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Chapter Text

🎵Ikura kangaetemo atama no naka wa kimi dake de muchuu no boku wo tomerarenai...🎵

Minamoto Hiromasa, sports star extraordinaire, once again gave up before the game even started. In this game of love, he was always fumbling while his opponent's goose-step was flawless.

With an internal sigh, he slightly shook his head as he brought himself back to the conversation.

“... Wait,” Hiromasa interjected, drawing his eyes away from the infernal wide shirt collar that he almost just adjusted after it slipped down to reveal his best friend's bare shoulder. “We’re going where?”

There was an exasperated sigh as narrowed eyes looked at Hiromasa. “Stop spacing out! Anyway, it's a mixer. We're in our final year of high school! Don't you think it'll be fucking sad if we graduated without ever having a girlfriend?”

Hiromasa felt as if he’d sunk into one of those ice baths he took after a particularly rough game. “What?”

“I know you've never been interested in dating, but you'll eventually want to get married and settle down. Are you gonna wait till you're in your thirties to have your first date?”

Hiromasa almost rolled his eyes. “That's a little dramatic, don't you think?”

“Not at all,” Mei-kun shrugged.

Hiromasa’s brain zoned out for a few seconds, wondering where this was coming from all of a sudden. At a time when he was struggling to confess his love! And for the very person telling him he wants to start dating a girl, no less!

“...parents have taught us anything, it's that one needs to learn how to love others before deciding to take the plunge.”

“Who?”

“New kid who goes to the same dance studio as me..?”

However, Hiromasa's face remained blank.

“Ah, never mind. You barely say hello to my other friends so I can't expect you to remember any of their names…”

Hiromasa's mind had already drifted. 'Is this really happening? Is he serious about getting a girlfriend?... How come I didn't realise he was feeling this way..?’

“Hiro-senpai!”

…

Day of the Mixer

Hiromasa stood in front of the mirror, giving himself a once over for the nth time.

‘Why the fuck am I behaving like this?’ he mentally hissed at himself.

With a huff, he grabbed his black league jacket and left the room.

“I'm not here!” he shouted as he chose a helmet from the entrance closet.

A kind, high pitched voice belonging to the housekeeper responded and wished him safe travels.

His parents weren't home. The amount of time they spent at home per year didn't even equate to six months. As the ones heading a successful international conglomerate, they travelled frequently. To their credit, they tried to make up for the amount of missed time by adhering to certain rules: All major holidays were spent together, as were all birthdays and anniversaries. Yes, he was always a part of his parents' anniversary celebrations, but he really didn't mind. What he did mind was the way they tried to get him to spend hours of his free time on the phone with one or both of them every couple days while they're away.

No matter how much he reassured them he was fine and not feeling neglected, they insisted on doing things like virtual dinners and movies, in hopes that he won't grow to resent them. He really appreciated their efforts, but if there was a time for him to resent them, it had already passed. And he had been able to get through it with the help of his best friend, Mei-kun.

It's one of the reasons he's so endeared to him. Hiromasa had fallen into a really dark place, on the verge of becoming a rebellious, angst-filled teen. But Mei-kun had fought him persistently, unwilling to see him go down that road. Even though Hiromasa had been the biggest asshole in existence to him, he never gave up.

It was during that time that Hiromasa realised that he indeed was very lonely and missed his parents more than he was letting on. But a few years later, he started craving for a different kind of love and affection. One his parents couldn't provide, but someone else could…

When he got the call advising him of the change in venue, Hiromasa felt a bit wary.

“Why all of a sudden?” he asked as his eyes narrowed on the road ahead.

“No special reason,” the voice on the other end of the call said cutely. “The guys thought it would make a better impression on the girls.”

“Ok.. But why there? Not only is it not the best setting for this kind of thing, but it's expensive. I'm not footing anyone's bill. So they better come prepared to fork out their cash.”

“No one said anything about you paying for them,” Mei-kun said exasperatedly. “Just hurry up and get here.”

And with that, Hiromasa heard the beep in his earpiece indicating the connection was cut off.

Hiromasa revved the bike, increasing his speed. As he flew down the highway, evening fell fast and the streetlights came on. It would only take him an additional five minutes to get to the new venue, but time wasn't the problem. It was the freeloaders who liked to ride on his coattails.

On the last class trip the year before, they'd gone to a town in Hokkaido. Everyone wanted to try the local hot spring, but it was completely booked for days due to some company retreat. The teachers had told them they would make up for it by taking them elsewhere but it was a mild compensation. Mei-kun had been depressed for an entire day about not being able to go.

Not wanting to pass up this chance to be a hero, Hiromasa got his cousin to make a reservation for a few hours the next day and shared the good news at dinner that evening. The way Mei-kun's face lit up and the big hug he gave Hiromasa at that time is a moment that stayed at the forefront of the athlete's memories.

But the repercussions of his actions would follow him upon his return to school. Though he'd always been popular and well-liked, due largely in part to his athleticism, handsome face and stoic attitude, word spread that he had big connections and he was thrust into a brighter spotlight. They didn't know his true identity, but thought it couldn't be mediocre. Something that Mei-kun had inadvertently confirmed. There was suddenly an influx of people inviting him to various outings, just to try and get him to splurge on them.

Despite him walking out of a restaurant in the middle of a dinner outing with classmates once and rejecting majority of subsequent requests, Hiromasa was still regularly invited to things. The only times he'd go, were if Mei-kun was going and it involved unfamiliar or questionable people. His best friend was a little naive, so he couldn't run the risk of him getting involved with the wrong sort of crowd.
..

When he arrived at the posh restaurant, Hiromasa left his bike in the VIP parking area and took their exclusive entrance.

Instead of making his way to the private room that Mei-kun said they booked, he went to an office near the kitchens.

“You may enter!” was heard after he knocked.

Pushing the door open with a frown, Hiromasa threw the wallet in his hand at the surprised manager. “Nii-san, hang on to this for me, ok? I'll come get it next time.”

Before the man could say more than "huh?”, Hiromasa closed the door and made his way towards the main entrance. From there he was led by a hostess to the reserved room.

He was greeted enthusiastically, especially by the tittering girls.

“Yo,” was all he said with a little nod.

He took a quick look around the room and realised that the only people from his school, were the guys in Mei-kun's close friend group. No wonder his friend was sure he wouldn't have to worry about anyone wanting him to pay for them. These guys had been Mei-kun's friends since Elementary school and they idolised Hiromasa too much to ask him to do such a thing.

As Hiromasa took a seat between Mei-kun who handed him a menu, and another empty chair, he heard various exclamations and surprised whispers because of his presence.

“I can't believe he's actually here!”

“I really hope I can get his number..”

“Aw man … Hiromasa-senpai showed up and now all the girls are only interested in him..”

“Hey, stop whining! Even if he hits it off with someone, there are still other girls for us.”

He was about to roll his eyes when he felt a kick on the shin. He turned accusing eyes on Mei-kun, who only grinned and pointed to the menu.

“See anything you like?”

Hiromasa cleared his throat. “I'm afraid I'll have to forego the meal. It seems my wallet fell out on my way here.”

As Mei-kun looked at him with surprised but empathetic eyes, and patted his hand, others voiced their concerns.

“Minamoto-san,” one girl said meekly. “We can't allow you to go without. I don't mind paying for you..”

“No, I'll pay for him,” another offered enthusiastically.

Hiromasa shook his head. “Thank you, ladies. But I can't allow you to do that. Besides, I've already had dinner so it's no big deal.”

An hour later…

Mei-kun slapped Hiromasa's hand away from his plate for the second time in ten minutes. “I thought you already had dinner?”

Hiromasa frowned slightly at his friend. It was too late to admit he lied, but he'd been so sure that Mei-kun would have offered to buy him something. Or at the very least, share his food! “But I want some of this..”

Mei-kun waved a reprimanding finger. “No can do. You've got training tomorrow. If you stuff yourself now, you won't perform well.”

Hiromasa didn't say anything and only nodded. As Mei-kun joined the others in conversation, the athlete sat back in his chair and pulled out his phone. He seemed to be doing something on it, but he was really paying attention to who Mei-kun was talking to and what they were saying.

The young lady on Mei-kun's other side had been smiling at him cutely the entire time. She was earnestly listening to everything he said and reacting accordingly. Hiromasa felt a pang inside because he could tell that she truly seemed to like him. Especially because the entire time, she'd barely acknowledged Hiromasa's own existence and only looked at and spoke to everyone else perfunctorily.

But when it came to Mei-kun, her eyes sparkled as she watched him and she kept tucking her hair behind her ears that had turned pink. Hiromasa had to admit the sight was quite adorable, but he'd rather her attention went elsewhere.

His stomach lurched every time Mei-kun seemed to inch his chair a little bit closer to hers, and he was sure his heart jumped into his throat when his friend reached out to tuck her hair away.

For some reason, the action made him think of Mei-kun's collar from a few days before. ‘Why can't I be that brave?’

He was pulled from his depressive dive by someone putting down something on the table next to him. Coming back to the moment, he realised it was a waiter adding a few dishes. His heart sped up as he thought Mei-kun must have ordered for him after all.

But before Hiromasa could get too excited, another person rushed over and dropped a duffel bag beside the chair.

“Hello, everyone,” the newcomer bowed in greeting. “Sorry for being late.”

The person plopped down in the seat next to Hiromasa and immediately picked up the chopsticks. He licked his lips as he looked over the dishes that had been brought out.

“We were beginning to think you changed your mind,” one of the guys laughed.

Hiromasa didn't realise he was just staring at this person. The guy's face, while masculine in shape, was curved more smoothly with softer features than he was used to seeing on a male. And his long hair was in a neat ponytail. Hiromasa immediately thought of a few idols from various boy groups that Mei-kun liked to listen to, and thought how they all would be jealous of this guy's effortless beauty. Because handsome didn't seem like quite the correct word to describe him. Maybe it was because he's hāfu*..

“Ugh! Madame Kang was a complete drill sergeant today!” the person sighed.

Mei-kun turned away from the girl and spoke to the new guy. Hearing his friend's voice, Hiromasa snapped back to the present, completely baffled by his reaction to this person. He turned his attention away from the newcomer to focus on Mei-kun.

“I didn't know you had dance today,” Mei-kun said.

The newcomer chuckled awkwardly as he looked over and responded. “Yeah.. Since I'm new, there's a lot to get caught up on. And she's insistent on putting me in the summer production, so I have no choice but to get in some extra practice time.”

Hiromasa had glanced over again as he suddenly remembered Mei-kun mentioning this person's parents. Their eyes met and they held their gaze for a few seconds. Hiromasa wondered if all mixed children had such pretty eyes..

“Hi there,” the guy grinned. “I finally have the pleasure of meeting the elusive Minamoto-san.”

The newcomer's words confirmed that Hiromasa's reaction to what Mei-kun said the other day, had been correct. He'd never have forgotten this face! Without knowing why, he frowned slightly but reached out and shook the guy's hand. “Hello.”

“My name is Abe Qingming.”

***

Chapter Text

“Qing-kun!” one of the guys called. “Yumi-chan said she did contemporary dance for a few years. Didn't you say you like it or something? Maybe you two can talk more about that..”

It was obvious they were immediately trying to pair him off. But Hiromasa didn't care either way. Without another word to t newcomer who had looked away, he turned his attention back to Mei-kun and resumed moping internally.

After dinner, they decided to go for a walk. Though the excuse was 'to help start the digestion process' after 'pigging out', the truth was very obvious. They were teenagers in Shibuya at night. It would be a total waste to just go home right when the city was coming to life!

Even though they settled their bill without issue, a few of the guys lamented to each other about going into money that was meant for other purposes, after the girls left to freshen up before heading out.

‘You all wanted to come here and impress the girls, so deal with it,’ Hiromasa huffed as they compared the cost of the dishes their chosen dates had ordered.

Still, he couldn't say they were being horrible, as they didn't complain about the fact that the girls ate less than half of what they ordered. Instead, they joked about the fancy lunches they'll have for the week, and talked about how promising it was that they'd all have a girlfriend soon. Except Fujino. This mixer was arranged by him and his girlfriend, who went to an all girl private high school in the area. Which was the real reason they had switched to this restaurant.

“Mei-kun,” Qingming said with a sly smile. “You and Usagi-chan seem to have hit it off! You already look like a couple.”

Mei-kun actually blushed a little as he playfully threw a mint at Qingming. “Dude, don't make fun of me… But, *ahem* do you really think I have a chance?”

The guys laughed. Except Hiromasa, who suddenly disliked Qingming's existence at that moment.

“Drop the cute and naive act, Mei-kun. That only works on Minamoto-senpai. You know she's totally into you!” one guy said, shoving him playfully.

“Yeah,” another added before glancing at Hiromasa. “We all said Hiromasa-san had the highest chance of succeeding tonight but it turns out you're the real Casanova.”

There was another round of laughter as Tomei threatened to punch them.

Though Hiromasa made a small smile, inside there was turmoil. 'I wasn't overthinking it… They really have a connection..,’ he thought.

He wasn't one to give himself false hope, but he'd secretly been telling himself he was reading too much into things and that Tomei was just being his usual outgoing self.

Shortly after leaving the premises, they somehow fell into pairs as they walked in the direction of Shibuya Crossing. Hiromasa found himself with a girl who apparently loved to talk. He barely registered half of what she was saying and responded to even less, as his focus was on Tomei and Usagi-chan ahead of him.

After 15 minutes or so, they entered the bustling nightlife section and town. Here, a lot of the businesses would have opened only a few hours ago and would keep their doors open until just before dawn.

Hiromasa saw when Usagi-chan pointed at one of the neon lit establishments, and watched as Tomei turned and asked out loud, “Why don't we check out that arcade?”

“Great idea!” one of the guys agreed. Then he turned to his date. “I'll try my best to win you a great prize.”

Seeing that girl's positive reaction, the other guys took the bait and agreed. They excitedly made their way to the establishment.
.

Hiromasa had decided to sit in the small eating area off to one side. He was in a sour mood because, contrary to his expectations, Usagi-chan was very much into playing the games there. And worse, she wasn't completely terrible at them!

Gaming was a special activity the best friends shared. But there he was, completely ignoring Hiromasa and having a grand time with someone he just met!

“Minamoto-san,” Hiromasa's 'date', Orihime-chan, called to him. She had just returned with not only a drink, but two of the other girls whose dates were having a whale of a time at one of the machines. “Do you mind if they join us?”

The three girls sat down when he shook his head, and pulled their chairs a little closer to him. The place was pretty noisy so he didn't pay it much mind. He was glad for the distraction so he wouldn't continue staring at Tomei and Usagi.

“So, Minamoto-san,” one of them said, looking at him shyly. “Won't you be playing any of these games?”

“Not really,” he shrugged lightly. “Guess I'm just not in the mood.”

“Ahh.. I heard your team is not only looking to defend the Regional Cup this season, but you're vying for the National Cup,” another said and the other two perked up. “Are you feeling confident?”

A small smirk appeared on his lips as he responded, making him even more handsome. “I have no reason to not be.”

The girls eyes widened in mirth as they laughed at his response.

“Super confident then! Your team must have a lot of new strategies to show off this year..”

Hiromasa leaned forward slightly as he raised an amused brow. “Are you secretly trying to gather information on us for another team?”

The girl blushed at the intensity in his eyes and shook her hands rapidly. “Don't tease me, Minamoto-san.” She quickly pulled out her phone and began swiping through it as she continued speaking. “My family is big on sports, so I can't help it sometimes.”

She pulled in even closer to him as she scrolled through her SNS feed, which had a ton of pictures of her and family members at various sporting events. The other two girls also leaned in to see.

“Wow… Jira-chan, I thought you were just making up excuses when you say you have to go to matches with your relatives!” Orihime said while taking the phone.

“If I wanted to lie, why would I use that as an excuse?”

“Well, you never shared your SNS with us so how would we know,” the other girl pouted as she handed back the phone.

Hiromasa was actually intrigued. The girl's family even attended major competitions overseas!

“Well, then,” he said with a genuine smile. “I hope you will consider supporting us this season.”

“Of course. Already got my ticket for the next game!” Jira grinned.

Orihime frowned a little at their interaction. “It's good you came out with us tonight, Jira-chan. You need to make time for these things too, and do things you actually enjoy.” Before the girl could respond, Orihime added. “Surely you don't want to only be seen as ‘one of the guys’?”

“Stop it,” Jira whispered. “You're embarrassing me in front of Minamoto-san!”

..

“Qing-kun,” Tomei said. He had an arm thrown carelessly around the slightly shorter Qingming's shoulder as they made their way back to their dates. “How's it going with Yumi-chan? I've barely spotted you two since we got here.”

Qingming raised a brow as he shook off the arm. “Where do you find time to be checking up on others when you and Usagi-chan are so into each other?”

Tomei fumbled as he tried to respond. Wanting a distraction, he pointed towards Hiromasa. “Let's go see what they're up to!”

Qingming shook his head with a light chuckle, but still followed. As they got closer to the others, they could hear the conversation.

“…your type, Minamoto-san?”

Tomei grinned mischievously and was about to hurry over and say something, but he stopped when Hiromasa began speaking. He never expected Mr. I-don’t-like-to-socialise to actually answer such a question!

“My type?... Hmm… I'd have to say someone who's caring and kind, but who will scold me when needed. It would be nice if they're just as active as I am, that way we can look after our health together. Someone who can get along with those close to me and understands me..”

“Wow..,” one of the girls said after a while. “Doesn't that sound like it would have to be a childhood friend?”

Because Tomei and Qingming had been approaching the group from behind, their presence hadn't been detected. Tomei's hand shot to his suddenly pounding heart. ‘Not this again! Why the fuck am I getting so flustered about it?’

The girl's question replayed in his head and he almost let out a noise. Clamping a hand over his mouth, he suddenly turned around and hurried past a confused Qingming.

‘Did he eat something strange?’ Qingming wondered.

For Hiromasa, he was jolted back into the moment by the question.

'A childhood friend…? Did I say something strange?!’ he panicked. He honestly hadn't been mindful of what he was saying and had been lost in his thoughts of Tomei.

“Why would you say that?” he kept his cool and asked, wanting to know what could have exposed him.

“It's what first came to mind..," the girl said. "Only a childhood friend would be able to properly fill those requirements.”

Inside, Hiromasa sighed in relief. ‘So I didn't suddenly make a declaration of love..’

Speaking of which, he hadn't checked on Tomei in a while. So, while the girls debated about whether or not a new love interest could also fulfil all those requirements, Hiromasa scanned the arcade.

He spotted that new kid and his gaze lingered on him for a while. What captivated Hiromasa were Qingming’s fluid yet somewhat hard hitting moves as his legs took him through the high level of the dance machine he was on. And from the cheering of his date, he was doing well. But with moves like those, how could he not!

Hiromasa frowned a little. It's not like the guy did anything special, and was just fooling around.. But as someone who had to know his body well and be perfectly attuned with each part, Hiromasa could tell it was the same for Qingming. That kind of control wasn't something even a lot of professionals could boast about.

He dragged his eyes away as Tomei appeared in his peripheral, coming in from the main door.

“Um… could you ladies please excuse me for a moment? I'll be right back..,” he said, now completely focused on his friend.

With a quick jog, Hiromasa made his way over to Tomei, who was surprised to see him.

“Hey, where'd you go?”

Tomei frowned as his steps halted, and before he could even open his mouth to respond, parts of the conversation replayed in his head. He gave it a good shake, hoping they'd fly away, before speaking. “I just went to get this for Usagi-chan. She's never tried it before.”

Hiromasa looked at the paper bag of donut holes with candied nuts inside in his friend’s hand. The smile on the face before him was so radiant, he didn't know what to say after that, except ‘Ok’.

“To be honest,” Tomei continued with an almost despondent sigh. “It's more of a consolation prize.. She wanted a toy from the claw machine, but I suck at it! I've fed it so much money already but it still won't take pity on me.”

Hiromasa couldn't help smiling at the handsome, somewhat dejected face. “That's because you're not a master at it like me,” he grinned. “Come!”

They made their way over to the machine.

“Which one would you like?” Hiromasa asked.

Tomei's eyes lit up. “That one!”

Hiromasa spotted the traditionally dressed rag doll. It seemed to be the only one inside. He chuckled as he entered the tokens. “I never took you as someone who’s into dolls.”

Tomei rolled his eyes and slapped Hiromasa on the back. “Just get it, please.”

Less than a minute later, after one attempt, Tomei was happily clutching the rag doll. Hiromasa opened his mouth to tease him when the other spoke first.

“Thank you, Hiro-senpai! Usagi-chan is going to be so happy. I'll be sure to repay you next time!”

Though thrown for a loop, Hiromasa managed to maintain his smile. He should've known. “Just .. don't tell her I was the one who got it.”

….

The following Monday at training, Hiromasa was a little more aggressive than usual.

“Minamoto!”

The coach blew his whistle again and jogged over to his star player.

“What the hell is wrong with you this morning? Are you trying to send your team to the hospital so close to our next match?” the coach yelled.

“Sorry coach,” Hiromasa shrugged. He reached out a hand to his teammate that he'd just tackled. Patting the other guy on the back a few times, Hiromasa apologised for the rough play.

“Hey, no problem, Captain,” his teammate laughed. “If I have to sit out the game, at least I know you can fill in for me. That was brutal!”

The coach huffed. “Ya! Don't give him any ideas. I only need him covering one position, so if you break something you better put a splint on it and get your ass back on that field!”

The players laughed as they all huddled around.

“Sato,” the coach called to one. “You saw how he timed his opponent and went low, right?”

The teen nodded.

“Good. Now that's more of what I wanna see,” the coach continued. “Just… don't be as aggressive until game day. Alright. Takahashi, you're with me. Minamoto, take up his position.”

And so, they continued with their exercises.

On the school's rugby team, Hiromasa played the all important fly-half position. However, he excelled in all areas on the field and the coach often used him to demonstrate tactics and techniques to the guys who filled those posts. Though he was tall and muscular, he wasn't bulky like the other two players mentioned. Still, he was very strong. And by applying the right technique, he could successfully carry out the tasks required in their positions.

In the locker room, the guys were goofing off instead of getting ready to get to class.

“Minamoto-senpai,” Koga called to him from across the room. “I heard you went to a mixer over the weekend.”

All chatter ceased as curious eyes turned in his direction. Hiromasa rolled his eyes as he slammed his locker shut.

“Make sure you're all gone by the time I get back,” was all he said then headed for the showers.

“Did you really think he was gonna talk about it?” one teammate teased Koga.

“Whatever.”

“But is it true? Minamoto-san went to a mixer to meet a girl?”

“Well, he's not you. So of course he didn't go to meet a boy.”

The imposing figure of Takahashi Yue loomed as he turned to face the other guy. The room had gotten quieter again.

“Hey, come on man! You know I didn't mean anything by that, Taka-san. But have you ever seen Hiromasa-senpai be anything but aggressive towards guys?”

The others laughed as they thought about it and saw that it made sense.

Yue simply rolled his eyes. “Can we talk about something other than his love life? Or lack of?”

Koga shrugged. “I only brought it up because it’s the new hot topic on The Forum. Imagine how the girls here are gonna freak once they see it! They've all been trying to get with him all these years and when he finally decides to date he looks for someone outside?”

“It makes sense in my opinion.. That way, she doesn't have to 'suffer the wrath of all the others who got rejected',” someone joked.

“Anyway, you heard him. Let's hurry and get out of here before he gets back. You saw him earlier. I don't want to become his target at training later!”

Everyone perked up and hurriedly got dressed and packed up their stuff.

“Taka-senpai,” Koga said. “What was the point of telling us you like guys if you don’t want to date anyone?”

Yue almost didn't respond, but knew his junior really was just curious (nosy). “I haven't met anyone that interests me.”

“Dude!” another teammate said as they grabbed their bags after doing a last check to ensure nothing was left out of place. “You just insulted your entire team. Are you seriously saying you don't find even one of us remotely attractive?”

Yue shrugged and shook his head. "Hell no."

“I don't know if I should feel relieved or offended..”

Everyone laughed as they filed out of the locker room and went their separate ways.

“Hey, big guy,” Koga said as he and Yue headed in the same direction. “Have you seen the new guy in 12C?”

The other guy shook his head.

“What? I’m a year below you and he’s in the class next to yours.. How could you have missed him?? When I first saw him, I seriously considered breaking things off with my girlfriend,” Koga sighed.

“Dumbass..,” Yue muttered. “Did you forget you already dumped her last week?”

“Huh? Oh! No, not her. I got a new girlfriend,” Koga grinned, making his friend shake his head. “But anyway, he looks really… pretty for a guy. At least, those are some of the comments on the Forum. There was a trending post about him for like the entire first week school started.”

As they climbed the stairs, a group of three guys passed them laughing and talking animatedly. One of them bumped into Yue.

“Ah! I'm so sorry!” Qingming exclaimed. “I wasn't paying attention.”

“Uh.. No problem..,” Yue muttered and the group continued on their way after Qingming flashed him a bright smile.

“Taka-senpai! That's him!” Koga whispered. “Ya, Taka-san..”

Yue hadn't realised he wasn't being responsive to his friend.

“Ahh …," Koga smiled looking from Yue to Qingming's retreating figure. "So that's your type, huh?”

…

When Hiromasa arrived in his class, there was still some time before homeroom.

“Hiro-senpai!” Tomei waved him over.

As usual, the dancer's friends had their chairs gathered at the back corner of the class where he sat.

As he made his way to his seat, Hiromasa heard whispered voices talking about his attendance at a mixer while the owners were looking at their phones. At least two girls were outright crying and had to be consoled by their friends. He found it completely ridiculous.

‘The Forum’ was like a private SNS platform for students enrolled in the elite high schools within the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. Of course, that didn’t always mean the things posted there remained within their circle.

Though their school was no longer considered part of the ‘elite’ group in the eyes of actual elitists due to the income bracket of their parents; the schools's prestigious location, curriculum and the name of its founder ensured it kept that status on paper. That didn't mean the parents were poor. It's just that most of them were from the upper end of the middle class, as opposed to those higher on the social ladder. Meaning, they had day to day jobs as managers, directors and vice presidents of smaller companies, like Fujino and Tomei's parents, compared to parents of the other schools who owned those companies or ran a conglomerate like Hiromasa’s parents or an enterprise like Qingming’s parents.

But, because of it's status as 'that family member no one talks about but they're still part of the family', the two boys had chosen to come to this school and keep their identities secret. This way, both them and their parents can compromise: they get to be treated as close to 'normal' as possible, while enrolled in a school where their parents wouldn't have to be concerned about them all day.

When Hiromasa looked at Tomei, his face softened and all other thoughts vanished.

“Senpai, I've been calling you since last night,” his best friend said as the athlete sat at the desk in front of him.

Hiromasa spun his body around as much as he could. The accusing look on Tomei's face was enough to bring a hint of a smile to his own. He'd always loved how straightforward Tomei was with him. Though many saw Tomei as an easy-going, cool guy, Hiromasa was attracted to how strong and assertive he truly was. Even if they butted heads often in the past, it had only brought them closer.

“Sorry," the athlete replied in a an offhand way. "I was on the phone with my parents for a while. By the time they hung up it was already late.”

“Ah.. How are they?”

“Good. They said to tell you hi.”

“It's been a while since I've spoken to them. I hope everything's going well.”

“Well… how about you come over after rehearsal? We're ‘having dinner together’ tonight.”

“Aw man, I can't,” Tomei said with exaggerated sadness. “Mom has a function tonight and I'm babysitting the minion.”

“Oh..” Hiromasa felt a little deflated but didn't let it show. Because of Tomei's mission to get a girlfriend, he'd tried to get his parents to raise his allowance. But his mom had told him he'd have to earn it, hence babysitting his brother instead of them using the service. “Next time then.”

“Mhm!”

Hiromasa was getting lost in that smile again when a different voice drew his attention.

“Mei-kun, here's your banana milk,” the voice panted.

“What took you so long?” Tomei complained.

Hiromasa turned to look at Qingming who narrowed his eyes but still had a playful smile on.

“You're welcome, dickhead! Do you know how far I had to go to get that? I was almost ran over by a freight train!” Qingming exclaimed in mock woe.

“Huh?”

“He ran into Takahashi-san. Literally,” one of the guys who'd been walking with Qingming said.

Everyone else exclaimed. Then they looked over at Hiromasa who turned around to face forward and unpack his bag.

“Was he angry?” someone whispered.

“Not at all. He was totally mystified by our Qing-kun's cuteness,” the guy teased.

Hiromasa stole another glance at the new kid. Ok, so yes he was good-looking. But what was there to be mystified about?

Qingming felt his stare and turned to meet his gaze, after kicking his friend. With a curious smile he asked, “Have I done something wrong, Minamoto-san?”

Hiromasa snapped back to the moment. “What?”

“You were practically glaring at me.. Have I offended you in some way?”

Before Hiromasa could decide what to say, the teacher entered the room and greeted the class.

“Oh shit!” Qingming exclaimed in a low voice and ran for the door after checking the time and seeing he was late for homeroom.

As the students settled into their seats and greeted the teacher, Tomei tapped Hiromasa's shoulder.

“Hm?” the athlete murmured.

“Is everything ok?”

Hiromasa simply nodded.

“He's probably just wondering if his teammate did something to Qing-kun,” Fujino said.

“Ah, right..”

The homeroom teacher announced that at the end of the following month, they'd have their class trip and they'd be going to Kyoto. Everyone was excited and cheered enthusiastically!

…….
That Afternoon...

“... never guess who fell in love today?” Koga said in a gossipy tone.

"Dude, again?" someone said exasperatedly, making the others laugh at Koga.

“Who?”

“Taka-senpai!”

The reactions showed how much disbelief they had in that piece of news.

“But just this morning he said he doesn't like anyone here. Taka-san, did you cut school or something?”

“He bumped into him on our way to class this morning. That new kid in 12C…”

Their afternoon training had just ended. As always, Hiromasa simply changed his shirt and slung his bag over his shoulder as the others lazed about talking. He wouldn't admit it, but his ears had perked up at that part of the conversation and he recalled Qingming's incident.

Well.. this was an interesting development…

****

Chapter Text

A week later, after the final bell, Qingming rushed to Hiromasa'a class, pushing through the throng of students that filled the hallway.

“Mei-kun, something urgent came up and I can’t travel with you to dance today..,” he pouted. “Please tell Madame Kang I’ll be late! Uehara-sensei asked me to go to the faculty to discuss the project I turned in yesterday. I don't know why coz I'm pretty sure it was ok, but I don't know how long I'll be there.”

The teachers had decided to start out the school year with a bang, which meant more projects and shorter deadlines than the students were used to. A lot of students were getting asked to visit the faculty after the first round of assignments because the teachers said majority of them had turned in subpar work.

Their small group laughed at his desperation. But as usual, Hiromasa didn't include himself in their conversation. Though he’d seen the new guy every morning and afternoon, as well as Qingming had started spending lunchtime on the roof with him and Tomei, Hiromasa continued to treat him like he did the others; pretending he didn’t exist.

“Sure thing,” Tomei nodded as he packed up his bag. Then he stood up and tapped Hiromasa's shoulder. “See you after training?”

Hiromasa looked at him with a small smile. “I'll be there.”

So focused he was on Tomei, he didn't notice the pair of eyes that looked between the two of them in sheer amusement.

…

That evening, Hiromasa was late to pick up Tomei.

Whenever his friend had dance class/rehearsals, he’d go pick him up and take him home. He’d already forgotten the excuse he’d told his friend when he started doing it after he got his licence, but now it had become routine.

This would be the first time he’s late, however. The team found out that day they'd have to cancel training for the remainder of the week due to work that needed to be done on the field. The principal wanted to ensure it’s in good shape for hosting the upcoming game. As a result, Coach had extended that day's training at the last minute.

When he rushed to the locker room, Hiromasa had immediately checked his phone before anything else, but he hadn’t received any texts from Tomei. He tried calling but Tomei's phone only rang out until the voicemail kicked in.

“See you,” Hiromasa said to his teammates as he picked up his helmet.

“Hey cap!” Koga rushed over. “Don't forget about our plans this Friday.”

“Ok.”

“If you bail on us again, you'll have to pay a fine.”

“Ok.”

“I'm serious! Don't flake..”

“Ok.” With that said, Hiromasa turned and left.

“He's not coming,” someone said and everyone nodded with a sigh.

…

Hiromasa tried calling Tomei for the nth time, but this time it went straight to voicemail. He felt bad and knew his friend might be upset. Despite his great qualities, Tomei was sometimes very quick to anger.. Too quick in Hiromasa's opinion. But no one was perfect, and they were young. He'll surely improve in that area soon enough.

As Hiromasa hurried down the corridor of the dance studio, it was quieter than usual at that time in the evening. The rooms also had a lot less people in them, which he found strange.

As he reached the large practice room, where Tomei and others had been rehearsing for the last few weeks as they prepared for their upcoming production, he burst in noisily.

However, no one was there, though the lights were on. There were a few bags in a corner and other items scattered about but none of them matched the forest green and white duffel that Tomei used. With a frown, he slowly left the room in thought. He should ask around and find out what's going on.

Hiromasa pulled out his phone and checked his messages again as he made his way towards the common area. But there was nothing new. On the way, he subconsciously picked up on a song being played. A slow melodious tune of flutes, piano and bell sounding percussion instruments.

Hiromasa's head shot up and he followed the sound. That was one of the songs for the male lead's solo in the production.

He ended up climbing the stairs nearby. Something he's never done before as the second floor was where the private practice rooms were located. They were given to the top dancers in the studio, and were limited. Therefore, they were highly coveted.

‘Did Mei-kun finally get a private room and didn't tell me?’ Hiromasa wondered. It wouldn't be surprising as he'd always been a great dancer. The fact that he was the lead in the production was enough of an indicator.

The hallway was thankfully empty and it seemed only the one room was in use as the others were dark.

When he peered through the glass on the top third of the door, he was left surprised by what he saw.

Someone was indeed there practising the parts for the song, but it wasn't Tomei..

It was Qingming.

Hiromasa was once again left staring in wonder at the boy. The dancer wore an extra large t-shirt with tights and his long hair was caught in a messy bun.

But it was his movements that held Hiromasa's gaze. The athlete was brought back to the night of the mixer a few weeks ago where he’d seen Qingming playing around on the dance machine. He'd thought that he was talented just from that minute display. But now seeing Qingming seriously dancing, he was left speechless.

He'd seen Tomei practise this part many times over the last however many weeks, but in this moment, it felt like he was seeing something completely new and wonderful. Qingming’s technical skills and control of his body allowed him to hold certain poses better as well as he seemed to be adding in a few additional moves that made the whole thing bloom!

As the song faded and the one for the female lead began playing, Hiromasa thought Qingming was finished.

However, the teen made a few turns with long steps into a different position, then continued dancing.

Hiromasa recognised the moves as those of Tomei's partner, but again it felt like this was the first time he was seeing it. While the male solo showed off Qingming's precision, control and graceful strength, his movements in the female solo showed his flexibility, gracefulness and lightness on his feet.

Hiromasa couldn't believe he was watching the same person…

“He's beautiful, isn't he?” a voice startled him.

Spinning around, he came face to face with Madame Kang.

“Um.. I wasn't… uh.. I was looking for..,” Hiromasa said.

The instructor chuckled. “I know.” After all, he almost always picked up Tomei after class. “But he's not here. Today is consultation for those doing solo exams in June.”

“Oh… well, thank you,” Hiromasa said with a polite bow of his head.

Before leaving, he couldn't help taking one last look into the room where Qingming's dance was coming to an end.

Realising what he was doing, he quickly glanced back to the instructor then hurried away.

….

On Wednesday afternoon, Hiromasa and Tomei packed up their bags with the intention of going to the athlete’s house together after school.

As an apology for the mix up, Tomei had promised to ditch rehearsals and hang out with him. Tomei said he'd forgotten about consultation until he got there, and had immediately gone home to sleep. His phone was on silent since school, which is why he never heard the calls.

Hiromasa purposely didn’t ride to school that day as he wanted them to walk around for a while and go to a cafe that Tomei liked.

“Hiromasa-senpai,” Fujino called to him. “Have you spoken to Orihime-chan yet?”

Hiromasa didn’t immediately recognise the name but Tomei saved him.

“That was his date at the mixer, right?” he said with a wink at Hiromasa, indirectly telling him he knew he’d already forgotten her name.

“Yeah,” Fuijino nodded. “My girlfriend told me she and the other girls will be at the game this weekend.”

“Really?” Hiromasa said, faking interest as he turned his attention back to his bag.

He already knew the girl had no real interest in knowing him and just wanted to date him because he was popular. No doubt she was coming to the game only because he and Jira-san had had a good rapport that night.

“We’ll be there to support you, too!” Fujino said with a big smile.

“Really?” Hiromasa asked, wondering why all of a sudden.

“Of course. We’re all friends now, aren’t we?” a different voice replied.

Hiromasa looked around at Qingming, who was approaching the small group. There was a mysterious smile on the boy’s face that Hiromasa couldn’t quite decipher, but left him wanting to know more. He didn’t say anything in response to Qingming but instead moved his eyes up to his hair.

Seeming to understand the puzzled look on his friend’s face, Tomei laughed and explained that the girls in Qingming’s homeroom always put pretty clips of butterflies and flowers in his hair because they say it makes him even cuter.

“Ah, shit," Qingming frowned. "I totally forgot they were there.. If I showed up to the studio like this, no doubt it would be my shame for the rest of the year.”

Tomei raised a brow in suspicion. “You’re going in today?”

After telling Qingming at lunch that he was gonna ditch rehearsal, Qingming had reminded him that Madame Kang was going to be absent that day. Even so, they were expected to be responsible and go in just the same as another instructor would be filling in for an hour. But the consensus had been that no one would go.

Hiromasa noticed Qingming’s laugh was a little forced. “Uh, yeah.. You know I’m new and not that good.. So this is a good time for me to get one on one help so I can catch up to the rest of you..”

Hiromasa’s eye twitched. It occurred to him both dancers had made reference to Qingming's 'poor talent' a number of times over the past couple weeks. ‘What kind of bullshit are you spewing? Are you trying to say it wasn’t you I saw dancing the other day?’

Of course, that was not the case because Qingming wasn’t even aware that Hiromasa had been watching him. But for whatever reason, he always downplayed his talent and clearly had never let Tomei seen him properly dance.

Hiromasa shook away those thoughts and turned to Tomei. “Ready?”

…

Hiromasa was all kinds of frustration as he laid in bed that night, staring at the dark ceiling.

Even though Tomei had been there physically, his attention had been split between his phone and Hiromasa. While taking a restroom break, his phone beeped a few times indicating back to back messages. After a less than halfhearted battle with his conscience, Hiromasa checked the lock screen to make sure it wasn’t his friend’s younger brother or his parents trying to reach him.

He froze when he saw Usagi-chan’s name, which had a cute bunny emoji next to it. She’d sent a string of messages, which he could only see the first few words. He didn’t read them, but the conversation seemed to be a good one as some messages were only laugh emojis.

Hiromasa felt the pit open in his stomach and watched as his heart fell further and further down into it. He began to wonder if he's developed asthma due to the tightness in his chest.

Was Tomei and this girl seriously thinking of dating each other?.. He couldn’t believe it. After all, Tomei would have said something. No way he or his friends would have been able to keep quiet about something like this! But… even if they weren’t dating now, they certainly seemed to be getting along well and could possibly develop something more in time.

‘I should just tell him!’ Hiromasa’s mind shouted resolutely.

However, when he pictured himself confessing, he lost all his nerve. And as he remembered Tomei grinning at his phone as he paused their game for the nth time to respond to Usagi-chan, he felt like a loser.. When had he become such a sap? Where had the confident, tenacious, iron-willed young man gone? He'd always been the more imperious one. However, ever since he transferred to this school where Tomei was, their dynamic had slowly changed over time..

‘If I don’t do something, then I’ll risk losing him.. If not now, then later.. What if ten years from now I still don’t say anything and he’s married with a kid on the way?!’

Hiromasa’s mind was reeling with all the possibilities, shoving sleep further and further away.

“Argh!!” he grabbed his head as he flailed in bed while shouting. But he soon stopped himself so he wouldn’t alarm the housekeeper.

He sighed heavily and picked up his phone. It was too late to contact Tomei, so instead he went to stalk his SNS. His face morphed into a smile when he saw the profile picture. It was of Tomei posing mid-dance. Hiromasa had taken that shot on a whim and was amazed at how well it came out.

He scrolled through the feed and realised there were a number of new posts. He rarely visited any of the popular SNS platforms, and only had an account so he could follow his parents, Tomei and a few sports people he liked.

Hiromasa clicked on the most recent post that was uploaded only a few hours ago and was pleasantly surprised. It was a recording of his TV screen showing a replay clip of a game they’d played earlier. The caption read ‘A friend is one of the best things you can be, and the greatest thing you can have. Always grateful for mine 🙏🏼’

He wondered how it would make him feel to see this post with a few minor adjustments.. Maybe the word ‘boyfriend’ instead of friend. And maybe an emoji or two thrown in that showed Tomei's affection..

He continued scrolling through pictures and video clips from dance classes and their rehearsals, then the mixer and the arcade. A lot of the posts from the mixer were of various people playing games and losing miserably. No wonder everyone knew he’d gone. After all, Tomei's SNS account was popular. Largely in part because he posted a lot of content with Hiromasa.

The athlete also saw a clip someone else recorded but it was posted by Tomei, of the dancer gifting Usagi-chan the rag doll. Hiromasa already knew about it, but seeing how it had played out made him feel defeated all over again.

Next, he came upon posts from a dance rehearsal a few weeks ago. Before one particular video started playing, Hiromasa had spotted Qingming in the thumbnail.

The teen had his hair up in practically the same messy bun he'd seen the other night. But in the video, he was dressed in knee length shorts and a baggy t-shirt. Hiromasa watched as Qingming waved to the camera, a bright smile on his face. Tomei asked him to do a dance move and Qingming did it very clumsily, resulting in him almost falling. The two dancers laughed, with Qingming promising to work hard so he can reach Tomei's level.

At that, Hiromasa's mind zoned out and he was reliving the moment outside the door of that private room..

How could the moves in that room be carried out by someone who was supposedly no better than a novice and needed a lot of work? And one who had to attend extra classes to learn the basic routine for a small part in the production? Why was he so bent on hiding?

Without realising it, he had become curious about a lot of things concerning Qingming, such as why the dancer kept his hair as long as he did? Why was his skin so pale? Why in the world would he wear such short shorts to rehearsal?? Qingming hadn't even been in focus in that video which was posted more recently, and had been far in the background.. Still, Hiromasa had spotted him.

The next thing Hiromasa knew, the housekeeper was waking him up to get ready for school.

He picked up his phone to check the time and on his screen was that video, paused on Qingming's smile.

…

Friday Afternoon

It was the final homeroom. Tomei and his group were gathered in their usual spot.

“I can't believe Hiromasa-senpai agreed to hang out with us,” one guy said.

“I know! He's been so nice lately..”

Tomei sighed. “He's always been nice, you guys just always refused to talk to him. And it didn’t help that he's not into socialising much.”

“Well, can you blame us? He's super popular and has that lone wolf vibe going.. He's the epitome of coolness, and we're…kinda not.”

Tomei scoffed and shoved his friend playfully. “Speak for your fucking self. I'm super cool!”

Hiromasa returned from the restroom shortly after that and was gearing up to leave as soon as the bell rang, when a message came over the intercom for the rugby team to meet in the sports centre’s auditorium.

“Hiromasa-senpai, I thought you didn't have training today,” one of the guys said as the bell rang.

“We don't,” Hiromasa said. Then he turned to Tomei. “I don't think it'll take too long. Coach probably just wants to confirm some things for our training session tomorrow.”

“No problem.”

“Yeah,” another agreed. “We'll go with you and wait.”

“Oh, you don't have -.”

“Ah, Qing-kun is here!” Tomei interrupted. “Let's go!”

With that they all grabbed their bags and made their way out the door, turning around a confused Qingming in the process.

..

When they got to the auditorium, Hiromasa walked across the court to where his teammates were gathering while the others went to sit in the stands. As always, they were chattering away and really didn't seem to mind the disruption to their plans.

“Hey,” Hiromasa greeted as he approached the few already there.

“Minamoto-senpai, what's up? Why the sudden meeting?” Koga asked.

Hiromasa shrugged to show he didn't know either.

They struck up a conversation about nothing sensible, but less than a minute later, Koga nudged the person closest to him.

“Hey, guys! Guys!” he whispered excitedly. “Look! It's that guy Taka-senpai has a crush on.”

Everyone quickly looked over to the bleachers where Qingming and the group were seated.

“Oh! I have seen him around. So that's Taka-san's type?” a teammate mused.

For some reason, Hiromasa frowned as he gazed at Qingming. “I don't think they suit each other..”

When he pulled his eyes away and turned his attention back to the team as more members showed up, he was a little startled to find them all staring at him in silence.

‘Fuck … Did I say that out loud?’

He shrugged noncommittally and spoke again. “But, what do I know? Maybe they do.”

It's not what he said that had surprised them. It was the fact that he commented on the matter at all! He'd never cared about nor joined in on their conversations about dating.

“Oooo,” Koga smiled mischievously. “So now that Minamoto-senpai is dating, he won't ignore us!”

“You're dating?” came the coach's voice and they looked over at the man approaching.

Hiromasa huffed. “I don't know what they're talking about.”

“Hm. Well, be sure to let me know if you are. I just wanted to tell you guys the game this weekend has been postponed.”

“What??”

“Yeah, I just got the news and didn't want you to waste your time coming here tomorrow.”

“What happened?”

“I don't know,” the coach shrugged. “But I got the call from the Junior League Association, so whatever it is, they approved it. Anyway, that's it. I'll see you all Monday after school.”

..

The group made their way to the mall, chatting and playing around the entire way. It seemed they had an abundance of energy to spare because their daily activities had been cancelled.

“Minamoto-san,” Fujino said, stopping as they were about to enter the food court. “I'm so sorry. I promise we didn't plan this!”

Hiromasa narrowed his brows in slight annoyance. That kind of phrase never had a good follow-up statement. “Huh?”

“Kaminari-kuuun~!!”

The group looked in the direction of the voice, and saw a small group of girls at a table on the other side of the food court.

“What's going on? You didn't tell us the girls were coming!” the Kaminari guy said accusingly and began quickly straightening his clothes.

“We look like idiots!” another grumbled, trying to make his hair presentable.

“I just said I didn't plan this! And don't you think you should make the effort to look decent in front of my girlfriend?” Fujino sounded offended.

“Why? She's not single!”

Qingming laughed at their panic. “You not only look like idiots but you sound like ones too! Go make yourselves decent and I'll go greet the girls.”

Without waiting for a response, he sauntered his way across the large room.

“Hiro-senpai,” Tomei said with anxious eyes. “Please don't get upset.”

To his and the others' surprise, Hiromasa only shrugged. “It's alright.”

The athlete was a little put off by how they perceived him, but didn't spare it another thought. He was feeling nonchalant about the situation because he'd noticed Usagi-chan was not in the group. So while the others went to the restroom, he followed Qingming to the table of squealing girls.

He was a bit astonished to find they weren't initially squealing at him. Instead, they were totally enraptured by the dancer.

“You look like such a handsome Prince in your uniform,” Hiromasa heard as he arrived and stood beside Qingming.

The girls became even more enthusiastic with their compliments of how handsome the two were.

Qingming looked over at Hiromasa, his bright smile adorning his face.

Hiromasa felt that stuffy feeling in his chest as they made eye contact and frowned slightly. So what if the guy was a little good looking? He wasn't the only one.. but even as he thought this, he couldn't help agreeing he was especially…cute today. His long hair was in a braided side ponytail, and the flower clips he missed only enhanced his looks as opposed to taking away from them as he always claimed.

An unexpected flash of light snapped them both out of their staring contest.

“Sorry!!” the girl apologised, her face completely red as she hid her hands with her phone behind her.

Qingming smiled at her warmly as he shook his head. “It’s ok. Minamoto-san is indeed quite handsome so if you have the chance to capture his good looks, take it!”

That made the girls relax and giggle, as they had all become shy and silent.

“Do you girls mind if I order a drink while we wait for the others?” Qingming asked kindly while indicating for them to take a seat before he did.

The group ended up not doing what they had originally planned but it was still an enjoyable evening.

The guys complained afterwards however, that ever since Qingming showed up, it was harder to keep the attention of the girls once they saw him. He knew they didn’t mean anything bad by saying that, but he reminded them he wasn't interested in dating and therefore was not a rival.

…

Chapter Text

To Hiromasa’s surprise, and frankly everyone else's, a few weeks had already passed since he started hanging out with Tomei’s friends. Or more precisely, according to Hiromasa, since they started intruding on his time with Tomei.

Every morning, Qingming and two others would bring banana milk for everyone and they'd gather at the back of the class. They also continued to have lunch together most days.

A little over a week after Qingming started joining the two for lunch, the others had somehow integrated themselves too. Tomei had joked that they went from a lunch duo to an actual lunch group, to which Hiromasa was not at all enthused. Still, the athlete actually spoke a full sentence here and there with the others.

Except, Qingming and Hiromasa never communicated directly.. The more time he spent around the dancer and learnt about him, the more uncomfortable Hiromasa felt.

For his part, Qingming had taken a hint from the athlete's lack of response whenever he made an attempt to talk to him. So he often pretended he didn't see him. During such times, Qingming might accidentally glance in his direction, and sometimes found Hiromasa intently glaring at him. He could never figure out the reason and would just smile with uncertainty. But he really wanted to ask him what the fuck was his problem!

..

Before they knew it, it was time for midterms.

“How is it time for midterms already??” someone in the class wailed.

Though everyone laughed, they were feeling the same. At least, most of them.

“Hiromasa-san, Qing-kun, how can you guys be so calm? Tell us your secret!” Kaminari begged.

Qingming glanced at Hiromasa before responding, and saw that the guy was looking at him. “Well, I don’t know about Minamoto-san, but I don't spend my time daydreaming about dating. I study.”

He chuckled as the guys all groaned in exasperation. That wasn’t helpful.

“Hiro-senpai,” Tomei whined. “I failed my science test.”

Hiromasa turned in his chair and took the paper and looked it over. “Hmm.. Well, I can help you study for the makeup test.”

“Really? You’re so kind!”

While they were in their one-on-one conversation, the others were pestering Qingming with questions.

“Why don’t we designate some time over the next couple weeks where we meet to study? I’ll help you guys with anything you want then.”

“Oh, Abe-sama is so generous. He’s so kind!”

Qingming laughed at their exaggerated behaviour. “Please, no need for the dramatics. I just have a basic understanding of the subjects and I’m hoping that will be enough.”

When he felt a strange vibe, Qingming looked in that direction and once again found Hiromasa glaring at him. This time, the dancer didn’t smile in return and just quickly looked away. He didn’t say much else after that.

At lunch, they started to plot out a study timetable and Qingming was surprised how much free time the guys had.

“Isn’t it mandatory to do an activity after school?” he asked, looking over the table they’d drafted showing their available hours.

“Not everyday!”

"Yeah, we're seniors now."

“Hmm.. Well, I’m happy you’re all available until 9 PM, that way I can still have a decent amount of time with you each day when I join at 7,” Qingming mused, writing his name and 7 - 9 PM.

Tomei furrowed his brow. “We only have dance Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. What do you have on the other days?”

“Oh, uh..”

Qingming was a little startled as he was caught off guard by the question. He’d been making excuses on Tuesdays and Thursdays anytime they suggested meeting, but couldn’t remember if he’d made up an activity. And his brain chose now to stop working.

“He has family stuff on those days.”

Qingming looked over and met Hiromasa’s intense gaze.

“Right?” the athlete prompted.

“Uh, yeah,” Qingming nodded, looking away. “That’s right..”

“Oh yeah!” Tomei slapped his forehead. “You did mention that before. I’m so fucking forgetful.. Which is why I faaaiiillleeeddd..”

As the others laughed at the boy’s whining and fake crying, Qingming glanced over at Hiromasa. But the other guy had already turned his attention back to his best friend, patting him on the shoulder.

*****************

“These tests were brutal! I'm actually looking forward to the class trip now just so I can get a break!”

“Me too!”

“Same!”

“Have you guys already planned where you want to go on your free day?” Qingming asked.

While everyone had crashed on Tomei's living room floor, he was at the coffee table poring over a book.

“Nah… since they changed the location, hardly anyone is interested.”

The others showed their agreement.

“Well, I for one really like small, historical towns and I'm looking forward to exploring,” Qingming said. “I've already found a few spots that I want to visit. Plus, we'll be going during their annual festival, so there's going to be a lot more things to see!”

“Hu.. Now you got me interested again,’’ Kaminari sighed, then sat up. “Ok, show me the plan.”

The others slowly crawled over and Qingming excitedly pulled out his tablet and showed them the itinerary, which included pictures and maps.

“He's really good at getting people excited about the strangest things,” Tomei whispered, stopping beside Hiromasa.

The athlete snapped back to the present, realising what was going on. He and Tomei had been in the kitchen preparing snacks when he came out and heard Qingming. He didn't realise he'd stopped walking and was just staring at the dancer.

Hiromasa cleared his throat and continued into the room. “He just made me think of the places I want us to visit.”

“We're going somewhere?”

“Yeah. There's an old manor and a waterfall that are a little off the beaten path.”

Tomei frowned slightly. “That sounds even more rural than where we're going.. and that means all kinds of bugs and shit.”

“Man the fuck up, you wuss!”

It was one of the guys who had come over to get a drink.

Tomei stuck his tongue out and playfully kicked at his friend who ran away. He then took off behind him and left Hiromasa looking a little dejected.

Qingming looked up at him and opened his mouth to say something. At that moment, Hiromasa's eyes met his and he decided to remain silent, bringing his gaze back to the tablet screen.
…

“So guys…,” Fujino said.

They were on the bus heading to Iwakuni. The five senior classes were split between two large buses. It was a ten hour drive from Tokyo to Iwakuni, and though they were not looking forward to being on the road that long, they were still upbeat.

Unknown to them they'd be spending a night in Nagoya!

The teachers had kept that part secret from the students, who were completely speechless when the buses pulled up in front of a luxurious skyscraper hotel before noon the day they left Tokyo.

“Um, Sensei…,” Qingming said from his seat closer to the middle of the bus. “Why are we here?”

Though he tried to hide it, there was a slight trembling in his voice that wasn't easy to notice. Hiromasa had heard him and thought his tone was weird.

“Well,” the teacher said standing up as the bus came to a stop. “One of our parents decided to make the trip a little more fun for you guys by sponsoring an overnight stay in Nagoya, and this is where we'll be staying!”

“What???” was the response all around.

“Exciting, right? Let's get inside and we'll further update you.”

The students of Hiromasa's homeroom accused their teacher of withholding vital information from them, and he laughed. Even though class trips aren't exactly mandatory, the expectation is for all students to partake. However, a number of students had gotten their parents to get them excused from it. Clearly they were not enthused about the decision to go to Iwakuni. Now, they were missing out on this.

The teacher went on to direct them to leave their luggage, then file out of the bus and form two lines.

Outside, the others on the next bus were also looking around in awe and confusion.

Hiromasa kept watching Qingming the whole time. He was sure he wasn't wrong. The teen had become anxious ever since they arrived at this place. The way he barely responded and seemed distracted when other students around him tried to interact with him, told Hiromasa the dancer may be involved with this arrangement.

“Hiro-senpai, let's go!” Tomei, who had been caught up in the chatter of his other friends, yanked his arm excitedly.

They were now being led inside through the automatic doors by two hostesses in black jackets and black, calf-length A-line skirts.

The students ‘ooed’ and ‘awed’ at the luxurious design and layout of the massive lobby. They were led into a large dining hall where refreshments were laid out.

“Oh my gosh!” someone whisper-shouted. “Whose parents did this?”

Just as the person looked at Hiromasa, others began whispering his name too. After all, his own best friend had confirmed he has great connections.

“My parents had nothing to do with this,” he said simply, but loud enough for a lot of those around to hear.

That only made them more curious. As far as they were concerned, Hiromasa was the only student who could arrange something like this.

“So we've had a chameleon in our school, huh?” one guy in the friend group said. “The fact that this trip was sponsored means it's one of you…”

He squinted his eyes as he pointed a finger around the room at everyone.

Everyone laughed, but it was Hiromasa who responded. “That may be the case, but what does it matter? If the person wanted attention they wouldn't have been hiding all this time.”

The guy straightened up and chuckled awkwardly. “I know, Minamoto-senpai… I'm sorry, Chameleon. You can stay in hiding and keep taking care of us!”

The other students who'd still been paying attention to him rolled their eyes before spreading out to find seats.

“Hey, where'd Qing-kun go?” Tomei asked, looking around.

“He was with the girls from his class..”

“I think I heard him asking for the restroom,” Hiromasa said. “Let's go sit.”

It was a little while before Qingming returned, but they didn't notice as he'd gone to sit with people from his homeroom.

The teachers advised that they wouldn't keep them for long, as there were planned group activities in the city for them. They would meet back at the hotel by 5 PM then get ready for dinner at a restaurant in the city that had 3 Michelin stars.

“Whoa! This parent is going all out!” Tomei whispered.

Before listing the different groups, the teacher told them if they behaved well on this trip, they may get another surprise on the journey home!

The groups were formed by homeroom, so Qingming didn't get to see the others again until they got back.

He was the last one in his group to collect a room key, so he made his way alone to the elevator. When it got to the designated floor, he dragged himself to the room. Why him?

As if it wasn't bad enough that his mother wanted to control his life at home, but she also had to have a say in what he did at school… he'd thought of calling his father, but what was the point? As long as she didn't show up before him, he'd let it slide because it was benefiting the class. But he knew she must have had an ulterior motive..

Qingming absentmindedly unlocked the door with the key card and dragged himself inside the room, wondering who from his homeroom he'd been stuck with.

The person was in the shower, which was good. That meant there should be no delays in getting down for dinner.

His luggage had been placed at the foot of his bed, and he noticed his roommate's was in the corner and an outfit was laid out on their bed.

He followed suit and laid out a change of clothes, also putting his toiletries to the side. As he was closing his suitcase, he got a call. A quick check of the phone screen revealed his father's number.

Qingming didn't want to have the discussion he knew was coming around anyone, so he quickly grabbed his key card and left the room. As he answered the phone, he headed towards the elevator.
...

“... promise it's ok, dad. But just to be sure, it was just the tours, dinner and the overnight stays, right? No other surprises.”

He sighed in relief when his father reassured him. So that second stop at their Osaka branch that his father just told him about must be the other surprise the teacher had mentioned.

Qingming had become more relaxed when he heard the idea was something his parents had decided on together, and not his mother trying to manipulate things. He'd been sceptical but knew his father wouldn't lie to him. Not even to cover for his wife. They were always pretty vocal when they didn't see eye to eye on something. Sometimes, a little too vocal from what Qingming could remember from his younger days when he lived with them… He hasn't seen nor heard them seriously arguing since he's been home, but figured it was because he wasn't staying in the main house to witness it.

He noticed the time and realised he was gonna be late.

“Oh, crap!”

He hurried from the rooftop deck, and took the elevator back to his floor.

When he got to his room, his roommate had already gotten dressed and left. Apparently, they didn't like their first outfit choice because the clothes from earlier were now hung over the back of a chair.

Qingming took a quick shower, brushed out his hair which he didn't have time to wash and threw it in a loose ponytail, then got dressed.

As he was finishing up he got a call from one of the teachers telling him they were waiting on him.

When he met up with the other students, Qingming's usual girl gang quickly surrounded him, telling him how cute he looked in his glasses. He had to wear them because there had been no time to put in his contacts.

As the teachers ushered them out to the buses, Hiromasa looked away from Qingming with a slight smirk on his lips. As his eyes moved away, they caught sight of Yue watching the boy. The captain's eye twitched and his frown reappeared. Though his teammate hadn't approached Qingming directly, from what he's heard through the grapevine (i.e. the locker room), they kept running into each other and Yue was completely smitten.

The tight-head's response for why he hadn't approached him yet, was that Qingming just transferred in and seemed to have a lot going on. He didn't need to complicate his life by approaching him. Besides, rumours claimed he transferred to their school because of a bad breakup with some demon chick.

…

“I'm rooming with…”

While they ate, the students talked about their day and all seemed to be having a great time.

“Who are you with, Qing-kun?” one of the guys asked.

“I actually don't know yet,” he chuckled. “Anyone is fine. I'll probably fall asleep as soon as I get in coz I woke up way too early this morning.”

"You woke up when I called you at 5:30 this morning to remind you the bus was leaving at 6 am," Tomei deadpanned.

"Exactly! Way too early for a non-school day..."

-

When they got back to the hotel, some of the students wanted to go by the pool but the teachers told them they had to go to sleep as they were leaving early the next morning again.

It seemed everyone in Qingming's friend group was on one floor together. They said goodnight and piled out of the elevator, feeling sated and sleepy.

The dancer was slightly surprised to see Hiromasa remain on the lift with him, and gave him a querying look.

“I'm also on the other floor,” Hiromasa said, after glancing at him.

“Ok,” was all Qingming said before pressing the button.

He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. They felt dry and hurt a little. The elevator dinged and the doors opened.

Hiromasa allowed Qingming to leave first but soon passed him as the dancer was walking lazily.

As Qingming stopped at his door, he addressed the senior. “Goodnight, Minamoto-san.”

“Wrong room.”

“Huh?” Qingming was wondering if he missed some of what the other guy said.

Hiromasa sighed. “You're trying to go into the wrong room.”

As the swipe pad beeped and flashed red, Qingming stepped back and looked up at the room number. He squinted because his vision was fuzzy.

“Come on before someone thinks you're some kind of delinquent.”

“Huh?” Not being able to see well always made Qingming feel a little less intelligent.

“We're roommates for the night.”

“Ohh.. huh?”

In the room, Qingming felt more than a little awkward. After all, as much as they hung out together, he'd never spent time alone with this guy. Their conversation just now had been the longest they'd ever had! And now they had to share a room.

“So, uh.. I'm going to wash up and get ready for bed,” Qingming said, then hurriedly gathered his pyjamas and went to the bathroom.

When he returned to the room, Hiromasa was sitting in one of two chairs tapping away on his phone. He didn't even glance in Qingming's direction, who didn't mind the silence.

After a while, Hiromasa put the phone down then went to the bathroom.

Qingming was already fast asleep when he emerged again a short while later.

‘Hmph!.. Must be tiring hiding so many secrets,’ Hiromasa thought with a little shake of his head as he passed Qingming's bed.

After getting into his own, he checked his alarm then switched off the lamp.
…

As they got ready for breakfast the following morning, after which they would set out, Hiromasa sat on his bed staring at Qingming.

“Minamoto-san..?” Qingming called to him after looking up for a third time while packing, and meeting the intense gaze. “Is there something wrong?”

Hiromasa didn't respond right away. When he eventually spoke, his tone was neither friendly nor hostile. “You need a better poker face.”

“Pardon?”

Hiromasa made a little scoff. “It's obvious your family is our benefactor for this stop over. You don't want your identity revealed, but you don't hold yourself together very well when you become anxious…”

Qingming shook his head as his lips formed a little smile. “I didn't know Minamoto-san had been observing me this much. I'll be more aware going forward, thank you.”

Neither said anything more after that, but compared to the show of nonchalance he'd just put on, Qingming's heart was racing. If Hiromasa knew his identity, or at least suspected something, then it won't be long before he tells Tomei, who'll certainly tell the others!

The dancer grabbed his suitcase and cross-body bag, then started for the door. As he reached for the handle after putting on his shoes, he heard his roommate's voice directly behind him.

“You don't have to worry about anyone finding out from me.”

Though they weren't well acquainted, for some reason Qingming thought he could trust those words. So he nodded then continued on his way.

***

Chapter Text

The students were given a few hours to go explore by themselves the morning of their second day in Iwakuni.

After arriving the previous day, they'd had lunch at the inn they'd rented and visited the local castle. It mostly showcased various types of swords, which some found boring. But there were still a lot of unique things otherwise.

Everyone's spirits were lifted upon re-entering the courtyard after the tour, and they found themselves in the middle of a reenactment.

Some had plastic swords, shields and daggers thrusted into their hands while others had been given more mundane items to play the role of civilians. It had been one big chaotic but fun mess, which they didn't want to leave when the time ended.

At the moment, the friend group was at the local shrine, where they just finished praying for success in their studies, romance and the rest of the trip.

“Alright! What do we do next?” Kaminari asked.

“Hey, Mei-kun.. Why don't you get one of those charms this shrine is famous for?” Qingming said, giving his friend a sly smile.

Hiromasa immediately had a sense of foreboding as he wondered what charm that was. But unexpectedly his name rang out loudly, momentarily distracting him.

“Minamoto-saaan~!!”

Hiromasa cringed and wished the ground would swallow him up when he recognised the voice.

The group all turned in the direction of the voice, and saw a few girls heading towards them, led by Fujino's girlfriend.

Fujino smiled at them. “Surprise!”

“...!”

“Um.. What's going on?”

“Our school decided to come here too!” Orihime-chan said, her eyes on Hiromasa.

“Usagi-chan!” Tomei's voice revealed his excitement and she approached him. “Why didn't you tell me you guys were coming too?”

“Then it wouldn't be a surprise," she smiled cutely.

Hiromasa's mood suddenly soured. It was bad enough they had to travel in groups where he couldn't go anywhere alone with Tomei, but now this…

Qingming sensed something off and looked at Hiromasa with confusion in his eyes. Did something happen to him? He didn't get to ponder it for long as two of the girls rushed over to him.

“Wow, Qing-kun! You're even more handsome than I remember!”

“It's true!”

"He lives up to his title of being the Fairy Prince!"

Qingming laughed a little uncomfortably. He wasn't close to these girls but they seemed to have misinterpreted his kindness for something else.. But he didn't want to make a fuss. He would leave that to Hiromasa, who just reacted as if he'd received an electric shock when a couple of the girls went over to him suddenly and asked to go somewhere together.

“Um.. I need to go to the restroom. I'll see you in a bit..” Hiromasa quickly walked away.

Qingming forgot his earlier thought of not creating a fuss. Less boys, meant more girls to deal with. “Oh, me too! I'll go with you, Minamoto-san.” He gave a small apologetic smile then took off behind Hiromasa's retreating figure.

“While we wait for them, why don't we go check our fortunes?” Fujino suggested.

Meanwhile, Hiromasa was walking aimlessly around the shrine deep in thought for a few minutes now.

“...hear that this shrine is famous for! They say, if you confess to your crush with one of their love knot charms while on a trip, then you'll be happy together forever!”

The others around the speaker squealed in delight and crowded the window.

The words had stopped Hiromasa in his tracks. His heavy heart suddenly felt a spark of hope. Though he wasn't one to believe in such things, the words intrigued him and he thought it couldn't hurt to try.

He hadn't stopped for more than ten seconds when someone bumped into his back.

“Oh, I'm sorry!”

He looked around to see Qingming who looked just as surprised to see him. Had they been walking one behind the other all along??

“Oh, Minamoto-san.. Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. Well, goodb-.”

“Hello there!” a bright, cheery voice greeted them.

A young woman in the traditional garb of a miko was standing next to them. They hadn't even noticed her approach.

“Oh, hi..,” Qingming greeted with a little bow.

“You two seemed interested in our love knot charms,” she said.

Hiromasa said nothing but Qingming shook his head with a little laugh.

“No thanks,” he said courteously. “I'm afraid that's not for someone like me.”

That brought Hiromasa's attention to him. “What do you mean by that?”

But Qingming only shrugged and was about to excuse himself when the girl spoke again.

“Never forget, we all deserve to be loved. But if not that, maybe I can interest you in a private tour of our main temple?”

“I thought that was closed to the public,” Hiromasa said sceptically.

