tunasub | OPEN POST 2019

[ 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.

. . .

How long?

[ he says it plainly. it seems like a simple enough question to him, but... ]

I dunno... How long've we known each other?

[ he's got to give a little half-smile at that question, mostly because it scared the shit out of him and he's pretending he didn't just hear Kiryu ask a question specifically relating to romantic love. Nishiki didn't ever say anything that made it sound like that, did he? He doesn't remember exactly what he said, though...

Well, whatever. Awkwardly, he scratches the back of his head, then picks up his chopsticks, swirling around the ramen noodles a little bit. ]

You think I'd be brothers with a guy I don't love?

[ god this is embarrassing to say out loud but kiryu's denser than lead so he has to ]

[ kiryu is silent for a while, as if debating how to respond. he at least takes the chance to start eating while the soup is still hot, gently nudging nishiki to prompt him into doing the same. it's just as good as kiryu had hyped it up to be, which i hope you take my word for, because i don't know how the fuck to describe soup other than "it gud"

once he's made it about a third of the way into his bowl, he sets down his chopsticks. he stares into the broth for a moment before turning to look at nishiki, his face somewhat solemn. ]

I'm sorry it took me so long to notice.

[ huh. well. that went okay! Maybe he's done with this now. Nishiki blinks at him, eyebrow raised, before eventually following suit and digging in. ]

Oh, this is pretty good.

[ leave it to him to start making more conversation in the middle of this topic... except it goes back to non-ramen subjects soon after, and he's left staring at Kiryu mid-noodle, holding them a little bit out of the bowl while he stares over at him. ]

Uh, I think you knew... Wait, what kinda feelings do you think I'm talking about, here?

[ because it's TOTALLY NOT romantic love bro!! NOT AT ALL!! ]

[ nani.mp3

did he... misinterpret the situation? which, like, really isn't a hard thing to do... but he thought... why else would nishiki have...?

his eyebrows are knit together as he turns his attention back toward nishiki, this time more confused than serious. ]

... You said love...?

[ help ]

[ my oath brother can't be this stupid.mp4 ]

Yeah, brotherly love! There's more than one kind!

[ and he totally meant that kind, yeah!! he gives Kiryu a look of disbelief before eating his noodles, which he mostly finishes swallowing prior to continuing talking. ]

You think I'd confess my love for you in a dinky little ramen shop? I'm not you, Kiryu.

[ give him a second to try and review the past few moments. he was... well. he wasn't sure about anything, but he thought he was getting somewhere. doing something more than what he usually does. ]

I always thought... love can happen anywhere, even in the most unlikely of places. [ he pauses. ] When I think about it, somewhere like this, where the staff puts so much love and labor into their soup, would make a fine place for that kind of heartfelt confession.

[ there is, unsurprisingly, no goddamn hint of irony in his face or voice. ]

[ Of course there isn't. Nishiki just listens, that brow slowly inching closer to his hairline the entire time. This is exactly the kind of thing Kiryu would say, actually, so he doesn't know why he's surprised... probably because it's ridiculous to hear a guy who looks like him say stuff like this in total seriousness. Also, because it's stupid. In that endearing Kiryu sort of way, admittedly. ]

This is exactly why you've got no luck with women. You're practically on another planet. [ he pokes fun at him, as always... but it's an affectionate teasing, punctuated by Nishiki gesticulating mildly at him with a slice of mushroom in his chopsticks. ] Sorry for breaking your heart, bro. At least I cut you off before you had to turn me down?

OPEN POST 2019

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