[Loire]
by blue_cage
Ready, Steady, Go
Shindou was nigh infamous among the insei for his punny "5 = go" shirts. Somehow the boy would come in to the insei class with something related to five on his shirt - may it the number itself in bold, or a set of five bleeps on a random EKG graph. Five was on everything he had, and as a corollary, go was everywhere Shindou went.
It wasn't a surprise then that his fellow insei took the logical route for his birthday, and Shindou was fully prepared to laugh over their skills at finding stuff with five in them after last year's gifts. He still had those weird number 5 shades and counting blocks somewhere in his room.
They were in one of their favorite haunts - a karaoke joint near Ichigaya station, and he'd joked about what he expected his haul would look like to Isumi. Nase had messaged him earlier, saying she was dragging Iijima along, and Waya was busy programming some songs in queue. He'd already ordered snacks and drinks, careful to order his friends' favorites.
"So who else did you invite?"
"Uh, I asked Touya if he'd go but - " Shindou shrugged, remembering his rival's noncommittal answer yesterday. Waya snorted.
"Touya's probably in a study session right now."
"Yeah," Shindou said. "I think I scared him off when I said it was gonna be karaoke this year."
"Hey, last year's speed go tournament was awesome, until you hit each other with the go bowls' lids and all hell broke loose."
"Don't remind me. Especially when Ichikawa-san had to call Ogata-san to scare us off."
"Still, it was a nice party, well, until the go bowl Frisbee," Isumi piped in.
That was when they saw Nase waving at them through the glass panel on the door. She opened the door, saying, "So is this the 'we're banned from the Meijin's Go salon after last year's party, so we're doing karaoke instead' party?"
"Sure, sure, call it that if you want to."
"Honda and the rest are right outside. And here's someone who almost didn't go, but I made him." Iijima was a bit red around the ears as he greeted the people in the room. Waya glanced at Isumi significantly, and Isumi held up a thumb, which Nase slapped away, laughing. The others came in before they could tease her about it, and Waya passed the mic to Honda, just as his favorite idol group's song came on queue.
Shindou felt his phone vibrate an hour-and-a-half later, and he flipped it open.
You said it was the karaoke a block from Ichigaya station?
He messaged back. Yeah. You coming?
Touya's answer was immediate. Can you come out?
He excused himself and went out of their room. It took some searching, but he finally spied Touya sitting on one of worn leather couches in the waiting area. "Touya!" he greeted, his voice coming out a bit louder than he intended.
The other boy lifted a hand in response, shifting uneasily in his seat. Shindou walked up to him. "Why didn't you join us? You know which room we were in."
"I'm not really a karaoke person."
"Ochi doesn't look like it, but he actually sings awesome sentai. Did you know he's a fan of kamen rider? Come on."
"No, really. I wouldn't know anything on the list."
"Jeez, Touya, what's the use of going to a karaoke joint if you won't sing with us?"
The other boy simply pointed to the shopping bag by his feet. "I just came by to uh. Greet you and give this."
"Whoa. Thanks, Touya. Mind if I open it now?" Touya shook his head, and so Shindou did.
He made short work of the tasteful blue striped wrapping, remarking, "Did Ashiwara-san help you gift wrap?" No response, and that was when Shindou looked up and saw that Touya was looking at anywhere else except him.
"Touya?"
"I'm not really very good at buying gifts, so."
"This isn't a magnetic goban to replace the one you threw at me the other day, is it?" he asked, suspicious.
"I almost did buy that," Touya admitted. Shindou laughed. The slim box didn't look like it would hold a goban, in any case. Whatever was in it was soft.
The shirt was white, and there were three words in primary colors. "Ready, steady, go?" Shindou read out the text.
"It's kinda er, Go-related? Ready, steady, Go?"
Shindou laughed. "I get it, I get it. Thanks, Touya. Now come on, the party's waiting."
"No really."
"Yes really." And this time Shindou caught one of Touya's hands. "It'll be fine. I'm happy you came here, that's all you've got to think about."
He was a bit red when Shindou dragged him into their reserved room. Waya held up his thumb, grinning. Shindou went to Waya to noogie him, finally letting Touya go with a last lingering touch against his fingers.
Touya politely smiled as Shindou promptly took the mic and started singing a j-rock song with more enthusiasm than skill. He kept his hand closed, trying to keep the warmth from Shindou's last touch on his fingers.
