Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"I'm back!"

"Tsukasa, look who came!" His mother squealed excitedly.

"Huh? Aunt Sora?!" The blonde ran to greet the other person in the room.

"Oh my, look at you, it's been so long." The woman hugged him, the same way she used to do when she took care of him before moving to Fukuoka. "You've grown so much, you're quite a man!"

"And you don't know how painful it is to see him grow up." His mother wiped away an imaginary tear.

"I completely understand you, you don't know how scared I am just thinking about the day Kei leaves home!" His aunt turned to him again. "And you had to hear how much he couldn't stop talking when he came to Tokyo once and had the chance to see one of your shows!"

"So Kei told you?" Tsukasa recalled the time his cousin sent him a message talking about his show. "I'm glad he enjoyed it."

"And it's a shame you don't do shows at that amusement park anymore. Hana told me all about it, it must be really interesting to work with different troupes, right?"

"It is!" He beamed in an instant. "I've been learning a lot to improve my acting and it's so awesome to have the opportunity to learn and work with different actors!"

"That's good to hear, keep doing your best, Tsukasa!"

"Of course!" With that, Tsukasa decided to go to his room, but his aunt elbowed him which made him stop.

"And tell me Tsukasa." She grinned, as if she was about to gossip. "Do you happen to have a girlfriend?"

"Sora!" Her mother was the first to be shocked.

"I didn't say anything wrong! Look at him Hana, you can't tell me that he doesn't have a girlfriend with that face!" Her aunt defended herself. "The last time I heard him talk about a girl was a certain 'Shizuku' that he helped."

"Shizuku is the older sister of one of Saki's friends!"

Tsukasa just limited himself to observing the exchange between his mother and aunt, letting out a slight uncomfortable laugh at being the center of it and understanding what people meant with the embarrassing questions that aunts usually ask about girlfriends.

"You're wasting your time anyway." His mother crossed her arms and shook her head as if in disapproval.

"What do you mean?"

"Tsukasa said he doesn't plan on having a girlfriend or children in the future." His aunt's jaw dropped in complete shock.

Tsukasa put a hand on his temple in embarrassment. He did mention that to his parents a while back, but he didn't expect her to bring up his plan of not having kids when they were talking about whether he had a girlfriend.

"No, Tsukasa, no!" His aunt put her hands on his shoulders and shook him. "You're supposed to follow our example and bring more beautiful people into the world, that's what our genes are for!"

"I'm still too young to have children!" he was forced to clarify. "But, thinking about my future, being a star would make me very busy, my kid deserves all my attention."

That was the same excuse he used with his parents.

"I think it's better if my role is to be the best uncle in the world along with being the world's biggest star! Plus you still have Kei." He hoped the mention of his cousin would distract the woman.

And indeed she was distracted, but by the sound of the door opening and his sister's joyous voice announcing her arrival. Tsukasa would definitely take a bullet for Saki and do everything in his power to ensure that her happiness never fades, but he had to take advantage of this opportunity to escape this awkward situation.

"I'll be in my room." Tsukasa informed his mother, she just nodded.

Without hesitation, Tsukasa ran quickly to his room, but not before mentally apologizing to his sister. He closed the door, not loud enough to alert his family downstairs, and plopped into bed, feeling more tired than usual.

It's probably the fusion between practice, running home as he usually does and the fuss his aunt just made about not having a girlfriend that left him exhausted. If it weren't for how sweaty he was, he would fall asleep right there until he recharged all his energy.

Now his mind can't stop mentioning that thought he believed he buried.

Tsukasa sighed deeply without taking his eyes off the ceiling.

Girlfriend.

He was not desperate at all, he can admit that, but to some extent he lost hope. It may be his dramatic side - not as an actor - talking, but Tsukasa gave in to the idea of having a girlfriend.

Yes, he is still young, how is it possible that at only eighteen he loses hope of having a relationship, but it is the fact of being eighteen and not yet going through the 'teenage romance' that discourages him from the idea of love.

He was curious.

He wanted to understand his friends talking about how dreamy it was to have a girlfriend; he wanted to understand that unbridled heartbeat when you are in love that manga always talked about and he wanted to understand what it was like to look at your loved one that movies always showed.

He wanted his special one.

Tsukasa wanted to be a hopeless romantic like everyone else and understand it, but to do so he had to experience it, which never happened.

So when he realized he would probably end his teenage years without a shred of romance, he focused on his dream.

After all, being a star is the most important thing for Tsukasa.

If his focus was on something else, there would be no time for romance and if romance came his way, Tsukasa just had to change the focus and make it something more exciting and eye-catching for the audience, like an action scene or a radical change where love was not the solution and if there was a specifically romantic scene, Tsukasa would talk about it later with the rest of WonderlandsxShowtime to figure out how to develop it without ending up weird for everyone.

His expectations were not involved in it, so he did not end up disappointed.

He continued like that, unable to understand love until he forgot and keep going with his normal life.

Until now, of course.

"I'll take a shower and then come back to reading the script." He groaned, forced out of his bed. "And I'll focus on better things!"

Spending lunch with Godou felt oddly comforting, he didn't have to worry about getting scolded by the teachers and his mind was free from everything related to acting for a few minutes which was partly good even if he didn't believe it. It seems that that's the power of friendship or something like that, considering they've known each other since middle school and they've been lucky enough to be in the same class until their last year of high school when they were separated.

Right now they were in Tsukasa's classroom, after so many pleas from Godou saying that he no longer spent time with him and that little by little he was forgetting him, Tsukasa finally gave in because he felt bad for having left aside a long-time friend and despite the fact that they sent each other messages, nothing compared to updating in person and since the classroom was empty they could talk calmly.

"I was very impressed by that mv, Ten-ten, the sfx were out of this world!" Godou kept talking with his mouth full and unknowingly irritated Tenma.

"The story line wasn't bad either, the ending was a bit raw though." Tsukasa opined, taking a sip of his tea before speaking again. "By the way, did you hear what I recommended?"

"Your sister's band? Yeah! At first I thought they'd be your typical school girl band, but-" He flinched at Tsukasa's raised eyebrow. "Let me finish! But, I was surprised by their lyrics. Their music has more layers than it seems."

"Hum hum, I see."

"Why are you getting so cocky?"

"I'm just proud, nothing more." Tsukasa grinned and puffed out his chest. "It's good to hear that my dear little sister and her friends' hard work is praised!"

"You're not part of the team." Godou rolled his eyes. "By the way, your sister is a cutie."

"Huh?"

"Your sister is a cut- I swear by all that is sacred that I will not lay a hand on her!" Godou paled as if he had seen a demon.

"Much better." Tsukasa smiled again.

"Ten-ten, d-don't you think you're being a little overprotective?" His friend began to consider whether it was a good idea to have mentioned the blonde's sister.

"Nonsense! It is my duty as an older brother to protect her!"

"We big brothers come in different forms it seems." Godou stood up from his seat and headed towards the window. "Don't you want some fresh air? The heat in this place must have affected your brain and... Ten-ten!"

