Work Text:
Shin was at a loss.
It was 9PM. Shin and a bunch of his friends just finished their assignments and now they were on their way to grab a late dinner. However, just as they stepped outside the campus gate, Shin saw Nagumo, perching on the concrete planter bollard, still in his black suit and tie.
The older man smiled when he saw Shin. “Shin-kun~ Yahhoo~” He waved. “Did you just finish studying? How admirable~”
Shin grinned awkwardly, he could feel his friends’ stare on the back of his head. Lu, in particular, was glaring daggers at him. “Uh… Hello. Um… are you waiting for me? Since when?”
“Don’t worry about it. Anyway, do you have time for me now?” Nagumo grabbed one of Shin’s hands and waved it side to side.
“Oh… I’m actually about to grab a bite with them.” Shin pointed to his friends with his thumb.
Nagumo tilted his body to the side to regard said friends. “Good evening~ Sorry for disrupting you guys.” He waved to them.
Natsuki stepped forward, Lu was right behind him, and put his hand on Shin’s shoulder. “Who’s this?”
“Oh… um…” Shin looked alternately from Nagumo, to Natsuki, back to Nagumo, whose polite smile was still plastered on his handsome face. Shin sighed. “This is Nagumo Yoichi-san, my neighbor.”
Both Shin and Nagumo lived in a decent apartment that was only affordable to office workers with above average salary and if you had a middle class, doting parents. His dad and Mr. Asakura insisted on choosing and paying for his living accommodation in fear of him living in a sketchy neighborhood if the right to choose was given to him. They first met when Shin knocked on Nagumo’s door to deliver a housewarming favor—a homemade chocolate berry pudding which Nagumo praised to the high heaven to this day.
Afterwards, they frequently ran into each other either in the morning or at night and sometimes twice a day. Their polite greetings turned into nonsensical small talks which developed into amusing conversation shared between good neighbors. Shin even spent a Saturday doing a thousand pieces puzzle at Nagumo’s place once.
Yet Shin was certain they were not close enough for Nagumo to wait for him in front of his uni. They didn’t even have each other’s numbers.
“And this is Seba Natsuki.” Shin turned sideways to introduce his friends. “Lu Shaotang, Seba Mafuyu, Mashimo Heisuke, Toramaru Nao, and Akao Akira.”
They bowed a little and shared pleasantries. Nao giggled and not-so-subtly whispered to Mafuyu that Nagumo was such a hottie. Shin glared at her. Now that Shin thought about it, this situation was super weird. Why the heck should he introduce his neighbor and his friends to each other?
“You never told me you have this many friends, Shin-kun!” Nagumo remarked. “Is it a okay if I steal you for one night?”
The group exchanged glances but Lu was the one who refuted, “Of course it’s not okay! We already booked a place and Shin already chipped in for the deposit!”
“Really?” Nagumo looked at Shin with his deceptive doe eyes. “What if I compensate you with the same amount of money?”
“This isn’t about the money! Shin made a plan with us first!”
“Hey, Lu. Don’t be rude,” Shin chided, though he understood why she was so against it.
Shin only shared his concerns about the friendly neighbor with Lu. He told her that Nagumo had tattoos all over his limbs and that sketchy looking guys in suits visited his apartment on occasions. Upon hearing the information, Lu insisted Shin had to move out. She even offered to let Shin stay in her place until he found somewhere else to live. Shin refused because it was a waste of money. Besides, nothing dangerous ever happened. Still, Lu warned him to be careful and Shin promised to let her know if anything happened.
Under normal circumstances, Shin would reject Nagumo’s insistence. Being friendly neighbors with someone shady was one thing but hanging out with said person should be out of the question. However… “I’m sorry, Nagumo-san. Even if you do that, I don’t have much money left.”
