♡Warnings: you/your/yourself pronouns used, 1700 words, fluff, slow-ish burn, mild cussing i think idfk i went through like 50 drafts, old people being cuties, I love old people, reigan arataka and mob as guest stars btw
Shishitorens territory has always been a lively place. It was filled with bars and nightlife that most cities lacked but just because it was quiet during the day, didn't mean it was silent. Steam curled around the old wood beams of the bathhouse, muffling the sound of conversation. It was late evening, the time when only the regulars came. Elderly men and women shuffled across the tile floors just a room over, towels wrapped around their bodies, and a soft clacking of shogi tiles was heard from the corner table in the lounge.
Togame sat, shirt half-buttoned and loosely resting on his shoulders, a towel draped over his wet hair. His sharp eyes flicked across the shogi board. His opponent, an energetic old man named Mr.arataka, scratched his cheek and sighed.
“You're lucky that I tend to go easy on the younger folk kid, if I went full power right from the start half of Japan would be in shambles from my power.” the old man grumbled. “You're just salty that I won, aren't you?” Togame murmured, moving a piece back into its starting position. His voice was even and his presence was calm yet unreadable. The sort of quiet that held danger and dignity in equal measure. The kind of silence you can only find in a double life delinquent like jo togame or hannah montana.
Mr.arataka chuckled and leaned back, popping a complementary rice cracker into his mouth. “You need someone who’ll challenge you more than I can.” “Are you volunteering to find them?” “Who do you think I am? I've already found them, introducing one of the best shogi masters ever, ehem- right behind me of course...” The old man awkwardly scooted his chair to the side and frantically waved over someone that was behind him. “Hey brat! Come here for a sec!”
You were balancing a stack of towels that the nursing home residents have used, normally this work would fall to the bathhouse staff but you would die just standing there without anything to keep your hands busy. Mr.arataka had insisted you join the group that went to the bathhouse each afternoon today. He was insistent and said he wanted to introduce you to someone so how could you refuse? You set the towels down and walked over to the two men at a small table in the corner when you suddenly paused mid step. Your eyes met togames. There was no smile, but something like curiosity sparked behind his gaze.
“This is uh… this is some brat,” Mr.arataka said. “Takes care of me better than my kid and is the best shogi student i've ever had. Not to brag on their behalf but I've taught them everything I know. ” “Did you forget my name or something..? And you haven't taught me anything-” You tried to speak but were quickly silenced by an older mans hand over your mouth. “They're a real prodigy in the making and it's all thanks to my teachings, and brat this is Togame, he's a bit mediocre at the game but he's a quick learner. He might come for your spot as my pupil one day.” The old man interrupted while Togame raised an eyebrow at his words. “That right?” You offered a small yet confident smile. “I did beat Mr.arataka three times in a row this morning.”
“That doesn't take much.” Jo said slowly. You've just met him and it felt like his every action was in .5x speed. Mr.arataka quickly ranted out a series of defences towards Togames comment but it was all swiftly ignored by us two.
Togame gestured to the seat across from him and you silently took his offer. You played one round. Then another. Togame wasn’t loud or showy in his tactics, he was all pressure. Every slow move of a shogi tile he made backed you further and further into a corner without ever making a scene of it, not even his expression would change or falter as he kept up the relentless assault against your pieces. He was good but you kept up. And that was the flaw of the way he played. The more you were able to react and keep calm despite the amount of pressure he tossed at you the more his own defenses fell apart.
His brow twitched in amusement. Not quite a smile, but something close. “You’re not bad.” You sipped your half empty bottled green tea that you bought from a vending machine when you arrived at the bathhouse, now lukewarm from its neglect until now, letting your fingers hover over one of your tiles as you slid the pieces back into their starting position. “Neither are you.” Mr.arataka glanced between the younger duo silently. “Mr.arataka, Shigeo is here.” One of your coworkers called out to the table you sat at with a youngish boy next to her. You waved off the older man as he stood and strutted out of the building, leaving you with Togame.
