Koyuki had stayed on after Mr Murata's return, which gave Aiko some comfort during her confinement. She was a tender woman who seemed to feel sorry for Aiko's predicament and was always offering kind words whenever they interacted.
The night of the festival she had personally offered to help Aiko dress, something which was much needed as Aiko had no idea how to properly wear a yukata, or what to do with her hair once she was wearing one.
Koyuki had also been charged with the task of finding a suitable yukata for Aiko and had chosen a beautiful fading pink colour with pale pink petals scattered around it. Formal wear wasn't exactly Aiko's style, but even she couldn't help but feel regal once she was all dressed and ready. Baji was never far from her thoughts though and the fact that she most probably wouldn't be able to share the excitement with him dampened the feeling as quickly as it appeared.
The plan was to ride in three different cars, children in one and parents split between the other two. So, as usual, Daichi was first in the car and Aiko second.
"I don't want to make you uncomfortable," he said after getting back into the car beside her. "But, if I don't tell you how beautiful you look, I'm gonna think about it all evening."
Aiko gave a small, wistful smile. Daichi would forever be Daichi. If she had come to know him as she did then before she'd met Baji, maybe there could've been a future for them. But as it was now, she only wanted to hear those words from Baji.
"Thanks," she said, to which Daichi responded with a simple nod.
The night went nicely and was actually a lot more fun than Aiko had expected, maybe on account of her having been locked in misery over the last few weeks. It was good to be out again.
The festival was busy, and Aiko saw so many faces from school, all dressed to their best and then, there, in the midst of the crowd, were Emma and Draken.
Aiko tapped Yui and signalled over to where Emma stood. She was surprised how seeing them also lit up Yui's face, but then, she had also become fairly good friends with Emma during their meetings.
Yui was straight on the job of asking her parents if they could all spend a short time at the festival booths, and play some of the games. A request which, since Yui had asked, Aiko's father also agreed to.
On seeing Aiko, Emma immediately grabbed her into an embrace. "It's been so long, how have you been?"
"So, so," Aiko replied.
Daichi had kept everyone informed on Aiko's punishment, so there was no need to explain, but information flow had only been one way. As she hadn't been able to talk to Daichi, she was never told anything about what they were all up to.
Emma had made a new friend named Hina, who she was with that night. Thankfully, she already had a boyfriend, who was also with them, so Aiko needn't worry about her trying to move in on Baji. Although, she was confident that Emma was probably doing her best to keep an eye on him in Aiko's absence. Mikey and the others had other plans that night and hadn't attended the celebrations.
"How's Baji?" Aiko finally asked the main question that had played on her mind since seeing Emma.
"Just keeping himself busy really," she said, with an expression that showed he was less than okay. "He and Mikey did find the gang that attacked you guys and completely wiped them out. That kinda made him happy for a while."
Aiko let out a small laugh. If anything could make Baji happy, beating up a gang of boys would do it.
"Where are they tonight?" she asked, guessing that maybe it was supposed to be a special night for Draken and Emma, but since Hina and Takamitchi were with them it was strange that Mikey hadn't somehow come along too.
"Apparently he had to meet with one of his boys about some trouble," she said with a shrug and then after leaning in closer, and in a lower voice she added, "So it's just me and my dragon tonight."
The two girls giggled which prompted a suspicious look from Draken. Aiko was genuinely happy for Emma, if there was anything she deserved, it was a few hours alone with Draken. He was the one thing that made her smile in a way that no other thing could.
After a short time, they were once again summoned by their parents. It seemed even fun at a festival should be rationed.
"We'll probably be around until the fireworks and then we have to attend a formal dinner at a restaurant somewhere up there," Aiko said, giving the direction with her gaze. "Then I know my dad loves to have a nighttime walk after gatherings like that so we'll probably make our way along the promenade."
"Got it," Emma said, realising the information was more of a timeline of where Aiko would be and when. It may have been doubtful that Baji would turn up, but Aiko couldn't help but leave breadcrumbs and hope that he might follow them.
Then they bid farewell to their friends and followed behind their parents, eventually making their way to one of the most boring events of the day. Even her father's lecture was more fun than sitting at a formal dinner with her father's work colleagues.
Joking, laughing, and most kinds of talking were prohibited. They were to greet their parent's colleagues and then sit quietly, only speaking when spoken to. Making sure they kept their postures well formed, and their elbows off the table. They shouldn't eat too fast, nor too slow and there should be no noises while eating. The list of dos and don'ts went on.
What made it worse was how long those types of dinners were. But finally, after what seemed like the longest, deadest night to have ever existed, they were leaving and going for said walk along the promenade.
The parents walked ahead, leaving the children behind to finally talk, but after two hours of practical silence, Aiko didn't have the desire to speak and simply tilted her head back and watched the stars as she walked.
"Hey," Daichi said quietly, tapping her in the arm as he spoke. "Look," he gestured his head to a shadowy figure at the side of the walkway.
Aiko's heart pattered. She would recognise the bike the boy sat on anywhere if the long flowing hair that hung over his face wasn't already a giveaway. But something was wrong, his whole posture was wrong. He wasn't alert and sitting tall as he usually did, his head was hung forward, either looking at something on his lap or just plain sad.
