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Kuboyasu walked down the hall tiredly. His last class had been so boring and he hadn’t fully awoken yet. He was supposed to meet up with Shun after this class but he was nowhere to be found and if he’d waited any longer, Aren would’ve been late for his next class. Kaidou must just be out today, he figured.
He entered the combination into his locker and looked down at the pink envelope that fell out of it in dismay. Not again. Aren sighed.
This was the fifth girl this year. It was starting to get annoying.
Aren wasn’t unpopular by any means, and he knew he wasn’t ugly, just kind of average, but he really didn’t get the hype. Girls would leave gifts in his locker with nice confession notes, and requests to meet them after school, and every single time he had to let them down. He felt bad every time he did it, but he just didn’t like them that way.
The worst time he could remember was making a girl cry, he’d felt just awful and even offered to take her on a date. But then she just got mad. Girls were complicated. He couldn’t really figure them out. That's part of the reason he never really accepts any of their confessions.
The other part is that he had feelings for his closest friend.
Kaidou was the first person he’d really connected with when he transferred school. Sure the guy was really talkative and didn’t make a lot of sense, and sometimes his passionate ramblings could border on the edge of annoying, but he was a really good guy.
Kuboyasu really admired how deeply ingrained Shun’s interests were to him as a person. He also had a really nice frame, and his hands were soft and felt nice in Aren’s whenever they’d hold hands to not lose each other in the crowded hallways to class. And he’d always have to stop himself from staring too long at Kaidou’s light dusting of freckles whenever they were talking.
Needless to say, the boy was head over heels. And now he’d have to tell some random girl that he’s interested in someone else when he really wanted to keep this whole crush thing under wraps. Or he could always just ignore the note and pretend like he never saw it.
He sighed and opened the note.
Kuboyasu,
I really like you. Can you meet me behind the main building after cleaning time? I’ll be waiting, I hope you say yes.
<3
Short. Well, at least she didn’t drone on about how they were perfect for each other and how she’d been secretly admiring him for weeks. She hadn’t gotten too attached so this should be easy.
He wondered who this was from. The handwriting looked kind of familiar. And the note smelled vaguely of french vanilla and roses.
And that was the iconic scent of- no it can’t be. This doesn’t make any sense.
Did Teruhashi have a crush on him? But from what he’d seen she was totally into Saiki. Like to a creepy extent. This couldn’t be. Teruhashi was a sweet enough girl, but he doesn’t think he could ever realistically turn her down. Who would be stupid enough to tell her no? He definitely couldn’t ignore this.
After cleaning time, when he still didn’t see Shun, he went to his locker to grab his bag. His heart was beating in his chest with anxiety. What would happen when he turned Teruhashi down? Would her creepy fanbase come after him? Or even worse, her super creepy older brother!? This was gonna be hard.
He went out the backdoor of the main campus building and found a head of blue hair waiting for him.
But not the shade he’d expected.
“...Kaidou? What’re you doing here?”
“H-Huh I was… Waiting on someone, wha-what’re you doing back here?”
“I was waiting on T-” Wait. He couldn’t say Teruhashi, Kaidou has a crush on her, he was pretty sure anyways. If he said she’d given him a note then it’d be like he was rubbing in his face. “I uh- I got a note in my- in my locker and it said to meet her out here.”
“Oh… Do… You think we both got stood up? We’re the only ones here.” Shun laughed awkwardly. “Do you wanna… hang out? Or something? My mom isn’t home.”
“Uhm.. yeah, it was probably just a prank anyway.” There’s no way that wasn’t Teruhashi, she’s the only girl that dots her i’s with hearts. But he’d take hanging out with Kaidou over a confession from Teruhashi any day.
“O-Okay.”
_
At Kaidou’s house, Aren sat in the living room by himself waiting on Shun to come out of the bathroom, meanwhile, Shun was in the bathroom freaking out.
Aiura: How could you possibly mess this up????
Teruhashi: We wrote the note for you and everything! All you had to do is show up!
Kaidou: I did show up! I just chickened out!
Aiura: I can’t believe this!
Kaidou had been the one to leave Kuboyasu the note.
Well, technically it was Teruhashi who wrote it and put it in the locker and wrote it.
-
Kaidou, Aiura, and Teruhashi were all in the library. Aiura had invited Kaidou to hang out with the two during the free period. They’d already been on to him. When he sat down he was immediately hounded with questions from Aiura.
“Do you like Kuboyasu? And be honest, I’m a psychic remember.”
Kaidou almost choked “I- I d- How did you know!?”
“So you do!” Teruhashi squealed. “Oh, I knew it! It’s so cute how close you two are! When do you plan on telling him?”
“Telling him?”
“Yes, telling him,” The blonde piped in like it was obvious that he would. “What else would you do?”
“I'm not gonna tell him! Why would I tell him!?”
“So you two can date!” Teruhashi playfully pushed him. “Cmon, it’s obvious he likes you too!”
“Wh-What no it’s no-” “Yes it is!” Mikoto interrupted. “Look we made it easy for you, Terukoko wrote the note and already put it in his locker, now all you’ve gotta do is meet him after cleaning time and tell him how you feel, the hard part was basically done for you!”
“What!? No, it’s not! I’ll still have to tell him! A-And why would you do that?”
“Because!” Teruhashi piped up, a sparkle glowing in her eye “It’s true love! You two are meant for each other! And neither of you are going to confess without a little push so we did it for you.”
“Exactly!”
“Oh god.”
