Hifumi Part 1

The night was utterly still. Not a sound was audible except for the hushed voices of two figures. One man, one woman. The girl was dressed in a short dark blue yukata covered with white dots. The orange and white binding around her waist pushed up her nearly bare, alabaster breasts making them look most enticing. She sat on a bed with her flawless legs crossed. Her long dark hair fell around her bosom and down her back.

Kneeling at her feet was a dark haired boy. He wore no shirt and looked every bit a rogue. "Is it done?" The girl asked him. "Have my enemies been vanquished?" The boy chuckled and kissed the very top of her foot. "My lady, surely I would not have come before you otherwise. For I know the price of failure." The woman smirked darkly.

"You are daring for a mere thief. But I did promise a reward." She had to hold in a gasp as the man slowly moved his lips up her legs, tenderly kissing her pale thighs. "I can only think of one." She let out a cackle at this and leaned forward exposing her deep plunging cleavage. "A queen consorting with a commoner! Hah! Even one so handsome has no place at court." She cupped his face with her hand and moved in for a kiss. "But we are not at court, are we?" She bade him to stand and come closer, lying back. Her yukata was so short, this position exposed her undergarments to her companion. "It would be most ungraceful for me to go back on my word." The man leaned forward and placed his hands on either side of her and she began to trace the contours of his muscles. He leaned forward and kissed her fully on the mouth and she reciprocated. "We'll have to keep this secret," she managed to gasp out. "If the inquisitors find us..." The man put a finger to her lips. "They won't." They grinned at each other and each began to disrobe their partner. And so the uncouth assassin thief took the maidenhead of the newly crowned queen. He had to be gentle, lest she cry out too loudly but quite enjoyed his conquest

Later, the two lay wrapped in each other's arms. The dark haired lad gently stroked the girl's hair. Their naked forms pressing against each other quite heavily. The girl looked up at the taller youth with deep green eyes. "Thank you Akira. For indulging my nonsense I mean." The man in question just smiled and told her it was no problem. Ever since their relationship had been taken to the next level, Akira or Joker as he was better known, had discovered Hifumi's image training extended to anything she felt passionate about. It was like a switch that couldn't be turned off. One day when she accidentally blurted out something about his holy sword, he decided to play along. One thing led to another, and now here they are. Joker couldn't say he minded too much although he did have to dust off some old manga.

Hifumi softly chuckled and slowly walked her fingers along his chest. "I know. You're so thoughtful. But one of these days I would like to pay you back." Joker chuckled and said her enjoyment was payment enough. They lay their for a while longer but Joker's hands soon lowered to rub her round bottom and she let out a mewl. Tomorrow was Sunday, they could go for round two.

As Joker assumed the missionary position, Hifumi stopped him. "If there's anything I can do for you to make this more enjoyable, don't hesitate to ask. We are partners after all." Joker pursed his lips in thought. Should he tell her? He knew he had trouble with this little...issue in the past but he and Hifumi shared something special. She wouldn't break up with him for something as simple as that. His confidence returned and he said his answer as if it was the most natural thing in the world "I'd like you to put on some weight."

Hifumi widened her eyes in shock. She had actually been thinking about hitting the gym for the first time in her life for Akira's sake and now here he was saying this.

Her shogi career was already the subject of mockery and ridicule. She really didn't want to add more fuel to the fire by getting plump. Plus the way people would stare at her, and what would her parents think? Their was also the main reason. The big one. He had said a little weight but she had a bad feeling if she slackened her willpower, she wouldn't be able to stop. She didn't freak out but asked him simply how much he was thinking. "Fifty pounds at least." He said it with no hesitation surprising her once again. "I-I'm sorry. I don't think I can do that, but I'm glad you feel you can be so open with me." He chortled at this.

"In that case, I should tell you that wasn't a request, but a warning." Hifumi tilted her head in confusion. Joker's mind flashed with visions of plump tummies straining the buttons of uniforms, skirts revealing peaks of panty as the butts underneath were padded with adipose, breasts that became more visible with every pound gained. He told Hifumi the truth. Every girl who he had ever dated ended up with at least thirty extra pounds clinging to their frame. "It's inevitable I'm afraid." He let out a sigh. "But don't worry, I'll make sure you're nice and comfortable with your new form."

Hifumi glared at him and pulled him to her side. "Is that a challenge Kurusu? Should you really be making such bold declarations to your teacher? I think maybe you're overestimating your abilities." He pinched an inch of soft fat around her hips. Barely noticeable to anyone but the most observant of fat lovers. "It's already begun." She blushed and swatted his hands away. "That's...always been there. I've never...exercised in my life. The only reason I'm thin is because of my diet." It was true. Hifumi was coated in a pliable layer of softness. You could press your fingers a little into her abdomen. A core that had never known the agony of a situp. Her stockings cut into her thighs the slightest bit. Now she knew why he played with them.

When she sat, she could feel her butt press out a bit the tiniest amount and her arms completely lacked tone. She had gotten quite the sizeable chest and hips from her life of little exertion. She had just never really found the motivation to exercise. She felt Akira stiffen a little. "Really? You've never exercised once?" Hifumi smiled a little. No she wouldn't get fat, but their was nothing wrong with indulging the man she loved a little. She crawled on to his lap, pressing her soft thighs into his muscular ones. "Yes, I'm afraid I've never had the energy for it. I'd much rather snack on tea cakes and read than run around and sweat." She saw her boyfriend bite his lip as he commented that was a quick road to fatness.

"Maybe. But it all goes to the right places. Here, feel." She places his hand on her round breast and lowers her ass down on his pelvis. He can feel the slightest wobble from the cheeks with every thrust. "Oooh I'm a lazy girl," she gets out breathily. "If I'm not careful, I'll *ah* not be able to see my feet." She hears Akira let out a pleased sound and continues. "Big round and jiggly." She punctuates each word with a slamming of her hips. "My belly would touch your stomach in this positAkira gently stroked her face. "It'll be much better for both of us when it's the real thing." He had a teasing smirk and she playfully flicked his forehead. "I may not exercise, but I really don't eat that much, honestly. Looks like we'll both just have to settle for pretend." The other teen gently squeezed her thigh. "That's okay. I can wait." Hifumi playfully slapped his hands away. "You're too confident. And that, will be your downfall." Akira returned his hands to a more chaste position, wrapped around her back. "Thin or fat, I'd still love you anyway." Hifumi happily whispered that of course she knew that. "If you weren't a little weird, we never would have met." Sleep soon hit the two lovers as Hifumi determined wheter five pounds would be "fat" or not.ion." She feels his grip tighten around her breast and moans. She didn't know he could even get this excited! "A-and your ass," Akira gets out. "What about that?"

Hifumi grins from ear to ear happy that she's giving back for once. "It would fill this lap of yours. You'd need *hah* to *hoh* help me out of chairs!" She leaned in to whisper into his ear. "If I don't stop eating and laying around, I'll get stuck in the dooOH!" That did it. A particularly hard thrust sent them both over the edge as Hifumi rolled back to Joker's side. They were panting, Hifumi moreso, as they recovered next to one another. "That was...different." Akira agreed. Hifumi turned to him and beamed happily. "I'm glad my body is so pleasing to you. Even if it's -er- larger."

Akira gently stroked her face. "It'll be much better for both of us when it's the real thing." He had a teasing smirk and she playfully flicked his forehead. "I may not exercise, but I really don't eat that much, honestly. Looks like we'll both just have to settle for pretend." The other teen gently squeezed her thigh. "That's okay. I can wait." Hifumi playfully slapped his hands away. "You're too confident. And that, will be your downfall." Akira returned his hands to a more chaste position, wrapped around her back. "Thin or fat, I'd still love you anyway." Hifumi happily whispered that of course she knew that. "If you weren't a little weird, we never would have met." Sleep soon hit the two lovers as Hifumi determined wheter five pounds would be "fat" or not.

Hifumi awoke to the smell of sizzling egg. This was always a part of their meetings she greatly enjoyed, her boyfriend would always make them both breakfast before she went on her way. Although, she reflected, she'd need to be a lot more careful now. She heard a shuffling and quickly covered her naked form with the bed sheets. It was just Akira's darling little cat. She allowed it to set itself on her lap for a bit before she got dressed in her traditional checkered casual wear. As she descended she caught sight of him hard at work on some omelettes.

Akira bade her to sit and she happily grabbed a booth. She took subtle glances at him as he did his work. Sweat was pouring down his body and made his shirt cling to his muscled torso. He had been there for two hours after all. On days when Hifumi would come over, he'd beg Sojiro to let him cover the morning shift. His caretaker didn't mind as it gave him an excuse to sleep in on Sunday morning. This meant Akira was hustling around the cramped kitchen making breakfast for himself, his girlfriend and several patrons. She had asked him once why he didn't just sleep in with her and they could grab something from a restaurant later.

"Because I like when my food makes you smile. And making you breakfast is good practice" Hifumi had been so touched, she never questioned it again and would happily eat whatever he provided. It wasn't a problem since he was surprisingly talented. Every morning he'd delight her taste buds with explosive flavors and she'd always clean her plate.

She was reconsidering this position when a big pile of egg and rice was sat in front of her. It was enough for two people to get through. She ran her fingers along the slight softness on her midriff and gulped. He was looking at her expectantly. She nervously reached forward. He had gone through the trouble of making all this, wouldn't it be rude to refuse? Hifumi shook her head, no that was ridiculous!

In fact, he was the rude one for guilting her into eat this much even though she said she was watching her weight! "Akira, I'm not going to eat all of this." She said it softly but firmly. Akira glared at her. "I spent all morning slaving over a stove only for you to think about eating my breakfast." Her face contorted in confusion as the boy broke out into a cheeky grin. He deftly pulled a much smaller portion from behind his back and swapped the plates around. "You greedy girl. All you've done today is laze around in bed and you thought that massive serving was for you? Maybe you really are destined to be fat." His voice gained a somber edge to it that Hifumi couldn't help but laugh at.

