Saving the Butterfly/ Mission 4
Title : Saving The Butterfly
Chapter(s) : 04/06
Author : tigerxbutterfly
Rating : PG13
Genre : Romance & Angst
Band(s) : alice nine.
Pairing(s) : ToraxSaga, ShouxSaga (onesided) & ShouxHiroto
Disclaimer : If I owned them, I would prefer to make a movie.
Summary : Several months dating Tora, Saga is still haunted by his ex-boyfriend and day by day, he is being harassed more and more. After feeling threatened, Saga is desperate for someone to save him.
Comments : This is a sequel to Butterfly.
The next day, Saga was sitting in the garden, reading his notebook for his quiz after this. He and Tora had a different class time schedule so they were separated. Suddenly, a pair of arms embraced him from behind but somehow….he felt uneasy. He knew it wasn’t Tora and if it isn’t Tora, there was only one man who would harass him like this.
“Get the fuck off me!” Saga hissed deadly as he shrugged the pair of arms harshly.
The person behind him sighed and sat beside Saga. “Why are you becoming meaner to me? All I did was loving you…” The person complained.
“It’s pointless for me to explain to a dumbass like you, Shou.” Saga spat coldly as his eyes were fixed to his notebook.
Shou raised an eyebrow. “Would a dumbass catch someone’s heart?” He asked the obvious.
Saga ignored him. He was too tired to deal with this shit. Shou stared at him for a while and hugged the other’s waist affectionately and Saga had enough of this. He pulled himself out of Shou’s arms and stood up violently.
“THAT’S IT!” He shouted angrily at Shou.
Saga was sick of this. Shou has been harassing him for the past two weeks and he had enough of this. The whole campus was starting to notice and them thinking that he broke up with Tora and getting back together with Shou was the last thing he wants to hear. He didn’t want to hate Shou but with his actions like this, maybe he was starting to hate him.
“Why can’t you just leave me alone? Why can’t you just accept the fact that I love Tora?” Saga asked in frustration.
Shou didn’t know what to say. He knew what he was doing was wrong but damn it! He wants Saga back so badly that he has to play the dirty way. He kind of saluted Tora for trusting Saga so much-not being jealous that is-and let him do whatever he wants to Saga as long as it doesn’t cross the line.
Shou sighed again and looked at Saga with a calm look. “Sit down, Saga. You don’t need to be angry like this. You don’t want to draw attention, do you?” He said as he smiled.
Saga let out a breath to calm himself. Even though their surroundings weren’t very crowded due to the lecture time, Saga still didn’t want to draw attention. He hated it and this was personal so it was better for him to calm down and talk this through. When Saga was finally calm, he sat down again beside Shou and set his books on his lap.
“Please Shou… I’m begging you… Stop this.” Saga said in a tired voice.
“Saga… You should’ve known by now how badly I want you back.” Shou confessed.
“But you know that I love Tora. I’m in love with him and nothing can change that. Please, can’t you just understand? I thought you agreed for us to being friends and nothing more.”
“I never agreed on that.”
“Well, you have too. And that’s the end of it.”
Suddenly, an alarm came from Saga’s phone, breaking the conversation between them. Saga let out an annoyed grunt and took his phone from his bag. He tapped it and put it back in his bag. Shou smiled and wrapped an arm around Saga’s shoulder, leaning into his ear.
“Sorry Saga, no matter how hard you try to deny me, I won’t give up. I’ll get you even if it takes forever.” He kissed Saga’s cheek and stood up, smiling sweetly at Saga. “Your class is about to start, right? See you around.” He said and turned.
Saga watched his retreating back. He began to worry and felt threatened. This was bad, he never thought that Shou would go this far. He knew that Shou was an ambitious person but he never once thought that he would cross the line. What will Shou do to him? What kind of scheme has he planned? Was Shou going to kidnap him to an isolated place?
Saga began to shake. He never even once felt this scared in his entire life. He wanted to tell Tora but he was afraid of Tora’s reaction. Tora will go berserk and even worst-beat the shit out of Shou. What should he do?
○●○●○
Saga sat on one of the tables in the cafeteria. He just got out of class 30 minutes ago and now was waiting for Tora to come out. He was halfway through his bento when he suddenly felt a pair of arms circling around his shoulders. It wasn't Tora though he knew, it was so different. It was amazing how he can sense Tora so easily even though they have only dated for a few months. He knew who this was though, instead of feeling irritated, all he felt was fear. He was being paranoid now because everywhere he went, this person is always there!
