2 years ago…
Takato, Jenrya, Ruki, Juri, Kenta and Hirokazu gazed happily at the cool, refreshing appearance of the waves crashing back and forth against the Okinawan shore, where hundreds of people were already enjoying themselves. It was a marvelous sight, indeed. Each of them was dressed in their respective beach wear, and was trying to resist the urge to jump right into the ocean.
A chuckle was heard by everyone. It came from Takato's cousin, Kai, who stood beside them with a proud and cocky grin plastered to his face. "Well, what do you think everyone? Pretty sweet, huh?" he asked.
"'Sweet' doesn't even begin to describe it! More like freakin' awesome!" Hirokazu stated happily, already beginning to peel off his t-shirt.
Takato was invited to stay for a week with his grandfather, Wataru Urazoe and his grandson Kai, and they said he could bring his friends with him. He wanted Ryou to come too, but the latter's dad arranged for him to spend a few days at some computer programming camp in Kyoto and he couldn't get out of it. He wasn't all that upset to miss out, though. And Takato understood his reasoning:
"Ruki would murder me and bury me in the sand if she had to spend a week in the same house as me. I can already see her sharpening a knife on a grindstone with an evil smile on her face…"
He wasn't wrong. Ruki got majorly pissed at almost everything Ryou did – especially when it involved her –and the very thought of spending a week under the same roof with him would probably send her into either a 'KILL AKIYAMA!' frenzy or a state of comatose from the shock.
"Thanks again for letting us all stay the week here in Okinawa, Kai-kun, I really appreciate it," Jenrya said, bowing gratefully. Not only was it a great opportunity to explore the beaches and forests of Okinawa, but he got to spend a full week with Takato! It was almost a reverse situation between Ruki and Ryou.
"Come on, dude, don't sweat it! It's awesome having people here to socialize with! It gets kinda boring here all by myself and Grandpa isn't much help…"
"A-Alright…"
"What are we still doing here when we could be in the water? Let's go!" Hirokazu – who was now standing in a pair of black swim trunks with his clothes, sandals and towel scattered around him – declared. He ran quickly across the sand, shouting "TO THE WATER!" as he did so.
Ruki sighed. "Idiot…" she muttered. She pulled off her white 'broken heart'- printed bag from her shoulder and pulled out a wallet, tossing the former under a vacant beach umbrella. "I'm gonna get a drink from the snack bar and spend the rest of the day under that umbrella. See you in six hours." She gave a single wave 'goodbye' and then started walking towards a small hut just a few feet away from them, where a giant pool of people were gathered in front of the counter.
The remaining kids laughed. Kenta and Kai followed Hirokazu's example and discarded their clothes and personal items to the side. "We're gonna go mess with Shiota, if you wanna get in on it, too then get going!" Kai said, smirking deviously.
Takato nodded. "Alright, be there in a sec. You go on ahead." Kai and Kenta shrugged and ran along the beach and into the water, where Hirokazu was currently hitting on some Okinawan high school girls on vacation. Takato turned to Juri. "What about you, Juri-chan? You gonna come with us into the water?"
"Actually, I'm gonna stay here and work on my tan," she replied.
"OUT OF THE WAY, PEOPLE! THIRSTY GIRL COMING THROUGH HERE!" The sound of Ruki's pissed-off voice made all three of the kids cringe. "HEY! KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF ME, DUMBASS OR I'LL RIP THEM OFF AND SLAP YOU WITH THEM!"
"…And make sure Ruki doesn't turn the beach into a cemetery." The kids laughed. "I'll join you later on, have fun guys!" The brunette then ran after Ruki, who was now plowing her way through the crowd.
Takato and Jen laughed once again.
"Well, we can't let those guys have all the fun now can we?" Jenrya said daringly. He took his towel from around his neck and spread it out across the sand. Afterwards, he dropped his bag and took off his t-shirt, allowing the fruits of his labour in Tai Chi class to show. His muscles rippled as he stretched them out with one arm behind his back.
When Takato took a look at Jenrya's chest at a glance, he found himself unable to look away. He couldn't explain it, but his eyes where somehow drawn to Jenrya. His biceps, his chest, his abs; he just couldn't turn away no matter how hard he tried. It was almost like a magnetic force that pulled his line of sight directly at him.
