Ken walked through the unfamiliar corridors of the school. It was nearly half past four, and everyone had gone home, but he had stayed to have the opportunity to look around, try and get to know the place when it wasn't so packed full with kids that it was impossible to remember if you'd been in this corridor before...

This was where he was going to spend the next month, he thought, sighing. He liked it here, he liked the town and he liked the school, and he loved teaching football.. Thinking about it would've made him happy yesterday - and it had - but today, after today, after his first day…

He had been stupid to think it'd be easy anyway, he berated himself. It was naïve of him really, to have thought that all the students would like him, and they'd get on, and he'd teach them football, and they'd like football, and they'd not think he was a complete prat!

Dammit, he thought, wandering under the "IT Dept." sign and subconsciously making a mental note of where it was. The only person he'd met so far who he liked didn't like football and was…in that room over there! He stopped, looking in to the room where Tsukiyono Omi was sitting at a computer, fingers flying over the keyboard.

And he was so cute…

He should definitely not be here. He felt like a spy, only worse, because at least spies were doing it for the greater good of their country. And poorer, because spies got paid. He should definitely not be here! He watched as another boy, about Omi's size, with dark hair and sad eyes went over to Omi and pointed to something on the screen. Omi nodded. The boy said something. Omi looked up at him, grinning, and Ken looked on in surprise as the boy's eyes lit up. Omi turned back to the screen and started typing again, but the boy's adoring eyes remained on him.

Were they…lovers?

Ken concentrated on the dark-haired boy's hand as he lifted it, as if to touch Omi's shoulder…then stopped, and pulled back, twisting both of his pale hands together. He looked so sad, but Ken found he didn't really care…he knew he should, he wasn't heartless, and the boy was obviously in pain…but he was just relieved! Omi couldn't be his lover.

This shouldn't be a good thing, he knew. But it was.

"Ken!" Snapped out of his thoughts, Ken stared at Omi who was grinning at him.

"Uh…hey Omi!" Ken hesitated, then entered the room. "What are you doing here so late?"

"We're working on a project!" Omi exclaimed, his enthusiasm unbelievable, and very adorable. "This is Nagi, we're doing it together."

"Hi Nagi, I'm.."

"You're Ken, I know, Omi told me about you."

Ken smiled - Omi had talked about him?

"I have to go, anyway," Nagi said, glancing at Omi. "We'll finish up tomorrow, ne?"

Omi nodded and smiled at him.

"Sure. I'll finish this part OK, then go home soon too! Seeya in the morning!"

"Bye Omi. Bye…Ken."

Nagi left somewhat reluctantly, eyes downcast. Ken didn't notice him going, just that he was gone.

But Omi was still here, and he was here, he thought, and had to remind himself not to be stupid.

"Oh dear, I think something's up with Nagi…" Omi said, biting his lip. "I hope I didn't do anything!"

"He didn't look too happy! But I'm sure it's not your fault, you couldn't make anyone unhappy!"

Omi didn't seem to have heard that last comment, to Ken's relief. He always said such lame stuff..

"He likes you." Why had he said that? Idiot. What, so Omi could say "that's ridiculous" and he'd stop feeling jealous? So he could gauge his reaction to boys liking other boys? Like he liked Omi…

Now that really was ridiculous… Even if he could ever have a chance of meaning anything to the beautiful younger boy, he'd only met him today! They'd hardly even spoken together, how could he be in..

"Who, Nagi? Course he does.."

"No, I mean, he likes you."

Omi blushed, and Ken felt bad for making him feel uncomfortable, wishing he'd never started this conversation!

"He can't! I'd know. He doesn't, I'm sure…"

"You're so sweet!" Ken heard himself say, and immediately wished for something solid with which he could hit himself over the head! Omi stared at him, and he blushed, and smiled because he didn't really know what else to do! "Uhm…so anyway…"

Omi grinned at him then turned back to his computer.

"How's your first day been?" he asked, effectively ending Ken's embarrassment, and seemingly able to type and hold intelligent conversation at the same time.

"Uhm, well, it's…" Ken didn't seem to be able to hold intelligent conversation at the moment, although he wasn't quite sure why. And he couldn't type.

"Good? Bad?" Omi prompted, and Ken looked up to find him smiling kindly.

