Chapter Text
INTRODUCTION
In the sweltering summer of 1968, the small coastal town of Shima found itself caught between the old ways of Japan and the inexorable pull of modernity. Nestled between verdant mountains and the endless expanse of the Pacific Ocean, Shima was a place where everyone knew everyone, where secrets were hard to keep, and where love was often confined to whispered confessions and stolen glances.
Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto were two such souls, burdened by the weight of their hidden desires and the oppressive expectations of a society unready for their truth. As the summer began, the air thick with the scent of blooming jasmine and the distant hum of cicadas, Satoru and Suguru found solace in each other’s company. They shared their dreams, fears, and unspoken truths in the hidden corners of Shima, away from prying eyes. It was in these moments of vulnerability that their true love blossomed, fragile yet undeniable, like the delicate cherry blossoms that heralded the spring.
But the world beyond their secluded paradise loomed large, with the future promising both hope and heartache. Satoru’s impending departure for college in August cast a shadow over their idyllic summer, a constant reminder that their time together was fleeting. They clung to each other, knowing that the love they had discovered might never again find such fertile ground.
This is their story—a tale of love found and lost, of fleeting moments that linger in the heart long after they have passed. It is a story of Satoru and Suguru, of a summer that changed everything, and of a love that dared to bloom in the most unlikely of places.
MAY 24TH 1968
The sun had only then started to set, the afternoon had already shifted into the evening hours ago. This was no surprise, as it was here in Shima where not many lived. Shima was a coastal city in central Japan, and although its modernized parks are very popular in the present, it was once just a beautiful city with a coast and many fish-related markets and restaurants. In Shima, there were only around a few thousand people living there, at least sixty years ago. Many people have left Shima, for the main reason that there’s not much there for ambitious people, who seek adventure and more to their lives. This city was a mere small town compared to the other cities in Japan.
Suguru Geto never cared for any of the city’s history, nor for its tourism. If it did not directly impact him, then it did not matter. Nothing existed outside of his life, which was his way of keeping his life organized and not disturbed by little things. It was this way that drew his best friend to him. For Suguru had always been this way, ever since he was a kid, and his best friend since age 6, Satoru Gojo, thought he was remarkable for it. He had never met someone so driven, so determined in keeping his life unbothered by the world around him. Satoru wasn’t like that, despite how hard he tries. He cares too much, while Suguru cares too little. But that only goes for everything and everyone except his little brother and Satoru himself.
In the Geto household, there was only Suguru, his younger brother Kairi, and their father, who was a drunk, a regular to the police department, and an arrogant, yet very traditional man. He made it clear in many drunken rants that everything that is out of normality is automatically considered a sin. Bold, of course, but their father was just that—a bold hypocrite.
In a three bedroom, two story home built by his grandfather’s own hands at only 17, Suguru rarely left the house unless it was to go somewhere with Satoru. Normally, he’d spend his afternoons after school either raising his younger brother and/or dealing with their father. He hated that man, but on some days, he wouldn’t hear a peep from him. Those were the days that he enjoyed. Though Satoru could never understand that. He preferred solitude rather than crowds, though most of the time, where Satoru would take him would rarely have people there, which was nice of him to do such. If he wasn’t in his school uniform, Suguru would typically wear more baggy, casual clothes, not like Satoru at all. Even his school uniform was a bit baggy, loose around his limbs as he felt claustrophobic, despite it only being tight clothes.
Satoru was much different than Suguru, for he always dressed in sweaters with a white collar shirt underneath, khaki pants and the shiniest shoes you’d ever lay eyes on. He dressed very “preppy” and “rich-like” as Suguru would call it. Not only that, but Satoru had pure white hair and oceanic blue eyes that matched the sea surrounding their small town. Every time Suguru looked into them, he felt as if he was drowning, not that he ever complained about it. But his looks only made Satoru even more popular, and from how powerful his family was, it was hard to differentiate him from the wealthy stereotype. He was cocky and confident, never afraid to speak his mind, yet he still managed to be kind. Suguru was even a little intimidated by him, not that he’d ever admit that, however.
