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anonymous-hopeful · 6 years

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Hope's Peak Popular

Hey, remember this?

Here's the fic for it!

Please, like and reblog, it's okay! No one knows I exsist, and liking and reblogging helps tremendously!

(Fic will be updated)

Chapter One: From Now On, We Are Enemies

" Taka... I have something to tell you...". The young blonde lowered his head in dejection. "What's wrong, Yaku?", Kiyotaka answered worriedly. " My daddy got a new job. It's in California. We have to move.", Byakuya sighed, before breaking out into tears. "I don't wanna move! I wanna stay here, with you!". Afterwards, he hugged the other toddler tightly. Soon, both were crying in the middle of the playground. "I don't want you to leave, Yaku! I don't have any other friends to play with!". "Byakuya Togami! Byakuya Togami! Your parents are here to pick you up early!", a teacher called. "No! I don't wanna go!", he snapped back. At first, the teacher was offended by the remark, but when she saw the two kindergartners holding each other tightly on the playground , crying their little hearts out, she'd softened a bit. " Byakuya, you have to go with your mommy and daddy, okay? If you don't, they'll be really sad. Do you want them to be sad?". The boys stopped their embrace, but still held hands. Byakuya used his other hand to rub his nose as he sniffled, before choking out, "I don't want my mommy and daddy to be sad too...". "Then come with me. They're waiting in the office.". Without waiting for an okay from the youth, the teacher picked him up. "Kiyotaka, is it okay if I could talk to you after recess?". The boy nodded slowly, watching silently as his friend was carried away into the school building. Later that day, the teacher sat down with the upset student. " I'm sorry that Byakuya had to move, but remember, it's not his fault.". Kiyotaka responded with a quiet whine. "Don't be sad, Kiyotaka. There are lots of other students that will be your friend. Besides, maybe one day, you'll see each other again."

Those words stuck in Kiyotaka's memory from the time of his kindergarten graduation up to his freshman year in high school. "Maybe one day...", he'd always tell himself. As he left the high school on the last day of being in ninth grade, his parents had called him, telling him to come home immediately. With a complete and utter sense of urgency, he dashed home ( it was only five miles from the school building, and catching a ride would be worthless.) Regaining his senses, he knocked on the door. "Oh! Home already?", his mother, Jun Ishimaru, inquired (with a questionable look on her face). "Yes, mother...what's wrong? Did something happen at your job? Or father's job? You'd still be at work if something didn't happen.". "Sit down, son. Your mother and I have something to say.", his father, Takaaki, instructed. Obediently, he did what he was told, waiting intently for his parents to explain the situation. "Well, Kiyo...", his mom started calmly, before shouting, " Your father got a promotion, and I was given my own branch of ' Mai Nakamura's Dance Studio's ' ! How exciting!". Kiyotaka was confused. "Is this all?", he asked. "Both jobs are in California, and they're near a school called 'Hope's Peak High'. When your mom called Miss Nakamura, she said that her granddaughter was about to be a sophomore there, along with one of her choreographer's nephews. What was his name...? I think you'd call him... Yaku?". Instantly, Kiyotaka's face lit up. Every day, he'd waited for this moment, and now it was coming to him in the best way possible. "Are you enrolling me into Hope's Peak High?", the teenager asked in excitement. "Well, we'd have to think about it...," his father contemplated, before Jun interrupted with a boisterous, "Why wouldn't we!"

Their whole summer was spent packing up everything in their Florida apartment, buying school supplies beforehand, and moving everything to the new California condo. Kiyotaka stared out of the Volkswagen window on the car ride there, (Takaaki decided against using an airplane; there'd be too much carry-on, and it was cheaper to rent a couple U Haul trucks and drive instead),and silently thought about how his first day at Hope's Peak High would go. "Taka? You're being awfully quiet.", his father said, breaking him out of his trance. "Sorry...but i was wondering what my reunion with Yaku would be like. You know, if he'll remember me, if we'll be even closer than before, things like that.", he responded. "Don't doubt anything, sweetie! I'm sure you and Byakuya are going to be as great of friends as you were in kindergarten! Maybe even better!", his mom cheerfully stated.

When they finally got situated in their new house, Jun took Kiyotaka to the new dance studio she was managing. To be honest, the teen was amazed: five different rooms, ten choreographers, a break room, auditorium, and store wrapped up in one studio, and is mother was the manager of it all! " Now, over there, Aika, I want the ballet bar. Make sure to get it straight as possible.". " Ah, Miss Nakamura! I thought I heard your beautiful voice!", Jun greeted, embracing the older woman. Surprised, Mai turned around to see who had hugged her. " Jun? I should've known it was you, child! Energetic as always, are you?", she said joyfully. "Of course, Miss Nakamura! I'd like to introduce you to my son. Kiyotaka, this is Miss Mai Nakamura!", she said, as she pulled her son into the hug. " Greetings, Miss Nakamura! I've heard many great things about you, ma'am!", he complemented, voice a bit strained. "I can say the same, young man! So polite!". With an unbelievable amount of strength, she pulled out of the crushing hug. "Very fit, too! Do you dance? You have a very nice dancer's body, especially for a boy!", Mai commented. Embarrassed, Kiyotaka looked away. " It's nothing to be shy about, young man! A nice body attracts nice suitors! In fact, I may sign you up for lessons here!". Before she could say more, a voice chimed ," Granny! Leave him alone! Every time a boy my age comes in, you have something to say, but I bring my friends, and you speak in Japanese!". "Oh, I don't do that...", Mai said, stifling laughter. "Young man, this is my granddaughter, Aika. I'd set you up with her, but..," , she looked around and lowered her voice," ...she likes women.". Immediately, Aika chimed in, " Granny! Don't listen to her, she hasn't taken her crazy medicine today!". "Young people today, always ashamed of something.". Mai shook her head. "Kin left a bit earlier, so I'm afraid she can't meet you.". "Kin?", Kiyotaka questioned. " That's Byakuya's aunt. Maybe you can talk later,", Jun answered, " But that's not a problem. I brought you here to meet Aika.", she gestured to the teen aged girl, who was fixing a bar on the wall to the right. "She agreed to take you to school Monday on her motorbike. Is that okay with you?", she asked. After a moment, he replied with a," Yes, although, I've never rode a motorbike before...". "Ah, it's okay. All you have to do is hold on. I'm doing the driving", Aika answered as she drilled in a screw. " Besides, I hit the racetrack every weekend. You can trust me.".

Monday morning came faster than expected, as did Aika. "Hurry up, man! This ain't prep school!". Aika removed her helmet and observed the boy in front of her. His hair was slicked up, he wore a red sweater vest over his pearly white shirt, and he had on white slacks. Slacks. "Fool, what'd I tell you? This ain't preparatory!". Shaking her head, she slipped her helmet over her large Afro, and tossed another to Kiyotaka. "Get on, Oxford.". The ride to school was quick and quiet, and as soon as she got to the doors, she dropped him off. " Last year, they made it a rule to park your bike in the lot on the other side.", she explained, before jetting off. "I guess I'm on my own then..", Kiyotaka sighed, walking up the stairs. "Hey. You new?", someone asked behind him. " Uh...Yes...". Another male, about his height, walked around to greet him. "Name's Kazuichi Souda. Nice to meet ya!", the teen exclaimed, thrusting his hand forward. Kiyotaka took a moment to examine him. Messy pink hair covered with a beanie, sharp, shark like teeth, and long eyelashes. Was he really the first person he'd make friends with? Throwing away all logic, he reciprocated the handshake. "I can say the same! I am Kiyotaka Ishimaru! However, at your discretion, you can call me Kiyo!". "Why not Taka? It'll catch on quicker.", Kazuichi asked him. "Well, a special person called me that when we were younger. I hope I'll run into him today." The shark toothed boy smiled. " Man, I remember catchin' up with a friend I hadn't seen in a while! Speakin' of friends, I wonder if Hamster-chan's here...". "Hamster-chan?", Kiyotaka wondered. "Oh that's a nickname for a friend of mine. We really hated each other as freshman, cause there was this girl we liked, but when we found out she was datin' someone, we stopped fightin' and actually became friends. I call him Hamster-chan cause he keeps these hamsters on him all the time. At first he didn't like it, but now every time I call him that, he gets flustered. It's actually kinda cute.". From the distance, someone had asked, "Does the shark toothed one speak of me?". "Sounds like he's near. Imma go find him.". Kazuichi left eagerly to find his friend, leaving Kiyotaka alone. "Hey. Why you standin' there? You lost or somethin'?", a rough voice inquired. "I suppose.", Kiyotaka answered, turning to face the inquirer. He was tall...and very muscular...his hair was also interesting... "M' name's Mondo. An' you?". Kiyotaka would have to internally reprimand him for his terrible grammar later. He was about to make another friend! " My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru! You may call me Kiyo at your discretion!". The boy stuck out his hand for the other to shake, taking note of the rising blush on his face. Eventually, the other did shake his hand, slowly. "Eh, if ya need any help gettin' yer schedule, I can go wit' ya or somethin...". Kiyotaka took the offer gracefully. "Of course! Lead the way, Mondo!".

Kiyotaka didn't meet up with Kazuichi again until lunch. This time, he had his friend in tow. "Eh, Kiyo! This is Hamster-chan! Took me forever to find him in the crowd!". Shyly, the Gothic teen introduced himself. " Greetings mortal. In other realms, I am known as the esteemed Supreme Overlord of Ice! However, in this realm, you shall know me as the great Gundam Tanaka.". He was a bit eccentric, but overall, friendly. "My name is Kiyotaka. You can call me Kiyo.", he greeted, before asking,"Where is the cafeteria in this school? It's taking me forever to find it!". Kazuichi and Gundam looked at each other, before Gundam replied," Fresh mortal, you shan't dine in a mere 'cafeteria'. Here, you shall dine in Feasting Hall fit for the dark gods themselves!". At first, Kiyotaka had no idea what Gundam meant, but when he saw the full blown CAFE, he caught on. "Wow! You have lunch here every day?", he asked excitedly. "Of course, New One. Any other conditions would be unsavory! " The trio made their way to the line and received their meals from one of the culinary students, ( who seemed to have some sort of comment for everyone), and made their way to their seats, when another clique came in. Everyone was seemingly intimidated, but when Kiyotaka saw the leader of the other trio, he jumped out of his seat and grabbed them, shouting, "Yaku! Yaku! It's been forever! I can't believe I haven't seen you at all today! How's life? Are there any cool hangouts? I-". What he expected was the other wanting to hug him as well. What he got was being forcefully pushed into a nearby table, causing it to flip over and send it's diner's running. Before he could get up, someone stood over him and held him to the ground with their foot. That person was Byakuya. "Sorry Yaku! I had-", he began to apologize, before Byakuya made his foot connect with his chest hard: enough to probably cause some bruises, but not enough to break a rib. "I'm sorry, what did you call me?", he asked, threateningly. "Y...Yaku...". Kiyotaka cried out in pain as Byakuya stomped on his chest again. " Yaku... well, if it isn't Kiyotaka. Looks like you've found California. Enjoying it here?". " Yes... the weather is nice, and- AH!". " Shut up, peasant. it was rhetorical.". Kiyotaka gave the boy a puzzled look. "Yaku... why are you doing this? I... thought we were friends...". Giving a crooked smile, the blonde slowly added pressure to his chest with every word. " Kiyo.. sweet Kiyo...naive, stupid, and clueless. I don't know what they did to you in Florida, but I'll tell you what happened here. See, Kiyo, I used to be like you; shy, new, a bit confused. As I got older, however, I started catching on to the hierarchy here. As soon as I started sixth grade, I began coming out of my shell. I started getting what I wanted when I wanted it. Now, through blood, sweat, and tears, I've climbed my way to the top. Seniors? They fear me as much as the freshmen. I'm the person you'll hear stories about in the school paper. I'm the one who has every boy and girl dying to be with me. I'm the ruler of everything in this school. The floors are mine. The lockers are MINE . If anything, I OWN YOU! " At this point, Kiyotaka was gasping for air. " By the way, Kiyotaka, our friendship ended when I left Florida all those years ago. I thought you knew.", he stated with brutal honesty. The injured boy was about to answer, when Kazuichi and Gundam burst through the crowd with a lavender-haired girl behind them. "Alright, rich ass, get your foot off the new boy. Your dad may be superintendent, but my dad's still principal.". Even from on the floor, Kiyotaka felt her razor gaze. Byakuya was about to react, but the other people in his little group stopped him. One looked like a small, skinny girl in a dress, and the other was a slightly taller boy with red hair and a goatee. "Just leave him there," the small girl said," besides, he's learned his lesson.". " Yeah, it's only his first day.", the boy with the goatee chimed. Reluctantly, Byakuya removed his foot from Kiyotaka's chest, but not before leaving a warning," Remember this, Kiyotaka. Oh, and I saw your little interaction with my boyfriend earlier. I don't ever want you talking to him again. Got it?". With no further taunts, he left, along with his followers, and eventually, the whole crowd dispersed, except Kazuichi, Gundam, and the lavender-haired girl. " Don't believe we've properly met. I am Kyoko Kirigiri. if you have any more problems with the prick, my dad's the principal. I'm taking you to the nurse, okay?".

The rest of the day was painful, physically and mentally. The nurse and her meek assistant hadn't found any broken ribs, but they had to put a cream on his chest to help the bruises subside. Still, in his classes, Kiyotaka seemed to be the odd one out. No one else talked to him, and there was the strange feeling of somebody watching him from behind the corners..."Hey, Kiyo! Over here!", Kazuchi called from the parking lot. Contented, he made his way over to his friends. "Thank you for getting Kyoko. I fear that interaction would've been worse had she not come.". "Why did you not warn us that the so called 'friend' you were seeking was the Demon of Popularity?", Gundam asked, sorrow in his voice. "Huh?". " He means Byakuya. You two were actually friends when you were younger?", Kazuichi asked. Silently, Kiyotaka nodded his head. "Ah, I don't blame ya for actin like that. You have a friend for so long, and then they do a one eighty on ya. I pity ya.", he said, hugging the boy next to him. "Unfortunately, it appears you are now a target for this Demon, and his fellow heathens.". Gundam warned. "Yeah, he's right. Leon and Chihiro can be relentless. It's best to stay with us for now.". After their conversation, Kazuichi drove him home, since Aika had already left for the studio. As soon as he was dropped off, Kiyotaka made his way to his room...where he had a giant tantrum filled with rage. Frantically, he tore down posters, threw his clothes, and messed up his bed. For a moment, screaming and destroying his room felt good...then his mom came home. " Kiyo, honey? How was your first day of school? Did you get to see," she paused before opening the door, " Oh my goodness...". It took the teen a while to realize his mother was in the room. " Oh! Mother! I apologize!". " Now, Kiyo, I did something like this when I was younger. Did something happen?". Kiyotaka then explained what had happened ( leaving out several pieces of information). "Well..sweetie, I'm so sorry that happened. Maybe next time you and Byakuya meet, it'll end better, hmm?". "If only, mother, but from now on, we are enemies."

Chapter Two: Let's Be Populars

Kiyotaka Ishimaru sat on his bed in deep contemplation. BYAKUYA was now a popular that didn't give a shit about him. Instead, he had his little group of cronies, who he assumed were popular too. There were two possible things he could do; either forget today ever happened, forget Byakuya was ever his friend, and try to have a peaceful school life, knowing that he could be attacked at any moment, or he could devise a way to knock the brutal blonde off his pedastal (i.e. become popular himself). The desicion was fairly easy to make:Kiyotaka wasn't going to spend his entire school life hiding from his former friend. Once the decision was finalized, he pulled out his phone and dialed Kazuichi , remembering that they exchanged numbers on the ride to his house. "Kiyo? What's up?", the pink-haired teen asked from the other end. "Come over to my house, and bring Gundam with you. I've got big plans for us.""Allow me to recap the precceding conversation. You, the New One, want us to dethrone the reigning Demon of Popularity, and have us rule his kingdom?", Gundam inquired. Kiyotaka got up from his bed to close the door. "Is that an issue?", he replied. "Well, nah, it's just that...Byakuya plays dirty, ya know. He'll do anything to stay on top.", Kazuichi responded solemly. "So that will prevent us from at least trying? We may have only been friends for a day, and I may be on edge, but I believe that we can be more popular than him!". Kiyotaka's enthusiasm had eventually persuaded the boys into giving a shot at becoming popular."Alright, I'm for this, but if ya want us to be popular, you're gonna have to know a few things about the rich boy and his minions.", Kazuichi warned. "Go ahead. I'm listening.", Kiyotaka said as he sat back down. "Byakuya's toughest friend is actually his smallest; Chihiro Fujisaki. Even though he wears that cutesy skirt, he's still a guy. I remember, the first time they got together, Chihiro had completely hacked into his social media. Started postin' all kinds of lies. Actually, it had almost ruined him. Even now, everyone thinks Byakuya friended him because he was scared. Then there's Leon Kuwata. No one knows how those two became friends. Rumor has it, he's cheatin' on Mondo with 'im. Of course, other's say it's cause he's rich, too. The boy's a baseball all-star. He's already been scouted for twenty different college teams,", Kazuichi paused to take a breath,"How do we compete with that, now that I think about it?".Kiyotaka smiled, "Well, first, we make a statement. Put ourselves out there.". "Perhaps, with our Earthly garments?", Gundam wondered. Kiyotaka took a moment to look at what they all wore: as Aika put it, he looked like an Oxford student, Kazuichi had a punk mechanic look, and Gundam looked like someone out of a Harry Potter movie. From his recollection, Byakuya a button up shirt and jeans, Chihiro had on a T-shirt and skirt, and Leon was the soul of Hot Topic. "Looks like we have to start with our clothes. ", Kiyotaka sighed. "Well, New One, you shall revel in our fortune. I happen to have contact with the Goddess of Lavish Styling. Shall we grace her presence?". The other two exchanged glances. "Well, no time like the present, I suppose."The three then piled into Kazuichi's car (Takaaki wasn't home from the police station yet and Jun had to leave for another shift) and headed to the studio of the said Goddess of Lavish Styling. At their request, they were allowed into her office. Inside, there were two girls, both of which Kiyotaka recognized. The more colorful of the two, Junko Enoshima, was measuring out the dimensions of a mannequin, while her more stoic sister, Mukuro Ikusaba, was glaring at something on her phone. When the trio walked in, Junko exclaimed, "Mukuro! Big sister! You weren't watching your post! What if this was Fenrir? You'd have killed us both!". Annoyed, Mukuro got up and walked out of the room, making sure to flip off her sister in the process. "Aw! You're no fun," Junko whined, before addressing her visitors. " So, any reason why you're here?"."See, Goddess, my court and I have came before you to request another wardrobe; if it is in your will," Gundam explained. "New clothes? Gundam, I just made you those cotton shirts, what do you want with-", she started, before locking eyes with Kiyotaka. "Oh. My. God. You're the boy that was attacked in the cafe earlier, aren't you? I'm surprised you're even walking.", she remarked. "Well, yes, but I am quite stronger than I look. Actually, I was the one who wanted to come here. You see-," he'd began, before being interrupted. " I totally see. YOU want to be popular, don't you? I'm not surprised. This has happened every year since sixth grade; Rich Bitch and his little shits terrorize someone, they vow revenge by trying to become popular, and everything goes well until his yearly Halloween party where he makes you look like a complete and total whore. best if you don't even try.", Junko warned."I don't want to seem ignorant, but I still would like to at least attempt," Kiyotaka said, firm and confident. Rolling her eyes, Junko walked away from the mannequin. "Okay, fine, but don't come crying to me when you're up to your elbows in despair," she paused to stare the boys down firmly, " Now then. You made the right decision coming to me for your fashion switch. In order to make the proper statement with your clothes, you've got to show off a bit. Let's see...". Casually, the younger sister crossed over to Kiyotaka, her eyes seemingly fixed in one part of him. "Hold still. I have to check something.". The girl wrapped the measuring tape around his waist, and in all honesty, she seemed fascinated. "Whoa. Do you do squats or something?" she asked. "Yes, I do! It's a part of my daily exercise routine!", the red eyed boy answered proudly. "Yeah it is! This is the first time I've actually encountered a boy with a curvy physique like a girl! That saves me a lot of work!", Junko complemented. Immediately, the male turned red, along with the other two. " I mean, Kazu isn't exactly skinny, and Gundam may be a little, but you! I already have something!", she yelled, dashing into the other room. Before anyone could react, Junko was already running back in with a full outfit. "This! Wear this! I have enough designs to last you the entire school year!". Reluctantly, Kiyotaka observed the outfit: a short sleeved white shirt with a black dot in the middle, shorts that would most likely start in the middle of his thigh, and knee high boots. "Are you sure this is my style?", he questioned. "Absolutely! I wouldn't pick it out if it didn't work for you!" Junko said as she carried in two separate outfits. "I'm, like, the ultimate fashionista , you know!"Byakuya and Leon were already at the school, conversing by the lockers. "I still think that you were too rough on what's his face," Leon admitted. "Well excuse me for standing my ground. If Kiyotaka is going to be student here, he may as well know the rules.". Byakuya was about to continue his lecture, but he was drowned out by the oncoming crowd. "Ugh. I can't even hear myself think. What's going on over there?", an annoyed Byakuya whined. "I'll go take a look.". While pushing his way through the crowd, he overheard comments like,"Wow, this is the fastest someones' striked back against him", and "Man, this guy is determined. He had even heard Teruteru, the student chef in the cafe, give a long whistle. "What the fuck is going on...?", Leon questioned. Unbeknownst to him, the question was about to be asnwered by Kiyotaka, Kazuichi and Gundam, each sporting new looks. The attention as a whole was actually focused on the new kid, who was wearing FEMININE clothing, and somehow getting away with it. Meanwhile Kazuichi had upped his punk by a thousand, and Gundam looked even more gothic, but in a more modern way. "Byakuya! We may have a problem!".

