“What is it with all this ‘cool beauty,’ ‘pretty boy’ stuff anyway?”

“Well you have a beautiful face. You’re a lot prettier than most of the girls around here.”

“That’s not much of a compliment.” Kanae scowled at Yuichi, who only shrugged.

“It is a compliment, dummy. It’s better than being ugly! Anyway, lets get out of here. We have a bar to go to.” Yuichi unfolded his arms and grabbed Kanae’s arm again.

“As long as we’re here together, this cafeteria is never going to leave us alone. It’s annoying, isn’t it? Let’s go and get a drink. Just the two of us.”

He whispered meaningfully, causing the group of people nearest them to start chattering to themselves again. Kanae didn’t have to use his imagination to figure out what kind of things they would be saying. But whatever, he didn’t care.

Kanae nodded in affirmation and in an instant they left the cafeteria.

“Oh, thank you for looking out for me earlier.” Yuichi looked at Kanae in surprise and then exploded into laughter.

“Shouldn’t you have said that earlier?”

“Yeah, I should have, but I forgot. So I said it now. Sorry.”

“…woah. You’re an interesting one. I’ve never met a creature like you before.”

He didn’t care that Yuichi’s comment was slightly rude. It was the first time he’d ever been called ‘interesting,’ and that was better than what others called him. There was no ill intent behind Yuichi’s words.

“You drink?”

“Not really.”

As they left the cafeteria, they could hear the commotion start up. The two of them looked at each other, both knowing full well what was being said behind their backs, and laughed.

The next day, brand new rumors were in full circulation around the university. Apparently, the word was that Yuichi had done it with Kanae, but moved on and found a girlfriend. And if people asked Kanae about his boyfriends, then Yuichi would give them hell. In the end, people just stopped asking. That Yuichi and Kanae were close friends was not a rumor, rather, it was spoken about as one of the seven wonders of the university.

Yes, it was right, Yuichi and Kanae were close friends.

But for Kanae, that day was the start of his love for Yuichi Nagao, from the instant he’d been taken in by Yuichi’s smile.

Yuichi could be terrible at times, but feelings could not be ignored. Kanae would not give up.

Chapter 2

Kanae often went into Yuichi’s room. Today it looked completely different, though.

His throat was parched. His lips were dry. And was not being able to breathe properly the result of his tense nerves? No one spoke the entire time they spent walking to Yuichi’s house. Yuichi had unlocked the door, went in, and still there had been no words between them. Now they were finally alone and Kanae was still at a loss for words. He had no idea what was considered appropriate conversation before sex.

“Shall we take a bath first?”