tunasub | OPEN POST 2019

I didnt say mad I said creeped out

[ there's a DIFFERENCE. he'd know if kiryu was mad at him, anyway. ]

But ok good
That brand of shochu always makes me all sloppy i gotta stop drinking it.
U mean a lot to me u know? You're the only brother I've got. Not that complicated u don't gotta get confused
Shit don't make me get all sappy explaining this to you

I would have told you outright if you did.

[ . . . ]

Do you have any plans tonight?
If you don't, I think I'll take you up on that dinner offer
We should go somewhere they don't offer alcohol

Gonna be hard to find a place like that in Kamurocho.
But sure I'm free tonight. Let's do it

[ honestly, there aren't that many people he'd call friends in this town outside of kiryu and reina, so his schedule's usually open if he's not doing "business..." ]

Just go easy on my wallet. That new car was no joke

Well, Akaushimaru only has cheap beer
Same with a couple of ramen places on Tenkaichi Street

Worst comes to worst, there's always Smile Burger?

We can't eat dinner at Smile Burger bro... Thats sad

Ramen would hit the spot though if ur dedicated to being sober
Want me to swing by your place tonight? I'll pick you up.

That's why I tacked it on at the end as a worst case scenario...
But cool, sounds like a plan
See you in a bit

[ they have definitely eaten dinner at smile burger before anyway... before they had more money than they knew what to do with. Good times.

By the time evening actually rolls around, Nishikiyama's largely forgotten about the impetus of the original text conversation; in typical Nishikiyama fashion, he's mostly excited about getting to hang out with Kiryu. Even though they just hung out yesterday. Doesn't matter!! Kiryu is the best. Knocking on his door: ]

Oi, Kiryu! You awake? It's me.

[ look, sometimes you're just REALLY in the mood for a smile shake and you figure you may as well just get dinner too since you're already there anyway? that's just what 20 year olds DO.

kiryu opens the door quickly enough, already ready to hit up the town. familiar scents typical of a bachelor pad waft out of the small apartment—cigarette smoke, canned beer residue, flavor packets from instant noodles. he really should learn how to open a window one of these days. ]

Yo. [ he raises a hand in his usual greeting as he steps out to join nishiki and closes the door behind him. ] Thanks for coming out tonight.

[ Nishiki could criticize him, but let's be real, his room is just as bad. These nasty bachelor boys. ]

Hey, someone's gotta get you out on the town at night. Would you even know there were ramen places on Tenkaichi if it wasn't for me?

[ maybe, but he both likes teasing kiryu and making himself feel like he's contributing something, so. He claps a hand on Kiryu's shoulder, as usual, before leading him over to his car, twirling his keys around one finger. ]

Hop in. Oh, man, did I tell you this thing has heated seats? I'll show you.

Tch. You make it sound like I'm hopeless.

[ as nishiki slings an arm around his shoulder, kiryu lightly jabs him in the side with his elbow. he's wearing a smile, though, because this lighthearted teasing is a cornerstone of their relationship. he doesn't know what he'd do if things were any different. ]

Guess they had to pull out all the stops if you dropped so much cash on it. What other tricks is this thing hiding?

[ kiryu you are hopeless.

The shoulder-slinging is short-lived, seeing as he has to actually get in the car; it's just something Nishiki does without thinking, at this point. ]

It's got a CD player, bro. [ a beat. ] I don't have any CDs yet, though.

[ did you know CD players were like, $500+ in the 80s? and CDs cost like $30?? i do now. ]

Whoa.

[ it's a single word, yes, but nishiki should know how enthusiastic the usually-stoic kiryu really is just by his tone alone. like, he is straight up JAZZED as he climbs into the passenger seat and buckles himself in. ]

Come on, let's stop by a music store after dinner. We have to celebrate.

[ his expression brightens instantaneously at the suggestion, and he beams a big smile over at Kiryu. ]

Yeah! Let's do it. No backing out later, okay? We're turning this thing into a mobile karaoke machine on the way back.

[ it's a threat AND a promise.

in any case, driving over to kamurocho now!! woo!! how does he find parking in the big city? when you're a yakuza, it's not hard!! where are you taking him, bro. ]

Heh. How am I supposed to say no to my own idea?

[ he holds up his fist to bump it against nishiki's knuckles. BUT SURE, OK, THEY'RE DRIVING? bold of you to assume i actually looked at a game map for reference. anyway, they find parking on an off-street with relative ease, and kiryu leads nishiki toward a modest-looking ramen shop. before nishiki gets the chance to make any kind of comment, kiryu makes idle chatter as they duck beneath the banner hanging over the restaurant's entrance. ]

Their decor isn't anything flashy, but this place simmers their tonkotsu broth for a whole 48 hours. Their dedication really shines through in the effort they put into making their food, and you can't help but respect that.

