Chapter Text
fumizuki academy. a place where facilities provided to students varied depending what classes they were in. class f, being the bottom class, was completely rundown compared to class a. not only was akihisa yoshii in the prior class, hideyoshi kinoshita was also.
shoulder length, brown hair with two white pins holding up tussles of strands cascaded gracefully down hideyoshi's head; pristine white skin with a flush of coral pink which emphasised his plump, glossed lips; hideyoshi's emerald green eyes sparkled under lush, curled lashes that fluttered with every blink.
an hourglass figure so slender with a cinched waist and a much fuller, perkier chest than flat-breasted girls in the school made everyone ponder with the fact he wasn't a girl.
his feminine looks had him in a position that even boys of the school liked him, confessions occurring regularly to his dismay. boys that don't attend fumizuki academy had reached out to hideyoshi to ask him out, to which they got declined instantly.
in contrast, akihisa was someone ordinary, if not strange. he wasn't particularly a good-looking person - an average face that contorted into such disfigured expressions, a standard hairstyle caused by bed hair, an obnoxious personality with undertones of pervertedness which was common in the class they were in among the boys.
despite how revoltingly ordinary akihisa was, he was rather fawned over by many people in their year. mizuki himeji, minami shimada, toshimitsu kubo - they all seemed to develop a crush on akihisa, they all yearned for his attention and for his eyes to land on them.
being in class f with akihisa, it was expected for hideyoshi to be in the same friend group as mizuki, minami and akihisa (along with yuuji and kouta). of course, this would mean hideyoshi would witness the failed flirting attempts done by the girls.
lingering, ghost touches; soft expressions with a smile on their face every time they spoke to akihisa; blushing furiously at perverted comments akihisa said near them. at first, it hadn't bothered hideyoshi at all - after all, he had only seen akihisa as a friend at that time.
however, whenever he spoke to akihisa, his heart began to thump in his chest - a swirling feeling of warmth started to surge within hideyoshi the past few months of their second year. the deep gaze the taller male had when looking at him felt so comfortable, as if he was basking hideyoshi in a blanket of security and protection.
for the first time, it made him feel really small. being called a girl didn't really bring him down, he accepted the fact that he looked more feminine than a standard male but this changed things for him.
with every interaction he had with akihisa, the more hideyoshi progressively started to act like the others that had a crush on him too. he was confused, why was he feeling this way?
turning beet-red because of suggestive implications made by akihisa, he couldn't help but squirm all hot and bothered in his body. urges to touch his friend, even if it was for one second - it was slowly driving hideyoshi crazy.
something had flickered a new emotion, a new sensation right before the study camp they had went to. his futon was right next to akihisa's while they were there. at times where he found it hard to sleep, hideyoshi would turn towards him and shuffled closer until their breaths were practically connected. their faces was only an inch apart from one another, but hideyoshi didn't want to sneakily steal a kiss without consent so he settled with pecking him on the cheek before sliding back into his bed.
his duvet covered his whole body, his hands concealing the rising temperature on his face - despite the alternative he relied on, it still left hideyoshi with gnawing want for akihisa even more.
it wasn't enough for him.
every step he took returning to the school on a friday made him pucker his lips into a pout. more and more frustration piled up in his thoughts with what his feelings exactly were for his dear friend, his lips already touched akihisa's cheek but he wanted more.
the first day back from the study camp didn't help either, minami had kissed akihisa on the lips at the front gate.
he stroked his lips slowly with a thumb, imagining if it were him who had done that.
that one acting section akihisa and minami had to do to convince miharu, they hadn't been able to perform it properly. to no one's knowledge, hideyoshi in one way saw this as an opportunity to act out the confession to akihisa to see his reaction with how good hideyoshi is.
akihisa's face looked as if he was going to cry, hideyoshi didn't know how to react to the facial expression he made. it made him actually have hope of a relationship they could have together.
the love they could share with another. the intimacy they could express to one other. the touches they could leave on one another.
that last thought had the boy waving it away in disbelief, he still couldn't believe he had been thinking all of this about his friend.
"hideyoshi, good morning!" a familiar voice echoed out behind the male, making him to turn quickly towards the direction it came from.
the distance was closing as akihisa was steadily approaching. again, his heart started to beat inconsistently.
'seriously... what's happening to me?' he thought to himself while keeping up a smile, not wanting to make his friend worry.
"you're looking really cute today, aren't you?" akihisa placed his hand on the curve of hideyoshi's slim waist, squeezing it with a light force as he pulled him closer.
blood rushed into hideyoshi's face, his complexion brightening into a tomato, "a-akihisa?? what are you doing????"
he freaked out internally. this was probably one of the only times where he couldn't act as well as he normally would, especially being in the drama club. his body froze under the boy's grip, fingers fluttering down at his lower body. there was no way he could stay calm after this.
while hideyoshi was practically dying by the second, akihisa's facial expression changed into something that looked pleased with the reaction he got - his lips curved upwards as his eyes creased into a crescent.
