Time Goes to a Standstill

[Prince of Tennis] Honestly Speaking - Shishido/Ootori

2013-12-20T00:38:28Z

Title: Honestly Speaking

Author: Mana

Pairing: Shishido/Ootori

Rating: R-18

Words: 680

Summary: When alone, denial has no place.

Author’s Note(s): Mostly PWP. Impulse fic.

"Thanks for inviting me here, Shishido-san," Ootori said happily. "That long dip in the onsen felt really great!"

"It's no big deal," Shishido replied as he dried his hair with a towel. "It's not everyday that my dad gets to give me things to show off."

Ootori gave a light chuckle. Shishido managed to grab hold of free onsen tickets from his father, who also got it for free at work. The two boys slipped out of practice right away, making sure that no one would see them together. Keeping certain secrets from their teammates weren't easy, especially when that secret spells out being together with your doubles partner, in more ways than one.

"There's just one thing, though," said Ootori. "There's only one mattress..."

Shishido shrugged as he sat down on the wooden stool by their cabin window. "Then we'll share."

A strong blush crept on Ootori's face. "B-but, Shishido-san..."

"Two of us can fit in that big of a mattress," Shishido declared flatly. He blinked upon seeing his partner's reddened face. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you’re getting all gushy with me."

Ootori lowered his face—an unnecessary attempt to hide his incessant blushing. Shishido shook his head and approached his doubles partner. He reached out and made the taller boy face him. Both their muscles tensed up at the hinting closeness.

Shishido eyed Ootori for the longest time. "We've done it once, Choutarou," he uttered as his hand gripped Ootori's robe. "And we can do it over and over again..."

Ootori's heart raced like mad. He was about to protest, but Shishido's lips were too quick to silence him. It didn't take long until he felt Shishido's moist and warm tongue inside his mouth, choking every bit of his resistance. He would respond to his partner's gestures once in a while, but he mostly found himself trying to keep his breath.

Shishido slightly pulled away. He could feel something hard pressing against his leg. "Looks like your body has betrayed you," he whispered with a smirk.

"Don't say things like that, Shishido-san!" Ootori exclaimed.

Shishido slowly took Ootori's hand. The silver-haired boy fidgeted when he felt his fingers brushing against Shishido's erection. "Can you feel it? I'm the same as you," Shishido hushed out. "Touch me, Choutarou..."

A slight moan escaped Shishido's lips as he felt Ootori's fingers running up and down his shaft. He then began to nibble and suck on Ootori's neck while removing his own robe.

"Shishido-san... Stop... Th-That's going to leave a mark..." Ootori pleaded in between moans. But Shishido continued and seemingly not satisfied with leaving just one mark. Ootori gave up and simply suppressed his already muffled cries. He could already feel his hands getting sticky.

"Look at what you've done, Choutarou..." Shishidou whispered. "We won't be okay with just these things."

Ootori then found himself slumped down on the mattress, chest pressed against the floor. "What are you going to do, Shishido-san?"

"Just relax," Shishido replied as he trailed Ootori's bare back with his tongue. Shivers literally went down the taller boy's spine. "It's time that we gave ourselves to each other completely."

"Shishido-sa---"

"Trust me, Choutarou," Shishido interrupted. "You're the only one that I'll ever want like this."

Shishido claimed Ootori's hand as he positioned himself. Soon, the other boy's warmth enveloped him, and he could feel every inch of Ootori's body reacting to him.

Both boys drowned in that moment of ecstasy, trying to take in every moment and feeling like it won't ever happen again. It all seemed like eternity before they realized that it's over. The needs of their bodies had passed, yet the overwhelming tightness in their chests still lingers. Shishido rolled on to his back and pulled Ootori close to him. Ootori was silent for a moment, but he eventually hushed a weakened chuckle.

"Why are you laughing?" Shishido asked.

Ootori's lips curved up slightly. "When we end up doing this again, I wish I can be as honest as you, Shishido-san."

Their bodies and desires spoke more honestly than their hearts.

- e n d -

[Prince of Tennis] It's All In The Head - Platinum Pair

2009-03-31T12:41:12Z

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. I can never own something as awesome. XD

Title: It's All In The Head
Author: sixthwinemaiden/staticspacetime

Pairing: Platinum Pair
Rating: PG-13
Words: 747
Warning(s): none that I can think of

Summary: It seems that Yagyuu can hold his alcohol quite well. Niou feels uneasy.

