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"Wanna see what I bought?"
"Go on"
Mika exaggerated his frown
"Can ya look any less interested?"
Shu sighed
"I make it that obvious, do I?"
"I ain't gonna show ya now"
"Kagehira...don't be a baby"
"Ya clearly don' wanna see it!" Mika argued, "Wasn't that cool anyway. It's not like It looks like you"
Shu pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing exactly what Mika was wanting to show.
...
For quite some time now, Mika had been buying (hoarding) Valkyrie merch like crazy. Specifically, Shu's merch.
Not his own? No
He doesn't need to look at his own face everytime he wakes up, leaves for ES, comes home, and goes to bed.
Does he need to look at Shu's?
Obviously
Why would you even ask such a thing?
So he had been buying every piece of merch he'd get his hands on.
In fact, he made sure he did so from different websites and stores, so that it wouldn't end up becoming a thing on social media: Idol Kagehira Mika has been HOARDING merch of his UNIT LEADER?!
Gross
He doesn't want to see that
Moreover, he doesn't want Shu to ban him from online transactions for the same reason.
It had gotten to a point where Mika had to be bought a shelf just for these merch items.
...
(Arashi funded the shelf. Not because she wanted to, but because Shu had said no, and Mika had burst into her room whining. Needless to say, she had been emotionally blackmailed)
❀
"I was so sure you'd have run out of merchandise to purchase by now..." Shu sounded exhausted
"Never!" Mika huffed, "Even if I had, I'd get more made! Customs!"
"Kagehi— " Shu took a deep breath, and closed his eyes for a minute.
Mika tilted his head, waiting for Shu to convince himself that this was just another one of the raven's fanatic adventures, and it would be over when he'd open his eyes again.
But opening his eyes did not, in fact, magically make things better,
"Listen...please"
"I'm listenin'~ "
Shu audibly sighed
"Stop buying things, that have my face on it, okay?"
Mika wanted to laugh at how suppressed Itsuki had sounded. As if he was trying to dissolve his rage and frustration in his throat.
"But yer face is so pretty! I gotta see it everyday, or I'll die!"
"Do you ever—" Shu once again had to exhale slowly, and close his eyes. His therapist had told him to be calm at all times.
His therapist, obviously, didn't know his Mika was an over-the-top, super Shu Itsuki enthusiast and worshipper, who would gladly sell both his kidneys at any given circumstance, whether asked of him or not.
...
"So..." Mika hummed in the awkward silence, "...did ya cool down yet?"
"We'll find out together"
"Okay..." A singular drop of sweat went down his neck.
"I'm...gonna show it now"
Shu could hear the ruffling of fabric, and other things, as Mika went out of frame for a bit, struggling to find what he was looking for.
"An'...here it is!" He exclaimed
It was...a cat plush
Medium sized. On it's soft body sat rose quartz fur, neatly trimmed, as it sat elegantly on Mika's hands.
It's face was clean and cute, with lavender eyes narrowed in disdain and/or exhaustion, and a pout sat on its lips.
(To say it was accurate would be an understatement)
Shu made sure to stare at it, as if he was staring at his own muddled reflection, but slightly terrified of it.
"Um..." Mika blinked in confusion, "...is it...uh...is yer internet doin' okay?"
Itsuki suddenly shook his head, and seemed to not be frozen anymore.
His eyes were still a bit...confused.
"Oshi san? Earth ta oshi san?"
Shu blinked aggressively, "Where on Earth did you get that???"
"Ah!" Mika flinched, "Why do ya sound so scared? What happened? Did someone break into yer apartment?"
"Where did you buy that CREATURE?!"
"I got him custom made!" Mika replied, with the same intensity and fear,
"T–There's this company that makes animal plushies! So I sent 'em a sketch of what I wanted an' they mailed him ta me!"
"HIM???"
"WHY ARE YA YELLIN' ???"
"WHY ARE YOU YELLING???"
"BECAUSE YER YELLIN' OBVIOUSLY!"
"Wait— Custom made???" Shu finally processed, "How much did you pay for THAT?"
"I don' remember!" Mika clutched the plush as if it was his child, "I was too busy lookin' at him!"
"You— " Shu gave up, and rubbed his eyes, "...Godammit, Kagehira"
"What did ya say?" Mika was now just as horrified as Shu had been mere seconds ago, "Did...did ya just say a bad word?"
"It's not a bad word!" Shu's voice was muffled, because he was now sitting with his face in his hands, "It's an exclamation!"
"Therapy ain't doin' well fer ya after all"
"Shut up!"
"Okay, okay" Mika sighed, calming down
❀
"Shouldn't you be going to bed now?"
