Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

[16:44]

叔母:

We need to talk.

Why?

叔母:

<link_to_fashion_week_article>

Is this you?

“I am so proud of you, honey,” his mother says, pulling him into a tight hug. “That was such a beautiful show!”

A bit embarrassingly, Yuuta feels his eyes start to burn with tears— he blinks rapidly to keep them at bay. “Thanks, Mom,” he breathes out, hugging her back just as tightly. 

They’re backstage now, a rush of activity all around them as models change back to their street clothes and outfits and props get packed up to get taken back to Lovelace. Yuuta’s still got a bit more work to do even though the main event is over. 

Ema pulls back to look at him in the face properly, smiling bright. She raises a hand to stroke his cheek. “You really did so well, dear. I loved how you integrated the technological parts in each piece. And of course, the closing outfit with Hasaba Mimiko was truly life changing! You’ve made me and everyone at Lovelace so proud. Good job, honey!”

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” he says, before he pulls her in for a hug again, mostly to hide his expression from her. His mother runs her hand through his hair with a soft smile as he bends over to accommodate her height. If she notices her shoulder getting a bit wet, she doesn’t say a thing. He feels his father and sister move in, wrapping their arms around him too, their family going in for a group hug.

“Good job, Onii-chan,” Airi murmurs, while his father gives him a pat on the back. 

He still can’t believe he really did it. The show went off without a hitch, and the audience all seemed to enjoy it. Most importantly, he was able to make his mother proud. All the anxiety and pressure he’s been facing has finally been able to go away. 

When Yuuta feels a bit more put together, he straightens up, giving his family a thankful smile. A quick glance over his mother’s shoulder lets him know that Toge is standing right there, giving the family a warm look. He still has the rose Yuuta gave him in his hand, and when he meets Yuuta’s eyes, he gives the man a grin. 

See? He signs, I told you you had nothing to worry about. 

He lets out a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of his head. You were right, as always. 

Toge laughs back, and Yuuta’s family gives them space to approach each other. Yuuta ends up pulling Toge into a hug too. 

“Thanks for coming,” he says quietly, feeling Toge nod. The man runs his hands up and down Yuuta’s back. 

It was amazing, the man praises when he pulls away from the hug, making Yuuta smile. When he studies the man’s face a bit more though, he finds his smile fading. Toge looks happy, but maybe a bit distracted, like something is on his mind. 

“Are you okay?” he asks. 

Toge blinks at him in surprise, before quickly nodding. I’m fine. 

Yuuta frowns, unconvinced, but Nobara’s voice cuts through the moment. 

“You did pretty good, Okkotsu Yuuta!” the woman says, punching him hard on the shoulder. 

He lets out a wince, rubbing his shoulder. “Ah um… thank you, Kugisaki-san.”

He spends some more time chatting with everyone, though he finds his eyes lingering on Toge. Soon enough, he hears Rika calling his name, and he gets swept away for clean up. Looks like they’re going to have to continue their conversation at the after party. 

[16:59]

叔母:

Toge. Answer me. 

Toge

[17:28]

[ You missed a video call from 叔母 ]

I cant talk right now

叔母:

Why?

[17:33]

[ You missed a video call from 叔母 ]

[17:35]

[ You missed a video call from 叔母 ]

[17:38]

[ You missed a video call from 叔母 ]

[17:44]

[ You missed a video call from 叔母 ]

[17:47]

[ You missed a video call from 叔母 ]

[17:49]

[ You missed a video call from 叔母 ]

Toge turns his phone off with shaky hands. 

“Is everything good?” Nobara asks him, eyebrows furrowed. They’re back in Yuuta’s Rolls Royce, Ijichi about to take them back to Lovelace to get ready for the after party. 

He nods, even though his phone feels like a heavy brick in his pocket. 

“Senpai,” Nobara chides, giving him a look. 

I’ll figure it out later, he signs. I don’t want to ruin Yuuta’s day. 

His answer makes Nobara pause. After a few moments, she lets out a sigh.

You better not run away again, she signs before turning away, the wrinkle between her brows deepening. 

@jfashion_culture:

DID I JUST HEAR THAT RIGHT? DID KARESHI-SAN SAY THAT HE’S WEARING AN “OKKOTSU YUUTA ORIGINAL” ????? #lovelace_fall_2026

<video_of_toge_@_redcarpet.mp4>

@kareshisanluvr: OMGGG WHAT… THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HEAR KARESHI-SAN’S VOICE, ITS SO PRETTY

 

@eee: OKKOTSU CUSTOM MADE HIM THAT OUTFIT?? 

 

@ooo: MAYBE THIS MEANS HE MADE THE OUTFIT KARESHI-SAN WORE YESTERDAY TOO???

 

@sss: omg he looks really good… I love the fit! 

@jfashion_culture:

YUUTA JOINS KARESHI-SAN AT THE LOVELACE RED CARPET!!! #lovelace_fall_2026

<yuuta_adjusting_red_bow_trail.jpg>

@okokyuuta: UMMM HELLO…. THE GLOVE DETAILING??? THE RED?? IS THIS REPRESENTING WHAT I THINK IT IS

 

@uuu: omg he looks so good

 

@qqq: ahh 🥹💜connected by the red string of fate 😭💜

 

@ddd: bro is this them hinting at a marriage or something

@tokyofashionweekupdates:

Okkotsu Yuuta bringing his mother onto the runway during his walk after the Lovelace show #lovelace_fall_2026

@okokyuuta: ahhh what a sweet and humble man 😭💜

 

@aaa: so sweet  of him to bring up suzuki-san! She raised him right for sure <3

 

@iii: you can feel the genuine love and respect they have for each other. What a lovely family. 

@fashion_news:

Okkotsu Yuuta giving his partner a rose from his bouquet at #lovelace_fall_2026

@kareshisanXyuuta: OHHHH MY GOD SAHFJDKSAFDSAFSD THEYRE SO CUUUUUTE

 

@okokyuuta: IM SCREAMING THEY ARE GOALS!!!

 

@www: are they ever gonna stop pushing their relationship into our faces?

@okokyuuta: @www you sound absolutely miserable. Go rot in hell

@hasaba_mimiko_news:

Hasaba Mimiko closing the #lovelace_fall_2026 show!

<video_of_mimiko.mp4>

@mimikochan4ever: SHE IS SO GORGEOUS SHE SLAYYYED AHHHH

 

@hasabaaaaddy: I’m tearing up, to think just two years ago she was still struggling to get into shows… now she’s closing out Lovelace! Congrats, Mimiko-chan! And thank you so much @lovelace_jp for giving her the opportunity to shine!

 

@mimimimiko: OMGGGG LOVELACE REALLY TREATED HER RIGHT, SHE LOOKS AMAZING! THE MOVING VEIL??? LITERAL INSANITY OH MY GOD

 

@uuu: I love that Lovelace decided to go with an up and coming model to close out the show instead of someone already super famous! Mimiko-chan, wishing you the best of luck, I bet all fashion houses want you to model for them now!

 

@eee: this piece is fucking incredible. This fashion show is seriously starting to feel like a cultural reset

“You actually did it!” Gojo exclaims by way of greeting, patting him hard on the back. Around them the Lovelace after party is in full swing, people laughing and chattering as servers walk by with plates of food. They reserved a whole restaurant for the after party, a high end Japanese restaurant his mom adores. It’s on the top of a skyscraper, a large balcony out in the back and floor-to-ceiling windows line the walls. 

“Why do you sound so surprised?” he grumbles. Still, when Gojo holds up his champagne glass, he raises his own, the two of them clinking their glasses together before taking a sip. 

“Nah, I always had faith in you,” Gojo replies, surprising Yuuta a little bit. His blue eyes are sharp and open, something he doesn’t see often. 

“Thanks,” he replies, giving the man a small smile. 

“So what now?” Gojo asks. 

The question makes Yuuta pause. “Whatever project my mom wants me to do next, I guess.”

Gojo doesn’t seem very happy with his answer, giving Yuuta a frown. 

“What?” he asks.

Gojo doesn’t respond. Instead he reaches over and flicks Yuuta’s forehead.

He flinches, previous experiences having him expecting pain, but it’s surprisingly gentle. He gives the man a befuddled look. 

“Is Satoru bothering you, Yuuta?” A voice cuts in. Yuuta turns to see Geto pull up beside the man. His comment makes Gojo roll his eyes. 

“Geto-san,” Yuuta greets, before glancing around. “Ieri-san isn’t with you guys?”

“Utahime pulled her away the first chance she got,” Geto answers with a shrug of his shoulders. He gives Yuuta smile. “Thanks for giving Mimiko-chan a chance to shine, Yuuta-kun.”

Yuuta quickly shakes his head. “That was all Rika. She was the one who recruited her.”

“Still, you gave her a beautiful dress,” Geto insists with a smile. He glances around the room, brows furrowing slightly. “I’m not sure where Mimiko-chan and Nanako-chan went.”

Yuuta mirrors the man’s actions, turning his head to study the crowd. He sees Rika chatting with some of her idol friends, Airi by her side. His mother is talking to Tanaka-san, the CEO of some other entertainment company that Yuuta can’t really remember the name of. 

Unable to help himself, Yuuta finds his eyes gliding over to where Toge is. He’s sitting down at a table with Nobara, Miwa and Kokichi, the four of them giggling over something. By the empty glasses at their table, he’s sure that they’ve all had a decent amount to drink. 

Yuuta’s been caught up with greeting people the whole party, and he had encouraged Toge to head off and have fun on his own, not wanting the man to stand around waiting for him. 

Geto follows his line of sight, before letting out a chuckle. “You’ve probably played host enough for the night, haven’t you? How about having some fun. This party is for you, isn’t it?”

Yuuta does a quick glance around. “I mean, I haven’t really talked too much to Gakuganji-san yet…”

“Oh, who wants to talk to that old guy anyway,” Gojo dismisses. The playful energy in his eyes is back. “Let’s go talk to your friends!”

