Archive of Our Own ^beta

Sakuma had always been the person to focus on the people around him. The way they dressed, the way they talked, the way their facial expressions changed with every emotion that swirled inside them. He would always pick up those details. Not being someone who liked to attract attention, Sakuma would always stick to a corner of the room and observe anyone else.

Just that. Observe.

He didn’t dare to go and start a conversation. There wasn’t anything he could have talked about anyway since the only person who was interested in the 2D world was his friend and senior Miyata. He was the only one with whom he could have a conversation without feeling that he was boring or annoying. He also didn’t like talking to other people too much due to his introverted side, so that added up.

Until one day, just before one of his usual morning lessons at university, a new student came in, someone he had never seen before. He was tall, long legs reaching the only vacant seat on the other end of the room in just some steps, and a hoodie wrapping his visible fit body. The guy brought out a notebook and a pen, as if that was enough preparation for the lesson, since he was still keeping on his earphones.

The guy’s head was bopping while his feet were tapping the ground following the rhythm of the music. Even though his fingers were inside his jeans’ pocket, Sakuma could still notice that the guy was moving even those. His whole body seemed immersed in the song that was blasting in his ears.

He almost looked like Sakuma when listening to his favorite anime songs, but that couldn’t be that guy’s case, of course. Some red highlights, an earring of the same color, and an anklet that surfaced from the gap between his jeans and pink-checked slip-on were enough to let Sakuma know that this guy was nothing like him. That he was of another world.

And yet, that was the first time that Sakuma got really interested in someone. The first time that he thought that he had wanted to talk with that person, even just to exchange a ‘Hi’. There was something in him that drew him in, maybe because he looked so different from him, and by the law of opposites his friend Abe taught him, that was the reason for his attraction.

However, him being him, caused Sakuma to look away immediately when the guy noticed his stare and returned it. Facing his book on the desk, he hoped that his hair and his long fringe could have hidden his blush.

“I have to be more careful next time,” he whispered to himself.

Unfortunately, there was no next time, because at the lesson after, and the one after that, and even the next one, the mysterious guy didn’t show up. In his place, another guy instead started attending the class. He was shorter than that guy but still taller than Sakuma, and he wondered if the two guys didn’t mess up their class on the first day.

Sakuma couldn’t bump into that mysterious guy not even around the campus, though, making him wonder if that guy was even a student of his university in the first place. What was sure was that Sakuma regretted not having held the other’s gaze that very first day.

Sakuma hurried to the Animate in Shibuya as soon as he got off the train, hoping to still be in time to get the limited edition of the CD of the latest anime he was watching. Usually, he’d reserve a copy and then pick it up during the furage day, but he didn’t manage to do so this time, so he was rushing for dear life to try to get that CD.

Alas, when he came into the shop and ambushed the CD corner, he had to witness with horror that all the limited editions had been snatched. His favorite character printed on the regular edition’s CD cover was looking at him with her big doe eyes, and Sakuma felt like dying at that very instant. But he didn’t give up immediately. He searched for a clerk to ask them if they had some other limited edition copies left, or if they could perhaps order them, or even just tell him if they knew where he could find it.

The clerk had to bring bad news to Sakuma though since apparently the limited edition had been sold out, like, everywhere, even faster than everyone expected. He could do nothing against the ‘sold out’ enemy. It was game over. So, he ended up exiting the store with a gloomy face, his liveness leaving every cell of his body.

He started to walk toward the station when from the corner of his eye he caught an alley, at the end of which there was a sign that read ‘Music Shop’. It must have been a new one because Sakuma had never encountered it during his numerous visits to that neighborhood.

“Maybe I could try there,” he told himself, still hoping to get his dear limited edition.

Without further ado, he entered the alley and then the store. It was much smaller than the CD shops he went to, nonetheless, it was well-stocked. There were shelves and alleys for many different genres, and even a corner designated to listen to CDs or records with headphones.

Sakuma found the corner assigned to the anime songs and began his search. However, things weren’t looking good for him since even that store lacked that limited edition.

“I can’t believe it,” he whined.

He let out a loud sigh when he heard some steps coming from the other end of the store. Someone had just come out from the back, carrying a box. He couldn’t see that person clearly since he was behind a shelf, and since that stranger didn’t seem to notice him either, he ended up staying silent and making his way to the door.

The stranger placed the box down on the cash desk when he heard Sakuma’s footsteps and turned around.

“Welcome, may I help you?”

“Ah, no, thank you, I’ve checked myself and—” Sakuma’s voice died in his throat as he found in front of him the mysterious guy from that day, now happened one month ago.

The red in his highlights was now replaced by blue, and the red earring by a blue one. The guy was wearing black overalls and a black T-shirt under it, paired up with the same checkered-pink slip-on Sakuma had seen him wearing. Also, now that they were facing each other, Sakuma realized just how small he was compared to this guy, not only by height but also by body size. If he weren’t that busy being mesmerized by him, Sakuma would have felt frightened.

“Hello?” the guy called him, waving a hand in front of his eyes.

“S—Sorry, I—I was searching for a CD,” he stuttered.

“Which one?”

