Wake up, Sousuke.
Hazuki is soaking through the sleeve of manager's white dress shirt, darkening and dirtying the material as he clutches handfuls of it desperately. Sousuke knows he should clear out and leave the two alone, but neither Hazuki or Manager seem to object or mind that he's there. He's glad for their trust and regard for him as a friend rather than an outsider. There's still a considerable distance, though, and it's not the best time to express his gratitude.
"M-Mako-chan," Hazuki sputters into Manager's arm, "I don't know what I'm going to do without him."
"There, there." Manager coos, smoothing out his untamed hair. "I think he's happy for you, and I bet he's even happier knowing you would miss him."
"You don't understand." Hazuki sits back and curls his hands tightly in his lap. "I want to take him with me. It's so far away, hours maybe into the city. How can I do that to him?"
"Rei will understand if you tell him and get your feelings across," Manager advises. "He loves his job assisting at the local uni science department a lot, though."
The smaller shuts his eyes painfully. "I know, I've thought about that, so that's why I can't—"
"But!" Manager interrupts, not unkindly, and grips him firmly by the shoulders. "But, he loves you more, I'm sure of it."
"Really?" Hazuki asks meekly. His lost demeanor and need for reassurance makes him appear more vulnerable, not at all like his previous bubbly positive self. "Rei-chan does?"
Manager visibly softens, affection blooming into a gentle smile. "I'm not the one to ask, but yes. Anyone can see how much he cares," he replies.
There's a relapse as Hazuki processes his words; his body stills, his round eyes grow rounder, and his lips tremble precariously. He gives up holding back and throws his arms around Manager and sobs his heart out, all the while wailing "Rei-chan, I'm so sorry for thinking so little of you" and "I love him so much" and "Mako-chan let me do my crying here first, crying in front of Rei-chan is not beautiful at all."
Sousuke reads this as his cue and stands.
"I'll be outside," he quietly announces. Manager spares him a glance in acknowledgement and returns to comforting Hazuki, the lucky guy.
Once he's out in the cool night air and shuts the veranda door, he heaves a sigh as he's freed from the heavy atmosphere that had settled in about a half hour into the party. He's never had to deal with relationship problems that weren't his own and long distance was never an issue to him, he made sure of it.
He digs out his new pack of cigarettes and lighter, intent on doing something while they finish up inside. He sticks one between his lips and lights up, the actions old and familiar. After that's done, Sousuke takes his time overlooking the dim shadows of building rooftops.
This is Iwatobi, the place where Manager Tachibana was born and grew up in. The tranquil atmosphere around town and the polite inhabitants that welcomed him in warmly makes it easy to think this was the environment that nurtured Manager to whom he is today. Sousuke can imagine a little brunet boy, shy and curious about the nearby sea; a young maturing youth uncertain about his future but assured by the daily roar of the waves; and the attractive, wistful adult who takes a window of fifteen minutes each day to witness the horizon disappear in a blaze of color matching that of a bouquet. He wishes he could see it all, Manager's life, to understand him, to discover the secret to make him his.
Sousuke exhales and sulks, irritated at the thought of someone else there instead.
"Smoking is bad for your health."
Luck is not on his side today.
"Thanks for the advice," Sousuke says sarcastically, leaning his elbows further on the railing edge. He notices the shop sign also serves as the veranda, finding it cute and ingenious of Manager to do that. "This is a one time thing by the way. I can't smoke around the plants. Too much carbon dioxide and secondhand smoke, you know?"
"I do," the guy responds from behind and to the left of him.
Sousuke side glances him and raises an eyebrow, surprised and relieved to find he's just barely decent this time, donning an unzipped jacket and track pants with bare feet. There's some improvement, one step away from being labeled the neighborhood pervert.
He's crouching in the shadow of the door, obviously avoiding being seen. The newly donned Roommate clears his throat and clarifies, "I do know, I mean. About plants. Makoto talks about them often."
First name basis, huh. The unflinching familiarity with each other, especially his get-naked habit, and the instinct to bluntly ask and see through Sousuke's intentions factor him into...he hates to say it...lover. He cringes just thinking about it. He hopes his fears aren't true.
"So, why aren't you inside?" Sousuke changes the subject, nodding his chin to the door.
The Roommate shakes his head curtly, causing his dark bangs to flip from side to side. "It wouldn't matter if I went in or not," he answers as he hugs his knees to himself.
