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‘’Happy birthday, Akira!’’
At last, the final guests arrived at the attic of LeBlanc, rousing cheers from the rest of the attendants. Ann and Futaba announced their presence at the top of the stairs and excitedly made their way over to the rest of the group. Akira was greeted with a tight hug from Futaba, who appeared to be beaming with joy. Ann greeted the other a bit more subtly, but there was no lack of excitement in her voice.
The attic that was usually cold and empty was now decorated with balloons, garlands and other festive items. Everyone had gathered around the table near the sofa: Ryuji, Makoto, Haru, Yusuke, Morgana. And now Ann and Futaba had also joined the party. The floor was filled with colorful bags of which the contents had already been unpacked. No one could wait for Akira to open their presents and each and every one of them was unique. It wasn’t hard to guess which present was given by who. That was exactly what Akira loved about them.
‘’Here you go, Akira! It was so hard to choose the right one without you accompanying me, but I’m confident this will look super cool on you!’’ Ann handed her friend a shopping bag containing a stylish gray jacket, which would undoubtedly give him a more mature look, but not overly mature. When Akira tried it on, it really did suit him. Ann’s sense of fashion never failed to amaze him.
‘’As I thought: you look so handsome in it!’’ she exclaimed happily, seeming relieved that her efforts were not in vain. Akira thanked her with a genuine smile. ‘’Thanks, Ann. I really like it. I’ll wear it the rest of the day.’’
‘’I got you something too, Akira!’’ Futaba ran up to him and handed him a smaller, neatly wrapped gift. When he carefully unwrapped it, he pulled out a dark blue charm with golden embellishments and Japanese inscriptions. ‘’It’s a good luck charm!’’ she exclaimed. ‘’I’m really thankful for you being my key-item in daily life, and I wanted you to have your own! So, with this charm, you will never fail your exams. And it’ll keep you safe in the Metaverse!’’
Akira smiled happily and attached it to his keychain so he wouldn’t lose it. ‘’That’s very thoughtful of you, Futaba. I will guard it with my life. Thank you very much.’’ Futaba grinned sheepishly and her cheeks flushed pink, just being happy that Akira liked her gift. Akira patted her on the head with a smile before the three of them returned to the others at the table.
‘’Man, isn’t it crazy how fast things are going? I mean, most of us are just one year away from becoming an adult!’’ Ryuji stated while leaning back casually from his position on the floor. ‘’I seriously can’t wait to become 18. Haru, Makoto, you guys must have had a sick party, right?’’
‘’Not really,’’ Makoto answered flat-out. ‘’It was just like any normal birthday for me. Sis came home that evening with a cake and we chatted a lot, relishing memories of the past.’’
‘’It wasn’t very different for me either,’’ Haru replied. ‘’What exactly did you imagine would happen on our birthdays, Ryuji-kun?’’
‘’Oh y’know, lots of alcohol, drinking games, boys and girls passing cherries from mouth to mouth… Maybe even going to a strip-club? You’re 18! You get to do all the things you couldn’t do before!’’
‘’Remind me not to attend your birthday next year, Ryuji,’’ Makoto plainly stated before taking a sip of her soda, earning a low groan from the blond.
‘’Don’t treat me like I’m one of a kind! C’mon, you totally get me, right, Akira?’’ Ryuji flashed a hopeful look toward his friend, while Ann and Makoto gazed at him as if they had higher expectations of him than of Ryuji. Obviously he was going to have to disappoint some people here.
‘’Drinking games certainly sound fun,’’ he started off with a positive statement. ‘’The other things you mentioned are just… questionable. I’m really not that type of guy.’’
The girls really did seem relieved while Ryuji was obviously disappointed, and then there was Yusuke who just really didn’t care about all that stuff.
‘’Perhaps the day that Ryuji will be robbed of his innocence is the day he will stop longing for such vulgar things,’’ the art-student stated, to which Ryuji obviously became flustered.
‘’H-How are you assuming I’ve never done any of that stuff?! For your information, I’ve totally gone past second base!’’
‘’That sounds like it must have been an awesome dream,’’ Morgana responded with a snicker.
‘’Why is the cat attending a humans-only birthday party? You won’t find any tuna here, furball.’’
‘’What was that? You wanna fight, punk?!’’
Makoto sighed as the bickering continued between the two as usual. Akira wasn’t bothered by it, though. They just had a… special sort of friendship. But it seemed that some of the others were anxious it would ruin things for him today.
‘’Guys, can you stop it already?’’ Ann finally spoke up, a stern frown on her face. ‘’Today is about Akira. Instead of fighting, how about we do something fun?’’ she suggested.
‘’Oh! I have something very fun!’’ Ryuji’s mood instantly switched when he was reminded of a particular something he brought for the whole group. The others watched in anticipation while he ran toward a large bag near the sofa. Much to their surprise, he took out what appeared to be three dozen of cans of beer out of the bag, grinning from ear to ear as he presented them to the group.
‘’Ryuji!’’ Makoto called out his name in shock.
‘’How did you even manage to purchase them? They don’t sell these to minors, do they?’’ Haru asked, her eyes widened in surprise as well. She didn’t appear to be as bothered by it as Makoto, though.
‘’A friend of mine gave me a tip about a place where they almost never ask for your ID. Even when buying this many, they never even cared about my age!’’ he stated proudly while placing a few of them on the table next to the cake that Futaba retrieved from the fridge.
‘’No, stop. I-I can’t allow you to drink these!’’ Makoto protested weakly, clearly feeling responsible as one of the oldest about letting minors drink beer.
‘’Come on, it’s fine. It’s just one more year, right? That’s not gonna make a difference! And it’s a special occasion and it’s not like I brought whiskey or anything! It’s just beer. Not like we’re gonna get drunk after drinking a can or two.’’
Ryuji persistently continued to place the cans on the table while Makoto exchanged nervous glances with Haru, who was also hesitant about it. Ann twirled her hair around her finger before speaking up. ‘’I mean, I guess it should be fine… I’m probably not gonna drink a lot of it. And I did come here by train, so it’s not like I have to drive or anything.’’
