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In one word, Hifumi is… affectionate.
It’s something that Doppo knows very well. He’s been best friends with Hifumi since they were both in middle school, after all, and he hasn’t changed much since then.
It’s not that Doppo particularly minds. He’s grown used to Hifumi constantly clinging onto his arm. And it’s not like Samatoki-san minds, either. He knows how Hifumi gets, and he’s fine with it as long as the only lips that touch Hifumi’s are his own.
It’s just that it gets kind of annoying, especially when Hifumi is being particularly clingy, like today.
“Hifumi,” Doppo groaned as Hifumi’s arms were slung around his neck. “Hifumi, stop it-- You have a boyfriend, you know.”
Hifumi laughed and gave Doppo a kiss on the cheek. “It’s fine,” he sang. “Tokicchi is totally cool with it, and I need my favorite Doppocchin to know that he’s super awesome!”
“Still,” Doppo grumbled, face turning faintly pink. “Everyone thinks you’re my boyfriend, y’know. And I kind of want to have a boyfriend of my own someday? Please?”
Hifumi laughed again. “Silly Doppocchin! You’ll be able to get the best boyfriend in the world someday!” He paused. “Second best,” he amended, “‘cause Tokicchi’s the best boyfriend in the world! Hey, did you know, last night--”
“Listen,” Doppo said, cutting Hifumi off effectively. “As much as I want to hear why you didn’t come home last night, I really don’t need any details. Or even any ideas of what you guys were up to.” Hifumi giggled. “Your loss!”
Doppo sighed, then noticed a familiar figure cutting through the crowd and coming closer to them.
“Hey, isn’t that Sa--”
Before Doppo could even finish his sentence, Hifumi was gone. He could almost see the blinking dashed lines that outlined where he’d been standing just seconds ago. He watched with amusement as Hifumi practically threw himself onto Samatoki, who caught him easily in his arms. They were probably going to start making out soon, Doppo thought idly. It never took them long.
Well, now that Hifumi had found someone else to assault with kisses, Doppo figured that he’d take advantage of this newfound freedom. (Not that Hifumi ever restricted him from everything. It was just nice to be alone sometimes.)
Samatoki would undoubtedly take Hifumi home, so Doppo didn’t have to worry about that. There was a coffee shop nearby, if he wasn’t mistaken, and Doppo could really use a coffee. So, mind made up, he made his way there.
It wasn’t too far of a walk away. It was on the main street, but there weren’t many people at this time of the day. There was the light sound of chiming as Doppo pushed the door open, and he was greeted by the scent of fresh coffee. The line was short for once. Doppo felt like he might have been having too much of a good day.
In just a few short minutes, Doppo was in front of the line. “An espresso,” Doppo ordered. The cashier smiled. “Okay! Anything else?” Doppo shook his head and the cashier rang him up. “That’ll be 250 yen.”
Afterwards, Doppo made his way to his seat. That was when he realized the problem. Though the line was short, the seats were all filled up. There was nowhere to sit.
“I should have known that everything was going too well,” Doppo muttered to himself. As he resigned himself to just taking the coffee home, a familiar voice said, “Would you like to take a seat, Kannonzaka-san?”
Doppo looked over to the serenely smiling face of Yumeno Gentaro. The author was seated at a table for two, though there was quite obviously only one of him. “Ah… is that okay, Yumeno-sensei?”
Yumeno smiled at him. It was something mischievous and secretive, though that was really all one could expect from him. “Of course it is,” Yumeno said. “Please, go right ahead.”
“...”
Well, Doppo wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He took the seat across from Yumeno. “Th-thank you.”
“It’s nothing.”
The two sat in silence for a moment. Yumeno’s attention turned back to his book, but Doppo had the sinking feeling that he was being watched. A waiter brought over Doppo’s coffee, which he accepted with a small, awkward smile.
“So,” Yumeno said as the waiter walked away. “Not with your boyfriend today?”
Doppo almost dropped his coffee. “M-my--! H-Hifumi isn’t my boyfriend…!”
Though Yumeno could certainly be forgiven for thinking that. Most people thought that, at any rate. Yumeno frowned. “He’s not?” he asked, looking confused. It was the only expression Doppo had really seen him wearing, aside from his usual cool smugness.
