"What...what do you mean?" Takemichi finds himself asking, peering up at the man's dark eyes that are so eerily similar to Mikey's.

    Shinichiro scoffs at the boy's question, like he's being the stupid one out of the two of them. Ruuuuude...

    "There's not a lot of people out there who would be willing to launch themselves at someone just because they even suggest that their loved one could be in danger," Shinichiro explains carefully, his dark eyes not once leaving the confused boy.

   It takes a while for the words to really process through Takemichi's mind, and—once they do—he finds himself flushing in embarrassment. Surely the man is just saying that to make Takemichi feel better! There's no way—

    "Hey—hey, I know that look!" Shinichiro cuts in with a frown. "You're doubting yourself...AGAIN!!!" He exclaims with frustration clearly laced in his voice.

    "What do you—"

    "You don't believe me, do you?" Shinichiro asks, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

    Takemichi doesn't know what to say. Why is Shinichiro going through all of this for Takemichi? Why'd he joke about his mom being in danger? None of this makes any sense!

    "...you're confusing me Shin..." Takemichi mumbles, not knowing what else to say. Maybe if he could get his confusion across then Shinichiro will explain, in simple terms, what the hell he's doing.

    An exhausted sigh slips past Shinichiro's lips. "Look...I'm trying to prove a point, Takemichi."

    A...a point?

    "Yeah," Shinichiro confirms. Takemichi freezes up, completely taken off guard by the man)s sudden answer.

    (Wait, did he accidentally ask that outloud—?)

    "I'm trying to prove that, no matter how scary or impossible the task may seem, you still try to face it head on. Just now, jumping me because I mentioned that your mom might be in danger proves to me how brave and fearless you are."

    Brave...and fearless?

    Takemichi shakes his head, trying to squash the tiny feeling of hope bubbling up inside his chest. "No, no, I'm not—"

    "Yes," Shin emphasizes. "You are brave and fearless, Takemichi. You just have to knock some sense into that self doubt of yours!"

    "But—"

    "NO BUTS!!!" Shinichiro shouts, nearly causing the poor boy's ears to pop. "If you can fearlessly stand up to me for threatening your mom, then you can do the same thing for those scary dogs!!!"

    Takemichi stands there beyond speechless as he tries to process the words spilling from the man's lips.

    You can do this, that small voice whispers to Takemichi. You're fearless and brave, it whispers again, causing a bubble of hope to form in his chest. Listen to Shinichiro, he's telling the truth, it mumbles encouragingly—giving Takemichi a nudge in the right direction.

    Do what you have to do.

    You've grown Takemichi. You're not the same weak child that used to be beaten and ridiculed for the tiniest of things.

    With tears springing from the corners of his eyes, Takemichi smiles up at Shinichiro, his entire being singing a melody that can easily be described as hope.

    "Ok," Takemichi states firmly, like a soldier following orders. "I'm fearless and brave!!! I can do this!!!" He shouts, earning loud cheers from the two Sanos in the room.

    "See! That's what I'm talking about!!!" Shinichiro exclaims joyfully. Then, surprising the small boy, Shinichiro places his hand on Takemichi's shoulders and pushes him towards the exit of the residence, Mikey trailing not too far behind him.

     "Now go out there and face your fears, kid!!!"

    Slam!

    Both Takemichi and Mikey stare blankly at the closed door—momentarily shocked by—by—

    "...Did shin just kick us out?" Takemichi asks, completely thrown off by the older teenager's moodswing. Mikey, on the other hand, doesn't seem fazed in the slightest.

    "Yeeep..."

     "Oh..."

     "...wanna go get icecream?"

    "...definitely..."

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

The next day, Mikey and Takemichi plan to unleash their master plan; a plan that's so full proof that it would bring someone like Keisuke and Haru to shame!!!

    With Mikey by his side, money clutched in one hand, and gaze set on the pavement ahead of him, the two boys travel to the place that nearly cause Takemichi's legs to quiver in fear. The corner store.

    "You good Mitchy?" Mikey asks from beside him, his blonde hair blowing slightly in the soft breeze. Takemichi can't help but compare the boy to those commercials about hair products...

