What do we mean to each other
Eros (Part 2)
16 February 2019
A/N: This was supposed to be a special chapter, a tribute for Valentine's Day. However, I was able to harmonize it with the main story. I was also surprised! Also, I didn't expect that I'll come up with several rules, but when I was writing the story, it all went naturally, so I wrote it down for reference. I hope you enjoy the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. This is the longest chapter by the way. Read and review. :)
For easy reference:
· White = answer the question; Black = do the dare/consequence
· Purple = you can pass the question to another person; Blue = you can pass the dare to another person
· Green = you can ask a person of your choice; Red = give a consequence to a person of your choice
Rules:
1. The person who drew the purple and blue chip could specify/provide more details to the question asked/dare;
2. Once a question or dare had been said, it can never be modified;
3. Addition of question or dare is not permitted;
4. A person may take the penalty (removing three pieces of clothing and drinking one glass of Inui's juice) if they refused to answer or perform the dare;
5. There are three allowable penalties per person;
6. A penalty could be shared by a maximum of three people. Two people = 2 pieces of clothes. Three people – 1 piece of cloth. Plus drinking two glasses of Inui's juice;
7. Holder of immunity stone is exempted from almost everything.
The juice left a sweet taste at their lips, which shocked them. Being accustomed to bizzare juices, they praised Inui for the first time. Even Fuji's own mixture was highly appreciated by Inui.
"Before you thank me, I'd like you to know that there was a vodka mixed with the juice," Inui said. Using alcohol was a very effective way to unleash the hidden personalities of people, if they have one. By understanding each other's peculiarities, they hoped to enhance the team's solidarity. Familiarity should breed acceptance, not contempt.
"Let's start the ball rolling," Oishi said. He fixed the two boxes in the middle of the circle, making sure that everyone could pick from either the boxes. This is relatively easy because there are only nine people sitting on the floor, forming a circle. He passed the wooden cylinder to Fuji. Usually, the holder of the immunity stone chose who'll go first, but since his privileges were suspended, it goes without saying that he'll go first.
Fuji shook the cylinder. He got a black chip. He reached for a paper strip from the bamboo-painted box.
[Act like a damsel in distress in front of the person who'll least probably be your prince.]
Fuji thought for a dare is one of those things that will leave you in embarassment. This is too early to take a pass. He gave the piece of paper to Kikumaru, who sat on his right. Just then, he walked towards Kaido and acted as if he was going to faint. He adjusted his voice into a high pitch tone and uttered, "Oh, somebody helped me. My cat just climbed the tree and I couldn't get itdown." He then fainted in front of Kaido who had to stand up to catch him.
After hearing the cheer of the group, Fuji immediately stood. "Thanks," he answered and a smile was flashed before him.
Fuji passed the cylinder to Echizen. Echizen shook it gently . A white chip came out of the cylinder. Echizen reached for the cloud-painted box and drew a piece of paper. He read it silently. The question was any easy one for him.
["Who here, would you most like to make out with?"]
He looked at the group. "Momoshiro-sempai," he answered as a matter of fact. An embarrassed Momoshiro let out a nervous laugh.
"Our prodigy is direct to the point," Inui commented and grinned.
Echizen now passed the cylinder to Momoshiro, who was still blushing. Momoshiro shook the cylinder longer than usual. He got a black chip. He reached for the bamboo-styled box and drew a piece of paper.
[Let the person to your left have a drink of red wine from your mouth.]
"What?" He doesn't need to look at his left, because he already knew. The timing is too perfect. He wiped a sweat on his forehead. Why did he become so shy suddenly? A while ago, the two of them blushed when Kikumaru had asked whether he had a date. The team probably knew the thing between them, but do they need to go public? Ah, but Echizen just blurted out his name that easily. There were a lot of thoughts inside his mind. And will Echizen be okay with it, especially doing it in front of the group?
"What's the problem Momoshiro?" Is the task too hard?" You want to pass?" Kawamura jested.
Momoshiro ignored Kawamura and went to Echizen and passed the piece of paper. "Will you be okay if we do this?"
