Archive of Our Own ^beta

The feeling of eyes following him had persisted throughout the entire evening — a feeling that, quite frankly, Gentaro had enough for one lifetime. Barely used to the impromptu autographs and pictures with fans of his novels and Fling Posse, the constant attention he received for dating Izanami Hifumi overwhelmed him far more than any fan sightings on the streets. He knew personally what being in a relationship with Shinjuku's number one host entailed and though he could handle the death threats that Hifumi's admirers threw at him, the thought of being stuck in a theater with potential assailants sat uneasily in the back of his mind. An imagination well beyond overactive, he was bordering paranoia at this point.

"...blocking the view, old man..."

"...should have sat somewhere else..."

"...got the karaage?"

"Zzz...."

Gentaro glanced around, those voices he'd been hearing since he met up with Hifumi buzzing in his ears. Familiar as they were, he couldn't ascertain whom they belonged to for he couldn't pinpoint their faces. Their bickering, though, suggested that they were not competent assailants and instead bumbling idiots who lacked the brains to execute an attack. Attempting to calm himself with that scenario, he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something more to the situation.

"Is something the matter, Gentaro-kun?" Hifumi asked, cutting his overthinking short.

"My goodness, this is so intense!" Gentaro clutched onto Hifumi, never mind that they weren't watching a horror film. He wouldn't be dealing with his paranoia alone, at least. "I feel as though the creatures will come to life and take me themselves! Oh, if only there was somebody to protect me from such a tragic fate..."

"Worry not, my darling princess~ I'll protect you." Snaking his arms around him, Hifumi pulled him in close. "No harm shall ever befall you while I'm here."

Carefully, Gentaro settled into his hold. Though his act was meant to stave off any onlookers, focusing on the film became a tad bit easier in Hifumi's embrace.

Out of all the places to spend a Saturday night, watching some boring movie in a cramped theater was the last thing on Ramuda's list — especially with the oh so wonderful Dr. Jinguji Jakurai. But grinning through his troubles to get what he wanted was one of his talents, and what Ramuda wanted outweighed his grudge against Jakurai. In fact, this whole thing was because of Jakurai's cute, little pet, so it was his job to make sure nothing happened to his Gentaro. Wasn't he the bestest leader in the whole world?

"Shit, we almost outta popcorn?" Dice said, peering into the tub. "We ordered like three large ones."

Whispering, Jakurai chided, "Arisugawa-kun, I would suggest that you keep your voice do —"

"Awww, Dice, you didn't save any candy for me?" With a whine too loud, Ramuda shook the empty box as if it'd make more fall out. He threw it at Jakurai, pouting. "Hey, old man, go get some more snacks!"

Frowning, Jakurai caught it with ease. "Amemura-kun, you're a grown adult, are you not? You should know how to get things for yourself by now."

"Yeah, but you're closer!"

"Be that as it may, it is something that you want so you should be the one to get it." Jakurai pursed his lips, sighing through his nose. "Anyhow, I cannot get up since Doppo-kun has fallen asleep on me."

Like he said, there was his other pet snoring on his shoulder. Wasn't it sad to see such a cutie-patootie wasted on a grumpy old geezer like Jakurai? Cute things should stick with cute things, Ramuda thought, so it was good that he was a cutie himself!

"It's okie dokie~ Let Mr. Salary-man sleep on me instead! ♥"

Without warning, Ramuda dragged Doppo over to his side. A swell idea if not for the fact that Dice sat between them, causing Doppo to land headfirst into the snacks on his lap. He stayed fast asleep somehow.

"Damn, Ramuda, you're gettin' corporate bitch all over the food!"

"Oopsie! Sowwie, Dicey-Dice!" Tongue poking out, Ramuda knocked on his noggin before settling Doppo's head onto his shoulder. What a yuppy puppy! They could play Twister with the way his body contorted without once waking up. "See, all better! Now the old man can get us some snacks. Isn't that right, Ja~ku~rai?"

Ramuda locked gazes with Jakurai, grin growing as he saw the storm brewing in Jakurai's eyes. To amp up the ante, he pulled Doppo’s hat off and stroked his head like the pup he was; fingers combing through his messy tresses. Unblinking, Jakurai slowly turned to Dice.

"What would you like, Arisugawa-kun?" he asked, tone polite.

"Uh... can ya get more popcorn? The buttery kind. Large. Some dried sardines, too. And a beer." Dice glanced at Ramuda. "Oh, and caramel churros."

"Al~so —"

"A large popcorn with butter, dried sardines, and a beer, is that correct? Understood." Without waiting for Dice's answer, Jakurai took his leave.

"Hey!" Ramuda called after him. "He asked for caramel churros, too!"

"Ssh!"

Shushed by the other moviegoers, Ramuda glared and stuck his tongue out at Jakurai's back. Stupid doctors.

"...shit, we already outta..."

"...old man, go get some more snacks..."

"...adult, are you not..."

"Zzz..."

Even if the film had been more engaging, Gentaro wouldn't have been able to ignore the ruckus going on behind them. From the sugary sweet cadence to the rough barks and the low timbre, the voices grew more and more familiar as the bickering went on. He glanced around again, scanning the audience to catch sight of whom owned those voices.

Immediately, he spotted someone tall walking towards the exit. Though their head was covered, Gentaro knew only a few individuals who held such an impressive stature. Narrowing down the possible suspects, he looked to the rows above and was met with a bright tricolor that he recognized from a dress shirt that Ramuda had designed. To the right, someone covered in concession snacks and strewn between them, someone sleeping. He squinted, swearing he saw cyan in the crimson locks of the slumbering person.

A hunch: unlikely it might be, it wasn't outside the realm of possibilities that the one wearing the Ramuda exclusive design was truly Ramuda or that the one who'd walked out was Jinguji Jakurai; that it was no doubt Dice who'd ordered enough snacks to feed an entire family and that the poor fellow fast asleep amidst this mess was Kannonzaka Doppo. Deadly rivalries set aside in a temporary truce, it could be that Fling Posse and Matenrou had teamed up to spy on his date with Hifumi.