He starts pushing against Yuuta’s back, leading him towards the table before Yuuta can protest. 

“I brought your man, Boyfriend-san!” Gojo announces.

Their arrival causes chaos to disrupt the table. Miwa chokes on her drink, breaking out into an agonizing-sounding cough, Kokichi looking at her in alarm. Nobara stands up so fast she hits the table, glasses shaking precariously. 

“Gojo Satoru!” she exclaims, just as Kokichi asks, “Miwa, are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine…” the blue-haired woman chokes out, gratefully accepting the glass of water Kokichi hands her. Her face is as red as a tomato. 

Only Toge remains relatively calm. He quickly meets Yuuta’s eyes and gives him a smile.

He smiles back, feeling himself get lost in the man’s eyes for a moment, before suddenly remembering his manners. He clears his throat, ignoring the heat in his cheeks as he turns towards Gojo.

“Gojo-san, this is Kugisaki Nobara, Kasumi Miwa and Muta Kokichi. They’re Inumaki-kun’s friends. Kokichi-san also created the moving mechanism for the veil.”

Miwa bows deeply at her introduction. “I’m… I’m a huge fan!” she blurts out. 

“Miwa…” Gojo begins, brows furrowing in thought. A realization seems to hit him, and he grins, snapping his fingers. “That’s the friend I sent a video message to!” he exclaims, pointing to Toge. 

Toge gives the man a surprised look, before nodding. Perhaps he didn’t expect Gojo to remember. But Yuuta knows by now that Gojo has a lot of talents, fanservice being one of them. 

“Y-Yes, that was me!” Miwa bursts out, bowing again. “Thank you so much for doing that.”

“Of course,” Gojo answers with a charming grin. “Anything for a loyal fan.”

Yuuta can tell it’s taking Miwa all her strength to keep herself composed. The girl nods, her flush spreading down her neck. 

“If it’s okay, may we please take a picture together?” she squeaks out. 

“Oh, yeah sure!” Gojo easily agrees. 

Miwa shoves her phone into Kokichi’s hand. The man looks resigned as he stands up to take a picture of the pair. Gojo places his arm around Miwa for the picture. Yuuta’s never seen the woman look so happy, not even when she scored the winning point for her championship game.

“Thank you so much!” she exclaims, bowing deep. 

“Wait, can I get a picture too?” Nobara asks. 

“Of course!” Gojo answers, obviously living off the attention. 

“Make sure to get my good side!” she barks at Toge, who seems unphased, the man crouching as he takes pictures from multiple angles. The ease in which he does it makes Yuuta wonder how often the man takes pictures for her.

“You don’t want a picture with me, Boyfriend-san?” Gojo asks with a wink, making Yuuta scowl. 

Toge laughs, before shaking his head. I’m okay, he signs, glancing at Yuuta.

Yuuta blinks in surprise, before glancing down, trying to hide his pleased smile. 

“Huh,” Gojo says, glancing between the two. “Suit yourself, I guess.”

“Did you just come here to tease me?” Yuuta asks, making Gojo grin. 

“Yep!” he exclaims. He pulls Yuuta into a headlock, making him yelp. His attempts to break away are feeble as Gojo starts ruffling up his hair. 

“Gojo-san!” He protests.

“Yuuta’s the type of person who needs someone to tease and poke fun at him sometimes,” Gojo says to the group, though his eyes stay on Toge. “He’s a bit of a gloomy guy, you know?”

Just as Yuuta thinks he’s close to breaking out of the man’s grip, Gojo releases him. “I’ll let you have fun with your friends!” He says. Before Yuuta can even blink, the man is practically gone, offering a wink before disappearing into the crowd. 

A few moments pass. Yuuta feels as if a hurricane just swept through. 

“OH MY GOD!!” Miwa cries, “I can’t believe that just happened. I’m seriously crying right now.”

“I’m happy for you,” Kokichi says, even if he doesn’t look happy in the slightest. Nobara starts chattering with Miwa, the women going through their pictures.

Yuuta decides to take this moment to fix his hair, frowning as he lifts up his phone to use as a mirror. 

Let me do it, Toge signs before walking over to him. He runs his fingers through Yuuta’s hair, violet eyes focused. Yuuta finds himself closing his eyes at the soothing feeling. 

“Done,” Toge says softly. Yuuta quickly opens his eyes. 

“Thanks,” he says with a smile. 

Toge grins. Gojo sure is something. 

Yuuta lets out a sigh. “I never know what’s going on in that man’s mind.”

Toge laughs. He’s looking out for you, in his own way. 

Yuuta lets out another sigh. “I know,” he admits. 

He ends up joining everyone at their table, sliding into the seat next to Toge. Nobara quickly grabs him a drink, ordering him to catch up. The five of them all clink their glasses together.

“Thank you, for all your help,” Yuuta says to Kokichi. “The show today wouldn’t have been a success without you.”

Kokichi just shrugs. “I didn’t do much. It was just one item out of the fifty or so you displayed. The show was mostly all your hard work.”

“But it was so cool!” Miwa protests. “The veil was the best, Kokichi!”

The man’s cheeks turn a bit pink at Miwa’s praise. “Thank you.”

It’s a fun time, hanging out with everyone. Nobara and Miwa get more and more giggly as the night goes on. Despite that though, Yuuta can’t help but become more and more worried as he studies Toge. Though the man is laughing along with his friends and following their antics, he looks a bit distracted, not participating as much as usual. 

“I think that’s enough for you, Miwa,” Kokichi says gently, grabbing her glass. 

Yuuta will admit the woman seems quite drunk. “But the party’s not over yet!” she slurs. 

“You have work tomorrow morning,” Kokichi reminds. The girl doesn’t resist when the man helps her out of her chair, keeping his arm around her. 

Kokichi turns towards Yuuta, nodding his head. “We’ll be heading out. Thanks for inviting us, Okkotsu-san. It made Miwa really happy.”

“Of course,” Yuuta says back. “Thanks for everything. Have a goodnight!”

“Goodbye everyone!” Miwa calls out. She gives everyone a hug before clinging onto Kokichi, the man leading her out.

Toge pokes Nobara’s side. How are you feeling? 

“I’m fine!” Nobara says, rolling her eyes at Toge’s look. The woman’s face is flushed red. “I’m drunk, but not that drunk.”

The last time you said that, you threw up in the train station bathroom. 

“This is different!” the woman denies. 

I’m gonna get you a glass of water, Toge signs. 

“I’ll get it,” Yuuta offers. “You stay here and keep her company.”

He pats Toge on the shoulder before standing up. He quickly heads over to the drink table, grabbing a glass of water. It has a lemon in it, and the worker behind the table is quick to replace the glass he took with a brand new one, pouring water and adding another lemon slice. 

Before he can make his way back to the table, he’s stopped by a familiar voice. 

“Nii-chan,” Airi calls out. She has a cocktail in her hands, but she looks quite sober. 

“Oh! Airi-chan,” he greets. “Are you having a fun time?”

She nods. “Are you?”

“I am!” he answers with a smile. “I was just about to give Kugisaki-san some water though, she needs it.”

Airi glances over to see Toge and Nobara at their table, lips curling into a frown. “Nii-chan…” she starts, before hesitating. 

Yuuta tilts his head. “Airi-chan?”

The woman plays around with the straw in her cocktail. “The outfits you made for Inumaki-san. They were really nice.”

“Oh,” Yuuta starts, a bit surprised by the topic. He grins again. “Thanks, Airi-chan. I’m glad you liked them.”

“It seemed like you put a lot of your heart into them,” the woman continues. “Did Inumaki-san say anything?”

Yuuta pauses. Toge had told him that he did think about Yuuta’s request, but to be honest they haven’t had a chance to talk about that yet. But he’s not super concerned about it right now— Yuuta had done what he wanted, baring his heart out. He’ll wait for Toge to do the same. 

Still, he’s not exactly sure why Airi is asking about this. “He said he loved them,” Yuuta tells her. “Why?”

Airi hesitates, before shaking her head. “Nothing. Nevermind. You go have fun, Nii-chan.”

With that she quickly turns around, walking away. Yuuta frowns, before deciding to drop it, heading back over to Toge and Nobara. 

It seems their table has gained another visitor. His mother sits by Nobara, the two of them chattering.

“Yuuta dear!” his mother calls out with a grin.

“Hi mom,” he greets back, placing the water in front of Nobara. “Please drink, Kugisaki-san.”

“Ugh, I told you guys I’m not that drunk!” She protests. Still, the woman takes some sips of the water anyway. 

Nobara and his mother continue to talk. Yuuta studies Toge again, nudging him with his knee. 

Want to go out to the balcony with me? He signs. 

Toge blinks at him, before giving him a smile. He nods, and the two of them stand up. 

“I’m going to show Inumaki-san the balcony,” he tells his mom. 

She grins a knowing grin. “Hehe. Have fun, you two.”

“ Mom,” Yuuta complains but Toge just lets out a laugh. They wave at them before heading out, weaving in and out of the crowd. 

The night summer air in Tokyo is still hot, but as August comes to a close, lately it’s been getting just a bit cooler. Yuuta lets out a sigh as he takes in the fresh air. There’s a few people here and there on the balcony, but most people are still inside, enjoying the air conditioning. 

“It’s a nice night,” Yuuta comments as the two of them walk over to the railing. Toge nods, placing his hands on the smooth stone as he examines the nightscape. Tokyo glimmers and shines in front of them. A beautiful sight, but Toge’s eyes don’t even seem to register it as the man gazes out into the distance. 

“Did something happen?” Yuuta asks, making the man turn to look at him. 

Toge blinks at him, eyes wide before glancing away, looking a bit guilty. How could you tell? 

Yuuta just shrugs, letting out a sheepish laugh. I don’t know. I just could. 

Toge lets out a sigh. I didn’t want to bring it up right now, he explains. This is your moment. 

Yuuta shakes his head. I don’t mind. Tell me. 

