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Keiwa gave one last look at the words written on his desire card before he handed it over to Tsumuri who gave him a small bow and a smile before she walked off, presumably somewhere in the TGP area accessible only to the staff with Punkjack giving their group finger guns before running after the navigator.
"Was that really Punkjack? He seemed different from the one I met on the previous game." He muttered to himself.
Michinaga scoffed, "He's still as irritating as the last time you met him. Would have preferred the him that didn't talk at all. And you haven't change, still wildly optimistic aren't you? You shouldn't have joi—"
Neon pushed the rambling man aside causing him to stumble on to the couch and the sole female rider jumped in front of Keiwa.
"Well, I for one am glad you're back! You were so weird without your memory."
"I wasn't that bad, was I?"
"Hmm, I saw you around scratching up lottery tickets." Ace chimed and Keiwa winced at the reminder.
"Ah why don't we have dinner together to celebrate your return?" Neon suggested clasping her hands together in excitement.
"It's not that much of a big deal—"
"Why not?" Ace cutoff, "We've been out clearing this game all day we haven't had a chance to eat. We'll be hitting two birds with one stone."
Neon looked at Keiwa with pleading eyes and the young man relented, "Fine but I get to choose where we eat."
Ace nodded in acceptance and Neon cheered.
"Michinaga-san, do you want to join us? I know a place that serves good tanuki soba!" the younger man turned and asked the younger rider.
Neon tugged at Keiwa's sleeve, "Eh? You want him to join us? But he's so mean to you."
"He's not that bad." Keiwa tried but Neon didn't seem convinced, squinting at him as if to make sure she was hearing right.
Michinaga scoffed, pushing himself up the couch Neon pushed him on, "Do what you want."
That wasn't a 'no' and Keiwa internally cheered, nodding to himself while Neon just pouted. Ace let out a small chuckle and Michinaga whipped his head to the fox's direction to have a one sided glaring contest with Ace who just gave the annoyed bull his signature smile the younger man hated while staring down at him from the stairs of the DGP lounge.
Keiwa and Neon exchanged looks before both shook their heads.
'Those two are never going to get along.' the pair thought.
At the Ramen Restaurant they manage to seat themselves in the almost full Restaurant that Keiwa was a regular in and where Ace and Neon had met Keiwa's older sister.
Michinaga opted to eat by the counter rather than be seated to any one of them. Midway through their dinner, two new customers came in laughing loudly at something before abruptly pausing in silence only to erupt into high pitch squeals.
"Ace-sama and Neon-chan! Oh my god, Haruhi pinch me, I must be dreaming."
"For real? They're really here!" Haruhi exclaimed, pinching her companion multiple times.
The one called Haruhi and her friend then rushed towards the trios table, starry eyed at being in the same place as their idols.
Neon and Ace gave the two a customary smile and greeting while Keiwa just shook his head as he continued with his meal. He kinda forgot that Geats and Na-go are very popular celebrities. Fighting alongside them and trying to survive the Desire Grand Prix put their status at the very back part of his mind.
He was prepared to eat in peace, unnoticed by the new comers, when suddenly a hand was waved in front of his face.
"Uh?"
"Who are you? And why are you with Ace-sama and Neon-chan?"
"Eh?"
"I don't recognize you from anywhere. How do you know Ace-sama and Neon-chan!? I've been following their appearance on TV and Net and not once did I ever saw you. Right? Nanami-chan." the one named Haruhi asked, staring intensely at Keiwa while Nanami nodded along.
"Oh, oh not a celebrity— I'm not like them," Keiwa gestured to Ace and Neon, "we're just friends."
Nanami looked him up and down, assessing him, "You're not a celebrity?"
"No." Keiwa answered.
Suddenly, Keiwa was pushed off from his seat, luckily Ace manage to catch him in time while Neon stood up alarmed at the girls action.
"What are you doing?"
Nanami looked at Neon, "He doesn't deserve to be seated so close to Ace-sama and Neon-chan! He should know his place!" Haruhi nodded vigorously,
"Right , right, he's a nobody while we're your biggest fans. Neon-chan, I've see—"
But before she could finish her sentence a bowl of half eaten ramen was upturned on her head and without missing a beat Michinaga took the pitcher of water from the trios table and poured it on Nanami.
Both girls screeched and stood rigid as liquid dripped from them to the floor.
"I have had enough of your ramblings. You're both annoying. People are trying to eat here." Michinaga said, glaring at the two stunned fans. Neon pushed herself away from her seat and went in front of Ace and Keiwa.
"Keiwa is dear to me. I don't need fans like you who treat people badly. I can live with people like you not viewing my videos or supporting me. And I'm sure Ace-sama feels the same." she glared.
Ace who was still holding Keiwa close, smirked at the girls. It wasn't his teasing or playful smirk but rather something that promises retribution. He then flashed the girls their respective IDs he slipped out from their bags while they were gaping at Azuma's action.
"Huh? How did—"
"Nanako Haruhi and Toujo Nanami, I'll remember this so I can file a restraining order against you two and ban you from any of my upcoming events." he remarked, handing the two their IDs back.
Haruhi and Nanami's face were switching from dread and embarrassment and shock as some of the patrons of the restaurant whispered around about them before they finally decided to run out of the restaurant before they get further humiliated.
"That was a bit extreme—" Keiwa started.
"They deserved it! Well what Michinaga did was kinda over the top." said person didn't look apologetic at Neon's mention. "But they had no right to be rude to you like that." she continued.
"Hmm I don't think that was enough." Ace said as he pushed Keiwa down his chair, patting the younger man on the shoulder to have him relax before he sat himself.
"Tsch, I didn't like the ramen that's all." Michinaga huffed, taking the seat besides Neon and right across from Ace. He then proceeded to call out to the owner for another bowl of the same ramen he just poured on one of the girls, glaring at Keiwa as if daring him to say something about his order.
Keiwa owlishly blinked at them before a smile overtook his face and he let out a soft laugh.
"Thank you." he said, ducking his head, after a bit he resumed eating his ramen.
The three, unaware of each other, all look at Keiwa with their own soft smile before digging back on their own meal.