Chapter Text
August in Japan is a summer full of festivals for couples. Cicadas buzzing in the air and fireworks light up the night sky. The streets fill with couples strolling date in colorful yukatas. They laugh, dance together in parades and enjoy delicious street food. It’s a romantic season, ideal for perfect summer dates and confessions to your secret crush.
But none of these matters to Narumi Gen, the captain of the First Division, because he has much more serious problems on his mind.
Hoshina Soushirou has been ignoring him.
For an unknown reason.
When Narumi noticed it, he was already being ignored. Hoshina treated him as if he didn’t exist. Both of his calls and sent messages went unanswered. At first, Narumi thought Hoshina might be busy, but days turned into weeks and Hoshina still didn’t talk to him. This made Narumi feel more and more anxious.
Dressed casually in a white t-shirt and black joggers, Narumi paced in front of his cluttered desk, which was filled with personal items such as game controllers, stacks of paperwork, and recently unboxed shipments from Yamazon that were scattered all over the room. His workspace was far from the typical formal military office; it was a chaotic reflection of his own disorganized habits.
“Listen, this isn’t just me overreacting,” Narumi began, stopping his pacing to lean forward over the desk with a look of frustration on his face. He looked across the messy desk at Hasegawa, who stood a full head taller than him, looking calm as ever, which contrasted with Narumi’s obvious anxiety.
“I thought you called me here to discuss next week’s mission. I should have known better,” Hasegawa remarked, his voice carrying a hint of resigned understanding. He continued in a low, measured tone when he received a sharp look from the captain, “Perhaps Soushirou has simply reached his limit with your personality.”
“That’s impossible, Hasegawa. We’ve known each other for too long for that.”
“Well, that’s true,” Hasegawa admitted. “Did you try asking him directly? Sometimes the direct approach works best.”
“Why should I ask him? It’s not like I’m the one avoiding him,” the captain shot back, his tone a mix of frustration and stubborn pride. “If he’s got something to say, he can come to me.”
The room fell silent as Hasegawa didn’t know what to say anymore. After a few seconds, he tried to change the subject. “By the way, about next week’s mission —“
“No,” Narumi cut him off, shaking his head with a tense expression on his face. “I’m not in the mood to discuss that. I need to find out why Hoshina is ignoring me.”
Hasegawa let out a soft groan and rubbed the bridge of his nose in slight frustration. “Maybe you did something that really upset him? Think back, Narumi. You can be a bit much sometimes.”
“I can’t think of anything in particular. Just a few weeks ago, he seemed completely normal, I’m sure,” Narumi replied, trying to sound confident.
“Then the problem might be your childish behavior.”
Narumi flinched at the comment. His pride stung. “Childish? I’m not —”
“Come on, Narumi,” Hasegawa interrupted. He sighed deeply, finding the situation somewhat amusing despite Narumi’s obvious distress. “It’s pretty obvious that you like Soushirou. You act like an elementary schooler who picks a fight with his crush just to get his attention. Everyone at the base has noticed that.”
Narumi’s face flushed, a mixture of embarrassment and denial crossing his face. “That’s not true. I don’t like him!”
Hasegawa raised his eyebrows, looking doubtful. “Really? Then why every time Soushirou comes to Ariake Base, you always rush to meet him. It’s like you have an internal radar for his location.”
“That’s —!”
“And what about during the briefings? You always move to sit next to him, even if it means rearranging the entire seating plan.”
The accused’s cheeks reddened further, his voice faltering as he tried to defend himself. “That’s not true,” he replied, though his voice lacked conviction. “I just prefer to sit there!”
Without listening to his captain’s weak objection, Hasegawa went on, “And the texting - every time Soushirou texts, you reply within seconds. I’ve seen you leave the meetings in order to answer. You can’t stop checking your phone after sending a message, eagerly waiting for his reply.”
He became more serious as he observed the younger man’s uneasiness. “This isn’t a game, Narumi. Your actions - it’s not only childish, it’s unprofessional. You’re a captain, not a lovesick teenager.”