Now wouldn't that make an interesting tale.

Still, Gentaro wouldn't jump to conclusions; making assumptions, he knew, lead to foolish judgments. But that didn't mean he couldn't have his fun toying with whomever was tailing him and Hifumi. If others were watching them, then obviously he should give them a show.

The scene playing on the screen a tame one, Gentaro buried his face into Hifumi's chest and shook. "Hifumi, I'm so scared!"

Hifumi tightened his embrace, as expected. "It's okay, Gentaro-kun, I've got you."

"I think I may need something more to make me feel better..." Doe-eyed, Gentaro peered up at him. "Like a kiss?"

"A kiss?" Hifumi said, always one to oblige — especially with that suit jacket of his on. Drawing closer, he'd already captured his chin between his fingers. "Ask and you shall receive~"

Within the cinema's darkness, Hifumi's lips met his and all it took was a tease to deepen their kiss. If he had to stop watching this very fascinating film and get a taste of Hifumi in order to throw any onlookers off, then that was a sacrifice Gentaro was willing to make.

Dice couldn't be bothered to watch the movie or Gentaro. The movie was another CGI-filled blockbuster and as for Gentaro, welp. Sure, he didn't completely trust Hifumi, but whatever Gentaro did with him wasn't his business. Ramuda had simply promised that he'd pay for all his food, and he wasn't one to turn down an offer like that. After all, he'd taken deals worse than sitting through a shitty movie on a friend's date.

Then the real action came.

"What the fuck?" Dice squinted. "Are they makin' out?"

"Wowie~!" Ramuda bounced in his seat, sending Doppo's unconscious body flopping. "Look at Gentaro go! ★"

Okay. But just because Gentaro's love life wasn't his business didn't mean he wanted to see it.

Picking up the leftover kernels, Dice threw them at Gentaro and Hifumi. He ignored the yelps of everyone sitting in the rows between.

"What'cha doing, Dice?"

Dice scowled. "I ain't lettin' that himbo suck Gentaro's face in front of my food!"

"Gotcha. Lemme help!"

Joining him, they fired popcorn kernels at Gentaro and Hifumi until they ran out. Plop, plop, plop. The pieces flew over their heads. Plop, plop, plop. Someone flipped the bird at him when it hit them instead. Plop, plop, plop. There was no stopping in sight.

"Goddamn, they still goin' at it?" Dice wasn't sure if he was impressed or disgusted. "Didn't know Gentaro had that much game."

"I picked our posse good!"

Fortunately, more ammo came in time. Arms filled to the brim with the food he asked for, Jakurai handed them to him. "Your snacks, Arisugawa-kun."

"Sweet. Thanks, Doc."

Not wasting a second, Dice and Ramuda continued their barrage. Plop, plop, plop. Pieces of popcorn landed in Gentaro and Hifumi's hair. Plop, plop, plop. Some old lady threatened to call security on them. Plop, plop, plop. Again, there was no end.

"Arisugawa-kun? Amemura-kun? What are you two doing? It's not appropriate to..."

Jakurai trailed off as he followed their line of attack. Whatever he was thinking, he didn't show. Just a hum and a slow nod of his head at the tongue wrestling taking place.

"Oh, oh, ooh! That Hifumi is going for his neck!" Tugging on Dice, Ramuda pointed at Hifumi pulling down Gentaro's collar. He puffed his cheeks out like a chipmunk. "If he leaves any marks on our Gentaro, I'm really gonna let him have it!"

"Fucker." Glowering, Dice threw a big one at Hifumi. It bounced off his cheek. "Motherfucker!"

Jakurai caught his wrist. "Arisugawa-kun, I understand that this is a rather... unsightly scene, but you should not be throwing food at other people."

"Boo!" Ramuda piped up. "Throw the beer, Dice, that oughta do the trick!"

"Good thinkin'," he said, aiming right at Hifumi.

Jakurai's grip tightened, caution in his tone. "Arisugawa-kun, please do not throw beer in the theater — hm?" His brows furrowed. Disheveled, Gentaro whispered something into Hifumi's ear and lead him towards the exit. "It appears that they're leaving."

Ramuda hopped up which sent Doppo rolling onto the floor. Somehow, the poor bastard didn't wake up when he skipped over him. "Hurry, hurry! We have to follow them!"

"Wait, where they goin'?" Dice asked, gathering the snacks into his arms. "The movie ain't over yet."

"Well~ Aren't there some hotels nearby? ♥"

Dice plopped back into his seat. "A'ight, I'm out. I ain't watchin' anyone fuck."

"C'mon, Dice!" Tiny as he was, Ramuda pulled on him to no avail. "There's gonna be more food later!"

Tempting. Verrry tempting. Maybe he could stuff his face afterwards to forget whatever he was going to see.

"Ugh, fine..." At least he had popcorn for the show.

Their plans had been this: watch that Disney film that Hifumi had been begging him to see, eat dinner at a high class restaurant that specialized in French cuisine, and have the rest of the night to themselves. Of course, things never went exactly as planned. With meddlers in the mix, Gentaro had to think quick on his feet. Their small display of affection was sure to throw anyone off, but for extra measure, he'd suggested that they head somewhere else. Headed nowhere in particular, he could only hope that their pursuers had taken their leave as a hint of something more.   

If they did follow their trail, though, obviously they wouldn’t have minded voyeurism.

"...y’all laggin’ behind..."

"...blame that dumb-dumb..."

"...had no intention of leaving my teammate..."

"...sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Gentaro stifled a sigh, catching sight of their pursuers. It seemed that the show wasn't over yet.

Hugging himself, he shivered — that part not an act, his extremities too cold in this humid weather. "It's chilly this evening, isn't it?"

As anticipated, Hifumi shrugged off his suit jacket with a loving, "Ah, it won't do to leave my princess in such peril. Here, I can help with that~"

Draping his suit jacket around Gentaro's shoulders, the ray of sunshine instantly took place of the beguiling beast. Charming as his host's persona was, Hifumi's cheerful side would be instrumental in throwing off the pursuers tailing them. The type to act first and think later, he'd play along to every line that Gentaro would speak.