"Ufufufu." The girl brought her hand in front of her mouth while she chuckled. "You and your teasing. I honestly thought you were serious for a moment. Although..." her eyes narrowed into slits and her lips curled becoming a toothless smile "one day I'll have to pay you back." Akira scratches his neck nervously but is back to smiling once Hifumi takes a bite. "Mmmm dish es gud." She quickly apologizes for talking with her mouth full, but Akira doesn't mind one bit. It just means she likes his food. He gives himself permission to dig in; he'd like to watch Hifumi enjoy herself but truthfully he is ravenous. After a minute or two, he speaks up again.

"You know, I was joking before but a big breakfast is actually helpful in losing weight. Keeps you from snacking in the morning." Hifumi tilted her head in thought. Akira smiled and offered her some of his egg but was caught off guard by her grinning at him. "Hmm well that could be true, but it might not be." She pushed his plate back towards the trickster. "I just can't trust you after tricking me so earlier."

She slowly slide her finger down to her stomach. "If you had just controlled yourself, all those calories would have gone right here."

Akira couldn't help but smile back. Hifumi had a habit of gloating when she was winning and he loved it. It was like any shyness or modesty went away and he got to see a private side of her that she trusted only him with. He shrugged and went back to his omelette. Hifumi finished with a dainty pat to the lips with her napkin. Just then a timer went off and Akira pulled out a tray of golden brown pastries and pulled out a tub of custard he had prepared before their romp. She watched him as he happily prepared his offering and found herself looking forward to trying at least one. He put the eight into a little to go box and handed them to her.

She took one out and bit into it. "Oh my." The shogi player put her mouth to her hand in surprise. "Akira this is wonderful!" She closed her eyes and wore a happy little smile as she chewed. So warm and crisp. The cream mixed with the toasted bread in a most divine manner if she did say so herself. Akira's heart skipped a beat, she just looked so happy munching on his treats. He wished she would allow him to let her feel that way all the time, but she'd come around. He hoped anyway. "Help yourself, but could you take some to your parents?" She looked at him inquisitively. "It's just, I'd like to make a good impression before meeting them, and I'd like some more feedback." Hifumi placed her hand on his shoulder and gently assured her boyfriend they already had a high opinion of him.

"Oh but don't worry. I'm sure they'll love it." They walked out to the subway together and embraced on the platform. As much as Hifumi wanted to spend the day with her love, Sunday morning and early afternoon was the only time she really got to spend time with her father. The mornings were when he had the most energy and was like he was before...

Akira hugged her tighter. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call." She nodded and kissed him full on the lips in plain view of the entire platform.

She was back to smiling again he was happy to see. Hifumi slowly extended herself on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear. "The same applies to you. My beloved phantom." She returned to her normal position and asked if he was up for a quick match at their usual time. "I wouldn't miss it."

She managed to grab a seat on the subway with it being the golden time. Too late for the adults to go to work, but too early for most teenagers to be up. Hifumi fell into a bit of a trance until she realize she'd pulled a creme puff out of the bag and was about to eat. The girl jerked her hand back in shock. Sure they'd been good, but good enough so her body wanted one without thinking? "Well I did eat a light breakfast." She justified to herself. "It's okay if I snack a bit I suppose." Just as she was about to bite into it, she stopped herself again. Wait a minute, one of these puffs probably had just as many calories as that whole omelette, they would just be less way less filling.

Her eyes widened in shock. Akira had offered her the food not to get her to eat it, but to get her to justify eating more later for being good on her diet. That's why he seemed so smug when he mentioned snacking. A feint! He'd sacrificed a smaller victory so he could win a larger one later! Hifumi chuckled to herself gathering several perplexed stares from the passengers. He hadn't pressured her into a single thing. He merely gave Hifumi the tools to her own destruction and was content to sit back and watch, utterly confident in his victory. "That dastard!" The worst part was it had almost worked too. She gave her hip a bit of a squeeze. It's not like she'd ever really dieted before, she'd just never had that much food put in front of her. "I'll have to be careful. Fighting a war on two fronts puts me at a serious disadvantage." But even as she fretted over her waistline, her mouth lifted up into a bright smile.

She couldn't honestly be mad at Akira, even if he did want to turn her into a creampuff. He was just trying to make her happy in a way that he thought made sense. Her belly grumbled a bit as she tapped her thigh with a slender finger. Perhaps he wasn't too far off. "I'll need to prove my resolve to him and to myself." She couldn't help but get a little excited. Her mettle would be tested from now on in a game of wits and every time she slipped up it would get easier and easier. An extra treat here a uniform resizing there, it would add up until she became a squishy tub of a girl that Akira desired. She couldn't help but blush as she realized that even losing wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if last night was any indication...

No! If she thought like that, she'd fatten faster than a sumo. Her mind began to brim with Akira's potential strategies and counterstrategies to those as she slowly put the puff back into the bag.

Later, Akira received a text. "My mother asked if you could do chocolate next time, but they enjoyed all SEVEN of them." He shook his head. Looks like she resisted his little trick. Oh well, there was always next time. He'd make her bigger, more beautiful and utterly content if it was the last thing he did.

Hifumi sat in her usual spot at the church in Kanda. It was a nice and quite place that allowed her to be alone and think up new shogi strategies. She came here a lot, especially after spending time with her father. It was always changing with him. Some days he would be almost like he was before. They could spend hours talking, mostly about how her schooling was going, and of course shogi. The thing they talked about most though lately was Akira. He took great interest in the boy who had stolen his little girl's heart, and had stated multiple times that he would like to meet him. Other days, like today, he would only be semi-conscious, and speaking took great effort on his part. It broke her heart seeing him like that, so weak and frail, it was almost like he was wasting away in front of her. She wasn't religious, but sometimes she thought, if there was a higher power lurking somewhere in this place, it didn't hurt to ask it to help her father.

Hifumi's concentration was broken when she heard the doors of the church creak open. She smiled warmly as her boyfriend made his way over to her.

"Your late Akira, did you have to brace yourself for another crushing defeat at my hand," she teased. Akira smirked and adjusted his glasses. "Actually I made a quick stop on my way over here." Akira held up a brown bag, and inside was a chocolate eclair, a big one. "I felt so bad your family ate all those puffs I made without you, so I thought you enjoy this."

Hifumi shook her head, he really was dead set on pumping her full of cream! "I don't know, I really should be watching my figure, I fear a certain nefarious boy is up to no good," she said, her face inching closer to Akira's. "Why don't you have it?" Akira brought his face closer as well, until their noses were almost touching, "Oh, I already had mine on the way over. You look famished, I insist." It wasn't a total lie, he did have something on the way over, but it was only one donut.


Hifumi leaned back, she had to admit, the eclair did look delicious and her mind raced thinking about what flavored custard was inside. He was crazy to think she could eat that massive thing by herself, but maybe it wouldn't hurt to have at least one bite...

"No!" She snapped back. She can't allow herself to give an inch. Refusing even a single crumb will prove her resolve. If she can do this, it is further proof she will come out on top. Sensing her hesitance, Akira put forth a wager.

"How about this, If I win our shogi match today, as a reward I get to watch you eat this whole thing." It was a bit unorthodox,usually the winner would get the eclair, not the loser, but in this instance it made sense. Hifumi was quick to accept the challenge, she couldn't possibly lose at shogi! "Okay," Hifumi winked "but you know if I win, that means you have to eat it."

Hifumi slammed down her shogi piece. "You now face the divine judgement of the queen! Holy sword of victory, ULTIMATE EXCALIBUR ATTACK!" Hifumi's habit was as strong as ever, but Akira loved it, he found her tendency to role play during matches extremely cute. What wasn't cute was his position on the board, he was on the ropes. Hifumi crossed her arms and closed here eyes, "your defeat is assured, your men have suffered heavy casualties and are on the retreat." Hifumi gave Akira a solemn look, "you still remember what I told you before right?"

Akira nodded, he remembered the match Hifumi had after he had changed her mother's heart. She realized she had no other option, and conceded defeat with dignity and grace as, a queen should. Looking at the board, he knew it was time for him to do the same. Standing up Akira bowed, "Your majesty has beaten me, I was foolish to stand against the Togo Kingdom." Hifumi blushed, "I accept your surrender, Sir Knight." It was nice to have a man that indulged her fantasies.

Akira chuckled, even though Hifumi had learned the hard way her skills weren't as good as she thought, she still could kick his butt anytime. He hoped that with the wager motivating him, he could pull off some miracle but that was just wishful thinking. But a bet was a bet, and he started chowing down on the eclair. To be honest he was pretty hungry, and unlike Hifumi, he could afford these kind of things. He actually went to the gym, and running around palaces and mementos took a lot of energy.

While eating Akira spoke up, "Between this eclair and those puffs I made I hope you're eating enough. You shouldn't starve yourself." Hifumi puffed out her chest, "Why? Because it makes it harder for you to plump me up?"

Akira smiled, "No, it actually makes it easier. If you starve yourself your body goes into a sort of crisis mode and your metabolism slows down. That means when you do eat, your body tries it's hardest to save every calorie you consume as soft luscious fat."

Hifumi gulped, was that true? She couldn't tell if he was telling the truth or this was just a ploy o get her to eat. She would have to look into his claim later.

Surprisingly, Akira finished the eclair with little to no trouble and looked at his watch. "We still got some time, lets go!" Hifumi gave Akira a puzzled expression. "Go where?"

Akira got a sly smile. "To the park of course, I gotta work some of this eclair off. Besides, you told me yourself you never exercised in your life, so if you want to avoid putting on weight you gotta learn a thing or two." Hifumi didn't understand, wasn't he trying to make her fatter? Why would he want to have her exercise?

"Oh...ah...o-okay..." she stammered out. The two left the Church and headed to the park. On the way, Akira eyed his girl. He wasn't sure how much of what Hifumi said was true, but he was going to find out. Her pale complexion sure made it seem like she didn't get a lot of sun. And looking at her round behind, he took note of its slight "bounce," unnoticeable to most people, but for a fatty lover like him, it was clear as day. That certainly gave credence to the claim that Hifumi had never had a hard workout in her life. Once he saw her in action, he would be able to say for sure, and it would allow an estimate to how any more potential workouts would go for her moving forward as she slowly grew softer. He may have had to give up in their match today, but he would makes sure it was a much larger Hifumi conceding defeat at the end of their "little game."

