Greetings to everyone! Is the story getting exciting? Or is still lagging? PLEASE REVIEW!!
Summary: To shake off a stubborn fiancé-candidate, Asaka asks Wataru for a favor while Kazuki is in America. Wataru reluctantly agrees, but what's going to happen when Kazuki returns?
Disclaimer: ONLY THE RING FINGER KNOWS does not belong to me. All elements below belong to Kannagi Satoru and its proper copyrights.
Note: These are not, I repeat, these are NOT the actual events of the fourth novel. This is what I guess you could call an alternate storyline. Please do not rely on this fic for information about the fourth novel or on any of the books, although I will be borrowing some scenes and events that took place there.
Since I have finally been able to read the novels, I realize that Kannagi-sensei did indeed give a description on how they look. But I also adore Odagiri-sensei's beautiful illustrations, so I'll compromise. Yuichi will still be blonde but not the striking color yellow. Let's say his type of blonde is the type that borders to very light brown. I think it's called honey-blonde? I'll have the eyes be ice blue because I think it suits him.
Wataru's eyes will be black as Kannagi described it to be, and the hair will be of chocolate brown as in Odagiri's illustrations. Asaka's hair will be a reddish brown color because I think it suits his personality, but he still has tan eyes.
The honorifics being used in this story are the honorifics I heard them make use of in the Drama CD. If you find any errors, feel free to correct me.
Asaka approached him and, for some reason, Wataru began to instinctively back up against the wall. Before long, Asaka was practically right in front of him, his right arm leaning against the wall just above Wataru's head. The awkwardness of the situation was beginning to get to him, and he swore he could feel Asaka's body heat despite the distance.
"Asaka-san…?"
"Wataru-kun…"
"……??"
"Stay here tonight."
THE UNTOUCHED RING
Chapter Four: Terms and Conditions
Wataru stared blankly at the large room filled with Japanese heirlooms all shouting "Expensive!" In his own opinion, this was the type of room he thought he'd only see in old Japanese movies or museums. Certainly the culture of Asaka's family house was different from that of Kazuki's, which accentuated Western furnishings.
The shoji door slid open, jolting Wataru from his thoughts, and he gaped again for a different reason. Asaka was standing in front of him with his hair all wet and tussled, a towel dangling from his shoulders. He was wearing long black pajama pants, but clearly forgot (or didn't bother) to wear the top, as he stood there proudly with his bare chest showing.
A blush crept up Wataru's face as his eyes caught glimpses of the bare skin, lean muscles and tight abs. He quickly shook those thoughts away and opted to glance at something else.
"Anything wrong, Wataru-kun?" Asaka asked as if not sensing the younger man's inner turmoil. "Is this room not to your liking?"
"It's not that it's not to my liking…" he replied, but added mentally, but why the hell is there only one futon?!
True enough, in the center of the huge room lay an over-sized futon that could easily fit two people. Wataru glared at the thing as if it was the epitome of all that is evil. Finally sensing the distress, Asaka merely said, "Oh."
"Don't 'oh' me!" Wataru snapped. "First of all, why am I spending the night here? Second, why in your room? And third, why is there only one futon?!"
"No reason to get mad."
"Mad?! Who says I'm mad?! Upset beyond belief is more like it! Aren't we taking this boyfriend-charade a bit too far?"
"You could've declined staying over."
"You left me no room for argument. Not only that, your grandmother insisted that I stay. And that Sayuri… I swear she's out to gun me!!"
It was after his phone call to Karin that he was surprised with the sudden offer of spending the night. But as he had tried to refuse, Asaka acted like he didn't hear and, instead, dragged the young boy off to the dining room where Shiori and Sayuri were already seated. All throughout the meal, he could feel Sayuri's intense glare at him for seating beside Masanobu. As more and more conversations sprung out, time passed by until it was too late to go home. Shiori doubled up Asaka's offer to stay for the night, and he found it increasingly difficult to refuse the old woman.