Sakuma opened his phone to show him a picture of the limited edition since he doubted that the guy remembered the name of it. The other peeked inside the box he had behind him and fished out the desired limited edition Sakuma was searching for.

“It’s this one?”

“Yes!” he exclaimed loudly, “Gosh, you’re a lifesaver. I was told it has sold out in the whole Shibuya.”

“This is your lucky day then,” the stranger said. He proceeded then to go around the counter so that he could check the CD for Sakuma.

After paying and taking the bag with the CD in his hands, Sakuma stalled for a bit, as if he wanted to say something to the stranger but couldn’t bring himself to do so. The guy, though, didn’t wait for him, for he went back to his work, picking up CDs from the box to arrange them on their respective shelves.

Sakuma watched him work for a while, admiring the broad shoulders that the guy was sporting until he realized that Sakuma was still there at the counter.

“Do you need anything else?”

“No, I don’t,” he replied. “I’ll go now. Thanks a lot.”

“No worries. We hope to see you again.”

Sakuma knew perfectly that that was the standard phrase every customer got when going out of a store, but he didn’t feel like blaming his pounding heart when the guy had flashed such a dazzling smile while doing it, his eyes becoming so thin that they almost vanished. It was… pretty endearing if someone asked Sakuma, and that was quite the compliment for him, since that word was usually reserved just for his waifus.

“So, he works here…” he found himself saying when he was walking through the alley.

Now that he knew where to find the guy, he might as well pay him a visit or two in the near future, since the interest in him didn’t lessen, but on the contrary, had skyrocketed.

Sakuma was in front of the music shop once again. He had finished his lessons and the first thing that came to his mind after exiting the campus was that guy’s smile. He… wanted to see it once more. So, with the excuse of killing some time before joining Miyata for dinner, he went to the store where the guy worked.

He didn’t know what took him to suddenly be this bold, but as his shojo manga taught him, he must seize the opportunities himself.

“Hello,” he said as soon as he came in.

Just like last time, though, he saw no one around. Possibly the guy was in the storage room, so he wandered for the shop for the time being. His attention got caught by a record of Hatsune Miku. It was in the highest section on the shelves dedicated to Vocaloid.

“They even have this stuff here, huh,” he commented.

Sakuma tried to pick it up but he was too short and his hand only managed to brush the record with the tip of his middle finger. Going on his tiptoes and stretching himself upwards only made Sakuma lose his balance and almost fall on the shelf itself, risking making everything collapse.

A pair of two strong arms though kept him steady, and instead of falling forward and hitting the wood surface, he hit a firm but still gentle surface with his back. Raising his head up, he found the mysterious guy’s eyes on him, looking at him from his tall height.

“All OK?”

“Y-Yeah.”

He felt so taken aback but especially so safe in that embrace that it was hard for him to separate from it. It had to be the mysterious guy the one to push Sakuma forward, kindly putting him back on his two feet on the ground.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

The guy proceeded to extend his arm to easily catch the Hatsune Miku record on the top shelf.

“Is this what were you looking for?”

“Well, yeah, but uhm, I wasn’t properly looking for it,” he confessed, taking the record in his hands and speaking while looking at it, not daring to hold the other’s gaze. “I have to meet a friend for dinner, so I’m here to kill some time before that.”

“I see. Then, you can listen to this record over there if you just want to hang out here,” the guy pointed to the corner Sakuma had seen last time. “I’ll show you.”

The record was taken from Sakuma’s hands and brought to the old but still in good condition record player. Then, a pair of headphones was put over his head and Hatsune Miku’s voice began playing in his ears.

The guy flashed him the same kind of smile as last time before going to attend to a customer who had just entered the shop. Sakuma’s eyes followed his figure, and couldn’t help but wonder how such an imposing body belonged to someone who smiled so brightly and so sweetly. It would have been very easy to feel scared. But that smile, that dimple, and those pair of reassuring eyes the guy got were enough to let Sakuma relax.

He was also insanely good-looking and was just like a tsundere character he would fall for when watching animes or playing dating simulation games, so that might have played a part in his judgment.

Sakuma put down the headphones and stopped the record player to do the last thing someone expected from him: start a conversation.

The customer had just exited the shop when the guy went back to the counter and fished out of a drawer a motorbike magazine. Sakuma approached the counter slowly while thinking of an excuse to talk to the guy, until finally, something came to mind.

“Can I ask you a question?”

The guy looked up from the magazine to look at him and nodded.

“Weren’t you in my class some weeks ago?”

Pursuing his lips in a pensive pout, the guy widened his eyes and smiled when he probably remembered Sakuma.

“Ah! You’re the guy from Fukka’s class! He couldn’t go and asked me to take notes for him that day.”

“F-Fukka?” he asked, perplexed before he reasoned over it and understood to whom he was referring. “Ah, you mean Fukazawa Tatsuya perhaps?”

“Yeah, you know him, right?”

“Just his name, I don’t really talk to him—not like I talk to my classmates in the first place…” he found himself saying, in a louder tone than he meant to, causing the other to hear him.

“You don’t? How come?”

“I just don’t think they’d be interested in me. I’m an otaku, you see.”

“Then Fukka and you would totally get along, he’s a kind of otaku as well. He’s more interested in video games and trading card games, though.”

