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“Whoa, WHOA!”
The loud exclamation catches Hanzawa's attention as he exits the karaoke bar he and his college friends had just spent the past two hours at. A quick glance around reveals a set of familiar heads huddled together.
“Oho?”
How suspicious.
He breaks off from the group and comes to stand behind the three figures. A couple of his college friends send him confused looks, but he waves at them and mouths 'bye-bye' and they continue on their way.
“What're you guys doing?”
He'd expected to scare all three with his sudden arrival, but Kuresawa barely blinks as he turns and deadpans, “Hello.”
Tashiro has a much more exciting reaction, jumping and staring up at him with wide eyes. “Geh! What're you doing here, Hanzawa-senpai?!”
Shirahama stutters, “We a-aren't doing anything—” but Hanzawa cuts him off, spotting two more familiar figures in the distance.
“Wait, isn't that…”
Hanzawa's gaze flicks from the obvious couple on the other side of the street back to the three third-years who’re doing a poor job at hiding their intentions. His mouth raises into a smile.
“I think I'll tag along with you boys.”
Tashiro immediately shakes his head. “No, please go hang out with your friends!”
Hanzawa's college friends are still within view, hanging around outside the karaoke bar they'd just left. He could rejoin them if he wanted to…but honestly, what's happening right now seems much more interesting.
“We just got finished with an all-night karaoke session, so I've hung out with them enough,” Hanzawa says, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.
All three third-years look frightened by his casual words as Tashiro exclaims, “Holy frick, college students are terrifying!”
Hanzawa chuckles. Tashiro never fails to amuse him.
The four of them move to lean up against a building as Miyano and Sasaki disappear into a CD shop.
“So…” Hanzawa starts. “Why exactly are you tailing those two?”
Tashiro explains, jabbing a thumb in Shirahama's direction, “Shirahama wasn't convinced they'd be flirty and cute no matter where they went. So I wanted to prove it to him.”
Hanzawa's eyes crease. “I see. Then we need to make sure not to disturb their date, hm?”
Kuresawa and Shirahama nod, while Tashiro pouts like he's offended Hanzawa would even suggest that.
“We would never!” he says. Then, as an afterthought: “Though really it was just an excuse to get Kuresawa to hang out with us since he usually ditches us for his girlfriend, so I'd say everything's worked out just fine!”
Kuresawa tilts his head to the side. “That's what you were attempting? Gosh I'm so popular.”
The last sentence is spoken in monotone, but Tashiro must either not notice or not care, because a smile lights up his face.
“Yeah, you are!”
Hanzawa breaks out into a bout of laughter. Wiping a tear from his eye, he's thankful he had the luck to run into the three of them that day. It was nice to see that some things haven't changed.
“Well then, shall we check out that newly-opened apparel store? I heard they have an interesting selection,” Hanzawa suggests once he's calmed down. He points across the street, towards a large shop that has the words GRAND OPENING advertised on a banner above the front doors. If it just happens to be in the opposite direction from the CD store Miyano and Sasaki are in, that's nobody's business but his.
Tashiro's eyes light up in interest. “Totally!”
“I guess we can take a break from watching those two,” Kuresawa agrees easily.
Shirahama scratches his cheek sheepishly. “Besides, they're in the CD store now. Not like we could follow them discreetly in there.”
Hanzawa claps once.
“Then it's decided.”
Ten minutes later, Hanzawa is picking through a clearance clothing rack. The store turns out to have some things that are to his taste, which is a nice surprise considering his sometimes unconventional fashion choices.
Picking out a button-up with a subtle cheetah pattern to it, Hanzawa's about to move on to another rack when a small display shelf catches his eye. There's a variety of headbands resting on it, all in streaking colors and reminding him of a certain someone.
Hanzawa hesitates only a moment before calling out.
“Tashiro-kun! Come look at these.”
It's a couple of seconds before Tashiro appears next to him. “What's up, Hanzawa-senpai?”
Hanzawa gestures at the headbands, and he swears he can see stars appear in Tashiro's eyes.
“These are…!” Tashiro picks one up and flips it inside out. A vaguely familiar brand name is etched into the inside. “I didn't think they were in stores yet! I have to try them on.”
Hanzawa chuckles. “I figured. They look like your style.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Tashiro quips, drawing attention to the headband he'd been wearing as he takes it off and replaces it with one of the store's.
It's only for a second, but in the time it takes Tashiro to put it on, Hanzawa sees something silver reflect near the top of Tashiro's ear.
