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“So I’m thinking right here,” Leon tapped a finger on the sheet music, leaning over the guitar in his lap, “I’m gonna hit this sick, raspy rock vocal.”
Sayaka’s face creased incredulously. “Raspy? Why would you wanna sound raspy?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“We agreed on this! We’re doing a pop ballad!” The microphone stand squeaked as she adjusted it, interrupting the rare silence in the music room. “I did not stake my reputation on a collab so you could live out your Sex Pistons fantasy!”
“Hey, you know that it’s Sex Pistols!”
“Because you never shut up about them!”
“I would shut up if you actually listened!”
“I am listening!”
“You guys fighting?”
Sayaka and Leon both yelped as Hiro appeared at the keyboard in the corner, perched on a stool too short for his legs.
“How long have you been there!?” Leon practically shrieked, setting his guitar down.
“Not that long. What are Sex Pistols?”
“They’re a British punk—”
“Please.” Sayaka held a hand out, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I don’t wanna be rude, Hiro, but we’re kinda in the middle of rehearsal. Did you need something?”
Hiro brightened, turning to Leon with a grin. “You guys are doing a song together? That’s awesome! Why didn’t you say anything?”
“We kinda agreed we’d keep it a secret.” Leon smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with a blush.
Sayaka pursed her lips, impatient. “That’s right. Which is why you can’t say a thing to anybody. I don’t need my manager hounding me right now.”
“No worries.” Hiro made a vague cross gesture over his chest, then swiveled on the stool to tap half a tune on the keyboard.
“Hiro!” Taking a long breath, Sayaka smiled as sweetly as always and flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Didn’t you say you needed something?”
Hiro looked between her and the keyboard for a moment, before brightening and leaning his arm on the keys in a cacophony of noise. “Yeah, I did! What flowers do you like?”
Leon blinked. Sayaka’s head tilted. “Flowers?”
Hiro nodded eagerly. “Like, if a guy was gonna get you flowers. You're a girl, you know about this stuff, right?”
“Um…” Sayaka shifted awkwardly where she stood. She glanced at Leon. He shrugged. “I guess it depends who the guy was? B-But if you wanna know my favorite flower, you can read my latest interview on the Teen Weekly blog!”
Hiro’s brow furrowed, apparently unsatisfied, and turned to Leon. “How about you, Leon? Got any thoughts?”
“On flowers?” Leon barked a laugh, confused. “Can’t say I’ve really thought about it. I always just got girls whichever bunch was biggest.”
“Biggest…” Hiro folded one leg over the other, cupping his chin as he thought. Then he stood abruptly and leaned on the keyboard, which erupted into a jumble of notes again. “Got it! Good luck with your song, guys!”
“Secret song!” Sayaka called as the door slammed shut behind him, once more leaving them alone in the music room. She huffed, exasperated. “What the heck was that about?”
“Since when was Hiro into flowers?” Leon wondered out loud. He strummed his guitar absentmindedly. “I mean, it’s good to branch out your interests I guess…”
“But why come to you and me?”
“And who would he give flowers to?”
Suddenly Sayaka’s eyes widened, and Leon dropped his guitar, letting it fall with a clatter as he grinned up at her. “You don’t think—!?”
“It can’t be!” She exclaimed, watching Hiro saunter down the hallway through the window in the door.
Yasuhiro Hagakure had a date.
“Who do you think it is?” Hina whispered loudly in study hall, hiding her face behind her science textbook. “It’s not anybody in our class.”
“Perhaps one of the upperclassmen?” Sakura responded in a mumble.
“Which one!?” Somebody shushed her, and Hina hissed an apology. “Sorry, but I can’t see Hiro with any of them!”
“You act as if you can't see him with anyone.”
“Can you!?”
“Yo there! Girls!” Hiro leaned over their desk in the library, and Hina covered her mouth in surprise, gripping Sakura’s arm. “Whaddya think of my hair like this?”
He tilted his face down so only the top of his crown was visible. Sakura cleared her throat. “Why don’t you stand up so we can see it, Hiro?”
Hiro did just that, straightening his back and puffing his chest so his posture was far better than usual. His locs, which usually cascaded down around his shoulders, were held in a ponytail by a shiny green scarf. He smiled nervously, gesturing to his head.
“Looks great, buddy!” Hina smiled. She was a little lost, but the compliment was genuine. The style made him look thoughtful, more grown-up, and drew focus to the sharpness of his jaw.
Sakura nodded in agreement. “I think it suits you nicely.”
Hiro seemed to deflate with relief, before returning to his own desk to continue his studies.
Hina could barely contain her excited grin as he sat, perching his reading glasses on his nose. “You know what this means, right?”
Sakura blinked. “I do?”
“Of course!” Hina picked up her own textbook, flicking it back open. “He’s already preparing! The date is today!”
