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“It’s freaking cold,” Daichi cursed under his breath. He was rubbing his hands together in a desperate attempt to warm them up. It wasn’t working. “Forgot my stupid gloves at home. Ugh, I’m so unlucky.”
“That has little to nothing to do with luck, Shijima,” a familiar, low voice came from behind him, “It does, however, have everything to do with your short-time memory and ability to plan ahead.”
There was no need for Daichi to turn around to know who had just arrived. If it wasn’t Prince Arrogant himself.
For once Yamato wasn’t in uniform, although the black overcoat he was wearing did seem to resemble it slightly. The pants and boots he was wearing seemed all too familiar as well. Black, black, black and more black. The only hint of colour in his whole appearance was his red nose which was just peeking over his navy blue scarf.
“You sure kept me waiting! I thought I was going to freeze to death here. Although… I guess we can’t just get a move on yet. Where’s Hibiki when you need him?”
Yamato pulled his scarf down away from his mouth so it wouldn't muffle his voice. Daichi didn’t fail to notice he was wearing black leather gloves (of course).
“I would apologize, but I see no reason to. I am exactly on time. We did agree on meeting here at eleven thirty, yes?”
Fashionably dressed and fashionably, exactly on time… Daichi couldn't compete with that. Not in a thousand years. He wanted to go home already.
Hanging out together certainly hadn’t been Daichi’s idea. Of course it was Hibiki who had come with the proposal. Something about wanting to spend time with his two best friends. Daichi didn’t know how to feel about the fact he was sharing his “best friend” position with Yamato now.
It wasn’t that Daichi had anything against the chief. On the contrary, Daichi was used to jerks.
Well, jerk or not, Yamato had played a very big part in defeating the Septentriones and Daichi was still grateful to him for that. He also wasn’t that bad of a guy once you got to know him a little bit better. Just a… socially awkward guy.
“Yeah, yeah. You’re right. Of course you are,” Daichi grumbled softly into his cupped hands as he blew warm breath into them. “I hope Hibiki arrives soon. I can’t wait to get inside. Doesn’t matter if we go see a movie or grab something to eat. I just very badly want to go inside by now!”
He could feel Yamato’s eyes on him as he continued his desperate attempts to warm his hands. Silence hung over them as Yamato took his time looking Daichi over. If Daichi had to guess he would say Yamato was mentally preparing himself to spend time with the biggest idiot in town.
“You’re certainly not overdressed for this weather.” Called it. “I suggest keeping your hands in your pockets. Save your warmth.”
Part of Daichi wanted to protest just for the sake of protesting. For some reason he felt very strongly he wanted to prove Yamato wrong on something and go against him. However, instead of letting his inner rebel out, Daichi silently shoved his hands in his pockets. Yamato gave him a single nod of approval.
They waited, and then they waited some more for Hibiki to arrive at their meeting point, but they had yet to spot their rabbit-eared friend anywhere. The very moment Daichi took out his cell phone to give Hibiki a call, it went off.
“Hey, where are you at? You’re keeping us waiting,” Daichi answered Hibiki’s call.
“Ah yes, about that…” Hibiki’s voice came through the phone, “I can’t make it. Sorry.”
“What? Why?!”
“Some stuff came up and, well, I really can’t make it. I’m very sorry about that. I’ll make it up to you guys some other time, OK?”
Daichi opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say another word Yamato had snatched his cell phone from him.
“I do not take kindly to anyone who wastes my time, Kuze.”
Oh boy. Whenever Yamato would use Hibiki’s last name that meant trouble. This time was no different. Hibiki’s voice was too muffled for Daichi to make out what he was saying, but from the tone of his voice alone Daichi could tell he was trying to defend himself and sulking.
While any other person would make noises of agreement and understanding while on the phone, Yamato remained dead silent. If you were calling the chief, you would better be prepared to constantly doubt if anyone was still there. Daichi had had that pleasure once. Once, but never again.
“This has been a disappointment. Dismissed.”
With those words, Yamato ended the call and handed Daichi’s cell phone back over to him. Yamato seemed irritated, and Daichi couldn’t really blame him. He too had been looking forward to hanging out with Hibiki today. He had been looking forward to it so much even that he had forgotten his gloves at home! And now Hibiki wasn’t even going to show up. Way to let us down, Hibiki.
