Chapter Text
When Chrono and Overhaul woke up one morning, both of them felt something strange. First of all, Overhaul opened his eyes, but he was confused by the feeling of hair flowing down on his cheeks and neck. And Chrono woke up thinking he was kidnapped to another place because the ceiling and walls were just whole white, not really seeming like his room.
The only things in the room were a wooden desk and a closet. There was only one stand and a bunch of paper on the desk, and they were placed so neatly that he wondered if this was a room who lives in or a showcase. When he got up slowly and opened the closet, Chrono breathed briefly in because of the clothes that were so familiar.
Overhaul's outwears, black shirts and some slacks, white sneakers and pairs of shoes were neatly placed. When he took out the outwear and buried his face, he could smell the scent a hand sanitizer, a familiar office, and the unique one of Chisaki Kai, whom Chrono secretly loved. The room and closet just looked like the owner. Neat and clean. That's what everyone could tell about Overhaul. And by the scent that tickles his heart every time he smell it from clothes he was burying his face on now made the corners of his mouth raise. He hung it back on the hanger with a much relaxed face.
He was surprised when he entered the bathroom in the room and closed the door carefully and looked around.
"Ka...Kai! No, I didn't come in on purpose..."
It was not an outraged overhaul's face, not Chrono himself, but Overhaul's face that caught Hari's eyes, waving his hands with reddened face and explaining the situation. He was looking at Overhaul on his heated cheek reflected in the mirror along with the act of waving his hand as he did.
"Kai..?"
Chisaki Kai in the mirror moved as Chrono said and as he moved. And Chrono looked back and forth between the mirror and his body.
"I... became Kai?"
Then Chrono slowly started admiring and appreciating the face and body of the person secretly held in his heart. A sharp jawline, copper colored skin that cannot be found with blemishes, attractive thin lips, and a hot, muscular body. And most of all, what Chrono couldn't take his eyes off were his beautiful golden eyes. Since Chrono first saw Chisaki Kai, the first image that reminds him of Chisaki Kai, and the image that made Chrono's heart beat the fastest was his intense golden eyes. The jewel-like eyes are always filled with determination, bravery, confidence, precision, and indescribable beauty. Chrono would say without any hesitation that's the most beautiful thing in this world.
"Whoa..."
He was looking in the mirror for a long time thinking that there's no other great chance to look Overhaul so close, and realized it was still Friday all of a sudden.
"What time is it now... Seven o'clock? Already??"
He suddenly remembered that he had a meeting at 8 o'clock with the 8percepts including Overhaul, and that he still had work he haven't finished before the meeting.
"Haa..."
He dressed in a hurry and felt his heart beating in a rapid pace again when he stood in front of the mirror to check his look. Even though he had a lot of work to do, he felt like he was hypnotized when he saw Overhaul in the mirror.
And the thought of being able to hear words that would never, ever come out of that person's mouth raised fearful yet so sweet expectation at that moment. Even if he could hear the sentence he'd been longing for several years if he spits it out right now, it was clear that it was not exactly from Chisaki Kai's own heart. Even though he was aware of it, he wanted to get a tiny bit of reward for the emotion he had for 10 years.
He never dared to wish Overhaul to love him back, but it was clear that this moment was an opportunity to receive sweet rewards. And it was also clear that this was all just an illusion that would break his heart miserablely. Nevertheless, whenever he encountered Chisaki Kai, whenever he thought of him, everytime he realized and recalled what he had in mind, and every night before he went to bed, his hope for Overhaul to be the same like him came out unknowingly. Chrono was grateful for being in an environment where he can embrace this mind toward Kai. However, Chrono has been greedy little by little over the past years. He hoped he could stay by Kai's side, become Kai's best friend, become the most important person to Kai to achieve his ambition, and become a person who he can fully trust, rely on, entrust work, and consult worries.
And now, the person who is loved by Kai.
Whenever he thought about this, he made his mind to stop imagining those fluff senarios, not to be greedy, but he only realized again that a person's mind never folds easily. For a long time, he opened his mouth in front of the mirror.
"I like you, Chrono."
He ended up spitting it out.
"I like you.. I like you. I...really do love you."
The last of the monologue was decorated by Chrono's mind that could not be conveyed to Chisaki. His felt hurt by the fact that he can't say 'I love you.' or hear it from who he loves secretly. This crush, which could never end was Chrono's fate.
At that time, when he turned back at the clicking sound, he saw himself.
"Sigh... So this is what happened."
"Oh... Kai? Do you know what happened?"
Overhaul in the form of Kurono Hari replied, sweeping over his hair.
