Hi everybody! I am alive! I know it's been literally FOREVER since I last uploaded a chapter so here it is! Hopefully you can forgive me T^T
-Violet
☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆
Everyone began to gather for the next episode, curious what was gonna be shown this time.
"You know," Onodera told Takano, "why am I the only one being picked on? I don't like it."
"Well, I do." Takano smirked, making Ritsu groan.
"Yeah, we like it too," Kisa said. Yukina nodded. "It's quite entertaining."
"It does seem odd, though," Chiaki spoke up, "that it's been about you guys so far. I wonder when the rest of us will pop up."
"Is that what you want to happen?" Tori asked him.
This made his lover blush. "Not particularly. It's just odd because we assumed it'd be about all of us. Yukina hasn't even popped up yet."
Yukina stopped mid-chew. He had been eating some octopus shaped wieners. "I dwond muind af all." He said through his mouth full of food.
"Eat properly!" Kisa scolded him, making Yukina smile sheepishly.
"I say lets just get this over with." Usagi said. "It's too early to hear you're yapping. Just watch and get enlightened." This earned him a slap on the shoulder by Misaki, but everyone mumbled in agreement and huddled around the TV.
The scene opened up with the sun shining bright, a beautiful cafe coming to focus. Inside, Chiaki and Tori were sitting at a table, both with a drink in front of them. While Chiaki was happily sipping away, Hatori was reviewing a manuscript, his drink untouched.
Hatori put down the papers. "This sucks," he said with a straight face.
"That's what she said," all the seme said in unison. The ukes shook their heads as if thinking Why are they all so childish?
"Ha!" Onodera leaped to his feet in joy. "It's not about me this time!"
"Oh shut it," Takano said, "They've already seen a lot, and that was just the beginning." Recalling all the other things that have gone down between the two made Onodera slowly sit back down.
"What?!" Chiaki blushed in disbelief.
"Chiharu Yoshikawa's an insanely popular manga artist who's sold over 10 million copies," Tori explained, "It's obvious that you thought anything with that name on it would pass."
"Don't de arrogant, you idiot," he concluded with the same poker face.
"When have I ever been arrogant?!" Chiaki stood up and slammed his hands down on the table. "And, yes, even though we've been friends for a long time, I don't think you should talk like that to the author!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Tori, his old childhood friend.
"What?! YOU'RE the one who writes those?" Everyone, who didn't already know, exclaimed.
"We always thought it was a girl!"
"Well, close enough," Tori said.
"Tori!" The sexual innuendo made Chiaki's cheeks flush red.
"To the author?" Hatori half mocked. "Talk like that? That's what I mean by arrogant!"
Chiaki flinched and slowly sat back down.
'Well, it's true,' he thought, 'even I wasn't so sure about it this time.'
He flipped through the manuscript. 'The more I thought about it though, the more confused I got. I didn't have a choice but forcing it out because of the deadline, but...'
"The topic isn't bad," Tori said, "but the whole thing is too cramped."
Chiaki looked up, surprised.
"I can see that there's a lot you want to draw, but you need to remember the readers."
Chiaki focuses on the scene in the manuscript.
"That's the most important scene," Hatori comments. "Why are you ruining it with a cheap joke?"
Yoshino picks up his pencil and starts to edit that part in the manuscript. While he's hard at work, Tori takes out an agenda book and start flipping through it.
Chiaki looks up at him, as if wanting to ask something.
"You still don't get it?"
"Shut up, I get it!"
Pause.
"Which reminds me," Tori started, "another bookstore asked us to do a signing. I intend to reject them as always."
"What? Why? I love your manga. Some of my friends have been super sad that you've never had one," Misaki reassured Chiaki.
"It's just weird."
"Yeah, it might mess with sales if people knew it was a man writing them." Yokozawa said, earing him a glare from Misaki. He stared back. The smaller brunette backed down, making Usagi put a protective arm around Misaki.
"Please do that," Yoshino doesn't bother looking up to respond. "Tell them I'm sorry."
"I don't think anything would happen," Tori started, "if they found out you're male."