The pair of arms finally released him and the person sat next to him. Saga only looked half-heartedly at him. He was beyond annoyed and would really love to punch the guy's face but that wouldn't be appropriate. The guy next to him noticed this and shifted closer to Saga and looked at him concernedly.
"Are you okay?" He cupped Saga's face in one hand.
Saga jerked immediately. "Stop it, Shou! I'm fine." He answered, feeling irritated.
Shou sighed heavily and propped his arm on the table. His head leaning on his hand, looking at Saga thoroughly.
"Why are you so cold to me?" He asked the obvious.
"I don't need to answer that. If you could just be a normal ex-boyfriend, I wouldn't be cold to you." Saga answered harshly without looking at the other man.
"And how do you define 'normal'?" Shou asked again, making a quote gesture at the normal part with his fingers.
Saga stood up, his empty Bento in hand. "An ex-boyfriend that accepts the fact that his ex has someone new and he's happy." He answered warily before walking away from the table.
Saga threw the empty Bento into a nearby trash-bin and headed for the semi-bar in the cafeteria. He sat on the stool and ordered a blueberry shake.
A warm hand was on Saga's shoulder, followed by a "Hey Bud." with a warm voice. Saga turned around and smiled at his friend.
"Hey Nao..." He greeted.
Nao sat close beside Saga and glanced at Shou, who was still sitting on the table, and looked back at Saga.
"Look... You know that I don't like to judge or jump into a conclusion so I'm gonna ask." Said Nao.
"What is it?" Saga asked curiously, a fine eyebrow was raised.
Nao hesitated for a moment. "Did you...rekindle your romance with Shou?" He whispered carefully.
Saga was slightly taken aback and looked at Nao like he did something so crucial. His mouth was opened wide in surprise and his eyebrow raised even more.
"Seriously, Nao?" He asked in disbelief.
Nao sighed. "I thought so too but everyone seems to be talking about it lately and I wanted to find out."
"What?" Saga was once again surprised.
"Yeah, the whole class are talking and thinking that you two are back together. Some of them also questioned how you broke up with Tora." Nao explained.
Saga groaned and fell his head on his folded arms on the table. He couldn't believe this. He never thought that such trivial things could reach to the whole student of his major. He was pissed. It was weird though, he never really cared about other people's opinion. How come this one bothers him so much? He didn't know. Maybe he didn't want Tora to get the impact of this whole situation.
Saga groaned again and looked at Nao with a devastated look.
"The last thing I want to hear is people asking me if I broke up with Tora and went back to Shou. Seriously, this is ridiculous! Haven't people already seen that I always snapped at him whenever he comes to me? How come they still assume such ridiculous things?" Saga said, throwing a tantrum.
He wanted to be furious but it was no use. It was hard to control society. He just hoped that Tora wasn’t bothered by this-or even worse, confront Shou with violence. He knew though that Tora will never use violence without Saga’s permission. Saga smiled softly thinking about it. He loves how Tora respects him so much.
Nao noticed the smile and elbowed him on the ribs teasingly.
“What’s with that?” He asked amusedly.
“Nothing.” Saga said as he shook his head and sighed. “Nao, I’m actually scared…” He confessed.
“Scared? Of what?” He asked confusedly.
Saga told him about his earlier event with Shou and his worries.
“You really think he’s going to kidnap you?!” Nao asked again incredulously.
“Hey! Shou is an unpredictable man! Who knows what might happen!” Saga said defensively.
Nao laughed. “But seriously…that is just so exaggerating! C’mon, Saga. He’s not going to kidnap you. Trust me!”
Saga huffed. “You seem so sure about it.”
“I am.” Nao stated simply. “Look, as bad tempered and ambitious he is, he won’t do such things. Trust me. I know him because we once had a heart-to-heart talk when you were still with him. He’s not pretty bad.” He explained as he patted Saga’s shoulder.
Saga remembered that Nao asked Shou to hangout in order to get along one day. Even so, Shou would still get jealous...and that’s the part that still left a doubt in Saga’s heart. Whatever the situation is or how Nao convinces him, he’s still scared.
Nao noticed the distress on Saga’s face as he watched the man think. He decided to take pity and sighed.
“Look, my suggestion? Get him a distraction. No matter how many times he told you he can’t move on, eventually, someone will win his heart sooner or later.” Nao said.
Saga turned to his best friend. “Distraction? Who?” He frowned.
Nao shrugged. “Hiroto, I guess.”