“Ugh, this sucks. Waited in the cold here for nothing,” Daichi said as he turned on his heel and began to leave. “I have to catch my bus so–”
Daichi almost jumped when Yamato suddenly grabbed him by his shoulder. “I wasn’t under the impression our plans have been cancelled, Shijima.”
There was a frown on Daichi’s face when he turned around to face Yamato. A frown Yamato returned immediately upon seeing it.
“But Hibiki–”
“Isn’t coming, yes. The activities we had in mind can be done with three people, but can just as well be done by two people. I’ve been as kind as to do the counting for you. Together we make two.”
This probably had to be Yamato’s weird way of telling Daichi he wanted to spend time together. Why, though? Just because they were both friends with Hibiki didn’t make them friends, did it? Daichi honestly had no idea why Yamato would want to not cancel their plans.
“My time is valuable, Shijima. Do not let it be wasted,” Yamato explained as if to have read Daichi’s mind. Figures the chief would have a reason like that. “Let’s try to have fun, shall we? You have something to make up for.”
Hey now! It wasn’t Daichi’s fault Hibiki hadn’t shown up. Daichi would have complained to Yamato about being treated unfairly if it wasn’t for the fact Yamato would continue to do as he pleased anyway. Yamato let go of Daichi’s shoulder and began to lead the way, expecting Daichi to follow him. Daichi sighed as he did as was expected of him. This was going to be a long day.
Daichi was munching away his salted popcorn vigorously as he kept his eyes glued to the cinema screen. Surely he would stop tearing up if he couldn’t hear the characters say their dramatic lines over his own loud chewing… right? His vision got more and more blurry as he rapidly blinked the tears in the corners of his eyes away. He wouldn’t let this movie get to him. He wouldn’t cry!
Tears ran down his face as he reached the bottom of his popcorn bucket. He pretended to wipe his mouth and salty fingers on his yellow scarf, but he was actually using his scarf to dry his eyes and the rest of his face. Swallowing thickly and biting his bottom lip, he tried to think of an excuse for him to not have to look at the sad scene unfolding before him.
Then it came to him. This would be the perfect time to check how Yamato was holding up next to him. Wouldn’t it be a sight to see the oh-so-serious chief touched and crying? Daichi looked at his right and there it was…! Yamato looking his usual unfazed, static, deadpan self.
Arms crossed, Yamato was observing the screen with minor interest. He looked ghostly pale in the reflected light, but admittedly also kind of handsome. The light captured his high cheekbones and strong jawline beautifully. It were features Daichi found himself jealous of. Girls would never swoon over his own baby face; teary big eyes included.
Daichi's breath caught in his throat when suddenly Yamato’s eyes were on him. Ah, shit. How long had he been staring at Yamato? A glance at the screen told him he had been staring at the chief long enough to miss the ending of the movie. The credits were rolling and the room lit up gradually as Daichi held his face in his hands.
Unbelievable. Missed the ending because he had been too busy admiring Yamato’s face. What was this? A romantic date in the dark?! No, no. This wasn’t a date. Just two guys being dudes. Daichi kept telling himself that as he sulked silently about not knowing how the movie had ended.
“Shall we go?” Yamato asked as he rose from his seat and put on his coat. “I hope this was satisfactory. You were the one who wanted to see this movie, no?”
“Yeah, it was neat. Great ending,” Daichi poked fun at himself. The joke flew right over Yamato’s head.
Glancing at the rolling credits once more (damn you), Daichi took all of his belongings and followed after Yamato. So far for having a good time together. Hibiki’s company was being missed. Not that sulking about that was going to do them any good. Daichi was going to keep trying to make this work no matter what!
“Your eyes are red, Shijima,” Yamato commented dryly on Daichi’s appearance the moment they stepped out of the theater.
“Hey, it was a sad movie! I bet you were the only one who didn’t cry.”
“It’s only a work of fiction. It’s not real.”
“Well… You’re not wrong, but don’t you feel bad for these characters at all?”
“I don’t. I only feel sorry for you.”
What was that supposed to mean?! There was a frown on Daichi’s face, but instead of returning it Yamato offered him a slight smile. At least one of them seemed to be enjoying himself.
“Where to next, Shijima?”
With Yamato not seeming tired of making Daichi’s life more difficult just yet, Daichi thought of where they could go next. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he looked around, refreshing his memory.
