Chapter Text
"Aiba?"
"Huh? What?" Ohno finally managed to make Aiba snap out of his trance and gain his attention.
Ohno looked at him strangely from across the reception. The younger man had been spacing out all morning. It was almost impossible to make him focus on anything for too long. It was terribly unlike him.
"Are you going to the party tonight?" Ohno repeated what the other didn't hear him say before.
"Party? What party?"
"The office party the manager organized for completing the project," Ohno said as if it were a well-known fact.
"What? Didn't they just go out for drinks the other night? Why do they want to do it again?"
"That's because they didn't go through with it. Sakurai asked the manager to postpone it. He said it wouldn't be fair if the people that were involved wouldn't be able to go."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, I don't know..." Ohno glanced at him with a grin on his lips. "But I think he meant you."
"What?" Aiba scoffed, doing his best to seem the most doubtful to what Ohno suggested, but the best he could do was to hide it with a nervous chuckle. "That's... ridiculous!"
"Is it though? I mean, you did say you two were working things out by the end. Maybe he actually grew to like you after all."
"Ah... no, I don't think so."
"But you two finished the project without a problem?"
"I mean, yeah. It's just... we sort of... had a big fight after..."
"Ah... right. I thought I heard about that. Was it that bad?" Ohno seemed eager to know, more than what Aiba would expect the sleepy receptionist to be.
"Yeah... it was quite... rough." Aiba swallowed hard, trying not to let his nerves on the topic show through.
"I'm so sorry to hear that," Ohno said with some disappointment. "I really thought you two were getting along."
"No! Not really. I mean... I don't think so." Aiba shook his head, just to get his point across.
"Well... that's too bad. It would have been good if it worked out, though. Sakurai certainly seemed like he was in a good mood lately."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"I don't know, I just thought it was interesting." Ohno smiled to himself almost too mischievously.
"Well, whatever it may have been, I doubt it would ever help him fix his attitude." Aiba spoke, not noticing the approaching steps coming up behind him and stopping right at his side at the reception counter.
"Good morning," It wasn't until Aiba heard Sakurai's voice beside him that he realized the other must have heard him talking. No wonder Ohno was giving him a strange look for a while now.
Still, Aiba refused to turn and face him. Feeling himself become uneasy with just the other's presence, he decided to stay perfectly still in hopes that he would become invisible for the other. Thankfully, Sakurai's greeting was only directed at Ohno behind the counter.
"Did those faxes I sent yesterday go through?" Sakurai asked.
"Yes, it's all good." Ohno reassured him. It wasn't rare that he would check up on it, because of Ohno's previous slip-ups, but even Aiba could tell it was being done at an odd timing.
Nevertheless, Sho nodded thankfully to Ohno, hesitating for a split second before walking away. Words were being held at his tongue, debating for a good second with himself as he stole glances at the one who refused to face him. And regardless of all the time he spent lingering there, Sakurai finally decided to move on and excuse himself.
Aiba left out a big sigh once he watched Sakurai's back walk away to the office cubicles. Thankfully nothing unnecessary took place.
"Are you okay? You seemed really tense." Ohno asked him once Sakurai was out of sight. "Was your fight really that bad?"
Aiba didn't feel like he wanted to go into detail. "I-It's fine. I should head to my desk."
"Aiba..." Ohno stopped him before he could take a step further from the reception counter. "I think you should go to the party," Ohno said. This time his voice was firm, getting rid of all possibility for Aiba to come up with excuses.
It was almost impossible for Aiba to ignore the seriousness in Ohno's tone and Ohno knew this for a fact. He hesitated, wishing Ohno didn't put so much pressure on him to make a choice, and yet knowing why he still did so.
"I'll only go if you go too." Aiba settled, despite how much he wished against it.
~
If Aiba didn't know better, the project completion just seemed like an excuse to throw an entire office party. Most of the employees seemed to have gathered there, taking up all the space of their rented room at the restaurant. Some attendants weren't even people Aiba recognized from their department and this didn't sit well with him. People were being invited with no regards whatsoever to something they had nothing to do about.
Their drinking had begun early in the evening. Thankfully for Aiba this could mean that he could slip out of the party unnoticed sooner. But when he thought he could make his exit, he saw that, after several drinks, even Ohno was participating in the chatter, and he didn't want to abandon him right then and there. So Aiba settled to stay and try and enjoy the food at their table at least.