It's All In The Head

by sixthwinemaiden

The fourth bottle of beer has been consumed. Soon it joins the rest of the empty bottles lined up on the floor. From the other side of the table, Niou’s gaze is intently fixed at Yagyuu’s direction. He seems to find the bespectacled boy more interesting than the glass of beer in his hands.

Yagyuu’s face is red, but other than that he’s far from looking like a drunken person. With fixed composure, Yagyuu leisurely drinks from his glass, taking his time in silence. He displays no sign of displeasure—even if he does dislike drinking, by any chance, he’s good at hiding it.

Niou gives up, settles his half-emptied glass on the table, and leans back on the couch. “I thought you said you can't drink,” he comments.

“I did say that, and it’s true,” Yagyuu replies. “Is there something wrong with the way I accepted your request?”

Niou chuckles as he reaches for a fresh bottle, his last dose of alcohol for the night. “Nothing at all,” he says, shaking his head. The bottle fizzes as he opens it, and he pokes his tongue out like a habit.

“Say, how many bottles can you take, Niou-kun?” Yagyuu asks.

Niou slowly shakes his glass as he thinks. The ice clinks against the glass as he does so. “Hmm… About seven, if I’m really in the mood. But I’ll be calling it a night after this. I think I’m losing it already,” he confesses.

“Oh. In that case, I’ll be cleaning up. Take your time with that. I can handle this,” Yagyuu gets on his feet and picks up the bottles one by one. He then exits the room and leaves Niou, still slumped on the couch.

Niou throws his head back and lets out a groan. “What the hell…,” he sighs.

While Yagyuu’s pretty tough for a first-time drinker, he’s undoubtedly a boring drinking companion. But better him than Marui, Niou thinks. He needs someone who will drink with him, not someone who will gobble up all the food instead.

Niou stretches his arms up, but they oddly bump into something behind him. He flexes his head back and sees an inverted view of Yagyuu.

“Look at you. You’re a mess already,” says Yagyuu, eyeing him down. Then he settles himself on the floor and leans at the back of the couch.

Niou narrows his eyes in thought. “I’ve looked worse than this when drunk,” he utters, gazing passively at the ceiling. He closes his eyes and waits for a response. Yagyuu has been talking unnecessarily.

A still silence follows. Niou opens one eye and sees Yagyuu’s face right above him, with only an inch of gap separating the two of them.

“I wanted to see…,” Yagyuu hushes out, his breath reeking of beer. “…how you act when you’re drunk.”

Niou presses his lips together, but he’s far from looking fazed. “Am I that interesting to you?”

Instead of giving a straight answer, Yagyuu bends his head forward and lets his lips meet Niou’s. Eventually he forces a kiss so deep that Niou’s breathing hitches up for a moment.

Moving up to Yagyuu’s head, Niou’s hand clutches Yagyuu’s back collar and pulls him close, while the other loosens the tie.

Really, Yagyuu’s a troublemaker after all…, Niou’s thoughts trail off. The gray-haired boy breaks their kiss and pulls Yagyuu into the couch. Yagyuu gazes up with blank eyes as Niou removes his glasses, setting it just underneath the couch.

“How long are you going to last, Yagyuu?” Niou utters as he licks just behind the other’s ear. Yagyuu’s breaths are deep and warm against his neck. He trails his lips down to Yagyuu’s neck while his hands unbutton the shirt.

“Niou-kun…”

The fingers pressing against Niou’s back eventually relaxes. Niou pulls back and looks at the boy beneath him. With eyes closed and lips slightly parted, the pretentious façade completely fades from Yagyuu’s face.

Niou bites his lip. “Well that didn’t take long,” he whispers with a sardonic chuckle, brushing Yagyuu’s bangs over his now sleeping face.

He gets off the couch, grabs himself a can of beer from the fridge, and steps out of the house. He gulps down the contents of the can with a single breath, and tosses the can aside into the nearby bushes.

“Geez, Yagyuu, screwing up’s no good when you’re more piss drunk than me,” says Niou, shaking his head while looking into the room where Yagyuu sleeps.

[Media] Nakagauchi Masataka - Cheers!!

2009-03-07T09:34:55Z

Nakagauchi Masataka has officially released a full-length album last March 4, Wednesday. \:D/ For the first time ever, I'm not waiting for someone to share the rips! *SPARKLE SPARKLE* Due to that I feel the need to share what I have, because I'm grateful to those who have done the same in the past. ^____^ Comments are love~ ♥;;

Nakagauchi Masataka - Cheers!!

