For Him [Yama 5/6]

Waking up without the familiar warmth and scent of Sho beside him alerted Satoshi for all of five seconds as it did most of the time. He would lie back down, relish in the residual coziness of the bed for a little while, and finally get up.

Sho's Kaizen talk practice had wrapped up earlier than Satoshi expected. They had spent the night putting up the painting and reminiscing about their first year in that house. They also found the lamp Sho mentioned and it now replaced their plain bedside lamp.

He usually hummed while making the bed. Sho must have heard, since he called out a greeting.

"I tried eggs again." Sho immediately said once Satoshi entered the kitchen, his sleepy face still a little damp from washing. It was hard to imagine what time Sho had gotten up and gotten ready as he was already in his suit sans blazer.

Satoshi blearily walked to him, wanting to feel Sho close and also wanting eggs that were not burnt for breakfast. He smoothly slid a hand over Sho's on the handle of the pan. Sho winced but was unable to move away quickly enough.

"Both of us will get burned!" he let the pan go so Satoshi can take over. With a flick of his wrist, the not-so sunny side ups landed with a soft plop.

"Showoff." Sho scoffed. Satoshi laughed and set the plate of eggs in front of him. Sho removed Satoshi's apron, pushed his sleeves further up his arms and sat down to have some toast.

This part was one of the two highlights of Satoshi's day. Sho usually hurries through breakfast, but he eats everything as if it was gourmet. His cheeks puff when he stuffs his mouth and from time to time, especially when it's Satoshi who cooks, he'd moan about how good the food is. Or he would just moan. That was always nice.

"How's life in Jupiter, sir?" Sho said thickly. Satoshi blinked at him, trying to register what seemed to be a Chinese word.

Satoshi tried to repeat the word but Sho waved a dismissive hand, laughing a little. "You were staring at me like an alien studying a human who's doing this strange habit of stuffing his face."

"I like when you stuff your face." Satoshi smiled.

"No dirty talk at the table!" Sho scolded, but Satoshi had no clue where that idea came from. Sho's eyes betrayed the fact that it simply amused him. "Sleepy from my Kaizen talk? You said you could handle it. And I might be home early so I was hoping for a round two."

That was Sho's way of asking Satoshi to talk about his thoughts, the latter knew. Sho was just being considerate of whether Satoshi wants to talk or not.

And mostly, he does. But Satoshi can't exactly tell Sho he was still about to prepare another present.

"Are you back to Earth yet?" Sho peeked at Satoshi through aligned fists, as if staring through a telescope.

"I was thinking...there's no real way to find a 'perfect hiding spot'." Satoshi told him honestly. He couldn't think of anything else to cover up his problem.

"Well, why not?" Sho looked genuinely curious.

"If you find it, then it's not so perfect after all." Satoshi took one piece of toast from the pile that Sho had made. At the very least, Sho wouldn't die of hunger without Satoshi cooking for him.

"I disagree," Sho's brows furrowed thoughtfully. Satoshi was just surprised that the conversation continued at all. He was more used to getting dismissed as weird. Sho never put Satoshi's thoughts away from discussions.

"If it's to be a hiding spot, it has to be visible when looking for a place to hide. Otherwise, it cannot even qualify as a hiding spot." Sho added.

"Oh," Satoshi didn't expect a deep explanation, but Sho's determined look did not let up. Satoshi watched as Sho stood up to put his plate in the sink.

"But then, if it will be a perfect hiding spot, you can theoretically find it and it'll still be perfect for hiding..." Sho pushed his sagging sleeves back up his elbows, Satoshi simply enjoyed the view. Sho caught him staring again and stared right back.

Satoshi sat up in attention but Sho wasn't done with his lecture. "I think Plato said something about that, though."

Half the time, Satoshi had no idea what Sho would talk about when he would begin babbling about philosophical or scientific things. He still loved listening, anyway. Sho was often passionate about the things he knew and believed in, and it was so refreshing to hear someone standing up for their thoughts instead of falling back into the comfortable norms of society.