"I'm sure it would be a big disappointment to all...the girls who think I'm female."
Hatori looks at him. "It would certainly help me keep it under wraps."
Chiaki finally looked up. "Huh? What do you mean?"
This time, Tori is the one who doesn't bother looking at him when he responds, "Nothing."
"Anyway," he moves on, "you wanted to get some inspiration at the fireworks festival, right?"
"OOOOO I know where this is going! Boy and girl go to festival and share a very lovey dovey kiss scene!" Yukina cheered for the couple.
"Except I'm not a girl." Chiaki stated.
"Close enough tho," Yukina smiled. Ughhh, Chiaki wanted to run and hide.
"How about you go after you're done with the manuscript?"
"Alright!" Chiaki said, smiling with excitement to go to the festival. "I'm gonna have candy apples and octopus balls!"
His stomach growls in response.
"Are you going back to work after this?" He asks his childhood friend.
"No. The proofs are done," Tori said while checking his agenda. "After this, I'm going home."
Chiaki smiles brightly. "Will you come over to my place then?"
"Don't do it. Don't invite the wolf in!" Misaki and Ritsu exclaimed in unison, making them blush. Everyone else laughed at their outburst.
On screen, the title, "Love is Lawless" appears, followed by the very cheery, very pink, opening.
"This is good!" Chiaki exclaims as he digs into the full course meal in front of him. "This is so delicious! Tori! You are amazing! You're the best!"
"If you're done eating, we'll correct the storyboards." Hatori was all business.
"Okay, okay!" Chiaki continued eating, "I told you I'd get it done today."
Instead of joining Chiaki, Tori started cleaning the dishes.
"Hey, Tori," Chiaki called out, "do you have a girlfriend or something like that?"
Yukina spits out the iced tea he had been drinking, and goes into a coughing fit. "Why would you ask something like that?"
"I didn't know anything! I was just trying to get an idea of what was going on!"
Tori received a sympathetic pat from Takano and Usagi.
"I feel for you."
"It doesn't get any better."
"Thanks. I think."
Hatori blinked. "Why do you ask?"
"Well," Yoshino said, "you were always popular with the girls. Now you work for Marukawa, a big-shot publishing company. I figured you'd be beating them off with a stick!" He cuts an egg omelet in half and eats it.
"Thanks to someone I won't name," Tori half-accused, "I don't have time to go on dates or think about finding someone right now. But thanks for bringing that up."
Chiaki looks away, "Sorry."
Hatori stopped cleaning dishes. "But there is someone I'm interest in."
"And there it is!" Kisa exclaimed. "And they lived happily ever after."
"Shut up Kisa, we don't know what happens next." Takano snapped at him.
Chiaki looked taken aback. "Really?!" Then, to himself, he said, "Tori's actually interested in someone." He held his chopsticks to his chin in a pensive manner.
"So have you told them yet," he asked, curious for what the answer would be.
"No."
"A secret crush?"
"You could say that."
Chiaki smiled. "So what's she like? Is she pretty? What's she like? You think it'll work out?"
"I don't think it'll be very rewarding," was the last thing Hatori said before going back to what he was doing.
'Maybe I shouldn't have asked,' Chiaki thought, as the atmosphere in the room became tense.
The sound of the doorbell ringing cut through the awkward silence.
"I'll get that!" Yoshino got up but before he could reach the door, his friend, Yuu, barged into the room.
"Hey Chiaki!" Yuu yelled into the house, "I got the new The Kan!"
Misaki screeched with excitement like a little girl. Usagi looked annoyed for some reason.
"What? What's wrong with the manga?" asked Kisa. "It's very popular."
"It shouldn't be though," Usagi crossed his arms across his chest. "The author himself is of the worst kind, trying to take what doesn't belong to him."
"I'm not an object," Misaki said for what felt like the millionth time.
"You're mine. Nobody will separate you from me, not him, and not anyone else." Everyone felt the need to avert their eyes at Usagi's declaration of love.
Chiaki was suddenly in full-on fanboy status. "Really?! That came out today?!"
