Ahh, it's been too long, but I finally managed to get my inspiration and my will to write together!

Unfortunately, there is no Takano in this chapter, but I do hope that you wil forgive me for this after you see what happens in it! And he will be in chapter 10, which will be the last chapter of this story!

I hope you enjoy this chapter, I worked on it for more than a month, so it can't be that bad! Please leave a comment if you like it (or leave one if you don't and tell me what I did wrong!).

Chapter 9

When Ritsu came back in the living room, he was once again met with an odd sense of unfamiliarity. Takano had stopped by the previous day, most likely with the intent to spent some intimate time with him. However, upon seeing the state of Ritsu's home, he'd changed his mind. Using more bullying than reason, he tried to goad Ritsu into cleaning up the place. Ritsu had finally agreed to do so after Takano's rather spiteful remark that the surface of Venus was more livable than the apartment. The place was now so spotless one could hardly believe it was the same as before.

Ritsu's annoyance with Takano's actions diminished as he began discovering the advantages of a spotless apartment. While it was quite convenient to drop all his belongings on the floor the moment he came back from work, the freedom to thread wherever he wished was a welcome new experience. No longer did he need to watch if there was something he could trip over or step on. There was also enough space on the sofa for Yusuke to sit down comfortably now, instead of having to squeeze himself between mounds of clothes and papers like he usually did.

Ritsu had received a message from him earlier that day, asking to meet up. That was an unusual event, since the teen preferred to just come by the apartment instead of contacting Ritsu on the phone. There must have been a reason for this sudden change, and soon it had become clear: Yusuke wanted their meeting to be kept a secret. He'd provided no explanation along with his request, and so Ritsu was left slightly confused and wondering what could have happened. Though Yusuke had not mentioned it specifically, he'd clearly had Takano in his mind when asking for secrecy, and Ritsu couldn't figure out why.

With Takano's birthday still months away, it was unlikely that Yusuke was already planning a surprise for him. And the idea that Yusuke was angry with his older brother due to some disagreement didn't sit well with Ritsu either. Yusuke and Takano did have their fights; their personalities were far too disparate to ensure a peaceful coexistence. But they were both mature enough not to let their conflicts escalate, thankfully.

In the end, though Ritsu was unable to come up with a fitting explanation for Yusuke's message, he didn't need to wait too long for the teen to come over and explain himself. Takano had gone out that very same day, on an errand that would keep him away for at least a couple of hours. Just minutes after he'd left, Yusuke was at the door, ringing the doorbell. When Ritsu let him in, he noted that the teen seemed a bit queasy. Though Yusuke tried to hide it by making small talk, it was obvious he had something else on his mind.

Ritsu didn't push him to talk. He knew that Yusuke needed some time to relax. Once he felt comfortable, he would explain himself. So Ritsu put his curiosity aside for the moment and tried his best to ease Yusuke's anxiety by indulging the teen in some small talk. And sure enough, after the two had settled down on the sofa and he had explained the project he was currently working on in great detail, Yusuke finally revealed the real reason for his visit.

"The thing is ... uh ... it's a bit hard for me to explain, sorry." He was looking down at his lap, drumming his fingers on his knees. "I ... I'd like to talk with you about Katsuo. But I don't want Masamune to overhear us, because ... well, I don't want him to know the things I'm going to tell you."

"Oh?"

Of course. Katsuo. Ritsu stifled a sigh. He should have known; after all, there were few things that Yusuke would want to keep from Takano. His love life was one of them. But Ritsu couldn't be faulted for being so dim - lately Yusuke hadn't mentioned Katsuo at all. Thinking that the silence meant he was trying to get over his feelings, Ritsu hadn't mentioned his cousin either, and a couple of weeks had passed in perfect harmony.

But now it seemed that this harmony had only been on the surface, and beneath it Yusuke's emotions were stewing, waiting for the moment they could erupt with full force again.

