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When Omi closes his eyes at night, he sees the ocean, a skyline of faraway buildings, an outdated PC… it’s all so familiar. Bits and pieces of Bell Liberty which he used to see every waking moment of his life. The images are so blurry now, he can barely remember the colour of his keyboard, or the faces of his teachers.
Eight years after graduating highschool, eight years without the smile he used to wear every single day.
How did I ever maintain that stupid grin on my face…? Omi wondered, lightly smacking his right cheek to pull himself together.
With a deep sigh, he finally walked away from the bathroom mirror and returned to his work desk. At the moment, Omi is developing a new networking service under Suzubishi Group and typically works remotely, but he reports on-site from time to time for meetings and such. He doesn’t remember the last time he ever felt excited going to work– no, he doesn’t remember the last time he ever felt excitement at all.
Ready for his report, he’s on his way to the meeting room when his phone suddenly buzzes. Ah, It’s just Kaoru, he thinks, about to slip the device back into his pocket.
But wait. He does a double take, not sure if his eyes are just playing tricks on him. There was an “N”, a “J”, and definitely an “A” around the end.
He stops in his tracks. After seven whole years, why would Saionji bring up Nakajima out of the blue?
”Is there any chance you’d know where Nakajima-san’s working? I don’t have Niwa’s number.”
Well, there’s Niwa, too.
Omi’s mind raced, questions came in left and right. In a matter of seconds, this lifeless world of adulthood began spinning again.
”I don’t recall which law firm, sorry.”
Just as Omi’s in the middle of asking Kaoru why he’d like to know, he hears his boss’ voice snap him back into reality.
“Sorry, Shichijo-san, but could we start already?” Endo politely urges him to take one more step into the room for their one-on-one meeting.
Omi is preparing the visuals for his report– the thought of Nakajima still clouding his mind– when Endo softly shuts his laptop with one hand. Omi looks up at him and cocks his head in confusion.
“Before that, I had something else in mind…”
Omi unconsciously inches away from Endo, getting a bit nervous from this statement. He knows he asked for some excitement, but slow down a bit.
“I have a special project for you– a secret one– concerning Bell Liberty School.”
Oh, Omi only realises he tensed up when his shoulders finally fell.
“To sum it all up, Sakaki Group has been infiltrating the board of directors in order to shut down Suzubishi group’s laboratory, and consequently the school. They’ve been threatening the current Director, Kasahara Tomo, as well...
I need you to join me, Saionji-san, and Niwa-san for an in depth meeting tomorrow. I’ve made your working terms quite flexible, so surely you have the time, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
Bell Liberty is being shut down… Bell Liberty is shutting down…
Suddenly, Omi wanted to go back to a few moments ago in the bathroom stall when he was complaining about his boring life. The emptiness and apathy from earlier is much more preferable than this tight feeling in his chest. The images of the ocean, the skyline, and his keyboard replayed in his head again; he played them over and over, afraid of forgetting them for good.
His face was completely blank, unreadable as always.
It can’t… it just can’t.
—
With a loose grip on his laptop bag, Omi dragged his feet the next day to the restaurant they set as their meeting place.
Just think of it as a reunion, he keeps mumbling under his breath in hopes of cheering himself up, but it was no use. Even he himself wasn’t aware of this attachment he had to his alma mater.
On the day of their graduation, he and Saionji were all smiles, ready for whatever new opportunities and challenges the future may bring. He recalls Naruse Yukihiko’s crying face, reluctant to leave their memories behind.
But where was Naruse now? Omi saw him just recently, receiving medals on live television and shining bright in the world of tennis.
The kid who had to be dragged out of Bell Liberty in tears is now achieving greatness while Omi, who proudly waltzed out the campus, is desperate to relive his high school days.
He slides the door of their private room open, and freezes.
Nakajima’s face was the first thing he saw– and was he smiling?
He’s smiling so genuinely, maybe he’s already drunk, Omi thought.
Endo and Niwa welcomed Omi cheerily with their loud voices. As they did a lot of catching up, it’s like all of his uncertainties were just washed away, and his heart was suddenly so full.
Seeing these faces together in one room again felt like a dream. Maybe Bell Liberty can go, as long as he still has these people… No, it would be nice to keep it in operation, too.
His eyes couldn’t help but gravitate towards Nakajima; something about him felt so different. He seemed a lot more… lively, a lot more open. He shared stories, he hopped onto everyone’s jokes. Omi wanted to pinch his cheek to see if it’s really him.
“It’s so great hearing from you all again, really,” Endo called for everyone’s attention, “But as great as everyone’s lives are now, we’re gonna have to take a trip down memory lane for this meeting.”
Saying this, he reveals a camera which piques their interest.
“Memory lane… Did you gather us here amidst our busy schedules just to look at pictures from the past?”