Chapter Three: Three Little Pigs

When Byakuya had come to stand by Leon, the shock on his face was priceless. "Wha- what the". Kiyotaka instinctively turned to face the bewildered boy. "Oh. Hello, Byakuya. If you don't mind, I was heading to my locker." The blonde couldn't help but watch as the three boys walked past him without another word. Instantly, the halls filled with hushed whispers. Everything was fine until a short girl with pigtails mentioned something about the trio taking their place as the school's populars. " Everyone...," Byakuya stated, catching everybody's attention. "I'm going to say this one time, and one time only. IF YOU EVEN THINK THAT KIYOTAKA ISHIMARU COULD POSSIBLY REPLACE ME AS THE RULER OF THIS SCHOOL, THEN YOU ARE ALL SADLY MISTAKEN.". The angry male then made his way to the front of the crowd."Oh, and your king has one final request. GET. OUT. OF. MY. HALLWAY! ". Like a family of roaches caught by a light, the bystanders quickly escaped to their classes ( their teachers probably wouldn't mind if they were early.). After everybody frantically made their getaway, Chihiro walked in through the school's double doors. "Byakuya! I heard your tantrum from outside. What's going on?". "THAT," Byakuya said, pointing at Kiyotaka and his crew, "is what's going on. I mean, look at him! He's so... so...". "Big? Curvy? Thick? Wide?", Leon said, trying to complete his sentence. "I'm trying to stay away from seemingly complementary terms.". Rolling his eyes, Chihiro walked over to the offenders, all the while saying, "You two would be lost without me.". "I believe we have made progress in our treacherous quest. The Demon has sent a member of his court.". The three turned to look at Chihiro, who had an all too innocent look on his face. "Oh, aren't you the boy from yesterday? The boy who's chest almost caved in?". "Hey, Chihiro. We ain't here for your taunts, okay, so you can go back to the damn dickhead.", Kazuichi warned."Oh, Kazuichi Souda. You don't want a repeat of seventh grade, do you?", Chihiro chided. "No....". "Good. Now you. What do you even thinkyou're wearing?", Chihiro asked, inspecting the boy. "I simply decided to change my wardrobe. Are you interested in my choice of clothing?", Kiyotaka replied, hands finding their way to his hips. "You really think I'd want those? Really, do you? You were brave enough just to wear those. Personally, I'm not a fan of body shaming, but you honestly need to cover yourself. Your thighs are too out of proportion to your waist. Seriously, those...things...are...",Chihiro took a break to gag,"...I can't hold it back. They're gross. Disgusting. Yesterday, you had on slacks, right? I recommend putting them back on.". Kiyotaka tried his best to keep a straight face, but the smaller male's words started to sink in. "Is my body really..THAT unappealing...?". "Try as you may, Holder of the Dresser's Cross, but you shall never break the Ascendant Ruler of the Void, or his loyal equals.", Gundam said, stepping between Chihiro and Kiyotaka. "Or can I?". The small male unzipped his backpack and pulled out a lunchbox. "Finally, this lunch my dad packs has a use.", he said, pulling at the velcro. "What could a mere meal do to take the great Gundam Tanaka down?". Slowly,Chihiro pulled out a sandwich bag, which had held...a chicken leg (baked, not fried.). Shocked, Gundam took a step back. "H-how dare y-y-you present..the..the corpse...of an animal...", he stuttered. Kiyotaka and Kazuichi looked at each other. To a normal teen, a simple chicken leg would've brought laughs, or no reaction at all. But Gundam..he loves animals, no matter their size, looks, or behavior. To see one dead..or even eaten..would bring him to tears. "What's the problem? I bet it's really good. All you have to do is take a bite~!". He demonstrated by taking the horrid thing out of its bag and sinking his teeth into it, making sure he tore plenty of meat off the bone. "Mmmm....". Gundam started trembling as the teen before him greedily ate at the leg, tears threatening to fall, if they haven't already, down his face. "You're such a baby. Chickens were meant to be eaten. It's called livestock for a reason. When are you going to understand that, dork lord?". As if on cue, Kyoko Kirigiri, and an unfamiliar boy, walked around the corner. "Byakuya? You almost killed him yesterday, now what are you doing to him?", the lavender haired female asked. "Oh, it's not me. Chihiro decided to teach his fat ass a lesson.", he scoffed. "You three are something else.", Kyoko started, before the boy behind her chimed in, "Let's take these three to the counselor.". The girl sighed, "Makoto, you take them. I have to deal with Togami and the Ass Kissers.". Shrugging, the boy introduced himself to the group. "Um, hi. I'm Makoto Naegi. Let's get you the counselor's office.As they tread the halls, they passed Mondo. "Hey, Mondo, what's up?", Makoto asked nicely,"class is going to start soon. Are you trying to get to your locker last minute or-". "Nah, I was told ta get my fuckin' bike on th' other lot.'", he said sourly, before looking at Kiyotaka. "Hey, ain't you that guy I helped yesterday?", he asked, a faint shade of pink covering his face."Yes! I was! Oh, I had never got the chance to thank you!", Kiyotaka chirped. "Ah, no need ta thank me. I was bein' nice.. ya know..cause' yer new n' all.". The muscular boy observed the three. "Damn. Th' hell happened ta you?". Makoto sighed. "Byakuya and his group were torturing them..or at least trying to..but Kyoko and I came in. I'm taking them to the counselor.". "No yer, not. I'll take em. You get back to yer girl, my bike can wait.", Mondo offered. "Oh, thanks. I'm sure Kyoko doesn't need help.. but maybe someone to hold her back.". As soon he was done speaking, he ran back to their location. "So, Byakuya's brakin' ya down?". The question was without a doubt rhetorical; Kazuichi seemed out of it, Gundam was shaking in terror, and Kiyotaka's eyes were more red than usual. "Yeah..he can be like that. Makes me wonder why 'm still with 'im ta b honest...". A look of shock came across the raven haired boy's face. "You are his boyfriend? Surely someone like you wouldn't be with-", Kiyotaka mused, before shutting his mouth. "I apologize. Yesterday, I had an unfortunate event that involved him.". "Unfortunate event? He could've killed you!", Kazuichi yelled. This had caused the taller teen to look away shamefully. "He stepped on yer chest, didn' he?", Mondo asked. "Yes.. how did you-". "He does it ta me, too...makes me think I'm doin' somethin' wrong...an' it's like he enjoys it...". The trio looked at him solemnly. "So, what'd he bother ya about today?", he asked, continuing to lead the group to the counselor. "Nothing much,", Kiyotaka stated,"but I must ask you a question. Am I, or rather is my body, repulsive in any way?". Mondo stopped dead in his tracks. "Does he really think of himself like that?"."Are ya kiddin' me? Ya look great, and if anyone thinks otherwise, I'll beat the shit outta em!". To prove his point, he hit a nearby locker, the loud rattle it made causing Kazuichi and Gundam to jump. "I'm sure that will be unnecessary. However, I appreciate the thought!", Kiyotaka replied, a smile gracing his face."Kyoko! Kyoko! Please, let there not be any dead bodies around this corner...", Mokoto yelled and he bolted down the hallway. Luckily, when he had gotten back, no one was harmed, though the look on Leon's face implied that something may have happened. "I didn't kill them, for your sake,", Kyoko said, blushing lightly," but I did get them to confess what they did.". "Whoa! Not they! It was all Chihiro! I just stood here..." Leon babbled. "Whatever. How are they doing?", the younger Kirigiri inquired. "Oh they're fine. I saw Mondo on the way there and he offered to take them the rest of the-". "I'm sorry, who took who to WHERE?", Byakuya asked, frustrated. "Uh..I saw Mondo...and he took them to the counselor for me.", Makoto answered, worry in his voice. The Togami chuckled darkly. "So, they've got my biker on their side, hmm? Well, not for much longer. Makoto, Kyoko, go to your classes. This doesn't concern you.". Kyoko was about to protest, when Makoto grabbed her hand. "Hey, let's go to class..". Silently, Kyoko and makoto left, hand in hand. "Okay. Now that they're gone, what's your plan?", Leon asked. Chihiro smirked, "Isn't it obvious? We're going to make them squeal like the three little pigs they are."

Chapter Four: Operation : Big Bad Wolf

Leon thought about what Chihiro had said. "Uh, how are we gonna do that? I hate to break it to you, but the school year JUST started", he informed, briefly being interrupted by the school bell. "Along with class.". "Oh, stop whining," Chihiro said, rolling his eyes, "We do this all the time." As the three stood in the hallway conspiring, a girl with thickly braided hair (one who Byakuya knew all too well) came down the hallway. "B-byakuya...the teacher sent me t-to find you...", she moaned breathlessly. "Touko Fukawa. If you don't return to class this instant, I will do something I may...or may not regret.". As expected, Touko took that bit of information the wrong way. "O-o-oh, Byakuya...I never knew...w-would you like to hide away together...just us?". After stumbling through her sentence, she latched onto Byakuya's arm."Get off of me, you fool!", the blonde yelled before attempting to throw Touko off his arm, only to aggravate her allergies, causing her to sneeze and flip personalities and change into the outgoing Genocider Syo."I see what you were doing! You didn't want to get close and personal with Miss Snoozefest huh? You wanted Mama Syo to make you feel good, yeah?", Syo taunted, wagging her tongue. Before Byakuya could shut down Syo's accusation, Kiyotaka and his crew made their way down the hallway, seemingly peppier, and completely ignoring the populars and their, or rather Byakuya's, violator. Somehow, Kiyotaka managed to pull the girl's attention away from Byakuya. "Ooh, who's the new boy?". Annoyed, Chihiro rolled his eyes. "He's Kiyotaka Ishimaru. I thought you witnessed what happened yesterday?". Syo scoffed,"Oh, please. Little Miss 'I'm Too Socially Devoid To Be Around Anyone Because No One Wants To Be Used In My Perverted Romance Novels' ate her lunch in the courtyard. Now then, I must say, newbies' got some back!". "Excuse me?". "Isn't it obvious? With hips like that, and that ass, he's gonna get everybody on his team. Hell, even Mama Syo wants a piece of that cake!". Holding back disgust, Byakauya asked, "How could that be more desirable than me?". Slowly, Genocider took the time to examine Byakuya's body, making all three boys feel uncomfortable. "Well.. it's nice...but not enough. You know, a big ass is what everyone wants now days, especially one accompanied with a tiny waist. I bet your boyfriend may be sneaking a peek too!". After cackling loudly, Genocider made her way back to the classroom, surprisingly disregarding Byakuya. "Whoa...that doesn't happen every day...", Leon commented, an obvious look of shock on his face. "Boys, met me at my car. We're going to have to plan something..in private.".The trip to the counselor was actually rather invigorating; in a mere twenty minutes, she had managed to calm Gundam, reassure Kazuichi, and boost Kiyotaka's self esteem. The trio didn't even notice Byakuya and his troop as they passed them in the hallways. Eventually the three had to split up, since Kiyotaka didn't have classes with either Gundam or Kazuichi. As Kiyotaka entered his classroom, however, he was greeted with long stares. "Hello everyone...did I miss anything?. A boy, the one who seemed have some sort of flirtatious comment for everyone around lunch, approached him. "Oh, you didn't miss much. When they say Mr. Kizakura loves to drink, it's made obvious by his hangovers. Not like that's important anyway. You're the schools' number one subjects.". "Me?", Kiyotaka said in disbelief. "Of course. I should introduce myself. Teruteru Hanamura. Pleasure to meet you.". Gratefully, the taller boy shook the shorter's hand. "Let me ask you something. Have you ever considered dating men?", Teruteru inquired, the words smoothly rolling off his tongue. "I never really looked into the concept, no.", Kiyotaka answered, following his reply with a, "Why do you ask?". Chuckling suggestively, the smaller boy responded by saying, "You don't know what you're missing...mmhmm...you wouldn't mind if we talked after school, hmm?". Kiyptaka thought for a moment. "Well, I don't have anything planned...". "Good. A few miles from here is my family restaurant, the Hanamura Diner. Some of the best food you'll ever eat. When you come in, tell my momma, the head chef, that you're here to see me.". After giving a a flirty wink, Principal Kirigiri entered the room. "As I expected," he sighed, looking down at the teacher. "Well, students, it looks like I will have to fill in on such short notice.""I don't like this; if we aren't careful, Principal Kirigiri's gonna bust us,", Leon voiced, but to no avail. "I thought I told you to be quiet, Leon. Still, I have to agree with him. I mean, it's still the second day. Is this necessary?", Chihiro asked, earning a sneer from Byakuya. "I don't know if you've been listening or not, but even though it's the second day, my whole damn reputation is on the line, which consequently means your reputation is on the line. It's August now, hmm? We'll use this week to plan, then execute the plan in the middle of September. That way, we can string them along until the Halloween party, where any possible hope they could have about ever replace me as the reigning popular will be subsequently keelhauled and left to be eaten by the sharks. Chihiro giggled. "Nice analogy, Byakuya. Of course, I would have stuck with my pig theme.". "Pig... that gives me an idea...". Leon cringed."What's the idea?", he asked. The blonde chuckled," If they're going to be the three little pigs, then we'll just have to be the big bad wolves.". "So, Operation Big Bad Wolf, then?" Leon responded. Byakuya opened the door of his car, and stepped out, facing the school. "Precisely."He knew he shouldn't be doing this, he was already devoted to Byakuya, but something deep inside him said that he at least needed to make sure Kiyotaka was okay. Mondo checked his surroundings, and thankfully everyone was in the cafe and not planning to stalk nice boys after school in the hallways. Sneakily, or as sneakily as you could be with a giant pompadour, he made his way around the building into the cafe, trying to find the boy in question. Somehow, in lieu of coincidental misfortune, he managed to run into somebody with a pomp that rivaled his; a girl by the name of Teruko Oshiro, one of the Oshiro triplets. Since their parents were the owners of MusicBoxx, a record label, the triplets' fashion choices often reflected an era of music. Teruko's just happened to be the 50's, which called for poodle skirts and ridiculous pompadours. "Mondo! What're ya doin?", she asked, dazed by the hit. "Nothin important.", Mondo lied weakly. "Obviously not, or ya wouldn't have bumped inta me! I'm not exactly a small girl, Mondo!". Before he could think up a response, her slightly older sisters Tomoko (who's style was 90's grunge) and Tsukiko (dressed as a modern day dj) walked in. "Isn't it obvious? He's trying to spy on the new boy!", Tomoko stated matter-of-factly. "Wha-wha...how the..". "Intuition", Tomoko said shrugging. "Mondo, if you want to see him, he is on the other side of the cafe. My sisters and I will not become an obstacle, will we?", Tsukiko informed. "Yeah, dude, just go ahead.", Tomoko said smiling. Since his train of thought was long derailed, Mondo simply shook his head in confirmation that he had been listening, and made his way to the other side of the cafe. He must've really had something for this boy... The remainder of the school day went by smoothly, and Kiyotaka was the first to hang around Kazuichi's car. "Ey, Taka! You're here early. What's up?", the shark-toothed boy asked. "Oh, I was wondering if I could ask you to take me somewhere. I didn't see you at lunch today.". Kazuichi and Gundam stopped for a moment and looked at each other. "Oh, uh, I was helpin' Gundam finish some work.". "Yes...now what is the location you wish to go?", Gundam asked. "The Hanamura Diner. Have you ever-". "The Hanamura Diner? As in the Hanamura Diner?", Kazuichi asked. "Yes, is that a problem?", he asked. "Hell, no! That's good eatin'!". Gundam looked down. "Also...they have a nice vegan menu...". As the trio got into the car, Kiyotaka noticed the slightest glow of a headlight, but quickly dismissed it as the sun. "Damn it.", Mondo swore aloud. He was sure Kiyotaka saw the headlights of his motorcycle, and almost positive his cover was blown. Still, he was driven to continue his quest. "Mondo! Where are you?", a familiar voice yelled. "Shit!". Another problem; in order to successfully stalk the other boy without raising suspicion, he'd done the most logical... though in hindsight, the most stupid thing to do...invite Byakuya on a date to the aforementioned diner. Not like there was anything else he COULD do in his situation. "Ey, Byakuya!", he yelled back, waving his hand in the air to direct his boyfriends attention to him. "There you are..", Byakuya sighed, taking a moment to lock lips with his boyfriend. "Now, hurry; I've got important things to take care of.", he demanded, wrapping his arms around Mondo's waist. "Yeah, sure. Whatever ya say, babe.", Mondo replied, noticing the chuckle Byakuya had afterward. What did his boyfriend have planned?

Chapter Five: Double Date(?)

