—kobayashi & quiche (have returned ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡ ))

[miss kobayashi]

nao watched at first while the other cleaned up the glass, noticing with a little surprise how quickly and earnestly they tried to pick up the glass. nao wasn’t torturing him, was he? it wasn’t like he was holding a knife, ready to attack the second something went wrong. he wasn’t that cruel. still, it was probably obvious from the irritated manner he was addressing the other. after another moment he turned to the doorway, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. was it wrong that he was still thinking about mukami? mukami... why was he here? why didn’t he say anything about coming? even though nao had invited him countless times... why would he show up now? and then just leave. and how did mukami know the stranger? were they really that close that he was willing to bring him along to nao’s party? his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the other, who, for the first time since they met, addressed him by name. nao turned, enough to make eye contact with him for a short second. who was this guy? the thought crossed his mind for a second, before he, without speaking to the stranger, walked out of the hall and towards the main part of the house.

the main room was littered with garbage, along with the kitchen, the dining hall, and his balcony. it wall all something he was fairly used to after a party, and by this time he would call over his father’s maid to clean the mess while he would go out. but... after last month, his mother, who hadn’t been keen on nao having parties in the first place, had prohibited him from throwing any more, claiming that he needed to ‘get a job,’ and ‘contribute to society.’ but they hadn’t talked since then and he doubted they would talk for at least half a year, so nao impudently continued to have weekly parties without approval. if he called the housemaid now──who was annoying as hell to begin with──she would no doubt relay the information to his father, who would tell his mother, and both would make it into a whole thing. nao considered just leaving the house for a while and hanging at one of their vacation homes outside of town, but knew he’d still have to come back to this sooner of later.

a thick and heavy scent of cigarettes and alcohol was the only thing he could smell in the air. the chances that some black-out drunk had just passed out underneath the garbage was fairly likely, and wouldn’t be the first time that happened. nao waited for a moment for the stranger to catch up, running a hand through his hair in the meantime. he turned to the stranger──at that moment he realized he hadn’t bothered to learn the name of──and gestured vaguely to the entirety of the room. “ clean. “ was all he said at first, acting as if the other was nothing more than a dog that took demands. “ i think i have cleaning supplies in one of the closests. use whatever the hell you want. “ without waiting for a response, or retort, or anything of the sort, he walked away.

[quiche cat!]

if taiyo was anyone else, he would've thrown a fit at the chore that he'd been given... but he wasn't someone else, and consequently, he still owed nao for breaking the heirloom. he wouldn't have been able to bring himself to talk back to the man even if he hadn't actually caused the mess, anyways! taiyo watched silently as the man turned on his heels and exited the room, his puffy eyes staring tiredly at the doorway. he wanted to cry, and cry some more, and then after that, cry again and again, but this was no time to wallow in his own self-pity. it really wasn't like him to feel sorry for himself, either—blaming it on the alcohol was the only acceptable solution. after a few moments of zoning out, taiyo was able to tear his gaze away from the door and instead focus on his surroundings. he almost wished he'd stayed zoned out forever; this room was a mess! garbage was strewn across the floor and furniture; cups, plates, an array of silverware, and half-eaten food galore! the sheer amount of trash was more than he could ever afford, so he couldn't even imagine what the actual cost had been to throw this party. actually, he didn't want to know. it would just make him feel like an insignificant speck compared to the maruyadas. it was the truth, but a hard one to swallow.

the man got to work right away, figuring that his mind would be better off focusing on cleaning rather than on the night's unfortunate events. nao had probably asked him to do this because he had other matters to attend to, and since it was so late, no one else was here to clean. that was a valid reason! at least the rich man hadn't lied—there really were some cleaning supplies in one out of the hundred damn closets... so he couldn't complain. he hated liars, but technically, nao wasn't one of them, and for some reason he appreciated that. taiyo stood firm to the belief that all people were fundamentally good, and that for some people, the good was just, well, harder to find. nao was a good example, at least from what taiyo had collected on him so far. before he began, he found a roll of medical tape amidst the supplies and wrapped his hands, hoping that he wouldn't get reprimanded for "stealing." did nao really want blood on his things? probably not, so this was the best option to avoid that.

