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“I’m going to flirt with Toya-”
Upon hearing Akito’s words, An choked on her spoonful of teriyaki chicken rice. Alarmed, Kohane reached out and furiously patted her back, in an attempt to get her to stop coughing and spluttering all over.
Akito gave An an unimpressed look. “I didn’t even get to finish my goddamn sentence…” He cleared his throat. “As I was saying, before someone rudely interrupted me, I’m going to flirt with Toya… In Mandarin .”
An snorted. “Coward,” she simply said with a smirk.
The three members of Vivid BAD SQUAD were in their SEKAI having their lunch after a long day of classes. Much to Akito’s disappointment, Toya had already agreed to lunch with Tsukasa and Saki the other day, so he couldn’t hang out with them as well. (Not like Akito, like, missed him or anything. He was just worried that Tsukasa’s whacky boyfriend would accompany them, and get one of his equally whacky experiments to blow up on Toya. If that happened, Akito would literally murder that weirdo.) Akito had just gotten the idea to flirt with Toya in Chinese, since he had the biggest crush on his partner for the longest time, but, as An had said, was too much of a coward to actually confess, so he had decided to hint at Toya by a bit.
Kohane looked confused and surprised. “Shinonome-kun, you know how to speak Mandarin?” she asked with a small smile.
Before Akito could open his mouth to speak, An jumped in and told her girlfriend, “Yeah, you don’t know, darling? He’s half-Singaporeon, and only moved here when he was six! Toya doesn’t know Mandarin, so he won’t understand a word of what Akito will say to him! Thus, the coward’s choosing to flirt with him in Mandarin!”
Akito rolled his eyes. “She didn’t ask you .”
An merely stuck her tongue out at him and didn’t reply.
Kohane sighed at the sight of them going at it again. “An-chan… Shinonome-kun…”
An grinned at Akito, thankfully listening to the blonde haired girl so as not to give Akito a headache. “So, Akito, what’re you gonna say that will get your man to fall head over heels for you?” she asked, half-jokingly.
“...I haven’t thought about it yet,” Akito replied, taking a bite of the cheesecake that MEIKO had given him a few minutes ago, before he told the other two about his master plan. “I’ll figure something out. Eventually.”
An reached over from where she sat next to Kohane and opposite him to slap him on the shoulder. “Yeah, Akito!! Go get your man!! Good luck, man!!” she exclaimed with a smirk.
Akito glared at her, glancing around the cafe to make sure that none of the VOCALOIDS (or worse, Toya) were around to hear her. “SHHHHHHHHH, not so loud!” he hissed. Thank his lucky stars that MEIKO was outside the cafe for once, chatting with Luka, so she wasn’t around to hear her.
“G-Good luck, Shinonome-kun!” Kohane said as well with an encouraging smile.
Akito nodded at her in thanks. “Yeah, okay.” He then went back to eating his cheesecake, thinking about possible ideas.
In the end, what he chose to say to Toya was basic. Really basic. It was simple, elementary Chinese that he’d learnt in kindergarten. Yet, it would work.
The next day, in school during lunch period, Akito and Toya sat in Akito’s class to eat. Nene and An were having lunch together in Toya and Mizuki’s class, so at least they couldn’t make fun of him.
“Aki, what did you want to talk to me about?” Toya asked after a few moments of silence. He looked at the gingerhead with a curious look in his eyes.
Akito cleared his throat, suddenly feeling all nervous. Damn it, Akito! What is wrong with you?! It’s not like you’re, like, confessing to him or anything! And, besides, Toya doesn’t know Chinese. What’s there to be all cowardly about?! Just be a goddamn man and get it over with!
After a moment of silence, Akito attempted a smooth smile at Toya, knowing that it wasn’t his best, considering how awkward he felt inside.
Toya, too, noticed the awkwardness and asked, “Uhm… Aki? Is everything okay?”
“Hey, Toya,” Akito began. “花很漂亮，但没有一个像你看起来那么漂亮.” What he’d just said meant Flowers are pretty, but none are as pretty as you look . He couldn’t help but wince at how cringe that was. Yet, that was the best thing he could think of!
Now, Akito had imagined what Toya would say countless times, but never did he think that Toya would respond in this way.
Unexpectedly, Toya smiled at him. “谢谢, Akito,” he said, which meant Thank you, Akito .
Akito blinked, his brain lagging as he asked his partner, “U-Uhm… You… I… You… Know Mandarin? Y-You understood what I j-just said?”
Toya didn’t reply and continued, “谢谢你的夸奖, Akito. 我确实认为你也比世界上任何一朵花都漂亮. 事实上，你可能是我一生中遇到过的最漂亮的人.”
Akito couldn’t even get his brain to function, struck by the realization that Toya knew Mandarin. He had to pinch himself on his arm a few times before he could translate what Toya had said, which meant Thank you for the compliment, Akito. I do think you are more beautiful than any flower in the world, too. Actually, you're probably the prettiest person I've ever met in my life.
Toya… He thinks that I’m… Th-The prettiest person he’s ever met? Akito thought, feeling all the blood in his body rush to his face, turning it a tomato red. So, does that mean that he l-likes me back-?
Toya seemed unfazed by what he’d just said and smiled simply at Akito’s state. “Aki, is there something wrong about what I just said?”
Akito couldn’t take it anymore; Toya’s gentle and serene smile, the way his light grey eyes were staring at him with a caring and slightly amused look, and the way he said Akito’s name. It was all too much for him to handle.
The gingerhead buried his head in his hands and groaned loudly, feeling extremely embarrassed and awkward by the whole situation. “Toya- You- I- We… How do y-you even know Mandarin…?”
“Oh, Tsukasa-senpai taught me when we were young,” Toya said, still unfazed by Akito’s flustered state.
Damn it! I forgot that that Tsukasa-senpai, for some reason, learnt the basics of every single fucking language like some weirdo! Of course he would teach Toya and his sister!
Before Akito could reply, he heard snickering from outside of the classroom. He turned around so quickly that he almost snapped his neck in half. Just outside the class were none other than Shiraishi An, Akiyama Mizuki, and Kusanagi Nene. Mizuki had their phone out and was currently recording the whole exchange he’d just had with Toya.
An had told Mizuki and Nene about his plans?!
Akito’s face grew even redder than what seemed to be humanly possible as he jumped out of his seat and ran out of the classroom. Mizuki and An only laughed harder as they ran off, with Nene in tow. Nene looked amused as well.
“FUCK YOU SHIRAISHI!!!”