“I can handle my responsibilities,” Narumi’s jaw tightened, refusing to admit the truth. He averted his gaze to avoid meeting Hasegawa’s piercing gaze.
Before Hasegawa could reply, there was a soft knock at the door. It opened with a sharp click. Kikoru entered the room with an annoyed look on her face. “Master Moron, I have your update,” she announced crisply. “It’s about Vice-Captain Hoshina, as you requested.”
Hasegawa turned to her, then back to Narumi with a disappointed look in his eyes. “Narumi, using your authority to order subordinates for personal matters? That’s not what your rank is for.”
Narumi barely registered Hasegawa’s complaint, his focus snapping back when Kikoru delivered her report.
“Tonight, there will be a fireworks display near the 3rd Division base. Vice-Captain Hoshina and some former members of the 3rd Division will be attending.”
She hesitated for a moment. Her demeanor didn’t seem ‘nervous’ but rather ‘worried’.
Narumi wondered why.
Finally, after an awkward pause, she added, “I also heard that Vice-Captain Hoshina has a secret crush and plans to confess tonight.”
Then everything fell silent.
Narumi, who just wanted to understand why Hoshina had ignored him, froze in shock. But after thinking about it, it seemed clear that someone as serious as Hoshina wouldn’t just get tired or angry without a good reason, even with someone as annoying as Narumi. Most likely, Hoshina never really cared about him in the first place. Maybe he just thought his actions were funny and went along with it for fun.
The realization hurt. The recent distance between them probably meant one thing: Hoshina had developed an interest in someone else. Compared to himself, who seemed aggressive towards him and bragged about his superiority, and this new person who had captured Hoshina’s attention, it seemed only natural that Hoshina would prefer to spend time with someone he really liked.
Slowly, the pieces began to fall into place.
“— No way. It’s impossible.”
His voice hoarse, Narumi’s mind was in chaos.
He didn’t know what to do.
But instinct took over. Narumi grabbed Kikoru’s arm like a frightened cat, his eyes wide with determination and desperation. “We’re going to the festival now!”
“You moron! You can’t just drag me —!” Kikoru protested, feeling off balance as the captain forcefully pulled her out of her spot. She stumbled after Narumi, her features flickering between annoyance and disbelief.
Behind them, Hasegawa stood alone in the suddenly quiet office, his expression a mixture of frustration and concern. The door slammed shut with a sound thud that echoed through the now empty room.
*********************
Within 30 minutes, Narumi and Kikoru found themselves in front of a large red Torii gate. The entrance to the lively festival grounds. Beyond the gate was a long, winding path lined with colorful banners, sparkling lanterns, and vibrant stalls. The smell of grilled food and sweet treats filled the air, mingling with the lively sounds of festival music. Couples and families strolled by in their yukatas, adding to the festive atmosphere. At the end of the street was the riverfront, where fireworks would light up the night sky, providing the perfect backdrop for the evening’s activities.
Both of them stood at the entrance of the festival, scanning the crowd for any sign of Hoshina and his group. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for their target to arrive.
Hoshina easily caught everyone’s attention with his impressive appearance. He wore a dark yukata that contrasted beautifully with his pale skin. The traditional garment, decorated with delicate patterns, made him look even slimmer and more elegant. His short, neatly styled hair caught the soft glow of the festival lanterns, making him seem almost unreal in the enchanting atmosphere of the night. His breathtaking beauty caught Narumi’s gaze for a moment, leaving him speechless.
Narumi would probably have kept staring at Hoshina for much longer if someone hadn’t interrupted.
“Kikoru! Captain Narumi! Are you here for the festival too?”
Of course, it was Kafka. Narumi hadn’t paid much attention to him lately, but it seemed that tonight Kafka had plans to hang out with Hoshina and some other people he didn’t familiar with.
He looked away from Kafka and met Hoshina’s eyes. Those striking purple eyes locked onto his for a moment before Hoshina offered him a playful smile.