"What?!" Tsukasa turned his head and stood up quickly upon hearing the other boy's gasp. "What's wrong?"

Godou covered his mouth with one hand and pointed at something with the other. "Kamishiro! Someone is confessing to Kamishiro!"

Tsukasa's eyes widened at the scene. Rui was leaning against the wall, listening intently to the girl who trembled more with each word.

"It's none of our business to see this." Tsukasa grabbed Godou's shirt collar and dragged him back onto the chair.

Godou stood there stunned for a few minutes, which didn't help Tsukasa much.

"Godou!" Tsukasa clapped his hands several times until the boy startled and blinked several times.

"What, what happened?" The boy snapped out of his trance. He shook his head and slammed his hands on the desk. "Ten-ten, you saw that, right?!"

"My eyes aren't just for looking at myself in the mirror or the audience," the blonde muttered, resting his cheek on his hand.

And a discomfort forming in the pit of his stomach.

"I can't believe it, Kamishiro, someone likes Kamishiro!" Godou was still in shock.

"I can't believe it either."

"Ten-ten, do you know who that girl is?"

Tsukasa shrugged. "Some girl from the greening committee. She usually looks for Rui after school every now and then."

That discomfort inside him was increasing.

"So that's how it is. It seems like she's an underclassman." Godou looked at him for confirmation, but Tsukasa just shrugged again. "You popular guys are really lucky."

Ah, that was it.

Seeing someone confess her love to Rui bothered him. His friend, despite his weirdness, attracted people. Someone wanted to have a romantic relationship with him, and this may not be the first time. He knows Rui well, he knows how amazing he is, that despite the misconceptions some people still have, Kamishiro is a good guy, he's loyal and with a big heart.

He was starting to lose his appetite if they kept talking about this. And Tsukasa was once again letting those thoughts take over his mind.

"Ten-ten!"

"I hear you!

"It doesn't seem like it! You popular guys are quite full of yourselves." Godou crossed his arms.

"Who are you calling a popular guy in the first place?" Tenma looked at him confused.

If he was talking about popularity, then yes he is, not because of his antics of course he was more of a victim there too, but because of the people who have gone to see his shows, the times they have recognized him and WonderlandsxShowtime and how they talked good things about the shows and praise from colleagues who have recognized his acting skills.

"Well, I'm a star, of course I know about popular." He chuckled.

"Stop acting like that, it creeps me out." Godou went back to eating the sandwich he had put aside. "And you know what I mean, don't pretend your girlfriend doesn't exist, Ten-ten."

"Excuse me?" Tsukasa asked, looking at Godou in a mix of surprise and offence.

"What? Is this a taboo subject or something?" Godou laughed, but it didn't reach Tsukasa.

"What girlfriend are you talking about?"

Tsukasa wasn't upset, but rather frustrated by his friend's comment. After the misfortune of no one declaring their feelings for him, why is his friend talking about something that doesn't exist?

"The girlfriend you've had since middle school? Oh but you've been busy so you two probably broke up already, thank goodness!"

"Godou, I've never had a girlfriend." Those words didn't sit well on his tongue. "Actually, I've never dated anyone."

Godou's reaction was the same as when he saw Rui. No, it was worse, Godou fell down with his chair and all.

"Ten-ten, what do you mean you haven't dated anyone?" Unexpectedly his friend didn't believe him. "We all thought you were dating someone!"

Tsukasa sighed, trying to find calm. "How the hell did you think I was dating someone?"

"It's because you always looked like a roller coaster!" Godou stood up to explain further. "Whenever classes ended, you were the first to leave looking like you were in a hurry! There were days when you came to school as if your energy was recharged and other times as if the world was going to end! We thought you were in some toxic relationship."

Tsukasa recounted his middle school days, using what Godou said as a reference, and slowly connected the dots to reach his conclusion.

It was a family matter.

It was all related to Saki, but he wasn't going to tell that to Godou.

"Other than that, you give off the vibe that you're already taken." Tsukasa tilted his head, not understanding that. "How do I put it, you look like someone who would treat his lover like the greatest treasure in the universe."

Tsukasa pointed at himself, a little embarrassed. "Me? Why do you think that?"

"Because Ten-ten is kind, caring, and doesn't hesitate to help someone when they need it." Tsukasa grew more embarrassed with each word. "Even though you became a bit arrogant in high school and everyone started looking at you weird for being with Kamishiro, Ten-ten remained the same. Small actions can move people."

"Then why didn't anyone confess their love to me?" His hurt whisper wasn't ignored by Godou.

"I told you Ten-ten, you give off the vibe that you were already taken. Don't you remember on Valentine's Day how some of the girls give you chocolates?"

"But it was out of friendship, no?" That's what they always told him.

"You are really oblivious, aren't you? That's what they said, but the way they looked at you wasn't friendly at all." Godou shook his head. "It makes more sense now why you were so out of place every time we talked about girls."

Tsukasa thought about all the times the boys in his class talked about their ideal type and as always his classmates had higher expectations for him and he didn't understand why they were disappointed with his answers.

"So there were people who liked me." Tsukasa couldn't help but smile.

He may not have had that teenage romance, but at least he was glad to know that there were people who did want to be with him, but his personality made him seem like someone who was already dating. Although now he felt like a fool for believing all this time that he would never have the chance to date someone.

"Should I tell Takagi-san that you're not dating anyone?" Godou instantly covered his mouth from thinking out loud.

"Takagi-san likes me?!"

"You didn't hear me say that!" Godou decided to change the topic to free himself from the blame. "By the way, are you going to eat that?"

He pointed at the cheesecake that was the only thing left of his luncheon. "No, I think my stomach is too messed up to have any more food."

"Then, I can eat- Ouch!" Godou rubbed his hand.

"No." Tsukasa brought the cheesecake closer to him.

"But you said you weren't going to eat it and there's two of it, don't be greedy!" Godou complained and started begging for the dessert.

"It's not for me, idiot." Tsukasa sighed and put the cheesecake into his backpack.

"So for whom?" Godou wiggled his eyebrows, waiting for a juicy revelation.

"One of my juniors," He confessed. "He likes cheesecake, so every time I make it for dessert, I bring an extra piece for him. I probably give this to him after school."

"And you'd rather give him two cheesecakes and not even one to me?"

"That's right!" He crossed his legs and looked at the clock. "Shouldn't you get back to your class? The bell will ring soon."

"Don't remind me." Godou whimpered as his face fell onto the desk as if he was melting. "Hey, Ten-ten."

"Hmm?"

"I think a lot of things have been cleared up, but do you swing that way?" Tsukasa blinked again.

"Don't you think that's a very personal question?" Tsukasa cleared his throat, maintaining his composure.

"We're at this point in our friendship to have this boys talk." Godou looked up at him and grinned. "But you made me remember, there was a guy who liked you."

So there are also guys who have fallen in love with him.

"Remind me not to confide an important secret to you." Tsukasa felt a little bad how Godou revealed things without giving it much weight.

"I'm not doing this out of malice, I just remembered when he said that to me and..." he paused for a moment. "I think it's a little sad not being able to say what you feel."