‘’I suppose I shall try one as well. New flavors tend to arouse newfound inspiration in me,’’ Yusuke said while gazing curiously upon the cans before cracking one open and taking quite a large sip. The group looked at him with anticipation, only to see the other scrunch up his face immediately after the bitter substance flowed down his throat. ‘’Ah yes… This flavor certainly inspires me to… empty my stomach right on the spot,’’ he bluntly stated before putting the can as far away from him as possible.
Makoto sighed deeply in defeat. ‘’Fine then… Just for today, I’ll overlook it. Just please, everyone, know your limits. It’s dangerous to ride the train at night in such a vulnerable state…’’ she warned her friends worriedly. She wasn’t keen on the idea of her friends still having to ride past Shibuya in a drunken state, when there were so many creeps roaming free…
With everyone promising not to overdo it, they all cheered and clanked their cans in the air when suddenly the sound of a door closing reached their ears. The room grew dead silent when footsteps clearly approached the staircase leading to the attic. In the midst of the confusion, Ryuji even counted all of the people present and concluded that there was no one missing from their usual group.
‘’Um… Are we expecting someone else?’’ he asked while turning his gaze to Akira, who seemed to know exactly what was going on. He was calm as usual, but a bit nervous about everyone’s reactions as he knew exactly how most of them would feel about this.
‘’I invited one other person, actually,’’ he stated, to which the others started thinking about who that could possibly be. There really was never anyone else besides their current group. Akira lightly pressed the can to his lips and looked at each of his friends. ‘’Just… don’t get mad at me, okay? And be nice…’’
Everyone was staring with great curiosity to the opening of the staircase as the mysterious person made their way up the stairs. Ryuji just took a sip of his own beer, only to spray it all over the table as soon as another young man appeared in the room. Everyone seemed to be at a loss for words, except for Ryuji who only had one thing on his mind.
‘’Him?!’’ he shouted way too loudly, the annoyance in his voice clear as day.
While the atmosphere wasn’t entirely unwelcoming, it was far from welcoming as well, which made things quite a bit awkward for everyone.
‘’Good evening,’’ Goro Akechi politely greeted everyone with a usual charismatic smile. Akira was the only one to smile back at him and beckoned him further into the room. It took quite a while for someone else to finally speak up.
‘’A-Akechi-kun, wow… We certainly didn’t expect you to be here,’’ Makoto said while trying her utmost best to smile at him. She still wasn’t quite sure how she felt about him yet.
‘’Neither did I,’’ Goro replied while taking off his coat and hanging it on the coatrack with the others. ‘’I didn’t expect to be invited to such a personal party, but it was too great an honor to pass up on.’’
As the detective closed in on the group, Ryuji’s eyes widened and instantly made a pitiful attempt to push all of the cans out of Goro’s line of sight. ‘’Oh my God, hide these, hide them, dammit! I can’t believe you invited over a cop!’’ he hissed at Akira, which obviously didn’t escape Goro’s attention.
The brunet chuckled softly. ‘’Detective, Sakamoto-kun. Not a cop. And please, I’m not so oblivious that I don’t understand what goes down at these types of parties. While I normally wouldn’t allow it, I will make an exception today,’’ he told the group before taking a seat at the head of the table, opposite of the birthday boy. ‘’However, I will not be joining you. I do hope you can respect my stance on it.’’
Goro looked Ryuji’s way, but was only met with spiteful glares. Haru was the one to respond to him. ‘’Oh, I think it’s admirable that you stick to your principles, Akechi-kun! You should never let other people’s opinions affect your stance on things!’’ She offered him a bright smile, to which he responded with one of his own.
‘’Yeah… It’d be a real shame if you actually abandoned your principles and had some real fun for a change. Must be real fun attending a party when you don’t bring the festive mood with you…’’ Ryuji said with a roll of his eyes, earning him a hard elbow in his side.
‘’Ryuji!’’ Ann hissed at him, obviously embarrassed by his behavior.
Goro cleared his throat, seemingly unaffected by the rude comment, but Akira detected some unease in those brown eyes while they gazed at the floor before looking back up at the group. ‘’I realize that I might be… a bit too formal for these types of events, but I do not wish to hold anyone back. So please, just have fun as you normally would. Perhaps I’ll be able to join in on the fun once I get used to this new atmosphere.’’
‘’I’m sure you’ll fit right in. Don’t worry too much over it,’’ Akira replied with a warm smile, which was one of the few welcoming gestures Goro had received since his arrival. While no one seemed to notice, Akira could only imagine how hard it must be to come into a tense room that was so joyful a moment prior to one’s arrival. It made him wonder whether he made the right choice to invite him… He didn’t want Goro to regret his decision to come. He already seemed hesitant when he invited him in the first place. But perhaps things could still change. The night was still young and they hadn’t even started on the fun stuff yet. Surely his friends, except maybe Ryuji, would make an effort to involve Goro in on the fun as well.
Goro seemed grateful to Akira’s kind words, letting out a subtle sigh in an attempt to calm his nerves. ‘’We were just gonna decide on something fun to do while eating some cake,’’ Akira explained, to which Ann suddenly clapped her hands.
‘’Oh! We should totally play a game!’’ she exclaimed.
‘’I agree. How about a card game?’’ Yusuke suggested, to which Futaba rolled her eyes.
‘’Lame,’’ she simply stated, ‘’Such an Inari idea. We should do something more exciting! Like a… daring game.’’ She grinned mischievously.
‘’Oh, like truth or dare? I did love to play that with my friends when I was younger,’’ Haru said with a happy smile.
‘’Now we’re talking,’’ Futaba replied, an evil snicker leaving her lips.
‘’Oh, I’m all in for daring games. I like where your head’s at,’’ Ryuji responded, but still seemed to think it over some more. ‘’But I’d rather play a game where I have even more control over all of you, so… how about the King’s Game?’’
Everyone seemed rather excited about that idea, so naturally everyone agreed to it. Only Goro looked a bit lost when they mentioned the game. ‘’I’m afraid I’ve never heard of it. Is it complicated?’’ he asked the group, to which Makoto replied.
‘’Not at all. The game is played with chopsticks, which will be numbered from 1 to 8. The ninth one will have the word ‘King’ written on it. Everyone in the room will pick a chopstick without knowing which one they will pick. When everyone has drawn, the King will reveal themselves and may give an order to a few of the other participants, but can only give orders to the numbers without knowing who they are. So it could be something like: number 2 and 6 have to do ten push-ups or number 3 has to tell a fun fact about themselves.’’
