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“There’s no way you’re ordering two Happy Meals.” Nao crossed his arms. The two of them stood in line at McDonald’s, taking in the information on the brightly lit menu screens. The displays reflected and sparkled off Souta’s eyes, making his gaze shine even brighter than usual.
“You’re getting 20 chicken nuggets! It’s the same thing!” Souta bantered. “Plus, don’t you want the toy?” He pointed at the Happy Meal’s toy feature, which had the KPop Demon Hunters character lineup. The soccer team had watched it together during one of their group bonding events – as a joke, supposedly. Nao suspected, however, that all of the boys were secretly hiding how much they actually liked it. Everyone except Souta, that is. As soon as he got caught humming “How It’s Done” during practice (much to Takahashi’s amusement), he decided not to hide it anymore.
Nao laughed. “No, I don’t need the toy, because I’m not five years old. You’re probably gonna get those big-headed Saja Boys instead of the girls.”
Souta shrugged his shoulders. “Well, that’s fine with me. It’s worth a shot, isn’t it?”
“Sure, Sou-”
A voice interrupted them. “What would you like to order?” The worker beckoned them forward with a gloved hand.
The two boys walked up to the counter, Souta stepping slightly in front of Nao. “Oh, sorry! We’ll get…”
Nao sighed softly to himself, letting his vision relax and fuzz over. Souta had always ordered for the both of them, and he would be doing so for as long as they were together – forever, naturally. It was only their first date, and Souta already knew to order a hot tea for Nao, even without being asked. He already knew Nao’s favorite songs, his favorite jacket (which Souta was wearing at the moment), and his dreams. Before Nao knew it, the pads of his fingers had crept over to rest on the inside of Souta’s wrist, sliding down his palm, eventually interlocking digits with Souta. After some hesitation, Souta squeezed Nao’s hand back, a stilted sensation marked by pleasant surprise.
“What will be your form of payment?” the cashier asked.
And the moment was over. Nao pulled his hand away from Souta’s, digging down in his own pocket. “Here,” Nao said, pulling out a few paper notes.
“What? No, let me pay-” Souta shoved Nao’s hand out of the way.
“It’s no big deal. Just let me, now. You haven’t even taken out your wallet yet,” Nao reminded him.
“Oh, you’re right.”
“I tend to be,” Nao said with a smug smile. He handed the money to Souta, who passed it over to the cashier. As soon as the two of them sat down, Souta looked over the receipt, then rummaged through his wallet. “Here.” He slid the full amount of money across the table.
“Souta, I said no. Just let me handle it.”
“But I asked you out! I should be the one to cover it!” Souta protested.
“Well, I didn’t buy you expensive concert tickets, now did I?” Nao slid the money back. This was quickly developing into an intense game of table hockey.
“You got me those soccer cleats, though!” Whizz.
“Oh, I didn’t know we were keeping track! You got me those glow-in-the-dark stars.” Nao blocked the shot.
“I got those at the hundred-yen store, those clearly don’t count.” Goal! The coins went over the edge of the table, clattering onto the floor.
Nao bent down, peeling the coins off the floor. Someone clearly didn’t clean up a soda spill previously. “You make a compelling argument. Still, you should keep your money. We’re going to be paying for each other’s meals more often, so you’re not going to be in debt to me or anything.” He took Souta’s hand and turned his palm upward. “Understand?”
Souta nodded. “Fine… I’m paying next time, though.” As Nao released the coins, Souta’s eyes wrinkled. “Eww, gross!” Souta grabbed a napkin, scrubbing at the change with vigor.
Nao chuckles, leaning his cheek into his hand. “You’re quite jittery today, aren’t you?”
“It’s… that obvious?” Souta shoved the change into his wallet. “It’s not like I’m on a first date or anything.”
“Still, we get food all the time. Just… act natural.”
“Yeah, like you naturally slipped your hand into mine in front of the cashier.” Souta quickly unbuttoned his jacket while Nao stared at his nimble hands. “Slick bastard.”
“Very slick. She didn’t even see anything. Plus, you squeezed back.”
“Whatever.” Souta rubbed the cuff of his sleeve in between his fingers. “You could warn me next time, or something.”
“Like this?” Nao prodded his foot into Souta’s shin under the table.