It was when Jenrya started running off towards the ocean that Takato was allowed to look at anything else. When Jenrya noticed that Takato was just standing there, he spun around and smiled at the brunette. "Are you coming or what Takato-kun?" he asked.
Takato couldn't help but blush a little when he saw Jenrya's smile, though he took it as the heat of the sun hitting his face. He smiled back and nodded. "Coming!" he answered, pulling off his white t-shirt and placing it next to Jenrya's things. He ran after the bluenette as they raced to the ocean, trying to get a good view of Kai and Kenta taking turns playing Hot Potato with Hirokazu's swim trunks.
Ruki happened to glance back at the brunette during that little 'moment' as she shoved a guy's face into the sand for trying to hit on her. She couldn't help but grin at the fact that Takato might be taking an interest in Jenrya, in more ways than one…
Present…
"Wait… so you're saying that Takato was… staring at me?" Jenrya asked, staring wide-eyed at Ruki.
The latter nodded, showing her usual 'Ruki' smirk. "Yep, his eyes were locked-on to you like yours were to that picture of when he cross-dre"
Jenrya quickly cut her off. "P-Please don't bring that up, now, I'm already short on blood…" he begged, covering his cheeks and nose with his hands, both of which were showing red.
Ruki gave off an annoyed sigh. "Alright, but this story isn't over yet so keep listening…"
2 years ago…
Later on in the week, roughly 4 days into their vacation, Takato, Ruki and Jenrya were hiking throughout the Okinawan forest. All was going well; Takato was taking pictures of the landscapes he planned to paint when he got home, Jenrya was following the latter around like a loyal puppy, and Ruki was basking in the glow of a Ryou-free week. All-in-all, the three of them were pleased…
…That is, until a rain storm started up. It came down so hard and suddenly that the three teenagers were forced to find shelter in an abandoned cave. It was getting late and the rain wasn't even close to letting up.
Ruki didn't seem to mind, as she was just listening to her music and leaning against the wall of the cave. Jenrya was looking over the pictures that he and Takato had taken earlier, so he had that to keep him occupied, and Takato was sitting next to him, looking at the pictures with him.
Takato looked up at Jenrya as the two reviewed the last of their pictures and put the camera away. "I say we did a good job, huh Jen-kun?" he said.
Jenrya blushed, silently praying to the gods that the darkness of the cave was hiding it. "Y-Yeah, I guess…" he replied.
Suddenly, a huge clap of thunder boomed outside the cave, followed by a bright flash of lightning. Within an instant of that, Takato had jumped almost a foot off the floor of the cave and had buried his face into Jenrya's chest, letting out a small scream through the process.
Jenrya's face grew redder by the second. He looked down at the brunette currently whimpering in his lap. "T-TAKATO!?" he screamed. He was utterly embarrassed about the position they were in – Takato crying into his chest, legs straddling his own – and at the same time he felt like he was in heaven.
Takato looked up at Jenrya, his eyes flowing drops of tears. "S-Sorry, Jen-kun… I-I just…"
Jenrya understood what Takato was trying to say. Takato never liked thunderstorms. He'd been scared of them since he was little. Any time he was unlucky to find himself in one back home, he'd hide under his bed with the blanket over his head. Jenrya knew this because, whenever Takato would sleep over at his house during a lightning storm, Takato would hide under the former's bed and wouldn't come out, no matter what he tried.
"I-Its ok, Takato-kun… Um… I-If you feel better like this, I, uh… I don't mind…"
"R-Really? You really don't mind… this?"
Jenrya nodded, though it was mixed blessing. The way he was sitting, if Takato moved even an inch, the friction may cause Jenrya to find himself in a very awkward situation. Also, if Takato got any more submissive, his "Haemophilia" may act up and then that would just add to the awkwardness. But he'd risk it. This was one of the few moments in his life that he got to be this close to Takato and it wouldn't be (initially) awkward, and he was going for it!
He wrapped his arms around Takato's back and pulled the brunette closer to him. Takato did the same when he heard another clap of thunder. Jenrya savoured the seconds he had Takato in his arms for every ounce they were worth.
