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Takao didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but the mixer could have been more entertaining. The girls were all lovely and perfectly nice and his friends were on their best behavior, which, in Takao’s opinion, was precisely the problem. He always expected to get more laughs out of these things than anything else, really – he wanted to have fun, not find a wife. Thus, given an opportunity, he’d ditch this particular party in a heartbeat in search of some better form of amusement.
He would have never expected to find that opportunity in a bathroom, but he did, and he wasn’t going to waste it. At first, he only shook his head with a chuckle upon seeing some poor bastard’s phone number scribbled with a red maker (rather neatly, if you asked him) on the wall. But as he washed his hands, he kept catching glimpses of the digits in the mirror and, before he knew what he was doing, he was putting the number in his phone.
Contrary to popular opinion, Takao didn’t like to lie, so he was actually relieved he didn’t have to do it when he told his companions he needed to leave because he had a very important phone call to make. It was thrilling, not knowing who would be on the other side of the line – he half expect a real scumbag, worthy of being put on a bathroom wall in an act of revenge perhaps. On the other hand, it could be a meek victim of bullying whose tormentors wanted humiliated again. Maybe it was a girl, who turned down some tool who thought it would be good punishment.
The voice that greeted him in the receiver was deep and decidedly male.
“Who’s this?” asked Takao.
“Shouldn’t I be the one asking this?” replied the other guy.
Takao chuckled; too proper for a thug, but too assertive for a nerd. He introduced himself, just as his new acquaintance, albeit reluctantly.
“Well, Midorima Shintaro-san. I just thought I’d let you know that your very own phone number is covering the wall of a certain bathroom in a certain establishment.”
Midorima cursed under his breath. “That damn Kuroko.”
Takao laughed. Midorima didn’t sound surprised at all, more angry and tired, perhaps already devising the plan to retaliate. That seemed like a fun relationship to have with a friend. Takao would also gladly meet that Kuroko person – he appeared to be speaking a language Takao understood perfectly. At Midorima’s request, Takao gave him the address of the restaurant.
“Thank you for informing me of this. I would appreciate it if you deleted my number now.”
“What? No way! We should be friends, Shin-chan! The ones you have don’t seem to like you very much~”
Midorima cleared his throat. “The feeling is mutual. I have no need for friends. Especially the kind that uses odd, inappropriate nicknames.”
“Aw, don’t be like that, Shin-chan! Fate itself has brought us together! We shouldn’t turn our backs on this!”
Midorima was silent for a moment, and Takao started to suspect he’d hang up on him. “Fate, you say. You have my attention. Your zodiac sign?”
Takao could hardly stifle a laugh as he answered. What a weirdo! This was the best thing that’s happened to him ever. When Midorima eventually announced that they were compatible, Takao’s eyes were brimming with tears. This guy was a riot!
“You are so weird, Shin-chan,” he decided, not without fondness.
“So I have been told. Very well, you may keep my number. Don’t abuse it.”
“Roger!”
Takao smirked as Midorima ended the call without even a proper goodbye. Silly Shin-chan; of course he was going to abuse it!
And, for all Shin-chan’s protests, abruptly ended calls, and endless streams of insults, they talked almost every day. Midorima amused him, unintentionally of course, and Takao liked to think Shin-chan enjoyed their conversations as well – in his own, special, full of snarls and curses, way.
It turned out they had quite a lot in common. They both liked basketball and, well, that was the extent of their shared interest; for now. Midorima wanted to be doctor, and Takao still half-expected to win the lottery and have his adult life work itself out somehow. Midorima kept to himself, apparently – there wasn’t a time Takao had called him when he happened to be with another human being – while Takao couldn’t handle half an hour of being alone without going half-mad with boredom.
Despite their differences, Takao would dare say they became quite good friends. He could always count on Shin-chan to make him laugh with his ridiculously sophisticated way of insulting his few friends, and Takao was always ready to assure Shin-chan that they were indeed right and Shin-chan was the antisocial asshole they thought him to be. According to Takao, their friendship was a prime example of a mutually beneficial union between two university students.
“I should stop accepting your calls. You are a useless and obnoxious waste of my precious time.”
“How dare you, Shin-chan, I am a delight! Just admit it you don’t want me anymore because you’ve found yourself girlfriend.”
“As if. I have no interest in women.”
