Chapter Text
In the kitchen of the Makunouchi home, Ippo humms distractedly as he finishes the last couple of soapy dishes. At the same time, Hiroko takes some meat packages out of the freezer and into the fridge. She loves these mundane quiet moments with Ippo, and gets to have more of them now that he isn't boxing professionally. She also loves to hear his stories as a second-in-training for the gym; it warms her heart to see his son still passionate about something. Ippo often goes on about his ideas on how to help the guys improve their fighting styles. Even though Hiroko doesn't understand a lot of it, she loves that he wants to share his favorite thing with her. Today, however, Ippo hasn't mentioned boxing once. She wonders if there's something in his mind he's struggling with. Out of nowhere, he breaks the silence.
“I can't believe Umezawa-kun doesn't have a girlfriend. That's crazy, right? He'd be such an amazing boyfriend, don't you think?” he asks nonchalantly, putting the rinsed dishes on a rack.
Oh dear. Are we having the conversation? Hiroko thinks. She loves her son very, very much, but boy can he be dense sometimes. It took a while for her to realize that Ippo might be bisexual, but she had noticed Umezawa’s queerness right away. That doesn’t mean, however, that she has the right to divulge such delicate information.
“Um… what made you think about that?” She stalls.
“I… don't know…,” Ippo averts her gaze, “I haven't seen him in two weeks, I guess. Scheduling issues and all that. We just talked on the phone last night…”
“Hmm. That’s a long time for you two”
“Maybe? I was just thinking that… he’d be so good at it. At the boyfriend stuff, I mean. He always knows what to say to make you feel good about yourself…”
Okay… What is going on here? Hiroko is scared to seem too blunt, to pressure Ippo towards an answer that he should arrive at on his own. The limited information she has on homosexuality she’s learned from a kind neighbor whose kid is gay, and, as she mentioned, everyone is queer in their own special way. Or something along those lines.
“Well, Ippo… some people like being single”
“I know, but…”
…he's tall and handsome, too! He almost blurts out. He doesn't know why he misses him so much. They usually hang out at least twice weekly. Interestingly, Ippo's been on a few dates with Kumi lately, but a part of him was thinking about…
Ippo doesn't know how to finish the sentence.
Hiroko sighs and gives him a sympathetic glance. She's always been aware that Umezawa is in love with her son. She will support her boys regardless of their sexual orientation, but at some point in the last few years she had to admit that something about Masahiko's infatuation made her uncomfortable: It was devastating to know that such a sweet, excellent boy was living in denial. She used to dread the idea of Ippo breaking Umezawa’s heart, but the latter never made an advance. Tonight, his son’s words make her wonder if there's a chance that she’s been the one in denial here.
“It seems there's something you'd like to find out about your best friend, Ippo. Why don't you go ask him yourself?”
Ippo looks at his mom wide-eyed, almost outraged, an expression reserved for stressful moments only.
“What do you mean?! It's not like it's a big deal or anything. And I don't think I can just go around asking that kind of question… Right?”
Hiroko hopes that she’s not making a mistake when she replies:
“Why not? You’re close. He's family, after all”
“Mom…”
“Yes, Ippo?”
“Do you think that he is…?”
The look she gives him, lips tightly shut together, clearly says ‘you should have a chat with him, son.’ Hiroko doesn't want to play matchmaker. She just wishes for her son to find himself. For some reason, Ippo blushes.
“O-okay!! I'll go to his place to help tomorrow, Teru’s swamped studying for an exam or something. I can ask him then, I suppose… maybe”
“Alright!,” she says, “please say hi to Umezawa-kun for me, will you? Tell him that he should visit more often”
“Sure!”
Later that night, staring at the ceiling, Ippo tries to make sense of his conflicted feelings before bed. What could be the catalyst for all of this? It's not like they have never been apart before. However, every year since they became friends Ippo has found himself spending more and more time with Umezawa. Ippo loves to help him with his manga, but there are more reasons why he likes to stay at his bachelor apartment for so long. To begin with, the boxer needs that moment of mental release, of venting and sharing his intimate thoughts. Umezawa has the uncanny ability to turn any place into a safe space, he believes. There's also the sound of his voice when he's concentrating on his artwork. The way he starts humming a little song when he’s feeling playful. His several stims, like bouncing a foot on top of the other leg or biting on a pencil. His scruffy chin and long black hair when he has time for nothing else but work. Or how Umezawa's face illuminates and softens when he sees him.
Deep down, Ippo wishes that he felt the same excitement while hanging out with Kumi. She's a great girl, he keeps telling himself. And it's true! She's nice, smart, and very cute. Sometimes he feels a warm appreciation for her. He's even thought that he loves her. She smells great and her skin looks smooth. The way she looks at Ippo makes him feel weak on his knees some days. And yet, whenever he's not home, it's not her who Ippo thinks about. As if Kumi only existed when he saw her. He's not sure what she's like the rest of the time. He wonders if he should try to dig deeper, but never ends up doing it. Perhaps this is because he's only known her for a couple of years? He's not sure how much time it takes for him to feel fully comfortable with someone of his same age. What am I so nervous for, anyways?! He shifts to the right, pushing thoughts aside. He better start sleeping now, or tomorrow he will look like a mess.
Not that it matters, though.