| Pride and Joy / Humility and Sacrifice; What it would be like if Yuuki were to fall in love with Takuma first. | |
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| Topic Started: Mar 23 2018, 02:29 AM (3 Views) | |
| basketkitty | Mar 23 2018, 02:29 AM Post #1 |
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I guess, if there's a deadly sin I'm the most guilty of, it would definitely be pride. I love to gloat and show off, and I love the attention and praise it gets me...when I get it. Sadly, it's hard to be proud of things when you're not very good at most of what you try. But I still try. I'm not as talented as everyone else around me. It almost seems like everyone else were dancing and singing the moment they came from the womb, and here I am, only five years of practice under my belt for just piano. But, still, I try. Because I want to be just like my elders, and have dozens of little followers doting on my every word. I crave adoration and admiration. I really, really want attention. That need never really went away, either. After a couple months of being in the agency and working as hard as I could at everything, eventually I noticed something. I had a little shadow. The day I noticed him, I swear my heart soared and everything I did ended up becoming a thousand times better. He was a dorky little kid, tiny, young, with kind of a weird face... I always felt his eyes on me whenever I was at work, but when I glanced to him, he would pretend to be doing something else. It was really...it was cute. I eventually learned his name was Takuma, that he joined because the boss liked how promising he looked. To tell the truth, it was really hard to believe... But the thought was intriguing enough that during break one day, I sidled up to him and sat down at his table. "Hi, mind if I sit here?" I asked, ignoring that I was already making myself comfortable. He seemed a little nervous, fidgeting and glancing away every time I looked to him...but he at least engaged in conversation. We talked about work, about why we joined, about our hobbies and interests outside of music and dancing... He was really into Harry Potter and was still disappointed that he hadn't gotten a letter on his birthday, even though he followed that up with 'Of course I know I wasn't gonna get one. It's not real anyway.' This then lead into me boasting about my English abilities, which then lead into us talking about school. Though before long, our break ended and we were hustled back to continue rehearsing. From then on, my little shadow got even closer, occasionally even starting conversations with me on his own, or butting in on what I was doing to compliment me with a 'That's so cool!', prompting me to work even harder each time. I quickly grew to appreciate him completely and totally, though I had to admit, I was disappointed that it was just him. He had tried to get some friends to notice me like he had...but no doubt all the teasing I got from the older kids coloured their view of me. Takuma was the only one to not care about those jokes aimed towards me. Maybe because he got a lot of the same, too. A few more weeks passing by, eventually I was asked to help tutor him, since his math was higher than usual, and he wasn't that great at science. I was more than happy to oblige, and not only did I spend more time with him to help with his schoolwork, his mother also took us out for ice cream as thanks for the work I was putting into her son's education. And those times I think I enjoyed the most out of anything. I of course had other friends. Mamoru, Ryouta, Izo (mostly because of the former two), and a few other guys... But I didn't really go out for something simple like ice cream with them. And while I would have liked to keep my cool exterior on in front of Takuma...I also felt super comfortable sitting in that little parlour, laughing over sundaes and milkshakes, as dorky as that sounded. Probably because I kept getting lost in his goofy smile and his big, admiring eyes that were just the most beautiful colour I had ever seen. And often I would look at his mother, and wonder 'How much longer until he grows up like her?'. And I find myself almost giddy with excitement...but at the same time dreading that day when he would. Months were starting to fly by at lightning speed now. By getting better at dancing and singing backup, I was getting more work, which as exhausting as it was, it was really rewarding. If only to finish a song and stop where I was and look over to who was watching and see Takuma standing there, clapping and smiling the hardest at me. And every time I saw him like that, my heart skipped beats and I can't help but smile just as unfiltered back to him. He was just so cute... Getting issued a ten minute break now, we disbanded to get water and snacks, and I made a beeline for Takuma, wanting to hear him gush over my (admittedly still stiff) dancing. But when I got closer, I found him in