“Not only at the base, but you’ve come personally to wait for us. You’re too kind, Captain Narumi.”
His words were as annoying as ever, but tonight, under the summer night sky and dressed in his yukata, Hoshina looked so pretty that Narumi found it hard to focus on what he was saying. His heart pounded at the sight of Hoshina’s lovely face, with its delicate nose and perfectly shaped lips.
“I wasn’t waiting for you,” Narumi shot back, trying to regain his composure. He looked at Hoshina from head to toe. “And what’s with that look? Why do you even bother to dress up so fancy for a cheap festival like this?”
Hoshina’s smile widened slightly. “Well, you really shouldn’t bother with that, Captain Narumi. After all, I didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”
This remark stung Narumi’s heart more than he wanted to admit.
Sensing the tension in the air, Kafka quickly stepped in to break the awkward silence. Acting as a mediator, he clapped his hands together and flashed a cheerful smile.
“Hey, it’s a festival! Let’s not waste time standing around!” Kafka exclaimed, gesturing energetically toward the rows of lantern-lit stalls. “Come on, they’ve got everything from takoyaki to yakisoba, and I hear the fireworks later are going to be amazing!”
Kafka’s energy was hard to ignore, and the group slowly entered the festival. He stayed close to Hoshina, chatting animatedly about the various stalls while occasionally glancing back at Narumi, trying to draw him into the conversation.
But Narumi was so irritated by the sight of the two men in front of him - one short, one tall - walking side by side, talking and laughing together. An indescribable feeling began to build up deep in his chest. Everything around him felt strange, causing an uncomfortable sensation in his core. But since he didn’t know how to deal with it, he could only ignore it.
Usually, Narumi enjoyed ego surfing and worried about his online popularity. But now he stood there in casual clothes - a simple white t-shirt, black joggers and slippers - while Hoshina looked stunning in an elegant yukata. The contrast was striking. If any reporter or civilian took a picture and compared them online, Narumi knew it would haunt him forever. But despite this nagging worry, for the first time, he couldn’t bring himself to care.
Time seemed to fly by as Narumi walked behind them. Kafka’s easy laughter and the way he effortlessly engaged Hoshina in conversation only deepened the uncomfortable feeling in Narumi’s chest. The worst part was when Kafka tried to include him in the conversation. Narumi found himself reacting automatically, his mind too preoccupied with his irritation to process what was being said.
“Yeah,” he mumbled, even though he had no clue what he was saying yes to.
“Sure,” he said, though he didn’t care in the slightest.
It was as if the sounds and images could reach his brain, but the ability to fully understand them stopped halfway through.
He tried to act as if he didn’t care.
But the more he tried, the sharper his ears seemed to become, focusing only on Hoshina’s voice, as if searching for it.
It looked like both of them had practiced together today.
Since when had they become so close?
Narumi’s mind flashed back to something Kikoru had mentioned about Hoshina having a crush. Could it be that the person was Kafka?
“Oi, dumb disciple,” Narumi called to Kikoru, who was enjoying grilled corn with her friend just a few steps behind him. When she heard his call, she hurried over, still chewing, and asked,
“What is it?”
“Do you know who Bowl-Cut Crush is?” Narumi asked, trying to sound casual.
Kikoru looked at him as if he’d just asked the most silly question in the world. Her eyes widened in disbelief. “What—? You didn’t know?”
“How the hell would I know?”
“You two have known each other for a long time. So I thought you’d at least have a hunch.”
Narumi frowned and clicked his tongue in frustration. “It’s not like I know everything about him. And honestly, I don’t care who he’s into.”
“Hmm,” Kikoru hummed thoughtfully as she looked up at the night sky. “If you say so.”
It was just like that - Narumi didn’t care about Hoshina’s private life, nor did he care what kind of people Hoshina was into. He only cared about results and skills. But the more he thought about it, the more sharp pain twisted in his chest, worse than before.
Why did he even come here?
At this point, he just wanted to go home, play games, and unbox the latest Yamazon shipments in his room until he felt better.