Sakuma had to blink his eyes and repeat those words in his mind, because he had never imagined that scenario happening.

“And you’re friends with him? With an otaku? You don’t look like one of us,” he had to ask, with an incredulous tone.

“I’m not an otaku but I don’t seem to see the problem with being friends with one,” the other replied, placing down the magazine he was holding and giving his full attention to Sakuma.

“There’s no problem with it, it’s just weird that a normie would like to spend time with us. You guys would find us boring after all.”

At that moment, the guy walked around the counter and reached Sakuma. He took some steps backward since the impressive presence of the guy was too much to bear for him.

“If someone had made you feel that then know that that person didn’t deserve your time. No one should judge you for who you are.”

And well, Sakuma knew as much, but hearing that coming from the guy he was gradually crushing on was surely something else. He was perfectly aware that he shouldn’t be ashamed of his passions, but no one had really told him that it wasn’t his fault if people didn’t like to hear him talk about that, that actually those people didn’t deserve him.

That was something straight out taken from a shojo manga and if he were in high school, was a girl, and had long brown hair, then he would think to be in one at the moment. But he was still Sakuma, a university student with short black hair, with no particular skill that wasn’t knowing word by word the dialogues of his favorite animes.

And yet, he still had in front of him the embodiment of the typical male lead in one of those stories. The good-looking guy who makes the protagonist feel special, just as Sakuma was feeling at the moment.

“Hello?”

Sakuma realized that the guy had lowered himself to stare into his eyes and snap his fingers in front of his face.

“Woah—” he exclaimed due to the sudden closeness, “You’re so close!”

“Sorry,” the guy went back to having a normal distance with him. “You space out a lot, don’t you?”

“I get that often.”

“You do look like someone lost in his own world indeed.”

Sakuma looked at the guy through his bangs, asking in a whisper, “And is that a bad thing?”

The guy chuckled when he saw him, and patted Sakuma’s hair affectionately, ruffling it in the process. “Rather, it’s cute.”

While the guy went back to the counter, Sakuma was left panicking. He felt as if he couldn’t move. The shojo manga’s handsome male lead touched his hair? And had called him cute? As if that was the most normal thing to do in that situation? What the hell was going on?

Had it been so simple if this were a game and Sakuma could have had options to choose from on which action he should do next. But that was the reality, and so he found himself frozen in his spot. Unmoving. A rock.

His phone vibrating in his pocket let him come out of that motionless state. Miyata had sent him a message about being on the way to the place they had to go to, and so Sakuma understood that this was his call to go away.

“I—I’ll go now, my friend’s on his way.”

The guy, who had returned to his magazine, gave him a nod, “Have fun.”

“Thanks.”

Sakuma dragged his feet towards the exit, feeling heavy and clumsy due to the stare of the other. He had his hand on the door handle when the guy’s voice called for his attention.

“Iwamoto Hikaru.”

He turned, confused, “What?”

“The name’s Iwamoto Hikaru, but you can just call me Hikaru, everyone does.”

He nodded, swallowing the knot of nervousness that formed in his throat, as he replied, “I’m Sakuma Daisuke.”

The guy smiled. “Hope to see you soon.”

“Me too.”

… Me too?

In the blink of an eye, Sakuma exited the shop and literally ran away from there. What was he even saying? Hikaru’s sentence was just an invitation to come again into the shop, as a customer, there was no way he wanted to meet Sakuma outside that context. So, what the hell was he doing instead, telling him that he hoped to see Hikaru soon? Had he gone out of his mind?

Sakuma buried his face in his hands, ashamed of what had just happened. There was no way he could go back again to the shop after that. Even if he had gotten the guy’s name successfully, even without asking for it himself.

“Iwamoto Hikaru,” he tried, liking how it sounded coming from his lips. Too bad he didn’t get the chance to call that name even once.

Sakuma was surprised to enter his class and find no one other than Iwamoto Hikaru sitting at the back of the class. Just like last time, he was wearing his earphones and seemed too lost in the music to pay attention to his surroundings. However, when Sakuma came into his line of sight, Hikaru beamed and waved at him.

Shyly, he returned the greeting and made to go to his usual seat at the corner of the room, when he saw that Hikaru had taken off his earphones and was still looking at him. Sakuma noticed an empty seat next to Hikaru and found himself going towards it, even though it was in the middle of the room, a place he really didn’t like.

However, when he sat down and was side by side with the guy, he didn’t feel nervous or any other uneasy sensation. This Hikaru guy’s presence surely did something good to Sakuma.

“Are you here to fill in for Fukazawa-kun’s again?”

“Yeah, he’s down with fever.”

“Don’t you have to be at the shop?”

“My shift starts in the afternoon.”

Sakuma nodded, noting down in his mind that information.

They had some random chit-chat before the professor came in to start the lesson. Sakuma would have really liked to focus on that but the other’s presence was too distracting. Hikaru wasn’t doing anything, just taking notes, so this was entirely Sakuma’s fault. His fault for glancing at the guy’s fingers clasped around his pen. His fault for mistakenly brushing the other’s elbow with his one time, and then attempting to do that again after, enjoying the thrill that his body would get by that contact.

