A gift exchange for the Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boueibu LOVE! and HAPPY KISS! fandom for Valentine's Day. Countdown for deadline | Countdown for Valentines!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Boueibu Valentineâs 2019 gift exchange! We hope you all enjoyed your gifts and all the fantastic submissions!!!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Boueibu Valentineâs 2019 gift exchange! We hope you all enjoyed your gifts and all the fantastic submissions!!!
Creator: @bishie-haven
Recipient: @seifukubu
Title: Daily Entry
Characters/Pairings: Akoya Gero/Io Naruko
Summary: While abroad, the student council receives a card from the Defense Club. When seeing this, Akoya starts to feel strange things about a certain member, retreating to paper and pen to get through these thoughtsâŠ
Comment: I have to thank @seifukbu for their gift request. Despite being on the internet for the longest time, Iâve never fully understood what an âaestheticâ was. But thanks to them, I could tell you almost anything about it! I hope you enjoy it, Happy Valentineâs Day!
____________
14/02/2016
To Dearest Diary,
     I know what I like. In fact, it should be obvious to everyone. Back home, I am the angel of Binan Academy, and I have a specific standard that should be followed. Iâll go so far to say that I have my own biteki, or âaestheticâ as I learned in my English class today.
     I know that I have one. From one look at the way my room in the dormitory has been redecorated, anyone can see it! Iâm actually very proud of myself for making this happen. The disgusting black blanket on the bed with its rough cotton sheets almost made me vomit, so I had my favorites shipped here, first-class of course. I couldnât get my beauty sleep with those ratty, old things; Iâve learned over the years that silk is the best for keeping your skin soft. Along with some throw pillows for the chairs, lace decorations for my desk, and a color change from hideous brown to tactful mulberry, I was able to make the room look beautiful! Well, no bedroom will be as nice as my own back home, but I suppose I can manage with thisâŠ
     Besides my own living quarters, my âaestheticâ is definitely one of great beauty. Everything about me must be pristine, pure, and perfect. In fact, that was my entire reason for being a part of that dreaded Caerula Adamas just a few months prior. I believed that following that strange hedgehog would let me get rid of these ugly pigs and bring justice to the world. ThoughâŠletâs just say that Iâve learned from that little experience, and I do not need to call myself Perlite to make a change.
     As I had said before, I know what I like, and I exude that with every fiber of my being. However, for a bit of time, Iâve feltâŠstrange. It started with the president showing us a card that was sent to us around a week ago. It had a photo of that ridiculous Defense Club, wearing tacky white wings and holding boxes of chocolate. I assumed it was supposed to be some kind of reply to our Christmas card we sent to them. I couldnât help but cringe; all five of them just seemed like they were forced to do it. HonestlyâŠif they wanted to do it right, they shouldâve went all out, wearing all white to appear like those who represent love. Which one is right: Cupid or Aphrodite? Whichever, they shouldâve went with that look, not this cheap excuse that looks like they stopped by a 100-yen store!
     But back to what I was saying, after I seen that card, I started thinking about that club again. It was the usual: Yufuin is still a complete sloth, Kinugawa needs to something about those glasses, Hakone makes me want to retch with how much disgusting food he likes to eat, and ZaouâŠI never want to think about him, no matter the situation.
     However, I couldnât get my mind off of Naruko. Those slobs had decided to give him some strange headband to put on, making it look like he had antennae of some kind, with big red hearts on the top. Just one look at his face could tell you that he was embarrassed; it was very obvious. When I first saw it, I had to laugh at the ridiculousness. But once I had gotten back to my room, that image didnât leave my mind. Even when I was trying to sleep, it didnât leave! It drove me insane that night, but the strangest thing of all was what I was thinking in my mind as the picture was there:
     NarukoâŠlooked absolutely adorable.
     It doesnât make any sense to me. Even as I write this down, I still believe that. But, at the same time, I canât believe it. Going beyond the tacky costume, everything about Naruko just does not fit with the âaestheticâ I live by. He clearly doesnât take care of himself as much as I do. His hair has so many dead ends that need to be trimmed, and his hands need to a session of moisturizing as soon as possible. Besides his looks, he seems to not care about anything besides his precious stocksâŠand for some reason that Defense Club. All I can think about is when I tried to get him into the student council so that club would disband. I just knew he would just be in it for the monetary compensation we were going to give him. I could see it in his eyes.
     And then there was the trip that we had taken. I was nervous when I had gotten separated from the others, and it only got worse when I suddenly get tackled by Zaou. That pig was so heavy! And then, after I had dusted myself off from just getting clean, Naruko took a leaf off of me.
     That moment was the closest thing I can compare to how Iâm currently feeling. Both in the time in the mountains and as I laid in my bed, my face got hot, and I felt weak. I couldnât stop thinking about him, no matter how much I tried. It felt absolutely embarrassing, thinking about Naruko so much, and for no apparent reason!
     Thankfully, it only lasted for one night when I was in the mountains. But nowâŠitâs been seven days and every night he has been in my head! I canât stop thinking about him: his sharp grey eyes, his chiseled physique, the powerful way he holds himselfâŠ
     My word, this is ridiculous! I think I may be going insane; I need to see the best therapist when I get back from this study abroad trip. Maybe writing all these thoughts out will make sleep with a lot less of himâŠ
Creator: @taishis-chill-pill
Recipient: @toyboy-kuroo
Title: Needed Confidence
Characters/Pairings: Taichiro / Ichiro Dougo, Taishi Manza, Original Character
Summary: When Taishi sees Ichiro getting bullied, he decides that something must be done; even if he and Ichiro have barely talked before.
Comment: Happy Valentines Day :D I decided to do childhood friends from your prompt list, but I could only really think of them becoming friends in the first place. Anyways, I hope you enjoy :D
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It was a clear day out when the kindergarten class was let out for recess. A certain hyper pink head named Ichiro was running around and playing tag with some of his friends. For five year olds, this was the greatest time of day for them.
âI bet you canât catch me!â Ichiro yelled out as he was being chased by his friend, who was currently âit.â He was confident in his running skills, so getting away should be a pinch. As the small boy ran past the slide, he collided with Yuusuke; the token class bully. The two of them hit the ground. âOwâŠâ Ichiro winced at the sudden impact. âSorry about tha-â His voice disappeared when he got a good look at Yuusuke. âWatch it Dougo! What if I had hit my head?!â Yuusuke snapped as he stood up.
All the confidence Ichiro had from before had disappeared. While most people in his kindergarten were friendly and welcoming, it was clear to everyone that Yuusuke wanted nothing to do with this. That boy wasnât afraid to hurt anyone to get his way. Honestly, it just made him comes off as a bit of a jerk. âY-Yuusuke, I said sorry!â Small tears poked at the corner of Ichiroâs eyes, but he was using all of his might to make sure they didnât fall.
âYou have too much energy! Thatâs annoying, just like you!â Yuusuke hissed while he ignored Ichiroâs apologizes.
While this was all going on, another boy looked up from his in-progress sandcastle. The green haired boy noticed Ichiro trying to get away without getting hurt, but Yuusuke clearly wasnât having it. With a shaky fist by his side, he decided that someone had to put an end to this chaos.
âHey!â The green haired boy called out. Yuusuke removed his eyes from Ichiro and looked up to where the voice was coming from. âStay out of this Manza! Dougo needs to apologize for how badly he hurt me!â Ichiro also looked over at that voice. âTaishi?â He mumbled.
Even though they were in the same class, they hadnât talked that much. Ichiro is more outgoing while Taishi is more reserved, so they usually ended up doing different things during times like recess.
Taishi got closer to the scene to get a better look at Yuusuke. âYou donât seem hurt, so just let this go. Or are you gonna go cry to your mommy?â He smirked. Yuusuke hesitated, but then decided to leave the area. âHmph! Iâve got better ways to spend my recess then to be stuck with you losers.â With that, Yuusuke was gone.
Ichiro stood up and grabbed onto Taishiâs shirt sleeve. âThank you.â He said quietly. A faint pink dusting coated Taishiâs cheeks; he had never seen Ichiro this quiet or this vulnerable before. âIt was nothing⊠Someone has to stand up to bullies like them!â Taishi said with a splash of confidence in his voice. Ichiro chuckled. âYou were shaking!â Taishi couldnât deny that.
Taishi took a step forward. âDo you wanna come play in the sandbox with me?â A huge smile reappeared on Ichiroâs face. âSure!â
Summary:Â Kinshirou suspects thereâs someone else Atsushi likes. En has the same suspicion. An AU of Boueibuâs first season where the outcome of the curry incident was intentional on Atsushiâs part?
Comment:Â When I got the prompt, I was listening to Jack Stauberâs Two Time, and realized that it could fit.
I may have gone overboard with the angst⊠Whoops!
Creator: @kinatsuaddict17
Recipient: @animetrashfire
Title: Meteor Clover
Characters/Pairings: Kinshiro Kusatsu, Atsushi Kinugawa/KinAtsu
Comment: Uhm.. ahehehe⊠Senior High School ruined my schedule, so⊠Iâm really sorry that it looks unfinished. I tried to finish it this week butâŠ. aheheheâŠ.
Anyway, despite being imperfect and, yeah, unfinished, I still hope that you, animetrashfire-san, will appreciate this first gift I ever made in this fandom⊠I searched for the meanings of most flowers in this drawing (although the flowers themselves were unrecognizable, even the colors!) to give my drawing a bit more special in itâŠ
By the way, when I received the recipient, I was so happy that I can do it (I can only mostly draw KinAtsu, aheheâŠ).
Again, I hope youâll like this gift of mine and HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!
Creator: Creo @queenofthefaces
Recipient: @kira-7
Title: The risk-benefit analysis of butterflies
Characters/Pairing: IoRyuu
Summary: Io Naruko is successful. Unbelievably successfulâŠbut success doesnât necessarily equal happiness. He attends a play in a rinky old theater on a whim, and the talented pink-haired actor playing Hamlet takes his breath away. Who knew he could find everything he ever needed in an old ticket stub and a risk?
Comment: This is my gift for kira-7 for the boueibu valentines event!! I hope you like it! Itâs been so long since Iâve written for this fandom ;;w;;
On Ao3:Â https://archiveofourown.org/works/17736794
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He was successful. Unbelievably successful. He earned masterâs degrees in economics and business finance. He became CEO of his company when he was only 20. He was incredibly wealthy, known for his competent, frugal natureâbut also for his frequent philanthropy. His reputation was sparkling. He stayed out of politics and away from scandals. He lived alone in a neat, functional condo and drove a neat, functional car to work.
He had everything he needed.
But Io Naruko wasnât happy.
It wasnât something he thought about often, or so he told himself. The sharp longing in his chest came and went more often than he was comfortable admittingâwhen he saw happy families as he drove to work, when his subordinates took time off for weddings and honeymoons, when he laid in bed at nightâalone, staring at his ceiling in the dim light of the moon, filtering through his cheap, paper curtains.
He wasnât happy, but he told himself he was fine. Content, even. Or at the very least, he wasnât miserableâneutral, maybe.
At this moment, however, he wasnât thinking about that at all. Instead, Io was irritably glancing down at his wristwatch, and wondering how his careful planning couldâve fallen apart so spectacularly.
Well. He was being hyperbolic. He was irritable, though.
Io was currently sat in an uncomfortable, cramped theater chair, trying not to glance at the state of the seats around himâthe fabric was dingy, stained, torn in places. It sent a shiver of disgust skittering over his skin. But he paid for his ticket.
His ticket toâŠIo checked his stubâŠto Hamlet. Io was at a production of Hamlet. The reason? He had a client who adored theater, and Io, knowing nothing about the subject, decided it would be useful to attend a show. The ticket was cheap, the show wasnât long, and the little theater was on his way home from work. Heâd never seen the place before, and marveled at the thought, thinking it a nice surprise before he walked into the building. It was falling apart, that was for sure. And even still, as Io looked around him, the seats were almost bare, a few scattered pockets of people. Io thought, cynically, they were only there to support their struggling actor friends. He might have been the only one there without a connection to any of the cast.
The show was running fifteen minutes late, and counting. Io was punctual, scheduled, and he wasnât going to spend his once-in-a-blue-moon day off sitting around in a dark, ratty theater with a spring digging into his lower back through his seat.
Except he was. Because he paid for his ticket.
Io crossed his arms. He was just about to take out his tablet again when a spotlight suddenly shined onto the stage. It blinked to life, and a young actor emerged from the curtains and welcomed the audience.
There was light, polite applause as the curtains opened.
Io sunk into his seat, prepared to continue to regret his decision.
He didnât. In fact, he didnât know his opinion couldâve changed so quickly.
Io wasnât expecting to be interested in the show, but thenâtheir Hamlet took the stage, and Io was enthralled by his performance. Io found it difficult to relate to people in his daily life, but this actor, in a run-down old theater, actually made Io feel for him, for his character. The actorâs passion seeped into his every movement as he dominated the stage with his presence. His expressions, his voiceâit all felt genuine in a way Io didnât think he could appreciate.
They ran the show without intermission, and Io sat at the edge of his seat, completely invested. The other actors were good, but Io kept searching for, waiting for Hamlet when he wasnât on stage.
By the end of the play, Io just barely restrained himself from leaping to his feet as he applauded. The cast members were all grinning ear-to-ear, despite the low turnout, despite the condition of their theater. Hamlet stood at the center, bowing deeply alongside his castmates. His character melted from his shoulders, and all Io could see was exuberance in the eyes of a talented young man.
The actors filtered off backstage, and Io wondered if he could stay behind andâŠand talk. Tell Hamlet how moving his performance was, how something warm and bright had stirred in Ioâs chest for the first time in a long time.
Then, however, Ioâs phone rang.
He swore under his breathâcompletely unprofessionalâwhen he realized he had to leave. There wasnât a playbill, so Io couldnât even get Hamletâs name. He left the theater with a glance over his shoulder, hoping to see movement from behind the curtain, if, by chance, he could catch the actor as he left.
Ioâs phone buzzed against his palm.
No luck. Io left to his car, disappointment curdling in his stomach.
â
The next day, he found himself distracted at work for the first time in his career.
His mind kept drifting as his pen skittered across his mountain of paperwork. He kept thinking about that actorâthe vibrance in his expressions, the way his voice carried so confidently. The theater didnât make a lot of moneyâIo checkedâso the actor wasâŠwasting his talents, wasnât he? The risk-benefits were lopsidedâŠbut he looked so happy up on that stage. Like there was nowhere else heâd rather be.
Someone knocked on Ioâs door, and he realized with a start heâd been daydreaming, doodling stars and swirls at the edge of his papers. Io sat up straight, taking his elbows from off his desk (unprofessional!) and called out.
âCome in.â
The door opened, and Io pushed aside the doodles in his margins.
â
He took a lunch break for the first time, too.
Io usually ate in his office, with his cost-efficient packed lunch. He often worked while he ate, or simply forgot to eat. It saved time, it boosted his productivity.
It wasnât for today.
Io felt the eyes on him as he strode out of his office.
âSir, is there something wrong?â A manager was waiting for en elevator when she saw Ioâs approach. Her voice was concerned. Io realized what he mustâve looked like: the elusive, work-minded boss leaving his office in a hurry.
âNo, nothing is wrong. I am justâŠgoing out for lunch, today.â Io stepped into the elevator, fighting to keep the flush from his face. He was acting out of character, he knew, but that wasnât stopping him. âThank you for your concern, Kurokawa.â
The manager looked surprisedâwhether her shock was towards Ioâs strange behavior, or the fact that he remembered her name (he remembered all of their names, of course), Io couldnât tell.
His pulse skipped in his chest as he walked to his car, his gait uneven as he rushed across the parking lot in his almost-too-tight dress shoes.
Io drove back down to the theater. He didnât even know if it would still be open. HeâŠ.he forgot to check. But there he was, standing in front of its humble double-doors.
When he entered this second time, Io saw the little theater in a new light. No longer was he focused on peeling paint, or off-color support beams. This time, Io took note of how clean the lobby wasâno dust, no trash.
There was no one at the front desk. Io thought he should leave, but even as he was thinking about going, his feet were walking him in the opposite direction, through the doors to the main auditorium.
Io saw movementâbut it didnât belong to who he was looking for. Instead, there was an older man, the actor who played Claudius, holding a broom as he maneuvered through the seats.
âHello, son.â Claudius looked up when he heard the door open. âWhat do you need?â His voice was kind. And at his question, a million and one answers swam through his head.
He needed to find Hamlet. He needed to show his appreciation for the play. He needed to unwind the tense tangles of his muscles from sitting at his desk all day. He needed to call his mother. He needed to splurge on shoes that fit him, and on a coffee machine that worked more than half the time. He needed a friend.
âIâŠI donât know.â Was his spoken response. Â
âThatâs alright, son; I donât think any of us know what we need.â
âIâI meanâŠâ Io tried to compose himself, all of a sudden feeling very, very young. âI came to a play, yesterday. IâŠit was very good.â Io cleared his throat, his face burning. He could talk the Queen of England into selling him Buckingham Palace, but at this moment, all his carefully selected words evaporated into smoke. âVery moving.â Io finished lamely.
Claudius just smiled. He was so different from the character he played, genuinely open and trusting.
âWeâre doing Hamlet again, next week,â Claudius said, the invitation clear in his voice.
âIâŠâ The memory of a broad smile, and earnest brown eyes flitted in Ioâs mind. âOkay.â Io nodded quickly, almost breathless.
He scurried out of the theater.
As he sat in the driverâs side of his parked car, Io gripped the wheel, hands shaking.
HeâŠhe was excited. He had something to look forward to.
Next week. Okay.
He was going to see Hamlet next week.
Io walked into the office smiling.
â
Io saw Hamlet, and then waited an agonizing month before he was able to attend their next show. It was another Shakespeare production, likely so they could reuse the props and costumes. This time it was A Midsummerâs Night Dream. This time, Hamlet played Puck, and though Io didnât know the actor at allâhe somehow felt the mischievous spark in the actorâs eye fit much more than Hamletâs tragedy. Â
Io saw all three performances of A Midsummerâs Night Dream, one after the other, each week. With each performance, Io caught something he hadnât before, saw how the actors changed up their reactions. They breathed life into the play, and each incarnation was a different being. It took Ioâs breath away to see.
Between the last performance of A Midsummerâs Night Dream and the preparation for the next play, Io scoured the internet for any scrap of information he could find about the theater. He found a few mediocre Yelp reviews, a blog post talking about a production from three years prior, and the theaterâs official website.
Io began following the theaterâs website almost religiously. The site, unlike the building itself, was sleek, and modern. Io wondered if one of the young actors designed it.
The site was scant for information. It gave a brief overview of the theaterâs history, the premiere date of the next show, and a gallery of pictures. The quality of the photos variedâsome were professional, while others were obviously taken with a cellphone from an audience seat. Io saw the actorâHamlet, Puckâin some of the photos, dressed in costume, still shining with that passion, with that shine in his eye Io had come to admire.
The next show was Little Women. Io had searched up the brief synopsis out of curiosity when he saw it announced on the website. It was a play with a small cast. Io wondered who would be on stage when he went to see it.
Occasionally, Io would look at the funds set aside for play tickets and hear a scolding voice in his head admonish him for wasting his money. After all, the theater-loving client Io had gone to the original play for wasnât interested in chat when theyâd had the opportunity to meet. Io wasnât going to the theater forâŠfor any good reason, anymore.
But then, heâd remember the thump of his chest, the anticipation thrumming in his veins, and heâd push his guilty conscience down.
â
Io sat in his seat, with the spring digging into his back, his hands folded neatly in his lap.
He gasped when he saw the actorâHamlet, Puckâtaking on this new role. He played the outspoken, willful Jo. He worked the stage as beautifully as he always had, pulling Io in and making Io understand what his character was going through. As Jo, he glided across the stage in his layers of heavy skirts, with grace and power and a barely restrained sense of urgency, of desperation, indicative of Joâs bold character. Io was completely immersed in the story, in the way Jo had sold the character.
As the cast took their bows, Io realized, once again, how talented this actor was. After all, heâd had Io convinced he was a teenage girl, despite so obviously being a man. Looking at him now, even as he stood in costume, Io could see the strong line of his jaw, the long curl of his fingers, the bony wrists peeking out from his long sleeves. His hair fell in shiny, fuchsia-pink layers down against the nape of his neck. His bangs softened his face, but he was still unmistakably masculine, even as his lips curled into a playful grin as his costar spun him around on stage, his skirts flaring up in a wave of fabric. The image of him up there, his hair a mess from his abandoned bonnet, skirts flying around him, an exhilarated look in his eyes.
In eyes that had, suddenly, met Ioâs.
Ioâs heart skipped a beat.
The actor held his gaze, inquisitive, playful, for a heartstopping momentâbefore he was pulled away by a cast member. Io watched him go, and only barely noticed how he looked back at Io as he was hidden away by the curtain.
Io checked his phone, and his tabletâŠhalfheartedly, because his eyes kept glancing up towards the stage. Cast members were slowly filtering out, but not the one Io wasâŠwell, the actor Io was looking for.
Io stood, ready to make his way to the door. He straightened out his jacket, made sure he didnât leave anything behind, and all-in-all wasted just a few more seconds before he turned to the door.
âWait!â
Io stopped in his tracks. His chest filled with something warm, tentative.
He turned around, andâŠwell, he couldnât describe what it was like. There was the actorâHamlet, Puck, Jo, except also, none of them, just himselfâbounding towards Io.
âHey,â he said, grinning. He held out a hand. âIâm Ryuu.â
Io took the hand on instinct, his voice struggling from where it was stuck in his throat.
âNarukoâIo Naruko.â
Io looked at him, and repeated the name, Ryuu, Ryuu, Ryuu, over and over, seeing how it fit to the face heâd come to know over the past few months.
It fit well.
âI noticed you coming to our shows, so, like, thanks for that! Really! Itâs nice seeing someone who likes usâeven when we totally flub lines and whatever.â Ryuu laughed, open and just a little self conscious.
âY-yes!â Io replied, too quickly, âIâm notâŠIâm not a theater person, butâŠthese shows areâŠâ Io glanced at Ryuu, hesitating, distracted. He cleared his throat. ââŠTheyâre great.â
âYouâre not a theater person?â Ryuu asked, his eyebrow quirking up. âI wouldnât have guessed! Iâm glad you like the shows, dude!â
Io felt the need to say somethingâanythingârise in his chest, but he couldnât find the words. He fumbled for something, fiddling with his wristwatch.
