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Summers didn’t mean anything to Touya. At least not before.
When it was time for summer break, that just meant that instead of studying and practicing classical music afterwards, he spent the entire day learning. Practicing. Improving. Getting better. Becoming perfect. No mistakes were tolerated and he would do it again and again until he went back to school. He eventually didn’t feel anything towards what usually brought others excitement.
To them, it was a period of time where they could socialize as much as they wanted. It was a time where they could spend more time with each other or with family. A time where they could travel and simply…have fun. To him, it was just a period of ‘self-improvement’ to the point where he wouldn’t miss a single note. Each note would be played perfectly with no mistakes. He couldn’t afford any mistakes after all.
This cycle repeated over and over again until he met Akito.
That day Akito reached out to him and offered him a place by his side, that day they were named ‘BAD DOGS’ and were each other’s partners…his life was changed. He started to look forward to each day. He started to look forward to seeing him again. When they sang together, it was…an entirely new feeling. It wasn’t like he just had to get through another day anymore. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but it wasn’t unwelcome at all. He actually quite liked the warmth he felt every time he was around Akito.
“Oh, so we’re going to be in the same school? Let’s hope we’re in the same class then.”
When Akito said those words, the other probably didn’t know. He didn’t know that the reason they were attending the same school was because he wanted to be in the same school as him. Akito was the reason why he was attending Kamiyama. Of course, Akito didn’t know that. He probably thought it was a coincidence because when he asked him what high school he was going to, he naturally said that he was going to attend that school too.
Because if Akito was going to go, naturally, he would follow. That wouldn’t change. They were inseparable partners after all…well, there was the time that he thought it would’ve been for the best that they separated. But Akito reached out for him again, just like the day they first met. Akito probably didn’t know the full extent of exactly how much he changed his life, but…he didn’t need to say it.
If he did, Akito would probably call him silly and that he knew that already. They were partners who knew each other like the back of their hands after all.
“Touya.” Akito waved his hand in front of his face. “Hey, why are you just spacing out?”
“Ah.” He was taken out of his reminiscent thoughts. “Sorry.” He turned to look at the other, who had an unimpressed look on his face.
“What’s got you thinking so hard?” Akito leaned against the wall. “Something on your mind?”
“I was just thinking about when we first met and became BAD DOGS.” He just told him the truth. It wasn’t like he had anything to hide. “A lot has changed since then.”
“Tell me about it.” Akito handed him a piece of bread and he took it, eating it as the other spoke. “It’s almost time for summer break. We’re still going to practice but I think we deserve a few breaks.” He paused. “Touya, do you have anywhere you wanna go?”
He tilted his head as he mumbled to himself. “Where I want to go?”
“Yeah like a festival or to the beach or something.” Akito made vague gestures in the air. “We can also go camping again or something. Doing fireworks by ourselves is also an option but we are not doing it with those two.” Despite Akito not saying their names, Touya knew who he was talking about. “It’s just gonna be us, An and Kohane.”
Touya thought about it. Was there something specific he wanted to do? To be honest, spending time with Akito was enough for him. But the other was asking him, so he had to give some sort of answer. He thought about it seriously and eventually made up his mind. “I think going to the beach would be nice.” Even if he would probably suffer in the heat, well…it would be alright. He’d just try to stay in the shade for a bit until his body adjusted.
Plus, he didn’t have many opportunities to go before, so it probably would’ve been nice to go and see the ocean in person instead of just in pictures. He couldn’t swim either, but that was okay. They could always do something else other than swimming. As long as the others were having fun, he was content. Especially if Akito was having fun.
“Alright, I’ll let the others know.” He pulled out his phone and typed something in the group chat, pausing to look at him again. “Are you gonna be busy this summer?”
“No.” Touya shook his head before smiling at the other. “I can spend the whole summer break with you. At least, I wouldn’t mind it. I like spending time with you.” He watched as Akito’s ears became red. Akito looked back at his phone and finished typing something, but he avoided eye contact with him afterwards. Did he say something wrong?