“Hiroto?”
“Haven’t you noticed? They’re pretty close now. My guess? Hiroto likes him. Try asking him or....I don’t know, talk to him. Maybe that can save you.”
Saga pondered this for a moment. Nao was right... He had seen them together happily a couple of times in campus. But is it true that Hiroto likes him? True that Saga and Hiroto are close but they never confided in each other. Hiroto was Tora’s close friend after all, so maybe Tora knows? He had to try. If it was true that Hiroto likes Shou, maybe he can find some way to help Hiroto catch Shou’s heart.
Saga finally smiled and hugged Nao.
“I knew I can count on you!” He said happily and let go. “I’m gonna try to ask Hiroto to hangout and have a heart-to-heart talk. Who knows, I might find something out!” He grinned.
Nao chuckled. “Good luck, then. My prayers go to you, my dear friend.” He smiled sincerely.
Saga smiled back and sighed in relief. He just hoped that this will work. Even though he knew that he was sacrificing his own friend, it wouldn’t hurt to try. Besides, he didn’t know why, but Saga had a feeling that Shou has somehow changed. Well...maybe not completely, but he was sure that Shou wasn’t abusive as before. Saga just hoped that he’s not endangering Hiroto by pushing him into Shou’s arms. He hoped for the best because he actually cared about Hiroto.
○●○●○
“I’m almost there.”
“Okay, I’m in the corner.”
“Alright.”
Saga hung up the call and sighed. He didn’t know that this was nerve-wrecking.
After his discussion with Nao, Saga immediately called Hiroto and asked him out to dinner in a local ramen diner. Part of him was surprised when the other man agreed immediately because he expected Hiroto to be suspicious about it but it turns out that he had none.
Now, here he was, waiting for Hiroto. A glass of cold green tea was already available in front of him and it was half empty. He had been waiting for half hour but Saga didn’t mind. It was actually good for him, so he can reconsider the words that he was going to say. He didn’t want Hiroto to find out that he was desperate to get rid of Shou but if Hiroto didn’t want to be with Shou then beat it. He has to find another way then.
Just then, the door opened and Saga looked over the tables to see if it was Hiroto or not. He was a bit disappointed when it wasn’t him. Saga signed and took a sip of his drink.
“I’m sorry, I’m late.”
Saga burst out the liquid in his mouth and coughed, turning to Hiroto with wide eyes. Hiroto just bit his lower lip seeing the scene before. He didn’t know he should feel bad or wanted to laugh. He chose to just grin sheepishly though.
“Don’t startle me like that!” He snapped, although there was no anger in his voice. “When did you come, anyway? I didn’t see you walk in...” He looked around, wondering if there was a second door.
Hiroto laughed. “I came about three minutes ago and didn’t know which corner you meant so I had to search for you.” He answered Saga’s misery.
“I guess I was too deep in thought then...” Saga mumbled.
Hiroto took a seat opposite to Saga. “Is it that serious?” He asked curiously.
“Kind of...” He trailed and immediately changed the subject. “Anyway, what do you want? My treat.” Saga grinned.
“Wow... thanks.” Hiroto smiled gratefully.
Saga nodded and called the waiter. When the waiter came, they immediately ordered their meals without looking at the menu. After the waiter went, Saga and Hiroto faced each other again.
“So...how are you?” Asked Saga nervously.
Hiroto raised an eyebrow and laughed a little. “Skip the prep talk, Saga.”
“What?”
“Cut to the chase. I know this is not an ordinary hangout. Something is going on, right?”
Saga bit his lower lip nervously as Hiroto stared at him intensely but with full of curiosity in his eyes. Saga was struggling...should he really get to the point? What if Hiroto thinks negatively of him? Does he even know the issue between himself and Shou? He knew that it was kind of a bad idea to drag Hiroto into this but hey! Hiroto likes Shou, so it’s okay to try and hook them up, right? Well... Maybe that wasn’t the whole ordeal. Even so, it’s not like Saga was going to push Hiroto, no. If Nao was wrong, then he had to find another way.
Saga finally sighed and played with his glass.
“Do you like Shou?” He asked almost in a whisper.
“What...?” It wasn’t that Hiroto didn’t hear Saga, but he was surprised at the sudden question.
“You two are very close these last few days. I noticed.”
Hiroto chuckled humourlessly. “What? You’re jealous?”
“What?!” Saga looked at him in disbelieve and snorted. “Of course not! Why would I be jealous?”
“Because he’s your ex.”
