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It’s going to be a long day.
That’s how Yushi feels as he yells at the two young boys in front of him.
The first week of semester had barely begun and Yushi had high hopes for a good year. After all, the rumors have spread now, that Tokuno sensei is the meanest and strictest teacher of Nozomi High. He figures that his students will be too scared to misbehave, and he can finally spend the year teaching these dull minds into becoming something great. Rather than instilling fear on them.
But nah, fate decided that would be too easy for him.
So now he’s pissed off because he was about to eat his yummy bento, but instead, he’s stuck disciplining a bunch of immature boys.
I hate my life.
Yushi repeatedly says to himself after sending the two boys away, feeling exhausted by today’s commotion. He walks back to the teacher’s office, wondering if he should eat or skip his lunch. After all, his appetite is ruined .
So he sits down in his uncomfortable chair and stares at his planning book, wondering why he hasn’t quit this job yet. After all, becoming a teacher was just a way to spite his parents, and since they already disowned him, he could have chosen a different career, like becoming the owner of a bubble tea shop. Despite his wishful thinking, he still finds himself caring about his students, wanting to make sure they at least pass his class. He even finds it reassuring when there are students who remind him of himself, always studying and getting high grades. Though, if he has to be honest, most of them are beyond hopeless. Like, their grades are abysmal enough that Yushi worries for Japan’s future. There are even days where he thinks about smacking their heads together, feeling his frustrations exceed his patience.
Nevertheless, Yushi knows better than to re-enact his bad thoughts. He can only hope that the bright ones will overthrow the idiot ones as they grow up. For now, he’ll just eat his lunch begrudgingly and prepare for his next class, reminding himself that he’s stronger than his annoying students. He’ll survive this year, just like he did the previous years.
**
The second week of April presents Yushi with a pretty birthday gift. At least, that's what he thinks as he stares at the new teacher, wondering why he feels attracted to him.
He finds himself staring at him intensely, unable to look away.
“This is Maeda-san. He’ll be working as the P.E teacher, and assist Tanaka-san with the volleyball team. Let’s all make him feel welcomed,” principal Waseda announces to the teachers’ lounge early in the morning.
“I’ll be in your care,” Maeda-san greets them before bowing.
A few of the teachers approach him to say hi and the rest leave the lounge as they need to prepare for their first class.
Yushi doesn’t move from his chair though, as he keeps staring at Maeda-san, finding himself enamoured by Maeda-san's good looks. He can feel his heart beat a little faster, and his ears slowly redden as he wonders why a good looking guy decided to become a teacher.
And when Maeda-san looks his way, Yushi panics like a bumbling fool. He tries to act aloof as he looks down at his table, grabbing a pen and pretending to read the label. He feels rather silly at this moment, wondering why he’s acting like a teenage girl with a crush, unable to act aloof. His ears feel like it's burning, turning bright red, and he only hopes that Maeda-san is too far away to notice them.
As Maeda-san leaves the room with Tanaka-san, he exhales a quiet sigh, wondering if he can act cooler next time. Thinking about creating the perfect first impression.
Though, he doesn’t have time to worry about any of this as the first bell will ring soon. He grabs his books and heads to his classroom, not looking forward to seeing his students today. Though, maybe today won’t be as bad as yesterday, and he won’t feel the urge to quit again.
**
The first time Yushi manages to talk to Maeda-san is during a cold day in April. The middle of April is approaching, and Yushi finds the weather to be dreary lately. He finds consolation whenever he stares at Maeda-san through the top of his book, pretending to read while staring unabashedly.
And today isn't any different as he watches Maeda-san from his chair, staring as the elder pours hot water into a paper cup. Maeda-san is planning to create some instant milk tea before heading to his next gym class. In his haste, he accidentally spills half of his cup, causing a mess at the table.
At that time, only Yushi is around, staring at him as usual, so he's the only one that can help him clean up.
As soon as he sees what happened, he immediately stands up and helps him, thinking how the principal will scold them both if it doesn’t get cleaned quickly.
“Damn it,” Riku mutters to himself, not realizing he used a curse word until he sees Tokuno-san’s expression. “Sorry! Sorry… That was a bad choice of words,” he says guiltily and in a rush.
