Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Monday (1)

The ringing of the school bell signified the end of the day, the teacher quickly writing down several last-minute notes onto the chalkboard for the class’s homework assignment.

Students started to pack up their bags, several chatting between themselves about club activities and if they were free and whatnot.

Niki drowsily lifted his head up from his open textbook, a small puddle of drool seeping through the pages. He yawned and rubbed at his eyes, blinking the sleepiness out of his system. His stomach rumbled loudly, the sign that he was hungry and should probably hurry home soon.

Niki stuck his hand into his pocket, pulling out an energy bar. He took a bite of it while gathering his things and pushing them all into his bag.

“Shiina-kun, Sensei wants to speak to you,” one of his classmates called out, walking away from the front of the classroom.

Niki nodded and closed his bag, pulling it onto his shoulder. He got up and walked over to where his teacher stood, wiping down the chalkboard.

“Sensei? You wanted to see me?” Niki let out another yawn before taking another bite of his energy bar, and then another, and then another, until it was all gone. His teacher watched with a gentle expression.

“Yes, I just wanted to check up on you, how are you doing? You’ve been falling asleep more often in class, and you haven’t been doing well on your assignments. Is everything okay?” She put down the rag she was using and walked over to her desk.

Niki shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. “Nahaha~ Sensei, I’m fine. Just a little hungry, as I always am! Also, some of the material is a little hard.”

His teacher frowned. “I heard about your family circumstances, will you be alright on your own? Your father called to tell me what’s happening.”

Niki shook his head, smiling. “Yeah! Sensei, I’m thirteen. I can handle living alone, my parents told me everything I need to know! Besides, if I need help with anything Mom said I can ask our landlord or our neighbors.” Niki shifted his weight from one leg to the other, looking away from his teacher.

“Ah, if you’re so sure. I hope things get better for your parents. You’re not getting bullied by anyone, are you? Please let me or another teacher know-”

“Nahaha, Sensei, it’s fine~ No one’s bullying me or anything! You don’t need to worry.” Niki walked towards the door of the classroom. “I have to get home Sensei, my parents will probably need my help packing. Mom also promised that we’ll be having something special for dinner tonight!”

His teacher gave a sigh, lifting up a hand in farewell. “Well, don’t let me keep you for too long. Get home safely, Shiina-san. If you ever need any help with anything, please don’t be afraid to let me know. Also, please, try not to fall asleep in class? If you’re struggling with the material, I’m more than willing to explain it slower for you.”

Niki laughed, sliding the door open. “Thanks Sensei, I’ll try! Bye~” He shut the door behind him, moving down the hall to exit the school building.

He kept a smile on his face, ignoring the whispers from several classmates of his that watched him walk past.

He ignored the hushed murmurs of how his family were cannibals, how he was a monster, how people should be wary of him.

Just smile and go home~ Food is waiting for me, and nothing is better than good food!

In Niki’s opinion, there really was no point in trying to reason with anyone. It was a waste of energy and only made him even more hungrier than he already was. Why bother trying to defend himself and his family when ultimately they were against what everyone else believed? Especially when faced with the big industry that was on the rise, idols and that bright and shiny world that was blinding to him.

None of that stuff mattered at all. As long as Niki had access to food, no matter the taste, he was satisfied.

Niki opened up his shoe locker, finding a slice of ham in one of his shoes. He frowned down at the unfortunate waste of food, before throwing it into a side trash bin.

After slipping on his shoes, Niki began his walk home, his stomach still letting out a rumble a little louder than before. His pockets were empty and as always, he had completely finished his lunch earlier. 

Niki hurried home as fast as he could with what little energy he had left, trying his best not to get distracted.

Approaching his apartment door, he let out a yawn before pulling out his key, turning it in the lock. He pushed the door open and walked in. “I’m home!” he called out, throwing his bag down onto the floor.

“Niki~ Welcome home! How was school?” His mom yelled out, in the middle of moving several boxes.

“It was good~ Mom, Mom, it’s only a monday and there’s already so much homework.” Niki whined, running over and jumping onto the couch. He rolled over to face his mom. “It’s such a pain, Mom~ All this math and numbers stuff.” Niki kicked his feet back and forth, watching her move around the room.

His mom laughed and set the boxes down, walking over to him and leaning down. She reached down and ruffled his hair, messing it up. “I’m sure you’ll be able to get it all done, you’re my capable little chef, aren’t you?”

Niki smiled, nodding vigorously. “Yeah! Of course!”

He pushed away the small feeling of guilt in his gut that came from lying about how he was doing in school.

I shouldn’t bother Mom and Dad about this- they’re about to leave, they really shouldn’t have to worry about me. It’s fine, I’ll manage. I’ve got to show them that I can handle this on my own!

“Honey, do you have the scarves? I can’t find them anywhere,” his mom called out, pulling Niki into her arms.

“Yeah- I put them into the red suitcase.” Niki heard his dad respond, several thumping noises following.

Niki scrunched his face as his mom ran her hands through his hair, detangling several of the clumps. “Mom- Stop, I can do my hair myself!” he squealed, squirming away from her hands.

“Your hair is starting to get long, you sure you don’t need a haircut before we leave?~” She laughed, squeezing him a little.

“Yes! Mom you don’t have to, I can do it myself! Shouldn’t you finish packing? Let me go~ I have so much homework, and it’s only monday…” Niki wiggled himself out of her hold, scrambling over to where he threw his bag down.

His mom laughed, walking back over to where his dad was busy packing another suitcase. “I’m sure there’s a reason for that~ Do you have a test soon?”

Niki pulled his notebook out, pouting. “No, that’s not until next week… and it’s all math Mom, why do I need to learn so much math? I’m going to be a chef, not a scientist or anything that needs that~” He flipped through his book, glaring down at the barely legible squiggles that were his notes.

“Niki, chefs need math too. What about measurements and conversions?” His mom hummed while handing his dad several items to be packed.

“Doesn’t Dad just eyeball it all the time? You said that I should never let instructions restrict me when cooking-”

“Niki~ Dad is a pro, you should still follow directions, especially in the kitchen! Do not guess on timings, you can seriously cause a disaster if you do that!” She sighed, shaking her head. 

His dad nodded. “Your mother is right. I only said that in regards to freedom in taste, core ingredients and instructions must be done correctly. Only adjust accordingly if you need to,” He mumbled, zipping up the packed suitcase.

“Yeah~ And besides Niki, you’ll need math to help you get the best deals on ingredients! Sometimes, just because something says it’s on sale doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best deal. Always be vigilant! E~specially when you’re buying multiple things.” Niki watched his mom stand up and walk over to the kitchen.

“You’ll be doing all the grocery shopping yourself, always remember to check expiration dates and the quality of your ingredients,” she opened up the fridge, pulling out several vegetables and some defrosted meat.

“Eh… I know that already Mom! But do I really need to do math in the store, that’s a lot of work…”

“Keep it all in your head Niki-” Niki’s mom is interrupted by his dad lightly chopping her on the head with an open palm. “You’re confusing him, stop that. Niki, just be careful with your money. We’ll send some plus enough for the rent each month, but if you ever need more please call us.”

“Nahaha, okay!” Niki smiled widely, before a sudden rumble from his stomach made him freeze.

They all looked at each other and laughed, warmth filling the small apartment.

“Our little boy is hungry-”

“I’m not a little boy! I’m thirteen!” Niki complained, running over to where his parents stood in the kitchen.

“You will always be our little boy Niki, no matter how old you are~ Now go get your hands washed, we’re going to make the Shiina family special, our three-person curry!” Niki’s mom hummed, tying her hair back while his dad helped tie her apron on after putting his own on.

Niki grinned. “Okay!”

After washing his hands and throwing on his own apron, he ran back over to join his parents.

It was a warm and comforting song and dance, a shared performance that all three of them knew and loved.

Carrots and potatoes peeled and quartered, blocks of curry dissolved into the broth, an assortment of spices and herbs mixed in gently, a dash of pepper, slices of beef folded in.

A fragrant aroma that couldn’t be described as anything else but homey, a comforting feeling that pulls people in.

One pot of curry, shared between a family of three, made by a family of three.

They all sat around their small dining table with their plates of curry, laughing over small things and talking about various dishes that they’ve had, dishes that they plan to have.

When they finished their plates and Niki started to show drowsiness, his parents gently tucked him into his futon. 

Niki drifted to sleep under his covers with the sound of his parents still shuffling around quietly, the lights dimmed while they finished cleaning up their dinner and packed their belongings which still weren’t put away.

He dreams of a large feast, piles and piles of his favorite foods lining a large table, sights and smells overwhelming yet so mouthwatering. It’s a barrage of different colors, vague tastes that he can barely register as he runs around trying them all, the table continuing to be stacked with more and more for each dish that he finished up.

Niki was eagerly about to start on a plate of cream puffs when everything started to swirl into a fluid mixture of colors, spinning around and away from him.

“Niki. Niki, Wake up.”

Niki slowly blinked his eyes open, the room dark and lit up by a small lamp. His mom sat by his side, gently shaking him awake.

Niki sat up, yawning and rubbing at his eyes. “Are you leaving now?”

“Soon, do you want to go back to sleep?”

Niki shook his head. “No…I wanna say bye to you.”

He tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes, looking around to see his dad pushing suitcases towards the front door. He climbed out of the futon and pulled out a stool, taking a seat as he watched his parents do their last minute preparations.

He kept wobbling, trying to fight off sleep as his head nodded back and forth slowly. His mom laughed softly, ruffling his hair. “Make sure to get enough sleep and eat enough, okay?”

Niki nodded, yawning. “I know, I know.”

“And remember to take the trash out on Tuesdays and bring the mail in. If you need help with something you don’t understand, ask our neighbors or the landlord.” She continued on, squeezing his face with a hand.

“Mngf mmhm…”

“Don’t open the door to strangers, and make sure to let us know if there’s anything you need like more money and-”

Niki huffed, shaking himself free from her hold. “I know I know… I’ll be okay, I’ve got it.” He gave another yawn, his eyes blinking while he tried to stay awake. 

Niki’s mom laughed, smiling softly at him. She leaned over and brushed his bangs to the side, kissing his forehead. “Yeah, our little Niki is strong and independent.”

Niki’s dad walked over, dropping the keys to the house in his hands. He pulled Niki into a hug, squeezing him. “Make sure to eat enough and take care of yourself. Don’t underestimate your hunger, okay?” He stepped back.

Niki smiled, his hands gripping the stool and keys, shaking a little.

He fought the tears that were trying to escape, still wobbling drowsily. He wouldn’t cry. He can’t. Even if he feels like he might start crying, he really doesn’t want to.

He wants to send his parents off with a smile, after all. If he cried, they’d worry about him. And if they worried about him, he would be a bother and being greedy, taking up their attention when they had their own problems to worry about.

Besides, Niki was happy as long as he had food. Even if he was going to be alone for some time, he still had the cooking skills that his dad taught him as well as the many different kinds of recipes that were in the cookbooks that lined their shelves. 

Nothing was better in life than food, after all.

Niki smiled. “Send me pictures when you can. When you guys come back I swear I’ll be a great chef…no, even better than Dad!”

His parents laughed, moving to grab their bags. “I’m looking forward to that day. Do your best at school too, don’t forget!” Niki’s mom called out over her shoulder.

“Yep!”

They finally leave, the door shutting behind them as they rolled out their luggage. Niki stared at the door for a few minutes. He yawned and shuffled over to the lamp, turning it off. He then climbed back into his futon, drifting back to sleep.

When his alarm rang, Niki quickly got ready, grabbed a piece of toast, and headed off to school as usual. Everything went by like a meaningless blur, nothing out of the ordinary, no change to his daily schedule as he tried to not fall asleep during class.

After the end of the school day, Niki slowly made his way back home. He stood in front of his door, staring at it. With a click and a turn of the handle, he opens the door to a dim and empty apartment.

After changing out of his school uniform, Niki sat down at the dinner table that seated three by himself, a single plate of reheated curry sitting in front of him. It was all that was left from the pot the night before, it was an important thing to finish any leftovers before cooking anything new.

Tears silently slid down from Niki’s eyes, rolling down his cheeks. He lifted a hand, wiping them away.

He smiled.

He’s a big kid, and he can stand being alone. He won’t cry! He can’t cry. He shouldn’t cry. He really can’t-

Besides, if he went with them all he would’ve been was a burden, and he didn’t want that. He has always been hungry, and knows that no matter what his parents do, he still will be. So why burden them with a problem that they can’t solve, when they already had their own now?

Why burden anyone at all?

He was perfectly fine by himself, content with just his food and the empty apartment.

“Thank you for the food,” he said to no one but himself.

Shiina Family Three-Person Curry: Warm curry to be shared between a close family

• Carrots and onions peeled and sliced with the help of your family, all three of you working together.
• Fresh potatoes, properly peeled and quartered the way that Dad taught you.
• Defrosted meat of any kind, your Mom loves beef so it’s usually beef but anything works.
• Various spices, exotic like the kinds of ingredients that your parents are leaving to find.

----------------

Tuesday(2)

Niki squatted by the open fridge, looking through the mostly empty shelves. It was broken again for the tenth…eleventh(?) time that month, the hot summer heat was just too much on the old machine.

Niki frowned, leaning forward to pull out half a carrot and a very small amount of raw beef. He sighed, closing the fridge shut with his foot and setting the ingredients onto the countertop, next to what little potatoes he had remaining.

There really isn’t anything left… I had to throw out so much stuff the last time this happened, I haven’t had time to stock up.

Niki glanced behind him at the couch, where an older boy with red hair lay unconscious on some pillows.

Niki found the boy while walking home, and the boy had passed out in the middle of talking with him. Despite everything in his gut telling him otherwise and his own hungry state, and with what little energy he had left, Niki managed to drag the stranger home without much trouble.

He knew he was warned by his parents to be wary of people and not to let strangers into the apartment, but what else could he do? He couldn’t just…leave the boy there after seeing him straight up pass out in front of him!

Besides, it’d probably stay on Niki’s conscience and would leave a bad taste in his mouth if he purposefully ignored someone that was starving. Niki prided himself on being a chef, and what kind of chef would he be if he just left the strange boy out in that alleyway by the trash cans?

So no, he really couldn’t leave the boy there. Sure, he was a little worried that if someone came around and spotted him they’d report him for murder or something, but he really mostly dragged the older boy back because he knew he had the ability to do something for the other.

And maybe, if Niki was lucky, this older boy would have something to pay him back with. He did hear that good deeds are usually repaid in full, or even double. Of course, he didn’t necessarily expect it but it’d be a good bonus.

Niki sighed, ignoring the rumbling in his stomach.

