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Jiro’s second year of high school had finally arrived—not that he was happy about it; he mostly just felt that he needed one more year to finally get out of school.
His break was over; he woke up—feeling incredibly sluggish—threw on his uniform haphazardly, grabbed some bread, and rushed to school. He ran into Takeuchi, Mayoi, and Yuki—friends he’d had since his first year.
He greeted them, and they headed inside, passing the staff enforcing the dress code. He nearly failed to get past the checkpoint due to his long hair and baggy clothes, but he tidied himself up enough to enter—only to let his appearance get messy again shortly after.
Jiro had entered high school already well-known for his time in his junior high school's club. Not only was he skilled at soccer—having secured the first inter-class tournament titles for his old school—but he was also highly sought after by his current school's soccer team upon his arrival. He did join the team, but unfortunately, he hadn't managed to win a title with them... yet.
There were plenty of rumors that the inter-class tournament he’d played in had been rigged; during the final, it seemed the referees were paying attention to the opposing team's plays rather than his own. They failed to call fouls or penalties at crucial moments, leaving many people furious at the opponents who ultimately won the match.
But Jiro promises that this year will be different—that they can win the inter-class tournament if they start training early and prove stronger than any team that challenges them.
"Hey Jiro, the captain is calling for you." A teammate from the sports club calls out; Jiro turns his full attention to him and nods. "Right. Thanks, man."
"The year’s barely started, and you’re already tied up with club stuff..." Takeuchi says, sighing as he leans against the wall. "I sort of promised him I’d give it my all this year..." Jiro scratches the back of his neck, then adjusts the strap of the school bag slung over his shoulder.
"Go on, bro—we’ll save you a spot in the gym," Mayoi says, high-fiving Jiro. "Don't take too long, though; I heard we’ve got the 'Dragon Teacher' for first period after the ceremony," Yuki adds, draping his arm around Mayoi’s neck.
"Don't worry, I'll be back in a flash!" Jiro says his goodbyes and runs off toward the sports room.
He didn't slow down at all until he reached the club room; he burst through the door and collided with someone, sending both of them tumbling to the floor.
"Ow, ow, ow... My head..." Jiro looked up and saw a boy who looked quite unique—someone he’d never seen before.
His hair featured bangs that covered one eye, while the back was tied up. He had sky-blue eyes, a hint of purplish eyeliner, and earrings that might easily go unnoticed beneath his hair.
He was... beautiful.
"Um... are you okay?" Jiro asked, reaching out a hand toward the stranger. The boy jumped up quickly. "Ah! Yes! Thanks! Bye!" Speaking in a high-pitched voice, the stranger hurried out of the club room.
Jiro remained on the floor, stunned; he knew nothing about the boy, yet found him incredibly striking. "Uh... What..." Jiro glanced at his captain, who was watching him and trying to stifle a laugh.
"Always so clumsy..." The other boy laughed at Jiro, making him blush. "I didn't see him, okay... Hmm... Who was he?" Jiro asked as he stood up and walked over to his captain. "He's the new third-year student; he's in my class... He transferred here—I don't know why yet. From what I've seen, he's going to join the sports club!" Jiro was surprised; the boy didn't seem like the type. "Ah... Hmm... I see."
"Enough talk; you're coming back later to organize the club's sign-up sheets and distribute flyers to drum up interest." The captain speaks firmly, pointing to the papers on the counter. Jiro straightens up, his expression turning serious. "Yes, Captain!"
"Let's head to the ceremony now," the captain says, and Jiro follows suit.
They arrive a bit late but spot their seats thanks to their friends and teammates. The two enter quietly, only speaking once they’ve settled into their spots.
"Psst! Do you think the principal will actually give the inter-class tournament more support this year?" Jiro asks the captain, who rolls his eyes.
"If it were up to him, we wouldn't have anything at all." The captain makes a gesture that makes Jiro laugh. It’s an inside joke between them, but they fall silent when a girl tells them to quiet down from the back. They do as told.
Jiro stares at the principal, but... he doesn't see a thing; in fact, he isn't even listening—he isn't paying attention to anything at all. He decides to look around instead and spots a familiar sight.
A bag covered in Visual Kei band pins, hair pinned up to look shorter, and eyes shining as they gaze at the principal. The person looks deeply intent on focusing on the principal's words. Jiro keeps watching Jyushi until the other boy turns around and looks straight at him.
Jiro is mortified, but he starts signing back when he sees the other boy signing with a smile—until he gets a smack.
