Chapter Text
Her hands, raking up and down his chest with perfectly manicured nails. Her lips, nibbling on his neck and leaving lipstick stains in their wake. Her teeth, sinking into his flesh just moments before he completely dissociated.
Hifumi wasn’t sure how much time had passed. His stomach churned with anxiety as Honobono began tearing at his clothes, greedily feasting her eyes upon her prey and laughing in that malicious way of hers. He knew this was wrong. Yet no matter how badly he wanted it to stop, he couldn’t push her away.
She was a woman. She was once his friend. And now she was a Chuoku officer.
She was Keitoin Honobono.
And she was his abuser.
That was when the door suddenly slammed open. A horde of Chuohku officers rushed into the room, moving as fast as lightning. But to Hifumi, it felt as if everything was playing out in slow motion. His ears were ringing, vision was blurry, and all he could hear was the erratic pounding of his own heartbeat.
He didn’t know which way was up and which way was down. Were these women here to take advantage of him too? Just like Honobono had ordered her friends to do all those years ago…
Yet suddenly, one girl’s voice in particular sliced through his hazy consciousness.
“Keitoin Honobono, stop right there!”
Still pinned beneath her, Hifumi lobbed his head to the side to see Nemu Aohitsugi, vice chief of the party of words, coming to his rescue.
Sitting up with a confused look on her face, Honobono suddenly smiled. “Ahh, Nemu-chan. Have you come to join in on the fun?” She invited. “And I see you’ve brought friends. Come on ladies, there’s enough of Hifumi-kun to go around~”
Then suddenly, her cocky smile faded. She squinted her eyes with ferocity, noticing the other male who had slipped into the room behind the women.
“My my, dost plan to extinguish the sun?” He wove his words poetically as he drifted across the room, like a feather upon the wind. “My energy waxes and wanes like the moon. Shall we deem this an eclipse?”
Gentaro extended his hand between Honobono and Hifumi, shielding the poor boy from her view. It truly felt like an eclipse, as he casted a shadow to block Hifumi from her vicious orbit.
“I’d watch your mouth, if I were you. Do you want to be put in a coma like your brother, Yumeno Gentaro?” Honobono hissed, rising to her feet. “Fufu. Or should I call you by a different name?”
“Haha. Don’t make me laugh,” Gentaro didn’t back down. “At the end of the day, words are just toys. Trinkets and trifles for us to mold however we wish. Words only hold power if we give them power,” He sighed. Then he glared at her. “And I refuse to give you power, Keitoin Honobono.”
Nemu commanded the party of words to seize her. Honobono was restrained, and dragged away by the other women. Then the women left, and the door closed yet again.
Hifumi was still curled up on the couch, shaking, but not crying.
Gentaro walked over to him and took a seat at his side. He was quiet for a moment. A long moment.
“But words can have meaning, if we choose to give them meaning…” He whispered. “But now… I fear my lexicon lacks the wherewithal to convey… how sorry I am…”
Hifumi wanted to speak. But he was still shaken up. Slowly, he sat up on the couch, looking around for his clothes.
Gentaro immediately helped him gather his shirt and pants. He waited patiently as Hifumi got dressed. It took a while. But eventually, the host was ready to speak.
“How did you know she was in here?”
“I didn’t,” Gentaro replied. “I assumed you were speaking with Kannonzaka, so I followed you. But once I saw the door was locked, I assumed the worst,” He explained. “I knew I could ask Aohitsugi Nemu to unlock it. Ramuda insists she’s not like the others.”
“Not like the others…” Hifumi echoed, with his head hanging in defeat. “I can see that. She’s not as scary as the other women.”
Gentaro perked up. He felt like he was finally getting to the part of the story he was missing.
“Keitoin Honobono… She’s the reason you’re like this. Isn’t she?” He deduced. “She is a character from your past.”
Hifumi sighed, hearing the genius writer once again unravel the story.
“Ding-ding-ding! You got it right!” He exclaimed, the cheerful sparkle finally coming back to his eyes. He spoke in his happy voice, full of delight. “Honobono is like, a total meanie! I appreciate you saving me, Yumeno-sensei, but you should really stay away from her too!” He announced.
“I see…” Gentaro nodded. “She holds a position of power. She even knew the truth about me…” He looked down. “And my brother…”
Hearing those words, Hifumi looked back up. For a moment, he stared at Gentaro, eager for an explanation. Like a child full of whimsy, awaiting the conclusion to a bedtime story.