By the time the lesson had finished and they were out of the class, Sakuma had no idea what had happened. His mind had been too focused on Hikaru to forget about everything else, and now, as they were walking on the campus, the guy was even talking about the lesson. And Sakuma was pretending to know what he was saying, nodding in agreement, while he was actually just confirming how hot Hikaru’s earrings and piercings looked on his ear.

“... Don’t you think so?”

“Uhm, yeah, yeah.”

Hikaru narrowed his eyes at him, “Are you even listening to me?”

“Of course.”

“Why doesn’t it look like that?”

“I don’t know, but your hunch is wrong anyway.”

Hikaru didn’t ask any further, he just laughed at him, and Sakuma fell in love with that laughter at that instant. How could it be that everything this guy did would make Sakuma fall harder for him?

Again, he was too engrossed in the guy to have not realized to have been led to the campus parking lot. Sakuma would go by train, so he surely didn’t have anything to do there. Yet, he followed Hikaru until they stopped in front of a motorbike.

Hikaru produced a helmet from its seat as he got on it.

“No surprise that you drive a motorbike. You were reading a magazine about them the other day after all,” Sakuma commented.

“And you?”

“Ah, I’m actually by train—I just accompanied you here,” he lied.

“Need a ride? I have a spare helmet for when Fukka rides with me,” the guy offered.

Sakuma was sure to have turned the guy down, he was sure to have even stepped backward, but one thing led to another, and now he was on the motorbike, behind Hikaru, with his heart pounding like crazy. First, he had never been on a motorbike; second, he had never been on a motorbike with the most handsome guy he had ever met.

“This must be some simulation for a dating game, this can’t be real,” he told himself, still trying to process what was happening.

He didn’t have the time though, because Hikaru pulled another male-lead moment when he grasped his arms and brought them around his own waist.

“Hold on to me.”

“O—Okay,” he stuttered. He gulped because his throat went dry, but there was nothing that could help his situation.

Hikaru’s body was so firm and toned that his arms felt as if they were hugging a greek God or something. And when his chest went into contact with his back as Hikaru started driving, Sakuma had just felt too much in less than some seconds. His body was burning but he tried to not give it away as he tried to hold onto the other casually – as if that was even possible. Could you hold onto someone in a way that it didn’t feel like the only thing you wanted was to melt against them?

“Sakuma,” Hikaru called him when they stopped at a traffic light.

“Yeah?”

“Do you have some time before lunch? I’d like to bring you somewhere.”

“Ah, yeah, that’s fine by me.”

“Got it.”

In the end, Sakuma was brought to Tokyo bay. Hikaru had parked his motorbike and had led them toward a sandy beach. The guy raised the final part of his jeans until they reached his knees, showing two well-built calves. Then, he took off his shoes and socks, picking them up with one hand and stepping into the sand.

“You’re not coming?” he asked Sakuma, turning around.

Obviously not a very outdoorsy person, Sakuma must admit that he didn’t dislike the beach. So, with his baggy sweatpants raised up and his shoes and Toradora-themed socks in his hands, he followed Hikaru on the sand.

They walked to the shore before Hikaru stretched his hands and inhaled and exhaled deeply the sea air that was around.

“I like it here, especially on a sunny day.”

“It’s nice, indeed,” he commented, before not holding back from asking a question that was bugging his mind. “Why did you bring me here?”

“Just wanted to hang out with someone for some more.”

Sakuma smirked, “Are you perhaps someone who gets lonely easily?”

“What if I were?”

He was taken aback by the way Hikaru didn’t flinch at that question, or tried to deny his guess. He had believed that the guy was someone who didn’t want to be seen as weak or such, but apparently, he had to change his mind.

“I just didn’t think you were that kind of person, or someone who admitted that in the first place.”

“Showing emotions is not a weakness.”

And now, that was indeed how Hikaru showed his strength, not hiding his feelings but being his honest self.

“You’re right.”

“So you shouldn’t hold back yours too.”

Hikaru looked at him with a knowing glance, and Sakuma felt lost for a moment.

“What do you mean?”

“You have a habit of looking down when you’re going to blush, but there’s no need for that. You’re rather cute with red cheeks actually.”

Sakuma blinked his eyes at him, astonished at what he was hearing. Was… Was Hikaru saying what he heard him saying?

“You said what?”

Hikaru chuckled, “Sorry, I may come too straightforward for someone who’s not used to me. But I do think that you’re cute and I just wanted to let you know.”

“Why?”

Hikaru licked his lips before taking some steps toward Sakuma. He stared down at him from his tall height.

“Truth or dare?”

“What?”

“Truth or dare. Choose.”

Sakuma was pretty much confused but the proximity of the other didn’t make it possible for his mind to come up with a retort, so he just replied. “Truth.”

“Do you have a crush on me?”

And, alright, Sakuma really didn’t see that coming, even though he should have expected it, he had to admit that. Especially if he connected Hikaru's comment with the smirk he was flashing after. Was the handsome tsundere flirting with him? Is this the moment around Chapter 4 where things get deeper and the protagonist’s heart skips tons of beats at every line? Because Sakuma really felt like that at the moment.