Now that he thought about it, the classroom was awfully quiet.
He looked around at his classmates, who quickly looked away from them and went back to their own conversations. Touya quietly turned back to Akito and carefully reached out to hold his hand in some sort of apology. Akito didn’t brush his hand away, but he still didn’t look too pleased.
Eventually, Akito spoke again once the noise level in the classroom went back to normal. “I think we might go to a festival after going to the beach. Kohane wants to have it be a surprise for An.” He looked around before speaking. “I think it’d be a nice change of pace too. It’s not like we gotta perform this time either, so we can just spend the entire time there.”
“That sounds good.” He squeezed Akito’s hand. It was always comforting to feel his warmth like this, even if the other seemed to deny it…he probably felt the same way. No, he did feel the same way. He knew he felt the same way because they were partners after all. “Akito, what about you?”
“What about me?” Akito gave him a confused expression.
He smiled. “What do you want to do over the summer together?”
“...well, honestly just practicing is enough for me.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “There’s nothing that I really want to do that badly otherwise.”
“I see.” That answer made sense. It was very ‘Akito-like’ of him. Still, he would’ve liked to at least invite Akito out somewhere…maybe he could ask the others about it. For now, he would be content with just going out with VBS to the beach and the festival. He was looking forward to summer break.
That thought surprised him.
Akito raised his eyebrow. “Touya, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just…” He looked up at Akito, a sheepish smile on his face. “I think that this is the first time I’ve looked forward to summer break this much.”
Akito stared at him and let go of his hand so that he could ruffle his hair, a conflicted smile on his face. “Then we better make this a great summer for you to remember it, huh? Next summer and the summer after that too…” He trailed off before grinning. It was such a bright and pure smile that Touya felt his heart twist and he had to remind himself to breathe. “Touya, let’s make the most of our summer breaks together.”
His heart felt full and he nodded, hoping that his own smile would reflect the happiness he felt in this moment. “Yeah. Thank you, Akito.”
Akito sat down next to Touya, gently pressing the wrapped popsicle against the other’s neck. Touya jumped and looked at him with wide eyes while he just grinned. “You were spacing out.” He then handed the popsicle to him normally. “For you.” Despite being the one to suggest going to the beach, Touya was just hiding under the shade of the umbrella the whole time while An and Kohane were building sandcastles and playing in the ocean. Touya was probably content with just watching them, but he wanted him to have fun too.
Hell, that was why he asked him in the first place. Even if this was fun for Touya, it'd probably be nicer for him to actually do something.
“Thanks.” Touya unwrapped the popsicle and stuck it in his mouth, looking a little better than before. It must’ve been too hot for him, because the closer he looked at Touya, the more spaced out he appeared. Even if the other predicted that it would be hot outside, Touya still looked like he was about to die.
“It’s hot, isn’t it?” Akito nudged him with his elbow. “You don’t wanna go out into the ocean to cool off or something?”
Touya squinted at the ocean with a neutral expression on his face before slowly shaking his head. “I can’t swim.”
Right. How could he forget? It wasn’t like Touya was allowed to do much other than classical music so where would he get the opportunity to learn how to swim. “It’s not like you have to swim. You can just let the waves roll over you or something.” He paused. “Or I could teach-”
Akito was immediately sprayed in the face with water and he blankly looked up to see An pointing a water gun at him. Kohane had sprayed Touya as well, bringing some vitality back into his body. Meanwhile An had a shit-eating grin on her face and suddenly he too felt the urge to blast her back with water. Instead, he dangled a popsicle in front of her face.
“I was planning to give this to you, but it looks like you don’t want it.” He tossed it at Kohane, who immediately dropped the water gun in her hands to catch the popsicle. She seemed to be pleased and the water gun was all but forgotten in the sand.
“Thank you, Shinonome-kun!” Kohane smiled and immediately sat down in the shade to eat. She gestured to An so that she could join them and the expression on her face was hilarious.