Beef…potatoes… half a carrot. I think we might have some sake and mirin left in the pantry too.

Niki stared down at what ingredients he was able to salvage from the broken fridge and the mostly empty pantry. It was just enough for a small serving of nikujaga.

In terms of Niki himself, maybe this serving size would do nothing to satiate his own bottomless stomach, but as long as it was good enough for the passed-out stranger that he dragged home, that was good enough on its own.

I hope this is enough…would he be fine with nikujaga? I hope that he’s not allergic and I don’t end up actually killing him… Dad would actually kill me!

Niki glanced back at the unconscious boy, who still showed no signs of waking up. He huffed, rolling up his sleeves and pulling out a knife.

If it’s a matter of taste…well too bad, food is food! If he complains he can just get his own food, hmph!

Niki got to work, quickly peeling the vegetables and quartering them. He tossed the small bits of beef he had left into a pot and left them to simmer while he measured out how much sugar, sake, mirin, and soy sauce he needed.

With everything ready and the aromatic scent of simmering beef wafting into the air, Niki added everything into the pot and turned the heat down, slowly stirring the stew. He breathed in, his mouth watering and stomach growling.

No…I only have enough for one person…

Niki shook his head frantically, wiping some drool from his lips. He can’t give in! If he thought about it, this could be some kind of test for him, testing if he was really worthy of carrying the title of “chef”.

But it smells so good-

Niki’s in the middle of fighting to stop himself from giving in when the unconscious boy starts to stir, his eyes blinking open. He suddenly sat up, alert and looking around at the unfamiliar setting with a confused look.

“You’re awake! Thank goodness, I thought you straight up died and that I’d be charged with murder or something like that.” Niki turned the heat down, the small portion of nikujaga slowly bubbling in the pot.

The boy looked back and forth wildly, almost like a distrustful stray cat taken off the streets. (Well, not entirely incorrect. Niki did find this boy on the streets.)

“W-where am I?! Who are you?” Niki watched as the boy got to his feet suddenly, backing away from him with a suspicious look.

Niki held his hands up to show they were empty, smiling. “Nahaha~ Onii-san, I saw you sitting by some trash in an alleyway while going home. We were just talking and then you suddenly fell over! I don’t know about you, but if I saw that happen as someone else there I’d immediately think the other person in the area is the cause, even if he’s just a fourteen-year old. And I don’t want to be a criminal! My parents would kill me if they found out that their son is a murderer!!!!”

The boy squinted at him, his tensed-up position relaxing a little. Niki felt the bright blue eyes look over him, examining him and the new scenery. It was a little nerve-wracking, Niki turning back to the Nikujaga to distract himself. He didn’t know why, but the boy’s gaze made him feel like he was being hunted for some reason.

“I don’t have any money.”

Niki turned to glance back at the boy, who was now looking around at the small apartment. “I never asked for any? Really, I couldn’t just leave you out there after seeing you straight up pass-out in front of me.”

The boy frowned. “But isn’t that why people do kind things? Because they expect to receive something in return? At least that’s how I’ve seen it’s been in the city.”

That’s how it’s been in the city…? Is Onii-san not from the city?

For each exchanged word, Niki found himself becoming more and more intrigued with the older boy that he picked off from the street and dragged home. He ignored the throbbing sensation in his head, and the black dots appearing at the edges of his vision.

“Well, that’s not always true. Some people do nice things because they want to. It's as simple as that, Onii-san. Like yeah, I was a little scared of someone reporting me for murder, but I brought you here because I know I can do something. I’m a chef, it’s my duty to feed people that are hungry~”

“How did you know that I am hungry?”

Niki giggled, wobbling a little. “Onii-san, your stomach was growling very loudly.”

As if on cue, a growl sounded out from the boy’s stomach. His eyes widened and face flushed red in embarrassment, his hands wrapping around his stomach.

Laughing, Niki grabbed a pair of chopsticks, using them to pick a potato up from the stew. “Yep, just like that~ Luckily for you, Onii-san, I have just enough nikujaga for you. Come here, have some while it’s still hot. Say ‘aah~’” He ignored his flickering vision, trying to steady his shaky hand as he held up the potato to the boy.

The boy opened his mouth, taking a bite of the potato. Niki watched his eyes widen, sparkling as he chewed. “This is so good- You’re really good at this!”

“Nahaha~ I’d hope so, I’m a chef! And that’s really all I have to offe-” Niki felt his vision flickering once more, the chopsticks clattering to the floor as his entire body wobbled.

Ah. Guess I’ve hit my limit.

The boy stared at him in confusion, startled by the sudden noise.

Niki laughed a little, staring down at the chopsticks on the floor. “Well. Looks like my time is up~”

His knees buckled under him, his entire body collapsing to the ground and vision fading. Strangely enough, he had a soft landing, something having caught him.

“Huh? What was that? Hey, uh, you, are you okay?!” Niki could hear the boy yelling above him, frantically shaking him.

“Haha…Onii-san…It’s Niki. Shiina Niki. At least I could fulfill my life’s purpose one last time…I hope my parents are proud of me.” Niki muttered, eyes fluttering shut.

“Hey! Don’t close your eyes! Shiina…Shiina Niki! Wait! Don’t give up-”

At least I was able to save someone else… haha…that’s good…

As his consciousness faded away into darkness, Niki could hear the boy yelling his name while still shaking him vigorously.

Ah…I’m so hungry…

I hope in my next life I never have to go hungry ever, this feeling really really sucks~

He smiled, the boy’s frantic yelling fading away with Niki’s consciousness.

Mom. Dad. I hope you guys are proud of me.

Niki blacked out.

Summer Nikujaga : The remnants of a failing fridge, yet thankfully enough to save another person’s life

• Potatoes that are starting to sprout, forgotten for a while but just what you needed, anything is good enough.
• The last bit of mirin and sake that were in the pantry, probably something you won’t ever be able to buy again without an older person's help.
• Meat that was about to go bad, but still tasted like heaven for someone that needed help.

----------------

Wednesday(3)

“Congratulations!”

“Thank you!”

“Hey — you got into — high right? I did too! I’ll see you there!”

“--- are you free over break?”

“Hey hey, we should get a group photo!”

Niki stood to the side, his hands gripping the piece of paper that showed he completed junior high. He watched as his classmates all talked, laughing and covering the chalkboard with notes and passing contacts around. A group of them walked by, pushing past him on their way to take a photo.

Niki walked the other way, shooting a passing glance at the groups of people gathered in the halls. Lower classmen chatting with their seniors, some seniors talking to their teachers. He walked out of the doors, the last time he’d be stepping through them.

The courtyard was filled with more of his fellow graduates, many of them with their friends and family. 

Niki walked past them, starting to feel hungry.

Well. That’s done, guess I better go home and make dinner.

He tucked his diploma under his arm, rummaging through his pockets only to find that they were empty, all of his snacks eaten during the ceremony.

He sighed, walking past everyone he vaguely knew, classmates he’d probably never see again as he wasn’t going on to high school like most of them were. While they all had dreams of becoming lawyers, teachers, doctors, even mundane office workers, all Niki had was his dedication to becoming a chef. Rather than spending time filling his brain with knowledge he’d most likely never use, he’d rather spend that time in the kitchen trying out recipes and experimenting with ingredients of all kinds.

Besides, even after all this time, he still had his condition to worry about. Rather than worrying a new set of teachers about his sudden hunger outbursts or black-outs, he was just fine stopping there and not making it anyone else’s problem.

Niki passed by a classmate of his taking a picture with their family, peace-signs held up and smiles about. His classmate’s father grinned, ruffling their hair.

Niki looked away, trying to remember what was in the fridge.

Hmm. I think there were sausages? Eggs… rice, of course. I think there’s also that mushroom Dad sent me…

Niki stopped walking, staring down at his shoes. He clenched his fist, lip quivering.

No… I can’t. It’s not like they would be able to make it either. Nahaha, I hope they’re having fun.

His stomach growled again, reminding him of his objective. His mind started to wander back to the contents of his fridge, a reminder that he probably should stop by the market and pick up some groceries before going back.

“I wonder if Onii-san would be fine with just what we have…” Niki really didn’t feel like doing any chores though, wanting only to seat himself in front of a plate of yummy food, calories washing away all his worries.

Because really, why be upset, worried, anything as long as he could enjoy a nice meal? Why selfishly wish others would be there with him for this supposedly special day, when he was happy and healthy, with a place to sleep, food, comfort?

Shouldn’t he be happy, even if he was alone?

His hands started to shake, lip quivering again. He tries to fight to hold back the tears forming at the edge of his eyes.

The sound of footsteps approach him, followed by several gasps and a low wheezing. Niki looked up to find Rinne in front of him, bent-over with his hands on his knees, completely winded and gasping for air.

“Onii-san?” Niki gaped, confused.

He watched the older boy breath heavily for a few more seconds, not sure what to do. “Are you okay?”

Rinne stared at him, not responding. As if he finally was able to focus again, his eyes widened.

“Onii-san?” Niki looked around, finding that they were alone on the street.

He watched as Rinne suddenly bowed, shoving something into Niki’s arms. “Niki! I’m so, so, so sorry I missed it. There was a line at the flowershop and the person in front took forever and wouldn’t just pick their flowers out like they were the only person in line and-”

Niki found his arms full of a small bouquet of flowers. It wasn’t anything special, one of those cheaper ones that flower shops usually have on discount up front. In fact, several of the flowers were already limp, starting to wilt.

But still, Niki could only stare in awe at the small bouquet as Rinne continued to apologize. He smiled, tears falling down drop by drop, sniffles and then sobs erupting from him.

Rinne stood up instantly, a panicked look across his face. “Wait what’s wrong?! Did…Did you get hurt? Why are you crying, hey please don’t cry-”

Niki shook his head, hugging the flowers to his chest tightly, crushing them but not wanting to let go. “No, Onii-san you have it wrong.” He rubbed his eyes, wiping the salty tears away. “I’m happy, I’m so happy. Thank you Onii-san, I love them.” He stared down at the flowers again, smiling.

At that Rinne’s expression softened, relief washing over him. “Oh, that’s good. I’m glad~ Congratulations Niki, for finishing junior school.”

“It’s junior high, Onii-san, and tha-”

A loud growl from Niki’s stomach interrupts him. He looked away, embarrassed.

Rinne laughed, eyes fond as he held up a tote bag Niki didn’t notice him carrying earlier. “Sounds like someone’s hungry~ Didn’t you have five pieces of toast this morning?”

Niki huffed, looking away. “It was a long day…I also ate all my pocket snacks during the first half of the ceremony.”

Rinne grinned, grabbing Niki by the arm. “Well, Amagi Rinne to the rescue! Let’s go find somewhere to sit, I have another surprise for you~”

Niki followed him to a nearby park, the two of them sitting down on a bench. Several sakura trees starting to bloom stood above them, a gentle breeze swaying the branches and causing some petals to flutter down.

“Well, what’s the surprise?” Niki tipped his head curiously, his tears long-gone and replaced with an unfaltering smile.

Rinne slowly pulled out a small box, one that Niki recognized to be one of the bento boxes he sometimes prepared for the older boy before leaving to go to school.

“Umm…” For some reason, Rinne looked nervous as he held the box. Niki couldn’t help but find it cute, giggling to himself.

Rinne looked up, still unsure. He held the box and a pair of chopsticks out to Niki. “I made some food for you. I had a feeling you’d be hungry. Sorry, it’s not much and nothing like what you can make and probably not enough but it should be just enough so you can make it home.”

Niki opened the box, revealing a small amateur bento. There was some rice, a sad kind-of-salad, some misshapen sausage octopi, and a generous helping of furikake. But besides all that, Niki found himself staring at the biggest thing in the bento, an omelet (?) that was spilling open right in the middle of the entire box.

There were squiggles and smears of ketchup on the omelet, and after staring at it for a good moment Niki was finally able to make out the sad attempt of writing ‘congratulations’ in ketchup.

“I tried to remember everything you taught me and I swear it turned out better but when I put it in it spilled open and then the ketchup wouldn’t come out and got everywhere- oh but don’t worry, I cleaned up, but anyways-”

Niki laughed, picking up the chopsticks. He grinned. “Onii-san, shut up and let’s eat! The more you talk, the more calories you use up~”

They sat together on that bench, laughing over Rinne’s poor bento, simply enjoying each other’s company as they talked about whatever as they usually did. Honestly, to Niki it didn’t really feel like he just took what people often called a ‘major step in life’, but that was just fine.

It was this comfort in their small and mundane barely-a-celebration that made his stomach feel fuller than usual, a warm feeling in his gut that he didn’t necessarily dislike.

Niki took a bite of a sausage, ignoring how some of it was crunchy.

“So Niki…What’s next? If you’re not going to the higher school-”

“Onii-san, it’s high school. And honestly, I dunno, nahaha~” Niki watched as a sakura petal fluttered down, landing on top of Rinne’s head.

He reached up, gently grabbing the petal. He turned it over in his hand. “Probably find a job? Maybe the uncle at the café near home will let me work now that I’m not a student anymore.”

Rinne nodded, looking up at the trees above them. “Makes sense~ But you said you want to be a chef- are there no schools for becoming a chef?”

Niki shrugged, letting the petal drop fall from his hand and onto his lap, into the bento. “Yeah, but they’re expensive and I honestly learn better on my own~ It’s always been that way, that’s kinda the reason I’m not going with everyone else to high school. Haha, I’m not trying to become anything special like everyone else dreams to be~ Being a chef is fine for me.”

“Isn’t that special on its own? Being a chef isn’t just anything, not everyone can cook as well as you, you know?” Rinne frowned at him. “Niki, you really should think more of yourself. You’re an amazing person, more than you think.”

“Onii-san, nahaha, thank you but you give me too much credit-”

“No, in fact I don’t give you enough. You took me in, gave me a place to stay, saved my life and even now I’m still unable to repay you.”

Niki looked around awkwardly, fidgeting with the empty bento box in his lap. He finished it without even noticing. “Ahah…That again…”

“Anyways, that aside, Niki, you’re not that different from all your other classmates. You have a dream, a special dream that you’re chasing too. What’s different is that you already know how to get to it, and know what you can give up for it. And I think that’s pretty damn cool of you.”

Rinne was staring at him with sparkling eyes, the sakura petals fluttering around them. Niki could only stare, speechless.

“I wish I knew how to reach mine as easily as you do.” Rinne muttered softly, reaching up to dust a petal off of Niki’s hair. Though still sparkling, Niki could see a hint of sadness in the older boy’s eyes. He frowned.

Onii-san…Isn’t he still trying to become an idol? Is that not going well?

“Onii-san…but you’re trying so hard, aren’t you?”