The two lovebirds stopped by the restroom at the nearby park. Hifumi awkwardly rubbed the ground with the point of her shoe. "W-well I guess we better get started." She had no idea what she was doing. A fact that was made clearer when Akira started to laugh. "You! You doubt my resolve!?" Hifumi put her hands on her hips and glowered threateningly which made Akira laugh harder. "You can't, hahaha, you can't go jogging like that! How do you expect to run in a dress?"

Hifumi blushed heavily. "R-right of course. Obviously." Her boyfriend pulled out some jogging gear for her to change into as she went into the restroom. He neglected to buy her a sports bra. Somehow, he knew it probably wouldn't be necessary. She emerged with her hair done up in a big bushy ponytail. Her torso was covered by a plain gray jogging shirt that did nothing to distract from the swell of her chest. The cool autumn air led him to buy some sweatpants for her but also a hope that her could keep them for future use. He wanted her to be comfortable when her butt started to spread and she needed to hang her belly over her clothes. Jogging shoes replaced her flats but with any luck they would be in the garbage by the end of today.

He didn't get to see her perfect pale legs but her lack of exposed flesh made her look even cuter as she held her arm and looked to the side. "This look is a bit...odd for me I-"

"Cute."

"W-what?" Hifumi was surprised by Akira's sudden interjection but couldn't help but feel a little flutter in her chest. The fact that she was still concerned with looking good when they were about to exercise was a testament to how foreign of a concept it is. She hadn't even wiped off her makeup beforehand.

"You're so pretty Hifumi." The girl's face got redder and redder as they made their way to the painted starting line. Every few steps he'd hit her with another compliment. "S-stop it. You're making me blush." But she was smiling wide when she said it.

"This will just be a jog so don't worry about speed. How does one mile sound?" Hifumi nodded and started bouncing on her toes as if she was getting ready for a boxing match. "I will try my best!" She proceeded to break out into the most girly looking run Akira had ever seen in his life. Her hands were curled and raised around her chest as she slowly bounded forward. He could keep up with her at a brisk walk and had to hold back his laughter. He didn't want to be mean, she was trying her best! But putting in so much daintiness is exhausting even for a girl who actually was in shape. Not that Hifumi would have fared much better if she had proper form. By the time they reached half a mile, her breathing had increased to the point where Akira could hear little gasps for air come from those plump pink lips.

Eventually, her arms fell to her sides and began to flop about languidly. Her slow run became an even slower walk as her athletic partner had to decrease his speed even further. When Hifumi saw a nearby bench, she spread herself across it with her arms and head flung over the back. "*huff* *huff* t-that wuh *hah*. T-that was *hah* a mile, right? *hooh*"

"Almost three quarters," Akira said with an encouraging thumbs up. Hifumi wasn't really listening, far too busy sucking down whatever air she could get. Once her arm stopped feeling like jelly, her hand got to work fanning her reddened sweaty form. Her lacy white bra was visible through the gray fabric and Akira copped a quick glance before sitting beside her. Normally, her legs would be crossed but right now they were spread and flat on the ground. Good thing he'd sprung for the pants. The boy handed her a water bottle and watched as she suckled on it like a newborn calf.

"*Pah.* T-truly an elixir of *huff* life. Just what I needed after that." Akira couldn't help but be astonished. She was probably the most unfit skinny person he'd ever seen in his life.

Hifumi was reeling from the trial. She hadn't ran more than 100 feet since junior high and had never felt the need to. Now she was paying for it. She looked at Akira and let out an awkward smile. "I guess you were right," he said. The soft little minx desperately looked at him. "H-how important is exercise to remaining thin? I've never needed it until this point..." she really hoped it wasn't. "Oh no," Akira jovially replied. "A proper diet is far more important than exercise." Hifumi let out a sigh of relief. It didn't even occur to her that Akira might be lying she was so elated to hear that.

"I don't ever want to have to do that again. That was truly awful." Akira didn't have the heart to tell her she probably didn't even burn the calories from that omelette. He slowly ran his hand up and down across her back. "Of course it was, because you're my lazy little kitten. Completely unsuited for exercise." Hifumi chuckled. She was fine with that as long as she could be thin. "You realize this means I'll resist your attempts to soften me even moreso right?" Akira just kissed her forehead. "I wouldn't have it any other way." They sat in silence for a bit with the boy rubbing his girlfriend's shoulder; the ability to just do this was one of Akira's favorite parts about dating.

Eventually, the much more in shape one of the pair handed the still hot and sweaty gal an energy bar. "It's important to eat something with protein an hour after you workout." Hifumi's lack of substantial eating throughout the day, her little exercise attempt, and food being right in front of her had combined to work up an appetite. She took the bar from his hands and unwrapped it. Before she took a bite, she suddenly looked at Akira suspiciously. He recoiled as if he were struck.

"I wouldn't use bargain bin protein bars to put the pounds on you, don't worry about that." He took her hand in his and adopted a sincere expression

"This is all a labor of love. I want you to taste my feelings for you in every bite." Hifumi let her mouth fall open in a little o shape. That was the strangest and yet sweetest thing anyone's ever said to her. She took a bite of the bar and was about to take another when her mind began whirring. "What if that was just a bluff to get me to eat a calorie bomb?" But then:

"He mentioned earlier it's better to eat immediately after a work out. What if he knew that I would know he was bluffing and expected me not to eat and thus put on more calories later somehow!? But what if he knew that I knew that he knew..."

Before she could make herself dizzy, she felt a gentle kiss on her lips. The bespectacled youth leaned back and smiled. She instantly felt a little bad for being so paranoid. He wouldn't lie about something like that. Now that she had permission from herself, she shoved the rest of the bar in rapidly, devouring the whole thing with a ferocity that surprised even Akira. She caught him staring and her cheeks turned red. "Y-you said I needed to eat something after a workout, so it's okay right?"

"W-well yeah, but..." Akira decided to just let it drop. As soon as she had justified it to herself, she had happily eaten the tasty peanut butter treat. "From now on, please assume everything I say about fitness is true. I don't want to give you bad information if you change your mind. That wouldn't be healthy." He turned to her to say more but was interrupted by a big smooch.

The two broke apart with Hifumi's arms flung around his neck. "You would honestly help me work out if that's what I wanted?" He nodded slowly. "Even if I had no chance of ever getting chunky again?" He grinned and nodded again. They spent a long time on the park bench.

Later that evening, Hifumi found herself back in her room playing with the slight pooch of softness on her abdomen. She could feel her joints aching from the exercise and knew it would be even worse in the morning.

She softly padded over to her bed. Some girls would take today as an indication to start hitting the gym but all Hifumi wanted to do was curl up with her book and go to bed. Why should she force herself to do something she didn't enjoy? "Especially if I don't need to," she quickly added.

Meanwhile, Akira was busy drawing up strategies at his desk. All of a sudden it hit him. Hifumi was probably more intelligent than he was when it came to strategy, but he understood the way people's minds ticked. "You're really weird, you know that right?" Morgana piped up from his futon. Joker didn't care. This was just like when Hifumi was considering quitting shogi due to her insecurities. He had helped her then, and he'd help her now.

The little game the two lovers had continued for some time. Akira would keep trying to get his girlfriend to indulge in many types of tasty and fattening treats, but his first true victory eluded him. Hifumi would see through his schemes every time. Most of the time she would refuse his offers of food outright, and anything she did end up taking home with her were just given to her family. There were even a few times she unloaded some of her gifts on a certain weird, blue haired artist that went to her school that never seemed to have enough money for lunch.

Despite his mounting failures, Akira never got discouraged. When something didn't go his way, he graciously accepted defeat and vowed to do better next time. It wasn't like he didn't learn from his losses either. He would watch Hifumi closely every time he presented her with something. He took note on which types of food she was able to turn down instantly and which ones she hesitated on. He noticed that even after she had turned some of them down, that she would still shoot the treats a quick sideways glance from time to time. Some foods would cause her to breath in more deeply, her trying to take in as much of the intoxicating aroma as possible. From these observations, Akira was able to determine that Hifumi had a bit of a sweet tooth, especially for chocolate. She didn't much care for greasy foods, or anything super spicy. He found however, that the hardest things she had turning down were things he had made himself.

Hifumi didn't mind Akira's attempts to make her his pudgy princess. She had grown to like all the attention her boyfriend was giving her, and he was so adorable when he lost! It did help that she was "winning," too. Another aspect was she felt that foiling her boyfriend helped keep herself sharp. She needed her mind to be strong, she had vowed to start her shogi career over again after she found out her mother had been fixing matches in her favor so that she could become a professional player on her own merits. Her resolve was shaken a little just one day before her first match however.

"Well if it isn't the phony princess. Didn't you learn your lesson already? You arn't any good. You can't win if you arn't cheating!"

Hifumi clutched her bag to her chest and stared at the floor. She had been on the way to meet her boyfriend at Leblanc when she started getting heckled on the subway. Although she had come out and said that she had no knowledge about her mother fixing matches, there were still some that didn't believe her. Hifumi listened silently to their taunts the entire train ride.

After arriving at the Cafe she found herself sitting alone in Akira's room after he left to go get something downstairs. Doubts started to creep into her head. What if those people were right? What if she loses tomorrow? It would just be further proof she was a fraud, only concerned with fame and getting famous . But it wasn't true, she loved shogi! She wanted to become a great player like her father more than anything...

Akira, had a devilish grin ascending the stairs. There was no way Hifumi could resist what he had in this bag. Arriving at the top, he turned to spy Hifumi on his bed...crying? With tears in her eyes, Hifumi was biting down on her thumbnail, deep in thought. Akira had never seen his girlfriend like this before. She looked stressed, unsure of herself, she looked so...vulnerable.

Hifumi jumped when she noticed Akira watching her. "Oh...*hic*...Akira. I didn't see you there. I'm sorry you had to see me like this." Hifumi tried to hide her face as she wiped the tears away. "What's that you got there?"

Akira's smile slowly faded. Looking down at the bag he answered, "Oh this? Just some plant fertilizer and things for the cat." He tossed the bag aside onto a nearby chair and sat down next to her. "The real question is what the matter with you? Don't tell me something happened to your father?"

