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Tsukasa did not get visitors to his apartment. There had been a total of two people in it, one of which being himself. Even his own parents hadn’t come to visit, but Tsukasa hadn’t expected them to; the Suous had higher priorities than seeing their son moved in, especially when at this point it was for law school and Tsukasa was a grown twenty three years old.
The other visitor had been his nosy neighbor who insisted on poking her head in whenever she got the chance, but Arashi meant well so it didn’t bother Tsukasa that much. She frequently commented with much amusement about the giant textbooks Tsukasa lugged around, saying he was starting to look as if he may be building muscles after all this time.
Guests were unexplored territory for him, and especially with only a one hour notice (his own fault, he knows), the uncertainty clouded over him about the state of his apartment. Tsukasa was a clean person so by habit there was no trash or dishes out, everything put away once used, but he frowned at the state of his living room.
It was boring.
Tsukasa didn’t care about that, but he knew he was asking for scorn from Hinata. The guy did nothing but bring up all these little faults in Tsukasa he never realized he had, or if he did, he at least thought they weren’t noticeable. Each and every time they met, Hinata would point out anything and somehow relate it back to how Tsuksa was so rigid or uptight.
The living room, where he was planning their study session to be, was empty of anything except basic furniture. A couch, a coffee table, an ottoman. Not even a TV.
Hinata struck him as a cozy person, someone surrounded by blankets and throw pillows, with an assortment of trinkets and decor on a warm wooden coffee table. And Tsukasa did not own a single blanket or pillow, and self consciousness began to rival the grip his test anxiety kept him in all day, tempting him to go drag the comforter off his bed and try to pass it off as a throw blanket.
He considered it more than he should have, until his phone started buzzing in his pocket bringing him out of his thoughts.
Tsukasa looked at his non-blanketed couch and clicked his tongue.
Okay, fifteen minutes to find a solution to the blanket problem. Except Tsukasa knew for a fact there were no stupid throw blankets anywhere in his apartment. Why did blankets matter so much? They were blankets. But if Hinata was going to stay over to help Tsukasa, then he had a duty to make sure it was comfortable for him.
Tsukasa stepped into the hallway outside of his apartment, hoping and praying that Arashi was staying in tonight and wouldn’t think it was too weird what he was asking for. He walked to the door directly across from him and knocked.
No response.
Oh, please Narukami-senpai, Tsukasa thought while knocking again. Tonight of all nights when I need you to stick your nose into my business and you’re not here.
Again, no response. The doom of Hinata approaching by the second sent a jolt of anxiety on top of his already existing mountain of it through him. He knocked again, a bit harder than he meant to.
The hallway was quiet, and Tsukasa didn’t hear any movement from behind Arashi’s door. He sighed and turned to return to his own apartment, but caught the eyes of someone peeking out from the door to the left of his.
“Nacchan’s not here. Usually someone only needs to knock once to realize that,” Ritsu said lazily, looking at Tsukasa with sleepy eyes.
“I apologize if I woke you up from a nap, Ritsu-senpai. I needed to ask her a favor, but if she’s not here, then I’ll figure something else out.”
“Mmm,” Ritsu hummed. “What do you need? If Nacchan finds out I didn’t help the poor guy she treats like a stay kitten, then she’ll have my neck.”
Tsukasa squinted. “I am not a stray cat. And she doesn’t treat me—” he paused, taking a breath and remembering the task at hand. “I need some blankets. Throw blankets. I’m having company over and I don’t really have anything, and I’d hate to be a bad host.”
“Aw, so caring as always, Suuchan. You do know Nacchan is strong enough to carry her own groceries, right? If you help her, you should help me too.”
“If I say yes, will you give me blankets?”
Ritsu waved a hand. “Forget it, I can’t put your poor soul through waking up at 3 AM for my shopping hours just to help me carry my junk food up the stairs. I’ll go get you your blankets, wait here.”