Sousuke takes a drag and breathes out slowly. "I thought you and the Manager were close?"
"We were," he affirms.
"Then what was that before?"
He sends Sousuke a puzzled look.
"When you were naked! Or half-naked, whatever," Sousuke prompts.
The Roommate tilts his head and gazes off to the side. "I figured if you saw me, you'd leave."
"I did leave," Sousuke points out, a bit pissed off that the other's pathetic attempt of scaring potential love interests away had worked on him. "You happy?"
"I don't know." He shrugs, nonchalantly. "What would you have done to Makoto if I wasn't there?"
Sousuke opens his mouth to retort. He closes it when he realizes he doesn't have a straight answer. "I don't know," he repeats the other's previous sentiment. "I wouldn't do anything Manager didn't want."
The nameless guy looks at at him for the first time, making direct eye contact. His gaze is searching, trying to discern something from Sousuke, most likely to measure the sincerity behind his words. As a former cop, he has trained himself in the art of schooling his features in the case of any situation on hand, so it's useless.
As he returns his gaze, he detects the clouded darkness familiar with the unknown depths of the sea in his eyes. Whatever problems this guy has, they're too difficult and complicated to sort out on his own. Sousuke has always believed in the phrase 'eyes are the windows to the soul' and his judgment would usually be accurate when he gets a read on them.
"You're acting normal," the Roommate states, wonderingly, "considering I could do whatever I want with your body."
It's Sousuke's turn to be puzzled.
"Besides the fact that you might be Manager's hidden boyfriend, how am I supposed to act?"
He's more affronted at the fact that he should act polite to this jerk, not the odd comment about...his body?
"Like you've seen a ghost," the other says, plainly. His default blank expression is unfazed and his eyes never leave his. They're completely still. The guy is one hundred percent serious.
"C'mon, you're joking right?" Sousuke tries to snap him out of his very believable act.
The Roommate sighs as he stands and brushes off the invisible lint on his clothes. He steps up to where Sousuke stands in the light from the apartment, drawing near in two short strides with a hand outstretched toward his chest. Sousuke looks down at the other's exposed feet. They're probably frozen from hiding out here too long and he has a mind to suggest they go inside soon.
His jaw slackens, the half burnt cigarette landing one centimeter too close to his toes.
The matter quickly filters out of his mind. The other guy doesn't have a shadow.
"Thanks for listening, Mako-chan."
"No problem, Nagisa. I'm here any time."
"Hey, how do you give such good advice? It's gotta come from somewhere."
"Well…"
"Spill."
"Okay, I do have some experience. It's kind of cliche though, since it was one time. I think you remember Haru?"
"Of course I do! His swimming was pretty even when we were itty bitty kids. No way, don't tell me he was your experience? That's adorable! Haven't you guys been joined at the hip since forever?"
"Nagisa! Keep it down."
"O-ho, I see, mm-hmm. Oh, you two…that's too bad, Sou-chan."
"Why do you look so disappointed? You keep muttering to yourself."
"It's nothing! I was just thinking about how much cuter me and Rei-chan are in purikura."
"Really."
"Uh, yeah, ha ha. So when will we meet him? Are you guys doing long distance, too? I never see him around here."
"Actually, the thing is…"
"What is it, Mako-chan?"
"He's not here anymore."
"What? Did he leave you for someone else? Why that Haru-chan!"
"No! That's not what I meant. I mean he hasn't come back here in years."
"Wait, wait. Are you telling me that the first love of your life is heartless enough to abandon you? Or is he missing?"
"Yeah. Since summer break of my third year of high school."
"I...I'm sorry for bringing it up. I'm so sorry, Mako-chan."
"It's alright."
"Mako-chan, can I ask you something personal?"
"Go ahead."
"Is it really okay to stay abstinent and faithful to Haru-chan for so long?"
"It is. I know he's out there somewhere. Sometimes I feel he's even here with me in spirit when I'm tending to the garden out back. Do you want to see?"
"I'm fine. I don't want to worry you, but what if he doesn't come back? Would you think about looking at other people, then?"
"Maybe. Honestly, I feel no one can match Haru's place in my life, so it might be hard to find someone willing to fill that."
"Hm. Sou-chan does have a chance, uhuhu."
"Nagisa...what are you planning? Your laughs aren't as nice as the ones before."
