Chapter Text
— September 24, 2013
Yuri's face lights up as he sees a familiar figure approaching him. As soon as he recognizes it as his lover, Fujisaki, he pulls him into a tight hug, beaming at him.
"Babu!" Yuri exclaims, calling him by a nickname out of habit.
However, Fujisaki doesn't seem thrilled to see him. Despite Yuri's attempts at trying to liven up the mood, Fujisaki had mostly kept to himself. And now, he looks strangely gloomy, with an unexpectedly odd expression on his face.
This alarms Yuri, and quickly he pulls him out of the hug, letting him go. He looks at him warily, trying to understand what's going on.
"Something's bothering you, isn't it?" Yuri asks, cocking his head to the side and waiting for a response. When none comes, he furrows his brow in concern.
Fujisaki, on the other hand, utters the words "I want to break up" with a monotone voice, but to Yuri's surprise, not a hint of sadness or regret in his eyes. Instead, he says it with a sense of dullness, almost as if it were an afterthought.
Yuri's stomach drops at the news, and he lets out a deep sigh, knowing all too well that the breakup was coming, but still feeling the pain nonetheless.
Yuri stares at Fujisaki in shock, his mind reeling with the unexpected news. "What?" he repeats, "Why?" he adds, his tone rising.
Fujisaki hesitates for a moment, as if trying to find the right words. Then, he takes a deep breath and continues, "I... I don't know what to say, Yuri. I just don't think this is working out."
Yuri feels the pain of rejection wash over him, like a wave crashing on a rocky shore. He can feel the tears welling up in his eyes, but he refuses to let them fall. "Just give me a reason," he pleads, his voice barely more than a whisper.
However, Fujisaki seems to have made up his mind. "I'm sorry, Yuri," he says, his voice devoid of any emotion. "I just think it's for the best."
— "And please, can we act like this never happened?"
Yuri sits in his chair, feeling the weight of years gone by bearing down on him like a ton of bricks. A lump forms in his throat as he thinks back to the day they met, all those years ago.
He mutters to himself, "Like it never happened my ass."
Then, he can't help but think about how Fujisaki is still on his mind all these years later. The emotions he feels are overwhelming, and he bites his finger to distract himself. "How am I supposed to move on when you're still on my mind to this day?" he wonders, staring blankly at the computer screen.
Yuri's emotions feel like nostalgia as he struggles to come to terms with the past and the present. He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down as he continues to process everything that has transpired.
"Yuri," a voice suddenly cut through the office's quiet atmosphere, causing him to flinch. When he looked up, he was greeted by the assistant secretary, who seemed to have some news for him.
"Something wrong?" Yuri asked, trying to keep his tone polite.
The secretary let out a small chuckle and responded, "Oh, the manager needs to introduce you to someone." Her tone was slightly amused, but still carried a sense of urgency.
"Alright then, lead the way," Yuri said, rising from his desk to follow the secretary to the manager's office. He couldn't help but let his mind wonder to whom he was going to be introduced. He could only hope it wouldn't be a potential investor or client; he didn't have the patience for small talk and formalities today.
The secretary leads Yuri to the office, where he is greeted by the manager, who is in the middle of a conversation. A male figure sitting across from her catches his eye, and it takes him a moment to realize that it's Fujisaki, his ex-boyfriend. His heart drops, and his stomach churns.
Yuri doesn't know how to react, and he feels like he's frozen in time, staring at Fujisaki with an expression of shock and disbelief. He wants to say something, anything, but the words are tangled in his throat.
"Someone end me." Fujisaki mutters to himself, a bitter taste in his mouth as he gazes at Yuri. His fingers fidget restlessly, and his legs bounce up and down with anxiety. Yuri watches him, a pang of pain piercing his chest as he recalls the old habit that Fujisaki used to do when they were still in love. It's as if all the memories of their past are coming back to haunt him, and he can't help but feel the weight of their breakup all over again.
"Ah, Yuri, we were just waiting for you," the manager says, gesturing to the seat next to Fujisaki.
"This is Fujisaki," the manager continues, introducing the two of them. "He'll be joining our team starting next week."
Yuri feels like he's been punched in the throat, but he forces a smile and nods at Fujisaki. "It's nice to meet you," he stutters out, hoping to keep the meeting as short as possible and get out of there as soon as he can.
The manager's voice is grave as he directs Yuri to assist Fujisaki with their upcoming project. "As editor-in-chief, you will need to personally oversee Fujisaki's contributions to the fall project," he says in a firm tone. "I expect you to demonstrate yourself and provide Fujisaki with all the guidance and support he needs." Yuri can feel the tension rising as he acknowledges the manager's directive with a solemn nod.
"You're both excused." She remarked that both men stood up and bowed to her before exiting the room.
Great, just great.