A short while of doing nothing, in particular, made Aiba realize he was being watched. And it didn't take him much time to spot the eyes that were fixed on him from across the room. As soon as his line of sight crossed with Sakurai's, he could feel his spaced-out gaze all over him, but as soon as he was caught by the younger man, Sakurai's eyes quickly turned away, as if they had never been there. Aiba shuddered at the feeling Sakurai's eyes left him with, his heart beginning to pound with nervous anger.
Aiba didn't think he had even given out the impression that he wanted Sakurai to be interacting with him and even less stealing glances from him. He didn't even want to know what the other was thinking when he stared at him or for what reason. Aiba had even resolved to forget entirely about their affair from the previous night. As far as Aiba was concerned, they had only discussed. Nothing else, nothing more. So why was Sakurai lingering around him so much?
"Is this seat taken?" a soothing voice behind Aiba broke the train of his thoughts almost immediately. As soon as Aiba saw it was no other than Matsumoto Jun who spoke to him, his previous thoughts disappeared in a blink of an eye.
"Jun!" Aiba exclaimed, feeling immensely pleased to finally be seeing a familiar face. Aiba was more than glad to offer him the seat next to him, and he invited Jun to sit down without hesitation.
Just a few seats over, Sakurai’s attention was draw curiously to Aiba and the new company who seem to be treating Aiba with such familiarity.
"What are you doing here?" Aiba asked Matsumoto eagerly.
"I got an invitation from someone in your department, but I didn't expect this many people to be here," Matsumoto said, looking around at the rowdiness the room was barely holding in.
"That makes two of us..." Aiba said under his breath. As expected, word must have gotten around about their party, but he didn't mind as much at that moment.
"What are they celebrating anyway?" Matsumoto asked, but Aiba just wanted to save himself the trouble of explaining everything to him.
"To be honest, I'm not even sure myself. I've been wanting to leave for a while now..."
"Oh, you're going?" Matsumoto asked, feeling a little guilty for approaching him at a bad time.
"N-No, no! It's fine! I was just... not doing much anyway, so I was thinking of leaving but, it's okay! I can stay a little longer." Aiba spoke perhaps a little too fast, hoping the other didn't misunderstand him.
"That's good. I haven't seen you in a while, so I thought we could catch up." Matsumoto said the only way he knew how to make Aiba feel tingly inside. Matsumoto took the nearest bottle on their table and refilled Aiba's glass with a serving of beer. Aiba watched him closely with sad feeling, wondering how he hadn’t met anyone else like Matsumoto.
Even when he could perceive Jun’s kindness towards him, Aiba knew it was only platonic. Aiba had known Matsumoto since their internship at the company along with their mutual friend Toma. They gradually drew apart as they kept progressing in the company, which led Aiba into the research department while Matsumoto and Toma ended up in accounting. Being in the same department, it was only a matter of time before Matsumoto and Toma grew closer, and eventually started dating. Aiba was happy for both of them, and he had to stop thinking of Matsumoto as anything more than a friend. The time that had passed had only proved to him how Matsumoto and Toma were meant for each other. But right now, it was okay. He could look at Matsumoto even so up close and not feel like he wanted to do anything about it.
"So, talk to me," Matsumoto said after pouring his own drink. "What have you been up to?"
Aiba smiled, finally relaxing for the first time that evening. Suddenly, he didn't want to be anywhere else.
~
Aiba had just come out of the bathroom, excited to return to his conversation with Matsumoto at their table when, instead, he was surprised to find Sakurai waiting right outside in the hall. He was leaning with his back against the wall and his arms crossed, giving out the impression that he was waiting for something or someone. But as soon as Aiba noticed his presence, the younger man turned to the opposite direction to try and avoid such an unwanted encounter. Yet it seemed it was too late because he couldn't walk away unnoticed by the other.
"Aiba," Sakurai's dreadful voice called him and the other was forced to stop in place, hesitating in acknowledging Sakurai at all. In any case, he couldn't run away now, so he took a deep breath before he turned around to face him.
"What?" Aiba said, trying to make his annoyance noticeable.
"I've been meaning to talk to you."
"So you followed me out here?"
"I thought it was more quiet." Sakurai said. Despite Aiba's attempt to make their circumstances seem like an eyesore, Sakurai remained calm, showing how determined he was to have a moment with the other. Aiba was not fully convinced that he wanted to hear whatever he had to say to him, but if he went out of his way to approach him, the least he could do was listen to him.
