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useless-bi-otch · 10 months

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Cookies'n Cream - Chapter 30

Last chapter / MasterList / art by @aneenasevla

Chapter 30 - Fragile Heart

"And then he said… and I'm not even kidding… 'behave'. 'Behave’, for fuck's sake!," Okubo opens his arms, indignant. "As if his sister's house was a fucking nunnery and he was Mother Superior! Sounds like a fucking joke, right?"

The laughter of the four echoed in Kaneda's apartment, when Okubo told the story that happened in Tomori's house. Rihito couldn't take it anymore and held his belly, squawking, while Himuro punched the couch, with tears in his eyes.

"Awww, fuck, I'm gonna barf...," Rihito groans between laughs. "I've heard about cockblocking, but that's ridiculous, man! Her older brother? Are you serious?!"

"It even seems like it was premeditated," Himuro comments, wiping the tears with the back of his right hand. "Does he feel when his sister is about to be banged or something? Like a spidey sense?"

"Naah, he's just that nosy. Tomori said he shows up unannounced at her house from time to time," Okubo snorts. "But we weren't expecting it to be right when we were about to get busy!"

“Well, I'm glad that happened with the door already closed, otherwise this would have been the world's most embarrassing brother-in-law introduction,” Kaneda chuckles, pouring sake into the glasses of all four of them. Okubo makes a face.

"Don't even tell me, I'm glad Tomori warned me and I ran upstairs to wait for her signal. A little longer and he would have asked me if I was moving there."

"Why?"

"Because my trunk was ready to unload."

They burst out laughing again, which only intensifies when Rihito actually falls off the couch. After finally calming down, Rihito sits on the floor and wipes his face.

"So you mean that now you're finally dating and you're already set to meet her parents?," Himuro asks. "Damn, that escalated quickly."

"I know, right! Like, I don't have much experience in that department, but isn't there a whole process?," Rihito completes, to which Kaneda lets out another laugh.

"I'm thinking that, after all this time, they are already tired of so many processes, hahaha!"

"One more process and this guy ends up in jail," Himuro jokes, and Rihito claps his hand in a high five, both bursting out laughing again.

"Yeah, I can't even disagree with this one," Okubo laughs a little, embarrassed. "But yeah, guys, I honestly don't care. I like her that much, but I agree that this is moving kinda fast. I wanted to enjoy this a little more too... but that's the song that's playing now. You have to dance accordingly, right?"

"Yeah, when life gives you lemons…," Kaneda nods. "At least you have the advantage there. If her parents are as fanatical about martial arts as she is, they'll welcome you with the greatest excitement in the world."

“Bro, that'd be kind of embarrassing too."

"Yeah, but their daughter must have gotten the crazy genes from somewhere, right? Haha!"

"Fair enough," Rihito laughs too. "You just have to be careful not to say some stupid shit, then you're all set. But holy shit, I would've been pissed off about the cockblocking…"

"Oh, but I was," Okubo smiles maliciously. "So much so that I kept cursing and mocking him in my thoughts. Tomori even joined in on the joke too, especially when I said that I love anything she does for me so much that I want to reciprocate accordingly."

Rihito and Himuro laugh devilishly, while Kaneda makes a sympathetic face.

“Look, it was kinda wrong, but he deserved that."

"Hey, Kaneda, don't you have three sisters? I thought you'd understand her brother's neurosis more than any of us," Rihito jokes, and Kaneda snorts.

"Three older sisters! And I don't give a damn about what they do with their husbands, as long as I don't hear details," He shivers in disgust. "But I don't know, with a younger sister it must be different..."

"I have no idea," Himuro shrugs.

"If I had a little sister…," Rihito crosses his arms, thinking. "I have no idea either. I’m not part of the 'happy family' team, so..."

“Anyway, at least things didn't get tense. If he asked you for an autograph and everything...," Kaneda shrugs. "Damn, Okubo, this really seems like fate. Finding a girlfriend who comes from a family of martial arts lovers... must be every fighter's dream, haha."

"Hahaha… I'm also surprised," he scratches the back of his neck. "To be honest, that's one of the reasons why I like it so much, it was something that brought us together."

"Yeah, then enjoy it bro," Himuro crosses his arms. "But speaking of enjoying it… so, did you tell her about the Kengan matches?"

"Yes, after we left your apartment that day," Rihito straightens up on the sofa, attentive. "Agito didn’t hold his fucking tongue…"

"I… sort of explained that I can't take her to one right away," Okubo frowns. "All that boring politics stuff and whatnot. But I promised I'll see what I can do when I'm sure it's safe. She seems to understand this time."

"Be careful with those 'see what I can do' lines. If you give them too much, she might think you're stringing her along," Kaneda warns. "And it's already clear that she doesn't like that at all."

"Yup, the worst thing is when a woman decides to snoop around on her own…," Rihito grunts. "They get worse than a detective."

“Yeah, I'm seeing this firsthand,” Okubo rolls his eyes a little. And then he smiled. "But she said that this insistence is more out of concern for me than out of distrust. That she's worried for me... damn, she's so cute!," He punches a pillow in a violent outburst of cuteness. "I wish I could put her in my pocket and carry her everywhere, like a keychain!"

"Well, she's just the right size," "Rihito jokes. "She's just missing the ring and the chain."

"And she is not even that short, from the point of view of a normal person. You're the ones the size of a mammoth," Kaneda jokes, and the two gorillas laugh out loud. Himuro shakes his head.

"I hope I'm not included among the mammoths… anyway, when are you going to visit her parents' house, Okubo?"

"This weekend, if everything works out. On Saturday. Her dad even said he was going to organize a freaking barbecue. I was like 'okay, but I'll bring some meat too' and he was all happy. At least I liked it, he seems to be the guy who likes the good stuff, haha."

He expects them to respond in some way, but that response doesn't come. Himuro and Kaneda blink and squint at Lihito, who is still smiling, although that smile now seems a bit more rigid.

"This weekend? That's- That's really soon, don't ya think?"

"Oh, is it too soon? I can call and say I might end up not going-"

"No, bro, it's cool, it's just that we were kinda surprised," Himuro tries to dismiss the conversation. "We thought, like, it was going to be the other month, or I don't know, on someone's birthday…"

"But that's the thing, it's her old man's birthday…," Okubo smiles, a little embarrassed. "I'm even thinking about giving him some of my stuff, or a shirt like that…," He notices the mood. "Guys, what's going on? Everything is so tense that I could cut it with a knife."

Before Himuro or Kaneda can say anything, Rihito steps forward and claps Okubo on the shoulder, smiling more naturally.

"Chill out, we're just surprised how fast everything is going! Especially considering how slow you were before," He settles down on the sofa again. "But if you feel the time is right for this, then go for it! Do not hesitate and seize the moment. The sooner you win Tomori's family over, the sooner her brother will get outta your back!"

Himuro and Kaneda stare at Rihito for a few seconds before turning to Okubo, just waiting for his answer.

"Well… I even like things to be moving along, and I'll admit that I'm finding it strange too, but not so much. I'm glad you don't think it's bad, considering what you were saying at the beginning."

"The beginning was a huge drama, now things worked out," Himuro shrugs. "We're happy for you now, and that's all."

"Yes! Good luck there," Kaneda nods. "And don't get too nervous, act as naturally as you can."

"Okubo’s 'naturalness' is not what most people are used to..."

"Considering Tomori loves his nature and the rest of the family seems to be just as crazy, that's exactly how he has to act."

They laugh, the tension melting away. Okubo ends up laughing too. Maybe it was just the surprise, after all...

"Well, I feel much better now, to be honest," he crosses his arms. "Now I just need to see how I'm going to explain things to Tomori… maybe if I take her to a match in which none of you are involved… how about that? One with Ohma? She already knows he's a fighter, it's good that I already explained that to her. Do you know when he's going to fight, guys?"

There are a few more seconds of silence, too long for Okubo's tastes. And this time it is Kaneda who answers:

"This very weekend. Damn, we even forgot..."

"Not me," Rihito says suddenly. "I already knew that Seaweed Head was going to fight. I heard a few days ago..."