Relief flooded through Tsukasa as Ritsu went into his apartment, and he couldn’t be more thankful that Arashi had dragged him over for dinner when he first moved in. He appreciated his brief interactions with Ritsu and Arashi, and if his schoolwork weren’t so vigorous he’d liked to be closer with them. Maybe if Hinata’s help scored him high enough on his finals, he could see about having another dinner with them.
“Here you are, Suuchan.” Ritsu returned, at least four different blankets stacked on top of each other. “You’re getting my rejects, but just know that a reject from me will still be 10x better than anything you’ve used in your entire life.”
Tsukasa was in awe, bowing before accepting the blankets with giddy hands. “ Thank you , Ritsu-senpai! I owe you many favors for this. I really will help you carry your groceries if that is what you need of me. You are a lifesaver, and I’m in your debt.
“Relax, it’s nothing. Honestly? Keep them, I don’t use them.”
“Thank you, I will remember this and repay you.”
Ritsu shrugged. “Well, I do like gifts. Have fun tonight, Suuchan. And try to get some sleep. You won’t last through school if you don’t get plenty of rest.”
“I think you get too much rest, but thank you. Goodnight, Ritsu-senpai.”
Tsukasa returned to his apartment, blankets victoriously held in his arms. He dropped them on the couch, finding himself agreeing with Ritsu’s declaration that his rejects still made for perfectly acceptable blankets to Tsukasa. He was given four, he discovered, as he laid them out on the couch. One of them was noticeably smaller than the others, with detailed fringe around the edges, so Tsukasa put that one over the back of the couch as a decoration.
Already a vast improvement over the boring blandness this space had been, and Tsukasa buzzed around the couch laying the remaining folded blankets out in different ways. His mind switched through the different options like he was flipping pages in his textbook, trying to find the specific precedent to refute a classmate during a lecture. It’d be easier if there was a clear defined answer, but much like the law, blanket arrangement was an art.
Where he drew trouble was that couldn’t decide on the amount of blankets to leave out. The dark purple fuzzy one he hid inside his broom closet, not finding it to match his theme, and he kept the decorative one where it laid. The last two were the ones giving him grief.
Tsukasa bit his lip— a bad habit that required him to constantly keep chapstick on hand— as he fretted over his predicament. He struggled to think of what Hinata would tease less, his cheery voice nagging at the back of Tsukasa’s head each time he tried to lay the blankets differently.
Time was slipping away from him. He pulled his phone out to check for any new messages.
Tsukasa sighed. It was 5:40 right now; he may have a few more minutes to figure this out. The current arrangement could be worked upon, perhaps he could have unfold the smooth maroon blanket and put it over the arm of the couch. That felt a bit pretentious though, so instead— something flashed in the bottom of his eyes.
Tsukasa stared at the texting bubbles intently, a weak hope inside him wishing that the other boy was running late. There was still more he had to do before Hinata arrived. He should’ve started tea earlier so it’d be ready by now, and now it would be just another stone on the pile of Tsukasa’s poor hosting skills.
He wasn’t aware he was holding his breath until the bubbles disappeared, no message sent in their place. He looked back up at the couch, a new formation taking shape in his mind, yes, this one would do much nicer. Tsukasa picked up the maroon and was about to fold it back into a square when a sudden knocking struck his door. The blanket fell from his fingers with a jolt as he whipped head to the door.
Surely it was not Hinata. The intercom hadn’t buzzed so how would he have gotten in?
Idiot, Tsukasa thought while walking to the door. Of course the same guy that takes exams for other people can sneak into an apartment building. This was probably even easier than that.
Tsukasa glanced through the peephole, and… nothing was there except an empty hallway. Narrowing his eyes, he opened the door.
“Boo!” Hinata jumped out from the left, orange hair bouncing around his face, framing his bright smile. “Aw, boo. You were expecting that.”
