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Adachi found it very funny the way his husband kept apologizing over and over when they arrived at their apartment. Kurosawa had said it without thinking, driven only by his jealousy. Adachi couldn’t stay angry with him; after all, Kurosawa had already been thinking for a while about making their relationship public.
Only a few days had passed since that incident. They were the talk of the office, and their coworkers kept asking them questions about their relationship. At first Adachi felt a little intruded upon, but after answering all the queries, people began to compliment their marriage and say how good they looked together.
The truth was that Adachi felt very proud of his husband. He didn’t usually talk about his relationship with many people, but now that everyone was asking, he couldn’t help but list one‑by‑one the many qualities of Kurosawa. He didn’t realize how in love he was until he said it out loud; he felt warm and pleasant.
-What would you like for dinner? - Kurosawa asked while checking the pantry. It was Friday, and both had just arrived at their apartment.
-Mmm… I think I’m craving takoyaki,- Adachi replied from the living room.
-Deal!- Kurosawa put his jacket back on and headed for the door, smiling sweetly at his husband. -I’ll be right back; we need mayo-.
Adachi reacted quickly, took his partner by the arm, spun him around, and pulled him into a kiss. Kurosawa couldn’t resist his husband’s affectionate advances for anything in the world; he began to melt in his lips while Adachi dragged him back into the apartment. As they separated, the dark‑haired man smiled with determination.
-You stay here; I’ll go to the convenience store- Adachi said. He couldn’t let his helpful husband do all the work. -Besides, it was my idea to eat takoyaki-.
Before Kurosawa could protest, Adachi leaned in for another quick kiss and darted out the door like a flash, not before grabbing his jacket, scarf, and gloves. The cold season had begun, and getting sick wasn’t on his future plans. Adachi didn’t mention it, but the missing mayo was because he had forgotten to write it on his grocery list.
He walked away calmly, thinking about how much he now loved his life. He had become less shy, he was pushing himself out of his comfort zone, he had a good work routine, and, above all, a wonderful husband. He felt he was at his best.
The convenience store was not far—just three blocks from their apartment. He went in, took a basket, and quickly headed to the sauce aisle looking for mayo. He was about to grab the usual one when he noticed new flavors on the shelf. Curious, he began reading what each contained.
In his hand was a spicy mayo. He was about to take it when a remorseful voice startled him.
-That’s a good choice; it’s really tasty- said a young man with square glasses and long hair, flashing a full‑toothed smile.
-Thanks… but I think I’ll take the regular one- Adachi suddenly remembered that Kurosawa couldn’t handle spicy food, and he didn’t want to listen to this stranger.
Since it was Friday, he thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to buy some beer to go with the takoyaki, maybe a few snacks, and perhaps have a movie night. He could already picture himself and his husband cuddled on the couch.
Everything was going well—until the strange man. Every time they crossed paths in the aisles, the man smiled broadly at Adachi. Although Adachi didn’t want to think the stranger was trying to flirt, in recent weeks people had told him how good he looked and how much attention he was getting. He had always thought those were exaggerations; his appearance had improved, but it wasn’t something out of this world.
No one had ever flirted with him before. Of course, it helped that he always wore his wedding ring, but now his gloves hid it, and Adachi wasn’t about to show his ring to a man who merely smiled at him—most likely he was just being friendly.
Adachi was about to go to the checkout when he passed the dessert case. Inside were all kinds of cakes, cookies, and sweet breads. He couldn’t help but stare at a small chocolate cake topped with strawberries and whipped cream. He hesitated about taking it; Kurosawa wasn’t a big chocolate fan, and Adachi didn’t think he could eat the whole cake after dinner and the snacks.
-Do you like sweet things?- the glasses‑wearing man turned back and smiled while pointing at the cake Adachi had been eyeing.
Adachi had no choice but to pay and leave quickly. He would be kind to this guy and then go home to share dinner with his beloved husband.
-Yes, but I can’t take it right now- he said.
The dark‑haired man paid and hurried out of the store as fast as he could. He was beginning to feel uneasy with the stranger’s persistent chatter. It was true his social skills had improved, but at that moment Adachi was in a hurry.