"In the process of disassembling and repairing the last organization I traded yesterday, one grabbed my arm. I guess he used his quirk. It seems like it's changing the soul, and I guess mine changed with yours. But I'm glad being changed with you."
With one word, Chrono's heart beat raced.
The next word made his heart sink.
"Ha, it would have been more troublesome if it was someone else."
...
"You have to act so that no one could know what happened." said Overhaul.
Chrono hated himself, knowing that this is unrequited love, but kept looking forward to it like a dumb.
"...Right."
He wasn't sure if it was a good or bad, but Overhaul didn't seem to hear what he said in front of the mirror. He was out of breath and suffocated by the anticipation of Overhaul giving an answer to his mind just in case he heard it, and the fear that everything was over.
"...n...n.o...chrono!!!"
He was surprised by Overhaul's voice calling him.
"Yes, overhaul. I'm sorry."
He apologized hanging his head down, but all his attention was focused on the fact Overhaul calling him Chrono, not Hari. This is because it was rare not to be called 'Hari' when there were only two of them.
"Ha... What else are you thinking about? Cancel the whole morning meeting right away. Everyone will be gathered, so go and disband them. Okay. Tell them you're.. I mean 'Chrono', not feeling well, so he can't attend today. And make sure to delay the meeting to next week."
He just found out for the first time that I, Kurono Hari, can make such an annoying expression. He didn't know what really happened yesterday's trade, but thanks it he became Kai today, and Kai... being him instead. Chrono's heart pounded about being in a body who he loves.
"What are you doing? I told you to go."
"Ah... But it's still 7:40pm, isn't it too early for all of us to get together?"
"That clock is broken." Overhaul replied, sitting on the bed without even looking at Chrono.
"Okay."
"And, make sure to be myself, Chrono. I don't want others to know. Even this quirk goes for a long time, it will be a few days. So be aware."
It was still Chrono, not Hari. Chrono nodded silently and headed to the conference room. In fact, it was a piece of cake to play Overhaul for him. Since falling for Chisaki Kai, he has been everything to Chrono. Chrono's gaze always followed him, followed him like a shadow, prepared everything he needed, and always kept his back. In a way, it was natural to always look at unrequited love, observe naturally, and know all of his tastes and habits learned from years of experience when he was not alone or immersed in work.
So there was no problem with Chrono entering the conference room in the form of Overhaul, delaying the meeting, and receiving a brief business report. I didn't buy any doubts, and rather, others were worried about Chrono. There was no disruption except he had to stop Mimic chanting that they had to take care of Chrono. Not until what he had put off yesterday suddenly popped in his head on the way back to the room where Overhaul was waiting. It would have been a relief if he only had the paperwork to finish, but unfortunately there even was a small meeting with 8percepts. He couldn't do it as long as he was in the form of Overhaul because he had to modify ideas with them before reporting it to Overhaul. So, even if he writes the report, Overhaul still should go in Chrono's shape and hold a meeting. When he thought of Overhaul holding the meeting, he only sighed. He reached the front of the door, but he just repeatedly grabbed and let go the doorknob. He stayed like that until he couldn't keep Overhaul waiting anymore, and then entered the room.
"Overhaul. I postponed the meeting, and I've received a brief report."
Instead of answering, Overhaul raised one eyebrow as he usually did.
"Mimic said they had recruited bullet test subjects, and they are analyzing the results of the last experiment and will tell you at the next meeting. According to Nemoto, they re-adjusted drug transactions that went wrong with other organizations and sold them all."
"What about the small idea meeting?"
Chrono was desperate as if he was a child who didn't do homework and wanting the teacher to forget about homework-checking. But there was no such thing to the boss of Shie Hassaikai. It was Overhaul - Chisaki Kai, and there was nearly lesser possibility of him forgeting somthing about his work than Chrono's unrequited love would turned into a successful relationship. He hoped that the rare case would be today, but maybe he was unlucky.
"The idea meeting is scheduled right after lunch today."
"Isn't the deadline of the report is today?"
"That's right. I can write the report quickly. But we need quite a time for data collection and market research, so we purposefully set the meeting as late as possible." Chrono was hit to the nail, but it wasn't him to be just beaten. Well, it's true anyway.
"Alright... If you have a meeting planned, give me the data. I'll try my best."