Echizen reached for the paper wondering why Momoshiro was asking for his permission. He turned a little red when he read the content. He remembered how he answered the question not long ago. But this time is different. It involved an action.
"If I take a pass, then I have to drink half a glass of Inui's juice and take three pieces of my clothing," Momoshiro answered. He wore only plain t-shirt and walking short. This basically meant that he'll be totally naked while the game continues.
Sensing his panic mode, Echizen answered, "As if I have a choice. It is inevitable considering the situation. But, if we go ahead with this, it is practically my first kiss. Not to pressure you, just letting you know." The last words were mumbled in a very low tone, almost like a whisper. He then averted his gaze. Momoshiro blushed a little more seeing Echizen's reaction.
Inui took out a bottle of red wine from his bag. He was the one who drafted the tasks, so he prepared the materials ahead of time. He opened the bottle using a cork opener. The vivid red wine sizzled. He poured a glass of wine and gave it to Momoshiro, "Here you go. It's top of the class."
Momoshiro smelled the wine and took a sip. It is really a strong variant. "I hope this won't make me slumber." He gulped a glass to calm his nerves. He reached for another glass, which Inui happily filled in.
Momoshiro took a brief glance at Echizen and said, "Are you ready?" Echizen nodded. He turned to Echizen and took a sip from the glass. He stared at his eyes, and Echizen stared back. He brushed his finger upon Echizen's lips and then slowly sealed it with a kiss. He tilted Echizen's head to ensure that the wine won't be wasted. When he drained the wine, instead of withdrawing, he pressed his lips more. He used his tongue to kiss him deeply, forgetting where they were.
Taken aback, Echizen closed his eyes. It was his first time being kissed. Being inexperienced, he let Momoshiro have his way. After they parted, the group became silent, but it was evident that they are hiding their excitement. They didn't expect that the kiss will linger that long.
Kawamura coughed a little. Coming back to his senses, Momoshiro felt a little uneasy. Next to Momoshiro, there was Kawamura. He shook the cylinder, "Give me anything except white and black." His request was granted when a blue chip came out of the cylinder. "The heaven is on my side." He went to the bamboo-themed box and picked a piece of paper.
[Find the person whose last name begins with the same letter of your last name and lick their face.]
Upon reading the consequence, he realized that he was exempted to the dare to begin with. There was no other person whose last name starts with "a." He read the dare out loud. He surveyed their faces. Only four people fitted the description.
Oishi à Inui
Fuji à Inui
Momoshiro à Oishi
Kaido à Oishi
Of all these people, he was least afraid of Momoshiro. "I am passing the blue chip to Momoshiro," he said and laughed a little. Momoshiro and Echizen looked at him.
"Me? Then the person whose first letter is the same as the last letter of my last name is… Oishi-sempai," he said and turned his gaze towards Oishi.
"No, you can't do that," protested Echizen, but he regretted the words as soon as it left his lips.
Kawamura laughed harder. "You don't get a say on this Echizen, unless Momoshiro wants to take a pass, but you understand do you?" He has no other choice. He didn't have enough clothes.
It was Oishi who spoke next, "Since it is a dare involving two people, they get to take two, not three pieces of clothing," he said, reminding everyone.
"You've just kissed Echizen. There's no harm licking Oishi," Kawamura teased. Momoshiro's face turned red. First, he was being confessed to. Next he was kissing Echizen. Third, he had to lick Oishi's face? Three in a row. What luck he had. Still, he had to take two clothing. It would leave him with just his underwear on!
"Oishi-sempai, I still can't spare two pieces of clothes," he muttered.
"Okay, I'll get to share the consequence as well," Kikumaru said with a sullen expression.
"Is that okay?" asked Echizen.
"Yes, a maximum of three people could share the consequence if they are willing to," Inui answered with a flat tone.
Momoshiro's face lit. "Deal!" He said happily.
"Ah, boring!" retaliated Kawamura.
