(fan fiction) People Always Leave (So Look for the One That Comes Back)

[maplarojcan]

People Always Leave (So Look for the One That Comes Back)
HSJ, Inoo/Takaki Inoo/Yaotome Inoo/Yamada Inoo/Nakajima Inoo/Okamoto
drama, romance
pg

Inoo is left behind by all the people that he loves.

an: i want to thank my lovely, lovely muses/beta readers for helping me through this. i was such a pain in the neck i don't know how you could have dealt with me. i feel so lucky. :) first of chikichikichuu , bb rei, thank you so much. when i first joined je_otherworlds  you were the first person who entered my mind to beta my work and i am really really glad. :) you helped me when i was unsure and pained and you were always available through text, i dont even. T_T  thank you for putting up with me even though you were soooo  busy. second, madhardcandy /mailnosecret , thank you so much. T_T  you always know what to say to get me going... even though i didn't want to show you... i was glad to have solicited your advice. :) and thank you so so much to nightbaron079. :) even though you're an old acquaintance, you were a completely new friend when we first did this and you were pulled into my madness and yet  you didn't mind, you unknowingly joined team map and unexpectedly became my beta reader. thank you so much for helping me during my time of madness. :)
to the three of you, thank you so, so much. it was a mad ride and i couldn't have asked better people to share it with. :)) i love you all so very much. :) 
an2: this is for my lovely jessie, nightbaron079 . :) based on what she asked for je_otherworlds  2011. 
an3: this was written through? for? the je_otherworlds 2011. :) 
 

The sound of a phone ringing shakes him from his work-wrought stupor. He jumps up on his chair, eyes the phone then his keyboard again. He types in CTRL+S for good measure before reaching for the phone, "good evening, Jump Incorporated, Inoo Kei speaking," he says brightly. He nods and takes out pieces of paper and jots down notes of new things he has to do, "yes, yes. I got it," he says positively and laughs, "I'll go home soon Imai-san." He puts down the phone, takes out his mobile phone and makes a quick note on his calendar, making sure to place an alarm in case he forgets and checks the time on his computer screen. He stretches his body and checks the actual figure he has beside his computer. With projects piling up on his table and his very own design to pitch, he feels a sense of fulfillment at the amount of success he's achieved in his chosen field.

He takes a little break then and checks for messages. He immediately finds one he's actually interested in hearing and he clicks on it excitedly.

"Hey!" He hears a familiar voice and his smile widens immediately, he places his elbow on the table and rests his cheek on his open palm. The person on the other line chuckles, "you should be packing up now," Inoo takes a glance at the time on his computer screen and his lips form a small pout. "Ah, I'm almost at the airport, I'll see you on Sunday all right?" Inoo nods randomly, "I'll be sure to bring you a present! Bye!" Inoo stares at his hand phone and smiles fondly before sighing. He checks the time once more and shrugs his shoulders, five hours of overtime was enough. He saves his work one more time before he shuts his computer down. He remembers to turn off all the lights before leaving.

He arrives home thirty minutes later and eats the dinner his mother thoughtfully set aside for him. It's one of the things he'll miss about home. He heads up to his room quietly, trying not to disturb anyone. When he opens the lights to his own room he is hit with a strong wave of nostalgia. Come Sunday, this isn't going to be home anymore. He is going to leave the place where he grew up and he swallows the panic that comes from the knowledge that change is near.

He surveys his room and winces at the state of disarray it's in - shelves near bare, a few half-filled boxes strewn over the floor, sealed boxes piled up in a distant corner. He forgoes packing as of the moment, choosing to sit in his study area, the place he built his dreams on. His eyes stop on a photo of him, younger - much younger, with two of his childhood friends.

Inoo sits in the park by the swings, alone, waiting for his mother to pick him up. He watches the other children play games with a sad look on his face - no one ever seems to want to play with him.

“Oi, you,” someone behind him says a little rudely and Inoo turns his head around. He sees two little boys walking towards him and he feels a little jump in the bottom of his stomach, “wanna play tag?” the one who spoke looks at him with a smug smile on his face, “I’m Yaotome Hikaru and he’s Takaki Yuuya.” He points towards a quieter looking boy. Inoo smiles and jumps off the swing.

“Inoo Kei,” he mumbles and smiles at them. Yaotome drapes a careless arm around Inoo and stage-whispers, “Takaki runs like a girl.”

“O-oi Yaotome, that’s not true!” Takaki yells out indignantly and Yaotome shrugs his shoulders. Yaotome roughly presses his hand on Takaki’s shoulder and yells, “you’re It!” before he runs towards the opposite direction. Inoo’s eyes widens when he sees Takaki coming for him and he runs away for dear life.

Takaki’s mother comes first and they wave goodbye at him. Yaotome yells something about seeing each other tomorrow and Takaki gives them two thumbs up before he disappears over the corner. Yaotome leads the two of them to the swings and they swing back and forth.

Yaotome’s mother comes before Inoo’s but Yaotome refuses to leave until Inoo’s mother comes for him. Inoo feels something warm in his stomach and he realizes he might have just found his best friend.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful little princess named Inoo-chan..."

"Mou... Hikaru, why do I always have to be the princess?" Inoo pouts, "I wanna save people too like, the Power Rangers! Or Ultraman!"

Yaotome sticks his tongue out, "because there wouldn't be sense! Someone has to save someone from something and this is the best way to do that! Right, Takaki?"

Takaki looks down from staring at the clouds and nods noncommittally at what Yaotome said, "see," Yaotome says smugly, "Takaki agrees with me." He folds his arms and Inoo frowns.

"That's not fair! Yuuyan wasn't even listening!"

Yaotome simply shrugs his shoulders, "maa, maa, so where were...? Ah! So Princess Inoo-chan..."

"I hate you stupid Hikaru!" Inoo bursts out before he runs in the opposite direction, leaving a flabbergasted yet frustrated Hikaru.

"What did you do now Hikaru?" Takaki asks and Hikaru throws his hands up in the air and runs after Inoo.

