Work Text:
The chiming of the bell announced the arrival of another customer. Kazutora, who was ready to clock out any minute, now that his shift was almost over, grumbled softly under his breath and looked up from his phone to greet the new customer.
Typically, he greeted customers with a 'Good morning' or 'Good evening' and quickly moved on to take their orders, eager to finish his shift. That was when his customers were annoying teenagers or self-centered middle-aged adults, not when he was a breathtaking individual with his hair — a mesmerizing shade of plum — framing his face like a work of art. His soft, glimmering eyes, matching the color of his hair, gazed at him as–
"Um, hello." He was pulled out of his poetic reverie of this handsome stranger in front of him.
"Hi!" His voice ended up rising a pitch in panic and he blurted out the remaining sentence, "Welcome, I am Hanemiya Kazutora, nice to meet you. What do you want?"
The stranger was slightly taken aback but regained composure and stated his order. That's when Kazutora's brain blanked out and his body kicked into autopilot to prepare his order. He couldn't recall what exactly happened but since the stranger didn't say anything the order must've been right.
"How much do I owe you?"
Not trusting his words he slipped the receipt towards him and he paid his dues.
"Excuse me!" Abruptly his brain started working the moment the stranger turned around to leave. "Uh, are you new here?" Mentally cursing himself he added, "I've never seen you around."
The stranger looked bemused but answered, "Yes, I recently moved here. I'm opening a tattoo parlor down the street."
"Oh, I was just thinking of getting a tattoo." Now that his brain had officially broken down, he was left at the mercy of his tongue and whatever it came up with.
"You were? What kind?" The slight sparkle in his eyes at the mention of the word tattoo didn't go unnoticed by Kazutora.
"A tiger." His brain still refused to cooperate though.
"Well it looks like you already have one." he pointed at the small tiger tattoo resting on his neck.
"Yes, I want a giant tiger on my back."
"You must really like tigers."
"I want a pet tiger." Great going brain.
"Is that so?" he looked at him awkwardly before deciding to end the conversation. "Well, I'll be leaving now. If you want another tiger tattoo feel free to drop by." With a small smile, he left, leaving behind Kazutora, who was still processing the interaction, and the ringing of the bell.
Kazutora loved his friends. They were the light of his life. If asked, he would happily give up his life for them. But not at this moment, no. Right now he was thinking about the best place to hide their bodies so that he would never get caught.
They were at Ryusei's house, while their host was rolling on the floor holding his stomach that was aching from laughing at Kazutora's misery for the past hour. Baji, his best friend and partner in crime, like the traitor that he is, had also joined Ryusei.
"Come on guys, it's not that funny."
Bless you, Chifuyu.
"So what if Kazutora-kun totally embarrassed himself in front of his crush."
It's not a crush exactly.
"We should help him prepare for his date so that he doesn't embarrass himself again!"
Wait, what date?
"Wait a minute," Kazutora hurriedly interrupted, "There's no date."
"So you're saying that you blabbered gibberish and totally embarrassed yourself but couldn't even get a date?"
"Ryusei, don't be mean." Chifuyu reprimanded.
"Just saying~"
"So, what do we do in this situation?"
"How about getting him a pet tiger?"
"Ryusei!"
"Sorry~♡" He was not sorry.
"Wait, didn't he invite you to his tattoo parlor?" Baji finally decided he had ridiculed him enough and joined the conversation.
"I don't think he invited me, more like I invited myself. But he did say I can come so I guess he did invite me? Maybe he was trying to be polite…" He trailed off as he felt disappointment settle in his stomach.
"Forget about that for now," Chifuyu chipped in, "Let's get you some nice clothes for your not-date. You should make a good second impression!"
"What's wrong with the clothes I have?"
"You mean these balloon pants and tiger-printed turtlenecks?"
"Yes?"
There was no reply other than the judgemental stares from his "friends".
"You know what? You losers have no taste. My fashion sense is great!"
"Maybe we should let Kazutora wear whatever he wants." Thank you, Baji. "That tattoo artist guy should know what he'll be dealing with." The traitor.
"You're right, Keisuke-kun." Ryusei turned to look at him amusedly. "I mean, it doesn't really matter what he wears when he's going to take it off anyway~"
"W-what are you trying to say?! We just met, it's not like that!!"
"Like what?"
"Like you know! That !"
"Oh? But I didn't say anything about that , did I?" He smirked at him. "I just meant that you can't get a giant tiger tattoo on your back without removing your shirt. Now can you, Tora?"