taiyo couldn't remove the stench of cigarettes, but he was able to clean up everything else. one of the perks of house-hopping was that you insisted on cleaning to repay the kindness offered to you, and alas, he had become a quick and efficient maid. the man wandered through the house one last time to double-check all the rooms, including the balcony, and the first genuine smile since his mistake spread across his lips. it felt good to know that he'd been able to clean up all that mess by himself, and a sudden surge of pride bursted in his chest. it wasn't enough to repent for what he'd done, but it was a good enough start! "sir?" his voice rung out in the empty house, causing him a bit of unease. how could nao stay here in this big building all alone? wasn't it lonely? scary? "nao, i'm done. do you want me to go now?" it would be rude to just leave without being dismissed, wouldn't it? it wasn't as if nao had control over him, like an employer or something, but he felt strange not asking first. nao just had that "I'm the boss" aura, and it was intimidating, to say the least. taiyo took the liberty of peeking his head into all the rooms for a third time, though this time he was trying to find nao.

in the process of this hide-and-seek game, he ended up in front of one of the upstairs rooms, which he hadn't even bothered to look into while he was cleaning because this floor had been off limits to the partygoers-- it was supposed to be, but no doubt some drunkard had wounded up locking themselves into one of the rooms. with the intital twist and push the door felt jammed, but after a few shoves it swung open, catching taiyo by surprise as he reeled forward and stumbled to the floor. this floor felt... squishy. almost alive? and as the man opened his eyes, which he'd squeezed shut upon crashing into the room, he screamed at the thing that he was on top of. "ahhh! oh my god!! why-- why are you in here?! the party's over!!" taiyo scrambled off of the body, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. "are you dead? oh no, please don't be dead..." the man was out cold; unresponsive, though the strong smell of alcohol wafted from his lips. he almost gave taiyo a heart attack! was this a normal thing that happened at rich parties?!

[miss kobayashi]

after ordering the stranger to clean his home, nao had shuffled outside, now dressed in a coat to protect himself from the cold, and a lit cigarette resting between his lips. he hadn’t even cared to consider how reckless it would be to leave someone at his house alone──especially someone who he knew absolutely nothing about──but the only thing he could focus on was his pounding head and anxious thoughts. he took the cigarette from his mouth, watching as the warm smoke blended with the cool air the second he exhaled. he liked his walks──something he wouldn’t ever tell anyone else, because it didn’t seem to fit his money-spending persona. and, although it was lonely, he enjoyed the content and quiet peacefulness that walking would bring him. but, his mind still continued to think back to mukami. and once he started thinking about mukami, he would start to think about the stranger who was cleaning his house. was he destroying it? stealing money? nao, convincing himself it was too cold outside──and not at all because of the stranger──turned and headed back to his home.

nao clicked open the front door, pleasantly surprised to see a clean house when he walked in. his satisfaction dwindled the second he heard a scream from upstairs, immedietly recognizing it as the stranger. god, now what? rubbing his aching head, he casually made his way upstairs, shoving his hands into his pockets. “please don’t be dead...” a voice caught his attention at the end of the hall, nao’s eyes widening. the hell... did he just kill someone? was the only thought that crossed through his mind as he slowly made his way to the door, peering in. it was the kid, along with someone who looked to be senseless. this would’ve been concerning, had it not been he recognized the person on the ground right away. he hadn’t even noticed the little smile he had while watching the other freak out over the body. nao pushed open the door, going straight towards the body with a small frown. after a moment of silence, he started to poke the body with his foot. “ shouta, get up, you lazy ass. “ he muttering, continuing to prod the body with his foot. after a moment of poking, the body responded with a low groan, to which nao rolled his eyes. he moved his foot back, sucking his teeth. “ let’s just leave him. he’ll get up in a hour or something. “ nao decidedly stated. and, as if the unconscious body didn’t even faze him, he glanced at the other. “ did you finish? “

