Archive of Our Own ^beta

     “Oh shit…” 

    Dread begins to pool at the pit of his stomach as Takemichi continues to read the letter he found in his locker. 

    He rereads it, again and again—examines each word on the piece of paper hoping something would change. Perhaps this is to someone else, this couldn’t be addressed to me, this must be a mistake: Takemichi repeats these words in his head like he’s casting a spell on the letter that’ll cause it to disappear.

    …but the letter’s still in his hand (it feels heavy for some reason), and the words haven’t changed. 

    Takemichi breathes in sharply as he reads the letter again—the paper shakes slightly in his hands due to his trembling fingers, but he’s still able to read the message. 

     Go to wilow parc park rite after skool ends OR ELSE!!!

     P.S. GO ALONE OR IM KIKKING KICKING YOUR ASS!!!   

B.K.

    Takemichi knows the person behind this message. How could he not when he’s already received countless threatening letters with the same initials B.K. ?

    His hands tighten around the piece of paper, making it crinkle and rustle under his fingers, as Takemichi comes to a world changing revelation. 

    Today’s the day Takemichi’s gonna die. He knows it. He can feel it. 

    And what, you might ask, will be the cause of Takemichi’s tragic death? 

    Two words. Keisuke Baji.

    Takemichi met Baji Keisuke a few days after highschool started. 

    On the first day of Chemistry, Takemichi was assigned a seat near the window next to an empty desk. Even though all the other seats were occupied by his fellow classmates, the desk next to Takemichi remained empty for the next two days. He didn’t think much of it since he was more focused on jotting down notes. 

    After two days, a teenager Takemichi had heard of but never saw before walked into his Chemistry class with his hands in his pockets and nose in the air. The teenager’s black hair was tied back in a loose ponytail and His eyes—that shined an illuminating shade of brown—scanned the room. 

    Takemichi instantly knew who the person was upon hearing his classmates whisper to each other in quiet voices. 

    Baji Keisuke: a well known delinquent who’s captain of the first Division in Toman.

    How fucking amazing was that?!

    Takemichi watched in fascination as the delinquent continued to look around the room with those beautiful narrowed eyes as he disregarded everyone with a blank stare. 

    Then Something absolutely mind blowing happened next.

    Baji moved his gaze over to Takemichi and stared. 

     Direct eye contact. 

    Blue clashed with brown. 

    And Takemichi was on the verge of going into cardiac arrest. 

    It was unclear at the time if Takemichi was shaking out of fear or excitement, but Takemichi didn’t bother to differentiate the two when Baji Keisuke was striding right towards him. 

   Takemichi’s heart was running a hundred miles an hour at the beautiful sight of the majestic delinquent getting closer and closer with every breath he took. His brown eyes continued to watch Takemichi with unnerving focus, his black ponytail swished behind him, the red tie around his neck was loose and brought attention to his pale collar bone that shined underneath the ceiling lights. He was truly ethereal— otherworldly you might say—in Takemichi’s eyes.

     Should Takemichi say something? Or stay silent? Or maybe he should just turn around and act like a normal student? Yeah, that would be the safer option! 

    …but how can a person look away from someone so handsome and beautiful?! 

    The answer is simple: you can’t. 

    So, when Baji finally reached the empty desk beside Takemichi, something in the blonde teen snapped.  

    “You’re gorgeous.”

    A few things happened after those stupid, impulsive, idiotic, embarrassing words left Takemichi’s rancid mouth. 

    Silence filled the classroom. 

    Baji’s face turned red with rage. 

    A fist was raised.

    And Takemichi blacked out. 

    When the dumb as hell teen woke up, he wasn’t all that surprised to find himself in the infirmary nor did he care that he was sporting a broken nose. The pain could barely measure up to the amount of humiliation and embarrassment Takemichi was going through as he replayed the events in his head for what seemed like hours. 

     Takemichi called Baji Keisuke, A fucking delinquent, a feral monstrosity that’s rumored to burn cars for fun, gorgeous.

    It’s a miracle he’s still alive, but Takemichi couldn’t help but wish Baji finished him off for good.

    The Mizo squad, including Hinata, eventually visited him in the nurse's office and they all laughed at Takemichi’s god awful predicament. 

    “Everyone’s talking about it, Michi!” Yamagishi confessed in between laughs after the embarrassed teen asked how they knew of his terrible situation. 

    Takemichi’s eyes widened at the information. 

    “You mean—“

    “The whole school—including some of Toman’s guys—know about your crazy love confession to Baji! It’s the only thing people are talking about!!!” Hinata explained, her face pale as a ghost while she reached out to comfort Takemichi. 

     Everyone knows. 

    Toman knows.

    In conclusion: Takemichi’s dead.

    And, without warning, Takemichi passed out.

    The days that followed Takemichi’s embarrassing outburst were filled with countless stares, judgemental looks, giggles hidden behind open hands, and death glares from a particular classmate in his Chemistry class.

    In other words, The first week was a living hell. 

     Teenagers Takemichi had never even seen or interacted with before came up and basically spat in his face. They’d ridicule the embarrassed teen further by teasing and poking the poor boy for their own amusement. Admittedly, they never actually got physical with Takemichi—just a little pushing and shoving—but something in the blonde boy hoped that they would throw a punch or anything of the sort to give Takemichi an excuse to fight back.

    His patience got thinner and thinner with every person that would stride up to him just to be a massive asshole. He wanted nothing more than to dig his fist into one of the bullies faces the same way Baji did to his own. As much as Takemichi wanted to beat the living shit out of the next person who talked shit about him, he held back. 

    Takemichi was never a good fighter; he lost more than he won and the thought of adding fuel to the fire kept him from laying his hands on anyone. So, to save himself the embarrassment, he kept his hands to himself and went on with his day, totally not thinking of ways to punch and bruise the faceless dummy in his head.