"Oh… is the opponent someone strong? By the looks of you it must be, I just hope he doesn't overdo it again. He has this obsession," nods. "And you, Rihito? Do you have a match scheduled? If Tomori is to be taken, it's good that… huh… no, your Razor will scare the crap outta her. Himuro?"

"Oh no, I'm free," Rihito smiles. "I have nothing scheduled."

Himuro frowns and Kaneda opens his mouth, wanting to say something, but is interrupted when Rihito leaps up from the sofa, slapping his hands on his pants.

"Hey, let's try the beers I brought? I know that you're not big fans of mixing, but I don't feel like wasting it."

And he quickly leaves the couch, going to the kitchen to open the fridge. The other three watch him walk away, Okubo confused, Himuro and Kaneda looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Dude… is there something going on that I don't know about?," Okubo asks, frowning. Himuro sighs.

"Nah, relax... I'll help him with the beers, he brought at least a couple of cases and I imagine you don't want to risk spilling anything on your rug, right, Kaneda?"

"Oh yes. Thanks, Himuro," Kaneda nods. Himuro goes after Rihito, and when Okubo looks even more flustered, he quickly changes the subject, "So, you were talking about giving Tomori's father a birthday gift, right? What will it be? This is going to be your chance to make a good first impression, after all."

"Yes, I'm thinking of giving a shirt or a new wallet, or even a really cool watch. I'll ask Tomoh what he likes…," Okubo scratches his chin thoughtfully.

"Hnnn... the shirt wouldn't be like the ones you gave Tomori, would it? With your face printed on the chest..."

"Of course not, damn it! I could give him one with Sekibayashi's face, maybe, but if it were with mine it could sound pretty self-centered..."

"Wow, so did you decide to put that silly jealousy aside and accept that Seki's popularity is inescapable?"

"Hey, hey, why would I be jealous in this situation? I'm into the guy's daughter, not him!"

Kaneda laughed loud enough for Rihito and Himuro to hear from the kitchens. Himuro crosses his arms as he watches Rihito take four cans from a bale.

"Don't you want to spoil our movie night? Is that why you decided to lie to Egghead?"

"Dammit, Himuro…," He grunts, rubbing his hair tiredly."What do you want me to do?," He hisses irritated, looking at his friend over his shoulder. "Want me to ruin his plans? Meeting your girl's parents is a hell of a step in a relationship!"

"I know, but don't you think he deserves a little consideration too? It is also an important thing for you. If he finds out you kept it from him, he'll be pissed."

"And you think I don't know that? Ugh...," He ran a hand over his face, getting up with the beers right after and closing the fridge with a slight push of his foot. "If I say so, he'll be all torn and act more neurotic than usual. He's going to feel like he's being forced to choose between his girlfriend and me. Then, to save time, I already made that choice for him. He can go see me fight any other day. That's not the case for Tomori's dad's birthday."

Himuro looks at him, and, in a rare situation, he sees him with a serious, even sad face. "… Are you sure, man?"

Rihito looks to the side, his mouth set in a hard line, before nodding.

"Yeah. I almost screwed things over for them once, dude. I won't risk doing that again."

"Got it…," Himuro nods, finally, letting him walk back to their friends, pretending to be in the kitchen still to get some snacks from the cupboard.

He knew that Rihito still felt guilty about what happened on that one horrible date, but apparently he put himself as a scapegoat and didn't want to admit that the mistake had been both his and Okubo's.

"Idiot," He puts some peanuts he found in the cupboard in a bowl. “A good friend, but will allow himself to be left out at an important moment like this when this 'meeting your girlfriend's folks' thing could've been postponed… idiot.”

* * *

"Come on, Naoh, you don’t need to be nervous..."

Tomori's voice pulls Okubo out of the intense concentration he had forced himself into to chase away the anxious thoughts, his eyes fixed on the street as he drove. He stops at a red light, turning to look at her in the passenger seat. She was very well dressed, carrying a large cube-shaped box on her lap, looking up at him with those eyes that always seemed to be able to see right through him.

"Don't make that face at me, I can feel your anxiety from here."

"Oh, it's just that there's no way I can't be anxious," he smiles weakly. "I wonder what man wouldn't get tense when going to meet his girlfriend's folks. At least with the part about making a good impression."

"The thing is, you're already making one," She jokes, reaching a hand to gently squeeze his thigh. "Mom and Dad are barely containing themselves with excitement. They even gave up spending his birthday just the two of them just so they could meet you."

"Uh… I said they could postpone it if they could," he shakes his head. "I don't know… It's not like they're going to miss seeing me like they're going to lose one of my matches," He smiles to himself, "I'm glad for that, but I want to know them as a person, not as a fighter."

"I know, but remember that with us it was a whole process? It's the same with them," She shrugs a little. "A very quick way for them to start seeing you as their daughter's boyfriend, instead of the King of Combat, is to act like you act with me... only without the kisses, perverted jokes and the wandering hands," She jokes again, laughing at his face.

"Aaaaawwwww…," he whines playfully. "You mean without the best part?! That sucks," He laughs next with Tomori, not being able to stay serious for too long. "So… where do I go from here?"

"Keep going straight for another two kilometers, and then just turn right," She instructs. "They still complain that I moved too far from their neighborhood to this day, but it was the budget that would least harm my savings in the long run, haha."

"Well, that's life, I guess...," He sighs. "I also had to move to a more central place for work. My parents were upset, but they knew I was fine, and I would manage. I think it's the same with yours."

"Yes it was. And I still visit them quite often, so there is no empty nest syndrome. It will probably end when they finally have their first grandchild, haha," And she laughs, pointing to the path ahead. "Yes, now go straight and turn left at the third curve."

"Alright, I- g-grandchild?!," Okubo widens his eyes for a second. Then he remembers that she has a brother and immediately calms down. "Oh, yes, I got it…," he looks away, but she sees that he has turned very red. "Yes, yes, your brother and your sister-in-law, that's true…"

Tomori turns a little startled towards him, her eyes widening as she realizes what he understood. She blushes too, holding the box tighter. "Yeah- Yeah, that's what I was talking about, haha. They've been married for about six years, now it's just a matter of time... aah, we arrived!," She points, a little too agitated, when Okubo made the turn. "Let’s stop here, the street is one of those narrow ones that you can only pass by on a bicycle. It's the last house on the right."

"Oh yes, yes…," He clears his throat and parks the car, almost braking too hard. And he leaves the car in neutral, shaking a little. "Uuuf… this is when I hate to be anxious. I'm feeling like I'm going to fight, you know? Haha ha…"

"Hnnn… is this the first time you've met the parents of a girl you're dating?," she asks, and despite his embarrassment, he is kind of relieved to hear only curiosity in her voice, with no hint of accusation.

"Yeah. It's actually the first time I've even had a girlfriend," He admits, pouting. "So yeah, everything's pretty new for me."

"Jeez… seriously?," She blinks, surprised. "Wow… now I feel even more obligated to make this good for you! But oh, if it makes you feel better…," She reaches out and caresses his face. "This is the first time I bring a guy to my family to meet. So I'm also a little nervous, haha."

“That actually reassures me a little bit,” He smiles, leaning closer and placing a kiss on her cheek. Then he took the cap, put it on his head and nodded. "Okay, now I'm ready. Show time," he looked at her. "Shall we go?"

“Let's go,” She smiles, unbuckling her seat belt and grabbing the box as she climbs out of the car. There was already another car parked nearby; probably that of her brother and sister-in-law. So they were the last to arrive... he didn't know whether or not to be worried about the impression it would make.

To contain his nervousness, Okubo occupied himself with looking at Tomori's parents' house, which became more distinguishable as they walked. While their daughter had chosen a house in a neighborhood with more Western-style architecture, they were apparently more traditional. The house appears to have been built at the very end of the Showa period, being made of wood, topped with a gabled roof, and probably with a tatami mat floor. Tomori wasn't the traditional type, so it was a surprise to him that she had been raised in such a place.

"So… it's quite modest," She comments, noticing his expression as they approach the door. "But I grew up here, so I have a whole sentimental attachment, hahaha."

"I can imagine. I was raised on one of those too. It's charming," he smiles, taking his bags too. "I can already see the smoke, is it really going to be a barbecue?"

