[One-Shot] Phases
Title: Phases
Pairing: Nakamaru / Ueda
Rating: G
Genre: Humour, Fluff
Disclaimer: I don’t own anybody.
Summary: Nakamaru has known Ueda for a long time.
Author’s Note: Happy Birthday, Ueda :D And a Happy Belated Birthday to Nakamaru <3
01.
When Nakamaru first met Ueda, Ueda was a blonde-haired ruffian who stole his mathematics notebook and threw it into the girl’s showers. That incident terrorized him for his remaining time in middle school for people assumed the possibilities of how his book got into such a place. Explaining obviously didn’t work out when the headmaster went straight to his parents.
He would never have expected that in years to come, Nakamaru often used this incident to brag about how wild he used to be in his younger days to his juniors. After all, the idea of being suspended by doing something really bad seemed cool. However, when asked about the deed, Nakamaru chose to avoid the topic. And since he was their senior, they didn’t press on either.
Although that was how he first knew about Ueda Tatsuya, it was still a pretty traumatizing event.
02.
In high school, Nakamaru was unfortunately in the same class as Ueda. It was always a mystery how they could possibly be placed in the same school and class when the other could hardly count without the aid of his fingers (or that’s what Nakamaru thought about bullies then). Nakamaru never really asked for fear of offending despite being overwhelmed with curiosity.
Within a few months, Ueda had grown his hair out. It was long and black with curls and occasional streaks of gold at the end. However, Nakamaru never paid attention to how Ueda’s hair drifted in the wind when he spaced out during physical education lessons. He was too busy feeling sore about Ueda’s previous bullying attempts.
It was one day when Ueda stopped by his desk and said “Let’s hang out together!” that Nakamaru finally decided to bury the hatchet. Nakamaru never expected himself to be quite as forgiving. Perhaps the fear of angering Ueda did aid in his decision making.
03.
Nakamaru was always perplexed by the extension of Ueda’s friendship that he decided to confront the issue one day.
“Why do you even want to be friends with me when you were previously a bully?”
“I’m over that phase,” Ueda said simply.
Nakamaru later found out that in fact, Ueda had plain forgotten about the incident with his mathematics notebook (he didn’t even remember Nakamaru as a victim). Although that made Nakamaru a little indignant, they were already far too good friends to be picking on such matters anymore.
04.
While Nakamaru’s family is an average household, Ueda is incredible rich. He travelled to school in a limousine daily and lived in an enormous mansion bordering the outskirts of town (many said that was due to the fact that there was simply insufficient space in town to accommodate such a big house).
“Shall we go to school together?” Ueda asked absentmindedly during one recess break. Although Nakamaru knew that Ueda was often late and travelling with his own two feet would bring him to school faster than Ueda’s wheels, Nakamaru was too kind to reject and said “okay”.
And thus, Nakamaru had an incredibly tardy record for the first year of high school.
05.
Besides holding a tardy record, Nakamaru held the title for “Best Mathematician in the Region” as well. As a result, he joined the Mathematics Club which Ueda deemed as “social suicide”.
Nonetheless, Ueda never failed to wait for Nakamaru’s club activities to end before heading home together.
06.
When the second year started, Nakamaru’s father decided to iron out his habit of being late. His father soon realised that Nakamaru wasn’t at fault and decided to ring Ueda’s household up to talk about it.
“I would have no friends in school the next morning,” Nakamaru remembered fretting in front of his sisters.
“I’m sure Ueda-kun wouldn’t be unreasonable!” one of them comforted.
“Why?”
“Because he is cute.”
From that comment onwards, Nakamaru started paying attention to his friend’s looks.
07.
Not only did Ueda not cut off all ties with him, Nakamaru realised that Ueda had been arriving at his house much earlier. It was an achievement accomplished when they both arrived at school before the first bell rang for an entire month.
“I’m awesome, aren’t I?”
Nakamaru chose to keep his opinions to himself. Waking up on time didn’t seem that great a feat to him.
08.
Ueda joined the Basketball Club without Nakamaru’s knowledge.
“I’m lacking in a few centimetres,” he reasoned when Nakamaru inquired about his sudden interest. “I’ll be breathing the same air as you in no time.”
However, instead of growing a couple of inches, Ueda developed a short fuse in his time with the club.
“There’s a pipsqueak named Nishikido,” Ueda would start whenever they got onto the topic. “That year one needs to shut his flap up or I’ll make him one day.”
Nakamaru brushed his words off without much thought.
09.
Nakamaru was shocked when he discovered Ueda sniffling in the toilet after practice sessions one day.
“He questioned my role in the team.”
