the depths of the Netherworld, this was a mere trifle.” Kazuichi heard Hajime breathe a sigh of relief behind him at Gundam’s ridiculous speech, and he spotted Fuyuhiko smiling slightly out of the corner of his eye. Even Akane looked up from her massive plate of food, grinning despite her stuffed cheeks.

“Really?” Sonia asked, her eyes sparkling in amazement. The mechanic glanced back at Gundam, trying to look anywhere but at the princess’s delighted face. “In any case, I am glad that you have decided to leave your cottage. Come, you’ve gotta eat something.” Hajime chuckled in amusement at Sonia’s clumsy incorporation of slang into her sentence, and Kazuichi fought back the urge to leap to her defense.

“Hey, c’mon, sit over here,” Akane told the breeder, swallowing her enormous mouthful of food and reaching over to pull up a chair. Kazuichi watched as he approached, making brief eye contact with him as he prepared to take his seat. The mechanic broke into a cheerful smile, and was happy to see him respond with a small, not at all cute smile of his own. He watched for a moment longer as Gundam sat and scooted the chair closer to the table, before noticing Hajime staring at him in dumbfounded amazement.

“H-hey, what’s with that look?” he asked, turning to face his friend.

“Nothing, it’s just…,” Hajime trailed off, blinking slowly. “Normally, this is the part where you get really jealous of Gundam and start whining about how he’s stealing Sonia from you.”

“Whining-?” Kazuichi repeated indignantly, before realizing with a start that his friend was right. He hadn’t been trying to conceal his feelings that time; he genuinely hadn’t felt jealous of Gundam since he had entered the room. He’d felt the typical heart flutters when Sonia smiled, and had felt defensive of her when Hajime laughed at her mannerisms, but his relief and happiness at seeing the breeder act like he normally did had overridden any envy he might have otherwise felt. He felt blood rush to his cheeks, and looked away quickly as he realized that he had been staring at his friend in astonishment.

“I… don’t whine,” he whined in protest, internally denying that he was blushing. Why would he be blushing?

“Hey, I’m not complaining,” Hajime responded with a laugh, leaning back in his seat. “I think it’s great that you’ve made friends with Gundam.” The mechanic hissed, feeling his face flare even hotter, and glanced at the neighboring table, glad that they had struck up a loud enough conversation that they couldn’t hear his friend’s nonsense.

“Th-that’s ridiculous. I didn’t make friends with ‘im, I just… don’t hate ‘im as much as I used to.” Hajime raised an eyebrow and smirked, as if to say ‘yeah, sure’, and Kazuichi glared at him furiously.

“Out of curiosity, Kazuichi…,” his friend began, unfazed by his glare. “Why would you not want to be friends with him, anyway?”

“Well, I… He’s just, uh…,” the mechanic stammered, searching desperately for a reason before realizing that he didn’t have one. “He’s just a weirdo,” he finished lamely.

“We’re all weirdos,” Hajime responded matter-of-factly. “Are you sure you aren’t just being stubborn?”

“Tch…,” Kazuichi looked away, feeling his face heating up again. “...Okay, fine. Maybe I do like him. A-as a person. Just a little.” His friend smiled triumphantly, leaning back in his chair with an infuriating air of satisfaction.

“Oh, Hajime!” Everyone looked up in surprise as Sonia stood up, her eyes wide in realization. “It is my turn to keep watch over our friends, correct?”

“Uh…. Yeah, actually, I think so,” Hajime responded, and Kazuichi silently thanked the princess for the distraction.

“Oh, dear! I apologize! It entirely slipped my mind!”

“Huh?” Akane cocked her head to the side, her hand frozen in the middle of bringing another bite of food to her mouth. “I thought it was Kazuichi’s turn.” There was a short silence, and the mechanic looked down at the table, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

“He’s not doing it anymore, remember?” Fuyuhiko told her, his voice uncharacteristically subdued. Gundam looked around curiously, but no one offered an explanation for the gangster’s words, and he huffed, looking back down at his plate.

“In that case, I shall depart immediately!” Sonia declared, breaking the tension that had briefly settled over the room. “I do not want to risk missing something by dilly-dallying. If you will excuse me!” With that, the princess gave a curt bow and made her way to the stairs, her beautiful blonde hair streaming out behind her.

“I’m gonna leave, too,” Fuyuhiko said with a sigh, pushing back his chair and standing abruptly. “I might lose it if I don’t get some sleep.”

“And I’ve got trainin’ to do!” Akane shouted suddenly, standing up so quickly that her chair teetered for a moment on its back legs. “C’mon, Baby Gangsta! Let’s go!” Her eyes gleamed as she skirted around the table to stand next to Fuyuhiko, who glared at her furiously.

“I’ve told you not to call me that! And I’m not going with you, anyway. We’re just leaving at the same time!”

“Well, that’s goin’ with me, ain’t it?”

The two continued bickering even as they walked side by side out of the lounge, and Kazuichi sighed, turning back around to face Hajime. He felt a jolt of surprise as he saw his friend’s face; his expression was unreadable, showing no hint of emotion, as though he were analyzing something. Suddenly, he grinned mischievously, and dread crept over the mechanic as he remembered who was still in the room.

“Don’t you dare-,”

“Well, I guess I’ll be going, too,” Hajime interrupted, stretching with an exaggerated yawn. “I kinda want to take a nap, myself. See ya both later!” He winked at Kazuichi as he passed by, and the mechanic made a mental note to kill him later. As Hajime reached the stairs and disappeared, Kazuichi noticed Gundam watching him in the corner of his vision, and he turned, holding eye contact with him for a brief moment.

“W-Well, I guess I’ll-,” He was interrupted once again, this time by the screech of Gundam’s chair against the floor, and he froze in surprise as he stood and stared down at him, somewhat intimidated by the intensity in his red and gray eyes. Suddenly, the breeder drew in a deep breath, as though preparing himself for something, and his face set in determination.

“W-would you… like to…,” Gundam trailed off, and the mechanic stared at him, dumbfounded. He drew in a shaky breath and closed his eyes, pulling up his scarf to cover up the lower half of his face, though he didn’t entirely cover up the pink spreading over his cheeks. Kazuichi was astonished to realize that the other man was blushing, and he felt his face heat up in a blush of his own at how not-at-all cute the expression was. Suddenly, Gundam turned to look at him once again, his eyes even more intense than before, and the mechanic blinked as he pointed at him in an exaggerated, grandiose gesture.

“Your presence in this moment must be the will of causality!” he declared. “The gods of fate have chosen you to accompany me on my hunt for an elusive beast that lives on this very island. Accept, and risk your mortal flesh being torn apart by this fearsome creature. Refuse, and risk displeasing the gods themselves. Truly a sadistic choice! Fuhahaha!” Kazuichi watched, baffled, as Gundam threw his head back and laughed maniacally, before folding his arms and closing his eyes, sporting a satisfied smirk for no discernable reason. He took a moment to process and decipher the other man’s words, and he silently cursed himself for getting so little sleep the previous night.

“Uh, so… ya want me to come with you and look for an animal?” he guessed. “One that’s somewhere on this island?” Gundam opened his eyes and stared at him for a moment, before the smirk dropped from his face and he closed his eyes once again.

“...A bird. I have spent every day since I initially spotted it with my All-Seeing Eye attempting to locate and tame it, but it has as of yet eluded my grasp.” He smiled, chuckling to himself. “Truly a remarkable beast.” Kazuichi couldn’t help but smile at Gundam’s obvious admiration for the bird, and, though he had sort of wanted to get some sleep after breakfast, he couldn’t bring himself to say no. It had clearly taken the breeder a lot to invite him, though he wasn’t sure why, and he had to admit that he had begun to enjoy the other man’s company since they had bonded in his cottage.

“Yeah, sure, why not?” he responded cheerfully, and Gundam’s face lit up.

“Excellent!” He grinned a grin that was clearly meant to look evil and scheming, but Kazuichi could detect the sincere happiness behind his expression. Even though he had never really been close to him, he had known the breeder for years, and it was impossible not to learn a bit about the way he acted through observation. “Come, we must depart at once! Time is of the essence!”

At Gundam’s prompting, the mechanic stood, and the two walked side by side out of the restaurant, the breeder chatting excitedly about the bird he was hunting the whole time.

Chapter Text

“Are you sure you didn’t just imagine this bird?”

Kazuichi wiped his brow, panting in exhaustion as he pushed through another patch of bushes. He had forgotten just how hot Jabberwock Island was, and he hadn’t exactly been exercising regularly since he had woken up from the Neo World Program. It was all he could do to not lose sight of Gundam’s scarf winding through the forest in front of him. How does he not get that ridiculous outfit caught on anything?

“Ha! Do not be so foolish,” the breeder responded, turning his head slightly to reveal a gleaming red eye. “My All-Seeing Eye is never mistaken.” Kazuichi waited for him to continue his rant, expecting some comment about how the gods themselves trembled at his power, but the other man simply turned and continued moving stealthily through the undergrowth. He had been rather quiet since they had entered the forest, and the mechanic supposed that that made sense, considering that they were pursuing a presumably skittish animal that could also immediately fly away from them.

“Would ya at least wait up?” he asked, his voice cracking as he stumbled over a branch. When he regained his balance and looked up, he was surprised to see that he had broken through the forest, the two of them emerging onto the shore just a few yards from the ocean. Gundam had stopped just past the treeline, frowning contemplatively as he looked around.

“It would appear that we have reached the edge of the beast’s dwelling,” he remarked, so quietly that Kazuichi wondered if he was talking to himself. “Hmm… what would be the best course of action?”

“Could we please rest for a bit?” the mechanic begged, stopping beside the breeder to catch his breath. “Ah, man, I’m so outta shape….”

"You must steel yourself if you do not wish to be rended to shreds by the monster lurking in this forest!” Gundam told him sharply, turning to face him. After a moment, however, the determined flame disappeared from his eyes, and he assumed a thoughtful expression. “However… it may be possible to simply abide here until we hear the beast, rather than bumbling blindly through the forest….” He frowned disapprovingly at Kazuichi, who was still doubled over in exhaustion. “You raise such a racket that you would likely alert it to our presence, anyway.”

“Hey, you’re the one who invited me along in the first place!” the mechanic protested, glaring up at the other man spitefully.

“Hmph.” Gundam folded his arms and walked forward slowly, leaving tracks in the soft white sand. “Very well. You may have your rest. Let us wait here for the beast to make its presence known to us. With my power, I will be able to detect it the moment it-,”

“Oh, thank goodness!” Kazuichi interrupted, hurrying past the breeder and flopping down onto the shore. He breathed a sigh of relief as he stretched out his exhausted legs and laid back in the sand, ignoring the sight of Gundam towering above him and looking down at him with an eyebrow raised disdainfully.

“You truly are a mere mortal,” the breeder remarked, sighing as he sat down next to the mechanic. “I fear that the moment we encounter this monster will be the moment that your life comes to a gruesome end.”

“It’s a bird, dude,” Kazuichi said, sitting up. “How could a bird kill me?”

“Ha! You underestimate the strength of the winged beast who rules the sky,” Gundam told him, his eyes gleaming. “The horned owl and golden eagle have talons five times stronger than the grip of a mortal man. Such a beast could easily puncture the flesh of someone as weak as yourself.”

“Geez.” The mechanic blinked in surprise, suddenly losing his earlier confidence. “W-we’re not hunting a bird like that, though, right?”

“Fortunately for you,” the breeder told him dryly. “From what I saw of the creature, it likely subsists on small insects or fruit. It does not possess the razor-sharp talons or vicious beak of a bird of prey. You may yet survive the ordeal, despite your weak will and lack of magic essence.”

“What a relief,” Kazuichi said sarcastically. Gundam huffed, but did not respond, and the two of them looked out at the ocean for a moment, watching the waves crash into the shore. The mechanic realized suddenly that this was the first time he had ever hung out with the breeder voluntarily, and he could not help but be a bit curious about the other man. Despite his boisterous personality and odd appearance, he was actually quite mysterious, and, as he had proven in the Neo World Program, was quite brave and clever. Before he could think of something to ask him about, however, he was surprised to see Gundam turn to him, opening his mouth to ask a question of his own.

“What tribe have you formed a pact with?” The mechanic blinked in surprise, before remembering that he had heard Gundam ask Hajime this question before at the airport when they had first entered the Neo World Program. If he remembered correctly, Komaeda had explained that the breeder had been trying to ask if he had ever owned a pet.

“Uh… I never had a pet, if that’s what you’re askin’,” he responded. “But there were some stray dogs around the neighborhood where I lived. I used to sneak ‘em some of my leftovers sometimes, but my old man would always get real mad about it.” He shuddered at the mention of his father and stared down at the sand, but Gundam didn’t seem to notice.

“Hmph,” the breeder huffed. “You truly come from a family of mortals if you were incapable of forming a pact with even the most common of household pets.”

“Well, we were pretty poor, ya know,” Kazuichi said, looking up at the other man somewhat indignantly. “Sometimes we didn’t have a lotta money to feed ourselves, so a dog prob’ly woulda just been unhappy.” Gundam blinked, a bit taken back by the response, before looking out at the ocean, his expression almost wistful.

“That is… rather considerate,” he remarked slowly, and the mechanic scratched the back of his head, surprised by the sudden compliment. “I was under the impression that you lacked affinity entirely with magic beasts.” He closed his eyes and smiled, chuckling his signature evil chuckle. “Perhaps there is hope for you yet, mortal.”

“...Thanks, I guess,” the mechanic responded, supposing that this was Gundam’s unique way of showing kindness. He suddenly wished that he understood the breeder better, so that he wasn’t caught so off-guard by his way of speaking all the time. “Hey, how do you decide who’s a mortal, anyway?”

“Decide?” Gundam repeated, blinking incredulously. “It is not something that I decide. Though my power is immense, I do not possess the ability to assign a status to an individual.” Kazuichi clicked his tongue exasperatedly and sighed, shaking his head. But… that’s exactly what you do.

“Well, how do you determine it, then? Basically, what the heck is this whole system of yours? There’s, like, All-Seeing Eyes and magic essences, and you call Mi-... you call Sonia a ‘Dark Queen’. Just- what is all that about?” The breeder stared at him for a moment, his eyes wide, and the mechanic began to get the impression that nobody had actually asked him about it before.

“W-well…,” the other man began, lowering the bottom half of his face into his scarf to hide the fact that he had been taken by surprise. He sighed, seeming to gather his thoughts. “The power of an individual is determined by their magic essence. Mere mortals, such as yourself, possess a magic essence of around five or so. My magic essence, of course, is far greater, though I am not so foolish as to reveal my true power to you. The Dark Queen possesses a magic essence of around a hundred, though her potential power is likely around several hundred.” He explained it in a matter-of-fact voice, as though he were explaining basic algebra to a child, and the mechanic was shocked by how easily he was able to keep a straight face.

“Uh...huh….” Kazuichi gave himself a moment to take it all in, but he was glad that Gundam was willing to let him in on his strange, fabricated world. “Hey, speaking of M- of Sonia, why didn’t you invite her along? She seems like a better person to invite than me, since she’s got a, um, higher magic essence or whatever.”

“Hmm.” Gundam hummed in assent, closing his eyes and nodding. “The Dark Queen was the first candidate I considered for the hunt, but she was preoccupied with her vigil over our comatose comrades. In the end, the fates chose you to be my companion on this quest.” Kazuichi sighed, feeling a stab of the jealousy that he knew so well. Of course Sonia had been Gundam’s first pick.

Wait… what? The mechanic blinked in astonishment as he realized what he had just thought. Was he jealous of Sonia? N-no way! That’s all backwards! He felt his cheeks heat up as he denied his own feelings furiously, turning his head away so that the other man didn’t see that he was blushing. He had been blushing far too much around Gundam lately for his own comfort. Ah, man, what the heck is wrong with me?

Suddenly, he saw the breeder sit bolt upright out of the corner of his eye, and he turned, distracted from his brief crisis. Gundam was entirely still for a moment, before he whipped his head around to face the forest, cocking his head to the side and staring at the trees with his eyes wide. Kazuichi was reminded of an alert puppy, but he immediately shoved the thought out of his mind.

“Gundam?” he asked, surprised. “What’s the ma-,”

“Shh,” the breeder shushed him urgently, raising a hand to silence him. The mechanic’s first instinct was to continue talking simply out of stubbornness, but the other man’s serious expression convinced him not to. Suddenly, he heard a distant whistling coo echo from the forest, and he, too, whipped around to stare at the forest, searching the treetops to try and locate the source of the sound. After a moment, he turned back to Gundam, who looked back at him at the same moment.

“Is that…?” Kazuichi hissed quietly. The breeder’s eyes lit up in excitement, and he grinned the widest grin the mechanic had ever seen him grin.

“The beast is here.”

Chapter Text

Kazuichi half-expected Gundam to dash into the forest and abandon him on the beach, but the other man simply stood and stared into the trees, his brow furrowed in concentration. The mechanic also stood with a grunt of effort, wincing as he put weight on his sore legs, and scanned the forest, trying to catch sight of any movement. However, though he raised a hand to block out the sun and stared for several seconds, he didn’t see anything that resembled an animal among the leaves and branches. He turned to the breeder, frowning, but before he could ask him what they were supposed to do, another call echoed from the forest, accompanied by the faint flutter of wings.