Inoo hides behind a shrub, curled into a little ball. He's pouting and trying very hard not to cry - it just wasn't fair. He hears rustling leaves and footsteps on grass coming towards him, "found you," he hears and he knows it's Yaotome without looking. He turns his entire body away from the voice and the other person sighs.

"Inoo-chan," the person says awkwardly, touching his shoulder. When Inoo shrugs the hand off, Yaotome stays quiet but sits beside Inoo, "I'm sorry," he starts, "if you really want, we can both be Power Rangers and we can save a puppy from Bakaki-mon."

Inoo finally lifts his head, "really?" Yaotome shrugs his shoulders. Inoo gives him a wide smile and Yaotome stands up then offers Inoo a hand.

The three of them make it to the same junior high school after spending their years in the same elementary school. Inoo doesn’t think anything’s changed between them but when he looks at his friends, they’ve decidedly become less awkward and, in all honesty, cool even. Takaki starts to grow his hair long and Yaotome - Yaotome becomes something else.

Inoo hates that he feels like the ugly friend in their circle of three. So he chooses to be the nerdy one, hiding behind his glasses while Takaki becomes aloof and Yaotome stays the same, loud and infinitely charming.

“Anou… Inoo-chan?” Nishiwaki approaches Inoo while he’s cleaning the blackboards. Inoo looks at her shy yet expectant face and he sighs, leaning back against the blackboard.

“Yeah Nishiwaki?”

Nishiwaki holds an envelope out and bows with her arms thrust towards him, “can you please give this too Yaotome-kun?”

Inoo shrugs his shoulders. He had seen this coming, “why don’t you give it to him yourself Nishiwaki?” he asks gently and she shakes her head. She faces him with a deep blush on her cheeks and she presses the letter in her hands. She bows again before she runs off.

Inoo holds the envelope gingerly in his hands.

“Well, you’re popular lately,” Yaotome announces cheekily, entering the classroom and sitting down in one of the desks. Inoo raises an eyebrow at him and drops the letter down on Yaotome’s table.

“No, you’re the one who’s becoming popular,” Inoo heads back to the blackboard and picks up from where he had been distracted, “I am popular by association,” he turns his head to look at Yaotome with a slight quirk of his eyebrow, “there’s nothing about me to like.”

Yaotome leaves the desk and leans on the blackboard, beside Inoo, “you’re wrong Inoo-chan. There are plenty of things to like about you,” he gives Inoo a quiet smile, a smile that wasn’t like any of the others, “I like you just fine,” Yaotome mumbles. Yaotome straightens up after saying that and walks towards the door, “this is getting boring - I’m going to spy on Takaki. We’ll wait for you to finish.” Yaotome flashes his trademark smile and slinks off to where Takaki is.

Takaki knocks on Inoo’s door; he opens it and sees Inoo hiding under his covers. He enters the room, avoids the unusual mess everywhere and goes over to the bed, “Inoo-chan,” he says softly and the lump on the bed does not acknowledge his presence. He looks at the work table and stares, Lego pieces scattered all over the table with some sort of foundation already made. Takaki stands, heads over to the table and picks up a piece.

“Don’t touch that,” Takaki hears and he looks back at Inoo. Inoo peeks at him, still unwilling to leave his haven. Takaki sighs and goes back to where Inoo is hiding. He sits back down and places a hand on the lump.

“I miss him too,” Takaki says softly.

Inoo pulls the blanket off his head and stares sadly at Takaki, “not as much as I do.”

Yaotome e-mails after three months, but he tells them that he’s settled in, that he’s made some friends and that he’s gone to a theme park. He sends photos, one of him on a roller coaster (Inoo blanches) and asks them to video chat some time. Yaotome and Inoo only ever do it once - Inoo cries too much after Yaotome disconnects.

Takaki picks Inoo up from his house, having grown accustomed to doing it since Yaotome left. Inoo is surprisingly bouncy and refreshed. Takaki follows behind Inoo and Inoo tells him about the wonders of the Internet and how Yaotome is doing. Takaki listens with a smile on his face a heavy heart - not like Inoo would ever notice.

Inoo puts the photo down fondly and looks at all of his other belongings. He bites his lip and sighs once more.

Right now, he has to pack up his life in boxes; boxes that wouldn't say anything of him as a person. But then he smiles at the thought of the new life he's about to begin with the current love of his life and that gives him courage so he stands up and continues packing.

He places more of his books and models into boxes until his shelves are entirely clear. He moves the boxes into the corner where everything else is placed. He wipes his hands on his pants and looks at the room. It is pretty much clean already; the only things left are the clothes in his closet and the things that he's collected over the years from the people he's loved. He bites his lip - time to pack the memories away as well.

He takes out more empty boxes, bubble wrap and tape. He looks around his room and feels a wave of sadness - he doesn't know where to start and how to start because once he's done this, it's an end of era. He bites his lip again and takes a glance at the clock on the wall and is surprised by the time. He shakes his head and puts his tape down, he decides that this can wait until tomorrow and that there's still plenty of time.

He goes back to his room after he's had an extended breakfast with his parents. They were having empty nest panic attacks and he, on his part, knew that he was going to miss them - so he stays for as long as they could, talking about whatever they could until someone had to leave for something.

When he opens the door to his room he eyes the frames on his wall and he starts with that. He takes one down and stares at it long and hard before he remembers that it's the one Takaki got for him as a farewell present.

They sit side by side on the swings. Inoo kicks his legs forwards and back, trying to gain momentum until he's swinging back and forth at dangerously high levels. Takaki remains still - quiet and brooding. "So..." Takaki breaks the silence, and Inoo lets gravity slowly bring him down.

"Yeah..." he answers, equally somber, equally pensive.

"We're graduating tomorrow," Takaki whispers and Inoo nods, kicking the sand beneath him, "I..." Takaki takes in a deep breath, "I'm going to miss you a lot."

Inoo's head snaps towards Takaki's direction and he frowns, "what do you mean by that?" He asks sharply.