Kazuichi pulled into the parking lot of the diner, making sure to be as close to the door as possible. "Alrighty, we're here!", he needlessly announced. Kiyotaka drew in a deep breath, taking in all of the delicious smells of food and seasoning, his mouth watering. "Hey, ya never said what gave ya the idea ta come here.", Kazuichi pointed out. "Oh, do you know Teruteru?", Kiyotaka asked. "Yes...he has quite a way with his words...", Gundam replied. "He asked me if I was available, and I said yes.". "Great choice:: now lets eat!", Kazuichi said, licking his lips. The restaurant was rather nice. It had the feeling of a countryside home, with the nice waiters, and chefs that treated everyone like family. Speaking of chefs..."I actually came to see Teruteru," Kiyotaka admitted, "Sorry for not-". "Eh, It's okay! Hamster-chan an' I'll just eat by ourselves. It'll be like a date!", the pink haired boy claimed, causing Gundam to blush shortly after. "Okay then. I'll meet up with you later!", Kiyotaka called, as he headed for the kitchen. "Hey! Stop there!", a waitress called out. "You aren't a chef; what makes you think you can go back there?", she asked. "Oh, I was actually looking for Miss Hanamura. Her son invited me and-". "Oh! Why didn't you say anything! I'll get her for you!". Moments later, a shorter woman with a joyful expression came out. "Ah, are you the boy my son's told me about?". The boy in question bent down to shake Mama Hanamura's hand. "Yes, I am, ma'am!". In reply, Mama Hanamura giggled. "So polite too...mmhmm...Teruteru is upstairs, in his room, but if you wait, I'll make you something...", she offered, which Kiyotaka accepted gratefully. About ten minutes later, she returned with a large bowl that filled the air with the best scents... "It's a favorite; beef stew.", she explained, handing the bowl to Kiyotaka. "Thank you! I truly appreciate it!", he complemented, before turning to the stairs. "Oh, no problem!", Mama Hanamura replied, watching Kiyotaka as he walked up the stairs. "My son is right...he does look nice from the back...mmhmm...".When Kiyotaka reached the top stair, Teruteru was waiting for him. "I see you met Mama.", he said, pointing out the bowl in Kiyotaka's hands. "Oh, yes, she's a very nice woman! She actually kind of reminds me of my mother. Maybe they should meet.". "Sounds good," Teruteru commented, a hand on his chin,"but for now, let's go to my room.". The two boys navigated their way to Teruteru's room, which seemed to look like the room of your average teenage boy, except for the fact that a rather large male lay sleeping atop the bed. "Um..". When Terutru noticed the male, he softly chuckled. "Do you remember Coach Sakakura's assistant?", he asked. Assistant...all Kiyotaka knew was that he happened to be in the same grade as them..."I apologize. The name has escaped me at the moment...", was his reply. The chef scratched his chin. "Oh. Perhaps the name Nekomaru Nidai rings a bell?". "Actually...It does. He's the assistant?". Teruteru smiled. "Not only is he the coach's assistant, he's my boyfriend.".Kiyotaka's face was overtaken with shock. Not by the fact that the seemingly perverted boy was in a romantic relationship, but by the fact that Teruteru was at the least four feet three inches tall, while Nekomaru was easily beyond six feet. "Surprised?", Teruteru asked, as if he was reading the other's mind. "No..it's just that...". Teruteru made his way to the nearest chair and sat down. "Listen, honey. If you wonder how this relationship works, I'd be happy to tell.". Kiyotaka thought for a moment. He was curious..."Okay. I'm listening.". "I'm not sure how we got together, actually. At first, I thought it was a joke, because of our...height difference...however...as our relationship continued, I noticed something. Something big..that just so happened to NOT be in his pants...he really cares. It's adorable, how he thinks he needs to stay by my side all the time. Of course, he doesn't have to...". The shorter boy sighed. "I have the desire to do the same. It may seem like I'm a bit of a flirt, but that's just my nature. If, I could just please him, no, if I could just truly show him my love...". Kiyotaka smiled. "How nice. I suppose what they say is true.". "Hmm?". "Love has no bounds.". "While that may be true," Teruteru preached," Love is also an insatiable beast, fueled by lust and desire.". The small chef paused a moment. "I think someone has his eyes on you.", he said a few moments later, "But love's put an obstacle in the way...". Teruteru then jumped out of his seat, grabbed Kiyotaka's shirt, and pulled him level to his face. "And that obstacle's name is Byakyua Togami.". Kazuichi and Gundam sat at the table in the diner. Ever since Kiyotaka went to talk to Teruteru, they were lost in their own little romantic world. It's not like they flat out lied to Kiyotaka; they did hate each other at one point, but the full truth was that the two had been dating since eighth grade, following the embarrassing incident that happened the school year before. Chihiro had recorded their many fights and arguments, probably trying to find something for blackmail, when he'd came across Kazuichi in the bathroom by himself admitting that he was now more interested in who he thought was his enemy than the girl they had fought so hard over. All it took was a bit of editing and hacking, and Chihiro had aired all of their altercations over the public announcement system, along with Kazuichi's heartfelt confession. He was bullied as a result, and there were plenty of homophobic slurs to go around, but the one thing he didn't expect was Gundam following him home like a lost puppy and admitting that he felt the same. If you asked anyone in their class about the incident, they'd either have no idea what happened, or laugh and wonder if it led to anything more. which was exactly why their relationship was kept under wraps."Oi, Hamster-chan,", Kazuichi whispered, "Ya think we should tell Kiyo? We ain't been friends for that long, but he seems trustworthy.". Gundam shook his head in response. "The fledgling is indeed, charming, however, it would please me if we withheld our secret until later.". Kazuichi sighed, "Whatever you say.". "Here you go; two hot bowls of carrot soup!", the waitress said, setting the fragrant bowls in front of the boys. "Our thanks goes to you.", Gumdam commented, "We shall enjoy our meal as the condemned souls would enjoy theirs.". The waitress stared at the teen for a moment, before slowly walking back to the kitchen."Ya really need to work on your people talk...".Mondo sat awkwardly in his chair; he knew Kazuichi's car was there, in fact, he had to prevent Byakuya from catching a glimpse of it on the way in, but for some reason the restaurant was crowded today, which made it difficult to find the raven haired teen."Mondo, care to explain what you're doing?". an annoyed Byakuya asked. 'Wha? Um............ Nothin'. Just tryin' ta see if anyone followed us.', he lied. "Oh...okay then.". Wait, that actually worked? "Welcome to the Hanamura Diner. What would like today?", the waitress asked. "Two salads.", Byakauya said before Mondo could order. "Uh, sir?". "Yes?". "I'm sure your friend would like to order for himself.". Byakuka rolled his eyes. "He's mine. Trust me, I know what he wants.". "Okay then. Two salads.", she repeated, writing the order down on a notepad.As she turned to walk away, Mama Hanamura had gestured to Mondo from the window. "She would like to speak with you.", she told him, watching as both boys rose from the table. Immediately, she stood in front of Byakuya, preventing him from getting any further. "In private.". Ignoring his boyfriend, Mondo made his way to the window, where he was greeted by Mama Hanamura whisper/shouting, "Boy, I know you don't want no salad. A boy like you needs lots of protein.". She stopped to shake her head. "Daiya was here a few hours ago, he was talkin' about your boyfriend.". Mondo pouted,"Of course he was.". Mama Hanamura continued, "I don't blame him. Still can't believe you're with the Togami. I still don't like his daddy.". As Mama Hanamura ranted, Kiyotaka made his way downstairs. "Oh! Kiyotaka!", she called out, the boy in question making his way to the window. "Yes? Oh, hi Mondo. I didn't know you were here. Then again, I was talking to Teruteru the whole time.". So that's why I couldn't find him... "See, now this is the kind you need! So nice and polite! Mmmhmm....". "What is she talking about?", Kiyotaka asked, causing Mondo to blush. "Nothin....".Kazuichi and Gundam saw when Kiyotaka returned, as did Byakuya, and they all saw when he made his way over to Mondo. "Kiyotaka...Ishimaru....if you know what's good for you, back away. I'm not afraid to beat you up in a public establishment.". "Oi, rich boy, fuck off, people are tryin' to enjoy their meals.", Kazuichi snapped back. "What's goin' on? coulda swore I heard-", Teruteru muttered as he made his way down the stairs. "Oh look, it's the seed that slipped out of his dad's condom so he could experience touching a vagina." Byakuya spouted."Oh look, it's the failed abortion.", Teruteru rebutted, earning a collection of "oohs" from the onlookers."Whatever. Come on, Mondo, we're laving.", Byakuya ordered. "What makes you think he wants to leave with you, when he obviously has a better option?", Teeruteru asked. "Really/ how is that,", he took a look at Kiyotaka," a better option?". Teruteru smirked, the proceeded to pull out a comb and fix his pompadour. "Easy. He's...nicer. I guess you could that. Mmhmm...". Byakuya groaned, "Is this more about his goddamn figure? I know already! He has curves! I don't give a-". Teruteru shook his head. "No, he's just better boyfrient material in general. It's like choosing between a bag of trash or a treasure chest. There's you, the trash, and there's him, the treasure. Though, a little 'cake by the ocean' isn't bad either.". frustrated, Byakuya snatched Mondo's arm. "We're LEAVING.Watching as the boys left, Byakuya angry, and Mondo looking back at the trio, the diners cheered. "Nice job, Teru...", Kazuichi commented, in just as much shock as the others. ""I'm glad that happened," Mama Hanamura chuckled, "I've been waitin' for someone to tell that boy off. Didn't think it'd be my own son though.", she stopped to tap her chin. "Hey, i got an idea. Who want's some cake? There's a beach a couple of miles away, and-" "MAMA!"

Chapter Six: Happy Birthday, Kiyotaka Ishimaru (p.s. The Wolves Are Coming)

It had been a week since the encounter at the Hanamura Diner. Kiyotaka Ishimaru was hanging out with his friends in his room. "So she gave me a ninety nine on th' quiz just cause I didn't put the damn date on th' paper! How messed up is that?", Kazuichi complained. "The date...wait a minute, what is today, anyway?", Kiyotaka asked. "Uh...pretty sure it's the thirtieth. Why'd ya ask?". The raven haired boy smiled. "Tomorrow's my birthday. I almost forgot with this whole popular thing.". "Tomorrow is your birthday? Alert the media!", Gundam announced. "Huh?". Kazuichi took out his phone and opened his Twitter, sending out a post that read , " Hey, Kiyotaka Ishimaru's birthday's tomorrow, 8/31, show him some love! #birthdayboy."

Kiyotaka shifted uncomfortably. "Was that necessary? I'm sure no one would care about knowing my date of birth.". "Nonsense, Kiyo. This'll help see if you're climbin' up the popularity ladder!". "The shark-toothed one is right. Whenever the fifth of May rolls around, the reigning Demon of Popularity is showered with appreciation. His subjects worship him even more on that cursed day.", the animal lover confirmed."Even still, it's risky putting out my personal information like that! What if Byakuya sees it?". Kazuichi rolled his eyes. "Not much they can do about it. Ya can't mess with someone's birthday, no matter how hard ya try.".

Before Kiyotaka could further object, the doorbell was heard. "I'll go get that.". Stressed, the teen went to open the front door, unexpectedly finding Aika standing on the other side. "Ey, Kiyo! What's up!", she greeted. "Well, nothing much. I haven't seen you since the first day.", Aika ran a hand through her hair. "Well, I've had a lot to do, with granny's dance studio, and athletics, not to mention motocross...but that's not why I came.". Kiyotaka was, understandably, confused. "I'm sorry for asking this, but, why are you here then?". In response, Aika pulled her phone out of her pocket and pulled up her own Twitter account. "I follow Kazuichi, cause he helps me with my bike whenever it acts up, and I saw his post. I'm over to offer you a birthday ride to school, cause on Wednesdays there's no mandatory morning practice, and I'm optin' out of sparring sessions with Akane."

The boy smiled. "I'm thankful for the offer! I will gladly accept!". "Nice! By the by, granny's wonderin' when you'll stop by the studio. She hasn't stopped talkin' about you since you first met.". Kiyotaka thought to himself for a moment. "I might drop by this weekend, but it depends on what happens.", he answered. Aika laughed as she made her way back to her motorbike, pausing to say, "I understand, homie. Hey, I'll see you in the morning!". She then forced her helmet over her afro and drove off."Oi, who was that?", Kazuichi called out as Kiyotaka made his way back to the room. "Oh, that was Aika Nakamura. She said she saw your post.". Gundam chuckled. "As expected. the word is spreading. I expect a multitude of subjects waiting for you by the dawn of the next day!".

The sound of a motor was audible outside, the sign that Aika was there waiting for him. Today so far, he had turned sixteen, and his mother was bawling her eyes out. "I..I can't believe it...my baby! Sixteen! Oh, he's getting so old! I'M getting old! What happened to the days where I changed your diapers, and packed you lunch, or even dressed you?". Takakki had to hold her close in hopes of her stopping her tears. "Calm down, Jun, he..he was bound to grow up...o-one d-day..". Make that both of his parents crying.

Feeling sympathetic, Kiyotaka held his parents in an embrace. "No! I'm going to be a strong mother! Aika is outside waiting! Go! Have a nice day!", Jun urged. Kiyotaka held his parents one more time, before heading towards the door. "Mornin, birthday boy! Nice duds! I see you've changed styles.", she commented. It was true, compared to the first day, his style was changed completely. In fact, the preceding afternoon, Junko had found Kazuichi's post as well, and sent over new clothes for him. Nothing really changed from the original except the shirt was now white and pink, the denim shorts were dyed red, and they felt shorter...as for the boots, they were now white (and heeled.).

"Hey, don't be a stranger, hop on!", she called out. Once he was secure on the bike, the two made their way to Hope's Peak High. "I wish I could go in with ya, but rules are rules. Gotta park my bike.", Aika said as she stopped in front of the building. "Alright then. I hope to see you later!", Kiyotaka responded as Aika went to park the motorbike. Joyful, the teen entered the building, an unexpected crowd of people coming to wish him a happy birthday. "Ooh, you're the boy that's up against the rich bitch this year?", a short girl with blonde pigtails asked. "I wanted to get on your good side early. Remember the name Hiyoko Saionji. Happy birthday by the way.". Another girl, bearing two 'horns' from her head had actually came and hugged him, like they were old friends. "Hey, Kiyo! Ibuki can call you that, right?", she asked. "Of course...Ibuki, right?", he replied. The girl's face lit up. "HOW DID YOU KNOW IBUKI'S NAME???". Kiyotaka chuckled, "Lucky guess.". Ibuki smiled, finally letting go of the birthday boy. "Well, Ibuki wanted to wish you a happy birthday! She hope's you'll have a great day!".

There were many others among the crowd, including the nurse's assistant, who shyly introduced herself as Mikan Tsumiki, Teruteru, the triplets, Kyoko and Makoto, and a round doujin artist named Hifumi. Struggling to get to his locker, he'd passed by Mondo. "Uh, hey Kiyo...happy birthday...". Before the boy could respond, Mondo took off. "That was odd...oh, that's right. I guess I'd be uncomfortable around the enemy, too..". Kiyotaka ran a hand through his hair before opening his locker. A small note fluttered out as the door was opened. "Hey, Kiyo. I can't talk to you during school tomorrow, so meet me auditorium after school -Anonymous 8/30".

Written on the thirtieth? The note must've been written head of time. Who would want to meet with him after school?

Annoyed, Byakuya tried to make his way through the large group of people, with Leon and Chihiro in tow. "Why is there this big of a crowd, and NO ONE is acknowledging my presence?", he questioned, annoyed. Chihiro pulled out his phone, checking any updates. "Damn it. The one day I don't check over my social media. Look at this.". Chihiro displayed Kazuichi's birthday tweet, then showed all of the re-tweets and comments made. "Kiyotaka's birthday is TRENDING?!", Byakuya exclaimed in disbelief. "I know. Hey, look at this one made by @motochamp.". Chihiro read out the tweet while Byakuya read. "@PunkMechanic Hear hear! Happy birthday to a true-born POPULAR!". "Oh, now I'm furious.". Leon shifted his eyes nervously. "What's wrong with you?", Byakuya asked. Leon chuckled, "Eh, I guess I'm just anxious or something.". The blonde rolled his eyes, "Of course you are. You've been quiet lately.". The baseball player looked to his side. "What? I talk all the time.". Chihiro seered. "Oh please. You're the only one who hasn't messed with Piggy.". "Not true! I just don't have anything right now. Insults aren't exactly my strong suit.", he objected. "Whatever. Leon, if you're not being honest with me, I will find a way to get back...and it won't be pretty.". Leon felt himself tremble slightly at Byakuya's threat. "Yeah. I got that.".

"Now, then, little pig, little pig, where the hell are you?", Chihiro whispered. Surprisingly, he wasn't that hard to find; he was right next to his locker. "Ah, hello, Byakuya. I assume you've remembered my birthday after all these years?", Kiyotaka asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Aw, look! He thinks you really remembered! No, he didn't. If anything, he saw you're friend's post on Twitter. You're a hot topic.", the hacker informed. "Really? I should really invest in social media...". Byakuya felt the opportunity to shove Kiyotaka against the locker, but it faded when a short punk (at least that's what he'd call her) with crazy long hair made her way to their location.

"Ey, you're Kiyotaka? Happy birthday!", she said with a smile. Byakuya took a note of her eyes, and how they blew open when she talked to Kiyotaka, then somehow shrunk down when she saw him. "Damn, even you, Byakuya? That's a first.". Byakuya growled, "I don't appreciate your sarcastic tone, punk.". "Who was sayin' I was bein' sarcastic? Not like ya can mess with me anyway. Remember my ties with the Diamonds.". Byakuya inwardly groaned. Ever since he and Mondo became an item, his little (and he meant little , she was barely taller than the 'baby' gangster, if they weren't the same height.) friend was constantly hanging around him at any open moment trying, no, URGING them to break up, or at the very least Mondo dump him. Of course, like she said, he couldn't touch her, couldn't mess with her, no matter how much he wanted to. She was Terumi fucking Yamamoto (ugh, even thinking her name hurt), lead vocalist of the hit band Splatter!, and her older brother Kenta Yamamoto had been riding with the Crazy Diamonds since the beginning. This led to Terumi and Mondo becoming great friends, practically siblings. There were three people who were absolutely off limits, Terumi being one of them, and she definitely knew it, which was why she stopped his crew whenever she had the chance.

Disregarding the populars, Terumi introduced herself to Kiyotaka. "Wouldn't that make you popular too?", thee raven haired teen asked. Terumi shook head. "Unfortunately, there's a corrupt system here. Not like I want to be popular. I don't sing for fans, I sing for my welfare. I made Splatter! during a hard time.". she looked away, eyes expanding again. "Oh. i see.". The vocalist turned back, chuckling quietly. "Since I know I'll be safe telling you this, when the war breaks out, I'mma stick by your side, yeah?". She saw the aggravation in Byakuya and Chihiro's eyes and shrugged it off. "Oh, Leon! Music Club meetings starts this afternoon! Be there!".

Byakuya watched as she somehow scoped out Mondo and began a conversation. "Now that the punk bitch from hell is gone, I can-", he started, before the first bell rang. "Time for class, pricks.", Kazuichi said from a distance, waving at Kiyotaka. "You heard him. Time for class.". The blonde fumed as his enemy, in now shorter shorts, walked over to friends to head to first period. "If I could, I'd leave Kiyotaka in a dumpster...and throw Terumi in as well.". Chihiro sighed. "Rules are rules. I'm referring to the punk, of course. Mondo said it best; don't fuck with Daiya, Takamichi, or Terumi. Kiyotaka's still free territory. Speaking of, today is supposed to bee a council meeting for Operation: Big Bad Wolf, and you're spending it with public enemy number one.". Leon scratched his head. "Isn't Kiyotaka and his people enemy number one?". Byakuya frowned, "He's a close second, very close, but Terumi's got a permanent number one spot.". The tardy bell rang, interrupting the leader's train of thought. "Ugh. Fine Leon, I will allow you Music Club, but make it to my house as soon as you can afterward. Operation: Big Bad Wolf is getting close, and you need the info.". Leon gave a confirming nod. "Yeah, I hear you.".

Gundam was lucky to steal Kazuichi away during lunch. Since it was his Twitter account that held the birthday message, he had been receiving almost as much attention as Kiyotaka himself. Thank goodness no one thought it was suspicious that Gundam grasped Kazuichi's wrist and drug him off to the nearest empty classroom, which happened to be Mr. Bandai's Earth science classroom. Once the door was locked, he stared at his secret boyfriend with wanting eyes.

