"Even now, I felt that it was fate for us to meet. If we didn't meet that day, I'm not sure if I'd continue to high school, or even graduate middle school at all," Yanagi looked up at Aoi, straight into his eyes. "I never felt so lucky before I met you."

Aoi's heart fluttered from Yanagi's words. He felt like a thousand butterflies were running rampant in his chest and were about to burst out.

He never expected Yanagi could and would convey his feelings so straightforwardly. Moreover, there was no hesitation whatsoever in his words.

Not once did Yanagi stutter.

"I'm sorry," Yanagi let Aoi's finger go. "I must be burdening you with my feelings."

"If you haven't noticed it yet, I'm actually having fun with it," Aoi took the lukewarm compress away. "But truthfully, you made my heart flutter just now."

"R-really?" Yanagi fidgeted, feeling a bit giddy.

"Mn," Aoi cleaned the tray and returned the tools they used to their rightful place.

Yanagi watched Aoi's every move faithfully.

He knew that although Aoi teased and bullied him every day, there was no ill intent in his actions. He was willing to be played with by Aoi if it meant Aoi would be comfortable with him having affection towards him.

Aoi was a nice person. He didn't try to be, but that was just who he was.

Sometimes he felt that even Aoi himself wasn't aware of that.

Aoi looked back to see Yanagi staring at him in a daze again. It made him curious what was inside Yanagi's head every time he did so.

Was it full of him?

Thinking about it somehow made him self-conscious.

He wondered what the normal reaction for a guy was when another guy confessed to him. Another guy who was his former stalker and had a bad rumor in his class.

Certainly not what he was experiencing right now.

"You know, Yanagi…" Aoi grabbed a glass of water from the dispenser, "...should we try it?"

Yanagi blinked. He didn't know what Aoi meant but he first nodded, "What do you want to try, Aoi?"

"Let's date," Aoi resolutely said.

Yanagi choked on his breath and coughed violently. Anticipating his reaction, Aoi handed him the water in his hands.

He drank it until his coughing calmed down and looked at Aoi in bewilderment.

"A-A-Aoi…!? What do you mean–"

The bell rang, cutting off Yanagi's question.

Once it was done, Aoi patted Yanagi's head, "Well, I'll be in your care, Yanagi. I'm going back to class."

Yanagi touched his head blankly as Aoi left and closed the door.

What did Aoi mean he would be in his care?

He wasn't hallucinating?

Did Aoi really just accept his confession?

They were dating now!?

So suddenly!?

His heart wasn't ready yet!!

Outside, Aoi leaned onto the door and covered his uncontrollable smile.

Yanagi was really too cute.

After realizing his lack of aversion towards Yanagi's affection towards him, the image of them dating wasn't as difficult to imagine as before. He wasn't sure if he could kiss Yanagi though, but he was fine with light physical touches.

Well…

Maybe they could use summer vacation to get used to their new relationship. It had been a while since he looked forward to summer vacation this much.

***

Aoi was on his way back to class, from music class when he encountered Yanagi' class who were also heading back. If he remembered correctly, they should've just finished their science class. He inevitably remembered some of Yanagi's class schedule, especially the ones before and after lunch break.

He was already used to their gazes at him and ignored them. Yanagi wasn't there with them, probably going to buy their lunch.

From what he researched these last few weeks, he was certain that the rumour about Yanagi must be false or altered. If Yanagi assaulted someone in middle school, he couldn't be out this free right now.

The question was, who spread that rumour in the first place? It was too out of line.

He hadn't asked Yanagi what the truth was yet. He wanted to wait until Yanagi told him out of his own initiative. There must be some degree of truth which made him avoid the topic when they were together.

Or maybe Yanagi couldn't trust him with such a sensitive topic yet.

Either way, he never really cared what a person's past was. In the end, it didn't completely define the person themselves in the present.

A hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder. When he turned around, he found it was the same student who warned him about Yanagi.

"Come with me," the student dragged him away.

Aoi, "?"

