Before he could say anything about the new bombshell Shuichi had just dropped on him – the singer was suddenly full of surprises – Shuichi pulled away from him and turned to face Eiri. His expression was one of utmost seriousness, and his face had dried. Eiri couldn't even tell the vocalist had been crying. The only indication he truly had that his former lover had been in tears was the wetness on his shirt.
When they were face to face, Shuichi tilted his head, his eyes shimmering with slight confusion.
"It surprises you that I'm with someone new . . . why?"
Eiri found his mouth moving but no sounds were coming forth. It was strange, this feeling of speechlessness, and Eiri found he didn't like it. Not when it was Shuichi who had caused him to be in such a state. Of course, he hated it when Tohma had that effect on him, too. Perhaps Shuichi was picking up on some of Tohma's traits?
Finally, Eiri got his voice to work. It felt like hours later, but that made no difference to the novelist. He'd let Shuichi know what he thought either way.
"It doesn't."
"Yes, it does," Shuichi murmured. "I could tell. Your arms tensed up all of a sudden. Why does it surprise you, Eiri? You know I hate being alone."
"Is that why you're in a relationship now? You hate being alone?"
"Kind of," the singer replied, his words vague. "I mean I like him. I like him a lot, and I like how I feel around him. But it took me a while to even realize what was going on inside me. It sounds lame and stupid and so much like me, I know but . . ." Shuichi's hands flailed a little, an indication of his frustration.
"You wanted to be sure before you jumped into anything," Eiri murmured. "Be sure of your own heart. Right?"
"Yeah. I did. It was scary, realizing what my friends knew before I even knew." Shuichi let out a soft sigh then lowered his gaze. "They don't need any more shit from me. They really don't. They do deserve better than that. It doesn't help we're getting so stressed out, either. I think . . ." He drew a deep breath. "I think this is for the best."
"You mean the same way our split was for the best?"