    With the help of Hina and his Mizo middle friends, he was able to avoid any altercations or fights. They kept him distracted in the hallways and made a point to steer him away from people who looked like they were itching to join in on the new trend. 

    Hina would ramble aimlessly about her day, Yamagishi talked his ear off about the latest drama happening in other gangs, and so on. Takemichi appreciated their efforts, he really did, but a small part in his mind was dying to throw himself into the next batch of guys that passed by them with those shit eating smirks. 

    Then, of course, there was Baji Keisuke. 

    Every day in Chemistry class, without fail, Baji would side eye Takemichi with a scrutinizing death glare—the kind that left people frozen in fear—from the desk sitting right next to the trembling blonde.

    It didn’t matter where Takemichi was or how busy and hectic the class became; Baji would always find him and pin the poor teenager with his brown eyes that appeared as if they could shoot laser beams. 

    It was like having a violent hawk watch your every move— waiting for the right moment to swoop down and go in for the kill. And Takemichi was a frightened bunny, tensing up and bracing himself in case the hawk decided to attack. 

    In other words, Chemistry was a fucking nightmare.

     He tried talking to the counselors about changing his schedule so he’d be in a different Chemistry class, but the teachers outright refused him. He attempted to talk to the principal about moving him to another class but, alas, that didn’t work either. 

    Takemichi was stuck in that class whether he liked it or not and there was nothing he could do to change the teachers’ minds. 

    Takemichi often thought about changing schools; perhaps his mother would take pity on her lovely son and send him off to a place that didn’t have pestering students and a dangerous delinquent lurking the halls. The thought crossed his mind many times during dinner with his mom but…something stopped him from speaking his mind. It wasn’t exactly fear—he didn’t have a problem ranting to his mom about school so that option could easily be scratched out. 

    It wasn’t until the end of the week that Takemichi chalked it up to stubbornness. 

    It didn’t matter how many teenagers teased him in the hall or the amount of times he felt that lingering gaze boring holes into his skin. He was gonna keep walking the halls till the school year was over and done with. People would have forgotten about the incident by then and Baji would be out of his classroom for good. 

    All he had to do was wait. 

    So he waited. 

    And waited,

     And waited. 

    And after three weeks, people finally stopped bothering him about his sudden outburst in Chemistry. 

    Baji Keisuke, for some reason, continued to stare him down with every chance he got.

    Nearly a month had passed since Takemichi’s embarrassing moment in Chemistry and things had almost returned back to normal. 

     Almost. 

    The students in the hallways eventually forgot about Takemichi and moved on with their lives—finally leaving Takemichi be. His friends no longer had to escort him around like some big celebrity to keep him from starting any fights. His classmates began talking to him again by making small, idle conversations about the schoolwork or anything that popped into their heads. And Chemistry…

    Well…Baji Keisuke was still there keeping a close eye on him…which was both extremely intimidating and awkward to deal with.

    Sure, Takemichi will admit that the intensity of Baji’s gaze had gone down significantly over the past few weeks, but the fire that burned beneath those Hazel irises was still enough to make Takemichi tense. 

    The delinquent had yet to remove his eyes from Takemichi and the poor teen had yet to figure out why.

    “Maybe he likes you Michi~” Yamagishi teased over the phone after Takemichi had finished ranting about the suffocating tension in Chemistry. Takemichi really should’ve expected that kind of response from him, but it still managed to turn the blonde’s face red in both embarrassment and anger.

     Before Yamagishi could say anything else, Takemichi hung up the phone, not wanting to deal with anymore idiotic comments. 

    He knew Yamagishi was playing around, hell—that’s all he ever did—but…

     Maybe he likes you Michi~

    …It was really pathetic how much Takemichi was affected by those false words of hope. 

     With a sad sigh, Takemichi went back to doing his homework—absentmindedly rubbing his sore nose.

     Nothing was ever gonna happen between the two of them. 

    Absolutely nothing.

    Nothing at all.

     “…Gimme a pencil.”

     Takemichi’s hand that was writing down notes abruptly stopped upon hearing that gravelly voice. It took a few seconds for Takemichi to realize that the voice belonged to none other than the delinquent sitting beside him.

    Did…did Baji really just speak to him? To Takemichi?! 

     A million questions swam through Takemichi’s head but he kept himself in check and refrained from voicing any of them out.

    With a deep breath, Takemichi turned his head and met Baji’s gaze. His eyes were narrowed and his lips were pulled back in a grimace as he stared into Takemichi’s soul. The anger that flew behind those hazel irises were about to be unleashed and set fire to the classroom. 

    And Takemichi was gonna be his first victim. 

    “W-What?” Takemichi stuttered (yes, like a stereotypical school girl) in a quiet, meek tone. 

    To the teen’s horror, Baji’s face turned red with rage and his brow knitted together and he was about to snap, punch, kick, rip Takemichi apart with his bare hands and—

    “I said gimme a pencil!”

    …and that was it? Really? A pencil?

    Takemichi exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He really needs to start getting his bearings together—how on earth is Takemichi gonna survive highschool if he couldn’t even stop himself from shaking under Baji’s threatening glares?! 

    The teen quickly reached into his backpack and pulled out an extra pencil. The writing utensil was green with a cat-like pattern, causing a sense of dread to pile up in Takemichi’s stomach. 

     …Surely Baji wouldn’t mind using a childish pencil.

    Takemichi gulped nervously as he handed the pencil over, silently praying that Baji didn’t comment on the cat-like pattern. 

    To the blonde’s surprise, Baji took the pencil without a single complaint. Throughout the class lesson, Takemichi would peer over at Baji out of the corner of his eye and see Baji writing down notes and doodling on the side with his pencil. 

    Takemichi couldn’t stop his heart from fluttering at the sight. 

