Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Kageyama!"

Emerging from the hoards of students hurrying to their classes was a hand, raised high above the sea of people.

Hanazawa waved to catch Mob's attention as he ran towards him. He really didn't need to keep his hand up so high, seeing as Shigeo could easily pick him out in any crowd. When the sun hit his hair in just the right way, it almost seemed to glow. He was also one of the few blond people in the city.

"Were you waiting for me?" He asked, slowing his pace as he approched him, coming to a stop just in front of the boy. Mob reluctantly nodded, taking his sweet time to interpret that he was being spoken to.

Waiting outside the gates to Black Pepper High was Shigeo, who was about to become a first year all over again. The school he'd gotten into alongside Hanazawa was not nearly as prestigious as his friend's previous school, but the uniforms would make anyone think otherwise. They were new to Mob, being a white buttoned shirt, blue blazer, and dark grey dress pants. Looking down, he found his black tie neatly tucked into the blazer.

For Hanazawa, it must have been more familiar. He was wearing the uniform in a similar fashion to how he did Black Vinegar's, leaving a few buttons undone. Before he had worn any kind of formal attire, Mob would have assumed that he simply forgot to do them. Now, he understood it was merely fashion that he didn't understand.

"Yes- sorry." Mob responded.

It was their first day in high school, and not knowing what to do with his nerves, Mob decided it would be best to wait for a familiar face.

"It's fine! Don't worry. Do you want to head in?" He asked, the sun shining onto his face. The winter had died out fully now, and flowers would bloom in every place they could. Mob found a rebellious patch of dandelions by his feet, growing in between the cracks of concrete in the floor.

He breathed in. "We can go."

Right before winter break of their third years at their respective middle schools, Mob went to Hanazawa for help with school. He normally would go to his brother for help, but Ritsu was a year below him. All of his other friends weren't very good with their grades, either. With exception for Mezato, but each time the two interacted, she would just end up trying to find some kind of scoop in Mob's life.

Even though they went to different schools, Black Vinegar and Salt's curriculums were similar enough, the two figured. Mob only hoped that he wasn't inconveniencing him at all, but he assured him he wasn't. If anything, Hanazawa was glad he could help.

It didn't take long for them to develop a pattern. Mob would find himself at Teru's apartment once every week to study whatever it was he needed help with. Typically, it was English and math that he struggled most with, which made it convenient that those were Hanazawa's best subjects, that along with every single other one.

For the most part, Shigeo was alright with science and history. Arts he could do better with, but that was mostly due to his unfamiliarity with expressing himself creatively; or expressing himself at all, for that matter. Japanese was a strange one, but thankfully, his teacher was kind and patient. Math was terrible, and English made no sense.

Though, on one specific day after their breaks, just before the new school year, there was something much more pressing on his mind.

"Which high school do you want to go to?" Mob asked. It was around the time that the two of them would start preparing for entrance exams. The days were growing longer, and the sun was getting brighter. The present time was getting ahead of him, and he began to worry if he'd be able to keep up.

Hanazawa looked up with a hum. "Not sure, no place in particular stands out to me." He leaned towards boy sat on the opposite end of his bed. "Is there somewhere you want to go?"

"No, I have no idea of what I'm going to do..." Mob turned back to whatever he was studying. Some amalgamation of schoolwork papers. He couldn't pay attention to it even if he tried. The words and numbers all blended together, blurring his vision and of what's ahead of him in life.

He hoped that after his confession to Tsubomi and taking in his emotions with triumph, his future would seem clearer. Still, the only plans he had were to see the world, which he had barely thought about since he decided it on the spur of a moment back in his second year. Yet, nothing remarkable had changed. No new talent or clear pathway. If anything, Mob's anxiety surrounding what he was meant to do had only worsened.

It wasn't like he wouldn't be able to find a job or anything, he just hoped he could be in an environment he felt he could pursue.

"Honestly? Me neither," Hanazawa spoke again, watching Mob's pensive expression. "I've got good grades and all, but it's nothing I want to continue for my life. I've been planning on just winging it- I mean, it's worked alright so far."

Mob's eyes landed back onto his friend's with his arms around his legs, holding them close to his chest. "I'm not sure how much longer that would work."

"We're only in middle school. Your coworker- Serizawa- it took him until he was 30 to figure anything out, and I'd say he's doing well." He crossed his arms, ignoring the fact that Serizawa had become a shut-in when he was 15.

"You're right, but... I don't want to go through the same life he did. I want to pick a good path for myself. That starts with choosing a high school. That's the same for you."

"Kageyama," Hanazawa shifted his legs onto the bed criss-crossed so he could properly face Mob. "Don't stress about it too much. Most of the high schools close to us are basically the same, anyway. You should go someplace with your friends and that club you're in."

Mob hesitated to respond. "Is that what you're going to do? Go wherever your own friends are?"

"I'd rather just go wherever you're going to."

Mob was taken aback by how quickly Hanazawa had replied. He placed a finger to his chin and looked back to his papers as if theywere going to help him in some way. "Well, Black Pepper High is where Inukawa, Takenaka, and some of the Body Improvement club were planning on. But it's a public school, I'm not sure if you'd want to go."

"That's not a problem." He shot back. "Besides, if we both get in, we can work together to figure out our futures."

Mob titled his head, now resting on his shoulder. He watched the other boy talk. "What do you mean?"

"Well, neither of us have any real goal that we want to accomplish, yeah?"

He nodded, feeling a bit called out.

"Then we can figure something out. If we try everything, we're bound to find something that we want to keep doing. And if we do it together, neither of us will get lost, y'know?"

"I suppose that's true." His words came out quiet and hushed, but Hanazawa clearly heard them.

"Then that settles it!" He clapped his hands together and beamed a smile brighter than the sun. "You and I, in Black Pepper High, are going to finally figure out what we want to do with our lives!" He reached out and put a hand on Mob's shoulder.

The sun at that time was beginning to set. The cold of the apartment around Mob was catching up to him. And yet, Hanazawa looked so warm. Perhaps it was because of how his hair shined and kept golden hues from any light, or how his energy felt like the summer days of Mob's younger years on beaches with Ritsu, or maybe he was just using pyrokinesis on his hand. Knowing how Hanazawa liked to make people think about him, Mob wouldn't put it too far past him.

"I'd like that." He smiled softly.

Whatever it was, Mob liked it about him. Every time he was uncertain or struggling on a problem, he could rely on Hanazawa being by his side. That boy knew exactly how to change the mood of any conversation, unlike Mob. He always wanted to help.

Hanazawa is a good friend.

"Are you nervous?" Cutting back to the present before Mob, Hanazawa asked as the two walked into Black Pepper High. He was always good at reading people, Mob thought, as if he wasn't the one staring at his feet and holding his bag in a tight fist.

"A little bit," The other esper replied, his eyes darting away, bashful. "I don't know what this place is going to be like. I barely got in because of my low scores."

Hanazawa bumped his shoulder into the other's. "Hey, I'll help you out, just like before." It was true that he had brought up his grades, but that's because he's Hanazawa. It might have also helped that Mob had attended cram school for his third year- but it didn't work nearly as well as Hanazawa's expert tactics.

Mob didn't say anything in response, simply trying to get to his new homeroom and checking his schedule, the paper crinkling between his hands.

"What class are you in?" Hanazawa asked, peering over the other boy's shoulder and reading the paper..

"Class 1, again."

"Oh hey!" He shouted out in a tone way too loud for the indoors. Quickly he quieted down. "Me too."

The day that transpited turned out to be much less overwhelming than Mob thought it would be. It'd gone by as quickly as it had come, leaving him sitting in the final class before he return home.

The outside red bricks of the school mixed with the blue light of the sky, and it created subtle purple highlights around their homeroom. It made sense since that's how colors are meant to work. Though, there were times when it confused Mob. For example: when he and Hanazawa are close enough in proximity, their energies slightly touch. It's tiny, and it's kind of hard to see. Seeing as Mob's aura is a light blue with sparkles of pink, and Hanazawa's is yellow with strokes of sapphire, it should make green. Right?

When yellow and blue psychic abilities mix, they make purple.

Mob never got a very close look at it, but it looked like some kind of flower. Either that, or a galaxy filled with magenta stars. He wasn't entirely sure if psychic powers obeyed the laws of light or if color theory was actually just a mystery full of contradictions. With espers, you could never really know. But considering how he wasn't paying attention in science, he wouldn't be surprised if it were totally natural.

Whatever it was, Hanazawa looked great in purple.

-----☆-----

So far, high school was not nearly as dreadful as Tome had made it out to be.

"Trust me, Mob, it only gets worse from here." She hid her face into her desk at the office. The esper sat down on the sofa with a manga, waiting for Reigen and Serizawa to return from an exorcism. For now, it was just Tome working, and Mob was there for moral support.

"Are you doing okay, Tome? If you're not feeling well, you should go home."

She groaned. "I'm just tired. It's fine, dude." She spoke with her voice completely muffled, not lifting her head from her arms.

Mob decided it was best to let the girl rest a little bit. It had been only two weeks of being back in school, but she already seemed to be exhausted. Her movements were sluggish like she was walking in water, and her bangs never fully sat on her forehead with her head falling so much.

He would often come to the office to help out, with most of the jobs being given to the adults and Dimple. He and Tome would usually end up just talking about school or life. Tome would talk about some manga protagonist girl or something that her friends from Pepper Tree High would get up to, while Mob would typically retell something interesting that Hanazawa had said.

Today was not much different. Though, she was a bit more on the complaining side of things.

"I miss the Telepathy Club." She said, tilting her head up slightly so she could dramatically sigh while gazing out the window. Since a majority of the club was now in different schools, they were unable to meet up as easily and as frequently.

"Takenaka and Inukawa sometimes ask me how you're doing."

"Tell them I'm miserable." She whined.

"Oh." Mob didn't know how to respond. He looked down at his shoes from over the top of the manga he was reading.

Silence permeated the room. The loudest thing was the sound of Reiegn's shitty air conditioning unit. At first, it was irritating to listen to when in the new office. But over time, Mob grew to appreciate its presence.

"I wish we could just meet up, like we used to." She waved her hand around weakly. "Laze around with snacks and occasionally summon the powers of the occult."

Suddenly, right there and then, Kageyama Shigeo used all of his plot convenience to come to a sound and coherent idea. "Why don't we call the members to see when they're available?" He pulled out his flip phone, which felt strange, having new pockets.

"Mob, you are a genius." She lifted her head and immediately pulled out her objectively cooler non-flip phone, covered in alien related stickers and a bunch of symbols he didn't recognize.

"Thank you, Tome, but that wasn't really-"

"We'll meet up at my house after school on Friday of this week." She interrupted Mob mid-sentence. "We can bring snacks- and watch movies and- Oh!" She shot out her seat, her hands in fists and phone being slightly crushed. Her eyes lit up with the constellations she sought after. She suddenly didn't seem so tired. "I have a bucket for this! We can hold the Telepathy Club's first ever slumber party!"

"A bucket?"

"A bucket- uh." She crossed her arms and turned away, shifting her weight onto one leg. "You wouldn't get it." She furrowed her eyebrows.

Mob didn't know if buckets were common themes of sleepovers, but seeing as Hanazawa had one, he wouldn't be surprised.

"Also, for no particular plan I have that has anything to do with my own self-indulgent scheme, can I invite Mezato?"

Recently, in the past year, Tome and Mezato had become somewhat friends. They would usually talk about aliens and conspiracies, and although it would end up with the two of them pouring their hearts into their own arguments about imagination vs. journalistic integrity, they got along. She ended up inviting Mezato to visit the aliens on New Years, mostly so she could journal everything down and take pictures of it all.

"In that case, can I invite Hanazawa?" Mob replied.

"Eh? Which one is Hanazawa again…" She made that squeaky noise that she makes when she transforms into a metaphorical lightbulb. "The guy with the unusually large cranium?"

"He doesn't have that anymore. You've seen him before."

"Oh, yeah... You can invite him." She sat back down at her desk. She seemed disappointed, for whatever reason.

The Telepathy Club had agreed to meet on Friday after school and go to Tome's house. However, due to something personal, Saruta and Kijibayashi had to cancel at the last minute. Due to something much less personal, Mezato was unable to make it. Tome tried her best to hide her dismay. Mezato was out trying to catch a scheme about evil spirits to report about in Pepper Tree High's paper. She was most likely not qualified to do so- but oh well.

For now, it was just Inukawa, Tome, Mob, and Takenaka. Also, Hanazawa, because he didn't turn down the invite, even though the sleepover had no reason for him to be there since he knew one and a half people there.

"What do you guys want to do first? I brought cards and some games." Inukawa asked, pointing to a big plastic bag, sitting down on Tome's room floor.

"Can I just ask-" Takenaka pointed towards the blond esper who stood behind him, his hands in his pockets and a smile plastered on his face. "Why are you here? Who are you?"

Hanazawa was almost surprised that a friend of Mob's didn't know him. "Hanazawa Teruki, I'm here because I was invited." He held out one hand for a shake, the other situated inside of his blazer's pocket.

"Isn't this a Telepathy Club reunion?" He didn't take the hand he was offered. Instead, he seemed to be a bit confused.

"Takenaka, can you be normal for once? Mob invited him because I invited Mezato, but," Tome interrupted as she looked towards the window as she sat down on her bed. She grumbled. "She couldn't come."

Takenaka glared at Tome. He had his earbuds in at the time, and didn't seem to plan on taking them out. He brought his attention back to Hanazawa. Reluctantly, Takenaka took his hand. "I mean, technically, both me and Kageyama weren't a part of the club when it disbanded. I'm Takenaka Momozou." He relaxed.

"Oh, does haystack head not know our names?" Tome blurted out, equally as surprised as she was worried.

"No, I know all of you. Kageyama tells me about you guys all the time." Hanazawa fixed a stray strand of hair behind his ear, not even recognizing what Tome had called him. He stared at Takenaka with a curious look in his eyes. Mob assumed it was only because the only other telepaths he knew were the Shiratori brothers, and even they couldn't read the minds of others. They weren't very common to come across.

Prior to the day, Mob had never been inside of Tome's room, and looking around, it was much different to his own. Tome had a bed, for starters. She covered it in multiple blankets. The bottom one was plaid and blue, the top a darker blue one that looked fluffy. She had star stickers on her wall that didn't seem to glow anymore, posters for movies she liked, and the wall that her bed was on was lined up with plushies.

Her curtains had galaxy patterns so that when the light peered through them, you could see stars on the floor. They seemed to be handmade, judging by how stray strings flung out from the sides of some bigger ones. She had a fully decked bookshelf filled with manga and books on the occult. There were also some small ceramic figurines of animals neatly placed along the edges. Shigeo moved closer to examine them.

Mob never decorated his room, mostly die tot he simple fact that he didn't know what to put in it, but also because he feared that he could break delicate things like these. Though, he had never done that before.

"Still- what do you guys want to do first?" Inukawa repeated, holding up a game console and a deck of pretty looking cards.

By the time that Mob noticed something off, the group had already spent almost an hour playing games. Inukawa decided to introduce Hanazawa to Mario Kart, which was possibly the worst descion that he could have ever made. Hanazawa took competition as seriously as he did life or death situations. The three with dark hair chose to play uno, though due to only having playing cards, they had to make up some new rules.

Tome, almost immediately, already had about 21 cards in her hands.

"It's because the rules aren't clear. Which one is a color change again?" Tome asked, hiding her face in her cards. They were sitting on her carpet, with the deck in the middle of the three. Mob was not paying much attention, seeing as they were directly in light of Tome's cool curtains.

"Aces are color swaps, kings are reverses, queens are turn skips, jesters are +4s and color swaps, and anything else is a +2." Takenaka explained.

"But aren't all color swaps also +4s?" Tome argued.

"I don't think so? It doesn't matter. We're already playing." Takenaka put down a king of hearts.

"It doesn't matter to you because you're winning." Tome grumbled, placing a three of hearts on the top of the pile.

When he didn't hear anymore noises coming from the two of them, Mob looked up from his cards and over to the girl, realizing it was now his turn. "Tome, are you okay? We can stop playing if you want." Mob said as he placed a three of spades.

She sighed, moving her cards away from her face, though still trying to hide it from the other two. "No, that's not it."

In the background, the only noises were coming from Inukawa's gaming device.

Takenaka let out a long breath, picking up a card from the deck and speaking in almost an annoyed tone. "What's bothering you, Tome?"

The girl turned towards him with furrowed eyebrows. "Nothing, just get back to the game."

"I know that I'm not listening to your thoughts, but I can still tell that something's up." He moved his body to face her. "So, spill."

"It's nothing, you wouldn't understand- it's really stupid." She was barely trying to hide her cards now. She had absolutely no gimmick cards.

"Is it about the bucket?" Mob chimed in.

She whirled her head around at the esper. "What?"

"Bucket?" Takenaka repeated.

"I have a bucket." Hanazawa announced from behind the group, smiling. He waved at Mob.

"How did you- you know what? I don't care." Tome dropped her cards and laid back on the floor. "Are you going to keep annoying me until I tell you?"

Takenaka nodded, sitting closer. Mob remained in his original seat, but the two blond haired boys decided to listen in as well.

She sighed again, this time with less annoyance. If Mob had to pinpoint exactly what it meant, he'd guess reluctance. But really, he didn't understand how one could label such extravagant words onto simple actions. It was new to him. Tome closed her eyes. "I'm really disappointed that Mezato couldn't come."

The group fell quiet. Takenaka seemed a little bit disappointed.

"I don't know who Mezato is. Also, what does this have to do with the bucket? There's something you're not saying." Takenaka accused her, his hands on his knees. If he was in a chair, he'd be on the edge of his seat. For now, he was doing to closest thing to that, leaning in towards the girl.

"I was gonna get there, jeez. Calm down, Sherlock." Tome sag upright again, hugging her knees. Her back was to her bedframe, her head resting against the mattress and blankets. "At school, some of my friends were talking about the things they did at their slumber party, and I... wanted to have one, too."

The boys listened to her, Takenaka still playing investigator.

"I know we're having a sleepover now, but it was different for them. Because they had a girls sleepover. A girls' night. Like the ones you see in American movies, when they don't sleep at night, summon Bloody Mary, play the Ouija board, watch Mean Girls- you get it." He rolled her hands around, similar to how Reigen would do when he went on tangents.

"Still... no bucket." Takenaka whispered.

"SHUT UP, MIDDLE PART. Anyways," Tome waved around both her hands as she spoke, collecting her composure and her thoughts, turning them into words. "Because Mezato isn't here, I can't do that. I can't check off everything on my bucket list." She laid her head down into her knees.

As soon at the final two words left her mouth, both Hanazawa and Mob shifted, exchanging a glance that Mob was possibly supposed to understand the meaning of since they were friends, but didn't.

Despite having their conversation about figuring out their goals and future together back in middle school, they had made about no strides to do so. They still studied together after school once or twice a week. It would occasionally be brought up the topic of jobs, and if Mob was still going to be working for Reigen, but that was it. Honestly, Mob had no idea what he agreed to. Did Hanazawa? Assuming based on the evidence of them doing nothing, most likely not.

"Do you guys not know what a bucket list is? Seriously?" Tome responded to the silence of the room.

Hanazawa and Mob looked towards each other.

"It's just a list of things you want to do, want to have, want to try. Usually it's nothing big, like learning how to read a clock for once. Or, in my case, having the best sleepover ever." She explained.

"I know what a bucket list is, but I'm just confused why we can't do that stuff." Inukawa said, laying down his console onto the floor.

"Eh?"

Inukawa repeated himself. "I don't see why we can't do the other things on your bucket list. I've never had a girls' night before, but I think it'd be fun to try."

"Yeah, Inukawa, of course you've never had a girls' night. You're not a girl." Tome deadpanned and pointed at the boy.

"You haven't had one either!"

Tome clicked her tongue after Inukawa defended himself. "...Okay touché."

"My point is- if you want to try something new, I don't see why we can't join you." Inukawa suggested, looking at the other three boys to see their opinions.

"I'd like to try. I mean, I loved Mean Girls." Hanazawa placed a hand over his heart when he spoke. Takenaka glared at the gesture.

A few seconds of quiet passed before Mob gave his opinion. "I don't know anything about it, but I'd like to help."

Takenaka stared at the girl, realizing that his turn to agree was last. "Bloody Mary?"

"Uh- yeah, it's a game, don't worry about it." Tome waved her hand at the telepath. It seems she's been picking it up from her master.

"I'm in, I just wanna know what Bloody Mary is."

Tome sat with her back to her bed, looking around her room. She couldn't help but smile, seeing her friends interested in something so stupid to her.

"All right then!" She stood up, the ceiling fan practically being a spotlight on her frizzy hair. "You want to have a girls' night? Then we'll have the greatest night of all!" Her hands in fists and beaming with enthusiasm, Mob watched quietly with a faint smile on his lips.

Tome did, in fact, have a literal bucket. Inside was cleaning supplies and chemicals, but at the bottom was a notepad. The cover had stickers of stars and hand-made stickers with little doodles on them. Most of them were sketches of characters, but one was a messily drawn Tome, in the corner, signed by Mezato. The bucket itself had glitter and colorful stains from paint.

Tome took the notepad from her closet and moved back to the group. She flipped through many pages before dropping it in the middle of the 5 of them. She sat down as she did before, though visibly more giddy, struggling to keep her leg from bouncing.

"Here you go! The list." She crossed her arms out as Takenaka picked up the book. It was about the size of his face, so they would take turns to read it. After a few seconds, the book was passed to Mob.

The pages were stiff and bent. It looked like somebody spilled an entire cart of glitter glue on it. Knowing Tome, it was a plausible theory to Mob.

The list was written in a deep purple gel pen. It read as follows:

movie girls' night!! (with mezato)
● attempt to use the ouija board dad bought
● listen to old music
● Bloody Mary (keep backup salt)
● light as a feather, stiff as a board
● braid hair
● truth or dare?
● watch movies until midnight
● gossip, but don't make it lame
● w҉a҉t҉c҉h҉ ҉t҉h҉e҉ ҉s҉t҉a҉r҉s҉ ҉t҉o҉g҉e҉t҉h҉e҉r҉

A majority of the things on Tome's list didn't seem to be very exclusive to girls. Mob passed the book to Hanazawa on his right. He brushed his knee. Eventually, all of them had had their turn to read through the list.

"Okay!" Tome clapped her hand together. "What do you all want to do first?"

"Can you explain Bloody Mary? Is that a ritual or something? Do we have to sacrifice somebody?" Takenaka raised his hand as if he were going to be called on in a classroom.

"Yup!" Tome beamed. "Basically, she's a demon that appears when you lock a person in a dark bathroom and make them say 'Bloody Mary' three times. Then, she appears in the mirror!"

"Oh, great!" Takenaka replied, and Mob couldn't tell for the life of him if he was being sarcastic or not.

Mob felt slightly concerned. "Is she an Urban Legend spirit?" Thinking back on the Dragger and... Dash Granny, had a worry stirring in his stomach. "What else happens?"

"Huh? I don't know. She hunts you down until you die?" Tome shrugged her shoulders.

Hanazawa put his hand on the other esper's shoulder. "It's gonna be alright, if she shows up, we can exorcize her. Besides, Bloody Mary never ends up appearing."

Meddling with evil and malicious spirits was dangerous enough on its own, but Urban Legend spirits were even greater threats. They fed off of the tales that people were told as children. An esper would be useless against them if they ever did so much as fear a story they were told. But for whatever reason, hearing Hanazawa's opinion lifted the weight of worry off of Mob.

"I still don't feel that great about doing it, but we won't get hurt." He reluctantly said. Tome pushed her hair out of her face, excited.

"So we're forcing blondie to do it, right?" Takenaka asked, pushing against his knees and lifting off of the carpet on the floor.

"What? Why??" He responded, offended. Hanazawa stood up to meet Takenaka. "You're the one who wanted to know what it was so badly; why don't you go in there?"

"You're an esper, right? Also, you don't think she's real. Why don't you prove your point." Takenaka argued.

"Big wig's an esper!?" Tome shouted.

The boys turned around to see Tome shocked, her fists clutching her hair. She seemed genuinely distraught finding out about his abilities. Everybody else in the room knew, or at least assumed so.

... Did she really not know?

"Sorry, President. I forgot to tell you." Mob apologized.

"You know what? Let's wait on Bloody Mary for a bit." Tome sat onto her bed, sinking into the blankets. She propped her head onto her hands, elbows digging into her knees. "It seems we don't know everything about each other." She spoke through a teethy grin.

-----☆-----

"What do you mean you don't know how many girlfriends you've had?!" She yelled at Hanazawa, nearly blowing him away. The boy sat on the floor, in the center of the room. The center of everybody's attention as he told his life story to the group.

"I'm sorry!" Hanazawa waved his hands defensively in front of him. "If I had to say... at least 20 official girls have dated me- I don't remember, it was a long time ago, and I haven't done it since."

The two boys with middle parts stared at Hanazawa with jaws agape. Nobody else in the room had ever had a relationship, except maybe Tome that one time, but she didn't like him back. Hanazawa seemed so nonchalant about it, like it wasn't that big of a deal. But to the Telepathy Club, it was the most insane thing they'd ever heard.

"Since what? Did something happen?" Tome leaned in towards him, nearly falling off the ledge of the bed.

"I haven't dated anyone since I met Kageyama in our second years."

Tome quirked an eyebrow and tilted her head. "Care to elaborate on that?"

As Hanazawa explained his meeting with him (leaving out a majority of the details, like the entire fight itself), Mob placed his cheek into his hand, resting his head. They've been talking for a while now, and he couldn't help but feel a little tired. Still, he liked hearing the group react to Hanazawa's life, one completely different than all of their own.

Mob liked listening to Hanazawa talk.

Every time they were together, Hanazawa would be the one to hold up a majority of the conversation. Mob would occasionally chime in by agreeing or just letting out a hum. Other than when they talked about school or about Mob himself, it was just him rambling. Hanazawa never seemed to stop smiling when he talked to him. It gave Mob time to simply watch and appreciate everything around him. Like how his friend always seemed to catch the sunlight like it was something tangible, or how kind he was to him and to strangers, or-

"You were your middle school's gang leader?!?" Tome's yell broke Mob out of his thoughts. He snapped back to reality, watching Hanazawa try to elaborate on all of the occasionally details he'd bring up with little to no context.

Well, now one thing was checked off of Tome's bucket list.

● gossip, but don't make it boring

Time went on, and the group had finished about one movie at this point. Despite Tome's description of it, everything they did felt like it was in a similar vein to what they'd do in their clubroom. At least, tonight felt nothing out of the ordinary for Mob. They talked, watched movies, played some games, all came together to pick up Takenaka in 'Light as a feather, Stiff as a board' because he beat everyone in Mario Kart, all normal things. The group chose not to play Bloody Mary or use the ouija board, much to Takenaka's disappointment.

Mob was surprised to see how much less ominous the unknown became once he stepped foot in it. He had no idea what a girls' night entailed, but as it turned out, it was just hanging out. His small ounce of worry had evaporated by now. He hadn't even noticed it gone.

He wondered if the same thing applied to other activities. Would the world become less terrifying once he lived in it?

Well, there was only one way to find out. But that would have to happen later.

"What's left on the list?" Tome asked, picking up her notepad from her bed. The movie's credits scenes were rolling. They'd watched Legally Blonde, and Mob couldn't remember much of the plot.

Tome's phone was on, quietly playing music from the 90s and early 2000s. Some were in English, and some were in Japanese. The night came sooner than he expected, the stars on Tome's wall shining, though they weren't very bright. It was clear that they had been put up a long time ago.

"Oh wow, we got a lot done." The president showed the others the list.

● attempt to use the ouija board dad bought EXEMPT
● listen to old music
● Bloody Mary (keep backup salt) EXEMPT
● light as a feather, stiff as a board
● braid hair
● truth or dare? BORING
● watch movies until midnight
● gossip, but don't make it lame
● w҉a҉t҉c҉h҉ ҉t҉h҉e҉ ҉s҉t҉a҉r҉s҉ ҉t҉o҉g҉e҉t҉h҉e҉r҉

"Only one left." Inukawa pointed out, leaning away from the notepad.

By now, Tome's room was dark. The only thing that served as light was the small TV that was playing in the background.

"Well, I'm the only one with braidable hair!" Tome announced to the dark room. Just as Mob was about to mention that Hanazawa also had long hair, she spoke out again. "Actually, I don't know how to braid hair. Do any of you happen to conveniently know?"

Hanazawa raised his hand up high, and Mob followed, though it was barely enough of a motion to be recognized. "Some girl I dated taught me how." Hanazawa said.

"Could you, to cross it off my bucket list," Tome sat down in front of Hanazawa on the floor. She bowed her head and closed her eyes, talking at the speed of light. "Do me the favor of doing my hair?"

"Sure, turn around." He responded with little hesitation.

Tome lifted her head and smiled, her eyebrows creased the skin that separated them, glad to have her hair done for the first time. She quickly followed the boy's order. Despite being the one who said he could do this, Hanazawa seemed to be struggling. Perhaps it had been a long time since he'd ever done it. Either that or maybe Tome needed someone to tell her you're not supposed to shampoo every day.

"I know how to braid hair." Mob decided to point out, just in case Hanazawa needed any help.

"How'd you learn that?" Tome asked, attempting to turn her head but quickly freezing as the boy behind her tugged on it.

"Tsubomi and I used to do it when we were young. Also, my mother taught me."

Tome did her best to look at Mob, trying not to make things even more difficult for the boy braiding her hair. "Cute. Are you two dating yet?"

The soft smile he'd dawned when he talked about his friendship with Tsubomi feel as the the girl asked her question. "Are you going to ask every year?"

"Yup." She grinned.

Mob was disappointed at this new annual tradition. "I don't want to date Tsubomi, and she doesn't want to date me." He explained with a dull tone.

"Yeah, yeah." She sighed. "I'll stop annoying you when you get an actual girlfriend- ow!"

"Sorry, Kurata." Hanazawa apologized. He'd accidentally pulled a bit too hard on the girl's hair.

She relaxed once more, though noticeably more pensive than usual, trying to look at Hanazawa. She reminded Mob of one specific picture of an unusual looking white dog that she would often send to Takenaka. In which, Takenaka would complain about Tome spamming his phone and inevitably blocked her for a few days. (homophobic dog cameo)

"I'm done on this side. Do you have a hair tie?" Hanazawa asked, interrupting the silence.

Tome reached into the pockets of her pajamas, which everybody had changed into by now. She turned around to give the boy the pink hair tie she had.

She stared at him, clearly deep in thought. Her eyes focused on his blond locks of hair as if she was trying to give him a haircut with lazers. Was she still thinking about his wig?

"Wait, Mob?" She said, whirling back around to the other esper.

"Yes?"

Tome smiled and cupped her chin, leaning towards Mob. "Do you want to braid Hanazawa's hair while he braids mine?"

"Huh?" Kageyama let out a surprised hum. He looked over to boy, who simply smiled in return, fixing his posture a bit as he did. The array of colors from the TV treated him like a projector screen. "If Hanazawa wants me to."

His eyes gleamed with the light from the screen, widening. "S-sure! Can I have more hair ties?" He asked Tome, breaking away from the gaze as soon as he could.

Kageyama stood up and moved behind Hanazawa, a bit nervous. He hadn't braided hair in a long time, much longer than the other boy. From what he could remember, it's three strands, you take the right one into the middle, then the left one, and then you repeat it, forgetting which strand was what. He took one long piece of his friend's hair down the middle of his head. His hair was soft, and it smelled like flowers, reminiscent of some expensive products. It may not have been a very good idea to enlist Mob, of all people, to be touching his hair ever again. You know, considering the last two times it happened, he ended up an Ochimusha.

Still, Mob liked Hanazawa's hair. It had grown a lot since it was last damaged, and it felt a lot more... authentically Hanazawa. It was less spiky and less styled. It got messed up more easily by the wind, but he didn't seem to mind. Mob definitely didn't, either... Why would he?

"Kageyama, you can start now." The boy spoke in the same way he did whenever he woke Mob up during sleepovers. His tone was soft and light, barely registering as a language in Mob's head as he returned to the Earth. Still, it managed to remind him of what he was supposed to be doing, planting his feet back onto the ground.

He decided to separate his hair into three parts, and despite having a few struggles in the beginning, the movement soon became rhythmic. Mob had forgotten how calming it was.

"You guys look like you're about to start a conga line." Takenaka pointed out, standing beside Inukawa in the dark part of the room.

"Are we allowed to do something, or do we just get to watch?" Inukawa asked.

"You can try to do each other's hair. Maybe do something other than a middle part for once." Tome said, checking her nails, similar to the girls from the movies they'd just watched. Although, her's weren't painted, and were covered in bite marks at the ends.

The other two boys just looked at each other before Inukawa reached out and covered up the telepath's forehead with his hair.

Takenaka looked like he was going to kill Inukawa, and the possible homicide victim couldn't contain a laugh. He smiled and retreated his hands back into his dog themed pajama pockets.

"What? I just think you look nicer this way..." Inukawa whispered, immediately having his hair part destroyed as well. Tome turned her head to see what drama was going on, but her head was quickly readjusted by a stern Hanazawa.

Almost a minute passed before Mob had finished Hanazawa's braid. It looked... very out of place. It just goes down the middle of his head. It also looks messy, with some stray hairs flying out.

"Tome, I'm done." Hanazawa announced with pride. He turned around to Kageyama with a soft smile, only visible in the light of the TV. "I'm assuming you're also done?"

Mob nodded.

"Do you feel pretty, Tome?" The blond esper asked, standing up and placing a hand on her shoulder.

She placed a hand over the braids. Hanazawa had given her pigtails, but they weren't nearly as bad as Mob's work. They were stiff, and even with Tome's dry hair, not a single hair was loose. Soon, she replied. "Not really, I feel more like I'm about to be sacrificed or buried."

"You look great, though. I'm glad my skills haven't diminished since middle school." He went to turn on the light, and Takenaka covered his eyes. Hanazawa turned back to Mob and Kurata. He cupped his chin and tilted his head, standing before the girl. "Oh wow. You kind of remind me of a girl in one of master Reigen's photos with his clients. You know, the ones he keeps on the board."

"Huh? You don't mean..." Tome started, then forced a smile with her mouth still open. She darted her eyes towards Mob.

Being in the office so often with little to do, Mob would often look at the board. It was colorful and full of stories, as well as a bunch of satisfied customers smiling. Every time he looked at it, he'd be reminded of the people that he's helped. Though, Mob could only recall one photo of a person with dual black braids and bangs. It was of him on the day he infiltrated a girl's high school.

Maybe he meant someone else.

"Pfft. Okay... that's nice, Hanazawa." Tome looked like she was about to deflate like a balloon. "How about you? You feel like a pretty princess?" She placed a hand on her hip, grinning ear to ear.

"I feel... like a horse." Hanazawa answered. His face looked like he'd just figured out something revolutionary, despite his statement being very strange.

The girl lost her restraints and burst out laughing while Hanazawa turned around to show the others what Mob had done. He flicked it up. Soon, the other two joined in.

In Mob's defense, he didn't know what to do.

"Hanazawa, your hair looks like a horse's tail." Inukawa said, pointing. He and Takenaka were sitting on Tomes bed, playing something on Inukawa's Nintendo thing. Beside him, the telepath laughed.

"Well, horsegirl. Thank you for making me look great. Should we go check ourselves out in the mirror?"

Hanazawa nodded like his mind had just been read- not in a telepathy way, but in an 'on the same wavelength' way. The two left to enter Tome's bathroom, a few more laughs erupting from the room. Mob stayed on the floor.

Checking the time on his flip phone, it was nearly midnight. He picked up Tome's bucket list again, checking to see if there was anything they'd missed. At the bottom of the page, he found something crossed out. Crossed out was an understatement, the bullet point was covered in scribbles and the page was indented from the marks of the pen.

"Jesus, I really do look like that girl, huh?" Tome said as she walked back into the room with Hanazawa following behind.

Mob hated to interrupt, but his curiosity got the better of him. "Tome?"

"Yeah?"

Mob showed the girl her notepad, his thumb under the lines of ink. "What was this? If you don't mind me asking."

Tome picked up the little book. "Huh? Oh, that was intended for me and Mezato. We don't need to do it, I had fun tonight."

"What was it?" Inukawa asked, looking up at the two.

The room was quiet as Tome comptemplating whether or not she would tell the group what her final bullet point was. It was kind of calm, Mob thought. Before she could confess what it was, they were interrupted by a ring on the doorbell. Shigeo jumped a little.

"I'll get that." She said.

Going downstairs, Tome rushed, hoping that her parents wouldn't be woken up by the sound. She wondered who on Earth would ring their doorbell this late. Unlocking the door, she found the visitor patiently waiting.

"Mezato?" Tome asked.

The ginger girl was wearing a big sweater and long plaid pants. In her arms was a small plastic bag. She looked tired, which made sense, given the time.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt your sleeping, but," Mezato flicked her hair. "The scoop I was trying to chase? Yeah, it was a huge waste of time. I didn't want to just go home in defeat, so I figured it wasn't too late to join your sleepover?"

Tome watched her with wide eyes. Mezato smiled awkwardly. "Uh- Yeah! You can come in. We were just about to sleep. Oh, you missed out on a lot of stuff."

Taking off her shoes, the two girls headed up the stairs, Mezato dropping her bag along the others' stuff. She looked up to find a room full of surprise.

