Chapter Text
Yuuki presses his lips together. His mother always said he should go through with the things he promises or agrees to, but as time passes by he’s not so sure anymore. They decided last weekend to do this. In the sharp light of today’s reality, it should only be natural to feel a little awkward. Waiting at the entrance of the mall they agreed to meet up, it’s like he walked fresh out of an anime. On the way here, Yuuki and his brothers passed rows of cherry trees at the end of their bloom, and a lot of the falling petals had ended up on top of Yuuki. To make matters worse, after he picked them off his person, Yuuki had tried to send his brothers Norio and Hotoka to wait inside. His little brother Hotoka had thrown the handfuls of gathered petals over Yuuki.
Standing in a half-moon circle of pink, Yuuki wishes a strong eastern wind would blow them away. There are other people too, and he can’t really move from his place or find a better spot that doesn’t look like he’s just been summoned by the cherry trees. Sighing, Yuuki’s fingers go to his hair-parting, making unruly bangs leave his forehead. He checks again that the sleeves of his zipper vest are rolled up, to uncover his wrist. He hopes that the World of Warcraft wristband is easy to see. His brother had bought him a white one with red lettering, a total hint to the libero colours of the Nekoma libero Yuuki aspires to be.
Norio had always let him use the family pc the most and monitored the online activity of his two little brothers. He had wanted Yuuki to make friends in junior high, and sort of gave up when Yuuki raved on about World of Warcraft friends he had all around the planet. When Yuuki had been dressed and ready to go, he had hurried his older brother out of the house to catch two trains earlier, ’Just in case!’. Hotoka, having nothing better to do, ran along, making fun of Yuuki’s nervous state every step of the way. He told his brothers to sit at a small café inside, and Norio promised to not check on him until 10 minutes after.
Swinging sideways from leg to leg, Yuuki plays with the zipper of his vest. The temptation to check his phone every odd minute had to be stalled, and the zipper was close by for his fidgeting. Across the street he saw a small clock, which he throws shifty glances every half minute. Simply checking to make sure that Submerged wasn’t late.
Kuguri. Kuguri is his name. I shouldn’t say Submerged. That would be so stupid if I would say that out loud. Yuuki bites his bottom lip, his eyes shifting from stranger to stranger as they pass the mall’s entrance or run inside, checking their wrists for a sign. No one looks like the quiet friend he made online, who was his age.
It’s his first time meeting someone he met on the internet. For 1 ½ years, Yuuki had been known as MountainCat1016, or MC to his raid group. The Americans would say Mac instead of eMCee. He loved being a healer in games, and although he had been a novice for the longest time, once he found a group, he really got hooked on playing WoW. They met about twice a week to play online for a few hours. His parents had told him to give up on it if he wanted to also pursue volleyball seriously.
Before the start of high school, Yuuki had his last raid and said goodbye to the round of international friends.
A couple of moments before he would have the quit the game, Submer9ed talked. It was a true rarity in all the time they played together. He had known that the other person whose actual name was Kuguri, was Japanese and a minor like him. It had been normal not to say too much in their mother tongue among their raid members, and they usually kept it to textual chat anyway. Kuguri had only ever explained how the 9 came in the name, a nod to his birth-date. And that he lived in Japan. 17 months, and he gave away only so little information about himself… But that evening, Kuguri had said he’d miss Yuuki, and that he also lived in Tokyo. ’Would you like to meet up maybe? I promise I’m not a creep.’
On top of all, he plays volleyball. Yuuki had mentioned it online a few times, and also gave it as a reason that he had to quit WoW.
It took time to convince his parents and older brother to let him meet up with a total stranger, but Kuguri had been right; if they both had relatives coming along, it should be safe. ‘I swear I’m also 16. Definitely not an old dirty creep.’ The agreement was to wait for school to start and get used to their new class and surroundings, then meet up in the second weekend after.
Two girls beside Yuuki, waiting for their third female friend, start giggling. When Yuuki looks up from them, back to the pavement, and back to where their eyes are staring, he sees a tall boy coming his way. His hair’s wild, to put it mildly. Apart from the flaming colour, it sticks out upwards and to odd places. The girls giggles die away as they comment on the boy’s fashion sense. Yuuki feels watched even though they weren’t talking about him, and scratches the back of his neck. He was from Tokyo, but his parents wanted to live in the suburbs instead of the buzzing city. And Yuuki never had a wish to style himself in the fashions of the metropole.
“Uhm, sorry? Hi.”