Hifumi tried to contain herself but she just could help it. "Throwing her arms around her boyfriend, she told him everything, about the hecklers on the subway, her diminished confidence, her fear about her match tomorrow. This was new for Akira. When it came to shogi, Hifumi was always so sure of herself. Grabbing her by her shoulders, Akira pushed Hifumi away and looked her straight in the eye.

"Hifumi, you are an amazing shogi player. I should know, I play you all the time. You could beat me with your eyes closed." Akira continued to try and assure her. It was absolutely normal for her to feel the way she did, but she couldn't let the stress get to her. He knew she was ready to win tomorrow. Akira, offered to give her a massage to try and get her relaxed, which she accepted. He had picked up a few things from Kawakami, and even though she still would have done a better job, he felt he did well enough and Hifumi looked like she enjoyed it. They talked for a bit before Akira sent her away. She needed to make sure she got a good night's sleep.

"Remember, I'll be right there with you tomorrow, cheering you on." Hifumi thanked her boyfriend before departing. Although she was still worried, she did feel a little better. Once she got home, she climbed into bed and went over various strategies until she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.

The next day, the two sat in the lobby of the hotel room. Her parents couldn't come on account of her father so it really meant a lot to the girl that Akira was there. Her nerves were still there a bit but there was nothing the boy could really do beyond the quick practice match and the shoulder rub he had already done. She would just have to go out there and regain her confidence through her own skill at the game. Under the table sat his delectable surprise for when she won. As much as he wanted to help her relax with a big chocolate delight, he didn't want her attention split between two games at once. His foolish dream could wait; this was far more important.

"Besides, I don't want her to start off the day with a loss." Joker quickly smiled to himself. One of the reasons he didn't mind Hifumi turning down his offers is that it meant practice. Practice ensuring that only the most irresistible high quality treats would end up touching her lips so that she'd enjoy herself all the more. It was his fault for not making them utterly impossible to turn down anyway. But he was proud of what he'd done. And this time, he was armed with a little trick of his own. That could wait though, it was time for her first match of the day.

She stood up wordlessly and went to her table. "You'll do great," she heard from behind her and allowed herself a small smile. The too beautiful shogi player sat and took a deep breath. She searched the crowd a bit trying not to let the predatory gazes of those who wished to see her fail get to her. That task was made quite simple by the scruffy haired youth giving her a big thumbs up at the front of the crowd. Instantly, all the rest fell away and she was filled with a rush of positive emotions. Black. The first move was hers.

She started out nervous, tentative, and subdued not even falling into her "habit." After each move she became a little bolder a little more sure of herself. Until her fourth and final match.

The girl placed her captured Silver General below the king of her opponent. The man smirked. She had given him a good match but she was still just an amateur after all. He was the best player in his neighborhood, no shame in losing to a prodigy such as himself. It was easy pickings for his Knight. Strangely, the girl didn't wince. Instead she chuckled. "You seem to have fallen victim to my shadow spell. Once you've been ensnared, it's impossible to escape." As she slammed the captured Gold General to the right of his King he began to understand. She had forced him to trap himself with his own piece! Desperately looking for a way out, he found none and was forced to concede. Hifumi politely bowed as the audience politely clapped. She was no professional, but she was also nowhere near the amateur she was when she first started. Four consecutive victories. If she could do just as well in the next set, she would gain a provisional professional status after only two meets! She had acquired a number of fair weather fans after her third win of the day, even those who had been there from the start had waited until she was clearly winning to show support. Except one.

"I hope you'll remember today whenever you feel unsure in your abilities." They made their way out of the tournament room and into the lobby. "Thank you Akira, but I still haven't won all my pool matches yet. It's too soon to tell if this was a fluke-" Hifumi's downplaying was interrupted by her boyfriend stepping in front of her and grasping her shoulders.

"Repeat after me, 'I'm a fantastic shogi player.'" Hifumi blushed and looked to the side but she couldn't hide the hint of a smile creeping on to her face. "I'm not going to let you leave until you say it."

"I'm a fantastic shogi player." She was breaking out into a full grin now.

"I couldn't hear that. Can you speak up?"

"I'm a fantastic shogi player!" Hifumi looked him in the eye and shouted. She giggled as Akira moved his hands.

But her face took on a more serious expression. "Thank you. For everything." Now it was Joker's turn to start downplaying. Hifumi held up a hand. "I mean it, you have no idea how encouraging it is to have someone rooting for you. And not just in shogi either." She leaned up and kissed his cheek and Akira blushed for the first time in a long while.

Quickly recovering, he ushered her to a table and set a bag upon it. "I got you a little reward for today." Hifumi laughed. "I suppose a fifth win wouldn't be unwelcome." Though she tried to hide it, she was touched that he had prepared some ridiculous dessert fully expecting her to win. She was tempted to just eat it for him this once, he'd certainly earned it, but strengthened her resolve. Once is all it would take. "I wouldn't be so sure, Hifumi. I've been practicing too." Her man pulled out an insulated bag with another smaller cup like container. She was delighted by the scent of a chocolate souffle. Somehow, he had still kept it warm. Her mouth began to water a bit as the smell fully hit her. It looked so soft and warm and inviting as if Akira was trying to make those qualities look as appealing as possible for a certain shogi player. Her hand unconsciously reached forward before she stopped herself. And then it happened a second time as she waged a war with her own mind. "Just one bit. No! You know you wouldn't be able to stop at just one."

"Would it be that bad to give in just this once? He worked really hard on it and it's all for you."

"I never asked him to do that! And he won't stop after one time. Every time I use that excuse, it'll get a little easier and..."

She felt a napkin pat at her lips. "Sorry, they were getting a little wet since you keep licking them." Hifumi brought her hand to her mouth in shock. Was she really? She needed to end this now before it was too late. "Sorry Akira. I'm afraid I won't be partaking." She places the lid back on the souffle as fast as she can.

Hifumi breathes out a deep sigh of relief and smugly grins at her attempted feeder. "I'm afraid I've won again." Her grin is wiped off her face as Akira begins to arrogantly chuckle and then breaks out into a full on laugh. "W-what's so funny!?" Hifumi is almost afraid to ask. "My dear Hifumi, by not eating this particular dessert, you've already lost." He puts an open palmed hand in front of his face and grins wolfishly. "W-w-what?" Was this some kind of trick? He held up a finger next to his shoulder and continued. "You won't even treat yourself after a phenomenal performance. Not even with something your boyfriend made you. Now why would that be?" Hifumi's mind was rapidly going though what Akira's strategy was here. Could he be trying to guilt her? No he wouldn't do that but she was certainly caught off guard. Unsure how to proceed, she answered honestly. "Because if I allow you to best me here, there's no telling how many times it will happen in the future." As soon as the words left her mouth she realized her mistake.

"So what you're saying is, your body craves sweets so much that one little taste is all it takes for you to eat and eat and never stop eating?" Hifumi looked down at her lap embarrassed. "Most people have no problems treating themselves every once in a while. Because they know they can stop themselves from going overboard." He was enjoying needling her a bit. He leaned in closer and lowered his voice.

'You know who can't stop themselves from overindulging after one bite? Fat girls." Hifumi turned redder than a promoted piece as she struggled to find a rebuttal. "Soft girls with large tummies and chubby cheeks who know they can't stop at 'just one' so they stuff themselves to their heart's content." Hifumi shook her head a bit but Akira continued.

"Darling, it sounds like you're a fat girl at heart. What will you do on Valentine's Day? You said it yourself, one taste and you'll blimp up like a balloon."

Hifumi shot her head up and stammered. "I'm not... t-that's not..." Akira had a grin that split his face. "Oh yeah? Then why not eat this small dessert I've prepared?" This was it, time for his trump card. "Unless you're saying you're too scared since you know I'm right. Poor Hifumi can't control herself around sweets and it's only a matter of time until she slips up and plumps up." Hifumi stood up quickly. "I'm not scared! I just- I mean-"

"If you can't even have a little reward for a job well done, I think you might be." Hifumi tried to argue, come up with some flaw in his logic but eventually sat back down. He had tricked her into defeating herself. They sat there quietly for a bit until Hifumi looked up. She was smiling. "You're right of course." Seeing his face light up with a bit of excitement, she quickly clarified. "N-not about the me being fat thing! About my fear. I have been a little ridiculous." She slowly removed the lid and inhaled deeply. "I suppose, there's nothing wrong with treating myself every once in a while." She pointed at him sternly. "Don't think this means you've completely cut through my defenses. Not even close! You're still a horrible trickster and I'll still keep my guard up!" Akira liked the sound of that. Little by little the savvy thief would lower the defenses of the Togo kingdom until the treasure he sought was ripe for the taking. Hifumi loved the sound of it as soon as she heard the words, although her view on the situation was a bit different. The devilish trickster would try his best to make her fall into hedonism but she'd win him over with her fortitude and grace.

Akira cracked open the bread casing revealing the molten chocolate within. He mixed the two aspects together and held out the spoon for Hifumi. "Do you mind if I feed it to you?" Any last misgivings about eating the chocolate delight disappeared in that instance.

She observed the warmth of his gentle gaze as he held out the delectable dish he made for her himself. Yes, she would like that very much. He slowly slid the spoonful of sin into her waiting mouth. The small moan of pleasure as her eyes closed in bliss made every moment slaving away in that kitchen worth it. She broke out into a smile. "Another. Please." Akira didn't need to be told twice. He ever so delicately placed mouthful after mouthful into her adorable face. Everyone and everything else fell away for the two of them as they enjoyed the moment to it's fullest. Hifumi even started holding her mouth open expectantly halfway through as she allowed him to feed her at his pace. He kept it slow and steady much to her pleasure. She wanted to savor every bite. This continued until instead of chocolate, she was met by a deep kiss. She returned it just as passionately, the rich flavor of the dessert on Hifumi's tongue enhancing it all the more. They broke apart breathless as Akira pointed to the empty container. "It seemed like you still wanted more. I hope that kiss was enough." Hifumi relished the warmth and slight fullness as she leaned back in her chair, basking in utter contentment. "It was the best part," she said breathily.

