The Taste of a Kiss

"Nee, nee, Ryu-chan~" Hayato called out to his best friend.

Ryu, who was walking ahead of him, stopped and turned around to face him. "What?" he asked.

Hayato walked closer to Ryu and leaned over, kissing him. Ryu was shocked by the sudden kiss but he didn't reject him and he even kissed him back passionately. After a while they broke apart, each panted for breath.

"What's the taste?" Hayato asked Ryu.

"….of?"

"The kiss, you baka!"

"…Lemon?"

"Eh I tasted strawberry!"

"Don't be stupid, Haya. People said that kisses taste like lemons. Oh yeah, you just stole my first kiss, baka."

"Eh, you've never kissed anyone before?" Hayato said, half- shouting.

Ryu sighed and shook his head, "You're too loud, baka. And you should already know this by now. I'm not allowed to have any relationship by my parents. Family rules, they said."

"Seriously? I didn't know about that!"

"Furthermore, I have no interest in girls." Ryu continued softly.

Ryu knew that Hayato was popular with the girls so he has had relationships before. He definitely had kissed many times before.

"Let's try it again, then!" Hayato suggested.

"Eh? Try wha-"

Before he was given a chance to reply, Hayato has locked his lips with his own.

Ryu pulled himself away from his the warmth that connected him with his best friend and shouted.

"Are you crazy? Stop it!"

Hayato ignored him and continued with his advances. However, Ryu kept rejecting the moves being done to him.

"Why? You don't like it?" Hayato asked innocently.

"It's… It's not that! But, you know… we… we're both guys, you know…" Ryu answered while his cheek turned pink in colour.

Hayato giggled upon hearing Ryu's reasoning.

"W-what are you laughing about?" Ryu was getting more embarrassed.

"Yeah, it's true, we're both guys. So?" Hayato answered Ryu with a smile plastered on his face.

"What do you mean by 'So?'? Guys don't kiss one another! Even more if they are best friends!"

"But we just did. Twice even. You didn't reject me the first time, either."

Ryu's blush darkened and then he muttered something so soft, it sounded like a mumble.

"Erm, what? I can't hear what you're saying," Hayato asked.

"B-because I-" Ryu answered, still too soft for Hayato.

"What? Louder please?"

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, THAT'S WHY!" shouted Ryu whom soon realized that he just confessed his hidden feeling to his best, beloved friend.

Feeling embarrassed, Ryu blush furiously and turned his back to Hayato and ran away, while shouting, " I was just kidding! Please forget about it!"

The slow Hayato was standing still, as though he was making sure to himself that he heard Ryu correctly. When he was sure he didn't hear wrongly, he chased after his best friend.

"Ryu, wait up!" he shouted, still trying to catch up.

"Why should I? I'll see you again tomorrow! Bye!" Ryu answered, still running.

At that point in time, Hayato wasn't listening anymore. He just ran faster to catch up with Ryu. He managed to caught Ryu's hand and pulled him towards his body, then kissed him again for the third time that day. However this time, the kiss was so gentle, it made Ryu cried. Hayato broke the kiss after realizing that Ryu's tears fell silently.

"Eh…. Ryu, why are you crying? Did I do something bad? Are you angry about the kiss? Ryu? Please tell me….. Ryu-"

Hayato's words was cut by another kiss. This time, it came from Ryu.

After the kiss ended, Ryu wiped his tears and confessed his real feeling again to Hayato.

"I'm crying because I'm happy... I love you so much… I love you so much… I love you so much!" Ryu finally shouted out his real feelings and he went hugging his best friend.

Hayato smiled in satisfaction and said, "Good. You are only allowed to love me and only me. Because….."

Hayato leaned closer to Ryu and whispered him four words. Upon hearing that, Ryu looked up to see Hayato smiled shyly and he returned the smile back. Afterwards, both of them walked back home together, arms linked to each other.

"I love you too…"

OWARI.