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Kouchi groaned as soon as he looked up and saw Taiga at the empty seat across him. “No,” he said when the brunette opened his mouth to say something. He would have laughed at the indignant look on Taiga’s face if he wasn’t so annoyed. That was probably the sixth time that Taiga was about to ask him the same thing, and yes, he knew what Taiga was about to ask him because the other brunette looked sheepish at first.
Taiga huffed, the audacity. If anyone, he was the person who should be annoyed at the situation.
Kouchi shook his head, before returning his attention to his laptop.
“Hey, don’t ignore me!”
Kouchi looked back up. “Then, stop trying to find me dates for the gala.”
It was one of the few galas hosted by their university. This particular one though, is a gala to get more sponsors for scholarships. Every year, the university would invite two students with the highest CGPA to attend, and each of them could bring a plus one.
This year, Kouchi was one of the lucky—or unlucky, depending on perspectives—ones that was chosen to represent the scholarship students at the university.
Taiga usually attends too because his dad, Kyomoto Masaki, was on the board of directors. Unfortunately, this year, his piano competition in Prague fell on the same weekend as the gala. Hokuto and Juri would be going with him, for moral support.
Since not attending wasn’t an option, Kouchi would rather go alone than with someone he didn’t know but Taiga wouldn’t hear of it.
“I heard Horie Takeru would be attending the gala as well,” Taiga exclaimed. “Remember what happened the last time you were left alone with him?”
Kouchi didn’t answer, but he did remember. It was a few months ago, during a party hosted by Taiga’s parents. Horie Takeru was there, because he was the son of an acquaintance of Taiga’s parents. He had the unfortunate experience of meeting Takeru alone. At that time, Taiga was off playing the part of a host, and Juri and Hokuto were late because of their group meeting at the university. Apparently, Takeru couldn’t get a hint no matter how many times Kouchi said he wasn’t interested. Fortunately, Taiga managed to save him before things went too far. But because of that incident, Taiga became a mother hen, especially when Horie Takeru was near Kouchi.
“Won’t you let me have a peace of mind while I’m in Prague?”
Kouchi pouted. “You don’t play fair, do you? You’re trying to guilt trip me into taking whoever it is that you found and vetted to be my date for the gala, aren’t you?”
“Is it working?” Taiga asked.
Kouchi sighed before finally conceding. “But I have a condition before agreeing to this.”
Taiga grinned. “Name it.”
“Me and my stupid mouth,” Kouchi groaned, slumping down on the kitchen island of The Zone Bakery and Café. He should have known the “condition” he came up with would come back to bite him. He didn’t think the person Taiga has roped into accompanying him to the gala would agree to go on a date with him—so that they could get to know each other—before the gala. At the other end, Fuma was up to his elbows in his work; multitasking between making his pastry cream and his choux pastry. When Fuma didn’t comment on it, he peeked up at his childhood friend. “Are you listening?”
Fuma shot him a look. “Go bother Nakajima if you want to talk,” gruffed the younger man. “I’m busy enough as it is.”
Kouchi resisted the urge to comment on Fuma calling Kento by his surname instead of his given name. He really didn’t want to open that can of worms, especially not when Fuma was still so frustrated that the another pâtissier that was employed at the café had quit so suddenly. He didn’t know what happened there but it was enough to make easy-going Fuma so angry, so he didn’t want to test Fuma’s patience today.
Kouchi slowly stood up. “I guess I’ll just go and bother Kenty now.”
The café was packed, which was normal for Kento and Fuma’s café on a Saturday. Kento threw an apron his way when he slipped behind the counter.
“Fuma threw you out?” Kento asked, a wide grin on his face.
“Shut up,” Kouchi said, but he was smiling.
Kento laughed. “I don’t know why you think you’d find sympathy with Fuma, especially when he’s in a bad mood.”