"Well, whether I swing that way or not, is my problem." Tenma leaned forward, resting his face in his hands. "But I wouldn't care what gender the person I date is. I think, I would do as what you say and treat them like the greatest treasure in the universe."

For him, it was enough that they loved him and created new memories that would only be exclusive to the two of them.

Godou hummed, very focused on the hallway, until he stood up and grinned in a way that Tsukasa didn't know if it was because of his answer or something else.

"Ten-ten, you're a good guy, you know that?" Tsukasa was going to give him an obvious answer, but Godou beat him to it. "Wanna have lunch together tomorrow? This time in my classroom!"

The rest of the day passed without many problems, except that when Rui returned to the classroom, Tsukasa couldn't look at his face because of the shame of the jealousy he felt at that moment and that was something that Rui wasn't to blame for, if anything he blamed Godou more. Apart from that, everything went smoothly for Tsukasa's pleasure, his ego grew to the maximum and he didn't have any call outs from the teachers, even though his mind wasn't paying attention because of how happy he was.

Now that Tsukasa's love misfortune has been clarified, his future plans may change, although he stills determined to work hard to fulfill his dream of being a star, that remains his main goal.

"Nene is waiting for us at the courtyard." Rui said. Tsukasa scrunched up his face and let out a sigh. "Is something wrong, Tsukasa-kun?"

Tsukasa shook his head. "It's nothing, I was just waiting to pass by class 2-A. If Nene's already out, then I guess him too."

"Him? Oh, Shinonome-kun?" There was no one else apart from him from class 2-A who is close to Tsukasa.

"Anyway, it wasn't a big deal." Tsukasa brushed it off. "Let's go, today is a good day and there's nothing better than practice!"

They both left the classroom, passing by the other students who were heading to their homes or club activities. It was down the stairs to the second-year floor that Tsukasa exchanged glances with the person he was hoping to see.

"Well, Isn't it Akito?" He smiled at him. "Just the person I was looking for!"

"Fufu, I didn't think seeing Shinonome-kun would make you so happy." Rui chuckled and continued walking down the stairs. "You guys look like you need to talk. I'll be waiting with Nene."

"Alright! We won't last long though!" Tsukasa looked back at Shinonome who was still standing there. "Did you need something from the third-year floor?"

Akito scratched the back of his neck as he nodded. "I need to talk to you, senpai."

"So that's it. So it was the universe that put our thoughts together!" Tsukasa took off his backpack and started searching for the cheesecake in it.

"Could we not talk here?" The blonde looked up to the other boy's eyes but he avoided his gaze.

He noticed how anxious Akito was becoming. Despite trying to appear relaxed on the outside, his fingers hidden in his jacket were playing tricks on him as he kept moving, breaking any facade Akito was trying to put up.

Tsukasa thought of different reasons why Akito was like that, but it would be no use drowning himself with a glass of water if he didn't know the reason first.

"Sure, my classroom must be empty by now, we can talk there." Tsukasa kept his voice at an acceptable volume so as not to startle his junior.

With Akito behind him, Tsukasa led the way back to his classroom. Tsukasa let Akito mentally prepare himself to think clearly, and he also prepared himself to listen and be able to give good advice or support like the senpai that he is.

And also as the friend that he is.

He was relieved to see that his classroom was indeed empty, so he took off his backpack again and rested his back against the board.

"Before you tell me what's bothering you," he rummaged through his backpack. "I want to give you this."

Tsukasa handed him the bento box where he kept the two pieces of cheesecake.

Akito looked at the dessert and huffed. "Why do you assume something is bothering me? Are you doing psychoanalysis now?"

"I'm not at the level where I can do a deep analysis of people yet." He ruffled Akito's hair. "But I can tell you're anxious. I saved them exclusively for you! So eat first and when my wonderful cheesecake calms you down, I'll listen to you."

"You say that like you have a lot of time." And it's not like Akito has time either.

"It doesn't matter! I can tell Rui and Nene to not wait for me." Tsukasa started babbling "Well, I might be late for practice and everyone will go ahead of me, but! My purpose in life is to bring smiles! I can't be a star if I can't help a friend in trouble!"

"Senpai, you really are something." Akito shut him. "This is just for me, right?"

Tsukasa nodded.

"Is it really just for me? No one else but me?" Tsukasa nodded again. "Do you even know what that means?"

Tsukasa was about to reply that he didn't understand what he was talking about, but Akito stopped him by eating the two pieces of cheesecake in two bites.

Surprised and outraged by Akito's lack of manners for wiping himself with the sleeve of his jacket, he was about to complain, but was interrupted again.

"Tsukasa-senpai, do you like someone?" The question caught Tsukasa off guard.

"Why do you ask that?" He replied with another question.

And for the second time that day, love came back to him. This time not in a negative way, but unexpectedly. He could hear Godou in the back of his mind.

"Just curious." He shrugged. "Perhaps, Takagi-senpai from class 3-B?"

Tsukasa shuddered at the name, did he... "Did you hear our conversation?"

There was no response, Akito just looked away again in a disinterested manner.

"You know that eavesdropping to other people's conversations is not okay?" Tsukasa frowned and then sighed. "If you want the answer is no, I will not be your future love rival."

Tsukasa was a little disappointed, but well, he had to give his support.

"Although it will be complicated, you know, wooing a senpai." Tsukasa doesn't know the result of what was the love confession to Rui, but seeing no change in him, he assumes that Rui rejected her.

Also several classmates in his previous years always ended up heartbroken by a senpai.

And that's why now the idea of Akito being heartbroken by Takagi didn't please him, or rather, just the idea of seeing Akito sad didn't please him. Maybe if Tsukasa puts in a good word for Akito to the girl he might have a chance? Then he'll have a happy end-

Akito scoffed and took a step in front of him. "I know perfectly well that wooing a senpai is complicated."

"You do?" For some reason, Tsukasa felt his breath hitch as Akito's intense olive eyes met his.

"After all, it's you who I like."

A bomb has just blew off in his brain.

Tsukasa watched closely how the cool facade Akito had put on thirty seconds ago crumbled to give way to his face turning a fiery red that covered it up to his ears and probably the back of his neck. Inside Akito must be a total mess that couldn't contain his emotions and everything he was feeling was clearly exposed to Tsukasa.

Words can sometimes be empty, but that explosion of sincere emotions made Tsukasa realize that Akito was serious.

"Hold on, hold on, hold on!" Tsukasa became flustered.

And how could he not be, he has just officially received his first love confession!

Tsukasa took a deep breath. "No way, this is the first time that-"

"Someone confesses their love to you?" Akito finished his words. "It's the first time I confessed to someone. We're kinda in the same boat."

Another bomb has just blew off. It was the first time for both of them in this love confession thing!

"Say something." Tsukasa didn't really know what to say, what should he say in the first place? All that staring and little talking made Akito cover his face with his forearm.

He didn't know what his face looked like, maybe it was red because this was affecting his heart too, but Akito was a much bigger case. Akito had an expression that Tsukasa never thought he would see.

An expression probably exclusive only to him.

"Why?" Was all he said.