Akira walked her to the train station but before he could turn around, he felt a small hand grab his arm. Hifumi was blushing and not meeting his gaze. "Um next time, if their is a next time, I wouldn't be opposed to you feeding it to me again." The expression that covered Joker's face could have lit up the night sky. "I wouldn't be opposed to that either."

"So, looks like things went well," Sojiro said as Akira walked through the front door of the cafe. He remembered Akira talking about some Shogi thing his girlfriend was involved in. Hifumi was starting to become just as common a sight as Akira's other phantom thief friends, and he couldn't help but secretly applaud Akira for landing himself such a beauty. He reminded him of himself at that age. Joker just chuckled, "Things went better than you could possibly imagine."

The high Akira felt carried on with him even as he and his teammates made their way through Mementos. It had been a long day for Akira, but he and the Phantom Thieves had to make sure they were ready for the trials ahead. Akira's mind raced as he sat in the crowded van that amazingly also happened to be his cat. Should he make his next move now to keep his momentum? Should he wait? Keep Hifumi on her toes and wait for the perfect moment to strike? He stated licking his lips as much as Hifumi was earlier when faced with his culinary masterpiece. Just a few more victories like that and the buttons on Hifumi's uniform would start flying! He wondered which buttons would pop first. Would a bulging belly launch the first volley? Or would they give way from the strain of trying to hold back a swelling chest? Or maybe he had it all wrong, and the first signs of gain would show on that sexy round butt of hers. He could just imagine the hem of her skirt lifting higher and higher as her ass soaked up more and more calories, growing wider and larger...

"You seem to be in high spirits Joker!" Joker snapped back to reality by Makoto's observation. "Yeah, your even more energetic than usual. Those last few shadows didn't stand a chance. They were absolute terrified," Haru added while giving an off putting, almost sadistic smile.

Joker shrugged and tried to explain he must have just gotten a good nights sleep. "I don't think that's it," Futaba piped in. "This doesn't have anything to do with all those cookies and pastries you have been making recently?" Ann's ears perked up "You've been making sweets and you haven't shared any with us, you jerk!" It was no secret Ann had a thing for anything sweet herself. Futaba spoke again "Oh yeah, creme puffs, brownies, fudge, cupcakes, you name it! Yusuke remembered eating some of the things Futaba listed off at school recently but he could not remember for the life of him where he had gotten them from. "Who have you been making them for?"

All of a sudden Ryuji's head shot between Joker and Ann, causing the girl to let out a yelp. "Dude! Don't tell me you got a girlfriend!" All eyes in the van focused on Akira. He started to sweat. Akira tried to wave his teammates off and say it was just something he did to relax. That is when Futaba chimed in once more with a comment that made Akira's blood run cold. "I don't think that is entirely true. I happen to know a certain Shogi player that just LOVES your cooking and I've looked into your search history on your computer. It's VERY telling."

"Oh. Do you play Shogi, Joker?" That last question came from the Phantom Thieves' temporary member, Goro Akechi. Hearing him speak reminded Joker of the plan he and his friends were putting together, and what he would have to do. He just hoped when that time came, Hifumi would be able to forgive him. That is why he had to make the most of these last few weeks. Akechi speaking just now gave him another thought.

"I wonder if Hifumi likes pancakes..."

Hifumi was very pleased with herself. Despite giving in to Akira's chocolatey temptation, she hadn't cracked since. The next time they met, he brought an even bigger souffle to entice her with. Despite wanting to dig in, she found the strength to turn it down. She was lucky to have already gotten a taste of the one he prepared for her after her shogi matches, or else she probably would have eaten this bigger, more fattening version.

This gave Hifumi a thought. Maybe turning down all of Akira's offers was a bad idea. If she denied herself everything sweet and tasty, it would become that much harder to stop herself with each one. Then it would only be a matter of time before she couldn't take it anymore. She would cave in and probably eat whatever Akira gave her with reckless abandon! Then she would get fat for sure. Letting herself have a treat every once in a while would help her in the long run, plus she did like making her boyfriend happy. As long as she didn't go overboard she would be fine.

She denied her boyfriend victory all the way up to her next set of Shogi matches. She notice Akira carrying another paper bag and knew what it was for. She had been a good girl so far, and decided that today she would let her boyfriend pamper her once more. Her next set of matches went by fast. Every move was clear as day to her. Either she was more relaxed and confident than before, or the thought of what would come after motivated her to succeed. It was probably a combination of the two.

After her set, the two lovers found themselves in the lobby again. "I knew you could do it, you were amazing!" Hifumi stuck out her chest, she loved being gushed over by her man. Sitting down she asked, "Okay Akira, I saw it, whats in the bag?" Akira grinned from ear to ear, "Oh, curious are we? Just a little something I whipped up for today." Reaching in the bag, Akira pulled out a container filled with a brown goop. It was pudding.

She didn't know how he did it, but Akira was able to make something as simple as chocolate pudding look irresistibly delicious. Hifumi sighed, "I guess since you went to all the trouble I can't say no. At least this way we'll both be winners today." She made it sound like she was doing him a favor.

Lying down on the lobby couch, Hifumi opened her mouth. Wasting no time at all, Joker pushed the spoon past his girlfriend's lips and placed a heaping glob of pudding on her tongue. The feedback was instantaneous. Hifumi placed her hands on her cheeks, "oOoOoh Ashkira! Dish ish delishish!"

With one spoonful she was hooked. Leaning down, Akira whispered in her ear, "Only the finest for my Queen. Ambrosia fit for the Gods themselves." Hifumi giggled cutely before getting into character herself. "You have outdone yourself sir knight, your queen is most pleased. Another!" Her knight did as he was commanded. Closing her eyes, Hifumi let the chocolatey concoction dance on her tongue for a good while, taking in the rich flavor before letting the sugary sludge slide down her throat. She couldn't help but let out a few moans as she ate. This spurred Akira on, further proof Hifumi would find the life of being a fat girl appealing.

Before Hifumi knew it, the experience was over, another passionate kiss from Akira letting her know it was the end of her feeding. Opening her eyes, she was met with Akira's smiling face and an empty container...and another...and another...and another?

"What!?!"

She had eaten not one, not two, but five containers of that delectable slime. He had tricked her! Joker shook his head "I only did as the queen commanded. In fact, at the end you greedily had your mouth open for more. I dare you to tell me if I had packed a sixth container you wouldn't have eaten that too."

Hifumi gulped, she couldn't say he was wrong, but she had blocked his all his advances since the last time she was here, so eating this much was okay right? She found lifting herself off the couch more difficult than usual. Looking down her eyes went wide. Instead of just seeing her chest, poking out slightly just beyond it, was a bump, her stomach. It was still small, and her uniform still covered it up, but the bloating was very noticeable. Visualizing the small orb must have triggered something in her brain because she realized then just how full she was.

"oooooooohhhhh......."

Akira snuck up behind his girlfriend and wrapped his arms around her middle. Nibbling on her ear he spoke. "I warned you, I'm never wrong. The fat girl in you is just begging to come to the surface." He slowly rubbed circles into her bulging middle and damn it, it felt amazing! "You better get used to this sight, but I assure you it won't be permanent because..." Akira held his hands out father from Hifumi's belly. "...pretty soon it will grow out to here." Hifumi groaned at Akira's assertion. That wasn't true! She may have given up more ground then she meant to today, but that means she will be extra careful next time!

Akira continued "And after that...well...the sky's the limit."

This sent a flash through Hifumi's mind even as she let out a small "no." She imagined herself with a belly that covered her lap sat upon two chairs as her boyfriend rubbed her belly and popped treats into her mouth. They would be delicious and he'd give her a big kiss right on her chubby cheek. The currently slender girl was horrified by how not horrified she was at the possibility. Already, he was making fullness so appealing with his gentle circling

Hifumi could have easily moved forward to escape Akira's fondling hands. She could have turned around, sat down, she could have even slapped his hands away when they returned to her tight middle. But she didn't. "I-I already stuffed myself anyway. Might as well take advantage of it since it won't happen again." Strangely, he didn't immediately start to rub again, instead poking a vertical line down the uniform covered food baby she was sporting. Each prod sent a small little jolt throughout her body, a good one that made her crave a more tender rubbing all the more. He repeated the same process horizontally just barely missing her navel as he did so. Her whole form was being wound up in anticipation, he was getting the blood flowing and relief would come from his belly rub. He brought his hands down again on the hard orb.

"Mmm Hifumi I can't wait until you get a nice deep navel. The things I'll do. You'll love them so much, I promise." This combined with his two fingered kneading made his girl let out a pleasure filled gasp. As amazing as this felt, it was all just teasing, foreplay for even better things to come.

"Ahem."

Just as things were getting good, they heard a cleared throat. A member of the staff had come up to the two lovebirds looking quite cross. "This is a reputable establishment. We would appreciate it if you two took this somewhere else." The two quickly broke apart and stammered their apologies leaving the hotel slowly on account of Hifumi's stuffed gait.

The two stood outside of the entrance awkwardly staring in opposite directions, faces red and looking towards the ground. Eventually they turned back to face each other.

"Sorry!"
"I apologize!"

They both looked to each other in confusion. Why was their love apologizing? It was clearly their fault. Akira spoke up again first. "I took it too far and embarrassed you in public. It's my fault." He bowed his head asking for forgiveness. Hifumi interjected. "No, I could have easily stopped you at any point. I made you feel like you had to keep going to please me." Hifumi's belly let out a gurgle signaling it had been pushed to its very limit. "Ooooh. I would very much like to lie down. Let's just agree that we're both to blame." She allowed herself a small smirk. "I know you can't help yourself around me." Joker gave her a nod making the girl giggle. She hung onto his arm for support as they made their way to the underground. She was glad they were interrupted when the were. Hifumi had school in the morning and needed time to digest all the pudding. She blushed mightily as she turned to face Joker. "I um that is my provisional ceremony is later this week. We can celebrate in a more private place if that's alright with you." Akira nodded and mentioned it would be nice to not have to carry around her treat everywhere.