"Jiro, he isn't signing to you." Jiro looks at the captain and then turns around, spotting his math teacher—Sensei Tsutsujimori—signing to the boy.
He finds it odd, but turns back to face the front, looking a bit crestfallen.
"Finally, lunch!" Jiro walks down the hallway with his bento box, accompanied by Takeuchi. "Man, you set a record for complaining just to get to lunch sooner today."
"She kept us back, taking three minutes off our break—that’s unacceptable." Jiro makes a valid point; even Takeuchi can't deny it. "Okay, you win."
Jiro looks ahead and spots his captain's classroom, but instead of the captain, he sees the boy from earlier. There’s no mistaking it—he’s there in the corner of the room, all by himself. His bag is open, but he isn't looking at his food; he’s just... staring into the bag.
Jiro finds the situation odd, but he brushes it off.
"Hey man, why are you staring at that kid so much?" Takeuchi notices, snapping Jiro out of his thoughts. "Well... I saw him at the sports club and at the ceremony..." Takeuchi is surprised; even he hadn't expected someone so reserved to be in the club. "Wait... *Him*?"
Jiro scratches the back of his neck. "Yeah... I mean, he’s tall and looks like he’s in good shape, so..." A laugh drifts through the air, coming from the boy. Jiro hears it and is charmed by the cute sound, but... nothing could have prepared him for the smile.
A wide smile, eyes closed, with the light catching his slightly flushed cheeks. And once again... he looked beautiful.
His eyes slowly open to take in what lies before him, gradually shifting toward Jiro. The two lock eyes, neither attempting to look away or speak.
They remain like that for quite a while, until Takeuchi steps in front of Jiro. "Hey, leave the kid alone."
Jiro snaps out of his trance, looks at Takeuchi, and then glances back at Jyushi. "Oh... Um... Right." Takeuchi starts ushering Jiro away.
"Man, what is it about that kid that grabs your attention so much?" Takeuchi asks the question of the century—one even Jiro can't quite answer. He might say it was the surprise of seeing someone like that in the sports club, or perhaps his good looks (something he’d never admit to Takeuchi), but there’s more to it than that. There is something about him that draws Jiro in.
The bell rings, snapping Jiro out of his reverie.
Jiro couldn't focus on the lesson; two things were vying for his attention: the sound of the rain outside and the boy he’d seen earlier. Jiro wondered if he just wanted to be friends with him; he’d never actually asked people if they wanted to be friends—it just... happened. That’s how it had been in his first year and throughout elementary school, and it would likely stay that way until the day he died.
But... why exactly did he want to "ask for permission"? He wanted to get to know the boy better, but the idea of *asking* had never crossed his mind before. As someone who believed in letting things flow naturally, he felt a friendship wouldn't be genuine if he had to ask for it instead of just letting it happen.
Well, in a relationship, you *do* have to ask the person out, right? Otherwise, they won't accept. So, asking the boy to be friends would be like asking him out...! Wait, no!?!? What kind of analogy was that? Asking a boy for friendship as if it were a romantic proposal was totally absurd!
A faint blush rose on Jiro's face, and he clumsily covered his mouth with one hand. He grabbed his hair and banged his forehead against the desk, worrying Mayoi, who was sitting behind him. "Jiro? Are you okay?" Jiro lifted his head, turned around, and looked at Mayoi. "Yeah... it's just... this rain is making me sleepy..."
Just as he complained about it, the final bell rang, and everyone started packing up to leave. Jiro followed suit; he gathered his things, said goodbye to his friends, and headed out of the school.
Unfortunately, he didn't have an umbrella. It was raining so hard that the chill made him shiver, and he hunched over, wrapping his arms around himself.
Then, the boy from earlier appeared beside Jiro and held an umbrella over his head. "Um... Hello..."
Jiro looks up and sees the boy gazing at him, then quickly glancing away. "Hello... Uh..."
"My name is Jyushi Aimono. The captain said I should talk to you about the club whenever I wanted, since you help him out, and... well, I was too shy to speak to you at first because I don't know any students here." He talks a lot, Jiro thinks. But his voice is actually really pleasant to listen to.
"My name is Jiro Yamada. I kind of expected him to do that, seeing as he doesn't have much time. Well... Aimono-san, what do you want to know?" Jiro stares at the taller boy, who simply closes his eyes and speaks up. "Y-Yamada-kun, I want to be your friend!!!"
This strikes Jiro right in the heart, making it pound faster. He hadn't expected the request for friendship to come from the other boy rather than himself. It makes his cheeks flush pink, causing him to look away. "I-I'm fine with that..."