“True, but I’m not jealous, no. Quite the opposite, actually...”
“The opposite...?” Hiroto was curious now.
“Yes.” Saga sighed again and sat straight; both of his hands holding the glass. “Do you think it’s weird for me to say that you guys are a perfect match?”
Hiroto shook his head timidly. “I guess...not.”
Saga smiled. “You look happy together and it made me happy. I don’t know why, maybe it is because I’ve never seen Shou that happy ever since we broke up. I owe you, Hiroto.” Saga said sincerely.
Hiroto was actually surprised hearing this. He expected Saga to warn him about Shou or probably tell him to back up from Shou but... it was Saga after all and Saga wouldn’t do such things like that. Hiroto returned the smile and laughed sheepishly.
“I never thought I’d heard that from you.” Hiroto said in a low voice.
Saga laughed softly. “So...do you like him?”
Hiroto smiled softly. “I do. Honestly... I liked him ever since freshmen year...”
Saga was surprised at this.
“That long? Wait... don’t you hate me?”
Hiroto chuckled as he shook his head. “No, not at all. I couldn’t hate you as much as I wanted to because you’re a kind person, Saga. I was actually surprised when Tora told me that he likes you and even more surprised when you two are dating. I was happy when Shou was finally single-Sorry, not trying to be mean-but it’s the truth. I was nervous though the first time he talked to me.” Hiroto confided.
“That’s why you ran...”
“Yeah...” Hiroto shrugged. “I never got close to him as close as that so yeah, I chicken out but after that, I began to feel comfortable with him.” Hiroto continued and eyed Saga nervously. “Do you think that it’s weird that I’m ogling about your ex?”
Saga chuckled and waved him off. “No, certainly not. Like I said, I’m happy seeing you two together.” He smiled sincerely. “So, how are you guys so far?”
“We’re....good. Hanging out a couple of times and...it was amazing that he never talks about you whenever we’re together....”
“That’s a good sign then. It means that he’s already moved on...”
There was silence between the two of them for a while.
“Did Tora tell you anything about Shou and me recently?” Asked Saga calmly.
Hiroto pondered at this, trying to remember. “I don’t think so...” Then his eyes widened. “What? Did something happen?”
Saga smiled. That was good then. Tora didn’t tell Hiroto about the recent harassments that Shou did to him. It was mean not to tell Hiroto but it was better off that he doesn’t know. He just hoped that it works between the two of them. Not that Saga was desperate to save himself but hearing Hiroto confiding in him like that made him want to help Hiroto instead. The young man had been keeping his feelings for a long time and Saga somehow wanted Hiroto’s feelings to be requited.
Saga shook his head. “No, it’s just that there’s tension between us right now.” He shrugged. “Stereotype of exes.”
Hiroto smiled softly. “You’re really okay with it? I mean me and Shou?”
“Of course! I love Tora with all my heart so yeah, I’ve let go of Shou completely. The question is; are you okay with it?”
“I guess I am. I know it’s going to be awkward at first... But I’m sure that as time goes by… Things will be alright, will it?”
“Of course! Maybe we can go on a double date if things work out between you two!” Saga said cheerfully.
Hiroto blushed. “Stop it, Saga. We haven’t gone that far. Honestly, it’s kind of hard to reach him. I mean, I’m glad that he’s not talking about you whenever we’re together but… I just felt like he’s still…in love with you, you know?” Hiroto said as he laughed.
Saga frowned. He could see the ache within those eyes. He wanted to help him, but is it wise to talk to Shou to notice Hiroto’s feelings? No, Hiroto has to do this himself; otherwise, his plan will be exposed. He doesn’t want Hiroto to know that he was desperately trying to hook them up so Shou wouldn’t bother him anymore.
“I’m so sorry, Hiroto. I wish there was something I can do.” Saga said sincerely. “But I don’t think it’ll be a good idea for me to persuade Shou into liking you. He could misunderstand.”
Hiroto smiled. “It’s okay, I understand. Thank you for the support, Saga. It really means a lot.”
“You’re most welcome. Good luck to you. One thing I would tell you, Shou loves to be pampered…too much, so I hope you can cope with that.” Saga laughed at the end of his sentence.
Hiroto laughed along. “I would pamper him all day.”
They both laughed in unison and stared at each other. Saga was so happy. He just wished that Shou would fall in love with Hiroto sooner. Other than he could save himself, he could see within the younger’s eyes that Hiroto loved his ex so much. He believed in Hiroto. The younger man can definitely capture Shou’s heart.