Perhaps it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise to Takao. After all, he knew that, except his immediate family, Shin-chan kept in a very reluctant touch with the exact number of seven people, including Takao, and only one of them was female – the former manager of his middle school basketball team. They’d never actually talked about these things and, considering that Shin-chan avoided any social networks like the plague, Takao couldn’t do much spying on his own and was forced to rely on whatever information Shin-chan was willing to share with him.
It was the first time he heard Shin-chan talk about girls ever and there was certain finality in his words that startled a nervous laugh out of Takao.
“Not interested how? I’m-too-busy-thinking-I’m-better-than-everyone-else not interested or I-like-dick not interested?”
Midorima huffed. “Crude as ever. The latter, if you must know.”
Takao swallowed. Wait, what? Shin-chan was a homo? He did not expect that. Not that he had anything against it – in idealistic theory – but it was actually the first time he could say he personally knewsomeone who was gay. He didn’t like thinking he was full of himself enough to assume that every homosexual man out there was after his ass, but it was Shin-chan, his close friend. Takao couldn’t help but ask himself a few what if’s.
“Is this going to be a problem?” prompted Midorima.
Takao startled, realizing what his stunned silence must have seemed like to Shin-chan. His tone was impersonal and cold as ever, but Takao could hear a slight tremor of worry and uncertainty in it. He shook his head, for once disappointed in himself.
“Of course not, Shin-chan! What kind of friend would I be! Besides, it’s not like you’re gonna hit on me, right?”
He laughed at his own joke, pretending not to notice how much of an actual, honest question there was in it. Shin-chan sighed softly, either in relief or an exasperation; Takao couldn’t say for sure.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Takao. I do have standards.”
Shin-chan’s faux sternness wrung out a genuine chuckle out of him. “So what, are you saying I’m not good enough for you?”
“That is exactly what I’m saying.”
Takao laughed sincerely and felt himself gradually calm down. Whoa. Surprisingly enough, nothingchanged. It was easy. He could do it.
Except he couldn’t do it. It wasn’t like he wanted to constantly feel self-conscious and nervous whenever he talked to Shin-chan. He didn’t want to make it weird, it just was. Because, honestly, what else did he not know about Shin-chan? Did he even know him at all? He had no idea what he even looked like!
What if it’s all been a lie? What if he was forty five and a psycho? But what if he really was just a twenty years old gay guy? What if he got a crush on Takao? These things happened, right? What if Takao got curious too? He’s been known for his unhealthy curiosity, after all. What if Shin-chan got aboyfriend? Would Takao think it was any different than having a girlfriend? What if things changed?
Takao didn’t mean to start calling less and less. But it was the end of the year – so many exams to study for, so many parties to attend to avoid studying, so many girls to meet and seduce to ascertain his own heterosexuality!
Takao was, in one word, a scumbag. It had come to a point when he didn’t contact Shin-chan for a week. It should be his number scribbled on a wall of a bathroom where Takao belonged with other pieces of shit.
Then Shin-chan called him, and Shin-chan never called him first.
“I am calling to terminate our friendship.”
Takao has heard it countless times before and he would just laugh every time. But it was different now, and he didn’t want to laugh. Before he could come up with some feeble excuse, no doubt insulting to Shin-chan’s intelligence, he was interrupted.
“You are clearly uncomfortable with me now, so there is no point in continuing this farce.”
Takao felt a surge of panic; that escalated way too quickly! Wasn’t Shin-chan going to at least try to win him back?! Wasn’t he going to inquire, reason with Takao, convince him somehow? As soon as he asked himself those questions, he wanted to laugh at himself – Shin-chan was far too proud to negotiate his own worth; it was always take it or leave it with him, and Takao was clearly facing the possibility of leaving it for good. He might have been confused by a lot of things lately, but he was certain he didn’t want that.
“Let’s meet, Shin-chan.”
That was a desperate and impulsive move. But he couldn’t have lied about being busy and he had to dosomething to stop Shin-chan. It wasn’t even that much of a lie. They’ve never met in person and Takao did want to change that, or at the very least used to, so letting Shin-chan believe that he was avoiding him out of nervousness caused by inability to approach the subject of their meeting was barely a stretch.
“What for?” asked Midorima.
“Because I wanna know what you look like? Because it’s about time? Because I have an exam I really don’t want to study for? Just because, Shin-chan, we’re friends.”