"Why? you say." Akito slumped his shoulders. "It's hard to answer that. I can't say it happened out of nowhere, I'm aware that even though I didn't know it. It was growing to the point where, even if you weren't already leaving my head, that reason started to change until I was daydreaming about you."

Without expecting it, Akito gritted his teeth and grabbed the collar of Tsukasa's shirt.

"Do you know how hard it is to have to bear these feelings and for you to be so dense?!" Akito shook Tsukasa. "What do you mean, that cheesecake is just for me? Or that the universe put our thoughts together? Don't you know how it affects my heart? And that was just today! You seriously don't notice the way I only look at you?"

It was a roller coaster. Akito was a roller coaster right now. And even though he let go of his shirt, Tsukasa knew he wasn't going to be able to get off this ride until he said something to Akito.

But saying it is more complicated than it seems. Akito had the courage to tell him his feelings, he had the courage to show unique facets that no one will see. Akito is brave and Tsukasa doesn't consider himself a coward right now, but he couldn't find the right words.

The only thing Tsukasa could reconcile was that he didn't want to break Akito's heart and make him cry, and he might not shed a tear in front of him. That would only give him more freedom to cry in secret, and crying alone is the worst.

"Keep it," he spat. "I didn't come here just to have you accept or reject my confession. You don't need to be conflicted."

Even in this situation, Akito puts Tsukasa first, when in fact it should be the other way around.

"I was afraid." he confessed. "I was afraid of these feelings. I was afraid that if I ever told you this, you would look at me in disgust."

"Akito, I would never do that!" Never, even if Tsukasa wasn't the owner of Akito's heart and it was another guy, he would never feel disgusted by it!

"I know, because you said that no matter the gender, you would treat your lover like a treasure." They both smiled.

Akito because his heart felt light and calm when he heard Tsukasa say that. Tsukasa was more unconscious, seeing Akito smile, made him smile, that his words had resonated with him made Tsukasa happy.

"That's why I came here with another goal." Akito took a more confident stance. "I don't want you to see me as your friend or junior. I'm also a guy, you know? There are things I only want to do with you! Like kissing you and other stuff!

"Other stuff?!"

Akito stretched out his arm, his index finger pointing straight at Tsukasa's chest.

"I'm going to make you fall in love for me! I'll be the one to take you." Akito lowered his arm and walked to the door. He paused for a moment and looked back at Tsukasa. "So you better get ready!"

Akito's footsteps faded away and the obvious thing was for Tsukasa to tell him right there that he couldn't run in the hallways, but Tsukasa didn't move.

After that declaration of war, no, after that whirlwind.

"What just happened?!" That was a scream that the clubs may have heard.

And he was grateful to the universe... Grateful that no teacher had come to tell him to go away once and for all.

He held onto the board from the moment Akito left because his legs were shaking. Why were they shaking?!

Tsukasa remembers Akito's face perfectly, he remembers that he was a mess trying to stay strong and composed, that was Akito.

"And now what should I do?" He muttered.

Tsukasa wasn't sure what to do, because if Akito's face was a mess, then his and his heart were now after all that. For being his first love confession, he wasn't taking it well at all, any moment a third bomb could blew off.

His ears alone were heating up the entire room.

"Seriously, what should I do?"

Why didn't anyone tell him that his romantic life would probably start like this.

Did he just find his special one or is the other way around and found him?

Tsukasa would have to prepared his mind and heart for the impact called Shinonome Akito. 

Chapter Text

"I'm sorry." He stops and takes a breath, his eyes not meeting what's in front of him. "But I can't accept your feelings."

Tsukasa stood still, hand on his chin in deep thought, coming to the conclusion that no, this wasn't working.

"This shouldn't be like this." He shook his head and flipped through the manga again.

As a normal person, Tsukasa can also get bored when there is nothing to do in an afternoon; and as the star that he is, there is no better way to use his time than recreating scenes from books, movies or manga, it's fun and helps his skills a lot.

So when Tsukasa found one of Saki's mangas lying around, instead of returning it like a good older brother, he decided to read it to kill his boredom and surprisingly he was very invested in the story.

Of course, at first he didn't understand names and characters, he was reading the tenth volume and in part he was a little amazed at how his sister followed this story to the point of having so many volumes. Anyway, getting back to the point, he didn't understand anything at all, but he had fun trying to guess what was going to happen next.

Although there were two things that stick to Tsukasa.

The first, the protagonists love each other, they deeply love each other more than they can, despite not having any kind of official romantic relationship. It could be noticed in the conversations and how they referred to each other; The second was the situation they were going through. The kingdom of the story was about to start a war with another nation, so in an attempt at a peace treaty, the king reached an agreement to marry the prince to the princess of the enemy nation.

And that's how we get to this moment.

Tsukasa was perplexed by the scene before the prince left on his journey to the other kingdom swallowing his pride and anger, but what breaks his heart the most is his knight who confesses her feelings for him and he, for the sake of saving his people, decides to reject her and leave his home.

The prince's bitter smile and the broken heart of the knight who gathered her courage to tell her feelings to her beloved prince.

Tsukasa couldn't just sit back, he had to recreate that scene!

It just didn't come out the way he idealized it in his head.

"Once more time!" he stands in front of the mirror. "Just think, if I were in the position of rejecting the person I love."

He closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling as he thought about the scene.

Tsukasa opened his eyes, focusing on the feeling he wanted to express with his face. "I'm sorry, but I can't-"

"After all, it's you who I like."

"I can't use you as an reference for my acting." Tsukasa muttered so quietly that he doubted he said anything.

He slowly crouched down until his knees were drawn up, checking that his face was not now facing the mirror even though he covered it with his hands due to the embarrassment he was feeling.

Tsukasa knew it, he knew perfectly well that his face was red, the heat in his ears confirmed it.

Just when he was finally focused on something else, his mind played a trick on him and brought Akito back.

This last month for Tsukasa has been... Complicated, probably the only word he can use to describe how his poor heart has been treated all this time, although with it has also come his fruitful learning.

First, Akito is a man of his word.

He told Tsukasa to get ready and Tenma thought he was ready, but he wasn't. The first week was awkward to the point that after the second day it was very obvious how they avoided each other's gazes every time they met in a hallway. Toya believed that they were fighting and with the help of An and Rui, was about to force them to sit down and discuss whatever problem they had, that made them have to leave any awkwardness and clarify the boy that they didn't have any problem all. They kind of did though.

Rui also noticed that something was happening, but he decided not take it to extreme cases, he only commented from time to time how every time Tsukasa found Akito his face ended up red. But, you couldn't blame him for it! Every time he saw Akito, his confession played in his mind over and over again.

That was just the beginning.

When Tsukasa thought the dust had settled and everything was back to normal, Akito went on a rampage; unexpectedly stealing bites of his desserts, seeing to not care when they drank from the same bottle, pretending to be tired just to lean next to him and make their shoulders bump, he even asked him for help with math problems when they again studied together with the others for the upcoming tests! Akito knew that saying anything would embarrass both of them, especially him, so actions suited him better.