<< ｜ >>
Chapter(s) : 04/06
Author : tigerxbutterfly
Rating : PG13
Genre : Romance & Angst
Band(s) : alice nine.
Pairing(s) : ToraxSaga, ShouxSaga (onesided) & ShouxHiroto
Disclaimer : If I owned them, I would prefer to make a movie.
Summary : Several months dating Tora, Saga is still haunted by his ex-boyfriend and day by day, he is being harassed more and more. After feeling threatened, Saga is desperate for someone to save him.
Comments : This is a sequel to Butterfly.
The next day, Saga was sitting in the garden, reading his notebook for his quiz after this. He and Tora had a different class time schedule so they were separated. Suddenly, a pair of arms embraced him from behind but somehow….he felt uneasy. He knew it wasn’t Tora and if it isn’t Tora, there was only one man who would harass him like this.
“Get the fuck off me!” Saga hissed deadly as he shrugged the pair of arms harshly.
The person behind him sighed and sat beside Saga. “Why are you becoming meaner to me? All I did was loving you…” The person complained.
“It’s pointless for me to explain to a dumbass like you, Shou.” Saga spat coldly as his eyes were fixed to his notebook.
Shou raised an eyebrow. “Would a dumbass catch someone’s heart?” He asked the obvious.
Saga ignored him. He was too tired to deal with this shit. Shou stared at him for a while and hugged the other’s waist affectionately and Saga had enough of this. He pulled himself out of Shou’s arms and stood up violently.
“THAT’S IT!” He shouted angrily at Shou.
Saga was sick of this. Shou has been harassing him for the past two weeks and he had enough of this. The whole campus was starting to notice and them thinking that he broke up with Tora and getting back together with Shou was the last thing he wants to hear. He didn’t want to hate Shou but with his actions like this, maybe he was starting to hate him.
“Why can’t you just leave me alone? Why can’t you just accept the fact that I love Tora?” Saga asked in frustration.
Shou didn’t know what to say. He knew what he was doing was wrong but damn it! He wants Saga back so badly that he has to play the dirty way. He kind of saluted Tora for trusting Saga so much-not being jealous that is-and let him do whatever he wants to Saga as long as it doesn’t cross the line.
Shou sighed again and looked at Saga with a calm look. “Sit down, Saga. You don’t need to be angry like this. You don’t want to draw attention, do you?” He said as he smiled.
Saga let out a breath to calm himself. Even though their surroundings weren’t very crowded due to the lecture time, Saga still didn’t want to draw attention. He hated it and this was personal so it was better for him to calm down and talk this through. When Saga was finally calm, he sat down again beside Shou and set his books on his lap.
“Please Shou… I’m begging you… Stop this.” Saga said in a tired voice.
“Saga… You should’ve known by now how badly I want you back.” Shou confessed.
“But you know that I love Tora. I’m in love with him and nothing can change that. Please, can’t you just understand? I thought you agreed for us to being friends and nothing more.”
“I never agreed on that.”
“Well, you have too. And that’s the end of it.”
Suddenly, an alarm came from Saga’s phone, breaking the conversation between them. Saga let out an annoyed grunt and took his phone from his bag. He tapped it and put it back in his bag. Shou smiled and wrapped an arm around Saga’s shoulder, leaning into his ear.
“Sorry Saga, no matter how hard you try to deny me, I won’t give up. I’ll get you even if it takes forever.” He kissed Saga’s cheek and stood up, smiling sweetly at Saga. “Your class is about to start, right? See you around.” He said and turned.
Saga watched his retreating back. He began to worry and felt threatened. This was bad, he never thought that Shou would go this far. He knew that Shou was an ambitious person but he never once thought that he would cross the line. What will Shou do to him? What kind of scheme has he planned? Was Shou going to kidnap him to an isolated place?
Saga began to shake. He never even once felt this scared in his entire life. He wanted to tell Tora but he was afraid of Tora’s reaction. Tora will go berserk and even worst-beat the shit out of Shou. What should he do?
○●○●○
Saga sat on one of the tables in the cafeteria. He just got out of class 30 minutes ago and now was waiting for Tora to come out. He was halfway through his bento when he suddenly felt a pair of arms circling around his shoulders. It wasn't Tora though he knew, it was so different. It was amazing how he can sense Tora so easily even though they have only dated for a few months. He knew who this was though, instead of feeling irritated, all he felt was fear. He was being paranoid now because everywhere he went, this person is always there!
