Archive of Our Own

It’s a bit embarrassing, really, how quickly Suo falls for Nirei.

They end up in the same class together during their first year of high school, and they quickly fall into a friendship alongside Sakura. He and Nirei seem to come as a packaged deal, though Suo later learns they only met one another the day before the school year began, as Sakura had just moved to Makochi a few days prior. It’s a bit of a new experience for all three of them—having friends. Suo tended to keep to himself, holding everyone at arm’s length.

He tries to do the same with Nirei and Sakura, really, but something about Nirei draws him in until he’s helplessly devoted.

He still keeps his deepest feelings close to his chest, of course. There is no reason for him to dampen Nirei’s brightness with his own dark; no use in eclipsing the sun itself when Suo could hardly be considered his moon. He admires from afar, allows Nirei to pull him along with his whims, and finds content in the life he has.

And though years pass, his heart never ceases yearning for something more.

(suo’s phone)

furin trio (3)

Aa

“Are you ever going to tell him?”

Suo looks up from his homework, to where Kotoha is standing at the end of the table he and Nirei are occupying, arms folded over her chest. Nirei is on Suo’s other side, tucked between him and the wall, fast asleep with his head resting against Suo’s shoulder. They came to the café to study together, though Nirei ended up drifting off about a half hour ago.

Suo figured it best to let him rest. He’s been rather busy and stressed recently.

“Tell him what?” he replies, a smile plastered over his face, feigning ignorance.

“You’re not as good at hiding it as you think,” Kotoha replies. She keeps her voice quiet, so as to not disturb Nirei, but her tone is no less firm despite the low volume. “It’s getting painful to watch this pining. You should just let him know how you feel.”

Suo’s smile stretches wider, his cheeks aching from the weight of it. “Even if your assessment of my feelings were correct, I doubt there would be any point to doing such a thing. Our dear Nire-kun is destined for the stage, you know.”

It would be cruel of me to hold him back, he doesn’t say.

Kotoha raises an eyebrow. “So?”

“So he will be busy stealing the hearts of every girl in the nation!”

“I’m not sure he wants any of them,” Kotoha replies gently. “I think he’d rather have you.”

Suo swallows thickly. He refrains from turning his gaze away from her and over to Nirei—though not without monumental effort. He holds her gaze, lets his smile soften around the edges, and lies through his teeth:

“I will think about it. Thank you, Kotoha-san.”

Nirei is holding a bouquet of sunflowers in his hands when Suo finally locates him backstage. It’s not a big deal—all of his fans know sunflowers are his favorite. It’s just that, after his first performance ever, Suo gave him a sunflower in celebration. Because back then, he was one of only a few people who knew such a fact about Nirei. Back then, he didn’t belong to the entire world; he belonged to Suo.

“Suo-san!” he cries, waving his free hand. He bounces up to him, hooks his arm with one of Suo’s, and drags him off towards the dressing rooms. “I’m so glad you could come! I know your schedule has been busy lately, and this show was kinda far—”

“Of course I came,” Suo interrupts. “You invited me.”

Nirei pauses. He turns around, a curious expression on his face.

Suo panics, not wanting to know what he might be wanting to say in response to that, and promptly changes the subject. “Who are the flowers from?”

“Oh, um, one of the stage managers.” A blush fans across his cheeks. Suo’s stomach lurches. “They’re really nice, aren’t they?”

“Yeah,” Suo agrees tightly.

(He knew this is what would happen, and it’s not fair of him to hold on so tightly to someone who was never even truly his. But it doesn’t stop him from briefly imagining strangling the aforementioned stage manager to death and dropping her corpse in front of Nirei like a cat with a dead mouse.)

(nirei’s phone)

kiryuu <3

Aa

The song Sunflower is an instant chart-topper. It has a sweet melody, paired with lyrics that paint a lovely picture of what it’s like to have a crush. The first time Suo hears it, he’s floored by just how pretty it is. Nirei being the one to sing it really drives that point home, of course, but even the covers are quite beautiful. Though, in Suo’s humble opinion, no one can truly compare to the original because no one can compare to Nirei.

It also sparks curiosity about the subject of the song, prompting interviewers to poke into Nirei’s personal life. He tends to politely wave them off, giving nothing more than, I just really like sunflowers, until finally, in a video with Narita Shizuka after she performed a cover of the song, he admits, It is about someone I know, yeah, with cheeks flaming red.

She must be very special to you, Narita teases.

Oh, Nirei says. Well. Yes, he really is.

