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"He's looking down on me," Takemichi says angrily as she stomps into the club room and she ignores the dirty looks she gets from the other members of Mitsuya's club. They're used to her and Peh-yan disturbing Mitsuya but they ceased their attempts at stopping her because she'd just create a bigger ruckus by shouting and they soon learned that she was stubborn and not meek like Peh-yan when they scolded him.
"Who?" Mitsuya asks and he sounds absent-minded, probably because he's busy measuring fabric for whatever project he's working on. But it's the fact that he's listening at all that really matters.
"Hakkai," she grits. Her very own vice captain. The boy ignores her whenever she talks to him and treats her like air since he never directly looks at her. If she said something, he wouldn't respond but seconds later another division member would and he'd talk perfectly fine. She's discovered that the issue was with her.
For some reason Shiba Hakkai disliked her. Or something. It was so aggravating because she didn't know what she'd done wrong. She had done her best to be kind and friendly and even respected the boy, yet weeks later, they're still at square one.
Or whatever is less than that since the boy just has some sort of grudge against her.
Maybe he didn't like the fact that she was girl and part of Toman. Not a lot of people have spoken up about it but she knew that some of them were sexist or traditionalist. But she didn't care and Mikey was quick to make it so it wouldn't be an issue.
Takemichi's proven herself, and that's final. She crosses her arms, and taps her foot impatiently on the ground, feeling restless. Like she's itching for a fight.
Right now, she kinda wants to fight Hakkai but she knows it won't go over so well. He's still a vice captain of Toman, technically her superior despite the fact that she only listens to Mitsuya. It's not like Hakkai is talking to her anyway so he can't order her around.
As she fumes, Mitsuya carefully looks up from the table to focus on her, and his expression is wrung with wariness as he squints his eyes.
"What?" She asks, not understanding why her captain is looking at her like that. As if she's some feral dog he's cautious of setting off.
Mitsuya's mouth opens but then he shuts it without uttering a single word and shakes his head while lifting a hand up to massage his forehead. And it seems like he's easing a headache.
"Mitsuya-kun?" She asks softly with worry because she does care a lot about the older boy. He's become like an older brother figure to her, even though she knows she's been part of his stress lately. That's why she feels a tinge bit guilty. But honestly, Takemichi had been trying to earn some street cred otherwise no one will take her seriously as a Toman member.
Their last gang fight had Hanma fucking Shuji taking off his own gang jacket to wrap it around her because he thought she was cold. In a middle of a fight.
She'd glared at him but kept his jacket because it was huge and comfortable and yeah she's been cold, but she'd stepped on his toes instead of being grateful about it. The prick had winced in pain but then laughed delightfully about it and he would sometimes badger Takemichi after that. Showing up at random places to talk at her and laugh about things that were really not funny but instead concerning but Hanma had a strange sense of humor and lack of regard for human life. He was just constantly bored.
The best way to get rid of him was to indulge him and he'd get distracted enough for her to slip away.
So yeah, she's been going around and picking fights to earn a reputation of her own so no one would look down on her and it's been going well, at least for her. Because Mitsuya's looks like he's aged each time.
But there's also Hakkai. The most infuriating person she's ever met because while she finds Hanma annoying at least he doesn't treat her like she doesn't exist or act all high and mighty.
Mitsuya releases a sigh, and focuses back on her and he looks tired. "Hakkai isn't ignoring you on purpose, he has a thing with girls be-"
"I knew it!" She says, waiting for that to drop and she doesn't let her captain finish because she's all fired up now. Mitsuya manages to look extremely concerned and exasperated at the same time but Takemichi has already turned to leave and she ignores the boy calling after her as she runs out of the club room.
Next stop.
Find Hakkai and beat his ass.
Maybe then he'd respect her.
~~~
It took asking around until Peh-yan eventually shouted at her where the younger boy was.
And an additional fifteen minutes pass by before she finds him.
Hakkai is standing with Chifuyu and they seem to be having a very chill conversation as they hang around the railings on the empty sidewalk near the park.
She determinedly walks up to them with her hands clenched and a calm of fury that she usually has when she's getting ready for a fight.
"Takemitchy?" Chifuyu sounds confused to see her but then he grins at her toothily.
Hakkai doesn't acknowledge her as he quickly looks away and she grits her teeth as she glares up at him, and her body trembles from her anger.
"Let's settle this, Shiba Hakkai," she says coldly and she notices him startling, hah, a reaction but he's still not looking at her as he shifts on his feet. Is she not being taken seriously right now?
"I wanna fight one on one," she says to make it clear for him. And she knows that the captains and vice captains are strong, but she has some cards up her sleeves too. She'd do anything to win.
"What?" Chifuyu sputters. "Why are you challenging Hakkai?"
"Because he's a piece of shit," she snarls.
Chifuyu gapes. But Hakkai slowly turns so he's facing her but his eyes are still not focusing on her.
Offense overtakes her so she impulsively punches the boy in the stomach despite it being a cheap shot since he isn't prepared but when her fist connects on his firm abs, she freezes.
"OW!" she cries, backing away and shaking her hand as if it'll make the pain go away. But her knuckles sting and her lips wobble as tears gather in her eyes. It isn't the first time she's punched a person but the boy is made of steel, she's sure of it.
She's never felt this much intense pain before. And it had only been a single punch. Even though she started it, she looks up at the boy accusingly, because why did he have to be such a jerk?
They could've been friends. But nooo he had to be a prejudice asshole.
What she doesn't expect is the panicked look on his face and he even hesitantly reaches out to take her hand and examine it with wide eyes as he tilts his head to the side, so he isn't looming over her. And she watches in confusion as the boy tries to soothe her knuckles for her as he rubs it and blows on it.
Like a parent would do to their wounded child to make them feel better. But the roiling offense doesn't come.
She stares breathlessly because somehow the huge boy manages to look pure.
And dare she say...cute.
Her cheeks heat up and she averts her gaze but as she does so she catches Chifuyu's eyes. The blond haired boy is gaping at her with wide eyes.
She clears her throat and looks away.
"S-sorry," Hakkai says as if it was his fault and his voice is uncertain, and timid. Something that catches her off guard because she's heard him speak before so this is unexpected.
But her heart squeezes as guilt arises in her because she thinks she understands now.
The boy is just shy! And Mitsuya had tried to tell her that but she'd made her own assumptions since her mind had already been made up.
"No," she says vehemently and Hakkai's indigo eyes finally meets her. "I'm the one who's sorry."
Because she's mature enough to know when she's been wrong.
And she smiles at him brightly and says cheerfully, "I didn't realize you were shy, but don't worry, I'm not going to bite you. I just wanna be friends because I think you're kinda sweet."
She hopes that eases him up but when she opens her eyes because they've been curved shut from her wide smile, she sees that the boy's face is extremely red and he sways back from her. Almost like he's dizzy from all the blood that's rushing to his head.
"Are you trying to kill him?!" Chifuyu accuses. "He has a crush on you, you idiot!"
The moment the boy seems to realize he's exposed a secret, he instantly looks regretful, but Hakkai makes a high pitched noise before he immediately runs out of there, not looking back as he sprints away into the farther distance.
And Takemichi stands there with a brain that malfunctions from overheating.