Day 77: Sunday, October 3rd; Afternoon

Taiga groaned as he shifted his weight to his heels. The blue mat squelched beneath his bare feet, and he pondered how often it got wiped down. Watching his own sweat drip from his nose to the mat, he hoped they did it after every session. He lifted the bottom of his damp white t-shirt, wiping away the lines of perspiration beading down his face. It didn't help much - just further rubbing the salt into his crimson eyes. A woman to his left kept giving him sidelong glances, trying to catch a glimpse at his raised shirt. "You wish," he scoffed.

"As you exhale, walk forward to the top of your mat!" the trainer chirped. "Remember to focus on your breathing! Inhale through your nose and out through your mouth." She appeared cute in a hippy sort of way. Looked to be in her mid-late 20's, bone skinny, and incredibly flexible. PEGGY! her peel-on name tag read. The setting fit her. Taiga could also imagine her on a farm commune, wearing a flower garland and some flowy dress. Her voice pierced his ears, nice to the point of sickening. It almost came off as artificial, like she didn't experience sadness or disappointment.

The class consisted of maybe eight other people? Five of them women and then Taiga and two other men by his quick count. They all looked older than him - mostly middle aged. An older guy to his right with a fast receding hairline looked so sweaty, Taiga feared for his health. Sweat poured down his wrinkly skin and his eyes bulged out of his skull. Shaking his head, Taiga focused back on himself, trying to get a deep breath of the hot muggy air into his lungs. His body screamed for him to start panting.

Taiga flinched hard as two hands grabbed his waist, pulling it towards the ceiling. His white, now opaque, shirt slid lazily up his slick back. PEGGY! finally removed her hands and cocked her head in a smile, as if she did him a great favor.

"From forward fold, inhale and extend your arms up to mountain pose!"

Taiga growled, shooting daggers at her. He didn't come here to be sexually assaulted by some perverted hippy. His hands slowly peeled from the sticky mat, making a gross adhesive sound. Standing fully upright, he gulped for air but couldn't seem to catch his breath. His once bright red gym shorts were turning a darker maroon as sweat seeped through the waist band. The bottom of his shirt stuck just below his left pec and refused to fall flat. Embarrassed, he shot a glare to the woman to his left who he caught admiring him earlier and to PEGGY!. Luckily, neither seemed to notice. Scowling, he pushed the shirt back into place "I'm surrounded by perverts…"

"Who's ready for a chaturanga flow? PEGGY! beamed, again approaching the front of the room. "Inhale, and raise your hands upwards. Exhale, and bring your hands to center. Now let's get down to our hands and knees."

"What the fuck…" Taiga thought, his hands sinking grossly into the moist mat. His knees and shins felt like they were lowering into a warm, smelly pudding. "The things that dummy talks me into…"

Keitaro described it as relaxing and 'spiritually fulfilling' - whatever that meant. The heat supposedly cleansed the body naturally through sweat and gave a deeper spiritual high. All Taiga experienced was sticky grossness and stupidity. Maybe the spiritual high came from dehydration? He hated it, hated it, hated it, hated…

"Mr. Akatora. I can see you're not breathing," PEGGY! chimed, looming over top of him. "Focus on deep breaths in and out as you move." She made a move to touch him again, but Taiga exploded.

"I'm breathing, PEGGY! You'd know if I wasn't fucking breathing!" He regretted the outburst as soon as it left his lips. Face reddening, he could sense all eyes on him. The other participants transitioned, without instruction, to mountain pose, rising to see who was screaming profanities during yoga. "Fuck," he admonished himself. "You're turning into THAT guy again. Nobody likes THAT guy." Trying to look remorseful, he met the instructor's eyes. I'm sorry...it's just the heat and…"

"This is hot yoga, Mr. Akatora," she sighed. "It's in the name. I'm not sure what you were expecting."

Taiga let himself fall to the mat, laying on his stomach. His cheek adhered to the juices of the surface in a gross union that left a salty, rubbery taste on his lips. For the first time of the session, he let out a long exhale and closed his eyes.

(...)

Taiga avoided any more outbursts while the class finished up, but PEGGY! clearly was not pleased and didn't engage with him any further. Thankfully, he only purchased one session and not the 5 class pack like Keitaro suggested.

Exhausted physically and emotionally, Taiga made his way to the changing room. The cool tile of the bathroom floor felt so refreshing under his feet, he contemplated lying down on it for a few minutes. Who knew what diseases festered there though, and what if someone else walked in? With heavy eyes, he gazed at himself in the bathroom mirror, sticking out his tongue and dropping his head. His usual spiky hair laid damp and flat against his head and sweat still dripped down his sideburns and cheeks. He slowly peeled off his soaked shirt and tossed it on a nearby bench, landing with a sickening plop. It was the white shirt with red cuffs and collar that he got from Camp Buddy. They all had one, Keitaro too.

