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Truth be told, Korekiyo didn’t expect anything going awry today. His daily routine went as usual. The classes passed without any major disruptions. His anthropology studies were going smoothly too. And recently, he even managed to acquire a semi-frequent study subject. Gonta Gokuhara, who happened to be Korekiyo’s classmate, seemed to be an eager volunteer in Korekiyo’s research. After all, a true gentleman couldn’t say no to a polite request coming from a friend, could he?
While walking back together after classes were over, the two students took a leisurely stroll back to the dormitories. This time around, Korekiyo wished to learn more about how Gonta was able to thrive in the wilderness.
“—Then Gonta go to river, and fish with forest family,” Gonta said, recounting one of his many tales from the past. “Fresh fish really good! Especially grilled!”
“How fascinating.” Korekiyo imagined a young boy enjoying a delicious, cooked meal among his wolf brethren… Hold on, something doesn’t add up here.
“Say, Gonta, would you mind telling me how you’ve learnt to prepare food back then?”
Gonta suddenly fell silent for a moment as they were passing by a shop. Initially, Korekiyo assumed that he needed more time to articulate his response properly. Though, seeing the expression shifting to more troubled than focused was a sign that something was up.
“U-Um, forest family taught Gonta—wolves very smart animals!” He instinctively scratched his cheek, which was followed by darting a look at Korekiyo. “No thumbs needed, really!”
As tempting as it was to drill him with questions, Korekiyo could clearly see that Gonta was unwilling to cooperate. Even if he phrased his inquiry any differently, the response wouldn’t shed any more light on the matter. For the time being, it’d be better to play along.
“Ah, is that so? Do they use their mouths instead?”
Yet, this question was left unanswered as well…
A loud thud disturbed the ongoing conversation as the glass windows echoed the recent impact. Just when Korekiyo figured out that the sound came from behind, Gonta was already investigating the scene. Hearing an audible gasp, the other made haste.
“What’s the matter—Oh.”
Judging by a dusty bird outline on the shop’s windows and an unmoving body of an ash-red city pigeon lying nearby, Korekiyo could tell what had happened just now.
“How… inkind! Gonta said cover glass.” He crouched down to observe the feathered victim. “They see no glass!”
Seeing Gonta become so passionate about animals was always a delight to Korekiyo. While he wasn’t particularly keen on interaction with creepy crawlies in person, an animated discussion about the matter was another thing. Standing by the other, he decided to learn more about this issue.
“Well, how exactly would one ‘cover’ the glass without obstructing the view?”
“Put UV on glass.”
“Pardon?”
“Put UV on glass cuz birds see UV.”
“I’m afraid I don’t follow, Gonta.”
For a moment, their eyes met as Gonta quizzically looked at Korekiyo. Blinking a few times, Gonta fixed his glasses, and resumed watching the bird.
“...There is special glass with UV.” He slowly explained, ensuring that his pronunciation was perfect. “Gonta read special glass cause less bird accidents. Cuz birds see glass that way. Kiyo understand now?”
“Yes, thank you for rephrasing this, Gonta.” Korekiyo replied, crouching beside him. “So, do you have any suggestions on how we should go about this unfortunate pigeon?”
“We take pigeon and let him rest.”
Gonta carefully scooped up the animal as he stood up, before looking at Korekiyo expectedly… He’s going to ask him for help, isn’t he?
“He is unconscious, so leaving him here bad idea.” Looking at the limp body filled Gonta with determination. “B-But Gonta need Korekiyo’s help, please.”
Called it. Well, as much as Korekiyo would rather not get his hands messy, he was left with no choice. If he rejected this plea, Gonta’s heart might have just as well shatter into pieces. A cruel choice even by his standards.
“Very well then.” He sighed, meeting eyes with the other. “What needs to be done?”
“This easy, promise! Gonta need box that Gonta prepare for pigeon.” Gonta said, heading to the dormitories once again. “When box ready, Kiyo watch pigeon. When pigeon awake, he return here!”