He feels like smacking his head against the wall, thinking how he needs to repent at least 10 times for swearing in a school environment. Even if he’s not used to being a teacher, he should at least remember to talk in a civilized manner.
“It’s okay,” Yushi says softly, grabbing napkins before helping him clean up. “It was an honest mistake.”
“You won’t tell principal Waseda, right?” Riku asks nervously while wiping off the last few drops of liquid.
“Nah, don’t worry… I’ll only make you write ‘I’m sorry’ 50 times as punishment,” Yushi tries to joke, thinking that Maeda-san might laugh along.
Unfortunately, Maeda-san doesn’t get the joke as he stares at Yushi with a confused expression.
“I’m kidding!” Yushi says in a panic, not wanting to randomly offend his colleague.
He groans silently as he scolds himself for making a bad joke, thinking how he ruined his first impression. He can only hope that Maeda-san won’t think of him as a weird person. For now, he sulks internally at the idea of appearing lame in front of his crush.
“Ohh…,” Riku says as he slowly realizes Tokuno-san’s humor and smiles at him reassuringly. “Well, I’ll be sure to have that paper first thing in the morning,” he answers back teasingly.
Yushi stares at him in surprise before giggling at his reply, feeling relieved that Maeda-san is able to follow his joke. He thinks that maybe he hasn't lost his chance to befriend him one day.
And when the next day arrives, he’s surprised to find a piece of paper stuck to his desk. There are 50 lines written on it and Maeda-san writes his name on the top left corner. Yushi smiles too happily as he stares at the messy handwriting, feeling the urge to scold the elder for not writing neatly.
There are so many things he wants to say to the elder, and he thinks about grading this paper as a joke just so their interactions will continue. But then he notices the last line on the paper, and he smiles at it for the longest time.
Sensei, am I forgiven yet?
He thinks about the many ways he can reply to this, but in the end, he decides to keep it simple, not wanting to ruin their fresh friendship. So he returns the punishment paper by placing it on Maeda-san’s desk, and writes his reply under the question.
Yes. You did well.
And he leaves a box of Meiji chocolate beside the paper, claiming that it's a treat for doing a good job. He doesn't know if Maeda-san will like the chocolates, but he can only hope that he will.
Luckily, Maeda-san seems to appreciate it as he replies in a Kuromi sticky note with a message written on it.
I'll work hard to become your favorite student! ^.^
Yushi giggles softly at the note, smiling before lifting his gaze up. He locks eyes with Maeda-san, who has been watching him since the beginning. The elder looks relieved that Yushi seems to like his note.
Yushi smiles shyly at him, giving him an acknowledgement nod before looking back at his desk. His heart is beating too hard, but he doesn't care. He's enjoying this sweet moment before his students ruin his mood later on during class. For now, he forces himself to focus as he reads over the textbook, planning for next month’s lessons, smiling a little to himself.
**
As the days start to blur, his friendship with Maeda-san slowly becomes mutual as they start eating lunch together. They exchange stories about their students and rant about the stupid things their students have done. Maeda-san’s constant presence is helping Yushi become more approachable, something that his colleagues feel relieved about.
Most of all, they start to learn about each other's likes and dislikes as their friendship grows. And sometimes, they will exchange snacks with each other, complaining when their day feels long and tedious, and counting the minutes until they can go home.
Maeda-san even gifted him a late birthday present, a cute Cinnamoroll pen, claiming that Yushi will run out of ink soon. Yushi now keeps that pen in his house, treasuring it as a prized possession. He pretends that he'll use the pen one day, but in reality, he'll keep it hidden forever.
And to Yushi's dismay, Maeda-san does find out about his strict nature, causing Yushi to worry about their friendship. A few of his colleagues find his teaching methods to be overly harsh, but Yushi thinks that being strict helps his students improve and get better. It's something that they will always disagree about.
He didn't know how Maeda-san would feel about this quirk of his, so he hid it from him for as long as he could. Until he can't anymore.
It happens when he's scolding a student for failing his kanji test, noticing how his student is slacking off already despite the fact that the school year has barely started.
