Adachi never thought he’d be the kind of person to lounge around in bed during the middle of the day.
Then again, he never thought he’d fall so deeply in love or be so blissfully happy, either. And lounging around in bed is a different thing indeed when you’ve got someone with you, their arms wrapped around you tight and their body pressed against yours.
Besides, they’ve had a busy work week - Kurosawa especially - so Adachi thinks they’ve earned this.
He feels rather than hears Kurosawa sigh, his breath warm against the back of Adachi’s neck. He follows the sigh by softly saying, “I used to dream about this, you know.”
“Oh?” Adachi’s heart flutters. It’s new information but it doesn’t exactly surprise him. “I never saw that fantasy.”
Kurosawa stiffens slightly against him. Then he’s pulling away, just a little bit but enough to make Adachi want to whine at the loss of contact.
“What do you mean by that fantasy?”
Ah. Adachi swallows, then reluctantly turns around. They don’t really talk about his magic much, especially not since he lost it, but it seems like the kind of conversation that should happen face to face. Even if Adachi feels too shy about it to look Kurosawa in the eye.
“I saw a few of your, ah, ideas about us,” he admits. “Usually, I’d only pick up on words but I guess if the mental picture was strong enough, it would… transmit.”
Kurosawa hums. “So what did you see?”
“Mostly it was mushy couple stuff,” Adachi says, and Kurosawa smiles, completely unembarrassed. “Sometimes you were just picturing me… it felt strange,” he admits, “seeing myself the way you did. It overwhelmed me, to think that someone could see me like that.”
“Like what?”
Adachi pauses, trying to think of the best words to describe it. “Like I was special.”
“You are,” Kurosawa says without hesitation.
He takes Adachi’s hand, bringing it up to his lips and pressing a soft kiss in the center of his palm. Adachi fights the urge to squirm, warmth blooming in his chest and rushing through his body like an avalanche. It still catches him off guard, how Kurosawa can make him feel so loved with such a simple gesture.
“You’re the most beautiful person,” Kurosawa continues, apparently not done, “the kindest, most courageous, the most adorable-”
“Alright,” Adachi laughs, squeezing Kurosawa’s hand. “I get it, you don’t have to keep going.”
“I could, though,” Kurosawa says, but he mercifully doesn’t. Adachi’s not sure his heart could handle it. “I could keep going for at least a hundred years.”
“Please don’t.”
Kurosawa laughs quietly. He adjusts his grip on Adachi’s hand, entwining their fingers, but suddenly even that doesn’t feel like enough contact. Adachi scoots closer, knees knocking gently together, bringing his forehead to rest against Kurosawa’s. He feels Kurosawa’s breath hitch, feels his body relax in the next moment.
“You know I think all of these things about you too, right?” Adachi mumbles, cheeks growing warm. “Even if I’m bad at saying them out loud.”
He knows Kurosawa is telling the truth but he still feels a bit guilty, because Kurosawa deserves to hear these words. Maybe someday, Adachi will feel confident enough to say them without feeling like he’s cracked his chest open.
Right now, this is enough; just holding each other, basking in each other’s light like they’re both at once a delicate flower in the springtime and the sun shining down on it.
Eugh. Adachi makes a face at his own analogy. Maybe mushiness is catching?
“What are you thinking?” Kurosawa asks, sounding amused.
“Nothing,” Adachi lies quickly.
Kurosawa hums in response, clearly not believing him. Adachi leans in, closing that little bit of distance between them and distracting him with a kiss.
And if their afternoon cuddle turns into a lazy makeout session, that’s simply out of Adachi’s control. It’s not his fault his boyfriend is both so easily distracted and so kissable.
Rokkaku Yuta hadn’t always been the most observant person.
It was hard to believe now, but it was true. He’d been the last in their friend group to notice Minato and Keita’s relationship. He’d even gone out with his first girlfriend four times before he realized they were dating. Back in his University days, he’d truly been hopeless!
But ever since he started working at Toyokawa, he’d been honing his observational skills. It was important for a good salesman to know their client well without asking too many questions, after all, and Rokkaku planned on being the best.
