Sousuke sat on the edge of the University pool, absently massaging his recuperating shoulder. The sounds of bustling activity about him served well as a curtain of white noise, keeping him from his thoughts.

Unable to sleep much the previous night, he decided to go for an early morning swim. At times like these, he found it was the best way to clear his mind and tire himself out enough to finally get some sleep.

And with that, he rolled out of his sheets as day broke, grabbed his swimming gear and snuck out of the room before the other woke.

Sitting there, hair dripping and water lapping against his shins, he thought about how things were about to change for him, about how he was going to react the moment he was introduced to this guy, how he would feel seeing their arms intertwined, and most of all, how he would now have to shut out his own feelings whenever he looked into those bright, verdant eyes.

He felt a sharp pain and released the hand on his shoulder. A pale impression slowly fading where his fingers clutched a little too roughly, triggered by his earlier thoughts.

He had to will himself to relax. A deep breath, a long, drawn out sigh, and the expression on his brows finally followed.

The silence was short lived, however, as his thoughts slowly wandered back to their exchange last night.

-
"Why've I never heard of this before? I mean, the past few weeks, you never so much as mentioned a crush or anything."

"I-I just couldn't find the right time to bring it up, I guess."
-

"There's no right time to break someone's heart!" He yelled in his head, slamming a fist hard on the concrete beneath him.

Though petty, his action caught the attention of a few bystanders. And feeling their eyes on him, he decided it would be best to hit the showers.

As he left the locker room, he found himself arguing with his inner thoughts.

"If Makoto could finally pick up the nerve to do it, why can't I? I owe him as much, right? I mean, he deserves to know. In the same way he tells me everything that goes on in his life."

But at that moment, he caught himself and the cynical part of him emerged.

"But wouldn't this be a little self serving on your part? I mean, what do you expect from him? To come flying into your arms? Or are you just gonna weird him out after he's just hooked himself a boyfriend? And while we're on it, how are you so sure whoever it is will like him back?"

"Because he's Makoto."

And not a single voice in his head could say anything in protest.

It was a Friday morning, and having memorized his roommate's classes, Sousuke knew he was gonna be alone as he turned the key. Maybe he was subconsciously avoiding his roommate, he thought of his actions.

He stared at their shared living space, dropping his bag by the door. Images of awkward situations flashed through his head. He would enter the room to find the brunet and his new boyfriend studying together. Or one night, he would come home late to find this new lover in bed with Makoto. Just cuddling, mind you; his feelings kept him from thinking of his roommate in anything but an angelic light.

At the sight of his teal-blue sheets, it finally dawned on him how exhausted he was. He dropped down on his bed, not even bothering to kick off his trainers, and quickly drifted off to sleep.

The clock read 4:00 P.M. as Sousuke stirred.

Pleasant was not the best word for his rest. Recurring images of his love interest callously walking away flooded his dreams.

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the remnants of his sleep. As he did, he felt something detach itself from his dark hair. A crumpled note fell on to his pillow. He realized he must've missed it earlier, distracted by his exhaustion.

The note read:
"Hey. Dinner tonight at that Italian bistro on the other side of campus?

- Makoto"