Blinking up, Yuuki notices three things at once: the boy with the wild fiery hair stands right in front of him. The girls have met up with their third friend, and the trio stares at the boy, too. Lastly, Kuguri shows off his WoW wristband, then pointing at the same in a different colour dangling around Yuuki’s wrist. His mind elsewhere, Yuuki lifts up his own hand by way of greeting. Kuguri is quick to bump it, which wasn’t Yuuki’s intention and who fails to react and just passively takes it.
Kuguri had said he played volleyball, but they had switched the subject of interest towards Yuuki and how he plays libero because of his size. He never asked how tall Kuguri was, and it now came as a total surprise. When he notices his staring might be rude, Yuuki gasps, and instantly bows in greeting.
“Ah, I’m so sorry! My head was totally elsewhere just now.” He stands up straight, both glad and afraid that Kuguri doesn’t look bemused. “I’m Shibayama!”
“...Yes, I gathered as much. Shibayama Yuki?”
“Ah, it’s Yuuki! Long vowel…” Yuuki laughs, a little nervous. He has no idea what to do with his hands. His gut feels odd, as the nervous stream from before whirls and whips up an entire different feeling. “And you’re Kuguri Nao, right!? I kept thinking ‘Ieyasu’ the entire week.”
Kuguri nods, his lips curving a little.
“I haven’t been called Nao in a while…”
“Ah-ah! Sorry, I didn’t want to presume- Kuguri-kun is fine, isn’t it!? So so sorry.” Yuuki felt like a complete idiot. He kept apologizing long after they entered the mall, and even when Kuguri told him it’s fine and he shouldn’t apologize. When Yuuki passes his brothers, he gives them the ‘OK’ sign they figured to do if the the first meeting went alright, then noticed that Kuguri had no one trailing him.
Kuguri looks at the two people who are definitely his brothers, and then laughs.
“Damn, my cousin- you see the one in the hat and the sunglasses? Seems he had the same idea as your… brothers, right? Yeah. I’m sorry, he looks really conspicuous. I’ll text him real quick.” Kuguri waves at someone sitting behind Norio and Hotoka, then whips out his smartphone and opens the LINE app. He speaks as he talks “My cousin lives in Yamagata and had to come here for a month because of work. He’s pissed having to babysit me. He’s never been a fan of games. Probably because he sucks at them. His reaction time is way low and he doesn’t like when too many things go on all at once.”
Yuuki laughs. Kuguri doesn’t seem the kind to need help, at all. He’s tall, and very handsome. And he looks ridiculously cool. Yuuki shrinks on himself as they walk towards the escalator. He’s more the nerd type himself, and more befitting the image of someone who plays online games a lot…
“So is your family from Yamagata as well?” Yuuki asks on the escalator, elated that Kuguri seems at ease and talks a lot. He’s been so quiet the entire time they raided together, and only spoke up after their last session. Since then they’ve been chatting online for a while, and exchanged LINE, but never called. Kuguri never took long for replies, but Yuuki felt like a bother when he was texting too much.
“Partly. My dad’s side all live there. My mom’s from the border of the Tokyo prefecture, but moved to the city for her studies. It’s how she met my dad. They decided to live her and have me. Well.” Kuguri looks away when they’re on the next floor, and walks towards a store without looking at Yuuki. The latter follows just fine, fully understanding he might have been prying.
“Hmm, I see. My family all lives in the suburban places of Tokyo. Seriously everyone is at the border.” He laughs, his fingers itching. Yuuki tries hard not to wipe his hands at his clothes. It’s not as if he’s nervous anymore, but a whole other feeling has come over him. Focusing on Kuguri (in another way than what his mind is doing), he glances up to the store they’re about to enter. Quite fashionable place. Yuuki remembers Kuguri mentioning wanting to come here to look for pants, as they might have the length size he needs.
Yuuki’s never asked which school Kuguri was about to go to, but he’s been asking so many questions already in person that he feels it’s an improper moment. Instead, he lets Kuguri looks around in ease. It’s shocking to be asked for opinions, and Yuuki quickly goes for the darker choices of jeans.
Afterwards they head upstairs to the arcades. Yuuki beams, ready to play a few games against his new friend. He ignores his phone for a while when they’re inside, too busy having fun and too focused not to stare at Kuguri’s handsome profile too often.
“Say, Shibayama. Did you ever try those on hard?”
“O-on what now!?” Yuuki’s voice pitch peaks, and he quickly looks to where Kuguri is pointing at. Heart skipping, Yuuki’s returns a broad smile.