"What do you want?" Aiba asked him.
Sakurai didn't think he would actually gain Aiba's attention, so his words hesitated for a good second before he could collect his thoughts. "I'm... glad you came." He said and Aiba thought he was stalling.
"I only came because Ohno invited me." Aiba avoided his gaze.
Sakurai seemed a little taken aback by his bluntness, but he still didn't let it get to him. "Right... he is your friend, isn’t he?"
"He is."
"What about Matsumoto?" He suddenly asked, taking Aiba by surprise. "Is he an acquaintance as well?"
"Why would you want to know?" Aiba asked. If he hadn't been hostile to Sakurai before, he certainly was now.
"I thought I saw something strange."
Aiba stared at the other slightly perplexed. "I'm sorry?"
"You seemed close with him... Matsumoto."
"Is that anything you should be concerned about?"
"It is," Sakurai said, to the other's surprise. "If you think this is any appropriate setting to be flirting with another employee."
"What are you talking about?"
"It is quite obvious what you are doing and I would advise you against it," Sakurai spoke in his usual arrogant tone. The same tone he would assume whenever something wasn't done accordingly to his own interest.
"I didn't think I had to ask for permission from you to talk with my friends."
"That's not what I meant-"
"Is it not? Then what are you actually trying to say? Be honest."
"I'm just asking you to be a little bit more discreet."
"As if I owed you anything!"
"This is a professional setting-"
"Says the guy who kissed me out of nowhere the other night at the office! Do you care to explain what the hell that was?"
Sakurai opened his mouth to retort, but no word left him. Instead, he was left looking lost, caught in his own lack of explanation.
"Why are you even telling me any of this? When our own boss is getting drunk inside with everyone else, I have to be the one to get an earful of your complaints?" Aiba continued to argue, letting the other one defenselessly speechless. "How come you're the only one who has a problem with me?"
The hallway got very quiet with the lack of words from Sakurai, who was already regretting confronting the other. There was no way to make him understand his intentions without setting off an angered rant from Aiba. Even in his body language, he could trace the hostility Aiba held against him, so he understood, it was meaningless to even try and correct him.
"If there is anything you need to say to me, just come out and say it. I don't see why I have to put up with your incompetence."
Sakurai grabbed Aiba by his arm before Aiba could have a chance to even walk past him, his motion bringing Aiba closer to himself and forcing him to look at him directly in his eyes. For a split second, Aiba's breath was taken away, feeling the other's burning gaze traveling from his eyes and tracing his lips. Once again, Sakurai trapped Aiba in the confusing silence of his actions. And Aiba could begin to feel Sakurai's breath against his own mouth, tracing the clear hesitation of his motions. But after a few enraging seconds where Aiba witnessed Sakurai's lack of courage, he finally let the younger man go.
Aiba fully understood now that he was only waiting for the impossible to happen. "You are so infuriating." He said under his breath. As Sakurai did nothing to stop him this time, Aiba walked away.
~
After Aiba let Matsumoto now he wanted to go home, Matsumoto offered to walk out with him. Aiba truly appreciated his company and couldn't think of a reason to not accept it. Although he could already feel someone watching him walk out.
The two of them stood out in the street waiting for Aiba's cab to arrive. Aiba could finally breathe out a sigh of relief now that he was away from the commotion of their drinking party. He felt bad for leaving Ohno behind, but he seemed to be having too much fun to go home and Aiba was just too desperate to get away.
"Hey, so..." Matsumoto spoke suddenly, as he paced nervously besides Aiba. Aiba welcomed his words with a smile. "What's the deal with you and Sakurai?"
Aiba’s face immediately fell at Matsumoto's words. "What?"
"I thought I saw you two fighting just a moment ago. It seemed pretty serious."
"Um... that, it's… really nothing. He um.... wouldn't leave me alone."
"Yeah?" Matsumoto didn't seem all that convinced. "Well, I heard from some people in your department that you two kind of... argue a lot. Someone even mentioned you guys hooked up. Do you... have a history or something?"
"What? No! Absolutely not! I would never... no! That's just crazy!" Aiba shivered with just the thought of it, getting a bad taste in his mouth as he did his best to convince Matsumoto otherwise. "He and I are nothing. We would never!"