heated debate with some other Juniors. Curiousity being another one of my many faults, I lingered and listened in. "--don't understand what you see in him, he tries way too hard, you know." "Maybe, but I think trying hard is better than not trying enough!" "It's gross, though, isn't it? At least a little? Like, he tries so hard to be cool, it's uncomfortable." "What do you mean? He's not trying to be cool, he is! Yuuki-san is super cool!" "Hey, break's over, come on you three, back to the studio!" Watching as the three boys followed the voice that called out to them, I found myself somewhat frozen to my place. Cool...? It wasn't just...what I did was cool, but...who I was...? H-he was...really...really...really cute... For the next week or so, I found myself incredibly restless, my head still spinning and heart still racing from his declaration of how he thought of me. I've always wanted to be cool. Like I said before, I loved attention, and cool people always get the best kind there was. I always wanted to be just like them, with their fame, money, and followers... Already, I had the money, and I was working on the fame, but the followers were what I really wanted. And the person who was the most important to me in that regard...just got a thousand times more important. "Hey, Yuuki-san...um...is everything alright?" Hearing a familiar voice beside me, I jumped and looked to the boy, who gazed up at me with his startling-as-always eyes. "O-oh, n-no. Just, um...been busy," I shrugged, trying my best to play it all off. But he was just so cute. I just wanted to squish his cheeks together and kiss his big dumb smile...and that thought was so sudden and unexpected, that I quickly grabbed my things, and mumbled an excuse before nearly sprinting to the bathroom. I never really thought much about what side I played on. Even at fifteen, I never paid that much attention to girls, but I also don't really pay much attention to guys, either. I guess I kinda figured that maybe I was just too busy, or that I just haven't met the right person yet. All the girls I interact with are fans, who's attentions are usually aimed completely away from me by the Seniors I dance for, and while I'm surrounded by guys almost twenty-four/seven, they're either classmates or people I work with, and at both places I'm too busy to think about relationships. And...I say that...yet here I am...struck with the overwhelming urge to kiss Takuma or hold his hand and tell him just how cute he was and how much I really...really...really liked him. And I'm at work! And he's a guy! That wasn't the sort of image I had for myself at all...not in the slightest. He was supposed to fall for me. Not for me to fall for him... It took maybe another week or two before I was able to overcome my feelings and work past them to interact with Takuma properly after that realization. Sometimes I still found myself gazing at him longingly, and when we walk together, my hands don't know what to do with themselves because I'm trying to fight the desire to lace our fingers together. Even though Ryouta and Izo and Mamoru all held hands without too much issue, for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to hold Taku's like them. Their hand-holding was platonic, mine was romantic, and the one-sided feeling would be too much for me. Plus...if I held his hand...would he think I was less cool? Would he decide to leave me because of that? I no doubt lost a lot of points already for avoiding him for a week...but could I help it? It was his fault for being so damn cute. I just had to be careful to not lose anymore. I couldn't risk losing him. Not at this rate. However, it was a lot harder to lose him than I thought it was going to be. In fact, it eventually became impossible, as we were assigned to be in a band together. I was on the keyboard, and he was on bass. Of course, we also had a drummer (Ryouta), a guitarist (Izo), and a main vocalist (Mamoru), and while they were all my best friends by that time, Takuma was the one I was the most excited for. But also the one I was the most nervous about. Because now, it wasn't just our friendship at stake if I said or did anything...it was the others, too. And now I'm not sure if I'm glad or disappointed in myself for not speaking up to him sooner about my feelings... But, while I was worrying about my feelings for our youngest member, we were also told something rather...surprising. Rather, very surprising. We were told, that because we couldn't date outsiders, we were allowed to sleep with each other in the band. In all honesty, it had to be the single most embarrassing and awkward moment of my entirely life...but it brought me hope. Only for those hopes to be completely dashed as the others decided that Takuma should be off limits since he was still a baby more or less. Wh-which was true, but...he had only just turned thirteen. Was I really supposed to wait a whole entire year for the chance to kiss