An’s mouth dropped. “Kohane…you betrayed me for a popsicle…”
Touya watched their interaction with a smile on his face and handed An the other popsicle Akito was planning on giving her anyway. An stuck her tongue out at him and he sighed. This was fine too, he guessed. It wasn’t like they went to the beach often together during the summer in between all their performances and practice anyway. He could let her have this.
“We’re thinking about playing volleyball next.” An shooed him so she could sit down and he moved for her and Kohane, letting them have the umbrella space. “Wanna join us?”
Touya tilted his head with a frown. “I won’t be good at it.” His frown soon disappeared as his eyes shone with interest. “I’d like to try though.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll go easy on you!” An looked at Akito with a raised eyebrow. “I assume you want to have Touya on your team?”
Akito mimicked her way of speaking. “I assume you want Kohane on your team?” It earned him a light smack on the shoulder.
Touya gently placed his hand over his. “Akito, I want to try playing with Shiraishi. I don’t want to rely on you too much.”
“...when have I ever complained about that?” Akito shook his head, but he respected the other’s wishes. Plus, this would be a good opportunity for more balance between the team. He couldn’t just hog Touya to himself all the time…same with An and Kohane. He looked at An and shrugged. “Is that alright with you, An?”
“Of course! Let’s work together, Touya!” An grinned and bit down on the rest of her popsicle to finish it faster. “I’ll go get the net set up.”
“I’ll help.” Touya got up and followed An, leaving both Akito and Kohane behind.
“Shinonome-kun.” Kohane had a fire in her eyes that surprised him. “I don’t want to lose to An-chan.” That was right. Kohane was improving in everything in order to be the best she could be for An. Her earnestness reminded him of Touya and he couldn’t help but smile at her as he gently patted her back.
“And we’re not gonna lose. An might be a bit of a problem because she gets really serious when there’s a fun competition for some reason.” Though he didn’t know if he had room to talk. “And Touya wouldn’t want us going easy on them just cause he isn’t used to doing all this anyway. Plus, his stamina’s increased a lot. Dunno if he even sees his own improvement.” Akito stared out into the ocean as he bit into his popsicle.
“I think everyone’s improving. You, Aoyagi-kun,” Kohane followed his gaze. “even An-chan. At first I wanted to be like her, but I think just being myself and doing what I can do to become the best partner for her is better.” She turned to him and gave him a confident smile. “It’s the least I could do since she’s done so much for me.”
Akito nodded. “That’s right.” She really had improved in terms of not only music, but her own self confidence as well. An was lucky, but he was lucky too.
After all, Touya wasn’t someone to make light of either. He learned how to come to terms with his classical music background and thoroughly enjoyed making music with them. From the first time they met to now, it was almost scary how much he improved. Even if he was already good, he was even better. He was able to express his emotions a lot better than before…damn. He really has grown a lot since they’ve first met.
That was why he didn’t want to be left behind before. But it was okay now. He didn’t feel as pressured to keep up as before. They were working together, not alone.
“I think An-chan and Aoyagi-kun are both done with the net now.” Kohane finished off her popsicle. “Thank you again for the ice cream, Shinonome-kun.”
“Don’t worry about it. I know you guys get way too excited about things like this.” Akito stood up and shrugged. “Probably would’ve forgotten to even drink water if I didn’t remind you guys.”
Kohane laughed softly, but she didn’t refute him as they went over to where the net was. An was in the middle of teaching Touya the basics of volleyball before they noticed them. An waved to them with a bright smile on her face and Kohane waved back. He just stood at his end of the net and watched Touya carefully return An’s passes to him.
“Alright, the loser…” An hummed. “How about the loser does what the winner wants? Only for three things though.” She paused. “And buy us some watermelon.” They all agreed on it and got ready.
“You guys can serve the ball first since you set up the net.” Akito didn’t really care what the punishment was. As long as Touya was happy with their day at the beach, he didn’t mind what was going on. Even if he lost he wouldn’t be too bitter about it. He’s sure Kohane felt the same way, but…
…the look on An and Touya’s faces were kind of scary. He expected this from An, but not from Touya. Then again, Touya could definitely get heated up in a competition when he wanted to be. Even though this was supposed to be a lighthearted game of volleyball, for some reason, it felt like they were in a real match.