“Yeah, Nao. Just like that.” Souta tapped back. “We’ve already gone through two arguments, and the food’s not ready yet? The worker really wasn't joking about the wait.”
“Yeah, it looks like a lot of people are waiting on their food, too.” Nao shrugged. “Wanna take a walk?”
“Ooh, to the playground? There’s one that’s a block away from here.” Souta’s eyes lit up. “It has swings and even a spinny-thing!” He got up and twirled around.
“It’s called a roundabout, or a merry-go-round. Or a carousel,” Nao said, and Souta made a face at him for being so matter-of-fact about it. “Anyway, we probably can’t go. School just got out, so there’ll be a lot of kids there.” Nao grabbed onto Souta’s sleeve, barely restricting his movement.
“Come on, we’re technically kids too! Like, if you really think about it.” Souta pointed up at his temples for added effect.
“You might qualify, yes.” Nao pinched his cheek. “Fine, let’s do it. No use arguing about it.”
Souta let that first comment slide. “Yes! Thank you, Nao!” He ran out of the door, dragging Nao behind him.
“What happened to warning each other?” he called out, exasperated.
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As Nao expected, the playground was buzzing with activity. Small, excited children scampered across the playground, accompanied by their equally weary parents. Almost every spot was filled, except –
“Nao, look! The spin- the roundabout!” Souta hopped onto the flat base, grabbing onto the bars. The structure swayed from the motion.
Instead of getting on immediately, Nao stooped down and read a label. “Is there a weight limit on this?” he murmured.
“Rude!” Souta scoffed.
“This was made for children, so maybe it can’t hold the weight of two teens. I ought to check it, anyway,” Nao reasoned. “Hmm, it should be fine, I think.”
“Great! Spin it and get on!”
Nao nodded, then grabbed the bars of the roundabout, dragging it and Souta’s weight as he ran faster and faster, picking up speed and heavier breathing until everything around him became a blur of color. Everything except Souta, that is.
“Nao, jump!”
He didn't have to be told twice. He hopped on behind Souta, nearly knocking into him. The world spun around the two of them as they held on for dear life, wind rushing through their hair and bringing tears to their dry eyes. Nao wrapped his arms around Souta as an anchor.
“You’re supposed to hold onto the handlebars!” Souta shouted. Still, he secured Nao’s arm across his chest. They started to laugh before the roundabout came to an abrupt halt.
“That’s not how you’re supposed to ride it!” A little girl snapped at them, crossing her arms. A small army of elementary schoolers stood behind her.
Souta and Nao looked at each other incredulously, then Souta turned toward them with a curious smile. “Oh, really? Could you help us out?”
The girl shook her head, her pigtails bouncing with the movement. “No, no, leave it to the professionals.” She grabbed at Souta’s arm and tugged at his sleeve.
Nao placed a hand over Souta’s shoulder. “Hey, you need to use nicer words. If you want to have a turn, you say… ?”
The girl huffed. “… please. It’s my turn!”
“Cute. Reminds me of someone…” Nao smirked at Souta, pinching his cheek. Both of Souta’s cheeks started to flush. It really was that easy to fluster Souta. It always had been. Nao marveled at how he hadn’t taken advantage of this fact any earlier. “Now, hands off. Pulling people’s clothes is not very nice, you know.” The girl let go of Souta, then tapped her foot.
“Okay, that’s good enough,” Souta grumbled. “Come on, Nao, let’s get off. We’ll leave it to the pros.”
Souta got off first, then helped Nao up with a little extra force. “Ope, sorry-” As he said this, Nao stumbled into his arms, hands grasping Souta’s elbows for support. Leaned into the crook of Souta’s neck, Nao smelled the scent of fresh laundry mixed with his own cologne. He already smells like me. Heat rushed to Nao’s face. “Hey… I can’t keep holding you up like this.” Souta’s hands gripped Nao’s biceps, grounding the two of them to that spot.
They heard a foot stomp in the dirt as the little girl waited impatiently. “So, are you watching or not?”
“Yeah, yeah, let’s see it.” Souta crossed his arms and tapped his foot, seemingly trying to dent the floor with the tip of his shoe. Clearly, someone was in a rush.
Nao slotted his elbow with Souta’s. “There’s no rush. We’ll get a notification when the food’s ready, anyway.”