him? ...Well...I guess it was either that, or admit my feelings... "Yuuki-kun...have you tried anything...with anyone yet...?" Having invited Mamoru over to my place since his mother was busy with work and I wanted some company, we sat in my room looking over music sheets I had written out. At the question, I glanced over to him, knowing exactly what he was hinting at. To tell the truth, I hadn't done anything yet. Even with the permission given to us, and the other three throwing themselves at each other almost nonstop, I hadn't really gotten much interest in it. ...Well, no, that was a lie. Since I realized my intense crush on Takuma, I had been thinking about what it was like to sleep with a guy, so having permission to try it out sounded really tempting, but...but... I guess I'm a romantic as well, in a way. I'd really like my sexual debut to be with Takuma, but...at the same time...what if I mess up? Even if we're in a band, I can't bring myself to make a fool out of myself in front of him, especially not with something as embarrassing as sex. "Are you...saving yourself for someone...?" Blushing deep at this question, I quickly looked away. Mamoru was an airhead, but he always seemed to be able to read people's minds if you weren't careful. I almost feel like it was something Izo taught him maybe. "N-no. I've just been busy." "Ehh? Well...we're not busy now...right?" Mamoru smiled, light and almost too innocent for what he was suggesting we do. But, while I was still a little on the fence with it, I agreed. And good thing, too. As embarrassing as it was to be told we could have sex together, actually doing so was probably worse. It felt good, don't get me wrong, it felt amazing. But getting naked was awkward and I kept making all these really weird sounds and while the compliments I got from Mamoru were nice...they were mostly about my butt and dick and my expressions, all of which were really weird to hear from your best friend. But when we were done, we kissed and I had to admit, I didn't hate the experience. It had been something simple, we didn't even go all the way, just something to ease me into the idea. Next time, however, Mamoru wanted to go even further, and I suppose...if it's him...I guess it's okay. As it turned out, sex was actually a pretty amazing thing. I ended up losing several hours a week to it, inviting Mamoru over for a round or two every couple days when we had nothing else to do, then eventually testing the waters with Ryouta and Izo, after another month or so. Of course, I still had the desire for Takuma, but having an outlet for those desires really did help a lot. And before I knew it, a year had passed and our adorable bassist's birthday was approaching. Obviously, because he was going to be old enough for us to sleep with him, I planned on getting to him as soon as possible. I was still pretty bad at sex, even though I felt like I was practicing nonstop when we weren't working (this is mostly due to hormones, admittedly), so if I could sleep with him as his first time...I would definitely seem much more experienced and it would be a lot more amazing for the both of us. However, the day after his birthday, our manager announced that Takuma was taking a break for a while. And some break it must be, as he wasn't answering his phone or texts, or anything I sent his way. None of the others could get a hold of him, either, but we were assured that he was fine. ...I had a lot of sleepless nights in those weeks. Even if I knew he was okay, I missed him. I missed his goofy smile and bright eyes. I missed his cheers which were aimed only for me, and his desperate attempts to stand up for my character. I missed his adoration and adorable...everything. But most of all I just missed him in general. And that feeling of missing him didn't go away. After maybe two weeks of him disappearing, we were eventually told that he was going to return that day. I tried to remain calm about, honestly I did, but I was excited beyond belief. As uncool as it was going to be, the moment I saw him I was going to run straight up to him and give him the biggest hug anyone had ever had. And I was going to squeeze him and cry all over him because, god, I missed him... But when the door opened to the green room and a voice announced 'I'm back!', I didn't turn around right away. It almost sounded like the person I was waiting for, but the voice was off just enough that I was convinced it was Izo playing a prank on me. But when I turned around, there was no prank. ...But I didn't jump up, and I didn't hug him. I just stared. "Hah? What's wrong? You can't have forgotten what I looked like already," he said, giving me an...odd smile. Nothing like the one I had fallen head over heels for. In fact, it was almost insulting. "...Of course not. I think you're the one who forgot," I replied. I shouldn't feel angry, I knew I shouldn't feel angry. He obviously worked really hard to make himself look