Chapter Text
Adjusting the hat that blocked your view, you saw Kenji standing there. Menacingly. Your eyes traveled down, feeling Sun’s tiny arms clutched gently to your arm. The stillness in Sun’s face told you all you needed to know:
That creep was done for.
The bastard huffed in frustration, reaching out to grab your arm. Before he could lay a crusty finger on you, a flash of red passed by the man. The creep staggered down, hands clenching his gut.
With a few cracks of his knuckles, Kenji stepped towards the creep. You couldn’t see his face, but you could feel just how fucking pissed Kenji was. Reaching into the pockets of his tuxedo, Sun pulled out a pair of pom-poms, ready to cheer Kenji on.
That was…until the creep stood back up.
No longer hunched over, the creep seemed taller than you thought—maybe even taller than Kenji. Scratch that; he was definitely taller than Kenji.
“Tuh…no biggie. I got this.”
Kenji shook himself back to reality with a nervous laugh, reaching for the staff on his back. Yet, there was no staff there for him to grab. He froze for a moment as the tense air was growing. It seemed like Kenji forgot his staff when he left earlier…
“...OH SHIT!!”
The creep’s frown sneaked into a smirk, picking up on Kenji’s wavering tone. They stomped towards Kenji, looming over him as they commented on the monkey man’s shrimpy figure. Despite the blatant disrespect, Kenji kept his guard up as he eyed the creep, traces of fear growing inside him.
“Oh, hell no! Calm down, man; it was just a prank! I swear! TAKE IT EASY!!”
One swing from the creep was all it took for Kenji to realize he may have bitten off more than he could chew. As the hit staggered him to his knees, Kenji turned his head to you, eyes bugging out.
“Sun, go to Nimbus and bring my staff! Quick!”
While Sun hopped off and ran out, Kenji looked around for anything he could get his hands on. With his staff missing, what did he have to work with? Used gum? He saw nothing of use, scoffing at the lack of things to throw with.
A sharp sting brought him out of his thoughts. Scrambling to get up, Kenji’s eyes narrowed at the creep’s fist. The creep took delight in his cheap blows to the monkey king himself. There was a lack of control within the creep, charging after Kenji when he was barely standing.
The onion creep threw punch after punch. Kenji, stumbling with his dodges, grew in frustration. The monkey king was hardly managing to defend himself.
Then, Kenji missed a dodge, causing him to stagger. His back slammed to the ground, the creep getting closer.
“I could use that help now, Sun!”
Kenji called out, but Sun was nowhere to be seen. All you could do was stand there and watch as Kenji was lifted into the air, throat clutched in the creep’s hand.
…You were just gonna stand there?
No.
No, you couldn’t. You couldn’t just stand idly by and see Kenji suffer. You knew you had to do something, and fast.
Looking around again, your eyes caught onto a pair of taiko drumsticks tucked away at the side of an arcade cabinet. Quietly, you crept your way to the drumsticks, keeping your eyes on the creep. Time was limited, and you couldn’t risk getting caught.
Soon, your fingers wrapped around those wooden sticks. Tip-toeing behind the creep was your next thought. With a deep breath, you snuck your way through, wincing at the sound of Kenji’s struggle. You exhaled only when you made it behind the creep, bringing your arm up for a swing.
Thunk!
With a hiss, the creep dropped Kenji to the ground. Stumbling back, the creep turned his head to see you there. You could see the glint of his eyes grow. The low growl sent a cold chill your way. You held your breath for a moment, staring into those cold eyes.
Neither of you dared move, staying deathly still. Silence filled the pause as you both waited for the other to make a move. You were keeping a good eye on the onion creep when you heard Sun's voice break through the buzzing in your ears.
You only kept your eyes off the creep momentarily, gazing to the side to see Sun run up to Kenji's body on the floor. It looked like Sun was carrying Kenji's staff and a small pouch. Sun reached into the pouch, pulling out a green bean before pushing it towards Kenji's lips. Trusting in Sun, you sighed in relief.
That relief was short-lived.
There was a sensation of hands grasping your clothes, your feet dangling in the air. In a panic, you moved your head about, looking for the source. Managing to turn your head back, you saw the creep gritting his teeth below you. In the blink of an eye, the creep's face was smeared in a flash of light. You felt weightless in that moment, soaring through the air, the bells ringing in your ears.
Crash!
Pain shot up at the back of your head, stinging hard. Your eyes struggled to open from the headache, your vision smearing from the tears building up. You could hear the select screen of Dancerush Stardom play behind you, the sound glitching from your impact. Your body was left slumped on the floor, aching. What little strength you could muster was used to raise your head slightly.
