Archive of Our Own

Yu first saw him in the stack of TV's as he passed by the appliance store.

He was walking home from university, the cold winter air making him shiver. He was taking his time despite it, as he just finished his last exam before winter break started next week. Now in his third year, he's learned to appreciate the little things such as the freedom he was afforded after a tiring semester.

It was already quite dark out, so when he passed by the appliance store, the bright screens of the TV's brought his attention.

There was a boy in the TV, somewhere around his age, talking to a TV show host and smiling brightly as he talked about something Yu couldn't hear. Even so, Yu could tell that the boy was excited, like whatever the topic was, it was something he loved. He looked like an idol, with the clothes he was wearing, bright and fashionable, as if he just walked out of a runway.

He looked a bit familiar, but Yu wasn't sure why. Maybe he saw him in an ad somewhere.

The camera zoomed into his face, and Yu started to feel what it meant to be starstruck.

The boy was stunning, up close Yu could see that his make-up was subtle, the most of it concentrated on his eyes, orange and yellows blending on the lids. He was not quite like the other idols he'd seen around that felt too otherworldly to exist, no, but he looked lovely regardless, made lovelier with the confident smile on his face as he talked.

Said smile felt so warm and bright, making Yu momentarily forget the winter's cold. It was like seeing the sun on summer's day, enveloping him with warmth.

The boy made eye contact with the camera, and Yu felt his cheeks heat up. He was saying something, possibly to his fans, and he finished off his sentence with a wink.

Yu's heart skipped a beat (or two), and he watched in a daze as the boy continued to smile at the camera.

Who was he? How did he do that? What made him feel so special that Yu would pause his steps?

He didn't know how long he was there, only waking up from his stupor when someone accidentally bumped into him. There, Yu realised that he was still standing in the middle of the street, the cold once again seeping through his bones.

It was probably not the best place to have a sexuality crisis, surely.

Yu later learned the boy's name as he browsed through new reading material at the bookstore.

As he headed in the line at the counter, book in hand, he spots a familiar face. Two high school girls in front of him were talking about something Yu couldn't understand, but on the bag on one of the girls hung a charm. In it was the same boy he saw a couple of days ago, a selfie of his—fingers up on a peace sign as he winks—inside what looked like an acrylic frame with flowers of oranges and yellows. And while Yu didn't know anything about the idol culture, he was pretty sure they had their assigned colours. Perhaps orange or yellow were his? Yu thought it was a good match, that it complimented him visually.

One of the girls noticed him staring at the charm because she spoke, "You know Hana-chan, mister?"

Yu, caught, adjusted his glasses awkwardly and replied, "ah, no. But I admit I'm quite curious."

The other girl and owner of the bag turned toward him gleefully, "really? I'd love to introduce you to him!!! I looove Hana-chan so much, I can tell you everything you need to know!"

Her friend giggled, "me too! We're his petals, so we're always happy to bring in new people into the bouquet!"

… petals? bouquet?

He must've looked horribly confused, because the girls giggled again.

"Oh, sorry! Hana-chan calls his fans 'petals', and as a fandom, we call ourselves a bouquet!"

Ah.

"Is it because of his name, then? The flower theme?" Yu asked as the line progressed and one of the girls purchased for them.

The owner of the bag nodded, "uh huh! His name is Yosuke Hanamura, Hana-chan for short! The flowers are a huge thing for his brand, and it fits him a lot!"

Yosuke Hanamura.

It was a pretty name. Yu agreed, and told the girls so, which made them grin wider.

As he paid for his own purchases, he listened to the girls talk about Hana-chan, asking a few questions here and there.

When they left the bookstore, the owner of the bag asked, "so mister, do you think you'll join the bouquet?"

The two of them looked at him eagerly, and they squealed when Yu chuckled and nodded.

"Well, I think I'll head to the music store next and check out his albums then."

"Oh, oh! Check out his newest alum, Signs of Love! He just released it last month, and his Pursuing My True Self is arguably his best song in there."

"Alright, thank you so much for all your help," he bowed, smiling.

The two girls blushed. After all, Yu was pretty attractive in his own right.

"Would you mind if I asked you two about him more later on?" he added.

They grinned and nodded, blushes still apparent.

"Of course! We can share you our fan accounts, so you can also get to know other petals!"

Yu gratefully took their socials, "thank you. I'll have to make my own account later on though, but I'll follow you two, and I promise to only talk about Hana-chan."

The girls giggled. They bowed to Yu and waved goodbye, talking quite loudly due to their excitement of having converted a new member.

As they walked away, he could overhear a few snippets of their conversation.

"This is so great! A male fan!!!"

"Right?! It's so rare seeing one these days, and for our Hana-chan too!"

"That's Hana-chan for you, he's so charming and amazing, of course everyone will love him!"

"And the guy's pretty handsome too! I can't believe guys like that exist in real life…"

"I know… he could be an idol too if he wanted…"

"If he became one, I'll instantly be his fan!!"

"Hehe, then maybe he'll meet Hana-chan…"

"Oh, I see where you're going here…"

Yu chuckled at their imaginations, heading towards the music store.

Yosuke Hanamura… just saying his name was enough to make Yu smile.

Yu was eternally grateful that he discovered Yosuke during the winter break, because he didn't know what he'd do if he did during the peak of his semester with the rate he'd been going on his exploration.

Yu had zero knowledge on both the idol industry and the entertainment industry as a whole, so he spent the entire weekend just learning about those. Of course, he also learned the fan culture along the way, to which the two high school girls gladly helped him with once he created his own fan account and started following the accounts he deemed relevant.

He finally went on to learn about Yosuke himself, and he had soon learned that Yosuke was the same age as he was and that he started his career when he graduated high school, which made him active for three years. He mentioned college and a music degree once, but that they were in the backburner at the moment due to his busy schedule. He loved the colour orange (unsurprising) and disliked tofu, and he was also not that good with the guitar (surprising considering he had photos and acrylic stands with one). He said he was more confident with the bass, other four-stringed instruments, and the piano.

He was originally from the city and spent a few years in the countryside. He had always used music as his way of escapism, but after becoming friends with Risette—she was also familiar to him, and he thought that he might've seen her before somewhere—he learned to use music as an outlet for his inner thoughts and feelings. He became an idol because of her, and they both inspired each other to be their best selves. In fact, Risette was featured in the song, Beauty of Destiny, in his latest album.

Yu also found out that there were a lot of dating rumours around the two of them, considering how close they were and their shared statements about each other. However, both always denied them, stating that they were just friends. According to the two girls, the bouquet isn't that angry or jealous of Risette—save, of course, a few weeds here and there that was expected of a popular idol—and that they pride themselves on their maturity on the matter, especially when they could see how much she meant to Yosuke.

Yu didn't have much of an opinion on Risette, but he had to admit that he was slightly jealous. And if the rumours were true…

Or even if it wasn't Risette and someone else…

Well, it wouldn't be surprising that a guy as handsome and charming (and talented, and funny, and had a great voice, and…) as Yosuke would possibly be taken.