Hinata forewent his glasses, green eyes peering at him without obstruction. Tsukasa remembered him mentioning he only wore them as a disguise anyways, despite the fact Tsukasa had caught him more than once sliding them on as he went digging through his laptop.
Hinata was dressed warmly for the increasingly colder weather as winter grew closer, his white cable knit sweater hung off of him. The black straps of his heavy backpack contrasted against it, completing a proper academic look, and Tsukasa found it funny how Hinata enjoyed looking to be the part of a typical enthused student so much.
“I’ve put up with you for weeks. You’re not surprising anymore,” Tsukasa scoffed.
“I think it’s been like months now. And all that means is that I have to be more surprising.” Hinata lifted his hand up, showcasing the takeout bag he carried. “Let me in? C’mon I’m starving and I kinda forgot to eat lunch sooo…”
Tsukasa frowned but stepped aside to let him in. “You should remember to eat, Hinata-kun. You can’t be that busy that you’re forgetting.”
“Geez, judge someone much? I thought you were just being grumpy in your texts, but you really can’t believe that I’m busy. Don’t you realize this is prime time for someone like me? Why, you kids need all the help you can get!”
“I keep telling you I’m older than you.”
Hinata shrugged as he walked inside, setting the bag onto the kitchen counter. The smell hit Tsukasa in a nostalgic wave, the flavors reminding him of dark wooden tables and dim lighting. Of the sweetest yet still savory ramen he’s ever had, and the way Hinata had shook his arms with exclamations of ‘I told you so’.
“That,’ Tsukasa said, “smells so much better than I remember.”
“I told you it’s the best. You can harp about the fancy ramen you’ve had with your parents all you want, but this is how it’s supposed to be. Nice, warm, and comforting.” Hinata opened the bag and took out his container, popping the lid off with a grin of satisfaction.
“I have some bowls we can use. Better than eating from the plastic.” Tsukasa took two porcelain bowls out from the top shelf of his cabinet, turning to see Hinata staring at him.
“You went on your tiptoes. It’s cute. Y’know, if you need help reaching something then the magic word is please.”
And here we go with the teasing. This guy never stops, Tsukasa thought as he glared at Hinata.
“I can reach everything just fine. You keep thinking you’re all these things I’m not, like how you think you’re older and taller. You have, at maximum, two inches on me. What is it they say? ‘You’re one to talk’?” Tsukasa snapped, placing the bowls on the counter and taking out his own food. “I was going to offer you tea, but now I have half a mind not to. You don’t deserve my tea.”
Hinata widened his eyes in mock hurt, speaking in an exaggerated tone. “Oh, Tsukasa-kun! You wound me! Mar me! Kill me! And two hundred other synonyms I don’t feel like listing out. The humanity! I’m so hurt I… I may just start crying… I don’t… sniff sniff… I don’t think I can help someone so mean…”
Tsukasa huffed and turned away, picking up his kettle to fill it with water. It was hardly for Hinata’s sake. Tsukasa knew he would start needing caffeine now if he ever hoped to get through an entire night of cramming with him, and if he had any hope of staying awake enough to retain his studies.
If only he were the one gifted with a photographic memory.
Tsukasa set the kettle onto the stove to warm up, and pulled out a box of assorted tea bags to leave next to it. He sidestepped past Hinata to fill his own bowl, who was already slurping away at his noodles while somehow conveying an annoying smirk with only his eyes. Irritation lit up under Tsukasa’s skin, and he grabbed his container and poured it into the bowl, moving too fast and causing a series of drops to splash around the counter.
“I’d say something, but I’m more sad than anything. That’s a waste of the most delicious broth in the world,,” Hinata said through a mouth full of food.
“It’s a few drops, it is not the end of the world.”
“Whatever helps you cope. So, are we eating in the kitchen, or? Not that I mind standing. It really puts into perspective those two inches I have over you.”