"Oi, Hamster-chan, what's up with you today?", the mechanic asked, meeting the animal lover's intense bi-colored eyes. "I apologize for my overwhelming...and sudden sense of need, but I admit I've been feeling...lonely.". Kazuichi smirked. "What kind of lonely?". Gundam made his way closer to the other, trying his hardest not to cover his blush. "The kind that seeks companionship and intimacy, and can be cured with sensual pleasure, one you have the power to bring forth.", he whispered in Kazuichi's ear. Perversely, Kazuichi held on to his boyfriend's waist. "Ya wanna make out?".

Gundam looked away, covering his face. "If that is what you desire.". Lovingly, Kazuichi held the taller boy's face and kissed him deeply. Moments later, the two lay on an empty table, the mechanic on top, having their tongues slide effortlessly against one another (thanks to years of practice). For a moment, they enjoyed the intimate moment, Gundam occasionally sliding his hands from Kazuichi's back to his had to run his hands through dyed hair, while the aforementioned boy would leave sweet marks on the animal lover's neck, knowing the large scarf would cover them anyway. It's funny, really; two boys who hated each other's guts now passionately displaying their love via kisses on a classroom table. When the bell signaling the beginning of the fifth period rotation went off, they silently, but completely wished that it was easier for them, that their relationship wouldn't be teased or ridiculed because they were at the bottom of the social ladder for so long. Until they were popular, until they had found a way to completely associate themselves with the public eye, they had to keep their love under wraps. Yet for some reason, the secrecy made their relations so much better.

After a long and eventful day, Kiyotaka made his way down to the auditorium, which was a building on it's own. Conveniently, it was a short walk away from the main building with a concrete path. As he opened the doors, his ears were filled with the sounds of guitars, drums, and a somewhat familiar voice (and he wasn't even in the actual auditorium yet, He was in the lobby). Hands on his ears, Kiyotaka made his way to the actual auditorium, stopping for a moment to look at a few posters hanging on a community wall.

When he opened the door, he could clearly see Ibuki and Leon on guitars, a teen(?) with spiky hair on a drum set, and the pop idol Sayaka Maizono belting out "Misery Business" by Paramore with Terumi backing her up. He also noticed a few unrecognizable figures in the front row watching. Not wanting to interrupt, Kiyotaka made his way to a seat, not too close to the stage, but close enough to establish his presence. As he sat down, the last few notes were hit, the end of the song following shortly after. "Alright, not bad for the first meeting. I can tell you've all played before, and of course Sayaka, we went on tour. Bunko, Gina, Etsuko, any thoughts?".

The first girl in the front row introduced herself as Bunko Kobayashi, the drum player in Splatter!. "um...yasuhiro, right?", she asked quietly. "Huh? I can't hear you.". Bunko pulled her beanie over her head. "i asked if...your name was yasuhiro...". The spiky haired boy scratched his head. "Eh? Speak up!". Terumi gave him a mean look. "Yes, his name is Yasuhiro. Yasuhiro Hagakure to be exact. Man, what's wrong wit' you?!". Now poor Yasuhiro was confused. "What? What'd I do this time?!". Terumi's eyes widened. "Bunko's shy, which is why she's so quiet. If ya keep pressuring her, she'll cry."

Kiyotaka thought for a moment. "Bunko...she's in my reading class...though she's usually nose deep in a book." . "terumi, it's okay... now, yasuhiro, the drums are very important. while you did manage to stay on beat, your technique was lacking...". Yasuhiro groaned. "Aw, man!". Bunko giggled "however, if you're willing, i can help you...". Ibuki chimed in, "Ibuki advises you to take the offer! It's not often that a cute girl wants to help Yasuhiro!". Embarrassed, the teen(?) looked away. "It's true...".

The other two girls, Gina Mori and Etsuko Ogawa were the guitarists (Gina was bass and Etsuko was lead.). "Actually, it's not too bad in the guitar department. You just need to be quicker, ya know?", Gina advised. "By that, she means to go with the fast paced beat of the song. Oh, and stay together! that helps the sound overall.", Etsuko added, "By the way, Sayaka, I love your voice, but it needs...more emotion. Punk pop and pop pop are two different sounds."

"Hey! I've already made it in the music industry! What gives you the right to judge me?!", Sayaka exclaimed. Etsuko shrugged, "We come from two different genres of music. Besides, in our free time we do cover albums. Hey, didn't Satomi and Ayaka say they'd be here?". Sayaka sighed. "They had a prior engagement. They'll be here next week...". Trying to find a way to digress from the current conversation, she spotted Kiyotaka in one of the seats.

"Oh my goodness! You're Kiyotaka Ishimaru! Happy birthday!", she yelled. Instantly, everyone looked towards him. "oh...that's right. we have a class together. happy birthday.", Bunko said, a small smile on her face. "Oh man! You're in the runnin' for popular this year with Gundam an' Kazu!", Etsuko pointed out. Kiyotaka nodded. "Damn, the crowds this mornin' were something else! I think you've got a chance. Then again, it's still the first semester.".

Sayaka joined the chat. "Don't worry, Kiyo! I'm totally on your side!". "Really?". The idol winked, "Absolutely! You can count on me!". "Wait, isn't he the popular kid? No offense, Leon.", Yasuhiro commented. "No, he's NOT. Better watch who you say that around.", Leon warned. "Anyway, can we wrap this up?".

Terumi rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright. Remember, meetings here every Wednesday unless I say otherwise. Ya'll can go home now.". Kiyotaka sat waiting as everyone packed up their instruments and headed to the parking lot. "Hey, Kiyotaka. Can we talk?", Leon asked from behind the curtain. "Oh, sure...did you write that note?", he answered. Leon scratched his head. "Yeah. I know, it's lame, but it's not like i can actually go up to you and ask, with Byakuya and Chihiro breathing down my neck. They barely let me go to Music club.".

Kiyotaka shifted his feet. "It sound like they're controlling you...". The baseball player groaned. "Controlling is a nice way to put it. Just because of that one-". Leon stopped abruptly, as if he was about to reveal something scandalous. "Forget I ever said that.". The raven haired teen quickly dismissed the offhanded remark and asked, "Why did you want to talk to me anyway?". Leon smiled. "Actually...this is more of a confession. You're pretty cute.".

Confused, Kiyotaka asked him to repeat his last words. "I said you're pretty cute...and nice...and caring...uh, I guess this is a really sappy way of saying I really like you, and maybe we should date?". Leon blushed at his last sentence. "Us...date?", Kiyotaka asked, shifting his eyes nervously. "But...what about Byakuya, and Chihiro, and this whole popular thing...it'd be impossible!".

Leon sighed. "Yeah, I know...I actually thought it was ridiculous to even try asking. We could make it work though...like a secret relationship, yeah?". Kiyotaka thought for a moment. Would it be bad to date the enemy? ABSOLUTELY. However, to his memory, Leon never threatened or harmed him, Kazuichi, or Gundam, or made any attacks. Maybe it wouldn't hurt.

"Okay then. We shall date...in secret. No one should know.". The baseball player smiled, placing a small kiss on Kiyotaka's lips. "We should meet sometime. I'll see you later.". The boy watched as Leon exited the stage with his guitar. Slowly, he brought a hand to his mouth. "What...did I just get myself in to?".

Mondo had been standing outside that afternoon. He knew that if he didn't attempt to hide Aika's motorbike, Byakuya would have it taken apart. "Hey, Mondo! What's happening?", The girl mentioned asked. "Eh, nothin'. I decided ta look after yer bike. Byakuya saw th' post.". Aika sighed. "So I spoke the truth! It's Kiyo's birthday, and I wished him a great one...but thanks for looking out for me.". The biker chuckled, "Ey, someone's gotta keep th' peace.". "Yeah. Have a nice day, bro.".

When Aika rode off, Mondo decided to wander around a bit. He wasn't going anywhere with Byakuya, the Crazy Daimonds meeting wasn't until later, and Daiya wouldn't be home until five. While he made his way around the parking lot, he heard two faint voices, of which he tracked to one of the auditorium.

"We should date...". "Us...date?"...Instantly, Mondo recognized the voices as Kiyotaka and Leon's. Admittedly, Mondo hated eavesdropping, but he couldn't resist listening to their conversation. What he got from it was Leon had liked Kiyotaka and he wanted to date, and Kiyotaka had actually agreed?! Oh, this was not going to be overlooked.

Mondo heard footsteps after Leon stopped talking, going with the assumption that he was leaving. As fast as he could, he made his way to the nearest exit wwhere he took Leon, drug him off to the side of the building, and held him against the wall. "Gah! M-mondo, what t-the".

Mondo growled. "Byakuya put ya up ta this didn't he?! He found me out an' sent ya after him!". Leon shook his head. "No! No, I...I really do like him! If...if HE found out, I'd be dead!". Defeated, Mondo released Leon. "Hey...what do you mean find you out?". The biker blushed. "Guess there's no goin' back...yeah, I like Kiyo...yer not goin' ta tell Byakuya, right?". Leon gave a nod. "Of course not! If I told off on you, then I'd be found out too. Then Byakuya would be pissed just because we liked the cutie with a nice booty."

Mondo gave Leon a sour look. "I can't even get mad at ya fer sayin that...just promise you'll take care of 'im, alright?".

Leon looked into Mondo's eyes, feeling a sense of sadness. "Alright. I promise.".

Chapter Seven: Got A Secret?

A day later, Kiyotaka had recived another note in his locker. "Hey, I'm free this afternoon. Hanamura Diner?-LK". He thought to himself for a moment. They did just become an item, and it would give him a chance to see how Leon acted when he wasn't under the watchful eyes of Byakuya and Chihiro. In the midst of the crowd, he and Leon made eye contact, confirming that the date was on. "Ey, Kiyo!", he heard Kazuichi cry out from the nearby water fountain. "If there's anywhere ya need ta go this afternoon, ya better let me know now. Gundam's plannin' on goin' to the zoo today to see an elephant birth, and I decided ta tag along.". "Actually, I was planning on going to the Hanamura Diner later today...if that is okay.". Kazuichi gave a friendly smile (as friendly as you can get with jagged, shark-like teeth). "It ain't a problem, Kiyo, don't worry.". The raven-haired teen gave a sigh of relief. "Thank you for not questioning anything...".

"Hey, Byakuya, can I have a free afternoon?", Leon asked as soon as he made it to first period. As expected, Byakuya gave a disapproving sneer. " A free afternoon? Are you implying that we're in some sort of business?". "If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's a motherfucking duck.", Terumi commented from across the room. "Miss Yamamoto, hold your tounge.", the class monitor, Peko Pekoyama reprimanded. "Ya can't say I'm wrong.". Everyone in the room (excluding Byakuya and Leon) gave an understanding nod." I'd appreciate if you all would stay out of my business-", Byakuya scorned, before realising what he said. Chuckling mockingly, Terumi leaned back in her seat in satisfaction. "Walked into that one.". Disgusted, Byakuya turned back to face Leon. "If you can keep Punky Horror away from me, then yes, I will give you a free afternoon.". Thankfully, before anything escalated, Miss Monami, the bumbling, yet experienced reading/liturature teacher returned with a large stack of papers (and toilet paper stuck to her shoe).

"Thank yowu fowr waiting on me. I was a bit helwd up.". Nekomaru Nidai quickly remarked afterward, " IT IS PERFECTLY OKAY, MISS MONAMI! NO ONE CAN HELP IT WHEN NATURE CALLS! TAKING A SHIT WHEN YOU NEED TO IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HOLDING IT FOR US! TRULY, A GREAT TEACHER!". Blushing, the teacher set down the papers and retrieved the toilet paper from the bottom of her ballet flat. "Heh.....I appweciate yowur comments, Mr. Nidai, but I pwefer to not have my...personal needs addwesed in the class.". Byakuya rolled his eyes. " We haven't even started class, and we're discussing our teacher's bowels...definately leaving this out of my life story.".

The school day felt shorter than usual. There were no interactions with the enemy, nor with 'allies'. If anything, it felt like a normal, honest to goodness school day (which Kiyotaka enjoyed.). After the last bell, the aforementioned teen joined up with his friends. "Aha! Does the mortal fledgeling wish to witness the birth of another member of the brutal tusked beasts?", Gundam asked, noticably excited. "Actually, Kazuichi was going to drop me off at the diner. I apoligize.". Gundam pouted for a moment, then resumed his joyful banter. "Ey, Hamster-chan, calm down, we ain't even in the car yet!", Kazuichi stated, before a chorus of squeaks erupted from the gothic teen's scarf. "What's that noise?", Kiyotaka asked cautiously. "It seems you have not have the pleasure of meeting the Four Dark Devas of Destruction. Sun-D, Jum-P, Champ-P, Maga-Z, I summon you from your sanctuary!".

Quickly, four hamsters scurried from the scarf. They each had a unique trait; Sun-D was the only female with white and blonde-ish fur, Jum-P and Maga-Z looked and acted like twins, and Cham-P had resembled a pumpkin (being he was small and chubby). "They are of astronomical proportions, would you agree?", the animal lover declared proudly. "Oi, as much I love the little guys...and girl....if we keep on standin' here, we're gonna miss the birth!", Kazuichi warned. "Ah! I had almost forgotten! Godspeed, Shark-Toothed One!".

After being dropped off, Kiyotaka made his way into the restaurant, noticing Leon waiting in a booth near the kitchen door (where the waitress was patiently....waiting). "Kiyo! Thank goodness. For a while, I thought you stood me up.". Kiyotaka shook his head vigorously. "Of course not! We have only became an item yesterday!". Leon smiled at his boyfriend's words. "Are you ready to order now or should I come back later?", the waitress asked, whipping out her notepad. "Beef stew! Um...I mean..". The waitress let a giggle leave her mouth. "I suppose that's a favorite, mm?". Blushing from the slight embarassment, Kiyotaka nodded. "And you?", the waitress continued, turning her attention to Leon. "I think I'll go for the original Cali roll, with extra avacado on top.", Leon decided. "Oh, going healthy?", the waitress asked as she scribbled down the order. Leon sighed, "My coaches are putting me on a strict diet. Apparently, I gained five pounds over summer, so now I have to change my eating habits and hit the gym a total of five hours a week.".

The waitress winced at the idea, afterwards stating, "Your coaches are pretty strict, huh?". The redhead groaned. "Yeah, but I can't do anythi g about it because they're both some goddamn hulks!". Shaking her head, the waitress went to give in the order. "Athletics sounds difficult. I never was the sporty type...", Kiyotaka admitted. Leon raised an eyebrow. "Really? You've got a really nice body for someone who isn't into sports.". Kiyotaka laughed, "Just because I am not into sports does not mean I cannot take the time to work out! However...I am interested in taking dance classes.". "Mai Nakamura Dance Studio?", Leon asked, Kiyotaka following with a yes. "You know, Byakuya's aunt teaches there. Wouldn't it be awkward if she was your choreographer?". A confused look came across Kiyotaka's face. "Of course not! She is her own person, I'm not going to judge her based on how Byakuya acts!".

After more conversation, the waitress served the two boys. She didn't say much, just the standard 'Enjoy your meal', and then went back to work. "Was it just me, or did you also notice that one-eighty on her personality?", the all-star inquired. "It was odd, yes, but it may just be because she has quite a lot of work...you were telling me about a million fungoes?". " Oh yeah! They say it's impossible, but I overheard Coach Sakakura say that-". Leon stopped abruptly as the worst possible (well, second worst possible) event hapened before his eyes. Chihiro Fujisaki had just entered the diner...and was heading right for the takeout window...near the kitchen.

"Here, try this!", Leon said, as he nervously shoved a Cali roll into Kiyotaka's mouth. Meanwhile, he kept a sharp eye on Chihiro as he made his way to order. "Well, if it isn't Chihiro, and without Byakuya!", Mama Hanamura chuckled. "He didn't want to come out today, so he sent me o all of his errands. He said he wanted two of the daily Bento box meals.". Mama Hanamura looked back at the menu. The Thursday box included various deep fried items, from the tempura shrimp to the fried sugar bun dessert. "The Bento box special? As in, today's Bento box special?". Chihiro shrugged, "Surprised me too.".

After struggling with the force-fed sushi, Kiyotaka had finally wrestled away the chopsticks. "Would you care to explain this?", Kiyotaka questioned, his voice raising loud enough to where others heard. "Uh...sorry, I just thought you'd enjoy it...", Leon lied. "I appreciate your care but I was never a fan of California rolls, especially because of the avacado.". "Why?". Kiyotaka suddenly held his stomach. "It...stemmed from an accident that happened when I was younger...ugh.... now every time I eat avacado, I get nau.....nau....". Immediately, the raven-haired teen made a break for the bathroom, holding his mouth and stomach.

"Is it okay if I leave for a moment?", Chihiro asked the older Hanamura. "Oh, sure! The order should be ready in a few, Hiro.". After giving the woman a sour look, he made his way over to Leon's booth. "Caught?", the baseball player asked rhetoriacally. This caused Chihiro the let out a boisterous laugh. "Caught? You sold yourself out when you wrote that note earlier this week!". Leon's emotions took a plunge. "You knew the whole time?". Chihiro smirked, "I knew that something was happening, even before the note. I just can't believe you made him puke on the first date.". Leon turned away. "What's up with you?", the hacker asked him, watching a tear roll down his face. "Go ahead, get out your phone and rat me out to Byakuya.". Chihiro laughed again, confusing the taller teen. "What gave you that idea?", Chihiro asked after collecting himself. "It seemed like that was the obvious thing...". Chihiro rolled his eyes," Do you really think I'd waste a golden opprotunity like this? You and the enemy are having relations? This is so much bigger than the popular competition! And...," Chihiro leant in,"If we use this this right, we might be able to ruin Byakuya."

"Wait, what?!", Leon exclaimed. "Wanna know something, Mr. Kuwata? I have had it with Byakuya! At first, it was fun, but now, it's all about him! He takes the credit for everything, and he sees us as little playthings or minions, having us carry out his dirty work! I thought that by using my skills with him instead of against him would help, but instead, it's making me angry! Besides, I totally believe Piggy and his crew could surpass Byakuya any day.". Leon had to think for a moment. "You are against him, but you work with him?". Chihiro scowled. "I have to keep a cover until the war starts, okay? Until then, I'm just a loyal servant to the beast."

"Chihiro! The boxes are done!", Mama Hanamura called out. With a confident smirk, Chihiro left the booth, picked up the meal and left. As soon as he was out the door, Kiyotaka was returning from the restroom. "Kiyo!", Leon yelled, before catching him in a kiss. "Leon! You do realize I just finished throwing up...", Kiyotaka informed afterward. Still, Leon went in for another. "You really love me, right? You aren't just doing this for me?", he asked nervously. Kiyotaka's face was graced with concern. "Of course...what gave you that idea?". Leon smiled at Kiyotaka, before replying, "Nothing...nothing at all.".

Chapter Eight: The Way He Moves

Friday seemed to blow by effortlessly, and now it was the first weekend in September. Kiyotaka made sure to get up early; he did have to try dance in Mai Nakamura's studio, but he also wanted to have enough time to at least buy some clothing that would be adequate for such a thing. After emerging from the shower, he heard the tell-tale beep of a car horn. Kazuichi and Gundam were willing to drive him around to get what he needed, and Aika even decided to tag along. When he heard another beep, he sifted through his drawer to find something to wear during the trip. He managed to find a Marina and the Diamonds t-shirt his mom had given him after going to a concert with her friends (It wasn't unusual to wear it; he had occasionally listened to the group, and in all honesty, they were pretty good) and some Old Navy jeans that he got during his birthday.

