A day or so later, Yuujirou and Tooru were back at it again trying to focus on their studies in the heat. Yuujirou sighed, his breath escaping into the stuffy, humid dorm room. Even with the window open, it still didn't provide an adequate breeze to cool him off. He set down his pencil mumbling to himself, more than agitated he rubbed his hands through his hair.
"It's hot! You'd think they'd turn on the air conditioner, there's still students here you know! I can't study like this!"
Just as bothered Tooru replied, "there's nothing we can do about it Yuujirou." Finishing up the question he was on, he spoke rationally to his friend, "there's almost no one here, so if the air conditioning was on the cost of running it would be a waste."
"I know that already, but hot is hot!" Yuujirou whined.
"Hot, hot! Stop saying that, it'll just make people feel even hotter." Tooru shook his head, "ugh… let's just go to a convenience store."
"Fine, but we certainly can't stay there for too long…"
"Then to Sakamoto's?" Tooru said.
"No, it'd be too sudden."
"It's definitely too sudden, isn't it?"
Another sigh escaped from Yuujirou as he laid his head against his workbook. "I wonder what Kanade is doing… I bet she's eating watermelon, or having shaved ice" he said sulking.
"You just miss her don't you? She'll be back in another day" Tooru smirked, taking advantage of his heat exhausted friend.
"So what if it's true? What if I do miss her? What difference would that make if I did or I didn't!"
Tooru was surprised by his friend's outburst, expressing his clear feelings but also he could tell there was some sort of underlying irritation. Propping himself up on his elbow, Yuujirou stared at the calendar on the wall that was located right above his desk.
"Tomorrow's my birthday… I wanna do something fun."
"Don't tell me, you want to celebrate?"
"Hm, not really… but I wouldn't mind eating some cake."
"What about a shortcake? I can get a piece of cake from the convenience store tomorrow."
"You'd better buy one from a bakery! Stingy!" Yuujirou exclaimed.
"At least I'm willing to buy one for you!" Tooru said defending himself.
"Yeah, yeah." Yuujirou waved his hand at his friend, allowing the banter to fade.
Just then, over the PA system a voice announced: 'Shihoudani-kun from first year class D, you have a phone call from your family, please pick up the nearest phone.' Repeating the announcement twice.
"Ah, Yuujirou that's for you isn't it?"
"Yeah…" Yuujirou replied, pushing himself away from his desk. His face had quite the disgruntled look on it as he stood up, "I'll be back."
Tooru watched his friend walk out of their dorm room, a bit concerned about the expression on his visage.
Yuujirou stared at the phone for a moment before he picked it up, Tooru watched his friend's hesitation as his hand reached out to answer. Leaning his back against the wall that hid him, quietly he waited and listened.
"Hello? What is it, mom?" Yuujirou started off. "What? Tomorrow? But mom, I told you I had plans for the entire summer vacation, so I won't be coming home…" Yuujirou lied through his teeth.
Yuujirou listened for a moment to his mother's reply before speaking again. "That's true… At this age mom, it's embarrassing to celebrate birthdays with the family."
After Tooru heard what he said, he shook his head and made his way back up the stairs. Not bothering to listen to the rest of the conversation. It bothered him of course, hearing his friend lie to his mother— to the family he wished he had. If it was him, he'd never take that opportunity for granted.
Tooru was sitting in his chair, staring out the window. Hand propping against his cheek, he seemed to be lost in thought until he heard Yuujirou turn the knob to their room and enter the room.
"Oh, back already?"
Yuujirou walked straight past him and laid down on his bunk, facing away.
"Anything happen? That call?"
"Nothing much. They're asking me to go home because it's my birthday."
"You should go home," Tooru said.
Turning over to face his friend, Yuujirou told him "it'd be a pity to leave you here all by yourself, wouldn't it?"
Taken aback, the expression was clearly displayed on Tooru's face.
"Won't you be lonely on your own Tooru?"
"But Yuujirou, is this really okay with you?"
Tooru's expression changed from surprised to concerned, Yuujirou watched his eyes droop.
"Tooru," Yuujirou called his name.
"What is it?"