To Nakamaru, it was a shock to find the self-assured blonde back in middle school gone and a sensitive boy in his stead. Nakamaru wasn’t good with words but at least he had a broad shoulder for Ueda to lean on.
Surprisingly, the situation wasn’t awkward for Nakamaru at all.
10.
Puberty must be hitting Ueda harder because while Nakamaru remained steady in his personality, Ueda underwent several huge changes. Not only did Ueda question himself incessantly, he felt lost about his identity.
Although Nakamaru had no idea how deep Nishikido’s words could have affected Ueda, he decided such an incident should not happen twice. It took him three days before he mustered sufficient courage to confront the younger boy. Nakamaru definitely wasn’t as snarky as Nishikido but Nakamaru’s height more than made up for it.
Nakamaru also realised that if he straightened his back and put on a serious face, he had the flair to look somewhat intimidating as well.
11.
After summer break, Ueda dropped basketball and picked up boxing instead.
“I’m really good at it,” he announced happily to Nakamaru. Nakamaru nodded patronizingly as he worked on another mathematical sum. As compared to differentiation and integration, Nakamaru wasn’t as good as he wanted to be in complex numbers.
“You’ll come boxing with me next weekend.”
Once again, Nakamaru nodded - wait, what?
12.
When Nakamaru received his first bloodied nose, he decided that there ought to be limits drawn in friendship. He would never take up boxing, just like how he would never leap off from the bungee jump when Ueda and him visited the amusement park on another weekend.
"I have a phobia of heights and possibly, death."
Instead of making a dig at it, Ueda let him off easy by merely demanding for a treat at a nearby dessert store.
“Ice cream can really soothe your nerves.”
13.
During the last year of high school, Ueda proposed an outrageous suggestion that they ought to participate in Talent Night.
“You can beat-box and I can play the piano and sing. We can have an acoustic performance!”
“Why should we even do that?” Nakamaru questioned. University entrance examinations were intimidating enough; he didn’t need additional unnecessary commitments.
“You’ll grow to regret it if you don’t do something memorable now. We’re at our last year already.”
Nakamaru wondered if Ueda’s infectious smile had anything to do with him agreeing.
14.
Nakamaru suspected that he could possibly have a crush on his good friend when he started pondering on the concept of an indirect kiss. If they shared a drink together, did it mean that…?
During practices for their talent show performance, although Ueda never minded whose bottle he was drinking from, Nakamaru increasingly did. In fact, he got so embarrassed by his own thoughts that he started bringing a sharpie to label their bottles. Not only would Ueda stop making that accidental mistake, maybe his own mind would stop wandering as well.
However, when Ueda continually drank from both bottles, Nakamaru decided that Ueda was just out to annoy him.
15.
Apart from winning mathematical competitions, Nakamaru received a standing ovation when he held hands with Ueda on stage and took a bow. Their acoustic rearrangement of a pop song medley was popular among the student body and Nakamaru was glad that Ueda did manage to rope him in.
“I told you we would be a hit,” Ueda punched Nakamaru on the arm lightly as he danced in joy backstage. “Now we would have something to reminisce about when we look back at our school life.”
16.
When you were a child, you couldn’t wait to grow up.
Nakamaru had the exact same way of thinking till high school graduation was around the corner. Would his friendship with Ueda remain as tight as they were now, or would they drift apart with university and work coming in the way?
“Where do you want to be two years down the road?” Nakamaru quizzed when Ueda dropped by his house uninvited for a study break.
“With you.”
Nakamaru wasn’t sure if he interpreted Ueda’s words correctly.
“Oh, okay.”
And that was the most amazing response Nakamaru came up with to a possible confession line.
17.
Everybody’s tear glands seemed to be hyperactive during the graduation ceremony itself except for Ueda. He just sat stonily in his seat till his name was called to receive his certificate.
“Do you not feel anything?” Nakamaru asked worriedly when the headmaster was called to make the closing speech.
“I don’t want to say my goodbyes, Yucchi.”
“Why?”
“If I say them, it feels like I’m really never seeing those people again and I don’t want that to happen.”
18.
When Nakamaru received his admission letter to Waseda, Ueda was still without a job or a university.
“I’m still thinking,” Ueda insisted when Nakamaru started to get concerned for his friend’s future. “You should concentrate on packing before moving to Tokyo.”
If Ueda had been upset or unwilling to see him go, he didn’t vocalize it. Instead, Nakamaru was sure Ueda chose to express it by refusing to see him off. Nakamaru was genuinely and extremely saddened by Ueda’s action that he failed to identify the passenger next to him on the shinkansen.
“You’re not the only one moving,” Ueda smirked when Nakamaru finally noticed him.
