Chapter Text
Most moments in time pass unnoticed. They remain unmemorable, inconsequential. But every now and then, there’s a rare moment that changes the way of the world so profoundly that suddenly nothing seems to be the same once it has passed.
“It doesn’t matter if you see me. You guys are special.”
The moment when Adam revealed his face to Kaoru and Kojiro, uttering those magical, spell-like words, was such a moment. The memories of three Okinawan high school boys would from then on be divided into the time before and after Shindo Ainosuke removed his hood in the glowing moonlight that fateful night.
At that mystical moment, when Kaoru marveled at him as if he’d hung the moon, Ainosuke felt like he’d just won a most exquisite prize.
Kojiro, on the other hand, had the sudden sinking feeling that he’d just lost something extremely precious.
And for Kaoru, things seemed to finally come full circle. Right in front of him, regarding him with the most enchanting smile he’d ever seen, there was the blue-haired boy who’d changed his life all those years ago.
It had happened right before his parents’ divorce. They’d tried to temporarily rid themselves of Kaoru, allegedly in order to protect him from a hurtful experience. As if their divorce would hurt any less if he’d think about it from the safe distance of a boarding school for boys.
Kaoru managed to successfully get himself kicked out of that school within a mere week of rebellion and rejoin Kojiro’s class at his old school. But during that short week at the boarding school, Kaoru learned something very important about himself.
He’d always wondered why he couldn’t share Kojiro’s passion for certain actresses and female pop stars, but that one week at the boarding school made him finally understand the reason: Kaoru liked boys. And it was one boy in particular who’d made him realize that...a handsome boy with spiky hair as blue as the ocean and dazzling, ruby-colored eyes. A boy who mostly looked pensive and serious, except for that one time when their eyes met and a sly smile grazed his lips.
Kaoru never forgot that smile...and that name. Shindo Ainosuke. And now, seven years later, that same boy was standing right in front of him, smiling at him with a warmth that seemed to ignite a fire deep inside of him.
He’d admired Adam for his incredible skill and boldness on the board. But never would he have thought that Adam — that ruthless devil, that otherworldly genius — was the heir of the most respected family of the island and the boy who’d made him realize why he was different from the other boys. Different from Kojiro.
“Sh...Shindo!” Kaoru stammered, stunned by the realization and that breathtaking sight in front of him.
Adam’s beautiful smile momentarily faded. “Don’t call me that, Cherry,” he said, his tone still gentle but somewhat disappointed. “Not here. Not when I’m with you. When I’m free.”
So Kaoru was still attracted to Shindo Ainosuke, even more so than when they first met at that stupid boarding school. But the truth is, things were a little more complicated than that.
After transferring back to his old school, Kaoru soon forgot the pretty blue-haired boy he’d met at boarding school because he found himself confronted with yet another crucial epiphany. He finally had to admit to himself that he liked a boy he’d met a long time ago: his best friend, Kojiro. Unfortunately, it turned out that having feelings for Kojiro was nothing more than a curse from which Kaoru desperately wished to free himself.
Kojiro seemed to only have eyes for girls, and when he started dating them (a new one every week), Kaoru’s heart gradually broke into pieces. His parents didn’t allow him to change to a more expensive school again considering the previous embarrassment, so he was stuck with Kojiro. That’s when the silly rivalry started.
In his desperation, Kaoru decided that besting Kojiro was the only way to get over him. Suddenly, everything turned into a competition. They riled each other up and got into fights over nothing. Their friendship began to disintegrate like a sandcastle in the searing sun...
Until they discovered skateboarding. Even though the sport offered plenty of occasions to measure their strength and skill with each other, Kaoru and Kojiro slowly started to have fun together again. They each developed their own style; Kaoru’s based on calculation and logic, Kojiro’s on strength and stamina. Whenever Kojiro beat him in a race or managed to land a new trick he hadn’t mastered yet, Kaoru no longer got mad. Instead, he felt proud of his friend and motivated to try even harder. They pulled and pushed each other in a good way.
And then they met Adam. They met him when the cherry blossoms around town were in full bloom.
Kaoru always had the feeling that luck was on his side whenever the trees turned light pink. He used to hate his hair as a young boy, and so did his father. He’d started to grow it out for the same reason he got his piercings; as an act of rebellion. But eventually, he’d grown to love the color of his hair, and sakura season had felt special ever since.