"you were pouting, is there something wrong?" his hand retracted from hideyoshi's waist, an internal voice in the shorter boy yowled at the loss of the warm touch but remained flustered at the moment.
".. mm, nothing's wrong 'kihisa." he mumbled while fiddling with his fingers, hideyoshi's eyes met with akihisa's curious eyes, "nevermind me! what's with your greeting?!"
he raised his eyebrow as they both started to walk towards the school together, "was there something wrong with what i said? i'm only saying what first came to mind."
"girls might misunderstand you if you say stuff like that ... seriously akihisa, you really startled me ..." hideyoshi peeked up at the taller boy under his thick lashes, trying to see his expression, "... 's not like i'm even cute in the first place .."
"are you kidding?!" he snapped his head towards hideyoshi, his face had an unusual expression filled with shock, "you've got to be blind if you can't see for yourself that you're the cutest in our class- no, in our year! and besides, i only say it to you so there's no problem?"
"h-huh?" hideyoshi couldn't tell if akihisa was serious or not, but the glint in his eyes was all he needed for confirmation.
"i mean, the girls in our class are pretty cute but they can't compare to you hideyoshi! plus, you really energise me with your presence. ah! is it fine if i say stuff like i do to you?"
"... mhm," although the redness from before had subsided, a faint pink blush remained as he brushed a strand of his hair back behind his ear, "it's fine with me, akihisa ... a-anyways, we're probably going to be late!"
"ah! you're right!"
the both rushed towards the gates, hoping not to be late.
although, akihisa became unusually quiet after hideyoshi's response. the atmosphere wasn't negative, but it didn't feel normal either.
it became evident to everyone around him throughout the day. in lessons, he looked listlessly at the chalk board. during break, he played with the food in his bento box prepared by his older sister. even during a test summoning war with class e, akihisa seemed as if he couldn't focus.
"hey, aki! what the hell is wrong with you? you've been looking all depressed since the morning," she looked to the side shyly, she clearly hadn't have forgotten the kiss so easily from earlier that week and still cared dearly about him.
"nothing's wrong! i just have something on my mind," he leaned backwards onto the lockers behind him in exasperation, "it isn't anything bad so don't worry!"
"are you sure, akihisa-kun?" mizuki twirled a lock of hair with her finger in slight distress, "i mean, you have me- i mean, you have us to talk to, you know?"
with the slip of the tongue, minami's wandering eyes landed on mizuki which seemed to be jealousy. in return, mizuki also glanced towards minami when remembering the kiss she shared with akihisa.
during their stare-down, hideyoshi glanced next to him to look at akihisa. they weren't far from each other, if anything they were sat way closer than necessary but it's always been like that.
tapping on the floor, he seemed to return deep in thought - totally ignoring the proceeding conversations in the circle. it was only hideyoshi that realised it and he was worried.
'he wasn't like this when we were cominng to school... was it because of me?'
the momentary pause in his breathing felt suffocating, but he wanted to comfort akihisa in some way. glancing towards kouta to check if they were looking, he quickly decided in his mind of what to do.
shuffling closer next to akihisa from before until their knees touched, akihisa blinked out of his daze.
"hm? hideyoshi? what's up?" a low voice whispered to the boy next to him, noticing how silent hideyoshi was with moving near him.
the only person that knew of one habit hideyoshi had was his elder twin sister, yuuko. he was the type of person to sense trouble in others, especially with her.
he fiddles with his own fingers when he's nervous, but whenever his sister felt inferior or down - hideyoshi would take one of her hands and play with it, she was the type to not want to talk about it until she's ready. that small action alone left his sister with consolation, letting her know he was there no matter what.
for some reason, hideyoshi felt as if akihisa needed that right now - he didn't know why but his hand instinctively reached out for his right hand that was previously tapping on the floor before bringing it onto his thighs.
"a-ah?!" akihisa gasped quietly, of course he was shocked, "h-hideyoshi?? y-your thigh-"
from a cross-legged sitting position, hideyoshi shifted in a way he would lean back on the lockers too and his knees would be tucked near his chest. in doing so, it concealed what he was doing with akihisa's hand.
it rested on his thighs but returned to hideyoshi's palms. the size comparison his own and the feminine boy was clear; one was more defined with veins slightly protruding and rather rough fingertips, the other was more slender and silky smooth to touch.
one by one, hideyoshi hummed with a curve of his lips while lightly massaging akihisa's fingers. he didn't need to vocalise his intentions for akihisa to realise hideyoshi was trying to comfort him despite telling everyone how he apparently felt.
the gradual change from frowning to a more softer expression plastered on the boy's face made hideyoshi more conflicted than he ever was, just as much as akihisa was feeling too, "thank you..."
time passed by swiftly, more lessons and recovery tests occured - akihisa's mood visibly improved but it was clear he was still pondering on something.
luckily, neither mizuki nor minami questioned it and assumed he felt better than before.
the ending school bell rung through the school, signifying that students should leave. in masses, people in class f started to leave the classroom to return to their homes as it was the last of their lessons for the week.
