a "just in case" content warning— this chapter uses a few gay slurs.
it makes more sense in context, but some people just aren't comfortable
reading those under any circumstances, so bear that in mind.

Mondo was lucky that the streets of the little town he lived in were relatively empty. His newly-modified motorcycle was parked in what was nearly the middle of the street, and two of his friends stood beside it.

"What a beauty!" Kazuichi whistled. "The paint job really sells it. It's no wonder the detailing took so long."

Mondo grinned and patted the side of his bike. Several of his men had had to work on it over the course of several days to achieve the level of detail and luster that they had. It looked absurdly expensive.

"I thought ya might be able to appreciate it. Figured you'd wanna be here for the test run, too, seein' as ya did half-build the damn thing."

Kazuichi nodded.

"Hell yeah! Let's see her in action!"

Mondo and Kazuichi were sufficiently pumped up and ready to go. Naegi, on the other hand, didn't seem to know why he'd been invited. He awkwardly adjusted his hair (the strange antenna at the top).

"...I understand why the two of you are so excited, but why did you invite me along,  Mondo-kun? I still don't know anything about motorcycles."

Mondo's eyes glistened in a way that Naegi immediately disliked.

"Well, the sidecar is for Chi, n' you're one of the smallest dudes I know."

"Of course," Naegi sighed.

He objected, at first, to getting in the little contraption. If it hadn't been tested yet, how was he to know that it would stay secured? But Mondo begged and Kazuichi prodded, and so he was left with little choice in the matter.

"There's nobody in the road, man. Don't be such a baby," Mondo teased. Naegi contemplated retracting his agreement for a split second.

"If we needed somebody as small as Fujisaki-chan, we should have just called up Kuzuryuu-san again," Naegi muttered as he climbed into the sidecar. Kazuichi laughed.

"Careful!" he warned. "That guy may be tiny as hell, but if he hears you, you might wake up without a kidney!"

"Or worse," another voice commented. Mondo jumped and turned to face it.

Kazuichi screamed.

"K-K-Kuzuryuu! It was—" Kazuichi pointed at the sidecar. "It was Naegi! It was all him!"

"Wha— don't just throw me under the bus!"

"I see you haven't changed much, Kazuichi," a fifth person chuckled as he strolled casually up to the group. Mondo grinned at the sight of him.

"Hajime!" Mondo called. "Yo! Haven't seen you in friggin' ages!"

Kazuichi tried to cease his trembling under Fuyuhiko's gaze, took a deep breath, and threw his hands behind his head.

"Wh-What's up, baby gangsta?!" He teased, forcing a smile. "W-We weren't expecting—"

"Don't fucking call me that! Jesus, you're worse than Owari!"

"O-Okay, I'm sorryyyyyyy—!"

For whatever reason, Fuyuhiko had appeared out of nowhere, and for even less explainable reasons, he had Hajime Hinata with him. Naegi, who had gotten along with him very well, excitedly scrambled out of the sidecar to give him a quick 'bro hug'.

It was a bit unusual that Hajime was friends with any of the Ultimates. He'd been a part of the Reserve course, and he had no special skills whatsoever besides his inexplicable ability to make people feel better (Fuyuhiko had dubbed him "The Ultimate Counselor"). But he'd become good friends with the 77th's class rep, Chiaki Nanami, and through her, he had met and befriended the others. Before long, he had become an honorary classmate, and then he'd started getting to know class 78. An unusual process to be sure, but one that had proven to be well worth it.

"What are you two doing together?" Mondo asked once he'd recovered from his surprise and properly greeted them both (and once Kazuichi and Fuyuhiko had stopped bickering). Fuyuhiko snickered, and then he stood on his tiptoes to throw an arm around Hajime's shoulder.

"What, I can't hang out with my favorite underling?"

Hajime scowled.

"I already told you, I'm not joining your clan! I just wanna live a normal life!"

Fuyuhiko laughed uproariously, smiling that beautifully innocent smile of his. It was the kind of smile that didn't belong on the face of someone like him.

"You can argue all you want, but you've got no choice. We have an oath, remember?! We're goddamn blood brothers!"

Hajime groaned and tried to seem annoyed, but Mondo didn't miss the hint of a smile on his face. He would have to ask about this whole "blood brothers" thing later.

"Seriously, though," Naegi said, "what brings you guys out here? I didn't even tell you that we were planning to test out the bike today!"

"Please. Like I need you to tell me that. Do you have any idea how many eyes I got all around this city?! I got eyes up and down Japan, kid!" Fuyuhiko boasted. When no one seemed to react, he visibly deflated. "...Kirigiri told me."

"...I didn't tell her, either," Naegi mumbled. He knew by now that there was no use in trying to figure out how she knew. Somehow, she knew everything.

Fuyuhiko didn't answer that question right away. Instead, he exchanged a tense glance with Hajime, who gave him a nod.