Hifumi didn't even want to think about food right now. "Well don't bake too much. Today was a fluke. Next time my portions will be much more sensible." She quickly gave Akira a hug and hobbled on to the train as fast as she could before he could slip any more of his pleasant sounding temptations into her mind. She was already frazzled enough with his whispering of a fatter future right into her ear while he made her core feel so warm and happy. She didn't need him worming his way into her thoughts. Waving her mother off when she started pestering her about being pregnant, Hifumi fell into a deep sleep

Hifumi picked at her breakfast in discontent. It's not that she wasn't hungry, the opposite in fact, it's just that it was missing a little something. To her father's surprise she applied a liberal amount of butter to her toast. She took a sip of tea and made a face before stirring in a spoonful of sugar, and then a second one. She even had a second helping of tamagoyaki. Too many outings with Akira had given her a bit of a sweet tooth but had also stretched her stomach a tad. Even the normal meals which weren't meant to leave her stuffed to the brim were filling. She thought nothing of adding a little extra piece of fish. If she didn't eat that, she'd be more tempted to snack later after all.

Her mother asked her again if she was sure she wasn't pregnant and Hifumi puffed out her cheeks in a huff. "No mother." If her father had spoken up, she would have worried she was eating too much, but her mother had always been a bit overly critical of her eating habits. Honestly, it's not like she had eaten five bowls of pudding in front of her. A second helping was really nothing to be concerned over. Especially since it helped her resist the double chocolate brownies she found in her book bag. But as the week went on, even as she ate properly and treated herself every now and again, her mouth watered at the idea of something truly sinfully rich to dig into. Her body had been conditioned to expect a big rush of sugar and carbs every few days and not getting her fill was making her a bit antsy. Akira watched with glee as she eyed his latest confection hungrily. She only refused after a few minutes of deliberation. "My will burns far brighter than yours I'm sorry to say." Hifumi wore a pleased grin as Akira shrugged. "I have to admit, I'm really close to giving up. By the way, I was thinking a big chocolate pie after your celebration." Hifumi licked her lips. "That sounds delicious! I can't wait!"

Akira smirked to himself. "I bet you can't, my adorable little glutton."

Hifumi took the last forkful into her mouth and plopped her hands down on her swollen orb of a gut. Her gut. She tentatively rubbed dainty circles as she considered the word. It was just part of her on these occasions now, a big ball filled with food and no pesky muscle to be found and if she didn't stop gorging herself, the fat would soon follow. The area around her mouth was covered in chocolate, and crumbs coated her sizable chest. An empty pie tin sat on the table next to her and her boyfriend's arms lay draped over her shoulders. She was breathing heavily from her nostrils and knew if she ate even one more crumb, she'd probably explode.

"I...I don't understand. I've been so resolute so why...?" She hadn't meant to eat the whole pie. She hadn't even meant to eat half of it. She had been so excited for her reward that she had instantly gone to Leblanc as soon as the ceremony let out. She sat through class after class and denied herself treat after tasty treat just for this single pie. Akira had let the full tin be visible from the beginning this time. Unlike the pudding, she had no excuses. She felt a nip on her neck that made her suck in a breath. "My lovely Hifumi, a girl like you shouldn't deny herself anything. And your body knows it." Then he started doing that stupid trick with his fingers again! After that his firm warm hands added to her cold petite ones.

He had slowly removed each button on her uniform leaving her beautiful milky white skin on display. The gentleness and firmness in his hands on her bare flesh combined to put her in a happy daze as she basked in the joy of feeling so loved. She had allowed rich creamy bite after rich creamy bite as her thoughts were filled with images of the future. No that wasn't entirely true. She had tasted each mouthful and enjoyed every morsel. Hifumi spoke up again. "Y-you cheated." Akira raised an eyebrow.

"Stop making eating so...so comfortable. It's not fair!" Akira chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair. "You didn't say anything while I was doing it." He got distracted running his fingers through her gorgeous locks. "I love whatever you do with your hair, it's so smooth and healthy. Your skin too." Hifumi swallowed her complaint. Asking him to stop doting on her was impossible for both parties. "T-thank you." She'd have to take solace in the fact that this only happened once every few days. Food was just too good to resist forever. Akira moved his hand to rub up and down her exposed thigh. "So soft." She gulped nervously but couldn't help but let out a little mewl. "I bet you're thinking if you give in only once in a while you won't get nice and plush but that's simply not true." Hifumi turned around to face him in shock.

"You denying yourself has only led to you binging way more than you should. A pound a week is still fifty pounds a year darling." Hifumi realized he was right. Eating healthy throughout the week only to gorge shamelessly later not only had made her increasingly peckish, but she had gained three whole pounds already. Why was she unable to resist overeating? Akira's hands returned to her midriff. His rubbing sped her digestion along turning every calorie of delectable decadent chocolate into soft yielding flab plumping her up slowly but surely. It also forced something else to the surface. Hifumi felt it rising up her throat and closed her eyes in shame. Oh god here it comes!

"Urp." She covered the petite little belch with her hand. "E-excuse me."

Akira's chuckling made her even redder. "S-stop it." She was pouting now and was clearly troubled. Akira got up right next to her ear. "Pretty." She tried to keep her smile down. "Cute." She looked down at her lap so he couldn't see her face. "Lovely." But it wasn't enough this time. The frosting around her mouth and her exposed gut didn't make her feel like those things.

"I don't feel pretty." She said it in a soft voice that almost broke Akira's heart. Suddenly, she felt him stand up and then pick her up bridal style. She quietly allowed herself to be carried and lowered on to the bed as he crawled over her. She blushed and looked away. "I'm all sticky you don't want-" she was interrupted by a kiss on the mouth. They broke apart with a thin trail of saliva connecting them. "A-Akira I-" again her self deprecation was covered up by his mouth and it happened a third time. He began to undo the buttons near her breasts when he was stopped by a small hand. "I'm so dirty and rough from the battle, why would a nobleman like you possible interested in a general like me?" Akira grinned as he began to disrobe. "Those perfect pink lips would be put to far better uses giving kisses than shouting orders." She breathily asked him for more and he obliged.

Despite the swell on her middle, she was able to enjoy herself to the fullest. In fact, her stuffed state added to it as every thrust sent an extra tingle that wasn't there before. She lay against Akira's chest with the frosting still around her mouth. "You're beautiful, Hifumi," Akira gasped out. Hifumi couldn't help but break into a content purr. She had climbed back up to 3-kyū, she was surrounded by people who loved her, maybe she could relax just for a bit, just to get it out of her system. Akira spoke up. "Listen. Sudden dieting when you're not used to it never works out." Hifumi looked at him with rapt attention. "You're far more likely to undo all your hard work and give yourself a binging habit in the process." Hifumi asked him what she should do. She didn't mind treating herself a bit but binging felt unhealthy and dirty. "Just have a small treat for yourself. Nothing big. I'll even decrease the sizes of what I make if it helps."

Once again he was putting aside what he wanted to help her out. "I'd like that." She said simply.

"One day I hope you'll see what I see," was all Akira said. Hifumi nodded sadly. She just wasn't ready yet. To see herself as wanting to be fat and being truly happy that way. She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Thanks for trying." She wouldn't go overboard, but she wasn't ready to stop being pampered just yet.

Hifumi sat in her familiar pew, staring intently at her shogi board. She had clawed her way up to 3-kyū, and she was not about to slow down now. A general should stay on the offensive while they still had all the momentum! Her father was feeling well enough today that he could actually play a game with her today, a rare but joyous occasion. Even in his delicate state he would always win, but his wisdom when it came to shogi was very informative. She went over every move they both did that game, reviewing his strategy, picking out places when she could have made a better move. If she could incorporate what she learned today....

*grrrrrroooooowwwwlllllllllll*

Hifumi winced, putting her hand on her stomach. She was so excited at the chance of playing her father she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. Hifumi let out a weak sigh, trying to concentrate was a lot harder on an empty stomach.

"What's the matter? Stumped?" Hifumi smiled, right on cue her partner in shogi and in love finally showed up. Hifumi smiled, "took you long enough, didn't your mother ever tell you it's not polite to keep a lady waiting?"

Joker planted a kiss on her forehead, "forgive me, I got held up. One of my meetings." Hifumi told him to say no more. "One of his meetings," meant only one thing, Phantom Thieves business. She coudn't say she wasn't curious about what the famous Phantom Thieves talked about, and a part of her wished she could sit in on one of their meetings just once and see what the other members were like, but she knew it wasn't her place to pry. Hifumi was never the jealous type, but what little information Akira did tell her about the Phantom Thieves made it clear there were at least a few female members...

*grrrooooooowwwwlllll*

Her whining stomach snapped her out of her concentration again. She needed to satiate it and luckily for her, her ticket was sitting right next to her. "Okay Akira, what do you have for me today?"

Akira face got serious, "I'm sorry, I don't have anything today. I thought after that pie you probably wouldn't accept anything from me for a while." Akira watched Hifumi's heart sink and couldn't help but crack a smile. He reached behind himself and pulled out a small paper bag. "You should have seen the look on your face. Are you sure you arn't a chubby girl in disguise?"

"I...I...Just haven't eaten anything all day," the girl stammered. She gave her boyfriend a small playful shove. "That was a nasty trick you know." Akira couldn't help but snicker, she really had become accustomed to him always having something tasty on hand. He apologized and explained that he didn't have time to cook something for her and just stopped at the local bakery on the way over. Although she always preferred Akira's creations, she wasn't going to complain. Her eyes lit up when he pulled a boston creme donut out of the bag. Joker couldn't help but be amazed as she devoured the creme filled delight in record time, almost shoving the whole thing in her mouth at once. It reminded him of that time she scarfed down that protein bar after her workout. She must really be hungry.

Joker reached over and wiped a dollop of creme off his girlfriend's cheek. Hifumi counldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed about the greedy way she guzzled down the dessert.

"oh...uh...thank you."

Akira continued to hold his finger in front of her face. "You going to finish?" Hifumi's face grew even redder and after staring at the last bit of creme for a few seconds, sucked the last bit of sugary goodness right off Akira's finger.


