5 years ago…
 

18 years old Kamenashi Kazuya had been having … no scratch that, great  with the school’s hottest senior student, Akanishi Jin. It’s been 3 months since he gathered his courage and confessed to the guy he’d been admiring for years. Who would have thought that a simple yet hard to say “I like you, senpai” would turn out like this? He gets to date Jin and get weekend . But after all this time, he realized that what he needed is a reply… a reply to his confession to Jin. After he confessed 3 months ago, Jin just smiled at him and says his ‘Thank You’ and how they ended up like this is still unclear to Kame.

Kame needed a reply from Jin and he wants it now! It would be now or never for Kame so he headed to the rooftop where knows he would find Jin. The guy is famous but he likes to hide from people. Imagine that.

Kame spotted Jin reading a book in the corner and slowly approached him. He took a deep, deep breathe and sit in front of the man.
 

“Hey, Kazuya” Jin looked over his book to greet Kame.
 

“Ano…….” Kame started.
 

“Hmmmm?” Jin continues to read.
 

“Ano…. Aka—Akani— Akanishi-kun!” shy highschooler Kame stuttered.
 

Jin sensing Kame’s nervousness put down his book and focused his attention to the younger man in front of him.
 

“What is it Ka-me-na-shi—kun?” Jin asked playfully.
 

“Anosa…. senpai!!! ” Kame can’t find the words he was supposed to say. ‘Doushiyou?’ Kame mentally cursed himself ‘Dammit Kamenashi Kazuya! Why are you stuttering, what are you nervous for? You confessed to him already, right?! Just asked him the question, idiot!’
 

Kame looked up to see Jin’s beautiful face and that only gave him courage to ask what he’d been wanting to asked…
 

“Senpai, do you love me?” Kame looked directly in Jin’s eyes waiting for the man’s answer. He was silently chanting “Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!"
 

Jin obviously didn’t see that question coming. His first reaction was to smile and it turns to light giggle. He looked at Kame and ruffled the younger man’s brown hair.
 

“Ahhh Kazuya~ After all this time? Hmm… actually I was going to give you this today after class but since you asked…” Jin took something from his pocket… a key… a panda key and held it out for Kame to take.

“Here~” Jin held it out for him while smiling oh-so brightly.
 

Kame stared at the key for a moment and stood up, clearly out of his mind at the moment.
 

‘Ehhhh? Ehhh? Senpai laughed at me! How could he do that! I was asking if he love me and he made fun of me?! Oh my God! This is embarrassing! After all this time he felt nothing for me?! Stupid me for thinking he loves me back! And what is this?! A key?! A ing panda key?! What does he want me to do with it?! Is he kidding me? Ahhhhh mou!!!! I hate you Akanishi Jin!’
 

“Kazu-chan, are you okay?” Jin stood up and touch Kame’s face to check if he’s running a fever because his face suddenly looks pale.

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“AKANISHI JIN, YOU ARE THE WORST!!!” with that Kame run out of the rooftop and went home weeping his eyes out.
 

After that incident, Kame dropped out of school and Jin never heard of him again.
 

END OF FLASHBACK

 

“AHHHHHH What a terrible dream!” 23 years old Kazuya complained, he fell asleep waiting for his coworker/friend to finish his work.
 

“Hey, you fell asleep?” Ueda Tatsuya asked his friend while wrapping up his things.
 

“Tatchan~ what took you so long?” Kame asked as he himself gets ready to leave.
 

“Stop complaining! At least I’m done already. Hey… Have you heard of the news? There’ll be a new editor coming tomorrow.” Ueda informed his friend.
 

“Really? What’s his name?” Kame curiously asked. Their company rarely hires new employees unless they’re really good. This new guy must be good or it could be that he’s related to his boss? Anyway, it’s none of his business. What he needs now is a really nice shower after that horrible dream of the past.

NEXT DAY
 

@KZM Publishing Company
 

‘Do not dwell on your past… ‘Do not dwell on your past… ‘Do not dwell on your past… ‘ Kame silently repeated that line coming from Kung Fu Panda movie. He dreamt of that awful incident when he was in high school again. He hates it whenever Jin appears in his dream, it’s like the man is hunting him down. It was his fault! It was all his fault! He concentrated on chanting ‘Do not dwell on your past… until he reached the office.

‘Do not dwell on your— His chant was cut off by his friends ecstatic voice.
 

“Kame! The new guy is here! He’s hot! So hot! You have to check him out!” Ueda exclaimed as he pointed to the tall guy being surrounded by their co-workers. Kame can't see his face because of the people who are practically shoving their faces to the new guy.