Rinne laughed, looking off into the distance. “Yeah, but maybe it’s not enough. I’m just a guy from who-knows-where, tryin’ to become someone who shines like a star. It’s laughable, really. Maybe I’d be more successful if I actually was from the city~ You did say I have a scary look.”

Niki shook his head, grabbing Rinne’s hands. Rinne jolted his head, staring at Niki.

“No! I mean- yes, you were scary when we first met. But! First impressions are not everything! Onii-san- no, Rinne-kun, you aren’t scary at all. You’re really kind, and I can see that. And if people say otherwise, well they’re wrong!” he huffed angrily, glaring up at a shocked Rinne.

Niki stared down at the older boy’s hands in his. He squeezed them. “I know you’re working hard to reach that future you’re dreaming about. And sure, it’s less stable than the one I guess I’m walking towards, but it’s what you want. It’s new and you knew barely anything about it, but you’re still trying. Rinne-kun, even if it’s rough and you’re turning up with nothing, you’re not letting that stop you, right? I think you’re perfect just as you are, city or not.”

My future’s been set in stone ever since I was born. And I’m fine with that.

But I know from what little Onii-sa- Rinne-kun has told me, he was never happy with the future he was born with. And fate brought him here.

“Niki…” Rinne mumbled.

My future…it really is simple, I just do what I’ve always loved. But Rinne-kun is still unsure. He looks lost, stumbling around in an unfamiliar place with no one to help him.

No one to help him…

“Okay, I’ve made up my mind.” Niki let go of Rinne’s hands.

“About what?”

“I have no idea what you can get up to when I’m not looking, and would rather not get suddenly surprised by the police showing up at my doorstep.” Niki teased, standing up from the bench.

Rinne pouted. “Hey! What’s that supposed to mean? I’m a law-abiding member of society!”

Niki laughed, softly smiling and extending a hand out to Rinne.

“That aside, if that’s the future you want, I’ll help you reach for it. Maybe with the both of us, we’ll be able to find the way when you couldn’t on your own. Aren’t things always easier when you aren’t by yourself?”

Rinne’s look of shock disappeared, replaced with a big smile. He laughed, reaching forward and not grabbing the hand offered to him, but pulling Niki close and ruffling his hair roughly.

“Yeah. You’re right. Let’s become stars together, Niki.”

Amateur’s Hanami Bento : A graduation gift when you didn’t expect one; a little burnt, a little too salty, but for some reason everything tastes better than anything you’ve ever had

• A fluffy-er well, trying-to-be fluffy omelet, given to you by someone that you personally taught.
• Sausages cut haphazardly, close to the standard octopus shape except for the fact that several of the tentacles are missing.
• Sakura petals, fallen from above. A common symbol of the start of something new.
   

----------------

Thursday(4)

Niki looked up from his phone at the clock at the wall, frowning. It was well past midnight and there was still half a pizza left on the table, waiting to be eaten. The chair in front of him was still empty, only one pair of shoes were at the entrance, and only one set of keys was in the dish by the door.

Rinne-kun’s late… where is that guy now??

Niki sighed, massaging his temple to ward off an oncoming headache. He should probably get to bed, he had a shift at the café in the morning. Working a shift while sleep-deprived was not ideal employee behavior.

Niki got up from his seat, carrying his empty plate over to the sink. Whistling to himself, he started to wash the piled-up dishes, scrubbing off tomato sauce, cheese, and other leftovers from the simple pizza he made.

A pizza he made fresh, which was absolutely delicious when warm. Which was now cold. On the table. Untouched.

Niki gave an angry huff.

That guy… He’s probably getting up to some trouble. Hitting the pachinko or wherever he likes to slink off to. What happened to the cute Rinne-kun, who was excited and respectful?!

Niki stopped angrily scrubbing a plate, staring at his reflection in its shine.

A rhetorical question. He knew what happened. Much time has passed, many things have changed. Not all good things last forever.

To witness it all though, to see it first-hand, the slow spiraling descent of a bright star into a forgotten shadow, it really did hurt. From eagerly chasing a dream hand-in-hand, to watching on the sidelines still cheering, only to watch everything fall apart, Niki really can’t blame Rinne for wanting to find some way to distract himself from all of that.

Really, why should he blame him when he was the one who left in the first place? Isn’t that part of the problem? He gave up even if Rinne begged, simply taking the advice of his well-doing father. He was unable to do anything, say anything as he watched his friend fall from the dream he worked so hard to get, tumbling from the sky with wings scorched by the sun.

Niki has all the dishes on the drying rack and is about to put the pizza in the fridge when the door opens, a red-headed mess stumbling in. He shut the door behind him, keys clinking into the dish by the door. “Niki~kyuuun. I’m homeeeeeee!”

Niki glared at the disturbance in his otherwise peaceful night. He grabbed a glass, filling it up with water.

Rinne stumbled over, wobbling as he slumped onto the couch. “Where’s my welcome home??” his speech was slurred, face flushed and red. Very terribly drunk.

Niki sighed, walking over with the cool glass of water. He held it out to his drunk companion. “I thought you had a job. Why are you drunk?”

“Kyahahahahahhhaaaaaaaaa. Ha. Haaa. Yeah I finished it it was so easy because nothing is a challenge for me and I’m the greatest idol in the world Rinne-kun is so so sad that Niki-kyun doesn’t agree hic sniffle sob look Niki now I’m crying boo-hooo hooooo~” Rinne laughed, taking a sip from the water and squinting at Niki, trying to focus on him.

But what Rinne fails to know is that by having lived with him for several years now, Niki has somewhat become an expert at reading his emotions. Especially now, when he hid things behind the bliss of alcohol and a nonchalant attitude.

Niki knows Rinne is lying. He knows that there was no job. It’s concealed, barely visible, but through the drunken flush and inebriated words, Niki can see how his friend is hurting. There’s an unexplainable ache that he feels in his chest when he sees how Rinne really is feeling.

He doesn’t comment on it, though. It’s not like he doesn’t want to, he just doesn’t know what to say. If he can even help.

Niki gave a long sigh as he ducked away from Rinne trying to hug him. “Stop coming home drunk. It’s not fun dealing with you when you’re like this.”

“Awww but I’m the most likable guy all the time~~ And Niki~kyun will always take suchhhh good care of meeeehehehee~”

Niki rolled his eyes, walking over to the oven. He turned it on, setting the timer. “There’s dinner on the table. It’s cold already, but I’ll heat it up for you. Come on Rinne-kun, get up or you’re sleeping on that couch tonight.”

“Okayyy~”

Niki grabbed the remaining slices of pizza, sticking them in the microwave. He heard from behind him the rough scrape of the chair being pulled out against the wooden floor.

“Smells gooood. But everything Niki makes is good. But this smells really, really, reallllyyyyy good what did you make Niki what did you makeeee?” Rinne had his bandana looped from his finger, swinging it around in circles as he watched Niki, seated at the table.

Ugh he’s really drunk. Seems like he’ll not remember any of this and have a killer hangover in the morning. What a pain.

“Niki~kyuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun~ Is it ready yet? I’m hungryyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.” 

Niki heard a thump, turning around to find Rinne sprawled out on the table, face down. He sighed. “Be patient. It’s heating up.”

“Yay~ Thank you Niki~kyuuuuuuuuun. Seee I’m right when I say you’ll make a great wife. In fact you should be mine kyahaaaha~”

Niki pulled the reheated pizza out of the microwave. “Can’t. Here you go, be careful, it’s still hot.” He set the plate of pizza down in front of the other.

Rinne’s eyes widened, clearing up a little and brightening. Less wobbly, more sober than earlier, he started to laugh, his eyes crinkling in a soft smile. “Pizza? For me? I love you, Niki~kyunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!”

Niki rolled his eyes fondly, taking his seat back in the chair across from Rinne. “Yeah, yeah. Shut up and eat your food.” Niki yawned, glancing back at the oven. 

Hmm. Not done yet. 

He turned back to Rinne and lowered his head onto his arms. “I have a shift in the morning, hurry up so I can get some sleep,” Niki muttered.

“Yes sir!”

They stayed in comfortable silence after that, Niki starting to doze off while Rinne ate his dinner. Niki felt his eyelids drooping and drowsiness start to take over, before the shrill beeping of the oven jolted him awake.

“Niki, did you leave the oven on? I thought you used the microwave?” Rinne questioned, finishing up his last slice.

Niki yawned, sliding out of the chair and grabbing oven mitts. “No, it’s something else.” He opened the oven to a blast of hot air and a deliciously sweet smell. He pulled out a tray of baked apples, baked in honey and dusted with cinnamon. They gave off a warm and comforting aroma.

Rinne stared at the apples as Niki set them down on the table. He watched in silence as Niki scooped some up onto two different plates. He doesn’t speak until Niki sets the plate in front of him.

“Kyahaha~ What’s the occasion? Why’s Niki bringinging out everything that I like? Have you fallen for me?” Rinne teased, grabbing a fork that Niki offered him.

Niki smiled softly. “I just wanted to give you something nice, because you’re working so hard and I’m proud of you.”

He watched Rinne’s eyes widen, his face still slightly flushed. Silent tears were starting to roll down his cheeks, dripping onto the table.

“It may be hard sometimes, but I know you’re still trying. You may think that you’re alone, but that’s wrong. I may not be able to be by your side, but I’m cheering for you on the side, Rinne-kun. And I always will. You won’t ever lose this fan~ Wow, I’m so loyal!” Niki laughed softly, reaching out to wipe a tear from Rinne’s cheek.

Rinne started to hiccup, sobs escaping through a mouthful of baked apple. Tears streamed down, the older man erupting into a sobbing mess while he still ate the baked apples. “N,,Niki…hic…Niki….” Rinne cried, covering his face.

Smiling, Niki reached forward, stroking Rinne’s head. “Rinne-kun, why are you crying?”

“Shut…hic… up.” Rinne choked out, swallowing his mouthful of apple and wrapping his arms around Niki. He buried his face in the apron, getting snot and tears everywhere.

Ah, it really can’t be helped~

Niki continued to run his hands through Rinne’s hair, softly humming the familiar tune of their debut song while Rinne sobbed against his chest.

Honey-baked cinnamon apples : To cheer a hard worker on, even if nothing seems to go his way

• Apples, preferably the one’s that Rinne-kun likes because that makes him happy.
• Ground cinnamon, the one that Rinne-kun helped to grab because you were too short to reach it up on the top shelf at the market.
• Honey, a sweet treat and valuable ingredient in cooking. Known to have a calming effect, reducing the stress of everyday life. Maybe it’ll help Rinne-kun relax. (Also a good hangover remedy)

Chapter Text

Friday(5)

There are no other sounds in the kitchen besides the flickering of the stove flames and the crackle and pop of oil sizzling in the pan in Niki’s hands, grains of leftover rice slowly turning a golden brown as he stirred them slowly with a wooden spatula.

Niki inhaled, his mouth drooling at the delicious aroma wafting up from the pan, some fried rice he was putting together with leftover scraps and spare ingredients. He took a spoonful for a quick taste, frowning and turning to add a dash of pepper for flavoring.

Or well, he would be adding the pepper. If he could reach it. The pepper being up on a shelf several feet away, and Niki being stuck in place in front of the stove, with a red-headed man slightly taller than him and equal his bodyweight clinging to him from behind, his face buried against Niki’s shoulder.

After the call from Himeru and coaxing Rinne to finally stop pointing the knife at him and putting it down, when Niki moved to prepare some fried rice for the both of them Rinne silently slid up behind him, arms wrapping around and squeezing him like that. Effectively trapping Niki in place, as the current dilemma stands.

Niki sighed. “Rinne-kun, I’ve told you this time and time again. It’s not safe, the fire is hot and oil can splatter all of a sudden and burn you. Oil burns aren’t a joke, you know? You should sit down at the table and wait patiently.”

Niki doesn’t hear a response, only the arms around him tightening a little.

“...Fine, you can stay. At least let me go so I can grab the pepper? You can get back to it after I grab that and some other things. I can’t really move around the kitchen with you attached to me.” Niki gave up on trying to get him to sit down, glancing at the man on his shoulder, offering a compromise.

Rinne didn’t say anything. Instead, he silently let go, stepping back. His eyes were downcast, headband down and hung around his neck. His bangs casted a shadow over his face, no attempt done at sweeping them aside. 

It was the look of someone that had given up, a burned up star that had fallen from its place in the sky, with nowhere to go.

Niki grabbed the pepper, some salt, and some spices before walking back over to his spot in front of the stove. As soon as he was back in place, he felt the arms wrap around him from behind again, a head burying into his shoulder again, breaths tickling his neck.

Niki added the dash of pepper and some spice, continuing to let the rice sizzle in the oil and soy sauce. He grabbed a bowl on the side filled with overcooked beef scraps that he managed to rescue alone with the leftover rice, pouring them in and pushing them around in the pan to help them adopt the flavors of the rest of the fried rice.

“Hey Rinne-kun, do you want an egg with your fried rice?” Niki hummed, grabbing an egg from his pile of gathered ingredients. He felt the vibrations of a low mutter against his shoulder.

“Okay~ Sunny-side up, just the way you like it. I’ll make one for myself too.” Niki reached forward for an unoccupied pan, coating it with oil. He cracked open two eggs, listening to them sizzle as they were fried, while at the same time he continued to stir the other pan with the actual fried rice. He turned the heat down to a simmer, flames almost disappearing.

Niki felt movement on his shoulder. He glanced to his side to see that Rinne had lifted his head a little, watching Niki cook silently. 

Niki smiled. He hummed softly, continuing to fold the rice with the other ingredients, occasionally checking on the two eggs. He sprinkled a touch of pepper and salt on them, watching as the clear and gooey egg whites were cooked, the two eggs merging together.

He’s still humming one of Rinne’s solo songs when he feels Rinne bury his face back into his shoulder. Niki sighed, prodding the frying eggs with his spatula.

“Hey Rinne-kun, did you know that the egg yolk color doesn’t really have any special meaning? It’s a common misconception that it determines nutritional value or taste, but really, all it tells is probably what kind of diet the chicken had. Doesn’t mean people will not try to get the pretty orange ones though, they look cool, nahaha,” Niki turned the heat down, using the spatula to cut the merged eggs back into two.

He gets no response, but that’s alright. He’ll wait however long it takes for Rinne to start talking, or even drop the topic if that’s what the other man wanted. It’s how the two of them always have been, a comfort in simply being there. Waiting, not necessarily knowing but simply being a firm presence to lean on.

Or well in this situation, a presence to cling to and bury one’s face into.