As he made his way to the door, he overheard a conversation between his parents. "Takaaki, you're over-reacting! You just feel weird because Kiyotaka has such good friends!", his mom comforted. "Yes, I know that Jun...it's just that...him and that boy were such good friends in kindergarten, and we haven't even seen him around yet.", he replied worriedly. Kiyotaka could tell his mother scoffed at the comment. "He isn't going to have just one friend his whole life! You saw how heart-broken he used to be! He practically avoided everyone else!". Takaaki sighed, then admitted, "You're right...I guess I was a little paranoid...". Kiyotaka wanted to go comfort them both, but another beep (this time long and unrelenting) influenced him to make his way to the door.

"Kiyo! Not-so-long-time no see!", Aika yelled from the backseat. "What took you so long?". Kiyotaka sighed," I overheard my parents talking...my father is becoming suspicious.". "Suspicious? Of what?", Gundam asked after rolling down the window adjacent to the shotgun seat. "He's wondering why I haven't brought by Byakuya. He still thinks we're friends...". The raven-haired teen made his way to the other side of the car and got into the backseat. "Ya know, that could be a problem. Just sayin'....", Kazuichi warned. "I understand, but I'm sure we'll be fine at the moment. After all, we have only just started September.". Kazuichi turned to face the other momentarily before starting up the car. "Alright, I'll cool down".

It wasn't even ten a.m. when Leon began to receive text notifications from three different people. Lazily, the all-star shifted from his comfortable position in bed and retrieved his phone from the nightstand. "Who wants what...", he mumbled to himself as he looked at each text. The first message was from Byakuya, giving details as to what was to happen on Monday ( no surprise there ), then Chihiro had sent a picture, and Mondo had asked what his plans for the day were. He decided to forego replying Byakuya and refused to look at whatever Chihiro sent simply because he was still in shock from their Thursday encounter. In all honesty, he really had nothing going on that day, so he replied with a sleeping emoji. Right when he was about to return to his pillow, Mondo's reply came in.

Wanna see Kiyo dance?

See him dance? Leon had think about what that meant.

Wym?

...

U kno Aika?

Yeah, y?

...

Ovr herd them talkin.

Said he'd b tryin a class.

Imma go. U in?

Idk, sounds stalkerish.

...

Ye, i kno.

we'll let him kno.

U in?

Aight i guess

i ain't got any plans.

...

u drivin or i pick u up?

i'm not ridin on a motorcycle.

...

fine.

see u @ my place around 1

l8r.

Aika laughed heartily as the group exited Academy. "This was fun! Like a shoppin' spree with dudes!", she commented, hands full of bags of merchandise. " I don't know why we bought all this stuff! Ain't ya goin' for one day?", Kazuichi complained, his hands just as full. Kiyotaka chuckled, "Well, I was actually planning on starting classes. Today may be just a sample, but I plan for this to be long term!". The pink-haired teen rolled his eyes. "Of course you are...".

After loading up the trunk, the group returned to the seats in the car. "Hey... what time is it?", Aika asked as she buckled her seat belt. "In mortal minutes, it is a quarter until the half hour of one.". The dark-skinned teen scrunched her face in confusion before looking at the car's clock. "One fifteen? Dude, from this side of town it takes thirty minutes to get there! Kiyo has to be there by one thirty!". "I do?", the aforementioned boy asked. "Yeah...I was supposed to be the timekeeper...". Aika's vision shifted to the side as she awkwardly bit her significantly larger upper lip. "Sittin' here ain't doin' anything. Maybe we'll make it!", Kazuichi said as he turned the key into the ignition. "Right... just don't-", Gundam had almost said before being cut of by the loud sounds of Kazu's car tearing down the highway.

The two groups arrived at the studio at the same time. Since only three of them were aware of Kiyotaka and Leon's relationship, the encounter was a bit awkward. "Leon? Mondo? Any reason why you're here?", Aika questioned the two. "Uh....um...we wanted to try a class...?", Leon lied weakly. "You two? Dancing? You sure this ain't Byakuya's work?", she inquired. "Nah. I mean, ain't homecomin' in a few weeks?", Mondo asked. "He's right; it's in two weeks.", Kazuichi stated. Aika sighed, "I mean, we don't have many choreographers on Saturday, so if you two are truly here to take a class, we'd have to squeeze you in with us, since the other rooms are already full.". "It's no problem. Who's the choreographer?", Leon asked. "Kin Hagiwara. Why?".

"Kin? As in Byakuya's aunt Kin?", Kazuichi clamored. "Yeah. She's a good person, don't worry. The snotty attitude comes from his father's side, no doubt.". The group made their way into Kin's room, where she was already stretching on the bar. From what she looked like, she seemed considerably lower in class than her nephew, and not that much older. Even though she was technically related to a very wealthy family, she appeared to be your everyday average struggling young adult just trying to find their place in life.

As the teens filed in, she brought her leg off the bar and rushed to greet them. "Hi everyone! I guess you're my class for today, right?", she asked. "Yes, we are! I suppose you were expecting a smaller group?", Kiyotaka replied, before Kazuichi interjected with,"It is a smaller group cause Gundam an' I ain't dancin'. We're just here as transport."."Actually...I would enjoy participating in this event.", Gundam countered. Sighing heavily, Kazuichi agreed to join the class as well."We bought the clothes, might as well use them...".

Once everyone was dressed out, Kin explained what was to happen during the class that day. "Since this is more of a demo class than the real thing, I'll show you a few moves and stretches, and hey, you may come back for the real thing! who knows! Now, because stretching is an important part of any workout, we will start there, then have a brief jazz class.". Kin had then pulled out her phone and speakers and put on a playlist. "Let's start with toe touches!".

Both Mondo and Leon knew they were in a dangerous situation, more so Mondo than Leon. Of course there was just being in the same room as the enemy, but then there was trying not to stare at Kiyotaka and his gorgeous body, at least not noticeably, and then not to expose their relationship in an idiotic slip up. The same problem has happening on the other side of the room with Kazuichi. Gundam's body was actually quite muscular for a vegetarian,but the shy breeder always managed to hide everything under his many layers of clothes (which was why a collection of surprised reactions filled the room when he re-entered in the dance wear.).

After ten more minutes of stretches and warm-ups, Kin had began the demo lesson whilst Aika helped. Even though they weren't putting together a routine, it was difficult to teach the guys the simple basics. "A plie is not a squat...when you kick, your leg goes forward and your body stays straight...the hip rotates to the right, not the left...". Nobody was surprised to see that Kiyotaka had managed to keep up with the moves and remember their names; after all, the class was originally just for his trial only, but he seemed to be understanding far more than the others, from rotations to vibrations.

When a certain point in time had passed, the other boys had officially given up and instead whiled away their time looking at Kiyotaka's movements...at least Mondo and Leon did. Luckily, no one noticed the duo's hard, and admittedly perverted gaze. Leon had almost wanted to yell at Mondo for gawking at his boyfriend, but he did remember their encounter and finally realizing how Mondo would have had Kiyotaka if he wasn't stuck with Byakuya. Instead, he disregarded the other teen's staring and did his own, zoning in on Kiyo's waist, then his hips, occasionally his backside, and even his full body, enjoying the fact Byakuya and Chihiro were nowhere near him, and that he could somewhat joy freedom with who he enjoyed being around. That was, until Byakuya had stormed through the door.

"Kin! What are you doing that's so important?!", he demanded, before his eyes landed on Kiyotaka, Mondo, and Leon. "Byakuya, calm down, I didn't forget about the thing today, it's just that today's demo class kinda went longer than anticipated.". Kin nervously ran her left hand through her sweat-drenched wavy hair as her nephew began to freak out about just who was in the class. "M...Mondo! Leon! WHY ARE YOU WITH THIS....THIS....". "I told you, Yakaa, it's just a class-". "First of all, when in public you will not call me that name, and second, my boyfriend and my best friend are watching ex friend in short athletic shorts dance...whatever dance you were teaching him!", Byakuya complained.

"They never had any bad intentions! They were here, they tried a class-". Before Kin could speak her peace, Byakuya interrupted, " I guess that's what I get for having a poor, low-class peasant as an aunt.". As he stomped out of the room, Kin stopped her music and packed up her supplies. "Don't worry about Yakaa, guys...he...does this often.". Once Kin bolted after her unruly nephew, Aika shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Ain't it sad? He bad-mouths his own aunt just because she wasn't born into his world of riches and works hard in this world, and has a tantrum when he doesn't get what he wants.". Kazuichi, Gundam, Leon, Mondo, and Kiyotaka nodded in agreement, Kiyotaka whispering in a low voice,"I hope he'll have a change of heart...".

"Yakaa! Yakaa!", Kin called out repeatedly as she wandered the parking lot. When she passed his Audi, she could hear faint sobbing. "Yakaa?". Kin peered through the window of the backseat to find Byakuya crying into his hands. "Hey, could you let me in?", she asked from outside. Briefly, he glanced at his aunt, before unlocking the door and shifting to the other seat. "You didn't mean what you said in there, did you?", Kin asked sympathetically. "No...you're the only person I chose to help me with my food gorging, of course I didn't mean it.". "I have another question...", Kin began, before inquiring, "Why are you wanting to do this to yourself?".

Byakuya stared at his aunt with crimson eyes. "Did you not see Kiyotaka? He...he's attractive, handsome, some may even say ravishing. He's achieved a level of body proportions that most guys would pay thousands to have, and he's managing to keep it. Plus, he's got that...magnetic personality. Do you know how long it took me to be recognized here in fucking Los Angeles?! Then here come's Kiyotaka, just TAKING everything!".

Kin sighed, "If you're so jealous, then why don't you try to make amends?". Byakuya sneered, " I have a reputation, not just in Hope's Peak I.S.D., but in the world. My dad isn't just the superintendent, that's just one of the jobs he has. I still have Chihiro and Leon, while I have them, and Mondo's still in love with me, at least I hope, and I still have my cult followers. I've stroked down wannabes for three years; this one won't be any different.". "What will happen when you finally crash and burn?", Kin responded, brutally honest. Not if....when... After letting out a long sigh, he strapped into the seat belt and tossed Kin his keys.

"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Now take me to a buffet, I'm hungry and stressed".

Chapter Nine: Look Before You Leap

Byakuya sat impatiently in the front seat of his Audi, Chihiro sitting shotgun. "What happened with Leon on Saturday again?", he asked as he tapped his phone repeatedly. "I told you, Chihiro, I was only going to explain it once, and once only. If he doesn't get his ass in the car, our plans are going to be set back...". The crossdresser looked up from his phone briefly before returning to whatever he was doing. At last, Leon exited from his house and made his way to Byakuya's car. "Sorry, man...I woke up late.", Leon apologized.

"There's no excuse you could possibly make that could make up for you having us almost miss our deadline. Phase one of Operation Big Bad Wolf is supposed to happen in six minutes. We're behind thanks to you.". Leon buckled his seatbelt, then scratched his chin and goatee. "Hey I said I was sorry...you being mad right now doesn't have anything to do with Saturday, does it?". Byakuya grunted. "It was just a class, Byakuya!", the all-star groaned, taking note of Chihiro's snicker.

Frustrated, the blonde turned up the volume of the radio (which was playing commercials for things such as Viagra and timeshares.). "I meant it when I said it wasn't to be mentioned again! Did you read the text I sent you two earlier?", Byakuya questioned. "I'm not saying the text wasn't important, but your ranting is making us later than we should be. It's almost first period.", Chihiro mentioned.

Confused, Byakuya turned to face the clock, his face scrunching up in disgust as he saw the time ( 8:40 ). "Damn it. We won't have time to do it this morning. We'll have to wait until the afternoon.". Before waiting for a response, the leader put the Audi into drive and began to travel to the high school.

Kazuichi Souda resented Mondays. It wasn't like he had anything against the first day of the workweek, it was just that everything bad seemed to happen on Monday. For example, that weekend a new family had moved in across the street, a father and his daughter, and he would learn the daughter just happened to be going to Hope's Peak High as a sophomore. Since he figured that they would meet up with each other eventually, that Sunday Kazuichi decided to visit her and introduce himself.

The houses in his area weren't exactly "high class", but it wasn't in the 'hood either, so when visiting someone over on his street, he had to take precaution and brace himself if the family just happened to be violent. After knocking, a tall, muscular man instantly opened the door. He wore a uniform adorned with the words ' L.A. Police Department'. "Why're ya knockin' on my door? Lookin' fer trouble?". Defensively, Kazuichi shook his head. "No, no, no, I just wanted to meet your daughter! I uh, live across the street...name's Kazuichi Souda...dad's a mechanic, an' so am I.". The man gave an affirmative not. "YOKO!".

At once, a significantly shorter female made her way beside him. She was easily less that five feet even, and yet she had muscles that rivaled her fathers. Unlike her father, however, she wore a t-shirt and shorts, and was most likely about to work out. "Just what I need, a little bodybuilder.". "Introduce yourself, soldier.". "Greetings! I am Yoko Kawayoshi! I am sixteen years old and in the tenth grade! I will be attending and graduating from Hope's Peak High!!!".Even from the introduction (and her suprizingly deep, manly voice), Kazuichi was intimidated. "Oh, that's cool...I'm, uh...I'm a sophomore at Hope's Peak High, too...". An intense grin spread across her features. "Yeah? Well, maybe I just found myself a new workout buddy!", she chortled. "W-w-ww-w-w-workout buddy?", Kazuichi stuttered. "HA! IT'S A JOKE! WASN'T THAT HILARIOUS!". The shark-toothed boy watched as Yoko went crazy over her own joke. "Socially awkward...we just may be friends after all...".

The result of talking with Yoko and Mr. Kawayoshi (who never revealed his first name) had resulted in the muscular runt being shown around the campus via him, which wouldn't have been bad if he wasn't planning on taking Gundam to breakfast that morning. Then there was practically no space for Kiyotaka when she hauled all of her equipment for the gym and athletics into the backseat, her school supplies shoved into her backpack. On top of that, there was explaining to Yoko that he and Gundam were "friends", and telling Kiyotaka that he'd have to find other means of transportation. Once again, Kazuichi resented Mondays.

Since Kazuichi's car was packed, Kiyotaka had went to Aika for a way to school. Luckily, she was willing to take him, and he had made it to school before first period. Kiyotaka reveled in the peace that was no arguments or drama. Sure, he was alone, but it felt refreshing to him. As he made his way to his locker, he scanned his area. Kazuichi and Gundam weren't there, neither were Leon, Chihiro, or Byakuya. However, somehow, Kiyotaka managed to run into Yasuhiro Hagakure, who he had only seen once before.

"Kiyo! Kiyo! Man, am I glad I ran into you! I have something to tell you! It's reeeeeeeaaaaaaaallllly important!", he cried. Without waiting for a response, he pulled out his crystal ball from his satchel. "The ball never lies, man! I saw something bad! Byakuya and Chihiro and Leon! They're coming for you! They have plans to ruin you and your friends!". Kiyotaka stared at Yasuhiro with confusion. "What does that mean?". "Never mind that, that's to be expected. They're planning to do it this afternoon, but it will backfire on someone else! Someone close to you!". Worriedly, Kiyotaka inquired him, "Who will it affect?".

"I don't know who! The vision faded before I could see!", he panicked. At that moment, the first period bell rang. "Look out for everyone you know! Remember what I told you, Kiyo!", Yasuhiro yelled before running to class. Kiyotaka gave a nod before heading to class, not noticing an eavesdropping Aika hiding behind her locker. "Oh no. Not this time, rich kids.", she whispered to herself before heading to her own class.

" Yasuhiro really told you that?", Kazuichi had asked Kiyotaka during lunch. "Yes, he did. While I am afraid, however, I'm not sure if I should belie-". Gundam stopped him mid-sentence. "The clairvoyant has proven himself worthy multiple occasions prior to this. He may be eccentric and ridiculous, but he speaks the truth.". The raven haired teen sighed. "Even still, I do not know who is in danger, and it would pain me to see them get hurt, humiliated, or traumatized!". Right before Kazuichi or Gundam could reply, Yasuhiro came in a mad dash to their table. "Kiyo! I saw it again!". "Really?". "Yeah! It'll happen around the end of the day, near four thirty! I still can't zero in on who it is though!".

As this conversation went on, Aika listened to every word. "Hey, you seen totally distant. What's up with that?", Akane asked while consuming inordinate amounts of food. "Not much...just that I may or may not have heard Yasuhiro talking about the popular's plan to hurt Kiyo blowing up in someone else's face.". Akane shook her head in disapproval before spouting, " You know listening on other people is kinda perverted.". Aika rolled her eyes, "I don't give a crap. I want to something, if anything!". Akane set down a huge, dripping burger to contemplate. "Well, I would hang around his locker and beat him down there, so he'd be the one to get hurt. Or, you could stop gettin' into other people's business and have some of these loaded fries...". "I'll take that first bit of advice...and some fries.".

Kyoko and Makoto stood next to Aika as they waited near Byakuya's locker near the end of the day. "Remind me why you brought us into this...", Makoto asked nervously. "You two have authority. Hey, here he comes. Stay back.". The couple watched as the motocross champion went to confront the boy. "You're here because...?", Byakuya inquired. " I overheard a little bird say that you had plans.", she explained confidently. "And? Even if you did, it's none of your business. Why don't you ride off with your weak little motocross friends?", the blonde retaliated. "Are you bad-mouthing motocross?", Aika grunted. "Ahem. In case you didn't notice, my boyfriend rides a motorcycle. Not only that, he's a goddamn gang leader. A motorbike simply pales in comparison. Now leave before I make you go in circles...more than you already do". The dark skinned teen chuckled. "Motorbikes pale in comparison...circles, huh?".

Not even a second later, a punch was landed, and Hiyoko Saionji was calling out, "FIGHT!!!". A large crowd of students gathered around the lockers, cheering as Aika and Byakuya's battle become more intense. Eventually, the crowd had gotten so large that neither Chihiro, Leon, Kiyotaka, Kazuichi, Gundam, Kyoko, or Makoto could get through. Both offenders tossed each other into the lockers, then Aika had taken to punching and kicking while Byakuya went to clawing and strangling.

"Hey! Hey! Break it up!", Coach Juzo was heard yelling, but the sound of cheering adolescents and fighting drowned him out. By that time, Byakuya was beginning to bruise, and Aika had begun to bleed from her scratches. Finding a sudden burst of strength, Aika shoved the other teen to the floor and placed her foot on his chest, just like he had done to many victims before. At that moment, everything felt like it had gone into slow motion, and when Aika was feeling a sense of victory, Byakuya belted out the words-

"GET OFF OF ME, YOU TRANNY!".

All cheers subsided, and everybody's eyes flew to Aika, who stared down at Byakuya in disbelief. "What...did you just say...?". Byakuya smirked. "Don't you think I yelled it loud enough?". Aika felt sweat bead on her forehead. "Maybe I should shout it again. AIKA NAKAMURA IS A TRANSGENDERED BOY!". The dominating teen observed her surroundings. Everyone seemed to be staring, whispering, discriminating. "Where would you even find proof for that?", Kyoko called from within thee crowd. "Ever heard of 'Throwback Thursday'? Your grandmother uploaded two pictures, one of you, one of your 'brother'. When you look at them, there's one boy, and one girl. What your granny didn't notice were the years on the photos. If you were the one in the girl photo, you'd be twenty five.".

The onlookers were expecting a rebuttal, a "No, I'm not fucking trans! That's a shit accusation!", something in that classic Aika manner, but from the looks of it, Aika had seemed to give up. "Look at you...you weak freak. You and your so called 'brother' are both repulsive. Why would you even choose to do that to yourself?". "Her brother did it for her, fucker! Akihiko, or our Aika, transitioned naturally! Shinta transitioned because he didn't want Aika to be alone!", Akane shouted within the crowd. Ignoring Akane, Byakuya went on with his pestering. "Well, Akihiko. Go ahead. Cave me in. So I can tell everyone I was done in by a shemale.".