Satoshi stared so intensely that Sho stopped talking and with a small chuckle, took Satoshi's toast then stuffed into the latter's open mouth. Satoshi was startled but took a crunchy bite anyway. He completely didn't notice when his jaw had dropped while gazing at Sho.

"I guess it doesn't help to analyze it." Sho patted the breadcrumbs off off the corners of Satoshi's busily chewing lips and round cheeks.

Sho continued speaking as he unrolled his sleeves. "But I had strict parents so I got pretty good at hiding stuff in plain sight." he grinned.

Satoshi nodded knowingly.

Sho was definitely good at keeping secrets. Satoshi still didn't know how Sho managed to get a Joël Robuchon cake in time for his birthday. Satoshi can't even read the name of the chef nor the cake, much less figure out that it was all that rare until their neighbor, the bubbly chef Masaki, pointed it out as limited edition.

"Hiding in plain sight." Satoshi repeated, looking around the house.

"So..." Sho bent down so his face was very close. "You can't

possibly

hide anything from me."

There was a playful little glint in Sho's round eyes and Satoshi accepted the challenge.

"I have nothing to hide," he said with a smile that made Sho's eyes grow wide. He really hasn't got anything to hide, not yet anyway. Two can play Sho's mind games, as long as Satoshi has had breakfast.

The doorbell made them break the staring contest. Satoshi cursed in his mind, and for a moment considered switching off the intercom.

"I'll get it as I leave." Sho said, with a little smirk. Satoshi knew that his every move will from now on be watched closely. Everything he would do from then would be a clue now that Sho's curiosity had been piqued.

Sho put on his blazer and took his suitcase. The doorbell chimed again even as Sho quickly strode off to the door.

Satoshi looked at the kitchen counter and noticed something important that Sho had forgotten. He took out a banana case and pulled a banana from their bunch.

"Oh, Matsumoto-kun. Good morning," Sho's voice came from the entryway. Satoshi hurried over with the banana now in a case to see their neighbor, the handsome production designer.

Jun Matsumoto looked a little disheveled with his brown waves not pushed back as was usual, but he still looked like he was rocking a new trend. He raised a platter with a foil covering in his hands.

"Aiba-kun forgot to give you guys this and now he's too shy to, he said." Matsujun was never happy in the morning.

"Woah, what is it?" Sho took the platter from Matsujun.

"Paella. I made it, actually." Matsujun brightened up a little. "Aiba-kun doesn't do much western dishes."

"Oh," Sho said as he and Satoshi peeked at what seemed to be a platter of orange rice with seafood toppings inside.

"How much is this again?" Satoshi asked. Matsujun waved a hand dismissively.

"You guys get it for free as long as you tell me if it's good or not."    

"Oh but that's-" Satoshi and Sho exchanged looks but Matsujun interrupted.

"I insist." he gave them a nod of finality. "You've helped Aiba-chan with his menu with all the stuff he's been making us all try. Or you can thank us by coming by for a beer sometime. Like this week or so."

"Yeah, that'd be quite nice." Sho had on a cordial smile that Satoshi knew was his sales pitch face.

"But you have a thing to do the whole week." Satoshi said quickly so Sho didn't need to think of an excuse. Perhaps it wasn't visible, but that salesman smile only ever appeared when he had to do something he didn't want to.

Sho put a fist on his forehead and it looked somewhat theatrical to Satoshi.

"Ah, yeah." Sho had on what Satoshi recognized as the practiced look of regret. "Why'd you have to remind me of these boring things."

Satoshi chuckled in spite of himself. Sho was a little too good at secrets.

"I can go, though." Satoshi asked permission with his eyes.

"Yeah, he can have a shot for me, right?" Sho nodded.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry if I insisted. Aiba-chan also wanted you guys to try a bunch of stuff that might go well with beer and all that." Matsujun said with a shrug. "Just come by or catch up, or not. Thanks anyway."

Satoshi could hear the fondness in how Matsujun switched from talking formally about his roommate to using an endearing nickname. He was very supportive of his chef friend's upcoming restaurant.

When Matsujun had said his goodbye and left, Sho turned to Satoshi with a soft gaze.