Yuu showed it to him.
"AND it's a limited edition, too!"
"Pretty sweet, huh?" Yuu handed it over to him.
"This is awesome! Let me borrow it when you're done."
"It's yours," Yuu smiled. "I bought it for you."
"Duh duh dun!" Everyone giggled.
"I'm right here you guys."
"That's what makes this better!"
Chiaki looked shocked. "Really?! It's really mine?"
"Yoshino," Hatori's stern voice cut through their moment. "Where are your manners?"
"Oh, excuse me," Chiaki apologized.
"Oh." Yuu said fake shocked, "I didn't know you were here, Hatori."
"I'm sure you didn't," Hatori responded coldly as he adjusted the cuffs on his dress shirt. Chiaki silently watched the exchanged between them. "Yanase, I thought you were assisting at Satou's studio."
"The storyboard got delayed, so I'm starting tomorrow."
'H-huh?' Chiaki thought to himself, 'what's this tension?'
"You're one to talk," Yuu retorted, "hanging around here. Why don't you go check the rough drafts at Satou's studio?"
"You don't have to tell me," Hatori said as he grabbed his brief case and jacket from the couch, "I was just on my way."
Yoshino made a surprised noise. "But you said you were done for the day."
Hatori ignored what he said. "Just send me the storyboard changes when you're done."
"O-okay," Chiaki said, puzzled, as Tori walked out the door.
'I wonder why there's all this tension when Tori and Yuu have known each other since junior high.'
"Jesus Christ, you're just as blind as this one!" Takano pointed at Onodera.
"H-hey! I'm not blind!"
"Oh please you so are."
"Well," Ritsu suddenly started to get angry, "If you hadn't just spoken clearly then I wouldn't have misunderstood! It's your fault! Take some responsibility."
That shut Takano up.
Yuu glances at the full course meal laid out on the dinner table. "Did he make all this?"
"Yeah!" Chiaki affirmed excitedly, "I've been dying for some real food. His sweet omelet is really the best! Oh. He did my laundry too." He points at the neatly folded clothes next to the washing machine.
Yuu looks displeased, "Aren't you a little too dependent on him?"
Yoshino flinches and looks down at the floor.
Yuu sighs. "If you're busy with work, I'll go home." He turns around to slip on his shoes at the doorway.
"O-okay."
"Thanks for the book," Chiaki says as Yuu zips up his shoes. "I'm sorry you came all the way here."
A shadow hides Yuu's expression as he faces the door. "No problem. I'll see you all the time now that I'm an assistant," he turns around and flashes a smile at him, "and that's good enough for me!"
"H-huh?"
"Seriously. He basically confessed his feelings for you and you STILL didn't get it?" Yukina was starting to feel really sorry for the guy.
Semes all grunt in agreement.
"See ya!" Yuu cheerfully bids farewell and in a second he's out the door.
'What's up with those two?' Chiaki thought as he walked back into the living room to review the manuscript. He flipped through the pages and jotted down gibberish before slamming down his pencil on the table, threw the manuscript aside and grabbed the new manga he had just receive, stretching out on the couch to read instead.
'Too dependent, huh?' He pondered. 'So what am I supposed to do?'
He threw the manga onto the floor and buried his face in his pillow.
'He's my editor but he's also my friend. He's my friend, but he's also my editor. I won't deny that the line is pretty vague.'
An image of Tori flashed in his mind. Chiaki's eyes drooped with sadness. 'Lately, he's stopped talking about himself completely.' He got up and grabbed an egg omelet left behind by Tori.
"Wait," Chiaki said in between bites, "he said there was someone he's interested in."
He recalled how Hatori said he didn't think it'd be very rewarding. The scene faded out to the next day.
Chiaki and Takano were in a meeting.
"I'll take the preview cover from here," Takano said, putting the content in an envelope. "I'm sorry you had to come all the way here to drop it off yourself."
Chiaki smiled friendly, "It's not problem. Otherwise, I'd never get out."
Takano smiled. "Hatori should be back any moment."
