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“Did you hear what happened—”
“—scared.”
“They haven’t found—”
“—missing since—”
As Hirose walked to class, the few whispers he caught sounded troubling. A disappearance, but here? Their town wasn’t known for high crime rates. If something as drastic as a kidnapping happened, wouldn’t it be in the news?
The moment he stepped into the classroom, someone was already standing in front of him.
He was looking straight ahead, thinking that Takeuchi or Mukai would be in his line of sight. Instead, he had to look down.
It was Kawamura Hifumi.
She was fiddling with her sleeves, her hair looked undone, and her gaze remained on the floor.
“Um, good morning, Kawamura.” He smiled but when she still didn’t look up, he shifted uncomfortably. “I’m just going to—” He sidestepped her, but the moment he did, she finally spoke up.
“Have you heard from Nakamura?”
He paused.
Just hearing his name brought the rush of emotions that he had been trying so hard to suppress.
It was like it happened yesterday. Him, waiting by the shoe lockers, delaying an answer to Hana. Nakamura, who appeared out of nowhere, and who happened to be the person Hirose needed at the moment. Someone he knew he could rely on. The only person he confided in for the first time in his life. The very same one who told him that it was okay to be honest, to be his true self.
He wanted to tell him what he was thinking once again. He didn’t want to date Hana, but he felt like he was pressured to say yes. What do I do, Nakamura?
But he lost his nerve once Nakamura told him that he had never received chocolates before. Maybe he wouldn’t understand him. Nakamura would most likely tell Hirose to accept Hana’s confession, right?
Would he have told him that?
“I haven’t,” he whispered, chest tight, and unreasonably emotional. “Why?”
He looked around the classroom. The uneasy buzz of energy from the hallway was present here. The whispers were passed between classmates, shoulders pressed together and hands cupped around mouths. There were glances from every one, but they were all looking in the same direction.
Nakamura’s empty desk.
“That’s weird,” he said. “He’s always here early.”
Kawamura made a sound, but Hirose couldn’t tell if she was about to cry or say something.
“He—” She shakily inhaled.
Finally, she looked up.
The reflection of fluorescent lights were on her glasses, but he could tell even with the glare that her eyes were puffy and red as if she’d been crying for hours. She looked terrible, tired, and her teeth were digging into her bottom lip as if she was worried.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his brows furrowing in concern. “Do you need to go see the nurse? I can take you—”
“Stop,” she whispered. She shook her head, her pigtails following the movement. “Please, Hirose, I—” She quickly wiped her eyes. “I really like him.”
His eyes widened. It wasn’t difficult to figure out who she was talking about.
He could see it. Nakamura was kind, too kind for his own good. Selfless too. His smile was gentle, and his eyes were incredibly expressive. He wore his heart on his sleeve. Hirose had the privilege to have witnessed several occasions when Nakamura was simply being himself. He loved that side of him.
Love?
Before he could process what he thought, Kawamura continued, “I haven’t been able to contact him.” She took out her phone and shakily showed him a chat log.
He grabbed it and squinted at the screen.
It was between her and Nakamura. He didn’t want to pry on their previous messages, so he focused on the most recent ones.
“I-I sent the last message this morning.” Her bottom lip wobbled, and she bit it. “I was hoping you knew because Nakamura is always talking about you. I thought you two were close…” Her voice trailed off. She grabbed her phone from his frozen hand. “If you hear about him, please let me know.” Her voice was soft as she bowed and left.
He saw Masako and Yuuka pulling her into a hug.
He stiffly turned to the empty desk.
No, it couldn’t be, right? Nakamura wouldn’t just up and leave. He was one of the best students in the school! He wouldn’t miss class. He was responsible! So where was he? Why wasn’t he here? Where could he be? He’s been missing since last night? Was he okay?
“Hirose?”
A hand touched his shoulder, and he jumped.
Takeuchi immediately lifted his hand, and Mukai was bending down to grab something.
“You dropped your bag.” He was handing it to him.
Oh. He didn’t even notice.
He thinks he opened his mouth to say thanks, but he’s not too sure.
“I’m guessing Kawamura told you about Nakamura?” whispered Takeuchi.
Hirose had never seen him so serious.
“Don’t you have his LINE?” asked Mukai, hands in his pockets, but Hirose could tell there was tension from the way he was rigidly standing. “Can’t you shoot him a quick text?”
To Hirose’s utter horror, he didn’t.
A strangled sound escaped him.