As Niki plated two plates of scrap fried rice and the fried eggs, moving around with some trouble due to the body stuck to him, he continued to talk without expecting any response.

A joke about something he saw the other day, more facts about ingredients he used, excited rambling over plausible recipes he could try out in the future. As he talked, and after they were seated next to each other at a table, plates of fried rice set down, he even somehow ended up lifting one of his hands up and gently carding through the red hair, stroking the older man’s head. It was a natural response that Niki hadn’t done for a long time.

Nahaha, how nostalgic. It really has been a while since we last were like this, hmm~

Niki can vaguely remember that night, the tears scattered across the floorboards of his apartment and the smell of alcohol. The warm scent of cinnamon in the air, a shaking, sobbing mess in his arms.

He continued his rambling and motions, before Rinne slowly pulled back and sat up in his chair, staring down at the plate of fried rice in front of him.

With arms finally freed, Niki quickly turned his attention back to his own plate, what he’s been waiting for so eagerly. He picked up a spoon, taking in bites of his creation.

It’s silent once more, no sounds in the room besides Niki’s spoon scraping against his plate. Niki looked to his side to see Rinne still staring down at his plate which was still untouched, his hands at his side.

Niki sighed, wiping a drop of gooey egg yolk off from the side of his mouth. “Rinne-kun, are you going to eat your portion? It’s going to get cold if you don’t, you know. You also kinda have to pick it up with a spoon to eat it, it’s not gonna enter your stomach if you just stare at it like that~” Niki joked lightly, watching Rinne carefully.

“Niki.” Rinne mumbled.

Niki smiled. “Yes, Rinne-kun?”

Rinne didn’t move, still staring down at the fried rice.

“If it’s not to your liking, we can go get you something else. Just let me finish it up for you, wasting food even if it was made with scraps is a big no!” Niki mumbled through a full mouth, finishing up the last bit of his portion of the fried rice.

“Niki…”

“Yeah?”

Rinne exhaled, slowly looking up at Niki through his bangs. His once-bright blue eyes were misted over, devoid of the fire that normally burned in them. “I wanted to be an idol.”

Niki set his spoon down, turning his full attention to Rinne. “Ahaha. And that’s how it always has been, hasn’t it? Being an idol, up there on stage. Didn’t that come true?”

Rinne’s eyes shifted downwards, avoiding Niki’s. “Yeah…” he muttered.

“Not without it’s trouble, I suppose. But every dream has its roadblocks~ Your dream certainly took us through some, nahaha~”

Niki flinched in surprise as Rinne suddenly bowed his head, bent over facing Niki. “About that- Yeah, I have. I’m sorry, Niki. For dragging you everywhere. And for everything.” His voice cracked a little, still facing the floor.

Niki looked around awkwardly, not knowing what to do. “Umm. Rinne-kun, stop that. Don’t say sorry-”

“But I mean it, I really do. I’m sorry Niki-”

Niki lunged forward, grabbing Rinne’s face with his hands. He pulled it up to face him, finding eyes so full of emotion, a sincerity that he rarely ever saw in recent times. 

A heart-breaking expression of one that really has given up.

Niki squeezed Rinne’s face lightly. He sighed. “Stop it. I don’t want to hear you say that. If you’re just going to say sorry at the end of everything, it’s better you never have done it at all.”

Niki let go of Rinne’s face, sitting back in his chair. “Well. Did you at least have fun? You really went out with a ‘bang’, Rinne-kun. They’ll probably be talking about you for a while~”

Rinne didn’t say anything, watching Niki silently. His face was no longer lowered at least, apologizing for something Niki didn’t want him to apologize for.

“Is that it, Rinne-kun? Is this what you planned? Have you accomplished everything that you wanted, Rinne-kun? Is it over?” Niki fidgeted with his ponytail as he spoke, tightening the hair tie. His fingers stopped. “Are you giving up?”

“Is it giving up if there isn’t anything else I can do… I don’t deserve to be an idol anymore. I can’t shine like everyone. They’re bright and sparkling, I’m not. You heard it yourself from everyone, I’m a scourge to idols and everything they stand for.” Rinne slightly turned his head, looking away.

“Hmm, hmm~ But to me, Rinne-kun is bright and sparkling in his own way. He has his own ideals, dreams that he reaches for. How does that make you different from everyone else? Who has the right to determine whether or not anyone deserves to be anything?” Niki let go of his ponytail, sighing.

“Sure, they may say you’re a scourge. But wait, isn’t that what you’ve been trying to get them to believe? Your elaborate plan to get the changes you want in the system, to fix the idols you love so much? A charade you’ve kept up for however long, ever since things started turning this way?”

Rinne didn’t move, still silent. His head was starting to droop again.

Niki huffed. “Rinne-kun, you’re an idiot.”

At that, Rinne finally turned his head back towards Niki, eyes squinted. “Hey. That’s kinda rude to say to someone that’s moping.”

Niki rolled his eyes. “Let me finish. I know you’re smart and act like you have everything under control, but really, you’re an idiot. Are you really sacrificing yourself for everyone? Making it like we as Crazy:B aren’t going along with your charade because we want to and believe in you, even if there’s a chance we’ll eventually end up regretting it?”

Rinne’s eyes flitted down once more, unable to refute him.

“Are you taking all the blame, martyring yourself for the idols you love, that won’t thank you, the idols that you dreamed to be but found yourself unable to become?”

Rinne still didn’t say anything, but Niki could see the subtle changes in his expression. Walls breaking down piece-by-piece. He continued.

“Are you taking everything, shouldering all the complaints and blame of everyone onto yourself and running tail-tucked back home?”

“...It was bound to happen in the end. Every nice dream has an end, after all. Nothing lasts forever. Besides, it’s the future I was born with, my destiny to take over as head of the family. My very own brother that I abandoned came all the way out here for that reason to knock this responsibility back into me.” Rinne mumbled.

Niki crossed his arms, leaning forward. “Huh. Destiny? Really, that again? You and your destiny and fate…Is there really no other way? Nothing else you can do? The Amagi Rinne I know doesn’t give up even if everything’s gone wrong. He’s always burning ahead, fighting through everything and not letting anything get in his way.”

Rinne gripped the headband around his neck, pulling at it. “Sometimes there’s things that you just can’t achieve. Dreams that stay like that, just dreams.”

Niki clapped his hands together, nodding. “ I see. I get it now! You know what? I take it back.”

“Wh-”

“You’re not an idiot, Rinne-kun. You’re an extremely stupid idiot .”

Rinne squinted at him. “Hey, that’s not any better-”

“But~ I guess you’re my extremely stupid idiot. And maybe I’m a little stupid too, nahaha. What do they say? It takes one to know one.” Niki laughed softly, giving a small smile.

Rinne stared back at him, confused. “Your..?”

Niki closed his eyes, memories flashing through his mind. “You know, Rinne-kun, I’ve been with you for so long. I’ve seen so many things, been there since you knew nothing. You were kinda cute, haha.”

He opened them again. “Not knowing your way around at all, fresh and new to the city. A baby, nahaha~”

“Are you trying to make me feel better, or are you making fun of me?”

Niki stuck his tongue out. “You knew nearly nothing, but there was one thing that you did know. And that was that you had a dream. A dream that you didn’t give up on, even after everything. All the long nights of practice, pouring all of your heart out through corporate lyrics that weren’t you, yet you still loved with all your heart and wanted to share. Even with an almost-empty hall, you still gave it your all. I know that very well.” Niki smiled, recalling the memory of cheering in a nearly empty front row, clapping for a star burning by himself.

Rinne rested his elbow onto the table, leaning his chin onto his open palm. He was back to watching Niki with no responses to give.

This guy…

“All that, and you’re giving up now? Because of a few hurdles? The guy that never let anything stop him?”

Rinne took in a deep breath. “Is it really giving up if it’s part of the plan? You said it all, Niki. I got everyone’s eyes on everything messed-up about this system. And now, everyone will get a happy end. That bastard, no-good, excuse of an idol, Amagi Rinne, is gone for good. My brother can live happily here with his new friends and the knowledge that his fool-of-a big brother has finally gone back to continue his rightful duties. Niki, you can finally live free without some leech always dragging you along everywhere-”

“ Happy ? Is this what you think would make everyone happy? What you think would make me happy? Since when were you the one to say what would make me happy?” Niki frowned, foot tapping impatiently on the ground.

Rinne seemed to shrink back in his seat, trying to appear smaller. “I- I just assumed it made sense cuz you’re always complaining-”

“I take both things back. You’re not an idiot, or an extremely stupid idiot. You’re an impossibly incredibly stupid dumbass of an idiot with no brain inside of you , even if you act so smart.”

Rinne frowned, glaring at Niki. He started to complain again “Oi, what-”

Niki, however, was done. He wouldn’t let him complain. He had to get the point across, no twists and turns needed.

“Rinne-kun, you do know that if I actually hated it, I would’ve dropped you from the start? Left you on that street corner, alone in your sad and wet cardboard box. But I didn’t. And still don’t.”

Niki leaned forward suddenly, slapping one hand on the table. Rinne flinched back in shock.

“And I still won’t. You know, Rinne-kun, you’ve taken me to places I’ve never thought I’d be. From our days of researching how to become idols, to getting that contact, the interviews, the practice, and then finally debuting. Becoming an idol, living that short-lived dream alongside you and becoming the very thing that tore my family apart.”

Rinne started to look down again, about to apologize. “Sorry-”

“No! Didn’t I tell you already? I don’t want to hear your apologies! And I’m not done, stop interrupting!” 

“Sor-” Rinne stopped himself, covering his mouth with his hands.

Niki clenched his fist. “I don’t admit this often, but it’s been fun. I got to experience things I’d never experience on my own, see things that I could only dream of. Did you have fun, Rinne-kun?” Niki softened his voice, calmed down from his outburst.

Rinne gave him a sad smile. “The most fun I had was when we debuted.”

Niki smiled back. “Yeah, that was fun. But I’m sure there were other times, and maybe even now. Even while you’re up there on that blinding stage, painting yourself into a bright red target, yelling and screaming at everyone to aim their knives at you. You were still having fun, even if it was one last explosion of excitement before you fizzled out into how you are now.”

No one spoke, both of them silent.

I saw how he looked on that stage, laughing. But just because it was fun, doesn’t mean…

“Does it hurt, Rinne-kun?” Niki whispered, loud enough for just them.

Rinne’s head dropped, his hands moving from his mouth to cover his entire face.

Niki leaned forward, reaching up. He grabbed Rinne’s hands gently, prying them off of the other’s face and pulling them down. Rinne didn’t make any move to stop him, only watching Niki as his face was uncovered.

Niki rubbed his thumb softly over Rinne’s hands, before giving them a small squeeze. He watched Rinne lift his head slowly.

“Are you really going back?”

Rinne didn’t say anything, his eyes swirling with emotions. Niki couldn’t miss the uncertainty that brewed in them. He waited.

A minute goes by. And then a response. “Yeah. There’s nothing left here for me.” (except you. But I don’t even deserve you.) It’s left unsaid, but Niki knows what Rinne left out. 

Niki sighed, giving Rinne’s hands another squeeze. “Well. If that’s what Rinne-kun says, I guess that’s that. It’s a shame, I really liked this place besides, well… everything. Kohaku-chan and Himeru-kun are great people, I’m sure we would’ve become actual friends. They have a place here, though. You’ve made sure of it, haven’t you?”

Rinne stared at their hands. “What’s that gotta do with me going home?”

“What did I tell you about interrupting?” Niki clicked his tongue, letting go of one of the hands. He lightly chopped the older man on the head. “Besides them, I’ll also miss the job I had in this caféteria. Access to the ingredients and kitchen when I’m on break? Nahaha, it’s really an upgrade from our small home kitchen~”

Rinne frowned. “Niki, why are you talking like-”

“Like I’m leaving? Well, isn’t it obvious? I’m going with you, Rinne-kun.”

Rinne’s eyes shot wide open. “Huh?”

“Don’t ‘huh’ me. You’ve taken over so much of my life, Rinne-kun. Taken soooooo much of my food, my time, my energy. Isn’t it natural to return the favor?” Niki huffed, letting go of Rinne’s other hand.

Rinne’s eyes were still wide, confused. “Wait but-”

“And you still haven’t paid me back for that money you took from my wallet a month ago and ended up losing because you ‘betted on the wrong number’! Like that excuse even matters?! Aren’t you a big-shot in your hometown? I’m sure you can pull strings and get me comfortably settled~ I just want to be fed and never have to worry about feeling hungry again.”

“I mean…One extra person is no problem; Wait, but Niki-”

Niki crossed his arms again, pouting. “But what? Sure, even if it’s food I’ve never seen before, I’ll still gladly take it! Even if all you have to give me is just plain rice, as long as I’m fed and full I’m happy. A guy like me, with the condition I have, can’t be picky. I’ll even eat the scraps thrown onto the floor that everyone else doesn’t want, wasting food is a crime worse than anything in the world!” 

“But-” Rinne tried again to interrupt, his hand lifted.

“What did I say? None of your excuses are going to stop me, Rinne-kun. Whatever you can come up with won’t make me change my mind. I took you in without any intention of ever letting you go.”

Niki picked his spoon up, tapping it against the plate of cold fried rice. “Even if I can’t have something like this fried rice anymore, even if it’s a life that is nothing like what I’ve lived and everything is so different, even if all you can give me is plain rice.”

Niki set the spoon down, exhaling. “I’m already used to you dragging me into all kinds of new things, what’s the problem with there being one more of that added to the list?”

“Niki I-”

“No, right now you are not allowed to talk! Why? Because you’re being extremely stupid and I don’t want to listen to your stupid nonsense, Rinne-kun.”

Rinne finally shut his mouth, quietly listening. Definitely shocked.

Niki didn’t blame him, it’s not always that he’s this forward with his thoughts.

“I said it already, but I’ll say it again. Again and again and again until you get it through your stupid head. I took you in and never had a thought of leaving you. Yeah, maybe it’s my duty as a chef, and how I can’t leave anyone starving on the street. But it’s that, and so much more.” 

Niki looked up at the ceiling, a light flickering on and off. “I didn’t know it at the time, but now I do. It was lonely before you crashed into my life, Rinne-kun. Days of coming back to an empty home, only cooking meals for myself. Did you know, I thought I was happy? I thought I was fine being alone. Even if I cried at night, clinging to the letters and calls my parents would give me, I still thought I was happy.”

Niki turned his head back down, watching Rinne. “I hate being a burden to people, and you know that. Maybe that’s why I didn’t let myself think that I wasn’t happy with how things turned out.”

Rinne had a sad expression on his face. He didn’t interrupt though, waiting for Niki to continue.

