"Have you found a summer job yet?"

Nijimura shrugs as an answer to the sudden interest in his career. Akashi doesn't say anything in response for a second or two, carefully and politely chewing his food and speaks only once he has swallowed – Nijimura finds it silly, as if talking his mouth full would kill Akashi or something… though he also finds it endearing, not that he would ever confess it to the redhead.

"Would you like to come with me?"

That was not a question Nijimura expected at all.

He stops eating and sits straight, regarding Akashi as if the man grew a third eye – not that it would surprise Nijimura at this point. Okay, it would. It is still funny to imagine. It would rather fit Akashi though, which is actually terrifying. The surreal ideas flocking into his mind are only equally (un)realistic as the offer he just received.

"Are you talking about your trip?"

"Yes."

"Is it decided yet? You were saying you weren't sure where you were going?"

"After some deliberation, it has been decided that I'll be visiting our major branches in East Asia. Taipei, Seoul, Shangai, and Hong Kong… I am also thinking that I could spare two days or three at the end for a personal trip. Maybe Thailand."

"And… you want me to come with you?"

"Yes."

"Wouldn't it be problematic? I mean it's a business trip after all…"

"The people I'll be meeting there will not have the privilege of judging me."

Akashi says it as though he is talking about the weather. "I heard it will be rainy but warm in Hong Kong", is as if what he is saying and not how he is at the top of social food chain and nobody has to power to scrutinise him. It perturbs Nijimura slightly, even though he has gotten used to this mostly…

"What about your dad? Wasn't he the one who is sending you in the first place?"

"Father only wanted me to utilise my free time for networking within our conglomerate. I doubt he would ever take a look at my itinerary or details of my trips… I manage those. In the odd case that he did, I could cover it easily."

"Like how?"

"Nijimura-san, my father is all right with any decision as long as there is a utilitarian reason for it. He is a pragmatist. It is not that hard to appease him."

"Are you saying that as long as you came up with a lie that would make him think you are taking me along for an exploitative reason, he wouldn't care?"

"Precisely."

Nijimura puts his elbow on the table and rests his chin on his palm; the gesture bothers Akashi's manners slightly since they are eating on the said table. He is aware of this, yet Akashi does not outwardly chide him so he continues on in that position while absentmindedly stabbing his rice with chopsticks. He sighs then,

"I'm not sure…"

"Is there a reason why?"

"You just asked me to join you on a month long trip abroad."

"But you don't have anything meaningful to do during summer anyway. If you are bothered by costs, they will be fully covered by me."

The comment is honest and… well, truthful. It stings Nijimura regardless, his eyes narrow and he stabs his grilled fish with vigour before almost violently ripping a piece apart and chewing determinedly. He deliberately talks while he's still chewing, just to grate on Akashi's nerves;

"Well, maybe I'll just rest… enjoy the 'meaninglessness'."

Akashi's shoulders slump and his lower lip turns into a small frown. It is a sign of both frustration and anger. The two emotions are always so close when it comes to him. Nijimura has almost never seen them separate; they intertwine and often smell of sadness too.

"In any case," Akashi insists with a calculatedly calm tone, "think about it. It could be beneficial for you too. I agree that you need rest but you usually get bored after a few days of inactivity. Plus, if you prefer we could pose it as an internship or something in one of our companies so it could look good on your CV."

"Thank you but I think my CV is fine as it is."

"As you wish…" Akashi says softly but the coldness and disapproval are evident in his voice.

After the dinner, when Nijimura has time to ponder about the fact again as he puts the dirty plates in the dishwasher, he grudgingly accepts that perhaps he acted rather spoiled. Whatever Akashi's intent, the offer was… romantic. However the very idea is alien to him, he actually wouldn't mind travelling… especially with Akashi.

Still, he does not understand the rationale behind the sudden offer nor does he feel inclined to entertain Akashi's overbearing tendencies. Perhaps, it is time to insist on something futile just to emphasise relationships are meant to be on equal footing; not per the ever-so-eager-to-dominate Akashi's terms and whims. It is stupid, probably, but there are times even he cannot mute his pride.