"I figured you're quite busy this week." Satoshi explained as he took the platter from Sho and exchanged it with the banana case. "It's a given that we'll be out on our anniversary but for now, I'll pop up with them and give you some quiet time. They'll also rest the daily invites if one of us turned up once."

"Jeez, don't make me sound so antisocial." Sho laughed, but this was his way of thanking Satoshi anyway. "Thanks for the banana. Almost forgot."

"You should get going so you don't miss your train." Satoshi reminded him. "We can have this tonight."

"You better leave some paella for me. I might be able to get off work early." Sho checked his watch at least thrice but seemed hesitant to move.

"Sure,

amore

." Satoshi snorted.

"That's Italian." Sho scoffed. "Paella is Spanish." 

Satoshi stepped up and was about to retort but got stopped when he felt Sho's lips on his forehead. He stepped back and blinked for a moment in confusion as Sho laughed cheekily and said, "I'm off, put the paella inside!"

Satoshi could only grab thin air as Sho's long strides took him all the way to the end of the hall. He would have chased Sho all the way, feeling the heat spread from his forehead and all the way to his neck.

He was never gonna get used to these ambushes, but he likes it even if he knew that Sho hurried away to end the moment as quickly as he could. Satoshi himself has other pressing matters to attend to, so it couldn't be helped.

When he heard the elevator bell, he slipped back inside with his hands supporting the paella platter. He hurriedly put on shoes and skipped over to the unit across.

When he rung the doorbell, he was surprised when the door immediately opened.

"Oh! If it isn't Ohno-kun! Not on the morning shift at the convini?" Toma Ikuta greeted happily. From behind, Matsujun peeked.

"Is something wrong with the

paella

?" he came closer.

"Come in, Ohno-kun! There's breakfast, Aiba-chan made a lot of stuff. I heard you like bread." Toma ushered Satoshi inside.

Satoshi liked how their house was designed. Most of the larger furniture and the wall accents were in monochrome but there would be a pop of color in random places, most noticeable of which were the square pillows that adorned the couch.

Perhaps the best part was that the house always smells pleasantly of fresh food.

"N-no there's nothing wrong with the

paya

." Satoshi hurriedly said with a bow. "Thanks for letting me in."

"What's up? Must be urgent that you'd come in your pajamas." Matsujun gestured to their living room.

"Oi! Teacher Toma, you left your stupid socks in the bathroom again!" Nino came into the room with a bright yellow toothbrush.

"Well look at the time! Gotta go and inspire the future of our country!" Toma winked and hurriedly left before Nino could see him.

"He left, Nino. Let it be." Matsujun said dismissively, but he was smiling a little. "Sorry for the mess, Ohno-kun. What did you need?"

"What could world famous artist O-sama possibly need from us, plebs?" Nino grinned, briefly entering and exiting bathroom. "Maybe some clothes, uncle exhibitionist?"

"Oh, sorry." Satoshi finally noticed that he was still in pajamas.

Matsujun once again gestured to their fashionable monochrome couch. Satoshi finally sat and said, "Do you know how to make banana roll cake?"

"You don't like the paella?" Matsujun looked at the platter and then back at him.

"No, I do. I just thought. I want to bake something as a present...and I don't know how to bake anything that isn't bread." Satoshi looked at the paella platter again and realized that he was hungry. "I just forgot to put this down." He added.

"Why don't you have J make it?" Nino sat down across them, curled in the corner of the long black couch.

"Oh I..." Satoshi wondered how to not sound like a snob by refusing.

"He wants to make and give the present." Matsujun spoke with a knowing nod. "So it has to be him. Yeah, I'll help."

"Thank you." Satoshi breathed easy. He realized how much he had been relying on Sho to speak for him all this time. How Sho translated Satoshi's thoughts into actual words, he wasn't sure. He guessed that reading minds through body language was taught at business school.

"You called?" Masaki peeked from the kitchen. He immediately smiled wide when he saw Satoshi.

"Sweets loving buddy!" Masaki took two steps before retreating back to the kitchen, stumbling slightly in his excitement. "I've got some pastries from somewhere..."

"Aiba-chan, Ohno-kun needs our help." Matsujun gestured for Masaki to join them.