‘’Makoto, if you really believe the orders will be that simple, you’re in for a long night,’’ Ryuji responded with a malicious grin, the girl’s cheeks flushing pink in response.
‘’Y-You’re not going to give any weird orders, you hear me?’’ she demanded, to which Futaba rose from her seat and threw her fist in the air.
‘’The King’s orders are absolute!’’ she chanted, earning some cheers from Ryuji, who seemed to be incapable of controlling his excitement already.
‘’Futaba knows how to party! Come on, let’s go find those chopsticks!’’ The blond got up from his seat as well and eagerly hurried downstairs with the youngest girl of the group.
‘’Ugh, I hope this will be okay…’’ Morgana sighed worriedly before turning to the remaining members of the group. ‘’More importantly, I’m hungry for this cake already! Come on, let’s go get some plates from the kitchen!’’ the cat whined, earning a chuckle from Haru.
‘’You’re so cute, Mona-chan,’’ she stated with a giggle, but wouldn’t give the other time to argue with her. ‘’Can some of you help me retrieve the things from downstairs?’’
Makoto, Yusuke and Ann accompanied the two to the kitchen as well and promised Akira they would return soon, leaving him and Goro alone in a now silent room.
Goro hadn’t spoken much since he arrived, never seeming to find the right timing to join in on the conversation. Akira saw this as a great opportunity for the other to relax a little, but the detective still seemed a bit uneasy even though it was just the two of them. Before Akira could speak up, Goro finally broke the silence with a half-hearted chuckle.
‘’They certainly are a lively bunch,’’ he stated with a smile, though it wasn’t as sincere as he wanted to make it seem. ‘’It’s… a bit hard to fit into such a tight group such as your own.’’ Goro appeared almost saddened when he said that.
Akira nodded in understanding, knowing exactly how difficult that could be. But since he was closest to Goro, it was his job to change that. The rest of the evening, he should include him more in their conversations. If they were about topics Goro didn’t know about, he should steer the conversation in another direction so that they could involve him. It wasn’t fair that he was the only one left out.
‘’It’s just strange for them to have a new face in this attic. Up until now, it’s only been the eight of us. But I’m positive that they really enjoy your presence-‘’
‘’There’s no need for that optimistic attitude. I know I’m unwanted here,’’ Goro interrupted him with a rather painful smile on his face, one that really pulled at Akira’s heartstrings. ‘’The girls are too nice to say it out loud. Sakamoto-kun is not shy about expressing his real feelings toward me. I feel the occasional glare from Kitagawa-kun and Morgana on me as well. It’s no secret that I’m either despised or distrusted by the people around me. Your friends are no exception.’’
Akira dug his nails into the fabric of his pants and tightly pursed his lips together. While the detective tried to play it cool, it was obvious how much this truth hurt him. And yet it seemed like something he had grown used to, which made it even sadder. Akira never realized that fame could come at such a high cost. Goro just wanted to fit in, like everyone else, but he really didn’t have a place to belong.
‘’But you,’’ the detective suddenly said, ‘’I can never seem to deduce your true motives…’’ Akira tilted his head to the side in confusion as the other spoke in a genuine questioning tone. ‘’Your reasoning to invite me to your birthday, something you should be celebrating with only your close friends… Did you do it out of the goodness of your heart? Or just out of pity? Perhaps you felt obligated to invite me because otherwise I would be the only person in your social circle to be left out.’’
Akira couldn’t help but chuckle at the endearing habit of him thinking out loud. Goro seemed genuinely confused as he suddenly started laughing. Before he could take it as confirmation at his earlier statement, Akira explained himself to prevent him from jumping to conclusions.
‘’Akechi, you didn’t know about my birthday until I told you about it. If I didn’t want to invite you, I wouldn’t have mentioned it. So how could I feel obligated to invite you to a party you didn’t know about?’’
Goro seemed to be taken aback by his explanation, clearly not expecting him to say such a thing. He tended to think the worst of other people sometimes, but Akira seemed completely different from other people. He was so sincere in everything he said and did.
Akira offered the other a soft smile before concluding his statement. ‘’I invited you here because I wanted to. There’s really nothing more to it,’’ he said while grabbing himself a beer, feeling Goro’s surprised-filled eyes on him while he took a sip. Both of them were quiet for a moment before Akira spoke again. ‘’I feel like my bond with you has been growing recently. We have lots of fun at arcades and your go-to jazz club… You also keep mentioning how similar we are and how you feel a connection with me you don’t have with anyone else. And I feel the same. That’s why I’d like to include you in on more personal occasions. So… I really do hope you’ll have fun with us tonight. I’d like to make this day memorable for both of us.’’
Akira could tell from his expression that he had really reached his heart with those words. Goro seemed touched, but still a bit confused, that he was actually wanted for a change. It must be a foreign feeling for him to be invited because they actually wanted him to be there instead of being invited with ulterior motives. The two of them held eye-contact for the longest time, Goro struggling to find the words he wanted to say while Akira enjoyed the pure expression on his face of utter happiness. However, before Goro could speak up, he was interrupted by multiple voices from behind, announcing their return. The detective cleared his throat and shifted in his position on the floor while everyone dashed over to the table and started setting the plates, cuticles and chopsticks in place. The room that was so quiet for a moment was now bustling with incoherent chatter and laughter. Goro briefly looked around the room, almost as if he suddenly felt bashful about the chat he had with Akira. When he returned his gaze to Akira, he saw that the student still had his eyes on him and was smiling softly, making him feel even more timid. However, he felt a lot better now that the air was cleared between them. Knowing that he wasn’t just a burden to Akira made him more willing to commit himself to the party. Perhaps he would now be able to enjoy the rest of the evening.
‘’Alright, is everyone ready?’’
With everyone gathered around the table and a piece of cake on their plates, Ann held nine chopsticks in her hand with the numbers down to keep them concealed. Most people were eager to get started while others appeared slightly nervous. However, everyone was curious to see what kind of crazy orders would be awaiting them.
‘’Draw!’’
Everyone picked a chopstick from Ann’s hand while Morgana used his fangs to pull one out. When everyone had drawn, they all had a look at their numbers while the King made himself known by practically screaming with joy.