A tray with six glasses of the purple juice were prepared by Inui. Momoshiro, Oishi and Kikumaru took two glasses each. Momoshiro took off his t-shirt while Oishi and Kikumaru took their jackets off. Although he is not wearing any t-shirt to cover his body, Momoshiro didn't feel cold. Instead, he could feel the effects of the red wine and his cheeks began to feel hot. Ater gulping the wine, he begun to feel a little dizzy. He already had three glasses of vodka and red wine and the first round is not even over yet.
Echizen stared at Momoshiro and when he returned beside him, he let out a whisper, " How are you feeling?"
"Do I look like someone who will be beaten by this simple game," Momoshiro uttered. Echizen didn't reply. "Don't worry. I can handle this," he answered with a sincere smile. Echizen couldn't help but feel pleased.
Kawamura passed the cylinder to Kaido. Kaido shook the cylinder and a black chip came out. Like the others before him, he reached for the bamboo-themed box and pick a piece of paper.
[Let the group pose you in an embarrassing position, take a picture and upload it in your social media].
He handed the paper to Inui to the latter's delight. Just then, he removed three pieces of clothing and held out his hand. Inui immediately understood and handed him a glass of his juice. Just like that, Kaido finished his turn.
"So it's like that," Echizen observed. He turned to Momoshiro, "next time will definitely must not forget." Momoshiro nodded with a serious face.
Kaido passed the cylinder to Inui. Inui gently shook the cylinder and out came a purple chip, to everyone's disappointment. He reached for the cloud-painted box and choose a piece of paper. Without taking the need to read it silently, he read it out loud.
["Have you ever made out with someone here?"]
He scanned the group. Out of the people here, he was most puzzled with Fuji's personality. He passed the chip to Fuji.
Fuji took the chip. This was an easy one. He was glad that the question only referred to the people within the room. "No," was his simple answer. Tezuka felt annoyed hearing his response. Too safe.
"So, do you prefer anyone from the group?" Inui asked, pretending he knew nothing.
"Inui, you are not allowed to add a question," Kikumaru reminded, although he was also interested to hear it directly from Fuji.
"Aye, of course." Inui answered. He passed the cylinder to Tezuka. Tezuka shook the cylinder, still annoyed. Another purple chip came out of the hole. He let out a sigh of relief. He drew a piece of paper from the cloud-painted box. He read it silently. Tell me something you don't want me to know. Why was the question phrased this way, then an idea popped in his mind. In an instant, he knew who to direct the question to, but he was uncertain if he's going to pass it on to him. Based on that person's personality, he would definitely take a pass. There's no harm in trying.
He handed the purple chip and the piece of paper to Fuji, then returned to where he was seated. Fuji was surprised this time. In just one round, he had already received two purple chips. Kikumaru peeked at the piece of paper.
[Tell me something you don't want me to know.]
Kikumaru read the text out loud. Before anyone could comment, Tezuka added, "the second me refers to 'me'," and pointed to himself.
Fuji looked at Tezuka's expression, studying him bit by bit. Why did he choose this time to ask me this question? Tezuka stared back at him with a poker face.
"So, Fuji need to tell you something that he didn't want you to know, isn't it?" Oishi repeated. Tezuka nodded.
In response, Fuji removed his jacket and his two socks. This scene was quite familiar. In the first round, three penalties have already been used by several people.
"What, you're not answering?" Kikumaru asked in awe.
Oishi nudged Kikumaru, "You know, there are things that we want to hide from someone. Let us respect Fuji's decision." This comment made everyone silent as still water. It was Inui who broke the silence when he handed Fuji a glass of his concoction. Fuji drank the whole content. Tezuka just watched Fuji, and then decided to pass the cylinder to Oishi.
Oishi shook the cylinder. Much to his dismay, a black chip emerged. He also reached for the bamboo-painted box and picked a piece of paper.
[Seduce a member of the same sex.]
Seduce a member? He thought about going out with Kikumaru. Did he seduce him? He couldn't remember at all. Then it hit him, it was Kikumaru who actually made a move on him. He thought a little bit more, how will he seduce Kikumaru? Just then, a thought crossed his mind. He gave the piece of paper to Tezuka, and Tezuka read it out loud.
"That's cheating! Boo!" Momoshiro commented. His head began to feel light due to the mixed effect of the vodka and the red wine.