Masaki was immediately back at the living room, but with a basket of pastry. "You can have this. Someone gave them to me, but I have two more. How can we help?"

Satoshi looked from Masaki's eager round eyes, Matsujun's curious brows and Nino's Cheshire cat grin. He was so far past his comfort zone of discreetly asking for advice and favors that he suddenly felt like shrinking from their gaze. He had no clue how to deliberate his request.

However, he had to try.

For him

.

"I need to make banana roll cake." Satoshi said with a nod. "Please teach me."

"Aw, I don't know how to make banana roll cake!" Masaki gasped. He grabbed Matsujun's sleeve and tugged a little. "Maybe you can?"

"I'm too clumsy for something that delicate but, I can help." Matsujun nodded back.

"Eh, I think if you saw how it's done, you could figure it out, like the pancake art thing." Nino shrugged. "You're

the

O-sama after all, you just watched how it's done on Youtube and did it."

Satoshi was bewildered at being called a king, so he just looked at Nino.

"I don't mean we aren't helping. I mean, we'll help you learn it." Nino went on, slowly. "We're just probably not gonna be able to teach you because none of us bake."

Satoshi blinked at him, trying to imagine what situation would have him learn without being taught. He immediately pictured out meditating under a waterfall.

"Well don't worry about it!" Masaki was on his feet again, looking quite pumped. "I'll help you even if I don't know what to do! You've done a lot for my restaurant."

"Hey, I owe you for the character design thing." Nino gave Satoshi a small salute.

"This house? You basically designed the concept for it." Matsujun interrupted before Satoshi could retort. "We owe you. And in a way, Sakurai-kun too."

Satoshi could only shake his head.

When Matsujun and the trio were just moving in, he had a completely different set of furniture in mind, but due to a lot of confusion he got all of them in only blacks except the pillows-lavender, lime green, yellow and soft pink.

Satoshi had simply remarked at that time that color splash in real life looked brilliant, and later made the color splash painting of Sho asleep. He didn't mean it as advice.

"Okay, stop. This is cheesy." Nino got up and threw a pillow right at Masaki's head. The latter immediately protested by throwing it back but Matsujun caught the pillow and gave them both a stern look, which Nino ignored as he stretched catlike on the couch and spoke. "Just let us know when."

"Today." Satoshi said, a little too quickly. Nino and Matsujun had an identical look of surprise.

"Sounds urgent. Deadline is?" Matsujun asked calmly.

"Well, tonight..." He sighed. "It's hard to hide things from smart people."

"Oh, it's for Sho-chan! Yeah, he's good at guessing." Masaki bounced back to the couch beside Matsujun, but didn't take a seat. "Have I told you the time he guessed what I was going to talk to him about? He's really smart."

Matsujun cleared his throat. "I don't have a shoot today, the other two are busy. Let's get to work. I'll need your kitchen."

"But that'll leave evidence, won't it?" Nino raised an eyebrow.

"He needs to physically remember how to make it in his own kitchen...just in case." Matsujun looked at Satoshi. "Well, that's what I'd do. That okay with you?"

Satoshi nodded slowly, like a child pressured into sneaking out past bedtime. It was going to be a lot of trouble, but it was all going to be worth it.

For Sho.

*

It was quite late in the afternoon when Matsujun came over just as Satoshi got home after a short trip to the grocery store to buy ingredients.

They put the ingredients and tools down on the dinner table and Satoshi watched as Matsujun pointed to every item for the second time.

"That's actually more than enough bananas for the recipe." Matsujun looked at the wooden banana holder. It was considerably larger than average, looking more like a miniature coat hanger with bunches of bananas hanging by twos on the arms.

"And, I've never actually seen that kind of banana holder." Matsujun said, taking the banana bunches.

"Oh, we made it." Satoshi said fondly. "We eat a lot of those together."

Matsujun chuckled. "You guys love bananas a bit too much. You should hang out with Aiba-chan."

"Yeah..." Satoshi trailed off, thinking of a more complicated time when they didn't much think of health and nutrition.

