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Kuro loves sewing things—mostly clothes but there also were the occasional items like blankets or pillow cases, anything really that he knew he could sew with a needle and thread. It was a skill he learned from a young age, remembering that he picked it up from his mom after both he and Itsuki watched his mom sew up one of Kuro's torn up shirts—a memento now patched up from the rowdy fights the stubborn child in him used to engage in for poking fun at his childhood friend.
They were the good old days, trying to learn how to weave the thread meticulously. But little Kuro back then was a tad bit impatient, always too fast that he would prick a finger and a drop of blood began trickling down his finger. His mom would quickly patch him up and little Shu would scold him for acting so hurriedly. Kuro couldn't help but laugh at the memory, because Shu always had a sharp tongue since way back then, yet he means no ill will despite it all.
And he did deserve that scolding anyway, Shu was a much faster learner than him in the skill—and he's learned to love it so much that it's the entire reason why he's studying abroad in France now.
On the other hand, Kuro didn't particularly have strong passions to study further the arts of fashion or embroidery and what not. He wasn't particularly fond of being restricted to the confines of a building just for learning—school was tough, basically, and he didn't want to relive through that again.
Kuro loves being an idol, so that's what his sights are set for now. But he also loves sewing up clothes for his unit or others to wear, so when he gets the opportunity to do it, his hands are already beginning to pick up a pencil to sketch out a new draft. It's right here, in this place, where he finds his creative drive to be at its strongest, and Kuro wouldn't have it any other way.
Though his specialty mostly relied on clothes, the project he has on his hands at the moment was something a little different than the usual. Instead of sewing away with the usual long, flowy cloth in his hands, he was just doing the finishing touch-ups of a bunny plush toy.
There was something therapeutic about working on plush toys—the feeling akin to bringing life into a little creature of his own creation and knowing such a tiny creature like it would bring smiles to anyone’s face.
(He remembers one of the first few times he made one, for his little sister who wouldn’t stop crying after their mom died—the smile on her face back then was the most precious he’s ever seen, a smile he vowed to protect for the rest of his days.)
His hands worked dutifully with this personal project over the past few weeks, drafting and sewing and unravelling its seams when it didn’t look to his tastes. He never usually found himself to be so pressed on making this project to be as perfect as it could be, but there was a reason why Kuro wanted it to make it look as good as his mind envisions. And the answer lies in the face of a certain blonde-haired rabbit, who always lifted his head up and grinned from ear to ear whenever they met.
Nazuna was someone important to him. He was one of the first few people who became his friends back in Yumenosaki, the first idol he’s ever found himself to be dazzled with, and one of the few people where they both had opened up their hearts towards the other. It’s hard not to smile when he’s around, his presence alone beating the bright light of the various stars that twinkle in the night sky. When Kuro lays his heart out to him, it’s like the world comes to a lull and hearing Nazuna’s words alone is enough to soothe the aching and worries that tend to plague him.
Kuro wanted to express his gratitude to Nazuna, to show his appreciation for having him around and being his dearest friend. Though he’s been spending most of his time right now in college, they don’t fail to find an opportunity to meet up and spend some downtime together. And what better way for Kuro to give his thanks through his craft—he’s not the best in waxing poetics, but his hands are skilled in creating something out of stray pieces of fabric.
The fact it’s a gift for Nazuna alone is enough for Kuro to want to make this as amazing as he could, which is why he spent so much time on it. And after hours upon hours of working on it, he finally finishes the gift. It’s an adorable blue rabbit with bright white buttons for eyes and a cute yellow ribbon tied around its neck, smiling up at whoever holds it. The color reminds him of Ra*bits, which isn’t just a unit that Nazuna belonged to, but also composed of the most important people in the blonde rabbit’s life.
Kuro smiled proudly at his own handiwork, ready to finally hand over the precious little rabbit he created to Nazuna.
He waits the next day at a cafe where they planned to have an afternoon snack together. Kuro is there early, waiting quietly by the window with the bunny plush he stitched up stored safely in his backpack. Nazuna had told him in advance that he may be a little late because of an errand in his uni, and Kuro had assured him he wouldn’t mind waiting.
It didn’t take long for the blonde to make an appearance, speeding by Kuro at the window and waving at him happily as soon as he entered the establishment.
“Kuro-chin~” Nazuna greets him with a wave, and Kuro chuckles to himself while returning a wave back to Nazuna.
The cafe is mostly empty save for a couple of people minding their own business, so no one paid too much attention towards who had come and gone. Nazuna immediately hopped towards the table, and sat at the empty chair in front of Kuro.
Alright, Kuro thinks to himself, now is the time.
“Hey Nito.” Kuro greets him, a hand reaching for his backpack underneath the table and slowly picking up the rabbit plush that was inside. “Before anythin’, I have somethin’ I wanna give ya.”
“Hm?” Nazuna looks up at him, his head tilting and wondering what Kuro wanted to give him.
Kuro doesn’t make Nazuna wait, and just as Nazuna tries to formulate a long complicated theory on whatever it could be, the taller man presents in his hands the rabbit plush he had tirelessly worked on. Nazuna stares at it first, hard, but as his mind processes what he sees before him, his eyes begin to emit a sparkle that Kuro only ever sees when Nazuna gushes about his Ra*bits or, well, rabbits.
“F-Fwor mwe?!” Nazuna stumbles upon his words from excitement, but it doesn’t deter him when his eyes are twinkling and mouth is open with joy as he carefully takes the plush from Kuro’s hands. “Th-Thank you so much, Kuro-chin!”
“It’s no problem, Nito.” Kuro doesn’t resist a smile watching Nazuna press his cheeks against the soft fabric of the bunny plush. If Nazuna wanted to, he would be crying his eyes out right now to be given the most adorable gift in his life. But Kuro can tell he’s trying to hold himself back from getting too emotional over a simple gift.
It’s always so satisfying to watch Nazuna smile, expressing so much emotion over the simplest of things. The old him would very rarely produce a smile, his face always blank and empty like a doll in a glass case. But Nazuna isn’t a doll, he’s a living and breathing human who had cut off the strings tying him down, and is now running freely to wherever he pleases. He wants Nazuna to continue to be happy, and to never ever see him make a sad face ever again.
Kuro’s heart beats a mile a minute as he takes a picture in his mind of the smile Nazuna has from receiving the gift, unaware his own cheeks are heating up as he watches Nazuna fawn over the bunny plush he made for him.
Deep inside his mind, Kuro thinks that if Nazuna would keep smiling like that and Kuro would be able to protect it with everything he can, then that would make him happy too.