good, and he really does look good, he really honestly does, but...but I missed the dorky, awkward boy who left. And I wasn't going to see him again, was I? It felt like I was in a state of mourning for the next while. I could barely look at him without feeling like my heart was being ripped in two. It was like he had actually died, and no one but me cared. Everyone loved this new Takuma, this new, suave, handsome, stunning Takuma. No one cared that the tiny, oddly proportioned, weird, annoying Takuma was gone. People seemed glad for it. Which just hurt even more. "Yuuki-san...? Can we talk?" Looking up from where I was pouting at the table, inwardly grieving at the loss of my little shadow, I turn my eyes away...but I don't deny him. He still smelled the same, and that was comforting. Mostly of lavender and fresh books. In his bag he set beside himself, I see a copy of one of the Harry Potter books peeking out, and that's comforting, too. But when he speaks... "I'm really sorry I left like I did...without warning anyone. I understand if you're mad about that... But I figured, since our first anniversary is coming up, I wanted to fit our image more, you know? Everyone always looked so good...so I wanted to fit in. It's still me, though, you know? I'm still Takuma, that hasn't changed--" "It has." Cutting in before he could finish I shook my head. "You have changed. Your personality is completely different, your aura is the exact opposite of what it used to be, everything about you has changed! It's like I don't even know you anymore!" "Y-Yuuki!" Stopping as he had grabbed my hand to keep me from running away, I swallowed hard and slowly looked back to him. Back to those piercing eyes that always made me forget where I was. Those eyes that never changed, either... "I'm sorry... You're right...I've changed... But I don't want our friendship to change! Please...will you give me a chance? I'll prove to you I'm still the dorky Takuma as before!" For a long moment, what felt like a century at least, I looked at him. And then, slowly, I nodded. "...Alright..." And then he smiled, a big, doofy smile...and the worms that had been eating my insides suddenly sprouted into butterflies in an instant. Because he really was back. My dorky, adorable, beautiful Takuma... |
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| basketkitty | Mar 23 2018, 02:30 AM Post #2 |
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It wasn't very often that we were allowed to go on trips like this. Hardly ever, honestly. Usually things like this were reserved for the seniours in the agency, the guys who'd earned their place and deserved to be rewarded with going out, even if usually they had to work throughout it. But this time, the agency had decided to try a different tactic this once. We were all doing rather well, but they wanted to see if more carrot and less stick would help us juniors get even better. And that carrot today, was the amusement park. It was treated very much like a school field trip, with us all hoarded onto buses that took us out to the location. Then, once there, we were kept together and our respective caretakers (most of them managers) issued our tickets and wristbands, putting us into pairs or trios to keep us safe. But after that, we were allowed free-range of the establishment until the appointed time to head home. Standing there nervously, I eyed the rides looming over the fences and trees of the park as I waited for my partner be picked out for me. I did have my heart set on one person, but I knew it was way cooler to play games and show indifference. If I leapt over to him and held his hand and declared us partners, that would betray my feelings in a heartbeat, and I couldn't have that! I needed him to come to me, or have Lady Luck smile on me just this once. She sure hadn't smiled on me when this trip was announced, after all. "Annd...Shunya, you're paired with Hideaki today. Keep an eye on him, alright? Don't lose him." My head suddenly spinning with how quickly the blood drained from and then flushed back into my face, I stared at the man as he walked past along the line before nodding and going to look for my partner. Nearly bumping into him as he had been looking for me as well, I carefully steadied him as he grinned up at me, as unfiltered and genuine as always. "We're partners!" he said, so excited that his voice broke and I was more than certain that his tiny body was going to explode with all the energy seeping through him. "Y-yeah. Lucky for you, huh?" I smirked, trying to keep my head level despite my every fiber dying to cheer in success. Even if I hated amusement parks, I was so happy. Because! Being part of the buddy system made it okay to hold hands! I could hold his hand and eat ice cream together and laugh and play games and maybe even go on the ferris wheel together and he could fall asleep on my shoulder and... "Ah, ah, Yuuki-kun! They're going in now!" Suddenly yanked