“Nakajima-san, this camera model didn’t exist yet when we…”
Nakajima’s eyes dart towards Omi for retorting and he holds his breath, sure that he’s about to be called a ‘dog’. But to his surprise, Nakajima just lets out a quick laugh. “Good eye, Shichijo.”
Niwa scratches his head, “What is this, Endo? You did call us here to brainstorm ways to stop Sakaki Group, right? Discussing legalities with Hide, requesting back up from my squad, stuff like that…”
“Hm? Oh, There’s no need for that, Tomo-kun already has a plan. His special request for me is to collect video messages from famous alumni of Bell Liberty.”
“You’re kidding me,” Saionji finally speaks up in disbelief, “The board has been infiltrated, data is trying to be stolen, the school is closing down… and they want video messages?”
They all stare blankly at Endo for a moment before bursting out into laughter, which the former Chairman doesn’t understand.
“What’s funny…? Tomo and his friends are putting together a promotional video to touch the board’s hearts and convince them not to shut the school down.”
“That school is… always so full of surprises. Well, considering the MVP Battle held during our time, it’s perfectly in character.”
Omi doesn’t even notice the smile on his face; the smile he’s been trying to bring back for years.
Endo chuckles, “About that… They had some sort of battle just now, too, called the Bell One.”
“Seriously…!? That school’s one of a kind.” Niwa rests his chin on his palm and takes a deep breath, trying to take in all the information. It was hilarious.
“Isn’t it? Then, I assume you guys will have a lot to say.” Endo smiles, lifting his camera up.
Though recording was a bit embarrassing at first, they quickly got into it.
Niwa could barely finish a sentence without the others peeking into the camera and saying ‘he’s the King!’ to disrupt his recording.
Saionji delivered his message with excellent execution, so much so that you’d think he practised those lines for days. Though in the very end, Niwa butted in by swinging an arm around him and calling him his ’queen.’ Endo insists it’s fine and refuses to let Saionji do a retake.
Like his closest friend, Omi’s recording went smoothly as the words came naturally to him. After all, the time they spent in that school is what he sees every night when he closes his eyes; it’s like he’s been preparing for this interview his whole life.
However, when he caught a glimpse of Nakajima’s face behind the camera, he lost his composure and broke into a wide smile. What is he doing, Omi wondered, is he trying to make me laugh?
Omi’s momentum was broken and he stuttered a few times, to which Nakajima would react by playfully wearing a judgmental look on his face. Omi asked for a retake, but he made distractions every time. Does it mean anything if he and Nakajima have been locking eyes so often? Was Nakajima making this much eye contact with all four of them?
Finally, it was Nakajima’s turn. Omi was eager to get his lick back, but no matter what any of them did, he delivered his message seriously without batting an eye. It’s always been his specialty to remain stern, after all…
Because their attempts at annoying him all failed, eventually the room grew quiet as they allowed him to record his message peacefully.
“... Last but not the least, my favourite advantage which comes with Bell Liberty’s student autonomy is the freedom to do whatever indecent acts you’d like, anywhere and any–”
“Wait..!”
”Nakajima-san!”
As they panic and cut the cameras, he chuckles and finally lets out that sweet smile Omi has been admiring all day.
“No need for a retake, just trim it down to before I said that. You all seemed so serious so I added it at the last minute.”
“You really have a knack for jokes, huh…” Endo sighs, taking note of Nakajima’s file in fear of accidentally sharing it with the underage students.
Before they knew it, the session came to an end after Endo excused himself to leave for another, more boring meeting. On the other hand, the four had all freed up their schedules for the day and decided to make the most of their time together.
From bowling to arcades, they relived the younger years they couldn’t enjoy due to the highly competitive nature of their high school. Before leaving the restaurant, they shared stories they’d hear from their peers, and how they felt quite envious of the regular student’s experience. Maybe, they thought, they kept themselves a bit too busy running the school government.
“Now that we’re in our twenties, sometimes I think: isn’t it weird how closely Endo would mingle with us back in high school!? At this age, I can’t imagine befriending a high schooler like that.” Niwa roars, only realising this oddity so late in life.
Everyone else in the car laughs, admittedly agreeing that the former Chairman is quite strange.
“You even slept with him, didn’t you, Nakajima-san?” Saionji teases.
“Sigh… I admit I was a bit of a bully in high school, but when it comes to Endo… I’m not sure who the real victim was between the two of us.” Nakajima laughs it off, calmly keeping his eyes on the road.
This isn’t news to Omi, but hearing about Nakajima’s other past relationships has always put a knot in his stomach.
The sun soon began setting, making it feel as though the day ended in a blink of an eye. On the way back, Nakajima suggested stopping by a small beach. They all agreed, of course, seeking anything that would prolong this vacation from their dull realities.