"Aiba, it's alright," Matsumoto said with a soothing smile in his lips that decelerated Aiba's insistence to prove him wrong.
"He is not such a bad guy," Matsumoto said and although it hurt Aiba to hear these words, he had no reason to keep denying it.
That night, Matsumoto bid Aiba farewell as the latter rode off in his cab, driven by confusing thoughts that would make him restless.
~
"Aiba," The manager called him from across the room. "Can you come to my office for a minute?"
"Yes," Aiba stood up from his desk hurriedly to not make the manager wait. Unsure of what he was going to talk to him about, Aiba grabbed some remaining documents from the special project before heading towards the manager's office, where the latter waited for him at the frame of the door.
Even before the manager closed the door behind them, Aiba took notice of someone else being in the room before him. Sakurai stood right in front of the manager's desk as if they'd been waiting for Aiba to join them.
Aiba felt his stomach turn, not so much from the suddenness of the manager calling him into his office, but because of how Sakurai's gaze stuck to him as he acknowledged his presence in the room. Aiba did his best to avoid him, even when they had to stand right next to each other, facing the manager’s desk. Still, Aiba did his best to leave a clear gap between their bodies.
The manager sat down before he began. "First of all, I wish to congratulate both of you for your hard work on this project. I'm aware it must not have been an easy couple of weeks, but I think you both held on very well."
"Thank you, sir," Sakurai said, delighted by the manager's compliments, as always, Aiba thought.
"Now that all of that is over, I think we are ready for the last part of your evaluations," The manager said and it raised questions in both of his employees. "I know I usually have to ask for your reports on the work you've accomplished in the past week, but I want to do something different this time to help each of your performance reviews." The manager pulled out two printed copies of blank reports to fill out. "So instead of asking for your reports, I want each of you to evaluate each other."
Both employees voiced their confusion at the new instructions, puzzled to know things were yet to be over.
"I want you to review your partner's performance during the development and completion of the project, describing your own experience with each other while reviewing on the expectations met." the manager explained, and yet it wasn't enough to convince them on this assessment.
"Sir, with all due respect, wouldn't it be more adequate for you to take over our evaluation through our own reports?" Sakurai inquired.
"Normally, I would do as you say, but I am looking to try something new."
"But we would have to rely on judging statements when referring to one another in our report," Aiba spoke up, advocating for the manager to change their mind.
"That might be true, but I want to hear what you have to say as team members. This way I can actually gain your perspectives on what your project developed into. Is that... alright with you two?"
Neither of them knew how else to fight it. Debating it wouldn't make much sense since the manager already seemed too decided to turn back on his plans. There was no other way out of it.
"Yes, sir." They replied at once with reluctant approval.
"Good." replied their manager. "You have until the end of the day to return them to me."
~
Aiba stared at the blank paper for long minutes of his day, trying to put it off as much as possible as he gathered his thoughts. He knew what he had to do, give Sakurai all good marks and pass it on to their manager. After all, nothing that he would say about the other was truly going to make a difference. The manager probably just wanted Sakurai to make an evaluation on Aiba to practice for his soon-to-be promotion, and the only reason he would make them both do it was to make it seem accidental.
Regardless of all he'd been saying about Sakurai for the past week, and what he had gathered about his character in all their time together, there was not much bad he could say about Sakurai's professionalism. His career was already made, his reputation was already founded. It was senseless to overthink about the smallest annoying details about him, which would probably come off as lazy complaints.
Aiba didn't know what to do. And there was nothing to be done other than writing the truth. There was no flaw in Sakurai other than being too responsible, too diligent and too invested in his job. He was trustworthy to many and easy to rely on. He was someone who was determined to progress in his professional life, as he very much well deserved it. Aiba couldn't think of better words that would convince the manager to give Sakurai the promotion right away.
He set aside the already filled out report, but now, new worries began to sprout about what Sakurai had to say about him. Aiba had probably chosen the wrong time to speak his mind about the other. The arguments that had come out between them in just that week were useful proof for Sakurai to call out on his incompetence to follow orders. Sakurai had material to judge him and probably enough reasons to sign his termination letter. Perhaps if Aiba knew his final evaluation would depend on the person he'd dedicated himself to put-down, he would have held back on a few comments. Still, this way of thinking didn't make a good case for himself either.
