Chapter Text
Hell week just ended at Monthly Girls' magazine. Half of the mangakas were sick with the flu and the editors had to do something about it.
Miyamae Ken was stressing out more than usual. His desk was messy with scattered out papers and empty ballpens. He frantically wrote down possible solutions for the lack of publishable content with one hand while munching on potato chips with the other. While phoning Nozaki-kun for revisions and more pages, he slurped two 1.5L bottles of soda without even realizing it. And on his lunch break, he was hot-headedly thinking of how he did not see Maeno doing any work at all during the grueling week as he angrily ate three burgers and a mountain of fries.
Almost as soon as the hellish five days came, they ended. Monthly Girls' magazine survived and all possible PR disasters were averted. During the taxing period, Miyamae told himself that the sugar and sodium filled food binge were helping him boost his energy. The dopamine rush from the junk food helped him hold on to his sanity. In the aftermath, however, Miyamae felt like shit. He knew his stress eating habit would get the better of him someday. His legs were hurting whenever he walked and he was feeling more lethargic by the day. With one look at himself in the mirror that Friday morning, Miyamae was decided. Enough was enough.
Miyamae wanted to lose weight. He was feeling unhealthier as time went on and he didn't want to feel like shit anymore. Simple as that. In the past, no matter how stressful school was, he could control his bad eating habits. But now that he was working as an editor, he had struggled a lot to discipline himself. Miyamae reflected on the factors of his predicament and remembered something one of his old highschool classmates pointed out -- the cause of his weight gain was a certain peer mate of theirs.
Maeno Mitsuya.
To Miyamae, Maeno's personality is insufferable. During the whole of last week, Maeno was just as happy-go-lucky as ever. He was smiling a radiant smile and staying fresh the whole five work days. Even compared to their most image-conscious female colleagues, Maeno was definitely the one who looked the least haggard. Miyamae just knew that anyone who looked that relaxed was not doing their job properly. Being around Maeno made the whole range of his emotions peak.
Although he thought Maeno was unbearable, he did not deny his invitation to free drinks that Friday night. It was free drinks after all and he deserved a break.
…………………………..
Maeno often invited Miyamae out to diners or bars, especially after terrible weeks. He'd bother Miyamae and ask him about his day, annoyingly asking him what's worrying him so much. Maeno must be thinking of how he deals with Sakiko Yumeno's work without the tanukis.
Whatever Maeno's motives were for inviting him, Miyamae never had a good excuse to say decline. Miyamae found it funny that he was supposed to share his worries with the person that makes him worry the most. In an act of petty revenge, Miyamae bought double what he usually orders (though he really shouldn't since alcohol is obviously NOT healthy).
……………………...
"Miyamae-kun, don't you think you're drinking a bit much?"
Looking at the empty bottles surrounding him, Miyamae realized that, indeed, he really was drinking too much. He was getting much drunker than he anticipated. But he won't admit that. Especially not to Maeno.
"No ... 'm fine...doesn'..matter..anyway. You're paying! Ha!"
Miyamae hoped that his petty attitude would anger Maeno, but the other editor only smiled.
"Haha! That's true."
Maeno put his own empty glass down and poured himself another glass. He didn't even look tipsy. Miyamae grumbled to himself at how unfair life was -- at how Maeno had things too good.
"So what's really wrong?"
Miyamae didn't answer immediately. Maeno had persistently been asking him what was wrong ever since they entered the bar. He kept on trying to avoid the question but Miyamae had run out of topics to distract his co-worker. What's worse is that Maeno gave him a look that almost resembled concern. Miyamae finally relented with a long sigh.
" 's wrong… is … my weight"
Miyamae's tipsy brain could no longer stop him from being honest.
Miyamae looked at Maeno seriously and he glanced at him with surprise in his eyes. Maeno looked away, his shoulders shaking. Then, he laughed out loud. His booming laugh was heard throughout the bar and he even slapped his knee.
"Your weight?! People have been calling you fat for, like what? Years? Why does that bother you now??? I don't get it. Someone bullying you? What? Want a girlfriend now or something?"
