KEN

Hikari lifts the infuser from the pot and lays it on her saucer before pouring herself a cup of the bancha green tea. "You see," she says as she sets the pot on the table again, "I told you it would work out fine."

I scowl at her.

Yes, she was right, but she doesn't need to be smug about it.

She casts a small smile in my direction. "And you were worried over nothing."

"It was hardly over nothing," I snap. "Even if I was wrong about my assumptions, worrying about potentially ruining my friendship with my best friend is not nothing."

But Hikari only smiles. "How are things now that you're back to your normal schedule?"

I shrug and take a sip of my own drink, a smooth jasmine green tea. "I had class this morning and I just got off work, so we haven't seen each other today. He was sleeping when I got up. And I'll probably be asleep when he gets back from his night shift. There's only a short window in the middle before he heads to work that we can really see each other today."

"That sounds hard."

I quirk my head. "Most days aren't like this. When he works the lunch shift, we're back at the apartment around the same time and get to spend the evening together."

"Yes, but the first official day of dating and you barely get to see each other?" She shakes her head, then takes a sip of her tea. "Do you miss him?"

I narrow my eyes at her, skeptical. "Not really."

She raises an eyebrow.

I set my cup on its saucer and lean back in the chair. "Really, Hikari-san, we've been friends for twelve years and we've lived together for five. We're so acclimated to each other's schedules already."

"Dating doesn't change anything?"

I open my mouth, then pause as a hot flush rises to my cheeks. "I mean, it adds certain…bonuses."

"The sex?" She smirks. "Or have you not done the deed yet? God knows, after years of exhausting sexual tension, I would've jumped him the minute I got a confession out of him."

My blush increases tenfold. "I didn't just mean the sex. There's the kissing and the cuddling too. And you know, he's very affectionate with his words as well."

Her smirk widens into a wicked grin. "So you have had sex. How was it?"

I splutter for a moment, but there's no sense in giving in to her. "My point is, despite those additions, it hasn't changed the foundation of our relationship. We're still best friends who respect each other, and we're still adults who have everyday lives, jobs, responsibilities. We don't get to laze around in bed all day, and I'm fairly certain we'd get bored doing that."

She raises an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're doing it right if you're bored?"

I clamp my eyes shut and take a few steadying breaths to remind myself she's fishing for information. "Don't you think you'd have better luck interrogating Daisuke?"

Hikari nudges her tea away and clasps her hands atop the table. "Oh, so it's Daisuke now."

I frown. "He's always Daisuke."

"You two have been best friends for twelve years, and you never stopped calling him Motomiya before this weekend."

I shoot her a scowl. "I call him Daisuke when the occasion calls for it."

"And now that you're dating, the occasion calls for it?" When I refuse to answer, she says, "And yes, for the record, I would get more information out of Daisuke-kun. He has no filter, especially when it's something he's so happy about. But he might actually manage to hold his tongue if he thinks you'd be embarrassed."

I take a drink of my tea and nod. "Well, for the record, and because I don't think you'll stop trying to weasel information out of me until I give you something…yes, we've had sex, and it's excellent."

"Have you had the talk?"

Frowning, I raise an eyebrow. "Which talk is that?"

She sends me a pointed look.

"Ah," I say as a light blush spreads across my cheeks. "Yes, we have, but…"

Hikari purses her lips. "Let me guess. You were so desperate to get in his pants that you forgot to talk to him about STDs? Please tell me you at least used a condom."

"I…well, yes."

"But?"

"Not for everything," I admit in a quiet voice.

She just stares.

"I know it was stupid and reckless," I snap, lowering my voice. "We weren't thinking. But I'll have you know it is far less likely to transmit things through oral."

Hikari scoffs. "Less likely is still likely, Ken. Don't try to justify stupidity."

I heave a sigh. Because she's right.

And it's not like it really made a difference. We didn't use a condom when we had sex in the shower or when we were half asleep after getting back from the Shiodome. So that one condom was basically useless.

"Yes, fine," I say, resigned. "But we did talk about last night, and it's not a problem. Besides, we're going to get tested again to make sure. Are you satisfied?"

She hums, swirling her half-empty cup. "No, but apparently you are."

I almost—almost—cover my face with the palm of my hand. "Hikari, how in the world did you acquire such a dirty mind?"

She casts me an incredulous look. "You do know who my brother is, don't you? I lived with him until I was eighteen and he moved in with Yamato. Trust me when I tell you, Taichi has one of the dirtiest minds in Tokyo—in all of Japan."

Laughter bubbles in my throat, but I swallow it down, along with the remnants of my jasmine tea. "Well, no wonder Daisuke idolized him for years."

Hikari snorts into her teacup.

I pull out my phone to check the time.

We've been here for nearly twenty minutes, and Daisuke's evening shift starts in about forty minutes. If I hurry back to the apartment now, I might be able to spend a little time with him before he has to get ready to go, especially since he won't be back till late.

But before I can slide the phone back into my pocket, it starts to ring, vibrating my whole hand.

Daisuke.

How does he know?

"Moshi moshi."

"Give the phone to Hikari-chan," he grumbles on the other line.

I frown but hold the phone over the table. "It's for you."

Her brow furrows, but she accepts the call. "Daisuke-kun?"

I can't hear the words, but his voice is loud and animated and definitely irritated, and after a long minute, she says a quick, "Yes, of course. I'll see you later," and hands it back to me.

The call has ended—he hung up—before I even have the phone in my grasp.

But Hikari smiles at me like she's won some sort of prize. "He told me to wrap it up because he wants his boyfriend back so he can do unspeakable things to you before he has to leave for work."

A bright red blush rises to my cheeks. "That damn Motomiya," I say under my breath. "He could have talked to me instead of saying that to you."

"Yes, well, apparently he wasn't pleased when he realized we were getting together on the day you two have so little time together—and your not being there is obviously my fault." Her grin takes on a particular Cheshire quality that grates my bones. "You'd better hurry, Ken. I don't think he wants to wait any longer."

I rise from my seat, slinging my bag over my shoulder, and bend low in a parting bow. "We'll get together again soon."

"I'll call," she says. "Oh, you two are still hosting the Christmas party this year, aren't you? You usually do, but I haven't gotten an invitation yet."

I frown. "Ah, yes. Sorry, I seem to have gotten distracted. I'll send them out this week." My eyes dart toward the door, then I give another quick bow. "Arigatou, Hikari. You've been a great help."

She smiles as she ushers me toward the tea house's front door. "Daisuke-kun awaits."

I rush out the front door, holding my bag close under my arm, and head in the direction of our apartment.

Yes, Daisuke awaits.

My boyfriend awaits.

Thank you for reading!