1. Overture 934
2. Shooting Star *
3. Seven Colors
4. Ano sora e
5. Dancing follow me *
6. Paradiso
7. START (album version) **
8. Kagayaku sora no shita *
9. Your Story
10. Flower bud *
11. Namida kara kiko eta uta
12. Sun will shine away (album version) **
13. Alex *

MASA'S ALBUM IN A NUTSHELL: THERE IS DEFINITE IMPROVEMENT IN MASA'S SINGING. CHEERS, PEOPLE! \:D/

(*) My personal recommendations a.k.a. these songs are awesomecakes!

(**) With slight yet notable difference from the single version. For one thing, Masa's singing in START (album ver.) is MUCH better compared to the single version. He doesn't sound like someone who's about to lose his voice anymore. (^-^)♥;; Sun will shine away (album ver.) has a more classy sound compared to the single version, but the funky electric guitar is still there. MY LOVE FOR THIS SONG GROWS EVEN MORE. ^______________^

ETA: I have no scanner to utilize, so I cannot scan the CD booklet. I'm sorry. :(

[Prince of Tennis] Translucence - Platinum Pair

2009-01-18T13:48:23Z

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis, as I can never own something as awesome. ;DD

Title: Translucence
Author: sixthwinemaiden/staticspacetime
Beta: hakkai_sensei
Pairing: Platinum Pair
Rating: G
Words: 1,952
Warning(s): pre-canon stuff
Summary: Yagyuu should know that he's not ONLY amused at Niou's antics. Even Niou knows more than that.

Author’s note: The fic is in Yagyuu's PoV and is set before canon. Other than that, there's nothing else to note. ^^;; Enjoy the Platinum Pair love~

Translucene
by sixthwinemaiden

It’s fifteen minutes past seven in the morning, yet I do not stir from the edge of my bed. My uniform is neatly pressed and worn as usual, and all I have to do is to get my schoolbag from the desk and proceed to school. But my body is stationary – unwilling to move from its rest. For the past few days, I’ve been feeling vaguely exhausted at random times. Not that I have anything to feel exhausted about. It certainly isn’t caused by school and tennis – I’ve handled these things perfectly ever since I joined the tennis club. Or to put it more specifically, I’ve managed to handle these things. I like doing things perfectly, and I’m good at it.

The clock marks another minute and continues to tick away. I force myself to move. After saying goodbye to my parents, I head to school, which is a fairly short walk from my home.

Today, I have to keep my wits about me, especially at the crossing in front of the school. I don’t want to find myself in another awkward situation wherein I barely miss a speeding car. A couple of my classmates saw what happened, and they blamed the driver for speeding in a school zone to begin with. They may not have noticed, but I was also at fault for not paying attention. At any rate, that shouldn’t happen again.

My mind continues to wander, and I feel my eyes getting heavier. Strangely, this occurs even when I’ve had enough sleep. I’ve never been satisfied with my sleep, now that I think about it…

“Yagyuu!” calls a voice from not so far away.

As if I had been possessed, I snap out of my deep thoughts, only to feel a swift rush of wind and see a speeding flash of red in front of me, then the fading sound of a car’s horn. I blink repeatedly in disbelief until someone comes up beside me and places a hand on my shoulder.

I turn and realize that it’s Niou-kun. “Jeez, Yagyuu, do you want to die young?” he says, lifting his hand from my shoulder and places it back into his side pocket. His schoolbag hangs lazily on his shoulder, complementing his lax and seemingly uncaring expression.

I clear my throat until I can think of something sensible to say. “Apparently, vehicles that pass by here don’t really care if they run people over,” I begin rather awkwardly. “The school should do something to ensure the students’ safety in this area.”

“Oh. Well, whatever. I’m still sleepy, so I’ll be taking a nap somewhere. Catch you later at practice,” Niou utters listlessly as he raises his hand in a wave and crosses the street ahead of me.

I remain unmoved from my spot as I watch him disappear into the crowd of students. It’s my first time to see him so early in the morning. Perhaps I’m already late and hadn’t realized it? I check my wristwatch – ten minutes later than my usual time of arrival, but not for classes. With a push of my glasses, I decide to pick up my pace anyway.

Stranger things have happened.