"akihisa! you coming with us on sunday?" yuuji slung his arm around his shoulder, the friend group were planning to out to the movies and to just hang out casually, "you've got to have earned some money by now, right?"
"... i think i have enough money to pay for a cinema ticket?" he laughed sheepishly while scratching the back of his head, "don't worry! i don't think it'll affect the outing too much..."
"hahaha, if you say so akihisa." yuuji chuckled at his friend's stupidity, releasing his grasp around him, "you coming along with us?"
"give me a moment, i need to put something my bag-"
a hand clutching his blazer jacket had him pause with confusion and turned to see who it was. to his surprise, it was a bashful hideyoshi glancing down at the floor - his lips pursed into a thin line.
"can i talk to you for a bit, akihisa? i promise it won't take long.." rather than speaking loudly, he asked in a low hush for some reason.
"ah, wait a second, hideyoshi." akihisa grasped his hand on his jacket and caressed it with his thumb for reassurance before releasing the grip, "you guys can go ahead of me! i realised i had to do something."
kouta immediately got suspicious of him and smiled deviously, "are you planning to do dirty things with some other girl?"
"what?!" mizuki and minami simultaneously exclaimed at kouta's exclamation and rapidly approached akihira for confirmation.
"are you seriously doing something like that akihisa-kun?" mizuki's purple eyes pleaded for an answer, an undertone of worry could be heard in her voice.
"of course not! i wouldn't do anything like that!" an offended look masked his face, he wasn't that questionable, "you all can go ahead, no need to wait for me..."
"if you say so.." of course, minami looked dejected - she wouldn't be able to walk with her crush, "bye then, aki!"
as the group proceeded to leave, yuuji noticed that a certain someone wasn't coming along, "hideyoshi, you're not coming?"
his figure was hidden behind akihisa's body, but anyone could tell from his height and proportions that it was him. no movement had indicated that hideyoshi intended to at least pop his head out to respond. if not for akihisa, they would've been able to see the expression formed on his face.
"i have to do something for the drama club before i leave, you guys can go on ahead." unbeknownst to them, hideyoshi reached out to hold akihisa's outstretched hand he had behind him.
"well, see you both on sunday then!" everyone waved towards them before exiting the classroom properly.
now that they've left, it was just akihisa and hideyoshi alone in the classroom.
somehow, the classroom suddenly became more suffocating - more intense as they stood still.
turning around, akihisa readjusted the way they held hands so he could face hideyoshi comfortably and looked deeply into those emerald green eyes, "ahaha... i can't believe you lied to them so you can talk to me privately! drama club, you say?"
"h-hey! i didn't have any choice, you didn't say it either!" he pouted at the statement.
"unlike you, i kept it vague." he chuckled heartedly, making hideyoshi swoon internally from how safe it sounded, "well, what did you want to talk about?"
if someone were to walk into the classroom right now, they'd definitely think the two of them were dating from how close they were and the way they were holding each others hand.
everything felt overwhelming for hideyoshi, he could feel akihisa's eyes on him - he wanted to squirm from the sensation alone. a noticeable shiver shocked throughout his body, akihisa feeling it through his hand.
to comfort him, he stroked his hand with his hand slowly like he did before. once again, a flush washed over the shorter male - with just a single, repetitive movement had him shrivel up with shyness.
"take your time hideyoshi, you don't need to rush."
apprehension took over, he couldn't decide if he should actually ask him this. to tell him everything.
"akihisa, do you mind if i come over to your house tomorrow? i don't think i can really say what i want to convey to you at the moment." he mumbled under his breath audible enough for only akihisa to hear, he approached closer to him until he came into contact with his chest and rested his forehead there.
"that was all? you scared me there, hideyoshi! of course you can, you know my address right? come whenever you want tomorrow." oddly enough, he didn't seem to mind the fact that hideyoshi was strangely close to him. raising his hand, akihisa placed his hand to caress the head resting at the crevice of his chest, "my sister won't be home so you don't have to worry about getting interrupted with what you want to say!"
with that fact, hideyoshi couldn't help but blush even more furiously than before.
'... what did he mean by that?'
"ah, right! i need to actually go grab something from our homeroom teacher, want to come along?"
instead of removing his head completely, hideyoshi turned his face to look up at akihisa and smiled warmly, "mhm, i don't mind."
the connection was quickly lost when he stood back away from akihisa, hesitant to depart from the embrace. however, he let go of his hand too so it wouldn't had been any more awkward than it was before.
somehow, the lack of touch made the taller male look like a lost puppy - devoid of something he wanted.
"let's go, shall we?"
the beaming sun rays entering the classroom and the slight breeze from the opened windows made hideyoshi look breathtaking. heavenly.
locks of coffee brown hair swayed along with the wind, skin basked in golden light and sparkled as if a halo hovered above him, a smile that brightens the room with the corner of his eyes crinkling.
'he definitely energises me whenever i look at him.'
"yeah."