from my thoughts, both figuratively and literally, I barely had any time to process that Takuma had grabbed my hand himself as he tugged me towards the entrance where the other members were already eagerly crowding into. "So, what rides do you wanna go on?" Bouncing on his toes as he looked up at me as we were lead through the entrance, I bit my tongue, not wanting to say 'None'. After all, he was so excited, and I didn't want to break his heart that he got stuck with someone with no interest in rides... Plus...it was so uncool...being such a scaredy-cat... I really hated how nervous I was about things, but it really wasn't something I could help. I hated heights, I hated speed, I hated basically anything that had to do with amusement parks. And I knew that, even if I forced myself on one, I would be screaming nonstop, and how uncool was that? It wouldn't even be an excited scream, it would just be one of absolute terror! And more than anything, I didn't want him to see that. Maybe this wasn't so lucky after all... "What do you wanna go on?" Deciding, for now, to just return the question, I looked down at Takuma, who's eyes glittered and danced. "All of them," he said, voice breathless. My heart dropped. "Especially the rollercoaster! Did you see those loops outside? They're huge!" he grinned, letting go of my hand to demonstrate with his arms the sort of motions the ride would most likely subject its riders to. "I saw one on TV, that went super high up and then WHOOOSH! All the way back down! It looks so fun!" More than certain that my face had taken on an unattractive shade of green, I looked away, my mind searching for a way to dissuade him from that idea. No way could I manage that sort of thing. Even if I didn't scream, I would definitely cry. Or get sick. Or just be gross in general. I was certain of it. But, even still, when we made it through into the main section of the park, I didn't stop Takuma from pulling me straight for the line to the rollercoaster, his excitement sweeping me up too quickly to retaliate. I had no idea what to do with myself. I considered maybe just letting Takuma go on his own while I wait it out and pick him up when he was done...but his hand was so warm in my own that I couldn't bring myself to let go at all... However, once more the temperamental Lady blessed me as Takuma was too small to ride the coaster, and since I wasn't an adult, nor his guardian, we were turned away. His mood instantly dropping, having clearly had his heart set on that ride, I swallowed back my fear and pointed to another. "Wanna try that one? We could skip to the front of the line to see the height limit," I suggested, which he jumped to. Though, it seemed like most of the rides wouldn't let him on, some of them even just by mere centimeters. Aside from the kiddy-rides which he had turned his nose up on for the time being. "It's not fair!" Crossing his arms as we sat down on a bench after almost an hour of just searching for something to do, Takuma pouted, now less upset and more agitated. And I, myself, was a little annoyed, too. As glad as I was to not have to go on anything, seeing Takuma so upset when he was so excited before was really painful. I was completely enamoured with his smile, so seeing it be completely taken away...it as awful. "I want to grow up already... Mom says it's any day now, but it's taking too long..." "Ehh...well, it's not gonna happen overnight. I think you're already growing, it just takes a while to see it," I shrug. Honestly, though, I'd like to see him stay the way he was... His mother was beautiful, and I was excited to see him grow up and take after her...but he was so cute right now, I was one-hundred percent okay with him staying this way...even though I knew that was a selfish thought. "I know..." Puffing a cheek in annoyance, Takuma looked away from me, and we fell into silence for a minute or so. At least until I pointed towards the gaming section of the park. "Wanna go try out some games? I have a lot of money, I'll buy you some tries," I offered. And with a reluctant agreement, Takuma allowed his hand to be taken and I lead him over. Of course, the games were mostly rigged, with a couple that you could always win no matter what to make you feel good and stick around for others. Watching as Takuma squeaked through a darts game, I cheered him on as he won himself a pair of keychains, and we continued to the next game which I gave a try and failed spectacularly at. Managing a laugh over my expense despite my insides burning with embarrassment, we were soon distracted by a voice behind us. "Yuuki! Takuma-chan!" Turning around to see who it was, neither of us were surprised to see Ryouta waving at us as he dragged Izo over. "Ehh, you got paired up, too? That's lucky~" Takuma smiled. "More like he latched onto me," Izo sighed, studying the booths around us. "Have you gone on any rides yet?" Ryouta cut in, his excitement almost as unfiltered