"Well…bad to be honest," Ken replied, and Omi's smile faded. He could tell the truth to Omi, and it would make him feel better, he knew.

"Why?" Omi asked, stopping his typing. He shut down the computer and turned in his seat to face Ken. "You seemed to be really happy earlier!"

"I was, I really love football, and I love teaching it to people it's just…they all hated me!"

To his surprise, Omi laughed quietly.

"What?"

Omi grinned at him.

"Ken that's ridiculous! You're being paranoid - you're about the least hateable person I've ever met in my life!"

"But they all laughed at me!" Ken felt like a little kid, but Omi would understand, Omi would make him feel better, he just knew it.. "They didn't listen to me, and they didn't care at all! They thought I was pathetic, because I'm so young, and they…they hated me!"

Omi chuckled again.

"They were just being them, most of them are brain-dead anyway… They don't care if you're helping them to learn, they don't care about anything - but they don't hate you! Nobody could ever hate you! You're just too nice!"

Ken stared at him.

"I'm nice?"

Omi nodded, then blushed for some reason.

"Omi…thanks!"

The cute blond was gazing at the floor, blushing furiously at nothing.

"Are you OK?"

"Yes!" Omi squeaked, looking up at Ken with a nervous kind of expression. "I better go home…"

"I, uh, I have a car, would you like a lift?"

"…are you sure you don't mind?"

"No, it's fine!"

"OK, thankyou!"

By the time they got to the car, Omi had stopped blushing, and he was happy to be just talking with Ken, like normal people trying to get to know each other…

Or just talking.

He'd spent the entire day thinking about Ken. He'd told Ouka, who had told him off for falling in love with a teacher.. But he wasn't in love, he'd protested. He didn't even believe in love - it had been invented by schoolgirls, according to Youji. Not that that stopped him from using it to his advantage…but Omi wasn't like that. And besides, he didn't want schoolgirls, he wanted Ken!

Omi was delighted when Ken opened the passenger door for him, and climbed in happily. Ken was giving him a lift!

Duh…but…

This was a good sign, right?

He watched Ken slide into the driver seat and start the car. He was so…so lovely… His hair was shiny, and he would have loved to feel how soft it was…those dark eyes were so beautiful… Ken looked at him, and smiled, and Omi's heart leapt at the same moment as he realised it could just never happen… How could this wonderful, kind man ever want him?

"You can put on some music, if you want," Ken said, and it took Omi a minute to register what he'd said. After another minute he was able to stop watching Ken, and picked up a CD that lay on the dashboard.

"Gackt! You like Gackt? SUGOI!" he cried, and Ken grinned as the pulled out of the car park.

"He's great! I mean, he's perfect, he's got a great voice and amazing songwriting talent plus he's gorgeous.."

Ken blushed, and Omi nodded and put the CD in.

Ken liked guys!

Well, that was a start, ne? Maybe he'd never love him…not that Omi would probably ever actually love him, as such, anyway…but he might be attracted to him…if he tried to look nice and stuff…

Who was he kidding? he thought with a depressed sigh. He wasn't exactly attractive.. Far as he was concerned, he was skinny and weird looking - he didn't exactly look like a Jpop idol.. He gazed at Gackt on the cover of his CD - he was attractive.

If he looked like that…

Not that he only wanted Ken to think he was nice-looking… But if that was all he could have…

"Omi?" Ken's voice snapped him out of his stupid thoughts.

God, even his VOICE was amazing, smooth and gentle.

"Uhm…where do you live?"

Omi smiled at Ken as they pulled up outside the block of flats he lived in. Ken gave him an almost shy smile in return, and although he knew there was no chance, although he knew they could never be together, and the young football player would never want to be with him anyway, he couldn't help but feel excited and giddy and so happy… Exactly as if he were in love!

"See you tomorrow!" he said cheerfully as he got out of the car. "Thanks!" He watched Ken pull away, remembering everything about him, everything they had said, every expression across that beautiful face...

"Omi!" He heard Ken call his name suddenly, and watched in surprise as the car reversed back to where he was.

Ken's window was wound down, and he was gazing up at Omi.

"Omi, wait…I…"

"Y-yes?"

"I…just thankyou…you…you made my whole today worth it."

Then he drove off, for real this time, and Omi was left, stunned and thrilled and unsure exactly what to do on the pavement.