====

I have just finished reading the last three lines of “Elegy in the Country Churchyard” when the lunch bell rings. Rustles of book pages and faint sounds of chair-and-desk-scraping fill the classroom. The teacher voices out a reminder for an assignment, but most of my classmates are already busy chatting and stowing their things away. I scribble a quick note of it at the back of my notebook before preparing for lunch myself.

Three of my classmates accompany me to the cafeteria for today. I don’t have anyone in particular – a companion, to use a more concrete term – in class who I spend most of my time with. I just get along well with everyone as a proper acquaintance. There is nothing wrong with that, so I keep things the way they are. No one seems to arouse my interest anyway, to be perfectly honest.

We come across Niou-kun at the cafeteria entrance, leaning against the wall with his lips curved up in an amused smile. He must have known that he could always find me here at lunchtime. Anyhow, I don’t know what he is up to this time – he’s simply just looking at me as I approach.

“Yo, Yagyuu,” he greets me.

“Good afternoon, Niou-kun,” I greet back.

My eyes shift to the interior of the cafeteria. Looks like another ruckus has just occurred, and I don’t need to probe any deeper to know who has probably caused it. I turn to Niou just as he is about to snicker lightly.

“Ah, it seems like you’ve had a good afternoon already.” I can’t help smiling as I say that.

Niou shrugs his shoulders as he glances at the cafeteria door. “Things can still get interesting,” he replies. From behind him, Niou-kun takes out something and tosses it at my direction.

My companions immediately flinch while I catch the thing effortlessly – a can of black roast coffee. Not something that will explode at any given moment, I conclude in my mind. I glance at Niou-kun and ask why he has given me that.

“Because it looks like you need one,” is Niou-kun’s simple reply. “I have a lot of those at my place, so I don’t mind.”

“I appreciate this. But I don’t drink coffee,” I reply. Caffeine isn’t really something that I depend on if I want to keep my senses sharp.

“What a shame,” Niou-kun hushes out as he makes his way out of the cafeteria hall. “If you stay the way you are, you’ll end up missing a lot.”

I inspect the can of coffee as I ponder on his words. One of my classmates has started talking about him already – saying how scary he is and how in the world can I smile at Niou-kun’s misdeeds inside the cafeteria. I want to chuckle at that statement, but I know I shouldn’t.

I can’t help wondering if Niou Masaharu truly finds it enjoyable to mess around.

---

After class duty, I go straight to the clubroom. The other regulars are most likely halfway through their warm-up, and I don’t want to fall behind. As expected, the clubroom is nearly empty when I arrive, except for a couple of freshmen on their way back to the courts. I maintain a leisurely pace as I open my locker and change into my jersey. There is no point in hurrying – Yukimura knows that I’m always later than usual every Friday.

Soon enough, I find myself alone in the clubroom, the freshmen having made it a point to close the door behind them. Everything seems quiet, as they should be. After placing my bag on the shelf, I walk over to the door. Oddly, though, the knob seems to be stuck. I fiddle with and pull the knob with all my might, but it still won’t open.

“What in the world...” I find myself sighing in exasperation.

Today must not be my day, no matter where I look at it. I decide to pound on the door a couple of times, hoping that someone would hear. But practice has already started, and the chances of anyone going back here is slim. Leaning back on the door, I give up and allow myself to slide down to the floor. On the brighter side of things, at least this day isn’t like the rest. It’s funny when I think of it – Yagyuu Hiroshi getting stuck in the clubroom.

“Oh, you’re just going to slack around in there until later?” a voice called out through the clubroom window.

I look up and stare in disbelief. Niou-kun is standing outside, looking at me with one of his smirks. “Niou-kun, what is the meaning of this?” I demand.

“I should be asking that, you know,” Niou-kun replies with raised eyebrows. “It’s weird seeing you looking stressed.”

“And I take it that you’re not going to do anything to help me out,” I say.

Niou leans against the wall, so all I can see is a part of his face through the window. “You can always call for help, or try to get through this window here,” he mutters loud enough for me to hear. “But I know you still keep enough of your cool to realize that you can’t fit through the window. Calling for help isn’t exactly something that a calm gentleman does either, so there’s no way that you’d try it.”

I don’t say anything. This person – I am honestly impressed that he can already analyze my thinking so well, and we’ve only been in the same team for a month. But there is one thing that I’m sure of: he also knows that I can see through him as well, even if I’m not as good as he.

