Work Text:
“One joy scatters a thousand griefs.”
-Chinese proverb
Night had just fallen over Kansai, allowing the neon lights and signs to reflect off Ryuji Goda’s leather jacket as he strolled down the sidewalk, having spent most of late evening finishing up some dirty work that involved some pansy ass gang trying to muzzle in on Ryuji’s territory—it took some jarring and a few old habits (his classmates didn’t call him the Bontan Hunter for nothing), but eventually the thugs went on their way, swearing they would never step foot in Kansai again. There were still a lot of hours to kill before Ryuji called it a night, though, and as he walked towards his motorcycle near the end of the block, he glanced around Kobe Street, hoping to get some ideas as to what he should do next.
A few dancing clubs had just opened, some playful and fun, others raunchy and lewd, the type where kids Ryuji’s age went in, got wasted and hooked up with some hot college girl. The street was just starting to become busy, teenagers and adults alike hurrying to get inside before their favorite spots were full; Ryuji wouldn’t mind playing a round of pool or two, maybe place some bets, but none of the other gang members were around for him to beat.
I am pretty hungry, Ryuji thought, stopping by his bike and taking out a cigarette. I could eat at some karaoke joint and watch the drunks embarrass themselves. Ha. I could even show them how it’s done, if they have any Akina Nakamori in the machine…
Cars whizzed by, girls laughed and doors opened to various buildings, loud bass vibrating the street and enticing more passerbyers to check things out. People noticed Ryuji standing by his bike smoking, but were in such good moods they forgot they should have been afraid of the tall, muscular blond who still had flecks of blood on his knuckles. Ryuji himself paid them no mind, puffing out smoke as he stared across the street, watching a man in a crisp suit be escorted inside one of the more popular disco clubs by a full entourage.
Ryuji knew he would get there eventually. He knew that with his tenacity, boldness and foolish fearlessness, he would be at the top of the food chain one day. On that day, Ryuji wouldn’t be able to trust anyone, even less so than he did now, but at the very least, he wouldn’t be standing on the sidewalk smoking alone. No one would ever get to drive his bike, though—they could keep their fancy black cars with bulletproof windows. If one thing never changed, Ryuji wanted it to be his freedom—no one was going to tell him what he could drive or where he could go. That, he was certain of.
As Ryuji put out his cigarette, he glanced across the street one final time, doing a double take when instead of seeing drunk college students, he saw a barefooted girl in a fancy dress hurrying along the sidewalk, holding a pair of white heels in her hand. She was much too young to be out here at night, rushing past groups of people and glancing behind her anxiously, as if she were being pursued; Ryuji wouldn’t have thought anything of it, having seen a few other girls dressed up like she was a few streets over, but the young lady’s dark eyes and familiar face caught Ryuji’s interest.
It was his half-sister, Kaoru.
Despite her reluctance, Kaoru did buy a dress with the money her brother gave her, and was all dolled up for the school dance—something was wrong, though. Although Kaoru’s hair and makeup was done, she appeared a little disheveled, frizzy hair falling out of her low bun, lip gloss not as aligned as it once was, not to mention her barefoot status. She also kept glancing over her shoulder, walking speed quicker than it needed to be, and even though her brother couldn’t detect anyone following her, Ryuji immediately became concerned, frowning and hopping onto his motorcycle so he could speed after Kaoru, who had disappeared around the corner opposite him.
“Yo, Kaoru!”
The fourteen-year-old whipped her head around in alarm, only relaxing when she recognized Ryuji driving up to her; Kaoru stopped walking and put her back to the nearest building, herds of laughing night goers walking by without so much as glancing at her. Ryuji turned his bike off and walked forward, making another crowd of friends split around him and walk away faster than usual.
“Onii-san,” Kaoru sighed, relieved to see a familiar face in this part of town. “Hi.”
“Quit with the -san shit. Call me Ryu-chan or whatever.”
Ryuji stopped in front of Kaoru, quickly contemplating what he should say—he didn’t want to be an overbearing jerk like parents tended to be, but he also couldn’t help but let his concern overflow. Something must have happened to force Kaoru into taking the long way home, without any girlfriends beside her, in such a hurry she took off her heels to prevent her from stumbling…dark thoughts tried to overcome Ryuji’s thoughts, but he wouldn’t let them, and gave his sister the benefit of the doubt.