He glanced at Kohane, who seemed to be equally surprised, before they nodded at each other. Well now he wanted to win. He wasn’t sure what those two discussed before they came over, but An seemed to have pumped up Touya’s fighting spirit. And that got him a little bit fired up too.
“Alright!” An grinned. “Let’s start!”
“Aww man we ended up losing!” An shook her head and Touya gently patted her back.
“You put up a good fight though.” Akito high fived Kohane and they seemed to be happy with the result. Touya had to squint to see Akito properly because of how bright he was right now. This was what he wanted to see. Just…the other enjoying himself.
An waved her hand in front of his face, following his gaze and resting her head on her hand. “You really like him, don’t you?” Her voice was soft and covered by the sounds of the waves. “You gonna tell him?”
“...I don’t know.” Touya’s voice was quiet as he watched the other two talk to themselves. “I want to, though.” The feelings of love in his chest were too much to bear alone. It was like they were ready to burst at any moment. He didn’t know if he could hold it back any longer. He didn’t even know when he started feeling this way, but it wasn’t like he had to know when.
He just knew that he was in love and wanted to say it.
At the same time, he wondered what would happen if he confessed. Would things start to change between them? They would still be each other’s partners, he was sure of that much, but would his love be too overbearing? He was sure that Akito felt the same way, but what if he was wrong? He didn’t want to be completely separated from him…he still wanted to be partners with him. If this broke because of him again…he didn’t think he could do it.
“Touya.” An nudged him with her elbow. “Don’t overthink it. If you want to confess, just do it. It’s better than bottling everything up.” She waved at Kohane while talking to him. “After all, you’re sure about how you feel, aren’t you?”
“...I am.” How could he not be sure? The feelings he had in his heart were like the ocean waves. They were gentle and calm one moment, but would surge up the next.
“Then just go for it. Akito isn’t the type of person who would abandon you after hearing how you feel. Even if you’re wrong, he’ll still be there by your side.” She stood up and winked at him. “Just so you know, I don’t think you’re wrong. So just face forward and run headfirst.” After saying that, she ran over to Kohane after saying those words.
She was right. He was probably thinking too much about it, but then again, Akito was important to him so how could he not think too much about it? The moment he decided that he would do his best to express all the emotions he felt…he never held back, so why would he do that now? An’s words cleared up his mind and he would have to thank her later.
“Touya.” Akito came over and ruffled his hair. “You did pretty good. That was a close match.”
He nodded before remembering the details of the punishment. “Oh, I’m supposed to listen to three of your requests, right?” And buy the watermelon, but An had already told him that she’d buy it.
“I’m not doing all that.” Akito deadpanned. “If you really want me to tell you to do stuff, then the first thing would be going back under the shade and getting some rest. You’re probably tired after moving around so much.”
Ah, now that Akito mentioned it, he was a little tired. He tried to stand up but he ended up falling into the sand again. He was then promptly picked up by Akito, who put him underneath their umbrella and poured some water over his body. The cold water made him jolt, but the other only had a soft smile on his face.
Oh.
“Anyway, I’m really not planning on making you do anything. I’d rather you do things because you want to, not because I asked.” Akito’s voice was quiet. “This applies to everything else too. Do the things you want to do without any hesitation, Touya.” His fingers gently ran through Touya’s hair. “I’ll support you no matter what. That’s a promise I’m gonna keep. We’re partners, after all.”
“...yeah.” He sat up and opened his mouth, speaking quietly. “Akito.”
“What’s up?” The other looked at him curiously and Touya reached out to hold his hand, watching for his reaction. Akito didn’t seem to think anything was wrong, but his eyes did hold a hint of suspicion and concern. “Touya, is something wrong?”