‘’WOOHOO! I’m the King! Hahaha, yes!’’ Every pair of eyes instantly turned to the excited blond, the girls looking at him in sheer horror. They could only imagine what kind of ridiculous order they would receive.
‘’Just our luck,’’ Ann complained before giving the boy a threatening look. ‘’You’d better not say anything weird!’’
‘’I’m the King! My orders are absolute!’’ Ryuji argued with an evil snicker leaving his lips before he thoughtfully looked around the room. Then a noticeable shade of pink flushed his cheeks and a perverted grin spread across his face. ‘’I order number 6 to flash me!’’
Just as the girls exchanged worried glances, a noticeable snicker came from the head of the table where Akira was sitting, a grin spreading from ear to ear. The color instantly drained from Ryuji’s face. ‘’No, don’t tell me…’’ But indeed, Akira was the one to lift up his shirt and show everyone his toned upper body, making Ryuji slam his forehead on the table. ‘’Nooo! Why?!’’
All the girls burst out in laughter and Ryuji earned himself a hard smack on his back from Ann. ‘’It’s called karma, Ryuji! You seriously are a pig.’’
With a hearty chuckle leaving his lips, Akira lowered his shirt again. ‘’I hope that satisfied you.’’
‘’Not in the slightest…’’ the blond mumbled before reluctantly handing back his chopstick to Ann, who was getting ready for round two. The sticks were shuffled properly before everyone drew again. This time, Haru was the one to let out a surprised squeal when she saw her chopstick.
‘’It looks like I’m King now,’’ she said with a giggle before thinking about an order she could give. Everyone seemed rather relieved since Haru didn’t seem like the type of person to come up with something very embarrassing. ‘’Then, I order number 2 to… carry number 8 for 20 seconds!’’ she happily announced.
‘’What?! But I’m number 2!’’ Morgana shouted before pleadingly looking over at the innocent girl, who was chuckling softly.
‘’That’s why I said cats aren’t allowed in here,’’ Ryuji mused with a grin.
‘’Well, I’m pretty sure pigs aren’t allowed in here either, but we’ll both just have to deal with it, now won’t we!’’ Morgana retorted. Before allowing it to escalate again, Haru quickly spoke up.
‘’Alright, then let’s do it the other way around! Number 8 has to carry number 2.’’
‘’Alright, jump right in, Morgana!’’ Ann told the kit with a bright smile while extending her arms. Morgana’s mood instantly seemed to brighten up.
‘’It seems luck is on my side tonight! Lady Ann, don’t let go of me!’’ With a happy meowing sound, he jumped right into her arms. She obviously seemed relieved that she didn’t have to carry someone else. Her back probably wouldn’t have survived that.
With Ann’s arms occupied, the chopsticks went into an empty beer can and everyone drew for the third time.
‘’Mwehehe!’’ Futaba snickered loudly before revealing that she was appointed to be King this time. ‘’We need to make things more interesting. Ryuji brought all this beer and no one is drinking. Sooo, I order number 1 to drink one can of beer in under 10 seconds!’’
‘’I’m sorry, but that’s really not possible,’’ Makoto replied while holding up her stick, revealing that she was number 1. ‘’I have to drive home tonight. You will have to pick someone else.’’
Futaba pouted, but still accepted it as a valid reason. ‘’Fine then. Number 4 has to do it!’’
‘’Oh…’’
The meek sound made everyone turn to the source of the noise, which was at the head of the table. Goro placed his chopstick on the table which had the number 4 written on it. He seemed rather conflicted about the order he just received.
‘’Ooh, it’s Mr. Detective man! Go on then! You have your orders!’’ Futaba insisted with an amused grin on her face. Everyone else was looking at him expectantly as well.
‘’You don’t drink, do you, Akechi?’’ Akira asked him, who seemed to be one of the few who remembered the brunet saying that he wasn’t going to join them. Goro looked up at the student who supported him in his choice. His reluctance to obey the order was written all over his face. ‘’You don’t have to do it,’’ Akira reassured him.
‘’Bullshit,’’ Ryuji instantly argued. ‘’No one can go against the King’s orders! Besides, he’s actually of legal age and he doesn’t have to drive, so there’s no excuse to turn it down.’’ The blond instantly turned his gaze to the detective, clearly not caring about his reluctance to indulge everyone in the request.
Akira narrowed his eyes at Ryuji, clearly upset with him for basically forcing the other into this. ‘’Drinking is not something you can-‘’
‘’Ah, it’s all right,’’ Goro suddenly insisted with a smile plastered across his face. ‘’Thank you for worrying about me, but it wouldn’t be fair for me to go against the rules and ruin the fun for everyone else.’’ On that note, the brunet took one of the cans from the table, cracked it open and brought it to his lips. Before Akira could protest, Goro downed all of it in one go, trying to be as fast about it as possible while Futaba started to count down from ten. The detective seemed to make a great effort to not gag halfway through it. He didn’t seem to be enjoying it at all. Then again, Akira never saw Goro ordering any kind of alcohol at the jazz club either. He must not be a fan of bitter drinks.
Despite him clearly hating every second of it, he managed to finish the can just in time before Futaba reached zero. The girls all started to cheer and clap for him as they were genuinely impressed by his dedication.
‘’That was awesome, Akechi-kun! I seriously wouldn’t have been able to do that!’’ Ann complimented him with a bright smile, which Goro did his best to return, but it was difficult with the awful bitter taste stuck in his mouth.
‘’Well, I’m glad it was entertaining at least,’’ he replied, pretending not to notice the amused, if not sadistic, grin plastered across Ryuji’s face.
Akira poured the poor detective a glass of water, which the other accepted gratefully. However, Akira could swear that Goro’s face was slightly flushed after all that… Even though it was just beer, it probably wasn’t a good idea to drink it all in one go. However, he still seemed to function properly during the next few rounds. Akira just made sure to keep a close eye on him in case he wouldn’t be feeling well…
It appeared that almost everyone got a turn being King and the orders ranged from simple requests to weirder suggestions. Yusuke and Futaba had to slow-dance for two minutes, Makoto had to carry Ann in bridal style, Morgana got a tummy rub from Haru, and Ryuji had to tell an embarrassing story about his life in middle school. However, as the night progressed, the orders seemed to get more interesting as most of the students were getting slightly tipsy. Ryuji was already working on his fourth can of beer and Futaba couldn’t stop giggling while her cheeks were noticeably flushed. Makoto, Haru and Morgana were the only ones who were a hundred percent sober.