"Really! Waah...! I'm so happy..." The taller boy beams with joy, making Jiro avert his gaze again. They stand there for a moment before looking out at the rain. "From what I gather, you don't have an umbrella, so... I can take you somewhere safer!"
Jiro looks at Jyushi and lightly scratches his head, looking away. "Alright, um... Drop me off at the convenience store near my family's shop."
Jyushi looks confused. "Oh... Right, I'm not from Ikebukuro." He covers his face with one hand as Jiro looks at him again. "Wait, what?! Where are you from?" Jyushi looks down. "I moved here recently; I'm from... Nagoya."
Jiro is a bit shocked by this. He used to live in Nagoya—quite a distance away... "Well, then I'll show you the way." Jyushi looks gently at Jiro, who is gazing out at the area beyond the school grounds.
The two of them set off, with Jiro leading the way.
They finally arrive near the shop and stop, pausing to gaze at the rain; Jiro invites Jyushi inside, and he accepts. The two of them grab a table by the window; their shoes and trousers are damp, and the freezing air conditioning inside makes their legs shiver. They don't speak for a while, until someone finally comes over to take their order.
"Welcome to... Ugh... Jiro..." Saburo Yamada, Jiro's younger brother, was working the counter at the diner. Well, it wasn't that Jiro didn't know about the job, but he hadn't expected to see him there at this hour. Jiro rolls his eyes and looks straight at Saburo. "Hey, Saburo. What kind of snacks do you have?"
"Look at the menu yourself!" Saburo hates taking orders or fielding stupid questions from Jiro. He glances away and spots Jyushi, who is just staring out the window, clearly not wanting to intrude on their conversation. "Good afternoon! Are you a friend of Jiro's?" Jyushi is slightly startled and snaps his head toward Saburo. "Waah—! Um... Yeah..."
Saburo clears his throat and hands the menu to Jyushi. "Pick any burger! My brother's paying." Jiro is startled. "Hey! T-that's not quite right..."
"How do you invite this guy inside without even thinking about paying for him? Just look at the kid with the bangs—look at the kind of company you're keeping! I wouldn't recommend it." Saburo crosses his arms and chuckles at Jiro, clearly teasing him. "Saburo, get lost!!!" Jiro says, his voice rising in annoyance.
"Are you two... brothers?" Jyushi asks, holding the menu up to cover half his face. Saburo looks at Jyushi with an expression that implies it’s pretty obvious.
"Waah...! S-sorry! I'm new in town..." The menu completely hides his face, and Saburo suddenly understands the situation. "Oh. Um... just pick a burger already." Saburo changes his demeanor—Jiro doesn't quite get why. In reality, he just doesn't want Jyushi to get a weird impression of Jiro.
They both order burgers, and Saburo leaves. Now Jiro is looking at Jyushi, while Jyushi is unable to make eye contact.
They remain silent until the burgers arrive and they finally start eating. A lack of conversation really drags out any situation that involves waiting.
"So... what's Nagoya like?" Jiro asks, looking directly at Jyushi, who stares back and smiles faintly. "It's very... bright. I really like the temple there and its unique museum! I wouldn't have left without a good reason." Jyushi speaks with a cheerful smile, and without realizing it, Jiro blurts out an intrusive question: "So why did you leave?"
Jyushi freezes for a moment; an extremely uncomfortable silence fills the room. It’s not as if Jiro knew the story behind it, but sometimes it’s better to just stay quiet—and he realizes that.
"Oh, um... I'm sorry." Jiro looks away and scratches his face. "It's okay, you didn't know." Jyushi tries to ease the tension.
They remained silent for quite a while, until the two of them said their goodbyes and left.
"Hitoya, you need to learn how to do these basic things," Jakurai says, resting his face on the kitchen counter while looking at the new cookbook Hitoya bought. "Are you calling me useless?" Hitoya asks with an ironic tone—though he actually takes the comment seriously.
"Oh... No... It's just..." Hitoya laughs and moves closer to the taller man. "Don't worry, I didn't take it to heart."
Their conversation is cut short by the sound of the door slamming. Jyushi has arrived home and heads straight to the kitchen to see Hitoya.
"Hitoya-san! And... Jakurai-san!" Instead of hugging Hitoya, he hugs Jakurai, who pats his head. "Hello, Jyushi-kun. How are you settling in at school?" Hitoya feels betrayed... by both of them. "Hey! I'm the one who's supposed to ask that."