19.
Nakamaru was supposed to live with his aunt. Somehow, he ended up at Ueda’s rented apartment because the other is rich, could afford his own place, and was afraid to live alone. Instead of being two hours away from his school, Nakamaru merely had to take a fifteen minutes bus ride for the next four years (unless Ueda kicked him out before he graduated).
“I’m going to school. What about you?”
Ueda merely wrinkled his nose and switched on the television to fill in the silence.
“Buy a piano,” he replied after a long while.
20.
Nakamaru learnt that “a piano” didn’t necessary mean “a piano” when Ueda came home with a Sheltie puppy.
“She’s cute, isn’t she?” Ueda introduced with flourish.
“The piano?”
“On its way from America. It’ll come soon enough. Don’t stress your brilliant little mind over it.”
“Do I have to move out to accommodate it?” Nakamaru asked, anxious, when Ueda tossed him a brochure of it. “It’s a grand piano.”
“It’ll be fine.” Ueda dismissed Nakamaru’s worries. “Won’t you say ‘hi’ to our new furry friend?”
21.
While Nakamaru dealt with all forms of housework, Ueda waived his rental bills. Although Tiko was a helpful dog who tends to pick up the things that Ueda left behind, there was still much to be done around the house.
When Nakamaru rushed home to do the laundry on an unfortunate afternoon, he happened to see Ueda home with a very attractive young lady.
“Hey Yucchi, meet -”
Nakamaru hastily excused himself and returned back to school before marching straight to the library. Albeit avoiding the topic, Nakamaru hadn’t really gotten over the half-assed confession line by Ueda and the concept of an indirect kiss whenever they shared their food and drinks.
Nakamaru still needed more time before he had the courage to meet Ueda’s girlfriend.
The clock reflected 11:00PM before Nakamaru was finally chased out of the library. Thankfully, Ueda was already fast asleep when Nakamaru crept home.
22.
Four weeks of avoidance and another month of Ueda’s disappearance later, Ueda forced Nakamaru to sit down for a talk.
“Look, my sister got married,” Ueda shared as he showed Nakamaru a photo. “I went to the town she is staying at to attend the ceremony and thought it was a waste if I didn’t go for a vacation as well.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“After my sister passed me the invitation, you acted all uncomfortable. How was I to tell you when you were constantly shoving your textbook at my face to ward me off?”
Nakamaru laughed sheepishly. Ueda would never know how relieved that made him.
23.
In the second year of university, Nakamaru received three boxes of chocolate on Valentines’ Day.
“Someone’s getting popular, woo~” Ueda cheered when Nakamaru returned home, embarrassed. Beating a hasty escape, Nakamaru placed all four boxes of chocolate on his table once back in his own room.
It seemed like too much trouble to give Ueda the chocolates even though Nakamaru went through extra hassle to get it. Deciding that he couldn’t possibly keep the special box to himself, Nakamaru left it in the freezer.
To Nakamaru’s pleasant surprise, the freezer was empty the next day. He didn’t question Ueda about it for fear of affecting their impeccable friendship.
24.
While working part-time at a music shop, Nakamaru was taken aback when he was doing the stocks for a new batch of CDs.
When did Ueda debut as a pianist?
With the aid of the internet, it didn’t take him long to find what he wanted.
Ueda Tatsuya, a new talent to watch out for in Japan's music scene
Like how Ueda had often teased, maybe Nakamaru was really too absorbed in studying.
25.
“Congratulations!” Nakamaru rushed home after his nine-hour shift to express his belated well wishes. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize the fact that I’m staying with an up and rising piano prodigy.”
Ueda looked up from his score sheets and laughed.
“Took you long enough.”
“Twenty and making a mark in the world.”
“You flatter me,” Ueda blushed before getting up to retrieve the CD from his room and shoving it into Nakamaru’s hand. “Have you taken a good look at it? Have you heard it?”
“Written for you,” Nakamaru read the title aloud. “I wonder who you had in mind as you were composing.”
“Written for you,” Ueda repeated before dragging out the last vowel. “Yucchi.”
“For me?”
“I’ve always liked you. I promised myself that I would confess on the day you notice my achievement.”
Nakamaru was unprepared when Ueda leaned in for a kiss. In fact, unprepared was an understatement; he was practically stunned into silence. Nakamaru wished he could have remembered to give a response when their lips had long parted and Ueda was staring in wide-eyed anticipation for his answer. Because the next thing he knew, Ueda was gone.
26.
If there was one thing Nakamaru could wish for, it would be the ability to show his emotions more easily. Hearing Ueda cry throughout the night was one of the most excruciating pains he had to endure.