"Hello, Mezato. I'm glad you could come." Mob greeted her with a smile.

She waved to the esper, seeing who else was in the room. She kept her eyes on Hanazawa, seemingly intrigued. She had seen him before with the Telepathy Club, but he never tried to explain why he was there.

"Why did you decide to uncancel on us so late? We had to do all of president's 'Girls' Night' bucket list because you weren't here." Takenaka asked. He also seemed to be very tired, but he didn't seem angry.

"Oh? Uh, sorry about that. I was chasing down a potential big story, but it was a total bust." She explained, pronouncing her last word with a kind of pizazz. She looked up to the ceiling light before returning her attention to the room. She seemed like she was taking in every detail, even without a big scoop to follow. "What was that about a girls' night? Is that why you guys are watching Mean Girls on silent, and two of you have braided hair?"

"As observational as always, Mezato." The club president sighed, not out of contempt or annoyance, but gratitude. "I had a bucket list for my ideal slumber party, and one of them was stuff I wanted to do with you. I just wanted to try it, but since you couldn't come, the others offered to help me out." Tome explained.

"Is that why there's a bucket on the floor?" Mezato asked, pointing towards the bucket in full glam glitter.

Tome nodded, pushing a strand of hair behind her face. "We did everything on the list, though... besides the stuff we crossed out, for good reasons."

"Do you mind if I see it?" She asked, smiling. Tome handed her the notepad. "Oh cute, you glued on some of my doodles."

The two of them had now been going to the same high school. Despite being in different years, they would often walk home together. Mezato flipped through the book, finding reading through the list. She let out a small giggle as she transcribed the words on the page into a mental image.

"What's the crossed out one at the bottom?" She asked.

Tome cringed. "It was... to watch the stars together.." She reluctantly explained. "And then fall asleep outside."

"That sounds nice." The journalist commented.

"Huh? Nice?" Tome was baffled at the idea that the girl found the idea to be nice. "Even with all the bugs?"

"You did all of this without me, so why don't we check off the last one? All six of us."

The president's eyes widened, gazing at Mezato like she was the stars herself. "You wanna do that? You guys too?" She turned around.

Though it was less of a surprise to Tome at this point, nobody objected to the idea. She quickly went into her closet, bringing out as many blankets as she owned. She ordered the others to take other blankets and pillows. She was weirdly prepared, as always.

Running down the stairs as quietly as they could and carefully walking outside, they made their merry way behind the Kurata household. Because she lived further out into Seasoning City, her backyard was a small patch of field next to the trees. She laid out the blankets into three separate areas. One for the girls, one for the middle parts (though, Takenaka still hadn't fixed his hair), and one for the espers.

Taking off his shoes, Shigeo laid down in his and Hanazawa's place. He heard the sound of the grass rustling behind him. The blanket was soft and thick, it was blue with a plaid design. He wouldn't really know if it was blue, though. The moon was halfway full, and everything illuminated had that tint. He couldn't tell if the grass was still green. However, he could still see some things. His friend's hair still seemed to have golden hues hiding from the light of the celestial bodies above. Behind him, Mezato was talking about the story she was trying to document about some illegal evil spirit schemes, though it ended up just being a bunch of kids role-playing. She complained about her weeks of research going to waste. Shigeo didn't pay much attention, looking up at the stars. It felt reminiscent, almost. The crickets beside them had started to tune out. Hanazawa turned his head to the other side of the pillow, watching Mob.

Shigeo loved to watch the clouds, but because of his parents' strict rules about going to sleep before 10, he never really got the chance to admire the stars. They shined bright and blinked in and out. Mob once learned in science that if a star doesn't blink, it's actually a planet disguised among the sky. He looked for one.

"Kageyama?" Hanazawa spoke so quiet and so softly that it was almost a whisper,barely escaping from his lips. "You awake?"

Mob realized that the others had all stopped talking, presumably asleep. He turned his head over to the blond. Hanazawa smiled back.

"Do you want to get under the blanket or not?" He asked. His tone was playful, despite the fact he was trying to sleep moments ago. He made sure to not speak so loudly and wake up the others. He shifted closer to the other boy.

Mob realized that he hadn't been covered by the blanket. He quickly nodded, realizing how it could get cold or bugs could have already eaten him alive. Hanazawa drowsily threw the other blanket over Mob, his arm over the other boy's shoulder. It paused for a moment before soon retreating back to Hanazawa's side.

"What are you thinking about?" Hanazawa asked. The two of them were close, and Shigeo could feel him exhale.

"Today."

"Hm." He hummed. His eyes were struggling to keep open. Hanazawa's eyes were pretty, Mob knew that was just an objective fact. But instead of looking back to the stars, he continued to analyze the features of the other boy's face. Before the confession, Hanazawa always seemed sharp. His hair, his aura, whatever it was about him. But with the new length of his hair and calm presence that Mob admired, he felt much softer. He couldn't describe it any other way, but he was soft. Just like the way he smiled, the way he spoke, the things he'd say to Mob...

Hanazawa must have noticed him staring and laughed under his breath. "Tome's bucket list... is that something you wanna try?"

It had been almost a month since the two of them decided that they would figure out what they were going to do for the rest of their lives together. Mob had almost forgotten, but clearly Hanazawa hadn't. He smiled.

"Sure."

The two of them went silent again. Mob was reminded of something that Hanazawa said when they first met. Something about being the star because of the light he emits.

If Hanazawa was a star, then that would make Shigeo a planet, shrouded in light. Or maybe he was a protostar yet to form? He wasn't sure how that metaphor worked, but something was appealing about being high in the sky as two entities, standing side by side. And yet, both of the masses in the sky could not be more different.

Hanazawa was good at everything that Mob wasn't. But they were still were so intrinsically similar. No two stars were formed the same, no two appear the same, and no two will die the same (Mob thinks, at least. He nearly failed astronomy). But from this angle, you couldn't tell the difference

Shigeo noticed that their auras were once again mixing with each other. Still, for whatever reason he didn't know, blue and yellow made purple. The patterns changed as well. Normally, Shigeo's was cubic and structural, while his friend's was flowy, like a rhythm. The pattern looked like early raindrops on the pavement, growing and reaching out until the pattern repeats.

"Goodnight, Kageyama." Hanazawa whispered as he closed his eyes and turned to his other side. Mob was left to his own thoughts.

However, the only non-Hanazawa thing permeating his mind was the worry that he was going to be covered in mosquito bites.

Chapter Text

Mob couldn't be more thankful that the school day was ending.

Okay- maybe that was an exaggeration, but the point still stood.

It was far too hot inside of the building and way too loud inside the classroom. His last period was English. It wasn't his worst subject, but it was in no way his best. The lights beamed through the windows, the same that he had chosen to sit beside. He enjoyed being able to look at the clouds and see the outside gardens, though now the sun was blasting him in the eyes. He couldn't pay attention to anything the teacher was saying.

In times which he couldn't focus, coudln't daydream, couldn't do anything, he found himself almsot automatically looking to his right. Each time, he'd find Hanazawa there. He was jotting something down in his notebook, and seemed to actually be paying attention to the lesson. Mob would try not to look over to him too often, because staring at your friend while they weren't looking seemed like a fairly strange thing to do. Also, this is an environment in which he was meant to learn. Quickly, Mob returned to his spotlight and the agonizing sun.

His mind had other plans, it seemed. It kept on Hanazawa for a while longer.

Within the past few weeks, they'd been hanging out much more often. They would talk on the phone or even just text each other. Almost always, Hanazawa was the one to do the talking. It was fine, Mob enjoyed hearing his stories, even if he jad already told him them and just forgot he did. He managed to make anything that happened in his life seem like a worthwhile event. It was just the presentation alone that captured Mob's attention.

However, Mob would end up finding himself texting first, or starting the call. He did so whenever he wanted to. He never had much to say, or any tale to tell, but Hanazawa never let that stop him from talking on and on. Shigeo would end up using his phone a lot more than he used to. But now, he couldn't do that. His eyes hurt, and the words of his teacher were incomprehensible. ...Is this how it felt to be him?

At last, freed from his anguish, the final bell.

Walking outside, he would soon be able to escape the blistering sun, the heat, and the noise of hundreds of other tired high schoolers.

He was starting to understand what Tome meant.

He sighed. He kept his eyes on his feet, ready to walk home. He felt thankful, for once, that he didn't have to meet with the Body Improvement club today.

"Kageyama?" A familiar voice came from behind the boy. He was already off of school property. As much as he wanted to hide and cool off in the shade, his friend was more important.

Mob turned around to meet him. "Hello, Hanazawa."

The other esper took a few steps towards Mob, walking with the pride of a man unaffected by weather. "Would you like to come over to my apartment today? If you'd like, you can spend the night." Hanazawa's tone was as friendly as always. The cluttering noise of the students had disappeared by now. It was a lot nicer when it was just the two of them.

Sleepovers at Hanazawa weren't out of place. They had a few before they were in high school, each of them ending with Mob falling asleep while his friend tried to show him a very strange movie that nobody had ever heard of.

"It's Wednesday, though." He asked, confused.

It took Hanazawa a few seconds to reply, staring in disbelief. From just the quiet alone, Mob could tell that he was organizing his thoughts into coherent words. It was somd of the few times in which he didn't constantly talk. "Are you that tired? It's Friday."

"Huh?" He was very much awake now. How could he have let time escape him like that? "Ritsu had a meeting this morning... oh, he has meetings on Friday now."

It was only a few weeks of being into a new year, and Mob was still struggling to adjust to the changes. On some days particularly worse that others, he'd forget how to tie his tie or end up walking towards the wrong school.

"We all mess those kinds of things up from time to time, don't worry!" Hanazawa reassured him, placing a light hand atop his shoulder. He smiled. Normally, Mob would appreciate that, but he was trying to get away from the bright and shining heat.

Nonetheless, it was nice. "Thanks. I should call to tell my parents, though." He replied.

"You can do that once we get there. Come on, I don't want to melt in this sun." He dropped his facade, frowning as he moved his hair from his forehead.

The walk to Hanazawa's wasn't far. The scenery to the complex was far different than the route he took to his own house. The road to the apartment was surrounded by little shops and restaurants. The flower shop which Minegishi worked was along the way. Small bursts of life thrived in every corner; in every crack in the walls, flowers bloomed.

Hanazawa led the conversation. "It is way too hot for springtime. Let alone April." He complained. It was common for him to talk on and on about literally anything. He made everything seem like much bigger of a deal than it was. After all, that was how the two came up with their plan to figure out the future. Mob wasn't overly concerned about it, but clearly, Hanazawa was.

As the two walked, their shoulders brushing and the other boy rambling, Mob abruptly stopped.

They were taking a shortcut to avoid the big fire ball (you know the one), which involved walking through a space between some houses. It felt like a narrow street, lined with plants that grew in the dark, or at least they looked like they did. It was a blindspot for the current position of the sun.

"Hm? Kageyama-" Hanazawa was cut off by Mob reaching his arm out to stop him in his tracks. He watched the other boy's expression in an attempt to gather some information.

"Be quiet." He whispered.

Distant chatter and café tunes in the background felt like they were fading away as Hanazawa tried to figure out what Mob was focusing on.

Emerging from the bushes beside them was something bright. Though, it didn't light up anything around it. It was small enough to be picked up in one hand. Hanazawa stared just as much as Mob did.

Mob slowly knelt down, slow enough for Hanazawa to not even recognize he was doing so. The esper kneeling focused- he gave it more attention than he usually gave to his schoolwork.

The spirit was weak. Its energy was flowing around like water, but it wasn't concentrated anywhere. The color was dull and pale, but if Mob had to guess, it was closest to periwinkle. It was a color he only knew of because he had mistaken it for blue, and Hanazawa was very offended.

It didn't look like anything, really. But the way he treated it was like it was a domestic animal. Mob reached his hand out for the spirit to inspect. Its beady eyes were half open.

It came closer to it before rubbing its head against the esper's palm. He wasn't startled at all by the suddenness of the action. He decided to flip over his hand and stroke its head. The spirit embraced the gesture, closing it's eyes.

A few seconds of petting the spirit, it climbed up Mob's arm and stood on his back. His attention turned back to Hanazawa, who watched with astonishment. He slowly stood up as to not knock the spirit off balance.

"Do you want to pet it?" He asked with a smile so faint the shade disrupted it.

A few seconds passed before Hanazawa reluctantly reached his arm out to the spirit on Mob's shoulder. It walked on its front arms as it didn't have a lower half, similar to all non-malicious spirits. Hanazawa curled his fingers around it. It leaned its head towards Hanazawa's hand.

Mob watched as his friend pet the spirit. He had never looked so focused. The light of the spirit reflected in his eyes. At some point, he wondered if Hanazawa intentionally turned every source of light into a spotlight. Like the opposite of Suzuki's invisibility, or light refraction as he called it.

Suddenly, the spirit stopped. It's eyes remained closed as its head drooped. A moment passed before it faded away, the light vanishing into the darkness. Mob heard Hanazawa gasp quietly. Little pieces of it flowed through the air like ash.

"Did I exorcize it on accident?" Hanazawa asked with a shaky voice. He moved his arm back to his side, and Mob properly faced him, correcting his posture.

"No, it passed away." He stated, his voice was light, as was the feeling in his chest. If it weren't for the tired and dead weight hiding inside his skull, he could just float away. "I think we did that."

"Thank goodness." The other esper gave a shallow sigh of relief. He opened his eyes, gleaming with curiosity. "How do you know?"

How did he know? It would be a better question to ask how he coult not. He traced back his steps, looking for an explanation to his thought process, breaking it down, piece by piece. "Well, cats don't usually have something that holds them back from vanishing. But this one was young." Mob looked at his hand, remembering how the spirit felt in it. It was cold, but not unpleasant. He continued to explain himself. "It felt like it was a stray when it was alive. I think it was being held back because it never had the chance to experience affection."

Looking up, Hanazawa seemed like he was going to pass away, too. His mouth hung open a bit, like he was trying his hardest to speak. Mob was never great at reading people's faces, but with Hanazawa, it was like he laid out his emotions for Mob to understand. Still, he couldn't figure out why he was staring.

Eventually, he relaxed his shoulders and closed his mouth into a smile. For whatever reason, this was different. Hanazawa was looking at him like he was warmth in the winter. Sure, that boy smiled a lot. A lot a lot. Every time he talked to somebody, he plastered his award winning grin. Mob always assumed it was a part of his charm he used on others.

But the way he smiled when it was just them was different. It was soft, and so very kind. It made Shigeo's head go empty, his breath slow and running behind all of his other organs. It reminded Mob that every place he went, all uncharted territory, Hanazawa would be there, right by his side. But, that was just what a good friend did. Hanazawa was a good friend, like Musashi or Tome or Suzuki. But for some reason, he stood out.

Unable to register the movement, Hanazawa moved closer. He placed a hand on the side of Shigeo's head. He slowly ran his fingers through his hair, ending up with his thumb on his cheek and the rest at the nape of his neck.

Mob stared at him.

"Ah- sorry," He moved away as quickly as possible. The boy infront of him hid his hands into his pockets. He no longer had his eyes on Mob, looking a bit to the side. Even with his back turned to the light, his face seemed to dawn a flush of color. "Your hair was floating."

Ah, floating.

He should have known.

It was a tendency to occur when Mob felt that very same weightless bliss in his chest. His powers leaking out was much more common after his confession. When he would be struck by that calm and light feeling, objects around him would start to lift up. In most cases, his hair would end up looking like he'd just rubbed a balloon over it or taken a trip down a plastic chute.

As soon as Mob realized what was happening, he rushed to pat down his hair. Sure enough, his hair was standing up. It pricked his palms as he pushed it down, weighing it back to normal. He stopped when he looked back up at Hanazawa, watching his eyes soften.

"Hm." He hummed, almost disappointed, as if he'd just lost something dear to him. He spoke under his own breath. "It was cute..." He kept his hands in his pockets.

Mob felt every muscle in his body stop moving, freezing in place. When one freezes, you'd expect their blood to run cold, but for him, that wasn't the case.

"The spirit! I mean." Hanazawa reassured him. He rotated his head to the side, bashful. For a second, Mob could've sworn he saw sweat bead on the back of his head.

Awkward silence surrounded the two of them; neither of the espers knew what to say. Mob felt a familiar feeling in his stomach. He remembered to breathe, doing so as a conscious action. Hanazawa looked ashamed. Did Mob do that? He hoped not.

Soon enough, Mob knelt down to pick up his school bag. Standing back up and pushing himself off the floor, he finally broke the silence. "We should go to your apartment..."

"Yeah! Yeah." Teru replied.

-----☆-----

Hanazawa's apartment was cold.

The air conditioning unit above his bookshelf was causing papers to move. Mob never particularly enjoyed the cold, but considering the blazing and infuriating heat of the outside, as well as the stairs he's just climbed up, it was welcome.

"So, about your future?" Hanazawa asked as he headed into the kitchen. Mob stood right in the wind of the air conditioner, taking off his blazer and hanging it on the closest chair. He smoothed it out  hoping it wouldn't crease. As non-prestigious as Black Pepper high was, they were very protective over their uniforms. "Actually- do you want something to drink?" He asked, peeking his head out the doorway back into the living room.

Mob turned around. "Milk, please."

Teru spun back around to the kitchen, opening the fridge. Mob decided to sit down on his bed. The mattress was soft, and the blanket was puffy. It seemed expensive. Mob took out his phone to text his parents and Ritsu of his whereabouts.

Hanazawa sat next to him with a glass of milk, handing it to Mob. "Something's telling me that I was really vague last time you were here."

"About 'figuring out what we want to do'?" Mob asked, taking a sip of the milk. The glass was decorated with little drawings of ducks.

Hanazawa chuckled. "Yeah, sorry about that. I meant that we could try everything together so that we could both get at least an idea as to what we'll do after high school." He waved his hands around in the cold air. "If that even makes any sense at all."

Mob nodded, both of his hands wrapped tightly around the glass cup. "I think I understand. Is that why you mentioned Tome's bucket list?"

"Yeah. That's a good starting point." Teru stood up, removing his blazer and hanging it in his closet. He took two small sketchbooks and pencils from the top shelf. Whirling back around to Mob, he posed a question. "Would you like to join me?"

"Sure. Don't you need your bucket, though?" Mob asked.

"No, that's just a figure of speech." Teru assured him, sitting down next to him. The blanket sank around him.

"Then why did Tome have one..." Shigeo whispered.

The sketchbook Teru had looked almost brand new if or weren't for a few pages of it having sketches on them. Teru flipped through to the middle too quickly for Shigeo to determine what they were.

He gave a book and pencil to Mob, which still had pricing stickers on it. The cover was a dark blue with a small engraved heart in the middle of the hard cover. The first page was empty.

Now, all Mob had to do was brainstorm anything he wanted to try. Absolutely anything...

Reigen had told him that not everything in his future was going to have to be related to his career, and that he should live life the way he wanted to. Tome's bucket list was full of things to try, whether she'd end up liking them or not. All Shigeo needed to do was come up with anything.

Perhaps his brain was still fuzzy from the strange incident in the alley. Hanazawa wasn't acting too weird. What was unusual was the way Mob acted. Oh- bucket list.

In an attempt to write something down, he remembered what he wrote down for the career path question. Traveling. It wasn't something he thought much of, but it seemed nice. The furthest he'd gone outside his home town was to the Ibogami Hot Springs, and the alternate dimension there. He wondered if Hanazawa had gone to places further than that. Surely he had, considering- nope, off topic.

Writing on the lined paper of the spiral notebook reminded Mob of Ritsu and his diary. Ritsu would sometimes bring it up in conversation, and Mob would find him writing late at night in his room. Ritsu's room... oh!

Mob wrote another bullet point down.

A few minutes of quiet passed. Looking up from his sketchbook, Mob took a glance at Teru. His eyebrows were furrowed, but he still looked gentle. He was intently watching the movements of his own pencil. His hair was almost covering his eyes while light, cooling winds made his hair wave. Shigeo wondered if Teru was actually afraid of struggling to find a fulfilling career, when he could easily become a model. After all, he loved fashion and he loved looking nice.

Shigeo quickly turned back to his own paper. He hoped to be able to focus again. To write down as many things as he wanted to try. But alas, his brain went blank.

"What time is it?" Shigeo asked, looking back up. He felt a small sense of defeat, even though he'd written more down that he expected to.

"Hm? Oh," Hanazawa pulled out his phone. It wasn't very decorated, other than a small sticker of a very distraught looking hamster that Suzuki gave to him. "It's almost 5:00."

"Already?" Mob looked away. It was around the time that his family ate dinner, but today, he wouldn't be with them. Suddenly, Shigeo let out a small gasp.

"Hm?" Teru tilted his head.

Realizing what Teru was asking, Mob responded. "Nothing, I just had an idea."

The sun had died down now, almost completely covered by the clouds. Still, orange light peered through the window.

"This is a lot harder than I expected." Hanazawa stated abruptly. He leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. Mob hummed in agreement. Teru turned his attention back to the other esper and his page. "Wanna share what we've got so far?"

Mob placed his pencil on his knee. He nodded and moved the sketchbook closer to Teru for him to read.

● Travel.
● Fly.
● Find a job.
● Run marathon.
● Learn how to cook.

"Only 5 things?" Hanazawa commented. He leaned away from the book, placing his hands on his own bucket list. "It's not like I did much better. I have to ask: what does 'Fly' mean?" He placed his attention onto Mob's face. Mob felt like he was being studied, similar to how Teru looks when he's paying attention in class.

Shigeo realized he was being questioned and that he was supposed to respond. "Ah, well. I was thinking about how Suzuki will sometimes invite Ritsu to walk on the clouds." He explained as he brought his eyes to the window. Suzuki had a slight grunge against using doors like a normal person. He preferred to break in through Ritsu's window. "I always assumed it would make me sick, but I still have always wanted to try it. At least once."

Returning his gaze back to the blond, he looked intrigued. "That's a pretty good one. I can't lie, I've also wondered what it would be like to fly with y- to fly." He gripped the edges of his bucket list, the papers bent upwards a bit. "Here's mine, then."

Hanazawa gave the other boy his book. The pages had a pinkish tint with hearts in the corner of each lined page. Were these notebooks valentine's gifts? That wasn't relevant.

The book was only opened on the page that he was being shown, so Mob couldn't see the cover.

TERU-IFFIC bucket list
☆ Go clothes shopping sometime soon
☆ Get better at sketching
☆ Visit more places (aquarium, zoo, festival, museum, etc)
☆ Be in a magazine or on TV
☆ Get ears pierced
☆ Go to a concert
☆ Visit my parents

He had a lot more than Mob, and a lot more ambitious goals. His handwriting was neat, and he seemed to put a lot of effort into making the page look pretty. Speaking of pretty...

"What do you think?" Hanazawa asked. He leaned back onto the bed, his arms keeping him from lying down.

Shigeo shrugged. "You have a good list."

"Hm. We should start eating dinner soon." Hanazawa stood up, a warmth leaving Mob's side. He didn't realize how cold the room had gotten until then. He shivered and gripped his knees. They were both still in their uniforms. "Wait a second..." Hanazawa paused, turning his head towards the sitting esper.

"What is it?" Mob raised his head.

"You said you wanted to learn how to cook, yes?" Hanazawa cupped his chin. He looked like a detective, interrogating a suspect. What Mob had done to become a suspect, he didn't know.

Mob nodded, the grip of his hands loosening.

Hanazawa scoffed and closed his eyes. "You know, I've been cooking my own meals for half my life. I'm pretty good, too." He moved his hair out of his face and crossed his arms. His posture reminded Mob to stop slouching and fix his back.

He simply stared, not getting the idea. Of course Hanazawa was good at cooking, Shigeo had eaten his food before. It was nothing like his mother's cooking, not better or worse, just different. Maybe it was just the different choices of food, or differences in cooking. Hanazawa's cooking always left Mob feeling welcomed. The texture of anything he made was always soft and melted in his mouth. At home, his parents would always use recipes and careful instructions. They were always cautious about fire safety and made sure everybody was eating healthy.

Also, everything Hanazawa made had some kind of sweetness to it. He once mentioned how he puts sugar in everything. Mob wondered if the causes of his failure fevers was actually just failure.

"I'm insinuating that I teach you how to cook, by the way." Hanazawa moved one of his hands from under his arm to gesture towards himself.

"Oh," Mob realized. "That would be good. You're good at cooking."

Hanazawa's aura waved around him. The loose strand of hair he'd just fixed had fallen over his eyes again. "We should change out of our uniforms, then. Don't want them to get dirty."

Standing up, Mob took his school bag and unzipped it.

The Body Improvement club in Black Pepper High was started by Musashi when he became a first year, and naturally, Mob joined too. However, their gym clothes were always kept inside of the school. Meaning...

"Hanazawa, I forgot to get a change of clothes from my house." Mob dropped his school bag back onto the floor. He faced Hanazawa, or, he tried. Looking to the side of him, just beyond the kitchen door, Mob asked for a favor. "Do you have any spare pajamas?"

It wasn't too weird of a request to borrow clothes from him. In fact, he'd done it before. Twice, now. The first time was when he fell unconscious and Hanazawa brought him to his house. Mob looked through his closet for the least colorful thing he could find. The second time was for an actual sleepover. They got snowed in, and Mob couldn't go home that night.

It was just that he was sleeping in Hanazawa's apartment once again, and he still forgot the most basic thing.

"Of course. I'll get you some." Hanazawa slid open his closet door, kneeling down to look through piles of clothing. He had a lot, much more than both the Kageyamas combined. Hanazawa really liked fashion. Mob always thought he looked good in everything he wore. Dimple didn't. Sometimes, Dimple would come into Mob's room to complain about something that Hanazawa wore outside.

Evil spirits really don't have much going on, do they?

"Here you go." Hanazawa left the closet with two pairs of neatly folded clothes. The one he handed to Mob was a thick yellow shirt and fuzzy white pajama pants. Mob rubbed his hand over the pants to feel the texture. It was soft, and it felt brand new.

"Thank you." He responded. "I think my brain has shut off today."

"Happens to all of us. There's also a spare toothbrush in the bathroom." Hanazawa spoke softly. Like the pants, Mob thought. "You should go change, I can change in here."

Closing the restroom door behind him, Mob was once again left alone in his thoughts.

-----☆-----

"You look handsome, Kageyama."

The comment made its way to Mob as soon as he entered the living room. He wasn't in the least bit prepared for the compliment. He quickly stiffened his shoulders, hoping to say something coherent. "Uh, thank you. You too..."

Hanazawa had actual pajamas on. It was the same pair he'd always wear to sleepovers. It was similar to the one that Mob would have brought, except Hanazawa's had short sleeves, and it was a light purple. Not periwinkle... lavender.

"I know, thank you for reminding me." Hanazawa ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes. His bucket list said he wanted to be on a magazine or TV one day, and Mob had no doubt about it. "So!" He clapped his hands together. "What do you want to cook?"

Mob hadn't thought that far ahead. Mostly, he just didn't want to only be able to make rice balls and nothing else. The idea of cooking was scary, considering it was working alongside fire. However, both of them had psychic powers. Not to mention, Hanazawa knew pyrokenisis. "What do you think I'd be able to cook?"

The cooking expert cupped his chin. "I don't have any meat right now, so not that." He deduced. "How about baking something?"

"But we need to eat dinner." Mob argued.

Hanazawa made a finger gun at the other boy. "Exactly. Cookies?"

Mob furrowed his eyebrows. "For dinner?"

He flashed a smile. "Of course. What, have you never had sugar for dinner?"

"Of course not. It's not healthy."

"How about we just make noodles and eat cookies for dessert? Is that good?" Hanazawa compromised.

Reluctantly, considering the offer, Mob nodded. He wanted to be able to cook an actual meal like Hanazawa, but it was maybe better for him to start with something less difficult. Instant ramen for dinner, and homemade cookies for dessert.

"It'll take a while to bake, too. Let me look up a recipe." Hanazawa pulled out his phone. He typed a few things quickly until he found something he was satisfied with. "This looks good. I'll tell you what to do and I can get the things we need."

The two of them walked into Hanazawa's kitchen. It was definitely cramped, but it would work. Mob felt slightly nervous. It was just cookies, though. Surely he couldn't mess up something so simple. Girls at their school make them for Hanazawa and Ritsu all the time. Actually, it made Mob wonder why he would bake them at all if he already has an infinite supply.

As Hanazawa was taking out bowls and measuring instruments from his cupboards, Mob swayed his body with his feet stuck in place. He grasped at the bottom of his shirt. Soon, he was interrupted.

"Kageyama, can you get a stick of butter from the fridge?" He asked, placing a large bowl on top of the counter. It clanked with all the other utensils and such. The light on the ceiling was dim, but it illuminated everything well.

Mob, standing next to the fridge, opened it. He bent down, looking for a stick a butter. Luckily, it was right in front of him.

"Can you also get the milk?"

Grabbing both a carton of milk and unsalted butter, he gave both of them to Hanazawa. He took the milk, but didn't grab the butter. Instead, he grabbed a medium sized bowl and shined it towards Mob.

"The butter has to be melted. The microwave is behind you." Hanazawa tilted his head towards the small machine sat atop the counter. Mob took the butter and the bowl, and struggled to open the microwave for a few seconds before realizing that there was a button to open it. Unwrapping the butter and placing it in the bowl, it would soon come time to actually microwave it.

For how long? Mob wondered. It was as hard as a block of ice in his hands, so he assumed he should have the time be more than a minute. He pressed in the next best option.

2 minutes.

At the same time, Hanazawa was preparing everything else. He poured flour and sugar into the big bowl. It wasn't very loud, but clearly, it wasn't quiet enough.

Opening the microwave door as it beeped, Shigeo was met with horror.

He turned around slowly.

"Hanazawa?"

He didn't look away from whatever task he was doing. "Yeah?"

"How long... are you supposed to microwave butter for?" His voice was shaky, holding onto the door for dear life.

Hanazawa turned around, realizing what had happened. He moved over to Shigeo to examine what disaster had struck. "Pfft."

The bowl had shattered, and the butter had exploded all over the microwave. At least Shigeo melted it. Unfortunately, it didn't seem very usable. Neither did the microwave, having shards of ceramic stuck to every place it could wedge itself.

"You should move away, I'll clean it." Hanazawa said after 5 seconds of either comptemplating life with Shigeo, or trying not to laugh. He really couldn't tell.

Mob reluctantly obliged. How could he have messed up the most simple task? It was butter. Microwave. Mmmm beep beep. Softened butter. Right?

"Hanazawa, I'm sorry. I didn't know that would happen. I can get you a new bowl-"

"No, no. It's fine, really. It's just an inconvenience." Hanazawa explained, wiping down the microwave with his powers (You think that he wants to touch that mess? Hell no).

The weight on Mob's shoulders were lifted after Hanazawa assured him it wasn't a big deal. Still, he felt a pang of guilt lingering as a wound in his chest. If it weren't for his malfunctioning brain, he wouldn't have exploded Hanazawa's microwave. He tried to focus on his breathing. In, and out. In, and out... like the mission with the microwave was meant to be. We're back to the microwave.

"It's Friday evening, we're both tired. It's my mistake, too." Hanazawa's voice interrupted Mob's thoughts. His voice wasn't angry or loud or overwhelming. No, it was more calm than anything. Calm in both terms of objectivity, and calming for Shigeo. Focusing on his voice was much easier than with his breathing. He could close his eyes and visualize it. The way the waves surrounded the room, it looked like Hanazawa's aura.

More recently than not, Mob had come to the discovery that most espers have to concentrate to see someone's aura. Usually, they would just be able to feel it. Mob felt it as well, but he also was able to watch the colors bouncing around their owner, like strings of ribbon dancing around them. It never obstructed his view, but stronger espers had less transparent auras. It was Suzuki and Ritsu that were the ones to tell him about it. Mob had to focus on his own aura to see it, but he would mostly just do it whenever he was bored. He much preferred to look at other people's. They were far more intriguing.

Shou's was orange and red. It grew and expanded freely, like if there was strings of fire surrounding him. It was bright, but not obnoxious. It tended to attract animals. He would often avoid parks because it would end with him having to shoo birds and bugs away from him. Ritsu had a similar aura to Shigeo, but his was less organized. It was much weaker but still sharp. It was like a little decorative cactus.

Hanazawa's looked nice. It deterred animals (which is why his apartment has never had a single cockroach), but it was mesmerizing to stare at. Its movements were erratic in a way that differed from the usual flow of auras, but in the same way a suspensful movie would be; it made you want to know what happens next. It waved, the small lines of blue meeting yellow, like the ocean meeting sand.

It was comfortable, and so perfect for Hanazawa. It felt the same way as his voice. Shigeo could never predict what he was going to say, but it never made him feel unsafe. It was just that he had a lot more charisma than Mob.

"It's on my fault, too. I should have told you about the spontaneous combustion habits of butter." Hanazawa said, turning around to face Shigeo.

What's happening? Oh, yeah. Microwave exploded.

-----☆-----

The cookies managed to get into the oven with only one disaster. He said it would take about 15 minutes until it was ready. Sitting down on the floor with their backs up against the bedframe, they waited. The two of them quickly ate the instant noodles that Hanazawa brought. When Mob would come to sleep over, Hanazawa would put on an obscure movie, and Mob would end up falling asleep. They couldn't play many games because Shigeo hated fighting people, so they opted for movies instead.

"What do you want to watch?" He stretched his arms as he leaned his head into the fluffy blanket on his bed. In one of his hands was the remote to the television. Curiously turning his head to Shigeo, sat on his right, he noticed the lack of a response. Mob's head was tilted upwards, trying to recall literally anything. "I have Skinimarink, but that's scary. I think." Hanazawa continued.

Circling his thumbs over his own knees, Mob prosed a question. "Do you have any action movies?" He asked, recalling the movies his father would take him and Ritsu out to watch in theater.

"Hm? Let me check." Hanazaeq got up, taking both his and Mob's empty bowls to the sink. Once he returned, he looked through his shelf, letting out short hums as he did so. Assuming based on the prolonged silence, he didn't have anything. "Uh... Suzuki gave me three copies of an English movie called Flushed Away. Every copy is in Protuguese, though. Also, I don't know what the genre is, I hate rats, and it looks terrifying." He raised one of the three copies, showing it to Mob.

It looked very strange. It was stranger to think of why Shou would give him those three copies, let alone have them in the first place.

As if answering his question, he continued. "He said he inherited them from his father's organization." Hanazawa stated, frowning like a kicked puppy.

Before Mob had a chance to process that, the oven dinged.

Both of the boys ultimately decided that they would be better off just watching whatever they could find. At some point, with a few strokes of luck and sugar, they managed to find a promising movie. According to Hanazawa's research, it was a Shakespearean inspired Rom-Com with action in it.

Now, Mob had watched a total of one romantic movie. It was with his mother back when he was younger. His memory was fuzzy, but he distinctly remembered the final scene where the boy and the girl held hands walking home. Since then, it had become his goal to hold the hand of his first crush, Tsubomi. However, that goal would never happen. At least not in the way Mob wanted to. He didn't know if he liked or disliked romance movies. He could never pay attention since he would just end up thinking about Tsubomi.

It's been nearly two years since her rejection. Mob didn't think of her all too much anymore. She was a good friend that he would occasionally call, but that was it. He was willing to give it another try.

Hanazawa and Shigeo sat next to each other, their knees and shoulders bumping into each other every time one of them laughed. Mob found himself enjoying the movie much more than he thought he would. Laughing was still relatively new for him, as were understanding jokes and punchlines, but here? Sitting on the floor with Hanazawa, laughing about some stupid little visual gag or poor VFX? Shigeo had no reason to worry.

Hanazawa laughed loud. He hunched over and shut his eyes tight, perhaps to protect them from the brightness of his aura. It would flare up every time he did. Mob would watch intently.

The romance of the movie was unserious. It mostly existed for plot and jokes, but there was still an underlying sweetness to it. When the man would casually hide the woman's hair behind her ear, or when they made eye contact, it felt like they really cared about each other. Every moment they shared had something to it. They were open and honest with each other, despite being on opposite teams of the story. They were meant to be rivals but instead became star-crossed lovers.

Mob didn't want to blink in fear he'd miss something important. He kept watching.

Or, well, he tried his best to.

It was a long movie, and Mob found himself struggling to keep his eyes open, even with all of the sugar he's eaten. Hanazawa didn't seem to notice, keeping his focus on the film. Mob examined the features of Hanazawa's face, hoing to stay up, watching as he studied the cinematography and techniques with wide eyes. Mob tried to do the same, to pick apart the movie and analyze each scene. The colors began to blur, and the distance of the TV began to catch up to Shigeo. It was only 7:00, but it felt like midnight. The sun had already set, and the room was dark.

"Kageyama?" Hanazawa's voice was quiet. It was hushed, but still kind to Mob's ears. Soothing. That was the word. Unable to register that his name was being called, he spoke again. "Are you awake, Kageyama?"

Mob opened his eyes. It was dreading. It felt like trying to lift weights, even though the weight was his eyelid. He found himself leaned over, his head resting. It was comfortable, it was soft. He nuzzled his head into the sensation.

Oh. He was resting his head on Hanazawa's shoulder.

As much as it would be the most normal thing to do I'm this situation, Mob couldn't raise his head. He was far too tired to do that. His eyes were open, which must have given Hanazawa his answer. Staying in the position for a few seconds, Mob tried to gain every ounce of energy he had left to move away. To say something. And yet, nothing.