Now he understood when Godou said that small actions can move people. Those small actions become something bigger when you are conscious of the other side's feelings.

The second thing he learned is that life is nothing like manga or movies.

In his opinion, Tsukasa considers that his reactions surpass those shown in media. His body totally exaggerated everything - more than for his normal self - and that only embarrassed him more, his mind was 24/7 Akito except for the times when he could rest and focus on acting and practice with other actors, but even in scenes that included slight romance he couldn't help but remember Akito.

Apart from that, Tsukasa believes that he became much more attentive than normal when it came to Shinonome, sometimes Rui and him would go to Nene's classroom, every time Akito was there, Tsukasa noticed how his olive eyes lit up despite maintaining a calm facade in front of the rest.

He was one step away from becoming completely obsessed with Akito.

That only brought the doubt that gnawed at the back of his mind.

Were his feelings for Akito actually changing or was it just the excitement that Akito was the first person who decided to confess to him?

One thing was certain, he couldn't accept other people's feelings if his own were half-hearted. Akito didn't expect them to be accepted right away either, he himself said he would make Tsukasa fall in love with him, but in the end, Tsukasa was also involved in this.

Making Akito wait was wrong, but accepting without being sure of what he feels and playing with the his feelings - even if he didn't want to - was worse. And then the path where he rejected Akito came back. No matter how, Tsukasa just didn't want to break the ginger's heart.

He was so lost in his first love experience.

"I don't know what to do." Akito appeared instantly as he shut his eyes again. "I wonder if my face would look genuinely hurt if I were to reject you. Just like the prince."

"Is Ten-ten here?!" Godou's voice was heard throughout the classroom.

"Ten-ten?" Nene asked as Tsukasa stood up. "Oh, he's just looking for Tsukasa."

"That's Godou-san, a friend of Tsukasa-kun's since middle school." Rui explained, a confused expression appearing on his face. "He once stared at me intently, I didn't know why, but at least he didn't seem angry at me."

"He probably wanted to check who was giving Tsukasa trouble almost every day." She cackled. "Though looking at him, he does seem like Tsukasa's friend."

"Please, please, please, Ten-ten you are my last hope!" Godou was on the verge of begging on his knees.

"I'm actually your first choice." Tsukasa sighed. "And call for Tenma, no one will know who Ten-ten is."

"But Ten-ten knew I was looking for Ten-ten, right Ten-ten?"

Tsukasa sighed again. "Wait a moment." He returned to his classroom to pick up his PE uniform to hand to Godou. "Here."

"Ten-ten, you're really the best!" Godou lunged at the blond. "Should I call you Ten-ten-sama? No, I should go out with you instead! Ten-ten I love you!"

"Yes, yes, I understand. Now get off me already, you gum!" Tsukasa tried to get Godou off of him, but he remained strong like a parasite.

"I love you so much, Ten-ten, forget about everyone else and stay-"

"What are you two doing?" Tsukasa froze.

"Shiraishi and..." Tsukasa looked him in the eyes and instinctively elbowed Godou in the stomach, sending him sprawling to the floor. "What are you two doing on the third-year floor?"

"Hey, don't answer my question with another question!" An shook her head, dismissing what she saw as she continued on with what she came for. "Is Kusanagi-san in your classroom? We're looking for her and we were told she was here."

Tenma nodded. "She's with Rui, did something happen?"

"It's just that everyone in class agreed that when the exams were over we would go to karaoke to celebrate. I just wanted to tell Kusanagi-san that some guys of class B will be joining us." Tsukasa smiled knowing that Nene was slowly coming out of her shell.

"She's all yours then." The blonde let the girl into his classroom, not thinking that he will be alone with Akito.

Well, not alone, Godou was beside him, standing up slowly. "Why did you do that?!"

"I told you to get off of me." The blonde pretended to clean his uniform. "Shouldn't you be leaving? You need to change."

"It hurts me greatly that you treat me like this after I expressed my love for you." Godou cried fakely, ignoring Tsukasa's sudden cough.

"W-what the hell are you saying?!" Tsukasa said with difficulty recovering from the coughs. "Go away already!"

"I'm leaving, I'm leaving." Godou put his hand on his chest, pained. "I wonder if with this uniform I'll become Ten-ten."

"Now what things are you saying?"

"Think about it, your name is there, so when I put it on I'll be Tenma Tsukasa, don't you think?" Godou gave a little hop, going from Tsukasa's side to Akito's, placing his hand on his shoulder. "What do you think, Shinonome?"

Tsukasa could sense Akito's urge to slap Godou's hand off his shoulder, but he didn't do so out of respect for him being a senpai.

"There is only one future star." They exchanged glances. "And that is Tsukasa-senpai."

"I see, I see." Godou kept his hand on his shoulder, now patting him. "By the way, Ten-ten, are you free after school? There's a cafe I want to go to!"

"Sure, I don't have practice today." He shrugged. "If Nene is going out to have fun, I guess I will too."

"That's the spirit of the Ten-ten that I love!"

"Hey."

"Ugh, you're really hard to get." Godou lightly pushed Akito and ran off. "I'll fetch you later!"

Tsukasa grabbed Akito's shoulders to keep him from losing his balance. He leaned to the side to scold Godou. "Don't run in the hallways and watch what you do!"

"He's kind of a pain in the ass." Akito blurted out, grabbing Tsukasa's hands to remove them from his shoulders. The actor was startled by the action.

"When you spend time with him you get used to it." Tsukasa laughed it off to soften the awkward atmosphere between them. "And how did you do on your exams?"

Akito scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed to talk about his grades. "They weren't that great, but at least it's enough to avoid taking supplementary classes."

Tsukasa's chest swelled with pride, and the awkwardness from a moment ago was gone. "That's good to hear! I know you can do more, but as long as it doesn't get in the way of your dream, it's all good!"

"You're right. Also," Tsukasa turned his full attention to the ginger who couldn't help but blush a little. "The points you made on those formulas worked for me, thanks for that.

Small actions can move people.

"Ah- Aah, Hah Hah Hah" He managed to fake his laughter. "A star's help will always be your best card! I'm glad it worked out for you."

"Another thing-" The sound of the bell saved him.

"You should go back to class too." He said, more as an order than a suggestion. Akito couldn't say anything else because An ran out of the classroom dragging Nene with her and Nene desperately grabbed the his jacket.

When the trio was out of sight, Tsukasa deflated, all the air leaving his lungs. Taking slow steps to his seat, each one heavier than the last, he launched himself into the chair and his head fell instantly on the desk.

"Whatever you're laughing at, it's not funny." He warned Rui, but his threat felt empty due to the dryness in his voice.

"I'm not laughing at it, but it's indeed funny." Tsukasa groaned and Rui chuckled. "Keep working hard, Tsukasa-kun."

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Tsukasa began his questioning the moment their orders arrived.

"Sometimes I just want to catch up with you." Godou pouted as he rested his face on his hand. "I just want to help you with your virgin problems."

"Virgin?!" Tsukasa choked on his saliva for the second time in the day. He somehow managed to keep his voice from rising and humiliating himself. "Who the fuck are you calling a virgin?!"