"...Okay." He was so worried while taking the paper full of data. During the general meeting with Overhaul, everyone only says something worthy to listen to, and doesn't dare to bother their boss, but a meeting without Overhaul? It wasn't like a dinner time, but the mood was released enough. There were times when the wrong ideas came up, and they exchanged nonsense with each other. But do just saying some shits and just wasting time? No. As they were the members of Shie Hassaikai, there has never been a time when ideas were drawn out and meetings were not completed. Chrono wasn't being bossy because he knew better ideas pop out in a more comfortable atmosphere. It was also because they felt each other like colleagues rather than subordinates or a boss. The problem was that Overhaul had never participated in their own meetings. Chrono knew that this kind of meeting has never been Overhaul's taste, so he was worried if the meeting would end well. He thought it was fortunate that Overhaul couldn't use his quirk today.
Originally, it was up to Chrono to prepare for lunch for Overhaul, but Chrono had to pretend to be sick, so he had to go buy lunch in the form of an overhaul. He had no choice but to buy lunch because he must face excessive suspicion when he enters the kitchen.
"Oh! Where are you going, boss?"
"Hey,, gonna buy something for lunch. About about you Mr. Setsuno?" said Chrono and was quite embarrassed by Setsuno's odd look.
'Oh bullshit that's right. It's Overhaul right now.'
"Why are you so surprised? I'm going to buy lunch. Get out of my way."
"No, it's...You just called me Mr.Setsuno! Even Smiling!!" Setsuno said in a voice mixed with excitement and surprise at a rare experience.
"Nah... You asked me to add Mr when I call your name last time. And I'm going, so get out of my way."
"Oh, right! Hold on! There's something I need to submit to Mr.Chrono today. Do you know where he is? I went to his toom earlier and he wasn't there."
"What? No way. Give him whatever you have to later."
"What? This... I have to get the final adimission from you by today, so Mr. Chrono asked me to give it to him before lunch! And he also told me to revise it together if needed!"
Overhaul, who is now in the shape of Chrono, couldn't know any about the amendments that Setsuno and Chrono talked about a few days ago for the report to be submitted, so it was obvious that they would be caught if Setsuno goes to Overhaul now. Almost all the reports were revised first by Chrono and then uploaded to Overhaul, so he couldn't just tell Setsuno to give it to him.
"I really have to go to Mr. Chrono ASAP. Where is he???"
"Ha... I don't know either."
"Where the hell is he? He must be in his room if he's sick, but he's not!"
"Oh Yeah, right. Don't make him work. He's sick."
"But..Uh...Mmmm, then there's no other way, so I'll just put it on the boss's desk."
Until you explain the situation to Overhaul, you must keep them two from bumping into each other somehow! Think Chrono!!
"No!"
"? Why?" Setsuno asked back in confusion.
"It's- He's sick, so he's lying on my bed."
"What?? Why... is he lying down in YOUR room when he's in ill? I thought you despise filthes and illness."
"Oh- That's.. That's because he's sick, but he kept working. It'd make his condition worse, so I told him to stay in my room to make him sure to rest."
"Ah... I didn't know you cared.. Mr. Chrono...that much.."
"No... It's not that..."
"Well, Okay. Then, should I just submit this by tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I think that'd be better."
"Okay. Enjoy your lunch."
"Whoo..."
"Oh, so he won't come to the office at all later?"
"Mmm.. No. I'll let him rest a little more after lunch and he'll be back." That's why Chrono had to be tensed and aware to be more overhaul-like after conversations with Setsuno. Fortunately, he didn't got any doubts until he came back to the room with something to grab a bite.
He explained this idea meeting to his boss while having lunch. Of course, he didn't mention any of previous conversation with Setsuno.
"What do you mean by 'Don't be angry?'" Overhaul asked after munching his sandwich.
"Well, it's a little... It will feel different from the casual meeting we've did. I think ideas come out in a freer atmosphere."
Overhaul raised his eyebrows.
"That doesn't mean it's a mess. Well, actually thanks to this meeting, Nemoto's drug deal went good. Plus, I've always been punctual."
Chrono said slowly after breathing deeply.
"You just have to react appropriately and pretend you're me." Chrono put a bit strong accent on 'me'.
"I know that."
Crono nodded silently at Overhaul's words. That was the hardest one. The most worrisome part was that Overhaul being caught for not being able to act like Chrono. There was no problem with the rest.
-------
As Crono told him earlier, the idea meeting was completely "different" from the entire meeting he had before. He tried to be as gentle as possible as Crono, but Overhaul couldn't hide all of his personality. He sighed without realizing it because of strange ideas came out from Rappa's head and by all the noise. Fortunately, everyone just thought Overhaul's temper as Chrono's bad condition without much doubt. After the meeting in such a mess, Overhaul went to the bathroom for his head full of tiredness would explode if he didn't wash his face with cold water right now. Then Setsuno followed Overhaul, washing his hands next to him.
