So in the post-time skip, yashiro moved from his old apartment right? Does that mean he realized that a certain contact lens case had been missing from his drawer?? What do you think? i would love to hear your thoughts!
I was fascinated by the entangled and deep implications of the contact lens case, so I'm glad that you asked me this. I can only imagine how things went, even though I think at some point, the contact lenses case will be a reoccurring symbol, as YK likes to twist our hearts with small, but meaningful details.
Now, the question would be, how relevant is the case for Yashiro at this point in time? And when might have he noticed that it’s missing? We can assume that Yashiro noticed the disappearance of the case from his drawer much later (weeks/ months [?]) after he made love to Doumeki and pushed him away. I don’t think the event would fit earlier, so it probably happened somewhere in between the two timelines, hidden from our gaze. As for the other question, it's a bit hard to measure to what extent this realization, that the case is gone, impacted Yashiro.
It seems that after the separation from Doumeki, it was no longer enough to go straight home and use the case to achieve emotional comfort. I'd say that Yashiro was sad and lost after he pushed Doumeki away, and he could not care less about Kageyama and the faded memories from the past. The way Doumeki broke a storm in Yashiro, changed Yashiro’s connection with the meaning of the contacts case. As a result, I don’t think it represents anymore the love for Kageyama, but more of a faded memory that he already confronted and partially came to terms with, when he spoke to Kage at the hospital.
I also think that Yashiro had moments before time skip not shown to us, when he grieved the loss of Doumeki and had second thoughts about his decision to cast him out. And in these moments, when it’s no longer about Kageyama, I can see how the contacts case was no longer a mean for catharsis, which stands as a pillar for the statement that people change, and Yashiro did change in the sense that longing for Kageyama wouldn’t give him peace or healing. Not when he is fully absorbed and haunted by Doumeki’s devotion and love. Not when he is hurt because of Doumeki. In this context, no one can compare to the force Doumeki is in Yashiro’s eyes. Thinking how he literally stole Yashiro’s love just because he wanted to make him his, and he rebelled and fought against the idea that Yashiro is doomed and unlovable and twisted and messed up, makes Doumeki differentiate from anyone else.
At some point, when Yashiro moved into the new apartment, just like you said, he thought that he might have lost them in the process of moving out, or perhaps, he had on-going suspicions about someone stealing them. I can imagine him asking Nanahara where they could be without implying many details cause Yashiro is still Yashiro.
Now, I am sure Doumeki still has the case. The symbol of the case is deep in this situation, as it represents the catalyst that keeps Doumeki going and following the path into the Yakza world, which has the outcome of meeting Yashiro again. The lenses act as Doumeki’s guide through the dark and cruel world he willingly entered, symbolizing the only thing that was close to Yashiro’s heart. If you’d ask me, I think “Darkmeki” is religiously holding them in his hand from time to time just to get the motivation, push himself together and imprint in his mind that he still holds a valuable piece of Yashiro’s heart in the palm of his hand. This keeps him from not breaking in such an unforgiving environment, it’s his safe haven through time.
I think Yashiro wouldn't be surprised to find out that Doumeki stole it. I don’t think he would be mad. I don’t think he would care much about the case itself. I can only see how the contact lenses case could also act as a catalyst for Doumeki and Yashiro’s love and power dynamics, narrowing even more the space between them. Right now, the lenses belong to Doumeki. It isn’t even about Kageyama anymore, but about how Doumeki took control. And owning the lenses changed him too on the outside, giving him this aura of sobriety. So could it be the case that fueled Doumeki’s metamorphosis and stepping in a complete new light? Cause Yashiro surely is all melted at the sight now...
It would be such a shame not to see them confront over Yashiro discovering the case in Doumeki’s belongings, as it would give more depth to their relationship. It could serve as a cross point for Yashiro in leaving the past in the favor of a future with Doumeki. In this scenario, would Yashiro want to throw away those lenses and be only with Doumeki? Maybe we will get a moment like that, when the contacts will have accomplished their task and they would be completely left behind.
If we sum up everything they brought into the lives of these two people, you’d see a whirlpool of emotions: love, pain, regret, disappointment, determination, anger, so why not, lastly, acceptance and peace?