Tsukasa snatched his bowl and chopsticks, barely repressing a complaint and forcing Hinata’s words to roll off of him like oil on water. Except it felt more like trying to ignore a tick intent on trying to suck at his blood and scrambling all over his body.
“We’ll eat on the couch. I already dragged all the books that we’ll need out of my room.”
“Books that you’ll need.”
Tsukasa stuffed noodles in his mouth so he wouldn’t have to respond.
They sat down on the couch, Hinata dropping his backpack to the ground with a thud while Tsukasa waited for a quip about how his blankets complimented his nerdiness, or how only someone so stuffy as himself would have a decorative one. To Tsukasa’s dismay, Hinata didn’t give any of the blankets a second glance, instead sitting down with his legs criss-crossed on the cushion and focusing entirely on shoveling food into his mouth.
At least that was something Tsukasa could concede on. The ramen was good, the flavors so striking and unique that they kept fighting to drag Tsukasa’s mind back to that first time he ate it. That day, Hinata insisted on meeting at the restaurant despite Tsukasa’s protests that it didn’t exactly seem like a good place to study. And it wasn’t, he felt too awkward to even try bringing out a single stack of flashcards in that atmosphere of dim lighting and quiet, yet ample, background noise that drew one’s mind to a place of calm.
Hinata had forced him to sit down and share a pot of tea with him while they waited for their food. Tsukasa had the beginnings of a cold, and whatever was in that tea soothed his throat so well that whatever had tried to start was sent right out of his system. And once their food arrived, that was when Hinata started grilling him with questions like a human flashcard machine.
It wasn’t the most productive study session they’ve had, but it was Tsukasa’s fondest for some reason.
“So, what’s urgent tonight? You’re my best student.” Hinata paused to slurp more noodles into his mouth. “And aren’t your finals heavy loaded for the last few days? You have extra time.”
“You shouldn’t talk with your mouth full. It’s rude.”
“You shouldn’t avoid questions. It’s rude,” Hinata mimicked him. “And I’m your tutor! So, you gotta answer everything I ask related to your studies. That’s just the rules.”
Tsukasa bit back saying that the rules of common courtesy usurped the rules of informal tutoring agreements. “I’m struggling with property law. Again. I understood everything last week, and I could name all the landmark cases, and all the obscure ones we went over. Then I took a practice quiz this morning and I scored a 91.”
“Good job!”
“Not a good job!” Tsukasa scowled. “That’s one mistake away from an 89. Honestly, 95 is my low bound and I scored four points below that. I don’t have time to look through the book and remember what I’m forgetting.”
Understanding dawned on Hinata’s face and he nodded. “So, you want to bounce your head off of mine to figure out what you’re forgetting. Yeah, okay, I get what you’re saying. Do you think that’s going to take a whole night cramming? Not that I’m trying to get out of it! You bought me dinner and a deals a deal, but… you could have texted me and I would have told you the lists we made, y’know?”
Tsukasa bit his lip, poking the egg in his ramen around while his face grew hot. “If I’m being honest… that thought did not occur to me. I panicked, perhaps, in calling you here so suddenly.”
“I mean, it’s alright. Who doesn’t like getting free food? And I’m also super flattered you remembered my order.” Hinata grinned at him, and Tsukasa felt some of his embarrassment drain away, yet somehow replaced with a different sort of burning in his cheeks.
“I suppose I may have unconsciously had other intentions,” Tsukasa said as Hinata’s green eyes snapped to his with such intensity it nearly gave Tsukasa pause. “It’s always fascinating watching you work. I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable, but it’s not like you meet someone like you that often, or ever. I can’t forget the chill I got back when we first met and you started reciting the textbook I was reading with your eyes closed. You’re amazing, and I like witnessing it as much as I can.”
While he talked, Hinata’s eyes lost their intensity and his smile grew in their stead, now stretched wide across his face as he waved his chopsticks around.
“Aw, well, it’s nothing. Lucky genetics and all that. Write some numbers on a piece of paper and flash ‘em to me and I’ll tell you them all. Or whatever other fun tricks you want.”