“Don’t you start,” Kouchi said, elbowing the other man playfully as he sat on the barstool behind the coffee machine. He sometimes would help out at the café, in exchange for Fuma’s heavenly baked goods. “I wouldn’t be in this situation if Taiga wasn’t such a mother hen.”
Kento, who also sitting down on the barstool behind the cashier, replied, “Well, he wouldn’t if there wasn’t any reason too.” He completed his sentence with a raised eyebrow directed at Kouchi.
“Once! It happened only once!” Kouchi exclaimed. “And I’m better at standing my ground now.”
Kento shook his head, amused. During the temporary lull in conversation, they heard a string of curses from Fuma, his voice carried out through the thin wall separating the kitchen area and the front of the café.
“I better check up on him,” Kento sighed. “Help me man the cashier, will you?”
Kouchi nodded. “Don’t worry about it.”
Kouchi took out his phone, scrolling through Instagram since there wasn’t any new patrons coming in. He looked up briefly when Marius came by to grab his from under the counter. “Leaving already?”
The younger boy nodded. “Yeah, I only have a half-day shift today.”
Kouchi grabbed the paper bag with Marius’ name written on it in Fuma’s handwriting, and passed it to the taller boy. Both Fuma and Kento had a soft spot for Marius, and decided that they needed to feed the younger every chance they got because “Marius is too skinny”. Kouchi had to wonder how all of his friends ended up being mother hens.
Not long after he heard the bell jingling when Marius left, Kouchi heard it again as a new person entered. The newcomer wasn’t one of the regulars at the café, he knew because he spent a lot of time there. Nevertheless, Kouchi plastered on a friendly smile on his face, and greeted the man cheerfully. The smile quickly turned into a worried frown when the blue-haired man seemed to trip over air and almost crashed into one of Shori’s potted plants by the doorway.
‘Oh no,’ Kouchi thought as the man made his way towards the counter, cursing under his breath and blushing all the way down his neck for almost faceplanting into things. Kouchi felt a stirring in his heart, and he knew all too well that he was feeling attraction towards this stranger.
Where was Kento when you needed him?
Putting a smile back on, Kouchi said, “Welcome to The Zone Bakery and Café. Is this your first time here? Would you like a recommendation?” Kouchi wanted to backtrack when the newcomer seemed a little overwhelmed and he mentally kicked himself. He should’ve have waited for the man to reply before asking more questions.
“You,” the man said before making this funny noise at the back of his throat and turning another shade of red. He scratched the back of his neck and quickly said, “I meant, I want you to give me some recommendations please.”
Kouchi’s eyes widened. “Uhm…I don’t speak English,” he replied awkwardly.
The man made another unintelligible noise before crying out, “Sorry!” and immediately rushed out the door. Kouchi stood there, baffled, and Fuma—who happened to catch the end of his interaction with the blue-haired man—gave him a raised eyebrow full of judgement.
“Why did you scare away a customer?”
“Do I really have to?” Kouchi groaned. He glared at his best friend when the brunette unapologetically all but jumped onto his bed. Taiga started wrapping arms and legs around him, so he wiggled, trying to push the brunette off of him.
“Get up and get dressed, Yugo,” Taiga told him. “We have places to be.”
“It’s a Sunday,” he said. He blindly reached for his phone and groaned when he saw that it was only half seven in the morning. “I regret letting you keep the extra key to the apartment,” he muttered. “Why do I need to be awake so early on a Sunday?”
Taiga sat up cross-legged on the bed. “We’re going on a double date.”
“What do you mean by we?”
“Hokuto, Juri and I, and you and Jesse,” Taiga answered.
“Who the hell is Jesse? When did I even agree to this?”
Taiga gave him an unimpressed look. “He’s Juri’s friend, the one I’ve been telling you about.” After a short pause, he added, “You were the one who came up with this condition.”
Kouchi groaned and attempted to cover himself with the duvet once more, but Taiga pulled it off him. “Why does it have to be this early on a Sunday, of all days?”