Speaking of great voice, Yu wasn't just captivated by Yosuke's sunny face and bright smile, he had also come to enjoy Yosuke's music. He learned that Yosuke liked to compose, so he always had one song made entirely by him in his EP or album releases. As an idol, he was required to dance, and while Yosuke himself admitted that he wasn't a dancer, he did make efforts. And they paid off very well, Yu thought as he watched in awe as Yosuke sang and danced in his performances.

Yu's favourite song so far was Heartbeat, Heartbreak, a song he wrote for his first album. From the lyrics to Yosuke's singing, Yu found himself more and more captivated by the idol. Both the happiness and pain existing in love, and the bittersweet message despite the song's more upbeat nature, Yu could feel the emotions Yosuke wanted to convey in it. He couldn't help but wonder if it was based on experience, that if Yosuke went through a heartbreak in the past.

Thus, Yu Narukami spent his entire winter break at home, researching on years-worth of Hana-chan content and getting to know his fandom.

It didn't seem that this new obsession would go away anytime soon, so might as well start calling himself a petal.

Safe to say, Yu's interest on Yosuke didn't go away at all.

After a year of being part of the bouquet, Yu had now spent more than half of his allowance and salary on anything Hana-chan. From photocards and arylic stands to banners and nuis, Yu had now amassed a collection of Hana-chan merchandise in his room. His phone wallpaper was Yosuke, and he had a passport ID-style photo at the back of his clear phone case that he got from Yosuke's fanclub kit. He also had an orange repeat itabag of his favourite Hana-chan badge, which had a nui of his hanging on one of the straps.

The two petals—who he now knew as Yoko and Yuna—have integrated him within the fandom well enough the past year. He'd even sometimes join them and the other petals for small gatherings and oshikatsu. With this, he'd gotten quite close with the two to the point that he even helped tutor them for their college etrance exams (who knew Hana-chan uchiwas would be great study motivators?)

He had also gotten to know more petals due to them, especially ones his age, and he was now dubbed as the token fanboy of the bouquet. With his handsome face, he had also gotten quite popular within the fandom. Luckily, the other petals were respectful enough to not take photos of him when he was out for concerts or events, though he would still sport a hat and mask just in case.

If he was being honest, he didn't expect himself to be that kind of fan given that he started off casual. However, at just one look at a winking Yosuke printed in a photocard, he already couldn't resist. He was just too cool in his pose on an acrylic stand that Yu couldn't help but place an order. And it wasn't his fault that the Yosuke nuis were just too cute, so why waste his supreme crane game skills?

So here Yu was, in his room that was barren just a year ago, now coloured with orange and the face of a boy that smiled as bright as the sun.

Yu was currently hunched over his desk, eyes trained on the screen with determined focus as he counted down the seconds. In exactly 47 seconds, the page will update and Yu (along with Yosuke's fans) would fight for his life purchase a ticket for Yosuke's latest concert.

He had saved enough of his allowance—easy for him considering he always cooked his meals—and took extra shifts in both his daycare and hospital jobs to make sure he had money for a VIP ticket in the Tokyo leg of his tour.

12 seconds…

Yu gripped his mouse tighter.

7…

6…

Yu's glasses were sliding off, but he couldn't risk it.

2…

1…

The page updated, and Yu immediately clicked on the "Buy Tickets" button.

Finally, after a few minutes, he had gotten his ticket.

He'd gotten the VIP tickets with the Hi-touch.

He breathed a big sigh of relief, leaning against his chair. Finally.

He received notifications from the bouquet group chat he was added in, all of them getting their desired tickets as well.

yoskfan22: i got my tickets!!

sunflowerpetal: same here! @izanagi, you got one too?

izanagi: mhm.

hanaflower: that's great! which tier did you get?

izanagi: the vip >.<

hanaflower: YAAAY same here, see u there izanagi!!!

sunflowerpetal: waaahh im so jealous of adults T__T i want a joooob sobsob

yoskfan22: me 2… i wanna touch hana-chan's hand even just for a brief moment…

izanagi: but i'm a little nervous… it's my first time doing this.

yoskfan22: oh don't be!!! just say hi and do a hi-five! its only going to be a few secs so make it count >__<

sunflowerpetal: and @hanaflower's gonna be there w u!! so dw abt it hehe

hanaflower: yes yes!! plus u never kno maybe hana-chan will remember u !!

yoskfan22: TRUE TRUE omg someone as tall as our izanagi would definitely be unforgettable ><

sunflowerpetal: lololol plus hes a guy x) hanachan doesnt have many fanboys

izanagi: that's making me even more nervous…

sunflowerpetal: omg dont be thats like the BIGGEST honour u could get!!!

hanaflower: truuu imagine being noticed and remembered by ur oshi!!!

yoskfan22: AAAAAAHHHH

sunflowerpetal: AAAAAAHHHH!!!

izanagi: haha.

Yu chuckled, glad that he has other people to relate with. However, that still didn't ease much of his nerves.

What if Yosuke was weirded out by him? That a guy would be his fan? How would he react?

Regardless, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so he had to push through. Besides, maybe there would be other fanboys in the concert.

There were no other fanboys in the concert.

Well, in the VIP area that is.

Regardless, that meant that at the hi-touch later, Yu would be the only guy there. Even with his hat and mask, he stuck out like a sore thumb due to his height. Most of the crowd here barely passed his chin, even.

With his ticket, he was lucky enough to be at the centre and somewhat near the barricade. However, trying to be considerate, he tried moving to the side and backwards. He failed, however, as Ayumi—a friend he made along the way who was also @hanaflower online—pulled him back.

"You earned that ticket fair and square, so stay in your spot."

"But–"

"Then squat or spread your legs or something later. You deserve to be here just as everyone else, okay? Height be damned," she grinned, and Yu smiled at the reassurance.

Soon, the lights dimmed and the crowd started screaming. Yu felt his heart beating fast.

It wasn't his first Hana-chan concert, but it was his first time being this close. He already couldn't wait, lifting up his lightstick and banner as he joined the crowd in their impatience.

Finally, a silhouette appeared on the stage, and Yu felt his heart skip a beat when the lights appeared on Yosuke's figure.

He looked majestic.

Seeing him this close, Yu felt mesmerised. It was as if nothing else existed, only Yosuke, and Yu was stuck in his orbit.

The songs progressed, with Yosuke singing and dancing to his upbeat songs, to him slowly swaying as he sang a ballad. The whole time, Yu didn't tear his eyes away.

"This is unfortunately the last song–" a chorus of awwws and sad reactions sounded out on the audience, and Yosuke chuckled, "I know, I know, I'm sorry! I wish this night would last forever too! But let's not end this night on a sad note, yeah?"

"Yeah!!" the crowd cheered.

"That's more like it! So let's have fun and party, my petals! This one's Dance!"

Yu couldn't help it, with the energy of both Yosuke and the crowd, he found himself jumping along too. Yosuke's smile was infectious, Yu was grinning beneath his mask.

"Not a day goes by without me thinking 'bout

the way the world stopped mid-motion!"

Yosuke grinned as he danced and watched the crowd as they screamed and jumped along.

"When you walked into my life and we connected

like we share the same mad potion!"

At this part, Yu's eyes widened, pausing his jumping when Yosuke's gaze reached his, a look of small surprise at the sight of a tall guy in the sea that was his audiece.