"Yes, we will have grilled meat and beef hot pot, Dad loves it," She nods smiling. "But Mom managed to convince him to add fried chicken to his birthday menu too. It's less oily,” She presses the bell, and it's not long before they start hearing voices, coming from inside.

"Honey, it must be Tomori!”

"Yeah, I heard it. I'll answer it-"

"No, I'll answer, I'm the hostess!"

"And I'm the birthday boy, woman, don't be stubborn!"

"Saeh, answer the door, please. Before these two start beating each other in front of our guest of honor."

They hear a woman's laughter, and soon, Saeko is opening the door for them. Tomori smiles and shows the box she was carrying.

"Hey, look who has arrived!"

"Hi," Okubo smiles, touching the brim of his cap. "Sorry for the delay. How are you?"

"We're good, just waiting for you to arrive. Hey, Tomoh," Saeko hugs her sister-in-law and bows politely to Okubo. "And it's good to see you again, Mr. Okubo. My in-laws will be so happy to see you."

"I hope they are happy to see their daughter too!," Tomori jokes, handing the box to Okubo so she can take off her shoes. "I spent the whole morning making his favorite."

"Chocolate with strawberries and kiwi?"

"Bingo! Girl, you can't imagine how expensive kiwis are..."

"I can, Tatsu and I went grocery shopping yesterday and he didn't stop complaining about the prices all the way back."

"He always does that, haha. But it was a good opportunity, because then I could teach Naoh how to pick fruit," Tomori smiles at her boyfriend, taking the box back so he could take off his shoes too.

"Thank you," he enters and takes off his shoes, entering with a very short ‘excuse me’. He couldn't forget about good manners, not when he was in this place. "Where… where is the birthday boy?," he asks almost automatically.

"Ooh, he's there in the living room. You arrived right on time, dinner is almost ready," Saeko indicates with one hand for them to follow her. "We'll go through the kitchen first, so you can leave the cake with your mother-"

"Tomooooh! You finally arrived!"

A woman's high-pitched voice reaches their ears as the sliding doors up ahead open and a lady who must have been in her fifties appears through them. At the very same time, Okubo was sure that this was Tomori's mother, because the two looked very similar, with the difference that the older woman had short hair, a few wrinkles on her face and was a little chubbier. The smile she opens when she sees the newcomers is also the same one her daughter gave every time she sees herself in front of one of her martial arts idols.

"Hey, Mom! Sorry we're late... but- but look who I brought along to make up for it," And she lets her mother get a good look at her boyfriend, all flushed, hugging the box.

"Oh, hi ma'am. Nice to meet you," he smiles, his cheeks red, bowing a bit awkwardly. "The- The delay was my fault, I had a little trouble finding the address and… uh…," He didn't know what else to say, his stomach doing some nasty somersaults. But it soon became clear that he didn't need to say much, because Mrs. Uta would say absolutely anything for him.

"It's okay, don't worry about it! What matters is that you arrived safely and in time to eat with us. Here, sweety, let me carry the box...," She caresses Tomori's face before turning to Okubo, looking absolutely delighted. "And the pleasure is all mine, Mr. Okubo... my God, I can't believe it, the Rocky of Osaka is here at my house, he will sit with us and eat my food...!"

"Mom, you're embarrassing him..."

"Don't take the joy out of the moment, Tomori, let me have at least that! Ooooh, just wait until the neighbors know...," She vibrates, curtsying too. "I hope my daughter isn't giving you any trouble."

"Oh… no… actually I think it's almost the opposite," he heard her speaking with a light accent from his homeland, so he felt strangely more at ease. "She's the one who needs to put up with me, ma'am. And… I brought some meat too!," he shows the bag in his right hand. "And this is Tomoh's father's gift," He shows the other bag in his left hand.

"Oh, thank you very much! We can add it to the Hot Pot, Saeko brought bacon and I made soup in the afternoon. Would you like it? That's good," She coos. "But come in, come in, your father can't stand the anticipation! We couldn't believe it when you told us, Tomori..."

"Either I would or Tatsu would. And if he did, you would be angry that you didn't hear it from me."

"I'm glad you know that, young lady! You, huh...," She shakes her head disapprovingly. "Disregarding it when I commented on possible suitors, when you had already found such a match... is he the 'friend' you mentioned some time ago? My God, I can't believe you..."

"We were just getting to know each other, mom, it wasn't as serious as it is now...," Tomori mutters, mortified, but again, Mrs. Uta switches conversations at an alarming rate.

"True, that is a story we very much want to hear. How did you guys meet... come on, go to the living room, Dad and Tatsu are waiting there! Make the introductions, Tomoh, and then come help Saeh and me in the kitchen, will you? Oh, have you tried her cooking, Mr. Okubo? My daughter still needs to hone many of her feminine qualities, but her cooking is on point!," She strokes Tomori's shoulder, who was getting redder by the minute.

"Oh, I tried it first hand," He smiles. "But I’ll tell you the story of how I tried it later, excuse me," He leaves the bag full of meat with her. "Oh, but set aside some of it for the barbecue too, I bought some slices for that."

Seeing that Tomori's mother paid attention to his request, he looks at her next. "Come on, introduce me to the much-talked-about Mr. Uta."

Despite the embarrassment, Tomori ends up laughing.

"You're speaking so formally… concerned about the prospect of meeting your girlfriend's father? Don't worry, he's a lot less scary than Mom."

"You watch your mouth, missy! But yes, Mr. Okubo, there's nothing to worry about," Ms. Uta guarantees, in a motherly tone. "To be honest, he's even more nervous than you are, haha."

“He's going to be so mad if he finds out you said that, Mrs. Fujiko,” Saeko jokes, and Mrs. Uta waved her hand.

"That's why he doesn't need to find out. Our secret, huh," She winks. "But come on, and make yourself comfortable, Mr. Okubo! We'll be right here if you need anything," And she does another exaggerated bow.

"Ma'am, please, I'm just your daughter's boyfriend, there's no need to be so formal," he smiles, embarrassed, waving a hand. "I want to know you better, not bend you in half, ahahhaa."

The three women stare at him, blinking in surprise. And Mrs. Uta blushed a little.

"Ooh… to hear that from a fighter of your level is kinda scary… and kinda exciting too, hahaha!," She touches the side of her face with one hand. "Tell that to her Dad and he'll be happy, that crazy old man..."

"Uh, I didn't mean it literally...," he sighs, pouting and getting even redder, his hand on his face. "Okay, Tomori, please take me to your father before I talk more nonsense and make a fool of myself even more."

“Okay, okay… making a fool of yourself is basically a rite of passage around here, which means you're doing great,” Tomori laughs, also embarrassed, guiding Okubo to the sliding doors while Mrs. Uta cooed with her daughter-in-law.

"Did you see it, Saeh? He blushed like a high schooler, so cute! I'm glad Tomoh found someone like that... and of course, him having such a refined grappling technique is a huge bonus too..."

Saeko just laughed, knowing how the couple was mortified by that conversation.

"Ur… sorry about that. She doesn't hold her tongue when she's excited," Tomori whispers.

"Me neither, we're even," He laughs softly, now more relieved. "I consider this a Mid-Diff, now comes round two."

"Good luck, I'll hope for a tie," Tomori jokes, opening the sliding doors, which led directly to the living room.

The first thing Okubo noticed was that if Tomori's living room was some kind of hall of fame honoring martial artists, her parents' living room was a fucking temple. Holy shit, all those posters and photographs, many of legendary fighters from the last century that he hadn't even had the opportunity to meet... there was even a fight being broadcast on the old tube television on the huge wooden rack, which consisted of a furniture with several shelves containing picture frames, books and even vinyl records... dammit, was that a record player near the tv?! He wanted to get closer to inspect, but the sight of the men in the center of the room prevented him.

"Look who arrived! Hey Tomori ,Okubo! You're a little late," Tatsuhiko comments after greeting them; he was wearing a button-down shirt, slacks and a tie; he had probably gone straight from work to his parents' house. "Why did you take so long?"

Okubo would have loved to respond with an 'I was banging your sister and I forgot about the time', but he didn't for two reasons. The first was that he didn't want to embarrass Tomori or piss her brother off any more than was appropriate.