"I made a new friend! His name is Jiro Yamada! He took me out for burgers..." Jyushi says with a smile. Even though he was a bit nervous around the other boy at first, he is very happy to have made a new friend.
Jakurai’s eyes widen, and his smile grows broader. "That’s wonderful, Jyushi! Now, go take a shower so you can eat what Hitoya is preparing."
Jyushi obeys the doctor and leaves the kitchen. Hitoya pinches the bridge of his nose tightly and glares slightly at Jakurai. "Jakurai... You're stealing my lines." Jakurai chuckles softly. "I'm sorry; it's just that this kid reminds me so much of my adopted son. And even if you don't say it, I know you consider Jyushi-kun your son." Hitoya chokes on his words. "I-I only look after the kid because he doesn't have a family..."
"Maybe his family right now is you—and me, if he wants to consider me his stepfather." It takes Hitoya a moment to get Jakurai's joke, and his face turns red. "You jerk of a doctor!!!"
Jakurai laughs louder, composing himself as he recalls a detail Jyushi had mentioned. "The boy is in good hands at school. Jiro-kun is a lovely kid, and quite athletic, too." Hitoya is surprised by Jakurai's positive remark. "You know this new friend of Jyushi's?"
Jakurai shakes his head. "Yes, he’s from the Yamada family—Ichiro’s brother, that is." Hitoya lets out a soft huff at that. "Oh, right. Those brothers..."
"Don't worry about it; if Jyushi has ended up becoming friends with them, he’ll eventually find out just how famous the Yamada brothers are in Ikebukuro." Jakurai speaks as he stands up and picks up his bag. "I have to head back to Shinjuku now, but I promise to visit you all again soon—especially for the sake of Jyushi’s mental health." Hitoya scratches his head. "Hmm. Thanks for agreeing to look after Jyushi’s psychological care. Get home safe."
Jakurai nods and leaves the house.
Classes had been underway for two weeks, and Jyushi and Jiro had been friends for just as long. To be honest, though, they hadn't really spoken to each other during that time.
They would exchange waves, and Jyushi would occasionally ask Jiro a question—which, for Jyushi, was the ideal form of friendship—but... Jiro wasn't happy with that.
"You guys are friends, but... he barely talks to you?" Takeuchi asked, making Jiro sigh. "Yeah... I... I didn't want it to be like this. I don't even see him at practice!" Yuki stepped in to speak to Jiro. "If you want to win the guy over that badly, why not try talking to him? He's new to the school and seems shy; you'd better be the one to speak up first."
Jiro scratched the back of his neck; Yuki was right. It wouldn't be easy to build a friendship if Jiro didn't do his part. "I'm going to... have lunch with him today, in his classroom," Jiro said confidently, but Takeuchi chimed in. "Perfect! We'll come along too!" Jiro was puzzled. "Huh? But he's *my* friend!" Mayoi hugged Takeuchi to shut him up. "We'll just tag along! Don't worry about it..."
Yuki shrugged. "Hmm, why not?" Jiro rested his forehead against the table—gently. "Fine, you guys can come with us."
Finally, it was lunchtime. Jiro and his friends headed to Jyushi's classroom and found him alone again. Jiro took a deep breath, walked into the room, and greeted Jyushi. "Hey. Do you mind if we eat with you?" Jyushi was startled at first, scrambling to swallow the food in his mouth. "Um—! Sure...! I mean, feel free to sit down!"
The four boys arranged their chairs in a circle around Jyushi's desk, taking out their packed lunches and setting them down. "So, Jyushi, how are you doing?" Jiro asks subtly.
"I'm fine... A-and you...?" Just as Jiro is about to answer, Takeuchi butts in. "Hey, man... Is it true you're from another city?" Jiro looks at Takeuchi and slaps his own forehead.
Jyushi blinks twice before answering shyly. "Yeah... It is true! I'm from Nagoya..." Jyushi smiles a little, but Takeuchi quickly ruins the moment. "Wait, Nagoya!? The boring city? Is it true there's nothing interesting there?" Mayoi smacks the back of Takeuchi's head. "Ignore him; he doesn't know what he's talking about."
Jyushi shrinks back a little. "It's okay, it's just a... lame stereotype." He tries to laugh a bit to lighten the mood—until he sees something he's never seen before in Yuki's bento box. "Um... Excuse me, what is that?"
Yuki looks where he's pointing and grins mischievously. "It's a gyoza. Want to try it? It's not spicy, but it's really tasty." As Yuki says this, he picks it up with his chopsticks and holds it out toward Jyushi. Hesitantly, Jyushi accepts and leans in toward the food.