“Stay here.”

“Eh-?” Kazuichi stared at Gundam in surprise as the other man walked toward the treeline without so much as glancing in his direction. As he watched, the breeder raised his hands to his face, curling his fingers and holding his thumbs to his lips. Suddenly, he inhaled and cooed, the exact same whistling coo that had echoed from the forest a few seconds ago. Kazuichi felt his mouth drop open in amazement; no wonder this man was the Ultimate Breeder, if he could perfectly imitate the call of a bird he had only heard twice before.

The breeder paused for a moment, scanning the trees, before bringing his hands back up to his face and whistling again. A few seconds after he did so, another call rang out from the forest, as if in response. The mechanic noticed a smile on Gundam’s face as he whistled a reply, a smile so delighted and earnest that it made Kazuichi want to smile, too. He supposed that the breeder really was in his element, and he couldn’t help but feel relieved that the incident with the Four Dark Devas of Destruction hadn’t made him want to avoid animals.

Suddenly, the mechanic noticed a flutter of movement in the trees, and a moment later, a flash of sky blue and green burst out from the canopy. The bird soared toward Gundam so quickly that Kazuichi took a step back in alarm, but the other man didn’t flinch. Instead, he raised his arm to provide a perch, his scarf and coat fluttering in the wind stirred up by the creature’s wings as it landed. Kazuichi stared, his eyes wide in amazement, as the breeder lowered his arm and turned to him with a triumphant grin. Wha- he looks so… cool!

“That was amazing!” he exclaimed, walking toward Gundam. The bird cocked its head to stare at him and let out a high-pitched whistle, shuffling up the breeder’s arm and away from the mechanic. Gundam looked down at the creature, his expression soft, and began to stroke its head comfortingly.

“It’s okay,” he murmured soothingly. “There, there. Good girl.” He smiled down at the little bird, the mask he wore around other people crumbling away. The mechanic inhaled sharply before sighing in defeat, the sight of his former enemy happily petting a tiny animal too much for him to bear. I-I can’t even deny it this time. He’s adorable. Suddenly, Gundam looked up at him sharply, his eyes burning as he grinned in what was likely supposed to be an evil manner.

“Come, mortal!” he instructed, beckoning Kazuichi forward with his free hand. “We must determine if you are worthy of a pact with creatures from the other realm. If you manage to form a bond with this fearsome beast, you will prove your merit as more than a mere mortal.”

“Uh… okay,” he responded, surprised by how nervous Gundam’s typical grandiose nature made him feel. “I, uh, don’t exactly know what to do, though. I’ve never handled birds before.”

“Come forward slowly. Be as silent as possible, but be sure that she is aware of your presence. You do not wish to alarm her.”

“O-okay.” Kazuichi took a step forward, closing the distance between him and the breeder slowly and maintaining eye contact with the colorful bird. It let out a low-pitched whistle, but did not hop away, and Gundam murmured a few soothing words to calm it down. Finally, once the mechanic was close enough to touch it, he raised his arm cautiously, watching the animal closely to see if it was alarmed. However, though it followed the movement of his hand, it did not cry out or move away, and he inhaled softly as his fingers touched its downy feathers.

“H-hey there, little fella,” he said quietly, feeling a smile spread over his face as the bird let out a happy chirp. He laughed nervously, surprised by how soft it was, and forgot for a moment that Gundam was watching him. The bird had the most vibrant feathers Kazuichi had ever seen, with a bright turquoise body and patches of green on its face, and its talons and beak were both a shiny black. With its wings folded up, it was so small that the mechanic could hold it in both of his hands, and he found it hard to believe that this creature could rend his flesh into shreds.

“Hey, this little guy isn’t dangerous at all!” he said, looking up at the breeder with a cheerful laugh. “She’s actually pretty cute!” He froze as he noticed the other man’s expression, his hand hovering above the bird as he paused mid-pet.

Gundam was staring at him in quiet amazement, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. His typical frown had vanished entirely, and Kazuichi noticed with astonishment that there was a slight tint of pink visible on his pale cheeks. I-Is he…? Why would he be…? The mechanic was suddenly aware of how close he was standing to the breeder, so close that he could just barely feel the faint tickling of his breath on his face. He felt warmth rise in his own cheeks, and though he knew that he should be stepping way, knew that he didn’t even like Gundam that much, he couldn’t bring himself to move or tear his eyes away from the other man’s face.

Suddenly, the bird cooed and cocked its head to look at Kazuichi, who jumped and looked down at the little creature. He lowered his arm from where it had been frozen and stepped back, not daring to look back at Gundam until he was several feet away. The breeder returned his gaze for only a moment before he assumed an exaggeratedly shocked expression and furrowed his brow.

“I-impossible!” he declared, bringing the bird closer to him and allowing it to hop up his arm and onto his shoulder. “You… you also possess the blood of a demon?”

“Huh?” Kazuichi blinked in surprise. “A… demon?”

“No mere mortal could touch a phoenix this strong without being engulfed in hellfire,” Gundam explained, eyeing him suspiciously. “The only possibility for a mortal such as yourself….” The breeder closed his eyes and folded his arms, ignoring the bird pecking curiously at his ear, before nodding as if he had come to some sort of conclusion. “There must be demon blood running through your veins, blood that even you were unaware of. Because its power has not yet been awakened, even I was unable to initially detect it.”

“A-awakened?” Kazuichi raised a hand to his face in surprise. He was fully aware that this was simply more of Gundam’s nonsense, but he had begun to realize that even the breeder’s most ridiculous stories had some sort of deeper meaning behind them, and he was curious to see what he was getting at.

“Yes. In your current state, you are unable to fully access your power.” Gundam looked up and stared at him intently, his appearance made slightly less solemn by the brightly-colored bird on his shoulder. “However, under my guidance, you will be able to unlock your full potential.” Kazuichi’s eyes widened in surprise, and the breeder lowered his chin into his scarf and closed his eyes, scowling intensely. Okay, he’s definitely blushing this time.

“Come,” the breeder ordered abruptly, turning away with a flutter of his scarf and coat. Before the mechanic could object, he began to walk down the shore, his pace so quick that Kazuichi was forced to practically run to catch up with him.

“H-hey, wait up!” He stopped beside the other man and looked over at him, his brow furrowed in confusion. “What are ya talkin’ about? Whaddya mean ‘guidance’?”

“I mean,” Gundam began, glancing at him without turning his head, “that, because I also possess demon blood, I am capable of teaching you to access your powers. According to your previous account, you have never formed a pact with any tribe, therefore you are unaware of your own abilities.” The breeder turned his head to flash him an evil grin and gave a low-pitched chuckle. “Perhaps if you beg enough, I will consent to train you.”

“W-what the heck?” Kazuichi flinched backwards before glaring at the breeder. “I’m not beggin’ for anything. How would you ‘train me’ anyway?”

“Ha!” Gundam laughed, his eyes gleaming. “Tremble in fear! The only method through which you may attain power is by exposing yourself to the most fearsome of creatures, more fearsome even than this phoenix which rests upon my shoulder. This island is teeming with nightmarish beasts that will test the strength of your demon blood. Should you survive, you may be able to acquire a far greater magic essence and transcend your status as a mere mortal.” The mechanic stared at the other man for a moment, deciphering his words in his head, before realizing what he meant and giving a laugh of his own, albeit a far less evil one.

“So ya want me to hang out with you and look for animals?” he asked, smiling slyly at the breeder. Though he had managed to twist the situation to make it seem as though he was doing some sort of favor for him, the mechanic realized that it was simply his way of asking to spend time with him. Is he… tryin’ to be my friend? Kazuichi was surprised by how pleasant he found the thought, and was even more surprised to find that he actually hoped it was the case.

“Tch….” Gundam clicked his tongue and looked away, taken off-guard by Kazuichi’s question. “I-I am not asking to ‘hang out’. As I said, it is training.” So I was right, then. “W-well? Do you accept the offer or not?” The breeder looked back at the mechanic, furrowing his brow to disguise the apprehension in his eyes as he awaited his answer. Kazuichi laughed again and looked out at the ocean, feeling happier than he had in a long while.

“Yeah, sure. I accept.”

Chapter Text

“So? How’d the date go?”

“I-it wasn’t a date! I’m gonna kill ya for leavin’ me alone with ‘im!”

Kazuichi scowled at his smug friend, wishing he could wipe the knowing grin off of his face. He had accompanied Gundam back to the row of cottages, before remembering that he had a grudge to settle with Hajime for what he had done that morning. He had found his friend sitting alone in the hotel lobby, staring out the window as if he had been waiting for him the whole time.

“But you had fun, right?” Hajime asked, scooting over to make room for him on the bench. “I think you have a lot in common with Gundam, a lot more than you think.”

“What could I possibly have in common with that weirdo?” Kazuichi asked with a scoff.

“Well, for one thing,” Hajime began, pausing thoughtfully, “you both have difficulty trusting people, but you’re very loyal under the right circumstances. You had very similar childhoods, and you both make up for your sensitivities with appearances.”

“Wh-wha-?” the mechanic stammered, taken aback by the serious answer. “Y-you’re just makin’ that up! There’s no way I have that much in common with Gundam!”

“Oh, so you’ve started calling him Gundam now.” Hajime raised an eyebrow and grinned at him, laughing as he glared back. “Now if you could just get over Sonia, you might be able to make friends with him. Speaking of which….” Kazuichi looked away quickly as he anticipated his friend’s next words, suddenly finding the floor in front of him very interesting. “You called her Sonia this morning. What’s up with that?”

“I-I…,” Kazuichi grit his teeth, uncertain of how to answer. He took a deep breath, preparing to admit his feelings for the second time. “I… don’t know if I, um… actually love her, s-so… I’m tryin’ to treat her less like some perfect person and more like… who she actually is, I guess? Ach, I dunno.” The mechanic scratched his head awkwardly, but when he looked back over, his friend was smiling at him with something similar to pride shining in his eyes.

“I think that’s really admirable of you,” he told him. “It must be difficult for you to get over feelings that you’ve had for years, but I think that’s the right thing to do.”

“D-don’t talk to me like you’re my therapist or somethin’!” the mechanic retorted, taken off guard by the sudden compliment. “But… I guess you’re right. I talked to Fuyuhiko about it last night, and he said it was prob’ly just infatuation or somethin’, like I was expectin’ her to be some perfect princess and I didn’t actually love her for who she was.”

“He’s absolutely right,” Hajime agreed, nodding decisively.

“Wha- hey! Did all of you think that?” Kazuichi asked indignantly.

“Sorry,” his friend apologized with a laugh, “but it was pretty obvious that you only thought you liked her because she was a princess.” The mechanic felt his heart shatter in his chest, and he looked down, devastated. I-I guess everyone just saw me as some kinda hopeless loser…

“H-hey, you weren’t that bad! If you really want to show that you’ve gotten over her, though, you could apologize.”

“Apologize?” Kazuichi repeated, looking up incredulously. “Was I really so terrible that I need to apologize?” Hajime looked away, fidgeting with his tie.

“Well, I mean…. You did treat her like an object for years without actually trying to get to know her, and you continued to make advances even though she made it clear she wasn’t interested. I think an apology might be in order.” The mechanic stared at his friend as the words sunk in, his brow furrowing with worry.

“Aw, crap….” He messed with the zipper on his jumpsuit anxiously, thinking over all the things he had said and done out of ‘love’ for Sonia. “When you put it like that, I sound really creepy and gross.” Hajime hummed ambiguously in response, and there was a brief, tense silence as Kazuichi digested his friend’s words.

“In the end, it’s your decision,” Hajime told him at last, sighing and rising out of the bench. “I’ll let you think about it for a bit, so you can decide whether to apologize or not. See ya.” With that, he made his way toward the door, leaving Kazuichi stewing in a mixture of shock and anxiety.

Th-there’s no way I was that bad. Everything he’d done, he’d done out of respect for Sonia, right? He’d never crossed any boundaries, had he? Had his ‘love’ really come across as creepy infatuation? He knew the answer, of course; he’d known all along, but he had refused to acknowledge it. He sagged defeatedly in the bench as the realization hit him like a tsunami crashing down over his head. I never loved Sonia. I was just her creepy stalker.

“He’s right,” he whispered dejectedly. “I’ve gotta apologize.”

Kazuichi really didn’t want to enter the building where the pods were kept; he had seen quite enough of the eerie blue and green machines the night before, but he wanted to talk to Sonia as soon as possible. He couldn’t bear the thought of all the things that he had done now that he recognized how awful he had been, and he couldn’t imagine how awful it had been for the princess. However, when he reached the building, he was surprised to see her standing outside, her golden hair waving gently in the breeze. She looked over as he approached, and he steeled himself for the conversation; it was too late to back away now.

“Hey, S-Sonia,” he greeted her half-heartedly as he reached her. “What’re ya doin’ out here? I thought you were keepin’ watch over everyone.” He kicked himself for how accusatory the question sounded.

“Ah, hello, Kazuichi,” she responded. How had he never noticed how guarded her expression was when she looked at him? “I was merely stepping outside for a breath of fresh air.”

“I-I see,” he replied lamely, before lapsing into silence. He tried desperately to summon the nerve to broach the subject he had in mind, but just as he opened his mouth, the princess spoke, her brow furrowed with worry.

“Since you are here, there is something I wish to discuss with you,” she told him, and he blinked in surprise.

“S-sure, what is it?”

“I simply wanted to clarify the intent of my actions yesterday. When we were speaking in the park, I kissed your cheek purely out of gratitude. It was not meant to be a gesture of romantic affection.” Her tone was soft, but her words were firm, and Kazuichi blinked in surprise. “I simply wanted to be sure that you were aware.”

“I… I understand,” he responded, his brow furrowing. If she felt the need to clarify her actions, was she trying to defend herself against his advances? Does she…. Does she think I’m here to make some kinda move on her? He grit his teeth, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at the ground. Suddenly, apologizing didn’t seem like enough.

“A-actually, I wanted to talk to you about somethin’… kinda related to that.” The mechanic cursed himself for the wording. Now she’s definitely gonna think that I’m tryin’ to make a move.

“I see. What is it?” she asked. He took a deep breath and looked up at her, feeling guilt crash over him as he saw her cautious expression. He had to apologize.

“I-I… I’m really sorry.” Kazuichi squeezed his eyes shut and bowed his head, clenching his fists as his shoulders stiffened. “I’ve been really terrible to you these past couple years. I acted really creepy, and I didn’t leave you alone when you said no. So… I’m sorry for actin’ like a stalker, and I won’t bother you anymore. I’m really, really sorry.” There was a brief silence before the mechanic dared to open his eyes a crack and look up at the princess. Her eyes were wide in surprise, but, after a moment, she smiled gently, her expression warm.

“Thank you, Kazuichi,” she replied. “That is very mature of you.” The mechanic raised his head, slightly relieved, and relaxed his shoulders. For the first time, as he looked at the princess, he saw an equal, not the perfect, shining object he had made in her image, and he felt his infatuation evaporate like steam. “Consider it all forgiven.” She gave a small, genuine laugh, but there was a hint of sadness in her expression as she spoke her next words. “All we will have is one another for the foreseeable future, so I hope that we will be able to become great friends in that time.”

“...Yeah,” he responded, feeling a mixture of sorrow and relief. “I hope so.”

Chapter Text

Kazuichi sat on the porch to the old hotel building, cupping his chin in his hands and staring blankly out at the hotel grounds. He sighed in annoyance and closed his eyes, mentally cursing Gundam for making him wait so long. The breeder had told him at breakfast that morning to meet him at the old hotel building at exactly eight o’clock to begin his ‘demon blood training’, and the mechanic had even arrived ten minutes early. He opened his eyes and glanced over at the spot on the horizon where the sun had begun to set, certain that he had been waiting for at least half an hour. Why did he even wanna meet me so late in the evening, anyway?

With a huff of irritation, Kazuichi stood and began pacing around the porch, wincing at the ache in his stiff legs. Despite the worries that had been on his mind the previous day, he had managed to fall asleep almost immediately after he returned to his cottage after his talk with Sonia. Now, however, those worries pervaded his mind freely, always hovering at the edge of his thoughts no matter how hard he tried to ignore them. There was, of course, the lingering guilt he had felt since realizing how poorly he had treated Sonia, but he was certain that would fade with time, since she had accepted his apology.

The most prominent thing in the mechanic’s mind, to his own shock, was the memory of the excursion he had gone on with Gundam the previous morning. He was unable to make sense of the emotions he had felt during the trip, particularly the odd moment that had occurred between them when Kazuichi was petting the bird they had caught. Why had he been unable to take his eyes off of the breeder’s face? Why had his heart fluttered in his chest in the same way it had when he thought he liked Sonia? And why, why couldn’t he seem to stop blushing so much around the other man?

Kazuichi leaned against the front of the old building, folding his arms and looking up at the darkening sky. If he didn’t know any better, he might have thought that he had developed feelings for Gundam. Fortunately, he knew better. Like there’s any way I could feel that way about Gundam Tanaka, of all people. That’s absolutely ridiculous. I like girls, anyway.
Who says you can’t like both?