“Oh? What's that I spot~?” Hanzawa sing-songs, reaching out and lifting the newly-placed headband up to expose the upper half of Tashiro's ears. Tashiro flinches, looking flustered. “Did Tashiro the Delinquent get piercings to match his half-bleached hair?”
Sure enough, at the top of Tashiro's ears are silver studs, one in each. They're…cute.
“Ehehe,” Tashiro shuffles awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I'd been considering getting some for a while. And then talking with Miyano and Kuresawa made me realize how many of our senpais have some. So I figured…why not?”
Hanzawa hums thoughtfully.
“So that's why you texted me awhile back, asking how many piercings I have. I thought you were just flirting.”
Tashiro turns red, as expected.
“Wh-What?!”
Hanzawa laughs and continues, “Though I have to wonder…what kind of image does the ping-pong club have of their president that's gone full-delinquent now and gotten his ears pierced, hm?”
He touches his fingers to his face and pretends to think. Tashiro pouts, hands on his hips.
“You don't get to say anything about that! Not with your—”
And all of the sudden, Tashiro is reaching forward and brushing Hanzawa's hair behind his ears. Despite his loud tone, his hand is gentle, and warm. Even when he pulls his hand away, he remains close, examining both of Hanzawa's now-exposed ears. His face is only a couple of inches from Hanzawa's own, and Hanzawa is left blinking stupidly. He smells like bubblegum.
“...eight, nine, ten? piercings!” Tashiro counts in shock. “I swear you only had nine the last time I checked!”
He finally moves away, giving Hanzawa some much needed space.
Awkwardly threading his fingers through his hair in an attempt to return to normal, Hanzawa struggles to find something to say.
“...I got another after I got into college,” he finally says, and is relieved when his voice comes out in its usual light tone.
Tashiro eyes his few exposed piercings, smiling. “Well, it's not like they don't suit you.”
Hanzawa isn't sure what to make of that, so when Tashiro runs off to find a mirror and he's left by himself, he shakes himself out of his stupor and pockets Tashiro's headband that he'd left behind before following after him.
“Praying to get a girlfriend?”
Tashiro sighs as Hanzawa comes to stand beside him, and Hanzawa laughs as he says, “More like praying to pass all my exams.”
Dropping his hands, Tashiro backs away from the altar he'd been praying in front of and scratches his head. “I've decided to wait until college to date,” he admits. “No matter how painful it is when you're surrounded by nothing but happy couples.”
The second sentence is directed at Kuresawa, who's striking a peace sign in front of a statue while Shirahama takes a picture—no doubt for Kuresawa's girlfriend, who everyone knows he's crazy about.
Hanzawa laughs again, which comes as no surprise. “Hahaha, I feel you. Sasaki is bad enough with 'Myaa-chan' this, 'Myaa-chan' that, but Hirano has been especially intolerable lately…”
Hanzawa realizes too late what he's accidentally implied, but by then Tashiro has already whipped around to stare at him in shock, eyebrows disappearing into his headband.
“Hirano-senpai? Does that mean he's dating someone?!”
“Oops. I said too much,” Hanzawa mutters, but…he's always loved a bit of drama, so he continues, voice low, “but let's just say Sasaki and Hirano both prefer younger partners.”
He brings a hand up to his mouth and mimics zipping it shut. Tashiro nods excitedly, mirroring him.
Hanzawa chuckles at Tashiro's earnest expression, so he's caught off guard when Tashiro asks, “Then what about you, Hanzawa-senpai?”
Hanzawa blinks. “What?”
Tashiro tilts his head to the side, and Hanzawa can practically see the gears turning. “Do you prefer younger partners too? Though I've never heard of you dating anyone…”
If Hanzawa didn't know any better, he'd think Tashiro was coming on to him. But as it is, Tashiro isn't that kind of person, too upfront to ask sly questions like that without anything but pure curiosity fueling him.
“That's…” Hanzawa chuckles awkwardly, waving his hands. “I'm not interested in dating. I just like hanging out with my friends.”
Tashiro's eyes light up, cementing his innocence in Hanzawa's mind.
“I get that!” he says, smiling wide, and Hanzawa's own false smile raises a bit. “Like, if you dated someone you'd have to give up time with your friends for them.”
Hanzawa nods, glad to finally have someone understand his desire to avoid romance rather than refute it. “Right, right. I just have so much fun hanging out with everybody, I can't see anything but trouble coming from focusing so much attention on just one person.”