Jiro snatches it with his own chopsticks before the gyoza can reach Jyushi's mouth. It was an almost involuntary reaction, as if he didn't want him to do it.
"Yuki, put it in his bento box, and let me talk to my friend, please!" Jiro says irritably, placing the gyoza into Jyushi's bento box; Jyushi feels a bit awkward about the way Jiro spoke.
"Dude, you're talking like you're his boyfriend!" Takeuchi says, causing everyone to hold their breath—especially Jyushi and Jiro. "HEY!!!" Jiro starts grinding his teeth; he is clearly embarrassed, as is Jyushi. Jiro puts Takeuchi in a rear-naked choke—nothing serious, just a reminder that he’s the more skilled of the two. Takeuchi struggles and taps Jiro’s forearm to signal he gets the message. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry!"
True to his word, Jiro lets go of Takeuchi and goes back to eating normally.
"You guys finally became friends!" The sports club captain finally arrives and sees the group gathered in a circle; he grabs a chair and sits down between Jyushi and Jiro. "So, how's it going?" He spots something in Jiro's bento box that catches his eye, picks it up with his hand, and eats it. Jiro doesn't actually mind.
"Kuko-san!" Jyushi exclaims excitedly. Everyone is startled to hear the boy casually use the captain's name—even Jiro wouldn't dare do that. "W-Wait... You don't call him 'Captain'?" Takeuchi asks.
"Kuko-san asked me to call him 'Kuko.' Since he's older but I still want to show respect, that's how I address him!" This stings Jiro; it bothers him that the boy he wants to befriend and his own captain seem so close—closer than he is with the captain. "C-Captain, you never asked me to call you Kuko..."
"Well, I *have* asked—you just don't listen and keep calling me Captain." The captain—or rather, Kuko—laughs loudly and leans against Jyushi. "But don't worry, I don't mind; I just think it's too formal. You're not the only one who calls me Captain, anyway."
This makes Jiro's stomach churn, and a whirlwind of thoughts races through his mind. "Um... I'm going to the restroom. The bell's about to ring anyway, so I won't be coming back." Jiro grabs his bento box and leaves the room. His friends find this odd, since he usually waits until the very last minute to head to class. "Uhm... I wonder if he's okay?" Mayoi asks. That it leaves Jyushi worried. "Kuko-san, I'm going to the restroom too." Kuko moves away, and Jyushi stands up and heads to the restroom.
"And off goes Prince Charming to save his prince..." Kuko cracks the joke that sets Jiro's colleagues off laughing.
Jiro constantly splashes water on his face and stares at his reflection dramatically. He rubs his face with his hands, trying to shake off the daze caused by whatever thoughts are running through his mind.
"Damn it, I'm the only one who can't talk to anyone properly." Jiro feels like he's being left behind by Jyushi. It bothers him to see his friends and his captain chatting so casually with Jyushi—even if Jyushi does maintain his shy demeanor.
His uniform is wet, as are the edges of the sink and the floor. Jiro clutches his hair as he recalls Jyushi's laughter and those blue eyes looking at things other than him.
Come to think of it, what kind of thought is that? Why does he feel this way? What is it about this boy that caught Jiro's attention so strongly? He doesn't know; he just feels it...
"Man, you're talking like you're his boyfriend!"
That thought embarrasses Jiro; he covers half his face with his hand, mentally denying what it might mean.
"Yamada-kun...?" Jyushi bursts into the restroom, startling Jiro and causing him to fall into the puddle he’d made. "Ah—! Ow!!!"
"Yamada-kun!" Jyushi rushes over to Jiro and kneels down to hold his hand. His hair gets a bit tousled from running, revealing a little more of his other eye. "Are you okay?"
Jiro can't answer—in fact, he can't even look at Jyushi—until he feels a cloth wiping his cheek.
Whenever Jyushi goes to the restroom, he brings a cloth to dry his hands, and he's using it now to wipe the wet spots on Jiro.
Jiro stares at Jyushi, who is cleaning him up with a worried expression while still holding his hand—leaning in close enough for Jiro to feel his breath. Jiro can't hide his flushed cheeks or the sense of security he feels now.
"I... I'm sorry, Aimono-san," Jiro says, lowering his gaze to avoid looking him in the eye again—embarrassed not only by Jyushi's actions but also by his own ignorance. "I shouldn't have invited my friends to join us for a snack; actually, I shouldn't have even..."