Adachi started focusing on his thoughts as he walked back, confident that Kurosawa would already have everything ready when he arrived. His husband was a great cook, and the mayo was just a topping for the meal—the final touch for their great dinner, making his mouth water.
-HEY…- Adachi snapped out of his thoughts and turned toward the source of the shout. To his not‑so‑surprising disappointment, it was the convenience‑store man, running toward him -Wait, please!-.
The dark‑haired man didn’t freeze for a moment, taking in the oddness of the situation. He didn’t look dangerous, yet Adachi instinctively assumed a defensive posture—his only “weapon” being a bottle of beer he kept handy as an improvised tool.
The man with glasses and long hair stopped in front of him and took a breath.
-I didn’t mean to scare you! It’s just that I thought you were really cute and I didn’t know how to approach you-.
Adachi was about to reply that he wasn’t available and that, in fact, he was happily married to the best man in all of Tokyo when the stranger spoke again.
-Here’s the cake; I could see you really wanted it- The glasses‑wearing man extended the small chocolate‑strawberry cake toward him. Now that he could see it clearly, he looked very nervous. Adachi could understand the bravery it took to give a gift to a stranger, but he had to give the man a dose of reality.
-I’m really sorry, you’re very kind but I’m married- Adachi dropped his shopping bag on the floor and took off one of his gloves, showing his wedding ring to the man.
-M‑Married…?- The man turned bright red instantly and seemed not to know where to hide his embarrassment. Adachi only smiled a little sadly while the man mustered the courage to keep talking-You can keep the cake anyway; I’m lactose‑intolerant-.
Adachi didn’t know whether that was true or if the man was just trying to save himself from the awkward situation. The poor fellow looked as if he had lost all his “aura of the month.” He took the cake from the man’s hands, thanked him, wished him a good night, and walked away kicking a stone with his head down.
The dark‑haired man gathered all his things and headed back to the apartment, thinking it was kind of funny how he would explain the situation to his husband. He already knew that this kind of interaction was a problem for Kurosawa—people often flirted with him and gave him gifts all the time—but Adachi had never experienced it firsthand. He had started to become genuinely attractive to the people around him.
When he entered the apartment, the first thing he smelled was the ready‑to‑eat takoyaki. Kurosawa had set everything on the living‑room table and stood up to greet Adachi with open arms.
-Kiyoshi! I was just about to go look for you- Kurosawa helped with the groceries and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek- Whoa, you bought beer and snacks-.
They both sat down in front of the food, and Adachi told him about his idea of watching a movie together. His husband agreed, and they arranged everything on the table, including the chocolate cake.In the end they decided on a comedy film and enjoyed the dinner while laughing and chatting from time to time. Just being together made them extremely happy; Adachi couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Friday night.
Eventually his cravings won, and he grabbed a fork to eat a bit of the cake they had been given. It was as delicious as it looked; Adachi would add it to his list of favorite desserts. He even gave his husband a small bite and his approval, but he couldn’t stop thinking about how that cake had ended up in his hands.
-Yuichi, do you think I’ve become more attractive lately?-.
-Of course! Every day I see you looking more beautiful; your beauty is like sunrise over the sea—fresh and dazzling- Kurosawa began reciting one of his usual poems to his husband. Adachi blushed a little while smiling; his husband was a goofball.
-Well… I’m telling you this because that cake was given to me by a man at the convenience store; he said I looked cute to him-
Kurosawa started choking on the beer he was drinking, while the dark‑haired Adachi could only laugh. It was clear his husband was getting jealous just because a stranger called him cute. Adachi began recounting the whole episode, teasing Kurosawa for being overly protective. It was silly for him to worry about the flirtation attempt; the dark‑haired man would never change Kurosawa for anything. If the dark‑haired man had started to look more attractive, it wasn’t only because of his new habits, but also because of his continual happiness—Adachi radiated joy.
-First at the office and now at the convenience store!- Kurosawa muttered, still a bit annoyed, mumbling some harsh words about the man from earlier.
Adachi took one of the strawberries from the cake and popped it into his mouth, leaving the other half for Kurosawa. His husband gladly took it, and they began kissing, forgetting the previous incident. From now on they would show more affection in public so that people wouldn’t try to flirt with either of them.
There was no problem with that; kisses, hugs, and caresses came naturally.