Satoru, with his striking looks and charismatic presence, seemed to have the world at his feet. Yet beneath his confident exterior lay a heart yearning for something real, something that could not be found in the admiring eyes of the girls who flocked to him. Suguru, his childhood and closest friend to this day, was his opposite in many ways—stoic, grounded, but fiercely loyal. Together, on the first day of primary school, they formed an unbreakable bond, one that transcended the ordinary confines of friendship.
Now, a decade and a half later, the two are just about to graduate high school. Satoru was Student Body President so he had his speech prepared, while Suguru wasn’t even allowed to walk with everyone else because of his absences. It didn’t bother him, he actually was just fine with not walking. Satoru, of course, was angry with him, which did not surprise Suguru whatsoever. Satoru always nagged at him, like he was his mother, but he meant no harm with it. He just cared so much about Suguru, and though Suguru felt the same, it was his own doing that led him to not knowing how to express that care.
“I cannot believe you let yourself get that many absences,” Satoru remarks with a huff, shaking his head in disappointment as he and Suguru walk down the empty hall together. Suguru’s shoulders had risen up, hunching with his fists buried into his pockets. “I could talk to the counselor,” he suggests, “Convince her?”
“I’ve missed all three practices,” said Suguru.
“So? All you do is walk in a line, shake hands, and just sit and stand when they tell you to.”
“I’ll live, Satoru.”
“You don’t have to,”
“You are such a meddler, y’know that?” Suguru chuckles, shaking his head lightly, “But really, I’m fine. I swear to it,”
Satoru’s worry shifts into a grin, “Say, what if we go to the bowling alley tonight?”
Suguru shook his head, “Got work,”
“After?”
“I don’t know, Satoru.”
“Oh would you quit with that?” Satoru then wrapped his arm around Suguru’s shoulders, still grinning ear to ear, “Just because you have work doesn’t mean I can’t cheer you up,”
“Cheer me up? I’m fine,”
“Those eyebags tell a different story,” says Satoru, pulling his arm off Suguru, “What happened last night?” He’s almost assuming something happened, for why else would his friend have such dark eyebags and appear more distant. Satoru may be oblivious the majority of the time, but there are times he catches things others do not. The emptiness in Suguru’s eyes was easily recognizable, not that that was a good thing.
“The usual,” Suguru replied shortly, “It’s fine, Satoru. You don’t have to worry,”
Satoru frowned, his eyebrows knitting together, but he didn’t want to continue the conversation if it meant that he’d make Suguru upset. It wasn’t easy upsetting Suguru, but unlike Satoru, the other would bottle things up and never let anything out. He worried about Suguru, but there wasn’t much he could do other than make it known that he’s there for him.
At the end of the hall, the two stopped as there were two ways to go from there. To the left, it was the doors that led to the cafeteria where all the graduating class sat and waited for the ceremony to begin, and to the left, it was to the front office where Suguru would head out and leave for the day. Their last day at high school forever. It seemed only Satoru cared about it, though it was clear to Suguru that Satoru cared even more for him.
“I’ll come by your work after the ceremony,” said Satoru, changing the subject. “Is that okay?” and Suguru nodded. “Great! Drive safe, yeah?” And he traced his hand down Suguru’s arm, giving it a gentle squeeze, before heading the opposite direction, parting ways from the younger. Suguru watched him for a moment before he turned away and left through the double doors, never to return.
Suguru worked at the docks, the ones that his drunk of a father specifically owned and barely cared for. He inherited it when his own father died, but because of his lack of leadership and even attendance there at the docks, Suguru had practically taken over and become the boss there. He was only 19, and had been the boss there at the docks for the last three and a half years. It was a shock his father was still alive and kicking, that his liver wasn’t rotting inside of him by now. Most of the workers did not ask about Suguru’s father, mainly because they enjoyed working with his son. He was a better boss than his father ever was, and he was praised for it just about everyday in one way or another.