He was certainly learning from the best - Kurosawa was the kind of mentor any new salesman could only dream of and Rokkaku was not going to let him down.
Still, Rokkaku had to admit, he did have some room for improvement.
“You wanted to talk to me, Kurosawa-san?”
Kurosawa looked unusually somber as he closed the door behind them, leaving them alone in the empty conference room. Whatever he had to tell Rokkaku, surely it couldn’t be bad? He’d seemed so happy lately, even when he tried to hide it behind his professional facade.
(See? Observant.)
“Kurosawa?”
Kurosawa drew a deep breath. “I have some news to share.”
“Bad news?” Rokkaku asked.
“No.” Kurosawa shook his head. “Just the opposite.”
Rokkaku smacked his arm playfully. “Well, why the long expression then?”
“Ah, I - I’m worried, I suppose.” Kurosawa smiled, small and stiff. “I don’t think I need to be but I can’t help it. Force of habit.”
For once, Rokkaku was at a loss for words. He’d never seen Kurosawa like this, holding himself with such wariness. Whatever he was about to say, it seemed like he might be - scared of Rokkaku’s reaction? But that couldn’t be it, could it?
“I’m moving in with my partner,” Kurosawa finally said. “And I - we would like to invite you to the small housewarming we’re hosting.”
Rokkaku’s eyes widened. “Eh? But that’s great news! Why would that worry you?”
“...It’s Adachi.”
Rokkaku blinked. Kurosawa’s voice was quiet but he was pretty sure he’d heard him correctly. Hadn’t he?
“Adachi and I are moving in together,” Kurosawa said, seeming to understand that Rokkaku needed the clarification. “We’ve been dating for almost a year.”
Kurosawa and..... Adachi??
Rokkaku stared into space, memories rushing through his brain and rearranging themselves to fit this new context. Almost a year? So that time just after Christmas - and with Adachi’s accident - and last week, when he saw them get in the same cab....
“I never would have guessed,” Rokkaku admitted. “You hid it so well!”
Kurosawa laughed nervously. “We tried.” He swallowed.. “Are you alright with it?”
“Alright?” Rokkaku repeated incredulously. “You and Adachi are my most respected seniors and two of my favorite people. And to learn that you’ve found happiness together - that’s amazing!”
Kurosawa’s shoulders sagged, relief flooding his expression. He blinked, eyes suddenly shining. “Yeah?”
“Yes, of course!”
Rokkaku grinned and, unable to hold back his exuberance any longer, reached out to hug Kurosawa tightly. It was hardly appropriate but what the hell - Kurosawa wasn’t just his senior, he was his friend!
He feared for a moment he’d overstepped but then Kurosawa laughed and hugged him back. When they parted he’d regained his composure, although his eyes were still shiny. Rokkaku chose not to comment.
“Seriously, though,” Rokkaku said. “I never would have seen it coming. You are two such different people - but it makes sense, in a way. You compliment each other.”
Kurosawa’s smile widened. “When did you get so wise?”
Rokkaku preened.
The housewarming party was indeed small, just the two hosts plus Rokkaku, Fujisaki, Minato and Tsuge.
Tsuge and Minato brought sake as well as an advance copy of Tsuge’s latest novel (“It’s not a gift so much as homework. I need to know which parts are exciting and you are my most dedicated reader, Adachi.”)
Fujisaki brought a beautiful snack box, the kind that would be perfect for distinguished company. (“We’re saving this for when your sister visits.” “But she said distinguished company, Adachi.” “You can be such a brat, you know that?”)
And Rokkaku brought -
“A cactus?”
Kurosawa turned the pot over in his hands with a puzzled smile.
“I read that a potted plant would be a good housewarming gift,” Rokkaku explained. “I picked this because I didn’t want to burden just one of you with caring for it and a cactus would be very difficult for Ada-” he cut himself off with a cough, amending, “for anyone to kill.”
Adachi laughed, taking the pot from Kurosawa’s hands and setting it down on the counter. “That’s very thoughtful, Rokkaku, thank you.”
Rokkaku shot him a thumbs-up.
They gathered around the small table - it was a tight fit, but they managed - toasting to the happy couple and their future. For the next couple of hours, the beer and conversation flowed freely. Rokkaku had to admit that although it was strange to see his seniors in this new context, it was also very heartwarming.