Togame stayed silent as the older man left, you half expected him to leave as well but he stayed seated. His gaze shifted between yourself and the shogi board as words could visibly get caught in his throat. The air of cockieness that he had around him shifted the second Mr.arataka left and all that was left was an awkward teen. The time that passed during our shogi games suddenly was much more noticeable. The steamy air that swept through to the lobby was suddenly much clearer and the number of people entering and leaving the bathhouse was suddenly little to none. Togames shirt was slightly damp from his longer hair resting on it for as long as it has. The silence that fell between you both was awkward since this was your first interaction ever.
What kind of asshole leaves the two people he just introduced to each other alone together?
The sentence rang through both of your heads simultaneously as you desperately looked for any way to start a conversation with this guy. Only a few words were exchanged during the shogi games and each beat of silence only made your quest for anything to get rid of the awkward feeling between you both more difficult. He fidgeted slightly, not in an obvious way, his finger tapped once and stopped before his gaze jumped from one of the shogi tiles to another. You couldn't take it anymore.
“So…” you started, your voice was too loud starting off and it harshly cut through the awkward silence that had layered itself over the room. You softened your tone as you continued, “do you come here often or did you just feel like glaring at older men and losing at shogi today?” He blinked once at your words and you could see as he slowly processed your words before a slow breath came out. Not quite a laugh but definitely close. His lips curled into a small almost unnoticeable smile at your stupid attempt at playful banter which gave you a small sense of victory.
“You think I lost?” he noted lightly as you shrugged in response. “You didn't win… most of them.” “I still won some.” he stretched slightly, the towel that had been resting on his head slipped off and he caught it just before it hit the ground. “Only a few” you subconsciously rolled the cap of your now empty tea bottle between your fingers as Togame slowly stood with a small grunt that made him seem significantly older than he actually was. “Can I walk you back… it's late.”
You blinked, not because of the offer itself but because it surprised you how quietly he had said it. Almost like he was nervous asking such a simple and overall nice question and now that you were looking at him over again it was obvious that he was nervous. “Sure.” you smiled softly and stood, gently and discreetly trying to wipe the nerves off of the palms of your hands and onto your jeans. “If you can walk me all the way home old man.” a low huff came from him as you both stepped out of the bathhouse, tossing any trash you had as you did so. “Is that how you talk to someone kind enough to let you win?” “you wish you let me win.” He didn't argue but he didn't confirm either as he walked by your side, slightly behind you so you could lead the way to your house since he obviously didn't know the general direction, much less exact location.
The cold air bit your skin as you walked. A light chatter between the two of you filled the silence, some of the conversation felt forced but as you walked it slowly became more natural. The old wooden steps that led to your front door creaked under your weight as you stepped up it. Part of you wanted to offer him some tea but his voice and calloused hand on your wrist halted your train of thought completely. His tone was even but his voice was low, he kept his eyes on his hand on your wrist as he finally choked out the words.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked quietly. You glanced back at him silently, but he kept his gaze downwards… you could tell that something deep inside of him feared the answer. That same thing feared people as a whole. For him, in this moment at least there was nothing more important than your answer to this seemingly small and simple question.
How you respond might be important so choose carefully
"I do know, but I dont care."
"I do know... and honestly its a bit scary."
"i dont know what you're talking about." (knows but decided to lie)
"What do you mean? Who are you?"
Voting ended onJun 5, 2025
♡ Inspired by the fact he plays go and shogi with the old men at public baths
“Master arataka… who were those people you were sitting with?” “Well mob, sometimes you make bets with people like I did and will do absolutely anything to get that money.” the older man and his kid(?) walked home together shortly after they left the bathhouse. “You made a bet?” the younger boy looked up at the man he's called his master for years in curiosity “what kind?”. The older man walked in long strides as he pretended to proudly look into the distance, in reality he had a small bead of sweat dripping from his forehead in nerves. “I bet 200,000 yen that I could get Togame, the big guy that sucks at shogi, dating within a month.” “That's a lot of money…” “Well, mob, I am confident that I will win and in no way did I bet that much because I was provoked or tricked.”
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