That bastard knew exactly what he was doing.
"Wait wait wait," Ryusei should be grateful to Chifuyu for interrupting, otherwise he would've ended up haunting his own house. "Do you even want the tattoo?"
Now that he thought about it, he didn't really want the tattoo. He just ended up saying whatever came to his mind at the moment.
"I'm not sure? I don't even know why I said that…"
"Okay, so how about you go see him and let him know that and ask him out for real this time?"
"I don't trust myself with talking…"
"It's okay Kazutora-kun! Don't be too hard on yourself. You were just startled because you saw him for the first time. It'll be easier to talk when you meet him again." Chifuyu's eyes were glistening with excitement.
Chifuyu's confidence was contagious. Maybe he'll be fine next time.
The tattoo parlor buzzed with the steady hum of the tattoo machine, the scent of antiseptic mingling with the faint aroma of incense burning in a corner. Soft music played in the background.
"Welcome- oh hey, you're the coffee shop guy. Hanemiya Kazutora, was it?"
"Hi, yes."
The handsome stranger and tattoo artist had already deviated from the script Kazutora had prepared for him. Now instead of continuing the conversation as he had planned, his brain was just repeatedly chanting: 'He remembered my name. He remembered my name. He remembered my name. He remembered…'
"So, here for the tiger tattoo?"
"Yes."
"Do you have any design in mind?"
"Tiger."
"Yes, I mean what kind of tiger?" Looking at Kazutora's blank face he decided to spare him the awkwardness and pulled out some designs of his own. "How about you look at these and see if you find something that matches your taste? I can make something new as well if you can tell me what you're looking for."
Kazutora just silently accepted his fate and decided to take a look at the designs. To say he was in awe would be an understatement. His anxiety was eased a little after seeing those designs. A part of him wished he could grow more skin to get every design tattooed but considering how he wasn't even sure about this one he'll have to hold that thought.
"What do you think?" His tattoo artist startled him while he was admiring his work.
"This one." He pointed to the design that stood out to him the most. A serene tiger, half its face revealed with closed eyes, settled amongst vibrant sunflowers. It gave a sense of fierceness and vulnerability at the same time.
"That one's my favorite." He softly smiled at him and started preparing, leaving Kazutora and his short-circuited brain to melt in a puddle because of that smile.
As Kazutora lay on the tattoo table, he couldn't shake the memory of a childhood fascination with tigers. It was a connection he hadn't thought about in years, but seeing Akkun's tiger designs brought back a flood of memories. Reminding him how certain passions stay with us, shaping who we become.
"So, you actually got the tattoo?" Baji, who hadn't yet decided whether to laugh or be angry, asked him.
"Yeah…"
"Come on, show us then!" Ryusei was pretty energetic today, "Take off your shirt."
"I'm not showing you dumbasses anything!"
"Ryusei, grab his legs. Chifuyu, grab his arms. I'll take off the shirt."
"What?! You- no! Get off!... This is harassment!... I'm going to kill you all!..."
— —
"Wow, this actually looks good, Tora~♡"
"You're dead to me."
They were busy admiring Kazutora's tattoo. The person in question was pinned on the ground with his shirt brutally taken off of him.
"Even if nothing works out between you and that guy, at least you'll get a good tattoo if nothing." Baji, the traitor, had absolutely no faith in him.
"You can even use this tattoo to impress your next crush! Just don't tell them that you got it because you got enchanted by the tattoo artist~"
"Ryusei is right. But I'll include this incident in my speech at your wedding so you better tell your partner, whoever you marry, so they are not surprised." Baji added.
"First of all, none of you are invited to my wedding. Second of all, get off me!"
They scrambled off him, allowing him to breathe and recollect his clothes.
"By the way, what's his name?" Chifuyu decided to ask some relevant questions once Kazutora was dressed.
"Uh, I don't know…"
"You don't know?"
"I didn't ask him." He admitted
"You're so whipped for a guy and you don't even know his name?"
"Shut up, Baji."
"Looks like you'll need another tattoo so that you can get to know his name, Tora."
"Well, actually…"
"You're not getting another tattoo are you?" Baji interrupted.
"No, not another one. This tattoo isn't complete yet so I'll have another session."
"Wow, it looks this good even when it's incomplete!"
"Right, Fuyu? Maybe I should get a tattoo as well." Ryusei mulled.
"Idiot, what are you even going to get?"