"Right, are you feeling well?"
"Yeah, I mean, It's better. Thank you for worrying." Overhaul spoke as his usual and then spoke again in Chrono's way of speaking to Setsuno, who tilted his head in confusion.
"That's good. Well, by the way, I didn't know Boss cared so much about you."
Overhaul stopped washing his hands for a while and asked with the faucet running.
"What?"
"Boss was going to buy lunch earlier, and I asked about you if he knew where you were because I had to submit the paper. You know, the one you'd add some comments like.. last week. Oh, Then he said he didn't know at first. Telling me don't give you work 'cause you're sick. So I said I'd leave it in the boss' room, then he said you were lying on his bed! Just to make sure you're taking break! Ohhhhhhh~"
Overhaul was totally confused to hear that.
"Well, didn't it go well?" Setsuno winked to Overhaul who's in Chrono's fit.
"Going well? What are you talking about?" Overhaul answered back question with a sincere expression of not knowing.
"Aren't you interested in Overhaul?"
His head went blank when he heard this. He couldn't hear the sound of the water splashing nor what Setsuno said next to him.
"Interested...in me?" Overhaul is quite confused now, if there's any other meaning of 'getting interested in somebody', and he didn't know which one was the real Chrono. Calm and buisinesslike was what Overhaul could think about Chrono in office.
'Or.. is he pretending he's not interested in me, if Setsuno was being honest?'
Now instead of annoyed feeling went away and tobs of questions filled his head. As he didn't want to be misunderstood, so he took a long time to figure what's the most appropriate reaction, but all he could do was just shrugging.
"Well, anyway, hope you'd get better soon!" Setsuno smiled brightly and left.
"Oh... Yeah..." It was Overhaul muttering to himself behind Setsuno, who was already gone. He washed his hands in such an awkward position and look in the mirror.
'Chrono? He's interested in me? Does that mean,like.. Love..?' He frowned while looking in the mirror, and then sewpt his face with his palms. However, no matter how long he stared at the mirror and repeated cooling his face, his cheeks turned red and ears heated up, getting on his nerves. After breathing deeply, he opened his eyes and he just found Chrono was so beautiful. White skin without any blemishes, crystal like light-colored eyes, hair that feels so good whenever he slicked it behind his ears, and two cheeks that are turned into peach color.
As soon as he realized that Chrono was pretty, he face turned redder, clenched my fist, and stood for a long time like that.
"What am I thinking..."
When he made eye contact with Chrono in the mirror, he got surprised by himself and laid his gaze down.
He came back to his room, and he could feel heat on his face, watching Chrono in his shape. Now Overhaul really can't say sure about if he himself is being red indeed he thought of Chrono, or because he saw his feature through Chrono's eyes who's been crushed to him. Watching such Overhaul, Chrono was worried. Overhaul's face was bright red.
"Kai... You okay?" Eyes filled with worries, Overhaul's big hands covered Chrono's forehead, and Overhaul in Chorno's body startled about how they were being close. He could even feel the other's warm breath.
-------
After that night, both of them returned to their original body. However, whenever Overhaul looked at Chrono since he had a small talk with Setsuno in bathroom and thought about Chrono that day, his heart kept pounding.
Chrono smileing slightly and saying "Good morning, Kai." like an usual morning, or Chrono sweeping his beautiful hair back, or Chrono that smiles with eyes when they meet their gaze, would cloat around in Overhaul's mind all day long. Overhaul's heart tickled and his ears turned bright red. Looking at Chrono with such interest, hr began to see things that he couldn't recognize. Like, if he calls Chrono as "Hari" instead of "Chrono", Chrono's face gets lighter, or Chrono's face turns a bit pink when he smiles and say thsnk you receiving a cup of coffee from Chrono, Chrono trying to pretend to talk to him as naturally as possible, Chrono repeatedly glancng at him, considering the best timing to talk to him, or the fact that Chrono laughs a lot while talking with other 8percepts, or Chrono being close with Setsuno, or that Chrono pouts and sigh after goes out from his room if he get to know he should work late. Or, that Chrono taps his lips with a pen during a meeting, or that Chrono has full lips, or thst his eyelashes are ling and beautiful.... Such trivial things started to come into his mind, and gradually Overhaul's attention was focused on Chrono.
'Me? Do I like Chrono? Him? Does he like me? No, Do I like him??? Well... I think he's charming..but means it I'm crushed on him? Was it obvious that he looked at me like..he like me?'
