Mikhail sat there at the table. Questioning every single decision that had led him here. And really it all started with the fact that he had befriended Sashinami Shoko. Even he couldn't truly fathom how that had happened. But it did and because they were friends, he did things for her. Like sitting across from Tokishima Haruto. He was another friend of Shoko's.

And it wasn't like they were alone. Shoko was there. Along with other people. Because somehow Mikhail had agreed to go on a group date. Shoko reasoned that as a foreign exchange student, he should get the full experience of what a young adult would get in Japan. Mikhail only wanted to pass his courses and get his degree.

But instead he was here, making small talk with the man he had a crush on.

"So Mikhail, what's it like back in Russia?", Haruto asked.

"Cold."

Mikhail crossed his arms and mentally berated himself. He wasn't good at this. Shoko knew he wasn't good at socialization and insisted he come anyway. He'd end up only alienating Haruto and any chances of getting in his good graces would be dashed. Not that Mikhail was sure what he'd do if he did catch Haruto's eye.

All he knew was that he had felt a warmth in his chest from the moment they met. It took some time to admit what that warmth was and stop denying that it was heartburn.

Well it was a different kind of burning of the heart.

Mikhail had done nothing about the fact, content and even preferring to keep his feelings a secret. But Shoko found out, because of course she did. And made it her mission to get the two together. Nevermind the fact that Haruto never expressed any interest in him. Mikhail glanced at Shoko, who was talking it up with a girl named Akira who looked even more uncomfortable to be here than he did.

"Can you tell me more about it?", Haruto urged, grabbing his attention.

Mikhail tried to think of something substantial. Something to grab his attention and make himself seem more interesting.

"It's cold, so there's snow...it looks nice when it's not in the way."

"I like the snow too", Haruto smiled. "My dad used to compete with me to make the most structurally sound snowman."

"I never knew my father", Mikhail said, instantly regretting it. He knew enough to know that mentioning something like that could bring the mood down.

"Oh...well, I...didn't know much about my mom", Haruto said.

Mikhail took notice of the other couples in the group starting to officially pair up which meant Mikhail could potentially have Haruto all to himself if he played his cards right.

"I didn't know my mother either", Mikhail replied.

"Well, if you ever wanna talk about identity crisis them stem from distant-to-nonexistent parental figures, I'm available", Haruto said, giving a nervous chuckle.

Mikhail, despite himself, smiled. "I know you're majoring in anthropology, not psychology. I'm keeping you far from my brain."

Haruto laughed more genuinely at that. Their conversation flowed just a bit more easily after that. Mikhail learned that Haruto didn't mind his terse comments so long as they weren't too biting. At the end of the group date, some went off with their partner, probably to get more intimate. Mikhail wasn't ready for that and neither did Haruto seem to be.

Instead, Haruto held out his phone to Mikhail to exchange numbers. Mikhail surprised himself by handing over his own phone rather easily.

"Just in case you actually want me to probe your brain", Haruto joked. "Purely for scientific reasons."

Instead of answering, Mikhail sent a text right then and there that got a smile out of Haruto when he read through it.

[Work on your comedy.]