    The teen was so caught up in his own thoughts about a particular delinquent that he completely forgot to ask for it back. 

    Well, it’s not like it really mattered. Takemichi could always just buy more pencils. 

    Ever since Takemichi gave his pencil away to Baji, the same delinquent began asking the curly haired teen for more supplies in that demanding voice of his. 

    Sometimes he would ask for an eraser and Takemichi, eager to please, would lend him one without a second thought. Then he started asking for extra sheets of notebook paper, which Takemichi had plenty of, so he gave that away as well. Takemichi never once said no or asked for the items back and Baji never returned them and that was perfectly fine. After all, it's the least Takemichi could do after humiliating Baji on his first day in Chemistry.

    ...but then Baji got bolder with his requests.

    ...and Takemichi was too enamored to say no to each and every one of them. 

    Because of this, Takemichi quickly started running low on school supplies. Well sure, Takemichi could always ask for his materials back, but there was no telling how Baji would react. The delinquent was unpredictable in every way and Takemichi was a fumbling fool trying not to step on eggshells. One mistake and Takemichi could be sent to the nurses office. One wrong move and Takemichi could wake up in the infirmary again. So he kept his mouth shut. 

    Plus, there was something undeniably sweet about watching Baji use Takemichi’s supplies even if he had no intention of returning them. 

    It made his insides feel warm…

    “Got a pen?” Baji asked right as he was packing his stuff up to go to his next class. 

    And Takemichi, who had just finished zipping up his bag, replied with a simple “yeah.”

    Feeling the heavy weight of Baji’s eyes on his figure, Takemichi quickly opened and went through his bag to find Baji a pen. When Takemichi pulled out a black pen and handed it to Baji, he expected the delinquent to grab it and walk away without another word, leaving the teen stranded in the classroom. But he stayed. Frozen in place. Stared at Takemichi with an unreadable expression as he tightened his grip around the pen.

    At that moment, Takemichi wanted nothing more than to run past Baji and into the comforting arms of his friends.

    Right as Takemichi was about to awkwardly clear his throat and walk around Baji, the delinquent spoke. 

    “...Thanks.”

   And with just a single word, Takemichi’s heart exploded.

    And then it died a painful death.

    Everything was normal; Takemichi was minding his own business, going to classes, having fun with his friends, doing classwork, and trying to make it through Chemistry without combusting under Baji’s stare.

    Everything was fine and normal and just dandy. It was just a regular normal day for Takemichi!

    The curly haired teen was about to leave school that day feeling tired and exhausted from all the information the teachers crammed into his head without a single ounce of remorse. Akkun stood next to him and rambled on about a new movie that came out as he waited for Takemichi to get his shit together. Takemichi tried his best to unlock his locker as fast as he could and when he finally did manage to open it, he was greeted by something rather strange. 

    A letter.

    “Hey Akkun, look!” Takemichi’s red headed friend perked up at his name and peered over his shoulder. The hairs on Takemichi’s neck stood on end as Akkun gasped and clamped his hand on top of the smaller teen’s shoulder. 

    “Is that a love letter?!” The thought of receiving such a thing caused Takemichi to blush a light shade of red. He brushed the possibility to the side and smirked at his red headed friend.

    “... Jealous ?”

    Akkun’s face immediately scrunched up in distaste. Without warning, Akkun smacked Takemichi in the back of the head. Takemichi yelped and pushed Akkun away. “ Hey! What was—“

    “Stop being a prick and just open it!” Akkun exclaimed with a furrowed brow. Takemichi playfully rolled his eyes at his friend and shifted his attention back to the letter in his hands. 

    He opened the letter hoping to find something sweet and heartwarming written on the piece of paper. Takemichi was in dire need of a confidence boost considering everything that had happened in the past month. 

    Takemichi was undeniably giddy and excited and he looked at the letter and—

    His blood ran cold.

    Inside the letter was a poorly sketched out drawing that contained two people and an extremely large fire. 

    The person closest to the fire had blonde hair scribbled all over the top of their head and two big blue dots stared into Takemichi’s soul. 

     Was…was that a drawing of him?

    His eyes then drifted over to the black arrow labeled “you”  pointing at the blonde. 

     Well shit, that really was a drawing of Takemichi…

    The person standing next to the blonde had long back hair, small brown eyes , and an evil grin with its arms high up in the air. 

    Then, of course, there was the fire. 

    Red, orange, and yellow pens were used to create the big massive fire that practically took up more than half of the piece of paper. 

    And last but not least, there was a single signature at the bottom that single handedly sent Takemichi’s soul into heaven. 

     B.K.

     Baji Keisuke.

    “…what the fuck?” Akkun whispered as he peered over Takemichi’s shoulder, observing the drawing with his own eyes. “Is…is that a drawing of you and Baji?”

    “I-I think so…” Takemichi stuttered out as he stared at the drawing for what seemed like hours. 

    “ B.K.? …is that Baji ?!” Akkun said with a slightly horrified look on his face. “Did the Baji Keisuke give you a letter?!” 

    “I think so?!” 

    And Why would Baji send him this drawing? What was the point? Was there something Takemichi was missing?

    Takemichi looked at the sketch again, taking in every detail and clue that might answer his endless stream of questions.

     It was just a drawing of Baji and Takemichi with large flames dancing beside the poorly drawn blonde—

     That’s when it finally clicked.

    The flames beside Takemichi, Baji’s evil grin, the way his arms were up in excitement…

   This…This was- !

    Takemichi dropped the piece of paper as if it burned him and ran away, bringing Akkun with him. 

    “HE-HE WANTS TO SACRIFICE ME!!!” 

    “HE WANTS TO WHAT?! ”

    “HE WANTS TO SACRIFICE ME TO SATAN HIMSELF!!!”

    “AGAIN, WHAT?!”

