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Saegusa Ibara is, and always has been, an overly ambitious person. Sazanami Jun knows that better than anyone else. He is tempted to say that he knows the Vice President of Cosmic Production better than any of the Eden members every time someone brings up this topic. Most people would argue that practically everyone can see at least that part of Ibara, but Jun isn’t talking about that.
He is talking about the fire Ibara hides underneath all of his smiles, and he knows that everything Ibara shows on the surface is just thirty percent of what the boy actually is like. (He’s glad that at least he’s privileged enough to gain access to those hidden parts of Ibara, as Sazanami Jun and no one else.)
But Jun is starting to think that maybe he took the fact that Ibara let his guard down around him for granted.
“You’ll leave anyway.” Ibara said one day when Jun asked him out, an unreadable expression on his pretty face. It was not a rejection, nor was it an acceptance. That’s what Jun thinks, anyway, after he came back from his initial shock. Maybe he had been too carried away with how Ibara seemed to relax around him.
“What do you even know about that…” He mumbled that after Ibara had left, with his work calling him. Jun is cruelly reminded that this boy holds so much responsibility for someone so young and that Ibara doesn’t have the luxury to let himself free from all of the burdens he has on his shoulders. (Ibara’s back never looked so small before, Jun distantly thinks.)
The next day, the blue-haired boy doesn’t see Ibara much. And the next. And the next one as well. Isn’t this going out of hands? Jun doesn’t know why the magenta-haired boy would insist on avoiding him this much. Or maybe the other boy is just… busy. Jun grimaced. Yeah, right. For all he knows, Ibara could simply just be busy, like he always is.
Jun sighs.
---
“Ibara,” It was not only until a week later, that Jun actually sees the boy in one of the many corridors of the agency. The shorter boy tensed at his voice, it seemed, and turned around to face Jun, trying to relax his shoulders without Jun noticing. “Jun, fancy seeing you here!” Really , Jun lifts one of his eyebrows at Ibara’s words.
“Seeing me at Cospro?” Usually Jun would just let go of that, but not today. Not when Ibara hasn’t given him a proper answer yet. Those blue eyes of the boy in front of him widened slightly. Ibara’s smile tightens, and the blue-haired boy takes that as an invitation as he pulls Ibara towards the opposite direction.
“Wha-- hey!” Ibara protests, but he doesn’t do anything other than that. (Jun knows that the boy could overpower him easily, though.) Ibara lets Jun drag him somewhere , mentally reminding himself of the things that needed to be done after the Eden member is done talking with him.
As the clock is ticking, Ibara grows more and more nervous when Jun refuses to tell him where they’re going. “Jun! May I know where we are going?” It’s funny, Jun thinks, about how even in this situation, Ibara tries to turn it into his advantage. Which is, something that Jun definitely would not allow.
“Somewhere quiet.” Not long after that, he stopped in his tracks when they reached the rooftop. The blue-haired boy turns around to face Ibara, not once removing his hold on the other’s hand.
“I haven’t heard your answer yet that day, you see.” Jun grins, strangely feeling the courage running through his body. Ibara looks impossibly stunned. He frowns, opening his lips just to close them again. There is confusion in his blue eyes, one that almost makes Jun want to hug him. “I thought I had rejected you back there.” Ouch . Jun sighs, ignoring how Ibara had hit the nail perfectly.
“Well, you haven’t clearly rejected me, so.” Ibara looks dumbfounded at his words.
“Wha--”
“I won’t leave you, Ibara.” Jun’s hold on Ibara’s hand tightens as he steps even closer to the other boy. “And how can you prove that?” Jun huffs, leaning down until their foreheads are touching. “I can’t. But I promise you this. If I broke this promise, you can hunt me down to the edge of the earth, that’s fine.”
“You dumb idiot.” Or so Ibara says, even though Jun can clearly see the other boy clutching to his shirt tightly with his free hand. There’s a hint of adoration in Ibara’s voice, and Jun is in love .
“Your dumb idiot.”
“I haven’t accepted yet, though.”
“Really? ‘Cause I think you’ve already accepted it. Accepted me.”
At that, Ibara rolls his eyes and pouts, both of his cheeks red. ( Cute , Jun thinks.)
“Shut up, Jun.” But Ibara leans on Jun’s shoulder nevertheless.