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Still with his eyes closed, Nagi Seishiro reached out to turn off the insistent alarm clock sitting on the windowsill. He sat up in bed and, still sleepy, greeted his pet cactus by poking his finger on one of its spines. That was his foolproof method for actually waking up. However, if the “foolproof” method failed, there was still a plan B: just look into the terrifying eyes of the weird painting his friend Mikage Reo had given him. The scare used to be enough to make sure he’d get to school on time.
The painting was probably expensive, made by some renowned artist, but his limited knowledge of art might have been the reason he couldn’t appreciate its value. He didn’t like the drawing, the lines, or the colors, and he definitely didn’t think it matched his clean, minimalist dorm room. But Reo had given him that gift the first time Nagi visited his apartment, saying he hoped Nagi would be as happy receiving it as he was when his parents gave it to him. And that was the only reason Nagi hadn’t sold it to buy games and still kept it hanging on his wall. Because that painting was a reminder that Reo Mikage wanted to make him happy and that alone was enough to make Nagi feel cared for, and as a result, happy.
"This is so ugly.” Nagi wondered "Why does Reo like this?" as he glanced at the painting. Reo had peculiar taste and collected exotic decorative items, like odd-shaped vases, as well as strange paintings. That led to an existential doubt that haunted Nagi from time to time. "Does he see me as just another treasure in his bizarre collection?" Reo always called him a "treasure" because he was a genius, and Nagi had a reputation for being weird, which only fed into his insecurity, even though it didn’t really bother him. What truly worried him was the thought of Reo getting bored of him and leaving him behind.
Reo’s birthday was coming up and despite his seemingly indifferent attitude, Nagi wanted to give something back for everything this guy who had done to brighten his life. Staring at the painting, he thought about the difficult task of choosing a gift for his friend.
Reo was generous and loved giving gifts. So, even though Nagi found it painful to think about, he knew he had to make an effort to find something truly meaningful, because Reo valued that kind of gesture.
"I don’t know what to do." Nagi put a hand on his forehead and lay back down on the bed. "I want him to be as happy as he was when he got that ugly painting from his parents. But it must’ve been insanely expensive. How am I supposed to get a gift for a billionaire?" Nagi had already checked his savings, but the math wasn’t adding up. "Should I ask him for money? No, I’d never be able to pay him back and I’d have to become his slave."
He didn’t think it would be such a bad thing to be tied to Reo for the rest of his life because of that potential debt, but he figured asking for a loan would ruin the surprise. So he’d avoid it for now.
He grabbed his phone to complete the daily mission in his favorite shooter game. "If I were getting a present, I’d love to get new skins. Would Reo like games? I could pick one we could play together, but... he’s so obsessed with soccer, he’d probably only want to play PIFA Soccer. And he probably already owns every game that exists... And with how good he is at everything, he’d beat the game way too fast and lose interest before I even finish paying off the credit card! Ugh, how annoying."
The stress over the gift was eating away at him, and that didn’t change when he opened his closet and looked at his two-toned collection of hoodies. He picked a black one to wear with his uniform, while wondering if he could give Reo clothes as a present. But how could he choose something, when Reo only wore designer brands Nagi didn’t even know? He had noticed that Reo liked mixing prints and geometric shapes, but Nagi was afraid of buying something tacky and having Reo misunderstand. He didn’t want to take that risk, so he crossed clothes off the gift list too.
The doubt still hammered in his head as he walked through the school halls after class. But as he passed by a room and saw what some students were doing, an unexpected idea came to him. He finally knew what to give Reo.
Determined, Nagi signed up for the ceramics club, even though he was already a member of the newly formed soccer club. He told Reo he’d be a bit late to practice, making up a story about an extra activity to boost his grades.
In truth, he just wanted to spend more time with Reo, but this small distance was necessary to prepare the gift, and he hoped he could get it done quickly.
[...]
Nagi was excited for his first ceramics class. The teacher was quite enthusiastic about having a new student and chatted with Nagi to learn about his expectations and explain how the class worked. He said he wanted to learn how to make vases, but the teacher explained they’d start with something simpler.