Niki smiled. “But it wasn’t until there was someone else in my home, a confused onii-san who had little-to-no knowledge of the city, one with sparkling eyes and a dream that he was racing towards; it wasn’t until when that same onii-san greeted me happily when I came home from school, watched me curiously as I taught him how to make omurice, took me to karaoke where we sang our little lungs out, it wasn’t until all of that and more that I finally realized that I was really, really lonely.”

Niki looked down at his shoes. “Even now I’m afraid things will pass, that people will leave. Just like my parents. Just like my friends.” He raised his head again, eyes softly crinkling in a smile at the man in front of him.

“But you’re still here. And so am I.”

Niki laughed breathily to himself on seeing Rinne, who was starting to shake. He watched as tears formed at the corners of his eyes.

“Rinne-kun, I hate to admit it, but even with everything, life’s been fun everywhere you’ve taken me. And honestly speaking? I’m the same as you. There’s nothing holding me back here, nothing left here for me. I don’t have any other friends, my parents are off in some foreign country, and the apartment isn’t even under my name. Sure, I love this extra job and all the opportunities that it gives and will give. I love being able to experiment with ingredients I’d never be able to get my hands on by myself.”

Niki tipped his head to the side, sighing. “But that’s not what’s important. None of that is. I already said so, didn’t I? I’m fine as long as I’m fed, full, and happy. There really is nothing better in this life than the feeling of being full.”

Niki smiled again, watching tears roll silently down the other man’s face. “It’s that simple. There’s all kinds of foods in this world, and I’m happy with any of them.”  He leaned forward, wiping a tear away gently. “But there’s only one Rinne-kun.”

Niki grabbed Rinne’s hands again, giving them a light squeeze. Though hiccuping and sniffling, Rinne squeezed back.

“It’ll be okay, Rinne-kun. You’re tired, burnt out. I’m here, you know? Just as you have been for me all this time.”

I’m sorry for letting my fears take over and abandoning you after I promised I’d help you reach that dream. I’m here now, Rinne-kun, with Dad’s approval or not.

More tears were escaping, louder sniffles and hiccuping as Rinne’s body shook with barely contained sobs. Niki squeezed again, smiling at a shaky squeeze back.

“If you can’t pick yourself up, can’t move, find yourself suffocating and unable to breathe, I’ll always be there to grip your hand and yank you up, Rinne-kun. I’ll drag you back onto the path you want to take, even if you’re kicking and screaming. I’ll be the air you need, the spark to keep your fire alive.”

Niki was suddenly hit by the weight of his words, the embarrassment rushing to his head. He blushed, pulling one of his hands free and rubbing the back of his neck. “Nahaha~ Ah. That’s a lot I just said, sorry. But do you get it? I’m going with you.”

Rinne squeezed Niki’s hand, nodding through a face covered in tears and snot. “Yes…Niki’s going back with me…That’s perfectly fine…” he sobbed, rubbing furiously at his face with his free hand.

Niki smiled, letting go of Rinne’s other hands. He wordlessly opened his arms, leaning back in his chair. Rinne instantly scooted his chair forward, burying himself in Niki’s hold, muffled sobbing against his apron.

Niki laughed softly, rubbing Rinne’s back comfortingly.

It was their little melody, a gentle love that they had, the simple act of understanding and being there for each other. A quiet song they both sang.

“Nahaha~ Rinne-kun, you should have some fried rice before we go back and pack. You’ll need the energy. Don’t worry, it’s perfectly good still, even if it’s cold and made of scraps~”

Kind-of-Fried-Rice : To be served with a declaration, one that you intend to follow despite everything that’s happened

• Leftover rice, scraps left behind by idols that didn’t finish their food, better to be repurposed than wasted.
• Soy sauce, a brand that you’d probably never be able to buy again on your own so you’ll enjoy it now while you can.
• Overcooked beef, not your work but usable. A little burnt, but that’s alright, just like some other person you know.

Saturday(6)

Niki scrolled through his phone, mindlessly going past text messages he missed. He was leaning comfortably on his bed, a pillow propped up behind him.

It was an eventful summer, one that he’ll never forget. Even if the outcome wasn’t what he expected, he didn’t hate it at all.

Up there, on that stage at the MDM, Niki knew Rinne was truly smiling. Pure happiness and exhilaration, finally shining like the star he’s always wanted to be. Nothing like the dejected and gloomy Rinne who had lost sight of his dream and all hope.

And maybe, Niki too was smiling. Smiling because it was at that point he really felt that being an idol wasn’t that bad, that he too belonged up there even if he said he was mainly a chef. Smiling with the knowledge that the other two, while still warming up to him and Rinne, were quickly becoming important within the short time they’ve gotten to know each other, more time given now that he and Rinne have returned. Smiling at seeing his long-time friend finally being free, on the other side of the stage singing excitedly alongside the brother that he had long left behind.

Niki knows that while there’s no telling how things would’ve turned out if those two from Ryuseitai didn’t essentially kidnap them (which Niki had a sneaking suspicion Rinne let it happen somehow; but speculation is speculation, Niki doubts Rinne ever thought about turning back), while there are always decisions made that have unpredictable outcomes, Niki knows that no amount of them actually living in Rinne’s home village, or anything, would make Rinne as happy as he was when he was up on that MDM stage.

Niki’s thankful for how things turned out, even if he complained often. Maybe it was that thing Rinne was always on about, fate working it’s way.

Or maybe it was the determination of one’s loved ones carving a way for a broken and beaten person to shine once more. In hindsight, none of it would’ve happened if Rinne’s younger brother never left to chase after an older brother that had long escaped.

Niki laughed softly to himself, watching as Hiiro was doing some kind of stretch in the middle of the room.

After their unit was finally accepted by all the others, for ease of transport he and the rest of Crazy:B were offered rooms in the Seisoukan dorms. Niki instantly jumped at that offer, excited to not have to worry about constantly maintaining a home.

It was definitely something new, and he doesn’t miss having Rinne constantly ignoring the other laid-out futon and squeezing into Niki’s. Or commenting on the dinner with sparkling eyes and a cheeky grin. Or excitedly showing Niki some of his winnings on a good day. Or-

Okay. Maybe Niki does miss it. But! Would he admit it? Probably not, lest he get a smug and annoying grin and an infuriating laugh.

It's important to note that while he and Rinne have mostly moved out to the dorms, Niki still owns the apartment. It was under his parents’ names, after all, so he couldn’t really do anything with it. He probably could go back some weekends if he wanted to, maybe take back a certain guy with him if said guy behaved.

But for now, Niki’ll keep that to himself. He doesn’t know if Rinne knows he didn’t sell the apartment, but he’ll wait for some time before proposing the idea to him. That, and he should be spending the time and bonding with his roommates! Which Niki should be doing, too!

Niki looked the other way to see his other roommate, one of the twins from his agency, balancing a book on his head. If he recalled correctly by the pink hair clips and more excitable personality…

Hinata?

Ugh it’d be awful if I called the wrong twin, I’d be such an awful roommate.

Niki’s roommates were nice, and unsurprisingly enough while they looked super similar, Hiiro was nothing like his older brother.

Niki hummed, setting his phone down.

Or at least, his older brother right now. Nahaha~ 

Niki’s thoughts are interrupted by his stomach growling, the tell-tale sign that he should get something to eat.

Niki sat up, thinking.

Lately I’ve been eating at the cafeteria because we’ve been too busy for me to cook. Ah~ Me without cooking, I’m nothing. I kind of miss it…

Niki’s eyes widened.

Hey wait a minute, isn’t the dorm kitchen here pretty big and available for anyone to use? I think there were some communal ingredients too~

Niki got up from his bed, stuffing his phone in his pocket and turning it on silent as it buzzed with more unread message notifications.

Niki walked towards the door. “Hey Otouto-san, Hinata-kun, go ahead to the cafeteria without me today~ I’m thinking that I’ll make myself something. It’s been a while and I really should get used to the dorm kitchen.”

Hinata dropped the book from his head, tossing it onto his bed. “Oh yeah, you do like to cook right? Hey hey Shiina-senpai can I go with you~” He walked over, hands clasped.

Niki scratched the back of his neck. “Eh? Sure, no need to ask. I’m always happy to cook for more people~”

“Hey Hiiro-kun, you look like you want to say something. Do you wanna come too?” Hinata laughed, looking at Hiiro who was watching them curiously.

Hiiro nodded excitedly, eyes sparkling. “Sure! I heard from Nii-san that Shiina-san's cooking is the best ever!!” Hiiro got up from the floor, smoothing out some wrinkles in his clothes.

Niki laughed, holding the door open. “Nahaha~ I guess that’s two extra mouths then. To the kitchen we go!”

Their walk to the dorm kitchen is uneventful, most of the other idols either in their dorms or out getting dinner. Occasionally Hinata would exchange a greeting with someone they passed by, while the other two waited ahead for him.

Niki squatted in front of the open fridge, looking at all the shelves. His two roommates stood behind him, peeking over his shoulder.

“So what do you guys want? I can make almost anything you can name, just limited by the available ingredients.”

“Omurice!” Hiiro gave an instant reply, jumping in excitement.

Niki laughed, closing the fridge and standing back up. “That should be easy enough! There's some eggs that I don't think people are using. Is omurice good with you, Hinata-kun?”

Hinata held his hand out in a thumbs-up. “No complaints from me! Can’t go wrong with a nice omurice.”

Niki smiled. “You’re right~ Okay Hinata-kun, Otouto-san. Go wash your hands, put on an apron and pull back your hair,” Niki laughed at the sight of their confused faces. “ It’s easy enough, I think you two can handle it. It’s time for Shiina-senpai’s cooking lessons for his roommates~ Part one, omurice!”

The other two ran off quickly, throwing on some spare aprons and pinning back their hair with pins Niki had on-hand. Niki watched Hiiro struggle to tie the apron on for a little while, before huffing and moving to help him, tying it behind him.

Once they were all ready, they stood at the stove, Hiiro and Hinata in a line while watching Niki with eager eyes.

“Alright, we’re all ready? Good, reminder that hygiene is of utmost importance when you’re cooking. If you need to touch anything other than food or your tools while you’re cooking, make sure to wash your hands after everything!”

Niki reached up to his ponytail, tightening it. “And make sure your hair is either tied up or back, no one wants a stray hair in their food. Got it?”

The other two nodded in agreement, Hiiro more vigorously than Hinata. Niki stifled another laugh.

“Well then, moving on. First step of omurice! We need to make the rice for the omurice. Otouto-san, since you love omurice so much, do you know what the key ingredient of a good omurice is?”

Hiiro tilted his head to the side. “Rice?” He scratched his cheek, confused but focused.

Hinata covered his mouth, snickering. “Pfft. Isn’t that too obvious?”

Niki shook his head. “Nahaha~ While you’re technically right, rice is so important that you can’t have omurice without it, what I’m talking about is what you need for the flavor. Hint, you can use it in another way after the omurice is finished.”

Hiiro frowned, still thinking hard.

Hinata raised his hand. “Shiina-senpai~ Is it ketchup?”

Niki clapped his hands together, walking over to a cupboard and pulling out a bottle of ketchup. “Yes! While we can have just normal fried rice, or even just plain rice with omurice, it’s more flavorful if we use ketchup-fried rice. Ketchup goes pretty well with eggs~”

“Umu! I see, I see! Thanks, I’ll note that down!” Hiiro nodded.

“Haha~ Alright, Hinata-kun, Otouto-san. You guys are gonna help me get out some ingredients.”

Hinata saluted, an eagerly shouted “Yes chef!” accompanying it.

Niki watched as Hiiro tried to copy Hinata, saluting with his palm facing up. “Yes Shiina-san!” He and Hinata laughed, before Niki leaned forward and fixed Hiiro’s palm for him.

“Okay, so we’ll need eggs, rice, some vegetables, milk, oil…” Niki started to list off ingredients, the other two paying close attention to him.

“...And chicken. I think I saw all of that with my first look besides the chicken.” Niki frowned. “Hmm. We could always go with no added protein but-”

“Don’t worry Shiina-senpai, I can run very quickly to the store! You and Hiiro-kun can get the other things prepared, I’ll be back as fast as I can!” Hinata offered, untying his apron.

Niki smiled, giving a nod of approval. “Wow~ I have an efficient-thinking student. Okay, sounds good! We’re counting on you Hinata-kun!”

With Hinata running to the nearest store for the much-needed chicken, with Hiiro’s help Niki gathers all the other ingredients, washing and preparing them as needed. Niki grabbed a large bowl of leftover rice that seemed to be up for taking, a note on the pot it came from saying anyone could have some.

Hmm~ This rice is cooked well. Hard because it’s been in the fridge, but definitely was nice and fluffy when fresh. I wonder which idol did this, maybe I’ll run into them one day?

Niki closed the fridge, carrying the bowl of rice to the counter where everything else was. “We can make all our fried rice together in one sitting.” Niki turned to look at Hiiro, who was in the middle of cutting up their carrots.

“Be careful when handling the knife, Otouto-san! Slice the carrots into smaller cubes, those are a little too big. Here-” Niki gently nudged Hiiro out of the way, taking the knife. He cut around the carrot bits, cubing them. “Just like that!”

“Oh! So I should put less force into them?”

“Yes, a good kitchen knife doesn’t need that much force to cut if it’s sharp enough. Only thing you’ll need force for is if you’re cutting something really hard like bone or a fruit with a hard shell. Other ones you can do a rolling cut, being careful not to split things that you don’t want to split, and have things fly everywhere from the force.”

Hiiro took the knife back, mimicking Niki. “I see, so it’s more of a safety thing? Safety is important, no matter how hungry you are.”

Niki laughed, a faint memory of another scenario that included a knife flashing through his mind. “I’m glad at least one of you appreciates and practices safe knife-handling,” Niki huffed, shaking his head.

Hiiro glanced at him confused, before going back to cutting. “One of you? Me and Hinata-kun?”

“No, don’t worry about it. Oh good, yes, those cubes are perfect!” Niki quickly changed the subject, pushing a bowl with peas and chopped onions forward. “Now put those with the other vegetables, and all we have to do is heat the rice up and wait for Hinata-kun with the chicken!”

By the time they have the rice in the microwave, Hinata runs back into the kitchen, breathing heavily but holding up a plastic bag. “Sorry-” Hinata took a deep breath, steadying himself. “It took so long, one of the registers was broken.”

“No, you’re just in time! Thanks Hinata-kun~ Go get some water and catch your breath, I’ll cut the chicken up.” Niki took the bag from Hinata. He quickly cut the chicken up into small bite-sized cubes, dumping them into another empty bowl.

After Hinata fully recovered, the three of them stood at the counter. Niki looked over the prepared ingredients, mentally checking them off.