"Ngah..." Mika had the cat sit in front of his crossed legs, as he patted its head, "...it's around 4am"
"Then it's best you sleep"
"But then...I won't see ya until next month"
"Well, I've been keeping busy" Shu explained, some sorrow in his voice, "I'll still see you on video call again a month later. Don't look so solemn"
"I guess so..." Mika mumbled, his gaze shifting to the plushie in front of him, as he continued caressing its head.
Shu seemed to watch Mika as well
"You seem to like the cat"
"Yeah. Only 'cause yer not here" Mika said, his smile laced with longing.
"..."
"Y'know I buy all this stuff 'cause yer far away, right?" Mika looked back at the camera.
His expression filled Shu with guilt
"It's okay, you ain't gotta feel bad" He kept smiling, "I know it ain't possible fer ya to come over whenever I want you to. That's just how it is"
Shu smiled then
"Indeed. That's how life is"
A period of silence followed. Not an awkward one, but one where they just looked at each other in radiant comfort. In a way that telepathically communicated one message. One that is too profound and abstract to be translated.
...
Mika looked back at the cat
"I wanna name this little guy"
"I see"
"What...do ya think I should call it?"
Shu, letting himself indulge in this childish activity, simply smiled warmly,
"I don't know. I don't think I should name it, since you are it's rightful owner"
"Oh" Mika seemed to blush for a second, "Um...well, actually I've been brainstormin'...and I got nothin' at all. Plus, I don' wanna end up namin' it somethin' stupid"
"I see..."
Mika closed his eyes in concentration, as if thinking of something profound and deep.
Then he popped them open and grinned
"How's about I call him 'oshi san', oshi san?"
Shu was confused, but some part of his subconscious had already expected something like this.
"Why would you call it that? That looks nothing like me"
"Sure he does!" Mika argued, "Look at his face! Look carefully!"
When Mika shoved it at the camera with full force, Shu had no choice left.
He squinted at it
"It's fur is somewhat similar to my hair colour, but other than that— "
"Look how annoyed he is!" Mika emphasised the cat's furrowed brows with his fingers, "It looks like he's sayin': Non! I will be not be tolerating such nonsense!"
The way Mika imitated him, (rather tried) made Shu hold back a laugh.
He'd save it for later.
"Right? Right???" Mika looked desperate, "See! Yer laughin' at me! This is unfair!"
Nevermind, he decided
And burst out laughing
It was the absurdity of the conversation, and even more so, Mika's seriousness.
"Ngah...oshi san!" Mika whined, "Yer mockin' me! I know I ain't good at mimicry, but yer bein' mean!"
Shu didn't reply
Instead, he just shook his head, smiling like he always did when he didn't know how else to describe his fondness for the boy.
"If it's a placeholder, it's alright"
"Yeah...I was gonna follow up with that..." Mika lied, "...before ya brought down mah morale"
"Anyway...it's quite late for you. You should sleep now"
Mika rubbed his sleeves together
"I know. But it's lonely when I go ta bed after talkin' to ya"
Then he kept the cat away for the time being
"It's not a problem normally, when I'm goin' about mah day. 'Course I keep thinkin' about ya, since mah mind is full of thoughts of you~ "
...
"Just..." He smiled weakly, "...when I'm talkin' to ya it's like I'm somewhere else...yknow? Like...like a dream, I guess. So when I gotta hang up an' go ta bed...I feel all alone."
Shu didn't say anything yet
"Guess it's how ya said" Mika shrugged, "C'est la vie"
"You're growing up to be such an independent person" Itsuki finally spoke, "Radiant, and brighter than you've ever shined. It's when you open your heart out, that it becomes clear, of how much you've changed, Kagehira"
Mika mirrored Shu's smile
"Of course, we both have a very long way to go" Shu sighed, "Especially with your...ahem, merch hoarding"
Mika pouted again
"Technically I'm just collectin' more of ya!"
"...right"
"Ngah is it that bad?" Mika seemed to look a little fearful, "I mean...most of it's just lightsticks an' plushies"
"That's not the problem!" Itsuki tried to explain, "The problem, is your perennial obsession!"
"Whatever that means" The raven mumbled, still pouted and theatrically sighing.
"Well, we can have a thorough discussion when I visit" Shu said, "Go to bed"
"Ngah"
"Good night, Kagehira"
Mika made a puppy face, before giving up and picking up his phone up from his stand.
"G'night oshi san"
"And, one more thing"
"Hmm?"
"No—what do you call it— 'doomscrolling', under the blanket. Understood?"
Mika might have blushed, but he didn't pay attention
"I won't"
"Good. See you later"
"Mkay!"