Tashiro rests his hands behind his head, relaxed, and his easy-going attitude rubs off on Hanzawa, whose face breaks out into an honest grin despite his best attempt to quell it.
“Great minds think alike, hehe,” Tashiro says, eyes upturned into slim crescents, and Hanzawa is at a loss for words for the second time that day.
A response eventually spills out of his lips. “...or struggle to think, in your case.”
Tashiro puffs out his cheeks. “Hey!”
But it's clear he isn't really upset because he's still smiling, and Hanzawa almost reaches up a hand and ruffles his hair, but he doesn't.
“Good luck on your exams,” he says instead.
Tashiro's smile blossoms into a full-blown grin, and Hanzawa has to look away.
“Thanks!”
They stop by a nearby café to eat, and it's only then that the three third-years seem to realize that Hanzawa's been slowly but surely keeping them away from Sasaki and Miyano.
He catches the three of them whispering amongst themselves before he slides into the cafe's booth, setting his drink and sandwich down and watching as the three go quiet.
“What're you guys talking about?”
“N-Nothing!” Tashiro stammers.
“My girlfriend loves egg sandwiches,” Kuresawa says, spotting Hanzawa's food. “Mind if I take a pic?”
He's clearly avoiding Hanzawa's question, but Hanzawa already knows what they'd been talking about, so he shrugs and lets it go. “Not at all.”
Kuresawa raises his phone, and Hanzawa does a peace sign as he snaps a photo.
Shirahama, who'd frozen up at Hanzawa's sudden question, shifts his eyes around before landing on the large parfait that’s resting in front of Tashiro.
“Shouldn't you be eating something a bit healthier for lunch?” he asks, but Tashiro just waves his hand dismissively.
“I'll be fine! I eat stuff like this all the time.”
Tashiro picks up the spoon that’s resting beside the parfait and dips it into the sweet treat. The spoonful he pulls back does look delicious, Hanzawa has to admit. The parfait is absurdly pink, laced with strawberries, raspberries, and whipped cream. Hanzawa glances down at his own egg sandwich in partial regret as Tashiro says, “Plus, how could I say no when I saw this beauty eyeing me from behind the counter.”
With that, he pops the spoonful into his mouth, and almost immediately lets out a delighted noise.
“Well?” Kuresawa asks, as if Tashiro's face wasn't answer enough.
“It's delicious!!” Tashiro exclaims, immediately digging in for another bite. He must notice Hanzawa staring, because after a couple of bites, he stops and points a spoonful in his direction.
“Want a bite, Hanzawa-senpai? You do like sweet stuff, don't you.”
Hanzawa is too tempted by the delicious-looking parfait to even feel sheepish. “Really? Tashiro-kun is too kind~”
He expects Tashiro to hand him the spoon, but instead he leans across the table, holding it closer to his mouth. He realizes he's waiting for him to take a bite.
Trying not to overthink the action, Hanzawa closes his mouth around the spoon and pulls away in one swift move. Fruit and cream flood his taste buds, and he lets out a pleased sigh as he leans back. “Mhmm. Very tasty.”
Maybe he can sneak another bite in while Tashiro isn't looking?
“What? You want a bite too, Kuresawa?” Tashiro asks, and Hanzawa turns to see that Kuresawa is staring at the two of them with a thoughtful look on his face.
He shakes his head. “No thanks. I'll only do an indirect kiss with my girlfriend.”
Hanzawa, who's just started drinking his coffee to wash down the sweet taste of the parfait, chokes and begins to cough as he realizes what Kuresawa means.
Tashiro looks between Hanzawa, who's attempting to regain his breath, and Kuresawa, who's patting Hanzawa's back in an attempt to help him. Hanzawa can almost see the question mark appear above his head.
“'Indirect kiss'? What's that?” he asks.
Shirahama of all people opens his mouth to explain, but just then Kuresawa points out the window.
“Oh look, it's Ogasawara-senpai…”
“Huh?”
Sure enough, the three turn just in time to see the delinquent pass by their booth's window before disappearing.
All other emotions are pushed aside as Hanzawa realizes that Ogasawara's heading towards where Sasaki and Miyano are. He can deal with everything else that just happened later. For now, though, he suddenly has a new mission.
“...A threat formidable enough to make me think of you three lurking quietly in the shadows as beneath my notice has appeared,” Hanzawa says after clearing his throat, and the three third-years exchange a glance. “Listen closely. We aren't going to let anyone ruin that couple's good time, got it?”
He rests his chin on his wrists, eyes glowering, and the three nod.