“We make special allowances from time to time..,” the girl said with another mysterious smile. She looked from him to Qingming as she spoke. “You look like someone who needs some direction, and you look like someone in need of faith. Maybe you can both find some inspiration as we go along..”

The main temple was well preserved and properly maintained inside compared to the weathered look on the outside.

The two students were kneeling before fire pit in front of a large statue, holding sticks of incense as they tried to clear their minds. The miko had told them to spend some time in meditation before writing down their prayers on the strips of thin rice paper she'd provided.

Once that was done, they burnt the papers in the flames of the fire pit, while she collected the ashes of the burnt incense into a small dish then added water and stirred.

“Use the second brush and write just one character which expresses your heart's truest desire for your future,” she said, placing the small ceramic dish between them.

After thinking for another moment, the two suddenly felt inspired and reached for their brushes at almost the same time. They glanced at each other before setting about their individual tasks.

“Ok,” Qingming said after a while. “I think I'm finished.”

He sounded quite pleased with himself.

The miko nodded and told him to close his eyes and to keep folding his sheet of paper until he felt like stopping. Hiromasa was directed to do the same a short time after.

When they finished and opened their eyes, there were two small, patterned pouches before them.

“Put the folded paper in your pouch and tie a knot. When the time is right, give it to someone special. If they're able to open it, it means they truly understand your heart and will be the one to help make your wish come true.”

Qingming looked at her sceptically with raised brows.

“That is the true power of our temple’s knot charm,” she smiled. “But for it to work, you can't force it. You have to be certain beyond a doubt when you gift it to someone. Most people who follow that simple rule, ended up finding love with the person they gave their charm to, as did those whose wish was about finding love. So, over time they came to be known as ‘love knot charms’.”
…

As they walked towards the gate of the main temple in silence, the two looked at their own sachets and pondered the miko's words.

“I hope to see you both again someday!” they heard her call out to them.

Turning around, they gave another bow then continued on their way.

“So cute,” she smiled to herself.

She opened her palms and in each was a folded piece of rice paper. Holding them up, she brought them together and their folds fit perfectly together forming a shape.

Stepping back inside the temple, she walked to the fire pit before the statue.

“Let's see how long you take to unravel,” she said, dropping the now single piece of paper into the fire.

But instead of becoming ash, it just floated in the middle of the flames and remained unchanged.
…

The two teens silently walked towards the last place they left the group, each thinking about the words of advice the miko had imparted while they'd been meditating. The things she'd said had been very personal, and each felt a bit embarrassed about the other person hearing, that they didn't stop to think how she could have known..

Hiromasa had already put away his charm, but Qingming kept perusing his while lost in thought.

“Qing-kun! Hiro-senpai!”

They both snapped out of their daze at the sound of Tomei's voice calling to them.

Without knowing why, Qingming quickly shoved his charm into his pocket. “Mei-kun!” he gasped.

Only now did the two think about how long they'd been gone.

“How come you're back so soon? Whatever, it's fine. We were just getting our fortune.”

“Huh?”

Qingming looked over at Hiromasa, who looked just as confused as he looked to Tomei. They'd spent quite a long time in that temple, so what did Tomei mean they'd come back so soon? But when they checked their watches, it seemed only about 30 minutes had passed since they left the bus at the entrance of the shrine. It took them a little over ten minutes to walk to the place they prayed as a group, another ten minutes to wait their turn and then they'd met up with the girls right after…

That would suggest the two had been gone less than five minutes, which was much too short to have gone to the restroom on the other side of the property, waited in line and come back.

Hiromasa finally looked at Qingming, disbelief on his face. He saw Qingming touch his pocket, as if confirming the charm was there which would prove their encounter had been real.

However, they didn't get a chance to think about it much as the others had also come over and started talking.

Somehow, it ended up with them splitting into two groups and exploring the rest of the shrine until the boys had to rejoin their classmates for lunch before heading out to enjoy the festival celebrations.
…

That second night in Iwakuni found them relaxing in their room in the inn.

“Hey, let's go to the onsen!”

Hiromasa had been going through his backpack when he heard the suggestion and froze. He looked over at Tomei and felt anxiety creeping in. It had been years since they'd seen each other naked. And though he didn't feel strangely about the others, Tomei was his love interest after all. So the thought of seeing him naked made him feel somewhat shy..

However, Fujino gave him a reprieve and made him worried at the same time. “Mei-kun, a girl is asking you to meet her in the garden.”

“Oooo…” the other guys teased.

“They were buying a lot of love charms at the shrine today. Looks like she doesn't want to ruin her chances and decided to go for it!"

Hiromasa's heart sped up and he unconsciously felt around his bag for his own charm.

“I'll wait for you,” he told Tomei.

But the boy shook his head. “That's fine. You guys go on ahead and I'll catch up.”

Hiromasa was intent on staying but Tomei gave him an exasperated sigh.

“I'm not a fucking child. Just go already.”

The tone was evidently frustrated, so Hiromasa said nothing further and gathered his things and left with the others.

Tomei sighed and headed to the area he was told to meet the girl.
…

In the garden, the girl sat on a bench, playing a game on her phone.

His heart started beating a little faster all of a sudden. Though he would get gifts from girls on occasion, none had ever confessed. In fact, a lot of them who approached him only did so in relation to Hiromasa, the 'Dark Emperor' they were too anxious to approach directly. He told himself he didn't resent his best friend, but sometimes it was frustrating that Hiromasa had so many people wanting to get closer to him, but the athlete always remained aloof.

The anxious feeling turned sour as Tomei wondered at this girl's true intentions. After all, this was their third year in the same class, and she's never looked his way.

With a sigh, he cleared his throat so she would know he was there. When she looked up at him, her eyes were neither warm nor shy. They had a hint of disappointment in them and that only further upset him.

She walked over and held out her hand, revealing one of the love knot charms that were being sold at the shrine.

“Listen, I'm sorry but -.”

“Give this to Hiromasa-senpai,” she said bluntly.

“What?”

“He won't take it if it's coming from me. But he will if it's you. Just hand it to him.”

Tomei almost scoffed at her callous tone. What gave her the confidence to think she could boss him around?

But, he wasn't going to cause a scene. He didn't need to. He'd already suspected her intentions and had decided he wouldn't help her.

Before he could speak again, she shoved it into his hand and left.

After leaving the garden, Tomei sat in the inn's common room to think. He placed the charm on the table before him and wondered if he was being a bad friend. If it were Hiromasa, he would have supported him. So shouldn't he do the same?

Tomei recalled what he'd seen just before leaving the room.. He'd accidentally kicked over Hiromasa's open knapsack and a charm had fallen out. It was different in colour and design from the ones they'd all bought, but was certainly from the same shrine. Tomei had quickly put it back.

Now he wondered if another girl had given it to Hiromasa, or… did Hiromasa buy it to give to someone?

Tomei felt conflicted on what he should do, and didn't notice the time going by.

When the other guys came bumbling through the common room after leaving the onsen, was when he got pulled from his thoughts.

“Hey, where have you been?” Hiromasa asked, sitting down beside him.

“Ohhh!” Fujino exclaimed. “She really gave him a love charm!”

But Tomei's nonchalant shrug made him calm down.

“Actually, she wanted me to give it to Hiro-senpai..”

“Aw man… that ain't cool.”

Hiromasa looked annoyed even though inside he was relieved. He was relieved that Tomei didn't get a confession, but was upset by the girl trying to get him to accept her love charm by using his friend. However, Tomei would probably get upset if he said what he really felt about what she did, so he pushed it down.

“Leave it there,” Hiromasa said, getting up. “You should go wash up before they close off.”

Tomei looked up at Hiromasa and felt a warm feeling inside. Of course he shouldn't have felt guilty about not wanting to do what the girl asked. Hiromasa wouldn't accept such a thing.

“Ok,” he said. Then he looked around. “Where's Qing-kun?”

One of the guys answered. “He said he wanted a chance to enjoy the onsen without us teasing him so he's still there.”

“Teasing him?”

Fujino laughed. “It's just, his body is so perfectly toned.. and when he flexed, we saw his muscles. We never would have guessed it!”

While Tomei nodded in understanding and separated from them, Hiromasa's face felt warm. He had been just as stunned as the others. It made him realise Qingming hadn't only been dancing for many years, but also worked out in other ways to achieve such a physique. Without meaning to, Hiromasa started thinking about that night he saw him in the private room and tried to picture him doing the choreo in the too short shorts..
…

The guys had brought a gaming console, which wasn't exactly allowed. But they were teenage boys, so who could blame them?

They were in the middle of a heated game when the guy on lookout hurried by and told them their homeroom teacher was coming to do rounds.

There was a sudden scramble as they hurried to unplug the console, hide all the paraphernalia and put the TV back in its correct place. They could hear their neighbours doing the same.

It was all the more tedious yet comedic, because they had to do it all with the lights out.

As the man's whistling reached their ears, they randomly dived under the covers on the tatami mats to pretend they were asleep.

When Qingming felt himself land on a body instead of the mat, he realised he'd chosen a spot already occupied. He was about to move when the person wrapped an arm around him, holding him in place. He didn't know what he found more scandalous, the way his body reacted being held by this person, or the fact that he felt that way even though the other person was also a guy!

Just two seconds later there was a sliding sound as the door was opened by the teacher.

His lantern cast a dim light on his immediate surroundings as he slowly moved between the 'sleeping' bodies to check for contraband.

When the teacher came closer to where Qingming was, the dancer wanted to use the illumination to find out the owner of this paragon of sin. He slowly moved his head to look up, but the guy's other hand stopped him.

The teacher had just passed them and the teen might have given himself away had he followed through in his actions. Qingming quietly inhaled to take a deep breath and was filled with a nice scent. Though it wasn't anything discernable like a bath soap or lotion, it was nice.

After another minute, the light withdrew and they heard the door close. They didn't immediately make any movement as the other rooms the teacher was checking were on either side of theirs. It was a traditional inn, so the walls were literally paper thin and therefore not soundproof in any way.

Qingming unwittingly relaxed into the body beneath his, wondering who it belonged to and why it felt so comfortable?

Though there had been many students in same sex relationships at his old school, he'd never been attracted in that way to a guy. And even more confusing, was that he couldn't imagine developing those kinds of feelings for anyone in this group!

Maybe he was just still feeling the emotions that the temple visit had brought up earlier.. the words of the miko came back to him in that moment as he laid there and he began to think of days gone by...

By the time they were in the clear and could move again, Qingming had already fallen asleep.
…

Chapter Text

The following day was a free day for the students.

Hiromasa had been looking forward to this day! He'd prepared a list of places he'd wanted to go with Tomei. He'd even bought a guide book two weeks ago and they’d marked down the places together.

However…

When they got to the Kintaikyo Bridge, they found Fujino, his girlfriend, Usagi-chan, Orihime-chan and two other girls waiting.

“Fujino-kun?” Tomei turned to the smiling guy.

“Usagi-chan wanted to ask you something,” his friend said, trying to suppress his grin.

Tomei looked confused but he told Hiromasa to give him a moment and went over to her.

Hiromasa knew that he shouldn't be angry at Fujino, but he couldn't help it. Only when Tomei came back over to him with slumped shoulders did his emotions wane. It was obvious that Tomei wanted to go with her, but felt obligated to stay with him because of their plans.

Hiromasa felt a sinking feeling inside. He couldn't be selfish and try to trap Tomei. Especially when he hasn't made any steps to confess to him. Actually, he hasn't really done anything to show his friend that he's interested in more than friendship with him. Even now, when he wants Tomei to stay with him, there is something holding him back.

“What's with that pitiful face? Are you saying she's not good company?”

Tomei looked at Hiromasa in surprise. “Hiro-senpai?”

Hiromasa forced a small smile. “My teammates actually wanted us to go on a hike as part of our prep for the game next week. Now I'll have the chance to do so.”

“Are you sure?”

Hiromasa nodded. “Don't forget we're supposed to get back by 3.” Before Tomei could say anything again, Hiromasa looked over at the three girls. “My teammates and I are going on a hike. You're welcome to join us if you think you can handle it.”

The girls readily agreed and rushed over to his side.

Tomei didn't know what to think and just stood there in confusion as Hiromasa left with the girls.

“Mei-kun,” Usagi-chan called to him with a sweet smile.

…
Kaminari and the remaining guys from the group stood at the foot of the hill with a buoyant Qingming.

"Why the fuck did I agree to this again?" one of the guys wailed.

"Coz it's gonna be fucking awesome! Let's go!" Qingming said.

He took off on the path ahead, the others falling in line behind him with less enthusiasm than they had earlier. The way the dancer had described their destination, made it seem as if it would be no more challenging than climbing over a knoll. What a shock they'd had to see the steep trail leading up the side of the hill!

"Qing..kun!" Kaminari was practically rasping. "Wai...wait!"

Qingming rolled his eyes as he stopped walking and turned around. "What now?"

The others threw themselves down in the foliage under their feet. They've been on the trail for over an hour but they'd only walked/climbed for no more than fifteen minutes in total because of the multiple stops the guys kept requesting.

"Just slow down a little, will you?" one of the guys panted.

Qingming scoffed. "You can't be fucking serious right now? How unfit are you guys?"

"We're pretty fit, aren't we? This is just too steep and long!" Kaminari defended.

"What the .. If I throw an egg from here to the street below it wouldn't crack because we're still so fucking close to where we started," Qingming almost shouted in frustration. He took a deep breath. "Listen, why don't you guys just go back once you get some rest? The trail is still marked clearly so you won't get lost. I won't get there til night if I keep travelling with you so I'll keep going alone. See you later."

Without waiting for their response, Qingming continued ahead.

The others fell down on their backs.

"Let's just take a good rest before we go down.."

Fifteen minutes later, they hadn't yet left when they heard voices approaching.

A short while later, Hiromasa and his teammates who were in their senior year appeared. When the two groups saw each other, there was a moment of silence.

"Kaminari-san..?"

When the guy and his friends saw the girls walk up from the middle of the other group, they sprang up from their unflattering position on the ground.

"He..Hey!! What are you ladies doing here?"

"Where's Qingming?" Hiromasa asked brusquely.

"He called us dead weight and went on ahead. We were just taking a break before going back dow--."

"So you let him go off all by himself??"

Hiromasa didn't wait for an answer and took off on the trail at a brisk pace.

The guys looked wronged. "But... he's the one who told us to go back.."

One of the team members frowned at them. "Don't you know it's too dangerous for one person to go hiking? Especially in unknown territory. What if he got hurt or something?"

"Let's go guys," one of the girls said not sparing another glance at them.

The rest of Hiromasa's group continued without another word. Even though the girls were obviously outside of their comfort zone, they hadn't taken any of the offers for a break yet and managed to keep the moderate pace the guys had set.
.

Hiromasa had reached the part of the trail where it changed from a marked dirt path, to a moss covered natural stone stairway. He finally spotted Qingming near the top and internally sighed in relief. The athlete began the climb at a slower pace now that he saw the guy was ok. But a few seconds after he saw Qingming step to the side to inspect the flora there, he heard the dancer let out a yell and sprang away.

Hiromasa was still too far away and only watched as Qingming's foot slid on the moss and the dancer fell. However, instead of falling on his back and rolling down the stairs, he somehow quickly manoeuvred himself and ended up landing in a sitting position.

"Oww!!" Qingming groaned upon impact, his eyes squeezed shut at the pain that shot up his back.

"Hey," Hiromasa said softly, only a few steps away from the other.

Qingming opened his eyes and was stunned by the person he saw before him. "Minamoto-san?"

"Does it hurt a lot? Do you need to go back down to see the doctor?" Hiromasa asked.

Qingming was a little baffled by this guy's sudden appearance and him actually speaking to him. He leaned to the side and rubbed his butt and his lower back. "Nah, I'm fine. It just hurts a little."

Hiromasa held out a hand to help Qingming up. He noticed the other guy's hesitation but it didn't bother him. In fact, he thought the dancer would decline his help. But Qingming took his hand and climbed to his feet with a plaintive cry.

He proceeded to brush off the seat of his pants on one side, and when he made to do the other was when they both realised they'd still been holding hands. Instead of pulling them apart, the two looked up and their eyes met.

"Qing-kuuun~!!"

The two sprang apart as if they'd been caught doing something wrong. The girls began rushing towards towards them, prompting the dancer to shout for them to be careful.

"Hey, Cap!" one of the team members called as they started up the stairs. "Everything ok?"

Hiromasa turned around. "En. I think so.."

When Hiromasa looked at Qingming, he nodded an affirmative to the questioning eyes that were looking at him.

"Qing-kun, where are you going?" one of the girls asked.

"Oh, I wanted to the visit the waterfall and onsen that are along this trail. There's an ancient shrine at the end, but that'll take a few days to get to unfortunately."

"There's a waterfall?" someone asked.

Qingming nodded.

"We didn't know that! We just wanted to get in some exercise. Um, say.. Qing-kun. Do you mind if we tag along?"

"Yeah," one of the girls pouted. "You shouldn't be walking around by yourself after all. Minamoto-san was so worried when he heard the others left you on your own."

Qingming thought the girl was mistaken. Surely Hiromasa was just trying to get away from them again and him leaving them behind coincided with them getting that information. "You're right, ladies. Please take care of me."

...

Their last night in Iwakuni found them preparing their own BBQ dinner in the yard of the inn they'd rented.

Everyone was in high spirits. The trip to this rural town had turned out to be a lot more interesting and enjoyable than they'd anticipated!

“Did you ever doubt your teachers knew what they were doing?” Hiromasa's homeroom teacher said smugly.

***

Chapter Text

Their first day back to school was also koromogae. Even though their classes were air conditioned, the temperature outside had gotten quite warm since the previous month. The girls were particularly happy for the change and flooded The Forum with pictures of members of the rugby team, talking about their muscles and ripped bodies which they could now admire all day long without the jackets. The most popular photo was of the team captain after he arrived at school. The 'fan' had captured him still sitting on his bike, in the process of taking off his helmet.

During morning announcements, the students were reminded of the upcoming sports day.

“Hiromasa-senpai,” Fujino called to the athlete who was immersed in a book. “What events will you be participating in this year?”

“I don't know,” he replied.

Tomei grabbed his friend's snack. “You can bet they'll ask him to enter all the events.”

“The usual,” Kaminari chuckled.

“Qing-kun, I guess I'll be competing against you,” Tomei said to Qingming. “Don't think I'll go easy just 'cause we're friends!”

Qingming looked up from his phone. “The fuck are you yapping about?”

“The dance competition…”

But Qingming's face remained blank.

“Teachers and students of each class perform their own original routine, or whatever's popular.. usually they start prepping early because costumes have to be decided on and made, and everyone needs enough time to learn the choreo..”

“Oh,” Qingming shrugged. “I haven't heard about it. But I'm not interested.”

“But why not?” Fujino asked.

“I'm not that good. I'll stick out and make it bad for the class.”

Hiromasa's eye twitched and he looked over at Qingming, who was again focused on his phone. He didn't know what it was, but he could tell there was something off. He brushed the thought aside and went back to his book.

Less than a minute later, Hiromasa's desk was surrounded by a number if event leaders wanting to sign him up for various events on sports day.

He turned them down nicely, citing that he couldn't commit to anything right now due to his upcoming match, but will think about it more afterwards. After all, the next match was a quarter final game for a spot in the semis!
***

The workload they had that week, made them yearn for the days of their class trip. They felt so over-worked, it was hard to believe the trip had been just last week!

“I think it's part of their plot.. They bait us with a nice break, and just when we start liking them…bam! They throw dirt in our face.”

The speaker's head was shoved forward, but not too hard.

“Your face is already such a mess. Why would we waste perfectly good dirt?” the teacher said, then walked to the front of the class.

“Sensei,” the guy whined, fixing his hair. “Can't you and the other teachers have pity on us?”

“We could… But if we did, you'll say it's only because we're baiting you, right?”

The class laughed.

“Come on, guys. You have 20 minutes left. How about going over your homework or reviewing notes for your assignments? I also know a thing or two, so ask me questions.”

..

During the final homeroom that day, an announcement came requesting Hiromasa's team to meet in the sports centre's auditorium.

As they'd planned to hang out since they were all free that evening, the others went with Hiromasa.

When all members of the team arrived, they started goofing around as per usual.

The coach chuckled, walking over. “Alright, alright, settle down. I called you guys here to let you know that Kuroda will be playing against us on Sunday.”

There was a collective, loud cry of “What??” as the mood changed from light to tense.

“I know, I know.. I only just found out, which is why I wanted us to meet. I need each of you to come tomorrow prepared with suggestions on how we can modify our plays to defend against him.”

“When did he even come back?” someone asked. “Last I heard, he was overseas.”

“I don't know… Apparently, his enrollment in their school has been in the works for a while but they wanted to keep it under wraps with the match coming up. He was even allowed to miss classes! No doubt they wanted to take us by surprise since their team has been playing without him all this time..”

Hiromasa frowned. Kuroda was a former member of their team who had played with them since he was in junior high.

However, he and the team had a big falling out last year after Yue came out to them.

Within a few minutes of the coach coming, the team was disbursed and Hiromasa turned around with the intention to signal Tomei. But for some reason, he found himself staring at Qingming, who had a frustrated look on his face as two girls animatedly did things to his hair.

He didn't know he'd started smiling until a voice spoke beside him. “You just heard that that demon is back, yet you can still smile?”

Koga sighed forlornly. “We're counting on you, Cap,” he said as he patted Hiromasa's back then hurried off to catch up to Yue.

That brought Hiromasa's thoughts back to that matter. Kuroda was a very good hooker, which also meant he was built like a brick wall. No doubt he was planning on going all out to have his revenge on his former team. Especially Hiromasa and Yue.

Qingming noticed the team splitting up and was thankful for the reprieve.

“Hey guys, they're done,” he called to the others. Then he looked up apologetically at the girls. “I'm so sorry ladies, but it's time for me to go.”

Without pause he hurried away at the speed of light and joined Hiromasa halfway along with the others.

“Let's go,” Hiromasa said.

As they headed out, the other guys teased Qingming as he yanked the decorative clips from his hair.

They walked behind Hiromasa and Tomei, who perused his friend's face. “Hiro, what happened?”

It took a moment to get an answer. “Kuroda is back.”

“What??”

Qingming was surprised by the strong reactions.

“Not back to school,” he heard Hiromasa continue. “He's enrolled at xx, so we'll be playing against him on Sunday.”

“No fucking way!” someone exclaimed. “I thought he moved overseas.”

“They probably kicked him out of the country,” another person joked.

“Who's that?” Qingming asked after a while. He felt completely out of the loop.

As the others gave him a brief summary of the guy and the incident, he couldn't help his shocked expression.

From where he was located, Qingming couldn't see Hiromasa’s face, but he could tell his body was tense. He figured the athlete might be feeling a little uncertain about coming out of the match on top.

“I'm sure Minamoto-san and the team will think of something. I missed the previous games, but from what I've heard, you guys are no pushovers. So I hope my first time watching you play won't be a disappointment,” Qingming said with a little teasing in his tone.

He didn't expect Hiromasa to stop walking and actually look back at him. His eyes widened slightly at the intense way the other boy was glaring at him.

Tomei looked from one to the other then tugged on Hiromasa's arm. “Qing-kun didn't mean anything bad by it, bro” he said placatingly. Then he looked at Qingming. “That guy is a brute. Hiro-senpai's worried not just about winning, but also the safety of his team.”

Qingming realised his intentions were misinterpreted. But he didn't want to leave the conversation in such an awkward moment.

He put on a smile before he spoke so his words wouldn't sound offensive. “I didn't say they had to win. For me, the manner in which the game is played counts a lot more than the final score. Besides, I'm sure safety is always a concern for Minamoto-san, regardless of who they're playing against. What I'm looking forward to are the strategies they'll be implementing in this special circumstance. Obviously the usual won't work because that guy knows the team's strengths and weaknesses. And playing to our strengths is the obvious go-to solution.. So, don't you think we'll need to modify our techniques and play in a way he's not expecting? Even if it pushes our team outside their comfort zone?"

The other guys who'd begun to feel a little awkward were suddenly enthused.

“That's right! We believe in Hiromasa-senpai and the team. Even though getting a win is important since it's a quarter final match, we'd prefer to see our team come out of this unscathed.”

“Mn! There's no way that guy is going to be playing to win, therefore that shouldn't be our focus either.”

"Qing-kun, you're not just book smart, huh?"

Hiromasa had initially felt annoyed at what Qingming said and felt his heart flutter when Tomei protected him. But, he found himself feeling invigorated by Qingming's words… not only that, but now he was already thinking of strategies they should implement in this match. He hadn't felt this assertive in a long time and realised how much he missed that gung-ho personality trait of his..

“Ah, I guess I misunderstood,” Tomei said softly.

Qingming quickly shook his hands. “No, no. I shouldn't have said anything. I don't know much about these things anyway..”

Hiromasa frowned again as he turned away from the boy. Why was he constantly trying to belittle himself?
…

Chapter Text

During their closed door practice the next morning, which was carried out in the auditorium, Hiromasa shared some of the strategies he'd thought up the night before.

Other teammates had some suggestions as well and the coach listened to them all. As it was the second to last practice before the game, and they had to make so many adjustments, it ran until 2 in the afternoon.

Afterwards, the coach and assistant team managers commended Hiromasa and jokingly thanked Kuroda for bringing back this side of their captain.

As the team dragged themselves to the locker room, Hiromasa couldn't help but feel happy that he had decided to take a cab instead of riding his bike today. No way did he have enough energy to navigate through Saturday afternoon traffic in his tired state.

When he retrieved his phone, he didn't see any messages. He'd wanted Tomei to attend training with him as it had been a while, but his friend said he had to babysit.

Just as he was about to call for a cab, his phone rang. It was his older cousin. She'd flown in less than an hour ago and wanted to meet him for a late lunch. He'd tried to get her to meet at his house but she said she didn't have much free time and had to fly out again that night.

She was on her way to Toranomon for a meeting so they agreed to meet at a restaurant in the mall near her destination.
…

“How are you, dear cousin?”

Hiromasa sighed and slumped in his chair. “I'm beat!”

“I heard you have a match tomorrow. I wish I could attend, but I have a 7 am meeting in New York Monday morning,” his cousin said.

“Don't overwork yourself, Nee-san,” he said taking in her appearance, looking for signs of weariness.

“Don't worry about me. I don't do this back to back travelling on a regular basis. It's just that we had a few hiccups that needed immediate last minute adjustments to prevent our deal from falling through..”

Hiromasa nodded with a slight frown. “Mom and dad didn't say anything last night, so I wasn't aware..”

She saw his reaction and knew what he was thinking. Her red lips formed a sympathetic smile. “They weren't trying to hide it. Shit didn't hit the fan until this morning, which is why I'm just arriving. I was in the region working on another project and my flight to New York yesterday got cancelled, so I offered to come instead of their proxy. It makes a better impression.”

"Even so. This is..." But he just sighed.

Though his parents didn't want him thinking about anything to do with the business until he started university, he was of the mind that the more he learnt before then, the greater the chances he'll be successful in the future.

"Hu...," his cousin exhaled heavily, tapping her perfectly manicured nail on the table. "I wasn't going to say anything, but what the fuck is wrong with you?"

Hiromasa paused in the middle of reaching for his glass. "What?"

"That reaction... That defeatist attitude. Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Hiromasa thought about what others have been saying for months, and how he himself had been feeling. "So, I'm being kept out of the loop because you all think I've what? Become depressed again or something?"

"Either that or you're just not getting any," his cousin smirked.

"Getting any what?"

“Don't play dumb. Still single?” she asked.

Hiromasa narrowed his eyes, knowing where she was going with her line of questioning. “Yes..”

“What? Are you waiting until Mei-kun is married with children before you confess?”

And there it was.

Last Christmas, she'd confronted him about his feelings for Tomei. According to her, it wasn't hard to see. Ever since then, their conversations always included her asking about their status and when he was going to confess.

“I'm fine with things as they are now. It's better to have him in my life as a friend than ruin it by being selfish,” Hiromasa said, even though he didn't really believe that.

“But don't you think you're being selfish by keeping your love for him to yourself?”

“... That makes no sense.”

They spent a little more time together before his cousin received a call and had to leave for her appointment.
…

Hiromasa decided to not go home immediately. The things his cousin had said in the latter part of their conversation, had caused him to start thinking more seriously about his feelings for Tomei. He really felt strongly about his friend and believed they'd be a great match!

Hiromasa already knew his friend could take care of him and give him the love he needed. That had already been proven. But now he pondered the things his cousin just said.. that he may be hesitant to confess because he wasn't in love with Tomei. Hiromasa had asked her the difference, but after giving him a pitiful smile, she chuckled and said it was a good thing he hadn't confessed. He could deduce she meant he needed to know the difference before he tried to take their relationship any further.

But his ego didn't want to admit that she may have a point, and instead thought she was being overly dramatic about the matter. Besides.. Of course he was in love with Tomei! He could list so many things he loved about his friend, so clearly he was in love with him.

Hiromasa was well engrossed in his thoughts and not paying attention to where he was going nor anything around him.

“Was that Minamoto-san?”

The words and somewhat familiar female voice drew his attention. He glanced back at the couple that had just passed him.

Hiromasa's eyes widened as they met with those of Usagi and Tomei. He was instantly brought back to his friend telling him last night that he couldn't accompany him to training because he had to babysit.

“So… This is babysitting?” Hiromasa hadn't meant to say it out loud nor in such an accusing tone, but the words left his lips before he could swallow them.

As he felt a lurch in his stomach at the two of them out on a date, he turned and walked off without another word.

Tomei only came out of his stupor then.

“Wait!” he shouted, but Hiromasa's long legs were already taking him away.

Tomei turned to Usagi. “I'm sorry, can you give me a moment?”

Then he rushed off in the direction Hiromasa went.

Hiromasa heard nothing but the pounding of his heart and rushing of blood in his head. He kept walking until he reached the foot of some stairs in an unoccupied section near the back of the mall. There were only empty and unfinished shops on this side, so it was surprising that he ended up there. Or maybe, subconsciously he just wanted to find somewhere he could be alone.

‘So he had a date? Then why not just tell me?!’

Hiromasa paced around, feeling a heavy weight in his chest. Why did he suddenly feel like crying?

Was it because he felt he'd hesitated for too long? He'd had many chances to confess his feelings, but didn't. Even if he hadn't been elegant or couldn't wax poetry, he could have found suitable enough words. If Tomei turned him down, their years of friendship would allow them to move forward and help him to let go of these feelings.

Realisation dawned on him. How was he supposed to move on now? Should he create some distance between them? But that would only make Tomei ask a lot of questions.. And if he were to be honest in his response, Tomei might hate him for choosing to confess after he's started dating someone.

“Senpai!”

Tomei heaved a deep breath and exhaled heavily, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. Finally, he'd caught up to the athlete.

“Why the fuck did you run away? I know you fucking heard me calling you, yet you made me chase you all over the place!”

Tomei held his side as he panted heavily and his face grimaced at a stitch in his side. Outside of dance he really didn't keep active and now he felt the consequences.

He looked up with a glare at Hiromasa, waiting for an answer.

“Well, I… I didn't want to interrupt your date..”

Tomei wondered if his friend had suffered a brain injury during practice because why on earth would he assume he was on a date. He also didn't think that was the real reason because Hiromasa wouldn't even make eye contact with him! Unless…

“Do you think I lied to you? Duuude! First of all, thanks for the vote of confidence! And second, why would I lie about going on a date? I really am babysitting today, it's just that this happened..”

Tomei could see in Hiromasa's shifty gaze that he didn't believe him and it made the dancer's frustration increase. Sometimes he really hated this insecure side of his friend. It felt like a burden that he was not yet willing to bear.. Despite that, he went closer and took Hiromasa's hands and gave them a gentle squeeze.

“Minamoto Hiromasa, why won't you believe me?.. I came here with mom and Xiao Fu. We ran into Usagi-chan and mom told me to accompany her while she took my brother for a fitting..”

Hiromasa looked up and met his eyes. Tomei smiled and knew when Hiromasa calmed down by the change in his gaze, but they soon became conflicted.

“Hiro-senpai… what's wrong? Did something happen during training?”

Tomei didn't get an answer as the other guy just stared at him. As he was about to speak again, he was suddenly enveloped in a hug.

Tomei was caught off guard and his body stiffened at the contact. It was a very warm embrace that filled him with a feeling he didn't quite understand, and brought a lot of questions to mind.

What was this all of a sudden? Why was his heart beating so fast? What was Hiromasa trying to convey? It wasn't their first hug, so why did this one feel different? Why did it make him anxious?

In Hiromasa's mind, he thought he should go all the way since he's managed to come this far. But .. when he opened his mouth.. no words came out!

After a while, he knew the moment to say what he felt had passed, and now it just felt awkward. He had a pretty good idea of how Tomei must feel and quickly thought of an excuse.

Composing himself, he eased them out of the hug and simply held on to Tomei's shoulders. With a smile in place, he finally spoke. “I'm not upset. I'm sorry I made you chase after me but I really thought I was interrupting and didn't want to intrude. You could've just called me instead of running all the way here, you know?”

Tomei felt relief wash over him at Hiromasa's words. “Ugh, you're such an ass for making me worried like that!”

Though he tried to look and sound angry, he couldn't stop the little smile that lifted the corners of his lips. His conscience tried to guilt him, but he told himself his relief that Hiromasa wasn't feeling down, was because it was a good thing for the athlete. Not because it let him off the hook of having to deal with it.

“He's over here.”

Tomei quickly stepped out of Hiromasa's hold as he turned around. It was Usagi-chan who had spoken, but his mother and younger brother were close behind.

“Ah, Minamoto-kun!” Tomei's mother greeted cheerily. “It's been a while since I've seen you. How have you been?”

Hiromasa bowed politely before responding.

The woman then turned her attention to her older son. “How could you just run off and leave Usagi-chan all alone like that? Anyway, I'm finished now so I'll treat you to lunch and you can go back to watching your brother.”

Tomei sighed at his mom who didn't give him a chance to speak.

Hiromasa couldn't help feeling embarrassed at Tomei's mother confirming that he really was on babysitting duty. But it was evident she had good feelings towards the girl. And why wouldn't she? When he heard her invite Usagi-chan to join them for lunch, he knew she was trying to learn more about this potential girlfriend for her son.

Hiromasa almost slapped himself when he realised he hadn't even been thinking about how Tomei's family would react. It made him think about how things had been for Yue.. There was so much more involved than just his own feelings, but he'd never considered that. His cousin's words echoed in his mind..

“Hiro-senpai!” snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Huh?”

“Mom is asking if you'll join us for lunch..,” Tomei said, looking at him suspiciously.

“Oh, no thanks, Oba-san. I actually just ate and I'm pretty tired. I need to go get some rest..,” Hiromasa declined.

“Oh, right. The big game is tomorrow,” Usagi-chan said. “All the best!”

He thanked her and gave her a small smile.

The group bid him farewell and left.

When they were out of sight, Hiromasa let out a big sigh. He should call a cab and get home.

“Coward.”

The athlete jumped at the snide voice that spoke behind him.

Chapter Text

Hiromasa turned around to see Qingming pause his descent down the stairs just behind him.

The dancer was dressed in skinny jeans, a loose fitting t-shirt, and had a small leather bag strapped across his chest with a smoothie cup in his hand. His long hair was caught in a ponytail with stray strands hanging loosely in the front, and his eyes that were mocking the athlete were framed by large glasses.

“What did you say?” the athlete asked when he found his voice.

“I said, you're a coward,” Qingming repeated as if challenging him.

Hiromasa's breath caught. Did he know? No, it wasn't possible. “What are you talking about?”

Until the other guy gave specifics, he wasn't going to admit to anything.

“You're in love with him, aren't you?”

Hiromasa forced himself not to react. “What makes you think so?”

“You do. Whenever you look at him, it's very obvious.”

“If it were so obvious, why has no one else ever said it?”

Qingming shrugged and continued down the remaining steps. “It could be they're just too familiar with you both so it doesn't come across as anything more than you guys being best friends.”

“Then maybe you should also see us in that same capacity.”

“Whatever. Just make sure you've properly thought this through.. there's obviously a reason you haven't told him yet despite you two being so close.”

“Why do you care?”

“He's my friend, after all. And I care about what happens to my friends.”

Hiromasa frowned. “Well, if you care about him so much maybe you shouldn't skulk around spying on people.”

Qingming narrowed his eyes, showing he was upset. “I was here first. What did you want me to do? Walk in in the middle of your 'precious' moment?”

With a roll of his eyes, Qingming stepped around Hiromasa and left without another word.

…

Qingming took his time walking in and out of various stores in the area, then going for a walk around the park. It had been much quieter there than the crowded streets, allowing him to think.

As he made his way down the tree lined walkway, he played with the pouch he got at that temple in Iwakuni. He certainly didn't believe in charms and talismans that supposedly brought good fortune to one's life. Still, he carried that knot charm with him almost all the time.

"I guess I haven't met 'someone special' yet," he said in a mocking tone.

Though his behaviour was that of a sceptic, a part of him inside couldn't help but wonder. 'At least Minamoto-san already knows who he'll give his to.'

Qingming frowned, wondering why he suddenly thought of the athlete. "Ugh!! He's such a fucking idiot! No way that's gonna go anywhere.."

But he couldn't help feeling a bit of pity for Hiromasa. "At least his affections seem genuine.. Not too many people are like that these days."

He recalled Tomei telling them once before that Hiromasa wasn't as cold as everyone thought. He just doesn't get too close to people for personal reasons. He'd wanted Hiromasa to hit it off with one of the girls at the mixer, so the athlete could have someone special around him.

If only Tomei knew, his friend had already found someone...

By the time Qingming decided it was time to go, the sky was already dark and street lights had long been on. A quick check on the time showed it was already after 8pm. He left the park, swinging his two shopping bags that were mostly filled with trinkets.

When he stepped back into the crowded street, he felt a little off. But realised it was the sudden change from quiet to noisy.

“Might as well go home..,” he sighed and fanned down an empty taxi.

When the vehicle arrived at the gate to his community, Qingming exited instead of taking it all the way in.

The longer he took to return, the higher the chances everyone will already be in bed when he got there. And on the off chance that his mom was awake, she'd throw a fit at him for not calling a chauffeur.

As Qingming slowly climbed the hill, many thoughts ran through his head. He never expected to actually feel happy about moving back to Japan, but the friends he'd made at school were certainly helping to give him a more positive outlook. He smiled at the thought and looked down at his bags. He couldn't wait to gift these things to them on Monday.

The teen's thoughts were interrupted by a horrible wailing, like that of an animal crying in pain.

Qingming was instantly on alert, looking around for the location of the sound. After a while, he realised it was coming from the direction of the community rec centre & park. He increased the speed of his steps, having every intention to get away from there, when he heard the sound again. But this time, something about it made him stop.

Pausing to listen a while against his better judgement, Qingming only hesitated for a few seconds longer.

“I'm so gonna regret this,” he grumbled as he turned in the direction of the reverse siren song.

Far away, in the temple of a rural town, two figures were immersed in a game of shogi.

Suddenly, the usual calm flames of the fire in front of the great statue grew and began dancing wildly as if blown by the wind. However, the night air was still.

“O-ho!” the young miko exclaimed and grinned widely. “Look! I told you I haven't lost my touch.”

She pointed towards the paper figure, whose folds began flipping around in every which direction, constantly changing into abstract shapes.
.

“Oh, my gosh..”

Qingming let out a loud guffaw at the sight that greeted him when he walked out into the park.

He immediately pulled out his phone and began recording.

“Minamoto Hiromasa, this is now blackmail material for the future. So do not cross me,” he said trying to stifle his laugh.

Hiromasa had his grown ass, muscular athlete's body stuffed in the kiddy swing that had the seat like a high chair. He was swinging around a bottle of alcohol and bursting into song every so often.

Qingming knew if the teen got caught by someone else, he'd be in big trouble though. So he quickly put away his phone then confiscated the bottle from the protesting teen. When he'd gotten closer he'd noticed two other empty ones on the ground nearby.

He quickly disposed of them first, then tried to feed the inebriated teen some water from a bottle he'd been drinking early. After that, he spent over 30 minutes trying to get a very uncoordinated Hiromasa out of the swing because his legs, which were too thick for the space, were stuck. It ended with the two of them sprawled on the ground, covered in sweat and dirt.

As he laid there in an undignified position, a million curses ran around Qingming’s mind. After taking a deep breath to collect himself, he managed to fish his phone out of his pocket.

With a heavy sigh, he dialled his older sister's number, praying she was already home. No way was he going to get Hiromasa to his house, which was much further up the hill, all by himself. A task made that much harder by the drunken teen falling asleep as soon as their bodies hit the ground. Or more like Qingming hitting the ground and the larger, heavier athlete getting a much better landing on top of him.

“Jiejie, where are you?” Qingming whined.

“Ming-bao, what happened?”

Qingming gritted his teeth at the nickname as he held back his retort. “I need help..”

After hanging up the phone, Qingming shoved until he got the heavy guy off him, and he hadn't been gentle in his efforts.

“Why the fuck are you here? How did you even get in?” Qingming mumbled to himself.

He pulled himself up in a seated position and felt around Hiromasa's pockets. Soon he came upon a bunch of keys in the back pocket. When he pulled them out, he saw the keychain was an automatic gate opener with the emblem for their community engraved in it.

“You live here??” Qingming was quite shocked. He did not know that..

Not that he actually knew much about this person who despised his very existence for whatever reason.

Unfortunately, the key fob didn't give any indication of where the owner's house was located and he couldn't just go to the main office and ask which house it belonged to. But it was ok, his sister had told him his parents had left to deal with an emergency today and would be gone for a few days. That had been music to his ears.

A minute or two later, he saw headlights then a fancy black car pulled into the parking lot. Two guys hurried from the vehicle and made their way over to him.

“I'm ok, help him,” he told them.

After they got Hiromasa and hauled him out to the car, Qingming did a final scan of the area to make sure nothing was left. Then he grabbed his shopping bags and followed.
…

Qingming's younger brother was home, but was thankfully holed up in his room. His sister and her husband were out with friends.

While the two men brought Hiromasa to Qingming's compound, the dancer asked a maid to send someone to buy hangover medicine and to ask the cook to make porridge.

Standing by his bed, Qingming's face was in a scowl as he looked at the dirty athlete on his clean sheets.

Hiromasa received a kick to the shin before Qingming reminded himself the boy had a match the next day.

“Ya! Minamoto-san!” he roughly shook the young man. “Wake up.. you're filthy and smell like a homeless drunk! Get up and go take a shower!”

Hiromasa grumbled in his sleep as his head rolled from one side to the next, but Qingming was unrelenting. He kept shouting insults until Hiromasa was somewhat conscious. Then Qingming summoned all his strength and pulled him up on his feet.

“Mrblgpolghh…’’

Everything from Hiromasa's mouth was unintelligible but the dancer agreed anyway as he slung a limp arm over his shoulder and threatened to beat him in the head if he vomited. He led Hiromasa to the bathroom and directly into the shower, fully clothed. There was a harsh bite as the full blast of the cold spray hit them both.

Shouting and a string of curse words from the athlete's expansive vocabulary filled the bathroom and bedroom. But thanks to the soundproofing of Qingming's quarters, they weren't audible from the outside. A necessary feature for a dancer and musician who would play music loudly for hours, whether it was for dancing or just practising an instrument.

Qingming had to step further into the shower to ensure he had a good grip on Hiromasa so the guy wouldn't fall and hit his head or something. God forbid this star athlete got injured because of him!

“Stop yelling, you drunk!”

“Huh?” Hiromasa suddenly stopped, shaking his head.

But Qingming only turned around and adjusted the water temperature, then stepped out. “Hurry up and wash then get out of the water.”

After saying that and pointing out the towels to Hiromasa who seemed to barely register anything, Qingming left the bathroom.

He let out an aggrieved wail as he dragged his feet back into the room. “I should have left his ass in that swing! Why didn't I just call Tomei?”

Qingming knew why of course. Because it would prompt Tomei to ask what he was doing there. He quickly dried off and changed into a bathrobe while he waited for Hiromasa to finish.

.

Just as a maid left the room with the dirty sheets, Qingming heard a crash in the bathroom. He put down the tray with the porridge and hangover medicine then hurried there.

“Ah!” he yelled and spun around to rush back out of the bathroom. He shouted from the bedroom. “Hurry up and put on the clothes I left for you.”

“Qingming?” Hiromasa's hoarse voice called with uncertainty.

“No, it's the tooth fairy. Hurry up!”

In less than a minute, the athlete emerged from the bathroom and Qingming found himself backing away from him without knowing why.

Hiromasa lifted the clothing in his hand. “They don't fit..”

For some reason, Qingming's mouth had become a little dry when he noticed the boxers were quite snug on the other guy. He looked at Hiromasa's face to avoid having to look at the athlete's body.

“I should've guessed,” he said, clearing his throat. “You can borrow a t-shirt but I doubt I have any bottoms that can fit you.”

He turned and headed to another door which opened into his walk-in closet. In no time he brought back a large white t-shirt and handed it to Hiromasa.

“Thanks,” the athlete muttered in acceptance.

Qingming only nodded, then went to sit on a comfortable looking chair near open floor-to-ceiling glass doors. He indicated towards the other chair as he took up a bottle from the tray on the coffee table.

“Come. Sit.”

Hiromasa stumbled a few times on his way over, but made it without falling. Much to Qingming's disappointment. The athlete sat down heavily with a slurred groan.

Qingming frowned. “I thought the shower would have helped to sober you up more, but… anyway, drink this then eat the porridge.”

“How… how did.. I get.. here?” Hiromasa asked.

“With a lot of fucking effort,” Qingming huffed. “Where do you live? Why do you have a gate fob to this community? You know what...I don't care. I'm gonna send you home as soon as you've eaten.. Then again, I wonder how your parents will react when they see you like this?... It might be best for you to sleep it off and go home in the morning.”

Even though Qingming was mostly talking to himself at this point, Hiromasa did process some of it and responded.

“I don't wanna impose..,” Hiromasa said, holding one side of his head. “But please help me out?”

“...Ok, ok. Now, hurry up and eat.”

Qingming got up and went to the bathroom. A few seconds after entering, his voice yelled back. “What the hell did you do to my bathroom?!”

He came back shortly with a hair dryer, glare on full blast.

“Sorry..,” Hiromasa said in a pitiful voice with the most pitiful look on his face. “I lost my balance…”

Qingming scoffed but went to work drying Hiromasa's hair while the guy ate the porridge. He told him he can't let him get sick before the big game, especially not while in his care.

Afterwards, Qingming left him to finish eating while he went to shower. He spent quite a while in the bathroom, as he had to wash and dry his hair. So he was a little confused when he returned to the room and Hiromasa was still in the chair, fighting sleep.

“Are you fucking crazy? I already told you you could stay. Get in the bed!” Qingming snapped at him.

When they were both in bed, bundled under separate sheets, Qingming told Hiromasa not to wake him when he got up in the morning and to just leave.

….

Hiromasa was awake before dawn the next morning. A side effect from having to wake up that early every morning during the school week for training before classes.

His head was swimming and heavy. His mouth felt like cotton and his stomach had a dull ache, like it was there but not there. Staring up in the darkness, he tried to recall what happened but the effort made his brain ache and his stomach lurched.

As he let out a groan and curled up in the bed, a sleep filled voice spoke to him.

“What's wrong?”

Hiromasa was so startled he almost fell off the bed because of how hard he jerked away.

The soft light of a lamp suddenly illuminated the bed and Qingming yawned as he sat up and rubbed his eye.

“What's your problem? If you need to get your stomach pumped, I'm calling your parents to come get you,” he mumbled, clearly not enthused about being awake so early.

Bits and pieces of the previous night came back to Hiromasa but he was now getting a headache.

“I'm fine…,” he managed to speak which made him cough. “Just a little headache and some discomfort.. I'll be fine with more sleep.”

As he settled back into the bed, he saw Qingming move towards him and leaned down. His eyes widened slightly and he was about to ask what he was doing, when the boy reached across him and came back with a bottle of water.

“Drink. Then go back to sleep,” the dancer said before settling back down under his sheet, with his back to Hiromasa.

The athlete did as told, then switched off the lamp from his side when he saw the button after putting back the bottle.

The room became enveloped in silence once more, only their steady breathing audible.

Hiromasa tried to think again, about why he suddenly lied to get Qingming to allow him to stay.. but the very present headache deterred him and he closed his eyes.

“Thank you.. Qingming-kun,” he said softly.

After a moment of silence passed, Hiromasa wondered if the other person had already gone back to sleep, when an almost inaudible “You're welcome..” reached his ears.

He didn't know why but he smiled hearing it.

On the other side of the bed, Qingming's brain had a momentary lapse. It was the first time Hiromasa ever said his name. Apparently it didn't register that Hiromasa had also called him by name earlier, because he was in a panic after seeing the athlete naked.

…

When they woke up again, it was close to noon.

Everyone knew not to wake Qingming on a weekend so no one had come by. Hiromasa had been enjoying his rest when a hand was unceremoniously flung in his face, dragging him from dreamland.

“..!”

Hiromasa shot up and was momentarily dazed and confused, as his heart smashed against his rib cage and his eyes tried to focus. A look over to his left revealed Qingming's sleeping form, and he took a deep breath. The dancer was sprawled out, the sheet haphazardly strewn across his pajama-clad body.

Hiromasa's eyes focused and he continued staring at the boy's face. He really was very pretty for a boy, but that wasn't unusual. There were many girls who had stronger features and larger frames more commonly seen on men, and many boys had the softer features and lithe figures that women coveted.

But it was the first time Hiromasa had been this close to either. Qingming shuffled in his sleep and broke the spell on the athlete, who noticed only then that the other boy wore a bonnet, and it was halfway off.

He snorted before he realised it and saw Qingming's face frown a little. Not wanting to cause further disturbances, Hiromasa left the bed and stretched as he quietly yawned.

He noticed his phone on the nightstand next to the empty bottle of water, along with his house keys, and picked it up as he tried to remember which door went to the bathroom.

After relieving his very full bladder, Hiromasa saw the toothbrush he used the night before as he washed his hands.

While he brushed, he turned the phone on. No doubt he'd have concerned messages from his parents.

After getting home the day before, he'd tried to sleep but after an hour, he was still wide awake despite being tired. There hadn't been much talking on his end when his parents called, and their conversation had been much shorter than usual. The housekeeper was away until Sunday evening, so he'd been home alone. Not wanting to stay in the silence with his thoughts, he'd gone to the wine cellar and taken a few bottles of imported liquor that his dad stored there. After sending his mom a text that he wasn't feeling well and would be turning his phone off to rest for the night, he'd powered it off and left for the rec centre.

The last thing he remembered of the place was that he had been sitting on a bench near the fence that provided a great view of the city.

Hiromasa did have a few messages from his mom and one from his dad that told him to consider taking a few days off next week. He even recommended Hiromasa come visit them and stay into the weekend as they all could use a break and spend some time together.

Hiromasa felt warm inside at his father's lengthy message. The man never asked what was wrong. He simply notices there's an issue, and gives solutions. All the inquiries and lengthy heart to heart talks were done by his mom, who had a stronger emotional bond with him. She always called him her heartbeat and miracle baby, and had developed a strong attachment to him ever since she found out she was pregnant.

Qingming kicked the sheet and flailed around as he made a whiny noise. He wanted to pee, but didn't want to wake up yet nor leave the comfort of his bed. However, his bladder won out in the end and he hurried to the bathroom.

When he threw the door open and ran in, he was once again forced to make a U-turn like the night before.

Suddenly wide awake, he stomped his foot and growled. “Why are you always naked?!”

“Why are you always freaking out? We're both guys and you've seen me naked before.”

Narrowing his eyes, Qingming straightened and marched into the bathroom and went straight to the toilet.

Hiromasa closed the glass door to the shower and rolled his eyes as he left the bathroom with a little shake of his head, when the dancer proceeded to lift the toilet seat and gave him a look that asked if he was gonna stand and watch.

Qingming was relieved the other boy did leave and proceeded to further relieve himself.

As he washed his hands after, he noticed the counter was dry and everything was arranged neatly even though Hiromasa just used the area. He glanced at the floor outside the shower and there were no water droplets on the tile..

‘Not that I'm a slob or anything, but it never looks like this after I shower,’ Qingming frowned.

He grabbed his toothbrush and began cleaning his teeth. Then, as if he just properly woke up, he paused, slowly walked to the doorway and looked at Hiromasa sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning forward as he did stuff on his phone.

“Whhww waa -,” Qingming began before closing his mouth then going to spit out the toothpaste suds.

Hiromasa raised a brow when Qingming appeared in the doorway again, pointing at him accusingly with his toothbrush.

“Why are you still here??”

“Wow... Don't you have a great sense of hospitality,” Hiromasa chuckled, sitting up straight and locking his phone screen.

Qingming huffed before he started brushing again. “I have no obligations to you, senpai.”

“Ohhh, so you do remember that I'm your senpai.”

“Which is why I didn't leave you where I found you. Respectfully, it's not like we are close. In fact, you've never looked at me without giving me the stink eye..”

After that, Qingming returned to the sink out of Hiromasa's line of sight.

As he looked at the empty doorway, the athlete couldn't help thinking how wrong the other person had been..

“How are you feeling, Hiromasa-senpai?” Qingming said in a fake pleasant tone after leaving the bathroom thirty minutes later.

“Not bad. As long as I'm stationary.”

“Hmm.. that's not surprising considering the amount of alcohol you had. I would ask what happened, but I'm sure I'm the last person you wanna have that conversation with,” Qingming chuckled.

Hiromasa frowned and was about to ask him something when the other spoke again.

“What about the game? I don't think it's a good look for the captain to not be there leading the troops in this all important match..”

Hiromasa's face hardened slightly. “I definitely won't miss it..,” he said, then sighed as he looked around. “In fact, I should already be on my way to school for our pre-game training.”

“Well, not before you eat something. Come on.”

Qingming turned to leave.

“Um! May I have some pants please? Where are my clothes?” Hiromasa stopped him.

Qingming turned around and gave him a once over. “Weren't they left in the bathroom last night? I'm sorry, senpai. I don't make it a habit to bring home drunk seniors, so I didn't think to have someone wash them.”

Hiromasa narrowed his eyes at the boy who was obviously being sassy. “Then how will I leave your house? Imagine what your neighbours will say… wait a minute..”

Qingming sighed and continued to his door. “Just come on already! I’m the only one who lives in this section. It's already been this long and you're just wondering where you are..”

In nothing but a fresh pair of tight boxers and a t-shirt, Hiromasa reluctantly followed.

As they ate in the dining room in Qingming’s compound, Hiromasa took in the view outside the glass wall. The place was built in a modern version of the traditional courtyard style house. Qingming told him it was meant to be guest quarters detached from the main house, but he’d convinced his parents to let him live there instead when he moved back.

‘Why would you choose to live here alone, away from the rest of your family..?’ Hiromasa wondered to himself. He really knew nothing about the boy…

Qingming had already given a very brief summary of what happened, and how Hiromasa ended up in his home, which he then learnt was only a few streets away from the athlete's house.

Afterwards, they went back to the dancer's room where he went in his closet and seemed to dig for a while before he found a larger pair of his baggy shorts for Hiromasa.

“I gotta get ready. I'm sure the guys will be calling me to meet them soon,” Qingming said, also going back for clothes to wear.

Hiromasa checked the dancer's selected clothing and realised that they matched the team's colours. For some reason, he hadn't expected that much effort from his kouhai.

“Do you have your driver's licence, Qingming-kun?”

“Yep,” came the answer from inside the closet, where the teen was looking for shoes.

“I'll need one more favour from you today. Please.”
******

Chapter Text

Qingming spotted the guys in the middle of the west grandstand.

“Hey!” he called with a wave and a big smile as he made his way over.

Surprisingly, or not, there were other people there already though it was only 3 in the afternoon and the game was at 7 PM.

“How come you're all here already?” Qingming asked, taking a seat.

“After you bailed on us, we just decided to come straight here instead. We can check it out another time when it's all of us. Besides… the girls didn't agree to going there, and we couldn't think of anything else to do,” Kaminari explained.

Qingming nodded, then suggested they mark off their section so there would be no issues later on when more people arrived. These were prized seats after all.

Hiromasa's teammates had been on edge since an hour passed after the agreed meeting time and he hadn't shown up. Though the coach told them not to worry and to start going through the set pieces, they couldn't help but wonder..

Yue was also obviously nervous for that and other reasons.

Koga tried to cheer him up. “It'll be fine. We've come up with some good strategies.”

“I'm more concerned that he'll probably try something shifty..”

“He won't ‘probably’ do anything.” Everyone in the gym looked over at Hiromasa who just entered. “He definitely will! So make sure we all stick to the plan, or I'll kick your ass myself out there.”

No one doubted that he really would. But with their fearless leader finally here, they began feeling more confident.

“Well, what are you all standing around for?” the coach yelled.
…

“... nightmare project. I was up until 2 am working on it, only to see that it's not due until next month!”

The group laughed.

“It's your fault for not wearing your glasses when you know you can't see shit without them,” Tomei teased.

“Well.. people always say I look good without them, so I'm hoping not wearing them will get me a girlfriend..,” the guy sighed.

“What's the point if you won't be able to see her?”

At that, there was another bout of laughter.

“Speaking of girlfriends,” someone else perked up. “How are things with you and Usagi-chan, Mei-kun??”

Tomei frowned a little. “What are you asking? She and I just talk every now and then…”

“Oh? Seems you guys have a lot to say since you're always texting!”

Tomei rolled his eyes. “That's because we've got a lot in common.”

“Ooooo~!”

“Fuck off..,” he mumbled.

“Rumour has it you both had a date yesterday.”

Tomei's eyes widened and he suddenly lost his 'cool guy' composure as he denied it animatedly.

“No we didn't! I was with ..”

His ardent explanations went through deaf ears as the guys teased him relentlessly. Qingming wondered how they knew, until Fujino said his girlfriend told him because Usagi-chan had ditched her to go hang out with him.

Qingming noticed how Tomei seemed to deflate after a while, a far away look in his eyes. No doubt he was thinking about the incident with Hiromasa..

“Mei-mei,” he said with his usual smile. “Don't you think you're being a little too mean to your senpai?”

Tomei seemed a little startled and stammered out a “what do you mean?”

“I mean, have you talked to Hiromasa-senpai about your interest in this girl? Won't he feel abandoned if you're suddenly not there for him like always because you're dating? He might even start thinking he did something to drive you away..”

Tomei stared at Qingming for a while, thinking about what he said. Of course, the thought had crossed his mind many times..

Qingming softened his tone, even though it wasn't reprimanding to begin with. “You both care for each other a lot. I just don't want you two to have a falling out because of a misunderstanding.”

“He's right..,” one of the guys said as if he'd had an epiphany. “Hiro-senpai doesn't talk to anyone else but you, so he would probably find it suspicious if he doesn't know what's going on.”

Tomei looked contemplative. “You're right, Qing-kun … I've been thinking about it too and it's one of the reasons I haven't decided whether or not to pursue a relationship with Usagi-chan... Even though I really do like her. It's just.. Hiro-senpai, sometimes he's just...” He looked up again at his friend and smiled after a few seconds.

Qingming returned the smile. "I get it, he's completely nuts! But, it's still better to be honest than causing resentment to develop later on."

Qingming was thinking that if Tomei can be honest with his best friend, then it might give Hiromasa the nudge he needs.

The conversation then changed to one of the guys claiming he had an out of body experience the day before..
.

A little while later, they were in the middle of talking loudly over each other about some new game, when Qingming felt a vibration against his chest. He reached into his cross-body bag and pulled out the phone to answer the call without looking.

“Moshi-moshi?” he greeted, holding it to his ear.

“.... Hello?”

The voice sounded louder than it should so he looked at the screen to see if the speaker was on. Only, a woman's confused face greeted him.

Qingming mirrored her surprised look for a few seconds, until she spoke again, snapping him out of his daze.

“You...," she whispered, but then immediately said aloud. "Is Hiromasa-kun there?”

The dancer realised it was that damn athlete's phone in his hand! Fuck! He couldn't let the others, especially Tomei, see him with it.

“Just a moment, please!” he said hurriedly and shoved his hand with the phone into his bag. Then he spoke to the group, who were too engrossed in their goofy conversation to notice anything else. “I'll be back in a second, guys.”

After hurrying to the walkway behind the stands, he brought the phone out again.

“I'm very sorry about that,” he said with a short bow.

“That's ok,” the woman smiled warmly. “And… you are?”

“Um.. I'm no one,” Qingming chuckled. “Just keeping the phone for Hiromasa-senpai in case his mom… ohh!”

Even the woman's laugh was warm.

“I'm so sorry, Minamoto-san,” Qingming apologised again. “I was just caught off guard and my brain stopped working.”

“It's ok,” the woman said kindly. “I take it he's busy right now.”

Qingming nodded. “They're having a pre-game practice. We happened to travel here together so he asked me to hold onto the phone in case you called.”

“Ah.. he sent me a couple texts earlier but I was asleep.” The woman seemed to contemplate for a moment before she continued with a question. “Is he ok?”

Qingming became a little flustered. How the hell was he supposed to know?! He thought about what he knew of the guy and almost scoffed as he came to the conclusion the athlete should probably be institutionalised. But he couldn't say that to her.

“It's ok.. you don't have to say anything. I'll ask him later,” she said. “I'm sorry for putting you on the spot like that.”

Qingming felt sorry for her as he heard the worry in her voice. From the little he'd learnt after Hiromasa admitted his parents weren't home, ever since he was in junior high, the couple had been spending a lot of time away overseeing their business operations. Qingming couldn't help thinking there was a lot of emptiness on both sides…

He shook his head and smiled, hoping it was reassuring. He started talking, trying to think of what he could say that would be comforting for her but at the same time not wanting to fabricate anything.

“Not at all, Minamoto-san! Hiromasa-senpai and I don't know each other that well, so I can't say for certain what he may be going through. But I promise you that, despite his best efforts, he has friends around him who genuinely care about him and won't allow anything bad to happen to him. And you know what? If something does happen, we will help to make it better. He probably reached out because he had a lot on his mind and wanted to share with you. You see, there were some last minute developments with today's game which put a lot of added pressure on the team, so I'm sure that contributed to his mental load. I have a feeling that with some much needed rest and time to get his bearings together, he'll be right as rain!”

Qingming couldn't help preening internally at his spiel. He was impressed by how much he said, but more so when he realised it was all true. After all, he didn't second guess taking his senior home when he found him the night before.

He was momentarily caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't immediately notice the melancholic look on the woman's face as she stared at the phone. When he did, he almost panicked.

“No! I didn't mean to upset you, Minamoto-san!.. um.. I'll let you talk to Mei-kun! It's best if you talk to–.”

“No, no!" He'd turned to go back to the others but she stopped him. "Please don't apologise. And no need to do that.. he left it in your care so please keep holding onto it..”

Qingming really didn't think he should continue talking to her as he wasn't convinced he didn't say something wrong.

“It's just that your words gave me a lot of reassurance that I haven't been able to feel in a while… péng yǒu yī shēng yī qǐ zǒu."

“You speak mandarin?” was Qingming's very eloquent response. But he quickly caught himself. "Ahem! Ah, yes. I guess that could be considered appropriate in this case.."

"En. I don't want you to feel too burdened though.. We haven't told Hiro yet, but we should be able to come home for good in a few months once everything is finalised with our current project. So, Qingming-ah, if you all can continue to keep an eye on him for us, then we'll be able to keep this surprise from him for a while longer. This'll be just between us two!”

Qingming didn't know what to say. Why does he and Hiromasa's mom suddenly have a secret between them?? How exactly did he wind up in this position?!

He had to catch himself before he asked her all those questions by accident. “You have my word that he won't hear a peep about this from me, Minamoto-san. Hiromasa-senpai and I really don't interact much, so the chances of it even coming up in conversation is slim to none.”

They spoke for just a little while longer, with Minamoto-san insisting Qingming take her number. Her reasoning was that he could send her pictures and videos from the game. He figured she and her husband wanted to share in the moment as much as possible, so he'd agreed.
.

“Hey, is everything ok? You've been gone a while,” one of the guys said as Qingming quietly took his seat again.

“Oh, yeah.. I just had to take an important call.”

“Ok.”

Qingming looked around. “Where's Mei-kun?”

“Hiromasa-senpai came by and Mei-kun started complaining about being hungry, so they left to get food.”

“Ok.”

A little over an hour before game time, the other team arrived and immediately went on the pitch to start warming up. When supporters of the home team saw Kuroda they were appropriately shocked!

The girls also arrived around the same time and excitedly ran to meet them. Qingming thought how much closer the two groups seemed to have become ever since they hung out again on the class trip last week.

He couldn't help chuckling to himself as they all ‘inconspicuously’ paired up. He'd already known the former dancer they'd ‘assigned’ to him that first night, wouldn't be there. She and him had fun both times they hung out, but they'd admitted to each other during the class trip that they didn't click in that way. Still, she'd wanted to come to show support but had family obligations.

As Qingming took out his phone, he noticed Orihime-chan moving in his direction.

‘Oh, hell no!’

Qingming was on his feet in seconds. He was not in the mood to babysit. Especially someone who's going to be more interested in asking about Hiromasa and his likes and dislikes the whole time.

“Hey guys, I hope you don't mind. I promised.. a friend, who couldn't be here that I'd record some parts of the game. So I'm gonna go find a seat a little further back where it's less crowded,” he said a little rushed.

“What?”

“But you don't know much about the game. How can we let you watch it alone?” Tomei asked.

Qingming thought how his friend was always concerned for others despite his tough guy facade.. It was no wonder Hiromasa loved him. “It's ok, dude. I've spent all this time with you guys already, so I know a thing or two. Besides, I had a busy night and just need a little more space away from the crowd.”

“Oh, ok..”

Qingming grimaced at the looks on their faces. “Stop being so fucking dramatic. I'm only moving a few rows back. Sheesh."

After choosing a seat, Qingming unlocked his phone and took a deep breath before sending a message.

While waiting for a response, he turned his attention to the field as the sudden cheers signalled the entrance of the home team. He joined in for a moment.

As he relaxed in his seat once more, his phone chimed. Smiling at the response, he looked around and went to grab the large snack tray he saw leaning against the wall at the very back of the stands.

Putting it on its side, with the handle facing up, he nodded.
…

At half time, the scoreboard was in favour of the away team and the members of Hiromasa's team looked more than a little worse for wear.

Qingming watched as a stone-faced Hiromasa led his team off the field. Just before stepping out of sight, the athlete looked up and gave a short nod. Qingming knew it wasn't directed at him but smiled anyway.

In what seemed like no time, both teams returned to the pitch.

“Ganbare.. you got this!” Qingming said in a low voice.

He never expected he'd be that into the game. But as one who was very competitive, this gave him the opportunity to show that side of himself without fear.

The first part of the second half was a complete turn around compared to the first!

The stands with home team supporters were constantly cheering as the team scored more points to narrow the 18-point gap between them and their opponents. It included two penalties and a drop goal, all of which were taken by the captain.

The only wild card was that big player on the opposing team, who Qingming heard was Kuroda. He didn't seem to want to play by the rules but wasn't obvious in all his attempts. The tactics he'd used in the first half had seen him tackling the home team members with such force behind his charge that the spectators were left wondering if the other person was still breathing after. Thankfully no one got sent off due to an HIA.

But this time, it seemed Hiromasa anticipated his moves and gave quick directives to either avoid getting caught or to avoid getting a direct blow.

That guy’s face grew redder and redder by the second and his heaving breaths made him seem to grow twice his size when he inhaled, as his former teammates dodged him over and over again. His frustration had led him to follow through on a few tackles on players who didn't have the ball, resulting in conceding penalties and getting sent to the sin bin once.

After the home team scored a try 20+ minutes into the second half, Hiromasa was preparing to take the conversion kick when a lot of people in the stands shot up and yelled.

But it was too late.

Kuroda had positioned himself as if he was going to charge the ball, but before Hiromasa even moved to take the shot, he ran and rammed right into the fly half head on.