as Takuma's. Though it died when we answered. "No, sadly...the height limit is too tall..." Takuma sighed. "Lucky for Yuuki-kun, huh?" My face heating up as Izo glanced over with a slick smile, I quickly pulled myself up. "I don't know what you mean. Without rides, this place is pretty boring, isn't it?" "Eh? But what about all these games and all the food? There's lots to do!" "He's just telling himself that because I can't go on rides, either," Izo said. "Ah, really? You can't, either?" "They just make me sick," Izo admitted, frowning in distaste. Which I already knew. That was the only reason Izo knew about my fear of the rides. We'd been talking about the trip and why neither of us were all that into it. But, here we were, paired with people who were dying because they couldn't do what they wanted most. It...was pretty unfair... "Maybe we should trade, huh? I could probably put Yuuki-kun's wallet to good use." "Eh?! No way! I mean...it's not even going to do any good, is it? Takuma still can't go on any," I pointed out. And immediately regretted. "A-anyway, we'll go check out the food at least. Maybe you guys can find Mamoru-kun or someone who's willing to watch Izo for you, Ryouta," I suggested as I took Takuma's hand again and started leading him away from that conversation. Even if I couldn't help him go on rides...I could try to get it off his mind. It was the least I could attempt. Heading over to the concession stands for now, despite neither of us being that hungry, we agreed on sharing something small for now to pass the time while we thought of other things to attempt. Though along the way, Takuma suddenly stopped. "Ah? What's wrong?" Looking over to him, I barely had any say in the matter before Takuma was pulling me towards something else. His hand soon separating from mine, I picked up the pace to keep up with him, though quickly skidding to a stop as I saw what he was running towards. But unlike me, Takuma kept going, before gleefully leaping up and tackling the poor mascot in the biggest hug such a tiny person could muster. "So cute! So cute~!" Watching, dumbfounded, as Takuma repeatedly threw himself at the mascot, laughing and smiling as he played with it, I wondered if the boy was saying my thoughts out loud for me. So cute...so very cute... The mascot itself wasn't so much, but...Takuma... Suddenly remembering that I had a phone in my pocket, I pulled it out quickly and started recording, wanting to preserve this memory forever. Takuma soon noticing I had my phone out, he waved and posed with the mascot, and I quickly took him up on the cue to snap a few stills before resuming recording...at least until the boy started trying to take apart the poor mascot. Hurrying over, I apologized to the person under the suit and pulled Takuma away with a laugh, showing him the pictures I took, but not the video. Sending him the pictures while we waited in line for the concession stand now, I pocketed my phone and looked around the various things. "I know it's not as exciting as the big rides...but you wanna just try some smaller ones? I'm sure there's gotta be something you can go on," I suggested, still nervous about the idea, but...slowly I was getting more willing to give it a try. Plus, if it was small ones, I might actually manage to survive with some credibility intact. Mostly, though, I did really want to try the ferris wheel with him still. Though, preferably at the end of the day, so there were more chances of him dozing off on me and it would be less likely that we'd be seen. Because...if it went well...I wondered if I could maybe sneak a kiss...maybe... Takuma agreeing to the idea, we got a bag of cotton candy to share for now while we wandered around the attractions again, looking for ones we hadn't tried. Passing by one labeled 'Tunnel of Love', which looked inviting and safe...though also ignored, Takuma glanced up and smiled at me. "Have you ever gone through there?" he asked, licking his fingers free of sugar. "Ah? No...never had a reason to," I said, looking back at him, feeling a bit flustered for getting caught staring at such a ride. "Really? I would have thought Yuuki-kun would have had a lot of girlfriends who'd wanna go through something like that," he hummed. "Speaking of, I keep hearing that if you go through it, you're more likely to marry the person you go with." "O-oh...really?" Dammit...so much for suggesting we try it then... I really did want to, even before hearing that superstition, though I didn't have much leeway to do so with (especially not with the name), but now I definitely couldn't. And it was such a shame, because goddamn would it be cute... "Oh, look! We missed one!" Cutting in suddenly, Takuma pointed to another ride, before dragging me over and measuring himself against the board. Watching the attendant measured him, I found myself holding my breath, not sure what outcome I hoped for. I wanted him to be happy, of course, but...this ride