“Roger!”
Sure enough, the next time they manage to find Sasaki and Miyano, Ogasawara is tagging along behind them.
Hanzawa clicks his tongue at his inability to stop Ogasawara from joining up with the couple, but alas he'd been in the middle of lunch, so he didn't have much of a choice. Now, he peeks out from around a corner and sighs as Ogasawara says something that makes Miyano flinch and Sasaki laugh. Couldn't that blind delinquent see that the two of them were in the middle of a date?
Sasaki turns around and looks in Hanzawa's direction, and Hanzawa ducks back around the corner before he can spot him.
“I'm noticing that Sasaki really likes his personal space, huh?”
He's being sarcastic, obviously; Sasaki's been touchy-feely with Miyano every time they spot them, sometimes holding his hand, other times embracing him in a side-hug as they walk. Shirahama must not pick up on his sarcasm, though, because he sends Hanzawa a doubtful glance from where he and Tashiro are crouched behind a couple of bushes.
“I dunno…” he says, eyeing Sasaki, who's taken a hold of Miyano's hand and is tracing his fingers over it. “Doesn't that look like he's got zero concept of someone's personal space…?!”
He holds a fist over his mouth, cheeks pink like he's watching something inappropriate happen.
“Right??” Tashiro says proudly.
“No, not 'right',” Shirahama refutes, then asks Kuresawa, “Is that much contact normal for couples to do in public?”
Kuresawa stops typing on his phone to reply. “My girlfriend and I hold hands, but that's about it. I'd be more touchy if she let me.”
Hanzawa can't help it, he laughs; he knows what Kuresawa means isn't anything inappropriate, just the type of touchy stuff Sasaki and Miyano are doing, but saying it like that…Kuresawa is too pure for his own good.
“So it is just them then?!” Shirahama exclaims, then quickly claps a hand over his mouth when Sasaki turns and looks in their direction again.
Tashiro joins in on Hanzawa's laughter, and together the four of them follow Sasaki, Miyano, and Ogasawara as they leave for another store.
Somehow, Ogasawara manages to tag along with Sasaki and Miyano all the way to an amusement park.
“An amusement park?!” Tashiro exclaims excitedly.
“An amusement park,” Hanzawa parrots. “The most popular place for dates, which anyone would know if they've ever seen any media with a couple in it. Which, apparently, Ogasawara has not.”
Just how exactly was he still third-wheeling? Surely he should've realized they were on a date after they showed up to an amusement park of all places.
The four of them make their way into the amusement park after paying the entry fee, and Hanzawa quickly spots the couple plus the clueless third-wheeler playing some games near the center of the park.
There doesn't seem to be any opening to snag Ogasawara away, so Hanzawa claps his hands together and says, “Right. What should we do first?”
Tashiro immediately raises his hand. “The claw machines!”
“The rollercoaster,” Kuresawa says at the same time. All three of them stare at him. “What? I enjoy a thrill like that every now and then.”
Shirahama awkwardly butts in. “Um…first, I need to use the restroom.”
The restrooms are near the entrance, so they make their way over. Shirahama pardons himself before heading inside.
“I'll wait here with Shirahama. You two can go ahead to the claw machines,” Kuresawa says. Hanzawa is confused until he realizes Tashiro has spotted the claw machines and is staring at them from a distance while tapping his foot impatiently.
Tashiro shoots Kuresawa a surprised look. “You sure? You don't wanna come with?”
“I only want to win at those if my girlfriend's with me, so I can see her face light up as I manage to snag the plush she tried so hard and failed to get, then deposit it into her arms myself—”
“Okay, okay! We get it already!” Tashiro interrupts, grabbing a hold of Hanzawa's sleeve and tugging him in the direction of the claw machines. “See ya later!”
The claw machines are located in a miniature arcade, which takes up one of the corners of the amusement park.
Hanzawa dodges out of the way as a couple of kids come running out of the arcade. Tashiro, on the other hand, isn't paying enough attention and bumps into the kids. If it weren't for Hanzawa's hand grabbing him, he probably would've face-planted right in the doorway. Hanzawa laughs anyway.
“Aww, yeah! They have the new series of Plushmallows!” Tashiro shouts once they're inside, speakers playing familiar pop music that makes it a little hard to hear each other.
They stop at a claw machine that's filled with stuffed animals of numerous shapes and sizes. All have the same simple expression, lines for eyes and a cute smile, and Hanzawa almost thinks they look like Tashiro.
“Are you good at claw machines, Tashiro-kun?”