"That's fine. You can use me as your pillow until the movie's over. After that we'll go to sleep, alright?" Hanazawa asked as if he expected a reply, not moving. Mob could feel the vibration in Teru's throat ripple through to him.

Hanazawa felt nice.

The movie only lasted about 30 more minutes. Every word that came from the TV was gibberish that Shigeo had neither the time nor energy to decipher. He couldn't see what was going on. He hoped Hanazawa could explain what happened tomorrow morning.

"I'll roll out your futon. Just wait here." The presumably awake boy whispered.

He managed to detach himself from Mob, who then had to resist the urge to grab his arm. He moved his head back to his own space, digging it into the mattress behind him. It wasn't nearly as comfortable or warm or calming or magnificent or Teru-iffic, but it would suffice for a bit. Mob could only really hear what was happening around him. The sound of a thick cushion hitting the carpet and the sound of Hanazawa making a space for Shigeo to sleep. Mob's brain felt so heavy, yet so empty.

A few seconds of peace passed before Shigeo opened his eyes. His friend was heading to the bathroom. Looking down to the floor, the futon was ready. Mob used the last of his energy to move underneath the blanket and hide himself inside of it. It was heavy, but Mob didn't have enough time to notice or care. He was on the brink of consciousness, after all.

The air conditioning unit had been turned off by now, and all Shigeo could hear were the light footsteps of his friend. Soon  he heard Hanazawa stand close to his futon. He kneeled down, staying up on his toes.

"Goodnight." Hanazawa whispered as he stood back up and crawled into bed. Shigeo heard the rustling of his bedsheets until he finally paused. A light patter on the roof began to pick up. The rains were starting to pour down on the apartment complex.

...

Drifting in and out of logic and awareness of his surroundings, everything on Shigeo's mind felt like a dream. Each memory of the day felt distorted, like it was just out of reach for his comprehension. So, he tried to follow it. However, the further he tried to understand or get a grip, things just made less sense. Why does Hanazawa feel different from other people? He was a good friend. His best friend... was Mob his best friend, too? Time wasn't real for a while as Mob slept- or did whatever was closest to doing so. Soon enough, the confusion he felt would be interrupted.

A strike of thunder hit somewhere close by and shook the building. Mob was quickly lifted from his weird half-awake half-not sleep. The colors he had seen immediately faded away. Shigeo couldn't move. He waited for time to return, and for his heart to calm down. It was just thunder, after all.

Mob recollected his thoughts. It was dark when he opened his eyes and rose up. Thunder had struck nearby, and he'd awoken. He sat up, pondering if he should go back to sleep or not. What time was it?

He pulled out his flipphone and opened it. The bright screen nearly blinded him, and he took a bit to adjust to the new light. The numbers read 1:00AM. He'd been asleep for around 6 hours. That would explain why he doesn't feel tired at all. He shut the phone, hearing the loud clack it made.

What was different about Hanazawa?

Looking to the floor, moonlight was shining through the window. The curtains looked like they were dancing as the rain pounded on the window, Mob thought. It must have been a full moon because of how much he was able to see. It was bright, even through the rain. When did it even start raining? The entire day, the two boys tried to hide from the sun, and it was raining?

Looking over to Hanazawa, he found him lying on his side. Facing the wall, his body was curled tightly together. He almost looked to be shivering; maybe it would be good if he actually covered himself more with the blanket.

A bright flash of light spread through the room. In one or two seconds, another thunder strike. Mob heard the boy gasp and watched as he tightly gripped his sleeves.

"Hanazawa?" Mob whispered, holding his blanket. He wanted to know if his friend was alright.

After hearing his voice, Hanazawa loosened the grip on his shirt. He managed to sit up, using his elbows to help him do so. His face was covered by his hair, bathing in moonlight. He looked down at Mob, taking a few moments to interpret what was going on.

"Are you okay?" Mob continued, moving his blanket off of him. The rain continued to pour, and he worried his voice would be drowned out by it.

Hanazawa blinked. He swept his hair to the side of his face. "I'm okay, I was just woken up by the lightning."

Shigeo was relieved to find out that he did not wake up his friend. "It woke me up, too."

"Hm." Hanazawa hummed. He didn't know what to say. "What time is it?" He yawned, covering his mouth with a fist.

"It's 1:00AM; we've been asleep for a while." Shigeo replied, stretching his arms and shutting his eyes tight.

"Hah," Hanazawa laughed under his breath. "I guess we were both tired, then."

Another flash of light struck the apartment, as did the thunder.

Hanazawa nearly jumped out of his bed. He held onto his sheets to keep himself down. His breathing had become heavier. His attention moved back to Mob after a few seconds.

A realization struck Mob. "Are you scared of the thunderstorm?"

Hanazawa flinched, and his eyes opened. "Wh- huh? No. I'm alright, it's just - kind of... I'm good." Hanazawa reassured him, his voice raising. "Of course not."

Now, Mob was not good at reading people. It wasn't like he never tried, it was just a skill underdeveloped. He couldn't see much of Hanazawa's face in the darkness, but he heard him loud and clear. Quite loudly, in fact.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"You think I would be afraid of some weather? Of some extremely loud and sudden noises that shake everything in my room?" He crossed his arms. "No."

Mob had the sneaking suspicion that his friend was lying. Hanazawa rarely did so, but each time he did, Shigeo felt his stomach turn. It was kind of a surprise to see how Hanazawa reacted to lightning, seeing as that was what his aura looked like. Without thinking, Mob shifted out of the futon and rose from the floor. He tried his best to keep his balance as he moved closer to Hanazawa. He sat down on the bed, moving his leg up so he could properly face the other.

"What are you doing?" He spoke sleepily. He rubbed his eye, trying to figure out if he was seeing this right.

What was Shigeo doing? It was a good question, one he wasn't sure he could answer. He acted without thinking about it. It felt like the right thing to do was to move closer to Hanazawa so he wouldn't have to talk to him from a weird angle.

"I'm talking to you." Was all Mob replied with.

Hanazawa's shoulders became stiff, and he raised his head. He smiled. "What do you want to talk about?"

Mob didn't think about that. Usually, it was Hanazawa who did the talking, not him. Recounting the events of the day, Mob looked for something to say. Anything that would get him to talk more. Hanazawa liked talking. It would cause him to lose awareness of his surroundings. When Ritsu would have nightmares as a kid, their mom would talk to him until he calmed down.

"Uh. Thank you for teaching me how to make cookies..." Shigeo managed to say.

"It was my pleasure." Hanazawa said, picking at loose strings on his blanket. "Though... I think you might have broken my microwave." He chuckled, laying his head onto his pillow.

Mob was confused as to why Hanazawa decided to lay back down. They weren't done talking, and both their eyes were still open (Hanazawa's less so). Understanding that, Shigeo followed him, laying down on his side, facing the other esper. Both their heads were on the same pillow. The two boys were close. Mob could feel the heat radiating from the blond. Hanazawa tilted his head to get a better view of Mob, whose hands were in front of his chest.

"I'm really sorry for breaking your microwave." Mob whispered.

Hanazawa looked almost disappointed. "Don't be. It was a mistake that all of us cooking experts have made at some point." Hanazawa shifted his body onto his side to meet Shigeo. Mob felt him gaze into his own eyes. He felt like he was being studied, the same way Hanazawa did with the movie they'd watched. "You won't learn anything if you don't let yourself mess up. What, did you think that you would try something new and know everything the first time around?"

Mob hummed as he thought. He didn't expect that in his quest to help Hanazawa tune out the storm, it would be him to receive advice. The rain had died down, and Mob wasn't sure if it was the sky clearing up or the sound becoming ambient. Either way, if thunder struck now, he wouldn't notice. "Thank you."

"You taught me that, remember?" Hanazawa stated. His voice was a bit deeper than usual, and more hushed.

For a second, his eyes glanced downwards on Shigeo's face. He quickly returned them, but Mob's mind chose to linger on it for a little longer. It was like one scene from the movie when the man and the woman had the same interaction. They leaned close to each other, similar to how the two of them were now, but standing up. They almost kissed before they were interrupted by an explosion in the background. Did that couple ever kiss? Mob would have to ask. In the meantime, out of curiosity, Mob glanced down to Hanazawa's as well. He heard his breath hitch.

Hanazawa looked like he was about to start floating. Or explode- Mob couldn't really tell. His eyes had been wide open, but slowly relaxed. Exhaling, he whispered. "Your eyes are so red..."

"Oh? Am I sick?"

Hanazawa huffed in disbelief. "No, not the white if your eye... I always assumed your eyes were black, but when the light hits them just right, they're red." He brushed his hand, grazing their knuckles.

The touch sent waves through Shigeo. His stomach fluttered like he'd been twirled around. It reminded him of an expression he'd heard before. Tome was in one fo her complaining fits, ranting about how it shouldn't be called 'butterflies in your stomach', but rather moths. Her reasoning was because moths were fuzzy and butterflies are metallic. Shigeo thought that maybe she was overanalysing things and also shouldn't be touching butterflies, but it really did feel more like moths. At this point, if Mob's hair was floating, he wouldn't have noticed. He didn't mind, either.

"I wouldn't let you get sick on my birthday, Kageyama."

The fluttering he felt had instantly transformed into somthing new. Adrenaline. "It's your birthday?" He almost shouted. He managed to stay below that, but his words came out louder than he'd anticipated.

Hanazawa stopped looking tired, too. "Did I not tell you? Did you not remember my birthday??" He asked, a little offended. The boy nearly grabbed Shigeo's wrists, but hesitated, the pads of his fingertips softly touching his lower arm.

"I'm sorry. I'm not good with birthdays." Shigeo brought his voice down as he apologized.

"Don't be sorry." He was quieter now.

Shigeo had both broken his friend's microwave and forgotten his birthday, and he was being told that he shouldn't even feel sorry? No. He wasn't going to accept that.

His eyebrows furrowed, his expression becoming more serious. He looked at Hanazawa like he was going to kill someone. "No. We're going to celebrate."

His friend seemed very confused. "We can do that in the morning. We can just keep talking for now-"

"No. We can do it now." Mob sat up and threw his legs over and onto the ground.

"Eh?"

Mob stood up, his weight being transferred to his feet. He turned back around. "Your bucket list said you wanted to visit an aquarium?" He asked.

"Kageyama, it's 1:00AM- it technically isn't even my birthday anymore." Hanazawa sat up. He had a point, but Mob wasn't going to listen. He was many things, but he was not going to have both broken Hanazawa's microwave and forgotten his birthday.

Shigeo extended his hand out for the other esper to take. "Do you want to go with me?"

Hanazawa paused. He was most likely looking for an excuse not to go, but that wasn't the question. The question was if he wanted to go. "Kageyama... that seems illegal." He dodged the question.

"We can leave money at the front desk." He shot back. "If we try it, we can decide if we want to do it again or not."

Mob wasn't usually one for crime. However, this is different. It may be 1:00AM, and the aquarium may be closed, but what harm would taking a visit do? Shou once told him that you should at least try to break into places, at least once.

After pausing for a few seconds, Hanazawa took the hand he was offered.

"How are we even going to get there?" Hanazawa asked, standing up and stretching out his legs, his grip on Mob's hand remained tight.

Oh. He didn't think about that.

Hanazawa stood close to Shigeo. "What if... we cross off something from your bucket list, too?"

Mob turned towards the blond. He had calmed down a bit. "Which one?"

"Flying."

Ah, flying. This wasn't at all how Mob expected to do that. Or- was it? Walking on the underneath of the clouds with your friend tethered to you by the hand, just like Ritsu and Suzuki do on sunny evenings before they go to bed (If Shou goes to bed at all). But Ritsu and Suzuki aren't just friends. They're closer than that. They talk to each other like they're on the same wavelength, they walk close together, their footsteps align. They're best friends.

Is that how Mob wanted to be for Hanazawa?

"We should bring an umbrella." Shigeo replied, moving towards the balcony. He slid the curtains open and unlocked the door. Mob moved the door to the side and stepped out. Hanazawa trailed right behind him.

Shigeo paused.

The curtains over the balcony window were always drawn, and he'd never been there before. Stepping out onto the wood, he took in the sight of their city from above. The city lights were on, but nobody walked on the streets. Offices and apartment rooms with their lights on felt like pockets of people's lives. The rain was nearly gone by now, the small patter on the roof was disappearing. The moon shined upon the people of Seasoning City.

From Hanazawa's balcony, Mob could see the innerworkings of the town. He could point out his and his friends' schools, he could see Spirits and Such hidden amongst the other buildings, and he could see the park built over the Divine Tree's resting place. From up here, Mob could understand why Hanazawa used to look down on other people. Everything looks so small to Shigeo. He wondered how Hanazawa made everything out to be so spectacular.

He felt the boy's thumb rub against Mob's hand. He was brought back to the balcony, standing beside his friend. He feels like he finally figured it out, why Hanazawa's smile feels so much warmer than anyone else's, or why he can't quite see his own future without him in the image. To return the gesture, Shigeo tightened his grip, turning back to the city.

"... Pretty." Mob spoke without realizing the words left his mouth.

Mob felt Hanazawa's eyes on him. He figured that since this was the view he saw every day, he must be used to it. But he also saw Mob every day.

"Uh. We're going to get our socks wet. Let's get our shoes and go." He spoke, ending the silence between them.

Mob watched solemnly as Hanazawa unraveled their hands. He felt a small urge to grab it again. After all, that's something best friends do, right? Though, they weren't really best friends yet, were they? Maybe he was like that to all of his other friends.

Hanazawa soon returned with both of their shoes, placing them down on the floor and putting his on. Mob decided he should do the same.

Shigeo has technically flown before- when he was fighting people. But those fights are of the past. All of those people have become better. Mob looked towards Hanazawa.

He couldn't help but smile.

"Are you ready, Kageyama?" The other epser asked. Unlike Mob, he's flown before. He used to fly to school from his balcony, though he stopped when he got into high school. Often days, he and Shigeo's paths would align.

He nodded.

Flying was just picking yourself up with telekinesis, it would be easy enough. It should be easy to stay balanced and not float at a tilt or move unexpectedly, right? It was surprisingly harder to pick himself up than it was anybody else. The constant fear of suddenly tipping over had Mob hesitant to start. Shigeo shifted his legs over the balcony railing, sitting atop it. He held it tightly. Hanazawq was next to him, doing the same thing.

"Do you want something to hold on to?" Hanazawa asked, stepping forwards onto the... air. He made flying look effortless. The way he moved his limbs was similar to how he would if in the ocean.

Was it like swimming?

Mob closed his eyes and breathed in. Not letting go of the air in his lungs, he did the same as Hanazawa had done. In his mind, he imagined a diagonal pool of water. The idea of swimming in the air was much more comforting for his stomach than flying, even though it was essentially the same thing.

Mob opened his eyes and exhaled.

Looking to his left, Hanazawa's face lit up. He scoffed. "As expected from Kageyama." He crossed his arms.

One thing Mob didn't anticipate from swimming in the air was the fact that he would be fully submerged. It wasn't like a pool. It was like he'd lost his buoyancy in the Mariana Trench.

"How does it feel?" Hanazawa asked, moving in front of the other.

Mob looked at his hands, waving his fingers around in the imaginary water. There was no resistance, most likely because the only thing his skin touched was air. "I feel like a fish with arms."

Hanazawa laughed. "Yeah, that's why I asked if you wanted something to keep balanced." He explained. "I have no doubts that you can fly, it's just that it's weird to adjust to."

Shigeo tuned back to the railing for a second, wondering how far they were from the ledge. His feet fell on top of each other. "What would I hold on to?"

Hanazawa smirked. As if he'd been planning this, he placed his hands in Mob's. He intertwined his fingers and pulled closer. Their knees grazed against each other. "Somebody with experience, of course."

... Shigeo felt like he would have to unpack that later.

For the time being, he stared at him. Every thought he had about tipping over was erased with the frame of his friend before him, holding him closer. Hanazawa winked.

He was really good at this.

"W-we should start heading to the aquarium." Mob recommended, looking on with wide eyes.

The rest of the flight was much less like swimming. Running along rooftops with a strong breeze going through his hair was not something Mob could really compare to anything. He felt fairly disoriented, trying to remember where the aquarium was. Every time his insides would twist around, he reminded himself that he was NOT going to throw up on Hanazawa's birthday. For the entire duration of the flight, Shigeo held onto him.

The view from all the way up high was nice. The air was thin, though. Mob wondered if that's what people mean by breathtaking views... Eventually, they'd reached their destination.

Landing wasn't something that Shigeo had prepared for, but it ended up being much easier than he thought. It was just the same as placing down something he'd accidentally floated. His feet landing on a small patch of grass, Mob held onto Teru by his arms. He hoped not to tilt or knock over. However, the worst sensation he was feeling at that moment was his shoes getting wet.

Shigeo's grip on Hanazawa loosened. Much to Mob's surprise, he managed to fly without feeling nauseous at all. His hands lingered along his forearm.

"Well?" The blond spoke. Mob's hands returned to his sides, fidgeting at the end of his shirt. Of Hanazawa's shirt.

"Hm?"

"Flying. How did you like it?" Hanazawa elaborated. He dug his hands into his pockets. He seemed excited for Shigeo's answer.

Mob turned his head to the entrance of the aquarium. It was a tall and modern looking structure, but nothing too out of place. "It was... nice. Thank you, Hanazawa."

"It's my pleasure." Hanazawa flicked his hair up. "I enjoyed it, too."

Mob smiled, facing the other boy. He never failed to make Shigeo feel appreciated. The lengths that he'd go to for him, even if it wasn't far at all. Even if it was just a short flight away, Hanazawa would go. Mob wished for times he could return the favor- like now. "Let's break in." He said, casually.

"O-Okay?" Hanazawa let out a weak laugh, barely believing the words he was hearing. "I'll be on security duty, you do the rest."

The two espers walked inside as Mob unlocked the door. The quiet of the room was quickly made apparent. Each footstep they took echoed in the dark room. Mob couldn't see much other than what was illuminated from the moonlight out the glass doors.

"Kageyama, do you need me to turn the lights on?" The other epser asked, closing the door behind him. The sound rippled through the lobby.

"Sure." Shigeo replied. In a few seconds, a few clacks from a different room just barely made it out. The lights buzzed on. Mob has been to this aquarium with his family before. Looking around at the wall decoration, his fuzzy mind was flooded with old memories- as well as a question. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"Hm? Oh, I ran into Hatori from Claw a few months ago. He told me that it was like controlling technological devices with your mind. He explained it really well." Hanazawa explained, walking up to Mob. "I'm new, but I think I did alright here. I disabled everything that didn't seem to be for the fish."

"You've learned a lot of abilities." Mob stated. He wasn't quite sure how other esper abilities worked, but as far as Shou had told him, Hanazawa shouldn't be able to do that. He had a long list of things he could do that he shouldn't be able to. Hanazawa could attack and defend at the same time, waterboard people for information with ease, and erase all worry from Mob's stomach.

He patted Mob's shoulder. "You taught me I could learn from other people." As soon as he made the contact with Mob, he left. He ran into the middle of the very empty lobby and spun back around to face him. "And now, we have an entire aquarium to ourselves!" He shouted, raising his arms triumphantly. His voice echoed.

He followed Hanazawa. "Where do you want to go first? This was for your bucket list." He asked.

Hanazawa looked up at the signs. Arrows pointed in different directions for different exhibits. It wasn't a very large aquarium, so there were relatively few of them.

Soon, he closed his eyes and reached his hand out as far as he could reach. "Wherever the wind takes us, Kageyama."

Shigeo took the hand in front of him. Hanazawa snapped out of whatever dramatic act he was playing out and corrected his stance.

"Okay." Mob agreed.

-----☆-----

Shigeo had come to the conclusion that Hanazawa was different from other people. Not in the sense that he was better or worse, just that among Mob's friends, Hanazawa shined the brightest. Not only that, but he was also the warmest. (And the hottest, but Mob thought that sounded weird.)

But only to him.

No other friend of Shigeo's would attend the same high school to help him sort out his plans for the future. Tome would rather just do it at the office, the Body Improvement club would meet up with him no matter where he was, and Shou just wouldn't want to. Nobody else would wake up at 1:00AM to celebrate their own birthday by flying and breaking into an aquarium with their fingers locked with him.

Hanazawa made his heart beat when his day was dull, and calmed him down when it was all too much. Hanazawa could talk for hours about something boring, and Mob wouldn't want to miss a word out of his mouth. He helped Mob learn new things. Anything, really.

Mob wanted to be the same for him.

Mob was thankful for his friends, but Hanazawa still stood out. While everyone else in Mob's life would support him from the sidelines, he would run with him. If he wanted to shoot for the sky, Hanazawa would ask how far he could go. If he didn't know, then they'd find out, wouldn't they? Shigeo didn't know if he could do it just yet, but he'd like to reach the stars with him.

Stars. The patterns along the tiled floors were stars. They led a path of where to go. Mob thought, as Teru was the one guiding him along.

"Kageyama! This one kind of looks like Dimple, doesn't it?" Hanazawa pointed to the glass of a fish with spotted patterns on its cheeks and puckered lips.

Mob didn't want to be mean to Dimple's appearance, but look at it. He couldn't contain a laugh from escaping his lips. His eyes were shut tightly. Opening them once again, Mob was met with a look from Hanazawa. If he had to try and pinpoint the way he was watching him, he would say either inquisitition or admiration.

Noticing that he'd been caught staring, he turned around to hide his face, resuming the path he was on. The way he walked was much less loose and free. Still, his hand tugged Shigeo along.

Mob watched their hands swing in front of him. Left, to right, to left, to right. The movement was rhythmic, but still a little uncoordinated. Hanazawa's hand was soft and slightly bigger than Shigeo's. Mob has held hands with his friends before, but not like this. Usually, his friends would do it to drag him along somewhere.

Hanazawa held his hand for no reason in particular. Mob would follow behind him even if they weren't tethered together, and he knew that. He was smart.

Perhaps they didn't need a reason. Mob liked it, and seeing as Hanazawa wasn't letting go, he did too. It was a display of affection, and Mob understood that it was something that best friends did. Still, something about the way their fingers were intertwined reminded Mob of the movie he'd watched all those years ago. The same film that had sparked his dream of holding hands with Tsubomi.

It felt... more than friendly.

Mob decided not to think about it. Instead, he focused on the warmth of his hand. The way it swayed as if it were one entity. The way their auras seemed to embrace one another. They would flow around each other, circling and spiraling like sharks before they attack. But instead of attacking, they would join and turn purple. It looked almost like a hug.

Slowly, Hanazawa began walking slower. His footsteps became quieter, less like he knew where he was going. He didn't know what was ahead of him, but the confidence in his stride would have made Shigeo think otherwise.

Soon, he stopped. Looking up from their hands, Shigeo noticed how different the scenery was. It was much darker; Mob couldn't see the tiles on the floor anymore. The room was most likely meant to be filled with crowds, but when there were only two people (who broke in), everything seemed so empty. It was almost intimidating, the high ceiling and lack of any furniture. The only thing to see was the glass which the blue lights shined through. They were in the shark exhibit now.

Returning his eyes back onto his friend, Shigeo noticed how intently the blond watched the sharks. The light shimmered on his face, following the same patterns as the water. He looked as if he were underwater, standing with Mob at the bottom of the ocean.

Eventually, Hanazawa met the other's gaze. He smiled.

Mob felt his heart jump. "Ah, sorry." He apologized. He worried that his hand had become sweaty.

Thankfully, Hanazawa didn't seem to notice. Instead, he seemed confused. "For what?" He tilted his head, shifting closer to the other esper. As much as his adoration for milk had helped Mob get taller, Hanazawa was still a bit ahead of him.

Shigeo didn't have much of an answer. Rather, he looked back to the aquarium. In the corner of his eye, Teru copied his action.

Mob squeezed his palm.

"Hanazawa?" Shigeo spoke. His words took his breath along with them.

Turning back to him, his eyes looked almost sparkly- not that they weren't always. Hanazawa wasn't standing by his side anymore. He'd shifted to be slightly in front of him. His mouth hung open a bit, like he was ready to speak.

"Do sharks sleep?"

Hanazawa blinked. His lips closed, and he awkwardly moved back to his original position. "Uh... Sharks- wait, do they?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"You're smart. You should know." He smiled.

"Uhhhhhh... I think? I'm not very good with marine biology." His tone was uncertain. Hanazawa's heart rate felt like it was getting faster. He cleared his throat like he was planning out his next move. "Why? Are you tired, Shige- KAGEYAMA." As quickly as he'd collected himself, he lost his composure once again.

Silence followed after Hanazawa's half-question, interrupted only by him clearing his throat. In all honesty, Mob wasn't sure. He struggled to focus on answering. His brain was still processing his friend's slip up of his first name. Hanazawa's tone was so soft. Mob felt like he was being surrounded by him. Not like a shark attack, more like a hug.

Their hair felt like it was tangling together, it was a little itchy, but it wasn't like Mob was going to care. It was nice. Best friends did this kind of thing together all the time- like Suzuki and Ritsu!

"Sorry for slipping up your name. I guess I'm the tired one here." Hanazawa apologized.

"Am I your best friend?" Mob blurted out. He didn't know exactly what to say, either. He could not care less about the use of his first name.

Hanazawa took a few seconds to reply. "Pshh. There isn't even any competition, are you serious?" He sounded like he was in genuine disbelief.

Mob was glad he didn't have any competition. He never liked fighting people. "Thank you..."

"Well, what about me? Am I your best friend?"

Mob wouldn't exactly be gently carresjng the hand of somebody who he saw as just a friend. Hanazawa was closer to Shigeo than anyone else, besides Ritsu and Reigen. It wasn't just because of how he would do anything to help him, but more so because Hanazawa accepted him. He'd seen Mob at his worst, even before he lost control. Mob had seen his worst, too.

Shigeo could rely on Hanazawa; he could be vulnerable. He didn't need to hide. Hanazawa could do the same. He wished for him to know that.

"You are." Mob, reluctantly so, moved away from the other. He looked up to the other boy to look at his eyes. "You're my closest friend, Teruki."

Hanazawa let out a noise that sounded like a computer short-circuited... whatever that sounds like.

"Sorry. I thought that if you were going to do it, then I could, too." Mob apologized. Their hands were barely holding on, but Teruki gripped harder.

"Don't be sorry," Hanazawa reassured him. Looking back at their hands, the colors swarmed even more. It looked like something Minegeshi would have grown. "Shigeo."

Mob squeezed back. He looked down to where they were touching. "We should... keep going."

"Yeah." Hanazawa continued walking. This time, he didn't seem to lead the way. He and Mob walked side by side. Their footsteps seemed to sync up. Mob's head was reeling. Something about the air was a little different; perhaps a bit more humid than usual? It made sense for an aquarium, but it was the same as it was in the sky. It was different, but he had realized the reason.

He and Teruki continued through the aquarium. Mob had no idea the time. It wasn't like it mattered, anyway. He had Teru by his side and in his hands. He was his best friend. Mob was his closest friend. The scene kept repeating in his mind. The fact that he was no longer Kageyama to him, but Shigeo. The way he didn't object to something dumb that Mob wanted to do.

Still, the little traces of confusion carried by the wind still surrounded Shigeo.

"Shigeo?" Hanazawa- no, Teruki stopped walking again.

Mob nearly stumbled over himself. He looked up from the floor and onto his newly pronounced closest friend. Hearing his own name felt like it rung in his ears.

"This might be a stupid question, but," Teruki pointed with his free hand to an exhibit with jellyfish. "Are those real?"

"What do you mean?" Mob was very confused. "Sea jellies are real."

"Huh. I guess I've never seen them before, but... don't they look like spirits?" Teruki looked noticeably less concerned. It was a similarity that never occurred to Mob before. Jellyfish glow in the same way that weaker spirits do. They move the same way, and just by looking at them, they most likely feel like evil spirits- texture wise. Perhaps the comparison never arrived to Mob because jellyfish had absolutely no spiritual energy. They had less energy than plants.

"They do." Speaking of fish looking like spirits, Mob recalled something his master told him. "Master Reigen once told me I look like an axolotl."

... He'd just blurted out something unrelated.

Teruki moved his attention to Mob. He looked deep in thought, analyzing every feature of his face. Mob felt like his face started tickling. "I see the resemblance."

"No, he meant my spirit." Shigeo corrected him.

Teruki paused. "He saw your spirit?"

Witha hint of reluctance, he nodded. "I once had to leave my body for an exorcism."

The other boy looked back to the jellyfish. The room was much smaller than the shark exhibit, but not cramped. It was still dark. For a moment, Shigeo wondered if Teruki had forgotten to turn the lights back on.

"I wonder what my spirit looks like." Teruki pondered out loud. His voice was the loudest thing in the room.

Mob moved to stand in front of him. He looked up at the blond. "We can find out."

"Is that... safe?"

Mob wasn't exactly sure how to answer that. It was safe for an esper, but their body would be just as weak as any human's. Still, he wouldn't call it dangerous. "It was much less safe to break into an aquarium. I can protect you." He stated. "It's something that you want to try, right?"

Teruki didn't seem to have any ounce of doubt in Mob. "I guess I can't argue with that. What do I need to do?"

Taking a few steps back, Shigeo let go of the other boy's hand and opened his arms as if Teruki were about to fall. "You have to lose consciousness, so I'll catch you."

"Wouldn't it be easier if I sat on the floor- you know, I thought about it. Never mind."

Teruki closed his eyes. Mob listened to his breathing as he watched him try to escape his body.

It took longer than Mob would have anticipated, but eventually, Teruki fell down. Mob quickly wrapped his arms around him and kneeled down. He propped Hanazawa's body against the wall as he looked for where his spirit went.

Looking back to his body, Mob found a faint glow shining downwards. It was golden, but not in the same way the sun shines. Mob tried to trace where the source of the light was coming from and looked up.

Teruki's spirit waved from above him.

"Hello, Teruki." Shigeo smiled. He felt his blood pool with excitement. He wanted to move, but he couldn't bring himself to do so, only watching in amusement. Still, he didn't let go of his body.

The bright yellow spirit wasn't like anything Shigeo had ever seen before. He looked similar to Mob's own spirit, however, Teruki had much different shapes. He glowed in the same way his aura did- it was erratic and flowing. His head had pointed shapes coming from the circular base. He looked like he had antennae or horns. His arms looked almost like a fairy's wings. The shapes reminded him of rose petals.

Mob knew exactly what he looked like.

Impulsively, he reached his hand out towards Teruki. Shigeo wanted to see what he felt like. The spirit acted as a beam of light for the entire room. He lit up everything he could, especially Mob. Would he feel warm as he always was? Teruki came closer to the hand and pressed his head against it.

Touching the spirit made Mob's hand tingly. It was like rubbing his hands aggressively against a carpet, minus the aggressive and minus the carpet. He felt like a pool of hot seltzer. Teruki's spirit closed his eyes, and Mob moved his hand to stroke his head, the same way he'd done with the stray spirit from yesterday.

It only lasted for a few seconds before the spirit shot his eyes open and pulled away. Mob felt disappointed. Soon enough, the spirit returned to his vessel. When spirits entered their bodies, they usually would wake up instantaneously. For him, he remained lying down against the wall.

"Teruki?" Shigeo spoke. He wasn't sure as to why Teruki didn't return to his consciousness yet. Mob was still sitting next to him. He leaned his head closer to the unconcious boy. "Are you awake?"

Was it because of something that he did? Had Mob underestimated the danger of the situation?

Teruki's eyes remained closed. "... Five more minutes." He whispered through his grin.

Mob felt a wave of relief rush over him. He squeezed his eyes shut as a few laughs escaped from his chest. It wasn't very loud, but he could hear it echoing through the aquarium. The slight worry he'd felt had transformed into something new. He didn't know how to even begin to describe it. If he tried, then the memory of his spirit would flash in his mind. His fingertips tingled like he'd just been electrocuted.

Teruki looked at Shigeo, fixing himself to sit upright. His gaze was soft, hidden behind half-lidded eyes. A small hint of yellow energy was still in his pupils, swirling around in the dark blue hues. It looked like rock candy, and feeling Hanazawa's spirit, Pop Rocks.

"So?" Teruki asked.

Mob tilted his head.

"What does my spirit look like?" He cupped his chin. "I was assuming maybe... a yellow starfish?"

Mob's head pressed into the wall behind them. His cheeks felt hot. "No, but you're very bright. You're shiny."

"I'm bright all the time," Teruki continued. He placed a hand over his heart and closed his eyes again. Mob watched him intently. "You just said that I was smart a few minutes ago."

It took a second for Teruki's misunderstanding to clock in Shigeo's mind. "Oh, no, I meant that you had a very strong light - Not that I disagree with your first statement!" He reassured him. "You're very bright, Teruki."

"I know." He replied. "You're not so dim yourself."

"Is that... how that metaphor works?" Mob was fairly confused. He didn't even know if calling someone bright was a metaphor. He didn't exactly have a better name for it, though.

He ignored the question. "So, what do I look like?

Mob peered down at his shoes. "I think... it would be better if I showed you."

"Hm?"

Shigeo stood up. He felt like he was full of energy. He swayed on his feet. He smiled. Mob didn't know how to explain this new feeling. He knew he would accept them as they came, but that didn't make any of them easier to label. However, this one struck him like a bolt of thunder, the word residing in his head. He felt giddy - like Tome at the sleepover whenever they all agreed to do something.

As soon as Teruki stood up, Mob grabbed his hand. Somehow, he seemed more confused than he did when Mob asked him to celebrate his birthday.

"Can we run?" He asked, almost bouncing on his feet. He didn't know where this was coming from, but he didn't care. He knew exactly what he wanted to show Teruki.

The other esper looked on in awe. "Sure?" He agreed as he exhaled.

Mob felt like his face lit up. There was absolutely no doubt in him that his hair was floating freely. He took one step forward, looking back at Teruki, as if to give him a heads up.

There were times in which Mob would have more energy than he knew what to do with. In those times, he only really had one thing he could do. He could utilize those little bursts of emotions to his own good. Usually, going for a run. When it felt smaller, he'd just pace in his own room. He'd never been more thankful for his big empty room.

Recollecting his thoughts, Shigeo remembered where the exhibit was, tracing a path in his head. A few steps forward, he began to pick up his pace, Teruki trailing shortly behind, hands locked.

Mob felt like a kid. It was something that he and Tsubomi would have done when they were young. Mob was usually not one to take the lead with her, nervous about what she would say. He didn't enjoy feeling like every action he took was being judged by her and her friends. So, he usually let other people go first.

But now? Teruki wasn't a judge. He was on the runway with Shigeo, the runway at 1:00AM, when nobody was watching. It was just them; there was no reason to perform. But even if they didn't need to pretend, they still walked the show. Just for the fun of it.

Eventually, Mob found it. He tugged the blond and stood in front of the glass. Teruki nearly toppled them both over, but Mob wasn't going to fall.

"You look like a sea angel."

Peering into the glass, the two espers watched the little cliones float around. They looked almost identical to Teruki's spirit, though significantly sized down and different colors.

"They're so cute..." Teruki placed the pads of his fingertips to the glass. "How did you know they had those here? Did you read the signs?"

"My parents used to take me and Ritsu here. My favorite fish were the sea angels. They're not actually fish. They're sea slugs. When they eat, they have tentacles that come out from their head. They're also carnivores and they eat a similar species." Mob explained as his eyes watched the flying motions of the animals. He didn't notice that his best friend was watching him instead of the cliones.

"See? You're pretty smart, too." Teruki placed a hand on his hip. "Do you think you'd want to become a marine biologist?"

Mob looked down at his shoes. "No, I really don't like fish. I just think that cliones are interesting." He never had a reason as to why he chose to fixate on sea angels. Perhaps they just caught his attention.

The other boy turned his attention back to the sea angels. "My parents never took me to any aquarium or zoo. They were always too busy." He whirled back around to Mob, stepping closer to him. His head tilted down to see him properly. "Thank you for this birthday gift, Shigeo."

Mob's heart sped up. Teruki was talking calmly. His friend was doing one of his things that usually made Mob feel safe, but then why did he feel his pulse in his head?

"Happy birthday, Teruki." Mob managed to reply even with his heart cramming up his windpipe.

Withour even realizing it, he moved a hand to Shigeo's head, combing through his hair. It was just as he had done in the alleyway. Maybe if he had done this earlier, Shigeo would have started flying a lot sooner. However, his heart anchored him down.

"Is it floating again?" Mob asked.

Teruki pulled away and placed both his hands in his pockets. "Hey, you pet me as a spirit. That was only fair."

... Mob couldn't argue with that. He looked straight at the floor again. His face felt tingly again. He really didn't know why he'd done that, other than just out of curiosity.

"We should get back to your apartment." Mob said. He couldn't remember the time, but it was at least 2:00AM by now.

It was a short walk to get back to the lobby. Shigeo always made sure to keep money in his school bag, just in case. He dug into his pockets and pulled out 3000 yen, sitting it atop the reception desk. He hoped that it would get to the right people. Their footsteps were getting quieter as they prepared to leave the building.

Looking out the clear glass doors, Shigeo noticed that the rain had returned. It was heavy and poured just outside the entrance.

"Teruki? Did you bring the umberella?" He asked the blond, who was shutting off the lights.

He moved closer. "Shigeo, we flew here. I can think of at least 5 different ways to get rid of the rain."

Mob really was tired, wasn't he? Perhaps breaking and entering wasn't something that they should continue in the future. His heart was beating like he'd just worked out with the Body Improvement club- even before they had run through the entire place.

