The taxi ride back toMayonaka's Sweets was a blur of neon lights and crushing silence. Yasuo's hands were shaking so hard he had to sit on them. Next to him, Daisetsu was a literal volcano about to erupt. The air around the teacher was so cold and sharp that even the taxi driver kept glancing nervously in the rearview mirror.
When they arrived, the sight was enough to make Yasuo's heart fall out of his chest.
The beautiful glass display cases—the ones Yasuo polished every single morning—were shattered. Shards of glass were scattered everywhere like cursed diamonds. Trays of half-prepped dough were flipped onto the floor, and the expensive espresso machine had been smashed with something heavy.
But the worst part was the wall behind the counter. In jagged, dripping black spray paint, the words screamed: "LOVERS BURN TOGETHER."
"Grandma!" Yasuo screamed, lunging over the glass.
He found her in the back kitchen, sitting on a flour sack. She looked smaller than usual, but she wasn't crying. She was holding a rolling pin like a weapon.
"I'm okay, Yasuo," she said, her voice a bit thin. "They were fast. They just wanted to break things. They didn't touch me, but they... they made a mess of your hard work, dear."
Yasuo collapsed onto his knees in the middle of the wreckage. The smell of the bakery—usually vanilla and sugar—was now dominated by the chemical stink of spray paint and the metallic scent of broken machinery. This was his home. This was his safe place. And it was ruined because he'd let a "Wounded Soul" into his life.
Daisetsu walked in slowly. He didn't say anything. He just looked at the wall, then at the crying baker on the floor. His face didn't look angry anymore. It looked... dead. Empty.
"I'll call the police," Daisetsu said, his voice sounding like it was coming from a different room.
"No," Grandma Mayonaka said firmly, standing up. "The police will ask questions about the message. They'll ask why a teacher is being targeted by gangs. You'll lose your job, Daisetsu."
"I don't care about the job!" Daisetsu roared, finally snapping. He kicked an empty tray across the room, the metal clanging loudly. "Look at what happened! He's crying! You're shaking! Because of me!"
"Daisetsu, stop," Yasuo whispered, wipe his eyes.
But Daisetsu wasn't stopping. He was in a full spiral of self-hatred. "I'm 'metallic', remember? I bring blood and iron wherever I go. I told you I'd break you, Yasuo. And look... I did."
He turned around and walked out the back door.
"Daisetsu!" Yasuo scrambled up, ignoring the glass cutting into his palms. He chased him into the rainy alleyway.
It was a repeat, but this time, nobody was unconscious. Daisetsu was walking away, his broad shoulders hunched, his hands balled into fists.
"Stop!" Yasuo yelled, grabbing the back of Daisetsu's wet shirt. "You're not leaving! You said you were paying a debt! The debt isn't paid until I say so!"
Daisetsu spun around, grabbing Yasuo's wrists. His grip was intense—painful, even. He pinned Yasuo against the brick wall, the same way he had in the alley after the bar, but the vibe was totally different. It wasn't flirtatious. It was desperate.
"Look at the shop, Yasuo! It's a messed now! Because they know I care about you!" Daisetsu's face was inches from his, his eyes wild. "If I stay, they'll burn the whole building down with you inside. I have to go. I have to draw them away."
"No," Yasuo said, his voice surprisingly steady. He looked right into the "Stoic Protector's" soul. "If you leave, they win. They want you alone and miserable. I... I'm not letting you be alone anymore."
The rain was pouring down now, soaking them both to the bone. Daisetsu's tank top was sticking to his chest, showing every muscle, every scar. He looked like a fallen god.
"Why are you so stubborn?" Daisetsu groaned, his forehead thumping against Yasuo's.
"Because I read too many BL novels," Yasuo joked weakly, his voice cracking. "And in the good ones, the Seme doesn't run away. He stays and fights with his Uke."
Daisetsu let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-sob. He let go of Yasuo's wrists and wrapped his arms around the baker's waist, pulling him so tight Yasuo could barely breathe. It was a crushing, strong hug.
"I'm so sorry," Daisetsu whispered into Yasuo's hair. He hugged him and put his hand around Yasuo's waist. The Hand Placement is crazy...
Under the pouring rain, the "bromance" finally crossed the line. Daisetsu pulled back just enough to look at Yasuo. His gaze was dark, heavy, and full of a hunger that had been building since they first met.
He didn't ask this time. He just leaned in and crashed his lips against Yasuo's.
It wasn't a sweet kiss. It was salty from the rain and bitter from the situation. It was a "Lovers Burn Together" kind of kiss. Daisetsu's tongue pushed past Yasuo's lips, claiming him, marking him, telling the world that this baker belonged to him.
Yasuo moaned, his hands flying up to grip Daisetsu's wet hair. The heat between them was insane, a literal fire in the middle of a cold storm. Daisetsu's hands slid down to Yasuo's hips, squeezing them hard, lifting him slightly off the ground.
For a few minutes, the ruined bakery didn't exist. The gang didn't exist. There was only the taste of whiskey, rain, and the man Yasuo had fallen for.
Finally, Daisetsu pulled back, his breathing ragged. He rested his nose against Yasuo's, his hands still firmly on the baker's waist.
"Fine," Daisetsu said, his voice a low growl. "I stay. But from now on, we do it my way. No more secrets from the gang. We end them. Together."
Yasuo nodded, his face flushed and his heart racing. "Together."
They walked back into the bakery, hand-in-hand, ready to start cleaning. But as they entered the kitchen, they saw Tenshin sitting at the prep table.
He wasn't smiling. He was holding a laptop, and on the screen was a security feed from the school's staff room.
"You guys might want to see this," Tenshin said quietly. "Kaede wasn't just jealous at the bar. She went back to the school. She found your file, Daisetsu. The one with your real name and your police record from five years ago."
Tenshin looked up at them, his face grim. "She's sending it to the school board in twenty minutes. Unless you give her what she wants."