     And that was only the beginning.

    That one letter was the gateway for many other threatening messages all signed with the same signature B.K.. 

     Takemichi would find them in his locker, his school bag, his mailbox— everywhere . Notes that included arson, fighting, and little doodles of poor little Michi filled the poor teen’s head with bone trembling fear. No matter how hard he tried, he could never escape the endless flow of sinister messages that somehow always found their way into Takemichi’s hands. 

      And to think that his very own crush was the mastermind behind all these letters…

    Aside from asking for more supplies (which ranged from colored pens to markers), Baji never once bothered him during class. It truly baffled Takemichi how docile and calm Baji appeared for someone who’d send his classmate death threats through scribbled drawings and misspelled words. In fact, he looked as if he didn’t have a single care in the world as he listened to the teacher and wrote down notes with that cat pencil Takemichi gave him nearly three months ago.

    The blonde thought about confronting Baji about the letters plenty of times, but every time Takemichi mustered up the courage to speak his mind, memories of their first encounter slammed him in the head with the strength of Baji’s fist. 

    Takemichi reluctantly kept quiet about the letters even though he was dying for some kind of explanation. 

    He needed to know why Baji hated him so much. He needed to know if there was anything he could do to get Baji to back off. He needed to know a lot of things, but that cowardly fear hindered Takemichi from getting an answer to any of his questions. 

    It was also because of that cowardly fear of Takemichi’s that made him skip Chemistry class for a few days. 

    He just…needed a break . A small one at the very least. 

    Outside, at the back of the school, Takemichi sat on the cool green grass and leaned his back against the large tree that provided the teenager enough shade to keep the sun from blinding him. Takemichi closed his eyes and relished in the soft breeze that blew through his hair, giving his blonde curls a bit more volume. With a sharp inhale, Takemichi took in the fresh air and breathed out—a content smile rested on his lips.

    Everything was just so relaxing; his mind was at ease, there were no letters, Baji wasn’t beside him, no threats were being made, and Takemichi was absolutely free.

    Free and at peace…

    “ Hey blondie, you’re in my spot.”

    OK, NOW WHO THE HELL—?!

    Takemichi’s eyes flew open and his mouth parted, on the verge of telling the asshole to suck a dick and find a new spot, when his brain finally registered the person standing over him. 

    The teenager, who interrupted Takemichi’s five minutes of relaxation, grinned down at him and tilted his head; the sound of a small bell ringing reached Takemichi’s ears, but he didn’t pay any attention to it. Instead, his eyes were more focused on the tiger tattoo adorning the stranger’s neck. 

     And...it looked awfully familiar to him for some reason. 

     “I’ll let you off with a warning since you're cute—“ the stranger suddenly stopped mid sentence. The teenager’s light brown eyes widened and twinkled with mischief as he raked his gaze across Takemichi’s face. His smile got larger with every passing second. “Wait a minute, you’re that Takemichi guy!” He exclaimed with a pointed finger directed at none other than the Takemichi guy himself.

    Takemichi, on the other hand, grew more and more confused.

    ‘ Takemichi guy?’ ‘Cute?’ 

    “Yeah…I am…how do you know me?” Takemichi asked, keeping his eye on the strange teenager. 

    The stranger threw his head back and laughed like a clinically insane villain who just sliced their victim’s head open; his obnoxiously loud cackles reminded Takemichi of nails raking across a chalkboard. The blonde narrowed his eyes and leaned back against the tree as he tried to put as much distance as he could between the two of them. 

     Guess the mental hospital lost a patient…

    “From Baji — duh!” 

    Scratch that, tHEY LOST A FUCKING MURDERER!

     The moment that bone trembling name reached Takemichi’s ears, he jumped to his feet and attempted to run away from the hit man Baji must have hired to finish him off. Before Takemichi could even step away from the tree, the teenager’s hand shot out and grabbed Takemichi by the wrist. 

    “Where ya going?” He asked, completely oblivious to the way Takemichi’s body was shaking under his touch. “Y’know, it's really rude to leave in the middle of a conversation. Dontcha have any manners? I mean, I don’t have any either so I guess that makes me a hypocrite, but still! I’ve been dying to meet you and the one time I finally get to meet the person Baji won’t shut up about, they end up trying to leave me!” 

   Despite the teenager acting like he was off his rocker, Takemichi latched onto the information that spilled from the maniac’s mouth. 

     So…he’s not gonna kill him? 

    … Is he a friend of Baji’s?

    Before Takemichi could think much of it, he parted his lips and asked, “Who are you?” 

    The stranger huffed, looking thoroughly disappointed and annoyed . Wasn’t Takemichi supposed to be the annoyed one here? 

    “ Wow— I don't know if I should be surprised or offended that you don’t know who I am; you’re either living under a rock or the most clueless boy in the world…probably the latter.”

    Takemichi blushed in embarrassment. 

    “I-I’m not clueless!” Takemichi defended, unconsciously bristling at the stranger’s accusation. So what if Takemichi didn’t know this clinically insane teenager? If Takemichi hadn’t heard of him then surely he wasn’t all that important, right? 

    The stranger ignored the words that fell from Takemichi’s lips with a simple eye roll and snicker. 

    “The name’s Kazutora Hanemiya! Does that name ring any bells?”

    Takemichi thought about it and tried to think back to if he’s ever heard that name before. Maybe he had? Well, it did sound familiar. 

    “Erm… kinda?” Takemichi scratched the back of his neck nervously. “I think my friend Yamagishi mentioned you a few times…” he confessed while trying to avoid Kazutora’s watchful gaze.

    Before Takemichi could register what was happening, he felt the stranger wrap his arms around his torso, forcing him into a suffocating hug. 

    And personal space suddenly ceased to exist. 