Even though they were separated by only a wall, there was nothing Nakamaru could do to make Ueda hear him out.
“Don’t force yourself to say you like me,” Ueda smiled wryly when they inevitably met again in the morning. “You don’t have to feel guilty about it. Now go or you’ll be late for your lectures.”
“But I really do -”
As the lock on Ueda’s room clicked shut, Nakamaru felt as though he could possibly be locked out of Ueda’s heart forever.
27.
The living room was empty whenever Nakamaru was around. Ueda didn’t even leave a messy trial of musical scores behind him. Before their relationship further deteriorated, Nakamaru knew he had to do something.
Tying a note on Tiko’s collar, Nakamaru nudged their pet to pass the message. In less than a few moments, Ueda was out from hiding in his room.
“I thought you broke your leg in an accident this morning and needed help with reaching the highest shelf,” Ueda huffed in irritation. “After being friends with you for such a long time, I never knew you were into lying.”
“You wouldn’t talk to me otherwise,” Nakamaru explained weakly. “I was just caught off-guard that night.”
“Don’t talk about that night. I was foolish okay. If you would just forget about it, I would be extremely glad and -”
“You’re talking an awful lot today,” Nakamaru interrupted as he grabbed Ueda’s arm and (forcefully) guided the other man out of the house. Even though it was a night with strong winds, Nakamaru was apologetic that Ueda didn’t even have time to put a jacket on. “It’s a little rushed but I don’t intend to receive any more tickets from the warden.”
“Huh?”
In the dark, Ueda’s was greeted with a message written in candles that goes “I’VE LIKED YOU SINCE WE WERE SEVENTEEN. WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME?”
The blush creeping up on Ueda’s face told Nakamaru that life should be returning to normalcy very soon.
28.
“So now that we’re dating, do you think anything will change?” Nakamaru asked as he carefully manoeuvres his way through a mess of papers.
Ueda tosses another scrunched up paper onto the floor before flopping onto his beanbag armchair.
“No~~~” Ueda drawls out lazily. “You will continue doing the dishes, cook for me, wash laundry and clean to pay for rent. We’re living in Shinjuku after all.”
“That has never crossed my mind,” Nakamaru muttered his breath. It was unlikely that Ueda knew how to carry out any chores properly, especially when he grew up with a butler at the back of his call. “I was referring to catching a movie instead of just, hanging around one another like we always do.”
Ueda frowned at the thought and contemplated for a long while before shaking his head.
“I think we are fine just the way we are. Don’t you think so?”
Nakamaru smiled. Besides gaining a boyfriend, he was glad that his best friend was still around.
29.
Before setting off for his graduation ceremony, Ueda woke up early to help Nakamaru into his traditional clothing.
“I feel like a proud parent,” Ueda declared as he tucked the stray strands of hair neatly away for Nakamaru. “I’ll be joining you later. Even though you have your friends, do remember to take a photo with me okay? I’ll blow it up and hang it over by the dining table.”
“How old are we again?” Nakamaru queried.
“Very,” Ueda replied as he straightened Nakamaru’s collar. “I would kiss you goodbye but I don’t want to resemble any more like a housewife. Now run along.”
Nakamaru took the initiative to kiss Ueda instead.
"You cheesy old man," Ueda commented before Nakamaru left the house.
30.
Nakamaru knew he was dead when Ueda greeted him with a death glare. After the ceremony was over, Nakamaru was overwhelmed with congratulations from his professors, family and friends that meeting Ueda for a photograph slipped his mind.
“I’m sorry I took way longer than expected…”
Arms crossed, Nakamaru knew it wasn’t a good sign.
“I waited for you, in the sun, for a full three hours, in this long suffering suit,” Ueda began slowly and Nakamaru swallowed. “I just want one photo with you, heartthrob. Is that too much to ask for?”
“Well, I had to reciprocate the goodwill of others sufficiently.”
Wrong move. Nakamaru could tell when Ueda suddenly closed the distance between them and… snitched the certificate right out of his hands.
“I’m tossing this into the female’s showers. I’ll see how you retrieve it.”
As Ueda took off, Nakamaru was reminded of the blonde-haired ruffian once more.
“Wait up!” Nakamaru shouted as he desperately gave chase in his traditional robes. “I won’t let you ruin my experience in university like you did with middle school!”
Ueda stuck his tongue out rudely in response.
“Make me!”
Even though so much had changed, there were still many aspects that hadn’t as well. Nakamaru hoped that in the future, their relationship would be one of those aspects that would never change.
End.