"I'm just cheering a friend of mine in his chase for happiness. You know them, actually."
"Really? I know a lot of people so you'll have to be more specific."
"They're closer than you think."
"I'm guessing you're talking about your new friend Nitori."
"No! Er, how did you know?"
"I was joking, Nagisa. I was testing you since you said they were nearby. He lives all the way in Samezuka."
"Mako-chan, so sneaky. You're right. I wasn't thinking about Ai-chan but I am genuinely rooting for him. He texted me two days ago at four in the morning saying he thinks he might have a crush on his cute, young barber. Ah, my dear Ai-chan is maturing so much without me."
"Is that true? Good for him. He's moving on."
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Can you move on, Mako-chan?"
"That's not something I can answer. Why?"
"As a friend, I want you to be happy."
"I am completely—"
"—fine, I know. You want to stay as you are. Rei-chan and I worry. We don't want you to be lonely, especially when I'm gone.
So answer this seriously. If someone worthwhile shows up and confesses, will you give them a chance?"
"I…"
In lieu of his muddled up confusion, Sousuke's brain provides the nearest rational explanation he can conjure: A vampire. Heck, he's gonna suck my blood. I'm gonna die of anemia on Manager's balcony for no good reason.
The Roommate's words before echo in his mind.
"Like you've seen a ghost."
"Nah, that's can't be," he mutters, clutching his forehead while simultaneously blocking out the apparition he had a moment ago thought of as his rival in love. His eyes snap open as a foreign pressure tingles in the center of his chest.
Now my heart is acting up, too.
The Roommate is intently staring at his chest less than an arm's distance from him, focused on the one increasingly uncomfortable spot as if he could see his lungs and heart rising and beating irregularly in panic.
He says less than an arm distance because his clothed arm went straight through his body without resistance.
Sousuke jumps and grips the railing, thinking he had somehow become gaseous. His other hand goes for the Roommate's arm. He grasps air.
"What's going on?" he asks as he sinks slowly to the ground.
The Roommate withdraws his offending limb and lifts his feet off the ground naturally. He floats a little ways until he's parallel to the floor.
"You know, now," he murmurs above.
Sousuke pats himself, the warmth returning to the area where the other had gone through. He stares up widely at the Roommate, shocked that he couldn't tell he wasn't...alive when he appeared the same as him. If he had done his floating Roommate-the-Passive-Ghost act earlier, Sousuke would have gotten the clue. He recognizes the little details that could have hinted at who he was: the nonexistent rise of his chest, the lack of emotion and movement of facial expression, the unusual answers to his questions he had given with the purpose of being answered by the person who was "living" with Manager.
"What—no, who are you?" he whispers sharply.
The Roommate finishes his backflip and leisurely rotates to a stop upside down and a mere few inches from Sousuke's face. This close up, Sousuke can count the flaws and gradients of color in his irises.
"Nanase Haruka, Makoto's late boyfriend of the past six years."
The veranda door slides open before Sousuke can react and they turn to see Manager as he pops his head out.
"Yamazaki-kun, are you done?" he asks as he looks at Sousuke slumped against the railing.
"Uh, yeah." Sousuke scrambles to answer and frantically glances to where Nanase is supposed to be floating. He's nowhere to be seen.
"Okay. Make sure to properly throw away your ashes," Manager requests as he goes back inside. "Let's eat!"
"Yay!" Hazuki's excitedly cheers, apparently recovered. "I want to try this cake with flowers. They're edible, aren't they?"
"Yep. Also it's strawberry flavored."
"Neat! You know me so well, Mako-chan."
Sousuke scans the veranda once more, spotting his fallen, snuffed out cigarette but no Nanase. He would assume he had seen a vivid illusion if not for the traces of tingling in his chest. The guy has zero qualms about freaking him out but the moment his beloved boyfriend shows up, he runs away and hides. He wonders if anyone else can see him.
He decides to stop thinking on it. No use making it more of a problem than it already is, and Sousuke hasn't had the chance to taste edible flowers yet. As expected of a florist.
"Oh my gosh, the fluffy part is pink! If I had known, I would have brought my strawberry flavored protein powder."
"...I don't think that's necessary for this occasion." He can hear the faint horror in Manager's voice, implying it has happened several times.
How does strawberry flavored protein powder even exist? Sousuke thinks and shudders before gathering his ashes and stepping inside.