As such, Hifumi placed Gentaro's hands on his cheeks and shivered. "So cold! Gen-chan, your hands are so cold!"

"Goodness me!" Running his thumbs along his cheeks, Gentaro said, “It seems that I’ve contracted frostbite. I must go to the hospital at once or risk freezing to death."

"No need for that, I'll warm you up!"

Leaving summer upon winter-stained fingers, Hifumi planted kisses along his palms. Though his shower of pecks soon came to an end, Hifumi wrapped his arms around him tightly and swayed the two of them from side to side. Indeed, no amount of sweet nothings nor grand gestures could overwhelm like displays of pure affection — overwhelming enough to ward off any onlookers, surely. Nonetheless, Gentaro let himself indulge this instance and rested his head on Hifumi's shoulder.

"Gen-chan, you have popcorn in your hair." Hifumi giggled, picking out the pieces. "I wonder where they came from?"

Though he had a fairly good guess as to why, Gentaro told him, "Didn't you know? They've installed concession stands in the cinema's ceilings to easier facilitate obtaining snacks. One places their order from their seat and it drops down. What must have happened earlier was a glitch in the system."

"Wow, really? They should install something like that in TOP DANDY, too! To make things more fun, y'know. Instead of a champagne tower, it'll rain champagne!"

"My, isn't that an exciting idea! Hopefully such a system doesn't malfunction then. It would be unfortunate if your club becomes flooded with champagne."

"Oh no, I dunno how to swim!"

Gentaro chuckled, leading him towards the pond in the park. "How convenient is it that there's a space for swimming right here. We've some time until our dinner reservation, perhaps you can learn now."

Humming, Hifumi peered into the shallow waters as if actually considering his suggestion. Truth be told, Gentaro wouldn't be all that surprised if he dived in right then and there but thankfully, he was not as thoughtless as other people that he knew. Barely, that was to say.

"But I don't have any swimming clothes on me," was Hifumi's simple reply before he lit up. "The fountain's so pretty, Gen-chan! Look at the lights! Let's take some pics!"

The mortifying ordeal of being known was another thing that Gentaro had yet to get used to, but being around Ramuda had forced him into the spotlight more often than he'd ever cared for — and by some cosmic karma, he'd landed himself a partner with similar social media habits. Such as it was, he had no chance to protest as Hifumi had already taken out his phone.

Hifumi's arm thrown around him, Gentaro blinked up at the reflection of them on the phone screen. A grin on Hifumi's face that glowed brighter than the lights of the fountain, Gentaro couldn't help but mirror it. He supposed it didn't hurt to keep some memories of their night.

Doppo woke up in Jakurai's arms — something that might've been romantic if not for the aches in his body, the sweat dripping down his face due to the humidity, and the racket that two-thirds of Fling Posse brought with them. Groaning, he hunched over his knees as they sat huddled together on the ground in favor of watching Hifumi and Gentaro be so affectionate with each other.

"I'm sorry for falling asleep back in the theater. I should've been awake and doing what I was supposed to do —"

"Do not worry, Doppo-kun," Jakurai said, rubbing circles onto his back. "There's four of us here, you needn't carry the burden for all of us."

"Yeah, dude," Dice said with a mouthful of popcorn. "Shit was whack anyways."

"You missed a fun show, though, Mr. Salary-man~! ♥"

Dice munched on, nose scrunching up as Hifumi and Gentaro cuddled. "God. If they start makin' out again, I'm leavin' for real."

"Nooo, Dicey-Dice! This is a team effort, you gotta stay!"

"Bro, I'm just here 'cause ya told me there's gonna be free food!"

Doppo tuned them out, their banter nothing more than an annoyance. The dark clouds looming overhead, he tried to focus on the breathing exercises that Jakurai taught him instead of regretting every single thing that lead up to this point.

Breathe in. Maybe if he hadn't messed up at work, he wouldn't have done overtime and fallen asleep. Breathe out. Maybe if it wasn't Jakurai who'd asked, he would've said no to this whole spying thing. Breathe in. Maybe if Hifumi wasn't such a dumbass, he wouldn't have considered agreeing to this. Breathe out. Maybe if he was a better friend, he would've trusted Hifumi's taste in men. Breathe out.

No wait, that was a breathe in moment.

Breathe in.

Breathe in.

Breathe. In —

"Ooh, they're taking pictures!" Ramuda piped up. Before Doppo could start hyperventilating, Ramuda dug his manicured nails into his wrist and pulled him up. "C'mon, let's go!"

Grasping Doppo's other hand, Jakurai spoke firmly. "Amemura-kun, we are not supposed to reveal ourselves to them."

"Psh, we're in disguise! It doesn't matter." Ramuda giggled as he tugged on Doppo. "Besides, I just wanna look cute in the background~"

Jakurai glowered, standing up for leverage. His grip on Doppo tightened. "Amemura-kun, we both agreed to the terms of this deal. If you —"

"They're aimin' this way, fuck!" Dice scrambled from his spot. "Quick, act natural!"

"Look, Gen-chan, we're so cute!"

Sitting by the ledge of the pond, Gentaro leaned against Hifumi's side as he scrolled through the pictures that they'd taken — more worse for wear than he'd like to admit. Pictures with Ramuda were one thing since he focused on himself, but Hifumi had insisted that they take individual shots. That being said, it ended up more like a photo shoot and Gentaro had plenty of those when it came to advertisements. As nice as the images were, Gentaro much preferred the selfies of just the two of them.

Rather, it was supposed to be just the two of them.

"May I see that for a moment?" he asked, reaching for Hifumi's phone and Hifumi was not one to deny him anything.

Zooming in, Gentaro squinted as he saw those four figures in the background. The small one wearing Ramuda's tricolor dress shirt was caught mid-skip, grinning as they pulled along the harried looking one and bumped into the food hoarder, sending the tub of popcorn flying. Annoyed, the tall one had moved to stop them.