"I wasn't exactly planning to stop by... My little sister's demanding that I see some stupid fuckin' movie with her, and I thought it'd be more bearable if I brought this guy along." Fuyuhiko jostled Hajime's shoulder. "But then I received some news from one of my underlings, and I wanted to ask you about it directly. ...And don't you even try to lie to me!"

Mondo stiffened as Fuyuhiko gestured directly at him. He heard Naegi grumble something about being able to relate when it comes to demanding little sisters.

"...Oh, yeah? What news could you have gotten that would involve me?"

The yakuza seemed to puff out his chest.

"Well... A criminal enterprise like the Kuzuryuu clan is always lookin' to hire more people," Fuyuhiko explained. "And it's not unusual for people to look for work with the yakuza after graduating from the bosozoku. So I didn't think much of it at first, but..."

Fuyuhiko paused and shook his head as he thought. Mondo couldn't meet his gaze, and he could feel Naegi and Kazuichi staring at him.

"...What?" Mondo asked.

Fuyuhiko stepped forward, his arms crossed, until he was standing right in front of the motorcycle and staring Mondo down.

"You plannin' to tell me why the Diamonds are dropping members like flies all of a sudden?"

Naegi gasped. Mondo sighed. He'd known that someone would ask about this eventually, and he should've figured that it would be someone like Fuyuhiko.

"You've got a lot of them applyin' to work for ya?" Mondo guessed. Fuyuhiko nodded. "I guess they've gotta work somewhere. It's not like I can fault 'em for it."

"Don't dodge the goddamn question!" The yakuza growled, grabbing hold of a handlebar and giving it a violent shake. For a moment, the entire motorcycle seemed like it would topple, and then Mondo gripped it hard and prevented it from doing so. "Just fuckin' answer me!"

Mondo looked glumly at the pavement.

"I, uh..." He scratched the back of his neck, refusing to look up. "When I started goin' out with Taka, I felt like there was no point in bein' stuck halfway in the closet. I didn't wanna have to live a lie while I was with my crew. I knew a few of 'em might have a problem with it, but... But screw those guys, right? I don't need 'em."

Naegi frowned.

"You told them?" The luckster guessed. Mondo nodded.

"I held a meeting. Told 'em the truth. And I said that if they didn't like it, they could find another flag to ride under, 'cause I wouldn't let that kinda tension ruin things. ...And I meant it. I still do. But..." Mondo's throat seemed to tighten for a moment, cutting off his words. "...I didn't think... I guess I thought their loyalty was stronger than somethin' like that. But a whole lot of 'em walked out on us, right then and there. And more have been leavin' every day. They always say they don't wanna ride with someone who's not a real man, like my brother was."

Fuyuhiko squinted, apparently unsure if Mondo was telling the truth. When it hit him, he scoffed, and loudly.

"...Are you fucking kidding me? ...Over something like that?! The hell does that have to do with riding motorcycles and breaking shit?!"

"Not a whole lot, but... it's a real 'man's world'," Mondo sighed. "Apparently fags don't count." Naegi recoiled and his eyes went wide. Mondo snorted. "What? ...Don't give me that look! I'm allowed to say it!"

"I-I mean, I guess it's fine if it's you referring to yourself, but it's still... kind of a mean word..."

"Who says it's mean if I'm talkin' about me?! I'm reclaimin' that shit!" Mondo glared at Naegi, and then he sighed again. "...Either way, I was trying to be sarcastic. Some of my ex-members had some real choice words. I heard a hell of a lot worse than that," he grumbled. Hajime shook his head disapprovingly at that.

"Look," Fuyuhiko shouted, interrupting the side conversation. "Whether you're a faggot, or a queer, or a homo, or whatever the fuck, you could still kick most of their asses any day of the week. And don't you fuckin' forget that!"

Mondo blinked, and then he grinned wolfishly.

"...That's true. ...I let 'em escape unharmed, though. Taka doesn't want me gettin' into too many fights."

Naegi risked a glance at Mondo's hands. His large hands were as rough as sandpaper, likely from being calloused a thousand times over, and he often had cuts and scrapes along his knuckles. ...Or, at least, that's what they'd looked like two years ago. In time, and with plenty of lotions and creams being forced upon him by his fussy boyfriend and his pack of overbearing girls, and with a certain nurse constantly applying bandages and ointments to his wounds, those hands had gotten softer. And now, they almost looked normal. Maybe he really wasn't fighting people all the time anymore.

"C'mere, man," Fuyuhiko coaxed. Mondo chuckled as he got off of the bike and gave his friend an appreciative squeeze. Fuyuhiko gave him a rough couple of pats on the back. "You're the toughest fuckin' queer I know, that's for sure."

"Thanks, man."

Fuyuhiko pulled back to look Mondo in the eye, and he smirked in a way that instantly made the others tremble. Kazuichi, especially, had learned to fear that glint in his eye.

"I could pay 'em back, you know."

Mondo gulped.

"...What? What are you talking about?"

