White Day (1)

"I sent you chocolate that day, so how about you pay me back too, Yasushi~?" Xinyi teased, leaning into him, her arm sliding around his waist. She looked up, eyes wide and playful, waiting for his reaction.

"Thirsty as ever, huh?" Furuya muttered, just before a shoe flew past him. He ducked in time, popping back up, eyes wide. "Whoa, calm the hell down!" he yelped, holding his hands up in defense.

"Do you two ever quit?" Laura asked, her eyes following the usual banter. She looked from one to the other, shaking her head.

It had been a month since Valentine's Day, and White Day loomed just one day away. The guys in Yasushi's circle were expected to return the favors they'd received, sparking the current back-and-forth.

Laura had moved on from the Moon Weaving night. It took her a bit, but she'd chosen not to involve the authorities, letting Yasushi and Jingliu handle things. And they made sure it was handled.

Though she never learned what exactly happened, those guys who tried to mess with her after she blacked out from drinking weren't around anymore. They didn't stick around in the city. 

"Not unless this dumbass stops being an idiot," Xinyi and Furuya muttered at the same time, which made them turn and glare at each other.

Yasushi sat nearby, parked on a bench, his head tilted up toward the sky. The snow wasn't heavy today, just light enough to let them hang outside. He thought, for a second, if Hakufubuki had anything to do with the weather but quickly let the thought drift away.

Since that night, Yasushi had started doing more to make sure he stayed alive longer. He wasn't about to let life get cut short if he could help it. He kept doing good deeds, or at least, what he told himself were good deeds.

He couldn't call everything he did "righteous," since, in the end, he still did them for his own benefit. And even then, he figured some god out there wouldn't see everything he did as purely good or moral. But he kept going.

He had noticed a few people here and there, ones he suspected were spies for gods from different pantheons. They hadn't really bothered him, though. They didn't seem interested in making his life harder, just watching him.

Some were more obvious about it than others, but none crossed any lines, not like the other troublemakers he had to deal with before. He preferred it this way—no need to fight unless it was absolutely necessary.

He turned his head to the right. Jingliu sat there, eating her food in silence, focused on her meal while their friends argued and tossed words back and forth like it was their daily routine. On his left were Layena and Yunxue.

Both of them were busy with their own food, though Yunxue seemed like she hadn't eaten in days with how she attacked her plate.

"What are you planning to do for White Day, Yasushi?" Layena asked, her eyes glancing at him.

He stopped for a moment, letting the question hang while he thought it over. "A lot of people gave me chocolate, so I'll probably return the favor. Chocolate for chocolate."

His mind drifted back to that time. After that date with Jingliu, he ended up getting chocolate from Layena, Alicia, Yunxue, Xinyi, Laura, Catherine, Yinhaie, and Reina. Some gave it the same night, others the next day. He figured it was only fair to give something back to each of them for that.

"Can I ask for something different?" Yunxue asked, pausing from her near-devouring of her meal.

"If I can do it, sure," Yasushi said, shrugging slightly.

"Can I get those creampuffs from Miss Kukicha?" Her tone shifted, excitement bubbling up, and he could almost picture the stars in her eyes, which made him chuckle.

"Yeah, why not? We can head over there today if you're up for it," he said, ruffling her hair like she was some puppy.

"Thanks," she said, diving back into her food without another word.

"I'd like to ask for something too," Layena added, glancing at him. "Can you teach me the muffin recipe you shared with Yinhaie a few weeks ago?"

"Sure, no problem," Yasushi replied, not thinking twice about it.

It didn't take long before the rest of their group caught on to what was happening. They saw his little agreements with Yunxue and Layena and jumped in, curious now. Everyone started making requests, most of them odd but manageable. Nothing too crazy. Well, except Xinyi. She was fine with just getting chocolate. Although from the way she hesitated, it looked like she had something else on her mind but wasn't going to say it.

+-+

Yunxue skipped ahead of Yasushi, her steps light as they walked along the street with Yinhaie, Jingliu, and Layena trailing behind. They had made a decent haul from Kukicha's bakery, arms loaded with bags of sweets, heading toward their car.

A noise broke the quiet of their afternoon. They all turned to see a commotion down the street. Before anyone could say anything, Yasushi lifted his hand, stopping them in their tracks.

"That guy's one of them," he muttered, eyes narrowing.

Yinhaie and Jingliu exchanged a glance, understanding without a word. Yunxue and Layena didn't push for answers, sensing something was off, and they knew better than to ask.

"We should keep moving," Yasushi said, casting a brief look toward the man causing a stir in the distance.

He stood out from the crowd, wild black hair hanging down to his shoulders, his eyes bright and unsettling, almost glowing yellow. His long tongue hung out of his mouth as he taunted a group of rough-looking young men who seemed ready to take the bait, getting riled up by his antics. The scene felt like trouble waiting to boil over.

It finally escalated. The older men, pissed off by the younger one's taunts, charged at him. Fists clenched, voices loud and raw.

"The hell's wrong with you? You want to fucking die, kid?" one of them yelled, getting right up in his face.

Another, brass knuckles already on, brought his fist close, ready to strike. "Say something smart, and I'll make sure you never see tomorrow, you little shit."

More men caught up, standing behind the first two, trying to box the younger guy in. Their faces twisted in anger, eyes fixed on him, ready to beat him senseless. The young man didn't flinch though, not even a bit. He glanced at Yasushi and his group for a split second, grin spreading on his face, something dark flickering in his eyes.

Then it happened. His arm moved faster than anyone expected, like a snake striking, and the man with the brass knuckles went flying, body slamming into a nearby car. The crash echoed, leaving the guy sprawled out, motionless.

