Chapter Text
settsu banri is always good at everything. he’s what people would call jack-of-all-trades, sans master-of-none, because banri can master everything. he’s good at caretaking, too. itaru is a living proof of this, and is also painfully aware that he’s too dependent on him. itaru brings it up several times, in which banri just laughs it off.
“you like it when i take care of you, and i like taking care of you— what’s the problem?” he said one day as he dried itaru’s damp hair expertly. it’s good, itaru almost dozed off to sleep. and that’s the problem.
banri is so good at taking care of people that he’s slowly becoming too dependent on banri; like he wouldn’t be able to do anything without him. it comforts him—that someone actually cares about him to that extent—and scares him at the same time. what if he’s becoming too dependent to the point he’s practically paralysed? what if when—itaru gulped fearfully—he became too dependent on banri and he suddenly leaves him? because he’s tired of him? itaru should’ve predicted this, but it’s still scary to think about.
chikage has warned him about being too dependent on the younger man. itaru only listened to a part of it, over the tone of one of his mobile game. he forgot a big chunk of it, too. ‘you can’t depend on him too much, chigasaki,’ or whatever it was. itaru didn’t really pay attention. all itaru cares is that banri is someone who genuinely cares about him despite his hobby.
though, if itaru really has to think about his dependency towards banri, it would be too late, now, when his double life is discovered by the people of his company; when his perfect pretence is now broken.
itaru hung his head low all the way from his office to the dorm. he only had one thing in his head— he needs banri and he only has banri now. tomorrow, all his co-workers will judge him for being a closet nerd, but banri won’t. right? now that itaru only has banri, the thought of his dependency towards him is out of the window.
chigasaki itaru’s two personas may throw people off guard, but banri doesn’t mind. in his dull life, he finds it interesting; on how fast itaru changes to his business mode, and how fast he goes back to his real self. itaru isn’t dependable and he’s too dependant. banri doesn’t care. in fact, banri likes it. he likes it when itaru depends much on him. like it when itaru turns to him. like it when itaru lets him stay in his room, since itaru trusts him.
so when itaru comes home looking timid and scared, banri welcomes him with a hug and reassuring caresses.
(someone, somehow, leaked taruchi’s personal information, that includes his full name, his occupation, his age, where he lives, how he looks, how he sounds— everything that itaru tries to separate. it went viral because taruchi is chigasaki itaru, the actor and the salaryman at this trading company.)
banri assumes that it would shock itaru so much, and he’s right. he looks shaken, pale, and he refuses to talk to anyone except banri. and banri takes the job gladly, being the one that keeps itaru company. he tells the rest of the company that itaru-san might need a day or two. the rest of the company also trusts him with the job, even though chikage’s looking at him suspiciously. (seriously, that man is too scary, sometimes.)
hours later, itaru’s finally agreed to sleep, even though it took quite some time to assure him that everything will be fine, that he is here for him, that banri won’t be going anywhere, be itaru asleep or awake. before drifting off to sleep, itaru whispers a small “thank you”. banri smiles.
(now that itaru’s asleep, banri goes back to his opened laptop. good thing that itaru didn’t notice what’s on his laptop. it’d be a big problem. though banri will certainly go through that trouble to make sure that itaru will stay dependant on him.)
settsu banri is good at everything; he excels at everything, also at the part on keeping itaru to stay close to him, to stay dependent on him. he’s good at it. he’s good at taking care of itaru, and he will— even it means to hurt him.