[quiche cat!]

although his intent had not been to summon nao with a scream, it had happened, and the man appeared in the doorway a few moments after taiyo had begun to freak out. nao didn't seem worried in the least, and taiyo didn't know whether to feel comforted or concerned by his apparent lack of sympathy for the drunk guy, whom he called shouta. kicking the dude wasn't going to solve anything, either. show some respect for a dying man! "shouta, get up, you lazy ass." the noise that was emitted from shouta caused taiyo to jump an inch off the ground, not having expected a dead man to groan-- well, not a dead man, but something close to it. when he had stopped staring at the corpse (he was exaggerating, of course) after realizing the rich man had addressed him, he drew his gaze up to meet the other's, pushing himself to his feet.

"ah, yes, i did-- but i wasn't snooping in here, i-i swear!" as he spoke, he fiddled with the bandages on his hands, but quickly clasped them together behind his back in fear of bringing too much attention to them. it wasn't very likely nao would notice, though. was he the observant type? was he petty enough to yell at him for taking care of his wounds? "i was looking for you, since i finished." it was the truth! sure, he shouldn't have gone into a room with a closed door, but... well, he didn't have an excuse for that. alcohol? a sudden gut feeling that something important was inside? highly unlikely. taiyo admitted to himself that there had been no rhyme or reason for his actions, which was one more regret to add to his ever-growing list from tonight. after a short moment of silence to gather his thoughts, taiyo piped up again, his eyes drifting to the floor. "about the payment... you never really, uh, told me what you wanted," the man's voice trailed off as he mustered up enough willpower to maintain eye contact again, nao's cool gaze slicing through taiyo's timidness like a knife, "but i was serious when i said i couldn't pay with money." surely cleaning up the house was not sufficient payment...? it didn't seem like this rich guy was going to let him off the hook this easily, nor this soon.

[miss kobayashi]

nao watched the other with an eyebrow raised, not sure if he felt relieved or irritated that this boy seemed to act so agitated around him. it was like every move he made was enough to make the other jump. he didn’t care about the snooping──moreover, the damage had already been done──and he was also used to people wandering his house on the days he would have his parties. but what he did mind was how sure the other was about not being able to pay it off. jesus, he didn’t even say the price of the item, but this other guy was positive he couldn’t pay it off. nao crossed his arms, sneering.

“ what, are you poor or something? I don’t remember inviting any poor people to my party. “ nao said with disgust, clear dislike for a social lower class. he hardly associated with poor people. although he was wealthier than the majority of his partygoers, he still made sure they were rich, or of a higher standing. there really was no need for him to ever talk or even interact with poor people, most of them annoying beggars, and the idea that the only poor person at his party was the one who broke his compass certainly pissed him off. of course. he thought to himself, absentmindingly letting out a deep huff.

but, is this kid was poor, nao might have an idea. the stranger did do a surpassingly well job at cleaning the house, without much complaint, or any. he thought of an idea, only something that someone who could barely afford their own house would be willing to do. nao looked at the other, tilting his head slightly with curiosity. “ what’s your name, poor boy? “

[quiche cat!]

"what, are you poor or something? i don't remember inviting poor people to my party." wow, with one shot, he'd hit the nail right on the head. boy oh boy did it hurt, but taiyo was used to condescending strangers. they didn't have a right to judge, seeing as they didn't know anything about his situation, but if it made them feel better about themselves, then so be it. taiyo had learned to put up with it simply with the mindset that one day, their views might change and they might be willing to try and put themselves in his shoes. was he putting too much faith in humanity? probably. but it was the only way he knew how to think—through an optimistic lens—so he was intent on standing firm with his beliefs. but with this man... this man, nao, gave one little remark and it sent his likability down, down through the floor! taiyo knew that he'd have to steel himself for the worst. this man deserved no respect whatsoever, but for the broken heirloom's sake, taiyo had to keep his emotions in check.

