“Yuichi Nagao…”

“Oh you know me?”

Yuichi smiled, but conversation was not enough to deter him from pulling Kanae towards the canteen exit.

Kanae was stunned by how natural and attractive Yuichi’s smile was. He was…pretty good-looking.

Yuichi said something. Kanae was pulled back to his senses.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t hear you, what was that?”

“I said…if you don’t want to answer, then just say so. They just kept asking you the same dumb shit over and over. They seem pretty interested in your life. But if they make you uncomfortable, then why do you want to be friends with them?”

“Friends…”

They were eating lunch together, but it didn’t mean they were friends. Kanae only agreed to sit with them because he wanted to know what others were saying about him.

“They seemed curious about me and wanted to hang out for a bit…”

“So, that’s all there is to it?” Yuichi stopped near the exit and suddenly his voice changed.

“What does it feel like to do it with a guy? How do you stick it in? Does it feel good? Do you really romp around with them?” Yuichi narrowed his eyes, doing a remarkably good impression of the boys who had pestered Kanae earlier.

Kanae burst out laughing.

“Pretty good!” Yuichi grinned at Kanae, shrugging.

“Don’t you get tired of it all? They might leave you alone if you just give them an answer. Surely a little hint couldn’t hurt?”

“But they won’t be satisfied, no matter what I tell them…so I might as well just stay quiet,” Kanae explained. Yuichi looked a little surprised.

“Wow.” He nodded. “Well, I guess you’ve got a point. I’ve heard the ‘cool beauty’ stories so I thought you’d be God’s gift to mankind. But you’re not as spectacular as they make you out to be, huh?”

Kanae thought the comment was a little rude, but he knew it was true. He really wasn’t special or good with relationships. He wasn’t always quick to understand things, either. Sometimes he was slow to grasp the meaning of jokes. “Maybe you’re right…” Kanae said, a little dejectedly. Yuichi laughed again.

“Don’t tell me you actually started to believe them? That’s pretty odd. You’re an interesting guy! We should be friends.”

That was the first time anyone said that to him and meant it.

Kanae was speechless for a moment, but then his lips curled into a smile. He nodded.

“Ye-yeah! You’re right.” He was so happy, even if he felt kind of pathetic. Up until now there was no one he could call a true friend. And to think his first friend would be the most famous guy in the university, someone he wouldn’t have believed would have even spoken to him! Then, he remembered—he hadn’t even thanked Yuichi for saving him earlier. But as Kanae opened his mouth to say thank you, he noticed that the canteen was not in its usual state of chaos. Everyone in the canteen had stopped and were now looking at him and Yuichi. Kanae gaped.