[ who knew kiryu was a foodie, apparently??? ]

[ in nishiki's experience, the restaurants with the flashiest exteriors tend to have pretty shallow flavors, especially when it comes to ramen, so he's not judging the book by its cover here. ]

You're really serious about ramen, huh? Macho, as always. Well, I trust your judgement when it comes to basic stuff like this.

[ kiryu may not know many things, but nishiki will believe that kiryu knows good ramen when he tastes it. ]

"Not that flashy, but packed full of hard work" is just your style, Kiryu.

[ his expression may remain the same as it ever does, but a slight change in inflection in kiryu's voice should be all nishiki needs to tell that those comments... really do mean a lot to him. unsurprisingly, though, he is modest as can be—as he takes a seat at the bar with nishiki beside him, he only replies, ]

I thought you weren't a fan of "my style." I still remember you giving me hell for the suit.

Your sense of style is a totally separate matter. Still not a fan of that - or your clown suit. One day you're gonna have to get serious and start looking presentable.

[ he's smiling back, though, even as he teases. It's hard to read Kiryu sometimes - well, most of the time, actually - but he likes to think he's gotten good at it over the years. ]

It seems to be working for me so far.

[ he just nudges nishiki in the side as he places his order... then, after a moment of hesitation, he asks the server to make that two. with a nod of acknowledgement, he looks over to nishiki with a firm gaze. ]

Trust me on this one.

Don't I always?

[ he trusts kiryu more than he trusts himself, honestly. Nishiki instinctively almost orders a beer before he remembers Kiryu said he didn't want to drink. In his experience, that usually means he's got something serious on his mind. Even though he has the singular brain cell of this operation, he's not really putting two and two together. Leaning his elbows on the table, he looks over at his oath brother with a raised eyebrow. ]

So? Am I allowed to ask why you're suddenly having a sober night out?

[ kiryu takes a moment to contemplate his answer, staring into the glass of water before him for a few seconds before picking up and taking a drink. once he's had about a fourth of the cup, he breaks the silence with, ]

I wanted to talk about what happened last night.

[ straight to the point, huh. then again, as nishiki put it, that's just kiryu's style. he isn't always the most attentive, but he turns and pays close attention to nishiki's face and body language with a creased brow. before nishiki can get a word in, kiryu adds, ]

I understand if you don't want to, though. If that's the case, then you can go ahead and order something. Give me your keys first, though.

[ on second thought, he really should have seen this coming. Like, really bad, but he'd been really hoping they could just put this behind them. Why is it that Kiryu is only perceptive at the worst times? Nishiki chokes a little mid-drink, himself, coughing into his elbow a few times, which at least buys him a few seconds to reply properly. ]

Seriously...? You sound like you're my girlfriend or something when you put it like that... [ hahaaaha ha. ha!! He super doesn't want to talk about this, but, as ever, he can't say no to Kiryu, especially when he's looking at him like that. So he just sighs, setting his glass down with a clunk. ] I told you, I was drunk.

[ he isn't surprised when nishiki sputters, when he tries to deflect. where kiryu lacks in outward emotional expression, nishiki makes up for him in droves. they've always complemented each other like that, for as long as they can remember.

he shakes his head. ]

I know how you are when you're drunk. That was... different.

[ there's a very matter-of-fact tone in his voice. "troubled" isn't the right word for the expression he's wearing... maybe more concerned? for nishiki's sake and well-being, not for the situation they're discussing, or the implications thereof. ]

[ yeah, he knows Kiryu isn't actually upset about this; even if he'd bugged him about it over text earlier, that was more Nishiki trying to protect himself and redirect the conversation. That obviously didn't work. He considers trying to deny it some more, but that wasn't working, either. Unsurprising. The two of them have known each other long enough that they can't fool each other. Nishikiyama stares back at him for a second or two, then sighs again, glancing away briefly. ]

... I guess. You'd know better than me. [ he doesn't remember, after all. Nishiki goes quiet then, for once in his life, raising an eyebrow in his direction curiously. Kiryu keeps talking about this, but Nishiki still can't exactly tell where he's trying to go with it. ] So?

[ he's about to answer with the first thing to come to mind, but fate decides to intervene in the form of two bowls of ramen being set on the counter in front of them. kiryu tilts his head up to thank the chef, but he doesn't yet begin to dig in. he doesn't feel like he can leave nishiki hanging like this; he doesn't deserve that. ]

Be honest with me. [ he snaps his chopsticks in two, perfectly even on both sides. huh. doesn't that mean good luck? ] . . . Is that really how you think of me, Nishiki?

What kinda question is that?

[ the ramen does look appetizing, but it's hard to think about eating at the moment. He stares into the broth for a second or two, breaking apart his own chopsticks, before glancing back Kiryu's way, answering honestly, as requested. Even if it's embarrassing. Because, well -- it's Kiryu. It's no secret how much Nishiki cares about him. Right? He just doesn't usually say it. Or get specific about it. ]

Of course it is.

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