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1
It all started when they all took a trip together and Miya made the mistake of walking in their room unannouced.
No, it's not what you’re thinking. But somehow, it was even more embarrassing.
Everyone always talked about Joe and Cherry.
“They’ve got something going on”
But since Miya was always around them, he never gave it much thought.
The door was ajar, and when Miya stepped inside, no one noticed. What did he see? Kaoru and Kojiro standing way too close as Kojiro fixed Kaoru’s hair.
“Stay still,” Joe grumbled.
“Don’t tell me what to do, dimwit.”
Joe made that face—the one he always made before messing with Cherry—and fired back:
“I bet you’d love having me tell you what to do.”
Cherry sucked in a breath, scowling as he pulled away to glare at him.
“I’m not one of your fangirls, Kojiro.”
Joe chuckled. “Fanboy, then?”
Kaoru swatted him lightly.
“Just get it over with,” he muttered, moving back into position in front of his friend.
Kojiro’s fingers went back to working on Kaoru’s silky hair, and—somehow—Kaoru was smiling. A small, silly smile.
No way, Miya thought.
Kaoru… laughing at Kojiro?
No, with Kojiro.
Willingly?
Like that ?
The world was definitely ending…
2
The movie was boring. Everyone agreed—except for Shadow, who, for some reason, actually liked romance movies.
Still, everything was going as usual.
Until Miya turned to Kojiro to ask him a question and realized he was asleep. Not a big deal, right? Except for the fact that his head was resting—comfortably—on Kaoru’s lap.
Miya froze, his brain stalling as he tried to process the sight.
He opened his mouth to say something but was immediately shut down by a sharp “shh” from Cherry.
“Leave him alone,” he muttered, barely above a whisper. “This idiot never gets proper rest.”
The others, now drawn into the moment, looked just as shocked as Miya. But no one dared to comment—Cherry could be really intimidating when he wanted to.
Later, when the movie finally ended and Miya stood up, he swore he saw Kaoru’s long fingers idly running through Joe’s hair.
Yeah. They’ve got something going on.
3
Miya knew something was up. He had no proof, but his instincts? Oh, they were never wrong.
The funniest part? He wasn’t the only one who noticed. Shadow agreed—but let’s be honest, his opinion wasn’t exactly the most credible.
“I’m telling you, something's up with them” Miya insisted.
Shadow nodded furiously.
“I don’t know…” Reki said hesitantly. “They could just… be really good friends?”
“Yeah,” Langa agreed. “I mean, they’ve known each other forever, right?”
Miya just crossed his arms. “I’m just saying—I’m never wrong.”
They were at the restaurant, watching from a distance as Joe and Cherry finished prepping a meal together.
Cherry was struggling to slice a tomato. Instead of cutting cleanly, the blade kept squashing the thing, making a mess. Miya narrowed his eyes. Was he doing that on purpose? Interesting. More evidence for his theory.
“You’re doing it all wrong, dumbass,” Joe said, moving in next to Cherry. “Here, like this. ”
Instead of just showing him, Joe took Cherry’s hands in his own, guiding him through the motion. Slowly.
“Like this?” Cherry asked, glancing away from the tomato to look at Joe instead.
Joe smiled. Softly.
“Almost,” he murmured, adjusting Cherry’s grip slightly. “Try now.”
Cherry focused back on the task. This time, the slice came out perfect.
“There you go! Nailed it, Kaoru.” Joe beamed.
Cherry rolled his eyes but smiled, just a little. Not for long, though—because as soon as he noticed Miya watching him, his face immediately snapped back to its usual deadpan expression.
4
Kaoru and Kojiro were a little drunk that night. Okay, that definitely explained why they were that physically close, right?
Miya’s suspicions just kept growing.
They had all decided to hit up a karaoke bar to unwind before an important S race.
Reki sang some pop rock, basking in the support and applause—especially from Langa, who could barely contain his laughter.
Everyone was having fun, singing along. That was the whole point, after all.
At least, until it was Kaoru’s turn.
No one, absolutely no one, expected Kaoru of all people to sing Taylor Swift. And definitely not with Kojiro.
It was weird. So weird. Weirdly rehearsed, like they had done this before. A lot.
And as the chorus hit, they only got more into it.
“He opens up my door and I get into his car,” Cherry sang, his voice rising. “And he says…”
Joe jumped in without missing a beat.
“You look beautiful tonight.” And, without hesitation, he threw an arm around Cherry, who—for some miraculous reason—didn’t shove him away.
And then, they just started yelling. Together.
“And I feel perfectly fine!”
Deep breath.
“But I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain!”
“And it’s 2 a.m. and I’m cursing your name!” Cherry practically shouted, eyes locked on Kojiro.
Kojiro didn’t even blink.
“So in love that you act insane…”
And then, in perfect, dramatic harmony:
“And that’s the way I loved you!”