Ryuu filled the gap for him. After a momentâs hesitation, he said:
âDo you want to, like, hang out or something?â
âWhat?â Io knew his bewilderment was clear on his face.
âI just thought you seem like an interesting guy, Io.â Ryuu shrugged.
âI have work tomorrowââ Io almost rejected him, out of habit. âBut Iâm free this weekend, if you want to, doâŠsomething.â
âSweet!â Ryuu took out his phone. The case was hot pink, and the little charms hanging off of it rang like bells. âDo you want to exchange numbers, then?â
Io fumbled with his briefcase, pulling out his phone. His contact list was full of clients, work associatesâbut then Ryuu put his name in, with a â( ïŸâœïŸ)/ â emoticon next to it.
âCool!â Ryuu exchanged phones with Io. âIâll text you, dude! I have to get home, now, but it was really nice meeting you, Io!â
And then, in a flurry, Ryuu was gone. Io held his phone to his chest, Ryuuâs voice echoing Ioâs name, again and again.
â
Ryuu ( ïŸâœïŸ)/
hey dude!! check out this cool butterfly thing!!
Io blinked. For a second, he was confusedâbefore he realized. Heâd given his number to Ryuu, and now Ryuu was texting him screenshots from the website of a butterfly pavilion. Io glanced around his office, even though he was clearly alone, before texting back.
Io
I know of it.
He more than knew of it; his contributions practically built it. His name was front and center amongst the plaques of donators. He didnât say any of that, though.
Ryuu ( ïŸâœïŸ)/
omg ur one of those people who texts all proper and stuff
LOL!!
ANYWAYS I was wonderinf if youd like to go
Despite his donations, Io never personally visited the pavilion. He quickly pulled up ticket prices on his computer, scanning the costs, weighing the risksâ
Ryuu ( ïŸâœïŸ)/
its cool if u dont!!
I just always wanted to go and I thought
well!!
perfect time to try!!
Io looked down at his phone.
Io
When would you like to go?
Ryuu ( ïŸâœïŸ)/
Really?? dude!! Iâm SO glad you want to go!!
I donât really care when tho, just anytime after 10 is good :D
Io
I bought us tickets for 2PM
Ryuu ( ïŸâœïŸ)/
WOAH!! You didnât have to do that for me!
but thanks :)
â
Ioâs workday was suddenlyâŠmuch more vibrant. Since giving his number to Ryuu, he found the other enjoyed sending inane, chatty texts about whatever crossed his mind. Io didnât mind, of courseâon the contrary, he couldnât stop smiling at his phone, even if he was concerned Ryuu spent too much time glued to his. He didnât hesitate telling Ryuu this, either, and he didnât even mind when the response was a cheeky â:Pâ.
And somehow, texting Ryuu brightened not only Ioâs mood, but the mood of his company, too. Io found himself venturing out of his office more often, smiling at his coworkers, stopping to chat a little more. He found himself seeking contact in a way he hadnât realized he missed.
His work was still spectacular, of course. Io justâŠtook some breaks from it every once in a while, stretched his legs, used the new coffeemaker in the break room.
Ryuu ( ïŸâœïŸ)/
do u want to meet me there or should I pick u up or are u picking me up or�
Io
I can pick you up, if thatâs no bother.
Iâll be getting off work soon, anyways.
Ryuu ( ïŸâœïŸ)/
chill
Iâll be getting out of rehearsal, so u can jus pick me up at the theater :p
Io walked out to his car. He caught his own reflection in the rear view mirror: his work suit, his tie, his uncomfortable shoes. He sighed.
Io
Do you mind if I stopped by my house to change? It wonât take me long.
Ryuu ( ïŸâœïŸ)/
Thtâs totally fine!!
Io drove home, quickly, and threw open his closet. Good lordâŠhe hadnât dressed casually for an embarrassingly long time. Io always liked dressing nice, even in high schoolâwhere other students tried to break dress code, Io found comfort in the uniform.
He found an old pair of darkwash jeans in the back of his closet, thankfully, and paired them with a white button-up shirt and a light, casual brown cardigan, and some brown loafers. They were on sale, and much, much more comfortable than his work shoes.
Io went back to his car, somehow feeling both overdressed and underdressed.
He drove up to the theater, seeing Ryuu chatting with a pair of girls. Ryuu was dressed well, from what Io could tell, though Io didnât need to know fashion to at least have an opinion (he liked it). Ryuu had a fitted, black v-neck shirt, dark maroon skinny jeans with rips in the knees, short black boots, and a black and white checkered shirt tied around his waist.
Ryuu saw his car driving up and waved, quickly saying goodbye to the girls he was talking to before jogging up to the passenger side of Ioâs car.
Io didnât remember the last time someone sat in that seat. Usually, it was occupied by Ioâs briefcase, or his lunch.
âHey, whatâs up?â Ryuu slid into the car easily.
Io didnât know how to respond.
âMy stocks are up today,â Io blurted. He was expecting laughter, or boredom. What normal twenty-something talked about stocks?
âStocks?â Ryuu asked, curious, âYou know, I just realized I have no idea what your job isâthough I figured it was something, like, official, with all your nice suits and stuff.â
âI, yes, you could say that.â Usually, Io would be ready to preen, show off his success. But for some reason, he feltâŠnervous, around Ryuu. Ryuu, who texted him about cute pens from dollar stores and gleefully performed plays at a run-down theater like it was his life calling.
âMe, though? Iâm just a manager at Pizza Hut. Itâs not the best job in the world, but it helps pay for classes and stuff.â
âYouâre in school? What are you studying?â
âNot sure yet, honestly. I, uh, had to take a gap to save up, and I hadnât even decided in that time, so, here I am, undeclared major.â Ryuu chuckled nervously. âI need to make a choice, though. Nana wouldnât be happy if I spent all that time just to not graduate with something.â Ryuu laughed. He talked about his Nana, before, in their texts. âJust a few days ago she sat me down and told me sheâd be happy if I had a degree in horse cosmetologyâjust as long as I had a degree!â
Io couldnât help the chuckle that escaped him, and from the corner of his eye, Ryuu beamed at him as if heâd done something amazing.
â
When they arrived at the pavilion, Io realized, with stark clarityâhe hardly knew anything about Ryuu, aside from little snippets, and yet, they still somehow eased together as if theyâd been best friends for years. Io wondered if that was just Ryuuâs personality, if he meshed with everyone, like the social butterfly he was.
Io laughed quietly at his own pun. Ryuu, of course, noticed.
âOf course itâs silly! It made you laugh!â Ryuu stopped them next to a big bush of pink flowers. Butterflies fluttered around him, landing in his hair, only making Io giggle more. âOh now you have to tell meâcâmon, Io!â
âFine, fineâŠâ Io braced himself. âI just thought, youâre like a social butterfly, and, you know, here we are, and here you are.â Io gestured to where the butterflies had settled in Ryuuâs hair.
Ryuu looked up, but of course, he couldnât see on top of his own head. He smiled.
âYouâre right; that is pretty silly.â Ryuu held a butterfly on his finger. He reached forward to place it on Ioâs shoulder. âBut I like silly! Say cheese!â
Before he knew it, Ryuu had taken out his phone and snapped a picture of him, unsuspecting.
âNow take one of me!â Ryuu pushed his phone into Ioâs hands. The butterfly on Ioâs shoulder flew away, but Io didnât really notice.
It turned out, Ryuu loved taking pictures, lots and lots of pictures. It shouldnât have been surprising, in hindsight. The pictures of Io Naruko tripled in that one day, not that he minded, not when Ryuu was so excited to show him the filter apps he had. Io wasnât impressed by having dog ears, suddenly, but Ryuu found it hilarious, so Io let it slide.
Eventually they exited the pavilion, only after some workers coaxed the butterflies away from Ryuu with sugar water.
âI think they like my shampoo,â Ryuu said as they walked out. The pavilion was at the edge of a park, and Ryuu justâŠstarted walking. And Io walked with him. âThat was really fun!â
âYeahâŠit was.â Io couldnât keep the smile from his voice.
He and Ryuu kept chatting, or, well, Ryuu mostly. Io added to the conversation much less, but still.
After a while, Ryuu saw something.
âOh, dude! Ice-cream!â Ryuu started walking towards the ice-cream truck. âLetâs go get some!â
Io followed, a little more cautious. His eyes narrowed at the prices.
âThese areâŠoverpriced,â Io muttered.
âYeah, well, youâre just getting one, right? Itâs not that big of a deal.â Ryuu stood in line, Io hanging behind, suddenly uncomfortable.
âI meanâthereâsâŠitâs useless, isnât it? Itâs expensive for no reason.â
âDude, it isnât useless.â Ryuu stopped looking at the menu, and instead looked Io in the eye, innocent, honest. âItâs not useless if it makes you happy, right?â
Happy. The statement was soâŠso simple. And all of a sudden, Io realized he hadnât been taking his own happiness into account in his calculations. Thatâs why his condo had lamps he had to hit to make turn on, and sheets with holes in the corners, and thatâs why his shoes didnât fit quite right, and why he always declined invitations to his coworkersâ parties. Io hadnât taken his own feelings into account in a long time. Not since he went back to the theater, since he kept going back to the theater even when seeing plays had no benefit to his work. Since he texted Ryuu in between lulls at work, and left his office to chat with Kurokawa and Takamatsu and whoever else he found loitering in the breakroom.
Io just stared at Ryuu. Oblivious Ryuu, who had no idea he just shattered Ioâs entire world.
Io ordered a cookies and cream ice-cream bar.
â
âYou want to go hang out at my place?â Ryuu asked. They both just finished their ice-cream.
âIâyou canât just invite me over, Ryuu! I donât have a gift to bring!â
âDude, youâre so old fashioned! Itâs fine! Letâs just go hang outâI got a new game Iâve been itching to play.â
ââŠ.fine.â
Ryuu cheered.
â
Ryuu opened the door to his house and yelled:
âNANA! Iâm home and I brought a friend!â
Io panicked.
âI didnât bring a gift! Ryuuâplease,â Io hissed. He wasnât expecting to meet Ryuuâs beloved grandmother empty handed.  Â
âA friend? A new one, again?â An older woman shuffled down the hallway, and Ioâs heart thudded in his chest, even as he stiffened and tried to smooth the distress from his face.
âG-good afternoon, Ms. Zaou.â Io said, hoping his voice didnât sound as nervous as he felt. Io had met with people as influential as gods, but they werenât the grandmothers of hisâŠhis friends. âI apologize for showing up out of the blue like this. If I had time to prepare I wouldâve brought a gift.â
âOh! A polite one, he is! Ryuuâyou could learn a thing or two from him!â Ryuuâs Nana laughed. âJust call me Nana, sweetheart, no need for formalities around here. Now what should I call you?â
âNana, pleaseâŠâ Ryuu whined, âThis is Io.â
âOh! Is this the Io youâve been talking about, Ryuu?â Nana Zaou smiled, just a little smugly, if Io wasnât seeing things. âHeâs much more handsome than youâve made him out to be, Ryuu!â
âNana!â Â Â Â
âIâm just teasing, dear. Now you two go along and have some fun, alright?â
âOkay, Nana!â Ryuu started pulling Io down the hall, his ears pink. Io had just barely toed off his shoes before he was being tugged along.
âKeep the door open, Ryuu! You know the rules!â
âNANA.â Ryuu sounded absolutely scandalized. And if that didnât pull a laugh from IoâŠ
Ryuuâs room wasâŠwell, exactly what Io was expecting, but that didnât mean itâŠwasnât more real, to be in there. Ryuuâs room was a little messy. His closet door was open, clothes strewn on the floor next to itâjust like how Ioâs looked at home, as if Ryuu had as much trouble with his outfit as Io had.
Ryuu turned on his TV and handed Io a game controller, which Io held in his hands with vague discomfort.
âWhatâs wrong? Has Mr. Stuffy never played a video game before?â Ryuuâs voice was teasing, joking, so he wasnât expecting Ioâs reply to be a shy shake of his head.
âYou really havenât?â Ryuuâs eyes widened. âWell, I thinkâŠthe game I wanted to play might be a little advanced for you, grandpa. So Iâll start you off with something easy. Have you at least heard of Super Mario?â
Ioâs head popped up. For some reason, he was expecting Ryuu toâŠhe didnât knowâŠbe weirded out or something, to kick him out. When he was young, Io never really had an interest in what his classmates were playing, and that lack of aâŠ.connectionâŠalways put a distance between Io and the other children.
Of course, he shouldâve known Ryuu wouldnât have been like that.
It was a grueling process, all things considered, to try and teach Io what video games were. But Ryuu smiled and nudged him forward and congratulated him when he finished a level, and Io felt warm and happy all over.
Soon, there was a knock at the (open) door, and Nana Zaou was standing in the doorway.
âI was thinking of ordering you boys some pizza,â she said, âAny requests?â
âPizza?â Io blinked. âUmâŠjust cheese is fine for me.â
âMeat lovers!â Ryuu cheered.
Nana Zaou told them sheâd call them when the food arrived.
It was only after she walked out that Io noticed just how dark it had gotten outside. Ryuu whistled, apparently noticing this, too.
âDo you want to just crash here?â Ryuu asked, so, so casually, as if he wasnât offering Io the first sleepover in his entire life.
âIâŠare you sure thatâs okay?â
âOf course, dude!â Ryuu said, knocking Ioâs shoulder with his own. âYouâre like, the same size as me, so you can just borrow some pajamas. And we have extra toothbrushes. You know the big packs of plastic wrapped ones you get?â
âWhere would I sleep?â
âUh, I meanâŠmy bed is pretty big,â Ryuuâs voice turned a little sheepish. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. âI was thinking weâd play games until we passed out, but if youâre not comfortable with that, you can take the guest room.â
Io kind of stared, trying to process the information. He wondered how this could feel normal, if this was what he was missing out on, growing up. Eating junk food? Staying up playing games until he couldnât keep his eyes open? It wasâŠit sounded fun.
âWell, if the first option is more authentic to the sleepover experienceâŠI might as well.â
It was surreal, in all honesty. Io was a grown man, and yet, here he was, planning a sleepover like a childâŠwith a friend heâd only properly known for a week. He remembered hearing Kurokawa talk about her children, how they could run up to other kids at the park and decide they were best friends within the minute. Maybe thatâs what Io was doing, now, making friends, and making up for lost time. He didnât mind it.
They ate their pizza when it came, and Io checked his stocks every once in a while, offhandedly telling Ryuu about his company and how the stock market worked. He could tell Ryuu didnât get all of it, but he was still interested. IoâŠliked teaching Ryuu. It felt like he was sharing a part of himself, the thing he was good at, and Ryuu approved.
Eventually, the medium half-and-half pizza was devoured, and washed down with bubbly soda that left Ryuu burping between his sentences. And Io saved the Princess. Ryuu vowed to introduce him to more games, and asked him to pick between Kirby and Zelda. Both of the characters on the covers reminded Io of Ryuu, so he had a hard time picking. He eventually went with Kirby, though.
They played and talked until Nana Zaou told them she was going to bed and turned off their lights, and for hours after that. They played until Ryuu started to slouch onto Ioâs shoulder. Io hadnâtâŠwell, he hadnât noticed how touchy Ryuu wasâit just seemed so natural for Ryuu. Throughout the day, he grabbed at Ioâs arm, his sleeve, touched his wrist, slung his arm over Ioâs shoulder. Io wasnâtâŠhe didnât like people touching him.
He was quickly learning that Ryuu was an exception for a lot of things.
Io was the one to turn the game off and suggest they watch a movie.
Ryuu stood and stretched. His spine popped, and Io grimaced at the sound, much to Ryuuâs amusement. Ryuu tossed the TV remote to Io and told him to pick something from Netflix while Ryuu got them some pajamas.
Io browsed lazily. He wasnât a movie person, so he wasnât sure what would beâŠgood. He ended up picking a title heâd seen recommended several times on Ryuuâs account.
Ryuu tossed some fabric at him.
âThe bathroom is down the hall, but, uh, donât take too long.â Ryuu looked away, âI kind of have to use it.â
Io laughed.
The pajamas Ryuu gave him didnât match. Some sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt for a band Io had never heard of. The fabric was soft and well-worn. The pants were just a little too baggy around his hips, and he had to tug the string tighter. He looked in the mirror, and looking back, Io didnât see a CEO, a busy executive, someone with more money than he knew what to do with.
Io just sawâŠsomeone young.
Io left the bathroom and found Ryuu tugging on a tanktop. Io blinked, his brain short circuiting with the sight of Ryuuâs bare shoulders, even for the split second he saw them.
âYou picked a good one!â Ryuu said. âYou can chill here; Iâll be right back.â
Io sat on the bed gingerly. Ryuu wasnât long, thankfully, and they watched the movie.
Io couldnât stop making comments, usually pointing out fallacies in the plot, and thankfully, Ryuu seemed to be the same wayâpointing out costumes he liked, acting things he saw, trivia he knew.
Another movie was recommended to them, and Ryuu just clicked onto it without thinking.
âHow can you just watch a movie without knowing anything about it?â Io asked.
âItâs just a movie. I might not have picked it if I was thinking about it.â Ryuu shrugged. âIf itâs good, then itâs good. If itâs not, then we can make fun of it.â
They eventually were recommended a K-drama Ryuu had binged two summers before. Ryuu tried to sleepily explain the plot while they watched, dipping in and out of consciousness.
Again, Io was the one to turn off the TV. He told Ryuu it would save electricity.
âThatâs fine.â Ryuu yawned. âWe can just talk until we fall asleep, then.â
Ryuu moved to get under the blankets, tucking them up under his shoulders. He looked up at Io expectantly. Io, hesitated, before throwing caution to the wind and getting under the blankets, too. He and Ryuu faced each other.
âCan I tell you a secret?â Ryuu said, his voice suddenly quiet, as if hushed by the blankets.
âUm, sureâŠâ Io replied.
âI wanted to talk to you since I saw you in the audience the first night,â Ryuu whispered, âI was too nervous, though, the first few times, âcause you looked so cool and professional.â
âOhâŠâ Io swallowed. âIâŠuhâŠI only came back because of you. Your acting wasâŠwell.â Io closed his eyes. âI was always devoted to my job. I only bought that first ticket because it was cheap; I didnât even think I would like the showâbut then I saw you on stage and IâŠâ Io looked at Ryuu, trying to get across what he felt, that first night. âI felt something. I hadnât felt something like that in a long time.â
âA long time? Youâre so young, thoughâŠâ
âI am, but it was a long time nonetheless. Thank you.â
âWhy are you thanking me?â
âI didnât realizeâŠI didnât realize how much I was missing before I met you.â Io smiled, a little self-deprecating, a little sad. âI never did anything just because. I was always running risk-benefit calculations in my head, for everything I did. And then I met you, and I got ice-cream and played video games and saw plays and talked to my coworkers just because.â
âIâŠwowâŠIo,â Ryuuâs voice was breathless. âI donât think my side is as impressive as yours, butâŠyou make me want to be better. Like, I know that doesnât make any sense, but youâre so put together and I want to be like that, instead of an aimless college kid. But youâre also really, like, sheltered, in a way, and I want to be better for that, too. I want to show you all those things you didnât let yourself do, like video games and, you knowâŠIt seems crazy because we, like, just met, butâŠI donât knowâŠyou justâŠfeel right for me, I guessâŠâ
âI know what you mean.â
Ryuu just smiled at him. And there was a sort of tension in the air, not bad, just there. Like there was something they hadnât said, out of all the things they said.
But it felt like enough, for them, for now. And they didnât know who fell asleep firstâŠ
âŠbut they both woke up to Nana Zaou slamming two pans together to announce breakfast.
â
After the impromptu sleepover, Ryuu convinced Io to drive them back to his condo in his borrowed pajamas.
âYou can just change at your place! That way you donât have to wear the clothes you wore yesterdayâ and I can see your house!â
âAh, there it is, your real motivation.â
Ryuu just stuck his tongue out at Io.
âWoah, dude, this place is nice, but it looks a littleâŠlonely.â Ryuu looked around with a small frown. âYou should get a plant. Oooh, and some new curtains. And couches to go with the curtainsââ
âMaybe I should just get dressed first.â
Ryuu ended up talking Io into buying new curtains, and gleefully dragged him through the home goods store in the mall.
And then dragging him through the rest of the mall.
Ryuu, for all his flashy tastes, also understood Ioâs frugality, and didnât push him into buying the most expensive things. Though he did want Io to find something he liked, not just something that was the cheapest.
They also ended up getting Io new shoes, because even Ryuu noticed how uncomfortable Ioâs work shoes were on him. Which was strange, becauseâŠ
âI never saw you after the plays were over. How did you see me walking in my work shoes?â
âUhâŠI may haveâŠwatched you a few times, from behind the curtainsâŠâ
âYouâre saying you were shy?â Io tried to hold back his smile.
âI told you last night I was!â
âYou always looked so confident on stage,â Io replied, âI didnât think it was all that true.â
âWell, on stage is different,â Ryuu explained, âIâm playing a character, with all the parts planned out already. I know whatâs gonna happen to that character, so I donât have to stress. Itâs different with people; much more improv.â
They ate chilli-fries from the food court, and Io refused to let Ryuu buy anything, even when Ryuu tried to be sneaky about paying.
Io dropped Ryuu off at home, and when he got back to his condo, he found a little toy cactus hidden in one of his bags. Io smiled.
â
Ryuu kept buying him things after that, too. Little knickknacks, wall art, throw pillows. They were always cheap enough that Io didnât feel bad about accepting them, and just colorful enough to give Ioâs neat, functional little condo a bit more life to it.
Their texting tripled, as did the pictures Ryuu sent, and the plans they made.
Io was going out more, and more often. And he saw Ryuuâs shows just as often.
He saw Ryuu in Xanadu and Les Miserables before his coworkers said anything about it.
âWeâre glad youâre getting out more, sir,â Takamatsu said kindly. He was always worried about Ioâs health, always suggesting for him to try the newest health food or vitamin pill. âWhoever she is, she makes you very happy.â
âShe?â Io said, puzzled.