In the next picture, a game of tug o' war between the small one and the tall one; the harried one caught in the middle of it. It appeared that they'd accepted their fate as a rope, their figure exuding exhaustion. All the while, the hoarder had collapsed to the ground, mourning their fallen popcorn.

The picture after that showed that the tall one had won the battle, cradling the harried one against his chest while reprimanding the small one. In return, the small one stuck their tongue out at them. On the ground, the hoarder crying on their knees as the small one stomped all over the kernels.

Making assumptions was a hasty act, but by the gods, his hunch had to be true.

"Something wrong, Gen-chan?" 

"Oh, nothing..." Returning his phone, Gentaro pointed at himself on the screen. "I just find this angle fairly unflattering, don't you think?"

"You don't have any bad angles, Gen-chan!" Hifumi shook his head, cowlick bobbing along. Then, a thoughtful hum. "Except for the bottom-up, your chin looks like a thumb. And like, your nose looks kinda crooked from the right sometimes. Oh, and — ow!"

Gripping onto Hifumi's arm as tightly as he could, Gentaro plastered on a smile. "Ah well, it's a shame that not all of us utilize layers and layers of filters to look perfect in our photographs." He checked his nonexistent watch. "Haven't we a reservation to meet? It's best we make haste."

Nails digging through his sleeve, Gentaro dragged him along. Hifumi's whines were but the city's white noise.

If not for Doppo speaking up between Ramuda's tantrum and Dice's crying, none of them would have noticed that Hifumi and Gentaro had left the park. Hurrying to meet their own reservation, Jakurai thanked God that this outing was nearing its end. Though he hadn't a violent temperament, Ramuda had a way of defying nature and Jakurai constantly reminded himself as to why he was here to keep his own temper in check. Praying for an uneventful evening, he hoped that their table would be as quiet as Hifumi and Gentaro's seemed to be.

"Good evening, I'll be your server today," a young woman said as she approached their table. "Can I get you all some drinks?"

"I'll have the sweetest thing you've got, honey-bun~ ♥" Ramuda singsonged, winking at her.

"Aw!" A hand over her chest, she turned to Jakurai. "Your son is so adorable!"

As soon as she spoke, Doppo's and Dice's jaws hit the table. Jakurai stifled back a snort as Ramuda blinked, his mouth twitching.

"I'm not —"

"He is, isn't he?" Jakurai said, lacing his fingers with Doppo's. "Although I apologize for his behavior, our youngest is quite the handful."

"No worries, sir. He's better than some of the other kids we get around here," she said, waving him off. In his peripheral, Ramuda seethed in silence. 

Polite and pleasant, she took down their drinks and gave them their menus — one of which was for children. Meeting Ramuda's sour smile with a self-satisfied smirk, Jakurai offered it to him.

"Your menu, Amemura-kun."

Giggling, Ramuda turned it down; banging it on the table with more force than necessary. "Thanks but no thanks! I'll look on with Dice~"

"What? Dude, c'mon, the kids' menu's got the chicken nuggies," Dice said, taking it for himself.

Jakurai nodded, his amusement hardly hidden. "Indeed, Amemura-kun. I would think the children's menu would be better suited for you given your tastes."

"Mmm, but I like to splurge every now and then, y'know?" He reached for a regular menu, but Jakurai slid it away with ease. Ramuda's finely manicured fingers tapped against the table.

"You said you would look on with Arisugawa-kun, did you not?"

"Whoopsie, did I~?" Smiling through gritted teeth, Ramuda hopped over the table and snatched the menu from him. "Must've been a slip of the tongue."

Deciding on their orders shouldn't have taken as long as it did, but Ramuda had a tendency to dilly dally. Flipping through the pages, he'd settle on one choice before seeing another and going "This looks better!" before repeating the cycle. Jakurai figured that Dice, on the other hand, was genuinely overwhelmed at his options given how he salivated over the menu. They called their server back eventually and placed their orders, but as they were finishing up, Ramuda chimed in.

"Daddy, can I get an extra large sundae~? ♥"

Jakurai locked gazes with Ramuda, a stilted smile meeting a saccharine grin. He narrowed his eyes. "Ah, but the dentist said that you have multiple cavities. We don't want to make it worse, do we?"

Ramuda pouted, lip gloss glistening as he stuck his lower lip out. "But I've been such a good boy, Daddy~ ♥"

"Good boys do their best to remain healthy."

"But Daddy!"

"Yeaaah, c'mon, Dad!" Dice joined in, a little too into the act.

Jakurai grit his teeth. "Perhaps you two can share a sundae later."

"I want my own!"

"Please, sir," the server pleaded. "Why don't you treat him for tonight?"

With that, Ramuda's grin grew wider in victory but Jakurai refused to let this round end in a total loss. Having the patience of a saint simply meant knowing when and where to display bouts of pettiness.

"Very well." Sternly, he said, "But only after you have finished your meal."

Regardless of his cheer waning a tad, Ramuda clapped much louder than need be. "Yay~! ★"

Jakurai sighed. Dinner could not end sooner.

"I'm totally super duper sorry about earlier, Gen-chan!" Hifumi said, apologizing for the umpteenth time. Gentaro didn't spare him a glance. "Your chin's a cute thumb!"

"So sorry," Gentaro said, annoyance underlying his casual air. "I am but a mere thumb, I can neither hear nor speak."

"Hey! You're speaking right now!"

"Am I? It could be that there's a cut on this thumb and you're merely hearing the oxygen flow in and out of the wound."

Pout turning into a frown, Hifumi retorted, "Get a bandaid then, so I won’t have to see how ugly you’re being!”

“Wonderful idea! Now if only getting you to shut your mouth was as simple as covering up a scab.”

"Hmph!"

Cheeks puffing out, Hifumi threw him a pitiable glare and silence fell over their table — which was fine with Gentaro; he needn’t any conversation to keep himself occupied. Hifumi, though, was never the type to let the quiet linger on for too long. 