Ready, Steady, Go
Shindou was nigh infamous among the insei for his punny "5 = go" shirts. Somehow the boy would come in to the insei class with something related to five on his shirt - may it the number itself in bold, or a set of five bleeps on a random EKG graph. Five was on everything he had, and as a corollary, go was everywhere Shindou went.
It wasn't a surprise then that his fellow insei took the logical route for his birthday, and Shindou was fully prepared to laugh over their skills at finding stuff with five in them after last year's gifts. He still had those weird number 5 shades and counting blocks somewhere in his room.
They were in one of their favorite haunts - a karaoke joint near Ichigaya station, and he'd joked about what he expected his haul would look like to Isumi. Nase had messaged him earlier, saying she was dragging Iijima along, and Waya was busy programming some songs in queue. He'd already ordered snacks and drinks, careful to order his friends' favorites.
"So who else did you invite?"
"Uh, I asked Touya if he'd go but - " Shindou shrugged, remembering his rival's noncommittal answer yesterday. Waya snorted.
"Touya's probably in a study session right now."
"Yeah," Shindou said. "I think I scared him off when I said it was gonna be karaoke this year."
"Hey, last year's speed go tournament was awesome, until you hit each other with the go bowls' lids and all hell broke loose."
"Don't remind me. Especially when Ichikawa-san had to call Ogata-san to scare us off."
"Still, it was a nice party, well, until the go bowl Frisbee," Isumi piped in.
That was when they saw Nase waving at them through the glass panel on the door. She opened the door, saying, "So is this the 'we're banned from the Meijin's Go salon after last year's party, so we're doing karaoke instead' party?"
"Sure, sure, call it that if you want to."
"Honda and the rest are right outside. And here's someone who almost didn't go, but I made him." Iijima was a bit red around the ears as he greeted the people in the room. Waya glanced at Isumi significantly, and Isumi held up a thumb, which Nase slapped away, laughing. The others came in before they could tease her about it, and Waya passed the mic to Honda, just as his favorite idol group's song came on queue.
Shindou felt his phone vibrate an hour-and-a-half later, and he flipped it open.
You said it was the karaoke a block from Ichigaya station?
He messaged back. Yeah. You coming?
Touya's answer was immediate. Can you come out?
He excused himself and went out of their room. It took some searching, but he finally spied Touya sitting on one of worn leather couches in the waiting area. "Touya!" he greeted, his voice coming out a bit louder than he intended.
The other boy lifted a hand in response, shifting uneasily in his seat. Shindou walked up to him. "Why didn't you join us? You know which room we were in."
"I'm not really a karaoke person."
"Ochi doesn't look like it, but he actually sings awesome sentai. Did you know he's a fan of kamen rider? Come on."
"No, really. I wouldn't know anything on the list."
"Jeez, Touya, what's the use of going to a karaoke joint if you won't sing with us?"
The other boy simply pointed to the shopping bag by his feet. "I just came by to uh. Greet you and give this."
"Whoa. Thanks, Touya. Mind if I open it now?" Touya shook his head, and so Shindou did.
He made short work of the tasteful blue striped wrapping, remarking, "Did Ashiwara-san help you gift wrap?" No response, and that was when Shindou looked up and saw that Touya was looking at anywhere else except him.
"Touya?"
"I'm not really very good at buying gifts, so."
"This isn't a magnetic goban to replace the one you threw at me the other day, is it?" he asked, suspicious.
"I almost did buy that," Touya admitted. Shindou laughed. The slim box didn't look like it would hold a goban, in any case. Whatever was in it was soft.
The shirt was white, and there were three words in primary colors. "Ready, steady, go?" Shindou read out the text.
"It's kinda er, Go-related? Ready, steady, Go?"
Shindou laughed. "I get it, I get it. Thanks, Touya. Now come on, the party's waiting."
"No really."
"Yes really." And this time Shindou caught one of Touya's hands. "It'll be fine. I'm happy you came here, that's all you've got to think about."
He was a bit red when Shindou dragged him into their reserved room. Waya held up his thumb, grinning. Shindou went to Waya to noogie him, finally letting Touya go with a last lingering touch against his fingers.
Touya politely smiled as Shindou promptly took the mic and started singing a j-rock song with more enthusiasm than skill. He kept his hand closed, trying to keep the warmth from Shindou's last touch on his fingers.