The hands of the clock continuously resounded within the quiet room as Oliver diligently concentrated on the textbook in front of him. Everything was silent and still, with the occasional shuffle of a page being turned and the friction of graphite on sheets of paper.
It was a peaceful night devoid of all distractions—perfect for studying. Although it was the beginning of spring break, Oliver had meticulously planned to spend his time to focus on his studies. He was never quite fond of going outdoors where there were far too many diversions; he very much preferred the solitude and comfort that his home provided.
Oliver carefully checked over his notes to confirm that he had written down accurate information. Constantly double-checking his notes, he was always very conscientious with his study routine and abhorred every little mistake.
With his utmost focus, Oliver soon was satisfied with his notes and was about to move on to the next subject when the unharmonious clamor of the doorbell interrupted his concentration. He grumbled with slight irritation as he stood up from his seat and made his way towards the door.
There was only one person who would possibly visit him at this hour, and he wasn't looking forward to having a certain redhead hinder his studies for the night. Oliver didn't exactly dislike having him around, but he resented how his friend's presence meant his plans were put on hold.
"What do you want, Fukase?" Oliver tried to mask his annoyance with a blank expression as he opened the door slightly. He detested Fukase's bad habit of randomly showing up uninvited and without advanced notice, but his complaints were futile.
"Hey, Oliver! I just wanted to hang out," the redhead said as he grinned. "So what'cha doing?"
"I'm studying. If you're not up for that, I suggest you leave," Oliver rolled his eyes as he responded half-heartedly—he knew Fukase won't leave even if he directly asked him to.
"Aww, don't be like that! And it's spring break, so we should go have a bit of fun," Fukase tugged on Oliver's sleeve as a gesture to get him to step outside with him. "It's not healthy to be cooped up in the house all the time."
"Fun won't help you pass exams," Oliver shook his head and responded nonchalantly. "And your definition of 'fun' is just wasting time at parties."
"We don't get to be young forever, Oliver. We should enjoy this time we have off from school! Besides, I got my parents' car so we can go somewhere fun." Fukase waved the car keys for Oliver to see. "I've got something extra special planned tonight."
"You took it without permission again, didn't you?" Oliver asked, unamused. He recalled the previous time this happened; they had failed to return home before sunrise and Fukase's parents lectured both of them condescendingly.
"They gave me permission this time, so don't worry about that." Fukase chuckled and pulled at the blond's arm again. "Please, it's only one night. I just want to spend time with my best friend," he pleaded playfully.
"Alright, fine." Oliver sighed. He figured he wouldn't get anything done with the energetic redhead around. "Just tonight, okay?"
Fukase cheered at his successful attempt to convince Oliver to break his uneventful routine. It had been a while since the two of them hung out, and he was noticeably ecstatic for tonight's events. He led Oliver to the car, which was situated across the street from the apartment building.
"Where are we going anyways?" Oliver inquired as he got into the passenger seat.
"Hehe…you'll see!" Fukase giggled as he started the engine.
Oliver didn't bother to question further. From the long years of his friendship with Fukase, he got used to the redhead's vague responses in attempts to surprise him. He merely just went along with Fukase's whims.
For the duration of the ride, they were silent. Oliver absolutely despised small talk—he found it to be "talking for the sake of talking"— and avoided it with contempt. Fukase didn't force it upon him, which was something Oliver greatly appreciated about the redhead.
As the ride continued for a seemingly extended amount of time, Oliver noticed they were out of the city and in the countryside. They were going somewhere farther than what he had anticipated. He looked out the window and barely made out the landmarks as there were no streetlights around. He wondered what Fukase had in mind for this trip.
Once they arrived at their destination, Fukase pulled out a large canvas bag, which Oliver had not noticed before. He glanced curiously at the redhead as they stepped out of the car and into the darkness. A distinct fragrance of pine trees permeated throughout the area—to which Oliver assumed they were at some sort of forest.
As he was about to step further, Oliver felt a warm hand grab at his own. He turned his head to the direction where it came from, but it was too dark to see anything.
"S-sorry, Oliver," Fukase uncharacteristically stuttered a bit. "I only brought one flashlight with me, and it's easy to get lost here so…" He trailed off without finishing his sentence.
"Oh, thanks, I guess," Oliver mumbled. With a light blush plastered on his cheeks, he was glad that it was almost completely dark outside. "Lead the way then."