"I'll greet him later, seems like he got a lot of fans already." Kame decided to go to his cubicle to get some work done.



"Don't be like that Kame! We have to greet him properly!" Ueda urged his friend.



"Later Tatchan.. Lot’s of work today" Kame ignore his friend and started to do some typing on his computer.



"OH GOD, OH GOD, KAME! KAME! HE'S COMING OVER HERE!!" Ueda screeched with glee.



"Where here?" Kame absent mindedly asked clearly focused on his work that he didn't even look up.

“Uhmmm… last time I checked I have 20/20 vision so yep, he’s coming over here, right here… toyou Kame.” Ueda crossed his arms as he watched the new guy approached his friend.

“What? What are you talking about? If you want to greet him, go over there and be done with it. If you want, flirt with him and I promised I will not say anything to Nishikido so feel free to hook up. My lips are sealed. ” Kame still absorbed with his work didn’t sense that the new guy he was referring to was already in front of him.
 

“Even if he flirts with me, I will never flirt with him because if there’s anyone whom I wanted to flirt with... It’s you, Ka—zu—ya~”
 

Kame felt his body froze. That voice. It’s his voice. This can’t be happening... No... No… How did this happen?! Why is he here?! WHAT THE ?! Kame looked up to looked at the guy who just spoke to him. He can feel his head spinning. Damn, damn, damn, damn!
 

Words are floating inside his spinny head.
 

High school… First love… Senpai… Confess...  Love… ... Key… Panda... Laughters… Rejection…Jin.
 

“Kazuya?” he heard the new guy calling his name
 

"YOU!!! STOP CALLING MY NAME!!!!" furious Kame shouted at the new guy who was staring at him with longing eyes that changed to confusion the moment Kame shouted at him.

 

“Ehh?? Kame, you know this guy?” a very confused Ueda asked.
 

“Ah, my bad. Sorry… I haven’t introduced myself yet, Takasugi Jin desu! Yoroshiku onegaisemasu” Jin finally noticed the guy standing beside his center of attention.
 

“Oh, Tatsuya Ueda desu. Yoroshiku yo!” Ueda slightly bow his head at the new guy.
 

'Taka— Takasugi — Takasugi Jin?! What is this? He changed his surname? Why? What happened to senpai?' a genuine concern evident in Kame’s eyes but the moment Jin looked back at him it went back to cold, unfeeling stare. ‘No, you hate him Kamenashi Kazuya. You can’t feel concern for this guy… he’s not worth it so shut it!’
 

“It’s been a long time, Kazuya. How are you?” Jin asked the unmoving man in front of him.
 

“Yeah… It’s been a long time and stop calling me by my name, it’s Kamenashi for you now” Kame said with a stiff voice.
 

“Oh… Okay Kazu— Kamenashi-san” Jin was clearly taken a back by the attitude Kame has now.Damn. He needs to talk to this guy, now! He needs to explain a lot of things to this stubborn turtle.
 

“So… you’re Takasugi now?” Kame asked, careful not to let his emotions get the best of him.
 

“Ah… yes, about that —" Jin started but was cut off by the man shouting in the corner of the office.
 

“Oiii! Takasugi-kun! In my office, now!!!” the grumpy looking man who happened to be their boss called Jin.
 

“I’ll talk to you later, Kazuya. Ja.” Jin waved his goodbye.
 

“YOU! It’s Kamenashi for you, baka!!!” Kame shouted in his mind
 

“Hey, Kame… are you okay?” Ueda asked his pissed off friend.
 

“What? Uhmm... yeah” Kame answered. ‘How am I supposed to focus on work now? Jin is here, in his work place and he’ll be working with him from now on. How is he supposed to deal with this?’
 

“You and that guy, you knew each other that well?” Ueda sensed that Kame and the new guy had a not-so-good past.
 

“Yes. He was my senpai in high school. I’ll tell you about it later, just… leave me alone for now Tatchan” Kame requested and without a word Ueda leave his friend alone.

 

Once alone, Kame’s head started to be filled with words he do not want to think of …

 

High School = first love

Confess = love

Senpai = date/

Giggles = rejection

Jin = pain

 

“AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! THIS IS THE WORST!!!!!
 

______________________________________

After lunch
 

*Kame finished telling Ueda what happened between Jin and him in high school*

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“KAMENASHI KAZUYA, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FREAKING MIND?!” Ueda smacked his friend after hearing the whole story.
 

“What?! Why me?! What did I do?!” the younger man was clearly surprised by his friend’s reaction.
 