    “Hey! What are you-“ he’s cut off by Kazutora’s arms tightening more around his frame, nearly emptying all of Takemichi’s remaining oxygen out of his lungs. 

    “Gah! You’re just sooooo adorable!!!” Kazutora cooed as he nuzzled his cheek into Takemichi’s blonde curls. 

    That sounded awfully condescending to Takemichi’s ears, but there was no telling if Kazutora intended for it to sound that way. Besides, it’s not like Takemichi knew the teen well enough to actually read him. 

    Just as Takemichi felt his soul descending into the heavens along with his pride and dignity, Kazutora abruptly released him and allowed him to see the light of day again. Like a fish out of water, Takemichi gasped for air and breathed in that sweet, sweet oxygen that Takemichi will never take for granted again. 

    It took a few moments for Takemichi to realize that Kazutora was still talking. He rambled on about who knows what as Takemichi tried gaining back what little composure he had left. When Takemichi does manage to get his breathing in check, he’s utterly lost and confused by the words spilling from Kazutora’s mouth. 

    “-He won’t stop talking about those stupidly adorable eyes of yours! I mean yeah, I see the appeal, but surely he can find something else to fixate on—like your hair! Speaking of which, I honestly didn’t expect your hair to be so fluffy and soft with how ugly and dry it looks. Did you dye it yourself? Oh who am I kidding, you probably did. If you're ever gonna date my best friend then we’ll need to touch up your hair a bit. Do you use toner? I have some you can use—no wait! I’ll apply the toner so you don’t mess anything up! Hopefully Baji doesn’t mind me stealing you away from…” his voice trailed off in what Takemichi assumed was uncertainty. The mood change was very sudden and abrupt, which Takemichi was completely thrown off by.

     What was going through his head? Why did he stop talking? He was just fine a few seconds ago, so what spoiled his mood?

     The questions kept piling up, one after the other, the more time Takemichi spent around this strange teenager. His head began to ache and he silently wished he had chosen a better place to skip Chemistry in. Maybe he could’ve gotten a good nap in if he hid in the bathroom stall. 

    … what if he still could?

    Takemichi glanced over at Kazutora and saw the teenager mumbling to himself, tilting his head like an owl ( Takemichi heard that bell again) and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The words the teenager spoke were incoherent and quiet, practically impossible for Takemichi to understand.

    He…looked like a detective in a cartoon that Takemichi used to watch when he was small, naive, and free from antagonizing letters sent to him by his own crush. 

    No! Focus Takemichi—this is his only chance of escaping Kazutora and he couldn’t mess it up!

    With a deep breath, Takemichi took a step back, keeping his eyes on Kazutora in case the teenager suddenly decided to snap out of his own little world.

    Two steps.

    Four steps. 

    Seven steps.

     Takemichi could do this! Now he just needs to run—run far away from Kazutora and his weird mood swings!

     Takemichi turned on his heel, braced himself, and—

    “Why aren’t you in Chemistry class? With Baji?”

    Takemichi froze. 

    The tone Kazutora used to ask that seemingly innocent question was dark and filled with suspicion. Hell, Takemichi didn’t even need to turn around to know that Kazutora was glaring daggers into the back of his skull. His spine tingled. Sweat rolled down his forehead. His hands shook. 

    He needed to move. To walk away. To Run—ANYTHING! 

    But he couldn’t. As it turns out, his body had other plans. 

    “W-what are you talking about?” Why the hell was he talking?! Just run away!

    “It’s fifth period right now. Baji has Chemistry for fifth and you're in the same class as him.”

    Takemichi gulped. 

    He suddenly missed the talkative Kazutora from a few moments ago—he was at least more pleasant to be around and didn’t scare the living shit out of Takemichi. 

    “I-I must’ve lost track of time!” Takemichi stuttered out as he slowly turned back around to face Kazutora. The blonde kept his gaze locked onto the ground, making a point not to look up into those sandy brown eyes of darkness. Maybe if he stared long enough a hole would open up and swallow him whole—and wouldn’t that be a funny story to tell his mom later that evening over dinner. “I’ll just um...head there now soooo uhh yeah,” Takemichi somehow managed to push down the grimace that was about to form on his face at the stupidity of his own words.

     Fantastic Takemichi! Not only is he an embarrassment, but he’s a failure too!

     Takemichi’s eyes widened in horror as Kazutora’s shoes gradually came into view. He was standing right in front of Takemichi, barely an arms length away, and Takemichi’s body still refused to move. 

    Takemichi jumped at the feeling of Kazutora’s hand clamping down onto his shoulder and-

    Laughter filled the air around them.

    Beyond shocked, Takemichi removed his eyes from the ground and focused them on Kazutora. The cat eyed teen was back to smiling. 

    “Ah, I see now!” Kazutora exclaimed like a light bulb turned on in his head. “Holy shit Takemichi, you kinda scared me there! For a second I thought you were skipping Chemistry to avoid Baji or something—isn’t that ridiculous?!” A cold shiver ran up Takemichi’s spine and he tried to ignore the way his hands were getting clammy and sweaty. 

    Takemichi awkwardly chuckled along with Kazutora. “Y-Yeah! Absolutely ridiculous! ” 

    “Right?” Kazutora continued to laugh and cackle, blind to the blonde’s obvious discomfort.

     He needed to get out of there. 

     “Hey-“ Takemichi cuts in, grabbing Kazutora’s attention. “It was um really nice talking to you K-Kazutora, but I really n-need to head to class—“

    “Oh! Right, of course! We can’t keep Baji waiting now, can we?” 

    Takemichi tilted his head, confused and put off by Kazutora’s statement. 

    “ We ?”

     Kazutora only smiled. 

    “Yes we. What kind of friend would I be if I let you go off to Chemistry by yourself?” 

    And with just a few words, Takemichi’s peaceful hour of relaxation crumbled to the ground.