During his short acquaintance with Nagumo, he realized that Nagumo had a lot of money. His clothes, shoes, accessories, and even his furniture as well as his household appliances were from expensive brands. So if Nagumo took him to a restaurant of his choosing, Shin was sure he wouldn’t be able to pay for it. His dad did give him a credit card he rarely used except for emergencies (like when his laptop died and had to be taken to the service center) but if he used it to eat in a fancy restaurant, he sure would be called and questioned.
Nagumo dismissed his worry, “Don’t you worry about all that. Of course I’ll pay. After all, I’m the one who invited you.” His expression turned to pleading once again. “Still no?”
From his sitting position, the taller guy was now shorter than Shin, and the way he peered up through his long lashes filled Shin’s belly with butterflies. Ever since he knew Nagumo, he understood why many people spent a lot of money to see their idols; good looking people were truly dangerous. On the other hand, what made his heart clenched was Nagumo’s overall ambience. He looked… lonely, almost vulnerable. He tried to mask it with his usual nonchalant smile but it looked closer to a grimace in Shin’s eyes.
Although he knew it was futile, Shin tried to probe Nagumo’s mind, to figure out what was troubling him, and as expected, he was met with a giant mental wall. The most prominent thought he heard was Mafuyu’s. The younger guy was internally berating his older brother for not doing anything to prevent Shin from being taken away. And the way Nagumo slightly tightened his hold on Shin’s hand indicated that he, too, didn’t want Shin to be taken away from him at this very moment. Hints of desperation fluttered in his eyes, pleading for Shin to stay, to choose him.
Somehow, this Nagumo reminded Shin of himself as a child—the loneliness, the anxieties, the hope that someone, anyone, would stay by his side no matter what. During those times, Lu was his rock and anchor. He wondered if this was the universe’ way of telling him that it was his turn to be what Lu was to him.
Shin sighed in defeat. “Sorry, guys. I’ll have to skip this time.”
Lu and Natsuki contorted their faces in anger but it was Mafuyu who snapped, “Shin-kun!”
“I’m sorry, alright? I’ll make it up to you guys later.”
Lu opened her mouth, but Nao cut her off, “Oh, for goodness’ sake. You guys won’t die just because you have to eat dinner without him! Now, now, let’s go or we’ll be late.” She pushed the others to get a move on despite their protests. After a few steps, she turned her head and winked at Shin. Her thought entered his mind, saying tell me all about it later, alright?
Like hell he would. But Shin nodded to her in gratitude.
When they were out of earshot, Nagumo smiled apologetically at Shin. “Sorry I blew your hangout with your friends.”
Shin waved his free hand dismissively. “It’s fine. I’ll treat them to ice cream after I got my salary “
Nagumo stood up and let go of Shin’s hand. “You still work at that cafe.”
“Yes.”
“I should really drop by at least once.”
“Please don’t,” Shin deadpanned.
Nagumo chuckled softly, and before Shin could react, he had taken the bag off Shin’s shoulder and slung it over his own shoulder, cross-body style.
“Ah, hey! You don’t have to do that!” Shin grabbed the strap and tugged but Nagumo held onto it fast.
“Aw, let me carry it for you, Shin-kun. I want to.”
The sincerity in his voice stopped Shin from protesting.
Nagumo took his hand once again, smiling—only with his lips, there was no mirth in his dark eyes. “Shall we, Shin-kun”
Shin frowned at him for a second before grumbling, “Fine. Lead the way.”
They walked for two minutes before Nagumo remembered he could call a taxi. They waited for it to arrive in silence and spent most of the ride quietly. But Nagumo didn’t let go of his hand, now he idly stroked Shin’s knuckles with his thumb. Nagumo’s forlorn visage was reflected on the car window, the city lights casted faint yellow dots on his face. The man’s eyes flicked to Shin’s reflection on the window and Shin looked away, heart beating rapidly. Nagumo must’ve noticed Shin was staring but he didn’t say anything.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at a fast food joint adjacent to a movie theater.
Nagumo rubbed his nape. “Sorry, I can’t think of anywhere else that wouldn’t make you uncomfortable. I’ll treat you to something healthier next time.”