âOh!â Takamatsu colored. âApologies, sirâitâs just, ah, the rumor mill had been saying you had a new girlfriend is all. Now thereâs nothing wrong if itâs really a new boyfriend ââ
âItâs not like that! Heâs just a friend,â Io cut off Takamatsu before someone else could overhear, but knowing the man, the word would be out before lunch.
âWell, whoever he is, weâd all love to meet him!â
â
The theater was given a generous, anonymous donation.
With the way Claudiusâor, Mr. Nakaiâsmiled at him knowingly the next time Io came in for a show, sitting in his new, refurbished seat, Io was sure his donation wasnât as anonymous as he expected.
Especially with the way Ryuu had come barreling into him after the second performance of Grease, his hair still slicked back in that incredibly charming style, at least in Ioâs opinion.   Â
âWhy didnât you tell me you were a bigshot CEO!â Ryuu said, after sweeping Io up into a hug.
âI didnât try to keep it a secretâŠâ
âYeah, but you let me, Pizza Hut manager, totally think you just had a normal desk job!â Ryuuâs voice was playfully frustrated, like he wasnât really angry at all. âYour net worth is through the roof! And you were the third most eligible bachelor four years agoâhow do I not remember that! I still have that same magazine!â
âTo be fair, I forgot about the bachelor thing, too.â
â
Eventually, finally, Io brought Ryuu to a work party.
They were celebrating a successful merger of one of their sister companies, and the party was a casual, daytime, family friendly affair. Theyâd gotten into the habit after Io joined the company, fresh-faced, and quickly worked his way up. Heâd been too young to drink, but he was well-liked for his good manners and work ethic, so they tried to keep him engaged. The habit stuck around because Io encouraged the âno hangoverâ part, and his coworkers appreciated being able to bring their children. Even if those children were, in some cases, old enough to be Ioâs mother, and they were really looking out for the grandchildren.
Ryuu was a big hit, of course, the social butterfly he was, and hit it off with everyone.
âYou two are good for each other,â Kurokawa mused, âI wish you two the best, we all do, really!â
âYeah, IâŠIâm lucky to have met him.â
â
After that, Io was properly introduced to Ryuuâs acting buddies. Unlike the PG work party he brought Ryuu to, Io had tagged along to a casual after party to celebrate the end of a successful play.
With the renovations to the theater, theyâd started pulling in more crowds. It also helped that Io had finally become comfortable enough to recommend the theater to his coworkers.
âYou know, Ryuu used to be the biggest flirt,â Yukie said offhandedly. Ryuu was off getting them drinks, and Io felt Yukie had waited until Ryuu was gone to say this. âIf he wasnât at a cast party, he was out on a date. A different person every timeââ Person? Something in Io thought the phrasing was important. ââbut then you come along and, wellâŠhe seems more confident in himself. Youâve really helped him.â Yukie smiles at him.
âNot to mention, he never stops talking about you.â Yukie pitched her voice down to mimic Ryuu, âIo just took me out here. I told Io to get that new jacket; doesnât it look nice on him ? Io really liked the show. Io Io Io.â Yukie dropped the voice. âYou know, that night he finally got the guts to talk to you? He told us to stop you if you tried to leave before he was readyâhe wanted to talk to you that badly.â
Io looked over at Ryuu, who held their drinks in his hands, even as he was distracted talking to his costar and her sister.
âBut, yeah, he hasnât been on any dates like he used to. Unless, you knowâŠoutings to butterfly pavilions, fro-yo, and amusement parks donât count as datesâŠâ Yukieâs voice went playfully sing-song, and it took only a second before her implications sunk in.
Io blushed, but quickly forgot his embarrassment the second Ryuu came back.
â
It had been the best year of Ioâs life, truly. He wouldnât change a single thingâbutâŠ
âRyuuâŠâ Io asked. Ryuuâs head was tucked against Ioâs shoulder. They were lounging on the couch they picked out together a month prior. Ryuu hummed.
âHave weâŠbeen dating this whole time?â Io felt the way Ryuu stiffened up against his side. Io thought aboutâŠwhat he thought he was making up, all of those hesitations, the looks, the way Ryuu would grin shyly whenever Io would imply how he wanted to be with Ryuu for yearsâbecause in such a short time, Ryuu had become that important to him.
âThat depends on if you want to beâŠâ Ryuu mumbled, burying his face against Ioâs side.
âWhat would it change if I said yes?â
Ryuuâs lips curled into a smile against Ioâs arm.
âWell, we practically live together, at this point. Half of my clothes are over here. You take me on dates. My Nana loves you. Your mom loves me. And youâre thinking of naming the Pomeranian we want to get âYen,ââ Ryuu listed, âI think the only thing would change would be the amount of kisses I can get from youâŠand other thingsâŠif youâre okay with that.â
âHey Ryuu?â
Ryuu untucked his head from against Io. âYeah?â
âIâm more than okay with that.â
Ryuuâs smile was absolutely blinding.
âYou want to start with the kissing thing, now? Because frankly Iâve been wanting to kiss you for so long, and if I have to wait another minute Iâm gonna explode.â
Io cleared his throat, suddenly shy. Ryuuâs eyes were so bright, and Io couldnât look away, didnât want to look away, but as Ryuu slowly began to lean closer, Io found his own eyes slipping shut.
The kiss was chaste, and sweet, and sent Ioâs heart into a frenzy of butterflies. He felt Ryuu smile against his mouth, and he didnât have to do a single calculation to know that every risk he took with Ryuu was absolutely perfect.
Creator:Â @silvormoon
Recipient:Â @kinatsuaddict17
Title: A Day at the Fair
Characters/Pairings: Kinshiro/Atsushi
Summary: Kinshiro regrets all the time heâs wasted spending time apart from Atsushi. When the school principal assigns him with overseeing a booth at the town fair, he sees an opportunity to recapture some of those lost childhood moments.
Comment: This ended up really long so I am submitting this in two parts. This is part 1.
âââ-
   Kinshiro took the first sip of his morning tea, gazed out at his garden, and thought, There really is no place like home.
   Not that he hadnât enjoyed his stay overseas. There was definitely something to be said for visiting new places and broadening oneâs horizons. It was just that in his heart, he knew that Binan would always be his true home, and now he was happy to be back again. Heâd arrived home three days ago, and now his jet lag had mostly faded and his long-neglected work as Council President was more or less caught up, and he was really beginning to feel like he was back in his groove.
   A pity Iâll be leaving again before too very much longer. His family expected him to go to college, so of course he would, but then he would come home and start working in the family business where he belonged.
   His ruminations were interrupted by the sound of his cell phone blipping, announcing that heâd gotten a text message. He snatched it up.
   Good morning, Kinchan! Are you walking to school with us today?
   Kinshiro smiled. The message was sprinkled with smiley faces and other electronic flotsam. From anyone else, the informality would have annoyed him. Coming from AtsushiâŠ
   It really is good to be home.
   He ended up meeting Atsushi on the corner where their two routes to school intersected. It still felt strange, walking to school with Atsushi and his friends. He strolled along, saying little, just enjoying listening to the sound of the others chattering and marveling at how things changed. There had been a time when seeing Atsushi at a distance would be enough to ruin his mood for hours afterwards. Now he walked beside him and thought that he had never been so happy to look at another human being.
   âYou look far away,â Atsushi remarked, as they reached the school gates. âWhatâs on your mind?â
   âJust thinking,â said Kinshiro, âthat I wouldnât mind going through another three years of high school if it meant we could go on walking to school together.â
   Atsushi put an arm around his shoulders. âI know what you mean. But weâll have lots of free time when weâre in college, and weâll be able to see each other on holidays. Itâs not like we have to say goodbye forever once we graduate.â
   âI know,â said Kinshiro.
   Still, he thought, as he reached his classroom and settled into his desk, as much as he was looking forward to the future, he still couldnât help regretting that heâd wasted so much time in the past. All those years, he could have been spending every day with Atsushi. Now his childhood was nearly over, and heâd never get those carefree days back.
   He was still musing on this bittersweet thought when a voice came over the school intercom.
   âWill Kusatsu Kinshiro please report to the office? Kusatsu Kinshiro, youâre wanted in the principalâs officeâŠâ
   Everyone turned to stare at Kinshiro, as people tended to do in these circumstances. Someone in the back of the room stage-whispered, âDid the president break a rule?â and a few others snickered. Kinshiro ignored them.
   âTeacher, may I be excused?â he asked.
   The teacher graciously waved him away. The professorâs expression suggested he felt it was less likely for Kinshiro to be in any sort of trouble than for the principal to want to consult with him on some weighty matter. Kinshiro couldnât begin to guess what he was being summoned for, but had a vague thought that it might have something to do with his overseas trip, or possibly preparations for graduation. He left the classroom feeling calm but puzzled.
   The principal greeted him cheerfully.
   âAhh, Kusatsu-kun. Please have a seat,â he said. He was a cheerful, rosy-cheeked, bright eyed little man. Kinshiro had always had mixed feelings about him. He was a likeable man, always affable and willing to listen. On the other hand, he tended to be a little more lax than Kinshiro felt was strictly right, and he could never figure out how to bring it up. Kinshiro was not a man to question authority figures, even when he privately felt they deserved it.
   âWas there something you wanted to speak to me about?â he asked instead.
   âYes, indeed,â said the principal. âAs Iâm sure you know, Binanâs annual spring festival is coming up.â
   Kinshiro nodded. He knew this very well, having attended it for several years until heâd reached the point where he considered himself too old for such silliness.
   No, be honest with yourself. You started staying home and sulking because you knew Atsushi would be there with Yufuin.
   Still, he couldnât help but be aware of it. It was held every year in early spring, temporarily taking over the city park. Kinshiro had a shrewd notion that it wasnât celebrating anything in particular, save for a need to entice more tourists into the city once a year, but everyone seemed to enjoy it. There were always lots of carnival games, food booths, and entertainers there, and in the last few years it had expanded to include a couple of bouncy castles and some organized games like three-legged races to entertain the kids.
   âOne of our schoolâs proud traditions,â the principal said, âis to sponsor a booth at the festival. This year, I am counting on you to oversee the details.â
   âWhat would it entail?â Kinshiro asked.
   âJust choosing four or five reliable students to set it up and run it, and to supervise the setup and purchasing of prizes,â the principal replied. âYouâll be given discretionary funds for the purchasing of the prizes, of course. The stall and its trappings should be in the shed on the northwest corner of the grounds. Iâll give you the key.â
   Suiting action to words, he fished a key ring out of his desk and handed Kinshiro a small key. Kinshiro slipped it into his breast pocket.
   âIâll expect regular updates,â the principal let on. âReport back in a day or two and let me know who youâve selected to run the booth, and speak to my secretary about the money.â
   âOf course, sir,â said Kinshiro. His voice was placid as ever, but inside, he was starting to feel excited about the project. Not that he actually wanted to spend the day sitting at a booth listening to little children wailing because they hadnât won a prize, butâŠ
   âExcellent,â said the principal. âI know I can count on you. Now, off you go. No starting work on the booth until after class!â
   Kinshiro agreed that his studies came first and excused himself. He had a brief chat with the secretary, accepted a check and a stern warning to keep all the receipts for anything he bought with it, and set off toward his classroom. His mind, however, was no longer on his lessons.
   For all its inconveniences, this was still a perfect opportunity. He could invite Atsushi to work on the booth. They could set it up together, man it together for a while, and then explore the festival. It would be a way to make up for some of that lost time. It might even make up for the disastrous way the school festival had turned out.
   When the lunch bell rang, Kinshiro sought Atsushi out at once.
   âA moment of your time?â he asked.
   âSure,â said Atsushi. âWhat is it?â
   âI was wondering if I could ask a favor,â he replied. âItâs presumptuous, I know, but I need someone I can rely on, and, well⊠I know youâre reliable.â
   Atsushi appeared touched. âIâll help if I can. What do you need?â
   âThe principal wants me to run a booth at the spring festival,â said Kinshiro. âI need some helpers. Would you be willing toâŠ?â
   To his relief, Atsushi beamed.
   âOf course! That sounds like fun,â said Atsushi. He grinned a charmingly sheepish grin. âTo tell the truth, I get kind of embarrassed going to the spring fair like all the little kids, but it will be okay if Iâm there for a reason. Will we have to work the whole day?â
   Kinshiro shook his head. âNo, I was thinking Iâd ask a few other people, so we could take shifts. Iâm sure Arima wouldnât mind, but I havenât decided who else to ask. Perhaps your friend Naruko? He seems very responsible.â
   Atsushi laughed. âNot unless you were prepared to pay him. He never works for freeWhat about Yumoto?â
   âHakone Yumoto?â Kinshiro blinked. The words âresponsibleâ and âYumotoâ didnât go together in his mind.
   âDonât underestimate him,â said Atsushi. âHe helps his brother run the bathhouse, donât forget. Heâs used to working a cash register and handling money, and heâs great with kids. I know he seems kind of flighty, but when he takes on a responsibility, he takes it seriously.â
   âHm. Well, you would know,â said Kinshiro dubiously. âI suppose heâd be all right with Arima there to keep an eye on him.â
   Atsushi smiled. âSounds like weâve got a plan, then.â
   We. Kinshiro liked the sound of that. He smiled.
   âIâm looking forward to it already.â
*******
   Atsushi had seen the storage shed many times, but somehow it had never occurred to him that he might want to look inside it. He was vaguely aware of the sorts of things people kept in sheds - lawnmowers, hedge clippers, water hoses, things of that nature - and none of them had ever seemed like they had anything to do with him. Perhaps, he reflected, if heâd had more of a spirit of adventure, he might have worked up some curiosity about what else might be in there. He watched as Kinshiro took out the little gray key and slipped it into the lock.
   I wonder why he asked me, he mused, as the door creaked open. He knew he was a reliable worker, but so were lots of other people in school, some of whom would actually have a bit of star appeal at a public event. If it had been him, he might have been tempted to choose someone like the star of the soccer team, or the boy from the drama club whoâd already been offered a role in an upcoming radio drama. Instead, heâd chosen a nobody from the Earth Defense Club, the school joke. Heâd said it was because he knew he could rely on Atsushi. After years of believing the exact opposite, Kinshiro was putting his faith in Atsushi once again.
   Iâd better not let him down.
   He followed Kinshiro into the shed. It was bigger than heâd first realized. On the outside, it had been screened by trees and shrubs, making it hard to see more than the front. Now he realized that while it wasnât very wide, it extended a long way back. It was dim, but light filtered through vents near the ceiling. It smelled of dust and wood shavings and just a hint of mice. Kinshiro sneezed.
   âThere sure is a lot of junk in here,â said Atsushi, looking around. There were, as heâd suspected, several lawn mowers of various shapes and sizes, along with all the other odds and ends used to keep the grounds neat. There were also various sorts of sporting equipment - the rollers used to chalk a playing field, some disassembled soccer nets and movable basketball hoops, stacks of hurdles and vaulting boxes - and some of the decorations that had been dragged out for the school fair. Some of the other items were harder to place. Atsushi looked at a panel of what might have been scenery from a long-ago play, a rather ugly piece of statuary, and a heap of assorted woven baskets.
   âI think they just tossed in anything that was too big to fit anywhere else,â said Kinshiro. He blew dust off of an unidentified gray box. âI think this is a cash box. Itâs still got keys wired to it. Thatâs a start.â
   âDo you have any idea what weâre looking for?â Atsushi asked. He tugged at a tarp and studied the object underneath. âA spotlight. Do you think this belongs to the drama department, or do the athletes use it for night games?â
   Kinshiro ignored the question, which was fine since Atsushi hadnât expected an answer. âI believe itâs some sort of dart-toss game. The secretary said we would need to buy balloons out of our budget.â
   Atsushi went burrowing among some stacks of plywood and two-by fours. Some of the wood near the bottom bore traces of paint, and when Atsushi shoved a bundle of boards out of the way, he could just make out a few letters painted on it: âTRY YOUR LUCK!â
   âI think this could be it,â he said. âHelp me get this junk out of the way.â
   The two of them hauled industriously, until at last their treasure had been unearthed. The booth consisted of several wooden panels, designed to be easily fitted together and pulled apart again by means of a clever arrangement of pegs and holes. After a few false starts, they managed to work out which bits went where. By the time they were finished, they were both dusty and sweaty, but pleased. They sat back on a pair of old coolers to admire their work.
   âItâs a bit dusty,â said Kinshiro. He had taken off his uniform jacket, and his usually sleek hair was sticking together in sweaty clumps. His shirt was sweaty and dusty too, clinging to his back and chest. Atsushi had to resist the urge to stare. Kinshiro was always handsome, but this rumpled, disheveled lookâŠ
   âI suppose we could clean it,â said Atsushi, pulling his mind back to more relevant topics. âMaybe touch up the paint a little.â
   âWe probably should,â Kinshiro agreed. âWeâve got a week before the festival, so if we met up on the weekendâŠâ
   âIâm free,â said Atsushi quickly. Heâd been planning on hanging out with En and doing a little shopping, but⊠well, this was important, wasnât it? Surely he could fit it in somewhere. âWe should make some plans about buying the prizes, too.â
   âYou should probably be the one to decide that,â said Kinshiro. âIâm not sure Iâd know what a suitable prize would be.â
   âYou should help pick them out anyway,â said Atsushi. âWe could go shopping together and then⊠I donât know, maybe get dinner somewhere afterwards.â
   Now, where had that come from? He hadnât had a meal alone with Kinshiro for years, not since they were little boys buying snacks from street vendors together.
   Did it sound like I was asking him on a date? I hope he doesnât think I was asking him on a date. I donât want to make things awkward, not when everything is going so wellâŠ
   But Kinshiroâs face had lit up like the sun coming out behind a cloud.
   âIâd enjoy that very much,â he said. âPerhaps we could go to Kinoko?â
   Atsushi considered only a moment. Kinoko was a moderately nice restaurant - very traditionally Japanese, a bit out of the way of the tourist traffic. It was just barely within Atsushiâs budget, but he didnât see why he couldnât splurge just a little for Kinshiroâs sake.
   âIâd like that,â he said. He laughed a little. âI suppose you must have missed real home cooking while you were in England.â
   âI really did,â said Kinshiro. âYouâd have liked it, though. They serve a lot of curry in England.â
   Atsushi laughed. âThat doesnât sound so bad, now that you mention it. If you ever go back, you should take me along so I can try it.â
   âPerhaps I will,â said Kinshiro thoughtfully. Then he shook his head, pulling himself from whatever daydream heâd been wrapped up in. âBut first, we need to do something about this stall. Help me haul it outside. Iâll call someone to come help me get it loaded into a car. We can store it in my garage until we need it.â
   âThatâs a good idea,â said Atsushi. He got reluctantly to his feet. It had been nice to just sit there and chat. Still, Kinshiro was never one to slack when there was work to be done.
   Together, they manhandled the booth out into the schoolyard and gathered up all the odds and ends that came with it. It was indeed a dart-tossing game, consisting of a cork backboard on which numerous hooks had been hung. The idea seemed to be that prize tickets would be suspended from the hooks and balloons hung in front of them to obscure them, so that when the balloon popped the prize would be revealed. A lot of little cards with numbers printed on them had turned up in the bag with the darts that looked like they would fit on the hooks, and could presumably be rearranged at will so the crowds didnât learn where the best prizes were hidden. Atsushi wondered about the wisdom of working at a booth where people would be throwing pointy objects in his general direction, but he supposed it was probably too late to back out now.
   âWe should go to the baths after this,â he said aloud. âThe others might even still be there.â
   âThat sounds like fun,â said Kinshiro. âEven if they arenât there, we could still go.â
   Atsushi thought about being alone in the bath with Kinshiro. The fact that he was willing to visit the Kurotama at all was still so new to Atsushi that it still amazed him to think about. Before now, though, there had always been someone else there with them - usually En, often the rest of the Defense Club, sometimes the rest of the Student Council. It had never been just the two of them before. The thought made him feel oddly fluttery inside.
   âWe should still do that,â he agreed.
   Kinshiro smiled at him. The light of the setting sun gilded his silvery hair and outlined the delicate lines of his face. Atsushi felt his throat go tight.
   That was the moment he realized his life was about to get a lot more complicated. His friends had teased him often about the dramatically fraught relationship between the Student Council president and their own clubâs reluctant leader, calling them boyfriends and joking about their âloverâs quarrelâ, but heâd always laughed and shrugged it off. He and Kinshiro were just friends, that was all. They had missed each other. They had a lot of catching up to do. Of course they were always happy to see each other, and wanted to spend every moment they could together. Of course Atsushi felt a thrill every time he received a text message from Kinshiro or saw him smile just for himâŠ
   Looks like they were right after all.
******
   Kinshiro strolled along the sidewalk, arms full of shopping bags, and reflected that today had been a good day.
   He had gotten up early, and he and the rest of the festival crew had gotten to work making the booth look like something other than a thing that had been buried in a dusty shed for a year. Arima, of course, had been only too flattered at being asked to help. Kinshiro been amazed at how right Atsushi had been about Yumoto: once heâd understood what was wanted of him, heâd scrubbed harder than anyone to get the booth looking sparkling clean and ready for a coat of paint. Perhaps working at a bathhouse all his life had given him an affinity for scrubbing. He hadnât been able to avoid getting white paint all over himself while they touched up the scuffed and discolored boards, but steadier heads and hands had assured that the finished product looked at least halfway professional. In fact, Kinshiro had been quite pleased with how it had turned out. With some flags and bunting hung on it, it would be as handsome a booth as anything at the festival.
   Now he and Atsushi were strolling along side by side after a successful afternoon of shopping. Atsushi had located a party supply store that sold inexpensive gewgaws for people to use as decorations or party favors. Kinshiro had not previously been aware that such a thing existed in this city, and had wandered in great bemusement up and down the aisles, too overwhelmed by the number and variety of gimcrack plastic objects to think very sensibly about which might make good prizes for their booth. It had been up to Atsushi to fill their bags with flower crowns, miniature plush toys, tiny water guns, glow stick jewelry, and other objects that would delight the heart of a child or lighthearted adult.
