"After that night, I continued my job at the club like normal. I couldn't not go. It would have raised even more suspicion with the two of them. But this time, I was being closely monitored."

"I went to Toman meetings like normal, careful with how I chose my words and making sure not to let anything slip."

"Hakkai and I only talked about the club once since that day, but it was only for a brief moment. It was a day I had gone over to his house after a meeting and neither of his siblings were home."

"What guy?" Hakkai asks. "There was a guy back there? Was he part of Toman?"

"Yeah, behind Kisaki," I inform him. "He was hard to see but he was there. I definitely didn't recognize him."

Just then, the front door opens and Hakkai and I look over. When I see Yuzuha appear, my attention is completely stolen and the previous conversation was long gone from my brain. Yuzuha has a pretty smile on her face that pulls me away from whatever I was just talking to Hakkai about.

"Hey guys! I've got a surprise for you!" she sings. "It's something you'll never expect Takashiiii! Don't even bother guessing!"

Hakkai looks over at me with a puzzled look on his face, but my eyes are trained on her. Innocently, I wait to see her surprise could be. I watch so cautiously as she turns around to the door, but when she ushers for someone to come in, my face drops.

"Come on!" she giggles, opening the door a bit wider to let whoever's out there, inside.

My lips curl downwards into a bit of a confused frown as a man walks in the room and wraps his arm around Yuzuha's waist.

"Yo, guys, what's up," he nods.

I size the man up right away: Dark skin, black hair, three piercings in his left ear, and small, rectangular glasses.

Yuzuha's smile widens from ear to ear. "Guys, this is my new boyfriend... Chikao!"

Hakkai's blown away, but at least he has the decency to greet the man. "Sup," he waves.

As for me, I'm too shocked to even move.

"Come on, baby," Chikao hums as he tugs Yuzuha closer to his side. "Let's go upstairs."

"Okay," she giggles, "Bye!"

Only when they leave the room and make it up the stairs can I move my head to face my blue-haired friend.

"What the hell was that?" I whisper.

"I dunno," he shrugs. "I didn't even know my sister was seeing someone!"

"Well, uh..." I smile awkwardly as I scratch the back of my neck. "I oughta get going..."

At the same time, the two of us stand up, but Hakkai blocks my pathway to the door. "Are you alright, Taka-chan?"

"Yeah, it's not a big deal," I nod. "I'll see you later."

"You going to the club tonight?" he asks in barely a whisper.

"Yeah," I nod sadly.

"When are you going to quit?! You really should, you know, before something happens!"

"Soon..."

"Later that evening when I got to the club, Hanma approached me."

"How ya feelin' bud?" he asks as he places his arm around my shoulder.

"I'm fine."

"Glad to hear it!" he hums chipperly. "Look, I'd like to have a quick chat with you real quick. You got a sec?"

I'm a bit confused, but agree nonetheless, and allow him to usher me over to the bar. He orders two drinks with a smile, but forces it to quickly fade into something way more serious when he looks over at me.

"This is really not my decision, but I'm gonna have to let you go, Mitsuya," he sighs.

"What the hell? Why?! I've kept my word!" I shout.

"Shhh. You knew this was coming," he groans as though it's a pain in the ass to explain this to me. "It's obviously because of the Hakkai situation."

"But I didn't do anything?!"

"It's not that Kisaki doesn't trust you won't say anything, but he just doesn't want you around all the time anymore. It's just safer that way. What if you get followed? Of course you can come when you like, but you don't have an obligation to come every night now."

I ball my hands into fists; I'm so close to punching that asshole out.

"You sure you're alright? You really don't look so hot," Hanma then adds, just trying to add fuel to my fire.

"You just fired me! What the hell were you expecting me to look like? Like I'm happy?" I retort.

I scoff as I stand up, looking to leave, but Hanma grabs my hand and prevents me from moving away too quickly.

"You better not say anything again, Mitsuya," he warns through dark, narrowing eyes.

"Whatever," I groan as I pull away roughly. "I'm going to the bathroom."

"I stayed in there for a while, clearing my head with cold water and making sure I don't fall victim to the other doing drugs in the bathroom. I guess Hanma forgot about me or thought that I left 'cause when I came out, I saw him with his arm around a somewhat familiar girl."

"I didn't think much of it since couldn't put my finger on who the girl was and it wasn't until the next morning that I realized it was you. They didn't want me coming around 'cause they didn't want me to run into you."