Satoru was a regular visitor there at the docks, so everyone there knew him and always greeted him when he’d come by. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Satoru would bring lunch for everyone, as it became tradition. Every week for the last three and a half years. Suguru at first did not like this, he never liked Satoru spending his money so freely, but even his warm, loving parents did not care. It was a kind gesture, and like stated before, a “tradition.” Suguru grew accustomed to it, but he rarely ever asked for anything. Satoru always bought him something, though.
Just by the docks is a white, rectangle building with two rooms and two sets of bathrooms. One room was the break room where workers would eat and take their breaks in, since it was usually so hot during the summer time. It was only May, but it felt like July. The other room was Suguru’s office, lightly decorated with a few photos of him, his brother, his late mother, and of course, Satoru. The walls were painted a fading gray color, with the furnish all being made of dark brown wood. He had a white telephone sitting at the corner of his desk, one of the newer models, though it was 1968 after all. Suguru worked hard, much harder than he was expected to, given who his father is, but even the older folk who work there have told Suguru that he was much more like his grandfather than the man’s own son. He took that as a compliment. He loved his grandpa so much, and all that he does is for him.
“Mr Geto,” an older man peeks through the cracked open doorway. Suguru lifts his head from the papers spread across his desk, “Mr Gojo is here,”
Suguru sighed, “I told him to stay home,”
The man laughed, “You know that boy better than any of us. You know he’d come up here, even if you told him not to. Would you like me to send him in?” He asks, and Suguru nods his head. The man turns away and a few moments later, Satoru appears at the doorway, grinning like a clown. In his hand, there’s a brown bag, which Suguru can tell it’s from some restaurant in town. Not one of those fast food places that they’ve been trying to fill this small town with, but one of the only family-owned restaurants left in Shima. It was Suguru’s favorite restaurant.
“You didn’t have to bring me anything,” said Suguru before he looked back down at the paperwork in front of him. Satoru starts to walk over, just as Suguru continues, “But thank you,” he adds, “Really, you didn’t have to,”
“You’ve been working so hard lately,” Satoru stood against the side, slightly sitting on the edge as his head looked over his right shoulder, watching Suguru, “I told you that you shouldn’t have taken so many days off from school just for work,”
“It’s what happens when you’re the boss,” Suguru replied, letting out a sigh, “But it’s fine. I have my diploma. I am no longer a high school student,”
Satoru sighs, too, “I know, but you could’ve walked with me. We’d be right next to each other,” he crosses one leg over the other, the palms of his hands against the wooden desk’s edge, “You missed so much. A lot happened after the ceremony,” he sets the bag onto the desk.
Suguru didn’t look up. “Yeah?”
Though, Satoru still nodded. “Miki and her jerk of a boyfriend got into this huge fight, something about him being lazy and not going to college, so she finally dumped him. Right in front of his family, too. I felt embarrassed for him,” then Satoru thought for a moment, “Kento and Yu asked where you were, they were kinda disappointed you didn’t come, but I understand why you didn’t,” he lowered his head, looking down at himself, away from Suguru.
Suguru’s older cousin had graduated two years before, and his father was very close with Suguru’s father, his brother. It was there that Suguru’s father was drunk, like always, but more arrogant than usual. He and his brother fought, and he ended up pushing him down the stairs of the stands. His brother never pressed charges, but vowed to never speak to him ever again. He had broken his back, now paralyzed. Suguru hated his father for everything he is and isn’t. In fact, for a while now, he had been writing to his uncle, sending money every other month as a way to check on him and try to make up for what his father had done. His uncle never blamed him, neither did his cousin, but even then, he still felt guilty for it all.
Satoru was the only person who knew about this. It had happened way after the ceremony, after just about everyone had already left and gone home. Ever since, Satoru’s tried to be there for Suguru more, even if he can’t begin to understand what he’s been through.
“I know you’re busy,” says Satoru, “but could you please reconsider the bowling alley? I really want to go, and we can celebrate our graduation. Just us,” he looks back over at Suguru, tilting his head slightly to the right. Suguru raised his head and shrugged.
