Chapter Text
The school uniform was uncomfortable. It wasn't unbearable, but it was enough to annoy Masahiko. The blazer managed to be both too thick for warm days and too thin for cold ones. The trousers made his legs itch with the unpleasant fabric. The collar was so stiff he could feel it tickle his neck at every head movement he made. Even after so much time, he still had a problem with the tie.
What made it worse, his awful sleeping habits made him wake up too late, forcing him to hurry with dressing up, making the clothing feel more rugged.
He nervously adjusted his shirt sleeve while sitting at his desk. An irritating sensation. It felt like every part of his body was itchy, but he couldn't do anything about it. One by one, his classmates continued to enter the classroom, making the background chatter louder and louder.
"Good morning!"
Masahiko looked at the two hands abruptly slamming against his desk. The same uniform he had; somehow, it didn't look that uncomfortable when worn by others. No wonder, it was all about presentation, not convenience. Maybe it wasn't uncomfortable at all; perhaps he was the one who didn't know how to put it on properly.
He snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of a chair being pushed closer to his desk and a satisfied grunt. The rambling of his friend should've probably already made him focus on his surroundings, but lately, he was able to tune it out. Not that he didn't care about what he was saying. Sometimes it was nice to just listen to his voice without thinking much of the content.
"You're looking rough, man." Masahiko only now noticed Hayato sitting in front of him, resting his elbows next to his workbooks. "Did you rush here? Woke up late, I reckon?"
Masahiko looked away. Maybe in shame, maybe in denial.
"Of course, I can tell," he leaned closer, pointing his finger at the other's collar, "that tie saw better days."
Silence. It was shame. Still, he nodded.
"Oh, don't look at me like that!" Hayato smiled.
A sigh. He looked down at his tie. It was a little embarrassing how easy it was to tell he was in a haste this morning. All he could respond with was a pitiful expression, causing Hayato to laugh.
"That's why you have me!"
This time, confusion.
"Come here. Let me fix it."
Masahiko held his breath when Hayato pulled his hands out and shifted his weight forward. He suddenly became hyperaware of everything happening around him, especially the boy in front of him fiddling with his tie.
Every movement made him fight his own body not to flinch. It felt a little awkward, maybe even intimate. Having his tie undone by someone else, it was unmistakably intimate, but he tried not to pay mind to it.
Hayato didn't seem too moved by their close position; he was too focused on the tie and how to properly put it on, even if Masahiko could feel his fingers lightly brushing against his neck when he messed up. It wasn't itchy like with his collar. It felt warmer and more welcoming. With every breath hitting his face, his heartbeat went up.
That's what you would call romantic.
He finally let go of his breath when Hayato finished his work, finally stabilizing his collar and fixing his blazer.
"There, a thousand times—" he paused, face suddenly flaming up, perhaps his thoughts finally catching up with him, "—better...?"
Despite hearing everyone around them, the silence between them appeared to be louder. Staring at each other in some sort of awe or guilt.
"Right— Yeah, uh— I have to— I have... to... stuff! Do stuff!" Masahiko didn't have time to process his friend's words as he stormed out of the classroom, accidentally charging into a few of his classmates and squeaking out a pathetic 'sorry', "I'll be back!"
Masahiko blinked a few times, his pulse still high and his face a deep red. Somehow, his uniform didn't feel that bad anymore.