Oishi let out a calm laugh. "Oi Momoshiro. How could I possibly cheat?" Hearing the task, Kikumaru blushed. In one moment, Oishi was in front of him. He stared at him with a soft expression. Kikumaru's heart began to beat faster. He could almost hear it. Oishi let out a smile. He held his face and finally leaned on his side to give him a speck on the ear. This has totally shaken Kikumaru. His face blushed more. Every person in the room could tell how his face turned red in that moment.
"Now, now, don't be shy." He blushed some more upon hearing Oishi's sweet, low voice. Kikumaru placed his arms around his face. He could tell how warm he is.
It was now Kikumaru's turn. He'll be the last person to complete the loop. He gently shook the cylinder, and out came a blue chip. He was really glad. He was not in a mood to either answer a question or perform a dare. He reached for the bamboo-themed glass.
[Be the pet cat of another person for ten minutes]
He's also a lucky one! He had just one person in mind. He looked at Fuji, he is still wearing a t-shirt and shorts, and maybe more under shirts. He was certainly sure that he would reject the dare, but still, since he was pissed because Fuji received a gift form a Shitenhouji student, and also because he was rooting for Tezuka, he decided to give it a try. Well, if he rejects, he'll get another drink. Who knows, maybe he has low tolerance when it comes to alcohol. We'll get him once he lowers his guard down.
Kikumaru passed the blue chip to Fuji. Fuji complained, "Why is it that everyone seemed to pass the purple and blue chips to me?"
"Well, that is normal. Since initially you held the immunity stone, we thought we could not mess with you," Kawamura answered. "Don't tell us you're going to reject it again? You could only reject three times you know." Kawamura was right. They were only allowed to wear 10 pieces of clothing at the most, limiting their chances of taking the penalty, unless you have the face to wear just an underwear. So in reality, you only got two chances to make a pass.
"Well, whatever. What is the dare Kikumaru?"
Kikumaru giggled and passed him the dare. "Be the pet cat of Tezuka for 10 minutes. Oops, do not speak further. Since I'm passing the dare, I'll be the one choosing who will be the other person." Once a question or a dare is vague, the drawer of the paper could select or further clarify the question or the dare.
Fuji looked at Kikumaru. He smiled at him, but his eyes scolded him. How could he possibly refuse now? If he refused, the team could be more curious and might ask a lot of questions later on, and so he answered, "All right." Fuji took the dare surprising everyone. When there was an easy question, he took the penalty, but continued on with this particular dare. His way of thinking is really unusual.
Tezuka remained stoic. Fuji went to Tezuka and stopped in front of him. He started acting like a cat. He raised his hand and brushed his face in imitation of a cat purring its face. "Meow, meow, meow, " he tried his best to sound as cute as possible. Damsel, then a cat, what could be next? He then moved his head slowly towards Tezuka. Tezuka's heart skips a beat. What was this reaction?
Cats liked to sit on the lap of person, so since he couldn't do that, Fuji laid his head on Tezuka's lap and pretended to be asleep.
"What a cute little kitty," Kikumaru commented. "Now captain, shouldn't you pet your cat?"
Tezuka shot a glance at him. "Well, well. Be a nice pet owner and pet it. You do it now," Kikumaru teased.
"Come on captain. Why not go all out," Oishi encouraged.
Being pressured by his teammates, Tezuka raised his right hand and placed it gently on top of Fuji's head. He caressed Fuji's hair and brushed his cheek with his fingers. Fuji slowly shifted his position, as if feeling the gentle pat. Fuji continued to pretend like he was a cat and purred using his hands. They continued like this until they heard the timer. Fuji slowly stood up and returned beside Kikumaru. One more minute and he could've fainted.
"Good, good." Kikumaru said satisfied.
