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“Just join me, please! Just this once, Takumi, pretty please?” Takeru begged, tugging on the hem of Takumi's shirt as he chased him around the road.
Takumi's eyes rolled and sighed as he removed Takeru's hands from his shirt, “Dude, I really don't want to go. I also have an incoming event that I am part of the organizing committee so I can't just step out because you want me to.” Takumi explained, looking straight in Takeru's eyes.
“Ugh, fine! So kill joy.” Takeru muttered, sighing as they traversed through the road on their way home.
The thing here is he wants Takumi to join him in an event for single people in their university, sort of a matchmaking stuff. As much as Takumi is a hopeless romantic, he doesn't want to resort to those kinds of activities. As cliché as it sounds, he still hopes for a genuine connection made from organic encounters because he is done with online dating or the likes as it never worked for him, not even once.
“I want a boyfriend but a matchmaking event? Come on, Takechi,” he muttered, pausing for a bit and faced his friend with his left eye brows raised, “There are shit ton of men and women lining up for your ass, why don't you just select from them? You have a huge selection.” Takumi added, chuckling.
“They all suck. Also, the guys I've been eyeing for a while will join that sooo, definitely you will see my princely face there too.” A hint of smug was evident in Takeru's voice as he started boasting about the random anecdotes in his life where everyone chased after him.
“You're quite the hoe, dude. Which one of your silly little crushes will attend? The Kyosuke guy from Marketing or that tall Sano-something guy from Fine Arts?” Takumi asked, grinning annoyingly.
“I- whatever.” Takeru replied and instantly closed his mouth with no sounds coming out.
“You do know that the Sano guy likes you right? Why not date him? You could've been married by now." Takumi teased, letting out a chuckle.
“Fuck you, Takumi! You're not the one to talk, you've dated shit ton and you never got yourself a lover. I guess you're the weaker one." He teased back.
They just went on and yapped until they got home.
-
In all honesty, Takeru said the right thing. He cannot count how many he tried dating but none of them really clicked right. Well, he views relationship or love as a stage of development—it’s very much straight forward and you cannot revert back once you enter a certain stage. He has quite the logic there but in reality, it is just a way for him to fully understand and be certain if the person he is talking to would be the same one he will spend his future with.
He’s a date-to-marry kind of a man, you see. Someone who dates for a long time, not just for play time.
Takumi grew up without a father, hence why he has a distorted view of love. He thinks that for someone to be in love, it cannot be done easily. You have to develop deep connections with them in all aspects even just one disorganized connection, it would lead to destruction. He is afraid of his future relationship to be doomed before it could even start.
The stages he developed were based on his own experiences, not just any shit you read online. According to him, there are five stages when it comes to falling in love.
- Talking Stage - get to know reach other
- Crush Stage - usually occurs if the talking stage passes by the two weeks mark
- “I like you” Stage - you become aware that you like this person and is starting to warm up completely, you start to see them in a completely different manner
- Love Stage - you actually start falling in love with them and you see the potential of dating them already
- Commitment Stage - you finally enter a relationship with them for real and you start seeing a future with them
No one has ever made him go past the third stage hence why he always says he has never fallen in love. Not like you can blame him too, he just really safeguards his heart a lot but he thought about what Takeru told him one time, he should really let himself fall in love for once. He really wants to, he has just yet to meet the right person.
While scrolling, Takumi came across a certain post on his account.
Takatsuka Hiromu bags yet another trophy for the 11th Veterinary Medicine National Quiz Bee for placing 2nd place.
He genuinely felt curious because there's not a day where he doesn't see this guy’s name all over his feed because of his random achievements. As much as Takumi doesn't want to give a damn, he appears way more often than needed in his timeline.
“Damn, he bagged another trophy? This Hiromu guy is insane." He mutters to himself as he continues to stalk Hiromu and his hashtag.
Takatsuka Hiromu won 2nd place in a violin competition.
“He even knows how to play instruments? What can he not do at this point?” Takumi mentioned before closing his phone. Hiromu is indeed an extraordinary guy, something Takumi isn't.
From that moment forward, Takumi couldn't help but pay attention to Hiromu and whatever he does, including his social media accounts.
But he couldn't bring himself to follow him on his Instagram for some reason. I guess he's embarrassed? Not really, Takumi just thinks it's too much as he can keep up without doing all that extra step.
The day of the said matchmaking event arrived and Takeru was too excited, too excited for his own good. Takumi has no other choice but to accompany him there because Takeru’s car is in maintenance hence why he had to drive his friend to the venue.
“Are you sure you won't join?" Takeru asked, checking if Takumi changed his mind.
He sighed, “Dude, just go ahead and kiss your two boys. Stop pestering me!” He annoyingly replied, pushing his friend outside his car.
“Okay, okay! Pick me up again after 4 hours, thanks!” Takeru said as he unbuckled his seatbelt and went out of the car.
Takumi just waved goodbye before driving away.
He just looked for a nearby café to spend his time waiting for his friend, not like he has anything to do as well aside from doing some assignments for his major.
He ordered one large americano and a slice of chocolate cake. On his way to his seat, he caught a glance of someone in his peripheral vision.