“If you can't pass your midterm, you can forget about going to your summer training!” Yushi says angrily. “Now go study these sets and have them memorized by our next test,” he hands the papers to him with a hard glare. “Leave.”
“Yes sensei!” The student bows immediately and runs out from the teacher's lounge.
Some of the teachers look at Tokuno with an impressed reaction. It's easy to yell at students, but it's a harder feat to instill fear in them, making them regret their past decisions. That's how good Yushi is at making them cower.
He only notices Maeda-san when he sees the elder walking up to his desk with a cup of warm water and placing it on Yushi’s desk.
And luckily, Maeda-san doesn't look annoyed or upset after seeing his harsh personality.
“I used to be scared of my English teacher, but I think you're much scarier,” Maeda-san teases as he sits nearby.
Yushi lightly blushes at his words before drinking the warm water. It cools the irritation in his throat from yelling at his annoying student.
“I just want him to do well in his classes too,” he mutters.
“It's a good thing though. If my English teacher was nicer, I think I'd have struggled more when I was abroad,” Maeda-san notes, not blaming Yushi for being strict.
“You were abroad? For how long?” Yushi asks, learning new information.
“Just for a year. He wanted to make sure I could communicate well without a translator and I'm glad that he did. He had high hopes for me,” Maeda-san laughs as he recalls the memory. “Just like you have high hopes for your students.”
“Nah,” Yushi shakes his head, disagreeing with the last statement. “I’m doing this so our country doesn't die from stupidity,” he says bluntly.
Maeda-san laughs loudly at that, and so do some of the teachers that hear him.
“But I think Tokuno's strictness is what makes him special. He’s not even scared to scold me , telling me the correct order of strokes for a kanji. I didn't even realize it was wrong after so many years of doing it that way,” Yamada sensei comments.
“Oh? You’re picky about that too?” Maeda-san asks in a light teasing voice.
“It's just weird if you're not doing it correctly,” Yushi mumbles in shyness, unable to deny his weird compulsion.
“Then you'd probably hate the fact that I never bothered learning that kind of thing,” Maeda-san says teasingly.
“Even your name?”
“Yep,” Maeda-san confirms before taking a pen and writing down his name.
He watches carefully as Tokuno's eye twitches in annoyance, giggling at the expression.
“But yours is so easy. Look…”
Yushi immediately corrects him as he writes it in a sticky note, going slowly as if Maeda-san is his own student. 前田陸.
“I'm going to print out the guide sheet for you,” he mutters in the end.
“Ouhh pretty,” Maeda-san looks at the sticky note, admiring it.
Yushi prints the guide for the 3 kanjis before handing it to Maeda-san.
“ Please. At least learn the right way for your own name,” Yushi says with an exasperated expression.
“Hmm… What do I get for learning it?”
“I..I don't know… jelly?” Yushi stammers with a flustered expression.
“Too cheap!” Someone comments from the back.
“Make him buy you sukiyaki!”
“Yakiniku!”
Maeda-san laughs at the suggestions before deciding he wants something else.
“I'll do it for a free dinner,” he decides in the end. “I won't pressure you into buying me sukiyaki though.”
“O..okay,” Yushi says shyly, not expecting Maeda-san to pick that.
“Promise?” Maeda-san asks while showing his pinky, making him appear childish yet cute.
“Promise,” Yushi says easily, smiling as they shake their pinkies.
Yushi immediately looks forward to that day, wondering how handsome Maeda-san will look in his casual clothes.
**
As spring slowly turns into summer, they become inseparable friends as the volleyball students notice Tokuno sensei watching their volleyball games when he's not busy with work.
Yushi pretends that he's interested in the sport, claiming that he never learned it during his school days. And Riku knows that it's a lie. The elder thinks it's fine though, since he likes walking home with Yushi-kun. After all, ever since they found out they lived in the same neighborhood, they ended up commuting to school together, matching their schedules so they could go home together.
And when Yushi has to work overtime, Maeda-kun waits for him at his desk, reading random mangas, giggling over it and cooing over the romantic scenes. Yushi has learned to tune it out over time, enjoying the white noise in the background.
Sometimes, Riku even suggests manga to him, claiming that Yushi-kun needs to read fun stuff too. He shoves a book or two into Yushi-kun’s bag before they part ways, and demands that Yushi-kun give a review later on.