He was given some pajamas to change into, and directed him to Asaka's quarters where he would spend the night, and Wataru's immediate reaction was "What?!" But then he thought that sleeping in the same room wouldn't be so bad… until he saw the lone double-sized futon.
"Didn't I tell you before, Wataru-kun?" Asaka continued, drying off his hair with the towel. "It'll be hard to convince obaasan and Sayuri. That's why we both have to play the part."
"But your grandmother already knows it's a farce."
"Then all the more reason why we should make it as convincing as possible. That's why starting tomorrow, we have to act more like a couple in front of them."
"Wait, tomorrow? You said this was only for today."
"I did, but I didn't expect Sayuri to spend the night. Neither was I expecting that she'd be staying for an entire week."
"One week?!"
"That's what we were talking about when you left to call home. Obaasan's agreed to house her for a week. She's very sharp and she seems suspicious of our relationship. That's why she's going to stay and observe for a full week."
"That's… That's just too much."
"I told you she was stubborn."
Asaka sat down at one side of the futon, while Wataru remained rooted at the same spot on the corner, far away from the futon. "Wataru-kun," the elder man spoke. "Come on. It's not very comfortable there."
"Well, I'm not sleeping beside you," he retorted.
"You're making it difficult to act as if we're in love. Come over here." He patted the vacant half of the futon, urging Wataru to come to his side. Wataru gazed uneasily at the elder man, his tan eyes glittering at him almost seductively. "Come on," he urged again. "I promise I won't do anything."
With a face of uneasiness, Wataru crawled over to the futon. He pushed himself underneath the covers, and settled at the farthest end of the mattress, even placing the pillow in between them as a divider. "Wataru-kun…" Asaka sweat-dropped. "Do you not trust me when I say I won't do anything? What's with the wall…?" "Experience makes me think otherwise," came the reply, and instantly Asaka knew that Wataru was referring to the time when he kissed the young man so suddenly. "All right," he sighed.
"Hey," Wataru spoke after the lights were dimmed and the room was thrust into darkness. "Where's my ring?" "In a safe place," came the simple reply. "Don't worry. As I promise, I will return it to you when Sayuri finally decides to leave me alone."
"No," came the definitive tone. "It has to be by the end of the week,"
"Hm? Why the end of the week?"
"Because Kazuki will be coming home by then." Wataru didn't see it because of the darkness, but a dejected expression appeared on Asaka's face. "So he is," came the elder man's soft tone. "That why, please let me go on with this charade a bit longer, Wataru-kun." His voice was tainted with sadness, but this time, Wataru noticed.
*0nLytH3R1nGF1nG3rkN0w5z tH3uNT0ucH3dR1nG*
The cool morning breeze gently rapped itself against the window, and he could distinctly hear the chirping of birds on the windowsill. But even with all that, Wataru did not have the urge to open his eyes. He was having a nice dream. He felt extremely comfortable, curled up beneath the thick blanket, and a warm source of heat wrapped around his body. He could clearly hear the sound of a heartbeat, and the rise and fall of someone's chest as he breathed. The scent and feel of strong arms around him felt so familiar that he did not want to get up at all.
"Kazuki…" he murmured ever so softly, until slow realization dawned on him that the person next to him wasn't Kazuki.
With that thought, his eyes immediately sprung open and he was greeted by Asaka's peacefully slumbering face. It took Wataru everything he had to refrain from screaming, but he laid there perfectly still—his mind trying drastically to assess the situation.
He knew he had fallen asleep on the far end of the futon, and true enough, he was still there. So that means… Asaka-san was the one who moved…? The elder man's arm was wrapped around him so tightly like a child hugging a precious doll. But that's not all that bothered Wataru. It also bothered him how he found Asaka's sleeping face very attractive. Up until now, Kazuki had been the only one whom he had watched asleep, so he really couldn't compare his face to anyone. But seeing Asaka up close made Wataru definitely re-think his opinion.
He doesn't really resemble Kazuki. Up close like this, I can definitely tell the difference. But… that's not the problem here!!