“What’re ya doing on this side of town? Girls like you shouldn’t be running ‘round here at night,” Ryuji chided. “Shouldn’t ya be at yer dance?”
“I was, but…”
As Kaoru struggled to come clean about why she was in such a state, Ryuji took a moment to really look at her: the dress she chose really did her justice, a light, misty blue color that softened her gentle features even further, accented with dark upper eyeliner and pink blush that made her resemble their shared mother even more. The flared skirt and beaded torso were just as cute, and Ryuji silently appreciated that her…chest area was covered by a halter neckline. She could wear what she wanted, but Ryuji hated the idea of horny teenage boys ogling his younger sister’s chest. A few details did not add to Kaoru’s attractive appearance, however.
A bruise was just beginning to form on the top of her bare right knee, like she bumped into something, hard. Her pink lip gloss was also a little uneven, left side slightly smeared off her lips—both of these clues, and the fact that Kaoru was rushing through Kobe Street like she was being followed led Ryuji to a silent, dark conclusion about how her first school dance had ended, and that darkness immediately boiled into rage.
“Tell me what happened,” Ryuji said lowly, trying very hard to keep himself from growling. “Everything. From the beginning.”
Knowing her brother was onto her, Kaoru ducked her head, feeling embarrassed about bugging him with problems she could easily solve herself, but she also felt the desperate need to inform someone of what had happened. Kaoru still hesitated, wondering what parts she should leave out in order to avoid Ryuji’s anger, but her racing mind came to a soothing stop when a black jacket was suddenly thrown over her shivering shoulders. It smelled of cigarettes and hair gel, very much like Ryuji himself, who was looking down at his sister with such a penetrative, understanding gaze it gave Kaoru enough confidence to tell the truth, forgetting all about the bright lights and busy streets.
“I made up with Yuri, the friend who was mad about the boy she liked asking me to the dance,” Kaoru exhaled deeply. “We went to the dance with our other friends—Junichi didn’t dance with me because he has a new girlfriend, now, but I was still having a lot of fun.”
Junichi. That was the boy Kaoru had a crush on. He was a complete idiot, apparently, for picking another girl over Kaoru, definitely not worthy of Ryuji’s bad ass half-sister.
“Anyway…Junichi asked to talk to me during an intermission, so we went outside for some air. I figured he was going to apologize for what happened with Yuri and me, but instead, he…”
Ryuji could feel himself starting to lose grip on the tight hold he had on his anger, but he didn’t want to interrupt or dissuade Kaoru from continuing. If this punk had anything to do with the bruise on his little sister’s knee, there would be trouble. Junichi would regret even going to the same school as Kaoru if Ryuji Goda got his hands on him.
Focus. Let her finish the story before getting all crazy.
“He what?” Ryuji asked through gritted teeth.
“He kissed me,” Kaoru huffed, shaking her head in displeasure and avoiding her brother’s sharp eyes. “He kissed me, so I pushed him away. Then he got mad and said I was a tease—I told him to leave me alone, and when he grabbed me and tried to kiss me again, I kneed him in the dick. I was going to go back for my jacket, but Junichi was really mad, and he threatened to tell Yuri, and the entire school that I slept with him. He said that if…if he was going to spread the rumor, I may as well do it with him, so it would be true.”
Forget hearing the rest of the story, Ryuji thought, fists tightening so harshly they turned white at his sides. This kid is a fucking goner.
“When I saw some of his friends come outside, I got a little scared,” Kaoru admitted, fidgeting with her heels. “Not a lot, though. Just a little. Anyway, I started running to get away from them, and I guess I ended up here, so…”
The teen forced herself to glance up at her brother, seeing that his gaze was somewhere behind her, maybe staring at the brick wall to calm himself down; Kaoru could still see the storm raging inside those golden eyes, however, a little surprised Ryuji hadn’t immediately put his fist into the sign beside them. Hardly anyone walked by the pair now, not wanting to get involved with whatever had made the dragon of Kansai mad. Ryuji was proud of Kaoru for standing up for herself—she was a tough little chick, definitely from his bloodline, but the overwhelming, burning anger consuming his body was difficult to hold back.