Overhaul couldn't reakly get work done all day. He kept thinking about that. That evening, Chrono came to the overhaul room and was about to report his work as usual, and that was when Overhaul clearly realized that he's in love after seeing Chrono taking off his mask with his eyes down.
'Ah, I fell for him.'
And that was another opening of tons of worries. That was why he couldn't hear anything about Chrono reporting his work infront of him.
'How should I confess to him? Romantic dinner? Take him to a restaurant? Should I give him some flowers? What should I say? I like you? I think you're charming? I love you? Isn't that too abrupt? I'm not sure if he's crushed on me or not...'
Then He sighed. Chrono, who was in the middle of reporting, was startled. He automatically reflected on himself because his boss sighed, but he couldn't figure out what was tge matter. Overhaul who had been lost in his thought for a long time and then came to his senses without saying anything was even more taken aback to see startled and worried Chrono.
"Oh, no. It's not because of the report, so it's okay. I'm not sick either. Keep going."
Overhaul's heart tickled for no reason when he saw Chrono finishing the rest of the report with a worried look. Indeed, Overhaul couldn't focus on all of the information Chrono wad giving to him.
Since Chrono had changed his body once with Overhaul, his thought Overhaul seemed to be staring at him more often, and his heart tickled because he seemed to laugh better or call him by his name not Chrono more frequently. Still, he denied hard that it couldn't be real because he was loving Overhaul unrequitedly.
Still, he couldn't help but get dazed at the smile of person who he crushed onto, and be excited, get blushed. Chrono was grateful for the first time that he had to wear a mask whatever that covers his entire face or a regular one. Otherwise, his heated face and heart were about to explode every moment he looked at Overhaul these days. It was when Chrono finished an interim report on a sunny afternoon while the two continued their unrequited love. Overhaul unknowingly opened his mouth.
"Hari."
It must have been during business hours, but Overhaul called Chrono "Hari," which must have made Chrono's mind jump wild. But before even Chrono answered, Overhaul's words made Chrono blank.
"Do you like me?""
At this moment, Chrono's heart fell. With a thud and heavy sound. He couldn't breathe as if he were physically beaten hard by someone. He shut his eyes tightly as the whole world turned black as if he got sucked into a black hole. And when he breathed slowly again, the surrounding air felt like pressing him heavily, and the oxygen he inhaled hurted his heart as if it were hitting all the alveoli.
'I hided that from him for 10 years! How..how come he..?'
After the report, Chrono has turned his back to Overhaul to go out, so the muscles he used to look back became stiff and painful. His throat was numb. However, even such pain was not a problem for Chrono right then. Overhaul's expression he would see when he opened his eyes was so scary. He didn't suppose to convey his feelings, but he didn't want to be rejected or denied his emotion from Overhaul that had conceived for a long time before he could organize his thoughts and spit them out infront of Overhaul.
And more than that, he was afraid in legit that he wouldn't be able to go back to the same relationship as before with his Kai whom he loves so bad. He was afraid that he would never see him again. Those nightmare-like thoughts sipralled in Chrono's head, making him not able to talk but only tears wetting his cheeks. He couldn't make a sound or wipe his tears, just left them to flow down from his closed eyes. And hsi heart exploded.
"I like you." said Overhaul.
When Chrono opened his eyes carefully, he saw Kai, who looked brighter than the sunlight coming in from the window. As if to prove what he just said, Kai's golden eyes looked straight at Hari. He was looking straight at Hari's light-colored eyes, not his fist clenched hands, bitten lower lip, or his mid-shoulder or feet.
"What about you?"
Now Chrono could hear the pulse sound again. Previously, adrenaline exploded out of fear, but now it was because of all the good feelings in the world that could be listed. His chest heaved to suppress overwhelming emotions and breathe. Still, tears made a transparent layer on Hari's eyes and sparkled in the light. The bitten lower lip trembled.
But he was sure he could say it now. The emotion that had been kept deep in his heart for a long long time, which he had secretly held and felt like he could not convey to the counterpart until he dies.
"Me too. Kai, me too... I love you so much."
After hearing that, Kai walked toward Hari and wiped Hari's tears with his thumb soothingly. He put his hand on the back of Hari's head and waist, and hugged him tight. I put his head on Hari's shoulder and spoke quietly.
"Why... Why are you crying?"
"I.. I thought I wouldn't be able.. to see you again, Kai. I thought you would hate me, so I was.. I was so scared.."
Kai's arms wrapped around Hari's waist, pilling him closer to his broad chest. And he gently patted the back of Hari's head to comfort him, and then swept Hari's silver hair that flows behind his ears, and whispered to her ears.
"I love you. I love you with all my heart, Hari."