"Hey... Call me Jyushi, for starters." Jyushi's voice turns firm; he brushes Jiro's hair back so he can look him in the face. "I wanted to apologize, too. I'm still so... shy. I can't quite say what I want to express, and... I'm sorry." The more he spoke, the more his embarrassment showed, and the more he seemed to shrink into his shy demeanor. Jiro squeezes Jyushi's hand tightly to signal him to look up.
"Alright. Let's just let this friendship be something light for both of us; tomorrow, I'll come to your classroom on my own." Jiro smiles shyly. "I accept!" Jyushi stands up, pulling Jiro up along with him.
They look at each other and embrace, both feeling a sense of calm wash over them.
Little did they know, this would change their lives.
Jiro opens his shoe locker, and several letters tumble to the floor. He’s used to this; ever since eighth grade, he’s received affectionate letters from girls—though always with ulterior motives.
He glances at them, looks at a few, and tucks them all into his wallet. Some girls are spying on him—he knows it, because whenever he turns around, they quickly duck out of sight.
"You're quite popular, aren't you?" Jiro glances to the side and sees his literature teacher, Gentaro. He rolls his eyes—not at Gentaro himself, but because an encounter like this gives the teacher an opening to meddle.
"Teacher, there's no need to make a scene," Jiro says while tidying up the cards to put them away. "You never reply to any of the letters... why?" Gentaro rests a hand on his cheek, thoughtful. Jiro looks away to avoid meeting his gaze. "I know none of them are genuine."
"What do you mean?" Gentaro asks, confused. "I know none of them are about actually becoming friends. That's why I never reply."
"What if you wrote one to a friend—someone where you knew there were no ulterior motives? Like that friend of yours... what's his name? The third-year student? Aimono Jyushi?" That catches Jiro's attention. How does he know the two of them are so close?
The truth is, Jiro helps Jyushi out at the sports club. Jyushi isn't good at sports—something that became quite clear the more he participated in the club—but now he stays late to practice, feeling much more at ease there than in his classroom. Jiro can't stay late every day to keep Jyushi company, but whenever he does, he makes a point of helping him out. To Jiro, his friendship with Jyushi is something far more... incidental.
"W-What do you mean?" Jiro looks at Gentaro.
"He isn't going to receive anything from anyone. Even though those letters of yours were for a different purpose, you still interacted with the girls at some point, which means they view you as a friend... But Aimono Jyushi? Who actually considers him close enough to give him a letter or some chocolate?" Jiro thinks for a moment and... it makes sense; he doesn't seem to mix well with anyone other than Jiro himself, even within the club.
"So... how do I write a letter?" Jiro scratches the back of his neck, wondering just how he’s going to pull this off.
"Please use correct grammar, and most importantly, speak from the heart." Gentaro pulls three sheets of paper from a folder he was carrying and hands them to Jiro. "Two sheets for you to write on, and another to hold the letter so you can hand it over neatly."
Jiro is wary but doesn't hesitate to take them. "Thanks... Teach."
Jiro returns to his classroom with the three sheets, thinking about what to write. It’s not exactly that he doesn't know how he feels (maybe), but putting those feelings into words is so hard it feels impossible!
He doesn't even notice the teacher arriving and starting the lesson until he hears the squeak of chalk on the blackboard. He looks up and sees Mr. Tsutsujimori—wait, isn't he friends with Jyushi?
He jots down a few superficial things, and the first period ends. He’s only filled a line and a half—not even 1% of what’s actually on his mind.
He sees the teacher leaving, quickly stands up, and walks over to him. "MR. ROSHO!!!" Mr. Tsutsujimori jumps and looks back. "Oh—! Um... Yes...?"
"You know Jyushi Aimono, right? From Class 3-A—the guy with the tall hair, bangs over his face, and long hair." He grabs the teacher's shoulder to stop him from walking away. "Yes... I do. What about him?"
"How do you know him?" Rosho is taken aback by the question; he looks away and rubs the back of his neck. "He's... Um... I taught him before. Back in Nagoya." Jiro is stunned. "Wait... What?" "He used to be my student. I ended up coming here, and two years later—this year, actually—he came here too. His guardian spoke to me and enrolled him here so I could keep an eye on him." He adjusts his glasses and sees the teenager looking as if he’d seen a ghost. "Uh... Are you okay?"
"Please, can you show me a photo of him when he was younger?" Jiro begs, completely veering off-topic. "What!? No! Yamada, please—excuse me." Rosho gets a bit annoyed and manages to step away from Jiro. In the end, Jiro fails to get any information he could use to write his letter.
