It was a bright morning at Sunshine Elementary School, where Ryuji attended. His little legs carried him swiftly through the gates, his backpack bouncing against his shoulders as he made a beeline for the classroom.

"Kou-chan!" Ryuji's voice echoed through the hall as he spotted his friend near their classroom door.

Kousuke, a shy and small boy, turned at the sound of Ryuji's voice and smiled softly. "Good morning, Ryu-chan."

Ryuji skidded to a halt in front of Kousuke, beaming. "Good morning!"

Before their conversation could continue, Kou greeted them at the door with a warm smile. "Good morning, Kousuke-kun, Ryuji-kun. Don't linger by the door; class starts soon."

"Oh, good morning, Kou-sensei," Kousuke greeted their teacher bashfully while Ryuji glared at Kou for interrupting his moment with Kousuke. Kou tried not to get irritated so early in the morning at his best friend's son and flashed his teacher smile. "Now, Ryuji-kun, you'll have more time to chat with Kousuke later. Take your seats, please." Much like his Daddy, Ryuji displayed a single-minded devotion that was both endearing and, at times, a little intense, thought Kou.

As the lesson began, Ryuji kept glancing at Kousuke, who sat beside him. Every time their eyes met, Kousuke would blush and quickly look away, making Ryuji tease Kousuke even more.

When recess arrived, Ryuji eagerly pulled Kousuke toward their favorite spot under a large oak tree. They sat down, and Ryuji said, "Finally, we could have some time together."

Kousuke giggled. "We spend most of our time together, Ryu-chan."

"Still not enough," Ryuji pouted. "What do you have there?" he asked when he saw Kousuke unpacking his lunch bag.

"Today, I made you lunch, Ryu-chan," Kousuke declared proudly, holding up a small bento box. "Look, it's your favorite!"

Ryuji's eyes widened. "Y-you didn't have to do that…"

"I wanted to!" Kousuke pushed the bento box into Ryuji's hands, who accepted it with a flustered smile. Ryuji immediately opened the bento box to see cute-shaped onigiri and tamagoyaki looking up at him.

"I made sure it was perfect. I asked my mom to teach me," Kousuke said, nervously anticipating Ryuji's reaction to his food.

Ryuji tasted the food with careful precision, not wanting to drop even one bit. "It's delicious. I love it."

Kousuke beamed at him, thankful that Ryuji liked them. As they ate, their teacher, Kou, watched from a distance, shaking his head with a smile. It was both amusing and heartwarming to see the two children together.

After recess, Ryuji and Kousuke were tasked with working on a group project together. "Ryu-chan, do you think we can use these colors for the poster?" Kousuke asked, holding up some markers.

Ryuji nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, Kou-chan. Whatever you like."

Airin, their classmate sitting nearby, giggled. "Aww, Ryuji-kun is always nice to Kousuke-kun."

Ryuji huffed. "Of course! Kou-chan is my fiancé, and my daddy always said to treat your beloved like a precious diamond."

"Ryu-chan…" Kousuke blushed red at Ryuji's declaration, and Airin squealed in delight.

VFVFVFVFVFVF

Kou-sensei was busy sorting through papers in his classroom after the students had left. He hummed a tune to himself, enjoying the quiet. Just then, the door creaked open, and Suoh stepped inside.

"Kou-san," Suoh greeted with his rare soft smile. His imposing figure contrasted sharply with the elementary school setting.

"Kazumi-san!" Kou-sensei looked up, his face lighting up. "What brings you here?"

"Just picking up Ryuji," Suoh replied, walking over to Kou. "I thought I'd check in on you too."

Kou blushed slightly. He still couldn't get used to Suoh's sweet side. "How's your day been?"

"Busy, as usual," Suoh said, his eyes softening as he looked at Kou. "But seeing you always makes it better."

Kou's blush deepened. "You're just saying that."

"I mean it." Suoh took a hold of Kou's hand, rubbing them gently.

"Umm… thanks, Kazumi-san," Kou said, trying hard not to blush even harder, looking up at Suoh.

Their moment was interrupted as Kousuke sauntered into the classroom, followed by Ryuji. "Kou-sensei, me and Ryu-chan finished feeding the bunnies—oh!"

"Were you trying to kiss in our classroom?" Ryuji deadpanned, causing the couple to break away, with Kou more flustered while Suoh remained collected. "Ready to go?" Suoh asked.

Ryuji nodded but turned to Kousuke. "Do you want to come over to my place today, Kou-chan?"

Kousuke's eyes lit up. "Can I, Ryu-chan? I'd love to!"

Suoh smiled, watching the interaction. "Of course. I will inform your parent, Kousuke-kun. Let's get going."

As the boys grabbed their backpacks, Suoh turned to Kou. "Shall I see you later for dinner? Asami-san let me off early today."

"I-I would like that…" Kou beamed bashfully.

"Are they dating, Ryu-chan?" Kousuke whispered to Ryuji, but the two adults heard anyway.

"I heard Papa say to Daddy they are sleeping together. Do you think sleeping together is the same as dating?" Ryuji mused.

Kou made a comically shocked face, mentally reminding himself to berate his best friend later for talking about his relationship so casually. Suoh chuckled deeply and ushered the kids out.

TBC