Souta’s furrowed eyebrows gently lifted from his brow bone. “I guess so,” he muttered, uncrossing his arms as the children clambered on, holding the edge railings of the roundabout as their torsos hung off the border of the platform. “You little guys need a push?” he called out, walking over. The kids nodded and cheered, planting their feet.
Nao interjected. “Wait, aren’t they sitting incorre-”
Souta grabbed a free railing, running along the edge of the roundabout, just as Nao had. “It’s fine, Nao! Ready?” He let go of the roundabout with a final shove, backing away from them. The kids appeared as a colorful blur as Souta returned to Nao’s side. “See, they’re fine. Worrywart.” He poked Nao’s cheek.
“You’re one to talk.” Nao linked his arm with Souta’s once again, returning to normalcy once again. “I suppose they might be okay-”
“Okay, guys!” the girl hollered. “In three! Two!”
Nao’s face whipped to look at Souta in abject horror.
“One!” The kids lifted their legs, only stabilized by their fingers gripping the handlebars. Their torsos floated upward, bodies flapping in the air like children-shaped flags. The whole group erupted into whoops and hollers.
“Soutawhataretheydoing. Soutamakethemstop.” Nao gripped Souta’s arm tighter, returning to stare at the safety hazard unfolding before his very eyes.
Souta erupted in laughter. “I’ve seen people do this on TikTok, but never in real life! Usually a mom or dad scolds them before it goes on for too long.”
“This type of hazardous activity only happens in lawless nations! Like the United States!” Nao protested. “We have to put a stop to it!”
“Hey, don’t get your uniform in a twist. Look, Dad Extra Number Three is already on it. See?” Souta pointed at an older man stalking over to give the rascals a stern talking to.
“Thank goodness,” Nao sighed. “I wouldn’t feel right leaving this place without making sure those kids didn’t get hurt.”
Souta started walking, pulling Nao into matching his stride. “Yeah, let’s go back and get our food before you get any more gray hairs, hon.”
The two of them walked for a reasonable thirty seconds before Nao finally processed what Souta had said, glancing away from him as he kept walking forward. “... hon? Like honey?”
Heat spread across Souta’s cheeks as he quickened his pace. “Wait, did I say that out loud?” Souta stammered. “My parents say it to each other all the time, and… well, it just felt-”
“- natural,” Nao finished.
“You get it. If you think it’s weird, I can stop,” Souta said.
“No, it’s… it’s good. I actually wanted to run something by you, too,” Nao admitted as they approached the McDonald’s. “I’ve been meaning to call you… Sou.” His eyes flicked upward for just a moment to catch Souta’s reaction.
Souta covered his mouth to hide the huge grin spreading on his face. Seeing Nao shrink into himself in shyness, Souta let his smile shine through. “Nao, that’s so… sweet! And cute. I love it, okay? I want you to call me that all the time. Please.”
“Really? You actually like it?” he said quietly.
“Gosh, you’re so adorable, I wanna just squish you into a little ball. How are you this cute, huh? Come on, tell me.” Souta tackled Nao, squeezing his waist and planting his face into the crook of Nao’s neck.
Nao stumbled backward. “Hey, that tickles! Stop!” Writhing, he pushed Souta off of him and onto the concrete wall outside the McDonald’s. The two of them, inches apart from each other, laughed the air out of their lungs, eyes curved into happy crescents as they held each other. Souta’s hands rested on Nao’s waist, as Nao’s hands placed themselves firmly on Souta’s shoulders, slotted as if they were made to remain there.
Souta’s phone dinged with a notification, and he pulled it out. “Our food is ready! Could this moment get any better?” he said with a toothy grin.
Nao let his hands slide down Souta’s arms, then held Souta’s hands. “No, I don’t think so.”
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Nao and Souta slid into their booth, right across from each other as always. Souta placed their food down on the table, as he had insisted on carrying everything, other than the drinks.
“Time for the big reveal, huh?” Nao started eating his nuggets as Souta sized up the two Happy Meal boxes placed before him.
“Please, I need Zoey so bad…” Souta clasped his hands together in prayer.
Nao watched in anticipation as Souta slowly opened the first box, tugging out a corner of plastic wrapping, then revealing the toy.