The next three rounds have more personal and embarrassing questions and foolish dares: What is the meanest you have done to someone that didn't deserve it? What is your deepest, darkest fear? Where is the most strangest place you have peed and how did it lead to there? What is the most terrible thing that you have done that no one else found about? What is your most embarrassing nickname? What is the most embarrasing thing your parents have caught you doing? Tell about the last time someone unexpectedly walked in you while you were naked. Pretend to be a food until everyone guesses what food you are. Drop something in the toilet and then reach in to get it. Put four ice cubes down your pants and take a picture. Walk on your hands around the room singing a children's song. Remove your short or pants, using your butt, spell three English words until the group could guess what it is. Let the group give you a new hairstyle (without cutting your hair). Sniff the armpits of everyone in the room (they need to take off their t-shirts). Let the person to your left draw on your face with a pen. Open a bag of snacks or candy using only your mouth, no hands or feet. Go to the bathroom, take off your underwear and put it on your head for an hour. Eat five spoonfuls of different condiments.
After three rounds, most of them was light-headed, wearing an undershirt and boxers. Echizen got his face painted. Kikumaru had a new hair style. Kawamura had his underwear placed on his head. Kaido has a slight red handmark on his face, due to spanking.
"Okay. I think we already have enough," Tezuka said, holding his head. He felt dizzy.
"One last round," Kikumaru suggested and looked at everyone. They smiled at him in agreement. The last round is the most important of all. This was their last chance.
Seeing the look on their faces, Tezuka could only agree.
Oishi took the cylinder and out came a green chip. He handed it to Tezuka. Tezuka has only one more chance to pass. He has a bad feeling about this.
"Are you going to get through with this or not?" asked Oishi since Tezuka hadn't uttered a single word when he received the green chip.
What can he ask me which I couldn't answer? Oishi patted his shoulder, "Uhm Tezuka?" Tezuka nodded. Oishi carefully phrased his question, because once said, it could never be modified. In addition, there were only three green and red chips in the cylinder.
"What specifically happened between you and Fuji resulting a rift in your good relationship?"
And the red flag was raised! Somewhere along the lines, he knew this will happen. He let out a sigh and took out his two undershirts and his walking short. His upper body was now bare and he wore only a boxer short. He was the first person to be almost stripped out of his clothes, and he thought he came well-prepared.
Inui handed him the glass of juice. After emptying it, he became more lightheaded. Fuji couldn't help but stare at Tezuka. His eyes lingered on Tezuka's body for a while. He was enchanted. Finally getting out out of his trance, he heard himself say, "Tezuka, are you okay?" The concern greatly manifested in his voice. Tezuka twitched his eyebrows unconsciously, and finally said, "Hmm."
Oishi watched him, but remained silent. He passed the cylinder to Kikumaru. Kikumaru shook the cylinder and got a purple chip. He drew a piece of paper from the cloud-painted box.
[Who was your first kiss?]
He then passed the chip and the piece of paper to Fuji. Of course, there'd be no other person but him. After all, it was the last round. As if expecting it, Fuji smiled after he read what was written.
"What was the question Kikumaru?" Oishi inquired.
"Oh, who was your first kiss?" Kikumaru answered with a smile.
Tezuka immediately turned his attention towards Fuji. In truth, he didn't want to know the answer. He got himself wondering again. Why am I being annoyed?
"Hmm," Fuji pretended he was thinking. Then, with a smile, he answered. "That would be- Tezuka," he answered after some consideration. Actually, this wasn't a hard question and there's really no need to think about it. It has been Tezuka from the beginning. He was his first kiss.
Kikumaru's eyes sparkled. "When was this?" How did it happen?"
Fuji smiled. "I already answered the question Kikumaru."
Tezuka was dumbstruck. He was also interested to know the answer. Was Fuji lying? Isn't Shiraishi his first kiss? When did this happen? Yet, rules are rules. So they need to abide by the game.
"Aw, man! All right," he handed the wooden cylinder to Fuji.
Fuji drew a white chip. So he's answering another question. Losing the immunity stone had become really a hassle for him. He picked a piece of paper and was even surprised by its contents.
[Who have you loved, but didn't love you back?]
Destiny is really playing at him. Two questions pointing to Tezuka. What tough luck! He couldn't just drop the name of Tezuka, not in front of the team. Could he lie his way out of this? Definitely not. He'll be surely called out by Kikumaru. He decided to use his one last pass.