Yushi sighs exasperatedly but he still reads them, commenting on the scenes with sticky notes. He also grades the plot of the story in the end, giving the elder a real review. Maeda-kun seems to like reading his reviews, finding it funny, or speechlessly mad. And that's how they end up spending their walks, arguing over who's right before saying goodbye.
But most of all, Riku did learn how to write his name correctly, showing it off to Yushi-kun a week after the bet. They ended up going to a chic restaurant on the weekend because Yushi felt the need to show off his wealth to Maeda-kun. He wanted to pretend it was a date between them, enjoying how handsome Maeda-kun looked that night. He kept staring at the elder, feeling the giddiness shake his heart every minute. Even when they took a selfie together, he couldn't stop side glancing at Maeda-kun, unable to stop himself. He was lucky that Maeda-kun didn't find him weird.
Nevertheless, Yushi still remains the strict teacher that he is, unforgiving when his students aren't doing their homeworks or barely passing his tests. He just feels less annoyed now, no longer feeling the urge to quit his job as often as before. Plus, being able to talk to Maeda-kun about his job blatantly is refreshing , and helps ease his frustrations over time.
And Riku thinks the same way too. Enjoying how Yushi-kun is the first person who doesn't act nice just for the sake of public opinion. It's like he's reading a book of expressions, easily knowing when Yushi is mad or happy, and having fun changing that expression into something different . He just wishes that Yushi-kun would drop the formality with him and start calling him by his first name, something that he aims to achieve before the end of the year. For now, he simply monopolize Yushi’s free time during the weekends, silently enjoying how his heart always beats a little faster when he's near him. And at night time, he imagines whispering 好き into the younger’s ear, hoping to see his ear blush prettily, and wishing that his crush won't end in rejection. For now, he just stares with adoration.
**
A rainstorm descends in early June as the students stare at the windows with sad expressions. Yushi purposely closes the blinds, making sure that they focus during study period. After all, he doesn't want to be stuck giving extra lessons to dumb witted students in July.
And when his classes are over, Yushi heads to his desk and hides his umbrella, waiting for the right moment to ask Maeda-kun if they can share an umbrella when they go home. Volleyball practice will run a little late today, so Yushi wastes his time by reading a book while patiently waiting for the elder.
When Maeda-kun finally finishes, Yushi comes up to him with a shy smile.
“Ready to go?” Riku asks, as he holds the handle of his black umbrella.
“Can we share the umbrella again? I forgot mine…”
“Again?” Riku asks exasperatedly. “Maybe I should just buy you an umbrella one day…” he teases despite knowing that Yushi-kun is doing this on purpose.
“No! I'll remember next time…” Yushi lightly pouts at him while tugging on Maeda-kun’s sleeve.
“What if I also forgot mine? Should we just get drenched outside?” Riku teases him.
“No,” Yushi shakes his head immediately, feeling guilty if Maeda-kun gets sick because of him. “If that happens, then I'll go run and buy one from the nearest konbini. I won't let you get wet,” he says confidently and Riku smiles at him, finding him too cute.
“Cute~” Riku says while smiling. “Shall we go?” he asks before opening the door for Yushi-kun.
Yushi nods as he follows Maeda-kun to the main doors. The elder makes sure it's locked automatically before opening the umbrella, hearing the pitter patter fall onto it.
He gestures to Yushi-kun to come closer, wrapping an arm around his shoulder so they can be pressed against each other, side by side. The umbrella is wide enough to cover both of them, but the wind will cause rain to land on their arms or their bags. Despite that, Yushi doesn't mind feeling a little wet as he enjoys being guided by Maeda-kun to their destination.
As they keep walking to their destination, Yushi grins happily, enjoying the fact that he can pretend they're a couple sharing an umbrella. He doesn't even feel shy when they stop at intersections, waiting for the walking sign to turn green, or when they have to squeeze through the crowd and Maeda-kun’s hand is gripping his shoulder firmly, making sure that he doesn't lose him. It just makes him feel all too spoiled .