After hearing all the unsavory details of Kaoru’s account, Ryuji barely had a grip on himself. If it were anyone else telling him this story, he would have hopped on his bike and barreled out of there right away, running over whoever dared get in his way. Since it wasn’t just anyone telling this story, though, Ryuji knew he had to cool down, not wanting to scare his half-sister away. Following a long minute, city still bustling around them, Ryuji managed to swallow his anger, though he was still imagining all the horrific things he would do to this Junichi prick.
“Is yer leg okay?”
“Yeah,” Kaoru laughed weakly, unconsciously touching the bruise on her knee. “There wasn’t much to soften the blow, though.”
Ryuji might have snickered under different circumstances, but he was not in the mood tonight. Kaoru seemed to notice his irritation and stepped a little closer, trying to catch the very dark gold eyes she had been avoiding a moment earlier.
“I’m really okay, Ryuji-chan,” She assured him with a gentle smile, smeared lip gloss and all. “It’s just a little bruise, that’s all…you don’t have to worry about me.”
“Tch,” Her brother scoffed. “Doesn’t mean I won’t.”
Ryuji hopped on his bike and turned it on, handing Kaori her helmet and nodding behind him.
“Come on—I’ll give the little lady a ride home.”
Kaoru didn’t hesitate to get on Ryuji’s big scary motorcycle anymore, slipping her arms into the large jacket and holding on tight. Ryuji sped them through the streets of Kansai, going fast even though they were only a five blocks away from Kaoru’s house; she was glad Ryuji was tall and broad enough to shield the cold wind from hitting her, and blocking anyone from seeing her underwear whenever the skirt of her dress flew back. His posture was stiffer this time around, but they managed to get home safely, without breaking too many traffic laws. Lights were still on inside the townhome, telling Kaoru that her adopted mother Tamiyo was waiting for her.
“If that punk gives ya more trouble at school, call me,” Ryuji demanded as Kaoru stepped off the bike. “Understand?”
“Yeah. Thanks for the ride—and for finding me.”
Ryuji mumbled at her appreciation, making Kaoru giggle—before he could protest or lean away, Kaoru stepped closer and handed Ryuji his jacket, kissing him quickly on the cheek as she did so. Ryuji hadn’t had anyone show him signs of affection like that…well, ever. Not unless he paid them to. Secretly, Kaoru’s brother was glad she was pleased with him, but still hoped the darkness of the street hid his blush.
“What’s that for?” Ryuji murmured, rubbing his cheek where Kaoru’s lip gloss was stuck to his skin. She just laughed again and scurried towards her house, stopped at the staircase by her brother calling out. “Oi!”
Kaoru looked back at him, an amused expression on her likable face, and in a startling moment, Ryuji came to realize that even in the short amount of time they had been aware of the other’s existence, she had grown up in the blink of an eye. She looked more like their mother every day, but developed a fierce edge entirely her own, an admirable trait that would help a lot of people someday—and yeah, in the next few years when her body filled out and Kaoru gained even more self-confidence, she might pick more revealing fashion choices, but that was a worry for another day. She could kick the ass of anyone who got a little handsy, anyway.
Seeing at her now, looking so mature and adult-like, it physically pained Ryuji, knowing he missed a majority of Kaoru’s childhood and young adulthood. He wasn’t there for her when Kaoru passed her first test, nor the first time a boy picked on her, but he made a silent promise to never let time get the best of him again. Since they didn’t have mom anymore, he needed to step up his game. Next time Kaoru had a school dance, she was going to make a good memory with her friends, a happy one she could remember forever, one that didn’t involve some bitch ass teenage boy. Kaoru didn’t know it yet, but Ryuji was going to make sure this happened for her.
Before meeting Kaoru, Ryuji didn’t have any family to make promises to—now that he did, he wasn’t about to break this promise anytime soon.
“Ya look nice in that dress.”
That comment got Kaoru to blush like her brother had, satisfying sibling revenge for the blond gangster. She looked down at her gown self-consciously, smoothing out the ruffled skirt with a shrug.
“O-Oh, well…you paid for it, onii-chan, so I figured I should get something a little more…conservative.”
“Good,” Ryuji grunted. “Save the cleavage for when you can kick ass as a cop.”
Kaoru laughed again, waving goodbye as she opened the front door.
“Goodnight, Ryu-chan.”
“Night.”
The front door closed behind his sister, but Ryuji waited on the street for a few more minutes until he was sure no one had followed them. Once he was certain, Ryuji pulled his leather jacket back on and kicked his motorcycle into gear, speeding towards the Kawagita school district.
