EDITOR'S NOTE: The next chapter takes place parallel to the fic "Issho Ni," if you have not read that fic it is recommended that you do so. Thank you! - Taiki Matsuki

Otoko No Chigiri
Pledge V: Friends (Shiota Hirokazu)

Kenta was supposed to meet us for our card game but he's out with a cold so it's just Jen, Takato and I at my place. Home alone again, parents are running a million and one errands today...

We're just been hanging out and playing cards for a while. And we've been kinda quiet. I dunno, it's...a little boring, actually.

"...Hey, um..." Takato speaks up, placing a card down in front of me. Damn it, a speed-plug in with...Rapidmon? Why are you playing as Jen's partner, Matsuda? The million-and-one Guilmon cards they've made in honor of your partner not good enough? "...Can you guys...um...keep a secret?"

I nod. "What is it?"

"W-Well, um...It's about Kenta. You can't tell him about this, okay?" Takato begins, his eyes darting between Jen and me.

"Okay, what is it?" I ask. "Did he tell you a secret? Is it something juicy?" I smirk.

"N-No, it's...a theory, actually." Takato shrugs. "I-I...um... ...I think Kenta's, um... ...'different' from us. N-Not in a bad way, but...I just think, he's..."

"...He's...what, Takato?" Jen asks, raising an eyebrow. Yeah, Takato, where are you going with this?

"...I think Kenta...might be gay," Takato says, quietly.

Wh-Whoah, what? K-Kenta? Gay? I-I...I don't know about that but...

...I-If...he was... I would not complain...At. All. ...I mean...I-I...

...I'm sort of...used to the whole 'bi' thing. It's been...getting a little less weird since I accepted that I can't change. I still don't like it and, even home alone, I'm embarrassed as hell when I read...shounen-ai manga...online...Or Daiken fics...But...

...Until this little theory, I figured...Kenta's awesome, but I can only look and not touch... ...Well, not touch much, we're...still pretty 'physical' sometimes. Like letting Kenta lean against me and stuff like before, nothing...gay or anything!

.Okay, Ruki once...spotted us in a position like that. I was resting against a tree and Kenta was using my shoulder as a pillow. ...She gave us her sarcastic 'awww, you two are such an adorable couple' remarks and... ...I-I got pissed as usual but... ...Kenta just stayed quiet...

...Kenta never really reacts, actually. ...Holy shit... Takato, y-you...might be onto something...

I-I gotta hear this! Spill it, Matsuda!

"You think Kenta's gay?" Jen laughs a little. "Why?"

"W-Well, um...N-Nevermind, it's...a dumb thing to talk about. I-I don't want to...offend Kenta or anything, either. Please forget-"

"No, no, no, Takato!" I shake my head. "You started this little 'Kenta's gay' discussion, you gotta give us some details on that theory!" I...do my best to sound like I'm joking around as usual.

"W-Well, first...N-no-one here would have a problem if...Kenta really is gay, right?" Takato, again, darts his eyes between Jen and Me.

"Of course not," Jen shakes his head, then looks to me. "Though, um...Hirokazu..."

"What?" I look to Jen.

"W-Well, just...Would you have a problem? I mean...I don't think we'll ever forget how you freaked out over Ruki telling us about...You-know-what." ...I-I was...pissed because I didn't want that information to become public! And...well...

...I-I was...sort of going crazy over...the fact I realized I was a little attracted to Kenta at the time. That kiss...just talking about it pissed me off because...I blamed that for my...feelings. At the time, I mean.

Those gay teen help sites I visited a while back were what made me face reality...I like guys. I-I don't like the fact I like guys but...I like guys... ...And it still kinda freaks me out. Just not as...violently. I-I feel weird about it. I never thought this was possible...

...Otoko Shibuki... ...I-I'm still manly, damn it! I am a MAN!

But I've given up on going straight. I'm...bi. And I can't change that...And being bi has one advantage: I get double the eye-candy if you know what I mean. Last night, the reason Kenta's out with a cold is because Takato, Jen, Kenta and I sort of messed around at the pond in the park and...Well...We got soaked and hang out shirts on a bench to dry and played cards while we waited. It was late afternoon when we started playing cards.

...I might've let my eyes wander a lot during those games (mostly Kenta and Jen). I-I couldn't help it! But...no-one noticed, unless Takato's going to pull out an 'I think Hirokazu's gay' theory, too... ...Better not, Matsuda! I may like guys, but I am not gay!

I really wish Ryou was with us last night, though...

...What? He's Ryou!