“Why are you doing this, Niou-kun?” I ask point-blank.

Niou turns his head, his indifferent blue eyes staring straight at me. “Do you think I did this to you?”

“I do not merely think,” I reply. “I am certain that you did this all. You wouldn’t have said the things that you had earlier if you’re not the one behind this.”

I can see that I’ve said the right words to expose Niou-kun, but his still-amused look gets to me.

“That’s a good point! I knew you’d get it right easily. But there’s this one thing…” He faces me and places his arms on the windowsill. “I wanted you to know that I did this.”

My eyes widen in surprise. “And for what reason?” I find myself asking.

Niou shifts his head to the side and looks at me intently. “You’re bored, aren’t you, Yagyuu?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You heard me,” Niou lets his arm hang from the windowsill as his eyes wander across the empty clubroom. “I’ve been observing you. Doing everything exactly the way perfect people want it – it’s getting on your nerves. You’re getting sick of always having to act the way you should, and I can tell.”

I press my lips together. While it is indeed true that I find Niou-kun’s antics amusing, I still can’t comprehend whatever it is that he wants to say. The way I’ve been losing my concentration and interest these past few days – am I really bored of being perfect?

“So, let’s say that you got things all figured out. But how does it benefit you to lock me in here?” I ask.

A small smile plays on Niou’s lips. “The benefits won’t show at once,” he says. “But I’ll give you a hint, Yagyuu…” He straightens himself up and holds his head up. “Deep inside, you and I have the same desires. You’re just not ready to accept it.”

“You can take off that gentleman’s mask in front of me, Yagyuu,” Niou-kun continues as he picks up his racket and rests it on his shoulder. “Eventually, it’s going to be the two of us, doing things as one.”

I blink behind my glasses as I watch him step away from the window. “Wait, where are you going?” I call out.

“The gum that I stuck into the strikeplate is pretty nasty, so I’ll go get someone to let you out,” I hear Niou call back. “I just realized that you look so tempting in that state.”

“Tempting?” I breathe out to myself as I get on my feet. I look out the window just in time to see Niou-kun disappear into the courts. “Heh, you’re such an interesting person, aren’t you, Niou Masaharu?”

Whatever he means, his words still sound hard to resist.

[Prince of Tennis] Awkward Moments - Kirihara x An

2008-12-27T16:22:53Z

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Title: Awkward Moments
Author: sixthwinemaiden / staticspacetime
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: Kirihara/An
Rating: G
Words: 766
Warning(s): should I warn that this is a het pairing? :OO
Summary: Kirihara is used to having the most awkward moments of daily living, but this is just too much!

For moehoshi, fellow Kiri*An supporter. ;DD Posted to share. ♥

Awkward Moments
by sixthwinemaiden

“Kirihara-kun! What are you doing here?” a surprised Tachibana An gasped.

All eyes were nailed at him. Kirihara could only scratch the back of his head and chuckle. He had never imagined being discovered like that—giving himself away just because he had to make a nuisance out of himself. Crushing the living daylights out of those soccer kids appealed so tempting.

If not for their soccer ball constantly hitting him on the head, Tachibana’s sister wouldn’t have found out about him.

What was her name again? It’s so short but he kept on forgetting. Oddly, though, he’d been watching her—this girl whose name he couldn’t even remember—hang around the street courts for a week now. But he’s not stupid enough to tell her that.

With a grin, An eyed the Rikkai player suspiciously. “Kirihara-kun, could it be that you’re spying on Fudoumine?”

Kirihara couldn’t help laughing. “What? Why should Rikkai spy on a weakling like Fudoumine? It’s not worth it!” he exclaimed.

“Hey, don’t go dissin’ our school, punk!” warned one of the boys.

“Don’t mind him, Hizumi-kun,” An intercepted. “He’s with me, so I’ll deal with him.” With that, An pulled Kirihara by the arm, much to Kirihara’s discomfort.

===

“H-Hey, you don’t need to pull my arm...” Kirihara grumbled, though he didn’t even try to struggle out of the girl’s grasp.

An finally stopped at the sidewalk just before the pedestrian lane. She turned to face Kirihara fearlessly, just like that time during the Jr. Senbatsu camp. Only this time, Kirihara’s face wasn’t so smug in front of her.

“Let me ask you again,” An uttered, looking straight at Kirihara. “What are you doing here?”