Ryuji cruised around the area like a watchdog, headlights off so he could scour the schoolyard and neighboring park; the last of the chaperones and students were just leaving, some getting picked up by their parents, some walking home in groups. No one paid the biker any mind, too tired from the night’s shenanigans to notice him parking his motorcycle down the road a ways—there were still a few teenage voices carrying through the night, so Ryuji lit a cigarette and began strolling through shadows while listening for the source of those voices. After walking for a few minutes, more noise could be heard from a group of rambunctious boys talking in an empty lot behind the school.
This seemed to be the right group of idiots, if their obnoxious laughter and ignorance to Ryuji’s lingering presence was anything to go by. Kaoru’s brother listened carefully as he smoked, listening to the ensuing conversation between them as they hung out on an old picnic table.
“Man, what a bitch!”
“Yeah!” Another boy agreed. “Where does she get off, teasing you like that, especially when you just started dating Runa?”
“That’s what I’m saying,” Junichi huffed, tenderly rubbing his groin area. “And that Yuri girl? She’s got nothing on Kaoru’s rack! I don’t get why they made such a big fuss over me asking Kaoru.”
“They should be flattered that anyone asked them.”
“Yeah!”
“Tell the other guys on Monday,” Juni continued haughtily. “Kaoru Sayama is a skanky homewrecker hiding behind that whole ‘good student’ act—she sucked my dick because she was jealous I had a girlfriend, and because she regretted not accepting my offer of taking her to the dance.”
“You got it, Junichi-kun!”
The teenagers kept chattering along until Ryuji unsilenced his heavy footsteps, putting out his cigarette against a nearby fire hydrant. One of the boys spotted Ryuji, then, whispering something to the others and making them glance over, getting a little quiet when they noticed a tall, thuggish man watching them. Only two of them became rightfully weary once Ryuji made it clear that he was heading for their group, now only twenty feet away from where they were hanging out.
“Uhh…I’ll see you Monday.”
“Yeah,” Another teen said, following after the one who was leaving. “Later, Juni.”
Junichi and two other boys remained in the empty lot, looking increasingly scared as Ryuji stopped in front of them; it pleased Ryuji, seeing the fear flicker in their eyes, even though teenage boys were notorious for trying to hide their emotions. They were wise enough to not say a single word, waiting to see what this intimidating stranger wanted—Ryuji decided to play with his food, even though he had already identified his main course.
“I’m lookin’ fer the one named Junichi.”
Juni’s eyes widened considerably before he caught himself, trying to collect what little boundless courage he had left.
“That’s me,” Junichi said, voice trembling slightly. “What do you want?”
“Heh…I suppose I want what every older brother wants,” Ryuji laughed, a dangerous, threatening laugh that echoed through the cold night air. “Get to know the guy who thinks my sister’s rack is the best in all of Kawagita High.”
“You…you’re…y-you’re—Kaoru’s brother?”
Junichi seemed to understand the weight of the situation, now, stepping backwards as he processed this startling information. Ryuji smiled again, bearing his teeth like an animal, and that was the que for the remaining boys to turn and bolt. Juni got one step away before being snatched by the back of his jacket, violently turned around so Ryuji was now holding him by the collar, grip tight and menacing as the teenager hissed a string of frantic curses.
“Ya sure got a filthy mouth on ya. How do ya expect to get any girls talkin’ like that?”
“I—I know! I’m sorry!” Junichi backtracked, thrashing in Ryuji’s grip like a flopping fish. “I’m really sorry!”
“Shit, kid…I get it. Boys like talkin’ about the girls they think are hot—I don’t care about yer little quips.” That was a lie. Ryuji did care, and hated anyone who talked about women in such a lewd manner to their friends, especially his much younger and only sister. “But I do have a problem with what ya did to Kaoru-chan.”
In a wonderful, cleansing moment, Ryuji watched Junichi realize with horror what Kaoru must have told him, though how many details she gave, he didn’t know, and feared the answer to. The teenage boy finally stopped thrashing in Ryuji’s grip, quickly trying to save his own ass by playing dumb, even knowing Ryuji had most likely heard his comments about Kaoru being a ‘skanky homewrecker.’