Takaki shrugs his shoulders, "I'm going to America after graduation..."

"First Hikaru, now you?" Inoo whispers, betrayal seeping into the edges of his voice. He bows his head and wills himself not to cry. He hears Takaki standing up and his will leaves him as the tears eventually stream down his face. His tears drop on the glass of a picture frame. He sees a black and white print of a Roman inspired building with majestic pillars and he looks up to see Takaki's sad smile.

"I really wanted to see you become an architect," Takaki says; eyes teary and Inoo stands up and throws his body at Takaki, wrapping his arms tight.

"I'm going to miss you too," Inoo whispers into Takaki's ear before he breaks into body-wracking sobs.

Takaki buries his head in Inoo's shoulder and whispers back, "I wanted to see you make our house."

Inoo hums his question, unable to decipher Takaki's message and Takaki shakes his head in Inoo's shoulder.

Inoo looks at the picture frame fondly. It was the first of many photos of buildings - the catalyst of his collection. He sighs, that was also the last he ever saw of Takaki. Their monthly phone calls and e-mails dissolved to yearly Christmas cards as Takaki found a person to fall in love with and settle down. He smiles and places the picture frame in bubble wrap and covers it before putting it inside the box. He does this for the remainder of his collection, picture frame upon picture frame of beautiful architecture and he feels a certain fondness he hasn't felt for a while. He closes the box, seals it with tape and labels the box appropriately.

His phone suddenly rings and when he checks it, he realizes that it's the alarm he set for the meeting he has today. He stands up and prepares in a hurry.

"Thank you for meeting me," Inoo stands up and greets his client. He's in a suit - very business-like and confident but he still feels nervous. They're in a private room, secluded with no windows and Inoo can't help but feel like he's part of the mafia or something. His client bows back respectfully.

"Thank you for coming to meet me Inoo-senpai," the other person says warmly, taking off his sunglasses, "would you like anything to eat?"

They take their seats and a waiter comes in with water and menus in hand. Inoo stares at the menu before him and he starts to fidget, uncomfortable in the situation - he remembers that he has to be professional but he doesn't remember how to be. He is surprised by the sound of laughter coming from the other person.

"Inoo-senpai," he says, full of mirth, "relax."

Inoo's eyebrows draw close, "but Yamada-kun..."

Yamada looks at him with a raised eyebrow, "I hired you Inoo-senpai because I knew you'd take care of me, please don't let me down," although he says this quite smugly, Inoo feels the sincerity behind his words and Inoo nods. He takes out his tablet expectantly but Yamada shakes his head, "we're waiting for Chinen. We should eat first." And then Yamada smiles a big, bright, earnest smile and Inoo remembers just what made him fall in the first place.

It's the school festival and he's the head, for some godforsaken reason, which means he has to arrange everything from the stalls to the class activities to the actual talent show. He maintains his cool, handling what he can and delegating what he cannot. In all of the mess, he finds that he misses Yaotome the most because if Yaotome were around, he knew he wouldn’t be doing the bulk of the work - heck, he probably wouldn’t be doing any work at all.

Now they tell him that he is not allowed to delegate his role as the production manager of the talent show, so one of his assistants (and Takaki) drag him to the auditorium where there are a million to one people lined up. Inoo blanches, he doesn't think he'd be able to last through the whole day but he takes his seat. Takaki patiently gives him cup after cup of tea as he watches people perform one by one before separating their application forms between the “passed” and “failed” piles. He sighs every so often and sometimes, he looks onto Takaki for help. He internally cheers when he reaches the last one and he doesn't pay attention anymore when the next person comes in because his head hurts and all he wants to do is to rest.

"Kimi wa maboroshii no lady..." the person starts singing and Inoo looks up and he was done for. Inoo watches the boy intensely as he sings and dances and when he strikes his final pose, Inoo stands up and claps. The boy snaps out of performance mode and rubs the back of his head shyly and Inoo feels mesmerized by this person. The boy leaves and takes some of Inoo's sense along with him.

Inoo lays a lingering finger on the boy's application form, "...Yamada Ryosuke huh..."

Inoo begins to have an unhealthy obsession for searching information about Yamada Ryosuke. He rationalizes his actions by saying that he has suspicions about Yamada. As an active member of the student council, he's supposed to know all of the students, at least by face, and not once has he seen this boy before. He watches the boy as he goes through the day, playing football during breaks, horsing around with classmates - all in all, seeming like an average, under the radar kind of boy. Inoo is perplexed, unable to see the vestiges of the boy who performed.

One evening as he performs his rounds in school, he hears dance music coming from the music room and he rushes over, flashlight in hand. He opens the door suddenly and loudly but the figure inside doesn't stop - too immersed in the music and completely absorbed by dancing. Inoo loses the will to tell the other boy off and watches the other boy carefully. When the music stops, the other boy turns around and freezes upon seeing Inoo.

"Senpai..."

They go to a family restaurant because high school students like them can't be seen any place that's not reputable. Inoo orders food enough for the both of them and Yamada thanks him incessantly.

They talk.

They talk about simple things first - school and classes and subjects they’re good at or bad at. They talk about classmates and friends and teachers and activities they do other than studying. Then they start talking about their goals and dreams and Inoo learns that Yamada wants to be an idol or a recording artist, something along those lines because he has the need to be a star and Inoo shares that he wants to be an architect sidelining as an interior designer if it wasn't too much. He also laughingly shares that he had wanted to be an idol only because they seemed to eat a lot of delicious food. Yamada laughs at this and Inoo smiles back because there is nothing brighter than Yamada's laughter.

After they eat, Yamada tells him that winning the talent contest is the deal breaker - that it would decide his fate once and for all. Inoo tells Yamada that that shouldn't be the case, that if this were his dream, he shouldn't rely on things like that. He should rely on his own strength and not on the will of one deity or another. Yamada nods and after they have dessert and coffee, they exchange phone numbers and e-mail addresses and then after Yamada thanks Inoo one last time, they part ways.