● Fly.
☆ Visit more places (aquarium, zoo, festival, museum, etc)

Chapter Text

As much as Mob enjoyed the summer, this was possibly the worst part of it all.

He dug his head into his pillow and rolled onto his side, but it was no use. It was summer break, but the sun wasn't letting him sleep in. His eyes were shut tight, but they still seeped through. The sunlight from his window had made its merry way directly onto Shigeo's sleeping face. As much as his body wished to rest, his brain wouldn't let him. He didn't have any reason to be awake so early in the morning.

Reluctantly so, Mob gathered all of his energy to sit upright. His mind was fuzzy with memories of a dream from last night. As much as he wanted to peice the fleeting moments together, it would be much better if he focused on at least getting up. He sighed, keeping his eyelids shut. He felt his heart jump when his phone buzzed and rattled on the wood floor beside him.

Mob suddenly didn't feel so tired.

His eyes now open, he recollected himself. It was just his phone letting him know he'd been texted. Opening up the device, he was greeted with his low resolution background. He opened up the text he was sent.

Teruki: Good morning, Shigeo!!! ♡♡♡♡♡ I hope you've had a great summer break so far. I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping!!! 1PM -☆TERU☆

Mob was never quite sure why he signed all of his messages since he already knew who it was from. Perhaps he just enjoyed typing out his name in between stars. Mob appreciated being able to see it. A smile crept along his face.

However, Shigeo was met with a small problem. Almost a year ago, Ritsu had forbidden Teruki from going clothes shopping with his brother. Mob wasn't exactly sure why since he liked everything that Teruki would buy with him. He felt fashionable. He liked his best friend's clothes. Still, he wouldn't be able to shop with him. But they weren't necessarily looking for garments, were they? If they just avoided every clothing store, Ritsu would have nothing to worry about. Plus, it wasn't like Mob had anything else planned for the day.

Ok

Texting Teruki was nothing out of the ordinary. It only became more common after their birthdays in the spring. Mob found himself wanting to see what was on Teruki's mind more and more. His breathing would slow down as he typed, thinking of what to say, and he'd sometimes have to remind himself that the lungs are meant to have air in them.

Mob moved out of his futon. His heart felt heavy and he was left feeling like he'd forgotten something important. He had no idea what that would be, but it would surely come to him in due time. His thoughts in the early morning were always scattered, but as the day went on, they would organize themselves. He figured it was best to wait it out, and start his day. He had plans, after all. Plans with Teruki.

"Teruki..." The name felt almost foreign on his tongue.

Standing in front of the mirror, Shigeo brushed his teeth. His eyelids were heavy, and it was far too early in the day to start lifting weights. Mob focused on the circular motions of the toothbrush, leaning over the sink as to not get any toothpaste on his shirt.

Mob wondered where he and Teruki would go, or if they'd run into any of their other friends on the way there. It had been over three months since he and Hanazawa had officially became best friends, but it didn't feel like much of a change. Mob had the inkling that he was doing something wrong, but he chose to ignore it.

He and Teruki continued to try and find a worthwhile goal or route for their futures. They would usually spend time at his apartment or in the nearby park after school to research colleges, jobs in their town, or really anything they wanted. Teruki wasn't very good at keeping on track and would look up more movies to show Shigeo. Mob ended up liking the movies more when he listened to how passionate he would be when talking about them.

As he brushed his teeth, his mind wandered backwards. He couldn't lie to say he wasn't curious about why his mind kept flashing memories of his dream. He didn't have them often, but they never really mattered to him. Tome used to talk about how all dreams have deep meanings if you pay attention to them, but all Mob ever had were dreams about Tsubomi or completely illogical scenarios. Out of curiosity, he closed his eyes.

A knocking came from his window. Shigeo was sitting at his desk, doing his homework under the faint light of his lamp. English work for reading up on a play. It was a late evening, and he was ready to go to bed. Turning around, he was met with a familiar face.

Hanazawa waved, floating just outside his window sill. He had a smile plastered on his face. Shigeo got up to let him inside, his body nearly weightless.

"Teru? What are you doing here?" Shigeo asked as the blond stepped inside, his shoes presumably left at home. He looked like he'd just flown to the Kageyama house. His hair was messed up by the wind, so he ran a hand through it. His fingers combed it down.

"I'm not really sure." He looked down. Had Teruki gotten taller? His expression softened as he reached a hand out and moved Mob's hair to the side. He cupped his cheek. His hand was soft and warm, like a blanket just out of the dryer. Mob closed his eyes and embraced the sensation. "I guess I just wanted to see you, Shige."

Teru moved closer. Mob's heart was beating. Teru placed his free hand on the other side of Shigeo's head, tilting it a little to his right. Mob could feel the heat coming off of the other's breath. His lips were parted like he was trying to say something, but he didn't want to. They were centimeters away.

Mob opened his eyes and spat his toothpaste into the sink. He was lucky that he didn't spill any of it. Shigeo turned on the water and washed out his mouth.

What was that? His dream? It felt so visceral and clear. Everything about the dream made him feel strange. Why was Teruki coming in through the window? Why did he place his hands on Shigeo's face? Why was he moving so close?

Mob looked up and turned off the faucet, the sound of running water vanishing into thin air. His eyes were wide open, and his cheeks looked sunburnt. His mouth hung open before Shigeo shut it closed, wiping it with a fist. His hair was sticking up in every place it shouldn't be able to.

Slowly, Mob placed down his toothbrush. His dream felt like something out of a romance movie; one where the boy would come visit the princess through the window to her castle bedroom. Though, in that scenario, Mob would be the princess. It would be much more fitting for Teruki to be the princess because he looked more like one- He decided he should stop thinking about it.

His powers were leaking out into the rest of his bathroom. Turning away from his reflection, bottles of conditioner and shampoo were floating around. He carefully put them back into their places before they fell down.

He took his hairbrush and tried to get his hair back to normal. It was tangling up at the ends and wouldn't let go. Pulling away, it looked just as strange. Mob poured water over the brush and tried to brush his hair again. It took a few minutes, but Mob's hair was much flatter. It wasn't completely straight and still looked a little frizzy, but it would be fine. He dropped his hairbrush back to where he always put it.

He figured it would get better after he ate something.

It had been over 2 years since Mob confessed to Tsubomi. Ever since then, he found it felt strange to experience emotions without restraining himself for the safety and convininece of others. He didn't know what to expect, but he certainly didn't realize how nuanced and complicated his own feelings would be. Before, he would just do his best to avoid it, with the only exceptions being very clear as to what they were. As a kid, it was much more simple. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing that he didn't recognize everything that he felt; It was just something he would have to sort through.

Besides, Mob knew that it was best to be patient with himself. He didn't need to know everything right now. He'd figure it out at some point, and everybody around him would be there to help. He didn't know exactly how he felt, but he knew that he would be okay with it, whatever it was.

Still, Mob had no idea why he felt so strongly about a dream. Every beat of his heart, images of it flashed in his mind. The heat coming from Teruki's hands and his breath. He smelled like flowers.

"Hey! Ritsu's bro!" Shou shouted as he walked into the dining room where Mob sat. He was wearing some of Ritsu's clothes, and his hair was a mess. He looked like he'd just woken up.

"Oh, good morning Suzuki. Why are you in my house?"

Behind the redhead was Ritsu. The two shared a glance at each other. "Did he not tell you? I slept the night."

Shigeo didn't see Shou yesterday. It was also unusual for Ritsu not to make sure that Mob's aware of guests.

"I don't think you saw me, though. I snuck in through the window at midnight." Suzuki elaborated. That would certainly explain why Mob wasn't even aware of his presence. Ritsu shoved his elbow into Shou's arm. "It's a totally normal best friend thing, don't worry. Also don't tell your parents."

Oh. It was a normal thing, after all. It still didn't explain why Mob was so caught up in his thoughts. It wasn't even too strange of a dream. Maybe he was looking too much into it.

"Best friends break into each other's houses all the time..." Shigeo whispered to himself as he took a bite out of the food he'd taken for himself. It asn't really cooking, seeing as it was just a sweet bread bun he'd heated. It was early enough for both of his parents to still be asleep. Usually around this time, he and Ritsu would have breakfast together.

"Yeah. Anywayys, what do guys have to eat?" Shou spun the topic around as Ritsu guided him to the kitchen. Mob could hear cabinet doors opening and closing as the two boys spoke. With no trace of where it came from, a thought struck into his mind.

What were best friends supposed to do?

Shigeo felt like he finally understood why he kept thinking about last night. He felt like he figured out why the focal point of his mind was always Hanazawa. The stars in his brain had finally aligned with a soft tingle.

They had become best friends, but Shigeo had no idea what that entailed.

Something was supposed to change. Mob had seen it. The way his brother and Shou acted around each other was different than the relationship of two normal friends. They're much closer, and they expect different things from each other. The only problem was that Mob didn't know what was meant to be different. In all honesty, he was worried about something changing with Teruki. He figured that it would be fine to just keep acting the same way he did before they became official. However, the inkling deep within Mob's heart- the thing he felt like he forgot- finally came to his senses.

Am I a bad best friend?

Soon, Ritsu and Shou returned to the dining table and sat on the opposite side of Mob. Shou never ate healthy, seeing as he'd just grabbed snacks and sweets. The Kageyamas were very keen on keeping healthy, so most of the junk food and sugar in the house were for guests. Primarily, Shou and the Telepathy Club.

"What else are best friends supposed to do?" Mob blurted out.

"Eh?" The redhead looked confused. "I dunno." He shoved a chocolate into his mouth.

So it seemed that Shigeo would have to figure it out on his own.

-----☆-----

Like this, for example. Mob wasn't sure how to greet Teru. What was he meant to say? Something along the lines of 'Hello, Teruki, my closest companion whom I think about every day.'? ... He assumed not.

Standing in the middle of the busy streets was Shigeo, hiding inside of his own mind. He stood with his back against a wall, hoping not to bump into anyone. It was loud and crowded. Mob rubbed his fingers against the bottom of his blue button-up shirt. Mob hadn't met up with Teruki for the entire summer since his parents were visiting. Before then, they never really addressed the change in their relationship. They didn't hold hands or rest on each other's shoulders when they weren't at Hanazawa's, rarely at all, but they were still close. It reminded Mob of the only actual experience he's had with a best friend. It was Tsubomi.

When they were young, they would hold hands through the park, go places together, play together, and do everything synchronized. It all changed once she got bored of Mob's powers. It was short-lived, and Mob wasn't even sure if it counted. He sighed.

"Shigeo!" A familiar voice shouted out from his side. His message was nearly drowned out by the chatter filling the air. He waved, his hand high above his head. Even without doing so, he looked like a highlighter pack. His outfit was full of colors. Mostly, blue and yellow. Mob had no idea if they were matching or not. He wore layers, even though it was summer.

Teruki walked closer. Mob felt like he could hear his footsteps on the concrete. Teruki's hair was blowing in the wind. He was smiling wide. He really looked like he could be a character from the movies they'd watched. He wasn't sure who he'd be, though. The prince or the princess? Thinking about it, he was definitely royal. All of his clothes were in high taste, so much so that Mob didn't understand it.

... Mob should stop staring and say something, shouldn't he?

Unfortunately, words weren't taking his side. After a few seconds of silence, the esper raised his hand and waved. It didn't even reach out, staying glued to his chest.

Still, Teruki seemed pleased with it. "So where do you wanna go? I was thinking of visiting a new boutique to see what they have, but little-brother kind of banned me. Such a shame he's such a hater."

Without even recognizing it, the two of them were already walking. Teruki's voice was the loudest thing Shigeo could hear. In their time apart, Mob guessed that he'd forgotten how kind his voice was, even though it had been one week. He was once again thankful that Hanazawa had the mysterious ability to carry a conversation, even if it was essentially him speaking to the air. Before long, Mob's mind was back to his worries.

What would a best friend do now? Would they talk about something interesting they heard? Should Mob compliment Teruki? That was something that Shou did a lot to Ritsu, calling him handsome or cute. It was the safest option that he had, but what would he compliment about Teruki?

"So? Where do we go first?" The blond returned his attention to Mob, who took a moment to recognize he was being asked something.

Shigeo was brought out of his thoughts. He hadn't come up with anything to say. He remembered a strategy that Reigen had told him about. He said it was good for any social situation. He called the technique 'deflection.' He made it sound like it was a superhero move, but it didn't seem very grand. Still, it was convenient since his mind was struggling to stay in the same place for longer than three seconds.

Breathing in, Mob returned the question. "Uh... where do you want to go?"

It worked flawlessly.

Teruki looked up to the sky. "Hm, well, I don't really have any plans... ooh! This place has a pretty sign." He pointed to a small sign on their left sticking out from the wall of the store. It was a black chalkboard with little drawings of animals in the empty spaces. It was a café.

Peering in through the curtains to the windows, the only way Mob could describe the place was 'cozy'. The lights were dim and it wasn't very big. There were a few booths lined with red cushions and dark wooden frames. From the doorway, the same kinds of music Reigen played in his office spilled outside. It was like a completely different world from the roads where the sun shined loudly and the noises were blinding.

"Do you want to go in?" Teruki continued. "We can figure out a plan inside."

Mob nodded, following the other esper inside. It was surprisingly cold; he hadn't realized how hot it'd gotten outside until the air-conditioned room hit him at full blast. The two sat down beside the window. The curtains were covered in rose patterns that made the light coming in look almost red, kind of like in post-apocalyptic movies where the world was thrown into chaos via natural disaster. He watched how his hand moved in the light. It was like his fingers swam in it.

He looked back up to the boy sitting across from him. Mob wondered if he was expecting him to say something. Teruki was much more experienced than he was. Surely, he knew what Mob was supposed to do in order to be a proper best friend. That thought only worsened his worry.

"Hey, Shigeo?" Hearing his own name from Teruki's mouth felt strange. Not in the sense that it was weird that he said it, just the way Mob felt new emotions whirling around in his heart. He recalled his dream. Teruki hadn't just called him by his given name, but his nickname. "You doing alright? You look like you've just witnessed an atrocity."

Mob lifted his head up and fixed his posture.

"I don't look that bad, do I?" Hanazawa smiled, holding his head in his hand with his elbow leaning into the table.

A shock of energy passed through Shigeo. "No! Not at all." He moved his hands from atop the table to his lap. His eyes darted away. Where was he meant to put them? "You look... nice."

Teruki chuckled. "I know I do, I was kidding." His grin fell, and he straightened his head. "Are you sure you're okay?" If Mob had to say, he looked almost worried.

"No, I'm okay. I just have a lot to think about." His hands fiddled with the fabric of his jeans. He could almost hear his pulse. "I think you look pretty." His words barely made it out of his mouth. Perhaps the cold of the air was able to carry along the message to the other.

Teruki's eyes shot away from Shigeo. He couldn't see it very well, but Teru's face was similar to how Mob looked after peicing together his dream that morning. His mouth was open like whatever he wanted to say was on the tip of his tongue. He looked out the window.

"We should get drinks, right?" Mob asked. Teruki jolted upright, and his forlorn expression was quickly wiped away.

"The arcade!" He almost shouted, but his speech was kept under his breath. "I mean- would you like to go to the arcade?" He corrected himself as he turned back to Shigeo.

Mob didn't have much of a strong opinion on the arcade. Sure, he went a lot when he was a kid with Ritsu, but it mostly ended with his losing every single game and asking to go home because it was too loud. The losing sound effect that some of the games had were ear-peircing. But what would a good best friend do in this situation?

"Sure." Mob agreed. He figured it would be the correct thing to do.

Seeing as Teruki's face lit up and he practically jumped out of his seat, Mob guessed he chose the right option. Hanazawa looked like he was sparkling. "Come on, then."

Teruki led the way out the door and back outside. The humidity barely even registered to Mob. "Wait- weren't we supposed to order something?"

He didn't hear him. Instead, he kept his head up high and kept walking. Shigeo trailed closely behind him, hoping that they wouldn't become separated in the sea of people. In contrast to the cool and quiet café, Mob wondered how he could ever survive out here. Luckily for him, the arcade was just a short walk away.

He didn't know much of what to expect. His memories as a kid were faded, but the other members of the Telepathy Club would often go after school. He knew that there weren't many competitive or fighting games, so he figured he'd be alright.

Stepping in through the doorway, the sunlight vanished. The arcade was dark with bright neon lights coming from the machines. All he could hear was the chimes of the games and people talking.

"Which game do you want to play first? I recommend you don't do any chance games since they're expensive and you don't really get anything out of them." Teruki explained and waved his hand around. The lights flashing behind him made his movements look like they were animated with only a few frames.

Mob looked around the area. Everything seemed exactly the same. All the boxes were filled with moving lights and tunes that clashed with the games next to them. It was just the same as it had been years ago. He took a few moments to allow his eyes to adjust to the arcade.

"How about we walk around and just pick whatever looks good, yeah?" Teruki suggested. Seeing as Mob didn't have a better idea, he nodded and continued to follow his lead.

Mob wished that he could take his hand. It was nice and warm when they were together. He always enjoyed looking at what colors his nails were and watching the swinging motion. The fear in his stomach would turn empty amd quiet. He had felt it before, but every time he tried to give the sensation a name, it would disappear from his mind. He liked it, though. It was similar to when he touched Teruki's spirit. Static.

But the inkling in the back of his mind warned him. Perhaps it was too close for best friends. He never watched any movies where the main best friends would intertwine their fingers whenever they wanted to. He never even saw Shou do it in public. He supposed he'd have to wait a little longer.

Everything in life was in the grey area. Nothing was binary, never all good or all bad. In relation to how close he should be with Teruki, he'd just have to find the middle. The only problem was that he never had a scale. It was like being asked a question you never studied for, then humiliated in front of your classroom.

Watching the colors fade around him, one specific machine caught Mob's attention. Behind the glass was a pile of animal plushies. He never paid enough attention to these kinds of things, but they always seemed to catch his eye. He never bought anything to place in his room that wasn't entirely practical. Still, they were cute.

"The claw?" Teruki focused on the other esper's face. He took a few steps towards the tall box and leaned his arm on it. "You know- when I used to date girls, I was a master at these things. Name what you want, and I'll get it for you."

Mob assumed that he wouldn't be able to back out of the offer. He peered in through the windows and looked for something that he wanted. Near the northwestern corner of the machine was a pale green frog. Its face was made poorly, and its eyes were pointing in different directions. It was almost better that way, Mob thought.

Eventually, Shigeo pointed to it, gently placing the tip of his finger onto the glass. "I like frogs." His voice was quiet.

When he turned his attention back to the blond, Shigeo found his eyes on his. The reflections of the various machinery shimmered in Hanazawa's. It was like stars glowing on a river, flowing over its own light in the water. In the darkness and surrounded by nothing but white noise, Mob could imagine putting his hand into the water and waving through it. He'd watch it ripple around his cold palm.

... He assumed he shouldn't put his hand in Teruki's eyes.

Hanazawa wore an expression that Mob couldn't decode. It was similar to the one from the incident in the alleyway with the stray spirit and in the aquarium. Shigeo would, very rarely, catch him looking at him this way. Sometimes, during school, when the teacher was going on about something Mob didn't understand, he'd look to Teruki.

He knew logically that there was nothing his best friend could do, but it still filled him with a kind of motivation. He would only see the expression for a second before Teruki shot his eyes away. He knew that the blond only looked at him when he wasn't looking, and he was almost disappointed every time he turned away. He wondered why he did so.

Was it for the same reasons that Shigeo had, or was it something that best friends do? Know that he thought about it, Ritsu would make a similar face when watching Shou draw or when he was focused on anything. Perhaps he'd have to ask Ritsu what it meant. But for now, it was a good sign. Shigeo smiled.

"Yeah, alright," Teruki scrunched up his face and took a long blink. He popped a 100 yen coin into the box. It trickled down;  every time it hit the corner, it clinked. "Step aside and watch how a professional does it." He pulled up his sleeves as white LED lights lit up inside of the corners of the machine.

He absolutely would watch.

Teruki most likely has had many best friends before Shigeo. Some better, some worse. Mob understood that he never had to strive for first place, but if he had the chance to give him the greatest best friend experience of his life, he wouldn't want to pass it up. He was going to figure out what to do.

He decided that he would look at Teruki like they always did. Seeing as Hanazawa was the more experienced best friend, it would be best if Mob copied his moves. He was always used to following Teruki's lead, after all. Relaying the gesture back onto him shouldn't backfire, right? Talking about socializing like it was a video game made things surprisingly easier to understand. It was the only game in the arcade that didn't have any instructions, so he'd just have to learn it on his own accord.

Shigeo breathed in, parting his lips just slightly. He relaxed every muscle on his face. All he had to do was look at his best friend like he always did, gazing at him like he was the only beacon of hope he had, just like Mob always did in class. It was taking much longer than he anticipated, but the experience didn't feel forced. If anything, it was a nice contrast to the loud and bright room. Simply staring at Teruki gave him time to analyze the things that he never paid much attention to. Like how his ears always stick out of his hair, or how fast his hair always grows. He wondered if he was going to cut it or if he would rather wear it long.

Teruki was taking a long time to look back at Mob, but he didn't mind.

"I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE." Hanazawa's voice startled Mob. He hadn't noticed the change in his stature. He was hunched over the control panel, staring into the glass. How long had it been?

"Yes, you do. Are you okay?"

Teruki fixed his posture. "Yeah, I'll get it after the sixth try, don't worry." He sounded like he'd just ran a marathon up a mountain. He waved his hand around, still not looking at Mob.

"You've tried five times?" Shigeo asked, taking a step forward, not wanting to look away for a second.

Teruki closed his eyes and sighed. He turned his head to face the other boy, finally. "I always used my powers on these machines, I was just hoping I had an ounce of talent in me." He opened his eyes.

Mob hoped his message got across. Unlike the games here, he'd have no way to know if he won or lost. Socializing wasn't so black and white, anyways. He turned towards the machine. "Can I try?"

His eyes lingered on him for a little bit. He backed away. "Sure, the coins already in there."

Ritsu always told Mob that these kinds of games were always rigged, but if the price was already paid, he might as well.

Placing his hand on the joystick, it was warm. Teruki must have had a tight grasp on the thing. He positioned the claw over the to the frog. It was as far into the corner as it could be. He didn't really care if he got the plush or not, so he pressed the big red button. The lights flickered. It reached down and picked up the plush, squeezing it in its grasp.

"... You got it." Turning back to Teruki, he seemed dumbfounded. "I shouldn't have expected anything less." He chuckled, kneeling down to retrieve the prize. The sound of the machine dinged in Mob's ears. It was absolutely time to leave. "Here."

Hanazawa held the frog in front of Mob, gesturing it towards him. It seemed as though Shigeo forgot that the toy was even a part of the deal. He carefully picked it up from the other boy's hands, his fingers pressing into his palm. He didn't look up, instead analyzing the features of the plush. Its stitching was all over the place, and it was fuzzy. The same kind that Mob felt in his head and underneath his skin.

He was such a kind person, especially to Mob. He figured that was a part of the things best friends are required to do, but Teruki acted this way even before that happened. In fact, the only changes he found Teruki making were that he texted much more often.

Either way, Mob felt his heart wallow in appreciation. He smiled, peering into the beady eyes of the plush. It had a tartan ribbon around its neck. "Thank you."

"Mob?!" From behind him and Shigeo, Mezato chimed in. She wore a soft and light pink t-shirt. Next to her was Tome, with layers on, for some reason. Perhaps it was a fashion trend to not wear weather appropriate clothing.

Teruki turned around to meet the girls. "Oh, hello Tome, and..." He paused. They'd seen each other at Tome's slumber party, but they never spoke, did they?

"Ichi Mezato from Pepper Tree High's school paper." He extended her hand for him to shake.

Teruki took it with little hesitation. Mob watched from behind him, his gaze fixated on the way his hand wrapped around her's. "Hanazawa Teruki of-"

"Yeah, I've heard all about you. Black Vinegar Mid's Urabanchou." The ginger girl interrupted him. "Mob's friend..."

He detached himself from the girl. "Nice to meet you, too."

Mob's friend? No, that wasn't right. They were best friends. Mezato was one of Shigeo's peers who was an expert on reading people. So much so that she excels in her extracurriculars of investigating people and stories. Could she really not see how close he and Teruki were?

As soon as Mob thought that he was doing alright, a single one of the journalist's words sent him back into the furthest part of Shigeo's mind. It was okay to be stressed out, but oh lord, how nice it would be to just have an answer. Just a string of words reassuring him that no, he hasn't made some error fatal to his and Teruki's relationship. Some logic would be nice.

"Well, we'll be going now." Tome interrupted the full ten seconds of Teru and Mezato staring at each other. Neither of them could figure out what to say, and Mob was absent from the material plane, leaving the only person with at their senses was Tome, who just watched silently. Perhaps it was telepathic battles between the two social people retaliation. She tugged Mezato by the arm.

"Nah, I got a couple of questions for you, Hanazawa." Mezato said in retaliation. She leaned towards the blond. "How did you and Mob meet? From what I understand, it was during the autumn of our second years in middle school?"

Mob could barely make out what the girl was saying, but when he did, his grip on the stuffed animal tightened. She was still trying to figure out if the two of them had a fight or not.

Teru glanced down at Shigeo. He lifted up his wrist as if there were a watch on it. With his long sleeves, Mezato most likely wouldn't be able to tell. "I'd love to stay, but me and Shigeo are supposed to be meeting with Minegishi soon."

"Shigeo..?" The ginger girl backed away as she whispered, seemingly to herself. "Minegishi-, you know what, I'll ask you later. Have fun on your date."

Date?

Mob guessed that when two best friends went out together, it would be considered a date. A platonic version.

Glancing back to Teruki, he seemed distraught. His cheeks seemed almost pink when he turned away and waved his hand at the girls. He was essentially digging his shoulder into Mob's. It wasn't very comfortable, but it was affirming. He enjoyed being in close proximity with him.

"We don't have a meeting with Minegishi." Mob stated as they walked outside, the sun pouring back onto the boys.

"I know, I just wanted an excuse to leave." Teruki spoke in a tone that was much softer than how he'd talked to Mezato. Mob wouldn't have even noticed if it weren't for the event lining up so closely. "You looked like you were uncomfortable, but I also do need to visit the flower shop. Come on."

Shigeo wasn't sure of how to respond. Instead, he tried to focus on Teruki. Their auras seemed to bounce off of one another. The two of them were close enough that their auras would have to touch, but for whatever reason, they didn't mix. Mob felt a sick grow in his stomach.

As much as he tried to tune it out, the blazing sun and hoards of people bumping into Mob and speaking as if they were yelling was starting to get to him. What did Minegishi even need? Both of them seldom talk to most of the ex-Claw members unless they need something, like a bouquet or a new psychic ability. Did Teruki keep in contact with them?

Mob's mind couldn't stay on the same thing for too long. Usually as the day went on, his thoughts would organize themselves. But now, they were scattered. Mob wished he could sort them through, but it was too much. It was too loud, too bright, too hot, his clothes itched, the frog was starting to get sweat on it, and his best friend was too far.

As soon as he saw the sign to the flower shop, his footsteps grew louder. The only thing he wanted to do now was to get inside.

The bell on the door rang.

It seemed that Mob wasn't the only one desperately trying to escape outside. Beside him, Teruki breathed heavily, almost panting. Maybe he should have worn better clothes for the occasion. The two boys had their backs to the wall, trying to cool off in the air-conditioned room. Mob couldn't even take in the room due to his eyes shutting as hard they could. With the closing of the door, the noises were gone as if they never existed at all.

Mob took his time gathering his mind together. His breaths were slow, as opposed to Hanazawa's frantic ihaling and exhaling. Time was paused for a while. The flower shop was silent. Opening his eyes, the shop was devoid of people. The lights shining through the windows didn't hit Mob in his eyes, for once. The room they were in had very few flowers, mostly just green plants Shigeo didn't know the names of.

Turning to his left, Hanazawa was on the opposite side of the door. He ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head. His face had an underlying reddish tone spreading through his cheeks.

They were finally alone again.

Mob sighed, digging his head into the wall as he watched Teruki fix his hair. There wasn't much to fix. At last, he faced Shigeo with a small smile. The smile he gave when it was just them. So much for escaping the warmth outside.

"Today was really the worst day I could have picked, huh?" Teruki asked.

The other esper nodded along. "It was okay." He stared at the floor ahead of him.

A beat passed before Teruki spoke again. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked, taking a step forward. The door behind him was an opaque green, acting as a blindspot for the light. "You've been acting strange today."

Shigeo kept his eyes away, examining the plants beside him. "I'm alright." His voice sunk under his heart.

Another footstep echoed through the room. The other boy was fairly close now. "Shigeo, you know you're not allowed to lie to me, right?"

He turned back to him, his hair swaying in the air. Best friends most likely weren't supposed to lie. Mob didn't want to lie, he just didn't want him to be concerned. "It was loud outside."

"Yeah, sorry about that." He lifted his head up, not breaking his gaze. His smile fell. "Still, there's something you're not telling me."

Shigeo didn't have a way out of this, did he? Breathing in through his chest, he knew that Teruki had more knowledge about best friend etiquette. If he was asking, then he'd just have to answer. He exhaled. "I'm sorry if I'm not a good best friend. I've been trying to figure out what to do all day, but I have no idea. I don't know how best friends are supposed to act. I don't know the rules- not like you or Ritsu or Suzuki."

Teruki waited for Mob to continue. The sound of distant music and chatter was fading. "Really?" He sounded like he was in disbelief, just as he did when Tome told him about their journey with aliens.

"I've never had a best friend before."

He scoffed. "It's not like a separate thing from normal friends. It's just recognizing that we are close. Close in a way that we seem different from other people..."

Mob watched his hands fidget with the ends of his shirt. "How do I be a good best friend, then?"

"Well," Teruki tilted his head up the ceiling. "There's no rules. It's about us, so it's up to us to decide. We don't have to be like your brother or anybody else. We just have to do what feels natural to us. I'm not gonna be judging your every move, you know. That seems pretty counterintuitive."

Just do whatever feels natural.

"Counterintuitive how?" Mob asked.

Teruki closed his eyes. "Best friends care for each other no matter what. That's the whole point, isn't it?"

Just do whatever's right to you.

How could he have forgotten? Of course Teruki wasn't analyzing Mob's every action. It was just the same as before. The two of them were running together, side by side, footsteps in a synchronized dance. Their relationship wasn't about etiquette, not about how best friends are supposed to act. It was about them being together.

As soon as Teruki's words struck Mob's ears, everything was much less foggy. Like his spirit, he lit up everything around him, no matter how dark it was. After all, his name does mean to shine, and Mob followed the path it carved out.

Shigeo grasped his hand around Teruki's palm. "I think I missed you."

He held on tight. If it weren't for that, Mob would have been concerned for the way his pulse stopped. Teruki scoffed. "It's only been one week, Shigeo."

"True..." Teruki even texted him, but still, he found himself wishing to see him. As unfamiliar the feeling in him was, he sought after it. The warmth, the comfort, everything that Hanazawa could make Shigeo feel.

"Can you two move? I need to get out." Minegishi interrupted Mob's internal rambling. He held a large pot containing some kind of tree.

Not separating from each other for a second, the two espers moved away from the door, allowing Minegishi to leave. They hadn't meant to block the way.

"Oh, that reminds me." As soon as the plant-man left the room, Hanazawa moved further into the store. The arrays of color and flowers weren't as overwhelming anymore. Teruki led the way to the corner of the shop where the checkout area resided. "My neighbor asked me to pick up some strawberry seeds for her."

Parting his hands from the other's, Hanazawa walked to the cashier, taking out his wallet from his pocket. All Mob was left with was time to wait until he came back to his side. Shigeo didn't want to let go. He twitched his fingers, looking around the greenhouse. He watched the rose's petals move due to the wind, and the lillies sway from their stems. In the distance, Teruki spoke to one of the workers, coins rattled on the desk.

He would rather look at Hanazawa than the flowers. Sure, he could do that all the time- and he did. Still, he was so much more than all of them.

"So let me ask again," Teruki came back, hiding a small packet of seeds into his back pocket (he had a lot of pockets). He grabbed onto Mob's hand and squeezed tightly. Looking down, Shigeo found their auras mixing once again, but this time was different. It was more vibrant, the colors spread further. It was just... more. It was more colorful and mesmerizing that the flowers beside them. "What do you want to do?"

Mob was worried for nothing, after all.

-----☆-----

"SUZUKI, GET OUT OF MY WAY, OR I'M GOING TO THROW YOU OUT THE WINDOW YOU CAME IN THROUGH!" Teruki shouted. His grip on his controller was tight enough for Mob to hear small cracking sounds from the plastic.

The redhead found Teruki's rage to be amusing. He chuckled. "This is only payback, Hanazawa. Payback for the last round."

The two of them sat on the floor, staring into the Kageyama's living room TV as they played Mario Kart. On the sofa behind them were Ritsu and Shigeo. The younger brother watched as the two yelled, seeing as he'd finished in first place ages ago. Suzuki was blocking Teruki's way so that he couldn't drive forward. Meanwhile, Shigeo still attempted to finish the course, somehow in 8th place despite the fact he was actually trying.

After Mob and Teruki had left the greenhouse, they figured it would be best if they stopped walking about the streets aimlessly and stayed indoors. Shigeo proposed the idea of joining his brother and Suzuki. Often, when the two had their sleepovers after the latter would show up knocking on his window, they'd invite Mob to hang out with them. Usually, they'd play non-fighting games or watch some show that Shigeo couldn't keep track of. He hoped they wouldn't mind if both he and Teruki joined.

On the walk to the house, Teruki didn't let go of Shigeo's hand until they got to the door.

Luckily for them, Suzuki and Ritsu were happy to let them play alongside them. Mob wasn't particularly good at Mario Kart, but he enjoyed the visuals. Every time he played, he'd pick Mario while Ritsu would pick Luigi, seeing as they were brothers and their names started with the same letters (kind of). Shou always picked Bowser, which Mob always assumed was because they have the same hair and fashion sense. Teruki had never played before, but he got the gist pretty quickly. The character he chose was Peach, not much to anyone's surprise.

See? He would be the princess.

Eventually, Hanazawa managed to get past Shou on the track and finish the game. It was the first time that Mob had ever gotten 6th in the game, not that he played much, anyway.

"Do you guys want any snacks?" Ritsu asked as the TV played some tunes celebrating the winner of the game. He got up from the sofa, tossing his controller onto the cushion.

"What do you guys have?" Teruki asked. It was his first time in the Kageyama household, after all.

Ritsu moved his attention to the kitchen. "I feel like it'd be easier if you just came with." He made a hand gesture that Mob could only interpret as 'follow'.

With both of the people who had been kidnapped by Claw leaving the room, Shigeo was left with Suzuki. Outside of Ritsu and the occasional Shou shoving pictures of his hamsters in Mob's face, the two never talked much. Neither of them were the kind to start a conversation with each other, but Mob still appreciated having him around. He'd been a great help, and a great friend to his brother.

Shigeo's mind was stuck once more that day. This time, it wasn't due to fear or confusion- well, maybe a little confusion. In his mind, he traced the shapes and patterns of his and Teruki's aura combining. They swirled and bubbled and cross-hatched; there was a lot to take in. Still, Shigeo couldn't feel overwhelmed by it. Not when it was him and Teru. One question remained on his mind.

"Suzuki?" Mob asked, making sure to keep his voice quiet, but loud enough for the ginger to hear.

"Yo." He replied, twisting his head around to meet the other esper.

Shigeo found himself tripping over the words in his mind. In due time, they managed to come out. "You understand color theory, right?"

"Not at all!" He responded with glee. "But if you're asking about it, then I think I do. Shoot."

"Do psychic powers obey color theory?" Maybe he had two questions.

Suzuki stared into Mob's eyes for a bit. It was terrifying. Shigeo had never been more glad that Hanazawa's eyes were a darker shade than... that. Speaking of darker shades, Shou's face. "What, uh. Brought this on?" His voice was a little trembly, but Mob didn't notice.

"Well, because I always see auras..."

Suzuki looked like he'd just had a staring contest with Medusa. In this metaphor, Mob wasn't sure who lost. He tried to look past it, breaking eye contact with Shou. "Yeah..."

"Recently, I've noticed that when my and Te- when two esper's auras mix, they make the opposite color of what I would assume they make." Mob said. He wasn't quite sure the reason why his and Teruki's auras mixed, but it most likely wasn't an important factor. "For example, blue and yellow turn purple instead of green."

"OH, you're not talking about me, thank God." Suzuki sighed in relief, his words coming out of his mouth faster than Mob could take the time to comprehend them. "Wait."

"Hm?" Shigeo hummed.

"Oh no."

The face Shou dawned was beyond serious. "Is something wrong?" Mob asked. Was auras mixing something bad?

"If my clothes are Ritsu's... and his clothes are your hand-me-downs... then." Shou whispered to himself like he was solving a math problem, which he didn't do since he never went to school. He grimaced, like the answer terrified him.

Mob leaned closer.

"Nah, it's fine! Totally. Esper auras are weird like that. They don't make any sense. Who knows- orange and blue could make turquoise! Ha."

Well, that was one question semi-answered. Soon, Teruki and Ritsu returned with bags of snack food that they managed to find hidden away in the cupboards. Mob was curious as to why color theory didn't apply to psychic powers, but more so, he was fixated on why his and Teruki's auras blended together in the first place. More importantly, why had it changed? Before, the only patterns were swirls, but when he held hands with Teruki in the flower shop, there was so much more to look at. Also, there was more color. It was like it spread into both of their auras, combining them like a moss between two stones of a bridge.