Yu raised his banner a little higher—My world is brighter with hana-chan's smile, cheesy, if you asked Yu, but Yoko suggested it—and Yosuke must've read it while singing and dancing, because he flashed him a wider grin, winking before he turned his gaze elsewhere.

The bright smile that Yu had plastered on his walls and set as his phone wallpaper… and the wink that invaded his dreams… he had witnessed it, had it directed at him, and Yu felt like he was going to pass out. The hi-touch hadn't even started yet. Goodness.

"Oh my god! He was looking at you, wasn't he?! He definitely was! OMG! I'm lowkey jealous, you're so lucky, Yu!!!" Ayumi squealed next to him.

"All this energy's got us inspired now

We couldn't stop it, just set it free and…"

Yosuke pointed at the crowd and flower-shaped confetti of oranges and yellows cascaded down.

"Dance!"

The crowd cheered, and Yu once again caught himself in a trance at the sight of Yosuke in his element.

His head was titled back, arms spread wide as he drank in the crowd's cheers. The falling confetti kissed his face and made him grin wider. He looked happy.

The sight was magical. Yosuke was magic itself, and Yu wished this moment would last forever.

After the concert, Yu headed out to the area for the hi-touch event.

He was still reeling from the experience, and he was sure that he'd have post-concert blues for days.

Soon, the organisers announced that Yosuke would arrive for the hi-touch, and Yu suddenly felt nervous, tugging on his mask. Ayumi noticed, and she giggled.

"Don't be so nervous or you'll miss your chance."

He opened his mouth to reply, but the crowd started screaming as Yosuke himself showed up, grinning widely.

Yu was past the middle of the line, and despite how fast the line was moving, it felt like an eternity. He could feel his palms sweating and he kept wiping them down his pants. What would Yosuke say? How would he react? Surely he wouldn't be weirded out since he winked at Yu earlier, but what if that changes when he sees Yu up close?

He got his answer soon, and he barely even realised that it was his turn until Yosuke brightly said, "hi!"

"A fanboy! Thank you for your support!" Yosuke beamed at him as they clapped hands. Yu scrambled to bow, still in starstruck.

Just like that, the moment ended, and Yosuke was focused on the next fan and Yu walked forward.

Ayumi giggled at him from where she stood in wait, seeing the flustered look in Yu's face.

"It's an amazing experience, huh? Oh, every time it happens I always wish it lasted longer!"

Yu could only nod, eyes staring at his hand in awe. He couldn't believe it. Hana-chan touched his hand. Even if for just a brief moment, Yosuke Hanamura, his idol, touched his hand.

Hours later, even after taking a bath—where he contemplated for a long time if he should wash his hand—and laying in his bed to sleep, Yu could still feel the warmth of Yosuke's hand.

As he clenched his fingers, raised high towards the ceiling, he couldn't help but blush again.

The memory of Yosuke's smile and the warmth of his touch would haunt Yu's every waking moment for a long, long time.

Months later, Yu rushed home, bags of the latest Hana-chan merchandise in his hand.

That evening, Yosuke was to participate in an interview on TV, and Yu had to watch live. He already had to rush in buying new merchandise after school because he was too busy with his coursework to go on release day—he really dreaded senior year—so he had to do his purchases at that day.

He was fortunate enough to get most of the items he wanted, like the Hana-chan uchiwa with a pose that made Yu's heart race, though he'd have to scour online for some photocards he didn't get from the gacha.

Finally reaching home, he placed the bags on the floor by the sofa and turned on the TV. He sighed in relief, arriving just in time.

The TV show host first introduced Yosuke, talking about his career so far, his recently wrapped up tour, and his newly released single, Your Affection.

Yu fell in love the moment he heard Yosuke's singing, and he wanted to learn Yosuke's thoughts and motivations for writing it.

"… give it up for, Yosuke Hanamura!"

The crowd cheered as Yosuke entered the stage, wearing his signature bright smile as he bowed and greeted the host. Yu was once again captivated by Yosuke's charm.

"So Hana-chan, let's jump right in, shall we?" the host started.

"Sure thing!"

"Alright, so you've just wrapped up your tour two weeks ago in Nagoya, congratulations! How do you feel?"

"Thanks," Yosuke grinned, "I'm very happy! It's been a while since I met my fans across the country, so having the tour was a great opportunity to see them again. It also made me see how much I've grown, really."

"Elaborate on that?"

"Well, I'm still shocked to see so many people supporting me," Yosuke chuckled, "I never expected to grow this big, and being able to go to multiple stops and seeing such large crowds supporting me… I'm beyond grateful for my petals for being there for me every step of the way."

Yu didn't quite understand why Yosuke would be so surprised at his popularity. Someone as bright and beautiful as him was naturally bound to attract many into his orbit.

The host seemed to agree with Yu, because she said, "Hana-chan, you're too modest! You're talented and charming, and I'm sure your fans would say a lot more."

Yosuke laughed, cheeks pink, "I'm never good at accepting compliments on that, but thank you. And to my petals!" he turned to the camera, "thank you for seeing what you see in me."

The crowd screamed as Yosuke smiled warmly, and Yu felt himself blushing. He really couldn't help himself when it came to Yosuke's smile.

"And speaking of talent, your latest single, Your Affection was said to be written on a whim, how much of that is true?"

"Oh, well I guess it's half-true? Individually, I already had a few lyrics written down and the intro for the instrumentals was something I've already worked on before. But putting it all together was what I did on a "whim", let's say. I finished everything while I was on tour."

"How splendid! You really are talented, Hana-chan! Did something happen to inspire you to make such song in a short notice?"

"Heh, well…" Yosuke smiled shyly, "during one of the stops in my tour, I met a fan," the crowd oooh'd and he laughed.

"Not like that or whatever, but there was a guy in my concert. He was pretty tall so he was easy to spot. I just never expected a guy to be my fan, y'know? Not that it's a bad thing!" Yosuke shook his hands, "I'm just used to having a large female fanbase, and I know that I have male fans, but that was my first time meeting one! So I guess it left a lasting impression on me."

Yu's eyes widened.

No way that was… him, right?

Tokyo wasn't the first stop in Yosuke's concert, so he might've met someone else before him. But Tokyo was still an earlier leg, and Yosuke did look surprised when he saw Yu…

"Oh how lovely, it isn't everyday male idols like yourself had a large male following, no? That fan must feel very lucky right now hearing that!" the host chuckled, and Yu couldn't agree more.

"Hehe. Anyway, the whole thing of just reminded me of my youth, not that I'm that old, but you know what I mean."

"Oh? I'm not quite sure what you mean, Hana-chan," the host smiled knowingly, obviously trying to milk more information off of him.

Yosuke laughed, getting the hint.

"Ah, well… I guess I never talked about my past much haven't I? I'm surprised Risette hasn't spilled anything yet, though it's not like there is much to spill."

"I'm sure your fans are curious regardless."

Yu paid rapt attention. Even though Yosuke had mentioned a few snippets of his life before stardom—Yu didn't expect him to work in customer service of all things, but it wasn't so surprising after much thought—Yosuke didn't actually reveal much. The most people even knew about his high school years was that he was in the same school as Risette.