There was an immediate uproar in the stands and on the pitch, where all players and team staff had rushed over.

It seemed a fight was going to start as a few of Hiromasa's teammates charged the guy. However, the referee's whistle stopped Kuroda's teammates in their tracks as the home team did nothing more than shove Kuroda off their captain.

By then, even the subs were on the pitch, forming a small crowd around Hiromasa as the medics attended to him.

Qingming had shot to his feet when he saw what happened. When the crowd parted and he saw Hiromasa, holding his chest in pain, being carried on a stretcher towards the locker rooms his feet moved before he could even think.

However, he stopped when he saw Tomei just a few rows ahead of him rush off in that direction.

“Ah, good,” he exhaled.

But it wasn't good, because his heart kept beating a mile a minute and the tension didn't leave his body.

Grabbing his phone, he made his way down to the others.

“Please let him be ok, please let him be ok..” Orihime seemed to be in shock and kept whispering to herself.

Some fans were throwing curses while the others were trying to get them to calm down and wait for an update.

“Qing-kun, Tomei went to check on Hiromasa-senpai.”

“Mm, I saw.”

On the field, the assistant team managers and referee had managed to stop another flare up and possible fight, but now there was a heated argument between the two coaches about indisciplined players.

Everyone had forgotten about the commentators until there was an announcement that Kuroda had been removed from the game. Though it wasn't said , everyone knew he'd have to face a hearing where he'll certainly receive a temporary ban for his misconduct. The home team was also awarded the points for the conversion not taken and picked up a penalty.

After the announcement, the home team’s coach stopped arguing as much as his face said he wanted to keep going. However, he knew they would start the countdown for how long they had to do the penalty kick, and directed his players back on the field including a sub. The captain's badge was passed to Koga who was also to take the penalty kick. The coach ignored the other coach who walked behind him yelling, because he knew the man was simply trying to distract him to cause a delay or get the game thrown out. The only reason the referee hadn't already done so was because it's such an important game!

(A/N: Irl, the coach's likely wouldn't have gone on the pitch and the ref totally would have thrown out the game, but this is HS sports in storyland 😁)

Once the successful penalty kick was taken, the game was officially back on.

Qingming had remained standing in that section with the others, holding up his phone to capture everything.

“We just have to wait here for an update,” he heard the sporty girl telling her friend after another five minutes had passed. “They won't let us all in while he's getting treated.”

“Yeah,” one of the guys said in a low voice. “Best to wait for Mei-kun to come back and -.”

Their attention was drawn away from the pitch where another time out was in effect, as they saw Tomei appear, with an annoyed look on his face.

“Mei-kun, what's going on? How come you're back already?”

“Hiro-senpai is ok..,” Tomei responded. But Qingming couldn't help thinking he sounded a little angry. “The assistant team manager told me nothing is broken, and he had no internal injuries, but they're going to check him again after some time has passed.”

There were relieved sighs. Even from spectators around them who had been eavesdropping.

“What did Hiromasa-senpai say?” one of the girls asked.

Tomei shrugged as his demeanour became more nonchalant and he threw himself down in his seat. “I guess he needs his rest so he's not seeing anyone right now..”

Qingming slightly frowned. What was that boy thinking at a time like this?? The love of his life came rushing to his side but he refused to see him? Was he still upset about yesterday? Or because Usagi-chan was at the game?

He'd said it. The guy was completely mental!

Checking his phone, Qingming said something then asked the others to excuse him for a moment.

‘Why am I even doing this?’ he thought to himself in annoyance as he walked off. ‘I'll make sure he lives to regret it if he refuses to see me!’
..

Qingming wouldn't have to exact divine punishment on Hiromasa because the moment he identified himself, he was told to come in.

Qingming pushed the somewhat heavy door and walked in. Unlike the rumours, the smell of the team's locker room wasn't revolting. Just sweaty, which was to be expected, and it wasn't very strong.

As he continued in, he soon came upon a row of benches between lockers. And laying on one of the benches was Hiromasa. The assistant team manager who Qingming had spoken to a short while ago, was pacing nearby while talking on his phone.

Qingming walked over to the injured player, who had his arm covering his eyes. He chuckled as he held up a hand.

“What?” Hiromasa said in a low voice. “Are you disappointed?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You seemed very confident in my capabilities, but this is where I ended up.”

“Hehe.. You've shown me so many vulnerable sides these last 2 days, that I'm beginning to question everything I thought I knew about you. Aren't you afraid I'll use this knowledge to ruin your reputation?”

“Do whatever you want.”

Qingming sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fyi, I'm not disappointed. You've worked hard to set your team up for success, and now I'm sure they're using the opportunity you've provided to secure the win.”

Hiromasa removed his arm and made eye contact with the guy standing next to his bench.

“Wow… I was totally expecting you to glare at me. Anywho, surprise!” Qingming grinned, shaking the phone in his hand.

He pressed something on his screen then turned it around to show the other.

Hiromasa's brows met his hairline as he came face to face with his parents via the phone screen.

“Wh…what's going on?”

“Long story short: your mom called earlier and wanted to see some videos from the game. Buuut, since it's early morning and they're free, I suggested streaming it instead,” Qingming grinned, thoroughly pleased with himself. “I walked your dad through casting it from the phone to the TV for a better viewing experience.”

“Isn't it great, Hiro?” his mom's voice came from the phone.

The athlete looked up at Qingming who was wearing a shit-eating grin.

“You're welcome," the dancer said. "Now, how about we give you guys some time to catch up? Besides, I don't wanna miss the countdown to victory!”

Without waiting for Hiromasa to say anything, Qingming hurried over to the assistant team manager who was standing by the door, still on his phone. After a short exchange, the man waved to Hiromasa then left with Qingming.

“Hiro..,” his mother's concerned tone said, bringing his attention back to the phone.

He gave her a wan smile. “I'm ok, mom. I promise. And Qingming-kun will take me to the hospital after the game.”

Only after saying it did he realise he hadn't asked the other guy about it. But it was too late to correct himself.

“I'd rather you go right now,” his father said.

“Dad, you know we don't bring school nurses to games. They are doctors from the hospital. The one who checked me is Ojisan's junior that you met at his award ceremony last year.”

“Ok, fine..” the couple relented.

They tried to get him to talk more about how he was doing, not just physically but emotionally. However, Hiromasa politely asked them to table that conversation for a while.

“So… this ‘Qingming’, is it?” his mom asked. "He's the one, isn't he?"

Hiromasa's eyes softly narrowed as he frowned. His mom is the descendant of some great onmyoji, and everyone but him was convinced that she inherited that ancestor's abilities. Personally, he thought people chose to believe it because they couldn't fathom that a woman could be as smart and successful as she is otherwise.

“I think the game is about to end,” he said after a pause.

His mom laughed. “Ok, fine.”

“I just booked your ticket,” his dad said, returning to the couch after leaving a few minutes prior.

“What?”

“I suggested you take some time off, right? Well, this injury has presented you with the perfect opportunity to do so,” the man shrugged. “I've already emailed the principal and your homeroom teacher. Besides, we wanna see for ourselves that you're ok.”

…

When Hiromasa hobbled his way back to the technical zone, the game was on a timeout in the 75th minute. The crowd cheered wildly to show how happy they were to see he was up and about.

“Omg, we finally get to see him!”

“It's good that he's able to move about. I would have been completely squashed by that guy.”

They could laugh now that they saw he wasn't writhing in pain with cracked ribs.

Qingming unknowingly smiled at how much these guys truly looked up to him, but almost rolled his eyes at some of the superficial remarks of a few other people, including Orihime. They only seemed concerned about whether or not he was still handsome and, in her case, how soon he could hang out again..

The dancer was pulled from his thoughts when there was a vibration against his chest. He reached for it and almost answered on reflex when he remembered it was Hiromasa's phone.

“You trying to call him?” he heard someone say.

When he looked a few seats down, Tomei had his phone to one ear, and a hand covering the next.

“Yeah. He has his phone."

Qingming acted normal and took the phone from his bag after declining the call. As Tomei told the others he would try again, Qingming quickly changed the ring setting from the lock screen so the vibrate was off. Even though it wouldn't be audible over the noise around them, he didn't want to take any chances. Thankfully, Hiromasa wasn't one of those people who blocked all things from being accessed on his lock screen!

He noticed the annoyed look appear again on Tomei's face and felt bad.

‘I interfered with you guys today, so I'll make it up to you by helping you get together,’ he told himself resolutely.

“Hey," Qingming said to his friend. "He probably has it completely silenced. After all, he wouldn't want to cause a distraction for anyone down there."

Tomei looked up and nodded after a while. “You're right, Qing-kun. He's kinda anal about rules and shit.”

…

By the time the team left the locker room after the game, almost all the spectators had gone. They'd left in high spirits and jubilation, but would not be going out as most were students and had school in the morning.

Tomei and the others, including the girls, had hung around outside the entrance of the sports’ centre to wait for their captain. Even if Qingming didn't want to, he had no choice but to wait as he had the guy's phone and was also his chauffeur. But he hadn't counted on the others being there after the game, so he was now wondering how they would get to go off alone..

When Hiromasa asked him to drive for him, he'd agreed out of kindness but said he didn't want anyone to see them. It would be strange and people would definitely talk about them hanging out together all of a sudden. Qingming also said he didn't want Tomei to have any misunderstandings and think Qingming was trying to steal his best friend.

As Hiromasa exited the building with a slight limp, Tomei rushed over and surprised him by enveloping him in a tight hug.

Hiromasa felt his breath caught as his stomach began rolling around. Did he really just initiate a hug between them? The athlete felt moved and used one arm to return the hug, melting into the embrace.

The sound of laughter didn't even reach him immediately. It was the talking that followed that finally drew his attention back to the present. Tomei also seemed to realise what he'd done and quickly pulled away, giving Hiromasa a few pats on the shoulder.

“He'd been so worried about you, senpai,” Qingming said. “You’re really lucky to have such a great friend.”

“Yeah,” one of the others agreed. “He totally stepped into ‘dad mode' compared to his usual whining self.”

Tomei shoved his friend at the teasing remark but laughed, while the girls also expressed their concern for the athlete.

“Thanks. To all of you for your support,” Hiromasa said and bowed. “But it's late now, so let's catch up another time.”

“Minamoto-senpai, do you need a ride home?” Orihime asked.

Hiromasa shook his head. “I'm going to the hospital for a check-up and have arranged for someone to take me.”

Qingming was surprised at that. What about Hiromasa's car?

Tomei was also surprised. “The hospital? I'll come with you. And you should contact your parents to let them know what's going on.”

Hiromasa smiled and the fondness couldn't be hidden as he thought how considerate Tomei was. “You need to get home and rest for school tomorrow. It's nothing serious and just a formality. I'll text you after.”

Tomei seemed reluctant but nodded.

They then decided who would be travelling with whom. Qingming told them he had arranged his own ride and bid them farewell after saying he needed to go use the bathroom first. Within minutes, the group separated, leaving Hiromasa outside the building waiting for his drive.

Qingming had waited almost fifteen minutes before bringing the car around. Hiromasa was leaning on the light pole, fingers moving swiftly across the screen of the phone in his hands.

When the vehicle stopped in front of him, he looked up and met accusing eyes.

“Senpai, if I recall correctly, that's not your phone.”

Hiromasa didn't even flinch. “I'm texting my mom.”

Qingming's eye twitched. “You can do that from your own phone, senpai..”

Hiromasa said nothing but walked around to the passenger door and got in.

“Your phone is in my bag, go ahead and switch please. Now, who's taking you to the hospital? What do I do with your car?”

“I told my parents you were taking me,” was the very serious response.

Qingming looked at him as if he'd grown two heads. “Senpai! Respectfully, you didn't ask if I was ok with it. And it's already this late.. Don't you feel sorry for the inconvenience you're causing me?”

“I'm really sorry. I'll tell my parents you don't have the time.”

Qingming recalled telling the guy's mom they'd always be there for him and take care of him. “Ok, ok fine! But you owe me, senpai. I feel like I've spent an entire week taking care of you and it hasn't been two full days. Aren't you tired of being around me yet?”

The last question had been rhetorical but Hiromasa answered him seriously.

“I haven't. And thanks for everything. I owe you.”

A small smile played on Qingming's lips as he put the car in drive. “Think nothing of it because things will finally go back to normal tomorrow. Let's get you to the hospital.”

While getting a thorough examination, Hiromasa told Qingming he'd be leaving in a few hours to go stay with his parents in New York for the week. The test results came back fine, but the doctor insisted the athlete get as much bed rest as possible for the next day or two.

After he was brought home, Hiromasa insisted that Qingming shouldn't walk home as it was too late. Even though they were in a gated community, the athlete insisted the distance between their homes was too far and a dog could have gotten loose. When he accused the dancer of being a slave driver at the suggestion of waking up a driver to come pick him up, an increasingly frustrated Qingming didn't argue any further and grabbed the car key he'd just returned from Hiromasa's palm. He promised to bring it back the next day after school and left without another word.
…

Chapter Text

“...will be gone all week.”

The friend group was gathered in their usual spot at the back of the class, and Tomei had just told them the reason for Hiromasa's absence.

Qingming pretended to be just as surprised as the others, but inside he was kicking his senpai. He remembered specifically telling him to switch the phones but when he was woken up at 4:30 this morning, he'd realised he still had Hiromasa's phone!

When he got in last night, it was already past midnight and he was too tired, so he'd quickly gotten ready for bed without even taking the phone from the bag.

After waking up, Qingming had called his own phone in a rage at Hiromasa who proceeded to say he took Qingming's phone with him. To New York. Qingming asked why he didn't leave it with the housekeeper but his senior only acted aloof, and told him if he'd done that they wouldn't be having this conversation.

Qingming was certain the athlete was joking. No way could he be serious... But, he was talking to him on it. So the psycho really did take it along... He'd then reluctantly shared his phone pin so Hiromasa could forward a few files to his email, and the athlete had given him his so he could check for messages from his parents.

After their call ended, Qingming looked back at the messages as he remembered something. As he thought, there were a few texts from Tomei. So he first sent a text to his own number reminding Hiromasa he hadn't told Tomei he was leaving. The guy had responded in less than 30 seconds to say Qingming could text him from his phone.

Qingming felt a sense of foreboding at how quickly he'd gotten an answer and sent another message:

= Don't snoop through my phone!!! =

Not that he had anything scandalous on it, but still… Then he sent another:

= And I’m not your fucking secretary! =

Now, how was he supposed to get through an entire week without his phone?!

“Qing-kun, wanna go to that new mall in Harajuku with me and Usagi-chan after school today?” Tomei asked. “Its the opening of their sports store and I need some new knee pads. Plus, we can check out that cafe I've been telling you about.”

Qingming felt a little conflicted. He didn't want to ruin Hiromasa's chances by letting Tomei go out alone with Usagi-chan while he was away, but he had an important dance class today. His exam was scheduled for Wednesday and he wasn't confident with some parts of his routine.

“Um… I..”

Kaminari butted in. “XX Cafe?”

Tomei turned to him and nodded.

“Do you mind if my girlfriend and I tag along? She's been talking about that place since we got together.”

“Ooo, double date!” one of the guys quipped. “Qing-kun, you should probably sit this one out. Otherwise, they’ll leave you feeling like a fifth wheel.”

Qingming was thankful. He laughed and put an arm around his friend. “Mei-kun, you wouldn't want me feeling like that, would you?”

“But it's not a date!” Tomei defended.

“Mhmm… does Usagi-chan know that?” Qingming asked in jest.

But he was surprised how Tomei's shoulders stiffened and he didn't immediately respond. When he and the others looked at him suspiciously, Tomei began rambling incoherently.

“You guys may really start dating?”

“Why are you so shocked, Qing-kun? They've been getting close ever since the mixer.”

“Because Mei-kun is always denying it!… Even just yesterday…”

The guys laughed.

“It's your own fault for believing him. He's very serious about dating this year!”

Qingming couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart for Hiromasa. That must have been why the athlete had been so down about the two hanging out.. After all, he knew Mei-kun best, so clearly he could interpret the guy’s intentions better than Qingming.

“I've got some errands after school, so I'd be grateful if I can take a rain check,” he said apologetically. Then he pulled his backpack around. “By the way, I got these for you guys over the weekend!”
…

By the time Qingming got home, it was well past dinnertime and he was pooped.

As he entered the hall of his courtyard, a maid came over.

“Gongzi, Abe-furen has returned home and has requested that you join the family for dinner.”

Qingming almost rolled his eyes. It was just like her to inconvenience everyone by delaying dinner. He did not have the physical or mental strength to entertain his mother. But if he didn't go, then she'd come. And having her in his space would be worse.

He sighed. “Ok. Thanks, Yu-chan. I'll be there shortly.”

The girl nodded and left.

In his room, Qingming saw an outfit laid out on his bed. It was a modern changshan.

“Of course,” he sighed again as he dropped his bags and went to the bathroom.

After his shower, he went to brush his teeth and spotted the toothbrush Hiromasa had used. Whoever cleaned up had put it in the holder with his. With a shake of his head, he took it up and threw it in the bin.

…

“A'Qing,” his mother greeted with a big smile. As always, it lacked warmth but was so perfect it would be hard to tell if he didn't know her as well as he did. “We're so happy you opted to join us.”

‘Like I'd come here if I had the option to choose..’

But outwardly, he returned the disingenuous smile. “Hello, mother. I'm glad to see you returned safely from your trip. I hope all is well.”

“I would've preferred if you had come with us…”

He didn't miss the reprimanding undertone. That day he accidentally witnessed the interaction between Hiromasa and Tomei, he'd been hiding out in that section of the mall just so he wouldn't be home and get dragged into his mother's shenanigans. Clearly he'd made the right call. Who knew what would have happened to Hiromasa that night if …

'Shit! The car…’

His mother had continued rambling while she led him to take a seat at the dinner table. A few minutes later, his younger brother came in and immediately adjusted his grumpy demeanour when her stern gaze landed on him. Just behind him followed his older sister and her husband, and then his father.

Qingming's entire mood lifted at the sight of the man, whose presence alone dispelled the awkward atmosphere and brightened up the place when he smiled at them.

“Ah, it's so good for the whole family to sit down for a meal,” the patriarch said, taking a seat and indicating for them to do the same. “I know we've all got a lot on our plates lately, but let's try to do this as often as we can.”

Other than his wife, the man's children and son-in-law agreed readily.

“Abe-san, Qingming and Xiao Ming are kids. The only thing they have to worry about is school,” Abe-furen said.

Qingming's father looked at his sons. “If they only put their focus on their studies then they won't be well rounded individuals. The teenage years are the best to learn a lot of things, so later on you can better decide on your future and come up with wonderful ideas based on your experiences.”

Qingming began feeling it was worth coming to dinner after all. It seemed his father was intent on not allowing his mother to bring down everyone's mood. When she opened her mouth to speak again, he continued.

“Speaking of things to do. How are your exam preparations coming along? I sent a reminder to your school today that you'll need to be excused for that day.”

All eyes turned to Qingming, to whom the question was posed.

“What exam?” Of course it was his mother.

With a smile, Qingming answered his father's question. “I am 99% ready. There's a sequence that I'm not confident in and Madame Kang was especially brutal today, making me practise a whole hour extra. But I'm sure it'll go well. I'm determined.”

“That's my boy,” his father's eyes beamed proudly and Qingming felt even more assured that he could get through it. The man's attention turned to his youngest. “I hear congratulations are in order!”

But Xiao Ming looked confused.

“Oh!” Their father looked surprised. “What day is it again? Oh man, I ruined the surprise…”

He genuinely seemed upset at himself.

“Wait..,” Xiao Ming started, trying to contain his growing excitement. “You mean, I won??”

Abe-san nodded and Xiao Ming pumped his fists in the air as he let out an excited ‘Yes!’, which earned him a disapproving look from his mother. Recomposing himself, Xiao Ming apologised for his outburst but couldn't stop grinning.

“Didi,” his brother-in-law said. “What did you win?”

“I entered the TMA Junior Robotics competition. I can't believe I won!.. But how did you get the news already, dad? They won't make the announcement for at least another week!”

“The matter we left to handle was with one of our business partners, who it turns out were the sponsors. Their President had been provided with the list of the final results and asked me if there was any relation. I was so proud to say that you are my son..”

The look on his face showed how true those words were.

Everyone gave Xiao Ming congratulatory words. Except Abe-furen, who had to have her say.

She took a sip of water then sighed. “If you put half as much effort into your studies, you could accomplish a whole lot more.”

No one knew what to say because the kid was kind of a young genius and excelled academically.

But, she wasn't done.

“And you, Qingming. When are you going to give up on this hobby? It's almost time for you to go off to college. You were the one who agreed to come back and prepare to take over the company, so why are you still carrying on with this nonsense? Your face is already so enviable, what woman is going to want a man who moves more gracefully than she does? Only one that's after your inheritance.”

Everyone held their heads down, except Abe-san whose demeanour became more rigid as he fixed his wife with an effective icy stare. Qingming noticed and wanted to stop the argument that would likely ensue between them.

“Don't worry, mom. If I can't find a suitable wife to bring home to you, I'll find a suitable husband instead,” he grinned.

It was Xiao Ming who snorted first and then the others, who despite their best efforts, couldn't avoid laughing out loud after a few seconds.

Abe-san took a deep breath then turned his attention back to his middle child, looking more relaxed. “Just make sure he's rich and has great business acumen.”

Abe-furen knew better than to try and continue with that topic. But if there's one thing about her, she's never without anything to say.

“Speaking of rich, I noticed there's a car in the garage. At first I thought Shen-shen here bought a new car,” she said, referring to her son-in-law. “But I was told you were the one who drove it, A'Qing.”

He nodded, already prepared for her to bring it up. “It belongs to a friend. He's visiting his parents overseas and asked me to car sit for him.”

“Oh? Well, if your friend can afford such an expensive car, I'm sure he can afford somewhere to store it.”

“Contrary to what you're thinking, I'm not involved in any delinquency, mom! If you must know, he's a friend from school and he lives right here in our community. I was supposed to drop off the car at his house, but his parents had already told the housekeeper to take the week off since he won't be there, and no one else is there to collect the keys.”

His mother looked affronted, but he didn't notice since he had been watching his fingers fiddle with his water glass. "I wasn't thinking --."

Qingming's sister called her attention and asked about the emergency they'd left to take care of.

Qingming knew his sister hated talking about work stuff at meals and only did that to distract the woman from him. He sighed thinking how everyone was always going out of their way to save him and he didn't like it.

He sat in silence the remainder of the time, barely eating his food and just pushing it around his plate.
…

Back in his compound, he'd immediately changed into the outfit he'll wear for his exam. Well, it was a second pair for him to practise in before the actual day. He then went straight to his home studio.

With the volume on full blast and him being immersed in the music, it took him a while to realise the phone had been ringing. After pausing the music, he picked it up and saw his own number calling. Only after he accepted the call it clicked to him that it was a video call.

“Good morning, delinquent!” he greeted with fake enthusiasm.

“That's authorised delinquent to you,” Hiromasa corrected seriously.

Qingming laughed, and felt some of the tension leave his body. He rested the phone down on a nearby cabinet then went to grab his towel and a bottle of water.

“Where are you?” Hiromasa asked.

“Since when do I have to report my whereabouts to you?” Qingming scoffed, then took a long drink.

“Since you have my car and my phone. I have to make sure you're not taking them to unscrupulous places that could implicate me in the future.”

Qingming almost spat out the water as he laughed. “It's true! You do have a sense of humour! No wonder you and Tomei are best friends. But if you must know, I'm home.”

“Are you sure? It looks like you’re in a dance studio.”

“Yes, the one I have at home.”

“Ahh.. Then it's no wonder you're so good. After all, you must be really serious about dancing to have a studio at home..”

“I'm not that good..,” Qingming said softly.

“I've been meaning to ask you… why do you do that?”

“Do what?” Qingming asked with a small sigh, hanging the towel around his neck.

“Why do you belittle yourself and your talent?”

“Pshh! I don't do that!” Even Qingming wasn't convinced by his own words. Clearing his throat, he tried to change the line of questioning. “Aren't you supposed to be catching up with your parents or resting? What's with you suddenly wanting to have a heart to heart? We're not close, senpai.”

“But you're the one who said we're friends. Friends talk to each other, don’t they?”

Qingming frowned at him. “Whatever. I'm not that good, end of story.”

“You can lie to everyone else, but not me. I saw you. I was looking for Mei-kun and saw you dancing in one of the private rooms. Even if my words mean nothing to you, your instructor thinks very highly of you.”

Qingming couldn't say anything for a while. What?? Hiromasa saw him? Without meaning to, his face became a little flushed.

“You.. You saw?..”

Hiromasa nodded.

“Please don't tell anyone..”

Hiromasa was a little unnerved by the pleading tone in his voice. “Why are you hiding?”

“Well, what good can come of anyone knowing the truth?”

Hiromasa was silent for a while. “Is it because of Tomei?”

Qingming didn't answer but the other knew..

Before Qingming, Tomei had always been the youngest in his class. But instead of feeling emboldened by that fact, he always felt inferior because he didn't move up in rank the same time as others. Not only has Hiromasa heard Tomei complain before about the other dancers who perform better than him, but he's seen first hand how his friend treats any who approach him.

Though Tomei is a very good dancer, he can't handle the fact that there were others in his age group who are better, and especially didn't like that he never got assigned a private room despite being at the academy for more than ten years. Tomei had been so pissed off about it all that he switched from the performing arts program to the recreational one. Since he'd already studied at a higher level for years, he figured he'd stand out more in this type of class.

It's only been two years since he made the change. And though he's had more opportunities to be the lead dancer, his attitude hasn't changed. He always has a villainous story for anyone who he thought got more commendations or attention than him. And despite leaving the performing arts program, he still carried a deeply grudge for anyone in it.

Hiromasa's opinion was that Tomei wasn't mature enough to accept the fact that he just wasn't at their level yet and just needed to keep working hard to improve. In fact, the first time Hiromasa suggested that it may be this negative outlook and perception he has of others that was holding the dancer back (in a much nicer way, of course), his good intention had been met with anger and accusations. All subsequent attempts to discuss the matter were either ignored or Tomei would change the subject. Still , he believed the dancer just needed time to grow and learn.

“You don't have to say, I understand. And I won't say anything to him or anyone else.”

The relief on Qingming's face was evident. Though he didn't know all that much, he's already seen and heard enough to know what Tomei's reaction would be. “Thank you..”

“But only because it's not my secret to tell; It doesn't mean I agree. For one thing, Tomei is not as serious about dancing as he makes it seem, and he needs to admit that to himself so he can pursue something he truly loves. He's certainly not as serious about it as you.”

“Even so, it's not like it's something I'll continue doing for much longer, so no use ruining my friendship over it,” Qingming shrugged.

Hiromasa wanted to ask what he meant and if the reason has anything to do with why he was in the recreational program instead of the more advanced classes. But he felt he wouldn't get an answer. “Don't say it with so much certainty. You won't know that for sure until the day you actually have to give it up.”

Qingming raised his brows. “That's actually a very wise outlook.”

Hiromasa chuckled. “I have my moments.. Anyway, why have you been practising so diligently? I thought you guys had time off this week because… ohhh, you also have an exam?”

Qingming sighed and nodded as he stretched his arms above his head and shook out his legs.

“Ohh.. I guess that also explains the attire.. Can I see your routine?”

Qingming looked at him suspiciously from the side of his eyes. “Why?”

“Well, I paid for VIP tickets to the production. So I want to see the capabilities of those taking part. Especially when they're new and so lacking in talent. I want to see if you're making improvements or if you're just wasting your parents money.”

Qingming laughed again. “You know what, and I really must be crazy right now, but I'll do it. It's been a long time since I've had an audience besides Madame Kang so bear with me..”

“Mm. Ganbare.”

Qingming adjusted the phone so that his entire body was in the frame.

“Ok, here we go,” he said, shaking out his limbs, suddenly feeling a little nervous. He picked up the remote and restarted the music.

Hiromasa watched intently as Qingming moved to the music. The dance was a traditional Chinese dance routine, with a lot of ballet components incorporated. The movements of his limbs were fluid and effortless, but strong and expressive at certain parts to match the beat.

When the song died down and Qingming ended in his final pose, Hiromasa thought back to the time he'd seen him in the room. Though this was a good performance, he couldn't help thinking it was missing something.

“It was terrible, wasn't it?”

Qingming's words snapped the athlete out of his thoughts.

“What were you thinking about just now as you were dancing?” Hiromasa asked.

Qingming wasn't expecting that response. He was also left wondering if it was just him or did Hiromasa actually sound interested, instead of just saying something to be courteous. Uncertain about what was happening, he thought for a while before giving an answer. “Hmm… that I didn't want to mess up.. that I needed to relax because I know the steps.”

“Ah… did you choose this song and routine?”

“Fuck no! It's too mushy for my liking. My former instructor did. And it was too late to learn a new routine once I decided to continue with the exam.”

“Well, since you've made that decision, you certainly have to do your best. Do you know the words to this song?”

“No… I didn't know it was an actual song.”

“I think that's part of the reason you're having a disconnect. Go in my music folder and play the song named ‘xxx’.”

Qingming was sceptical but did as instructed. He listened to the song fully, while Hiromasa remained silent with a laptop in front of him. Qingming hadn't even noticed when he picked that up.

“Wow… that's beautiful..,” he commented when the song ended. There was disbelief in his tone, indicating he wasn't expecting much. But it had really stirred something inside him. “It's a bit different from the song I have.”

“En. What you were given is a simplified piano instrumental that was released in recent years by a younger artist. Not many know about the original because it's an unreleased OST from an old movie. Now, why don't you try dancing to this version?”

“Eh??”

“It won't hurt to try, right? And this time, instead of thinking about all those things, try thinking about whatever was on your mind when you danced the parts for the two leads in the production.”

Qingming almost hid his face. It was bad enough that Hiromasa spied on him, but he'd seen him dancing his crush's routine!

“Ok..” Qingming said as he connected the phone to his wireless sound system.

As the song played, he immersed himself in the lyrics, the musicality and how the song made him feel. His only focus was expressing those emotions that wanted to burst right out of him. Before he knew it, it was over and he was back in the moment.

When he went over to the phone and saw Hiromasa's face, he was a little confused by the mixture of emotions on it. Mostly disbelief. “What now..?”

“I don't mean this in a bad way, but I felt like I was watching a completely different person from ten minutes ago.”

Qingming actually fell on the ground laughing as his feelings settled once more. “You know what? I'll take that as you saying I did a better job.”

“If you must,” Hiromasa shrugged. “But there was still one thing… go to 2:34.”

Qingming paused as his hand reached for the phone. “What about that part?” he asked instead.

“I don't know .. it still feels a little disconnected.. why do you ask?”

“I actually haven't been feeling confident about that part either… as if.. I don't know how to explain it..”

“Well, let's listen to it.”

Qingming replayed that section, listening to the words. Then he listened again, going back a little further so he could hear the last part of the verse before and the transition to that section.

“Oh, well that's easy. You've never been in love so that's why you don't know how to interpret it in dance,” Hiromasa said bluntly.

“What?” Qingming deadpanned. He'd been seriously making mental notes and Hiromasa just slapped him with such a claim.

“Aren't you guys always talking about dating and all that.. if you don't have the experience, then it's going to be a challenge to get the emotion across.”

Qingming went silent as his mind threatened to dredge up memories he'd buried deep, deep down.

Hiromasa saw the shadow cross the others face and knew he'd thought wrong. “Or…not.”

There was a sudden silence between them, which was broken by a third voice.

“What's this talk of love so early in the morning?”

“Mom?” Hiromasa looked to his side as she came into view.

“Minamoto-san!” Qingming straightened up and bowed. “H..hi!”

“Hello! What are you kids trying to figure out at this hour?” she asked kindly.

“Qingming-kun has an exam for dance and we were just discussing his routine.”

“Oh, really? You're a dancer, too? Well, what exactly are you struggling with? I'm nowhere near proficient but I did dabble for a while in college.”

Qingming couldn't help smiling along with her. Her entire demeanour was so warm and friendly.

“I'm dancing to xxx, and I haven't been confident about this part..,” he explained then played it. “Hiromasa-senpai thinks it's because I'm not expressing the emotions of the words, and he's probably right.”

“Hmm… Well, the song may speak to a specific type of love.. But, that doesn't mean it's the one you have to match. All you want is for the person watching to feel the love you're trying to convey. It could be the love for your family, your friends, even your love for dance. Anything you feel strongly about and have great admiration for. Also, try to use the music more as a guide. I think the instruments perfectly capture the feelings that are being conveyed in the lyrics.”

“Hmmm,” Qingming had been pensive as he listened, and suddenly felt inspired. “I've never thought of it that way… thanks, Minamoto-san!”

Before the woman could respond, he'd gotten to his feet, completely engrossed in his own thoughts.

Qingming went back to the middle of the room and restarted the song.

This time, he thought of things in his life that resonated with the emotions he felt from the song. At one point, he turned his gaze to the phone briefly and smiled to himself as he went through the routine.

Hiromasa wasn't sure what exactly happened, but his heart made a little jump at that moment.

When the song finished this time, Qingming was surprised at how good and reassured he felt. He ran back over to the phone and looked eagerly at the three faces.

Wait, three??

“Wow… I thought I was watching an angel dancing.. wait, Qingming-kun, is that you?”

Qingming nodded slowly at Hiromasa's father. “Hi, Minamoto-san. Um.. they were just helping me with my exam routine.”

“Well, I dare say.. you'll pass with flying colours!”

Qingming's already flushed face felt warmer. “Thank you, Minamoto-san. I'll do my best! Um… it's getting late. I should go warm down and get ready for bed..”

“Ah, yes. Rest is important,” Hiromasa's mom said. “Goodnight! And thanks for sharing your dance with me. You were incredible!”

Her husband smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Thank you for watching. You guys have a great day.”

“Call me in the morning before you leave for school,” Hiromasa said.
….

The next day at practice, Madame Kang was astonished when Qingming said he wanted to change his song choice. In fact, she almost had heart failure!

But he quickly explained that it was just a slightly different version of the same song. When he'd woken up that morning, Hiromasa had sent him a file. It was the instrumental for the original song, with the harmonies.

“I'm ready to start,” Qingming said, and she pressed play on ‘his’ phone.

Afterwards, she was on the verge of tears. “I don't know what to say … except, don't let go of whatever inspired you last night!”

She walked over and gave him a tight hug before jumping in excitement, forcing him to go along.

“My child, you are ready. And those minor improvs here and there were just ...! I don't need to see anything more! I know you'll go home and rehearse even if you don't get in until midnight, so I'll let you go now. See you tomorrow morning!”

***

“...too early to tell,” Qingming said as he fell back on his bed.

He was using his laptop to talk to Hiromasa as the phone was on charge.

“Ok.”

“You didn't have to wake up this early to call me, you know..,” Qingming said, rolling his head to face the device.

It was only 4 in the afternoon for him, which meant it was 3 AM in New York.

“I know,” was all Hiromasa said.

Qingming smiled as he watched the other guy close his eyes, half asleep. When he spoke again, his voice was much softer. “I'm gonna take a nap before I start my homework.. Bye.”

Hiromasa nodded lazily without opening his eyes and said. “Talk to you later..”

“Ok..”
…

The next day during lunch, Qingming once again tried to convince Hiromasa to call Tomei.

“You don't want him to feel abandoned, do you?”

“They say distance makes the heart grow fonder,” Hiromasa said as he walked around the rooftop terrace of the hotel.

The city lights were bright and plenty. And from his vantage point, he could see above many of the tall buildings all the way to the ocean. As he stared at the view, he felt a pang in his heart.

Qingming sighed exasperatedly. “They also say distance is just a test to see how far love will travel. Are you testing Mei-kun? Because I'm not so sure that's the approach you want to take here. With you gone and rehearsals suspended for another week, he's been spending a lot of time with Usagi-chan.”

“If that's what he wants, I shouldn't interfere, right?”

“Are you crazy? You'll only be filled with regret later on. You love him a lot. I see it in your eyes whenever you two are together! So why are you holding back?”

There was silence on the line for a while.

“I always told myself it's because I don't want to ruin what we have… but lately, I've been thinking more about it.. Maybe there's another reason and I just don't want to admit it..”

“Oh?.." Qingming hesitated for a few seconds, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Care to share?”

“Hmm.. I'm not completely sure about it myself.. My cousin said something to me that day you saw us in the mall, and since I got here we talked about it some more.. But I still don't understand, and until I figure it out, I don't think I should be so focused on confessing to him.”

"Oh… I guess that makes sense then.." But Qingming wasn't convinced. He didn't know what it was but Hiromasa seemed a little... off. At least, more than usual. "Are you sure you're not just afraid of being rejected?"

Hiromasa was silent for a while before releasing a small sigh. "That... may have also become a part of the reason more recently.."

Qingming thought he was referring to Usagi-chan coming into the picture, and wondered if Hiromasa really guessed that Tomei was thinking of asking her to be his girlfriend. “Then what will you do in the meantime?”

Hiromasa chuckled and the sound reverberated around Qingming's head from the speakers of his earphones. “I don't know that either..”

“Well, lucky for you. I now have some free time as well and I promised myself to do my part in helping you two get together.”

“Really? And why’s that?” Hiromasa sounded amused.

“Because I feel responsible for you two not spending enough time together the day of the game..”

“What the hell are you talking about? Have you forgotten what happened leading up to that day and how much pressure I was under?”

“No.. But when..,” Qingming looked a little surprised as the other guys, including Tomei came over to the secluded area he'd been having lunch and plopped down with a ‘Hey!’. “..when he came to see you, you were such a jerk and didn't allow him in which made him upset. And then, like the jerk that you are, you left right after without much communication..”

Qingming could hear the smirk across the phone. And Hiromasa's tone proved him correct. “You have company? Such quick thinking to switch languages.”

“Oho! So you do know mandarin? I didn't expect that.”

“There's still a whole lot you don't know about this jerk, Qingming-ah.”

Qingming felt a little flushed at his name being said that way. It threatened to remind him of a previous dream. “So I've come to realise.. Certainly didn't expect you to be someone with an old Cantonese song from over 40 years ago on your phone!.. So, does anyone else here speak it?”

“No. They say it's enough of a struggle with English classes,” Hiromasa chuckled.

“Ah, I remember the cries of failure,” Qingming laughed, accepting a bottle of banana milk.

“But that's good for us.”

“How so?”

“Because we get to keep talking.”

Qingming frowned and didn't like the way his insides moved. “Ge, don't say such things. It's making me feel uncomfortable. How can it be a good thing that I'm here talking to you right in front of the love of your life who's been missing you?”

“How do you know he misses me?”

“Of course, he does! He looks so pitiful.. I just wanna go cuddle him..”

Hiromasa had a hard time picturing a pitiful looking Tomei, and an even harder time picturing him accepting cuddles.

Qingming took a picture of the group making sure to focus on Tomei, and sent it to his phone so Hiromasa could see.

“Pretend that you're typing on the phone," Hiromasa said a little while after.

“Umm… ok.. ”

A few seconds later, he saw Tomei look over at him and just stared for a while. Qingming tilted his head quizzically at him wondering what happened? Tomei kept staring for a few more seconds, his eyes filled with conflicting emotions, before typing on his phone.

“Ge, why was your boyfriend looking at me like that? Are you sure he doesn't speak mandarin?”

“He doesn't. I'm sending you something.. Please don't be mad..”

A message suddenly came in and Qingming opened the chat. It was an image. A screenshot of part of a conversation to be exact, between himself and Tomei. A very recent conversation. Recent like a minute ago!

Me:
Sorry I can't talk to you guys right now
But are you ok?
You look a little sad..

Mei-mei:
I'm fine
Hiro-senpai's coming back soon and I don't think I'm ready to face him..
I'm really hoping his feelings will change by the time he comes back..

Qingming was confused... But soon, more screenshots of conversations between him and Tomei earlier in the week came in.

As his heart pounded in his chest, Qingming quickly read through them.

Me:
Hey 👋🏼 How you holding up?
You must be missing your Hiro-senpai so much… 🥺
🤣

Mei-mei:
Hey
Dude, don't start
Why the fuck does everyone keep acting like I can't exist without him?

“Ge… what is this?..” Qingming asked as he read. His voice was a little shaky, which made the others look over at him in confusion.

Hiromasa sighed heavily. “I’ve been wanting to admit to this since Tuesday, but didn’t want to distract you just before your exam.. I had a moment of weakness, and I’m really sorry. Please don’t be angry...”

Qingming's head was swimming as he continued reading. What the fuck was going on?!

Me:
Come on, man. You know it's not like that
It's coz we know you were worried since the game and then he left so suddenly.

Mei-mei:
K.
Can I be honest with you about something?
You told me about your mom so I think I can talk to you about this..

Me:
👌

Mei-mei:
I think this time apart is a good thing for me and Hiro-senpai..

Me:
What? Why?

Mei-mei:
I think Hiro-senpai likes me…
like relationship and dating kind of like!

Me:
No fucking way!!
Are you sure?

Mei-mei:
Yeah, dude.. I'm shocked too ..
I've suspected for a while now but I wasn't sure.
I thought he'd get over it after a while but now I think he wants to confess!
I don't know how I feel about this, man!
He's my best friend, but he's a guy...
I'm so confused, Qing-kun!! 😭
If he says something about how he feels, I don't know what I'll say..

Me:
oh wow…
that's so..unexpected.. damn!
so that's why you want the time apart?

Mei-mei:
yeah…
I just need more time to process and think it over without him being here.
It's also a good chance for him to come to his senses and realise that he doesn't want to date another guy!
Especially me!
You said I should talk to him about my intentions with Usagi-chan, but idk..
I was thinking of starting to date her seriously, but something happened the other day that's got me feeling so fucked up

Me:
what the hell happened?

Mei-mei:
That supposed 'date' you guys thought she and I had last Saturday?
He saw us together and thought the same thing!
But the way he reacted... It wasn't just him feeling rejected.. he's.. Hiromasa had some issues in the past and I think my relationship with Usagi-chan might bring them up again..

Me:
I always knew he was crazy...
Anyway, so whatchu gonna do?
Give up on her? Date her in secret?

Mei-mei:
idk ..
that's why I'm so messed up!
I've even been thinking... what if I could grow to like him the same way he likes me?

Me:
You mean you've never thought about him in that way?
Even though you suspect he had feelings for you for a while?

Mei-mei:
I've obviously thought about it..
But.. as I said.. idk…
I mean, I love him a lot. I just don't love him that way...
But.. idk if that might change once I think it through some more..

Me:
Ok
Take your time then.
And I'm always here if you need to talk, Mei-mei~ 😘

Mei-mei:
Fuck you
But, thanks Qing-kun... I really mean it.
And, I don't want to share this with the others.

Me:
goes without saying.

Qingming looked over at Tomei. He didn't know what kind of expression was on his face, but by Tomei's reaction, it wasn't good.

“How could you do something like this?” Qingming asked Hiromasa. His voice was more shaky and he felt like something was clogged in his throat.

“Qing-kun, are you ok?” Tomei asked, his face full of concern as he jumped to his feet and hurried to Qingming's side.

The others looked around and asked similar questions, turning their bodies towards him with concerned faces as well.

There was a sigh on the line, and Qingming felt as if something inside him had lost its form and was slowly slipping away. “I'm really sorry. I don't think any explanation I can give will justify my actions..”

Qingming narrowed his eyes and pulled the earphones out of his ears before ending the call.

“I'm sorry,” he said when he made eye contact with Tomei who was holding his arm, as guilt washed over him. But he couldn't find the courage to say what he was sorry for. “I'm not feeling so good.. I think I'll go see the nurse.”

“Let me take you,” Tomei said standing up when Qingming did.

Qingming was going to decline but felt a little dizziness momentarily cloud his vision.

As they walked to the nurses office, there was a buzzing sound from Qingming's pocket that continued non-stop.

Qingming acted as if he didn't notice it which made Tomei wonder if he should ask about it. Since Qingming was speaking Chinese, it was likely a family related matter and now may not be the best time to bring that up.

With that thought in mind, they went to the nurse’s office in silence. Apart from the constant buzzing of the vibrating phone.

The woman checked Qingming in, and after doing a few minor checks on his person, she recommended he call home as he was running a slight fever. However, Qingming didn’t want to be home in the middle of the day as that would certainly result in an interrogation by Abe-furen.

“If I could just take a nap here for a while, I’m sure I’ll feel better soon..,” he told her and she agreed after giving him a pill.

“Will you be alright by yourself?” Tomei asked.

Qingming nodded with a small smile, but couldn’t bring himself to meet his friend's eyes. “I just need some time and space to recover.. Thanks for coming with me. You’re such a great friend, Mei-kun.”

Tomei laughed. “What's up with you being sentimental all of a sudden? Get some rest, ok? I’ll text you later.”

…

When Qingming woke up, the first thing he noticed was a hollow feeling inside. As if that something he'd felt slipping was now gone.

He'd felt this way before, and until this moment, he never knew what it was. The realisation left him reduced to a perfect nonplus. It made a chill run throughout his body as if he'd been submerged in one of those ice baths the athlete said he liked taking.

A cough from a sleeping student nearby brought Qingming back to the present. He looked at the clock and saw the last period of the school day was almost over. He left the small bed and went back to the nurse, who gave him another check then two notes for the classes he missed.

Qingming’s head felt heavy as he made his way to homeroom. He couldn’t believe it.. Hiromasa had been talking to Tomei while pretending to be him?? Without telling Qingming?? What the hell! What if Tomei had brought up something in those texts while at school? What was he supposed to have done?!

And it’s one thing to pretend to be him, but he was being told things Tomei obviously didn’t want him to know. How could he be so… Argh!!!

“Ah! Oh, I’m so sorry!” Qingming apologised with a few quick bows.

So lost he was in his mind, he wasn’t paying attention and walked right into someone.

“I’m beginning to think you’re doing this on purpose,” a deep but kind voice said with a chuckle. “Either that or we’re just attracted to each other.”

Qingming looked up at the speaker, and came face to face with a familiar looking guy. He was tall and built like a tank.

“Maybe,” the dancer said absentmindedly, with a small smile. “I’m sorry again.”

With another bow, Qingming continued on his way.

“Or we’re just attracted to each other?? Taka-senpai, when did you get so smooth!” Koga asked in disbelief.

Yue rolled his eyes and continued walking.

After quickly completing his homeroom duty, Qingming didn’t bother to stick around. He’d already told one of the other guys he encountered that he would be leaving as he wasn’t well.

The driver he'd call was already there waiting which he was happy for and immediately left for home.

In the car, he couldn’t do anything but think about what happened earlier and felt terrible all over again. He’d been curious about Hiromasa’s intentions in spending so much time talking to him, but had gotten swept up in the idea that they were getting closer and becoming real friends.

He'd realised on Monday night that Hiromasa was the one that night in Iwakuni.. After he'd ended the call with the athlete that morning, he'd grabbed a pillow to yell into, and noticed it still had the other guy's scent. But it wasn't until he climbed into bed that same night, feeling really good after their conversation, when he realised why the fading scent had seemed familiar! Since then.. instead of being sensible about it and keeping the athlete at a distance, he found himself secretly looking forward to their interactions and enjoying them more.

Though he told himself he had no intentions, he liked that Hiromasa’s personality seemed to go so well with his, and how easy it was for them to get along.

But... he was a fool and it had all been an act.

Either Hiromasa was feeling guilty, or was just trying to spend more time interacting so he could better make himself like Qingming when texting Tomei. Or, it could simply be that he was upset over what Tomei had said and Qingming just happened to be an available distraction.

Whatever the reason, it left Qingming with a sick feeling in his stomach... It was just his luck that he fell into the trap of another person who didn’t mean him well.

…

Chapter Text

During the final homeroom the next day, one of the girls in Qingming’s class brought him a message.

“Qing-kun, Mitsuki-chan is asking you to meet her in the back parking lot to help with something before you go.”

“Ok.. sure.”

He'd been a little lacklustre all day and everyone had been gracious in giving him space, but also told him to cheer up and excused him from clean-up duties. He never expected they'd be so accommodating; certainly different from his previous school.

At the final bell, he grabbed his bag and left the class.

As he hurried along, he almost bumped into someone again, but put his arms out just in time. They were still grabbed by the person out of reflex when he tilted backwards.

“Whoa there!” Yue said.

Qingming looked up into the face that had become somewhat familiar to him. He felt the smile tugging at his lips and didn’t stop it. “We have got to stop meeting like this, senpai.”

Yue was surprised, not expecting Qingming to say more than the usual 'sorry'. He returned the smile in full. “I agree. Maybe it should be on purpose from now on.”

Qingming laughed and pulled back his arms. “Hi, my name is Abe Qingming. Nice to meet you… again.”

Yue was mystified by the sound of the other boy's voice. “Hi, I’m Takahashi Yue. Pleasure.”

“I’d love to stay and chat but I promised to help out a friend. But I'm glad we at least know each other’s names, Takahashi-san.”

“Me too," Yue agreed. But he didn't want to say goodbye just yet. Especially since his annoying kouhai wasn't around (Koga). "Is it something I can help with?”

“Not sure,” Qingming frowned. “I was just asked to lend a hand but I don’t know with what.." Qingming gave him a once over. “Why don’t you come along? If it requires lifting, then I’ll have to trouble you with the task as I’m not built for such things. You on the other hand… wow!”

The two laughed at Qingming’s shamelessness.

“I don't mind owing someone as handsome as you a favour,” Yue said.

“Oh, you're quite the charmer, aren't you? Let's go before she thinks I ditched her.”

It did occur to Qingming that Yue was someone close to Hiromasa, who he'd decided to avoid going forward. But since he wasn't giving up his friendship with the other guys, he shouldn't let the association between the teammates stop him from making a new friend either.

Hiromasa swore he'd totally lost his mind.

Why else would he have come back early and immediately gone to school, where he's been waiting in this scant parking lot to see Qingming? His brain was either as broken as the dancer had assessed, or he was scared of what he'd tell Tomei. He was hoping it was the latter. Because if it was the other thing, then he'd be admitting to a lot more than needing psychiatric help.

When the side door opened, his heart lurched and he forgot everything he'd planned to say. And when he saw who exited, he completely forgot about the reason he'd come in the first place.

“Why are you two together?” left his lips before he knew it.

Qingming was sure his heart skipped a beat as the unexpected voice tripped him up. His gaze turned in the direction of the speaker, and he could feel his emotions surge. “H..Hiromasa-senpai? Why are you… how did you..?..”

“Hey, Cap,” Yue greeted, not realising how tense Qingming had become. “I thought you weren't coming back til next week?”

Qingming wasn't the only one who's mind was in a tangled mess; Hiromasa couldn't pinpoint how he felt seeing the two of them, but he suddenly remembered Koga saying Yue had taken a liking to Qingming. And now here they are, together… it just didn't sit right with him.

“Takahashi-san, I'm sorry but I gotta go. It seems I was mistaken in coming here.”

Before Yue could say anything, Hiromasa called after Qingming's fleeing figure. But the dancer just kept going until he disappeared around the corner leading to the front of the building.

“Um.. Cap, what's going on?”

Hiromasa's head was buzzing. What should he do now? He'd acted on impulse and come back home but he had no plan of action. Yue's question barely registered in his mental confusion.

“I'll see you Monday.”

…

When Qingming stormed into his house, Yu-chan approached him to say he had a visitor.

He wasn't in the mood to see anyone at the moment, but followed her nonetheless. It didn't even occur to him that no one from school knew where he lived. Except his former acquaintance.

When he entered the sitting room and saw Hiromasa, he didn’t hold back his anger.

“What the fuck are you doing here??”

“Qingming, I'm really sorry about what I did. If you'll just let me explain -.”

“Explain?? You say you're sorry but you don't even know what you did wrong, do you? Because if you did, you wouldn't dare try to make this better by ‘explaining’ why you did it!”

“But I –.”

“No. I don't wanna hear anything you have to say. Why should I let you explain why you compromised my friendship for your own selfish reasons? How you've deceived the person you're in love with and dragged me into it?.. What were you expecting me to do if Tomei brought up those conversations while we're together?”

Hiromasa didn't respond and Qingming felt like gale force winds were blowing in that hollow space in his chest. He'd already guessed as much but to now have the guy basically confirm it, was…

“You weren't thinking of me at all while you did that, were you? Of course not.. I was just a means of passing the time. You spent all that time talking to me under the guise of friendship but you really didn't give a shit, did you?.. It's fine if you wanna play games with Tomei, but leave me the fuck out of it.” Qingming turned around to leave the room. “You can see yourself out.”

And with that he was gone. This time, Hiromasa didn't try to stop him.
…

Hiromasa sat at his kitchen table.

He really hadn't intended to start texting Tomei from Qingming's phone. The first time, the boy had reached out seemingly desperate for help with something and he became worried. It turned out he needed help choosing takeout for dinner.

Hiromasa had gotten swept up in the feeling of talking to his best friend like this because it was different from how they normally interacted.
After talking to his cousin again on Tuesday, his insecurities had been at an all time low and he couldn't stop himself from sending that message asking if Tomei missed him. He really missed being around his friend, and just needed to know it wasn't in vain. He sent that text desperately hoping for a reply that gave even the tiniest hint that Tomei felt the same.

When he'd read instead that Tomei knew he liked him and that he was glad for their time apart, he'd almost revealed himself. But he wanted to get a better understanding, because at the same time, he wasn't being rejected. Tomei said he needed time and was confused, not that he wouldn't accept him. He'd become hopeful when Tomei revealed he'd think about them possibly getting together, because that meant there was still a chance. And that's all he needed. A chance.. no matter how small. When he got home, he was intent on showing Tomei just how strong his feelings were…

But… Qingming was right. He hadn't thought about the fact that Tomei and Qingming were seeing each other daily and the chances of his secret conversations being revealed were high. He hadn't thought of how complicated he was making things for Qingming.

“Fuck!” he slammed his fist on the counter.

What if Qingming outed him to Tomei? At that thought, Hiromasa felt uncomfortable in his heart.. as if that truly wasn't what he was concerned about..

He suddenly recalled Qingming's face earlier and it broke something inside him. He took out the boy's phone and called his own number. But as expected, it went straight to voicemail.

As he stared down at the wallpaper of misty mountains, a new message came in. It was from an unsaved number, but it looked familiar to Hiromasa.

“What do I have to lose?” he said to himself as he opened the text.

+81********: =Hi again. This is Takahashi Yue. I hope you don't mind, but I got your number from one of your classmates. You didn't seem ok when you left today, so just checking in.. btw, it was nice to officially meet you and I hope we'll keep running into each other =

There was a swell of something inside Hiromasa as he read that message and his fingers trembled with the urge to respond.. but he managed to hold back. There was no justifiable reason for him to intrude on this.. but just as when he'd seen the two of them walking out together, the thought of them getting closer didn't sit well with him.

Going into the call log once more, he dialled a number and it was answered on the first ring.

“... Mom… I messed up…”

* * *

Qingming wasn't home all day Saturday, and when he finally returned in the night, he was told Hiromasa had been there 3 times.

Qingming rolled his eyes.

“He probably came to get his things,” he said gruffly. “I'll send them to the main house later. If he shows up again before then, let me know.”

When Qingming woke up around noon the next day, Yu-chan was waiting for him across the hall. She said they'd tried to return the phone and car key to Hiromasa as requested and recover the dancer's phone, however the guy refused. He said he would only do the exchange with Qingming.

The dancer thought this guy thought too highly of himself. As if Qingming would jump just because he said so!

“Tell him I'll throw them away then.”

Later that day, Qingming received another message that Hiromasa said he'd press charges if the dancer did that.

Qingming sent one of their drivers to return the car, but the man came back and said Hiromasa refused to open the gate, and threatened to call the police and report his car was stolen if the driver left it on the curb as Qingming had suggested.

Looking at Yu-chan, who delivered the news, in shock and disbelief, Qingming decided for certain that Hiromasa was certifiable and should not be allowed out in society!

He immediately decided to stay away from the group come tomorrow..
* * *

“Have any of you seen Qing-kun?” Fujino asked.

“No, I haven't. I was trying to reach him over the weekend to get help with the homework but I got no response,” another said with a crying face. “I can already tell what I did is no good..”

They were having lunch in their isolated spot on the roof, sitting in the shade of the small maintenance room.

Tomei had a concerned look on his face. “I hope he didn't have another falling out with his mom..”

Hiromasa's spirit seemed to suddenly return to his body, after he'd just been sitting still this entire time, after refusing to eat. “What's going on with her?”

As far as he knew, no one at school knew Qingming’s real parents, nor what they did. Had the dancer finally opened up to the group?

Though they were alone, Tomei looked around before speaking.

“I forgot you don't know, senpai. But his mother is a beast! From what he’s told me, she sounds very strict and overbearing with her kids. Qingming said he's sure she sees them as just an extension of herself whose sole purpose is to carry out her wishes. She tries to dictate everything they do.. In fact, she arranged his older sister's marriage! She always comes down hard on him because of dancing and makes very insensitive remarks.. She'd told him since he wanted to throw his life away, she'd focus on ensuring the success of his younger brother instead. But it was just another one of her games because she knew he would do anything to protect him.. That's why he moved here. After high school, he's going to stop dancing altogether and focus on getting a corporate job after graduating college… that way, the pressure won't fall on his little brother.”

The information was just vague enough to not give anything away.

Still, Hiromasa was surprised. He didn't even know what to say. From their conversations recently, he'd realised that Qingming seemed to be at odds with his family at times. The teen's choice to live so far from the main house was a big clue! But Hiromasa never expected it to be like this. And he'd be giving up dancing after graduation?

He suddenly remembered Qingming saying he won't be doing it for much longer and that's why he was fine keeping his talent secret. Now, Hiromasa realised it was more than not wanting to outshine anyone else. If he had to give it up later, people would see him as pitiful or a waste of talent…

Again, there was a stuffy feeling inside his chest and he wanted to talk to the guy even more.

“He sure has a rough deal. But it'll all work out,” one of the guys laughed. “When he becomes the breadwinner, he'll be the one calling all the shots. Besides, you and he have both said he's not that great at dancing, so I don't think he'll have any issues giving it up.”

But Hiromasa knew different…

“Right. Rehearsals start again today, so I'll talk to him then,” Tomei said. “Hey, have you all bought your tickets yet?”

“Um… well.. You see..”

A round of excuses started and Tomei began cussing them for not being good friends.

While that took place, Hiromasa's mind wandered. Once again, he realised what a shitty person he must be in Qingming's eyes. And he didn't want that.

“Hey, Hiro-senpai!” Tomei practically shouted.

Hiromasa's eyes focused and he saw everyone staring at him. “What?”

“Dude, how far did your mind go? All the way to Saturn? You've barely said a word even though it's your first day back. When are you going to tell us about New York?”

Hiromasa thought back to the message about Tomei wanting time and space because what he just said seemed contradictory to it. But then he wondered if that meant his friend had come to a decision?!

He had a small smile as he looked at Tomei and spoke. “There isn't really much to talk about. I spent most of the time catching up with my parents and a few family members.”

“What about those places you said I should visit?”

During their conversation on Wednesday evening, Qingming had told him he'd be forwarding some of the pictures Hiromasa had sent him of the different places he'd seen while travelling to visit family or going to his parents' various offices.

His throat felt a little dry suddenly, but he took a drink of water and responded. “I only passed by those places and found them interesting. I didn't actually visit them, but thought it might be something you'd be interested in.”

If he were honest, he did send them because he thought they'd pique someone's interest, but Tomei hadn't been the one in his thoughts. The others were watching him, so only Hiromasa saw the slight blush that coloured Tomei's cheeks. He couldn't help wondering about what was going through his best friend's mind..

“But, maybe next time I go you can come along,” he said casually while being hopeful. Not to be obvious about his meaning, he looked at the others and added. “You guys mentioned doing something during the break after graduation, so we could consider travelling overseas for a while.”

“That's a great idea, Hiromasa-senpai! Hey, my uncle is the VP of an airline, I'm sure we can get great discounts on tickets!” one of them said.

Everyone became excited and started discussing, but Hiromasa only had eyes for Tomei who gave him a big smile which was quite unusual.

The bell indicating lunch was over rang just then.

…

At rehearsal later that day, Madame Kang seemed to be in high spirits.

“Ok, everyone,” she said, her face glowing with a smile. “Before we get started, I just wanted to congratulate those of you who took part in the exams last week! I know you all put a lot of hard work into preparing and because of that, everyone passed with flying colours!”

Applause and excited cheers erupted before they settled down once again.

“This year, we'll be posting the results a little differently. Instead of posting everyone's scores and how they ranked, we'll just list the names in alphabetical order.”

There were murmurs which the instructor silenced before continuing.

“We want to encourage everyone to feel good about their own achievements, and not make them feel any less than someone else. We will do consultation with each individual and advise of their scores. If you want to compare afterwards, that's up to you. But that's not the approach we want to take anymore. We want...”

Qingming already knew this was coming. He'd spoken to Madame Kang about this when she insisted he at least go through with the exam since he was adamant about not joining the performing arts program, his first day at the academy. He hadn't told her the reason for his pending retirement, only that this would be his last year dancing so he wanted to join the recreational class. She had realised he was very private but was hoping she could convince him to not give up his dream of dancing professionally.

“Then how do we know who is the top dancer in our class?” someone asked.

“What difference would knowing that make? As far as any of you know, you're the top dancer. So you should let that feeling of being number 1 give you a boost to show off your talent instead of trying to catch up to someone else. If you're asking because you want to switch to one of our more advanced programs, we can certainly discuss during consultation..”

As the woman continued talking, Tomei sighed and muttered. “Well, it's certainly not me..”

Qingming heard him and gave him a pat on the back. “You don't know that, because you didn't do the exam. Anyway, aren't you the lead in this production?”

“Well, I'm sure it's only because I wasn't doing the exam and -.”

“Let me stop you right there,” Qingming said sternly. “There are others with great talent who didn't do the exam, and they weren't chosen. You are the one leading this team, so you need to be more confident in yourself and be a shining example for us all.”

Tomei was silent for a while before he grinned, and Qingming knew he was about to start some bullshit. He pulled Qingming into a tight hug and spoke melodramatically. “Oh, Qing-kun, you're such a good friend! I'm so happy you're here!”

“Can you two choose a more appropriate time to confess and not do it in my class?” Madame Kang's voice boomed.

They sprang apart and the rest of the room giggled at them as they bowed their heads and apologised.

"As I was saying," the woman continued. "Next season is shaping up to be a busy one. Therefore, we are looking to promote new first and second soloists for our recreational group. We don't want you to already feel defeated before even trying. Especially since it's not only dancers who took the exam who'll be considered.."

Qingming gave Tomei a nudge and a look that said, 'See?'.

…

During one of their breaks, Tomei asked Qingming about his absence that day.

“Oh.. I had a few projects to work on so I spent all my free time in the library,” Qingming said.

It was true that he'd spent his time in the school library, but he'd already completed all his assignments so he'd spent the time playing low graphic PC games.

“Is everything ok otherwise?.. With your family and stuff?”

Qingming made a small smile, but his eyes looked troubled. “Surprisingly, mom hasn't been on my case about anything lately. Maybe it's because I have until graduation before having to commit to anything. So she's probably just counting down the days until then.”

“That's gotta be tough to live with … knowing she's just biding her time.. You know that you can always talk to me, right?”

Qingming smiled a little brighter and nodded. “I know. Thanks, Mei-mei. You make it so easy for people to love you.”

Tomei made a sour face then sighed. “So… aren't you gonna ask me?”

Qingming looked lost. “Ask you what?”

“Seriously, dude! Hiro-senpai came back. Aren't you curious about how things went today?”

Qingming's stomach did flip-flops, making him a little nauseous. “Oh, of course…,” he chuckled, trying to mask his discomfort. “You sound so excited.. Have you made a decision already?”

He really didn't want to talk about Hiromasa. He didn't want to hear anything in relation to him! But, unfortunately he couldn't say that without explaining why. And he was certainly not going to out Hiromasa to Tomei, because he wouldn't come out of that drama unscathed. Hiromasa had made certain of that!

“I have. I've decided that I won't turn him down if he confesses to me.”

“Oh.. so you realised you feel the same way?”

“Nope. But, I think it'll be nice to have someone confess to me. And though I'm not sure I'll return those feelings, I'd still ask him for time. Or maybe we can do a trial? I'm pretty sure he'll agree to that.. after all, moving from being childhood friends to dating is not so simple.. Especially when it’s another guy! If things don't work out, I'll lose my best friend. But … my main thought is.. what happens next? People meet, fall in love and confess.. then what? At what point in the relationship does it become more than just going on dates, holding hands and kissing, to being something more serious and living life together..? How do you even decide you want to move to that next stage with someone?”

At first, Qingming was put off by what Tomei was saying. But when he finished, he couldn't help thinking he had some good points. Didn't he once find himself in a similar position?

He and the girl had confessed and became inseparable. But when last school year ended, she wanted him to commit to more. And though it would have made his mother happy, he just didn't think they should be thinking along those lines at their age. It was preposterous!

When she tried to encourage him to drop dancing, he'd accused her of only wanting to be with him because of his family. She'd denied it and cried a river saying he misunderstood her intentions. And he'd bought it.. He believed he was so hung up on the grievance with his mom that he was projecting.

Only.. it turned out her family had been in business with his family, and his mother had seen their daughter as a potential match for her son.

When he'd confronted the girl about it, she'd said words similar to what his mother did at dinner, which is why he could so easily respond the way he did..

Qingming nodded slowly in understanding, but he still didn't feel comfortable with Tomei's overall take on the matter. “I guess… is that why you were so focused on dating before you graduate?”

“I know it may seem like a shitty reason, but I want to lessen the chances of making a fool of myself when I get out there in the great, big world.”

“You know… you're not as naive as you'd like us to think, huh?” Qingming grinned.

The two laughed, but when Qingming said that, he'd been thinking that Tomei may have other motives that he wasn't sharing. But thinking of the guy like that, made Qingming feel even more guilty. So he asked another question to dam his thoughts.

"What will you do if.. he is looking for something long term? I mean.. I don't know him that well, but he seems like the type.."

Tomei looked pensive for a moment. "You've got a good point. I'll have to make sure to clarify that if he actually confesses."

Qingming thought Tomei's approach to the whole thing was a little... insensitive. But what did he know? It wasn't his problem and Hiromasa probably deserves it.

But despite thinking that way about the athlete, he couldn't help feeling a little bad for him too..

* * *

It was later that week and Qingming was lounging in what had become his usual spot: In front of an old PC that was tucked away in a far corner of the library that held books on textiles, religion and physical education. Students rarely visited that side of the library, so it was the perfect place to hide out during lunchtime or if he got to school early.

He'd snuck in a sandwich and was busy eating it while half-heartedly playing a game of solitaire on the PC, when a familiar face appeared from an aisle nearby.

“Takahashi-san!” he exclaimed softly, stuffing the other half of the sandwich in his lap. His pants were definitely going to be soiled…

“There you are.”

Qingming raised a brow. “You were looking for me?”

“En,” the guy said and seemed to become a little shy which looked so odd on someone with his frame and stature. “I went to look for you but you weren't with your friends. I.. I texted you a couple times since we ran into each other last week, but haven’t heard back from you… I just wanted to apologise in person in case I overstepped.”

Qingming looked puzzled for a few seconds but then remembered his phone was still in the possession of He Who Shall Not Be Named. “Oh, sorry for not responding. I've been having a challenge getting into my phone lately so I've been unreachable.”

“Oh,” Yue said and his face lit up somewhat.

Qingming chuckled. “I wasn't ignoring you, if that's what you were thinking, senpai.”

Yue smiled and stared at him for a while. Qingming felt a little flutter in his stomach and remembered his unfinished sandwich.

But he pointed to the empty chair at a table close by. “How did you know I was here, Takahashi-san?”

“Well, I caught a glimpse of you coming here the past two days, so when you weren't with your friends, I decided to check here.”