Kazuichi stiffened as Hajime’s words echoed in his head, and he silently cursed his friend for confusing him like this. He shook his head firmly, shutting his eyes as he reminded himself whom he was dealing with; this was the crazy man who claimed to possess magical powers, who believed he was better than everybody else because of his own made up fantasies. He was in no way the mechanic’s type, even if he did like guys, which he didn’t. He repeated this logical argument in his head over and over again, hoping that, if he repeated it enough, he might begin to believe it.

“...Have you fallen asleep?”

“Aaaaaah!” Kazuichi screamed in shock as he opened his eyes to see Gundam himself standing right in front of him, staring at him with an eyebrow raised. The other man started, taking a step back in alarm, before hastily raising his hands in a calming gesture.

“B-be silent! Do you wish to wake everyone in the vicinity?” The mechanic quickly slapped a hand to his mouth, remembering how close they were to the cottages, before lowering it and glaring at the other man.

“I-it’s not my fault! How’d you even manage to sneak up on me like that, anyway?” Gundam’s expression relaxed, and he stepped back, folding his arms with a self-satisfied smirk.
“

Not even a basilisk could detect my movements once the sun sets. I possess the ability to fade into the dead of night without a tra-,”

“Nevermind,” Kazuichi interrupted exasperatedly, though he had to resist the urge to smile at the breeder’s antics. “More importantly, why’re you so late? I’ve been waitin’ for half an hour!”

“Hmph. I was merely making preparations for your training,” Gundam explained, frowning at the mechanic’s irritated tone. “It took me longer than I estimated to procure the necessary items.”

“Necessary… items?”

“Yes.” The breeder’s eyes gleamed, and he pulled a small container from his coat with an exaggerated flourish. “Within the very walls of this decrepit building resides a teeming swarm of creatures so fearsome that they make even the bravest of mortals quiver in fear. I have heard their infernal claws scratching at the wood during the night, but I have as of yet not had the opportunity to venture into their lair. Tonight, we shall catch one of these beasts and truly put your demon blood to the test!”

“Now you’re the one who’s being loud,” Kazuichi told him dryly, scratching his chin as he attempted to solve the riddle of Gundam’s speech. He glanced at the container, a clear, lidded box that held what appeared to be small chunks of fruit and vegetables. Let’s see… A nocturnal animal with claws that lives in groups and eats fruit and vegetables…

“Are we… gonna try to catch a mouse?” the mechanic asked.

“I believe that is the name used by ignorant mortals such as yourself,” the breeder responded by way of answer.

“Uh… but aren’t mice kinda skittish?” Kazuichi objected, trying to recall the foggy memories of his middle school biology classes. “I thought they took weeks to tame. Won’t it just scratch the hell outta us if we try to hold it?”

“Ha!” Gundam put back the container, folding his arms and letting out a bark of laughter, and the mechanic braced himself for the oncoming monologue. “You underestimate my power. My will is strong enough to overcome the aggression of any beast, and only the highest-ranking demons are capable of piercing my iron skin.”

“Well, what about my skin?” Kazuichi protested, and to his surprise, the breeder looked away with an unreadable expression, falling silent for a short moment.

“I w-will… protect you.”

The mechanic’s eyes widened in shock at the other man’s words, and he realized that heat was rushing to his face too late to prevent himself from blushing furiously. Gundam also had a splash of color across his cheeks, and he was glaring intensely at some distant point to his right. Before Kazuichi could regain his wits and think of something to say, however, the breeder breathed in deeply and closed his eyes, before opening them again as he turned to him with a forced grin made far less evil by his red face.

“N-now, then! Let us enter the beasts’ nest!” he declared, moving past the mechanic to swing open the door. Kazuichi stood still for a moment, before snapping out of his dumbfounded stupor and following the other man inside the old hotel building.

“H-hey! Wait up!”

The entrance hall was pitch-black and rather dusty, small particles floating in the moonlight that streamed through the open door. Gundam stepped inside eagerly, and Kazuichi followed with some trepidation, making sure to stay inside the rectangle of light. The two of them stood still for a moment, trying in vain to make out their surroundings, before the breeder suddenly moved forward, vanishing into the darkness. The mechanic felt a jolt of fear and surprise run down his spine, and he quickly walked to the edge of the pool of moonlight, unnerved by the eerie atmosphere.

“Wha- Gundam? D-don’t just disappear like that!” he protested, spotting the faint outline of the other man a few feet in front of him. “It’s too dark to see anything!”

“Are you afraid?” the breeder asked with an evil chuckle. “There is no need to be scared. Once we reach the dining hall, our path will be illuminated by the moon in the windows. Now, close the door and venture forth into the darkness.”

“There’s no way I’m closin’ the door, ‘specially when ya put it like that! We’d have to go through that dark hallway to get to the dining hall. Isn’t there a light switch or somethin’?”

“Such cowardice from one who possesses demon blood,” Gundam remarked broodingly. “It would be impossible to find a switch in these shadows. We must simply use the wall for guidance and follow it with our hands until we reach our destination.” Kazuichi shuddered at the thought of stumbling blindly through the pitch-black hallway with nothing but the decrepit wooden wall for navigation.

“W-we’re gonna bump into somethin’, or lose each other.”

“Why do you possess such a strong aversion to darkness?” the breeder asked him exasperatedly, before sighing a frustrated sigh and falling silent for a moment, as if in thought. “Very well. Here.” The other man extended his hand into the moonlight, and the mechanic noticed with surprise that he was holding the end of his scarf. “Take hold of this, and you will not have to fear being separated.” Kazuichi reached for the cloth, but hesitated, his anxiety not entirely dispelled.

“But… what if you get lost?”

“I will not,” the other man told him firmly. “I was born into darkness. It is to me as air is to the hawk.” Well… obviously you were born into darkness. Babies don’t open their eyes right away.

“...Ya promise ya won’t get lost?” the mechanic asked one more time, just to be sure. “Or bump into anything?”

“I promise,” Gundam responded, exasperation clear in his tone. “Now, take it and close the door.” He shook the scarf in his hand for emphasis, and Kazuichi sighed nervously, taking the cloth and turning to follow the other man’s instructions. The fabric was surprisingly soft and slightly elastic, allowing him to reach the doorknob without strangling the breeder in the process. He suppressed a surge of fear as the door swung shut, throwing the entrance hall into total darkness, and he clutched the scarf tightly.

“Are you quite ready to go?” Gundam asked dryly from a couple of feet in front of him, tapping his foot impatiently.

“Yeah, I guess,” the mechanic responded, too uneasy to retort to his sarcasm.

“Come, then. ...Do not be frightened of the shadows.”

Kazuichi heard the faint sound of the footsteps as the breeder turned away, and he inched closer to the other man as he felt a tug on the scarf in his hands. He felt a bit silly for being led down the hallway like a scared child, but his self-consciousness was overridden by his fear of the encroaching darkness around them. It’s just like… back then. He grit his teeth and moved closer to Gundam as the breeder began to move down the wall, walking slowly enough to make sure the mechanic didn’t fall behind. As they crept silently through the hallway, the thick silence was suddenly broken by the quiet sound of scratching from within the walls, and Kazuichi inhaled sharply.

“Is that…?” he asked in a fearful tone, far more creeped out by the sound than he would have been if it were the middle of the day.

“...The mice? Yes,” Gundam replied, his voice quiet. The mechanic looked in surprise at what he assumed was the breeder’s back, momentarily distracted from his fear.

“Mice?” he repeated. “I thought you said that’s what ‘ignorant mortals’ call ‘em.” He felt a soft tug on the scarf in his hands as the other man’s shoulders stiffened, and he took another tentative step forward to release the tension in the fabric.

“Hmph. I was merely speaking in your tongue so that it would be easier for you to understand.” Kazuichi blinked, unconvinced, but he could not think of a reason that the other man would forego his typical ridiculous way of speaking about animals. Why’s he actin’ so weird all of a sudden? Suddenly, the scarf went completely slack in his hands, and he stopped just short of bumping into the breeder.“I believe we have reached the first corner.” He heard Gundam’s hand brush against a wall directly in front of them.

“I am going to turn.”

The remainder of their excruciatingly slow journey through the hallway passed without incident, though Kazuichi spent the entire couple of minutes clutching Gundam’s scarf tightly. He found the garment oddly comforting; it was soft and warm, like bedsheets or pajamas or other cozy things that made the mechanic feel safe and secure. He was slightly ashamed of himself for holding on to it as a toddler would hold on to a favorite blanket, and he hoped that the other man couldn’t tell how tightly he was squeezing it. By the time they finally reached the end of the hallway, he wouldn’t have been surprised if he had left a hand-shaped imprint on the purple cloth. He turned his head as he heard the breeder’s hand brush against the wall, and was relieved to see rectangles of moonlight illuminating the floor of the room in front of them.

“Thank goodness!” he exclaimed. “Light!” He felt the urge to run toward the moonlight, but he hesitated, unwilling to let go of the warm, soft scarf in his hands. He could practically feel Gundam’s gaze on him, and he averted his eyes despite the fact that there was no chance of eye contact anyway.

“Well? Are you not going to run to the light like the frightened child you are?” Kazuichi stiffened in embarrassment and indignation. Damn, he did notice.

“I-I’m not a frightened child! I’m not scared at all!” he protested, ignoring the breeder’s amused huff at his unconvincing words. Suddenly, he realized that the other man had given him the perfect opportunity, and he clutched the scarf closer to him, planting his feet firmly on the floorboards. “I-in fact, to prove I’m not scared, I’m gonna stay right here!” There was a brief moment of silence, and Kazuichi stood stock-still, wishing more than anything that he could see the other man’s expression.

“...Have you developed an attachment to my scarf?” Gundam asked, and the mechanic reeled in shock. Wha- how’d he know?
“O-of course not! That’s ridiculous!” Kazuichi responded a bit too quickly. “Why would I be attached to your dumb scarf?”

“You still have not released it,” the breeder pointed out, and the mechanic grit his teeth in frustration as he felt his cheeks heating up yet again.

“Tch… fine,” he admitted, almost physically pained by the confession. “I-it’s just really soft, that’s all.” There was yet another brief moment of silence, before Gundam abruptly let out an evil laugh that made Kazuichi jump in alarm.

“Fuhahaha! It is only natural that you would fall under the influence of the enchantment woven into this fabric! This is no mere scarf, but rather a powerful garment enhanced by black magic. Any mortal who touches it enters a childlike state of vulnerability-,”

“J-just shut up and come on!” the mechanic interrupted, dropping the instigating article of clothing with some reluctance. “I wasn’t enchanted by your stupid scarf! You’re gonna scare off all the mice if ya keep yellin’ like that, so let’s just go!” With that, Kazuichi stormed off toward the patches of moonlight, eager to leave both the darkness and the embarrassing conversation behind.

“You are also yelling,” Gundam told him in an infuriatingly calm tone, the sound of footsteps indicating that he was following him.

“I was only yellin’ ‘cause you were.”

Finally, the mechanic reached the light in the center of the room and breathed a sigh of relief, blinking slightly as his eyes adjusted. He turned to see the breeder stepping into the light behind him, adjusting his scarf around his neck to undo the damage Kazuichi had done. He quickly looked away, hoping that he would never see that stupid scrap of cloth again, and surveyed the room; there were several doors lining the walls, barely visible in the dim lighting, and he hesitated, trying to remember the layout of the building.

“So, uh… which one of these is the dining hall again?” he asked, turning toward the other man.

“Have you truly forgotten?” Gundam asked in an incredulous tone. “Mahiru even drew a picture.”

“Oh, yeah….” The mechanic shuddered as he remembered the circumstances under which Mahiru had drawn the diagram of the building, and he felt a sudden surge of reluctance to enter the room where the first victim had been killed. However, he refused to show fear in front of the breeder again, especially after what had happened on the way in, and he searched the dregs of his memory in an attempt to remember the map. “It’s… the middle door, right? That one.” He pointed at the door in the center of the wall in front

of them, and he saw Gundam nod out of the corner of his eye.

“I believe so.” The other man walked forward, nearly vanishing into the darkness again as he stepped out of the rectangle of light. Kazuichi heard the sound of Gundam’s footsteps as he crossed the room, followed by the click of the doorknob and the creak of the opening door. “Indeed, this is the dining hall.” The mechanic took a step forward at his words, but hesitated, the image of Byakuya’s body surfacing in his mind. There was a brief pause, and then he just barely made out the other man’s silhouette turning to face him in the doorway. “Come, then. Or will you require my scarf once again?”

“N-no way! I’m comin’!” The mechanic pushed away any feelings of reluctance he might have had and followed the breeder into the darkness, stubbornness and indignation overriding his fear. Cradling the shattered pieces of his broken pride, he pushed past Gundam and stepped into the dining hall, wishing more than anything that he had a soft scarf of his own.

Chapter Text

“So, uh, what’s the plan?”

Kazuichi stood in the center of the dining hall, glancing around at the dusty, dimly lit room. There was no furniture, since the room Nagito had decorated had simply been a simulation in a virtual reality program, and there were, of course, no iron plates over the windows. He could still hear the faint scratching of mice from within the walls, apparently unfazed by his and Gundam’s shouting. The other man crossed the room to join him, pulling the container from before out of his coat as he did so.

“We must lure the beasts out of hiding using the feast I have prepared,” the breeder responded, popping open the lid and scooping out a handful of fruit and vegetable chunks. “Here. Scatter these in the moonlight, and we shall wait in the darkness for the creatures to make themselves known.” He held the container out to Kazuichi, and the mechanic obediently reached in and grabbed a handful of his own.

After a couple of minutes, the two had covered the entire moonlit floor in fruits and vegetables, and found a spot at the edge of the room where they could wait for a mouse to appear. Kazuichi sat with a grunt and leaned back against the wooden wall, wiping the sticky residue of the fruit onto his jumpsuit. As Gundam sat down next to him, he shot him a questioning look that the mechanic could only barely make out in the dim lighting.

“I was under the impression that you possessed a phobia of the darkness,” he commented, his voice quiet so as not to scare the mice away. “However, you seem to have no qualms with sitting here in the shadows to lie in wait.”

“Well, it’s fine as long as we’re just sittin’,” Kazuichi responded, scratching his chin. “I just hate stumblin’ through the darkness without knowin’ where I’m goin’, ‘specially in that hallway.” Gundam was silent for a moment, clearly surprised by his answer and its implications.

“...I see. However, it was unavoidable that we would be forced to traverse that hallway in the darkness. The creatures we seek are terrifying monsters that emerge only in the dead of night.”

“It wasn’t the dead of night when I first got here,” the mechanic responded pettily. “If you’d gotten here on time, it still woulda been light out, and it prob’ly woulda been dark enough by the time we got to the dining hall.”

“As I told you before, it simply took longer than I predicted to procure the necessary items,” Gundam repeated with an indignant huff, managing to keep his voice low despite his agitation.

“Well, why’d ya leave it to the last minute?” Kazuichi asked stubbornly, refusing to let the other man have the last word. “What were ya doin’ for the rest of the day?

“Hmph. You are not my only disciple, Kazuichi Souda,” the breeder answered, his voice taking on a somewhat haughty tone. “I was preoccupied with the training of the Dark Queen, who, as I have mentioned before, has yet to reach the full potential of her power.”

The mechanic was stunned into silence by his response, and he turned away, staring at one of the darkened corners of the room with narrowed eyes. I’m not… his only disciple? Of course, it made sense that Gundam would spend time with Sonia; the two had hardly seen each other since the former regained his memories, and they had been very good friends even before they had entered the Neo World Program. Kazuichi glared at the unoffending corner in frustration as he felt a familiar stab of jealousy. Why would I be jealous of Gundam spendin’ time with Sonia? I’m pretty sure I’m over her, so why…? He knew the answer, of course; deep in his heart of hearts, he knew that he was jealous of the princess, not the breeder. He wanted to be Gundam’s only disciple. His frustration and confusion seethed in his head before finally boiling over, and he found himself speaking before he knew what he was doing.

“So… do ya like Sonia or what?”

Kazuichi instantly regretted the question the moment it left his mouth, and he turned to the other man in apprehension. He could make out Gundam’s stiffened shoulders and the faint glint of moonlight on his wide eyes, and there was a long stretch of silence during which the tension in the air was almost palpable. Finally, the mechanic heard a low rumbling coming from the breeder’s throat, and after a brief moment of surprise, he realized that the other man was chuckling.

“Kehehe…. Fuhahaha…,” Gundam turned and stared directly at him, his amused expression visible even in the darkness. “Were it not for our present need for silence, I would laugh uproariously at the mere suggestion that I have fallen to the Dark Queen’s enchantments. You underestimate my power, foolish mortal, for I am not one to be tempted by the siren’s song. Fuhaha… indeed, I possess a rare immunity to the secular enchantresses that bewitch you so. My black, evil heart deflects their beguiling spells and renders them entirely ineffective.” The breeder’s eyes glinted triumphantly for some reason, and Kazuichi stared back at him in utter bemusement, completely perplexed by the sudden monologue.