“I like you.” He just blurted it out. Maybe he should’ve had more tact, but he wasn’t really thinking about it. He was just thinking about how much he cared about him. About how much Akito meant to him. His outstretched hand has saved him more than once and he was…more than grateful. He wanted to spend the rest of their days together. In the face of all those overwhelming feelings, there was no way he could hold back.
Akito looked at him with an expression of shock. It made sense. His confession came out of nowhere. Only he knew the ‘start’ and ‘end’ point of his feelings that extended to infinity. Well, now Akito knew too. There were so many things he’s left unsaid.
“I want us to be more than simple ‘partners.’”
“I want to cherish every moment I have with you.”
“I want you to know how much I love you.”
“I want to kiss you.”
His confession might’ve seemed simple to others, but to them, it was more than that. He knew Akito could feel it too. How much he put into those three words. The other didn’t say anything for a while, but Touya…didn’t feel the fear of rejection. His heart was content, as if he already knew the other’s answer. And he didn’t know why he was so sure about it, but…
“...Touya.” Akito struggled to find the words to speak. His ears were red and his cheeks were also flushed. Touya knew it wasn’t because of the sun or the heat. “You can’t just spring that out onto me all of a sudden. Can you at least let me prepare first?” Akito sighed before looking out into the ocean, swallowing thickly before speaking again. “...but I like you too.”
“As more than just partners.”
Touya felt himself relax as soon as Akito said those words. Akito seemed to be embarrassed, but he was also relaxed. Maybe they both had the same fears. It was just a matter of who took the first step. A matter of whose emotions would burst out and face the other head on. Usually it was Akito who would run into things recklessly, but today…it was him.
It must’ve been Akito’s influence.
What came after their confessions…? Touya didn’t have any experience with this kind of thing, and to his knowledge, Akito didn’t either. Then again, it wasn’t like anything had to change, really. They just had another label to describe their relationship. Partners and boyfriends…yeah. That’s what they were. Well it was another label and he was allowed to act on his feelings more freely now.
“Akito.” Touya reached out to hold Akito’s hand, closing his eyes in contentment. “I love you.”
“...you already said that.” Akito’s voice was soft and a little disgruntled. He let out a sigh before speaking again, his words still clear despite mumbling. “I love you too, Touya.” His words were soft, barely covered up by the sounds of laughter on the beach mixed with the ocean waves.
Touya opened his eyes and looked at Akito with a smile. “Can I kiss you?”
“...not in public you’re not.” Akito shook his head after looking around. “At least wait until we’re somewhere private.” The other stared at him. “Don’t look at me like that. I don’t want other people to see us.”
Touya stared at him back before using one of their spare towels to cover their faces and gently kissed Akito on the cheek. He didn't go for the lips like he wanted to, but this...would be enough for now. Before he could put the towel down, Akito leaned in to kiss him on the lips and he froze. The towel had already fallen by that point though and Akito's face was completely red now. He felt a large surge of warmth run through him and he wanted to kiss him again, but he just settled for resting his hand on Akito’s. Akito slowly intertwined their fingers and it was very peaceful. An and Kohane came after a while and handed them some watermelon. Akito reluctantly pulled his hand away to grab one and stuff it in Touya’s mouth with a small smile. Touya held the watermelon slice in his hand and smiled back as he ate it.
He watched Akito as he chatted with the other two, feeling the warmth from before rise up in his chest again. This was what it was like being in love…he didn’t hate the feeling at all. He quite liked it and he wondered if he could use this emotion to compose another song for them. That would be very nice, wouldn’t it? He wondered if they’d like it. If Akito would like it.
“Touya, you’re spacing out.” Akito nudged him gently with his elbow. “We still have the festival to go to later, you know.”
“...yeah, I know.” He was looking forward to it. Spending the rest of this summer together with Akito. And the summer after that…and the next summer. To spend the rest of his days with VBS, standing hand in hand with them as they looked ahead…yeah. That was a future he wanted to see.
Touya used to be indifferent towards summer, but now…he was able to look forward to it.