They put on a show in the background. It was a trashy American reality TV show that apparently Shou and Teruki enjoyed, even though half the time, it was just people fighting and insulting each other. Both of them are rooted for opposite sides. Even Ritsu seemed to have his attention glued to the screen, watching each piece of unscripted dialogue and drama unfold. All the while, Mob buried himself into the soft cushions.

Teruki's phone buzzed as two women on screen were creating voodoo dolls of one another so they could harm each other, even when far apart. It was kind of sweet.

"Oh, I've got to get to soccer practice. I totally forgot, sorry, Shigeo." He apologized, standing up. The look on his face was kind as he waved down at him.

Ritsu muttered something under his breath.

"Oh, it's okay, Teruki." Mob responded.

Shou muttered something under his breath. Loudly.

As Teruki began walking out the doorway, Mob followed. Behind them, Shou shot Ritsu a look that said something along the lines of 'Hey, sorry to break it to you, but I think your bloodline's over.' Neither of them noticed it.

"Teruki-" Shigeo walked through the kitchen and placed a hand on the other's upper arm. Even though he'd initiated the conversation, Mob had no idea what to say. Why had he even chased after Teruki? Of course, he didn't want him to leave just yet, but there wasn't anything he could do.

Or was there?

"Can I go with you?" He asked. The kitchen was darker than the rest of the house, and the light coming in through the door's window shined just below Teruki's head, but Mob could've sworn he watched a pink dust his cheeks.

Mob didn't know much about sports, seeing as he only ever played during school for gym class. Though, he picks up on what people say in between his classes. From what he understood, it was normal to attend someone's practice just to sit on the bench and watch. It was a supportive friend kind of thing. It didn't exactly matter much that it was a normal friendship thing, but he was still cautious about sport etiquette. Sports people are ruthless.

"You sure? It's just practice- there's not much to watch." Hanazawa retaliated.

Just do whatever feels right. His words repeated in his head.

"I want to go." Shigeo said.

Teruki seemed confused. His head was tilted, and his hair was a bit lopsided. It curled around his shoulder. "Sure, then. I don't see why not."

It was like a weight lifted off of Shigeo's chest. He felt himself involuntarily smile.

Follow the other esper out the door and returning to the road, Mob realized just how much time had passed. The sky was starting to darken and become the lovely blue that Shigeo's grown up with. When the time was just right, Seasoning City's sky would become a shade of blue that Mob thought he'd only see on computer screens. It was nothing like his aura; it was deeper than that. The light of the sky framed Hanazawa's hair perfectly.

The streets had cleared out by now, most likely because it was around time that the mosquitoes would start coming out. Shigeo trailed close behind Teruki, being careful not to accidentally step on his shoes. His gaze was on the ground not too long before it lifted up slightly to his hand.

As it swung backwards, Shigeo caught it in his.

It didn't matter if normal male high school best friends held hands whenever they could, because that wasn't up to anyone else to decide. It was only up to him and Teruki, and judging by the way he held tightly like he never wanted to let go, both of them enjoyed it.

There was a small detail that Shigeo had noticed after his own birthday. Hanazawa painted his nails.

He said that he noticed some girls wearing the polish in the halls of their school and wanted to try it. Both of their previous schools had it against the rules, but Mob had never considered it. Teruki, on the other hand, wasn't afraid at all. The colors always matched him, no matter what they were. Black, green, yellow, blue, pink, white- all of them were equally as bright as him.

Shigeo's favorite was purple.

When struggling in class, he'd think back to studying in Hanazawa's apartment. Sometimes when both of them were really struggling, Teruki would hold onto it without even thinking, or at least Mob assumed. He'd sneak a few glances when he thought the other wasn't looking, but it was hard to turn away. His face seemed to almost reflect the energy coating their hands.

Mob never brought up their auras mixing. He didn't even know if Teruki noticed. If he did, he most likely would just correct Mob on the color of it.

"This isn't purple, Shigeo. It's violet." or "Fashion experts all know that's actually indigo. I'm offended you dare to call it purple- not actually, though, don't worry." Either way, it was the same color of his nail polish.

Mob could admire it from within the classroom with their desks far apart. He could imagine holding it just as they did in the apartment, sitting at the table together. Mob could just focus on the color of it, being surrounded by Hanazawa's aura.

Sometimes it worsened his struggles in class rather than helping them, seeing as he'd be so distracted by it. Just as he was right now.

"Shigeo?" Teruki asked, seeming amused by the expression on Mob's face. Seeing the upwards tilt of his lips, his cheeks tugging on his skin, and the almost illuminating light of the aura, Mob realized it. He was experiencing an emotion that he had absolutely no words for. Trying to picture it, all he got was images of Teruki's smile.

Mob realized what the limits of movies were. They could never show how best friendships felt. The softness and all of the unfamiliarity was never represented on-screen.

"We're here, you can go sit on the bench over there." Said Teruki as he took off his jacket, handing it to Shigeo, leaving him in just his blue t-shirt. He wondered why he didn't take it off earlier when he was practically dying in the heat.

Fashion, Mob assumed.

Seeing where Teruki was pointing, Mob obliged. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but he had a good view of the field. The long metal bench would suffice. Some lights hung over the grass, and Mob could see the shadows of the bugs. It was starting to get dark. He figured that they played so late due to the sun hiding behind the buildings in the distance.

Next to Mob, a few meters away, were a few girls. He recognized one of them from his homeroom class, but the other two he didn't. They wore pretty clothing that looked expensive, and they were huddled together, talking and whispering and giggling. They didn't seem to notice Shigeo or Teruki joining, watching something on one of their phones. One of them looked up as Mob placed the jacket next to him.

"Eh? Why aren't you playing?" One of the girls asked. She had long black hair and short bangs. Her face was covered in freckles and makeup on her eyes. She stared at Mob, but she didn't seem to have any malicious intent behind it. Still, he was caught off guard by the stranger talking to him.

"I'm just watching." His eyes returned to Teruki. The game had already started, and he was running. The other people he was playing with were unfamiliar to Mob, though he had seen some of them when he would wait for Teruki at Black Vinegar or outside of Black Pepper's gates.

When his attention turned back to the girl, she had a look on her face. A very smug look, that was the word. "Right. Us, too." She looked at her friends. There were words communicated through their glances and small laughter that he could barely even hear. She turned back, her eyes friendly. "So, which one's yours?"

The way she phrased the question was like she was talking about dogs at a dog park. A little confused, Mob was pretty sure he understood the girl's question. "Teruki, the blond one."

Her eyebrows raised in surprise, her friends following suit. "Shooting for the stars, huh? Or did you manage to score that one?" The way she was talking made Mob pretty sure that her question was meant to be unanswered. However, he had... no idea what that meant. He was good with exercise, but not with sports. Was this an analogy? Oh! She must be talking about the game, not about him.

His attention darted away and back onto the field. He wasn't exactly sure of what was going on, but he hoped that the girl wouldn't notice. Instead, he focused on how Hanazawa ran about the grass. Each step he took seemed to be a calculated decision; it was a good thing he was a math whiz. Even without using his powers, he was definitely the fastest out of all the boys playing. He managed to score a goal for his team by duking out the goalie. He smiled like it was an instinct. He turned around to see Mob, pushing his hair out of his face and unsticking it from his forehead. How long have they been out here? Mob didn't know, he didn't want to take his eyes off of Teruki.

Suddenly, his eyes were on Shigeo's. Teruki was just smiling to him as if the match wasn't about to start. It lasted a few seconds too long, and his name was called from behind him. He pulled away.

Teruki's eyes are the same color as the sky. Mob tore his gaze up to the cloudless ocean above him. The stars were staring to peek through the water. Looking up, he tried to distract himself from the confusing feeling. Whatever emotion he had just then, it was almost familiar. Mob wanted to put his finger on it, but Teru had returned to playing.

"Damm. How'd you manage to do that?" The girl continued, but her eyes remained on the dark-haired esper. "I might have to ask you for some advice."

Mob had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. "How do you mean?"

"Oh, no need to play dumb with us, Kageyama." Sandwiched in the middle of the girl's was Shigeo's classmate, speaking. "You can tell us; I know that look in his eyes. How'd you get with THE Teruki Hanazawa? What's your secret?"

Oh, they meant how they ended up as best friends. Shigeo was glad that people could actually tell, though, that didn't give him any words to answer the girl's question. The cicadas and multitudes of other insects buzzed beneath the bench in the uncut parts of the grass.

"Jeez, Haruka. Can you let people have privacy in their lives for once?" The girl furthest from Shigeo said after a few seconds of him complemplating his words.

She moved away from Mob. He hadn't even noticed that Haruka was leaning towards him.

If socializing was a game, he was pretty sure that he just skipped an entire level. It didn't seem to exactly be a loss, though. That was good.

The sky started to dim, and the lamps on the field were irritating to look at. Thankfully, Teruki started moving toward Mob, seemingly exhausted. His eyes were barely open, and his hair started to cling to itself. His arms swayed at his side like they were trying to cool off in whatever wind there was. His face was flushed. Upon seeing Shigeo, he mustered up all of his energy to smile.

The previously sitting esper got up. "It's time to go home?" He asked, holding the other's jacket out for him to take. He didn't think he'd put it on, considering his state.

"Yeah." Its owner took it, his eyes tracing the blue patterns along the fabric. It was a thin light blue with yellow swirls along the sleeves. "I, uh. I have to head to my apartment, so. See you soon, Shigeo." His words sounded like they stole the air from his lungs.

"See you soon." Mob repeated.

...

Neither of them were moving. Hanazawa looked like he was waiting for Shigeo to start heading back to his own house, which was the opposite direction as Teru's. They simply shared a look as Teruki placed his jacket under his arm. For some reason, Mob didn't want to start going.

Not until he properly said bye.

Shigeo took a step towards the blond, wrapping his arms through his and around his back. He buried his face into his best friends shoulder. Mob found himself pressed even closer as Hanazawa held onto him. It was much warmer in his grasp, but perhaps that was because he'd just been running around for a while. That, or he was always this warm. Could it not have been both? Mob wondered.

His eyes were shut tight. The only thing he could taste were the sweets they'd had back at his house. The sugar stayed on his tongue. They'd found some fruit candies, but they didn't taste like fruit at all. More like flowers.

Actually- how long had they been hugging for? Did neither of them let go? It'd felt like an eternity- did one of them stop time?

The previous bubbly sensation in his fingertips had become fear, running to his head. He did what he could to pull away from Teruki's arms. Eventually, he got the idea and let go. Mob heard the girls giggling in his left ear. It tickled. He didn't know what had just happened, but it felt right. It felt caring.

Best friends care for each other no matter what. That's the whole point of it, isn't it?

The words rung in his mind, but they appeared so vividly that Mob had to check if Teruki's mouth was moving. It was, but not in the way he was checking for. His jaw was opening and closing like a fish in shock, and in need of air. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to hug someone after they'd exercised for so long in the summer.

Shigeo realized that Teruki was staring at his lips. And so was he. And that was maybe a little weird.

Mob immediately turned around and started walking home. His brain felt like it'd just been bedazzled in glitter. There was nothing in there, just a disco ball in a sparkly ballroom. It would be a space themed disco, Mob thought. Actually- he should really be thinking later. Now, he needed get home before his heart starts beating out of his chest again. Had Hanazawa been able to feel it? Ah, it didn't matter.

They were best friends, after all.

Chapter Text

Summer had ended, and the trees had begun to lose their leaves. They crunched on the ground as students approached Black Pepper High. If you exhaled hard enough, you could see your own breath. Prople were wearing heavier clothing.

But then why had the flowers growing in between the cracks of Mob's usual waiting spot grown?

Every day, Shigeo would wait for Teruki to arrive so that they could walk in together. Every day, Shigeo stood on the same exact plate of concrete. Every day, he checked to see how the flowers were doing. And every day, there would be another. He'd stopped counting the dandelions as it would just be pointless since there were too many, but he counted the others. 11, there were now.

It wasn't just dandelions anymore. Several different species had started to grow between the cracks. Some of them didn't even look native to the region. He'd only been able to recognize one. It was when the balloon flowers started to sprout. They stood out because they were blue amongst yellow and grey, and also because they had been in their blooming stage. He understandood why they named it that way.

Now, they had fully blossomed. The starlike flowers surrounded the small space where Mob stood, taking up every crevice of space. If all of the flowers kept growing at the rate they would, he was sure that the underside of his shoes would be stained with yellows and blues.

"Shigeo!" The same voice he hears every day somehow managed to startle him. Running up to Mob was Teruki, as enthusiastic as always. He was often left wondering how Teruki managed to look so happy every morning as he went to school. Perhaps high school hadn't caught up to him like it did to Tome and Mob, who was starting to feel exhausted.

Careful as to not accidentally step on the plants beneath his feet, he lifted his head up to meet Teruki.

"Sorry- did I scare you?" He asked, his eyebrows slanting downwards. "We're already halfway through this year, and you're still not used to it, huh?"

Mob shook his head. "No, I'm just..." His eyes fell back to the flowers. It surely wasn't just his imagination that there had now been 12, right? Had he miscounted, or did another one sprout just now? "I'm just thinking."

Teruki let out a hum. "Well, let's head in, yeah?" He placed a hand on Mob's shoulder. The touch was light as a feather, but Mob was just as surprised as he was when Teruki had greeted him. As he moved from his waiting spot and to the building, he let go.

Mob noticed that his best friend would do small touches like that more commonly. He was reluctant to return the gesture, but each time he did, he could practically feel Teruki staring daggers into his fingers. He worried it was making him uncomfortable, so he refrained from doing it as often as him.

Stepping into their homeroom class on a Monday morning was walking into a room of tired teenagers. Mob noticed Inukawa sleeping with his head hiding in his arms atop his desk. It was quiet, and accompanied by the lack of light coming from the rising sun, he was surprised that there weren't more people sleeping.

On the contrary, Teruki seemed to be full of energy recently. After summer break, the two of them began to explore new directions for their plan to find out the future. Their bucket lists were full, but it was mostly just things they wanted to try; nothing much was related to future careers or plans.

It was like the two of them had opposite problems when it came to careers. Mob didn't have anything he felt he could be enthusiastic about for long enough, meanwhile, Teruki would put every ounce of effort into anything. He had so many dreams of what he wanted to do or what jobs he wanted to try that he couldn't settle on just one. His head was full of so many ideas (and options, if you asked Mob) that he couldn't even put it all onto a bucket list. There was barely any constant in his ideas. Well, besides for one thing.

He wanted to be a star. To be someone to admire and adore. He wanted to bathe in the spotlight, that being in front of the camera, behind the microphone, the counter at a coffe shop (only a coffe shop, he said), or on the catwalk.

As much as he'd changed, he still enjoyed attention. He'd just go about achieving it in a new light. He didn't want power, he didn't want to be feared, he simply wanted to be around others; it was his natural habitat. Despite how much he used to rely on his powers, he was still one of the best soccer players in the city. He'd made some new friends through his school's team, as well as some from Black Vinegar. From as far as Mob could tell, Teruki was having a good time with them. The smiles that only came out when he was genuinely excited or his laughter that would evaporate the air in his lungs were his telling signs that even Mob could pick up.

Still, none of them were as close as he was to Teruki. They walked home nearly every day, hung out at least twice a week, and texted and called for hours at a time.

Perhaps the time he spent with Mob was his favorite. The thought made Shigeo involuntarily smile as he pushed his chair in and sat down. Looking out the window, the sky was covered in deep blue hues. The sun was still behind the trees.

"Dude, did you hear?" A boy asked from the opposite side of the classroom. Mob didn't like to eavesdrop, but they were the most prominent voices in the class. He couldn't tune them out, even with all the other quiet chatter in the room.

"What? That they're doing a Romeo and Juliet school play even though we're first years?" Another boy responded.

Romeo and Juliet? Oh, that was the name of the movie Mob had watched with Teruki. He was aware of its history as well as the fact that it was a part of his curriculum, but he never considered that his school would play it. Maybe Teruki should audition...

"No, about..." Boy #1 trailed off, covering his mouth from the left side of the classroom where Mob sat. He'd only taken a glance, but the small group of boys seemed to be looking at him. Or Teruki. The second option made a lot more sense.

"Pfft. You really believe that? You can't trust anything that girl says."

...

What are they talking about?

Before Shigeo had any kind of answer, the bell rang, and the teacher walked in. The class stood up from their seats.

For the rest of the day, Shigeo could have sworn that he saw people looking at him. In the hallways, at lunch, even during the test he had that day. He was more worried that he was going to lose points from the test due to being distracted than the reason people were staring at him. Teruki didn't seem to say anything when the two of them ate together, so he figured it was fine. It was different looks than when Mob had gained popularity, so it wasn't that. It was also very sudden. Maybe they were just looking at Mob because he was best friends with Teruki, and they wanted to cast Teruki for the play.

It was a very inefficient strategy, but it made more sense than anything else he'd come up with. He was sure people weren't looking at him because they'd all found out that he toppled a terrorist organization and destroyed the city, toppled a cult/religious order and destroyed the city, or got hit by a car and destroyed the city. Even if they found out, it wasn't really that intriguing.

At some point during an intermittent period between classes, Inukawa and Takenaka had started to talk to him about his opinions on some games that he didn't know about.

"See, Momozou thinks that all of the main Mario games have better storylines than the spin-offs, but I think he's wrong." Inukawa stated with a smile and his hands clasped together. "Please tell us which one you think is better." He closed his eyes.

"Did you just call me a bitch?" Takenaka asked Inukawa, seemingly offended. It seemed that even through his earplugs, he was still tuned into Inukawa's mind.

The blond finally dropped the friendly act. "Well, I'm sorry for being passionate when you're so obviously wrong, Momo!"

"... Don't call me that."

"I'll eat you."

"Dogs can't eat peaches."

"Yes they can- did you just call me a dog?"

Everything seemed to be normal as the two boys bickered in front of a seated Mob. Both of them wanted to hear his opinion on something he had never even heard of so that they could end their feud. Maybe he could ask Serizawa or Hanazawa what the games were and return the next day to give a genuine answer.

As the next class was about to begin, Inukawa left to his seat, trying to hide how enraged he was. Mob knew that it was all friendly, so he didn't have any reason to worry; Takenaka had assured him so. Speaking of whom, the telepath waited a little longer standing in front of Shigeo.

The look on his face was nothing like it was when he was talking to Inukawa. Opposed to the playful smiles he hid from the blond, this look was much more upsetting. It was the same that Ritsu would give him every time Mob wanted to confess to Tsubomi. The same that Mezato had when she had been brainwashed by Dimple and apologized to him.

Pitiful? Sorrowful? Mournful? Shigeo couldn't tell such complex emotions from something as simple as a facial expression. Not like Takenaka. All he knew for certain were the words coming into his brain.

I'm sorry.

And just like that, Takenaka fled back to his seat beside Inukawa. It was like he never used his ability at all. It was uncommon for him to do so, anyways- but that wasn't what was important.

Had Takenaka apologized for arguing with Inukawa? Or was he talking (or rather, projecting) about the strange looks Mob's been getting all day?

The second thing.

Oh, thank you. Can you tell me what it is?

For the second time that he had gotten close to figuring out the mystery, the bell rang once more. The students rose up once again.

How on Earth did Mezato do this? He supposed he'd have to ask about it after school. However, there would be a delay to that.

The Body Improvement Club was meeting that day, meaning that Mob would have a little extra time to focus on something that isn't his thoughts. At some point, working out became just as much as improving himself as it was keeping his mind off anything troublesome or confusing. The only words he could muster were the synchronized 'Fight on!'s with the rest of the club. Not many of the members still went to the same school, but they managed to make it work.

All Mob could focus on was the swinging of his arms as he tried his best to keep up. As much as he had improved, he still had ways to go before he could catch up with Musashi or even Onigawara. Around the path which they ran had wilting flowers and fallen leaves. The cracks in the concrete were empty. The grass was becoming duller and stiffer.

He thought back to the flowers at his waiting spot, then to the stares, then to Takenaka's ominous apology-

His ankle twisted at an angle too sharp, and Mob faceplanted into the concrete floor.

"Kageyama! Did you faint?" Musashi shouted from up ahead of him, turning around while jogging in place.

"No!" Shigeo called back, lifting himself off his knees. He hadn't scratched them, but some rock and dirt were sticking to his palms. Plus, his ankle hurt a bit, but it wasn't detrimental. "I just tripped."

"You seem pretty distracted today." Before Mob could start running again, the abnormally tall second year had stopped jogging and placed a hand on Mob's shoulder. "You can go home for the day."

"Huh? I don't need to go home."

Onigawara had walked over to Mob as well, but unlike Musashi, the ex-delinquent seemed less happy. It was the same way Takenaka did. Meanwhile, the captain was as reassuring and supportive as always. Perhaps it was only a first year thing. But then what? Mob hadn't worn his uniform the wrong way, and he looked perfectly fine. He'd checked in the restroom just to make sure his hair wasn't standing up or something.

"Kageyama, I appreciate your stride, but there's something bothering you. How about you run back, and we'll keep going on our path?" Musashi said, moving away from the esper.

Was he really that caught up with this that Musashi had to send him home?

He figured that he wasn't going to be able to convince his captain otherwise. "Thank you." He said, bowing his head ever so slightly. Reluctantly so, Mob turned around and started running back.

Returning to his school uniform from his gym clothes, Shigeo prepared to go home. On days with the Body Improvement club, Teruki wouldn't walk to his house with him. It was some of the few days in which they were apart. The few hours they didn't spend together, not texting or talking, were only rivaled by the hours they spent asleep. Even then, in between breaks while Mob was exercising, he thought about Teruki. It was most likely not a good idea, seeing as so much as thinking about Teruki made Shigeo feel warm, but Musashi said that sweating more would mean that he'd find progress quicker.

After changing his shoes and putting on his blazer, Mob found his way outside. His bangs fell heavy just above his eyes. The hallways were empty and he found himself alone for the first time that day. He took out his phone and sent Teruki a message. It wasn't anything special, but he wanted to be able to talk to him.

Hi. Body Improvement club sent me home early. You can text me now

As much as he'd love to stare at his phone until it buzzed, he should get back home. Walking out, his eyes darted to his waiting area. His attention didn't keep on the flowers for even a second when he noticed a girl standing there.

She wasn't from his school, but he recognized her. The girl farthest from him with red hair from Teruki's soccer match.

"Kageyama, was it?" She said, moving closer. Her heel smushed some of the dandions beneath her. "Of course it is. How could I forget."

"Hello. Do you need something?" Shigeo asked, his grip on his bag loose, but a bit more tight than usual. The canvas material was itchy, and he didn't like how it sounded when it rubbed against itself.

"I wanted to apologize about Haruka's big mouth."

Haruka? Oh, the girl from his class. She was the girl in the middle, on her phone. "Her big mouth..?" Why was this person apologizing for the anatomical features of another person's face? High school girls really were a mystery to him.

"She and her friends were all talking about it, and from what I've heard- or seen- it spread through your school." She looked to the side of Mob's head, as if she couldn't make eye contact. "I'm very sorry for the trouble that she's caused you and Hanazawa." She bowed her head.

"Teruki?" Mob had never been so confused. Not on any math problem, not on any moral dilemma, not anything. It hit him. "Is this something to do with why people have been staring at me?"

She seemed surprised, her solemn expression wiped off her face. "Oh? Did you not know about the rumor?"

Ah, that was it. A false rumor. Mob had heard of them. In fact, his brother used to will them into existence when he was corrupted by the power of the student council. Onigawara was once victim to them, and he lost his perfect attendance record because of it. Still, he managed to recover, and now he's a respected member of the Body Improvement club.

Mob was sure that it would fade in due time, whatever it was. Just as Ritsu and Kamuro had apologized for their actions, Shigeo was sure it would pass. High school drama only ever got bad in the movies. That's what Teruki said.

"I suppose that's why you seemed a bit too chipper walking out. Especially considering your Hanazawa just got into a fight."

A beat passed.

"Huh?"

-----☆-----

Teruki wasn't the kind to get into fights. At least, not anymore. Mob was sure of it. He didn't even know what the rumor was. He didn't care. He needed to find Hanazawa.

That girl had only told him that she'd seen him leaving the premise and assumed he'd gone home. She didn't give any detail as to his injuries or damage sustained or who he fought with. All Shigeo knew was that Hanazawa was in his apartment and that he was well enough to walk. Maybe.

Shigeo would have been able to tell if Teruki used his abilities. He was in close enough range to the school, so he would have felt something off. He could detect a barrier if it was deployed. Even if Hanazawa had used his powers, he would have every right to do so if it was in self-defense. If it was self-defense.

And he was sure that it was.

The thought of Teruki falling back into his delinquency made no sense. Imagining him doing so was equally as puzzling as it was sickening. Teruki was smarter than that. If there was anything Mob knew about him, it was that.

And he knew a lot about him.

Mob knew his parents' jobs and addresses, his favorite fashion lines that he had never heard of, his favorite actor of each nationality, every language he wanted to learn, the exact amount of treatment he put to his hair- a lot about him. Mob wasn't even sure why his brain chose to keep memories related to Teruki's obscure facts that would be brought up in their usual one-sided conversations. Even more confusing was why he remembered more of his best friend than his actual schoolwork when they studied together.

There was so much about him that Mob could appreciate. There was so much to that boy. Oftentimes, he'd find himself wondering about what kind of ice cream he likes or what he was eating for dinner that night. The answer would have always managed to surprise him, even if he could have guessed it.

But not everybody saw him that way. Ritsu never asked him questions, and Shou was never astounded. They all respected him as a friend, but none of them wanted to be closer. Not the way that he and Mob were.

On some late night which he couldn't fall asleep no matter what he tried, Shigeo had gone outside. Sitting from his windowsill, he watched the sky. The moon was new, and he wondered if Shou had turned it invisible. The stars glowed as the brightest thing in the city. If Mob was a star that had just begun to form, just begun to embrace itself wholly, then everybody he knew was a star as well.

Every star is different, but from afar, you couldn't tell. But in close proximity, when you are all joined in the same constellation? You can see everything. It's easy to assume that the stars that seem brightest and bluest are simply better than all others, but that's only if you lack depth perception. The only thing separating his friends from strangers was their proximity. And of all the stars in the world, Teruki was the closest. He was all of those things he admired about him, but only to Mob. He was only that way to him.

Normally, thinking such things would make Mob feel goddy, but now, he was way too far. On the way there, on the balcony, or even separated by the layer of glass. Shigeo wanted to know if he was okay. He wanted to know what happened. Why hadn't Teruki texted him?

With his mind full of questions, he knocked on the sliding window door. His feet were locked in their position on the wooden planks, his shoes thrown off and beside the door, waiting impatiently for Hanazawa to open the door. Alas, there was no response. He'd waited at least a minute before trying again, louder this time.

Yet again, nothing. Was he in the bathroom? Could he not hear him? Was he even home at all?

There was a very simple solution for all of Mob's questions. His head was so racked with confusion that he didn't even stop to ask himself if he should do it. He didn't care either way. Even if he had, his concern for his best friend would have overruled logic anyways. He reached his hand out and opened the door himself. It unlocked with a click as he picklocked it with telekinesis. It was quiet, and luckily, it didn't slam into the wall. Seeing as it was now open, Mob figured he would allow himself inside.

"Shigeo?" Teruki's voice erupted from the wall which his bed sat. Taking a few steps in, he was able to get a better look at him. He still had his uniform on, but the blazer and tie had both been tossed to the floor. His collar and upper lip were stained with blood. In his nostril was a cotton cylinder. "Why did you come in through my window?"

"Why didn't you respond to my text?" Mob immediately shot back. He didn't mean to sound as threatening as he did. He took a step closer to the bed.

Teruki looked like he was trying to hide his face, but it wasn't very effective. "Ah- you know, my phone broke." He pulled out his phone with a new crack on its screen, but it clearly wasn't fatal damage. "Why are you here-"

"Did you fight somebody?" The standing esper interrupted the other. The way he asked the question sounded almost accusatory. He made sure to quiet his voice.

Hanazawa's hands gripped at his sheets. "Did someone tell you that?"

Mob nodded. After another few seconds of silence that lasted far too long, Teruki pushed himself up and out of his bed. He smiled and closed his eyes, scoffing. "You should've seen the other guy."

Shigeo grasped the boy by his shoulders, making sure that he was looking at him. Teruki's eyes flew wide open. His face didn't seem too hurt, thankfully. The only thing Mob could see was surprise. "What happened?"

"I- it's fine! It was just some unfinished business, you know?" Teruki spoke as he held his hands in front of his chest. He breathed in, collecting himself. "Nobody's hurt."

As much as he would like to believe him and his gentle voice, he couldn't. "You're not allowed to lie to me, Teru." Mob repeated the same thing that he'd been told in the flower shop.

The boy he held sighed. If Mob had to pinpoint what that meant, he'd say it was relief. "I've been worse."

The two of them stood still in the quiet apartment. Mob's hold on Teruki's shoulders loosened, and he leaned away. He hadn't even noticed how his eyebrows had furrowed until he relaxed. The air conditioning unit hadn't been turned on. A first-aid kit sat on his bed. Every color around them was so dull, he wondered if there were any hues at all. The only light came from the windows. Looking back at the esper in front of him, Teruki's face dawned an expression he'd come to know very well. The only difference was that Mob was looking at him, unlike in their classes or studying in the room they stood in now.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want you to get involved, but I guess you're here now." Hanazawa's gaze moved to Shigeo's hands. "No point in dodging the question, huh?"

Mob let go, his fingers twitching at his sides. "What happened?" He repeated, his voice was almost a whisper. A whisper that came straight from the back of his throat.

His tone was calm despite his eyes darting around the room. Without Mob keeping his hands on his shoulders, he didn't look at him. "Some guys from the Black Vinegar gang asked me to meet them behind the school. I was expecting them to just threaten me with something they know they won't do. Which was pretty common for them." Hanazawa sat back down on his bed, near the end of it. "... Then they brought you up. Some stupid high school conspiracy or whatever. Edano asked if I'd lost a bet and that was why I was... friends with you."

Mob followed his action, the mattress and the blankets sinking underneath him. His arm pressed into the other's.

"I guess I could have avoided the situation, but I couldn't keep my lips shut. I made some remarks, and I got hit." He explained.

The quiet of the room was uncanny. He'd rather the annoying sputtering AC than this. The wind was cold enough to replace it, though. "Why didn't you defend yourself?"

"If I fought back or used my abilities, then they'd end up targeting you. I know what those two are like. They want attention. I didn't want you to have to deal with them, so I just let them get their message through to me."

Mob's hands were stiff as he moved his pinky finger against Teruki's knee. He wasn't sure what to do. Luckily, Hanazawa did it for him. He took his hand and brought it into his own. "I can defend myself, too."

"They're not worth your effort. It was my past, and it was up to me to finish it." He squeezed Shigeo's hand, Teruki's fingers in-between his. "Those guys are the same as they were in middle school. I trust that they'll grow up eventually."

Hanazawa's hands were almost scolding hot. It wasn't in the least bit painful. His fingers were long and slim, and his nails had the paint chipped off of them. The remains of red polish were scattered.

"Never do that again." Mob said, interrupting the sound of his heart pulsating in his chest.

"It's over now, don't worry!" Teruki defensively waved his free hand at the other boy with a nervous smile. "I'm no longer affiliated with the gang, that rumor's gonna blow over, and we'll be left alone again." He laid his head back onto the bed with a 'fwhomp'.

He had a strange habit of laying down mid-conversation. Mob wondered if that was because of how little he had guests over or how much he'd gotten used to talking on the phone. Whatever it was, their hands remained tethered. Shigeo followed him down. It wasn't the most comfortable position to lay on his side since his legs dangled off in a strange way, but it felt right to him. Everything seemed to be right being close to Hanazawa, as if that was all that mattered.

Also his safety was pretty important. "Are you sure you're okay?" Shigeo asked.

Teruki titled his head to look at him. "Yeah, they barely touched me." His voice came out hushed. He hadn't sustained much visible damage, but his nose and lips looked a bit messed up. Despite that, he was still smiling. "Those idiots... They're stupid and weak, but they don't give up."

"You didn't have to get yourself hurt for my convenience."

"I'd rather I did than I didn't. They didn't limit their shit talk to me, but to you." Teruki stated triumphantly, like he hadn't just gotten into a one-sided and, by what Mob could tell, very pathetic fight. "It was for my conscious too, you know?"

"... Language." Mob brushed his thumb over his. He could feel his own breath on his hand as he muttered the word.

Teruki chuckled against his puffy blanket. The dread of silence and cold in the air disappeared as soon as he began laughing. His eyes shut tight, and Mob could feel it in his fingertips. His hair fell on his face, but nobody cared. Teruki had ensured him that he was alright, and Mob had nothing to worry about. Nothing important, anyway.

Shigeo's pulse was calming down. He was starting to hear the rustling of leaves in the wind outside the apartment. He hadn't shut the door, but it was fine. Looking up from his position, it seemed as though the hues had returned to the room. The afternoon sunlight peered in through the window.

"I heard about a rumor, but I don't know what it is." Shigeo said. After the entire day, he still didn't know. He didn't particularly care, but his curiosity was piqued.

As Hanazawa opened his eyes to face Mob, his face turned blank. "It doesn't matter."

"I assumed that because people were looking at me and you, they wanted to cast us for the play..."

"Pfft- really?" He asked, covering his mouth with his free hand, but it was futile. It slipped down to press against his bottom lip.

Mob pulled his legs up closer to his chest. The hand around Teruki's was loose. "I think they would want you to be Romeo, but you could also be Juliet. You look like a princess."

Mob watched as the other boy's face dusted with pink. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times before his words got out. "She wasn't a princess- she was just rich."

"Then you could be the prince."

Teruki dug his head into the cushion below him. "He doesn't have enough of a spotlight for me. I know I gotta start small if I want to make it big, but I think I can also just be a lead role."

"Mercutio... he got himself hurt because he wanted to protect Romeo, yes? And he was also royalty." Shigeo asked. He wasn't certain of what had happened since he was falling asleep around that point of the film.

"Yeah?"

"I can be Romeo, and you can be Mercutio."

Teruki scoffed, turning his head away from Shigeo. The words coming from him were barely loud enough for him to hear. "I think at that point, I'd rather be Juliet."

Mob's heart picked up its pace once again. His eyes widened along with the feeling in his hand becoming much more apparent. He stared at his friend's face, hoping to see what he meant. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. The words pooling into his head weren't for saying. He felt excited, like he'd just gotten a high score on a quiz. A quiz in which Teruki helped him study for, which he'd then run to tell Teruki about.

Teruki, Teruki, Teruki. He'd just said something strange, hadn't he?

Just as the other boy's breath hitched, Mob's phone buzzed. He quickly scrambled up to get it from his pocket, tearing himself away from the other. Every word he'd ever heard lost all of its meaning, which made it fairly difficult to recognize the text on his screen as he opened the device.

Ritsu: Brother. Where are you?

"What is it?" Teruki asked, sitting up with assistance from his now free hands.

"It's Ritsu. I haven't come home yet." Reading the time in the top corner of the screen, it was around 5:00. He'd spent much more time in Hanazawa's apartment than he thought he would. Quickly, he texted back without a coherent thought in his mind.

Im at terukis I will br stayuing over

"You're sleeping over? On a Monday?" Teruki asked from peering behind Mob's shoulder. He seemed to have read his message, even through his typos.

The epser in his uniform nodded reluctantly. He wasn't entirely sure why he typed that, but his parents most likely wouldn't forbid him from doing so. Knowing them, they'd be glad that Mob has such a kind best friend. They had met Teruki once when he'd walked him to his house, and Shigeo could have sworn he saw his mother holding back tears.

As much as he was okay with whatever new feelings he would have, no matter how confusing, he really wished he had a way to describe everything he felt around Teruki. Labeling and organizing his own emotions had become less of a chore and more natural, but with him? He had no idea.

But he liked it. Shigeo's heel tapped against the floor in rapid succession.

"In case you get sick." Shigeo responded to Teruki's question.

The other boy tilted his head. "Why would I get sick..?"

"Your 'failure fevers'." Shigeo kept an eye on his phone to wait for Ritsu's approval. "You lost the fight, didn't you?"

"I haven't gotten that in years! Besides," Teruki stood up from his bed and walked towards his closet, turning his head to meet Mob's eyes. "I don't feel like I lost if I was able to put a seal on my past delinquency."

Shigeo's phone buzzed, but his attention wasn't on it. He barely recognized it. He smiled at Hanazawa before he looked down to find that Ritsu had sent him another message.

Mom says it's okay if you get to school on time.

If you don't want to do something, then say so.

If Hanazawa does anything, I will kill him.

Mob didn't know what that last text was about, but he didn't pay it much attention. Ritsu was always protective, even though he was the younger one of the two. Even their parents messed them up sometimes. Soon enough, Teruki spoke again.

"Eh, we're best friends. We don't need reasons to spontaneously sleep over." Teruki tossed some neatly folded clothes onto Shigeo's lap. It was the same pair that he'd worn when they visited the aquarium. Shigeo ran his thumb over the fuzzy pants. He didn't even ask for a change of clothes, but Teruki had already given him what he needed. Along with his social abilities to understand people just by looking at them, Mob often wondered if his friend was a telepath.