The pair of arms finally released him and the person sat next to him. Saga only looked half-heartedly at him. He was beyond annoyed and would really love to punch the guy's face but that wouldn't be appropriate. The guy next to him noticed this and shifted closer to Saga and looked at him concernedly.
"Are you okay?" He cupped Saga's face in one hand.
Saga jerked immediately. "Stop it, Shou! I'm fine." He answered, feeling irritated.
Shou sighed heavily and propped his arm on the table. His head leaning on his hand, looking at Saga thoroughly.
"Why are you so cold to me?" He asked the obvious.
"I don't need to answer that. If you could just be a normal ex-boyfriend, I wouldn't be cold to you." Saga answered harshly without looking at the other man.
"And how do you define 'normal'?" Shou asked again, making a quote gesture at the normal part with his fingers.
Saga stood up, his empty Bento in hand. "An ex-boyfriend that accepts the fact that his ex has someone new and he's happy." He answered warily before walking away from the table.
Saga threw the empty Bento into a nearby trash-bin and headed for the semi-bar in the cafeteria. He sat on the stool and ordered a blueberry shake.
A warm hand was on Saga's shoulder, followed by a "Hey Bud." with a warm voice. Saga turned around and smiled at his friend.
"Hey Nao..." He greeted.
Nao sat close beside Saga and glanced at Shou, who was still sitting on the table, and looked back at Saga.
"Look... You know that I don't like to judge or jump into a conclusion so I'm gonna ask." Said Nao.
"What is it?" Saga asked curiously, a fine eyebrow was raised.
Nao hesitated for a moment. "Did you...rekindle your romance with Shou?" He whispered carefully.
Saga was slightly taken aback and looked at Nao like he did something so crucial. His mouth was opened wide in surprise and his eyebrow raised even more.
"Seriously, Nao?" He asked in disbelief.
Nao sighed. "I thought so too but everyone seems to be talking about it lately and I wanted to find out."
"What?" Saga was once again surprised.
"Yeah, the whole class are talking and thinking that you two are back together. Some of them also questioned how you broke up with Tora." Nao explained.
Saga groaned and fell his head on his folded arms on the table. He couldn't believe this. He never thought that such trivial things could reach to the whole student of his major. He was pissed. It was weird though, he never really cared about other people's opinion. How come this one bothers him so much? He didn't know. Maybe he didn't want Tora to get the impact of this whole situation.
Saga groaned again and looked at Nao with a devastated look.
"The last thing I want to hear is people asking me if I broke up with Tora and went back to Shou. Seriously, this is ridiculous! Haven't people already seen that I always snapped at him whenever he comes to me? How come they still assume such ridiculous things?" Saga said, throwing a tantrum.
He wanted to be furious but it was no use. It was hard to control society. He just hoped that Tora wasn’t bothered by this-or even worse, confront Shou with violence. He knew though that Tora will never use violence without Saga’s permission. Saga smiled softly thinking about it. He loves how Tora respects him so much.
Nao noticed the smile and elbowed him on the ribs teasingly.
“What’s with that?” He asked amusedly.
“Nothing.” Saga said as he shook his head and sighed. “Nao, I’m actually scared…” He confessed.
“Scared? Of what?” He asked confusedly.
Saga told him about his earlier event with Shou and his worries.
“You really think he’s going to kidnap you?!” Nao asked again incredulously.
“Hey! Shou is an unpredictable man! Who knows what might happen!” Saga said defensively.
Nao laughed. “But seriously…that is just so exaggerating! C’mon, Saga. He’s not going to kidnap you. Trust me!”
Saga huffed. “You seem so sure about it.”
“I am.” Nao stated simply. “Look, as bad tempered and ambitious he is, he won’t do such things. Trust me. I know him because we once had a heart-to-heart talk when you were still with him. He’s not pretty bad.” He explained as he patted Saga’s shoulder.
Saga remembered that Nao asked Shou to hangout in order to get along one day. Even so, Shou would still get jealous...and that’s the part that still left a doubt in Saga’s heart. Whatever the situation is or how Nao convinces him, he’s still scared.
Nao noticed the distress on Saga’s face as he watched the man think. He decided to take pity and sighed.
“Look, my suggestion? Get him a distraction. No matter how many times he told you he can’t move on, eventually, someone will win his heart sooner or later.” Nao said.
Saga turned to his best friend. “Distraction? Who?” He frowned.
Nao shrugged. “Hiroto, I guess.”
“Hiroto?”