“You want to play taiko against me? I’m good at those, you know.” Yuuki starts off towards the drums, and Kuguri catches up easy. They stand side by side in line. “It’s the only game I’m better at than my brothers, at least. They’re more racer types. It’s depressing when your little brother beats you at every Mario kart road…”
Kuguri chuckles, then steps forward when the line moves. He’s digging in his pockets for change, but Yuuki’s faster finding his and giving Kuguri a coin. Kuguri’s confused stare is rather cute as he looks at the coin, lying in the palm of his hand. It distracts Yuuki, eyes enthralled by the larger sized hands. He wonders how warm they would be to hold… Then he’s brought into the here and now again, when Kuguri speaks up. “Uh, thanks…”
Yuuki grins, wiping away any mischievous thoughts inside his head. ‘Don’t, Yuuki. Don’t don’t don’t- and the two of them talk about favourite Mario kart maps, and that they should play that too, sometime. When it is their turn to hit the drums, Yuuki defeats Kuguri 2 times to 1.
“Alright, I give up. Wanna eat crepes? Loser’s treat.” Kuguri strolls towards the food court on the same level, and won’t take no for an answer.
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Naoyasu is forever conscious of his body. He takes up a lot more space than Shibayama, who seems practical and compact next to him. He had seem nervous at a few moments though, and so Naoyasu decides to hold himself back a little. Maybe it’s because he’s a lot taller than Shibayama, and it could be intimidating. But surely Shibayama would be used to tall players, as he plays volleyball. Kuguri doesn’t want to ask about it though. It might be rude.
Taking care to make his long legs to be out of the way and non-threatening as they sit to eat, Kuguri stares ahead when he takes a bite out of his crepe. Next to him, Shibayama hums in happiness with every bite, which strangely affects the ways of Naoyasu’s beating heart. He tries not to blink as often as he does when he feels this odd sensation in the pit of his stomach, and ignores how his nose and feet itch.
He has a weakness for cute guys. Never one to allow himself thinking of a type, Naoyasu can’t help but like Shibayama on the first meeting. The bubbly excitement catches onto him. They had agreed beforehand to see how meeting in real life goes, but quickly had to notify their relatives of the extended time they wanted to hang out together. Shibayama mentioned a trip to TAG for pens and a pencil case, and Naoyasu also needed new pencils.
The worst thing is how Shibayama is the exact opposite of himself in so many things already, and Naoyasu couldn’t help but be attracted to that. Even online, Shibayama had been more talkative in chat and super helpful as a healer. Naoyasu had wanted to talk to him more and interact elsewhere than during raids. He never found the time or courage, until the threat of Shibayama, back then MountainCat1016, leaving the group came upon him. Anxiety was a foreign concept to Naoyasu, and he had blended in his new class and among the club just fine.
Yet sitting next to Shibayama and eating sweet crepes gave his spine a chill and he couldn’t keep his feet still. Kuguri hunches forward a little, maybe weighed down by guilt. He had wished for the gods to not let him find anyone good-looking in his new team at Nohebi, but of course they paid him back thrice by sending Shibayama.
He’s never been one to develop crushes fast, but this one had been a long time coming. Seeing Shibayama for real and interacting with him without a pc or phone as a medium has flipped every switch. He didn’t want this day to end. Thank god he suggested a mall and they could find places to hang out at for as long as their parents had allowed them to be away.
They go to TAG after. Naoyasu has no problems keeping track of Shibayama, who seems to be quite into stationery goods.
Naoyasu drifts back to Shibayama when he stands still for some time. There’s no need to hurry, but Naoyasu’s eyes turn to the object in Shibayama’s hand; it’s a rather colourful pencil case, rectangular and made of tin. It’s adorned with an abundance of red. Ripped out of contemplation, Shibayama notices Naoyasu staring and rubs the back of his neck.
“It does look a bit childish, don’t you think?”
Not liking the sound in Shibayama’s voice, Naoyasu steps forward, looking at the bright red and white colours, the little black cats jumping and flailing about.
“It’s colourful, yeah, but not super flamboyant.” Wondering why of all the words in his vocabulary, he had to use that specific word, Naoyasu takes the tin case from Shibayama’s hands. The latter looks sad and indecisive, things Naoyasu won’t stand for. Sharing a basket, Naoyasu puts it on Shibayama’s side. “Just buy it. It looks and fits-” Your sweetness and bubbliness. Yeah, I should absolutely say that… “It fits your theme.”