    After Kazutora delivered Takemichi to his Chemistry classroom, he received a stern lecture from his teacher about not ‘skipping class’ and a soul piercing glare from Baji. 

    When Takemichi went to open his locker later that day, he found a letter with the words STAY AWAY FROM KAZUTORA embedded with a red pen. 

    He wondered, at that moment, if the red pen was supposed to represent Takemichi’s blood. If given the chance, would Baji use Takemichi’s blood as ink? 

    … And would Takemichi let him?

    Takemichi was at his breaking point. 

     For six long torturous months, the poor blonde had been subjugated to death threats, bullying, teasing, stalking by the one person that stole his heart, body, and mind. 

    He couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t stand walking past Toman’s men in the hallways who were always watching him with a predatory look on their face. He couldn’t stand seeing Kazutora—bright eyed and sharp grinned—with Baji by his side as they snickered and laughed at Takemichi’s misery. 

    Baji’s warning didn’t go ignored; Takemichi tried his hardest to stay as far away from Kazutora as he could to avoid his body getting tied up and thrown in a river leading to who knows where. And, for the most part, he succeeded at evading Kazutora. 

    …but there was a small part of Takemichi that was jealous of Kazutora.

     After meeting the crazy teenager, he began seeing him everywhere with Baji—talking and laughing as they made their way to their respected classroom. They were always so close; their arms brushing against each other and an arm slung around the other’s shoulder…

    It shattered Takemichi’s heart. 

    He knew he never had a chance to begin with. Takemichi practically sealed his fate the second he embarrassed Baji on the delinquent’s first day in Chemistry, but he couldn’t help but wonder what could’ve happened if Takemichi had chosen to stay quiet. 

    It’s not like it really mattered, cause in the end Takemichi would always be a bug underneath Baji’s shoe.

    Pointless and insignificant. 

    And nothing was gonna change that.

    Takemichi continues to stare at the paper in his hands with his heart in his throat as he reread every word placed in the written message.

    Go to wilow parc park rite after skool ends OR ELSE!!!

    P.S. GO ALONE OR IM KIKKING KICKING YOUR ASS!!!  

B.K.

     With a deep sigh, Takemichi gently folds the piece of paper and places it in his pocket. 

    So today’s the day. This is it. Baji will finally end Takemichi and put him out of his misery once and for all. 

    Takemichi takes a deep breath, sends his friends and mom a mental apology, before exiting the school. 

    It’s finally time for Takemichi to pay his executioner a visit. 

    Takemichi hasn’t been to Willow Park in such a long time. He used to go there with Kakucho and Takuya when he was young and naive and wore that silly red cape. 

    He wishes he would have returned under better circumstances, but now’s a better time than never. 

    Takemichi immediately spots Baji sitting on the swings, idly kicking his feet back and forth. His long black hair was loose and flowing in the wind like a stereotypical Disney princess. It looks so smooth, so soft to the touch…

    What the hell is he thinking?! This is the same guy who sent him to the infirmary with one punch and made him the laughing stock of the entire school for nearly a whole month! He needs to get his head out of the gutter before he says something stupid and idiotic again. 

    Takemichi very carefully makes his way towards Baji. 

    His feet feel heavy with every step he takes and every breath he inhales feels like it’s last. Has the air always been this fresh? So fulfilling in every way as it brings his lungs some much needed clarity?

    Takemichi was never a very religious person, but as he makes a beeline towards his executioner, he finds himself praying and bidding goodbye to everyone who gave his life meaning.

    Goodbye mom. Goodbye Hina. Goodbye Akkun. Fuck you Yamagishi. Goodbye Makoto. Goodbye Takuya. Goodbye world.

    And hello death. 

    When Takemichi reaches the swings, Baji turns his head and looks at him with that carefully blank stare. His legs stop moving all together and his stare intensifies with every second that passes. Takemichi’s hands tremble at his sides, but he stays put. He doesn’t run away. He refuses to run away. If he did what his mind was begging him to do, then it would be no better than admitting defeat—admitting to being a snot-nosed coward. 

    And Takemichi isn’t a coward. He’s a stubborn son of a bitch who isn’t gonna go down without a fight. 

    So, when Baji jumps off the swings and takes a few steps towards the terrified blonde, Takemichi stands his ground and braces himself for impact. If Takemichi was gonna die today, he was gonna die knowing he gave it his all! 

    Baji glares down at him with the heat of a thousands suns, his brow scrunches up in distaste, his hands tighten into fists by his sides and when he opens his mouth Takemichi is prepared to hear the most gruesome words in history that’ll send him into cardiac arrest—

    “ Be my boyfriend!!! ” 

    …what?

    Takemichi gawks at Baji who looks like they are two seconds away from exploding.

    This…couldn’t possibly be happening right. Maybe Takemichi misheard him? That had to be it. There’s no way someone like Baji Keisuke would ever want Takemichi as their boyfriend. 

    Then, very suddenly, a wave of dread washes over Takemichi, bringing tears to his eyes as he stares up at the intimidating delinquent.

    Is…is this some kind of prank? 

    Were all the glares and letters and threats building up to this moment? The final push Takemichi needed to go over the edge? Was this all a part of Baji’s plan? To threaten and torture the blonde before teasing Takemichi about his crush by asking him out? 

    Why? Why would he…

    And just like that, tears begin running down Takemichi’s face in endless streams of sorrow. He doesn’t bother to wipe them away or shield his face to protect what little dignity he has left. Instead, he stares straight into Baji’s perplexed face. 

    “H-hey! Why are you crying?! Was it something I…” Baji’s words quickly faded into the background, becoming a tiny whisper inside his head as Takemichi lost himself within his own mind. 

    This is what Baji wanted, right?

    To see Takemichi crumble and fall apart? 