It is Yamada who messages Inoo first, thanking him once again for the food and the advice. Inoo feels a surge of electricity running through his veins as he reads the message again and again and waits a good five minutes before replying, at first he types what he feels is a casual, "no problem,” but when he sends it, he realizes he's put in too many emoji. He feels like a loser and most importantly he feels that Yamada is never going to reply ever again.

Only that he does and Inoo is beside himself with glee.

They spend the entire night messaging each other silly things and taking random photos of their dogs, their rooms and themselves and sending it to each other.

Inoo comes to class with bags under his eyes and a dreamy expression on his face and he doesn't pay attention to anyone or anything. He is the first out come break time as he hurries over to the freshmen classrooms. He hears excited whispering around him as he stands outside Yamada's classroom.

"Inoo-senpai!" Yamada says cheerfully, smile brightening the entire room and Inoo smiles back, winded but equally excited. They sneak up to the rooftop, using Inoo's status as a student council representative and they eat lunch together. After eating, Yamada gives impromptu performances of his favorite songs, dances and monomane and he tries to make Inoo do the same thing who laughs the entire way through. Their happiness ends when the bell rings and they go their separate ways.

Yamada calls Inoo that night and tells him he's dropping out of the competition. Inoo drops the mug he's holding and it shatters into three pieces. Why, Inoo demands to know and Yamada tells him that he took Inoo's advice - that he should do things out of his own power. Yamada submitted his application to Johnny's Entertainment and he's been accepted and that he's to attend practice as soon as possible. Inoo feels proud and more than a little jealous as Yamada tells him about a boy he bumped into during the auditions and how he is possibly the cutest thing he's ever seen and that they've already made friends.

"...Inoo?" Takaki wakes up to the extra loud ringing of his phone and he picks it up with slight hesitation.

"Yuuyan?" the voice on the other line is quiet and more than a little lost so Takaki sits up despite his weariness.

"Are you okay?" Takaki asks, even though it's moot considering the factors.

Takaki waits in silence before Inoo bursts in emotion, Takaki feels like he's been hit by a flood and all he catches in the flurry of words is, "... and I can't stop thinking about him."

"...what was your question again?" Takaki mumbles into the phone.

"If Hikaru were here, he’d be listening to me.” Inoo says petulantly and Takaki frowns.

“Well then, you should call Hikaru instead.” Takaki answers back - equally defiant. They stay silent for a few more seconds and Takaki contemplates on putting the phone down on Inoo. He sighs instead and asks, “what was your question again?”

“I don’t understand…”

Takaki nods and says the most blaring thing in his brain, "you're calling me at..." he looks at his bedside clock, "three in the morning to ask about him. You can't stop thinking about him, all you've been doing the past few days is moon about him, honestly," he pauses for dramatic effect, "you're in love."

Inoo sputters, "but I'm a guy."

"You could be gay," Takaki says matter-of-factly.

Inoo is quiet, quieter than he’s ever been as he broods over an option he’s never quite thought of before. There is obvious defeat in Inoo’s voice as he mutters, "what now?"

"...you could let me sleep?" Takaki suggests hopefully, with a sleepy but mischievous smile on his face.

Inoo harrumphs, "some friend you are."

"Some friend you are, calling me at three in the morning," Takaki retorts. Inoo chuckles as Takaki props himself up against the wall adjacent to his bed and they talk until it's time to go to school again.

Inoo sees less and less of Yamada because of training and Inoo can't decide on whether he should be proud, because he was able to discover said talent before any agency, or if he should feel sad because he's already losing a relationship that hasn't even started yet.

Inoo decides to make a last ditch effort. He sets a date with Yamada on his day off and the younger boy readily obliges his request. Inoo thinks of everything, trying to make it as perfect as possible.

They would meet at a cafe where Inoo would give Yamada a potted plant, so that it wouldn't be obvious. They would order desserts before actually going to eat dinner where he would confess his feelings and Yamada would readily accept it.

Only things very seldom go the way you actually plan them.

Things initially go exactly the way Inoo planned. From the plotted plant, which Yamada gratefully accepts, to the dessert which is eaten heartily. Inoo unfortunately overlooks one thing. He did not factor in the fact that Yamada could choose not to accept his feelings.

Yamada smiles sadly, "I have someone I like senpai," he whispers and Inoo feels his entire world turn upside down.

"Is... it because I'm a guy?" Inoo whispers back and Yamada shakes his head.

Yamada blushes, "the person I like is also a guy. I... I've told you about him." Inoo looks at him, dumbfounded. "It's too bad," Yamada continues, "I think... I... think that if you confessed to me before I joined the Jimusho, I would have said I loved you too."

Then Yamada bows down low to Inoo and walks out.

Inoo stays there until closing time.

After a week, Yamada transfers to a school with a special class for artists with demanding schedules. And in two months, Yamada debuts with the group NYC.

"So... you're moving in with Chinen-kun?" Inoo says noncommittally as he cuts into his steak.

Yamada nods and gives Inoo a light smile, "yes. But you also have to make a room for Nakayama-kun," Yamada purses his lips thoughtfully; "we wouldn't want the press to be suspicious. And we also don't want Nakayama-kun to feel left out." Inoo laughs and nods his head.

"Congratulations." Inoo says with a genuine smile on his face and Yamada smiles back.

He arrives home less weary than he imagined he would be. He greets his parents briefly and goes back to his bedroom. He places his tablet on his bedside table, placing a post-it to remind himself that he had to have an initial plan drawn up by Tuesday. He puts the tablet back in its case and back in his bag so that he wouldn’t forget to bring it to work. He surveys his room and realizes that he's more than halfway done so he takes a photo of his room and uploads it to his blog and then he sends Takaki a brief e-mail telling him about meeting Yamada.

He eyes the posters he still has on his wall and decides to take them down lest his parents berate him for his negligence. As he takes it down, he sees the reason why he placed them there in the first place and he puts back the posters hurriedly. He decides to let them discover it by themselves if they ever do decide to take his posters down. He backs away slowly, staring at the posters and he sits on the floor for a moment to gaze at them.