"Ha… well, I wasn't really popular back then. I faded into the background, y'know? Until now I'm still surprised that I managed to be friends with Risette of all people that time. And it didn't uh… help that when my family moved to a small town, the company our family worked on wasn't, uh… great with the local economy, if you catch my drift. So I laid low a lot. Found my escape in music."

Yu's heart clenched.

The host consoled him, then asked, "Your Affection sounds like a love song, but it also sounds motivational as well. Based on what you said, did you find inspiration during that period?"

"Yeah, one of them was definitely Rise. I've mentioned before that Rise inspired me to be an idol myself, and that's true. I originally just wanted to be the type of musician that worked behind the scenes, but Rise taught me a lot of things, and she helped in getting me out there."

"No wonder you two still have rumours until now," the host joked.

Yosuke chortled, "I know what it sounds like, but seriously, it never happened. I cherish our very dear friendship."

"Well then, you said she was one of them?"

"Ah."

Yosuke twiddled with his thumbs. He must've not meant to let that slip.

The host noticed and opened her mouth to change the topic, but Yosuke coughed, deciding to respond.

"I… it's quite embarrassing honestly," Yosuke scratched the back of his head, sheepish, "I had a… crush? Back in high school."

"Ohhh, well that's pretty normal, isn't it? I presume they inspired you too?"

"Yeah…" Yosuke played with the tips of his orange hair. Yu could tell he was shy, and if he wore his signature headphones at the moment, he might just be playing with the wire of it instead.

"He… he didn't know me, we were in different classes. We interacted one time, and I doubt he even remembered it."

Yu's heart skipped at the pronoun used.

"He was fairly popular, though he had an air of… mystery to him? He looked aloof too. Most of us, myself included, in school were too intimidated to approach him. But he liked to help the old people out in our town, and he spent a lot of his time fishing and playing with his younger sister."

"You seem fond of him," the host noted.

"Haha, a bit, I guess? He was interesting. He was only with us for a year, which is probably why he never bothered to make friends. But I saw him quite often outside school and where I worked, and he was always smiling with his sister. He never smiled at school, so getting to see that, even from afar… it made me feel special."

Yosuke smiled at the memory, clearly still having a lingering affection for his crush. Yu couldn't help but feel a little jealous, which he tried to dampen, as he was just a fan, he didn't have the right to do so.

But he could understand the feeling Yosuke felt. Whenever he saw Yosuke's smile, he always felt better, and when Yosuke noticed him those months ago, added with the discovery that he left an impression on Yosuke that time, Yu felt that he was special.

"Gaaah, I can't believe you made me say all that on live TV!" Yosuke bemoaned playfully, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

The host laughed, "it's refreshing to discover a new side of you, Hana-chan, and I'm sure your fans appreciated that information too. I feel like I understood Your Affection a bit more."

Yosuke grinned sheepishly.

"What would you do, if this crush of yours was actually watching right now?"

"God, I'll be even more embarrassed!" Yosuke laughed and turned more somber, "but I wish him all the best. Wherever he is, I hope that he's reaching for his dreams just as much as I am reaching for mine."

"That's very sweet of you, Hana-chan. I'm sure that whoever he is, he'd appreciate your words once he hears it."

"Hehe, thank you."

Yu watched the rest of the segment, feeling like he understood more of Yosuke. He wondered how great that person could be that Yosuke would be so fond of him, and how could he not ever notice Yosuke at all? If that was Yu, he would've already gravitated towards Yosuke, even if Yosuke was adamant that he faded into the background back then.

Yu still hadn't fully processed the part where Yosuke specifically used the masculine pronoun to describe his crush, when his phone pinged, and he opened it to be greeted with messages from the bouquet, all also watching the interview.

yoskfan22: oh my god!!!!

hanaflower: +1

sunflowerpetal: +2

flowerbouquet622: +3

younglife: +4, i wonder who his crush was!!!

yoskfan22: i wish i was his crush lololol 

flowerbouquet622: he must be godlike, if our hana-chan fell for him!!!

sunflowerpetal: hes probably super cool and handsome like hana-chan… waaaa i ship them already lolol

yoskfan22: i like ur brain

younglife: i like ur brain +1

hanaflower: speaking of handsome ALSO omg @izanagi??? you're so lucky wtf

sunflowerpetal: you're so lucky wtf +1

hanaflower: i mean u didnt even show him ur face but we kno ur like. handsome anyway. STILL omg icb he remembered u!!!

flowerbouquet622: must be nice to be a tall guy TT___TT you stand out so well…

izanagi: that's why i didn't show my face…

younglife: brooo who gafffff!! next fanmeet u better show him ur face

hanaflower: +1 let him know the face that made him remember he has fanboys lolol

yoskfan22: yes izanagi live ur y/n moment!!!

izanagi: my what

yoskfan22: omg u're not that old to not know these things do u live under a rock!!

sunflowerpetal: do u live under a rock +1, do u want me to send u sum yosuke x reader fics

hanaflower: if he's not gunna accept them i will.

izanagi: what… fics?

sunflowerpetal: u kno what i'll just send the links here have fun [link] [link] [link] [link]

younglife: ily bro

hanaflower: ily bro +1

flowerbouquet622: anyway @izanagi u're going to the fansign next week right?? say yes

izanagi: yes…? i got lucky this time.

yoskfan22: izanagi u r always lucky ><

flowerbouquet622: gr8!!! bc u rly should live ur y/n moment on that day, like its so rare for that stuff to happen so u better take advantage of it!!!

younglife: so true izanagi do it do it

hanaflower: ooooo idol x fan trope yes this is so great vegetables

Yu was confused, he still didn't understand what y/n meant specifially, but since other petals were pushing him to show up without a mask on the next fan event, then he probably might. If he psyched himself enough, that is.

Yu was nervous for some reason, even though the rest of his friends from the bouquet kept telling him that there was nothing to worry about.

He couldn't help it, he wasn't sure how he'd act once Yosuke perceived him, face and all.

As he waited for the fansign event to start, hands clutching the item he wanted signed like a lifeline, he could feel eyes on him.

He was quite literally the only guy who got in the fansign, and other fans nearby were stealing glances at Yu and whispering amongst themselves. Though he caught wind of some of their conversations.

"Is he a fan? He looks like he could be an idol himself!"

"He's pretty handsome. Oh, imagine collaborating with Hana-chan if he was an idol!"

"I can't believe such a handsome guy is a petal… that's our Hana-chan for you…"

Yu scratched his neck sheepishly. He didn't think that he was that attractive, and he wasn't talented enough to be an idol.

The focus on him soon left (thankfully) when the event finally started.

When Yosuke entered, the petals screamed in joy. Yu didn't know why, but it only made him want to hide.

Hiding his face behind his uchiwa, he watched Yosuke gleefully greet the lucky fans who got in this round of fansign meetings. He sat at the back, so he didn't disrupt anyone's view and to delay Yosuke's sights on him. He couldn't understand why he felt so nervous when everyone else felt excited.

Upon request, he sang a few songs, ending with an acoustic version of Your Affection.