“Ahh…”

Yue glanced at his lap. He leaned forward, lowering his voice as he said with a teasing grin. “You can go ahead and finish that. I won't tell.”

Qingming pretended to be confused, but the fluttering of his stomach was persistent so he had to feed it. “Thank you, senpai!”

The two laughed softly, and soon continued chatting until the bell rang signalling the end of lunch…

…

Chapter Text

Hiromasa stood with his back straight and shoulders squared, on one side of the large work-desk between him and the fierce looking, yet beautiful woman. It wasn’t hard to figure out who she was as the similarity between the two was uncanny.

“Why have you been coming to my house so often? Who are you?” Abe-furen demanded.

Though her demeanour commanded others to look away and dare not make eye contact, he was becoming used to the same look on her son’s face whenever he saw him and therefore wasn’t intimidated...much.

“Please pardon my tenacity, Abe-furen,” he said with a deep bow. “My name is Minamoto Hiromasa. I’ve been trying to apologise to your son for a while now, but he keeps refusing to see me. I’m hoping one day fortune will favour me.”

She had raised a brow at him in curiosity. Either Qingming had impressed upon him the importance of calling her as such, or he was smarter than he looked. Her daughter and youngest’s friends always referred to her as 'Abe-san', despite the children correcting them repeatedly. Hiromasa had simply remembered the butler who led him to this room had referred to her as ‘furen’ and how controlling Tomei had said she was. Clearly, this was her preferred title.

“And what exactly have you done to my A’Qing?” she asked with narrowed eyes.

“I was selfish and my actions have put him in a very compromising situation with our mutual friends,” Hiromasa tried to explain without giving any details.

He could sense that she had only become more suspicious of him and upset.

“Then, if A’Qing has decided not to see you anymore, you should respect his wishes if your friendship meant as much as you’re trying to make it seem. Don’t you think so?”

Hiromasa could take a hint. She was telling him to leave and not return in a polite way. Normally, he was not one to confront his elders, especially not someone of Abe-furen’s status, but he felt he just couldn’t let this go..

“I understand, and I agree that you should protect the well-being of your precious son. However, I made a mess of things and as a man, I have to accept responsibility and try to make it right. Even if Qingming-kun never speaks to me again, I want him to feel comfortable being around his friends again.”

Before Abe-furen could speak, her office door flew open and an angry Qingming burst in.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?”

“Qingming-kun, I –.”

“I thought I already made myself clear. I never expected you to go this far, but fine… you wanted to talk to me face to face, well here I am. Let's say our final words and you can be on your way!”

“A’Qing.”

Qingming shivered. He knew that tone meant his mother disapproved of his behaviour. She always said, 'Yǔ maó wèi fēng' whenever he became like this and he guessed that must be going through her head at that very moment.

“Hiromasa-kun, is it? As you can see, it is obviously not a good time," she said pointedly.

Without being called, the butler entered the room.

“Minamoto-san, if you please,” he said, gesturing to the door.

Hiromasa knew he wouldn't get anywhere by staying. He looked at Qingming. “Let's talk next time. Abe-furen, thank you for your time.”

Then he followed the butler out, leaving an angry Qingming before his suspicious mother.

“Well?” Abe-furen said after a few moments had passed and Qingming said nothing.

“It's nothing, mother.. I'm sorry that he showed up like this, I didn't think he'd go so far as to seek you out.”

Abe-furen made a deprecating laugh. However, Qingming didn't say anything more.

“He didn't seek me out. But is the matter serious enough for him to do so?”

Qingming felt just the tiniest bit of remorse that he'd wrongly accused Hiromasa. “No, it isn't.”

“I expect you to put an end to whatever quarrel you both have. I don't want to see him loitering at my gate again.”

“Yes, mother.”

Qingming bowed and turned to leave.

“I'm not finished.”

Qingming slowly turned to face her once more, his hands curling into tight fists. He was going to kill Hiromasa. Had it not been for him, Qingming would never have set foot in this office willingly! Now here he was, at the mercy of this woman.

“What is your relationship with the CEO of XX Enterprises?”

Qingming looked at her as if he had no idea what she was talking about. Which he didn't.

She called her assistant, who walked in with a large, beautiful flower arrangement. After placing it on her desk, he left and came back shortly with another.

Abe-furen got up and went to look over the bouquets. “Kaneshon, akaichurippu.. these sweet ume petals… Indeed the perfect selection for congratulating you on passing your exam,” she said. However, her tone was anything but pleased.

She picked up a card and read the contents. "‘No flowers can compare to the beauty of watching you dance. Still, I hope this conveys my best wishes for your future. I look forward to seeing you perform on a grand stage one day!’”

Qingming's heart lurched in excitement as he realised who it was from! He'd received this for his exam? His father had ordered a really nice one to be delivered to the academy the day of the exam, but he never expected to be getting one from anyone else.

His mother noticed his face and frowned. “That came in yesterday. This one,” she said, moving to the other. “Came in today.. Do you know what it means to send someone eleven himawari? And to pair it with ajisai.. hmph..”

While Qingming waited for her to tell him what scandalous things this arrangement told her, he was thinking that for the sake of the athlete's kind mother, he would give in and go by Hiromasa's house to have their final conversation. At the same time, he wanted to return the borrowed items to their respective owners. Speaking of which... he slid the phone out of his pocket and his fingers quickly flew across the screen.

His mother picked up something from the flowers. “This doesn't have a name signed, but it's the same monogram. So, what haven't you been telling me?”

“A lot,” Qingming shrugged before he could stop himself. “But as it relates to the CEO of XX Enterprises, I informally met her a while ago, and she happened to see me practise my exam choreo. Even gave me a few pointers..”

“What?”

She honestly thought it had been some trick Qingming was playing to cover up who the flowers really came from: Some no good delinquent who was trying to dupe her son! But despite their disagreements, she trusted that he wouldn't lie to her. So then, he really knew the head of…?

Qingming pointed to the other arrangement after locking the screen of the phone in his hand. He'd swore not to turn it on again, but his mother was clearly on a mission and he needed to have something to get him out of it if needed. He'd just quickly checked what meanings the flowers had in Japan.

“I'm guessing Minamoto-san found out what her son did and is trying to make amends on his behalf..,” he said, feeling a little sorry towards the woman.

They'd only spoken briefly a few times, but he really liked her.

“Her son?”

“Yep. By the way, thanks for helping me to kick him out. I'm sure he'll think twice before showing up here again,” Qingming smirked, feeling that his mom's aggressiveness was finally working in his favour.

But, he saw the look on her face morph into astonishment and realised he just made things worse for himself.

“That boy? That's her son?!”

“I must have been mistaken.. Forget I said anything. I don't really know what she does, I just guessed. Maybe someone at my dance school is related to someone in xx Enterprises and sent this to me.”

But he knew that was impossible since no one knew he took the exams. Then again, he didn't know Hiromasa had seen him either..

“A’Qing,” Abe-furen said in a serious tone that oozed with concern as she approached him. Qingming felt his body shudder. “What exactly happened between you and Minamoto-kun?”

Qingming felt a jolt as she placed her hands gently on his arms and looked at him with piercing, expectant eyes.

‘Fuck..’

The next morning, while sitting at his desk, Qingming randomly let out a yell of frustration surprising everyone in his class.

“Ok!” he shouted, slapping his palms down on the surface of his desk. “I can do this!”

“Ganbatte!” some random persons shouted and the class erupted in laughter before going back to what they’d been doing.

“Qing-kun! You live!” Fujino cried dramatically.

Qingming almost rolled his eyes. “Come on. Let’s not blow things out of proportion,” he said plopping his butt down on Kaminari's desk and taking his sweet bun.

“Hey!” the poor sucker cried.

“You’ve been completely mia and off the grid for almost 2 weeks, bro!”

“I told you guys the other day I was having a phone issue, right? I just haven’t resolved it yet.”

Qingming covertly threw a few glares at Hiromasa, who looked somewhat anxious whenever they made eye contact. Qingming enjoyed the way he seemed to be on edge, wondering whether or not the dancer was going to blow his secret.

“I guess you’re like me and don’t have enough money to buy a new one,” one of the guys sighed. “I finally have a girlfriend but no phone to talk to her on!”

Qingming chuckled as the guy seemed to have a nervous breakdown. “Who knows? One might suddenly fall into your lap. Right, Hiromasa-senpai?”

Hiromasa’s eyes widened, but the guy reacted before he said anything.

“Huh? What? You don’t mean… No!! I couldn’t accept Hiromasa-senpai doing such a thing!!”

Hiromasa knew Qingming meant giving away the athlete's phone. And while he was worried about Qingming telling Tomei what he did, he wasn't going to let him bully him. As their eyes met again, he saw the mischief plain as day in Qingming's, and a little smirk played on his lips. “I think I have an old phone lying around somewhere, Yamamoto-san. So it wouldn’t be that great of a gift. What do you think, Qingming-kun?”

Qingming was amused and felt a smile tugging at his lips. “Oho! I think that's an inspired idea, senpai. Why don't you go ahead and do that, huh? Let's see what happens after.”

Hiromasa too gave in to a small smile and responded in a low voice. "I just might."

Without meaning to Qingming actually let out a little laugh, as the challenge in Hiromasa's voice and the intensity of his stare ignited a feeling in a familiar place inside.

But as soon as Tomei spoke, they were brought back to the moment and their expressions fell once more.

“What's with you two all of a sudden?” the other dancer frowned.

Qingming's smile had vanished. “Nothing. Anyway, I gotta go. See y'all later.”

And he was gone after taking a milk bun from his pocket and giving it to Kaminari.

Hiromasa's insides felt completely out of sorts and his mood fell even more watching him leave.

“Qingming-kun?”

Hiromasa's heart sped up at the thought that the dancer had come to finally talk to him. However, the frown on the other's face as he turned around was indication enough that that wasn't the case.

“What are you doing here?” Hiromasa asked, already having a pretty good idea of the reason.

“What are you? The sports centre police? As a student of this school I have every right to be here.”

Hiromasa sighed. It was hard feeling apologetic towards Qingming when he got like this. But then he'd remember why the dancer was behaving this way, and temper his own emotions.

“I didn't mean it like that.. I just…”

Qingming huffed and turned away. “If you must know, I'm here to see a friend.”

And he continued down the corridor without another word.

With a sullen face, Hiromasa also continued walking, at least twenty paces behind the other.

🔹

After training, Hiromasa noisily went about his business, removing items from his locker and shoving them into his duffel bag.

“Taka-san,” Koga said teasingly. “How come you didn't introduce us to your boyfriend? Are you afraid we'll eat him up?”

Yue shook his head exasperatedly as the other guys laughed. “He's not my boyfriend..”

“Yet!” someone joked.

But Yue didn't seem optimistic in that regard.

“We're just hanging out as friends. He was hiding out in the library alone, so we got to talking and he's pretty cool.”

The other guys kept the conversation going but Hiromasa had tuned them out. So Qingming hadn't been as busy as he'd told them. He just wanted to avoid being around him… And because Hiromasa drove him away, he and Yue were getting closer.

“...know I love that stuff!”

Hiromasa sat down to undo his laces and was brought back to the conversation by the yell.

“I guess I forgot. But if you wanna go, I'll ask him.”

Koga grabbed Yue’s arm and looked at him with wide eyes. “Don't make jokes.”

Yue playfully shoved his face. “He said he had a bunch of invites and no one to give them to, so I'll let him know you're interested.”

The guys started bombarding Yue with shouts of “Me too!”

“Ok, ok! I'll ask.”

“Man! What an opportunity this is! I know a few people from our school entered, but they didn't make it through..”

“Do I need to wear a suit?”

“I feel like I'm gonna study before we go.. imagine if I impress one of the college reps and get an acceptance right on the spot?!”

The others thought he was being delusional but showed fake enthusiasm.

“Your not-boyfriend really is cool.”

Hiromasa didn't know what they were talking about, but he was getting more and more agitated. So he hurried out of the locker room, without his usual reminder for them to clean up.

Hiromasa had been staring at the gate to Qingming's home for the past ten minutes, but he made no movement to approach it. He'd been visiting the house everyday for over a week, and waiting in the sitting room for long periods of time, because he wanted Qingming to talk to him. But clearly that wasn't going to happen and he shouldn't continue being so defiant after the boy's mother had confronted him.

After deciding, he switched his bike on and made his way home. He didn't know why he was so adamant about this anyway. So, he'll just give Qingming his space.

When Hiromasa entered his house, he noticed the shoes in the foyer.

‘Is Mei-kun here?’ he wondered.

His friend hadn't said anything about coming over, but he wouldn't mind as he needed the distraction.

As he made his way through the house to his room, the athlete heard voices. Now that was surprising! Tomei and the housekeeper never spoke unless it was to ask for something or to give something. But now he heard laughter.

Following the sounds, he made his way to the kitchen, stopping just inside the doorway and peeking around the fridge. He took in the sight of the housekeeper and Qingming in the middle of stirring pots and cutting vegetables.

“I learnt how to cook so I could impress my ex girlfriend,” Qingming laughed. “But it ended up becoming something I do when I'm stressed or need a break from everything..”

“When you put it like that, it seems to have a negative connotation. Instead, you should say it's something you do to ease your stress, or to help you relax when you're having a hard time,” the housekeeper said.

Qingming frowned as he paused chopping the carrots. “Isn't that the same thing?”

The older woman laughed goodnaturedly. “Not at all! The meaning of something can change drastically simply by the way in which we arrange the words. For example, a lot of people like to say ‘I'm sorry you feel that way’ as an apology, and never understand why that frustrates the other party. That's saying you're sorry the person chose to feel offended by your actions, which is not the same as saying something like 'I'm sorry I made you feel that way'.”

Qingming seemed to ponder for a moment, and seemed to have an epiphany as he said in a low voice. “You've just taught me something very valuable.. Not only that, but.. I think I finally understand something my mother has always been telling me.. Thank you, Oba-san.”

His smile was genuine and warm.

The housekeeper patted his back encouragingly. “I'm sure she'll be very happy..”

At the housekeeper's statement, Hiromasa recalled his cousin trying to tell him that saying he loves someone is not the same as being in love with them. After hearing the example, he not only began to see the wisdom in those words but it also made him think of how he'd been approaching the situation with Qingming. He'd been going about it completely wrong!

As he remembered Qingming's words to him the day he came back, Hiromasa felt even more unsettled. He didn't think he could face anyone at the moment as a wave of emotions overtook him, so he stepped back and headed for his room instead.

🔹

After another ten or so minutes, when all the main prep work was done and they were waiting for the meat dishes to finish cooking, Qingming looked at the time.

“I've been enjoying this so much I completely forgot why I came in the first place,” he laughed. “I wonder what time Hiromasa-senpai will be home..”

“He's been home a little while now. Poor thing must have had a bad day.. he usually comes to check what's for dinner.”

Qingming's eye twitched, but he took a deep breath and calmed himself. Hiromasa didn't know he was there so he can't be upset..

“Ok.. l should probably go talk to him and be on my way then,” Qingming smiled.

“You're not staying for dinner?”

“No … I don't think that's such a good idea. Thanks though, I really had a great time. If you need any more tips on how to prepare Chinese dishes or need to get any hard to find ingredients, you can come by my house anytime. Despite living in Japan for so many years, my mom's palate is very…restrictive. Therefore, our house is stocked with a lot more traditional Chinese ingredients than you'll find in a store.”

“Oh my, thank you!” the woman smiled.

She then directed him to Hiromasa's room, instead of going to call him.

It took a while but Qingming found the guy's room and made his way towards the door that stood ajar, with a warm light spilling out from it.

As he lifted his hand to knock, he heard a female voice.

“I don't like this.. I'll talk to uncle tomorrow. You should just come here and finish out the year. It's much too lonely for you in that big house all by yourself.”

Qingming felt a pang. He had actually just been thinking the exact same thing on his way to the room. So many dark, empty rooms… He'd found himself thinking that maybe Hiromasa had gone drinking in the community park that night in order to escape the silence and loneliness.. Despite Qingming ranking extremely low on his list of tolerable people, the guy had chosen to spend the night sharing his bed rather than go home..

He didn't want to eavesdrop on the conversation, so he followed through and knocked on the door.

“Oba-san, come in,” came Hiromasa's voice.

Qingming hesitated only for a moment before pushing the door and looking for the room's owner.

He was surprised by what he could see of the decor. But there was no sign of the occupant.

Qingming was about to knock again, when the door was pulled further open from the inside and a shocked Hiromasa was suddenly before him. His face clearly showed he was not expecting Qingming to come to his room.

They both stood there like idiots, frozen as if they thought they were statues.

Qingming swallowed as he willed himself not to check out the naked torso before him. “I'm sorry to show up like this unannounced.. But.. Can we talk?”

Inside, Hiromasa felt like a jumbled mess because of the conversation he'd just been having with his cousin. But he managed to pull himself together. “Um, sure…” Then he lifted the phone in his hand. “Nee-san, I’ll call you back.”

🔹

Qingming looked across the dining table at Hiromasa and wondered why he’d been so impulsive.

They’d been sitting in the living room for a few minutes, yet to start their conversation, when the housekeeper had shown up to advise Hiromasa that she was serving dinner for him.

Qingming had suddenly thought of what he overheard from the phone, and words were spilling out of his mouth before his brain processed them.

So, here he was, having dinner with Hiromasa because he didn’t like the thought of leaving him all alone in what was obviously a bad mood.. However, as neither of the two were talking, there was nothing but silence except for the sound of their utensils.

The dancer was thinking whether or not he should go ahead and start the conversation he'd wanted to have, when he heard a low “Thank you”.

Hiromasa's tone made him sound small and insecure. It tugged at Qingming's heart, causing the dancer to shout a slew of expletives at himself in his head!

“What for?” he said aloud. He realised his voice had come out harsher than he intended, so he cleared his throat and quickly spoke again, much softer. “I mean, I haven't actually done anything to warrant that…”

The two looked up and held each other's gaze. In that moment, they each had similar yet different thoughts. Thoughts which not only surprised them, but also scared them a little…

Hiromasa was the first to break the silence. “Um… well, I heard that you helped to make dinner… so thank you. And… thanks for staying.. even though you're angry with me.. it means a lot.”

Qingming didn't know why but his stomach was doing somersaults at the simple words of gratitude. Maybe it was because he could feel the athlete's sincerity. He was suddenly aware of how silent it was..

“You're welcome,” he smiled. And this time, it was genuine.

Hiromasa was a little taken aback because he'd been expecting the fierce eyes he's become used to. Not these kind ones. He didn't want to ruin the pleasant atmosphere that had formed between them, so he decided to remain silent.

Qingming also didn't want to bring up what he came to discuss at the table, so they quietly continued eating their meal.

When Hiromasa left the table then came back with two trays to clear the plates, Qingming was surprised. Still, he took one despite the other guy's protests and packed his dishes and utensils on it.

When he followed Hiromasa into the kitchen, he got another surprise when he saw the athlete put on washing gloves and started on the dishes.

“I never would have guessed you're one to do chores,” Qingming said somewhat teasingly.

He looked around and spotted a stack of clean dish cloths. Taking one, he stood beside Hiromasa and started rinsing the washed items that were being placed in the empty side of the double sink then drying them.

“You don't have to do that,” Hiromasa hurriedly said.

“Why not? I do dishes at home too,” Qingming shrugged.

“But you already helped with dinner..”

“And now I'm helping with dishes. Don't make me change my mind.”

Hiromasa took the hint and said nothing more about it. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again. “I guess we're both not so spoiled by our parents that we can't do anything for ourselves.”

Qingming also chuckled. “My mom is of the impression that one needs to be taught ethics and responsibilities from a young age. 'Bù dānɡjiā, bù zhī cháimǐ ɡuì' she always said. Therefore, our home was our first school. Not only did we have to learn about the different aspects of keeping a functional home, but we had to learn how to do the work that went into making it liveable. You've seen my house… it used to take me an entire week just to dust everything!”

Hiromasa let out a small laugh. “Wouldn't that mean it was time to dust again by the time you finished?”

“Exactly!”

They both laughed.

“But, there is method to her madness, I'll give her that.. I became more efficient, learnt how to prioritise my tasks and how to multitask. I learnt how to respect and appreciate the value of each person on our staff and the advantage I've been given in life compared to others.. But the biggest thing for me, was that I learnt the importance of being patient.. Though I can admit I'm still working on that one. I sometimes get irritated very easily..”

“Really? I haven't noticed!”

Qingming only responded with a light shove and a ‘hmph’.

“I would've liked my parents to be more like that. Instead, it's the opposite. They'd rather try to pamper me than let me be independent..”

Qingming remembered talking to the guy's mom. “Maybe they just feel guilty about spending so much time away from you. They clearly understand that it's hard on you having to grow up on your own.”

“Hmm… I know. The arrangement was for me to live with my grandparents, but I returned home within a month.”

“Oh?”

“Yep. It took some convincing but they eventually agreed to letting me continue living at home. Especially after Oba-san agreed to move in. She's my father's aunt who chose to live outside the family, but he an her always had a close relationship." Hiromasa chuckled lightly. "You're not the only one who doesn't get along that well with some family members.”

Qingming would have never guessed that they were actually related. The woman was so sweet and personable!

“Ahh.. I get it,” the dancer sighed. “As much as I liked having some amount of freedom from my mom, I do not miss being in my grandfather’s house. He believes that blood ties means being able to forgive any and all transgressions.. But I’m not the same. I don’t know what happened between my mom and her relatives, but they don’t keep in touch. And the older I get, the more the old man tries to force me to become more acquainted with them. But regardless of whatever grievances I have with my mother, I would not try to spite her by getting close to them.. My dad also doesn’t seem to like them, and his opinion means everything to me.”

“And that’s why you remain ‘tolerant’ of your mom?”

Qingming laughed. “Don't get me wrong, I do love my mom, but .. we just can't seem to get along. My dad says he’s in love with her, so obviously there’s a normal side to her that she’s keeping secret for whatever reason.”

Hiromasa looked a bit thoughtful as he slowly washed the plate in his hands. “She’s very protective of you. I gathered that much, at least.”

“Oh right.. I almost forgot you two met.”

“About that, please believe me. I –.”

“It’s ok.. She already explained you didn’t initiate the conversation with her. But, here’s a tip for the future.. When my mom requests your presence behind closed doors, run!”

“... For the future?”

Qingming huffed. “I’m just saying… in the event you two should cross paths again..”

They finished up in silence, then made their way to the living room.

“Hiromasa-senpai… I came here to return your things and get my phone back so we could cut all ties..,” Qingming started.

He heard the other person’s sharp inhale and saw his eyes widened. How he felt in that moment, and what he said next, made Qingming think he may be a little crazy too.

“But… I’ll give you a chance to explain yourself. I mean, I know you’ve been trying to apologise because you don’t want me to say anything to Mei-kun, but the fact that you actually told your parents about what happened carries some weight..”

“You’re wrong.”

Qingming raised a brow.

“I mean, yes I didn’t want you to tell Tomei. But when I decided to come home early and all the times I came to your house, my only reason was because I felt guilty for what I did and how my thoughtless actions made you feel. At first, I too thought I was driven solely by my feelings for Mei-kun, but..,” Hiromasa paused as he realised what his next words were going to be. Words that he had no idea where they came from. “But after having the chance to think about it properly, I hated that I was such a jerk, and didn’t want you to hate me.. and was hoping you'd give me another chance. I just didn't realise I was going about trying to tell you that in the wrong way.”

Qingming was taken aback by that admission. It was the complete opposite of what he’d expected to hear.

“Oh.. um.. Th-thank you..?” He cleared his throat and tried to speak again. "I guess I was wrong about you.."

Hiromasa sighed. "To be honest, when I looked at the situation from your perspective, even I thought I was just using you the whole time.."

Qingming smiled sadly as the emotions were still fresh in his memory. "Mm... You were mean for doing that, senpai."

“Yeah, I'm a complete asshole. I just…,” Hiromasa sighed again and covered his face as he leaned back into the couch.

It was another minute or so before he continued and explained what led to the conversations. As he spoke, they both felt a little weird inside. They both thought it must have been something they ate…

When Hiromasa finished speaking, Qingming admitted that his actions were understandable. For the most part. But he also shared how it had actually deepened the bond between the two dancers. So in a weird way, Hiromasa helped them.

Hearing that made Hiromasa feel a little uncomfortable, but he couldn’t discern why.

Qingming didn’t share anything that he and Tomei discussed, and thankfully, Hiromasa didn’t ask.

“I’ve actually decided to tell Tomei the truth. I might actually call him after you leave..”

Qingming didn’t expect to hear that. “No!” he practically shouted. “I mean.. There’s really no reason to do so now, right? No one got hurt and we’re already past it..”

Hiromasa looked unconvinced that Qingming was letting it go this easily after their stand-off for almost two weeks.

Qingming sighed. “I just don’t see how this will do any good. Yes, it was wrong. But, I wasn't innocent in all this either..”

"What do you mean?"

Qingming opened and closed his mouth a few times before finding the words he wanted to say. "I mean, I purposely hid the fact that we were getting along from Tomei and everyone.. Even that day.. I was sitting right in front of him, and.." No way was he going to admit to the other thoughts that had tried to needle their way into his consciousness every chance they got. "Anyway, there's no need for us to do so. And it brought about some good, right?"

“I’m not so sure I see the good side..”

“Well.. You and I understand each other a little better now, don't we?" Qingming was just as surprised as the look on Hiromasa's face that he'd actually said that out loud, and in such a manner! Not giving the athlete a chance to comment on it, he quickly added: "More importantly, you can at least be certain that your confession won’t shock Mei-kun! And since he’s had time to think it through, you will get an honest answer. That's better in this situation, in my opinion.”

Hiromasa really wanted to expound on what Qingming said first, but didn't want to push. “Why’s that?”

“Well… Has Tomei ever been attracted to another male? I know I’d totally freak out if some guy confessed to me! Worse, if it’s my friend of many years. I’d be so caught off guard, I might accidentally say something really bad and hurt the person's feelings..”

Hiromasa suddenly thought of Yue and frowned.

Qingming saw the frown and misunderstood. “I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with same sex relationships!”

“No, it’s not what you said.. I just thought of something else, sorry…”

Qingming nodded, but Hiromasa was fidgety all of a sudden.

“But… what if, right now, there is someone who likes you in that way? A guy?”

“Me??” Qingming seemed completely baffled by the possibility.

“What’s with that reaction?”

“I’ve jokingly told people I’ll find myself a rich husband if a woman is too insecure to be with me, but I don’t mean it,” Qingming laughed. “I’m off relationships altogether anyway, so it wouldn’t even matter.. I'll just live vicariously through the rest of you.”

Hiromasa was about to ask Qingming more about that when a ringtone started playing. Out of reflex from hearing his ringtone, Qingming reached for his pocket but remembered in time to see Hiromasa taking it from his instead.

“Hm-hm,” the dancer chuckled. “Does my phone even remember me?”

Hiromasa actually looked a little remorseful. “Sorry… My parents have been contacting me on it when they want to video chat or text. Otherwise, they call the house phone…”

“It’s ok,” Qingming said in a low voice.

Hiromasa swiped the screen and answered. “Hi, mom.”

"Hiro-kun, what’s going on? Are you ok?"

Her voice was heavy with concern, causing her son to frown. “Of course. Why?”

"I just got off the phone with Megumi-chan and she wants to have lunch tomorrow to talk about you. She said it was urgent!"

Hiromasa’s face became flushed as he remembered what he and his cousin had been talking about. He glanced over at Qingming, who was looking across the coffee table at the phone screen.

“Oh, that.. She’s just being over-protective. I’ll call her back before I go to bed.”

"Are you sure everything’s ok? Are you ok?"

Not really thinking about it, Hiromasa looked over at Qingming again. “Yeah.. everything’s ok now.. Right?”

Qingming raised his head and met the other’s eyes. He’d just been thinking of the promise and secret between himself and Hiromasa’s mom.. If the athlete’s cousin were to tell them the boy was depressed and they should move him, it would no doubt make them blame themselves which would probably make them coddle Hiromasa even more. Especially if he was going to be right there with them.

“En. Everything is ok now, Minamoto-san,” he said.

"Qingming-kun?!"

Hiromasa got up and went to sit beside Qingming so they were both in the frame. The dancer gave a small wave to the woman, but his smile was bright.

“Hi, Minamoto-san.. I’m sorry we worried you so much. I only saw your message last night, so my apologies for not responding to it sooner. Oh, and thanks for the flowers..”

Now facing the woman, in a sense, he suddenly felt a little sheepish. Knowing that she was aware of what happened between them left him feeling exposed.. Is that what his mother was always talking about when she lectured him about his lack of conduct?

"No, my dear! No need to apologise. As long as you both work it out, that’s all that matters. I’m sorry the flowers came so late, but my son here refused to give me your address so I had to use other methods to obtain it. To think we’ve been neighbours all this time!"

Qingming was suddenly reminded of the time his mother, still in Japan, sent a car to pick him up from the home of the aunt of the friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend way out in the countryside that time he’d ran away from his grandfather’s home. He hadn't even made it til evening before the car showed up and the driver stood at the door, holding up a phone with his mother on speaker. Money and resources really gave humans super powers.

“Yeah, funny how things turned out that way,” he chuckled. He didn’t know what else to say and noticed the time as he looked at the phone screen. He’d been there much longer than he thought!

“Mom, I’ll text you later,” Hiromasa said.

“Oh, no need. I didn’t realise the time, so I should get going,” Qingming stopped him. He looked at Hiromasa. ”We can finish this tomorrow.”

"No need, boys. I’ll call later, Hiro. I should actually be in a meeting right now with your father and our lawyers."

Hiromasa nodded. “Don’t settle for less than 100% of everything.”

"I heard that. Honey, we need you inside." It was Hiromasa’s father.

Hiromasa’s mom said her goodbyes and ended the call.

The two of them, now sitting side by side, didn’t know what to say.

After a while, Qingming cleared his throat. “Oh, right. I almost forgot. I came so we can return some things to their rightful owners.” He reached for his knapsack and took the phone from inside.

“Thank you,” Hiromasa said as he received it and somewhat hesitantly handed over the other phone to its owner. “Other than messages from my parents, I haven’t gone into any other chats.”

Qingming nodded as he put the phone in his bag and continued feeling around. Then he slapped his forehead. “That’s right.. I didn’t bring the car key because I didn’t wanna risk losing it..”

Hiromasa gave a soft laugh. “That’s ok. I’ll come get it tomorrow.”

“Sorry about that…”

“Really, it’s fine. Besides, what good is having the key if the car is not here?”

Qingming sighed. “Right.. That’s why I was supposed to go home first! I didn’t wanna get cold feet so I just came straight here, not thinking ab–.”

Hiromasa laughed as the dancer stopped abruptly. “Well, I’m glad you chose to keep your feet warm.. So, thank you.”

Qingming’s chest felt stuffy as he watched Hiromasa. He looked away as he reached back into his bag for his phone. “It’s getting late.. I should go.”

Hiromasa’s smile almost completely faded. “Oh, right. I can take you.”

“No, that’s ok. My driver is waiting for me to tell him to come.”

Hiromasa didn’t push. After all, Qingming wasn’t exactly going far away.. He didn’t know why, but the thought made him smile. “Ok.”

Chapter Text

When Qingming jumped from his sleep late the next morning, it was because he’d felt a disturbance in the force. Something bad was happening. Not life threatening bad, but certainly unpleasant for him.

After emptying his bladder and brushing his teeth, he heard a knock on the door.

When he saw Yu-chan waiting with a strange smile on her face, his sense of 'dread' grew even more.

“Don’t tell me.. mom’s home?” he said, taking the glass from her hand.

It had a pale yellow-green drink that his family drinks once every Saturday and Sunday. It was medicinal and supposedly had a multitude of health benefits because of the ingredients used in it. His mom and Shen-shen were the only ones who could prepare it the way it's supposed to be made. Whenever someone else tried, it came out with a weird taste and a slimy texture.

The maid unfortunately nodded at his question. “Abe-furen is asking for you to join her on the back terrace for lunch.”

Qingming was taken aback and his head started swimming. It’s bad enough that both he and his mom were home on a Saturday, but now she wanted him to come to lunch on the back terrace? Where she likes to entertain ‘important’ guests? No doubt she duped some big shot company President or CEO into giving up their day of rest so she could play hostess. And if she wanted him there, it probably meant they had a daughter around his age who'd also be there.

He turned away from the doorway and let out a long, aggrieved shout. Yu-chan didn't even flinch, being used to such behaviour.

Once he got it all out of his system, he allowed her to enter and pick out his clothing, while he finished his drink. God forbid he chose his own outfit in such a situation!

But when he got out of the shower, he was surprised at what the maid had selected and wondered if he'd been thinking along the wrong lines..

Shrugging, he got dressed and left his room after donning his glasses. Since he was home, there was no use going through the hassle of putting in contacts.

He'd gotten so used to not having his phone, he ended up forgetting it on his nightstand.

As Qingming made his way to the large doors leading to the terrace, he wondered why his mom opted for the terrace. The short walk over from his residence to the main house had reminded him how hot the days had been lately, and the thought of having to mingle out in it made his mood worse. As he fanned himself with his loose fitting satin shirt, he could soon hear mid-tempo classical music playing through the rear garden speakers.

‘Is this some kind of brunch party?’ Qingming wondered.

That wouldn't actually be so bad! It would mean a lot of people for his mother to entertain, thereby leaving him to go find somewhere to hide.

However, as he walked along the paved path between rows of neat flower beds, hedges and trees, thinking how all the flora made the area at least 10 degrees cooler, he didn't hear the copious amount of voices one would expect from a large group of people mingling. His breathing became uneven the closer he got, so he increased his speed to find out what was causing him to feel so apprehensive.

When the terrace came into view, he felt like smacking himself at what he saw..

How could he have forgotten?? Fuuuck!

Taking a few deep breaths to compose himself, Qingming slowed his steps as he made his way over.

“A’Qing!” his mother greeted with a big smile. Strangely enough it wasn't one of her practised ones. No. This was a genuine, honest to goodness smile!

She stood up and glided over to him.

“I'm so glad you've finally joined us,” she said, taking his hands in hers. She gave him a once over and an approving nod, then led him to the space where the others were.

The others being his dad, sister, brother-in-law and younger brother. But more importantly, there was also Hiromasa, who looked at Qingming with eyes full of amusement.

“You go ahead and sit here with your friend,” his mother said smilingly before returning to her place beside her husband.

Qingming's eye twitched as he sat down, then he fixed Hiromasa with an inquisitive glare.

“I came by to get my car, but you were asleep. I met your mom again, and as you can see the rest of your family,” Hiromasa said.

Qingming couldn't quite tell if the smile on the guy's face was genuine or not, but he didn't sound annoyed at least. So he turned his attention to the others who looked at him in anticipation.

“What?” Qingming asked.

“Oh, nothing. Nothing!” his sister said.

“So, Hiromasa-kun here was just telling us that his parents are just as relieved as I am that you two have made up,” Abe-furen said.

“Oh, he did?”

“En,” Hiromasa grinned, and Qingming regretted ever forgiving him. “My mother has taken quite a liking to your son, Abe-san, Abe-furen.”

Qingming wanted to roll his eyes. “We just…have an understanding between us.”

“What do you mean?”

Qingming looked over at his mother and wondered at the look on her face. “Well… it's a secret actually…”

“You and my mother share secrets now?” Hiromasa was surprised.

“Yeah, so?” Qingming said almost in a challenging tone.

Hiromasa didn't say anything more and only chuckled at Qingming's obvious displeasure.

The conversation changed to how the two came to know each other. Abe-furen said she didn't expect someone of Hiromasa's status to be at that school. After all, children with parents like theirs, usually went to the school where Xiao Ming was enrolled.

“I did go there for a while, but to be honest, it wasn't a good fit,” Hiromasa explained in reference to that other school. “I needed to be in a place where I was just myself and not a title.”

Qingming looked over at him. He wondered if the gossip he'd heard about the guy were true? He could empathise with him there… sometimes being around other kids of the same social background was more trouble than anything.

After conversing for a while longer, Abe-furen excused both herself and Qingming, who warily followed her into the house.

She led him to the kitchen where she checked on the status of their food.

“So, A’Qing,” she started, as she inspected a pot of soup. “I didn't expect you to be serious about bringing home a rich husband.”

“With such a shrewd business acumen for someone his age,” came his father's voice behind him.

Qingming frowned as he watched his father go stand beside his mother, who took up a spoon and fed the man a taste of the soup.

He could never understand how two people, who were so different, could also look like such a loving couple. Or had he just not paid attention to such things in his younger years, and spent too much time apart from them in his older years?

“Ew..," he commented at the affectionate way they smiled at each other as his mom asked if the soup was good and his father nodded. "What are you two going on about? Hiromasa-senpai is just my friend.”

They looked at him sceptically.

“Yes. In fact, he's very much in love with someone else. So please don't start getting any wild ideas!” He looked specifically at his mom as he said that. But he was surprised at the look of relief that crossed her face.

Qingming scoffed. “Of course, I should have known better. You certainly would not approve of such a relationship, right mom?”

He turned to leave.

“A’Qing!”

He really didn't want to stay but he stopped anyway as he heard the hurried click of her heels.

Her hands grasped his arms and spun him around. “You misunderstood.. It's just that you and Hiromasa-kun haven't known each other for very long. So I was worried…”

Qingming didn't know what it was about today, but his mother was filled with so much sincerity he didn't know how to respond to it…

“Ok,” he said.

“Ok .. so, what's this secret between you and his mother?”

“Qin..,” came his father's voice.

But Qingming knew she wouldn't let it go. And who knew what kinds of scenarios were running around in her head already. She'd start paying attention to him more if she suspected it was something bad. He shuddered at the thought!

“Well, Hiromasa-senpai’s parents may be able to come home for good later this year. Whatever they're working on now, will facilitate that happening. So until then… I kinda inadvertently took responsibility for their only child's well being, and promised to keep that detail a secret as they want to surprise him.”

“Oh..,” she nodded. “That was very kind of you.”

Back on the terrace, Xiao Ming was talking animatedly to the others. But as soon as he glimpsed his mother, he became silent and sat still.

Abe-furen sighed softly. “No need to pretend I'm some dictator you need to become reticent around. I may not like where your focus is but it's not like I said you have to stop doing it.”

Hearing her say that made Qingming stop and think.. What Hiromasa's housekeeper had said had more of an impact than he originally thought. Last night, he thought a lot about his grievances with his mother, and whether or not he'd been misunderstanding her all this time. After all, he hasn't lived with her for over 5 years, and always treated her based on the memory of how she was during one particular period of time before he'd left to live with his grandfather in China.

What she just said though, was true. In fact, while a lot of things bothered her, she never once forbade her children from pursuing their individual interests!

Why couldn't he see that before? Even with his dancing.. All she had said was that he won't have time to dedicate to both it and running the company, and it might be a good idea to start preparing Xiao Ming to take over instead. He was the one who decided to move back and said he'd give up dancing after graduation.

“Yes, mother,” Xiao Ming said cutely.

“I have an idea,” Abe-san said. “Why don't you show Hiromasa-kun what you built?”

Xiao Ming perked up and ran off in two seconds.

“Abe-furen, Xiao Ming was just telling me about some ideas he has for an engineering lab and they're quite good,” Hiromasa said with a charming smile. “In fact, our newest subsidiary is a tech startup. My dad told me about it the other day and I'm supposed to go meet with its Director next week. I would be grateful if you gave permission for me to bring Xiao Ming along.”

Abe-furen seemed surprised at the request and was thankful he asked her when the youngster wasn't there. Clearly his parents taught him well.

“I think it's best that I leave this decision to Abe-san. I'm sorry, but as my knowledge on such things is limited, I don't have much of an appreciation for it.”

Qingming's mouth almost fell open. Who was this impostor walking around in his mother's body??

“Then, maybe you should come along as well. I honestly don't know much either and that's why I would like Xiao Ming there to help me save some face,” Hiromasa chuckled. “Hopefully after getting some more information and seeing first hand what exactly is being done, we'll both have a better understanding.”

“Me?”

“Don't worry, I'll make sure they hide all the confidential files,” Hiromasa said, making the others laugh. “And of course there's the standard NDA.”

Qingming looked at Hiromasa as if he'd grown an extra head, or two.

“What are you doing?” he whispered through gritted teeth.

Hiromasa smiled, then leaned closer to his ear. “If your family likes me, it'll be harder for you to cut me off in the future.”

As he righted himself with a grin, Qingming looked completely affronted.

◽

Xiao Ming walked into a scene of his older sister and mother reprimanding Qingming, while his father and Shen-shen were wrapping ice in a small towel which they put on Hiromasa's foot.

“You know, I'm beginning to think it's your family who wanted you to live out here,” Hiromasa said as he pushed open Qingming's door and hobbled inside.

After lunch, the dancer had refused to help the athlete walk to his residence and had stormed off. Upon entering the room at least fifty paces ahead of the other, Qingming had let out a long frustrated cry which could be heard from outside.

“Why are you howling like some beast in pain?” Hiromasa continued speaking as he made his way over to one of the chairs.

Qingming was currently sprawled face down on his bed. Unmoving.

“You call me crazy, but turn around and get angry or act surprised when I do or say something crazy,” the athlete said. “If you get to be close to my parents, why can't I do the same?”

Qingming lifted his head and the look in his eyes made Hiromasa sink further into his chair, thankful that looks really couldn't hurt you.

“I was wrong, I shouldn't have said what I did earlier. It was obviously just a joke,” the athlete defended. “Well, mostly."

The dancer rolled his eyes and dropped his head, face-first, into his pillow once again.

Hiromasa chuckled then continued speaking after half a minute. "You know.. I noticed it the other day when your mom and I first met, and after today I'm more certain about it.”

“About what?” Qingming mumbled into the pillow.

“That maybe your mom is not as bad as you think she is..”

The dancer's head popped up again. “...Riiight. And you've drawn this conclusion after spending just a few hours with her?”

He may have been thinking along the same lines, but Hiromasa didn't need to know that. Besides, his initial thought was how could the athlete discern so quickly what he couldn't in years?

“Is it not possible to get to know someone in that amount of time?”

“Of course, not!" Qingming responded, sitting up. "You only see the side of themselves they want you to see. I don't even know who that woman was today!”

“Ok, fair enough. But how was she different from other times you've had a friend over?”

Qingming remained silent for a while. “I've never brought friends to meet my parents..”

Hiromasa looked at him seriously. “Then how does it compare to when your siblings bring friends over?”

The other thought about it. In his younger years and the few times he'd spent a holiday here after moving away, his sister would sometimes have friends come visit.

“Well… my mom would usually treat them like she did to you the first time you met…”

“And she was like that because she was concerned for you. Imagine being in her position, and all you know is that you see this random kid showing up in your house everyday, trying to get your son to talk to him even though your child keeps refusing? Then after you confront him, you heard he did something bad to your child.. How would you react?”

“Honestly, I'd probably be before a judge right now..,” Qingming replied after a while.

“Exactly. Maybe she had the same concerns for your sister. After all, a daughter's reputation is much more fragile than a son's.”

Qingming thought how those friends hadn't been to his sister's wedding and he just assumed his mother banned them because she disliked them. But despite being a married woman who didn't need her mother's approval, Qingming hadn't seen or heard of them at all since back then..

“Regardless, you spent one brunch together.”

Hiromasa sighed. “Qingming-kun, I've been here since 7 AM. I didn't know sleeping till noon was a regular thing for you on the weekends.”

“What?? 7 AM?? Why didn't you call me or something?”

Hiromasa narrowed his eyes. “You haven't checked your phone, have you?”

At the mention of his phone, Qingming looked around until he spotted it. Grabbing it up and pressing the power button revealed it was out of charge.

“I’ve called, texted and even emailed you,” Hiromasa chuckled.

Qingming sighed and fell back into the bed with a groan. After a while, he sat up again. “Listen, getting close to my mother may not be such a good thing.. She probably only likes you because of who your parents are as that will give her a better chance of connecting with them.”

Hiromasa looked pointedly at him. “And? What’s so wrong about that? I doubt she’s looking to take over their company considering what line of business your parents are involved in. Which means she either wants to have more friends in the business circle, she is seeking cooperation, or.. she needs support for her business. None of those reasons are bad, Qingming. They are actually essential to the success and longevity of any company. Especially a company in an industry as competitive as the one your parents manage.”

Qingming didn’t know what to say. Was he hearing right?

“At the risk of you getting angry with me again, I’m going to give you a piece of advice. I think you need to find out more about the company you’ll be taking over. More importantly, you need to learn about the board that runs it.”

“Board?”

“En. I haven’t done any digging, I promise! But from public records, your mother may be the CEO but she is not the majority shareholder and her position is not as secure as you might think it is… As such, she has to work extra hard to get other board members on her side to pass any directives. As your legal guardian, she can count your shares in her votes and of course those of your father and siblings. But that still leaves her below 50%. Your grandfather still owns a large percentage of shares and is the current Chairman, but as you already pointed out, they don't get along well. If the other board members use this rift to get him to side with them, they can overturn any decision she makes. And if they can come up with reasonable grounds on which to do so, they could replace her as head of the company. No doubt the discord between your mom and those family members you mentioned last time has something to do with her appointment. After all, she’s not your grandfather’s oldest child and she is a woman…”

Qingming’s brain felt overwhelmed with this sudden influx of information. He really didn’t know anything about the company nor that all these things were happening.

“That old girlfriend you had..,” Hiromasa said tentatively. “She’s the daughter of a board member with almost ten percent of the company’s shares. If you had married her, and your family signed over their shares to you, you’d have the controlling interest of the company by owning over 50% of its shares. That way, you as a young CEO would encounter less obstructions when she passes it over to you.”

Qingming’s mouth hung open. “.. But…”

Chapter Text

Monday morning, Qingming was feeling lacklustre.

He'd taken Hiromasa's advice, somewhat, and enquired about certain things. But instead of going to his parents, he'd sought out his sister. They'd spent most of their Sunday afternoon talking, and more than a few important things had been revealed to him that made him start to see his mother in a whole new light..

As he entered his homeroom, he was ‘attacked’ not just by his girl gang but by a few of the guys.

“I should warn you that I'm very good at martial arts,” he said when he found himself surrounded.

“Qing-kun, how come you haven't signed up for any sports day activities?”

“Everyone needs to participate!”

“We thought you'd been training with the dance club and only just found out you're not doing that either!”

“We need someone for…”

There were many voices, talking all at once.

“Ok, ok!” he yelled. “How about…I look over the events and let you know what I can do by the end of the week?”

Many eyes glared at him.

“Sports Day is on Saturday… when exactly will you get time to train with your team?”

“Then, I guess I can't –.” He stopped as the eyes darkened. With a defeated sigh he gave in. “Fine. End of day.”

“Before lunch.”

That was the ultimatum given before he was set free. He immediately ran to 12A where he dramatically told them how he was accosted.

“Since when is Sports Day on Saturday?” he complained.

“Since a few weeks ago…,” Kaminari said sarcastically.

Qingming pinched his friend. “Now I need to find something to compete in or transfer to a new school.”

“Since you're ‘not built for running’, just focus on these other events,” Hiromasa said, holding out a sheet to him.

Qingming took it and looked over the list. “But..”

“No buts, stop being lazy,” Hiromasa said standing up. “Let's go. I'm going to the sports centre so you might as well sign up now before you find an excuse.”

With a string of complaints about the different events, Qingming got up and followed. Neither of them had noticed the silence nor surprised faces of the others.

“Goodbye to you two, too!” Fujino yelled after a while, but they were already gone.

“Since when do those two get along?”

“Since Qing-kun started calling him ‘Hiromasa-senpai’,” Fujino laughed. “Yosh! Now, our group is properly integrated!”

The others agreed and the conversation changed to something else.

No one seemed to notice Tomei, who'd been the most surprised.

Qingming didn't go to 12A after completing his cleaning duties when the school day ended. He had been cornered to make sure he went to meet with the teammates of the two events he'd signed up for.

“Hiro-senpai,” Tomei said as he gathered his books. “Can I come over later?”

Hiromasa was a little surprised. After all, it had been a long time since Tomei asked him that. For over a year now, it had always been Hiromasa who suggested hanging out at his house. Now he wondered if Tomei suspecting his feelings had anything to do with his friend's sudden change back then? Tomei used to love going to his house because Hiromasa's parents would buy him all the new games and consoles, and they'd spend hours pigging out while playing games. But if he felt uncomfortable, or even scared by the discovery, then..

“Sure,” Hiromasa smiled, seeming happy. “I'll tell Oba-san to make extra for dinner.”

Tomei gave a small smile, then bid everyone farewell as he left to meet with the dance club. Initially, he wanted to dance with just his class, but apparently the rules state he wasn't allowed because he was a professional and this gave an unfair advantage to his class. At the exact same time he was told this, the dance club president had asked him to join them for their performance.

In the sports centre, Hiromasa, Fujino and another member of their group entered the auditorium.

There were a lot of other students there getting ready to practice in their groups. Except those who were running or doing other field events, they'd be outside. Which is where Hiromasa headed next after changing in the team's locker room.

There were people on the track stretching, people in the centre field doing various things, as well as event leaders going around carrying out their duties.

Hiromasa went to the track event leader to check-in and find out when they'd be doing a test run for his event. He then went to do the rajio taisou exercises with a group that just started.

“Qing-kun, you're really not a good dancer, are you?” said a female voice nearby.

“How'd you know?” came Qingming's amused response.

“Because you don't have any muscles! All the guys I know that dance have a lot of muscles.”

“Maybe I'm just good at hiding them.”

“Stop joking. Your legs are nicer than mine,” the girl whined, prompting those around to laugh.

Hiromasa rolled his eyes without looking back at them. He and the other guys had seen Qingming's very toned body during the class trip, so he knew for a fact the dancer had muscles. As he said, Qingming was just really good at hiding things..

Hiromasa focused on the activity while thinking of the possible reasons Tomei asked to come over.

‘Could it be that he wants to talk about something private?’

Hiromasa even went as far as thinking maybe Tomei was going to confess. He couldn't help but have such an unlikely thought because ever since he returned from New York, Tomei had been more… attentive? Considerate? He'd even say his friend was downright clingy at times! For one thing, he hadn't been talking about dating anymore, nor did he talk about Usagi-chan when the other guys asked. At least, he didn't while Hiromasa was around.

Tomei had also started sharing his lunch with Hiromasa most days, saying that his housekeeper packed too much. And that had been surprising for a number of reasons: Tomei was widely known as the takeout king, but Hiromasa always preferred home-cooked meals. And the dished had mostly been things the athlete liked.

The changes were small, but noticeable. Especially since Hiromasa had been deeply thinking about his feelings ever since his conversations with his cousin… Was he in love with Tomei? Or did he just love him as a friend? More recently, he'd begun to wonder about a third possibility: Was he trying to force something between them because of something his mom had said...?

The recent show of affection from Tomei however, had begun to put his doubts to rest and now he truly believes that he is in love!

“Minamoto-saaan!!”

Hiromasa looked up to see a girl from a different class jogging over.

“Minamoto-san, can you please help us out?” she asked with puppy eyes.

“What's the matter?”

“The base of our tower had to leave and we need someone else who's strong.”

“Ok, sure.”

It was better than standing around waiting.

When he followed the girl to her group, he also saw Yue there.

“Hey, cap!” the guy called.

“Of course you'd be doing this event for your class,” Hiromasa grinned. “Why am I unfortunate enough to go up against you?”

“Just fate, I guess.”

“Fate, my ass," came a familiar voice. "Hiromasa-senpai, if you make me lose, I'm afraid I'll have to file a complaint.”

Hiromasa chuckled as Qingming walked over beside him.

“Taka-san, go easy on us, please?” Qingming said with a pouty face.

The other guy actually felt a little flustered but covered it up with a laugh. “I'm afraid I can't do that, Qing-kun.”

“That's right!” said a girl next to Yue. “We're in it to win it!”

“Duly noted,” Qingming smiled. Like almost everyone else, it was clear her fighting spirit had kicked in despite it just being practice. “Senpai, a hand please.”

Hiromasa wasn't sure what he meant but held out his arm. Next thing they saw was Qingming use the extended arm as leverage to catapult himself onto Hiromasa's shoulders.

“Wow, you're quite sturdy,” Qingming commended.

“And you're quite heavy.”

“Um… Qing-kun..,” the girl who brought Hiromasa whispered frantically. “You're not actually supposed to sit on him!”

“What? That makes no sense. Besides, he'll be fine. Right, senpai?”

Hiromasa sighed then looked at the girl. “Let's just get this over with. Don't give him an excuse to try and withdraw from the event.”

“Um.. but the other team.. and your supports..”

Qingming answered. “Hiromasa-senpai is enough to support me while I get a feel of the game. If our opponents have no objections, we can get started.”

Yue felt stuffy inside. Those two seemed so familiar but as far as anyone knew, they weren't; despite being in the same group of friends. But so what? That didn't mean anything.. He and his teammates exchanged looks and said it was ok.

Qingming tied the handkerchief around his head as Hiromasa tucked the dancer's legs under his arms. Despite seeing him dance a few times, Hiromasa was again surprised at Qingming's flexibility.

When he gripped the dancer's thighs to help hold him straight, was when he took note of his outfit.

“Dude, why do you love to wear such short shorts?” Hiromasa asked as they waited for the other team to get ready.

“Dude,” Qingming rebutted. “It's a hundred degrees out here!”

“Then why does your skin feel so…oily?” Hiromasa asked, rubbing his hands up and down. “Doesn't that trap more heat or something?”

“Stop that already! Are you saying I should let my precious skin suffer? I think not.” Then, Qingming suddenly yanked Hiromasa's head back by the hair, as his own legs tensed at the sight of the athlete sniffing his thigh. “What the hell??”

“Sorry,” Hiromasa chuckled. “I just thought I smelled something familiar.”

“I swear, you belong in a nuthouse!” Qingming grumbled giving the head a light shove forward.

Despite the other team having four people, they only managed to defeat the duo the first two rounds. By then, Qingming had gotten a feel for the game.

Using the dancer's flexibility and Hiromasa's strength to their advantage, the pair evaded all subsequent attempts to remove Qingming's bandana. Also, Qingming had a lot of core strength and a good centre of gravity, which helped him remain seated in place.

They had even attracted a small crowd of onlookers who were cheering them on. The girl who was the top of the tower on Yue's team became frustrated and gave Qingming a hard shove the next time she came in contact with him.

However, Qingming made a seemingly inhuman move and the next thing they knew he had repositioned himself on Hiromasa's back.

“Wow!” There were exclamations of surprise!

Meanwhile, Hiromasa had moved in on the other team and Qingming was able to reach out, temporarily lifting both hands from his 'tower's' shoulders, and snag the other team's bandana.

There were cheers all round as that gave them the win with 4 victories out of 6.

The two teams bowed and congratulated each other.

“You two make quite a team..,” Yue said.

Qingming grinned. “It's good that Hiromasa-senpai is so athletic.”

“Yue-san, if I have to sit out the rest of the season due to spinal injury, please let everyone know it was because this guy weighs a ton.”

The two teammates laughed while Qingming glared at his 'nemesis', trying to figure out which body part he could hit without suffering the wrath of everyone around. But he just sighed and let it go.

“Let the pain be your punishment for your unkind words.”

“You need to help me get back to the track,” Hiromasa said with a pitiful look that made Qingming cringe. “And I'll bill you for my chiropractor, ok?”

They bid farewell to the others around them before Hiromasa slung an arm over Qingming's shoulder and walked like he was injured.

“Or, you can come by tonight and let Shen-shen check your back..”

Hiromasa almost agreed but remembered he had plans. “Rain check? Tomei asked to come over today.”

“Oh? That's great! This is your chance!”

“.. Chance for what?”

Qingming sighed exasperatedly. “Play the injured card and let him take care of you! You'll both get to enjoy what should have happened that night of the game.”

“You seem more excited about this than I am..”

“Well, yeah.. You're getting what you want, right? I already told you I would help get you two together. Hurting your back wasn't intentional, but it ended up being good for something.”

Hiromasa chuckled. He was going to admit his back was fine, but Qingming seemed so excited. “Don't worry about it. What happens between Tomei and I can only be determined by both of us. That's to say, if things don't work out, I don't want you to feel responsible in any way.”

Qingming looked up at him, but didn't say anything.

“Well, here we are,” Hiromasa said, standing up straight. “Thanks.”

“You're welcome, I guess?” Qingming laughed, uncertain why he was being thanked in the first place.

When Hiromasa bid farewell to the others on the track a few hours later, it was already dark. Even so, Tomei’s group still hadn't finished when he walked to where they rehearsed.

Hiromasa smiled as he watched the group do a final run through of their routine. Tomei did stand out, something the dancer was probably aware of and enjoyed.

“Hey!” Tomei greeted after spotting Hiromasa and going over. “Did you wait long?”

“Nope. Finished?”

“Yeah. Let me get my things.”

When they arrived at Hiromasa's house, Tomei went straight for the shower.

“Hiro-senpai, you can tell Oba-san to serve dinner after you shower.”

“Hm.”

However, Hiromasa simply went to get a change of clothes then went to shower in the closest guest bathroom. He knew Tomei would take a while, so he had enough time to set the table and serve their dinner. It was all still pretty hot as she always tried to finish cooking close to the time he'd get home.

When they sat down to eat, Tomei seemed to be his usual self. He talked about this and that, then asked how training went for Hiromasa.

After dinner, they played games for a while until Tomei's mother called to say she was outside.

“It was nice hanging out together,” Tomei said before he left.

Hiromasa had to agree. It was nice, but he couldn't help thinking that something felt different.. And not in a good way.

Chapter Text

By Wednesday, it was announced that Sports Day would be postponed until either September or October due to the heat wave affecting them. The semi-final game which kept getting pushed back for the same reasons, was rescheduled until the end of August. As summer had already started, it wouldn't make sense to host either event anytime before autumn, as the coming days would only get hotter.

Despite the amount of preparation everyone had been putting in, they were thankful because even the evenings were hot and muggy..

For the rest of the week, all focus had switched from Sports Day anticipation to making plans to visit the beach or having pool parties to combat the heat.

While the friend group had been happy that Hiromasa and Qingming got along well, they were surprised at just how well they got along!

Not only did they talk to each other, they always had a back and forth going about one thing or another. The guys were certain they'd never heard Hiromasa speak that much in all the years he'd been there, nor were they used to him having this amiable yet slightly arrogant personality, which made him even cooler in their eyes.

And it wasn't just them.. Throughout the school and on The Forum for almost the entire week, there were conversations about the two, with mostly girls leaving some very wild comments. Especially about wanting to have pretty babies with Qingming in the future.. Many guys had also left comments admiring them, but in a way that showed they wanted to be like them.

What brought on the sudden surge of attention on the pair, was a video posted on The Forum of them at sports day practice later that same night. It had become a very hot topic by the next morning as people were first surprised by Qingming's take on the game, then there was the friendly banter he and Hiromasa seemed to have with their opponents. Not to mention their teamwork! The person who recorded it had been too far away to pick up their voices, but their antics were enough to capture people's attention. Especially Qingming's agility and Hiromasa laughing. The latter being something hardly ever seen by many.

Then, Wednesday morning had more in store for them than just the news of Sports Day postponement. Halfway through their morning lessons, Fujino showed Hiromasa another post that was blowing up: a picture of the two standing side by side looking at each other; Qingming with a dazzlingly bright smile and Hiromasa with a slightly frowning face. It was edited to show a contrast between light and dark, with the caption: 'The Dark Emperor and his Fairy Prince'.

"The fuck..?!" Qingming had shouted when he saw it, resulting in a fierce scolding from his teacher.

Since then, the two had become a popular CP. They had a growing fan base, who wrote a lot of content shipping them together. As a few of the guys from their group had been out in the track area at the time, they already knew what happened, so there’d been no misunderstandings with their friends.

.

Though he didn't say much on the matter, Tomei also didn't seem affected by all that was happening. He visited Hiromasa's house everyday after school that week though so they'd been spending more time hanging out than usual.

Though Hiromasa had been hoping for some kind of change, things remained just as normal as they'd always been.

Saturday morning, Qingming's family members were left wondering if they'd woken up in the twilight zone when he joined them at the dining table for breakfast.

His hair was messy and his eyes showed he was half asleep, but he'd at least managed to brush his teeth and change his clothes. His mother would probably go crazy if he'd shown up to eat in his pyjamas.

“Why's everyone looking at me like that?”

“Shen-er,” his sister nudged her husband. “I think you need to check on him.”

“I think so..”

“Please stop being so dramatic..” Qingming almost rolled his eyes.

“I know what's going on,” Abe-san grinned.

But he didn't say any more than that. They hadn't told Xiao Ming about the visit to the tech company. The boy only knew he and his mother would be going out, which wasn't out of the norm.

Abe-furen sighed understanding her husband's meaning. “Since you're already awake, you might as well do something productive with your day.”

“I will, mom,” Qingming said simply as he began eating lazily.

All week he'd been staying up into the morning hours trying to learn as much as he could about the basics of the power a board of directors wield. He wasn't ambitious enough to think he could come up with a method of securing his family's inheritance with his lack of knowledge and experience. But if he was going to seek legal counsel, he needed to at least understand what he wants to achieve, and what they tell him in return.

He was planning to go to the national library where he'd have access to a wider range of information, and spend some hours doing research. Though he could do it online, he thought being in the environment helped him process the information better. Possible conditioning from school. He'd at least done the search online and already had a list of texts he would be reading.

◻

After breakfast, Qingming lingered in the main hall until Hiromasa arrived, and the sight of the athlete left him stunned.

Hiromasa was dressed in black dress pants that was both loose and form fitting in all the right places, a black turtleneck top, along with a single-button, champagne coloured blazer. His hair was also styled nicely.

“What?” Hiromasa asked when Qingming just kept staring at him with his mouth ajar.

“I just feel -.” Qingming stopped himself in time. “-- that you clean up nice.”

“Is that so?” Hiromasa grinned, giving Qingming a playful flick on his cheek. “Then why are you blushing?”

Qingming scoffed, turning away from him and heading for the sitting room. “You're delusional. Now, need I remind you what will happen should this day not go well?”

“Shame and dishonour on my family for all eternity?” Hiromasa shrugged as he followed.

“Joke all you want … I still don't see why I can't come..”

“Because you'll be a nag,” his father said, appearing through another door. He and Hiromasa exchanged greetings before taking a seat. “You'd be so worked up trying to make things go well, that they'd start to go wrong.”

“Daaad! You're making me sound like a neurotic control freak.”

“I'm glad you understand,” the older man grinned.

◽

When Xiao Ming entered the room and saw Hiromasa, he became like a little chick. Qingming actually threatened him to not become so excited at seeing a ‘stranger’.

After Abe-furen and her daughter entered, they had a similar reaction to Qingming.

"Oh, my..," Abe-furen gasped, giving Hiromasa a once over.

"I know," Qingming's sister said with an appreciative nod. "Hiro-kun, are all young men this handsome nowadays?"

Qingming cleared his throat to stop the conversation getting out of hand.

Abe-furen chuckled, then told the youngest that the 3 of them would be going somewhere, which left him confused.

◾◽

It wasn't until their car was almost at the location that she revealed what they'd be doing. Hiromasa had said to tell him when they got there, but she insisted doing it in private was better.

The way the boy reacted by launching himself at her then Hiromasa to give them big hugs and shout his thanks, the latter understood why she'd said that.

Qingming stretched his arms and legs and gave them a shake. He'd been sitting on the same chair reading and making notes for the past two hours. In total, he had been at the library for around 4 or so hours.

“I think I should stop for today,” he said to himself after checking the time.

It was already after 2 PM and he hadn't eaten since breakfast. Just then his phone screen lit up and showed Tomei's contact.

For whatever reason, that reminded Qingming that Hiromasa was with his mom and little brother right at that moment. He couldn't help feeling guilty, though he wasn't sure why… After all, it's not like they were sneaking around and doing something scandalous!

“Hello? One second..,” he whispered into the phone before getting up and heading out onto the balcony.

The sky was clear and bright, and the temperature was incredibly sultry! Especially after leaving the air conditioned room.

“Hello, Mei-kun?”

"Hey, Qing-kun. Whatchu doing? Melting away in this fucking heat like the rest of us?"

Qingming laughed. “Nah.. I'm at the library doing research.”

"... You're joking, right?"

Qingming only laughed. “What are you doing right now? Wanna go get lunch?”

"Yeah, sure."

After deciding on a place, Qingming called a cab then sent his driver a message that he didn't need to come for him.

🔹

“I just don't feel it..,” Tomei sighed, slumping in his chair.

“Well, I wouldn't want you to force it, but maybe you just need more time.. Or maybe it's because you are trying to force it?” Qingming suggested.

He really wasn't expecting their conversation to be mainly about Tomei spending more time with Hiromasa to see if he would develop feelings for him.

“Fuck... You're probably right.. All I think about in the moment is whether or not I like him that way, so I don't even enjoy hanging out..”

“There! That's exactly it. You're treating your time together like an experiment instead of trying to actually bond with him.”

“Yeah, but… Maybe I should just let him know that I know he likes me and turn him down nicely. It's better to maintain my friendship with someone like him than do something to fuck it up.”

Qingming was in the middle of drinking his smoothie, but stopped as a frown appeared on his face. “What do you mean by 'someone like him'?”

“Well, I can't tell you his true identity but you would have heard by now that he's well connected. My parents may hold big positions in their companies but it's not the norm for people like them to be friends with people like him.”

A queasy feeling twisted Qingming's insides.

“Having a friend like that is more valuable than trying to foster a relationship that might not even last past graduation. I mean, come on! We're teenagers for fuck's sake! We don't get into relationships expecting them to last.”

Qingming felt really uncomfortable with all that Tomei was saying, but tried not to react to it. He thought maybe he just misunderstood what the other meant. Just like last time. “But.. the reason you're considering actually dating him.. is not just because…”

Tomei shrugged with a sigh. “Well…”

But then Tomei just laughed and Qingming felt even more queasy and like his shake and sandwich were on the verge of coming back up the way they went down.

“Anyway, enough about my problems, I'll figure it out. What's up with you?”

Qingming gave one of his mom's practised smiles. “Nothing much, to be honest.”

“What were you working on at the National Library of all places?”

“Oh. Well, we're going away to college in less than a year so I've been looking into different professions that interest me.”

Technically, it wasn't completely a lie. But it wouldn't be the first lie that he's telling. That thought made Qingming feel really bad for thinking poorly of Tomei. ‘At least he's being honest..’

The other guy had continued talking but Qingming didn't register much of what was being said.

“Hey, you ok? You don't look so good..”

Qingming looked up at Tomei's kind, concerned face. He couldn't continue lying to someone who was being so open and upfront with him!

“I..uh.. there's something I –.”

Qingming's phone started ringing. He didn't know if he was thankful for the reprieve or not..

“Sorry, one sec! Hi dad… I'm at xxx… Ok, sure.. No, no! I'll take a cab there,” Qingming was quick to deny a car coming to pick him up, but his father said he was already closeby. “Ok..”

He hung up the phone shortly after that and looked apologetically at Tomei.

“Gotta go?”

“Yeah, sorry. My mom wants us to go out for dinner.”

“It's no problem, man. I'll see you at school. And, thanks for hearing me out.”

Qingming nodded and forced another smile. “Anytime. Just know that means I'll dump my problems on you sometime in the future.”

The two chuckled then said their goodbyes. Qingming hurried out of the cafe and called his dad, telling him to wait around the corner.

After he got in the car, Abe-san gave him a questioning look. But Qingming didn't know what to say other than “not now”.

“Ok. Do you want to go home and change clothes first?”

“I'm good.”

◻

At the restaurant, everyone else had already arrived and were seated around a large corner table. Including Hiromasa.

Qingming hadn't even thought about the possibility of him being there. Now having to face him after the conversation with Tomei made him feel sick again.