Not a second later, Aika sprinted through the crowds and hallways, and before anyone could try to get her to stop, she was out of the campus."Now then. A hundred laps around the building to those who aren't Togami that don't get out in TEN SECONDS!", Coach had yelled, causing everyone to promptly get out of the hallways. Except one person..."Byakuya Togami. Not many know this, but in addition to being a high school student, I am also an L.A.P.D. officer.", Yoko announced, revealing her badge. "I could very well send you to jail, but since Aika was indeed the one who started this encounter, we'll have to settle for detention or suspension. Coach Sakakura, please escort him to the principal.".

"Damn. I would never in a million years think that Aika was an Akihiko...", Leon sighed. Chihiro stared at him, confused. "Funny. You should have been one of the first to know.". It didn't take long to realize what Chihiro meant. "You leaked the photos?!". "Okay, no, I only sent it to you and Byakuya. Did you not look at that photo I sent Saturday?", Chihiro asked. "No, I was trying to avoid drama...". The hacker sighed. "Listen, I know you feel bad about Aika. I do too, bu remember, this is the biggest year of our lives...". Chihiro briefly paused before whispering-

"Expect casualties.".

Chapter Ten: Big and Bad

An hour later, Byakuya returned to the car. "There you are. I was about to call someone to pick me up.", Chihiro said, not ignoring his phone. "Where were you, anyway? I thought you had gone to the principal.", Leon wondered. The blonde scoffed, "Yes, I went to the principal, who sent me to detention, where Assistant Principal Munakata stared me down for an hour.". Chihiro struggled to hold back a chuckle. "I've come up with an easier way to execute the operation, however.". Leon leaned forward. "What does that mean?". "Have you forgotten what happened ninety minutes ago?", Byakuya scolded. "No...". The lead popular strapped himself into his seat and turned his key in the ignition. "I don't want something like that happening again. It'll ruin our plan for good.". Chihiro glanced at Byakuya before redirecting his attention. "So what's the new plan?".Putting the car into drive, the rich teen answered, "Simple. At first we planned to strike at once, right?". Chihiro gave an understanding nod. "The feast. Continue.". "I've decided to split us up. Divide and conquer.", Byakuya notified. "Pursuit and strike?", Chihiro asked. "Precisely. I'll assign you the dork lord and Leon-"."Yes?", the all-star interrupted. After an angry glare, Byakuya finished his sentence. "-you take care of Shark-Boy."."How unfair. You're saving the juiciest pig for yourself.", Chihiro stated, half serious, half joking. The other laughed at the remark. "As I should. The alpha always gets the best meal.".The next day when Kiyotaka entered the school campus, there were arguments, disputes, and plenty of discourse. With all of the voices, the teen couldn't figure out what everyone was talking about, until a small hand tugged on his shirt. To his surprise, Terumi was standing next to him with a depressed expression. "Terumi, what's wrong?", Kiyotaka asked her, the answer being, "Observe.". A few moments later, the shorter teen continued. "It's the first battle before the war.". "I'm sorry, huh?". "You heard me. Byakuya dropped a serious bomb yesterday when he outed Aika. That in itself might cause mass chaos. The students, however, are more interested in the fight. Some think it was all Byakuya, but others believe it was Aika since she threw the first punch.".Whist witnessing the arguments, a redhead with a camera and notepad approached the two. "Hello! Mahiru Koizumi, head of the school paper. Kiyotaka and Terumi, you wouldn't mind if I asked you questions, would you?", she inquired politely. The vocalist's eyes shrunk in annoyance. "Why not...". "Great! There's just one question, actually.". Mahiru took the moment to take a breath before asking, "How do you feel about the Nakamura/Togami fight?". Gritting her teeth, Terumi replied, "It's stupid shit that's fueling the already strong tension between the students, staff, and teachers of our school. Now take your notepad and-", Terumi caught herself before saying something offensive, replacing the crude phrase with, "leave us alone.".Partially offended, Mahiru gave an understanding nod and left. "That was rude.", Kiyotaka reprimanded. The punk sighed, "Yeah, I know, but... ugh, I hate situations like this. It sometimes reminds me of when my brothers and I caught Marinda-", Terumi stopped mid-sentence, adopting nervous twitch. "I gotta go...". Before the other could respond, the rocker had stormed off. At that moment, a loud whistle was heard throughout the hallways. "Hey! From here on out, anyone who mentions this incident will be referred to the office.",Yoko announced. "What gives you the authority to do that?", Hiyoko asked with a sassy attitude. "The fact that I'm certified L.A.P.D.", Yoko replied, showing off her badge. Most of the students backed up afterward. "Yeah, I can see the authority in that..."."RUN THAT TRACK! COME ON, BOYS!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!". Nearly every male in that athletics class was gasping for air while trying to force air out of burning lungs. This had been the twentieth lap around the fourth of a mile track, and still, both Nekomaru and Coach Sakakura were on the boys like tape on paper. "Kazuichi Souda! Use those legs! We've got twenty more laps to go before the end of the day!", Coach Sakakura reprimanded. catching up to Gundam, Kazuichi painfully gasping out, "Damn...they...don't...have...ta kill us...". "I...am still...upset with these....coaches....for making me send....the Devas to the office!", Gundam replied, his voice noticeably higher."Shut...up! If they...hear you, we get...extra-". "HAJIME HINATA! FOR TALKING DURING THE WORKOUT, YOU GET FIVE EXTRA LAPS!!!", Nekomaru yelled soon after. "Thanks...", Hajime muttered before running ahead of Gundam and Kazuichi. Silently, give or take the many loud and raspy pants, coughing, and even Ouma falling over dramatically just so Shuichi could pick him up and carry him, the boys finished their hardcore workout. "Nice job, men. Go get dressed and ready to leave. Except for Hajime and Leon.", Coach announced.Within the dressing room heated by the multitude of male bodies, Kazuichi and Gundam decided to sit on the bench lining the lockers in order to cool off. As the crowd dispersed, Kazuichi began to speak. "I kinda feel bad about Hinata gettin' those extra laps.". "Really? Me too.", Hajime stated as he began to change. "Why didn't you two say anything?". "Simple. We did not wish to be ensnared in the vengeful traps that are the coaches of Hope's Peak High.", Gundam replied knowingly. "Whatever, guys. You should really get changed and out of here.", Hajime said, pointing out the duo's sweaty athletic clothing. "Yeah, we got that.",Kazuichi sighed as Hajime left. Once able to move his limbs, Kazuichi pulled his shirt over his head, unexpectedly reciving the sensation of being watched. Sure enough, when his shirt was fully off, he caught Gundam just staring. "What?". "Do you find this...problematic?", Gundam asked. "Depends on what's your askin' about.". The animal lover blushed, no scarf to cover his pink face. "My constant yearn for attention. My always burning passion, the desire to...", he had stopped to kiss the teen to his right. Kazuichi smiled. It wasn't an innocent smile, instead more of a 'you do realize we're alone an a locker room, right?' smile. "Nah, it's fine. In fact,", Kazuichi paused to whisper in Gundam's ear,"you can do it again.".Once again, two pairs of lips collided in the hungriest way possible, both feeling the need to make up for not being as intimate as they should. They stayed seated on the bench for the most part. Kazuichi's hand eventually made its way up Gundam's shirt to feel on his muscles, the other responding by doing away with the clothing. At one point, their legs began to hurt from being crushed against the bench, and not wanting to stop, the two had stood up, relieving their (admittedly sore) legs and surprisingly giving leeway to access to more body parts, discovered when Kazuichi managed to touch Gundam's backside..."Nice work, Kuwata. At this rate, you'll be in shape before baseball season. Now hurry up and change.", Coach Sakakura told Leon. "I already lost that stupid five pounds..." Leon grumbled, stumbling back into the school. After checking his phone for any notifications, Leon headed toward the dressing room. Before he entered however, he noticed odd noises emanating from the room. Unable to tell who or what was making the noise, Leon pressed his ear on the door. There seemed to be...moaning? Gathering his courage, Leon peeked through the door......to see Gundam and Kazuichi making out passionately inside. Instinctively, Leon pulled out his phone to record the event. "This...just might help me out.".

Chapter Eleven: Bigger and Badder

Chiaki and Chihiro were sitting in the school courtyard, Chihiro going over his plan, Chiaki attempting to pay attention. "If you take the average cost of a roll of ground beef, and consider any sales, I may have enough money to- Chiaki!". The other had fallen asleep, per usual. For a moment, Chihiro wanted to take Chiaki's Nintendo D.S. and smash it, but eventually, he decided to simply wake her up. "Chiaki, this is important. My part of Operation Big Bad Wolf won't work if you don't keep watch. This has to be done before the furry returns to his house.". "Hey...don't offend furries...", Chiaki replied.Rolling his eyes, Chihiro replied, "Fine, I'll call him Animal Boy. Just...stay alert! Also, stay awake.". Chiaki gave a nod, before slumping over and proceeding to snore.Bunko Kobayashi was leaving the auditorium when she received a text from Etsuko.I'm pretty sure i left my jacket in the locker room. can u get it please?The tall girl sighed as she swept a wisp of strawberry blonde hair back into her beanie. Her father, or rather one of his gangster lackeys, was waiting at home for her, but honestly, she didn't care if the gangster got in trouble for her not being on time. If he didn't want to "babysit", then he should've been a part of the Kuzuryuu clan rather than the Kobayashi's. Not only was her uncle more intimidating than her own father, but the troupe was much better known on the streets. Meanwhile, the Kobayashi clan, so named since her father had a different dad, was more underground with a Black Market operation.As she exited the auditorium, she slipped on her brass knuckles ( a gift from one of her father's men), and headed to the main building. " i hate navigating through this school,", Bunko sighed as she found herself turning around at multiple dead ends. " you'd think the school board would add signs or something.", she groaned, before finally coming across the main athletics hall. As she walked down, she caught Leon peeking through a locker room door with his camera. Angrily, Bunko grasped Leon's shoulder and flung him out of the way. "Whoa! Bunko, what's up with you?", Leon exclaimed."peeking on others is perverted.", Bunko claimed, before feeling the urge to actually punch the all-star. Luckily, the soft-spoken girl had realized she was wearing brass knuckles, and had decided that terrorizing Leon may not have been the best idea. "what were you looking at, anyway?", she wondered. "Look for yourself.". Th drummer then opened up the door to find Kazuichi and Gundam, who, instead of making out, had their eyes glued to the door. "oh! sorry! ". Bunko puffed out her cheeks awkwardly, realizing what just might have been happening. Anxiously, she dashed into the girls' locker room, and sped past the scene when she came out."Wait. Did that just happen?", Kazuichi questioned, still frozen in place. "I do believe so...however, the Spade has proven to be a worthy ally. She is not likely to have us exposed.", Gundam answered confidently. ""I ain't worried about Bunko. It's that video Leon filmed that's got me down. He's probably still there. Let's get dressed.".Leon stood shakily as he kept dialing Mondo's number. "Come on, man! Pick up! Pick up!". Instead of going to voice message, someone else picked up. "Ey there! I'm assumin' this is one of Mondo's friends', yeah ?", the caller asked. "Oh, Daiya. Haven't heard your voice in a while . Where's your brother?", Leon replied. "Lil' bro's out with his boy. I dunno why he left his phone here. Ya need anything?", Daiya inquired. " Yeah, a ride out of here! I'm not waiting for Byakuya any longer!". During the phone call, Kazuichi and Gundam exited from the locker room fully clothed."Gotta go, bye!", Leon whispered hurriedly before shutting off the phone. "So...what are you going to do with that?", Kazuichi asked, gesturing towards the phone. Leon scoffed, "Why should I tell you? In case you didn't know, we're on opposite teams.". "How petty of you to keep up simple sabotage towards us on your cellular device.", Gundam reprimanded. "Against the both of you? You don't even know the start of it. Here's a little detail. Are both of you in the video? Yeah, sure. However, we only see one face. That's yours, Kazuichi.". Leon explained."M-me?", Kazuichi asked, shocked. "Oh yeah. And while most wouldn't remember the events of seventh grade, everyone would clearly see you kissing another male, which would drag you out of the closet and keep you at your sorry status. All with the push of a button. Kazuichi shook for a moment, before making his fist connect with Leon's chest, causing the baseball player's air to be knocked out. As Leon caught his breath, Kazuichi and Gundam left him in the hall. " Ugh...I'm so not cut out for this...", Leon gasped, before going into his video archive and deleting the footage from existence."Chiaki, I'm almost done! Do you see anyone?", Chihiro asked as he perfected the shapes he formed in the ground meat. "Uh...no one so far....remind me why you're going through so much to get this done.", Chiaki requested. "Operation Big Bad Wolf, Chiaki! Do you remember now?", Chihiro mused. "Hmm...". "Never mind.", Chihiro sighed, "Now come over here and look at my work.". The two stood on the walkway to Gundam's house, observing the words molded in the ground beef."This whole thing seems surreal, Chihiro. All of this just to make an attack.", Chiaki murmured. "What? Was hacking into his social media to get his address a bit too much? ", Chihiro questioned."I mean, that's somethin' but, uh...hey, is that a car?", Chiaki pointed out. "Oh, shit, run, Chiaki!", Chihiro yelled, the two making a mad dash to the back of the small house. All the two could hear from Kazuichi and Gundam's conversation were screams, and the possible thud from someone fainting. "Let's head back to your car, Chiaki.", Chihiro whispered as they slunk away, leaving Kazuichi and Gundam to clan up the cruel message: ALL ANIMALS DIE

Chapter Twelve: Biggest and Baddest

Kiyotaka sighed as he walked around the parking lot. Kazuichi and Gundam were taking way too long in the locker room, and because the mechanic was his only transport at the moment, he had no choice but to wait for the duo. Fifteen minutes later, Kiyotaka began to tire from wandering in circles, so he made his way to the nearest source of shade (which was the shadows cast by the school building), and stood there a while. Right before entering the building to retrieve the duo, however, he was approached by none other than Mondo Oowada, on hismotorcycle."Mondo! You...you shouldn't be near me! ....in fact, I shouldn't even be talking to you!", Kiyotaka panicked, only to be hushed by the other. "Calm down, Kiyo.. I jus' notice ya out here and, uh, I was wonderin' if ya needed a lift or somethin'?", the biker said sheepishly. "A...ride?". This wasn't the first time Kiyotaka was asked to ride on a two-wheel vehicle, yet hearing the words from Mondo made him think of all the dangers such transportation could cause, adding in the factor that this entire thing could be a set up.Putting the dangers looming over him aside, the raven-haired teen smiled. "Alright, Mondo. I will take your offer.". The teen noticed the way Mondo's expression briefly changed, the flicker of feeling seemingly being despair. "A'ight. Get on.", Mondo instructed. As soon as Kiyotaka was seated and clutching Mondo's torso, the gang leader sped off. A minute later, Gundam and Kazuichi emerged from the building. "Ey, where's Kiyo? Ya think he woulda waited...", the pink-haired teen complained. Gundam pulled up his scarf before stating, "This may have been at our faults, or, rather mine. It was my personal needs that may have deterred the Mortal.".Kazuichi rolled his eyes, "Gundam, don't tax yerself. I'm still tryna figure out who he coulda left with.". Pulling down his scarf, Gundam replied, "At this rate, the Mortal may already be residing in his abode.". "Ya think so?"". The breeder gave an affirmative nod. "However, if this continues to eat away at your psyche, then we shall quest to find him. As of now, I, myself must return to my residence, to tend to the members of the Tanaka kingdom.". Kazuichi looked around for bystanders ( their relationship was already exposed to Bunko and Leon, and in all honesty, he didn't need anyone else finding them out) before holding Gundam's hand. "Well, guess it's time ta visit the Kingdom again...". Kiyotaka would never admit it, but the ride with Mondo was actually kind of pleasant. Unlike Aika, Mondo was a bit more risque with his driving, which was admittedly thrilling, although scary. At one point in time, Mondo had to stop by the gas station in order to fill up his motorcycle's low tank. Once Mondo began filling the tank, Kiyotaka disembarked the bike and informed the gang leader that he was going inside to use the bathroom. Immediately, Mondo's behavior changed."Eh..., I mean, this place ain't exactly glamorous or nothin'. I'd suggest waitin' 'til ya get home, use some facilities uer familiar with.". Kiyotaka gave Mondo a confused look, which was understandable given the comment. "I mean, uh...ya know gas stations are kinda shit an' uh, they don't clean good, an'-". "Mondo, what you're saying doesn't make sense. I understand you may have your discomforts on bathrooms in gas stations, but in my opinion, a bathroom is a bathroom, no matter how well upkept it is.", Kiyotaka replied in a calm tone. "But-" "I'm sure I'll be fine.", Kiyotaka reassured as he headed toward the building.After using the surprisingly clean facilities, Kiyotaka washed his hands while looking in the mirror. At first, the teen seemed shocked by his appearance, as he looked completely different from when he was in Florida. As he continued to stare into the reflection, however, he spotted someone in the background, not using the bathroom, but staring at him, watching his moves. Paranoid, Kiyotaka turned around, only to come face to face with Byakuya."Suprise, pig. It's me.", the blonde whispered darkly as Kiyotaka stepped back in shock. "What's wrong? You scared?", Byakuya asked in that same dark tone as he closed the space between him and his enemy. "No, not at aĺl.", Kiyotaka replied in a cool manner that made the other's skin crawl. "Oh, really?", Byakuya inquired, before clutching Kiyotaka's neck and sending him flying towards the nearest bathroom stall door. Afterwards, as the other was distracted by the sudden attack, Byakuya pushed him to the cold, hard tile of the floor."You sure are getting close with my diamond. You know what I do to people who get close to my valuables?". Kiyotaka shook his head. Smirking, Byakuya straddled the other and held his neck in a firm choke hold, Kiyotaka beggining to struggle in the first few seconds. "I teach those bitches a lesson on messing with me. With my diamond. My beautiful diamond. He's part of my everything, you know. And here you are-", Byakuya took a pause to smack Kiyotaka's face and briefly get off of him, then resumed as the raven-haired teen rolled over by forcing him to lay face down."-with your physically impossible body proportions, your sick, blobs of fat and inordinate amounts of carbs that you flaunt freely for all to gag on. You think you can just roll in with your thick, huge, gelatinous thighs, your annoying, insufferable, shithole mouth, and the swollen, chunky, balloons you call an ass, and take him, and take everything I've got, hmm?". While awaiting a response, he tightly grasped Kiyo's hair and forced his head up. "Go on, pig. Say something.", he coaxed, watching as the other's eyes welled with tears. "Fine. I'll make you say something then.". While whispering obscenities to him, Byakuya bashed Kiyotaka's head against the tile, afterwards letting his head go to stand up and stomp on his back repeatedly and forcefully, finishing his physical torture by literally kicking Kiyotaka's ass until he noticed signs of bruising.Satisfied, Byakuya bent down once more to lift Kiyo's head. "Let me explain something to you. We at Hope's Peak High have a system. My system. I am the alpha and the omega. You need to stay in your place...Taka.". He then stood back up to leave, before doing so saying, "This is phase one of my little operation. If you...and your little friends...shape up, then I can shut it down entirely. Your call.". Nose bleeding and body bruised, Kiyotaka lay and loathed the pain inflicted on his body. A minute later, someone opened the door."Oh...y..you're still here...sorry about everything...", Touko apologized. "I know he...he's infatuated with Mondo...but I can't help the way I feel toward him...Just..I hope you can forgive me...and Mondo for setting you up...". Without another word, Touko left. Kiyotaka had then decided this was getting to be enough. If he was going to establish his dominance, then he was going to have to stop subjecting himself and others to danger and pain. If Byakuya wanted this, then Byakuya was sure as hell going to have it.