‘’I’m King agaaain!’’ Futaba mused as she threw her fists excitedly in the air before thinking about her next order.
While Akira definitely felt a bit fuzzy, he was able to pay close attention to the game, every now and then glancing at Goro as well to make sure he was still doing well. The detective had a terrible case of hiccups after drinking too fast and Akira couldn’t tell what he found cuter: the hiccups or the fact that Goro seemed so embarrassed by it. Since he was always so calm and composed, it was hard to imagine a different side to Goro, so he was rather pleased to be witnessing that now.
‘’I’m getting bored… We need some fun orders!’’ Futaba whined before crossing her legs and sitting up straight, pointing her finger into a random direction. ‘’I order number 3 to… sit on number 7’s lap for the rest of the night!’’
‘’Ooh, nice!’’ Ryuji cheered excitedly, ‘’Damn, I really hope it’s two of the girls…’’
Everyone looked around the room to see who had the numbers. Akira was the first to make himself known as number 7 with a smile, rousing cheers from everyone, especially Ryuji. ‘’Oh man, you sure are damn lucky today! Come on, come on! Who’s the lucky girl here?’’
‘’Th-That’s…’’
Futaba was grinning from ear to ear when she saw the nervous detective twisting his chopstick in his hand, which clearly had the number 3 on it. The girls and even Morgana were cheering for the two boys as Akira flashed the brunet an amused grin while he crossed his legs and suggestively patted his lap. Goro laughed nervously while rubbing the back of his neck.
‘’That’s a bit embarrassing…’’ he argued, but he didn’t at all seem reluctant to do it. He just appeared to be nervous. It was getting a bit more intimate after all.
‘’Not only that, but it’s a huge disappointment as well,’’ Ryuji whined before looking at the orange-haired girl. ‘’Come on, Futaba. It’s Akira’s birthday! Pick someone else for him!’’
Before Futaba had the chance to respond, Akira spoke up instead. ‘’Didn’t you say that the King’s orders are absolute?’’ Ryuji groaned under his breath when his own words came back to bite him in the ass. ‘’Besides, who says I’m disappointed?’’ Again, the black-haired male turned his gaze to the boy opposite of him, who seemed quite tense all of a sudden. His cheeks were still flushed quite red, but Akira dared to bet that it had a different reason than the alcohol this time.
As the cheering from the rest of the group continued, Goro pushed himself to his feet and walked over to Akira who was all ready for him. When he was standing right in front of him, he was overcome with embarrassment, especially since Akira smiled so suggestively at him. He really didn’t understand what was going on in Akira’s mind right now.
‘’W-Well then, please excuse me…’’ he told him with a nervous smile before carefully settling himself in Akira’s lap, feeling his face burning right up when he felt the close contact between Akira and himself. His back was pressed against Akira’s toned chest, he could even feel his heartbeat through the close contact. He just prayed that Akira wouldn’t be able to hear his own…
The first thing Akira noticed was how warm the other was, but couldn’t tell if it was due to the alcohol or something else. Aside from that, he could actually smell the shampoo in his hair from this position. Akira was just an inch taller in this position and since Goro was leaning a bit back on him, it was easy to smell the coconut scent from his hair. It smelled really good…
Goro let out another nervous chuckle. ‘’I must be a bit heavy for you,’’ he said, ‘’Let me know if you need to readjust your position.’’ Akira shook his head with a smile. ‘’Don’t worry. Believe it or not, I’m quite comfortable like this.’’
‘’Are you really?’’ Ryuji asked in disbelief when overhearing the exchange. What the blond didn’t understand was that Akira had been feeling slightly different toward Goro for a while now. As he mentioned earlier, their bond was definitely growing and they had lots of fun together. Goro was so refined, charismatic and gentle. While the detective tried not to make it too obvious, Akira had long discovered his competitive side as well, which he thought was endearing. His smile was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen, but he always seemed to be smiling for other people’s sakes. There were lots of things he had yet to discover about him, because it seemed that his backstory was quite a bit more complicated than he originally thought. However, if he wasn’t imagining things, he really believed that the moments he spent with Goro were a brief escape for him from reality. Goro appeared much more relaxed when it was just the two of them and he would always tell him that as well: ‘’I feel like I can tell you anything.’’ It made Akira happy to know that he could be that person in his life. He wanted to be someone reliable for Goro. Seeing pain reflected in his eyes like earlier this evening made him want to protect him…
As the night continued, the requests were really starting to heat up. People were now throwing orders around like ‘lick this person’s neck’ or ‘show us your underwear’. Much to her dismay, Ann was even ordered to take off her bra and tie it around Yusuke’s head. Makoto was ordered to give Futaba a lap dance and Haru had the privilege of directly touching Ryuji’s abs.
Neither Akira’s nor Goro’s names had been mentioned a lot, sparing them the embarrassment the others had to go through. However, Akira was more often than not distracted by the feeling of Goro unconsciously leaning further into his body as he was starting to get drowsy. The detective flinched every time the back of his head touched Akira’s chest, but when noticing that the other really didn’t seem to mind, he allowed his body to rest against the other’s. The rest of the group was having so much fun that they didn’t even seem to notice those two. It was difficult for Akira to stop himself from smiling so much when Goro really found a comfortable position in his lap, resting the back of his head against his chest. Akira was quite sure the other would be able to hear his thumping heart by now, but neither of them seemed interested in repositioning themselves. It really did feel like… they were a couple.
‘’Alright~! Next round!’’ Morgana exclaimed excitedly while they all drew again. Every time they drew, Akira had to lean forward to reach the center of his table, causing him to press himself against Goro even further and basically hovering over him. It made both of their hearts pound quite a bit, but they didn’t seem to notice it about each other. Neither of them spoke up either. Goro seemed too nervous to try and make lighthearted conversation now. However, he too was feeling overly conscious of Akira’s presence and kept hoping that he wouldn’t have to leave his lap anytime soon. He was way too comfortable right now.
Yusuke was the one to draw the King chopstick this time. His orders had been rather subtle until now. Of course, he wasn’t the kind of person to make outrageous requests like Ryuji, but this time he decided to push his boundaries a bit.