    "Yeah—I'm fine!" Takemichi shouts, ignoring the way his legs stumbled the closer he got to the corner store. Jeez, if only Keisuke could see him now...he'd be laughing up a storm! "I just—I have something on my shoe!" Takemichi laughs, attempting to get Mikey's questioning gaze from boring holes into his skull.

    It, of course, doesn't work.

    "You don't have anything to worry about Takemitchy! I'll be by your side the entire time!" Mikey declares triumphantly; his posture straight and imposing for his short stature. His confident strides along the concrete had Takemichi feeling a little envious. He wonders, for a split second, what it would be like to be in Mikey's shoes; to be so sure of himself and everything he does.

    He doesn't ponder on it for long however.

    Why?

    Because the three kids and their evil looking dog pop up around the corner.

    With bated breath, Takemichi watches in anticipation as the three demons and their four legged monster stroll along the sidewalk without a care in the world. He can hardly make out the sound of Mikey's voice the closer the gang of kids got.

    He needs to leave.

    Those fangs are going to sink into his skin and leave him for dead.

    It's gonna bark until his ears bleed while the kids cheer them on—

    You're brave and fearless Takemichi. You've got this!

    With determination coursing through his veins, he takes Mikey's hand and marches forward.

    Before the small boy knows what he's doing, he's heading straight towards the gang of kids with one goal on his mind.

    "Huh? Mitchy, what are you doing?" The blonde asks. "I thought we were going to the corner store—"

    "I'm gonna pet the dog."

    "...what? You're joking."

    Takemichi doesn't shy away from sending his blonde friend a glare. "I'm not!" He declares, ignoring the way his legs quake in fear at the very thought of being near such a gruesome creature.

    Mikey tilts his head and smirks, no doubt about to say something out of pocket—

    "You can barely think about dogs without shitting your pants. You're better off just letting them walk past you."

     And would you look at that? Takemichi was right.

    "No!" He protests quickly. "I need to do this! It's the only way—"

    "Don't be stupid, Takemitchy. What if it attacks you?"

    Takemichi fights the urge to smack Mikey upside the head. "Don't say that!!! And if it does...then I'll attack it back!"

    Mikey blinks at the him a few times, like he's trying to process the most mind blowing information, opens his mouth and—

    "You'd lose a fight against your own shadow if you could."

    Takemichi gapes at his poor excuse of a friend.

    "WHAT?! NO I WOULDN'T, YOU DEMON!!!"

    Rather than countering with something stupid or idiotic, Mikey just sticks his tongue out—a mischievous smile adorning his lips.

    "Look, I'm just trying to help you Mitchy! There's no need to get all mad at me for telling the truth—"

    "You're not telling the truth! You're just being mean!"

     Mikey just shrugs his shoulders. "The truth hurts," he states nonchalantly, most likely relishing in the smaller boy's reaction.

    Huffing out in frustration, Takemichi whips his head away from Mikey and instead focuses on the group of kids ahead of him. He's on a mission and he's not gonna let Mikey's silly comments distract him from completing it!

    "Fine! If you're not gonna help me, then I'll go do it myself!" The boy declares as he lets go of Mikey's hand and continues charging his way towards the kids and their dog.

    The three kids have failed to notice Takemichi and Mikey approaching them. They must have been too engrossed in their conversation to miss the anxious cloud—that is Takemichi—and his supportive (rude) shadow—Mikey—storming their way towards them. A part of Takemichi is thankful that they haven't laid their eyes upon them yet; it gives him time to think of how to proceed with his mission. He's not quite sure how he's supposed to go about asking someone for permission to pet their dog. Does he just go up to them and ask? Strike up a conversation first and then ask? Or maybe he needs to give them something? Like dog food?

    Maybe he should ask Mikey—

    Takemichi immediately shuts the idea down.

    He's relying too much on his friend! This is something that needs to be done alone—how else will Takemichi get over his biggest fear if he keeps looking to Mikey and Keisuke for help?

    With a deep breath, Takemichi takes the final steps needed to get in their line of vision and clears his throat.

    Awkwardly.

    Takemichi's poor attempt at getting their attention thankfully works. The three kids stop mid conversation to gaze upon the shaking boy—their eyes curious and cautious.