Chapter Thirteen: Who's Big and Bad Now?

As soon as he collected himself, Kiyotaka called Kazuichi. "Hey, Kazu, where are you right now?", he asked. "Currently? Makin' Gundam calm down after seein-". "That's it. That's absolutely it. Can you pick me up? I'm in the gas station en route to my house.". After a little pause, Kazuichi answered, "Yeah, sure. Kiyo, ya sound different.". Smiling, Kiyotaka replied, "I feel different"."There, I think that got my point across. Kiyotaka is defeated. I have nothing to worry about.". Byakuya lay on his bed, content by what he'd done mere moments before. A minute later, however, he found himself depressed. This wasn't an issue with anyone else he tortured, so why was this an issue now?Frustrated, Byakuya rolled off his bed and stared at himself in the mirror. He had most definately changed his eating habits, significantly so, and had even tried to not work out on a regular, yet two weeks of doing so hadn't affected his body in the way he wanted it to, and he was still as slim as he was before."Why won't this work?!", Byakuya wondered in his mind, as he observed every part of his figure. He then asked himself, "Why am I doing this?!". He grabbed his blonde locks and tugged on them out of aggrivation. His life was perfectly fine until Kiyotaka just had to come in and screw him over! Why did it have to be like this? Byakuya used to live knowing that he was feared, that he was in control, but now he felt uncertain, as if anything to hurt him could happen at any moment.Not many would notice, but the popular was noticing the signs all around. Leon seemed to be completely against his plans, and he nevergot anything from his Big Bad Wolf attack, which made it safe to say he either backed out or just didn't do it all. Chihiro was still himself, yet he wasn't communicating, and any time he and Byakuya were in the same area, he was engrossed in whatever he was doing on his phone. Then there was Mondo. The same Mondo that welcomed him into Hope's Peak Elementary with bright, beautiful eyes."Those eyes...those eyes...". Byakuya fell back onto his bed. It was cheesy, and maybe even cliché, but Byakuya loved the way Mondo's eyes looked at him. Just like the first time he saw him in that kindergarten classroom, those lilac eyes would widen, and the light would hit them in a way that made them look like they sparkled. He loved that look. To lose that starry gaze would just shatter his soul.Byakuya didn't realise he was crying until his glasses fogged up. Who did Kiyotaka think he was, ruining his life like this...Kiyotaka wasn't all that...he...he was just like the others! Just like Hiyoko and Mahiru in sixth grade, just like Junko, Mukuro, and Mikan in seventh grade, just likeAoi, Sakura and Kenshiro in eighth grade, and exactly like Teruteru and Nekomaru last year!But if he was just like them, why was he so different?That went for Kazuichi and Gundam as well. Two of the many students he had complete control over and could completely torment at his own whim, were now Kiyotaka's right and left hand men, his own cliqué of misfits that when together, were the whole puzzle. Those two, originally easily manipulated, intimidated, and bullied, had finally found the courage to climb the ever so treacherous social ladder, and that courage was Kiyotaka fucking Ishimaru.Byakuya was bawling now, letting his tears soak in the pillow that muffled his cries. Kiyotaka was so influential, so inspirational, with his infectious attitude and sweet dispositon. It was like every attack Byakuya and his crew made feuled him, making him even stronger than he was the day before. How was that even possible?This story was going in the wrong direction. The Big Bad Wolf should have not only ate the pigs, but have shat them into the nearest river, burned down their houses of straw, sticks, and brick, and spit on their graves at this point. That's the way it should have been! Now the pigs were assembling their military and planning on when to storm the Enemy Base. Last time he checked, that was NOWHERE in the story.He'd never admit that he was so damn jealous of his former friend, and how scared he was of the future. One thing was for certain, however, and that was he'd never stop fighting and clawing to stay at the top, and he would never, ever admit his defeat until they tied him up and forced him to. A shaken king he is, but a defeated king he'll never, ever be.

Chapter Fourteen: I Love The Attitude! (Now Put It Out Of It's Misery)

Weeks had passed, and now, Homecoming was two days away. The entire time in between, Byakuya hadn't as much as mentioned Kiyotaka's name, but that was about to change this week. He had purposefully paused his torment for the Homecoming ballot (yes, he was manipulative, he had to appeal to the people somehow!) and as of now, his plan was going smoothly.

After evaluating his situation, he confirmed that he was indeed fueling Kiyotaka and his crew, so leaving him alone should have an affect on the other's success. He also noticed that Aika had finally returned, which would prove useful if everything worked to a T (no pun intended). Now all he had to do was wait until Principal Kirigiri announced the nominees for the Homecoming Court.

"Byakuya's lookin' suspicious.", Etsuko whispered to Aika, who was sitting to her left. "All I'm saying is I'm stayin' out of it. You remember what happened the last time I got into business I wasn't supposed to be getting into.". Etsuko rolled her eyes, "Well, I'm glad you decided to return. Other people like you wouldn't have.". Aika nodded in agreement. "Hey, question; you know that Yasuhiro guy?", Etsuko asked. "The one weird guy with the crystal ball? Yeah, why?". "He-", Etsuko began, before being cut off by Jin Kirigiri's announcements.

"Greetings, students. It's third period, which means it's time for our daily announcements.". Byakuya ignored listening through the boring, everyday stuff, like what was for lunch, the weather, practices, and club promotions, but began paying attention when the principal mentioned Homecoming. "As you know, Homecoming is in a few days, and with such, it's time to announce the nominees for the Homecoming court. King and Queen nominations are as follows; Gonta Gokuhara, Kaito Momota, Kokichi Ouma, Shuichi Saihara, Miu Iruma, Tsumugi Shirogane, Kirumi Tojo, and Angie Yonaga. Now for our lowerclassmen Prince and Princess nominees...".

Byakuya held his breath until the principal had gotten to the sophomore nominees. "Prince and Princess nominees for tenth grade are Byakuya Togami, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Nagito Komeada, Yasuhiro Hagakure, Chiaki Nanami, Aika Nakamura, Kyoko Kirigiri, and Sonia Nevermind. Prince and Princess nominees for ninth grade are...". Aika sighed. "What's up with you?", Etsuko asked. "I'd like to be a part of the Homecoming court, really, I would, but I still haven't exactly...gotten used to everyone knowing I'm...you know.". The spiky-haired girl groaned. "Aika, you can't let that get you down! As far as I know, the students here nominated you, and you should feel grateful.".

Byakuya smirked. "Just the names I wanted to hear.".

During lunch, Kiyotaka squealed with excitement. "I cannot believe this! I have only just moved here, and I have been nominated for a spot in the Homecoming Court!". Kazuichi smiled, "Ey man, yer makin' an impact. Of course, Byakuya managed to get nominated too, but personally, I think you'll be okay! Then again, Nagito's got that weird luck thing goin' for 'im. I dunno how Yasuhiro was nominated. That might've been a mix-up.". Gundam shifted in his seat. "Shark-toothed one...may we please converse in private?", he asked nervously. "Yeah, sure. We'll be back, Kiyo!", Kazuichi said, waving to his friend.

For a few minutes, Kiyotaka sat alone. Then, out of nowhere, a gothic looking girl came across his table and sat near him without asking. "Oh...um...hello.", the boy greeted, only to be shushed as the gothic girl raised her pale hand. "No need in introductions. I already know who you are, Kiyotaka...why so stiff?". The raven-haired boy took in a deep breath, then exhaled shakily. "Would you mind telling me who you are?", he inquired. "If you must call me something, call me Celestia Ludenberg. Now then," Celestia paused, taking Kiyotaka by his hand. "Let's go outside and talk a bit.".

"So Gundam...what'd ya want to talk about?", Kazuichi asked, taking a seat in a nearby desk. The animal breeder sighed. "As you know, the Dark Queen has been nominated for a place in the Homecoming court.''. Kazuichi nodded, "Yeah, I know. Are ya still worked up over seventh grade, or...". Gundam raised his hand. "No, I am impervious to that...situation. I...It would bring me great joy if perhaps, we could attend this dance...as a couple.".

Kazuichi stared at Gundam, then looked at the door, then back at Gundam. This came put of nowhere, and he was the one that wanted to keep their love under wraps. "Wow...I mean...yeah, why not, but..,". "Is that something that bothers you, Kazuichi?". For a moment, the mechanic was caught off guard, as he was whenever Gundam decided to pull the 'first name' card out of the deck. Usually, whenever Gundam had used Kazuichi's first name in its entirety, he was yearning for something, badly, so much that he would be like a little puppy and begin to beg.

"Uh...nothin', nothin', it's just that you've never wanted to do something this big, and ya know Sonia's gonna be there, so I uh...an' to tell th' truth, we ain't exactly patched things up with her. She doesn't even talk to us during class, and she hasn't fer the past three years, so are ya sure-". Kazuichi's rant was cut off with Gundam's lips upon his. A few seconds after Gundam pulled back from the kiss, he looked up at Kazuichi with big, pleading, bi-colored eyes. At first, Kazuichi wanted to continue, but the more he stared into his boyfriend's eyes, the less fight was in him.

Gundam subsided his gaze after a while, then leant back on a nearby desk. "I am fully aware our relations with the Dark Queen have been less than stellar, and we had never taken her feelings into account that fateful day, but perhaps she will not be bitter toward us.". Kazuichi took note of how Gundam's voice was softening, and how he was losing that dark edge he usually kept up. "I mean...if ya really want ta do this...". "I do, Kazuichi.". "Then...alright. We'll go ta Homecoming. On one condition.", Kazuichi decided. "We gotta fix our relations with Sonia.". Gundam toyed with his scarf for a minute before replying, "We shall repair what we have broken.".

The weather was nice that day. The sun was shining, but the nice breeze and clouds kept it cool. Every few clouds, there was a nice break where a ray of sunshine would sneak through, and that, paired with the occasional swirl of fallen leaves definately complemented the school landscape. Kiyotaka kept taking in breaths of clean, autumn air and admiring California's beauty. Celestia had her eyes on him the entire time, and whenever his lungs filled with air, she sneered and shook her head. Five minutes after this cycle, Celestia took a pack of Camels cigarettes and a lighter from the pocket of her black denim jeans.

Kiyotaka watched as she took out one of the little devils, then lit it with the lighter and stuck it in her mouth. "I don't want to come across as rude, but this is a school, and you are a minor! Smoking is bad for your health!", the boy stated defensively, only to earn a glare from Celestia as she removed the cigarette to blow out a cloud of smoke. "Be honest, wannabe. Do you really think I care? Besides, they're not mine. They're my mother's, but she's too much of a drunk to even give a fuck.". Kiyotaka shook his head, "That's no excuse to be smoking as a teenager! You may not care now, but-".

A forceful blow hit Kiyotaka's jaw, causing him to stumble back in pain. "What was that fo-". "Listen, you pretentious little fucker. Not all of us live in your world of sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows, got it? Some of us don't have life wrapped around our little finger. Some of us have to waste away their precious hours of sleep gambling for money to keep them, their precious cat, and their alcoholic mother inside the apartment their deceased father used to work so hard for. Get on to me all you want for doing this," Celestia stopped to raise up the burning cigarette, "but nothing you say will get me to stop anytime soon.".

Kiyotaka held his jaw the entire time Celestia yelled at him. "I...I understand.". "No you don't. You know, you comprehend, but you don't understand. That's why I brought you out here today. A full-frontal reality check.". She paused to put the cigatette back in her mouth. "Reality check? About what?", he asked, nervous. "About this. You're new here, you increase in popularity, and now you're in the running for Homecoming prince for tenth grade. Are. You. Shitting me?". Celestia scolded, taking the cigarette out to puff another cloud of smoke.

"Are you, perhaps, against this?", Kiyotaka inquired, concerned. "Not exactly. You've got the attitude, yes, and you're likely to win, but Kiyotaka, it's the beginning of the year, and with all that's happening in 2016, I'd rather not have to deal with all this...drama, so to speak.". Kiyotaka sneezed, then looked around. "I do not believe I am the one causing drama. If anything, Byakuya is bringing forth drama. I prefer to stay out of it.". Celestia shook her head in disbelief, before breaking out into a coughing fit. "Celestia! Are you okay? Do you need-". Celestia waved her hand dismissively as her coughing eased. The bell signaling the next class could be heard outside. "Just take my advice. No one wants or needs drama, Kiyotaka.". She began making her way back inside, turning back once more to say, "No one.".

Chapter Fifteen: The Carpal Tunnel of Love

"No one...". That thought echoed in Kiyotaka's mind. Was he really causing an uproar in the school, or was that just Celestia's way of getting into his mind? There was no doubt Celestia couldn't be trusted yet; in Kiyotaka's opinion, anyone who was smoking underage raised alarms. He sighed, running a hand through his raven locks. When school had ended, the thought was still engraved in his mind, as well as the smell of smoke (he'd have to explain that to his parents). He wasn't the problem! Byakuya was the problem!.....right?

As this battle continued on in his brain, he headed to his locker to retrieve his things. Once he had opened his locker, however, a little note fluttered to the ground before him. Surprised, he bent down to pick up the small folded paper, and once the coast was clear, he unfolded it to reveal the message, "Meet me @ auditorium~LK". Just to make sure the handwriting was, indeed, his boyfriend's, he unzipped his backpack and pulled the first note out of the front pocket of his binder. He squinted his eyes a bit, comparing every little detail, until he found it safe to say the handwriting was Leon's.

Once his things were completely gathered, Kiyotaka exited the main campus and followed the concrete path to the auditorium. He braced himself; the first time he'd walked in on the Music Club, he thought his eardrums would burst, and thus time was no exception. "Dance, dance, we're falling apart to half-time, dance, dance...". A familiar voice filled his ears, however, instead of Sayaka's vocals, there was Leon's, resonating throughout the auditorium. Sayaka was playing lead guitar instead, and actually, she was amazing with the six-stringed instrument.

While he made his way to a seat, he and Leon had caught each other's gaze. The redhead smirked, delivering the next lines as smooth as silk; "Why don't you show me a little bit of spine you've been saving for his matress~ I only want sympathy in the form of you crawling into bed with me....". The raven-haired teen felt a shiver run down his spine. He silently hopes that no one had caught the two, but judging by how quick they transitioned from the gaze to the end of the song, they would be okay.

At the last note, Terumi ran upstage, squealing happily like a little kid in a candy store. "We sound AMAZING! I am so impressed by our progress! I swear, we will blow the crowd away during our Homecoming debut!". Sayaka sighed heavily. "What," Etsuko griped, "is your issue?". Defensively, the blue-haired idol walked down to the edge of the stage and looked the shorter girl dead in her eyes. "Let's see. You've kicked out Satomi and Ayaka, and you let him," she paused to gesture toward the ginger, "lead the vocals rather than me, despite already being a recognizable name in music already.".

Terumi waved, catching Sayaka's attention. "Actually, Satomi and Ayaka weren't kicked out; they were dropped because they missed more than two practices, with unexcused absenses. I mean, they can rejoin next semester, if that makes you feel better.". "Also, Leon's voice fits better with this song.", Gina chimed in. Bunko nodded, "besides, you're great at guitar.". Ibuki and Yasuhiro clapped in agreement. Sayaka looked back at them, then redirected her gaze to Etsuko. "Whatever. I'm going to Kyoko's house," Sayaka mused, "and Makoto better not be there...", before storming off the stage in frustration.

Everyone exchanged glances, before Terumi announced, "Alright. Remember to rehearse Dance, Dance, look at Fall Out Boy's music video, whatever you need to do to become one with that song. After all, we will be preforming this song...and maybe Misery Business at Homecoming. I'll text you the time you need to be here in order to set everything up for the performance. Go home, guys!". Once the auditorium was empty, Leon made his way down the aisle to the seat Kiyotaka resided in (near the front door).

Kiyotaka gave a friendly smile. "Hello, Leon! What do you have planned for us today?", the older teen asked, his face lighting up in excitement. "Actually, I just wanted to hang out at my place.". Leon scratched the back of his head and turned away in embarrassment. "It's lame, I know, but I promised I'd look after my little sis-...cousin, Kanon.". Kiyotaka chuckled, "That is perfectly fine with me. My parents don't officially return home until eight.".

Leon let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks. It's nice to know you're cool like that, Kiyo.". The all-star then pecked an unexpecting Kiyotaka's cheek. "It's what I love about you.". The duo had then left the auditorium, Leon's arms filled with sheet music, books, and his guitar (kept safe in its case), and Kiyotaka's arms, well, empty. "What time is it, Kiyo?", Leon inquired, struggling to keep a sheet from falling. "Let's see...". Kiyotaka pulled his phone out of his pocket. "The time is 4:30", Kiyotaka informed. "Shoot! We gotta hurry! Kanon's bus should have dropped her off thirty minutes ago!" .

Leon increased his speed, while Kiyotaka held back a few steps to collect miscellaneous items his boyfriend would drop in his mad dash. Eventually, Kiyotaka's arms were full as well. Luckily, they made the trip to Leon's car before his guitar could fall, and inevitably smash on the asphalt. "Here. I got this.". Leon shifted the items he held over into his left arm so he could reach into the pocket of his skinny jeans and take out his keys with his right hand. One press of a button, and the doors were unlocked. "Where should I put these?", Kiyotaka questioned as Leon had opened the trunk.

"In here. I don't live that far away. I mean, my mom actually does training here in the mornings, but it's for the girl's athletics. Besides, she leaves to help my dad over at thw Towa Community College, and those college kids practice forever.". Kiyotaka nodded in understanding as he carefully set down the various items. "Even though my mother works five days out of the week, she gets held up at the studio sometimes. I enjoy Miss. Nakamura's studios, but it's quite taxing!".

The ginger then set down his guitar and his backpack and slammed the trunk shut. "Isn't your dad a cop?", he asked as he opened the door for the other. "Oh, yes. Usually, my father makes it back before my mother, but there are those occasions where he has to work nights," Kiyotaka explained as he took a seat, "but the hardest time is when they're both gone past the time they're supposed to be home.". "Tell me about it...", Leon groaned, as he sat in the driver's seat.

The conversation continued until Leon pulled in to a cul de sac neighborhood and parked in the driveway of the house closest to the entrance (on the left). Before the two had exited, however, Kanon was standing in the doorway, scowling. "Big brother! You're late.". She pointed to the time on her watch (5:02). "Significantly so.". Nervously, Leon approached the younger girl. "Kanon, my main girl!". Kanon was having none of that. "Alright, what's it gonna take for you to not let Mom or Dad?".

Kanon snickered mischeviously. "I think you know~". Leon looked back at Kiyotaka, before grasping his arm and pulling hom forward. "Sorry, Kanon. I've got someone already.". Feeling the need to speak, Kiyotaka introduced himself to Kanon, only to have the middle schooler grab him by his shirt and yank him down to her level. "Listen here, boy-slut, Leon is MINE, and if you even get him poisoned with your homo, you've got another thing comin-".

Awkwardly, Leon cut between his cousin and his boyfriend. "My little cousin, isn't she full of personality...?". Kiyotaka tapped his chin. "Yes...full of...," he paused as Kanon growled at him, "...personality.". Kanon had attempted to lunge for Kiyotaka again, but this time Leon came in and prevented her from doing so. "But...Leon!", the young girl whined. "Kanon, you're going to hate me for this, but," Leon pointed to the inside of the two story house, "go to your room.".