"Get mashing, I'll show you how the batter is made." Matsujun handed the bunches of bananas over. Satoshi never expected Matsujun to take the reins so readily but it was preferable for him at the moment. Or rather, in general.

"You guys health nuts?" Matsujun peeked at Satoshi as he put flour and butter into a bowl. "I kind of am, so we could like...share notes."

"Kinda." Satoshi considered this for a moment. "Or maybe not so much. We just really like bananas, I suppose. And I love strawberries. We love oranges..."

"What's with bananas?" Matsujun wasn't quite done with his interview, but all in good heart, as he was chuckling.

"About three years ago I think, I got kleptomania." Satoshi tilted his head, trying to recall the long word that Sho used. It was in English, but it could have been any other language and Satoshi would not have recalled it any better.

"You...what?" Matsujun paused, raising his well-maintained brows. He was holding the electric mixer in one hand and the metal whisk in the other.

"Ka...kaleido....uh..." Satoshi racked his brain. Matsujun's reaction clearly meant that he said it wrong.

"How about," Matsujun made a vague gesture with the whisk, urging Satoshi to continue mashing. "describe what happened."

"It's a lack of some vitamin." Satoshi looked at the partially mashed bananas. "The thing bananas have."

"Vita—wha—you mean like, potassium?" Matsujun's eyebrows couldn't possibly go any higher. Satoshi nodded vigorously at the familiar English word.

"So like, hypokalemia?" Matsujun said.

Satoshi gave him a finger gun salute. "Yes! I think." 

"Ohno-san," Matsujun said between giggles. "Potassium isn't a vitamin, and bananas aren't its primary source."

"Close enough. But bananas are perfect so we like them." Satoshi held out the mashed banana bowl and Matsujun approved it with a nod.

"Hang on, how many years ago? Because I recall that you weren't around much after we moved here and you said that comment about color splash." Matsujun replied, handing the batter and the mixer to him. "I wanted to thank you, but Sakurai-kun said you were hospitalized."

"Yeah it was a bit after that I think?" Satoshi tilted his head. "I fainted or something, so I was hospitalized. It wasn't so bad...I felt a little dead but I wasn't."

"You know, that was probably Sakurai-kun's worst year too." Matsujun gestured for Satoshi to pour the batter. When Satoshi didn't quickly understand the motion, Matsujun took the bowl and did it himself. "I'd greet him, he wasn't...well, as nice as he is now."

"He wasn't nice to you?" Satoshi accepted the pan when Matsujun handed it. He then opened the oven and let Satoshi place the pan in.

"Not that he was rude." Matsujun waved a free hand. "He was just out of sorts. I thought he was a grouch and a slob. Of course he isn't but...you know. First impressions matter."

Satoshi snorted. Matsujun doesn't know the state of Sho's seemingly disaster-struck desk.

"He was not one for much small talk, is what I mean. Which is okay. I mean, I probably annoy him." Matsujun shrugged lightly as he laid wax paper down. Satoshi was pretty sure he never had wax paper.

"No you don't." Satoshi said quickly. "He likes you guys. He just...he—"

It was then he learned that he was not as good at explaining Sho's behavior.

"I get it. He likes to keep to himself. Nino's like that too." Matsujun smiled warmly. Satoshi was immediately glad Matsujun was more equipped to understand people. Satoshi would have gone on a possibly nonsensical tangent about Sho being an islet one has to swim to, or about "brain trains".

"People like him and Nino...they're very good at presenting themselves in the way that they prefer to be seen." Matsujun said slowly. Satoshi guessed that he was choosing his words carefully. "But really, Sakurai-kun was a mess."

Satoshi fell silent. In his point of view, Sho was his strength that time. He wasn't in pain that he couldn't tolerate, but it was hard for him to be bedridden and completely unable to work nor help Sho.

"He visited me every day." Satoshi remembered. "He would ask me to listen to his practice presentations." It only hit him then that Sho never looked like a mess when seeing him. And even made Satoshi feel useful by making him listen to those presentations.

Yet Satoshi knew Sho could have gotten anyone else for that.

Satoshi fiddled with the oven mitt in his hands. He chuckled all of a sudden, making Matsujun look up.