However, since he didn’t know what Hikaru’s intentions were, he ended up changing his previous reply. “Okay, let’s do dare.”

“I dare you to reply to my question.”

Sakuma pushed Hikaru away playfully, “That’s not fair!”

“Alright, alright,” the guy raised his hands in apology. “How about doing a handstand for 5 seconds?”

That, he could do it. Sakuma proceeded to put down his shoes and carefully inserted his socks inside so that his beloved Taiga printed on them wouldn’t get dirty. Sakuma placed his hands on the sand and with a jump, he brought his legs up, while Hikaru counted down the seconds.

“Four… Five!”

Sakuma got on his feet again and let out a victory shout.

“Didn’t expect you to be able to do that,” Hikaru confessed.

“I did ballet when I was young, so I can still move around a bit,” he explained, before he approached the other and challenged him with his gaze. “Now, truth or dare, Hikaru?”

Hikaru thought about it for a few seconds. “Dare.”

“Quite a cowardly choice for someone who suggested this game in the first place.”

“Alright, truth it is then.”

Sakuma could have asked so many things to Hikaru: was he really as confident as he looked? Did he work out as much as it seemed? Was he really trying out a new type of in-real-life dating simulation game with Sakuma? Had he just come from Sakuma’s fantasies?

He could have asked anything, but Sakuma decided to gather up a lifetime’s worth of courage to drive Hikaru out and understand if what was going on right now was what he hoped for. So, he sent right back to Hikaru the question that he was asked previously.

“Do you have a crush on me?”

Hikaru blinked his eyes, surprised to hear that and for one moment Sakuma feared to have misunderstood it all. Maybe the guy didn’t call him cute before, maybe he hadn’t emanated flirty vibes as he thought he did.

“Sorry,” he said out loud before the situation could get any worse. “It was just a joke anyway, you know? Like, you asked me so I ask you now and—Forget it.”

Sakuma’s feet moved fast and he walked away, running from that embarrassing and awkward moment when Hikaru’s voice made him stop in his tracks.

“I do.”

He slowly turned around, forcing his body to face the other who was now closing the distance between them.

“Since when you averted your gaze after having met mine, and your face was bathing in the sun rays that came from the class’ window. Since when you came into the shop and when you saw me you blanked out, with that adorable surprised expression you have even right now. Since when you were standing on your tiptoes to reach that record.”

“Wait, but you remembered me just after I asked you if you were in my class. Also, you didn’t seem that affected by me when we met at the shop.”

Hikaru smiled sheepishly. “I was just pretending. You seemed quite the shy person, so I was afraid that I might have come off as too pushy if I had made a move on you.”

“But you did now.”

“Because I could now ascertain that this is not one-sided.”

Sakuma crossed his arms, now feeling some pride welling up in him, since Hikaru had apparently gone down for Sakuma way before him.

“But you still don’t know though, I didn’t reply to your question.”

“True…” Hikaru bit his lips, staring right into Sakuma, “Truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

Hikaru laughed out loud but didn’t let Sakuma’s answer stop him, because he got closer and whispered just some inches away from his face, “Kiss me.”

Sakuma was completely dumbfounded by that. They moved from Chapter 4 to Chapter 8 in less than a minute, and he felt that his heart couldn’t keep up with this rhythm. But his eyes still fell on the other’s lips, and his head still tilted up, as if offering his lips for the taking. And Hikaru noticed that, as he leaned down to claim Sakuma’s lips. Just that he didn’t.

Sakuma had closed his eyes but had to re-open them again to see what had happened. Hikaru was looking down while a group of friends had just stepped on the beach. The guy signaled him to just go away, and without saying anything else they got back on the motorbike, and Hikaru drove Sakuma home.

When he got down, removed his helmet, and passed it back to Hikaru, Sakuma stalled, waiting for something, anything, coming from his personal good-looking male lead that returned his feelings.

“So…” he prompted.

Hikaru’s hand went to squeeze Sakuma’s cheeks before his fingers brushed his lips.

“I’ll collect that dare next time.”

Sakuma found himself nodding while watching Hikaru going away. He hoped that the guy would have fulfilled that promise as soon as possible.

Sakuma committed himself to wait for the other to do something. After all, Hikaru had told him that he would have come to collect that dare, so Sakuma should have been the one waiting. Right?

Well, he found in himself a rather impatient side, especially when he realized that they hadn’t exchanged LINE contacts, and so that if they wanted to talk, either Hikaru had to go to his university to find him, or Sakuma to the music shop.

So, he waited for Hikaru to show up at his campus, with his motorbike, waiting for him at the entrance and then assuring him that he wasn’t looking for his friend Fukazawa but for Sakuma. And then he would have driven him to that beach again, and they would have defined whatever was going on between them, and have their happy ending on the beach with the sun shining bright in the sky typical of a Chapter 10.

However, days were passing, and there were no signs of Iwamoto Hikaru around him. So, impatient and restless, he ended up going to the store himself, accepting Hikaru’s advice of not hiding his emotions. Their feelings were mutual anyway so what was the point in running away now? 

The bold guy Sakuma had become just because of a dude, gosh.