"I mean, you confessed to me that you've never dated anyone, there's no other option." Godou took a bite of his croissant.

"It's not like you're any different from me." Tsukasa cut off a piece of his pancake and ate it.

"I'm not the one who's having conflicting feelings for his junior right now." Those words were like a dagger to Tenma.

"I'm not having any conflicting feelings! It's just that," he trailed off, stopping for a moment to dig into his pancake again. "How do you know, anyway?"

"I saw him other day when we were in your classroom." Godou sighed, trying to make it sound dreamy. "The two of you were thinking of each other to spend lunch together. Too bad I got there first!"

Tsukasa didn't object, just drank his coffee in silence. Now he was even more embarrassed to know that Akito in fact heard what he said, the whole conversation actually.

"So, what's the problem?" Godou left behind the mockery and laughter, giving space to be sincere. "I'm not the smartest of all and you know that, but the fact that I notice things from afar means that something is up. And maybe someone closer to you and that guy have already noticed it."

Tsukasa knew that Godou was right, Rui hasn't said anything, but just by looking at his face he can tell that he noticed the change in him and Akito. Nene as Akito's classmate, has also slightly noticed changes, she only says it in comments with a touch of disinterest. Toya is Akito's best friend, he was going to take matters into his own hands just because he thought they were fighting! It's clear that he must suspect something too!

Tsukasa sighed deeply as he thought that the people around him had a good eye for these situations, or rather he had been wearing his heart on his sleeve without realizing it.

"He..." he paused, saying it felt heavy on his tongue. "He confessed his feelings for me."

The normal thing would be to hear Godou gasp or whimper saying that it's not fair, but his friend wasn't going to do childish things right now.

"And what's wrong with that?" He tilted his head to the side in confusion. His eyebrow raised, wanting to know why. "You and Shinonome aren't a bad pair."

"Thanks for the compliment, I guess." Tsukasa shook his head. Looking down at his reflection in the coffee cup, he really is pathetic. "The thing is, I don't know if I can properly face his feelings."

He's not the type of person to play with cutlery while eating, so making circles with his fork on the plate was very out of character.

"What if what I really feel is infatuation because he was the first to tell me that he liked me."

"Well, I don't know if it's infatuation or not and I know you don't hate sweets, but you don't have a sweet tooth either, this is the first time I've seen you order something sweet to eat, could it be his influence?" Tsukasa couldn't help but look at his half-eaten dessert. It was an unconscious decision. "I know! Let's do the pros and cons. What's so good about dating Shinonome."

"Wouldn't that be missing the point?"

"No, no, if you look at the positives and negatives in Shinonome you might find something within yourself." Godou raised his right hand. "Let's start! What are the pros?"

"Hmm, pros," he tapped his chin, deep in thought thinking of Akito's most notable features. "He's good at singing, I might ask him for help to improve and I can also give him singing tips as well. Since we're in different fields, the techniques are often not the same, but trying other methods isn't a bad idea, even if they don't work, every failure is one more step towards success."

Godou just hummed, forcibly accepting the stampede of words about Shinonome that he didn't think would happen.

"He's also good at dancing, if I were to practice with him I think we'd have a good synergy; Although it may not seem like it, he's very considerate and attentive with things, he doesn't hesitate to help but he doesn't brag about it either and expects gratitude. When it may seem like things bother him , he's honest about it and expresses what he thinks. He's very passionate with his craft, it's like a flame that burns his path to achieve his goals and-" Tsukasa was cut off in the middle of his rambling.

"Okay, I understand, he's very hard-working and all." Godou huffed. "It's normal to say things like, 'he's so handsome' or 'he's so cool'."

"I won't deny that he's good looking, but I'm not that shallow either." Tsukasa narrowed his eyes. "I'm only shallow when it comes to me. Though instead of being shallow I guess I'm more strict with myself."

"We can say that Shinonome meets your standards then." Godou raised his left hand. "Now, cons."

"Since our fields are more so in entertainment and we're slowly getting more into it, I guess society is a cons. It will be difficult to make our relationship public in the future." Tsukasa lowered a finger. "Japan hasn't legalized same-sex marriage yet, so in that case we'd have to go to another country."

There was also the fact that his bloodline would end with him in the aforementioned case that he married Akito, but that idea had been on the verge of being discarded for a long time, so it's not a big problem for him.

"Why are you thinking about marriage?!" Godou was shocked.

"You have to think ahead in these situations." Tsukasa shrugged as if it was nothing.

"We're only eighteen Ten-ten, we're still young." Godou leaned on the table. "Is there nothing else? Something like 'he's a jerk' or 'he's rude'?"

"We wouldn't be here if it had those as cons."

"Then it doesn't seem to be anything as cons apart from society." Godou stood up straight again. "What are you? An idol who cares about what others think of you?"

"Oh? Did someone say idol?" Tsukasa looked up at the sudden voice.

"Shizuku and Momoi Airi?" Tsukasa tried not to raise his voice so that the two idols wouldn't be recognized on public.

"I knew it was Tsukasa-kun who was here!" Shizuku instantly beamed.

"Hey, I think we know each other well enough now that you can tell me apart from Happy Everyday." Airi didn't dwell on the matter any further and decided to change the conversation. "Is it okay if we sit with you two?"

He nodded, "Of course! Oh, by the way, this is my friend, Godou Makoto. Godou, these are, hey! Why do you have that face?!" Godou was about to explode in his seat.

"Ten-ten, I didn't know you knew Hinomori Shizuku and Momoi Airi from MORE MORE JUMP!" He was trembling as Airi took the seat next to him.

"It's a pleasure, Godou-san."

"Jeez, why is everyone always freaked out when they found out I know you two?" Tsukasa shook his head. "They're humans too before being idols."

"It feels refreshing to see someone who treats idols as people." Airi giggled. "By the way, why did you come here?"

"I've wanted to visit this place for a long time, plus there were things I needed to talk with Ten-ten." It was Godou who answered and Tsukasa almost kicked him under the table for blurting out the last bit. "What about you two?"

"This cafe has been popular on social media lately and Airi-chan thought it would be a good idea to try some of the desserts before our practice!" Shizuku said. "From the outside, I could tell that Tsukasa-kun was here and I wanted to check if it was true. He didn't seem to have a very good face, though."

Tsukasa laughed forcibly before going back to drinking his coffee, which by this point was already cold.

"I could also tell that Tenma-kun didn't look well."

"Is something wrong, Tsukasa-kun?" Tsukasa couldn't help but feel bad seeing Shizuku's concern. "Is there anything we can help with?"

If only she knew that the reason is very silly.

"I think it's a good idea. Two heads are better than one and in this case it would be four." Godou winked at him. "What do you think, Ten-ten?"

Tsukasa thought about it for a moment. What Godou said was true, more people can provide more ideas, although revealing his recent love life - if he could even call it that - was a bit embarrassing. A little female opinion on this matter wouldn't hurt, right?

"Well, it's nothing to worry about, nothing serious." Tsukasa bit his tongue to stop himself from drifting off topic. "Anyway, here goes."

