Chapter Text
There's something to be said about hole-in-the-wall type restaurants. Despite everything his mother has said about distrusting, dingy, and dilapidated-looking establishments, Kaidou finds that some of the best food came from restaurants off the beaten path, and he had Kuboyasu to thank for that revelation.
Tired of eating ramen virtually every day after school, Kaidou and Kuboyasu decided to split from Saiki and Nendou. The aforementioned never really showed any kind of emotion, but Kaidou could’ve sworn he saw an eyebrow twitch when the two of them ran off leaving him alone with Nendou.
Free from obligatory ramen, Kuboyasu suggested they go to a restaurant he and his dad had recently gone to. Kaidou was initially happy at the suggestion until he saw the restaurant’s exterior. It was the exact kind of place his mom told him to avoid: busted sign, far off the main road, dimly lit, suspiciously empty…
If he didn’t trust Kuboyasu with his whole heart, he would’ve taken this as his cue to run because this place felt like it was straight out of one of those yakuza movies Kuboyasu was so obsessed with. This moment, right here, would’ve been the scene where he was beaten up, taken away, and never seen again.
The inside of the restaurant wasn’t much better either, but Kuboyasu seemed completely at ease. They were seated at a table near that back, and being able to focus only on him helped him block out some of the scarier aspects of their surroundings.
When their food came out, Kaidou was pleasantly surprised. Not only did every dish seem edible, but it looked and smelt absolutely delicious. Kuboyasu had laughed at him as if he’d been reading his thoughts the whole time.
“You really think I’d try and off you after we just got together?” He teased.
“Shut up.”
As if to prove a point, he shoved a large bite of food in his mouth. He remembers his eyes going wide and his mouth-watering as the complex flavors of the tofu and curry dish danced on his tongue. It had almost been cartoonish how he began shoving food in his mouth.
After that, he and Kuboyasu made a habit of trying a new hole-in-the-wall restaurant at least once a month. Their restaurant of choice this time wasn’t in Hidariwakibara but actually Mito, Kuboyasu’s hometown.
He and his dad were going up for the weekend, and Kuboyasu had asked him if he wanted to tag along. Of course, he said yes. There was so much about Kuboyasu’s life prior to PK Academy that he didn’t know about, so he was interested to see who he was before he knew him.
“So, what’s the plan after this?” Kaidou asks, handing his menu back to the waiter.
“Mmh... not sure. I kinda wanna show you my old stomping grounds, but I feel like your mother would kill me if I took you into gang territory.”
“What she doesn’t know won’t kill her.” Kaidou giggles and Kuboyasu smiles at him.
“True, but taking someone as powerful as the Jet Black Wings into dangerous terrain might not be such a good idea, no? It’s a low blow getting destroyed on your home turf, you know.”
That was definitely Kuboyasu’s gentle way of telling him he’d probably get the prep beat out of him if he stepped foot in gang territory, and quite frankly, Kaidou didn’t blame him. It couldn’t be more apparent that he would definitely not be able to hold his own in a fight, but he still appreciates the way Kuboyasu believes in him.
“Fair point.” He nods. “Honestly, I’m fine with doing whatever you want to do…”
‘As long as it’s with you’ is what he wants to say, but vocalizing something as cheesy as that is embarrassing, even for him, so instead, he opts for something more subtle.
Kaidou drums his fingers on the table, and Kuboyasu immediately gets the hint. He chuckles and slides his fingers between his. They’re not exactly holding hands, but it was nice having their fingers intertwined. Besides, neither of them are big fans of PDA.
Truth be told, they had been together for a little under two months now, and they had yet to tell anyone—friends or family—about their relationship. Kaidou knows his mom will disapprove (she has a strict “no dating in high school” policy), and Kuboyasu prefers to keep quiet about his sexuality for the time being.
Even still, they have discussed whether or not they should tell their friends but ultimately decided against it since gossip in high school spreads like wildfire. They don't want to be bombarded with inevitable questions and weird looks. It was best to keep their private lives private.
“It’s a bit out of the way, but I’ve never been to the Ryujin Suspension Bridge. Did you know you can bungee jump off it?”
Kaidou’s face goes white, and he sinks his nails into the wooden table. “B-bungee? No thanks, I’m good—”
“Is that Kuboyasu the Demon Killer?”