   âThat was a lot of fun,â Atsushi remarked, swinging his bags at his side. âThey had some neat stuff in there, didnât they?â
   âThey did. I was actually a bit surprised,â Kinshiro admitted. âI wonder what the school will do with anything we donât give away as prizes?â
   Atsushi grinned. âMaybe theyâll let us keep some! That would be fun.â
   Kinshiro admitted that it would. He normally would not have agreed to coveting anything that wasnât up to his high aesthetic standards, but there was something about these small, brightly colored objects that appealed to the more primitive parts of his brain. Anyway, glow-sticks were fascinating.
   They reached the restaurant. It was an unassuming little building, painted in shades of brown and off-white suitable to its name. Beside the front door hung an oval signboard depicting a cluster of variously-shaped mushrooms growing from a patch of leafy ground, with Kinoko painted beneath it in elegant script. It would be easy to walk past it and assume it was a florist, or an art gallery, or anything but what it was. The locals knew it, and anyone who wasnât a local found out by word of mouth or didnât find it at all. Atsushi smiled as they drew near.
   âDo you remember,â he asked, âwhen we had your birthday party here?â
   âI do,â Kinshiro admitted. âThat was a good day, wasnât it?â
   âI thought it was kind of amazing,â said Atsushi. âOther little kids asked for hamburgers or pizza or ice cream on their birthdays, but you wanted to be like the grown-ups.â
   âYou must have been bored,â said Kinshiro.
   âI was never bored,â said Atsushi.
   A hostess greeted them pleasantly and showed them to their table. Atsushi began looking over the menu. Kinshiro pretended to, but he already knew what it said and had his order ready in his mind. He was happier watching the thoughtful expression on Atsushiâs face as he considered the options.
   âItâs nice of you to say so,â said Kinshiro. âThat you werenât bored, I mean. When it was your birthday, you always wanted to go to the amusement park or the arcade.â
   âAnd you wanted to go to nice restaurants and book stores and museums,â said Atsushi. âI remember one time we went to an actual tea house and went through the whole ceremony. You were so excited about it. I remember how you talked about it for days afterwards.â
   âI suppose I was a strange child,â said Kinshiro. He could feel his face warming. He hadnât realized that Atsushi retained so many embarrassing childhood recollections.
   To his surprise, Atsushi smiled and placed a hand over his.
   âKinchan has always been Kinchan,â he said.
   Kinshiro spluttered. âAtchan! What a thing to say.â
   âItâs true, though. I mean, youâve always been the way you are,â said Atsushi. âThat makes me happy. I wouldnât want to find out youâd turned into someone I didnât know while we were apart.â
   He settled back in his chair, looking thoughtful. Kinshiro wasnât sure whether to be relieved or sorry that Atsushi had taken his hand away.
   âI always thought you were fascinating,â he said. âYou were always a little different from the other kids. You seemed so smart and mature⊠I was really flattered that you chose to spend time with me. Maybe thatâs part of why I didnât fight harder when you pulled away. I felt like maybe I wasnât good enough for you, and it was only natural youâd figure it out sooner or later and go find some friends who were on your level.â
   âIt wasnât like that,â Kinshiro blurted. âYou know it wasnât like that.â
   âI know,â said Atsushi. âBut I didnât know that then.â
   âI always thought you were special, too, you know,â said Kinshiro. He fidgeted with his napkin, unable to meet Atsushiâs gaze for the moment. âEveryone else always seemed to think I was weird or a snob, but you made me feel like a normal person. I stopped feeling that way after you were gone. I suppose thatâs why everything went wrong afterwards.â
   Atsushi smiled gently and patted Kinshiroâs hand again.
   âItâs not going to be like that anymore,â he said.
   Kinshiro mustered a smile. âNo, it wonât.â
   A waiter floated over to beam down on them.
   âGood evening,â he said. âAre you ready to order, or do you need some more time?â
   âI know what I want,â said Kinshiro.
   And it was true: he knew exactly what he wanted. Looking at Atsushi smiling across from him, looking happy and at peace in Kinshiroâs company, he knew that <I>this</I> was what he wanted. He wanted the two of them to be together forever, just as they had promised each other they would all those years ago. He wanted to go on feeling like the world was a good and wholesome place and that he belonged in it, in that way that only Atsushi had ever been able to make him feel. He had known that a long time ago. The difference now was that the first time theyâd promised to be together, they had been children, with only a hazy idea of the kinds of things the future might bring. Now he was nearly grown up, watching the end of his school days and the beginning of his adult life come speeding towards him, and what he wanted went beyond childhood trips to the arcade.
   In short, what he wanted was for Atsushi to love him the way he loved Atsushi, and he had no idea if that was even possible anymore. Could he ask that, of someone who he had tried to kill only a few months ago? They had worked so hard even to rebuild a functioning friendship. He wasnât sure he dared to ask for more. He didnât really think he deserved it.
   He rattled off his order by rote. Atsushi said, âThat sounds good. I think Iâd like the same as him.â
   Would you? Kinshiro mused. I wonderâŠ
******
   It was a perfect day for a festival. Atsushi got up early and headed out to the fairgrounds while the sun was still creeping over the horizon. He didnât really mind - there was a nip in the early spring air that made him glad heâd brought his jacket, but some of the flowers were already starting to bloom, creating delicate touches of color amid the early morning mist that echoed the pink and rose of the cloud-dappled dawn sky. For that, it was worth getting up early. He reached the park and found Kinshiro, Arima, and the Hakone brothers already there and setting things up.
   âMorning, all,â he called out. âI see weâve got some extra help.â
   âAnchan wanted to see our booth,â said Yumoto proudly. âHe says I did a good job painting!â
   Atsushi smiled, recalling how Yumoto had ended up with paint on his clothes, face, hands, and hair by the end of the exercise.
   âYou certainly gave it your all,â he agreed. âWhat can I do to help?â
   Arima handed him a heavy-duty stapler. âStart hanging up some of the streamers. Weâve almost got the main part of the booth set up.â
   Kinshiro smiled a little. âWhich is to say Mr. Hakone just picked all the pieces up and slotted them in place like so many building blocks.â
   âJust trying to be helpful,â said Gora. âAnyway, if you donât need me anymore, Iâm heading back to work. You guys enjoy the fair.â
   âI hope youâll get a chance to enjoy it too,â said Atsushi.
   âNo worries,â said Gora. âThe twins promised to take over the front desk around lunchtime so I can come over for a while. Maybe Iâll even try my luck with the balloons.â
   He sauntered off, leaving the remaining four workers to put on the finishing touches. Atsushi hung up their supply of streamers and ribbons, while Yumoto busily filled balloons and Arima hung up the prize tags. Once each balloon was filled, they were passed on to Kinshiro, who fastened each one in place. Atsushi finished with his decorating and started arranging the prizes temptingly on shelves along either side of the booth. It took a surprisingly short amount of time to get everything into place. When everything was finally done, they all stood back to admire the effect.
   âIt looks quite nice, if I do say so myself,â Arima observed.
   âWe did great,â Yumoto agreed. âHey, can I play now?â
   Atsushi smiled. âGo right ahead. Have you got some money?â
   Yumoto handed over a few coins, and everyone stood back to let him have his throw. He hurled the dart apparently without aiming, but it struck an orange balloon dead-center with a satisfying <I>pop</I>! Atsushi laughed.
   âGood throw!â he said. âYou got a two, so that means you can have anything off this shelf here.â
   Yumoto accepted one of the little plush toys.
   âIâm gonna play again later and win one of the big ones!â he asserted. âHey, Arima-sempai, are you going to play?â
   âNot just yet,â he said. âIâd like to look around a little first. Unless you need me for anything else?â
   âNo, go on and have fun,â said Kinshiro. âJust remember to come back when itâs time to change shifts.â
   âYou can count on me,â said Arima. He turned to Yumoto. âSo, shall we explore the fair together for a while?â
   Yumoto agreed enthusiastically, and the two of them set out into the rapidly swelling crowd.
   âI think itâs going to be a good day,â said Atsushi, fetching a new toy to replace the one Yumoto had won.
   It did indeed look like the beginning of a fine day. The mist had burned away, and the day was now clear and sunny. Dozens of other booths had begun springing up, and the air was already full of the scent of good things cooking as the snack stands prepared for business. Someone just out of sight was playing music over a loudspeaker. The crowds were trickling in, and everyone seemed to be looking forward to a good time.
   âI think it will be,â Kinshiro agreed.
   Atsushi laughed. âYou look so solemn when you say that.â
   âWell, I mean what I say,â said Kinshiro. He looked briefly worried. âDo you think I should try to look more enthusiastic? I donât want to drive away customers.â
   âI donât think thatâs going to be a problem,â said Atsushi.
   Indeed, a few customers were already lining up to take their turn with the balloon toss. The two of them quickly fell into a comfortable rhythm - Atsushi called out to customers to come try their luck and handed out their prizes, Kinshiro collected money and periodically hung up new balloons and rearranged the prize numbers. Their cash box quickly filled up with money.
   âWe make a good team,â Atsushi remarked, and was gratified to see how pleased this made Kinshiro look.
   Some meters away, Atsushi noticed a pair of little boys talking earnestly to each other. One was plump and rosy-cheeked, the other with the scabby knees and band-aided elbows that suggested an adventurous outdoor lifestyle, but they were alike enough in other ways that he guessed they were probably cousins or even brothers. Eventually, the outdoorsman said loudly enough for Atsushi to hear, âWell, if you wonât ask âem, I will!â and came trotting up to the balloon booth.
   âHi!â he said. âHey, Mr. Balloon Guy, Magozaemon wants to know if the flower crowns are for anybody or if only girls can wear them?â
   Atsushi smiled. âWell, personally, I think everyone looks good in flower crowns.â
   To make his point, he took a ring of yellow flowers and placed it on his head, then offered a purple one to Kinshiro. Kinshiro looked at it blankly for a moment before solemnly accepting it and settling it neatly on his own head.
   He looks adorable, Atsushi caught himself thinking. With his silvery hair and delicate features, he might have been some magical elfin creature. Atsushi hoped he didnât look too silly by comparison, and suspected he only looked like a high school boy with plastic flowers on his head.
   Still, the gesture seemed to please the little boy, who beamed and hurried off to tell his companion. A few seconds later, both of them returned and handed over their money. Atsushi helped them climb onto the step stool they had acquired for the smaller children to use. The boy who had first approached them, who Atsushi had gathered was called Ichiro, threw his dart so wildly that Atsushi was amazed it didnât end up stuck to the ceiling, but instead it popped a yellow balloon in the far upper corner and netted him a small foam-rubber soccer ball. The one called Magozaemon stepped up with a serious expression on his cherubic face. He lined up his toss precisely, and neatly struck a green balloon. The expression on his face when Atsushi handed him a wreath of pink flowers and ribbons was enough to make Atsushi beam as well.
   âThere you go,â he said, as he gently placed the crown on the childâs head, so that the ribbons streamed down his back. âYou look really cute!â
   This was clearly the right thing to say. Mogazaemon glowed with pride. Ichiro tugged on his sleeve.
   âCome on!â he said. âLetâs go try to catch goldfish next!â
   Atsushi smiled as he watched them go. What cute kids. I wonder why his parents decided to stick him with a name like Magozaemon? Iâll bet he changes it as soon as heâs old enoughâŠ
   He became aware that Kinshiro was watching him approvingly.
   âYouâre good with children,â he remarked. âIâll bet youâll make a wonderful father someday.â
   Atsushi felt himself blushing. âNah. You know Iâd spoil them.â
   âI suppose youâre right,â said Kinshiro thoughtfully.
   âI guess if I get married, itâll have to be to someone whoâs good at enforcing rules,â said Atsushi, without really thinking about it.
   For some reason, the idea seemed to embarrass Kinshiro. He quickly turned away and began rearranging a display of miniature frisbees that had looked just fine to start with.
   âI suppose so,â he said to the toys.
   Atsushi quickly turned his attention to the next set of customers, a rather harassed looking woman with âchaperoneâ written all over her, trying to wrangle a flock of unruly children. Atsushi guessed from their matching lanyards that this was an official school outing, and that the woman was probably regretting volunteering for this.
   I wonder what got him so flustered? Atsushi mused, as he made change. Did he think I was talking about him? Well, maybe I was.
   He was diverted from this line of thought by a scuffle breaking out among the flock of children, and the chaperoneâs attempts to deal with it.
   âNo, Masaru, itâs not your turn yet! Yukimi is first in line this time. No, Daichi, itâs not time to eat yet. Be patient. Taishi, donât - Manza Taishi, you stop that right now! We do not pull peopleâs hair! Taishi!â
   The irrepressible Taishi gave the pigtail of the girl heâd been teasing one last jerk, stuck his tongue out, and made as if to run off into the crowd. He managed to get about five steps before Kinshiro was suddenly in his path, scooping him up with a hand under each arm and holding him out at armâs length. The little boy squirmed and kicked, but couldnât make any headway against Kinshiroâs immovable grip.
   âNow, thatâs no way to behave,â said Kinshiro firmly.
   âShe was making fun of me!â
   âThatâs no excuse,â said Kinshiro. âYou need to learn how to deal with people better than that, or no one is going to want to be friends with you.â
   âDonât care,â said the boy sullenly.
   âYou will someday,â said Kinshiro. âI suggest you do something about it now, while you have the chance. Anyway, if you misbehave, we wonât let you play with the balloons.â
   That got through. The boy looked genuinely shocked. âBut she already bought my ticket!â
   âWeâll give it to someone else. Darts are sharp. We arenât going to give them to someone who canât be trusted to use them properly.â
   The boy Taishi thought this over for a while.
   âIâll be good,â he consented at last.
   âThere we go, then,â said Kinshiro, setting him gently back on his feet. âYouâre going to behave for this nice woman and not pick on anyone else today, right?â
   The boy nodded. Kinshiroâs eyes were boring into his, fascinating him as a snake might fascinate a bird.
   âGood,â said Kinshiro. âThen you may throw a dart when it is your turn.â
   Taishi drew himself up and made a show of how well behaved he was being. The chaperone looked relieved.
   âThank you,â she said. âHeâs a good boy at heart, really. Theyâre all just a little overexcited today because of the fair.â
   âI understand,â said Kinshiro, passing a dart to the girl at the front of the line. âWe all have our off moments.â
   Atsushi grinned. When all the children had rushed off to some other entertainment - the troublemaking Taishi now proudly sporting a colorful new bandanna - Atsushi said, âYouâre going to be a good father too someday.â
   Kinshiro looked pleased. âIâm just used to being the disciplinarian, thatâs all.â
   Atsushi grinned. âI think the little guy liked you. Youâve got a lot of charisma, you know.â
   Kinshiroâs cheeks were definitely pink now. âFlatterer.â
   âA lot more than me, thatâs for sure,â said Atsushi.
   âNot at all,â said Kinshiro. âYouâre a very charming person.â
   Atsushi beamed. âCall it even, then?â
   Kinshiro smiled back. âIf you like.â
   The two of them stood that way for a few seconds, just smiling and looking into each otherâs eyes.
   Someone cleared their throat.
   âI can come back later if this is a bad time,â said an imperious voice.
   Atsushi jumped and turned his attention to the mother of three who had just approached the booth.
   âSorry, Maâam,â he said. âWill that be three tries, then? All right, thatâs a hundred yen eachâŠâ
   Still, even the frosty look the woman was still giving him couldnât dampen his good mood.
   I really am glad Kinchan asked me to do this.
The day wore on. Kinshiro looked down at his watch and was surprised to see that noon had already come and gone. The flow of customers had become so steady that heâd barely had time to stop moving, much less notice the time. Now he realized that he was getting hungry, and wondered when his relief would be here to spell him.
  âDo you see any sign of Arima and Yumoto?â he asked, in between bouts of pumping up fresh balloons.â
  âNot yet,â said Atsushi, as he passed a plastic bracelet to a little girl, âbut Iâm sure they⊠oh, wait, there they are!â
  He waved to someone Kinshiro couldnât quite see. Sometimes, he thought, he envied Atsushi for being taller than him. It made it that much easier to find people in crowds.
  Soon, though, Arima became visible through the throng. He was followed by a bobbing balloon that probably meant that his diminutive companion was somewhere close to him. Sure enough, a few seconds later, Yumoto himself pushed his way to the front, with Wombat tucked under one arm and a bag of assorted prizes slung over the other. A half-eaten corn cob on a stick was clutched in one hand, and there was a smear of ketchup on his cheek.
  âI see at least one of you has been having fun,â Kinshiro observed. âI take it youâve eaten lunch?â
  âI have,â Arima said. âI think this one has had several lunches. Iâve never seen someone eat seven corn dogs in succession before. Where does he put them, do you think?â
  Atsushi laughed. âI donât think he puts them anywhere. I think he just burns through them, like a furnace.â
  âHe is certainly very active,â said Arima.
  âI knew I was gonna hafta work all afternoon,â said Yumoto plausibly, âand I canât have any snacks while Iâm working, so I had to fuel up!â
  âThank you for being so far-sighted,â said Kinshiro dryly. âAre you ready to take over, then? I donât mind admitting, Iâd like something to eat myself.â
  âReady when you are,â said Arima.
  Atsushi passed possession of the cash box over to Arimaâs capable hands and issued orders for Yumoto to unbox some more prizes. Wombat hid himself beneath the counter and went to work blowing up more balloons. Once they were satisfied that all was in good hands, Kinshiro and Atsushi set out into the fair.
  âFree at last!â said Atsushi, turning his face to the sun as though heâd just emerged from a cave. âThat was kind of fun, though, wasnât it?â
  Kinshiro agreed that it had been. He actually wasnât sure whether âfunâ was the correct word, but he hadnât disliked it. He always took satisfaction in having a job to do and knowing he was doing it well. All the same, he was happier now that he was off the hook and free to explore the festival with Atsushi.
  âWhere shall we go first?â he asked.
  âLetâs find something to eat,â said Atsushi. âWhat do you think would be good? Grilled noodles? Okonomiyaki? Or are you feeling brave enough to try one of those corn dogs Yumoto liked so much?â
  âI donât think Iâll risk finding out he didnât leave us any,â said Kinshiro dryly. He considered his options. Festival food was not really part of his regular diet. He had more or less convinced himself that it was all spectacularly unhealthy, dubiously hygienic, and definitely below his social status. On the other hand, he was starving, and everything he passed smelled wonderful.
  âI think,â he said, with great deliberation, âthat I could be persuaded to eat okonomiyaki.â
  Atsushi grinned. âGood choice.â
  They browsed among the food stalls, picking up plates of this and cartons of that as the impulse came to them, and Kinshiro gradually began to relax and enjoy himself. Maybe it was the fresh cool air, or the fact that he really was very hungry, or the fact that everything was being given to him fresh and steaming straight from the grill. Whatever the reason, everything Kinshiro tried was delicious, and when Atsushi suggested they should get something for dessert, he didnât put up any argument.
  âWhat should we get?â Atsushi asked. âThatâs the trouble with these fairs, you know? There are so many good things you canât try them all.â
  âI donât know,â Kinshiro admitted. âIt looks like thereâsâŠâ
  He didnât finish saying what there was before a small child collided with the back of his legs.
  âOops! Sorry!â said the boy.
  âYou should be more careful where youâre going,â said Kinshiro. He turned to look at the boy. âI know you. Youâre Unazuki Taiju, arenât you? Your father owns the construction company.â
  The boy nodded. âThatâs me. Sorry, I just wanted to catch up to my friend.â
  âAll right. Just watch where youâre going from now on,â said Kinshiro.
  Taiju nodded. Then he dashed off again, calling to his friend. âWakura! Hey, Wakura! Dad says heâs going to buy us ice cream!â
  âThatâs an idea,â Atsushi remarked. âDo you want to get ice cream too?â
  âHmm⊠no. We can get ice cream any time we want.â Kinshiro realized as soon as the words were out of his mouth that heâd just said âweâ. He wondered if Atsushi would take it as an invitation. Quickly, he went on, âI want to get something a little more out of the everyday, like cotton candy or a candied apple.â
  âI think youâre right,â said Atsushi. He looked around, eyes serious as he scanned the various offerings. Kinshiro couldnât help but admire him. He looked so intelligent, even though he had apparently forgotten he was still wearing a crown of yellow flowers. Come to think of it, Kinshiro was still wearing his, but he had no inclination to take it off. After all, it had been a gift from Atchan, and he didnât have so many of those that he was willing to cast this one off lightly.
  âAha!â said Atsushi, expression brightening. âI see just the thing.â
  He grabbed Kinshiroâs hand and began leading him through the crowd. Kinshiro almost stumbled, all other thoughts subsumed by the thought that was, Atsushi is holding my hand! Somehow he managed to stagger and regain his footing well enough to follow Atsushi on his zigzagging course through the crowd until they had reached on specific booth.
  âHere we are!â said Atsushi. âWhat do you think?â
  He sounded so proud of himself that Kinshiro was prepared to say that whatever heâd dragged him to was fine. Then a shift in the air brought a scent of sweet baking dough, and he realized that Atsushi had found a taiyaki stand. For an instant, he was back in time, a little boy sitting beside his best friend at a table in the mall, contentedly ruining his appetite for dinner with those little fish-shaped cakes, and all was right with the world.
  âItâs perfect,â he said, around the sudden tightness in his throat.
  Atsushi beamed. âI knew youâd think it was a good idea.
  They ordered bags of small taiyaki - custard filled and chocolate filled for Atsushi, red bean and matcha custard for Kinshiro. Then they wandered away from the crowds, out into the parts of the park that hadnât been taken over by booths and picnic tables, looking for a quiet place to enjoy their dessert and rest their feet for a while. Kinshiro nibbled a cake, still warm and steaming, the filling melting on his tongue, and thought that the world really was a good place after all.
  âHey, look,â said Atsushi, nudging him.
  He was pointing to three little boys playing together under a nearby tree. Or rather, Kinshiro realized, one little boy napping while the other two attempted to rouse him.
  âCome on, Kyotaro!â the red-headed one was saying. âWeâre all done eating now. Itâs time to go back to the fair.â
  The drowsy Kyotaro flapped a hand and said something too quietly for Kinshiro to hear. The boy with the glossy black hair rolled his eyes dramatically and said, âCome on, Ryouma. If he wonât come we should just go without him.â
  âBut AtaâŠ!â Ryouma protested.
  Atsushi laughed as they walked past.
  âItâs like if you and me and En-chan were all kids together,â he said.