There is also the very real problem of being swept away by Akashi: how will he manage being away from everyone and everything he knows and understands? And instead being in a foreign land with just Akashi? It is not the idea of wandering to unknown that causes insecurity; after his shenanigans in the States, he has full confidence in his survival skills despite not knowing native language of any of the countries they would be visiting. But there are other very real issues: what if they fight? If they ever get on each other's nerves here, they just spend the day apart, or maybe more than a day. He would not be able to do that easily there. He could not ask Akashi to book him another room in the hotel because he does not want to forgive him easily because of Akashi's infuriatingly beautiful face. He could not ask Akashi to buy him return tickets abruptly because they fought and he would like to be back to Tokyo. If he had the financial security to rely on should any such risk was ever to occur, perhaps he would not feel so threatened by the proposal. It is not often that he realises the majestic gap between them in terms of social and economic standing, not because it is not apparent – it is, in everything Akashi does, even in the brand of ice cream he eats. It is simply that he has grown used to it and does not realise the cliff, unless it is moments like these where the grave possibilities are very real and piss him off endlessly.

He decides to let it go, Akashi probably only asked because he is generous to share his wealth and wanted to give Nijimura a chance to see a part of the world he could not easily afford to. It is nothing important.

In spite of the lack of importance Nijimura has assigned to the matter, the next few days are spent in a cold war of sorts, the reason of which both are aware of but intentionally ignore. He is in the library supposed to be studying but instead wondering on how to balance the first birthday he will experience with both family and a lover to spend with, when he receives an email from Akashi. There are several attached files which turn out to be electronic tickets for several flights. The email politely informs Nijimura that, he should not feel pressured and Akashi simply had to finalise his itinerary for the trip and bought the tickets just in case. The email adds in a subtle emphasis:

"They are flexible, so they can be cancelled or their dates could be changed without any charge by you and the return ticket's 'from' airport can be changed as well, again with no charge."

He wonders if this is Akashi's way of trying to comfort him, assure him that he would have 'space' even if they went to the trip together. If so, and it is likely so, it is ridiculously sweet, and on the other side it is equally domineering. Especially looking at the numbers a few Google Flights queries bring him: the tickets must have cost Akashi literally a small fortune. He is baffled by Akashi's insistence, there is a rebellious side of him that thinks, hell, keep silent till the last day and don't go, burning the tickets despite their 'flexibility' just to make a statement. It is childish and he will not do it, he knows, but fantasising about it calms his agitation a little.

Regardless, the fact that he is still very much undecided keeps him from cancelling the tickets, but he does not outright accept them either. In fact, he ignores the email, as if he has not received it. Akashi does not comment on it either when they spend time later. Days continue to pass in languid and deliberate avoidance of the elephant in the room. Nijimura spends his birthday with his family; he sends a picture of his birthday cake to Akashi, it is a silent peace offering of sorts. Akashi seems to accept it, for in return Nijimura receives a selfie from him – Akashi is smiling candidly, and half naked, dripping wet, and obviously fresh out of shower; the picture much in contrast with the polite message that follows it: "Happy Birthday, I wish you a joyful celebration with your family and a long, healthy life."

The next day, Nijimura leaves his family home right after the breakfast much to his siblings' protests and mother's teasing stares despite having promised to have lunch with them before.

A few hours later, he is in front of Akashi's door and knocks, instead of using the key he carries, and Akashi opens the door in an exquisite yukata with a smug smile on his face, perfectly unsurprised. It is… infuriating, yet exhilarating to the point that his irritation fades away completely as he hurries inside, his arms snaking around his lover's waist while he shuts the door with his foot.

Akashi hums in satisfaction as he is carried to the bedroom in a not so delicate manner.

Considering the hours spent within each other's grasp, giggling in joy and moaning in pleasure, an honest return to normalcy, the last topic Nijimura expects to be brought up in the late-lunch-early-dinner meal they have, a delicious take out courtesy of Akashi, is the cause of their previous conflict: the trip.

Akashi's voice is deceptively unaware of the tension the subject once created between them, as he mentions, almost offhandedly,

"Will you be joining me for the trip? If so, we may want to buy a luggage for you but I don't think I can spare time for shopping, I will be too busy with my studies near the end of term."

Nijimura scowls. This time, he decides, he will deal with it like an adult, and puts his chopsticks down in front of him and talks only after he has swallowed his mouthful:

"Okay, what is the deal with this trip?"

"Pardon?"

"I don't get it. I don't feel good when you pressure me."

"I am not trying to pressure you."