"How did I get so lucky?" Satoshi asked Matsujun and this made the latter burst into giggles.

"I think both of you are." Matsujun said with a serious nod, and this made Satoshi's cheeks feel hot. He was spared from answering when Matsujun got up to see the cake.

Matsujun's phone on the table started vibrating, interrupting Satoshi's attempt to respond.

Matsujun excused himself and answered the call, walking over to the entryway. Satoshi squatted in front of the cake, imagining the happy noises Sho would make when he would eat it; how his cheeks would puff and he would moan and all that.

Satoshi sat watching the cake bake. It fascinated him how gradual and gentle the change was. The smell was wonderful too. He thought about making a strawberry cake roll next.

Sho had once told him about the times he would be alone in his house waiting for his mother. He would eat cake rolls then.

Satoshi looked up to the clock subconsciously. It was a quarter to six...

Then it hit him.

I might be home early so I was hoping for a round two.

I might be able to get off work early.

Sho usually came home around six in the evening when he would be early.

Satoshi looked at the half-baked cake. "Oh...no..."

He made a mad dash to Matsujun at the entryway, just as Matsujun ended his call. "I think Sho's gonna be home early," he said hurriedly.

Matsujun's eyes went wide. "What. The cake isn't done—oh wait, shouldn't see me here."

"What should I do with the cake?" Satoshi glanced at the clock again and was reminded of a time Sho came earlier than six when Okada would drive him home.

"Here, I sent you the recipe." Matsujun's thumb tapped about on his smartphone so fast Satoshi didn't even notice. "Return my stuff tomorrow and—"

"I'm home—eh?"

Satoshi, Matsujun and Sho stood in the entryway frozen in their spots for a few seconds.

"Matsumoto-kun!" Sho greeted him with a bow as he closed the door.

Satoshi had no idea what to do with his hands nor his face for that reason, gaping like a fish out of water.

Matsujun smiled at Sho. "Sakurai-kun, just the person I need."

"Oh, how can I help?" Sho seemed to be in a good mood as he smiled and raised both brows expectantly. Satoshi helplessly looked at him and then at Matsujun.

"I was just asking Ohno-kun if you're home and all that." Matsujun smoothly replied. Matsujun was perhaps on Sho's level of keeping secrets but Sho in his good mood seemed to have his guard down.

"Oh, what is it?" Sho asked again, and Satoshi decided to let Matsujun handle it. He took Sho's suitcase.

"Aiba-kun has a thing he needs about tax? And we're not quite sure what's going on, would you be able to lend us a hand?" Matsujun pocketed his smartphone.

"Oh, yes, sure. Wait, now?" Sho replied.

"If you're not too busy?" Matsujun offered. Satoshi almost sighed aloud in relief.

"Matsumoto-kun, I uh..." Sho's tone surprised Satoshi. This was Sho mustering his courage. "I came early to...well, so we could kinda...spend time together..." He gestured vaguely to Satoshi.

"Oh," Matsujun's own perfectly maintained brows shot up. Even Satoshi was surprised. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"But you could tell Aiba-kun to email me whatever papers he has on the matter and I'll help him." Sho shuffled on his feet. Honesty makes him awkward, perhaps, or the directness of it. Satoshi still couldn't believe his ears. "I've just kind of had a long week. And I'm excited to try your paella!"

"Right, of course." Matsujun looked excited about this. "The drink invite stands, by the way. Next week perhaps."

He looked at Satoshi and then at Sho. "We'll be across the hall." Matsujun said with a few little nods as he left.

"Did you let him in?" Sho turned to Satoshi as he locked the door after Matsujun.

Satoshi's stomach dropped. The cake's scent was undeniably good. He had absolutely failed. It was all over.

"I..." Satoshi gripped the handle on Sho's suitcase.

"You should have shown him your painting!" Sho said happily as he came in. Satoshi followed, dragging his feet. His mind was blank and he had no such talent for making things up that Sho and Matsujun had. "Matsumoto-kun loves paintings—oh, are you baking?"