Shin shook his head. “No, this is fine.” He was actually relieved; his stomach was in a knot all the way to their destination because he was half afraid Nagumo would take him to a fancy restaurant that charged like a hundred yen for a glass of mineral water.
Smiling lopsidedly, Nagumo took Shin’s hand again and gently escorted him inside the joint.
The line wasn’t long, there were three people in front of them, but while they wait, Shin couldn’t help but notice people were staring at Nagumo and the ladies whispered and giggled amongst themselves. Well, Shin couldn’t blame them. He, too, was in awe of Nagumo’s good looks every time he saw the man.
Then, he caught their reflection on the glass window and realized what an odd pair they were: Nagumo was in his crisp suit and tie as well as a pair of shiny oxford shoes, while Shin was in his favorite blue jersey, white sleeveless, faded baggy jeans, and dirty white sneakers.
To make the view even more curious, they were holding hands.
Shin released his grip and pulled his hand away, but Nagumo tightened his grasp. Shin looked up to find the older guy tilted his head. “Why are you trying to let go, Shin-kun?”
“Well, I just thought… maybe it’s weird for two guys to hold hands in public?”
Nagumo looked at their joined hands. “It’s not weird, though.” Then, he used those beautiful doe eyes again to plead to Shin. “Can’t we keep holding hands?”
Shin had to look away. “Alright.”
“Thank you.” Nagumo’s voice sounded like a weak smile.
They kept holding hands until Nagumo had to pick up the food tray. Shin protested, insisting that it was only right for him to do it, but Nagumo wouldn’t reason. He once again pleaded to Shin to let him do it. Shin eventually relented.
They sat vis a vis and ate their food in silence. Nagumo had ordered large servings for everything—the burgers, the fried chicken, the fries, and the beverages. He even ordered puddings. At first, Nagumo ordered two sundaes but Shin managed to stop him, saying they would melt before they finished their meal. If Nagumo was in his right mind, he would offer to buy the ice cream later, after they were done with their food, but instead, he ordered puddings.
Shin opened and closed his mouth, wanting to ask but wasn’t sure how to begin. He didn’t even know if they were close enough to talk about personal matters. Still, seeing the guy who used to smile and laugh looking so down made him worry.
“Do you have a lot of assignments around this time, Shin-kun?” Nagumo asked, chuckling a little. “You looked like a dead zombie around this time last year, too.”
Shin scowled and tried his damnedest to fight the urge to glance at something reflective to see his face. On top of shabbily dressed, did he look haggard too? Good grief, those ladies earlier were swooning at Nagumo’s handsomeness and giggling at his lesser company. Shin didn’t think of himself as ugly but next to Nagumo? He might as well look like a boiled potato.
“You’re right,” he replied, avoiding eye contact, tidying up his bangs with his fingers. “But I finished the most urgent ones so you don’t have to worry about it.”
There was a beat of silence. Shin could feel Nagumo’s eyes bore a hole onto his head. He nibbled on his burger to keep himself busy. Nagumo sighed. “Sorry. I make you uncomfortable, don’t I?”
“N–not really…”
“Someone once told me that hanging out with me was annoying because people stare at me.” He scoffed self-deprecatingly. “It’s been a while since I actually hung out with someone so I forget about it. I should’ve thought about it before dragging you along with me. I’m sorry, Shin-kun.”
Shin scowled and lifted his head. “Nagumo-san, it’s not your fault that people stare. Your friend shouldn’t blame you for something you can’t control.” Then, he ran his fingers through his hair, feeling somewhat guilty. “Anyway, I’m sorry for being fidgety and making you feel bad. I’m just worried I don’t look presentable. Like you said, it has been rough for me these days.” He grinned.
Nagumo’s eyes widened a little. He had finished his food, and was resting his chin on the back of his hand. He tilted his head. “You always look cute, though.”
