This is my first time posting a short story on Tumblr—and in English, no less.
・I ran this through a translation tool and didn’t make any edits afterward. As a result, there are likely many sentences with awkward subject-verb agreement.
・I’m really embarrassed about this, so I’m keeping the tags to a minimum.
・Since I wrote this for only my follower, it ends in a somewhat odd place.
・I’ve posted the Japanese version on pixiv, so if you want to read the original, please check it out there.
・Maybe it’s 2027’s happenings
・Edward→detective, Louis→Edward’s subordinate, Justin→Minimart’s clerk(He wants to become Ed’s subordinate), Cody→Foxfield High’s math teacher, James→pro basketball player
The former School Protectors crew was having a sleepover at Edward’s house for the first time in a month. Now that they’re all working adults, it’s difficult to get together every week. However, since all the members—except for James, who became a pro basketball player—chose to stay in Foxfield, they can get together anytime as long as they return to their parents’ homes once in a while.
It was midnight—the exact moment the date had just changed.
Justin—or rather, all of them—couldn’t sleep and were idly scrolling through their smartphones. Justin suddenly had an idea and made a suggestion to the group.
“Hey, guys. How about we go on a late-night stroll?”
“A late-night stroll? Justin, with your small frame, you’re done for if some thugs pick a fight with you.”
James replied sarcastically, just like he did ten years ago.
“James, do you use that kind of language even during a match? If that happens, we’ll just have to protect him.”
Louis pointed this out immediately. Surprisingly, Louis and Justin still weren’t dating. Edward, Cody, James (along with Josh and Jonathan) were extremely unhappy about that.
“Sure, why not! It’s something we couldn’t do back in our school days. Since we’re out here anyway, let’s walk far away, buy something, and eat it together!”
When Cody voiced his approval, Edward stood up and began getting ready. That said, he wasn’t styling his hair—he just grabbed a small bag.
“Okay, guys, let’s go.”
“‘‘‘Got it, boss!’’’”
Everyone responded just like they did back in their high school days, and they headed outside.
The night in Foxfield was quiet. Only the streetlights flickered; neither the lights from the houses nor the chirping of insects stood out.
Justin had been using his smartphone as a flashlight, but when he realized the battery was almost dead, he turned it off. Instead, he grabbed Louis’s hand—Louis was holding a simple flashlight.
“…Justin?”
“Heh heh, don’t complain. It’s not like I want to be doing this either.”
Louis and Justin were speaking in voices low enough that only they could hear each other.
“Justin, I said what I did earlier, but… weren’t you pretty not confident about your height until recently?”
“Not really? Well, back when I was playing basketball, I might’ve been a little not confident about my height, but now that Louis’s got my back, I don’t care anymore.”
“Justin… please don’t assume I’ll always be by your side.”
“Yeah, yeah. But I’m glad you came back here. I was sure you’d go to a more prosperous town and start some kind of business using magic.”
“What do you take me for? It’s true that I can use magic, but becoming an adult also means choosing the proper path. I don’t want to take any risks.”
The group walked down the street for a while, and when they turned a corner on a whim, they were illuminated by a streetlight. At that moment, James spoke up.
“…Are you two holding hands?”
Everyone’s gaze naturally turns to Louis and Justin. Yes, that’s how far their relationship has come—to the point where they can get away with “that sort of thing.”
“James… uh, do you really think it’s weird?”
Justin feigns tears. He used to be the one James made cry, but now it seems he’s the one who can take advantage of James. (As a Japanese writer, I think the older person always wins in situations like this, lol.)
“Weird… no, it is weird. Sure, society’s become more accepting of that kind of thing than it was ten years ago, but I’d be surprised if you two were actually serious about going down that path.”
“James, you remember when we all crashed at Wolfe’s house, right? Apparently, Louis and Justin got trapped together in a tiny space back then! Maybe their honeymoon phase started right then!”
“Cody! Watch your mouth!! And who the hell spilled the beans to him about that!?”
The whole group bursts into laughter. Once again. They aren’t even dating yet.
“Well, James, I get that these guys are a bit slow on the uptake, but try to be a little more tolerant. You, too, did that to me…”
“Shut up, Boss.”
James retorted to Edward in a deep, menacing voice. James had always been intensely jealous of anyone who got close to Edward, so he wasn’t exactly in a position to say anything.
But seriously, who told Cody that? Who else besides Louis and Justin would know what happened back then?
After walking along the familiar street for about 30 minutes, they ended up stopping at a convenience store that looked like Justin’s family’s place, bought some ice cream, and ate it while chatting in the park.
On the way back, Justin—who was still holding hands with Louis as usual—suddenly had a whim and whispered in Louis’s ear.
“Justin, thanks for suggesting this. It’s been a while… Huh?”
No matter how hard the others strained their eyes, there was no sign of Louis and Justin anywhere. They wondered if they’d lost track of them, but since Louis and Edward had been talking just a dozen or so seconds ago, that seemed impossible.
“…Let’s not talk about this.”
“I agree!”
“…So that’s how it is.”
The others, having sensed something, didn’t even bother looking for them and simply headed back to Edward’s house.
Louis and Justin had simply slipped away. Just like a couple sneaking out of a boring party. They did it even though it had been Justin’s idea. …No, perhaps it was precisely because it was Justin’s idea that he’d been planning this all along.
“Justin… are you sure that’s okay? We could’ve all stayed up late together.”
“Time with you is more important.”
Justin suddenly turned his face away and spoke to Louis in a confrontational tone.
“Justin……?
……Ah, you really are such a crybaby.”
Tears were about to spill from Justin’s eyes. But they weren’t the sad eyes he used to show back in high school. Rather, he was eyes brimming with such refreshing joy—the kind they’d have after winning a basketball tournament.
“…I felt so relieved! While I was helping out at my parents’ place, I thought Louis would go to college… and just disappear from here. But… you came back, didn’t you? I finally have a dream now. I want to get the same certification as you and support Edward. I’m studying for that right now.”
“No matter how much you study, you can’t beat the boss’s sharp intuition, though. So, does that mean you want to work with me?”
“Yeah, and with Ed, of course. But…”
Justin clutched Louis’s clothes tightly. They were inside Louis’s car. The faint light from outside was their only source of visibility.
“I want to be with you all the time. I don’t want to be apart from you. It’s the worst that we can only see each other once a month.”
“Is that so?”
Louis replied just as curtly. He, too, looked like he was about to cry.
“…So, what should we do? Should we start dating?”
“…That’s what scares me.”
“Scares you?”
“If we start dating, I feel like we’ll break up someday.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
“Because I won’t let myself let you go.”
“…Is that so?”
“I’m more possessive than you think. If you say you want to follow the same path as me, I’ll end up supporting you around the clock. Plus, if we end up working at the same place, I think I’d be glued to you around the clock, too.”
“Wow, what a coincidence—I feel exactly the same way. Does that creep you out?”
“No, not at all.”
As soon as he finished speaking, they began to lose themselves in a kiss. Pulling each other close, wrinkling their clothes in the process, they pressed their lips together again and again.
“...You’ve gotten better at this.”
“When was the first time we did this, anyway?”
“I don’t remember, but maybe about five years ago?”
They’d been longing for each other ever since then. They’d literally wished they could talk every single minute. Even if they ended up working or living together from now on, they’d probably keep thinking the same thing.