Toge doesn’t answer right away, shifting his weight from side to side. Yuuta waits patiently, giving the man an encouraging look.

My aunt messaged me, he signs eventually, making Yuuta’s stomach drop. 

“What did she say?” he blurts out, “is something wrong?”

Toge quickly shakes his head. It’s alright. She just wants to talk to me. But I’ll tell her I’ll go back next weekend, because of school. 

“Talk to you about what?” Yuuta presses. The thought of Toge returning there makes him sick with worry. 

Toge moves to cup his cheek with a soft touch, stroking his thumb against his skin. The feeling is comforting, and Yuuta finds himself relaxing almost against his will. 

It’s okay, Toge signs. I won’t stay long. I’ll just go home and talk to her and then come right back. 

Yuuta takes a moment to study the man’s face. His eyes, calm and clear for the first time tonight, makes Yuuta nod his head. 

“Promise?” he asks quietly. 

“Promise,” Toge whispers back. 

LOVELACE FALL 2026— TECH IN FASHION DONE RIGHT

Saturday was the day of probably the most anticipated show of Tokyo fashion week, the Lovelace show. Unlike previous years, Suzuki Ema, CEO of Lovelace, delegated her son Okkotsu Yuuta to be the head designer for the show. Many fans have been eager to know what the man’s vision for Lovelace will be, and the man definitely did not disappoint. 

The Lovelace Fall 2026 collection was definitely a homage to Suzuki Ema and Lovelace’s origins, Suzuki Ema’s signature lace designs and structures present in every work. However, there was still a large presence of Okkotsu’s personal creativity, a very smart path to take for the man’s debut fashion show. What really stood out was the man’s use of technology in each design. It hasn’t been the first time a designer has tried to include technology in their designs, but Okkotsu does it in a way that’s very special. The flashing lights or moving pins are not the main focus of the piece, but simple enhancements to bring everything all together. This lovely textured white one piece is a perfect example, the lights a subtle but very appreciated touch. 

<white_one_piece_halo.jpg>

As you can see, instead of bloating each design with flashy hardware, Okkotsu’s main focus of each piece is still the clothes. The lace design on each piece is breathtaking, the structures and shapes of each dress so carefully crafted. 

<more_runway_images.jpg>

Of course, the highlight of the show was the final piece, Hasaba Mimiko closing the show. Her outfit is Okkotsu’s interpretation of the well known Ada Lovelace portrait, where Lovelace gets their namesake from. Audiences were blown away by her moving veil. According to a short after-show interview from the man, the veil took months to make and perfect, and the mechanics of it were created by a college student who wishes to stay anonymous for now. If it’s one thing that Lovelace is known for, it’s definitely finding talent in unlikely places. 

<mimiko_on_runway.jpg>

Overall, the Lovelace show was an amazing debut for Okkotsu Yuuta, and fashion lovers are excited to see what else the man has in store. 

[ Article posted by Yonyo magazine ]

FASHION, FAMILY AND LOVE— AN INSIDER INTERVIEW WITH OKKOTSU YUUTA

If you’re familiar with the fashion world, then you most definitely have heard of Okkotsu Yuuta. Son of Suzuki Ema, the CEO of fashion powerhouse Lovelace, the man just had his debut show during Tokyo Fashion Week. 

The reception to the show has been immensely positive. How are you feeling about the impact the show has had?

OKKOTSU: It feels wonderful to have my work resonate with so many different people. I was honestly super anxious about how people will react to it, so it’s quite relieving to see that overall it’s been taken well. I feel incredibly grateful and honored. 

What did you want to express with this collection? 

OKKOTSU: *Laughs* well to be honest, I mostly just didn’t want to ruin my mother’s image. But I suppose because of that it kind of became a homage to her and the hard work she’s done. 

You and your mother are quite close, right? 

OKKOTSU: I mean, our whole family is quite close, I’d say. I feel very blessed to say that. 

Yes, that’s right. We saw your sister and your father at fashion week shows too. Would you say that family is important to you, then?

OKKOTSU: Of course. I would be nowhere without the support that my family has given to me, and am always trying my best to show them how grateful I am. 

To switch topics a little— you and your partner made quite a ruckus with your fashion show appearances this fashion week.

OKKOTSU: Haha… that was definitely unexpected. I’m not sure if people will believe me, but it seriously was unplanned. After the Usarabi show, brands just kept sending us clothes, and we just went along with it. I usually don’t really like being in the center of attention like that. 

Well, it’s safe to say that all the amazing couple looks have made people incredibly curious about “kareshi-san”... Any information you want to give us?

OKKOTSU: He’s a sweet, caring, kind and wonderful man. 

Still keeping your lips shut, I see. 

OKKOTSU: *Laughs* well, of course I’ll respect his privacy. 

There are specific looks kareshi-san wore that has really gotten fans in a buzz… is it true that the outfit he wore to the Lovelace show is an “Okkotsu Yuuta original?”

OKKOTSU: Oh, um… yes. 

Then was the outfit he wore the day before also made by you? 

OKKOTSU: Yes, it was. 

Both pieces seem to have some strong themes. What was your thought process in making these pieces? 

OKKOTSU: … Honestly, I was just thinking about him the whole time I was making them. How he’d look in them, what I wanted to show him. He’s been a strong presence in my life and his support for me has meant so much. 

Your two original pieces got a lot of online attention. Are you thinking of branching out and eventually starting your own personal fashion brand someday? 

OKKOTSU: I haven’t really thought about it too much. I still have lots of things I need to do at Lovelace. 

Many fans have been pointing out the mizuhiki knot on the first piece. What did you use to make the knot? Was it really rice paper cord?

OKKOTSU: I wrapped silk around some thick wire. I still wanted it to be a bit flowy while still getting the stiffness of a mizuhiki knot. 

The symbol and colors of the mizuhiki knot is hard to ignore. Is there a wedding in the future for you and kareshi-san? 

OKKOTSU: Oh um— well… I— I don’t know…

Haha, we can ask this question again next fashion week. How does that sound? 

OKKOTSU: *Laughs* alright. 

Yuuta closes his laptop with a sigh. 

He’s at home, sitting on his couch, a TV show he wasn’t really paying attention to playing in the background. He’s been at home for this entire week, the whole company getting a few days of break after fashion week. 

Though to be honest, he hasn’t really had a day of rest until today, being pulled into constant interviews ever since fashion week ended. 

He also hasn’t been able to talk to Toge the whole week. 

After their talk on the balcony, they were able to spend the rest of the party in overall good spirits. When Yuuta dropped the man off at his apartment, it was with a long, yearning kiss. 

But Yuuta hasn’t heard a single thing from Toge since, and it was now Friday. To be fair, the man was probably busy with school, and Yuuta hasn’t exactly been completely free either, still wrapping up fashion week stuff. But Toge is going to be leaving for his aunt’s place tomorrow, and Yuuta is still unbearably nervous about it. 

He glances at the time. Toge should be out of classes by now right? He grabs his phone, deciding to message the man. 

How was your first week back at school?

To his surprise (and pleasure) Toge answers almost right away. 

Inumaki-kun 💗:

Exhausting

What happened to just going over the syllabus the first week of school

Why do I have homework already

He lets out a chuckle, quickly responding back. 

Hang in there

After this semester you’ll just have one more year

Inumaki-kun 💗:

Ughhhhh

I can’t take this anymore

How has ur week been

I saw that u called me a “sweet, caring, kind and wonderful man.”

He feels his face start to burn. He knew there was a chance Toge would read his interviews but it’s still a bit embarrassing.

I did?

Sorry I don’t recall

Inumaki-kun 💗:

Oh really?

Yeah

Maybe you should come over

Help me jog my memory

Inumaki-kun 💗:

HAHA

Wow

Who are you?

The Yuuta I know isn’t this smooth

Where’s the Yuuta that walked into a door?

Are you ever going to let that go 😭

Inumaki-kun 💗:

Never :)))

…

But can I come pick you up 🥺?

Inumaki-kun 💗:

…

Yes 😊

When Toge opens the door to his apartment, Yuuta quickly pulls the man in for a hug, cutting off the man’s greeting. 

“Sorry,” he breathes out a bit sheepishly when he pulls away. “I just missed you.”

A flush spreads across the man’s cheeks. He pulls Yuuta back in for a hug, squeezing tight. 

Eventually, they make it down to Yuuta’s car, Toge playing his music as they head back to Yuuta’s apartment. In the elevator, Toge quickly updates him on his week. 

Nobara hasn’t shut up about fashion week, he signs. We started making a bingo card of her common fashion week phrases. I only had one more but then stupid Maki beat me.

He pulls out his phone to show Yuuta a picture of his handmade bingo card. On it, there are boxes with things like “mentions Ema-san” and “talks about her picture with Gojo.”

Yuuta laughs. “So what was the prize for winning?”

Toge sighs. We have to buy her coffee for a month. 

They soon arrive on Yuuta’s floor, heading inside his apartment. Toge’s quick to slip off his shoes, placing them neatly to the side before skipping over to the couch and plopping down on it with a sigh. 

Yuuta smiles, placing his work bag down and slipping off his suit jacket before sliding off his shoes. 

“Did you eat yet?” he asks. “Maybe we can order food.”

They end up getting some takeout, sitting next to each other at the kitchen island to eat. Yuuta ends up taking out some wine he had stowed away. 

It’s a perfect way to spend his Friday night, in Yuuta’s opinion. Talking and eating with Toge like this, the two of them getting warm and giggly from the wine. Toge looks just as gorgeous as he did on the Lovelace red carpet in his baggy T-shirt and shorts, both his feet on the seat of the kitchen chair he’s sitting on, elbows resting on his knees. 

“Thank you, by the way,” Yuuta murmurs, head in his hands as he studies Toge. “For fashion week. You worked really hard.”

Toge blinks at him, before shaking his head. Not as hard as you. 

“You did a lot. More than what was expected, even,” Yuuta insists. “I really appreciated it. So thank you.”