“Nothing at all,” Kirihara replied, his eyes wavering to the side. ‘Why? Is it so wrong for me to go here?”

Of course it’s wrong, Kirihara scolded in his mind. Not to mention stupid, too. So you find out, with the help of this bizarre bad luck that you have, that Seigaku and Fudoumine hang around this street court. Other than that, nothing else is interesting. But you go here anyway, whenever you get the chance, just because you discovered that this girl here casually hangs around street courts with a bunch of guys. And the most stupid part of all is that it’s annoying the heck out of you. You’re so damn annoyed that it’s not funny anymore.

An tilted her head slightly to the side, scrutinizing Kirihara’s expression. “Well, no... I don’t mean it that way,” she finally said. Then, with a smile, she added. “It’s just a surprise to see you here.”

Kirihara’s face flushed for a split second. He wanted to say something, but all he could mumble are words that clearly didn’t make sense.

“Well, uhh... See, I-I was about to go home before you saw me, s-so I guess I should do so...” Kirihara managed to blurt out. That sentence took him a lot of effort to say.

An blinked. “Ah, I see. That’s a shame,” she uttered with a disappointed face. “I’ll go back to the courts, then. If you happen to drop by sometime soon, let me know, alright?” She took a step closer to Kirihara and beamed brightly.

N-No, don’t go back there... Or, OI! Wait... Don’t get too close!! Kirihara stammered in his mind as he unconsciously took a step back. His face was already steaming red for some reason.

“Well, I’ll see you around, Kirihara-kun!” An gave the Rikkai player a wave and started up the staircase leading back to the street courts.

Kirihara lowered his head and clenched his fist. “D-Don’t go back...” he uttered. Don’t go back to those guys again...

An paused and looked back. “Kirihara-kun, did you say something?”

Blinking repeatedly, and realizing how stupid he was for saying that, Kirihara laughed nervously and shook his head. “NO! No, that was nothing! Well... you better go back... Ja ne!”

An gave the boy an awkward smile this time. “I’ll just go get my racket. It’s almost dinnertime, and oniichan wants me back before then. Take care!” With that, she turned and proceeded up the stairs.

Kirihara watched An until she disappeared into the street courts. How long were they talking? It certainly didn’t take too long, but Kirihara’s heart had been beating so fast, and everything between them felt much different from their last encounter.

Tachibana’s little sister—seeing her smile at him felt better than seeing her get angry at him.

And much to his frustration, it just dawned on Kirihara Akaya that he’d forgotten to formally ask her name.

[Prince of Tennis] Someone Familiar - Inu/Kai

2008-12-23T18:45:31Z

Title: Someone Familiar
Author: sixthwinemaiden / staticspacetime
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: Inui/Kaidoh
Rating: G
Words: 1,084
Warning(s): none
Summary: Kaidoh gets more than just a quiet evening stroll around town.

Dedicated to bunny_d_kate! Happy holidays~! May everyone, including Inui and Kaidoh, have a meaningful Christmas. (^-^)v

Someone Familiar
by sixthwinemaiden
Beautiful colored lights were lit everywhere in town that night. Kaidoh momentarily paused from his walk and gazed at the outline of the huge Christmas tree from afar, with the falling snowflakes gently accentuating its glow. People were everywhere—most of them heading towards that Christmas tree. Laughter and cheer filled the air, giving the atmosphere a cozier feeling despite the chilly evening. Kaidoh led out a hiss and continued walking towards the heart of town alone, amidst the groups of strangers that surrounded him.

Kaidoh had not planned on looking at the Christmas lights, no matter how much his mother talked about it. He had seen it many times before with his family, so it’s not like it gets any special every year. But since his aimless evening walk led him to town anyway, it’s not like he had a choice.

The surrounding gets brighter. Red, green, pink, yellow, and orange lights were everywhere, and they constantly glowed marvelously as one. Kaidoh stopped and gazed up as soon as he was considerably near the Christmas tree. A thick, red velvet rope encircled the huge Christmas tree, so no one would be able to get too close. A policeman would come by once in a while to check the peace.

“It looks prettier this year, doesn’t it?” gushed the girl beside Kaidoh.

Kaidoh tilted his head by impulse. He eventually realized that he was surrounded by young and old couples. Biting his lower lip and softly blushing, Kaidoh slipped out of the romantic crowd.

