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What happens when the sun dies?
What happens when the gleaming sun gets masked by darkness?
What happens when the sun becomes the moon?
Togame knows the answer, the sun, his sun, Choji doesn’t exist anymore.
The one that would shine so brightly, smile so kindly, the epitome of happiness, the one who lit up Togame’s world suddenly fell into darkness.
Togame didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know how to save his precious sun. He couldn’t save him. Instead, he chose to walk in Choji’s shadows as darkness cloaked over Shishitoren.
The world he once lived in, the world where Choji radiated his universe with warmth soon collapsed into a frigid place of cruelty and violence.
All Togame could do was be Choji’s protector, be the one to carry all the guilt, be the one who shouldered all the weight of the pain he caused.
That’s all he could do…
He couldn’t leave him, he couldn’t abandon his home. He couldn’t walk away when he decided to take responsibility for Choji.
Choji was still his sun, even if he didn’t shine brightly anymore.
If Choji decided to transform into the moon, if he decided to walk down a crooked path, if he wanted to fight until his heart was full, if he wanted to find the freedom he was searching for in the most malice way, Togame would let him.
Togame would hold every fault of what Choji did to be his own, he would do anything for his sun—well, his once sun.
Now, with Choji as the moon, as the night sky shrouded Shishitoren, Togame could only watch.
He watched Choji fall into darkness, watched how Choji began to lose his sense of self, his mind, his morals, and his grip on reality as Choji’s only goal was to be free.
That was something Togame couldn’t help with, he couldn’t give Choji the freedom that he yearned for.
But, Umemiya could, Bofurin did. And for that, Togame was forever grateful.
The sun he loved, he knew, he cherished was back.
His sun, his world, his friend was back.
“Kame-chan! What are you thinking so hard about?” Choji asked, grinning. A sparkle of light in his eyes rather than the starving beast he had for so long.
So bright…
Togame chuckled lightly, ruffling Choji’s hair. “Nothing, just that you look much better.”
Choji tilted his head, puzzlement clouding his face. “Hmm? Did I look sick?”
“Well, more or less,” Togame smiled, taking a sip of the ramune in his hand. “Y’know, Choji, to me, you’re the sun, you shine so brightly and are so optimistic that I wish that you’d always be like that… but I guess I was too selfish…”
Choji only looked more confused, folding his legs criss-crossed as he looked up at Togame.
“I thought you would always shine and never dim out, I thought you would always be the sun. But, then you did. You dimmed out, you went down a spiral and I couldn’t help you, I couldn’t save you…”
Choji’s confusion turned to a pout, puffing out his cheeks. “Kame-chan! You’re being lame again!” His hand hitting Togame’s head was hard enough to inflict pain, but not enough to cause too much damage.
Togame groaned, rubbing the top of his head.
“Stop being lame!” Choji huffed, a cheerful smile danced on his face. “Kame-chan, you did save me… you stayed with me even when you could’ve left, no, you should’ve left…, but you didn’t. Thank you for being with me, for being by my side even when I deserved to be abandoned.”
Togame eyes widened at his words, a sad smile plastered on. “I could never leave you, I would never leave you Choji. You’re–…”
Togame paused, he was going to say friend, he should’ve said friend, but that word wasn’t enough to describe this feeling cuddling his heart, pressing down on his chest.
Sometimes this emotion would encase his whole body with such warmth, fuzziness, and joy that he couldn’t understand. But, sometimes this emotion would petrify him. This growing affection he had for Choji grew more and only being able to watch his sun from a distance wasn’t enough, and that greed in Togame terrified him.
Choji was more than a friend, he was everything to Togame. He was his soulmate, his partner in crime, his sun.
“Kame-chan! I’m hungry!” Choji whined, tugging on Togame’s jacket. “Let’s get some daifuku!”
Togame laughed, nodding. “Alright, I’m coming!”
Togame wasn’t going to put a label on his feelings for Choji, all he knew was that he loved him, he loved him to the moon and back. And that love will never vanish, it rooted his heart to the point it couldn’t be chopped off.
He loved Choji, his sun, but if he ever did convert back to the moon, he’d still follow him, still love him like he’d always done.
However, this time, he’ll save Choji and make sure that even the moon will shine brightly even in the darkness.
He’ll save his sun, his moon, his Choji.