  âIt really is,â said Kinshiro. âI hope things donât get as complicated for them as it did for us.â
  Atsushi smiled and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
  âNothing,â he said, âcould get as complicated for them as it did for us.â
  Kinshiro smiled. âYouâre probably right.â Then he sobered again. âYou know, I wish it had been like that. Can you imagine? If maybe that day you had told me where you were going and I had decided to come along just to keep you company. Weâd have met Yufuin and heâd have been my friend as well as yours and none of this nonsense would have ever happened.â
  âHmm,â said Atsushi. âIf that had happened, I might never had met Wombat or gotten to be friends with Yumoto or Arima and Akoya and the Beppu brothers, and Iâd have been kind of sorry if I thought Iâd missed my chance to be a superhero. That part was kind of fun sometimes. But I am sorry we didnât get to spend more of our childhood together. Iâm sorry you had to be so lonely for so long. I wish we could have had it both ways.â
  Kinshiroâs lips quirked. âThe Battle Lovers and the Caerula Adamas fighting together against the evil of TV Universe? I suppose that wouldnât have been so bad.â
  âIt would have been fun,â said Atsushi. He smiled. âI think next time, though, I really am going to have to be more careful what I wish for. I wouldnât have wished to be a superhero if Iâd thought it would involve me fighting with you.â
  âSo, what would you wish for this time?â Kinshiro asked.
  Atsushi smiled. âIâll have to think about it and let you know. What would you wish for?â
  âThe same as last time,â said Kinshiro promptly. âFor us to be together for the rest of our lives.â
  Atsushi nodded. âIâll try, then.â
  Kinshiro found himself oddly pleased by that noncommittal answer. If Atsushi had promised unhesitatingly that Kinshiro shouldnât worry, that Atsushi would always be there for him whenever he needed him, then Kinshiro wouldnât have been able to make himself believe it. Heâd believed it when heâd been a child, and had been disillusioned when heâd found out it wasnât going to happen that way. Now they were both older, and understood that sometimes things happened. Sometimes they would be misunderstandings that would have to be worked through. Sometimes they would be things outside of their control. All Kinshiro needed to hear was that Atsushi wasnât going to just give up on the two of them the next time an obstacle dropped in their path.
  âThank you,â said Kinshiro. âThat actually makes me feel better.â
  Atsushi flashed a bright smile. âAt least I can promise to spend the rest of the fair with you. What do you say we finish our dessert and then go try some of those games? Iâll bet with all that archery you do, youâd be really good at hitting targets.â
  Kinshiro smiled back. âIâll win you something.â
  âYou donât have to do that,â Atsushi protested.
  âNo, I want to. To thank you for agreeing to go through this whole ordeal with me.â
  âI was glad to do it. Itâs been fun,â Atsushi insisted.
  âThen accept it as a gift from a friend,â said Kinshiro.
  Atsushi nodded. âThatâs all right, then.â
  Kinshiro smiled and reached into his bag for another taiyaki, already planning his strategy. He was going to win Atsushi the biggest, best prize at this fair if he had anything to say about it. And maybe when he gave it to him, buoyed by his success, heâd be able to say why heâd really won it. If not, well, Atsushi would still be accepting it as a sign of friendship, and that would be almost good enough.
******
  Atsushi stood aside and watched as Kinshiro patiently lined up his shot. At moments like this, he could have been some legendary warrior of ancient legend - some demigod, perhaps, come to do a bit of righteous smiting. His back was straight, his chin held high, his eyes hard and bright with the glint of battle. A stray breeze ruffled his hair, and Atsushi sighed.
  He really is gorgeous. Maybe if weâd spent more time together Iâd have noticed it sooner. As it was, he had to assume that the only reason someone hadnât snapped him up already was that Kinshiro had firm views about people messing around with dating when they should be concentrating on their schoolwork.
  With snakelike speed, Kinshiro went from statuesque stillness to a blur of motion. The ball heâd been holding shot from his hand to smack squarely into a pyramid of bottles. They clattered to the ground - all but one, which wobbled precariously back and forth on its base. Atsushi held his breath, but Kinshiro simply stared, coolly daring it to defy his will. The bottle gave up.
  âGreat job!â the man behind the counter cheered. âYou get a prize. What would you like?â
  Kinshiro glanced at Atsushi, who grinned and said, âYou pick.â
  Kinshiro surveyed the offerings before selecting a windbreaker dtenciled with âBinan Cityâ and a view of Mt. Binan on it. He solemnly offered it to Atsushi.
  âYou keep it,â said Atsushi, holding up his hands in protest. âYou already got me this.â
  He held up the plush toy Kinshiro had acquired at the pop-gun stand: a round and smiling onsen manju over a foot across, pink-cheeked and button-eyed. It was amazingly soft and squishy, and Atsushi couldnât help but feel that En would be jealous of it, and probably try to steal it for a pillow.
  Iâm not letting him have it, though. If he wanted one, he could win it himself. Possibly he had - Atsushi had seen him briefly outside the balloon booth, chatting with Arima as he prepared to take a chance with the darts. Atsushi had considered asking him to join them for a while, and decided against it. En, while always good company, would be a complication Atsushi wasnât prepared to deal with just now. Later Atsushi would call him and they could hash over the day together, maybe even meet up at the baths if it was still open by the time Atsushi got home. For nowâŠ
  âIt will look better on you,â Kinshiro insisted. âAnyway, you won me this. Fair is fair.â
  He indicated the canvas tote bag that Atsushi had managed to win at the coin toss. It wasnât a bad bag, as these things went, but Atsushi didnât feel it quite counted. It was only one step up from a consolation prize, for those who managed to toss a coin into the outer ring of the slippery target but hadnât managed to hit dead-center. Atsushi felt it was a poor repayment for the grand prize Kinshiro had won for him.
  âWell, all right,â he allowed, âbut if you see something else youâd like, you have to let me know so I can try for it.â
  Kinshiro nodded. âAll right.â
  Privately, Atsushi suspected that Kinshiro was just humoring him, but Atsushi wasnât about to let the matter drop so easily. There had to be something at this fair that he could offer to Kinshiro that would help him express all these complicated things he was feeling.
  âWhat do you want to do next?â Kinshiro asked, glancing at his watch. âThe fair will be closing down soon.â
  It was true. The sun was inching towards the horizon now, painting the fair in shades of gold and rose. Once it began to get dark, the booths would fold up and the fairgoers would begin to depart - not to go home, though, not all of them. Most of them would head to the other end of the park, down by the river, where the fireworks display would be held. They were always a high point of the festival, and Atsushi was looking forward to them.
  âLetâs make one last circuit of the fair,â he said, âand then check in and see if Arima and Yumoto are ready to close up yet.â
  âAnd then the fireworks?â Kinshiro suggested.
  âDefinitely fireworks,â Atsushi admitted. âI wouldnât miss them.â
  Kinshiroâs smile was inscrutable. âI was hoping youâd say that.â
  Atsushi raised an eyebrow. âWhat do you mean by that?â
  âYouâll see,â said Kinshiro mysteriously. âCome on. Letâs make sure we didnât miss anything.â
  They walked slowly, taking everything in. Already the crowds were thinning out, as parents brought tired and cranky children home and locals slipped off to find dinners that werenât fair food. The raucous noise of shouting people, squealing children, and popping balloons had quieted to a gentle murmur. Atsushi found himself looking less at the booths he was strolling past and more at Kinshiro. The light of the setting sun reflected off his hair and cast gold highlights on his face. He looked relaxed and peaceful in a way that warmed Atsushiâs heart. He hadnât often seen his dear friend looking so content.
  âAtchan?â
  Atsushi jerked his mind away from contemplating the way the sunset highlighted Kinshiroâs eyelashes.
  âYes?â he asked warily.
  âYou arenât really looking at the fair, are you?â
  Atsushi felt himself going red with embarrassment. âGuess not. Sorry. Itâs just⊠you look so happy, and itâs nice to see you smile.â
  That smile broadened. âI am happy. Iâm so glad I got to spend this day with you. I just wish Iâd had the sense to do this sooner.â
  âWell, weâre doing it now. Thatâs whatâs important.â
  Kinshiro shook his head. âIâm not so sure. All that time is gone, and we canât get it back, and itâs all because I was stupid.â
  Atsushi politely declined to comment on whether or not Kinshiro had been stupid. He walked along silently for a second or two, watching the clouds in the west go from gold to pink to purple.
  âWeâre going to be graduating soon,â he remarked.
  âI know,â said Kinshiro. âAnd then weâll be going out into the world.â
  âThatâs right,â said Atsushi. âWeâll be adults, and weâll be able to make choices for ourselves - what schools to go to, where to live, what jobs we do.â
  âYes..?â said Kinshiro, in a tone that said gently, âAnd where are you going with this?â
  âSo are you sorry you spent all that time in school when you could have been out in the world doing what you decide to do?â
  âNo, of course not. How could I? I had to go to school first to⊠oh.â
  Atsushi nodded. âIt takes time to learn things. Maybe you could have learned it faster, maybe you couldnât. Maybe you needed that time to let go of being hurt and be ready to start over. Maybe I needed time to learn things too. Things happened when it was time for them to happen. We might have used up a lot of time, but we didnât waste it.â
  Kinshiro regarded him with wide, amazed eyes. Then he shook his head.
  âThe way you see the world is really something special,â he said.
  Atsushi laughed. âThe way you say that, I canât tell if you mean it as a good thing or a bad one.â
  âItâs a good thing,â Kinshiro insisted. He turned his head, eyes tracking something out of Atsushiâs line of vision. âOh! Look at that!â
  Atsushi turned to look where Kinshiro was pointing. The attraction was a ring-toss booth, but Kinshiro wasnât looking at the game itself. He was looking at the prizes. Most of them were the usual suspects, the same sorts of things that Atsushi and Kinshiro had spent their morning giving away. A few, though, were clearly meant to be grand prizes, and were safely shut away in a clear plastic box where they could be admired without any danger of being smashed by a wildly tossed ring. A few gaps showed where lucky players had already carried off some of the best prizes, but Atsushi could still see a new video game, a detailed figurine of a popular anime character, a glittering necklace, and⊠yes, that had to be it: a teapot with matching cups. They were all the same shade of soft celedon green, touched gently with strokes of black, white, and gray that suggested the outlines of leaves tossed by the wind. They were simple, elegant, and beautiful, and Atsushi could easily believe that Kinshiro must be coveting them.
  âNice,â he said. âThat teapot would look perfect on display in your room.â
  Kinshiro nodded slowly. âI wonder if I couldâŠâ
  âLet me,â said Atsushi.
  Kinshiro half-smiled. âI was going to say, I wonder if they would let me buy it off them, since the day is nearly over and no one has won it yet.â
  âNo, no, no,â Atsushi insisted, playfully wagging a finger. âItâs a prize. You have to win it or it doesnât count. Anyway, you won me a jacket. And a plushie.â
  âItâs not the same. Iâm sure that tea set is worth a lot more than a cheap windbreaker.â
  âWell, let me at least try,â said Atsushi. âYou can try it your way if mine doesnât work.â
  âStubborn,â said Kinshiro, but he was smiling when he said it.
  Atsushi stepped up to the booth and regarded it thoughtfully.
  âHow does this work?â he asked.
  âPretty simple,â said the barker. âFive hundred yen gets you three tosses. You get a ring around one of these poles, you get a prize. The bigger the pole, the bigger the prize.
  Atushi nodded. The poles stood in a row, with the smallest sitting nearest and the biggest the furthest away. Atsushi could see that it was nearly as big around as the hoops themselves, so that only a toss that was dead on target would drop onto it. Still, he had to try. He handed over his money.
  I can do this, he told himself. He sized up the target. The little ones, he could ignore - it would have to be the teapot or nothing.
  âHere we go,â he said aloud.
  âYou donât actually have to do this,â said Kinshiro, as Atsushi lined up his shot. âIâd be just as happy with something else. Anyway, you know these games are rigged so that itâs impossible toâŠâ
  Atsushi tossed his ring. It wafted gently through the air, seeming to drift rather than sail. He watched with a sense of inevitability as it landed neatly on the furthest goal and dropped into place as though drawn by a magnet. Kinshiroâs jaw dropped. Atsushi blinked, as stunned as anybody.
  âThat was just a practice throw,â he said no one in particular. âI wasnât actually expecting to hit anything.â
  âWell, Iâll be damned,â said the barker. He shrugged and grinned. âWell, it looks like youâre the last winner for the day. What do you want?â
  Atsushi felt a smile spread across his face as he took in what had just happened.
  âWeâll have that tea set, please.â
  âRight you are,â said the barker. âIâll box it up for you.â
  Shortly afterwards, Kinshrio was clutching a cardboard box to his chest as if the teapot and cups were precious treasures that everyone in the world might be expected to steal.
  âI still canât believe you did that,â he said, for the second or third time.
  Atsushi grinned. The repetition didnât bother him. It was rare enough that Kinshiro was impressed by anything that he was enjoying the novelty.
  âIt was just fate,â he said. âThat tea set was destined for you.â
  âI love it,â said Kinshiro sincerely. âIâll think of it you every time I use it.â
  Atsushi felt a little thrill run through him when Kinshiro said the word âlove.â He hoped his flusterment wasnât showing too clearly on his face.
  âI hope you enjoy it,â he managed. âCome on. Letâs go help the others close up. I donât think I can top that performance, so I might as well end on a high note.â  Â
  They reached the booth where Arima and Yumoto were helping the last few stragglers. A boy ceremoniously handed his prize to the young woman with him, and the two of them strolled off hand in hand. Yumoto called out a goodbye to them, as enthusiastic as though he hadnât spent the whole day waiting on customers. It was Arima who first realized that his friends were returning.
  âWell, hello there,â he said. âI see you two have been having fun.â
  Yumoto turned to beam at them. âHey, guys! Wait until you see! We made so much money!â
  âI see youâve been doing very well,â Atsushi agreed. The supply of prizes was looking decidedly picked over.
âIt was lots of fun!â Yumoto agreed.
âDo you need us to help you get it all back to school?â Arima asked.
Kinshiro shook his head. âYou two go on. Get something to eat. Watch the fireworks. My people are coming back with a truck to help us haul this away, so Atchan and I can take it from here.â
âOkay!â said Yumoto cheerfully. âHey, Arima-sempai, you want to come to the baths? Anchanâs making a big dinner and then weâre all going to the twinsâ house to watch the fireworks from their roof. You can come too, if you want,â he added magnanimously, to Kinshiro and Atsushi.
âThank you,â said Kinshiro, âbut I have other plans.â
He cast a quick, speaking glance towards Atsushi. Atsushi had been considering taking up the offer, but now he held back, wondering what Kinshiro was up to.
âOkay, then,â said Yumoto. âSee you tomorrow!â
He went bouncing off, with Arima following behind him at his usual sedate pace. Kinshiro turned back to Atsushi.
âI hope you donât mind me volunteering you,â he said.
âNot at all,â said Atsushi. âIâm glad to help.â
Kinshiro smiled and shook his head. âSometimes youâre almost a little too eager to volunteer help⊠but in this case Iâm glad of it.â
âOh?â said Atsushi.
Kinshiroâs smile became mysterious. âYouâll see.â
******
The trip back to school was a bumpy one. Kinshiro and Atsushi ended up riding in the back of the truck among the bits of disassembled booth. They didnât talk much, since they had to invest most of their energy in not being jostled or squashed as everything rattled about. Kinshiro was surprisingly all right with that. It meant he didnât have to make conversation and potentially spoil his surprise.
They reached the school, and Kinshiro directed his driver around to the back gate where they could unload the booth more easily. Atsushi started to help the driver unpack, but Kinshiro stopped him.
âLet him do it,â he said. âYouâve had a long day already.â
âAre you sure?â asked Atsushi, casting a guilty look to where the driver was already hauling things out of the back of the truck.
âItâs fine,â said Kinshiro. âHeâs up to the job, and heâs being paid for it. I want you to come with me for a minute.â
âOh. Okay,â said Atsushi. âWhere are we going?â
âFirst,â said Kinshiro, âI want to take the cash box inside and put it away where it will be safe. After thatâŠâ He faltered slightly. âWell, I was hoping you might want to have dinner with me and watch the fireworks.â
âIâd love to,â said Atsushi. The way he lit up warmed Kinshiroâs heart.
This might actually be all rightâŠ
He fetched a key from his pocket and let himself and Atsushi into the school. The building was dark and silent, and slightly spooky in the absence of any other people. He was gratified to find Atsushi edging closer to him.
âItâs so much bigger when there are no people here,â he murmured, as they picked their way silently across the entry hall.
âI know what you mean,â Kinshiro agreed. He couldnât help but find it a little unsettling to see the school he loved so much empty of life and light. He found himself wondering how Atsushi would take it if he tried holding his hand, but he restrained himself.
They reached the door to the council room without incident. Kinshiro let himself in with a different key and went to put the cash box away while Atsushi wandered around the room. The damage left by the disaster of the school festival was gone now, its only trace being a few spots on one wall where the paint was a bit fresher than the rest. Still, Kinshiro wondered if Atsushi might be thinking about that moment when heâd first realized that his clubâs humble base was connected to this room.
âThis is a really nice place,â said Atsushi aloud. âItâs no wonder you hang out in here so much.â
Kinshiro smiled a little. âIt serves its purpose.â He strolled over to the window and unlatched it. âThereâs a good view from here, too. Come and see.â
Atsushi obediently crossed the room to peer out the open window.
âWow, youâre right,â he said. âThe stars are beautiful tonightâŠâ
While he was contemplating the view, Kinshiro crouched and began rummaging under his desk. After a moment, Atsushi turned around to see what he was doing.
âWhat have you got there?â he asked, as Kinshiro came up with a bundle in his hands.
âDinner, if you want it,â said Kinshiro, a bit sheepishly. âI suppose youâll think this is silly, but I had this idea⊠I thought weâd be able to see the fireworks really well from the school roof, so I thought if you were all right with itâŠâ
âYouâre asking me if I want to have dinner with you on the roof?â Atsushi guessed.
Kinshiro nodded. Atsushi beamed.
âThatâs a great idea,â he said. âI should have thought of that myself.â
Kinshiro glowed with pride. He slid his picnic basket onto his arm and gestured to the open window with his free hand.
âAfter you, then,â he said.
Atsushi grinned and bounded through the window with the confidence of someone who had done it before. Perhaps he had. Kinshiro was vaguely aware that students sometimes slipped out the windows to sunbathe on the roof, or to cut classes, or just to read quietly away from the bustle of the rest of the school. Kinshiro could all too easily imagine Atsushi and the rest of the Earth Defense Club clambering onto the roof to watch the sun set while they rambled on about everything and nothing.
Well, tonight itâs going to be with me, he thought.
He started to climb out the window. It occurred to him that he had never actually done this before. Oh, Chevalier Aurite had perched dramatically on the roof more times than he could count, but plain old Kusatsu Kinshiro had never done anything so undignified or dubiously rule-abiding as climb out a school window. His balance faltered a little as he tried to find his footing and manage his picnic basket at the same time. Then a hand closed around his, and Kinshiro looked up into Atsushiâs smiling face.
âItâs all right,â said Atsushi. âIâve got you.â
âThank you,â Kinshiro managed, and somehow managed to get out onto the ledge without losing his balance or his composure and falling flat on his face - or worse, onto the ground four floors below.
It was better once he was outside, though. The tiles of the roof had absorbed the warmth of the day, so even though the air was growing cooler, it was pleasant up where they were. They clambered their way up to the top of the roof and into the bell tower. Kinshiro spread his picnic out for them. It was outrageously simple fare, by his own standards: fruit, sandwiches, bags of chips and nuts, cookies, bottled tea, things that would be all right left sitting around all day. Heâd also had the foresight to pack a small blanket, in case the weather got chilly. Atsushi seemed delighted with the repast, though, and set about helping Kinshiro unpack it all with good will.
âI know what we need,â he said.
He reached into his pocket and took out some of the glow sticks heâd collected from the booth. He snapped them and arranged them around the perimeter of their picnic while Kinshiro watched in bemusement. Atsushi grinned.
The two of them settled down on the blanket and tucked into their feast. Simple as it was, Kinshiro couldnât remember when heâd enjoyed a meal more. He and Atsushi chatted companionably, hashing over their thoughts on the fair and speculating on what the rest of their friends might have done with their holiday. Occasionally theyâd lapse into a silence that neither of them really minded. For Kinshiro, it was enough that he was here, that Atchan was there with him, the stars were shining overhead, and all was right with the world.
âWe should do this kind of thing more often,â said Atsushi.
âI donât know when weâll get another chance to sneak onto the roof,â said Kinshiro.
âI donât mean quite like that,â said Atsushi. âI guess I just mean⊠well, things. Going to the movies or on a picnic or to fairs or⊠anywhere, really.â
âWe will,â said Kinshiro. âWeâll get to visit each other a lot while weâre in college. After that, wellâŠâ
âWeâll make something work out,â said Atsushi. There was a gleam in his eyes that suggested one way or another, he meant to make it happen. Heâd fight monsters for it, if necessary.
âWe will,â said Kinshiro. He gathered up the last of the wrappers and tucked them neatly into his picnic basket. He checked the time on his phone. âFireworks are about to start.â
âBetter get a good view, then,â said Atsushi.
They moved out onto the spine of the roof, where they had a clearer view of the city. It was beautiful from up there, with all the city lights shining in their multitude of colors. If Kinshiro listened carefully, he could hear the distant music of the band that was playing to entertain the crowd before the fireworks started. Local garage band, Kinshiro thought, hoping to rise to greatness on the coattails of the VEPPer. They werenât anything like as talented as Aki and Haru, Kinshiro suspected, but muffled by distance they sounded all right.
Asushi settled down next to him and tucked the blanket around the two of them.
âWhatâŠ?â Kinshiro yelped, startled to find himself suddenly bundled up in the same blanket as Atsushi.
âSo you donât get cold,â said Atsushi. âYou always did get cold easily.â
âYou always said youâd keep me warm,â Kinshiro murmured. âI remember.â
Atsushi leaned his head on Kinshiroâs shoulder.