Heat crawled up Shin’s neck and reached his cheeks. His heart did a funny flip and he internally scolded it for pulling unnecessary stunt. “Huh… You must think so because I’m way younger than you. My friends will laugh if they hear you call me cute.” Shin laughed hysterically then stood up, knocking his chair in the process. “Sorry, I need to use the restroom.” Then he practically sprinted away from their table.
Shin splashed water on his face and rubbed it, hoping he’d look less grimy by doing so. And to get rid of the scorching blush on his cheeks.
Wow. Good looking people were super dangerous. His heart felt like it was trying to escape from his ribcage at the compliment that was probably said without much thought. Seriously. Someone had to tell Nagumo to be more careful with his words. Like, if he wanted to compliment someone, he should at least tone down the intensity of his gaze—
Oh.
Shin stared wide eyed at his own reflection on the mirror. Droplets of water fell from his chin, strands of his blonde hair stuck to his soaked face.
Nagumo was doing it on purpose.
During the two years of their acquaintance, Shin had always thought of Nagumo as incredibly handsome but never once did he feel so attacked like now. Since earlier in front of the uni, Nagumo had been using his doe eyes, hand holding, and a mix of pleading and compliment to disarm Shin and get away with it. Sure, he looked out of sorts, maybe something unfortunate happened to him and he could use the company of someone who was outside of his problem, but that didn’t mean he could manipulate Shin like that!
Fuming. Shin marched back to their table, ready to give him the talk about the art of asking a favor from a friend (or, a neighbor) without having to be manipulative.
However, as Shin approached Nagumo, he noticed the older guy still had his bag slung over his body, both hands clutched the bag in front of his body as though it was a hostage—it might as well was, to prevent Shin from running away—and his dark eyes stared unseeingly ahead. When he noticed Shin was getting closer, his face brightened, traces of gloom partially dissipated, and a small hesitant smile bloomed on his visage.
In front of Nagumo, Shin let out a long-suffering sigh, his fury evaporating as quickly as it came. Nagumo flinched in surprise. “What’s wrong, Shin-kun?”
“Don’t mind me.” He dropped to his chair. “I’m berating myself for being weak against dogs.”
“Oh. Do you like dogs?” Nagumo asked, obviously confused with the topic but happy to indulge.
“I’m crazy about them.”
“I see. Seems like I learned a lot of things about you today, Shin-kun.”
Oh, if only he knew Shin was comparing him to dogs. Besides, what else could he compare Nagumo to? Cats were consciously manipulative and they did it in a theatrical manner whereas dogs never meant to be deceitful, they unknowingly swayed human’s heart with their big doe eyes whenever they were genuinely sad.
Shin got the feeling that Nagumo was mainly oblivious to the fact that his adorably melancholic expression squeezed Shin’s heart and lungs. He was born with that face so it was highly likely that he thought of his handsomeness similar to the knowledge that he had two functional arms and therefore didn’t mean to utilize it to get what he wanted.
In other words, Shin was just weak to handsome faces and adorably pitiful dogs. Like he said earlier, it wasn’t fair to accuse Nagumo for something he couldn’t control.
Shin and Nagumo then enjoyed their puddings as they talked about dogs and other pets. After Shin was done with his rant on why dogs were the best pet, he asked Nagumo what kind of pet he wanted and Nagumo spent a few seconds ruminating on it. “Hmmm… I don't really care about animals in general but now I think an orange cat is adorable.”
Shin fought the carnal urge to scratch Nagumo’s stupidly beautiful face. Why the heck would he smile all dopey at Shin when he said that?
Nagumo’s tone turned wistful when he continued. “But, I don’t think I’m capable of taking care of living beings. I tried to take care of plants some months ago but as you’ve seen, I’m terrible at it.”
Right. Several months ago Shin dropped by to deliver Nagumo’s package that was wrongly sent to his house. Nagumo invited him in for snacks and Shin was greeted by what could only be described as a plant graveyard. Flabbergasted, Shin spent the evening helping Nagumo clean the mess—Shin did most of the cleaning while Nagumo dutifully followed Shin’s orders and handled the heavy lifting. They ended up having late dinner together instead of enjoying some snacks.