“WHAT DID YOU DO?! ARE YOU SERIOUSLY ASKING ME THAT?! YOU LEFT WITHOUT HEARING HIS EXPLANATION AND YOU VANISHED FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH, THAT’S WHAT YOU DID! AH MOU!!! YOU’RE LIKE THE WORST EVER!!” Ueda was beyond irritated. He feels like killing his friend right now.
 

“Eeeehhh?! Why are you angry at me? Normally a friend would be irritated to Jin by now and will pity me for what what happened but you… you look like you’re ready to kill me any moment now!!” Kame was stunned by Ueda’s outburst.
 

“Sorry, but pity is not on my list of emotion for you right now. The one I feel sorry and pity for is Takasugi-kun. How could you do that to him?! You just left and he’s been suffering from extreme confusion for the last 5 years! “ Ueda banged his head on the table ‘Mou~! Kame-chan!’
 

“Well… Uh… I have to admit, I was a little naïve back then. But I’m pretty sure those giggles meant rejection and that ing panda key! Arrrggghhhh!!!!” that particular moment of panda-key-thing flashed Kame’s mind and he can feel his anger boiling.
 

“Okay, I guess I can accept that ‘I’m-still-in-high-school-so-I-was-a-little-naïve-‘  excuse but promise me…you’ll talk to him when he asked you to! You can’t leave things like this!” Ueda being the older one and have the ‘upper power’ in their friendship (prolly because he has a very intimidating aura) almost convinced Kame to do just that. Almost.
 

 

“But Tatchan —“
 

“No buts! Just freaking do it! Promise me, Kame!” Ueda gave his friend a I’m-not-backing-off-so-you-better-do-what-I-asked-you look.
 

“Okay…. I promised” Kame gave up seeing there’s no way he can refuse Ueda when he’s in thisI'm-older-that’s-why-I’m-always-right mode.

______________________

One week passed.
 

It’s been a week since Jin entered KZM Company and not a single time he had a chance to talk to Kame. Kame could only thank God because their company has a few rules for newbies like Jin, newbies are being given a hard time by their senpais, so Jin was too busy to talk and whenever he get his break, the younger man would find a way to avoid him.
 

Walking his way to the rooftop of the company, Kame wondered if he should reconsider his judgment of Jin when they were in that rooftop back in high school. ‘Did he really reject me that time? Those giggles, they meant rejection, right? What if I was just too impulsive back then?’ As he reached his destination, he saw a man sitting on the edge of the rooftop. It was Jin. 
 

“Hey, Kazuya… don’t go. It’s been a week. We haven’t talked since last time” Jin knew it was Kazuya standing just a few feet behind him.
 

“How did you know it’s me?” Kame asked.
 

“You like rooftops too, right? When we’re in high school, you love going to the rooftop to freshen up” Jin said as he faced the younger man.
 

‘No, idiot. I never like rooftops, It was because of you that I like going to rooftops in high school… you used to love them and as I see now, you still do.’ Kame answered in his mind.
 

“Kazuya, we should talk” Jin started seeing Kame has no interest in answering his question.
 

‘Go talk to him Kamenashi Kazuya! You promised Tatchan! Talk to him and let him explain things… let your past have a closure’ Kame advised himself.
 

“Okay” Kame exhaled heavily.
 

Kame took a deep breathe and asked “What do you want talk about?”
 

“I want to know what happened to us five years ago. Why did you leave without saying anything?” Jin’s voice wavered at the last sentence. He didn’t move from his position at the edge of the rooftop, he was afraid that if he gets anywhere near Kame, he would do something stupid and his chance would be ruined.
 

“Ahhh… that” ‘play if cool Kazuya, don’t lose your composure’ Kame reminded himself.
 

“That day at the rooftop, did I say something that upset you? Did I do something that made you angry? After that incident, you vanished... just like that. I never heard of you again. What happened, Kazuya?” Jin couldn’t keep these questions to himself anymore, he needed answers.
 

‘Did you do something that upset me?! You broke my heart, remember?!’ Kame answered in his head.
 

“Why are you asking these questions now, Jin? We’re over, right? Kame answered with a cold voice.
 

“What are you talking about? We never broke up! I never understood why you left me alone in that rooftop that day. I was waiting for you to come back…but you never did. “Jin said while looking at Kame with longing eyes.
 

‘Why is he acting like it was not his fault?! He makes it sound like I was the bad guy here! Okay… is he being  forgetful? Well, then it’s time to remind him of what he did back then’
 

“That day on the rooftop, I asked you if you love me but you rejected me, Jin and now you’re asking if you said something that upset me? If you did something that made me angry?! Yourejected me, Jin! That’s what you did!” Kame burst out.

 

“When did I do that?! I never rejected you, Kazuya!” Jin was dumbfounded by Kame just said.
 

