Chapter Text
Day 1
Who are you? Yuuta asks himself as his mind works hard to capture every detail of the person leaning against the pillar, his backpack propped behind him and black headphones snug over his ears, contrasting with his seemingly soft, silver hair.
Yuuta watches as his head bobs slowly to the beat, his lips mouthing the lyrics to some song. It makes him wonder what kind of music he’s listening to.
He also notices that this man is a little shorter than him. And his oversized blue puffy jacket makes it look like he’s almost drowning in it, but all Yuuta can think about is one thing: He’s cute. So cute. Oh God, he’s so cute. Can I have him?
Wait. What? Yuuta blinks, startled by his own thoughts. A flashing image of Satoru’s smug grin barges into his mind, making him shiver. Damn, that guy’s really gotten into my head. I hate it here.
Still, Okkotsu Yuuta is not someone who backs down from a bet—especially not one that could make him a lifetime target of Satoru’s teasing.
He remembers that camping trip back in university.
They’d gone camping for two days with the ambitious (and stupid) plan to forage for their food because “This is how we become one with nature,” Satoru had declared, fully supported by Kinji.
While Shoko and Maki had rolled their eyes and conviced they were probably going to starve, Kirara thought it sounded fun, and Suguru had mostly worried they’d poison themselves if they cooked the food wrong. Yuuta? He’d just gone along with it.
What started as a group effort to catch some fish had somehow turned into a bet: Yuuta and Suguru versus Satoru and Kinji. The girls had taken over tent duty while the guys went off to try their luck by the river.
The fishing trip had devolved into chaos as Satoru and Kinji yelled about “superior infinite techniques,” their flailing rods scaring off every fish in sight.
Meanwhile, Yuuta quietly observed the stream and noticed a shallow spot teeming with fish. “Let’s try over there,” he suggested to Suguru.
While Suguru struggled to catch anything, Yuuta built a crude fish trap from rocks and sticks, recalling a survival show he’d once watched. “This is pointless,” Suguru muttered, but Yuuta’s focus didn’t waver.
Moments later, a splash signaled success. “I got one!” Yuuta exclaimed, holding up a squirming fish.
By the time they returned to camp, Satoru and Kinji were empty-handed. Yuuta, on the other hand, proudly held up two fish.
“WHAT?” Satoru’s voice cracked. “How did you do that?”
“Guess I got lucky,” Yuuta said, scratching his head.
Maki snorted. “Or maybe he’s just better than you two clowns.”
Satoru clutched his chest in mock betrayal. Yuuta couldn’t help but laugh, savoring his rare victory over Satoru.
He had won that bet, and he’s going to win this one. So, Yuuta sets his sights on the man. With his train still 10 minutes away, he figures it’s enough time to, you know, talk about the weather or something.
As he mentally prepares himself, he cycles through conversation starters that don’t sound completely weird. Maybe a simple “Hi” and some small talk about the music? He nods to himself, feeling confident already.
But, wouldn’t that be odd? Who even walks up to a stranger and asks, “Hey, what are you listening to?” Literally who does that?
His mind quickly pops another route. Oh! What if I compliment his jacket? That should be safe, right? He might just think I’m asking where he got it so I can get one for myself, you know, like bro helping bro.
He frowns. But what if he thinks I’m copying him? Not everyone likes to share their style. There’s a high chance it’s going to annoy him.
Okay, maybe I can ask if he’s taking the same train as me… No, that’s dumb. That makes me sound like a stalker.
At this point, if you looked closely, you could probably see smoke coming out of Yuuta’s brain.
Oh my god, WHAT DO I DO? This is so hard.
Yuuta is so busy spiraling that he barely notices the loudspeaker announcing the arrival of his train. When the announcement repeats a second time, it snaps him out of his overthinking, and he quickly tries to pull himself together.
The mysterious, beautiful man is still there, but now he’s standing, as if getting ready. If lady luck is on Yuuta’s side, maybe the man is taking the same train. He’ll come up with a more elaborate plan to talk to him once they’re on board.
As the train pulls in, people begin to queue up neatly. Yuuta waits for the passengers to come out, his eyes scanning the crowd for the man.
It shouldn’t be that hard to spot bright silver hair, but Yuuta can’t seem to find him. Well, maybe luck just isn’t on his side today. He can always try again tomorrow.
The train is crowded this morning, or maybe it’s always like this. Yuuta doesn’t often take the train to work, so he’s not really familiar with the usual crowds. He only knows which train to take and which station to get off at, thanks to Maki.