And when they're waiting for the crowd to move again, Yushi takes a peek at Maeda-kun’s face, staring at the handsome visual, secretly longing to kiss that cheek one day or those pink lips. Sometimes, he'll stare too long and Maeda-kun will tease him, asking if he should send Yushi-kun a picture of himself. Yushi simply scoffs and elbows him playfully, feeling embarrassed whenever he gets caught.
As the rain becomes denser, Maeda-kun forces him to run with him, finding shelter in a nearby pavilion that faces the moat. They're still about 10 minutes away, but they don't want to risk getting drenched due to the wild wind. So they decide to stop here for a while.
The moat is surrounding an old historical castle and the scenery doesn't look that pretty compared to other castles, but Riku likes taking this path because it's peaceful, and it allows them to walk at their own pace.
For now, they sit down on a bench under the pavilion, placing the umbrella beside them.
“Let's wait it out for a while,” Riku tells Yushi-kun before stretching his arms above his head.
Yushi nods as he sits and stares to the front, gazing at the green water.
A long silence falls between them as they listen to the pitter patter of heavy rain harshly tapping against the pavilion’s roof. The rhythmic tapping distracts them for a while as they relax their body.
Yushi lightly shivers as a strong wind blows towards them and Maeda-kun notices his movements.
“It’s fine…” Yushi tries to tell him but Maeda-kun is already grabbing his bag and taking out a hand warmer from the inside. He rips off the plastic packaging and shakes the sachet before grabbing Yushi-kun’s cold hands and placing it into his palms, making sure that Yushi-kun’s hands are holding it.
He wraps his own hands around Yushi-kun’s hands, gently rubbing them as he tries to get them to warm up.
Yushi blushes as he stares at their hands, feeling embarrassed despite enjoying the fact that Maeda-kun is holding his hands. He likes how the elder's hands engulf his, covering it completely as if shielding it from harm. He imagines holding the elder's hand one day and stealing its warmth every time. The nice fantasy lingers in his mind for a while, making him smile giddily.
“Let's get you home,” Riku says to him with worried eyes “I'll get you warm up and make you my famous hot tea. It tastes better than those milk teas you're addicted to.”
“Isn’t it just hot water and a tea bag?” Yushi-kun asks with a curious gaze.
“Yes, but I’m also letting you use my favorite mug,” Riku says to him with a slightly whiny tone.
Yushi-kun giggles softly, finding the elder a bit ridiculous when he's like this.
“Let’s go!” Riku declares before letting go of Yushi-kun's hands and grabbing the umbrella. He shakes off the water before opening it up.
Yushi feels slightly sad that the warmth is gone, but at least, he's able to enjoy the elder’s hands on him momentarily. Plus, he thinks today might have been one of his favorite days, thanking the rain for making their moments last longer.
Luckily, the rain has quieted down a little, only a few drizzles fall down as they walk the last 10 minutes to Yushi-kun’s apartment. Riku purposely sticks around, making sure the younger is all warmed up with his warm tea, a thick blanket, and wearing dry clothes before leaving.
Though Yushi doesn't want him to leave so soon, feeling the urge to grab his sleeve and keep him inside his apartment forever, but he resists the urge to do so.
As he stands at the doorway to say goodbye, he pouts at the elder while telling him to return safely.
Riku grins at him with an amused expression, finding the younger cute whenever he shows that upset expression. He can’t help but ruffle Yushi-kun’s soft hair, making it messy on purpose.
Yushi doesn't feel happy as his hair sticks out in odd directions, glaring at Maeda-kun for causing this.
“Leave,” Yushi says pointedly, huffing silently.
“See you tomorrow!” Maeda-kun says with a grin, waving enthusiastically before heading downstairs.
Yushi closes the door and sighs, walking back to his couch and snuggling under the thick blanket. The memory of Maeda-kun holding his hands is still fresh on his mind, making him smile and squeal in happiness, wishing that it can happen again. For now, he simply imagines a future where he can hold the elder’s hand, and maybe confess to him without feeling scared.
Sigh.
Yushi thinks that would be a nice alternate universe.
**
As the end of first semester approaches, Yushi gets busy preparing his students for exams, handing out guides to help them memorize things better. He's also busy preparing a draft of his final, making sure there are no mistakes before he gets approval from the principal.