“Wh… what are you talkin’ about?” he asked, dumbfounded. “What does any of that even mean?” The other man looked at him with an unreadable expression, one eyebrow raised slightly.

“...I am gay.”

The mechanic was barely able to keep himself from raising his voice in shock, and his mouth dropped open as he stared at Gundam in disbelief. A-all this time… I’ve been jealous of him and Sonia… and he’s gay? He was surprised that the self-proclaimed Supreme Overlord of Ice even knew what the word ‘gay’ meant, let alone knew enough about himself to be able to confidently state his sexuality at such a young age. He felt an odd emotion rising in his chest, a strange mixture of hope and excitement and dread. What the…? Why would knowing that Gundam was gay make him feel like this?

“Do you take issue with my power?” the breeder asked suddenly, and Kazuichi realized that he had been staring at him with his mouth open and his eyes wide for what must have been at least thirty seconds. It was difficult to tell in the dim lighting, but the mechanic thought that he could make out a trace of apprehension in the other man’s expression, despite the clear challenge in his words.

“Huh…? Uh, no, not at all,” Kazuichi responded hastily, remembering at the last second to keep his voice down. “I was just… a bit surprised. Y-yeah, that’s it.” There was a brief moment of awkward silence, before the mechanic tried hesitantly to ask the question hovering in the back of his mind. “H-hey… you don’t-,”

“Silence.” Gundam shushed him suddenly and sat up straight, staring at the center of the room with a gleam in his eyes. Kazuichi felt a bit indignant at being outright silenced by the breeder for the second time, but he followed the other man’s gaze to a spot at the edge of the patch of moonlight. His irritation evaporated as he spotted a small, fuzzy mammal approaching one of the fruit chunks they had scattered, barely visible in the dim dining hall. He was amazed that Gundam had managed to spot it so quickly.

He watched as the other man stood silently and slowly walked along the wall, keeping to the shadows until he reached the spot directly behind the tiny rodent. The mouse didn’t seem to have noticed him, preoccupied with the fruit, and the breeder very slowly crouched down and extended a hand toward it. Kazuichi held his breath as Gundam touched the mouse’s fur; the little animal braced itself to run, but, before it could, the breeder began murmuring soothingly, his words so quiet that the mechanic couldn’t make them out. He stared in amazement as the other man reached out to pick up the mouse, which obediently allowed him to cradle it in his hands. Wh-what? Is he some kinda animal whisperer or somethin’?

“Fuhahaha!” Gundam laughed suddenly, holding the mouse in his palm and stroking it gently with his finger. He looked up at Kazuichi triumphantly, wearing the same not-quite-evil smile that he had worn when he captured the bird on their previous excursion. “Come hither, mortal! Your demon blood training shall now commence!”

“Uh, o-okay,” the mechanic responded, standing with a grunt of effort and making his way toward the other man. He deliberately skirted around the edges of the lit part of the room, not eager to get produce chunks on the bottom of his shoes. When he reached Gundam, he examined the floor carefully to find a safe place to stand, before stepping out in front of the other man and crouching down. The mouse was busy exploring the breeder’s hand, sniffing at his fingers and crawling around his palm, and it showed no signs of alarm even as Kazuichi approached. It was a light shade of brown with a white underbelly, and the mechanic couldn’t help but feel that it looked somehow familiar.

“So, what do I have to do?” he asked somewhat nervously, jealous of the other man’s complete understanding of animals. Gundam’s eyes gleamed as he looked at him, and he gave another evil chuckle that did little to calm Kazuichi’s nerves.

“Hold one palm skyward and use the other to block the path to your arm,” the breeder instructed, grinning maniacally even as he stroked the mouse. “Now, we shall truly see if you are capable of wielding your demon blood!”

“Uh, l-like this?” The mechanic positioned his hands as the other man had instructed, swallowing hard and staring at the tiny mammal apprehensively. He wasn’t entirely sure if he was afraid of the mouse hurting him or him hurting it, but something about Gundam’s dramatic mannerisms made him feel as though he really was about to undergo some kind of decisive trial. The other man glanced at his hands and nodded, but, to Kazuichi’s surprise, rather than placing the mouse in his palm, he reached for the end of his scarf with one hand and began straightening it out.

“H-hey, what’re you-.” Gundam hesitated at his protest, his hand poised to lay the scarf over the mechanic’s palm. He looked at him inquisitively with an eyebrow raised, his head cocked slightly to the side.

“You feared being scratched, did you not?”

“W-well, yeah, a bit, I guess,” Kazuichi stammered. “J-just so long as you know that I’m not attached to your scarf or anything!” The breeder merely chuckled in response and placed the scarf over his hands, adjusting it so that it completely covered his palms. As he moved his hand away, however, his pinky brushed against the mechanic’s index finger, and he breathed in sharply, jolting away as though he had been burned. The two stared at one another for a moment, eyes wide, before Gundam sighed and looked away, mumbling something under his breath.

“I suppose your demon blood protects you from the poison within me…. Hmm, I suppose that was already proven….”

“Huh?” Kazuichi furrowed his brow in confusion. “Poison? What’re ya talkin’ about?”

“N-no matter!” Gundam declared, facing him once again and extending his hands to bring the mouse close to the mechanic’s palm. “We may discuss it at a later time! Now, let your trial commence!”

The tiny mammal crawled to the edge of the breeder’s palm and began sniffing at the scarf covering Kazuichi’s hands. After a moment, it hesitantly placed a tiny pink paw on his index finger, whiskers twitching as it looked around cautiously. As the mouse crawled slowly into his hand, the mechanic realized that he had been holding his breath, and he breathed in deeply to calm his nerves, trying to keep his hands steady. He could feel the faint prick of the animal’s claws through the fabric of Gundam’s scarf, and he was suddenly thankful that he was not holding it with his bare hands.

“...It does not seem to be skittish,” the other man remarked. “Perhaps you could attempt to pet it.” Kazuichi glanced up at the breeder and nodded wordlessly, before slowly moving the hand on his arm and touching the mouse’s light brown fur. It was soft and fuzzy, and the mechanic could feel the little animal’s heart beating rapidly underneath its coat. He gave a nervous laugh and began stroking the mouse with his index and middle fingers, feeling his apprehension give way to a sort of lighthearted contentment. He smiled as the tiny mammal walked around his hand, finding the feeling of its claws through the fabric slightly ticklish.

“I-it would seem that your demon blood is quite powerful.” Gundam announced suddenly, and Kazuichi looked up, surprised to see a flustered expression on the other man’s face. “I would never have thought that you were capable of casting spells as well….”

“Spells?” The mechanic tilted his head, perplexed. “What spells?” The breeder pulled up part of his scarf to hide his face as he looked away.

“Tch…. It is nothing. Perish the thought from your mind.” Gundam narrowed his eyes, assuming a scowl to mask his flustered expression, and held his hand out so that Kazuichi could return the mouse to him. With some reluctance, he sighed and picked the little mammal up by the base of its tail, quickly depositing it in the other man’s palms before it could begin to panic. The breeder’s scarf slipped off of his hand, but, though he was reluctant to let go of it, he refused to give the other man any further reason to suspect that he had grown attached to it.

“Didn’t sound like nothing…,” he protested, but he didn’t press the topic any further. Gundam held the mouse in his hands and began humming soothingly, holding it up to his face so he could see it clearly. Kazuichi was surprised to find that he found the breeder’s humming rather relaxing, and he fought back a yawn with some difficulty, wondering how late it was.

Suddenly, the humming abruptly stopped, and the mechanic looked up to see Gundam staring at the mouse in a mixture of shock and horror. Alarmed, he opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but hesitated as he followed the breeder’s line of sight and saw the reason for his horror. The mouse’s left ear was torn, slit down the middle in exactly the same way as another mammal that Kazuichi had seen somewhere before. With a jolt, he realized why the mouse looked so familiar; it was almost identical to one of the Four Dark Devas of Destruction, though he couldn’t remember its name.

“Maga-Z…,” Gundam muttered breathlessly, wearing an expression of intense emotion that the mechanic had only seen once before. He inched closer to the breeder, raising a hand to touch him on the shoulder. He understood completely what was going through the other man’s head, and he understood all too well how it felt.

The mouse, oblivious to Gundam’s horror, suddenly crawled into the space between his thumb and forefinger, and he jumped as if an electric current were running through him. His hands jerked, and the mouse fell to the floor with a frightened squeak. Kazuichi froze and stared down at it, but, to his relief, it scrambled to its feet unharmed and scampered off into the darkness around them.

“Tch!” The breeder clicked his tongue and recoiled as he realized what he had just done, before staring down at his hands, his wide eyes taking on a distant glaze. The mechanic, realizing what was happening, lightly touched the other man on the shoulder, his chest feeling strangely tight and a lump forming in his throat.

“Hey, G-Gundam!” he cried, shaking him gently. He just wanted that horrible look in his eyes to go away. “Look at me!” The other man obeyed slowly, though the horror hadn’t entirely disappeared from his expression. “It’s okay. The mouse is fine. You didn’t hurt it.”

The breeder nodded wordlessly, the pain not leaving his face as he narrowed his eyes and bit his lip. Kazuichi grimaced and moved in front of the other man, placing his remaining hand on his other shoulder so that he couldn’t look away again. He had thought that Gundam had moved past what had happened when he was Ultimate Despair, but it had been ridiculous to assume that he would just get over it that quickly.

“I… I know what you’re feeling.” The breeder blinked at him in surprise, temporarily distracted from his panic. “I won’t tell you not to be sad, but…. I’m here, okay?”

“You are… here?” Gundam repeated hesitantly, his expression uncharacteristically vulnerable.

“Y-yeah.” Kazuichi felt color rising in his cheeks, but he refused to look away from the other man. “I understand what you’re goin’ through, so… if you ever need someone to talk to, you can come to me. I-I’ll be here.” The other man stared at him with the apprehensive look of someone who was not accustomed to relying on others, but he made no attempt to pull away.

“Will that… really be alright?”

“Of course.” Kazuichi gave a dry, half-hearted chuckle and smiled at the breeder in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. “I gotta repay you for the demon blood training, right?” After a brief moment of silence, Gundam gave a small smile of his own, a smile that made the mechanic’s heart leap in joy and relief.

“Yes, I suppose you do. ...Thank you, Kazuichi.”

Chapter Text

Kazuichi was the first to arrive at breakfast the following morning, while the sky was still making its slow transition from black to turquoise. He dragged his feet up the stairs and trudged into the restaurant, yawning and rubbing at his eyes. He had been almost entirely unable to sleep the previous night, even after he and Gundam had separated to go to their cottages at an ungodly hour, his mind wracked with confusion and frustration as he lay in bed. No matter how hard he had tried to empty his mind and relax, his thoughts continued to stray to the breeder, stirring up emotions that he couldn’t understand.

He plopped down in his usual chair with an exasperated groan, resting his chin in his hands and staring out the window at the indigo sky. He had managed to snatch a bit of sleep in periodic fragments throughout the night, but each time he woke up, he felt more tired than when he had fallen asleep. Sighing, he turned away from the window and plopped his head down in his arms, silently cursing Gundam for keeping him awake like this. He lay still for a few minutes before his stomach growled, and he realized that he hadn’t eaten since the previous afternoon.

As Kazuichi sat down with his food, preserved in the fridge they had dragged in from the supermarket, he heard the sounds of footsteps on the stairs behind him, too many footsteps to be a single person. To his surprise, when he turned around, he saw Hajime and Mahiru climbing the stairs side-by-side, talking to one another in quiet, solemn voices. The red-headed girl was wearing a worried frown, her eyes downcast, and Hajime expression was one unique to him, the expression he wore when he was solving someone else’s problems. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw Kazuichi sitting at their usual table, but he said nothing, simply giving him a half-hearted, apologetic smile before he and Mahiru headed for a table in the corner of the restaurant.

The mechanic felt a bit insulted at being completely ignored by his closest friend, but he was glad to see that Mahiru was feeling better, and he could guess by their expressions that they were having a pretty serious conversation. He turned back to his food, temporarily distracted from his drowsiness, and stared at the empty seat looking back at him from the other end of the table. He hoped that someone would sit with him; he had begun to get the impression that people saw him as some sort of friendless loser, and he wondered anxiously if he would be left to eat his food alone like a left-out grade school kid. There was also a faint hope in the back of his head that he refused to recognize, the hope that maybe Gundam would sit with him, but he told himself that there was no way he wanted to spend time with the breeder after what he had done to his sleep schedule.

“Alright, where’s the food?” Kazuichi practically fell out of his seat at the sudden shout, and he turned around indignantly to see Akane standing at the top of the stairs, looking around with a gleam in her eye.

“The same place it always is!” the mechanic responded exasperatedly, shooting her a spiteful glare.

“Man, I’m so hungry I could eat this whole island!” she declared, completely ignoring his irritation. She almost sprinted toward the refrigerator, revealing Fuyuhiko coming up the stairs behind her, looking just as exasperated as Kazuichi felt.

“Then where would we live?” he asked, sighing and walking toward the tables. He stopped in surprise as he noticed the mechanic sitting alone, before crossing the room and pulling up the other chair at his table. Kazuichi fought back a surge of disappointment, telling himself that he absolutely was not disappointed that Fuyuhiko had sat with him instead of Gundam.

“So, Hajime finally abandoned you?” the gangster asked, sitting down.

“Whaddya mean ‘finally’?” the mechanic responded in a hurt tone. He opened his mouth to continue, but hesitated, glancing toward Hajime and Mahiru in the corner of the room, still talking in hushed tones. “He, um… he’s just a bit busy right now.” Fuyuhiko followed his gaze, his eye widening as he spotted their two classmates, before biting his lip and looking away.

“I… I see.” The gangster had, of course, apologized profusely to Mahiru the day after she had awoken from the Neo World Program, explaining to her that he truly was sorry and that he didn’t blame her if she chose not to forgive him. However, the two hadn’t been particularly close even when they were in the same class, and it was, understandably, a bit difficult for the red-headed girl to immediately get along with the man who had orchestrated her death. As it stood, the two tended to avoid one another, and Fuyuhiko tended to become extremely downcast whenever he was in her presence.

“I’m going to go get some breakfast,” the gangster told him, rising out of his chair after having sat in it for only a minute at most. Kazuichi watched him for a moment before looking back down at his own food, sighing and hoping that he and Mahiru would be able to at least look at one another one day.

Suddenly, a laugh rang out from the floor below, a laugh that made the mechanic perk up in his seat. He turned around to stare at the staircase behind him, and, sure enough, Gundam appeared a moment later, wearing his characteristic evil grin. However, Kazuichi’s brief moment of excitement was clouded a moment later as Sonia appeared beside the breeder, her eyes sparkling as she smiled brightly at him. The mechanic felt a surge of frustration at the familiar feeling of jealousy in his chest, tired of being unable to understand his own emotions. He turned back toward his food quickly, deliberately avoiding eye contact with the man who had completely ruined both his sleep schedule and his ability to understand himself.

Why the heck do I feel jealous of Sonia? It didn’t make any sense at all, but it was the only explanation; he had been forced to realize that his feelings for the princess weren’t genuine after his talk with Hajime, and he didn’t spend nearly as much time with her as he did with the breeder. However, he shouldn’t have any qualms with her talking to Gundam, since he had never felt jealous of his friends spending time with other people before, and his feelings for the other man were completely platonic. Besides, the breeder had told him that he was gay, anyway, not that that had any bearing on the situation whatsoever. Still, no matter how much logic he used, he couldn’t prevent himself from feeling a stab of jealousy, and as Fuyuhiko sat down in front of him with a plate of food, he hesitantly opened his mouth to speak against his better judgement.

“Hey, Fuyuhiko.” The gangster looked up from his food, and Kazuichi cast a furtive glance at the neighboring table, where Sonia and Gundam were sitting down next to Akane. “You, uh… you never answered my question. Ya know, the one from before.”

“Huh?” Fuyuhiko stared at him in genuine confusion for a moment before his eye widened in realization and his cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. “Wha-... Y-you don’t mean…?”

“Probably, based on your reaction,” he responded dryly. “I mean, um… the one about Peko.” The gangster’s face reflexively assumed a defensive expression, his eyebrows lowering and his mouth twisting into a frown.

“Tch… I already helped you out before, even though it was the middle of the night. Why do you still want to know? Are you still not over her?”

“H-hey, keep your voice down,” Kazuichi hissed, glancing nervously at the table where Sonia was sitting. “I… I just need to know, f-for reference. C’mon, please?” The mechanic clasped his hands together and squeezed his eyes shut, desperate to get Fuyuhiko to talk to him. The gangster was, after all, the only one who could prove that he absolutely did not have feelings for Gundam.

“...I swear, if this is something perverted, I’ll throw you into the damn ocean. Got it?”

“Y-yeah, I got it.” The mechanic opened his eyes, feeling a simultaneous surge of hope and icy terror. The baby-faced man closed his eye and sighed, leaning back in his chair and falling silent for a moment. Finally, he opened his eye and glared out the window, the tint of pink on his cheeks blossoming into a full blush.