He pressed his hand against his chest, and he suddenly felt very lightheaded.
“Woah, dude! Take a seat.” Takeuchi and Mukai led him to his desk where he practically collapsed on his chair.
“I don’t get it,” he whispered, staring at the wooden desk, before shaking his head. “It’s not like him.”
“You’re his friend,” said Takeuchi, pulling a chair to sit next to him. “Got any idea why he’s missing?”
He’s missing.
It felt surreal, applying the meaning of those words to Nakamura.
Nakamura’s missing.
It didn’t feel right.
“I don’t, no.” His head was starting to hurt. Before he could say anything else, Otogiri walked in.
Everyone went to their seats, but instead of starting the class off with a good morning, their teacher solemnly looked over the class.
“As you’ve heard,” he began, voice soft as if he was trying to soothe a frightened kitten, “Nakamura Okuto, your classmate, is currently missing.”
No, no, no this wasn’t right. It wasn’t right.
“The school board has decided to implement an early day out of respect to the current situation. If anyone,” he gave a pointed look at Hirose, “knows anything, please do not hesitate to tell me, or any other staff member in the school. If you see anything,” Hirose’s blood went cold, “report it to the police as soon as possible.”
The silence was suffocating.
Hirose didn’t believe this was happening.
For the rest of class, it was difficult to focus. In his hand was the octopus pen Nakamura had gifted him. He stared at it for a long time. He could remember the slight disappointment he felt when Nakamura told him that it was just an extra he had mistakenly bought. A part of him wanted Nakamura to have given it to him because he was thinking about Hirose. He did his best to cover up his disappointment, and instead chose to enjoy the gift.
He named it Inkie, and he hadn’t stopped using it since.
The bell rang, and the noise made him jump.
He was extremely out of it.
“Hey, Hana’s here.” He didn’t even notice when Takeuchi and Mukai were sitting beside him again until now.
He looked at the door and sure enough his girlfriend was standing at the threshold. She flashed him a small smile and waved. He weakly waved back and got to his feet. It was lunch time, and he quietly told his friends he’d be back, before dragging his feet to her. From the very beginning, he’d been unenthusiastic around her. Maybe she’d notice but has chosen not to say anything. She didn’t deserve that, but he couldn’t find it in himself to break things off.
They walked in silence and went to their usual spot: a place in the back of the school. There were rarely any students here, and Hirose enjoyed the quiet except, of course, when his girlfriend talked about her morning. And what she did the day before. And the day before that, the day before that, the day—
“Aiki.”
Her soft voice made him blink. He smiled at her, but he could feel it falling apart soon after.
She was looking at him with wide eyes. She really was pretty cute, but it was an objective observation, and there was a clear distance, almost cold, between what was fact and what he felt.
“I heard about your friend.”
His eyes burned.
“Yeah, um—” He cleared his throat. His lunch was suddenly very unappetizing. “No one’s heard of him since last night.”
“Have you texted him?”
He wanted to laugh. Of course the universe wasn’t going to make him forget that he was a horrible person for not having the number of the one person he felt he could be himself. Someone he had come to care about, and who he looked forward to seeing everyday.
“Aiki…”
A soft hand wiped tears from his cheek, and he flinched back.
For a second, he thought Nakamura was the one seated next to him, cupping his cheek tenderly, and asking in that hushed yet deep voice he had, “Are you okay, Aiki?”
“I think this is a horrible time to tell you this,” she began, quickly putting both of her hands on her lap, and looking away, “but I think we should break up.”
His body slumped as if a weight he had been carrying was lifted off.
“Really?” He didn’t even sound sad. “I guess.”
He knew that his indifference was cruel, but there were so many things happening at the same time.
“You’re a kind person,” she said, her voice soft, and when he glanced at her, he could tell she was holding back tears, “and I thought I knew you, but I feel as if you’re not showing me who you really are even when we’re boyfriend and girlfriend.” She stood up and offered him a smile. “I’m sorry to do this to you at this time.” She bowed. “You should find him. I think…” When she rose, the tip of her nose was red, and her smile was small. “…he is what you need, not me.”
He opened his mouth to ask her what she meant, but she was walking away before he could say anything.
He sat in silence.
He took out his phone and saw the time.
School was going to end soon, so it meant that he would have nearly half the day free. Maybe he could go looking around town and try to find him. Yeah, that’s a good idea. The bell rang, signaling to return to class, and he got up.
He ran to the school’s entrance and left.
