The Only Exception

Chapter Two

>> [image attached]

Shohei almost laughs at the photo of a pouting Junya. He notices how the guy is wearing eye makeup—making him look like a cartoon character. His hair is also styled differently, parted on the side, and with wisps of hair slightly covering his face. He looks too good to be true. Now he is sure Junya is not a regular office worker. Shohei is once again hit with an overwhelming sense of familiarity while looking at the guy.

<< Is that for work? You never tell me what you do.

>> Huh? But you never ask.

<<I always ask you how's your work and you just say it's the usual.

>> Because it IS the usual stuff.

<< I also tell you it's the usual stuff. But I don't get to look that good any day of the week.

>> Oh, Kita-san is complimenting me. I'm glad.

<< That's a typo.

>> LOL

Shohei thinks of the many times Junya's exquisitely styled selfies and wonders why he never asked before.

>> Do you really not know?

<< Will I ask if I do? Are you some kind of an entertainer? A singer or a dancer?

>> Send me a selfie and I will tell you.

Shohei sighs. He hates taking selfies but he does check his reflection on the glass window of their studio. There are dark rings under his eyes and the light blue button-up shirt is not doing anything to hide his slim figure. Compared to Junya, he is just a sight... and that's not even on a positive note.

>> Kita-san. Come on, I want to put a face to my temporary emergency contact person.

Shohei smiles at that. He sighs and walks by the window where the natural light is spilling inside casting a decent morning glow to him. Hopefully, this will hide the fact that he looks like shit. He takes a selfie and checks how it looks—doesn't like it and takes another one.

Still not right. Shohei doesn't know why he's being anal about this. It's not like he needs to impress Junya or anything. He simply needs a selfie to send.

Eiji finds him on that spot when he comes back with lunch and eyes him curiously, "What are you doing?" Shohei puts his phone down right away, blushing and embarrassed at getting caught in the act. "Nothing." He pretends to just be browsing his phone which honestly, looks more stupid than him admitting what he's doing.

"Are you taking a selfie?"

It's too late to deny it, anyway so he sighs in embarrassment, "Yeah."

"Why?"

"I just want to."

"Liar." Eiji places the pack of food by his table and eyes him directly, "There is something going on with you and I'd really appreciate it if you tell me. I'm your oldest friend."

Shohei can see the hurt in Eiji's eyes and feels a little bit guilty. They have been friends for almost ten years now, having known each other in art school back in Kanazawa, at least before he dropped out and transferred to Tokyo where they found each other again after two years and started working on the same advertising company for another year before they decided to open up their own business two years ago. Eiji is one of the few people who has accepted who he is, welcomed him to his family (which is just him and his sister since both parents perished in a car crash when they're in high school) and never treated him differently.