Ruki had long since abandoned her music and decided to listen in on the conversation, ever since the first flash of lightning. She kept up her headphones, but turned her music off when she saw Takato dive fearfully into Jenrya's grip. While the very idea of cuteness turned her stomach, she did enjoy the sight of what was happening between those two… not to mention that it would make unbelievably rich blackmail against Jenrya later on…
Present...
Jenrya blushed as he recalled those events. Not only did he have the sweetest dreams of his life for quite a long time after that, Ruki had him and Takato doing her dirty work for a month when they both remembered she was still in the cave, so that's even more time with him.
"The guy was freakin straddling you, Jen, what else does that prove?" Ruki exclaimed loudly.
Jenrya scratched his cheek. "Well, I guess it was a bit closer than you'd expect from a straight guy…" he admitted. "But in Takato's defense, I was the closest person to him at the moment, and his only other option to hug was you… do you know anyone that would hug you and expect to live through it?"
Ruki groaned. "Fair point… Alright, I didn't want to have to tell you this, but I don't think I have any other option…"
2 years ago…
It was the last night that the kids were spending in Okinawa, and Wataru had decided to celebrate the end of a great vacation with a drinking party. Of course, none of the kids denied the chance to down some of Takato's Grandfather's special sake – especially since they were only fifteen at the time and they couldn't drink for another three or so years. They just had to promise that no one would tell their parents about it, and they could drink all the sake they wanted, but only the sweet flavor. Kai could drink whatever he wanted though, because Wataru got him into drinking sake at a young age and they would often drink together.
The sake had a different effect on everyone. Hirokazu was on his feet and dancing in his underwear and singing 'Otoko Shibuki;" Kenta was laughing at him and encouraging it; Jeri was chasing Hirokazu around the room, trying to dress him by force; and Jenrya had passed out on the floor after only a few shots. Ruki, Kai and Wataru simply sat on the sidelines and watched the chaos unravel. All of their faces were flushed and had a drunken gaze.
Takato had gotten up and went out to get some air after he started getting dizzy. He was currently standing on the balcony, leaning over the ledge to keep his balance, letting the refreshing ocean breeze blow across his face. He smiled as he looked up at the night sky. It was a full moon tonight, and there wasn't a cloud to be seen anywhere, so it shined as bright as could be, as did all the stars around it.
As he stared into the giant white circle in the sky, he saw something strange. He knew it had to be the alcohol, but swore he could see a face starting to form in the moon. But it wasn't the man in the moon he'd been told as a kid, it was something even more unbelievable…
"J-Jen-kun…" Takato muttered, hiccupping in between. It's true: Takato could see Jenrya's face dead in the center of the moon. He was smiling at Takato, a gentle blush on his face. He could swear he could almost hear Jenrya's voice…
"Takato?"
"Y-Yeah… Jen-kun?"
"Try again, dummy, it ain't Jen." Takato flinched, sobering up enough to realize that it was Ruki's voice that spoke and not Jenrya's. He spun his head around and saw that Ruki was standing there, holding two glasses of water. She held one out to him. "Want some?"
Takato dizzily nodded and took a drink from the glass. "Th.. Thanks… So, wh-what are yo-you doing here? I-I thought that you'd be… recording Hirokazu dancing in there… you know, blackmail and stuff…"
Ruki groaned. "I was gonna, but then… he took off his underwear…" she said, shivering at the memory. "Now I'm just wait here until he passes out and pray that the sake will make the memory of Hirokazu's crotch a lost memory tomorrow morning."
Takato couldn't help but giggle at that. "S-Sorry, I know that probably wasn't the first thing you wanted to see…"
Ruki shrugged. "Eh, I'll live… but if I wake up remembering that, Hirokazu won't." This time, both kids laughed. "So, what was that about Jen?"
Takato smiled shyly. "O-Oh nothing, I just thought I saw Jen in the moon… and yes, even drunk, I know how crazy that sounds."
Ruki gave Takato a somewhat serious look. "About Jen… do you like him?"
"Huh? Y-Yeah, of course I like him, h-he's my best-"
"No, I mean, do you like him, like him."
Takato froze on the spot. Did he like Jenrya? Well, he had to admit, Jenrya was good-looking, and when he passed by Jenrya on the way out, he couldn't help but feel flustered when he noticed that, while asleep, Jenrya had slid his t-shirt up to his chest and unbuttoned his shorts. He, at the very least, found him attractive, if that was anything.