Another author's note: In celebration of Ueda's birthday month, I'm also accepting drabble requests. You can read more about it here. Thank you for reading :3
Pairing: Nakamaru / Ueda
Rating: G
Genre: Humour, Fluff
Disclaimer: I don’t own anybody.
Summary: Nakamaru has known Ueda for a long time.
Author’s Note: Happy Birthday, Ueda :D And a Happy Belated Birthday to Nakamaru <3
01.
When Nakamaru first met Ueda, Ueda was a blonde-haired ruffian who stole his mathematics notebook and threw it into the girl’s showers. That incident terrorized him for his remaining time in middle school for people assumed the possibilities of how his book got into such a place. Explaining obviously didn’t work out when the headmaster went straight to his parents.
He would never have expected that in years to come, Nakamaru often used this incident to brag about how wild he used to be in his younger days to his juniors. After all, the idea of being suspended by doing something really bad seemed cool. However, when asked about the deed, Nakamaru chose to avoid the topic. And since he was their senior, they didn’t press on either.
Although that was how he first knew about Ueda Tatsuya, it was still a pretty traumatizing event.
02.
In high school, Nakamaru was unfortunately in the same class as Ueda. It was always a mystery how they could possibly be placed in the same school and class when the other could hardly count without the aid of his fingers (or that’s what Nakamaru thought about bullies then). Nakamaru never really asked for fear of offending despite being overwhelmed with curiosity.
Within a few months, Ueda had grown his hair out. It was long and black with curls and occasional streaks of gold at the end. However, Nakamaru never paid attention to how Ueda’s hair drifted in the wind when he spaced out during physical education lessons. He was too busy feeling sore about Ueda’s previous bullying attempts.
It was one day when Ueda stopped by his desk and said “Let’s hang out together!” that Nakamaru finally decided to bury the hatchet. Nakamaru never expected himself to be quite as forgiving. Perhaps the fear of angering Ueda did aid in his decision making.
03.
Nakamaru was always perplexed by the extension of Ueda’s friendship that he decided to confront the issue one day.
“Why do you even want to be friends with me when you were previously a bully?”
“I’m over that phase,” Ueda said simply.
Nakamaru later found out that in fact, Ueda had plain forgotten about the incident with his mathematics notebook (he didn’t even remember Nakamaru as a victim). Although that made Nakamaru a little indignant, they were already far too good friends to be picking on such matters anymore.
04.
While Nakamaru’s family is an average household, Ueda is incredible rich. He travelled to school in a limousine daily and lived in an enormous mansion bordering the outskirts of town (many said that was due to the fact that there was simply insufficient space in town to accommodate such a big house).
“Shall we go to school together?” Ueda asked absentmindedly during one recess break. Although Nakamaru knew that Ueda was often late and travelling with his own two feet would bring him to school faster than Ueda’s wheels, Nakamaru was too kind to reject and said “okay”.
And thus, Nakamaru had an incredibly tardy record for the first year of high school.
05.
Besides holding a tardy record, Nakamaru held the title for “Best Mathematician in the Region” as well. As a result, he joined the Mathematics Club which Ueda deemed as “social suicide”.
Nonetheless, Ueda never failed to wait for Nakamaru’s club activities to end before heading home together.
06.
When the second year started, Nakamaru’s father decided to iron out his habit of being late. His father soon realised that Nakamaru wasn’t at fault and decided to ring Ueda’s household up to talk about it.
“I would have no friends in school the next morning,” Nakamaru remembered fretting in front of his sisters.
“I’m sure Ueda-kun wouldn’t be unreasonable!” one of them comforted.
“Why?”
“Because he is cute.”
From that comment onwards, Nakamaru started paying attention to his friend’s looks.
07.
Not only did Ueda not cut off all ties with him, Nakamaru realised that Ueda had been arriving at his house much earlier. It was an achievement accomplished when they both arrived at school before the first bell rang for an entire month.
“I’m awesome, aren’t I?”
Nakamaru chose to keep his opinions to himself. Waking up on time didn’t seem that great a feat to him.
08.
Ueda joined the Basketball Club without Nakamaru’s knowledge.
“I’m lacking in a few centimetres,” he reasoned when Nakamaru inquired about his sudden interest. “I’ll be breathing the same air as you in no time.”
However, instead of growing a couple of inches, Ueda developed a short fuse in his time with the club.
“There’s a pipsqueak named Nishikido,” Ueda would start whenever they got onto the topic. “That year one needs to shut his flap up or I’ll make him one day.”
Nakamaru brushed his words off without much thought.
09.
Nakamaru was shocked when he discovered Ueda sniffling in the toilet after practice sessions one day.
“He questioned my role in the team.”