“...Gen-chan.” He poked him. Gentaro gave no response.

“Gen-chan.” Another poke. No budge. In a sorry state that was unlike himself, Hifumi sighed.

"Gen-chan, y’know... I totes think you're cute even if you do look like a thumb. I think you're cute even when you're ugly! But, but, but, like, Gen-chan —" Hifumi reached over from across the table and took his hand in his, adoration in his eyes. "— I think you look cutest when you smile!"

Years of lying had taught Gentaro how to remain cool and collected, but he found it difficult to keep a straight face at the sight of Hifumi staring at him so earnestly. Gods be damned, why did they ever curse him with such an endearing partner? Still, Gentaro was not one to give in so easily.

"Is that so?" he said, finally looking at him. "Then perhaps you should give me a reason to smile."

"Reason?" Hifumi blinked and began tapping his chin, cowlick bobbing along to the beat. "Reason, reason, reason..."

A smile threatening to show on his lips, Gentaro took a sip of his tea to hide it as he watched Hifumi contemplate his request. It wasn't long until Hifumi lit up like a light-bulb.

"Oh, I know!" He pointed at himself. "I'm your reason!"

Gentaro raised a brow. "Are you?"

"Yeppers!" Nodding emphatically, he squeezed his hand. "'Cause I love you lots and lots, so I'm gonna make you super duper happy, which will make you smile real big!"

Gentaro held his gaze, not letting his facade fall yet — but the longer that Hifumi looked at him with those bright eyes of his, the more he felt his cold mask crumbling. Lips quirking up the slightest bit, he breathed a sigh as he squeezed Hifumi back.

"In that case, I suppose I'll consider forgiving you," he said, and instantly, there was Hifumi's sunshine smile. Smirking, Gentaro continued, "Anyhow, I know there must be a reason you never take photographs from the lower left angle."

Hifumi gasped, a hand flying to his mouth. "That's not a bad angle! All the other angles are just better!"

Falling into their usual banter, Gentaro could believe that the rest of their date would go smoothly — that dinner would be fine but not as fine as Hifumi's cooking, that they would wander around the streets lost in their own world, and that the night would end with a kiss — if not for the familiar voices buzzing in the back.

"...But Daddy..."

"...c'mon, Dad!"

"...well..."

Playing pleasant while Hifumi chattered on about a family of cats he saw the other day, Gentaro decided that the show would go on later. Dinner with his beau took a priority for now.

While The Party of Words might had banned weapons and violence, that didn't stop the cold war between Jakurai and Ramuda. Doppo's stomach twisted and churned as he watched Ramuda drop sugary sweet insults and Jakurai retaliate with politely veiled disses — and that was on top of making sure Hifumi was okay. He envied Dice, if this once; the guy inhaling his food without a care in the world. Thankfully, dinner went by with minimal casualties.

Then Dice got up.

"I'll be back. Gotta go pee."

Ramuda waved at him. "Don't get lost~"

"Psh, who gets lost goin' to the bathroom?" he said, but he looked unsure of himself as he left.

"Hold on..." Doppo's brows furrowed, following Dice's figure and seeing Hifumi sitting by himself. "Where did Yumeno-sensei go?"

"Oh dear, has he gone to the restroom, too?" Jakurai said.

Breathe in. Breathe out. "A-Amemura-kun, can't you call Arisugawa-kun or something?"

"Good thinking, Mr. Salary-man~! ♥" Winking, Ramuda scrolled through his contacts before he gasped. Knocking the side of his head, he said, "Oopsie, I forgot! Dice broke his phone the other day and we still haven't bought a replacement."

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe — fuck it. Doppo couldn't breathe right now. 

"This is terrible! What if he runs into Yumeno-sensei? Our cover will be blown and Hifumi's going to be pissed at me. Then he's going to kick me out of the apartment and I'll have to live with my parents because I can barely cover my own rent and —"

"Breathe, Doppo-kun," came Jakurai's soothing voice. The circles he rubbed onto his back acted as an anchor amidst the storm looming over. "I'm sure Hifumi-kun will be willing to hear us out if things come to a confrontation."

"Hehe, I dunno 'bout Gentaro though," Ramuda singsonged, shattering any sense of calm Doppo had worked himself into. "He might not be so forgiving~"

Doppo cried.

A trip to the restroom should be seamless and quick: one does what they need to do and freshen up if need be. Though not a place to socialize, one occasionally ran into someone they knew which would undoubtedly lead to small talk.

One just does not expect this to take place in the restroom of a high class restaurant.

Through the mirror, Gentaro studied the person washing their hands beside him. He recognized them as the food hoarder that'd been tailing him and Hifumi throughout evening — but of more import, he recognized the strands of blue poking out from their ball cap, the die hanging from the side of their head, and the outfit that was a one of a kind design that Ramuda tailored for Dice and Dice alone.

"Dice?"

The hoarder startled, head snapping towards him to reveal magenta irises. His hunch, then, proved to be right. 

"Yo, Gentaro!" Dice grinned, waving at him before his eyes widened in realization. Stammering, he pulled his cap down. "Uh... I mean, who the hell's Dice? Name's, um, Duce."

Gentaro put on a polite smile. He knew well how to play along with this act. "Ah, 'Duce,' is it? My apologies, I must have mistaken you for a friend of mine. You look quite similar to him."

"O-Oh, word?" Dice said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yes, right down to the accessories! He wears a cord of beads and a die in his hair much like yours."

"Damn. He go clothes shoppin' at Costco, too?"

"Indeed." Gentaro clapped his cheeks, mouth dropping to an "o" shape. "What are the odds! It's as if you two are the same person."

Dice laughed nervously as his eyes darted around the room for an escape route. "Dunno 'bout that. He must be my, uh, dope-a-gang or some shit."

"Perhaps so! It'd certainly be something if you were actually him because he definitely can't afford to dine in a place like this on his own."

"W-Wow, what a broke bastard. Haha."

