"Sakuma-san, are you alright?" Tatsuha asked.
Ryuichi snapped out of it and started to get the feeling in his stomach while Kuma was quietly telling him It's alright. Ryuichi smiled his child-like smile and was about to answer the young monk when "Sakuma-san!" was heard throughout the house. Shuichi ran up to Ryuichi and started talking. "Sakuma-san, I'm so glad you're here. Guess what?! Yuki let me get a karaoke machine! Though it's just for the party, but we can sing!"
Ryuichi's eyes lit up and he let himself be dragged to the living room by his pink-haired friend. When they got to the living room, he saw Hiro, Suguru, K, and even Sakano. Yuki, of couse was sitting on his couch, smoking a cigarette, and listening to Mika drone on about something.
A microphone was suddenly pushed in front of his face. "Here Sakuma-san, you can sing this next song," Shuichi said, smiling.
"Okay!" Ryuichi replied, happily taking the microphone.
Ryuichi sang the song and when it was over, he got applause. Up next was K, so Ryuichi went to go sit down.
Throughout the whole evening, he tried his hardest not to look at the young monk, but it was just too hard not to. So he would glance up at him and anytime he would make eye-contact or almost make eye-contact, he would avert his eyes.
No one in particular was paying attention to Ryuichi's behavior since he would talk to Kuma and join in the conversations like everyone else, no one except, Shuichi. The lead singer of Bad Luck was sitting there clinging to Yuki, who had finally given up on pushing him off, when he looked over to his idol and noticed the man looking over at something multiple times. So Shuichi decided to find out what had peaked his idol's interest. The next time it happened, Shuichi looked in the same direction.
'Hmm, I don't see anything, but a painting and Tatsuha,' Shuichi thought to himself. 'Sakuma-san's interested in art now?' Shuichi thought some more. After a few more minutes of thinking and seeing Ryuichi's face turn a slight shade of pink when the young monk finally got up the nerve to comment on what Kuma had just said in the conversation, Shuichi finally got it. 'He likes Tatsuha!'
Shuichi unattached himself from Yuki and stood up.
"Where are you going brat?" Yuki asked.
"Um, I thought I would show Sakuma-san my new drawing. Yeah, my drawing that I made for him," Shuichi replied nervously.
"So that's what you were up to earlier with all that paint?" Yuki said, slightly irritated.
"Yep, come on Sakuma-san," Shuichi said, walking towards the guest room.
"Yay!" Ryuichi yelled and followed after Shuichi.
When Shuichi and Ryuichi got into the guest room, Shuichi closed the door partway.
"Hey! There's no drawing here. Shu-chan did you lie to me and Kuma?" Ryuichi said, with big teary eyes.
"Uh, no Sakuma-san, it's just the paint isn't dry yet so we have to wait. But I wanted to talk to you," Shuichi told him. Ryuichi looked at him questionably.
"Sakuma-san, do you like Tatsuha?" Shuichi asked, hoping for a calm reaction. What he heard next surprised him.
"Kuma! You said you wouldn't tell," Ryuichi stated towards the bunny.
I didn't, Kuma replied.
"You mean you do?" Shuichi asked in surprise.
"Yes, I like him," Ryuichi said.
"Oh, this is great!" Shuichi said, doing a little dance.
"But I don't think he likes me back, so we can't tell him," Ryuichi said.
"But he does Sakuma-san, now we just need to go and--"Shuichi started to say.
"No!" Ryuichi yelled, startiling Shuichi. "I mean, no we can't, not yet."
"Alright, your secret is safe with me," Shuichi said, smiling and pointing to himself.
Ryuichi smiled and said, "Yay!"
As Shuichi and Ryuichi are talking
"Tatsuha, where are you going?" Tohma asked.
"To the restroom," Tatsuha replied, actually going to go look for Ryuichi. He walked past the guest room and heard voices. He also noticed it was partially open. Curious, Tatsuha listened in.
"Yes, I like him," he heard Ryuichi say.
"Oh, this is great!" Shuichi replied.
'He likes someone?' Tatsuha thought. He quickly walked away from the room not wanting to hear anymore. 'Great, now that he likes someone, I'll never have a chance. I need to get out of here.'
Back to Shuichi and Ryuichi
"Come on, let's go back to the party," Shuichi said.
"Okay!" Ryuichi replied, carrying Kuma in his arms tightly.
When they got back to the party, Ryuichi noticed Tatsuha was leaving. "Where are you going?" Shuichi asked.
"Um, sorry something came up. Happy Birthday Shuichi. Goodnight, everyone," Tatsuha said. As he walked past Shuichi and Ryuichi, he said, "Goodnight Sakuma-san." And then he left.
Ryuichi stared after him in confusion and sadness.