Toge doesn’t answer right away, eventually giving Yuuta a nod. His hands start playing with the bracelet Yuuta gave him on his wrist. The necklace his mother and father gave him is still around his neck. It makes Yuuta happy to see. 

I haven’t forgotten about your request, Toge signs, making Yuuta’s heart drop. The man avoids Yuuta’s eyes. I… I really liked the clothes you made me. And I’ve been thinking a lot about what you were trying to show. 

Yuuta swallows thickly. “Thank you,” he says again, voice quiet. 

Toge lowers one of his legs, foot now resting on the footrest of the chair so he can start bouncing his knee. He still ignores Yuuta’s gaze. I have a lot of things I want to say, but… is it okay if I give you my answer after I visit my aunt? 

Yuuta reaches over, gently placing his hand on Toge’s cheek to turn his head towards him, forcing the man to look into Yuuta’s eyes. 

There’s a storm in that violet sea, one that Yuuta’s not sure how to handle. As much as Yuuta’s confident in the fact that he knows Toge now, there always seems to be moments where he can’t tell at all what the other is thinking. 

Still. 

“Of course,” he finds himself replying. As if he could ever deny Toge anything. 

His answer makes the man sigh in relief, the storm clouds parting. He leans into Yuuta’s touch, closing his eyes. 

After dinner, they watch a movie, Toge snuggling into his side on the couch. But Yuuta can’t help but think that the two of them are both a bit lost in their thoughts. Still, having Toge next to him is a comfort, and he spends most of the movie running his fingers through the man’s hair. 

“Yuuta,” Toge whispers, shaking him out of his thoughts. 

“Inumaki-kun?” he’s quick to reply. 

Toge straightens up so he can look Yuuta better in the eyes. I want to thank you too, he begins. For everything. These past few months have meant a lot to me. You’ve shown me so many new things, and have been such a good friend. I’m never going to forget all that you’ve done for me.

“I feel the same,” he whispers back. For some reason he feels afraid to speak any louder. In the background, the movie continues to play on, voices chattering. “I meant what I said, on the red carpet.”

Toge gives him a small smile. I know. You’ve always shown me your heart, Yuuta. 

He feels his breath stutter in his chest. “Inumaki-kun—”

I should go home, Toge cuts in. I have an early train to catch tomorrow. 

He bites his lip, hard enough to draw blood. “Sounds good,” he says after a pause, forcing a smile. “I'll take you home.”

The ride home is silent, besides the music Toge plays on the radio. As always, Yuuta makes sure to walk Toge up to his apartment, their fingers interlocked. 

“Let me know when you get to your aunt's place tomorrow,” he tells Toge at the door.

Toge nods. I will . 

“Are you sure you don't want me to drive you?”

The man quickly shakes his head, giving Yuuta a small smile. Thank you, but I should probably go alone.

“Alright,” Yuuta relents, holding back a sigh. 

Toge reaches out, wrapping his arms around Yuuta's neck. He's quick to reciprocate the hug, bending over and pulling the man close, arms tight around his waist. 

“Goodnight, Yuuta,” Toge murmurs quietly, breath tickling his neck.

“Goodnight,” he says back. He takes a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of Toge's body pressed against his, the man's soft and clean smell. 

Yuuta doesn't know what Toge's thinking right now. But he trusts that Toge will tell him when he's ready. For now, it's enough. 

They end their night together with a kiss, one that Yuuta never wants to end. He hopes Toge knows what he's yearning to say with every press of his lips. 

I love you. 

The morning after the Lovelace show, Toge wakes up early. It's Sunday. The first day of the semester starts tomorrow. 

He goes through his typical morning routine, running on autopilot. After he's finished eating his breakfast, he dutifully cleans up the dishes, before sitting back at his small kneeling table. The flower Yuuta gave him sits in a clear vase he’s placed on the table. 

He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes. After a few moments he grabs his phone. 

[ You've started a video call with 叔母 ]

She picks up on the first ring. 

“So you have time for me now?” she drawls, voice sharp. She looks tired, sitting in the kitchen, dirty walls behind her. Her hair is pulled back into a messy ponytail, her lips turned down into a frown.

Toge holds back a wince. He raises his hands to sign, only to get cut off by his aunt.

“Don't bother,” she snaps. “Just come home. Now.”

Toge bites his lip. I have school tomorrow. It's the first week of the semester.

His aunt lets out a scoff. “Fine. Next weekend.”

Toge nods, glancing down at his trembling hands. 

“Alright. Bye.”

She hangs up. Toge practically melts onto the table, bending over and resting his head on the hard surface. He feels at a loss, heart still racing at the tense conversation. 

He knows what's waiting for him at home. But he can't seem to bring himself to ignore his aunt's order. 

His hand starts to play with the bracelet Yuuta gave him. He feels a rush of longing surge through him, even though he just saw Yuuta yesterday. 

He grabs his phone again, deciding to scroll through Twitter. He finds himself scrolling through the fashion week hashtags, smiling at some positive posts about Yuuta's work. 

Eventually he reaches a picture of him and Yuuta at the red carpet. Yuuta’s holding the end of the red bow on Toge's glove, the two of them smiling at each other softly. 

Yuuta's words ring through his mind.  

I think I was destined to meet you. And I’m never going to regret you.

The words ground him. He runs his fingers over Yuuta's bracelet once more. 

He knows what he needs to do. 

Inumaki-kun 💗:

Headed to my aunt's now

Sounds good! 

Let me know if you need me to pick you up. I'll be there ASAP. 

Keep me updated and stay safe 💜

Yuuta stares at the read receipt on his message with a sigh. It's been a few hours,  but the man hasn't responded.

He stands up from his desk, deciding to stretch. He was just on a video call with another journalist about fashion week, and had been sitting down a bit too long for his taste. 

His phone begins to buzz. He reaches out for it like a madman, hoping it’s Toge, but it ends up being his mother. Holding back his disappointment, he quickly answers the call. 

“Hi Mom, what’s up?” he greets. 

“Are you home?” his mother asks. Her tone makes him pause.

“I am,” he answers with a frown. “What’s wrong?”

His mother doesn’t answer his question. “Your father and I are on our way. Expect us to be there in about 10 minutes.”

She quickly hangs up. He feels himself start to sweat, heart sinking. What on earth is going on? 

His parents have been to his apartment before but they don’t come often. He starts quickly cleaning up, putting some dirty dishes away and wiping off the kitchen counter. 

Soon enough his parents let him know they’re here, and he quickly buzzes them in. It doesn’t take long for him to hear a knock on his door. 

He quickly opens it, blinking in surprise when he sees Airi and Rika with his parents as well. His sister is avoiding his eyes, looking strangely guilty, while Rika simply looks upset, arms crossed. His father is stone faced, while his mother remains scarily expressionless. 

“What’s going on?” He asks, letting them in. 

His mother doesn’t answer. She slips off her shoes, before walking over to the couch, sitting down on it the way a bird would gently perch itself on a branch. 

“Sit down with me, Yuuta,” his mother says. 

He does, though a bit hesitantly, sitting down next to her on the couch. His father stays standing, leaning on the kitchen counter, while Airi and Rika hop on the stools he has in front of his island. 

“Your sister has told us something concerning,” his mother begins. Immediately, Yuuta turns his head to look at her. Airi continues to avoid his gaze. 

“Is it true?” His mother continues. “That you and Inumaki-san aren’t really dating?”

Yuuta freezes. His heart rattles in his chest, palms turning sweaty as he starts to huff for breath. 

“Calm down, Yuuta,” Rika says, rushing over to sit by him, placing her hand on his back. “It’s okay.”

He clenches his teeth, glaring over at Airi. “You… how long did you know?”

Airi still doesn’t meet his eyes. “Since the first night I met him.”

“I tried to stop her,” Rika mumbles, but her words are quickly overshadowed by Ema’s. 

“So it’s true?” She exclaims. “Yuuta, is it really true?”

He doesn’t answer. He can barely look at his mother, shame and guilt overflowing within him. 

His father steps in. “It’s alright, Yuuta. We just want you to tell us the truth.”

He starts bouncing his knees. “It’s true,” he begins, voice low. “Inumaki-kun and I aren’t really dating. We ended up in this arrangement because of… a lot of different reasons… and I’ve been paying him this whole time.”

His admission creates a silence. Rika keeps her hand on his back, the warmth grounding him. 

“I don’t understand,” his mother says quietly, and when Yuuta finally manages to look at her, her expression looks heartbroken. “Why did you do this?”

“I didn’t want to disappoint you,” he murmurs, glancing away. 

Another silence. Yuuta continues to stare down at his knees. 

The sound of a sniffle makes him jerk his head up.  Tears are streaming down his mother’s face, dripping onto her cashmere sweater.

“Mom?” Yuuta breathes out, eyes wide in horror. “Mom—

“You always do this!” She suddenly bursts out, silencing him. “You always hide things from me! Why? Do you really not trust me?”

She suddenly stands up, storming over towards the kitchen. She rips open a cabinet door, making Yuuta wince as it reveals his medications he keeps stored there. 

Ema grabs a bottle and slams it onto the kitchen island, pills rattling. “You think I don’t know what this medicine is for? About your appointments with the psychiatrist? I know! You’re my son, of course I know! And I’ve been sitting here, wanting to know what happened to have you feel like this but not wanting to pry…hoping that one day you’d open up to me…”

“Mom,” Yuuta says, standing up to approach her. “I’m sorry—”

“Don’t apologize!” She snaps. “I can’t change the fact that I’m not the person you want to open up to. Even now, as you were explaining your relationship with Inumaki-san, I could tell that you were still holding back. But when you say you don’t open up to me because you don’t want to disappoint me, that hurts. It hurts that you think I would act that way.”

She sniffles again, and his father is quick to hand her his handkerchief. She dries her tears before blowing her nose, his father unphased as she covers his handkerchief with snot. 