Maybe then Teruki could explain the sudden bursts of energy Mob had around him. Or even just thinking about him too long. Going for runs and walking in circles around his room were becoming much more common events. At times when Teruki told him he couldn't text at the moment, Shigeo was already preparing his running clothes.

"You didn't answer my question." Teruki said, placing his hands on his hips. He looked like he was about to give him a lecture.

"Which question?" He asked as he stood up, taking off his blazer and neatly placing it over the chair. What had he forgotten to answer? Was it about the play? Was Teruki implying that if Mob played Romeo, he'd play Juliet?

"Why did you break in through my window?" He gestured and open hand towards the balcony. "Why did you fly here instead of going up the stairs?"

Shigeo's fingers lingered on the blue fabric of his blazer. "What do you mean? It's a normal best friend thing."

"Yeah- to Suzuki. It's not normal for us." He crossed his arms. "Please stop taking advice from him."

He had a bit of a point. After all, Shou did not have a normal childhood. His father was a terrorist bent on world domination, and he also had psychic powers. "It's not normal for us?" Shigeo looked down to the carpet with disappointment. The autumnal winds blowing the curtains seemed to come to an abrupt halt. "You can break into my window any time you'd like."

"You're giving me a bit too much power, Shigeo. Knowing me as well as we both do, I'd visit you every day."

Shigeo felt heat on his cheeks as laughter crept up from his throat. Even with his eyes closed, everything seemed to be brighter. Colors and sunlight danced around in the darkness. Warmth on his face, on his hands, all from the source that stood proudly in front of him.

Seeing Teruki every day didn't seem like a half bad idea.

"Little brother would ban me, anyways." Teruki continued with a sly grin.

"He doesn't have to know." Mob replied with a smile of his own, hiding his eyes under thick bangs.

A gush of air escaped from Teruki. "Should I be worried about you becoming a delinquent?"

Everything was right again. Nothing made sense in the nonsensical world of Shigeo's mind, but it was right.

That was all that mattered. They were best friends, like Romeo and Mercutio. They were the kinds of best friends that made mistakes, and then learned from them. Two uncertain people that just wanted to understand.

Just two commoners.

-----☆-----

"How'd you hear about the play?" Hanazawa asked as he sat next to him on his bed. This time, he was wearing his same purple- lanvedar pajamas. He'd cleaned up his face, now with a bandage over his cheek. "Are you looking to join?"

Shigeo shook his head after compemplating the question for a few seconds. "I couldn't give a speech in front of the school. I don't think I could be in a play."

"You could always be a background character with no lines." He suggested, pulling a leg onto his bed. "Or you could work backstage. Make the props, man the lights- oh! You could control the music."

Shigeo put a thumb to his chin. During his school's festival, he had created props for a haunted house. They weren't very creative, considering they were just copies of Yokai that he'd defeated earlier that week. It wasn't like anybody would figure that out, but he still felt bad about pretending that he was a creative genius. The actual creation of the prop was fun, though. "I could try that, but music? Tome said I have no rythymn." He tilted his head to face the other boy. "Are you going to join?"

"Well, I don't know what role I would be. I'd rather wait for a different production."

The balcony door had since been shut, and the television was on. Teruki picked up the remote to begin looking for something to watch as Shigeo sat on his left. "What kind of production would you want to join?"

"Hm... a Broadway musical!" Teruki nearly chucked the remote control at the TV. His hands were in fists, and his eyes glimmered with sudden and impulsive inspiration. "You know what Broadway is, right?" He whipped his head around.

"Your father works there." Mob responded.

"Broadway's the center of film and theatrical productions." Teruki explained, his hands waving in a similar fashion to Reigen's. He seemed to be picking up more than just esper techniques. "How could I not think of this before? A musical is the combination of nearly every art! Acting, fashion, music, and, dance!"

Mob watched Teruki's theatrical display of emotion unfold in front of him. He tilted his head, his hair falling onto his shoulder. "We should get our school to do a musical for the festival. Unless you want to be... Old Capulet?"

"You are ruthless, Shigeo." He replied. "Aside from that, we should absolutely force our school to have a musical for the festival. We'd also have higher chances of getting in since we'd be second years. If they don't agree, I have my persuasion methods."

"I'll work on backstage, then."

"And if it turns out horrific, we'll never do it again." Teruki smiled, the remote just barely in his hand. "Ooh- that rhymed. Look at me, I'm already prepared for the stage!" He flicked his hair out of his face.

Shigeo exhaled sharply from his nose. He returned the smile. "I'll always look at you."

"Ps- pshjshjsh???" The noise that Teruki made was completely unintelligible. If Mob had to guess, it sounded like he was a computer that was just fried via water exposure... Again, whatever that sounded like.

"Are you okay?" Shigeo asked.

Teruki coughed into his fist and turned away from Mob. He hid his face with his elbow, trying to recollect himself.

Mob backed away and planted his feet on the wooden floor. "Are you getting a fever?" He felt bad for not doing anything, so he got up. He kept his attention on the other epser. "I'll get you some water."

"Thank you-" Teruki spoke with a coarse voice. "-I'm not sick, don't worry." He moved his head back up and fixed his posture.

As Shigeo turned away and into the kitchen, he was met with a familiar array of drawers and cabinets. He'd been to this apartment enough times to know where the glasses were located; the top left shelf. Mob wondered how his best friend was able to reach all the way up there before he had gotten tall. Knowing how he was before then, he most likely just used his powers.

"I might be if you keep saying things like that." Teruki mumbled from the other room. His grip on the blanket below him was tighter, and his head lowered. Mob couldn't see or hear anything coming from the living room as the water filled the glass.

Returning to the bed, Mob held his hand out for Teruki to take the cup. As he did, the pads of his fingers lingered before he quickly took the water, almsot spilling some over the top. "Thank you, Shigeo."

He sat next to him as the blond started to drink, taking long and audible gulps. Hanazawa didn't spare a second to let himself breathe before he finished the entire glass. He carefully placed it on the wooden shelf above him. He allowed himself to slowly inhale and exhale. "So?"

Shigeo felt Teruki's pinky finger brush against his. "So what?" Mob asked.

"Do you think I'd fit the part?" Teruki asked with a smile, his hair falling out from the ear he tucked it behind as he tilted his head backward.

Shigeo returned the gesture, rotating his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

The other boy turned away, running his hand through his hair and weighing down the pieces that had gone astray during his mysterious coughing fit. "Do you think I could be an actor?"

As much as he'd like to answer yes, Mob wasn't sure if that was the correct option. He would watch movies and shows with Teruki as he pointed out details in the cinematography and creative choices, but Mob had really no clue what any of that meant. For the most part, he would just nod and agree, then go back to paying attention to the story. It didn't help that Shigeo couldn't tell the difference between bad and good acting. Hanazawa would point it out all the time, but Mob? He didn't notice a thing. "Maybe." He replied.

"I'm not asking if I do fit the role objectively," The other epser twisted his entire body to be able to face Shigeo. "I'm asking what you think."

The TV channels played quietly in the background with some K-drama show that Teruki had left it on. Mob didn't hear anything. "I don't know."

"Hm. Maybe I was being a bit vague..." Teruki's feet tapped on the ground before he shifted all of his weight onto them, standing up. He stretched his arms in a T shape, the black remote still in his hands. "Obviously, I look the part." He flicked a long peice of his hair that was in front of his ears. "But, there's more to the stage than being pretty."

Sitting with his arms hugging his knees, Shigeo nodded along. As much as he wasn't sure which direction Teruki was heading, he knew he'd follow along, anyway. The road ahead of them was covered in a dense fog, but Teruki lit the way. Of course he did.

"How about I show you what I can do? That way, you can make your proper opinion about me. Like a judge." He started flicking through applications on the television screen, eventually landing on a music app.

Shigeo tugged on the furs and fuzz of his pants. "You don't need my opinion, Teruki."

"In this industry, opinions are everything. Besides, I like being able to hear your thoughts." He scrolled through a playlist filled with songs that Shigeo had never heard of. It was a lot of rock and foreign bands. "What kind of music would you like with your performance today?" He phrased the question like Mob was ordering something from MobDonald's.

"Uh... I like happy sounding songs." Shigeo responded, his mind still processing the compliment. Was it a compliment or Hanazawa's opinion? Who knew, it was off-topic.

In all honesty, Shigeo didn't actively listen to music. But hearing an artist pour their heart into something cheerful made him glad that they had some way to express themselves. That, and the fact that those were the only kinds of songs that got stuck in his head.

"Happy and cheerful, I got it." Every song he'd move past made a clicking sound, all up until the menu stopped on one specific song. "Oh, this one's an English song- we do have a quiz on Wednesday. It was made by an all women's band in the 60s. It's also rock, if you want to combine both of our very immaculate tastes."

Curious, Mob looked at the cover art. It wasn't anything special, just a photograph of the band. The title was only two words long, but he couldn't interpret it. He was sure that he'd seen the words before, but he couldn't quite place their meanings. "Why do you need music?" The seated boy asked.

"To dance, of course! Have you ever tried dancing without any music? It's so awkward." He waved his hands around, his arms fully extended. The center of the room was spacious enough for him to be able to do so without any worries of hitting something.

Mob looked down to his hands, rubbing his thumbs over each other. "I've never danced." He stated as if it were a common fact for most people.

Teruki's arms fell to his sides. He deadpanned. "You're kidding." His voice had a tint of disbelief. The kind of tint that was illegal to have on your car windows. Because it was too thick to see through.

"Not really." He corrected him, looking up. "If I did, then I don't remember. It would have been a long time ago." Feeling his palms pressed together, they'd become much colder without Hanazawa's there. Luckily for him, he was being offered a hand.

The standing esper extended his arm out for Mob to take. He turned his head away to close his eyes and clear his throat. Looking back, his eyes almost glimmered with hope. He put on his best acting voice (or at least that's how Mob would describe it). "May I have this dance, Shigeo?"

The boy being given the proposition felt his entire body freeze, even despite all of the energy rushing through his veins. "Aren't I supp- aren't I supposed to watch you?" He asked with wide eyes.

"Every good judge has experience in what they're judging." Teruki explained, his lips thinning into a smile. "Now come on, the show's not going to wait forever."

With caution, Shigeo took hold of the hand in front of him. They fit together like peices of a puzzle, as if they were meant to be there. The warmth returned to his palms. Mob stood up. "I don't think that judges usually commit the crime that the case is about." He said, a tad bit confused.

"No, not that kind of judge. I'm talking fashion shows, talent shows, movie critics- not court judges." Teruki's words came out with laughter, amused at his best friend's misunderstanding. His feet didn't stop moving for a second, pacing back and forth and around Shigeo. "Are you ready?"

Ah, Mob hadn't anticipated that agreeing to dancing meant that he would actually have to dance. He gave a nervous "Okay." and nodded his head. He wasn't entirely sure if he was prepared, but if Teruki could do anything, he would. Unfortunately for him, as soon as Teruki pressed play on the song, he backed away and they parted ways.

It was clear that Teruki had listened to the song many times. As soon as he jumped away, he moved his hands to strum an imaginary guitar. He stood like each string he played was a weight added onto his arms. He bounced his head in time with the quick guitar coming from the television speakers, his hair jumping around. But Teruki didn't care to fix it, not when he was so focused on the fake instrument he held.

As soon as he let go of it, the vocals began. He moved his hand with the remote to point it towards his mouth, holding it like a microphone.

"Hey, hey, hey, lover,"

He sung in English, in unison with the lead girl. His head wasn't bobbing anymore, now swaying in tune with the singing. His eyes were back on Shigeo, half lidded and shining.

"You don't have to be a star. Hey, hey, hey, lover,"

He closed his eyes fully, hiding away the blue depths that Mob wished to get lost in. His feet emulated the beat of the song; that being the guitars and drums. Meanwhile, his hands flowed with his voice, basking in the afternoon sunlight. When he reopened his eyes, they were on him again. He held out a free hand to Mob once again.

"I'll love you just the way you are."

That word. It was familiar- but from where exactly? Mob wasn't sure. He could have sworn he'd seen it once in a poem that a girl had given Hanazawa on Valentine's day. Teruki continued with the song as Mob watched, his mind in a place no map had ever documented. That was, until the other esper had pulled him out of it and back to reality.

"Are you just going to stand there and watch me?" He asked, back in the language they understood. He wasn't singing anymore, but his head kept swaying as his body moved. The remote control was tossed into the air, and it didn't come back down. It wasn't Teruki's doing, but his own.

Mob remembered what he had agreed to do. "Sorry, I don't know how." He apologized. He didn't have a clue on how to start. Would it look awkward? Was it off-tune? Was it something he could even call dancing at all?

When the he reached both of his hands out for Mob again, he didn't hesitate to take them. He knew that Teruki could teach him or have some clever advice. What he didn't expect was to be suddenly pulled close. Teruki was moving, and Mob was still processing what was happening. As soon as he understood that he was supposed to be dancing with him, his attention returned to Teruki. He was moving around Mob, and his upper body swayed with the song. Without much else of an idea, Mob copied whatever he did.

If Teruki stepped forward, he stepped forward. If Teruki swayed, he swayed. He followed his every step to the best of his ability, but he knew that he was doing less than him. His feet never reached too far from himself, and his head never had a mind of its own (even though it technically did). The position of the hands had begun to feel awkward and unnatural, but Mob didn't want to lose the closeness between them.

It didn't take long for his nerves to evaporate as he began to listen to the music and watch Teruki in front of him. His shoulders lowered as his muscles stopped tensing up. Soon, he posed a question. "Do you want to try something?"

"Try what?" Mob asked back. The two of them were slowly circling each other with their hands together, in front of them.

"That movie. You remember the ballroom scene, right?" His head remained leveled with Shigeo's, gazing into his eyes. He felt like he was being picked apart, like his best friend was looking beyond his face. "When Juliet and Romeo ran off to dance alone?" His words came out hushed, like he'd never meant to say them at all.

Mob nodded. Even though he'd always known what dance was, that film was the only thing that came to mind when thinking about it. It was some of the only recollections he had, but there was one small issue.

Every pair in that ballroom, including Romeo and Juliet- especially Romeo and Juliet, weren't best friends. They were... more. Girlfriends and boyfriends, husbands and wives. The man's hands on the woman's waist, her hands on his shoulders. While he and Teruki danced, he considered copying those movements, but ultimately decided against it. Putting his hands on Teruki's sides didn't figure as very appropriate for the situation.

But it was up to them. Whatever he and Teruki did wasn't up for anyone else's interpretation. And of everything in the world, it was best to at least try it once.

"Do you want to try doing it like that?" The blond continued his question. The two of them were nearly still now, and Mob wondered if this would even classify as dancing.

Without thinking over his words, Shigeo responded. "I do." That was the truth, after all. Plain and simple.

Beaming a smile, Teruki detached their hands and moved his onto Mob's waist- Mob's waist?

"Huh? Why am I Juliet?" Shigeo immediately asked, his eyes focused on his best friend's grasp on himself.

"Uh." With just a singular sentence, all of Teruki's smoothness left his soul. His mouth opened and closed like a fish lost for words. He acted like he'd just been accused of a crime that he did commit, but didn't know how to lie out of. "Well, this way, I can guide you! I'm the more experienced dancer, so."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Shigeo said as he put his own hands on Teruki's shoulders. His thumbs brushed against his collar, feeling the texture of it. It was smooth, like a cold molten metal. Looking up to the boy, pink crept along his face.

Tumbling over his tongue, Hanazawa spoke. "You- just... Follow my steps."

Mob's attention shot down to their feet. Teruki and his yellow striped and fuzzy socks moved. There was a pattern to it, and all Shigeo had to do was follow it. He only needed to do what he'd already been doing this entire time. Eventually, he found that they had already spun in a full circle. Their dancing was much slower than how it was earlier, and Mob was fairly certain that they weren't in sync with the song anymore, but it absolutely did not matter.

Eventually, Mob began to pick up on the pattern and its rhythm. The two of them were rotating around each other like the Earth. It wasn't much different from earlier, other than the distance between them. They were decimeters away, and encroaching closer with each step. The dark-haired boy returned his eyes to Hanazawa.

His lips parted like he was about to say something. His hair was a mess and his bangs were barely covering his forehead. Golden peices that had gone astray were sticking out in every place they could. If he was being honest, Mob couldn't deny that he assumed the same thing for his own hair.

Disbelief? No, amazement? Mob couldn't pick out a fancy word. He didn't need to.

He really liked it when Teruki looked at him like that. That was it. That was all he knew.

It stuck him with the distinct feeling that this had all happened before. Déjà vu, the phenomenon was called. Shigeo had learned about it once when Serizawa had described it to him. It was uncommon to occur, and essentially was just your brain tripping over itself. Whenever Mob had it, it was neither a positive nor negative experience. But the idea of being so close to Teruki more than once was nice. Just, nice.

He hadn't realized how much time had passed until he heard the decresendo of the guitar. The lady was no longer singing, and the room was becoming quiet. Still, the two boys moved with Teruki's hands locked around his back. Mob considered moving his arms up onto the other boy's shoulders in order to get closer without bending his elbows in a strange way, but the action of wrapping his arms around his neck didn't seem appealing.

Mob wondered how they were supposed to end the dance. Teruki didn't seem to be doing anything different; the only change was a silent dread filling the air. But if Mob didn't know, then he'd just have to consult the film. The only problem was that he knew exactly what they were supposed to do now.

At the end of the song, Romeo had kissed Juliet.

Shigeo had never kissed anyone. His mother would often kiss him on the forehead when he was much younger, but that was different. He seldom ever thought about doing so. Imagining himself and Tsubomi kissing was not only overwhelming, but also felt like an invasion of her privacy. So, he refrained from doing so.

Being so close to the other boy, looking up at him, Mob wondered if Teruki had gotten taller.

Oh. It wasn't déjà vu. It was a memory.

Shigeo remembered the final piece of the strange dream he had on the morning he went to the arcade with Teruki. It seemed so long ago and unimportant that he'd completely forgotten about it. Still, he never got to see how it ended.

But curiosity was a persistent folk.

His eyes were closed. The only things he could feel were his heart, Hanazawa's hands cupping his face, and the other boy's exhale. It tickled his skin, and it smelled like mint. It was late, so perhaps he'd just brushed his teeth before he flew over to Mob's window. Why did he fly here? Oh well, it didn't matter because Shigeo was suppressing a smile. Soon, he felt a soft warmth pressed against the very lips he strained. He didn't dare look for a second. It all felt so natural as he leaned into the sensation.

...

HuaaaahhhhhHHHHHHHH?!?

His eyes widened at the speed of light, but he could barely see anything. It was so vivid that Shigeo wondered how it slipped his mind. In his mind swirled all of the unnamed emotions, dancing hand-in-hand- or waist and shoulders- with complete and utter confusion. In his trance, he shut his eyes tight, trying to get a hold of himself. The song was just barely playing anymore.

As much as best friend activities were whatever they wanted to be, kissing seemed a bit far. Just a teensy bit too intimate, even for them. Sure, they held hands and saw each other all the time and always gave each other compliments and smiled like the other boy was everything they were missing in their lives, but kissing?

Actually, come to think of it...

... why was it too far?

Would Mob really be opposed to it? Would Teruki? It was more than anything he'd ever done before, but with Teruki? The boy who would do anything with him without a single care in the world? Mob's heart was racing, and he didn't know what to do. He wasn't supposed to be thinking of his one and only best friend doing things outside of his comfort zone. When he felt the two of them stop dancing completely and Hanazawa shift closer, he froze.

Teruki completely wrapped his arms around the other boy. Their chests pressed together, and Mob almost worried that he could feel his heart beating out of his ribcage. He pressed his face into the slightly shorter boy's shoulder, their distance in height being a small obstacle. His hair tickled Mob's neck, and he opened his eyes.

Hanazawa gripped onto the back of Shigeo's t-shirt, tugging him closer like they were already too far apart. Mob could feel the other esper's heartbeat, too. It wasn't in a much better state than his own. His shoulders and muscles stopped tensing up as he slithered his own hands under Teruki's arms, returning the gesture.

It only ended up being a hug.

Mob could unpack his thoughts a different time, but for now, all he needed to do was appreciate every moment of the embrace. Hanazawa wasn't very gentle, his nose pressing into the fabric of the dark-haired boy's shirt, but it wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest. It was infinitely warmer than his dream. Teruki's fingers dug into Mob's spine. He held on like he couldn't let go with a crowbar prying them away from each other.

When Shigeo heard a sniffle come from the boy he held, a pang of fear stuck him. "Are you okay?" He asked. Was there something wrong? Was he a telepath? With espers, you could never know. Not espers, actually. Just Teruki.

The quiet of the room was accompanied by golden beams of sunlight shining through the glass doors left uncovered by the curtains. The rays illuminated the two boys like a spotlight on the stage.

"Thank you, Shigeo." Was all he replied with. His voice was muffled by Mob's shoulder, but he could hear him as clear as day.

He hummed. "What for?" He made sure to lower his voice as he was almost talking directly into Teruki's ear.

Hanazawa's grasp on the back of his shirt loosened as he moved his head to meet the other boy's gaze. His face was definitely a redder shade than before, but he wasn't tearing up. He wasn't smiling either, though. "I don't know... I just felt like saying it."

"Oh, okay." He was relieved that nothing was wrong, but he was left wondering. His best friend wasn't the type to just say something for no reason. Every sentence he spoke was like a carefully articulated plan he had. Mob wondered how he did it.

Teruki's eyes widened. "Not that I didn't mean it, of course."

He wasn't looking into Mob's eyes. That was uncommon. Usually, Teruki would get at every chance to be able to gaze into Shigeo's eyes. He wasn't sure why since he'd definitely seen them before, but that was a bit hypocritical of Shigeo to think.

As much as he didn't understand, he returned the favor. "Thank you, too, Teruki." He replied. He didn't know why, but he meant it. Was there something he should add to that? Thank you for being my best friend? For teaching me how to dance? For lighting up my future and everything along the way?

"You called me Teru earlier." He stated like it was a fact both of them knew.

Mob's eyes shot up to meet Hanazawa's. "I did?" His question was much more an exclamation. When had he done that?... He did in his dream. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize! I liked it." Teru insisted, unraveling his hands to step away. "Teruki always sounded too formal, like you're my dad or something."

... He liked it? It shouldn't have come as shock to Shigeo that, yes, Teruki indeed preferred being called his nickname. But for whatever reason, the words clung to his heart. He liked it.

"Thank you for being around, Teru." Mob finally said with a smile. His eyes softened as he looked up to see his best friend.

He looked like he was about to start crying. Was that good? He was smiling. At the speed of light, he changed the topic to one that was much more relevant. "S-so! What did you think? Of dancing?"

Every thought in Shigeo's head wasn't made for speaking aloud. It clouded the words he was meant to say and took up too much space.

"I don't think I'll be a dancer, but..." Mob didn't care. "I think you're a star." He admitted without a single trace of doubt or uncertainty.

Teruki blinked. Once, then twice. His smile fell, his face becoming more sorrowful. His hair fell, and the room was growing cold. The dreading silence was catching up to the two boys, ringing in Mob's ears.

"You know I'm not."

-----☆-----

It was late. Beeping noises and machinery were the only things he could hear, just barely. No staff, no florescent lights, just shimmering blue tiles in the starlight from the various windows. The ticking clock read it was past midnight.

And there Shigeo was, standing in the midst of it all. Dawned in a patient's gown, his socked feet planted on the ground. He worried that he was going to slip on the smooth flooring, so he kept his balance as steady as he could.

He was in the hospital. Why was he awake? Only he knew. He'd been admitted shortly after his confession to Tsubomi, who had rejected him. Reigen insisted that he go to the doctor's, even if nothing was hurting, because there still could be serious damage. After all, the most powerful espers in the country were trying to halt him on his emotional rampage. Also, he got hit by a car.

Turns out, Reiegn's intuition was correct. Both he and Mob had sustained some injuries; Reigen more so. Shigeo didn't feel any pain at all- at least, not physically. He was still in recovery from a broken heart and a broken dream. He would never be able to hold his first love's hand, and he would never... actually, that was as far as his goals got.

But he was glad to have accomplished what he could. He confessed his feelings to her and received a definitive answer. A resounding no that echoed in his head. He was disappointed, but he knew he'd get over it. After all, he'd come back from the experience much more fulfilled than when he went in.

He had accepted himself. The good, the bad, the confusing things- every part of him was human. There was no use in hiding it. Even if his loved ones would wind up hurt for it, they'd rather they did than they didn't. They wanted to. Every single person he met the day of the confession chose to help Mob. Reigen and Serizawa, Ritsu and the Body Improvement club, even Suzuki and his father.

And Hanazawa.

Hanazawa Teruki. The first one to realize what was happening. The very same boy who had done everything he could to protect Mob. The boy who woke him up by using the last of his consciousness to slam his fist into Shigeo's chest. The boy who called out for him even if it meant that he'd lose everything. He didn't stop until he fainted.

A good friend, he was. But out of every person that had come that day to help, he was injured the most. Mob had only seen glimpses of him. His clothes torn, and blood streaming out from every place it could. It mixed with his tears, but he didn't stop. Not until Mob watched the golden glimmers of light leave his eyes.

It was terrifying.

Out of all the people who had tried to stop him that day, he was the only one he hadn't seen yet. He hadn't even had the chance to talk to him. His phone was broken during the fight, and his room didn't allow visitors that weren't relatives. His parents had flown to Japan a day after he was admitted to the hospital to meet with him, but it didn't seem like he was going to be getting out anytime soon. Reigen and all of his charisma somehow managed to talk with his mother, but he wouldn't tell Shigeo what she told him. He refused to get into detail. All Mob knew was that the youngest Hanazawa was getting better.

But still, there was an astounding lack of updates. Mob didn't receive any texts, no letters, not a word, or even a glance between them. Both he and Shigeo were bedridden and healing. The doctors had advised Mob not to try and walk unsupervised before they gave him the okay. That essentially meant that he couldn't get up from his bed without an employee helping him out.

Now, Shigeo was never one to break rules, especially when they were recommended by medical professionals. But the worry wirring within his chest was growing to be too much. He knew couldn't keep it inside for much longer. He shouldn't. The ache he felt kept him up in the darkest hours of the night. The reflections of balloons in his room were all he could see. None of them were from Hanazawa. In his impatience, he got up and cracked open his door.

Moving his feet on the floor, his steps were silent. His socks glided against the tiles as if he were floating. He felt the sudden impulse to slide. However, his logic told him that he was injured, and sliding across asurfacewith such little friction would result in pain. But his heart wanted to.

So he did.

With all of his momentum behind him, he slid against the floor. He felt like an ice skater. A professional one, the kind that didn't spend their entire time hugging the walls out of fear. Not like Mob had done when his family visited a rink in the Christmas time. He glided on both of his feet for only a short while before the floor dragged him to a halt.

As much as he wanted to do it again, he was on a mission. He didn't want to get sidetracked while trying to find Hanazawa. He had to apologize to him. Even if he was sleeping (which considering the time, he most likely was), just seeing him would be enough for Mob.

Peering in through each room's window, he checked to see if his friend was there. Most rooms were empty, some with patients sleeping, and some with their family waiting inside. Before he had fallen unconscious, Hanazawa used the last of his power to protect everybody around Mob. That meant that a majority of people were safe and had the opportunity to evacuate. There were no casualties, though, not everyone had left unscathed.

He wasn't entirely sure where Hanazawa was. He didn't know the room number. Each plate beside the doors had a letter in front of the number, but he didn't know what those meant. Since they'd been admitted around the same time, he hoped that they would have been placed in a similar area; but Mob didn't know how hospitals worked. The only clues he had were the light traces of gold in the air. It was such little specks that he couldn't see it without actively looking for it. But it was the only idea he had. He walked towards the direction of Hanazawa's presence.

Mob lifted his hand out to touch the faint strands of energy flowing through the halls, but it dodged him. It was like trying to catch dust in the sunlight. No matter what he did, he couldn't get a grasp on it. Perhaps it was because Hanazawa was asleep at that time, and his energy was lessened. Whatever the case was, he had something to follow.

With each careful step he took, Mob found the presence in the air shine brighter. It reflected off the walls, creating a greenish light that reminded him of Dimple. He didn't need to try and see it anymore. He could feel heat radiating from it as it danced around him, flowing in jagged shapes.

When the patterns leading the path ahead suddenly came to an abrupt end, Mob worried. What did that mean? Was he going in the wrong direction? Was he dreaming it all? To answer that last one, he pulled his cheek.

"Ow." Nope, definitely awake.

The boy stepped backward, trying to relocate the energy, but to no avail. The exact same spots in had been before were now empty. An esper's aura never vanished unless they teleported, and from what Mob understood, Hanazawa was unable to do that. The air was still and dry without light flowing through it.

It was until he turned to his side that he realized where the light went. In front of him stood the door to Hanazawa's room. Shigeo could feel the warmth bouncing out from the cracks. The tips of his fingers tingled with electricity as he reached his hand out, unlocking the door almost out of reflex.

Stepping inside, he was met with a vastly different room than Mob's. There were no balloons or nearly as many cards and gifts. On his bedside table sat a teddy bear with a shiny velvet jacket and gold-colored fur. A few letters were scattered across the desk, still within their envelopes like he hadn't opened them at all.

The door closed behind him, and the clicking noise echoed through the room. The loudest thing now was the distant beeping of the heart rate monitor. It was steady and quiet. Mob sighed as his heart began to slow its pace, just before catching his breath again.

Holding in the air in his lungs, he gathered his courage as his eyes made their way over to the bed.

Hanazawa slept on his back, his lower half covered by multiple blankets. The one on the top he held in a loose fist. It looked like it had been given to him by his parents, considering the color pallette and texture wasn't very hospital-like. The arm attached to it was hidden in a cast. His head was almost completely enveloped by bandages, save for his face. If it weren't for the memory of shaving it, Mob wouldn't have been able to tell that he was bald on top. Oh, he'd have to apologize for that, too.

He exhaled, the wind tickling his nose. He figured that he should get back to his room before an employee discovers that he'd been sneaking around, but just a little while longer couldn't hurt, right? He walked closer to his bed, watching the rise and fall of Hanazawa's chest. It was crooked. The light surrounding him was dull and dimmed, spiking each time he sharply breathed in or out.

He seemed to be calm. Well- of course he was. He was asleep. But that wasn't the way the Shigeo meant.

Every time he met with Hanazawa, he was so collected. Nothing bothered him. He was confident and kind, and everything he did was with the intent to be as good as he could. He was a calm person, just as he was now. Even bedridden, he was the same person that Shigeo had grown to know and befriend. He was still Hanazawa Teruki, a great soccer player and fashionista. A loyal friend. A great person, even after everything.

Mob looked up to him. As it stood now, Hanazawa was the friend he spent the most time around, talking to, or even just thinking about. Everything that Hanazawa said, he meant. You could never really doubt his word. He made strides to change, even without a specific goal in mind. He didn't have a clue on where to begin, but he persevered with a smile on his face and a glimmer in his eyes.

His eyes. They were pretty. It was a conclusion that Mob had only come to while he was in the hospital. He rarely ever made eye contact with anybody, except for Hanazawa. The only other person he knew with eyes that blue was Shou, but his were scary. Hanazawa's were much less intense but still fascinating, especially considering neither of his parents had his eyes. Shigeo wished he could see them, just to analyze the gradient in them.

"Kageyama..?" The boy croaked, his voice scratched and off pitch. His eyes peaked through his eyelashes, fluttering open with confusion.

"Ah! Hanazawa," Shigeo nearly shouted in surprise but reminded himself that it was best to quiet down. "Did I wake you up?" He whispered.

Hanazawa blinked, trying to get a hold of what was happening before him. He'd just woken up, after all. "No, don't worry. I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes." He explained, pushing himself up to a sitting position with his non-broken arm. He spoke slowly, like his mind was still remembering how to speak using words. "More importantly- why are you here?" He alsmot laughed, his words asking his breath out with them.

Mob did not anticipate having a conversation with Hanazawa. Especially, he didn't expect to have to explain why he snuck out of his room just to check up on him. "Ah, well... I wanted to see you." He wanted to? What an understatement. If he hadn't come to his room, he would have spent the entire night awake and wallowing in guilt. That followed by the next.

The room was lit only by the stars shining through the window and the heart monitor beside him. Speaking of which, had the beeping sped up? "Well, you're seeing me now." He looked on with awe. As soon as he smiled, Shigeo felt a wave of relief rush through him. He worried that he was going to explode if he didn't move. What was he meant to do? Jump into his bed and hug him? Leave?

Mob took a few steps toward the boy, looking down at his expression. Hanazawa simply watched as the standing esper toyed with the fabric of his gown. "I'm sorry." Shigeo's apology grazed the top of his heart. It was quiet, but it was almost too loud in Mob's head.

"For what?" The blond boy tilted his head, rustling his hand against the bed.

For what? "For this." Mob stated, almost dumbfounded. He gestured his hands to Hanazawa's bandages and the room around him. How could he not know what?

"Kageyama," He began, straightening his posture. The fact that he had enough strength to do so lifted a dumbell off of Mob's chest. "I forgave you the moment I woke up."

Shigeo's hands didn't have much of a place to return to. He allowed them to rest on the railings of his bed. "But that's not why I'm apologizing. It doesn't matter if you forgive me or not, I need you to know that I'm sorry." He needed to. That was the truth right there, plain and simple. No use in hiding it.

Hanazawa scoffed after a few quiet seconds of comptemplation. "You never cease to surprise me." His lips were bruised, his skin was tattered, and along his throat were clear marks of strangulation. Even after everything, he didn't care.

The hand on the railing soon traveled its way onto the mattress, feeling the blanket between his thumb and index finger. Heat pooled in Mob's cheeks and beneath his eyes. He could cry, jump for joy, hug him- he didn't know what to do.

"Actually, I should be the one apologizing." Hanazawa continued, breaking their shared gaze to stare at his broken hand.

"What for?"

Even while looking to the side, his friend's eyes gleamed. The expression he made was of glee. "Wow, we really are similar, huh?" As he hummed, his smile disappeared as if it was never there at all. He couldn't bring himself to meet Mob's eyes anymore, even with all of the strength he'd recovered. His free hand grasped the cheap blankets into a fist. "I'm talking about when we first met."

Oh.

That day was so long ago that Shigeo could almost forget it ever happened. Teru, the Uranbanchou of Black Vinegar middle school, was barely even the same person as Hanazawa, a friend of Shigeo's. He could almost forget about it. But the memory lingered in the back of his mind and on the skin of his throat; forever engraved in his skin and muscle.

"I never got the chance to properly apologize for that. We never brought it up, even after knowing each other for almost a year. So please, just let me tell you that I'm sorry." Hanazawa's voice cracked. "I can't bear to keep acting like your friend, even with all of the things I've done to you. It keeps me up at night. My hands burn- like I carry that mental image of you, pinned against the wall, everywhere I go... It- it's a kind of dirt stuck between the creases of my hands, and I can't wash it off. And believe me, I've tried..."

His heart sank in his chest as Hanazawa gathered every ounce of courage he had to meet his gaze. The darkness was on the sitting esper's side here, but in the starlight, Mob could have sworn he could see a thin stream that ended midway down his face.

"I know it doesn't matter much, but I can't forgive you." Mob spoke in a tone one step higher than a whisper. Every single one of his features weighed him down onto the tiled floors. His hair covered his eyes halfway, and his shoulders drooped. "Because I never blamed you for anything. If anything, I was sorry."

Hanazawa's eyebrows furrowed. He looked like he was trying to solve a puzzle in his mind, to no avail. He smiled, his eyes half open. "You're sorry because you defended yourself?" Every muscle on his face rested.

"I'm sorry for destroying everything you had and almost killing you." Mob deadpanned, the hand on the bed inching closer to Hanazawa's. "Twice." He darted his eyes away bashfully.

The silence surrounding the two boys wasn't nearly as dreading as it was welcomed. It was a moment of peace where both of them could sit in their own minds. Neither of them needed to talk about anything, and the occasional still breezes reminded them of that.

"Well," Hanazawa interrupted, catching his breath and rubbing his eyes. When he returned it back to the bed, his fingers brushed over Mob's. "We're both sorry, and we're both forgiven. How about... we start over? Forget it ever happened. That way, we can remember each other not for the grief we caused but for who we are."

"Start over..?" Shigeo blinked, feeling his eyelashes hit his bottom lid. Hanazawa's hand was so close to his. He could feel the warmth of the other boy's blood. He focused on the unfamiliar feeling as he evaluated the proposition. "I don't want to."

Hanazawa met his eyes, only greeting him with confusion. "Huh?"

"I don't want to act like we never made mistakes- like we were never wrong." Shigeo explained, his words caught behind the exhale from his lungs. "I want to remember how you changed. You learned from your errors, and you became better for it. I don't think of you as a bad person for all the things you did back then, not at all." He looked away and sighed, grabbing the boy's hand in his. "I admire you, Hanazawa. I don't want to forget why."

Deep within his eyes, Mob could see a spark. It was like a golden twinkle. Usually, he could only ever see that light when he used his powers. But now, it was clear as day.

"How?" Hanazawa cried out, his voice tripping over itself. "You don't hate me, you don't even blame me- but you admire me?" He leaned forward, desperation crawling up his throat. His hand shivered underneath Shigeo's. "I'm- I'm nothing like you."

"Of course you are," Mob interrupted, moving closer. "We've both changed, and we'll continue to do so."