“I don’t know, Satoru. I have a lot of paperwork,” he tells him, “I’ve got a worker’s comp to fill out and an accident report to review and send to corporate. It’s just a little much, that’s all,” he explains, trying to sound reasonable.
“Who got hurt?” Satoru asks.
“You remember Fushiguro?”
“Toji? Of course,”
“He and Masamichi got into this argument this morning before I arrived, and it got physical. Fushiguro ended up hitting his head on one of the wooden posts. He’s got a concussion and has to stay out of work for five days, and Masamichi is suspended until then also. According to Riko, Masamichi threw the first punch, but it was Toji who started the argument. I just don’t know what to do with all of this,”
Satoru raised his arms and crossed them, “Here’s an idea,” he starts, “You, me, and a few games at bowling. Yeah?”
Suguru shook his head, “There’s just so much to do, Satoru, I don’t think tonight’s any good,” but then Satoru waved his finger at him.
“Finish the papers and then give me a call. We are going out to the bowling alley tonight, Suguru, and you know I won’t take no for an answer,”
The younger looked up and glared at the white-haired boy before rolling his eyes and huffing in annoyance, “I will call you when I’m finished here,”
Satoru then smiled, “I’ll be waiting!” He exclaims, and just like that, he leaves quickly. Suguru shakes his head again, scoffing at the older’s eccentric self before returning to the endless paperwork ahead of him.
The clock had just struck 10:35pm when Suguru had finally left work. Everyone had been gone for hours by the time he was done with everything, finally leaving for the weekend. He didn’t like his days off, unless they were spent with Satoru. He never liked to be at home, for obvious reasons, and though he loved his younger brother and hoped that the boy would just tag along with him and Satoru, he didn’t like that he never wanted to leave the house. He understood, the boy was agoraphobic, but anywhere was better than home. But if you asked him, Suguru would never call that house his home. Because Satoru was his home .
He got into his car, a white 1963 Daihatsu Compagno, and put the key into the ignition to start it. With all the money he’s saved up from his job, he was able to buy it the day it was released. He loved that car, it was beautiful, so new and so clean, so shiny. It was white, after all. The air conditioning is light, but he turns it off, rolling down the windows and he pulls out of the parking lot. He didn’t live far from the docks, an advantage for gas prices really, but he enjoyed the solitude of driving alone. The radio playing quietly through the speakers, nothing but his thoughts accompany him. He can’t deny that his thoughts are always filled with Satoru. It was something he had been denying since the day he met the man, when they were just kids. It was there, in these moments of isolation where he’d realize that Satoru meant more to him than anyone else. That if he were to ever lose him, death may be the only comfort.
Just as he got to the main roads, he looked at the time and shook his head before turning left rather than right. In a matter of minutes, he’d arrive shortly at the bowling alley. He had told himself he would just stay home for the night, but he had already called Kairi before he left work to check on him. The world was his oyster, yet he had chosen to show up to a bowling alley in hopes that Satoru was still there. But to his luck, there he was, sitting by himself at one of the tables. He already had bowling shoes on, though from the slight redness in his cheeks, he must’ve played a few games on his own while he waited for Suguru’s appearance.
“How many times did you play without me?” Suguru sat down on the seat beside Satoru, taking his shoes off to replace them with the bowling shoes.
“Four times,” Satoru grumbled, “and I lost to myself every time,” he remarks, rolling his head back across his shoulders before sitting up and looking at Suguru, “I thought you were standing me up,”
“I never even agreed to come,”
Satoru’s face stays the same. “You didn’t?”
Suguru shook his head, but Satoru just shrugged.
“You haven’t eaten?”
“No,” Suguru replied, “Didn’t have the time to,”
“Oh, you need to eat, Suguru,” Satoru starts to nag him again, “You’re losing so much weight, I don’t think it’s healthy.”
Suguru scoffed, “You think?” His shoes flop onto the floor, “You wanna play?”
Satoru waited a moment before agreeing and both rose from their seats. The game didn’t last very long, Suguru easily beat him. Though, Satoru claimed he let him win. A few more games occur, and Suguru has won every time, even when Satoru said he was actually trying. He was always short by just a couple points. It wasn’t long after their last game when the two headed out. Satoru didn’t own a car, shockingly with his wealth, but he’d never admit that he had done that purposely, so he could spend as much time with Suguru as he could.