During these days, he's too busy to socialize with Maeda-kun, only having time to eat his lunch quickly before finishing his next task. And Maeda-kun seems to understand his feelings as he gives him some space lately. Despite that, they still meet up after work, walking home together and ranting about their day before saying goodbye.
Sometimes, Riku will pass by Yushi-kun’s desk, dropping off a cold bottle of tea or a box of Meiji chocolate before walking away as if nothing happened between them. He also attaches a handwritten note, reminding Yushi to take a break and to eat well, and giving him encouragement to keep going. It's these small gestures that make Yushi smile during a hard day as he silently thanks him.
By the time the exams are done, Yushi can finally sigh in relief, looking forward to grading the papers and finally having his summer break in August. For now, he plans to attend the summer volleyball tournament, feeling the need to support Maeda-kun and his students as they compete for the top spot.
He knows that Maeda-kun has been worried lately, concerned that the third years might have regrets if they don’t do their best this tournament. The elder has told him that he was like them in the past, always competing for the nationals, but they were never good enough to win a spot. And even when he tried to become a better player in university, a knee injury halted his progress and he made the hard choice to quit, even after a year of training abroad. It was a backstory that made Yushi feel sad, and Maeda-kun would tease him for looking sad before ruffling his hair, telling him that he’s okay now.
Despite the elder’s words, Yushi knows that Maeda-kun still hopes for his students to achieve his dream one day, which is why the elder works hard with the volleyball team. And Yushi can only offer emotional support, standing in the audience area and cheering for them loudly.
Which is why he’s holding a hand banner of the team’s name and shouting along with his students, giving them encouragement from the balcony.
“Loosen up, Kato. If you mess up that first serve, you owe them popsicles,” Riku teases his student, who immediately tries to shake off his anxious energy.
“I want the watermelon flavor,” Sasaki says to Kato, teasing him.
“Shut up. I’m not buying for you,” Kato glares at him.
“You guys got this. I’m not worried,” Riku grins at his students.
“I don’t recall this confident energy from last night,” Tanaka says teasingly to Riku, reminding him of his nervous breakdown from the night before.
“I was tired, shush,” Riku says while elbowing his colleague.
“Whoa, even Tokuno sensei came to watch,” Ito comments before waving at him, thinking that his sensei will notice his intention. “Sensei!”
Riku looks up at the balcony after hearing Yushi-kun’s name being mentioned, searching for the familiar face before finally seeing him. The younger one looks too cute today, covered up with the team’s colors and holding a hand banner. Riku thinks he could easily mistake him for a third year.
He waves at Yushi-kun, giving him a playful thumbs up, grinning happily. Yushi-kun simply blushes and shows a fist bump, indicating to them that they should fight hard.
“See that! If you don’t fight hard, Tokuno sensei will be disappointed and punish you all with 50 lines!” Tanaka immediately tells them, using this chance to instill fear into them.
“He’s not even my teacher anymore,” a player groans from the back.
“No excuses! Let’s win this for Tokuno sensei!” Tanaka yells loudly before asking everyone to put their hands in.
Even Riku looks flabbergasted at the recent turn of events, not expecting Tanaka to be this cunning person.
“On the count of 3…” Tanaka tells them. “1… 2… Nozomi… Fight!”
As the players break apart and head to the court, Riku faces Tanaka and shakes his head at him, smiling while silently judging him. Though, he can’t fault the guy. Yushi-kun does bring out the fear of failing in some of these students.
**
The tournament ends a few days later where their team manages to enter the quarterfinal, but loses to last year’s champions. It was a tough match, but they did really well considering they finished 3 sets and won one of them. Riku is especially proud of them, taking them out for dinner afterwards and consoling the ones who wanted to cry their eyes out. He even reassures Ito that Tokuno sensei won’t be disappointed in him, finding it cute that this student admires Yushi-kun so much.
And when Riku walks home, he finds Yushi-kun standing in front of his front door, with a plastic bag full of beers and salty snacks. He nods at the younger in acknowledgement, letting them both in before closing the door.