He looks at the towering sculpture in front of him and he squints. It's majestic, he thinks, the use of mixed media made it all the more interesting and dare he say, grotesque. He frowns, feeling fear inject itself into his heart and while he is thoroughly moved by the sculpture, there was something about it he just couldn’t put his finger on.

"The artist is trying to depict fear and indifference at the same time," a voice says beside him. Inoo is shocked out of his reverie and he glances at the tall and lanky figure.

"A-ah," he says and looks back to the sculpture.

"Hehe," the tall person says jovially, and Inoo looks at him again and is surprised to see the tall person's face so close to his, "you looked like you didn't know so I thought that I'd tell you." Inoo nods and backs away from the strange boy. Suddenly the other boy turns around and goes to a different person and tells him about another sculpture.

Inoo is confused for a few seconds before he shrugs his shoulders and looks at a different artwork.

Inoo exits the museum in his oversized coat. He thinks he's gathered enough inspiration for his next project. Suddenly he feels a person sidle up to him and he looks to his left.

"Hey!" the person smiles at him and Inoo frowns when he realizes it's that strange tall boy again, "you're Inoo Kei right? I'm Nakajima Yuuto. I saw one of your designs in a gallery. You're really good! In fact, I made one of my favorite artworks because I felt so inspired by your design. I really wanna see them built you know so I can see just how beautiful they are in the sunset or something like that, can you just imagine?" Nakajima says this all in one breath with a huge smile on his face. Inoo feels that Nakajima is a tad bit too strange, and somehow reminds him of another someone (Yaotome Hikaru) who is a tad bit too strange so he doesn't feel the need to run away. Nakajima fixes his wide eyes on Inoo, "I have a few questions though, may I have some of your time - over coffee perhaps?" Inoo stops and shrugs his shoulders. How often is it that you meet someone who admires your work anyway?

"Sure," he says, chuckling, "why not."

Inoo finds out that Nakajima is an arts history major minoring in fine arts and that the sculpture they were discussing is his, "I don't really talk about being an artist very much," Nakajima says shyly, "I don't want people to be disappointed when they find out who the artist is."

In spite of Nakajima’s modesty, Inoo finds out that he has won a series of art competitions and that he's tried his hand at multiple art forms but he has a sincere love for sculpting. Inoo also finds out that night that Nakajima's personality is simply like that, bombastic and amicable and happy with a hidden layer underneath. Mostly though he likes acting like an idiot which endears him to most people.

Somehow Inoo finds an easy friend in Nakajima and their friendship escalates through art. Whereas Inoo is classic and soft and romantic, Nakajima is loud and hard and contemporary and Inoo finds their exchange of knowledge and heated discussions exhilarating. They mutually draw inspiration from each other until they realize that they probably can't do without the other anymore. They begin to share everything, from living spaces to working spaces, from ideas to actual work - the boundaries between the both of them lessen.

And one day, as they look up from their work stations, their eyes meet and they understand what everything between them was and is and possibly will be.

It is Nakajima who initiates the first kiss, their first foray into intimacy and finally the art of intercourse. They share their passion and the intensity of their feelings, they paint their emotions with their tongues and touches and when they’re done, Inoo doesn't know when he's ever actually felt this complete around anybody.

The morning after their first night, Inoo finds out that Nakajima's artistic spirit has led him to photography.

They walk in the park during autumn when the leaves are falling. Nakajima has his camera at hand and he’s snapping photos every so often. Inoo laughs every time Nakajima stumbles, so engrossed in whatever catches his eye. Inoo lets the boy lead him, following where he went as he takes mental pictures and relaxes his brain.

Nakajima sits down and stretches his legs out, slouching into the bench until he is splayed out all over. Inoo takes the seat next to him and they both stare at the sky.

“Inoo-chan, we’ll be like this forever right?” Nakajima asks pensively.

Inoo doesn’t give an answer, he doesn’t know how.

He gets shocked out of his reverie by the flash of Nakajima’s camera. Nakajima smiles widely at him and Inoo sticks his tongue out.

Inoo goes home to find Nakajima in bed with something in his hands.

"I'm home," he says softly and Nakajima looks at him with a worried look on his face, Inoo immediately sits down beside Nakajima, "what's wrong?"

"I've... I've been invited for a teaching position in art..." Nakajima whispers, his hands starting to tremble.

Inoo shakes his head and places a hand on Nakajima’s back, "that sounds like a good thing."

"...in London."

Inoo shrugs his shoulders again, "that still sounds like a good thing."

"I'm going to be gone for five years."

"Oh." Inoo feels his happiness fade, "you should still take it... it's a great opportunity."

Nakajima looks at him sadly and nods, "okay. I'll give them my answer."

After three months, Nakajima sends a letter with some photographs.

"I never wanted to go," Nakajima writes, "I would have followed you till the ends of the world if you let me," he follows, "I would have stayed if you asked me to."

That's the only time Inoo cries.

Inoo tears up at the memory. He remembers receiving that letter, he had just moved back home after feeling too empty in his school dorm room and after reading it, he just created a mess on his wall with his drawing pencils and the paint that Nakajima had left with him.

He put up the posters so that he would always be reminded of his stupidity, of letting someone that precious fade away from him.

He laughs now and wonders if he should just repaint the wall all over again.

He checks the time and decides that he has to go to sleep. Tomorrow's the day that he's moving in to his new home and he has to have enough energy.

He wakes up at six in the morning to make breakfast for his parents. It's his last day living under their roof and while he knows he is always welcome to come back to this home, he wants to believe that he wouldn't have any need to go back to his parents’ home in search of respite.

His mother wakes up first and she tells him how proud she is of him for learning to be domestic and Inoo blushes and tries not to mumble under his breath. They wait for his father to come down and they all eat a hearty breakfast together.