“Haven’t you noticed? They’re pretty close now. My guess? Hiroto likes him. Try asking him or....I don’t know, talk to him. Maybe that can save you.”
Saga pondered this for a moment. Nao was right... He had seen them together happily a couple of times in campus. But is it true that Hiroto likes him? True that Saga and Hiroto are close but they never confided in each other. Hiroto was Tora’s close friend after all, so maybe Tora knows? He had to try. If it was true that Hiroto likes Shou, maybe he can find some way to help Hiroto catch Shou’s heart.
Saga finally smiled and hugged Nao.
“I knew I can count on you!” He said happily and let go. “I’m gonna try to ask Hiroto to hangout and have a heart-to-heart talk. Who knows, I might find something out!” He grinned.
Nao chuckled. “Good luck, then. My prayers go to you, my dear friend.” He smiled sincerely.
Saga smiled back and sighed in relief. He just hoped that this will work. Even though he knew that he was sacrificing his own friend, it wouldn’t hurt to try. Besides, he didn’t know why, but Saga had a feeling that Shou has somehow changed. Well...maybe not completely, but he was sure that Shou wasn’t abusive as before. Saga just hoped that he’s not endangering Hiroto by pushing him into Shou’s arms. He hoped for the best because he actually cared about Hiroto.
○●○●○
“I’m almost there.”
“Okay, I’m in the corner.”
“Alright.”
Saga hung up the call and sighed. He didn’t know that this was nerve-wrecking.
After his discussion with Nao, Saga immediately called Hiroto and asked him out to dinner in a local ramen diner. Part of him was surprised when the other man agreed immediately because he expected Hiroto to be suspicious about it but it turns out that he had none.
Now, here he was, waiting for Hiroto. A glass of cold green tea was already available in front of him and it was half empty. He had been waiting for half hour but Saga didn’t mind. It was actually good for him, so he can reconsider the words that he was going to say. He didn’t want Hiroto to find out that he was desperate to get rid of Shou but if Hiroto didn’t want to be with Shou then beat it. He has to find another way then.
Just then, the door opened and Saga looked over the tables to see if it was Hiroto or not. He was a bit disappointed when it wasn’t him. Saga signed and took a sip of his drink.
“I’m sorry, I’m late.”
Saga burst out the liquid in his mouth and coughed, turning to Hiroto with wide eyes. Hiroto just bit his lower lip seeing the scene before. He didn’t know he should feel bad or wanted to laugh. He chose to just grin sheepishly though.
“Don’t startle me like that!” He snapped, although there was no anger in his voice. “When did you come, anyway? I didn’t see you walk in...” He looked around, wondering if there was a second door.
Hiroto laughed. “I came about three minutes ago and didn’t know which corner you meant so I had to search for you.” He answered Saga’s misery.
“I guess I was too deep in thought then...” Saga mumbled.
Hiroto took a seat opposite to Saga. “Is it that serious?” He asked curiously.
“Kind of...” He trailed and immediately changed the subject. “Anyway, what do you want? My treat.” Saga grinned.
“Wow... thanks.” Hiroto smiled gratefully.
Saga nodded and called the waiter. When the waiter came, they immediately ordered their meals without looking at the menu. After the waiter went, Saga and Hiroto faced each other again.
“So...how are you?” Asked Saga nervously.
Hiroto raised an eyebrow and laughed a little. “Skip the prep talk, Saga.”
“What?”
“Cut to the chase. I know this is not an ordinary hangout. Something is going on, right?”
Saga bit his lower lip nervously as Hiroto stared at him intensely but with full of curiosity in his eyes. Saga was struggling...should he really get to the point? What if Hiroto thinks negatively of him? Does he even know the issue between himself and Shou? He knew that it was kind of a bad idea to drag Hiroto into this but hey! Hiroto likes Shou, so it’s okay to try and hook them up, right? Well... Maybe that wasn’t the whole ordeal. Even so, it’s not like Saga was going to push Hiroto, no. If Nao was wrong, then he had to find another way.
Saga finally sighed and played with his glass.
“Do you like Shou?” He asked almost in a whisper.
“What...?” It wasn’t that Hiroto didn’t hear Saga, but he was surprised at the sudden question.
“You two are very close these last few days. I noticed.”
Hiroto chuckled humourlessly. “What? You’re jealous?”
“What?!” Saga looked at him in disbelieve and snorted. “Of course not! Why would I be jealous?”
“Because he’s your ex.”
“True, but I’m not jealous, no. Quite the opposite, actually...”