Sakuma took a deep breath before going into the familiar alley, and walking toward the music shop. Surprisingly, the sign read ‘closed’, and the shutter was half-open. Truth to be told, Sakuma didn’t know if that was the store’s resting day, but now that he was here, he couldn’t go back. The courage running inside him couldn’t have returned again after all.

So, he lowered himself to pass under the shutter and enter the store. He found some boxes here and there, while he could spot Hikaru’s head behind one of the last shelves. The guy was wearing a pair of headphones, a record playing on the player, and was dancing while holding a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. Hikaru was moving freely, his arms moving in the air while his feet slid on the floor. They looked like some hip-hop steps from the general knowledge Sakuma had, and he went to sit on the counter, admiring him dancing.

Hikaru seemed so much in his element, eyes closed and body lost in the music, that Sakuma could only stare at him in awe. His movements were so fluid, so natural, as if he was born for dancing. Despite having watched tons and tons of ballet performances when he was young, no one had mesmerized him the way Hikaru did, and he didn’t know if it was because of the genre or the dancer.

Moreover, Hikaru’s leather jacket was resting on the counter, so now the guy was wearing only a T-shirt, resulting in his incredibly toned, hot, thick biceps being perfectly wrapped up by its sleeves. Not to mention the muscular shoulders, the broad back, his long legs…

Sakuma bit his lips unconsciously right when Hikaru turned around and opened his eyes, and hurried to wear a nonchalant expression.

“Sorry, didn’t hear you coming in,” Hikaru said, taking off his headphones. “How long have you been here?”

“Just a minute or so, don’t worry,” he replied, “I didn’t want to interrupt you. You looked like having fun.”

Hikaru smiled timidly, “I like dancing, so I do it whenever I have the time.”

“I see.”

The guy went to put down the clipboard and pen on the counter, right next to Sakuma, before looking up and staring at him with an apologetic face. “I’ve been a bit busy these days, sorry I didn’t really show my face.”

“Busy with what?”

“Dance lessons mainly, and since yesterday I was put in charge of the inventory of the shop, and I also have to get rid of some merch in the process.”

“Dance lessons? That’s what you do?”

“Yeah, I want to be a dancer.”

“Well, you’re on your way then, you’re pretty good.”

Hikaru beamed at Sakuma’s compliments, “You think so?”

“I do.”

“It makes me so happy, you know that?”

Sakuma shrugged, saying matter-of-factly, “I guess everyone likes to hear compliments, don’t they?”

Hikaru shook his head and approached Sakuma, placing his hands on the counter, on either side of him, and standing in between Sakuma’s open legs. Sakuma had his hands clasped together by the thrill, his throat and mouth going dry in one second, while he licked his lips in anticipation.

“It makes me happy because you’re the one who’s saying that.”

“Really?” he asked, pretending to not be affected by that revelation when he was pretty much about to explode.

“Really,” Hikaru affirmed, “I seriously like you, you know. I wasn’t joking back then at the beach.”

“You didn’t come to collect my dare though.”

“I can do that now, can’t I?”

“I guess—I guess you can,” he stuttered, his heartbeat so fast that he feared to pass out any minute.

Hikaru leaned in, he too passing his tongue on his lips, before signaling Sakuma with his finger, “Come here.”

Sakuma lowered himself and in less than a few seconds, his lips were captured by Hikaru’s. He let his hands rest on the guy’s shoulders as they deepened the kiss, both of them surely not satisfied by just a peck. What he wasn’t waiting for was for Hikaru’s hands to travel on his legs, until his thighs and then to his hips, in such a slow way that Sakuma got goosebumps all over his body.

Hikaru lifted him up and brought him to the floor, breaking the kiss. “Want to dance with me?”

“W-What?”

Biting his lips in the most sensual way he had ever seen, Hikaru held Sakuma’s hands and dragged him where just some minutes ago Hikaru was dancing. He then searched on the shelves until he picked up a CD and put it on the player. Just that instead of blasting it through the headphones, Hikaru set up the speakers, so now the music was resonating for the whole store.

Sakuma didn’t know this song, let alone who sang it, but despite not being a slow-tempo song, its groove was sensual. That much he could get it. Hikaru started to raise up and down his shoulders with the rhythm, his eyes fixed on Sakuma’s, before he linked their hands again to get him into the music as well.

For someone who had danced for the most part of his childhood, Sakuma was rather stiff. Maybe because that song was out of his comfort zone, or maybe because Hikaru was definitely too stunning for him to let him do anything else that wasn’t gaping at him in adoration.

But then Hikaru slid his hands on his hips, bringing their bodies closer, and whispered in his ears, “Put your arms on my shoulders,” and so he did, before eventually circling them around the guy’s neck. Then, another whisper, “Just follow the rhythm. You did ballet, you must have music in your blood.”

As much as that had to be true from everyone’s perspectives, Sakuma’s feet were still glued in their spot, unable to move an inch with such a handsome guy breathing into his ears. It certainly didn’t help the fact that at some point Hikaru propped him more onto him, since their height difference was a bit too much to let them dance together properly.

