BAREFACED

Chapter 22

"I can't believe that woman really believed you..." He sighs looking up from the manga he has in his hand. "What do you want?" He asks.

"That day... when you guys found out I was V... you said Ren started the rumor... How did you find that out?" You ask.

"It was obvious." He says looking back at his manga. "He kept mentioning you... saying you knew how to fight and that he believed you were stronger than Mikey..." He sighs. "He didn't say your name or anything... he never even said you were a girl either... he just mentioned you as his friend. But then rumor went around that V was beating people up and I started to believe that Ren started that rumor and that this friend of his was complete bullshit" He continues.

"Rumor said that V was a toman member going around destroying other gangs... starting off with Moebius. Then I hear toman members talking about it. Saying they encountered a person named V..." Baji looks up at you. "And the description Ren gave of V fit the same description the members gave..." He states. "I told Mikey, and he followed you around for a while..." He adds.

"He followed me around?" Baji nods.

"Yeah... Then I made Eli tell me about you. He had no idea what I knew when he told me. He was saying you were smart and strong... but that you wouldn't hurt anyone unless you had to." Baji continues. "I also kept following Ren around while Mikey followed you. I came across this one girl Ren was with... she noticed me or whatever... said something about V was curious about Mikey and was trying to tear Mikey down... it sounded similar to what Ren said the day we caught him at the shrine... except for the Mikey part..." He looks back up at you. "I never even asked her about V... but she told me randomly... almost as if Ren told her to tell me. That's what confirmed it... Thats how I knew Ren was the rat."

"You figured it out from her telling you that?" You ask. Baji nods. You sigh looking down. Baji looks up at you.

"Is that all?" He asks. You look at him and sigh and then you look towards the door. 

"So, you're on house arrest or something?" You ask. Baji sighs and leans back.

"She told you?" He asks speaking about his mother. You nod to his question. "Of course she did... she's been on my ass lately..." He places the comic down and looks at you. "I would tell you to leave but my mom thinks you are here to tutor me... so you're stuck here. If I kick you out now she would start yelling at me again..." 

"Yeah..." You slowly look around his room.

"Do you like Mikey?" He asks. You look at him in confusion. "Just a question. Do you, or no?" You shrug.

"I haven't known him for long enough to gain any feelings for him." You say. Baji nods. 

"You're boring-" He comments picking his comic book up.

"Boring... why do you say that?" You ask. Baji doesn't respond. You sigh and sit down on the floor by the door.

MEOW

You look up to see a cat walk into Baji's room from the window. Baji turns to the cat meowing at him.

"Oh... It's you again..." He says sitting up and petting the cat.

"Is that your cat?" You ask. Baji shakes his head.

"This is a new cat that keeps showing up... she was injured when I first saw her, but I've been giving her food and taking care of her." He says grabbing a bowl and pouring cat food in it. 

"Did you name her?" You question looking at the cat.

"No... not yet." He places a bowl of cat food in front of the cat. She leans down and starts eating from it. He smiles and strokes the cats back.