To Nakamaru, it was a shock to find the self-assured blonde back in middle school gone and a sensitive boy in his stead. Nakamaru wasn’t good with words but at least he had a broad shoulder for Ueda to lean on.
Surprisingly, the situation wasn’t awkward for Nakamaru at all.
10.
Puberty must be hitting Ueda harder because while Nakamaru remained steady in his personality, Ueda underwent several huge changes. Not only did Ueda question himself incessantly, he felt lost about his identity.
Although Nakamaru had no idea how deep Nishikido’s words could have affected Ueda, he decided such an incident should not happen twice. It took him three days before he mustered sufficient courage to confront the younger boy. Nakamaru definitely wasn’t as snarky as Nishikido but Nakamaru’s height more than made up for it.
Nakamaru also realised that if he straightened his back and put on a serious face, he had the flair to look somewhat intimidating as well.
11.
After summer break, Ueda dropped basketball and picked up boxing instead.
“I’m really good at it,” he announced happily to Nakamaru. Nakamaru nodded patronizingly as he worked on another mathematical sum. As compared to differentiation and integration, Nakamaru wasn’t as good as he wanted to be in complex numbers.
“You’ll come boxing with me next weekend.”
Once again, Nakamaru nodded - wait, what?
12.
When Nakamaru received his first bloodied nose, he decided that there ought to be limits drawn in friendship. He would never take up boxing, just like how he would never leap off from the bungee jump when Ueda and him visited the amusement park on another weekend.
"I have a phobia of heights and possibly, death."
Instead of making a dig at it, Ueda let him off easy by merely demanding for a treat at a nearby dessert store.
“Ice cream can really soothe your nerves.”
13.
During the last year of high school, Ueda proposed an outrageous suggestion that they ought to participate in Talent Night.
“You can beat-box and I can play the piano and sing. We can have an acoustic performance!”
“Why should we even do that?” Nakamaru questioned. University entrance examinations were intimidating enough; he didn’t need additional unnecessary commitments.
“You’ll grow to regret it if you don’t do something memorable now. We’re at our last year already.”
Nakamaru wondered if Ueda’s infectious smile had anything to do with him agreeing.
14.
Nakamaru suspected that he could possibly have a crush on his good friend when he started pondering on the concept of an indirect kiss. If they shared a drink together, did it mean that…?
During practices for their talent show performance, although Ueda never minded whose bottle he was drinking from, Nakamaru increasingly did. In fact, he got so embarrassed by his own thoughts that he started bringing a sharpie to label their bottles. Not only would Ueda stop making that accidental mistake, maybe his own mind would stop wandering as well.
However, when Ueda continually drank from both bottles, Nakamaru decided that Ueda was just out to annoy him.
15.
Apart from winning mathematical competitions, Nakamaru received a standing ovation when he held hands with Ueda on stage and took a bow. Their acoustic rearrangement of a pop song medley was popular among the student body and Nakamaru was glad that Ueda did manage to rope him in.
“I told you we would be a hit,” Ueda punched Nakamaru on the arm lightly as he danced in joy backstage. “Now we would have something to reminisce about when we look back at our school life.”
16.
When you were a child, you couldn’t wait to grow up.
Nakamaru had the exact same way of thinking till high school graduation was around the corner. Would his friendship with Ueda remain as tight as they were now, or would they drift apart with university and work coming in the way?
“Where do you want to be two years down the road?” Nakamaru quizzed when Ueda dropped by his house uninvited for a study break.
“With you.”
Nakamaru wasn’t sure if he interpreted Ueda’s words correctly.
“Oh, okay.”
And that was the most amazing response Nakamaru came up with to a possible confession line.
17.
Everybody’s tear glands seemed to be hyperactive during the graduation ceremony itself except for Ueda. He just sat stonily in his seat till his name was called to receive his certificate.
“Do you not feel anything?” Nakamaru asked worriedly when the headmaster was called to make the closing speech.
“I don’t want to say my goodbyes, Yucchi.”
“Why?”
“If I say them, it feels like I’m really never seeing those people again and I don’t want that to happen.”
18.
When Nakamaru received his admission letter to Waseda, Ueda was still without a job or a university.
“I’m still thinking,” Ueda insisted when Nakamaru started to get concerned for his friend’s future. “You should concentrate on packing before moving to Tokyo.”
If Ueda had been upset or unwilling to see him go, he didn’t vocalize it. Instead, Nakamaru was sure Ueda chose to express it by refusing to see him off. Nakamaru was genuinely and extremely saddened by Ueda’s action that he failed to identify the passenger next to him on the shinkansen.
“You’re not the only one moving,” Ueda smirked when Nakamaru finally noticed him.
19.