༄˖°.🍂.ೃ࿔*:･.𖥔 ݁ ˖🍁๋࣭ ⭑🍂༘⋆
By the time he was in Dangogaoka, he was breathing hard and sweating. He took off his school’s coat uniform and tied it around his waist. Nakamura had never taken him to his house, so he had no idea where he lived, but maybe he could find someone in the neighborhood who could tell him. He began to wander the streets, looking around every corner and bend, and the more he walked, the more panicked he became.
Nakamura was nowhere to be seen.
As he rounded a corner, he bumped into someone.
“Shoot, sorry!” He rubbed his head and winced. Then he got a clear view of the person.
She was about the same height as him, younger, and had the exact same shade of black hair and eyes as someone he knew.
“Are you Nakamura’s sister?” he blurted out.
Her eyes widened, and he saw the bags under her eyes. Now that he got a good look at her, she looked disheveled as if she hadn’t slept.
What was he thinking? Of course she hadn’t! Her older brother was missing.
Nakamura was missing.
His chest tightened, and he unconsciously gripped his shirt.
She sniffed. “What’s it to you?” She narrowed her eyes. “Are you going to say something about him? Huh? That he’s weird, and he deserves to be somewhere in a di—” She abruptly stopped. She tried to keep up the glare, but her eyes glistened with tears. “Whatever.” She went to move past him, but Hirose couldn’t let that happen.
Not when it involved Nakamura.
“Wait! Nakamura and I are friends!”
She stopped. Her back was still to him.
“I left school to find him.” His hands were shaking. Talking about it out loud made it seem like it was real. “I want to find him.” It sounded like a desperate plea. “Where can I start?” His eyes burned.
She slowly turned to him then stared at his face. He didn’t move. Though Nakamura ranted about his younger sister, it was clear that Nakamura was a kind older brother, and he cared about her. She was someone important to him, so it meant she was someone important to Hirose too.
Wait, what?
“Are you Hirose Aiki?”
He gaped. “How’d you—”
Suddenly, she was in his space and pressed her pointer finger against his chest.
“You,” she seethed, glaring at him. “He was crying for days about some boy from his class. I can’t believe you have the gall to look for him when you—”
“What do you mean cry?” He didn’t try to swat her finger away even when it was starting to irritate him. “Why would he be crying for days? What???”
She scoffed then crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you being serious right now? Are you telling me you never noticed how my brother felt for you?” She rolled her eyes. “Out of everyone he could have a crush on, it had to be an oblivious idiot.” She turned to leave but paused.
She sighed long enough that her shoulders drooped. “His bike is missing. He usually takes a route next to the train tracks, but we already passed by there. We didn’t see anything. Maybe start there.” She rubbed her eyes then left with quickened steps.
He didn’t move despite having the information he was looking for.
Crush?
Like a montage, memories of the past flashed before his eyes.
Nakamura’s dark red blush every time Hirose talked to him.
Nakamura’s soft voice, almost sounding in disbelief, saying thank you when Hirose handed him a piece of candy.
Nakamura when he talked about octopuses, his eyes shining in excitement, and his words coming out in a rush with a grin on his beautiful face.
Nakamura crouched down and curled into himself, head pressed against his crossed arms, and not seeing Hirose slowly approaching him.
Nakamura’s soft lingering looks.
Nakamura’s wind swept hair and glistening eyes when he grabbed his wrist and told him, “Please, you don’t have to go. You don’t have to force yourself.”
Nakamura handed him a crab keychain, standing in front of him with a red flushed face, eyes scrunched close, looking as if he was about to profess his love to Hirose, only to ask if he wanted to be friends with him.
The disappointment that Hirose felt when he didn’t tell him, “I like you, Hirose. I always have.”
Because when did Hirose start to expect something else from Nakamura?
The possibility of going on a date with Nakamura excited him.
The idea of holding his hand made Hirose squirm in the best way possible.
A selfish part of him wanted Nakamura’s attention solely on him, and he already had it, didn’t he?
The day when Nakamura found him at the shoe lockers, and how he had grasped his chest, cheeks flushing, and eyes shining with hope while Hirose tried to gather the courage to open up to him.
This time around, it was Nakamura who thought Hirose was going to confess. But he didn’t, huh?
“Stupid,” he muttered, glaring at the ground. He clenched his fists as his vision went blurry. “I should have been honest,” he said to no one as one tear slipped down then another then another. “I should have told you the truth.”