Nagi joined a large table where some students were already working with clay, shaping plates by hand. One of them was painting a ceramic piece, while another student was using the pottery wheel with some difficulty.
He followed the teacher’s basic instructions to prepare the clay, observing everything closely. Then, he shaped his plate with ease. It came out perfectly round, with even edges and a smooth surface.
The teacher raised an eyebrow.
"You’ve done this before?”
"No."
Nagi was talented at everything he did and had no trouble with the next steps. He was so fast that he finished his work well before the end of class and didn’t end up being that late to soccer practice. Not that he actually cared about playing soccer. He just wanted to see Reo.
Yes, Nagi couldn’t get Reo out of his head.
At the end of the first week, after going through the drying, firing, glazing, and painting stages, his classmates were surprised that his first plate looked perfect, like something you’d find for sale in a high-end store. But Nagi wasn’t happy with the compliments. He thought the piece lacked personality. It was well made, sure, but too plain to be something Reo would be interested in.
The following week, Nagi arrived earlier and told the teacher he wanted to learn how to make vases, because he was planning to give one as a gift. Though hesitant, because it wasn’t something she’d normally recommend for someone with only a week of classes, she allowed him to use the pottery wheel.
The wheel looked like nothing more than a spinning disk, but as soon as the teacher explained how it worked, Nagi realized it required more skill than it seemed. You had to control the speed with your foot, keep the clay centered, and shape the edges manually with precision.
After prepping the clay, Nagi put on the apron, sat down, turned on the pedal, and in seconds the clay rose like a perfect column between his fingers. He found it interesting. He shaped the walls effortlessly with a light touch as the wheel spun.
The other students, slightly incredulous, peeked at Nagi working the clay with no difficulty at all on his very first try.
When he finished, he noticed the piece looked perfect, worthy of professional ceramicists. But Nagi looked at the vase with disappointment.
"It doesn’t look anything like those weird pots Reo has in his room," he thought, sighing heavily.
That week, Nagi kept making more vases, not bothering with the final touches because he wasn’t satisfied with them. They were all perfect but ordinary. The teacher, even while recognizing his unusual talent for ceramics, was bothered by what she saw as a lack of discipline.
"Nagi-kun, you came here thinking pottery was just that part from Ghost, didn’t you? Not that it's from your time," the Gen X teacher teased, referencing the famous scene from the 90s where Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze mold clay together at the pottery wheel. "Finishing your pieces is part of the job too, you know!"
He gave her only a laconic glance in response as he shaped his fourth vase of the week, quickly returning his full attention to the piece. Despite his aloof demeanor, Nagi had a romantic side, and he had seen the movie, despite its age, and the theme song started playing in his head.
Oh my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long lonely time...
Nagi, with hands covered in wet clay, watched his own creation take shape. "Actually, making vases out of clay is pretty interesting," he thought. "I can create objects out of mud! This feels good... I feel almost like a god!" He quickly looked up and noticed a few classmates watching him work. And then, his mind drifted right to his favorite subject.
"Would Reo like to watch me doing this?"
"Nagi, you’re such a prodigy! I didn’t know you could do pottery," Nagi imagined Reo saying as he walked up behind him.
"Neither did I, to be honest," he replied in his imagination, without taking his eyes off the clay.
Reo pulled up a stool and sat behind him, peeking over his shoulder to watch his work.
"You really are my treasure!" Nagi imagined Reo ruffling his hair proudly.
Nagi always felt pretty great whenever Reo paid him some attention. And Reo's imaginary presence was so vivid, Nagi could almost smell his unique cologne (yes, even Mikage’s scent was exclusive), even though it was all in his head.
This wasn’t the first time it had happened, even if Nagi still denied it out loud. Once these thoughts took over, he couldn’t resist and couldn’t keep his full attention on the piece anymore.
He imagined himself turning to face his friend, meeting the admiring smile he loved the most. Then, in that fantasy, Nagi reached out clumsily with clay-covered fingers, touched Reo’s face, and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Reo kept smiling against his mouth.
I need your love
I, I need your love
God speed your love to me
Nagi closed his eyes. His lips formed a little “x” after a contented sigh. His hands lost the rhythm.
The vase collapsed.