Nakamaru was supposed to live with his aunt. Somehow, he ended up at Ueda’s rented apartment because the other is rich, could afford his own place, and was afraid to live alone. Instead of being two hours away from his school, Nakamaru merely had to take a fifteen minutes bus ride for the next four years (unless Ueda kicked him out before he graduated).
“I’m going to school. What about you?”
Ueda merely wrinkled his nose and switched on the television to fill in the silence.
“Buy a piano,” he replied after a long while.
20.
Nakamaru learnt that “a piano” didn’t necessary mean “a piano” when Ueda came home with a Sheltie puppy.
“She’s cute, isn’t she?” Ueda introduced with flourish.
“The piano?”
“On its way from America. It’ll come soon enough. Don’t stress your brilliant little mind over it.”
“Do I have to move out to accommodate it?” Nakamaru asked, anxious, when Ueda tossed him a brochure of it. “It’s a grand piano.”
“It’ll be fine.” Ueda dismissed Nakamaru’s worries. “Won’t you say ‘hi’ to our new furry friend?”
21.
While Nakamaru dealt with all forms of housework, Ueda waived his rental bills. Although Tiko was a helpful dog who tends to pick up the things that Ueda left behind, there was still much to be done around the house.
When Nakamaru rushed home to do the laundry on an unfortunate afternoon, he happened to see Ueda home with a very attractive young lady.
“Hey Yucchi, meet -”
Nakamaru hastily excused himself and returned back to school before marching straight to the library. Albeit avoiding the topic, Nakamaru hadn’t really gotten over the half-assed confession line by Ueda and the concept of an indirect kiss whenever they shared their food and drinks.
Nakamaru still needed more time before he had the courage to meet Ueda’s girlfriend.
The clock reflected 11:00PM before Nakamaru was finally chased out of the library. Thankfully, Ueda was already fast asleep when Nakamaru crept home.
22.
Four weeks of avoidance and another month of Ueda’s disappearance later, Ueda forced Nakamaru to sit down for a talk.
“Look, my sister got married,” Ueda shared as he showed Nakamaru a photo. “I went to the town she is staying at to attend the ceremony and thought it was a waste if I didn’t go for a vacation as well.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“After my sister passed me the invitation, you acted all uncomfortable. How was I to tell you when you were constantly shoving your textbook at my face to ward me off?”
Nakamaru laughed sheepishly. Ueda would never know how relieved that made him.
23.
In the second year of university, Nakamaru received three boxes of chocolate on Valentines’ Day.
“Someone’s getting popular, woo~” Ueda cheered when Nakamaru returned home, embarrassed. Beating a hasty escape, Nakamaru placed all four boxes of chocolate on his table once back in his own room.
It seemed like too much trouble to give Ueda the chocolates even though Nakamaru went through extra hassle to get it. Deciding that he couldn’t possibly keep the special box to himself, Nakamaru left it in the freezer.
To Nakamaru’s pleasant surprise, the freezer was empty the next day. He didn’t question Ueda about it for fear of affecting their impeccable friendship.
24.
While working part-time at a music shop, Nakamaru was taken aback when he was doing the stocks for a new batch of CDs.
When did Ueda debut as a pianist?
With the aid of the internet, it didn’t take him long to find what he wanted.
Ueda Tatsuya, a new talent to watch out for in Japan's music scene
Like how Ueda had often teased, maybe Nakamaru was really too absorbed in studying.
25.
“Congratulations!” Nakamaru rushed home after his nine-hour shift to express his belated well wishes. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize the fact that I’m staying with an up and rising piano prodigy.”
Ueda looked up from his score sheets and laughed.
“Took you long enough.”
“Twenty and making a mark in the world.”
“You flatter me,” Ueda blushed before getting up to retrieve the CD from his room and shoving it into Nakamaru’s hand. “Have you taken a good look at it? Have you heard it?”
“Written for you,” Nakamaru read the title aloud. “I wonder who you had in mind as you were composing.”
“Written for you,” Ueda repeated before dragging out the last vowel. “Yucchi.”
“For me?”
“I’ve always liked you. I promised myself that I would confess on the day you notice my achievement.”
Nakamaru was unprepared when Ueda leaned in for a kiss. In fact, unprepared was an understatement; he was practically stunned into silence. Nakamaru wished he could have remembered to give a response when their lips had long parted and Ueda was staring in wide-eyed anticipation for his answer. Because the next thing he knew, Ueda was gone.
26.
If there was one thing Nakamaru could wish for, it would be the ability to show his emotions more easily. Hearing Ueda cry throughout the night was one of the most excruciating pains he had to endure.
