Rules Were Made to be Broken

‣ scene 16 [brotherly business]

"Are you sure you're alright? You look kind of tired."

"O-Oh, I'm... I'm alright. It's just that so much happened yesterday... I stayed up late celebrating and had difficulty going to sleep."

"If you say so."

Chihiro returned her attention to her food. Kiyotaka was glad to have her piercing eyes off of him.

He had managed to calm down (externally) after his little tirade the previous afternoon. Cleaning up all of the broken glass had been a hassle, but he'd done it without complaining and then called Sonia and his family. They all seemed happy for him. There were a bunch of cards on his desk when he got to the office the next morning, and even some flowers. People were suddenly eager to talk to him and ask him how he was doing.

Then, Chihiro had invited him out for lunch again. She looked very concerned. His reaction the day before must have struck her as strange, and he recalled that the last time they'd met like this, he'd told her that he didn't really like the IT field. To her, perhaps, his reaction had made sense, and that was exactly the source of her worry.

Kiyotaka thought, in a more clear frame of mind, as he chewed his sandwich. For whatever reason, he'd seen flashes of Mondo in his head many times the day before. So he thought about that strange man and his comforting advice, and he remembered what he'd said about allowing himself some small rebellions. Maybe doing something for himself would help alleviate his distress. Then he could focus on what had to be done and avoid any more tantrums (and, hopefully, avoid any more hospital visits).

"Hey, Fujisaki-chan?" She looked up at him. "What would you describe as a small rebellion?"

"...I'm not sure I understand the question."

He sighed before explaining a bit more clearly. She bit her lip and looked up to one side as she thought.

"Hmm... The only thing that I can think of is a tattoo or a piercing in a place where no one else can see it. That way the only person who would know is you, but it's still kind of a rebellious thing to do. Right? I have a special binary code tattooed on my ankle that I got in college. It's very small, but it was still a really exhilarating experience!"

That... wasn't a bad idea, actually. Kiyotaka knew very little about tattoos and had never thought about getting one before, but the thought sent a thrill down his spine. Maybe he could feel like a bad boy for a few hours. It was especially appropriate considering, well, Mondo. He was the one that had inspired all of this, and he was covered in tattoos. It was perfect.

"...I might just go ahead and do that. It's a wonderful idea! I'm not sure what to get, but I do have an idea for where I'd put it. Do you happen to know of a good place?"

She tilted her head to one side and smiled.

"As a matter of fact, I do! When Oowada-kun and I were at the gym, somebody asked him where he got his sleeves done. I can go ahead and write it down for you, if you want..."

And that was how Kiyotaka had ended up in the sitting area of a tattoo parlor, alone and still in his work clothes, at four in the afternoon. He donned his glasses and read through a magazine as he waited.

Scheduling a walk-in appointment had been easy, and the peppy girl behind the counter had assured him that his uncertainly about what to get was no big deal. They got that sort of thing all the time, she said. If he really couldn't think of anything at all, they had a book of ideas that he could look through. And since he wanted something small, it wouldn't be expensive, either. Kiyotaka had made sure to bring cash with him to tip the artist with.

It was a rather small establishment. There only seemed to be three people working. The girl who'd greeted him was in charge of dying and styling hair, and her unusual horned and multicolored hairstyle was a testament to her skill. There was also a lanky redhead in charge of a piercing station. The tattoo artist was the third employee, and was currently working on the sleeve of a pink-haired man happily chatting away in the seat. The place was less of a tattoo parlor and more like a one-stop appearance shop for all things alternative and punk rock— exactly the kind of place that Kiyotaka would normally steer a thousand miles clear of. But here he was, about to make what would surely be one of the most reckless decisions he would ever make.

Still, he couldn't let himself turn back now.

Kiyotaka eyed the tattoo artist, trying to catch a glimpse of his face with no success. He was too focused on his work. He could see that he was a large man, though, perhaps even bigger and broader than Mondo, with fluffy jet-black hair that he kept slicked back. He wore a black tank top that showed off his own collection of tattoos. Which made sense. Like the hair-dye girl and the piercing guy, he probably wanted to give off the impression of someone who actually knew what he was talking about. Kiyotaka would probably feel nervous getting his first tattoo from someone who didn't have any.

Somehow, Kiyotaka kept running into motorcycle ads in the magazines. Which made it especially difficult to get Mondo off of his mind, seeing as the man had once been in a biker gang. He sighed and threw down the one he was reading in search of another, hoping to find something with a decent political piece. This didn't seem to be that type of reading material... mostly pictures of scantily clad women. Another thing that didn't appeal to him in the slightest.

He knew that he had to keep Mondo at an arm's length. He'd so recently decided to let the man into his life somewhat, only to have to tighten the leash so soon afterwards, and he didn't like how that felt, but he had no choice. If Mondo got any closer to him, Kiyotaka would surely mess things up. So he wouldn't avoid the man outright, but he would have to let him down gently at some point. He wasn't looking forward to that conversation.

This tattoo would be his last tribute to the man's futile attempts to save him from his miserable life. It had been nice while it lasted. He had no choice but to admit that much.

"It's almost your turn, glasses!" the girl called. Her client was still waiting for the product to settle into her hair, leaving her with little to do but sit on the countertop and chat with the piercing guy. Kiyotaka looked up and pointed at himself to confirm that she was, in fact, speaking to him. "Have you decided what you want yet?!"

"I... think I'll leave that up to him," Kiyotaka replied shyly. This girl was kind of overwhelming. "It can be a surprise. ...So long as it's nothing vulgar."

"Ooooh, how exciting! Ibuki's getting thirty-one flavors of stoked!"

Kiyotaka didn't know what that was supposed to mean. At least he knew what her name was. He set his magazine down and wandered over to stand near the counter, confirming that the pink-haired guy was standing up.

"Clean it, keep it covered, yadda-yadda. Y'know the fuckin' drill by now," the tattoo artist grumbled, waving a hand. The pink-haired man laughed and threw a few bills into his tip jar.

"Thanks, man! I can't wait 'til the full sleeve is finished. I'm sure you'll come up with something great." He started to walk away, winking at Kiyotaka, before freezing in his tracks and turning back around. "Before I go— is Mondo around?"

Kiyotaka stopped breathing. His blood was about to boil. This couldn't possibly be happening. Maybe he meant a different Mondo...? The pink-haired guy was grinning, flashing his oddly sharp teeth.

"Mm? Mondo? ...Nah, he's in the truck right now. Kinda last minute, so my gal's watchin' his dogs for him. Dunno when he turned inta such a workin' stiff."

The tattoo artist looked up and laughed a deep, booming laugh, and then the resemblance was plainly and immediately obvious. That was why Mondo had so many tattoos from this particular place— because he probably got a discount.

The little brother discount.

Daiya Oowada. His eyes were an icy blue rather than the odd purple color that Mondo's were, but the shape and the thick black eyelashes were exactly the same, along with the long and thin brow and the strong jaw. Daiya was also paler and bigger, and he kept his hair shorter and unbleached, and it wasn't curly like Mondo's was. But one could easily tell, just by looking, that they were brothers. It was in the eyes, mostly.

What were the odds of running into him here?!

Daiya grinned, waving the pink-haired man a goodbye, and then gestured at Kiyotaka to have a seat. Kiyotaka froze. Ibuki shoved him from behind. Daiya had the same devious smile as his brother— hell, maybe Mondo had learned it from him and it was only an imitation.

He was cornered. There was no way out now.

Oh, fuck my entire life.