“O-Oh, that—I—that was wrong of me, putting Kaoru in that situation with her friend,” Junichi tried desperately, putting his hands up in surrender. “I did know that Yuri liked me, of course, but I thought—”
“Not that,” Ryuji growled, last thread of patience worn thin as his grip tightened. “Ya know damn well what I’m talkin’ about.”
Junichi wished he didn’t, momentarily squeezing his eyes shit in horror at what would happen next. Ryuji pulled the teen upwards, closer to his face using only one hand, shaking with anger around Junichi’s collar. When Juni opened his eyes again, he had a front row seat to the white scar on the blond’s curled lips, and a pair of terrifying gold eyes bearing into his own.
“Punks like you need to learn a thing or two about treatin’ women right,” Ryuji Goda said lowly. “Especially if they’re the type who tell their brother everything.”
“E…Everything?”
Ryuji transferred his tight grip on Junichi’s collar to his throat, lifting him a good five inches off the ground and somehow darkening his expression even further, resembling a vengeful dragon creeping through the shadows, looking for someone to sink its teeth into.
“Listen, I—” Ryuji felt Junichi swallow again, tempted to tighten his grip, just to shut the kid up. “I’m really sorry about Kaoru! I-I promise, I won’t treat her that way ever again! I swear!”
“I know ya won’t,” The blond thug revealed. Ryuji set Junichi back on the ground, but didn’t release his grip in the slightest. When Juni dared to open his eyes and see what Ryuji was up to, all he saw was gold as the dragon leaned in real close, close enough for Junichi to smell the cigarettes on his breath.
“Caus’ that was yer last chance with her.”
***
On Monday, Kaoru decided to walk home alone, away from her friends who were bugging her about what happened at the dance; she had yet to hear any terrible rumors about herself, and Yuri was back to being her friend again, so Kaoru was satisfied. Even so, she wasn’t feeling very social today, rejecting their offers to walk home together and going her own way. Tamiyo would want her home early, anyway…she knew about the little stunt Junichi pulled, and was ready to “take matters into her own hands” if Kaoru gave her the word. It was kind of nice, having two people who were ready to fight for her, but Kaoru would never take them up on those offers. Whatever storm came her way, Kaoru Sayama was certain she could weather it—getting help from her family couldn’t hurt, though.
As Kaoru turned the next corner, she was surprised to see Ryuji driving up to the curve on his motorcycle, stopping half a block ahead of her; sparing a small smile, Kaoru hurried forward, meeting Ryuji just as he stepped off his bike.
“Yo,” He greeted casually, kicking the brake in place.
“Hi, onii-san.”
“Again with the -san? Come on, I ain’t that much older than ya.”
Kaoru wanted to smile, but wasn’t really in the mood, saying nothing in response as Ryuji approached her. His furrowed brow furrowed even further with displeasure when he saw the fully formed bruise on her knee, now discolored with black and blue skin. Ryuji didn’t have any experience in making bruises go away faster by using ointments and such, since looking rough did well for his reputation, but maybe he could ask around, see if any nearby shops specialized in these areas.
Damn. I really am a sucker for this chick, aren’t I?
“Does it hurt? Yer knee, I mean,” Ryuji asked in concern.
Kaoru’s expression changed at that comment, and the fourteen-year-old shrugged without looking away from her brother’s gaze.
“Hurts a lot less than Junichi’s broken arm,” She answered coolly. “And his nose, wrist and toes.”
“That so?”
Dark brown eyes narrowed at Ryuji’s attempt at feigning ignorance, reminding the gangster of being in trouble with his mom, especially when Kaoru crossed her arms.
“What did you do, Ryuji Hwan Goda?”
Not the full name card…who the fuck told her my secret middle name, anyway?
“Nothin’,” Her brother shrugged innocently. It didn’t look as innocent with his slicked back hair, leather jacket and scarred face. “Just gave him a lesson on how to treat women, is all.”
Kaoru gave a dramatic sigh, stepping forward to give Ryuji a swift punch on the arm, which actually kind of hurt—before she could reprimand him for going to such lengths to defend her, Kaoru found herself distracted by the sight of a young man getting dropped off by a taxi across the street. He was wearing a white short-sleeved dress shirt with dark slacks and sneakers, probably a school uniform from a different area. Ryuji’s sister was taken aback when the boy suddenly looked their way, and was even more shocked when he began walking across the street towards them.