Well, yes. Miyamae did want a girlfriend but that wasn't the reason why. He should be offended by Maeno's response but after such a week, he had no energy left to be angry.
"'M unhealthy…And feel like shit all the time. I eat when 'm stressed...or emotional."
Miyamae expected Maeno to laugh at him again but he didn't. Maeno furrowed his brows and put his hand to his chin, suddenly looking thoughtful.
"I see. It is true that women like men with high self-esteem."
Maeno's response made Miyamae know that he didn't listen to a word of what be said. "So that's why women... like you?... Jus' bragging again."
Maeno's face scrunched comically and was looking at Miyamae with a confused look.
"What do you mean by that?! If I WANTED to brag, it would be much more direct. I was saying girls like guys that don't feel like shit. I was totally not bragging!
Even in his drunken state, Miyamae could tell that Maeno was getting tipsy. Maeno became much louder and much more talkative when he was tipsy. Amazingly, (like most times in Miyamae's eyes) Maeno's speech was clearer than when he was sober. And of course, Miyamae didn't believe him.
"Don't give me that! Girls are... always 'round you cuz of ... yer confidence."
Miyamae hoped he was making sense. What was he arguing again? Anyways, he was starting to feel himself become sleepy.
"Wow, Miyamae-kun! I didn't notice how highly you thought of me as your senpai. What an honor!"
Miyamae wanted to roll his eyes, but he settled for resting his head on his arms on their table instead. He was getting tired.
"Hey, hey no need to be embarrassed! I was just surprised at how closely you watch me. Hahaha."
Miyamae almost got mad at that statement. Almost.
"It's obvious…. anyone with eyes can see that... 'sides!... 'Course I'd watch you closely!
Maeno made his second contorted face of confusion of the night.
"Why is that, Miyamae-kun?"
Miyamae wished he'd stop with the questions.
"Cuz yer 'nsufferable!"
Maeno's face started to look ugly by how much it was twisting.
"I don't see what you mean."
"You never do!...All ya do is... talk to girls, with yer smile n' charm. Ne'er seen ya do paperwork. Ever!"
Miyamae was ranting now. He didn't realize that his speech was slightly slurring. Maeno chuckled.
"Oh my, Miyamae-kun. Why even worry about that? I still get the job done anyhow. I don't hear the girls complaining.
"'Cuz you're hot. They really won't complain."
Maeno was shocked at Miyamae-kun's honesty. He's never this honest with him. Maeno just looked at him completely silent and something in Miyamae just caved in.
" 'Cuz you're like this...that's why I stress eat."
Miyamae was still hiding his head in his folded arms while looking up at Maeno from time to time.
Maeno was still as baffled as ever. Trying to make sense of his kouhai, he continued questioning.
"So, what you're saying is, you get stressed, then eat too much...because of me? Miyamae-kun, I don't get it."
Miyamae doesn't know why he even tries. This conversation is stressing him out.
" I see you around... office. Flirtin'...stead of doing work...that stresses me out. So I eat."
Maeno made another look like he was deep in thought, now with his knuckles to his temple.
"So... you're saying that the reason why you're always stressed... is because you care too much about me?"
Miyamae blushed, mind suddenly more awake. He put his arms to the side and sat up straight at the accusation.
"Ya don't hafta put it that way!"
Feeling slightly more sober now, Miyamae stood from his seat and tried to leave.
"Miyamae-kun. Wait!"
Maeno stood up too and grabbed Miyamae's arm before he could leave their table. This close, Miyamae felt how much taller Maeno is than him. Maeno made Miyamae look at him, a mischievous smirk on his face and a serious gleam in his eyes.
"I know how to help you."
Maeno made sure that Miyamae couldn't look away.
"Huh?"
Does Maeno seriously have a solution? "So you get stressed out by me right?"
"Yes, like right now."
"Haha! And you eat to get some relief from the stress right?"
"I do."
"Aha! So… what if you just… skip the steps?"
"Huh?"
Miyamae was lost. Where was he going with this?
"To relieve stress, instead of stress eating food…"
Maeno leaned down and whispered in his ear.
"... just stress eat me."
Nani?