They both look into the basket. Shibayama’s side has washi tape and notebooks, all with kittens or one large, lazy cat. At last, Shibayama gives him a beaming smile. Naoyasu feels at once shined on, but he turns around before Shibayama can have second thoughts.
They leave with each a bag full of highlighters, pencils, washi tape, notebooks, and Shibayama’s pencil case.. Shibayama bought two tapes with cats on it, and explains in full length how they have a black household cat.
“Selena is a laid-back type like you, but she always comes to cheer me up if I have a bad day.” Shibayama smiles, showing Naoyasu pictures on his phone of the black cat in various places and positions. He’s glad Shibayama thinks he’s cool, or ‘laid-back’, but doesn’t like to hear him having bad days… even if it's normal to have those. Naoyasu withholds himself from prying into Shibayama’s business and he bends low to look at the cat. He answers Shibayama’s questions of having animals at home -he doesn’t-, and which one he would like.
“All my neighbors always had dogs and let me pet them. They’re really kind. I also like cats,” Naoyasu looks at Shibayama, but glances away when the other looks back. “A friend of mine has a turtle, which is cute too, I guess. What I would like… I think a snake? They’re really cool.”
Shibayama’s reaction is a little taken aback, which Naoyasu is used too. Snakes are dangerous animals after all, and not normal household pets to caress or to play with. He quickly tells Shibayama how he’d choose a cat for sure, given they’re easy-going and low-maintenance. Mostly.
“They can be quite a handful.” Shibayama laughs as he steps on the escalator, turning towards Naoyasu. It feels awkward, giving that they’re going down and he looks gigantic now. He sidesteps Shibayama and comes to stand in front of him.
Wrong call. Shibayama’s face is closer to eye-level now, and in such a perfect position to-
“Aaaah, my big brother’s calling. Uh, he asks about lunch… Hang on a sec.” Shibayama turns away and looks over the rail, waving as his brothers. He tells them he just ate, and that Naoyasu and he are still going places. He then makes faces, and hangs up.
“They’re saying they want to eat at the café and that I should join them.” Shibayama looks down, and the sadness displayed tugs at Naoyasu’s heart. The feeling’s mutual.
“We can join them, if you want. I’ll make my cousin take off the stupid hat and glasses. We can- I mean if you want- still.”
“Really!? Yes, let’s do that.” Shibayama jumps off the escalator early and flies off, leaving Naoyasu to make use of his longer legs and step to. He doesn’t like being made unable to articulate his thoughts properly, and wonders if it's a problem of not speaking that much usually. Or it’s Shibayama’s charm, overwhelming him. Like a big, warm, refreshing wave crashing into him. Making him lose his feet and head.
’Shit.’
Glad when he gets to sit down and ridicule his cousin’s outfit, Naoyasu walks over to where Shibayama rejoins his brothers. They look very alike, apart from the fact that they haircuts are quite different. Before this good day, Naoyasu would have thought that middle hair parting was meant for earnest business people, and uncool nerds. On Shibayama, he couldn’t help but find it befitting and cute.
“What do you mean, ‘I just ate?’, huh, Nao-kun?” His cousin asks as he follows behind, bummed out. “We were supposed to eat together.”
“No we weren’t,” Naoyasu mumbles towards him, not wanting to make a scene in front of Shibayama’s family. He glances at the middle Shibayama brother in a silent apology. “Auntie said you should treat me if I am hungry. And I am not, so you don’t have to.”
“It’s rude to watch other people eat!” His cousin continues, and Shibayama quickly gets up to defuse the tension.
“I’ll get us milkshakes! It’s something,” Shibayama compromises, and then heads off with his older brother, leaving Naoyasu alone with his fuming cousin (who hasn’t made up yet what he’s in the mood for) and the youngest Shibayama sibling.
“Does your school allow you to have your hair like that?” He ask innocently, and Naoyasu has to restrain himself from running his fingers through his hair.
“I don’t know yet. I haven’t gotten into trouble first two weeks at school. And it’s just bed-hair, after all…”
Before he has to answer more questions, Naoyasu’s phone buzzes. It’s a message of Shibayama, a sticker displaying a bear in distress.
Shibayama: What flavour do you like!? I forgot to ask (๑ ˊ͈ ᐞ ˋ͈ );;
‘Anything sweet will do. No banana.’ Naoyasu replies quickly, then kicks his cousin’s shin. “It’ll be impolite to keep the others waiting, and then to have to wait for you to finish lunch.”