“The opposite...?” Hiroto was curious now.
“Yes.” Saga sighed again and sat straight; both of his hands holding the glass. “Do you think it’s weird for me to say that you guys are a perfect match?”
Hiroto shook his head timidly. “I guess...not.”
Saga smiled. “You look happy together and it made me happy. I don’t know why, maybe it is because I’ve never seen Shou that happy ever since we broke up. I owe you, Hiroto.” Saga said sincerely.
Hiroto was actually surprised hearing this. He expected Saga to warn him about Shou or probably tell him to back up from Shou but... it was Saga after all and Saga wouldn’t do such things like that. Hiroto returned the smile and laughed sheepishly.
“I never thought I’d heard that from you.” Hiroto said in a low voice.
Saga laughed softly. “So...do you like him?”
Hiroto smiled softly. “I do. Honestly... I liked him ever since freshmen year...”
Saga was surprised at this.
“That long? Wait... don’t you hate me?”
Hiroto chuckled as he shook his head. “No, not at all. I couldn’t hate you as much as I wanted to because you’re a kind person, Saga. I was actually surprised when Tora told me that he likes you and even more surprised when you two are dating. I was happy when Shou was finally single-Sorry, not trying to be mean-but it’s the truth. I was nervous though the first time he talked to me.” Hiroto confided.
“That’s why you ran...”
“Yeah...” Hiroto shrugged. “I never got close to him as close as that so yeah, I chicken out but after that, I began to feel comfortable with him.” Hiroto continued and eyed Saga nervously. “Do you think that it’s weird that I’m ogling about your ex?”
Saga chuckled and waved him off. “No, certainly not. Like I said, I’m happy seeing you two together.” He smiled sincerely. “So, how are you guys so far?”
“We’re....good. Hanging out a couple of times and...it was amazing that he never talks about you whenever we’re together....”
“That’s a good sign then. It means that he’s already moved on...”
There was silence between the two of them for a while.
“Did Tora tell you anything about Shou and me recently?” Asked Saga calmly.
Hiroto pondered at this, trying to remember. “I don’t think so...” Then his eyes widened. “What? Did something happen?”
Saga smiled. That was good then. Tora didn’t tell Hiroto about the recent harassments that Shou did to him. It was mean not to tell Hiroto but it was better off that he doesn’t know. He just hoped that it works between the two of them. Not that Saga was desperate to save himself but hearing Hiroto confiding in him like that made him want to help Hiroto instead. The young man had been keeping his feelings for a long time and Saga somehow wanted Hiroto’s feelings to be requited.
Saga shook his head. “No, it’s just that there’s tension between us right now.” He shrugged. “Stereotype of exes.”
Hiroto smiled softly. “You’re really okay with it? I mean me and Shou?”
“Of course! I love Tora with all my heart so yeah, I’ve let go of Shou completely. The question is; are you okay with it?”
“I guess I am. I know it’s going to be awkward at first... But I’m sure that as time goes by… Things will be alright, will it?”
“Of course! Maybe we can go on a double date if things work out between you two!” Saga said cheerfully.
Hiroto blushed. “Stop it, Saga. We haven’t gone that far. Honestly, it’s kind of hard to reach him. I mean, I’m glad that he’s not talking about you whenever we’re together but… I just felt like he’s still…in love with you, you know?” Hiroto said as he laughed.
Saga frowned. He could see the ache within those eyes. He wanted to help him, but is it wise to talk to Shou to notice Hiroto’s feelings? No, Hiroto has to do this himself; otherwise, his plan will be exposed. He doesn’t want Hiroto to know that he was desperately trying to hook them up so Shou wouldn’t bother him anymore.
“I’m so sorry, Hiroto. I wish there was something I can do.” Saga said sincerely. “But I don’t think it’ll be a good idea for me to persuade Shou into liking you. He could misunderstand.”
Hiroto smiled. “It’s okay, I understand. Thank you for the support, Saga. It really means a lot.”
“You’re most welcome. Good luck to you. One thing I would tell you, Shou loves to be pampered…too much, so I hope you can cope with that.” Saga laughed at the end of his sentence.
Hiroto laughed along. “I would pamper him all day.”
They both laughed in unison and stared at each other. Saga was so happy. He just wished that Shou would fall in love with Hiroto sooner. Other than he could save himself, he could see within the younger’s eyes that Hiroto loved his ex so much. He believed in Hiroto. The younger man can definitely capture Shou’s heart.
<< ｜ >>