“You should all be ashamed of yourselves!”
Leon rolled his eyes as Taka slammed his tray on the lunch table, taking a seat between him and Chihiro. “What did we do now?”
“I could hear your gossiping waiting in line.” Taka gestured behind him. “It’s inappropriate to be spreading rumors about your classmate.”
Sayaka giggled, popping a grape in her mouth. “It’s basically a confirmed fact, Taka!”
“Exactly!” Hina nodded vigorously. “If Hiro didn’t want us to gossip, he shouldn’t have given us such great material!” Beside her, Sakura only ate silently.
“Besides,” Leon leaned closer to Taka, slinging an arm over his shoulders. “Aren’t you even a little interested in who he’s dating?”
Taka snorted, shrugging his arm off. “It’s none of my business.”
“But it could be someone you know. Someone in this very room…” Leon grinned as Taka’s eyes flicked curiously across the cafeteria, before he blushed and shook his head.
“What Hiro does outside of school is irrelevant! I think he’s being far more suitable and considerate than the rest of you!”
“Who’s being considerate?” Hiro sat opposite Taka. He blushed darker.
“Nobody.” Hina sighed, shaking her head. “We were just saying how Taka should know better than to gossip about his classmate behind their back.”
Taka went an indignant purple, opening and closing his mouth in a rush to defend himself. “I wasn’t—!”
“Technically you were, man.” Leon patted his shoulder. “Not cool.”
“Anyways, Hiro!” Sayaka turned her attention to him as Taka quietly seethed. “Do you have any plans tonight?”
“Yeah, I do.” He responded happily, shoving half his cup of noodles into his mouth. He immediately exclaimed at the temperature. “Ow! Hot!”
“What plans are they?” Hina asked as Hiro fanned himself, his burnt tongue hanging out of his mouth and tears leaking from his eyes.
Chihiro nudged a water bottle towards him and he took a few gulps. He wiped his mouth with a sigh. “Thanks, Chi. I think I burned a whole layer off my mouth!”
“You should probably go to the nurse, Hiro.” Chihiro’s timid voice was quickly drowned out by protests from around the table.
“Don’t be stupid!” Leon insisted. “He’s fine, aren’t you dude?”
Hiro thought for a moment. “I mean, it hurt before. But now I can’t feel my tongue. Is that bad?”
“See? He’s swell! Now about your plans tonight—”
“Leon!” Taka barked. “Hiro, go to the nurse! I’ll write you an absent note for next period.”
“For real?” Hiro perked up, throwing his bag over his shoulder as he stood and taking his lunch with him. “Thanks, Taka! Hope you guys have fun in math!”
Taka glowered around the table. “Shame on all of you. You’d really put gossip before your friend’s health? Hiro could be seriously injured!”
“Like hell he is!” Leon pointed after him. “He’s still eating his noodles!”
“Yeah, but he could have been hurt.” Hina kept her eyes on her curry as she pushed it around her plate. “Maybe Taka’s right. That wasn’t cool of us. None of us even made sure he was okay.”
Chihiro coughed.
“Apart from Chihiro,” she added.
Leon paused for a moment before sinking in his seat. “God, I hate it when Taka’s right.”
“We owe Hiro an apology.” Sayaka said as Taka’s beamed with pride. “I think we all got a little overexcited about this. Like Taka said, it’s just a rumor. Who knows if Hiro even has a date?”
“So who do you think it is?”
Byakuya peered over his glasses at Celeste, smirking from the other side of the chess board. He barely hesitated before moving his next piece. “Knight to G6. What are you talking about?”
Celeste chuckled, drumming her manicured fingers against her knee. “You haven’t heard? Allegedly, our very own Hagakure has a suitor. He’s been running all over the school seeking advice for their meeting. Bishop to D3.”
Byakuya only crooked a brow to express his surprise, then snickered, nudging his glasses up his nose. “I don’t concern myself with such trivial rumors. Especially when they’re about as likely as a pig taking flight. Rook takes D3 Bishop.”
Celeste’s lips pursed as he took her piece, and his embarrassingly rare moment of triumph over her was interrupted by a cough. “U-Um… did you call for me—?”
“No, I did not.” He ground out, resulting in a pathetic squeak from Fukawa, shuffling around behind his chair. It’s her fault he was fighting a losing battle. How is he supposed to concentrate with that lurking over his shoulder?
“Well, you guys are t-talking about Hiro’s girlfriend, right?” Fukawa huffed, and Byakuya could hear her thumbnail grinding between her front teeth. It was irritating.
“Queen to A4,” said Celeste.
“I-Isn’t it so weird that he didn’t come to m-me for help?”
Byakua clenched his jaw, Fukawa’s voice like nails on a chalkboard. He had to concentrate! “Knight to F4.”
