***Sho's POV

“Ne, being smart, what does it feel like?”

With that question being asked, that was the first time we had a conversation.

Aiba Masaki, the fluffiest person in the whole world, captures my heart right away with his pure, warm, kind, and fun personality. He became a good friend of mine immediately, and we’ve been an inseparable duo since then. We always do things together, like eating lunch, studying at the library, going to the school and back home on foot. A scary school geek and a lovely school sweetheart don’t seem to mix well, that’s other students’ impression on us.

After being held up in a very dangerous situation by Ohno Satoshi in the toilet earlier, I got really late for the next class. I decided to skip that class, and here I am now standing in front of Masaki’s classroom door, waving frantically to get his attention.

Finally he notices me. “What are you doing?” he mouths soundlessly.

“Come here!” I call him with my hand gesture.

He suddenly stands up from his seat, both hands hold on his stomach. “Sensei, I need to go!!!” he cries and dashes out of the classroom.

Howls of laughter coming from the classroom.

“What happened?” he asks.

I grin sheepishly. “Accompany me until the next lesson, please? I’m skipping class right now.”

“Wow, that’s so unlike you, ne Sho-chan! Come!” he takes my hand and leads me to the basketball club room.

When we arrive at the club room, he lets go of my hand as he unlocks the door. I pout at the sudden loss of contact.

“Please come in!” he lets me in first.

I get in and sit on the giant sofa across the room. The club room looks neat, nothing like any other sport club rooms I’ve ever been into. As I breathe, the sweet smell of his favorite vanilla air freshener lingers in my nose. I dare say that this is the only club room where you can’t smell any trace of sweat or stinky shoes. Ever since Masaki’s appointed as the captain, he managed to convince the student council to increase their budget. He bought a dozen of shoe dryers, air fresheners, and make a new rule for all the members to take turns for cleaning the club room regularly.

He takes a seat beside me and puts his legs on my lap. I his leg and he closes his eyes in pure bliss. This blurred line between friendship and relationship is no longer bothering me. I’m fully aware that he has no intention of teasing me, nor even knows about my feeling to him. He just feels too comfortable around me, like a puppy would do around his master.

“Sho-chan?” he calls, still closing his eyes.

“Hmm?” I respond him as I rub his shin.

“Am I really that stupid?”

“What???” my hand stops moving.

He pulls his legs and sits straight with his legs crossed, facing me. “I’m stupid, ne?”

“Who said that?”

“Nobody.” He shakes his head. “But since everyone’s calling me Aibaka…”¹ he giggles.

I growl. “Not everyone. You’re always Masaki to me.” MY MASAKI. Suddenly I feel the urge to kick everyone who dares to call him Aibaka.

“Sho-cha~n, you’re so nice~!!!” He jumps on me and hugs me tightly. “I love you!!!”

I moan and hug him back. I rest my head against his shoulder and breathe in his heavenly smell.

“Ne, Sho-chan…”

“Hmm?”

“I can feel something hard between your legs poking me…”

“What?!” I push him away. This can’t be!!!

“Is that your junior?” he asks, pointing at the bulge on my pocket.

I look down and blink a few times, trying to understand the situation. So THAT is the thing which poked him! “It’s a canned coffee!” I take the coffee out of my pocket. “And there’s no way that my junior will move from its place, it’s still intact in the middle, you baka!”² I whack his head.

“See, even you called me baka!” He laughs as he rubs his head. “By the way, is that Rainbow coffee?” he beams.

I study the disturbing colorful can in my hand. “Yes. I got it from Ohno Satoshi as an apology for being held up by him when I was at the toilet.”

He grins. “What did he do to you?”

“I don’t know. He made me pose for him, and he drew on his sketchbook.”

He whistles. “Wow, you should feel honored to be drawn by the genius artist!”

I frown. “I almost leaked!”

He laughs and pats my head. “Poor Sho-chan!!”

And the class change bell rings.

“For you.” I give him the canned coffee.

“But you got it from Ohno-kun…” he refuses.

I shiver. “I can never look at this thing without remembering what it felt to hold my pee in such a long time like that. Plus, you compare this disturbing can to my junior!”

“I’m sorry, Sho-chan!” he laughs. “Thanks for the coffee!” he flashes me his super bright smile.

“Well then, let’s go back to the class now!” I get up and walk ahead of him, hoping that this tightness between my pants will go down soon.

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Translations Note:

1. Aibaka ---> Aiba + baka.
2. Baka means fool.