"I am," Satoshi could only tell Sho the truth. There really was no

perfect

hiding spot.

Sho hurried to the dining room and kitchen. "It's a cake!" he cried happily as Satoshi put Sho's suitcase down on a dining chair.

"Sorry...it was supposed to be a surprise." Satoshi began sheepishly.

"I'm plenty surprised! I knew you made simple bread—which I love, by the way—but I didn't know you could bake! Is that why you didn't let Matsumoto-kun in?" Sho was watching the cake in the oven. Satoshi came beside him and shook his head. "He helped me with everything. I can't really bake..."

Sho looked at Satoshi, biting his lips. Satoshi's heart must have stopped for a moment, but Sho spoke. "That's banana cake, isn't it?"

Satoshi nodded.

Sho laughed and took a seat. "And you bake too!" He slid a hand over his face, biting his lips again. Satoshi examined him. It seemed that Sho was stopping himself from smiling. "I lose, I totally lose."

Satoshi shook his head. "You can do a lot of things too! You—"

"No, I mean—" Sho waved a hand. "I was with aniki just now and we were talking about perfectionism. He said I'm too much of a perfectionist."

"Oh," Satoshi sat down too. He was not sure where the conversation was headed.

"And I tried to disagree, I said, no, I'm simply aiming for the best, not necessarily perfect. But he says, 'oh but you fell in love with perfection, didn't you? You can no longer settle for less.' He sees right through me, I tell you." Sho said in between little chuckles and snorts.

Satoshi didn't immediately catch up so he laughed along. Sho looked at him, amused. "He means you."

"Because I baked a cake?" Satoshi snorted. "That's perfection?"

"Why not?" Sho grinned.

"I didn't even finish the cake on time. And I had a lot of help anyway." Satoshi said quietly.

"Yeah but it's for me, you know how I love eating." Sho chuckled lightly. "Is it done yet?"

"I still have to roll it." Satoshi said, getting up to check the cake again.

"Hey maybe...I can help?" Sho tilted his head.

Satoshi looked at the table, where a bowl of icing sat. He grinned widely and burst into laughter. "Yes, please do."

Satoshi let Sho take his phone and look at the recipe Matsujun sent so he could take the cake out of the oven. He set it on the table and looked at the familiar blue thing Sho was holding out.

The blue apron with a hand drawn tuna.

Satoshi grinned and put it on.

"Matsujun told me," he said as he tied the apron into a small bow. Sho picked up the icing in the bowl and looked at him.

"I didn't think he knew how to bake a cake, either." Sho replied.

"No, I mean he told me about that time." Satoshi came closer. "When I had...high...high-per-"

Sho looked absolutely bewildered.

"Hyp-oh, hypo-calendar." Satoshi gave Sho a spatula.

"Hyp—ohh!" Sho burst out laughing, almost fumbling with the icing bowl. Satoshi caught it on the other side. They stood with only that small silver bowl between them.

"Hy-po-ka-le-mi-a." Sho repeated slowly and Satoshi nodded with each syllable.

"That's what I said," he added. "You never left my side then. Even if it was really bad for you. And if I recall, the house was pretty clean even if I was gone for quite a while."

"It wasn't all that amazing," Sho didn't meet his gaze and instead, stuffed the spatula into the icing, scooping the ones that stuck on the bowl. "Not like there was a lot to clean or something."

"Thank you." Satoshi would have wanted to meet his gaze but telling him while only being a bowl apart may be enough for now. "For taking care of me."

"Likewise," Sho said before meeting his eyes.

Satoshi came closer to lay a quick kiss on his lips, but instead, he felt something soft and rather...fluffy.

Sho cracked up, making Satoshi open his eyes and see his blurry reflection on the fish tank across him. Sho had made him kiss the icing-filled spatula.

"Alright, Santa, let's roll this cake." Sho said enthusiastically, tasting some of the icing all over Satoshi's mouth by sampling it with a finger.

In retaliation, Satoshi took some off and smudged it on Sho's hair as he was unable to dodge. It was war, but it ended fast when they realized they still had a cake that didn't even get rolled. That was the only time they ever had cake and Kaizen talk for dinner.