Nirei’s fans eat up their new crumbs of knowledge like starving dogs offered a feast.

Suo’s heart shrivels up in his chest while he tries not to think about what might have happened if he’d bothered to confess back in high school.

The first time Suo and Nirei hang out while Sakura isn’t around, they have tea.

It’s nothing special, really—Sakura cancelled on them last-minute because Tsugeura needed a workout buddy, and apparently he decided Sakura was the only person who could possible join him. But Nirei still wanted to do something, so he dragged Suo to a teahouse and Suo, of course, happily followed along. Truth be told, he would go anywhere Nirei asked.

While they wait for their drinks, Suo dares to ask, “Why’d you pick this place, Nire-kun?”

“For you,” he answers easily. “You only ever drink tea when we get food while we’re out, so I figured this might be a place you would enjoy.”

A soft, Oh, falls from Suo’s lips before he can stop it. He wipes away his shock quickly, replacing it with his ever-present mild smile. “How kind of you! I’m flattered, truly.”

Nirei flushes, looking away. “I just wanted you to have a nice time,” he mumbles. “Since I always like spending time with you.”

Suo’s heart flutters, just on the edge of too-painful. He studies the pink in Nirei’s face and counts the freckles on his cheeks until their drinks come.

(suo’s phone)

It becomes a thing, between the two of them, to go out for tea. Even after Nirei signs a record deal and moves from Makochi to the city, every time he comes back to visit, he and Suo visit a teahouse together. And whenever Suo goes to him—whether in the city, or traveling to attend one of his shows—they do the same. It’s the only activity Sakura never joins in on; the only thing that is just for the two of them.

It is a sacred tradition, to Suo.

He would not trade it away for the entire world.

EXCLUSIVE: Nirei Akihiko on His Collab With kiryuu <3

by Sony S. Wings · September 7, 2026

Nirei Akihiko talks about the songwriting process and his recent collab.

—

So, what was it like to work with kiryuu <3?

NIREI: “It was so much fun! I mean, it’s obvious if you’re into their music just how talented they are, but it was so different to see that creative process up close, with the two of us bouncing ideas off of each other. I was nervous going into it, honestly, but our styles meshed really well, so it really felt like hanging out with a friend. They’re super nice, too! Which made the process so much more enjoyable.”

Were you a fan of kiryuu <3’s work before this collaboration?

NIREI: “Absolutely! If I’m being honest, I’ve drawn some inspiration from their visuals over the past couple of years.” [Laugh.] “It was kind of crazy, when I admitted that to them, they told me they’d also been inspired by my lyrics! I was so honored.”

Speaking of inspiration, where else do you find ideas for your songs?

NIREI: “Both from my own experiences, and watching the people around me. Sometimes, I’ll just be people-watching and make up a story in my head that turns into a song later. I’ve always been a pretty observant person, and I find that really helps with the songwriting process. Being able to write about things outside of my own perspective helps my songs feel fresh too, I think. I imagine it’d get a bit boring if every single one of my songs was about the same subject.” [Laugh.]

So, this collaborative song, tea 4 two—is it a made-up story, about you and kiryuu <3, or something else entirely?

NIREI: “Oh, uh… It’s a bit embarrassing… It’s actually about a boy I used to have a crush on. Back in high school.”

Keep reading →

Nirei always enjoys his trips back to Makochi, but if he’s going to be honest with himself, there’s one part that he looks forward to above all else. He loves seeing all of his friends, obviously—the hardest part about living in the city is that he’s so far away from everyone other than Tsubaki and Umemiya—but if he only had a thirty-minute pit stop in Makochi, if he could only pick one thing to do while there…

He would get tea with Suo.

It’s selfish, he knows. Sakura would be pissed and Kotoha would give him a disappointed Look and even Anzai would tell him something like, “Dude? Seriously? Still?” But! He can’t help it!!! He thought the crush would go away after he graduated and moved away and got wrapped up in his career. He even thought, maybe, maybe, he’d find someone else to fall for and his feelings for Suo would dissipate.

None of that’s happened yet, though.

So he visits Makochi, and he gets tea with Suo, as is their tradition. They chat about nothing in particular and Suo smiles pleasantly through the whole thing even though something deep inside of Nirei wishes he’d snap—wishes he’d cry and beg him to stay, wishes he’d admit that he’s always loved Nirei and that he can’t stand the thought of him being with anyone else. It’s all stupid fantasy, but it’s still there. Lingering in the back of Nirei’s mind.

