Bururururururru...
I don't own JR, SIH- any of Nakamura's works.
It all started with a balloon for Akihiko.
A candy red balloon shaped like a bear courtesy of Kuma Park.
All Akihiko could do was blink in confusion as the human sized brown bear offered it to him, cocking its head in its own confusion as to why the man wouldn't accept it.
Taking it slowly, Akihiko's eyes traveled upward to what was obviously hand-written in black marker on the back:
"Please smile!"
He looked back to it to see the bear pointing at the sides of it's mouth going up in a smile, poking at its imaginary dimples.
Akihiko frowned. He wasn't in the mood to smile after getting his heart broken by his oblivious best friend; it was unintentional, of course, through happily introducing his girlfriend now fiancée to his best man. All he felt like wanting to do was just nothing but sitting here until he was disturbed by this green bow-wearing bear.
He couldn't be that angry at the bear though; he loved bears ever since he was little.
Sighing, he just casually hands it off to the passing kid before staring at the bear in the eye hoping he got whoever was in there in eye contact. "No thanks."
"..." The bear stares at him for moment, and Akihiko suddenly felt for a second if whoever in there could see through him. Silently, it sits next to him and brings a hand to its ear and beckons Akihiko to tell him what's wrong.
"Nothing."
"..."
"...Won't you get fired for this?"
It shakes its head, gesturing around him the surplus of helpful bears, visibly enough to meet the needs of everything visiting the park.
"..Fine. I'll tell you."
Hours later...
"And that's-" Akihiko starts as he looks to the bear, seeing it shake as he finished his story. "What-"
He froze in place as the bear hugs him, feeling slender arms hugging him through the costume. Gradually, he found himself accepting the hug, noting how slim the person underneath was. 'Definitely a guy,' notes Akihiko.
Quickly, the bear pulled away; wiping his eyes despite that he was in costume, he grabs a close by flier and takes out a black marker Akihiko assumed was what the bear guy used to write on the balloon.
"I'm sorry," he wrote on the back of the flier.
"It's fine..." Akihiko trails off, seeing the bear grab more fliers to write on.
"You will find someone someday! Someone who'll love you back just as much!" Finishing with a smiley bear, he hands it to Akihiko. At it, the older man couldn't help but give a small smile in thanks. His heart certainly felt a little warmed at the kind gesture.
"WE ARE NOW CLOSING. PLEASE..."
Akihiko frowned as he and the bear stood up. 'I didn't plan staying here this late. I didn't notice...'
With a pat on the back, the bear waves goodbye before pushing Akihiko gently towards the exit and running off into the park.
'I didn't get a name...' Akihiko thought, looking down at the paper and folding it carefully so it could fit in his pocket.
He wanted to know...
So he decided then, that he was definitely going to come back tomorrow.
I've had this in for a while now, like, a LONG while. This could be a one-shot in a way I think, or not. I don't know. lol I think I've had this for a little more than a year now.