"I thought Takano-san agreed to leave you alone in this matter," Ritsu said. He didn't feel comfortable discussing Yusuke's feelings, so he latched onto the last thing the teen had mentioned. "Don't tell me he's started getting involved again?"

"No, no," Yusuke said, shaking his head. "He did back away, even apologized for being so nosy - which I suspect was your doing. But ... well, I think Masamune still might be ... uh ... interested in all this. I guess he sort of has a right to be, I mean, he's probably just looking out for me, right?" He paused and Ritsu gave an unintelligible sound in response. "But ... I would prefer it if he didn't know what Katsuo has been doing these last few weeks. It might give him ... ideas."

"Huh?" Ritsu was worried. He knew that Katsuo could be acutely unaware of his surroundings. It was easy to imagine that some well-meant remark of his could have made Yusuke uncomfortable. "What has he been doing?"

Yusuke's cheeks flushed and he shifted restlessly, running his hand through his hair.

"You must know Katsuo very well," he began, looking down at the floor. He spoke slowly, as if he had to weigh every word before it came out. "So what I'm about to tell you ... you might not find it unusual at all. But I don't know Katsuo that well, so his behavior is unusual to me. You see, he ... uh ..." He trailed off and then suddenly launched into a series of excuses. "Now, maybe I'm just imagining things ... I'm sure that he doesn't mean to make me feel this way ... and there's probably a reasonable explanation for what he's been doing ..."

"He hasn't been treating you badly, has he?"

"Oh, no!" Yusuke exclaimed, waving his hands. Ritsu had never seen him so flustered. "No, no, it's nothing like that! It's just ... Katsuo has been paying me too much attention." Ritsu must have looked surprised, because the teen continued quickly, not giving him a chance to say anything. "Take yesterday for example. I ... I was putting up some backdrops on the stage to see how they'd look. The others were there too, rehearsing. And ... Katsuo was chatting with his friends. I didn't even know he was there, to be honest, but he ... he saw me and called me over, and ... um ... he started telling his friends about how good my drawings were." He pushed his glasses up. "I ... um ... I have nothing against compliments most of the time ... b-but he put me right in the center of everyone's attention and ... uh ... it made me feel very uncomfortable." He glanced at Ritsu for a second before looking down again, and rubbed his hands together. "You probably think I'm fussing over nothing ..."

"No, not at all. I understand completely," Ritsu assured him. He could sympathize, as he himself had been in similar situations before and knew just how unpleasant they could be. "But you know, he was just complimenting your art. I know how direct Katsuo can be at times, but I'm sure that he thought he was doing something nice by telling his friends."

"But that's not all!" Yusuke said. "He ... he keeps saying and doing weird things to me. And it's not just about my art!" His blush darkened and he looked away, too emotional to speak. He took his glasses off and ran a hand over his eyes. Ritsu waited patiently for him to calm down and after a few minutes, Yusuke turned to him again, composed and slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Ricchan, I'm probably annoying you with this. But I just needed to talk with someone about it all and honestly couldn't think of anyone better than you."

"It's really no problem, Yusuke. I'll gladly listen to whatever it is that troubles you, though I don't think I can give you any advice." Despite it all, Ritsu couldn't help but smile. As awkward as this conversation was, he felt flattered by Yusuke's admission. It was a refreshing change to have someone look up to him as a capable adult. "Now, you were saying Katsuo has been doing other things too?"

"Y-yeah. Like last week, when he sat at my table during lunch." Yusuke paused to bite his lower lip. He gave Ritsu a hesitant look. "I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but it was! He's never done that before! A-at first I thought he just wanted to tell me something about the drama club, but then he just started talking about my hair - how soft it was, things like that. And ... uh ..." Yusuke choked and had to clear his throat before being able to continue. "He ... he began touching it, and running his fingers through it, or at least trying to." He pulled on a lock of his hair aimlessly. "And he didn't even care that there were other people around us and that they were all staring at us!"