“I mean, I’m l-literally the ultimate r-romance writer! I-I know all there is t-to know about love!”
“Queen to C2,” said Celeste. “Check.”
“H-Honestly, I would be offended if H-Hiro wasn’t so s-stupid…” Fukawa chuckled low in her throat. Byakuya bit the inside of his cheek.
“King to E3. I mean, F3!”
“Apologies. You have already announced your move.” Celeste’s voice was saccharine sweet. It turned Byakuya’s stomach. “Queen to C1.”
“Rook to C3!”
“He p-probably made this w-whole thing up.”
“Queen takes C3 Rook. Check.”
Damn! “Knight to E2!”
“T-That’s what you think, r-right Master B—?”
“Could you please, for once, be quiet!” Byakuya barked over his shoulder. Toko recoiled, in some strange mixture of guilt and pleasure, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust.
“Queen to F6.” Celeste clapped her hands lightly. “And I believe that is checkmate.”
Byakuya sighed as Toko continued to whimper. Celeste cleared her throat delicately and began to collect their fallen pieces.
“So,” she said, her smile reaching her voice, “how would you like to make a wager?”
“How did Celeste even find that out?” Makoto asked, pulling his backpack straps tight around his shoulders as the bell signaled the end of the school day.
“She has her sources,” Kyoko cupped her chin knowingly. They reached the front exit and stopped, watching as students streamed out of the gates.
“Did you guys hear too?” Sayaka joined them with a whisper. Leon, Chihiro, Hina and Sakura followed, creating a makeshift huddle around Kyoko.
Makoto blinked. “Uh, about Hiro’s date?”
Leon groaned. “I can’t believe Celeste found out! Of all people! She’ll never tell us unless we give her something for it!”
“Toko says Byakuya played her for it and lost,” Hina said, brimming with glee. “How hilarious is that?”
Sayaka giggled, while Leon erupted into laughter. “No way! Why does he even care!?”
“I’m sure he doesn’t,” Sakura added with a smirk. “He just can’t stand not knowing something.”
Makoto suppressed a laugh at his friend’s expense, especially knowing how much he hates to lose, and instead focused on Kyoko’s smile, growing as she nodded towards the gates. “Well, it looks as if we’ll all know soon.”
The group turned, to find Hiro eagerly waiting just outside the school gates. His locs pulled back into his previous style, a bunch of purple flowers tucked under his arm, and a huge grin nailed to his face.
Sayaka gasped. “He’s meeting them here!?”
“Who’s meeting who?” Mondo appeared, walking between Taka and Chihiro. Taka immediately scowled at the group for blocking the pathway, while Chihiro stood on their toes to peer at Hiro over the crowd.
“Oh shit, you didn’t hear?” Leon grinned at Mondo’s clueless expression.
Chihiro tugged on his sleeve and pointed. “Look! I told you he had a date!”
Taka huffed. “Being correct is not an excuse to spread rumors, Chihiro! It’s not necessarily a date! He could be meeting a friend!”
“Sorry Chi, I gotta side with my bro here.” Mondo tilted his head back to laugh, slapping Chihiro’s shoulder. “Didn’t I tell you it was crazy? There’s no way a guy like Hiro could find someone to go out with!”
“Pot, kettle, black,” Leon muttered, which made Mondo glower but Taka gave him a stern look before he could retaliate.
Mondo continued, albeit flustered. “A-Anyways, if he has got a date, they gotta be even more nuts than he is!”
“See for yourself.” Chihiro pointed again excitedly as Hiro’s grin somehow widened. A figure on a motorcycle screeched to a halt outside the gates, and Hiro waved before they’d even dismounted.
“Oh, they ride a motorcycle!” Taka smiled, nudging Mondo’s side. “What make is that, Mondo? The same as yours?”
Mondo didn’t respond. Suddenly, he was scowling. “…What the fuck?”
“What is it, bro?” Taka asked, but Mondo was already storming down the steps to the entrance, making his way towards the figure just as he removed his helmet and shook out an impressive volume of wavy black hair.
He opened his mouth to speak. Mondo beat him to the punch. “What the hell are you doing here?”
The biker frowned. “Hey—”
“Am I in trouble or something? Did that dumbass teacher call you!?”
“No, kid—!”
“‘Cause I’ll tell you what I told her, I ain’t doing four questions if they’ve got a million fucking little subquestions that make it up to like, twenty!”
“Christ, Mondo, will you shut the fuck up!?” The biker finally managed to yell, laughing as he dismounted his bike and nodded behind Mondo. “You got some stalkers there.”
Mondo turned, and found the group had followed him to the gate, blinking at the newcomer with a million questions in their eyes.
Sayaka was the first to voice one. “Mondo, do you know this person?”
“Course I know him!” Mondo scoffed like it was obvious. “He’s my brother! And he was just leaving, right Daiya?”