It was strange. Usually, he would know how to put up with any other employee or whenever it came to a difficult client. So, why had it been so impossible to keep his mouth shut when it came to Sakurai? Why had he always judged him so harshly without a thought? Why was being around Sakurai bringing out that side of him? He'd felt so unlike himself for the past few weeks, each new thought felt exhausting. He just wanted to put an end to things, give the manager what he wanted and leave. Perhaps it would be better to get fired. Lately, it felt like he was always losing his temper for no reason at all. If only he could stop having all these mental struggles, he could feel like himself again.
~
The office had begun to become empty and Aiba was ready to go home himself. As he was about to go, he remembered he needed to leave his report with the manager when instead he found the latter walking in a hurry as he was talking to the phone.
"Um, sir?" Aiba stopped him before he could leave the office.
The manager excused himself briefly with the person on his phone. "Aiba, I can't talk right now. I'm late for a meeting."
"What about the reports?" Aiba showed him his filled out paper.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot... Um... do me a favor. Can you collect yours and Sakurai's and leave them in my office? I'll look through them tomorrow, alright? Can you take care of that?"
"Of course," Aiba reassured him. The manager thanked him before he quickly walked out of the office without further explanations, leaving Aiba with a new task.
And Aiba would have been able to go home if it wasn't for the fact that Sakurai wasn't at his desk. He'd waited for long minutes without a sign of the other, so he couldn't possibly be on a bathroom break. There was no sign of him in the lounge room and Aiba even remembered seeing Ninomiya walk out on his own. Aiba sighed as he saw their floor emptying out. He could have been at the station right now, on his way home, and yet he still needed to put up with whatever Sakurai was making him go through at that moment. But enough was enough, and Aiba took it upon himself to walk up to Sakurai's desk and look for that report, even if he had to do it himself.
He must have had written it by know. Aiba could recall he'd seen him working on it earlier during the day so it must have been buried under the mess of papers the other kept in his small cubicle, which Sakurai had somehow managed to make look like a war zone.
No one was coming into the office at the moment, so it gave him enough opportunity to scavenge Sakurai's desk and finally find the paper kept under a pile of fully loaded manila files. Aiba knew he shouldn't look, but he just needed to make sure it was his report. After all, he knew what would be written in it anyways so nothing of what Sakurai could have said about him should come as a surprise. Everything seemed in place before his eyes came across the words "...I must apologize...”
His attention stopped on those words, afraid to read what came before and after and yet wishing to see what provoked them. But Aiba shook his head, shaking the temptation from his mind. Looking would only damage the trust the manager had put in him to take care of their reports. He shouldn't have even seen it in the first place, but now, he couldn't ignore it.
Aiba looked around him. A few employees still remained at their desks, too distracted to even look up from their monitors. And after making sure there was no possible sign from Sakurai coming back at any moment, Aiba decided to look through the report, just to understand.
"... He has a tendency to miss deadlines, but even at the last minute, he is able to make miracles happen.
I myself have also fallen victim to misjudge him perhaps too quickly, but he has proven to be an efficient employee who would do anything for the sake of the company. He is a fast learner and an even stronger worker. He will defend his own beliefs to no end as it is difficult to change his mind once he's set himself towards a goal. I've allowed myself to be guided by his strong impulses and I've come to learn that even the most difficult of tasks have a solution when he thinks about them enough.
A strong-minded individual such as Aiba would become beneficial at the most crucial times. Put under enough pressure would make him bloom most efficiently, but too much and you could break him. This is something I had to learn through my own mistakes and I must apologize for it. In fact, I've learned that making myself tough wouldn't benefit anyone around me. On the contrary, I was just hurting them more, and to carry that guilt of being the cause of that hurt has made me regretful countless of times. It did not make me a better leader, and it certainly didn't make me a better person than him. I only wish I could take back my words, but no matter how much I've tried, making myself vulnerable in front of him is something I dread. I wonder how he's found the ability to do it, regardless. How he's so quick to speak his honest mind when I can't even face him without becoming lost in his presence. How he’s made his words my deepest wounds, his sadness what I hate the most or his smile what makes me stronger.
Because of him, I've learned that my happiness won't come from the title under my business card, but from how I can accept the people around me and perhaps allow myself to be one and the same with them. I don't need anyone's approval to feel my worth, but somehow, being accepted by him is what I want the most right now. With that being said, I wish to withdraw my consideration for the promotion for the manager position. For the time being, I would like to stay where I am, to learn more about this person whose opinion I came to value, in hope that I can change his mind about me.”