At hearing his name being called, Kuboyasu pulls his hand away so fast you’d think he’d been burned. Kaidou also retreats, suddenly feeling like a child whose hand got caught in the cookie jar.
A boy with an impressively long mullet walks over to their table and gives Kuboyasu a strong slap on the back. The former delinquent seems jarred for a moment, but his face quickly lights up with recognition.
“Takashi!”
“I almost didn’t recognize ya, ya bastard.” His eyes drift over to Kaidou, who almost instantaneously goes ridged. “Who’s you?”
“Ah—” His voice cracks. “I’m Kaidou Shun. Nice to meet you, sir!” He stands to bow, and the boy in front of him laughs. His face reddens and he tilts his head further down, hoping his bangs will cover his shame.
“Damn dude. I thought you were giving the straight and narrow a chance.” He eyes up Kaidou. “How much you tryin’ to get out of this guy?” Takashi pops his knuckles, and Kaidou lets out a squeak. How embarrassing would it be if he hid under the table?
“Ah, no, no, no, he—he’s a friend.” Kuboyasu holds up a hand, gently pushing him back.
“Ha, never thought I’d see you befriending the normies we’d used to beat up.” Takashi muses. “Nice to beat ya Kaidou. Name’s Kizuato Takashi.” He holds up his hand for a fist bump, and Kaidou meekly returns it. “Nah, that was a pussy-ass greetin’. Do it again.”
He doesn’t wait for Kaidou to comply, instead opting to give his hand a solid punch. His knuckles crack in response and Kaidou does his best to mask a face of pain and instant regret. Takashi's smirk tells him he didn’t do a good job.
“Why didn’t you text me that you were back in town?” He turns his attention back to Kuboyasu, and Kaidou’s never been more relieved to not have to spotlight not on him.
“We just got here an hour ago,” Kuboyasu replies sheepishly.
“Mmh… hey you free tonight? You should stop by and see everyone. You can bring your buddy too.”
He doesn’t even have to look at Kaidou for it to feel like he’s staring daggers into his soul. He sinks lower in his seat as if avoiding the metaphoric knives being thrown his way.
Kuboyasu hesitates to respond, so Takashi tries to cox him along. “We’ll play nice.” He says in reference to Kaidou, which earns a laugh from Kuboyasu.
“Like you could land a finger on him.” Kuboyasu gives him a smile, and surprisingly enough, it's all he needs to feel better. Whether he meant it as a “because I’ll protect you” thing or a “because you’re the Jet Black Wings” thing was a little ambiguous, but regardless, both interpretations made him happy.
“That so?” Takashi raises an eyebrow.
“Mmh.” Kuboyasu nods. “Nah, I wanna see everyone, but I don’t know if I should.”
“Afraid you’ve gotten soft?” He jests.
“Afraid to slip back into it.” Kuboyasu rests his head on his hand. “I miss it sometimes.”
“It misses you too, brother.” He does another up and down look at the former punk, taking a moment to revel in his transformation. “How ‘bout this? We’ll keep it tame. No fightin’ or violence. You still into art?” Seeing his interest pique, Takashi continues. “There’s a newly abandoned building in need of a paint job if you’re interested.”
“Tempting.” His eyes drift to Kaidou, asking him to weigh on to the situation.
Startled at being pulled back into the conversation, Kaidou tries to regain his composure and puts on an air of fake confidence. “Oh… hah… yeah. Sounds… sick brother.” Kaidou cringes. Punk speak doesn't roll off his tongue as smoothly as it does for the other two. “I love graffiti and dark places and shit.”
(Both of those are lies, and he needs to stop talking right now.)
“Well, there ya go. So, I’ll see ya tonight?” There’s a glint in Takashi’s eyes.
Kuboyasu looks to Kaidou one last time, double-checking if this is really something he wants to do. Even though he is scared shitless, he is curious to meet Kuboyasu’s old friends, so he nods with a determined smile.
“Okay.” Kuboyasu gives in.
“Sick.” Takashi takes out his phone and begins typing out a text message. “I’ll text you time and location once I get it.”
“Sounds good, man.”
“Nice meetin’ ya Kaidou.” He gives him a hard slap on the back before walking away. Kaidou rubs his shoulder recoiling from the pain.