They looked at ease together, in a way he hadn’t even realized they didn’t apart. Clearly, they were good for each other.
Although, it also made him wonder...
“Were you together yet the first time I visited you here?”
He didn’t even realize he’d spoken aloud until the rest of them turned to look at him, all looking various degrees of confused.
“At our sleepover last year,” he elaborated. A sudden terrible thought occurred. “Was I crashing date night?!”
Adachi laughed, Kurosawa hiding his grin behind his glass. “Ah, no, you didn’t. We got together soon after, though.”
“How did that happen?” Fujisaki inquired, the question sounding politely curious rather than nosy coming from her. “I’ve never heard that story.”
“Me neither,” Minato chimed in. “Who asked out who?”
Adachi and Kurosawa exchanged looks, loaded with some meaning Rokkaku couldn’t decipher.
“Wait,” Rokkaku said. “Don’t say it yet, let us guess! It must have been-”
“Kurosawa,” he, Minato and Fujisaki said at once.
Adachi frowned. “Hey, why does no one think it was me?”
“It wasn’t,” Kurosawa reminded him, giving Adachi such a loving look that Rokkaku could feel it like a wave from across the table. "I also told you I liked you first, remember?”
“Well, I did it second,” Adachi mumbled, resting his pink cheek against his palm. “I ran halfway across the neighborhood just to catch you on your way home to tell you.”
Rokkaku gasped. “How romantic!”
“Mhm,” Kurosawa hummed, stars in his eyes as he reminisced. “Very.”
“Kurosawa also fell in love first, didn’t he?” Fujisaki said. Her cheeks were flushed from the alcohol and Rokkaku suspected she wouldn’t have spoken up if she were entirely sober.
Drunk Fujisaki was a bit of a trouble maker, it turned out.
Rokkaku approved.
“I did, yes,” Kurosawa said with a dramatic sigh. “All those years, spent pining away hopelessly...”
“Don’t exaggerate,” Adachi laughed.
Kurosawa blinked. “But I’m not? I was in love with you for seven years before we got together.”
“Eh?” Adachi’s mouth dropped open. “You are exaggerating now, Yuichi!”
Rokkaku and Fujisaki exchanged shocked, delighted glances. Seven years? Yuichi??
“I’m not,” Kurosawa repeated, wrapping his arms around Adachi’s shoulders, the rest of them seemingly forgotten. “You should comfort me, Kiyoshi, it was very difficult!”
Rokkaku was sure it had been - how could it not? He couldn’t imagine loving anyone for seven years, let alone having it be unrequited for all that time. But Kurosawa looked blissfully happy now, clinging to Adachi like an octopus, blushing cheeks pressed together.
“You’re drunk,” Adachi said through his laughter, but he was leaning into Kurosawa’s embrace anyway.
“You’re drunk,” Kurosawa replied.
“We’re all drunk!” Tsuge exclaimed, raising his glass, leaning heavily against a grinning Minato.
Rokkaku raised his glass as well, the two of them toasting and then downing the rest of their drinks.
“I hope you realize none of you are crashing here tonight,” Adachi said dryly. His authority was somewhat undermined by his octopus boyfriend, still wrapped around him.
It was very strange, seeing them like this, but Rokkaku felt privileged to witness it. To know they had such deep trust in him.
He may still not be the most observant, but there was one thing he was happy he excelled at - being the kind of man his friends could confide in.
I finally watched the Cherry Magic movie the and while I am still recovering from the tidal wave of emotions, I felt inspired to write this! As far as canon and general vibes go, this is more in line with the show than the movie. CW for allusions to homophobia.
Tanabe Mizuki had never been good with secrets.
Although she didn’t actively gossip like she used to back in her high school and university days, keeping anything to herself was still a struggle. She tended to ramble when she got nervous and only think to filter her thoughts in hindsight - a habit that had gotten her in trouble more than once.
It had gotten others into trouble as well but Tanabe didn’t like to dwell on that. She was trying to do better.