Tashiro stands from where he'd been crouched to insert a dollar into the machine. Hanzawa is taken aback, not for the first time, by how much taller he is now. He's well past Hanzawa's height, and Hanzawa doesn't doubt he'll grow even more.
“Surprised, huh? I'm pretty dexterous,” Tashiro says, and to prove his point, he easily adjusts the claw so that it's hovering over one of the plushies. “Claw machines are a pinch for me!”
He shoots Hanzawa an okay sign before confidently pressing the button, sending the claw down. It grabs the plush it'd been hovering over, and Hanzawa is surprised to see it bring the plush all the way to the retrieval slot.
Tashiro grabs the plush from the slot and shows it off to Hanzawa, chest puffed out.
“Wow, impressive~” Hanzawa cheers. “Usually I can manage to grab it, but the claw always drops it before it gets to the slot.”
“Well, these things are notoriously rigged. I just happen to have great luck!” Eyes twinkling, Tashiro asks, “See anything you like? I'll win it for you.”
Hanzawa looks around at all the different claw machines.
“If you're offering, then…” He spots a set of cat ears in a nearby claw machine. Smirking, he gestures to them. “How about those?”
“The cat ears?” Tashiro asks, baffled.
“If you're really as dexterous as you claim, getting those should be a pinch,” Hanzawa teases instead of elaborating, intent on riling him up and making him fail.
Call him cruel, but at least it'd be fun to see after all of Tashiro's talk of confidence.
“Right!” Tashiro takes the bait and hurriedly heads over to the aforementioned machine. He inserts a dollar and starts to move the joystick before asking, “Do you want the white or the yellow ones?”
Hanzawa subconsciously eyes the blonde hair poking out from underneath Tashiro’s headband. “Yellow.”
A couple of seconds later, and the claw is grasping the pair of yellow cat ears and bringing them to the retrieval slot. Both boys watch with intense expressions as the claw drops it down the slot.
“Score!” Tashiro cheers, pumping his arm in the air, and Hanzawa can't help but feel elated.
“Hahahaha, I can't believe you actually got them for me,” Hanzawa laughs as Tashiro retrieves the ears and hands them to him. He turns them over in his hands, noting how cheap they look. Well, whatever. A gift is a gift.
“Of course! I'm a pro at…this…”
Tashiro trails off as Hanzawa rests the ears on his head.
“What?” Hanzawa asks when Tashiro just stands there, staring at him dumbly. “Never seen a catboy before?”
He strikes a pose, hands mimicking paws, and Tashiro smiles almost bashfully.
“I didn't think you were actually gonna wear them.”
If Hanzawa didn't know any better, he'd think Tashiro was blushing.
“They're cute,” Hanzawa responds simply, and Tashiro quickly nods in agreement.
“They are.”
Tashiro's voice is so quiet, Hanzawa almost doesn't hear it over the sounds of the arcade.
What he does hear loud and clear, however, are the shouts of two people who'd just entered the arcade.
“Hanzawa-senpai! Tashiro!”
Kuresawa and Shirahama meet up with them after that, and Hanzawa tries not to wonder if there’d been anything more to Tashiro's words.
They spend the next two hours hopping from ride to ride.
Before they left the arcade, Tashiro had won another plush, this time for Hanzawa—now, Hanzawa grips it tight as they ride a rollercoaster that has his heart racing and chest feeling light.
Tashiro is in front of him, hair poking out from his headband and whipping in the air as he hollers every time they go around a corner.
Further ahead are Kuresawa and Shirahama, Kuresawa making no indication he’s on a rollercoaster while Shirahama grips deathly tight onto the safety bars and screams his ears off.
Hanzawa laughs and laughs and laughs.
He can’t remember the last time he felt this free.
They finally take a break when Shirahama pukes after one of the rides.
“I’ll go grab you a drink!” Tashiro says, taking off towards a couple of vending machines.
Shirahama barely manages to get out a hoarse, “T-Thanks…”
Hanzawa tries not to laugh, he really does, but Shirahama’s laying on a bench with his arms crossed over his chest like he’s on his deathbed as he waits for his nausea to die down. Laughter spills out of Hanzawa’s mouth unbidden, and he has to hold himself up against the fence to stop from keeling over.
“Maybe we should’ve called it quits after the last ride,” Kuresawa says, crouched next to Shirahama’s side.
“Y-You think…?” Shirahama grumbles out.
Tashiro returns then, quick as ever, with his hands full of drinks.