“Because I’m leaving tomorrow, and this morning is the only free time I have,” Taiga answered in a matter-of-factly manner.
Kouchi sighed, “Fine.” He swore he heard Taiga cheered so he turned a glare at his friend. “Why don’t you return downstairs to your own apartment and boyfriends, and I’ll see you in an hour?”
Taiga opened his mouth to protest, but Kouchi sent him a look, daring the brunette to object. Taiga wisely shut his mouth and got off the bed. He nodded, saying, “See you in an hour then.” Pointing his index finger at Kouchi, he exclaimed, “Don’t be late!”
Kouchi buried himself under duvet once more after he was sure Taiga was finally out of the apartment. He entertained the idea of changing the door locks before shaking his head. A few minutes later, he heard the familiar chime from LINE, indicating a new message has been received. He grabbed his phone and saw that it was from Hokuto. The younger texted, saying the double date has been postponed to a more appropriate time—which was in three hours—and that Kouchi could just meet them at The Zone for brunch.
God bless Hokuto, Kouchi thought before going back to sleep.
“I am so dead. Taiga is really going to kill me now,” Kouchi muttered under his breath as soon as he arrived at his destination, panting, because he had been running from the bus stop to the café. Because he was late. Because he fell asleep and didn’t turn on his alarm. Once he caught his breath and didn’t look like he was about to pass out, he entered the café. Kento, as usual, was behind the cashier, and Sou was busy preparing the drinks.
“You’re late,” Kento told him. “Your date has been waiting for almost an hour.”
Kouchi raised his eyebrows at the other man. “How’d you even know about the date?”
“Hokuto gave me a heads up,” Kento said. “You better get moving before your date thinks he’s being stood up.”
“Why? Isn’t Taiga, Hokuto and Juri with him?” Kouchi asked, confused.
“Nope,” Kento replied, popping the ‘p’. “It’s just you and your date.”
Kouchi could only stare in disbelief. So that was what Juri’s ominous text messages from earlier meant. Kento pat his shoulder in sympathy.
“Best for you to get going,” Kento told him. “I seated him at your favourite nook.”
Kenty gestured at the direction with a nod of his head. Kouchi turned around to see and his eyes widened when he saw the person sitting there. “Kenty, is it that blue-haired guy?” he asked for confirmation.
Kento nodded. “Yup. Now shoo, get to know each other and put Taiga’s mind at ease.”
Well, Kouchi thought, a small grin appearing on his face. This arrangement might not be too bad after all. But he wouldn’t tell Taiga that, of course. Wouldn’t want his best friend to get too smug.
The man—Jesse—was drumming his fingers on table and tapping his feet to a rhythm in his head. He looked kind of nervous that Kouchi couldn’t help but smile. He was glad that Taiga wasn’t there, or else he wouldn’t hear the end of it. That sight was also probably what prompted Kouchi to tease the other man.
“You’re not going to run out on me this time, right?”
The man was so startled that he all but leaped out of his chair. He looked at Kouchi sheepishly. “It has been a week. You still remember that?”
“Well, it’s not every day that someone spoke to me in English and then ran out like he was being chased by a ghost,” Kouchi said, grinning. He laughed when Jesse covered his face with his hands and groaned. “I’m sorry, I promise not to tease you about that anymore.” He sat down, and Jesse followed.
“Please don’t tell Juri and the others about that, and we’re good.”
“No promises,” Kouchi replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Since Taiga roped you into this, he probably already told you all about me. But let me introduce myself nonetheless.” He held out his hand for Jesse to shake. “My name is Kouchi Yugo, a postgraduate student at Yamamoto University.”
“Jesse Lewis,” Jesse said as he took Kouchi’s hand. “I’m Juri’s childhood friend. I’ve recently moved back to Japan from the United States.”
“Ah, that explains that then.”