"Jen, that's different...I-I would not have a problem with Kenta if he really was gay," I reply, shaking my head. "Kenta's always gonna be my best friend!"

"...Even if he told you he enjoyed the kiss back then?" Jen asks, I think he's...really worried I might end things with Kenta over this.

"I'd tell him I'm happy he liked it, but that's all he's gonna get," In reality, I'd kiss him again and ask him if he liked that more or less... ...Okay, maybe not...I-I mean...Kenta'd have to say he's gay first before...I'd even think of hinting that...I like him. I-I'd have to know that he liked me first, even!

...But...If he did like me... ...I wouldn't wait for that special girl anymore. I'd...be with Kenta. ...I-I admit it, I...really like Kenta. My best friend...Ever.

"Really?"

"Ruki...just really pissed me off that day, Jen. It wasn't because she said Kenta and I were gay, okay? Now, Takato, tell us why you think Kenta's gay!"

Takato gives me an odd look and nods. ...Crap, I sounded...a little too enthusiastic. "W-Well, um... He doesn't like girls that much, for one."

"...Takato, you...never check out girls with Hirokazu, Ryou and I. Are you sure you want to critcize Kenta on that?" Jen jokes.

Takato laughs, "Only because he's...less interested than I am. A-And for the record, I-I just...don't like sitting there and staring, I feel weird doing it. But...Kenta just...doesn't like to even talk about girls. And if he does...He's just really quiet the whole time, he's just...not interested."

"I...see..." I nod. "Any other reason?"

"You're...really curious about this, Hirokazu-kun..." Takato trails off. "You...swear you wouldn't have a pr-"

"I swear to the Gods, I would still be Kenta's friend if he was gay!" I shout. "Come on, Takato, I promise I'm not going make fun of my best friend! Just ...keep going, already!" Shit, I gotta...tone it down but...Takato, I have to know if...it's possible!

Shit, my heart is...gonna pop out of my chest at this rate...D-Damn it, I-I need...to stay calm...If...Jen and Takato suspect me... ...I-I'd probably puke or piss myself or...I-I...I don't want anyone knowing this!

Takato nods. "..And, well... ...The other reason is...I-I just get this 'vibe' from him. Like...this 'he's so gay' vibe. It's...hard to explain."

"...Takato, a-are you...telling us...you think you have..." Jen chuckles. "G-Gaydar?"

Takato blushes. "I-I guess...I-I just...get this feeling he's gay when I'm around him." Takato shrugs. "If that's gaydar, then..."

...I wonder if he's picking up anything from me. I-I always assumed being bi meant I could..."slip under the gaydar." ...And Takato's got gaydar? ...What the hell...?

"A gay vibe? Th-That's...it?" I...I'm a little disappointed. I was hoping he'd add something like 'and Kenta was drooling over Ryou that time at the beach' or 'I caught him singing the opening to Gravitation while reading a Daiken fic!' Not...a gay vibe! ...There's...gotta be more!

"What else?" I ask. "I mean...That's it? He doesn't like girls and your gaydar goes off? That's why you think he's gay?"

"...W-Well, it's...stupid, really," Takato shrugs. "I-I just...If he is, I wanted to know if...you guys would have a problem with it. I wouldn't, of course. Kenta's my friend. Always. ...I just...I-I don't even know why I brought it up..." Takato's turning red. "S-Sorry, guys...It's a dumb thing to talk about-"

"Hell no," I shake my head. "Jen, you get any...gay from Kenta or anything?"

Jen gives me a confused look. "N-No, I don't...get any 'gay' from Kenta...He's just Kenta. But...Takato does have a point on checking out girls. He really isn't interested...Ever. In fact, I once made up a girl I was 'checking out' and asked Kenta what he thought about her 'cute red hat' and stuff none of the nearby girls had... ...He just...humored me," Jen says with a shrug. Now that is what I wanted to hear!

"...So, Kenta might be...that way, you think?" Takato asks.

Jen nods. "Yeah, if it was true...I wouldn't be surprised. And I'd still be his friend. I mean, it's...not an issue. He's still Kenta and everything." ...Jen and Takato wouldn't care at all.

Th-That's really a relief to know, I mean... I'm freaked out enough about being bi, I don't even think about what would happen if...my friends didn't like that fact. Except Kenta...I sometimes try to figure out how he'd react but I...I don't ask anything like Takato just did, about a friend being gay... ...I-I barely hint at it. I think I once just pointed to a Kyou Kara Maou manga at a shop once and said 'huh, somone left a shounen-ai manga in the 'mecha' manga section...

...Kenta just laughed. No real...conclusion there.

But, Jen and Takato... ...I wonder if...I...