Hifumi offered her gratitude again. "Thanks, I needed that." Akira could feel the momentum shifting in his favor and continued with his offensive. "Now I wasn't sure if you would be satisfied with just one donut. So I also have some smaller snacks for you to eat at your leisure." Hifumi paused for a moment. Her previous binge was still fresh in her mind, but she only had one donut, and these treats were pretty small...

Joker watched Hifumi periodically reach into the bag to pull out another sweet to snack on as they played. There wasn't any time during the match where she wasn't chewing on something, having to stop for a few seconds to swallow before calling out one of her attacks. Judging by her pile of wrappers, she liked a certain chocolate and marshmallow candy the most. Hifumi didn't seem to notice just how much she was actually eating. The candies themselves were small, but it adds up when you were eating as much of them as she was. Akira smirked, Hifumi was acting more like a plump princess than a dignified queen.

"What are you smiling at, think you've won?" Hifumi shouted as she balled up another wrapper. Akira snapped back to their shogi game. "Let's see how you hand this! Secret forbidden move!" Hifumi laid down her final piece and folded her arms, "Checkmate. Sorry Akira, but you lose." Akira tried to keep a straight face, looking at the bit of chocolate staining his lover's lips and the sizable mound of candy wrappers next to her, he didn't feel like he lost.

Hifumi blushed at the way her mother and father looked at her. "I skwiped *gulp* excuse me. I skipped breakfast today." They turned to each other and shrugged. This was ignoring the donut and the box of candy and the ice cream Akira had bought for her, but those were just snacks between meals. They didn't count. When she overindulged, she was full to bursting and Hifumi was still quite hungry for dinner. She couldn't help but make a face again. Akira had spoiled her far too much. This rice and soup was far too bland. Now a big gooey slice of pie, that sounded pretty good right about now. She went to bed with a bit of a sugar itch, luckily there was still some of that wonderful marshmallow candy left.

After a text to Akira, she found the little shop where they sold them. Their were so many little candies in the bag that a girl would have to spend a long time gulping them down before a noticeable dent was made. The first match of another tournament was today and she needed to be at the top of her game. She couldn't let herself be distracted by bothersome sugar cravings. Besides, it would prevent her from desiring something much higher calorie later. A decision which proved to be useful to her later, or at least she thought so.

There stood Akira with a tray filled with six glazed strawberry muffins. They were medium sized and of course smelled delicious. Hifumi crossed her arms under her bust and looked sternly at the boy who was trying his best to fatten her up. "I thought you said you were going to make less." He explained that he did. "One of these muffins is far less than the usual. Unless of course you were planning to eat all six?" She pouted at his teasing smirk. "I suppose I walked right into that one." But it was her turn to turn cocky as she grabbed a singular pastry. She bit into it sinfully and let out a low "mmmmm" sound. The shogi princess had definitely been looking forward to that. Candies just couldn't compare

She finished the whole thing in three bites and shot Akira the most haughty expression she could muster when he asked if she'd like another. "You know, I think I've had my fill today." She laughed at Akira's downcast expression. "The winds of fortune now blow in my direction. My willpower has returned in full force and you are no longer able to tempt me to stuff myself silly."

"Well, one more wouldn't hurt." She was still a bit peckish after all. "Yuw swhuld cwuncwede mow," Hifumi lectured her boyfriend through a mouthful of muffin. "*gulp* I don't feel even the slightest urge to eat all six." Akira nodded sadly saying that he expected as much. "But can I keep baking you things? Just little treats for you to snack on at your own pace." She nodded her head. How could she possibly deny him such a simple request?

He walked her to the train as she explained her long term goals. "The fastest I can regain my position as a female professional is one year unless I place in the top 4 of the Yamada cup which will cut the time in half." When Akira mentioned that top 4 sounded easy enough for someone like her, he was stopped by an intense glare.

"If I'm to be the world's first professional female shogi player, I need to do far better than the bare minimum. I'm going to win that tournament Akira." Akira nodded his head in affirmation and grinned. He had never seen her so confident in her abilities in a while which he couldn't be more happy about. He transferred the bag filled with treats over to her and gave Hifumi permission to ask him for more whenever she liked. The next day, she had one with her breakfast. A spike of energy was a great way to start the day. Packing one for lunch was a no brainer. She gave one to the blue haired boy who she learned was named Yusuke and delightfully bit into one for herself. "Might as well have this last one before going to bed. That way I can try something new tomorrow." She was feeling something with chocolate.

Every time they would meet up, Akira would give her an incredibly large pastry. However, it was insidiously cut into several smaller pieces and he'd always tell her to "make it last," since they could only meet every couple of days. Whenever she was feeling a little down, she'd remember the little snack she packed in her sack and would pull it out for a little relaxation. Of course, she also had to treat herself when she was in a good mood. Or a neutral one. She'd look around the room and see the bland bentos and store bought pastries the other girls were sporting and would smile happily to herself. "All...for me." The girl had never been doted on and spoiled so much before and she had to say she quite liked it. Her attitude towards Akira's breakfasts began to extend a bit towards his sweets. It would be a shame not to clean her plate of every last delicious crumb. He worked so hard and it was oh so good. She'd mewl and purr as fluffy cakes and creamy tarts went into the pit of her belly. It was like he was filling her with affection without even having to be there.

And when he was there, he'd ferry the much more modestly sized treat into her waiting mouth. He'd shower her with praise for her shogi skills. Brush her hair, massage her shoulders. He was the embodiment of a gentleman.

Of course, the best part was how much less of a gentleman he was becoming when they were intimate. She didn't know what had come over him recently. As much as she enjoyed tender and slow loving, the way he could barely keep his hands off of her in the past week or so was intoxicating. He would run his hands along her sides and firmly grip them, his roaming fingers would leave no part of her untouched. It was like that first night when he had confessed his bizarre interests. Like he was finally truly enjoying himself and not just doing it for her sake alone. The last time they went at it, she had trouble walking the next day. Maybe it was the new moisturizer she was using?

Hifumi strut through the halls with a sort of pride she had never exhibited previously. Her head was held high in light of another impressive win the night before. No longer were her ears plagued by the whispering of doubters and critics. If anything it was the opposite. So many sycophants coming to her saying they had "never believed the rumors for a second" and how she should "totally hang out with us, you were a gravure model right?" But she brushed them off. They even tried to offer her snacks since she seemed to like them so much. It would be rude to throw them away, but she never enjoyed them as much as a certain black haired boy's.

She was enjoying a delicious dango stick right now actually. Akira hadn't offered her an oversized treat in days and she no longer had any desire to binge after a long week. Her portions were perfectly controlled. Perfectly paced throughout the days so she'd be ready for new ones whenever her and Akira would meet up. Sometimes she'd worry she was eating too much after taking another slice. Then she'd remember that she was only having one. Slice number two could wait for a few hours.

"Togo-san?"

She turned her adorable crumbed stained face to the sound of the voice. It was Yusuke looking for something to eat. He was like a cat that had come to expect a steady source of food. "I was perhaps wondering if you could spare some lunch." Hifumi pursed her lips in thought. She gave him her school lunch and pulled out two more sticks. The girl needed to make up for lunch somehow She should ask Akira to start making her things besides sweets someday. Her palette had grown too sophisticated for commoner food. She raised her hand to her mouth in shock. What a rude thought! Where on earth had that come from?

Yusuke observed his classmate happily nibble on the squishy orbs of sticky rice and wondered if he should mention she'd get fat eating like that. Then he remembered how Ann reacted and reconsidered.

But there was one key difference between Hifumi Togo and Ann Takamaki and that was the small little ball of plush softness that had recently taken up residence on her midriff. Unlike the stuffed orb of previous days, it was all softness. One could sink their finger into it and watch it jostle a bit in response. It was not too noticeable underneath her blue jacket, but it was no longer the ironing board it had once been. A small swell of squishy dough that hadn't even begun to hang over her skirt yet, though it did press on to the waistband. It was more like a pudding pad than a pudding bag. It wasn't even fat enough to strain the buttons on her uniform too severely although they were starting to crease a bit where they met the holes. Her chest on the other hand was becoming a bit of a problem. Already having some heft, the extra pounds caused them to strain even the button on her jacket and made putting on a bra in the morning quite troublesome, her pretty pink nailed fingers desperately trying to close the clasp as she grunted and strained.

"It seems mother has shrunk my underwear," Hifumi thought to herself as she shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Her white panties had been transformed into a thong as her butt swelled with cream filling. Each cheek would easily overflow a person's hand with an alabaster bounty and seeped across her desk chair almost as far as her shoulders. Her soft thighs pancaked out and nearly touched at the top when sitting. They would shake and jostle to a noticeable degree when she walked now, the excess flesh making the effect far less subtle. She developed an extra sway when she walked and tried her best to ignore how tightly her top and skirt clung to her newly fattened hips.

A small part of her knew that as soon as she acknowledged it, she'd have to diet and maybe even exercise. And worst of all, Akira wouldn't be able to fill her with warm pastries anymore.

But if she acknowledge it and kept going as she was, she'd have to admit she was wrong and she was meant to be Akira's fat little turtledove getting softer and larger every single day. How could anyone take her seriously? What if she couldn't stop herself and went far past Akira's limit? She pushed these thoughts out of her mind as she decided to enjoy the moment.

Later that day, she bounded up the stairs into Akira's room, the pooch of fat around her waistband bouncing with every step. In front of her sat a tasty looking pile of pancakes. Only three. Perfect for a normal teenage girl. She happily shoved forkful after forkful into her mouth and her boyfriend was happy to watch her do so, but he seemed a bit troubled by something. She asked him what was the matter through a mouthful of pancake. "I'll...be going back to my hometown in March." She nodded sadly, he had made that clear to her at the start of their relationship. But why bring it up now? "I just...I mean I won't be able to show up to your big tournament in June." That's right, the Yamada Cup! Hifumi realized it must have been weighing heavily on him ever since he heard about it from her. She gently shook his shoulder. "Even if you can't be there in person, you've done so much for me that you'll always have a place in my heart." Akira still looked a bit bothered. "You told me once that I was someone you couldn't do without. What if...something was to happen to me?" Hifumi sighed and draped her arms around the young man. "You're talking about the Phantom Thieves correct?" He tried to deny it but she held up a hand to silence him. "It's like...with my father. If he passed tomorrow, I'd be devastated but it's an event I've had time to prepare for." Akira turned to look at her. No anger or annoyance marred her beautiful face, only a gentle understanding.