Inoo wakes up at six to see that his mother has breakfast laid out on the table and he's grateful because he's nervous enough as it is. He kisses her on the cheek and eats as quickly as possible and by six forty five he is out of the door, nothing short of ready for work. He walks calmly even though he feels he's about to throw up from anxiety - first days always feel like this he reasons.

He cheers internally when he arrives at his building by seven fifteen. As he enters the building, he asks the guard in the lobby for directions and he's directed to the new employee's orientation. He bows gratefully and makes his way to the vending machine.
As he opens his coffee, he glimpses from the corner of his eye, a moving cart. He glances at it and sees the cart on a collision course with an old man who seemed very keen on walking at his own pace. He feels as though he's watching an inevitable car crash, only that he knows he can prevent this one from happening - so he does. He rushes forward and takes the old man by the arm and pulls him out of the cart's path. He sighs in relief when he sees that the old man is unharmed but the old man brushes him off, content in going his own way. Inoo frowns unconsciously, feeling slightly embarrassed by his actions. Slowly, he feels something damp on his chest and when he glances down he realizes that the coffee he had been holding earlier is now seeping into his suit and staining his clothes - what a way to make an impression, he thinks.

He goes to the washroom and tries to wash the stain away, he only proceeds in making things worse and he feels like he wants to cry. He looks down at his watch and realizes he only has five minutes until the orientation so he shrugs his shoulders and sucks in his breath.

He's met by odd stares when he enters the conference room and he knows it's because of the giant stain across his chest area. He sighs and takes a seat by the door so that he won't be noticed. A man sits beside him but his mood has become irritable so he doesn't pay too much attention.

He feels like cold water's been splashed on him when it's announced that each person will come forward and introduce themselves individually. He wants to slip away but he knows that this is a requirement, not a choice. He shrinks down in his seat and waits anxiously for his turn.

He doesn't need to wait for very long, he stands there - fidgety and a little cold. He bows, "I'm Inoo Kei, nice to meet you all," he goes back to upright position and when he sees all the raised eyebrows he tries to smile as he says, "please take care of me."

The facilitator frowns at him and clicks her tongue, "for everyone, please refrain from coming to work like Inoo-san here."

Suddenly, the man who sat beside Inoo steps forward and places a hand on the facilitator's shoulder, "thank you Ishihara-san," he says with a smile and she pauses, "I'm also very sorry, I spilled some coffee on Inoo-san a while ago. To everyone, please refrain from bumping into me in the mornings," he says to the audience who chuckles in chorus.

"Thank you Inoo-san," he says and motions for Inoo to take his seat, "good morning. I am Okamoto Keito, the Vice President for Operations in Jump Incorporated." He bows, "you will all be indirectly under me..."

Inoo tunes out the rest of Okamoto's speech, feeling too embarrassed by everything.

He feels a hand on his arm as all the new employees file out of the room. He glances back and sees Okamoto smiling at him, "thank you. Kitagawa-san is a little strange sometimes." He nods slightly and lets Inoo follow the rest of the new employees. Inoo purses his lips and wonders what that was about.

By the end of the day, he's introduced to his team and he smiles at their friendlier faces and he feels that maybe, working here might not be as bad.

After a few weeks, he has fully adjusted to his life at his new firm and he enjoyed it to the fullest. Because the company believed in making things inter-generational, he learns more than he's ever learned in school from actual practitioners who have been in the field forever, that and he's also working with some of the most talented people he's ever met (sans Nakajima). He feels happy and fulfilled and privileged and he loved everything about the job. He makes friends with the only two people who are around his age, Miyata and Tamamori who remind him a little of how he and Nakajima used to be. He looks at their faces and sees them draw inspiration from each other and he sighs. Sometimes, he feels like a third-wheel like that, an intruder in an established relationship.

One lunch, Miyata and Tamamori decide that they're not having any, far too engrossed in some new hobby they discovered. Inoo decides that he really doesn't want to impose on their private space and is left to eat alone. Inoo wanders off to the cafeteria and he opts to take a table by himself by the window and quietly eats as he stares at passing cars.

He hears a tray settle down in front of him and he lets the person sit down, assuming it's one of his new team mates pitying him for eating alone. When he turns, his jaw almost drops as he sees Okamoto with his eyes closed and hands together in prayer. Inoo quickly turns back to the windows, eyes shifting from the cars to Okamoto before him. Okamoto eats quietly for the most part and Inoo frowns when he realizes Okamoto doesn't eat fast. So he faces forward, cheeks tinged red and tries to ignore Okamoto.

When he looks down at his bento he realizes that he's missing a tempura, he looks up at sees Okamoto's blank stare and Inoo looks at his bento again and frowns, confused. He knew that he had a tempura there. He shakes his head and eats. Okamoto excuses himself and stands up and Inoo hardly cares for the other boy. When Okamoto comes back, he has another tray in hand with more food.

"Here," Okamoto offers quietly. Inoo looks up, even more confused, "for us to share?" Okamoto scratches the back of his head, looking thoroughly embarrassed, "I'm sorry, I thought stealing a piece of your tempura would break the ice."

Inoo raises his eyebrow and purses his lips, he stretches his arm out and grabs one of the newly bought tempura and Okamoto visibly relaxes.

Inoo smiles warmly at Okamoto.

"You're younger than me?" Inoo asks incredulously, eyes huge and Okamoto just nods. Inoo doesn't know where to begin, "h-how?"

Okamoto scratches his nose and strokes his chin, "my father... has been working in this company for a long time and so he entered me as an intern back when I was in junior high school." Okamoto nods and gives Inoo a gentle smile, "no one really knows what Kitagawa-san is thinking but since I was allowed to come in, no one really questioned anything out loud."

"But you're vice president."

Okamoto takes a sip out of his coffee, "yes."

Inoo rubs his face feeling exasperation set in.

"That's why I don't really have friends in the company." Okamoto says matter-of-factly, gentle smile still on his face and Inoo feels something in him melt he takes his hand out and places it on top of Okamoto's.

Inoo does everything right with Okamoto.