“Uhh…Ryu-chan?” Kaoru prompted, hiding behind the taller teen. “Do you know that boy?”
Ryuji glanced casually over his shoulder, unconcerned by this random teenager’s sudden appearance.
“The better dragon,” Her brother explained vaguely, as if Kaoru would know what the hell that meant. “Thought you two might get along.”
Upon hearing that offhanded comment, Kaoru realized what Ryuji was doing (though where he met this “better dragon” who was around his sister’s age, she had no idea), and opened her mouth to yell and protest, but the boy from across the street had finally reached them; his posture was just as tight and nervous looking when he stopped in front of the pair, shifting uncomfortably on his sneakers. Admittedly, he was super cute, his serious, dark brown eyes appearing softer under warm rays of sun, shoulders a little more broad than Kaoru expected. He had probably just hit a growth spurt, four or five inches taller than Kaoru herself, though still a good distance below Ryuji’s towering height.
Of course, the boy also had a clueless, somewhat stupid expression on his face, but Kaoru found it kind of endearing.
“Hello, Ryuji-san,” The teenager bowed.
“Damn kids and your -san,” Ryuji shook his head, grabbing the boy and ruffling up his dark hair affectionately. “I oughta pound yer head in.”
Once Ryuji had effectively embarrassed the teen, he released the blushing boy, who avoided Kaoru’s curious gaze as he tried to fix his hair.
“Anyway, I gotta run—got a busy schedule today.”
“R-Ryuji!” Kaoru blushed, watching in horror as her brother hopped back onto his bike. “Wait!”
“Sorry, sis,” The blond winked. “Have fun, kids.”
Without another word or explanation, Ryuji kicked his motorcycle into gear and took off down the street, leaving Kaoru and the unnamed boy standing there, alone, together. Both teens watched Ryuji until his speeding form disappeared, at which point Kaoru finally turned to the other teenager; he seemed just as flustered by what was happening, cheeks darkening again as he bowed lowly in her direction.
“Hello,” He squeaked, anxiety worsened by the accidental break in his voice. “I’m Kazuma—ur, um…Kiryu Kazuma. You can call me Kiryu.”
“Kaoru Sayama.”
“Oh,” Kiryu said, sounding surprised.
“Is something wrong?” She asked, weirdly self-conscious at his reaction.
“Well, it’s just…it’s none of my business, but I noticed you and Ryuji-san don’t have the same last name.”
“We’re only half-siblings,” Kaoru explained with a small smile. “We have the same mother.”
“Oh,” He repeated with a nod. “Interesting. Uh, not interesting bad, but—I, um…I have some half-siblings, too. Well, not my real half-siblings, but we all live together. At an orphanage, I mean. We’re kind of everyone’s sibling.”
Kiryu itched his arm nervously, unknowingly making himself look even cuter to Kaoru, who could quietly feel her sense of security rising the longer she spent with him. After Junichi, someone as simple and dorky as Kiryu was a dream. Not that she forgave Ryuji for just leaving them here, without so much as introducing the teens…
“Are you hungry?” Kaoru asked, giving him an encouraging smile. “I know a good ice cream stand a few blocks away.”
“Really?” Kiryu seemed surprised that she would ask him to go anywhere, sheepishly rubbing the toes of his sneakers together. “I like ice cream—but I…kinda spent all my money on the taxi ride here…”
“Ryu-chan gave me money, so I can pay. Ah…I hope that doesn’t make you feel too emasculated…”
“No! Of course not!” He shook his head fervently.
“Good,” Kaoru laughed lightly. “It’s just down the block this way.”
The taller teen stepped in line beside her, getting a little more comfortable being around a pretty girl as they walked down the sidewalk together, heading towards Kansai’s best ice cream stand. Neither was quite sure what to say next, but the silence wasn’t unbearably awkward, filled by speeding cars and fluttering leaves—Kiryu peeked over at Kaoru, only to find her already looking at him, causing her to blush and look away when she was caught. The better dragon smiled a shy little smile to himself, stepping just the slightest bit closer to Ryuji’s sister as they walked together underneath the afternoon sun.
Kiryu knew it was too late to ask Kaoru what ‘emasculated’ meant, but as they sat beside each other on a warm bench and ate their ice cream, he figured it didn’t matter much.