The painful truth is: He’s left his heart on the floor with his music. He’s made it obvious how he feels for Suo, and he even used to think Suo liked him back. But he never said anything. So Nirei lets his confessions play on the radio and sings them out to crowds of fans, and he allows Suo to simply not address it.

If he were going to say something—if he really did like Nirei in the same way Nirei likes him—he would’ve said something by now. It’s fine that he doesn’t. Nirei will be okay with his quiet pining and poorly dodging personal questions about his most popular songs.

At least, at the end of the day, whenever they see one another, they still get tea for two.

(nirei’s phone)

kiryuu <3

Aa

(suo’s phone)

(suo’s phone)

nire-kun

Aa

Nirei winds up at Kiryuu’s apartment the night before the shoot for the tea 4 two video. It’s easier than going out somewhere and trying to avoid both paparazzi and fans, so Nirei doesn’t think much of it before he’s standing outside the door and realizes, well, they did sort of just confess to each other. And then proceeded to not talk about it. But at that point, it’s too late to turn around and standing awkwardly outside of Kiryuu’s door can only cause even more problems. So he rings the doorbell, and Kiryuu lets him in.

They order takeout and watch reality TV, and Nirei feels himself relaxing. Kiryuu is very good at not letting things be awkward—they greet Nirei with a wink and, Hey, cutie, but they also treat him just the same as they have been. It’s nice. Really nice.

There’s a reason they’re the only one who has managed to weasel their way into the same space Suo occupies in Nirei’s heart.

Nirei’s thoughts start to wander down that rabbit hole in between episodes, and before he can think better of it, he blurts out, “Kiryuu-kun, have you ever kissed anyone before?”

Kiryuu pauses, remote in hand. Instead of pressing play on the next episode, they set it aside, tilting their head. “I have, yes. Why?”

“Oh.” Nirei looks away, fidgeting with his sleeve. “Um. I probably should’ve said something sooner, but I…haven’t.”

He glances up just in time to see Kiryuu’s eyes widen. Carefully, they reply, “We can change the video script, if you’d like.”

“No!” Nirei shakes his head. “No, it’s fine, I just… I don’t want it to be bad, when we’re filming tomorrow.”

Kiryuu raises an eyebrow. “Would you like to practice now, then?”

Nirei bites down on his lip. Now it sounds like he was trying to bait them into this, which he wasn’t, but…honestly, that would’ve been a better plan than just randomly asking about kissing and hoping by some miracle Kiryuu would be in the same boat as him. “Maybe? If–if you’re okay with it, I mean.”

“I don’t mind at all, Nirei-kun,” they assure him.

They move closer, shifting so they’re across from Nirei instead of beside him, then reach out and cradle his face in their hands. Nirei’s gaze fixes on the piercings decorating their face, and he wonders if they will make the kiss feel strange. He knows there’s one in Kiryuu’s tongue as well—not that there really needs to be tongue involved in practice for a stage-kiss, but—

His spiralling thoughts are abruptly cut off when Kiryuu leans forward, sealing their lips together.

They kiss him slowly, carefully, and Nirei follows their lead. It lasts for longer than strictly necessary, but only by a few seconds. When Kiryuu pulls back, Nirei finds himself craving more, wishing it had gone on for longer. His face warms at the thought.

“Was that okay?” they ask.

“Y-yeah—”

Kiryuu smirks, teasing. “Would you like to try again?”

Nirei simply nods this time, not trusting himself with words. And when Kiryuu leans back in, he meets them halfway.

“Off the record,” Narita says, “can I ask a more personal question about Sunflower?” She raises her right hand. “I swear I won’t say anything. I know how terrible it is to have the details of your private life leaked.”

Nirei hesitates. But…it would be nice to actually talk about his music, without worrying about dancing around the truth. And if he’s going to trust anyone with it, Narita makes the most sense, considering…everything she went through, after someone decided to share her address around online.

“Sure,” he agrees, hoping he won’t regret the decision.

“You’ve said sunflowers are your favorite flower, and I’m curious—is that because of the guy you wrote this song about?”

Nirei’s face flushes. He laughs sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. “I mean, they were definitely my favorite flower before, but after my first performance, he brought me sunflowers because he knew I liked them so much. I don’t even know where he got them from! I couldn’t find any place nearby that sold them. So…not at first, no, but after that, it sort of solidified them as being my favorite. Before, it was kind of shallow; I just liked the way they look. Now, I have an actual reason, and I don’t think I’ll ever like another flower better.”