âA lot sure has happened since then,â he said. âIâm glad it all worked out all right. I missed you a lot.â
âI missed you too,â said Kinshiro, with feeling. âNot a day went by that I didnât think about you. Itâs hard to believe I could be so stupid as to spend so much time doing the opposite of what I really wanted to do.â
âWell, I could have done better, too,â said Atsushi. âBut all thatâs over. Now itâs time to think about what we want to do next.â
Kinshiro smiled slightly. âI think I want to watch the fireworks with you. After that⊠maybe just lie here and look at the stars for a while.â
âIâd like that too,â said Atsushi. âBut what about after that?â
âAfter that?â Kinshiro hesitated. He was tempted to say, âIâm not sure,â but that wasnât true. He knew what he wanted for the future, for tonight and tomorrow and the rest of his life, and that was to spend as much of it as possible with the man he loved. He just wasnât sure how to get that out without making a fool of himself.
âWhat do you want?â he asked, feeling like a coward.
âI want⊠to spend a lot of nights watching the stars with you. I want to go to the library with you and sit and read together for hours. I want to go to coffee shops with you and drink coffee and talk until the baristas get tired of us sitting there and throw us out. I want to go to more festivals like this one. I want to do so many things I canât list them all.â Atsushi turned towards him, his warm eyes serious. âI wish I never had to spend another day without you. Thatâs what I want - for us to be together forever, just like I promised we would.â
âThatâs what I want too,â Kinshiro whispered.
Maybe it was because he was tired and his defenses were down. Maybe it was because heâd spent the whole day wishing he could do this. Maybe it was because he had planned this whole picnic idea with the hope that it would help him get to the point where he could. Maybe it was because he knew heâd never get a better chance than this. Maybe it was just because Kinshiro couldnât stand the temptation any longer, but whatever it was, it was powerful enough to make Kinshiro lean close to Atsushi and kiss him.
A flickering of light on his eyelids told Kinshiro that the fireworks had just started. They were nothing compared to the fireworks that seemed to be going on inside him. After a second or two, he pulled away again, suddenly worried that he had ruined everything. He couldnât quite read the expression on Atsushiâs face.
âAtchan?â he hazarded.
âYou just kissed me.â
âYes.â Kinshiro felt his face going red. Of all the stupid, impulsive⊠and just when theyâd started to make real progress, tooâŠ
âWhy?â
Kinshiro stared up into Atsushiâs gentle face. He didnât look angry, or repulsed, only mildly quizzical. The fireworks going off in the background colored his features rose and gold and emerald.
âBecause I wanted to,â Kinshiro admitted. âYouâre just so warm and kind, and I always feel so happy when youâre near me, and it just came over me all at once, andâŠâ
He stopped babbling as Atsushi raised a hand to cup his cheek.
âWould you like to try again?â Atsushi asked gently.
Kinshiro sighed with relief. He hadnât ruined everything after all. He closed his eyes and leaned into Atsushiâs embrace. This time, there were a lot more flashes and bangs in the background before they pulled apart again. Atsushi laughed giddily.
âWow,â he said. âIâve been wanting to do that all day. All week.â
âMe too,â Kinshiro admitted.
Atsushi was still giggling. âBoy, are we slow or what? We take forever to do everything.â
Such was Kinshiroâs current state of elation that this struck him as hilariously funny. They both leaned against each other and laughed as the fireworks display reached its crescendo. Kinshiro reached for Atsushiâs hand and felt it close around his.
âOur friends are never going to let us hear the end of this when they find out, you know,â said Atsushi. âEn-chan is going to tease us about it until weâre a hundred.â
âLet him,â said Kinshiro. âHe had it figured out before we did, didnât he?â
âHeâs smarter than he lets on,â Atsushi agreed. âAnd I think heâll be happy for us. Iâm happy for us.â
âSo am I,â said Kinshiro fervently. âI really do love you, you know.â It felt good to finally get the words out.
âI know,â said Atsushi.
âMm.â Kinshiro settled himself more comfortably under the blanket. It was nice here, his head resting on Atsushiâs shoulder, the two of them holding hands. âI think the fireworks display is over.â
âLooks like it,â Atsushi agreed. He made no move to get up.
âWant to stay here a while longer?â Kinshiro asked.
âMm-hm.â
âAll right. Just for a little while, though. Tomorrow is a school day, you know.â
Atsushi laughed. âNothing changes you, does it?â He gave Kinshiroâs hand a squeeze. âI love you.â
They leaned back against the tiled roof, holding hands and looking up at the stars. Far below them, the last of the fireworks winked out, the audience began to go home, and the city lights dimmed. The spring festival was over, but for the two of them, the real celebration was just beginning.
Creator: @seifukubu                                                             Recipient: @deuterium51614
Title: Love, Love
Characters/Pairings: EnKin
Creator: @merelatio
Recipient: @tinycharm-art
Title:Â Donât Call Me Dear
Characters/Pairings:Â Nanao/Atsushi
Summary: Atsushi wasnât expecting such a surprise from a certain super sadist blond boyfriend tonight.
Comment:Â I read quite a lot of your fics since after HK aired and enjoyed your writing style, so I was really happy to get to make a gift for you and got so excited when I saw you asked for NaoAtsu!! I just love the two green sadist magical boys and boueibu crossovers so this was a lot of fun! Hope you enjoy this story and Happy Valentineâs!!
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âWell hello, my dear~â
âD-Dear?â Atsushi mumbled in embarrassment, looking shy and sheepish as he pointed to himself.
Nanao grinned as he walked over to Atsushi, swaying his hips in the process, admiring the way Atsushiâs eyes were following his every movement.
âD-Donât call me dear,â Atsushi mumbled after a moment when he had found his voice again.
âWhy not?â Nanao asked with a hand weaving through his blond hair. âYouâre dear to me, Atsushi-kun, more than anyone else, my dear~â
Atsushiâs heartbeat ran overtime at those words.
âDonât be afraid to let your wild side take over for a bit. Iâm all yours, after all~â
Nanao absolutely thrived at the titillating way in which Atsushi was reacting, all fidgety and blushing a deep crimson.
And just to keep his boyfriend looking like that, Nanao pushed his body right up against Atsushiâs, backing the other startled man into the nearby wall.
âE-Eh?! Nao-chan?!â came Atsushi flustered squeak as large chocolate eyes widened, his heartbeat racing as he shivered from the intensity lit up like an unquenchable fire in Nanaoâs honey brown eyes.
But even though he was shivering and severely affected by the sudden action, Atsushi knew he couldnât let Nanao win so easily. So he made his own comeback.
âI love you,â Atsushi murmured softly in a tender tone that left Nanao breathless.
But being a super sadist, he couldnât pass up the chance to tease.
âAh, do you now?â Nanao asked with a smirk, grinning widely as he reached a hand under Atsushiâs chin to tip his face up. âWell, I love you more.â
It had the proper effect.
Much to Nanaoâs delight, Atsushiâs cheeks turned an adorable rosy red color as the other averted his deep, dark chocolate eyes shyly.
âDonât look away from me,â Nanao teased playfully with a click of his tongue. âLet me see more of that sexy blush of yours, dear~â
Atsushi shifted on his feet as he bit his lip.
âN-Nao-chan,â he stuttered, averting his eyes for a second before they met Nanaoâs who smiled in that sexy way that left him all flustered each and every time he saw it. âS-Say it again⊠that you love meâŠâ
Upon hearing that, Nanao pounced.
âAlways so needy. Do you really want me that badly~?â
Atsushi turned so red so fast, it was as if it happened in an instant. Even though Nanao was his boyfriend, he really wouldnât ever get used to the teasing blond, would he?
âYouâre such a sadist, Nao-chan,â Atsushi mumbled with a huffy pout.
Nanao giggled at that statement as he fluttered his eyelashes sweetly at Atsushi. âBut Iâm your sadist, Atsushi-kun,â he murmured huskily as he trailed a teasing hand down the center of Atsushiâs chest.
Atsushi sucked in a breath, frozen in place as he watched Nanao wink all flirtatiously at him.
âIâm well aware just how much you enjoy my sadism,â the blond stated with a confident grin, âso donât try to deny it, dear.â
Nanao paused for a moment as his hand kept trailing down, watching Atsushi closely, intensely.
âAnd itâs always so hot when you show me just how much of a sadist you can be,â Nanao breathed into Atsushiâs ear as he felt the other man shiver against him. âWhat would you say if I were to tell you that I could consider you as a sadistic rival?â
Atsushi gulped, feeling his face and body grow all hot from all this teasing.
âI-Iâd say youâre relentless,â Atsushi retorted in a shaky tone of voice. âBut Iâd also tell you that I wonât back down either.â
âOh, you know I love a challenge,â Nanao replied with a glint in his eyes before adding, âbut not as much as I love you.â
Atsushi turned even redder at that which was wonderful for Nanaoâs lovestruck, sadistic soul.
âI can⊠never win against you, huhâŠâ
Nanao shook his head with a knowing grin. âBut that doesnât mean you canât try, my dear.â
And Nanao knew that Atsushi would keep trying. It was like some sort of competition between them where they each kept trying to get the other to blush or stutter or flail; Atsushi knew he was the one usually on the receiving end though.
Nanao was a tough challenge to overcome no matter how much Atsushi loved him.
It seemed so impossible that the two of them even got together in the first place. But ever since they met, after realizing that they had had quite a lot in common, and after Nanao started teasing him endlessly with Atsushi trying his best to retaliate with his own comeback at times, they had somehow fallen in love.
There was certainly never a dull day to be had with Nanao around.
The only major thing they didnât have in common was that Nanao had a sweet tooth while Atsushi enjoyed spicy foods.
Cooking had turned more into baking ever since they started dating which wasnât an easy task for Atsushi to accomplish or get used to at first. But Nanao had still eaten what cakes and cookies and desserts he had managed to make. And a baking session or two had ended up with a teasing scuffle or a food fight.
He was happy with Nanao.
But naturally, Atsushi couldnât dwell on his nostalgic thoughts too long before Nanao began to poke him in an effort to get his head out of the clouds and his attention back onto his blond boyfriend.
âAre you distracted with thoughts of me even though Iâm right here in front of you, my dear~?â
A fresh blush bloomed its way across Atsushiâs cheeks as he blinked startled eyes back into Nanaoâs teasing gaze.
âMy, my, seems you canât get enough of me, hm~â Nanao giggled as he leaned in to nibble at Atsushiâs lower lip, his arms winding over the otherâs hips.
It was so adorable how Atsushi averted his gaze in such a way that it left Nanaoâs heart beating fast.
But again, no matter how affected Atsushi was by all this, he had to try to make a comeback. So he did.
âNo, I canât,â he replied. And before Nanao could say anything else, Atsushi weaved his hands through Nanaoâs blond locks of hair and leaned in for a lingering kiss.
Creator: @fierysunrises
Recipient: @lidoxia
Title: To Love and Relax
Characters/Pairings: Ryouma/Ata
Summary: Ryouma and Ata spend some long overdue time together. Itâs not a date. Until it is.
Comment: Prompts: Confession, First Kiss, Pining (A bit)! This is such a really cute ship!!!!! I hope you enjoy! Happy Valentineâs day!! \o/
____________
One day, not long after they saved HonoyaLand, Ryouma found something in his shoe locker.
To Kirishima - You should relax once in a while.
It was a note stuck to a bottle, written in beautiful and clear printing. Ryouma stared at it in mild surprise. It was his favourite drink from when he was younger, a bottle of sweet strawberry soda. He took it out, smiling. It had been a while since heâd had this to drink, how nostalgic.
But⊠wait. Ryouma looked back at the note again. He should relax⊠did that mean he looked like he wasnât relaxed? Did he look like that? That wasnât good! Itâs true he was more tired than usual lately⊠but how did someone else notice it? He put the drink and note into his bag, however, thinking that heâd drink it at home later. He couldnât wait, really. It was something to look forward to.
Ryouma backed away from his locker. School was over for the day, and he had to go find Kyoutaro so they could walk home together like usual. Or rather, so he could help Kyoutaro walk home so he actually got home instead of finding a bench to sleep on.
He walked down the hallway, approaching the door to the defense club, when a sudden loud voice made him pause. He peeked around the corner to see a student standing there, looking down with shame, and Ata, his arms crossed as he scolded the student.
âYou know that itâs against school rules to run and be rowdy in the hallway. What if you crashed into someone? Think about your actions next time.â His voice was strict and harsh, and seeing Ata with his pinched eyebrows like that⊠Ryouma found himself heading over to the two of them, his legs carrying him on impulse.
âAta-kun, Iâm sure heâll remember that, donât be too hard on him, alright?â
Ata turned to Ryouma, and his expression softened, giving Ryouma a small nod. Something about that small motion made Ryoumaâs stomach do a few tiny flips. He smiled up at him. Ata immediately turned his head away again, way too fast, and Ryouma noticed the top of his ears had gone red.
While this happened, the student had already ran away.
âKirishima,â Ata mumbled. âThe student did something wrong, so please donât interfere.â
âOh,â Ryouma said, face falling. âI didnât meanâŠâ
Ata then turned back to Ryouma, his eyes a bit wide with regret.
âNo, Iâm sorry. I was just frustrated. I know you were just trying to help.â
Ryouma smiled again, feeling relieved.
âIâm glad. I donât like seeing you stressed out, Ata-kun.â
There was a bit of an awkward pause, and Ryouma tried to think about something else to say. He and Ata didnât get many chances to be alone together since HonoyaLand, where he and Kyoutaro made up, which meant that he and Ata got to be friends again too.
He had really missed Ata, more than he could express to anyone.
Ah, thatâs it. A compulsion came over him.
âAre you busy now?â Ryouma asked. âWe should walk home together. And maybe go somewhere?â It was a bit sudden, it was as if the words had come out without Ryouma meaning to say them. But he did mean them - he really wanted to spend time with Ata. He could feel his heart pick up speed, nervous, as he waited for Ataâs answer.
Ata looked a bit surprised, but he shook his head. âNo, Iâm not busy. Iâm done everything I need to do for today. I⊠will. Walk home with you.â A small smile was on his face, and Ryouma beamed back.
âGreat! Itâs been a while since we spent time together just us.â
Now, Ata looked taken aback. âJust the two of us?â His cheeks went a bit pink, and Ryouma wondered if he had said something wrong. âI meanâŠ.â Ata continued, sounding irritated all of a sudden, âwhat about Shuzenji? Youâre always with him, mothering him.â
âOh,â Ryouma said, as he was reminded. He then felt a bit of regret. He wanted to spend time with Ata, but he also had to walk with Kyoutaro to look after him. He looked after Kyoutaro because he liked to look after his friend, butâŠ
It was then when he heard some chatter, and he turned around to see the rest of the defense club exiting the club room. Nanao was teasing Ichiro, Ichiro was blushing, and Taishi was scolding Kyoutaro who was standing there, half asleep.
Ata was standing there, looking a bit put off, his arms crossed over his chest, frowning. And Ryouma made a split second decision. He walked up to his friends, and, flushing a bit, nervous, he asked them a favour. Something he usually never did.
âIs it alright⊠if one of you walks Kyoutaro home today?â
He sent a nervous glance back at Ata. He didnât want Ata to leave without him.
Nanao noticed, and laughed. âOf course, Ryouma-kun. Ichiro-kun, Taishi-kun and I will, right?â Ichiroâs eyes widened, turning to stare at Nanao as he nodded, while Taishi looked surprised. Kyoutaro opened his eyes, gazing at Ryouma, and then he turned his eyes to Ata and back, and then he smiled.
âGo, Ryo-chin. I can go with Nanao-san and the others today. And other days, too.â
âYou never ask us for anything, senpai,â Taishi said. âSo of course, weâll be glad to help.â
Ryouma smiled gratefully at his friends. âThank you.â
Nanao then smirked, leaning in a bit. âNow go enjoy your date~â
Ryouma gaped, his cheeks red, as he turned back to Ata.
How did he know?!
Not that it was a dateâŠ
But it wasnât that Ryouma didnât want it to beâŠ
Oh, great, now he was going to act all awkward, and Ata would be turned offâŠ!
Ryouma laughed awkwardly as he approached Ata again.
âItâs all fine, we can go!â he smiled at him. Ataâs whole body language changed then, he relaxed, giving Ryouma a relieved smile.
âOkay,â he said. âLet me get my bag.â
When he disappeared quickly, Ryouma thought again how convenient it was that the student council room was right next door to the defense club.
Heâd get to see Ata so much more often, especially now that they could be friends again.
The fact that Ryouma wanted to be more than friends was something he tried not to dwell on.
Ever since they were kids, Ryouma had always thought of Ata as special. Ata, who was so elegant, beautiful, and fun to be around, and he captivated Ryouma from first sight. Ryouma couldnât help but be taken by him.
The three of them hung out and played together all the time, both in school and out, but there were times when Ryouma and Ata spent time together too, when Kyoutaro was sick, or sleeping. And those times were when Ryouma realized that the friendship he felt with Ata was different than what he felt with Kyoutaro. He wanted to be with Ata all the time, he thought about him when he was at home, and his heart raced when he saw him. Of course, he kept all that to himself, not knowing what any of it meant.
It wasnât until he was older, and Ata was already gone, did he realize what his feelings meant.
It had hurt him a lot when Ata suddenly stopped being friends with Kyoutaro, and by extension, him. It gave Ryouma so many regrets. If only he had gone after Ata sooner that day in the baths, if only he had tried to make peace between him and Kyoutaro, even though he noticed Ataâs anger at him, at both of them⊠he had truly thought that Ata was just as mad at him, too.
It hurt him, when he saw Ata in the hall, sending him and Kyoutaro glares, only speaking to them when necessary. It was true that Ata didnât seem as angry when they spoke on certain occasions, just the two of them, like the moment during the sports festival. He could see the softness in Ataâs eyes. It was like old times, almost. But then it went back to how it was, with Ata separate from him.
It filled him with yearning that he tried to hide, tried to push down.
All he wanted was to be Ataâs friend like he used to. Even though they couldnât be more.
Because there was no way, that Ata of all people could love him the same way. In Ryoumaâs mind, there was no way it could be true.
âAre you ready, Kirishima?â Ataâs voice suddenly broke apart Ryoumaâs thoughts. He smiled sheepishly at him, trying to will the painful thoughts away.
Ata was here with him now. It was okay.
âYes, letâs go!â
It was after they left the school building, did Ryouma say something heâd been thinking for a while.
âAta-kun⊠if itâs okay with you, you can call me Ryouma again.â He scratched his cheek, feeling a bit shy.
âOh,â Ata said, looking over at Ryouma. He looked a bit hesitant, but nodded. âAlrightâŠâ And, Ataâs cheeks flushed a bit in apparent embarrassment, as he looked away. âRyouma.â
The way Ata said his name made Ryoumaâs stomach flip a few times over, and he couldnât help but blush, and he looked away too, not wanting Ata to see how red his face was. Something so simple making him react like this⊠it was only because it was Ata.
After walking a bit more, Ata suddenly stopped and nodded toward a building just ahead. It was a small Japanese restaurant. âAre you hungry, Ryouma? This is a great restaurant. Would you like go in? Iâll treat you.â
Ryouma had to stop himself from getting his hopes up. This really felt like date.
âYes, letâs go in. If Ata-kun likes it, Iâm sure itâs great.â
They went in together, and Ata led them to a table. Ryouma was surprised when Ata pulled out his chair for him. Ata was being really nice to him, and Ryouma loved it⊠probably too much. It was something he wasnât used to.
âI love the soumen here,â Ata was saying as they sat down together, across from each other. He had a smile on his face as he looked at the menu. âItâs the most delicious Iâve ever had. Iâm sure youâll like it too.â
Ryouma beamed. âI trust your taste,â he said. âThen in that case, can we have a dessert too?â
Ata chuckled. âYou still like sweet things, huh?â
Ryouma laughed as well. âOf course. I didnât change too much, Ata-kun.â
Ataâs smile softened a bit. âNo, you didnât. Youâre still the same Ryouma.â
âReally?â Ryouma asked. âI must have changed at least a littleâŠâ he paused. âYouâre still the same Ata-kun, too. Strict, and serious, but also⊠kind and caring, even if you deny it.â A small smile was on his lips as Ataâs eyes widened, his cheeks dusting pink.
âO-of course Iâll deny it!â Ata said. âIâm notâŠâ he paused, seemingly obviously flustered by the comment.
âYou are,â Ryouma insisted. âI know youâre kind, Ata-kun. How you reacted to Kyoutaro and I was just because you were hurt.â
Ata then became silent, staring down at the menu. It was then when the server came up. Ata then gave her their order. Two bowls of soumen, as well as a strawberry cake. Ryouma was surprised.
âHow did you know I like strawberry cake?â
Ata smiled. âYou liked strawberry flavours a lot when we were children, itâs not that much of a leap.â
Ryouma smiled. Him liking strawberry cake a lot was a more recent thing, after Ata had stopped being their friend. Ata was really smart to figure out his tastes.
âThank you, Ata-kun. Itâs one of my favourites.â
Ata smiled back, and then they engaged in some more idle chat while waiting for their food. When it arrived, Ryouma took the first bite of the soumen noodles and was pleasantly surprised. It really was delicious.
âYou have good taste,â Ryouma said, mumbling through a mouthful of food.
Ata sighed, but smiled. âChew and swallow first, or else you might choke,â he scolded lightly. âBut yesâŠâ he gazed at Ryouma in a particular way, an almost shy way that Ryouma couldnât read too well, âI do have wonderful taste.â
Somehow, the way he said that made Ryoumaâs cheeks go warm, so he lowered his head and continued eating, and trying to convince himself that this really wasnât a date, no matter how it seemed like. Was it only him that thought that wayâŠ?
It had to be. Ryouma was very sure that there was no way Ata returned his feelings for him.
Just as he finished eating, both the soumen and the cake, he looked up to see that Ata was already done, and he had a troubled look on his face. It was easy to tell. His eyebrows were scrunched, and he was biting his lip. Ata then looked back over at Ryouma to see him looking, and his cheeks went pink.
Ata then visibly took a breath.
âI have something to apologize to you about.â
Ryouma didnât expect that. âMe? About what? I donât think thereâs anythingâŠâ
âThere is,â Ata insisted. And then he took a pause before explaining. âBefore⊠when I was mad at Shuzenji. I took out some of my anger on you too. For that, I apologize.â
Ryouma was really surprised. Out of all things for Ata to say, he didnât expect that.