“Don’t play innocent, Jin. I thought you felt the same way about me, I thought you love me back but you never did.” Kame said in a heartbreaking voice.
 

“What?! I love you back then! I never said anything about not loving you! You’re the one who left me alone that day and disappeared” Jin retorted.
 

“You love me? That certainly not the way you made me feel that day, I asked you if you love me and you smiled and giggled! You ing laughed at my face and held out that key… that freaking panda key!” Kame couldn’t help it anymore; he needs to say every single thing that had been crushing his heart for the past five years.

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“I smiled, giggled and laughed at you… and that panda key” Jin remembered all that but what really is wrong with that? He doesn’t understand. That’s how he rejected Kazuya? That’s how Kazuya thought he was rejected? After combining all the pieces together, Jin finally got it.  He got it all figured out… he wanted to laugh but… he was afraid he’d be misunderstood again so he did what he’d been wanting to do for years.
 

“Ahhhhh Kazuya~~~~~” He stood up and walked his way to the man he longed for.
 

“Yeah. That’s what you did, you laughed at me— what are you doing—“ Kame was cut off by Jin’s tight embrace.
 

“I miss you, Kazuya. I really do” Jin exhaled heavily.
 

“Let go— Takasugi!” Kame tried to break the embrace but man, the guy was strong.
 

“I will let go now but you have to listen to me, Kazuya. I got it” Jin let Kame go but held both his shoulders for him to hear what Jin has to say.
 

“You got it all wrong, Kazuya” Jin started
 

“What are you talking abou—“ Kame was silenced by Jin’s lips. He was too shock to react.
 

“If you so as much say anything… I will kiss you again. You don’t want that…now, right?” with that, Kame nodded.
 

“You’re saying I smiled then giggled and practically laughed at your face after you asked me if I love you, right?” Kame nodded at that. Jin smiled
 

“Kazuya~ I was still in high school that time… The person I love asking me if I love him somehow made me nervous and embarrassed at the same time. I couldn’t find words to answer your question back then so all I could come up with is a smile and I got too nervous so I giggled and then I got really embarrassed so I just turned all my feelings into laughters. But unfortunately, you misunderstood my feelings. I guessed my feelings didn’t reach you that time because I was too stupid to say it in words. I’m really sorry”

 

‘Was it really like that? Is he saying the truth? Did he really love me back then?! Why is he apologizing?! Is he crazy?!’ Kame’s mind was full of questions right now. ‘What about that panda key thing? What was it for?’

“And that panda key— Hmmm…..” Jin hesitated.
 

‘What?! What was is for?!
 

“That panda key— this is really harder than I thought…” Jin nervously smiled.
 

“Are you going to say it or I’ll just forget what you said right now because I’m about to believe them” Kame couldn’t seal his lips anymore. He needed to speak to urge Jin to continue explaining.
 

“That panda key.. I was —“ Jin let go of Kame’s shoulders and hide his face behind his hands He was clearly embarrassed.
 

‘What now?! Is he getting embarrassed?! What the — Jin! It’s not the time to get embarrassed! Continue what you were saying… stop being cute! Cut it!’ Kame continues to talk in his head.

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“That panda key… I WAS PROPOSING TO YOU!!!” Jin finally said it.
 

“Proposing?! Are you kidding me?! How is that for proposal?!” Kame was astounded by Jin’s revelation.

“Yeah. I knew it’d be ridiculous but I couldn’t help it! That panda key was too cute to ignore so I figured it’d be the best proposal to make… but it was a dumb idea. It cost me five years of pain and sorrow” Jin felt exhausted... It was his fault that they ended up in this situation. He sat on the floor waiting for Kame’s reply
 

Kame wanted to believe all the things Jin just said but he still couldn’t figure out one thing…how is a panda key for proposal? He looked at the man sitting on the floor. He looked really exhausted. He looked really tired… weak… vulnerable. He decided to sit too to hear more of the man’s explanation.
 

“So… supposed I believed all the things you just said just not the proposal thing because that part was really hard to understand… How is a panda key for a proposal?” Kame asked slowly.
 

“It was a proposal… a real proposal just with a panda key not a ring. I know it’s stupid to propose when we’re still on high school but I just knew that time that I needed to give you that key… so I thought “I better propose with this key” so I did but I never get to say that I was proposing with a panda key because you ran out off me. “ Jin was explaining things rather fast but Kame got the answer he needed just a tiny bit more.
 

“What was the key for?” Kame asked.
 

Jin looked at Kame with hesitant eyes.
 

“A key to our future apartment together” Jin answered in a low voice.
 

