Chapter 2: Hunting Season(ing) Part One

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Are you okay with this?" Mob sat on a bench with Tome, the head of the Telepathy Club. Mob wasn't part of the Telepathy Club, but he had a good relationship with the members since they shared the room with the Body Improvement Club (which Mob was a part of). So naturally, when Tome aggressively insisted that he help her hunt aliens or telepaths or telepaths that were also aliens, Mob felt like he had no choice to agree.

But unfortunately, despite having four investigative meetings (this one was number five), they had thusfar failed to find anything.

Maybe aliens or telepaths weren't as common as either one of them thought.

"Maybe it'd be better for us to try again later in the year. Maybe aliens visit only during certain seasons." It didn't at all seem implausible to Mob. People always hoped for the weather to be a certain way when they went on vacation. If aliens were even a little like humans, Mob was sure they'd feel the same way when they vacationed on other planets.

Comments

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob took the cue and followed after Teruki.

"Y-you think so?" What Teruki was saying was probably true. Tsubomi probably would want the guy asking her out to make the first move. But... would he be able to do it? "I'll probably need to practice some more before I do it."

[mp_simplyacommoner]

"You can come over to my place whenever you feel like it. I live alone, so you won't be bothering anyone."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

That was enough to snap Mob out of his nerves.

"You live alone?"

[mp_simplyacommoner]

"Yeah." Teruki pointed at a distance high-rise. It was unmistakably the up-up-upscale residential district of Seasoning City. "It's got a pretty nice view."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob's gaze followed Teruki's finger.

"But where are your parents?"

[mp_simplyacommoner]

"They work overseas. I think they're in Manhattan right now..." Teruki trailed off towards the end, clearly unsure himself. "Ah, where do you live? I'll walk you home."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Oh. That seems pretty lonely," Mob said as he lead the way to his home. Mob wasn't sure what he'd do without his parents and Ritsu there every day.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

Huh.

“Don’t tell me…”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"What?"

[mp_simplyacommoner]

Teruki leaned in closer as they walked. "Don't tell me you're worried about me."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob had no reservations about admitting it. "Of course."

[mp_simplyacommoner]

That was pretty rich, but...if Mob cared enough about him even when they were fighting to cry over hurting him...

"Don't be. Seriously. It's better this way."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob started to open his mouth to say something, but then he stopped. It sounded like maybe Teru didn't want to talk about it. He shouldn't push then, right?

"My home's this way," he said, pointing a finger in the appropriate direction. "So if we go forward and turn, it should be two blocks down."

[mp_simplyacommoner]

'Though...this may involve him sooner or later...' Teruki was quiet for the rest of the walk, consumed by thought, enough that he didn't hear Mob at first when he broke the silence.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"...it's almost dinnertime, so I'm sure if you wanted to, my mom would be fine with you joining us for dinner," Mob continued.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

"Eh?" Something about the upward inflection in Mob's voice snapped him out of it. "...Ah. Dinner?"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Yeah. Are you hungry?"

[mp_simplyacommoner]

Had he ever been invited over for dinner? Well, technically, but it was an invitation extended to his mom or his dad first and foremost. They never turned down the invitations, so he couldn't easily reach for a script to follow and he had to think quickly--

"Oh no, no. Your mom doesn't need someone as sweaty as me at her dinner table."

...

'...Ugh!'

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"She won't mind. Ritsu and I come home sweaty all the time."

[mp_kageyamabro]

Ritsu was already consumed with thoughts of himself all day and all the way home...and not in a good way. 'Stupid. This is stupid. Seriously...'

Kamuro.

Psychic powers.

Him.

He was stupid. A stupid piece of shit.

'Ritsu.' Ritsu heard his brother's voice before he saw him, which was unusual--his brother barely spoke above a murmur, but it was carrying now--and at the sound of his own name it touched the open nerve that was his entire being. He hurried and turned the corner to the street with his home's entrance, there he was. With someone else.

Someone really...all Ritsu could think was the word conspicuous. The kind of person that didn't talk to his big brother every day.

"Who's this?" Ritsu's came out a little too loud, a little too accusatory, but he cleared his throat and managed a smile. The blond stranger peered over Mob's shoulder to see Ritsu. He smiled back, eventually, but it was after a second too long of sizing him up. Ritsu grit his teeth.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Oh, hey, Ritsu. This is Hanezawa. He's from Black Vinegar Middle School."

[mp_kageyamabro]

'He's from Black Vinegar Middle School.'

Ritsu felt locked into place.

No, no, no. No. No. It was just a coincidence.

'Like hell it's a coincidence!'

The strange boy bowed his head slightly. "Teruki Hanazawa. Year 2. I'm an acquaintance of your brother."

"...Ritsu Kageyama." He bowed his head back. "Year 1."

"I was just on my way, so..."

"Oh?" Again, he couldn't keep the faint accusatory lilt out of his voice. You're an acquaintance from another middle school entirely? You're acquaintance but I've never seen you around this neighborhood in my life? You're an acquaintance but you're walking my brother home?

The strange boy was deigning to be polite enough but Ritsu knew from one microexpression on Hanazawa's face that he caught Ritsu's intent immediately. And still, he smiled a little and that did nothing but send another wave of irritation through Ritsu's head.

"Yeah. He was kind enough to invite me inside, but I wouldn't want to impose."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob could sense something was off but he really wasn't sure why it was that way.

"Yeah," Mob said, hoping to diffuse the tension. "He doesn't have plans tonight, so I thought he could join us for dinner."

[mp_kageyamabro]

Hanazawa laughed in uncertainty and the knot of tension in Ritsu's gut loosened slightly. Very, very, very slighty. 'Is....Bro trying to talk this guy into coming inside...?' That was really not like him.

So. Hanazawa was trying to squirm away.

"Sure. Why not? Mom's making nikujaga. There's always extra when she makes that."

Ritsu kind of enjoyed seeing another little microexpression on this guy's face--he clearly hadn't been expecting that follow-up.

"...Am I being ganged up on?" Hanazawa rubbed the back of his neck. "I suppose...I could stop in for a little bit."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob was utterly oblivious to the unwritten stream of communication between his brother and Hanazawa.

"I think you'll like it," Mob said, his smile slight, but still perceptible. "Mom's nikujaga is the best."