"That doesn't change the fact that it is bothersome… Look, I just don't understand why you want me to come in the first place. I know I won't get another chance to see those countries any time soon but this is sudden and we never even travelled before. Not counting the school trips at Teikou."

Akashi looks at him with unabashed incredulity, and then furrows his eyebrows, puts his chopsticks down gingerly as he nods at nothing particular. When he starts speaking, he is staring right into Nijimura's eyes:

"Nijimura-san, I think you have judged this all wrong."

"What is it then? Why do you want me to tag along in the first place?"

Akashi shrugs, voice calm, face perfectly stoic as he responds,

"I don't mind travelling alone, though the kinds of functions I'll be attending will surely make it tiresome. I simply thought it could be a chance too, for the two of us. It would be nice taking a vacation with you. We could sightsee together and you would enjoy the change of air. The whole reason was… well, enjoying our time together?"

If he was not a proud and confident man, Nijimura would gape like a fish. "Why," he wonders loudly in his mind, "why did I not think of this?!" It is such a natural request, such a perfectly couple-thing that Nijimura never thought it could come from Akashi.

Akashi is waiting for an answer still and Nijimura's answer has been decided the second Akashi finished speaking his reason, but he cannot help feeling awkward about revealing his sudden turn in decision. "Yes, hell yes then," somehow sounds pathetic in his ears so he would like to prevent his mouth uttering nonsense of the sort. He shakes his head a few times as if considering and takes his chopsticks back into his hand,

"Okay, I'll think about it…"

Akashi raises an eyebrow to the response and continues with his eating too, giving no other comments on the matter. A few minutes of pregnant silence later, Nijimura almost whispers,

"No need to cancel the tickets yet though. I'll do it myself if needed…"

Akashi does not respond again but without even looking Nijimura is certain of the small grin that is creeping up Akashi's lips. He thinks "it is unfair"; it is unfair that he is so absolutely in love with Akashi, whereas the other can maintain his cool effortlessly.

But then, he confirms once again later that night as Akashi falls asleep on him while they are watching a 'thriller', that it is actually fair. Because the feelings never had to be exactly the same and equal in the first place for happiness and he knew it and he knows it, that loving more or passionately is not a weakness or loss… Not at all.

.

.

.

.

.

.

His school work also increases near the end of the term and he does not have time to go to shopping either. Nevertheless, he is not surprised to find a new medium sized luggage standing all mighty and out of place in Akashi's impeccably decorated living room.

"Ordered it online," explains his always-thinking-ahead lover, without even batting an eyelash.

The days go in relative peace and quiet when they are together despite how hectic their schedules are when they are not together, which happens to be most of the time. When the term ends, Nijimura is out of job and school for the first time in a long, long time in his life. It is a strange feeling. He feels useless a bit, but not bored because how could he be when Akashi leaves so many pre-trip tasks to him because apparently the little emperor himself is too busy wrapping up at 'work' and prepping for… 'work'. It is amazing how Akashi's life seems to revolve around the business of Akashi Conglomerate, and perhaps any other lover would mind but Nijimura masochistically commends and accepts Akashi's workaholic ways. Deep down, he thinks it is a coping mechanism of sorts. A way to deal with the stress of being burdened with great expectations and perception beyond that of most mere mortals.

When the fateful day comes, he realises, he has never told Akashi about his fear of flying. That is why he is slightly surprised, when once in their seats, right before the take-off, Akashi provides him a small bottle of water and a few pills.

"Valerian," he says, "helps with anxiety."

Yes, it does. But what helps the most at that moment is the gentle care he receives without judgement. He smiles despite the nervousness filling his gut in the moments before they will be up in the air.

Akashi is normally not one for public displays of affection, neither is Nijimura. However during the flight, Akashi sits close to him, always ensuring some physical contact between them, often holding his hand and whenever there is any turbulence, Akashi draws these soothing circles on his hand or knee or wherever he can reach discreetly. The sensation is both comforting and distracting. Nijimura is thankful of it, even though he does not put it into words (and does not have to).

Akashi is busy within two hours of their arrival to Taipei. It is a whirlwind, almost: they enter the hotel room, Akashi takes a quick shower, changes his clothes, and goes out. He comes back late for dinner and is rather apologetic. The next morning is similar and Nijimura wakes up alone. He sarcastically laughs at his previous worries about too-much-time-together ruining their mood. A couple of minutes later he finds the note on the bedside table informing him that Akashi will come back to the hotel for lunch together. And the name of an app Akashi wholeheartedly suggests for touristic wandering purposes. Nijimura laughs again, sincerely amused this time, because Akashi is trying to be caring but comes off as dominating.