"taiyo takahashi. it's nice to meet you." he gave a small bow, hair shielding his face and giving him the opportunity to collect himself. it was gonna be okay. he definitely deserved this treatment; nao was probably acting like this because he was stressed over what had happened. maybe taiyo was being too harsh—maybe he should cut him some slack. as undeserving as nao was acting, he was going to give him another chance, and he hoped he didn't regret it. so when he straightened up again, he was smiling, a most warm and welcoming expression. "and you're nao? mukami told me." ah, how painful it must be for nao to deal with taiyo's blissful obliviousness. if he had known how troubling the person and name was to nao, taiyo would've shut his trap and not said another word about it. but, just trying to make friendly conversation, he pressed on into uncharted territory. "he hadn't mentioned you before this, though. are you also a close friend of his?" unknowingly, he was digging himself a deeper and deeper hole with each passing minute, and soon he wouldn't be able to climb out.

[miss kobayashi]

taiyo. nao preferred ‘poor boy.’ nao frowned as the other bowed, not bothering to be polite to taiyo. what did it matter, anyways? he doubted he was going to remember his name. nao flinched the second he heard mukami’s name, the word sending a chill down a spine. what really set him off, though, was when taiyo mentioned how mukami never mentioned him. like he cared. mukami could say whatever he wanted, it didn’t matter if he mentioned nao or not. it was a stupid thing to mention anyway. he didn’t care that after everything that’s happened, mukami never mentioned him to his other friends. at least, that’s what he continued to tell himself. his face told another story. a light red brushed across his face, brows furrowing and eyes darting around the room. nao glanced at the body on the floor, before harshly grabbing the other's arm and yanking him out of the room and into the hallway. nao roughly let go of the other, amber eyes narrowed at the poor boy. “ you don’t know what the hell you're talking about. “ he hissed defensively, clenching his teeth.

although nao didn’t admit it, he was upset. he didn’t like people assuming his relationships with other people, especially poor people. and even though the thought crossed his mind that taiyo probably didn’t understand what he was saying or doing, his emotions got the better of him. “ and if you hope you’re going to repay me for destroying my stuff, you better keep your trap shut. “ nao continued, once again towering over the other with a similar aura from before. “ so keep your nose out of my damn business. “ he finally spit out.

[quiche cat!]

the shade of red that spread across nao's face took taiyo by surprise, his mouth agape as he stared blankly at the man. wait a minute, what was that supposed to--

before he had the chance to think too hard about the peculiar reaction he'd received, he was being tugged into the hallway, leaving him stumbling to catch his balance. "wait, i'm sorry--" taiyo's softspoken apology was cut short by nao's much louder, much more irriated voice. oh my god! he was going to die here, slain by the devil himself! fortunately that wasn't the case, and as nao let him go, taiyo scooted back a few steps, rubbing at his wrist. geez, he could've been a little more gentle. all he'd done was mention mukami, since the little brat had left him all alone in this jailhouse.

a light bulb went off in his head. ooooh... was this about mukami?! "wait a second, do you like muka--" just like it had earlier when he'd realized who nao was, his mouth was flapping on its own again without consulting his brain first. with speed akin to lightning, taiyo slapped a bandaged hand over his mouth, eyes widening at his horrible mistake. no way. no way! he'd just stabbed nao with a knife and then twisted it. what kind of godawful person was he?! blinking rapidly to will the tears away that pricked at his eyes, taiyo took a few more steps backwards, seriously fearing for his life. "oh my god, i didn't mean to say... i mean, i'm keeping my nose way out of your business, i promise!! please forget what i just said. please." he felt like he was begging for mercy from an executioner, but what else was he supposed to do? fight back? hell to the no! flee? well, sure! even though it was probably the worst decision to make in this situation, taiyo spun around and bolted towards the stairs, ready to jump down half the staircase if he needed to.