"Wow! So nice this Takano! I can hardly believe it." Onodera mocked him.
"I can be nice. I'm just not nice to stubborn little boys." He ruffled Ritsu's hair.
"Would you like to wait for him?"
Chiaki shook his head, flustered. "It's fine, thank you! I'm going home. Goodbye!"
He walked out the building. Just then, the sky opened and it started to rain. Chiaki ran to the nearest place with a roof to hide from it. Once safe, he took out an umbrella from bag and started walking home.
He stopped in front of an alley, where two familiar figures stood.
'That's Yuu and...Tori.'
They both stood there, facing each other in deep conversation. Yuu's shirt soaking wet from the rain while Hatori held an umbrella.
"What are they doing together?" Chiaki wondered to himself. "Hey!" He called out but was drowned out by Hatori yelling.
"What the fuck?!" Chiaki looked shocked at having his usually calm friend yell.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Chiaki yelled at him.
But before he could confront them, Hatori grabbed Yuu by the collar of his shirt and pulled him towards him. From Chiaki's point of view, it looked like they kissed.
Chiaki stopped in his tracks and gasped in shock.
Yuu laughed out loud. "That explains so much. Now I get it."
"Geez why didn't you interrupt then! I would have clarified everything!" Tori said.
"Well, it just didn't seem like the appropriate moment."
"It wouldn't have been as fun either," Yuu smirked at an annoyed Tori.
The scene moved on to a sunny day where Yuu and the rest of the working crew were hard at work. Labeling and outlining pages. No one spoke, the only sound was pen moving across the page.
On one corner was Chiaki, doing work of his own. Or trying to.
He glanced over at Yuu, flushed slightly.
'That was him...right?'
'And that was definitely a kiss.' There was a flashback to the previous scene where it looked like Toru and Yuu were kissing. 'So did Tori mean Yuu when he said 'not very rewarding?''
He glanced at him again, blushing more. 'But he's a guy!'
Everyone groaned. "Another one?"
"Geez it's like a disease. Gender has nothing to do with it."
"It's not that easy," Misaki said. "We aren't completely against it. It's just that it takes some...adjusting."
"Yeah," Onodera agreed. "When you imagine your life a certain way and it doesn't end up that way then it can be a shock."
"They have a point," Yukina agreed.
"So just adjust quicker," Usagi and Takano said.
'Are they all right with that?' In his fluster he scribbled madly onto the paper in front of him.
"Sensei? What should I do next?" Chiaki stumbled on his answer.
"Uhhh. Next? Well, you could..." He grabbed a stack of papers and started shuffling through them. "Uhhh. You could..."
Upon seeing the pages were still incomplete, he replied, "Sorry, I'll have something for you tomorrow. You can leave now."
Stares were exchanged between the other workers. "Understood."
"See you tomorrow!"
"Goodbye!"
It was now close to sundown and everyone had started to leave already. Chiaki signed in relief and slouched back on his chair exhausted.
Yuu shoved a page in his eye of vision. "Can you look this over?"
"Whoa!"
"What are you whoaing for?" He showed him the page again. "Is this background okay?"
"It's perfect!" Chiaki inspected it. He made eye contact with Yuu. He quickly averted his eyes. 'This is bad!'
'I can't look him in the face!'
"Is it because it was Tori? Or because it was with a guy in general?" Yukina asked him.
"I...don't really know." Chiaki responded.
"And what should I do with it?" Yuu seemed oblivious to Chiaki's reactions.
"Well, um...make it an afternoon scene." Chiaki handed it back without looking in Yuu's general direction.
"Jeez, now you tell me. How random."
"Hey!" Chiaki started shuffling papers around in nervousness. "I'm careful with the other people. But you're Yuu..." He turned to look at him finally and what he saw shocked him a little.
Yuu's cheeks turned slightly pink. "So should I take that to mean you trust me?" Chiaki seemed flustered as well and turn the other way.
"Of course I do!" He affirmed. "I don't need that until tomorrow, so you can go home now, if you want." For some reason he couldn't look at Yuu's face.