Takumi’s eyes widened but acted normal.
It was Takatsuka Hiromu.
He tried ignoring his surroundings and focused on his thing but it became harder each moment, knowing that Hiromu is within the vicinity. He just feels too hypervigilant of his surroundings, not like Hiromu will eat him or something but he just feels giddy and anxious for no apparent reasons.
“Takumi?” A voice called up to him and before he could even raise his head, the person asked another question, “Can I sit here?” They added.
Takumi gulped.
He knows the voice way too well, he just recently spent days binging his contents so it's impossible that he isn't familiar with it.
He looked up and he was right.
It was Hiromu.
“Takumi?” Hiromu called up on him again.
“O-oh! No- I meant- yes! Yes, you can sit here.” Takumi replied, stuttering and sweating profusely.
What is he sweating for? Why is he even nervous and stuttering?
“Okay, thanks! There's no available seats everywhere aside from your table and since I somewhat know you, I took the chance to sit with you. I hope you don't mind.” Hiromu explained as he placed his iced coffee and two slices of strawberry cake on the table.
“Wait, how do you know me?” He asked, confusion written all over his face.
Well of course he would be confused, how would Hiromu, the top student of the Veterinary Medicine department know him, just a nobody from the Psychology department right? It doesn't click at all. Takumi knows he didn't do anything significant for Hiromu to even know him at all despite being part of various organizations in their university.
Hiromu smiled, “You’re friends with Takeru right? He's my friend too. I knew you through him as he kept talking about you whenever we hang out… saying that his friend named Ozaki Takumi is a huge dumbass and the likes.” He explained while smiling.
Again, with that cute smile. It's too mesmerizing.
Wait, did he just learn that Takeru calls him a dumbass in front of other people?
“I can't believe that moron calls me a dumbass in front of other people. Can you believe that? I bet he's having fun dating two people at once right now!” Takumi muttered, scratching the back of his head, taking a sip of his americano.
“So he pushed through with the matchmaking event? Takeru’s too strong.” Hiromu commented, placing a huge bite of his cake into his mouth that Takumi found endearing.
It was a huge bite, Takumi thinks even he can't do that but the cherry pink haired man in front of him made it easy to do. The way that he munches is also cute, Hiromu is like a hamster whenever he eats. After inhaling that huge slice, there was a frosting left on the left side of his lips.
“Hiromu, there's frosting…”
Hiromu just tilted his head as a response and Takumi didn't know what to do so using his thumb, he wiped the mess off of Hiromu’s lips.
“There… sorry I touched you without permission.” Takumi uttered, his voice low out of embarrassment.
“It’s okay, no worries. But you still haven't answered my question.” Hiromu mentioned, seemingly pouting.
Or maybe it's just Takumi’s hallucinations. He doesn't know. He just kept staring at Hiromu, there is something about him that just makes Takumi completely hooked. He couldn’t figure it out, he can't seem to understand why he is so drawn to the man sitting in front of him.
“Oh! That, sorry. Well, he did. I drove him here and I'm waiting for his ass to be done. I don't even know if he likes the both of them or he's just in for a ride.” He answered nervously.
“Taku-chan, why are you so nervous? I won't eat you alive, you know?” He said, squinting his eyes out of suspicion.
Hold on, Taku-chan? Where is this conversation even heading?
“T-taku-chan? Yeah yeah, no! I'm definitely not n-nervous, sorry…” Takumi rambled as he hurriedly finished his cake to avoid Hiromu’s suspicious glances.
“I’m just joking! Don't be too nervous.” Hiromu added, smiling.
Takumi sighed, blinking fast before he took another sip from his americano. Hiromu was just dressed simple yet his charisma goes beyond explanation. He was just wearing jorts paired with a white graphic t-shirt and some accessories to top it all off. He was wearing boots though, it looks like a platform one but Takumi didn't mind. Hiromu looks small anyway, he doubts he would still look taller than him.
“Do you want to exchange Line accounts?” Takumi asked out of nowhere just when Hiromu took a break from talking about how hard his physiology exam is.
“All of a sudden? But okay, sure!” Hiromu answered and immediately gave the qr code of his account for Takumi to scan.
After exchanging accounts, they spent the rest of the next three hours talking about random things. Surprisingly, Hiromu is fun to talk to. He's not a snob nor too introverted that you struggle to make a conversation with. Takumi kept looking sideways as he cannot look at Hiromu’s eyes for too long, he just feels shy to do so. They talked about how Hiromu fought hard with his parents to let him take veterinary medicine instead of law as he had always loved animals and his passion is to take care of them. Luckily, his parents gave in and let him do what he wanted as long as he brought recognition and achievements here and there to which he could easily get.
Takumi wanted to share things about his life too but he just felt like he didn't want to overstep nor overshadow Hiromu when he's sharing, he’s afraid to make him feel that he's trying to upstage him or anything so he just shared bits and snippets of his life rather than actually lore dropping. Their conversation still carries on because Takumi is good at picking up and understanding the situation, his major coming in handy.
“It’s almost four, Takeru should be out by any moment now.” Takumi murmured as he glanced at his wrist watch.