A hand reached down, grasping your seven hair strands hard. Your head was yanked up to the creep's face with a tug. His hot breath on your face made you wince. With your teeth gritted, you closed your eyes, expecting to feel more pain.
Yet, you felt nothing. Instead, the tight grip on your hair went loose. After a moment, your eyes fluttered open to see what happened.
The creep was dangling in the air. He squirmed about, taken aback by the sudden change. Tilting your head, you noticed the creep dangling on a staff. Kenji's staff.
“Get…the fuck…away from them!”
Slam!
The creep was thrown to the ground behind Kenji. His grip on his staff tightened as he ran to your side, checking your injuries. From what you’ve seen, Kenji’s face stayed blank. Yet something about his gaze held a distinct sharpness.
“Sun, give them a senzu bean, and keep an eye on them…I got some trash to take care of.”
As Kenji got up, Sun ran up to you. The little monkey was already digging in his tiny pouch. Tiny paws brushed against your lips, pushing in a crunchy green bean for you to eat. Your hazed eyes kept on Kenji. Your stare was steady on his figure, Sun keeping close to your side if the bean wasn’t enough.
Kenji, meanwhile, wasn’t having any of it.
“You know, you’re kinda strong as fuck. I won't deny that.”
The creep was swept in Kenji’s staff, lifting him in the air.
“Here’s the thing…no one messes with them except me.”
Kenji’s staff curved under the creep’s weight, flinging the body to a nearby arcade cabinet. Music blasted from the impact.
Now it’s time to get funky!
“You’re about to get funky with this monkey, motherfucker!”
The creep forcefully pushed himself off the cabinet, groaning in pain. The creep had just stepped to his right as Kenji rushed to the man’s left. Kenji’s staff focused on knocking down the creep, causing the man to step back.
A few hops gave the creep an opening, right foot raising for a kick. Kenji’s left kick quickly stopped the creep in place. Their movements sounded like thundering stomps, moving to the song's rhythm.
As their bodies slid left and right, it was clear Kenji had gained the upper hand. Each cross of limb and staff was weakened on impact. Smooth, fluid movements from Kenji outdid the creep’s faltering punches. A swing from Kenji’s tail could do damage at this point.
Let’s go to work!
As Kenji pummeled the bastard, Sun cheered on by your side. Your eyes stayed on Kenji, and you watched his every move.
“You don’t deserve them! You don’t deserve shit! No bitches for you!”
A precise whack from Kenji’s stick sent the creep falling to the floor. The creep was too tired to get up. Coughing through the pain, he gave one last look up at Kenji. Squatting down, Kenji stared down at the guy in disgust.
"So why don't you just walk out of here, eh?"
The creep’s wheezes were enough for Kenji to know he had won.
Turning around, Kenji approached you and Sun. He checked your body, making sure there were no more bruises. Seeing you were okay, he gave a small sigh of relief.
Kenji took your hand and carefully lifted you from the ground, leading you away from the scene. Sun followed suit. As he held your hands, you were lost in your thoughts.
Throughout his fight, you realize you saw a side to Kenji that you’ve never seen before. Typically, Kenji would stick to his bravado of words only to immediately fold at the sight of someone actually intimidating. In other words, if the opponent seemed bigger than him, he was immediately running out of there.
This time, however, he didn’t run off. He did get his shit rocked, but he still managed to beat the creep up in the end. That’s insane.
“Hey, are you even listening!? Damn, pay attention!”
You snapped back from your thoughts. With a blink, you noticed that Kenji’s face was close to yours.
Too close.
Pushing him lightly, you told him to back away with his hot ass breath. You turned your head to make sure Kenji couldn’t see you blush. It seemed to have worked since Kenji was too focused on his ‘hot ass breath’ rant.
To calm yourself down, you looked around and saw an arcade game: Super Monkey Ball. Immediately, you interrupted Kenji’s rant to ask if this game was the next challenge.
“Well, yeah! I beat your ass so hard the first challenge I figured this would be way easier for you.”
And like that, your blush was gone. This himbo bastard keeps giving you whiplashes like no other.
“Oi, don’t be like that! I don’t know how to play either!”
Interesting…this could be a chance to score a point against Kenji. Luck just needed to be on your side.
Annoyance turned to excitement as you made your way over to the game with the giant banana. Oddly enough, the typical buttons expected of an arcade machine were gone, replaced with one big, glittery ball of flashy colors.
“This bitch looks off, but it’ll do. I’ll go first, don’t argue with me.”
Kenji was rushed into the level with a swipe of his credits as the layout was thin and full of curves and hazards. With his hands on the ball, he was raring to go.
“You better ready yourself to pay for my steak tonight!!”
