Barefaced

"I can't believe that woman really believed you..." He sighs looking up from the manga he has in his hand. "What do you want?" He asks.

"That day... when you guys found out I was V... you said Ren started the rumor... How did you find that out?" You ask.

"It was obvious." He says looking back at his manga. "He kept mentioning you... saying you knew how to fight and that he believed you were stronger than Mikey..." He sighs. "He didn't say your name or anything... he never even said you were a girl either... he just mentioned you as his friend. But then rumor went around that V was beating people up and I started to believe that Ren started that rumor and that this friend of his was complete bullshit" He continues.

"Rumor said that V was a toman member going around destroying other gangs... starting off with Moebius. Then I hear toman members talking about it. Saying they encountered a person named V..." Baji looks up at you. "And the description Ren gave of V fit the same description the members gave..." He states. "I told Mikey, and he followed you around for a while..." He adds.

"He followed me around?" Baji nods.

"Yeah... Then I made Eli tell me about you. He had no idea what I knew when he told me. He was saying you were smart and strong... but that you wouldn't hurt anyone unless you had to." Baji continues. "I also kept following Ren around while Mikey followed you. I came across this one girl Ren was with... she noticed me or whatever... said something about V was curious about Mikey and was trying to tear Mikey down... it sounded similar to what Ren said the day we caught him at the shrine... except for the Mikey part..." He looks back up at you. "I never even asked her about V... but she told me randomly... almost as if Ren told her to tell me. That's what confirmed it... Thats how I knew Ren was the rat."

"You figured it out from her telling you that?" You ask. Baji nods. You sigh looking down. Baji looks up at you.

"Is that all?" He asks. You look at him and sigh and then you look towards the door. 

"So, you're on house arrest or something?" You ask. Baji sighs and leans back.

"She told you?" He asks speaking about his mother. You nod to his question. "Of course she did... she's been on my ass lately..." He places the comic down and looks at you. "I would tell you to leave but my mom thinks you are here to tutor me... so you're stuck here. If I kick you out now she would start yelling at me again..." 

"Yeah..." You slowly look around his room.

"Do you like Mikey?" He asks. You look at him in confusion. "Just a question. Do you, or no?" You shrug.

"I haven't known him for long enough to gain any feelings for him." You say. Baji nods. 

"You're boring-" He comments picking his comic book up.

"Boring... why do you say that?" You ask. Baji doesn't respond. You sigh and sit down on the floor by the door.

MEOW

You look up to see a cat walk into Baji's room from the window. Baji turns to the cat meowing at him.

"Oh... It's you again..." He says sitting up and petting the cat.

"Is that your cat?" You ask. Baji shakes his head.

"This is a new cat that keeps showing up... she was injured when I first saw her, but I've been giving her food and taking care of her." He says grabbing a bowl and pouring cat food in it. 

"Did you name her?" You question looking at the cat.

"No... not yet." He places a bowl of cat food in front of the cat. She leans down and starts eating from it. He smiles and strokes the cats back.

"You seem fond of cats." You comment. Baji turns to look at you and then he nods.

After a couple of hours, you left his house and went home. You lay in bed thinking about Ren and what he did. You don't remember many of Yuki's memories so you can't entirely remember what happened between Yuki and Ren.

The next morning you get ready for school. Both Hana and Aimi are downstairs in the bakery talking to your grandmother.

"There she is." Your grandmother says. You smile at Aimi and Hana. The three of you walk to school. 

"There's a festival this weekend..." Aimi says putting her shoes in her locker.

"A festival?" You question.

"Yeah... We should go." She coos. Hana looks at Aimi and then at you.

"Isn't it going to rain this weekend?" Hana asks.

"Yeah but we can still go... until it rains." Aimi suggests.

"Is that even a good Idea?" Hana sighs. "Like I really don't look forward to getting wet." She says walking down the hall. You and Aimi follow behind.

"Don't worry... I will just bring umbrellas." Aimi implies.

"What made you want to go to the festival... I thought you never liked going to those..." Hana states.

"What? I never said that." Aimi replies.

"Yes... You have... You said going to them makes you feel single." Hana chuckles. You smile at Aimi which makes her look away. 

"Okay- yeah I did say that, but I have a good reason to why I want to go to this festival." She bubbles.

"Which is what?" You ask.

"Touya asked Mika to the festival... and I wanted to spy on them." Aimi sooths smiling at you.

"You sound like Hana saying that." Eli says from behind you.

"WOAH- STOP POPPING UP LIKE THAT!" Hana shouts. Eli stares at Hana making Hana look away. "Whatever... since this guy is here, I'm going to go..." Hana says waving with her back towards the three of you. You three walk into class and sit down. People are still staring at you. 

"They are still staring at you..." Aimi comments.

"Yeah... It's getting annoying." Eli adds as he leans back in his chair.

"Just ignore it." You reply pulling out your notebook.

"You guys are going to the festival right? It's tomorrow right?" Eli asks, you nod. "Can I come?"