“Aw, come on!” Souta poked at the figurine – a standing chibi of Romance with an exceptionally large forehead.
“What did I tell you? Forehead.” Nao poked at the figure’s fuckass forehead. “It’s okay, Sou, you’ve still got one left. Let’s see her.” He prodded the box toward a discouraged Souta.
“... it’s probably another stupid Saja Boy,” Souta grumbled as he opened the box, yanking the one and only Rumi Huntr/x from her French fry-laden throne.
Nao gasped. “You got her! You actually got her!” His eyes fixed themselves on the figurine, a grin spreading across his face.
“That’s so cool! Nao, we actually got one!” Souta gasped. “You should have her!” He thrust the plastic-wrapped idol toward Nao.
Nao took the figurine, cocking his head to the side. “What? She’s yours, isn’t she? I shouldn’t accept this.” He inspected Rumi close up. She really was perfect.
“Rumi’s your favorite, isn’t she? You should have her. Consider it a first-date gift, okay? Something to remember this day.” Souta picked at Romance’s packaging. “Or whatever.”
“Yeah, say something super sweet and sentimental, then gloss over it with ‘whatever,’ why don’t you? I still heard it,” Nao teased. “And I’ll accept your gift. Thank you.”
“It’s whatever,” Souta said, bouncing his leg. “Let’s eat.” He took out each of his food items: two 10-pack chicken nuggets, two small bags of fries, and his cola.
“No vegetables? Coach Yoshida wouldn’t approve of a double order of fries,” Nao said, poking at one of the waxy packets.
“That bag’s for you, Nao.” He slid it over. “It’s easier to just give you one of mine than ordering another,” he reasoned.
Nao took it. “Did you plan out this order in advance?” He dipped a fry into his mayo.
“Yeah, duh. Everything’s got to be perfect for you.” Souta started on his nuggets.
“Hey, I’m not that picky.” Nao’s eyes narrowed. Did Souta really think that little of him? That Nao would turn his nose at his earnest efforts?
Souta grabbed his hand. “Wait, that’s not what I meant! You know I’ve wanted this for so long. I just… wanted you to love this, okay? That’s all I was saying.”
I love you, idiot. Nao had almost said it out loud in a breathy exhale. Instead, a sigh slipped from his lips. “Sorry, I misunderstood you there. Thank you for caring so much.” Nao stuck his free hand out, wiggling the Rumi figurine in front of him. “This is so much fun! Thanks, Sou!” he said in a sing-songy falsetto.
Souta leaned in toward the figure, furrowing his eyebrows comically. “Thanks, Rumi, but only my boyfriend can call me that. Nice try.” He and Nao laughed, placing the figurine back on the table while the two of them ate. Souta finished his food first, always a quick eater, while Nao took his time.
“So, next we could go for a walk in the park, or go to karaoke or an internet cafe and play games. Or if you’re tired, we can watch a movie at my place. We can just shove those two hooligans to the side,” Souta said, referring to Riku and Iori.
Nao sipped at his tea. “How about we go back to the playground?” he suggested, looking intently at the rim of his cup.
“Wait, really?” Souta smiled.
“Yeah. It’s getting dark out, so it won’t be as crowded. Besides-” Nao set down his cup, warming his fingers on the sides. “-we didn’t even go on the swings.”
“I thought you said the playground was for children, hun.” Souta took a handful of Nao’s fries.
Nao watched Souta pilfer his food, smiling. “Well, Sou, I’m willing to make an exception just this once.” He tapped Souta’s foot under the table, and Souta returned the favor as they finished off Nao’s fries together.
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Upon their arrival at the playground, Souta immediately said he needed to go to the bathroom. “Is it okay if I leave you here for a bit?” he said, standing firmly outside the gate of the playground, which was closed during the nighttime.
“You could’ve gone at McDonald’s, you know.” Nao fiddled with the latch. He knew Souta was usually forgetful, but not on a day like today.
“I forgot, okay? I mean, Nature calls.” Souta twisted a few strands of his hair in between his fingers. “There’s a convenience store over there. I’ll just be in and out, okay.” It wasn’t even a question – he was going to be there.
Nao smiled to himself, wondering what antics Souta had prepared. “That’s okay, just don’t keep me waiting for too long, okay?” He opened the gate, then turned around to poke Souta in the side. “I’ll miss you.”