No one else makes a sound. Rika stays on the couch, eyes wide, and even Airi looks surprised at their mother's outburst, mouth dropping open.

Yuuta stands still, reflecting over his mother’s words. 

“I… I never thought about it that way,” he admits quietly. “Mom, you’re someone who I deeply admire and love. I never wanted to burden you with my problems.”

“It wouldn’t be a burden,” Ema denies. “Yuuta, can’t you see? It’s an honor to be trusted by someone you love.”

Yuuta's phone starts to ring in his pocket, disrupting the tense atmosphere.  He scrambles to get it, eyes widening when he sees Toge’s name on the screen. It's surprising to have the man actually call him instead of doing a video call.

“It's Inumaki-kun,” he says, heart rate spiking. “I… I need to answer it.”

“I know,” his mother chokes out wetly. But despite her reddened eyes and stuffy nose, she gives him a small smile. “Because you love him, right?”

He finds himself tearing up too. What has he done to deserve such a great mother? 

“I do,” he says. “I promise I'll explain everything to you, mom.”

She stares deep into his eyes, before nodding. Yuuta quickly answers the phone.

“Inumaki-kun?”

“Yuuta,” Toge says, voice gentle through the phone, “can you come pick me up?”

Before Toge leaves for his aunt’s place on Saturday morning, he makes a pit stop. He takes Maki with him. 

“Are you sure?” the woman asks him as they stand in line. They're up next, a small queue behind them. 

Toge nods. It should've never been mine to begin with anyway. 

“But still, I'm sure that beansprout wouldn't want—”

“Next customer please!” the staff member calls and Toge walks over, Maki following behind him.

“Hi. He wants to—” Maki starts, used to being his interpreter for these types of things, but Toge stops her. 

She blinks at him in surprise, but stops, backing away. 

Toge pulls out his wallet, grabbing his card. He takes a slow, deep breath, ignoring the way the staff member tilts her head at him. 

His throat is tight, his hands clammy. Toge can't even remember the last time he did this seriously with a stranger, besides offhand phrases. But Toge has made his choice. And it's time for him to start moving forward. 

He takes another breath. 

“I'd like to buy some money orders, please.”

When Toge gets off the bus stop, the first thing he does is close his eyes and inhale the scent of the sea. 

It’s still quite early, a faint coolness in the morning air. He takes his time walking over to the house, enjoying the scenery. His backpack bumps against his back with every step. 

When he gets further into the town, he starts seeing a bit more people. Some older women hobble around with their carts filled with groceries. They make eye contact with Toge, before quickly turning away. In a tiny town like theirs, everyone knows everybody, and Toge knows that they recognize him. But his uncle’s reputation is bad, and throughout Toge’s entire life, his family has been seen as the one to avoid, the one that brings trouble. 

Soon enough, he sees his aunt’s house in the distance. He takes a deep, shaky breath, hands tightening their grip on his backpack straps. 

Like always, the front yard is dirty with trash, his aunt always getting overwhelmed with her job and other chores to take care of it properly. Toge does what he can, collecting the stray bottles and beer cans and consolidating them together by the recycling. There’s a lack of a TV roaring in the background— luckily, it seems like his uncle is either not home or still asleep.

When he’s finished, he walks up the front steps. But instead of going in, he quietly knocks on the door. 

There’s a pause, before Toge hears quiet footsteps approaching. There’s a sound of the door unlocking, before his aunt opens it, giving him a look. 

“Did you forget your key?” She asks a bit snappily, quickly turning away to walk back into the house. But Toge stays where he is. 

When his aunt notices, she turns back around, giving him a cautious look. “What are you doing? Come inside.”

Where is he? Toge asks instead. 

The question makes her pause. She lets out a sigh, turning away. “Who knows. Went out to drink last night and never came back. Probably asleep somewhere.”

Despite her uncaring response, Toge can see the worry in her violet eyes. 

You can’t save her. 

“But that doesn’t matter,” his aunt dismisses. “Come inside, Toge.”

He doesn’t move.

His aunt’s eyes narrow. She lets out a derisive laugh, crossing her arms. “I see your rebellious streak is back. I should have never let you go to Tokyo.”

She grabs Toge’s wrist, grip tight as she tries to pull him inside. But Toge stands firm, even as her nails dig into his skin. He rips his wrist away, doing his best to calm down his racing heart and steady his shaking legs. 

I’m not coming in, he signs. I just came home to explain to you. And then I’m going back to Tokyo. 

The look his aunt gives him sends shivers down his spine. He finds his fingers running over Yuuta’s bracelet again, avoiding her eyes. 

But he knows his aunt hates making a scene, not wanting to bother the neighbors. His uncle has done that more than he should already. She won’t do anything if he’s still outside on the doorstep.

She lets out another bitter laugh. “What a truly ungrateful child you are,” she murmurs, crossing her arms. “Fine. Go ahead and explain then. Explain why you’ve been slacking off in Tokyo, doing… fashion things instead of focusing on school. The school I’ve been paying for with my hard earned money. Explain why you lied to me when that Okkotsu Yuuta came.”

He starts to raise his hands, but his aunt keeps going. 

“God, Toge,” she hisses, “seriously what on earth were you thinking. What if he saw that article? Saw that it called you that man’s boyfriend? Did you think he’d just ignore that?”

Toge turns away. He’s more than well aware of what his uncle would’ve done if he saw. But he’s never even seen the man use the internet, and he still has no idea how his aunt even found out. How did you find the article? 

“What, you think I live under a rock?” She snaps back. “I look at the news all the time on my work computer.”

That unfortunately makes a lot of sense. He holds back a sigh.

For a few moments, there’s a standstill, the two of them just staring at each other. 

You already knew my relationship with him, didn’t you?  He signs to her. After all, it was his aunt that let Yuuta take him home last time. 

This makes his aunt pause. “You still didn’t tell me who he was, and what you were doing in Tokyo.”

I’m still in school, he points out. 

“Yeah, with bad grades!” She shoots back. “Probably because you were fooling around with him!”

He decides not to answer that, knowing that they’d just keep going around in circles. 

He’s a good man, he signs instead, after a pause. And he loves me. 

His straightforwardness seems to take his aunt by surprise. She pauses, giving him a wide-eyed look. 

He treats me well, he continues, he always opens the door for me. He gives me gifts. He likes taking me to places and seeing me have fun. He notices when I’m sad and always tries to cheer me up. He’s kind. He’s the kindest person I’ve ever met. 

For some reason, Toge feels tears spring up in his eyes. He starts blinking rapidly, holding them at bay. 

And I love him too. I love him so much it hurts. 

His words send his aunt into a shocked silence. After meeting his gaze for a few seconds she quickly looks down at the ground, brows furrowing. 

He decides that the timing is now. He reaches into his bag, digging around before pulling out the envelope containing the stack of money orders he paid for this morning. He makes sure it’s positioned in his hands so that it’s upright for his aunt, before handing it over to her with a small bow of his head. 

His aunt frowns, but slowly takes it. After studying it for a few moments, she opens it. Her eyes widen as she realizes what he's given her and she quickly flips through the stack. Toge can physically see her doing the math in her mind, totaling up how much money is in her hands.

7.2 million yen. That's how much Yuuta has given him so far, give or take.

"You..." She starts out, eyes widening. "Did Okkotsu Yuuta give you this?"

Toge doesn't answer that. He clenches his hands into fists, taking a shaky breath.

"I'm not sure if it will repay all the money you spent on me," he begins quietly, voice unsteady, "but it should be enough to pay off the debt.”

His aunt gapes at him. Toge hasn't spoken out loud to her like this since the accident. 

“It should also be enough money to move out,” he continues softly. “Away from him."

Her hands begin to shake as she stares back down at the money.

"I... I can't," she chokes out.

"You can," he says, "but that's not my problem, anymore." He turns around and starts walking off the front porch steps. It's then that he pauses, turning his head. "I won't come back here again. Bye."

His aunt doesn't say anything in return. He keeps walking.

As he gets further and further away from the house, a bounce returns to his step. He bursts out laughing, even as tears roll down his cheeks. He did it. He's free.

Quickly, he grabs his phone, and dials Yuuta's number.

It doesn't take long for the man to answer. 

"Inumaki-kun?"

"Yuuta," Toge murmurs, "can you come pick me up?"

Toge tells Yuuta to pick him up at the beach. 

He spends the hours the man takes to get there walking along the shore, listening to the waves. In this tiny, aging town, there’s hardly anyone spending their time on the beach, except for a few fishermen, and Toge enjoys the alone time. As the morning fades into noon, the sun rises higher and higher into the sky, warming up Toge’s skin. 

Eventually though, Yuuta arrives. Toge hears him before he sees him, the man’s footsteps padding through the sand. 

“Inumaki-kun!” Yuuta calls out, and Toge turns away from the sea to smile at him. The man is dressed surprisingly nice, a muted brown button up shirt and linen pants. Did he have an interview before he came here?

“Yuuta,” he greets back. 

He watches the way Yuuta’s eyes scan his body, as if checking for injuries. The man gently reaches out for his arm, the one Toge’s aunt gripped tightly just a few hours before. Luckily, it didn’t really leave any marks. He’s not sure what Yuuta would do if he saw them. 

“You’re alright?” Yuuta asks, brows furrowed. 

He nods. I’m alright. 

“What happened?” Yuuta presses. “Did you guys talk?”

Toge nods. I gave my aunt all the money you've given me, he signs.

His words create a silence. Yuuta gapes at him, eyes wide. "What? Why?"

Toge doesn't answer. He takes a moment to watch the waves. Despite hating going to his aunt's house, he's never once not been calmed by this town's beautiful shoreline. 

Yesterday, I told you I would tell you my answer after I saw my aunt, right? Toge begins. 

Yuuta blinks at him, perhaps taken off guard by the sudden change in topic. The man bites his lip, looking a bit anxious. “Yes, you did.”

Toge rocks back and forth on his heels, studying the sand. But I have a question I want to ask you first. 