didn't look that pleasant... Granted, it was just twirling around, but...but what if the cups flew off? What if I got sick? What if the restraints were not very good and I, or Takuma, got flung out of the ride? But on the other hand...how cute would he be, sitting across from me, gleefully enjoying the speed and triumph of finding the one ride he could access? And if he got sick, I could help clean him up and comfort him from the trauma of throwing up on his idol...or... "Okay, you're good. Back of the line now." Getting jarred from my thought by the news, I looked to Takuma, who gaped at the man in disbelief before cheering loudly and grabbing me towards the end of the line. And, as expected, the ride was awful. But I bore through it with the help of Takuma's laughter as we were whirled around in a flimsy cart, my knuckles white with how tightly I clung to my seat belt. But...he did adore it...and he was just so happy, that for once I supposed I didn't mind it. Though when we finished and were lead out, my legs wobbled and shook, making me feel especially uncool, but he was too busy giggling at his own state to really notice much. "Ahhh, that was fun!" he said, grinning to me as I managed to veer him towards a bench. Pulling him to sit with me to let our bodies get used to being still again, I hummed as he asked if I thought it was good, too. "I guess so. Was a bit fast, though," I said, not really wanting to dash his mood, but, honestly, I hated it. But, still, once our legs could hold our weight up again, Takuma was pulling me towards another attraction we'd missed before. This round of searching proving to be a lot more fruitful for Takuma, to the point where I couldn't help but wonder if he had just grown an extra inch in the time since we last tried, I got pulled onto a few more rides with varying degrees of terror. But, for the most part, objectively they weren't too bad. It was just my overactive imagination picturing the worst case scenarios throughout each one that hindered my enjoyment. But when we were back on the ground, with Takuma laughing in continued delight...I forgave everything. His smile was so cute...he was so cute... The next couple hours passing by in a blur (literally for several rides), eventually Takuma decided it was time for a break and we opted for a proper lunch this time. Sitting down across from each other at a small table, we dug into our food as Takuma thanked me for paying for his share again. Waving it off, we continued on to discuss the rides, which consisted mostly of me listening to the boy rave on about how fun and exciting they were while I kept having to stop myself from gazing at him too lovingly. It really was a task. He was just so precious. His eyes got so big when he recalled certain parts of it, and his smile was so wide I swear the corners were coming off his face. And when he got particularly exciting, his voice would crack and squeak and it made my chest ache with how absolutely adorable he was... Eventually finishing lunch, I suggested we try the games again while we waited for our stomachs to settle. Getting an agreement without any trouble, we headed through the stalls again, trying to see if anything would catch our attention, when Takuma stopped and pointed at one booth. "Look! Look at that one!" he said, pointing to a hugely oversized teddy bear. "Man, the person who gets that one sure would be lucky, huh?" "Mmm...you want it?" I asked, looking from the bear to Takuma. "I bet I could win it for you." "Eh? Really? Okay!" Getting a bright smile for encouragement, I nodded and braced myself as I approached the booth. Paying the man running it a few dollars for a handful of tries, I held my breath and gave it a shot. Over. And over. And over again. Handing over money for a third time in a row, I could feel Takuma's faith in me start to dwindle. "Um...you know, it's okay if you can't get it. It's the grand prize, after all. I don't think anyone could get it," he said, biting his lip. But not only did I not want to disappoint him...I didn't want his admiration towards me to be lost. "No, I can do it. Those were just practices. Here, though, why don't you go get us some drinks?" I suggested, pointing towards a concession stand around the corner. "This might take a while, and I don't wanna bore you," I added. This getting a bit of a reluctant agreement, I assured him I would stay where I was, and soon he headed off. Turning back to the game once Takuma started off, I nodded to the man and tried a few more times, sometimes getting close enough to just barely make it. "Mm? I didn't know you were that stubborn." Jumping a little at the voice behind me, I turned around to find Izo and Ryouta. "Where's Takuma-chan?" "Getting drinks," I replied, eying the bags Ryouta was carrying. From the looks of it...a lot of them were even grand prizes... "Who won all those?" "Izo did~ He's really good!" "...Really...?" Though, I guess I wasn't surprised. I