"Hm, maybe I should get your face tattooed on my heart, Fuyu ♡"
"Shut up, idiot." Chifuyu swatted his hand, blushing profusely.
Ugh, couples.
"Ignore those two. So, when is the next session?"
"In three weeks."
"Then we have three weeks to prepare you for it."
He had a bad feeling about this.
The three weeks passed by too fast for his liking yet not fast enough. Every day at the coffee shop, he hoped he would pass by for a cup of coffee but not once did he stop by. He was a little disappointed but looking back at their past two interactions he figured it was for the best.
Baji, Chifuyu, and Ryusei had trained him for his next session; he just hoped he'd be able to hold a proper conversation this time.
He took a deep breath and opened the door of the tattoo parlor. The first thing he had to do was ask his name.
"Oh hey, you're ba-"
"Your name?" He blurted out before greeting and mentally cursed himself for his rudeness.
"Huh?"
"I don't know your name."
"Oh right!" He relaxed and introduced himself, "My name is Sendo Atsushi. You can also call me Akkun, it's my nickname."
"I'm Hanemiya Kazutora." He said on autopilot.
"Yes, I'm aware." He huffed out a laugh. "So, how's your back? Has your skin been healing well?"
"Uh, yes," Kazutora mumbled, suddenly feeling embarrassed.
"Great then how about you have a seat, I'll get ready and we'll continue where we left off." He gave a reassuring smile.
"Um, Akkun?" He called out to his retreating back.
"Yes?"
You can do it, Kazutora. He braced himself. Baji, Chifuyu, and Ryusei trained you for this. Actually just Baji and Chifuyu. Ryusei must be thrown off a cliff.
"I, uh, wanted to ask you something."
"Sure, go ahead." He was looking at him keenly, and Kazutora could feel his confidence dissipate.
"The tattoo will be completed today right?" He backed out. Ryusei would not let him live this down.
"Oh yeah, it will be." Did he sound disappointed? He must be imagining it. "I'll get it completed today but it'll take some time for your skin to heal so make sure to take care of it well."
"Right." He felt so angry with himself.
They fell into silence and the rest of the session went like the previous one, except this time his nervousness was replaced by disappointment.
Throughout the session, his brain was a puzzled mess. He couldn't figure out where the disappointment was stemming from. Logically speaking, Akkun was just a stranger to him. Why was he going so far to talk to him?
He thought back to every interaction they've had, which isn't a lot, trying to figure out the exact moment when he went from just being attracted to having a hopeless crush on him.
Their first meeting? He could barely remember what had happened other than how beautiful Akkun looked and how unhelpful his brain had been. Maybe it was his hair? He has nice hair. He also has nice eyes. Maybe it was when he smiled. Or when he gave him tips to take care of his skin after getting a tattoo. Or when he was drawing his tattoo. Speaking of which he also had some great designs that he showed him and– Oh–
It was then .
When he showed him his designs.
That's what sealed the deal for him.
He was ready to back out before that. But when Akkun showed him his designs, that's when he lost himself.
The designs Akkun created himself. At first glance, he could tell how much love and care he put into those designs. He remembers being awestruck at that moment, along with a faint desire to get each one inked on his skin.
Kazutora glanced at the designs Akkun had sketched out for other clients framed on the walls, noting the intricate patterns and vibrant colors. One design caught his eye — a phoenix rising from the ashes. He wondered if Akkun had a story behind each artwork, waiting to be uncovered.
He leans his head slightly to look at the small mirror nearby. He could make out his own reflection along with Akkun, who was completely immersed in his work. His eyes were laser-focused on his back, and his meticulous hands worked seamlessly on the piece of art he was creating.
As Kazutora watched Akkun work on his tattoo, he couldn't help but think of the tattoo as a symbol of transformation. A mark that would forever change his outlook on life, much like how Akkun had subtly changed his perspective since their first meeting.
He vaguely recalled his first tattoo at the age of twelve, a birthday gift to himself marking the day he met Baji for the first time. It was a symbol of their newfound friendship and a pledge to remain steadfast companions.
Their interactions may have been fleeting, but he could still sense how much Akkun loved his work. How much love he had poured into every design he created. Every tattoo he inked. Every artwork he crafted.
He was getting desperate. Just knowing this is not enough. He wants more. He wants to know what motivated Akkun to become a tattoo artist. What was the first design he crafted? Who was his first customer? What does he love the most about his work? What is his favorite animal? Favorite ice cream flavor. Favorite color. He wants to know everything about this guy who loves his art so much that it overflows into his work.