Yuuta tilts his head. “What is it?”

For a moment, Toge studies him. The man’s dark blue eyes that he could so easily get lost in, the way his hair parts and shows off his forehead. The gentleness in his gaze as he gives Toge his full attention. He feels his heart pang with yearning. 

Why did you ask me to be your sugar baby? 

His question makes Yuuta pause, pink spreading through his cheeks. "Inumaki-kun?"

Toge just grins. I'm ready for your answer, now.

Yuuta's flush deepens. The man glances away, now taking his own time to look over the ocean waves. It takes a few moments, but soon Toge watches the man's expression harden to resolve. Yuuta turns back to face Toge, grabbing his hand. He takes the tiniest step closer.

"I... never wanted you to be my sugar baby," Yuuta admits, gaze focused on their hands. "I was just really nervous and messed up my words while asking you out. But you looked so excited about it. I couldn't say no."

Toge doesn't say anything, waiting for Yuuta to continue.

"I'm sorry for lying to you," Yuuta continues. "I just... really wanted to keep spending time with you. Because..."

The man looks up, and Toge feels pinned down by his dark gaze. Watches in awe as Yuuta pushes forward, even with his pink ears. He grabs Toge's other hand, holding on tight.

"Because I love you, Inumaki-kun. So much. I've been in love with you this whole time," he confesses.

The sounds of the waves, of the wind, of the seagulls flying overhead— everything fades away, until all Toge can see is Yuuta in front of him. Yuuta, who's loved him so kindly and patiently this whole time. And Toge loves him. Toge doesn't think he'll ever love like this again.

He braces himself, taking a deep breath. Yuuta seems to sense that he wants to say something, starting to let go of his hands, but Toge tightens his grip around the man’s fingers, making Yuuta look at him with wide eyes. 

“Inumaki-kun?” He says quietly. 

Toge gives him a trembling smile. 

“I… was really happy,” he starts softly, voice wavering. Yuuta gives his hands a squeeze. “When I saw the clothes you made for me. I could tell that your heart was in every single thread. And to be honest, it scared me a little. What have I done to deserve that? Even now, I still don’t know.”

He takes another shaky breath. Yuuta caresses his hands with his thumb, waiting patiently. 

“But I realized that despite how scared I was, I was still happy. You make me happy, Yuuta. And I knew that things needed to change if I wanted to keep that happiness.”

He leans in close, heartbeat pounding in his ears. "The reason why I gave my aunt the money," he murmurs, "is because I didn't want it anymore. I don't want to keep taking money from the man I love."

For a moment, Yuuta just blinks at him. Toge watches as realization slowly creeps over the man's face.

"What?" Yuuta breathes out. "What did you say?"

Toge feels his cheeks heat up. "I love you."

There’s a pause, before suddenly Yuuta's kissing him, a kiss so passionate it makes his toes curl. He eagerly responds, wrapping his arms around the man’s neck, humming in pleasure when Yuuta places his hands against his lower back, bodies pressing together.

They pull away for just a moment, their foreheads pressed together. “Say it again,” Yuuta breathes out.

Toge’s face feels like it’s on fire, but he obliges. “I love you.”

Yuuta kisses him again, so tenderly he almost wants to cry. He lets out a yelp when he feels himself get swept off his feet, Yuuta lifting him off and spinning him in the air, and he laughs into the kiss.

"You love me," Yuuta says softly when he pulls away, shifting his hold on Toge so he can carry him bridal style. They're definitely getting looks from the fishermen, but Toge couldn't care less. Not when Yuuta is looking at him like he's the only person in the world.

Toge nods, cheeks flushing, wrapping his arms around Yuuta's neck. Yuuta grins, leaning in to kiss him once more.

"Let's go home," he murmurs against Toge's lips. Toge doesn't hesitate to agree.

"But did you really have to give her all of it?" Yuuta complains as they walk back to the car. His face looks displeased, as if he can't stand the thought of Toge's aunt receiving anything, much less his own money, nose scrunching up. Toge finds it unbelievably cute.

Just consider it my dowry, he responds, stopping Yuuta in his tracks.

"What?" Yuuta asks, eyes wide, and Toge giggles, quickening his footsteps.

Yuuta runs after him, a light in his eyes. "What did you just say, Inumaki-kun?"

He chases after Toge, the two of them kicking up sand with their hurried footsteps as the sound of their laughter rings through the air. 

It doesn’t take long for Yuuta to catch him, wrapping his arms around Toge’s waist. Toge struggles against him, though it’s half-hearted as he continues to laugh. It turns into a shocked gasp when Yuuta picks him up again, throwing him over his shoulder.

“Yuuta!” He chides, but he’s giggling as the man continues to walk. 

“No more running away from me,” Yuuta says. “You’re stuck with me now.”

Toge smiles. He shifts his body, and getting the message, Yuuta adjusts them so that now Toge has his legs wrapped around the man’s waist, Yuuta’s hands on his bottom. The way Yuuta stares up at him makes him feel so warm and loved. 

I won’t run away anymore, he promises. I’m yours forever. 

Yuuta’s eyes darken. “Mine?” he whispers. 

Toge cups the man’s face and pulls him in for a kiss. 

Yuuta responds back eagerly, almost desperately. Toge lets out a gasp when the man squeezes his ass, stumbling forward until Toge feels himself get pressed against a hard surface. A quick glance lets him know that he’s pressed against a car, and if he weren’t so preoccupied with the way Yuuta’s hands slip underneath his shirt, he would’ve perhaps paid more attention to the fact that the car is definitely not the Rolls Royce, instead a smooth and sleek black sports car that lays low to the ground. 

Yuuta’s lips move to suck on his neck, making him gasp, running his hands through the man’s hair as he stumbles to open the door. When he manages to do so, instead of opening out, the door swoops upwards towards the sky. Toge barely has time to process it before Yuuta’s picking him up again and taking them into the car, reaching up to slam the door shut. 

It’s a tight fit, Toge’s back pressed against the steering wheel as he’s sitting on Yuuta’s lap, but he barely notices, moaning as he feels Yuuta’s bulge against his, rutting against him. 

Yuuta lets out a curse, hands fumbling to the side and frantically pressing some buttons. Eventually the seat starts to move back and recline, giving them more space. 

Yuuta pulls him in for another kiss, Toge gasping as he feels the man’s tongue. The kiss is wet and filthy, Toge whimpering into the man’s mouth as they continue to rut against each other.

“ Yuuta ,” Toge whines. He desperately wants more. 

“Fuck,” Yuuta hisses, “Inumaki-kun, I don’t have anything—”

“It’s fine,” he interrupts, “Yuuta please—”

The man lets out another curse, eyes wild as he pulls down Toge’s pants. Toge’s cock springs up to attention, making Yuuta grit his teeth. 

The man presses his fingers against Toge’s lips. “Suck,” he orders. 

Toge’s quick to obey, opening his mouth and taking in Yuuta’s fingers with a moan. He sucks at the digits eagerly, enjoying the way Yuuta watches him with a blistering gaze. When the man deems them wet enough, he pulls them out of Toge’s mouth, and Toge gasps when he feels the wet fingers press against his hole. 

He takes a deep breath to relax, and Yuuta pushes in with two fingers. Toge lets out a whine, burying his face into the man’s neck. 

“Okay?” Yuuta asks, and he quickly nods. 

Yuuta starts thrusting his fingers. Despite Toge’s efforts, it’s not as slick as either of them would like. Still, Yuuta does his best, thrusting and spreading his fingers in ways that make Toge tremble and moan into his neck. 

Soon enough, Yuuta’s pressing against that one spot that drives Toge wild. His eyes snap open, letting out a loud cry. 

Yuuta’s relentless, thrusting his fingers against it repeatedly, making Toge shudder, knees buckling. 

“Yuuta,” he chokes out, trying to squirm away, brain short-circuiting by the stimulation. 

But Yuuta tightens his arm around him, keeping him in place. He feels his eyes roll to the back of his head before he’s coming, back arching as he sees stars. 

He goes limp in Yuuta’s arms, breathing heavy. He’s made a mess of both their clothes, but Yuuta doesn’t seem to mind, letting out a pleased hum as he hugs him close. 

“So beautiful,” Yuuta praises, kissing the top of his head. “All mine.”

He feels himself flush, burying his face into the man’s neck. He can still feel the man’s hard cock pressed against him. He rolls his hips, making Yuuta’s hands quickly move to grip at his hips, the man letting out a hiss. 

“ Inumaki-kun,” he breathes out, and Toge holds back a smile. 

Come on, he teases, aren’t you going to make me yours? 

It’s like a switch has been flipped in Yuuta’s mind. The man suddenly flips them over, pressing Toge into the seats, the action causing the car to rock up and down. 

Yuuta pulls out his cock from his pants, spitting onto his hands and getting it wet. The action is way hotter than it should be, Toge’s gut twisting with want. 

Yuuta lines himself up before slowly pushing in. Toge whimpers, squeezing his eyes shut. 

“Should I stop?” Yuuta huffs out, beginning to pull out, but Toge frantically shakes his head, stopping him. 

After a pause, Yuuta continues again, slow and steady, until he bottoms out. Toge lets out a deep breath when he does, panting hard. 

“ Fuck, ” Yuuta groans. He takes a few moments, before asking, “you okay?”

Toge’s answer is a rocking of his hips, pushing back onto Yuuta’s cock. It causes both of them to moan, Yuuta’s fingers digging into his hips. 

He feels all of Yuuta’s restraints break loose. The man starts to thrust his hips at a relentless pace, making Toge lurch forward, whimpering into the leather seats. It hurts, but soon enough the pain is overtaken by pleasure, Yuuta’s cock hitting deep inside him, making him dizzy with want. There’s a faint scraping sound that happens with every thrust of Yuuta’s hips, and after a while, Toge realizes it’s the bottom of the car hitting the ground, the car rocking up and down from their movements. 