(suo’s phone)

sakura

Aa

Suo arrives just as Nirei and Kiryuu are filming the final scene for their music video. The security team must be expecting him, because they hardly bat an eye when he informs them Kiryuu invited him; they just let him through and tell him not to interrupt.

Of course, he should have known better than to trust anything Kiryuu told him.

As soon as his sights are set on Nirei, he has to watch him run into Kiryuu’s arms and pull him down into a kiss.

His stomach rolls, fist clenching as he tries to get himself to look away. It’s a train crash he can’t stop watching, though—the way they fall into each other as if this a familiar occurrence, the stinging jealousy prickling at his veins while he imagines himself in Kiryuu’s place. Perhaps he should snap Kiryuu’s neck while he’s here.

When they break apart, Nirei tucks a strand of Kiryuu’s hair behind their ear, fingers lingering by their cheek. Kiryuu takes Nirei’s hand in theirs, bringing it to their lips and pressing a kiss to his knuckles.

They glance up, just barely, their eyes meeting Suo’s right as the director yells, CUT!

“Suo-chan~” they call. “How lovely to finally meet you! I’ve heard so much.”

The last of their words are eclipsed by Nirei’s gasp. He turns from Kiryuu, as if they aren’t even there, darting over to Suo instead. He barrels into him, wrapping his arms around Suo’s torso and burying his face in his chest. Suo can’t help but smile fondly at the warmth enveloping him—at being the sole captivator of Nirei’s attention in this moment.

Unfortunately, Kiryuu picks their way over as well, after waving the director off and seemingly telling the crew to take a break for the time being.

“Oh!” Nirei exclaims, pulling away from Suo and leaving him cold. “This is Kiryuu! I mean, obviously, I guess the two of you have talked a bit…?”

“We have,” Suo confirms, hoping Kiryuu can pick up on the ire in his tone.

If they notice, it goes easily ignored. “Sorry if we made you a bit jealous there, Suo-chan,” they croon. “It’s just the life of an idol, I’m afraid.”

“I—”

“But if it would make you feel better, I’d be happy to kiss you, too.”

Nirei squeaks out a surprised noise. Suo, meanwhile, loses all ability to form a coherent thought. He’s not entirely sure why he came here, apart from the fact that Nirei wanted him to, but this was certainly not what he expected to happen. The thought of confessing to Nirei after all this time seemed an impossible fantasy in and of itself; never could he have imagined Kiryuu would wish to insert themself into the dynamic.

“What?” is the only thing that eventually makes its way out of Suo’s mouth.

Kiryuu shrugs. “You’re hot. Nirei-kun has good taste.”

Nirei makes another higher-pitched sound, and promptly buries his face in his hands. Suo doesn’t even have a chance to unravel that before Kiryuu steps closer, apparently taking his lack of direct refusal as permission.

For some reason, Suo lets them.

They brush their lips against his—hardly a kiss at all, really, but it sends sparks shooting through Suo all the same.

“I think we’re about done here,” they whisper. “Why don’t the three of us get breakfast together afterwards?”

Suo glances at Nirei, who is peeking up at him through the cracks in his fingers. He can see the silent, hopeful, plea in what slivers of his eyes are visible.

“Very well,” he agrees.

In the dark quiet of Nirei’s apartment, he asks Suo, “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

Suo doesn’t wish to answer that question, so he turns it back on Nirei instead: “Why didn’t you?”

Nirei looks up at him, frowning. “I did,” he says. “Sunflower still plays on the radio. I’ve sung it thousands of times. I figured your silence was rejection.”

Suo nearly chokes on the, “Oh,” that tumbles up out of his throat. He has no good response for that. Of course, he entertained the thought that Sunflower might be about him; it used to be the fantasy he clung to in order to keep walking through life. He never quite imagined he would hear confirmation from Nirei’s own lips, though. And he believed, even if he was the subject of Nirei’s longing, once he had a taste of fame, someone like Suo could never be enough.

In his eyes, if Sunflower truly was about him, it was less of a confession and more of a farewell.

With no words to fall back on, Suo simply moves closer to Nirei. He wraps his arms around him, tucking his head into the crook of his shoulder.

“Are you sure you want this?” he murmurs, so quiet he can hardly hear his own voice. For a moment, he hopes Nirei could not make out the words he’s spit into the space between them, slicing through the peace.

But Nirei responds, “I’ve been sure since we were sixteen.”

Suo bites down on the inside of his cheek and says nothing more.