The parents walked ahead, without even noticing him. Their conversation was most likely too meaningful to pay attention to one random boy sitting on a bike in what looked like obvious distress.
Aiko broke the formation and walked over to Baji. He didn't acknowledge her at first until she brushed his hair behind his ear and looked up closer into his face. He's been fighting, that much was clear, but there was something else behind his moist, glistening eyes.
"I thought I'd missed you," he said, with a soft sigh. "Can you come with me?"
Now, she thought and looked back at Daichi and the others. Her father had noticed her and took some steps back towards her before calling her name.
"Please," Baji added.
Did he need to say anymore? Could she ever refuse him, especially when he had such a desperate look in his eyes? Her father could have threatened to kill her at that moment, but right then she knew there was no limit to what she would do for Baji.
"I'm sorry, daddy," she called back to her father before turning and lifting herself onto the back of the bike. It was a lot harder positioning herself to ride side-saddle which was all that her yukata would allow, but she was on soon enough, and Baji was taking off down the pathway before her father could react.
Aiko held on tightly, simply for the sake of holding him and listening to the irregular pattern of his breathing. It was disjointed and lacked the usual humming that Aiko had grown accustomed to which only fuelled the hundreds of thoughts that ran through her mind as he drove. Something had happened, that was clear. Had somebody gotten hurt? Was it Chifuyu? He's normally not far behind wherever Baji is.
The suspense was killing her. As soon as he pulled over into a small park, she jumped down from the seat and turned back to face Baji. His movements were slow as he turned off the bike's engine and kicked down the stand.
"Baji," she said, turning his face to her. "Are you okay? What happened?"
He didn't answer except to climb from his bike and pull her into his arms. "I'm sorry," he said into her neck. "I'm so sorry, Aiko. I swear I wasn't trying to hurt you."
"I know."
"I have missed you ... so much," he pulled away slightly to look into her face.
"I called you so many times. Why didn't you just answer?"
"Because ... I'd said we were over," he said with a weak laugh. "You really don't understand how being dumped works, do you? And you don't make it easy to ignore you either."
"Just don't do it again," she said and slammed the bottom of her fist into his shoulder.
Baji let out a low groan. "You do realise I've just had a huge fight, right?"
"Right, sorry," Aiko said and leaned into him, placing small kisses along his shoulder. "I've just been so mad at you."
Baji pulled back again, this time cupping her chin in his hand and tilting her head up to him before pressing his lips down onto hers.
Finally, she screamed internally and wrapped her arms around his neck to hold him in place as he caressed her lips with his.
He was in no rush, kissing her slowly and gently until he eventually pulled away.
"I should have done that a lot sooner," he said, rubbing his cheek along hers.
Aiko exhaled a deep breath. "Yes, you should have."
"Now I know why some of the guys run off to their girlfriends after a fight," he laughed, the statement reminding Aiko of the bruises scattered along his face.
"You didn't tell me what happened," she said, scanning his face once again.
His face dropped and he let out a short breath of air. "I've been trying not to think about it," he said, leading Aiko over to a small mound on the grass which he sat on and pulled Aiko down to sit in the space in front of him.
"Is Chifuyu okay?"
"Yeah," he said with a small smile.
"Oh, because he's always with you so I ..."
"Draken got stabbed," he interrupted.
What? she thought, her mind running back to him and Emma at the festival. "But ... I just saw him."
"Emma told me," he paused for a moment recalling some details. "A gang ambushed him at some point. Mitsuya happened to be around and called us, but they still got to him somehow."
"Is he okay?"
"I don't know. The doctors said he's clear, but we can't see him until the morning."
"I can't believe it. I just ... I just saw him," she repeated.
Baji wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close to him. "Don't worry about it. He's going to be okay."
"You shouldn't be comforting me," she said, turning into him and wrapping an arm around his waist. "It should be the other way round."
Baji rested his head on Aiko's and remained silent for some time, listening or at least Aiko imagined that's what he was doing, so she closed her eyes and listened with him.
The sweet chirping of the crickets played a background chorus to the soft sound of Baji breathing against her head and the distant beating of his heart. It was by far the most calming melody she'd ever heard.
"I don't think I wanna do this anymore," Baji said after some time. "I can't lose them."
Aiko shuffled in his arm to get a better view of his face which held an expression of deep contemplation.
"The whole point of our gang was to keep each other safe, but it isn't working. You got hurt, Draken almost ..." He paused to catch his breath. "Almost died. And then Pah and Kaz ..."
Kazatora. She'd heard that name a few times in passing, but Baji had always avoided discussing him when asked. That was Baji's way, he only talked about things when he was ready to, perhaps right then wasn't the time either.
He wasn't the most expressive person when it came to saying how he felt, and if you didn't know you could easily mistake him for a common, rude and angry thug, which in all honesty, he could be. But he had a whole other side too. Aiko saw it in the way fulfilled his self-appointed role of the nurturing big brother in Chifuyu's life, as well as a few of his other underlings and in the way that he, along with Draken, almost completely doted on Mikey, although he would never accept such an attribution.