“Fine. I-I guess I do have f-feelings… for Peko. Nothing good’ll come out of denying it, after all.” The gangster’s expression clouded for a moment, and Kazuichi felt a wrench in his chest as he remembered Fuyuhiko’s tearful outburst right before Peko’s execution.

“Okay, well… This is gonna sound kinda weird, but… uh, what does that, um, feel like?” The mechanic had to force himself to continue speaking as his voice faltered, and he felt heat rising in his own cheeks. Fuyuhiko turned to fix him with a glare, though it was not as icy as before.

“What, have you never had genuine feelings for anyone in your life?” he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Kazuichi stared at him indignantly for a moment, trying to find an appropriate response, before the gangster scoffed and shook his head. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.” Fuyuhiko fell silent once again and crossed his arms, staring out the window with an expression that was somehow simultaneously thoughtful and irritated.

“I… I don’t know, I guess it feels like… like you want to spend time with them pretty much every day.” The gangster’s eye narrowed more and more as his cheeks reddened, but he continued without stuttering. “And… I guess your thoughts keep goin’ to them, no matter how much you try to think of something else.” Kazuichi recoiled in shock, but the baby-faced man didn’t seem to notice. That was absolutely not the answer he wanted to hear. “And you feel like you want to protect them. Like you would sacrifice pretty much anything to keep them safe and happy.” Fuyuhiko finally turned back to face the mechanic, and he blinked in surprise as he noticed Kazuichi’s horrified expression.

“I-is that really… what it feels like?”

“W-well, yeah, I guess. B-but it’s probably different for everyone, so you might not feel those things at all. ...Why the hell do you look so shocked?”

The mechanic ignored the gangster, looking down at his plate with a furrowed brow. Everything the baby-faced man had said matched up with his feelings for Gundam perfectly, from his willingness to spend time with him, to his inability to keep his thoughts away from him, to his instinctive desire to protect him. He had been certain that he didn’t feel anything romantic toward the breeder at all before, and he had meant for his talk with Fuyuhiko to be the final nail in the coffin, but instead, he found himself doubting everything he had known about himself. No way… This can’t be right! I-I’m straight, right? And Gundam? There’s no way!

“I… I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. I’m goin’ back to my cottage,” he told the gangster, standing up abruptly and leaving his plate on the table. Ignoring Fuyuhiko’s call to stop, he crossed the room and made his way to the stairs, his mind buzzing with confusion and disbelief.

As he descended the last step and entered the lounge, Kazuichi was briefly distracted from his dilemma as he noticed Ibuki standing at the edge of the room next to one of the arcade machines. He could see her legs visibly trembling, and she was leaning quite heavily on the machine, but her face was just as expressive as ever as she frowned at the console’s black screen. As he watched, she growled in displeasure, kicking the machine rather unsteadily, so focused on beating up the inanimate object that she didn’t notice him standing at the edge of the room.

“H-hey, Ibuki.” The mechanic’s concern for the previously bedridden musician overrode his panicked state, and he crossed the lounge, stopping so that she was standing between him and the machine. “Should ya really be outta bed? I thought you were still recoverin’.”

“Oh, I’m fine!” she chirped, all signs of displeasure evaporating from her expression as she turned to face him. “Even a fish with no eyes would wanna come out in this beautiful weather!” She smiled and puffed out her chest, clearly proud of the odd expression.

“Just because ya want to doesn’t really mean ya should,” Kazuichi responded, somewhat disconcerted. Suddenly, her face lit up in realization, and she straightened, showing no signs that his words had even reached her.

“Ooh! Ooh! You’re the fixin’ guy, right?” she asked excitedly, and he blinked in confusion.

“The… what?”

“The fixin’ guy! With a crank, and a pop! Maybe even a whir!” Ibuki gestured wildly as she spoke, dramatically emphasizing her sound effects. “You fix stuff!” Kazuichi furrowed his brow, feeling a sense of dread creep over him.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Ugh!” The musician’s face changed from excited to exasperated before he could blink. “This dumb doohickey isn’t working! You gotta fix it!” She patted the arcade machine roughly, and the mechanic felt his breath hitch in his throat as he slowly shook his head.

“Uh… sorry. I can’t fix it,” he told her quickly, hoping that would be the end of it.

“What?” She drew out the word for several seconds, cocking her head to the side. “Whaddya mean? If the fixin’ guy can’t fix it, then what’s the fix for this fix?”

“I don’t know.” Above his head, he heard the muffled buzz of his friends conversing. “Maybe you can get Hajime to look at it,” he told her flatly. “Look, I’m really tired, so I’m gonna go get some sleep. Sorry I can’t help you.” He tried to push past her, but she caught his arm quickly, her grip surprisingly strong.

“Wait! C’mon, Ibuki hasn’t played a game in so long. She’ll die if she can’t play one! Please at least try, fixin’ guy!”

“Don’t call me that,” he snapped, feeling his breathing come faster. The sound of voices above seemed unnaturally loud, and he tried his hardest to avoid looking at the arcade machine. “I’ve already said I can’t help you, so let go of me.”

“Please, please, please?” she begged, fluttering her lashes and pulling him closer to the machine. Stop it… stop it! “You’re the only one who can help me!” She slid her hand down his arm and wrapped her fingers around his hand, yanking him forward suddenly and placing his palm on the cool surface of the machine.

“No!” he shouted, recoiling and jerking his wrist out of her hand. “I said I can’t!” She stumbled forward, her legs trembling and her eyes wide in shock. He felt a stab of guilt as she leaned against the machine for support, and cursed under his breath as the voices from the second floor abruptly stopped. He stared at Ibuki for a moment, trying desperately to stabilize his breathing, before backing away and feeling behind him for the entrance’s doorknob. The moment he felt the metal of the handle against his fingers, he flung the door open and turned around, breaking into a run as he raced toward his cottage without daring to look back.

Chapter Text

Kazuichi wasn’t entirely certain when he had regained his sense of consciousness, but when he did, he was greeted by scenery that was far too familiar to him. He felt the urge to bolt as he recognized the bike shop, the old, worn-down place where he had spent so much of his childhood. A small row of bicycles lined the wall, polished to the sort of perfection only achieved by a vendor who was desperate to sell. Everything, from the cracked walls to the water-damaged ceiling, looked exactly the same as it had the last time he had seen it. He shuddered at the thought, trying to block out the memories of the last time he had been here, and took a step toward the door in the corner of the room.

He froze as a sound echoed through the shop, a sound that he had heard a thousand times before: the faint jingle of the bell above the doorway. Panic shot through him as a man stepped into the shop, and he quickly backed away from the entrance, bumping into the counter at the other end of the room. The man closed the door behind him and looked directly at the mechanic, smiling a soft smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Hello, son.”

“Dad…,” he breathed, before shaking his head vehemently and moving down the counter, trying to get as far away from his father as he could. “N-no, you’re not real. This isn’t real. This has to be a dream.”

“Not real?” his dad repeated, his smile widening. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m not real. Maybe this is a dream. But what you did was very, very real.”

“No, I….” Kazuichi’s voice cracked, and he felt tears prick at the back of his eyes. He reached the end of the counter and backed into the corner, but his father continued to walk slowly across the shop, gradually closing the distance between them. “I-I didn’t know what I was doing! It’s not my fault!”

“You didn’t know what you were doing?” The smile disappeared from his father’s face instantly, replaced by an expression of rage that he knew so well. The man crossed the remaining few feet between them and grabbed the mechanic’s collar, shoving him against the wall. Kazuichi cried out feebly and grasped at his father’s arms, tears spilling down his face.

“I taught you to always know exactly what you're doing. When there’s metal and oil involved, you have to know what you’re doing.” The smile returned, vicious and forceful.

“And there was plenty of that, wasn’t there? Those machines you built were too perfect for you to not know what you were doing.” Kazuichi let out a pathetic whimper, feeling his windpipe begin to close as his father pressed him harder against the wall. “Don’t forget that I’m the one who taught you. I watched you build things since you were a little kid, and I know. Those machines couldn’t have been built by anyone else.”

“No…,” the mechanic rasped, squeezing his eyes shut. I-it’s not… my fault…!

“I saw it in your eyes. You’d gone crazy, but you were you.” Suddenly, the pressure against Kazuichi’s neck disappeared, and he stumbled forward, opening his eyes and drawing in huge gasps of air. His father stood directly in front of him, his expression unreadable and his eyes dark.

“You were still you when you fed me to your machines.”

Kazuichi’s eyes widened in pure horror at his father’s words, and he didn’t notice his breathing stop. Suddenly, the back of the shop collapsed violently, splinters and nails flying into the room as the mechanic instinctively raised his arm to protect his face. He froze in shock as he lowered it; a bulldozer-like machine slowly drove into the bike shop, the front end replaced by two massive rows of gears spinning quickly enough to demolish whatever it touched. His eyes moved up to rest on the compartment at the top of the vehicle, and a whimper of terror escaped his mouth as he recognized the silhouette driving the machine, a silhouette of a teenage girl with twin pigtails. He turned to his father, desperate to warn him, but the words caught in his throat as he saw the man’s face.

“I’m so proud.” His father was smiling at him, but there was no hint of warmth in his expression, and his eyes were full of loathing. “You took what I taught you and made it your own.” The machine ate up the bicycles lined up against the wall one by one, but the man made no attempt to move as it grew closer. “So don’t ever say that you didn’t know what you were doing. Don’t ever say that it wasn’t your fault. You killed me, son.”

“Dad!” Kazuichi screamed, reaching his arm out to his father as the machine tore up the floor directly behind him. He had to save him. If he saved him this time, then maybe… Blood splattered against the mechanic’s face and jumpsuit as the shop was filled with the sound of bones crunching and flesh being ripped apart. He stared, unable to look away, watching every second of it. His arm fell limply to his side, drenched in his father’s blood. He backed away, feeling his back bump against the wall, watching the bloodstained gears approach him as Junko’s laugh echoed in his ears. Only when he felt the air in front of him churning and splinters ripping at the bottom of his jumpsuit did he scream, a scream filled with sorrow and terror and despair.

By the time Kazuichi’s eyes opened, he was already sitting bolt upright in his bed, tears streaming down his cheeks and staining his sheets and blanket. His room was dark, but not pitch-black, the faint tinge of murky orange indicating that it was likely dusk. He breathed rapidly as he attempted to steady his heartbeat, but the image of his father and the sound of his voice pervaded his mind, seeming to fill his lungs with ash. He shook his head slightly, closing his eyes and slowly pulling his knees up to his chest. He felt tears spill onto his pajamas, but he barely registered the sensation, wrapping his arms around his legs and letting his head fall onto his knees.

“It’s not my fault,” he muttered in a faint voice, shaking his head again, more violently this time. “It’s not my fault. It’s not my fault. It’s not my fault.”

The image of his father appeared in his mind once again, an image of his father smiling a genuine smile as he stood at the doorway to the bike shop. Memories flashed through Kazuichi’s head; the smell of gasoline and metal filling the garage, the resounding boom of his father’s laughter, the feeling of a large, calloused hand patting his head affectionately. His father asking him how his school day had been. His father teaching him all that he knew about machines. His father embracing him tightly on the day he returned to the bike shop for the last time, relieved that he had come home safely after the Tragedy.

“...I’m sorry,” Kazuichi whispered, his voice choked with tears. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He felt a sob shake his body, and then another, until he was weeping openly into his pajamas, hugging his knees tightly against his chest. Only when his cottage door opened did he finally look up, startled by the sudden noise. He stared in shock at the silhouette in the doorway, before turning his face away, trying with little success to suppress another sob.

He didn’t want Gundam Tanaka to see him like this.

Chapter Text

Kazuichi was aware of what a sight he must have looked like to Gundam. His hair was spilling down his back, over his shoulders, and down onto his knees, a completely unbridled, unbraided mane of pink. His face, he was certain, was tear-streaked, and he could feel that his eyes were swollen in his sockets. He supposed that, when he had screamed in his dream shortly before awakening, he must have cried out in real life as well, bringing the breeder to his door to see what was wrong. Though he tried his hardest to mute it, he let out another strangled sob at the memory of his dream.

The silhouette in the doorway suddenly strode across the room, seemingly galvanized into action by the sound of his crying. The mechanic looked up in surprise as Gundam sat in front of him on the bed, illuminated by the milky light of dusk filtering through his window. He remembered at the last moment to turn his face away, unwilling to let the other man see his tear-streaked face despite the fact that the breeder almost certainly knew that he was crying.

“Look upon me, mortal.” Gundam’s word choice was the same as ever, but his tone was unusually gentle, and contained a note of concern that Kazuichi had never heard in his voice before. Reluctantly, he turned to face the other man, though he still refused to make eye contact. “Why are you crying?” The mechanic jumped at the question, and then slowly shook his head, biting his lip and hugging his knees.

“I-I’m not… crying,” he responded futilely, his voice cracking. He could almost sense the breeder’s skeptical expression.

“You screamed,” Gundam told him in a matter-of-fact tone, confirming the mechanic’s earlier guess. “Did you have a nightmare?” At the word ‘nightmare’, images flashed through Kazuichi’s head, images of his father entering the store, smiling, screaming at him in rage, and, finally, being torn apart right before his very eyes.

“I… my dad…,” he shuddered and trailed off, his vision blurring with tears. “I h-had a dream that I saw him again, and h-he…. He told me it was all my fault.” He shuddered, staring off into space with his eyes wide in horror. “It… it is my fault, isn’t it? I k-killed him. If it wasn’t for me, he’d still be alive.” The tears spilled over and rolled down his cheeks, staining his pajamas with tiny wet droplets. “I-it would’ve been better if… if I’d never been born.”

“Do not say such foolish things!”

Kazuichi jumped in surprise and snapped his head up, looking into Gundam’s eyes for the first time since he had entered the cottage. His expression was somewhere between fury and fear, showing such intense emotion that the mechanic briefly forgot about the crushing guilt he had felt mere moments before. He stared up at the breeder, finding himself unable to look away from his face for the second time.

“Foolish mortal!” Gundam spat, his eyes smoldering. “You do not know your own value!”

“M-my own… value?” the mechanic repeated in shock, frightened by the other man’s intensity.

“You possess a rare gift! You are one of the few individuals in this realm that is capable of interacting with me as an equal. Your power is such that you are unaffected by the poison in my veins. Your existence on this earth is invaluable to me!”

Kazuichi stared at Gundam in astonishment, repeating his last words in his head to make sure that he had heard them correctly. He thought he could detect a faint tint of pink in the breeder’s cheeks, but his expression did not falter. I’m… invaluable to him? The mechanic felt a faint hint of warmth beneath his horror and guilt, and he smiled slightly through his tears.

“Gundam… is that s’posed to mean… you care about me?” he asked, too emotionally exhausted to feel flustered. The breeder’s cheeks blossomed into a full blush, but he glared more fiercely to mask his embarrassment. There was a long moment of silence as the other man seemed to struggle to think of what to say, glancing away with a brooding expression. Finally, he sighed, closing his eyes as though he were admitting something he didn’t want to admit.

“...Yes. I-I suppose it is.”

Kazuichi felt as though he were standing in a dark, cold cavern that had suddenly been illuminated by a warm light. He smiled sadly, wondering half-heartedly why knowing that Gundam cared about him made him so happy, though he already knew the answer. He looked down, a fresh set of tears slipping from his eyes.

“I know… it’s stupid,” he admitted, quietly. “We’ve all done awful things, but…. I can forgive everyone else, but I can’t forgive myself. When I think about what I did, I….” His voice cracked, and he trailed off, biting his lip and feeling the stabbing pain return to his chest.

The mechanic abruptly felt fabric against the back of his neck, and he looked up in surprise to see Gundam wordlessly wrapping his scarf around him. Stunned into silence, he sat stock-still as the breeder reached over him to pull the end of the garment around his shoulders. The cloth felt soft and warm against his skin, and he inhaled sharply as the breeder leaned close to wrap it around him. There was a brief moment of silence as Kazuichi reached up to touch the scarf, staring at the other man in quiet astonishment.

“You found the scarf comforting, did you not?” Gundam asked, furrowing his brow.

“...Yeah. Thanks,” the mechanic responded with a smile. He held the scarf close to his face, a dozen emotions swirling inside of him.

Suddenly, it was all too much. The feelings that Kazuichi had bottled up since remembering that he had been Ultimate Despair, the stress of being kept away from the life that he had known for years before coming to Hope’s Peak Academy, the shock of having his hopes and aspirations shattered completely by the sudden Tragedy, everything flooded the mechanic’s mind like a dam breaking loose. He squeezed his eyes shut, his smile giving way to an agonized grimace, and he buried his face in the scarf as he gave an anguished cry.

“K-Kazuichi-?” Gundam’s voice was filled with alarm, but he was unable to keep his tears from breaking loose. He felt his shoulders shake as he wept openly, feeling a passing spike of regret that he was staining the breeder’s treasured scarf with his tears. For a moment, the room was entirely silent save for the sound of his sobbing.