-
So now Shuns here, panicking on the floor of his bathroom while his crush is waiting for him outside, probably crushed over the fact that he’d gotten stood up by a girl whos not even real.
“Shun? Are you ok?” There was a knock on the door tearing Kaidou from his anxious thoughts. “The movies starting dude, c’mon.”
“Uh... S-Sorry give me a minute.”
“Are you sad cause you got stood up?”
“H-”
“Forget whatever jackass did that, you’re a great guy! You really shouldn’t get so torn up by some messed-up prank. Any gu- girl would be lucky to go out with you.”
Kaidou sighed and leaned against the door, not knowing Aren was mirroring him on the other side. “That’s not it… I don't even like girls.” He laughed softly.
“Oh.”
“Is- Is that an issue?”
“Huh? What? No dude, that’s no problem at all! I like guys too, don’t even worry.”
“Oh!” Well, that’s a relief.
“So what is it? You’re obviously bent outta shape over somethin’ you can talk to me you know.”
“Um… It’s- It’s stupid.”
“You tell me about stupid shit all the time, cmon man.”
“Uh… I uh, I really wanted to confess to someone today. This guy, that I like…”
Kuboyasu felt his heart break a little. A tight pain knotted in his chest which he tried to ignore. “Is that who you were waiting for?”
“Yeah.”
“Uh… Well forget him, lets uh- let’s watch that one movie you like, you know with the guy, and the bass and the girl and those seven guys.”
“Scott Pilgrim?”
“Yeah that, let’s watch that and I’ll do your nails and make popcorn and you can just forget about that douchebag, how about that?”
“I don’t think it’ll help me forget about him, but it’ll be nice.” Kaidou smiled and got up, opening the door to see Aren sitting down. “That’s so cliche oh my god.” He laughed.
“Whatever.” Aren rolled his eyes and got up, dusting off his school pants, “You put the movie on and I’ll make the popcorn.”
“Ok,” The shorter smiled and went to the living room.
_
They were a little bit into the movie. Kaidou was sitting sideways, his legs draped over Aren’s lap as he focused on the TV screen, occasionally digging into the bowl in Kuboysu’s hold. They’d turned all the lights off so neither could see just how much the position was affecting each other under the LED light of the screen in front of them.
“I never got why you like this movie so much. All the fight scenes are so dizzying. Especially between the two girls.”
“You just don’t know good cinema. This movie is a cult classic masterpiece.”
“I think you’re just a nerd.”
“And? You’ve gotta admit that this movie kicks ass! Plus the soundtrack is so-”
“Shhhhhh, I wanna watch.”
“Fine. But did you know in the comics this scene was actually-”
“Shun. Shhhhhhhhhh, I’m watching.”
Kaidou huffed but stayed quiet. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out.
“Hey! No phones in the theater!”
“It’s Teruhashi, this might be important.”
“Oh speaking of her!” Kuboyasu figured he could tell Kaidou, knowing his assumption about the boy’s crush on Kokomi was dead wrong, “You know she left me a note in my locker. She was actually who I was supposed to be meeting.”
“Y-Yeah I know.”
“You know?”
“Y-Yeah uh I-” Kaidou panicked, he didn’t wanna confess now! Damn it! He should’ve just kept his mouth shut! “She- You know me and you hang out so much she asked if you were available.”
“Oh… well I’m kind of glad she ended up bailing.”
“What!? Why!? It’s Teruhashi!”
“Well I don’t like Teruhashi, I mean she’s cute sure but I’m just not into her.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, I’m…” Fuck it. Might as well rip the bandaid off now. “I’m... I’m into you Shun.”
“What?”
“Yeah. I like you. I really like you. A bit more than I’d like to admit. You make me feel all kinds of… things, things I can’t freaky explain. Really deep inside of me. Like… My heart and shit. I just… I like you, and all your insane interests, and your really really bad music taste. God it’s sp shit, but I don’t mind listening to songs you recommend cause you recommend them. You make me feel kind of normal. I always feel so alienated around others, but I feel like I can be myself around you. You were never scared of me.”
“That’s total bullshit! Dude I was terrified of you!”
“A heartfelt confession and that's what he focuses on!? Crushes are so miserable.”
“Oh…”
“Y-Yeah... But I like you too. In fact… that note was actually mine. Well, not mine. It was Teruhashi and Aiura’s whole idea. Teruhashi wrote it, which is a good thing because if I would have done it probably wouldn’t be as nice looking. B-But I do like you!”
“You do?”
“Yeah! Of course! I- I thought I was being so obvious about it too!”
Kuboyasu looked back on it and, yeah, he did happen to stare a lot in the locker room.
“Oh god, you totally were! I’m such an idiot!”
“We’re both idiots!” Kaidou laughed. “B-But I’m glad we’ve both uh… got it all out there.”
“Yeah, I’m glad too.”
“So….. you wanna-”
“YES! Yes! Yes, I wanna date!”
“I was gonna say rewind the movie, we missed your favorite part.” Aren laughed, “B-But dating is cool too.”
“Screw the movie! “
“You love this movie!”
“I love you more!”
“I-I love you too! Please kiss me now I’ve wanted to kiss for so long but I’m waaaayyyyy too nervous to initiate anything.”
Aren laughed and leaned down giving Kaidou a small peck.
“Areeeeennnnn!” Kaidou whined.
“I’ll give you a proper one on our first date.”
“You never asked me on a date!”
“Fine, can I pick you up at eight tomorrow? We can go to the arcade.”
“And then we’ll kiss?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you’ve got yourself a date.