He wiped his eyes and looked around. On a lamp post, there was a sign of a bicycle, and it was pointing in a general direction.
“I’m going to tell you,” he said, mouth set in a thin line of determination. “I’m not going to hide anymore.”
He took off in a run, forcing himself to go faster. He needed to find Nakamura.
༄˖°.🍂.ೃ࿔*:･.𖥔 ݁ ˖🍁๋࣭ ⭑🍂༘⋆
By the time he reached the end of the bike trail, the sun was down, but its evening glow lingered in the sky. He put his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He wiped his forehead and looked at the new trail. Apparently, the bike trail had ended and was now leading into what looked like a hiking trail on a hill. Concrete turned into dirt, and Hirose huffed, feeling his chest tight and his throat dry, but he trudged forward.
It was difficult terrain, but every time he nearly slipped and fell, he would get a good look of the ground.
There were bicycle tracks leading up.
It was enough motivation for him to keep hiking. If Nakamura really went up this hill, then he had more endurance than Hirose thought. He was close to collapsing, and he was nowhere near the top.
He felt nauseous the more he kept going, and his legs wanted to give out, but the idea of Nakamura not showing up, or—or not coming back, or something else—
Sirens in the distance. Police taking down reports.
Hirose staring at a white sheet over a body.
“No.” He shook his head, wiping the tears from his eyes. “Nope. Not going to think about that. He’s okay. He’s fine. He’s Nakamura.”
He walked and walked until he finally reached a plateau. He was leaning against the dirt wall when he saw a bicycle on the ground. He took off in a sprint and fell to his knees once he reached it. He looked it over, hoping to get any kind of clue, but when there was nothing, he looked around.
There was a metal fence separating the trail and the edge of the hill. On the ground was an opened notebook. He crawled to it and grabbed it.
It was a manga. Not an official one, but it looked hand-drawn and original. He squinted at the characters. It kind of looked like…
It looked like him and Nakamura.
“I like you, Nakamura.”
“I like you too, Hirose. I don’t like you because you like me. I like you just the way you are.”
There were tear stains on the paper, so some of the words were smudged, but it was still easy to read.
I like you just the way you are.
He gripped the notebook, and a few of his tears landed on the paper. He quickly closed it and wiped his eyes, but he couldn’t stop crying.
“Okuto,” he whispered, looking around the suddenly too quiet and lonely place. “Where are you?” He sniffed. “I like you too.” Then he added with a shaky laugh, “A lot. I like you a lot.”
He looked at the bike then at the trail. It kept going up. He sniffed then nodded.
“Okay,” he told himself, quickly standing up and picking up the bike. “You’re around here somewhere, and once I find you, I’m not going to let you leave my side.” He carefully put the notebook in the basket, sat down, and began to pedal up the hill.
༄˖°.🍂.ೃ࿔*:･.𖥔 ݁ ˖🍁๋࣭ ⭑🍂༘⋆
Once he reached the top, he immediately noticed two things.
One, the hill overlooked the town, and the twinkling lights of the buildings looked beautiful and breathtaking.
Two, Nakamura was sitting on one of the benches facing the town, his knees pulled up to his chest, and his hoodie covering his head.
Hirose grabbed the notebook and let the bike fall to the ground.
Nakamura jumped and quickly turned to him. The bright lights of the town, and the few lamp posts illuminated his face. His eyes were red, glossy, and there were a few tears still running down his cheeks.
“Hi-Hirose?!?!” He quickly scrambled to his feet, but Hirose saw the exact moment it hit him that he hadn’t eaten for the past 24 hours.
He swayed, and Hirose took off in a sprint.
He reached him just in time, grabbing him before he fell.
“Sheesh, Nakamura,” he weakly joked as he pulled him to sit down on the bench, “you’re heavy. You're made of muscle or what?”
Nakamura continued to stare at him. Hirose didn’t look away.
“Are you…?” whispered Nakamura then a shaky hand rose before cupping Hirose’s cheek. His thumb caressed his skin. “You’re not real, right?” he asked, his voice small. “You can’t be.”
“Why not?” he asked, voice hush. He scooted closer. “You don’t want me to be real?” he teased, eyes burning with tears.
Nakamura didn’t stop caressing him.
“I do,” he said, finally pulling away, “but you have a girlfriend.” His voice trembled, and he sniffed. “I should have known from the very beginning that you wouldn’t—that I will never—” He hiccuped then let out a wail. Hirose now understood why Nakamura chose to hide out here. There was no one to hear his cries.