“Got it.” Souta turned on his heel and got moving, his footfalls thudding as he speedwalked away. Something about his tone seemed urgent.
Nao thought on it for a moment before entering the dimly lit playground. One of the lights was flickering, which would surely be fixed the next day. Moths still swarmed around it, then flittered away when the light would fade. The cycle continued, and Nao watched in fascination as the moths oriented themselves with the lamp, then lost their senses, then returned to that light. A few moths would stray far enough to be waved away, but they would eventually return to the bright white light. It was an aimless pursuit, the moths doomed to be eternally confused.
Finally, the light flickered out, for real this time. The moths dispersed, leaving Nao free to explore elsewhere. He eventually settled on the swings, where he was planning to finally apologize to Souta. As Nao imagined Souta would take longer than expected, he cleared his throat and rehearsed it, just as he’d planned.
“I… just wanted to apologize to you. Ever since… you know, my mom…” He looked down and rubbed at the tendons of his wrist with his thumb. “I never thought I could love someone without… without everything crumbling around me. Without me messing everything up. I didn’t want to ruin what we already had, Souta. You mean more to me than anyone. Which is why it breaks my heart that I made you unsure of how I felt about you. I don’t want you to feel rejected ever again or question how much I care about…” He sniffled, swallowing a lump in his throat. “Okay, let’s calm down,” he muttered to himself. Fiddling with some packaging in his pocket, he took a few deep breaths and dabbed away at his tearducts with his sleeve. “You’ve got this.”
“You’ve got what?”
Nao’s head lifted up and whipped around to see Souta, holding a plastic bag behind his back and wearing an awed expression.
“Do you wanna keep going, or should I?” Souta asked.
“You heard all that?” Nao’s heart rate picked up the pace.
Souta walked over so Nao could easily face him. “It’s okay. I… thank you. For giving me a chance like this.” He placed a hand on Nao’s shoulder.
Nao placed his hand on top of Souta’s, squeezing it. “No, you’re the one who’s giving me a chance here. And I am so grateful. I promise.”
They took a moment to forgive each other and, more importantly, themselves. For their stupid mistakes, for their doubts, and for the love they’d suppressed for far too long.
“I wanted to give you something,” Souta said, after a minute.
Nao shook his head incredulously. “You’ve already given me so much today, there’s no way you have something else for me.”
“And yet I still do,” Souta said, his voice lilting upward at the end of his phrase.
“I have something for you, too… but you can go first.” Nao reached into his pocket, letting Souta take the lead.
“Close your eyes,” Souta said with a giggle.
Nao obeyed. Immediately, he heard the rustling of fabric and the crinkling of… plastic?
“Okay, ready?” Souta let out a deep breath. “Open.”
Souta knelt on one knee, holding out a strawberry Ring Pop in between his fingers. A gentle breeze picked up, blowing wind across the two boys’ eyes. Tearing up, Souta lifted up a hand to rub at his eyes. Nao mirrored his action. “This… what… I’m not crying, okay!” Souta tripped over his own words.
Nao choked back a laugh. “You’re such a child, you know that? I-”
“That’s not fair,” Souta grumbled, standing up as he interrupted.
“Here.” He offered his hand to Souta, who placed the Ring Pop on his finger. “You didn’t let me finish my thought. Now it’s my turn to give you something.” He reached into his pocket. “Like I was saying, you’re quite childish, you know. And the funny thing is…” He unwrapped a cherry Ring Pop and slipped it onto Souta’s finger– “... I think it might be contagious.”
Souta stared at the ring, starting to tear up again. “Nao, I’m crying for real this time. You- you really Ring Pop proposed to me? At the same time I was Ring Pop proposing to you?”
“Consider them promise rings, okay?” Nao said. “Except I’m not gonna wear mine all the time. That’s kind of gross, isn’t it?”
Souta laughed, wiping at his tears. “Y-yeah, on the desk it goes.”
“You know it.” Nao stood up and wrapped his arms around Souta, pressing his face to his shoulder. “Gosh, Sou, you’re so emotional. That’s one of the reasons why I love you so much.” He patted Souta’s back.
“You love me?”
“Of course, idiot.” He pulled away from Souta, still grasping him by the shoulders. “And I’ll make sure you never have to ask that again.”