Perhaps if they saw each other in person, they could stay friends. Maybe then Takao would see for himself; something, anything. He didn’t even know what it was that he wanted – he simply knew things couldn’t go on like that and, even though it was Takao’s fault that they began to fall apart, it was in Shin-chan’s capable hands to fix it.
“Very well. But don’t think I’m not offended by your negligence, Takao. How are you going to make it up to me?”
“Aww, Shin-chan’s ego is wounded?” teased Takao instinctively. “Want me to kiss it better?”
“Keep your dirty mouth away from me. I will let you on the details of our meeting after I consult with Oha Asa.”
Takao rolled his eyes and grinned. “Roger, Shin-chan!”
It was only when he was getting ready to bed that realized that he had unintentionally mentionedkissing and that Shin-chan reacted completely normally. Takao felt really stupid, then, for doubting Shin-chan in the first place.
The first thing Takao did upon seeing Midorima was to laugh at his hair for entire ten minutes. Damn, was Shin-chan tall! It was basically his only redeeming quality, because everything else about him was as weird as his personality. His haircut was criminal, his glasses looked like something Takao’s grandpa would wear, his fashion sense was practically non-existent, and he taped his fingers! Who did that?!
“Surgeons. Smart ones. I don’t want to damage something that my life’s work will depend on.”
Takao whistled. “That makes much more sense than I’m comfortable admitting.”
Midorima nodded, clearly please with himself, and Takao snorted into his coffee – Shin-chan was even more hilarious when you could actually see him. Takao smiled, propping his chin on his open palm. He looked at Shin-chan, really looked at him, and noticed how long his eyelashes were. It made him look ridiculous, that’s what it did. He was too tall, too lanky, and too angry-looking for those eyelashes to fit him; maybe that was why he was hiding them behind those ugly glasses.
“You’re staring,” noticed Midorima.
Takao smirked. “It’s just weird, finally seeing you.”
“I will be perfectly content with never again laying my eyes upon you, if that’s preferable.”
“Ahhh, so cold, Shin-chan~! And here I thought you’d be swoon with me!”
Midorima clicked his tongue and graced Takao with his most unimpressed look, but the faint blush dusting his cheeks was noticeable, if only barely. Takao wanted to smack himself for not being more careful. He didn’t intend on making things awkward but it was difficult to change his default setting of an incorrigible flirt. Besides, knowing Shin-chan, he would react like that regardless of his sexuality, seeing as he was born with a giant stick up his ass.
“Don’t make me laugh, Takao. I would never know such desperation.”
Takao gasped. “I’m offended right now, Shin-chan. I’ll have you know I’m a high-spec boyfriend. Don’t believe me? Try me.”
Midorima looked at him blankly and Takao wondered what was he doing. Why did he keep digging a grave for himself, and possibly for their friendship? What was he even thinking when he blatantly flirted, testing his and Shin-chan’s boundaries?
“I believe you,” said Midorima. “You have sufficient charm and I assume women are attracted to your looks as well. Enough to turn a blind eye to your immaturity and lack of commitment to any relevant matter.”
Takao gaped for a moment before bursting into laughter. “You cut me deep, Shin-chan,” he wheezed. “You’re amazing!”
“I am well aware.”
Takao came down from his high enough to catch a breath, but he couldn’t stop grinning. He was right – seeing Shin-chan did fix his problem. He knew now, that nothing had to change, that everything could be how it used to, or get better. As much as Takao enjoyed calling and texting Shin-chan, he was overjoyed by the prospect of actually hanging out, like normal people.
He wanted to see Shin-chan’s reactions to his jokes, he wanted to tug at his elbow to get his attention, to slump down his back and whine until he got what he wanted. Just talking to Shin-chan on the phone was fun while it lasted, but Takao was a tactile person who thrived on face-to-face contact, and he couldn’t wait to move their friendship to another level. Especially now, that he was certain that things between them wouldn’t get weird.
And they really weren’t. Shin-chan didn’t suddenly gay out on Takao, and Takao didn’t eventually get creeped out by Shin-chan. No, their epic bromance was as strong as ever, with Takao constantly teasing and Shin-chan endlessly snapping, just like the good old times.
Until, of course, Takao went ahead and hooked up with one of his female university friends who dumped him after barely two weeks of dating.
“I’ve dumped boys for many reasons,” she said. “But it’s my first time breaking up because my boyfriend is in love with his best friend.”