Finally regaining his ability of thought, he struggled free from the man's grasp, pushing against his chest as hard as he can. With great effort, he was able to shove the elder man off him, detaching himself and waking the man in the process.
"Wataru-kun?" Asaka asked sluggishly. "What—What's wrong?"
"You were squishing me," he stated plainly, but his face all beet red.
"Oh, sorry, I guess I should've told you then," Asaka said, sitting up and, once again, offering Wataru a view of his broad chest. "I can get very clingy when I'm asleep. I keep moving around until I get something to hold on to. It's a bad habit of mine. And it's also a big secret."
"W—Whatever!" Wataru turned away all flushed. "And put a shirt on!"
"Sorry. I didn't think you'd mind."
"Just… Just let me wash my face!" With that, he stomped out of the room and made his way down the hall, hopefully remembering the way to the bathroom.
When he finally reached his destination, he quickly slid the door shut and locked himself in. He slumped against the door and slid down on to the tiled floor where he crumpled on his knees. Damn, he cursed, his face still red and his heart beating erratically. All of which was caused by a sensation known as guilt.
Kazuki…
In just a span of twenty-four hours, he had broken a lot of promises he made to his beloved. Not only did he agree to be Asaka's temporary boyfriend, but he also slept with the man! Though nothing really happened, it didn't change the fact that he still had shared a bed with him, and was even held in his arms.
Kazuki…
He brought his hands to his face—despair written all over it.
*0nLytH3R1nGF1nG3rkN0w5z tH3uNT0ucH3dR1nG*
"I thought you'd never come out."
Asaka sighed with a worried expression on his face. "You took so long in there that I thought you probably drowned yourself or something."
"It's a big bathtub. I suppose drowning myself would be plausible."
"Wataru-kun…"
They were back in Asaka's room. Asaka had already changed into casual clothes as Wataru finished slipping into the ones he wore yesterday before being dragged into shopping.
"This…" the elder man continued. "It's because I held you, right? I've apologized for that and…"
"I know," Wataru answered, pulling up his socks and hiding it beneath his long jeans. "I was the one who got myself into this, so the least I could do is see it through the end."
"Wataru-kun…"
"Which is why I did a lot of thinking back there."
"Thinking…?"
"I may certainly not understand the full reason why you go through all this trouble. Same goes for your grandmother. But seeing as the both of you don't wish to back down on either's challenges, then I'll just have to play along, right?"
"……"
"Which is why I've made up my mind. I will pretend to be your boyfriend for the rest of the week."
"You will?"
"Yes. But with certain conditions."
"What conditions?"
"No hugging, no holding hands and no kissing."
"Not much of relationship, wouldn't you say?"
"All right. We can hug and hold hands, but no kissing unless absolutely necessary. Understand?
"I understand."
"Th—There are also rules to follow in kissing!" Wataru's face turned bright red, while Asaka's was that of amusement. "And what are these rules, pray tell?" he asked playfully.
"Don't kiss me on the lips. Hands are fine, and probably a peck on the forehead. But not the lips or any other… uh, intimate part of me."
A grin appeared on the elder man's lips. "All right. No kissing on the lips. Got it."
"And another thing."
"What's that?"
"Never invite me to bed ever again. You know as well as I do that only one person can do that."
A bitter smile spread across Asaka's lips. "You don't have to remind me, Wataru-kun."
*0nLytH3R1nGF1nG3rkN0w5z tH3uNT0ucH3dR1nG*
Surprisingly, the week had practically breezed by smoothly. That is, not counting the minor outbursts and death glares Wataru received from Sayuri. They had gone out on dates, but with Sayuri tagging along to "observe", it had looked like an outing between friends. But the rare instances that both boys were left alone, Wataru couldn't help but feel self-conscious.
Everywhere they went and whatever they did, they made sure to act out their part well—only in front of Sayuri. They'd hold hands when she began to get suspicious, Wataru would even allow a stray kiss or two on the forehead, but that was the limit. By the end of the week, they thought they were finally in the clear.