“I take you’ll be busy, which would prevent you from the watch duty, yes?” Korekiyo followed suit, occasionally glancing at the bird.
“Yes, Gonta must feed bug friends in Biology Building cuz today feeding time!”
…Now that he thought of this, the plan didn’t seem that bad. Presumably staying at Gonta’s dorm for some time—which permitted more in-depth study of his more intimate lifestyle—while waiting for the animal to regain its consciousness.
“Very well then, kehehe.”
After reaching the dormitories, the Ultimates temporarily parted ways. After managing to retrieve some leftover cardboard box, Korekiyo knocked on the door.
“Is open!”
The anthropologist carefully walked inside and unsurprisingly, Gonta was still holding the unconscious pigeon in his hands. To be fair, putting a feral bird on the bed you’re sitting on seemed more unsanitary than letting it rest in your palms.
“Kiyo have perfect box, thank you!” Putting the animal on a fluffy towel that lied next to Gonta, he walked over to the other.
As Gonta was setting up the box, Korekiyo looked around to pass some time. Just as any other room here, while sparingly furnished, it was easy to tell on the first glance what was the residing Ultimate’s specialisation. In the case of Gonta, it was a few terrariums housing some invertables… and a lone portable fridge. Yes, surprisingly enough, plenty of biological Ultimates were fortunate to have such luxurious piece of equipment. Meanwhile Korekiyo could boast of his increased number of permitted bookshelves… They say knowledge is power, but owning a personal fridge was arguably a better deal. Eventually, the shuffling stopped.
“Okay, box ready now.” He gestured to the box covered with a black sheet. “Gonta go now and Kiyo watch pigeon, thank you.”
Korekiyo just nodded and waited for Gonta to leave. Taking a seat by the desk, he began filling out his notebook with today’s observations and interpersonal developments. Engrossed by this task, the sound of a door closing was completely missed…
Well, just as they’ve agreed, Korekiyo was now on his pigeon-sitting duty. He couldn’t say that he was all alone, given the fact that whatever dwelled in the terrariums and the bird were keeping him company. And a certain someone, too.
Stopping idly tapping the desk with his finger, Korekiyo got up to walk around Gonta’s room anti-clockwise. The sturdy desk with a worn out chair, a shut window with curtains, a small closet, Gonta’s rucksack, a bookshelf holding various entomological books, and a spare aerial net, bathroom, a closed door, three medium-sized terrariums, and the cardboard box. Looking up, there was a turned off lamp and upon lowering his gaze, plain wooden flooring… If he was in a pitch, he could check out the desk drawers or the closet too, but that would likely be an invasion of privacy. Would it? Would it not?
Anyway, perhaps some book might catch his attention? Though, nothing out of the ordinary seemed to stick out. Invertables, insects, arthropods, more insects—not a big surprise there. Moving on to the terrariums.
Korekiyo examined the informational plates detailing what kinds of creatures were inside. As far as he was concerned, two females and one male took their residence there. No clue what species as this information was written in Latin, and luring them out to see wasn’t preferable by a long shot.
While fiddling with his jewellery, he closed his eyes for a moment to relax… There was nothing to be worried about. Nothing from those terrariums would escape and jump at him unprompted. Gonta would return soon. The pigeon wouldn’t wind up dead—his effort wouldn’t go naught like that…?
“Hm? Could it be?”
The soft sounds coming from the box forced Korekiyo’s eyes open. Moving away from Gonta’s bug friends, he was tempted to check on the bird. Kneeling down, Korekiyo focused on picking up any sounds. And his suspicions turned out to be true; the pigeon was alive and kicking! Gently prying the box open, he looked inside, and—
“Bloody bird!” He cursed, startled by the sudden take off.
The cock was out of the box and frantically flew around the place before resting on the bookshelf. Now, he was looking at him with this stupid, mocking look on his face. Ever so slowly, Korekiyo reached out for the entomological net, but the pigeon knew exactly what he was doing. Taking wing, he tried escaping once again!
Swinging the net at the bird, Korekiyo’s attempts at capturing the bird were futile. Just when he thought this feathered annoyance gave up, it was stepping up its game.