"I see." Again, Ritsu felt sympathetic; he was dealing with the same situation at work. It was true that after he and Takano had started dating again, Takano had been holding back from being too affectionate in the office. However, he did occasionally step out of line, much to Ritsu's displeasure. It was pure luck that their co-workers were too sleep-deprived to meditate on their closeness too much. "Did you talk with Katsuo about that? I'm sure that if you explain that his behavior is making you uncomfortable, he'll stop."

In response the teen just looked down at his lap and shook his head. He said nothing, but Ritsu understood. Yusuke had liked his cousin for a long time, and during most of it Katsuo hadn't so much as glanced his way. Now that Yusuke was finally receiving some attention from the person he loved, he probably couldn't muster up the courage to put a stop to Katsuo's actions, no matter how awkward they made him feel.

"I'll talk with Katsuo about it," Ritsu said, though in all honesty, he was unsure how one could even approach the subject. "I'm sure he'll understand. And why don't you try looking at this situation from the bright side, hm? I mean, it's obvious that Katsuo doesn't think badly of you if he says all those nice things. That's good, right?"

"Y-yeah ..." Yusuke nodded. He chewed on his lower lip for a while before speaking again. "But you see, Ricchan ... that kinda makes it worse."

"Huh? Worse? What do you mean?"

Yusuke hesitated. He glanced at Ritsu for a second, then leaned forward and took a pen from the table. He clicked it a few times, rolling it between his fingers. Once again, Ritsu didn't urge him to speak and waited patiently.

"You see," Yusuke began, his voice quiet and quivering, "Katsuo is just ... always around me and he's telling me all those nice things, and being so physical." He flushed. "I ... I know he's just being friendly. I know that he doesn't mean anything when he compliments me or touches me. But at the same time ... I feel so tempted to think that he does all that because he likes me at least a little bit, even if maybe he doesn't realize it yet." He shook his head sadly, which made his glasses slid down his nose. He pushed them up, clicking his tongue in irritation. "It's just very hard for me to keep my feelings locked in my heart when he's like that."

He slid down the sofa with a groan. Sensing that Yusuke needed more than just kind words, Ritsu reached out and patted him on the shoulder. He could understand the struggle that Yusuke was going through. He knew all too well how easy it was for someone to be convinced that their feelings were returned.

For a soul in love, it was easy to overanalyze a person's actions, to dig into the deepest layers of the words they spoke, desperately searching for something to hold on to, for the tiniest morsel of hope that maybe, just maybe, that person saw you as someone worthy of their love. Every kind word, every gentle gesture would become ingrained into one's mind, would become fuel for the conviction that yes, love was there, somewhere. Everyone had experienced it at some point in their life and Ritsu didn't think less of Yusuke for it.

"I'm not ... I'm not stupid," Yusuke continued quietly. "I know that Katsuo would never be interested in someone like me. We are too different, and we're both guys. I ... well, I'm not happy about that, I can't be, but I've accepted it. It was hard to do so, but I knew it was the right thing to do." He sighed. "Even if Katsuo liked guys, he wouldn't date me. I'm not his type, I know that. And yet ... I still love him. I know that my feelings for him will always be one-sided, and I worked so hard to accept it and move on. And now ... it just seems like I've done all that for nothing. Because it just takes one word from him and all that I've achieved just falls apart and ... I end up wanting to believe that he likes me back. It's ... it's not fair that I have to feel this way!"

Ritsu's heart ached as he listened. He could see how torn Yusuke was about this matter, and soon guilt began eating at him. It was because of his advice that Yusuke was in such pain now. He'd told Yusuke that it was better to keep his feelings to himself. All he'd wanted was to keep him safe and happy. But he'd never imagined that things between Katsuo and Yusuke would develop this way, that they'd end up meeting on a daily basis. And now, because Yusuke had listened to him, he was stuck in this hell of uncertainty.

Really, was an unbroken heart worth all this?

"I do want to follow your advice," Yusuke said. "But Katsuo makes it really hard for me to do so."