Until…
"Hey, Wataru," Kawamaru asked as they packed their books into their bags—the signal to the end of another day of school. "Mitsuki-san tells me that lately you've been spending a lot of time with this Asaka-guy."
"I have," he responded nonchalantly while shuffling his things in an orderly manner. Despite the cool exterior he was sporting, he was really going through a lot of turmoil. "Well?" continued his friend. "Care to shed some light on the subject? Or are you two-timing on Kazuki?"
"No I'm not!" he retorted, but in a light tone so as not to be heard by other bystanders. "You know that Kazuki is the one I love."
"Then why have you been going on repetitive dates with Asaka-san throughout the week?"
Wataru glanced sideways, making sure that no one was eavesdropping, then leaned towards Kawamara and whispered softly. As soon as he finished, the classroom echoed with a resounding "WHAT?!", causing the other students to turn their way with peculiar expressions.
"You can't be serious, Wataru!" Kawamura hissed lightly so that Wataru was the only one could hear. "You do know that that's a serious predicament you're in. There's no telling what's going to happen!"
"……"
"You are aware that Asaka-san likes you, aren't you? I mean, it's so obvious since day one!"
Wataru frowned. So even Kawamura noticed that but he didn't? Maybe I am dense like Kazuki says… "Well, what am I supposed to do? Asaka has the ring, not to mention Sayuri-san is totally unbearable. Even I'd understand why Asaka-san would want to get rid of the engagement."
"So this is only temporary…"
"Of course! Anyway, I've made it specifically clear to Asaka-san that whether or not we manage to throw off Sayuri-san with this fake relationship, everything still ends tomorrow."
"Tomorrow, huh? Kazuki's supposed to be coming back tomorrow, right? Did he say what time?"
"No. He hasn't called since the day of the exams. But anyway, he'd be probably arriving by tomorrow night. Over at the U.S., it's still nighttime, right? So that means it'll be nighttime here when he departs there."
"Yeah. Time differences. But Wataru… isn't this still dangerous?" Kawamura finished tidying up his place, as other students began shuffling out of the room. "How so?" questioned his friend with big dark eyes. Kawamura regarded him for a bit, opened his mouth to speak, but then suddenly hesitated. "No, it's nothing," he said. "It's fine. I'm just over-thinking stuff. And you know how stupid and unreal I think about things."
The young man's uneasy smile made Wataru frown a bit. His friend's expression was so… odd—as if he was worried about something. But since Kawamura brushed it aside so easily, he let it slide. Nevertheless, the topic of the conversation continued to bother him even as he went home and lay down on his bed.
What was Kawamura going to say?
He turned to his side and gazed at Asaka's gold ring placed atop his desk. He never really wore it with as much dedication as he did with Kazuki's. He only wore it during their "dates" and whenever Sayuri was around. But anywhere else, he didn't bother even holding it to the public's eye. After spending the night at Asaka's, he had returned with a band-aid wrapped around his ring finger, hoping it'd be explanation enough why he wasn't wearing his usual silver ring.
Of course Karin, being the sharp girl she is, quickly noticed and began grilling him with a thousand and one questions. And since he never really could win against her, he ended up telling her the entire story. He was expecting her to blow off, saying that what he was doing was wrong. Instead, she clasped her hands together and, with big stars in her eyes, exclaimed, "Wow! Wataru-chan, you really attract the most gorgeous men around! Maybe I should start a campaign that supports homosexual marriages in Japan!"
Whether she was being serious or not, he never really could tell. But it was thanks to her knowing about it that he was able to get the week by without feeling completely guilty. Sure the guilt was there, but it wasn't as extreme as it was before. With Karin's support and understanding, he felt he could survive a bit longer without Kazuki.
Speaking of Kazuki…
What time will he be arriving tomorrow? Maybe I can go over to Narita airport and meet him there.
