.azumane.
after several hours of hanging out, talking, and watching weird youtube videos, noya, tanaka, and ennoshita were back for dinner.
it was a little crowded- our table wasn't exactly made to seat eight people at once after all, especially given that there were usually only three of us at most.
however, we made it work by pulling up some extra chairs, and tanaka and noya sat on the couch nearby since the table couldn't fit more than six- even with the extra chairs.
masumi and i had made tonkatsu for everyone with a simple side salad, and emiko had gone to use the neighbor's kitchen to make a 'surprise dessert' for later.
i was a bit curious, but i had an idea of what it might be.
everyone was just making pleasant small talk, until emiko said, "technically pop tarts are calzones and uncrustable sandwiches are raviolis."
masumi slammed their silverware down roughly on the table.
"goddamnit! just one peaceful dinner, that's all i ask for!"
"okay, but think about it-!"
"i don't want to!"
"no, no, she's got a point," tanaka said through a mouthful of food.
"yeah, i wanna hear more about this," noya added.
"i'm also curious about the logic," suga piped in.
"so pop tarts have that breaded outside and the hot filling inside, right? bam, calzone. uncrustables- again, breaded outside, filling on the inside. ravioli! the shape helps too. and, technically by that logic... since the earth has a crust on the outside and a hot, molten inside... it's almost like a pizza roll!"
masumi got up and started pacing around in irritation.
i chuckled slightly. this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. although i was surprised masumi was being so outspoken and confident in front of these people they didn't know too well.
"what's next?! are you gonna say a hot dog is a sandwich?!"
emiko gasped.
"wait, you're right! i never though of that! and also, i guess tacos are like a sandwich! or maybe hot dogs are tacos?!"
they clapped their hands together and sighed deeply.
"okay. i'm going to turn around and close my eyes. i'm gonna take ten deep breaths and then return to the table."
they did just that, turning their back on the table, and after the count of ten, returned to the table with an uncanny smile.
"i'm so sorry about that little outburst. what were we talking about?"
"oh! that pop tarts are-"
they glared at emiko.
"before that, i meant."
she shrugged and grinned innocently, and masumi took another deep breath before schooling their face again.
"wow!" daichi cut in. "this tonkatsu is very good! thank you for making it for all of us, asahi and watanabe."
masumi blushed a little.
"uh, yeah, no problem."
ah yes, there was that familiar shyness.
although i couldn't say much, since i was pretty much in the same boat, except i had known these people for years, so i had no reason to be shy or nervous now.
i flashed a thumbs up.
"think nothing of it. this is a special occasion after all!"
daichi looked like he was about to say something, but suddenly from the couch, tanaka shouted, "what?! a threesome?!"
noya burst out laughing.
"bahaha! you should see your face right now! it was just a joke... mostly."
he looked between tanaka and ennoshita suggestively.
"what?! no! we already talked about this, man!"
he laughed some more, wiping a tear away.
"i'm sorry, that was just too good. if you ever change your mind though..."
tanaka sighed.
"i'll... think about it."
noya looked surprised.
"oh! i wasn't expecting that!"
"is this about what you said earlier?" i asked. "wanting to have a threesome with tanaka and ennoshita?"
"heck yeah!"
ennoshita, who had just taken a sip of water, started to cough harshly.
daichi patted him on the back for a second until he caught his breath.
"you! i! what?! no!"
"damn, that would've been fun though... you wouldn't even want to try it?" noya asked.
"no! why would i-? just... no thank you. and please don't just sleep with my boyfriend."
noya made a fist.
"damn, he's good. maybe in another life, ryū. or if you and chikara ever happen to break up and i happen to be single."
tanaka shrugged.
"maybe. but i don't see us breaking up any time soon, so..."
he shook his head sadly.
"understandable, have a nice day."
"so, we've been having some nice weather recently!" daichi said after a couple seconds of silence.