knew Izo played a lot of games, since that was mostly what he did when by himself between rehearsals: playing on his handheld. But if that was the case... "I need your help then. I promised Takuma I would win him that bear, but I can't do it." "So you want me to do it for you? Isn't that cheating?" "How much do I have to pay you to lie and say I did it?" "...How much you willing?" "Ten-thousand." "...Fifteen-hundred." I paused. But only for a split second. "Deal." "Do you have any tries left?" Izo asked, as he stepped around me towards the stand. "Yeah, a couple. If you need more, I'll pay. Ryouta, could you go watch Takuma for me? He's just around the corner. Keep him distracted," I said, pointing to where the boy as still waiting in line for his turn. The taller boy easily agreeing, I turned my attention back to Izo, who was studying the layout of the game. "Shouldn't be too hard," he hummed. And, to him, it certainly seemed that way. Being handed the giant stuffed bear, I bowed low to Izo, thanking him profusely and promising to give him the money during our next rehearsal. For now, it sounded like Takuma and Ryouta were on their way back. Straightening back up, I puffed myself up to look as proud as possible, while I waited for them to round the corner. And when they did... "You got it!" My heart nearly bursting with how much adoration and surprise was showing in his face, I grinned and held the bear out to him. "I told you I could! Cute, huh?" "Yeah...it really is... Thank you so much! I love it!" he grinned, trading me the drinks for the bear. Then he suddenly pulled me into a hug along with it. "Thank you so much! I'll treasure it forever!" "You better!" I smirked, while inside I was dying and clapping in delight at how happy he was. Even if my wallet was in tears, it was well worth it. Even if it meant I got teased for it later...it was well worth it. Just to see how happy Takuma was today. Just for this chance to feel like we were on our very first date...it was all worth it. Continuing on from there, we wandered a bit more around the park. Takuma deciding, for the sake of his bear, to skip out on the scary rides for now, he agreed to try some more kiddy ones, which was way more my style. At least in terms of what I could handle. The rest of the day passing by in a much more relaxed state, passing the bear between us to give the other a break on carrying it, eventually it was almost time to go be getting ready to head home. But...as much as I wanted to suggest it, to hold Takuma's hand one more time while we watched the sunset together to finish off the day...I couldn't bring myself to in the end. He had made another joke that only couples went on ferris wheels together, and as a result...that made my feelings way too obvious if I suggested it. So, in the end, we finished off the day with just sharing another bag of cotton candy, and trooped back to the entrance of the park where some others were already waiting. And from there, we were lead into the buses again, though we continued to stick together. Being lead into the back of the bus, we sat together, the large bear taking its place at our feet. "Ah, Yuuki-kun, you can let go of my hand now." "Oh, sorry." Laughing slightly, despite my face heating up, I released his hand and set it on my lap. "I really had fun today. Thank you for staying with me~" he said, smiling up at me. "W-well, it was a buddy-system...plus, what kind of senpai would I be if I didn't keep track of my kohai, right?" "Aha, I guess so~ Still...I really appreciate everything you did. It was super fun," he grinned. "Oh! Here, by the way. I forgot to give you one earlier," he said, fishing into his pocket before pulling out one of the keychains he had won near the beginning of the day. "To remember how fun today was!" "A-ah...thank you..." I said, accepting the charm. It was a pretty simple little one, with the park's mascot dangling from a coloured cord rope...but it was cute. And, of course, I was going to cherish it forever. And even without it, I was going to remember today. Definitely. The bus ride starting up now that it was full and everyone was accounted for, the mood was still lively and bright with excited talk about what everyone did and tried out. But after a while, it died down to a quiet lull as the sun sank further down and kids started getting drowsy from all the exercise and exertions of the day. Keeping my eyes on the window as the scenery rushed past, I refocused my eyes to see the reflections, spotting Takuma yawn and rub his eyes. And...after a few minutes, his head drooped, slowly falling to the side until it was against my shoulder. And even though I knew that tomorrow I was going to have the most stiff neck in the history of ever...I vowed to remain very...very still...to not wake him at all. So that I could cherish this moment for as long as it could possibly last. |
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6:42 PM Jul 11