However, being bad at taking care of plants and pets was different from being incapable of taking care of living beings. Yet Shin couldn’t say it. Something—the downcasted eyes, the miniscule smile, the regretful tone—told him the choice of words was intentional.
So Shin pursed his lips and deadpanned, “I really should charge you for that.”
Nagumo laughed at the response.
After finishing their pudding, Nagumo took Shin’s hand once again and led him outside. Shin expected Nagumo to call a taxi, thus ending their unusual night. Yet instead, he asked, “Do you have morning class tomorrow, Shin-kun?”
Shin grinned smugly. “No. I plan on sleeping until afternoon tomorrow.” He had finished most of his assignments so he deserved to laze around like a true bum at least for a day.
“Great! Let’s watch a late night show!”
“Huh?” Before Shin could process the invitation, Nagumo had pulled him along towards the movie theatre next to the fast food restaurant. “W-wait, Nagumo-san! Is there a movie you want to see?”
“Hmm… Not particularly but it’ll be fun regardless of what we watch, don’t you think? Oh. Is there something you’ve been wanting to watch? We can totally do that.”
Nagumo half dragged him into the theatre and stopped a few meters away from the ticket counter, reading the available titles on the screen above the counter. Shin tugged their joined hands so Nagumo faced him. “Do you intend to buy the tickets immediately on the counter?”
Nagumo blinked. “Of course. Is there a problem?”
Shin fished out his phone. “Let’s just buy the tickets using the app. I happen to have a discount voucher.” Since he wasn’t a big fan of cinemas and chose to wait for movies to be streamed online, paying full price for a movie none of them really wanted to watch seemed like a total waste.
Nagumo covered Shin’s phone with his free hand. “I can’t let you pay. I’m the one who invited you so—”
“I still have enough money to buy two movie tickets on a discount.” Shin pried his phone away but Nagumo’s hand followed it.
“No. I’ll pay for it.”
“Fine!” Shin snapped. “You can transfer me the money but we are using the discount voucher. Deal?”
Nagumo thought it over. “Do you accept cash?”
“The heck? You don’t know how to use mobile banking?”
“Let’s just say it’s for safety purposes.” He smiled reassuringly.
Shin squinted. He wanted to ask who exactly would hack Nagumo’s bank account but his eyes caught the tattoos on Nagumo’s fingers and he held his tongue.
“Cash is fine. Can I have my phone back now?” he grumbled.
Nagumo raised his hand from Shin’s phone.
Shin navigated the app while Nagumo watched intently, his eyes followed the movement of Shin’s thumb. Since neither of them particularly cared about the movies they were going to watch, Shin preferred to choose something that would be played soon. However, he absolutely eliminated romance movies. Just the notion of having two sit in awkward silence while watching two people fall in love for two hours exhausted him. And no horror movies either. Not because he was scared! But the atmosphere wasn’t right for spooks and jumpscares. That being said, angsty movies were also out of the question. Then…
“What about this, Nagumo-san?” He leaned sideways towards Nagumo to show his phone screen. “The synopsis said this is an atmospheric action scifi. What do you think?”
He turned his head only to see Nagumo’s face was right next to his, his gaze locked on Shin’s phone screen. The taller guy had bent down so they were on the same height. His face was so close to Shin’s own that he could practically count Nagumo’s long eyelashes. His skin was ridiculously smooth but this up close, Shin could see the pallor of his complexion and the light dark circles underneath his eyes.
Suddenly, Nagumo flicked his eyes towards Shin who was frozen, half surprised and half mesmerized. Amusement twinkled in Nagumo’s previously dull eyes as he grinned. “I like it."
Shin’s heart jumped to his throat. He jerked away from Nagumo. “Great!” he blurted in high pitch. Then he cleared his throat, mortified. “Let’s watch this then.”