Watching his raging cousin leave, Naoyasu is glad to turn his glance towards the counter were Shibayama is ordering. The oldest Shibayama is glancing at him, as if to make sure Naoyasu doesn’t steal off with the youngest brother while they’re gone. The questioning about Naoyasu’s style continue, but he doesn’t mind the inquisitive side of this family. Better than his aunt, whose first question is always ‘And, do you have a girlfriend?’
Naoyasu knew quite surely at the end of junior high that he wouldn’t require a girlfriend anytime soon. A boyfriend, however-
“Here, I have vanilla and chocolate. If you don’t like one, you can take mine!” Shibayama beams, first putting the chocolate one in front of Naoyasu. His older brother carries a plate of junk food, and the youngest brother goes straight for the chicken nuggets. Naoyasu turns to see what is keeping his cousin, and grumbles.
“You can start without him…” He tried to tell the three brothers. The youngest already has a mouth full, while the oldest berates him by hitting the back of his head.
“There you go,” the oldest brother says, smiling towards Naoyasu with a lack of the previous shown distrust. “Don’t worry about that. Our parents have raised us right, and we’ll wait. Won’t we, Hotoka? Now, Kuguri-kun it was? Tell us about yourself. Do you have a girlfriend?”
“Norio,” Shibayama hisses, showing a face Naoyasu hasn’t seen on him all day. Quite annoyed. Naoyasu cannot deny that it kinda turns him on, but doesn’t think too much about it. He wonders what everyone’s obsession is with girlfriends… At least Shibayama hasn’t inquired about it, although he’s asked so many other questions.
“Uh, what would you like to know? And uhm, no, I don’t have anyone as of now.” Naoyasu doesn’t dare to give even a slight glance towards Shibayama, given it’s only the first time they’ve met. No need to try and be subtle about hinting anything, as it was way too early for that kind of thing. Naoyasu luckily doesn’t have to answer to the older sibling as his cousin finally deigns to appear with a tray of food, and everyone can finally eat.
That is, everyone except him and Shibayama. Holding the cold milkshakes, Naoyasu is pleasantly surprised to feel Shibayama’s knee against his.
“We should count ourselves lucky that this didn’t become a meeting between the Horde and the Alliance.”
The giggle accompanies with a shake of his shoulders, and Naoyasu cannot help but close his eyes as mirth takes over his entire torso. He knocks his knee back at Shibayama’s, whose is looked at by everyone around the table who doesn’t play WoW.
“Ugh, seriously, nerd?” The youngest sibling, Hotoka he was called, groans before stuffing his face with a handful of fries.
Naoyasu indulges into his milkshake, and can somewhat manage not to ask for the offered change to taste Shibayama’s. Indirect kisses have to be a thing for yet another time. Naoyasu is quite sure he and Shibayama will manage to meet again more often, after the success of this first half of the day.
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Yuuki never understood how it his older brother could spend hours on the phone. Either texting, or calling, or doing both back to back until he went to sleep. It had driven Yuuki insane, right to the point where he’d take Norio’s phone and hide it. But reaching the tender age of 16 only a few months ago, it all became clear to him.
It was hard not to type messages to Kuguri. During school, at dinner, when he should be studying in his room, lying in his bed at night. The topics were diverse, and some half hour long sessions would be about simple school stuff. For volleyball related things, they called. Yuuki hadn’t been afraid to initiate contact, and learned that Kuguri liked it better that way. In this sense, the fright to be a bother to him disappeared.
His younger brother would make jokes about Yuuki’s red ears, but if you were talking to someone over an hour over the phone and relaying fun occurrences at practice, red ears were hard to avoid. It was also easier for Yuuki to lie to himself, to say it out loud ‘It’s because we were talking for a long time’, rolls better of the tongue than ‘well, I like him.’
Because Yuuki had dug himself a grave. After meeting Kuguri, he was all Yuuki would think of when he had a moment to spare and not having to concentrate on anything. And even if he should be reading a book or passing balls, his thoughts went to the tall, slender, handsome boy. Making him laugh at stupid nerd jokes had been one of the many highlights of their first meeting. Grateful he doesn’t babble on the phone or messes up texts, Yuuki sighs to himself in the mirror in the morning when he gets ready for class. They don’t have practice this morning, and Yuuki’s hand itch for his phone, to read Kuguri’s last message again.
G’night, Shibayama.
Eyes low, Yuuki doesn’t look at his blushing face, and acts as if the redness on his cheeks comes from the cold water he splashed across a few seconds ago. He doesn’t try to splash more, to get those words on his phone out of his system. Unable to say anything as he woke up, Yuuki has just stared at the message, then went to do his morning routine.
The simple words kept him warm all day.