It couldn’t have been a coincidence that Kaoru met Adam right when the cherry trees were showing off their most beautiful colors. He felt he’d been given a gift; a gift he’d been wishing for all along.
After seeing Shindo Ainosuke smile at him in the moonlight and hearing him say that he was special, Kaoru’s life drastically changed. Finally, his thoughts were no longer constantly occupied by a boy who would never like him back because he wasn’t a girl.
Luckily, Ainosuke – no, Adam – didn’t waste any time. Right after they’d exchanged numbers, he asked Kaoru to go skating with him one night. Alone.
It was weird not to tell Kojiro about it, but also thrillingly exciting. The moon was almost full that night, shining brightly above the sea, like a second sun dimmed by a silver curtain.
Kaoru had always loved the skate park by the sea, but flying up and down the half-pipe with Adam below the stars was magic. Eventually, Adam got rid of his hoodie and carelessly tossed it on top of their backpacks. He was wearing a tight, v-neck shirt, showing off his well-defined muscles. His crimson eyes and his cerulean hair glistened in the moonlight, and he looked as if he had been carved from marble and adorned with precious gemstones. He looked divine. Like a god.
“What’s up?” Adam asked with a wide grin, stopping his board right next to Kaoru, snapping him out of his trance. It had been one of those recurring moments when Kaoru could only stare at Adam in admiration with his mouth slightly agape.
Flustered, Kaoru shook his head, self-consciously biting his lower lip. “Nothing. I was just...uhm...trying to figure out how you did that slide. I’ve tried it so many times now, but my calculations must be wrong. I thought I knew exactly how fast I had to...”
“Hey,” Adam interjected with an amused smile, suddenly lifting his hand to gently comb his fingers through Kaoru’s hair, grazing the back of his head.
Kaoru gasped, momentarily feeling unable to breathe as Adam locked eyes with him.
“I told you to stop racking your brain over my tricks. There are things you can’t comprehend with logic.” Cupping Kaoru’s head with his left hand, Adam slowly slid the other along Kaoru’s chin, throat, and further down until it came to rest on his chest, pushing gently. His voice was soft now, almost a whisper. “Skating is all about the heart.”
As Adam leaned in, capturing Kaoru’s lips with his own, the world seemed to stop around them. Kaoru no longer heard the rushing of the waves nor the rattling sound of two skateboards slowly rolling a few feet away from them until they bumped into each other.
Suddenly, there was only Adam; the warmth of his lips, his taste, and his smell. Kaoru was stunned for a brief moment before he realized what’s happening. This was it. This was what he’d wanted for so long. Finally, someone he liked desired him too.
Kaoru wrapped his arms around Adam, digging his fingers into his t-shirt, pulling him close. He kissed him back hungrily, hoping Adam wouldn’t figure out that his urgency was partly desperation.
“You’re so beautiful, Cherry,” Adam whispered against his lips. “I’m glad I found you again. I’ve wanted you ever since I first saw you in that classroom.”
Kaoru felt his cheeks flush with heat as Adam playfully teased his lip ring with his tongue before licking into his mouth again. So he wasn’t the only one who remembered their first meeting at the boarding school. Not the only one who had felt that spark of attraction, even back then.
All of a sudden, the entire ordeal of being in love with Kojiro for years felt so trivial. How could he have been so stupid? Maybe Kaoru had been destined to be with Shindo Ainosuke all along. He simply should have been patient instead of allowing his heart to be led astray by an idiotic, obviously heterosexual gorilla.
Ugh, why was he thinking about Kojiro during his very first kiss with Adam?
As if he knew that he had to reclaim Kaoru’s attention, Adam grabbed Kaoru’s hair in his fist, tugging at it demandingly. His other hand, which had been resting on Kaoru’s heart, wandered all the way down to the back of his pants, squeezing tightly.
Taken off-guard, Kaoru gasped against Adam’s lips, his eyes fluttering open. But he quickly realized that he liked the possessiveness in Adam’s touch. He decided to allow himself to drop his defenses and lose himself completely in Adam’s arms.
Kojiro be damned.
Kaoru had finally found his true match. Adam could have him. All of him. Right there and then, while the silver moon and a million stars silently watched above them.