“…Yuichi? Are you listening to me?”

“No, I’m not. I don’t have to. As soon as I made you say you love me, I understood it all. I knew that you cared for me. But you just kept it to yourself huh? You can’t do that. You have to say it over and over. I want to hear it. I want to hear my precious Kanae tell me over and over that he loves me.”

Yuichi smiled gently. This may have been the first time Kanae had ever seen that. A smile that meant everything.

“You get it now?” Yuichi held Kanae softly. “This whole time we’ve been together. Give me a break. How could I not be totally in love with you? As if I’d get a girlfriend. Why would I look at anyone else but you?”

“…you lie.”

“…that’s not sexy. Why would I lie? Why won’t you believe me?

“But you’ve been with so many girls.”

“Yeah, I have. Slept with a lot. But you know, it was a boy I fell in love with at first sight. How could it be any more simple? The moment I met you, I fell in love. I tried my best to ignore it. But you see, I just couldn’t date anyone else. All I really wanted was to be with you. So I dumped them. I stopped dating girls, and when I asked you, I thought that maybe we could. So when you said you’d sleep with me, I was so terrified that time. I thought that I could get used to it. The rumors weren’t true.” Yuichi tapped Kanae’s forehead. “I was your first, wasn’t I?”

“…how did you know?”

“Humph. When I tried to enter you, you were so tight. And then it looked like it hurt. You didn’t look like you were enjoying yourself at all. Did you understand how I felt?”

“…you weren’t annoyed?”

“…you’re a total idiot, you know that?”

Yuichi looked disappointed and drooped his shoulders.

“If you’re with someone you really like, and they’re enjoying themselves, you’re happy.” Yuichi grinned. “Even though it was our first time, I thought that you might have loved me, or you’d never have put up with the pain. Was I wrong?”

“…you weren’t wrong.”

“You liked me?”

“…do I have to say it?” Kanae buried his face in Yuichi’s chest. “If I said anything then, it would have been over. Did you have to go out with me? Did you have to make me your lover?”

“What are you saying?”

Yuichi softly stroked Kanae’s hair. His hand was as warm as always. Kanae hadn’t understood the meaning in that warmth though.

“You know, I hardly go to school at all. I skip all the time, but I still go to the cafeteria. Why do you think I did that? I can tell you it wasn’t for that disgusting coffee.”

That’s true, Kanae thought. They had met everyday in the cafeteria. He had gotten so used to spending his lunch break with Yuichi. He hadn’t even noticed. Yuichi had been there every day. Fresh tears began to form in Kanae’s eyes.