He sighed and fell back with his eyes closed, limp and silent, as if the essence that sustained him had poured out with his words. The change from nervous twitches to complete apathy was too sudden, and Ritsu couldn't help but see it as a silent accusation.

If he'd given Yusuke better advice, perhaps the teen wouldn't be so torn about the current situation. It was precisely because Yusuke wanted to keep his love a secret that he was hurting so much now. If Ritsu had known that things would develop this way, if he'd been aware that Katsuo would become a near constant presence in Yusuke's life, he would have reconsidered his advice.

Perhaps, there was still a chance for him to fix the damage he'd caused?

"Well, Yusuke, you shouldn't really do that," he said.

"Hm?" Yusuke opened his eyes. "What do you mean, Ricchan?"

"I know I told you that it's best to keep your feelings to yourself, but I think that ... that I shouldn't have."

Someone else might have been angry with Ritsu for going back on his own advice, but Yusuke just stared at him. He seemed lost for a moment as he furrowed his eyebrows in an attempt to make sense of what Ritsu was saying.

"No, I ... what?" Still frowning, he straightened up so that he could be on the same eye level as Ritsu. "Ricchan, I don't really understand ... you're the one who told me not to do anything about Katsuo. And now you're saying I should confess to him?" His lips were trembling as he leaned closer to Ritsu. "Did my brother make you say that? I know he's been trying to change my mind about this, but I didn't think he'd get to you!" He took Ritsu's hand with both of his and squeezed it tightly. "We agreed that the best thing I could do is stay away from Katsuo, didn't we? Please don't make me talk to him!"

"Yusuke." Ritsu gently freed his hand and put it on the boy's shoulder. "I don't doubt that staying silent is the safest option for you. I know that, because it's something I've done over and over again. I have to ask, do you really want it to be this way?"

"What do you mean?" Yusuke mumbled. "I don't understand. You're the one who told me that I needed to stay away from Katsuo."

"Yes I did tell you that. And I was wrong." Ritsu sighed. There were few phrases one could say to a teenager that were more embarrassing. "Back then, what I told you ... it was because I thought the most important thing was to keep you safe from any emotional pain. I didn't realize that perhaps, this is something that you need to go through."

"What?"

"I'm not saying I want you you to get hurt," Ritsu clarified. "But this kind of experience is important, even if it's unpleasant. You need to pursue what you want in life, Yusuke."

"But I'm really not good enough for Katsuo!" Yusuke exclaimed. "I mean ... I'm not the type he's attracted to. A-and ... if I confess, he'll definitely reject me!"

"... Maybe he will." Ritsu hated to admit it, but he couldn't deny that such an outcome was a possibility. "And if it happens, you will be hurt and sad for some time. But ultimately, no matter what happens with Katsuo, you will emerge out of it feeling better because you will have closure. Believe me, Yusuke, it's hard for me to tell you this knowing that it may cause you pain, but it's the right thing to do. One day you will look back and regret the things you couldn't find the courage to do. You owe your future self to go after those things when you have the chance."

Even if Yusuke didn't get what he wanted, Ritsu thought, he would at least have the satisfaction of having tried. He may not appreciate it at the moment, but he'd surely do so when he got older. Hopefully.

Yusuke didn't look convinced, though. He was biting his lower lip and looked quite worried.

"I guess that makes sense," he finally said. "It's something that a lot of people experience, right? Feeling regretful about their past, I mean. But ... I can't just ... I mean, what am I supposed to do?" He ran his fingers through his hair. "What, I should just ... go to him and blurt out how I feel? I'd honestly rather die!" Ritsu winced, having been reminded of his own clumsy confession back in high school. Yusuke, preoccupied with his own concerns, didn't notice. "What am I to do? I mean ... I've never had to ... uh ... I've never had to do something like that."

"I know that It's scary," Ritsu said gently. "Believe me, I know. But ... I also know what it's like to regret the things you didn't do ... and how much it hurts to want to do something, but being unable to." He hesitated before continuing. "I was too scared when I was your age, and the mistakes I made then ... they damaged me. I still struggle with the choices I made so many years ago. I don't want this to happen to you, Yusuke."

