Chapter Text
A young man's hand extended to the vast sky above him. Through the gaps between his fingers, he saw a flock of birds, soaring freely.
Though he was known as the 'scarlet swallow,' his wings were broken. He never learned how to fly.
An infinite blue sky was suspended above the cityscape. Though it differed in atmosphere, it was the same sky as back then. The same sky the Amagi brothers had gazed upon in the past, back in their hometown. The sky remained unchanged, no matter how many years went by.
People, however, were not immune to change. Living life, experiencing new things, they matured. With time, they would become unrecognizable, both physically and spiritually.
Since running away to the city, Amagi Rinne had changed beyond recognition. Majority of his change took place internally, transforming him into someone completely unlike his childhood self.
Despite that, his younger brother, Hiiro, could never fail to identify him. Through his perspective, the city had corrupted him. He thought, if only he could talk some sense into him, he would revert to his past self, and go home with him. Everything would go back to normal then.
Those were his initial thoughts. The events of that summer changed his mind. They changed Hiiro himself, who wished to deny evolution, longing to revisit a time long since gone.
The truth was painful, yet he could not deny it forever.
Their past selves were dead. His prior goals would remain unachieved.
His brother no longer needed him. His purpose for being born would go unfulfilled.
Being a protector, a servant, a bodyguard... These things were ingrained into Hiiro since the moment he was born. He was educated and trained for this purpose throughout every day of his upbringing. Even if he was not needed, throwing away those instincts was easier said than done.
Amagi Hiiro did not respond well to change.
Rather than rewiring his brain to think differently, it was much easier to simply swap the 'monarch' he would serve.
Fortunately, he was already well acquainted with the perfect person to be Rinne's replacement.
====
One sunny autumn day. Lessons had ended for the day at Yumenosaki. In class 1-A, Shiratori Aira gathered his belongings, preparing to leave.
"Aira!! Are you in here?!" A familiar voice called out from the doorway.
"Over here, Hiro-kun!" Aira responded, waving.
The redhead approached the blond with a huge grin.
"I'm relieved to see you, my friend!" He was slightly out of breath. An unusual sight, considering his excellent physical shape.
"Relieved?" Aira questioned, perplexed. "Did something happen?"
"No?" Hiiro blinked. "Oh, maybe I should reword it? I was excited to see you~" That excitement tied to his reasoning for being winded.
He kept the details to himself, but as soon as the bell had rang, Hiiro made a mad dash down the hallways, headed straight for Aira's class. It would be upsetting if he had gone home before he had the chance to speak with him, after all.
"Ah... well, okay then." Aira couldn't say he felt the same way. Happy, sure, but excitement was too big of a word.
Although he did enjoy seeing his unit mate, they spent a great deal of time together outside of school. The amount of time seemed to suspiciously increase by each day.
He felt as though Hiiro had absolutely nothing better to do. He was hovering around him at every opportunity. Like a stray cat he had made the mistake of feeding, he refused to leave him alone.
"I was just about to leave, so..." Aira muttered, going to swing the strap of his bag over his shoulder.
Before he could finish the motion, the bag was caught on something. Hiiro took the strap in his own hand, stopping the other male.
"I'll carry that for you." He insisted, taking the bag away before he had the chance to respond negatively.
"...Thanks, Hiro-kun." He expressed his gratitude with remorse, which went undetected by Hiiro.
"Umu, you're welcome!" He interpreted his words as genuine.
Hiiro intended to follow him, wherever he ended up going. With his bag held hostage, there was no escaping. The two of them exited the classroom, wandering the halls of Yumenosaki.
"So, where were you headed to?" Hiiro inquired, anticipating another fun day with his friend.
"Ehh... anywhere is fine, I don't care..." Aira slouched as he walked, suddenly feeling tired. He had planned to go shopping for idol merchandise, but decided it would be better to wait for a day he could successfully slip away.
"Hmm..." Hiiro cupped his chin, thinking deeply.
It was difficult for him to understand what others wanted when they didn't speak their minds directly. Thankfully, being around so many new people in the city, he was steadily improving this skill.
Perhaps Aira acted indifferent as a way to coax suggestions out of him. That seemed like something he would do.