Tanabe had gotten a reputation as a motormouth at her old workplace but she’d managed to avoid that the past couple of years at Toyokawa. It helped that most days, work kept her too busy to stand around and chatter. There also wasn’t much to gossip about, the occasional office romance or speculation about their coveted ace salesman, Kurosawa, aside.
Some days, Tanabe actually kind of wished she’d get the chance to gossip, just so she could turn it down. Just to prove to herself how much she’d matured.
When the chance came, she couldn’t help but think of that old saying: be careful what you wish for.
It was an ordinary day and Tanabe was walking down the hallway, on her way back to her desk, when she rounded the corner and quite literally ran into one of her coworkers.
She managed to keep her balance but her coworker didn’t, falling over and sending papers flying everywhere.
“Ah, I’m sorry!” she said. “I didn’t see you!”
“It’s okay,” her coworker - she thought his name might be Adachi? - said, frantically gathering up the papers. “I wasn’t looking where I was going, either.”
Tanabe crouched down. “Here, let me help.”
“That’s okay, I don’t -”
The rest of Adachi’s sentence went unheard. Tanabe’s attention had been grabbed by the paper in her hands. It was data for Sajima Stationary but it wasn’t the text on it that caught her attention, but a doodle in the margins.
It was a drawing of a handsome man. So beautifully drawn and detailed, was Tanabe’s first thought. Adachi was clearly a talented artist. Her second thought was that she recognized the man - it was undeniable a picture of Kurosawa!
And it was surrounded by hearts.
The paper was snatched from her hand before she could examine it further. Tanabe looked up, wide-eyed in shock. Adachi stared back at her, expression frozen in panic.
Was he - did he have a crush on Kurosawa??
“I - it’s not,” Adachi stammered, “it’s not what it looks like!”
His face had gone pale and Tanabe was overwhelmed by a sudden feeling of protectiveness.
I must guard this secret at all cost.
She smiled, hoping that it came across as comforting. “It’s okay, I won’t tell anyone.”
Adachi straightened. “You - you won’t?”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” Tanabe promised.
After all, it was bad enough to suffer an unrequited crush on the office heartthrob. Adachi shouldn’t also have to worry about it getting out.
Over the next few days, Tanabe couldn’t help but keep an eye out for Adachi. Spying on your coworker wasn’t exactly mature behavior but it was at least a step above gossiping, and Tanabe had to at least satiate her own curiosity or she might explode from keeping such a big secret.
Unfortunately, the situation proved much more dire than Tanabe had first suspected. Adachi and Kurosawa weren’t just coworkers - they seemed to be actual friends. They ate lunch together almost every day and Kurosawa would frequently seek Adachi out at his desk, seemingly just for a friendly chat.
Poor Adachi. Pining over someone so close and yet so far out of reach. Worse yet, Kurosawa seemed completely oblivious to his friend’s feelings, always standing so close while they talked like he couldn’t see how flustered it made Adachi.
Maybe Tanabe should try and introduce Adachi to someone new, to help him get over Kurosawa. She didn’t know any other gay guys at the moment but surely they couldn’t be too hard to find. There were apps and bars for that sort of thing.
“You know you can talk to me about it,” Tanabe told Adachi once, when they were standing alone by the copier and out of earshot. “I’ve been in love with someone who couldn’t return my affection before, it was awful.”
“I’m not - that is, it’s not...” Adachi cleared his throat. “That’s very kind of you, but-”
“You don’t have to,” Tanabe interjected. “But just so you know.”
Adachi didn’t come to her to talk but that was alright, Tanabe had just wanted him to know he had the option. They weren’t actually friends and it wasn’t any of her business, even if she wanted to help.
But she did want to help. It was a strong urge, growing stronger every time she witnessed Kurosawa do something to accidentally fluster Adachi.
Which happened a lot. More, Tanabe was growing to suspect, than could be purely accidental.
But surely, she was wrong. Kurosawa seemed sweet, not like the type to maliciously tease someone who so clearly harbored serious feelings for him. Then again, that sweetness could just be a facade. Tanabe had known plenty of handsome men who thought their looks justified treating others poorly.
A couple of weeks later, and she became certain. It happened far too often to be accidental; Kurosawa had to be teasing Adachi on purpose.