He walks in, looking dejected, sits at his desk, and rests his head on the tabletop. Yuki notices and comes over. "What happened?"
"I'm trying to write a letter to Jyushi, but I can't get it right." His voice sounds disheartened; Yuki thinks for a moment about how to help.
"But why do you want to write the letter?" Jiro lifts his head again. "To show that his friendship matters... You know, it doesn't look like he's going to get anything from anyone here."
Yuki sits on the edge of a desk to watch Jiro. "Try writing something inviting him out! Since today is Friday, you guys could go for a walk tomorrow!" Yuki's legs swing gently; Jiro feels inspired by the idea. "Well... That could work!"
He picks up his pen, puts it to the paper, and... draws a blank. He just makes a single dot on the empty sheet.
"Well... I guess it's harder than it looks." Yuki laughs; Jiro clicks his tongue and rolls his eyes. "It is hard!"
"My boyfriend sent me a huge text asking me out!" a girl calls out from across the room. "How romantic! I wish I had a boyfriend..." the other laments, but instead of comforting her, her friend decides to show off even more of what her boyfriend does for her. "It's a shame, because he's so romantic—he used my favorite K-drama to ask me out! That line from when the female lead gets close to her nice guy... Aaaah! He knows me so well!"
Jiro and Yuki overheard the conversation; Yuki shrugged in confusion, but Jiro felt a sudden spark of inspiration.
"Yuki, you’ve given me an idea." Yuki looked on, puzzled, as Jiro grabbed his phone, opened a photo of their sports group, and zoomed in on Jyushi’s backpack. "YumeMaga... 'Dreams And Gods Are Fake'... Your favorite band!" Jiro looked up the band online; ideas flooded his mind, and he began to write.
Curious, Yuki stepped closer and started to grasp what Jiro was getting at. "Hmm... Pretty creative, to be honest!" Jiro was pleased by the comment; he pulled some glue from his backpack, assembled the card, and added his signature. He folded the paper containing his message, tucked it into the envelope, and dashed out of the room.
Watching him go, Yuki wished Jiro good luck.
Jyushi is about to leave school when he opens his shoe locker and something falls to the floor. He doesn't see what it is at first, but when he looks, he finds a letter—clumsily made, perhaps, but a letter nonetheless...
He picks it up. "From: Jiro Yamada. To: Jyushi Aimono." Jyushi feels his cheeks heat up; he sits on the floor and opens the letter. Even as the orange and yellow hues of the sunset wash over the written page, he reads it calmly.
"There’s a song that says we should drift along the gentle lake of friendship until we drown in a lifelong adventure—that we should make the most of our youth and do the things we love together. Jyushi Aimono, I want to invite you to stroll by the blue lake here in Ikebukuro tomorrow at 3:00 PM. Since, unfortunately, there isn't an actual lake nearby, we can explore downtown Ikebukuro and immerse ourselves even deeper in our friendship. You can get to know Ikebukuro better; I’ll be your guide."
Jyushi is blushing furiously. He knows Jiro probably didn't mean it in a romantic sense, but the song is about a friendship where the two are madly in love with each other and finally confess their feelings... Oh, and here's the kicker: the song is gay.
Jyushi simply puts on his shoes, closes his locker, and leaves the school.
Jyushi arrives home and sees Hitoya on the sofa with Jakurai, but he doesn't say a word to them and walks straight past.
"Hello, Jyushi-kun! How was school...?" Jakurai asks, but gets no answer; even Hitoya doesn't understand what happened. "Huh...? What happened?" Jakurai asks Hitoya, who just shrugs.
Jyushi gently closes his bedroom door and jumps onto his bed, hugging Amanda and rolling from side to side. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! AMANDA! I'M GOING ON A DATE!" Jyushi bursts into laughter, laughing heartily until he finally calms down and looks at Amanda, lifting her up.
"I never thought I’d be close enough to someone for them to ask me out. Now... I need to get ready for tomorrow!" Jyushi stands up, setting Amanda down on his bed. He opens his closet and starts looking for a special outfit for the date.
"This one? No... It doesn't suit the occasion at all. How about this one? Hmm... He’d probably judge me if he saw me in a skirt. Amanda! Should I go all out with my look?" He glances at Amanda and shakes his head. "Right—nothing too over-the-top, but nothing that isn't true to myself, either... Jakurai-san told me to be myself no matter the situation; if Jiro wants to go out with me, it’s because he wants to see me as I really am. Ah! This one is perfect!" He picks out an outfit and sets it aside, already eagerly looking forward to tomorrow.