That’s when Riku finally stops pretending that he’s okay, sitting down in the cold ground and covering his face with his hands. He feels the urge to cry, or maybe to shout his frustrations away, but nothing comes out. It’s simply his heart feeling numb from the pain and wishing that his students didn’t feel it too.
And Yushi can only rub his back, unable to say the right words except “it’s okay”. He sits there, right beside him, and waits for Maeda-kun to talk about it.
Almost an hour passes by before Riku sighs loudly and leans his head against Yushi-kun’s shoulder, feeling the warm comfort of a friend, of his crush and of his favorite person. He knows that if Yushi-kun wasn’t here, he’d be drunk already and possibly throwing things at his walls out of anger. It’s not a memory that he was proud of, so he’s glad that tonight has gone differently.
“Thanks,” he mumbles softly at him, feeling grateful that he’s not alone.
“Don’t be. I’d have barged in and made sure you were okay anyway,” Yushi says truthfully.
Riku chuckles softly at that.
“You know, I was really happy that you were in the audience today. At least you got to see how awesome they are. And it was nice, you know, having my own personal cheerleader,” he teases Yushi-kun. “Maybe I should get you a uniform next time.”
Yushi scoffs at him, nudging him playfully.
“I’m not wearing that,” he says adamantly. “But I’ll still cheer for you, whenever you need me, wherever.”
“Yeah?” Riku smiles at him as he gazes up at Yushi’s face. “You can’t take those words back. I might just call you every time I need someone to hold my hand,” he says childishly.
“Yes, I’ll come when you call,” Yushi says with a little exasperation despite smiling.
Riku grins at his words before pulling away from Yushi-kun’s shoulders. He still faces him though, leaning in too close.
“You’re the best, you know that,” he says too endearingly, gazing at him with intense eyes.
Yushi can’t help but blush at those words, feeling shy while turning his head towards Maeda-kun. He doesn’t even know what to say at this moment, simply enjoying the fact that the elder has complimented him.
And Riku isn’t expecting him to reply either as he leans his face closer, close enough that they could kiss if Yushi is brave enough to lean in another centimeter.
Instead, Riku stares at Yushi-kun's lips, weighing the risk of kissing him now or later, thinking if he should confess, or hide his feelings. But most of all, wondering if the younger knew that he’s been enamoured for weeks .
And it’s so easy to do any of that at this moment, but he can’t. He can’t let their beginning start with a stupid kiss on a cold, ground floor.
So he raises his gaze, and stares at Yushi-kun’s kind eyes and smiles.
“Go out with me,” he simply says softly without hesitation.
“O..Okay,” Yushi replies too quickly and too agreeable.
Riku smiles even wider before reaching out and taking Yushi-kun’s hand in his. The happiness overwhelms him and he sighs in satisfaction.
**
The month of August is packed with their dates. Whether it’s trying out crepes in dessert restaurants or taking a walk in a nearby park, Yushi enjoys every moment of it, feeling content just to have Riku-kun’s attention. Riku himself treats every date as if they won’t have time once September arrives, purposely monopolizing every free time to meet up and do something together. And each of these dates have only led to a kiss on the cheek, making them both wonder when their first kiss will be.
Riku thinks they shouldn’t rush this. After all, he wants their relationship to progress as naturally as it can be. Meanwhile, Yushi keeps wondering why they haven’t kissed yet, overthinking about the possible scenarios and worrying that they might break up soon because Yushi has little experience.
In the end, their first kiss happens by the end of August, only 3 days before school starts again. They’re heading home from a late dinner when the rain starts to fall and they seek shelter in a nearby pavilion. Standing here reminds Yushi of their hand holding moment from a few weeks ago, hiding under the pavilion and sharing the warmth of a hand warmer.
Now, Yushi can simply steal the warmth from Riku-kun’s hand, enjoying how their hands fit like two puzzle pieces.
“Yu-chan, are you cold?” Riku asks, pulling him closer to stand in front of him.
The new nickname makes Yushi’s stomach twirl in giddiness and pleasure, unable to resist from smiling too much.
“I’m fine,” he ends up telling Riku-kun, reassuring him.
Riku reaches out and cups his cheek, checking to see if it feels cold, and luckily, it feels fine.