"Would you like to go somewhere to eat?" He proposed, worried that Aira may be hungry.
With the way he walked, half folded over, it was possible he may have skipped a meal. It wouldn't surprise him. He was well aware of his friend's bad eating habits.
"That works. Where do you wanna go?"
"How about Cafe Cinnamon? We can see Shiina-senpai there!"
"All right..." Aira replied with minimal enthusiasm. Hiiro assumed his low energy was due to hunger.
They were in agreeance, and so commuted to the cafe.
====
At a table for two, Aira held the menu, glancing over its contents. After he finished browsing, he lowered it to the table, his arm resting atop it like a paperweight.
"Could I see it now?" Hiiro requested, confused by Aira withholding it from him.
"There's no point in giving you a menu." He shook his head. "You're just gonna order omurice anyway, aren't you?"
"No... I wanted hamburger steak..." He pouted.
"Oh? You decided that on your own, so why bother looking through the menu now?"
"Because, it's polite! You should always look through the options carefully!" He had an oddly passionate expression on his face. "But, if you want me to get omurice, I will gladly pick that instead!"
"N-No! Get hamburger steak! Please!" Aira plead, tired of seeing him select the same meal every single time they ate together.
Hiiro scratched his head, baffled. "You said I should have omurice, though... Which one should I get?"
"Ugh, it's your meal, not mine! Just pick the one you want!" He puffed his cheeks in frustration.
Hiiro thought for a moment.
Since Aira's first suggestion was omurice, that must have been the one he truly wanted him to chose. He was foolish to bring up hamburger steak after he had so kindly decided for him.
With that in mind, his answer was obvious.
"Umu... I will eat omurice~"
"Of course..." Aira exhaled sharply.
"And what will you have, my friend?"
"...Chocolate cake." He admitted, averting his eyes.
"That's not very healthy for you..." Thinking back, he saw Aira eating such sugary foods several times a week.
It was fine to consume them in moderation, but his meals often consisted of nothing but sweets. No meat. No vegetables. No fiber. Just junk food. It was concerning.
"I know, but I don't care. It makes me happy, and I need something to improve my mood today." Since he had to miss out on the idol merch sale, he was feeling a bit blue.
Normally, Hiiro would feel compelled to lecture him on why it would be wise to eat better. He knew that would only result in him getting angry with him, though.
In this case, the 'right' thing to do was allow him to do what he needed to for his happiness.
At least, he hoped that was the 'right' thing. Judging such things accurately on his own was a challenge.
They placed their orders with Niki, and patiently awaited the food's arrival.
Aira was quiet. He didn't have much to say. He couldn't think of anything. They had been speaking so frequently as of late, his well of conversation topics had run dry. Even speaking about idols seemed pointless. Hiiro wouldn't understand him anyway.
For better or worse, Hiiro ran his mouth ad nauseum. It prevented the mood from becoming awkward. The problem was, Aira found himself unable to keep up with his ridiculous stories.
He toyed with his thumbs on the table as he listened to Hiiro's rambling. At that moment, the redhead noticed something. He stopped himself mid-sentence, taking Aira's hand into his own.
"What happened to you...?" His voice lowered to a whisper.
With his index finger, he poked a cut on Aira's hand. It was small. The type of injury that would heal within the week. That didn't stop him from worrying, though.
"What, this? It's just a scratch. Don't worry." He tried taking his hand back, yet was unable to. Hiiro had a death grip on him.
"No... Tell me what happened... who did this to you..." The look in his eyes displayed concern, anger, and fear, all at once.
"I-It's an embarrassing story..." He winced, tugging harder for his hand to be released, to no avail. "...and that hurts, Hiro-kun! Let go!"
"A-Ah..." He instantly set him free upon hearing his words. Without realizing, he had hurt the person he cared so much for. He really was an idiot.
"I-I'm sorry... but, I need to know. Please, tell me what happened, Aira."
Aira knew Hiiro wouldn't stop pestering him until he revealed the truth. He defeatedly looked down at his hand as he recalled the event.
"...I was practicing by myself, late at night. It was dark. I tripped and fell. There was broken glass on the ground, and..."
He looked up to gauge Hiiro's reaction. He wore a rather blank stare.
"...Hiro-kun?"