The thought of his boyfriend made him nostalgic, filling his senses with thoughts of summer. He could smell the bonfire - a charred ember aroma; could feel the white sand of the beach, stinging hot under his feet as he ran across it.

Camp felt like Disneyland compared to Hiroshima, a dreary city with suppressed memories of his childhood. He only saw it in shades of gray. After spending last off-season volunteering at Camp Buddy, he needed to get a real job or at least some money of his own. Hiroshima seemed the only logical choice. He knew it well and his mother still lived here, who needed him more than ever now – even if she didn't want to admit it. She begged him to move back in with her, but that would've caused more problems than it solved.

In contrast to Taiga moving back, Keitaro propelled himself forwards. He headed off to Tama Art University on the outskirts of Tokyo. Over a five hour train ride separated them. Long distance could be trying at times, but Taiga promised himself he could make it work.

"Maybe if I tried a little harder in school, I could be there too," he mused. Maybe not Tama Art. Taiga didn't kid himself, that was a great fucking school and he wasn't a great fucking student. But maybe somewhere in Tokyo at least, where he could be a 20 minute subway ride away from Keitaro instead of five hours.

Yawning, Taiga stretched his hands above his head. The sweat on his chest and stomach grew cold, sending a shiver down his spine. He thought it looked good though, glistening and pooling over his abs. He stuck his thumb in his now maroon gym shorts and pulled them down a bit, admiring the sharp v that defined his hips and torso. His red treasure trail appeared, which Keitaro always said he found hot. They spent many nights cuddling together, with Keitaro tracing his fingers between his naval and the tip of his underwear. Taiga noticed himself harden and took a quick look down to make sure nothing was too noticeable. Fortunately, his loose fitting gym shorts hid his bulge. Still, his eyes flicked to the bathroom door, afraid somebody would burst in and see...and see...what? His well hidden boner?

"Still, gotta calm down before I take a shower." Backing away from the mirror, Taiga took a seat on the bench next to his drenched t-shirt. His mind stuck stubbornly on cuddling with Keitaro for a few more moments before he finally got things under control. Running a hand through the back of his sweaty hair, he considered what work would be like on Monday. Thinking of that killed his boner in seconds. He hated it there and physically cringed at the thought of interacting with customers tomorrow.

The bathroom door banged open, causing Taiga to jump. An overweight man in his 60's or 70's bustled through and picked the locker right next to him. Of course, the man began immediately stripping with little shame or hesitation. Taiga cleared his throat to show his annoyance, but the man completely ignored him. It was always the guys you didn't want to see naked who were the most eager to strip. Avoiding eye contact, Taiga stood up and slipped out of his gym shorts and jock. He threw them and his shirt into his locker, wrapped his towel around his waist, and made his way to the showers. "Hopefully this pervert doesn't pick the shower stall next to me too…"

(*****)

Day 77: Sunday, October 3rd; Night

Moonlight seeped through the sole window, barely illuminating the cluttered floor. Taiga reached clumsily for the light switch, batting the wall while trying to balance the groceries he bought from the Konbini. Finally, he hit the switch and neon light flooded the tiny studio apartment. Gripping a dorayaki in his teeth, Taiga stumbled in, kicking off his shoes and putting his grocery bag on top of the mini-fridge.

"Aaaoooowww?" A skinny cat pressed her face against his ankle and then weaved between his legs.

"I know, girl," Taiga sighed. "I know I'm late. How do you even go on living?" He picked up the orange and white cat and fell back onto his futon. "How was your day today, Yuri? Any big adventures?"

"Maaaooou"

Taiga placed her on his chest. She stayed for a few seconds, but had other things to explore and soon jumped to the floor. A few weeks ago, he had found her outside his building, skinny to the point of seeing her ribs. The vet estimated she weighed a little over 2 kilograms and was less than a year old. With regular feedings, she probably pushed 3 kilos now - still tiny, but definitely healthier. The vet bill, with shots, spaying, and general health assessment came to nearly ¥50,000 - nearly half of Taiga's paycheck. Couple that with food, litter, and toys, and he began to question whether this was the best life decision he ever made. He couldn't leave her out on the streets though. Nightmares of finding her run over or freezing during the upcoming winter had danced through his head. In his heart of hearts, he always liked cats.

