The street was still buzzing with lights of all different colours and people from all walks of life.

 From street food vendors  to destitutes and from high ranking officials to traffickers - if one were to spend a few hours here at night they were sure to meet them all. 

Akira looked around, his curious eyes taking in everything. There were bars and underground nightclubs where people duelled illegally ; there was a shrine by street and an also abandoned arcade. These inanimate things were the veins of the street and poetically, what gave life to it.

Azu couldn't help but feel a little self conscious around Akira. His home and the street he lived in often bitterly reminded him of how distant they were despite being so close. He stole a glance at him before looking away, pretending to enjoy the sights as if he'd not been seeing them almost every day of his life. 

When his eyes fell on a hostess club he was quickly reminded of his mother.

Azu was thrown off balance when Akira kissed his cheek with no prior warning.

"Ehh, why?!" he asked him, puzzled.

"I don't know .. This street - it brings back a lot of memories about you. There's just too much of you surrounding me right now and I couldn't handle it." He winked, his lips curling into a smile.

The smile was infectious. Flustered, Azu punched him in the stomach weakly, when he was at a loss for words.  

The walk from the train station to his house seemed too short and before they knew it, they were both infront of Azu's house. 

"Looks like Mikumi-san's home."

Azu nodded, staring at the lights coming from the house. "Yeah, she is."

"Do you want me to go with you? " Akira looked at Azu with concern. "You know you can always tell me -"

"Nah, it's alright. I think you should sit this one out." He laughed nervously. "She must be really pissed this time."

"She's your mom, so don't spend too much time worrying what might happen. Just go  to her and tell her you are sorry. And yeah, apologize properly." 

They have had this conversation tens of times before, with Akira advising Azu on how to tame the situation and Azu stuck outside the house, unable to find the courage to face the mistakes he made.

"What if she throws me out of the house? What do I do then? I can't even go back to Izuki's place!" As his insecurities and fears surfaced, Azu wished he'd thought through this situation more thoroughly.

Akira pulled him in a hug. Sensing Azu's need, patting him on the back, he gently asked, "Do you want me to wait outside while you talk to her?"

Ignoring the pang of guilt in his chest, Azu said, " Yeah, can you do that?  I can give you a call right after we are done talking and let you know if everything goes well."

"All right". Akira squeezed him as he whispered, " There's no way she'll abandon you, Azu. She loves you too much to do that. And yeah, I love you too."

Azu finally let out a breath that he didn't realize he had been holding all this time.