With a swipe of his hand, his monkey moved through the obstacle course. Leaning through tight curves, swiping in multiple directions, and cursing about nearly falling several times, Kenji finally reached the end of the course.
“Fuck yeah, 15 bananas! Beat that!”
Before he could move, his eyes widened at the sight of the bonus stage. The tantalizing number 1000 was shining with his name, and he was practically tasting that steak already. All he had to do was follow the ramp. How easy could it be?
“Come on, you stupid- WHAT THE FUCK?!”
Unfortunately for Kenji, his monkey didn’t pick up enough speed to make it to that sweet jackpot, hurling his monkey into the abyss.
“...tch, you got lucky. I’ll own your ass next level.”
Kenji eagerly awaited the next level, only to see the game over screen instead, earning himself 15 tickets.
“Wait, that’s it?! This is bullshit!”
You couldn’t help but laugh as you scooted Kenji to the side and swiped your card. Your hands were on the ball as you gave him a knowing look.
“As if you’d get it…but we’ll see.”
As soon as the level started, you zoomed your monkey through the first curve as Kenji looked in disbelief.
“Eyo, what the- you played this before?!”
Yes. Yes, you have. It was the easiest game to win a jackpot in, after all. It was a good thing luck was on your side, as the guy was terrible at balancing his monkey.
Kenji is going down.
“...YOU BITCH!”
With a curl of your lips, you’ve gathered all the bananas on the obstacle course. Even the bonus level stood no chance, aiming your monkey right to land for the jackpot. As the tickets rolled out, you turned to Kenji, your grin curving in your smug glory.
“Tuh…So what, sweetheart? I can still win this little contest of ours. The last game will be…Mario Kart!”
Walking to the back of the place, you both were surrounded by loud lights with a neon glow, at least compared to the arcade’s dark atmosphere. There it was, in all its glory. The one and only…Mario Kart.
Those HD screens were overstimulating your senses as you followed Kenji, seeing glimpses of his grin.
“No one can beat my ass in Mario Kart…this is going to be too easy.”
Leave it to Kenji to pick the last game in his favor. You both approached the machines, peeking in to see that the controls were…not what you expected.
“What the fuck are these controls?!”
You both had no clue how the controls would work. Steering wheels were one thing, but gas pedals?! Bullshit. For a moment, you both just stared at the cabinet as if it were a newborn, utterly horrified by the advanced mechanics that was Super Mario Kart Arcade.
Fuck it, Mario Kart is worth it. Even if you risk looking like a drunk driver in front of Kenji.
You summoned as much confidence as possible and sat on the closest seat, grasping the steering wheel. You turned your head to Kenji, expecting him to do the same.
Kenji reluctantly walks over to the seat next to you. He slouches as he fiddles with the controls, his teeth clenching in disgust.
“Tuh, this won’t stop me…GET READY TO PAY FOR MY DINNER!!”
——————————————————————————————————————————
When you thought about having dinner with Kenji, you imagined doing something nice, like eating a filet mignon with a side of red wine at a fancy restaurant. Sitting at a table covered with candles and diamonds, you’d lose yourself in the mood, falling deep into a trance of pure luxury.
This was anything but that.
Kenji and you arrived at McDonald’s, Sun silently judging Kenji while sitting on your shoulder. You turned your direction to Kenji, trying to understand why here, of all places.
“What?! I blew most of the bananas at the arcade. This is all I can afford!”
Though Sun stared at Kenji judgingly, you hung your shoulders in defeat. You were way too hungry to protest. Right now, food is food.
Kenji and you basked in the silence, waiting in line at McDonald's. The other customers and fast food workers gawk, surprised at the monkey king’s presence.
“What’re you guys staring for, peasants?! Damn, mind yo business!”
You let out a sigh as their eyes quickly moved away. Kenji leaned towards your side, whispering:
“Look, we’ll each get a meal. I’m getting a large, so you’re having a small.”
The words ‘what the fuck’ echoed in your mind as you turned back.
“I’m also gonna buy something for Sun…deal with it.”
After ordering your meals, you both boldly decided to eat inside the McDonald's. Sitting at one of the crusty tables, you watch Kenji stare at the crumbs and condiment stains left behind. Luckily, the chairs were fine, but you had a feeling that Kenji wasn’t keen on using the table.
“Damn, who’s running the place? This shit is crusty as fuck.”
Using the thin McNapkins, you did your best to scrub away as much of the gunk as possible. When that didn’t work, you made a small pile of napkins for Sun to sit on instead.
“Thanks.”
Finally, when setting the food down, Kenji ensures Sun’s Happy Meal is set closer to them.
“No way in hell are you gonna touch this dirty-ass table.”