And the second was that saying that sort of thing in front of your girlfriend's father would be like signing your moral death certificate.

"Tatsu, stop it…," The fifty-year old man, sitting with his eldest son around the coffee table, warns with a snort. "Wha- What will your sister's boyfriend think, huh? And hi, honey."

"Hi Dad! How's the birthday boy?," She asks, smiling affectionately. "Taking the medicine that your daughter so kindly sought for you?"

"If I don't, your mother dissolves them in my beer or chops them up and mixes them with food, as if I'm a dog. I have no choice...," He snorted impatiently, although his tone was affectionate. And then his eyes, brown and warm like his children's, meet Okubo's. He tries to keep his composure, but the glow in them was unmistakable.

Even sitting down, he could see that he was taller and more slender than his wife, but his beer belly was evident behind the fabric of his shirt. His black hair was already turning gray at the temples, as was his beard full of silver flecks. And despite the wrinkles, crow's feet, and frown lines, he had a rather jovial air about him. It must have been the look of excitement on her face. Hell, it really ran in the family.

"Hello," he smiles, stepping forward and bowing. "Mr. Uta. Happy birthday. I brought this," he offers the gift. "Tomoh helped me choose."

Tatsuhiko crosses his arms and nods approvingly, his expression serious. Mr. Uta, on the other hand, looked shy despite his clear excitement. He slowly rises from the cushion he's been sitting on and returns the bow a little more calmly than his wife, but still looking flustered.

"It's a pleasure, Okubo! And- and it's an honor to welcome you here... sorry for the mess...," He gestures to the room, to which Tomori makes a sympathetic expression.

"Dad, relax. He's just as happy to be here as you are to have him here. Won't you get your gift?"

"Oh, I will, of course! Thank you very much," He picks up the box that the bald man was holding out. "My God, you... you're really tall, aren't you? My Tomori looks even smaller by comparison, haha..."

"Dad...," Tomori puffs out her cheeks, embarrassed, while Tatsuhiko giggles.

"Ahaha… yeah…," Okubo smiles. "But outside the octagon, I'm all size and no sense, sir. I just need to be careful not to hit the ceiling or door frames, haha."

He just hoped his big mouth wouldn't get ahead of him today.

"Yeah, every good fighter is only intimidating in the ring. It is the mark of self-control and commitment to sport. Someone who doesn't know how to contain himself outside these areas doesn't deserve to be called a professional," He says, and now his voice sounded much firmer, confident. And then he winces his shoulders again, looking shy. "Oh, but- but that’s just my opinion as an old man who has never worn a boxing glove in his life…"

"Naoh will love to hear your opinions, Dad. He talks about martial arts with me as well, he can talk to you too," Tomori guarantees, moving forward and stroking his bearded face. "Happy birthday, ok? I made your favorite cake!"

"Chocolate with strawberries and kiwi? You're too good to me, Tomoh," He touches her face too, gently squeezing her cheeks. "Thank you. You- You're very lucky, you know, Okubo. Tomoh is a golden girl, despite her temper and refusal to visit her parents more often..."

“I might show up more now that I'm off, if you guys are that needy,” She shakes her head.

"I also consider myself lucky, sir," he smiles, shily, but he couldn't help it. "There are times when even I can't believe that going to that bakery would give me the opportunity to meet so many interesting people… her mainly."

From the man's surprised expression, he didn't seem to be expecting that kind of answer. Okubo feels his stomach sink a little. Shit, shit, had he said too much? Him and that big mouth of his...!"

"Ooh… so you really liked Tomori's workplace? Tatsu, you had told me something else...," Mr. Uta looks over his shoulder at his son, as Tatshiko raises his hands in defense.

"I'd understood that he went to the bakery more because of her! But apparently he likes the food too..."

"Of course he likes it, I'd be offended if he didn't! Tatsu, you big mouth...," Tomori snorts, annoyed, and her brother shrugs.

"Okay, okay, I assumed things then. That's one point in his favor, I think..."

“Yessss, one point for me!," his ego has marked said point on a mental blackboard.

Okubo asks if he can sit down, and as soon as they gave permission, he did so. "But hey, I discovered the bakery through a friend, who praised the food a lot. I went there, curious, with some friends of mine, and then she happened to recognize me and we talked. I went for the food, but I admit I stayed for her too… and the sugar cookies, they're important."

“Oh, her cookies… they are out of this world,” Mr. Uta nods. "Me and her mother said that she can open her own business if she wants, specializing in these cookies. It'd be a success."

"Ahaha, I'm happy as a cook at Kanny's bakery, dad," Tomori scratches the back of her neck. "At the moment I don't have any plans for a business of my own…"

"I would support it, for sure," Okubo offers. "But of course, if you wanted to. But I think Miss Kanami likes you there too. I've never seen the kitchen but I can tell you guys have a great rapport," He looks at the table. "Oh yes, can I eat? I brought meat for the barbecue, but I think Mrs. Uta got hold of it and said she was going to use it for the Hot Pot…"

"Oh yes, make yourself comfortable! And oh, that stubborn woman...," Mr. Uta throws an impatient look at the sliding doors that lead to the kitchen. "She wants to control my eating habits even on my birthday..."

"She's just worried about your blood pressure, Dad," Tomori shakes her head. "But I'll tell her that you prefer more barbecue, no problem. I'm going to help Mom and Saeko in the kitchen. Dad and Tatsu will keep you company, Naoh," She smiles encouragingly at him. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Sure, go ahead" he nods at her, smiling a little as she leaves. He looks at the remaining two. "So, Mr. Uta. I feel honored that you let me come to meet you on your birthday… that means a lot to me."

"Haha, I'm the one who should be honored. When Tomori told us about you...," Mr. Uta goes on saying, letting the phrase hang in the air as he searches for suitable words. Tatsuhiko ends up completing the sentence for him.

"Mom and him decided to extend the invitation to you because they'd never miss a chance to have a fighter of your caliber visiting."

"Tatsu!," Mr. Uta exclaims, turning red. "No- It wasn't for that! I mean… not just for that," He coughs, and Tatsuhiko laughs again. "Of course we're happy with the idea of having an MMA champion under our roof, but… but we wanted to meet Tomoh's boyfriend also. After so many years alone, for her to decide to make a commitment like that, it's... it's because she's found someone worthwhile, isn't it?"

“Someone worthwhile,” Okubo felt his cheeks reddening. “So I'm worthwhile for Tomoh? Nice!”

"I hope to remain worthwhile, sir. She sure is worth it to me,” He looks down, eyeing the food with interest and putting some meats to roast with the tongs.

"I'm happy to hear that, because I think the feeling is mutual. She... she was always a fan of yours, you know?," Now it's Mr. Uta who was trying to contain a laugh. "Ever since she was younger. She had a couple of huge posters of you on her bedroom wall... I think she took them with her when she moved out, I never found them again..."

"I think she did. There were some in her living room when I visited her home," “and in the whole room, when I accidentally went in." "There's a temple for fighters just like the one I'm seeing here, only with a lot less frames. I even liked the aesthetics, you have good taste. I love these vintage stuff!"

"Oh, really? In- In that case I can show you around the living room if you want! Maybe put on some music too," He gets up from the cushion again, excited. "Fujiko!"

"What?," Mrs. Uta screams from the kitchen.

"Where is the karaoke machine that Tatsu and Saeh gave us for our anniversary last year?"

"Oh, it's there in our room..."

"In our room? The karaoke machine needs to be kept the living room, woman!"

"And how will we do that if it's one of those modern ones that don't work in that old wreck in the living room, you big oaf? It only works on the flat screen TV!"

"Ugh, guys, don't start bickering when Naoh is here...!," Okubo hears Tomori moan, mortified. Mr. Uta snorted.

"Okay… let's just look at the posters, records and the Album for now."

Tatsuhiko's eyes widened suddenly.

"Will you show him the Album, Dad? Seriously?"

"Of course, Tatsu, there's no better opportunity!"

"But Dad... it's the Album. The Album!," Tatsuhiko gestures with wide eyes. "This is an honor earned by merit!"