‘’Hm… I would like to see number 2 leaving a mark on number 5,’’ he requested with a way too innocent smile.
‘’A mark…? You mean like a hickey?’’ Ann asked for clarification.
‘’Indeed. Marking one’s territory, a symbol of possessiveness… It’s a beautiful concept.’’
‘’You’re really overthinking this, dude…’’ Ryuji plainly stated before looking around the room to find the appointed candidates.
Akira and Goro looked at their chopsticks at the same time. While Goro seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep due to his comfortable position, he was now wide awake when he accidentally saw the number 5 on Akira’s stick, but his own did not have the second mentioned number. The detective’s eyes darted across the room, only to find a blushing Makoto tightly clenching her chopstick with the number 2 on it.
‘’Why do I always get the most horrifying requests?’’ she protested weakly.
The group instantly erupted in cheers and loudly encouraged the two to fulfill Yusuke’s order. For some reason, Goro felt his stomach bubbling with something he never felt before… It made him feel uneasy. He didn’t like it in the slightest.
When Makoto actually crawled over to them with her face bright red, Goro became even more flustered as they were actually planning on doing it. Not that that was surprising, since no one had actually rejected an order this evening.
‘’Isn’t this… getting a bit out of hand?’’ he suddenly protested, much to Akira’s surprise. The rest was taken aback by it as well, seeing as Goro seemed to be having fun during the previous orders.
‘’Dude, do you not see Yusuke over there with a bra warming his head? Obviously it’s gotten out of hand,’’ Ryuji replied with a hearty chuckle. ‘’That’s what so fun about this game!’’
Unaware of just how uncomfortable Goro was with this idea, the group continued to cheer them on when Makoto kneeled down next to her friend, whom she couldn’t look in the eyes right now. Obviously she was reluctant to do this as well, not that it made much of a difference for Goro.
‘’I’m sorry, Akechi-kun, can you… not look so intensely at me, please?’’ the brunette requested as she covered her face in embarrassment, which snapped Goro out of his thoughts. With tightly pursed lips, he quickly turned his head away from the both of them.
‘’I wouldn’t dream of it…’’ he replied in barely above a whisper. Ugh, he just wanted to cover his ears as well, but people would think he was overreacting if he did that… He just had to tough it out for now.
Akira was quick to notice that Goro was acting strange. He seemed rather uncomfortable… Even more than Makoto. He could only see a fraction of his face right now, but he appeared to be sulking. Could it be…? He really didn’t want to get his hopes up, but… could Goro be jealous, by any chance? Then, were his feelings not one-sided after all?
In the midst of his thoughts, he felt a gentle hand of Makoto on his shoulder as she leaned in, clearly aiming for his neck. But before she could do anything, he politely stopped the young woman and rolled up his sleeve. ‘’How about doing it here instead?’’ he asked her, tapping his forearm while Makoto let out the biggest sigh of relief.
‘’Yes, that would be much less embarrassing,’’ she replied with a smile. It might still be a hickey, but at least it was in a less intimate place and far less visible than on his neck.
Goro’s ears perked at Akira’s alternative solution and at last turned his gaze back at the girl, watching in utter surprise as she sucked on the skin of his arm instead.
‘’Hey, that’s cheating!’’ Futaba argued, clearly disappointed with the outcome.
‘’No, it’s not. You told her to leave a mark, you never mentioned where,’’ Akira replied with a cheeky grin. It didn’t take very long for Makoto to finish and it was by far one of the most unerotic sights of the entire game. Goro seemed incredibly relieved, which didn’t escape Akira’s attention.
‘’Were you dreading it that much?’’ he asked him as he was far too eager to see his reaction. Goro noticeably flinched at the sudden question, not expecting Akira to have noticed his discomfort while the scene nearly unfolded.
‘’O-Oh, no, of course not,’’ he replied, another nervous chuckle escaping his lips. ‘’I just felt bad for Niijima-san. She seemed quite reluctant, as did you.’’
‘’Did I really seem reluctant?’’ Akira asked, instantly feeling Goro tense up against his body before he turned his head, meeting Akira’s gaze for the first time since they were this close.
‘’Were you not…?’’ he asked almost disappointedly, which caused Akira’s lips to curl into a happy smile. Only then did Goro realize he slipped up. With his face burning up, he faced forward again. It was a trick! He couldn’t believe he fell for it… However, Akira was smiling from ear to ear behind him without saying anything else. That was all he needed to hear. Based on his reaction, he guessed it was safe to say that Goro, too, had some complicated feelings for him. Very interesting indeed…
‘’Guys, isn’t it getting a little late?’’ Makoto said as she checked the time on her phone. It was indeed dark already. They had been playing the game for a while now. ‘’How about we make this the last round? Then everyone should be able to make it to the last train as well.’’
‘’That’s a great idea. Yusuke, can I get my bra back? I prefer not to ride the train with my nipples on display…’’ Ann asked, though it sounded more like a demand as she extended her arm.
‘’Ah, of course. Thank you for lending it to me. It was very soft and comfortable,’’ the blue-haired student stated as he handed it back to her.
‘’That’s really not a compliment I wanted to hear…’’ Ann skillfully strapped the bra back where it belonged without showing anyone any part of her body. With that out of the way, everyone drew their last chopstick for tonight and eagerly awaited for the King to announce themselves.
‘’Yay, it’s me!’’ Ann exclaimed happily as she presented her stick to the rest of the group.
‘’Great job! Make the last one a good one!’’ Futaba cheered.
Everyone looked at the blonde expectantly while she thought about her last order. ‘’You know, out of all the things that happened tonight, we still haven’t seen the most obvious one: a kiss!’’
‘’Oh, you’re right! I expected that order would have come up earlier,’’ Haru replied with a bright smile, clearly excited about this particular order.
‘’I really want to see that happen. It’ll be a great way to end Akira’s birthday. So I’m kinda hoping I’ll pick his number. He’s the birthday boy after all,’’ she stated with a grin while she winked in Akira’s direction.
Again, that idea really didn’t sit right with Goro… The brunet took a deep breath to calm himself. Well, there were eight people here. What were the odds she would pick Akira’s number?