"The brokest bastard I know! It's possible that our other friend might be treating him, but I haven't any clue as to why they'd spend the night here." Gentaro tapped his chin, pretending to ponder over the scenario. Sometimes one had to be head-on with the truth. "Unless, that is, they're with my beau's friends as well and they happen to be spying on our date."

Dice stumbled back. "W-W-Wh — Spying?! Shit, my guy, that's, uh. That's kinda fucked up, don't ya think?"

"Ah, forgive my overactive imagination." Shaking his head, Gentaro slapped his temple. "I would like to think my friends are better than that."

"Yeah, like. Your friends are just lookin' out for you, y'know? They care 'bout you and wanna make sure ya ain't dating a dickhead." Dice spoke so casually like he was commenting on the weather, nodding sagely before the weight of his words sank in. Stuttering, he rushed to correct himself. "N-Not like I know what they're thinkin' or anythin'. Just speakin' hypo-thermally."

"Mayhaps you do have a point," Gentaro said, having mercy on his slip up. His sentiments might had also struck a chord in him. "As well-meaning as their intentions are, however, I would've hoped that my friends had more trust in me about whom I see."

"Maybe they do, but... they're still worried 'bout you." Dice's voice dipping low, they held each other's gaze.

Rare was it that he — the three of them, really — discussed such serious matters, particularly regarding their relationship. Fling Posse had formed solely due to common interest, yet somehow they'd stayed together. Jokes and pranks they pulled on each other aside, Gentaro counted them amongst those dearest to him; likewise, he supposed, that they considered him the same. Always there to protect him when he was most vulnerable, naturally Dice was the one to voice his concerns. Gentaro could never fault him for that.

Breaking eye contact first, he said, "I suppose that's something I will have to discuss with my friends myself, and not strangers in the restroom."

"'Stranger'? Wh — Oh, right." Dice rubbed his nose, laughing nervously as he hurried towards the door. "Yeah, um, you do that. See ya later, Gentaro," he said, followed by a muted "Shit, fuck!" as he left.

Mulling over Dice's words, Gentaro considered his next act. While he appreciated Dice and Ramuda's intentions, that didn't excuse their actions; as such, inexcusable deeds called for punishment. In true vein of their posse's nature, he figured he could have one last round of fun. Discussion would come later, certainly, but what was a show without a grand finale?

The thumping of a fist on the table broke Doppo out of his downward spiral. Head snapping up, he saw Dice fidgeting in front of him.

"Shit, guys, we gotta go."

"What's wrong, Arisugawa-kun?" Jakurai asked.

"'Kay, so I kinda sorta ran into —"

"Two extra large sundaes?"

Interrupting them, the server placed the desserts down and left. Dice stared at it in a daze, all his previous worries gone.

"...Actually," he said, plopping into his seat. "Never mind."

Anxiety gnawed at Doppo's stomach. "Wait, what happened?"

"Nah, it's nothin'." Dice picked up his spoon.

"...Are you sure?"

Dice stuffed his mouth, saying, "Yeah, don't worry 'bout it. Jus' freaked out over nothin'."

"If you say so..." 

Doppo did, in fact, worry about it.

As he made his way back, Gentaro smoothed out his clothes and fixed up his hair to embody the role of an enamored youth: innocent and naive, so blinded by love that nothing else mattered — perfect for a dramatic finale. He returned to their table and began speaking in the sweetest voice he could muster up.

"Hifumin, darling, I'd like to talk about us."

According to plan, Hifumi perked up at the nickname he so wished to be called by. "Sure thing! What's up, Gen-chan?"

Loud enough so that the neighboring tables could hear, Gentaro continued, "Hifumi, something very important dawned upon me whilst I went to the restroom. I realized how much I cannot bear to part with you — even if for a few moments." He threw his head to the side, clutching his chest like a maiden whose lover left for war. "Whenever I leave your side, it is as if my heart is torn in two and I can no longer breathe. Life becomes meaningless without you in it."

"Oh no, Gen-chan...! I don't want you to hurt anymore!" Gaze glassy, sorrow filled Hifumi's features — that there the reaction that Gentaro was going for. Hifumi hopped forward in his seat and clasped Gentaro's hands. "That's it, I'm gonna stay with you forever and ever and ever so you never have to feel that way again! I'm gonna love you so so sooo much you won't ever feel pain!"

Gentaro sniffled, peering at him through his bangs. "Truly? You mean it?"

"'Course I do! I'm gonna be with you no matter what, so you don't have to worry 'bout a thing!"

A trick of the light made Gentaro's eyes glisten; his smile more genuine at Hifumi's passion than not. "Oh, Hifumin, you've made me the happiest man in the world — no, the universe! We should make this official then."

Hifumi tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that we should prove that our love is the strongest there is. Titles such as 'partner' or 'lover' mean little in the end, but our bond should be immortalized by the powers that be. So, Hifumi..." He wiped away nonexistent tears of joy and entwined their fingers together. Looking deeply into Hifumi's golden eyes, Gentaro milked the pause for as long as he possibly could before delivering his line. "Shall we elope?"

As soon as the words left his lips, a hush fell over the restaurant — or it might have been a stern shush from Jakurai to Ramuda — and Hifumi sat speechless for once. So unusually silent, Gentaro would've worried that he'd broken him if not for the trembling of his hands or the quivering of his lips; body humming with excitement the same way he did over fishing trips and building ships in a bottle and blowing his money on pricey trinkets that served no purpose. Had this been a legitimate proposal, Gentaro's heart would've swelled at the look of overflowing love that Hifumi gave him.

"Gen-chan..." Hifumi leaned over the table and kissed him, pulling back with a smile brighter than the sun. "Of course!!”

In the background, someone choked. If Gentaro were the type to gamble, he would've bet that it was Doppo.

"Doppo-kun! Doppo-kun!"

Sliding a glass Doppo’s way, Dice said, "Chill, jus' drink some water."

"Your help is appreciated, Arisugawa-kun, but water isn't going to help at the moment."

"How 'bout a lollipop~?" Ramuda said, pulling one out of his pocket.

Jakurai shot him a look. "Amemura-kun."