“Aniki!” Xiao Ming grabbed his hand as he sat down, and began reeling off how amazing their day was.

“Ok, ok, breathe!” Qingming laughed lightly, patting him on the head with his free hand. “And don't rush.”

The boy nodded and started over at a much slower pace this time. Qingming was happy that their day went well. Even his mom was in high spirits and wore a genuine smile. Seeing her like this he was brought back to the conversation he'd had with his sister..

Qingming felt a hand on his back before Hiromasa whispered, “Are you ok?”

He looked over at his friend with a small smile. “En.. I'm probably just a little burnt out. I was at the National Library doing research most of the day..”

Hiromasa's face showed how odd he thought that was.

“I'll tell you later,” was all Qingming said, quickly looking away.

Despite it being so many hours later, Hiromasa looked just as put together as he did that morning. Not even a stand of hair was out of place, and his face was just as handsome. It was the first thing Qingming noticed when he arrived. Hiromasa had removed his blazer after he'd stood to greet him and Abe-san, but that only enhanced his attractiveness as the fitted, long-sleeve turtleneck showed off his muscular physique.

“I'm glad you had a good time,” Qingming said to his brother.

“Good? It was great!”

“Actually,” Abe-furen said with a mysterious smile. “That's not all.. Hiromasa-kun, would you like to do the honours?”

“I think it'll be better coming from you, furen,” the athlete said.

Everyone else looked intrigued.

“Well, the Director was so impressed with our Xiao Ming that he requested him to join them as an intern during summer break!” Abe-furen said.

While everyone else shared their congratulations, Qingming seemed to be the only one surprised by how excited his mother sounded. Had he really misunderstood her this entire time?.. But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

He turned to his brother and gave him a big hug. “I'm so proud of you!”

“Thanks, nii-san.”

Qingming righted himself. “With your brains, nee-san’s creativity and my…whatever I have, our company will only get better and better in the future.”

Abe-furen was shocked. “Do you really mean that..?”

“Of course, mom.”

Dinner continued and it was the best one they've had! At least, in the dancer's memory.

Later that night, Qingming was curled up in bed, wrapped in his fluffy bathrobe.

“Aren't you hot wearing that?” Hiromasa asked.

They were talking over video chat. Despite the great end to the evening, Qingming had wanted to hear more details about what they did.

“Benefit of being born into a wealthy family: Air conditioning,” Qingming mumbled.

Hiromasa laughed. “It's pretty cool outside so you can open your windows and take it off.”

“Mm… when we hang up.”

“Wait a minute..” Hiromasa paused brushing his teeth again. “Are you wearing that because of me?”

“When you say it out loud, it sounds weird.”

“That's because it is weird. We're both guys, who have seen each other naked. Well, you've seen me naked. I forgot that you were also being a prude during the class trip and covered up.”

“Dude, are we seriously talking about this?”

Hiromasa laughed then went back to brushing his teeth. Qingming on the other hand, just silently stared at him on the phone screen. He couldn't get what Tomei said out of his head, but he had no right bringing that up with Hiromasa. After all, didn't he almost break off their budding friendship because Hiromasa tried to indirectly get information from Mei-kun?

If Qingming were to disclose what they talked about, he'd be doing the exact same thing. Not only that, the two were childhood friends. Who was he to impede on their relationship? This was a very personal matter between them that they needed to work out themselves.

“Is there something on my face?”

Qingming pulled from his thoughts. “No, sorry.”

“So what was up with you earlier? Actually, you've been a little weird all week, but more so tonight.”

Qingming frowned. “I haven't been weird..”

But Hiromasa simply gave him an ‘oh really?’ look.

Sitting up straight, Qingming let out a deep breath. “I asked my sister about…”

As Hiromasa settled into his own bed, he listened to Qingming tell him about the conversation and the thoughts he's been having. The dancer also explained what he was doing at the library that day.

“Hmm… That does sound like a lot to deal with.. Have you spoken to either of your parents yet? After all, your father is a lawyer..”

“No, actually. But I will tomorrow. And yes, I could have just gone to him, but I think being my protective parent might impede on how much he divulged."

"Hmm, that's true."

"I actually want to intern at the company during summer break.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I need to see for myself what's going on, instead of just getting second hand reports.”

“So, I guess that means you won't attend the summer camp..”

“I guess not. I actually wanted to go away to study at a dance academy that specialises in a style I've been wanting to try for a while. But.. This is more important.”

“Hmm. Things might still work out on that front. And I'm sure the guys are gonna miss having you there.”

“Hm.. To be honest, the stuff with my family is not the only concern I have.. Before my dad picked me up for dinner, I was with Mei-kun..”

Hiromasa nodded slowly. “Ok.. did something happen..?”

“We talked about some things… I can't say what though. But it left me feeling… I don't know! A bunch of different feelings. To put it simply, Mei-kun opens up a lot to me and I'm beginning to feel really guilty about all my secrets. I almost told him about my parents earlier, but my dad's call stopped me.”

Hiromasa was surprised at that. If Qingming felt that strongly, could the things they're talking about be just as personal? He couldn't help but think that it may involve himself..

“Maybe if I start by telling him we have become better friends that'll help? I mean, the only reason we agreed not to say anything is because it would bring up other secrets we’re both trying to hide.. But after thinking about it, it's just one big misunderstanding waiting to happen. Don't you think?”

“Yes,” Hiromasa said plainly. “But I promise you, telling him now won't stop him from misunderstanding. Honestly, even if we had told him from the day of the game, it would have been a problem. I've known Tomei all my life, so I like to think that I know the kind of person he is.. for the most part.”

“You think so…”

Qingming had mumbled it to himself, but not quietly enough to not be heard.

“I do know. Remember I told you he's been spending more time here lately? What I didn't say was how off he seemed every time. I have a few guesses why that could be, but I'm not sure. But whatever it is, I know it probably sounds bad. He would think I haven't noticed because I don't usually point these things out… So, if he talked about me and that's what's bothering you, just let it go. Thank you for not breaking his trust, and I'm sorry again to have dragged you into this.. But you should only open up when you are truly ready. Not because you feel anxious about the situation between he and I.”

Qingming stared at Hiromasa with uncertainty. But he also recalled Hiromasa said something a few days before that seemed he felt things wouldn't work out with Tomei.. And despite that, he was still willing to try.

The athlete chuckled softly. “If you want us to confess to him and the others on Monday, then let's do it at lunch where we can have some privacy. Or they can come to my house. There are eyes and ears everywhere at school..”

Qingming laughed at his use of the word ‘confess’ and reference to their 'fans' who were always watching.

“As long as everyone knows I'm the seme and you're the uke, I don't care,” Qingming laughed sleepily.

Hiromasa chuckled and settled more comfortably. “This again… But, Qingming-ah..”

“Hm?”

“Let’s keep our secret a little longer, ok?”

"Ok, senpai."

Qingming watched as the athlete closed his eyes. He hadn't wanted to admit it to himself furthermore say it out loud, but he didn't want to give up this secrecy between them just yet, either.. As much as he'd been feeling pressured about being dishonest, despite what he told Hiromasa earlier, he was only willing to admit to the truth about his family. And maybe even his dancing, depending on the circumstances! But his friendship with Hiromasa had become special in a way where he didn't want anyone else in it. It was already unfortunate he had to share him with his family.

Qingming closed his eyes with a smile on his face, thinking how much he enjoyed being home more these days..

Chapter Text

Monday...

Qingming was in the middle of his warm down when he heard a knock at the door. Looking up, he saw Hiromasa give him a short wave, so he beckoned him in.

"Why is it so warm in here?" the athlete frowned as he closed the door behind himself and pulled the blinds down. "It's a mystery no one has found out about your private room considering you never close that."

Qingming chuckled as he used the barre to stretch. "My room is at the end of the corridor, so it's not like anyone's passing it. Besides, only those with an assigned room are allowed here. No one in the recreational program has an assigned room, and none of the full-time students know me that well."

Hiromasa threw himself on the floor, leaning his back against the wall opposite the dancer. "I guess.. And why is the AC off? I was hoping I'd get to cool down."

Qingming snorted at the athlete fanning himself with the collar of his sweaty shirt. "It was making my legs too cold, which can cause a cramp."

"Well, maybe if you wore actual clothing, that wouldn't be a problem."

Qingming looked down as Hiromasa glared at his legs. "What's wrong with what I have on?"

"Everything," Hiromasa said, making eye contact as if to show how serious he meant it.

Qingming rolled his eyes and switched legs on the barre. "Why are you here?"

Hiromasa made a face. "The same thing I do every night, Pinky."

Qingming groaned as the athlete laughed at his own joke. "I know that. I mean, why are you here throwing old lame jokes at me, Brain?"

"The fact that you got the reference makes you just as uncool."

Qingming laughed that time. "I never claimed to be otherwise, so -ah!"

He stopped talking and straightened up from the side stretching he was doing. But the look on his face showed the movement caused some discomfort.

"What's wrong?" Hiromasa asked, on his feet and hurrying over in seconds.

Qingming looked a little sheepish and mumbled his response. "I didn't eat much today at lunch so I'm hungry..."

Hiromasa sighed in relief. "Oh!.. I thought you pulled a muscle or something. Didn't you say you were having lunch with your group members to discuss your project?"

"That was the plan! But those assholes showed up halfway through lunch, saying they decided to eat first," Qingming glared at the memory. "By the time I got to the cafeteria, there wasn't much of anything left so I only had a cheese sandwich. And on top of that, I fell in rehearsal earlier and now my ankle hurts a little. That's why I'm not down there."

Hiromasa looked around the room. "I'm taking you home. Let me get your stuff."

"Uh, no!" Qingming said incredulously reaching out and pulling his arm as he walked off. "Mei-kun is expecting you."

"I'll tell him it's an emergency and pay for a cab."

Qingming walked over to his bag and bent to pick up his phone. "No need, senpai. I'll take a cab; One will be here in two minutes tops."

"Qingming -."

"No, senpai. I'd feel really bad if you did that. It's not like I'm seriously hurt, just gas pains and a little sprain. I think I'll make it through the night."

Hiromasa rolled his eyes but couldn't fully hold back the smile. "Fine. Call them while I get your stuff and walk you down."

"Aww, such a gentleman."

"...is your problem with my shorts??"

"Why do you have to wear such short ones? We get it, you have nice legs but you don't have to parade them around like that."

"Senpai, believe me, nobody is watching my legs. And I'm not the only guy who wears them. Heck, even Tomei wears them at least once every week!"

"That's besides the point," Hiromasa frowned.

"Which is..?" Qingming burst out laughing when the athlete only huffed in response. "You're just not used to them, so I understand. But trust me, it's nothing strange for dancers."

"Well, you're leaving in them with a stranger. Can't you at least put on some pants?"

Qingming sighed audibly. "Senpai, please stop."

The two heard approaching voices and looked around.

"Mei-kun!" Qingming greeted with a smile.

"Qing-kun? I didn't know you were still here.. And Hiro-senpai, I was wondering why I didn't see you inside."

Though Tomei sounded normal enough, the look on Hiromasa's face showed he thought otherwise.

"We're just waiting for Qingming's cab," the athlete said. "You ready?"

Tomei nodded.

"Ah, here it comes," Qingming said, looking down at his phone that had beeped. "Bye guys. See you at school tomorrow!"

He tried to take his bags from Hiromasa but the athlete just walked off ahead of him towards the cab after telling Tomei he'll be a moment. After hurrying into the taxi and collecting his things, Qingming hurried him away.

"Go before he gets even more suspicious."

"But this is so exciting," Hiromasa grinned, holding the door open.

"I'll kick you," Qingming growled reaching out and yanking the door away.

"I'll come massage your foot first so you don't incur further injuries when you do," Hiromasa said releasing the door. "See you soon."

Qingming told the driver to go and they pulled away.

"Was everything ok?" Tomei asked as they walked towards Hiromasa's motorcycle.

"Yeah. He just worries about the weirdest things."

"Oh, yeah? Like what?"

"Like you having a problem with us hanging out or me walking him to the car. Makes no damn sense."

Tomei let out an awkward little laugh. He was not expecting Hiromasa to be so straightforward in answering, and suddenly the list of questions he had for the athlete disappeared. He'd heard the absurdity in Hiromasa's tone and realised how foolish he would look. No way was he going to behave like an idiot after hearing that. Besides, Qingming must have been trying to give Hiromasa a little nudge.

On the ride home though, Tomei thought how Hiromasa had never been close to anyone else since those degenerates he'd hung out with a few years back. So he wanted to use that to convince himself that his annoyance at seeing the athlete and Qingming getting along so well lately, must be because he really cared about the athlete and not wanting anyone to take advantage of him! But.. he'd felt the same way those days Hiromasa and Fujino would go off together for sports day practice, or to work on their group project. And he knew Fujino had no such intentions.

By the time he got home and told the athlete goodnight, Tomei was in a less than pleasant mood. Was he against Hiromasa getting close to others out of affection, or was it because he felt they threatened his friendship? After all, Hiromasa's personality was gradually changing lately and he wasn't the quiet introvert that only had eyes for him. It was the Hiromasa he'd known years ago. The charismatic Hiromasa who made people yearn to be close to him but also too scared to approach him. Someone beyond his reach...

Deep inside, Tomei knew the truth of how he felt about the athlete. He'd already admitted it to Qingming, after all! But he knew it made him sound like a jerk so he didn't want to own up to it.

Qingming was laid out on the couch in the main house's living room, watching Tv. His completed homework was scattered on the coffee table nearby.

His parents and sister had left to deal with a matter out of town, while Shen-shen was away for a few days for a medical conference. So it was just he and Xiao Ming home. Though his younger brother preferred to stay holed up in his room, Qingming wanted to at least be close-by until he himself was going to bed.

"Gongzi," Yu-chan called to him from the doorway.

Qingming looked over the back of the couch and narrowed his eyes at the smile she was trying to hide. He knew that smile!

"You're kidding me..," was all he said, falling back on the couch. He heard her shy giggle a few seconds before the voice he was expecting.

"Why so surprised? I told you I was coming," Hiromasa said entering the room.

His hair was still damp from his shower, but the scent of his bath soap was soothing. Qingming thought it may be eucalyptus.

"I thought it was a slip of the tongue," the dancer said without looking up as the athlete came around and plopped down on the couch beside his feet. "I was under the impression you'd be having company tonight.."

Hiromasa looked at him strangely. "Can you not make it sound so... improper?"

"Hey, I'm just going by what I've heard about young people in Japan. Especially you ikemen type.."

Hiromasa smirked as he lifted one of Qingming's foot and placed it on his lap. "Oho, so you do think I'm handsome?"

"I didn't say that. What do you want with my foot?"

Just then, Yu-chan popped up with a small, unlabelled jar which she handed to Hiromasa.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't tell anyone about your ankle, so I came to fulfil my promise," the athlete said, opening the jar and smelling it after thanking the maid.

Qingming felt his insides move and thought he might not have had enough at dinner. "I.. J-just make sure you remember what I'm gonna do once you're done!" he huffed and turned his attention back to the Tv.

"Of course," Hiromasa said, taking out a dollop of the salve and began massaging it into the dancer's foot.

.
By the time Hiromasa was finished, Qingming had long been asleep. He'd seen him drift off within the first two minutes but had continued and massaged both feet up to the knees.

After switching off the Tv, he left silently, after covering Qingming with the blanket Yu-chan had brought him.

Before dance class on Thursday afternoon, Qingming was called to the Director's office. There he was informed by Madame Kang that, not only did he achieve the highest score in their academy, but..

"Qing-kun!" Madame Kang could barely contain her excitement. "You got the highest score for a Solo Seal level 3 exam in over a century! And you're the youngest dancer to have ever achieved such a feat at that! You..."

The sound of blood rushing in Qingming’s head caused him to miss some of what she said next, but he knew what she was probably saying. That there would be people coming by to see him..

“I already told them you aren’t interested when they reached out to schedule a meeting, but you know how they are…," her excitement waned as she took in his pale visage. "So how do you want to handle this?”

“When does the first person arrive?”

“Next Friday. It's the examiner and another senior member of the RAD, and they're determined to convince you to drop anyone you might have already said yes to, and leave here with a confirmation of your relocation.”

“Ok.. let me think it over and tell you on Monday.”

“Qing-kun... I know we already talked about you wanting to quit after the school year, but... At least, give it some thought. Think about it long and hard one last time, then decide.. I wasn’t going to say but I think you should know that the Director from that place you’re no longer going will be coming as well…”

Qingming’s eyes widened! The dance company he’d mentioned to Hiromasa was also interested in him?

During class, he didn’t have to pretend to be a mediocre dancer. He kept messing up so many times that Madame Kang took pity and sent him home early.

As the gate to the Abe property was opened to let Hiromasa in, Abe-furen’s car drove up. He moved his bike to the side to allow the driver to pass him before following.

When he parked and walked over to the entrance, she was waiting for him.

“Hiromasa-kun! What a pleasant surprise,” she greeted.

Hiromasa bowed and returned the greeting. “Sorry for my appearance, I was expecting to go straight home today.”

“Oh? Did you and A’Qing have another quarrel?”

He shook his head. "I think something happened -."

At that moment, Yu-chan hurried out to them and bowed her head. She looked very anxious.

“What is it?” Abe-furen asked.

“Furen, Dí-gōngzǐ is… You need to come quickly!”

The two hurried off in the direction of Qingming’s quarters. The maid who had been running behind them told them where to go.

When Abe-furen opened the door, she cried out and almost lost her footing at the sight that greeted her. Hiromasa had to quickly reach out and hold onto her.

“Where is he?” Hiromasa asked the maid.

“He’s locked himself in his room and has been crying ever since. We called Abe-san and he’s on his way home. He said he would call you, furen.”

But the woman had already turned and took off towards Qingming’s room further down the hall. The other two immediately followed.

“A’Qing!” Abe-furen slapped her palm repeatedly against his door. “A’Qing, it’s me! What happened? What’s wrong?”

But despite the persistent echoes of the pounding on his door and the faint sound of his mother calling for him over and over, Qingming refused to open the door and just kept crying.

“Was he hurt?” Hiromasa asked Yu-chan, looking at the first aid kit next to the door.

“It didn’t look that way but we’re not sure. We begged him to stop but he wouldn’t listen!... Then after he left, we checked the room for traces of blood but saw none.”

“A’Qing, are you hurt? Let mother in, please!”

Hiromasa didn’t know what to do, but he couldn’t tell her to calm down. The fact that they couldn't hear what was happening in the room due to the soundproofing was even more nerve-wracking! He himself was only able to keep up his calm facade because Abe-furen was like this!

He gave the door a once over. There was no way he could break it without injury. "Don't you have an extra set of keys?"

But the maid shook her head with a brief glance at Abe-furen, making Hiromasa huff internally. No doubt the dancer took the spare keys to prevent his mother access, or had changed the old locks altogether.

“I have an idea,” he said then hurried off.

About 30 seconds after he left, Abe-san and Shen-shen rushed over.

“Where is he?” Abe-san asked as his hysterical wife fell into his arms.

Yu-chan answered his question and told him what she’d told Hiromasa a short while before.

◾ 

Hiromasa had remembered that Qingming’s bedroom had a balcony. The only challenge was that the roof was at least 12 ft off the ground, and its eaves went as far out as the balcony. Therefore, if he fell, he’d be rolling down the side of the hill beyond.

Thanks to his athletic prowess and amazing upper body strength acquired from training to tackle guys twice his size, Hiromasa made it onto the balcony. But not without incident as he twisted his ankle upon landing.

Thankfully the french doors leading outside were unlocked when he tested the first one.

The room inside was dark but he could tell Qingming was on the floor. The dancer didn’t seem to be aware of his presence as yet.

“Qingming..,” he ventured slowly. “It’s me..”

The other boy only cried harder. Well, then..

“Your parents are outside.. They’re worried about you.. Are you hurt?”

Qingming seemed to make an attempt to stop by the sudden decrease in sobs. But before he could get a word out, he broke down again. Hiromasa knelt down beside the boy who was dressed in his short shorts and t-shirt from dance class, and enveloped him in a hug. Hearing Qingming crying like that was hard, but holding his shaking body made Hiromasa feel the need to fix whatever had brought about this sudden affliction… But, Qingming was not his responsibility.

“Whatever it is, it’ll be ok..,” Hiromasa whispered.

Qingming’s arms snaked their way around him as his crying intensified.

Hiromasa heard Abe-furen and her husband calling to Qingming every couple seconds and knew he couldn’t delay. “I need to open the door for your parents, ok? They’re really worried about you too.”

Qingming’s sobs quietened and his arms loosened around Hiromasa who turned on the lamp after he stood up again. When he looked down at Qingming, he seemed so small hugging his knees with his face buried on top of them. There were no visible signs of injury though so that provided some relief.

He quickly went to open the door to the worried faces out in the hallway. While Abe-san thanked Hiromasa, his wife had already run to throw herself on the floor and pulled her son to her bosom.

Hiromasa knew that Qingming needed to be with his family right now, so he turned to leave. Only, he forgot about his ankle and hissed as he put all his weight on it.

“You hurt your foot?” Shen-shen asked. He’d been standing just inside the doorway waiting for the parents to tell him if he’d be needed.

Hiromasa told him what happened.

Abe-san did a quick check on his son, and got a small head shake from the boy which confirmed he wasn’t hurt anywhere.

“Come,” Shen-shen said to Hiromasa. “Let me take a look at you.”

He helped Hiromasa to the small living room down the hall. The maid followed along with the first aid kit.

Once seated on the couch, Hiromasa removed his sock, which was a more painful task than he anticipated.

Shen-shen lifted it onto his own lap and began poking and prodding. “It doesn't seem to be broken but I would recommend getting an x-ray. You can come by my office in the morning. It's just on main street.”

That meant it was just off the hill on the prestigious ‘Diamond Boulevard’. The aptly named street where the most luxurious, and expensive, products and services can be found within the entire country. However, it wasn't just the price but also the quality that customers received which made securing a spot on the stretch a herculean task! Therefore, if Shen-shen’s practice was there, then he must be a great doctor!

Hiromasa nodded.

“For now,” Shen-shen continued and turned to the maid. “We need to get something to relieve the pain and swelling.” Yu-chan hurried off. “Do you have any plant allergies?”

“Not that I'm aware of..”

“Ok, I'll prepare a general medicinal tea for you then.”

The doctor got up and left after putting Hiromasa's foot in an ankle brace and telling him he'd take him home after he had the medicine.

The man hadn't even stepped out the door when they heard voices in the hallway and a harried looking Qingming ran past.

“Hey, Qingming-kun!” Hiromasa shouted while attempting to get up.

Qingming soon appeared in the doorway and rushed him once he spotted him.

“You're ok? What the hell were you thinking?” Qingming tried to shout but his voice was too hoarse from all the crying.

Hiromasa almost laughed. “Your brain just processed how I got into your room? Come on, I'm me.. it's no big deal scaling a roof or two..”

“You're hurt?” It was Abe-furen.

“Don't worry, it's not because of this. One of my teammates stepped on my ankle during a maul today.”

That did happen but he was used to those and it hadn't even been hurting anymore. However, Qingming didn't need to know that.

The dancer's eyes watered again and he knelt beside the couch, grabbing Hiromasa's middle in a hug.

“Hey, what's wrong?”

But Qingming simply buried his head and softly sobbed, unresponsive to anything they said.

Hiromasa took out his phone and spent a little time bringing up something before passing it to Abe-furen. He then placed a hand over Qingming's exposed ear before he spoke.

“That's his instructor at the academy. She can probably tell you what happened. It's why I came by. I heard he was sent home early because he kept messing up and couldn't focus..”

The couple were surprised and looked down at their son.

“I'll stay with him until you finish.”

With gentle prod, Hiromasa poked Qingming. “If you keep crying like this, you're going to drown us in no time. Can you help me back to your room please?”

He thought it was a long shot but Qingming actually got up, wiping his face in his shirt. He probably didn't believe the training story and felt guilty.

With Shen-shen's help, Hiromasa was relocated to one of the chairs in Qingming's room.

“I'll bring tea for you, too,” the doctor said to Qingming before leaving.

“Are you going to tell me what happened?” Hiromasa asked the dancer who went to slump in the next chair.

“... Yea. Just not now..” Qingming said with a sniffle.

“That's fine. Why don't you go have a bath to help you relax?”

Qingming scoffed. “You're the one who needs it.. My poor chair..”

“I will as soon as I get home,” Hiromasa grinned. He already knew he must smell terrible.

“Well, you…”

“What is it?”

Qingming looked at him with a sad smile and Hiromasa was sure he stopped breathing. When the dancer finally spoke, he used the same words the athlete had once said to him. “I'll need one more favour from you today. Please?”
◽

Once Hiromasa was finished with his shower, Qingming helped him put the ankle brace back on then went to the bathroom.

Hiromasa was beginning to wonder where the others were. He went into Qingming's closet to get one of those baggy shorts the dancer sometimes wore. He recalled the other telling him he had nothing that could fit him but that wasn't true. The shorts may fit close, but they weren't as snug as the underwear.

After acquiring his clothing item, Hiromasa knocked at the bathroom door and advised he'd be back in a moment. But when he opened the bedroom door and stepped out, Shen-shen and Yu-chan, the latter carrying a tray, were a few feet away.

“Why are you walking around on that?” the doctor frowned. “As an athlete, you know the risks of aggravating an injury.”

Hiromasa hobbled back inside and sat on the bed. “I just wanted to check with Abe-san to hear what they found out..”

Shen-shen pulled up a chair and sat before him. “Give me your foot, please.. Abe-san took furen to bed. Whatever they talked to the teacher about upset her and I had to give her a sedative.”

“Oh..”

“So he hasn't said anything yet?”

Hiromasa shook his head. “But at least he's no longer crying.. He asked me to stay over, so maybe he'll tell me when he's feeling calmer.”

“That's good. And that way you can go to the office with me in the morning to do your x-ray.”

While they'd been talking, Shen-shen had removed the brace, applied a gel around the entirety of Hiromasa's leg from the knee to his toes, then put the brace back on. Hiromasa recognised the gel as the same one he'd used on Qingming earlier that week.

“No moving about unless absolutely necessary,” Shen-shen warned. Then he called Yu-chan, who brought over one of the bowls from the tray. Holding it out to Hiromasa, he advised the athlete. "Now, this will boost your body's healing and also help you to fall asleep, while the gel will provide pain relief as well as reduce the swelling. But since you haven't eaten, just drink one mouthful for now. After you've eaten, you need to finish all of it. Please ensure Qingming drinks everything in the next bowl after he's eaten.”

Hiromasa nodded. He realised that Shen-shen was a practitioner of TCM. It was no wonder he could land such a prime location. “Ok, I'll remember.”

◽ 

When Qingming exited the bathroom, Shen-shen had already left and their dinner had arrived. Due to the circumstances, their food had been brought directly to the bedroom.

“Your eyes are so swollen!” Hiromasa chuckled.

“Don't laugh at me, you jerk..,” Qingming huffed and plopped into the chair Shen-shen had vacated, and they began eating.

“You're right. It's better if you laugh.. Sad and mopey is my domain, remember? While you're all sunshine, rainbows and unicorns!”

Qingming pretended to vomit but Hiromasa continued.

“I personally think they have our dynamics figured out correctly. Ever since I've met you, you have come across as the upbeat “fairy” type.. And even though you can be destructive and you're moody as fuck, your default is a cheery persona.”

“And you're just an asshole who talks a lot of shit, right?”

“I've heard worse..,” Hiromasa shrugged.

The two laughed, and Qingming truly began to allow himself to relax.

“Hmm… About you..,” Qingming said thoughtfully between bites. “Even though you come across as the lone wolf type, you enjoy being around people. You don't seem to care about others much, but you're protective and generous. And though you hate when people use you, you'll still allow it as long as they don't go too far..”

Hiromasa chuckled quietly as he picked up his phone that lit up. “I guess so… My mom was calling me, I'm just gonna ring her back.”

Qingming nodded and switched on his TV, ensuring the volume was low. He needed the distraction but didn't want to go on his phone as he didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment.

"Hiro, where have you been? Oba-san was expecting you by 6 and hasn't seen nor heard from you!" came his father's stern voice.

Qingming looked over guiltily. After all, it was because of him..

“I'm sorry, dad. And I'll call her to apologise. Something came up and I wasn't paying attention to my phone.”

"You know that's not good enough. You know you have to be more responsible if you want to continue staying by yourself, and –."

“Minamoto-san,” Qingming said, reaching over and grabbing the phone. “Hello. It's my fault Hiromasa-senpai was away from his phone. I've worried a lot of people today, including you guys and I'm really sorry about that. But please don't be angry at him. I'll make sure to apologise to Oba-san also, because I can only imagine how worried she must be.”

Hiromasa pulled the phone away. “That's enough. Dad, I'll talk to you guys tomorrow. I need to call Oba-san.”

"Wait, Hiro! What's going on? What did you do?"

“Dad, just because I did something wrong one time doesn't make me a scoundrel. I'll give you all the gory details in the morning. I love you guys.”

And with that, his father ended the call with a ‘Fine’.

After a quick call to reassure the housekeeper he was fine and staying over by Qingming, he put the phone down after locking the screen. He'd seen other missed calls and messages but didn't want to deal with them at the moment.

“Now, where were we..,” Hiromasa said as if nothing happened.

“Your mom is gonna rip you a new one. And I'm pretty sure they no longer think I'm a sweet and kind, respectable young man.”

“Why are you pouting? I'm the one who's going to get all the blame. My mom swears she inherited her ancestor's onmyōdō abilities, and is convinced that you're a good fit -, a good friend for me. So I doubt anything you say can make them think you're anything but --what did you say? Sweet and kind? Respectable?”

Qingming narrowed his eyes. “I don't know if you're trying to make me feel better, or just making fun of me..”

Hiromasa grinned. “Hurry up and eat, then let's watch TV until this medicine knocks us out. You need to rest your voice and get some sleep.. It might take a few days for you to look pretty again. I hear sleep is essential in making that happen.”

Qingming rolled his eyes, but then he smiled softly. “Thanks… for not pushing me to talk about it..”

“About why you trashed your dance studio? I thought that was gonna be part of the production. But if it's not, then I'm not as excited to go anymore,” Hiromasa shrugged. “Buuut, if you insist on talking about it, I'm afraid I have no choice but to listen. According to the doctor, I can't leave the bed until tomorrow morning. So even if you suddenly want to talk at 2am, I will have to listen against my will.”

Qingming felt a warm feeling inside his stomach. “You're crazy..”

“Maybe that's why we get along so well.”

Qingming didn't wake Hiromasa at 2 AM, he woke him up at 2:34.

And as promised, Hiromasa listened to Qingming explain what Madame Kang had told him and how he walked all the way home from the academy after being excused early.

The athlete remembered how Qingming was dressed, but he suppressed the urge to get upset. The dancer got home fine.

So he continued listening to Qingming saying that the moment he entered his home studio, he had a mental breakdown and used a chair to smash all the mirrors and break up the floors. It was more than venting frustration. It was a culmination of everything he'd been holding in coming to the fore, and the realisation that he really had to give up the one thing he really loves doing, right after making such an outstanding achievement! He'd been so down he even sent a text to Madame Kang telling her he was dropping out and was going to quit dancing immediately.

Unknown to him, the news about his exam results, the impending visits and his notice of retirement were shared with his parents by the instructor who had become very concerned and had been trying to call the dancer since seeing his text.

Chapter Text

Hiromasa felt someone poking him in his side and his eyes flew open. The first thing he became aware of was a numb feeling in his left arm, and then a familiar face was looming over him.

“Hiro-senpai,” Xiao Ming whispered. “Shen-ge told me to wake you up. He said it's almost time to go.”

Hiromasa slowly became more alert. That's right.. he remembered where he was and that he was supposed to get an x-ray done. A quick look to his left showed Qingming was fast asleep on his arm. The athlete couldn't help wondering what was in that medicine since it made them both sleep through their alarms!

He slowly pulled his arm out from under Qingming's head, and got up with the help of Xiao Ming.

“Thanks. I'll go get ready,” Hiromasa said looking around. “My Aunt said she'd send over some clothes for me…”

“Oh, yes. I brought the bag, it's over there,” Xiao Ming pointed to the daybed beneath the window. The youngster looked at his brother worriedly. “Is he ok..?”

Hiromasa could guess correctly that this whole thing must have been shocking for him. “He'll be ok. I'm sure he'll appreciate you staying here with him until he wakes up.”

Without another word, the boy crawled into the bed and hugged his brother.

Hiromasa went to the bathroom and got ready, then grabbed his phone and slipped out.

In the main house, he ran into Qingming's sister on his way to the main hall.

“Hiro-kun,” she smiled and handed over a bag which he saw had bento boxes. “Breakfast for both of you. I hope everything's fine with your foot.”

“Um.. Thank you..”

“Ah, there you are, Hiromasa-kun. Ready?” Shen-shen asked entering the room.

Hiromasa nodded then made his way towards the door. Shen-shen gave his wife a kiss on the cheek then followed. Outside there was already a car waiting for them.

When Qingming woke up, it took him a minute to realise his bed was full.

“Xiao Ming? Jiějiě?” he asked, looking from his left to his right side.

“I haven't stayed in bed this late in years,” his sister exclaimed. She was sitting up on her side of the bed, eating fruit from a bowl and watching TV. “You two are gifted!”

Xiao Ming looked up from his laptop. “Just call us lazy like mom does.”

“Well… when I think about how much myself and other people usually get done by this time in the day…”

“Nee-san!” Xiao Ming cried.

Qingming shook his head but smiled in happy contentment as his siblings started arguing across him. He closed his eyes and soon drifted off again.

Next time he woke up, they were asleep. He quietly left the bed and went to freshen up.

Afterwards, he decided to go by the main house.

On his way, he checked his phone. As expected, there were missed calls & texts from Madame Kang. There were also a number of them from his father and surprisingly a few from Hiromasa's mom. He recalled they'd been concerned about him not getting home and being unreachable the night before. She had probably called him trying to find out if he knew where her son was.

He quickly sent her a text and promised to call later to give a better apology. He'd gotten messages from a number of people at school, sending him ‘get well soon’ wishes. Hiromasa likely told them he was out sick.

Speaking of which, he'd gotten a text from the athlete saying his x-ray was clear, and his ankle just had a sprain which would be fine by Monday. He also said he'd decided to go to school, and urged Qingming to use the time to talk to his parents.

Qingming sighed… Regardless of how affected he was by his personal issues, he knew his parents must be angry at what he did to the room.

He was preparing to hear he'd have to kneel for a whole day or be punished for a few weeks. The former was his grandfather's go-to punishment, which is why Qingming had tried to avoid getting on his bad side as much as possible. Kneeling for hours was not good for a dancer.

When Qingming stood outside the master bedroom and lifted his hand to knock, he paused. He could have sworn he heard sobbing..

Pushing the door open, he peeked inside. And sure enough, on a loveseat on the other side of the room was his mother. The propriety warden was still dressed in her nightgown, her hair unkempt. And on top of that, she was crying.

Qingming couldn't recall a time in his life he'd ever seen his mother even close to such a state. But it broke his heart in a way that he never expected.. He slid inside the room and hurried to her side. Only when he sat beside her and held her in a tight hug, did she notice someone else was there with her.

She quickly pulled away and wiped at her face. She was surprised to see him. “A’Qing?!”

“Mom…,” he said, his voice stuck in his throat as he became caught up in her emotions. “I'm sorry! I shouldn't have lashed out like that. It was wrong and I'll –.”

She suddenly hugged him so tightly he couldn't breathe right.

“No, A’Qing. I'm the one who's sorry.. I never realised your dancing meant so much to you.. I think it's more accurate to say, I didn't believe it and thought you were just doing it because you knew I would disapprove. But as your mother, I shouldn't have done that. I should have been honest and tried to foster a better relationship between us… I just… I just couldn't admit to myself where I failed, and instead tried to force my shortcomings on you..”

“Mom…” Qingming couldn't hold back his tears anymore and took off his glasses. “I didn't make things any easier for you.. I'm sure you tried to reach out and I just didn't want to listen..”

They hugged each other for a long while before separating and talking again.

“My beautiful boy..,” Abe-furen said with a sad smile as she wiped at his tears. “If I'd watched you dance, I would have known how much this means to you.. I'm the parent. Therefore, it's my responsibility to not give up and to always do right by my children… I saw your exam performances. They were so beautiful! How could I not know you were so good?!”

That brought about another round of tears before Qingming paused as what she said registered.

“Wait.. where did you see it?” Qingming was puzzled.

Abe-furen sniffled as she took up her phone from her lap. “Your instructor sent me the link. Why didn't you tell me you got the highest score? And at such an advanced level!”

“Because it doesn't mean anything..,” Qingming said, trying to contain himself. “I was planning to quit in a few months time anyway, so what's the point? I've already told Madame Kang.. I have decided to stop now instead of waiting out the year. I need to start focusing on other things anyway and, as you've always said, there's not enough time to commit to both.”

“How can I live with myself if I let you sit there and commit to something that I want while the loss of what you love causes you so much pain?”

“Mom… I'll get over it eventually. But I could never enjoy dancing again if I knew I was the cause of you losing everything you've fought for all these years.”

“... What are you talking about?”

“I know the company was turned over to you because of grandma. And I know that since her death, our relatives have been trying to take it from you.”

Abe-furen’s eyes widened.

“It's why I've been going to the national library so often and why I want to intern at the company. If I learn more, I can help you find a way to stop that from happening!”

“You… what..?”

“Mhm.. So, you see mom? I'm needed more here, with my family, than on a stage.”

Later That Evening..

“...meet with the representatives,” Qingming said.

He was filling Hiromasa in on the long conversation he ended up having with his mother and some decisions they'd made together.They were in the main house's kitchen, where the athlete's aunt was helping Qingming to prepare dinner.

Qingming wanted to make dinner by himself to further apologise for the emotional strain he put his family through the previous and current day. He'd called the older woman to ask for the recipe of a southern side dish she had made the day they cooked together, and had been shocked when Hiromasa arrived and she was with him! She said she couldn't just give him instructions and had to help directly. But then she started helping him with everything else no matter how much he protested.

Hiromasa sat on a bar stool behind a counter on the far side, listening while doing whatever on his phone.

“I agree," he responded without looking up. "I already told you, don't say things with such finality if you don't believe it.”

Qingming threw him a glare before going back to his pot. “But I did believe it..”

Hiromasa scoffed. “Just like you believed you hated me and never wanted to see me again.”

“Oba-san! How do you put up with him?” Qingming asked but the older woman only chuckled. The dancer held up a knife as he spoke to Hiromasa. “Don't forget you said I'm crazy. Are you sure you want to piss off a crazy person?”

“See mom? I'm the one who's always being bullied!” Hiromasa said, drawing Qingming's eyes to his phone.

“.. You didn't?..”

"Qingming-kun, don't pay him any mind. I know you're innocent."

Qingming dropped the knife at the sound of the woman's voice and glared daggers at her son. “Hi, Minamoto-san!” he made a small bow towards the phone that still had the camera pointed at him. “We're just playing around.”

The dancer couldn't help wondering how long the call had been going on for!

"Don't be afraid to stand up to him when he bullies you, Qing-kun. And let me know, right away!"

“Mom. In case you forgot, I'm your son. Anyway, Qingming and Oba-san are making me dinner again. Isn't that proof that he's trying to win back my affection?”

Qingming's eye twitched as he tried to ignore the athlete, otherwise he was going to be rude to him. “Minamoto-san, I'm making dinner for my family to apologise for worrying them. Since Hiromasa-senpai was inconvenienced, I invited him too.”

"Hi, Oba-san!.. I didn't know you can cook too, Qingming-kun."

“Oh, yeah!” Hiromasa butted in with fake enthusiasm. “He likes to brag at school that he learnt how to cook for his ex-girlfriend. Now all the girls are calling him their ‘All-Kill Fairy Prince’. Ugh!”

“Ha! Jealous much..,” Qingming mumbled.

Hiromasa frowned.

“Hiro-senpai,” Xiao Ming called out as he entered the kitchen. “Dad is asking you to play shogi with him again. I'm no good and he's tired of winning against me and Shen-ge.”

“Mom, that's Qingming's younger brother,” Hiromasa pointed the phone at the younger teen before responding to him. “That sounds like a good idea, Xiao Ming. The atmosphere here isn't very welcoming..”

Qingming was about to show him the finger, when the athlete turned the camera back at him so he waved instead.

"Xiao Ming, thank you for impressing my brother-in-law! He didn't have much hope of finding any good talent for our tech startup because in his words, ‘all the geniuses will go work for the established companies’. I won't tell you the rest of what he said, but you get the idea…"

“Me? Oh, you're welcome..?” the younger teen said with a slight blush. “I'm happy that my mom agreed to the internship.”

"Indeed. I need to thank her as well."

“Now's as good a time as any,” Hiromasa said getting up. Then he added with a smirk. “Hurry it along, chef. Some of us are starving!”

"Please excuse me for taking so long to reach out. I know my Hiro caused you some problems recently, but thank you for being patient and tolerant with him."

“Not at all,” Abe-furen said, not her usual upbeat self. “My Qingming has been having a hard time lately and I'm afraid we've been more of an imposition on Hiromasa-kun than anything else..”

Minamoto-san laughed. "I’d beg to disagree. I’ve been trying to get him to be more sociable for years now but he’s very selective of the people he keeps around him, to the point he sent away all the live-in help and Oba-san has to call a service every couple days while he's at school. Haha.. Which means if he felt you were imposing in any way, he wouldn’t be there so often. Ask his grandparents!"

The two ladies laughed. “Ahh… the eternal battle between seniors and their juniors..”

Minamoto-san nodded as she perused the other woman's face a few seconds before speaking again. "I don’t mean to overshare, but I know it must seem strange that Hiro's living at home with his father's Aunt. It's just that he didn't want to relocate for school and he doesn’t get along very well with my parents. My husband’s parents have already passed away, and though he's on good terms with other family members, living with them is a different experience.. I feel bad at times when I realise not only is he missing out on time with us, but he's also missing that experience of being spoiled by grandparents. These recent years he hasn't been in much of a nurturing environment and I think that's something he enjoys in your home.."

“I completely understand. My A’Qing has been living with my father back in China since he was twelve years old.. That’s almost 6 important years of his life where he needed me and I wasn’t there.. At least you and Hiro-kun have a good relationship. My daughter recently told me she and her husband want to start trying for a baby next year and it made me think about what kind of grandparent I will be.. I’ve caused my own children more troubles than any child should be burdened with..”

Abe-furen realised what she just said and gasped lightly.

“I’m so sorry about that.. It’s been a very interesting time for me lately, especially today,” she said, feeling as if her usual iron grip on her self control was suddenly non-existent.

"No, please. No need to apologise. Sometimes we just need someone to open up to, right?.. Furen, I heard a rumour through the grapevine that you’ll be travelling to the states soon, is that true?"

Abe-furen looked surprised. Her secretary had only confirmed the meeting a few days ago. “Yes..”

"To be honest, it’s more than a rumour," Minamoto-san chuckled. "I recently met with Raul and he asked me if I’d ever stayed at one of your hotels or used them for any corporate functions. Now, don’t worry, he didn’t disclose any details about why you're coming! He only wanted to get some feedback and to invite Mina-san and I to the banquet he's hosting for you."

“Oh.. ” This was the first Abe-furen was hearing about a banquet. But then again, she hadn't checked anything work related from her secretary since yesterday afternoon.

"Say, since we’ll both be there that week, why don’t we use the opportunity to take a 'Me Day' and go somewhere so we can talk some more? I’d love to hear about things going on back home. And I know just the perfect place to do it!"

“O..k.”

Monday Morning

<

“It’s like you live here..” Qingming rolled his eyes as he stepped out of the bathroom and spotted Hiromasa coming in from the balcony.

Hiromasa smirked. “And it’s like you’re finally getting comfortable around me.”

Qingming looked down at himself. He was only wearing the boxers he'd just put on after his shower. “You know, the guest room is where you should be staying, right? It's only next door. I don’t want anyone to think I’m trying to seduce you or something.”

“.. Seduce me?”

“Of course,” Qingming returned the smirk, pulling off his bonnet. “If I wasn’t such a temptation to men, my family wouldn’t be so concerned about me finding a wife!”

Hiromasa laughed. “Ah.. And some people at school wouldn’t think you’re gay, right?”

“Yep! But that’s on them. I quite like being this good looking,” the dancer said in an obnoxious manner while flipping his hair.

He laughed loudly as Hiromasa simply rolled his eyes then walked off to the bathroom with an exasperated sigh.

He'd asked the athlete to come over the night before so they could talk about something important. But Hiromasa had been abducted by Xiao Ming for like 2 hours, then it took them a while to decide what they were going to do about the matter he wanted to discuss.

Qingming pulled off the helmet and shoved it at Hiromasa. “I'm going to kick you!” he hissed. "You know I hate when you ride like that!"

Hiromasa found his behaviour amusing, as usual. “Oops?”

“Whatever. Hey, don’t forget, ok?”

Hiromasa heard the worry in the dancer’s tone. He reached out and patted his shoulder a few times before grasping it firmly. “How can I? Today we’ll tell our friends about our illicit affair.”

Qingming was going to snap at him, but heard voices nearby and huffed instead, then ran off. Because of The Forum and the incessant shipping every time they’re spotted together, Qingming had been avoiding being seen interacting with Hiromasa. Especially when it was just the two of them.

Hiromasa shook his head and parked his bike properly before heading to the back door Qingming had used.

Actually, they weren’t going to tell the others much about their friendship. Instead, Qingming had decided to tell them the truth about his dancing first. Or more like fate had decided for him. His achievement had become a bigger deal than he’d thought! If anyone from his dance class happened to go on the RAD's official site, the first thing they’d see was a compilation video of his performances, and the announcement of his achievement.

He was never expecting such a result, and simply decided to do put his all in his last major performance before he had to quit!..

The moment Hiromasa touched the door handle however, he got a feeling that something wasn’t right..

He hurried to his homeroom, completely forgetting to change his shoes! The halls were full of students and a lot more excited chatter than usual, with a crowd gathered outside of 12C. He didn’t know why but his heart sped up.

He ran to his homeroom where he saw the group gathered as usual at the back of the class. But all of them were huddled close looking down at something. He heard the song before he got to them, but it was from someone else’s phone, and he suddenly knew.

Without thinking he reached down and pulled the phone from Fujino’s hand, causing everyone to jump in surprise.

“Hey, Hiromasa-senpai! Have you seen this??” one of the guys asked excitedly.

But Hiromasa’s face was hard as stone as he demanded in a low voice. “Where’d you get this?”

“Wha- Dude, it’s the trending topic on The Forum!”

Hiromasa had turned his gaze to Tomei, who seemed to be in complete shock!

“Mei..,” Hiromasa said in a conciliatory tone. He saw his best friend’s face morph from disbelief to anger. “Mei.. calm down and just listen for a second, ok?”

However, Tomei was anything but calm as he shot to his feet to stare up at the athlete. “Calm down?! I should fucking calm down when he’s been lying to us this whole fucking time?!”

“It’s not like that, he –,” Hiromasa started but was cut off by Tomei pointing behind him.

“You!!” Tomei shouted aggressively. “You think I’m some fucking idiot, don’t you?”

Hiromasa spun around and saw Qingming just inside the doorway, the hallway behind him filled with people.

Everyone went silent in confusion. They’d all been excited to find out their Fairy Prince was the 'Number 1 in The World', and had been waiting to congratulate him. But now, here was his friend yelling at him!

Hiromasa saw it. The moment Qingming’s mind sunk into that place. It was the same look he’d seen a few days ago. Before he could say anything, Qingming turned and ran off.

With a final look, filled with disappointment at Tomei, Hiromasa turned and ran after Qingming, calling for him to stop.

Chapter Text

Qingming ran to the only place he knew he could be alone. The roof. He didn’t want to break down and cry in front of everyone.

The moment he saw Tomei’s face, Qingming knew he’d lost his trust and it broke something inside him. So he’d ran..

Qingming had wondered what give-away he’d won, when almost everyone he saw from the getabako all the way to his homeroom congratulated and patted him on the back. But when he entered his class and everyone erupted in cheers, it had taken him almost a minute to hear the faint sound of a song over the noise. His blood had turned to ice in his veins and his only thought was getting to Tomei.

But he was too late…

Qingming took a deep breath and tried to pull himself together. No use having a breakdown at school. And over something like this. He had to man up and face the music!

“So, that happened..”

Qingming stood by the fence, looking out at nothing in particular. “I guess so…”

“I thought I’d find you a crying mess up here. There goes my chance to play hero again.”

Qingming actually laughed as he turned to face Hiromasa who had gone to stand beside him. “Do you have some sort of complex or something?”

“Maybe..," Hiromasa grinned. "I just can’t help it when I see a damsel in distress. Or in your case, a distressing damsel.”

Against his wishes, Qingming laughed again and slapped Hiromasa hard. “Jerk!.. But.. today I did well, right?”

Hiromasa looked at him and smiled. “Yes, you did.” And because he couldn’t let them have a moment. “I should share your bed more often. My mental toughness is already rubbing off on you.”

Qingming let out a loud exasperated sigh. “Can you not say such things here where people might hear you? Especially your boyfriend who now obviously hates me! Speaking of which, why aren't you down there with him? I’m sure he needs you more than I do..”

The dancer looked out again into the distance but not at anything in particular.

Hiromasa didn’t move though. “I'm right where I want to be and where I'm needed.”

It was a little while before Qingming spoke again.

“I promise, I’ll be ok.. I just need some time to cool down before going to class. Go. He needs you, too.” Qingming gave him a smile before waving him off.

Hiromasa frowned and felt conflicted in a way he hadn’t felt before.. “Call me if you need me, ok?”

“Ok.”

Hiromasa turned and headed towards the door. “No. Call me if you need someone around. I don’t want you to use any loopholes like ‘I didn’t need you specifically’.”

Qingming chuckled lightly. “Ok.”

As Hiromasa pushed the door open, he came face to face with the last person he'd expected. Takahashi Yue.

“Cap?” the guy said, just as surprised. “You're here?”

Hiromasa felt as if something was lodged in his throat. He nodded. “What's up?”

“Oh, I was told someone else came this way. Oh, there he is,” Yue said, looking past Hiromasa and spotting a part of Qingming. “See you later.”

Hiromasa was even more conflicted and couldn't identify why he wanted to punch his teammate for no reason. When he heard Qingming greet Yue cheerily, he squeezed the door handle until he heard a crack. Thankfully it didn't break off but he quickly let it go and continued inside.

◽

In his homeroom, everyone was chatting away excitedly. First period had already started, but it was self-study during which time the teachers had their Monday meeting.

“Hiromasa-senpai, thank goodness,” Fujino said hesitantly. “I thought you left school with my phone…”

Hiromasa remembered the phone and retrieved it from his pocket. As he handed it over to the owner, he kept his gaze on the accusing eyes boring holes into him.

“Tomei, I know you're upset. But that was not the way to go about confronting him,” Hiromasa said as he sat down. He made sure to keep his voice down so they wouldn't draw more attention or be overheard.

“Oh really?" Tomei snapped. "And how exactly would you deal with the person that betrayed you?!”

“Betrayed?" Kaminari said with a little laugh. "Um.. don't you think that's a bit too harsh an accusation?”

“Yeah, Mei-kun.. I mean, it wasn't cool that he kept it a secret. Especially from you, considering you both go to the same dance school. But.. maybe I just don't understand is all..”

“Fuck off!" Tomei yelled aggressively. "Of course you don't understand shit!”

“Mei!” Hiromasa said firmly in a loud voice.

Tomei was stunned at the admonishing tone his friend used. It only angered him further. “And why did you run after him?”

“Isn't he our friend? If we're all here taking care of you, then who is looking out for him?”

Hiromasa looked pointedly at the others. Despite their words, even up to now they hadn't asked anything about Qingming, furthermore gone to look for him. Their eyes widened and they held their heads down in shame.

“You know what..," Hiromasa sighed with indifference. "Whatever. Do what you want. You never listen to me about these things anyway.”

The entire class had become silent from the moment Tomei told his friend to fuck off. Now, they couldn't believe their eyes! Were he and Hiromasa fighting??

Hiromasa had turned around and opened a book. But he was too angry to read properly. He hadn't felt anger like this in years and he didn't know what brought it on! Tomei was being an ass but that wasn't out of the norm for those who truly knew him. So what? Not being able to pinpoint it only made him more frustrated.

◾◽

When lunch time came around, Qingming didn't show up.

However, halfway through lunch he texted them to apologise and give a brief explanation. He said he didn't want to cause contention in the group, therefore he wouldn't be hanging around them going forward. He'd ended his message by saying, if anyone wanted to talk to him he'd be open to it.

“What..?”

“So that's it?”

“Who the fuck cares?" Tomei scoffed. "That's how people with a guilty conscience behave.” Finally, he wasn't shouting.

“And you don't want anything to do with such people, right?” Hiromasa asked after a few seconds when no one else spoke.

Even though he'd joined them for lunch, he hadn't eaten anything and had been silently typing away on his phone the entire time.

“Of course not! People like him are the worst.”

“Good to know..,” Hiromasa said softly before speaking louder. “As of today, I'll no longer be joining you guys for lunch. Nor will we be 'hanging out' together.”

“What??”

“Why..?”

“You heard Tomei. People like Qingming-kun are the worst for wanting to keep things about themselves secret. And he wants absolutely nothing to do with them. Well … I've known the truth about Qingming for a long time; He didn't even know that I knew until some time after. And, FYI, I've also been keeping my own secrets. So, I guess that means I'm even worse than Qing-kun.”

He didn't wait for them to say anything and just stood up and left.

When school ended and clean up duties were finished, Qingming was escorted out by his girl gang.

Even though Tomei's behaviour and the accusations he'd begun spouting to whoever would listen had caused some people to look at Qingming unfavourably, and ‘accidentally’ say bad things about him so he could hear, the dancer didn't pay them any mind.

When his group stepped out of the main doors, he saw Hiromasa sitting and waiting on his motorcycle. He quickly said goodbye to the girls and walked over, suddenly feeling more energetic.

“Senpai, I don't think I've ever seen you at the main entrance before. It's so…weird,” he chuckled.

“Yeah, sure,” Hiromasa replied simply. “Let's go.”

Qingming looked down confused at the helmet being held out to him then up at its owner. “Excuse me?”

“We don't have much time. Let's go.”

“But I have dance.. And you have training!”

“Exactly. And you're wasting precious time,” Hiromasa said, lifting the helmet and tugging it onto Qingming's head.

“Ow! Can't you be gentle?” Qingming complained as he slapped the other teen's hands away. He fixed it himself while getting on the motorcycle. “Where are we even going?”

“You'll see.”

Qingming sighed. “If I get in trouble because of you, I'll –! Hey, make sure you don't do that thing again!” he said as the bike revved and took off.

◽

Koga and the rest of the team were changing, when the hooker exclaimed.

“Taka-san! Where's the captain going with your boyfriend?” he shouted.

The rest of the team looked around at him.

“What?”

“The pictures were just posted to The Forum by one of their CP fans. Where's he going when we have training?”

“You have time to check that gossip dump but not the group chat??" someone shoved him playfully. "Cap said he had something important to do and would be coming late.”

“Something important? With other people's boyfriends?”

Taka-san slammed his locker. “You need to stop calling him that. Despite the rumours, he's not into guys. I don't want you to say that and the wrong person hears and makes a big deal out of it.”

He didn't mean to snap at Koga but he'd said it to him enough times already. Even though he'd stayed far from The Forum after his own scandal the year before, he'd been curious about the whole situation and had gone on the site earlier.

There had been a lot of people criticising Qingming after Tomei commented under the post. His use of words like betrayal, backstabber, manipulative, coerce, and mock had the intended effect of painting Qingming as a villain.

And in the midst of it all, were the CP fans constantly talking about Hiromasa and Qingming. Which only stirred up more comments as Tomei was well known as Hiromasa's best friend.

“Yeah, bro.. You're lucky he didn't hear you the other day!”

“He did,” Yue said, his tone dejected. “When I went to check on him this morning, he brought it up. And he said, he hopes there are no misunderstandings about our friendship. So.. yeah.”

He left after that and the others hurried to finish getting ready in silence.

◾◽

Hiromasa brought Qingming to the marina. Thanks to the fact that he was on a high powered motorcycle, it took him just over five minutes.

“Why are we here?” Qingming asked as he pulled off the helmet and looked around. Though it was only after 3PM, there was no one else in sight.

They were further down the walkway, away from the docks, but even there had no one occupying the benches. Maybe because it was only Monday.

Hiromasa led him to the rail overlooking the ocean, where its gentle waves ebbed and flowed. The athlete then put his hands on the dancer's shoulders bringing them face to face. “You've had quite a day. And you've done so well keeping it together all this time. Now, you can have 5 minutes to release as much as you can of what you've been holding in all day.”

Qingming wasn't expecting this! He stared at the guy before him in disbelief.

“Time's going, Abe-san..”

Qingming knew he started crying when his vision blurred. And it wasn't even the whole situation with Tomei and his friends that made him cry. It was this gesture and realising that he still had Hiromasa to lean on. He wouldn't admit it to the athlete, but he'd already started pulling away emotionally because he thought there was no way Hiromasa would comfort him over Tomei! After all, none of the other guys had tried to talk to him all day and they weren't as close to Tomei as the athlete! So, if he'd really lost Tomei as a friend, how long would it be before he lost Hiromasa? More than being childhood friends, Hiromasa liked the guy. And Qingming thought Tomei might use that knowledge to keep the athlete by his side.

But... Hiromasa had been texting him throughout the day, sometimes talking about random shit that made no sense whatsoever. Qingming knew it was to keep him distracted and help him get through the day with a smile after such a poor start. The guy didn't just say words to try and comfort him, but showed his consideration with actions.

Not wanting to think about it too long, or else he'd stop himself, Qingming stepped forward and hugged Hiromasa. He guessed he started sobbing at some point when the emotions from earlier washed over him.

Hiromasa truly wasn't expecting Qingming's reaction. Crying? Yes. Yelling, maybe a scream or two and even staring daggers while blaming Hiromasa since he'd talked him out of telling them sooner? Yes. But those relieved, vulnerable eyes and a hug..? Not at all!

Despite not expecting it, the athlete returned the hug just as earnestly, as it if comforted him too.

The following morning, Hiromasa was at school before Qingming. He'd been reading through some of the comments posted under the pictures of him and Qingming leaving school the day before.

Just as he was about to lock his phone screen, a new post popped up that caught his eye.

It was by an anonymous person and it read: “I heard that Minamoto-san was keeping Qing-kun's secret! 😱 What method could Qing-kun have used to persuade Hiro-senpai to betray his own childhood friend like this?? 😔 I also heard that Qing-kun was actually kicked out of his old school for ‘promiscuous behaviour’ .. 🤭 Make of that what you will…”

For some reason, he felt uncomfortable reading it. And not because of its contents, but because he thought he knew who the culprit was.. He quickly took a screenshot and sent it to Qingming then put his phone down.

A few minutes passed before the homeroom door was slid open and a few other students entered, including Tomei. The surprise on his friend's face couldn't overshadow the guilt that Hiromasa saw. But he didn't say anything and just turned back to his book.

Tomei went to his seat in silence.

After a few minutes, the others in the class started stealing glances at the two of them and whispering.

When the others in the friend group arrived, they silently took their seats but didn't group up the way they usually did.

Soon, a loud, “what the fuck?!” echoed around the mostly empty room.

Fujino looked around at his friend. “Dude? What the fuck?”

“Exactly! Look at this shit that someone posted about Qing-kun!”

The others took out their phones and immediately went to the site.

“What kind of drivel is this?”

“This person just wants to start a fire, don't they?”

“Hmph!” Fujino huffed and began typing angrily on his phone.

Hiromasa's phone vibrated and he picked it up. He thought Qingming was responding to him, but it was a message from Tomei asking if he could come over so they could talk after school.

The athlete was tempted to be difficult but he couldn't. He wasn't justifying Tomei's behaviour, but he had gone through a phase too and had been horrible to people. Including Tomei, who didn't give up on him. Wouldn't he really be a shitty person if he turned his back on the person he claimed to love instead of trying to help him get through this? It's not like he didn't already anticipate such a reaction from Tomei. But to be fair, though he expected his friend to be upset and irrational, he honestly thought Tomei was no longer the type of person who would purposely instigate others to be negative towards someone else.

Still, though he was angry at the slew of nasty comments Tomei had been leaving in The Forum about Qingming, he responded with an ‘ok’.

At lunch, Hiromasa decided to stay in the classroom. He had tried calling Qingming but got no answer, nor did he get a response to his texts.

He decided to go look for him, first stopping by the dancer's homeroom. His appearance certainly caused a stir, but one of the girls from Qingming's group told him he was sent to the Principal’s office for kicking someone a while ago. Apparently the guy had spilt something on the dancer 'by accident'.

The athlete almost laughed. “What..?”

Hiromasa made his way towards the Principal's office. There, he found one of the lesser humans in the school, one of the guys who always liked to bully people when they could and a former close friend of Kuroda. The guy was sitting on a bench and seething.

Hiromasa could also hear the one sided conversation in the office.

“You people do nothing but bring problems wherever you go..,” the man grumbled harshly. “You haven't even been here for a full term and look at all the trouble you're causing! I should suspend you!”

Hiromasa was really annoyed that the man was still behaving like that. He even contemplated opening the door and going in.

“Sir, you're going to suspend me for defending myself??” Qingming asked in a shocked voice. “And what exactly do you mean by 'you people'??.. I've heard rumours about you but now I've seen it for myself… I'll make sure my parents are made aware of everything you said. You can expect to hear from their lawyers tomorrow.”

“Hey, now wait a –.”

The door was flung open and Qingming stormed out, only to bump right into Hiromasa. The Principal was right behind him and stopped when he saw the athlete.

“I thought you'd have learnt your lesson by now,” was all Hiromasa said to the shocked older man before pulling Qingming away.

As they walked off the man started yelling angrily at the other student.

“So, I heard you beat up a guy,” Hiromasa said as they walked aimlessly.

“Yeah. He needs to be more careful when he's walking,” Qingming chuckled. Then he made a face as he sniffed his shirt. “I'm going to smell horrible the whole day.”

“I wasn't gonna say anything coz I didn't wanna offend you, but damn!”

Qingming laughed as he shoved Hiromasa who was fanning at his nose.

“Come on,” the athlete said after checking the time.

Qingming followed until he realised where they were going. He couldn't help smiling to himself at the warm feeling he had inside.

When Hiromasa returned to class just as the bell rang, he was wearing his team jersey.

“Minamoto-san?” the homeroom teacher raised a brow.

“I had an accident at lunch, sensei.”

At Hiromasa's urging, Qingming went home that night and told his parents what happened. Though Qingming had told the principal he would, he was just bluffing.

As Hiromasa was hoping, a fire was lit under Abe-furen's skin and she was immediately in boss mode once again. Qingming hugged her as she started denouncing the Principal and the student, and telling her husband just exactly what she'd be doing.

“I love you when you're like this, mom,” he said honestly. “You're like the reincarnation of one of those warrior women from the ancient dynasties!”

Abe-san looked at his son, surprised. “You stole my line!”

Qingming laughed as he looked at his mom. “If we both see it, then it's not just a line. I love you, mom.”

“Can somebody please tell me what the fuck. is. going. on??” someone yelled in-between pants as they slammed the classroom door open.

But it wasn't just him. There was excited chatter everywhere, and almost everyone had their phones out and fingers were flashing across the screens.

Firstly, there was a post on The Forum by the biggest homophobe and all-round bully in the school, where he admitted to his poor character which has led to him doing things that hurt or humiliate others, then he asked for forgiveness. He also said he would appreciate the guidance of his peers as he strives to become a better person.

No one, including his friends, could believe such a thing happened! But those who knew about the incident the previous day, all looked over at Qingming who had his head on his desk, pretending to be asleep. The guy had been disgusting and rude when he dumped his milk on Qingming the day before, but before midnight he was making such a post on The Forum of all places?!

Then, there'd been another popular update by the person who had made the 'Number 1 in The World' post about Qingming's accomplishments. She had taken down the original video post and wrote an apology to her Fairy Prince, saying she just wanted to show everyone his awesomeness but didn't think it would lead to ruining a friendship and him getting attacked.

But the post that had been trending since the early hours of the morning, had been one nobody expected!!...

Minamoto Hiromasa, who people thought didn't even have an account on the site, had reposted her apology with a looong post of his own.

At first, he wasn't going to address the matter online. Then he decided he may need to after the incident with the degenerate and the principal, however he would at least wait out the week. He was hoping he could get Qingming and Tomei to talk and resolve the matter after they'd had some time apart.

But, after Tomei left his house last night, Hiromasa sat down and thought long and hard. And after he made his final decision, he sent Tomei a text, then went on his laptop.

‘OP, please don't feel that you did anything wrong. Your ‘Fairy Prince’ is in no way angry at you, therefore do not burden yourself with unnecessary guilt.

Before Qingming transferred here, the Director at his new dance academy wanted to immediately cast him as the male lead in their upcoming production. He actually wanted Qingming to join the production for the vocational group, until he heard Qingming was going into the recreational program. Still, he insisted he get the lead in that production. This was all before Qingming had even left his old school.

Qing-kun told them no to every request, and asked them to just give him a small part because it wouldn't be fair to come in as an outsider and steal what others had worked hard to achieve.

For personal reasons, Qingming had long decided he'd be retiring after graduation. So he thought ‘there's no point in being in a spotlight that will be turned off soon'. Having already made such a decision, he also told the Director of the academy he didn't want any fuss during his time there; he just wanted to do his exam and finish out the year in peace.

He then came to school and made friends, after which he found out some of those friends not only went to the same academy, but was in the same class.

As I've told the people who were around us, I learnt about Qingming's secret a few months ago by accident, and for a long time, he wasn't aware that I knew. That's because I didn't think it was anything to 'confront him' over. It was a personal matter that wasn't affecting anyone but himself. So instead of feeling entitled and getting upset over something that wasn't my business, I simply acknowledged that he must have had his reasons. I'm not proud to say, but I could already guess he quickly picked up on other things which contributed to him thinking it was best to look mediocre in front of others.. I'm sure many of you who've been 'throwing stones' at him, can easily understand what I'm referring to..

Even though I continued to keep his secret, I didn't agree with him. Not because I thought he was doing something wrong, but because he has a gift and it's a shame hiding something so wonderful.

Qingming however, felt friendship was more important and actually wanted to at least tell his close friends for a while now. However, I was the one who talked him out of it. I've seen people around me struggling to deal with their own inner demons for years and didn't want Qingming to end up being unfairly marginalised because of it.

However, when he learnt last Thursday of the exam result, he decided to be honest, regardless of the consequences. He'd even already told his instructor he quit, and refused to see some very important people who are travelling to our country just to see him.

Some of you think he was wrong, and it's your right to think however you want. But for those of you who have other things to say.. how about using your words to ask yourselves what wrong has he done to you to warrant such aggression? Now that you know I've contributed to this 'lie' and 'deception', should I anticipate you behaving the same towards me?

IMO, your thoughts on the matter are irrelevant. At the end of the day, finding out he was hiding his talent has had no impact on your lives nor that of your families. Just his. But since you value your own opinions so much, please.. tell me how he would have had a better outcome when people around him can't deal with their own shortcomings and instead take it out on others?

If he were as manipulative, devious and selfish as some people make it seem, wouldn't he have taken the lead role instead of a minor part that's barely on stage for two minutes of the entire show? Wouldn't he have been boasting about his achievements in an attempt to belittle others? Wouldn't he, as someone who's been trained in the professional course for over 13 years, use every opportunity to show off in the recreational class?

I wanted to give everyone time to think things through on their own, but sometimes people just need a little push.

This is me pushing.’

In addition to the post, there was a video attached titled: ‘Choosing a Repertoire: “It Isn't Technical Enough”’.