on another note, taiyo had never really thought about mukami in that way before. sure, he was handsome, well-dressed, fun to be around, and of course wealthy, but... something just never sat right with him when he was with the guy. not that that was a bad thing! he was just very... mysterious. maybe nao had known him before he started to act like that? anyways, he'd fled from the crime scene earlier without so much as a word of encouragement for the poor boy, so he was mad at him right now!! damn it, that stupid mukami. a stupid good friend who was now unknowingly putting taiyo's life in danger.

[miss kobayashi]

the second that poor boy started to speak again, saying arguably one of the worst responses imaginable after what nao had said, he grit his teeth. if looks could kill, taiyo would already have been dead in that moment. but, something that taiyo didn't know about now, is that nao was all bark and no bite. not that he was a coward──although some people might argue differently──he was just rough around the edges. and although at the moment, after everything that had been said, he had considered being violent, a part of him knew that no matter the circumstances, he wouldn't go through with it. especially with someone he barely knew. a poor boy, no less. that didn't mean he wasn't pissed, however. he needed to remind himself, taiyo was nothing more than a poor boy. no status, no class, no money. he didn't need to care what someone as simple as this poor boy would have to say. whether it was true or not. he was ready to drop it, and just go on with what he had planned, but by the time he had looked back at poor boy, he was already gone, bolting down the hallway and to the staircase. uh, what? it took a second for nao to realize what was going on, groaning before quickly running after the other.

he had caught up to the boy before he made it to the stairs, luckily, gripping on tight to the others arm and pulling him to a stop. " where the hell are you going? " he started, his words interrupted with a few small huffs. damn, he was kind of out of shape. but it wasn't the time to think about that. " you still owe me for breaking my stuff, remember? " nao continued, still holding onto the other's arm. " and I have an idea for how you can pay me back, poor boy. " he finally noticed his rather rough grip on taiyo, letting go and taking a small step back. nao let out a short sigh. " i'll drop what you said if you never talk about it again. " it didn't seem like a very fair deal on his part, as nao didn't really get much besides not having to hear about mukami from one of his friends.

[quiche cat!]

running away hadn't been the best way to respond, but it was definitely a smart way because the aura that wafted from behind taiyo was menacing. he'd done it now! curse his stupid mouth that always said the first thing that popped into his head. it had been incredibly rude of him to mention mukami after being asked not to—although the request had been more of an ill-mannered command—even if it had been an accident. nao's reaction had proven his inquiry true, nonetheless; there was something, or had been something, going on between those two. as much as he wanted to be told the truth about nao's feelings, it was not his place to butt in, just as the other had said. so with an ounce of reluctance, taiyo decided he was going to forget about mukami for now, and focus on the matter at hand.

the young man had been a few steps from the top of the staircase when he was jerked backwards, the suddenness of the action causing him to squeal. he whipped around, his head tipping back to look up at nao as his own breaths came out in short gasps. "where the hell are you going?" to hide from you, of course, until you calm down! how was taiyo supposed to have a conversation with someone that nipped and scratched at every word spoken to him? but now he had nowhere to run, or even to hide, so taiyo kept his lips sealed through nao's lecture, not brave enough to talk back or mention the man's unnecessarily tight grip. he'd already done enough harm, and now the disappointment for himself was weighing him down. all he could do was stare wide-eyed at nao until he was released, pulling his arm tight to his chest and cradling it with the other hand. his head was already bobbing vigorously before the man had finished speaking. "i won't. i won't talk about it again, i swear." and that was that. taiyo never went back on his words, and a promise was a promise. he wouldn't stand to be called a liar if he broke it.