With more pastries on the table ordered by Shizuku and Airi, he explained everything, obviously cutting out the part about his tragic life with no romance and making zero mention of Akito's name, he wasn't going to be a jerk and say it was him either.

The gap in Shizuku and Airi's reactions were entertaining; Shizuku looked like she was listening to a fairy tale, letting out giggles when Tsukasa recounted how his heart fluttered at Akito's little touches. Airi on the other hand was more analytical, nodding at every detail he told, her head making various diagrams of the situation.

"It's so wonderful!" Shizuku exclaimed excitedly. "Them having the courage to make you fall in love is amazing."

"If you say it out loud, I'm a little embarrassed." Tsukasa scratched his cheek. "What is it, Momoi? You seem to want to say something."

"Oh, I was just thinking that you are complicated spot." She paused for a moment, remembering what Tenma had said again. "It's understandable that you think that whatever you feel is just a infatuation. Being aware of someone's feelings and having that person always show it to you can make your judgment waver a little."

"It's surprising how you guys left out the marriage part." Godou tried to insert that part into the conversation.

"No matter if it doesn't seem like it, what society thinks can be important. Even the celebrities who shows a lack of interest in what others say, can end up being eaten away by the comments." The pinkette opined.

"Besides, you can handle backlash, but there's no guarantee that your partner will," Shizuku added. "I guess that's what Tsukasa-kun is most worried about."

Tsukasa snorted. "They are strong enough to handle that." Akito would not let himself be affected by negative comments from others, if he is doing everything possible to make Tsukasa reciprocate his feelings, it is because he is ready for the rest.

Reciprocate his feelings.

"Shizuku, Momoi, when you sing about love, what do you feel?" Tsukasa asked, first looking straight into Shizuku's eyes and then into Airi's.

"What do we feel? Hmm... I want the fans to feel happy, to be able to receive my love. Even if it's not romantic, I love them and I want the same love the fans feel for me to be just as strong as the one I feel for them." Tsukasa didn't think Shizuku's answer was bad.

Wanting fans to know that the love is equal and mutual.

"I guess for me it's the same as what Shizuku said. Wanting to make them smile like they make me smile; Wanting to make them feel happiness and hope like they do to me." Something clicked in Airi's brain and she snapped her fingers instantly. "That's it! I didn't realize we were overlooking it!"

"What?"

"Tenma-kun, when you are with that person, how do you feel?" Godou opened his eyes, realizing that they were overlooking that question.

"Why didn't we think of that before! It's better than the pros and cons!"

"But that also made Tsukasa-kun recognize that person's qualities more!" Godou was about to melt because Shizuku said that his idea wasn't bad. "So Tsukasa-kun, how do you feel when you're with them?"

When Tsukasa is with Akito, it's not much different than when he's with the rest of his friends. But at least he doesn't feel like he has to act like a leader in front of Akito. Even though he wants to do things to be his senpai, Akito always says that it's not necessary to go that far and to be as he is with him.

Talking to Akito is fun and easy-going and wanting to see him smile isn't because he's a star, he genuinely wants Akito to smile. Every time Tsukasa sees him, he can't help but get excited, even when he runs into him in the morning, it's like his battery wakes up.

Being with Akito is like feeling the waves on the beach. Sometimes it is calm to the touch and sometimes it hits hard making you react and lose your balance at times. But it is not annoying, when a wave knocks you down, it always ends in laughter.

Akito has made him feel a thousand emotions these past few weeks, but none of them have been discomfort. Despite knowing his feelings and keep try to hit on him over again, it's not like Tsukasa feels uncomfortable or the atmosphere becomes heavy because of that.

"It's not different, but at the same time it's different." He had his face resting on his hand, so his mouth was partially covered, so the words came out as he mumbled. For who knows how many times during the day, his face turned into a not so intense crimson color, but it was noticeable to anyone who was near him. "Before, I enjoyed being with them, now, despite everything, I still enjoy being with them."

He refused to admit it, but he found it funny to see Akito get flustered because of him, the slight blushes that adorned his cheeks from time to time and the small movements he made to seem composed even though his heart was probably about to jump out of his chest.

Tsukasa likes talking to Akito. He likes seeing him, hearing his voice, being close to him, his presence.

Even if his own feelings and fears were still unresolved at this moment, he still likes being with Akito.

"It seems that Tenma-kun has found his answer." Airi smiled broadly. Tsukasa didn't say anything else, but the sparkle in his eyes and the little smile he didn't realize he had said it all.

"It's not a complete answer, but at least I'm sure of something!" Tsukasa raised his eyebrow at Shizuku who looked uneasy. "What is it now?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, it's just that, I've been wanting to try your pancakes for a while." Tsukasa and Airi shared the same unprepared expression at the innocent comment after the tense situation. Tsukasa passed his plate to her, and she thanked him before taking a bite that she savored with relish. "The texture is so soft it's like I'm eating a cloud."

"Save those comments for variety shows!" Airi sighed tiredly, she should be used to Hinomori's antics by now.

"At least she does the pancake justice." He chuckled. "Akito would probably like it too, though he won't say anything as honest about the pancake as Shizuku does."

"Shizuku, you have cream on-"

"It must be very tasty, but don't forget to be careful while eating." Tsukasa walked ahead of Airi and wiped Shizuku's face with his handkerchief. "I understand that your fans are fine with the real you, but don't forget that you are still an idol who must take care of her image."

"I don't know how to explain it, but there was a different aura about this scene." Momoi was almost speachless that she managed to mutter.

"I completely understand what you're saying, that's Ten-ten to you." Godou managed to reply, equally at loss. "H-hey, Ten-ten, didn't you say that Hinomori-san was human before she was an idol?"

"Yes, why?" Tsukasa tilted his head. "She's human, but also a celebrity, any improper taking can affect-"

He fucked up.

The moment Tsukasa turned his head to look at the street, he realized that he fucked up.

Akito was there, frozen while the rest passed by as if nothing was wrong, his eyes were not fully open, but it was unbelievable not to notice how stunned he was and when he noticed that Tsukasa found him he ran away.

Talk about improper taking!

Tsukasa immediately got up from his seat and went after him, not caring that his backpack was left there or getting glances from the other customers, much less did he hear Godou call him for his unexpected action.

He needed to reach Akito.

Tsukasa's biggest fear since he leaved the cafe, was that Akito would probably be gone by now. He knows how fast Akito is and how much stamina he has, so Tsukasa could only guide himself by running in the same direction Akito followed.

One look ahead, one look to the side, then one look to the other, he kept repeating this over and over again. Constantly apologized for bumping into other passerby, but his ears were blocking out the noise coming from others, his mind was already very noisy and busy by his own voice.

"Of all things, why did you have to see that?"

Was fate mocking him by making Akito wait? Did it want this to be like a shock to clarify once and for all what he feels?

Whatever it was, he didn't want this! He didn't want to see Akito's eyes like that! The last thing Tsukasa wanted was to make Akito suffer for loving him. He's the worst, simply the worst. How can he call himself a human being, if he just hurt another for something he can't control?