With these thoughts burning in his mind, the group finally stopped at a shooting game booth. Hoshina noticed a small raccoon keychain hanging among the prizes. His eyes lingered on it, and Kafka, who was always encouraging, suggested that he give it a try.
“Come on, Vice-Captain! You can do it,” Kafka urged with a grin.
Hoshina blinked, eyebrows slightly raised in surprise. “Shooting? I’m really not good at it, not even for a game.”
“But you want that raccoon keychain, right?”
“Ah... yes.” Hoshina hesitated, swallowing hard. “It looks kind of cute and dumb, so I like it.”
Kafka, instinctively wanting to help, offered, “Shall I get it for you?”
“That’s unnecessary.” Hoshina shook his head, craning his neck to examine the shooting gallery, which was decorated with a red shelf lined with dolls, snacks, and various prizes. “Don’t bother.”
But Kafka didn’t listen. His eyes sparkled with excitement. With a playful grin, he rolled up his sleeves slightly, showing off his biceps as if preparing for a serious challenge. “Believe it or not, I’m really good at shooting games. You can trust me.”
Without missing a beat, he invited Kikoru to join in. His loud and energetic personality quickly caught the attention of the entire group and drew everyone into the activity. Soon, only Narumi and Hoshina remained outside the shop, quietly watching as the others took their turns at the game.
The Captain of the First Division watched the lively scene in front of him as if it were a distant view, perhaps because he wasn’t in the mood to join in the fun. He didn’t even notice when Hoshina came so close to him that his heart almost skipped a beat.
“Captain Narumi, aren’t you going to play?”
“— And why should I play?”
“Well, you’re always bragging about how good you are at shooting, so I thought you might want to show off your skills.”
Unbelievable.
That his usual biting remark was enough to cheer Narumi up. Maybe it was because at that moment, he wasn’t being ignored like he had been for the past few weeks. Or maybe it was simply because Hoshina’s focus was on him.
Narumi turned his full attention to Hoshina, who somehow looked smaller, almost delicate, in the yukata. They were only four centimeters apart, but Hoshina seemed tinier tonight.
“Apparently, I’m good at everything. Unlike you, who can’t even shoot at this stupid game,” he muttered, then quickly looked away, suddenly feeling that he couldn’t meet Hoshina’s eyes.
“Hmm, I guess you’re fine if you can still talk like that. You were so quiet at first, I thought you might be feeling unwell,” Hoshina replied.
The captain blinked, turning his head back toward Hoshina. “—Are you worried about me?”
“Of course I’m worried about you.”
The way Hoshina said ‘of course,’ with no hesitation, made Narumi’s heart throb. But after a brief pause, he added,
“Because if you die tonight, your troop members might assume I had something to do with it. So, please don’t die in front of me.”
“Shut up. You’re so annoying,”
A comfortable silence settled around them as they watched people pass by. The soft murmur of laughter and conversation faded into the background. A cool breeze blew through the festival, adding to the pleasant coolness of the summer night. The sky above them was a blank canvas of stars and darkness, ideal for tonight’s fireworks.
The phone screen showed 7:40 pm.
The festival was truly magical. Even though it was a city he had seen countless times, the colorful lights transformed the atmosphere into something completely different.
“So no one has won a prize yet?” Hoshina remarked, breaking the silence as he looked over at the group playing the shooting game. Kafka and the others were still completely absorbed in the activity, unaware of the passing time. Narumi narrowed his eyes.
“They’re just bad at it. With those air guns, you can’t aim straight. You have to know a little trick,” he explained.
Hoshina looked up at him, and it was then that Narumi realized that Hoshina had moved even closer - so close that he could see small fangs in Hoshina’s smile and the length of his eyelashes.
Thump thump.
“Captain Narumi, do you often play this kind of game?” Hoshina asked.
“As an older child in the orphanage, I often took the younger ones to this kind of festival.” Narumi managed to answer with his casual tone.