“Stop it already, you—!” Another unsuccessful swing and swishing wing flap.
The pigeon cooed triumphantly as he watched the human below him lose his mind. Korekiyo tightened his grip on the handle, his feathers were really ruffled now.
“Cease trashing my boyfriend’s room!”
Finally, the man managed to outspeed the bird in its reaction time. Thrashing in the net, Korekiyo retrieved the pigeon, and stuffed it back into the box. After closing it and covering the top with the sheet, he marched back, and sat down on Gonta’s bed. Taking deep breaths in and out, he tried to regain his composure after the mad chase. Luckily, there wasn’t too much mess besides some loose feathers here and there…
Then, the realisation hit him like a truck. No, no, no, that was a slip of the tongue. Obviously. His heart already belonged to somebody. And he wasn’t planning on changing that anytime soon. There was no reason to panic, really. Moreover, this word was factually correct as Gonta was a boy, and his friend. His classmates were friends too, so calling Kaede his girlfriend or Shuichi his boyfriend too were fair game—
“Gonta back!... Kiyo?” He announced, worried to see Korekiyo covering his face in embarrassment. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, dear. I was simply massaging my eyebrows.” Korekiyo replied, making circular motions on the supposedly affected area. Then, he uncovered his face as the uneasy feeling was gone. “All’s good.”
“Oh! Gonta can check Kiyo’s mites!”
“My mites? Are you implying something, Gonta?”
“Nope, plenty people have skin mites!”
Well, that was the fact that one would wish to unhear.
“Oh… Uh, perhaps after we release the bird? I heard it move, so it might be time.”
Gonta’s face lit up upon learning this information. As Korekiyo’s mind was preoccupied with the new found knowledge about potential critters living on his face, Gonta picked up the cooing box.
“Okay, let’s go!” And with that, the two students were off to the ground zero.
Carefully prying the box open, Gonta waited for the ruddy cock to fly away. But the bird hesitated.
“It fine, pigeon friend,” he gently reassured the bird. “No rush, Gonta and Kiyo wait when you ready.”
The pigeon bursted from its temporary shelter. Yet instead of making a beeline back to the woods, it sat on Gonta’s shoulder, cooing loudly into his ear. Korekiyo couldn’t tell what the pigeon was trying to do, though he had a hunch that it wanted to speak to Gonta.
For a moment, a pair of red eyes scrutinised his lanky form, followed by a frown. Would it be too much of a stretch to assume the pigeon just snitched on him? But something even more surprising was about to unfold.
Gonta replied to the bird… he literally cooed back at it. Most extraordinary. Remaining silent, Korekiyo watched the ongoing conversation of sorts. Softer coo followed by a much deeper coo back to back. For a moment, Gonta’s figure stiffened before relaxing to respond properly. Finally, the bird bid his farewell and flew away.
“Quite a conversation you’ve had, Gonta.” Korekiyo said, stepping closer to take a gander at the other’s face. “Pry sharing what has transpired between you two?”
While just a moment ago Gonta seemed rather peeved, a faint blush on his cheeks and shy glances offered a much different disposition.
“Uh, Gonta try.” He responded, fixing his glasses. “So, pigeon told Gonta that Kiyo chase him! This true?”
“There… may have been an incident of such form, yes.”
“Hm, pigeon gone, so Kiyo no apologise…” Gonta pondered, before continuing. “But he forgive you. Gonta too but pigeon chasing no good!”
“If it makes you happy, I’ll make any necessary amends to that.”
“Thank you! Gonta not done… Uhm…”
The box began shaking a little bit, which prompted Kiyo to raise his eyebrows in confusion.
“Pigeon say ‘Gonta’s mate very persistent’…” He fumbled, his blush spreading and becoming more visible.
“Oh... Oh.”
An emotional rollercoaster was causing havoc in Korekiyo’s mind. Thankfully, his trusty mask hid away this discord perfectly. What a peculiar experience! This was certainly going to stick with both of them for a while.