Even Aiko, who at first thought he may be indifferent or simply not interested, soon became aware of the attention and consideration he always seemed to pay, even in the simplest of conversations.
Baji didn't take his role as a friend lightly.
Baji's eyes scanned the sky slowly as if looking for an answer until he looked back down at Aiko and gave a small smile.
"What will you do?" Aiko asked.
Baji shrugged. "Mikey's got a dream and he's almost impossible to stop when he wants something. I bet you never thought there was someone more stubborn than me," he said with a small chuckle.
"But, as you said, someone could get hurt. What if you got hurt?"
"Wouldn't happen," he said with a shake of his head.
"I didn't think Draken could get hurt, but you said he ..." She couldn't bring herself to say the words.
"Draken was targeted, and he was alone. I mean, we arrived eventually, but it was confusing, nobody knew what their plan was."
"They could try again. I don't know much about gang life, but I do know Toman is a powerful gang and other gangs will target it to take it out, right? That's how it works, isn't it?"
"Toman is the strongest there is," he said with a proud smile. "Nobody'll take us out."
"That's why they targeted Draken. One of the strongest fighters in Toman." A wave of emotion overswept her as she imagined Baji suffering a similar fate. She knew Mikey was undeniably the strongest, but Baji would never admit being second to Draken although Emma swore that was the hierarchy. If they wanted Draken out, then surely they would want Baji out. Also, aside from being the strongest members, they were Mikey's closest friends. What would be the best way to bring down a leader than to take out those closest to him? Draken and Baji, and maybe even Emma if they could stoop as low.
Baji remained silent when she spoke her thoughts out to him and then pulled her back into his arms. "Look, give me some time to think things through, but don't worry about me, okay? I'm gonna be fine."
Aiko would worry, more now than she would ever before, but she kept quiet and simply nodded.
"Which hospital is he at?" Aiko asked. It was very unlikely that she would be able to visit him but she would certainly try her best to get the permission, even if it meant she could end up doubling whatever punishment was waiting for her simply by having the audacity to ask such a thing.
"Maybe I could collect you in the morning and introduce myself to your dad," Baji suggested.
"Not if you ever want to see me again. I'm pretty sure my dad will ship me off this time."
"You know I'll come for you if that happens, don't you?"
"No," she said, striking him in the shoulder with a hammer fist. "You won't even know because you'll think I'm mad with you and won't bother answering your phone for days. In that time, I'll probably have been lobotomised and forgotten your number."
"Wow," he laughed. "That was dramatic."
"Seriously Baji, you can't keep doing that."
Baji picked up her fist that still lay against his shoulder and pressed it against his lips. "I promise I'll never do that again."
"Is that a real promise?"
"Do you wanna shake pinkies?" Baji said, latching his little finger around hers.
"You're so silly," she said but shook regardless. She'd missed being around him for so many reasons, but his childish, carefreeness, which seemed to contradict him so much, was one of the parts she loved the most. "I wish I could just stay out here with you all night."
"Yeah. To be honest, I probably will stay out here tonight, but we shouldn't get you into any more trouble than you're already in. Plus, it's not exactly the safest place for you to spend the night, and I'm not putting you in danger like that."
Baji changed the subject then by asking her about her evening which, despite the fact that her evening was mostly mundane, was a nice distraction from the previous conversation.
"I should probably take you home soon, shouldn't I?" he asked after she mentioned how angry her father must be seen as she just left him shouting out her name as the two of them rode away.
Aiko didn't argue. She simply lay her head back and listened once again to the quiet until Baji eventually coaxed her to get up.
The ride back was quiet as the streets were empty. It was a lot later than any other time she had been out with him and again she wished she had simply stayed in the park, in his arms.
Baji pulled up at the top of her road and let her off.
"I'll wait here until you get in."
Aiko nodded and moved in for a quick embrace, squeezing him tighter than she intended if his slight groan was anything to go by.
"I forgot to tell you something," he said as he held her. "Do you remember the last time I saw you, I said that you were mine?"
Aiko nodded.
"If you knew how much I missed you over these weeks, you'd realise how wrong I was."
Aiko stepped back to look up at him from under her eyebrows, furrowed from confusion.
Baji took her hand and pressed it against his heart. "I'm yours, Aiko. Remember that. And no matter what happens, we'll figure something out."
Aiko's mouth dropped before forming the biggest smile and she pushed herself once again into his arms not caring that time how hard she squeezed him.
"Why would you say that? Now I don't even wanna go."
"Go. That's probably best. But I will see you tomorrow. I promise." He stopped for a moment before giving a small nod, almost as if to himself. "I'm going to come to collect you to visit Draken in the hospital."
"What do you mean?" she said, looking up at him in disbelief.
"Exactly what I said. If your dad's the kind of man I think he is, then he'll understand."
"And if he's not?"
"Then, who knows, he might try to beat the crap out of me," he laughed. "Either way, I'm up for it."
Am I? she wondered for a split moment before deciding it was only what was right. It would mean the end to sneaking around if it went right, or she might just get sent away. Something that was a possibility even if he didn't show up.
"Okay," she said. "Let's do it."