Since Fuji was taking too long to answer the question, Echizen couldn't help but take a peek at what was written in the paper. He repeated it, "Who have you loved, but didn't love you back?"
After Echizen read what was written, Fuji took the last three pieces of his clothing. Now, he only wore his boxer shorts, much like Tezuka.
Tezuka felt his heart calmed a little. He was worried that Fuji would answer the question, but he realized that his worry was unfounded. Nonetheless, he could not help wonder why Fuji refused to answer the question. Is he that person being referred to? Is Fuji being considerate of him? A terrible pain slowly crept into his heart.
"Why is everyone keen on drinking the juice I have prepared?" Inui commented. Fuji took the glass and drink the content. He continued his silence.
The rest of the team began to take turns. However, nobody picked up another green nor red chip. Yesterday, before Momoshiro and Echizen came to practice, Kikumaru suggested to everyone to use the Valentine's trip as a last resort to resolve the conflict between Tezuka and Fuji, or at least find out the reason behind it. Kikumaru especially rooted for Fuji's happiness, so he asked Inui to to make the tasks in a way that will definitely draw Tezuka and Fuji together. Ergo, many of the questions and tasks were deliberately intended to bring these two together. This was the sole reason why whenever they picked out a blue or purple chip, they would instantly pass them to Fuji or Tezuka, whoever is appropriate to answer or do what was written in the paper.
If worse comes to worst, they will use the green chip to draw out an answer. They agreed that whoever picks up the green chip, must definitely used it to ask Tezuka the reason behind his coldness. Tezuka was the ideal choice because during that time, Fuji still held the immunity stone.
Finally, Tezuka's turn came. A black chip came from the wooden cylinder. He already knew the drill. He reached for the bamboo-patterned box and picked up a piece of paper. When he read the content, his face became paler, but his resolve was firm.
[Perform a wall slam to the person you hold dear.]
He tossed the piece of paper aside. This time, there was no hesitation. Is it because of the vodka? Is it because he exhausted all the penalty he could use? Maybe he wanted the game to finally end? He tried to rationalize his behavior, but he eventually gave in. At this point, he felt solemn and wanted to reach out to the other person. He actually longed for him.
He walked towards Fuji and offered his hand. Without any idea, Fuji took them up and he stood up. The rest waited for Tezuka's explanation, but they've got nothing.
"What was the dare Tezuka?" Oishi asked for the benefit of the group.
Tezuka ignored the question and proceeded with what he was doing. Fuji stood in front of him. He locked his eyes towards Fuji and slowly advance one step at a time. In reaction, Fuji took a step backward, having no idea of what was to come. He continued to step back until he felt his bare back on the wall. He has no t-shirt so he felt the cold wall touched his body. He shivered.
Just then, Tezuka put his two arms and slammed Fuji on the wall. He finally admitted that he had severely missed how they've used to be, before that uneventful night. If only he could turn back the time.
"Oh, is this it?" Inui remembered this particular one. He meant it to be a joke, never expecting Tezuka to actually pick this piece of paper. His comment fell on deaf ears.
Fuji tried to shift his gaze, but it was no use. He was being drawn to Tezuka's body warmth. He was inches apart from Tezuka. He could tell that the both of them were more conscious of the other person's reaction, especially now that their upper body was bare and they were wearing only boxer shorts below. They could feel each other's breath. Fuji could smell the sweet aroma of the juice mixed with vodka. He took a deep breath to control what was down there.
Tezuka's heart began to beat in a crazy pace, "wall slam," he muttered in a very low voice.
"What-"
He did not wait for Fuji's response. He gravitated towards Fuji's lips. The longing was more difficult, the more a person tries to repress it.
Fuji's mind was in frenzy. Out of nowhere, he remembered a particular line from his favorite book, The Little Prince. 'What is essential is invisible to the eye.' With these final thoughts, he allowed himself to give in. He closed his eyes, held Tezuka's face in his two hands and responded with an equal passion. The moment has become a little uneasy, but suddenly became blissful.
Finally, Kikumaru did an 'okay' sign with his fingers. The others smiled in agreement. The plan had actually worked.#