Once Takashi’s out of earshot, Kuboyasu softens his tone back to the one Kaidou’s grown accustomed to. “Sorry about him.” He rubs the back of his neck. “He can be a little… intense.”
Kaidou snorts, trying to play it off, but he knows Kuboyasu can easily see through his façade. “Pshh… nah. He’s—he’s cool.”
“You’re still shaking.”
“No, I’m not.” (Yes he is.) Kaidou decides to shift the focus away from himself. “Kuboyasu the Demon Killer?”
His partner reddens at the nickname. “I told them to drop that one when I transferred.” He dismisses.
“I kinda like it.” Kaidou has a big, dopy grin on his face. “Demon Killer and Jet Black Wings. It goes together.”
Kuboyasu chuckles. “Well, I guess if you like it, I won’t retire it just yet.”
“What earned you that nickname anyway?”
“Being a literal demon.” Kuboyasu leans back in his seat and crosses his arms, reminiscing. “I know you said you don’t care about my past, but I really need you to promise me you’re not gonna leave me after you meet my old friends.”
It’s supposed to come off as a joke, but Kaidou can tell he’s at least half-serious. He knows Kuboyasu used to run wild. Every now and again, anecdotes about his middle school and early high school days would pop up into conversation, but Kaidou never judged him for it.
He’d probably never be friends with the old Kuboyasu, but in all fairness, the old Kuboyasu probably wouldn’t want to be friends with him either. But, as he had told Kuboyasu when they first became friends, all that matters now was who he is in the present and the future.
“You really think I’d get rid of you when we’ve got a good thing going?”
Kuboyasu smiles at the callback. “Touché.”
“So, give me a quick rundown of all your old friends.”
Kuboyasu nods and pulls out his phone, opening the photos app. He scrolls up past the many, many photos of the two of them together before tapping on the photo he’s looking for. In the picture, there are four other guys, all with varying wild haircuts and scars. Their look is almost comedically stereotypical—one guy’s shirt even has the word “death” written in a big, bold, and commanding font.
“You’ll probably meet these guys tonight.” Kuboyasu points to his phone screen. “That’s Takashi, the one you just met. He and I were the closest. The guy with the mohawk is Kira Todoroki. I left him in charge after I transferred.”
“Why not Kizuato?” Kaidou interrupts.
“Too disorganized. He’s a great friend but a shit leader.” Kuboyasu shrugs before continuing with the introductions. “This guy with the pompadour is Boryoku Katsunori. He got like, Nendou/Hairo level strength. He used to rip street signs out of the ground like they were blades of grass. The last guy with the buzzcut is Chimamire Enoshima. He’s…” Kuboyasu bites the inside of his cheek. “…Don’t let him pull you aside without me.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” Kaidou squeaks out.
“Nothing…” Kuboyasu rolls his wrist around. “He’s just a little… unhinged?” Kaidou is practically vibrating in his seat, so Kuboyasu reaches under the table to grab his hand. His eyes snap up. “Seriously, we don’t have to go tonight if—”
“—No! I-I do want to meet them; I'm just a little nervous I guess.”
“I promise they’re nice guys once you’re in with ‘em.” He squeezes his hand. “And we’ll have fun. I’ll teach you how to spray paint.”
“I’d like that.”
BUZZ. BUZZ.
Kizuato Takashi [11:36 AM]
>> meet at 7 in the alley by todoroki’s house
>> ive got a surprise for you
Kuboyasu likes the messages and pockets his phone. “We’re meeting at seven, but there’s still time to go bungee jumping…”
“Aren, I think I’d actually die of a heart attack.” He grabs his head; just thinking about the fall was making him woozy.
“You know I don’t actually want to jump off a bridge.” Kuboyasu chuckles.
Despite the sincerity in his voice, Kaidou has a feeling Kuboyasu's lying. He's an adrenaline junkie at heart, and Kaidou learned that the hard way when Kuboyasu had dragged him on virtually every rollercoaster and thrill ride at Tokyo Disney. He just looked so happy; he didn’t have the heart to tell him he was secretly dying on the inside until after the fact. Since then, Kuboyasu made sure to keep their activities within Kaidou's comfort zone.
“But I do want to walk it.” Kuboyasu’s voice brings him back to reality. “It’s supposed to have some breathtaking views.”
“You’re gonna have to hold my hand.” Kaidou says, weary.
“Bet.”