As their voices faded out, Cherry finally seemed to realize the room had gone dead silent. His cheeks turned an alarming shade of pink, and he pulled away from Joe, clearing his throat awkwardly.
“Alright, who's next?” he muttered, desperately avoiding eye contact as everyone else struggled to contain their laughter.
There was no way this was just drunken karaoke—no one had that much chemistry without some serious history. He jotted a mental note: Investigate further.
5
Yeah, okay. As Miya said before, Cherry’s natural resting face was serious enough on it's own, but that night at S? He looked five seconds away from crashing out.
As usual, a couple of girls were hanging off Joe, but that's where the normalcy ended. instead of leaning into it, Joe seemed to be pulling away, looking almost... annoyed.
Joe was a golden retriever in human form. Anyone —and Miya really meant anyone —who gave him attention made his day.
But there he was, glancing over at Cherry, clearly uncomfortable, trying to slip away from said girls while still keeping up his usual flirty himbo act.
Cherry, meanwhile, was completely ignoring him.
The tension in the air was ridiculous.
Whenever Joe looked away, cherry took the chance to give the girls a blank, unamused stare. It was a weird look, fueled by a feeling that Miya didn't think he's privy to.
And whenever Joe turned back to Cherry, he was already looking elsewhere, like he hadn’t just been staring daggers.
They kept this up all night. No breaks.
Shadow and Langa had a solid race, but Joe and Cherry were too caught up in… whatever this was… to even cheer properly. Not that it mattered much—Reki screamed like a maniac the entire time. Still.
Joe and Cherry were the foundation of their chaotic little family. Or at least, a very important part of it. Especially to Miya.
It was the little things, you know? The late-night drives, their care about Miya's safety at S, Skateboarding or even life advice.
The thing was, they were always there for Miya, no matter what.
Even more than his parents.
He thought about it a whole lot, and then some more.
Until, finally, he came up with a brilliant idea.
Simple. Foolproof.
It was time for Miya to step into this mess and finally settle things once and for all.
0
It was easier said than done, though. Three days had passed since that night at S, and Kojiro and Kaoru still weren’t talking.
Well, more like Kojiro was trailing after Kaoru like a lost puppy, and Kaoru was determined to pretend he didn’t exist. Or so it seemed,
It was a rainy afternoon. Pouring rain, actually. But that wasn’t going to stop Miya’s plan. It was fairly simple anyway: get them in the same place at the same time.
Convincing Cherry to go to Joe’s restaurant took some effort, but Miya knew what he was doing. He spent hours complaining over the phone about how his homework was just impossible and Joe was too much of an idiot to help. Only Cherry could save him.
He also told him he wouldn't even see Joe, since he was out shopping.
Cherry took the bait. Obviously.
Joe? Poor man had no clue. And, of course, he was at the restaurant.
Perfect , Miya thought. I’m a genius.
The second Cherry stepped inside and spotted Joe, his expression shut down completely. His eyes flicked from Kojiro to Miya. From Miya to Kojiro.
“…Is this some kind of trap, you little brats?”
Yeah, Kaoru was pissed. Really pissed. But Joe? He just kept looking at him—regretful, soft. Like he was seeing him for the first time in ages… and maybe the last.
“Kaoru, I—” Kojiro started, but Miya cut him off.
“He just got back early from the store, geez. Not a trap.” Miya raised his hands in surrender.
Kaoru hesitated, then let out a long sigh. “Right. I… sorry. These last few days have been stressful.”
He shot Joe a sharp look, but Joe still had that same, almost pitiful expression. Cherry didn't seem to care. Yeah. Things were bad.
“What about your homework?”
Miya dragged things out as much as possible, pacing around while pretending to work. The steady sound of rain outside made everything feel quieter,comfortable.
Every now and then, Joe would step into the dining area to check on things—but his gaze always found Cherry.
And Cherry? He did the same. Just never when Joe was looking.
It was late, and trying to focus on the lesson wasn’t working anymore. The questions were done—finally—which made Cherry shut the book with a sigh and a tired smile.
"See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?"
Miya felt a little guilty for making it harder than it needed to be, but hey, it was for the greater good.
"It’s late. I gotta go." Cherry stood up, grabbing his phone. "Need a ride?"
Miya’s brain was running a mile a minute, but before he could come up with a new plan, Joe jumped in.
"Nah, I got him."
Cherry just nodded, saying nothing.
Joe hesitated for a second, looking nervous, before blurting out,
"Kaoru!" His voice cracked a little. "Look, I just... I miss you."
Cherry’s eyes widened.
"Miya’s right here!" he hissed, annoyed.
"I don’t care."
"Well, I do!"
Miya, for all his meddling, didn't exactly feel like baring witness to them do their weird dance so mumbled a quick "Don't worry about me…" and slipped away to hide behind a wall, still eavesdropping.
The silence was awkward. They just stared at each other until Cherry sighed and picked up his phone again.