“Hmm..Yeah…Yeah… Okay! With that, all the ingredient prep is done~” Niki rolled up his sleeves. “Are you two ready?”

“Yes Shiina-san!” Hiiro saluted, his palm facing the wrong way again. Hinata laughed and fixed it before saluting too. “Yep!”

“Okay, follow me but make sure to keep some distance between us when the stove is on. First, we have to cook the chicken.” Niki grabbed the cut chicken and a cup of oil. “We add the oil in the pan and let it simmer for a little.” He grabbed a large pan, pouring the oil in and turning the heat up. Once the oil was starting to shimmer, Niki added the chicken, the cubes sliding in with a sizzle.

“Careful, keep an eye on it. You don’t want it to brown too much, and especially don’t want it to burn. Carefully mix so everything is even.” With a spatula, Niki pushed the chicken around, coating all of it in oil. He added a pinch of salt before flipping every chunk over. “Salt can be added in moderation, we’ll be getting most of our flavoring from the ketchup.”

Niki turned down the heat a little. “Next, we add the carrots, onions, and peas that we prepared, Otouto-san. Carefully add them so they don’t splash the oil, when oil is hot like this if it splashes onto you it can leave some pretty nasty burns~”

Niki stepped back, gesturing to Hiiro. Hiiro walked forward, carefully letting the vegetables tumble into the pan.

“Yes, just like that. Good, now do the same as I did with the chicken. Stir around with the spatula so it gets coated, be careful that you don’t accidentally push things out of the pan.” Niki handed Hiiro the spatula. He turned to Hinata, who was watching on the side.

“Hinata-kun, could you get the rice out of the microwave? We heated it up a little to soften it, it should be ready.”

“Okay~” Hinata grabbed the rice, passing it to Niki.

“Thanks! Alright Otouto-san, that’s good enough. I’ll take over from here!” Niki took the spatula back from Hiiro, returning to his spot with the bowl of warm rice in his hand.

“Now, we’re going to fold and toss the rice so it’s nice and evenly coated. Stand back, this part is a little tricky.” Niki waved his hand gesturing for them to move back a little more.

“Good, that’s a good spot. Normally you can get good fried rice without having to toss, but honestly I find it tastes better and coats more evenly if we toss. Here we go~” Niki grabbed the handle, tossing the rice and mixing it. Hiiro and Hinata watched, awestruck by the action. 

Each mouthwatering sizzle as the rice touched the hot oil left Niki hungrier and hungrier. He licked a line of escaping drool off the side of his mouth, setting the pan back down. He pushed the rice around, digging a small well in the middle.

Niki grabbed the ketchup bottle, popping the top open. He squeezed a good handful into the hole, then stepped back and watched as the ketchup started to bubble.

“Are you not going to mix it?” Hiiro questioned, confused.

“Nope, patience. We’re waiting for it to reduce.”

“Reduce? So we’re going to have less?” Hinata didn’t understand either.

“Nahaha~ No, not really. When I say reducing, we’re thickening it and enhancing the flavor. There, see that it’s stopped bubbling? That means it’s ready.” Niki dipped his spatula in, letting some of the now saucy ketchup slide off. “It’s thicker too, less runny.”

“Oooh.”

“And now we mix everything when the ketchup is done reducing!” Niki mixed the rice with the spatula, tossing and moving the entire contents of the pan around as the rice and other ingredients slowly took on the trademark bright red color.

“Shiina-san, it looks so good! I can’t wait!!” Hiiro clasped his hands together, eyes sparkling.

Hinata punched him lightly in the shoulder. “Haha~ Hiiro-kun, you still have to wait though. We don’t have the “omu” of the omurice.”

“Oh yeah!”

Niki laughed, giving the rice one last toss before turning the stove off and setting the pan down to cool. “Hinata-kun’s right. For the omelets, we can take turns. I’ll show you two how to do it first, and then you can have a try at it.” He pulled out another pan.

“Are they going to be fluffy and soft like how you make them at the cafeteria?”

Niki grabbed a carton of eggs from the fridge. “Haha, that depends on how well you beat the eggs. First things first, we have to crack the eggs. Do you two know how to open eggs?”

Hinata nodded, while Hiiro shook his head. “I’ve done it before but do you have some special technique to make it taste better?”

Niki snorted. “Cracking it has no effect on taste, it just affects how messy it gets. Here, watch me. Carefully take the egg into your hand, and your bowl. Tap gently on the side, a little firm.” Niki gave the egg one tap on the edge of the bowl. “After that, see the small crack? Use just enough force to split it open, and let everything fall into your bowl.” With a squeeze of his hand, the shell split into two clean pieces, egg yolk and white falling into the bowl perfectly.

Niki set the empty half shells down. “And make sure not to crumble the shell, that makes cleanup even more of a hassle. Okay, now you guys try it!.”

Hinata easily followed his instructions, egg cracked and ready. 

Hiiro, on the other hand, slammed his egg against the bowl, the entire eggshell being smashed and falling apart on the edge of the bowl, bits of shell and yolk flying everywhere. He had a sad expression. “Oh. I did it wrong.”

Niki shook his head, laughing. He grabbed a rag, wetting it and walking over to Hiiro, helping wipe down the mess. “It’s okay Otouto-san, everyone makes mistakes. You put too much force into it. You can try again, let’s get this cleaned up first.” Niki handed Hiiro the rag, watching Hiiro wipe his hands.

With the first egg cracking attempt cleaned, Niki grabbed another egg and handed it to Hiiro. “You want to be firm, but gentle. Concentrate the force onto one point.” He took Hiiro’s hand into his, guiding it to the edge of the bowl. 

“Now give it a tap~” Hiiro tapped against the bowl, a small crack appearing. Niki let go of his hand, clapping.

“Yes! Like that, now carefully split it.” He watched as Hiiro successfully split the egg open, a triumphant expression quickly replacing his dejected look.

Niki was once again hit by waves of nostalgia, more faded memories flashing through his mind.

Ahaha~ Wow, he really is Rinne-kun’s little brother. Rinne-kun slammed the egg at first like that too~ Hehe, cleanup really was a pain.

He could recall Rinne’s shocked face at egg contents being splattered everywhere, and his own endeared annoyance at the mess that was made.

“Shiina-san? What’s so funny?” Hiiro interrupted his thoughts, Niki realizing that he was laughing a little out loud.

“Oh no, nothing. You just reminded me of how Rinne-kun was when I was teaching him like this.” Niki laughed awkwardly, grabbing three whisks out from a drawer.

Hiiro’s eyes widened. “Oh yeah! You did live with Nii-san.”

“Haha. Yeah. Anyways, now we have to beat the eggs. And no, not actually beat them up in a fight or something like that. Beating is mixing them well so the egg whites and yolk become one. I don’t know everything about the mechanics, but it’s one of the secrets behind nice and fluffy omelets. This can be done with a spoon or any utensil if you don’t have a whisk.” Niki held the bowl and whisk in hand, showing them how to beat the eggs. 

They followed his action, Niki pointing out slight adjustments and correcting them.

“Now, with eggs beaten and ready, first we add a little milk and salt and then it’s time to move back to the stove!” He grabbed a slice of butter, sliding it into the pan and turning on the stove. “Buttering up the pan so we’ll have a nice buttery outside, you can use oil but butter tastes better.”

Niki poured his beaten egg into the pan, tilting it so the egg covered the entire bottom in a clean layer. As the solid omelet formed, he took a pair of chopsticks and poked around, folding the omelet over as it cooked.

When his omelet was finished, he grabbed a plate, spooned a good-sized serving of the fried rice onto it, and then carefully laid his omelet onto the rice.

“And now for the best part~” Niki took a knife, splitting the omelet down the middle. It fell over the sides of the rice, a fluffy egg pillow over the rice with runny yolk running down the sides.

“Ta-da~ One fresh omurice!”

Hiiro and Hinata clapped for him, inspecting the finished product. “Wow, it looks even better than the cafeteria one.” Hiiro noted.

Niki turned back to the stove, dropping another slice of butter in. “Now your turn~ Who wants to go first?”

Hinata stepped forward and got to work, pouring in his eggs and carefully following Niki’s instructions.

Niki kept a close eye in case things went wrong, while garnishing his omurice with some cilantro and ketchup.

“Hey Shiina-san, can I ask you something?” Hiiro poked him with a curious expression.

“Hmm? Sure, what is it?”

Hiiro looked around before locking eyes with him. “Could you tell me what Nii-san was like when you lived together? Tell me about the Nii-san that I don’t know anything about, the one that disappeared for four years. Was he happy as he is now?”

Niki felt himself start to sweat, trying to break his gaze away and busying himself with the bottle of ketchup. “Oh. Uh. If I told you anything, Rinne-kun would never let it go. He’d find out and would kill me and I’d rather be alive, thank you very much.”

“Huh? You're welcome? But Nii-san would kill you? No, Shiina-san, he wouldn’t, I can tell he loves you very much.”

Niki laughed awkwardly, a little overwhelmed at how earnest this Amagi was being. “Oh no, it’s a figure of expression-”

“And he won’t kill you! So you should tell me what Nii-san was like.”

“Yeah Shiina-senpai, what was the one and only Amagi Rinne like before he became like that? There’s gotta be a reason you still stick around with that guy for all he does~” Hinata added, not offering any help at all.

“Aha…Ha…No, no, no I absolutely cannot-”

Hiiro pouted, blue eyes piercing through Niki. “But he won’t kill you? So why can’t you?”

Niki sighed, setting the ketchup bottle down. “He won’t kill me, but he’ll most likely find some way to get his revenge because he’s extremely embarrassed about not appearing like he’s cool and has everything together. He can’t react any other way except through being the worst ever and causing problems for others.”

Niki doesn’t realize he’s smiling to himself, clearly visible to the other two. “He doesn’t mean any actual harm, and it doesn’t hurt…most of the time. But nahaha~ I’d rather avoid that.”

Hinata squinted at him with suspicion. Niki looked away.

“Nii-san really has changed.” Hiiro smiled.

“Hahaha…Yeah…” Niki scratched the back of his neck.

“Thank you, Shiina-san, for whatever you did. You’re so important to Nii-san, did you know that?”

Niki laughed awkwardly, not knowing how to respond. “Um. All I did was take in a hungry person~ Anyone can do that.”

Hiiro shook his head, grabbing Niki’s hands suddenly. “Shiina-san, are you aware of the impact of your actions? You know, back in the village, Nii-san was always looking down. The only times his eyes would be sparkling was when he was showing me the stuff he sneaked in, telling me about this bright world so unknown to us.”

Niki tried to pull back, his hands stuck in Hiiro’s firm grip. Another unfortunate thing that he shared with his brother, an incredibly stubborn way of acting. He sighed. “But really, Otouto-kun, I didn’t do much. Rinne-kun did most of the work to get here. If anything, I’d even say that Rinne-kun helped me more than I did him. It’s thanks to him, after all, that I’m even here haha~”

Niki shot a glance of help to Hinata, who only smiled at him and shot him a thumbs-up.

Hinata-kun you traitor!!

Hiiro let go of his hands. “Ah! I see. So you helped each other for the better? Isn’t that itself a form of love? I think that kind of relationship is very special.”

Niki quickly walked back to Hinata, fidgeting with his hands. His face was heating up, for some reason. “Nahaha…Yeah…love…sure…Okay Hinata-kun that’s good, make sure to flip it over and be careful when letting your omelet slide out of the pan.”

Niki’s able to quickly change the subject, helping Hinata plate his while guiding Hiiro with his omelet. It turns out to be a little oblong, but Niki helps shape it into a more omelet-like shape.

With all three omurices done, they sat down at a table, admiring their work. “Good job! And that’s how you make omurice~”

“Thanks Shiina-senpai!”

“Yeah, thanks Shiina-san!!!”

Niki laughed, passing them spoons. “If you want, and when we’re all free, I can teach you guys other things.”

The two cheered, before starting on their plates. Niki was relieved that the subject has successfully been changed.

Nahaha, it really is funny~

Never in Niki’s life did he think he’d ever be where he was, teaching his juniors what he loved. Scratch that, as he mentioned literally everything about his life has been a surprise, whether good or bad. All thanks to one red-headed man that won’t leave him alone (who Niki, too, can’t leave alone.)

It was funny getting to know the younger Amagi, nearly a carbon copy of the Rinne Niki experienced so long ago. Still full of curiosity, stubborn to a fault but diligent.

Niki smiled, scooping up some of his omurice.

He still wasn’t completely used to the entire dorming situation, it was all new and nothing like the four years he’s spent with one person. But he isn’t averse to it, and knows that he will one day get used to it and find a lasting friendship with his new roommates, just as he has with the other one.

Niki laughed to himself, remembering how Hiiro with bed-head looked hauntingly like a young Rinne.

And as the saying goes, speak of the devil, and he will appear.

“What are you laughing about, Ni~ki~kyunnnn.” A low voice by his ear sends shivers up Niki’s spine. He jumps out of his chair, whipping his head around to find the other Amagi who was definitely not invited, leaning over behind him.

“R-Rinne-kun?!” He yelled, mouth open in shock.

While he was shocked, Rinne casually slid into the empty seat next to his and took a bite from the spoonful of omurice Niki was about to eat. “Mmm~ I missed Niki’s cooking~”

Hiiro’s eyes widened. “Nii-san! Shiina-san taught us how to make omurice!!”

Rinne smirked, squeezing Niki’s face. “I can see that. Wow, why wasn’t I invited to this party, hic sob, did you forget about your dearest Rinne-kun?”

Niki thought about biting him, but stopped himself. “No, you just weren’t invited. And that doesn’t mean you can invite yourself. Don’t you have more important things to do? Go away-”

Rinne ignored him, taking another bite of his omurice. “Mmm this is so good, hey Hiiro, can I try yours?”

“Yeah! Oh Nii-san, Shiina-san was telling us about how he taught you this recipe too. I wanted to ask him about how you were back then but he said you’d kill him if he told me. You wouldn’t, right Nii-san? Since you love him very much?” Hiiro loudly added, mouthful of omurice.

Niki’s eyes widened in horror, trying to wiggle his way out of Rinne’s quickly tightening hold on him.

Rinne smiled, pulling Niki’s face towards him. A very scary smile, no escape opportunities for Niki anywhere. “You’re right that I loooooooove Niki~kyun and would ne~ver hurt him. Right, Niki?” His fist clenched, pulling Niki closer to his side.

Niki gulped, fearing for his life.