    The two boys immediately pull the black haired girl behind them, blocking her from Takemichi's view. The shorter boy—the one holding the little girl's hand—pins Takemichi down with menacing glare. His tall companion does the same thing; he acts like a shadow, mirroring his friend while casting a large shadow along the pavement. The young girl just peers at Takemichi from behind the two boys, her eyebrow arched in a silent question.

    And...of course...there's the mongrel.

    The long haired dog is almost as tall as Takemichi. His long fur nearly touches the bare ground, yet it isn't covered in dirt or mud like all the other dogs Takemichi has encountered in the past. It's beady eyes stare into the boy's soul; nose twitching and sniffing the air that surrounds Takemichi, most likely trying to seek out his fear and use it against him.

    The boy gulps at the very thought.

    "What do you want, squirt?" The chubby boy asks at last, his gaze piercing and intimidating.

    Takemichi silently thanks Keisuke and Mikey for being scary; if it weren't for them, then he'd probably be shaking in his boots under the petrifying glare the boy keeps sending his way.

    "Yeah!" The taller boy pipes in. "You tryna start somethin', squirt?" He mimics with his hands on his hips.

    The girl, on the other hand, stays quiet. She just continues to stare at Takemichi with an unreadable expression.

    Takemichi takes a deep breath, tries to center himself, clears his mind of all his worries, opens his mouth and stutters, "c-can I pet your...d-dog?"

    A feeling of pride and achievement bursts inside of Takemichi's chest. He finally asked! He did it! Now all they have to do is say yes and then he can proceed with the next part of his plan—

    "No way!" The chubby boy shouts, his piercing glare practically cutting away at Takemichi's confidence. The grip on his dog's leash tightens and a sneer makes its way onto his lips. "Only the most important people can pet Pochi!" He declares proudly.

    Takemichi...didn't foresee this happening.

    Aren't people supposed to say yes? Why is he being so stubborn? And what's so important about that dog? It looks like every other four legged fur ball Takemichi has had the misfortune of seeing.

    Plus it's built like a mop.

    A mop with beady eyes and a long snout that can sniff out secrets and bombs.

    "YEAH! YOU HEARD PAH!!!" His friend screams, his obnoxiously loud voice interrupting Takemichi's thoughts. "SO SCRAM!!!"

    ...Scram? After all the preparation it took for Takemichi to build up the courage to ask?

    No way.

    "H-huh? But I—" Takemichi's protests are cut off by a menacing growl.

    Takemichi freezes up. His legs shake. Arms go rigid at his sides. His heart beat picks up.

    The boy slowly switches his gaze from pah to the long haired dog. The animal is showing off its sharp teeth, snout scrunching up in a terrifying snarl. The growl, that rumbles deep and loud for every kid to hear, appears to seep through the cracks of the old concrete pavement beneath their feet—threatening, daring to cause an earthquake big enough to swallow Takemichi whole—

    An arm around his shoulders snaps the boy out of his thoughts. Turning his head, he's met with the sight of Mikey smiling at him; his obsidian eyes gleaming with amusement.

    The tension immediately leaves Takemichi's body at the comforting touch. The warmth his friend provides.

    "Oh hey Mitchy! There you are! I can't believe I lost ya!" Mikey exclaims in a fake cheery voice. He closes his eyes, giving the boy a soft smile. "I think I need to buy a leash for you Takemitchy—that way I won't ever lose you again!" The boy would've rolled his eyes at his friend's comment if it wasn't for the terrifying dog growling at Mikey and Takemichi.

    A sharp gasp distracts Takemichi from the dog in front of him. Peering up, he catches the chubby boy (pah?) gaping at Mikey.

    "It's you!" The kid shouts with a finger pointing blatantly at Mikey. Takemichi switches his gaze over to his friend who is...oddly relaxed. Instead of returning the same aggression, he calmly raises a hand in greeting, his face not once giving away any sign of discomfort.

    Do...do they know each other? If so, how did they meet?

    Takemichi decides to stock the question away for later.

    "Oh hey. You're Pah, right? That angry kid with the annoying shadow?"

    Another gasp is heard, but this time it's not from Pah; it's from his companion and the girl who Takemichi momentarily forgot about.

    "EH?! ANNOYING SHADOW?! ARE YOU CALLING ME THE ANNOYING SHADOW?!" His tall friend screams, offense heavily laced in his voice. He steps forward, no longer standing beside Pah, but in front; he acts as a sort of barrier now—an angry one at least—rather than a shadow.