“Hmm,” Tsukasa hummed. “First 100 digits of pi?”
Hinata rolled his eyes. “That’s way too easy. A dedicated nerd can do that. Anyways, let’s start figuring out what law mumbo jumbo you’re forgetting while we eat, so that once we’re done we can jump right into it.”
Tsukasa agreed, and he started listing all that he remembered in between bites of gradually dwindling food. Hinata was an enthusiastic listener, always giving an indication of acknowledgement to Tsukasa, either nodding his head or his chopsticks, or through a series of ‘yeah’s’ and ‘uh-huh’s’ streaming through his lips. His eyes never regained their earlier intensity, but they also never left Tsukasa’s.
For anyone else, he was sure the near constant eye contact would be discomforting— Tsukasa himself had the habit of maintaining direct eye contact, but because of that he was used to seeing people shift and look away from him. With Hinata’s unwavering gaze, Tsukasa suspected it was some sort of habit due to his memory. If one was able to remember all the details from a simple conversation, and all you had to do was to make sure you could focus and listen the first time, then you’d make an effort to consistently do that. That was Tsukasa’s theory at least.
They finished their ramen and began studying in earnest, with Tsukasa pulling out his textbooks to cover the near entirety of the coffee table like a tablecloth of legislative finery. Hinata grabbed the maroon blanket from the armrest, settling it across his shoulders like a cloak. The sight of it left a tingle in Tsukasa’s chest, giddy that he did good at making sure his blanket dilemma was solved.
Tsukasa meant what he said, that witnessing Hinata work was something special. He’d recite questions from previous practice tests he assigned Tsukasa, and recall with precise clarity the answer choices and the explanation for the correct one. Hinata could also socratic method circles around Tsukasa, able to ask a question and discuss with him as if playing the role of multiple fellow students, each with their own arguments and viewpoints. The only thing he lacked compared to his classmates was the condescending attitude, and when he tried making a joke about that before to Hinata, the other man smiled and said Tsukasa had the same exact attitude problem.
He did not have a comeback for that one.
A few hours later, as Tsukasa sat on the floor and flipped through a book on rental property law changes in the past five years, he found his mind drifting to a familiar question plaguing his mind. He glanced at Hinata, who had eventually put on his glasses and tied his hair back as he skimmed over some news articles on Tsukasa’s laptop.
Tsukasa clicked his tongue. They were due for a break anyways.
“Hinata-kun.”
Hinata’s eyes stayed on the screen a moment longer, finishing his line on the page, then looked up. “Did you think up an argument for overruling the rental clause we talked about? Bed bugs are serious business, you know.”
“No, it’s not about that. I had a question.”
“Well, usually when someone like you has a question you just ask it.”
“I’m not sure if it will be rude or not.”
The intensity from earlier flared behind Hinata’s eyes, curiosity boring into Tsukasa, as if shaking him to spit it out already.
“Just ask! I’m an open book. Kinda literally if you think about it in a test taking way.”
“Okay,” Tsukasa said. “How come you’re not trying to become a lawyer? You have all the knowledge needed for it, and I’m sure you could pass the bar right now if you wanted to. You could quite literally be the lawyer of the century if you went through the steps of getting the proper qualifications.”
Hinata stared at him, the silence stretching heavy over a few seconds while Tsukasa felt the oncoming reprimands for his nosiness prickling against his skin.
But Hinata just sighed and placed his elbow on the couch to support his head as he looked away. “I’ve already passed the bar. I did that years ago. That’s such a boring question. I thought you were going to ask me something more interesting like what my type is.”
“What the hell do you mean you’ve already passed the bar?” Tsukasa squawked, eyes widening with the new information. “If you did that then why are you wasting your time cheating on exams for law students? You could be in a courtroom right now presenting real cases!”