It was a video of Qingming in a dance studio, but not the one at his current school. He was dressed in a black zentai suit with a white sarong around his waist. He held a large black and white fan in his hand.

His moves were elegant and wavy as he went through the routine of traditional Chinese dancing. His leaps were high and showed off his gracefulness.

There was someone applauding in the background of the recording when the dance ended. Qingming pulled down the head covering to reveal his frowning face.

‘What now?’ asked the voice in exasperated disbelief.

‘This one isn't technical enough,’ Qingming said simply.

The clip ended there.

Chapter Text

“Qing-kun ~! You were so cool!”

“Did you hear him? It's not technical enough.. My Prince is such a pro!”

Qingming's girl gang were singing his praises. As usual. Though he really appreciated them, especially over the past couple days where others had been treating him poorly, they were just too much sometimes.

Hiromasa's post had caused a huge stir yesterday, and the momentum hadn't died down. The dancer had been just as shocked as everyone else when he found out about the post. His first reaction, was to send Hiromasa a text threatening his safety because the fact that he had the video likely meant he'd snooped through Qingming's phone, then he'd sent a barrage of concerned texts asking about Tomei.

But no matter how much he asked, Hiromasa only responded that he didn't snoop in his phone and got the video, along with the information, elsewhere.

Qingming suddenly stood up. “So, girls. I've got this really important meeting on Saturday. Why don't you think of a nice hairstyle for me while I go…I'll just go.”

And he was gone. He just needed to get through the rest of today and tomorrow before the weekend!

As he entered the hallway, he almost walked into Tomei.

The two stopped and just stared at each other for a while.

Tomei scowled and rolled his eyes. “You're not even worth the effort…”

Qingming was confused. “What are you even talking about?”

“Qing-kun, is everything ok?”

It was one of Qingming's classmates who had come to stand in the doorway.

“Huh? Oh, yeah..” Qingming flashed him a quick reassuring smile, then stepped around Tomei and left.

🔹

Qingming entered the restroom and went straight to the sink. He began washing his face to help him calm his mind.

Seeing Tomei just now had left him feeling unsettled. Though he didn't know what happened between the guy and Hiromasa to make the athlete post something like that, he couldn't help feeling he'd caused this rift between them.

When he lifted his head there were three guys standing a few feet behind him.

“You..,” one said in a voice dripping with disdain. “What the fuck did you do to xx?”

Qingming smirked as he continued washing his hands. “That shit for brains?”

“Hey! Watch what you say, fag!”

“Fag? Am I supposed to feel offended now?”

One of them reached out and grabbed his hair, while another reached for his arms.

🔹◾

There was a crowd gathered in the hallway outside the senior male bathroom.

Qingming, hair and clothes dishevelled, had a murderous look in his eyes as he ceased punching the bloodied face of the guy in his grasp and instead shoved the person so they went tumbling into the lockers. As the unconscious body slipped to the floor, he kicked it for good measure.

“I'm half Chinese, fuckface!” he yelled. “Of course I fucking know martial arts!”

He turned his glare to the crowd, who all gasped and took a few steps back, and spotted Hiromasa standing nearby with his hands in his pockets.

“Better?” the athlete asked with a little smile.

Qingming's entire demeanour suddenly changed and his eyes became innocent as they shone with tears. As he walked over to Hiromasa, who hugged him, Qingming was suddenly all tears and rambling how they cornered him in the bathroom and tried to hurt him.

“What is everyone doing here?”

The bewildered crowd parted at the booming voice of the Principal. As the man walked closer, he saw the blood spatters on the floor, lockers and part of a wall. His face was horrified!

“Wha…! What happened..?! What's..!!” He turned his attention to Qingming, whose back was to him as he bawled into Hiromasa's shoulder. “You again?!”

The man's face blanched. Immediately he wanted to drag them both away and shout at them until Kingdom come, then expel them. But he knew that would be him sinking the last nail in his coffin.

“Yes?” Hiromasa said in a challenging tone.

The man's fists were balled so tightly, his fingernails threatened to break the skin of his palms. “Just get him to class..,” was all he said through clenched teeth.

Some onlookers were concerned the man was about to combust with how tightly wound and red his entire body had become.

Hiromasa didn't forget to smirk before he turned and led Qingming away, while the man screamed at the other onlookers to get to class or they'd all get punished.

◾◽ 

For the remainder of the day, no one looked at either of the two directly. Even when saying something in their favour, they took extra care to not be overheard.

A CP fan's post had started trending that afternoon, along with Hiromasa's post.

She uploaded a clip of the fight and captioned it: “Qing-kun is actually the Dragon Prince! 🐲 👑. He's only a Fairy Prince for the Dark Emperor 💗”.

When Qingming's girl gang showed him, he let out a pained sigh, saying his reputation was completely ruined now!

During end of day homeroom, he saw a text from Xiao Ming that his mom had seen the video and not only was she furious, but was on her way there.

Qingming rushed outside, already calling her number.

“A’Qing!” her voice was as loud and blunt as ever. “What happened to you? Where are you?!”

“Mom, please turn around and go home!” he whispered frantically. “I was in homeroom. Mom, everything is ok. Please don't come here, please!”

There was a drawn out silence during which he heard her deep breathing. Clearly she was worked up over the matter.

“Are you sure?”

“I promise! The Principal already suspended them.”

“That's not enough!”

“I know, mom.. But please don't do anything. Go home and rest. I'll tell you everything when I get home.”

“Ok. I'll send a car for you.”

“No need. Hiromasa-senpai is going to take me home after his training.”

“Ok.”

“Bye, mom.”

As he hung up the phone, he sighed. Now was not the time for the Dragon Queen to make her appearance!

The bell rang on his way back to homeroom, and he sent a quick text to Hiromasa asking for a ride home after training. He had planned to take a taxi to the mall to get away from school and family for a while, but now it was probably best that he avoided going anywhere alone for the time being.

🔹◾

The team was on the sidelines of the field warming up, when they heard excited squeals in the stands. As Hiromasa's fan girls had already done this upon his entrance, the players looked around wondering what happened.

They were surprised to see Qingming walking in the stands with a few girls in tow.

“Taka-san,” Koga grinned. “Your friend came to watch you.”

The others chuckled, except the tight head.

“I don't think he's here for me,” Yue said with a brief glance at Hiromasa.

The Captain ignored them all and continued speaking with the assistant team manager while doing his stretches.

Though Hiromasa's teammates had all been dying to find out what the hell was going on with their captain, his best friend and the new kid, they knew better than to ask or talk about it around him. So though they all had thoughts about what Yue's response meant, they remained silent.

During their break, Hiromasa spotted Qingming making his way down the stands towards the technical zone where the team was. Without the dancer having to call him, he went over.

“Ew..,” Qingming commented, turning his nose up. “You smell like sweat, grass and men..”

Hiromasa rolled his eyes. “What is it?”

“My mom seems to think I'm off being a delinquent and destroying public property because of what happened today,” Qingming murmured and handed over his phone. "I wouldn't be surprised if she's already booked me therapy sessions everyday for the next 5 years."

Hiromasa saw that a call was in session with ‘Mom-furen’ and brought it to his ear. “Hello?”

“Minamoto-san, please don't listen to my little delinquent. I simply asked him what he was doing while waiting and he said ‘just sitting’.. that doesn't help me understand what he's thinking or how he's feeling. What if --.”

“Don't worry, furen," the athlete said reassuringly. "He's probably sitting there taking note of how much my team 'lacks technique'.”

Qingming actually laughed out loud. “Damn right!” Then he remembered his mother could hear him. “I mean, you are absolutely correct!”

“Fine.. I'll see you two later,” Abe-furen said with a little huff and hung up.

Hiromasa handed back the phone. Before speaking again, he made sure no one was within earshot. “Did something happen between you and Taka-san?”

Qingming looked confused. “No.. why?”

The athlete was surprised. “Oh… I thought… never mind then.”

Ever since that day he overheard that Qingming had invited Yue out, Hiromasa had been thinking that the two were much closer than he thought they'd be. More recently, he thought his teammate had either confessed or expressed his interest in Qingming in some way.. And though Hiromasa had no problem talking to Qingming about things like that, he always hesitated to ask about the dancer's friendship with Yue. He wouldn't admit it, but he'd been afraid that the answer would not be to his liking.

However, he couldn't help feeling that there was some micro aggression towards him from his teammate over the past few days. And what Yue said earlier just made him even more confused.

“You know I'm not gonna stop bothering you until you tell me,” Qingming grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Just forget I brought it up.”

“Nope.”

“I thought you didn't like the idea of breaking other people's trust.”

“Yeah, well.. I want to know any and everything that's being said about me. I don't like being surprised.”

Hiromasa raised a brow.

“What?” Qingming asked.

“Maybe you just haven't been surprised the right way.”

“Oh? Sounds like a challenge. Anyway, I think they're waiting for you.”

Hiromasa looked behind him, where the coach and assistant team manager were looking from him to their watches. “See you in a bit.”

“Taka-saaan!”

The team was shocked hearing an unexpected voice in the locker room. Some even grabbed up any piece of clothing or towel nearby.

Qingming gave them a look that showed how ridiculous that was. “What the fuck, guys? It's just me.”

He went over to Hiromasa and dropped the books in his arms on the athlete's duffel bag, while digging through his backpack. Yue came over and helped hold the bag for him.

“I kept forgetting to give you these,” Qingming said, pulling out a spacemaker and handing it over. “The tickets for Sunday.”

“Oh, cool,” Yue smiled. “Thanks. With everything going on lately I didn't want to sound insensitive by asking about them..”

Qingming made a sound as if it was nothing. “Oh, please. These people just have too much free time on their hands.”

The other teammates who'd wanted tickets had come over to thank him and collect theirs.

“It's no problem. It's gonna be fun.”

A helmet was suddenly placed on his head.

“Sorry to cut this short, guys,” Hiromasa said, not sounding sorry. Then he spoke to Qingming. “Don't forget your mom's waiting for us.”

“Oh, right.. The fight.. If you all never hear from me again, the Dragon Queen is responsible,” Qingming sighed and bid them farewell.

Hiromasa gave his usual reminder and they left.
🔸

By the time Hiromasa dropped Qingming off, Abe-san was home.

"You'll be fine," Hiromasa said, noticing the look of apprehension on Qingming's face. "Hurry and get inside. I'll see you tomorrow."

Qingming was led to the sitting room where both parents were waiting for him.

“I'm guessing by this atmosphere that something's wrong…,” he said as he tentatively walked over and sat on the couch across from them.

Abe-san shook his head. “No. I haven't had to do this kind of thing in a while, but rest assured: Your father earned his law degree. I've filed a report with the police on both incidents, and they've secured witness statements. The detective working on this for me called five minutes ago to say the judge signed the Protection Orders which are in effect as of now. He'll bring them to the school tomorrow. Let's see if the Principal will try to defy the legal system now.”

Qingming was shocked. “Why didn't I know my parents were this cool?”

Abe-san laughed while his wife, who didn't look amused, cleared her throat. “A’Qing.. I've read some of the things these guys have posted and what students say about them.. I think we should talk about –.”

“Ah!” Qingming suddenly exclaimed, pulling out his phone and typing away on it. “One second guys. I forgot that someone tried calling me on the way home. You know that study group I arranged for midterms? Well my friends want me to help them again since exams start soon..”

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang.

“Hello? Yeah, hey.. Oh, I did? Yeah we need to finish it up as soon as possible. I'll be there soon.”

“What's wrong?” Abe-furen asked.

“Nothing. I was working on the study timetable while waiting on Hiromasa-senpai and I forgot it and the books I was using in his sports bag. Can we talk about this some other time? I need to get this done for Monday and I have the meetings Saturday and Xiao Ming’s fair on Sunday.”

Without waiting for an answer, Qingming got up and gave each parent a kiss on the cheek then ran off.

Abe-san chuckled lightly knowing full well his son was purposely avoiding the conversation.

“What's so funny?” his wife asked.

But the man just told her 'nothing' and held out his hand after standing up. “What do you say we go out to dinner?”

◾◽

When Hiromasa opened his front door and saw Qingming standing there, he wasn't sure what was happening.

“Hi!” Qingming grinned. Then he frowned. “Why would you answer the door in your underwear?”

Hiromasa stepped aside to let him in. “Because it would be improper to answer it naked. Besides, I only expect one of two people to come here, so...”

“Obaaa-san! I'm intruding on you tonight!” Qingming called out as he made his way towards the athlete's room. “Well, sorry I'm not a booty call. But don't let my presence stop you from doing what you need to. There are more than enough rooms you can use.”

“And what if I only want to do such things in my own bed?”

Qingming's steps halted. “You know, the thought of what's been going on in your bed never crossed my mind. But you make a good point. Show me to a guest room, please?”

Hiromasa sighed and grabbed his hand, pulling the dancer as he continued to his room.

“Yah! Senpai, I don't feel comfortable with the idea of staying in your room anymore,” Qingming complained as he ‘struggled’.

After dragging Qingming to his room, Hiromasa pulled off his bags. “Go shower. You smell like sweat, grass and men.”

Qingming was about to defend himself when he realised it was true. Side effects from riding on a motorcycle where he was pressed up on the back of the stinky driver.

◾◽

Later that night, Qingming sat up in Hiromasa's bed, looking out at the view before him. The wall length glass doors were opened fully, letting in the much cooler night air.

After discovering the view, he talked Hiromasa into helping him move the bed, so that it was positioned by the wall on the opposite side of the doors. It was only his second visit to the athlete's home, and therefore his first time staying over, so he was surprised the other agreed without much fuss.

Sitting there and looking out from that elevation gave an amazing view of the city for miles. You could even see part of the harbour!

But, despite the relaxing atmosphere, Qingming couldn't help feeling guilty.

Chapter Text

Sunday morning, Hiromasa was unbearable! He'd shown up at Qingming's house very early, and invited himself into the dancer's bedroom.

So when Qingming woke up earlier than intended, he found himself curled up beside the athlete, who was sitting up in his bed watching TV.

When asked why he was there, Hiromasa said it was to complain to Abe-furen that Qingming invited his entire team to the tech expo where Xiao Ming and the runners-up would receive their awards. Except him.

Qingming sighed exasperatedly as he reminded Hiromasa it wasn't the entire team, and he'd invited Yue. It was Yue who invited the others. Therefore, if his teammate didn't wanna hang out with him, Qingming was not at fault.

“Which reminds me…,” Qingming said, head popping up from his pillow once more. “You haven't told me what you were talking about the other day when you asked about Yue..”

“I told you I wouldn't,” Hiromasa said easily.

“Hey, I'm your friend! The guy doesn't even like you, or did you forget he didn't invite you to the expo?”

“That's so conniving of you.. trying to pit us against each other. It won't work.”

Without warning, Qingming sprang into Hiromasa's lap. The athlete reacted how he expected, by leaning forward to push him away. However, Qingming dodged and grabbed the athlete in a head and arm trap , rolling them both over and using his legs to help push down so Hiromasa was pinned.

“Tell me or you'll regret it,” Qingming laughed as the other guy beneath him tried to get out.

“Qingming-kun, let go..”

“You can't intimidate me. Bet you didn't think I was this strong, huh?”

“I'm giving you until the count of 3..”

However, Qingming exerted more force to maintain his dominance.

“1..2..!”

“Ah!”

Qingming didn't know how exactly it happened, but Hiromasa somehow freed himself and managed to pin him instead, leaving Qingming practically bent into a pretzel with the athlete pushing down on him!

“I give up, I give up!!” came Qingming's muffled cries.

When he was freed, the dancer was breathing heavily and his clothes were askew.

“Where the fuck did you learn to do that?” he panted at the smirking athlete.

Hiromasa shoved Qingming out of his spot then laid down again after straightening his clothes. “Did you forget that I play a sport where three quarters of it is spent pinning other guys down?”

“That sounds a lot more racy than it should,” Qingming chuckled.

“For camp last year, we spent two weeks at a wrestling club. I've been wanting to try that move ever since.”

“Well, it felt a lot more racy than it should.. You should use it on Mei-kun. No doubt you two will make up immediately. Then, in no time you two can do more than just sleep in your bed, am I right?” Qingming grinned suggestively, settling under his sheet as if preparing to go back to sleep.

There was a sigh before the athlete replied.

“You're the only person who's ever slept in my bed, Qingming,” Hiromasa said, flipping through the channels.

“.. What? But he's slept over many times…”

“Uh huh… And?.. He always stayed in one of the guest rooms.. You know, the place you keep telling me go but I somehow end up in your bed..?”

Qingming's eyes widened and he could feel his face becoming flushed again. “I.. I need to pee!”

And he sprinted from the bed, the bathroom door slamming behind him.

Less than half a minute later, there was a light knock on the bedroom door.

"Minamoto-san?" came Yu-chan's voice.

◾◽

Later That Day...

“I can't believe I'm visiting one of these hotels again for the third time in just a few months!” one of the team members said.

“Really? And what did you go there to do the first two times, senpai?” Koga asked, his tone cryptic.

The first guy playfully shoved his teammate. “Dude, stop being such a perv. We stayed overnight at their Nagoya and Osaka locations during our class trip.”

“Oh? Taka-san didn't tell me that!” Koga complained.

“Tell you what?”

Everyone turned around to see Qingming a few feet away, walking up the steps towards them. They were standing off to the side in front of the multi-storey luxury hotel.

“Whoa..” was the collective reaction.

Qingming frowned, then remembered his styled hair. “Oh, don't mind this. I had a thing yesterday and haven't gotten a chance to fix it yet.”

“It looks really nice,” Koga said honestly.

“Thanks. I just got a text from Taka-san and he's almost here.”

“Ok cool. So, Qing-kun, how come you got so many tickets?”

“My father's co-worker has some connections," he answered easily then changed the subject. "So I hear you guys will be going to the beach for camp this year. That sounds like fun!”

Koga sighed. “It does, but I don't think our captain believes in fun. He'll probably want us to do ten mile runs along the beach every morning before the sun is up!”

Everyone laughed and agreed. Then they talked about how the rest of the senior class will be going to the same place for their summer camp.

“If I get a chance, maybe I'll pop by one day when everyone is there,” Qingming said.

“You won't be going?”

Qingming shook his head. “I'll be adulting this summer break.”

The complete group had walked around the hall together for a while, before deciding to branch off so they could check out their individual interests. Yue had, of course, stayed with Qingming.

So far, they'd stopped at one booth where the dancer found their display really cool but didn't understand its significance. Much like everything that was presented by the various companies and schools of engineering and technology.

However, he paid keen attention to the products and services advertised by the companies and even jotted notes down on his phone. They hadn't been empty words when he said he wanted to leverage his siblings' strong points into the running of their hotels when he takes over. Though there was an acceptable level of technology integrated into their sites, Qingming was beginning to see the opportunity for growth in that area. Though he hadn't really paid much attention back then, he recalled some of the things the students had said they would have liked to see when they stayed over during their class trip. He just needed to find ways to incorporate the changes, without compromising the luxury and traditional aspects that make their hotel chain unique.

“You don't seem the type to be interested in all this stuff.” Yue sounded pleasantly surprised.

Qingming grinned slyly. “There are many sides to me you haven't seen yet, senpai.”

“He doesn't know how lucky he is.”

The two looked up at the speaker in the booth they'd just stopped at.

“What are you doing here?”

“I'm happy to see you too, Yue-san..,” Hiromasa deadpanned. He flashed a badge. “If you must know, I'm working.”

“Why didn't you tell me?” Qingming huffed.

“Why didn't you invite me?”

Yue frowned and interjected. “So, what is this company you're representing today?” he asked, casually standing between the two and picking up a pamphlet.

Hiromasa's eyes momentarily narrowed but he responded normally. “XX is a fairly new startup and here we…”

◾◽

After leaving Hiromasa's booth, Qingming was reminded of the question the athlete had asked him. He couldn't help wondering what had prompted such a question. Originally, he wasn't going to try and dig deeper into it but he'd noticed how Yue became a little tense the moment he realised his captain was there.

Qingming glanced at Yue, wondering if there was a specific reason he didn't extend the invitation to Hiromasa? Or was he overthinking it and the guy simply thought the dancer had already invited him?

'That makes sense, duh!' Qingming chided himself.

"So, are you thinking of starting a business? Or do you plan to study engineering or IT in university?" Yue asked, dragging him from his thoughts.

"Why would you think that?"

"You seem as invested in this as Ko-kun. I noticed you've been asking specific questions and making notes.."

"Oh. Well, I like to learn about new things once they grab my attention. And this way, my brother and I can communicate better," Qingming smiled. "I always thought I was pretty smart until I started living with him again."

"Ahh.. Well," Yue said leaning closer with a hand covering one side of his mouth. "I think you're the smartest person here. And the most handsome."

Qingming put on an air of exaggerated haughtiness. "And here I was trying to blend in with the common folk. But, I suppose my greatness is too much to contain!"

The two laughed as they continued walking, with Yue using the opportunity to walk a little closer to the dancer..

◾◽

At the end of the expo, Yue was hoping to take Qingming out to dinner, so they could have some time alone. However, his teammates showed up just as he was asking and invited themselves along. Then, before he could tell them no, Qingming declined on the grounds of going out with his family.

“Thanks for the offer, but I'll have to take a rain check,” Qingming said. “Thank you guys for coming, it was really fun hanging out together. See you at school!”

He turned to leave and almost bumped into Hiromasa who stood there with his hands in his pockets.

“Senpai, why are you just standing here?”

“I didn't see your name on the spot..”

“Childish…” Qingming simply shook his head and walked around him.

“So,” Hiromasa said to his teammates. “Where are we going for dinner? I heard Yue-san's buying.”

Yue had a slight scowl on his face.

“Fine," Hiromasa said in a bored tone. "Since we're already here, we can try out their steakhouse. Just don't overdo it. I'm using my employee discount which is not that much.”

Before he was even finished, the others had excitedly rushed back into the hotel, receiving more than a few disapproving stares from people they passed. They vowed to take advantage of this rare opportunity and empty their captain's wallet.

“Minamoto-san,” Yue said as the other guy turned to leave.

Hiromasa looked back curiously. “What?”

“I know you're friends with Qingming-kun, but do –.”

“It's really warm and humid out tonight. Come on.”

And with that said, Hiromasa walked off.

Yue was a little annoyed but realised he was about to do something that he had no business doing, especially since he wasn't 100% certain he still wanted to pursue Qingming. If he were honest, he was more frustrated at himself because looking back now, he doesn't think he made much of an effort. So maybe he should come to a conclusion on what he wanted to do before confronting Hiromasa.. It's just that he couldn't help feeling slighted.

The rest of the week saw Qingming accompanying Hiromasa to training everyday after school, where the dancer spent his time studying while waiting.

Though Abe-furen had encouraged him to go back to Madame Kang's class, Qingming decided to wait until September. Since end of term exams were coming up and it would likely have material covered the previous year, he wanted to focus on them.

Also, he wanted to give himself and Tomei enough time apart for the other's emotions to settle as much as possible.

Because of that he'd also dropped out of the summer production. That was Tomei's big stage and he didn't want to take away from it in any way. Besides, his mom had personally handled his registration in that dance company he'd wanted to go to, after he successfully auditioned for their Director. Though it was in Osaka, he could work at one of their hotels in that city in the mornings, then go to rehearsals from the afternoon to evening.

Qingming knew it would be a lot of work, because it involved learning a new technique, but he didn't want to give up on the internship and his mother didn't want him to give up on dancing… They didn't say it but both thought how just 6 months ago, they were pushing for the opposite. But this time, instead of a standoff, they compromised.

The people he'd made the study timetable to help, were prompt everyday and enjoyed being outdoors instead of locked in a room where they had to be quiet. Out there, they could discuss and debate points which helped to get a better grasp of the concepts and how to implement them. Even though it was quite warm, Qingming had made arrangements for a cooler with cold drinks to be ready for them daily. Or more like he'd gotten Hiromasa to ask one of the assistant team managers to arrange it along with the cooler for the team.

Fujino and the others hadn't reached out to Qingming nor Hiromasa all that time; They claimed they didn't want to choose any one side.

Though Qingming told Hiromasa it was fine, the athlete disagreed. According to him, since they didn't stay away from Tomei, they had in fact chosen a side. Which was fine since they were his friends first. However, they should just admit to it instead of pretending to be neutral.

Qingming sat on a bar stool in the kitchen with his legs folded, cutting up fruit while Hiromasa's Aunt was making lunch.

“You should have seen him..,” Qingming laughed, telling her about their semester closing ceremony the day before.

He dropped the cut fruit in iced water before doing more. It was so hot during the days that he tried to consume as much cold food as possible. Today in particular, all the curtains were drawn and the windows and doors were open to allow the barely there air to pass through.

Only the two occupied bedrooms and kitchen had the aircon on. Even though he was mostly in one of those places so he wasn't in danger of getting a heat stroke, Qingming still wore a baggy sleeveless shirt and shorts.

Hiromasa would be leaving for camp the next day, Sunday morning, and claimed he needed Qingming's help packing. So the dancer had stayed over since the previous night.

Qingming didn't mind though. His mom had left for Los Angeles 2 days ago, his father was on an out of town business trip until tomorrow evening, Shen-shen and his sister had gone overseas for a mini-vacation before the doctor had to deal with the increased number of patients that summer always brought, and Xiao Ming was going to be spending all day at his internship.

Also, there was construction happening to renovate his destroyed studio just down the hall from his bedroom. Since he wouldn't be going to Osaka until Tuesday with his dad, he didn't mind being away from the noisy environment.

“Oba-san,” Hiromasa called from the side door. “I'm sorry but I need to steal Qingming away for a while.”

The woman nodded without looking up. She had already expected him to come at any moment.

Qingming quickly threw some of the cut fruit into a dish and followed Hiromasa towards the living room.

“Senpai, did you remember to pick up my face products on your way back? I need to pack some for you. You'll be training out in the sun for long periods, and all that exposure isn't good..for…your…skin…”

Qingming's steps slowed with his words as he entered the living room and saw an equally bewildered Tomei.

“Hiro, what the fuck is he doing here?” Tomei asked, clearly displeased.

“I asked him to come here long before you said you wanted to come over. Besides, I told you I'd have company.”

When Qingming had seen Tomei, his thoughts had drifted to something he overheard the latter telling a few people just the day before. That Hiromasa was only hanging out with Qingming to make him jealous and feel bad.

He hadn't wanted to believe it, but he couldn't help being sceptical. Lately, Hiromasa didn't talk about Tomei if Qingming didn't bring him up, and even then he was vague and always changed the subject.. Hearing that Hiromasa didn't invite him over just because he knew Tomei was coming made him feel relieved and he almost smiled..

“We've been talking for almost an hour now and you never mentioned that he was here!” Tomei yelled now on his feet.

‘An hour?’ All this time, Qingming thought Hiromasa was down the hill. He'd said something about notifying the property manager that the house would be empty for the next 4-5 weeks and making arrangements for yard maintenance.

“I fail to see how you knowing who is and isn't in my own house is any of your concern. I've been very patient with you all this time, but if you shout at me again, I will ask you to leave.” Hiromasa's tone surprised both dancers who had never heard him being that callous.

Tomei was tense with anger, but he took a deep breath to help calm down, before taking a seat.

“Ming,” Hiromasa indicated for him to sit as well.

Qingming quietly sat on the couch opposite Tomei and took a bite of a piece of fruit. He couldn't help wondering what thoughts were going through Tomei's head for him to react so strongly.. did he think Qingming had told Hiromasa what they talked about?

The athlete sat on a singlet to the side.

“Mei,” he began. “I called Qingming in here because you said earlier that you're serious about making amends. If you truly want that, then it's important that you both sit and talk. We can't begin to move past this if you don't. And as we're all going off to do our own thing for summer break, it's our last chance to avoid going back to school with this issue hanging in the air..”

Everyone remained silent for a while after that.

Qingming eventually spoke first, putting down his dish. “Hiromasa-senpai is right..,” he said then took a deep breath before trying to make eye contact with the other dancer. “Mei-kun, I honestly had no bad intentions in hiding my talent, but I'm really sorry I hurt your feelings in doing so. I'd already told you I was going to quit after graduation, so I didn't think there was any reason for talking about it. It's also why I joined the academy's recreational program instead of a company or theatre, like I had wanted.. It had been a really tough decision to make, and one I'd had to make suddenly. So I was having a really, really hard time coming to terms with letting go of something that I love so much.. I know you think I mainly hid it because I think poorly of you, and while I honestly had some concerns about things I'd heard, it was simply about me. It was already taking everything just to cope being in the environment without losing my sanity.. If not for meeting you, I probably would have just stopped altogether and not even bother with the exam.”

Tomei scoffed, but after a quick glance at Hiromasa, he remembered to keep his tone down. “So you say.. but I opened up and told you things! Does that mean all you said was just bullshit? You said I should feel proud of myself because I got chosen out of everyone from the 3 rec classes. But I didn't, did I? They did consider someone else.”

Qingming frowned because he didn't see how telling him 'Oh, they actually wanted to take it from you and give to me without me even auditioning!' would have been seen as anything but being arrogant and condescending. So decided on a different approach, being careful not to sound as annoyed as he was beginning to feel.

“Mei.. I didn't ask you this before because I realise you are very sensitive about the topic.. but, if you're so concerned about people looking down on you and questioning your competency, why are you in the recreational class? Why not join the vocational program and do the exams? With how good you are, I'm sure Madame Kang must have suggested it..”

Hiromasa had already suspected Tomei didn't tell Qingming the truth about that matter but never brought it up because it wasn't his story to tell.

Tomei fidgeted but said nothing. He seemed to be thinking, and the athlete correctly guessed he was surprised because he thought Hiromasa had disclosed it. But instead of being reassured by his long time friend's integrity, Tomei visibly became more upset.

Qingming noticed but wasn't deterred now that he'd said this much. It was obvious Tomei was being difficult for no good reason but refused to back down if it meant admitting where he was wrong. Honestly, had it not been for wanting to maintain his image in front of Hiromasa, Qingming would have already told the other dancer exactly what he thought of his behaviour and gone no contact.

“Mei-kun.. Last time I asked you what is your reason for dancing, you laughed and said because it makes you more superior in at least one aspect than those around you.. you weren't serious, right?”

Tomei narrowed his eyes. “Why wouldn't I be serious? What? My reason isn't good enough for someone at your level?”

Qingming looked at Hiromasa helplessly. “That's not what I'm saying … it's just…”

“Mei, like I told you last time you were here, you're blaming everyone else but the person responsible for how you're feeling. After the incident with Amara-chan, didn't you make a promise to yourself and to me?”

Qingming saw Tomei flinch before his body stiffened. But he had no idea who that person was nor what incident had occurred..

After a long silence with the two best friends just staring at each other, Qingming decided to ask. “Who is Amara-chan..?”

A flicker of fear flashed across Tomei's visage but he said nothing.

Hiromasa sighed and shook his head. “That's not important. It seems I was wrong, yet right at the same time,” he said, a hint of frustration in his voice. He looked over at a confused Qingming. “I'm sorry we couldn't get this resolved.. you can go back. I'll come help in a bit.”

“It's ok,” Qingming said looking at Tomei. “It was good enough to get the chance to attempt to resolve this matter..”

He then got up and hurried back to the kitchen.

Hiromasa looked down at the dish Qingming forgot and took it up. He spoke again while digging through the fruit pieces for something specific. “Mei-kun, it's clear you need more time to think things through. Let's use this time away to truly reflect on ourselves and what we want. Maybe when we see each other again at camp, we can finally make some progress.”

Tomei was at a loss for words. “Are you seriously asking me to leave?”

Hiromasa swallowed the fruit he'd started eating then looked up at his friend. “You're the one who told me that staying around someone and pretending everything was fine, is just as destructive as telling them what they did was ok. Remember?”

Tomei had nothing to say.. When he'd caught Hiromasa and his delinquent friends drinking alcohol at a party they had no business being at, and the athlete refused to give up his ‘friends’, that was exactly the excuse Tomei had given to justify distancing himself… Now, hearing those words made him feel a little panic because he wondered if Hiromasa was truly interested in them moving beyond this, or like him, was just looking for an excuse not to deal with the matter? Hiromasa had been in a really bad place mentally back then, and Tomei thought it was too much for him to get involved with, so he had looked for an out that would save him face. Now he felt ashamed..

Though he felt trepidation from those words, he would only be telling on himself if he made a fuss, and that would deepen the rift between them. After all, from Hiromasa's perspective, Tomei had been a true friend during that time and that had all but secured the dancer's status as a bff for life! If the athlete were to find out differently...

“I'll call you a taxi,” Hiromasa said after a long moment with nothing from Tomei.

Tomei just kept sitting in silence, so Hiromasa got up and headed in the direction of his parent's home office.

“I'm gonna use the bathroom,” Tomei said before the other got out of earshot.

“Ok.”

Though there was a bathroom nearby, Tomei instead made his way upstairs. Maybe he could think of a way to reassure Hiromasa that he was sincere about their friendship, and that not talking to each other over the coming weeks was not a good idea by the time the athlete came looking for him..

On the landing, he heard voices and frowned. As he followed the sounds, his heart pounded faster in his chest. He could recognise the speakers and they were in Hiromasa's room.

“I thought he would have moved it back,” Qingming's voice said.

“He told me you liked it there, so I suggested that he have them reorganise the rest of the room to fit,” the housekeeper said.

“Well, I do like it better this way, but it's too much to go do all this for a guest, Oba-san! How did you even manage to convince him to agree to it?”

By now, Tomei was standing before the door that hadn't been closed all the way, allowing the voices and significantly cooler air inside to filter through the crack and into the hallway. He absentmindedly pushed the door open a little wider, staring inside completely wide eyed. The room he'd known so well over the years was nothing like it was before! And there was Qingming and Hiromasa's aunt, folding clothes that the latter was packing in a suitcase.

The older woman turned slightly to pick up a smaller pack and saw Tomei. Turning around with an indiscernible look, she answered Qingming. “Don't worry about that, dear. We both prefer it this way. Why don't you grab the toiletries and I'll get the shoes?”

“Right, yes!” Qingming answered as he headed to the bathroom. "I'm gonna live on my own for an entire month and didn't even know so much consideration had to be put into packing luggage."

The housekeeper only chuckled in response, and quickly walked over to the door. She spoke to Tomei in a lowered, but pleasant voice. “How can I help you, Kimura-san?”

Tomei felt his emotions surge inside him and almost shouted at her. “W–what..”

“What are you doing?”

Tomei jumped at the sudden sound of Hiromasa's voice. “I-I'm.. I..”

“Oba-san!” Qingming called from the bathroom, but when he spoke again his voice was getting closer. “Do you think he'll prefer this one or this?”

“Please excuse me,” the woman said as she stepped back into the room and closed the door behind her.

Tomei's mouth that seemed to be stuck open finally moved. “Hiro.. what exactly is going on with you two?”

“Your taxi is waiting.”

Hiromasa turned and left in the direction from which he just came, and after a few seconds Tomei followed. What else could he do? Barge into the room and demand an explanation?? It shouldn't matter to him. Even if he and Hiromasa were on good terms, it wasn't his business, because it's not like Hiromasa had confessed to him… And that realisation contributed to the panic he felt! Were the two of them secretly dating??

Tomei felt his anger rise above the other emotions. He'd shared things with Qingming! And if the other had told Hiromasa… then it's no wonder the athlete was being so cold to him! Again, it turns out the problem is Qingming!

◾🔹◽

Qingming's eyes flew open and he sat up in bed. His body was covered in a light coat of sweat, but it had nothing to do with the mugginess of the hot summer night.

He'd just had another one of those dreams. It hasn't happened since the whole dance debacle and he'd completely forgotten about them. The fact that he'd been suppressing them anytime they happened, shoving the memories to the far recesses of his consciousness where he would only talk about them under forced hypnosis, also meant he hadn't noticed they'd stopped.

“Fuck…,” Qingming sighed and quietly left the bed.

In the bathroom downstairs, Qingming washed his face again hoping it would help to calm him down. After another 5 minutes of achieving nothing but increasing the water bill, Qingming dried his face and hands then made his way to the kitchen.

Standing in front of the sink, the dancer took occasional sips of cold water as he ran a cube of ice all over his neck, torso and arms.

Subconsciously, he recalled the contents of the long text message Tomei sent him a few hours ago listing a hundred and one ways in which he was not just a bad friend, but a terrible human being.

There was chaos in his head as his feelings clashed with each other. He couldn't decide if he should feel guilty about being happy that Hiromasa was standing his ground against Tomei, even though it was driving them further apart. Or, if he should feel guilty about being the one who pushed them into this situation? It may not have been on purpose, but because of him, they were being forced to address the quandaries of their friendship. As Hiromasa always said, they were still growing and learning, and was always of the opinion that Tomei just needed time to improve any character flaws. Which is why the athlete could still love him despite his faults.

Part of the reason Qingming felt so conflicted was because he didn't know what Hiromasa's current thoughts were regarding Tomei. He'd been making guesses, but seeing that the athlete and Tomei had spent so much time talking earlier, was indication that Hiromasa wanted them to reconcile. And Qingming didn't want to admit to himself how he felt about that happening.

A cold sensation down his back made him almost jump a foot into the air.

“If you're so hot, why didn't you turn on the AC like you usually do?” Hiromasa's voice asked.

The sound was so close to his ear that the warm breath caused Qingming's heart to speed up and he quickly stepped aside to put some space between them.

The dancer chuckled as he turned around, still feeling out of sorts. “It's not that.. I might be coming down with something.”

Hiromasa looked worried and moved closer to Qingming, lifting a hand to check his temperature.

The dancer held up a hand, which came in contact with the athlete's very sturdy, defined chest. When did he take off his shirt?? Qingming could feel each fibre of the taught muscles that lay below the warm, lightly sweaty skin. He quickly pulled his hand away as if he was burnt.

“Um… I'm ok… You should get back to bed. You have an early flight so you should get some rest..” Qingming gulped down the rest of his water and made his way back to the room.

After getting settled in bed again, this time with the AC on, he closed his eyes and decided to focus his thoughts on his upcoming internship and what he hoped to gain from it.

He didn't notice when Hiromasa came back because he was already fast asleep.

Chapter Text

A Few Weeks Later..

After coming back from a late dinner with his dad, Qingming went straight to the bathroom, fully intent on taking a shower then going to sleep right after. It had been another long, tiring week, but a fruitful one nonetheless.

He ended up spending a much longer time in the bathroom because he washed his hair while in the shower, then decided to soak his aching muscles in the jacuzzi.

While soaking, he finished up some notes he'd been making earlier about work related matters on his phone. Afterwards, he went into his class’ group chat. He'd muted it a few days prior when those attending the summer camp started posting nonstop from the moment they woke up. They'd been super excited about the school booking them an island getaway! He'd been too busy everyday to check more than a few posts each evening since.

The group chat his girl gang had created was also filled with messages wishing that he could join them and pictures of some of the things they'd been doing. Those he checked as regularly as he could because they kept asking after his health and safety since he was mostly alone in a different city.

He decided to just scroll through the pictures on the class chat since he would have to dedicate a few days to catch up on the conversations and he was not that interested. When he was halfway through the 500+ pictures, a new direct message notification popped up from Hiromasa.

Before he could stop himself, Qingming smiled as a warm feeling filled his chest. He'd been wondering why he hadn't heard from the other since lunchtime. Usually the athlete was on his phone every break he got. Qingming had asked him how he could complain about his parents' frequent calls and texts when he was the exact same? The dancer had found Hiromasa cute when the athlete shyly said he didn't understand the whole distance thing before.

Qingming's heart had been moved before he could tell it that Hiromasa didn't mean it in the way he hoped. He was constantly reminding himself that he could not fall for Hiromasa no matter how much he found himself attracted to him! Not only was the guy in love with someone else, but there were so many other obstacles.

Now, Qingming was puzzled for a few seconds as he looked at the new message. It was just a picture of a hotel room door and room number.

Ten seconds later..

“No way..,” the dancer mumbled, springing to his feet and stepping out of the tub. He quickly threw on one of the fluffy bath robes, tying the belt as he rushed to his door.

When he flung it open, Qingming was immediately enveloped in a tight hug before he could see the person's face. He tried to pull back but Hiromasa just squeezed tighter. He tried slapping the other guy's arm but that did nothing, making him chuckle at the athlete's antics.

“At least move from the doorway!" Qingming laughed. "If anyone sees us, they'll think we are reunited lovers or something.”

“Well, they'd be half right,” came Hiromasa's muffled voice.

The athlete used his body to push Qingming into the room, and used one hand to close the door behind himself which he immediately put back around the dancer.

“Senpai, what are you doing here?” Qingming asked. “Wait, what the hell are you doing?”

Hiromasa had kept pushing him further back into the room and soon the back of his knees hit the bed. He went falling down in a less than graceful manner. Especially with the larger body on top of him.

“Hey, wait. Let me up!”

“Soon.”

“Dude, you're being weird. And FYI, I'm not wearing clothes. So this whole scenario is beginning to feel a lot more racy than it should!”

Hiromasa only nodded, then said ‘soon’ again after a while.

Qingming let out a frustrated groan. “I swear, I don't get you sometimes…,” he muttered as he relaxed his body.

He started thinking about whether or not he'd remembered to write down the details of a meeting he'd attended that morning, and if he'd copied the right documents that he wanted to go through over the weekend.

🎇

Hiromasa breathed deeply, taking in the minty smell of the muscle relaxant on his hands, and also Qingming's familiar scent that filled the room. When he spoke, his voice was low and mellow. “Do you travel with your shampoo from home?”

“Mhm..”

Qingming was laying on his back, already half asleep. In fact, he would have been in dreamland long ago if Hiromasa wasn't continuously asking him about the most mundane things every two minutes. He couldn't think about it now, but there was something really odd about the athlete. However, until he could think about it the next day, he just wanted to enjoy the leg massage that it didn't take much effort to get Hiromasa to agree to giving him. If it meant indulging the athlete's questions until he eventually fell asleep, then so be it.

Hiromasa had moved to rubbing Qingming's arm and lifted his hand, studying the dancer's fingers. “Your hands are nice.. No wonder people didn't believe that you have muscles.”

“Mmm..” If he were more alert, Qingming would have questioned what correlation there was between the two.

“The fingers are as long as mine, but much prettier..”

The response was barely louder than a breath, which meant Qingming had drifted off to sleep.

Hiromasa chuckled before going back to his task.

The first thing he'd done after getting off the plane, was to call his cousin and tell her he thought he finally understood the difference between loving someone and being in love with someone.

When she asked why he thought that, he admitted he was calling her from Osaka and he didn't know exactly how he got there.. He remembered training ended and the guys were talking about going to the next island where the final year students were staying, and his first thought was that he wished Qingming wasn't missing such an exciting week. The next thing he knew, there was a man's voice advising they'd be landing in 5 minutes!

Megumi had been silent the entire time, completely surprised as he told her the thoughts he had the entire 4 hour journey (boat ride to Okinawa plus flight to Osaka).

Hiromasa ended up spending over an hour on the phone with her, his thoughts flooding out like a broken tap!

He liked Qingming. The way he felt about him was deeper and more meaningful than anything he'd ever felt for Tomei! It excited, yet scared him! He kept asking Megumi if that was what she meant? Was he correct in thinking that he was in love? Or was he in a weird place emotionally right now because of everything that was happening? The last thing he wanted was to misinterpret his feelings and end up doing or saying things that will hurt Qingming again. After all, could he truly feel this way about Qingming after pining after Tomei for so long??

He told her he didn't think it was right to come to such a conclusion without taking Qingming's feelings into consideration.

Instead, he questioned what this meant about the feelings he thought he had for Tomei. She helped him realise that his feelings for Tomei were in truth genuine, and that may be why he's so conflicted now. He may not have been in love with Tomei, but he did love him as a person and could see them having a relationship. But now that he's realised that he also fell for Qingming, he felt somewhat reluctant..

First of all, Qingming would never reciprocate his feelings. Not only that, even if the dancer were to consider it, he would never go through with it! For one thing, he’s convinced that Hiromasa is in love with Tomei. And despite the friction between the dancers after their falling out, Qingming has been encouraging the athlete not to give up. But, even if the athlete tried to convince him, the chances were very high that Qingming wouldn't believe Hiromasa and would think his feelings towards him were disingenuous. Not to mention he'd likely feel even more guilty and blame himself for breaking up the athlete and Tomei..

And Tomei … How could Hiromasa try to rebuild a friendship with him and maintain it? Tomei has been expecting Hiromasa to confess to him and, after what he told Hiromasa the last day he was at the athlete's house, it would seem he's also fallen for him despite being unsure before! If Hiromasa made his feelings for Qingming known, wouldn't it create even more misunderstandings and cultivate even more negative feelings between the two dancers? There's still 2 whole semesters of school and Qingming will be going back to the dance academy next month! How could Hiromasa live with himself if he hurt these two people he cares so much about and subjected them to further public scrutiny?

This was one of the few times Hiromasa would admit that he felt the situation was too much for him alone to deal with and wanted her guidance.

But in this moment, he was here with Qingming. And right now, that was enough.

Qingming's smile was wide as he audibly inhaled the salty, ocean air and let out a satisfied breath. Unlike the city, the air was slightly cool and not at all humid.

He heard Hiromasa's little laugh from the lounge chair next to him and rolled his eyes. He got up and walked the short distance to the rail, looking out at the clear sky and how the sunlight reflected on the blue-green water.

“Ok, so maybe you were right!" Qingming said, raising his voice to be heard over the loudness of the wind. "I still can't believe I followed you here though.”

Hiromasa opened his eyes and looked over at the dancer. Though caught in a ponytail, there were stray strands of Qingming's hair flailing about and all over his face. It reminded the athlete that he's yet to ask Qingming the reason for keeping his hair that long. The sunglasses the dancer wore were so big they seemed to take up half his face. But Hiromasa would be lying if he said the sight didn't take his breath away.

“I'd prefer to stay in Osaka with you," Hiromasa shouted back. "But since it's your only summer camp before you graduate, it wouldn't be fair to make you miss the experience.”

Qingming looked over at him and smiled. “That's very thoughtful of you..”

“Yeah, you know me,” was the nonchalant response.

Qingming laughed lightly as he turned his gaze back to the ocean. After a while, he said in a low voice. “Though… I wouldn't mind if we had spent the time together with just us…”

“Hmm? What?”

“I'm just wondering how much I'll get to experience in such a short time.”

“Oh. I've made a few preparations,” the athlete grinned.

Qingming returned to his lounge chair beside Hiromasa. This way they could talk without shouting. “Really? Such as…?”

“Wait and see.”

◽

Some time later, the yacht they were on pulled up to an empty spot at the island's dock. The two teens, who had left the deck to get a break from the strong winds, exited the main cabin once they came to a complete stop.

“Oh!” Qingming exclaimed when he looked out.

“Surprise,” Hiromasa grinned.

Qingming chuckled. “I don't think this counts as one. I just thought we were going to the island where you and the team were staying, since it's your place.”

“Well, I wanted to see the look on your face when you saw your place.”

Qingming looked over at him, puzzled.

Hiromasa seemed quite amused at his reaction. “This is the new resort your mom and sister have been working so hard to get built. Surprise!”

Qingming's eyes and mouth widened in disbelief. His eyes went back to roaming over the sprawling resort further back from the beach where they were docked. He'd been admiring it from the pictures their classmates had been posting in the group chats but now felt as if he were seeing it for the first time.

“Things weren't finished early enough to advertise in time for bookings for the summer season. But having a bunch of hard to please, high-society teenagers review your new resort will help get the word out and attract visitors much sooner than waiting for the next travel season.”

“When.. How did all this even come about?”

“Your dad and I play a lot of shogi,” Hiromasa said with his grin once again plastered on his face.

Qingming frowned, but then sighed as he mumbled in somewhat mocking tone. “I bet he picks your brain and tells you ‘you have good business acumen’.”

“Yeah, why?”

The dancer chuckled nervously as he'd only said it out of frustration. He never actually anticipated that to be the case and couldn't wrap his head around it. Just how close had his parents gotten with Hiromasa?? How could they allow this outsider he's known for only a few months to influence their business decisions? He really needed to address this with his dad when he got back to Osaka! Though the man was an attorney by profession, he was a force in corporate dealings. He was very good at picking people's brains and getting information that was advantageous to him without making it obvious. Even if the other party didn't give him much details, he could always make an astute deduction from the little he got.

For now, Qingming remained composed because the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like his parents may be using the athlete. And he didn't feel comfortable with it!

“No reason," he laughed lightly. "So, let's go then. I'll bother you to show me around my own property, I guess?”

There had been many students having fun further up the beach when they just arrived, but now most of them were beginning to crowd the entrance of the pier, no doubt drawn in by the large, fancy boat.

"Why couldn't you have gotten something more low-key than your parents yacht?" Qingming sighed as they followed the stewardess to disembark.

"I'm sorry.." Hiromasa said and the dancer smiled at how sheepish the boy became. "I kinda came to you without much of a plan and only remembered the island isn't on the ferry's route while we were already on the plane. And fyi, it's a family yacht, not just my parents'."

"I'll give you a pass this time because you went out of your way for me," Qingming said casually. But inside, his poor heart was threatening to get swept up in the idea of Hiromasa rushing to his side just because he missed him.

As they disembarked, Qingming understood why the sight of the yacht had grabbed the students' attention. The other boats that had been hired for their use were not as large nor luxurious, even if they were far nicer than the ones they saw in Nara and were all brand new.

Qingming's girl gang spotted him as he walked down the pier, and ran over to greet the two.

“Qing-kun!”

“We're so happy you came!”

“We thought you couldn't make it!”

Qingming couldn't get a word in as they gabbed on and on while leading him to the beach, but he knew it was because they were really excited to see him.

“I heard you ladies weren't having much fun without your fearless leader, so I battled through wind and rain to rescue him from corporate life. At least for a few days,” Hiromasa said smugly as he was swarmed by some of his teammates who'd been wondering about his absence.

Qingming sighed. “I don't know which is bigger: his hero complex or his ego!”

Hiromasa smirked. “Neither.”

The girls' mouths fell open and their faces became red.

“See what I mean?” Qingming huffed.

"Hey, Cap," Koga said 'sternly'. "We thought you'd had enough and decided to ditch us."

"And leave the team in your capable hands?"

"Oooo!" the others reacted and laughed.

"That was really mean, senpai," Koga pouted. Then he got a sly look on his face as he leaned with an arm on Hiromasa's shoulder, who eyed him warily. "But, you can make it up to me by taking me out on this boat."

The others rolled their eyes and shoved him playfully, thinking he was being ridiculous.

"Ok," Hiromasa shrugged. "Just don't break it or you're on your own."

"...Are you yanking my chain?" Koga asked straightening up. Even the others around were shocked as one expected that response.

"Go talk to Kaname-san, she's the stewardess," Hiromasa replied then patted Qingming's head with a smirk. “I gotta go arrange the Dragon Prince’s royal suite.”

Qingming couldn't believe he just called him that. In public. Where many ears were listening! The athlete truly has been very odd since yesterday! But before he could say anything, Hiromasa had already walked away.

“Let's go, Dragon Prince! There's a lot to do before the Dark Emperor comes to take you away!” one of the girls giggled.

As he walked away with the girls, Qingming was greeted by some of the other students he knew. In the background, he heard Koga shouting at everyone asking who wants to go party on the yacht.

He was feeling really happy that he came.

▪️🏖️▪️

“Qing-kun, why are you so handsome no matter what you're doing?” one of the guys from his class lamented as Qingming ran over from the sea.

The water on his bare chest glistened in the sunlight, making it look like he was radiating light.

“You're very brave,” someone else laughed.

“What do you mean?” Qingming asked the second person, as he dropped himself in the sand with the group of guys. The guys had left the lounge chairs to the ladies who were more interested in sunbathing.

“He means, one can't be too liberal with your compliments while the Dark Emperor is around,” one of the girls explained.

“Don't tell me you're all joining this shipping nonsense?” Qingming scoffed, grabbing a bottle of water from the hand of someone else who was about to drink it.

“Shipping nonsense? It's obvious you two are dating. And if you're not dating, well… it won't be much longer before you are!”

Everyone snickered as they gave him knowing looks. But Qingming was completely lost. Had he been obvious with the fact that he likes Hiromasa??

Naahhh… So he rolled his eyes as he fell back on the towel laid out on the hot sand. "I promise you, we're not.. But it's interesting to see you all so chill about the idea of us being in a gay relationship."

"Personally," one guy said. "No one I'm close to has ever shown interest in having a same sex relationship. Still, I have nothing against it. Maybe it's because I've had exposure to people who are for a long time... A lot of the beneficiaries of my dad's non-profit foundation to help homeless children, are teens who were kicked out for being homosexual. My mom takes me and my sister to help out at the shelters at least once a month, therefore I've interacted with quite a number of them."

"Man, that's tough on them..."

"It really is.. When I heard what happened with Takahashi-san's parents, I was worried he'd end up there. Though I'd been going to such places, the fact is I never knew any of them beforehand. But when I thought of someone I've known since elementary school facing the same situation, it made me really think whether or not homosexuality was such a bad thing.. I mean, it's not like it's something new for people to be so outraged by."

"Exactly!" Riri-chan said. "There's not one country whose history doesn't have multiple accounts of same sex relationships."

"Taka-san is such a nice guy," Nina-chan sighed. "I'm glad it worked out for him."

"Taka-san...," Qingming mumbled to himself looking up at the clear, blue sky.

He was yet to see the athlete since they arrived a few hours ago and he wondered if he was ok. Maybe he should text him..

"I forgot you weren't around last year," Ayu-chan said in response to Qingming. "After the incident with that Kuroda guy, and the changes that were made afterwards, more people at school stopped hiding that they were gay.. it's just that those asshole friends of Kuroda would still try to torment them every chance they got."

"I'm glad you got them kicked out, Qing-kun!" Riri-chan huffed. "They always made a fuss whenever they thought they could get away with it... Complaining about sharing the same air, having to work in the same groups.. Even going as far as saying they don't feel safe going to the restrooms or joining clubs.. Honestly, they drove more people into being more accepting because they were all so sick of their bullshit!"

"Yeah.. I've worked in groups with gay students and, PLEASE don't judge me." Immediately everyone turned to him with judging eyes. "It's not my fault!.. I always heard stories!... Anyway, I realised there really wasn't anything different about them."

Suddenly, one of the other guys burst out laughing, drawing attention to himself "Wait! Are you talking about that time with --."

The previous guy had leapt over two others in a flash to cover the guy's mouth. "Don't you dare!"

"What?" Qingming asked sitting up. "I wanna hear!"

"Yeah, me too!"

However, the guy was fighting tooth and nail to silence his friend.

Only when the others joined in to free the other guy did they hear the story: Apparently, two years ago there was a girl he liked who was a senior at the time. He joined the bunkasai committee in order to get closer to her, but she was always hanging out with a guy who everyone knew was gay. When they wanted to have a meeting outside of school, he offered to have them come to his house. Long story short, he was being standoffish with the guy the entire time and sort of blew up at him when the two were alone. The girl walked in and called him out for being a homophobe, in the same breath revealing that she only liked girls.

▪️🌴▪️ 

For the rest of the afternoon, Qingming had a good time hanging out with his friends and other acquaintances. They had lunch together with a few of the teachers, and even did some water sports. But throughout the entire time, he saw no sign of Hiromasa.

He'd spotted Fujino and the others a few times, but since they didn't approach him, he kept away from them.

He'd already reached out and given them an opening, so there was nothing more he could do. In addition, he wouldn't be surprised if their ‘neutral’ stance had changed since then. Over the past couple weeks, he'd gotten wind of some of the things being said about him by Tomei ever since the guy saw him at Hiromasa’s house.

However, Qingming had remained focused on his work and dancing, and didn't spare any time thinking about the twisted thoughts of others.

🏝️

The group decided to call it a day around 4 in the afternoon, after returning from jet skiing. They'd done a lot so Qingming could experience as much as possible in his limited time and were all wiped out.

"If you don't see me come out at dinner time, make sure you come wake me!" one guy said.

"Saaame.."

Qingming laughed. "You guys didn't have to do so much just to accommodate me, but I'm grateful. I promise to return the gesture one day."

As they approached the main lobby, he spotted Hiromasa through the glass door, talking to the young lady at the check-in counter. The athlete was still in the same clothes he had on that morning which made Qingming wonder if he'd been inside this entire time.

"Senpai!" Qingming called out as they entered the bright lobby. Then he turned to his friends. "I'll see you guys at dinner."

Hiromasa had nodded at him before bidding the receptionist farewell and walking over to him.

"One sec, guys," he said to the group who were about to leave after greeting him. "The receptionist was just telling me that dinner will go until midnight, so you don't have to rush to come back out."

They were excited to hear that since they were just worrying about not coming back in time before dinner closed off at 9.

After everyone left, Qingming turned to Hiromasa.

"So, what have you been up to all day?" he asked gesturing at the guys clothes.

"A little bit of this, and a little bit of that," the athlete said with a little smile. "Nothing for you to worry about."

Qingming kept staring at the other boy's face as Hiromasa reached out and took hold of one end of the towel that hung around his neck, then started drying his hair.

"You're inside now," the athlete said. "You should go wash up and let me dry it for you so you don't get sick."

Qingming was certain that his heart could be heard by the receptionist who was pretending not to watch them.

When he got to his room, Qingming realised they were sharing but had separate beds. He was reminded of the previous school trip and smiled to himself.

"This brings back memories," he said in a teasing voice.

"Yeah," Hiromasa replied. "You were an even bigger weirdo back then."

Before 5 o'clock in the afternoon, as Qingming sprawled on his front enjoying the feel of his cool, silk pyjamas on his skin , he thought he could sleep in the bed for an entire week straight because it was so comfortable!

Fatigue from the day's activities and being out in the sun finally set in and his body relaxed completely. The constant, low hum of the hair dryer and Hiromasa's fingers lightly moving across his scalp lulled him into a deep sleep in less than a minute after his head hit the pillow.

Chapter Text

Since it was the last night for the teens, the resort staff prepared a beachside BBQ instead of the usual buffet. There was a lot of seafood, but they had meat options too. There was a temporary platform stage setup where the performing staff played traditional musical instruments and danced.

The general consensus was that the trip had been a lot of fun and everyone was sad to go.

Hiromasa was his usual quiet self after they rejoined the others. And despite wanting to keep Qingming to himself, he just sulked internally as the dancer chattered animatedly with everyone around them.

After some time, the activities coordinator opened the floor to people who wanted to show their talent. It could be anything performing arts related.

It took a few minutes before someone bravely stepped up. It was Koga, who dragged Yue to do a duet of an old battle song. The musicians even played along with them. They were very comedic and received a lot of cheers from their peers who'd gathered around the stage!

Qingming wanted to ask Hiromasa if everything was ok with Yue, because he'd texted him earlier but was yet to get a response, which was unusual. But when he turned around, Hiromasa was nowhere in sight..

After the duo's performance, other people found their courage and soon there was a waiting list.

Qingming stood near the front of the stage and clapped for everyone who went up. The performances were so varied, including a skit by the drama club members from a traditional play. A few members of Qingming's girl gang were the first to sing a more modern song and that prompted even more people to want to do that.

“I'd love to see you up there,” Hiromasa said from behind him.

Qingming turned around. “Where'd you go? You suddenly disappeared.”

“I went to get this.” Hiromasa brought his hand from behind his back to reveal a folding fan that was a little larger than normal. “Don't change the subject. Won't you dance for me?”

Qingming stared at the fan after he stopped himself from taking it almost as soon as he'd seen it. “.. no, not tonight…”

“Then, how about you dance for you? I can see that you want to.”

Qingming looked into Hiromasa's eyes. He had been itching to get on the stage but had settled for watching the others instead. What he saw in those eyes made him want to reach out to the athlete, but he held back.

Qingming and Hiromasa were still in a stare off while the dancer pondered, when a familiar voice spoke over the mic.

“Tonight, I want to show you a special dance. It's a couple dance that I've been wanting to perform for a while. I even considered performing it at my dance academy's recent production but ended up going with something else as I couldn't find the right partner..”

There were murmurs all around. Qingming turned around as a cold feeling washed over him, and immediately made eye contact with Tomei who'd been looking at him.

Hiromasa saw the mischief in Tomei's eyes and held Qingming's hand. “Don't.”

“I know Qing-kun and I haven't been on the best of terms lately,” Tomei continued. “But I'm hoping he'll be gracious enough to help me realise my dream tonight.”

Qingming had a bunch of people by his side before he even saw where they came from!

The whole time, Tomei and Qingming didn't divert their gaze. What he'd said was actually true, and Qingming knew how important it was for him. In fact, seeing him perform that choreo had prompted Qingming to ask him his reason for dancing back then because Tomei seemed to be an entirely different person during the dance. Someone who actually had a passion for the art. He wasn't sure if he and Tomei could ever go back to being friends, but if he did this for him then it could be the first step in them finding a way to be civil. Wouldn't that be best? To avoid forcing everyone into such a tense situation every time the two of them were in the same space?

Qingming looked back at Hiromasa. Doing this would also be a great way to help the athlete and his childhood friend start to mend their broken relationship. Their falling out was because of him anyway, so it was only right to do what he could to fix it.

With conflicted feelings, Qingming turned back to Tomei, his eyes resolute. “Ok.”

“Qing-kun!”

“What?" Qingming laughed enthusiastically. "Aren't we all here to have fun? This is something really important to Mei-kun and I understand how disappointing it can be to find something you love and not be able to pursue it…”

He glanced at Hiromasa again, and the athlete still looked conflicted even as he shook his head. No doubt he was thinking he might have to choose between the two again. Qingming didn't want to drag him in the middle of their quarrel again, so he took the fan and quickly headed to the stage before anyone could stop him.

There was scattered applause, but you could tell the teens were uncertain about whether or not this would be a good thing.

Tomei had stepped aside to talk to the activities coordinator and give her his phone. When he returned, he looked at Qingming with a mysterious smile.

“I hope you don't mind if I do a few improvs,” Qingming said unfazed, lifting the closed fan.

“Not at all.”

By now, everyone else who hadn't been watching the performances had suddenly gathered around.

When the two dancers got into their starting position, the students wondered if they'd be doing some kind of ballroom dance, which wasn't uncommon for teens in their circle to learn at one point or other.

That was until the music started playing and they made their first move in time with the beat. It was a tango.

Qingming was surprised Tomei made him take the role of the female dancer, because that part had the more eye-catching choreo. Still, he did so without holding back.

After the first 30 seconds, Tomei's visage was of surprise. And after a minute in, he was completely mesmerised! Not only did Qingming know the part very well, but they were so in sync that Tomei lost all thoughts of his original intention and didn't think of anything else except the boy before him, dancing this passionate dance he loved with him.

Qingming switched the fan to his right hand, lifting the arm above his head and opening it on the beat just and was dipped unexpectedly. The excitement that had stirred up shortly after they started dancing, filled the area as the teenagers yelled praises.

Tomei loved this dance because of the 'fight' between light and dark that was enacted in it and the love story that was depicted between the two. He thought it perfectly embodied how he felt about dancing.. There was a lot of pushing and pulling between the couple, as well as moments where they seamlessly blend together.

He watched Qingming's eyes as they moved across the stage hand in hand, and could see how much he was also enjoying it. It spurred Tomei to give more and more of himself and soon, a genuine smile lit up his face which Qingming saw and returned in full.

Hiromasa was going crazy watching this dance that seemed to be going on forever. In reality it had been just over 2 minutes, but in his mind, it was almost morning already.

He felt uncomfortable with the way Tomei was smiling at Qingming. What the hell brought that on? And why were they touching so intimately? Why did their bodies have to be so close?? Wait! He was sure he saw Tomei's hand touch the bare skin of Qingming's stomach just now! Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was exaggerating their level of closeness which was all just a part of the performance. But logic had long left the group chat!

The comments from the other spectators did nothing to make him feel better. Words like ‘romantic’, ‘perfect partners’ and ‘look good together’ were about to become triggers for starting a fight when used while talking about Qingming and Tomei.

The cheers and applause when the dance was over could probably be heard on neighbouring islands!

The two dancers took a bow and smiled at each other. Qingming let go of Tomei's hand but the other held on as he stared at him in somewhat of a daze.

“That was really great, Mei-kun,” Qingming said tentatively. “I've danced with others before who I'd say were good partners, but I do understand what you meant about having the right one. Though I don't meet that requirement for you, I hope I was at least good enough so you don't regret asking me.”

Tomei gripped his hand tighter and the way Qingming flinched drew him from his thoughts. “Uh.. yeah… Thank you..”

“Anytime,” Qingming smiled again then left the stage.

…

The night's festivities ended with a brilliant fireworks display.

Some people had coupled up and enjoyed it together, while others watched in groups. Like Qingming and Hiromasa. Surprisingly, Tomei, who had been keeping his distance the entire day, was now in the fringes of their large group.

“Hiromasa-senpai, don't you like fireworks?” Qingming asked, giving the athlete a little poke in the side.

“Hmm?”

“All of this is happening but you seem… grumpy,” Qingming chuckled.

“I'm fine..” Hiromasa replied, moving his gaze from the sky to focus on Qingming next to him. "The fireworks may be nice to look at, but I much prefer the scenery right here."

A slew of coughing filled their immediate vicinity and Qingming pinched Hiromasa.

They all continued to watch in silence for a while before Qingming said aloud to himself, “I wonder if Mei-kun is enjoying this?”

Hiromasa and a few others around him frowned.

“Why are you bringing him up?” the athlete asked.

“Don't be like that. He's still your childhood friend, which means you'll probably resolve your grievances soon enough,” Qingming chided. “It's just… I'm sure you know that fireworks are special for him.. I just don't want the happy memories attached to them to be ruined..”

There was a lot of groaning from his friends in response.

“Minamoto-san, please go away so we can get our Dragon Prince back!” someone joked.

Qingming stood on the pier and said his goodbyes to the others as they boarded the boats.

They would sail to Nara, then take their flight back to Tokyo. Since the next day was a public holiday, the dancer would stay another night. He'd thought the rugby team would be staying over too, until he saw them loading up on a boat together.

“Uh.. Taka-san? Where are you guys going?”

The player walked over with a half smile. Ever since the tech expo, they hadn't talked much. With exams and then summer break starting right after that day, it was easy to say they'd become too busy to socialise. They'd exchanged a few messages here and there over the break, but if he were honest, the athlete wanted some time away from the dancer to think about his feelings. It had been harder to do since he was spending most of his days around Hiromasa who was forever on his phone with Qingming. Even the other team members were starting to think there was something going on between them.

Yue was frustrated because he was sure Hiromasa was doing this on purpose to annoy him. However, they had a really important game coming up and Yue knew he couldn't compromise the team's chance for success by starting internal conflict. But every time they got a water break and Hiromasa pulled out his phone to play a voice message from Qingming and send one of his own, Yue wanted to punch him!

“We're going back to our island,” he said a little sceptically. “I thought Hiromasa would have mentioned it.”

Qingming shook his head and folded his arms. “Hmph. Why does he think I wanna stay here alone with him? I was looking forward to hanging out with you guys.”

“Then, why don't you come back with us?” Yue said hopefully. “I sent you a text during breakfast that some of us are gonna go hiking and I know you like that. And it's something we've talked about doing together since I wasn't there last time, so..”

“A text?" Qingming suddenly felt around his clothes frantically, only to remember. "Oh, I was talking to my mom this morning and it seems I left my phone in the room. But, uh.. Rain check?" he said with apologetic eyes. "There's someone coming by that I need to meet up with so I have to be here.”

“Oh..," Yue tried to smile to hide his dejection. "I guess I'll see you back at school then?”

“Mm!” Qingming nodded with a smile. "I can't promise we'll get to hang out more as I'll be pretty busy with dancing, but I'll definitely make up for all these times I've bailed on you."

Suddenly, something cold was placed on his head.

“Ah!” Qingming exclaimed while ducking.

“What's with that reaction?” Hiromasa smirked. “Here.”