Yusuke looked up at him. His lips were quivering, and his normally dark blue eyes gleamed like sapphires. He ran his hand through his hair again, then took his glasses off and buried his face in his hands.

"Katsuo will laugh at me," he whispered.

"No, he won't. He's not like that."

"Maybe," the teen agreed, sniffing. "But ... what if he tells his friends and they laugh at me?"

"Katsuo won't let that happen," Ritsu said. "Even if he doesn't like you back, he won't humiliate you, Yusuke. He's not like that."

"..." Yusuke looked up at him. "... I'm scared."

"I know." Ritsu smiled a bit sadly. "Listen, Yusuke, in the end, this is your life, and you should be the one to decide what you want to do. Confess or don't, it's your choice. I won't push you into doing something you're not comfortable with, I'm just telling you my opinion. Please, take some time to think about it."

The teen nodded while chewing on his lower lip. He put his glasses back on and pushed them up. He was no longer flushing, and looked more confused than despairing. Ritsu wondered he should consider it an improvement or not.

"I … I appreciate your honesty, Ricchan," Yusuke said. "I think I'll go home now. I ... I really need to think about all this." He hesitated and gave him an uncertain look. "You won't tell Masamune what we talked about, will you?"

"No, I won't. But I think you should. He's your older brother, and he cares about you so much. It doesn't seem fair to hide these sorts of things from him."

"I know," Yusuke said with a sigh. "But ... I'll tell him once this whole thing with Katsuo is over. I can only handle those two one at a time."

Ritsu nodded in agreement. Katsuo and Takano could be quite a handful; someone as timid and inexperienced as Yusuke would find it difficult to deal with them simultaneously.

After apologizing for taking up his time, Yusuke left. Now alone, Ritsu lounged about for a while. There were some dishes that needed to be washed, but he felt too lazy to do that at the moment. The conversation with Yusuke, though short, had been quite tiring and now he felt he needed some rest. He laid on the sofa with a groan and closed his eyes. He really needed a nap ...

Tired as he was, he couldn't fall asleep. He kept thinking about Yusuke's dilemma. He liked to believe he'd done a good job counseling the teen this time. But now, as he kept coming back to the conversation he'd had with Yusuke, he could see a myriad of new problems to worry over.

Did Ritsu have any right to get involved? Takano ought to have been the one to help Yusuke with such a personal matter. It didn't seem fair that he had been pushed aside and kept in the dark about Yusuke's love life, while Ritsu, who was essentially no one to Yusuke, had been taken into the teen's confidence.

Sighing heavily, Ritsu flung his arm over his eyes. He couldn't understand why he was so worried – it was Yusuke's decision to keep Takano away from his love life. The teen's desire for privacy was understandable, but why did Yusuke's need to keep Ritsu informed. While it could be argued that it was Takano's own behavior that had made his brother reluctant to approach him, the result was that Ritsu was now in quite an unfavorable position. With his advice, he'd taken responsibility for what happened to Yusuke. If, somehow, Yusuke ended up hurt beyond mending, it would be Ritsu's fault, and both Yusuke and Takano would be right to tell him so.

"..."

It really didn't seem fair that he'd been thrust into such a role. Ritsu cared for Yusuke, and he certainly wished him the best, but the burden of responsibility that the teen had saddled him with was something he could go without.

Hopefully, everything would get settled soon and he would be allowed to continue his normal life.

The bell buzzed over the chatters in the hallway, signaling the end of another school day. As Yusuke trudged to the exit, snippets of conversations reached his ears. It seemed that most of the students would be taking advantage of the unusually warm weather by hanging out with their friends rather than simply going home.

Yusuke wondered absently if Katsuo would do so as well. They were supposed to have drama club today, but the teacher that was in charge was on sick leave the whole week. Some of the members were intent on practicing regardless, but Yusuke had opted to skip. He was glad in a morbid sort of way that the teacher had become ill, as his absence had pushed back the moment Yusuke was to face Katsuo.