Wheeze. "I-It's fine, Doctor, I —" Wheeze. "S-Something just went down the wrong way —" Wheeze.

"Ya barely touched your food, dude."

"How could I eat when that... that idiot does things like this?!" Banging his head on the table, Doppo clutched his hair. He would go bald at this rate. "He's going to elope? With a guy he's been dating for like three weeks?!"

"Oh, oh, ooh! They should have a ceremony in one of those Western-styled chapels. They're so cute~! ★"

"Amemura-kun, please."

Breaking through their bickering, Gentaro's voice carried over — a sweet lilt that sent the insides of Doppo's stomach swirling with worry. Like a train wreck he couldn't look away from, he watched on.

"This is a dream come true, Hifumin~ Why don't we run away together as well? Leave the mess of the Division Rap Battles and the scrutiny of the public behind so that we may live the rest of our lives in peace."

Hifumi practically sparkled. "Sure! I know, let’s go to Paris! It's super pretty over there and they've got a lot of fancy food! Oh, and all that historical stuff. You'll like it there a lot!"

"Paris sounds quite lovely, but afterwards we should settle down in the countryside." Tone turning somber, Gentaro said, "It's best that we lay low so that no one will bother us. I was thinking that we will become sheep farmers and live off the land."

"Ooh, I like sheep. They're fluffy!" Hifumi gasped, clapping his cheeks. "I can knit us all our things with their wool!"

"See? This will be the perfect life for the two of us."

"You're right! And I can book us a flight tonight!"

Gentaro nodded furiously. "Yes, tonight! So that we can begin the rest of our lives immediately!"

"Hehe, Gen-chan, I'm so excited..."

Talking about running off to elope was one thing, but seeing Hifumi take his phone out and search for flights made something in Doppo snap. He'd seen Hifumi befriend bullies in elementary school who'd made fun of him in front of his face and he'd seen him date assholes in high school who'd taken advantage of his kindness, but he wasn't about to see him throw his life away for some guy he hardly knew — let alone some guy who'd made him cry before. Slamming his hands down on the table, Doppo stood up.

"Hifumi, what the fuck?!"

Hifumi startled, his phone clattering to the floor. "Doppo?!"

"You've done a lot of stupid shit but this is it! You are not going to drop everything to run off to fucking Paris with some guy you just started dating!"

Annoyance taking over surprise, Hifumi crossed his arms. "Actually, we're going to the countryside of France!"

"Does it matter? You're going to regret it no matter what!"

"How am I gonna regret it when I'm gonna be with Gen-chan?!"

"You say that now, but how are you going to support him and yourself?" Counting off his fingers, Doppo continued, "You don't have a degree! You don't have any marketable skills! You can't even speak French!"

"I don't need a degree or skills where we’re going! And I too can speak French!"

"Knowing 'hello' and 'egg omelette' doesn't make you fucking fluent!"

"Whatever! I'll teach the sheep Japanese!"

"Goddammit, Hifumi, do you hear yourself?!" He threw his hands up. "Why don't you ever think these things through?!"

"I am, Doppo-chin! I am thinking it through, and I'm thinking that me and Gen-chan are gonna live happily together —" He pulled Gentaro to his chest and cradled his head. "— away from your nagging!"

"'Nagging'? 'Nagging' ?!" Narrowing his eyes, Doppo scoffed. "I'm trying to stop you from ruining your life!"

"I’m not ruining anything when I'm gonna be spending it with the love of my life!"

"Really?" Doppo pointed to Jakurai — "You're going to put that guy over Matenrou?" — and then to himself. "Over us?!"

"Doppo-kun..." Jakurai said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hifumi-kun..." He raised his other hand in Hifumi's direction to placate him, too. "Perhaps we should move this discussion elsewhere."

Broken out of his rage, Doppo suddenly realized that everyone in the restaurant was staring at them — at him. Here he was calling Hifumi a dumbass, but he'd really gone and blown up in a public space like that. Oh God. Face growing as red as his hair, Doppo wanted nothing more than to die on the spot.

Dice flagged down a server. "Yo, can we get the check?"

Kicked out of the restaurant, Fling Posse and Matenrou standing together outside of it, and Kannonzaka Doppo bowed deeply in a dogeza on the sidewalk, reality made much more interesting scenarios than the ones Gentaro could ever imagine. A play named "payback" that had spiraled out of control, this story had taken on a life of its own.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry —"

"Doppo-kun, breathe."

"— I'm such an embarrassment for causing a scene back there. I've brought shame to you, Dr. Jinguji, and Matenrou. I've made us the laughing stock of the century. Chuuoku's going to strip us of our title for my foolishness. I don't deserve to be part of the team anymore —"

"May~be if you didn't make such a big deal about my engagement —"

"You, shut the fuck up!" Doppo snapped. Standing up, he jabbed a finger into Hifumi's chest. "This is your fault!"

"My fault?! You're the one who blew up over nothing!"

"This isn't nothing, Hifumi!" Anger giving way to exasperation, Doppo sighed. "Getting married and moving to another country are serious matters, you can't make these kinds of plans on a whim."

"I know, and I'm serious! I'm totally super duper serious about Gen-chan," Hifumi said, hugging Gentaro. "And if this is what it takes to make him happy then I'm gonna do it!"

"What happens if you two don't work out? He was ready to beat you up a couple months ago, all of this is too sudden."

Shaking his head, Hifumi squeezed him so tightly that breathing became difficult. "Nope! Don't wanna hear it! Gen-chan and I are going to France, and that's that!"

"Hifumi..."

"Gen-Gen, are you seriously leaving us behind?!" Bounding up to him, Ramuda tugged hard on his sleeve. His baby blue irises seemed a shade darker. "I thought we were your posse!"

"Yeah, man, what the hell?" Dice frowned, a pain worse than a night's worth of bad luck etched upon his features — his downtrodden expression one that Gentaro hated seeing. "Marrying that blond himbo's bad enough, you really gonna ditch us like that?"