It broke his heart.
“I’m here,” he said, grabbing Nakamura’s cold hand and pressing it against his hot cheek. “You’re not alone, Okuto. You’re not. I’m real.” Nakamura was still crying, so Hirose grabbed his other hand to cup his other cheek. “Look at me.”
Nakamura looked at him.
There was snot running down his nose, his cheeks were shiny with tears, his nose was red, his hair disheveled, but Hirose drank in the sight of him.
“I like you for who you are,” he said, squeezing his hands. “I should have been honest with you. Back in the shoe lockers.”
Nakamura sharply inhaled.
He suddenly wrenched himself away from him, and Hirose reached out, trying to bring him back to his side.
“You’re real,” he said, voice broken and small. “Yo-You’re here? Why?? Am-Am I dreaming?” He slapped his cheeks, and Hirose had enough.
“Don’t hurt yourself!” He was on his feet and next to him in the next second. He grabbed his hands before he could continue. “Don’t do that, man. Look at your cheeks.” He let him go and carefully placed his cold hands on Nakamura’s hot cheeks. “There. Maybe that will help?”
“Wh-What’s happening?” he whispered.
“You’ve been missing for more than a day, Okuto.” Hirose felt something in him snap.
All the stress and overwhelming emotions and revelations manifested in the clog in his throat, his hands shaking, and him leaning forward, pressing his forehead against Nakamura’s chest.
“I was scared,” he whimpered, pressing his face against his shirt. He smelled like clean linen, sweat, and something uniquely Nakamura. “I didn’t even know you were missing. I’m horrible, aren’t I?” He laughed, wet and weak. “I like you so much, yet I was the last one to know that you never went home.” He shook his head, and wrapped his arms around him.
“I wish I was honest with you from the very beginning,” he mumbled, his face warming, and his hands shaking from where he was grasping Nakamura’s sweater in a tight grip. “You wouldn’t have disappeared. I wouldn’t have dated Hana.” Nakamura went rigid in his hold. He held him tighter, suddenly terrified that he would slip away. “I wouldn’t have forced myself into something I didn’t want to do, or be someone who I didn’t want to be.”
He shakily exhaled and sniffed. “I would have told you a long time ago how much I really liked being with you. Out of everyone I have ever met, you’re the first who’s accepted me for who I am. You make me laugh. You’re so passionate. You don’t shy away from your emotions. You embrace them! It’s admirable. And your smile? When you talk about octopuses? I wish I could stare at you forever. Oh man, and your eyes? They’re so expressive. I can get lost in them for days. I—” He cried, “I should have been honest with you.”
Nakamura didn’t say anything. He remained tense, arms glued to the side, as Hirose held him tight. He wasn’t going to let go. If he was going to be honest, he was going to go all the way.
“I like you,” he confessed, blushing, and hiding his face on Nakamura’s chest. “I like you so much, Okuto.”
There was a sharp inhale then arms wrapping around him, pulling him flush against Nakamura. The taller boy curled into him, digging his fingers into Hirose’s skin as if he, too, was terrified of him slipping away.
He was panting, his hot breath fanning Hirose’s ear, and he shivered.
“I don’t want to believe this is happening,” said Nakamura, words rushed as if he didn’t have time. “No, I do. I really do, but it’s too good to be true, but if you’re really here—with me, I…I-I should have been honest with you too.”
Nakamura pulled away but kept his hands on Hirose’s shoulders. Hirose grabbed his wrists, not wanting to lose physical contact any time soon.
Nakamura looked determined, but there was an undercurrent of fear in his beautiful eyes.
That was one of the things Hirose liked about him. He kept trying even when things didn’t go his way.
“I always told myself I wanted to be friends with you,” he began. “And-And I do!! That hasn’t changed at all!!” His widened panicked gaze made Hirose laugh. He patted his wrists to show that he wasn’t bothered by what he said. Nakamura relaxed and gently squeezed his shoulders.
“But I’ve been lying to myself and to you this whole time. The truth is that I don’t want to only be your friend. I want more.” His lips wobbled, and tears spilled from his eyes as he cried, “I’ve always liked you, Hirose Aiki! From the moment I saw you on the first day of school!!”
Hirose’s eyes widened.