At first, Takao laughed. Freely and without inhibitions, he was laughing for so long he actually cried, until he realized that the girl was being completely serious. He blinked tears from his eyes and gaped at her incredulously, as she calmly sipped on her shake.
“You’re joking, right?” he tried.
She shook her head. “I’m being this nice and not hitting you only because you don’t seem to have realized it yet and I feel sorry for you.”
“I’m not in love in Shin-chan,” he protested, still shocked. “He’s not even my best friend! We’ve only met recently because I found his number on a bathroom wall and I thought it’d be funny to call him!”
“Seems like a fated meeting to me,” she teased, an adorably mischievous smirk that he liked so much donning her lips. “I’m not speaking out of jealousy here, but you don’t look at me the way you look at him. You don’t look at anyone like that. Have you ever even been in love before, Takao-kun?”
Takao clenched his jaw in anger. “I’m not even gay!”
“You don’t have to be gay to fall in love with another boy. I’m not gonna bore you with technicalities, by which I mean I have better things to do than dealing with my ex’s identity crisis. Figure it out on your own.”
So Takao went ahead and got drunk because alcohol was always a good idea when Takao wanted to clear his head. He wasn’t stupid – he just really liked the blissful state of denial. It was better than facing the fact that he was, for quite a while actually, in love with Shin-chan. In love with Shin-chan, who washis best friend, despite knowing him barely a year. In love with Shin-chan who was a boy, and not even a particularly attractive one. In love with Shin-chan who, despite being gay – unlike Takao – wasn’t in love with him.
Why would Takao ever think that dating a psychology student was a good idea?
He moped, obviously. He didn’t avoid Shin-chan this time around, no. He flaunted his misery in Midorima’s face, nearly driving him insane with his passive-aggressive behavior. He pretended it was caused by his recent break-up and he didn’t even care if Shin-chan believed him. There wasn’t anything he could do, anyway.
“Do you have someone you like, Shin-chan?”
Takao always dropped bombs like that, no one was safe around him. Midorima’s back tensed, but he didn’t move away from his desk, persistently glaring down his books. Takao waited a long moment before Shin-chan finally put down his pen and turned around to face him. He was scowling and the tips of his ears were red in embarrassment.
“Yes,” he said curtly.
Takao swallowed around the lump in his throat, sitting up on Shin-chan’s bed. Why did he ask when he didn’t want to know the answer, at all? Shin-chan’s confession shocked him, and hurt him, and yet he pressed on, asking if Midorima was planning to date his crush. Takao had always been too curious for his own good.
“No. My affection is unrequited. But I don’t expect you to know anything about that sort of thing.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t know,” said Takao, letting out a bitter chuckle. “So, who is he?”
Midorima looked at him with an unreadable expression for a moment before turning around to his books. “No one you know.”
Takao got better at pretending to be happy around Midorima. He was happy around Midorima. They’ve always been a bit dysfunctional together, so maintaining a relationship where Takao was one-sidedly in love with Shin-chan, who was in turn one-sidedly in love with some random dude, was the only natural progression. He could be an adult about it and enjoy their relationship as it was.
Or so Takao thought until he met Akashi Seijuro. He seemed to be Shin-chan’s least disliked friend, a rich scrawny thing with a superiority complex even greater than Midorima’s. He looked at Takao like he knew something he didn’t and avoided speaking to him altogether, acting like Takao wasn’t even there when he conversed with Shin-chan about things Takao had no interest in. Shin-chan seemed to aim to please Akashi, or at the very least, not disappoint him.
Takao hated that guy.
“I wouldn’t worry about it, Takao-kun,” said Kuroko. “I don’t think anyone actually likes Akashi-kun.”
Takao liked Kuroko a lot, just like he expected he would. He was kind of an asshole, but he was very silent and polite about it. He had an unhealthy addiction to vanilla milkshakes and he was surprisingly good at impersonating Midorima, which always left Takao in tears. Takao decided to get a part-time job with him for the summer, while Shin-chan remained holed up in some hospital carving out people’s hearts or something.
“Shin-chan does,” he whined.
“Their families know each other. Rich people tend to stick together regardless of their personal feelings. No need to be jealous, Takao-kun.”
Takao pouted, but there was no point in denying that he was, in fact, jealous. Kuroko was too sharp for that, for one, and besides, Takao liked having a friend who was aware of his situation.