Shin finished the purchase process, dragged Nagumo to the ticket printer, and pulled him again towards their designated theatre. On their way, Nagumo asked if Shin wanted to buy snacks. Shin was tempted at first but Nagumo didn’t seem to have the intention of releasing Shin’s hand anytime soon and having popcorn or other snacks alike with one hand would be awkward. He was sure Nagumo would suggest feeding him if he conveyed his concerns so he turned down the offer without explaining.
Still, Nagumo insisted on buying them drinks. He “threatened” to share his drink with Shin if the younger guy refused so Shin begrudgingly accepted the forced generosity.
When they got their tickets checked by a female staff at the theatre door, she kept glancing at Nagumo in an awestruck manner. Shin couldn’t blame her. However, she then caught their joined hands, looked at Shin, and gave him a nasty side eye. Wow. Girls sure were vicious.
“Is there a problem?” Nagumo suddenly asked.
She blinked and quickly put a sweet smile on her face. “No. Everything seems to be in order. You may—”
“Then I'd appreciate it if you don’t look at him like that.” His tone dropped low even though his words remained polite.
Both Shin and the female staff gaped in shock at him. Why the heck would he cause a scene over something so trivial?
“She didn't!” Shin screeched in panic. To the poor staff who was on the verge of bursting to tears. “I’m so very sorry. He’s in a shitty mood tonight and everything pisses him off. I’m sorry. We’ll leave you now.”
Shin quickly dragged Nagumo inside. After they were out of earshot, Shin hissed, “Why did you do that?”
“She scoffed contemptuously at you.”
“No, she didn’t! Don’t exaggerate. She did give me the stink eyes but it’s nothing to be upset about. She was just miffed a handsome guy like you—”
“I don’t like it,” Nagumo said with finality. “You said it’s something out of my control but that doesn’t mean I should do nothing about it.” Then, when he finally turned to look at Shin, his eyes were back to pleading. “I don’t want you to regret spending time with me.”
Shin’s heart clenched. He swallowed. “I won’t do that. You don’t have to worry about it. But, thank you for standing up for me.” He fidgeted. “Let’s get to our seats, the movie will start soon.”
They walked together to their seats—third row, near the wall. Nagumo nudged Shin towards the inner seat before sitting next to him. There were a couple of viewers beside them, scattered across the rows of seats. Including them, there were two groups of friends and three couples. Shin discreetly let out a sigh of relief; he had been worried it’d be just the two of them. Not that he was under the delusion of anything untoward happening, but if an awkward situation happened between them, other people’s unexpected action could break the tension.
Not long after, the lights were turned off. Nagumo chose that moment to rearrange their hands so now their fingers were intertwined. Then he slumped onto his seat and put his head on Shin’s shoulders, his soft strands of hair tickling Shin’s neck and jaw. Shin tensed momentarily before forcing himself to relax.
“I actually wanted to go to the aquarium,” he whispered when the opening scene unfolded—an underwater shot, casting blue hues and the tremulous water surface pattern on Nagumo’s face. “I even bought the tickets.”
Shin had to physically fight the urge to whip his head towards Nagumo; their faces were too close. He hissed furiously, “What? How long have you been waiting? You should’ve just walked in and asked around for me!”
“I could… but I want you to find me.”
A baffled scoff escaped Shin’s open mouth. “What if I already went home or got out of the back gate?”
“I arrived home first and you weren’t there so I figured you were still in the campus. If you went out of the back gate, well, today was just not meant to be.”
“But… your money is—”
“It’s fine. You found me and chose a movie in which the setting is mainly under the sea.” Nagumo sighed deeply, his fingers squeezed Shin’s hand, and his head snuggled closer. “It’s meant to be.”
Shin wanted to argue more but the characters in the movie started to speak and the other attendees near them clicked their tongues in dismay. So Shin shut his mouth and bit his lower lip.
What’s the deal with this guy? Why did he make his own life way harder than it had to be? He knew he was in a miserable mood and wanted Shin’s company so why did he have to go about it in a roundabout way? Because he wanted it to be fate? Whatever for?