Hikaru was holding him by an arm around his hips, his hand clutching at Sakuma’s waistband. His other arm was hanging lazily on his side instead, and to Sakuma that was so damn erotic. Hikaru could even do nothing with his free arm, since he was strong enough to dance while supporting him with one arm.

“You’re pretty strong, huh,” he commented.

“I work out a lot,” Hikaru replied.

“I can see that.”

Somehow, that bit of chatter made him relax some more, and so he could fill his body starting to move along Hikaru’s, following his moves. It was just that at first. Just dancing together while hungrily staring at each other’s, desiring every inch of the other’s body. He didn’t know when all that escalated, and he got turned around, with Hikaru’s hands roaming his body.

Hikaru’s lips went to nibble Sakuma’s earlobe, while his right hand slipped under his T-shirt and his fingers caressed his skin before resting on his stomach. Sakuma felt Hikaru’s moving his hips in a different way than before, and he didn’t know what to do at that point.

“I’ve never done this kind of… dance; What should I do?” he asked, feeling so at ease with the other to not feel ashamed of admitting that.

“Move your hips in a circular way, like this,” Hikaru explained, “Bend your knees a bit also.”

Sakuma followed the instructions, and before he could realize it, his arms were already going up so that his hands could get lost in Hikaru’s hair. When he shifted his head to look at the other and his lips were claimed for a heated, deep kiss, Sakuma understood that by now they were pretty much grinding on each other.

Hikaru’s growing erection was perfectly obvious to Sakuma, as he could feel it against his butt, and it sent him on cloud nine with the thought that the most attractive guy on Earth was getting hard because of Sakuma. Of all people, the person who was making him feel something was the friendly neighborhood otaku from Edogawa.

If before he could have doubted Hikaru’s crush, now it was impossible to deny it.

Sakuma found himself smiling widely as Hikaru’s tongue licked a path on his neck and exposed shoulder due to his loose shirt, while his free hand went down to palm Sakuma’s bulge. He gasped when his groin was grabbed.

“Hump it.”

“What?”

“This is the moment when you start humping.”

“Alright…” he said, out of breath.

Sakuma did as told, and while Hikaru was humping his butt, he was humping his hand. This was… what? His shojo mangas didn’t have these scenes at all. He may as well have reached a point beyond the final chapter. He considered himself lucky because it must have been very sad for the main characters to have only one kiss from the freaking handsome male leads. Instead, Sakuma was getting much more than just a kiss, or two, or a back hug or kabedon or whatever. He was getting laid with his oshi.

Sakuma’s mouth started to let out moans louder by the second as they kept on dry humping each other, and the only thing he wanted was to just take off his sweatpants and free his erection, which was aching inside his boxers.

He didn’t know if Hikaru could read minds, because almost on cue, he dragged Sakuma back to the counter and lowered his sweatpants and boxers in one go.

“What now?”

Sakuma rested his arms on the counter, wondering what the other was planning next.

“Now we fuck.” Hikaru’s strong arms hugged him while he put his chin on Sakuma’s shoulder, “Is that fine by you? I just don’t think I can resist you anymore.”

Sakuma bit down his lips so hard that blood could have almost come out from them as he tried to not smirk at that comment. He was driving Hikaru insane, talking about plot twists in life.

“Go ahead.”

He heard Hikaru sighing relieved before a minute or so passed, and then two fingers were inserted inside his hole. He had to grasp the counter, and hold on for dear life while the guy fingered him to prepare him.

“Relax, Sakuma.”

“I’m trying.”

Hikaru jerked Sakuma’s off to make him loosen up, while also leaving kisses on his jaw. It helped a bit, but not too much, and Sakuma feared that this reaction of his could give away the fact that he had never had anal sex with someone. Hikaru was, without a doubt, more experienced than him, so he didn’t want to let him down.

However, when Hikaru removed his fingers but did not thrust his dick inside him, Sakuma understood that he had been found out.

“Sakuma, could this be perhaps your first time?”

“W—Why are you asking?” he stuttered, still looking ahead of him.

“You’re so tense, and look pretty nervous.”

“I’m—I’m not.”

“Sakuma.” Hikaru hugged him from behind again, “There wouldn’t be anything wrong with that. I just don’t want you to force yourself.”

“I’m not forcing myself,” he assured him. He finally looked at him, and saw the lust in his eyes mixed with worry for him. It was very endearing seeing how Hikaru was ready to fuck him on a counter in the middle of a store but at the same time was as sweet as going to the extent of making sure that Sakuma was fine above everything. He may have found a diamond without even looking for one.

Sakuma lost his fingers in the other’s hair, as he caressed his nape, “I want this, I really do. Just guide me, okay?”

Giving him a nod, Hikaru pecked his lips a few times before setting him up with his hands. He gently made Sakuma bend forward while spreading his legs for easier access, and then slowly inserted his cock inside him. Sakuma flinched, his feet arching and his jaw clenching. His tight fists were covered by Hikaru’s hands, who whispered sweet nothings hoping to soothe him a little bit.

Hikaru waited until Sakuma gave him the signal before thrusting. Despite his throbbing erection, Sakuma could feel how Hikaru was holding himself back, moving at a slow pace. He was very grateful for that, but he also didn’t want the thrill caused by the rashness of their emotions and actions to be killed because of that.