Staring at the beautifully orange painted sky, Omi crouched down onto the sand to really soak in the scenery. He looked up at the infinite sky, thinking about Niwa’s words from seven years ago about realising how small your worries are, and letting them go.
Nakajima stood a few steps ahead of him, also admiring the scenic view with a newly lit cigarette in hand. Niwa and Saionji had offered to fetch some drinks, leaving the two alone.
“Doesn’t this remind you of the view from Bell Liberty’s dormitory?” Omi asks softly, leaving it to wind whether Nakajima hears or not.
“It does.” He agrees after a short pause.
“How has your life been since graduation, Nakajima-san? I imagine you must have enjoyed the freedom from our isolated cage.”
Nakajima is unable to hold back a hearty chuckle upon hearing Omi’s insinuation that Bell Liberty was like a prison. “Indeed. Our high school life was quite unusual, wasn’t it?”
“Yes… I like your laugh, by the way, I don’t think I ever heard it back then.” Omi suddenly adds.
Nakajima took a drag of his cigarette, turning his head back towards the sunset that’s becoming a soft shade of purple and pink. Perhaps he was hiding his face, embarrassed of being complimented so seriously.
“I was a bit of a stuck-up, wasn’t I?”
“The biggest stuck-up… well, it seems you’ve changed a lot since then. Although you’re still irresponsibly damaging your lungs.”
Nakajima smiles, “It’s not easy to stop…”
Omi found him attractive when he smoked, anyway. He found him attractive when he did Karate. He found him attractive even when they argued. In fact, Omi probably took the bait every time as an excuse to talk to him.
After a bit of silence, Omi takes a deep breath and musters up the courage to ask him something.
“Nakajima-san, would you like to have a keepsake from our high school days?”
“And what would that be?”
With a sly grin, Omi waits until Nakajima turns around and meets his eyes before responding.
”Me.”
It takes a while for Nakajima to really process Omi’s words.
“Keep you?”
“You know what I mean.”
Nakajima nods in confirmation, throwing his cigarette butt onto the sand.
“To be honest,” Omi continues, trying to compensate for the lack of reaction from Nakajima’s end, “I don’t think you ever really left my mind.
I told myself a while back that if we ever crossed paths again, I’d confess these feelings regardless of whether you reciprocate them or not.
But, I wouldn’t want to intrude on the life you’ve built outside Bell Liberty’s island all these years… I won’t even ask you to give it any thought. I just…”
“You’re quite talkative today.” Nakajima says, taking a few steps closer.
Nakajima crouched down to see him eye to eye, but Omi averted his gaze.
Without a word, Nakajima gently grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.
Niwa and Saionji watch them from a nearby staircase, cooing over their reconnection.
“Would ‘ya look at that, you really can’t separate those two… How about you and I try rekindling our relationship too? Huh, Kaoru-chan?” Niwa mischievously hooks an arm around his shoulder, mimicking his favourite form of flirtation back in the day.
Saionji pushes his arm off as he used to, as well. “Don’t be ridiculous, you’re done with your experimental stage, remember?”
“Ahh I know, I’m still sorry about that! I guess I turned out to be straight after all…” Niwa groans.
“Well, it couldn’t be helped.”
The sky grew dark but the two remained seated by the coast, using Nakajima’s blazer as a blanket to sit on.
“... Really, though, you give me too much credit. I may have learned to behave accordingly over the years, but there will always be unspoken thoughts I can’t control.”
Omi could sense Nakajima’s anxiousness, it made him wonder about everything his senior’s been through until now that humbled him so greatly. He wanted to know everything about Nakajima’s new life, and he wanted Nakajima to bring colour to his own. He didn’t want this to be a mere reunion that’ll only happen once every few years.
Omi couldn’t lose them again, especially the man beside him right now.
“That doesn’t matter, the old Nakajima-san would've never cared to change his ways at all.
We may not have been the best of friends in high school, but… I hope you’ll believe me when I say I really like the person you’ve become.”
“Well,” Nakajima grunts, standing up, “I like you, too.”
Before a syllable could even escape Omi’s lips in response, he’s cut off by Niwa’s voice echoing across the beach.
“Are you two done yet!?”
Omi’s head darts backwards in shock, only now realising they’ve been there the entire time.
“How about we keep the nostalgia train going by stopping by Bell Liberty?” Niwa jokingly suggests as Nakajima starts the car.
“How about that? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen Keita since he began teaching.” Saionji agrees, and the others are surprised to learn about Keita’s current job at the school.
Nakajima laughs, “He really made that place his home, huh?”
Omi looks out the window and gets a bit shy seeing his reflection, realising how broad his smile is.
“Why not? Bell Liberty will always be a second home to all of us.”
It seems like now is a good time to finally recall what colour the Treasury room’s old keyboard was.