"Wataru-chan!!" his sister's voice knocked him out of his thoughts. "What is it?" he called from his room. "Telephone!" came the reply. "It's your hubby!" Wataru was about to ask which one, but decided against it. Instead, he got up and trudged out of the room to where the telephone is. "Hello?"
"Wataru?"
The voice he heard in the receiver instantly made his heart leap out of his chest. That voice… It definitely was the voice of the person he had been wanting to hear from ever since their parting.
"Kazuki…"
The name was spoken from his lips like a dream. A mixture of emotions began to flow within him and he didn't know how to contain them. Whether to laugh, cry, yell or whisper—everything had turned into a haze, and all that he could comprehend was this voice that he so desperately ached to hear even more.
"Kazuki… uh, hey it's been a while. H—How's America?"
"…You're shaking," came the simple reply. True enough, the hand grasping the phone shook slightly, and he found it amazing that even at such a great distance, Kazuki was still able to perceive his thoughts.
"Wataru…?"
And yet while his beloved way away, what he did was…
"Y—Yeah, I'm here. It's just… It's been a long time since I last heard your voice."
"So you're falling in love with my voice now?"
A sense of guilt began washing all over him again.
"Wataru," the voice continued. "What's wrong? You haven't been crying while I'm gone, have you?"
"Wh—Who's crying? Kazuki, you're just so full of yourself!"
"Really? Then it must have been my vanity. Since I didn't call for a while, I thought I'd be greeted with a barrage of 'I love you-s' and 'I miss you-s'. Guess I was expecting too much, huh?"
"Kazuki…" Even with a great distance between them, the man was still able to mock him. "Never mind that. What time will you be coming home?"
"About that," Kazuki's voice sounded hesitant. "Listen, I won't be coming back tomorrow after all."
"What? But I thought… Why… How come…"
"Relax. Don't worry about it. I already sent you an airmail saying why I can't come home."
"Airmail? Why can't you tell me now?"
"…Just be patient, okay?"
"O—Okay," Wataru spoke with uncertainty. He didn't know what was going on, but he did feel the need to get rid of the overwhelming guilt heaving against his chest. "Kazuki," he spoke so softly that it was a wonder if the boy on the other line could hear him. "Listen, this past week I…" He hesitated, not knowing how to explain it in plain words.
"Ah, I have to go," said Kazuki. "Overseas calls are expensive. I'll see you again, Wataru."
"S—Sure," before he could even utter that word, the sound of the phone being hung up was heard and he was left with nothing but a dial tone. Wataru kept the phone to his ear a bit longer, feeling the voice of his beloved resonating within him. Yet, he couldn't say what needed to be said…
And what troubled Wataru the most was… throughout the conversation… not once did they exchange the words "I love you".
"Kazuki," he spoke to the empty dial tone. "I—I've been seeing Asaka… but only as a temporary boyfriend… but I… love you…"
After that, he finally hung up.
*0nLytH3R1nGF1nG3rkN0w5z tH3uNT0ucH3dR1nG*
"Hey, it's Kohai-chan!"
"You're right. Hey, it's been a while!"
Wataru waved at the group of college students—all members of Asaka's Renovation Research Club, the circle that Kazuki had so stubbornly refused in joining, but ended up becoming a part of anyway.
"H—Hi," he answered uneasily. Despite his frequent visits to the site, he still felt uneasy being around them. After all, they're all college students and attending T—U to boot, while he was still in high school, practically two or three years younger than them.
"Eh, Fujii-kun? What brings you here?" a pretty girl clad in work clothes approached him.
"Mitsuki-san…"
"Kazuki still hasn't come back so you must be here for Asaka, right? That's been going on quite a lot lately."
"……"
"Anyway, he's there in the other room. We're all pretty tensed up since Shohei-san will be dropping by."
"Uh, thanks."
After speaking to the girl, he went off to the other room of the abandoned building—the latest project of the Renovation Research Club. He found Asaka amidst the stacks lumber and paint, counting them and checking the list on his hand. The rays of the sunlight that overflowed from the cracked windows gave a sort of glittering illumination in the slightly darkened room, and for a moment, Wataru thought the light looked good with Asaka.