‘’Well then, I’ll pick number… 6,’’ she said slowly, almost as if trying to envision everyone’s numbers. Everyone looked down at their chopsticks. Goro’s eyes widened when he saw that number written on his own stick. Wait, what? He had to kiss someone? No way. There was no way he wanted to do that.
‘’And number… 5.’’ Upon the mentioning of the second number, Akira lowered his chopstick just enough for Goro to curiously glance at it. His heart dropped when he saw a different number written on it. Well, that would have been a crazy coincidence. Well then, who was he supposed to-
‘’Aw, yeah! I’m number 5! Go on, bring it!’’ Ryuji’s eyes eagerly darted across the table to see who he would be sharing a passionate kiss with. However, as soon as his eyes met the horrified ones of Goro, his own looked equally disgusted.
‘’What?! How is that possible?! This is the gayest party I have ever been to!’’ the blond shouted in frustration. Again, the girls seemed to enjoy it quite a lot as they burst out laughing. Ann even went as far as to try and push Ryuji closer to him while Futaba grasped Goro’s hand and weakly attempted to pull him off of Akira’s lap.
‘’Come on now~! The King’s orders are absolute! You have to kiss!’’ Futaba was having the time of her life by making kissy faces, which sent shivers up Goro’s spine.
‘’I refuse,’’ he plainly stated, seeming truly disgusted by the mere thought of it. Surprisingly, when Futaba tugged his arm with more force that nearly caused him to lose his balance, he felt a strong arm wrapping around his waist to keep him in place. Goro blinked in surprise before slowly looking up at Akira, who seemed to be terribly uncomfortable this time. His grip even tightened around him, refusing to let the detective leave his lap, which made Goro’s heart pound even louder than before.
‘’I refuse as well! Enough of this bullshit! I will kiss anyone, anyone but that guy!’’ Ryuji fiercely protested, sending disgusted glares toward Goro, which he returned with equal as much hate.
‘’I don’t know ‘bout you guys, but I’d rather see Mr. Detective man kiss someone,’’ Futaba said with a cheeky grin, causing Goro’s cheeks to flush. Before he could respond however, there were already tons of supporters on their way.
‘’Yeah, I agree. I just can’t imagine Akechi-kun kissing anyone, so I’d love to see that for myself,’’ Ann replied.
‘’W-What’s that supposed to mean?’’ Goro questioned, unconsciously backing away in Akira’s lap, who still had a firm hold on him.
‘’You know, you’re always so stiff! So composed and professional. I’d like to see you in a more… vulnerable state,’’ Ann explained with a giggle. ‘’It will be a more valuable experience to see you kissing someone! So if not Ryuji, how about number 1?’’
‘’That’s not going to work…’’ Morgana replied with a sigh, the chopstick with number 1 under his paw.
Ann grunted in frustration. ‘’Ugh, well I don’t want it to be me! No offense, but you’re not my type, Akechi-kun. And it would be way too awkward… Makoto, what’s your number?’’
Makoto’s face instantly heated up again, hastily pushing her chopstick below the table. ‘’I-I don’t want to say…!’’
‘’Well, isn’t this flattering…’’ Goro mumbled under his breath with a soft sigh. If no one was even willing to sacrifice themselves, why would they all make a big fuss about this anyway?
‘’Please stop this ridiculousness… I truly have no intention to-‘’
Suddenly there was a light grip on his chin that tilted his head to the side and before he could question it, a soft pair of lips gently pressed against his own. The girls erupted in squeals and both Ryuji and Morgana stared in sheer horror as the scene unfolded in front of them. Yet Goro was clearly oblivious to all of this as his body paralyzed on the spot when Akira boldly kissed him in front of everyone.
Akira shut his eyes the moment his lips touched Goro’s, but he could tell that the other’s brown eyes were wide open. The shock of it clearly hadn’t entirely processed yet. In order to see if he could take it a bit further, he slightly increased the pressure and tried to move his lips against Goro’s to see if he could somehow make an opening. However, this only resulted in the brunet making nervous sounds, his lips stiffly glued together without budging an inch. That’s when the truth finally hit Akira: he had just taken Goro’s first kiss.
He could faintly feel the detective trembling against his body, almost as if he was afraid of Akira taking it further. But after only a few seconds, the student slowly broke the kiss, leaving Goro in a state of shock and his face bright red.
‘’Wait, that’s it?!’’ Ann exclaimed in utter disappointment.
‘’That was so lame! We wanted to see a real kiss!’’ Futaba added.
‘’Speak for yourself!’’ Ryuji yelled. He looked as if he was really trying to hold himself together. ‘’Oh… Any more of that and you would be scrubbing vomit from your floor…’’
Akira gently placed his hand on Goro’s arm, who was having a difficult time to compose himself. ‘’I think we have all seen enough tonight,’’ he replied when the girls demanded to see more. Words alone couldn’t describe Goro’s relief when it ended the way it did. He would not have been able to handle the embarrassment of everyone watching them sharing a kiss that passionate.
The attic was once again bustling when Makoto checked her phone once more and concluded that their time was up. ‘’Alright guys, it’s time for us to leave now. Does anyone need a ride home?’’
Everyone got up from their seat, so alas it was also time for Goro to get up from Akira’s lap. Everyone seemed a bit woozy due to the alcohol they consumed, so a few of them took up on Makoto’s offer.
‘’Oh, no! I feel bad for Akira now. We made such a mess of the place,’’ Ann said while turning to look at her friend with a guilty look on her face. Akira only smiled politely and shook his head.
‘’Don’t worry about it. I can take care of it myself.’’
‘’I’ll help too, Akira!’’ Futaba offered, wobbling on her feet.
‘’No, you need to go home and sleep. And don’t let Sojiro find out you drank alcohol…’’ Akira said worriedly, fearing for his head if Sojiro would know what went down today.
Futaba pouted, but didn’t bother arguing with him. When everyone said their goodbyes and headed downstairs, Goro offered the other a polite smile.
‘’I can stay and help you out if you like,’’ he offered while already beginning to collect some of the plates along with Akira.
‘’Are you sure? What about your train?’’ he asked. The door downstairs closed as everyone left, finally bringing some peace and quiet to the café.
‘’I will figure something out. I can’t just leave you with the mess we caused,’’ Goro replied with a polite smile. Akira was quite surprised by his normal behavior when he was beet red just a moment ago. He guessed he was probably too embarrassed to bring it up himself. Akira grinned to himself while they collected all the dishes they could carry and take them downstairs to wash.