“But what if he actually does like him? As in, like-like him? Shin-chan isn’t cut out to be a rich man’s wife, he has ambitions!”
Kuroko chuckled. “That’s wonderful of you to be so protective of Midorima-kun’s virtue. Such selfless people are a rarity these days.”
They both know there was nothing selfless about Takao wanting to protect Shin-chan’s virtue so before long they were both laughing at Kuroko’s joke. It really was comforting to have Kuroko supporting him from the shadows, but never actually meddling. Despite what Shin-chan always said, Kuroko Tetsuya was actually a really good friend.
“I wouldn’t expect a royal wedding any time soon, Takao-kun. I don’t believe this is where Akashi-kun’s inclinations lie.”
Takao waggled his eyebrows. “Mine didn’t either, and look at me now.”
Kuroko shook his head and Takao stuck out his tongue. Who cared if he was being cynical, he had every right. Before, he thought he could handle Shin-chan pining after some faceless man but now that the possibility of that man being Akashi was entirely too great for his liking, Takao was on the brink of despair.
“Takao-kun, have you ever actually tried… confessing?”
Takao had thought about it but, ultimately, he didn’t want to lose a friend. There were many times when Takao was nearly overwhelmed with the desire to confess his feelings. Whenever Shin-chan laughed, really laughed, instead of snickering. When he bought Takao a ridiculously expensive lucky item that must have been very embarrassing to transport. Whenever they played basketball and Takao stood on the court in awe of the precision of Shin-chan’s three-pointers. When Shin-chan awkwardly held his hand in the hospital’s corridor after his little sister had an accident and needed stitches.
“No, that would be gay.”
Kuroko rolled his eyes, and Takao’s grin fell as soon as his friend turned around. He could joke about it all he wanted, but the fact remained that Shin-chan would never return his feelings. All Takao could do was hope that the object of Shin-chan’s affection wasn’t Akashi Seijuro. Takao would be fine with anyone else, honestly.
But Kuroko? Really? Kuroko? Those two-faced, back-stabbing assholes!
Takao was so glad when he entered the store and saw Shin-chan’s bag by the counter – he loved teaming up with Kuroko and riling Midorima up until he bristled. He could hear muffled voices from the back and he stopped by the door, giggling and getting ready to jump out to scare them both.
“If you don’t tell him, I will,” he heard Kuroko say.
“It has nothing to do with him,” seethed Midorima, making Takao frown.
“It has everything to do with him, you idiot!”
Takao barged in then, wanting to know what was going on, and what he saw made him freeze in the spot. Kuroko’s hands were balled up in Shin-chan’s collar and their faces were dangerously close to each other as Midorima leaned down, his hands wrapped around Kuroko’s wrists.
Takao let out a shocked laugh, causing them to turn around and see him. He watched their eyes widen in surprise, hands dropping by their sides.
“Takao,” started Shin-chan and Takao hoped he would explain. “Can’t you see we’re busy?”
Kuroko immediately stomped on Midorima’s foot, scowling angrily. “Idiot. Takao-kun, please-”
Takao decided that he has heard and seen enough, so he turned around to leave on wobbly legs. He could vaguely hear murmurs, whispers, and a few pained yelps, but no one followed him.
Oddly, his first clear thought, after his blind anger dissipated and the ache of betrayal dulled slightly, was how Shin-chan it was of Shin-chan to constantly speak ill of the person he actually liked. And Kuroko, he wanted Takao to know, that was nice of him – honorable, or something. He hoped things wouldn’t get too awkward between them at work after weekend.
As he lied down in bed, still numb from shock, he felt somewhat robbed when he thought howundramatic the whole scene was, for something he considered the worst possible thing that have ever happened to him in his entire life.
He supposed it was for the best. Kuroko was a good guy, he would take good care of Shin-chan. It did feel weird to think back to all the occasions when Takao talked to Kuroko about his feelings for Shin-chan, knowing what he knew now. He wanted to be angry at Kuroko for not telling him the truth, but he couldn’t – not when he realized that Kuroko gritted his teeth and listened to Takao talk about his (possibly) boyfriend only for Takao’s sake.
Takao wasn’t cut out to hate people. He loved people, loved being around them, loved making them laugh. Even though he wanted to cry, to scream, to break things, he couldn’t bring himself to hate either of them. They were both his friends and he wanted them to be happy; if it happened to be at his expense, it couldn’t be helped.