It must be the curse of carrying too huge an ego and too big a title.

The days that follow, regardless of which city they are in, are very similar. They spend about a whole week in each city but perhaps spend at most a day together sightseeing and that is not a whole day in one shot but hours here and there combined that sums to a day. It is not boring though. Nijimura has not vacationed properly in a long time, not since his childhood actually and never overseas like this. Also, never in five-star hotel suits that happen to be larger than his whole apartment back in Tokyo. It is different and he welcomes this change in routine and atmosphere. Akashi has brought a nice DSLR with him for taking photographs but never takes it with him, too busy with work, so Nijimura takes it around during his sightseeing, which is more or less him walking around the city randomly and checking out a few places that he found interesting on the map or various tourism apps now installed on his phone. He takes pictures of historical buildings and interesting street performances. He has never liked taking pictures of himself, so selfies are out of the question, except those rare moments his mother or sister insists via text for him to send some. When Akashi discovers these one night, there is a lot of teasing but considering the daring sex that followed, he is not that much displeased with the whole exposé. They take photographs together too. One in every city. It is Akashi who initiates the first time with a not so-subtle, "would you mind taking a picture of us together?" Nijimura is not sure what is the purpose or if Akashi honestly likes taking pictures together like that, but Akashi saves the photographs in that same folder on his phone where he keeps shots of his beloved mother and horse, hence Nijimura feels elated at the gesture, despite not liking the idea of 'couple photos'.

He buys small trinkets from every place they go for his siblings and mother. In Seoul, the first time they go out together, Akashi insists on buying a very expensive set of hairpins for his mother and sister, it leads to a rather nasty bickering and then to an even nastier fight. Nijimura separates from him and walks around the city by himself for the rest of the day, getting lost multiple times only to begrudgingly use his phone's GPS to find his way back to the hotel at evening. Akashi is already in the hotel room once he is back and does not ask where he has been nor does he apologise. Instead, he asks if Nijimura is hungry and well, he is. They go to hotel's restaurant for dinner and do not talk at all, not about the fight, not about their relationship, not even about the weather. When they enter the bed that night, Nijimura wonders if Akashi is still mad at him, knows that he was right to be angry at the spoiled rich child's careless antics, and also knows that he could have worded his arguments better, he could have responded more understandingly, he could have been gentler… Then Akashi cuddles a little closer than the normal and holds him a little tighter than usual and Nijimura thinks all is okay. It is indeed okay, he realises the next day as they are back on speaking terms; Akashi cannot easily admit he was wrong or that he is sorry and Nijimura dreams that one day, he will grow out of it too.

The days pass full of new tiny discoveries, new foreign cities to be lost in for Nijimura and mostly work with little sightseeing for Akashi.

What constitutes 'work' for the young heir is apparently mostly 'networking'. It sounds innocuous, so Nijimura has no idea why Akashi looks extremely tired and sometimes even sick after these events. He thinks of asking it once or twice but decides against. It seems like one of those topics that are oddly intimate and he should let Akashi have the space. The fact that he is no good at comforting people by words is a factor too. Relaxing back rubs and long baths take the place of reassuring vocabulary. Akashi is obviously aware but appears content with just this. Nijimura thinks that maybe, maybe again 'one day' his impulsiveness will get the best of him and he will explode with questions and demand answers to Akashi's sudden prickliness at times after work.

At the end, he does not have to.

After a gala Akashi was invited in Hong Kong, he comes back to the hotel room late for dinner and the sun has already set. His face is perfect till the moment he enter the room, when suddenly his nose scrunches, his eyebrows furrow, and he gives a loud sigh. Suddenly, he does not look like a second year university student at the beginning of his life that is pregnant of many opportunities and grand achievements. He looks somewhere between a forsaken child and disillusioned old man. It is anachronistic and bizarre.

"Shūzō," he says, voice tired and eyes trained on a naked wall, "would you like to visit the Victoria Peak? Have you been there yet?"