“Hmm… I could go for a slice of pizza. On second thought, make that a whole pizza. Want to grab some?”
“Pizza? I can’t say I’ve tried it before… Very well. Lead the way.”
“Wait, never?” A look of horror crossed Daichi’s face. “Pizza is a gift from the Heavens itself. The crispy crust, the golden melted cheese, the explosion of flavours and texture in your mouth. If you never have had any pizza goodness, you haven’t lived!”
“I’m very much alive, I assure you.”
It was hard to tell if Yamato was being serious or just messing with him at this point. Either way, Daichi would show him the wonders of pizza.
“Yeah, yeah. Just tag along. Man, I can’t believe this. Hasn’t Hibiki showed you anything?”
Yamato couldn’t have looked more out of place in the pizza restaurant. In the chaos of bright colours and loud chatter among other sounds coming from the kitchen, Yamato was like a black and white silent movie. He had put his reading glasses on and was now studying the menu in the same fashion a literature teacher would look for deeper meaning in the writing of a six-year-old.
“Haven’t decided yet? It’s all good, you know?” Daichi tried to help. There was no reaction. “Want me to tell you Hibiki’s favourite?”
Ah, caught his attention. Yamato looked up from the menu at him expectantly. “Yes?”
“Show me the menu.”
Yamato turned the menu upside down and placed it on the table so that Daichi could read it. To be fair, Daichi didn’t know what Hibiki’s favourite pizza was. His best friend wasn’t picky. He would eat about anything. Being free to pick absolutely whatever, Daichi tapped on a random item on the menu.
“Kuwaturofurōmaji, the four cheese pizza.”
“That’s Quattro Formaggi.”
“…Yeah, the four cheese pizza.”
“It’s decided, then.”
Yamato closed the menu and put away his reading glasses. A waitress came to get their order quickly. She was cute, probably around their age. She smiled a lot as she wrote down what they wanted to eat and drink, although Daichi couldn’t help but notice her attention was mostly drawn to Yamato.
“That’s all,” Yamato dismissed her, waving her away with his hand. Despite Yamato’s rudeness, their waitress seemed to be in a good mood. There was a slight bounce to her steps which made her ponytail swing from side to side as she walked away.
“Hey, Yamato,” Daichi said, keeping his voice low. “That was kind of rude.”
There was a look of honest puzzlement on Yamato’s face as he spoke. “How so?”
“Well… You dismissed her kind of crudely just now. You didn’t have to wave her away. She’s not yours to command. She’s just doing her job.”
The knot in Daichi’s stomach of which he hadn’t known tightened. They were on a friendly and throughout platonic date right now, but the man sitting opposite him was still the leader of JP’s! Was he dead? Was he really dead?! He shouldn’t have said anything. The waitress hadn’t seemed to mind Yamato’s behaviour in the first place!
“Hm. I see. Thank you for enlightening me. I will keep that in mind.”
Huh…? Had he just escaped certain death? It sure felt like it. Although, it also felt kind of good? In a way, he had proven Yamato wrong on something. Daichi wouldn’t admit it, but he was secretly happy about that.
“Good, good. Please do.”
Their waitress soon returned with their drinks and pizzas. Daichi had stayed true to his word and ordered a whole pizza. Yamato had said something about having not that big of an appetite currently and had ordered half a pizza.
“Mm, smells so good,” Daichi beamed, his mouth beginning to water. “I’m digging in. Thanks for the food.”
Yamato repeated his words after him before staring at his plate curiously, yet unsurely. While they had been given a knife and a fork, their pizza had already been sliced for them. Yamato didn’t seem to know how to start eating.
“With your hands is fine,” Daichi encouraged Yamato to eat, taking one of his own slices of pizza and biting off enough to get a mouth full. Next Daichi tried to say that it was really good, but his voice came out so muffled and unintelligibly he gave Yamato a thumbs up instead.
For a moment it seemed like Yamato wasn’t going to eat, but then he took of his gloves. He picked a slice and bit off such a small part of the tip one would think he was testing for poison. Chewing it slowly and thoroughly, the chief postponed his ultimate verdict. Just as Daichi started to fear the worst, Yamato took the biggest bite out of his pizza. He had finished his slice in mere seconds.