The dinner was silent as you two ate your meals. The chatter from the other customers fills the ambiance, too loud for any conversation.
It was Kenji who broke the silence, munching down all his fries. No sooner had he finished his fries than he began eyeing your fries.
“Eyo, are you gonna eat that?”
You scooted the fries closer to you, making sure they were hidden from Kenji’s view.
“I was just asking! Damn!”
With a small huff, you turn your attention back to your meal. It was relatively quiet between you both, with small conversations popping in on occasion. It was quite nice after dealing with the chaos back at the arcade.
“Eyo, where the FUCK are my chicken fries!”
Well, it was nice while it lasted.
“Ma’am…I’m gonna need you to calm down-”
“I’ve asked nicely before, but I’m running out of patience! GIVE. ME. MY. GOD. DAMN. CHICKEN FRIES!!”
Turning around, you noticed a girl with blue hair and bear ears yelling at a poor teen worker. The squabble back at the cash register put a damper on your already awkward dinner. Trying to ignore the petty squabble, you munched away on your fries.
However, Kenji had other ideas as he rose from his seat.
“Since when did McDonald's serve fucking chicken fries?!”
“If they can serve chicken wings, they can serve chicken fries!”
“Are you- Even if they did, chicken fries are banned here! Absolute TRASH!”
“I WILL GET MY DAMN CHICKEN FRIES IF IT’S THE LAST THING I DO!!”
At this point, it's clear that the night will end in a bloodbath unless someone intervenes. With a deep breath, you get up from your spot and head towards the sea-themed woman.
“I’LL BODY SLAM ANYONE WHO GETS BETWEEN ME AND MY FOOD!! I’LL BEAT CHO ASS-!!”
Bam!
There was a loud echo in the restaurant. The seabear humanoid, once standing tall and proud, was now in the air from sheer force. Her body broke through the restaurant's roof, spinning away until she was a mere glint in the sky—like a shooting star.
Heck, you didn’t even do anything to her yet.
You turned to Kenji, only to be met with a mere shrug, looking back at the hole in the sky. Of course, fear set in among the other monkey customers who worried they would meet the same fate.
Amidst everyone’s panic running, you felt Kenji’s hands grab your arm, dragging you out of the restaurant and away from harm.
“Let’s get outta here!”
——————————————————————————————————————————
All good things must come to an end. Though, you couldn’t help but wish this day would be an exception.
As your tree house came closer to view, you stayed calm as always. You knew you were lucky enough to win this day of fun. After all, it was for charity. It had to end eventually.
It was just for charity, you reminded yourself.
Yet, you felt your grip tighten on Kenji's arm, holding on with gentle firmness. Your treehouse was in full view, hidden amongst the stars in the night sky.
“This is your place, right? Just making sure…”
You hid your frown, plastering a smile on your face. Nimbus slowed as you two drew nearer to the high tree branch that started it all. Kenji guided you down the branch, gently placing you down. Sun followed suit, lugging a gift bag twice his size.
“Ah, right…thanks, Sun.”
Sun lands on Kenji’s arm, shoving the gift to his face. Grabbing the handle, he holds the gift in front of you.
“...I know that these don’t come out on the merch shop yet, but fuck it. It’s my gift for you.”
Kenji dropped the gift bag in your hands, turning away as soon as he did. Curious, you opened the bag to find a miniature plush version of Sun. The plush felt soft as you hugged it in your arms, melting at how cute it was.
“I’ve been holding onto this gift for you during the bathroom trip…you better appreciate it!”
You smiled at the statement, tightly holding onto the plush. Gently placing the plush back in the bag, you thanked Kenji and Sun for the gift. As chaotic as this day was, you had so much fun.
Before you realized it, you hugged Kenji close. Among the rustling trees and muffled chirps, a silence grew between you both. A hand came up to pat your head, and Sun was already by your side, hugging your shoulder.
Though it was just for a moment, you could’ve sworn time stopped just for you, only beginning once more when you pulled away.
“I had fun too…just so you know. Come on, Sun. We gotta go.”
Sun, however, refused to get off your shoulder. Instead, he clung to you as he nuzzled his face into your hair, hiding away from Kenji.
“Come on, Sun…don’t make this harder on them.”
Sun sunk deeper into you as you heard him beginning to sniffle. You turned to the little guy, feeling your heart break in two as you hugged Sun close to you. It took a while for Sun to let you go, whispering reassures as you held him. Only when he let go did you realize you were crying, too.
Sun hops onto Kenji’s shoulder, looking at you once more as he climbs back up to Nimbus. Kenji turns to you and waves goodbye as Nimbus flies off. As you watch them go, you hold the Sun plush close to you.
You couldn’t wait for the next raffle.