“Oh, thanks. I forgot about this,” Qingming accepted the drink and took a long sip. “wow.. that's actually good! Did you make it?”

It was the green juice he always drank on weekends.

“Yep,” Hiromasa said, ruffling his hair. Then he turned to the boat with his teammates. “I'll be back tomorrow evening. Try to stay out of trouble til then.”

Koga grinned. “Deal! We'll save all the trouble for when you return.”

Hiromasa rolled his eyes but gave a little laugh. Yue simply said goodbye to them then boarded the boat.

“Take care of our precious Fairy Prince!” one of the girls shouted, causing Qingming to spit out his drink.

“Why the fuck am I a Fairy Prince all of a sudden?” the dancer complained and received an unsuspecting slap to the back of his head.

"Language," his passing homeroom teacher said without another glance, as he looked down at the papers on the clipboard held in one hand. He must have been doing the final check to make sure everyone was accounted for.

“Don't worry,” Hiromasa responded to the girl. “I'll be sure to send him back with his virtue intact.”

That comment earned him a kick to the shin. But Qingming made sure to hold back this time since so many eyes were on them and he couldn't risk crippling the guy so close to the all-important semi-final!.

⛱◾

After the boats with their classmates departed, the two walked back to the main lobby of the resort. The staff greeted them as they busily went about their various tasks.

“There's something I wanna do before your dad gets here,” Hiromasa said.

“Oh, what?”
…

“You've got to be kidding me,” Qingming deadpanned.

Hiromasa looked up at him with puppy eyes from where he laid on the bed. “What??”

“What do you mean, what? If you want to sleep, go to sleep. And why did you push our beds together?”

“I didn't get much sleep last night. And I sleep better with company.”

Qingming couldn't help thinking he'd been right to think Hiromasa was lying when he said Qingming was the first person to share his bed. The thought annoyed him more than he wanted to admit. “Well, it's your fault for coming in so late.”

“I'll be honest.. I went to find Tomei. I realised something while you two were dancing last night and I had to talk to him about it.”

Qingming didn't know why it felt like his insides collapsed. Didn't he tell himself just last night that he wanted them to reconcile? Was he being a hypocrite? “Oh.. well, good for you then. I think I'll just go walk around for a bit to become more familiar with the place.. you catch up on your sleep..”

Before Hiromasa could say anything, Qingming left. He wasn't sure, but the dancer seemed upset..

A part of him wanted to go after Qingming, but then what? As he sat there thinking, he wondered where his assertiveness had gone again?

“Damn it, Tomei!” he growled.

The boy really deserved the title of being his childhood friend. He knew exactly which buttons to push to make Hiromasa lose his cool and act like a fool. And though the athlete knew what he was doing, it worked every time.

◾◽
Qingming liked the resort.

It wasn't on the same grand scale that they usually built, nor did it provide the high end luxury that their brand was known for. Still, that didn't mean it was rustic and conservative. The amenities were high end, however the place was built in a way where it didn't look awkward in the middle of all the natural elements around it. It was still luxurious enough to be in the higher price bracket, but understated enough to create an atmosphere of comfort and warmth.

Qingming took the opportunity to take in all aspects he may have missed or didn't fully appreciate the first time he saw them.

He didn't want to think about why Hiromasa had been alone with Tomei for almost 3 hours after leaving him alone in the room after they left the beach last night. This was what he wanted.. It is what he wants.

… Right??

When he recalled how Tomei looked so much like his old self last night, Qingming realised he could understand how that must have encouraged Hiromasa. And since they spent that much time together, it meant they had talked things through, right? He blushed as he wondered if they had secretly confessed and took that long to separate because they were making out.

“Argh!” Qingming growled in frustration as he fought the air, trying to keep away the thoughts that creeped in despite his best efforts.

He couldn't help wishing the rest of the rugby team had stayed, which made him think of Yue. When Koga had jokingly referred to him as his teammate's boyfriend, he'd thought they were just teasing so he never said anything about it. But his reliable girls had made him know otherwise. Word on the ‘street’ was that Yue liked him, and was hoping to ask him out.

That had made him very unsettled. It wasn't that he felt put off by it. It's just .. he'd been wanting that kind of attention from someone else. Someone that he knew he had no business feeling that way about. He knew Hiromasa was off limits, but he couldn't help hoping.. which is why he'd tried to dissuade Yue.

However, Qingming would become stuck in a tug of war loop of guilt and greed wherever he's with the team captain. But surely this was no way to live and it was bound to drive him crazy sooner or later… Now, he couldn't help wondering if he'd acted too rashly in drawing a line with Yue? It wasn't that he felt such an attraction for Yue, but he didn't think of Hiromasa in this way at the beginning either! Therefore, his mind is considering different possibilities at the moment. After all, if the two childhood friends had made up and possibly taken their friendship to a new level, things would surely change and eventually he'd have to let go of Hiromasa… He'd have to find a way to somehow let go of all these feelings..

Qingming was walking along the beach, hands in his pockets and numerous thoughts in his head.

When a movement on the sea appeared in his peripheral vision, he looked out and saw the yacht that brought him and Hiromasa to the island approaching the pier. His conflicted thoughts took a backseat to his excitement at his father's arrival.

By the time the man disembarked, Qingming was there to greet him.

“Why are you so elated at seeing your old man? Don't tell me Hiromasa hasn't been taking good care of you,” the man laughed as Qingming grabbed him in a hug.

“He's not,” Qingming said in a pitiful way. “But now you're here to avenge me!”

Abe-san wasn't sure if his son was being serious or not, so he only chuckled in uncertainty.

Qingming pulled out of the hug and they started walking towards the resort. “This place is amazing! Why didn't I know you guys were working on it?”

“Well, it's actually been kept a secret from everyone. My parents left me this island and your mom had the idea of building her first hotel here.”

Qingming raised a brow. “You mean…”

“Yep. This has no ties whatsoever to the company. It's under a different name and was built with our own money,” the man said before sighing heavily. “I've seen how much work you've been putting in to learn about the business these past weeks, and it's about time you and I had a talk about some things, son…”

Abe-san led Qingming to the main office where he opened up about the whole family situation. Some of it Qingming had already figured out by himself but some was news to him.

The company belonged to his grandmother's family and she convinced her father to name her daughter as successor after he retired. That meant her husband never had the chance to lead the company, and their sons who grew up thinking it would go to the eldest, were left in shock.

Ever since then, they've been attempting to get her out of the position. But she was smarter than they gave her credit for. She married a top lawyer who could ensure there were no legal loopholes they could use, and secretly bought out the shares of minor shareholders to increase her stake in the company.

However, she couldn't control fate and before her mom could sign over her shares to her, she passed away in a car accident and they went to her husband instead based on the original shareholder agreement. Apparently her will didn't mention anything about them being transferred or sold to her daughter.

Since then, her brothers have been filling her father's head with all kinds of reasons why he should file a motion to remove her and install his eldest son. They haven't had any grounds to stand on to succeed, but over the past two years, questionable things have been happening and she knows there is a plot to discredit her. That's why she wanted Qingming to get married and acquire the shares of the family.

If she passes the company over to him, whatever they're planning would hopefully be foiled and as majority shareholder, he could make executive decisions without the board.

Qingming listened intently and processed the information as best as he could. So things were really bad then… He recalled Hiromasa saying his mom probably wanted to align herself with someone more powerful to help her.

But that doesn't mean..

Abe-san noticed the conflicted look in his son's eyes. “A’Qing, that marriage your mom was pushing for had a clause in it. That you and the young lady could divorce after a period of two years. The only reason her family even agreed to our terms was because we offered to pay them 3 times market value for their shares.”

“What??”

“Well, marriage is important and should not be taken lightly. Your mother didn't want you to be tied down with someone you potentially wouldn't like. And it's not like we're in the olden days where getting a divorce is a big deal. Especially for young people. It's only surprising when old people like myself feel like we ‘still got it’,” the man laughed. “It may not have been the best approach, but know that we only have the best of intentions for you.”

Qingming thought for a while before speaking. “So, Hiromasa…”

Abe-san sighed. “That boy really has a brilliant mind. And no, we've never asked him for anything, nor disclosed what I've told you. He's the one who's been sharing information and resources willingly.”

“Why the -,” Qingming stopped himself from cursing. “Why would he bother to do that?”

Abe-san looked at him curiously. “Isn't it obvious?”

“What is?”

The man looked at his son sceptically.

“That I'm crazy,” came Hiromasa's voice. "That I belong in a nuthouse, I believe you said?"

Qingming turned in his chair. He hadn't even heard when the door was opened. With a scoff and a face full of displeasure, Qingming turned his attention back to his father, who once again felt lost.

“Did something happen?” Abe-san asked seriously.

Hiromasa went to sit beside Qingming who pretended his existence was nothing more than air.

With a sigh, the athlete answered the older man. “Abe-san, your son is angry at me because I spent a few hours talking to a friend last night instead of going to bed.”

“Talking, sure,” Qingming muttered under his breath.

“He didn't even ask me what we talked about before he got upset and left.”

Qingming turned glaring eyes on him. “Do I need to ask for you to tell me? You didn't even…”

He caught himself and turned away again.

The two teens looked curiously at the older man who suddenly burst into laughter.

“Dad?” Qingming asked.

“Oh, it's nothing. Nothing. It just seems I became worried for no reason. Now, how about you two put your disagreements aside temporarily and fill me in on how things went?”

Qingming reluctantly calmed down as Hiromasa began speaking after passing his phone to the man.

An hour and a half later, they were on the yacht heading to the other side of the island. Currently, there hadn't been any roads developed yet so unless they wanted to hike, sailing would be the easiest option.

“Qingming-chaaan,” Hiromasa ventured as the dancer stood looking out at the scenery. “What are you angry about?”

“Nothing,” Qingming said. “I'm a teenager. Do I need a valid reason to be angry?”

Hiromasa was a little surprised at the harsh tone. So clearly he underestimated how upset Qingming really was…

“I thought you'd be happy that Tomei and I were talking..” He wasn't sure what to make of it. Qingming had been pushing for them to make up, so why?

Qingming heard the confusion in Hiromasa's tone and realised he really needed to reign in his emotions. How can he be mad at them for doing what he wanted? Or, at least what he said he wanted.

“You know, what? You're right, senpai. And I'm sorry.”

“I don't want your apology, Qingming. Just talk to me, won't you? I thought we were all about being honest with each other since we hide so much from everyone else..”

Those words sounded heartfelt and Qingming couldn't dispute them. Somehow, they'd come to such an unspoken agreement but now he was the one getting his feelings involved and wanting more.

“Ah.. you're right about that too.. it's just..” The dancer thought for a while. “I'll just be upfront and honest about it... I think I like someone!”

Hiromasa was taken aback! He forced himself to swallow his initial reaction and asked, “Wh…what? Who?”

“I can't say .. I just wasn't expecting it. And to make matters worse, it's a guy! I've never been attracted to a guy before.. And… he already has someone by his side. So I guess I'm just frustrated that after promising myself to not go down this whole relationship road again, I fell for someone and now I'm…”

Hiromasa's mind reeled off all the people at school he and Qingming knew who were in a relationship. But he couldn't identify any one person. But it certainly didn't seem to be Yue, as he wasn't involved with anyone.. that little thought made Hiromasa's heart sigh in relief for a moment before he remembered to be upset.

Before he could speak, Qingming continued.

“And with you and Tomei working things out, surely that'll mean less time to spend with me..”

Hiromasa found a glimmer of light in the darkness that just clouded his thoughts. “Tomei and I, what?”

Qingming side eyed him. “Don't play dumb. Do you really expect me to believe you both just ‘talked’ for 3 hours?”

Hiromasa frowned. “What reason would I have to lie to you? We really only talked.. We took that long because he was being stubborn and..! Anyway, to do what you're insinuating would require us making up, which we didn't. If anything, I guess you could say we've cut ties completely..”

Qingming's eyes widened in disbelief. “.. What..?”

Hiromasa sighed. “I didn't say anything because I didn't want to ruin the mood of the little time you have left by burdening you with mine and Tomei's issues.”

Qingming felt his heart beat faster. Was that true? They didn't make up? They cut ties?!

“Listen, can we not talk about it for now?” Hiromasa asked, leaning on the rail and looking out at the ocean.

Qingming saw the ticking vein on the athlete's temple and knew that whatever they discussed was a lot more upsetting than he let on. Now he felt bad for how he'd been since morning.

Hiromasa was surprised when long, slender fingers clasped with his own.

“I'm sorry..,” Qingming said with an apologetic smile.

“Again, no need to apologise. You have your own issues dealing with. I shouldn't have been so inconsiderate.”

Abe-san stepped out at the last part of their conversation and smiled.

“Now, isn't this much better?” he said walking over to them. The two quickly let go of each other's hand and the man pretended he didn't see. “I didn't hear your conversation but the atmosphere is much more pleasant. As long as you two can talk through your disagreements, you'll get along just fine! Besides, if you're no longer friends I won't get to pick Hiromasa's brain!”

“That's not true. We'll always have shogi. And we can always meet behind his back,” Hiromasa grinned.

They laughed, all tension gone.

“The captain said we're a few minutes away. We'll just take the first left there and we can't miss it.”

Qingming chuckled with a sigh. “Dad, you're so corny..”

“But just a few weeks ago you said I was cool!” the man sounded as if he was wronged.

🏝

“Soo..,” Hiromasa said, looking around. “Where's our room?”

Qingming flashed an annoyed look at the boy as he indicated between the two of them.

Abe-san laughed. “You know he needs his own space. Besides, he'll officially be an adult and legal to get married in a few months time, so we can't just give him a room.”

“One, strange thing to point out, dad! And two, please don't entertain his mischief,” Qingming said with a sigh, as he walked around the construction site that will be the entrance hall of the main house.

His father simply chuckled. “Since we have all this land, it means you and your siblings can get your own private space. Besides, when we actually come here, it'll likely be for events or family gatherings. So that way, you won't have to worry about having anyone in your space as guests will all stay in the main house.”

“It's like you totally get me, dad,” Qingming grinned.

He was poking fun but he really meant it.

Hiromasa nodded. “And if we want more privacy, my house is- oof!”

Qingming elbowed him in the side. “Come on. Let's go check out where my place is going to be built.”

The three walked across undeveloped land for about five minutes, until the destined plot of land came into sight.

There were a few workmen there digging a shallow perimeter line in which they stuck little red flags.

The trio climbed up the short slope to better survey the area and Qingming was left with a big smile on his face.

“So, we were originally thinking of a different location for your place, A’Ming,” Abe-san said. “However, we heard you have a thing for a nice view, so we had the land surveyors come out to ensure it was ok to build here and got the go-ahead.”

Qingming didn't make the correlation, but Hiromasa already knew he wouldn't. He'll probably call the athlete two weeks from now, in the middle of the night to say, ‘I just realised something!’

The athlete smiled at the thought.

“What are you so happy about?” Qingming asked, raising a brow at Hiromasa who walked into his peripheral.

“Am I not allowed?”

Qingming rolled his eyes. “Dad, why -.”

When he turned around, his father was over by the workmen discussing something.

“Hiromasa-senpai,” Qingming said. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being you. For giving my parents what I am not yet able to do, without wanting anything in return. For -.”

“Who says I don't want something in return?”

Qingming was a little taken back. “Oh.. well, what is it that you want?”

Hiromasa turned his entire body to face Qingming and folded his arms, his smirk in place as he leaned a few inches forward. “Why? Are you willing to give it to me?”

For some reason, Qingming's mind went off on a tangent and he could feel his neck and face getting warmer. And it had nothing to do with the sun. “Wh… I am.. Speak properly!”

The dancer stepped back and had to quickly balance himself as his foot slipped on a few loose rocks.

Hiromasa only grinned as he held onto one of Qingming's arms to steady him. “Whatever you want.”

“If only…,” Qingming mumbled.

“Hm?”

“Nothing. Come on. Hey dad, we're going down to the beach!”

🏝

That evening, they had dinner together on the beach at the resort.

“It's been a while since your mother and I have been on vacation,” Abe-san sighed wistfully. “I hope I get to wisk her away one day soon.”

“I'm sure you will,” Qingming smiled.

He used to feel resentful towards his mother for not taking time off to spend with him while living with his grandfather. Anytime she visited, she was always working. But he'd learnt it was actually because she hasn't taken any time off all this time. Except when she got sick and had to be ordered to stay home and rest.

“My mom said they're having a blast,” Hiromasa said. “So I hope that counts for the time being.”

“Oh!” Qingming piped up. “I completely forgot to ask if she's enjoying her trip! We spoke this morning, but she spent the time asking about me and then had to hang up for a meeting. But she did say she was extending her trip yet again. What exactly is the purpose of her going to the States?”

“Well, she's looking for investors for a new business venture that she and your sister have been working on.. Her meeting with Raul went very well, plus she was introduced to other potential investors at the the banquet he hosted for her. So those meetings have been keeping her busy.”

“Oh.. I'm glad to hear that,” Qingming said thoughtfully. He really was though. Just from working around the main office in Osaka these few weeks, he'd already gotten a good idea of certain things.

Not knowing his identity, and working as an office clerk, people talked openly around him thinking he wasn't paying attention or didn't understand. His girls had given him some pretty good advice on how to not stand out which also worked in his favour. His own uncle, who'd shown up unannounced, hadn't even recognised him!

🏝

Later, Qingming was again being very indulgent of a clingy Hiromasa who kept whining about their impending separation.

Only, even more than last time, the dancer was a lot more complaisant with the athlete. That internal tug of war continued but he paid it no mind. He was emboldened by the knowledge that he was not impeding on anyone else's territory.

As his heart stomped his conscience into acquiescence, Qingming closed his eyes with a smile as Hiromasa complimented his neck while giving him the back massage the dancer claimed he absolutely needed after all the activities he did the day before.

Chapter Text

The final Saturday before school started was approaching, which was also when the semi final match was scheduled!

The odd relative that no one liked to talk about was now being embraced by the rest of the family after the school board sent out a video notice of the match, which included highlights of the team's performance the year before, the season thus far and an announcement that they'd be vying for the national title after winning regionals! They also announced something Hiromasa had recently shared with Qingming: that the team will be travelling to New Zealand to spend a few weeks training with their under 19 All Blacks team in preparation for the National League that starts late September!

Some parents from the other elite schools felt that since it was such a big game, it was only right for it to be held at a local stadium instead of the school's field. They even arranged media coverage and online streaming.

With all the preparations needed to be done by the team, they'd only spent one more week on the island before heading home. They wanted to use the days in the final week leading up to the game to train in the stadium so they could get a feel for the environment.

That is why, when Qingming got a knock at his hotel room door late the Thursday night before the game, he was speechless to find Hiromasa standing there. The athlete wore a wide grin that made him look like a cute kid seeking attention.

“What are you doing here?” Qingming asked as he stepped aside to let him in.

But unexpectedly, he was caught in an all-consuming hug once again. At least, this time he was fully clothed.

Instead of responding right away, Hiromasa lifted him a few inches off the ground and closed the door, then took off his shoes. He then brought a ‘protesting’ Qingming to the bed where he dropped him in a sitting position and pulled off his knapsack.

As Hiromasa busied himself with rummaging through his knapsack, he answered the long asked question. “You have your recital tomorrow, right? How could I miss something so important?”

Qingming's heart beat a little faster at the way the athlete said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. As if it would be more surprising for him not to be there!

"You could have at least changed your shirt before getting on the plane," the dancer teased.

As Hiromasa stuck his toothbrush into his mouth for storage, he took out a few other items from his bag. “I would've ended up missing my flight. Besides, at this time of night, I was the only one in business class. It's the first time you'll be performing this new technique that you won't tell me about, and it's the first time I'll see you in an actual production. No way was I going to risk not being here.”

“Oh..”

That's right… Other than the times Qingming was practising at home or just playing around, Hiromasa has never seen him do a live performance. The athlete had told him recently that immediately after his dance with Tomei, he'd burnt the memory from his mind, and as far as he was concerned, it never happened.

Until Hiromasa told him about he and Tomei cutting ties, Qingming had thought it was because he didn't like seeing someone else dance that way with the person he liked. Now, he realised it's because he didn't want to store any new memories of Tomei.
(A/N: Oh baby you're so wrong!😭 )

"Why are you still dressed up at this hour?" Hiromasa asked as he closed his bag.

Qingming looked down at his attire. "I started working on a few files for my boss after I got back from dinner..."

He went on to explain that he'd spent a long time in the dining hall with the examiner from the RAD and a few other RAD seniors, who'd all come to watch his recital. Then around 9:30 he got a text from his supervisor, demanding he turn in the revised copy of a project she'd never shared with him before tonight. In fact, he knew for certain she'd already rejected it and was just giving him a hard time. After all, which manager would seriously ask a temp part-timer with no training or experience to revise a project they'd want to propose to their superiors?

"She must be sad that tomorrow's my last day because she's been like this all week," Qingming rolled his eyes. Then a smirk appeared. "Joke's on her though. I'd already been going over that project in my downtime since it correlates with my proposal for the changes I've suggested to dad. But I've been working on a dumbed-down version that even she'll be able to understand."

Hiromasa ruffled the dancer's hair with a low chuckle. "You're so naughty.. I like it."

A bright smile threatened to take over Qingming's entire face as he watched Hiromasa head to the bathroom.

When the athlete returned, Qingming had already changed into his pyjamas. He was sitting up in bed, half covered by the sheet and watching TV.

“You've got a busy day tomorrow, tiny dancer," Hiromasa said, taking the remote and switching the TV off. "It's time to sleep.”

“Ohh, that's cute. I think I'll keep it,” Qingming laughed.

As they settled down, lying close enough to touch, neither of them thought about how ambiguous this whole situation was. But neither wanted to think about such things, and was just happy the other didn't push him away.

◾🌟◾

The next morning, Qingming received another surprise when he woke up to find his mother in his hotel room, looking at him with an expression he couldn't decipher on an increasingly red face.

“Mom?” he mumbled, rubbing his sleep-filled eyes to help his vision come into focus. When he realised he really was awake, he sprang up excitedly. “You're really here!”

But before he could revel in the excitement, he realised she wasn't alone. There was another woman sitting with her around the small table in the corner where his work files had been stacked.

It was the dancer's turn to become red in the face, but not for the same reasons.

“M..mi.. Minamoto-san?!” he gasped.

As he stared at the beautiful, smiling face in shock, his hand unconsciously felt around the other side of the bed. However, the woman's son was nowhere to be found.

Noticing the confused look on his face when he turned his head and saw that he really was alone in the bed, the woman smiled. “He'll be back soon.”

Her smile was even more warm in person and Qingming just wanted to melt in it. But he quickly remembered his current state and rushed from the bed, grabbing a change of clothes.

In less than ten minutes he washed up, changed and combed his hair into a ponytail.

As he sat at the table with the ladies, he couldn't help wondering about his mom's demeanour.

“It's so great to finally meet you face to face,” Minamoto-san said to him. “Hiro was right, you're even more gorgeous in person.. wow!”

“Um.. thanks, but I'm not that great..” Qingming felt a little shy and didn't know how else to respond to her claim. And his usually extroverted mother was all quiet and docile looking. “So, what brings you here, Minamoto-san? And mom, I wasn't expecting you back until next week.”

“Uh, well.. I told Minamoto-san.. about your.. Recital..”

Qingming looked at his mother as if he didn't know who she was. And at the moment, he didn't! Why was she behaving like a shy maiden?!

“What Abe-furen is trying to say is, we wanted to surprise you for your recital! I missed your world leading performance once, it's not gonna happen again,” the woman said seriously. Then she giggled. She actually giggled! “But who knew we were the ones in for a surprise..”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Qingming asked, looking from one to the other.

Suddenly Minamoto-san’s phone vibrated and she checked it.

“Please excuse me, I need to take this,” she said patting Qingming's hand, then got up and went out onto the balcony.

“Mom, what's going on?” Qingming asked in a low voice.

The woman looked at him with glossy eyes as if she was about to cry. “A’Qing.. my sweet boy.”

“Mom.. you're scaring me, what's wrong?”

The woman gave him a little smile. “Nothing’s wrong, my dear boy.” She cupped his cheek, her thumb rubbing against it softly. Then she glanced at the bed before looking at him again. “I understand how healthy young people can be.. And it's not like you're underage..”

Qingming had a queasy feeling in his stomach.

“I just need to come to terms with the fact that you're no longer my little baby.. All I ask is that you're both being safe.”

Qingming stared at her blankly, then the bed, then her and then the bed again. As if in slow motion, his face morphed from confusion, to realisation, then to mortification!

“Mom!” he yelled in shock, then belatedly remembered the woman on the balcony. Instead, he started whispering aggressively as his face became the colour of a ripe tomato. “What on earth are you thinking??? Hiromasa-senpai and I are just friends!! You came in and saw us fully clothed, didn't you??!”

Abe-furen’s face became a little sheepish. “At first, I didn't think so but Minamoto-san was so convinced that I too became…”

“Oh my goooosh,” Qingming groaned, dropping his head heavily to the table and covering it with his arms. “My own mother thinks I'm a sexual deviant..”

“Well, technically you wouldn't be one as long as you're with one partner. I know sometimes young people can't fight the urge to –.”

“Please stooop,” Qingming cried. Then his head sprang up. “Wait.. is this why you and dad were trying to have ‘the talk’ with me?”

Abe-furen, already recovering her composure, nodded.

“So all this time you guys thought we… oh, my goooosh…,” Qingming wailed and dropped his head on the table again, wishing it would be strong enough to wake him from this nightmare.

“But he always sleeps in your bed. And you in his..”

“That's because he's…," he paused as he looked up at her again. "Wait, how do you even know that?” He suddenly had the crazy idea that she had people spying on him.

“His mother told me,” Abe-furen said easily.

Qingming again wondered about Hiromasa. “Does he seriously tell his mom everything??!”

"Apparently not everything since he didn't tell me about you two getting together,” Minamoto-san chuckled, entering the room once again.

Qingming blushed profusely, unable to look the woman in the eyes again now knowing what she'd thought. He really wanted to find a hole and crawl into.

Abe-furen shook her head with a little laugh. “It seems we went a little overboard and there is nothing between them.”

“It's still early days.”

“What?” Qingming was baffled.

The door opened just then and Hiromasa entered the room, followed by a hotel staff member who was pushing a cart full of food items.

“You ok?” Hiromasa asked noticing Qingming's relieved look.

“What exactly did you think we were doing to him?” Minamoto-san asked incredulously.

“Talking,” her son said simply.

The woman made an expression showing she was affronted by his words, but soon fanned it off. “My own son thinks so poorly of me.”

“Of course, mother,” Hiromasa said, taking up a glass from the cart and handing it to Qingming. “I hope I got it right.”

The dancer accepted it with a puzzled face and looked down into it. Then he looked up surprised! “You didn't?”

“I tried,” the athlete grinned as he proceeded to serve the women.

Qingming again smiled widely as he looked into the glass again for a few seconds before taking a sip. “Wow, you can even make my protein shake the way I like! Not bad. Keep this up and I'll have to hire you as my personal drink maker.”

“My fee is quite high.”

…

Later that evening, Hiromasa and the two moms were seated in the front row waiting for the show to begin.

The stage was dark but you could tell it was decorated with props depicting some kind of forestry.

“I'm so excited!” Minamoto-san said.

“I'm a little nervous,” Abe-furen said. "I pray he doesn't fall.."

“I wish he'd told me sooner that he was doing couple dances,” Hiromasa grumbled.

The two women only chuckled and continued talking to each other.

About half an hour later, the school's Director came to the stage to give the opening remarks and introductions. She mentioned that their summer intern, Qingming, would be starting the program off. She went on to sing praises about how quickly he learnt and soon shone brightly which everyone would see tonight.

After some more talking, the show began..

Qingming and a few others entered the dark stage and the story began..

The first part of the song was slow and showed Qingming as a loner in a crowd of dancers. He was overcome by 'shadows' who dragged him into darkness. The passage of time was depicted by dancers leaping across the other half of the stage, dressed in costumes that depicted the seasons. While that happened Qingming's movements were a series of interpretive dance movements, something they'd never seen him do before! Qingming then met an unseen person who brought a spark of light to the darkness he was in. The more they 'talked', which was depicted by Qingming and the light holder doing a mimic dance, the more lively he became and the brighter the light shone.

However, the shadows returned and tried to douse the light. But this time he didn't just give in. While the dance choreo was of him protecting the still unseen person and the light, he was also wrapping long pieces of silk which hung from the ceiling, around his body. But to the crowd, it simply looked as if he were depicting a fight against the shadows.

🎶 All of my life, I've been in hiding… wishing there was someone just like you.. 🎶

Soon, he overcame the shadows and pulled himself away which saw him actually being lifted into the air.

That's what this company specialised in: Aerial Silk Dance.

The audience reacted in awe, and were further wowed as his outfit which seemed black before, now glowed a wine red colour under the beams of the spotlight.

He moved gracefully and seamlessly through the air on the flowing yards of silk, wrapping them around himself every now and then, and doing spins that had his mother on the edge of her seat with her heart pounding! He showed off his upper body strength, keeping himself airborne by simply holding onto the two lengths of silk while doing acrobatic moves and some small dance movements. Even so, he spent quite a bit of time dancing across the stage, this time happily joining the crowd.

🎶 Now that you're here, now that I've found you, I know that you're the one to pull me through🎶

As it neared the end of the performance, everyone was under his spell and soaring with him.. Qingming, now full of light, once again descended into the darkness to rescue the other person. However, as the area lit up with his light, it revealed a mirror... All along, he had been the one to find that spark within and had been encouraging himself despite the years spent consumed by the dark.

There was a loud applause as he and the others bowed, feet planted firmly on the stage once more. Abe-furen was actually in tears as she clapped enthusiastically.

The next performer was introduced, and others after that. Throughout that time, Hiromasa couldn't help the way his heart felt.

He couldn't explain it but inside his chest felt congested, and it was all feelings for the dancer! He'd already accepted that he really likes him, but now he couldn't help wondering that he may even be in love with him. And the intensity of it kind of frightened him.. More so because the dancer had told him he'd fallen for someone. Very likely Hiromasa's own teammate! Then there was Tomei… He hadn't yet told Qingming about what happened with his former best friend that night, because he didn't know how exactly to approach it since Qingming was still hopeful of rebuilding their friendship. He wasn't selfish enough to try and get Qingming to also completely cut ties with Tomei and it left him unsure of what to do..

But in this moment, Hiromasa was certain he didn't want to give up on getting together with Qingming!

There was a group performance, a rendition of the CDS ‘Allegria’ performance in which Qingming played the ML. He and the girl's chemistry was very good, allowing them to dance comfortably with each other. Their interactions and expressions helping to perfectly portray the love between the main characters.
(A/N: I recommend watching the whole video when you have time because they are so amazing! 🤩)

It was another event Hiromasa wanted to burn away from his memory.

Still, he grudgingly agreed that it was beautiful and they did very well.

After almost 3 hours, including intermission, there was another group performance in which Qingming was the lead.

The costumes were beautiful and exotic, and the stage decorated like a fantasy desert oasis.

The performance started off with some members on the stage doing acrobatics, while others danced a ballet choreography to a woman's vocalising.

When the drums came in, another group descended from above on the silks while spinning and dancing.

Qingming was with the 3rd group who started doing a choreographed routine on the floor once the singing started. From there he made his way to the centre with his silks.

At this point, most people were wondering about the reason for him having such a wide berth from the other dancers on silks which wasn't the case for any other performances. But they soon found out..

🎶 The deeper I go, the higher I fly with you... 🎶

After wrapping the silks securely around his wrists, Qingming took large leaps and swung in a wide circular pattern, twisting and turning. He touched down every now and then to run and leap up again. If not for Minamoto-san, Abe-furen would have probably shot out of her seat.

"I think I should've prepared my heart better by watching other performances with this technique," she sighed making the mother and son laugh.

As the beat changed and the instrumentals came in, he climbed higher and higher to do his routine.

The rest of the performance had more instances of him going down to the stage for more group choreo before going back in the air with a few others…

🎶Oh, you… You take my breath away.. 🎶

◾◽

Before the last note played, everyone in the hall was on their feet cheering and applauding!

“Oh, my gosh! He's so amazing!” Minamoto-san gushed.

“He really is…” Abe-furen was in disbelief. Though she'd watched videos of him dancing, it really was a different experience seeing him live.

As the performers lined the front of the stage, the director appeared once more and handed a bouquet to Qingming directly, while the juniors who weren't in the recital and staff members brought equally large bouquets for the others.

That had been arranged by Abe-furen, because she knew her son wouldn't want to get anything more extravagant than the others. Especially when he was just a guest and was already the lead in 3 performances.

Still, she couldn't help herself and the flowers in his arrangement were more exotic.

The dancers took their final bow and left the stage while the Director gave her closing remarks.

The trio continued waiting in their seats for Qingming to finish and come around. However, they knew it would take a while. Especially since the Director had announced some special guests, including the people from RAD, who they knew were there for Qingming.

As the women talked, Hiromasa heard a familiar voice. A few familiar voices! He looked around and found Qingming's girl gang walking towards the stage with bouquets and gift bags in hand.

“Please excuse me for a moment,” he said to the moms as he stood up to intercept the girls.

Of course, they too weren't expecting to see him of all people there walking towards them!

“Minamoto-senpai!”

“Oh, my gosh!”

He almost rolled his eyes at their reactions. At least they didn't squeal.

“Good evening, ladies. I wasn't expecting to see you here,” he smiled devastatingly.

They blushed even more. After all, he was standing there in semi-formal wear and looking super handsome. What else could they do?

“Um.. we came to support Qing-kun..,” one explained.

“En. He said his family wasn't going to be here and we couldn't leave him hanging like that!”

Hiromasa rose a brow. “So you all just decided to board a plane and come here?”

The girls laughed as if he'd asked a very silly question.

“Of course! Aren't you here, too? Surely you felt the same way.”

“Especially with your big game tomorrow..”

Hiromasa was surprised. Qingming had mentioned these girls were very protective of him, but he didn't know it was to this extent. He felt warm inside by their actions. It wasn't just about buying tickets to come here, then getting flowers and gifts. The recital tickets were also expensive!

“He doesn't know we're here yet. I can imagine how he'll try to scold us,” one of them giggled.

The others chimed in.

“Minamoto-senpai, do you mind if we take a picture of you?”

Hiromasa thought for a while. “It's fine. I just have one request. Don't post anything about tonight until Sunday.. the game tomorrow is likely going to flood The Forum and people's SNS pages, which means the posts about his performances will get pushed back too soon. This way, the focus will be on him. Which will be a good thing if we end up losing.”

The girls cooed at him but agreed.

“Mom! Minamoto-san!” rang out behind them a few moments later.

Hiromasa turned to see Qingming, now dressed in a tracksuit, but still covered with makeup and decorations, running over to give the two women hugs. He was followed by the company's Director.

“Eh? Mom? Minamoto-san?” one girl repeated confused.

Their eyes simultaneously widened as they looked at Hiromasa, who had conveniently forgotten about the women.

He sighed. “Yes, our moms came to surprise him today. But -.”

“We saw nothing!”

“Huh?”

“Qing-kun has already told us he doesn't want people at school talking about his family which is why he keeps it a secret.”

“So you know her?”

“No, but it's his secret, right?”

Hiromasa again understood why Qingming kept them around. “You're quite right. Come with me.”

The girls were surprised as he began walking back down the aisle towards the dancer and their mothers.

“Senpai, there you are!” Qingming grinned as he rushed to him and gave him a hug. “I did it! What did you think? How was it?”

“Ok, ok calm down,” Hiromasa chuckled. “I'll tell you all my thoughts a little later. But the verdict is, you were amazing.”

Qingming felt his already flushed face becoming warmer and stretching as his smile widened. “Thank you..”

Then he seemed to recognised the others coming over and his eyes widened.

“What are you doing here?” the dancer sputtered.

“Now is that anyway to greet your biggest fans?” Hiromasa grinned. “They came all this way and…”

His voice trailed off as he saw tears spilling from Qingming's eyes as the dancer walked over and hugged the girls tightly.

“Hey, how come they get tears? Why do you have to hug so many times?” Hiromasa complained.

“Hiro, Qingming,” came Minamoto-san’s voice.

She and Abe-furen had walked over after the Director left.

“Mom, Furen, meet Qingming's entourage,” Hiromasa said blankly.

Qingming turned around and smacked him as he wiped his eyes. “These are my friends from school. I didn't know they'd be coming..”

The girls greeted the two women, suddenly becoming the most subdued Hiromasa has ever seen them.

“These ladies are his ‘girl gang’. They protect him a lot more than I do,” Hiromasa said.

“Oh?” Abe-furen smiled. “A’Qing, you should invite them over some time. I would like a chance to meet with you girls properly.”

Before Qingming could make an excuse, the athlete spoke, making the dancer look at him in disbelief. “I agree! You and Nee-san can have them over for lunch one day.”

The girls didn't know what was going on and stood silent with frozen smiles while nodding every now and then. What happened to the dancer wanting privacy?

Out of sight, Hiromasa captured Qingming's hand and gave it a squeeze then a small nod.

“I guess that's a good idea..,” Qingming agreed, still uncertain.
…

Chapter Text

On Saturday morning, Hiromasa was awake by 7 AM.

After they got back to Tokyo, he'd made some bullshit excuse to get Qingming to stay over. It had something to do with the dancer being his omajinai.

At the time, Qingming was too tired to argue and just wanted to get to bed. And despite being half asleep, he found himself surprised about their moms nonchalant reaction to the athlete's bullshit, and how comfortable Hiromasa was saying such things in front of them.

Hiromasa looked over at the sleeping face. Despite Qingming's best efforts in the late hours, there were still glitter and paint streaks on his face. He listened to the boy's light breathing as he was far off in dreamland.

After a while, Hiromasa moved closer and enveloped the other in a hug. His stomach did somersaults when Qingming responded and leaned into the hug while sleepily draping an arm around his middle. The athlete's heart was beating so hard, he feared its pounds would wake the sleeping dancer.

Eventually, he had to leave the bed and get ready because he had to go to the stadium for training. Thankfully he wasn't feeling jetlagged which he'd been concerned about.

◾🏉◾

Hiromasa was in the middle of drinking water when his teammates accosted him on the field. By the position of the sun, it was just after midday.

“Hey, cap,” Koga said, arms folded and a displeased look on his face. “How could you suddenly disappear on us the day before such an important match?”

The others voiced their agreement and Hiromasa shook his head as he stretched.

“I had something more important to do,” he said simply.

Their faces showed their incredulity at his words. What could be more important than this match?!

“Cap, I know you're generally better at keeping your composure than the rest of us, but you should be mindful of how much more pressure we're under to win this game..,” someone else said.

Hiromasa straightened up and looked around at his team, stone-faced. They each took a step back and didn't make a sound.

“What the hell are you talking about? Why should the pressure be any more than it's always been? Just because there are more people watching?”

“Well .. that's part of the reason, but…”

“Good, you're all here!”

The sound of the Principal's voice made Hiromasa's blood boil in his veins. He turned around and fixed the man with nothing short of a glare.

“What are you doing here?” he practically demanded.

“Ah, so the delinquent has returned. Good. Now I can go over the expectations again with all of you.”

With that said, it wasn't hard to figure out why his teammates were on edge. The man must have been there yesterday and put all kinds of nonsense in their heads!

“Let me stop you right there, Sensei,” Hiromasa said in a tone that clearly said he had no patience for him. “Anything you have to say to my team needs to be cleared by the board. After all, as you've said multiple times, you have limited knowledge of the sport and you've never watched us play. It just so happens the Board Chairman will be at today's game. Why don't you go jot down everything you were about to say so she can read it. Make sure you leave nothing out.”

The team watched as the man's face paled and beads of sweat appeared on his brow. “Sh-sh.. she's here?!”

Hiromasa only smirked and turned back to his team. “Let's go. And if any of you fuck up out there today because you're thinking about what he said, I'll kick your ass right here in front of everybody!”

They didn't think about it twice, because they knew he would.

◾◽

When Qingming woke up, it was well past noon. He didn't immediately make a move and instead enjoyed the comfort of the bed.

He pulled a pillow into a hug, inhaling deeply as Hiromasa's scent flooded his nostrils. But he didn't remain like that for too long. He needed to get home and spend some time with his family before getting ready for the game.

He sat up and looked around for his phone. After calling for a driver to come pick him up, he went to the bathroom.

After brushing and a quick change of clothes, he left the room.

“Oba-san, good afternoon!” he greeted as he entered the kitchen and saw her coming out of the pantry.

“Qing-kun!” she smiled. “You're finally awake. Would you like me to make you something?”

He shook his head. “I've got to get home and get ready for the game later, so I'll just have lunch there with my family.”

The woman nodded as she grabbed another full shopping bag and went back into the pantry. He followed her after taking up another one from the counter.

“Where's Minamoto-san? I wanted to see her before I left.”

“She had some work matters to deal with so she went to the head office. But she said to let you know she'll meet you later.”

“..eh?”

◾◽

When Qingming returned home, his family was having a lively conversation in the dining room.

“There's our star!” his sister exclaimed as he entered. “I'm still upset that we weren't told about this recital, but I'll forgive you since you were so amazing!”

“Huh?”

“Your ‘girl gang’ sent Hiromasa the recordings of your performances and he shared them with me. I was showing the family earlier,” Abe-furen said.

“I still can't believe my brother has an entourage of cute girls!” Xiao Ming grinned.

“Can you all please not follow that delinquent and call them that?” Qingming groaned, taking a seat.

Their lunch was served shortly after while they talked about the recital. Qingming tried to act annoyed but he really had a good time.

When he excused himself to go get ready, the others reacted with similar statements.

“Excuse me?”

“What? We're all going too,” Abe-san said. “Xiao Ming, your mom and I have to go as part of the elite school family, and your sister will be joining the board next year.”

“I'm just tagging along in case something happens to Hiro-kun,” Shen-shen grinned.

“Oh..k..”

◾◽

When Qingming arrived at the stadium with his family and Hiromasa's mom, he was shocked at just how many people had turned out. And they were only in the parking lot!

Qingming couldn't help feeling nervous about being with his parents and Hiromasa's mom. After all, they were well known by the other parents. He hoped his cap and sunglasses were enough to suitably hide him since they'd be sharing the centre box with others. But he realized he couldn't rely on that.

“Wait!” Qingming said, turning to face his group as they walked towards the entrance. “If my classmates are going to learn my secret, I don't want it to be here. So, grown ups can sit together while Xiao Ming and I will sit with my…friends.” He stopped himself before he used Hiromasa's phrase.

He pulled down his cap to hide as much of his face as he could and pulled Xiao Ming's arm as to bring them a few metres ahead of the others.

As he was expecting, the large stadium was bustling with familiar faces! Many students from his school always supported their team, plus they also had outside supporters, so he knew they would definitely show up.. But like his family, a lot of students and their parents from the group of elite schools had also turned out! Their numbers were so great, they already outnumbered the supporters for the opposing team! And there were still many outside, making their way in.

With so many of the country's industry leaders and political figures in attendance, the media turnout was also insane!

He'd been sceptical that the team would get much support from the other schools based on how they normally dealt with each other. But Hiromasa had told him to wait and see...

Looking around again, he now knew what the athlete had meant because of what he learnt on the drive over.. That Minamoto-san was the chairman of the board of elite schools! One word from her, or in this case one video, was all it took.

Qingming's girls were already there, and welcomed him and Xiao Ming, while the grown ups sat two rows ahead of them.

The atmosphere in the stands was charged with energy and anticipation! Everyone in attendance wore the colours of the team they were supporting.

Currently, players from both teams were on the field doing warm up exercises while being ogled. However, Qingming didn't see the fly half there.

It was another 30 or so minutes before kick off, when someone came over to Qingming and tapped him on the shoulder while he was explaining some aspects of the game to Xiao Ming. As if he understood much of it himself!

Qingming looked to his left to see Tomei standing there. He was left speechless wondering why the guy wanted to talk to him all of a sudden. And here of all places!

“Mei-kun?”

“Hey, Qing-kun. The others and I wondered if you'd like to join us?” Tomei grinned, pointing over his shoulder to the others about ten seats over, including the girls they'd been hanging out with. He also noticed Tomei's parents and younger brother in the area, and other adults he guessed were the others' parents.

Qingming didn't respond immediately because he was concerned about Tomei's parents seeing Minamoto-san since they were in such close proximity, and coming over. But more than that, he didn't want Tomei or the woman to become aware of each other! Qingming was in no way mentally prepared to get caught in the middle of their reunion without Hiromasa being there. Things were just too messy where the three teens were concerned. Though, if he were honest, he'd admit he'd been dying to know what exactly Minamoto-san thought of Tomei. Not only was he her son's childhood friend, but his first love. What would their interaction be like? Were they close? Did the parents of the teens get along well?

“As you can see, Mei-kun,” Riri-chan said seriously. “He's already here with us.”

The young man narrowed his eyes in annoyance at her.

Seeing his reaction, Qingming spoke before anything else could be said. “Thanks for the offer, Mei-kun. But I'm already here with them. Let's just focus on cheering for Hiromasa-senpai and the team.”

Tomei's frown was deep. “Him? Why would I be cheering for him? I'm only here today for you.”

“Huh?” Not only did that make no sense, but his smile was beginning to make Qingming feel uncomfortable.

“So he really hasn't told you, huh?” And the dancer laughed before leaning close to Qingming's ear and lowering his voice. “Next time you two are in bed together, why don't you ask him about what I told him that last night of camp?”

Qingming pulled away without giving any reaction and simply held the other guy's gaze with a straight face.

“Don't be a stranger, Qing-kun. I've missed you,” Tomei said before walking away.

“Ani… what happened? Who was that?” a concerned Xiao Ming asked.

“Just.. someone from school.”

“What did he say, you don't look so good.”

There was a lot of foot traffic and the noise level around them was pretty high, so the interaction with Tomei didn't stand out. But Qingming didn't want his parents to be alerted by Xiao Ming causing a fuss, so he laughed. “Don't be silly, otouto. It's just that he and I haven't spoken in a while so I was surprised.”

Xiao Ming didn't seem convinced, but he didn't question it further as the commentators introduced the two teams and everyone in the stands began to settle down. From the dressing room tunnels directly under where they were seated, they watched the two teams filter out to loud cheers.

The multitude of squeals and comments about the players' physiques almost made Qingming roll his eyes. Almost. Because he was looking at the fly half thinking how nicely he filled out his gears.

So caught up he was in his thoughts, Qingming only realised the game had started when the fans reacted to a play on the field. He snapped back into the moment, chiding himself for spacing out like this.

◾◽

Twenty minutes into the game, they'd had fifteen minutes of actual play time. Both sides had started playing fiercely right from the beginning.

The referee had just called for a scrum after the opposing team, who had possession, sent the ball forward.

“Um.. why do people willingly play this kind of game?” Abe-furen asked as she watched the two teams pushing against each other. “It's so violent.. and poor Hiro-kun, though he's not small, he's not as big as most of the guys out there.”

Qingming rolled his eyes, but silently chuckled. Though he may not be as bulky, Hiromasa certainly had a lot of strength.

“Ani, why are you spacing out? The other team's about to score!” Xiao Ming, on his feet like most others, reprimanded Qingming who was still sitting with a silly grin on his face.

The dancer sprang to his feet, now paying attention to what the commentators were saying and what was happening on the pitch.

At half time, the opposition was leading by ten points. Though Hiromasa's team had more possession, their opponent’s defence was very strong and hard to get through!

There'd been a few more scrum calls by the referee and a few penalties given on both sides, but there'd also been a lot of medics constantly checking the players every chance they could.

Hiromasa's face was firm as he left the field with his team. He glanced up where his mom and the others were, and it noticeably softened with a small smile.

Minamoto-san was cheering the loudest in their box and waved when their eyes made contact.

Qingming also smiled. Unlike himself, Hiromasa and his mom had a strong bond all their life and he could understand why he told her so much. After the athlete had opened up about that ‘dark’ time in his life, Qingming couldn't help thinking Minamoto-san had a lot more to do with the athlete deciding to drop that kind of lifestyle than Tomei… But of course, he didn't say so. Besides, in his own way, Tomei had contributed to it.

As they sat down once again, Qingming suddenly thought of Tomei and glanced over at the other group. They were all in deep conversation, but the guy seemed to feel his stare and looked in Qingming's direction, who quickly looked away.

“Qing-kun,” Mitsuki-chan called. “A few of us are going to get some snacks. Be back soon.”

“Ok,” the dancer replied, standing up and pulling out his phone. “Let me come with you. I need to stretch my legs. Xiao Ming, you coming?”

As they walked off, he texted his dad to ask if they wanted anything.

Entering the concession area, they were surprised at the variety of food options.

“I've been to an event here twice before, and they did NOT have this many offerings,” Ayu-chan exclaimed.

“I guess this is really what it's like to be part of the elite group… Our school really is the ugly step sister,” Nina-chan laughed.

“Yeah, we have social standing, but this makes it obvious we're still not a Princess.”

Qingming sighed audibly. “Are we getting food or are we gonna make lame jokes all day?”

The girls laughed and discussed the options. They wanted a variety, and the adults had decided on wraps, so Qingming went to that line.

He was sending his father a picture of the menu, when someone spoke next to him.

“'Dad'?”

He jumped at Tomei's voice and looked around at the other guy as he locked his phone screen. “Mei-kun! Don't sneak up on me like that!”

But the other only grinned. “Is your dad here? I'd like to meet him.”

“If he were here you'd see him next to me,” Qingming said. “I'm just…”

Qingming stopped and frowned. He didn't owe this guy any explanations. And he certainly didn't appreciate him sneaking around and reading his conversation.

It seemed Tomei got the hint as he lifted his arms, as if surrendering. “You're right, I was wrong.”

However, his face and tone said he didn't think so.

“Is there something you need?” Qingming asked as he moved up in the line.

“What kind of question is that? Haven't we always hung out together?”

Qingming turned to face him. “Mei-kun, not that I don't want to be friends with you, but you were the one who insisted on widening this rift between us. Not only did you try to humiliate me in public by saying some nasty shit to my face and on The Forum, but you also caused other problems for me. Just because I chose not to be petty and agreed to dance with you on the class trip, doesn't mean I'm simply going to pretend all those things never happened at all.”

Tomei's initial reaction was of surprise, then his face went through a few different minor expressions. But Qingming could decipher enough to know the guy had no intention of addressing those things, furthermore apologising.

“I'm next. Let's talk next time when it's more convenient,” Qingming said then made his way to the counter.

Tomei didn't immediately leave, but didn't follow him.

By the time Qingming collected his items, Tomei was nowhere in sight. He wondered if he'd been too harsh, but then remembered he needed to be that frank with the other. Especially when he remembered what the guy said earlier.. obviously Tomei has his own assumptions and doesn't seem willing to hear that he was wrong.

Qingming was so cross and deep in his thoughts, he'd begun walking towards the exit to the stands, forgetting the others.

“Hey, where are you going?”

Qingming's head snapped up and he suddenly felt guilty. How could he get so caught up in himself he forgot his brother??

“I'm sorry, didi," he sighed. "I didn't mean to almost leave you behind.”

“Chill,” Xiao Ming chuckled. “It's not like I'm a kid who can't find my way around by myself. I'm just worried about you..”

If his hands were free, Qingming would have hugged his brother. He'd really come to love and appreciate his family so much more recently and felt bad for all the years he's spent away from them, both physically and emotionally.

“Are you going to cry?” Xiao Ming frowned and took a step back.

“Hell no, you weirdo.”

Just then the girls came over and they left.

When they got back to their seats, the second half had already started.

“Oh!” Xiao Ming exclaimed. “It looks like half the team is wearing those scrum caps..”

Qingming looked out and realised it was true. “Hmm… Hiromasa-senpai said they don't really like them because it messes with their peripheral vision sometimes. But I guess their rucks have been tougher on them than we thought…”

“Yeah… most of their opponents are bigger..”

Hiromasa's team had possession but were still having a hard time getting past the defence. However, they kept pushing nonetheless.

Another ten minutes and Yue pummelled through the opposition and managed to get the ball just across the line and touching the pitch, scoring his team's first try! Koga followed up with the conversion, further narrowing the other team's lead.

After a particularly intense maul, Hiromasa managed to score another try for the team. But when he got up, his nose was bleeding. The medics who were always close by rushed over and attended to him, thus stopping the game.

Both teams used the stoppage to make substitutions.

In the final two minutes of the game, Hiromasa's team were on the defensive and gave their all to maintain the small lead they had. But at the same time they had to be careful to not concede a penalty.

Everyone in the stands were on their feet, shouting encouragement at the team to hold strong! If Qingming wasn't busy doing the same, he'd have been surprised at his mother being one of the loudest in their section!

The entire stadium was in jubilation as the game was called to an end in the 83rd minute, with Hiromasa's team securing the win.

Qingming and the others cheered drowning out the commentators, while the teams walked around the field shaking hands.

“Ouch!”

“Oh, stop being such a baby,” Qingming chided Hiromasa.

The athlete was sitting on an examination table in the medical room next to the main dressing room, being looked over by one of the medics. The rest of the team had already gone to the showers as the captain had insisted his teammates get checked before him.

“Maybe I won't feel as much pain if you do it,” Hiromasa grinned.

Qingming almost blushed, but ended up laughing as the medic squeezed the guy's nose.

“It doesn't seem to be broken,” the medic said in a regretful tone.

Qingming turned back to the athlete's bag and stingily picked up the discarded, sweaty jersey. “I think you can just burn this one..”

“I thought you liked my scent,” Hiromasa joked.

Qingming absentmindedly responded as he walked around the small room picking up the other items that belonged to the athlete. “This isn't just you. It's a million other guys and grass.”

"Well, this is where I take my leave," the medic chuckled as he threw his things into his bag and picked it up. "There're no serious injuries but I do recommend you get another check-up after a few days to make sure your bruises and your muscles are recovering well. Don't train so hard again right before a match!"

Hiromasa nodded but his focus was on what Qingming had said. He wasn't serious when he made that statement so he was stunned that Qingming actually answered!

He wanted to say something to the dancer who was busy gathering his things, but heard approaching footsteps. Xiao Ming came in from the side door and immediately became an excited little kid when he saw Hiromasa.

“Senpai, you were so cool out there!” the teen almost shouted.

“Ya! You're too young to be telling such bold-faced lies,” Qingming said.

But Xiao Ming only grinned. “Don't mind him, senpai. He was worried for you the whole time.. At least, the whole time he wasn't spacing out.”

“Correction: I was worried for the team!” Qingming stressed the word. “He's not more important than anyone else.”

“I agree with that statement 100%, but that doesn't mean I can't be a little more special to you than everyone else, right?”

Qingming didn't immediately answer. Instead, he took up a second bag and shoved it at Hiromasa. “Go shower so we can help redress your cuts. If you don't hurry up, they'll leave without us.”

Hiromasa sighed. “I'm tired. Let's just go home and go to bed.”

“Oh!” Xiao Ming exclaimed before Qingming could respond. “I almost forgot. I came to tell you guys the others have to go talk to some people, so they said we should go on ahead.”

“If that's the case, I'll take a little -,” Hiromasa began, as he slid off the examination bed.

“You can soak later,” Qingming quickly intervened. “I'm hungry.”

“Are you going to make an ice bath for me then?”

"Sure, why not. Come home with us after and I'll let you use my cold room. That'll be a lot easier than some of the other things I do for you," Qingming said, grimacing as he picked up another sweaty jersey, quickly stuffed it in the duffel bag and zipped it close. "A’Ming, I should tell you some stories about your precious senpai while we wait. Let's see if you still think he's so amazing after..”

“Hey, wait!” Hiromasa called as Qingming picked up the bag and led Xiao Ming towards the side door. “Don't listen to him, Ming-kun!”

But he didn't get a response from the dancer. With a resigned sigh he clutched the bag with his clean clothes, fully intent on at least enjoying an ice-cold shower, and exited through the other door. To get to the showers meant he had to go through the changing room.

However, when he turned the corner and entered the changing room, Hiromasa stopped in his tracks. His teammates, who they thought were still in the showers, were all there getting dressed. They looked up with a mixture of guilt and other emotions at his entrance.

As their captain's eyes narrowed, everyone suddenly pointed to Koga.

“In my defence, Cap,” Koga chuckled nervously. “I asked them to keep quiet only so we could sneak up on you with that…” He pointed towards a metal bucket with ice. “But, uh..ahem, it turns out it wasn't an appropriate time..”

Hiromasa had a slightly puzzled look on his face. One of his teammates pointed to the wall between the changing room and the adjoining medical room.

The athlete looked up, only to see that the wall stopped about a half foot away from the ceiling. Which meant the room wasn't as closed off as they'd thought and sounds would carry over. The athlete wasn't sure just how much they heard, but clearly it had been enough for them to draw their own conclusions.

Without having to ask, he knew by their anxious faces that they were concerned about him and Yue.. After all, it was well known by the team that the other likes Qingming.

Hiromasa was going to tell them not to get the wrong idea, but.. Would that be so bad? There were people at school who already thought they were dating. And he did have such intentions towards Qingming, even though the dancer had feelings for someone else.

But.. it wouldn't be fair to Qingming for him to manipulate people's perception of their relationship.

“Ok, and? Can't someone make ice baths for their friend?” he shrugged.

Koga laughed nervously. “Ah, friend.. yeah, of course..”

Hiromasa sighed. “Don't get any twisted thoughts in your head. We have more than enough going on for you to focus on.”

And with that said, Hiromasa left the room.

The rest of the team breathed a sigh of relief that the situation wasn't left in an awkward state. If their captain and another teammate had the same love interest, that could only spell trouble for the team. And with the finals on the horizon, they needed to avoid any possibility of an internal conflict.

Yue picked up his bag and looked at the rest of them. “Let's go already. Coach is waiting.”

But Koga wasn't so convinced about the ‘just friends’ narrative. “But Taka-san,” he ‘whispered’, as he rushed to his friend's side. “What if the captain really likes Qingming-kun?”

Yue's face hardened slightly. “It can't be disputed that they were friends before I even knew about him.. so who's to say he hasn't liked him all along? You saw what he wrote in The Forum.. they've been closer than even his own best friend knew.”

“That's true… But he would've heard you talking about him. He should have at least said something..”

“First of all, you were the one who announced my interest in Qingming, and you always brought him up after that. If it were up to me, none of you would know. So the captain has the right to not say anything either. Besides, imagine how that would come across? Cap knows that at the end of the day, it's Qingming's decision who he wants to be with.”

“Ah.. you're both such righteous men, senpai.. But don't worry! I wholeheartedly believe you will win Qingming over in the end.”

At the restaurant, the three teens were in their private section, talking about how Xiao Ming's internship went.

“The Director said the arrangements will be made by the end of the month. It's just a small space, but it's all mine and I'll have access to all the equipment and software that I'll need!”

Qingming nodded with enthusiasm to show he was listening. “That's really great, A’Ming. I know you've really been wanting your own lab. But.. wouldn't that mean you'll spend more time away from home?”

The younger boy nodded. “I know what you're thinking, but I promise to only go there on weekends. I'll go during the week only if it's really important.”

“No, I didn't mean it like that. I thought you'd be going there as your after school activity, like I do with dance, and was worried you would get so caught up you'll end up spending long hours there.”

Xiao Ming looked a little sheepish. “That was actually my plan, but the Director said I should continue with my school activity. It's easy to become isolated in the tech world, so he doesn't want me to miss out on valuable social experiences.”

“He's not wrong,” Qingming smiled.

Soon, the others showed up and they enjoyed a nice celebratory dinner.

*******

Chapter Text

When Qingming arrived at school Monday morning, he was reminded of the day his exam video was posted on The Forum.

Multiple people swarmed him at the getabako, and were talking excitedly. Even following as he tried to make his way to his homeroom.

From what he could make out, it seemed to be about his recital the previous week. He had meant to ask the girls not to post anything, but he'd been so surprised at Hiromasa introducing them to their moms and arranging future meetings that it had slipped his mind completely. And there was so much else happening Saturday, the thought never resurfaced.

As he arrived at the top of the stairs, there was a sudden hush and a few gasps. Tomei and the others from the friend group were standing there. But unlike last time, they were all wearing smiles.

“Qing-kun, I didn't know you could do stunts like those!” Kaminari said.

“You really have been holding back too much,” Fujino added.

“Qing-kun, you were amazing,” Tomei spoke after the others. “You really do have a great passion for dance. I look forward to you coming back to the academy.”

There was no malice in his voice, and though his smile seemed normal, Qingming couldn't help feeling a little creeped out by it yet again. Still, he responded with a smile of his own.

“Thanks, Mei-kun. I look forward to going back also..”

The other said nothing after and he and the others left, much to Qingming's relief. As he passed 12D, he spotted Yue stepping outside.

“Ah, Taka-san!” he greeted with a wave. Then he turned to the crowd and gave a deep bow. “Thanks for the words of encouragement, guys. I'll keep working hard until I become worthy of your praise. Please excuse me for now.”

He quickly grabbed the athlete's hand and sprinted away.

When they finally stopped, they were on the roof. Qingming let go of the hand in his and slid down the side of the building with a deep sigh.

“I'm sorry for dragging you away like that,” he said, rolling his head to the side to look at a bewildered Yue who was staring at his hand. “But thanks for going along with it.”

Yue snapped out of his daze and gave a small smile. “No worries. I'll rescue you anytime.”

They laughed and the athlete sat down next to Qingming.

“I heard that you were blowing up on The Forum again when I got to class and got worried,” Yue admitted sheepishly.

Qingming laughed. “Thanks for worrying about me. But even if it were something bad, I could handle it. I prefer to fight my own battles, until I can't anymore. You know? Otherwise, I won't feel good about myself.”

Yue nodded as he recalled the actual fight the dancer had gotten into. Though a few people had wanted to intervene when they got there and saw him with 3 opponents, Hiromasa had stopped them. Until this very minute, Yue had been carrying a deep resentment towards his captain for that. Just as he'd felt Hiromasa had taken too long to clarify his part in the fiasco that caused the falling out with his former friends. But with Qingming saying this now…

Yue realised that contrary to his assumption, the dancer wasn't looking for anyone to save him. There was still so much he didn't know about this guy next to him.. But instead of feeling deterred, he was more driven to get closer.

“I get it.. I don't know if anyone's told you, but I was involved in an incident last year and despite my teammates standing up for me, I felt I should face it all by myself.”

“Mm. I did hear. That situation is definitely one that's much more than any one person should go through alone. But I get you though."

"Oh? You think I should have relied on them more?"

"I don't know enough to make an educated guess on the matter. I can only think about it from my perspective and it's definitely a situation where my ‘until I can't anymore’ comes in,” Qingming chuckled. “As long as we've given it our best, I don't think there's anything wrong with accepting help from others.”

Yue's smile faltered at Qingming's next words.

“That's something Hiromasa-senpai once told me, and I'm really beginning to understand it more than ever lately..”

In his mind, Qingming was thinking about his mother. Hiromasa had said she might be seeking allies, and that it wasn't a bad thing. After all, she's been fighting over 25 years to hold on to her inheritance. But against so many foes, there's only so much one person can accomplish..

Yue cleared his throat before speaking again. He'd seen Qingming's eyes become distant and misunderstood, assuming that the dancer was thinking about Hiromasa. “I haven't checked The Forum, so can you tell me what all the excitement is about?”

Qingming laughed. “I haven't checked it either,” he said, reaching into his pocket for his phone. “But from what I gathered, it has to do with the recital I had on Friday.”

“This past Friday?” Yue asked.

“Mhm. Oh, here it is!”

Qingming clicked on the video on the front page. It was the final performance.

“Wow…,” the dancer gasped when he saw the dancers descend. “Seeing it now is such a different experience… On stage, it's all about watching everyone else's position, keeping time with the music and not missing your cues.”

He let out a little laugh and Yue nodded.

“You’re a really amazing dancer,” the athlete commented. “I didn't even know that this was a thing.”

“I'm not surprised.. A lot of people don't, and many of those who do know it, only associate it with the circus. hehe.. But it gives dancers another medium to help them express themselves and take their routine to new heights… Literally!”

He continued on for a while, but stopped when he saw the way Yue's eyes had glazed over.

“Sorry for rambling,” he said with a slightly nervous laugh.

“No, it's ok. I guess it's because I don't have much interest in the arts and don't really understand much of what you're saying..,” Yue also laughed. “But it sounds important to you.”

“It is.. Now, what else did they post..?”

While Qingming went on to check the other posts, Yue leaned back.

“You should invite me to your next performance. If it's out of town, hopefully it's not so close to a game,” he chuckled.

“You've got to be kidding me!” was the sudden outburst from Qingming.

“What happened?” Yue sat up, leaning over again to get a look at the phone screen.

It was a picture of Hiromasa and the girls he always saw hanging around Qingming. They were all dressed up and smiling as they took pictures, some with the dancer after he had come to join them and while they were at dinner afterwards. Something inside Yue burned as he looked at the pictures and noticed the warm smile on Qingming's face as he scrolled through. The athlete recalled his captain telling them he'd missed training on Friday because he had something more important..

“Oh.. I didn't know Hiromasa was there..,” was all he managed to get out.

Qingming didn't seem to notice the shake in the other's voice. “Yeah, I hadn't expected him to show up either since your game was the next day! But I thought you guys knew about it… Since he missed training that day, he was at the stadium before 8 AM Saturday, even though we got back to Tokyo after 2 AM.. I was worried he would've collapsed from fatigue and exhaustion during the game..”

Yue was again surprised! They hadn't known he was at the stadium that early! Everyone had noticed Hiromasa did look a little tired by the time they got there, but they were all in a similar state and didn't give it much thought.

So he put in all that effort to go support Qingming, and still came and gave his all for the team?

Instead of being impressed with Hiromasa, Yue felt even more resentful. But he knew he was just angry at himself for dragging his foot and being too subtle about his feelings for the dancer. Because he took so long to act, he'd given Hiromasa a huge advantage.

“I still can't believe he willingly posed for these photos..,” Qingming was saying, smiling to himself.

Yue looked at him in silence for a bit as he thought about the conversation they'd heard and what Hiromasa had said. He opened his mouth to ask about it but the bell suddenly rang causing them to jump.

“Oh, shit!” Qingming sprang to his feet. “I made you late for homeroom! Let's go!”

◾🎇

When Qingming stood outside the dance academy later that day, he felt a number of emotions fighting for dominance inside him. He felt nervous, excited, anticipation, trepidation and other things that made his stomach unsettled.

“Having second thoughts about coming back?”

Qingming's back stiffened and he turned to give a smile that wasn't much better to Tomei. “It's just been a while, is all..”

“Let's go together.”

“Thanks, but I wanna calm myself down first so you go ahead,” Qingming said with as much sincerity as he could muster for the other.

He was really becoming wary of Tomei's sudden persistence in them acting like friends again. During morning classes, he'd gotten a text from the guy saying he sincerely wants them to reconcile and that he's been doing a lot of self-reflection. He went on to say he hoped Qingming would remain patient with him while he works on his issues, and proceeded to suggest they travel to the academy together.

The dancer did think it was a little suspicious that Tomei was appearing before him and even texting him so often these days, but he didn't want to undeservedly accuse him of doing so under false pretences. He also thought this might just be a ploy to get close to Hiromasa again, however he pushed the thought aside for the time being. Until Tomei told him otherwise, he could only believe his intentions were honest.

But! It was quite unnerving to repeatedly be approached in such a familiar manner by the other dancer. Qingming had declined travelling together and straightforwardly told him it was best to maintain their distance until Tomei was ready to talk. Otherwise, things might become awkward.

Tomei was about to protest when a trio arrived and called to him. Qingming saw their reactions when they noticed him, but he didn't care. Without another word, he turned away and went to sit in the gazebo in the little garden out front.

Tomei followed the girls after glancing at his retreating figure, but didn't say anything else.

‘I'm so not ready for this..’ Qingming thought.