"Is something wrong?" Yuu picked up on his strange behavior.
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Chiaki stuttered out.
"Did something happen between you and Tori?"
Chiaki finally glanced his way, and then away again. "With Tori? No, nothing happened."
"Did Hatori say something about me?" Yuu pressed.
Chiaki freaked, thrashing his arms in the air. "L-l-l-like what?!"
'This can't be happening,' Chiaki thought to himself. 'I can't tell him that I know how Tori feels about him.'
"Ugh, why would you even imagine that?" Tori grimaced.
"Because I thought you guys were kissing! Or else it wouldn't have even crossed my mind."
"Oh, well. Whatever." Yuu said. "See you tomorrow!"
"Yeah..." Chiaki's face fell as soon as Yuu walked outside.
'Is it possible that those are going out? Otherwise he wouldn't have said that.' He rested his head on his desk, deep in thought. 'Maybe he didn't want to tell me because they're both guys.'
He suddenly sat up straight. "Just stop thinking about it already! I've got to concentrate on work, and get this manuscript done!" He picked up his pencil and began scribbling.
Suddenly the telephone began ringing. "Who the hell is that?!"
"Hello?" He picked it up.
"It's me." A familiar deep voice responded.
"Tori?"
"How's everything coming along?" This confused Chiaki. 'What does he mean, 'coming along?''
"Everything's coming along fine!" He replied hastily. "More than fine!"
'What the hell am I saying? It's not fine at all!'
"All right. I'll move things along on the assumption that we'll submit right on the deadline." Tori replied.
"What the hell? I just told you I was fine!"
"Don't get cocky! Even though it may start good, you can fall into a slump." Chiaki couldn't deny his words.
"Alright. I'll get it done!" Huh? Chiaki was surprised he could speak to him like he usually did.
"Tori? What's wrong?" He asked, feeling him pause. "Was there something wrong with the storyboard?"
"Yanase called me and he said you were acting strange. Is something going on?"
So Yuu had called him.
"Everything is completely fine!" He reassured him. "I'm not acting strange at all!"
"All right then. Did Yanase say something to you?" He recalled how Yuu had asked him something similar.
"No wonder he thought something was up," Yukina said. "It's like a 'conspiracy theory confirmed' moment."
"He didn't say anything, no." He clenched his fist. "Uh, I'm going to take a bath. Bye." He hung up without waiting for a respond.
'I can't believe it,' he thought, his eyes drooping. 'The thing between them was one-sided at all.
The sun had just begun to set, turning the sky a breathtaking orange. The calming scene was interrupted by Chiaki's fussiness as he laid on the couch, arm over his eyes.
He sighed. "Why am I irritated?" A flashback from when they were both in college flashed before his eyes.
"Should you ever end up on the streets," a younger version of Tori told him, "I'll take care of you." He missed those days. The days his friendship with Tori was so easy and simple and straightforward.
Without realizing it, Chiaki had fallen asleep, remembering these days.
He was awoken by a sensation on his lips. He opened his eyes. It was Tori. And he was kissing him. It was now dark outside, but it was unmistakable. His childhood friend, his best friend, was kissing him.
Feeling Chiaki stir, Hatori pulled back and stared down at him, a strange expression on his face. Chiaki blinked.
Hatori ran his hand up Chiaki's chest, pulling his shirt up as he went, and leaned back in to kiss him again. Chiaki made a sound but he wasn't sure if it was because he was surprised or because of something else.
"Tori?!" He exclaimed, not knowing what was going on.
"It's called kissing."
"I know what it is! I was just taken by surprise!"
"Yeah," Misaki pointed out, "It is creepy. Like a certain someone I know."
"Moi?" Usagi asked.
"No, the other guy." Misaki rolled his eyes.
But he didn't get a reply. Instead, Tori passionately kissed him again. He paused, bringing Chiaki's shirt up to expose his naked chest.
And the kissed him again was the same intensity as before.
And then the intermissions flashed on screen.
°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°
Thank you so much for reading! Fell free to comment or message me for whatever!
-Violet