Hanazawa could cry, and Shigeo wouldn't mind. Instead, he squeezed his hand. "You know- I used to say that I was a star. Better than other people. But... then I met you, and your sheer power- I realized I was nothing. At least compared to you."

Mob watched as he recollected himself.

"But I was wrong." Shigeo watched as Hanazawa's eyes softened as he looked up at the other boy. "I guess I kind of lost the plot. The day we met, I thought I had just witnessed a God, that you were humbling yourself to conceal your true identity. But the second time you beat me, I realized that you're just as average a person as me. You were never the person I made you out to be. You're the boy I watched cry on the floor. No higher, and no lower than me."

'You're crying right now, aren't you, Kageyama?'

Was Shigeo supposed to say something? His mind fell blank, listening to the other boy's words.

"I couldn't be more relieved. We're just two average teenagers, talking to each other past our bedtimes." Hanazawa gave out a weak laugh. "God, we're such troublemakers."

"Well, I did just destroy the city..." Shigeo smiled.

He didn't know what kind of reaction to expect from Hanazawa, but it certainly wasn't this. The boy's face lit up with glee, as he laughed louder, harder. "Since when did you get a sense of humor, Kageyama?"

Even if he tried, Mob couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He didn't want to. Instead, he looked for a way to keep Hanazawa talking. He was being asked a question, so he should most likely answer. But how?

During his time in the hospital, he'd picked up on a new trait of his. Being in such a foreign environment, he couldn't say he wasn't ever curious about how something felt, or how much it weighed. So, whenever deep in thought and unable to stop himself, he'd reach out, almost like instinct. It was just as he did now. His hand moved from his side to Hanazawa, curling his fingers just slightly. He only realized that he was moving his hand until he watched Hanazawa's eyes move to it.

Mob's smile fell, and his mouth hung agape, just barely open. The cool air tickled, but it was nothing he could focus on. Trying to find something coherent he could do or say, he turned his hand into a fist.

Lightly, so very lightly, Shigeo knocked on Hanazawa's chest, just about where his heart would be located underneath. He felt the gown crease around his slow motion. He hit twice, making sure not to hurt him. Hanazawa stared as the hand retreated back to Mob's side.

"Huh? What was that?" Hanazawa asked, his curiosity ringing clear in his voice.

"When you woke me up..." Shigeo's voice was quiet. He didn't exactly know why he did that, but if there was anything he felt he needed to do for Hanazawa, it was to return the favor. "You were banging your fists over my heart. If it weren't for you, I never would have woken up."

Hanazawa watched him with the same starstruck expression that Shigeo had come to know very well within the past half hour. As much as Mob preferred to understand others' emotions by being told them, he understood that there were some things that they would never dare utter. They couldn't. Feelings don't automatically translate into words from your heart to your brain. It takes time to analyze and recognize them, Mob had learned. It took his a long time to understand that the hurting inside his chest wasn't from his cholesterol intake, but from guilt.

"You know, when you keep saying things like that, it's hard not to think of you as a star." Hanazawa said amidst the still room. The curtains didn't blow, the heart rate monitor was turned away, and the starlight never blinked. The only motion Mob could see was their energy, dancing around each other. When they got close enough to touch, the blue and yellow hues turned into a purple.

Shigeo wasn't a star, and neither was Hanazawa.

But then why?

Why did he feel his heart forget where the center of gravity was every time they made eye contact for a bit too long? Why was it that when Teruki smiled, it radiated throughout the air. Why was it that he always seemed to shine and catch various spotlights like they were tangible collectibles he kept in his hand? Why did Mob find himself staring at him, only to look away embarrassed when Teru looked back?

Those emotions were left undefined. He knew that Teruki Hanazawa, his best friend, wasn't a star. He was a human person, but humans were complex. Their feelings were all nuanced and complicated, and the wires in their brains tangled up and unlabelled. Oftentimes, Shigeo found the world a little easier to understand with his imagination.

He was used to being very literal. Back when he repressed every part of himself he deemed unworthy, emotions barely meant anything to him. There were a lot of them, and he didn't have time to deal with them. But now? He had all the time in the world to sort through everything he felt. The only thing was that it was growing more difficult as time went on.

He had new feelings. His relationships were changing. The world was moving so fast that Shigeo worried if he'd be able to keep up. He wished he could just take a break from change. Just to wallow in all the good things he had. He had his brother, his master, and his best friend.

Why was being a human being so confusing?

His mind returned himself to reality. He was in Hanazawa's apartment, their arms around one another. They'd just danced, and Mob could have sworn he felt flowers sprout in his heart. A garden lived inside of him, but that was just as confusing as trying to label the emotions that Teruki sprung out of him. It was familiar, but no matter how far Shigeo chased after that answer, he just wasn't fast enough.

"Of course you're not a star." Mob spoke, hiding his face into Teruki's shoulder. He closed his eyes, attempting to recollect himself and his thoughts. It was an impossible task, but he could make progress in it. "It's just... been hard to tell the difference, lately."

"What do you mean, Shigeo?"

He inhaled. "I don't know."

Chapter Text

Shigeo was finally confused. Very confused.

Of course, he knew that everything he felt was perfectly human. He was well aware that he would figure everything someday, but he was growing impatient. It didn't help that each time he began to finally grasp at a conclusion, he'd suddenly be thrown five steps back. He was beginning to wonder if he'd ever be able to understand the turmoil dancing on his mind, or if he'd keep chasing after it in dizzying circles.

In situations where he feared uncertainty, he'd usually talk to Teru. Text him, call him, or even just run over to his apartment. It may have just been a part of his charm, but he always managed to calm Mob down. Floating thoughts that were flying astray would find their center of gravity and pause their orbit around Shigeo's head. It wasn't even that Teru always found something smarter to say than Mob could. It was just that he said them. Honestly, he didn't even need to talk, and Shigeo would be nevertheless thankful.

The only issue with doing that was that being around Teru only seemed to worsen the confusion, and that was the problem. Every time he was with him, Shigeo would have a storm of new and complicated emotions suddenly thrown his way, and he wasn't sure what to do with them. At some point, Mob worried that sitting right next to Teru during class might have been a bad decision. Being able to look at him anytime during the school day he wanted to was too compelling not to do. Even when they were away, Teru remained on his mind. His smile, his eyes, his hands around Mob's, his hair, his... you get the point.

They were best friends, and not in the same way as other best friends. That was because every human is different. That very fact dictated that every relationship between people would be different, too. Just as no two stars were the same; no two pairs were of equal distance. It made perfect sense that their friendship was different from any of Mob's other ones.

Well, not perfect sense. Something about that conclusion didn't sit right with him.

Mob wouldn't say that something was necessarily wrong, but the facts he had never quite clicked into place. It was like he was missing the last planet in the constellation while all the other ones had been lined up. That final planet was something he didn't know. He simply didn't know, there was no other way to say it. Shigeo had tried to find that information through the internet, but Mobgle didn't seem to know what 'i want to be around my best friend always and it's distracting and i admire him so much it hurts what does that mean' meant.

Technology still had ways to go before it could catch up with real human interaction.

"Spirits and Such Consultation Office, how may I- Mob!" Reigen cut his greeting off midway through as soon as he realized who the visitor was. Sitting at his desk, he smiled. Tome was in the office at the reception desk, scrolling through her phone. Serizawa was away on a visit to his mother, meaning that Tome would have to man the smaller jobs. She hated them.

Reigen was essentially a socializing encyclopedia. If Mob had a question about the feelings of his own or others, he knew just where to go. Though, it had been a very long time since he'd come to his old master for help.

"What brings you here today? Just hanging out?" Reigen asked as he pushed away from the laptop he was typing on. The chair wheels squeaked as soon as they began to move.

"Actually, I came for advice." Peering down, Mob could see his own uniform. He tugged at the fabric of his bag strap, his thumb ghosting over the bottom of his blazer. He didn't have club that day, but rather than going home, he paid a visit to the office. Warm light shined through the window and onto the back of his ex-master's head.

"Well," Reigen placed his leg on top of his other, leaning back into the chair and crossing his arms. "You're always welcome here. Shoot, kid. What's bothering ya?"

Mob knew that he could always go to Reigen for help. He was aware of that much. The reason it took so long was his disappointment in himself that he couldn't figure it out alone. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was going in the wrong direction, and he needed someone else to tell him why. Then again, he used to try and solve all of his dilemmas alone, and that went fairly terribly for everybody.

With that conclusion, Mob dropped his bag on the floor beside the small coffee table and sat down. He made sure to keep both his feet planted on the floor, trying not to let them bounce. "I need relationship advice- or emotion advice. I'm not sure which one."

"Oooooh, is someone in looove ?" Tome teased him from the other room as she boiled the water in the electric kettle, not even turning towards him. As quiet as her little remark was, Reigen glared at her while he was moving from his office chair to the table. "Again?"

"No, not that kind of relationship." Mob corrected her as the man sat down in front of him, relaxing into the chair.

"What kind is it, then?" Reigen asked, removing his look of disapproval as he looked to his current client.

Mob clasped his hands together. "My best friend." He didn't look up from his fingers intertwined with one another, analyzing the color and texture of them. He checked to see the color of his nails, but they were plain.

"The wig kid?" He asked, and Mob nodded. He didn't expect him to be able to tell so quickly. He was glad that other people were able to notice their closeness, though. Reigen made a rolling motion with his hand, resting his elbows on his knees. His posture was awful, despite being a professional masseuse. "Go on..."

"Oh, right." The boy tilted his head up to face Reigen, who waited patiently. "My... Well, I never had a real best friend before Teru, so I don't really know what it's like. He assured me that all I needed to do was whatever felt right to me... He's very smart, even though he hasn't had a best friend, either."

Reigen's eyebrows lifted as he sat upwards a bit. His back would thank him for that later.

"But... being around him feels different. Nothing's exactly wrong, though. I thought it was because of how close we are, but Ritsu's close to me, and he doesn't feel like Teru does at all. It feels kind of familiar, but also so confusing." Mob explained, his eyes darting around the room. Why was he so nervous? He wasn't sure. "But it's nice. Teru is nice. It's just hard to focus on my surroundings when he talks to me, or come up with the right words... Oh, hi Dimple."

The evil spirit- though not actually very evil- hovered above Reigen's shoulder. "Damn, Shigeo's gay?" He whispered.

Mob didn't even register that Dimple had spoken. All he could see was Reigen immediately grabbing him and throwing him onto the floor with enough force to make a crater form. Instead, Dimple just flattened like one of those slimy balls that stick to the wall when you throw them. "This is a very important moment in one's life!" He spoke through his teeth, hoping that Mob wouldn't hear him, although logically, there was no way that he wouldn't. Returning his gaze back to the client, Reigen smiled peacefully as if he wasn't stepping on his friend.

"Yeah, of course you'd know that- Bwh !" Dimple said, but was interrupted by Reigen covering the spirit's face with his shoe.

"Mob, what do you mean when you say that he feels different?" Reigen clasped his hands over his leg.

"He's..." The boy tried to elaborate, but the words caught in his throat. He swallowed down whatever kept them from coming out. "It's like he's a star. He's so bright, his hair shines, and he's so warm. I want to talk to him all the time, just to listen to him and to be close... He's so kind, and he'd do anything with me. He'll always stick by my side, no matter what. I admire him so much it's hard to breathe."

Looking up, Reigen stared at him with wide eyes. Placing down two cups of tea on the table, Tome watched with the same expression. Both of them were frozen.

"Mob, I have no idea what you're on about," Reigen picked up the cup closest to him and took an obnoxiously loud sip of it. "How about you describe Tome?"

"Huh? Why me!?" The girl acted like she was offended that she was brought into this.

Mob turned to look at her, still standing before the coffee table. "Well, she's very creative. She's also always determined to achieve her goals. I admire her for that..." He picked his brain, trying to comply with Reigen's request.

Tome crossed her arms, basking in the compliments with her eyebrows raised. She blinked. "... Are you gonna continue or not?"

"Ah- she likes aliens?" Mob blurted out while trying to think of something else to say.

Reigen soon picked up the conversation again, and Shigeo was eternally thankful that he did. "How do you feel when you hang out with her?"

Shigeo wasn't sure as to which direction this was going, but he knew that he just had to answer the questions being asked. "She's a good friend, so I feel appreciated."

"And now how do you feel with Hanazawa?" Reigen smiled with encouragement, like Mob was about to finally figure it out.

Instead, he sat in silence for a few too many seconds. "Do I have to use just one word or..." He asked after his mind spun with possible contenders to be answers. None of them managed to capture everything.

"You were never required to."

"Oh." Mob replied. "I feel a lot, but I don't really know how to describe it. It doesn't feel bad, though- not at all. Even when I'm nervous, being around him always feels better. It's right. Oh, Tome explained something one time to me. Something about feeling fluttery?"

Tome placed her hands on her hips, leaning on her back leg. "Fluttery? Like the moths?" She asked.

"Yeah." Mob's response was quiet enough to be a hum, so he nodded, just in case. His chest was hollow and weightless, only accompanied by the beating of his heart. "When he smiles at me, or does something good just for me. It makes my chest hurt, but I like it. It could hurt forever, and I wouldn't mind." He'd be glad, because each time a sharp wind surrounded his heart, it was just a reminder of where in the universe he belonged; alongside him.

Reigen turned to him, leaning forward. He was staring with his jaw hung open two or three centimeters, for some reason. He quickly closed it. "And why do you think that being around him makes you feel different than with Tome? I mean- you're friends with both of them."

"Teru isn't just my friend. He's my best friend." Mob stated, dumbfounded at how Reigen had forgotten such a vital detail.

The man's expression fell. "If that was really the only reason, then you wouldn't have come here. Why did you see me today?" He asked.

"Because that answer doesn't seem right." Mob shot back, almost instantly. His brows knitted together. "It shouldn't seem wrong, but it does. That's why I came to you. I know that everything I feel is fine, I know all that, I'm just... mad at myself because I can't figure out why." Mob spoke with his words coming in quick succession. He clutched the fabric of his pants, hunched over. "I can barely even describe my own feelings."

The room shrouded itself in silence. The fan was turned off for the colder seasons, and Mob almost missed it. Like he always did, Reigen interrupted it with the pride of the sun peering in through the blinds behind him. "Not everything in life is going to have a clear answer. Your emotions don't always have reasons to appear or words to explain them. It's okay to be confused, so don't get too worked up about it, okay?"

Soon, Mob nodded. He wasn't sure if this was the conclusion or not, but he was less lost than when he came into the office. "Okay."

"However, you can always rely on those around you to help you out." The man continued, cupping his chin. "So tell me, how did you feel about Tsubomi?"

"Tsubomi..?" She wasn't related to this at all. Mob wondered why she was brought up. "She's a nice friend, but we don't always call very often."

"Not how you feel about her now; how you felt about her then ." Reigen clarified. At some point, Tome had returned to the reception desk, but Mob could still feel her eyes digging into the back of his neck. She had a very intense stare.

"When you had a crush on her; how would you describe that?" The girl said in a flat tone, rewording Reigen's question to be more direct.

Mob looked at his hands with a blush spreading over his face. "Ah- well... I would get nervous around her? Still, I wanted to help her every chance I had. I used to think she was... really pretty." He tilted his head to the side, letting his hair fall onto his shoulder. "Not that I don't think she's still pretty!" He corrected himself, sitting upright with a jolt.

"Uh-huh." Reigen responded with a dull face, his leg bouncing, but he tried to ignore it. Dimple had gone into his super-invisible mode by now, just to escape Reigen. He'd managed to forget about him, focusing on what Mob was telling him.

"Why did you mention her?" Shigeo was visibly confused.

Seemingly ignoring his question, Reigen continued the advice session. It felt more like an interrogation so far, but that was  fairly normal for how these things went. "Would you say you think Hanazawa's pretty?" The man asked abruptly with a slight grin.

"Huh?" Startled by the suddenness of it, Mob couldn't find much that was coherent inside his mind. He wasn't even sure why every sentence he'd prepared had suddenly fallen on the floor and into the endless void. He did his best to gather himself. "He- Teru- yes, he's pretty. I think." He stumbled over his own words.

From behind him, Mob could hear Tome trying to suppress a laugh, only resulting in a strange gargling noise. Had Mob said something wrong? Did she not believe that Teru was pretty? Well, she was entitled to her own opinions, even if they did sound rude.

"So let me get this straight;" Reigen suppressed a snicker. "Whenever you're around Hanazawa, you feel emotions that you can't describe, and it's frustrating that you can't figure out why they're there, but they do seem familiar. You used to think it was because you two are best friends, but that doesn't seem like the case. You also think that he's pretty and get nervous when other people bring it up. Your chest hurts, but you don't mind, and you admire him a lot. Right?" His ex-master asked with his composure still together.

Mob reluctantly nodded, trying to pick up whatever Reigen was putting down, to little avail. All he'd done was explain things that he already knew, just simplified. The way he described his situation did make it seem much simpler, but there wasn't any answer in it. Reigen was always more direct with Shigeo with his advice, but here, he was being vague. It seemed to be on purpose, like Reigen wanted him to figure it out on his own.

Not completely on his own, but with the help of those around him.

"Mob, think." Reigen said. "Why do you think I've brought all of these things up?"

Mob was just about to ask the same question, but Reigen beat him to it. "Because you wanted to compare how I see my relationships with other people?"

Reigen shot him a smile of encouragement. "Exactly. So, how about you get to doing that?"

Huh ? He'd just done that, though. Teru felt different, and that was the conclusion. They hadn't gotten any farther along in the puzzle. Reluctantly, he obliged, tracing back his steps.

Tome was a good friend. She wasn't as close to him as Teru was, but she was still a comforting and kind person. Comparing her friendship to that of Tsubomi's, Mob never had a crush on Tome, but he did for the other girl. He developed those feelings because Tsubomi saw him as a person, both the good and the bad about him. Though, he was wrong to believe that she was the only person who thought that.

Then that left the comparison between Tsubomi and Teru...

Well, Mob admired them both. The two of them were popular, good at sports, good grades, and at some point, they'd both been best friends with Shigeo. Kind of. They also both had the most blue eyes Mob had ever seen, so much so he'd get lost in them. The only difference between his relationship with both of them was that he was much closer to Teru than to Tsubomi.

Also, Mob didn't have a crush on him.

He was only his best friend whom he couldn't see a future without. He was only someone who made Mob's hair stick up on its own just from holding his hand. Teru was the person closest to him. He was very close. Shigeo could feel the heat radiate from him as their energies dancing intertwined, just as they were. It was all best friend stuff.

Imagining himself in a romantic relationship with Teru was absurd.

Him and Teru, holding hands wherever they walked, going on little dates and trying new things together. They would look at each other with a likeness in their eyes that only they could see because that gaze was made just for them.

Mob would stay with him forever, always being by his side, even through the roughest of days. And on the better ones, they'd shine together. Talking and laughing and smiling in his apartment without a seed of worry on Mob's mind or in his heart, just the flowers that they'd bought each other earlier; from when they'd visited Minegishi's greenhouse that morning. Then, when the two of them would get tired, they'd fall onto Teru's bed together, sitting close. Then, he would give Mob a kiss. It would be soft as the pajama bottoms he always lent for Shigeo, and as sweet as the cookies they made together. Just like the movie... On the cheek ! Teru would kiss him on the cheek.

Present time Shigeo could feel his breath slowing down. His heart was running a mile. It was just the same that he'd always felt when he thought about being close to Teru. The only difference this time around was that every emotion was so defined and apparent, like things became clearer as time went on with that imaginary timeline in his mind. The imaginary timeline in which Teru liked Mob just as much as he liked him.

The feelings he had for him had always seemed familiar, but no matter what he tried, Mob couldn't figure out where he'd remembered them. All of that was true until the final pieces finally clicked into place.

It was Tsubomi. The feelings were a little different, but not unrecognizable. It was a different shape formed from the same matter.

"... Oh."

"Yeah, oh ." Reigen repeated, resting his head on his hand. How many times had his sitting position changed during the course of the conversation? Mob didn't care to count. There was a much more pressing matter at hand.

"Do I really- for Teru?" Mob found it difficult to form sentences again.

"From what you've explained to me, kid, it sounds like you've got yourself another crush."

"But," Shigeo started, possibly even more confused than he was when he came into the office. He'd gotten an answer, but that only posed more questions. Shigeo wanted to say something, something in retaliation or a question, but he had nothing to continue off of. "Teru's a boy."

"Mob, like, half the people you know are gay. I've considered renaming this place to the 'Queer Youth Center'." Reigen deadpanned with a few flicks of his wrist. "It's not a big deal. What year is it again?"

"It's 20- oh, that was rhetorical." The esper shut his mouth just as soon as he'd opened it.

Shigeo never really gave those kinds of things much thought. It was an incredibly personal thing, and he never wanted to intrude. However, he was aware that Tome and Mezato had started dating a few weeks back and that Ritsu was in a relationship with a Shou. It was never any of his business.

But now, Mob realized that the mysterious feelings he'd been having might have just been him having a crush on a boy. And he had a lot of questions.

Such inquiries included: When did he start having these feelings? Was it that obvious to people? Was Mob the last person to figure it out- even after Teru?

"Oh, maybe that's why I had a dream about him breaking into my room and kissing me." He blurted out without thinking about it. He continued to speak without using his brain, because really, he couldn't even if he tried. There was not nearly enough room in his brain for that. "Tome says that all dreams have meanings."

"If you told me that earlier, we would have been done here a long time ago." Reigen smiled.

"If I may object, your honor," Tome spoke up from her desk, pushing her chair out with a screech and standing up. "The client literally said-" She cleared her throat and changed her face to a more relaxed one. She closed her eyes and placed a hand over her heart. The other pushed her bangs over her eyebrows. Her stance straightened. "-And I quote, 'My chest hurts, but I like it. I could feel this pain forever, and I would never get sick of it. Not when it's him '."

Fluttering her thick eyelashes, she spoke under her breath in a tone so flat that he wondered how she managed to do it while still exaggerating Mob's words. It was beyond clear that she was impersonating him, but her performance was pretty good. He almost clapped if it weren't for her message.

Looking back on the things that he'd said... "That was kind of romantic, wasn't it?" He wondered out loud without any humor behind it.

"Hell yeah it was!" Tome shouted with her hands in loose fists, losing her presentation as Mob. "How did you just notice?"

"Well, we're best friends, and he told me that I only had to do what felt right," Shigeo bashfully returned his eyes back to his good ol' pal, the floor. "I just assumed it was a normal thing I felt. That, and the things we would do..."

"Man, Mob. Has anyone told you how fantastic of a historian you'd make?" Tome replied with a toothy grin.

Mob tilted his head. "No, I'm not good with history."

"Exactly."

He decided he wouldn't bother asking Tome what that meant. Instead, he looked down to his hands. They held one another dearly, but he couldn't feel them. He didn't have enough fortitude to bend his fingers and rub the pads of them in circles, just to remind himself that his senses were present. His index finger twitched, but that was it.

His breath was heavy, the heated air trickling along his chapped lips. "I like Teru." He nearly whispered, trying to feel the statement in his mouth. It seemed foreign, so he tried again, louder this time. "I like Teru."

Sitting across from him, Reigen simply watched with a soft smile. Mob always struggled to be able to tell a person's emotions through something so arbitrary, but he could feel the comfort that Reigen provided.

"I really, really like Teru." He confessed through a scrunched up face and his eyes shut tight, though not to anyone in particular. If anything, it was more admitting to himself that he definitely had a crush. His black bangs drooped over his eyes as he stared downwards. His words stole his breath without him even realizing- just as easily as Teru always did.

"Well," Reigen started. For once in his life, it seemed like he wasn't sure what to say. "I understand why it took you so long to figure that out. You weren't very close with Tsubomi when you liked her, right?" He asked with a finger pointed to the ceiling light. Mob nodded. "Developing romantic feelings for someone who is close to you is much different than for a person you barely knew. Still, it's totally normal to have these emotions."

Mob finally lifted his head.

"So, what do you think you're going to do?" The man asked him.

He hadn't thought that far ahead, but seeing as he just found out he liked Teru five minutes ago, it seemed fair. "I have to confess to him. Even if I have these feelings... above that, he's my best friend. I don't want to have to keep secrets from him."

Reigen smiled, the ceiling light reflecting in the gleam of his eye. "I'm glad that you're opening yourself up to love again."

" Love ?" Mob blurted, caught off guard by the use of such a strong word. Shigeo would never have described having a crush on someone as being in love with them. However, for Teru... No, no! It was way too early to think about this.

That being said, he wouldn't necessarily be opposed to it in the future. If Teruki, by any chance in the Milky Way, by a wish on every shooting star, were to, perhaps, reciprocate Shigeo's feelings. Mob didn't know what made his face burn more; the idea of loving someone, or that very person having so much as an ounce of romantic feelings for Mob.

"Yeah, I'm happy that you've moved on from the past and onto the future." Reigen elaborated on his previous statement, somehow missing the point. "You already know how to confess your feelings, but don't feel like you have to rush to it. I mean, you just realized you had those feelings today, with help from yours truly." He placed a hand over his chest as he gave himself credit.

"Hey, I think I helped, too!" Tome objected, pointing at the conman who pays his employees 300 yen an hour. "My performance was on point !" Each P she pronounced popped from her lips.

"Yeah, sure-" Reigen agreed flatly. "But Mob, you should really do some thinking on your own. You might want to have some time to reflect on this. I can't help you much more here, but if you two start dating, I'd be happy to give you more of my professional advice!" He announced with a look of glee, ignoring how Mob's hair began to lift up as soon as he mentioned them getting together.

"Yeah, professional ." Dimple repeated in a sarcastic tone, sitting a reasonable distance from Reigen. Reasonable considering he'd just suffered a beating.

As soon as the man glared at the spirit with the same deadly look in his eyes, Dimple quickly scattered away and under the door to the hallway.

"Thank you very much, Reigen." Mob picked up the bag from the floor as he stood up. The sudden weight being moved to his feet was disorientating. The world spun around him for a moment as he collected the strength to bow to the man who had just helped him. When he turned around to leave, he sighed.

Opening the door, Reigen called out for him. "Uh- Mob!"

He returned his head to see the rest of the room, illuminated in a cold orange.

"Make sure to check both ways before crossing the street, yeah?" His voice was shaky, like he was nervous or something. What reason would he have for that? Mob wondered. In response, all the boy did was nod. And with that, he fled the office.

Tome and Reigen were left alone once again on a slow work day. The girl clicked her tongue. "He didn't even drink the tea I made!"

"Tome," Reigen brought a hand to his face, crunching up his eyebrows in disappointment. "You forgot to put the tea bag in it."

" AGAIN ?"

-----☆-----

Shigeo liked Teru. A lot. And not in a very platonic friendship way. He had for a while now, even if he couldn't yet pinpoint where exactly it all started. But it had been dancing behind him each time he could recall talking to Teru. He knew that much, at the very least.

It had been roughly 30 minutes since he realized that his admiration for his best friend had developed into a more romantic sense, but for him, it had been an eternity. It was like he'd just been transported into a new galaxy- one completely different from the one he'd grown familiarized with. It all felt so new to him, even though he'd been here before. It was only two years ago when he'd confessed to Tsubomi, but it might as well have been a hundred. For the first time in a long while, the universe seemed to be waiting for Mob to catch up with it.

He thanked it internally.

He could take a break to rest, and he wouldn't miss a thing. He could take his sweet time to answer his own questions while running at his own pace. The world would be there for him when he got done, and so would Teru. But right now, Mob had to get home.

His footsteps were silent on the concrete, other than the occasional scratching or a stray autumn leaf crunching beneath him. Looking up at the sky with each gust of wind, the trees waved above him, obstructing the path from the sunlight to the pavement. As cold as it had gotten that October, it was still nothing that Shigeo couldn't bear. His eyes trailed back to the floor when the wind stopped.

His mind felt both full and empty at the same time. There was so much he'd need to sort through and organize, but he no longer felt incomplete. He had the words to explain his emotions once more. He could look at them without any sense of frustration with himself, nor would he see any doubt. The truth was in front of him, in all of its shining purple and golden glory.

He liked Teru.

"Shigeo?"

His eyes flew wide open as he lifted his head from the floor. Taking him from his thoughts was the very same boy he'd been thinking about all day, kneeling on the ground in front of a vending machine.

"Hh- Teru!" Mob smiled as best as he could, hoping to come across as human. Well- of course he looked human, that was because he was. Both him and his feelings. The feelings he had for Teru. The feelings that Teru didn't know about yet. There, that was the issue.

The esper stood up from the floor with a smile, wiping the hair out of his face and shaking his head. "Are you coming back from the Consultation office?" He hid his hands into his jacket pockets. Seeing as the sun had just begun to set, Teru didn't have much of a reason to still be in his uniform. Rather, he wore a coat over a band t-shirt and shorts. It was one of his less flashy outfits, but he did say that he would be playing soccer with his friends that day.

"How did you know?" Mob could feel the warmth of the sun trickle along his skin.

As it turned out, having a crush while being aware of it came with some side effects that cluelessness did not. For example, his nerves. A shaky feeling ran through his veins. It'd been so long that he'd forgotten about it, but at that very moment, it was loud and clear.

Teru tilted his head. "Shigeo, you told me as soon as you started going the opposite direction as me." He gave out a weak and small laugh, but it was strong enough to pique Mob's engagement. Listening to it, it was just a song that he'd heard before. Yes, a nice one, but he'd already listened to it so many times. The only thing was that now, Mob could admit to himself that he wouldn't mind listening to it on repeat forever.

It cradled his pulse, waiting for it to slow down. Patient and kind, that was all Teru ever was for him. Well, except for that one time, but that was behind them.

"Oh, of course." Was all Shigeo could muster up the courage to say, watching awestruck.

"Are you okay?" Teru took a step towards the other, and Mob could feel his heart Jumpstart. "You seem pretty shaken up."

"Huh? I-" Mob's eyes darted across the scenery, looking at everything that wasn't Teru. The sidewalk basked in the hues of the sun, and the vending machine had a dim blue glow. There was some moss growing along the wall next to the steps. Within the cracks, he noticed a few flowers.

Ah .

"Do you want me to get you something? I didn't have any 100s, so I just put in a 500 coin." Teru backed away from the other, letting go of his grasp on him. He trailed back to the machine and turned his head to Mob. "Is there anything you want?"

Was there anything he wanted? Well, yes, there was. And it was standing right in front of Mob with glee. But he didn't have nearly enough courage to say that, not when he'd just failed to answer the simplest of questions. He shook his head, turning his eyes to the floor bashfully.

Teru let out a hum as he pressed the same button twice. Fairly soon, a rattling sound came from the machine, covering up the whirring noises from behind it. The boy knelt down to pick up two cans. When Teru moved back to Shigeo, he held one out for him. Mob took it, his hand grazing over the other's.

"You told me you like milk, right?" Teru's eyes lingered over the touch of their fingers almost as long as Mob did. Meeting his face once more, he saw the same softness in his demeanor that Mob had always seen. Only now had he begun to see it in a different lens. "I thought you might like strawberry, too."

"Thank you, Teru." Shigeo left his lips parted, analyzing the art on the can. There was a small drawing of a pink cow. When he was younger, Mob used to think that pink milk came from those pink cows, but Ritsu assured him they didn't. He smiled looking back on the memory.

Looking up to greet Teru, the boy in front of him was looking at him with amazement. It was just the same as it had always been, but Mob couldn't help but wonder about it. What was he amazed by? He would never know. What he could identify, though, was the blush that spread along his cheeks as he was caught staring. His jaw shut close, and the kindness of his expression vanished. "I gotta go back to soccer now! See you, Shige- Shigeo!"

With that, the boy ran off with the can in hand, not even bothering to collect his change from the machine.

Teru had just been acting weird, right? That wasn't an illusion? Not a dream?

Perhaps it was a strange thing for Mob to dwell on. Everybody acted weird sometimes; that was just a normal part of being human. However, the inkling in the back of his heart told him to look further into it. To analyze his actions, the stutter of his words, and the red color blooming on his face- all to find out if he, by the grace of the universe, possibly liked Shigeo back.

But logic overruled. Doing that was pointless, and it didn't matter if Teru liked him yet. Sure, it made him want to explode with joy, but his top priority at that time was to get home.

The adrenaline that had built up inside of him was still present, so he figured that he could run the entire way. He knew that if he didn't get it out now, then he'd have trouble sleeping.

The truth was, Mob didn't like strawberry milk. It tasted nothing like strawberries, nor did it taste like milk. It was something completely separate from the two of them, and it always felt so artificially dry on his tongue. He never hated it per se, he never really hated anything, but it wasn't something he actively sought out.

And yet he still held the can in his hand, clutching onto it the entire way home. He kept it past the bus stop, past the front door to his house, and past the entrance of his room. The cold condensation on the outside had begun to drop, and Mob's hand was freezing and wet by the time he finally sat it down on his desk, right next to all of the other little things Teru had given him. He wiped his hand off with his pants and hung his blazer in his closet.

All of it was neatly lined up against the wall of the table. There was the frog he'd gotten from the arcade, some origamis that he'd made for Shigeo during class, a mini Murano glass cat, the unused notebook which he gave him on his birthday, and the occasional sparkly rock that Teru found for him. He never knew where else to put them, but seeing as they were all gifts from the same person, it made the most sense to keep them together. Plus, whenever Mob was studying, he could always look at them. Just to think about Teru.

Admitting all of those things to himself, Shigeo, too, wondered how he hadn't realized his feelings sooner.

Sitting down, he opened the notebook for the first time since he'd gotten it. The price sticker was still on, reading an absurdly high number. The first page wasn't empty. In the middle of it was a gift message from Teru. His handwriting was so neat compared to Mob's, and the boy couldn't help but run the tips of his fingers on it, tracing the delicate details. It tickled.

He quickly flipped to a different page. Why had he opened it again? Oh right, to answer his own questions. Ritsu had once said that that was what he did whenever he wondered about himself. He prepared answers to questions other people might have, just so he'd be able to keep up a conversation. Shigeo didn't expect to be asked either of these, but he wanted the answers. Just for himself... and maybe, just maybe, Teru.

Questions:
1. When did I develop feelings for Teru?
2. Does he like me back?

His head was shockingly empty despite all of his whirling thoughts from within the past hour. He'd only managed to get down two questions. The first one was mostly out of curiosity, while the second one... He could get back to that later.

When had it all begun? Well, definitely not the day which they first met. That would be really weird, and Mob never believed in love at first sight. Crushes! He never believed in crushes at first sight. Their next meeting was infiltrating Claws, but Mob was too focused on finding Ritsu that day. Shigeo wondered if perhaps tracing every single time they interacted to look for a glimpse of his own feelings was pointless. Under the first line, he wrote 'A while'.

Soon, the silence of the world was interrupted by a knock in his bedroom door. "Brother?" Ritsu called.

As if he were snapped out of a trance, Mob made his merry way over to him, opening the door. His feet bounced on their fronts. "Hi, Ritsu. Do you need something?"

"No, you're just home pretty late, is all." That was true, but Shigeo hadn't thought about it. Mob hadn't texted Ritsu to tell him where he would be the entire afternoon. He would most likely text him if he needed him, though. "Did you visit Reigen's office?"

Ritsu was always smart, and it didn't come as much a surprise that he was able to deduce that. "I did. I went there for some advice."

"Huh? What kind of advice did you need from him?"

Mob lifted his head. "Ah- relationship ones..? Or emotion advice." He still wasn't sure which of those categories explained it better.

"Huh, well, you can always talk to me." He smiled, backing away from the doorframe. However, he didn't make much of an effort to actually leave. "I think I'd be able to help you out more since, you know."

"Know what?" Mob opened the door further, letting the know escape his hand.

Ritsu crossed his arms. "Reigen hasn't had a romantic relationship ever, and I have." The statement was framed like a bash on Reigen and his questionable practices, but the message got across.

Mob hummed, his eyes glancing to his feet. "Hm... Oh- I never said it was romantic!"

"So it isn't about you and Teru-san?" Ritsu widened his eyes in surprise. Neither of the two brothers were ever any good at reading people, but Mob assumed that the sparkling commotion under the skin of his face was a fairly clear tell.

"N-no, it was. Or- is?"

"Hm," Ritsu tilted his head backward, his spiky hair falling atop itself. "Do you want to tell me about it?" He swayed his head with a smile, filled to the brim with comfort and safety.

Shigeo was home, and there was no use in keeping something so simple hidden.

Shigeo moved away from the doorway, allowing his little brother to come into his room if he wished to. Not shockingly, he stepped in with pride and soon kneeled onto the floor. His hands on his lower thigh, Ritsu prepared to listen. After the two of them had 'fought' on the day of the rampage, talking about their own emotions had become much more encouraged between both him and Mob. The latter of which copied Ritsu, sitting on his knees.

"So? What is it?"

Mob lowered his head, sucking in a shallow breath. "For a while now, I've had... feelings for somebody, but I didn't notice. Reigen helped me realize."

The room was quiet. The curtains were drawn, and there wasn't much sun coming in. The light was turned off, and Mob could barely make out the features of his brother's face. "Teru-san?"

Shigeo nodded, not even bothering to ask how he could tell. "Reigen told me I should take time to think about it and tell him once I feel ready."

His brother nodded along to his words, emanating the same safety he had always given for Mob. "That makes sense, but I don't think you'll really want to wait too long."

He tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"Well," The younger boy lifted his eyes to the ceiling of the darkening room. "With Takane, you two never saw each other that often, so you never had much room to be impatient. But with him, you're always together... It's better to tell him before you start spiraling into a place you can't get out of."