He has been. Just that day actually. It is almost ironic because he had felt suffocated in downtown with skyscrapers looming over him constantly like modern gods mocking his infinitesimal existence. He decided then, it would be a great idea to get to the Peak and loom over these gods instead, stand atop and shout out loud. He did not shout, at the end, too conscious of all the other tourists gazing upon the view. Perhaps he is growing old; if Tatsuya was around, he would definitely tease him for being an 'old man'.

"Yes," he says as a result because lying to Akashi is the stupidest thing a human being can do, but he chooses to omit the fact that he visited just that day, because there is no reason to emphasise pieces of truth that are not convenient either. He adds a second later, "I'm game though if you wanna go up again, I was wondering how the view would be night-time…"

Akashi nods thoughtfully without a smile but his face relaxes.

Only once they are atop, Akashi loosens up. There are fewer tourists than Nijimura expected; they are still nowhere near alone. Regardless, when Akashi slightly reclines on his side and rests his head on his shoulder, and he can hear the now eased breathing of his lover, Nijimura feels as if they are the only ones left in the world. Then some kid starts crying and the spell is broken. He blushes a little at the fact, luckily Akashi's eyes are focused determinedly on the view, a valley of pure light and metal.

"They are suffocating," he says finally, the words come out slow and fatigued from his mouth. When he starts speaking again a second later though, there is an angered hurry in his tone, as if he remembered certain memories that brought fury to him,

"They are pathetic. They have no value other than that they won the Fate's lottery. Not even the Nature's; they are not the fittest or smartest or strongest. Just the richest."

Akashi's eyes narrow and Nijimura realises that perhaps they are not looking at the same view despite the fact that their eyes follow the same path. That even though they are standing near, even though he can feel Akashi's body heat, they are in far away places, gazing upon different sights. It feels cold in the middle of a very humid and hot summer night. He slips his hand into Akashi's, a very rare occurrence in all honesty and perhaps it is this rarity that causes his lover to blink and turn his eyes to him.

Akashi smiles then, forlorn and sympathetic.

"They unnecessarily rile me up."

"The other rich people? I wouldn't know, y'know being the peasant I am."

Akashi chuckles, there is still some bitterness to it though.

"You should not know either… It is not interesting or good. They are not worth it. There is only filth."

"It couldn't be that bad…" Nijimura tries only for Akashi to snort all-knowing and almost scorning. Nijimura scowls, is it really that hard for him to understand this particular worry? Probably. He has indeed never been in such a crowd and is sure he would explode into either insults or fits of anger if such circles manage to make even Akashi disturbed.

He wishes he could understand though. He simply cannot. He tries again,

"It is not as if wealth makes people bad, Sei… People naturally have a capacity for evil and good."

"Precisely. What wealth gives is a greater set of tools to utilise though. How many people could you hurt with a knife? How many people could you hurt with a bomb? It is not as if there are naturally better, kinder people amongst the poor; it is mostly that the wretched simply do not have the same means of impact.

"The wealth adds to the greed too; there is simply more to lose when you are at the zenith so you try harder to keep it that way and those crushed below… People become desensitised to others' suffering easily if it is for their own sake. The difference is, when you are at the bottom it is about not caring for the baker due to the bread you stole, but at the top it is about not caring for the thousands you are practically enslaving in factories in some desperate corner of the world as you sip champagne in an extravagant gala."

Moments pass in silence then Akashi slowly rips his hand from Nijimura and takes a few steps forward, his arms cross over his chest, his eyes linger in the view and Nijimura is incredibly curious, where, just where or what Akashi is actually looking at… Because it is obviously not the city rising to reach the sky before them.

"Why does it piss you off though? Okay, they are atrocious people, pitiful. I get it. But you…" his mind races how to put it such that Akashi's overgrown pride would not take a hit, "you are rarely bothered by people you find pitiful."

Akashi sighs and smiles. And it is that smile. That particular tiny smile Nijimura would banish to the deepest floors of hell, if he could. It is a dreadful thing, devoid of joy and overflowing with disdainful sarcasm instead; in the slight curvature of the ruby red lips lay a thousand doubts and abhorrence… mostly for himself alone. Sometimes, Nijimura thinks, despite how people describe Akashi as a tyrant (and they are more than a little right in that, he cannot deny), the little emperor is the most zealous to himself alone. It breaks something in Nijimura. He takes a few careful steps next to him and puts his hand softly on his lover's shoulder. Akashi nods, his lips purse a little as if he just ate a sour thing.

