The Ultimates

Forty-Three

This book is almost done. Only two more chapters to go after this one. I know I haven't been doing a good job at updating, but I'm about to graduate with my Bachelor's degree in a month (provided I pass my last two classes). Hopefully afterwards, I'll be better prepared to begin updating regularly again. In the meantime, enjoy the newest chapter of "The Ultimates"!

^^^

After the movie, Komaru and Toko split from our group, most likely to talk about Byakuya. Based on a text she sent me later that night, it seemed as if they came to an agreement and would tell Byakuya soon. I wasn't sure what Toko considered "soon", but hopefully it meant "soon" soon and not "later on" soon.

Regardless, it wasn't any of our business. Toko had her reasons, and Komaru was the only other person who needed to understand the depth of why she hid their relationship from Byakuya. None of us had the right to judge her, especially when we understood where she was coming from.

As we prepared to open the café on Monday, it seemed as if everything was ready to go. Our first clients and customers were waiting for us, and the sooner we finished for the day, the sooner we could go home. All I wanted was to eat the pulled pork I had slow cooking at home. Chiaki and Kazuichi planned to come over as well, so it was going to be a good night.

However, right before Gundham and Peko opened the doors, Toko squealed loudly. We all looked at her, finding her cowering under Byakuya's flabbergasted eyes. Everyone looked at each other in confusion, surprised by their outbursts. Glancing over at Nagito, his eyes softened as he smiled sadly back at me. It seemed we were on the same page.

"H-how... how did you find out?" Toko questioned.

Nagito grabbed my hand and held it tightly, most likely just as scared as she was.

"I had someone follow you."

"W-what?" she exclaimed.

"Isn't that an invasion of privacy?" Makoto shyly asked, coming up behind Byakuya.

"What was I supposed to do?" he snapped, and Toko flinched. "Toko, you have been acting strange for months now. Do you have any idea how worried I have been? I thought someone was hurting you again, but instead..." He pointed to his phone, staring at it as he let out a long breath. "I don't understand why you would feel the need to hide this."

"W-what exactly is-s it?"

Byakuya showed the picture to Toko. It was her and Komaru at the mall's food court, holding hands and kissing. It was definitely an invasion of privacy to have someone follow them, but I didn't know the unwritten laws of the rich, so for all I knew, that was completely normal. It still didn't sit right, though, considering one of the people targeted was Komaru. One look at Makoto, and I knew he felt the same way.

"Toko, why would you feel the need to hide this from me? It's not as if she's a relative of mine."

"Not you... Makoto," she whispered.

"Why does that matter?" Makoto questioned. Toko said nothing, and he glared at her. "Why does it matter if she's my sister?"

"Your sister?" Byakuya inspected the picture and nodded. "Ah, yes. I hadn't recognized her."

Nagito let go of my hand and placed his hand on Toko's shoulder. She jumped and glanced back at him. He smiled encouragingly at her, helping her to calm down.

"Toko?" Makoto softly asked, his eyes calming down.

"I didn't want to upset Byakuya over dating a Naegi."

"Why would it matter if you date a Naegi?" Byakuya scoffed. "It's none of my- Oh."

"What?" Makoto bit, crossing his arms.

"This is about what I said last year, isn't it?" he asked, and Toko nodded. Byakuya let out a condescending snicker and planted his hands on his hips. "I should have you rest assured that I do not harbor any romantic feelings for Makoto. He is merely a dear friend of mine, and that is it."

"What," Makoto dragged out, "are you talking about?"

"You see, last year at our end of the year dinner, I made a comment to Toko that you looked very handsome in your suit. Normally, I am not one to shower anyone with such compliments, so she might have assumed that I harbored some form of romantic feelings for you," Byakuya explained.

"There were also the looks, the other comments, the friendliness. I-it seemed very obvious that you had feelings for Makoto, but because of your progeny, I thought that you wouldn't be able to be with Makoto if you both wanted to. I felt bad, and when I fell in love with Komaru, I was too afraid to say anything over upsetting you. I-I thought you would be jealous and not give Komaru the same treatment you would have if it were another girl. I'm sorry for assuming the worst, Byakuya, but I love Komaru with all my heart. I didn't want to risk her feeling like a disappointment because of it." She sighed, releasing a depressed laugh. "But in the end, I think I did exactly that. Please believe me when I say that I was going to tell you soon when we could both come out to you, but... it seems you beat us to it."

Byakuya stepped up to Toko, pulling her away from Nagito, and hugged her tightly. He whispered something in her ear, causing her to cry. I would have been worried if it weren't for the fact that Nagito smiled, and his eyes turned glossy as he walked back over to me.

"What did he say?" I whispered.

"The usual big brother type of stuff," he assured, grabbing my hand again. I lifted our arms so I could still hold his hand as I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, and he leaned his head back on mine.

"Truly," Byakuya exclaimed as he pulled away from the hug, "if anyone were to become my partner, it would need to be someone who could produce a prodigal heir. No one in the Togami family has ever settled for what it less than great to serve future generations. We are the best and deserve nothing but the best."

"Yeah, and no one out pizza's the hut. Doesn't mean they're the best," Makoto quipped.

Byakuya cringed as he turned to Makoto. "You know I mean no harm in that."

"Relax," he smirked, slapping Byakuya's back, "I just like giving you shit. If I don't, who will humble you."

"Oh, shut up and get back to work," he tutted, dropping Makoto's hand off of his shoulder. He smiled, though, as Makoto made his way back to his table.

Before the doors opened, I kissed Nagito's cheek. He smiled and walked away to Toko, the two smiling and talking. Hopefully, Komaru would be prepared to meet Byakuya.