Fukase held onto Oliver's hand tightly, as if afraid of losing him if he were to let go, as they wandered into the darkness. The moon was not visible, leaving the flashlight to be the only reliable source of light; the dim stars provided little to no illumination for the seemingly endless stretch of darkness. They went up a steep incline, which Oliver—breaths ragged and shallow— found to be exhausting since he did not go outside often.
Fukase seemed to have noticed the blond's fatigue and slowed down his pace. "Don't worry, we're almost there," he said to reassure his weary friend.
Oliver wanted to gripe about being taken on a hike at night, but he was nearly out of breath. He supposed this was still better than being dragged off to a rambunctious party where he would most likely be disoriented by all the flashy lights. Although he was still uncertain of what Fukase had planned to do, his curiosity grew with each passing moment. Presumably, he was just taken on a hike to get some fresh air.
With tremendous effort, Oliver was able to keep up with the pace and the two of them managed to reach a plateau. They both sat down on the grass to catch their breaths. There were noticeably less trees around than Oliver had expected, and the stars shone slightly brighter, which helped him vaguely note the landmarks.
Fukase was the first to rebound from his exhaustion. He pulled some equipment from his bag and started setting up a stand and mounted a telescope onto it. "Tonight's the perfect night for stargazing with clear skies and the moon gone," he said with a grin. "I built this telescope myself!" There was a hint of pride in his words.
Oliver blinked at the redhead, dumbfounded. "I didn't know you were into astronomy." He was surprised to learn about Fukase's unprecedented interest.
"It's a hobby I had for a while," Fukase explained as he adjusted the lens on the telescope, "I wanted to surprise you by taking you to my special stargazing place. I wanted to pick a night with perfect weather, such as tonight." He paused for a moment and peered through the scope. "Want to take a look for yourself?"
Oliver nodded and stared through the lens. He gasped in awe—entranced by the luminous night sky with the stars shining and clearly visible. It was a view of the sky that he never got the chance to see back in the city with all the light pollution.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Fukase spoke with joy as Oliver curiously watched the stars. "Remember the Little Dipper we used for look for as kids? See if you can use that to find Polaris, the North Star."
Oliver searched around for a pattern of stars that formed a small ladle. He wasn't well versed with astronomy himself, but he recalled looking for Polaris in his childhood. It wasn't a very bright star, but it was quite an important one—with its ever-unchanging position—for finding one's way to the north. After a bit of scouting, he found it at the edge of the constellation.
"Ah, I found it. This is quite relaxing," Oliver said with a slight smile. "I can see why you enjoy stargazing so much. Do you plan on going into astronomy as a career?" He ventured to ask.
Fukase merely scratched his neck and answered with some uncertainty, "I haven't really thought about it."
Oliver frowned and sighed with exasperation. "Fukase, we're going to graduate soon. You really ought to think about your future."
"The future is too uncertain, you know," Fukase answered blankly. "But there is one thing I know for sure I want in the future…" He averted his gaze and hesitated to continue his thoughts.
"What is it?" Oliver raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"I want to be with you even in the future, like right now," Fukase blurted out in a mumble. "But more than as friends," he continued almost inaudibly.
"Heh, what is this? A marriage proposal?" Oliver snickered. He frowned and a slight blush crept over his face. "I suppose it will be too quiet without you around." He recalled the past few uneventful months without the redhead around. "But how do you suppose we can stay together if we go to different schools?"
"The reason why I haven't been hanging out with you lately is because I've been studying harder," Fukase answered with determination. "I studied as much as I could so that I can go to the same school as you." He walked over to Oliver's side and gripped his hand. "So, please? Think about it."
"I won't think about it." Oliver let go of the redhead's hand and paused before he continued—to which Fukase frowned with sadness in his eyes. "I know what I want already."
Oliver stood on his toes and drew his face closer to Fukase's until their lips met. The kiss didn't last long, but it was enough to turn their cheeks to bright shades of red.
"You should come stargazing with me more often. I'd like to do this again." Fukase smiled as he wrapped his arm around Oliver's waist.
"Yeah, I'd like that too." Oliver grinned as he nuzzled his face against Fukase's chest.
For the rest of the night, the two of them enjoyed their time admiring the stars, away from the busyness of the city and superfluous distractions. Perhaps going outside wasn't such a waste of time after all.