Simple and easy omurice : A light and fluffy omelet over a bed of ketchup-fried rice. An easy enough recipe to teach to curious juniors you should get to know better (and a nostalgic memory, too)

• Eggs, easy to crack but make sure not to use too much pressure or there will be a mess to clean up, just like the other time.
• Ketchup, red, like the hair color of the two brothers you just can’t stop seeing similarities in.
• Rice, a staple ingredient you’ve shared with one person many times, which you now share with more people.

Chapter Text

Sunday (7)

“Hey Niki~kyun~ we should get this, and this, and this, and this~”

“Nahaha Kohaku-chan, that one’s outdated. Here, this should have the currently active deals.” Niki handed Kohaku the newest sales flyer, placing it on top of the outdated one in his younger friend’s hands.

“Thanks, Niki-han. Himeru-han, look, the tofu’s on sale. Should we get some?” Kohaku held the flyer up to Himeru, pointing down at it.

“Good call Oukawa. Maybe some of the green onions too, those are pretty cheap. Big sale.” Himeru nodded thoughtfully, glancing over the paper.

“Niki~ Niki~ Hey Niki~”

“No, those aren’t cheap~ It says they’re on sale but actually that’s their normal price. A small trick to get more people to buy that brand, haha.” Niki laughed.

“Niki~”

Niki ignored the sounds coming from one red-headed man as said red-headed man kept picking up different packaged meat cuts, waving them in front of Niki’s face. He hovered a hand over the empty shopping basket in his hands, trying to block Rinne from filling the basket with things that they did not need.

How did it even come to this? What a headache…

The moments leading up to this moment, where all four bees were “terrorizing” Niki’s local grocery store as some people would probably say, those moments were all a blur.

It was something about having to work on live plans together, which turned into discussing dinner plans, which then turned into them going in circles trying to decide what to eat (including a very clearly remembered ‘no, Rinne-kun, we are not eating at a bar’). 

Eventually, they finally ended up with all of them  settling on hotpot after seeing the hotpot stove Niki still had from the last time they had hotpot, back when Himeru had his lucky streak.

And while that decision wasn’t something that Niki disagreed with (on the contrary, he instantly stopped thinking about anything else as soon as the idea was brought up by Kohaku), what Niki would rather have done without was the fact as they were all there now, all three of the other bees following him to the store despite his insistence that no, he didn’t need help.

Spearheaded by one Amagi Rinne, of course, who loudly proclaimed it as a bonding activity for their unit, dragging the other two along with him. Niki doesn’t necessarily mind having a helping hand for a grocery run, heck he’s experienced many times where one unwanted helper ended up being extremely useful…but under these conditions…

If you’re just going to be a nuisance, stay at home!

Niki sighed and side-stepped to the side as Rinne attempted to slip a whole pound of ribeye steak into the basket. He shot a glare at the other, who had already turned around to try grabbing a different cut of meat.

Niki did not miss the knowing looks of exasperation on Himeru and Kohaku’s faces as they peeked over at him from where they stood. He honestly was fine with them being there, they were respectable and not making a ruckus, unlike one menace of a man in particular.

“Niki-han, the soup stock is on sale. Should we get some?”

Niki shook his head. “No, I can make us a quick dashi one~ I’m thinking we can have nabe instead of just a normal hotpot. Or maybe shabu shabu if you guys are in the mood for more of a ‘cook what you want to eat’ thing? Hmm-”

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted packs of meat being slipped under his arm and into the basket, suddenly weighing him down. Rinne grinned as Niki whipped around to glare at him, thoroughly unamused.

“Hi Niki~ We should have enough meat for the hotpot. All thanks to me, of course!” He stuck his fingers out in a peace sign.

Niki rolled his eyes, moving to put everything back onto the shelves. “Just because there’s four of us doesn’t mean we’re having an all-meat hotpot. And not only that, meat is expensive, you know? And you even put in meat that’s not for hotpot? Rinne-kun, how the hell are we supposed to cook a steak in a hotpot?”

Rinne stuck his tongue out, unbothered by the scolding. “You could’ve kept some of it~”

“We are not getting all of this meat.” Niki huffed, putting a package of pork chops back in place.

“Not even the A5 wagyu? Niki~kyun you loooove wagyu~”

Niki clenched his fist, shaking his head. “As the person who’s offered to pay for all this please remember that I’m not made of money. We can get these slices that are on sale.”

Rinne waved a hand. “Geez~ Niki can’t take a joke.” He spun around to face the other two, hands on his hips.

Niki felt a headache incoming, bracing himself for whatever was coming.

“Okay Crazy:B! As your leader, I’ll whip us into order!” He projected his voice, the other two barely giving him a glance.

“If anything, you’re the only one that’s a mess, Rinne-han,” Kohaku deadpanned, flipping the flyer over. “Hey Niki-han, should we get some fish too for the hotpot?”

“Nahaha~ Good idea Kohaku-chan, fish is light and easy on the stomach.” Niki ignored Rinne, walking back over to the other two.

“Oi, don’t pretend you didn’t hear me! Your leader is speaking!”

Niki slowly turned to face the loud one again. He had a frown on his face, sort of childish. Mischief definitely brewing in that head. 

Niki sighed.

Better indulge him before he makes an even greater ruckus.

“Okay, what does our great leader have to say?” Niki shared a tired look with the other two.

Rinne jabbed a finger at them, grinning. “Since we’re all a mess, I’ve taken it upon myself to organize us. What a nice leader I am!”

Niki rolled his eyes. “Yeah? Continue then, oh great leader.”

“ To get this hotpot to be the best banging hotpot ever and get out of here in due time, I will assign us all things to grab! We must split up and conquer-”

“Hahaha you’re sounding like Vice-Pres-MPPDT” Niki was interrupted by his head being promptly pulled into a headlock, his mouth blocked, and one awful terrible leader squeezing him tight with a smile.

The other two stepped back a bit, not offering him any help at all as he shot them a helpless look.

“Putting my beloved Niki~kyun’s unhelpful commentary aside, we have work to do, Crazy:B! It’s not everyday that this guy treats us to a nice hotpot!”

“MPHSGH-” Niki struggled against him.

And today is about to not be that day anymore for you!! 

His struggle was for nothing as the arm around his face tightened, the other one coming up to pat him on the head. “Yes, thank you Niki but don’t worry, I’ll speak for you~”

Do not?!!!

Niki struggled more, trying to free himself.

“You see, he’s treating us and all but unfortunately my poor Niki~kyun doesn’t have much money. This would be different if he believed in my ability to double it, but he doesn’t. Boohoo Niki~kyun, have more faith in your Rinne-kun.” Rinne gave a fake sniffle.

Niki gave up on trying to struggle free from his grasp, instead opting to bite the arm that covered his mouth. Rinne still didn’t budge, much to Niki’s frustration.

“Anyways! To make things easier on us and on Niki~kyun’s wallet-”

Niki squinted at him, still biting the arm hard, mouthful of cloth.

Like you’re one to talk???

“-I’m going to leave all the important hotpot stuff to Niki~ Yay, leave all the ingredients stuff to the guy that knows it best.” He finally let go of Niki, shaking his arm free. There was a visible bite mark on his sleeve.

“If you’re making me do all the work, why did you insist on everyone coming along?” Niki glared, wiping his mouth.

Rinne lifted a fist, smiling. “Niki~kyun, shut up and let your Rinne-kun finish.”

Niki went back to ignoring him, turning back towards the meat and checking the prices.

“While Niki grabs the essentials, the rest of us Crazy:B are limited to one item only! And only one, Niki’s budget is something we need to remember-”

Niki picked up a pack of thinly sliced beef that was half off. “Wow. How thoughtful of you.”

“-But! We’re going to make this fun~ It needs to be an item that starts the same as your name! Kinda like a game of shiritori. So kohaku-chan can only get something that starts with ‘ko’, and Merumeru can only grab something that starts with ‘H’ or ‘Hi’.”

Kohaku frowned, folding the flyer up and stuffing it into his pocket. “Rinne-han, I don’t think that’s how you play-”

Niki watched Himeru lean over and whisper something into his ear. He could barely catch a ‘indulge him’ and ‘he’ll leave us alone faster’.

Niki yelped as he felt cold hands on the back of his neck, Rinne grinning cheekily at him. “And Niki, you’re playing too!” He held up something suspiciously wallet-shaped.

“I never agreed to all of this??? And wait- Is that my wallet?!”

“And go! We reconvene here once we get our items, back in front of the meats!” Rinne yelled before dashing off, a wallet that was definitely not his being stuffed into his pocket.

“Hey! Don’t just run off???????!!” Niki yelled, watching the red menace escape.

Niki turned around to vent his frustrations to the other two, only to find that they both walked off too. He slapped a hand onto his face, groaning.

“Well. Better get everything then.” He sighed, grabbing the half-off beef and tossing it into the basket.

Niki whistled as he made his rounds, filling the basket with ingredients for soup stock, seaweed knots, tofu, some fish, and more of the standard hotpot items.

As Niki walked past one of the aisles, he spotted both Kohaku and Himeru together. Kohaku was on his tip-toes while trying to reach for something on the highest shelf.

Himeru gently pushed him aside, reaching up and grabbing it for him. Niki laughed quietly to himself.

Himeru-kun really has a soft spot for Kohaku-chan~

“Thanks Himeru-han. Ugh, why do they make these shelves so high?” Kohaku stared down at the item.

“They have to maximize space for profits, Himeru supposes. Hmm. Amagi’s little game is such a headache. What kind of hotpot item starts with an ‘h’ ?” Himeru frowned, scrolling through his phone.

“Starts with an ‘h’...Hmm…Oh! Himeru-han, I have an idea.” Kohaku grabbed Himeru’s arm, pulling him one way.

Niki smiled before continuing on his chore, grabbing cabbage, a stalk of green onion, a daikon, and some more produce for the hotpot and maybe for his fridge.

He’s looking over the contents of his basket once more when he catches sight of a familiar red-head sneaking around the seafood area. Niki squinted.

As if on cue, Rinne suddenly turned and spotted him, eyes widening. He waved excitedly.

Niki sighed, waving back, of which Rinne responded by shaping his hands into a heart towards Niki.

Niki quickly turned away, face heating up and embarrassed.

God you idiot…

Niki quickly walked away as the idiot laughed in the background. He stared down at his basket.

Ah yeah. Rinne-kun’s stupid game. Guess I’ll participate.

Niki moved to the noodle aisle, looking through them before picking out some variety. It was a little bit of a stretch to Rinne’s conditions but honestly Niki couldn’t care less.

Hey wait this is kinda heavy-

Niki stared down at his basket, confused. While there were the hotpot essentials that he gathered, there were also all kinds of snacks and drinks he doesn’t remember putting into the basket.

And then that’s when it hits him. He does remember putting them in. While he was walked, he occasionally tossed in stuff that he passed by. Things that he knew the others liked, Himeru’s favorite brand of cola, mochi for Kohaku, the pizza-flavored chips that Rinne liked to snack on. He didn’t even have to think about it, all of these items and more just naturally being added to his basket.

A stark difference to when he only shopped for himself, a light basket with barely anything in it, when now he had a basket filled to the brim with items, almost too heavy for him to carry.

Niki smiled to himself, making his way back to the meat area where the others stood, waiting for him.

—

After several more shenanigans, one of which ended up with a crab pinching Rinne’s hand among other things, Niki’s able to pay for everything and herds the rest of the bees out of the store (not without shooting an apologetic small nod towards the cashier).

They get the hotpot out and the soup stock made, all comfortably seated around Niki’s small table in his apartment, papers full of their live logistics and work strewn about.

Overall, it’s warm, comforting, a familiar feeling. Even as Niki yells at Rinne for stealing his beef, even as Kohaku accidentally knocks over a bowl of sauce and spills it all over the floor, even as Himeru somehow manages to burn something when it should be near impossible to burn things in hotpot, it’s fun and exciting and Niki isn’t complaining at all (mostly).

He’s laughing along with everyone, feeling so warm as they all share the hotpot they made together, passing around the ingredients and helping each other out, while talking over their live plans and lyrics.

It’s well past midnight when they finally finished their work, live plans mostly finalized and waiting for approval from a higher-up. Since it was late and ES was still a good distance away from his apartment, Niki suggested for Kohaku and Himeru to stay with them rather than heading back to the dorms for the night.

Niki helped Kohaku get settled in on the couch and pulled the spare futon out for Himeru, ignoring the eager smile of Rinne as he realized there really was only one other futon left. He then left them to their own devices, tidying up the rest of the kitchen and returning the bowls and utensils to his cupboards.

Niki finishes his cleanup after half an hour, grabbing an energy bar and letting his hair down. He looked around the dim apartment, seeing the faint light of Kohaku’s phone and the slow rise and fall of Himeru, who was asleep. Niki turned to look over where his (and Rinne’s) futon was set up in its familiar corner, Rinne occupied with something on his phone.

Niki smiled, nibbling on his energy bar. He silently made his way past everyone and slipped the balcony door open. He stepped outside, the curtains slightly fluttering with the cool nighttime breeze.

Niki stared up at the faint stars in the sky, obscured by the city lights and clouds. He chewed on his energy bar, silently watching them twinkle. He almost misses the faint sound of footsteps behind him, arms wrapping around him from behind and a familiar head being rested on his shoulder.

“Whatcha doin~” Rinne whispered, squeezing him a little.

Niki took another bite of his energy bar, leaning back a little into him. “Just looking at the stars and eating a snack. Are Kohaku-chan and Himeru-kun asleep?”

Rinne gave a breathy laugh, nuzzling his cheek. “Merumeru’s knocked-out dead~ I think Kohaku-chan’s busy texting his friends or whatever the kids do these days. Why’s Niki so interested in the stars all of a sudden? You’ve got the best one right here next to you, down on earth~” 

Niki rolled his eyes, stuffing his empty wrapper into his pocket. “You’re so full of yourself. Do you even listen to what you say sometimes?”

“I don’t see anything wrong with having self-confidence.”

Niki lifted a hand to playfully flick his companion. “More like having a big ego. Take it down a notch, idiot.”

Rinne squeezed him a little tighter, his eyes crinkling in a soft laugh. “Says the one that only graduated from junior high.”

“Says the one that didn’t have any formal education at all?!” Niki huffed in annoyance.

“I’m a special case~” Rinne smirked, leaning all his weight onto Niki. 

Niki pushed back, trying to stop them from falling over the balcony. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say.”

They stayed in silence for a while, simply staring up at the stars together. A little chilly, yet warm with each other’s company. While the banter was nice, something they were used to and what made their relationship so special as it was, sometimes it was okay not to say anything and just exist together in the moment.

Niki yawned, rubbing his eyes. He glanced to the side at Rinne, who still stood next to him, head rested on his shoulder.