"May I know what is this Album you're talking about?," Okubo looks from side to side, trying to situate himself in the conversation. "I don't get it… but if it's important, you don't need to, sir, even more so if it's a collectible. I'm kinda protective of my collection of Ultraman figures too. They even have a display case…"

"Wow, you like Ultraman?," Tatsuhiko suddenly widens his eyes. "I didn't know that! What's your favorite version? The original, Ultraseven, Ace, Taro..."

"Oh, another Ultraman fan, huh?," Mr. Uta chuckles. "I think you gained a point with Tatsu after that too. And yes, it's a pretty important item, but it's something I figured you'd want to see since Tomori told us about you two... but one thing at a time! We'll show him the posters, son, and then I'll tell you how many of these fighters Fujiko and I know personally!"

"I'm a big fan of all of them, I have the complete collection," when the old man talks about the fighters, Okubo smiles and adjusts himself in his cushion. "Okay, now I want to see it all! There are several that I would've liked to meet, but unfortunately they aren't from my time and have been retired for a while."

Mr. Uta's expression was that of someone who had just discovered that he had won the jackpot in the lottery.

"Will I be able to be a guide for a new generation fighter then? Honey, did you hear that?!"

"I did! Seize the opportunity, love, don't let it pass!"

And Mr. Uta certainly didn't. He spent the next few minutes pointing to each of the posters on the walls, each having a different story. Okubo found himself envying Tomori's father, because apparently he and his wife had known several of those legends personally. And getting into trouble too in an attempt to get close to some of them.

"... I'm not very proud of that nowadays, but at the time it was a feat for us to have managed to cross the ropes, bypass the security guards and get to Ahmad Mali to get his autograph. He was pretty friendly with the crazy couple, hahaha!," He laughed while pointing to the poster of the aforementioned fighter. "One of the security guards accidentally tore a piece of Fujiko's blouse when he was dragging us away, and she pasted the piece of fabric on the Album, right next to the autograph."

"Damn," Okubo laughs. "I tried to approach an actor from one of my favorite comedy shows, but security stopped me. They were all over me, but after I explained everything they apologized. But apparently I'm big and scary enough to be mistaken for a threat, haha."

"They didn't recognize you? Damn, who doesn't recognize Okubo Naoya these days?," Tatsuhiko asks, a bit indignant.

"It was probably before he became famous, Tatsu. And oh, was this actor from Yoshimoto Comedy Theater¹ by any chance?"

"Ahaha, yes he was!"

"I knew it, they are very successful in the Kansai region. Fujiko has several VHS tapes from the older seasons on that shelf over there," He points to one of the shelves in the rack.

"What?!," Okubo turns around, widening his eyes. "Are you kidding me? I can't believe that you like everything I like!," He points to the rack. "Can I see it?!"

"Ahaha, it's more my wife, actually, she's from Osaka like you. But of course, we can put an episode on after we've had something to eat!," Mr. Uta nods, equally excited. "And what about music? I don't know if you like Enka, but I have several vinyls, three of which are limited edition..."

"Oh, that's right! Tomoh said that you like Enka!," he smiles excitedly too, then looks at the old man and points questioningly. "Keiko Fuji?"

"And Sakamoto Kyu, Miyako Harumi, Itsuki Hiroshi…," He goes on describing while pointing to the vinyl shelf as well. "You can say bad things about me, but never about my taste in music, hehe! I can put one now on the record player, then you can see how it works!"

He doesn't wait for Okubo to respond, getting up and running to choose a vinyl. Soon, the record is playing on the turntable, the needle running along its lines and playing its sound, filling the room with pleasant music. Mr. Uta smiles, closing her eyes and turning his head to the side.

"Nothing like music like that to leave in the background while reading a book or the newspaper, right?"

"Yeah. It's what I like to sing in a Karaoke most," Okubo nods, enjoying the music, picking up meat pieces and serving himself with the rice. "And this meat is great. And the mushrooms too."

"You should thank my wife for that. Tomori had to have inherited her cooking skills from somewhere, right? Ahahaha!"

"Speaking of which, those three should already be here, eating with us," Tatsuhiko comments. "I bet the two thousand yen I still have in my wallet that mom is exaggerating in the presentation to impress the guest…"

"I really don't expect that. I'm not here as a famous fighter, just as your daughter's boyfriend. It's different," He sighs. "Tomori, what are you guys doing there?"

"Oh, just finishing up with some preparations!," The sliding door opens enough for Tomori's head to appear through it; she had tied her hair in a ponytail. "We’re almost there, keep talking in the meantime. Why don't you talk about one of your matches, Naoh?"

"Hey, that's a good idea!," Tatsuhiko exclaims excitedly. "We've seen several of your matches on tv, but hearing about these experiences from your mouth would be something else!"

"Aaah, no!," It's the voice of Mrs. Uta, exclaiming from the kitchen. "I don't want you having this conversation without us there to hear every detail, you can wait!"

"Damn, mom, I got so pumped up…," Tatsuhiko whines.

"Uh, well, I can do that…," He stops for a second. "Which one do you want me to tell? I have some but I don't know which one you'd like to hear."

"I would like to hear about the match that established you as Ultimate Fight's heavyweight champion," Mr. Uta asks, smiling, and Tatsuhiko nods excitedly.

"Yes! And maybe some demonstrations of the wrestling techniques you used?"

"Damn… that match was epic," he smiles. "But I can’t demonstrate my moves here, the room is small and I don’t have any volunteers…"

"If the problem is the furniture, we can move it aside," Mr. Uta offers, and Tatsuhiko smiles wider.

"And if the problem is also a volunteer… I'll do the part."

Okubo chokes a little on a piece of meat he had put in his mouth.

"You?!," He raises his hands. "No, man, I don't want to do this to you..."

Mr. Uta was also staring at his son, his eyes wide.

"Yes! Tatsu, this is already a bit much...," He looks to the side, embarrassed, to which Tatsuhiko shakes his head.

"Come on, I'm not asking him to knock me out or anything, just to do the demonstrations with me as a volunteer."

"Yeah, but- but even innocent demonstrations by a professional can end badly without proper preparation, son..."

"They won't, dad, relax! And anyway, wouldn't you love to see a first-hand demonstration of a professional of his level?," He arches an eyebrow at Okubo. "It would be a priceless gift for him, you know..."

"Damn, you're putting me in a tight spot, man," Okubo scratches the back of his head. "I don't want to do that, Mr. Uta…"

"And- And you don't have to!," The old man shakes his hands. "Don't say sugest silly things, Tatsu..."

"It's not silly, dad, it's a masculine way of bonding!," Tatsuhiko argues while moving the sofas and the coffee table away, leaving a slightly more open space in the middle of the room. "A special moment between in-laws, you know?"

Okubo grimaces in discomfort. Holy shit, Tomori wasn't exaggerating when she said that her brother was a clueless dumbass..."

"I'm going to end up hurting you..."

"No way, I'm a lot tougher than I look. I played baseball in high school too, you know?," He points to himself with his thumb. "I've got a little stamina built up, give me some credit."

"Tatsuhiko," Mr. Uta huffs, frowning. "If he doesn't want to do it, then he doesn't have to. Stop being inconvenient..."

"I'm inconvenient when I'm encouraging him to give a gift that his girlfriend's dad will never forget? I'm just doing you a favor," He arches an eyebrow at Okubo. "Unless he's a little rusty, thanks to all the breaks between his two matches a year."

This time, Okubo is the one who makes a face. He usually handled teasing well, but those jabs at his ego from his girlfriend's crazy brother were another matter.

"Cut that out, man…," he even deepens his voice.

"Yes, Tatsu, you can stop that," Mr. Uta orders in a severe tone. "I don't want you picking fights with your sister's boyfriend, especially on my birthday."

"I'm not picking any fights, dad, I'm offering myself to be a test dummy," He turns to Okubo, giving him a playful punch on the shoulder. "Come on, man, show me some moves!"

"Seriously, dude, give it a rest-"

"Give me an armbar without squeezing me without straining a muscle!"

"It's not that simple-"

"Are you chickening out because you're feeling rusty?"

Oooh, son of a...!