After throwing away all the empty cans of beer, the two went on with washing the dishes together in the small space that was the kitchen. Neither of them spoke as they enjoyed the silence that finally took over the room. However, Akira couldn’t stay quiet for much longer.
‘’I guess I went a bit too far on that last order, didn’t I?’’ As soon as he mentioned it, he saw Goro stiffen up from the corner of his eyes, suggesting that it must have been on his mind for quite some time. It was obvious he was trying to hide his nerves behind a smile, though.
‘’N-Not at all. You were just playing by the rules,’’ he replied without looking at the other. Instead he just kept trying to focus on the task at hand, which was difficult with Akira so obviously gazing at him. ‘’I was just a bit surprised,’’ he insisted.
‘’It was your first, wasn’t it?’’ Akira said straight to the point, closely observing Goro’s reaction. The detective noticeably flinched and instantly stopped was he was doing. His cheeks flushed bright red. Apparently he wasn’t expecting Akira to figure that out. And now that he had, he had no idea how to reply to it. He seemed quite embarrassed by it.
Akira didn’t let him suffer in silence for much longer as he had no intention of embarrassing him. ‘’I could tell pretty quickly. You seemed quite stiff and uncomfortable.’’
It was silent for a brief moment, but then Goro finally spoke up. ‘’…Is that why you stopped?’’ he asked softly, drying one of the last dishes and placing it on the pile next to him. Akira answered with a nod.
‘’Yeah. A first kiss is supposed to be special, not forced in the middle of a game. I didn’t want you to experience it like that.’’
Akira took off his apron before turning to the detective, who had no choice but to look at him as well now. He seemed quite a bit nervous, chuckling softly while rubbing the back of his neck as a nervous trait of his. ‘’You are surprisingly thoughtful… If not a bit romantic.’’
Akira smiled as he said that, happy that his sentiment was appreciated and that he did the right thing. He watched Goro nervously avoid his eyes while slowly rubbing his arm. ‘’I…’’ He lightly bit down on his lip and turned his gaze down when a light blush crept upon his cheeks. ‘’I didn’t want to do it… in front of so many others,’’ he stated in a tone nearly above a whisper.
His words could be interpreted in many ways, but this time Akira decided to take his chances and go with the one he liked best. He wasted enough time dancing around the subject. He slowly approached the detective, who finally looked up with a surprised look on his face when Akira closed in on him. His back was basically pressed up against the kitchen counter when Akira stopped right in front of him, giving him absolutely no room to back away from him.
Goro looked like he was about to ask him what he was doing, but decided not to say anything and allowed himself to get lost in those gorgeous grey eyes. Akira did the same, just looking at him longingly for a short moment before he slowly leaned into him, brushing his lips against Goro’s before capturing them in a soft kiss.
This time, both of them closed their eyes and while Goro was still quite nervous, he seemed a lot more relaxed than earlier. His lips were not as stiff as they were before, allowing them to gently move against each other. Akira really savored the feeling of those soft lips kissing him back tenderly. In the midst of it, he reached out to Goro’s hands which were tightly clenching around the edge of the counter, gently taking them in his own and guiding them to his chest. After a little while, Akira created an opening to further deepen the kiss, earning him a surprised squeak from Goro, but he allowed it to happen. Goro completely relied on Akira’s guidance during that kiss, letting his tongue be dominated by the younger student and enjoying every moment of it.
A couple of sweet minutes went by until they were both satisfied and broke the kiss at the same time. When Akira opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of a bashful Goro, who stared back at him with reddened cheekbones. His eyes on the other hand, displayed great confusion. Moreover, it looked like he was on the verge of tears for some reason. A shaky sigh left the detective’s lips before lowering his gaze and shaking his head.
‘’I don’t understand you…’’ he whispered, feeling a soft squeeze in both of his hands while still pressed against Akira’s chest. Akira could see him struggling to find the right words to say, so he decided to help him out a bit.
‘’You have been taken advantage of many times in your life,’’ he stated, referring to him being an idol and being used for people’s own benefits. ‘’You’ve been treated cruelly and unfairly most of your life… But I won’t do that to you. I won’t betray your trust.’’
This time, Akira was the one to feel his hands being squeezed tightly in response to those words. Goro tightly clenched his jaw to hold back the tears that were ready to spill. Noticing this, Akira gently pulled him into a hug, which the other allowed. He seemed tired of pushing people away. Akira really hoped he could some day make him understand that he was not one of those rotten adults using him however they liked just to gain something.
‘’We really are similar,’’ Akira stated with a soft smile, finding himself stroking Goro’s hair. ‘’We both started out as misfits, but I found a place to belong. And now you have one as well.’’
Goro really seemed to let himself melt into the embrace, enjoying the warm hand caressing his hair as well. Honestly, he couldn’t remember the last time he felt this way. Wanted… and loved.
‘’Where’s that?’’ he asked softly without budging an inch from his current position against Akira’s chest, who smiled softly before he answered.
‘’Right by my side.’’
Goro took a deep breath before letting out yet another shaky sigh, trying to compose himself. However, Akira could practically feel for himself the huge burden that was lifted off of the detective’s shoulders. Moreover, he caught a glimpse of a smile right before Goro slowly pulled away from the embrace. Then he couldn’t help but avoid Akira’s gaze yet again with a nervous smile, making Akira grin. He could get used to the sight of a bashful Goro. He felt honored to be the only one to ever see him like this.
Akira glanced at the clock in the kitchen, noticing how late it was already. “You missed your train,” he said with a chuckle. “There’s a budget hotel somewhere in this area.”
Goro looked up at him with a slightly surprised look in his eyes, the disappointment undeniable which made Akira grin. It was quite fun teasing him, as long as he would make up for it right after.
“Or… would you like to spend the night here?” he asked, telling him what was really on his mind. Obviously he had no intention to let Goro go tonight, not after what just happened.
Again, Goro realized he was being teased, but he spent little time sulking about it. Instead he looked at him with a rare, genuine smile and answered with a heartfilled: “I’d like that.”
The two of them then headed upstairs and spent a sweet, quiet evening together, cuddling up closely in the small bed and falling asleep in each other’s arms.