It was cruel. Tanabe had to do something about it.
As luck would have it, she spotted Kurosawa by himself in a conference room just a day after reaching this conclusion, going over some notes before a meeting. Glancing around the hallway to make sure no one was looking, she slipped into the room and closed the door behind her.
Kurosawa looked up at the sound of it, looking momentarily confused before giving her a polite smile. “Can I help you?”
Tanabe leaned against the door, feeling apprehensive now that she was in front of Kurosawa. She didn’t know how to approach this topic without compromising Adachi’s secret, on the off-chance that Kurosawa didn’t already know.
Unfortunately, that didn’t stop her mouth from opening up or words from spilling out. “You need to stop.”
Kurosawa blinked. “Pardon?”
“The way you act around Adachi Kiyoshi, it’s not appropriate.”
“I - I see.” Kurosawa’s expression went flat. He stood up, stiffly fiddling with one of his cuff links as he seemed to think over his next words. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Adachi and I have been nothing but professional in the office.”
“There is nothing wrong with Adachi’s behavior,” Tanabe said defensively. “You’re the one acting unfairly.”
“Unfairly?” Kurosawa echoed.
Playing dumb, as if he didn’t know exactly what she was talking about.
“It’s cruel! You shouldn’t tease someone who has feelings for you.”
Kurosawa’s eyes widened and Tanabe was suddenly struck with the realization that she might be wrong - that Kurosawa really didn’t know. In which case, she’d just outed Adachi to him.
Oh no.
Not again.
“How did it go, Mizuki? Did he say yes?”
“He turned me down flat! Why didn’t anyone tell me he had a boyfriend before I made a fool of myself?”
“Eh?? He’s gay?”
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” Kurosawa said, shaking Tanabe from her unfortunate trip down memory lane. “I appreciate your concern for Adachi but you don’t have to be worried.”
Tanabe’s eyebrows furrowed. Now it was her turn to be confused. “I don’t?”
“You don’t.”
“But...” There was no way Adachi didn’t like Kurosawa, she’d seen the doodle. “But he - he likes you.”
“He does,” Kurosawa agreed.
He was smiling now, that usual polite smile of his, but it struck Tanabe that there was something different about it in this moment. A sort of blissful glow, lighting it up from the inside.
The final puzzle piece slid into place.
“You like him back,” she said. Kurosawa’s smile twitched and he tilted his head in a small nod. “Oh. That makes sense.”
She was so stupid.
"We've been dating for some months," he clarified.
This was the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to her.
“I’m so sorry.” Tanabe bowed, fighting the urge to hide her face behind her hands and never emerge. “I can’t tell you how mortified I am.”
“It’s okay,” Kurosawa said kindly. “Your heart was in the right place.”
He was too nice for his own good. How could Tanabe ever have suspected him of being deliberately cruel?
Kurosawa cleared his throat. “Just out of curiosity - how did you figure out Adachi had feelings for me?”
“I saw a picture he drew of you in the margins of one of his documents,” Tanabe admitted unthinkingly.
“Well, that doesn’t necessarily mean-”
“It was surrounded by little hearts.”
Kurosawa went still. He stared into the distance for a long moment, unblinking. “... Which document was it?”
Huh? What did that matter?
“I think it was data for Sajima Stationary.”
“Thank you,” Kurosawa said, bowing his head slightly. He grabbed his folder from the table, heading towards the exit and only pausing once he was at the door. “I - I hope I don’t have to ask you to keep this between us?”
Something settled in Tanabe’s chest, a wave of relief washing over her. Somehow, miraculously, she hadn’t screwed this up. She still had the chance to do the right thing.
“My lips are sealed,” she said.
Kurosawa smiled, real and dazzling this time. Tanabe couldn’t help but squint - it was like staring directly into the sun!
“Thank you,” he repeated.
*
And then, later that day.
“Rokkaku? Could you ask Adachi to bring me over the data for Sajima Stationary?”
relief floods their very faces when they realized that they could fix this — they could fix the thing they chose to break.
i do not believe in soulmates, but maybe the universe has its own way of bringing things back where they belong when they're this naturally meant for each other.
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