"Yeah... I thought you would come so yes... come." Aimi says writing something down. Eli nods and turns around.

During lunch Hana and Aimi went to study group since they are behind in class. The teacher wanted you to take something to the teachers lounge so you did. After walking out the teachers lounge you walk down the hall back towards class. You feel someone tap you on the shoulder which makes you flinch a bit and turn around to look and see who it was.

"Ren..." You say looking up at Ren.

"Can we talk?" He asks. You shake your head and turn around. "Please... I get you're mad at me but I really need to talk to you."

"Why?" You ask turning around and looking at him.

"I want to know what Eli said to you." Ren says.

"He didn't say anything to me..." You say walking away.

"Yuki-" He says grabbing your shoulder again. "Please... can we talk."

"NO- I don't want to talk to you. Not after what you did." You reply.

"So, Eli did tell you..." He sighs letting go of you. You stare at him blankly.

"Yuki..." A voice says from behind you. You turn around to see someone familiar.

"Mitsuya?" You say looking at him confused.

"I didn't know we went to the same school." He chuckles. Ren sighs and walks away, heading towards the art room.

"Was that Ren?" Mitsuya asks. You nod.

"Mmm..." Mitsuya hums looking into the distance. He turns to look at you. "Are you in a club?" He asks.

"No." You say shaking your head.

"Are you busy after school?" He asks. You shake your head again.

"Good." He coos. "Come to the home economics room after school. I would like if you came." He sooths. He smiles at you before he walks off down the hall. You raise an eyebrow confused on what happened. Ren wants to talk to you and Mitsuya goes to your school. You sigh looking off into the distance before walking to class. 

After school Aimi went home. Eli said he needed to take care of a few family things, so he also went home. You and Hana walk towards the home economics room. Mitsuya is sitting in the room surrounded by a few girls. It looks like he's using a sewing machine. Hana looks at you.

"You want to go to this club...?" She sighs. "When you said you were joining a club, I thought it would have been something fun." Hana groans.

"I'm just trying it out... You might like it if you give it a chance Hana... can't judge anything before trying it." You reply to her groan. 

"Yeah but... I'm hungry and this will make me hungrier..." She whines tilting her head to the side. "OH! We should try the baking club... now that sounds fun." She says trying to pull you away.

"Yuki!" A voice yells out from the room. You turn to see Mitsuya smiling at you.

"You know that guy?" Hana asks. You slowly nod.

"Do you know who he is?" You ask.

"Yeah... Takashi Mitsuya... I have class with him." Hana states.

"Wait... really?"  You look at Hana surprised. 

"Yeah... He's cute but apparently he's apart of a biker gang... wait... is he apart of Toman?" Hana asks.

"Mhmm..." You hum. Mitsuya walks to the door still smiling at you then he looks at Hana.

"Kaneko-san." He softly says. You look at Hana and she sighs. 

"Kaneko? Hana Kaneko?" A voice says from a distance. A girl with grey eyes and black hair braided into two braids walks over beside Mitsuya.

"I- Nope... I'm going to go home. Have fun Yuki." Hana says walking away. You watch her walk away confused on why she was leaving.

"..." The girl watches Hana walk away and then looks at you.

"Are you friends with Hana?" The girl asks. You slowly nod nervous to how she would react.

"oh... I used to be close to Hana when we were younger." The girl says. You tilt your head to the side confused by what she said. "What's your name?" The girl asks. 

"Yuki." You reply.

"Nice to meet you Yuki... I'm Yasuda." She smiles at you. Mitsuya smiles at the both of you and motions you to come inside.

"C'mon in." You follow behind him.

You don't know how to do any of what they are doing so instead you are standing and watching everyone around you making something. 

"Do you know how to use a sewing machine?" Yasuda asks. You slowly shake your head. She nods slowly and sighs. "I can teach you." She says. She motions you at a seat where a sewing machine is. She first shows you simple sewing with a pin and needle and point at the differences between the machine and needle on certain cloths. 

After the club ends everyone leaves. You walk out the school feeling drained. Home economics club is fun but is not something you want to do everyday.

"Did you enjoy the club?" Mitsuya asks walking towards you. You turn to look at him and shrug.

"It was okay... just a lot of work." You reply. 

"Oh. Heh, It's okay. Peh and Pah doesn't really like it much." He smiles.

"Why did you want me to join?" You ask.

"I don't know. Maybe to get closer to you." He sooths. "I would enjoy having you in the Handicrafts club." He smiles, you smile back. "Are you going home?" He asks looking at you. You shrug. He smiles and nods. "I have to get my sisters and make them dinner... You should join me." He says, stopping to look at you. You stop and look back at him.

"Are you sure?" You ask. He nods. You feel nervous to the idea of meeting someone's family, especially since you never met them. Just like when you met Ms. Baji. 

"You don't have to come, but I would like if you came." Mitsuya coos. You slowly nod feeling a bit nervous.