"Let's go pick up girls tomorrow!"
"Ha?" Tooru said watching Yuujirou's personality do a 180° flip.
"It's going to be a pretty boring birthday if it's just the two of us." Confidently, a smirk was brought upon Yuujirou's lips "let's find some girls together and have fun!"
A silence passed between them, as Tooru was trying to read the emotions displayed on Yuujirou's visage.
"You can't?" Yuujirou said a disappointed tone in his voice.
"I got it, let's go tomorrow." Tooru said, understanding the situation.
A distraction. A typical coping mechanism Tooru knew all too well, especially when he was still trying to get over the death of his parents.
Out in the big city, the pair Tooru and Yuujirou rested against a cement pillar eyeing which girls to ask out. Still a bit uncomfortable with the whole idea, Tooru really wanted to confirm with his friend.
"Are we really planning on picking up girls?"
"Of course!"
"If you want to have a good time, it should be fine with just the both of us shouldn't it?"
He saw Yuujirou's eyes stopped scanning the streets, and turned his attention on him.
"We could play at the arcade or go for karaoke?"
"Tooru, if we went to those places together, it'd be called a date."
"Ah…" Tooru's mind went blank, the last thing he wanted was to have someone misinterpret. "Let's pick up some girls!"
"Right! First, we have to find some good-looking girls!" Yuujirou exclaimed, following Tooru's new found confidence. "By the way, what type of girls do you like Tooru?"
"Hmm… if I have to pick, I like the comforting type."
"Like Sakamoto-sama?"
"Yeah! Yeah! Just like Sakamoto-sama!"
Tooru's excited energy dropped as he realized what he had just said. It was already bad enough that he had to dress up like a girl, but then to say confidently that Sakamoto-sama, a boy, was exactly his type. How complicated.
"Why did you have to make a comparison with Sakamoto?!" Embarrassed, a stain of pink gathered its way to Tooru's cheeks. "Normally, you would use idols or actresses!"
"But Sakamoto-sama is the comforting type," Yuujirou said defending his answer.
"E-Even so, that's… anyway what type do you like?"
"Big boobs" Yuujirou directly said. "You know, the big boobs I'm talking about aren't the kind that are like eggplants; they should be cute boobs, perky boobs the ones that you can bury your face in." He spoke getting carried away with his explanation, hands motioning in a groping fashion.
"So you mean like Kana-chan's?"
"Yes, exactly like Kana's!" Yuujirou answered immediately, his eyes gleaming a bit. Realizing what words he had just sputtered out of his mouth, Yuujirou's eyes wide from his slip up. "W-Wait! Tooru didn't you say you're supposed to use idols or actresses?!" Equally flustered as Tooru was before, Yuujirou's own cheeks began to blossom with color.
"Does it matter? She's actually a girl, you saw her in the big bath! How her swimsuit was skin tight to her boo—"
Yuujirou's face grew increasingly more red, as his thoughts raced back to the day they were allowed to soak in the big bath. Memories of her décolletage swept across his mind, just like the time she stepped out of the shower prematurely. Wrapped around in a short blue towel, he recalled the drops of water slide against her skin and down into the valley of her…
Just like in the big bath he couldn't keep his eyes away from the supple roundness that the tops of her breasts looked in a swimsuit. He could barely sleep that night, not to mention the recurring dream of her body pressed up against his that plagued him more often than not. Her breasts fully pressed up against his bare chest, arms wrapping around his shoulder, skin against skin as he wrapped his arm around her slender waist in return, the tips of his fingers pressing against her bare back. He swore she could hear his heart slamming against his chest as she whispered a meek 'thank you'. Her pleasing voice echoed in his ears, Yuujirou pulled at the collar of his long sleeve shirt, not the best choice to wear while trying to beat the heat.
"I feel dizzy just thinking about it," Yuujirou said, his flush still overtaking his cheeks more so than ever.
Not meaning to send his fellow princess into an inner turmoil, with Tooru at fault he suggested "c'mon let's take a break."
"Y-Yeah…"
Without saying a word more, Tooru led his friend to a small fast food joint, where they were both relieved by the air conditioning.