The poor boy couldn’t help hissing as he strolled along the sidewalk. Not too long later, Kaidoh noticed someone familiar sitting alone on one of the benches. Inasmuch as he wanted to simply pass by and go home, Kaidoh eventually jogged over to that familiar person.

“Inui-senpai,” Kaidoh called.

Inui tore his eyes away from the Christmas lights and looked at Kaidoh’s direction. He seemed surprised upon seeing his kouhai approaching. “Oh, Kaidoh!” he blurted out. “This is a surprise. Are you shopping with your family tonight?” he added with a friendly smile.

Kaidoh shook his head. “I just went out for an evening stroll.”

“Oh, I see,” Inui uttered with a nod.

“Um... I-I-Is that seat taken?” Kaidoh asked, pointing at the empty space beside Inui.

Inui turned to look. “Well, there was an old couple there a while ago. But I think they already left,” he replied.

Before Kaidoh could even react, Inui had already stood up and placed his hands on his coat pockets. “It’s getting cold here. Want to go someplace warmer for a while?” he invited.

“Ah, sure, I guess...” Kaidoh uttered uneasily.

Inui smiled and led his kouhai towards the chain of restaurants and café nearby. They went inside a café, as both of them already had their dinners at home, and chose a seat beside the window.

Kaidoh found himself staring at Inui as he conversed with the waiter for their orders. He couldn’t even give a straight answer when Inui asked for his order. Inui’s black coat and checkered black-and-green scarf looked awfully good on him. For the first time, Inui’s wardrobe wasn’t a disaster.

After confirming their order, the waiter left the two boys, and Inui immediately turned to Kaidoh with an amused look. “Kaidoh, your face is red,” he gleefully pointed out.

Kaidoh quickly covered his mouth and lowered his head. “I-it is? M-must be the change in temperature, s-senpai...” he stammered.

Inui chuckled as he took out his notebook from inside his coat and began scribbling something inside.

“W-What are you writing? You’re not taking data again, are you?” Kaidoh asked. Oddly enough, why is he not surprised anymore that Inui was able to extract a notebook from inside his coat?

“Of course I’m taking data,” Inui replied with a silly smile still playing on his lips. “Collecting data is an endless endeavor, Kaidoh. If it’s relevant, then it should be included at all costs.”

“But that’s—”

“By the way, Kaidoh,” Inui intercepted as soon as he finished writing. “That new coat looks good on you. It’s a different one from last year, right?”

Kaidoh blinked and stared back at Inui. “Uh, yeah... Thank you, senpai,” he uttered. The kouhai had to look away after that just so he could breathe properly. He wanted to comment on Inui’s coat, too, but he might explode from embarrassment if he does so.

Their order came shortly after—two cups of coffee, a cheese-and-lettuce sandwich for Inui, and two doughnuts for Kaidoh. After their snack, Inui insisted on paying their bill himself. Kaidoh eventually succumbed and thanked his senpai. They stepped out of the café just in time to see the Christmas lights shine at its brightest and hear Christmas melodies play from the shops nearby.

“Let’s go take a closer look, shall we?” said Inui as he pulled Kaidoh closer to the Christmas tree.

“B-But senpai... The people...” Kaidoh tried to reason out, but to no avail.

The two eventually paused and gazed up at the Christmas tree together, standing side-by-side. Kaidoh had to try his best not to hiss and sprint away from Inui, as they were too close to each other for his own good. The people around them chatted away in awe—some held hands, a few cuddled close to each other, while some simply enjoyed a friendly conversation. Kaidoh didn’t know about Inui, but the surrounding was already making his face as red as bricks... all the more when he felt Inui’s fingers claim his hand slowly.

Kaidoh’s senses jolted up. “S-senpai...”

“You don’t have to be so edgy around me, Kaidoh,” said Inui as he gave Kaidoh a glance. Kaidoh pressed his lips together and pretended to look around. Inui smiled and looked up at the Christmas lights again. “I’m not a stranger to you anymore, right? Just as you’re not just a kouhai to me anymore.”

Snow started falling from the sky again at that. Kaidoh blinked and watched a snowflake flutter down onto the coat of the person in front of him. Everyone around him was too engrossed in their talks to actually mind the soft snowfall, or the people around them.

Everyone around him had someone familiar with them.

Kaidoh lowered his head, feeling the warmth of Inui’s hand over his. Closing his eyes shut, he moved his hand and squeezed back Inui’s hand, holding on to it as if he’d lose himself among the crowd of strangers if he lets go.

End~