The mechanic felt a jolt of surprise as the breeder’s hand touched his knee, gently pushing his legs aside so that they were laying on the mattress. The bed rustled, indicating that the other man was moving forward, and Kazuichi looked up from the scarf just in time to see Gundam’s hands moving toward him. Before he could ask what the breeder was doing, he was suddenly pulled toward the other man’s chest, bandaged arms wrapping firmly around his back. He gasped in surprise as his head bumped into Gundam’s upper chest, the impact cushioned by the scarf between them. The two sat still for a short moment, before Kazuichi felt his emotions overcome him again, and he embraced the breeder back, sobbing into his chest.

“Such a frail mortal,” Gundam commented softly, the insult completely devoid of any malice. The mechanic found the feeling of the breeder’s arms resting against his upper back and the back of his head extremely comforting, and the other man’s chest was solid and warm. A calm voice in the corner of his mind told him that this was probably not something that straight people typically did, but he pushed it to the side. He felt immense relief as the tears he had been holding in for weeks finally spilled from his eyes, releasing all of his pent-up frustration, guilt, and self-loathing that he had never realized he had been bottling up.

Gundam began stroking his hair slowly, petting him as one would a small animal. He found the sensation surprisingly relaxing, and his sobs began to decrease in frequency, the flood of emotions finally slowing. He felt a rumbling vibration in the other man’s chest, and he realized that the breeder was humming, the same tune that he had hummed in the old hotel building after they had caught the mouse. Kazuichi’s heart stopped racing, and he felt a strange calmness gradually settle over him. He smiled to himself as a part of him wondered in Gundam actually was casting a spell on him, a spell that made him feel happy and safe in his arms. He relaxed entirely as the tears finally stopped, the silence that followed broken only by the intermittent sniffle. A wave of exhaustion hit him, and he leaned into the breeder’s body, unable and unwilling to leave his embrace.

He wasn’t entirely sure when he fell asleep, but when he awoke the next morning, he was tucked carefully into his blankets, and he was clutching a soft, warm scarf.

Chapter Text

It felt as though it had been years since Kazuichi felt as serene as he did now, sitting under the shade of a palm tree and looking out over the ocean. He closed his eyes and let the breeze rush gently past his cheeks and hair, marvelling at how picturesque the moment was. His lap was covered by the soft fabric of Gundam’s scarf, freshly washed and folded, though he had had some difficulty in getting the edges of the cloth to line up, resulting in a somewhat messy, lumpy square. Though he had searched for the breeder to return the garment for well over an hour, he had been unable to find him in any of the usual spots, to include his cottage and the hotel restaurant. Unfortunately, he had slept through breakfast; according to Hajime, Gundam had explained to the others that he was likely not feeling well and needed some time to rest.

The thought of the other man filled the mechanic’s heart with a strange, somewhat familiar feeling that he had been unable, or unwilling, to identify until now. He had realized as he lay in bed that morning that he could not continue living the way he did before, denying his own emotions and trying to force himself to be someone he was not. He could not afford to not be honest about the way he felt; he had already had everything taken away from him once, without him even having the opportunity to tell the people he lost how much they meant to him. He had been seized with the sudden irrational fear that Gundam would disappear before he could tell him how much he cared about him, and he had leapt out of bed in a panic and dashed out of the cottage to look for him.

Fortunately, Hajime had caught him outside and managed to both calm him down and direct him to the washer and dryer in the supermarket. He still felt an underlying sense of dread at his inability to find the breeder, but he knew that nothing realistically could have happened to him, and he didn’t know the other man’s schedule well enough to reasonably predict where he might be, anyway. For all he knew, he was out traipsing through the forest in search of some extremely rare tropical iguana that he believed was a dragon or a basilisk. The thought brought a smile to Kazuichi’s face.

I guess it feels like… like you want to spend time with them pretty much every day. And… I guess your thoughts keep goin’ to them, no matter how much you try to think of something else. And you feel like you want to protect them. Like you would sacrifice pretty much anything to keep them safe and happy.

Fuyuhiko’s words played in his head again, for what must have been the seventh time that day. The horror he had felt upon initially hearing them had faded, to be replaced with a sort of apprehensive acceptance, as though he were finally willing to consider his own emotions no matter how contrary to his concept of himself they were. The gangster’s words perfectly described his feelings for Gundam, whether he liked it or not; he thoroughly enjoyed every moment he spent with the breeder, and every moment he spent away from him he spent thinking about him. Nothing made him happier than Gundam’s smile, the small, sincere one that he gave so rarely, and he would give anything to make sure that no one ever took that smile away.

I’m… in love with Gundam, aren’t I?

His stomach churned with conflicting emotions; relief at the strain of ignoring his feelings finally lifted, anxiety at the thought of being different from the person he thought he was, nervous curiosity about whether or not Gundam felt the same way. He found it difficult to imagine that the breeder would like a person like him, an obnoxious coward who stalked people and couldn’t figure his own emotions out. However, the memory of the other man telling him that he was more valuable than he thought he was, that he cared about him, gave him a faint glimmer of hope, no matter how ridiculous that hope might be.

“Hey, Kazuichi! Is that you?”

The mechanic jumped at Hajime’s voice, rising quickly and stepping out from behind the palm tree with the scarf folded over one arm. His friend was running down the beach toward him, breathing steadily without a single drop of sweat visible anywhere. He stopped in front of him and began speaking immediately, his voice as calm and clear as if he had just been taking a walk through the park.

“I saw Gundam. He was walking along the cliff a little bit north of here. If you hurry, you’ll probably be able to meet up with him before he leaves.”

“Oh… okay. Thanks, Hajime.” Kazuichi felt a sudden stab of apprehension at the thought of meeting up with the other man. He, along with the others on Jabberwock Island, knew better than anyone else that everything could be taken away in the blink of an eye, and he had wanted to tell Gundam how he felt right away, in case he wasn’t given another opportunity. However, now that the opportunity was right in front of him, he suddenly wondered if it wouldn’t be better to wait a bit, at least until they knew each other better. “Uh…. A-actually, on second thought, I might just bring the scarf to his door.”

Hajime’s eyes narrowed abruptly at his words, and the mechanic blinked in surprise as his friend suddenly straightened and stared at him with a sharp, piercing gaze. He could have sworn that, for only a brief moment, Hajime’s red eye glowed with an unnatural light, and he felt the uneasy sensation that his heart was being read like an open book. After a moment, however, his friend’s face went back to normal, the scary frown disappearing as he gave a soft, reassuring smile.

“I think you should tell him,” he advised gently. “Who knows, you might just be surprised by his answer.” Kazuichi recoiled in shock, nearly dropping the scarf.

“Wha- how did you-?” The mechanic clamped his mouth shut as soon as he regained his self-control, but his friend was already chuckling amusedly at his reaction.

“We’re both pretty good at understanding people, you know,” he remarked in response.

“D-don’t just look into my soul like that!” Kazuichi protested indignantly, a bit disconcerted by Hajime’s wording. “Th-that’s an invasion of my right to privacy!”

“...You’re right. I’m sorry,” his friend conceded, his smile fading a bit. “It’s up to you whether you take my advice or not. If you feel like you’re not ready to tell him, then you should wait. Make sure you get some rest though, okay?”

“Y-yeah, okay,” the mechanic agreed, thrown off by Hajime’s sudden change in tone.

“Good. Then you won’t be sleepin’ through breakfast anymore, right?” His friend smiled playfully, before backing away and raising his hand in farewell. “I’ll see you later, Kazuichi.” With that, he turned and walked back up the beach, leaving Kazuichi alone with his uncertainty.

He knew that he had to make up his mind soon, before Gundam moved too far away from where Hajime had spotted him, but the pressure only added to his anxiety. He couldn’t imagine that the breeder would ever feel romantic attraction towards someone like him, but he couldn’t smother the little spark of hope in his heart. If Hajime thinks I might have a chance…. He’s some kinda super analyzer, right? Then doesn’t that mean…?

Kazuichi felt a sudden sense of exasperation, tired of being unable to make up his mind about anything. He needed to tell Gundam how he felt, before he wasn’t able to tell him anymore. It didn’t matter if his feelings were reciprocated; he would rather be rejected than miss his opportunity and never know how the other man felt. He cared about the breeder too much to just let him go without even trying.

Repeating these thoughts to himself over and over again, the mechanic took a deep breath, set his shoulders, and started off along the shore, his mind finally made up.

Chapter Text

By the time Kazuichi found Gundam walking along the cliffside and began to approach him, his resolve had weakened considerably, and he had begun to have second thoughts about whether or not he should actually confess. There was always the possibility that he was wrong about his own feelings, after all; he had been certain that he was in love with Sonia, but his affection had turned out to be ingenuine. However, no matter how much he tried to convince himself that that was the case, mostly because he was terrified of rejection, the logical part of his mind told him that the situations were extremely different. He was certain that he wasn’t in love with a perfect version of Gundam that he’d created, and his feelings seemed to stand up against his own logical scrutiny.

He sighed nervously and slowed his pace, watching the breeder take another slow step along the cliff, seeming to be completely absorbed in thought. The other man looked rather strange without his scarf, his pale neck exposed save for the small part of it that was covered by his coat collar. Kazuichi swallowed hard, quickly averting his eyes and feeling heat rush to his cheeks. He had never been an expert on social situations, but he was certain that he should not feel the way he did toward Gundam if they were only friends and nothing more.

He jumped as the breeder looked over and noticed him approaching, his eyes widening in what the mechanic thought was a disproportionate amount of surprise. He was afraid that the other man would fall off the cliff as he took a step back in shock, his expression comically astonished.

“K-Kazuichi!” he exclaimed as the mechanic stopped in front of him. “H-how did you find me here? ...Could it be? Do you possess an All-Seeing-Eye as well?”

“Uh, no, I don’t think so,” Kazuichi responded flatly, the other man’s typical demon-lord antics making him feel simultaneously amused and anxious. “Hajime saw you. I-I wanted to…. I wanted to return this.” He held out the folded-up scarf, his internal debate about whether or not to tell the breeder his feelings raging on inside his head.

“A-ah, I see.” Gundam reassumed an ordinary standing position and took the garment from him, before looking down at it and raising an eyebrow. “...I take it you are not accustomed to folding your own clothes?”

“Sh-shut up!” the mechanic retorted lamely, indignation briefly taking over his nervousness. “I just don’t have any scarves! I’m not used to folding ‘em!”

“It is rectangular,” the breeder pointed out dryly, looking back up at him with the same expression. “It should be one of the easiest garments in this world to fold.”

“Easy for you to say! You’re just used to it!” As he spoke, Gundam unfolded the scarf and began wrapping it around his neck. Kazuichi felt a desperate urge to tell him how he felt, but he ignored it, telling himself that he just hadn’t had a good opportunity yet.

“Hmph. Perhaps,” the other man responded, sounding unconvinced. He folded his arms and fell silent for a moment, and the mechanic was struck with the sudden irrational fear that he had somehow read his mind and found out about his crush. “You are… feeling better, yes?”

Kazuichi’s fear was immediately dispelled, and he could not help but feel touched that Gundam cared enough about his well-being to make sure he was alright. He briefly recalled the feeling of the other man’s arms around him and the soothing sound of his humming, but he quickly shoved the thought aside; embarrassing as it was to know that he had depended so heavily on the breeder to help him with his problem, he especially did not want to remember his nightmare, even if he had calmed down since then.

“...Yeah,” he responded, realizing that he had been silent for far too long. “Thanks… f-for being there, I mean. I-It really helped.” Neither of them spoke for a moment, but he told himself that the mood was far too somber for him to bring up his feelings now.

“Kehehe…. Fuhahahaha!” Kazuichi jumped and looked up in alarm as Gundam suddenly threw his head back and let out an evil laugh. The other man lowered his chin and stared at him intensely with a less-than-evil smirk, his eyes glinting. “Well, you are my disciple, are you not? I cannot have you in such a state that you are unable to absorb my teachings.” The mechanic sighed exasperatedly, but could not help but smile at the breeder’s ridiculousness. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and he opened his mouth hesitantly, wondering briefly if he should ask the question on his mind.

“Hey, um… d-did you, uh, mean what you said? About… c-caring about me?” He spoke quickly, before he could change his mind, and hoped that he would not regret the question.

“Tch!” Gundam recoiled as though he had been struck physically, before assuming a scowl and pulling his scarf up over his face. “I-I see…. Your demon blood has granted you with an infallible memory. However, know this!” The other man suddenly fixed him with an intense stare, though his cheeks were noticeably reddened. “Though you may be my disciple, it is not your place to question my character. I am Gundam Tanaka, Supreme Overlord of Ice. My word is the absolute truth.” It took Kazuichi a moment to decipher the breeder’s monologue, but once he had, a smile spread across his face.

“Well, that’s good to hear,” he remarked, feeling a sense of relief. It was comforting to know that Gundam cared about him, and he genuinely appreciated that he did, but he knew that he should not mistake platonic affection for romantic feelings.

“Hmph.” The breeder folded his arms and turned away from him, his expression flustered. “...And you?”

“Huh?” Kazuichi blinked in surprise, not entirely understanding the question.

“Foolish mortal,” Gundam remarked with an annoyed huff, his glare intensifying and his cheeks reddening even further. “Do you reciprocate the sentiment?” The mechanic felt a moment of clarity as he realized what the breeder meant, and then it was his turn to be flustered.

“Oh, a-are you askin’ if I care about you?” he asked, to which the other man nodded almost imperceptibly. “Well, yeah, I g-guess. Yeah, I do.” He felt his cheeks flare up as he struggled to respond, and he mentally kicked himself for being such a mess. However, he was distracted from his self-deprecation as Gundam’s face lit up, though he was visibly trying to maintain a scowl. Kazuichi decided to wait until he was certain that the breeder wasn’t going to say anything before he attempted to confess.

“I-I see.” To his surprise, the other man took a deep breath, seeming to try to compose himself before turning to look at him with one of the most serious expressions the mechanic had ever seen him wear. “Very well. I-In that case, I shall r-request that you….” Gundam’s solemn face suddenly collapsed, to be replaced by one of the most flustered expressions the mechanic had ever seen him wear. As Kazuichi watched in astonishment, the breeder’s face blossomed into a furious shade of red all the way up to the tips of his ears, and he quickly and clumsily pulled the scarf up to cover his face, glaring off at something to his right.

“Wh-what? You request that I what?” the mechanic asked impatiently, feeling a surge of nervous anticipation. Why’s he so flustered? Wait…. Nah, there’s no way. The other man took yet another deep breath and fixed Kazuichi with the most intense glare yet, and he took half a step back, startled.

“You possess demon blood, an extremely rare trait among the mortals of this realm!” Gundam informed him loudly, pointing at him with his right hand and pulling his scarf away from his face with his left. “I suspect that you even possess the ability to cast spells and enchantments of such magnitude that they are effective even against one as powerful as I! As such, I deem it necessary to nurture this ability and train it to its highest potential. However, you will not be able to use your demon blood to the fullest simply by interacting with the beasts of this realm. It is vital that you form a close bond with another who possesses similar blood, such as myself, in order to reach your full potential. Therefore, for the betterment of you and your demon blood, I shall request that you g-go on a date with me!”

Kazuichi had never experienced another moment in his life that better fit the definition of ‘stunned silence’. He stared at Gundam speechlessly, scarcely daring to believe his ears. A… date? N-no way. There’s no way I heard him right. Why would he want to go on a date with me? The breeder seemed rather out of breath from his long monologue, and he looked back at the mechanic with a hint of apprehension in his gaze.

“...What?” Kazuichi asked, deciding that he had heard the other man wrong. “I-I’m sorry, did you say ‘date’?” Gundam grimaced at the response, finally regaining his breath and standing up straight.

“I-if you do not wish to progress your demon blood training, then I shall accept your refusal,” the breeder told him; the mechanic could hear a note of actual fear behind his voice, the same fear that he himself had felt constantly since that morning. He tried to quell the feeling of hope rising in his chest, knowing that there was absolutely no way that the other man could reciprocate his feelings.

“You seriously mean it?” Kazuichi checked, still feeling dazed. “This isn’t, like, a prank or a dare or something?”

“I have already told you that my word is the absolute truth,” Gundam repeated agitatedly. The mechanic could no longer hold back his elation at such an unexpected turn of events, and, before he could stop it, he felt tears of joy well up in his eyes. The breeder stared at him in shock, before his brow furrowed in an expression of simultaneous hurt and concern. “Y-you are crying-? Was my request truly that upsetting?” The mechanic shook his head quickly, smiling through his tears.

“N-no, I guess I’m just… really happy,” he responded with a laugh, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. “I was kinda gonna ask you the same thing.” Now it was Gundam’s turn to have a moment of disbelief, his eyes widening as his worried expression disappeared.

“R-really-? Then… do you accept my request?” he asked cautiously, though his voice was tinged with hope.

“Yeah, sure,” Kazuichi replied, beaming. “I gotta finish my demon blood training, right?” He laughed again, feeling more genuinely happy than he had in a long while, and the breeder finally allowed a smile of his own to spread across his face. It was different from any smile the mechanic had ever seen him wear; it was cheerful and happy and utterly adorable, without a hint of the usual evil smirk that Gundam typically used to mask his emotions. The mechanic felt his heart flutter with affection, still not believing that the other man reciprocated his feelings.