Ramuda threw his arms around his waist and buried his face in it. For all the masks Ramuda wore, Gentaro could believe in the sincerity in his tone this once. "Don't go, Gentaro! I had a bunch of fun things planned for the three of us!"

What a predicament he'd gotten into, though Gentaro only had himself to blame for this mess. His web of lies had gotten too sticky and he'd caught everyone within his trap a little too well. Being the one who'd spun this tall tale, it was right that he be the one to undo it.

Freeing himself from Hifumi's hold and Ramuda's death grip, Gentaro stood back to get a good look at everyone.

"Ramuda, Dice, please forgive me. While I have enjoyed being a member of Fling Posse, I've grown sick and tired of the constant attention and simply wish for a quiet life with my beloved. Thus, we will be living the rest of our days as sheep farmers in the countryside of France."

From Ramuda's cheeks puffing out, to the crinkle of Dice's nose, Doppo sucking in a breath, and the furrow of Jakurai's brow, Gentaro cut their protests short with a confession.

"Of course, that was a lie."

Silence. Broken by a high pitched "Whaaa?"

"Though not all of it." Despite himself, Gentaro chuckled as he saw realization slowly dawn upon everyone. "It's true that I'm rather tired of being under everyone's scrutiny — particularly four certain individuals whom I spotted spying on our date earlier~"

"Wait," Dice said. "Ya knew we were following you guys the whole time?"

"Yes, Duce." At least Dice had the shame to look embarrassed. "Ever since the cinemas. I can give Dr. Jinguji and Kannonzaka-san some credit, but you and Ramuda aren't so subtle. Such as it was, I decided to make the most of the situation and have some fun with you lot."

Doppo's face pinched together, weary from the revelation. "So everything you've done was to... get back at us?"

"Correct, Kannonzaka-san. Although, I did not intend for things to escalate to this level and for that, I apologize to you all." Gentaro bowed his head towards Doppo and Jakurai. "I have no intention of separating Hifumi from you or Dr. Jinguji, whether it be now or in the future." To Dice and Ramuda, he dipped deeper. "And I certainly plan on staying with Fling Posse for as long as possible."

Another bout of silence. This time, Jakurai spoke first.

"To be fair, our actions were also unacceptable." He bowed his head in return. "Forgive us for intruding on your relationship, Yumeno-kun."

Following suit, Doppo stuttered. "Y-Yes, I'm sorry, Yumeno-sensei. Even if we were looking out for Hifumi, it wasn't right..."

Bouncing about, Ramuda bopped the back of Gentaro's head. "Waah, don't scare us like that again, Gentaro! Just for that, you're gonna have to treat me for the next three years!"

"For real, ya owe us big time for puttin' us through that!" Though Dice shoved him, his shoulders sagged with relief. "I'm thinkin' a hundred thousand yen for every minute listenin' to that bullshit oughta do it."

Grateful to whatever higher beings might be, Gentaro was glad that he hadn't caused any serious strains within their groups — which would have settled the matter if not for one more person still coming to terms with his lie.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Hifumi turned to him with wounded puppy dog eyes. "So we're not eloping?"

Guilt washed over Gentaro at the disappointment written all over Hifumi. So caught up in dealing with everyone else, he'd dragged him into his lie. The kind of man who wore his heart on his sleeve, this sunshiny side of him followed his whims without thinking twice — surely a dangerous disposition when placed in the hands of a liar. But more importantly, surely unfair of Gentaro to play around with so carelessly. Feelings as strong as Hifumi's were not meant to be toyed with, more so on such petty terms.

"No, Hifumi, I only said that to mess with everyone else," Gentaro told him gently. When Hifumi drooped like a wilted rose, he squeezed his hands tightly. The gesture might not mean much, but all he had were himself and his words. "Forgive me for getting your hopes up. It was distasteful in hindsight."

Stunned, Hifumi shook his head. "It's okay, but... um, you don't wanna get married?"

Hearing that, Gentaro hesitated. Just as love was a heavy burden, marriage was an arduous dedication. True as Doppo said, it wasn't a matter to be taken lightly — especially when what they had started off so inimical. Frustrating as his tendency to leap without looking was, to look far beyond the foreseeable future, the fact that Hifumi even considered such a union for them touched his heart. Nevertheless, here and now wasn't the ideal place to make such a big decision. 

"Try asking me that question in two years," Gentaro said, neither committing nor rejecting.

Hifumi perked up a bit. "How 'bout a year?"

"Hm..." Gentaro swayed his head side to side. "Perhaps."

"Six months?"

"More no than yes." At that, Hifumi sulked and Gentaro couldn't help but huff a laugh at the sight. "But it's not out of the realm of possibilities so as long as we're still together."

Though not a definite answer, the clouds hanging overhead made way for the sun and there was Hifumi's bright smile. Enveloping him in an embrace, Hifumi spun him around with that lively laugh of his ringing throughout the air.

"For Yumeno-sensei's sake," Doppo said, lips quirked up. "I hope you two don't get married for a long while."

"Hey!” Putting Gentaro down, Hifumi pouted. “What's that supposed to mean?!"

Chuckling, Jakurai patted Hifumi's head. "Hopefully any news of Hifumi-kun's marriage will be under better circumstances."

"Ay yo, I call dibs on being Gentaro's best man at the wedding!"

"No way, no way!" Ramuda tugged on Dice's arm. "I wanna be Gen-Gen's best man!"

"Back off, bro! Won’t ya got clothes to make then? Let us talent-less people do somethin', damn."

"You can throw the rice, Dice!" Hifumi said.

"Hold up, there's rice at weddings?"

Talk of a wedding that might or might not happen filling the night, Gentaro let out a sigh — content, in spite of everything — as he watched their groups get along for once (that was to say, as close to whatever "getting along" meant for them). The idea of marriage was as pretty as it was daunting, but it would be a lie to say that he couldn't see a life with Hifumi at his side — to grow old together with that ray of sunshine and spend the rest of his days basking in his light. For now, though, Gentaro was just trying to make it through one date alive. Preferably without his friends involved.