    “W-Why are you s-so cruel?! ” Takemichi shouts, not giving a flying fuck if he accidentally angers Baji. He doesn’t care anymore. Baji can beat him up, pound him into the ground, stomp on his face, send him to the hospital, but the damage will never measure up to the pain he feels from his shattered heart. 

    “Look I-I’m—I’m sorry f-for em-embarrassing you in C-Chemistry, ok? I—I deserved t-the punch, and the glares, and the t-threats, but this ? R-Really Baji ?!” Takemichi shakes with every word that drops from his lips, but he doesn’t back down. “You’re—you’re gonna treat my feelings as a joke and u-use them against me?! W-What the hell is wrong with you?!” Takemichi’s voice aches from shouting at Baji, but he needs to do this. He needs to end this.

    “I know that you hate me, ok?! I'm trying everything I can to not bother you and—“

    Two large hands grab Takemichi by the shoulders and begin shaking him viciously like a miraca. 

    “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!” Baji screams at the top of his lungs, causing spit to fly everywhere. Takemichi grimaces at the specks of saliva that lands on his face, but there’s nothing he can do to move away from Baji— especially when he’s being shaken down by two strong hands. 

    “I’M TALKING ABOUT YOU!!!”

    “ EH ?!” 

    Baji removes his hands from Takemichi’s shoulders and fixes him with a confused look. How dare he act oblivious! He knows exactly what he’s done and acting all baffled and shocked isn’t gonna cut it for Takemichi! 

    “I’ve never glared at you!” Baji protests like the terrible liar he is. Why the hell does Takemichi even like him? After taking a moment to wipe away his stray tears, Takemichi’s eye twitches and his fists clench and tighten by his sides in frustration. 

    “Bullshit!” Takemichi exclaims loudly. “You always glare at me in Chemistry! It doesn’t matter what I’m doing; your eyes are always watching me like an angry hawk!!!”

    “W-What?!” Baji splutters with a red face as he takes a step back. 

    Wait a minute…is Baji blushing?!

    “I don’t glare at you! I er—“ Baji averts his gaze away from Takemichi’s and brings a hand up to scratch the back of his neck nervously. To make matters more confusing, the red flush that’s spread across his face intensifies in color. “I uh…I like looking at you, ok?!” Baji confesses while keeping his eyes locked on the swingset. 

    Takemichi can’t believe his eyes or ears. 

    Is this really happening?

    Is…Is Takemichi asleep right now?

    Does Baji really have feelings for…

    Takemichi pushes the thought away. The last thing he needs to do right now is to get his hopes up. Baji can very well be tricking Takemichi into letting his guard down.

    “B-But what about those death threats ?!” Ok, maybe Takemichi shouldn’t have phrased it like that, but what other name was Takemichi supposed to use for those evil letters? 

    Baji’s head snaps back at the mention of death threats. His brown eyes darken and his nose scrunches up in anger as he stares down at Takemichi. 

    “Someone’s giving you death threats ?!” Baji screams as he takes a step closer to Takemichi. “Who the hell is this bastard?! Where can I find them?! Do they go to our school?! Just you wait—the second I get my hands on this sick son of a bitch, they’ll never see the light of day again!”

    As Baji proceeds to rant and shout about all the awful things he’ll do to Takemichi’s enemy, the blonde stares up at him with big blue eyes as he tries to wrap his head around the whole situation. 

    Does…Does Baji really not know? 

    “W-wait! Hold on a second…” Takemichi immediately gains Baji’s attention by snapping his fingers in front of his face. “Aren’t you B.K.? ” He asks, watching Baji’s face carefully for any type of clue that’ll help fix this broken puzzle. 

    Baji tilts his head like a confused puppy and raises a brow. 

    “Well yeah, but what does that have anything to do with-“

    “Baji, you’re the one who’s been giving me death threats!”

    “ EXCUSE ME?!” Baji shrieks, nearly destroying Takemichi’s eardrums. “WHY THE HELL WOULD I SEND YOU DEATH THREATS?!” He questions loudly while wearing a look of complete and utter offense. Takemichi knows he shouldn’t feel bad for calling Baji out on his gruesome letters, but the painful expression the delinquent wore on his face was more than enough to tug at Takemichi’s heart strings. 

    “Stop playing dumb, Baji!” Takemichi exclaims frustratedly. “Every single letter I get is signed with your initials: B.K. !” God, if Takemichi had the strength to tear his own hair out, he’d definitely be doing it by now. 

    “What are you—“ Baji abruptly cuts himself off. His eyes slowly widen as realization finally sinks in. 

    No more hiding. No more petty lies. Takemichi wants the truth and he wants the truth now. 

     “Are you talking about the love letters?! ” 

    …pause?

    “The what ?” Takemichi asks, completely taken off guard by Baji’s comment. Maybe he heard him wrong—yeah! Of course he did, there’s no way those doodle drawings were actually love letters!  

    “T-The love letters! Y’know, the ones I’ve been giving you for the past six months?!”

    Takemichi stands corrected. 

    The blonde observes the way Baji’s red blush travels from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. His lips are pressed in a straight line. Rather than staring at the swing set in embarrassment, Baji kept his gaze pinned on Takemichi. 

    He’s as serious as can be.

     Butterflies erupt inside Takemichi’s stomach.

    “H-Hold on a second,” Takemichi stutters out as he feels a blush creeping up his neck. “Those were love letters?!” 

    “Duh! What else would they be?” The exasperated tone in Baji’s voice is powerful enough to cause Takemichi to grind his teeth together. 

    “B-But I was about to get sacrificed in the first letter you gave me!” 

    “‘ Sacrificed?!’” Baji repeats before breaking out into a fit of laughter. “Damn Takemichi, you sure have a wild imagination!” Ok, that was definitely an insult.

    “Fine, then what the hell was happening in the drawing?!”