Jesse blushed, and rubbed the back of his neck, knowing what Kouchi meant by “that”. “Yeah… I unconsciously switch to English when I’m nervous.”
Kouchi smiled, propping his elbows on the table and rested his chin on the palm of his hands. “I make you nervous?”
“I plead the fifth.”
Kouchi chuckled. “Well, if you won’t tell me that, then why don’t you tell me more about yourself? Are you a student too? Or are you working?”
Jesse started to blush again, and Kouchi found it adorable how his ears turned red as well. “I’m a full-time model,” he answered. “That’s how I knew Kyomo, aside from him being one of Juri’s boyfriend that is. I’m a model at his dad’s agency.”
Kouchi dropped his arms, gaping at Jesse. It only took him a few seconds to come to his senses. He tilted his head. “Well, you do have the looks and the height to be a model. Although, I wonder why you agreed to be my date for the gala. You must have better things to do, and must have more interesting people to spend your weekend with.”
Before Jesse could reply, someone gave Kouchi a light whack at the back of his head. It was Kento, who was there to bring over Kouchi’s food and drink.
Kouchi rubbed his head and glared at the other man. “What was that for?” he asked.
“That’s for putting yourself down,” Kento answered as he placed Kouchi’s latte, a glass of plain iced water and a serving of potato gratin in front of him.
“But it’s the truth,” Kouchi pouted.
“It’s not!” Jesse interjected before an argument could break out between Kouchi and Kento. Jesse shrank back a bit when both Kouchi and Kento turned to looked at him, before squaring his shoulder and said firmly, “I think you’re probably one of the most interesting people that I know of, Kouchi.”
Kouchi stared at Jesse with wide eyes, partly embarrassed by how earnest Jesse sounded. Beside him, Kento nodded his head in approval. He placed the small tower of croquembouche—Fuma’s signature pastry—in front of Jesse.
“I like you,” Kento said. “This one is on the house.”
After Kento left, Kouchi cleared his throat. “You think I’m interesting?” Jesse’s blush returned as he nodded. The side of Kouchi’s mouth quirked upwards. “But you don’t even know me.”
“I heard about you from Kyomo,” Jesse said. “Kyomo has a LOT of videos on his phone, and some of them are of you, alone or with Kyomo or Juri and Hokuto. Sometimes, Kyomo would talk about you too.”
This time, it was Kouchi’s turn to blush. He knew about some of the videos that Taiga has on his phone. “I told Taiga to delete those,” he muttered.
“I’m glad he didn’t. Some of them were quite funny,” Jesse let out a small laugh.
Kouchi finds Jesse’s laugh quite endearing.
“I wasn’t sure when, but I started looking forward to listening to more stories about you and I realized I have quite possibly fallen in love with you.”
Kouchi made a choking noise. “You can’t just say that so straightforwardly.”
Jesse shifted in his seat, leaning closer towards Kouchi. “I know we just met but I would really like you, Kouchi. And I would like to go on more dates with you.”
“Just to clarify some things… Taiga never roped you into anything? He didn’t force you to be my date for the gala?”
Jesse shook his head. “Never.” He added in after a beat, “And if people had to be forced to go out with you, then they are idiots.”
Kouchi was floored. He wondered how someone who kept on blushing and messing up because he was nervous could confess out of the blue, just like that. “I…”
“You don’t have to like me back.” Despite not being said, they both could hear the “yet” in the statement. “But please give me a chance to take you out on dates.”
“Okay,” Kouchi managed to say. “We can go on more dates.”
Jesse beamed. As they were eating, he meekly asked, “Can I hold your hand?”
Kouchi almost choke on his pie, and quickly drank some water to wash it down. Dear god, he thought, Jesse was a puppy. He could feel his face burn, but it also left him feeling happy and flattered. Jesse looked alarmed, and was about to say something else, but he slid his left hand across the table.
The look on Jesse’s face was priceless as he took Kouchi’s hand, and he held it for the rest of their date.
the end