Doppo shook his head. “Uh, n-no… but i-it’s okay!” he added hurriedly. “Everyone thinks that, b-but Hifumi has his own boyfriend…”
“He does?” Yumeno’s tone was accusational, then it shifted to something more casual. “Sorry. I would think that his boyfriend wouldn’t like him hanging onto you all the time. That’s all.”
There was some sort of expression flittering across Yumeno’s face. Something akin to… relief? Or possibly satisfaction? Something along those lines, which was something that Doppo wondered vaguely about.
“A-ah, well…” Doppo shrugged. “Samatoki-san is used to it, I suppose. I-it’s not like Hifumi really does it to anyone else except me…”
“Samatoki… Aohitsugi Samatoki?” Yumeno hummed thoughtfully. “They make an unlikely pair,” he mused. Doppo couldn’t help but agree, but they did fit well together, somehow. “It took a while for Samatoki-san to warm up to him,” Doppo admitted. “B-but in the end… it works out.”
Doppo never really saw Hifumi happier than when he was with Samatoki, and that sort of made his heart warm.
“I see,” Yumeno said in a lukewarm tone. “So this would imply that you, also, have a boyfriend?” He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands, and Doppo vaguely felt that he was being interrogated.
“A-ah, no, a-actually…” Doppo muttered, feeling a bit self-conscious as he said it. “I don’t have a boyfriend. Or a girlfriend.” Or friends, Doppo added on mentally, to his own strange sense of humor.
“Really, now?” At that, Yumeno seemed… genuinely surprised. Which, in turn, surprised Doppo. “Why is that?” he asked. Doppo shrugged. “Ah, w-well… Aside from the obvious Hifumi clinging on me a-all the time… Why would anyone w-want to date me?”
“Well, why not?” The response came so quickly that Doppo almost got whiplash. He blinked once, twice, as Yumeno’s face turned faintly pink. “You’re certainly cute, and it’s not as if you’re not pleasant company.” Then he seemed to realize what he’d just said, and promptly hid his face behind his wide sleeves and stopped talking.
“I… um…” Doppo’s face was similarly red. Almost as red as his hair. “Y-you’re just saying that to be nice,” he muttered. Because, really, it sounded as if Yumeno was describing himself. Cute, yes, and when he wasn’t being an incorrigible liar, he was… well, good enough company.
“Am I?” Yumeno took a sip of his coffee. “Perhaps I am. I was simply saying that to be nice, because I think you are absolutely revolting and I cannot stand your presence,” he said with a straight face.
“A-ah… I see…” Doppo’s heart sank.
“That,” Yumeno continued, “was a lie. I do, in fact, think you are worthy of being taken out on a date.”
Doppo stared at him suspiciously. Yumeno was absolutely infuriating. He smiled mysteriously, because apparently that was the only way he ever smiled. “If you still do not believe me, then I’d be more than happy to prove it to you.”
“... ah, Yumeno-san… a-are you asking me out on a date…?”
Yumeno tilted his head. “Please, call me Gentaro,” he said. “And I am, if you are amenable.”
“B-but why?”
Yumeno sighed. “Did you really not hear me talk for the past three minutes?” he asked. Then he shook his head. “Well, it’s part of your charm, I suppose.”
“Y-you want to take me on a date.” Doppo was still stuck on that part, because why would someone as successful and, well, pretty as Yumeno want to take him on a date?
“Yes,” Yumeno said patiently. “I wish to take you on a date. No, that is not a lie. I simply wish to get to know you better. You're quite the interesting individual, after all. Is that quite so unbelievable?”
“Um.” Maybe. Yes. But then… Doppo couldn’t deny that a date with Yumeno -- ah, Gentaro -- didn’t sound all too bad. And it wasn't as though he didn't want to know more about the mysteries of Yumeno Gentaro. “Th-then, I guess we can…”
Gentaro smiled. This one wasn’t quite as mysterious as the others. “Perfect. Brilliant. What say you we go now?”
“Ah, I don’t think I can now…”
“Oh?” Gentaro sighed dramatically. “That’s a shame. Then wh--”
“Actually,” Doppo interrupted, feeling immensely proud of himself, “that was a lie. We can go now.”
Gentaro paused in his movements. He blinked several times, opened his mouth once, then closed it again. It was quite amusing to watch.
“... I have never felt so betrayed and so enamored at the same time.”