Aiba immediately set the paper down, realizing he was being watched by the author of the report that had left him both confused and with tears in his eyes. Startled at how attentively the other's gaze fixed on him, Aiba hid his face from Sakurai, hoping he wouldn't notice how he wiped his eyes to conceal his reaction.
“I-I’m sorry,” Aiba said, looking away where his tears would be hidden from Sakurai’s detection. “I didn’t mean to...” His voice fought to not be caught breaking.
Sakurai looked at the paper Aiba had just set down over the desk. For long seconds, he said nothing and Aiba began to hate the silence he kept abandoning him in. If he tried to face Sakurai at all, he would notice there was no clear expression in him which didn't help to reassure Aiba in the least.
“Did you read it?” Sakurai asked, almost sounding unworried about the fact.
This time, there was no escaping for Aiba. “I-I... skimmed it.”
Aiba felt Sakurai walk closer to the desk before taking the report in his hand, perhaps trying to trace what Aiba had read, although it was already too late. Aiba had probably ended up reading a good majority of it.
Sakurai sighed at his own writings in the paper. “This isn't the one I'm handing in," He explained as if he needed to defend himself about it. "It didn’t come out right. I rambled for too long and sort of lost track of what I was trying to say.”
“You... did say many things...” Aiba agreed although he wasn’t sure of what he was admitting to himself.
Sakurai set the paper down, taking it upon himself to search his own messy desk to claim another copy of the report, this one much briefer than the one Aiba had stumbled upon. He briefly glossed over to make sure it was the right one before handing it over to Aiba.
"The manager asked you to collect them, right?" Sakurai asked.
Aiba nodded, pursing his lips strongly to help his emotions to not overflow. He accepted the new piece of paper as he avoided Sakurai's gaze at all costs, knowing that whatever he would find in his eyes at that moment, he wouldn't be able to respond to.
Excusing himself, Aiba left Sakurai's side hurriedly and headed towards the manager's office. When he could finally put a wall between him and Sakurai, Aiba sighed. His back leaned against the door, trying to ease the drumming in his chest as he gripped the reports in his hands. His breath had been almost cut for no reason, making it hard to breathe out. Now he could wipe his eyes without being noticed, although he didn't even know when his nose had become so runny.
And yet he tried not to let it get to him. He would have to go back outside and it would be bad if his red eyes were noticeable. He didn't want to give Sakurai the wrong impression. So he left out a big sigh, trying to regain his composure as he put down the papers on the manager's desk. But still, it was hard to go out that door right away. He knew that if he came out, Sakurai would be there, waiting. Following him with that same look in his eyes that tried to express all that he had conveyed in his letter.
Aiba felt impotent. Cornered by the words in Sakurai's letter, his mind was speechless and weakened. He could only doubt that he might have misread it, or that Sakurai was only fooling around, but he never imagined the other had a sense of humor. And yet, why did he do it? How could he even say such a thing and never even consider telling him? Why did he insist on being so impossible to read?
Aiba wasn't sure if he should wait until it was late enough to make sure he wouldn't find Sakurai on the other side, but as he began to consider this possibility, the door to the manager's office opened. As Sakurai closed the door behind him, Aiba realized he didn't expect to see anyone else at that moment. And before Sakurai could say anything as he approached him, Aiba began to gather his words.
"Sakurai, I need to-"
A hand slipped on Aiba's waist as Sakurai claimed his lips in a swift move, enough to make Aiba gasp and part his lips. The quick deepening of their affection made all remaining thoughts in Aiba's mind go away, immediately becoming lost with the ministrations of the full lips against his. Aiba was unable to come up with a reason to stop it, thinking there weren't enough words that could express all that Sakurai had already written. Aiba felt himself melt against the ardent sensations coursing through his body and he tilted his head to take it all in.
Their lips parted soundlessly, but the nervous feeling in their mouths still remained. Their gazes found each other, questioning their actions, and yet everything seemed so clear. Their looks entwined with one another knowingly, waiting for the right words to come, if only they weren't delayed by the blushing that overcame them.
"Do you... want to go out sometime?" It was Sakurai who dared to break their prolonged silence and, seeing the small smile he gained from Aiba, there were no more complaints to be made.