“You can go faster if you want.”

“You sure?”

“You said that we would have fuck, right? Then do it properly.”

Throwing him a glance, Sakuma saw the other completely taken aback by that sudden order. He certainly didn’t expect that coming from Sakuma, but he didn’t seem to have disliked it. Rather, he smiled, and went full-on like he was told.

It hurt. Sakuma couldn’t deny that. He felt a sharp pain running in his hips and ass, and he muffled his cries because the last thing he wanted was to show Hikaru that he indeed couldn’t take it. Luckily, the pleasure started to intensify at some point, replacing the pain bit by bit, thanks to the fact that he had found Sakuma’s sweet spot already, and also thanks to all the other ministrations Hikaru was reserving for his body. Caresses, kisses, bites; his body seemed to particularly enjoy when his nipples were pinched, and that didn’t go unnoticed.

“You like this?” Hikaru said.

Sakuma hummed, nodding vigorously. Hikaru proceeded on pinching harder then, and Sakuma found himself letting out a sudden yelp and then covering his mouth.

“I told you to not hide your emotions, didn’t I?”

“B—But what if someone—I mean, they could hear me from—from outside,” Sakuma managed to make a coherent sentence despite the pleasure that was taking over his mind. His vision already blurred.

“Then that be it.” Hikaru pulled Sakuma on him so that his back was against his chest, much like that time he saved him from falling on the ground. “They’ll see how hot you look while my dick is pounding inside you, and how much you’re taking pleasure from it.” Then, Hikaru stroked Sakuma’s cock. “You’re so hard, and you’re already leaking. You’re loving it, right?”

So, this guy wasn’t hot only on the outside. This guy literally knew how to fuck someone good and Sakuma had been lucky enough to get him. The first times weren’t always memorable he had read, but his? Oh, he was surely going to remember this.

It just became too much for Sakuma at some point. Too many sensations and emotions all at once. He had never experienced anything like that but he was sure that it wasn’t just because it was his first time. Had it been with someone else, probably it wouldn’t have been this mind-blowing.

Every part of his body was burning, every touch sending tons of shivers down his spine and right to his cock. Sakuma closed his eyes and threw his head back, as an impetuous shudder shook his body, while he cried out loud Hikaru’s name.

Suddenly, everything stopped. Hikaru’s thrusts, his hands, their huffs.

Sakuma opened his eyes and glancing down, he noticed he had come, spilling on the counter’s side, basically untouched since Hikaru’s hand stroked him only once.

Hikaru took out his dick and turned Sakuma around.

“Make me finish.”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

“H—How—”

Hikaru joined their foreheads together while putting Sakuma’s hands on his dick. He guided him in his movements, and Sakuma began jerking the other off, staring at his face and not missing every wince of pleasure crossing his face. It was so erotic watching Hikaru coming in his hands, hissing right on his face, his teeth showing since he bit down his lips.

“Was I good?” Sakuma couldn’t hold back to ask.

Hikaru giggled, caressing Sakuma’s cheek with one hand. “You were perfect.”

The song had finished playing in the background long ago, but they realized that only at that moment, while looking into each other’s eyes, only the sound of their breaths mixing together could be heard in the room.

Fukazawa checked to still be on time to catch his train when he saw a familiar figure outside the campus’ exit. He squinted through his eyes and glasses and found his best friend waiting on his motorbike. He hadn’t told him anything about picking him up, so Fukazawa was quite surprised to see him there.

“Hikaru?” he called when he was close to him. “Are you here for me?”

“Nope, he’s here for me!”

Fukazawa’s head was patted as someone skipped his way toward Hikaru. When the stranger turned around, Fukazawa recognized him as the shy boy from his course, always sitting at the far back of the room.

“Sakuma-san was it?”

“Yep!”

“Fukka,” his friend started, “You see, Sakuma and I—”

“We’re boyfriends!”

Fukazawa widened his eyes and almost choked on his saliva. They were what?

“What? Since when? And how did you even meet?”

“When I filled in for you at the class. He also came to the shop,” Hikaru explained, “Sorry to not have told you earlier, I was looking for a good moment.”

“It’s fine,” he assured his friend, “I wish you guys all the best.”

Sakuma linked his arms with Hikaru’s one, “Thanks!”

That guy sure looked more cheerful than he ever did. He had always thought of him as a shy and lonely person, but now that he was standing next to Hikaru, he appeared more confident and outgoing.

“Well, we have to go on our date now, don’t we?” Sakuma started.

Hikaru nodded and passed him his spare helmet.

“Sometimes we should hang out together, Fukka. Us three I mean,” his friend said.

“Gladly.”

Sakuma got on the motorbike and wrapped his arms firmly around Hikaru’s waist, before waving at Fukazawa and then resting his head on his boyfriend’s back.

“I will call you tonight Fukka, to explain better,” Hikaru informed him, “See you!”

Fukazawa nodded, and waved at the couple as they set off on Hikaru’s motorbike.

That news had been pretty sudden for Fukazawa, who had never expected such a relationship to even exist. But then again, if Sakuma was the reason for Hikaru’s recent good mood, then he was more than happy about that.