“God, you feel incredible,” Yuuta groans out. “I love you. I love you so much, Inumaki-kun. Ever since I first saw you, I wanted you to be mine.”

He feels tears spring up in his eyes. He turns his head, and getting the message, Yuuta leans forward to give him a kiss, their tongues brushing together. 

“I love you,” he breathes out. 

He watches the way Yuuta’s breath hitches. “Again,” he orders. 

“I—” he cuts himself off with a cry as Yuuta thrusts in unbearably deep. He takes a shuddering breath, trying to focus. “I… I love you.”

Yuuta grabs Toge’s cock, frantically stroking it as he buries his face into the back of his neck, body tensing as he comes with a loud groan. The stimulation is enough to send Toge over the edge again too, body jerking as he stains the leather seats with a whimper. 

Yuuta weakly rearranges them so that Toge’s back on top of him, the man plopping down on the leather seat, uncaring of the stains. 

“Fuck,” he breathes out, and Toge lets out a giggle. They spend a few moments in silence, still running off their high. 

Is it true? Toge signs after a while. 

Yuuta blinks down at him. “Is what true?”

That you wanted me the very first time you saw me. 

At this, Yuuta’s face burns red. “Um… well I—” he stumbles out, before letting out a sigh, giving him a sheepish smile. “Yeah. It was love at first sight, for me.”

Toge feels himself flush at the man’s admission. You’re just saying that, he denies. 

“It’s true,” Yuuta murmurs. Toge just buries his face into the man’s chest. 

“What about for you?” Yuuta asks.

His question makes Toge pause. I’m not sure, he signs. Every time we met, it just felt like you were slowly opening up my heart. And soon it was all yours. 

He feels Yuuta tighten his arms around him. He lets out a hum, enjoying the man’s warmth. 

What car is this by the way? He asks. Because the two of them are definitely not in the Rolls Royce right now.  

“Oh,” Yuuta begins, “it’s just the McLaren.”

Toge blinks. A beat of silence passes. 

“What?”

Yuuta tilts his head. “The McLaren.”

He feels as if he’s entered a new dimension. A McLaren? That fancy sports car Yuuji sent that one time in the group chat? 

He glances around. Now that he’s more sound of mind, he notices that the driver’s seat is on the left side, not the right, and that the interior is… well, quite sports car looking. 

You have a McLaren? He signs incredulously. 

“Ah, well… I hardly ever drive it, it was kind of a gag gift from my sister…” Yuuta says, scratching his head sheepishly. “But I sent the Rolls Royce in for a deep clean because of… you know… and when you called me I panicked so I just grabbed the first set of keys I saw…”

Toge gapes at him. No way did Yuuta just call a McLaren a gag gift. 

“I guess I’m going to have to send this car in for a cleaning too,” Yuuta continues with a sigh. “Oh, but don’t worry!” he suddenly rushes out. “I know it looks like a race car, but I’ll make sure to drive slow and steady on the way home.”

Toge stares at him, before bursting out laughing, throwing his head back. He’s not even sure why. Maybe because of how absolutely unexpected it was for Yuuta to have a McLaren, or because the idea of the man driving this race car home below the speed limit is so incredibly humorous. 

Or maybe it’s because he’s feeling happy. So unbelievably happy. 

“Inumaki-kun?” Yuuta questions, eyes wide. 

Toge just shakes his head, pulling the man in for another kiss. 

Toge kneels down, pressing his head to the ground. “I am so sorry,” he says softly. 

Yuuta kneels down next to him, also bending over in a bow. “We’re both really sorry. It was wrong of us to lie to you guys.”

The two of them are at the Okkotsu family home, kneeling down on the living room floor. After a quick stop at Yuuta’s apartment to clean themselves up, they had gone straight here, Yuuta telling him that the cat was out of the bag and they needed to explain everything. 

When they arrived, Yuuta was quick to take the lead, starting their whole story from the beginning. Airi, Ema and Souta sat in front of them on the couch, quietly listening. 

Now, Ema and Souta sit in silence as Toge and Yuuta stay on the ground. With every second that passes, Toge’s heart beats faster and faster. 

“Raise your head,” Ema orders, and Toge does, though a bit tentatively. The woman moves to kneel down in front of him, before suddenly pulling him into a hug. 

He blinks in surprise, hands floundering before hesitantly hugging the woman back. 

“Was everything you said to me a lie?” She whispers quietly. 

Toge quickly shakes his head, pulling back to sign. No, not at all. 

At this, Ema gives him a smile, pulling him back into a hug. “Good. Because I meant what I said too, Inumaki-san. I would love to have you as part of my family.”

His eyes start to burn with tears. He hugs her back tightly, blinking them away. 

“I’m sorry,” Airi says to him, before he and Yuuta are about to leave. 

Toge gives her a surprised look. You don’t need to apologize. 

“No, I do,” she rejects, crossing her arms. “I acted rashly.”

Toge shrugs. I kind of needed the reality check. 

At this, Airi laughs. “Maybe.”

Despite herself, the girl still looks a bit guilty, glancing down at the floor. Toge reaches up to pat her head, making her give him a wide-eyed look. 

Thank you for caring so much about Yuuta, he signs. I’ll make it up to you guys. 

“Inumaki-kun? We should get going!” Yuuta’s voice calls out. 

Toge waves goodbye to Airi, before quickly heading towards the door. 

The girl watches him go, letting out a sigh. “You already have,” she grumbles, before turning away, heading up the stairs to her room. 

By the time Yuuta’s driving them back to his apartment, the sun has long since set, the stars greeting them. It’s been a long day for both of them. 

Yuuta feels… brand new. As if he’s been reborn. He released a lot of his feelings today, and received just as many feelings in return. 

Before he and Toge left his family’s house, he had one last quick conversation with his mother. 

“I’ve hid a lot from you,” he had admitted to her, “but I won’t do that anymore. And… I’ll tell you what I’ve kept from you, too.”

His mother had given him a surprised look, before slowly letting out a smile. “Alright,” she had said softly, pulling him in for a hug. “I’ll be waiting.”

It’s an honor to be trusted by someone you love.

His mother’s words ring true as he continues to drive home, hand on Toge’s thigh. He finds himself smiling as he hears Toge hum quietly along to the music playing. It’s a familiar scene, but somehow it feels so much more intimate now. He gives the man’s thigh a gentle squeeze. 

In the elevator on the way up to his apartment, Toge lets out a yawn. 

“Tired?” Yuuta asks him. 

But Toge shakes his head, interlocking his arm around Yuuta’s and resting his head on his shoulder. 

Yuuta tilts his head so it’s resting on top of Toge’s, smiling softly to himself. 

When they enter Yuuta’s apartment, Toge doesn’t hesitate to make himself at home, quickly slipping off his shoes and jumping face first onto Yuuta’s couch with a sigh. Yuuta chuckles at him, observing him from the entryway. 

Toge turns his head to look at him. What? 

Yuuta just grins at him. “You love me.”

He watches red bloom across Toge’s cheeks. The man huffs, glancing away. Didn’t we establish that already? 

“Still,” Yuuta continues, now taking the time to slip off his shoes. “You love me.”

It’s hard to not be giddy at the thought. He walks over to Toge on the couch, sitting on the floor by his head so he can run his fingers through the man’s silver strands. 

Toge closes his eyes at the feeling. Yuuta smiles, admiring the man’s long eyelashes. 

“It almost feels like a dream,” he murmurs softly. When he thinks about how they started, all those months ago, it’s almost unbelievable how they got here. The Yuuta that first saw Toge working behind the counter at the convenience store, and the Yuuta now almost seem like two entirely different people. But he supposes both of them loved Toge just the same. 

His comment makes Toge open his eyes. It’s not a dream, Toge rejects. It’s real. 

Yuuta smiles at him. “Can you believe this all happened because I messed up asking you out?”

Toge lets out a laugh. He sits up, and Yuuta moves to sit between the man’s legs.

I’m glad that you did, Toge signs. To be honest, I’m not sure what I would’ve said back then if you asked me out correctly. 

Yuuta hums in thought, resting his head on Toge’s thigh. “So you would’ve rejected me. Got it,” he teases, and Toge lightly slaps his shoulder. 

I’m just saying I think everything happened the way it was supposed to, he signs. He hesitates, clearing his throat. 

“I think I was destined to meet you,” Toge echoes, voice soft. 

Yuuta pauses, eyes wide, before breaking out into a smile. He stands up, giving Toge a kiss. He whispers his response against the man’s lips. 

“And I’m never going to regret you.”

Epilogue.

Toge opens his mouth, but finds the words get stuck in his throat. He pauses, clenching his hands into fists. 

After a few seconds, his therapist seems to go easy on him. 

“You can sign,” Nanami kento says, and Toge lets out a shaky breath. 

For the most part, Toge still signs to communicate. He’s gotten a bit more comfortable talking, especially with people he’s close to, but it’s still been hard to get over the fear completely. For phrases that are more like a hard command, or words that could potentially have bad meaning, Toge finds himself freezing up the most. 

“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Nanami says, already reading his expression. “These things take time.”

Toge lets out a sigh, nodding. He’s been meeting up with Nanami for a few months now. Though the man might seem a bit distant at first, Toge’s learned that Nanami truly cares about all his patients. 

“We made good progress today,” Nanami continues. “And you seem to be doing well.”

Toge nods. Yeah, surprisingly, he signs, making Nanami give him a look. 

“Why do you say that?” Nanami asks. 

Toge pauses. I guess I’m just… not used to things going well for me. 

Nanami studies him. “That’s because you’ve made yourself get used to being unhappy,” he says bluntly. 

Okay damn, Toge signs back, feeling a big gagged. 

Nanami ignores his sass. “I’m not saying it was your own doing. You were in a harsh environment for many years, and your body reprogrammed itself to optimize your survival,” he states. “But you don’t have to be in survival mode anymore, Inumaki-san. Let yourself be happy.”