"I’ll call my driver." His voice was flat.
Joe let out an irritated breath.
"How long are you gonna keep running from me?"
Cherry lowered his phone, looking impatient.
"Until I feel like stopping."
"Wow. Real mature."
"See? This is exactly why we wouldn’t work!" Cherry snapped. "How could I have been so stupid? I feel like I’m in high school all over again."
"What are you even talking about?"
"Us, Kojiro!" He adjusted his glasses, avoiding eye contact. "I mean, you flirt with literally anything that moves."
"What?! " Joe frowned, now actually annoyed. "And we’re just gonna ignore the fact that you freak out everytime it starts getting serious?"
"And why do you think that is?"
"Because you’re a coward, Kaoru!"
The words hung in the air. Joe instantly regretted it.
"Shit... I... I didn’t mean that."
Cherry didn’t move for a few seconds. Then he turned and walked straight to the door.
"Goodbye, Joe. " His voice was cold. Stiff.
Joe just stood there, frozen. It wasn’t until he saw Cherry outside, getting absolutely drenched by the rain, that he snapped out of it.
He grabbed an umbrella, threw open the door, and ran after him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Cherry grumbled.
"Saving you from the rain."
"I’m fine, thanks."
"Yeah, totally. Except, you know, soaking wet." Joe tried to joke.
It didn’t land.
Just as he was about to say something else, Cherry’s phone rang.
Kaoru spoke for a second, then groaned, "Stuck in traffic?! Ugh. No, it’s fine. Bye." He hung up.
Joe smirked. More time with him. Or so he thought. One second he was right there, muttering curses under his breath, the next he was walking off, away from Kojiro and into the damn storm.
Confused, Joe hurried after him, holding the umbrella over him.
"Where the hell are you going!?" Joe shouted over the rain.
"Where do you think? Home, you idiot!" Cherry shot back.
"On foot? Are you insane? It's pissing it down right now!"
"Beats hanging around you!" Cherry stopped abruptly, glaring at him. "So leave me alone!
Joe stared at him, frustrated.
"Really, Kaoru? All those nights, were they just..."
"A mistake." Kaoru interrupted. "They were a mistake..
Kojiro sighed.
"Look me in the eyes and tell me that meant nothing." Joe’s voice was quiet now, almost pleading. "Do it and I swear I’ll leave you alone."
Cherry opened his mouth. No words came out.
Joe took his hands gently, bringing them to his lips for a soft kiss.
It was kinda awkward since he was still holding the umbrella, but he couldn't care less.
"I'm sorry I called you a coward," he murmured. "You’re the bravest person I know, even when you shouldn't."
Cherry didn’t react.
"Like now. So please, let’s go inside. Let me take you home."
"And why should I?"
Joe gave him a look, the kind of look he used to give him back in the days.
"Because you look really good when you’re pissed off and drenched, and I’m about to do something really stupid."
"Maybe you should." Kaoru Whispered, shaking a bit.
"I… wait, what?"
"You heard me." Cherry’s voice was steadier now. Confident.
That was all Joe needed.
The umbrella hit the ground as he grabbed Cherry by the chin, pulling him into a kiss—sweet, deep, real.
Not Hurried. Not hidden.
This time, he wanted people to see.
He wanted Kaoru to see.
No—he wanted him to know just how hopelessly gone he was for him.
His hand slid slowly from his chin to the back of his head, pulling him deeper into the kiss.
Kaoru tasted like wine—not literally, but he might as well have, given how long it had taken them to finally get here. You know know what they say about wine: the older, the better. and this wine had been fermenting for a long, long time.It had always been a push and pull between them, so close yet never close enough. Not even on those nights when they had done far more than just kiss. But this—this felt... This was intimate.
When they finally pulled away, reality hit, and Joe panicked.
"Shit, I—"
"Shut up."
That was the last thing he heard before Cherry kissed him again—desperate, a little salty from the rain.
Joe’s hands clung to Kaoru’s waist, trembling, as if the moment might slip through his fingers, as if three days apart had been too long. Kaoru’s grip on his neck was just as fierce, just as unwilling to let go.
When they finally broke apart, Joe couldn’t stop the grin spreading across his face. Kaoru was still there. He had kissed him. And now, he was smiling back.
They stared at each other for a moment before Kaoru straightened up and muttered,
"Get rid of those girls that cling to you like keychains. Then we’ll talk."
Joe laughed, wrapping him in a tight hug.
"Yes, sir." He mocked.
They start to head back, hand in hand, with blissful smiles on their faces.
As they approached the restaurant, they spotted Miya standing at the door. He let out a slow exhale, shaking his head.
"Fucking finally," he muttered under his breath.
Kaoru and Kojiro exchanged a surprised glance before simultaneously yelling, "Language!"
Miya just rolled his eyes, turning on his heel and walking off, already drafting the most obnoxious I told you so text to send to the group chat.