They start out as friends - getting to know each other by telling each other stories and sharing each other's hobbies. Inoo feels comfortable and safe and Okamoto treats him well, sometimes, a little too well - like how you would a princess.

Then as friends, Okamoto takes the first step and asks Inoo out on a date where they go to Tokyo Disneyland and act like children. The night ends with a goodnight kiss - a shy one from Okamoto on Inoo's cheek and afterwards, Okamoto calls Inoo on the phone telling him that he enjoyed the night.

Okamoto confesses over a candlelight dinner and Inoo smiles at him fondly and places a gentle kiss on Okamoto's mouth when no one is looking.

Inoo feels that everything is perfect.

Inoo's phone rings and it's an unknown number so he picks it up tentatively, "moshi moshi? Inoo speaking."

"Inoo-chan!" the person on the other side exclaims and Inoo blinks before he hesitantly asks, "Hikaru?"

The person on the other line chuckles, "Inoo-chan, it's been a long time."

Inoo's disbelief makes way for utter joy to set in, "Hikaru! Are you back?"

"Yeah! I just landed yesterday and I had to badger Takaki into giving me your number," Inoo stands up and patters over his room, putting articles of clothing on one by one.

"So, wanna meet up at the ramen place like old times?" Inoo asks casually already grabbing his bag and heading out of the door.

"Hey Inoo-san," Okamoto says over lunch, "do you want to go to the opera with me next Friday?" Okamoto's smile is expectant yet gentle and Inoo feels sorry when he shakes his head.

"I'm going out with Hikaru that night..." Okamoto nods his head a little slowly and Inoo bites his lip feeling as though he just kicked his puppy.

"What about tomorrow? Let's go out for dinner tomorrow?" Okamoto asks with a smaller smile on his face and Inoo feels his heart clench. He shakes his head again.

"I'm really, really sorry Keito-kun but Hikaru and I are going shopping for things for his apartment..." he puts on a small pout, "maybe you can come with us? I'll ask Hikaru, he'll say yes for sure."

Okamoto shakes his head and smiles sadly, he places his hand over Inoo's, "it’s no problem Inoo-san, I can still see you during lunch anyway."

All he could do is smile sadly when Okamoto pulls his hand away.

The moving truck comes and the hired men go into his home and Inoo directs them to his room and he watches as they take his boxes one by one and place them into the truck. He gives the truck driver his new address and Inoo goes with them as they take his boxes to his new home.

There is no one yet, the person he's expecting is going to arrive later so he opens the door by himself and lets the movers take the boxes in. They leave it in the living room and after Inoo signs the papers, the movers go, leaving Inoo in his new apartment.

He looks at everything. The furniture still sparse but the walls' colors are warm and he feels a little bit at home already. He can't wait to unpack his belongings.

He goes down and takes a cab back to his parents' home - it's his parents' home now, not his home anymore. He smiles at the thought.

He tells his parents that he's arrived and they come to the door. The three of them hug until his younger sister comes home and tells the three of them how gross they are. They laugh and pull her into the family hug as well.

They have Yaotome's farewell party exactly seven hours before he leaves. He says it's because he wants to leave with a bang, Inoo just feels that Yaotome didn't want to feel the crushing loneliness that moving could cause. They have it anyway, at the game center they always frequent with the ramen shop at the side.

At first, it had just been Inoo, Yaotome and Takaki but somehow word got out and more of their classmates come until it becomes a full-blown celebration. Inoo steps out to take a breather; he's never been too good at handling crowds and when he goes back, he sees all of his classmates crowding around the claw machine where Yaotome is handling the joystick. The hand of the machine grabs the foot of the stuffed rabbit and their classmates cheer loudly. He smiles at Yaotome's foolish grin but he feels his insides freeze when Yaotome gives his prize to Nishiwaki who accepts it shyly. The cheers grow louder, with some wolf-whistling from the boys, as she kisses his cheek and Yaotome flushes bright red.

Suddenly, Inoo clutches at his arm. He turns to glare at the person who punched him but he sees the familiar sight of Takaki's playful smile and his glare dissolves into a pout as he rubs his arm sorely. Takaki childishly sticks his tongue out and motions towards the shooting game at the far side of the room and even though Inoo hated zombies, he smiles, "yosha!" he yells and both he and Takaki run towards the game.

Yaotome peeks into the dark booth where Takaki and Inoo are blasting zombies - Takaki shooting and Inoo trying hard to aim while covering his eyes anyway. He smiles mischievously and then throws the curtain open, "kitaaaa!" he yells and Inoo screams in his face with Takaki standing there, only mildly perplexed. The screen flashes the game over sign as the zombies quickly attack both players. When Inoo finishes screaming, he glares at Yaotome and calls him an idiot and Yaotome merely smiles, "hora, I've been looking for you guys everywhere." He smartly ignores Inoo's muttering about being with fans and drags both of his friends out of the booth. He lazily drapes his arms around their shoulders, "I wanna grab some food before leaving for the airport y'know," and he steadily leads them toward the restaurant.

Confetti floats down from the air when they enter the room. Two girls take Yaotome and bring him to the middle of the room and Inoo and Takaki stand by the door awkwardly. They take a seat by the corner of the room as their classmates present their final tokens to Yaotome. He receives all of them with wide smiles and words of gratitude. Inoo orders too many bowls of ramen and they both eat, unmindful of the commotion and merriment around them. It takes a while before Yaotome joins them and Inoo tries hard not to be bitter that Yaotome's not spending his last few moments with them.

"We have to leave in thirty minutes," he says calmly, "you should tell your entourage to hurry up." He ignores the way Takaki eyes him and Yaotome shrugs his shoulders, digging into the bowl of soggy ramen that they had set aside for him.

"I told them not to come," he says when he gets the chance to inhale, "it's weird. I'm not even close with them." Yaotome smiles at the both of them and wipes his mouth carelessly with the back of his hand, "all done," he claps his hands and stands up, "we should go."