Jiro is wearing a black band tee with a few holes in it, paired with a blue sweatshirt (sleeves pushed up to his elbows), skinny jeans, red All-Stars, and—of course—his signature cap. He feels anxious; he’s in the middle of the neighborhood, and it’s fairly crowded.
"Jiro-kun!" Jyushi Aimono finally arrives, and Jiro feels his cheeks flush bright red. Jyushi is wearing a purple ruffled shirt, a black vest, fitted trousers that flare slightly at the ankles, and black platform boots that make him look taller; he’s also sporting earrings and rings, with his hair tied up and braided. "You look so stylish!"
Jiro, already embarrassed, blushes even harder. "Um... Thanks. You look great too." They stand there for a moment, stealing glances at each other, until Jiro turns away, feeling like he might explode if he keeps staring at Jyushi. "Let's go... to the shops I wanted to show you." Jyushi gets excited. "Yay!"
Jiro takes Jyushi to an arcade. Jyushi calmly takes it all in, growing more amazed the further they walk inside. There are plenty of other people there, too, enjoying the place.
"I've got the game card loaded up—where do you want to go?" Jiro asks. Jyushi looks around at all the machines, trying to find one that catches his eye.
"Are those drums? I want to play that one!" Jyushi runs toward the game, and Jiro runs after him.
It’s a two-player rhythm game where you can pick a song and play the drums together. Jiro swipes the card, and they decide on a track.
"Hatsune Miku!" they say in unison. They look at each other and smile shyly. They select the song and start playing. The two of them started playing and realized it was harder than they’d thought, but they didn't give up. They laughed a lot and had a blast, going on the same ride at least seven times until their arms grew tired.
They were starving after playing the same game over and over again. They agreed to go grab a bite to eat, so they headed to a snack bar and ordered two hamburgers with fries and sodas.
"Jyushi... do you like hamburgers?" Jyushi looked at Jiro, confused. "Sure! Why?" Jiro looked down. "It's just... the day we met... you didn't seem to like hamburgers." Jyushi blinked twice and smiled slightly. "The truth is, we weren't close back then; I didn't know what you were after when you asked me out for a bite."
That struck a chord with Jiro; Jyushi was right. Who in their right mind would invite someone out for burgers on the very first day of a friendship—and who, in their right mind, would actually accept? Jyushi started laughing at the thought. "I don't know why I said yes, but I feel like we really bonded starting from that day!" They both started laughing, right up until their burgers arrived and they began to eat.
Jiro notices Jyushi adding chili pepper to his burger and is somewhat intrigued. "Is it really spicy?" Jyushi thinks for a moment. "Well, yeah, but I'm used to it. Want a bite?"
Jiro lights up. "Sure! You can have some of mine, too!" They swap burgers to take a bite and quickly hand them back. Jiro’s mouth burns; he panics and takes a sip of soda. "Ah!!! That burns!"
"Hahahaha! Jiro-kun isn't used to spicy food..." Jyushi happily goes back to eating.
They were clearly less tense than the first time. They chatted and talked about the sports club until they finally finished eating and went on to enjoy the rest of their outing.
Having ice cream, browsing manga and CD shops, and feeding bread to the pigeons—it was one of the best outings they’d ever been on, and they were certain of it.
On the way back, Jiro decides to walk Jyushi home. "So... how did you get to the city center without knowing the way?" Jiro asks. Jyushi smiles. "Hitoya-san took me there! He's my guardian." Jiro thinks that makes sense, and they keep walking.
"I liked today." Jyushi looks at Jiro, who blushes slightly. "It was to celebrate Friendship Day." A flush rises on both their cheeks. "You didn't seem to have any plans, so I decided to invite you," Jiro says as they arrive at Jyushi's house.
"This is my place! Thanks so much for today, Jiro-kun." Jyushi starts to bow, but before he can, Jiro grabs his shoulder and pulls him back up. "You don't need to do that—you're my friend." Using the same hand, he moves it to the other side and closes it so Jyushi can give him a fist bump—and Jyushi does.
This is the first fist bump Jyushi has ever shared with anyone.
"Well, I’ve got to go—see you at school!" Jiro doesn't wait for Jyushi to speak; he turns around and starts walking away.
Jyushi watches him walk off; a heavy feeling settles in his stomach, and his heart begins to race. He raises a hand to his mouth and blows a kiss in Jiro’s direction, even though Jiro didn't see it.
"See you, Jiro-kun..."