“Wow —”
“What does that mean? Are you saying that someone like you, Hoshina-sama, has never been to a cheap festival like this?” Narumi scoffed.
“Not at all. When I was a kid, I used to go to festivals like this in my hometown with my brother,” Hoshina said, his eyes drifting up to the stars as he reminisced. “We played a lot of games back then - goldfish scooping, water balloon fishing. Oh, and just so you know, I was really good at katanuki*.”
The sound of cicadas mingled with the soft hum of wind chimes, creating a melody that expressed the spirit of summer.
“I like summer,” Hoshina murmured, his smile as gentle as a summer breeze. It wasn’t flashy or showy, but rather quiet and simple, perfectly suited to him. “Someone once said that summer is the best time to fall in love. I think it’s because there are so many things to enjoy in this season.”
Thump thump.
“— This is a waste of time.”
“Hmm?”
“The shooting game. Are they going to stay here all night?” Narumi complained, changing the subject as he fumbled for coins in his pocket. “It looks like they can’t do it without the help of the great Captain Narumi.”
“Oh? Are you going to play?”
“I’m just going to show these guys how it’s done. You too, Hoshina. Watch and see the greatness of Captain Narumi.”
With that, he walked straight up to the booth. Everyone stepped aside as he approached. He handed the stall owner a 500 yen coin for an air gun and five bullets. Narumi loaded the bullets and aimed at a raccoon keychain. It looked a little dirty, with matted fur and slightly faded colors. The raccoon had a bit of a scowl, almost as if it was annoyed at being stuck there for so long. To Narumi, it wasn’t cute. So he had no idea how Hoshina could find this thing cute at all.
The rules were simple: hit the target, win the prize. He used to play these games in elementary school, but after entering high school and then enlisting in the Defence Forces, he hadn’t had a chance to do anything like this. He wasn’t sure how his skills would hold up now, but feeling Hoshina’s gaze on him, Narumi knew one thing - he couldn’t afford to miss.
Thump thump.
Once again, his heart skipped a beat. Narumi tried to concentrate on aiming the air gun, but his mind drifted back to Hasegawa’s words - the ones that suggested he liked Hoshina.
‘—It’s pretty obvious that you like Soushirou. You act like an elementary schooler who picks a fight with his crush just to get his attention.’
Hasegawa was wrong.
Narumi didn’t act like an elementary schooler who pick a fight with his crush just to get his attention. He had never fallen in love before and, of course, he didn’t know what it felt like. But he wasn’t so naïve that he couldn’t figure out what was happening to him. It was just that his ego was too strong for him to admit it.
There was no way he could like Hoshina - the fox-eyed, bowl-cut, sword-obsessed, workaholic, sharp-tongued person who always loved to pick fights with him.
There was no way he could like Hoshina - the person who said he already had someone he liked and planned to confess to that person tonight.
There was no way he could like Hoshina.
Absolutely not.
Because if he did, it would be trouble for him.
He’d be in big trouble.
If he fell in love with Hoshina Soushirou —
— It would be the worst thing that could happen to him.
Bang.
The air gun’s bullet hit the target on the first try, and the raccoon keychain fell, causing Kafka’s group to cheer as they watched in admiration.
“Amazing, Captain!”
Narumi felt a slight relief that his skills hadn’t faded, though he didn’t let it show on his face. He simply accepted the prize, handed the air gun with the remaining bullets to Kafka, said he was done for now, and then left the booth toward Hoshina.
Without thinking, he casually handed over the keychain and then added arrogantly, “Be thankful for my kindness.”
Hoshina stared at the keychain in his hand, seemingly stunned, as if trying to process what had just happened. The purple eyes widened in surprise for a moment. But as the realization set in, Hoshina looked up, his look of surprise quickly fading, replaced by a smile that seemed inexplicably happy.
“Thank you. I’ll take good care of it.”
Hoshina's smile made Narumi's heart beat faster, sending a clear signal to his brain, making him understand what 'love' really felt like.
— Damn it.