On the hood of Suguru’s car, the two sit together, watching the ocean below the cliff rush against the shore, the moon’s reflection in the distance, so clear, so pretty. Suguru couldn’t help but remind himself of the boy sitting beside him, the boy he’s loved for so long, and he had yet to ever tell him. Suguru could not bear to lose Satoru, and he knew the risk, that confessing these feelings may ruin everything between them. But he wanted to take that risk, if it meant that Satoru felt the same. They were meant to be together, or at least, Suguru hoped so.
“I know it’ll be tough here,” Satoru interrupts the peaceful silence between them, though the thoughts circling Suguru’s mind did not let it be so peaceful, “when I’m gone in August,”
Suguru lowered his head to the ground ahead of them, just before the fenced cliff. “You don’t have to go, no one is forcing you to,”
Satoru had been accepted to attend Tokyo’s most prestigious university with a full-ride scholarship. Of course, he had decided to go, though he had asked Suguru to come with him. He said no, for he could not leave Kairi alone. Satoru told him that he could come with them, but all Suguru did was change the subject. He did not want to talk about Satoru leaving. It burned his heart every time he thought about it. How could he spend so many months without him? From August to December, from January to May, then repeat it for three more years, maybe more if he decides to stay and take two extra years. All of this so he could take over his father’s company one day.
Suguru couldn’t say that he didn’t understand it, as he had taken over his own father’s company and had been the boss of it for the last three years. But he had no interest in college either, even though all he ever wanted was to become a teacher. Satoru also wanted that, but he became convinced that he had to represent his family’s name and prove his worth to the business. Suguru couldn’t say he didn’t understand that either. After all, his entire life was meant to be better than his father’s, to not let his mistakes ruin his or Kairi’s life.
“What’s that saying you always say?” Satoru then asks, “Something about anchors,”
“Home is where the anchor drops,” Suguru says aloud, a small smile curves at the corners of his lips, his heart starting to pace. “Satoru,”
Satoru looked over at him with his round blue eyes, and that damned smile of his appeared, even though all Suguru had said was his name at that point. This was it. This was when he would finally tell him. The starry sky had taken over, and the moon watched the two boys gazing into each other’s eyes, waiting for one to speak. Satoru stayed quiet, for once, but he raised his hand to Suguru’s arm, “You can tell me anything, Suguru,” he spoke so softly to him.
“Satoru, there’s something I’ve been wanting to say—for a while now,” he clears his throat, “but I’ve just never found the right moment. But with our last summer together as teenagers, before we become adults and our lives change forever, I feel like it’s now or never. We have been through so much together over the years, and you are my best and only friend. I can’t bear to imagine my life without you and I hope that never happens. You’re the first person I go to when I have good news to share, the one I turn to when things aren’t so good, the person I think of when people ask if I’m in love. You are my favorite person. I don’t know how long I’ve felt this way, but this feeling has grown so used to my soul that I know it clearly. I thought it couldn’t be true, that this was normal for any straight man, but the more I considered it, the more I realized. I’m not just happy when I’m with you, but I’m the happiest. I’ve caught myself thinking about you all the time, wondering what you’re up to, hoping I’d get to see you, even if it’s just a glance. I am in love with you, Satoru, and I want to be something more with you. I know the risks of doing this, given our families, our lives, and the traditions this damned small town holds, but I want you. I want to be with you. You’re my anchor.”