"You guys know I'm terrible at the guitar, so ignore any mistakes I make, okay?" Yosuke winked at the crowd who squealed. Some of them shouted that he couldn't make a mistake and Yosuke laughed at this.

"How about I give this guitar pick away to one lucky fan later as an apology?" he winked and kissed the pick in his hand. The crowd naturally got excited, screaming even louder than before.

He began to play. The song felt different but also the same, and it was a fresh take to the song that Yu and the other petals liked.

He watched entranced, watching as practised fingers moved to strum the guitar. Yosuke had long and slender fingers, evidencing his talents in the piano that was a common feature in his songs and the other instruments he knew.

Yu may be horribly biased or Yosuke was just downplaying his talents, because he barely noticed if Yosuke even made a mistake, even if Yosuke made a face in a few parts which indicated that he must've done something he wasn't satisfied with.

And Yosuke's voice… the rawness of it as he sang live, enthralled Yu like a sailor lulled by a siren song.

When he finished, he gave the crowd a sheepish grin as they screamed and applauded. Yu stayed where he was. Despite it not being his first time seeing Yosuke live, Yu was still left starstruck, like he could never get used to being able to stand so close to the sun.

When the fansigning started, he had plenty of time to psych himself up due to him being near the last in line.

He couldn't understand why he felt so nervous. Yosuke obviously had no problems with fanboys, and he was pleasantly surprised during the hi-touch all those months ago.

Perhaps it was that Yu would be perceived by Yosuke now. He shouldn't have listened to the other petals. He should've worn a mask. He should've had something to hide his face with that wasn't an uchiwa.

And don't get him started on what he was going to even say when he finally came face to face with Yosuke.

Should Yu tell him how much he loved him? Too straightforward. A little too gay. Was Yosuke alright with that? He did have a male crush before. Should Yu just tell him how talented he was? Or at least say how he influenced Yu's life for the better?

He spent so long worrying and being anxious that he suddenly realised that he was already next in line. He adjusted his glasses and discovered that his hand was shaking.

When the girl in front of him left, Yu walked forward, handing Yosuke his album with shaking hands.

Yosuke accepted the album and raised his head to greet Yu.

"Hi! You—" Yosuke's widened in shock. Yu suddenly felt like panicking. What was wrong? Why was Yosuke so stunned? Did Yu do something he didn't realise?

"Y-Yu?!" Yosuke exclaimed, still shocked. Yu didn't understand.

"Me?" Yu tilted his head in confusion.

"I– well… wait, you- you're here. You're a fan?!"

"Yes… should– should I… not be?" Yu was still confused at where Yosuke was going with this. He felt his heart sink as well. Was Yosuke actually uncomfortable with fanboys?

"N-no!! I'm just… surprised is all. S-so, you're a petal…" Yosuke muttered the last part to himself, fingers fidgeting with his marker as he suddenly looked flustered.

"Uhm. Sorry, did I do something?" Yu asked. He felt bad that Yosuke suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"No! No, shit– sorry, I mean– no, you didn't do anything wrong. I should be the one apologising."

"Oh, you don't need to but... well, uh…" Yu coughed, deciding to just get on with it since he didn't have much time left, "this is my first time doing this so I'll just say that… you're a big inspiration to me, and I'm… I'm glad to have met you. I love your music and your smiles always make my day, so I hope that you always keep smiling. I wish you all the best, and I'll keep supporting you."

Yu hoped that he said it without stuttering, and he smiled at Yosuke, hoping that his message would reach to him the way he intended.

Yosuke just sat there stunned, cheeks rapidly reddening. Yu felt nervous again, worried that either Yosuke didn't understand what he just said because he apparently spoke gibberish due to nervousness or that he finally did something wrong.

Yosuke's manager tapped him, signalling that time was up, and Yosuke panicked, "sorry, just a few seconds! I just need to write…"

He signed as quick as he could, then closed the album and gave it back to Yu. They bowed at each other and Yosuke spoke, "s-sorry, and thank you. Thank you so much for your support. You don't know how much that means to me!"

He gave Yu a bright grin, and if Yu was feeling hopeful enough, Yosuke might've tried to give him the brightest he could offer.

That night, a Yosuke video went viral, where the idol was flustered and stuttering, cheeks red like a tomato as a male petal—his face wasn't shown but those in the bouquet knew who he was—talked to him in his fansign.

Yu watched in surprise, not realising that that was what Yosuke looked like in that moment. He himself started to blush at reading the fan's comments on the matter, each speculation growing wilder and wilder.

He wasn't safe from his petal friends either, all of them excited and teasing him for the Y/N moment he apparently had.

Until now, Yu still didn't understand what he did that made Yosuke that flustered, so he couldn't answer the questions being thrown at him. Despite this, the girls still teased him, saying that Yu must've been so handsome that Yosuke reacted like that.

Ignoring the group chat as they devolved to talking about fanfiction tropes and AU's, Yu looked at the signed album.

He still hadn't looked at Yosuke's signature, and now was as good time as any.

Opening the case, he was surprised that something fell.

He picked up the guitar pick. So Yu was the lucky fan that got the item. He felt his cheeks warming up at thought of holding and owning something that Yosuke used just hours ago, one that he kissed, even.

He turned to Yosuke's signature, once again getting surprised.

message me!!! xxxx-xxx-xxxx

Did Yosuke just…?

Yu stared at Yosuke's writing. No way. No way.

Yosuke's writing was obviously rushed, the words barely legible, but it was definitely telling Yu to text him.

However, before Yu could even consider if he actually would message Yosuke, to his utter dismay, the last 3 digits were far too illegible for him to read. The marker pen was too thick so the numbers stuck together, and Yosuke rushed to write that he really couldn't read if the number was a 3 or an 8, a 1 or a 7, or a 0 or 6.

This sucked. Even if he dared to send a message, he couldn't.

He guessed that he wasn't lucky enough after all, and he'll probably just have to wait to win the next fansign lottery if he wanted a shot to see Yosuke again.

He sighed.

"Big bro!"

Nanako immediately rushed toward him when Yu stepped off the train, and Yu caught her, enveloping her in a big hug. She had gotten a lot taller now and she just started middle school, and Yu felt like tearing up just at those facts.

"Welcome back, Yu," Dojima greeted his nephew who was visiting for Golden Week.

"Uncle, it's good to be back. How have you two been?"

"Same old, same old. Inaba's still the same as the last time you were here."

"Except for the cats! Jiraiya and Izanagi had kittens last month remember? And they've been trying to eat my vegetables so dad had to build wire fences to keep them safe!" Nanako helpfully added. Yu remembered that well, Nanako video called him just to show the two stray cats he and Nanako took care of had babies, which also surprised them both that Izanagi was actually a female cat.

When they arrived at the Dojima residence, they sat by the table in front of the TV.

"Ah! It's Hana-chan and Risette!" Nanako stopped changing channels, opting to watch Yosuke and Risette's Beauty of Destiny music video.

"Oh, you like them, Nanako?" Yu asked.

"Mhm! Especially Hana-chan!!"

"Really? You should've told me, I'm a petal myself."

Nanako gasped when Yu raised his phone, showing off the tiny Yosuke charm dangling off it.