He wasn't referring to facing the others in the academy or the anticipation they'll watch him with. He wasn't even concerned about the poor reception he was certainly going to get from some.. He just didn't want to get too immersed in dancing again.

His mom had been insistent that she'd be able to get things in order to ensure that he could continue with his dream, but… it's not that he didn't believe in her, but there were still too many uncertain variables and their opponents were too daring. Once he stepped through those doors, a side of him that he'd been holding back since moving back would come out again.

‘I look forward to meeting him.’

That's what Hiromasa had said after Qingming shared these concerns with him the day before. The athlete's words made Qingming feel a drive to do his best. Who knows? Maybe this side of him will win Hiromasa over.

With that thought, he managed to calm his nerves and the war of emotions subsided.

◾◽

Not that the others had ever hung around him much, but there was a distinct distance between how they were with him before and how they were now. But Qingming was used to such things and actually preferred being alone when dancing. He could focus more on his techniques while crafting his own style.

Half-way through class, while they were practising ballet variations, someone asked a question Qingming was expecting.

"Wow... Madame Kang," she said trying to mask her snarky tone. "Qing-kun is so good! When I heard he was coming back, I thought he'd be moving to the vocational program."

The instructor remained polite when she answered, even though she knew the girl was trying to be provocative. Qingming was right there! She could have spoken to him directly, and without the entire class knowing.

"Qingming-kun actually completed the full performance arts curriculum two years prior to coming here." The woman smiled with a bit of smugness as she secretly enjoyed the look of shock on their faces. "Since he was going to retire, he didn't join a company and instead focused on completing the Solo Seal exams. He had to wait until he reached the minimum age requirement for taking them, so he's been dancing recreationally since graduating."

The girl's mouth, and basically everyone else's, hung open in shock. But no one had anything else to say after that.

Madame Kang didn't call on Qingming to do demonstrations as she did with the more senior dancers, for which he was grateful. His intention was never to stand out in class. He'd leave all that for when he's on the stage.

“Alright everyone,” Madame Kang said before letting her second take over. “As discussed a few weeks ago, auditions will start next week for our Christmas production. If anyone still wants to book a private consultation, our tutors still have a few time slots available.”

As she finished speaking, Qingming noticed Tomei approaching him in his peripheral. He really didn't want to deal with him at the moment. Thankfully, Madame Kang called him at that moment. It was time for his private session.

As he'd been facing away from Tomei anyway, he responded then hurried away behind her.

In his private room, he released the breath he'd probably been holding ever since he entered the main practice room.

“Rough day?” Madame Kang asked.

Qingming shrugged. “It's fine. Just still a little anxious, I guess.”

“Hmm… so, what role will you be auditioning for in the production?”

Qingming almost side-eyed her but caught himself. “I won't.”

Madame Kang seemed to have expected such a response and grinned. “Unfortunately for you, participation is mandatory.”

“What? Since when?”

“Since it's a big production with many roles. No one is exempt.”

Qingming knew what she was planning, but he wasn't going to make her aware. “Then I'll have to think about it..”

…

As usual, Qingming's one on one session ended an hour after the main classes. In the previous months, he only had them twice a week in preparation for the exam. But now, it would be 5-6 days a week.

When he collapsed on the floor panting, Madame Kang laughed at him.

“Stop being so dramatic, will you?” she glanced at him and admonished lightly, before clearing away some papers.

“Easy for you to say,” he grumbled.

“Well, I just thought you may not want to look so… unflattering at the moment.”

“Huh?”

She only used her mouth to point to the door when he looked at her.

Qingming lazily turned his head in that direction and frowned. He waved the person in.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, making no attempt to move.

“Your mom said you didn't call for a car and she's been trying to reach you,” Hiromasa said after properly greeting the instructor.

He stooped beside Qingming and began poking at his tights clad leg.

The dancer shook his leg to make the other stop, but he didn't so he just let him be. “Oh.. I'm too tired. Tell her I'll just sleep here tonight.”

"Right here?"

"Yep. In this very spot!"

Hiromasa laughed. “So you want me to forfeit my life because you're lazy? Who knows what she'll do to me if I don't bring you back.”

“Well, you like to be a hero, right? Where's your courage?”

Hiromasa grinned and Qingming spotted the mischief coming. But he was too late to avoid it.

“Of course, my distressing damsel,” the athlete grinned as he scooped up the other unsuspecting teen who let out a loud yelp before covering his mouth.

“Hey, put me down, you creep!” Qingming whispered aggressively and jumped from his arms.

“Would you look at that.. you do have some energy to spare, after all. Come on, you're driving.”

“What?”

“You didn't think I'd ride my bike in my condition, did you?”

“Then why not call a driver? Or even a taxi?” Qingming sighed exasperatedly while gathering his things.

“Why pay for a taxi when I have a car? And unlike some people who have convenience at their fingertips, I don't have chauffeurs.”

Qingming paused to give the athlete a side eye before turning to Madame Kang and saying goodbye.

Outside, Qingming found one of his family's cars waiting.

“What?” Hiromasa shrugged at the puzzled look he got. “I said I don't have chauffeurs. So I asked your mom.”
…

Chapter Text

The following day, Qingming and Hiromasa had lunch in the dancer's homeroom under the scrutinising gaze of everyone else who'd stayed in the class.

“I can't come for you tonight, so make sure to call your driver,” Hiromasa said.

“I'm surprised you haven't already made the arrangements with him yourself,” Qingming mumbled. Then he spoke louder. “Also, it's kinda weird for you to pick me up, so don't.”

Hiromasa frowned. “That kind of response, all of it, is why I'm telling you. I tend to get a little too involved sometimes when I… Well, I'm being proactive and making sure to set myself boundaries going forward.”

Qingming raised a brow.

Hiromasa gave a small shrug before responding. “I know it must be uncomfortable for me to come there to pick you up when everyone is used to me going there for Tomei, so I don't want to cause any unnecessary drama by doing that.. But, also.. There are many people here at school who want to get close to you, but I'm too much of a deterrent.”

Qingming scoffed. “Well, they had many opportunities to get close to me before now. So why should we adjust our lives for them?”

“But Qingming-kun, there are likely those who -.”

“I know what you're going to say, senpai. And if my friendship means that much, then nothing is stopping them. It's not like we're together all day.”

Hiromasa got a thoughtful look as he considered the dancer's words. When he opened his mouth to respond, Qingming cut him off.

The dancer leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Or is it that you want to break up with me, senpai?”

Hiromasa's face completely changed and Qingming couldn't help smiling along.

“Look at you saying strange things in public,” Hiromasa smirked. “What if your crush heard you and got the wrong idea?”

Qingming almost pouted. But the question did make him wonder about something. However, he didn't think their current location was the right place to ask about it. “Hey, what are you doing after training?”

“The usual: Go home.”

Qingming chuckled. “K. I'm staying over tonight.”

“Oh?”

Hiromasa found it amusing how the dancer didn't even ask, he just said it as if it's the most normal thing ever.

“Mhm. Please ask Oba-san to make salmon for me and that vegetarian dish I like. I have to adjust my diet for the next couple months.”

Hiromasa looked at the tray of random vegetables and protein that Qingming was barely picking at. “Why don't you have your cooks prepare lunch for you?”

“All my veggies will be wilted by this time.. it's not that the food here is bad.. I suppose I'm just becoming more like my mom, and prefer to eat at home.”

“Your palate isn't accustomed to our food, is all. It's just like if you eat at a European restaurant; you might enjoy it in the moment and the day after, but it'll become cloying if you suddenly had to eat it all the time.”

“Yeah.. something like that.”

A few minutes later, Qingming's girl gang joined them after returning from whatever they went to do. They started talking about sports day preparations that have started up again.

“Ah, you won't be competing, will you?” Qingming asked Hiromasa.

The athlete shook his head. “I doubt it. We come back literally a day before Sports Day. I'll probably be too tired.”

“Hmm… that’s true.”

Hiromasa gave him a knowing look. “Ladies, make sure he doesn’t try to weasel his way out of his events while I’m gone.”

Qingming looked properly offended. “Senpai, what kind of person do you take me for? I made a commitment to my class.”

The girls giggled but said nothing. Qingming had already mentioned trying to find excuses to not have to do the events.

“Sure,” was all Hiromasa said. “In addition to everything else you're taking on, the second semester is always a very busy time for us, so make sure to build up your stamina.”

Qingming made a face and sighed.

“Hiro-senpai is right,” Riri-chan said. “It's already been busy for me. The bunkasai committee had been working over the summer break. We want this year to be the best one ever for our school and have been coming up with a proposal that we hope will convince the Principal to increase our budget.”

Hiromasa frowned as he turned to her. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you know how our past bunkasai have been a little underwhelming? It’s not so much a result from lack of effort from our fellow students, but as I found out after joining this year, it’s a budget constraint.”

Hiromasa got a look in his eye that made Qingming raise a brow in curiosity. Something was going on..

“Well, if that’s the case,” the athlete gave her a small smile. “Tell your committee to finish your proposal by end of day tomorrow.”

Everyone looked at him questioningly.

“If you want that bigger budget, let’s try a different approach,” was all he said.

Qingming almost laughed as he wondered what the boy was planning. He was already looking forward to the result. “Can I make a suggestion?”

Riri-chan nodded eagerly.

“I heard that a lot of schools try to maximise support by hosting it for two days. Since Hiromasa-senpai has a plan, why don’t we take advantage and add the second day?”

The girl perked up. “You’re right! It was a toss-up between more money or more days, but we decided to go with the budget since it would still flop if we got the extra day but couldn’t execute the plans properly. But now…”

She looked at Hiromasa sheepishly before continuing.

He gave a little laugh before responding to her unasked question. “You don’t need to run anything by me since it’s not my money being spent. I’m just helping you to get the school to spend the money that it already has. But I agree with the two day idea.”

As the girls became excited and started questioning Riri-chan about the festival plans, Qingming raised a brow at Hiromasa who only returned the gesture resulting in the two of them laughing.

…

When Qingming arrived at Hiromasa’s house, the athlete wasn’t there yet. However, he sensed that the atmosphere of the house was different from what he was familiar with. Even though he was only in the entryway, it felt more homey, warm and inviting.

The aunt had met him at the door and asked if he wanted to eat before his shower.

“Will Hiromasa-senpai be coming home soon?” Qingming asked as he stepped into the house slippers.

He hadn't checked his phone yet to see if the athlete had texted him.

“No, he called a few minutes ago to say the coach extended their trip by a few hours. It’ll be you and Minamoto-san dining tonight.”

“Eh..?”

Qingming had become so used to the boy’s parents not being there that he forgot she said she wasn’t leaving until Sunday! As he stepped forward, he marvelled as realisation hit.. Just her presence had changed the mood in the entire home making it more welcoming. Again, he felt he understood Hiromasa's reliance on the close relationship with his mom.

“Um.. let me shower first,” he said looking down at his sweaty, dishevelled attire.

When he dropped his bags in Hiromasa’s room, Qingming found himself feeling a little awkward for the first time. He couldn’t decide if it was because of his growing feelings for the athlete or the fact that his mother, who already had a misunderstanding of their relationship, was now in the same house. He thought it could also be a combination of the two!

After all, he was going to dine alone with the mother of his crush.. What if she wanted to ask him about their relatio– uh, friendship?

With a shake of his head, Qingming went to have a warm shower to help him relax.

…

Fortunately, Minamoto-san realised he was nervous and barely brought up her son in their conversation.

But he was startled when she said, “I’m sorry if I’m making you nervous, dear. I tend to have that effect on a lot of people.”

After removing his tongue that had become lodged in his throat, Qingming responded. “No! Not at all, Minamoto-san! It’s not you, it’s… I just don’t want to say anything stupid.”

The woman laughed, and instead of feeling more anxious, it had the opposite effect and relaxed him.

“It’s just me, dear. It doesn’t matter if you say something silly. Anyway, I've been chatting away all this time. How about we go to the living room and you can tell me more about your upcoming dance competitions?”

Qingming slowly nodded, unable to think of a reason why they shouldn’t.

Almost an hour later, Qingming finally paused to take a breath and have a bite of his long forgotten dessert.

Minamoto-san chuckled. “Your mom was right.. You are quite ingenious.”

Qingming never expected to hear his mom had been talking about him using such words. Even before finding out her true feelings, he’d never stopped to think about how she felt about him as her heir.

“I’m not..,” he responded in a soft voice.

“I beg to differ. Because of you, our new tech startup has its first client!”

“Uh.. what?”

“After your father told your mom some of the things you and he talked about during your internship, they’ve been in discussions with the Director. When you arrived earlier, I had just gotten the call that they’ve come to an agreement and signed a contract!”

Qingming was surprised. During those dinners with his dad for the month he worked in the hotel, he’d shared his notes from the tech expo and how he thought more technology could be integrated, using the feedback from his classmates after their stay during the class trip. He never expected the man to take him that seriously to the point he’d already told his mother and they’d gone to look into it further!

“Wow…”

“So, good job on already making valuable business decisions for your inheritance,” the woman smiled, sounding impressed.

They didn’t continue for much longer, with her saying she’d already taken up his homework time.

…

Qingming packed away his books then stretched before climbing into the bed.

As he put his glasses on the night table, he checked his phone and saw it was already after 10 PM but Hiromasa hadn’t returned home yet. He frowned, wondering what could be keeping him. He immediately thought about Tomei, but the guy had made it quite clear he and Hiromasa were not on good terms.

Which is exactly what Qingming had wanted to talk to the athlete about. He didn’t know what happened between the two, nor what exactly was going on now.. Was their friendship truly over? Like completely done? How was Hiromasa dealing with this, considering the deep feelings he has for Tomei?

The dancer couldn’t get Tomei’s words at the stadium out of his head and it made him feel a weird mixture of awkwardness and guilt whenever he thought of his own feelings for Hiromasa..

There was a text from the athlete, received a few minutes ago at exactly 10 PM.

Hiro-senpai:
Sleeping?

Despite his current mental spiral, Qingming couldn’t help smiling.

Me:
Just got in bed..
It feels weird without you

…

Hiromasa was sure his brain short circuited as his mind made its own interpretations of what Qingming meant, and provided visual aid.

“Hey, Cap. You ok?” Koga asked with a slight nudge.

Hiromasa jumped slightly. “Uh.. yeah..”

“Don’t try to be tough. We have at least another hour before we get back, so just get some shut eye in the meantime,” Koga said, settling into his own seat more comfortably and closing his eyes.

Hiromasa looked down at his phone screen again and responded.

Me:
Sorry to keep you waiting
I promise to make it up later, so go ahead and sleep

It took a few minutes before he got a response, which was a voice message. As he listened, he could tell Qingming had already dozed off.

"En.. I’ll hold you to it.. Make sure to take a taxi and don’t ride back so late.."

= = = =

Saturday morning, Qingming's parents found him watching TV in the main house’s living room. It was only 8 AM.

Abe-san laughed. “You should just move into your room here.”

Qingming glanced over his shoulder lazily. “I already told you, dad. I can't fall asleep there. Even if I start sleeping here and then go in, I end up stuck in this weird sleepy limbo..”

“I hope that means you'll have better control and be more selective with your violent outbursts in the future,” Abe-furen said as she perused a letter in her hand.

Though her tone was light, Qingming almost frowned. But he quickly realised what she said made sense. He did this to himself, so he had to deal with the consequences. Besides, the inconvenience of the construction work meant they were paying to get his personal space fixed. The renovations should have already been completed, but apparently they had to stop work for a few weeks while waiting for some special-order materials.

“Yes, mother,” he said, flipping to another channel.

She shook her head. “I have a few meetings today, but I'll be at the game on time.”

Qingming perked up. “Let me come with you! You've been so busy lately.. I can be your secretary for the day.”

“Really?”

Qingming was tempted to roll his eyes. “I'll go get ready.”

◽◾◽ 

If anyone thought the board went all out for the semi, they were not prepared for the final!

Qingming and his mom had just arrived at the stadium and were walking through the food court.

“Mom, you go on ahead and find the others. I'm gonna get us something to eat.”

Abe-furen looked around sceptically with a slight frown.

Qingming couldn't help laughing. “Don't worry about it. I promise you'll like what I get. After all, we share the same palette now.”

She raised a brow but he didn't elaborate and only gently pushed her towards the entrance.

As he made his way to his chosen proprietor, someone large and hefty crossed his path almost making him fall after he rebounded off the person.

“Sorry,” Qingming said on reflex as he righted himself.

But as he looked up, he was startled to find himself face to face with Kuroda. The large guy was flanked by his flunkies, which included the former students from Qingming's school, whom he'd fought.

The dancer narrowed his eyes. “How bold of you to violate the terms of the protection order? I'm sure the judge will love to hear this.”

The three of them looked at Kuroda with wide eyes and became fidgety.

The guy let out a chuckle as he reached out a hand towards Qingming's shoulder. However, the dancer turned his body out of the way, not taking his eyes off the guy.

Kuroda was a little stunned but recovered. “Come on. We're all here to enjoy the game aren't we? No need to be so serious.”

Qingming scoffed with an obviously fake grin. “I'm not that benevolent.” Then he glanced at the three. “You'll be hearing from my lawyer.”

He didn't wait for an answer and turned to leave. But someone grabbed his arm in what felt like a vice grip.

Qingming's first reaction was to turn around and punch the person. But someone shoved Kuroda before he could carry it out, which caused the brute's grip to momentarily tighten even more before the hand was yanked off as he stepped back.

“What the fuck do you think you're doing?” Tomei yelled, stepping between the two.

Kuroda and the others saw the eyes of everyone in the vicinity turning in their direction. With a smirk at Qingming, he lifted his hands in surrender while his flunkies withdrew to blend into the crowd.

“Hey, calm down, will you?" he chuckled. "We were just chatting.”

“He has nothing to say to you,” Tomei said before Qingming could respond.

Kuroda said nothing else and backed away before disappearing into the crowd, followed by his minions.

Tomei turned to Qingming as the attention on them also started waning. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah,” Qingming said, giving his arm a little rub.

It really hurt where Kuroda had grabbed him. If that was him wanting to talk, how would he approach Qingming if he wanted to do worse?

“I can't believe he even showed up,” Tomei continued, not leaving. “Good thing I spotted you in time.”

Qingming was annoyed by Tomei's insinuation that he couldn't have protected himself otherwise, but decided to let it go. “Yeah. Thanks for that.”

“No problem. I'd feel terrible if anything happens to you.”

Qingming could only nod as that smile that made him feel uncomfortable crossed Tomei's face again.

“So, were you planning to get something? I'll help you.”

Though he didn't want Tomei accompanying him, Qingming couldn't find an excuse that wouldn't make it obvious.

After collecting his order, Qingming said he had to go drop these off to his friend’s parents then find the others who were waiting for him.

“I’ll see you.. And thanks, again,” he added, then hurried away.

…

When Qingming got to his seat, he felt his body release its tension. He hadn’t even noticed he’d become so wound up until then.

“Hey, you ok?” Xiao Ming asked, always cognisant of his older brother’s condition.

Qingming gave him a smile and nodded. “It’s just been a long day, is all.”

The younger brother didn’t get to query it further as the opening ceremony was starting.

…

Later that night, Qingming didn’t remember the bruise on his arm until Hiromasa asked him about it. He’d been so spaced out while in the shower that he hadn’t seen it.

“Qingming,” Hiromasa said more firmly than before as he leaned over and took hold of the arm below the angry bruise. “What caused this?”

Qingming pulled his arm away and gave Hiromasa a little laugh. “Someone was just messing around. Who knew my skin was this delicate?”

He could see the athlete didn’t believe a word he said but he didn’t want to get into it.

“You have to get up early tomorrow, Mr. Regional Champion,” Qingming said, cutting off Hiromasa’s question. “So you need to get home and get some rest. After all, you’re not going on vacation.”

Hiromasa frowned. He’d wanted Qingming to stay over at his house, but despite asking everyday that week, the dancer refused. He shook his head slightly to put the negative thoughts aside.

“I’ll leave after you fall asleep,” he said.

“Fine.”

Qingming slid down and snuggled himself into a comfortable position. The sheet bunched up in his fists to stop him from reaching out to the athlete who sat on the other side of the bed and was now on his phone.

With thoughts of how much he was going to miss having him around for the next two weeks filling his mind, Qingming drifted off.

When he was sure Qingming was in a deep enough sleep, Hiromasa gently moved the sheet and pulled out Qingming’s arm. He and the dancer had rough-housed before and he never left any bruises on him, so someone had to have gotten aggressive with him.

For whatever reason, Qingming didn’t want to tell him, but he couldn’t let it go. His first thought was to check The Forum to see if anything had been posted. He did this while waiting for the dancer to fall asleep, but the site was flooded with posts about the game. And when he searched for Qingming’s name, the only things that came up were with him in the stands watching the game or talking to his friends.

He’d then thought of asking Qingming’s girl gang but didn’t think Qingming would appreciate how sneaky that was. He had to do it in a way that was obvious.

So of course that meant he went over the top.

…

The next morning, Qingming was awake by 7 AM.

He wanted to have breakfast with the rest of the family, and use the opportunity to tell his parents about the 3 degenerates purposely violating the protection order.

Before he left his bed though, he decided to check the many notifications he’d glimpsed while turning off his alarm. In his chat app were an uncountable number of new chats, even from Minamoto-san.

His heart pounded against his ribcage as he quickly sat up, wondering if something had happened to the team! Their flight to New Zealand had left earlier that morning.

But he quickly realised most messages were asking after him, which did nothing to ease his nerves. He went into his class group chat where there was a lot of angry messages and threats of violence being hurled nonstop. He didn’t want to get bombarded by asking them anything so he went to the group chat with the girls.

Me:

Hey guys. What happened? Why’s everyone asking about my health?

Mitsuki-chaaan:

Qing-kun!!
Finally!

Nina-chan:

Why didn’t you tell us??

Riri-chanchan:

Qing-kun, it’s fine if you didn’t tell us
But you should have at least told Hiro-senpai

Me:

About….?

Ayu-chan:

About the fight with Kuroda!

Me:

But I didn't get to fight him…

Everyone:

…… 😓

Nina-chan:

Fine, so you didn't get to whoop his ass but you still had a confrontation with him!
You need to avoid him at all costs!

Riri-chanchan:

Especially when you're alone!

The admonishing went on for a while before Qingming found out how they knew.

When he clicked the link Ayu-chan shared, it brought him to Hiromasa's SNS page. He was surprised to see the most recent post was a picture of his bruised arm with a simple caption of only a few characters: “What happened?”.

Qingming felt his heart in his throat!

Interestingly enough, his first thought after the momentary brain freeze was how he's never thought about whether or not Hiromasa had an SNS account. Weren't teenagers always stalking their love interests on social media? Did he just take it for granted that Hiromasa didn't seem to be the type who'd be into such things? Or were they spending so much time together that he didn't think there was a reason to stalk him?

The thought made Qingming simultaneously feel a little bashful and elated. But looking at the picture, he could understand why the girls were having a fit; the bruise looked more severe than he thought. There were already a lot more likes and comments than he anticipated which made him curious. So he clicked into the comments to get an idea of the overall sentiment.

There were tons of comments about his cuteness, which made Qingming wonder how they would know what he looked like.

So he scrolled back to the top and clicked on the picture itself, only to see there was more to it. The full picture wasn’t just of the angry looking bruise on his arm, but a part of his sleeping face was also in it. He felt his face becoming warmer at the sight and finally understood why there were so many requests for more pictures of the ‘Sleeping Prince’.

If this involved any other two guys, it would be totally normal. But there were already rumours about them dating! Thinking of the rumours made Qingming remember how they started in the first place... Wasn't this going to make Tomei look credible??

Unbeknownst to him, there had been quite a few commenters trying to spin their own narrative to justify Tomei and simultaneously vilify Qingming. Some had been pretty horrible, describing the gruesome outcome they would have preferred to see. However, their posts were gone by the time the dancer woke up.

Dropping his phone, Qingming slinked under the sheets. Maybe he’ll just stay here forever…

But… Wasn’t this also a good thing? Didn’t this gesture show how much Hiromasa cared about the dancer to go out of his way and post him on his SNS that he clearly hadn't used in a while since Qingming had never heard any mentions of it before..?

That made Qingming curious about something, so he reached for his phone again.

Less than a minute later, he was surprised to see that none of the few posts by the athlete had Tomei in them! Other than their outrage at what happened to the dancer, it was no wonder so many people were in a frenzy this early on a Sunday morning! Not only were his previous posts void of his former childhood friend, but this was Hiromasa’s first post in years. And instead of himself, or even his team since they just won the Regional title, he'd posted a sleeping picture of Qingming.. in the middle of the night!

Still... If the dancer said he wasn't feeling more than a little happy after skimming through a lot of the comments, he'd be lying. It warmed his heart that a lot of people were concerned about his well-being and safety, and denounced what Kuroda did.

◽◽◽

“You’re in a good mood!”

Qingming grinned at his family as he took a seat at the dining table.

“Nii-san, you haven’t checked your phone yet, have you?” Xiao Ming asked, sounding a bit worried.

Qingming ruffled his hair. “I did. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

“What happened?” Abe-furen was quick to ask.

“Calm down, mom. I woke up early to come and talk to you both,” he said looking from one parent to the other.

He then gave a brief account of what took place the day before. As expected, his parents were furious!

“Mom, dad! Please don’t get riled up. And yes, I know it’s a serious matter. But I'm ok and here with you, so let’s enjoy our meal together before dealing with the unpleasant stuff.”

He gave them what he hoped was a reassuring smile and they relaxed after another while.

…

Chapter Text

On Monday, Qingming was having lunch with a few of his classmates outside under the shade of some trees, when Hiromasa called him for the first time.

The team had a 14 hour nonstop flight the day before, and by the time they checked into their hotel, it was already 2 AM over there! Hiromasa had sent a few texts just to let Qingming know they’d arrived and had been surprised to get a response immediately.

The athlete didn’t want to get overly excited by thinking Qingming had been waiting up for him, but it did put a smile on his face. They’d only exchanged a few more messages, each telling the other to get some rest.

”I’m so tired,” Hiromasa sighed.

Qingming chuckled. “What time will you finish?”

”We’re actually heading back to the hotel now. Our hosts are treating us to a welcome dinner. So we’re heading back early to get some rest first then get ready.”

“Ahhh… make sure you actually take a nap.”

”I will. I gotta call my dad now. Talk to you later.”

“Ok.”

After they hung up, Qingming turned his attention to the conversation of his classmates around him.

"...you believe that??"

"Well, it makes more sense than what you said!"

Everyone laughed.

"What are you yapping about now?" Qingming asked.

"There's a rumour going around that the niece of the Chairman of the school board may be a student here."

"...Huh?"

"I mean, why else would we be getting such good treatment from the other schools all of a sudden? And the fact that it started because of exposure for our rugby team is even more telling... You know the girls are always fawning over them."

Qingming almost laughed but held it in. "Well, technically it's the announcement that was sent out that prompted it... Right?"

The others shook their heads and sighed at him.

"You don't pay attention to the school board website, do you?"

"It's not the first announcement being sent out, Qing-kun," someone added when the dancer only looked blank.

"But for some reason it blew up this time. Apparently, the day the announcement about the semi-final was posted, a few students at XX overheard a teacher telling a parent that the Chairman's close relative was going to school here. The fact that the parents of the other schools decided to put in so much effort at the last minute, must mean that it's true!"

"Ohhh...," Qingming said with a surprised face. "And why do people think it's a niece?"

"Well... We don't know... That's just the story we heard.."

Qingming laughed at his classmate's sheepish behaviour.

"To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that everyone knows the Chairman's son lives overseas and is a major asshole, I would have thought he was hiding here. I even started wondering if Hiromasa-senpai was the relative since they share the same last name."

"As do at least thirty other students here," someone else laughed.

"I know..," the previous guy shrugged. "I don't know why, but he came to mind when I first heard the rumour.."

The others scoffed. "As if Hiromasa-senpai would be caught dead in our school if he really had such a background."

Everyone laughed at the outrageousness of the idea. Qingming laughed the hardest, thinking of what their reactions would be like if they knew the truth!

🔸🔹🔸 

The first few days of that week had been a little strange for Qingming. Though he only knew Yue and Hiromasa from the team, their absence seemed to be more pronounced than it should.

The dancer tried to convince himself it wasn’t because he missed them. Though he wouldn't say he has deep feelings for Yue, they were friends and got along really well.

Other than that first day, the only times he got to talk to Hiromasa was in the nights. Qingming was certain the athlete wasn't getting as much sleep as he was sure he needed.

▫️▪️

“I don't know why you insist on us talking for at least an hour every night,” Qingming sighed as he stretched in his chair.

It was Thursday night and he'd just finished his homework, which Hiromasa had spent the last 30 minutes watching him do.

“Because I miss home,” was all Hiromasa said.

Qingming frowned. So he didn't miss him at all?

“You’ll be home soon enough. But come on, it’s barely been a week. Were you this homesick last year, too?”

When silence followed his question, Qingming turned his attention from skimming a few pages, to looking at the phone screen. Hiromasa was just staring at him. The dancer waved his hand, wondering if the video froze.

“I was thinking about it,” Hiromasa said with a grin. “And, no. I wasn’t.”

“But didn’t you already have feelings for Tomei back then? I figured you’d have taken the chance to… I don’t know, virtually maul him with your affection,” Qingming laughed at his own joke.

Hiromasa looked at him sceptically. ”Is it that you forgot what I told you over summer break, or did you just not believe me?”

“Hmm?”

Qingming was a little lost and had to think for a while. Then he remembered Hiromasa’s response when he confronted him over summer, regarding the athlete's complaints about the long hours his parents wanted to spend on the phone with him, when he himself was spending so much of his free time texting or calling the dancer.

Qingming felt himself getting a little flustered so he cleared his throat and started packing away his things to buy himself time.

“Oh, that..,” he said a minute later.

“Yes. That.” Hiromasa narrowed his eyes slightly.

Did the meaning of his words really not move the dancer? Or were Qingming's feelings for that person he liked just too strong? Judging by the way he reacted, Hiromasa guessed Qingming did understand what he was trying to say but because he didn't return his feelings, he didn't want to address it.. and it hurt more than he thought it would.

“So.. tomorrow is the final day for auditions. Have you decided what part you're going to try out for?”

Hiromasa felt his heart sinking as the feeling of dejection seeped in. But he tried to tell himself he wasn't totally defeated. Besides, he couldn't get upset at Qingming! Just like with Tomei, he has said nothing about the way he feels..

Qingming had secretly hoped Hiromasa was going to be more straightforward with his meaning. With there being so many uncertainties when it came to Tomei, he didn't want to set himself up for a heartbreak by drawing his own conclusions. But… Maybe he should ask him directly what he means? Was it too late to feign ignorance? His bag falling on the floor brought Qingming's mind back to the present. “Oh, uh.. yeah. I'm gonna be a rat.”

He forgot his previous train of thought and grinned at the confused look that appeared on Hiromasa's face.

“A…rat?..”

“Yep. Madame Kang wants me to audition for one of the main roles but I just don't want to. Honestly, I don't even want to be in the production..”

“You didn't mention that before… why not?”

Qingming shrugged.

“Mhmm?” Hiromasa pressed.

“... I just want to keep a low profile until the year is over.”

Hiromasa just looked at Qingming in silence as the dancer flopped onto his bed.

“It's not that I don't understand how you feel.. But Qing-kun, don't you think that's a little self sabotaging?”

“How so?”

“Well, don't you think your current classmates would be the best ones to sell the idea of joining your company in the future?”

Qingming made a face but thought about it. “Not really. They're in the recreational program, so they're not looking to dance professionally.”

“Do you know that for a fact? Besides, they may have friends and family who could be potential clients. Not to mention their kids in the future..”

“...”

Qingming hadn't really built up a camaraderie with the others in his class. He would interact with some occasionally, but there was no one he could call his friend other than Tomei.

“I know you're not comfortable with the idea of approaching people just for the sake of mutual benefits, and I'm not saying….”

By the time Hiromasa finished he noticed Qingming was looking at him with eyes completely glossed over.

“Am I boring you?” he sighed.

Qingming had the decency to blush. “No you weren't… I was just thinking about… well, I still heard you.”

“If you don't agree, you can say so.”

“It's not that, I just… Anyway, you're right,” Qingming chuckled, looking away.

"Well, of course I am."

The dancer rolled his eyes but still laughed. “You've given me something to mull over. Now, we need to get some rest, senpai.”

"A very diplomatic way of telling me to shut up," Hiromasa sighed. Before Qingming could say anything, the athlete lifted a hand in a stop motion. "It's ok, it's ok. I know I can be a bit of a asshole."

"Senpai.."

"I'm just teasing. You've got a big day tomorrow, so you do need to get some sleep."

"Ok.."

"All the best in your competition and audition tomorrow. Make sure Madame Kang records them."

"En. Mitsuki-chan actually asked to tag along for that exact purpose. She said something about gathering footage for my autobiography."

The next morning at the dance academy, Madame Kang came prepared to shut down Qingming's plan.

Before he could even go change, he was called to the Director's office. There, he was basically told that his acceptance to the Certificate V program was reliant on his performance in the production. That meant he couldn't audition for a simple role.

Qingming complained nonstop in his heart the entire time after he left the office, until he made a decision fifteen minutes later of what piece to perform.

Chapter Text

Due to their busy schedules and being in different time zones, Qingming and Hiromasa didn't get to have another extended conversation until Saturday night.

Now that everyone had talked him into giving his all for dancing, Qingming was dedicating most of his spare time to learning new variations, while preparing for various dance competitions that ran the entire latter half of the year. Also, because he wanted to enter at least one competition for each dance style he knew, it meant he'd have to spend a lot of hours rehearsing.

🔹▫️

“... take the part of the uncle,” Qingming whined.

Hiromasa chuckled. “You're much too princely to be given the role of an old geezer.”

“Thanks for the compliment, oh great Emperor. It's just.. Tomei and I… though we have a weird relationship right now, I don't want to jeopardize it and risk making things bad again.”

Lying in a careless manner on the spacious backseat of the family's SUV, Qingming turned his head in the direction of the tablet mount affixed to the back of the driver's seat. With uncertain eyes, he stared at Hiromasa, whose handsome face took up most of the screen of the phone held there. He'd video-called him shortly after getting in the vehicle and the driver handed him his phone with a message that the athlete had tried calling earlier.

That morning, Qingming had travelled to another city to participate in the preliminary rounds for a competition being held by the NBJ. Of course, it took the entire day to get through all prelims, which unsurprisingly had a large number of participants.

Qingming was touched that Hiromasa was so prompt in calling him at the time he'd told him he expected to be out. However, he'd exited the dance studio later because he'd spent some time in an ice bath, then showered and washed his hair. That way he could just go straight to bed when he got home.

Now that he himself mentioned Tomei, the warm feeling slowly dispersed. Especially when he saw how Hiromasa narrowed his eyes and almost scoffed, but said nothing.

Suspicion took over the uncertainty in Qingming's eyes.. Every time he brought up Tomei, it seemed to put Hiromasa on edge. Unfortunately, the last night he'd spent at the athlete's home didn't pan out how he wanted so he never got to ask about the former(?) best friends. And he didn't think it was right to bring it up while the athlete was overseas. But he couldn't help recalling Hiromasa telling him to be careful in the days after the class trip, and how Tomei's smile gave him chills these days.. The dancer silently made up his mind that the day Hiromasa returned, they would have that talk because what the fuck did he mean by 'be careful'??

As the silence dragged on, Qingming decided to move the conversation away from Tomei for the time being and asked how the team had been doing over the past couple days.

▫️

Dropping his duffel bag on the bedroom floor, Qingming headed for the bathroom where he washed his hands and began to apply his face moisturizer.

“Oh, by the way. I got a text from Madame Kang earlier. The parts for the winter production will be announced tomorrow because rehearsals need to start Monday. Don't you feel sorry for my poor feet?”

Hiromasa chuckled at the exaggerated pout Qingming gave him after pausing his ministrations. He wanted to comment how cute he thought the other was but knew it would earn him a glare. “Sure. I'll rub them for you whenever you want.”

“Don't even joke about that. Foot massages are my weakness,” Qingming sighed, reaching for a hand towel. “And ice cream.”

“Good to know.”

Qingming's stomach suddenly complained. “Now I want ice cream..”

While they continued talking, Qingming made the trek to the main house. There he went straight for the kitchen.

“... homework going?” he asked as he rummaged through the freezer after placing the phone on a nearby counter.

“I'm almost finished. Gonna use tonight to complete the last of it. The others are crying in Koga and Yue’s room because they just decided to start.”

Qingming laughed out loud at that. He could just imagine the panic. “You need to make sure your team is more responsible, Captain.”

“It's a lesson for them. This week, they'll do better.”

Qingming grinned with a small shake of his head.

“Aha!” He finally found a carton of ice cream. It was the two serving size and there were dozens of them buried at the bottom of the pull-out freezer drawer. He huffed. “It's like someone didn't want me to find them..”

“Yes, me.”

He spun around at his sister's voice. “Jiějiě, how long have you been standing there?”

She smiled slyly. “Ever since you got here.”

Qingming frowned but it made him look pouty.

“I'm just looking out for you,” she said, walking over and picking up his phone. “If left unchecked, you'll eat too much and get a tummy ache.”

Qingming looked down at the container in his hand. She was right.. Ice cream was his main comfort food, and he could eat a whole pint in one go! So he had been avoiding it as much as possible since coming back to the country. Especially these days when he was having so much emotional turmoil.

Pondering her words, he didn't realise right away that his sister and Hiromasa had begun conversing.

“Hey, what are you doing?" he huffed, reaching out for his phone. "Go talk to your husband if you're bored and leave my—, leave my friend alone!”

Instead of trying to keep it from him, his sister simply allowed him to take it before giving him a little scoff as she said, “Smooth..”

Qingming's face involuntarily became warm. What exactly was he going to say??

“Bye Hiro-kun!” his sister said loudly in a sing-song voice.

The woman then went over to the fridge while Qingming complained about her. She got herself a carton of ice cream too before looking over at him with mischievous eyes similar to his own. "Just a late night snack for me and my --, my husband."

Qingming's heart jumped into his throat as she mimicked his previous slip up. Quickly recovering from his stupor, he put more force into what he was saying to Hiromasa before she had cut him off.

“Senpai, just because we're friends doesn't mean you have to be nice to her!”

“Calm down, Qingming. It's fine.”

Qingming ‘glared’ at his sister as she grabbed a spoon then left after sticking her tongue out at him.

He too grabbed a spoon then went to the living room to watch TV.

“Sleeping in the main house tonight?” Hiromasa asked.

Fully recovered, Qingming shrugged.

“What's wrong?”

“... Nothing. It's just…,” the dancer glanced at the phone then settled into the couch. He took a deep breath and made eye contact with the other. “I guess I miss you being home, too..”

Monday was a little overcast, but not enough to rain. However, there was a nice breeze which made it feel even nicer outside so he'd suggested to the girls that they find a spot under the trees to have lunch.

Five minutes after they'd settled down, a few people Qingming couldn't recall ever seeing before came over and asked to join them.

This kind of thing had started happening sometime the previous week, where random people would come seeking him out in his classroom during lunch. Actually, not just lunch time, but in the mornings or between classes, or during the short period after school while he helped with cleaning duties before going to dance.

Not as bewildered as the first few times it happened, he glanced at his girls who made a non committal shrug. With their consent, Qingming nodded to the newcomers.

A few minutes later, he had a sudden recollection. ‘Wait… Is this what Hiro meant when he said people wanted to approach me but were deterred by him?’

Qingming almost laughed out loud at that thought. Did they really believe the rumours that he and the athlete were a couple??

He couldn't help crying in his heart,‘If only’!

Qingming was talking to the three students who had joined them when Riri, who had told them she'd be late, hurried over to the group.

He noticed she looked anxious as she tapped away at her phone. After a few seconds, his and the other girls' phones chimed simultaneously, alerting of a new message.

The newcomers didn't think anything of it because the phones had been going off every few minutes as they shared random stuff in the group chat. Most of the girls were already on their phones and immediately checked the message. However, Qingming continued talking.

Until Ayu nudged him and nodded her head at his phone.

“One sec,” he told the trio who simply continued the conversation themselves.

With no sense of urgency, Qingming retrieved his phone and checked the message.

Immediately, he felt his insides collapse!

Riri had sent two messages. The first was an eye catching, '🚨🚨🚨EMERGENCY!!! 🚨🚨🚨'. While the second was the screenshot of an announcement from a Chinese blogger's website, with the google translation over the original.

The title of the article read: “EXCLUSIVE interview with the former tutor of the World's #1 Danseur, the youngest ever recipient of the Advanced Solo Seal! Learn more about this talent's incipience into the fantastical yet arduous world of the performing arts, his growth over the years and just what it took to achieve the highest score ever recorded for an individual exam at the highest level. All before coming of age!”

Qingming: "...!!!"

Chapter Text

The article was scheduled to be released two weeks from their current date!

Qingming immediately stood up. Despite his feet feeling wobbly, they also felt heavy to the point he couldn't move.

“Um..,” he said with a slightly shaking voice. For some reason, he recalled Hiromasa telling him about his lack of a poker face and quickly regained his composure. He hoped. “I just got a weird feeling in my stomach. Please excuse me while I go to the nurse’s office.”

The newcomers, who had been surprised at first, relaxed and ushered him away when he made a pitiful face.

Qingming quickly sent a message to the group letting the girls know he really was going to the nurse and asked if they'd be available to meet after school.

Within a few seconds they replied to say they would and encouraged him not to worry. Riri said she'll try to gather some more info in the meantime..

Ten minutes after he'd been in the nurse's office, just lying down on a bed and focused on keeping his mind clear, Qingming's phone vibrated next to him. With a confused frown after seeing the caller ID, he answered.

“Senpai, wha-?”

“Are you ok?” Hiromasa cut him off in a worried voice.

“Of course, why?”

The athlete sighed, sounding relieved. “Well, I'm not there so I can't stalk you and see for myself that you're fine.”

Qingming almost laughed out loud. “How bold of you to admit to such a thing..”

“I'm like a keyboard warrior; I'm only brave when I'm far away from the situation, hidden safely behind a screen.”

The dancer snorted that time, but then quickly apologised to others in the room for the outburst. “I'm in the sick bay.. stop making me laugh.”

“But that was my plan.”

Qingming could hear the grin in the athlete's voice and the anxiety that had been creeping in silently began to dissipate.

“Who called you?” Qingming asked.

“No one. I saw the chat.”

“...?”

“How can you not know I am in the group?” Hiromasa was genuinely confused.

Qingming found his voice. “You've never posted anything!”

“So? Then you've never checked the members list?”

“... No.” Qingming could feel the other guy's exasperation through the phone and silently laughed to himself when he heard the almost inaudible sigh.

“You're weird.. Anyway, I can't stay long. Would you like my help with this?”

Qingming felt a fluttering inside his stomach. “Oh? What makes you so confident that you can?”

“Hehe. Qingming.. as the sole heir to wealth and power amassed over many centuries, I have access to unlimited resources. Within the realm of things that are humanly possible, there is very little that I can't do. And if I'm not capable, I have my mom.”

Hearing such a declaration, Qingming realised he's never given much thought to Hiromasa's family nor their legacy.. Though he's of course heard how “rich and powerful” they are since he was a child, he's only ever been interested in his own pursuits, and never cared to find out to what extent. Unintended, he recalled Tomei's words.. 'It's better to maintain my friendship with someone like him than do something to fuck it up.'

“It's ok,” Hiromasa chuckled after a while. “I'll forgive you for not knowing. After all, I'm very low key.”

Qingming also gave a small laugh, pushing all other unpleasant thoughts aside. “All this time, I probably should have given more consideration to who you are, huh?”

“Nope. Somehow, I really like that you don't care who I am. I've never had the urge to flaunt my family around so much until you, Mr. I'm-not-so-easily-impressed.”

“I might be wrong, but you sound a little hurt,” Qingming said teasingly.

“I am, but I also like the challenge.”

Before Qingming could say anything, someone near him spoke.

“Qing-kun, clearly you only needed to flirt with Minamoto-san in order to feel better. So can you please allow the rest of us who are still sick to at least get some rest?”

If anyone saw him, they'd have a hard time differentiating Qingming's face from a ripe tomato!

“U-um! I'm s-so sorry!… I'll g-go now…,” he managed to squeak out after he sprang to his feet. As he spoke, he clasped his hands and gave a quick bow before rushing from the room without signing.

Though Hiromasa heard everything since the room was very quiet, he could tell Qingming felt a little embarrassed. He didn't even deny it, and that made Hiromasa happy.

“Qingming-kun? Is everything ok? What are you sorry for?” he asked, trying to sound confused and concerned.

If Qingming had his wits about him, he'd have seen through this pretence immediately. But he was too flustered. He could see it now… By tomorrow people will be talking about this! When he heard Hiromasa's question, he felt some relief.

“Oh, nothing.. I was speaking a little too loudly and others were trying to sleep,” he said. It was a very plausible excuse, and technically not a lie!

“Ah.. well I actually gotta go now. But you haven't answered my question.”

“Hmm,” Qingming mused for a while. “Let's wait until I get the details from Riri-chan later and then I'll decide.”

“Ok. Where will you guys meet?”

“One of the empty classrooms, I guess?”

“Never discuss anything at school. Too many eyes and ears are on you.”

“Ah, you're right.. I'll take them to the academy with me and bring them to my private room. I need to speak to Madame Kang about this anyway to find out if she's been contacted.”

“Ok. Call me when you get there. I'll be back at the hotel by then.”

🔸🩰🔸

After school, Qingming left for the academy in the car that usually took Ayu and Nina home since they lived in the same complex.

Two other cars brought the others, who also carpooled due to proximity.

Since it was the time the members of the recreational classes would be arriving, their arrival was witnessed by more than a few curious onlookers, who wondered at him showing up with so many girls all of a sudden.

But that's where their curiosity ended as Qingming and the girls went up the stairs which were out of bounds to them and anyone who wasn't assigned a private room.

As the girls took a seat in a corner, Qingming went down again to find Madame Kang. As he descended the stairs, he pulled out his phone and dialled Hiromasa's number. While he absentmindedly stared at the screen, he reached the bottom of the stairs. He wasn't prepared to find Tomei there waiting for him.

“Hey.”

“M-mei-kun..?!” Qingming gasped and his hand dropped to his side.

“Is everything ok?” Tomei asked, eyes wide with what seemed to be concerned.

“U-um yeah. Why?”

“You've never brought anyone here before. And you guys have looked tense since lunch.”

“Oh..” Qingming was a little unnerved by the idea that Tomei had been watching him without his knowledge.

Hiromasa had picked up the call and silently listened to the conversation, his breathing shallow and frown deep..

When he'd confronted Tomei that last night at the resort, he was sure the guy had been up to no good. However, Tomei had been convincing enough that the athlete was being overly dramatic and painting him as a villain without cause. So Hiromasa decided to not say anything about his worries to Qingming. Also, he didn't want to come across as a hypocrite or try to dictate to Qingming who he can and can't be in contact with.

But now, though he wasn't there, Hiromasa could hear the pretence in Tomei's voice. He was glad when Qingming quickly wrapped up their interaction, citing an important meeting with Madame Kang.

Qingming didn't even remember that the call until he almost dropped the phone when his body loosened from the sudden tension. After a deep breath, he brought it to his ear.

“Senpai?” he said softly, as if Tomei would suddenly appear again if he spoke too loud.

“... Are you ok?”

“Mhm.. What's wrong? You sound upset?”

Qingming began to wonder what could have caused it. Could it be Hiromasa was upset over the two dancers seemingly getting along while he and Tomei weren't on speaking terms?

“I guess I am,” the athlete said with a sigh. Then he chuckled. “I promise it's not for the reasons you're thinking, so don't even entertain that train of thought.”

Qingming narrowed his eyes to stop himself from feeling reassured. “How do you know what I'm thinking?”

“I like to think we've become close enough for me to anticipate some things about you..”

“Ahh.. So now I'm predictable?”

“If you were, I wouldn't have to work so hard.”

“You keep saying that, but I still don't know what you're trying to accomplish.”

“Abe-san?”

Qingming spun around at the sound of his name being called.

“Oh, shit..” he muttered under his breath as he hurried back.

He'd passed the instructors lounge without noticing!

“Where were you heading?” Madame Kang asked, looking behind him. The only thing in that direction was the storage room.

“Uh, nowhere. I was just a little distracted..,” Qingming mumbled, holding the phone behind his back in the hopes that Hiromasa wouldn't hear.

“Oh, yes. You said you needed to discuss something important?” She indicated and they started back the way he'd come from. “I was just ensuring Naiji-san had the list for class.”

“I'm sorry for putting you through so much trouble.”

“What trouble? He is my co-instructor, after all. Gosh, you must be really worried..”

Her tone showed her concern.

After arriving in the room, Madame Kang greeted the girls but kept glancing at them very sceptically.

She'd known they were coming but she never thought of Qingming being someone with so many female friends so she thought they may be part of the problem.

“Soo… What's going on?” she asked.

Qingming pressed a button on his phone. “Senpai, you're on speaker.”

“Ok.”

Hiromasa greeted the teacher and the girls.

“Madame Kang,” Qingming began. “Do you know if anyone's been in contact with the academy to interview my current tutor?”

The woman frowned. ” Well, of course. But you already knew this.”

That was true. A few journalists with a focus on the arts, had reached out to their contacts at the examination council who let slip where he studied.

“I'm sorry, I should have clarified. Has any Chinese news outlets been contacting you recently?”

That surprised the woman. “How'd you know?”

“So, has the Director agreed to it?”

“It's not really his decision. But I let him know I'm not interested, so no one has told them anything. In fact, one of the reasons we were all in the lounge just now is because he wanted all instructors to remind their students about not disclosing information about anyone to people outside the academy. Apparently, someone has been very persistent since this morning.”

The woman took in the reactions to the news.

“Wait.. is that what you're worried about? You've already -.”

“I know,” Qingming interjected. “It's not that.. Apparently someone's been talking to the press there.”

He'd read through some of the other things Riri had posted in the group as she uncovered them.

The person who had told her about the article was one of Qingming's fans. Apparently there was a small group of them who had taken up the duty of checking information being posted about him online. When one of them came across the headline, they'd gone in search of Riri so she could bring it to his attention because they knew how private he was.

After Riri had shared the initial post, she'd gone back to the group and asked if they could dig some more to find out if it was legit.

Surprisingly, they'd already done so prior to talking to her and had found out that the blogger was not only popular, but had a great reputation and was an affiliate of a major news outlet. One of them had even reached out to the blogger, who had responded as soon as they saw it was about Qingming because they were hoping to get more info from people who knew him.

The girls had managed to convince the blogger of being his ‘Official Fanclub’ and were advised how she was able to move forward with this piece.

Apparently, someone had reached out to her with details on where he'd studied before moving back to Japan, his tutor and where he was studying currently.

The blogger had gotten details and screenshots of the whole fiasco that happened in The Forum, but had only been provided with the negative points. Not only that, but they'd been told a lot of negative things as it related to his behaviour in school. The blogger had contacted Qingming's former tutor and had an interview scheduled for later that week.

Qingming initially thought it was someone from school who didn't like him, but when he heard that the blogger had pictures and videos of him in class at this academy, he thought differently..

Madame Kang also came to the same conclusion after listening to everything: someone in the academy was trying to set him up!

“But..,” she tried to encourage him. “Now that you know all this, it shouldn't be hard to correct the misinformation that she was provided with and save your reputation.”

“Unfortunately, that's not the issue…” Hiromasa sighed.

Qingming nodded. “When she talks to my former tutor, she's going to learn about my family.”

The woman thought for a while. She didn't know about his family either but that wasn't unusually. She didn't really pay attention to such things, and just cared whether or not her students' families were supportive.

“And that's going to make everyone else at school find out…” Ayu said.

“Oh..” Madame Kang realised Qingming was more secretive than she thought if this could pose a possible problem at school.

Qingming's mind was moving a mile a minute with different ways he could approach the situation. But right now, he just didn't want to do anything.

“Senpai..,” he sighed.

“Mm,” Hiromasa responded. “Are you ok to get through class?”

Qingming nodded then remembered the other couldn't see him. “Yeah.”

“Ok, good. I'll talk to you later, ok?”

“Mhm..”

Hiromasa then disconnected the call and sent a message in the chat for the girls to go to an address.

They bid farewell to Qingming then left.

“Are you sure you're going to be ok?” Madame Kang asked.

Qingming gave her a wan smile. “I will. I'm just still a little jittery is all. I'll calm down soon enough.”

“Ok.. But what about..?”

“It'll be fine. Hiromasa-senpai is probably talking to my parents right now to fill them in on what happened since he sent the girls to my house..”

🔸

And that's exactly what was happening.

Abe-furen was still at the office, so the athlete only spoke to the dancer's father.

By the time the girls got to the house, the man had already called in the head of their PR department: his daughter.

After gathering all the details from Riri, Ye-san shared an idea with the group of girls. She wanted to tackle a few things right away, which included having a talk with the blogger.

“In the meantime, I'd like you ladies to work on something for me,” Ye-san told the girls.

“Us? We'd be happy to help any way we can!” Riri said and the others nodded.

Chapter Text

Wednesday afternoon, Qingming was halfway through warm up exercises with the rec class when he suddenly pushed himself out of a stretch into a handstand then backflip, as the girl next to him let out a yell and went tumbling towards him.

His eyes had been closed so he wasn’t sure what she’d been doing to cause that, but had thankfully opened them in time to catch her sudden movement in his peripheral and reacted fast enough.

“Are you ok?” he asked, turning to give her a helping hand.

She had a slight scowl on her face, but it vanished as Madame Kang hurried over from the other side of the hall.

“Oh, please forgive me! I’m so sorry, Qing-kun!” she apologised loudly and profusely.

Qingming jerked back at the sudden outburst, pulling back his hand. “It’s fine, just make sure you’re ok.”

“Alright, save the dramatics for the stage,” Madame Kang said. “It’s like you’ve never taken a tumble before. No worries, we'll work on strengthening your ankles so you can be more sturdy.”

The girl blushed as she scrambled to her feet. Clearly she never expected to be called out like that in front of everyone.

“Qing-kun, you and Mari-chan to the front, please,” Madame Kang said as she headed back to the front of the class.

With a small bow to the girl, Qingming followed the woman and joined Mari-chan. They were cast in the prestigious roles of the sugar plum fairy and her cavalier.

The rest of the class stood around the perimeter of the room, watching as the two began their pas de deux.

…

After rehearsals, Qingming bid farewell to his partner and the rest of the group, before turning to leave.

However, he was suddenly face-to-face with a smiling Tomei.

"Heading to school, right?"

Qingming's face froze in a tight smile.

He'd noticed the other dancer fishing around him the entire duration of rehearsal. After Monday's events, he hasn't gone to school. No doubt Tomei had noticed and wanted to ask about it. However, Qingming did his best throughout rehearsal to keep himself occupied; either by staying focused on helping his partner or talking to Madame Kang and the assistant tutor.

Standing there in silence, the two dancers were beginning to draw the attention of the others.

Qingming made a single nod, knowing full well what was coming...

🔹

Qingming held tight to his duffel bag as he sat rigidly on one side of the backseat. On the other end, Tomei was talking a mile a minute. Though he didn't say much to prolong the conversation, Qingming responded perfunctorily every now and then. But his attention was mostly looking outside the moving vehicle, wishing the uncomfortable ride would end already.

Suddenly, he jumped as his phone started ringing. Looking down, the handsome face of their shared acquaintance popped up.

Before thinking about it properly, Qingming quickly turned away the phone screen and declined the call.

He didn't see the other person's eyes narrow nor the way Tomei's jaws tensed.

"You don't have to be considerate of me, Qing-kun," Tomei said with nonchalance, quickly adjusting his mood. "Go ahead and take his call. Who knows what he'll think otherwise."

Qingming didn't miss the aggressive undertone in the other's voice. Not wanting Tomei to be the one to 'think things', he declined Hiromasa's second call and quickly sent a text that he was busy.

Tomei watched him from the corners of his eyes and hid his smirk.

"Are you sure you can make it through training, Qing-kun?" he spoke as if he saw nothing.

Qingming looked up from his phone, face puzzled.

"You haven't been to school the past couple days, so I thought you weren't feeling well.. Though it was hard to tell at rehearsal, you're the type to push through like it's nothing because it's something you love, right? And we both know how you feel about sports..."

His voice was sincere and his little laugh disarming.. But the look in his eyes felt off. With shadows flitting across his face due to the lights from other vehicles and the streetlights, he looked downright sinister. But Qingming pushed down his discomfort and told himself his feelings for Hiromasa was causing him to unfairly vilify Tomei.

Showing a little smile that didn't reach his eyes, Qingming gave a brief nod. "That's true.. I've just been dealing with a lot recently and my parents suggested taking some time to rest."

"Hmm.. Nothing too serious, I hope?"

Qingming knew he was probably just being concerned, but his problems weren't something he could disclose to Tomei.

"It's nothing to be concerned about," he said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone, hoping Tomei would drop it.

If he knew that the other was becoming increasingly frustrated at the way he was avoiding him, he wouldn't have gotten in the car in the first place.

"Ok. So, what happened with you and Sakura-chan today?"

That question threw Qingming for a loop. His confusion was clear when he looked at Tomei.

"That little incident between the two of you earlier.."

It took a moment but Qingming realised what the other was asking about.

"It was nothing. I guess she just lost her balance or something," he shrugged.

"Oh, is that right?" Tomei said in an amused tone. Then he turned his body more towards Qingming. "I thought it may have something to do with what I heard the other day..."

Qingming didn't take the bait. "If it did, it has nothing to do with me."

Tomei frowned heavily. However, the car had just entered the school gates and there was no time to find a way to pull the other into that kind of conversation. "Still, it doesn't hurt to watch your back. You never know who might want to act on a grudge."

Qingming met Tomei's gaze and held his emotions.

"See you around, Mei-kun," was all he said before opening the car door and exiting.

The Next Morning...

Qingming was locked in his music room. He'd been there since before dawn, opting to miss yet another day of school.

He hasn’t spent much time playing any of his instruments since he moved back to Japan because, unlike living with his grandpa, he actually began to find other things to occupy his time outside of dancing.

He was playing one particular song for the umpteenth time when the door was opened and Xiao Ming walked in with a disapproving look.

Putting the erhu down, Qingming made a face asking what was with that greeting.

“Why would you lock yourself in here without your phone?” Xiao Ming said in an annoyed tone.

Qingming had a retort ready but stopped himself. His brother was right, he can’t keep worrying his family like this. “I’m sorry, Min-min. What’s up?”

Xiao Ming grimaced but then rolled his eyes. “Your Hiro-senpai is trying to reach you.”

“Oh.”

“Oh? What does that mean?”

Qingming only shook his head. He wasn’t exactly ecstatic to talk to Hiromasa at the moment after he blew him off the night before to go have fun.

Xiao Ming sighed at the lack of response. “Whatever it is, you might wanna try resolving it before he gets back.”

Qingming scoffed. “I’m older than you, I don’t need you lecturing me.”

“Yet here we are,” Xiao Ming sniped, earning a glare.

“Fine, fine. You all seem to think Hiromasa-senpai can do no wrong, but I’ll have you know that is not the case.”

“Of course, Ani. Anyway, I’ll see you later.”

“Going to the lab?”

“En,” Xiao Ming responded as he headed for the door. Before exiting, he paused. “And Qing-ge, you know we love you, right?”

Qingming made a slight frown. “Of course, I do.”

“Then tell us when you’re having a hard time so we can help.”

With that he left, but Qingming felt remorseful. Though he’d been on much better terms with his family, he still kept them at a distance when it came to how he feels about things that affected him greatly.

With a sigh and a silent promise to go to the others after talking to Hiromasa, he headed for his room.

Qingming had left his phone on his bed when he woke up and now saw it had almost 20 missed calls from Hiromasa and his family members.

”There you are,” the athlete said after picking up on the first ring.

“Yeah,” Qingming said, falling into his bed. “Sorry about that. I was in the music room trying to organise my thoughts.”

”Ah.. Are you still worried?”

“Well, of course! Anything could go wrong before we can put our plan in motion. Obviously someone knows, or at the very least suspects something, and that’s why they’ve been conversing with that blogger and sending her things. What if they find out what we’re doing and make a move first?”

”Then we deal with it.”

Qingming frowned deeply. “It's not that easy.”

”I didn’t say it would be,” Hiromasa said patiently. “But what else can we do?”

Qingming knew the athlete was right, but…

With a sigh, he changed the topic. “I’ll be kept so busy in the coming days, I probably won’t think about all this anyway.”

”Mm.. Oh, you said you went to practice for your Sports’ Day events last night, right?” Hiromasa grinned. "How'd that go?"

Qingming frowned a little but responded. "As well as can be expected.."

"You're almost across the finish line," the athlete joked. "You know, initially I was excited to be coming back soon, but now I'm not so sure...”

“Because..?”

”You won’t have any time for me. And I don’t know what to do with myself,” the athlete said in a deep but sticky voice that made the dancer's skin tingle.

Though it was said jokingly, Qingming knew Hiromasa was serious. But instead of feeling moved by the athlete wanting to spend time with him, it made him think about the previous night instead. The car ride with Tomei had left him feeling unsettled, even up until he got home late, and he needed Hiromasa. However, the athlete was too busy out having fun.

Qingming might not have expressed how he was feeling when Hiromasa finally answered his phone, but that was besides the point!

“Too bad,” the dancer said in a very thinly veiled irate tone.

Hiromasa raised a brow. ”What did I do?”

“I didn’t say anything,” Qingming shrugged. “If your conscience is bothering you then that’s on you.”

Hiromasa’s eyes narrowed at the dancer who refused to look at his phone, therefore not looking at him. He knew Qingming wasn’t in a good place emotionally, but he didn’t understand why he’d become a target for Qingming’s aggression. Based on this response, he knew Qingming would only get more irritated if he kept asking. So he decided to let it go in hopes the dancer will eventually tell him. He just had to keep him talking.

”Having gone through a week of rehearsals for the winter production and your competitions, will you keep the same training schedule going forward? Or will you fill the spots you were using to prepare for Sports Day with something else?”

Qingming thought Hiromasa would have reacted to his provocation, but was secretly relieved he didn’t. After that minor outburst, his conscience was nagging at him.

“Hmm.. Since entrance exams are right around the corner, I want to get into a study routine early. So, I’ve decided to …”

He went on to share the details of the schedule he’d planned out for the upcoming weeks.

”Ah.. Sounds hectic. Be sure to rest as much as you can and don’t push yourself too hard.”

Without meaning to, Qingming made a little laugh as he finally turned his attention back to the phone instead of his ceiling. "Do you guys have like a book of lines that you share or something?"

"What do you mean?" Hiromasa frowned.

"What you just said is similar to what Taka-san said last night after I told him some of what I would be doing this semester.”

Hiromasa's eye twitched and there was a sudden churning in his stomach. Without meaning to he mumbled in response. "Oh... I almost forgot you two are friends."

Qingming looked at him questioningly. "O..k.. Anyway, did you know that he actually went and found an old recording online from Balshoi theatre and watched the entire thing, just so he could talk to me about it? I thought that was sweet of him to make such an effort.."

”... Yeah.. How very thoughtful..”

While Qingming gabbed on and on about his many conversations with Yue these days, Hiromasa couldn't help the jealous feeling that grew inside him. This week he'd been especially busy after their training sessions, going out with their team managers plus the captains of other local teams and their managers to exchange knowledge in a more casual setting. The NZ teams were very experienced and popular teams, who’d played many more opponents at different levels compared to Hiromasa’s highschool team. He used the opportunity to pick their brains about strategies that could be used against various playing styles, in a bid to come up with ideas the team could implement in their matches for the National title.

After all, they'd be facing other regional champions from across the country, so they'd have to work a lot harder if they wanted to leave the competition with a good result.

Now he's finding out Yue and Qingming had been getting even closer during his absence.

As he watched the dancer talking excitedly, he wondered.. Could Qingming actually be falling for Yue? Or, is Yue the person he’s liked all this time, but for some reason he thought the guy was in a relationship?

"Hey!!"

Hiromasa jumped slightly as Qingming slapped the camera, the action and shout dragging him out of his thoughts. "What?"

"I'm sorry to bore you," Qingming sighed. "Why don't you tell me about all these places you've been going?"

Hiromasa opened his mouth to ask what the hell Qingming meant by boring him, but was thrown by the question the dancer asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you've been going out with the team managers every night this week. You even ditched me last night without a second thought.. The guys said it’s because you've been meeting ‘others’ and partying.."

Hiromasa glared at the phone screen. Qingming’s tone made it evident that that ‘news’ had made him upset. It could even be the reason he was now getting the cold shoulder. But, hearing him say those words also made Hiromasa angry.

"And you believe that?"

Qingming chuckled dryly at the accusing tone. "I don't want to draw any conclusions so that's why I asked. It's not like it's far-fetched. After all, no one, myself included, ever thought you'd be good friends with anyone besides Tomei. Yet… here we are."

Hiromasa felt anger well up inside him, but it wasn’t all directed at the dancer who was looking at him with resentful eyes.

"You know what.. If that's what you want to believe, then go right ahead."

Qingming was visibly thrown off and sat up as the athlete got up from his seated position on his side. "What's with the attitude?!"

Hiromasa took a deep breath and forced down his emotions and feelings about the dancer and his teammate. He didn't want to accuse Yue of purposely trying to make him look bad in Qingming's eyes. But even if that were the case, shouldn't Qingming know better?? But he didn't want to say that either and make it seem like he was blaming the dancer. He decided to just apologise and make an excuse about being tired.

"I guess I’m just disappointed that others can so easily change your perception of me, and it makes me wonder just what kind of person you really think I am! You even accused me of being bored by you talking about dancing even though it's something we always talk about. Not to mention I was the one who brought it up earlier!"

Qingming's eyes widening was enough of a confirmation that he really just said those words. Out loud..

So much for being the bigger person and apologising!

The dancer was stunned by Hiromasa's words but began to feel guilty as he thought about what the other said. He realised it was true that he was letting what he heard others say influence him, especially when he was already upset at the athlete.

Last night, he’d called Yue within 15 minutes of hanging up with Hiromasa. The guy had been playing cards with a few other teammates, and Qingming overheard one of them saying Hiromasa was a bad friend because he went out to have fun again but left them alone like children. Another teammate had joked that it was because he didn't want any of them to post his scandalous activities on The Forum.

When Qingming asked Yue about it, the guy said Hiromasa and the coaching staff all went out every night and came back very late. Those who roomed with the team managers had said they always came back smelling like alcohol.

On his end, Hiromasa had gotten up to go find Yue and punch him in the face. He'd also realised what his teammate meant at breakfast when he used the phrase ‘out of sight, out of mind’ with a smug smile on his face.

A loud cracking sound snapped the two of them from their thoughts.

"I'm sorry!"

They were both silent for a few seconds before making an awkward little laugh at them apologising at the same time.

"No," Qingming continued quickly. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I really shouldn't allow myself to be so easily influenced because... I know who you are, Senpai." Qingming swallowed as he looked at Hiromasa, then decided to just say it. "I just.. I just really miss you and miss having you here. Especially these last few days. And I hate that we haven't had the chance to talk much lately.."

Though Qingming was the one who said his true feelings, Hiromasa became flushed.

"You.. mean that?"

"Is it that hard to believe?" Qingming pouted.

Hiromasa gave a small smile. "Not if I think about how much I miss you, and can’t wait to come home.."

Though it was the middle of the morning, Qingming was an anxious bundle of emotions because he belatedly felt embarrassed by what he'd said, and how it almost led to him confessing his feelings. Pulling the sheet over his head, Qingming flailed about the bed.

He only stopped when he got a text message a few minutes later.

It was from Hiromasa letting him know he’ll have to pay to replace the door of his hotel room! The cracking sound they’d heard was the door handle suffering a fatal loss against the athlete’s grip.

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