Several days had passed since his conversation with Ritsu. They hadn't spoken since, mainly because both Ritsu and Masamune had been too busy with work to pay attention to anything else. Another lucky coincidence, Yusuke thought. He needed some time for himself so he could sort out the mess that was his love life. He hadn't succeeded much save for admitting to himself that Ritsu was right – he needed to take action now, lest he wanted to spend his life regretting his cowardice. Yusuke knew that nothing good would come out of him confessing his feelings to Katsuo, but he also knew that keeping quiet wouldn't end well either. If he chose to confess, at least he'd be choosing the direction his life would be taking, and that made all the difference to him.

The only problem was … that he couldn't do it.

Yusuke was already familiar with feeling ashamed and anxious, but this particular feeling of dread was new and much worse. It was like acid, burning him from the inside and driving him insane. Frustration was building up in his chest and Yusuke wanted nothing more than to just scream it away. Now was the time for him to act - if he didn't, he'd never grow out of his timidness and he'd end up missing out on most of what life had to offer him. But he couldn't bring himself to do what he had to, and it was maddening!

If only he could be more like his brother! Masamune had always been straight-forward, he'd always approached his goals with determination and confidence. And, in return, he got everything he needed. He probably would have strolled right over to Katsuo and asked him out without batting an eye!

But that was something Yusuke could never do, even if he practiced it for a million years. His love for Katsuo wasn't the only obstacle. Katsuo was always with his friends; in fact, the only times he was alone were when he was using the restroom. But of course, Yusuke could never confess his feelings there!

In theory, he could approach Katsuo and ask to speak with him privately, but that wouldn't help much, as Katsuo's friends would surely figure the truth out. Private conversations in high school were only for confessions or break-ups, and if Yusuke were to do such a thing, he'd soon have the whole school talking about him. Of course, he knew that once the words left his lips, his confession would eventually become public knowledge; there was no stopping the rumor mill. He simply needed his love to remain a secret until he found the courage to confess to Katsuo, that was all.

He stopped in his tracks when he realized he was blushing. If the mere thought of confessing was making him flustered, what was he to do? Yusuke couldn't help but feel slightly irritated with Ritsu. It was so easy to give advice like that, wasn't it? But what did he know? Ritsu had never had to put himself in such an awkward situation, he didn't know just how frightening it felt to have to confess his feelings!

At this moment, his contemplations were cut short in the most violent manner. Too caught up in his own misery, Yusuke had not been aware that someone was running after him, so when a hand came down on his back, he was more startled than hurt.

"W-wha-?" He shrieked, jumping up in the air.

"Shit, sorry! Didn't mean to slap you so hard!"

Katsuo. Of course that he'd show up just as Yusuke was thinking about him. Yusuke closed his eyes for a moment. It would be too obvious if he just ran away, would it? In any case, he was certain Katsuo could easily catch up with him.

"H-hey ..." He greeted, turning around.

"Hey, there." Katsuo, despite the regret he'd expressed, had his face split by a wide, carefree grin. Faced with such a disarming sight, Yusuke could do nothing more than blush. "You ok? I didn't bruise you or anything?"

"I-I'm fine," Yusuke said, pushing up his glasses. Was he imagining things, or did Katsuo look somehow different today? "It didn't really hurt so much ..."

"So glad to hear that!" Katsuo slid next to Yusuke and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Guess I got too excited to see you, heh!"

"Um ... You're excited about everything, though."

Why did Katsuo have to express himself in such a flirtatious way? He liked teasing people, but Yusuke wished he would aim his little jokes at someone else. Words like these only made his love stronger and it wouldn't be long until it peaked so high there was no going down.

"Yeah, I do get excited about everything." Katsuo laughed. "What can I say, I'm a puppy trapped in the body of a boy. Here, scratch me behind the ear if you don't believe me."