“Here ya go! One cool and refreshing mint tea!”
He passes it to Shirahama, who sits up and barely manages to take a sip before laying back down again.
“Thanks, Tashiro.”
Tashiro smiles brightly, then shows off the rest of the drinks.
“And…ta-da! A cherry soda for Kuresawa, and a milk tea for Hanzawa-senpai!”
He passes each person their drink, and Hanzawa is taken off-guard by Tashiro’s kindness. Neither of them had asked for anything, but Tashiro had gotten them drinks anyway.
And a milk tea for Hanzawa, as well…his favorite drink. He’s surprised Tashiro remembered.
“Thanks, Tashiro-kun,” Hanzawa says, and immediately begins to down his drink. He hadn’t realized how thirsty he was.
Kuresawa thanks him too, and Tashiro beams. “No problem!”
Hanzawa’s milk tea somehow tastes sweeter than usual.
It’s only after Shirahama’s recovered that Hanzawa spots Sasaki, Miyano, and Ogasawara; they’re getting off the rollercoaster, Sasaki and Miyano talking excitedly to each other ahead while Ogasawara trails behind. Hanzawa recognizes an opening when he sees one.
“Wait…with this, we might have a chance!” he says, gesturing to the couple and third-wheeler, and Tashiro immediately takes off in their direction. “Hurry, Tashiro-kun!”
Tashiro turns, still running, and sends him a thumbs up. Hanzawa laughs.
He watches as Tashiro successfully catches Ogasawara’s attention and brings him over to him. Shirahama and Kuresawa return right then too, the former freshly cleaned up from his trip to the restroom. The four of them stare at Ogasawara as he avoids eye contact.
“You more than wore out your welcome,” Hanzawa starts, but Ogasawara cuts him off before he can continue to berate him.
“You all seem to have been enjoying yourselves today,” he says, eyes sweeping over the theme park souvenirs all four of them held. Hanzawa squeezes his plush defensively; well, on second thought, maybe they’d gotten a little carried away…
“What would you like to do now? We'll definitely be spotted now that Ogasawara-senpai's joined our gang,” Kuresawa says.
It only takes a moment for Hanzawa to decide.
“I'd still like to have a bit more fun, myself!”
The three third-years stare at him in shock, clearly baffled at his ability to keep going despite pulling an all-nighter. Hanzawa is surprised when Tashiro is the first to recover.
“You haven’t changed, Hanzawa-senpai,” Tashiro says, face breaking out into a grin.
His voice is almost…affectionate. Hanzawa is so taken off-guard, he swivels around and starts walking towards the exit of the park without thinking. Luckily, the others follow him without questioning it.
"Apparently there's a trick art exhibit nearby…" Kuresawa mutters after a couple of seconds of swiping through his phone.
Hanzawa pumps his fist in the air, suddenly rejuvenated. "Sweet! Let's go!"
The five of them leave the amusement park in high spirits, and Hanzawa enjoys spending time with them for the rest of the night.
Hanzawa's so tired when he gets home, he almost forgets every embarrassing thing that had happened while he was out. Almost.
Instead, he settles into bed, the plush Tashiro had won him resting nearby, and the events of the day hit him full-force.
A hand brushing his hair behind his ears.
“Well, it's not like they don't suit you.”
Discussing dating, or the lack thereof.
“Do you prefer younger partners too?”
Sharing a parfait.
“Want a bite, Hanzawa-senpai?”
Winning a prize for him.
“They’re cute.”
“They are.”
Getting him a drink.
“...and a milk tea for Hanzawa-senpai!”
And at the end…
“You haven’t changed, Hanzawa-senpai.”
…
Hanzawa sits up in bed, pulse abruptly racing.
He knows this. He’s seen this before. First with Hirano and Kagiura, then with Sasaki and Miyano.
He brings a hand to his face, which is suddenly unbearably hot. His other hand grips his sheets.
Tashiro likes him. Romantically.
That must be it.
That was why he’d been so nice all day, why he’d complimented Hanzawa and borderline flirted with him.
And Hanzawa…had responded. Had been flustered and reacted like he liked him back. Did that mean…?
Hanzawa suddenly wants to smother himself with a pillow. At least that way, he wouldn’t have to think about dating and liking people and any other troublesome things.
Instead, he lays back down and rolls onto his side and closes his eyes and decides to think about it more some other time. He should be focusing on school and having fun, not stressing himself out after pulling an all-nighter.
…
When Hanzawa finally does fall asleep, he dreams of sunshine and bubblegum.