“Yes, you must continue to this stage in order to complete your training,” the breeder informed him, though his voice had lost much of the sinister undertone that he typically used for dramatic effect. “Meet me in the park tomorrow at noon. If you so desire, we can eat lunch at the restaurant. Is… that acceptable?”

“Yeah, that sounds great,” the mechanic responded, still grinning happily. “I guess I’ll see ya then?” After a brief moment, Gundam flashed him a nervous smile that made his heart want to burst out of his chest.

“...Yes. I’ll see you then, Kazuichi.”

Chapter Text

Sonia stared out the window of her cottage, her copy of A Tale of Two Cities lying forgotten in her lap. She felt a bit guilty for lying in bed all morning, but she wasn’t entirely sure what else there was to do; after spending several months on the island, including the time she had spent in the Neo World Program, she was beginning to run out of ideas. Fortunately, the library stocked more than enough books to keep her entertained for a while, and she could work on her foreign language skills in the process. Today, however, she had found it difficult to focus on reading, continuously spacing out and staring into the distance, lost in thought.

She had heard from Gundam that morning about how Kazuichi wasn’t feeling well, and while she couldn’t exactly say that she was wrought with worry, she was a bit concerned about the mechanic’s mental health. Though he had been rather awful to her for the time he had known her, she knew that he didn’t mean to be malicious, and she was willing to forgive him since he had realized that his actions were unacceptable and apologized. She also knew that he had come to mean a lot to Gundam, and, in the end, he was still her classmate, one of the few people in the world who had gone through the same ordeals she had. She fully understood what he was going through, and she had also realized that, as a person who had difficulty coping with problems, he was taking it harder than most of them were.

She frowned worriedly as she remembered the incident that had occurred about a month ago, the incident that had resulted in Kazuichi being relieved of his night watch duty. She hadn’t been there herself, but she had commanded Hajime to tell her after he had announced that the mechanic would no longer be required to do his shift every few nights. Apparently, he had had some sort of panic attack while he was surrounded by the pods and the machinery required to run them, and Hajime, who happened to be on a walk, decided to check in on him and found him cowering in the corner in a near-catatonic state. Similarly to today, he hadn’t attended breakfast the following morning, and it had taken him quite a while to regain his usual carefree personality.

Suddenly, there was a sharp knock at the door, snapping Sonia out of her train of thought. She quickly glanced down at her book, memorizing the page number, and snapped it shut, placing it next to her on the bed.

“Give me one moment!” she called out, letting the visitor know that she was inside. She stood up and strode across the room, turning the doorknob and attempting to open the door. She frowned as she noticed that it was locked; old habits died hard, she supposed, unlocking it and swinging it open.

“Gundam!” she cried in delight as she recognized the visitor. She stepped aside to let him in, and he walked past her without saying a word. She felt a prick of anxiety at his silence, and she shut the door and followed him into the center of the room. Oh no…. He is not still affected by what happened to Kazuichi…? “Gundam? Are you alright?” He turned to face her, his expression unreadable.

“I have spoken to the one who shares my demon blood,” he told her in a neutral tone. She knew instantly who he was talking about; over the course of several years, she had grown accustomed to his way of addressing people and even accepted it as normal.

“I see,” she responded, trying not to sound as concerned as she felt. “Is he feeling any better?”

“Yes. He seems to have recovered almost entirely.” Sonia breathed a sigh of relief, but then noticed that Gundam’s mouth was twitching oddly. She wondered for a moment if he had contracted some sort of weird illness, before she realized in bafflement that it almost looked like he was trying to hide a smile. Finally, he looked down at the floor of her cottage with an odd gleam in his eye, the corners of his mouth upturned in a gentle, happy smile that she had never seen him wear before, except around his animals.

“He… accepted the proposal that we discussed.” Sonia’s eyes widened as she realized what he was talking about, and she felt a smile of her own spread across her face.

“You do not mean… the one regarding the latter stage of his training?” she asked, feeling a surge of excitement as the breeder nodded wordlessly. She walked up to him and grabbed his hands impulsively, clasping them in her own and looking up at him joyfully. He jumped in surprise, but didn’t pull his hands away; he had told her that it was alright to touch him since she was the Dark Queen, if only briefly. “That is such wonderful news! And you did not even have to show him a Makango! I believe the correct phrase is ‘I told you so’!”

“Hmph.” He looked away with a forced frown, though the happy gleam still didn’t leave his eyes. “Even I do not possess the power to read what is in a mortal’s mind. It was important to consider refusal as a possibility.”

“There is no way that Kazuichi would be able to refuse you!” Sonia declared, before removing her hands from Gundam’s and placing them on her hips. “And if he had, I would have commanded him to accept!” The breeder blinked in surprise, his expression showing that he did not doubt that she would have forced Kazuichi to go on a date with him.

“Y-you must not abuse your power,” he told her hastily. “He may possess demon blood, but he is not yet equal to you in strength.” She nodded in satisfaction at his words, closing her eyes and folding her arms. It was a pose that she had seen all the cool characters do in modern dramas, at least before the Tragedy.

“Excellent. Then we have a back-up plan.” She opened her eyes dramatically and smiled, her heart pounding in excitement. “And if he commits any wrongdoing during your date, then I shall command him to lick your shoes!” She dropped her arms to her sides as Gundam looked away, the gleam in his eyes fading as a shadow of worry flitted across his face. “Gundam? Is something the matter?” He hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowed, before looking back up at her with a frown.

“I am… not entirely familiar with the ritual of dating,” he admitted, and her eyes widened as she detected an uncharacteristic hint of nervousness in his voice. “I am not entirely certain how I am meant to behave.”

“Do not be ridiculous!” she responded instantly, and he jumped, startled. She placed one hand on her hip and held the other out commandingly. “You are Gundam Tanaka, Supreme Overlord of Ice! You have undergone trials in the Netherworld far more terrifying than this! You must simply be as you always are, and everything will surely be alright!” Gundam stared at her for a moment, before she was relieved to see his expression change into the evil smirk she was so familiar with.

“Kehehehe… you did not think I was truly afraid, did you, my disciple?” he asked, his voice regaining its typical confidence. “Still, it seems that you have come quite a long way since you began your training. Your magical aura must have doubled in size and intensity.” Sonia felt a wave of excitement and pride, and she smiled at him brightly.

“Do you truly mean it?” she asked, overjoyed at her own progress. For some reason, Gundam suddenly looked away, the gentle smile from before spreading over his face once again.

“I am Gundam Tanaka. My word is the absolute truth.” She smiled at him cheerfully, though she did not entirely understand his odd reaction, and there was a brief moment of comfortable silence. However, a thought suddenly occurred to her, and her enthusiasm returned at full force.

“When are you going to be having the date?” she asked.

“Tomorrow, around midday,” Gundam responded, his expression returning to normal.

“And I trust that the location is still at the park?”

“Yes, though we may move temporarily to the restaurant to dine,” he answered in a somewhat wary tone.

“Very well. Then I shall command everyone to avoid those areas at that time!” she declared.

“I-I do not believe that will be necessary,” the breeder told her, his expression startled. “The park is rather large, and the others will also require sustenance at the restaurant.” Sonia thought for a moment, wondering whether or not she should simply let the others starve, before a brilliant idea occurred to her.

“Then I shall wait outside the hotel! I shall command them to eat as quickly as possible or take their food elsewhere, and when you arrive, I will signal to you if it is clear!” She saw Gundam open his mouth to object, but she cut him off, anticipating his retort. “Do not worry! I am more capable of stealth than you might think!”

“Th-they will not be that much of a bother,” he protested. “We can still-,”

“Nonsense!” she interrupted with a huff. “It is my decree!” He merely sighed in response, and she smiled triumphantly. “Your date will be absolutely perfect.” She gave a cheerful, tinkling laugh, feeling happier than she had in quite some time. Though she couldn’t understand what Gundam saw in Kazuichi, she was relieved that the mechanic had reciprocated his feelings, and she felt as though she could feel a part of their joy in being together. She hummed cheerfully to herself, a wide smile on her face, before snapping

“Should I attempt to imitate a bird call, or would you prefer hand signals?”

Chapter Text

Kazuichi stared into the bathroom mirror nervously, combing his fingers through his hair and checking to make sure that his jagged teeth were a pristine white. He noticed with an agitated sigh that his roots were beginning to turn black again, and he wished more than anything that he still had the beanie he had bought for this specific circumstance. He leaned through the doorway to check the clock; he still had about half an hour until he was supposed to meet up with Gundam, but he wanted to be early, just in case his clock was behind or something. He hadn’t seen the breeder since the previous day, since he had eaten his breakfast so quickly that he had left before the other man had even arrived.

He was still finding it hard to believe that he was preparing to go on a date with Gundam Tanaka, the delusional man who dressed and talked like he was a demon lord. He was certain that if he went back in time and told his past self that this would happen, his past self would probably be too busy freaking out about seeing another version of himself to care. However, he could guarantee that, after his former self was done having a mini panic attack, he would be completely shocked and not believe what was currently happening to him at all.

There was also the fact that, now that he had gotten over the emotional rollercoaster of realizing that he liked the breeder, he was experiencing no small amount of uncertainty about his own sexuality. He had assumed for his whole life that he was straight, but, due to his unique set of circumstances, he had been forced to realize that that wasn’t the case rather quickly. Everything he thought he knew about himself seemed to be crumbling away, and he felt the urge to take out and throw away his colored contacts as he realized that it wasn’t just his physical appearance that he had forced himself to change. However, he knew that that would likely be a bad idea, since they were prescription contacts and he didn’t have the spare glasses he used to keep with him before the Tragedy.

Kazuichi checked the clock again and jumped as he realized that he only had about fifteen minutes before the scheduled meeting time. He supposed as he strode across his cottage to the door that, since the park wasn’t that far away, he probably had plenty of time to get there, but his nervousness made him feel as though he would be half an hour late if he didn’t leave immediately. Hoping that he looked okay, he hurried down the boardwalk at a brisk pace; he wasn’t wearing his typical jumpsuit, but rather a white T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and a hoodie that he had found at the supermarket the week prior. The Future Foundation seemed to keep the island’s supplies relatively well-stocked, and the short brown-haired boy with the Hajime-esque spike on his head had promised that they would bring more as often as possible.

The mechanic was about nine minutes early when he reached the center of the park, and his heart fluttered anxiously as he noticed a familiar tall figure already standing there. He felt the sudden urge to turn around and flee, maybe jump into the nearby ocean, but he forced himself to take a deep breath and keep walking toward the other man. He shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets as the breeder noticed him and turned to face him, his expression unreadable.

“H-hey, Gundam,” he greeted him a bit awkwardly, stopping in front of him and smiling nervously. “You haven’t been standin’ here too long, have ya?”

“Four minutes,” the other man replied brusquely, and Kazuichi blinked in surprise at the oddly specific answer. There was a brief moment of awkward silence as the two of them waited for the other to say something.

“So… do ya wanna walk around or something?” the mechanic asked, feeling physically pained at the tension in the air. Gundam nodded wordlessly, and the two of them set off side-by-side down the path, an oppressive, uneasy atmosphere settling over them. Kazuichi’s gaze flitted nervously from bush to bush, his eyes resting on anything except the person next to him, and he tried desperately to think of something to say.

“Fuhaha… fuhahahaha!” The mechanic jumped at the breeder’s sudden maniacal laughter, stopping in his tracks to turn and face the other man with wide eyes.

“Wh-what the heck’re ya laughin’ about?” he demanded, his tone a mixture of alarm and indignation. Gundam turned to face him with a sly, knowing grin, one eyebrow slightly raised.

“Are you nervous, Kazuichi Souda?” the breeder asked, his voice slightly amused. Kazuichi glared at him to hide the fact that he was, indeed, very nervous.

“N-no!” he responded unconvincingly, and the other man raised his eyebrow even further. “O-okay, well… maybe just a little. Y-you can’t blame me, though!” Gundam chuckled at his overly forceful protest, before closing his eyes and smiling an aloof, infuriating smile.

“Indeed, I suppose you are not to be blamed. My aura of malice is enough to make even the most courageous mortal tremble in terror. However, know this.” The breeder opened his eyes dramatically, his smile fading as he pierced Kazuichi with a solemn gaze. “Your magical essence has increased by several dozen thus far, and if you continue your training, you may one day transcend your status as a mortal and stand as my equal.” Kazuichi smiled wearily as he took in the monologue, supposing that this was Gundam’s roundabout way of offering a compliment. He admitted to himself that he was rather grateful that the other man broke the ice, and it was reassuring to hear him rant just as nonsensically as he usually did.

“Thanks,” he responded dryly, but not without warmth, before going on hesitantly. “...I guess I’ll just have to continue my training, then.” The other man’s eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly composed himself, though he didn’t quite manage to regain his cool demeanor with his cheeks turning a bright pink.

“Y-yes. A wise choice.” he stammered, before turning away and walking down the path once again. Kazuichi followed, smiling at how adorable he was, and glad that he was finally able to admit that to himself. It occurred to him as he hurried to catch up with him that the breeder was still wearing his hair down, as he had since he had regained his memories, though the mechanic had grown so accustomed to it that it no longer registered in his mind.

“Hey, Gundam,” he began as he came up beside him. “Why d’ya still wear your hair down? I thought you liked wearin’ it up.”

“Even the local supermarket is not adequately stocked with hair gel,” the breeder responded, furrowing his brow. “What little I had with me was used up in a week or so.”

“What about the color?” Kazuichi asked, suddenly curious. “Are those white streaks dyed?” Gundam turned his head and glared at him poutily, before his expression changed into a familiar sly smirk.

“Kehehehe… it is understandable that one such as yourself would think so,” he responded, folding his arms. The mechanic subconsciously reached up to touch a lock of his hair, his brow furrowing as he wondered what he meant by ‘one such as yourself’. “However, have I not told you that I am the offspring of a demon and an angel?” He stared at Kazuichi seriously, and he fished through his memories to try to remember what he was talking about. I think… yeah, he definitely said he was the child of a demon, but I don’t think he mentioned an angel before…

“Behold, for this is something that even one with your blood cannot understand,” Gundam told him, gesturing grandiosely with his arms. “My hair is the result of the conflict between my angel and demon blood, dark and light marking me as an outcast even among other divine creatures. Look upon it and tremble, for you will not find another such being anywhere else in this realm.” He grinned at the mechanic with a maniacal gleam in his eye, evidently proud of his monologue.

“Right. And my hair comes from fairies,” Kazuichi responded sarcastically, pointing at his own hair. The breeder frowned at him disapprovingly, folding his arms once again.

“Do not be ridiculous,” he told him. “Fairies are mythical creatures, the namesake of fairy tales. They do not exist in this realm or any other one.” The mechanic sighed exasperatedly, feeling his frustration build to the breaking point. How come he gets to decide what’s mythical and what's not? And how am I s’posed to know?

“Tch…. So, is your hair dyed or not?” he asked again, but, seeing Gundam narrow his eyes and open his mouth in protest, he groaned and stopped walking. “Nevermind. I’ll see for myself. Tilt your head down.” He took a step toward the other man, fueled by his exasperation.

“Wh-what?” the breeder asked, his eyes widening as he froze in place.

“Tilt your head down,” the mechanic repeated, stopping directly in front of him. “I can’t see your hair ‘cause you’re so freakishly tall.”

“I-I have already told you that it is not dyed,” Gundam told him quickly, his cheeks reddening. “There is no need to….” Kazuichi huffed and stood on the tips of his toes, managing to bring himself to eye level with the other man. He tilted his head up and studied his roots intently, trying to make out any hint of black in the paler streaks. After a moment, he began to feel a growing sense of disbelief, and he stood flat on his feet, staring at the breeder in shock. ‘N-no way…. It really isn’t dyed?”

“I-i-it is as I have told you!” Gundam responded forcefully, his entire face a more furious shade of red than the mechanic had ever seen. He suddenly remembered that the two of them were on a date, and he was also suddenly conscious that he was only a few inches away from the breeder’s face. He felt his own cheeks begin to heat up, and he quickly took a step back, avoiding eye contact with the other man.

“D-do not do such things,” Gundam told him, pulling his scarf up over his lower face, though it did nothing to hide his intense blush. Kazuichi glanced back at him, his embarrassment temporarily fading as the breeder’s flustered expression gave him an idea for revenge.

“Are… you nervous, Gundam Tanaka?” he asked, mimicking the other man’s sly smile. Gundam finally made eye contact with him, glaring at him and letting go of his scarf.

“Do not be so foolish,” he reprimanded, his face still extremely red. “I d-do not feel nervous in the presence of a mere mortal.” Kazuichi’s knowing grin spread into a genuine smile, and he laughed lightheartedly at the breeder’s attempt at intimidation. “Y-you dare mock me? Come, I shall prove to you that I am not nervous!” The mechanic stared in surprise as Gundam extended his hand toward him, his eyes glinting with something similar to determination.

“H-huh? Um, okay…,” he responded, hesitantly placing his hand in the other man’s palm. “N-now what?”

“Now we continue,” the breeder told him, intertwining his fingers with Kazuichi’s and turning away, pulling the mechanic along gently as he continued walking down the path. Wha- h-he tricked me! Kazuichi felt his own face blossom into a furious blush, his mind focused exclusively on the sensation of Gundam’s hand in his own. He couldn’t exactly say that he hated the feeling; the other man’s palm was soft and warm, and the feeling of his fingers against his knuckles made him feel oddly safe and secure.