As soon as the words had left Suguru’s mouth, a wave of anxiety washed over him. His heart was pounding inside of his chest, so loud that he was sure Satoru could hear it. The silence between each other felt thick and heavy, stretching on for what seemed like an eternity. But he could not face him. Every second that passed without a response made the knot in Suguru’s stomach tighten. His hands started to tremble in his lap. He didn’t mean to say that much, it all just came tumbling out. Had he made a mistake? Did he just ruin everything? He was scared that everything was just about to fall apart, that Satoru would grow to hate him, and leave him behind. Maybe he didn’t feel the same, could that be why he was so silent? They had always been close, but what if Satoru only saw him as a friend? The idea made his chest ache. Suguru imagined how awkward things might be if he’s rejected, that he may just lose his best friend that night. Had he misread everything? Suguru’s mind was now spinning, replaying all of their moments together, searching for any signs that Satoru may have been interested in him, too—or worse, any signs that Satoru wasn’t. He felt his face growing hot with embarrassment, already dreading the possibility of Satoru turning him down gently, trying to spare his feelings.
He did not see the expression on Satoru’s face, the fact his eyes had lit up somewhere in the middle of his confession, though Suguru had not realized as his head was low towards his lap, the thought of meeting the other’s eyes then was unbearable.
“Oh, Suguru,”
He lifted his head and looked over at him, eyes wide. Satoru’s eyes softened as he looked at Suguru, taking in everything that had just been said. He could see the uncertainty in Suguru’s gaze, the way his friend—no, the person who meant more to him than anyone else—was bracing himself for the worst. Satoru’s heart ached, knowing how much courage it must have taken for Suguru to confess, given the circumstances of their livelihood.
A small, tender smile crept onto Satoru’s lips as the hand that was once on Suguru’s arm, had then fallen and gently took Suguru’s hand in his. The trembling he felt there only made him squeeze tighter, hoping to convey everything he felt in that simple gesture. Suguru felt his breath hitching, as Satoru’s face inched closer and closer. He then knew. He felt it, too.
And then, without another word, Satoru closed the distance between them, pressing his lips gently against Suguru’s in a kiss that felt like it had been a long time coming. It was soft and sweet, filled with the promise of everything they could be together, the start of something new and wonderful that neither of them had to be afraid of anymore. The moment their lips met, it was as if the world around them faded away, leaving only the two of them in a quiet, shared space. Suguru’s heart, which had been pounding with anxiety just moments before, now raced for an entirely different reason. The warmth of Satoru’s lips against his, the softness of the kiss, filled him with a mixture of relief and joy so intense it nearly overwhelmed him.
Suguru hesitated at first, his mind still catching up with what was happening. But when Satoru didn’t pull away, when he felt Satoru’s fingers gently curl into his hair, Suguru let himself relax, leaning into the kiss. He brought his hand up to rest on Satoru’s waist, pulling him just a little closer on the hood of Suguru’s car, wanting to savor every second.
The kiss was tentative at first, both of them exploring the newness of this moment, but as their confidence grew, so did the kiss. It deepened, becoming a silent conversation of all the emotions they had kept hidden for so long. Suguru could feel Satoru’s breath against his skin, could sense the way their hearts were beating in time with each other, and it made everything feel so real, so right.
When they finally pulled apart, they stayed close, their foreheads resting against each other as they caught their breath. Suguru opened his eyes, meeting Satoru’s gaze, which was full of warmth and affection. The fear and doubt that had gripped him earlier seemed so far away now, replaced by a sense of peace and contentment he hadn’t known he was missing.
“Satoru . . .” His voice was barely above a whisper, filled with a quiet awe. “I . . . I was so scared you wouldn’t feel the same, and that I’d lose you—I can’t believe this is real.”
“It’s real,” Satoru murmured back, his thumb brushing gently along Suguru’s cheek. “I love you so much, Suguru . . . You’re my sailor.”
They shared a soft laugh, the kind that comes from relief and happiness intertwining, and Suguru felt a grin spreading across his face, unable to contain it. The tension that had hung over them was gone, replaced by a lightness that made him feel like he could float.
Satoru’s hand slipped down to take Suguru’s again, lacing their fingers together as they sat there, close and connected. There was so much more to say, so much more to explore, but for now, this was enough. They had taken the first step together, and that was what mattered.
Without needing to speak, they both knew—this was the start of something beautiful, a summer that would be like no other, filled with the promise of love and the certainty that whatever came next, they would face it together. At least, that’s what they hoped for.