Inoo tries hard not to be teary eyed at the airport. It's probably the last time he's ever going to see his friend and something about that sincerely made him feel sad. He glances at Takaki who is equally somber as he pushes Yaotome's cart. He follows behind them slowly, unwilling to say goodbye.

When they reach the gate, Inoo bows to Yaotome's father and hugs Yaotome's mother very tightly. She pats his cheek and with tears in her eyes, tells him to take care. He nods and wipes his eyes discreetly. His eyes widen when someone takes his hands and pulls him away. He wants to yell but the surprise makes him mute. He finds himself standing behind a post with Yaotome in front of him.

Inoo tries to push Yaotome away and forcefully laughs, "what are you doing idiot?" Then Yaotome wraps his arms around Inoo.

"I'm going to miss you the most Inoo-chan," Yaotome whispers and Inoo nods, unable to say anything else as sobs wrack through his entire body.

Yaotome places a rectangular package in Inoo's hands after Inoo composes himself, "when I saw this, I thought of you." He says cheekily and Inoo hits his shoulder. They are laughing when they finally say goodbye.

Inoo and Takaki watch Yaotome's plane until it disappears in the sky.

After their hug, Inoo realizes that while his room might be empty of belongings, his closet is unfortunately, still filled with clothes that he undoubtedly plans to take with him. Inoo mentions this to his family and his sister goes up with him pointing at things that she wanted out of her brother's wardrobe. He laughs at his sister and indulges her with some things - the leather gloves, some of his hat collection which included a brown newsboy cap and two trilby hats, multiple scarves and some vests.

He raises his eyebrow at her, "you okay now?" And she beams at him and runs out of his room with her looted treasure in hand.

He chuckles as he closes his door for some privacy. He rifles through his clothes and a Lego person drops from one of his coats. He smiles at the figure and shrugs his shoulders.

He goes through his sock drawer searching for the Lego building Yaotome gave him years ago - the very thing that inspired him to go into architecture. He smiles at it and places it in a box.

He takes out two gigantic suitcases. He places the box in the suitcase before he carefully packs his clothes in them.

Inoo sits on his suitcase to zip it. He knows he's only going for three days and two nights, but it's his first vacation out of the country with an overall hunk-slash-lover-slash-boyfriend and he's excited. Things haven't exactly been smooth-sailing with Okamoto for the past few days and he believes that this vacation just might be the solution to their fading romance.

He lugs his suitcase down the stairs and sets it against the door. He turns on the television as he waits for Okamoto to pick him up. The doorbell rings a few minutes later and he is pleasantly surprised. Okamoto is earlier than usual.

Inoo goes to the door and opens it with a wide smile. He looks at Okamoto's skeptically, dressed in a black suit, "Keito? I don't think you're dressed appropriately..."

Okamoto gravely steps inside Inoo's home and closes the door quietly, "Inoo-san? I think... we need to talk." He toes his shoes off respectfully and leads Inoo into his living room where he sits Inoo down on the couch. Okamoto sits on the single chair adjacent to the couch, his arms on his knees and his hands clasped together. Inoo's brows furrow and he folds his arms defensively.

"Really," Inoo interjects, "you really wanna do this now?"

Okamoto looks at him with sad eyes and Inoo feels a little part of him melt, "I... I just don't think it's right for us to go on like this. I love you too much."

"I don't understand..." Inoo shakes his head and Okamoto unclasps Inoo's arms and takes Inoo's hands in his.

"I love you so much that it hurts to have to share your heart with someone else," Okamoto whispers and he gives Inoo's hand a light kiss. The doorbell rings again after that and Okamoto looks at his wristwatch, "... right on time."

He stands up and opens the door.

"Yaho~" Yaotome greets from the door wearing a Hawaiian shirt and board shorts, "are we going yet?"

Inoo stands dumbfounded for a moment then storms towards the door and purses his lips together, "excuse me Hikaru," he closes the door in Yaotome's face, "what are you doing?" Inoo hisses as he grabs Okamoto's arm and pulls him back to the living room.

Okamoto shakes Inoo off gently, "letting you be with the person you truly belong," Okamoto gives Inoo a hug and whispers into his hair, "be happy Inoo-san."

Okamoto opens the door once and for all and helps Yaotome load Inoo's bag into Yaotome's pickup truck. Inoo gives Okamoto a lingering hug and then lets go.

When he comes back from Hawaii, Inoo hears that Okamoto has been transferred to their partner office in England.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Yaotome asks when he's finally cornered Inoo. Inoo is in his bed, covered by his blanket and Yaotome stands over him with a fierce look on his face.

Inoo glares back, "I wasn't avoiding you."

"Oh?" Yaotome raises his eyebrows and approaches Inoo who burrows under the covers. Yaotome sighs and sits on Inoo's bed, he pats the lump gently.

"Why did you come back?" Inoo asks voice muffled under the covers and Yaotome doesn't answer. Inoo frowns - impatient, so his takes the covers off and opens his mouth to ask again. He is surprised when Yaotome's lips meet his and he melts into the kiss immediately.

"What... was your question again?" Yaotome asks, breathless.

Inoo sighs and looks deep into Yaotome's eyes, "why did you come back Hikaru?" Why now, after all of these years?.

"Because," Yaotome whispers into Inoo's lips, "I never forgot you," he brushes his lips softly against Inoo's, "and I've always," he presses against them again, "always loved you."

And this time, Inoo throws himself at Yaotome.

He has just finally closed his suitcases and is bent on lugging them down when his mother yells, "Kei-chan!" He's about to yell back at her when someone takes his suitcase from him and promptly brings it down. The figure goes back up, smiles at him warmly and goes into his room to get the other suitcase. He stands aside, waiting for the man to come back up and when he does, Inoo pulls the man in for a kiss.

"Hey Inoo-chan," he says when they break the kiss off and they go down the stairs. They come face to face with Inoo's mother and father who give both the boys good bye hugs with tears in their eyes.

They load the bags into the car and they get in. Inoo looks towards the driver's seat and smiles at his partner.

"Let's go home Inoo-chan," he says.

"Yes Hikaru. Let’s go home."