He opts to stand near the opposite door and quickly holds the strap with his right hand.The ride to his destination will take about 40 minutes, so he figures he’ll entertain himself with his phone.
He opens his group chat and quickly types.
Yuuta:
guess, you’ll find this hard to believe.
[picture]
Shoko:
gasp.
Maki:
wow he really does it guys.
Kirara:
so so proud of youu <3
Kinji:
the question is are you even taking the right train
Yuuta:
well of course
i know my way around here
Maki:
oh do you, now?
Yuuta:
with some help
from my very kind friend
which is you maki
Maki:
good
Satoru:
heh, but you know that’s not the only thing you gotta do, right? :p
Yuuta:
shut up i'm trying
i’m making plans as we speak
Satoru:
oh! so you’ve found a target?
please do tell
Yuuta:
lets not call him a target
that sounds creepy
Kirara:
OMG!!!
EVERYONE
WE GOT A HIM!!!
Satoru:
IT’S A BOOOOYYYY
i’ve been praying for times like this
Kirara:
do i hear wedding bells or what
Maki:
i hear the death march
Yuuta:
THATS SO MEAN
Shoko:
did you bring your mini pride flag today?
you know
to let him know that you’re gay
Maki:
lol
Kinji:
lmaooo
Yuuta:
1. im bi
2. he might be straight
3. shut up
@ all of you
He locks his phone and puts it in his pocket right after sending the message. But with the way his phone keeps vibrating, signaling more messages flooding in, he knows his friends are berating him in the group chat.
He looks around, observing the people riding with him. Some are reading books, others playing with their phones. A few have their eyes closed—perhaps trying to catch up on sleep—and some are gazing out the window, the flashes of light coloring their faces. It’s crowded, sure, but it’s quiet.
Yuuta can do with quiet. It’s peaceful. It’s comfortable. It’s familiar. It’s everything Yuuta has ever wanted: a quiet life that suits him better. He’d be happy just to have a stable job, a place of his own, his friends, and his family. He’s grateful to have it all, and that should be enough for him. But still, he can’t deny how sometimes the quiet life he’s living feels so… lonely.
With his family staying in Kyoto and him moving to Tokyo for university, his only companions here are his friends. Even so, everyone seems paired up.
Kinji and Kirara are high school sweethearts, and their love for each other radiates like sunlight.
Maki has a girlfriend, someone she met at her office and loves dearly. Yuuta has met the girlfriend before—Nobara, a very energetic woman who is never afraid to speak her mind. A tough cookie, just like Maki.
Shoko also came from Kyoto, like him. She never tells them much, but it seems like she has someone waiting at home for her, which is why she never misses the chance to go back to Kyoto for Christmas.
Then there’s Satoru and Suguru. The “doomed yaoi,” or whatever Maki likes to call them. Their breakup was messy, resulting in Suguru distancing himself from the group.
While they all still maintain good relationships with him, it’s rare to see everyone together. But seeing how Suguru came rushing to pick up Satoru last night, maybe they’re not as doomed as he thought they were.
And then there’s him. With no one waiting at home. No one to love hard. No one picks him up when he’s drunk. It’s not like he hasn’t tried dating. But after what happened with Rika… he’s not sure if he was made to be loved like that.
He shakes off the gloom that starts creeping into his mind. He’s been spacing out again and hadn’t realized the number of people on the train had started to dwindle, it’s emptier now.
He turns his head to spot any empty seats, and his eyes land on the very figure he thought he had lost earlier. That’s the man. Sitting in the corner, holding his bag while playing with his phone.
Yuuta stares at him, and slowly, he can feel his heart start to flutter.
As if sensing someone watching him, the man looks up and meets Yuuta’s gaze dead-on. Yuuta should look away. He knows he should.
But the pair of violet eyes staring back at him is so mesmerizing that he freezes on the spot. He’s never seen eyes so breathtaking.
And now that he can see the man’s face more clearly—if it weren’t for the high-pitched screech of metal wheels against the rails ringing in his ears—he’d be convinced he’d died on the way to the station and that this angel had come to take him to heaven.
The train stops, and the PA announces their arrival at Shibuya Station. The man looks shocked, turning his head before finally standing up and immediately exiting the train.
As Yuuta watches him leave, his heart longs for the man. He wants to know who he is, what his name is, and whether he's a cat person or more of a dog person like Yuuta. He’s not sure why, but his heart desires it.
And the heart wants what it wants, right? There’s no need for an explanation.
Well, I just met him today. If I see him again tomorrow, I’ll try to talk to him , Yuuta decides.
The door closes, and the train starts moving. Yuuta still can’t tear his eyes away from the station as it gets further away.