“I like the way you look! Your hair! Your sunkissed skin! But most of all, your smile!!” Hirose blushed, and he quickly and shyly looked away when Nakamura’s gaze became intense. “I like the way you laugh!! And you’re so kind!!! I didn’t think anyone would take the time to get to know me, but you did!! I also really like when you’re being yourself. Like-Like when you try to pull pranks, but they’re really not that crazy—”
“Hey!” laughed Hirose, turning to look at him, and a slow exhale left him as relief washed over him. “I plan out my pranks days ahead, you know.”
Nakamura chuckled, but he didn’t let him go. “Or when you’re just quiet. Sitting in silence has never felt as comfortable than when I’m with you.”
Hirose pressed his lips together, so he wouldn’t let out a sob, and quietly said, “Yeah? You really like that?”
Nakamura eagerly nodded. “Yes!!! I really do!!! I like all of you, Hirose Aiki!!!”
He was breathing hard, and Hirose felt his hands shaking on his shoulders.
“Look at us,” whispered Hirose, stepping closer, eyes never leaving Nakamura’s. “We both liked each other, and we never said anything because we just wanted to be ‘friends’.” He air quoted and rolled his eyes. Then he smiled, something that was the brightest and most realest he had ever expressed. “I guess that means we’re boy—”
Nakamura raised his hand, a determined look on his face.
“I’ve been dreaming about this for years.”
“Dreaming about what?”
“How to ask you out.”
“Wait—what?!” Hirose wanted to hide his face with his hands, but Nakamura grabbed them before he could.
“Hirose Aiki,” said Nakamura, stepping closer and pulling his hands against his chest. Hirose could feel his pounding heart, “will you be my boyfriend?”
Hirose’s breath hitched. He knew what Nakamura was going to do, yet it felt like it came out of nowhere, like he wasn’t expecting Nakamura to look at him with love-filled eyes and ask him to be his boyfriend.
“Yeah,” he sighed out, a blissful smile on his face. “Yeah, I do!!”
They both giggled, and he was the first to make the move.
He pulled Nakamura into a kiss.
His lips were warm and chapped, and he let his lips linger on his before pulling away.
Nakamura’s face blossomed to a new shade of red, and Hirose laughed.
The sound snapped Nakamura out of his daze, and Hirose felt his large hand cup the back of his head, and he was pulled in for a kiss. This time, Nakamura took the lead, kissing him as if he needed him to live, to breathe, and when he slowly pulled away, he bit his bottom lip.
Hirose gasped, his body thrumming with raw want, and he could only stare wide-eyed at Nakamura’s hungry look.
Just as suddenly, his boyfriend gasped then covered his face as he mumbled, “I can’t believe I just did that!!!”
Hirose touched his bitten and hot lips then laughed. He felt lighter, happier, and he pulled Nakamura into a hug.
His boyfriend hesitated before hugging him back, tightly, almost like an octopus wrapping all of its eight arms around him.
“I’m never letting you go,” said Hirose, placing his head on Nakamura’s shoulder.
“I-I’m not letting you go either,” said Nakamura, and despite his voice almost being a whisper, the conviction behind the promise was like steel. Hirose knew it to be the truth.
After a while, Hirose slowly pulled away from Nakamura, and smiled when his boyfriend whimpered.
“I think it’s time we head back.” He pulled Nakamura by the hand to the bench, and he grabbed the notebook. “I believe this is yours, Okuto.”
“NO IT’S NOT!!!!” he denied, shaking his head fervently. “I SWEAR IT’S NOT MINE!!!”
Hirose frowned, “You don’t have to get so defensive.” Before Nakamura could overthink, Hirose smirked. “Just kidding. I think it’s cute that my boyfriend commissioned someone to draw a manga about us.” He still held onto one of Nakamura’s hands, and he squeezed it. “Next time, ask Kawamura to draw us kissing.”
Nakamura made a noise between a whimper, and a cry of embarrassment.
Hirose leaned in for a quick kiss before pulling them to the abandoned bike. “I should take you home. Your family is worried sick about you. Also, did your phone die? Kawamura was texting you. Ah, wait.” He took out his phone and handed it to Nakamura. “Add your number to my LINE. If I don’t have my boyfriend’s number, I’ll be a bad boyfriend.”
Nakamura stared at his phone then at him. “Is this real?” he asked in a small voice.
Hirose pressed another kiss on his lips. “Yeah,” he whispered. “And I’ll keep reminding you for the rest of our lives.”
“The rest of our lives?!?”
Hirose giggled and tried his best not to think about his very sudden but serious implication about their future together.
They were no longer “friends,” but something far greater.