Fuyuhiko made some kind of gesture that Mondo seemed to understand. Naegi and the others didn't, but Mondo's expression gave them a vague (if terrifying) idea.

"They're coming right to my doorstep, aren't they? They think they can get away with that kind of disloyalty— that kind of disrespect to one of my own— and then show up at my goddamn house?! They've got another thing coming!"

"Fuyuhiko— don't kill any of them."

The yakuza put up his hands in mock surrender.

"I wasn't gonna—"

"And no removing of any fingertips, or of any other body parts. ...No stabbing, cutting, injecting, poisoning, puncturing, punching, bruising, burning, drowning, electrocuting, slicing, choking, crushing, or shooting of any kind!" Mondo said emphatically. Fuyuhiko frowned and clicked his tongue in irritation.

"You people never let me have any fun! ...But, fine. I'll leave them alone," he relented. "...You'd better not expect me to hire those bastards, though! I don't need cowards like that among my men. If you're gonna be in my clan, you've gotta be willing to lay down your life for it, not tuck in your tail and run at the first sign of disagreement," he added. Mondo nodded slowly and then patted his shoulder.

"Fair enough. Don't hire any of 'em, then." Mondo squinted into the sun for a moment. "...And anyway, it's not so bad. The ones who stuck around are more loyal than ever. Don't tell Taka, but he's got his own bodyguard squad. ...Just in case, y'know? A lotta people are still pretty pissed at his grandpa."

Naegi laughed loudly.

"A bodyguard squad?! What, there's a group assigned to him?!"

Mondo chuckled and shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed.

"It's not like they stalk him! I-I just meant... If he has to walk somewhere alone for whatever reason, I send 'em a signal and they tail 'im from a distance. He hasn't caught on yet."

"I think you're kind of overprotective," Hajime mused.

"Think I'm just lookin' after my own, thank you very much," Mondo retorted. Hajime had a way of being bluntly honest without being rude. Hajime seemed to at least somewhat accept that answer.

There was a moment of silence. Naegi had started to climb back into the sidecar, and then he stopped to turn and look back at Fuyuhiko. Everyone had the same thought, but no one had the balls to ask just yet. Fuyuhiko frowned.

"The fuck are you all looking at?"

"I think they want you to ride in the sidecar, Fuyuhiko," Hajime said gently. "It's for Fujisaki-chan, remember? You're the closest in size to her."

Fuyuhiko silently fumed for a minute or two. Hajime, at least, he was willing to listen to, seeing as they were blood brothers. Even so, he didn't like to be reminded of his own size. Mondo still had the hope for him that he'd have a late growth spurt. Time was running short for that, though.

"Fine," he relented. "Outta my fuckin' way, Naegi."

The others tried not to laugh as Fuyuhiko clambered into the sidecar and buckled himself in. Kazuichi got in the back seat, since he and Kiyotaka were close in height, and he, too, strapped down. He gave Mondo a nod, and thus, the test ride began.

Everything held together. The bike ran better and more smoothly than ever. The test run was an overwhelming success. Even Taka would approve of the safety measures. Naegi clapped when the bike returned to his side. 

"I think we're ready!" he cheered.

"I think we are," Mondo agreed. He parked the bike, deployed the kickstand, and dismounted before helping Fuyuhiko out of the sidecar.

"It didn't rattle a whole lot or anything," Fuyuhiko begrudgingly admitted. "It was a pretty smooth ride."

"I think that even Ishimaru-kun would approve, then," Hajime guessed.

"I sure hope so." Mondo's tone betrayed his lingering nervousness. He was still scared that he'd mess this up somehow. Naegi patted his shoulder.

"Hey," he said soothingly, "don't worry about it. Kiyotaka-kun is going to love it, and so will Fujisaki-chan."

"Y'think so?"

"I know so."

Mondo smiled at his friend, who was still supportive after all this time (and after he'd literally punched him in the face so long ago).

"...Thanks, Makoto." Without much warning, Mondo spread his arms wide and pulled all four of the other men into an uncomfortable bear hug. The width of his shoulders made it easy enough for him to do, but it was a tight squeeze, and Fuyuhiko's face pressed awkwardly into someone's chest. "All'a you guys— you're great. Really."

"Holy shit, Oowada— such a fuckin' sap! Lemme go!"

"Didn't you initiate the hug, like, ten minutes ago?" Hinata reminded his yakuza friend. Fuyuhiko punched him in the arm.

"Shut up!"

Fuyuhiko eventually wriggled free, at which point the embrace was broken for everyone. Mondo laughed as he allowed everyone to escape.

Whether he was embarrassing or sappy or not, he didn't really care anymore. He appreciated the friends that he'd found, and he wanted them to know it.

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a/n: okay fuyuhiko and hajime have the CUTEST fucking friendship like oh my god. they're definitely my brotp out of the second game. and of course hajime and naegi would have gotten along, as they're both the only semi-normal people in their respective groups... and they both have magical counselor abilities.