"What?," he growls, and the other shrugs with a petulant expression.

"If you don't feel confident, just say so, and I won't insist anymore. I wouldn't want you embarrassing yourself in front of the family after all-"

"Aaargh! Fine!," Okubo throws his arms up, growling in frustration, his arms itching to give that nutjob exactly what he wanted. "You okay with that, Mr. Uta?"

“Uuh… as long as it doesn't go too far…," Mr. Uta ends up giving up, sighing. "My son is an idiot, but I still don't want to see him hurt, you know."

"Hey, hey, Dad, come on! None of this is serious. And besides, he seems like a very reasonable guy outside the octagon, right, Okubo?," His knowing smile was fucking nerve-wracking…!

"Okay, but I'll just show you, without pushing, so let me know when you feel something," he gets up slowly, in no hurry.

"Alright!," Tatsuhiko goes to the middle of the living room, calling him with excited hand gestures. "Bring it on, man! I'm going to warn you that I won't be an easy opponent, my prowness coming from my years in baseball hasn't been lost even with age and-"

Okubo didn't even gave time for him to react; he tripped him and caught him with one arm in a lock around his neck, the other arm encircling Tatsuhikos's shoulder, so as not to give him a chance to escape.

"WHOOA! Aaargh, dammit...!," Tatsu screeches, almost choking on his saliva, his eyes wide. Mr. Uta lets out a sound that was half scream, half stunned laughter.

"Oh my God, hahaha...!"

"Were you saying…?," Okubo asks raising an eyebrow. He was holding back very hard not to squeeze, but he was still pissed. "You said rusty? Does that look rusty to you? Huh? Say that again, my little ear is very close now..."

"O-Okubo, don't go to far, please-"

"Dad! P-Pick up my phone over there on the rack and take a picture, quick!," Tatsuhiko asks, out of breath. "Ho- Holy shit, Okubo Naoya is giving me an armbar! I-I'll be able to show this to my first child...!"

That was when Mr. Uta broke down, laughing out loud, one hand on his stomach.

Okubo almost loses strength in his arm when he feels like laughing, but he was trained not to falter in these situations.

"I'm not going too far, I'm trying not to suffocate you. See my hand here?," He indicates. "This one is the one that controls the force, if I pull my arm the other one squeezes your neck," he squeezes just for half a second, making Tatsu squeal, and then releasing it. "And then, with my strength and your constitution, you'll lose consciousness in seconds. Do you understand me as even though you are great at speed, if I catch you, you're good as gone?"

"Y- Yes, but- uugh...," He actually sticks out his tongue for a few seconds. "But you- you took me by surprise, Dad- Dad was supposed to be the referee and to start the match himself...!"

"No one informed me of this, so don't blame me!," Mr. Uta has to sit down again, breathing hard between giggles. "Oh my goog God…! Thanks for the explanation, Okubo, and for the laughs too..."

"You should be- uuugh, don't squeeze like that- you should be rooting for your son!"

"For you? You deserved it, you idiot, hahaha! Let's go for a countdown, like in pro-wrestling!," And he slams a hand on the ground, repeatedly. "Ten! Nine! Eight..."

"Aaargh, that's uncalled for…!"

"C'mon, man, resist!," Okubo jokes, shaking him. "I want to see it now!"

"Seven! Six! Five-"

"The cake is ready!," They suddenly hear the sliding door open, and the women's voices sounding more clearly, loud and excited. "Happy birthday, Dad-"

"Oh!," Okubo releases Tatsu to start claping, and the poor man falls to the ground like a ripe fruit.

"Ouch! You could've warned me, dammit...!"

His whimpers and Okubo's clapping are accompanied by startled gasps from Tomori, Saeko, and Mrs. Uta, watching the scene before them with wide eyes: Tatsuhiko gasping on the floor, Okubo looking a little terrified, and Mr. Uta doubled over himself, trying to breathe through the fit of laughter.

“Oooh… wow, what- what a beautiful cake!," He exclaims, trying to appear more serious and failing, even with the sight of the decorated cake that his daughter was carrying. "You- You didn't have to do all that, girls, hahaha..."

"… Can someone explain to me what is going on?," Mrs. Uta arches an eyebrow, serious, to which Tatsuhiko exclaims:

"Saeh, Mom, Tomori, you missed it! Okubo gave me an armbar!"

"WHAT?!," The three exclaim in unison, perplexed, Tomori being the loudest.

"They asked for a demo! Or rather, he asked, I said no but he still…"

"Yes, relax, it wasn’t a fight," Mr. Uta waved his hands, trying to wipe tears from her eyes. "It was the funniest interaction between in-laws I've ever seen in my life, hahaha!"

"Uh… oh my God…," Tomori sighs in a plaintive tone. "I can't believe you did that!"

"Yes!," Mrs. Uta crosses her arms disapprovingly. "The living room is no place for-"

"Why didn't you call for me? I wanted to see it! Put him in a armbar again, Naoh!"

"Tomori! Oooh, God...” Mrs. Uta sighs. "At least they didn't break anything..."

"Are you all right, Tatsu?," Saeko asks, going to help her husband. "He didn't go to hard on you, did he?"

"No... Saeko..."

"What is it, love?"

"I think I just acomplished one of my life's biggest dreams."

Mr. Uta, who was previously managing to stop laughing, now looked like he was about to sob. And then his smile dies, and he starts panting. "Oh… oh my God…"

"Is everything okay, Dad…?"

"N-No… my chest hurts... I think… I think I laughed too hard, hahaha… uuugh," He touches his own nose, and that's when they notice the trickle of blood running down there.

That makes all the members of the Uta family widen their eyes and turn pale. And soon, they were all talking at once, terrified.

“Hey, hey, w-what is this? What's wrong with him?!," Okubo asks, perplexed, but no one seems able to answer at the moment.

"Dad is sick! Ah, shit!"

"See? I told you this could happen! Naofumi, love, calm down...," Mrs. Uta runs and holds her husband's hand, trembling. "Breathe slowly, please..."

"Daddy! Oh my god, my god...!," Tomori was shaking all over, her eyes filling with tears. "What do we do?! What...!"

"Calm down, now is not the time to panic," Saeko says, also looking pale, but managing to keep her composure. "Tatsuhiko, take him outside. Mrs. Fujiko, please go to your room and get his prescriptions, the doctor will need them. Tomori, calm down, don't panic," She caresses her sister-in-law's shoulder. "We're going to take him to the hospital."

"I'll carry him!," Okubo offers. "Whose car should I take him to?"

"No!," Mr. Uta exclaims, and despite the shortness of breath and the pain, he sounded angrier than Okubo had heard so far. "I- I don't need to go to any hospital! I- I just need to lie down for a bit, that's all..."

"Dad, you're bleeding from your nose!," Tatsuhiko exclaims, indignant. "What if this is the beginning of a heart attack? We have to get you to the hospital!"

"There is no heart attack, I can feel my arm and everything! You guys are overeacting... I still want my cake..."

"Dad, for God's sake!," Tomori almost begs, now crying openly. "Enough of this stubbornness! You're going to the hospital now, there's nothing more to discuss!"

"Don't- Don't give orders to your father, young lady...!"

"Mr. Okubo," Mrs. Uta calls suddenly, looking up, serious. "Please help him. Take him to Tatsuhiko's car. No need to carry him, just guide him."

"Alright," He nods, putting the old man's right arm on his shoulder and holding him around his waist. "Come on, Mr. Uta. You can eat cake after you start feeling better. Let's go."

The old man still wanted to struggle, but he was powerless, especially against someone the size of his daughter's boyfriend, who was leading him so firmly that it was impossible for him to say no.

The cars had been parked there at the end of the narrow street, so they still had some walking to do. Okubo would have carried Mr. Uta without a problem, but he knew how proud men of that age could be. He tries to adapt to the man's half-swaying walk, his thoughts racing, almost as terrified as those of the family in the house.

Holy shit, what a hell of a first visit that had been! How unlucky did a motherfucker have to be to meet his girlfriend's father on the same day he looked like he was having the onset of a heart attack? It was just his luck, really! And worst of all, it felt like it was his fault....

