𝚃𝙴𝙴𝙽𝙰𝙶𝙴 𝙳𝙸𝚁𝚃𝙱𝙰𝙶 ,, high&low

chapter thirty-one | mama's house

thirty one

mama's house

Murayama held his breath as he and Todoroki entered the Daruma Temple. His lungs burned from the thick smoke and the smell of burning incense. The two leaders got many odd looks from Daruma members clad in their signature red jackets. Murayama would be lying if he said he didn't feel a little bit uncomfortable from all the staring, even though he'd made this trip many times before. In the corner of the room, a crowd of people were gathered around two roosters that were cawing and pecking at each other aggressively. The boy shivered, remembering those same birds stabbing their beaks into his legs.

Hiroomi sat around a low poker table with the other Daruma Babies, and he had a suspicion that Futa was hustling them, or cheating in some way. He'd known most of the other Babies for just over six years, so he could tell when they were cheating at poker.

"Come on man!" Raita whined "There's no fucking way, let me see your cards!"

"Fat chance, grandpa!" Futa screamed, ducking under Raita's arm before turning to Hiroomi "Come on, Ungyo! Would I really do that to you?"

Hiroomi rolled his eyes at the stupid nickname Raita had 'blessed' him with when he joined up after his high school graduation. "Um, yes. I'm almost certain you do it all the time."

Watching from a safe distance, Murayama raised an eyebrow. "These are the Daruma Babies?"

"In my defense," Todoroki began "they weren't acting like jackasses when they showed up at Oya."

"Then show us your cards, blondie!" Agyo shouted

"NO!" Futa screamed in response, garnering the group some strange stares from the other tables.

Hiroomi looked up from his hand, waving frantically when he saw Todoroki. "Todoroki-san!" The man got to his feet, climbing over the decorative red pillows, just for Futa to stick his foot out and trip him, the other Babies bursting out into laughter.

"That's for accusing me of cheating."

"I never said anything! It was all Raita!"

"Hey dickheads!" Shu Kato, Hyuga's closest retainer, shouted as he walked past. "Carry yourselves with a bit of composure, please! I can't believe you idiots are going to be in charge one day."

"Damn straight, old man!" Futa shouted as Raita reached over the table to steal the other blonde's hand.

"How high is the blonde one?" Todoroki said through clenched teeth as he tried not to punch something

"No idea. But I want what ever he's on." Murayama said quietly as Futa let out an inhuman scream, throwing himself across the table at Raita and Agyo, who were looking at his cards.

In the scuffle, more playing cards tumbled out of Futa's sleeves, sunglass-clad Agyo standing up with a seething expression on his face. "You filthy cheater!"