“You’re fun to talk to, Taku-chan. I guess Takeru's right all along.” Hiromu spoke, sipping the last bit of his iced coffee.
Takumi felt his cheeks heat up. He covered his face using his left hands, only his eyes showing. Strands of his honey tea brown hair fall down from its original style as he tries to ground himself from the compliment. He is used to being the one who compliments people, not the one on the receiving end. Takumi felt his heart beat so fast, Hiromu didn't even say anything special; he just said that he's fun to talk to and here he is, malfunctioning like a robot who got splashed with water.
“Taku-chan? Are you okay?” Hiromu asked, his eyes lit up with concern as the man in front of him was too red and unmoving all of a sudden.
“Okay… I’m okay.. sorry…” Takumi murmured under his breath, unable to form words properly out of shock.
Hiromu was about to say something again but the loud ringing of the chimes within the door of the café echoed out loud, revealing a smiling Takeru. His smile reached from ear to ear.
“So you both met now? Finally, IT’S BEEN WEEKS! Anyway, guess what?” Takeru loudly asked, grabbing a chair to sit at their table.
“Ugh, what now?” Takumi replied, finally feeling less shy. He didn't notice Hiromu glancing at him as he took a photo of his blushed face.
Takeru grinned, “I got myself a hot marketing boyfriend and a hot fine arts boyfriend!” He announced, much to Hiromu and Takeru’s shock.
“They… agreed?” Hiromu asked, still bewildered.
“Yeah, they said it's fine as long as I give them both my attention. I also said we will all live together in my condo, provided that they help me with my stuff there! Easy peasy~” He gushed and stared at Takumi and Hiromu as he observed Takumi’s post-blushing face.
“So about the two of you, have you guys clicked?” He added, his voice laced with teasing.
Takumi once again felt the blood rush to his cheeks but this time, he was quick to ground himself and not drown in the embarrassment once again. He was about to say something but Hiromu was faster than him, to which he did not understand because why would he even do that? In Takumi’s mind, Hiromu wasn’t supposed to do that, he was supposed to sit there in silence as Takumi does the patch work.
“We clicked really well, right, Taku-chan?” Hiromu answered, smiling cheekily at Takumi.
What is he doing?!
“Y-yes, yeah! That’s correct!” Takumi frantically replied and smiled awkwardly.
Takeru just nodded his head before they headed out of the café.
Ever since that encounter, Takumi and Hiromu never stopped talking. They kept talking to each other via chat and even on Discord where they watch random things online.
There, Takumi felt something different.
He couldn’t pinpoint what, but he knows that something really changed. It has only been 2 weeks yet he can’t help but miss Hiromu whenever he goes offline or he locks in for his academic workloads, something he never experienced before with the people he dated. He constantly thinks about him, he even wrote a song about him.
He does things he never did before.
Think about someone so whipped, right?
When he asked Takeru about what the heck does it mean, he just said two words.
“That’s love.”
You don’t go out your way to spend time with another person.
You don’t write a song about someone with romantic implications.
You don’t wake up in the middle of the night just to check up on them when they got sick.
And most importantly, you don’t get jealous when you learn about their past dating history.
Takumi knew in that moment of realization that because of Hiromu, the stages he set were ruined. The criterias he set were never met, and suddenly, the stages he set up and followed for so many years started crumbling fast when he fell in love for real, for the first time in his life. It wasn’t supposed to be that way, it was just supposed to be a silly friendship between two opposites in life yet the stars may have aligned unknowingly for them. Takumi was unprepared for this situation because it was never supposed to happen at all.
“Fuck, Takeru… I think I’m in love.”
-
“I didn’t know you were that kind of a person, Hiromu. You’re really planning this out really well, don’t you?” Takeru laughed as Hiromu was presenting in front of him.
You would think that he is just preparing for an important defense but in reality, he is presenting his plans to make Takumi fall in love with him as he has been crushing on him since their first year in college.
“I have to do something or else those pesky girls and boys will take him away from me.” Hiromu replied, rolling his eyes.
Takeru just watched him in awe. He never expected Hiromu to be like this as he knows him as that shy, prim and proper model student. He even considered Hiromu as the delicate type yet seeing this side of him sends him into an anaphylactic shock.
“Damn, what did you see in him that made you like this?” Takeru mumbled as he shook his head, still laughing.
Hiromu just smiled, his eyes lighting up with love and pure admiration, “He's just too bright, it makes my heart feel at ease.” A short answer yet full of impact.
“You're so whipped. No worries, I'll help plant the seed so you can just reap the fruits later on.” Takeru added, winking at Hiromu that made him shiver in cringe.
Takeru's car was never in maintenance, he just made that up so Takumi would be in the same vicinity as Hiromu. Knowing Takumi, he would definitely choose a café to spend his time with. After that, all is left for Hiromu to use those four hours to charm Takumi.
It was Hiromu's plan to enter Takumi’s life and even destiny helped him to make things easier for him as Hiromu didn't plan for Takumi to see him in his timeline every now and then, enticing his curiosity.
And now, Takumi is deeply in love with Hiromu, breaking the stages he set up in his heart.