It looked like he had fallen asleep with his eyes open. He waved his hand in front of his face to get his attention.
"...I'm sorry, Aira..."
"W-What? Why are you sorry?" He was taken aback by his response. "You weren't involved in the incident... The blame should be placed entirely on my own stupidity."
"No... It was my stupidity. It happened because I wasn't involved." He began, lowering his head in shame. "I failed to protect you. I should have stayed up later, to make sure you didn't go out on your own."
"I'm not a child... I have the right to leave my room whenever I want." Aira protested.
"Perhaps so. But, I have a responsibility to keep you safe." Hiiro argued.
"Personal responsibility is a thing, you know. I'll just be more careful in the future." He couldn't recall when he became Hiiro's 'responsibility,' but he didn't question it.
"I am glad to hear you say that, but..." He paused, biting his lip. Being more cautious somehow felt insufficient. It wasn't good enough.
Hiiro's mind was filled with the worst possibilities imaginable. What if next time, something even worse happened? What if he was robbed? Assaulted? Kidnapped? Murdered?
Aira was, to put it bluntly, weak. Defenseless. A pushover. He could easily be overpowered by a single, average person. He had no chance against stronger folks, nor a group of organized attackers.
He felt sick to his stomach just thinking about it. These dark thoughts were dismissed with a shake of his head.
"Do not worry... I hereby vow to watch over you at all times, so that nothing will ever harm you again!"
Aira scowled, horrified by the idea.
"Don't you think we spend enough time together?"
"Of course not! If possible, I would love to be with you every second of every day~"
"It already feels like that to me..."
The blond rested his elbow on the table, his hand supporting his head.
He was tired of living this way. Constantly running from Hiiro, avoiding him, thinking of excuses to get away, missing out on other things because of him... It was ridiculous.
Lack of communication would only worsen the situation. He dreaded it, but the only way to deal with it was to be direct. To tell Hiiro exactly how he felt.
"Hiro-kun." He addressed him firmly.
"Yes?" He became fully attentive, locking eyes with the other.
"I..." Aira cleared his throat before continuing. "I wanna talk to you about something. Now, it might hurt your feelings, but, it needs to be said."
"There's no need to care for my feelings, Aira." Hiiro masked his anxiety behind a calm smile. "Please speak your mind as you wish."
Hearing him speak that way only made it worse.
It was too late to back out, though. He had already initiated the discussion, and he couldn't bear to live another day without resolving the issue.
"Hiro-kun..." He paused to gulp. "...We're friends, and I like you and all, but... You've been acting, uh... I don't know, maybe a little too friendly? Like, I kind of need some space..."
"...Are you saying... you... don't want me around...?" He maintained his smile, though his voice wavered, cracking.
"N-Not exactly? Just... I want you around, but... A little... less often..." His volume lowered with each word.
It pained him to explain. He knew Hiiro meant no harm by his actions. He only wished to enjoy his friend's company. And this was how he repaid that innocent desire.
"I... see..." Hiiro turned his head away, pretending to check on Niki's progress with their food. His true reason for doing so was to hide his face.
"I'm sorry, Aira... I guess I was too stupid to notice I was being a bother. I'm sorry for being an idiot. I'm sorry for disturbing you. I..."
He stopped himself, clutching his chest. It felt heavy. Painful.
Aira didn't want him around. Aira didn't want him at all. Aira didn't need him.
To Aira, he was just an annoyance. He had made that perfectly clear.
Even if those words weren't Aira's, that was what his mind told him he said.
Perhaps that was what he truly meant in the first place. He was such an idiot, it was more than likely that he misinterpreted his words, or didn't properly read between the lines.
Once again, the person he cared for most in the world was going to push him away.
His head pounded with agonizing pain.
"H-Hiro-kun...?"
Hesitantly, Aira tapped him on the side of the chin, returning his gaze to him.
Hiiro's cyan eyes glistened, as if on the verge of tears. Despite that, his forced smile remained.
It was a horrible sight to witness. Bottled up emotions coming close to a breaking point. A quivering lip harshly bit down on.
Aira hated himself for causing him to make such an expression.
"...Ha... hahaha, never mind! Just kidding! Forget it!" He dismissed his previous words, taking pity on him.