The rest froze for a heartbeat, not sure what to do. Then the young man started laughing, a sound that crawled under your skin, and before they knew it, he was on them, dropping each one in a heartbeat.

The last one standing, the man who had threatened to kill him, now stood trembling. The young guy, a twisted grin on his face, moved toward him, slow and deliberate.

"Y-y-you freak, get the hell away from me!" the man stammered, backing up, fear now in his eyes.

The younger one leaned in, his voice chilling, "What happened to all that big talk?" In the next instant, he vanished and reappeared, hitting the man square in the chin. The guy dropped like dead weight. "Pathetic... so pathetic."

Yasushi's group stood watching. Jingliu broke the silence. "I can follow him, but he's quick..."

Layena and Yunxue exchanged worried glances. "I can't keep up with that," they both muttered.

Yinhaie nudged Yasushi, silently asking if he could. He gave a short nod. But before they could process what just happened, Yasushi's arm shot up, catching a punch aimed straight for Yinhaie. The hit came out of nowhere, and everyone froze, wide-eyed.

The creepy kid looked at Yasushi, grinning wider. "Oh? You're something else, aren't ya?"

The kid's eyes gleamed with something wild. "Guess Lord Hades' little prank got a bit outta hand, huh? He's real excited to meet ya, Yas. But just a heads up... there's a bunch of gods way more twisted than you can imagine, and they can't wait to screw with you when that banquet comes."

Before anyone could get a word in, the young man turned and disappeared, leaving behind only a puff of smoke.

"Hades? Gods? What?" Yunxue's confusion hit hard as she tried to make sense of what just happened. "Was that guy on something? No, wait — how did he vanish like that!?" Her panic grew with each word.

Yasushi didn't waste time. "I'll explain on the way home. Just get in the car." He didn't wait for anyone to react, heading straight to the vehicle. Once inside, he settled next to Yinhaie, who drove them back.

As they drove, Yinhaie and Jingliu helped fill in the blanks. They told the truth, which hit Yunxue and Layena like a hammer. Yunxue immediately freaked out, her words tumbling out faster than she could stop them. "Wha — h-huh!? G-gods are real? All that supernatural stuff is true? What the hell!?"

Layena, staying a little calmer, grabbed Yunxue by the face to stop her spiraling. "I think the bigger thing here is the banquet, Yasushi maybe getting killed, Lady Jingliu wanting to go with him... and, you know, that other life he had."

"R-right! We gotta be more serious, Yasushi, sir!" Yunxue blurted, stiffening up, her whole body tense.

Yasushi sighed, clearly tired of the whole thing. Reaching back, he gave Yunxue a quick, light smack on the head. "Chill out, will you? Nothing's changed, you've just been told more. We're still the same." Then he turned away, leaning back in his seat, done with the conversation.

+-+

Yinhaie entered the underground gym, towel draped over her shoulder, snack and water bottle in hand. She stood near the doorway, watching Yasushi pound away at the punching bags, his bare fists thudding against them.

He'd been at it for a while now, and she knew why. The banquet with the gods loomed over them, and Yasushi had been pushing himself to prepare for whatever chaos it might bring. He hated it, this grind to get his body back in shape, but he didn't have a choice.

The banquet wasn't just a meeting — it was a fight waiting to happen. The gods who might show up weren't all stable, not by a long shot. Some were downright twisted. Today's encounter with one of Hades' henchmen only made things more real.

Yinhaie watched in silence for a few minutes, letting him work through his focus. Finally, she walked over. "Yasushi, take a break," she said, pulling him out of his rhythm.

He paused, breath heavy, sweat rolling down his body. He glanced her way, eyes weary but locked on her. "How long has it been?" He moved toward her, fists unclenching.

"Two hours. You've been at it non-stop, almost midnight now. Tomorrow's White Day, and it's Saturday. You think you'll have time for all the things you promised?" Yinhaie asked, sitting beside him on the gym floor.

Yasushi grabbed the food and water, digging in right away. They didn't speak at first, both of them just sitting in silence while he caught his breath. After a while, he broke it. "Do you think you could take him on?" He turned his gaze to her, eyes sharp.

Yinhaie hesitated. "I don't know. I kept up with him, sure. But the way he fought — it didn't seem normal, didn't feel human. It was off." She paused, staring right back at him. "That last punch, though — I didn't even see it coming. I still can't believe you caught it before it hit me."

Yasushi shrugged, his focus on the food in his hands. "Instinct, I guess. Either way, I've got to let Xinyi know soon. Yunxue's already in the loop. I'm taking you, Jingliu, Xinyi, and Yunxue — just the four of you. I wasn't going to tell anyone else, but Layena found out by mistake." He sighed and took another bite, chewing slowly.

Yinhaie gave a small nod before repeating her question, her tone measured, neither intrusive nor casual. Yasushi locked eyes with her, his expression firm. "I'll tell Xinyi last. I'll give her present last too. Two birds, one stone."

Yinhaie inclined her head slightly, considering his words before replying. "That seems wise. Will you require assistance with this? Perhaps Lady Jingliu and myself could join you. We were there when it happened, and we accompanied you to the meeting with Chief God Amaterasu during the Moon Weaving event."

Her eyes held his, waiting for an answer.

"Yeah," Yasushi said, exhaling, "that'd help. She'd probably take it better if you both were there. I might ask Hakufubuki to join us too."

He lay back, sinking into the floor, eyes fixed on the ceiling above. The silence settled for a moment, neither of them breaking it. Then, as if compelled by the weight of earlier events, they spoke, discussing the day's happenings with subdued words, sharing what needed to be shared.

Eventually, Yasushi, feeling the drag of fatigue, decided the day had gone on long enough. He closed his eyes, preparing for sleep, though his mind swirled with the tasks tomorrow would bring.