"I'm sorry, sir, I- I thought it would be okay to make you laugh, I...," He tried to say, mortified. The old man shakes his head slowly.

"No- It wasn't your fault, Okubo, it wasn't you who started it... it's- it's this fragile heart of mine that can't handle anything... aargh...," He tightens the fabric of his shirt over his chest. “Damn high blood pressure…!"

"Fine, but we're still going to help you, okay?," he helps him to get into the car, the door opened by Tatsu, who appeared running down the street, to help his father. Mrs. Uta and Saeko were close behind.

"Thanks, Okubo," Tatsu nods to him when as the fighter closes the car door. "We'll take over from here. Take Tomori with you, she knows the way."

"Okay," he nods and runs to the house to get his things. Soon he sees Tomori in the doorway, hugging herself, her head down.

"He's already in the car, Tomoh. Your brother will take him right away and…,” His voice trails off as he sees her shaking slightly, sniffling, her face wet with tears.

"My God, he's so stubborn... we're always telling him to go to his medical appointments, to not forget to take his medicine, to eat healthier, but he doesn't listen..."

"Tomori..."

“W- What if something happens to him because of that? What if he really does have a heart attack, Naoya? What should I do? What will become of mom, Tatsu, me... tonight was supposed to be perfect, but that happens right on your first visit...," She shakes her head and sobs softly. "It wasn't supposed to be like this, it wasn't ..."

And soon, her cries become muffled, almost silent, as Okubo pulls her into a tight hug, making her bury her face against his chest. She flinches, and he pats her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Tomori... I- I didn't want it to be like this either, but it happened... a- and the truth is that I'm very relieved to be here to help, to be here by your side, reassuring you that everything will be fine...," He bends down and kisses the top of her head. "I'm here with you, Tomoh..."

She sniffles harder, and slowly hugs him back. They stay like that for nearly a full minute, Okubo feeling her shudder with every little sob. And in that moment, despite the death scare he got and the guilt, he decided it was a good thing he'd come here that night, if only for that. To be the anchor she needed...

Soon, she pulls away from him slowly, taking a deep breath and wiping her tears with the back of her hand. He strokes the side of her face.

"I'll get my things then we'll go to the hospital, okay? Let's close the house too."

"Okay… sorry…"

“No, hey, it's okay. I'd be the same way if it were my father, but he'll be fine. We'll go there, okay?," he kisses the top of her head. "I'll be right back."

And he goes to get his things. Tomori wipes away the tears as best she can and goes to clean up the house before they leave.

* * *

The car was speeding out of the neighborhood towards the hospital where Tomori's parents were staying. Tomori was guiding herself by the GPS, gaveing him the right direction.

"Got it," he goes around the roundabout to take the right direction. "Everything will be fine, Tomoh. Don't worry, okay?"

"I'm trying," Tomori takes a deep breath, nodding slowly. She had managed to calm down a bit after crying, but she was still shifting nervously in the passenger seat, typing on her phone; she was probably texting with one of her family members in the car down the road. "But his nose had never bled like that before. I came to think that..."

"I already had something similar, it seems to be something to do with blood pressure," He nods. "It was after a fight, so I could be wrong. But he said he was feeling his arm, so it's good news, right? We'll see when we get there..."

Okubo's cell phone rings. "Dame da neeee. Dame yo, Dame na no yoooo…," and he grunts, looking through the Bluetooth dashboard screen at who it could be.

"Himuro?," He blinks. "Huh. He never calls me, he just sends texts messages...," he mentions while pressing the car's bluetooth audio button. "Can I answer it, Tomori?"

“Sure, no problem…” She nods, still typing. She takes a deep breath. "Saeko said he's still in pain, but he's conscious. I think it's a good sign."

"I think so too," He nods and answers the call "Hey, Himuro. What's up?"

"Hey, man," Himuro's voice sounded kind of tired, like he was trying to smile, but it didn't seem to carry a good tone.

“Oh, shit... bad news? Spit it out then," Okubo sighs, already a little irritated.

"I wanted to say no, but I'd be lying...," He hears Himuro sigh too. "If you're able to talk, I'll get straight to the point. It's about Rihito."

Okubo frowns, and Tomori actually looks up from her phone a little.

"… Fuck. What has he done now?," It's what comes out of his mouth, before he even thinks. When it came to Rihito, there was no other way to react. Tomori frowns beside him, putting her phone down on the object holder for the first time since they got in the car.

"Well... ugh, he's going to be pissed at me, he said he didn't want you to know, but Kaneda and I can't take this bullshit any longer," Himuro grunts impatiently. "Do you remember the license thing? He didn't renew his employees' licenses in time for one of them to fight. He was penalized by the Kengan association and can lose the fridge."

"What?! Hell no..," Okubo scratches his head, grunting. "What now, bro? What's his penalty? Is there a solution? Is it a fine? How can I help him?"

Tomori, beside him, had widened her eyes in astonishment. Okubo sees from his peripheral vision that she was staring at him intently, inquiring with just that cutting gaze. He shrugs, gripping the steering wheel, as Himuro continues to speak.

"He lost the new site he had gotten in his last match. And yes, he'll have to pay a big-ass fine," Himuro continues, and they could hear, somewhat muffled on the other end of the line, the joint voice of several people talking excitedly, agitated. "If it was just that it'd be fine, but you know that Mr. Nogi is inflexible when it comes to the new rules. Fighting without a valid license is a serious penalty. Rihito will have to fight to maintain his position as a member of the Association, and if he loses, he won't be a businessman anymore."

"Son of a...!," He refrains himself, gripping the steering wheel even tighter. "Oh, this fucker has a thing or two coming for him. But why the hell did he hid this from me? I could help him, for fuck's sake! When is his match?"

"He didn't tell you anything because of that…," Himuro hesitates a bit before continuing. "His match was scheduled for the same day as Tomori's father's birthday party. That's why I'm calling you, man. The match starts in half an hour."

"Are you fucking kidding me?!," he exclaims.

Okubo hears Tomori gasp beside him, feels her fingers grab and squeeze his arm.

"Huh? What- What's this, Naoya?"

There's a few seconds of silence before Himuro speaks again, sounding astonished:

“What- is she there with you?! I... uh... hi, Tomori..."

"WHAT?! Holy shit…!," Okubo almost loses control of the car in fright, his eyes widening. "I'm hearing about this only now, Tomoh!," He swears to her. "I didn't know anything about that until Himuro told me! Holy shit, Rihitooooo…," Okubo holds the bridge of his nose, taking advantage of the fact that they had to stop at a red light to complain more carefully, and then goes back to the call again. "Fucking hell. Thanks for letting me know. I'm going to solve a problem here with Tomori, but I'll see what I can do. There I'll call you. I swear, when I see him again…," He doesn't answer, hanging up the call. He look at Tomori afterwards. "Holy shit, when you want to tell things in the most relaxed way, here comes the world to destroy my fucking plans…"

Tomori continued to stare at him with her mouth open, perplexed, and he couldn't tell if her paleness was due to concern for her father or the news she had just heard.

"Naoya, what- what is this about Rihito losing the fridge because of the backstage league? You...," Her expression twists in indignation. "You bet equity on these matches? What the fuck!"

"Hey, calm down, you're getting it wrong! We don't bet equity, let me say that first,” He raises a hand nervously, excusing himself. When she falls silent, looking at him with fury in her eyes, crossing her arms, he sighs and begins. "Backstage Matches are organized by an Association called Kengan, where businessmen vie for trading rights, like prime time on TV, bidding on a building, a trading point, and so on. That's when they don't get deals, so in that case they hire fighters (it's my case) to fight for those rights representing them."

Tomori stares at him with highly raised eyebrows, silent as she seems to weigh and analyze those words. Okubo couldn't return the look because of the traffic ahead, but he felt it as if it were burning him, his stomach clenching in anxiety, the blood pounding in his ears.

"... And- And Rihito is one of those fighters? Why would he risk losing his own business then?"

“Because he's the biggest idiot in the world, bigger than even me!”, he rants in his thoughts, his knuckles turning white. “Idiot, son of a bitch, idiot...! Why didn't you tell me anything, you asshole?! It's the most crucial fight of your career and I'm not even there to support you...!”