Hurting his unit mate was something he never intended to do. If he went any further, he wouldn't be able to live with the guilt. It would be far easier to deal with his constant company, even if it was bothersome.
Hiiro took a moment to process things. Slowly but surely, the pressure previously built up in his head faded away. He blinked away the excess moistness of his eyes.
"Sorry for the wait! Food's ready!"
They looked up as Niki brought two plates, setting one in front of each of them.
"Dig in and enjoy! Call for me if you need anything else~" He promptly returned to the kitchen afterwards.
Hiiro opened his mouth to say something. Nothing came out. He couldn't find the words.
He wanted to ask about what Aira had just told him, but perhaps simply moving on would be better. That meant going on without clarification, something he desperately needed. He was more than happy to neglect his own needs for Aira's comfort, though.
Before they began eating, Aira pulled his phone out. He aimed the camera at his cake, snapping a few photos at different angles.
Hiiro watched as he did so. "...Why are you photographing the cake, Aira?"
"For social media. Lots of people show off their food before they eat it." He replied, switching to an SNS app and composing a post with the photos attached.
"...." Hiiro stared at his plate. There was a bottle of ketchup on the table between them, which he grabbed, shoving it closer to Aira.
"Can you write on my omurice?" He asked with pleading puppy eyes.
"Sure." He immediately complied, hoping it could make up for upsetting him earlier. "What do you want me to write?"
"Surprise me!"
"You literally want me to write 'surprise me'? Or you don't have any specific request, and I should put whatever I want?"
"T-The latter!"
They both chuckled. The tense air from the previous minute was easy to breath again.
Hiiro pushed his plate to the other end of the table, within Aira's reach.
Aira shook the ketchup bottle, then popped the lid off, tilting it upside down. He moved the bottle around as he squeezed in different spots.
Soon enough, he pushed it back to Hiiro, who rotated it to view from the correct angle.
'For my Hiro-kun! Airabu~' was written in a cutesy font, surrounded by hearts and spade symbols.
"Hehehe..." Hiiro grinned from ear to ear. "It's very 'rabu~i!' 'Airabu' it, Aira~"
Hearing someone else say his catchphrases made him blush. "W-Well, that's good. Now eat up, before it gets cold."
"W-Wait!" Hiiro quickly dug around in his pockets, removing his phone and passing it to Aira. "Take a photo for me?"
"Ehh? Don't you know how? Do it by yourself." Aira suggested.
"B-But, you take much better photos than I can! They're always so clear! Mine are blurry..." He scratched at his cheek.
Aira took his phone with a sigh. "Fine, fine, I'll do it."
He snapped a couple pictures of the omurice before passing his phone back.
But Hiiro did not take it.
"Can you set the photo as my home page?"
"Your what?" Aira tilted his head, confused by what he meant. "Uh, you mean wallpaper?"
He nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, that!"
Although slightly annoyed, Aira went into the photo gallery, tapping on the omurice photo.
"Do you want it as your lock screen, or home screen?"
"Umm, both!" He answered, not knowing the difference between the two.
A few moments later, the task was complete. Aira returned his phone to him, which he slipped back into his pocket.
"I appreciate it, my friend!"
"I don't know why you couldn't have done that on your own..." Aira complained.
"It feels better to see you do it!"
"What is that supposed to mean?" He narrowed his eyes, thinking back to how Hiiro had been treating him for the past few weeks.
Throughout his persistent presence, he insisted on doing things for him. It was as if he were doing a poor imitation of Fushimi Yuzuru. Not allowing him to lift a finger. Waiting on him hand and foot.
"I thought you wanted to be the one who did things for me?" He asked, not necessarily wanting to encourage that mindset.
"That is true," Hiiro began, "but I also want to rely on you when I'm too stupid to do things for myself..." He poked his fingers together in a coy manner.
"...I hope that's okay. If not, I'm more than happy to simply be used."
"N-No, it's fine. I don't mind..." He had no choice but to say so, despite how he felt on the inside.
He would prefer Hiiro do such uncomplicated things on his own, and leave him to live his life without perpetual monitoring.
His chance to resolve the issue backfired on him. Little did he know, things would only get worse as time went on.