"Akito!"

His lungs were searching for air, demanding it, but he couldn't stop his legs. He couldn't leave things like this, if he did, this would probably be the final end and Tsukasa doesn't want that! He doesn't want Akito to force himself to go away because of some misunderstanding, he doesn't want Akito to regret without knowing what really happened.

He wants to be honest with Akito and tell him everything.

He wants to see Akito!

"Akito!" A gasp left his lips, the need for air increasing.

Amidst the despair, it seemed that a miracle had appeared before him.

Akito was at a crossroads. Leaning on the traffic light while he caught his breath, waiting for the light to change its color.

This was a comedy, an unexpected game of cat and mouse leaving them exhausted.

Now or never Tsukasa had to get to him.

It wasn't the first time Tsukasa chased Akito and it's not the last time he caught him.

He wasn't sure how much time was left, the other people around Akito seemed to be anxious, looking at the traffic light countdown, so time was short.

If there were twenty seconds left, he had to turn it into ten; if there were ten seconds left, he had to turn it into five; if there were five seconds left, he had to get there at the right time; and if there was only one second left, he prayed for another miracle to happen and stop the time so he could get to him.

In his mind Tsukasa was counting each second while he quickened his pace. He had to get faster with each passing second, get faster until he reached him, faster until he couldn't stop.

Tsukasa managed to get there in time. He did. But at the cost of both of them being kneeling in pain. Tsukasa caught up with him, but didn't stop, so it was a clash between them that ended in physical suffering.

He knew that when Akito saw him he would run away and wasn't wrong, Akito was actually going to do it, so without thinking twice, he jumped at him.

So it ended with both foreheads colliding, apart from that Akito's back collided with the traffic light and with that they're chests did too, but hey, Tsukasa immediately used his arms to catch him!

It was painful to talk, move or breathe, and yet they were struggling in such uncomfortable position on the floor, but it didn't matter, Tsukasa wasn't going him let go.

"Hahaha, sorry, everyone's watching us." Tsukasa managed to blurt out weakly. "But if I didn't, you'd probably end up walking away. I don't want that."

"Why?" Akito gasped, hiding on Tsukasa's shoulder.

"I want you to listen to me." He felt Akito calm down under his attempted of embrace, so Tsukasa nodded to himself.

Akito wasn't going to run any further, neither was he.

He was going to face this once and for all.

Tsukasa slowly stood up, offered his hand to Akito to get up as well and didn't let go.

They had already made a big show of what just happened, and Tsukasa didn't want them to witness something more intimate between them, so they started walking aimlessly.

To where? Who knows, the first lonely park might help. He just needed Akito to not let go of his hand and something cold for his forehead.

The first one remained and for the second they were lucky enough to find a vending machine.

"Ah, right!" Tsukasa stopped and took out his phone from his pants pocket. "Will you wait a moment for me? I ran off out of the blue without saying anything to Godou and the rest."

Akito nodded in response.

Tsukasa had many messages from Godou.

'Hey, you okay?'

'Nah, probably not.'

'Hinomori-san and Momoi-san had to leave for their practice, they are worried, don't forget to tell them that everything is alright!'

'If everything it's alright for sure'

'There was something I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't find the time to do it.'

'Remember that time in middle school? When I liked someone but was afraid to confess.'

'You told me I wouldn't gain anything if I don't try.'

'In the end she rejected me lol'

'But you were right, when I let it out, I felt better.'

'I know you have things to say to Shinonome, so try.'

'And good luck!'

'btw I'll wait for you at the cafe with your stuff'

'say what you have to say!'

"I won't gain anything if I don't try." Tsukasa breathed. Now more stable and calm, he was ready to face Akito.

Tsukasa turned on his heels, eyes fixed on Akito who looked at him expectantly. Before saying anything Tsukasa bowed.

"I'm sorry!" Tsukasa looked up and now Akito's eyes reflected fear, which Tsukasa quickly goes to calm. "What you saw in the cafe, it's obvious what I did, and there can be misunderstandings, but there is nothing between Shizuku and I!"

"Why do you bother to clarify to me what you do or don't? Isn't it better for you?" Akito spat, the words spilling out of his mouth without stopping. "You won't have any problems if you go out with Hinomori-san or any girl, no one will point fingers at you if that happens."

"What's best for me is up to me!" Tsukasa shouted at the top of his lungs. "You said you were going to make me fall in love with you, are you going back on your word? The Akito I know is true to it!"

"That was just the heat of the moment." Akito scratched the back of his neck. "Forget about that and everything that's happened this month."

"Why?"

Why do you want me to forget that?

Why do you smile when your face looks pained.

Just li ke the prince.

"I know. I know I've made you wait, despite your attempts I still make you wait." Tsukasa gritted his teeth in annoyance. "But it's because I want to properly say that I love you!"

"Love me?"

"I don't want to give you half-hearted feelings! I want to give you my heart completely like you do for me!" Tsukasa grabbed the collar of Akito's shirt. "All this time, I've been thinking about you because you're someone precious to me!"

"You do it because you're my senpai." Akito put his hands on Tsukasa's to release his grip.

"It's not because of that! I'm doing it because I want to be with you!" Tsukasa revealed and Akito's world became silent, only Tenma's voice could be heard, ironic. "Godou and I were at the cafe because of my feelings for you! I want my feelings to reach you!"

Tsukasa loosened his grip but never took his eyes off Akito's.

"I want to be with you, I like being with you. I ran after you because I don't want to lose you, but I also don't want you to be accepted by feelings that are mostly based on infatuation." Tsukasa ran a hand through his hair, surprisingly he was sweating more from this than from the run a little while ago. "Although at this point, I'm sure I can't classify these feelings as infatuation anymore."

"Then." Akito's eyes began to light up with hope.

"Wait for me, just a bit." Tsukasa grabbed Akito's hand again. "I like you. I'm finally starting to be sure of that and before you say it's like friends, it's not!"

"Then..." His cheeks begin to turn a slightly different red than they were before.

I want to get to the point where I love you, just like you do and when that happen, I'll be able to fully say that I love Shinonome Akito, just bare with me while I'm getting there."

Akito squeezed Tsukasa's hand, hiding his face in Tsukasa's shoulder again. "Okay, if you're sure about it, I'll wait."

"I really like seeing you flustered, it's cute." Tsukasa teased him.

"Who are you calling cute?" Akito whined back.

It's the same. The same, but different.

His heart was pounding and his face flushed as it usually was when Akito was with him, but this time, something deep inside him told him that it was different. It seemed that his doubts were dispelled and he walked confidently to Akito.

This warm feeling in his chest assured him

"One day, I'll kiss you and proudly say that you're my boyfriend." He won't care what anyone thinks, he'll just be happy. "So you better get ready!"

They both smiled, Akito because he recognized the statement he made to Tsukasa in the past. Tsukasa because he feels confident in what he is doing.

"Let's stay like this for a little longer, is that okay, Akito?" Akito nodded agaisnt his shoulder. "I'll make you happy. When these feelings are full of you, I'll make you happy."

Just how his special one deserves.