The sun bathed upon the elder man's light skin and he could clearly see the edges and the contours of his face, and once again, Wataru was left no room for doubt of the man's beauty. It reminded him of a time when he and Kazuki met in the park among the bushes where the hydrangeas bloom every spring. It was raining that time, and he could clearly remember the droplets of water trickling alongside Kazuki's cheeks, dripping from his bangs, and damping his clothes—outlining his figure. At that time, he found Kazuki so amazingly handsome that he just couldn't keep his eyes away.
"A—Asaka-san," he called out, breaking the fantasy he built. The man peered from his list, and turned his eyes to look at the standing boy near the doorway. "Wataru," he spoke with surprise. "I wasn't expecting you. I don't recall scheduling a date with you today." "You know why I'm here," Wataru extended his hand and opened it wide like a maple leaf, revealing the golden ring at the center of his palm. "Keep your promise. Give me back my ring."
Asaka regarded him for a moment—an unreadable emotion flickering in his eyes. He sighed and said, "Can't we keep pretending for a little while?" "What?" Wataru was dumbstruck. Lowering both arms to his sides, encasing the ring once again in his fist, he continued, "It's the end of the week. You promised so…"
"Kazuki-kun isn't returning today, right? So why not keep pretending a bit longer? Sayuri is almost convinced of our relationship. Just a bit more…"
"Asaka-san!! I don't care about that! Please… I've already… betrayed Kazuki far enough. This guilt inside me… is eating me up. Please…"
Despair was clear in his voice and, for a moment, Asaka thought the boy would cry. He extended an arm to gently touch the young man's face, but before his hand could make contact, Wataru flinched, causing Asaka to reel back. "Wataru…" his voice was sweet and tender, but it wasn't the voice that Wataru wished to hear.
"I can't…" he continued. "I can't keep playing pretend with you anymore. I'm sorry, but I can't anymore…"
He gazed at Asaka with big black eyes that were truly on the verge of tears. The emotions he had felt last night when Kazuki called, the guilt and love swelling in his chest… Everything that he had kept inside him was now bursting into the surface.
"Masanobu-kun," a voice called from the door. Both boys whipped their heads to see Shohei standing there clad in his dark gray business suit. "Ah, Fujii-kun," the man spoke again upon seeing Wataru. "I wasn't expecting to see you here. Yuichi hasn't come back yet so…"
The presence of Kazuki's elder brother added salt to Wataru's injury. The man who had been against his relationship with Kazuki is standing before him and, for an instant, he felt that he truly didn't deserve Kazuki. Lowering his head, he gave a discreet bow and quickly left the room, not bearing mind to Asaka's voice calling his name.
"What was that about?" asked a confused Shohei.
Asaka brushed a few of his bangs away from his face, suddenly feeling flustered. "It's a long story."
*0nLytH3R1nGF1nG3rkN0w5z tH3uNT0ucH3dR1nG*
Wataru wandered around the streets. He didn't feel like going home. He had gone to Asaka with the intention of ending their "relationship", but was interrupted by Shohei. With the presence of Kazuki's elder brother there, the room had begun to suffocate him and he badly needed to escape.
He looked at his left ring finger, noticing how bare and naked it seemed—the golden ring now tucked away in his pocket. He missed the feel of his silver ring. Even though it was made of cold metal, it always felt searing hot to his skin that it was like it would scald him, yet the feeling was addictive that he couldn't think of removing it.
Bringing the naked finger to his lips, he kissed it and tasted remnants of a metallic taste.
Kazuki… I wonder… are you thinking of me…?
After walking around for hours, he finally stopped and took a moment or two to notice his surroundings. Much to his surprise, he had stumbled once again to the park that had been filled with blooming hydrangeas that past spring. The very park where he and Kazuki had come to terms with their feelings and confessed their love to one another.