"Big bro!!! Why didn't you tell me?"

And thus Yu had to tell her about the concerts he attended.

"Oh big bro, I can't believe you never told me about all that in our calls!" Nanako pouted, "Oh, oh! Do you have any stories to tell about him? and Risette?"

"Oh, I just told you about the concerts, right?"

"No! I mean, here! After all, weren't they in Yasogami when you were too?"

Yu's eyes widened. The world paused.

"…what?"

"He was also a second year in Yasogami High, right? Oh big bro, tell me, what was he like back then?" Nanako asked, clinging to his arm.

Yu was still stunned, unable to process the bomb Nanako just dropped.

"He… studied here? In Inaba? Y-Yasogami Inaba?"

"Huh? Yeah, did I get my dates wrong, big bro?"

"Ah, n-no… just… we didn't know each other back then," Yu responded, if only to give her a response to make up for his brain going overdrive. Nanako looked a little sad at that, but Yu placated her by promising to give her some of his merchandise the next time he visited Inaba.

He was here? Yosuke Hanamura. Hana-chan. Hana-chan?! He lived in Inaba at the same time Yu did, and Yu didn't know?

Thinking hard, he started to remember some snippets of his high school peers talking about an idol moving back to Inaba. That would've been Risette. He didn't care about celebrities back then, so he never bothered. There was… a Junes boy that he remembered hearing about but again never bothered to learn about, and if he connected that to Nanako's statement and Yosuke's interview last time, then… that was Yosuke?

Back then, since he was only staying for a year, he didn't make any friends. He'd forgotten every name of his classmates or teachers that he met and briefly interacted with at that time too. Even the elderly that he helped around town were names he didn't remember anymore. To him, his stay in Inaba was just like every instance in his younger years where he moved around. He learned early on to not bother forming bonds as he'll only leave them behind anyway, and it wasn't worth the effort. So, the year passed and he didn't care about anything in Inaba (save for his family, of course). Inaba came and went for him, like the year was just a blip.

But now, with the knowledge that Yosuke once lived in Inaba… maybe he really should have bothered. Granted, there was still a low chance that Yosuke would have even been friends with him, but still.

Racking his brain for anything, he felt frustrated that he didn't find any memory of Yosuke at all. Surely, with how captivated Yu was with him, he'd at least notice the boy. But no, nothing. Not a single memory, even a small one, ever came to mind. Even Risette, who was already popular.

He was really beginning to regret his past self's choices.

Yu left the Dojima residence after Nanako went to bed early, intending to surprise her and his uncle with their favourite dishes the next day. He couldn't go grocery shopping earlier because Nanako would get the hint, so leaving when she'd gone to bed was the best option. His uncle wouldn't be home until late anyway, so he had time.

Arriving to Junes an hour before it closed, he immediately went to work. Luckily, the layout never changed and it looked just like every Junes in the country, so he was quick to navigate around for the things he needed.

When he finished, he headed to the cashier. He placed the basket on the counter distractedly, double checking his list if he missed anything.

"Good evening! Welcome to—?!" the cashier greeted, stopping suddenly which made Yu look up in question.

His eyes widened, grey meeting hazel, as he came face to face with none other than Yosuke Hanamura.

They stared at each other for what felt like minutes. Then, Yosuke raised his hand, a finger pointing at Yu, "y-you!"

"M-me."

"Wha– what are you doing here?!" Yosuke asked, shock still evident.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

Yosuke, seeming to remember where he was, glanced around. Luckily, with the late hour, there was no one else in the grocery section save for the two of them.

He sighed, "it's my dad. He makes me work whenever I come back home to visit to 'get more customers' he says. Unfortunately for him, it causes more commotion so he puts me in the late hours. I'm on cashier duty tonight."

He gestured to his spot as he started to tag Yu's purchases.

"But you're an idol," Yu pointed out and Yosuke rolled his eyes.

"As if that changes anything. In my dad's eyes, I'm still a Junes employee that he can put to work when he's understaffed. Here's your total."

Yu paid, trying to act casual. As casual as he could be, when in front of his idol.

After his groceries have been bagged, the two of them stood around awkwardly.

Yosuke eventually broke the silence, scratching the back of his neck and looking away from Yu, who could still see his reddening cheeks and neck.

"So uh… did you see what I wrote? In your album?"

Yu nodded, his own cheeks burning.

"That– that was stupid, huh?" Yosuke folded his arms, staring at the grocery bags with sudden interest, "at least you didn't sell out my number."

"I would never," Yu rushed to respond, "and… even if I would, which I really wouldn't, I uh… couldn't really read what you wrote…"

At this, Yosuke snapped his head towards Yu, "what."

"Uhm. Your number. I couldn't make out the last three digits…"

Yosuke's reaction was comical, and Yu would've called it endearing and cute if he wasn't freaking out on the inside.

"So you mean, you didn't text me because you couldn't?" Yosuke looked at him in dismay as Yu nodded.

He groaned, putting his face in his hands, "and here I thought… ugh."

"Thought what?" Yu asked.

"Uh. If you had my number, well, all of it I mean, would you have texted me?" Yosuke asked, face unreadable to Yu.

Yu bit his lip. Until now, weeks later, he was still conflicted about that. A part of him was so giddy at the thought of it that he was willing to try out every number combination until he hit jackpot, while another part was scared, one that felt that he was too unworthy of someone as wonderful as Yosuke.

Taking his silence as an answer, Yosuke said defeatedly, "right. Right, sorry about that. Forget about it."

Realising that something was wrong, Yu immediately spoke, "wait. uhm. Why did you give me your number? I highly doubt you give it away to all your fans."

Yosuke stared at him.

"Oh. You– you don't remember me, don't you?"

Yu shook his head sadly. This had been tormenting him for days.

"I only found out you're from Inaba a few days ago from my little sister."

"Nanako?" Yu nodded at Yosuke's question. He knew Nanako?

"Ah. Well, figures. I expected that anyway. How long are you here for?"

"For the rest of Golden Week."

"Cool, cool. Same here. Uh, I'm in closing duty too, so… can we talk some other time? Are you free on the weekend?"

Yu nodded, "I can make time, yes."

"Great. Nice. Yeah," Yosuke fidgeted until he finally asked, "can I have your number then?"

Still blushing as he handed over his phone, Yosuke scrambled to add, "so I can text you the details!"

"Oh, right," Yu accepted the offered phone, realising that his hands were clammy and shaking.

Yosuke looked at his phone as if he was dreaming, "thank you. I won't keep you now, have a good night!"

Yu bowed and left. He was still confused about many things, but hopefully he'd get his answer soon.

He hurried home so he could freak out about everything in his bedroom.

Yosuke Hanamura wanted his number. He asked for it. Hana-chan has his number on his phone.

Careful not to wake Nanako up, he muffled his scream through his pillow.

The Samegawa flood plain was Yu's favourite spot in all of Inaba, and it was where he spent most of his time during his year-long stay.

He didn't have any friends that time, but Nanako was great company, and they often played together in the area. He also grew to love fishing, and his greatest achievement that year was that he managed to catch The Guardian.