"Kazutora-kun?" Akkun's voice brought him back from his musings. "I'm done with the tattoo. Would you like to see it?"
"Yes." He breathed out.
Akkun showed him the mirror and Kazutora could feel his breath hitch at the sight of his back. Beautiful was too shallow of a compliment to describe what he was seeing.
"You like it?" Akkun asked, slightly nervous.
As Kazutora traced the lines of his new tattoo, he felt a surge of gratitude toward Akkun. A gratitude he struggled to convey. "I never expected a tattoo to mean this much to me," he confessed quietly, surprised by the raw honesty of his words and the understanding in Akkun's gentle gaze.
"Akkun, listen," he had to say, or else he'd regret it his whole life whenever he saw this tattoo. "I wanted to ask you something."
"What is it?"
Kazutora took a deep breath trying to remember what Chifuyu taught him, "Do you– do you wanna have coffee with me sometime?"
Akkun just stood there stunned, not uttering a word.
Whatever confidence he had mustered started fading away. He messed up, didn't he?
"You don't have to," Kazutora said hurriedly trying to diffuse the situation, "Actually just ignore everything I'm so sorry–"
"No, that's not it," Akkun interrupts, "I would actually like to have coffee with you."
"You do?"
Akkun looked down, hiding a blush. "Yeah, I was just surprised you asked so suddenly." When Kazutora doesn't say anything, he continues, "I actually wanted to ask you too, but you're always so serious I wasn't sure how to go about it…"
"I look serious?" Kazutora was genuinely dumbfounded.
"You do…" That's how he discovers that despite his inner turmoil, Kazutora's face somehow remains neutral.
"Also, Akkun, I'm not really good with words but I really want to talk to you a lot. There's a lot I want to ask and I want to know you. You know?"
"You don't have to force yourself, Kazutora-kun. Just take it easy. I assure you, I'm a very patient person."
Kazutora took a deep breath, feeling the tension drain from his shoulders. He met Akkun's gaze, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Thanks for your patience, Akkun," he said, his voice steadier than before.
The conversation flowed easily between Kazutora and Akkun, accentuated by moments of shared laughter and quiet understanding. As they discussed their favorite tattoo styles, Kazutora realized how effortlessly he could talk to Akkun now, his earlier nervousness a distant memory.
As Kazutora left the tattoo parlor, he felt a newfound sense of confidence. He knew he still had much to learn about Akkun. He was eager to unravel the mysteries behind the tattoo artist's quiet demeanor and artistic soul.
[Peke J’s Servants]
Kazutora: Guess who's got a date ;)
Chifuyu: Congratulations Kazutora-kun ヾ(≧▽≦*)o
Ryusei: 7pm at my place I'll get the snacks we need to know EVERYTHING
Baji: Did you finally ask his name?
BONUS:
After Kazutora's first session
[Upgraded and Hotter Mizo Middle Five + Makoto]
Akkun: oh god he actually showed up
Akkun: I was not expecting him to actually come
Akkun: he looks so serious how do I talk to him
Akkun: HE LIKED MY DESIGN
Akkun: He was shirtless I was actually dying there oh my god
50 messages later
Yamagishi: Dude why are you blowing up the chat I'm at work and my boss is glaring at me for not paying attention
Makoto: Akkun is panicking over the coffee guy
Yamagishi: Again??
Makoto: Mute the chat bro it might take a while
Yamagishi: Man go talk to him and save us from this misery
Akkun: You guys know I'm here right??
Yamagishi: yeah obviously
Akkun: some friends you are
Yamagishi: seeing how bad you're panicking you didn't mess up his tattoo did you
Akkun: I would never I'm a professional ok
Makoto: professional enough to crush on your client
Takemichi: Makoto, don't be mean to him
Akkun: THANK YOU TAKEMICHI AT LEAST SOMEONE CARES
Takemichi: As long as you're happy we're all good 😀
Akkun : Takemichiiii 😭
Takemichi : Good luck Akkun! I hope he's nice
Takuya: He better be or he won't make it to another tattoo session
Akkun: …
Akkun: Coming from Takuya, that's a bit unsettling…
Takuya: :)
Akkun: Please don't hurt him
Takuya: As long as he doesn't hurt you he'll be fine :)
Akkun: …
Akkun: I'll get back to work
Yamagishi: Takuya if you need back up let me know
Makoto: yeah same
Takemichi: let's have some faith guys
Takemichi: but yeah let me know as well if you need backup