Kazuki…
It was pointless. Even if he didn't do anything, he'd still end up with something that reminded him of Kazuki.
"Oniichan!!" Wataru's ears perked at the familiar name-calling. He turned around to find a small girl with light blonde pigtails dangling from the swings. "Oniichan!!!" she called again. "Over here, oniichan!!"
For a moment, Wataru was dumbstruck. "Ah, Takako-chan." He approached the young girl with confusion present on his face. "What're you doing here all alone?"
"Takako isn't alone," she answered, her eyes lighting up brightly. "Takako is with papa."
Papa? She couldn't mean…
He turned his attention towards the direction she pointed, and found the familiar figure of a man seated on the bench. "Shohei-san!" he exclaimed. "What… What're you doing here?"
"Isn't it natural?" came the smirked reply. "It's near my parents' house. And Takako is very attached to this park. She only wants to play here." Shohei waved his hand, motioning for Wataru to come sit next to him. Wataru obediently followed, leaving the small girl to enjoy herself on the swings, and sat down next to the elder Kazuki.
"Um…" he drawled, feeling an awkward atmosphere. For Wataru, this was the first time he spoke alone with the man since their first meeting in Okinawa.
"I heard from Masanobu-kun," the elder man spoke, but the words quickly registered in Wataru's mind. "He told me everything about it. About his arranged engagement, and the favor he asked from you…"
"Oh," Wataru hung his head low. What did Shohei think of this? Surely the man felt angered by his course of action. Will he tell him to stay away from Yuichi now?
"Don't look so depressed, Fujii-kun," spoke Shohei. "I actually admire your conviction in helping a friend out. Masanobu also told me how guilty you felt—brought about by your immense love for my brother."
"……"
"I still do not approve of you relationship with Yuichi, not with so many hopes and expectations weighing on him from our parents and family. However, I really can't seem to hate you."
"Huh?"
"How should I put it? What I hate is the relationship, but not you… You certainly have a charm. It's ensnared Yuichi and now Masanobu seems caught in it too."
"What… What are you trying to say, Shohei-san?"
A glint of amusement appeared in the elder man's eyes and it nearly made Wataru cringe. "What I am saying is," the man continued—a sly smile appearing on his lips. "Just a bit longer… I want to see your conviction and dedication to Yuichi a bit longer."
"What do you…" Wataru felt confused. "I don't understand…"
"You are willing to do everything to prove to me your love for my brother, and have me acknowledge it, right?'
"Y—Yes…" Where is this going?
"So, that is exactly what I will have you do."
"Eh?"
"I will acknowledge you and Yuichi's relationship and will no longer oppose it. All on one condition…"
"……"
"…You continue being Masanobu-kun's pretend-boyfriend."
To be continued…
*0nLytH3R1nGF1nG3rkN0w5z tH3uNT0ucH3dR1nG*
Japanese Terms:
Futon – traditional Japanese bed
Oniichan – a cute way of saying "oniisan", which also means "big brother". To be called "oniisan" doesn't technically mean your brothers/siblings. It is used by children to refer to older men, as in the case of Takako. In the English version, she calls Wataru "mister".
T—U – I think it's an abbreviation for Tokyo University, otherwise known as one of the most prestigious universities in Japan, and it's really hard to get in to.
I keep really asking myself why they can't make an anime version of OtRFK or even a complete manga series about it? Maria-sama ga Miteru is a light yuri novel, and yet there's a manga about it. What about Mirage of Blaze? It's also a novel yet it has an anime and an OVA to boot.
There are other BL titles that are more hardcore than OtRFK yet they get animated and viewed on Japanese TV. They were able to show Gravitation on TV (even though they altered bits and pieces of the story and removed the graphical sex scenes), why can't they do the same to OtRFK?
With OtRFK's popularity, you'd think they would already produce an anime version of it. Even an OVA would do…
Next chapter: Transfixed. What could Shohei be planning? It's Wataru's decision!
P.S. Is it just me or are the chapters getting longer and longer?
