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As they finish their lunches, the conversation whittles down into a companionable silence.
Minami doesn't often feel comfortable with quiet. He's the type who's always raring to go, diving headfirst into the noise and chaos. But seeing Nishida so peaceful, staring off at the sky, makes him feel okay.
He idly swings his legs and tries to appreciate the moment.
Things have always been a little different with Nishida. Maybe because he's not the typical yakuza type. Minami has lots of friends that he parties and drinks with. The kind that he shows his cool firebreathing tricks to, screams his voice out singing karaoke with, the ones he fights side-by-side with. They're important to him too, but it's not quite the same as with Nishida.
He doesn't need to show off or act cool when they're together. He doesn't need to fill the silence. They can make meaningless small talk, or they can share secrets and dark thoughts, the kinds of things Minami is too embarrassed to show anyone else. He lets Nishida care for his wounds, and tries his best to do the same in return. Sometimes he lets Nishida hold his hand — occasionally, he's even the one who asks to hold hands.
Today, it's Nishida who presses up close against his side. Nishida is a lovey-dovey kind of guy, definitely the sweetest Minami knows. He welcomes it, putting an arm around Nishida and giving him a little squeeze.
It isn't uncommon for Minami to throw an arm around a buddy’s shoulders, as a playful or friendly gesture, but doing it this softly is something that's just theirs. And Nishida isn't quite as touchy with anyone else, either. Minami likes having these things that are just for them.
“Things are different between us than with me and my other friends,” Minami says, speaking what comes to mind just because he knows Nishida would never judge him for it.
Nishida looks down from where he was gazing at the clouds, his head still partly angled at the sky, tilted in curiosity. “In a good way?” he asks with a hopeful glimmer in his eyes.
“Yeah, in a good way.”
“I think so, too.” Nishida bumps his shoulder against Minami’s and smiles. “It's special.”
Nishida’s smile makes him feel all warm and fuzzy inside, or something cheesy like that. He'd probably never let himself get that sappy around anyone else, but it's true.
It's not like the way he feels around his other friends, or around pretty girls, or even like the way his boss and Kiryu are. It's not like anything else.
“I don't know how to describe it, but I like this. Being us.”
“It's the best,” Nishida says, leaning against him. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
He looks down at Nishida with a sudden apprehension. He opens and closes his mouth a few times before he can force any words out.
“Hey, Nishi?”
“Hmm?”
With the same kind of nervousness he might have when inviting a girl on a date, he asks, with his heart fluttering, “Would… would you wanna be my kyodai?”
Nishida’s eyes light up. He immediately lets out a happy squeak and tackles Minami in a tight hug, forceful enough to almost knock him over.
“Of course,” he sighs, muffled into Minami’s shoulder.