"Rihito, our dear and estimable friend, is a businessman and a fighter at the same time (yes, that's allowed), and then he screwed up and is being punished for breaking the association's rules. He hid from me that he was having this whole problem, just because…," He takes a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Because he wanted me to go to your father's birthday party. He didn't want to ruin this for me…," He sighs, tired and sad. "That's it, it's the whole truth, Tomori. I'm just a fighter, hired by Muji TV. When the CEO need me to sort out some bullshit, I go there, I beat the shit outta someone and then I get paid for it."

The silence that followed was too long for his liking. And he was grateful that he couldn't turn to face her, because he was too afraid of what he would find in her expression. Shock? Anger? Concern? Contempt? He didn't know what he would do if it was the last option...

"… Do you accept that? All of you?," She finally asks, her voice weak. "Being… used like that, by these rich people?"

"… That's the thing, I'm in it because I like it," He finally admits, sighing. "All of us, actually. We all have our jobs and normal lives, but we weren't hired without knowing the risks, or by force. Some of us were, like for example, prisoners. I got into this because I wanted to fight without Ultimate Fight's rules holding me back, with people bigger or more dangerous than me, so I could challenge myself."

"Even knowing about this whole shady business behind it?"

"Yeah."

Now that he had told her the truth, he was finding it very easy to answer her questions. What wasn't easy was dealing with the feeling that he was on a tightrope, balancing a pile of china plates, and that they were about to fall and shatter on the floor below.

"Irreparable..."

Yeah, that was the word. His only certainty at the moment was that, if something had broken between them there, with those revelations, there would be no more fixing it. And the thought made him feel a humiliating sting in his eyes.

"... And what do you intend to do now?," she finally asks, her voice hard, emotionless.

He doesn't respond right away, trying to concentrate on the road and trying not to fall apart right there. He couldn't.

“I… I'm taking you to the hospital,” he says seriously. He was grateful that his voice was steady. "But after that, I'll have to go. Rihito needs me there. He's my best friend, and he's in trouble. He got into it himself, but… he'd do the same for me, if I was in his place… just like he already did for me, for both of us. I'm sorry, Tomori."

"Don't apologize. He really needs you. All of you," She swallows, and Okubo feels his stomach drop when he hears her voice shake a little.

“But…but you need me too, don't you? With what's going on with your dad... fuck, what am I-"

"No," She interrupts him, managing to put some firmness in her tone. "My mother, brother and sister-in-law are there too. I'll already have support, shoulders where I can rest my head. My family. Rihito only has you guys. Go be with him, Naoya. Give him the support he needs..."

She sounded sincere, but the tone in which she was speaking...

“She’s… she's blowing me off. She doesn't need me. Not after what she heard.”

Fuck. How the hell could something that didn't involve a physical attack hurt so much?

"… I'm sorry, Tomori… I…," He shakes his head. "Actually… thanks," he looks straight ahead. "Is this the right hospital? Oh, I can see Tatsu's car… okay," he parks the car in front of the building, without turning off the engine. "There you go. Go inside. Good luck, tell your dad I wish him well."

"I will. Thank you," She smiles tiredly at him, taking off the seat belt, opening the car door and getting out. She hadn't even leaned over to give him a kiss… "For the ride and for telling me the truth. See ya..."

And she walks towards the building without looking back. Okubo felt his heart sink, and his whole body went cold. He sighed, putting his head on the steering wheel, very tired. He heard the sound of a horn behind him, so he was forced to take a deep breath, wipe the tear that fell down his face and step on the gas to leave the hospital behind.

He had a Kengan match to attend to.

* * *

"Tatsu! Saeko!”

Tatsuhiko and Saeko look up when they hear Tomori's voice, approaching quickly as she enters the hospital waiting room. Tatsuhiko raises his arm and waves.

"Here, Tomori! Dad was already called for pre-screening and mom came in as his companion. He had preferential care due to his age and type of pain...," He takes a deep breath, and Tomori nods, sitting down next to him in one of the rows of chairs, in front of the reception desk.

"Fortunately. And how was he?"

"In pain, but a little less than when we left the house," Saeko explains. "It could be a case of hypertension, but he will still be examined and medicated. We are waiting for your mother to give us more news.

"Okay. My God...," She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes and sinking into the chair, exhausted. "I hope that's all it is. I swear, he's going to start taking all os his meds even if I have to shove them down his throat.

"After that scare, I doubt he'll continue to be stubborn like that," Tatsuhiko takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes. "I'm feeling horrible… I think that joke your boyfriend and I pulled was a little too much for him."

"Yeah, maybe. But there's no way you could've guessed that would happen, Tatsu. Don't keep blaming yourself," Tomori touches his shoulder, and Saeko does the same.

"Yes, love, now it's over. And speaking of a boyfriend, where is Mr. Okubo?"

Tomori looks to the side, clenching her fists a little above her skirts, trying to keep her expression composed.

“He… he sort of had an emergency while we were on our way. He dropped me off at the hospital door, apologized and wished Dad well."

Tatsuhiko and Saeko look at each other before nodding.

"Alright then. I think I owe him an apology too, I was the one who started that nonsense...," He sighs, and Tomori smiles tiredly.

"He was laughing when we walked into the room, so I doubt he holds grudges."

"Yeah, but I still wanna try to make it up to him somehow. Is there... is there any way you can invite him to another little meeting after Dad feels better?," He asks, embarrassed. "So everyone will have the opportunity to apologize and clear their conscience..."

Tomori tries to think of an excuse to deny that request, but her head isn't clear enough for that. Everything Okubo had told her in the car kept spinning inside her head, the information taking a long time to sink in, like office documents that had been caught in a gale and were flying about, out of control.

Backstage leagues, businessman associations, fighters who were paid to risk their lives to defend the interests of rich and unscrupulous people... and not only was he part of it, he enjoyed it. He actually enjoyed it, my God...

“This is serious. This is very serious. Hell, how am I going to deal with this, I don't even know if I want to..."

She cringes at the pain in her chest that makes her want to cry. Ending a relationship because of that, let alone one as good as that one, seemed so pointless. But if it were for her own peace of mind, her own morals...

“He hid from me that he was having this whole problem, just because he wanted me to go to your father's birthday party. He didn't want to ruin this for me…”

Okubo's voice is heard, loud and clear, in the midst of that gale. She takes a deep, shaky breath. To think that Rihito had given up having his friend's support for him, maybe even for her as well... as he had given up his own pride to help the two get back together back then...

Her morals appreciated that sort of thing, didn't they?

"… Haha, okay, I … I can ask him. I won't confirm anything, but I'm already doing my part," She opens her purse, putting her hand inside. And then she widens her eyes. "Oh damn."

"What?"

"I forgot my phone in Naoya's car! Oh, for Pete's sake...," She groans, rubbing her eyes. "All this stress has made me dizzy..."

"Haha, it happens. He'll end up seeing your phone inside the car and will return it to you," Saeko smiles patiently. "But do you want to borrow mine to call him, anyway?"

"No, you don't have to..." Tomori starts to say, waving her hands... and then she stops, blinking into space. Her brother and sister-in-law stare at her, confused.

"Tomori? Are you okay?"

She doesn't respond right away. Her uncontrolled thoughts little by little began to order themselves, one by one, becoming distinguishable, easier to analyze calmly. Perhaps it was the knowledge that her father was no longer in danger that had cleared her mind.

... Or maybe it was that other Tomori inside her, the one she was so ashamed to let out, that was pointing her in the most dangerous direction to go. And the one that most attracted her.

“Actually, I think I'll borrow your phone, Saeh, please,” she says suddenly, and her sister-in-law, albeit flustered, nods.

"Alright then. Here...," She holds out her phone, and Tomori takes it with sweaty hands.

"Thanks. But I wanted to ask you too..."

"Go ahead!"

"Do you happen to have one of those phone tracking apps?"

NEXT CHAPTER

#Kengan Ashura #Kengan Omega #kenganverse #fanfiction #Okubo Naoya #Naoya Okubo #okubo x oc #kengan oc #Rihito #Himuro Ryo #Kaneda Suekichi #cookies'n cream #the heavy bakery series

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