And he did have a lot fun with Jenrya this week; Hiking, swimming, exploring, drawing a silly mustache on Hirokazu in his sleep… Somehow, everything seemed more fun with Jenrya around. Playing digimon, doing homework, and even some thunderstorms were somewhat enjoyable, as long as he was there.
"Well, um… I-I don't know, maybe…" Takato stammered out. "Why do you ask, Ruki?"
Ruki smiled… well, as best Ruki could. "Jen really likes you, Takato… And I'm not just saying that to screw with you, I'm completely serious. He's, like, in love with you."
Takato's heart skipped a beat. Jenrya – his best friend – was in love with him? Scratch that – JENRYA WAS GAY? …Well, that did explain why he was so nervous when it came to bath time, considering that it was one giant room and all the boys went in at once. Jenrya just stood in the hall and waited till everyone was done. Takato just thought that he was shy…
"O-Oh, really…"
Ruki nodded. "Yep, Jen's head-over-heels for you, goggles… I just figured I'd tell you, 'cause the idiot won't tell you himself, and I'm the only one that knows that you're bi."
It was true: Takato was bisexual. He did find both guys and girls attractive. He just did a really good job at hiding it… However, his hiding was no use against Ruki's gaydar and she told him she knew back in fifth grade. To this day, only Ruki knew that Takato was bi.
"W-Well… I, um… I don't really know what I feel for Jenrya right now… I just know that I care a lot about him and I don't wanna be away from him… Maybe I do like him, more than just a friend…"
Present…
Ruki took a deep breath. "After that, he just passed out on the deck and I had to carry him in and put him in his room. The next morning he was so hung-over that he forgot everything about last night… wish I was that lucky, I still can't get the image of Hirokazu's crotch outta my mind! …And that's the whole story Jen… Jen?"
Ruki sweat-dropped as she looked over at Jenrya and saw that he was in some sort of catatonic state, just sitting there, staring at her with plate-sized eyes. "Y-You told… Takato… that I love him…?" he managed to spit out.
Ruki shrugged. "Sorry, you know I'm a blabbermouth when I'm drunk. Good thing that Takato is such a lightweight and gets drunk after only a few shots, so he doesn't remember."
Jenrya sighed. He couldn't believe this… well, not that Ruki told Takato about his feelings for him – he knew Ruki had a tendency to blurt out whatever crossed her mind when she's had a few drinks, especially if it's sake. It's the fact that Takato might actually like him – or, at the very least, thinks he's attractive.
He had to stay still to process all of this. It was just… unbelievable. How is it that he never knew Takato was bi until now? Takato never told him about it, and they were supposed to be best friends… on the other hand, he kept the secret that he was gay from Takato, so the score was about even.
"So, are you gonna just sit there on your ass all day or are you gonna tell Takato how you really feel?" Ruki asked, piling pretty high on the sarcasm. Her mouth was curled into a 'You better say "yes" to the obvious option' smirk.
Jenrya smiled. He knew that Ruki would never admit it, but she liked being a good friend, no matter how much she'd deny the accusation and rip the mouth off of the person who asked. She was just that kind of person, one that will help you with your problems if she had to hang you over a cliff by your leg to do it.
After careful consideration, he finally realized that telling Takato was the only way that this problem was going to go away. He wouldn't have to make up excuses for his nosebleeds, he could be open and honest with Takato at all times, and, if he was lucky, he might get a kiss from him! …Although, he might never get to see Takato in his underwear again, but he'd be fine with that.
"Alright, I'll tell him tomorrow, at school," he said, feeling like the weight on his shoulders has been cut in half. "I know you're gonna hurt me for saying this, but… you're a good friend, Ruki, thank you."
Before Jenrya could even register what happened, Ruki had him in a headlock and drilling her fist into his head. "Oh, shut up," she muttered playfully, watching him scream in agony. She then let him go to catch his breath and rub his aching scalp. "I did my good deed of the century, don't make me regret it more than I already do."
Even in pain, Jenrya couldn't help but smile at Ruki. "Y-Yes, Ruki…"