Even though they were separated by only a wall, there was nothing Nakamaru could do to make Ueda hear him out.
“Don’t force yourself to say you like me,” Ueda smiled wryly when they inevitably met again in the morning. “You don’t have to feel guilty about it. Now go or you’ll be late for your lectures.”
“But I really do -”
As the lock on Ueda’s room clicked shut, Nakamaru felt as though he could possibly be locked out of Ueda’s heart forever.
27.
The living room was empty whenever Nakamaru was around. Ueda didn’t even leave a messy trial of musical scores behind him. Before their relationship further deteriorated, Nakamaru knew he had to do something.
Tying a note on Tiko’s collar, Nakamaru nudged their pet to pass the message. In less than a few moments, Ueda was out from hiding in his room.
“I thought you broke your leg in an accident this morning and needed help with reaching the highest shelf,” Ueda huffed in irritation. “After being friends with you for such a long time, I never knew you were into lying.”
“You wouldn’t talk to me otherwise,” Nakamaru explained weakly. “I was just caught off-guard that night.”
“Don’t talk about that night. I was foolish okay. If you would just forget about it, I would be extremely glad and -”
“You’re talking an awful lot today,” Nakamaru interrupted as he grabbed Ueda’s arm and (forcefully) guided the other man out of the house. Even though it was a night with strong winds, Nakamaru was apologetic that Ueda didn’t even have time to put a jacket on. “It’s a little rushed but I don’t intend to receive any more tickets from the warden.”
“Huh?”
In the dark, Ueda’s was greeted with a message written in candles that goes “I’VE LIKED YOU SINCE WE WERE SEVENTEEN. WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME?”
The blush creeping up on Ueda’s face told Nakamaru that life should be returning to normalcy very soon.
28.
“So now that we’re dating, do you think anything will change?” Nakamaru asked as he carefully manoeuvres his way through a mess of papers.
Ueda tosses another scrunched up paper onto the floor before flopping onto his beanbag armchair.
“No~~~” Ueda drawls out lazily. “You will continue doing the dishes, cook for me, wash laundry and clean to pay for rent. We’re living in Shinjuku after all.”
“That has never crossed my mind,” Nakamaru muttered his breath. It was unlikely that Ueda knew how to carry out any chores properly, especially when he grew up with a butler at the back of his call. “I was referring to catching a movie instead of just, hanging around one another like we always do.”
Ueda frowned at the thought and contemplated for a long while before shaking his head.
“I think we are fine just the way we are. Don’t you think so?”
Nakamaru smiled. Besides gaining a boyfriend, he was glad that his best friend was still around.
29.
Before setting off for his graduation ceremony, Ueda woke up early to help Nakamaru into his traditional clothing.
“I feel like a proud parent,” Ueda declared as he tucked the stray strands of hair neatly away for Nakamaru. “I’ll be joining you later. Even though you have your friends, do remember to take a photo with me okay? I’ll blow it up and hang it over by the dining table.”
“How old are we again?” Nakamaru queried.
“Very,” Ueda replied as he straightened Nakamaru’s collar. “I would kiss you goodbye but I don’t want to resemble any more like a housewife. Now run along.”
Nakamaru took the initiative to kiss Ueda instead.
"You cheesy old man," Ueda commented before Nakamaru left the house.
30.
Nakamaru knew he was dead when Ueda greeted him with a death glare. After the ceremony was over, Nakamaru was overwhelmed with congratulations from his professors, family and friends that meeting Ueda for a photograph slipped his mind.
“I’m sorry I took way longer than expected…”
Arms crossed, Nakamaru knew it wasn’t a good sign.
“I waited for you, in the sun, for a full three hours, in this long suffering suit,” Ueda began slowly and Nakamaru swallowed. “I just want one photo with you, heartthrob. Is that too much to ask for?”
“Well, I had to reciprocate the goodwill of others sufficiently.”
Wrong move. Nakamaru could tell when Ueda suddenly closed the distance between them and… snitched the certificate right out of his hands.
“I’m tossing this into the female’s showers. I’ll see how you retrieve it.”
As Ueda took off, Nakamaru was reminded of the blonde-haired ruffian once more.
“Wait up!” Nakamaru shouted as he desperately gave chase in his traditional robes. “I won’t let you ruin my experience in university like you did with middle school!”
Ueda stuck his tongue out rudely in response.
“Make me!”
Even though so much had changed, there were still many aspects that hadn’t as well. Nakamaru hoped that in the future, their relationship would be one of those aspects that would never change.
End.
Another author's note: In celebration of Ueda's birthday month, I'm also accepting drabble requests. You can read more about it here. Thank you for reading :3