And he takes this opportunity to step closer, and leans in, causing Yushi to freeze at the sudden gesture.
“Can I?” Riku asks softly, noticing the tension in Yushi’s jaw, afraid of being rejected in mid-kiss.
“Yeah…” Yushi confirms, exhaling softly and letting go of his nervousness.
Riku takes it as his permission and closes in the distance. Yushi closes his eyes in return, and feels the warmth of Riku’s hand guiding him as they share their first kiss.
The drops of rain tap loudly against the roof of the pavilion, the constant humidity that seems never ending in this season, and the sound of shishi-odoshi thudding against the ground repeatedly. Neither of these things distract them as they kiss passionately in the dark, ignoring everything else that surrounds them.
And when Riku finally pulls away, feeling content that he finally tasted Yu-chan, he still doesn’t let Yushi step away, keeping his hand on the younger’s cheek.
He caresses the cheek softly before smiling, admitting the emotion that’s deep within him since a long time ago.
“I like you.”
Yushi simply smiles back at him and says it back, this time not afraid of saying it confidently.
“I like you too.”
And later on, after months have passed, Riku takes Yushi to this same spot again, finding it the perfect place to promise him forever. There is no ring or a speech prepared like those cheesy shoujo mangas that Riku likes to read. It’s simply them holding hands in that bench, looking at the people passing by, and suddenly whispering the promise into Yushi’s ear, as if he’s just sharing random news. Yushi squeezes his hand in reaction, unable to reply in public without feeling the urge to cry, silently blaming Riku for being mean and sweet at the same time. Riku can only smile as he squeezes back and waits patiently, knowing that this is just the beginning of forever.
**
Extra scene
Pocky day is supposed to be a fun day for the students. Handing a box to a significant other, or to a dear friend, and sometimes, to a handsome teacher. Riku accepts these boxes with a smile, finding the gesture to be cute. It’s not like he’ll fall for any of his students anyway.
Plus, he’s also giving out boxes to his colleagues, casually dropping one in each desk and making small talk before excusing himself to the next desk.
He even buys a special box for Yu-chan because he wants his lover to feel the most loved. After all, it’s not cute if Yushi gets jealous because of his actions. He even spent the whole night thinking about writing the perfect message, something sweet and romantic.
But it’s hard. It’s like describing how awesome Yushi is in one sentence, which is impossible .
So in the end, he searches for love quotes and ideas, before coming to a realization that he should keep this simple. After all, Yushi isn’t a hard man to please, especially when it comes to romantic gestures.
In the end, he writes the most simple sentence he can think of for Yushi and drops the box in his desk, making sure that his colleagues can’t see the box since their relationship is still a secret.
And Yushi doesn’t get a chance to see it until the end of the day, when he finally notices the box sticking out from his drawer.
He wonders if this is a gift from Riku-kun again, always putting random snacks into his table as a way to motivate his day. As he looks at the pocky box, he finally notices the handwritten message, feeling his heart melt at the pretty writing and the sweet message.
君だから、好きだ。(Because you’re you, I love you)
Yushi can tell that the elder probably spent a lot of effort into writing this prettily, after hearing the amount of time he’d scold him for not spacing out his letters evenly. He also feels a little teary because Riku-kun always knows how to tug his heartstring so easily.
He doesn’t even notice Riku-kun waiting for him by the door, watching him in silence as usual, gazing at him with too much adoration.
“Do you like it that much?” Riku asks teasingly.
Yushi looks up and gazes at Riku-kun, smiling at the elder for asking a stupid question.
“You always do these things, and I’m left catching up,” Yushi complains softly before standing up, wears his jacket quickly and takes his bag to leave the school.
“I gotta win boyfriend of the year award,” Riku jokes. “I only have a month and a half to go!”
Yushi scoffs before kissing his cheek quickly, and whispering his reply into his ear.
“大好き.”
Riku grins at hearing, feeling victorious, but also, strangely turned on by the confession.
“Let’s just get a taxi so I can embrace you soon,” the elder claims impatiently as he opens the application on his phone.
“Riku-kun!” Yushi laughs loudly at his suggestion, but he’s not disagreeing with the idea. He looks forward to tonight already.