Yu arrived earlier than the agreed meeting time with Yosuke, mostly out of nerves and that he didn't want to make his idol wait for him. He thought about his fishing gear and pondered if he should've brought it over to have something to do while waiting, or if he still had time to fish before going back to Tokyo.

He didn't need to wait too long apparently, because Yosuke had the same idea.

"Hey, you're early!" Yosuke greeted, approaching Yu who was sitting by the riverbank.

"You are too."

"I didn't want to make you wait, but it seems like I made you do it anyway."

Yu shrugged, "it's fine, I didn't want you to wait either."

"Can I sit next to you?" Yosuke asked, as if Yu would say no.

Yu scooted over, and Yosuke sat beside him.

They sat there awkwardly, looking at everything except for each other.

Yu was still freaking out internally, wondering how on earth did he get here, sitting next to his idol who for some reason wanted to talk to him.

Yosuke wasn't any better, because Yu could see from the corner of his vision that he was anxious about something. Yu had never seen him like this, used to Yosuke's confidence. He wanted more than anything to make Yosuke feel more comfortable and back to his usual smiling self. Unfortunately, he didn't know how, and it wasn't like he was good at these kinds of things.

Eventually, realising that he had to be the one to make the first move, Yosuke coughed and breathed in.

"So, uh… Narukami."

"Yes?" Yu slowly turned, still nervous to look at Yosuke.

"Thanks for coming, by the way. I know you're pretty confused right now," Yosuke said sheepishly.

"It's no problem."

"I know it's like, weird, that I'm suddenly like this, giving you my number, asking you for yours to meet up… I really don't do this with other fans—I'm surprised you are my fan even—but… you're different."

"H-how… how so?" Yu finally gathered the courage to look up to Yosuke, and he was surprised to see the fierce blush on the other's face.

"W-well… I mean… gah, this is a lot harder than I thought," Yosuke grumbled, raking his fingers through his hair. Yu couldn't help but watch in awe, wondering if his hair was soft.

"I swear I grew more confident than in high school. I mean– I talked to you. You're right here. I couldn't have done that back then… but– ugh. I suddenly don't know what to do."

"I don't understand…" Yu was as confused as ever. This was so different to the Yosuke he had seen before, probably because this was Yosuke in front of him and not Hana-chan.

"Me neither. Like, it's not everyday you find out your high school crush is your fan, right?" Yosuke laughed, strained.

Yu felt the world stop at the bomb that was just dropped on his head.

"W-what?"

"You went to my fansign right? I saw you holding merch. Like, wow. I cannot even fathom that you have merchandise. Of me. That's… that's crazy."

Yosuke rambled some more, "N-not that I don't mind! No, y-you do you, man. I'm just… really surprised that you do."

Yu was still stuck at the first part. Brain barely functioning, he asked, "w-what… what did you mean… by high school crush…?"

At this, Yosuke jumped, blushing harder than before.

"Did– did you watch the interview on Your Affection?"

Yu nodded.

"Then you must know by now that– that was you, r-right?"

"That was me?"

"Y-yeah, I mean– come on. You're you!"

"I am Yu, yes…? I don't get it."

"N-no! I mean you, second person singular. Wait, not the point! I mean, lots of people had a crush on you back then, so of course I did too."

"They did?"

"Dude… I know you like, didn't care about anyone that year, but you really didn't notice?"

Yu shook his head, "I told you, I didn't even realise you and Risette were from here as well."

"Man… and I thought I was so awkward around you that I made you uncomfortable. Good to know that you don't even remember me to be that way… but I guess I feel bummed regardless, that I wasn't memorable enough for you," Yosuke spoke lightheartedly, but Yu could tell that he was torn up about it regardless.

He felt horrible, guilty that he never noticed Yosuke. A part of him also wanted to shake his younger self hard for ever ignoring someone as wonderful, that he even managed to not notice someone so bright.

Yosuke must've seen the inner conflict in Yu's eyes, because he scrambled to add, "Not that I tried to get you to notice me! Back then, I was still wondering if I even like guys, so I never dared to get close. There were just… times. When we would be at the same place and I could've approached you, but I never did."

"Why… why didn't you?"

Yosuke shrugged, "I was too shy, I guess? I really wasn't as confident as I am now. I said I blended into the shadows before right? Believe me, I changed a lot. I'm not surprised you don't remember me either. Barely anyone did."

"But why me?"

"Why you what?"

"What did you… even see in me back then? I'm not exactly interesting and approachable that time."

At this, Yosuke chuckled, as if he couldn't believe what Yu was saying.

"You watched that interview, right? What I said there was true. Aside from the mysterious and aloof appeal you had and, y'know, your attractiveness… I saw you outside of that image quite often? Not that I was stalking you! I just happened to come across them…"

Yosuke bowed his head, picking at the grass.

"You were at Junes often, right? With your sister?" Yu nodded. Nanako used to love Junes, so he always brought her there for groceries, snacks, or just window shopping.

"You were just, y'know, different, when you were with her. Like there was a side of you that only she could bring out."

He recalled the times he saw Yu and Nanako around the town, the look of fondness that he gave her that nobody in Inaba could ever receive.

Of the single interaction he had with Yu, so small that it was easily forgettable, but one that Yosuke kept in his memories.

Yosuke was stuck on cashier duty that day, already tired from having to play nice with the customers who seemed to make it his problem that things weren't the way they wanted it. It's not his fault that the vegetables aren't as fresh, why don't they just purchase locally instead if they were so pissed off about it?

He couldn't even look bummed about it, forced to keep his customer service face on even if he so desperately wanted to scream already.

The next customer came in line and he had to stop whatever thought he had about the matter.

"Welcome to Junes! Where everything's great!" he greeted robotically, taking the items from the basket to scan them.

"Everything's great at your Junes!" a kid sang, and Yosuke turned towards the customers.

His eyes widened.

It was Narukami. And her sister. They… they were here. Yosuke tried to compose himself.

"I loooove Junes!" the girl beamed at him, and Yosuke couldn't help but smile genuinely at that. Of course only a child would like the one thing everyone in this town hated.

"And just like that, I'll give you the candy bar in your basket for free," Yosuke winked as the girl squealed, looking up at her brother.

"Are you sure that's okay…?" he asked.

Yosuke shrugged, "sure, as long as you keep it a secret."

"Our lips are sealed," Yu replied, and Nanako made a zipping motion on her lips, giggling.

When the purchase was finished and the items were bagged, Yu turned to Yosuke, "thank you. You too, Nanako."

Nanako looked up at Yosuke, waving her candy bar, "thank you very much! Bye!"

Yosuke watched them go, his heart beating fast at the sight of Yu Narukami smiling fondly up close.

"I never knew that I was that… interesting… to you," Yu said, completely mollified at everything at the moment.

"I don't think you realise just how interesting you looked to everyone, but a lot of us were just too intimidated to approach you."

"Sorry…"

"Don't be, not your fault."

"So… where do we… go from here?" Yu asked. It was one thing to find out that your idol had a crush on you in the past, it was another to do something about it in the present.

"I don't know to be honest… I'm still surprised that you're a petal, y'know? How did– how did it even happen?"