"Eh ..." Yusuke flushed. Katsuo had leaned his head towards him, and was obviously waiting for a scratching. "I'd rather not ..."

"Aw, shame. Anyway, are you going home now?"

"Um, yeah, why? I mean, we don't need to go to drama today, right?"

"Yeah, the teacher's still MIA." Katsuo nodded. "But I wasn't talking about drama. I was thinking that if you don't have anything to do, we can go grab a bite or something."

"Oh!"

Yusuke stared at him, but looked away when Katsuo turned his gaze to him. A part of him wanted to say yes so badly! But the other, clearly more sensible part was shaking its head. Bad idea, it kept saying. And Yusuke knew that, he knew that he couldn't accept the invitation. His mind had turned into an arena where anxiety and desire battled, and he felt each clash deep in his heart.

"I d-don't know, Katsuo-kun ..." He mumbled, brushing some hair away from his eyes. "I'd be sort of out of place there, wouldn't I? I mean, your friends don't know me that well, and I don't really feel comfortable intruding ..."

"You won't be, it's gonna be just me and you."

"Just ..." Yusuke blinked. He'd assumed that Katsuo's friends would also be there. But if it would be just him and Katsuo ... away from school ... it would be the perfect opportunity for Yusuke to confess! His heart began thumping so loud that he was sure Katsuo could hear it. "It's really going to be just the two of us? No one else?"

"Yeah."

Yusuke bit his lower lip, trying his hardest to hide his smile. This invitation was happening at the most convenient of times! He'd be alone with Katsuo and nothing would stop him from confessing - nothing but his crippling anxiety, of course.

But was it appropriate to confess in such a situation? After all, Katsuo had invited Yusuke to hang out, he surely intended to have a fun time. And to be confessed to out of the blue ... surely he'd think Yusuke was a freak. But then again, wouldn't he think the same no matter when Yusuke confessed?

"You know," Katsuo spoke after the silence between them persisted, "I'd really like to get an answer from you. It's kinda important to me."

"Important?"

"Yeah." Katsuo nodded. He glanced at Yusuke then turned his head away, directing his next words on the rows of lockers by the wall. "I'm trying to ask you out on a date, if I'm not clear enough. So ... a reply would be nice. A 'yes' one would be even nicer, so ... what do you say?"

He looked back at Yusuke while rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn't smiling anymore. He looked uncharacteristically tense, and Yusuke realized that this time, he wasn't teasing. It took a while for the thought to sink in, and when it did, his schoolbag slipped right between his numb fingers. He was able to catch it before it fell to the floor, mercifully, and clutched it close to his chest like armor.

"Y-you ... you want to go on a date? With me?"

"Yeah, I really do."

"Why? No, wait!" Yusuke closed his eyes for a second, mentally cursing the incredibly stupid question that had slipped out. "I m-mean ... uh, not why, but ... well ... are you sure? Really?"

Katsuo chuckled, then stepped closer and pushed a lock of Yusuke's hair behind his ear.

"You're adorable. Yes, I'm sure. I like you, so I want to go on a date with you."

"But why?" Yusuke clicked his tongue annoyed. Again, a stupid question! "No, sorry, I ... uh ... sorry, this is just too sudden and I don't really know what I'm saying ... I'm kinda a mess right now ..."

"Guess I should have been more subtle, huh?" Katsuo rubbed the back of his neck again. Much to Yusuke's surprise, he was blushing as well, only not as brightly. "Sorry, didn't mean to freak you out like that. To be honest, I thought it would be best to just ask away before I got too nervous to do it."

"Nervous? You?"

"Well, yeah. I mean ..." He shrugged. "I've kinda liked you for a while now, but I didn't really think you'd be into me. Like ... you're just so smart and talented and creative and just ... so awesome! Like, I must look so boring to you, you know? Plus, it didn't really help my case that I got your name wrong, remember? God, that was so lame!"

"No, no, you shouldn't worry about that," Yusuke said. "I actually found it kinda funny."