“Heh, not bad. You said this is Hibiki’s favourite? I can see why.” Yamato nodded approvingly as Daichi shoved an enter slice of pizza in his mouth to stop himself from bursting out laughing. “It is as you described. The crispy crust, the golden melted cheese, the explosion of flavours and texture in your mouth. It’s all there.”
Daichi made a noise which resembled a ‘Mm-hm’ slightly as he did his best to not choke on his pizza. No matter what, he couldn’t laugh! He had already narrowly escaped death today. The chief might not spare him a second time.
Once Daichi finally got his pizza down he reached for his soda. A few sips later and he had himself under control again. Hibiki would have loved this. He would have laughed in Yamato’s face no doubt. Daichi was enjoying himself now, but he still couldn’t help but miss the company of his best friend.
“Are you thinking of Hibiki again? He seems to be a lot on your mind. You keep mentioning him as well.”
Ugh, damn it. Yamato seriously had to stop reading his mind. Just as Daichi had thought their (purely platonic!) date was going well, too. He didn’t want to talk about this.
“Isn’t that normal? He’s my best friend.”
“No less is he mine.”
That wasn’t the same. While Hibiki and Yamato might have gotten very close quickly, they hadn’t known each other for that long. Certainly not as long as Hibiki and Daichi had known each other. Not that Daichi would try to explain that to Yamato. He continued eating his pizza without saying a word.
Silence hung over them as they enjoyed their pizza. Their waitress came to ask if they needed anything else. Yamato thanked her, but sent her away politely. It was an improvement from before. A tiny improvement Daichi was secretly proud of.
“It’s not easy being Hibiki’s best friend for so long, you know?” Daichi finally broke the silence. “He’s better at everything. I’ve been jealous of him for as long as I can remember.”
“In that case being in my presence must make you feel miserable.”
Had Yamato just… indirectly admitted to being better than both of them and teased Daichi with it? And was that a smirk on his face?! Daichi couldn’t believe it. Yamato had to be joking, which added a whole other layer of weirdness to this conversation.
“Hibiki rubbed off on you,” Daichi managed to say after a long moment of staring at Yamato like a deer caught in the headlights.
“He did? Can’t say I noticed.”
Yamato finished his last slice of pizza. Instead of licking his fingers like Daichi would have, he wiped them on his napkin.
“What I just finished wasn’t Hibiki’s favourite pizza, was it?” Yamato asked, his eyes on Daichi. Daichi immediately went back to ‘deer caught in headlights’ mode, but this time with additional sweating. “I knew the moment you asked to see the menu.”
For a long, drawn out moment, Yamato reached for his water and took a few sips. Daichi was considering this moment to be his last as he waited for Yamato to continue.
“You picked the pizza yourself. You made your own choice. You are capable of much more than you think, Shijima.” Yamato paused for emphasis. “I’ve got a confession to make. For a long time I saw you as ‘Hibiki’s best friend’; nothing more, nothing less. But then, as we faced more Septentriones you became Shijima Daichi to me.”
“You are more than Hibiki’s friend. You are your own person. While I hope no more disasters will fall upon all of Japan and the rest of the world in the future, I know that if they will I can count on you. You are strong, Shijima.”
Daichi couldn’t do anything than sit there absolutely dumbfounded. Not only wasn’t he going to die today, Yamato was also complimenting him?! What was he supposed to make of all of this? He honestly wasn’t sure.
“Talk of disasters aside, I strongly believe that those with power should be aware of their own abilities. From today on forward, I want you to stop seeing yourself as an afterthought. Much potential exists within you. You are more than the man in Hibiki’s shadow.”
With those words, Yamato finished his water and called for the waitress. Before Daichi could get a word in, Yamato had already asked for the bill and paid for them both. Yamato put on his coat and grimaced slightly before pulling his gloves over his slightly greasy hands.
“I’m afraid I have to return to my work now. Thank you for not wasting my time like Hibiki has today. I won’t forget. You enjoy the rest of your pizza.”
Daichi had been so busy trying to wrap his mind on what was going on that he had forgotten he still had about half a pizza left. Leaving it here would be a waste and he was still hungry, so even if he had wanted to go after Yamato following behind him wouldn’t have been an option.
“Oh, and Shijima?” Daichi looked up from his pizza to see Yamato standing at the entrance of the place. Yamato smiled the smile Daichi had only seen him make around Hibiki. “Call me.”