Yu recalled that one winter evening, the stack of TV's showing his face, and the smile that pulled him in and never let go.

"You were… you were magical. I meant what I said in the fansign, your music has… touched me in many ways and your voice… it's wonderful to hear. And once I saw your smile, I wanted– needed to see it again. If I… if I saw something like that all those years ago… I'm sure that I would've never forgotten it."

Yosuke blushed again, looking away. Yu took the opportunity to watch him, the afternoon sun kissing his skin a light orange, just like the colours he wore for work.

He was lovely, so beautiful, and Yu couldn't believe that he was blessed to such a sight. That he was so lucky to even be experiencing all of this.

Yosuke turned to him, shy, "I… I want to get to know you, if that's okay."

Yu couldn't believe his ears.

"I know there's like… these unspoken rules about idols and fans… but, we've known each other since before that, right? Well, at least I did… but you get my point. And– and, it's not like I want to be more—well I do, to be honest, 'cause like, crush, remember—b-but! I… I want to be your friend. I always have… and I'm a lot braver now than before so I could finally tell you that, but it's okay if you don't!"

"uhm… Hana-chan?"

"You're probably the type of fan that prefers a clear line between them and their idol…"

"Hana-chan–"

"I wanted to ask anyway, just in case! Yknow what they say, you never know unless you try! So–"

"Yosuke!"

"Huh?"

"You're rambling," Yu pointed out, smiling a little. It was an endearing sight, but he had to stop whatever Yosuke was saying.

Yosuke stared at him, fixated at the smile Yu was giving him.

"I wouldn't mind being friends, but are you sure? I… don't want to complicate things for you…"

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't," Yosuke replied, looking at him hopefully, eyes bright and shining.

Who was Yu to say no to that?

As the two of them walked home—slowly, taking all the time in the world—Yu watched as Yosuke talked animatedly. He was a lot more confident now that he was comfortable, smiling wide as he talked about himself and his career.

The setting sun looked good on him, complimenting his complexion and making his orange hair shine like gold and bronze. This close—Yu still couldn't believe that he's allowed to be in such proximity—Yu saw the freckles in Yosuke's face, usually hidden by the makeup. It looked beautiful, like they were stars and galaxies on Yosuke's skin that was the universe.

And his smile, god that smile, Yu felt like soaring in the clouds, seeing that smile up close. Yosuke's lips moved as he talked, mouth tilted upwards, and Yu was trying his best to focus on what the other was saying instead of letting his thoughts go into dangerous territory.

He should've considered his feelings before readily accepting Yosuke's friendship.

Yosuke was an idol, for goodness' sake, and Yu always tried to remember that whenever his thoughts spiralled into something that was definitely not admiration or idol worship.

Yosuke noticed him staring, and he stuttered as he spoke, cheeks quickly turning red.

"I need to get used to that…" he muttered to himself.

"Used to what?"

"That."

"What…?"

"That look!"

"What about it?" Yu tilted his head, flushing from getting caught.

"You look at me like– like I'm special."

"Of course you are. I'm a petal, remember?"

Yosuke looked away, "I need to get used to that one too. God, this is all so weird to me… but like, in a good way, don't– don't worry."

"You are special to me, Hana-chan. I feel really stupid for not noticing you before, but now that I have, I don't think I can bring myself to look away."

Yosuke turned to him. He looked lovely, so lovely, with his face and neck all red and his lips red from all his nervous biting since earlier. Yu felt so honoured to have been able to do that to him.

"You can call me Yosuke, you know. Now that we're friends and all…" he scratched his neck sheepishly.

"Yosuke," Yu said, trying it out.

"Yu," Yosuke replied.

Somehow, it made both of them blush harder.

When they reached the fork in the road that would separate their paths to their homes, they lingered a bit, both not wanting to leave but still not having the words to say anything.

After a while, Yosuke took a deep breath and spoke up.

"Listen, when we uh… get back to the city… would you… want to hang out sometime?" he looked nervous, fingers playing with the wire of the headphones on his neck.

As if Yu wanted anything less.

He nodded, and Yosuke smiled in relief. Yu greedily took the sight in to store in his memory box.

"Great! It's a date then," Yosuke suddenly panicked, arms flapping about, "I mean– no– just– fuck, I said I wanted to be friends– I mean! A hang out! Like! T-two friends going somewhere. To h-hang out. Yes! A hang out. Between friends."

Yu felt himself blushing, but he gathered the courage to ask, "do you… want it to be a d-date?"

Yosuke nervously bit his lip and after a while, eventually nodded shyly, "o-only if you want it to be too…"

"I… I want it too," Yu replied, voicing out the feelings he had been wanting to keep hidden. If Yosuke wanted to give him a chance, then…

"Oh. G-good. That's– that's good, great even. I'll– I'll text you my schedule, see if we can find a date when we're both free."

"I'd love that."

Yosuke smiled at him. His smiles had always been infectious, and right now, under the darkening orange glow of the sun and the gentle summer breeze blowing through his locks, Yu couldn't help but smile back.

Yu closed the front door of the Dojima residence, setting his shoes aside.

"Welcome home, big bro! How was your walk?" Nanako greeted from the living room.

"Great. Really great," he replied.

Seeing his face, Nanako smiled, "oooh, did something happen?"

"You could say that."

Joining her at the kotatsu, he relaxed. And while he didn't know what his future would hold, he was feeling hopeful, already looking forward for the next time he would meet Yosuke.

flowerbouquet622: did u guys see that new selfie yosuke uploaded

flowerbouquet622: [a photo of Yosuke lifting up a bowl of pudding as he winked in the camera. out of focus, a young man wearing a Hana-chan merchandise shirt was behind him washing the dishes. the post is captioned "super delicious home-made pudding for dessert! 😋🧡🧡🧡 i hope my petals are eating well too!"]

younglife: YES OMG HE LOOKS SO CUTIEFUL I LOVE HIM SM

hanaflower: +1, he's so adorable

flowerbouquet622: ikr but like can we talk abt the guy behind him

yoskfan22: o yea is it another idol or smth??? he looks lowkey jacked tbh

flowerbouquet622: idk guys he kinda looks sooooo familiar dont u think?

hanaflower: pause.

hanaflower: PAUSE

sunflowerpetal: SILVER HAIR??? [cropped_img.jpg]

yoskfan22: WAIT WHAT THE HELL

flowerbouquet622: @IZANAGI GET IN HERE

younglife: @IZANAGI GET IN HERE +1

hanaflower: @IZANAGI GET IN HERE +2

yoskfan22: @IZANAGI GET IN HERE +3

sunflowerpetal: @IZANAGI WAS THAT YOU???

yoskfan22: bro we can see ure active stop leaving us on read!!!

izanagi: ૮꒰˶ ⁠❛   ˕ ⁠❛˶꒱ა

hanaflower: EXPLAIN???

izanagi: ໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა

yoskfan22: OMG STFU WITH THE KAOMOJIS JUST CONFIRM OR DENY OH MY GOD

izanagi: ૮₍ ˶˃ ⤙ ˂˶ ₎ა

flowerbouquet622: writing the fic as we speak

izanagi: 𐔌՞꜆>.<꜀՞𐦯