    Mikey just shrugs his shoulders. "You said it, not me."

    The tall boy's eyes almost appear to pop out of their sockets with how wide they are.

    "YOU—YOU BASTARD—" the boy is about to launch himself at Mikey and Takemichi, but a hand on his chest stops him from doing so. Takemichi's eyes widen as he catches Pah stopping his friend from attacking.

     "The hell do you want Mikey?" Pah asks, his voice full of anger and irritation.

    Mikey tilts his head, his eyes still shimmering with mischief. "You're not gonna let your buddy fight me? I didn't know you liked me, Pah." The chubby boy's eyes harden and Takemichi winces at the sight of him grinding his teeth together. He fully expects to be tackled, or punched, or something, but nothing happens. They just stand their ground and stare at each other.

    Takemichi's not sure where Mikey gets all his nerve from, but it's definitely gonna get them both killed one day...

    "Don't call me that...and I don't like you," he corrects Mikey. Then, like an invisible switch gets flipped on, his entire face changed; it turns from menacing to sheepish and embarrassed. "We can't...you're lucky we can't get dirty! Otherwise we'd pound you into the ground!"

    "Yeah!"

    Now that Takemichi isn't completely overwhelmed with fear, he takes the time to look at their outfits. Sure enough, they were nice and clean, expensive looking too. These kids must come from rich families...

    "Hm. Good luck with that," Mikey responds tauntingly, making the two boys' faces scrunch up in...embarrassment? Takemichi doesn't have much time to ponder over it since Mikey keeps talking, continuing to tease the boys in front of them with ease.

    "But I don't want much—actually, now that I think about it, there is something I want."

    Everyone turns to face Mikey with bated breath, waiting in anticipation for the blonde to speak out his demands. Out of the corner of his eye, Takemichi catches pah contorting his mouth into a terrible grimace—his tall companion tenses up—and the girl? Still as curious and silent as ever.

    Finally, after what seems like an eternity, Mikey gives the people what they want: an answer.

    "My good friend here, Takemichi, has never laid his eyes on a dog before!"

    ...what.

    A burning flush runs across Takemichi's cheeks.

    Takemichi gapes at the obvious lie spilling from his lips, but Mikey ignores him. Instead, he pulls the boy closer to his side and nuzzles him with his cheek.

    "He's a very...sheltered child, you see—" ok what the heck Mikey, "—and it's always been a dream of his to pet a dog—," bullSHIT, "—so it would mean the world to him, to both of us, if you'd let him pet your dog!" He finishes with a beaming smile, like he didn't just humiliate his best friend.

    Everyone just stares at Mikey, completely baffled by his pitiful explanation. There's no way they're gonna buy his awful lie! This is what Takemichi gets for asking mikey for help! Now they're both gonna get jumped by two older boys and their menacing ass dog—

    "You've never pet a dog before?"

    The voice is soft and gentle, but also filled with so much disbelief. There's no way it belongs to Pah or his extremely tall friend. Surprising Takemichi with a jolt, he watches in shock as the little girl from behind the two boys walk forwards, brushing past her friends. Her face is contorted in sorrow and...

    ...pity?

    Takemichi is too stunned to speak.

    Mikey, on the other hand, isn't.

    "Nope—in fact, this is his first time seeing a dog!" Mikey lies again to Takemichi's horror. The little girl gasps and her hand goes up to cover her mouth in shock.

    "You're kidding!" She exclaims in fright, like the very notion of never seeing a monster before was...unheard of. Weird. Her soft gaze switched from Mikey to Takemichi in a heartbeat.

    "No wonder you looked so scared earlier! I'm so sorry about my boyfriend and his friend, they can be really protective at times," she apologizes. "I'm sure Pah won't mind if you pet Pochi. He's very friendly!" Then, with a hardened expression, she turns to look at Pah from over her shoulder.

    "Right, Pah?" She asks, or demands—however you wanna look at it—the chubby boy.

    Takemichi can't help but feel guilty over the satisfaction that ripples through his body at the terrified expressions on the older boys' faces. For some reason, the girl reminds the boy of Emma and Senju—sweet looking but fierce, not taking any crap from