...Maybe I should...tell them. They wouldn't be upset about Kenta and...I wouldn't have to keep this to myself any-What the hell am I thinking?

C-Coming out? N-No! Besides, I'm bi, not gay! I can still...date girls and no-one ever has to know I like guys. Ever. That would only happen if...Kenta was 'the same way.' ...Otherwise, I die with this secret.

"Yeah, if...Kenta was gay, I wouldn't care," I say. "But...I dunno, how likely do you think it is, Takato?"

"Likely?"

"Scale of...one to ten. One being Kenta's a little gay, ten being...Kenta's obvously, super-flaming gay, I guess." I shrug.

"...Um..." Takato gives me another weird look. Just...answer the question, Matsuda. Put that gaydar to use...On Kenta. Not me. "...A...A six or seven, I guess. It's just...something about him, I think."

"...Something about him...Right..." I shrug.

"Can...we play cards, Hirokazu? I-I feel...sort of bad about saying that. I don't want Kenta to think I'm...spreading rumors about him or anything," Takato does look a little upset about that. He's...still a little red. "Please don't tell him I told you this."

"My lips are sealed, Takato-kun," Jen says, making a zipper motion across his mouth and laughing. "And we at least learned Hirokazu would accept Kenta..."

"Jen..." I frown. "There's a difference between having a gay friend and Ruki's ambiguously gay tamers jokes!" ...Seriously, she...she's convinced we're an item already! It's the kiss that started it, she...has us pegged as gay.

"Even though you kissed that gay friend once?" Jen asks, then holds up his hands as I give him an even more pissed off look. "J-Just saying, Hirokazu! It's...a little different when you factor that in!"

...I wanna tell 'em I'm bi just...so they'd shut up about that! ...Though... ...Yeah, I did...really freak out that time. But...I-I just hate everyone knowing that happened! It's a joke to everyone now, we're the ambigiously gay duo of the group! ...Kenta...doesn't mind as much as I do. ...I wonder...if that might be why...

...No, I mean, I think it'd...bother him more if that was the case... It's what pissed me off so much, after all.

"I would have no problem if Kenta was gay, damn it! Kenta's my best friend, forever! I-I...I would never abandon that friend! Takato, you wouldn't do that to Jen, even if he kissed you once, would you?"

Takato turns bright red, stammering, "J-Jen? K-Kiss? M-Me...? Er...I-I wouldn't be upset...And, well, if it was the...same thing as you and Kenta, it's...not like he...um...tackled me and kissed me." I kinda like the look on Jen's face when Takato says that part about Jen tackling and kissing him...Hehehe!

"...Hey, Jen, give you five hundred yen..." I smirk, Jen's bright red right now. Now I see why Ruki does this! ...Still not cool, though, Ruki!

"N-no, Hiroka-"

"Five thousand! Kiss Takato! Or are you afraid you might like it, Jen...?" Hehehe... I also like the look on Takato's face right now.

"W-We get it, we get it!" Jen shouts. "Okay, we know you wouldn't abandon Kenta."

"Damn straight," I say.

We continue our card game... ...I-I actually...start to lose our matches because I'm thinking so much about what Takato and Jen said...

...What if Takato was on to something? What if...Kenta is gay?

They...had some good evidence. Especially Jen, but... ...Wait...

That time at school, when...that asshole called Kenta that word... He asked me if I was insulted by that word or...what...it...implied...

...Kenta, w-were you...trying to see...how I'd feel if...?

...No, I'm...not that lucky. But, still..

...Kenta, you're my best friend. And... ...If we could be more than that...I-I would accept that, I would want that...Because it's you...

I wouldn't be with Jen, Takato or Ryou if they were gay. Or if they even confessed to me, because...They aren't Kenta. If I'm going to be with a guy, it's going to be Kenta...

No-one else, Kenta. Just you.

Ori's Notes:
Hirokazu's accepting himself! ...A little

I wanted to cover Takato's "Kenta's gay" theory that's mentioned a few times, as well as the "gaydar" Hirokazu jokes that he has.

I hope you're enjoying this story so far, I'm having fun writing it. And...I felt I needed to get a Hirokenta done. A big one. I just hope it turns out good, given Hirokazu's attitude through the whole thing...Though I admit, it is a ton of fun to write!

Taiki's Notes:

I loved Hirokazu's hypothetical at the end. What if Jen and Takato kissed instead of Hirokazu and Kenta? We've all seen the infamous episode 26 screen capture. If only that had been Takato and Jen.

Someone, anyone with Photoshop: I have a mission for you!

-Taiki Matsuki