Shin stopped wondering and chose to focus on the movie instead. If he tried to answer those questions, he was afraid he’d reach a conclusion which was highly likely to be a delusion. Besides, Nagumo had paid for the drinks and the tickets, so Shin might as well have paid attention.
The story was surprisingly good. It was about a group of researchers who tried to find mermaids for the purpose of creating a cure for a mysterious illness which plagued the world. After much difficulty, they found and captured one, then put her in a huge tank inside their lab. One of the researchers felt bad for her and tried to keep her company. They conversed and over the course of time came to understand one another’s circumstances. After various events, the guy decided to bring her back to the sea. In the climax, they were pursued until they reached a cliff leading to the sea and the guy threw the mermaid off the cliff. Right after, he got shot and slid off the cliff. In despair, the mermaid captured him mid air and together they plunged into the roaring waves.
The ending shot was the same as the opening scene: the breathtaking view of the world under the sea.
People around them started to vacate their seats and leave the theatre but Nagumo and Shin remained in their spot, mainly because Nagumo didn’t move.
“Nagumo-san, I think we should also leave,” Shin said, softly for no reason other than it felt like the right thing to do.
“Why don’t you ask, Shin-kun?”
Shin hesitated for a second. “About why you’re acting weird?” Nagumo nodded, his hair was soft and ticklish against Shin’s skin. “Well… because I don’t know if I’m allowed to ask. But I do know you’re in need of a company.”
Nagumo laughed soundlessly. “You’re so kind, Shin-kun. No wonder you have a lot of friends.” He took a deep breath. “Today is the death anniversary of my friend.”
Shin turned a little to look at Nagumo who was staring ahead towards the credit roll on the screen. His dark eyes were lifeless.
“There used to be the three of us and she once said she wanted to go to the aquarium.” Nagumo scoffed, a self deprecating smile on his face. “We never got the chance to go. Me and my other friend never talked about going together, probably because it wouldn’t feel right without her.
“I kept thinking about asking my other friend to go with me. Just once. Just to see what she wanted to see. But I always chickened out at the last second until I eventually lost the chance completely; he and I parted ways. Amiably, mind you. Life goes on for me and him.
“But this year, I suddenly really want to go. I just don’t think I can go alone and I can’t ask him. So I wonder if you’d be willing to go with me…”
Nagumo trailed off and Shin knew he wasn’t going to continue. The guy had said it earlier, anyway, that he wanted the hangout to be fated. The reason wasn’t important. Sometimes you just wanted something in a specific way. Sometimes you wished someone would do a certain thing for you without you having to ask for it.
After a short pause, Shin said, “My parents never registered my birth certificate and my dad put me in the care of a friend while I was a baby. Do you know I was originally ‘Asakura Shin’? Anyway, thirteen years later, my dad came back and wanted to have custody over me. And so I became ‘Ando Shin’.”
Nagumo turned his head so he could look up at Shin. His eyes were wide in mild surprise and confusion.
“He’s a shitty father. He didn’t even think to write my name in kanji when he took care of my documents.” Shin scoffed at the memory. “Those were the darkest days of my life. I was angry at Mr. Asakura for giving up on me. I was angry at this stranger who claimed he’s my biological father; he’d left, why did he bother to come back? I hated everyone and everything.
“During that time, Lu was my rock and anchor. She never left my side. We fought a lot because of my temper. Physically even.” Shin chuckled. “I was a shitty friend to her but still she stayed. After things got better, she never brought it up. Well, jokingly sometimes, but she never held it against me. I realize I’m so very lucky to have Lu in my life so I promise to myself I will return the favor to her or to someone else who needs me.”
Shin grinned brightly. “You’re right, Nagumo-san. It’s meant to be.”
Nagumo stared wide eyed at Shin with twinkling eyes for a second, before a genuine smile formed on his face. “I’m glad that you agree, Shin-kun.”