âWhat do you mean?â
âIâŠâ Ata looked like he was struggling with saying it aloud. âI wasnât really that angry at you,â he finally said. âI was⊠how should I sayâŠÂ envious.â
Now, that Ryouma didnât expect. His eyes went wide. Envious!? Jealous?! Ryouma really tried not to get his hopes up too much. But it was hard, when Ata was looking at him like that. His cheeks were a bit red, and the way his hair fell down in front of his face, Ryouma was mesmerized.
Ata was staring at Ryouma, and as if drawn in by impulse, Ryouma found himself leaning forward, reaching towards Ataâs hair, and brushing a piece of it out of his face.
It was only when Ata let out a gasp did Ryouma realize what he did. His own face went red.
âAh-Ah-!â he stuttered, âAta-kun, Iâm sorry⊠it was an accident!â No, that was dumb! âIt⊠I didnât mean to do it on purposeâŠ!â Not making your situation any better, Ryouma!
Ryouma shook his head, flushed. Oh, no! And what made this worse, was now that he had a taste - he wanted to do it again. He wanted to run his hands through Ataâs hair moreâŠ
âItâs⊠itâs okay,â Ata suddenly replied, looking down at the table. Ryouma could see his ears were red.
âB-but⊠you donât like people touching your hairâŠâ
Ata then looked up at Ryouma, his face turning a bit darker, as he clenched a fist on the table.
âIf itâs you, itâs okay,â Ata murmured, voice quiet, but Ryouma definitely heard him, and now his heart was spinning a million miles a minute. Just what was he supposed to think about this? Ryouma was going to combust and collapse right here on this table right now.
Ata was going to let him get the wrong idea⊠Ryouma hid his red face in his hands, and he tried to calm his breathing. But he had no luck with that. He finally lowered his hands to see Ata was still staring at him, eyes full of something Ryouma couldnât place, but⊠it made him want to keep looking into them.
He blushed again. Ata then seemed to blush again too, his eyes widening, as if he realized he said something he shouldnât have, and Ryouma really was going to die here, wasnât he?
âJ-just forget I said thatâŠâ Ata suddenly said, turning his head away sharply.
Ryouma didnât want to forget it. But he didnât push it again. Instead, the topic of conversation was still nagging at him, since it got interrupted.
âAta-kun⊠you said you were envious⊠of⊠of what?â
Ataâs head snapped back to Ryouma and he let out a big sigh.
âI⊠I already cleared the air with Shuzenji, about our falling out⊠and Iâm glad weâre friends again, even if the grudge didnât completely go away⊠but after HonoyaLand, and what I learned there⊠I realized I didnât tell you the whole truth either. And⊠and if weâre going to be friends again⊠we should be honest.â
Now, Ryouma was really confused. And really curious. What was Ata getting at here? âAbout what?â
But he had to admit, the word friends stung a bit, when he wanted to be so much more than that.
âWhen I got betrayed by Shuzenji,â Ata continued, âand you continued to stay by his side, enabling him⊠I was frustrated. I thought you were choosing his side over mine.â
Ryouma shook his head frantically. âNo!â
Ata looked at Ryouma, a questioning expression on his face. âNo?â
âNo,â Ryouma insisted. âIt wasnât like I was on Kyoutaroâs side.. I didnât know you thought that..â
Ata looked down. âYou always did so much for him, even after⊠you always let him get away with his slothful lazy ways, always taking care of him⊠always paying attention to him⊠I thought you chose him. So, in my anger⊠I was unfair to you.â
The way Ata said that caused Ryoumaâs heart to start to pound heavily. Did Ata really⊠think that?
âNo, no, no!â he blurted out. âKyoutaroâs my friend, but youâre also my friend. I didnât choose him over you - you-youâreâŠâ he flushed. Ata was different. Kyoutaro was his best friend, but Ata wasâŠÂ more.
âI thought you were mad at me too,â Ryouma continued, âI did notice⊠I did notice you. I always did, but⊠I didnât know if youâd have wanted me to talk to you.â
The look on Ataâs face was so heartbreaking, Ryouma wanted to go over there and give Ata a hug. He had to really stop himself.
âIâm sorry,â Ata said again. âThatâs what I wanted to say. I never apologized to you for how unfair I was. I was never truly mad at you⊠I just wish you had chosen me.â
Ata flinched then, as if it was hard to admit that. With the way his voice wavered, Ryouma could tell he hadnât wanted to admit that part.
âItâs okay,â Ryouma said softly. He reached over to put a hand over Ataâs, which was on the table. Ata looked up, wide-eyed. âI shouldâve done something more. I noticed when you were hurt⊠and when you separated yourself from us⊠and I didnât do anything. I could have tried to fix it a lot sooner, or at least tried to talk to you more. Iâm sorry too, Ata-kun. For making you think I wouldnât be on your side. And for not making more of an effort. Because being apart from you was horrible.â
Ata then looked up at Ryouma again, a soft smile forming on his face. And with the way his cheeks were still pink, Ryouma was shocked speechless. Heâd never seen anything so beautiful before.
âYou need to smile more,â he blurted out.
The smile fell from Ataâs face. âH-uh?!â
Ryouma gaped. Oh, why did he keep doing this? And now he was aware he hadnât removed his hand from Ataâs yet, so he flung it away, heat flooding his face again.
âI-I mean, a smile looks good on you, youâre always so stressed and busy⊠you should relax and smile more.â
Ata then smiled again, chuckling. âI think itâs you who needs to relax.â
Ryouma looked baffled. âWhat?â
âOh, nothing.â Ryouma didnât know what that was about. But then Ata was paying for their food, and Ryouma didnât even have time to object to that.
Ryouma then got up and followed Ata.
They left the restaurant, Ryouma felt a lot better after their talk. Even though his feelings for Ata were starting to overwhelm him. The fact that this whole outing felt like a date didnât help. Nor did the fact that Ata was standing so close to him, that their shoulders brushed as they walked. And the way that Ata blushed when Ryouma had touched his hair wouldnât leave his mind.
Ryouma was brought out of his thoughts when Ata suddenly stopped, and he reached over to touch Ryoumaâs wrist.
The contact startled Ryouma, and he gasped. Ata gasped too, and his cheeks went red. âIâm sorry- I-â
âNo, no,â Ryouma said, feeling like his heart was going to jump out of his chest, âI was just surprised. What is it?â
Ata was looking over to a small playground across the street. Ryouma instantly recognized it, and his eyes lit up. It was a playground he, Ata, and Kyoutaro had played at together multiple times. But most of the time, he and Ata played together while Kyoutaro napped on a nearby bench.
âShall we⊠go check it out?â Ata asked, smiling softly at Ryouma. Ryoma nodded. Without thinking about it, he grabbed Ataâs hand, and pulled him safely to the other side of the road, towards the play structures.
âR-Ryouma?â Ata gasped out, as Ryouma pulled him over. He dropped his bag onto the ground, grinning.
âCome on, Ata-kun, letâs get on!â Ryouma called to him excitedly as he started to climb up to a platform. He looked down at Ata, who was looking around, seeming hesitant and embarrassed.
âBut⊠weâre not children anymore. Isnât it strange? What if someone sees us?â
âNobodyâs here,â Ryouma said. âItâs still fun! Itâs okay. Come join me. Please?â he looked down at Ata, who was staring up at him, looking to the ground and back up at him.
And then Ryouma held out his hand to him.
Ata glanced up at the hand, and then after a moment, gave a sigh, and smiled. He dropped his own bag next to Ryoumaâs, walked up, and took Ryoumaâs hand. And then Ata climbed up onto the play structure next to him.
Ryouma smiled, squeezing Ataâs hand, and still trying not to hope too much that this was really a date. Ata wasnât looking at him, but he could feel Ata squeeze back.
Ryouma then moved over, let go of Ataâs hand, and went to move across the handlebars.
He immediately fell.
Pouting, he turned to look up, and then watched with awe as Ata moved across them flawlessly.
âAmazing, Ata-kun!â Ryouma cheered.
Ata dropped down, blushing. âItâs⊠itâs nothing,â he said.
And then they spent more time together like that. It was full of nostalgia, but also⊠fun. Being with Ata like this. With them both smiling and laughing.
This day was already permanently etched into Ryoumaâs memories.
After a while, of running around a bit, and playing on the slides, both of them were breathless, and laughing together. And they both, a bit tired, ended up sitting side by side on a swing set. Ryouma started to swing, while Ata stayed where he was, stretching out his legs.
Ryouma kept sneaking peeks over at Ata. He couldnât help himself. He saw the way Ata was smiling softly, the wind which had picked up gently blew his hair to the side. It was a beautiful sight. Ryoumaâs heart was beating really fast. In fact, he was so distracted watching, that he nearly fell off the swing.
Ryouma accidentally ended up letting go of one of the sides, as he yelped, tilting backwards, one hand gripping the chain, but unsteady.
Ata was upon him in a flash.
He quickly ran behind Ryouma, grabbing at his shoulders before Ryouma accidentally slipped off.
Dizzy, Ryouma blinked at Ata, and even though Ryoumaâs vision was spinning, he could see that Ata was staring down at him with horrified concern.
âThatâs why I thought this wasnât a great idea-!â Ata scolded. âWeâre not children anymore. This was unrowdy!â
Ryouma laughed. âIâm fine, though,â he said. âThank you, Ata-kun.â He smiled up at him. âIt was fun⊠itâs true that weâre not children anymore, but itâs okay once in a while, right?â
Ata sighed again, he helped Ryouma back into a sitting position on the now stopped swing, and he walked over to the other side of Ryouma, standing in front of him.
âI suppose,â he ended up saying, still studying Ryouma critically. Ryouma enjoyed the attention, though.
Before he knew it, Ata was lifting up one of his hands to inspect it. âNot even a scrapeâŠâ
Ryouma flushed a bit, Ata was holding his hand!, but nodded. âYeah, Iâm fine. You donât have to worry so much.â
Ata paused. âOf course I worry about you! Even when we were apart, I worried. About you⊠about you working yourself too hard⊠about how straining it was to take care of Shuzenji⊠if you got sickâŠâ
Ryouma found himself freezing in place. Ata was still holding his hand, and now he seemed a bit distant, like he was lost in thought.
Ata then dropped his hand, and turned away from him.
Ryouma got up from the swing suddenly, and before he knew what he was doing, he was wrapping his arms around Ata. He really didnât know what had come over him; but what he did know was that the way Ata turned away was filling him with a queasy and almost desperate sensation - he didnât like it.
And not to mention his feelings for Ata were overwhelming him. They had all day⊠heâd been in love with Ata for a long time, after all. Spending all this time together, while great, had also been so hard for him when he was holding back his true feelings, his true feelings he feared werenât returned.
With all of those feelings adding up inside him, he couldnât stop himself from hugging Ata tightly from behind.
He heard Ata let out a shaky breath of air. âR-RyoumaâŠ?â
Ryoumaâs face went hot, but he didnât let go.
âThank you,â he said, voice strained. âIâm saying that a lot, arenât IâŠ?â Ryouma took in a deep breath. âThank you for worrying and for caring about meâŠâ
Ataâs body was warm, and Ryoumaâs face just went warmer because of it. He was sure he looked like a tomato. But he wasnât done speaking.
âBut I want to make it up to you⊠I care about you too, Ata-kun, so much. So much I want to show you how muchâŠ. No matter how long it takes, even if itâs forever.â And then he held Ata tighter.
Ata now trembled underneath Ryoumaâs hold. âRyoumaâŠâ Ata said, voice shaky. âYouâre⊠youâŠâ
Ryouma then suddenly dropped his arms, taking a step back. What⊠what was he doingâŠ?! Wasnât that too much?
âUm, Ata-kunâŠâ Ryouma stuttered, embarrassed. Hadnât the way he just said those words sound too ⊠romantic? Did he just go too far, with that and the hug?
But Ata slowly turned around, and Ryouma froze. Ataâs face was red, and he opened and closed his mouth a few times.
Ryouma then realized he and Ata were standing way too close. His eyes went to Ataâs lips, and he realized that he wanted to kiss him so incredibly much. The impulse that came over him was so strong, he ended up taking one more step closer.
Ataâs eyes were wide, and he was staring at Ryouma.
âRyoumaâŠâ Ataâs voice sounded a bit high pitched. He looked down, gazing from Ryoumaâs head, down to his lips, and back up, his own face mirroring Ryoumaâs in colour, and Ryouma couldnât back away now.
They were so close, and Ryouma, he wanted this, wanted Ata, badly, for so long, he couldnât hold back anymore.
âI like you, Ata-kun,â he said in a rush. âI like you so much⊠I donât know what do do with myself.â
Ataâs face changed a bit, his eyes went wider, his mouth opening a bit, but then it slowly morphed into a smile, and before Ryouma knew it, Ata was stepping closer, and leaning down, and kissing him.
Ryouma kissed him back, his hands moving up to Ataâs shoulders, as he tried to press in closer. Their first kiss - it was amazing. Ataâs lips were soft, so much softer than he ever could have imagined. And warm. Ryouma felt the sensations from his lips, all the way down to his toes.
His hand ended up moving away from Ataâs shoulder, finding itself in Ataâs hair, moving through soft strands. And then his eyes widened. âI-is that okay?â he asked, flustered, against Ataâs lips. Ata only nodded, and Ryoumaâs eyes fluttered closed again.
But because they both needed to breathe, the kiss ended not long after that.
They pulled away, beaming at each other. Ryouma tried to catch his breath, unable to even believe what was happening. He hadnât gone on this outing with Ata with the intent to confess to him, but⊠somehow it had gone that way.
Ryouma looked over at Ata, who was blushing so badly, he was looking to the side, biting his lip a few times. It was truly adorable. Ryouma giggled.
Ata then turned to look at him, looking shy, but still smiling. âI⊠I didnât know you felt that way,â Ata said. âIf I known, I would haveâŠâ
Ryouma shook his head. âI⊠I shouldâve confessed to you a long time ago, if I knew tooâŠâ
Wait. Ryouma froze, panicking. He was making assumptions. Ata had kissed him, but he never said anything elseâŠ
Ata, as if realizing what Ryouma thought, grabbed his hand, smiling up a thim, still looking shy. âIâve liked you since we were kids,â Ata admitted.
Awe and relief washed over Ryouma at the same time. âR-really? Me? Of all people?â
Ata frowned. âWhat does that mean? Youâre amazing, Ryouma.â
Ryouma was going to combust at any moment now.
âNo, youâre the amazing one, Ata-kun! Youâre so smart, fun to be with, and talented, and beautiful⊠I could never keep my eyes off of you.⊠ever since we were kids.â
Ata looked taken aback, but he smiled. âYouâre the only one to think so - everyone thought Shuzenji was better than me.â
âNo,â Ryouma said. âItâs true that Kyoutaro was good at things instantly, but I could tell how much effort you put into everything⊠you really worked hard for it all, Itâs one of the things I like and admire about you, Ata-kun.â
Ata blinked, and then he put a hand over his face.
âR-Ryouma⊠stop. I donât think⊠I can handle this much more⊠my heart is pounding too fast. I never thought Iâd ever feel this happy.â
Ryoumaâs heart jumped, excited and flustered at seeing Ata this way, and he nodded frantically. âI-I get it! I did mean what I said thoughâŠâ Pause. âAnd⊠me too.â
Ata lowered his hand, and then they both smiled at each other again. âThis was a very good first date, for first dates⊠not that I have any experience with them.â
Laughing giddily, Ryouma squeezed Ataâs hand.
âI had thought⊠no, hoped this was a date the whole time.â
âIt definitely was,â Ata agreed. Ryouma kept staring at Ata, realizing yet again that this boy was now his. They had mutual feelings for each other. After all his time pining and yearning over him, it was still so hard to believe.
Ryouma really wanted to kiss Ata again.
But after he thought that, he realized how breathless and parched he really was.
âAta-kun, do you want a drink? Thereâs that vending machine over there.â
Ata bit his lip, shaking his head. âI actually have drinks here.â He moved over to his bag, opening it, and lifting two drink bottles. He handed one over to Ryouma. Ryoumaâs eyes went wide. It was his favourite sweet strawberry soda. A flash from earlier overcame him.
âAta-kun⊠that was you?â
Ata looked a bit embarrassed, but nodded. âYes.â
âThank you,â he said, blushing. âThat made me really happy. But⊠why do you think I need to relax?â
Ata shook his head, sighing. âYou have to deal with a lot, Ryouma. The whole of your club⊠not to mention Shuzenji. Youâre always taking care of everyone. Youâve always been like that. You should relax sometimes, and take a break from it.â
Ryouma smiled, looking down. When Ata had said how he worried about him before⊠it had felt good, as this did.
He looked back up. âBut what about you? Youâre the president of the student council. You have a lot on your plate too. Iâd say you need to relax just as much as me. I donât want you to overwork yourself.â
Ata smiled. âMaybe so⊠butâŠâ he looked a bit shy before leaning in a bit closer to Ryouma. âMaybe from now on we can help each other learn how to relax.â
Ryouma immediately smiled. He grabbed Ataâs hand, and tugged him in closer to him. And then, because he could do that now, he leaned in to kiss Ata. His hand once again ended up in Ataâs hair as they kissed, Ryouma really couldnât help it.
Ataâs hand ended up wrapping around Ryoumaâs waist gently, pulling him in.
And they stayed like that, only taking a break to breathe, until the sun began to set.
The next day, there was another gift in his shoe locker. But this time, it was different than before.
Ryouma pulled out a box of chocolates shaped like a heart, and then promptly blushed. On the side, there was a note, with perfect, beautiful handwriting that made his heart flutter and feel so full and excited for every day to come.
To Ryouma. Letâs relax together again soon. â„ Ata
Creator: @a-writing-trickster-angel
Recipient: @silvormoon
Title: Can We Have A Moment?
Characters/Pairings: Unazuki Taiju/Wakura Nanao
Summary: With their two different friend groups and clubs, Nanao and Taiju have a hard time finding private time together. It gets even harder after they both become magical boys on opposite sides.
Comment: Happy Valentineâs Day! I hope you like the story. :)
On Ao3:Â https://archiveofourown.org/works/17832281
____________
It was a normal day in Binan High School. Classes had ended and the boys were running to club meetings and sports events.
But Nanao and Taiju were taking their time. After all, the time between club meetings was precious. They only had a few minutes to be together.
âReady to go?â Nanao asked.
Taiju smiled at him. âWhenever you are.â They both grabbed their bags and then each otherâs hands. After two years of dating, this wasnât an uncommon sight in Binan High School. They didnât care who watched them; they were just happy to be together.
They had until the end of the hallway before they were separated again. So they used the time to chat about whatever happened in the day.
But the end of the hallway came much too fast. And with a quick peck, they let go of each otherâs hands.
âSee you later,â Nanao said.
âSee you later,â Taiju replied. But neither one moved away. They leaned in, held each other and gave each other another kiss, longer this time, the kind you would be stared at for. And neither one minded.
Someone cleared their throat. Nanao expected a teacher but instead, saw Ata standing there with Maasa.
âGood afternoon, Ibusuki-kaichou,â Nanao said with his arms still around Taiju.
Ata looked like he was gonna explode.
âI should go,â Taiju said and let go of Nanao. Without the grandiose displays of affections as a goodbye, he walked upstairs with the rest of the Student Council. Ata glared at Nanao until he was gone from sight.
Then Nanao walked downstairs to get to the clubroom. He had his own meeting after all.
The rest of the club was already there when he arrived.
âGood afternoon, everyone,â Nanao said.
âGood afternoon. You seem to be in a good mood, Wakura-senpai,â Ryoma said.
âHeâs always in a good mood after walking with Unazuki-senpai,â Taishi replied.
âOf course I am,â Nanao replied, âHe is my boyfriend.â
âItâs great that you spend time together,â Ichiro said.
But not nearly as much as Nanao wanted.
-
âTaiju, letâs go get ice cream,â Nanao said at the end of the day.
âI would like that,â he said, âAfter the meetings?â
âNo. Letâs blow them off,â Nanao replied, âWhen was the last time we took some time for ourselves?â
Admittedly, it had been a while, especially since they had both become magical boys. Not that that was stopping their relationship, but it did make things harder.
âI donât think Ata would appreciate me doing that.â
âPlease, Taiju?â Nanao smiled at him.
âWell, I guess if youâre asking so nicely.â He smiled back at him. They left the classroom and ditched their clubs, instead walking to the ice cream store that they liked so much. It was nice to spend some actual time together.
They sat on the steps and ate their ice cream. It was a pleasant afternoon. The sun was shining and the air was warm. It was the perfect day for a date.
âSo, why did you want me out of the school?â Taiju asked.
âBecause I wanted to spend time with you,â Nanao said, âIt seems like weâve had no time to ourselves since we became magical boys.â
At that moment, Taijuâs phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered the call. âHello?â
âUnazuki-san. Where are you?â Ata asked.
âIâm getting ice cream with my boyfriend.â
Ata sighed. âCome back here. We have plans we need to accomplish.â
Taiju looked at Nanao, who regarded him sadly. âIâll be back soon.â
Ata hung up the phone and Taiju put it back in his pocket. âIs there another reason why you wanted me here?â
âIchiro-kun wanted to spend some time with his sister. Itâs her birthday,â Nanao explained, âI was supposed to distract you so you couldnât create a monster.â
âIt was a good try,â Taiju said as he stood up.
Nanao stood up as well. âWell, if youâre going to make a monster with your kids, I should tell my kids whatâs about to happen.â
âThen we should walk back together,â Taiju suggested.
They joined hands and headed back to the school. It was the best date theyâd had in a while.
-
âNanao, can I talk to you for a minute?â Taiju asked.
Nanao thought that was weird. He never asked; he just talked.
âSure,â he replied.
They walked out into the hallway, like normal. When they reached the staircase, Taiju said, âCan you come up here with me?â
âAre you trying to kidnap me?â Nanao asked.
âThereâs only one way youâll find out.â
Well, that was ominous. But still, Nanao trusted him. So the two went up the stairs together. On the top floor, in the entryway to the student council room, Taiju stopped.
âWhat-â Taiju grabbed Nanao and slammed him against the wall. His hands were pinned next to his head. âOh. So you did want to kidnap me?â
âAta asked me to do this.â
âReally? How bold of him.â
âHe didnât specify how I was supposed to distract you. I thought you would enjoy this too.â
âAm I struggling?â Nanao asked. He was not. Taiju had a strong grip but he was sure he could break it if he really needed to. But he kind of liked this.