    “We were on a date, you dumbass! Did you not see the little bow ties I drew on us?”

     A date?! There were bow ties?! Huh?!

     “But what about the fire?!”

    “The fire was obviously a symbol of my undying love for you!”

     Undying… love?!

    Takemichi doesn’t need to look in a mirror to know that his entire face is encompassed in a bright red blush. His entire head feels like it’s been set aflame by a single match. A ringing sensation swims through his ears. His lips tremble and his hands shake as he processes the words spilling from Baji’s mouth. 

    Is this the truth? Does Baji really have feelings for him? For Takemichi of all people?

    “…And um—“ Takemichi snaps out of his thoughts at the sound of Baji stammering and tripping over his own words. 

    “Look I…I’m…I’m sorry for punching you in the face. I…ugh, I was caught off guard and you were really cute and you made me feel all fluttery and then the next thing I know I’m raising my fist and…” Baji allows his voice to trail off, letting the silence speak for itself. They both knew how the situation played out: Takemichi passed out with a broken nose from Baji’s punch. 

    And, surprising himself and Baji, Takemichi throws a hand over his mouth and laughs. 

    “I’m so sorry, it’s just—“ Takemichi’s unable to finish his sentence without erupting into another fit of giggles. Sure, Baji might be staring at him like he’s a madman, but who cares? As far as Takemichi is concerned, they’re both in dire need of a psychiatrist. 

    The fear Takemichi once harbored for Baji dissipated into the air, gradually becoming non-existent.

    “You punched me because I was cute?” Takemichi snickers from behind his hand, watching with satisfaction as Baji’s ears redden in embarrassment. He has to admit, it’s awfully endearing to see the intimidating delinquent melt into a flustered mess. 

    “W-What else was I supposed to do?!” Baji crosses his arms and looks off to the side with an adorable pout on his lips. “I’ve never been called gorgeous before, especially from a cute guy, so—oh my god, STOP LAUGHING! IT’S NOT FUNNY!!!” 

    Takemichi crosses his arms over his stomach and continues to laugh his heart out. There isn’t a single ounce of fear in his mind as Baji pouts and whines like a child throwing a tantrum. Takemichi’s heart soars into the sky, past the clouds, and through the galaxies at the speed of light. 

    Takemichi never would have imagined that he’d be here laughing in front of Baji without a care in the world. It’s truly mind boggling how terrified Takemichi was a few moments ago before he discovered Baji’s real intentions. It was like someone flipped a switch inside Takemichi’s head, getting rid of the terror he had felt when he was around Baji. Now, when Takemichi looks at Baji, all he can see is an emotionally constipated delinquent with a heart of gold.

    And to think that Baji had a crush on Takemichi this whole time...

    With Takemichi’s obliviousness and Baji’s stupidity, they were practically a match made in heaven. (And also a force to be reckoned with.)

    Once Takemichi gets ahold of himself, he stares up at Baji with his big azure colored eyes and mentally thanks whatever god is out there for bringing Baji into this world. Into his world. 

    “...Still wanna be boyfriends ?”

    His heart nearly stops beating when Baji breaks out into the biggest grin Takemichi’s ever seen. 

    With the eagerness and excitement of a child in a candy store, Baji reaches forward and shocks Takemichi by grabbing his hand, clasping it tightly in his own. 

    “Fuck yeah I do!”

    And finally, after a million misunderstandings, a chaotic relationship was formed.

    And Takemichi? Well...

    He’s got nothing to be afraid of.

     Extra:

    “Baji…what the actual fuck?!”

     “The hell are you— Hey ! Get your hands off my Michi!!!”

    Kazutora covers his mouth with his hands to conceal his laughter as he watches the scene unfold in front of him: Chifuyu, with his arms wrapped protectively around Takemichi, glares at Baji who looks like he's two seconds away from ripping Chifuyu’s arms off. 

    And Takemichi’s confused expression is just icing on the cake.

    Chifuyu suddenly pointed towards the scattered pieces of papers that held absurd drawings colored in pens and markers. 

    Kazutora has an idea of where this is going and, if his prediction is correct, then there’s no way in hell he’s gonna miss out on watching the two fight. 

    Yeah, Kazutora’s a whore for drama, sue him.

    “YOU’VE BEEN GIVING THESE TO POOR MITCHY FOR SIX MONTHS?!” Chifuyu shouts as he tightens his hold around Takemichi.

    “Why are you saying that like it’s a bad thing?! You were the one to suggest that I write him love letters!” 

    Kazutora leans back and sinks into the soft cushions of Takemichi’s sofa while giggling and laughing his head off. 

    “Hey, Chifuyu, It’s really not a big deal—“

    “THESE ARE LOVE LETTERS ?!“

    Poor Takemichi, he can’t even finish his sentences without being interrupted or ignored.

    “YEAH! YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?!”

    “DUDE THESE LOOK LIKE THE FUCKING PAGES YOU HAVE TO COLLECT IN SLENDERMAN!”

    “THAT'S IT—“ 

    Kazutora clenches his stomach and cackles like a hyena as he watches Baji tackle Chifuyu and Takemichi into the ground. The high pitch screams of terror ( Takemichi) and surprise ( Chifuyu ) bounce off the walls of Takemichi’s living room. 

    Rather than joining in or stopping the two (three? Nah, Takemichi doesn’t really count) from fighting, Kazutora gets himself comfortable on the couch and observes the scene from afar with a glimmer in his eyes and a cheeky grin on his lips. 

    Kazutora knows he should feel a little guilty for going behind Chifuyu’s back and tricking Baji into making his love letters horrifying and gruesome for his own entertainment, but he doesn’t.

    All Kazutora feels at that moment is an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and giddiness as he watches his two friends fight over the blue eyed teen. 

    Oh well—what they don’t know won’t kill em.