"Spiraling?"

"Trying to figure out if they like you back by analyzing their every move, and then dreading over why nothing ever goes right." Ritsu said flatly, lowering his head. "It's not great if you still want to be friends with that person. Delaying telling him about how you feel will just put a strain on you two."

"Oh." Shigeo was pretty sure he understood, even though it seemed a little exaggerated. His brother seemed to be speaking from experience. Is that what it was like with him and Shou before they confessed? Even while they were best friends, being unable to tell each other the truth had put distance between them?

As much as Shigeo didn't want that to happen between him and Teru, he also feared the opposite outcome.

"What if I tell Teru, he rejects me, and then he gets uncomfortable being around me?" Mob asked, his hands moving against the fabric on his legs. It didn't seem completely implausible.

"I was afraid of that happening to me and Shou," Ritsu began speaking after a moment of silence. "But if you and Takane could remain friends, then I figured me and him could, too."

"But Teru isn't like Tsubomi." Mob retaliated almost immediately before realizing he was being expected to elaborate, eyes boring into his own face. "... I had a crush on her, but even then, I didn't really know her ... It felt more like I just wanted to be accepted by someone than for her to return my feelings."

His brother hummed, encouraging him to go on.

"Teru isn't like that. I don't like the idea of him, I like him . As a person, as a crush, and as a friend." Mob clutched the ends of his sleeves. "And I don't know what I would do if that changed."

That was what he really feared. A change in their relationship, just the same as he had before. He didn't want to lose him because of the secrets between him, but he didn't want to make him uncomfortable, either. Teru never stayed friends with any of the girls who confessed to him- even though he wasn't friends with any of them before then. Shigeo didn't want their friendship to end.

"I don't think you need to worry about that." Ritsu gave out his own personal and analytical opinion with a sharp exhale.

Mob lifted his head up, peering through the gaps in between his hair. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is- If neither of you want to lose your friendship, then who's to say that you have to?"

He made a good point. If there was anything Mob was sure of, it was that the two of them were still close, no matter what. If Teru was uncomfortable with Shigeo's confession, then they could forget about it- act like it never happened, and keep going on the path they were on before. Nothing dictated that they wouldn't be able to remain in close proximity, but at the same time, Shigeo wasn't sure if he wanted to forget.

"You can take your time. You shouldn't rush into anything like this. I'm sure that Teru-san won't hate you, and I'm even more sure that he'd be willing to wait for you until you're ready." Ritsu pushed himself forwards to place a hand on his shoulder, just to reassure him. Eventually, he found his way off of his knees and stood up.

"Thank you, Ritsu." Mob turned around to his brother waiting by the doorway.

"It's no problem." Before he headed out, he took one step back into Shigeo's room. "Oh, and make sure to watch out for cars, okay?"

Why did people keep telling him that? It was a mystery that Mob didn't have nearly enough time or energy for. His brother returned to his own room, and Shigeo was left alone once again, wavering on his feet in the middle of his empty room. What time was it? He didn't know. He returned to his desk, pulling out the chair and taking a seat. When he turned on the lamp to get back to working on his questions, he knew his eyes were meant to be on the paper. But as soon as they caught a glimpse of the pink and white can, they couldn't be pulled away.

The lamp he used was dim and blue. His last one gave him headaches, so he traded it for a different one. It didn't create too much of a contrast between his table and the rest of the room, other than that he could properly see the words he wrote down. He reached out for the can of strawberry milk.

Teru got it for him without a second thought. Teru held it out for him to take. Teru smiled the entire way through. Of course Teru gave him that gift- after all, that's what best friends did. He noticed how shaken up Shigeo was, so he wanted to help.

But all the while Mob pressed open the lid, overhearing the cracking noise of the metal, he couldn't help but wonder if there was at least an ounce of feelings in the gesture.

Taking a sip, it was the sweetest thing he'd ever had. Almost overwhelmed by the amount of sugar in it, but soon, it melted. Just the same way that Teru's expert cooking skills always managed to maintain that sweetness. Mob could barely register the taste of the milk, his mind preoccupied back in the galaxy he'd been in only once before. He wasn't sure how to navigate it, but with guidance from those around him, he knew a few directions to go.

He moved the can back to the desk, replacing it with his pencil. He wrote down another question.

3. How long do I wait?

-----☆-----

One month. One month it took for Shigeo to decide he was ready.

In that period of time, not much had shifted between what he did with Teru. They still hung out whenever they could, texted and called constantly, and Mob's feelings didn't change. It was simply far more apparent each time they interacted; much more clear that Shigeo had a crush.

For his best friend. The person everybody wished to date. Shigeo really wasn't much different. Teru's locker brimmed with letters covered in hearts and chocolates with strawberry fillings, all from the girls he could choose to date anytime he so pleased. But he never did. He once told Mob that he was devoted only to the truth of his heart, and he wouldn't dare to toy with the strings of a girl's he knew he didn't like. He valued them as people over their romantic advances.

It was just another reason for him to like Teruki. Even with the times when he was fully truthful, there were solid reasons for it. He was honest above all else, and the 'else' category was a lot. He was kind to all walks of life. He was patient with Mob whenever they studied. He would run to the moon and back if it meant that Shigeo would laugh for him, smile for him. Of course, he never needed to. He laughed all the time with him.

And he was a good friend. The greatest best friend to ever come into Mob's life. And a part of that was his honesty. If there was anything that had to be reciprocated, it was that.

Mob felt guilty that he was hiding his emotions for him, from him. That was possibly the worst part of the month he spent giving himself time to think. It wasn't how distracted he'd been in class, nor was it how he blundered every conversation with him. It was that he couldn't bring himself to be truthful for that boy.

And that was, above all else, the priority of being a good best friend. Was Shigeo sure that he was ready? No. But he wanted to be what Teru had been for him.

"Heyyy, Mob and Hanazawa! Been waiting for you guys!" Reigen turned his head back and waved to the boys approaching him.

"Hello Master Reigen. Why did you call us to come here?" Teru asked, one hand in his blazer, and the other slinging his bag behind his back. Mob had gotten a phone call requesting the presence of both of them right after school had finished, but there wasn't much said.

The man placed his hands in his pockets, suddenly dawning a serious expression. His brows cast a shadow over his eyes. "Recently, we've been getting reports of a powerful evil spirit here. It's been terrorizing the people, and I needed you guys to help me out."

"Why can't you get Serizawa?" Teru asked. He was intrigued, yes, but more so confused.

"He's visiting his mother for now."

Teru furrowed his brows and squinted, leaning his head to the side of Reigen, looking far past him. "... Is that Tome getting ice cream with Mezato?"

"Yeah- it is! They're also on this job. They're going to report any strange activity back to us." With a whirlwind of hand expressions, Reigen managed to maneuver his phone out of his pocket and hold it up for Teru to see.

The boy swayed back to Mob's side. "Why would a powerful spirit be at a festival in the middle of the day?"

Every November, Seasoning City hosted an autumnal festival. There was not much history behind it, other than the tradition of keeping it going. There was nothing too special about it. There were parades, aisles upon aisles of different food stands and pop-up shops, and some old shrines. It was Seasoning City's way of having something to do during the season.

Reigen continued. "This is a spirit that feasts on the happiness of people, hiding in plain sight. How about-"

"Spirits can't usually hide themselves among crowds in the daytime, they get spotted pretty easily. Not to mention, this place has shrines and other sacred symbols scattered all over the place. Any spirit hiding over here would have been evaporated a long time ago, or at least severely weakened if it's as powerful as you say." Teru placed a hand on his hip, and the other pointed to a stand selling Omamori and traditional charms.

"Well!" Reigen thinned his lips. "This isn't any ordinary spirit, and we're here to figure out why it hasn't been weakened!" Reigen pointed to Teru. "We're also going to exorcize it. So-"

Once again, the man was cut off by the esper casting suspicion on him. "I can't feel any psychic presence. Not any more than usual, at least."

"That's because the spirit is in hiding, and you're not as specialized in spirits as Mob is." Exasperated, the man explained.

"Reigen, I can't sense any hiding spirits, either." Shigeo commented.

"Hm," He covered the lower half of his face with his hand. "This spirit sure is strange." He spoke in a lower tone, still trying to keep up the serious adult facade.

Teru sighed, turning to Shigeo, trying to exchange a silent conversation. Mob didn't know how to do that, so he simply nodded and hoped that it was the correct answer. When Teru seemed satisfied, he returned to face Reigen. "What do you need us to do?"

"Finally, you're letting me talk. I need you both to try and lure out the spirit to attack you. We know that this spirit likes to come out when its victims experience positive emotions and are separated from the crowds." He explained with his hand on his hip, the other digging into his blazer. "So just try to have some fun, yeah?"

From his pocket, he took out a small stack of cash, handing it out for Shigeo (he was not about to trust Teru with it. Knowing him, he'd just buy an offbrand copy of Dead Flying Pig).

"And what are you going to do?" Teru kept questioning the man in front of him.

Luckily, Reigen used one of his special moves. "Hey Mob, can I talk to you for a second?" He dodged the question. Miraculous!

The boy nodded and followed his ex-master over to the stand selling charms. It wasn't out of Teru's line of sight but was far enough so that he couldn't hear them. Mob wasn't sure what Reigen had to tell him that he couldn't tell the other.

"This is your chance, kid." Reigen shot him a look of encouragement that he could recognize. He stood in the line to the stand, pulling on some more money from his pocket.

Still, Mob didn't understand what was going on. He was almost certain that there were no evil spirits at the festival, but Reigen seemed to insist upon it. "My chance?" He repeated.

"To ask out Blondie-" The man handed the cash to the person working there and said something with his head turned away from Mob. He was given a small drawstring bag and left, bringing his attention back to the esper. "- This is as perfect of a chance you can get."

"Huh? Right now?" Shigeo was taken aback by the suddenness of the situation. "Aren't we supposed to look for the spirit-"

"Just do whatever you're ready for." Reigen interrupted him, patting him on the shoulder before walking back to Teru.

Mob was still trying to collect his thoughts, piecing them together like a puzzle.

"Hey kiddo! I got you some charms. Y'know, just in case this spirit is the real deal." He put a hand to cup over his lips, whispering the last few words of his sentence. He held out the drawstring bag for Teru to take. "You should both hold onto them."

Teru, once again, was visibly confused. "We're espers, we don't need amulets for protection..." He opened the bag, pulling out two pink charms. "... These are Enmusubi talismans. These won't do anything to protect us."

... Oh, there was pressure on him. Reigen had bought them both Enmusubi, the talisman that binded souls together. It could be for friends or for family, but in most cases, it was for romantic couples.

Shigeo turned away, hoping to hide away the heat that crept its way onto his face. At least he'd figured out what this was all about.

Before either esper could even register it happening, Reigen waved and made his way into the distance. "Have fun you two!"

The two boys were left alone in the crowd, with Teru still holding the bag. His eyes gleamed with something curious as he watched the man walk off.

Shigeo caught a hold of himself as he ripped his gaze away from Teru's. "So, we just have to have fun and lure the spirit out of hiding?" He asked in an attempt to make sure he understood whatever cryptic message Reigen was trying to get across via one-handed sign language.

"Guess so..." Teru's gaze fell. He looked deep in contemplation, like he was about to strike an epiphany. His eyes widened for just a millisecond before he smiled and turned his head over to Mob. "Guess so. Here." He placed the Omamori in his hand gentle enough to not smear ash.

The crowd had only grown since they arrived with the influx of students attending the festival. A boy from Mob's class bumped into his shoulder. Seeing as both he and Teru were standing still in the middle of the path, it didn't seem like that boy's fault.

Teru must have noticed and came to the same conclusion as Shigeo. He swiftly took his hand, tugging just lightly forwards, signaling them to walk along the road. "Come on, then! Waiting won't do any good." Teru's face lit up as he pulled Mob onwards.

The festival didn't have much sustance behind it, leaving it as just an open space for really anything. Shigeo found small stores selling various items from clothing to furniture to carpets... for some reason? He'd expected a place like this to be overwhelming with how little it had been organized, but strangely enough, every oddball fit right in.

Everything followed the same color pallette, as if there were a rule on it. Either that, or autumnal colors suited the place the best. Reds and oranges were scattered across the place, popping out from every corner, similar to the drying leaves on the ground.

"Where are we off to first, Shigeo?" Teru asked, speaking so calmly despite having been so suddenly thrown into this predicament. He talked like he'd completely forgotten about the spirit. Although, considering how little energy surrounded the place, he might have.

Mob hadn't been so smart to think ahead, mostly just heading wherever the wind- or Teru, in this case- would take him. He brought a finger to his chin, not allowing himself to let go of the others' hand... wait, they were holding hands.

Teru was holding his hand, and he didn't even seem bothered by it.

It was a fairly romantic thing, but at the same time, they had been doing it before Shigeo was even aware of his feelings. But the simple fact that Teru wasn't disgusted with the idea of doing something like that seemed like a good sign. Or, on the contrary, he hadn't even recognized it, and bringing attention to their interlocked fingers would make him hyperaware of how it made Mob's heart skip a beat or 5.

Why was such a simple thing on paper truthfully so complicated?

"Helloooo? Anybody home?" Teru knocked on the boy's chest with his free hand, right above where his heart would be. It was so light, he wouldn't have even noticed if it weren't for the closeness behind it. "You look like you've just seen a ghost... oh! Did you find the spirit?"

As Teru whirled his head around in a futile attempt to locate some spiritual energy, Mob found himself internally thankful that those two eyes were off of him. He (and his reddened face) weren't in sight. Not having your actions under threat of being picked apart was nice, but it left him wondering.

6. How am I going to tell him?

After all, he barely lasted half a confrontation. Shigeo shook his clouding thoughts away, collecting his own demeanor and looking behind the boy he'd much rather be looking at. "No, there's an old vintage store over there." He pointed in the general direction of it.

"Hm," Teru squinted his eyes, trying to find it. As pretty as they were, his eyes definitely needed to be checked. "Most vintage stores don't have anything worth your time, let-"

"The sign says they're selling original copies of Dead Flying Pig." Shigeo interrupted him.

"ShigeowegottagooverthereIthinkIcanfeelsomespiritualenergyovertherewegottago-" Mob was fairly certain that Teru was trying to speak in actual words, but they came out unintelligible. One thing that he could understand, however, was the fact that he was being pulled towards the store.

He gave out a weak laugh as Teru became dead set on finding the copies he'd been promised. There was something lost along Mob's tongue, caught dryly in his throat, but he didn't bother to figure it out. Teru searched through the fairly packed aisles of the store, looking for the right tapes. He always gave such things so much passion that Mob wondered why he wouldn't just become a movie star. Well, maybe because he couldn't time travel back to the 60s when having 500 yen and a dream was enough to make the most obscure film of all time.

Teru had once tried to show him the film, but the tape had broken inside the player. Even through both of their greatest efforts, they didn't manage to salvage it. Mob assumed that Teru would be upset that he no longer had the movie (which to be fair, he was), but even so, he seemed more disappointed that he couldn't watch it with Shigeo.

He smiled as Teru finally found it. He yanked it out with both hands, holding it up as if it were a sacred relic, more powerful than the one in his pocket.

Mob watched as he flipped it over about a hundred times, peering in through the transparent parts of the cartridge, trying to see if it was a fake or not. The cool breeze had swept away his hair, and Mob found himself once again lost in thought.

5. Why do I like him?

He could spend his entire day listing off things he liked about Teru. If he totaled how many times he'd create that list in his head, the number may as well have tallied to a week straight. But that wasn't what he had in mind when writing that question.

Why did he like him in the way he did? Well, that was a confusing one.

Of course he did, but why? He was pretty, but so was Mezato. He had niche and strange interests that Mob would pick up on during the course of their friendship, and as endearing as they were, the same went for just about anybody.

But he remembered what Reigen had told him. Not everything is going to have a clear answer. The truth behind human emotions is that sometimes, they don't summon from logic. They come out of nowhere and hit you like a ton of bricks. It wasn't satisfactory, but that was all he had.

"Shigeo, can you pay?" Teru asked as he stood before the cashier. The mini register screen read 1500 yen. Realizing he was being spoken to, he pulled out what he'd been given from his blazer pocket and to the person manning the shop.

Teru insisted that they use a bag with packaging around the tape. It made sense that he wouldn't want a repeat of the previous event, but at the same time, it seemed a little excessive.

Either way, Mob was too deep in his own head to care.

"So, any updates?" Teru asked as the two of them left the store and back onto the road, their hands just barely separated.

Mob let his head fall to the side. "Updates on what?"

"The spirit," He chimed as a strong gust of wind struck the treeline above them. "Are you sensing anything?"

"No, it's the same as before." Mob replied. Reigen's ploy to get the two of them together during the festival by saying it was to look for an evil spirit seemed strange, but he was a strange man. His only friends were an ex-terrorist, Banshomaru Shinra, and a lot of teenagers. Shigeo wasn't entirely sure if trying to get him to ask Teru out was a side-quest on top of the exorcism or if the entire thing was a ruse.

The latter option seemed much more likely, seeing as the entire place was barren of any trace or droplet of evil. Dimple wouldn't even be able to survive in a place like this.

"I can't sense any evil spirits, either." Teru responded, taking a leap of a step to avoid a puddle in the ground. He interlocked his hands behind his back, walking the walk with vigor. "But are you sensing that you're having fun?"

Teru sounded like he was making a joke, so Shigeo returned the favor. "My day could be better." He spoke through a light grin.

As it appeared in front of him, Teru took that as a challenge. "Then hurry up! We're out on a job; we don't have a second to spare!

-----☆-----

The same answer always came to the same repeating question. Or at least, it did with Teru.

"What do you want to do?" Shigeo would ask whenever he needed a plan or layout for the events to unfold.

Each time, Teru would shoot back with "Whatever's interesting enough for us."

It wouldn't be those exact words, but the demeanor and meaning behind them was always the same. Mob always wanted to have at least an understanding as to where he should be, but Teru reminded him of their plan. If he never tried to step outside of where he was meant to go, then where was he able to walk?

Nowhere, was the answer.

Sometimes in order to figure out your place in orbit, you'd just have to take a leap of faith. To make a rash decision or a simple mistake, none of it would ever be in vain. Not if they helped define the many paths leading to the future.

Like today, for example, Shigeo learned that he did not enjoy most carnival games. Not just because he was bad at them, but also because they were all obnoxiously loud. However, he discovered a newfound interest with how dedicated Teru looked when he wanted to win something. His nose creased, and his brows furrowed, just the same way he'd do when he focused on correcting Shigeo's schoolwork.

... That second thing didn't seem like it helped narrow the possibilities of the future. The only thing that changed was that Shigeo would like to be able to see it again. He'd like to see that face as many times as he could. And the look of victory he wore as he beat a 5 year old in a game of darts was almost contagious. Almost. That 5 year old was crying very loudly.

"If I didn't give the kid that plushie, then I would have given it to you." Teru said as the two walked away from the game stand. He sighed, either in defeat or in loss of an opportunity.

"It was a good thing you did." Mob kept his hands still by his sides. How long had it been? Ah, he didn't have a watch. He looked up to the sky, only to be met with the same blue sky he'd been accustomed to around the evening.

"Obliterating a child at a carnival game isn't really something to be proud of," Teru closed his eyes and lifted a hand to tug on his collar. "So of course I did. Plus, I'd rather get you something that I actually had to work for."

Shigeo involuntarily smiled at the thought that Teru wanted to give him something. It seemed stupid since he did that with everyone, but that didn't rest the tugging on his cheeks. "You don't need to get me anything more. I'm glad I could spend the day with you." He looked down to watch his footsteps along the concrete.

The boy by his side scoffed and allowed them to keep walking. Where were they headed? They had no idea. For the past few hours, they'd stopped wherever they wanted to. Shigeo nearly forgot why they were there in the first place.

Teru didn't. "We haven't found the spirit, Shigeo."

Oh, they hadn't. "Oh." Reigen brought them here so Mob could confess.

It was unusual for Reigen to be so involved in Mob's business, but at the same time, it was him that came to his office for advice. He was adamant about helping people through whatever loop around method he could, even if that meant making up a silly story about an evil spirit.

Mob had been so focused on having an actual okay time that he tried to block out his worries about what he would say or the soreness in his throat (the festival was cool and all, but he hadn't drinken anything in a few hours). However, little concerns seeped their way through his mental barricade. The truth was that he had absolutely no clue as to what he should say. Words never seemed to do him justice, and he didn't have any time to prepare.

"We're on the clock, so we can't really disappoint with our performance." Teru pointed out as Mob remained unsure as to A. Were they going to be paid, and B. Was there even a spirit?

When Hanazawa abruptly came to a stop and pulled his blazer to come with him into the gaps between stalls and stores, Shigeo figured it didn't matter.

"There's been something I've been meaning to try out for a while now, ever since the tape incident," Teru stretched out his hands with his fingers interlocked, cracking them. "Do you remember that day?"

"No." Yes.

He sighed in relief. "Good, it was embarrassing." He returned his hands to his hips. "What I wanted to do was to see if we could try to combine our psychic abilities to use my detailed focus and your raw power to be able to get the tape out as delicately as possible."

"Combine them?" That wasn't something Mob had ever considered. Espers could have the same focus on something and increase the strength of their output like the Claw lackeys, but to combine them? "Why would we need to do that?"

"Well, if even you can't sense where the spirit is, then maybe we can try to do an all-out search. We've already walked around this place, but I didn't feel a change in anything. With my specific focus and large array of techniques and your raw strength, we'd make a good team."

If there was a spirit as powerful as Reigen rumored, hiding in plain sight, then doing something like that... "... That could work." Whether it really could or not wasn't the first question, though. The one they'd have to start with was: "How would we combine our powers?" Mob asked.

Teru faced the sky, which was now blocked by the leaves of trees above. In the small space they'd found themselves in, it was noticeably darker and much quieter. The sounds of people chatting faded behind the walls that separated them. Under Mob's feet, he could feel a small patch of moss.

When an idea struck Teru, his face lit up, along with the tips of his hair curling upwards. He faced Shigeo with wide eyes. "I've seen this in a movie before! We have to do a cool pose; like this!" Teru lifted his back leg and grabbed both of Mob's hands, leaning on them slightly for support.

Shigeo didn't understand why the pose was so necessary, but he obliged. He bent his back knee and raised his foot, finding support in the hands Teru had lent him. They were fairly close, and their elbows were touching.

"On three, Shigeo!" Teru shut his eyes tight with the determination of a 30 year old Reigen who had just played that one pixel game with the skeleton dude.

Before Mob could respond with a repeat of his previous question, the boy he held onto began the count.

"One!"

Shigeo didn't know what they were supposed to do once he said three. Was he supposed to funnel his powers to Teru, or were they meant to meet each other halfway? That second one made sense, but he wasn't sure if Teru knew how to transfer his powers. They really should have clarified that before they began, but Mob trusted Teru. Of course he did, because why else would they even be here, at the festival with Enmusubi in their pockets?

But then what would happen if it worked? What if they did find the spirit and exorcized it? Then, Teru would go home without knowing about any of the plans Shigeo had for that day. He'd leave with a smile, and everything Mob had worked up would be lost once again, just as he'd lost it all behind the school, at his apartment, and all the way back to his room. This was the closest he was going to get for a while.

"Two!"

Mob knew that once he got home, he'd try to gather up his constellation into obliquity again, to little avail. He'd hug his knees to his chest, staring at the notebook in front of him and the page full of questions.

Then what was he supposed to do? He didn't want to sabotage the mission, but at the same time, he didn't want to interrupt it. Shigeo wished that he had thought of something earlier, because he didn't know exactly how to turn back time. Maybe he could ask Teru later.

He shut his eyes, a storm welling within his head. If there was anything he'd been taught, it was that there was nothing he had to hide. Teru deserved to know, and keeping something so silly a secret would only ever result in harm. He inhaled.

"Three."

The words caught in his throat that had painted something unfamiliar on the tip of his tongue made it out in a hushed whisper.

"... I love you."

Oh.

Shigeo didn't mean to say that.

Somehow, he managed to surprise himself with his own little exclamation. A part of him hoped that Teru couldn't even hear it, but the other half just wanted this all to be over with. He didn't even need to force his powers out of them because they had already spilled out, coating the stale wind that separated them.

Shigeo didn't even notice how the hands around his had tightened, then loosened, then repeated that pattern again. The air around them was crisp the entire day, but there was something new. The smell of distant food stalls and small cafés and the hint of Teru's cologne had been wafted away, just as the sounds of music and chatter had been.

Mob felt the other boy's exhale tickle his face. He didn't know how close he was with his eyelids still blocking his vision, but he moved his head back, allowing himself to unstiffen and drop his back leg. Teru's breath still smelled like the dango they'd gotten together; Mob could feel the reminiscence of honey on his lips.

When his foot hit the ground, he was startled to find that it wasn't the same floor as before. The mossy stones in the little quiet alleyway had disappeared, and instead, it was soft. Something pricked his calf, and he finally opened his eyes.

He and Teru were a lot closer than he'd expected, and of all the expressions he'd expected to see, it wasn't that.

His eyes were wide open, allowing the sun to hit every corner of his eye just right. The heavy light framed his face like it had always belonged there. His lips were parted.

It was the same indescribable expression Teru always made. When he tried to look at Mob during class, in the alleyway on his birthday, after Shigeo reached a new PR, when Mob showed up on his balcony and danced with him, toe to toe- and even back in the hospital when he rested his knuckles over Teru's chest.

Wait- why was there so much sunlight all of a sudden? Mob felt like he'd been transported a million miles away and into a brand new world of his and Teru's, but that didn't make any logical sense.

He tore his gaze away from Teru, who had his feet planted in the grass and held onto Mob at a reasonable distance. The only view Shigeo was met with was the blinding sun setting over the distant mountains lined with red trees and flowers.

... Maybe it did make sense.

"Wh-" Confusion hit Mob hard. "Where are we?" He managed to get it out, looking back at Teru, avoiding his face.

"Hu-ah?" His voice somehow managed to crack on a single syllable word. He batted his eyelashes a few times before looking away from Shigeo, realizing the circumstance and pulling away from his grasp. "OH."

Mob followed suit, looking around them and scanning the area.

They were not at the festival anymore. In fact, he didn't think they were even in Seasoning City. The two espers stood upon a high hill in a tall field of sunflowers that reached up to their waists.

Teru stumbled back and left Mob's hands, a thousand different emotions flashing on his face before freezing on one that seemed to be an awkward mix of all of them. "You ask a great question, Shigeo- ha," He weakly laughed and pointed a finger gun at Mob, the other hand resting on his hip. His pose looked uncomfortable, but that slipped past both of their minds. "I think I, um, teleported us?"

Taking one last look at the scenery and the small town down below, there wasn't much else of an explanation. "Teru..." He returned his eyes back to the boy he'd accidentally just confessed way too much to. Did he hear it? Who knew, because there was something much more intriguing at the moment. "You did it!" He beamed, the fear fogging up his mind evaporating with his smile, burning at his cheeks.

Teru looked like he was one gust of wind away from tumbling down the hill. There was a hint of disbelief plastered all across him. Perhaps he was just as confused as Mob was.

Shigeo felt something more powerful than his little worries could ever amount to, and it all came from his best friend's achievement. Proud. That was all he had the capacity to be. "You've wanted to learn how to teleport for a while now, right? You did it!" Without even acknowledging it, he took a long step forward, reaching out for the boy's hands. He needed something to squeeze, either that, or he'd end up running a course to the moon.

"I..." Teru's wiggly smile almost blossomed as he brought his eyes up to meet Mob's, but once they did, his face fell. All of the feelings that Shigeo could try to decode had left, only leaving something dull.

"Are you okay?" Shigeo couldn't help but ask. He only reached out one hand, but Teru didn't take it. It wasn't like he didn't notice it. Their fingers were brushing, but Teru didn't move. "Do you feel sick?"

"No, I'm fine... you?" His voice sounded like there was a scratch on the record. The record that played on repeat in Shigeo's head.

The quiet of the hill was starting to catch up with Mob, the adrenaline settling into his blood and claiming down. There wasn't much longer for him to bat around the bush. "I'm okay."

What was left to be said? Was Mob supposed to point out the fact that they hadn't found the spirit, or was he meant to bring attention to the fact that they had no idea where they were?

"Why did you teleport?" Mob asked.

Teru jerked his head away from the other esper, peering downhill. "I don't know." For once in his life, Teru seemed to be lacking words. Maybe he was exhausted from the overexertion of his powers, or maybe he was about to experience some teleportation side effects.

Or he heard Shigeo's accidental confession, loud and clear.

Mob didn't know if Teru heard him or not. Judging based on the way he was acting, he may have heard something. Even so, there wasn't any harm in making sure. "Did you hear me? In the alley..." He reached his hand out further.

"Yeah, it's fine." He said flatly, not looking at Mob. His entire body was turned toward the city below, his eyes tracing over the wireless.

Mob was taken aback by how little Teru seemed to pay mind to such a comment. No matter what his feelings for Shigeo were, it wasn't something to be taken so lightly. "You did?"

"Yeah, we all accidentally say weird things sometimes. I'm sorry for putting pressure on you so suddenly. I should have asked if you were ready." He waved his hand at Mob's general directions with his eyes closed. "I guess that's why it didn't work." He solemnly said.

... Did he not think he meant it?

Well- did Mob mean it? If he had to ask himself that question, then the answer seemed like it was meant to be obvious. Sure, when he said it, it was an accident. Maybe Teru was right about that, and about the pressure with the countdown, but he wasn't right about everything.

"Well, I wouldn't say it's not true..." Mob clasped his own hands together. As much as he had prepared himself mentally, nothing could prepare him for how nerve-wracking this was. His eyes laid half lidded, looking at Teru next to him. Side by side, their shoulders could almost touch.

"Stop. Okay? Just- stop." Teru almost shouted, his tone raised from the deepest depth of his chest. He looked at Mob with an expression he hadn't seen in years. "I don't want to hear it. You're gonna say something about how you love me as a friend, and I'm never gonna let it down."

Shigeo felt his heart pause and sink as deep as it could. He simply stared. "Huh?"

"I know you don't like me the way I like you. I don't want you to keep tricking me into thinking I have a chance." Teru backed away. He looked a little on the line between anger and sadness. "You're a great best friend, and I'm okay that that's all we'll be, but please," He sniffled. "Stop."

Mob was left without words.

With each step that Teru took down the hill, Mob found himself only growing more confused. Soon, Teru stopped and sat down, his knees close to himself, hugging around his arms. He hid his face into his sleeves, his hair sprawled across his uniform.

What did all of that mean? Shigeo's mind was buzzing, and he knew it was about to turn into a whirlwind of questions. But right now, he wasn't at trivia, he was on a hill in a city he didn't know. He could answer them later.

Mob picked a sunflower.

One thing he knew for sure was that Teru didn't know what was going on. Reigen had always said that communication is an important part of any relationship, romantic or not. Teru said that Mob didn't like him in the same way he did and that his confession was out of friendship. Not only that, but it was an accident. Technically, it was, but he was wrong.

In whatever way Teru liked him, Shigeo liked him too.

Mob picked another sunflower.

It wasn't the right time to analyze every one of Teru's words. That boy sat on the edge of the hill with his face hiding. He seemed like he was either trying to replicate Shou's invisibility, or like he was going to cry. Either way, Mob wasn't going to let that happen.

Shigeo's previous confession to him was half-baked and inefficient. Teru deserved at least a clear one, even if it wasn't proper.

Mob held the makeshift bouquet in his arms. The heads of the flowers were big enough to hide his entire face, and as much as he'd like to keep hiding, he knew he couldn't. Taking in a deep breath, he made his way closer to Teru, walking right behind him.

"I don't know what's ahead of me in life. I don't know what I'm going to do forever. When I told you that, you said that you'd help me. And you have." Where was Mob going with this? His eyes darted at the petals of the flowers. Oh, right. "I really admire you, and I'm glad I can be your friend, but I think you misheard me." Get to the point, Shigeo. "I'm still not really sure what my future holds, but I want you to be a part of it. Because I could be with you forever."

Mob held the flowers out and bowed his head, closing his eyes and hoping for a response.

He could hear the rustling of the grass as Teru turned around, looking up at him. "Huh?" His voice was muffled.

"Oh-" He didn't make things any clearer. "-I like you. Please go on a date with me." He corrected himself, keeping his head down. His eyes were open, and he could see Teru's shadow change shape.

It wasn't as terrifying as he thought it would be. If anything, it was a relief that he'd finally done it. Hiding and repressing such emotions was pointless, and confessing wasn't too hard. The only thing keeping him from doing it earlier was just that he didn't know if he was right. He just needed some time to make sure.

And he was pretty sure he liked Teru.

"Shigeo," His shadow unfurled on the grass, standing up. His voice was so much softer now, and Mob felt like he could learn how to teleport, too. Though, right now, that wouldn't be great for either of them. "Are you sure?"

Mob only lifted his head slightly. "Sure of what?"

"Your feelings. I mean- are you certain that you're not just confessing to me to make me feel better about liking you?"

"Huh? You like me?" Mob's head jolted up, his hand still extended with the flowers. All 12 of them.

"Yeah, only since we met! Thanks for noticing." He pouted as he crossed his arms over one another, but Mob could tell there was no ill intent with it.

"Since we met?" Had it really been that long? How could Shigeo have gone so long without even noticing it? Sure, he wasn't the best with social cues, but that was almost 3 years since their fight at Black Vinegar. Speaking of, "That's weird, Teru."

"Okay, not the day of! It was a few weeks after- after I recovered." Teru defended himself. Still, he didn't take the flowers.

The winds blew past them, allowing leaves to fly along them. It was so quiet from all the way up there. The serenity was nice and all, but Mob's arm was starting to hurt.

"If you gave me some time, I could have prepared you a real confession. Here- wait." He turned around all of a sudden, straightening his posture and fixing his own blazer. It took him a moment to gather himself before he spun back around. His expression was completely different; soft and full of adoration.

He leaned towards Mob, their faces once again close. "Shigeo, I was already yours." Teru let out in a low voice. It was like a line from a movie. Knowing him, Mob wouldn't put it past him. Teru took the flowers with one hand, and with the other, he held Shigeo's.

He was really good at this.

"How was that?" He returned to his normal tone and demeanor and tilted his head back. He smiled, but not in the way he did when he'd charm girls or his friends. It was like when they'd watch movies together and reach his favorite part. It was the kind of smile he couldn't repress.

Mob only returned the favor. The amount of excitement welling inside of him was almost becoming too much to bear. He needed to get it out; to run up and down the hills or throw himself to the moon. Instead, he wrapped both of his arms around Teru.

The balance of the sudden hug was off, and the two tilted over.

"Woah! Be careful of the cassette tape!" Teru shouted as his back landed on the grass, Shigeo following on top of him. He didn't let go, and Teru was almost laughing. "I can't break it another time, okay?"

Teru's hands fell onto the back of Mob's blazer and held him. Shigeo was having a bit of a difficult time seeing due to the awkwardness of the position, but that had never stopped him. He pulled back a little to see Teru's face, the gap between them being a worthy sacrifice. He held himself up by his arms.

"There's flowers in your hair." Mob pointed out, and low and behold, there were. Blue ones, red ones, pink ones- where did those even come from? They looked kind of like the ones in the cracks at his waiting spot.

The boy underneath chuckled. "They're in yours, too." Teru sounded like he lost his breath as he spoke, his words filled with so much lightness that Mob knew would get stuck in his head; like the song he played when they danced.

Before Mob could respond, Teru reached out a hand to the other boy's hair, patting it down and picked out some of the loose petals.

Without much else of an idea as to what to do, he let it happen, his eyelids drooping. He wasn't sure what they were supposed to do, seeing as he'd never contemplated getting past that point, but with Teru, he didn't need to worry.

His eyes shot open when he noticed it, "Our auras are completely purple." Looking down, there wasn't much trace of either of their separated energies, only the one color that came to be once they were close like this.

"Oh? You noticed that?" Teru asked in disbelief. "I always thought I was imagining that."

"Hm?" Mob tilted his head, which coincidentally leaned into the hand. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know... Suzuki and little brothers' energies mix because they're, you know, romantically interested in each other."

... Oh, they did. "I thought it was because we were friends. I saw it even before I had a- you know, thing."

"I guess that could be true. After all, our closeness won't really change that much if we start dating. We'll still be best friends, except ones that date each other." Teru's head dug into the grass like it was a pillow.

Mob liked the idea of that, but he was still caught up on something. "A- dating? Are we dating?"

"If you want to. But please, only do it if you're sure."

"I'm sure." Mob shot back, hiding his face into his (boy)friend's shoulder. His skin was soft above his collar, and even with the cheap material of their uniforms, he was comfortable enough to stay there. Was this something people did with their partners? Oh, better question: Did it matter?

It was nice. Mob's heart was pounding out of his chest, but so was Teru's.

Suddenly, the hill didn't seem so quiet anymore. Their energies were loud and sparkling light onto both of them, shining patterns on their skin. Teru breathed pretty loud, but Mob didn't mind. He'd gotten used to his excessive snoring during their sleepovers already. Compared to this, it was nothing.

They didn't talk for a while, simply basking in their shared euphoria. If Mob had to guess, it was most likely because both of them were too scared to make the next move or get up.

Teru was the one to interrupt the silence. "... We're not getting paid for this job, are we?"