"yeah, it's been getting warmer."
there was a bit more silence and daichi nudged suga slightly.
"oh yeah! it's been great. and uh, also, it was cool to see your designs earlier, asahi! i mean i knew you would sometimes talk about design in high school, but wow! you're pretty good!"
i felt my cheeks warm up, and i clasped my hands together, not quite sure what to do with them.
"ah, thank you, suga. i worked very hard on them."
"working hard or hardly working?" he shot back.
i groaned.
"that was such a dad joke."
"you enjoyed it though."
"i really didn't."
noya decided to throw in his two cents then.
"i liked your joke, suga! and, asahi, your stuff really was amazing!! and i didn't even know you liked fashion stuff, much less designing, until that one wednesday!"
"yeah, i know i already mentioned this, but that one jacket? perfection," masumi added, miming a chef's kiss.
"and i especially liked the way you blurred the lines of gender conformity," daichi said.
"me too! but i think that's kind of a given, you know. being non-binary and all," masumi replied.
"i thought the boots were very nice, and it's impressive that you embroidered them yourself!" ennoshita added.
"i especially loved the leather jacket!" tanaka exclaimed. "since we're friends, maybe you could make me one... as a favor."
he wiggled his eyebrows.
however, i was too busy trying not to overheat with all this praise.
"guys, i think we broke him..."
"yeah, i don't think i've ever seen him this red."
"nah," suga said. "i've seen him redder. like that time when it was me, him, and daichi, and we were-"
"that's enough!" i quickly yelled. "we don't need to discuss that."
"what'll you do if i tell? kick me out?"
he smirked, and i thought about it.
"actually, yeah, i might. that's highly sensitive information and i would rather it not get out. if it did, i would be pretty upset."
"alright, i won't say anything then."
"thank you."
"i'm kind of curious now..." noya muttered.
"yeah, but if it's that bad, it's best we don't know, right?" emiko asked.
"yeah, i guess you're right."
emiko turned back to the table, and her face lit up.
"oh! is everyone done with dinner?"
everyone came to a collective agreement, and she gathered up all the dishes and put them in the sink, then headed back out to the neighbor's.
"i'll be right back! i'm getting dessert!"
when she returned, she was carrying two plates of dorayaki, which i kind of expected, given that it was her favorite, and she made it on any excuse for a special occasion.
i still enjoyed it though.
we all ate up the delicious treat quickly, and after that, decided to go to a nearby park that had a volleyball net for a quick 3 on 3 game.
it would be daichi, suga, and i against noya, tanaka, and ennoshita.
"whoaa, asahi, i didn't know you played volleyball!" emiko exclaimed once we got there.
masumi looked at her incredulously.
"what drugs are you on? that's one of the first things he told us when we met?? and he doesn't talk about it all the time, but it does come up a bit. and how do you think he knows these people??"
a look of understanding slowly dawned on her face.
"ohh, you're right! you have a good memory and you're pretty smart too!"
they blushed a bit and muttered, "thanks."
"alrighty then." noya clapped his hands. "so it'll be me, ryū, and chikara against asahi, daichi, and suga, right? just like old times, second years vs third years."
emiko looked confused again.
"but aren't you guys third years? and they're fourth?"
noya held up a finger.
"ah yes, you're right, but this is a match that's taking me back to the past days of high school, and the most prominent year i remember is right smack dab in the middle. our second year- their third. the end was especially a whirlwind."
"wait, but why-"
masumi elbowed her, and whispered, but i could still hear what they said.
"that would've been when he and asahi broke up, dumbass."
she whispered back, "ohhh. uh. right." she returned to a normal speaking voice. "carry on then."
of course, daichi chose for our side to receive first.
once we were all warmed up, ennoshita started with a serve, that daichi neatly received.
as suga set the ball for me, i felt the old exhilaration of hitting one of his tosses again, and i grinned.
this really was the best day ever, here with all my friends, both old and new.