The only issue for her might be the size of his studio. At 18 square meters, he feared she would get bored too easily. A kitchen, consisting of a sink, microwave, mini-fridge and counter for a small hot plate crowded the wall to the right. Against the back wall leaned a high and narrow bookshelf and the futon, flanked above by a circular window. The fully extended futon nearly reached the opposite wall, so Taiga usually just slept on it like a couch to save time and space. Finally, a perfectly square desk with barely enough room for his laptop stood in the corner. Stuffed mice and ping-pong balls for Yuri to play with cluttered the floor, making the simple act of walking hazardous.

Fingering his friendship bracelet, Taiga looked over at the single photo on his laptop desk. It looked a bit goofy - having an instant photo in a frame. It didn't fit at all - the photo, DSC sized, came from Keitaro's instant camera. Unfortunately, the local shops didn't sell frames for photos of that size – KG being the smallest he could find. Thus, the picture sorta hung out in the middle of the frame, surrounded by excess glass on both sides. He still considered it one of his most prized possessions. After Yuri, it was probably the first thing he would grab if his apartment caught on fire.

Keitaro pleaded with Hiro to take a picture of them together on the last day of camp. Under the Camp Buddy entrance gate, Taiga had his arm around Keitaro's shoulder with the biggest smile on his face. His eyes were closed, but he surprisingly showed a full set of teeth. He always felt a little conscious of how his front incisors looked a bit like fangs, so he usually tried to hide them in pictures. That day though, he was so comfortable he didn't even care. Keitaro's bright green eyes were wide open and he had his derpy little smile. Both were in their scout uniforms and wearing their friendship bracelets. Taiga reminisced about the warmth of Keitaro's arm around his shoulder, and the embrace afterwards

Flicking his attention to the floor, Taiga slung his arm under the futon, reaching for it. His hand hit carpet, carpet, squeaky mouse, and then finally felt the crinkle of paper. Pulling the two pages to his chest, Taiga smiled for perhaps the first time today.

(...)

Taiga Akatora
6 Chome-12-9 Nishihara,
Asaminami Ward, Hiroshima,
731-0113, Japan

Taiga! What a great idea! Of course I'll write to you! You were always such a great writer with your journal, so I'm really looking forward to getting letters from you in the future.

Thanks so much for writing me the first one. You're so funny and I really miss laughing with you. Sorry I haven't been calling as often. Moving into the dorm and the first few weeks of classes were stressful. I'm happy to say I'm getting into the swing of things here. Classes are definitely demanding and I almost threw up when I read the syllabus to my Intro to Calculus course. I know I can do it though, I just need to believe in myself.

How are things going for you in Hiroshima? I know you said it was not as fun as volunteering at Camp Buddy, but I think it's great you're moving out on your own and becoming independent! You're such an adult now, at least more than me. You have your own place and your own job. How do you like it? At least you get to sleep in every day! Did you try the hot yoga place I told you about? I'm scared you might not like it, but I did one here in Tokyo and found it really refreshing. Who knows, it might really relax you!

Thanks so much for the pictures of your cat. She's so cute! Maybe I'll use her for one of my photography projects, if you don't mind? I'm so glad that you finally got her. You've been talking about getting a cat since I met you. It's hilarious you named her Yuri :) I agree it's completely fitting. Is she a pervert too? Does she watch you shower? I wonder if she's into fanfictions?

Hopefully we'll see each other soon. I really miss you and can't wait to see you again. We had so much fun last summer and I look forward to going back to camp with you again next year. In regards to you coming to visit - Yes! Absolutely! The sooner the better. Whenever you can get off work, I'd be more than happy to have you crash here with me. We don't have a ton of room in the dorm, but we slept together every night on those tiny camp buddy bunks all summer, so we'll make it work. Just let me know whenever you're free - preferably call or email, the post is a little slow hehehe.

Have you seen or heard from anyone else at camp? I see Seto all the time, of course. Hiro is actually in Tokyo frequently for his mother's follow up appointments. I'm supposed to see him this week for his birthday. Even Natsumi is applying for internships here. I haven't actually seen him since summer, but we've exchanged emails. I hope it works out that he comes here too. I think Yoichi is still living at Camp Buddy, but I haven't heard much from him. You know his patience with technology. He's not the best at phone calls or emails. Hunter is back in Europe for the holidays. He sent me a postcard from Paris recently, but it seems like they're hopping all over Europe. Any word from Eduard or Lee? I'm afraid we don't keep in touch as well as we should.

Anyway, write back as soon as you get this! It made my day when I got your first letter and I think this is a really great idea. It's more intimate to hand-write like this and I can keep your letters and read them again and again.

I love and miss you,

Keitaro