“Hey, okay, so when I say ‘passed’, I do mean in a more unofficial way. I don’t have a piece of paper or anything, so no courtrooms for me.” Hinata grinned at him, eyes squinting from it. “Besides, the last thing I want to do is be in a courtroom. That’s way too stuffy and boring for me. It’s more fun harassing you about article codes and clauses.”
“I don’t see how digging through papers is the fun part for you. In court is where you can actually present your case and do something else other than read legal briefs for hours at a time.”
Hinata took his glasses off, tapping his finger against the frame as he stared at Tsukasa. “Regardless, I don’t care about being a lawyer. It’s just fun to know things. Y’know, I passed the MCAT in the 99th percentile.”
“Bullshit. Why are you collecting exams like trophies? You are a very sick individual.”
“Such language, Tsukasa-kun. You should be more polite and sweet like me,” Hinata said. “And if it makes you feel any better, I make it my policy not to help med students. I’d kinda rather not have the future medical professionals of our generation be unable to do the work. That’s my geriatric butt in their waiting rooms in the future, so best not to shoot myself in the foot now. You’re welcome.”
Tsukasa narrowed his eyes. “You say that as if releasing a bad lawyer into the world isn’t a bad thing.”
“Ah, now I didn’t say that at all. A guy’s gotta make money somehow, right? And it’s the lesser of two evils, and even you can’t tell me it isn’t.”
“You’re insufferable.” Tsukasa leaned across his textbooks, as if inching closer to Hinata would let him understand the other guy more. “Why not actually go to med school then? I can understand not being a lawyer if you think it’s boring, but as a doctor you would be actively saving peoples lives. It would make a real difference to know mountains of information when trying to diagnose a sickness or disease.”
Hinata continued tapping his glasses, his smile shifting into an inquisitive look. “Tsukasa-kun, do you know the Chinese Room argument?”
Tsukasa’s nose wrinkled. “You could not possibly be comparing yourself to the Chinese Room. That’s a supreme overreach of the argument to try and apply it to yourself.”
“But you knew instantly what I was talking about! It has to have some sort of application, right? Just because I can list off anything about some topic doesn’t really mean I understand any of it. Even now, how do you know if I actually understand law or if it’s just that I’ve read so many practice tests that I can give an output that sounds about right?”
“Because I know you’re smart. You’re clever and witty, and you like shoving it in my face. And it’s not because you’re overcompensating, it’s because you’re good-natured.”
Hinata tilted his head. “Those are conflicting thoughts, aren’t they? I’m good-natured, yet I like shoving my intellect in your face. You make me sound like a meanie.”
“The point is you’re not,” Tsukasa said. He took a breath and met Hinata’s eyes with all his sincerity. “Hinata-kun, you are incredibly kind. I am grateful for all the help you have given me and I owe keeping my sanity during law school to you.”
“Whoa, where’s this coming from?” Hinata’s lips twitched into an uncertain smile. “Just cause we talk philosophy doesn’t mean you have to get sentimental.”
“I thought you would like to hear it.” Tsukasa stood, grabbing his empty tea cup from the coffee table. “I’m making more tea, would you like some?”
“Oh.” Hinata blinked. “Yeah, sure.” He held his cup out to Tsukasa, their fingers brushing in the handoff.
“Same flavor?”
“Yeah, with extra honey if you could.” He slid his glasses back on, diving back into his research on the laptop.
Tsukasa began to walk away, but glanced back at the sound of shuffling on the couch. Hinata was turned towards him, a soft smile on his lips as he spoke.
“Thank you, Tsukasa-kun,” he said earnestly. Tsukasa found himself smiling back until Hinata finished speaking, his soft smile slipping into a mischievous grin.
“For the tea, of course. These rich boy flavors are such a treat.”
I’m never going to win with him, am I? Tsukasa thought as he rolled his eyes and continued onto the kitchen.
He’d indulge Hinata’s teasing and tea requests for now. They still had a long night of studying ahead of them yet.