Sleep came mercifully fast and, before he knew it, it was Sunday afternoon and he was staring at a mail from Shin-chan, asking him to meet. Takao wondered briefly where his Saturday went, and thought about how much he didn’t want to get dressed. He was stalling, he knew, but composing a simple message seemed almost an undoable task at the moment.
Shin-chan looked constipated, as he clutched his today’s lucky item in his hands, scowling at Takao like the mere sight of him offended the great Midorima Shintarou. Despite himself, it made Takao smile fondly.
“Kuroko has forced me to discuss a certain matter with you. I am not doing this willingly, as I don’t see how it’s relevant to our relationship.”
Takao nodded. Shin-chan did have a point – it was none of Takao’s business who Shin-chan dated, since they were just friends. But Kuroko knew that Takao had feelings for Shin-chan and probably thought that telling him to give up was a courtesy. He wanted to patiently wait for Shin-chan to officially drop the bomb but knowing Shin-chan’s tendency to completely clam up when embarrassed, that could take ages.
“Relax, Shin-chan. I caught you and Kuroko kissing. I think it speaks for itself.”
Midorima gaped. “Kissing Kuroko?! Are you out of your mind? He’s been tormenting me since middle school! He put my phone number on a public bathroom wall! We hate each other, Takao!”
“B-but, I saw you-”
“He wasn’t kissing me, you fool, he was beating me up!”
It was Takao’s turn to gape. Then he laughed, because the image of tiny Kuroko wiping the floor with Shin-chan was just too hilarious. Midorima scowled deeper, blushing in embarrassment. He collected himself to the best of his abilities and looked straight at Takao, clearing his throat.
“That’s enough, Takao. For someone so small, Kuroko has incredible strength in his hands. He’s also very intimidating when he wants to be.”
Takao somehow stifled his laughter and as soon as he calmed down, he got confused. If Takao misunderstood and Shin-chan wasn’t going to announce his relationship with Kuroko, what did he want to tell him?
“Now. This is not easy for me to say. I… consider you my friend. Perhaps the best I’ve ever had. I can only hope that what I am about to say won’t affect our friendship.”
Takao wetted his lips, sweating from nerves. Why was Shin-chan so grim? Takao couldn’t imagine being told anything worse than what he expected to hear before but, somehow, he was terrified.
“I have romantic feelings for you.”
Takao’s brain short-circuited. Hearing those words was everything he thought it would be and more. He felt hot all over, his ears were ringing, his eyes stinging, hands trembling, chest heaving. Shin-chan looked as angry and displeased as Takao always imagined him to look and it made him so happy. He had countless scenarios of his own reaction devised in his head, but none of them fit now. At this particular moment, he only had one question.
“Shin-chan,” he started carefully. “How the hell does that have nothing to do with me, you idiot?!”
Midorima startled. “W-well. Obviously. You are only interested in women so my feelings are clearly unwanted. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, considering I’ve been concealing them perfectly well so far and our relationship remained unaffected by them. However, Kuroko believes I owe you the truth.”
Takao’s mind was reeling, but he knew he had to get a grip before Shin-chan misunderstood. He forced his hands to obey him and he reached over the table to wrap his fingers around Shin-chan’s wrist. He took a deep breath, determined not to let Shin-chan’s ridiculously red ears distract him, and looked Midorima in the eye.
“That’s not why Kuroko wanted you to tell me, Shin-chan. It’s because I love you, Shin-chan.”
He swallowed and waited for Shin-chan to comprehend his words, to analyze them in his ugly brilliant head and finally see. It took him a while, obviously, it was a lot to take in for someone who, until recently, thought he was condemned to hiding his true feelings from his best friend forever.
Takao wanted to laugh, because they were both such incredible idiots, but even he knew when to suck it up and be serious. This. This was the most important moment of his life so far, and he needed to showShin-chan how absolutely dead serious he was.
He could pinpoint the exact moment when Shin-chan understood. He could see it in the twitch of his eyebrow, in the tiniest hitch of breath, in the blood filling his face to the roots of his hopeless hair. Shin-chan turned his head to the side and there was nothing that Takao could do to stop the relieved chuckle from escaping.
Shin-chan growled. “That damned Kuroko…”