"Well, it was embarrassing." Katsuo sighed. "Anyway, I talked to my friends and they all told me I should go for it, and so ... I went for it." He pushed his hands in his pockets and looked down at the floor, swaying his hips lightly.

Yusuke blinked a few times. So this was what being confessed to felt like ... did everyone feel like this? His limbs were still numb, and the skin around his neck and ears burned, but somehow ... it felt nice. He suddenly felt like giggling and put a hand to his mouth.

Katsuo, for some reason, seemed to think that things were not going as great.

"We don't need to go on a date now," he said hastily. "If you have something else to do, we can arrange for a later date or something, right? I mean, you don't need to give me an answer right at the moment, I can ... I can wait however long I need to."

"Oh, no, it's not that!" Yusuke exclaimed. He briefly wondered if Katsuo realized just how flushed his ears were at this moment. "I ... I like you too, Katsuo-kun. I think you're simply amazing and ... and I also thought that I wasn't good enough for you, so ... uh ... you don't need to worry about that."

"Really?" Katsuo's eyes sparkled and he waved his fist in the air. "That's so awesome! I mean, not the self-doubt part, obviously. I'm just so happy you like me back!" He bounced on his feet a few times, his signature grin having returned to his lips. Seeing him so joyful made Yusuke smile as well. "So then ... that's a yes on the date?"

"Do you really need to ask?"

Katsuo's grin grew bigger and he leaped forward, wrapping his arms around Yusuke and pulling him in for a mighty hug.

"Aw, yess! This is the best day of my life!"

Yusuke chuckled softly. He held onto Katsuo gingerly, gently sliding the tips of his fingers down the sides of his torso. Katsuo was only an inch or two shorter than him, but he was bigger and it was easy for Yusuke to be enveloped in his warmth. He'd never felt like that before, so safe and loved and happy. He shut his eyes and squealed in delight.

"You smell kinda nice." Katsuo had his nose buried in Yusuke's hair. He inhaled deeply, and Yusuke giggled as a few strands tickled his ears. "I like your shampoo."

"Um ... you're probably smelling paint thinner," he explained awkwardly. He hadn't done any painting in a week, but he still reeked of acetone. He hadn't figured out how to get rid of the stench yet. "You probably shouldn't breathe it in ..."

"Yeah." Katsuo laughed. "Wouldn't want to have our first date in the hospital."

"That would be awkward," Yusuke agreed with a smile. As Katsuo stepped away from him, he could see that several other students were staring at them. He shifted awkwardly and looked at his feet. "Um, people are looking at us ..."

"So?"

"It ... it doesn't bother you?"

"Not really." Katsuo shrugged. "I mean, you can't really blame them for looking. We don't have that many gay couples in school. There were those two girls that were, like, the gay couple, but they graduated, and now there's only like three or four other same sex couples besides us. That is, if you want there to be an us."

"U-uh ..." Yusuke stuttered and then bit his lower lip. "Y-yeah, I'd like there to be ... us."

"Cool!" Katsuo grinned and cupped Yusuke's face. He stared into his eyes for a few seconds, then leaned in and kissed him on the nose. "You're too cute for your own good, Yusuke. Come on, let's go."

He took his hand and tugged him to the exit. Yusuke followed in somewhat of a daze, his mind still unable to fully comprehend what was happening. It was only as the two were leaving the building when something clicked in Yusuke's brain, making him halt in his place.

"Oh, wait!" He exclaimed. "Sorry, I just remembered that I need to make a call first. I hope that's okay?"

"Sure thing." Katsuo smiled. "I'll wait for you over there, ok?"

"Thanks."

Katsuo smiled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before walking away. Blushing, Yusuke took his phone out. His fingers were trembling so it took him a few tries to find the number he was looking for. When he did, he pressed the dial button and waited eagerly for the other side to pick up.

"I'm really sorry to bother you, Ricchan," he said, barely able to contain the laughter in his voice, "but you'll never guess what just happened!"