Toge nods, glancing down at his hands. He knows that Nanami is right. And though it’s a work in progress, he’s been feeling himself get used to the happiness little by little. 

“Anyway, we should probably end it here,” Nanami says. “You’ve got a bit of a tight schedule today, and you’re also my last patient before my vacation.”

Toge lets out a laugh. Enjoy your time in Malaysia, Nanami-san. 

For the first time the entire session, the man’s lips curl up into a small smile. The man nods, before ending the video call. 

Toge closes his laptop with a sigh, standing up and grabbing his things. He makes sure to grab the letter that’s been resting unopened on his desk. 

He takes a moment to stare out the window, enjoying the view. He moved into Yuuta’s apartment recently, and now gets to enjoy the man’s luxury views whenever he wants to. 

His phone buzzes, and he pulls it out of his pocket. It’s a text from Rika. 

Rika:

Yuuta is running late (of course) so I’m picking you up. You said the library, right? 

Yep

Thanks mom

Rika:

Don’t ever say that again

“Wow,” Rika drawls when Toge walks out of the lobby. She’s leaning against her fancy custom white Lexus, eyes covered in sunglasses. “Your school’s colors look awful on you.”

Thanks, Toge signs back dryly, glancing down at his graduation gown. He hates that he can’t really disagree. Maroon and gold don’t really suit his complexion. 

The two of them both step into the car, Rika waiting for Toge to buckle up his seat belt before driving off. 

“Is that from her?” Rika asks, glancing at the letter in Toge’s hands. 

He nods. 

Rika frowns. “I’m still surprised you invited her.”

He just shrugs in response. “How’s Yuuta?”

Rika lets out a laugh. “A mess. Though not as bad as when he had to decide which ring to get you. God that was awful.”

Toge chuckles. He holds up his left hand, staring down at the silver band around his ring finger. Though it looks a bit simple from far away, if you look closer, designs are engraved into the metal, along with strings of gems. 

Wedding planning for them has been quite hectic. Yuuta wants everything to be perfect, despite Toge’s reassurances that he’d be fine with anything. 

Of course, it doesn’t help that Yuuta is just in general always busy. After some encouragement, Yuuta has started to do work for his own fashion line, on top of Lovelace related things. It was a big step for the man, and Toge couldn’t be any prouder. 

Actually, Yuuta's just been taking a lot of big steps in general. The man is also back in therapy (the reason Toge started seeing Nanami is because of Yuuta) and a few months ago, he told his parents about his suicide attempt. It was a long conversation, one with a lot of tears— but everyone came out feeling a bit better. Toge knows that the man can only go up from here. 

Still, despite his busyness, Yuuta squeezes in any time he can for wedding planning. In fact, right now he’s meeting with their wedding planner about decorations. Usually, Toge joins him for these meetings, but today he’s got his own schedule. 

They soon arrive at his university’s library. 

Thanks for dropping me off, he signs to Rika. 

The woman nods. “I’ll see you later. Congrats, Toge-kun.”

He smiles, getting out of the car and waving goodbye as she drives off. When she’s gone, he quickly starts walking up the steps of the library. Other students dressed just like him pass by, some of them posing on the steps for some nice pictures in their gowns. 

“Finally!” Nobara exclaims loudly when he walks in through the doors. It makes others in the room look at her but she doesn’t even notice. Megumi cringes, letting out a sigh. 

Sorry, Toge signs, quickly heading over to the table. He plops down on a chair next to Maki. 

“God, these gowns are awful,” Maki says, tugging at his sleeve. “They should really change them.”

She’s the only one not dressed up, having graduated a year ago already. But they needed all of them back together for today. 

“I can’t believe it’s going to be the last time we’ll be together in this library,” Yuuji says soberly. His graduation cap is sliding off his head, and Megumi moves to fix it. “We spent so much time here.”

“If only you spent more of that time actually studying,” Megumi grumbles. 

“Hey, we graduated, didn’t we?” Nobara snaps back. “We studied enough!”

They quickly fall into their easy routine of chatting and teasing each other. It makes Toge smile. There were a lot of ups and downs, but he’s thankful that he was able to make such good friends at this school. 

He pulls out the letter, placing it onto the table. It causes the conversation to stop, everyone staring down at it. 

“Is that from… you know?” Yuuji asks, and Toge nods. 

“I…” he starts shakily, before clearing his throat. “I wanted to open it with you guys. Is that okay?”

“Duh,” Maki deadpans, while Nobara says, “of course it is, you idiot!” Megumi gives him a firm nod, while Yuuji pats him on the back. 

Toge gives them all a thankful look. Slowly, he opens the letter. 

A few months back, Lovelace had received a letter addressed to him, his aunt’s name on the return address. The address listed was a new one, one that Toge didn’t know. 

Within the letter was a small stack of money orders, and a small note. 

I didn’t need the rest. 

He was with Yuuta when he opened it. The man had held him tightly as he cried— even now he’s not sure what he was feeling back then. Perhaps hearing from his aunt again resurfaced some bad memories. But maybe, he also felt relief. Relief that she took his advice and left. 

He ended up sending a reply, not really expecting an answer. That is, until he received one just a few days ago. 

His friends all surround him as he pulls the letter out from its envelope. After a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder from Yuuji, he unfolds it. 

Toge,

Thank you for the invitation to your wedding. 

I unfortunately must respectfully decline. 

Please accept this gift to compensate for my absence.

I wish you the best. May you have a happy and blissful marriage. 

— 叔母

“Well, that makes sense,” Maki grumbles, while Nobara digs into the envelope. 

“Woah, she sent 30k,” she says, pulling out the stack of money. Yuuji peeks over her shoulder, staring at the bills. 

“How do you feel?” Megumi asks him. 

Toge runs his fingers over his aunt’s handwriting. 

“Good,” he says quietly. He folds up the letter, placing it back into the envelope. It’s as if a door has finally been shut behind him. I feel good. 

The graduation ceremony is, as expected, a long and tedious affair. Toge zones out most of it, though he does make sure to clap loudly when his friends grace the stage. 

As he’s waiting for his name to be called though, he also spends some time reflecting on himself. Toge is graduating with absolutely zero job prospects— it was obvious to everybody that business wasn’t really something he was into. He even still has his job at the convenience store, helping out Kirara a few times a week.

After living a lot of his life on standby, he’s now in a position where he can figure out what he actually wants to do. It’s a position he isn’t used to, but as Nanami said earlier, he needs to learn to get used to it.

Lately, he’s been helping Panda out at the livehouse. It’s been fun, helping out there, and Panda definitely appreciates the extra set of hands. Toge likes being a part of the music, even if only marginally. 

He can tell that Yuuta loves the idea of him getting into music, but Toge’s decided to take things slowly, one step at a time. He still has a lot to work on in terms of himself. 

“Inumaki Toge!” the announcer calls out, startling him out of his thoughts. He quickly stands up, hurrying over to the stage. 

He takes the diploma handed over to him, giving the university president a handshake. When he glances over into the crowd, he catches Yuuta, Rika, and the rest of the Okkotsus cheering loudly. It makes him grin, even if it’s a bit disruptive.

“Your family?” the president asks. He thankfully doesn’t look too bothered. 

Toge’s grin widens. “Yes,” he answers, before heading off the stage.

“Congratulations, Toge-kun!” Ema cheers, pulling him into a bone breaking hug. “By the way, Airi’s sorry that she couldn’t make it. But she’ll be back soon to celebrate!”

It’s after the ceremony. Crowds of students and families are everywhere, students thanking their families for coming while families shower their students with love. 

Souta gives him a huge bouquet of flowers. “You worked so hard! We’re so proud of you, Toge-kun.”

Rika plops a card into the bouquet. “This is for you, too. Congrats.”

He smiles. “Thank you.”

“Okay enough, it’s my turn now,” Yuuta grumbles, and Toge laughs as the man pulls him into a tight hug. 

“Sorry I couldn’t pick you up earlier, Toge-kun,” he says, but Toge just shakes his head. 

Did you pick some good decorations? He asks. 

Yuuta beams. “Yeah! I can show you them later, maybe on the flight. Everything’s packed and ready!”

“Toge!” Maki calls out, making him turn. Nobara and the others are behind her. “Let’s take a picture!”

“Oh, let me take it!” Ema offers. 

“Ema-san!” Nobara exclaims, and Ema laughs as the girl quickly hugs her.

The five of them line up for a picture, Ema quickly taking a bunch. It quickly starts a chain reaction of photos, Toge taking pics with the Okkotsus and Rika, then with just Ema and Souta, one with just Yuuta and Rika, and so on. 

“Okay enough, we have a flight to catch, mom!” Yuuta protests. 

“Wait what?” Nobara blurts out. “Where are you guys going?”

He interlocks an arm around Yuuta’s, giving his friends a smug smile. 

Yuuta’s taking me to Okinawa. 

A few hours later, the two of them are walking on the sandy beaches of Okinawa. Yuuta was apologetic that the trip had to be delayed this much, but Toge didn’t mind. They’ll be staying here for two whole weeks, in the private beach house Yuuta got for them, taking their time to relax together. 

It’s beautiful, Toge signs, smiling as he looks out past the shoreline. The beach will always feel comforting to him. 

“It is,” Yuuta agrees. He reaches out to grab Toge’s hand, their matching rings shining in the sunlight. 

He studies their hands fondly, caressing Yuuta’s skin with his thumb. 

Toge knows he has a lot to work on. But he also knows that Yuuta’s going to be with him every step of the way. 

“I love you,” he says softly. 

His words make Yuuta smile. The man pulls him close, cupping his face with his hands. 

“I love you too, Toge-kun,” he says warmly, pulling him in for a kiss. 

A loud grumble from his stomach interrupts them. He feels himself flush. 

“Ah,” Yuuta says, “I guess we didn't eat dinner. We can go out to get something, or…” the man trails off, giving Toge a grin. “I brought some ramen?”

Toge blinks, before letting out a loud laugh. “Sure,” he agrees. “Let's eat some ramen.”