âNo. Youâre being good.â
âHow unlike me. Well, you have successfully kidnapped me. What are you going to do with me now?â
Taiju kissed him. He was sloppy, tongue in his mouth, pressed up against his body, his grip tight on his wrists. And Nanao was enjoying this. He didnât even care why Ata wanted him âkidnappedâ.
Nanaoâs phone started ringing. The boys stopped kissing and looked at each other.
âIâm not going to allow you to answer that,â Taiju said.
âThatâs fine.â
He kissed him again. His phone finally stopped ringing and he didnât care. He liked being pinned down like this. Taiju was so hot when he took charge.
Nanaoâs phone started ringing again. Now he was getting concerned. He pulled back but Taiju pressed in closer. Now he really wanted to check his phone.
Nanao turned his head to the side and said, âStop.â
Taiju backed off.
âYou made a monster, didnât you?â Nanao asked, âThatâs why Ata wanted me âkidnappedâ.â
âYes,â Taiju admitted.
âI need to go,â Nanao said. He got his right wrist free as checked his phone. He had a missed call from Ryoma and Ichiro and now Taishi was calling him.
âWhatâs going on, Taishi-kun?â Nanao asked.
âMonster,â he replied. Nanao could hear the sounds of fighting in the background.
âIâll be right there.â He hung up and got his left wrist free. âIt was a good try. When there isnât a monster, feel free to kidnap me again.â
âIâll look forward to it,â Taiju said but he didnât make eye contact.
Nanao headed down the stairs. His juniors needed him.
-
It was a bit pathetic to watch Ritter Diamant yelling at Fiore when he didnât care. At this point, Luna had seen it many times. Stella was trying to get them to stop fighting but the rest of the Edelstein and Happy Kiss just looked bored.
So Luna walked over to Ritter Rosenquartz. He seemed just as bored and as the monster had been defeated, it wasnât like they were about to make another one.
âCome around here often?â Luna asked.
Ritter Rosenquartz smiled. âOnly on occasion. And you?â
âOnly on the occasion you are. We should meet more often.â
âSorry I have a boyfriend,â Ritter Rosenquartz replied.
âI see. I bet heâs handsome.â
âI think so. Though, Iâve heard you have a partner too.â
âI wouldnât know. I havenât seen him much,â Luna said, âMaybe we should go out to make him jealous.â
âWakura-senpai, could you please stop flirting?â Neve asked.
âUnazuki-san, weâre leaving,â Ritter Diamant said. He turned around and disappeared.
âUntil next time then,â Ritter Rosenquartz said as he and Ritter Amethyst disappeared as well. It seemed they were never gonna catch a break.
-
Nanao and Taiju were going to get a date, even if it made their friends mad. So on their day off, they met up at Taijuâs house and turned off their phones. No one was going to interrupt this.
Taiju already had the ingredients assembled for their creation. They were going to bake a cake together and no monster was going to stop them.
Nanao put his hair in a ponytail before they started.
âThat style looks good on you,â Taiju said.
Nanao smiled at him.
They set to work. While Taiju was measuring the water, Nanao flicked some flour at him.
He stopped what he was doing and looked at him. âWhat was that for?â
âWhat was what for?â Nanao was mixing the dry ingredients. It could have been an accident. But Taiju knew it wasnât.
Taiju smirked to himself. He flicked some water at Nanao, who backed away with a quick laugh.
âDonât be mean to me. Iâm your boyfriend.â
âYouâre also my enemy.â
Nanao just gave him a smile.
Nothing else of note happened while they finished preparing the cake. When it was put into the oven, Taiju cracked open the tin of frosting heâd gotten. He stuck his finger in it and asked, âWant to try?â
Nanao opened his mouth, only to have the frosting slathered on his nose. He smirked at Taiju, knowing he was going to get revenge, as he wiped it off. But Taiju just laughed. If his phone had been on, he would have taken a picture.
âIâm going to get you for that.â
âIâd like to see you try.â
While they waited, they put on a movie.They cuddled on the couch under a warm blanket, Nanao resting half on top of Taiju but he didnât mind at all. They didnât pay much attention to the movie, content to just be in each otherâs company without being torn apart.
âHow mad do you think Ibusuki-kaichou is right now?â Nanao asked as the movie played. It was about a woman who had been cursed and was living with a wizard.
âI donât think heâs happy that he canât contact me,â Taiju said, âIâll probably have a few messages on my phone later. And what about your friends? Will they miss you?â
âTheyâll be alright as long as there arenât any monsters. Which there arenât, right?â
âNo. No monsters.â
âGood.â
It was so calm in comparison to how their lives had been lately. It felt almost too good to be true. And when the timer for the cake went off, they both jumped like it was a monster after them. Both were embarrassed but neither said anything as they got off the couch.
With bated breath, they checked on the cake in the oven, only to find their task complete. Taiju took it out and as it cooled, they finished the movie, cuddled up under the blanket.
Once the movie was done, they frosted the cake. They both focused in their task until Nanao âaccidentallyâ put frosting all over Taijuâs fingers.
âYou did that on purpose,â Taiju said.
âYou canât prove it,â Nanao replied and went straight back to cake decorating. He got out some sprinkles and dumped them on the cake, and the hand Taiju was trying to clean. âYou look almost good enough to eat.â
Taiju took some frosting from the bowl and smeared it on Nanaoâs fingers. âSo do you.â
And they both laughed.
When it was finished, it was beautiful. A chocolate cake with white frosting and a plethora of rainbow sprinkles.
It tasted as good as it looked, sweet and moist and worth all the effort and teasing theyâd put up with to make it.
But once it was done, Nanao had to go back home. They both stood in Taijuâs living room and turned their phones back on. As expected, several messages and missed calls came through for both of them.
âLet me guess, Ibusuki-kaichou?â Nanao asked.
âHe wanted to make a monster today it seems. Let me guess, your friends?â Taiju replied.
âIt seems they never stop. My kids have so much energy. But I should find out why theyâve been texting me.â
âI should too.â Taiju walked Nanao to the door.
âHave a good night, enemy,â Nanao said.
âIâll see you in school tomorrow, enemy,â Taiju replied.
With a quick kiss, Nanao started to head home. It was nice to have a date with Taiju again. Theyâd have to ignore their phones more often.
Creator: @CelesteFitzgerald / @blackjackbeast
Recipient: @merelatio
Title:Â Distracting
Characters/Pairings:KinAtsu
Summary: Kinshiro is finally on his first date with Atsushi and is ready to savor every moment. Or, at least, that was his plan. As they walk, Kinshiro canât help but be distracted by Atsushiâs bouncy little cowlick.
Comment: Happy Valentineâs Day, Merelatio! I was so excited when I saw that I had the honor of making a gift for you. Youâre, like, the person I think of when I think of KinAtsu. Iâve read so many of your fics, and theyâve made me so happy. I hope that this gift makes you even 5% as happy as your fics have made me over the past few years :)Â
âââ-
It was finally happening. After years of wishing-and-hoping-and-waiting, Kinshiro was actually on a date with Atsushi. It was almost too good to be true, but every time Kinshiro started to wonder if he was dreaming, Atsushi would squeeze his hand tighter in a silent reminder that it was all very, very real. Kinshiro wanted to remember every second of it.
And he probably would be able to remember every second if it wasnât for one teeny, tiny, bouncy problem.
Whenever Kinshiro glanced toward Atsushi, he tried to gaze into his gorgeous eyes or look at his beautiful smile, but he was always distracted by that one unruly cowlick that bobbed up and down each time Atsushi took a step. Atsushi had had it since they were children, but never before had it been that big of an issue.
Perhaps it was because they had never spent so much time in such close proximity before? Kinshiroâs heart quickened at the thought, suddenly very conscious of Atsushiâs fingers wrapped around his own.
âKin-chan, are you okay?â Atsushi asked, pausing on the sidewalk for a moment.
After a quick peek at the cowlick that was somehow still moving even when they werenât (curse that darn breeze), Kinshiro nodded. âYes, I am.â
âOkay,â Atsushi said. He still had the hint of a frown on his face, but he didnât press the issue furtherâwhich Kinshiro was grateful for. How was he supposed to explain the problem? âOh, sorry At-chan, I want to enjoy our date but Iâm too busy trying to resist poking your hair properly into place for once?â No, keeping quiet was by far the better option.
They continued on their way to the ice cream shop down the street, and Kinshiro did his best to stay engaged in the conversation. He was semi-successful, and since he was in a good mood he decided to consider that a victory.
A few minutes later, they reached the ice cream shop and went inside to place their orders. The cashier told them the price, and Atsushi pulled out his wallet.
âAt-chan, I can pay,â Kinshiro said, lightly touching Atsushiâs arm.
âAre you sure?â Atsushi asked, blushing as he ran his hand through his hair, andâ
Boing. Just as quickly as Atsushi had pushed it down, the cowlick sprung back up once his hand had been removed.
Forcing his eyes back down to meet Atsushiâs, Kinshiro nodded and handed his card to the cashier. He hoped his cheeks werenât as red as Atsushiâs were.
After grabbing their bowls of ice cream, they found a small table outside the shop and took a seat. They each took their first bite and sighed in satisfaction.
âThis is delicious. Thank you for choosing this place, At-chan.â
Atsushi smiled again. âNo, thank you for paying.â
As they continued eating and talking, Kinshiro gradually managed to stop focusing so much on the cowlickâespecially during those brief moments when their hands met across the table, or when someoneâs shoe just so happened to accidentally bump against the otherâs. It was perfect.
âUntil the wind started to pick up, rushing through their hair and their jackets. Atsushi was, of course, upwind of Kinshiro and had to bear the brunt of it, and by the time the wind had settled down the rest of his hair was just as out-of-place as that one uncooperative curl. Kinshiro couldnât help but laugh at the sight, but he attempted to stifle it behind his hand nonetheless.
When he noticed Kinshiroâs line of sight, Atsushi let out a small giggle himself as he got to work patting his hair back into place. âIs that better?â he asked after a moment, lowering his hands so Kinshiro could see.
Well, he had successfully returned his hair to the state it had been in before, but Kinshiro couldnât stop staring atâŠit. If only he could justâŠ
Without thinking, Kinshiro leaned out of his chair and across the table, using his index finger to push the cowlick down. Perfect.
âK-Kin-chan?â
Kinshiro gasped, not expecting Atsushiâs voice to be so close to his ears. That was when he looked down: Atsushi was staring up at him, mouth agape and eyes wideâand only a few centimeters away.
Backing away, Kinshiro rushed to sit down and cover his face with his hands. âIâm sorry,â he mumbled.
âWhat were youâwhyâwhatââ Atsushi kept sputtering incoherent half-sentences while he reached up to the top of his head where Kinshiroâs finger had just been.
âYouâŠyou missedâŠâ Kinshiro tried to explain, pointing in the direction of the cowlick.
Eyes widening in comprehension, Atsushiâs fingers pinched the cowlick. âYou mean this? But itâs always been like that.â
âI know,â Kinshiro said as he tried to figure out a way to explain his actions. Unfortunately, he drew a blank and said, embarrassingly, âItâs distracting.â
ââŠOh,â Atsushi said, clutching his now-melting bowl of ice cream in his hands and staring at it intently. âIt really looks that bad?â
âWhen you walk, when the wind blowsâŠall the time.â
âI see,â Atsushi said quietly, bringing his hand to his hair again. âAnd you donât like it?â
Kinshiro didnât know how to answer that. To say that he hated it wouldnât be the truth, but he didnât particularly love it. Either way, he needed to answer soon because Atsushi was looking more and more uncomfortable by the second, and he kept nervously pushing the cowlick down, letting it bounce back up, pushing it down againâ
âOh,â Atsushi said, shaking Kinshiro from his thoughts. Kinshiro met Atsushiâs gaze andâŠwas surprised to find him smiling. âYou do like it,â Atsushi said.
âI do?â
âThatâs why you were smiling just now, wasnât it?â Atsushi asked.
Smiling? Kinshiro wasnât aware of when he had supposedly smiled during that exchange, but he certainly was aware of the way Atsushi continued to play with the curl of hair on his headâwrapping it around his finger, sliding it back and forth, pushing it downâ
Huh. Kinshirowas smiling. âIâI guess I do like it,â he muttered, averting his eyes.
He heard Atsushi laughing from the other side of the table. âI didnât expect you to like cowlicks so much, Kin-chan.â
âNot all of them, just yours,â Kinshiro said as he felt his face heat up, and Atsushiâs face soon looked just as warm. After all that blushing, it was a good thing they had their ice cream to cool themselves down.
Their ice cream was soon finished, but they continued to talk, their hands clasped together across the table. With newfound confidence, Kinshiro found himself occasionally reaching over to thread his fingers through Atsushiâs hair. If the feeling of the soft strands against his skin didnât already make the action worth it, the smile it brought to Atsushiâs face certainly did.
Too soon, the sun began to set and they started the journey back to their homes. The rhythmic bounce, bounce, bounce of the curl was still distracting, but Kinshiro wasnât complaining. In fact, he began to wonder if Atsushi was moving his head a bit more than usual as he spokeâŠor perhaps that was just wishful thinking.
Creator: @animetrashfire
Recipient: @mostlikelytofangirl
Title:Â Akoya Finds His Place
Characters/Pairings:Gero Akoya, Ibushi Arima, Kusatsu Kinshiro, Kinugawa Atsushi (cameo), Megawa Rui (cameo)
Summary (optional):Â an exploration of Akoyaâs early days in the student council, and the beginning of his friendship with Arima
Comment:Â I scrapped like four ideas for this fic, but this one worked. Hope you like it!
____________
It was a beautiful morning in the student council room of Binan High. Akoya sat at a desk, going through paperwork and contemplating the way the sunlight shafted into the room. There was a question lingering in his mind, and though he was loath to disturb the stillness of the morning, he knew he had to ask. âArima?â
âYes, G- Akoya?â Arima answered, glancing up from the tea he was preparing, a question in his eyes.
Akoya had only been in the student council for a few weeks, but he appreciated how conscientious Arima was about using his given name instead of his family name. Given that care, he felt sure that his question would at least be graciously received, so he continued on, âDo you⊠ever get the sense that thereâs something bothering President? Beyond the general student populace and problems of course. Something specific?â He kept his gaze focused on the papers at hand, aware that he looked utterly unconcerned, a style he had perfected over the years.
âAh, Iâm not really sure.â Arima smiled pleasantly, but Akoya got the sense that there was something he wasnât yet willing to share. âIn any case,â Arima went on, carefully steeping the tea leaves, âHeâll be here soon, and it would be terribly awkward if he were to catch us talking about him.â
âOf course. Thank you, Arima.â Akoya continued filing papers. Sure enough, a few moments later, President Kusatsu entered the room, greeting them both formally. He took the cup of tea Arima offered him, then sat down at his own desk to start on his duties. Akoya considered him out of the corner of his eye, trying to place a name to the sense of disorder President gave off, but he couldnât quite do so. Well, it had only been a few weeks. With time, perhapsâŠ
Akoya had adjusted quickly to his role in the student council, deeply appreciative of the power and prestige that came with being a member, along with the beautiful white uniforms they wore. Kusatsu and Arima were hard working, and Akoya had been learning much from them about what it took to keep the school running smoothly. As the weeks passed, he had also learned that Arima had an unfailing devotion to the president that seemed to stem from nowhere, and that President Kusatsu had some particular issue with the lackabouts who occupied the old âEarth Defense Clubâ room.
Akoya wasnât particularly fond of them either, he reflected as he prepared yet another notice for them about official recognition of their âclubâ. They needed at least one more member, an advisor, and a purpose if they wanted to continue to use the room that they hung out in. Personally, he wouldnât be upset to see them go. That Yufuin was admittedly beautiful enough, but he was always lazing about, and while Kinugawa seemed nice enough, he enabled the loutâs shameless behaviour. Naruko was alright, but he was constantly with Zaou, the one person at Binan High who could really get under Akoyaâs skin. Together, the four of them were a purposeless mess.
âAkoya, thatâs a rather unappealing scowl you have on your face.â
At Arimaâs comment, Akoya relaxed his face, tossing his hair as he said, âIâm sure I donât know what youâre talking about.â
Arima chuckled but said nothing more. A few minutes later, Akoya finished up his duties for the day and announced to the president that he would like to go check up on the various clubs. âOf course,â Kusatsu said. âTake Arima with you, and make sure you deliver those forms to the groups we still need registrationfrom.â
Dutifully, Akoya stacked up the papers and exited the room close behind Arima. Their first stop was the old âEarth Defense Clubâ room, where they knocked politely on the door. Kinugawa answered, pushing up his glasses as Akoya extended the form. âYou need to register your club,â he said haughtily, twirling his hair around his finger. âOr you wonât be able to use this room anymore.â
âRight, thank you,â Kinugawa answered distractedly, âKinâs always been picky about propriety.â Then he shut the door in their faces.
Akoya blinked in surprise. âArima, did you hear what he called President?â But as he turned to the other boy, he was surprised to find him already halfway down the stairs. Avoiding the issue for sureâŠ
Akoya caught up to him, and they chatted lightly as they made their way around to the various groups, handing forms off to the manga club (a questionable venture, Arima said) and the calligraphy club (a shoo-in for Presidentâs approval). Akoya shot him a sideways glance at that comment, determining that today seemed as good a chance as any to try and get some more information out of Arima.
Akoya didnât think he could call Arima and Kusatsu his friends, but he was spending every day with them, and well, he simply liked to know everything about everyone around him. You never knew when something might be useful.
All was well until they approached the baseball fields. The baseball team manager, a first year, almost ran them down in his hurry to bring the bats to the team. Akoya huffed. As they drew nearer, the boys on the team began calling out obnoxiously, asking them if they would play, or if they were too afraid to get their bright white uniforms dirty. Arima sighed, just barely, but it was still a reaction.
Akoya found himself fuming. âWho do they think they are, insulting the student council like that?â
Arima shrugged, a genial expression on his face, âI donât really know.â
Akoya, still painfully aware of the jeers of the baseball team, squared his shoulders. âWell, I donât suppose we have to stand here and let them, do we?â
He strode over to the edge of the field, standing with one hand on his hip as he raised his voice in reply, âWe donât have any interest in your sport, we just came to see how everything is going. Weâre so pleased that you registered your club in a timely fashion, it really was lovely of you.â Akoyaâs voice dripped with a sickening sweetness, and the hollers from the baseball team quieted as he continued, âI do hope you have everything you need. It would be such a shame to see any poor behaviour hindering your club activities.â One or two of the first years opened their mouths to retort, but their upperclassmen elbowed them in the sides, noting the fire in Akoyaâs eyes.
It was the manager who spoke, âOh, no, Gero, we have everything we need, thank you.â
Sniggers broke out as the manager used his name, and Akoya breathed deep. âItâs Megawa, isnât it?â He flashed a radiant smile as the first year quailed.
âYes, sir.â
âPlease, do call me Akoya. I hope all goes well with your team.â
Megawa gulped, but a timid smile crossed his lips as he said, âThank you, A-Akoya.â
Akoya tossed his hair as he turned to leave, saying to Arima, âAlright, letâs go see about the swim club.â
From behind them, a dull murmur swept up from the baseball club. Snickers and the sounds of croaking, and then retching, began to sound from behind them. Akoya gritted his teeth and came to a halt.
Arima walked a few paces, then glanced back when he realised Akoya wasnât with him any longer. âIs something the matter?â
Akoya forced a grin, âOh, itâs nothing.â His voice was slightly strained, and Arima tilted his head as he considered the boy in front of him, shoulders just slightly raised, fists clenched.
âNothing, hmm?â A dark shadow passed behind Arimaâs eyes and he advanced on the baseball team. A hush settled over them as he came to a stop just a few steps from them, glaring down at them. He really was quite tall, towering over most of the team.
âAkoya is a valued member of the student council. He works diligently to ensure that you all have a club to enjoy. I would suggest you treat him with respect.â
Without waiting for a response, Arima turned abruptly and stalked away, catching up to Akoya quickly. Akoya fell into step next to him, and they continued away from the baseball diamond. Akoya couldnât remember the last time someone had stood up for him.
âThank you.â
Arima smiled, and Akoya caught a flash of kindness in his eyes as he answered, âYouâre welcome.â
Akoya couldnât help but toss in a barb, âAnd here I thought you reserved that kind of loyalty for President.â
Arima chuckled and pushed a hand through his hair, âDo I now? I canât really say⊠President is special, but youâre one of us. And you really did put them in their place brilliantly. It was the least I could do to have your back.â
âIf I may ask, what is it thatâs so special about President?â Akoya chose his words carefully, but he had a sense that Arima would answer him.
âHmmmâŠâ Arima tilted his head in thought as they neared the swimming pool. âWell, we met when we were children. I thought it was going to be another awful forced playdate while our parents did business, but he and Kinugawa were nothing but kind to me. The way Kusatsu smiled- it was so welcoming, warm like a sunrise. And when we met again, here at Binan, I couldnât help but remember it. He doesnât smile like that anymore⊠and I felt like I could help him, almost like I had to. Whatever President asks of me, Iâll do it.â
Akoya was trying to process this veritable speech from Arima, which was almost more words than he usually said in one day. There was also that confusing bit about Kinugawa. âSo youâve always been friends, then.â
Akoya phrased it as a statement more than a question, and he was surprised when Arima said, âNo, he doesnât remember me actually. But we only met a few times as children, and we hadnât seen each other in several years before high school.â
âOh. And Kinugawa⊠they were friends? Iâve gotten the impression that President doesnât like him all that much.â Akoya and Arima paused by the fence around the swimming pool, watching the swim club practice.
âIâm not really sure what happened between them, butâŠ. I donât think itâs easy on President.â
âAh.â Akoya had a feeling that was as much as he was going to get, but it was already a lot to process. âThank you for telling me this, Arima.â
Arima turned to continue making their rounds. A few moments later, he replied, âThank you for listening, Akoya. Itâs⊠nice to have someone to talk to.â His smile turned almost devilish as he asked, âAnd can I count on you to always have our backs?â
Akoya tossed his hair, âOf course. What do you take me for?â
Arima laughed again and kept walking. Akoya matched his pace, considering the dark green-haired boy at his side. Perhaps, for the first time in a long time, there was a chance that he would actually end up with a friend.
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