"Nagi?!" the teacher called, snapping him out of his daydream. The rest of the class gasped in sympathy. They had just witnessed Nagi’s first failure. Turns out the genius was human after all.
The clay had become a mess, but the teacher assured him it could be fixed. And to the tune of Unchained Melody, which he could hear perfectly in his mind, Nagi reshaped the vase, this time into something perfectly weird, oddly proportioned, and filled with an emotional memory in which he had kissed Reo.
Well, that part of the inspiration… he’d definitely leave out if anyone asked.
[...]
"Reo!" Nagi had rehearsed a little speech, but the moment he stepped out of the elevator onto Reo’s floor and saw Reo approaching him, he froze, staring him with wide eyes.
Reo looked dazzling, somehow even more handsome than usual. Then, he invited Nagi inside.
There was going to be a dinner later that evening on another floor of the Mikage Corporation tower to celebrate the heir’s birthday, but Nagi had insisted on arriving a bit earlier. He wanted to give his gift while they were alone, without having to share the moment with anyone else.
"Ah! Reo! Happy birthday!" Nagi said, handing him the vase.
He hadn’t wrapped it or tied a ribbon around it. The vase was strange and a little creepy. It had large, uneven holes and looked more like a skull than a traditional vase.
"Wow!" Reo’s eyes lit up as he took in the piece, slowly turning it in his hands as if trying to memorize every detail. "Nagi, I didn’t know you were into art! This vase is amazing!"
He held it up, analyzing each curve and hollow with genuine curiosity. "Who’s the artist? Did someone help you pick this out?"
Nagi gestured toward the shelf where Reo kept the rest of his collection, and Reo carefully added the new piece among his exotic vases.
"It’s not from some famous artist, hope that’s not a problem. I made it myself," Nagi explained, placing his hand on the side of his neck.
Reo’s mouth fell open in shock while Nagi went on, as if it were no big deal. "I learned how to make vases in ceramics class at school."
Reo’s gaze darted back and forth between Nagi and the vase, his smile growing and it was obvious he already had a few ideas forming in his head.
"What?! Nagi, we could totally invest in this!" Reo’s purple eyes practically flashed with yens signs. "I could set up a studio for you to make more pieces like this! I bet we could make real money and we split the profits and—"
Reo was so excited he was speaking without stopping for breath, but Nagi cut him off, grabbing his wrist gently.
"No."
The word came out firm, but calm.
"This vase is just for you. And my talent is just for you."
Reo’s cheeks flushed at the same time he shivered at Nagi’s touch. The excitement gave way to an awkward silence. He looked down, clearly flustered and unsure how to respond to the way Nagi was looking at him.
"Nagi... I’m sorry. That was stupid. I just..." Reo pursed his lips, searching for the right words but none seemed enough to explain either his initial lack of tact or the tangle of emotions he was feeling.
Nagi slowly let go of his wrist. "It’s okay." He shrugged. "That’s just how you are. I like that."
Nagi truly didn’t seem bothered, which made Reo let out a relieved laugh. Nagi had a way of saying things that always caught him off guard.
"Well, thank you for the gift! You really made me happy, genius," Reo said sincerely.
He turned back toward the shelf, admiring his full collection of exotic jars with pride. Nagi stepped closer too, looking at his vase sitting right in the center of all the renowned artists' work.
"Let me know when you want another vase. I think I finally figured out how to mess up the right way," said Nagi. The warmth spread through his body at the thought of making another piece while daydreaming about Reo’s kiss.
"Huh?"
Reo didn’t quite get what he meant by “mess up the right way,” but he seemed amused by the idea of growing his collection.
"If you're going to make me more vases, I’ll have to call my architect to build a whole new display just for the pieces by my favorite exclusive artist... Some guy named Nagi Seishiro!"
Nagi figured that if he made a vase every time he imagined kissing Reo, it really would be a lot.
"You're gonna need a lot of space then."
"No problem! Just this Mikage Corporation property has 53 floors," Reo said, winking and sticking out his tongue playfully.
Nagi let out a quiet sigh. Filling an entire tower with his vases? That would definitely take a lifetime. Maybe even longer than it would take for them to win the World Cup together.
And that, to him, sounded perfect.