Rinne tilted his head a little, smiling softly. He squeezed Niki gently again, a warm breath in the cold air. “What’s up? Are you cold? Should we go back in?”

Niki shook his head, getting comfortable in his hold. “No. It’s just… Nahaha~ It’s funny, Rinne-kun.”

“What is?”

Niki hummed, reaching up towards the sky. “Nothing really, just that I’m sure if you told fourteen year-old me that I’d be living like this, he’d stare at you and think you’re insane. And there’s the way that we really have become the stars that you always dreamed of becoming, Rinne-kun. Who knew that we’d ever be here, even after everything.”

Rinne grabbed his hand, gently intertwining their fingers with a smile. “You were right, Niki. Things were easier with help. All because I have you, my goddess of Victory~” He nuzzled Niki’s knuckle, kissing it softly.

Niki laughed, shaking his head. “You give me too much credit. It wasn’t just me, and it’s not just us alone either.” He glanced at the slightly ajar door. “Himeru-kun and Kohaku-chan too, we really wouldn’t have been able to be where we are without them. It’s the way that there’s two more people now in our hive, here to stay.”

“Hive? Since when did you use bee metaphors and not food like always~” Rinne teased, lowering their hands.

Niki pouted. “I’m not always thinking about food! It’s just a metaphor I thought Rinne-kun would like. And now what have I told you about interrupting people when they’re talking?”

Rinne laughed. “Okay, okay. I’ll listen. Continue~”

Niki sighed. “It’s not just you and me anymore. We have two more people we can rely on, who we’d fight for. I know you’ve fought hard for them countless times, even if you don’t do it in the most straightforward way. It’s nice, isn’t it?”

Rinne doesn’t say anything, arms pulling Niki back into a tight hold, his face buried once more into the crook of Niki’s neck. Niki can feel warmth permeating from the other’s face, the sign of a blush.

Niki smiled, carding a hand through Rinne’s hair slowly. Rinne when he was like this was a rare sight, genuine and unable to keep up his loud personality. It reminded Niki of a time so long ago, so different.

Nahaha, Rinne-kun really is cute sometimes~

Niki sighed, still playing with Rinne’s hair. “Why are you like this only around me? You do know that you can be your stupid soft affectionate self around them? I’m sure Kohaku-chan and Himeru-kun won’t bat an eye and will actually not ignore you all the time.”

Rinne lifted his head, eye’s squinted. “No~ I don’t want to make Niki~kyun jealous. Don’t you like it when I’m behaving like this only around you~ A private Rinne-kun just for my beloved one and only Niki~kyun.” Rinne smiled, eyes sparkling in such a soft look that made Niki feel like he was melting.

Niki looked the other way, trying to hide his blush. Rinne wasn’t wrong, but he didn’t need to know that. “What the hell are you on? Maybe if you were more behaved in general, people wouldn’t have such polarizing opinions on you all over the place. You menace of a man.”

Rinne only laughed softly, nuzzling once more into his neck. It was a little ticklish, but Niki was feeling sleepiness take over, too drowsy to complain.

They stood in silence for a little longer, Rinne’s arms still around him and Niki still staring up at the sky. His mind started to wander, the sleep-addled realization that there really were so many small moments in his life, small decisions that ended up changing the entire course of his life.

How different would it be if they actually went back to Rinne’s village, never coming back?

If he never became an idol?

If he never walked down that one alley, that fateful day during a sweltering summer?

“I’m glad we were dragged back.” Niki mumbled softly under his breath.

I’m glad I met you.

“Hmm?” Rinne watched him with a soft expression, eyes glittering.

Niki smiled sleepily, shaking his head slowly. “Nevermind, just thinking aloud.” He let out a yawn, leaning further into Rinne’s hold.

Rinne hummed, running a hand through his hair. “Let’s go back in, Niki. Time for bed~”

“Mmhm.” Niki yawned again, eyes fighting to stay open. He followed Rinne back in, sliding the balcony door shut quietly. 

They shuffled quietly past the other two, climbing into their shared futon.

Normally Niki would be annoyed with how Rinne squeezed into the futon, instantly grabbing him and cuddling close. He’d usually express annoyance and push back a little to at least have some wiggle room for himself.

At this moment, though, Niki was too tired to care. Or maybe he was just drawn in by their soft talk, a warm and comfortable feeling that he (probably) loves so much.

“Night Niki~” Rinne whispered, his thumb rubbing gentle circles into Niki’s back.

“Mmpf… Night Rinne-kun…” Niki’s eyes fluttered shut as he buried himself more into that familiar warmth. He felt a soft kiss on his head.

As he drifted to sleep, Niki, in his drowsy state, could hear the faint rustles and tapping of Kohaku still awake and texting on his phone, the sigh of Himeru who got up to get a glass of water, and a small shushing noise from Rinne. He smiled to himself, letting his dreams take him away.

Shiina Family Crazy:B three Four-Person hotpot : An altered recipe for a strange “family” you never thought you’d come to love

• Konnyaku, a nice addition of texture. Not what you’d usually use, but you’re always trying new things with this group, and that’s not a bad thing at all.
• Honey, a sweet substance that adds flavor to the hotpot. A simple choice, yet just on theme for a group of bees.
• Red snapper, fileted and perfect for hotpot. Kind of cutting it close with the conditions that one Red Guy set himself, but when does he ever stick completely to the rules?
• Noodles, a variety of different ones. All unique, but all delicious. Just like how you and your unitmates friends are unique in your own ways.

Monday (+1)

Niki chewed happily, swallowing. He licked his lips, eyes sparkling excitedly. He leaned forward in his seat, mouth open.

Rinne snorted, an endeared expression on his face. “Want some more?” He held up a forkful of cake.

Niki nodded excitedly, happily eating another forkful of cake that Rinne offered him. Rinne lifted a hand to wipe away some cream on the side of Niki’s face as he enjoyed another mouthful of cake.

Rinne pulled back, licking the cream off of his finger. “Mmm. I see why you like it so much, it’s pretty good~ That’s kinda surprising since Kohaku-chan and the kids were in charge of the cake.” 

Niki laughed, taking the fork from Rinne. “I’m sure it wasn’t just them, look how great it is! A different flavor for each tier…Even I wouldn’t have come up with that, nahaha~ I wonder if I can get the recipe?”

“Regardless if you came up with it or not, that still doesn’t change the fact that you were and are still banned from cooking! Niki~kyun, you should be relaxing and enjoying this day with meee~ Don’t think about food, think about me!” Rinne pouted, leaning forward and squeezing Niki’s cheeks.

“I can’t help it~ It’s an unavoidable part of me! You can’t have Niki without cooking, even for one day. Not possible!” Niki squirmed, pushing Rinne playfully.

“What kind of lame excuse is that~” Rinne hummed, still squeezing his cheeks.

“One that you should be familiar with, Mr. Amagi ‘I’m not myself if I’m never taking chances’ Rinne. Mr. Amagi ‘Gambling is my blood, you can’t take it away from me!’ Rinne. Mr. Amagi-” Niki was interrupted suddenly by a faceful of cake being smashed into his face, the frosting sliding down his face. Rinne sat in front of him, some of that same frosting on his hand. There was a sizable dent in the cake. He smiled smugly.

Niki reached up, tasting the cake. It was from a different tier than the other slices he got.

Mmm. Coffee.

Rinne opened his mouth, about to say something. Niki doesn’t know what, and doesn’t care as he is grabbing a handful of cake and smashing it back into the other man’s face, catching him completely by surprise.

It doesn’t take long until that poor cake becomes the ammo for their fight, all flavors of cake flying as the two of them went quickly from smashing cake against each other’s faces to chucking handfuls at each other and ducking behind the tables and chairs, creating a huge mess.

It’s honestly a miracle that no one else is caught in the crossfire, most of the other people in the room seated at their own tables and barely batting an eye at the war happening in their corner. Whoever had the idea to get two cakes definitely had the right idea, as one was torn apart by the two of them, while the other was safely on the other side for other people to take slices from.

And while Niki normally would be fainting at the sight of all the wasted food, he was too swept up in the moment to care, laughing as he ducked behind his chair, cake all over his face, in his hair, and even staining his clothes.

Their cake is mostly gone after several more rounds of cake flying back and forth, only a sad amalgamation left of pieces from all tiers crumbled together into one pile. Niki was ducked behind the table and caught his breath while licking some cake off of his hands, while also keeping an eye on Rinne who was reaching for more.

“Are you serious? No wonder Rabu-han told me to check on you guys, what the hell is this mess? Good thing we got more than one cake…” Kohaku stood to the side, frowning at them.

Niki watched Rinne smirk, the face of a menace with a plan. Rinne grabbed their leftover cake.

Niki squinted. “Rinne-kun. For your own sake, I’m warning you now. Don’t you dare-”

Niki’s warning was for nothing, as he watched everything happen in quick succession. 

Rinne threw the cake, the leftovers of their battle splattering across their younger friend. In an instant, Kohaku dashed forward, knocked Rinne to the ground, and threw him to the side. The commotion got the attention of everyone else, a circle forming around the two as Kohaku pinned the older man down.

Niki stood up, laughing and wiping cake off of himself as he watched from the side.

I warned him~

Niki watched as the twins and Aira cheered for Kohaku. He laughed at how Hiiro looked confused, not knowing whether to step in and help his brother or also cheer. 

There also were others, like Anzu standing in place with her arms crossed and shaking her head, Ibara still seated with his head buried in his hands, Souma watching eagerly with his hand on the hilt of his katana, Mayoi stood behind Tatsumi with his hands shaking and a confused expression, and many many more.

Niki stifled a laugh on seeing Himeru also in the circle, phone held up as he recorded everything that was happening.

He really was surrounded by so many people. All the people he met in Ensemble Square, all the people he grew with over the years and made memories with.

The people that he got to know more over the years.
The people that he shared many laughs with.

The people that he fought with.

The people that he cried with.

The people he shared a bright and shining stage with, never to be alone again.

Nothing like the cold apartment, eating leftover curry made for three people by himself.

He was so undeniably happy, unable to stop himself from smiling.

Niki returned back to his seat, wiping as much cake off of himself, tasting some of it at the same time. He almost has all of it out of his hair when Rinne finally stumbles back towards him, collapsing in his seat and leaning onto Niki. He was covered in cake bits, his hair a mess and face frosted in sugar and cream.

“What are you thinking about, Niki~kyun~ You were so lost in thought there that you didn’t think to lend a hand to your poor, poor Rinne-kun while he was being picked on.” Rinne whined, jutting his lower lip out.

Niki rolled his eyes and pulled him close by the tie. He wiped away some of the cake, helping fix Rinne’s suit. “Shut up, it wasn’t anything you didn’t deserve. If you thought about it more like a person with sense, maybe you wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Rinne feigned a sob. “Boohoo. My own wife is also picking on me… Hic, sob, sniffle. Sniffle. Sniffle. How cruel, how cruel. Especially when this is supposed to be the happiest day of my life?! All I’m getting is ridiculed, hic.” Rinne gave another fake sob.

Niki snorted, brushing off more cake. “I’m a guy. Can’t be a wife. And you’re such a dramatic baby.”

Rinne grabbed Niki’s hand, holding it up. The matching rings on their fingers shone in the light, a subtle hexagon pattern engraved around a small cobalt blue gem and a small deep red gem. He smirked. “Husband. I’m your dramatic husband.”

“Don’t be proud of that!!” Niki huffed, pulling his hand back.

“Hic, sob, sniffle, I’m still being picked on… No love for Amagi Rinne…”

Niki sighed, rolling his eyes. He leaned in, cupping his hands around Rinne’s face. He pulled him in for a soft kiss to placate the other man. 

Niki felt Rinne smile against the kiss, returning it and drawing him in. If Niki had to put a taste to it… behind the multitudes of different cake tastes from before, he could find the sweet and gentle taste akin to the warm honeyed apples that Rinne had a soft spot for.

They kissed slowly and sweetly, before pulling back, both smiling. Rinne leaned forward, leaving a kiss on Niki’s nose. “You taste like cake~”

Niki giggled as Rinne peppered more kisses on his face. “I wonder why, nahaha~”

Rinne pulled back, laughing. “I wonder~ Back to the topic though, you still didn’t answer my question. What were you thinking so hard about? Don’t tell me you’re still trying to see if you can recreate this cake, you’re on no cooking ban for today! The bride is not allowed to work on his wedding day!!”

Niki looked out over the room, at all their friends and acquaintances spread out in their own conversations. He spotted Aira, Hiiro, and Himeru surrounding Kohaku and helping him clean the cake off. He smiled.

He feels a fullness in his otherwise bottomless stomach, filled with warmth and the love of everyone around him, all the people that have walked into his life.

Niki turned back to Rinne, shaking his head. “No~ Just thinking that I haven’t felt hungry for a while.”

Rinne smiled softly, cupping his face. “That’s good.” He leaned in.

Niki smiled, following suit and closing his eyes. “Yeah. It is~”

Ah~ I really am feeling so full.

And I don’t think I will be hungry ever again~

Many-tiered wedding cake: Seven different tiers with many different flavors, a grand cake to share with all the different people in your life (and your (annoying) beloved)

• A tier decorated in stars and dessert beads. Fondant letters and pen lights decorate it, a gentle taste of vanilla with popping candy, courtesy of a hardworking producer. 
• A tier that you don’t know what else to call but… unique? Certainly given the combo of super spicy crackers, super sweet candy, and slightly burnt wafers, among other things. A tropical taste, bursting with colors, courtesy of the juniors that look up to you eagerly. 
• A tier decorated in an elegant white and green frosting, small fondant gift boxes and balloons lining the edges. It has the strong taste of coffee, courtesy of a group of people you were thrown into suddenly, who’ve become friends you can trust.
• A tier decorated with a weird mix of styles of piped frosting, gummy fruits and vegetables decorating the edges. A very pleasant strawberry flavor, courtesy of a group so different yet all the same in their love for the culinary, just like you.
• A tier split into two, one super sweet one covered in candy, the other decorated with a shaky line of frosting, a small misshapen omurice(?) made of cake decorating the side. The two tastes of a rich chocolate and a red velvet, kind of overwhelming but courtesy of the two excitable juniors you lived with for a while (one of which is now your brother in-law).
• A tier decorated with little candy bees, candy flowers, and cola gummies. The strong taste of matcha, with a hint of sakura, courtesy of the two other bees that are a part of your ‘hive’.
• A simple tier, with yellow stars, piped yellow frosting flowers, and bits of honeycomb. A drizzle of honey, with a gentle taste of honeysuckle, lighter than all the other flavors. A stupid little bee cake topper with a top hat that you know your menace (forever) probably had a hand in picking out.