"Power corrupts, Shūzō; the stronger it is, the more it corrupts because the more you have to lose and more you can hurt to not lose. I'm certainly not kind hearted but I like to think that I'm not… that I'm not particularly despicable either. I just sometimes wonder how long… how long will I be able to stay so."

"Are you afraid of becoming like them?"

"…Eloquence was never your strong suit, was it?"

"I thought you liked me for my near-suicidal bluntness?"

"Sometimes, yes; sometimes, it is very irritating."

Nijimura slides his hand down Akashi's arm to his wrist to his hand and touches his fingers with his own. He never twines their hands and when his touches finally end, he takes both his hands into his pockets; a silent distance of mere centimetres between them set, it feels as though they are miles away though. He blundered, sure, for a second there his mind was so caught on, he couldn't stop to think 'Akashi-sama's sensitivity in regards to weaknesses. But it is bullshit, they are both aware.

"Yes," Akashi murmurs a few seconds later, "yes, actually, I am… afraid."

Nijimura's body turns towards Akashi as if a magnetic force pulls him. As if the redhead uttered an ancient chant invoking his purest attention. As if the gravity changed course to direct him.

Nijimura Shūzō has known Akashi Seijūrō for years, as a child, as a man, as a teammate, as a friend, as a lover. Yet Nijimura has never heard him say, not even once, not even in the dingy horror house they once all went as a team back in Teikō, that he was afraid.

It feels like a blasphemy despite the very real knowledge of it, despite that it was said in taintless honesty, despite that Nijimura has always known there were, of course, things even Akashi was afraid of, felt vulnerable to…

"I hope you don't dare pity me."

"H-how could I pity you?" Nijimura almost stutters in surprise at the statement, "You are the strongest person I've ever seen…"

"But it doesn't mean—"

"It doesn't mean you are not human. And humans are inherently weak, Sei. We get scared. We feel lost. We make mistakes. We fail. You know it as well as I do."

"Yes… Of course."

Akashi clears his throat guilty, like a child caught red handed in the middle of a petty crime, like stealing his friend's toys or something.

"I don't think you could ever become like them though…"

"And why do you think that?"

"Because you are kind hearted in spite of what you believe."

"Please Shūzō… You cannot find a single person who would—"

"There is me. I'm saying it. Isn't that enough of a proof? Do you think I would…"

Akashi turns to him when his words fade into silence abruptly, his eyes curious even though Nijimura is pretty sure he knew where the sentence was going. Perhaps it is a good time to say it. Perhaps it is not. But after a deep breath and his eyes closing for a mere second to focus, he stares into Akashi's eyes and says,

"Do you think I would fall in love with you if you were truly a bad person? I have my standards too y'know. Honest to God I didn't choose you for your money. Well more like, despite that actually."

Akashi's eyes widen, his lips morph into this smile and it is the kind of smile that Nijimura adores, the one where the cheer simply flows and soon enough Akashi's lips purse again, this time obviously trying to hold in something, but he cannot and he lets it go: he chortles, genuinely, happily.

"And here I thought it was because of my astonishing looks and impeccable taste in food."

Nijimura scoffs, "cheeky brat."

"'Brat'? I will remind this to you when you try to bed me the next time, wouldn't want you to commit a crime."

"Oh God, 'bed you'? For real, Sei?"

Nijimura palms his face with both his hands, mostly to hide his face because he is truthfully embarrassed and dearly hoping that nobody has been listening in to their conversation. He hears another amused cackle from Akashi's side and then the soft warmth of his lover's body is on him once again.

"Shūzō…" he murmurs. Nijimura is taken with the sound. It is an intimate whisper. Each syllable is a testament to the strong trust and comprehension they've built between them – and God knows, it was difficult, tumultuous and debilitating, so generously painful. Yet they built it and here it is, in a voice, in a hum, in a secret shared between the two of them.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

It is not about being there and then or saying the things he did there and then. It takes a few minutes, but once the realisation sets in, Nijimura understands.

He understands how much he is appreciated and it feels wonderful. It feels secure and peaceful and gratifying. He nods his head, minutes late but it is okay, saying a quick "you're welcome" would be an insult to the meaningful undertone.

Undeterred by the heat, they stay there side by side and soon Nijimura feels that Akashi is finally gazing upon the same scenery as him.