Daiya’s lips twitched as his smile became a smirk. “Actually, no I’m not.”
Mondo groaned. “Dude, if you wanna embarrass me, do it some other time! I got a fuck ton of homework to do—!”
“I ain’t here for you, kid.”
Mondo trailed off. “You’re not?”
“No. If you’d shut your big trap for a sec, I’d have told you so sooner.” He nodded towards Hiro. “I’m actually here for him.”
Mondo looked between them, laughing in disbelief.
Daiya didn’t laugh. Hiro only smiled.
All the color drained from Mondo’s face.
“You’re WHAT!?”
“See?” Hina exclaimed. “It isn’t anyone from our school! I was right!”
“You were right.” Sakura conceded warmly.
“That’s really Mondo’s brother?” Sayaka whispered to Leon.
“I guess I kinda see it.” Leon turned to Mondo, who was still gawking wordlessly. “Does this make Hiro your brother-in-law?”
Taka beamed. “That’s wonderful! This morning your only family was your brother, and now you have Hiro too!”
“I don’t—! That’s—! I mean—!” Mondo stumbled over his words for a moment, before snarling and approaching Hiro. “You’re dating my fucking brother!?”
Hiro arched away with a whimper. “K-Kinda! He said you were cool with it!”
“I am not fucking cool with it!”
“See?” Daiya yanked on Mondo’s collar, holding him back from Hiro by the scruff. “This is why I told him you were cool. ‘Cause I knew you’d throw a damn temper tantrum when you found out.”
Mondo flushed and struggled to break out of his hold. “T-Tantrum!? I’m not having a fucking—!”
“Quit being such a baby.” Daiya released him, and Mondo hurried to straighten out his jacket. “I was gonna tell you eventually. And last we checked, me and Hiro are adults. Far as I’m concerned, we don’t gotta ask your permission for nothing. Yeah?” He patted Mondo’s cheek firmly. Mondo went scarlet.
“Anyways, we should probably get going.” Daiya slapped the seat of his bike and grinned as Hiro admired it with wonder. “It’s a lot comfier than it looks, I swear.”
“No worries! I’ve ridden on way worse bikes!” Hiro ran a hand across the smooth metal and smiled at his reflection. “I once had this bicycle that was so rusty, the whole seat just crumbled off.”
Daiya nodded. “You… weren’t riding it, were you?”
“Oh!” Hiro exclaimed quietly, retrieving the flowers from under his arm. “These are yours, by the way. They weren’t the biggest bunch at the store, but I figured you’d like these more. Don’t they kinda look like popsicles?”
Mondo stared with wide eyes as Daiya examined the bouquet like a foreign object. “Uh, yeah, kinda! Thanks!” He stuffed them on the handlebars, adding a pop of rich purple to his otherwise monochrome bike. “Your hair looks great, by the way.”
“Thanks! Hina and Sakura helped!”
He waved towards them. Hina chuckled nervously. “It was nothing, really! We just gave our, um, opinions!”
“Bro,” Taka said, “you really need to blink at some point.” If Mondo heard him, it didn’t show.
“Alright, hop on.” Daiya straddled the bike and was quickly followed by Hiro, who wrapped his arms around his middle like he’d done this a thousand times. The engine revved, and he laughed in surprise. “It was nice to meet you guys. Maybe I could get some more names next time? Don’t wait up, Mon.”
With a quick wink and a final rev of the engine, the two of them were gone.
The class stared after them in silence, and Leon seemed to shake himself out of his stupor first. He elbowed Mondo in the side. “Dude, your brother’s a fucking player.”
Mondo remained speechless for the rest of the day.
“What the actual fuck was that!?” Junko groaned dramatically and dropped her binoculars. They took a while to hit the ground from where she was perched on the window ledge, legs kicking against the side of the school tower.
“Um, just to check,” Mukuro asked nervously, “that was not the way that was supposed to go, right?”
“Ugh, not even a little!” She huffed, pouting, and folded her arms over her chest. “I thought making that hippy loser put the moves on a biker would get him two black eyes! Not two fucking dates! Then when I realized who the biker’s brother was, I figured there was some hope for misery, but that pomped-up meathead didn’t even take a swing at Hiro! He smacked Naegi just for existing on our first day! Has he been neutered or something!?” Junko sighed, dejected, and slumped backwards so she fell on the classroom floor. “What a waste of my precious time…”
Mukuro hummed sympathetically and kneeled next to her, patting her shoulder. “D-Don’t worry, Junko. There’s still plenty of time for a fight to break out. Do you wanna go and spit at some pigeons on the roof?”
Junko sniffled. “You always know how to cheer me up, sis.”
As Mukuro helped her to her feet, Junko cautioned another glance out the window to where Taka was shaking Mondo by the shoulders. She smiled slightly.
At least some despair came out of all this…