Akira smiled a bit. He should have known that this girl wouldn't just fall apart if something were to happen to him

"I'd be more upset if you neglected your duty out of a concern for me. A general can't abandon his men for love. It's not proper." Akira nodded. That's all he needed to hear. "Sorry I ruined the mood," he said while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Hifumi chuckled. "Tonight's a school night anyway. Besides, it's something worth talking about and I'm glad to be the one easing your concerns for once." She removed her arms from around him and sat back down while he moved over to the sofa. "Can we...stay like this for awhile?" Hifumi happily murmured her agreement. He didn't even have to ask. They enjoyed each other's company in silence just basking in the warmth of the other's body. Akira didn't want to leave her with a bun in the oven if something should happen tomorrow. His finger's traced the little rolls of fat that formed when she was sitting. If he survived this, he'd help her come to terms with her expanding body. As hot as it was, he was starting to feel extremely guilty that she could only be happy in a state of blissful ignorance. It was time to fix that. He hoped she could forgive him for that and for everything else that was about to happen.

Joker awoke on the couch, his lover sleeping soundly on top of him with her face buried into his chest. The two must have fallen asleep. Akira couldn't help but smile, Hifumi looked so peaceful, like a dozing kitten. This wasn't the first time she had been on top of him so he could tell she felt heavier. Also having her pressed against his fit and trim body, Akira could tell she felt "fluffier." Since becoming a phantom thief, Joker found he had a sort of "Third Eye" that enchanced his vision and with it he could see the subtle bit of pudge bulging out her sides clear as day. Looking over her sleeping head, her ass definitely had more "oomph" to it. Her cute bottom was really starting to become a nice round bubble butt under that skirt of hers. She was as beautiful as she had ever been.

Hifumi was finally stirred awake by her boyfriend stroking her face. "I'm sorry did I wake you?" Hifumi smiled and pressed his hand harder against her cheek. "It's quiet alright, I can think of worse ways to wake up," she said in a teasing tone. Hifumi's nuzzling against is palm was interrupted by the sudden realization of how late it was. "I got to get home! My parents are going to start to worry." Akira offered to walk her home.

"That's sweet of you, but you don't have to trouble yourself. I'm a big girl, I can handle myself." Akira had already started making his way to the stairs, "No trouble at all, I insist."

It was late enough that the train car was almost empty. Both sat down, the distance between them closing when Joker wrapped his arm around here waist and pulled her close. Hifumi couldn't help but coo from the tight grip Akira had on her fleshier hip, and rested her head against his shoulder. The bottom of her skirt slid further down her crossed legs, exposing more of her thicker, milky white thighs. Akira didn't notice though. He spent the entire ride looking down at her beautiful face, trying to commit as much of it to memory as he could.

Arriving at her house, Joker produce a small box. He wished he could have prepared something a bit more extravagant than some cookies, but this was all he had time to do. Looking down on the box Hifumi smirked and pushed it away. "You know, after those delicious pancakes you had me eat, I really shouldn't. You don't expect me to let you fatten me up that easily do you?" Joker held out the box again, "Sorry for being forceful, but I'd really appreciate it if you took it." Hifumi was surprised, usually all she had to say was no and that would be the end of it. This was the first time he had refused to accept her declination. However, looking at his gentle, solemn expression, she didn't feel like this was one of his tricks. "Oh...uh...okay..."

As she grabbed the box, Akira grabbed onto her and held her close. They had spent almost the entire day in each other's embrace, but she never got tired of it.

After coming apart, they shared a goodbye kiss that was more passionate than usual. Hifumi cleared her throat afterwards, "Well..I...Uh...I'll talk to you tomorrow." Akira tried to say something but stopped himself and only nodded. Once he made sure Hifumi got inside he house, he shifted his focus. He had to suppress his feelings about deceiving her and turn his attention to the task at hand. If he couldn't do that, he may not make it back, and that would just end up hurting her even more.

Hifumi watched from a window as Akira walked down the dark street. She thought she was being silly, but she couldn't help but shake a foreboding feeling as he disappeared into the night.

"I swear mom," Hifumi said with a huff. Honestly, it had been a while since she had come home with a bloated stomach filled to the brim with pudding. Why did she was she still asking if she was pregnant? She didn't want her parents to know she was in a physically intimate relationship with her boyfriend, but even then, her and Akira had been responsible enough to take the right precautions so far. Her mother tried to tell her she was only asking because she was looking a little fuller lately. Hifumi scoffed at the idea and convinced herself it was just water weight. If she was gaining weight then she would have to stop enjoying these cookies Akira left with her. She didn't know how he did it! They were double chocolate chip with little mini-marshmallows and filled with caramel. She rubbed her cheeks as she chewed. She had grazed on them all day yesterday, and today this had been her second cookie since eating breakfast, and she was already planning to eat more after lunch and dinner.

However, as dinnertime approached Hifumi's world was shattered. She had been so wrapped up with her shogi, she was unaware of the big news that the leader of the Phantom Thieves had been captured the night before, but as she brought her father a cup of tea, a special new report flashed on the TV screen. "It has been confirmed, the suspect that has been identified as the ring leader of the criminal group, the Phantom Thieves, has died in police custody of an apparent suicide. The Phantom Thieves are believed to be the culprits behind the plague of mental shutd-"

*smash*

Hifumi's father was jolted by the the sound of a teacup breaking against the floor. Her mother came rushing in, "What's going on? Oh Hifumi, are you alright?"

"Yes mother. I don't know what happened, I just started feeling a little light headed." Hifumi's parents both told her if she wasn't feeling well then she should go to her room and get some rest. The moment Hifumi closed her door, she slumped to the floor. Her mind was racing, what the news report said didn't make any sense, it wasn't true, it couldn't be true! She knew Akira, he would never let himself be captured like that and he certainly would never take his own life! He would never leave her alone...

Looking up, she saw her phone sitting on her nightstand and jumped to grab it. Curling up in her bed, she called his number only for it to go directly to voicemail. Breathing a bit heavier, she called him again, only to get the same result. Her hand had begun to shake as she dialed yet again, each failed attempt making her heart sink further and further.

As she tried to call again, she was only met with a black screen. Her phone's battery had died. Not only that, she now noticed that it was pitch black her room. She had unknowingly been calling Akira's phone for hours. Her cheeks were wet and her eyes stung. She didn't know when she first started to cry, but judging by how red and puffy her eyes were, she must have been doing it for a while now. Unable to continue calling without charging her phone, Hifumi slid under her covers, hugged her pillow tightly, and silently sobbed herself to sleep.

Akira had not perished. He had survived thanks to an elaborate plan him and the other Phantom Thieves put together to fake his death in order to fool the traitor and his would be assassin, Goro Akechi. The plan had gone off almost exactly as planned and Makoto's Sae had smuggled him out of his confinement and delivered him back to the Cafe. After the beatings and sleep deprivation he was subject to by his interrogators, he was dead tired and collapsed into his bed immediately. The drugs he was given were still lingering in his system, but as he shut his eyes he couldn't help but feel he was forgetting to do something important.

Akira slept like a log until the evening the next day when the other Phantom Thieves gathered for a meeting. He wasn't up for more than a minute before he asked for someone's phone, the police having confiscated his. He frantically tried calling Hifumi only to hear the tone signaling her phone was off. He sent her a text, hoping she would see it soon, whenever she turned on her phone.

Hifumi had spent the whole day lying in bed. She tried nibbling on some of the cookies she had left throughout the day but she just couldn't get herself to do it. It was almost like if she finished them, then Akira would truly be gone. Finally she mustered up the strength to plug in her phone to charge.

A few minutes later, her phone came to life and rang out to signal she had received a message. She never reached for anything as fast as she did then. The message was from a phone she did not recognize, but it read,

"I'm fine. I'll explain everything soon. I'm sorry.-Akira"

Hifumi put her hand to her mouth and took a deep breath. He was alive. She didn't know what was going on or why it took him so long to tell her he was alright but she didn't care, he was safe. She tried to calm herself down, telling herself that Akira would get in contact with her soon, but it wasn't working. After such a scare, she needed to see him now! Without even fixing her hair or telling her parents where she was going, she made for Cafe Leblanc. After getting off at the correct stop, her brisk walk she had as she left the station became a slight jog, and then a full on sprint. Unlike with her workout weeks ago, she didn't feel tired this time or notice her dainty run was even more awkward with her added bit of flub.

The Phantom Thieves had just finished recapping the events leading up to Joker's capture to Sojiro and Sae when the cafe door swung up. Sojiro started to say the cafe was closed before he saw who it was. Everyone in the cafe stared at the out of breath girl before one of the Phantom Thieves spoke up.

"Sorry everyone she must be here for me. Uh I'm sorry you came all the way over here Togo-san but I'm afraid I have just eaten some of the cafe's delicious curry and cannot accept anymore of your snacks at this time. How did you know I was here?"

With frighting speed, Futaba leapt onto Yusuke's back, and started to hit him over the head repeatedly. "Shut up stupid Inari!" Makoto quickly understood the situation and spoke up, "You know guys, it's been a rough couple of days. We should probably leave Joker alone and get some rest ourselves." One by one the Phantom Thieves got up to leave. Ryuji tried to stay and ask Akira how he got such a hottie, only for Ann to grab him by the ear and pull him away. "Hoo boy," Sojiro said, placing his hand on Akira's shoulder, "good luck with this one."

Hifumi never broke eye contact with Akira as everyone pushed past her and out of the cafe. Her lip started to tremble. She had been crying her eyes out before and thought she had no more tears to shed, but the longer she looked at him, the more she could feel her eyes welling up. She never saw him in such a rough state before. He stood before her battered and bruised, but at least he was alive.

Akira was at a loss for words. After all that he had just put her through, what could he possibly say to her to make things better? All he could muster was a small wave with a weak "Hey..."