The two of them walked silently through the park, though it was a different kind of silence than before. Occasionally, the mechanic felt the breeder squeeze his hand slightly, as if to make sure he was still there and wasn’t going to move away. A tiny smile spread across his face; he was still marvelling at the fact that Gundam actually reciprocated his feelings, though he couldn’t for the life of him imagine why. Suddenly, the other man’s pace slowed, and Kazuichu snapped out of his train of thought as he realized that they had reached the edge of the park and were standing at the bridge to the first island.

“Would you like to get lunch?” Gundam asked, stopping and turning his head toward him. His voice was quiet, as though he didn’t want to break the peaceful atmosphere that had settled over them.

“Sure,” the mechanic responded in a similar tone, his heart fluttering nervously as he made eye contact with the breeder. The other man nodded wordlessly, his cheeks still a faint shade of pink, and began walking again, tugging slightly at Kazuichi’s arm until he came up beside him again. The odd but not unpleasant silence continued until they reached the large hotel building, when it was suddenly broken when they were a few yards from the door.

“Caw, caw!”

Kazuichi blinked in surprise as Sonia’s voice rang out from the overgrown flowerbed to the left of the hotel’s entrance, and he stopped walking, turning toward Gundam in confusion. The breeder’s eyes were closed, and he sighed exasperatedly, raising his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“It would seem that the way is clear,” he muttered, and the mechanic raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to one side in puzzlement.

“Whaddaya mean?” he asked. “Was that Son-,”

“We must enter immediately!” the breeder declared, quickly cutting him off. “Dispel any foolish notions from your mind. What you witnessed was merely an illusion!” With that, he began walking again at a brisk pace, pulling Kazuichi along more forcefully than before. The mechanic quickly regained his balance and hurried after the other man, shooting him a suspicious gaze. However, Gundam didn’t return his gaze, instead looking off toward the flowerbed with an exasperated expression.

“H-hey! Why’re ya actin’ so weird?” He tried to look past the breeder to see what he was staring at, but the other man noticed and quickened his pace to move in front of him. Finally, they reached the hotel building’s porch, and Kazuichi’s view of the flowerbed was obscured by the building’s walls.

“I-it is of no consequence,” Gundam responded unconvincingly. The mechanic sighed and looked at him skeptically, but decided that he would pester him about it later.

He reluctantly let go of the other man’s hand as he pulled away to open the door, walking in and holding it open so that Kazuichi could follow him inside.

Chapter Text

“So if your hair isn’t dyed, then why does it look like that?” Kazuichi asked, sitting down across from Gundam with his plate of food. He still stubbornly refused to drop the issue, the question hovering at the back of his mind like an annoying fly.

“I have told you that it is the mark of my angel blood,” the breeder responded in a frustrated tone, plucking a grape off of the cluster on his plate.

“I figured you’d say that,” he said with a sigh. “Is it some kinda melon deficiency?”

The other man stared at him for half a second, the hand that was holding the grape frozen halfway to his mouth, before his shoulders shook and his mouth twitched. The mechanic felt a brief moment of alarm before he realized that Gundam was suppressing laughter, his lips turning upward into an amused smile despite his best efforts.

“Wh-what?” Kazuichi asked, feeling his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. “What’d I say?”

“Do….” The breeder was interrupted by a bout of silent laughter, and he raised an eyebrow quizzically. “Do you mean ‘melanin’?” The mechanic’s eyes widened as he realized his mistake, and he was torn between feeling mortified at what he had said and overwhelmed at how adorable the other man looked when he was trying not to laugh. He must have been quite amused by the slip up to ask such a straightforward question.

“Sh-shut up,” Kazuichi retorted lamely, glaring at Gundam to mask his humiliation. “I’m n-not an expert on that kinda stuff.” The breeder’s face suddenly lit up for no discernable reason, and his lips twisted into a sly smirk.

“Please,” he began in an exaggerated tone, “there is no need to appear so meloncholy.” There was a brief moment of silence broken only by muffled snickering as the mechanic shot the other man the most unamused death glare he could manage.

“That was low, even for you,” he told him in a flat tone, his cheeks still warm. “I didn’t think you were the type to make stupid puns.”

“Do not insult my clever wordplay because your own grasp on language is so loose,” Gundam retorted, popping the grape into his mouth. Kazuichi was suddenly reminded of something as he glanced at the breeder’s plate, and he folded his arms and puffed out his cheeks childishly.

“At least I know how to eat an orange,” he muttered indignantly. The other man froze and glared at him, his cheeks turning pink as if to imitate the mechanic’s.

“Let sleeping dogs lie, mortal,” he advised, putting down the orange that he had picked up a moment ago. There was a moment of silence as the two of them focused on their food, and Kazuichi suddenly realized that he was quite hungry; he had barely eaten anything at breakfast at all, since he had been in such a hurry.

“...And your hair is dyed, I trust?” Gundam asked suddenly, breaking the quiet atmosphere.

“Well, it’s pink,” the mechanic responded dryly, raising an eyebrow.

“Indeed,” the other man said in an even tone, evidently missing the point. “Quite a bold choice.” Kazuichi might have suspected another person of being passive aggressive if they had said the same thing, but, strangely enough, the breeder sounded almost impressed as he spoke.

“Well, it got people to leave me alone.” The mechanic realized the moment the words left his mouth that they probably sounded rather odd, and, sure enough, Gundam looked up from his plate with an inquisitive expression. He debated for a moment whether or not to explain, but decided that he trusted the other man enough to tell him. “I was, um… picked on a lot in school. Kids bullied me ‘cause I looked like a nerd, glasses and everything. So I dyed my hair and started wearin’ contacts to look more like a punk or somethin’, and it worked.” The breeder’s eyes widened in surprise, and Kazuichi thought that he looked a bit more shocked than the situation called for.

“...I see,” he responded as he regained his composure. “I, too, was an outcast among my peers.” Now it was the mechanic’s turn to feel surprised. Wha- Gundam was bullied, too? Suddenly, anger flashed in the other man’s eyes, and his expression hardened. “However, had I attended your school, those foolish mortals would have paid the price for their insolence.” Kazuichi blinked, a bit taken aback by the intensity of the breeder’s stare, but he eventually felt a small smile spread across his face as he realized that Gundam was being protective of him.

“Thanks. And I woulda talked to you, if I’d gone to your school.” As he spoke, the breeder smiled tentatively, the small, genuine smile that made him feel as though his chest would explode. A thought suddenly occurred to him, and his expression sombered. “Y-you know… you can talk to me about a-anything, right? All of us…. We’ve all been through a lot, and I don’t really think any of us are okay yet. S-so, um… p-promise you’ll talk to me if you need to.” He scarcely dared to look at the other man’s face, but when he hesitantly looked up, the breeder’s cheeks were pink and his expression was a mixture of worried and nervous.

“...Very well,” Gundam answered after a brief moment. “And… I extend the same proposal to you.” Kazuichi was taken off guard by the reversal of his offer, but he smiled a sad smile as he supposed it was only natural that the other man would want to support him, too.

“Then I guess I’ll take you up on it,” he responded, his tone both warm and slightly sorrowful. “Thanks.”

It only took a few more minutes for the two of them to finish their food, surrounded by an atmosphere that was somber and yet somehow peaceful. The breeder eventually stood up with his disposable plate, the unpeeled orange still rolling around forlornly on its surface. The mechanic held back a laugh and followed suit, dumping his plate in the trash can that, like almost everything they had, came from the supermarket. The two of them walked side by side across the room to the stairs, but Kazuichi stopped just before they could go down, and the other man stopped as well, looking at him inquisitively.

“So, I guess… this training session’s over?” he asked. He thought he saw a flash of regret in Gundam’s eyes, but the moment passed so quickly that he could have imagined it.

“It will not be over until we have left the building,” the breeder responded, and the mechanic decided that he hadn’t imagined it. “We can bid our farewells once we are outside.”

“But isn’t Sonia watchin’ from the bushes?” Kazuichi said, raising an eyebrow. “Why’s she doin’ that, anyway? And what was with that shout? It sounded kinda like she was tryin’ to sound like a bird.”

“I-it was not my idea,” Gundam told him a bit too quickly. “I attempted to dissuade her, but she would not listen.”

“Wait, so she knew we were gonna be here?”

“I may have informed her,” the breeder replied, his tone guarded.

“W-wasn’t she upset?” he asked, slightly alarmed.

“Why would she have been upset?” the other man responded, tilting his head in confusion.

“Uh, no reason,” Kazuichi told him unconvincingly. Huh. I guess she didn’t like Gundam after all. The breeder raised an eyebrow quizzically, but didn’t press the issue. A moment later, he glanced to the side, and his cheeks began to redden as he took a deep breath.

“D-do you intend to… continue your training further?” the other man asked, clearly struggling to get the question out. The mechanic smiled at him reassuringly, feeling his own face heat up as he did so.

“Yeah, I think so,” he responded happily, still wondering why Gundam reciprocated his feelings.

“Excellent,” the breeder remarked, smiling a smile that didn’t quite manage to be evil. “I shall inform you when our next training session is to be arranged.” Kazuichi impulsively reached out and took the other man’s hand in his own, and the breeder’s face once again turned a vibrant shade of red. He was certain that his own cheeks were flaring up to a similar shade.

“I-it would seem that your ability to cast spells has grown more powerful,” Gundam muttered, using his free hand to pull his scarf up over his face. The mechanic smiled at him nervously but cheerfully and took a step toward the stairs.

“Okay, we can go now.”

Chapter Text

Since Kazuichi’s sleep schedule had returned to normal, he had found that he wanted to spend every hour of the day awake. Time felt like a precious commodity slipping through his fingers, more valuable than it had ever been now that he knew how quickly he might be forced to let go. He squeezed onto Gundam’s hand harder as the two of them walked down the boardwalk, surrounded by the dusty orange light of a sunset that had come too soon. The other man squeezed back and began to walk closer to him.

“Ugh, would you two knock it off already?” The two of them stopped and turned their heads, surprised by the voice, but not surprised to see who it came from. “You’re seriously grossing me out.”

“Hiyoko…,” Mahiru chided the blonde girl, smiling at them in embarrassment. The dancer stopped beside her on the boardwalk and shot her a pouty glare, though its childish effect had been lost since her growth spurt.

“Oh, come on, don’t you get tired of it too?” she asked whinily, before crossing her arms and looking away, still pouting. “I’m surprised they’ve even stayed together this long. I guess they do have a lot in common, since they’re both creepy idiots.” As she spoke the last sentence, Hiyoko glanced back at them with a mocking smile.

“H-hey!” Kazuichi released Gundam’s hand and pointed at her accusingly. “You’re just jealous of our long-lasting relationship!”

“Wh-why would I be jealous?” she asked, her eyes briefly flitting over to the red-haired girl beside her. “I wouldn’t call two months a ‘long-lasting relationship’. Although I guess it might seem long to a loser like you.”

“Okay, Hiyoko, that’s enough,” Mahiru told her in an exasperated tone, before smiling tiredly at the mechanic. “Sorry. We’ll just be going now.” With that, the photographer wrapped her fingers around the dancer’s wrist and walked past them quickly, Hiyoko protesting the whole way with a flustered expression. Kazuichi folded his arms and glared after her, huffing pettily. One glance in Gundam’s direction told him that the other man was also silently fuming.

“Mere mortals are simply incapable of understanding beings such as us,” the breeder remarked angrily, and the mechanic nodded emphatically in agreement. However, shortly afterward, Gundam gave a low-pitched chuckle, and the outraged expression disappeared from his face. “It is of no importance. Ignorant words may as well be ignored.”

“It’s still annoying,” Kazuichi replied, but let it go with a sigh. As irritating as Hiyoko was, there was still a part of him that was glad she had recovered from regaining her memories, after undergoing the same initial bout of depression that they had all experienced. “Well, I guess we’re pretty much at my cottage, so I’ll see you tomorrow?” He felt a sting of regret at leaving the breeder for the day, and he frustratedly cursed whatever deity had made humans for making them have to sleep so much.

“Ah, w-wait, Kazuichi,” the other man said hastily as he took a step toward his cottage. He turned around in surprise, his expression quizzical, and the breeder lifted his scarf to cover a faint blush. “M-might we remain a moment longer?”

“Um, sure,” the mechanic responded, wondering as he turned around if Gundam knew how glad he was to accept the request. “What is it?”

“It is nothing of particular importance,” the other man responded quickly. “However… might we stay to watch the moonrise?”

“Uh… the moonrise?” he repeated, his tone baffled. “You mean ya wanna watch the sunset?” The breeder huffed and shook his head, walking past him toward the edge of the boardwalk.

“My word choice was deliberate,” Gundam told him as he followed and came up beside him. The mechanic glanced up at the other man’s face; his eyes had taken on a distant glaze as he gazed across the water at the faint silver glow on the horizon. “It is always the sun that receives attention from mortals in this realm, celebrating the blinding light of its death. However, they forget that the full moon is triumphantly reborn at the same time.” Kazuichi raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly.

“What’re ya, some kinda poet?” he asked, though he was unable to keep himself from smiling fondly at the breeder. Gundam huffed in mock offense at his words, but his own lips were upturned slightly in a gentle smile as he glanced sideways at the mechanic.

“Avoid this ritual, and you will never unlock the full potential of your demon blood,” he threatened, though the softness of his tone belied the seriousness of his words.

“Well, crap,” Kazuichi responded, not even bothering to look surprised. “Guess I’ll just have to, then.” With that, he took a step forward and sat down at the edge of the boardwalk, letting his feet hang over the water’s surface. The breeder followed suit a moment afterward, taking a seat to his left.

There was a long silence as the two of them stared out over the darkening ocean, lit from behind by the brilliant light of a sunset that they had turned their backs on. Out of the corner of his vision, Kazuichi saw Gundam’s eyes fixed intently on the point on the horizon where the silver light of the moon was beginning to slowly grow brighter, struggling to stand out against the orange blaze of the sun. The mechanic’s left hand, propping him up against the boardwalk as he leaned back, slowly crept across the gap between them. As he felt his index finger brush against the other man’s hand, he loosely interlaced his first two fingers with the breeder’s, his thumb resting against Gundam’s palm. “Kazuichi.” The mechanic turned away from the ocean as the other man spoke, unsurprised to see that his cheeks had turned a faint shade of pink.

“Yeah?” he asked quietly, wondering briefly if he had done something wrong. The breeder didn’t make eye contact with him, but he felt a twinge of concern as he saw the hint of sadness in the other man’s eyes as he looked out over the ocean.

“Do you remember what you said on our first date?”

“Uh, well, I said a lot of things,” Kazuichi responded uncertainly, and Gundam looked over at him with a disapproving pout, though his eyes were still dull.

“I see you have not yet reached the final stage of telepathy,” he remarked. “I was referring to the promises we made.” The mechanic searched through his memories for a moment, before recalling the exchange.

“Oh, you mean the ones about how we could talk to each other?” His brow furrowed as the other man looked back out over the water, and he squeezed the breeder’s fingers a bit more tightly. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

“No,” Gundam responded, though Kazuichi wasn’t entirely convinced. “There was something else you said.” After a moment of uncertain silence, the other man sighed and continued. “You said that none of us were okay, not yet. Do you recall?”

“Y-yeah,” he replied, a bit disconcerted by the breeder’s straightforward speech pattern. “What about it?”

“I believe you were correct.” Gundam finally turned and made eye contact with him, his expression solemn. “I do not think that any of us have recovered from what happened.” The mechanic looked down at the water below the boardwalk, struck by a feeling of sorrow and regret at the other man’s words. He could tell that the words were true; he could tell by how every happy moment was tainted with fear, by how tightly he clung on to the other man’s hand when they were together.

“However, I don’t think that will always be the case.” Kazuichi looked up again, surprised that the breeder was continuing. Gundam was looking out at the ocean again, the moon finally beginning to rise above the horizon, glowing determinedly against the dimming light of the sunset. “I think that… we’re getting better. With enough time, and… w-with you, I think that we can heal.”

The mechanic blinked in surprise, but felt a smile slowly spreading across his face as he gazed at the other man, his eyes shining with fondness. He was still deathly afraid to lose him, and he knew that there might never be a time when he wasn’t afraid to lose everything for the second time. However, he also knew that he had come far from the depression and self-loathing that he had felt in the beginning. As terrified as he was to lose Gundam, he knew that they were both helping each other get better, and he resolved to treasure the time with him he had, as long or short that time was.

“Yeah. I think you’re right.” The other man blushed, his eyes briefly flitting over to Kazuichi’s smiling face, before he looked out at the darkening horizon again.

The two lapsed into another long silence, broken only by the distant sound of waves and the lapping of water against the boardwalk. The mechanic slowly moved over, closing the distance between him and the breeder until their sides were touching. He gradually leaned his head onto Gundam’s shoulder, and felt the other man lean into him as well, as they watched the full moon finally break free from the horizon, bathing the world in a gentle, silver light.

Yeah. I think… together, we will get better.