Appalled, Kanon crossed her arms and stompped her way upstairs. "Kanon's a good kid," Leon pursuaded, "she just..has an issue with boundaries.". Kiyotaka played with his hands anxiously. "You look tense. Here, come inside. I'll massage your shoulders.", the all-star offered. Gradually, Kiyotaka eased. "You know how to massage?". Leon shrugged, "A little bit. Nekomaru's taught me some tips and tricks. Might as well see if I'm any good, huh?". "Of course.", the raven-haired teen answered, finally entering the Kuwata threshold.

Gundam and Kazuichi had left the school as soon as they could. Kazuichi didn't even check with Kiyotaka to see if he needed a ride anywhere, which, actually made him feel guilty, but he'd have to resent that later. After all, he and Gundam were finally going to put themselves out there in the public eye, lettong everyone know what came of them after that incident almost three years ago.

Kazuichi knew where Gundam wanted to go; Junko's fashion studio. It was nice having something tailor made to your unique size, plus Junko was more likely to give them a discount than the department store. The driver looked over at Gundam. He seemed to be distant; his focus being on the outside landscape that was filled with skyscrapers and reastaurants. Feeling his gaze, Gundam turned to face his boyfriend. "Is something bothering you, my consort?", he inquired, worried.

"Nah...just...ya look nice like that.", Kazuichi answered. Gundam crossed his hands and flashed a small smile. "I appriciate your sentiments.". The two rode on silence the rest of the way to Junko's studio. When they finally made it inside, Junko seemed to be rushing to finish various other Homecoming outfits, and the look she gave them said all it needed to; "Get the fuck out of my studio.".

Still, they continued into the room. "FINE. What? What do you possibly want clothes for? It couldn't possibly be a request for Homecoming, which is this Saturday! ", the fashionista fumed. "Actually yes-". "GAH!! I swear, if I'm forced to do all of these alone, I will plummet into despair!". Junko over-exaggerated her point by clipping various mushroom to her hair and 'fainting'.

Once done with her theatrical display, she stood up again and took her phone out, dialing at top speed. "Hello? Shinta, listen, I know you're preparing you and your sister for Homecoming, but please, please, come down here! The demand is so high, and I'm driving myself insane trying to finish them all by myself...........oh, you're a God-send, Shinta! I'll see you in an hour!". After she hung up, she redirected her attention to the duo.

"Well?". Kazuichi and Gundam looked at each other, each one confirming that this was what they wanted. Taking in a deep breath, Kazuichi told Junko, "You can't tell anyone about this. For the time being, this is a secret that only you, Gundam, and I should know.". Intrigued, the fashionista stepped forward. "Go ahead! I am so good with secrets!". Quickly, she dashed to the door and shut it slowly, preventing anyone else from hearing. "Go ahead. Tell me everything.".

Swallowing a bundle of nerves, Kazuichi explained, "Gundam an' I have been dating since eighth grade, and no one, not even Kiyotaka, has known until now.". Junko stared at the two in amazement, her jaw practically dropping to the floor. "No....way....you two are DATI-", she almost yelled aloud before rushing to cover her mouth. Even though her hand was over her mouth, it didn't stop her from squealing gibberish into her palm.

"You know what? Forget these!", Junko proclaimed, pushing over a pile of items. "That, I'll let Shinta take care of. This...is HUGE...and you're coming out at HOMECOMING?!". Gundam gave a nod in response, his face now flushed and covered by his scarf. "Sit down over there, " Junko instructed, pointing to a couch on her left, "this is going to be my BEST work, or my name isn't Junko Enoshima.".

When Music Club was over, Yasuhiro had simply stored his drumset backstage in order to catch up with Etsuko before she left. "H-hey! Did you ask Aika the thing?". Groaning, Etsuko ran her hand across her forehead. "I was about to, but then the announcements came on, and Aika became self-conscious about her situation, and I...honestly, I forgot.". Both Yasuhiro and Etsuko cringed.

"Are you serious? Homecoming is Saturday, and I don't have any classes with her!", Yasuhiro comlplained. "I know, and I'll be with the Student Body tomorrow figuring out the ballot...um...maybe you should just ask her at the dance?". Yasuhiro's expression dropped even more. "She may have someone by then! Etsuko, you were my only hope!".

Etsuko's eyes shifted nervously. "Yeah, I got that. Just be glad that the person you want to go with is single and not with the school's dictator-". "Yeah, but she likes girls..I think...wait a minute...single and not with the school's dictator? Etsuko, do you have feelings for-". Immediately, the shorter girl shot Yasuhiro a stinging glare. "I gotta go. Bye, man.". The clairvoyant watched as the girl with the spiked hair left from the auditorium's back exit.

"Hope you get your girl.". Finding an ounce of courage, Yasuhiro ran toward the door and grabbed Etsuko's sleeve. "Wait, Etsuko. You can't just leave like that. You like Mondo for a reason, right? Tell me.". The dark-skinned teen looked up at the lighter. "How will I be able to trust you?", she asked, her crimson eyes practically burning his own. "Well...cause we're friends! I mean, you were the only who didn't think I was a stupid, talentless con-man when I demoted down to thus class.".

Etsuko sighed, adjusting the strap of her guitar case on her shoulder. "I just identify with him. Both of us have ambitious older brothers with biker gangs, both of us feel misunderstood, both of us never really had parents around, both of us resort to violence when needed...some times more regretfully than others.". Yasuhiro held her shoulder in the hopes of making her feel a little better, but Etsuko's mood only worsened. "Thanks for listening, Yasuhiro, but...really, I have to go.". Post removing Yasuhiro's hand from her shoulder, she walked to the side of the building to knock down her skateboard and begin her trip home.

If there was anything Mondo would never admit, it was that he enjoyed when Byakuya had rode on the back of his Kawasaki. It was the only time when they were together that Byakuya wasn't stressing about his popular status and Mondo wasn't worried about wether or not he'd see Kiyotaka. The only sounds were Mondo's motorcycle and the loud winds as they zipped through L.A. Actually, he found that to be comforting.

"Mondo," Byakuya said as they came to a halt on a red light, "can we get something to eat?". Mondo looked back at the blonde. "What do ya want?". Byakuya shrugged, "Anything...". The biker sighed. Byakuya was eating way too much lately, and it was becoming more noticeable. Mondo sometimes felt like that was his fault; even he would admit that he was one of many men that had a thing for curves, something that Byakuya's rival had, and Byakuya himself didn't.

Of course, eating like a maniac wouldn't help the situation. The biker remembered that the way someone's body was shaped had something to do with weight distribution, and if this concept was working its magic, then Byakuya's body would probably build up around his stomach and back, not his backside. He'd never tell Byakuya that to his face, though, after all, it seemed like the boy was self-conscious enough (even though he'd never tell anyone, but then again, it was easy to catch on to the signs. )

Reluctantly, Mondo pulled into the parking lot of the Hanamura Diner (there were a variety of places, but Mondo had only a few bucks on him, and the Hanamura Diner would be the best value in terms of cash and quality.). As he parked, however, he had a flashback to the near fallout inside the restaurant a month ago, and silently, he hoped that wouldn't escalate in to an all-out brawl between his boyfriend and the chef (although the idea of such was entertaining).

Byakuya thanked Mondo as he opened the door for him and made his way inside. Since it was the end of the workday, the place was packed with the working class people of L.A. (not everyone was a celebrity), as well as large families with rambunctious children and teenager. Mondo had even recognised some of the fathers and teenaged boys as some of the members of the Daimonds. Byakuya, on the other hand, was disgusted by the idea of dining with the middle-class, and had even turned to leave.

Before he could open the door and exit, the waitress made her way over to the couple. "Good news! There's a table open in the back!". Defeated, Byakuya followed behind the waitress with Mondo in tow. Admittedly, the biker felt offended as Byakuya fussed his way through the families and commuters as he made his way down to the back table, but if that gave him a chance to appreciate all the people that worked so hard every day to make a living, then Mondo could ignore his snobby attitude for one dinner.

On the top floor of the diner, Teruteru was observing several recipies in his cookbook, getting angry at each individual page and feeling the need to tear it out before calming down and repeating the cycle over and over again. Nekomaru was there as well, but instead of looking through cookbooks, he was watching his tiny boyfriend's rampage. Eventually, he decided to ask what the other was doing.

"The Student Body asked me if I could together a menu for the Homecoming dance.", the stressed chef replied, not looking away from the book. "That shouldn't be an issue. The dance is Saturday!", Nekomaru comforted. "It shouldn't be, but they want the menu tomorrow, along with a sample of each. They said I needed eight food items and two beverages, but tell me, Neko, which of these," Teruteru tossed the book to Nekomaru in aggrivation, "can be cooked or prepared in time for TOMORROW!!".

Nekomaru opened up the book and observed every recipie. "Are you planning on creating the whole dish?" Nekomaru inquired. "Of course!", Teruteru exclaimed. "Why not create small portions of each dish? Not only will they be easier to cook, but they'll be HEALITHIER!!", Nekomaru concluded proudly. Teruteru stared at his boyfriend in disbelief. "You mean...just make them...smaller...". Jubliant, Teruteru lunged toward Nekomaru, catching him in a hug. "Mmm, Neko~ So smart!".

The trainer laughed boisterously "Why wouldn't I be!!". Teruteru sighed, "That helps the whole food situation, but what am I going to do for beverages? Teenagers get pretty thirsty, especially during a dance.". "Simple," Nekomaru advised, pulling Teruteru down to his lap, "we have the classic dance fruit punch, and as a second option, WE MAKE A HEALTHY SUPERFOOD SMOOTHIE!! KALE, PINEAPPLE, BLUEBERRIES, AVACADO, AND COCONUT! IT'S MY OWN PERSONAL RECIPIE!".

Teruteru giggled, "I bet I can make that simply delightful~ Thank goodness. Let's get started.".

Chapter Sixteen: I Love Him

"One, two, check one, two, three! Is this thing on, or am I just loud?!". "Eh...A little bit of both, Daiya.", Terumi responded, holding her ear. The former biker rolled his eyes. "I told ya, lil' Yamamoto, right now, I'm D.J. Double Diamond! Rolls right off th' tongue, yeah?". Terumi nodded slowly, before replying, "Sounds like you're having fun. Remember, you can't leave that spot until the end of the dance. By the way, I think it starts in an hour. That gives me time to head home, shower, get dressed, maybe do something to my hair-". Daiya laughed aloud, "Lil' Yamamoto, ya might as well forget about yer hair. I mean, ya can wash it, but Rapunzel would havin' an easier time doin' hers up!". Terumi chuckled, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll put it a ponytail and call it a day. See ya!". In half of that hour, nearly the entire gymnasium was filled with adolescents ready to party. Unfortunately for them, the dance wouldn't start until 5:00, so now Daiya had to watch after a gym full of teenagers. "Okay, okay, settle down, settle down", he mumbled half-heartedly, but the crowd continued to complain and gripe. "I SAID SETTLE DOWN!", Daiya yelled into the microphone, causing any and all noise to cease.

Feeling proud, the young adult continued. "Thank you. Man, what does it take ta get some respect here? Don't answer that. Lemme introduce myself, a'ight? I'm D.J. Double Diamond, or, I guess Daiya, if yer a dweeb like that. Like I said earlier, I'mma be th' disc jockey...controllin' what yer dancin' to. My taste in music's different than all y'alls, so don't expect that Miley Cyrus an' Justin Beiber shit ya listen to, and absolutely HELL NO ta One Direction...cause Zayn jus' had ta betray th' group like that...". Cheers of approval came from the crowd, giving the D.J. an extra courage boost. "Now, with that bein' said, I'mma let y'all do some requests, cause th' shit I listen to ain't good fer ya. See, I'm twenty-one, old enough fer drinkin' an' strip clubs, stuff like that. Yer still in school, so uh...yeah. Also, I got some rules ya gotta follow. As far as I know, only two adults are gonna be chaperonin' , an' that's me an' Shinta, so don't try ta spike the punch an' whatever that green stuff is, or drug th' food, cause then, I'll beat yer ass, an' ya don't want that. Also, I'll allow kissin' but don't get freaky if ya know what I mean. Can't have babies runnin' around th' campus, yeah?". As Daiya was thinking up more rules, the lights dimmed, and in their place was a multi-color rotating light. "Looks like it's party time!", Daiya cheered, the crowd roaring in excitement.

The dance was already in full gear when Byakuya (decked out in a pristine white suit) and Mondo (dressed in a more typical black suit) had entered, but in all honesty, Byakuya didn't care. After all, he had a mission, and he was damn sure to follow through. Of course, in order for this plan off his (and technically Chihiro's) to work, he had to get to Kiyotaka immediately. The dance was four hours, sure, but this was to happen gradually throughout the dance, leading up to that very, very important moment near the end of the dance when the winners of the Homecoming Court were announced. What was to happen? Wednesday, while in the Hanamura Diner, the blonde had overheard Teruteru's menu for the dance, along with the ingredients for Nekomaru's Superfood Smoothie (that he was not drinking, thank you very much.). In the depths of boredom, Byakuya had texted said ingredients out to his crew, only for Chihiro to text back that his enemy, his fit, curvy, charming enemy, would vomit if he ingested just the right amount of ONE of those ingredients. The setback? An abundance of ingredients were used, most likely some more than others, so if Byakuya was going to make Kiyotaka hurl, he'd need to get him drinking the stuff as soon as possible.

"Mondo?". "Yeah? What's up?", the biker replied. "If you don't mind, I need to take care of something, okay? Promise I'll be right back.". Byakuya had mused that sentence in a voice so sweet that Mondo knew whatever he was up to was horrible, but then again, maybe he was just on one of his nice kicks. After all, he was trying to achive Homecoming Prince once again. "Alright. I'll be in th' crowd.". After a quick kiss, Byakuya went on his pursuit for the nemisis. Luckily for him, Kiyotaka wasn't all that difficult to locate; he was near the bleachers, talking to Kazuichi and Gundam. The blonde took a moment to prepare his friendly persona, then went forward to the group. "Kiyotaka! It's so nice to see you! You look stunning in that white tuxedo, and the red armband is a nice touch.". Kiyotaka, Gundam, and Kazuichi stared at Byakuya in bewilderment. Had something happened? Was he sick? Delusional? Whatever it was, he was definately altered. "Um, Byakuya? Don't we, you know, hate each other?", Kiyotaka inquired uncomfortably. "Really? I was hoping we could settle our differences. Maybe try the friend thing again?", Byakuya offered.

Kiyotaka wanted to jump on the offer immediately, but he had to make sure this wasn't all a trick. "Friends? Again?". Byakuya wore his largest smile. "Of course, Taka.". Kiyotaka's face beamed with joy. "I knew this popular comptition wouldn't change how we were before! Come on, let's do something!". Byakuya tapped his chin, then replied, "Why don't we get a drink?". The raven-haired teen laughed, then grasped Byakuya's hand and drug him to the buffet table Teruteru and Nekomaru had set up. "What's this?", Kiyotaka questioned, pointing towards an array of cups filled with a thick green liquid. "That," Byakuya explained, "is a Superfood Smoothie. It's a healthy alternative to the...punch.". Kiyotaka observed the liquid in curiosity. "Have you tried it?", he asked, before retrieving a cup for himself. "Actually, I haven't. I think that we should try it together.", the blonde replied, wrapping his fingers around a different cup. The other nodded in confirmation as he drank the smoothie. Cleverly, Byakuya exchanged his cup for an empty one someone didn't bother to throw away. "Hey...this is actually really good! ", Kiyotaka exclaimed. "Oh, it's amazing. Unlimited, too. I hate to leave so soon, but my date is waiting for me.", Byakuya told Kiyotaka as he left the table. "I understand! Enjoy the party,Yaku, and thank you!", Kiyotaka called out before taking another cup. "Anytime...pig", Byakuya chuckled under his breath.

Should Byakuya claiming that be wanted to be friends with Kiyotaka have raised some alarms in Kazuichi and Gundam? Yes, absolutely, without a doubt, but these two had a goal set and Kiyotaka had been put aside (though the two felt guilty doing so.). Aside from that, their plan was going...semi-okay. Junko managed to crank out Kazuichi's sapphire blue and Gundam's amethyst purple tuxedoes in time, and they actually managed to make their way inside holding hands! All they had to do was reconcile with Sonia and then they could wow the crowd with their seemingly-out-of-nowhere relationship. "Ey, Gundam, have ya seen Sonia yet?", Kazuichi asked in a whisper. "I cannot say that I have.", Gundam whispered in response. Kazuichi shook his head. "She's gotta be here! She was nominated for the freakin' court, why wouldn't she show up?!". Gundam and Kazuichi were left pondering for a while, thinking of ways to pinpoint Sonia's location (or get Sonia to come to them.). An idea had came to Gundam, although when it did, he shrieked a bit. "What's up?", Kazuichi inquired. "To expose the Dark Queen...we may have to...move up our plans.", Gundam answered in a hushed voice, a blush rising in his face.

Kazuichi thought about that for a minute. Move up their plans? That meant...oh. Well, if they were going to do that NOW, they couldn't waste any time. "I'm goin' over ta Daiya ta request the song now.", Kazuichi informed as he pushed his way to the D.J. booth. Once he got to the booth, he anxiously wrote, "Kiss From A Rose" on the request form. Daiya had caught a glimpse of him, and had picked up the book as soon as he was finished. "Ooh, romantic. I'll play this one next.", Daiya said with a wink. "Eh? I though you went in order?!", Kazuichi exclaimed. "Yeah, I go in Diamond order. In other words, I chose, got that?", Daiya explained. "Sure, whate-AAH!". The song had started, and Kazuichi was nowhere near Gundam. "Alright, you crazy kids! Time ta slow it down a bit, get all romantic, but uh, not too romantic.", the D.J. announced. At that moment, one could easily tell who came with a date and who didn't. Even Nekomaru was holding Teruteru in his arms since their height difference prevented them from slow dancing traditionally. In the midst of the couples, Gundam was standing, waiting quietly for him. Maneuvering himself carefully through the lovers, Kazuichi finally reunited with Gundam. At this time, they had missed the first chorus, but this gave them some time to dance, get into the mood. Then, slowly but surely, two stopped, gazed into each others eyes, and kissed, right there in the middle of the dancers, causing a loud cheer to erupt from the bystanders.

"OH MY GOSH! I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT, I FREAKING KNEW IT!!", Hiyoko hollered at the top of her lungs. This had caused way more people to look in their direction and have surprised reactions of their own. The couple had stayed like that for a while, until they heard, "Sonia! Come back, why are you leaving?!". Immediately, Kazuichi and Gundam stopped their kiss and ran after her. "Sonia! Sonia!", the two cried out endlessly, before managing to corner her at the bathrooms. "Sonia, we wanted to talk," Kazuichi explained, "if yer willin' ta listen.". With no way of exscaping, she sighed, then responded, "No. I need to talk first.". Without waiting, she continued. "You guys are dating, but that shouldn't be a surprise, because of seventh grade. Um...I guess you've noticed I've been avoiding you.", she sighed, the other two nodding in confirmation. "That...that's because I was going to choose who I wanted to date on the day Chihiro exposed you two. I had everything, too. Chocolates, roses, little plush animals, it was...great. Once that happened, however, I...threw it away. It was useless. Then I isolated myself, but I didn't feel any better, but now, actually confronting this, I feel better.". Sonia smiled.

"We..we thought it was something we did.", Kazuichi admitted. "We belived we had ruin our relations.", Gundam chimed in. Sonia shook her head, "Are you kidding? No way! I was being a doof! Don't blame yourselves!". Sonia had then brought the two into a hug. "We're still friends, even if I hid myself forever.", the blonde said happily. "Sonia! There you are!", Akane shouted, rushing over to her. "I didn't invite you to this dance to run around. Now come on, we're missing the Cupid Shuffle!".

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