Gentaro sighed. “I suppose I’ll let you in on the truth. After all, I told Ramuda and Daisu just last week…” He admitted. “I’m not the real Yumeno Gentaro.”
Hifumi’s jaw dropped. He never expected a plot twist like this.
“HUHHH!? What do you mean??”
Gentaro folded his arms with a sigh. “Yumeno Gentaro is… a character I play. Based on someone I once loved. I get lost in it sometimes. And the line between me and the real Gentaro becomes blurred…”
Hifumi swallowed. “Something tragic happened to you too, didn’t it?” He realized.
Gentaro was quiet.
In that moment, it was more clear than ever just how similar the two really were.
~
Doppo finished an energy drink he had gotten from a vending machine. As he threw it away, he checked his phone.
“It’s almost time…” He realized.
“L-let me go! God damn it! Let go!” Honobono screamed, getting dragged off by the other Chuohku officers. “The party of words is nothing without me! Otome said it herself, you girls need me to keep the men in check! That’s what I do best! I control them!!”
Like Hifumi, Doppo would recognize that voice anywhere. Peeking around the corner, he saw the unexpected scene unfolding.
“K…Keitoin…”
Looking up, Honobono was disheveled. Her hair was a mess and her clothes were tattered. Yet she still grinned at Doppo in that condescending way of hers.
“Ara~ If it isn’t Kannonzaka-kun~” She purred. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready to go on stage? I’m still expecting Matenro to win, you know. Even if Hifumi-kun is torn to pieces, he’ll win, he’ll win, he’ll win!” She boasted. “MY BEAUTIFUL YELLOW ROSE, HIFUMI-KUN~!”
A look of horror appeared on the salaryman’s face. It was then when he noticed Honobono was clasping Hifumi’s jacket in her arms. He immediately lunged in to snatch it away from her.
“You…!” He screamed. “You’re the one who sent that bouquet to our apartment…!”
Honobono giggled. “I’ve done much more than that, Kannonzaka-kun,” She teased. Even while in the clutches of the Chuohku officers, she leaned as close to Doppo as she could to make one final threat. “Someday, I really will kill you. Then Hifumi-kun will finally be mine!”
Slap! Doppo slapped her across the face.
Quite literally. He didn’t hesitate to physically lash out and strike her with an open hand. It silenced her instantly, as her eyes went wide with shock. And for some reason, the officers restraining her did nothing to stop it.
“I’ve wanted to do that for so long…” Doppo shuddered. With that, he turned away to storm down the hall. “There’s a special place in hell for people like you.”
~
It was time for the final battle.
“Hifumi-kun, will you be ok without your jacket?” Jakurai asked.
Hifumi smiled. “You know, sensei, I find myself needing it less and less these days…” He replied. “I’m just worried about Doppochin. If he doesn’t make it in time, we’ll be forced to forfeit…”
“Ah! Ahhh! Haahh! I-I’m here! I’m… ghhyaaahhh!” Doppo screamed, running toward the others. He was a sweaty mess, (as usual) out of breath, and about to pass out. “H-H-Hifumi! Sensei! I’m here!” He bent over to wheeze for air.
Hifumi’s face lit up. “Darling, you made it!” He smiled. Then he realized his partner was probably still mad at him. “Ah. I’m sorry. I…!”
Doppo immediately stood up, and wrapped his arms around Hifumi. He embraced him tightly, warmly, cradling him in his arms. And clinging to him with every ounce of love he had to give.
Hifumi’s eyes went wide. “D…Doppochin?”
“I’m sorry, Hifumi… I should have listened to you. I should have listened and been there for your instead of blaming you like I did…” Doppo whispered in his ear. “I’m so, so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”
Hifumi’s eyes twinkled. “I should be the one apologizing…” He slowly pulled away from the hug. “But we can talk about this later, honey! Right now, we’ve gotta prepare for the rap battle!”
Doppo smiled. “R-right!” He nodded, getting into the spirit of things. “Oh. And I have this. D-do you want to wear it?” He offered the jacket to his lover.
Hifumi hesitated. In the past, that jacket had a grip on him. It was the reason he spiraled out of control and made so many bad choices. But it was also his saving grace. Like a super hero’s suit. Like a plate of armor worn by a valiant knight.
In the end, it didn’t matter if he wore it or not. He was the one in control of his actions. Not Honobono. Not Gentaro. Not anyone else on earth.
Hifumi would walk out on that stage with the face he was born with. And no one could stop him.