Jin looked at the younger man’s face and saw it turned pale. He knew it. It was the most stupid thing he ever thought of. Now, why did he have to say that? Yeah... better reveal everything now.
 

“That panda key was a key for the apartment I saw when we’re out on our first date. I thought it looks great and you’re going to love it so I set my eyes on it. For the past 3 moths we’ve been together, I was saving money and that day when you asked me that question on the rooftop, I finally got the key for the apartment… Of course it’s still not ours but I paid for the 2 months rent for us to go there once in a while but we never get to go there together. If only I had a chance to explain things after that incident at the rooftop. Ahhhhh I was really stupid. I’m really sorry we ended up like this, Kazuya” Jin messed his hair clearly irritated with himself.
 

Kame just listened to Jin’s explanation. He didn’t know what to say. What was he supposed to say? All this time he thought Jin didn’t love him. All this time he thought Jin rejected him. For the last five years he hated Jin for nothing. It was all his fault for misunderstanding Jin’s feelings and that proposal. He was the one to be blamed. He was the one who’s supposed to be sorry for what happened to them… not Jin.
 

That proposal, if you really think of it, a normal person would find it dumb but not Kame. Kame thought it was the best thing you could offer to the person you love. He was stupid for not letting Jin explain what that key was for. What happened that day, he gets it now. The whole thing was clear to him. It was a total misunderstanding. Jin’s beautiful proposal was misunderstood by him. He has to make it right this time.
 

Kame stood up and cleared his throat. Go for it Kamenashi Kazuya, you have a chance to make things right this time…
 

“Anosa… senpai!!! “ Kame started
 

Jin’s head snapped. ‘Did he just—‘Kazuya, what are you do—‘
 

“Senpai… do you love me?” Kame asked while looking down at Jin.

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Jin just stared at Kame. What is he doing? Kame just stood there waiting for Jin to answer his question. “Senpai… do you love me?” that question… it was the same— then Jin finally realized what Kazuya was doing. ‘He’s trying to make things right. He’s going to give us a second chance.'Jin stood up and looked directly into Kame’s eyes.
 

“Senpai… do you love me?” Kame repeated with a smile in his pretty face.
 

Jin smiled back then proceeded to removed something… his necklace. Kame was confused at first but the moment he saw what’s on the necklace, his smile was back... a genuine smile.
 

Jin made the panda key to a necklace.
After all this time, he still holds on to it.
How could you not love this man?
 

Jin held out the panda key that now is a panda key necklace to Kame and said…
 

“It is a proposal… Will you live and be together with me, Kazuya?” Jin finally gets to ask this question to the person he love.
 

“Yes! Jin…. Yes!” Kame couldn’t fight it anymore. He wanted to kiss Jin the instant he cleared the misunderstanding five years ago and so he did. Jin could only respond to his lover's eager yet passionate kiss.

______________________

Later that night…
 

“I’ve been wondering about your surname, it changed… what happened?” Kame asked Jin as they lay comfortably in their bed (yeah… they're in their future apartment together)
 

“Oh that. I never get the chance to explain that to you in high school” Jin started nervously.
 

“Did your parents divorced or something?!” Kame asked in genuine concern.
 

“No! Nothing like that happened. Actually, Akanishi was not my real name. It was Takasugi all this time.” Jin confessed that left Kame speechless.
 

“WHAT?! What are you talking about?!” Kame was so shock that it made him sit up in the bed.
 

“Remember how famous I am back in high school? Well… when I was in my first year, girls had been telling me how I look like that famous singer Akanishi Jin and it happened that my name is Jin too. They started to call me Akanishi since, I never corrected them and it got sort of confusing that even I started to write ‘Akanishi’ as my last name in papers. So yeah… that’s how it was. My real name is Takasugi Jin. “ Jin explained the whole thing to Kame who was sitting silently in the bed.
 

“Hey, Kame… say something” Jin nudged Kame by foot.

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“SO, YOU’RE TELLING ME THAT FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW YOUR REAL NAME?! I’VE BEEN IN LOVE WITH YOU FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW YOUR NAME?!” Kame shouted at the man lying down the bed.
 

“Kazuya~~ at least you know my real name now” Jin made a peace offering by trying to kiss his lover but Kame was too stubborn to let him.
 

“AH MOU~!!!!! JIN, YOU ARE THE WORST!!!!” Kame tried to hit his lover but unfortunately his lover was able to avoid it. Jin tried to kiss him again and this time, he got Kame. Kame couldn’t stay angry with Jin if his lover is kissing him like this so he decided that he’d just be angry with him next time. XDD

 

(((((END))))


oh and by the way....
he's the panda key necklace...
believe it or not.. there's a key somewhere in this panda's body!