He followed the student to the outdoor stairway and leaned on the balcony. Every time he went to the classroom to pick up Yanagi, this guy always looked at him with hundreds of scoldings and rebukes in his eyes.

After several times visiting Yanagi's classroom, he found that the caramel-haired guy's name was Kanzaki. Vice versa, Kanzaki must've also known his name though he wasn't sure whether Kanzaki knew his full name or only as Aoi.

"You," Kanzaki turned around after locking the door. "Why do you still let that cre–Suda hang around you?"

"And why do you care?" Aoi raised an eyebrow. "So far, I couldn't be more safe and sound and we're not familiar with each other."

"I knew it," Kanzaki huffed. "I guessed it was as such when you first came to our classroom."

Aoi tilted his head in askance, "What are you talking about?"

"We're from the same elementary school," Kanzaki pointed at Aoi then at himself. "Hanamori Private Elementary, class 6-B."

"I did study there…" Aoi tried to recall it. "But I don't really remember everyone in my class."

"Why am I not surprised?" Kanzaki scoffed. "All you ever cared about were the class's fishes and the school's rabbits."

Aoi, "…"

It wasn't like he didn't know all their names back then. He just chose to not keep them in memory.

"That's why I'm telling you as a friend, alright? Run away from Suda," Kanzaki grabbed Aoi's shoulder with a solemn face. "You don't have any friends, do you? I'll be your friend. No need to be desperate and tolerate a creep."

"…Can I punch you once?" Aoi gripped Kanzaki's shoulder in return.

The door suddenly rattled, surprising the two of them. The person only tried a few times before giving up.

Kanzaki returned his attention to Aoi, "I'm serious here. One of my classmates was from the same middle school as Suda. She said that the victim was her clubmate and Suda was taken into custody by the police."

Aoi digested the words and became interested.

So, the one who spread the rumour was Yanagi's former schoolmate. Since she was a girl, it was possible that she told her classmates purely out of fear.

But that didn't necessarily mean that she did it without any malicious intent.

"And?"

"He returned back to school as if nothing happened! His victim was so traumatized that she moved to a different school in a different region a week later," Kanzaki slapped the balcony impatiently. "Now you believe me?"

"No, not really," Aoi folded his arms. "There are too many questionable points in the story."

"Why are you so stubbor–"

"Kanzaki."

Kanzaki shuddered from the call and looked up with Aoi to the stair landing above them.

There, Yanagi stood with an unreadable expression on his face. His eyes drilled into Kanzaki's being, bringing a heavy amount of pressure with them.

Aoi had never seen Yanagi so pissed before. More accurately, he never saw Yanagi angry at all.

It was an interesting sight.

Seeing Yanagi descending down the stairs, Kanzaki backed away and fearfully looked at Aoi.

"You, think about my words carefully," he reminded and hurried back inside.

Aoi didn't bother giving a reply. He turned to Yanagi to see that the other's eyes were still preying on Kanzaki's shadow.

He straightened up and walked to the stairway leading down, "Let's go. I found a better place to eat lunch."

"Aoi…" Yanagi hesitantly called out.

"Yeah, I knew, if you're wondering," Aoi glanced back at Yanagi. "I wasn't trying to test you or anything. I'm not the type to believe this kind of thing easily before seeing or experiencing it myself."

"..."

It was when they were walking home did Yanagi finally speak up.

"I never assault anyone…" he grimly said, "...in any kind of form."

Aoi hummed, signalling him to continue.

"That day, I found out by accident that my classmate was having an illegal affair with one of my teachers. I caught them red-handed in the middle of doing it," Yanagi's expression darkened.

Aoi could see where this was going. And as he guessed, the classmate retaliated.

"She lied and told everyone that I tried to assault her and the teacher she was in an affair with was the one who saved her," Yanagi's voice gradually lowered as he continued to speak. "I never intended to report her, but who could blame her? Still, it's…disappointing that not even my closest friend believed my innocence…"

"…"

Not hearing any reply from Aoi, Yanagi quickly snapped out of his thoughts, "I-I'm sorry…I talked too much, didn't I?"

Aoi shook his head, "No, not at all."