Yamapi just stared. What else could he do? Here was Kei-chan in a football helmet, with a baseball bat, baggy shorts and a sweater, barefooted (he should be careful he could step on something sharp),  yelling about brussel sprouts.

Kei-chan froze. “Yamapi?”

“Yeah,” Yamapi affirmed before adding quickly, “And before you hit me with that (pointing to the baseball bat), I’m stealing your chocolate not your brussel sprouts. See?” he held up a handful of candy bars.

“Oh.”

Yamapi popped one in his mouth.

“That’s alright, those are my mom’s.”

Yamapi nearly choked on the chocolate.

“What? Why didn’t you say so? She’s gonna kill me!”

“No. She was going to give them away. She’s going on a diet and wanted to get rid of them.”

Yamapi sagged with relief against the refrigerator.

“Anyway, what are you doing here?” Kei-chan asked.

“The interview for the magazine.”

“Yamapi, that’s not till tomorrow. What’s with you forgetting that? You never forget stuff related to work,”

“I know that. But…but…there’s something wrong with me. Kei-chan, I need to talk to you.”

“Why me?”

“Because you’re a good listener and you are a sensitive man. I need that.”

Oh, so the sensitivity gets Yampi. Figures. If only it would work that well on girls.

“What’s wrong?”

“My ‘guest’ has chosen a name now.”

Kei-chan didn’t see how that would make him upset, but he decided to wait and see what it was Yamapi really wanted to say.

“Her name is Dawn,” Yamapi continued, “I’ve been going to see her a lot lately. More than I’ve ever gone to see okaa-san and Rina. It’s strange, but I feel like if I don’t see her, she’ll disappear. I don’t even know why that should bother me, but it does. I thought it was just because she is so helpless and doesn’t have anyone to care for her except me and my family, but today I took her out to get lunch and…” he flushed remembering how their hands had met and how good it had felt.

“And?” prompted Kei-chan who was beginning to smile in spite of himself. He could totally see where this was going. The calm, coolheaded, work-always-comes-first-Yamapi was falling in love! And what was even funnier was he didn’t know what to do about it. He may seem like an experienced man when it came to women, but those women he’d been with before had always been because of work or for his image. He’d never taken any of them seriously.

“And then when I took her back home, I almost…kissed her,” he hung his head shamefacedly.

“NANI (WHAT)?”

Yamapi winced but Kei-chan continued, “WHY DIDN’T YOU?!?!?!”

“Eh?” Yamapi jerked his head back up confused.

“Because I…she…we…uh” Yamapi didn’t know how to explain it, so he trailed off.

“Baka (Idiot)! It’s obvious that you like her. Or else you just think you do. Try taking it slowly with her. You know, come to terms with your feelings, and then confess! Then you can always be by her side no matter what.”

Yamapi’s heart started speeding up. Did he really have feelings for Dawn? Maybe. She was someone important to him. But he hadn’t known her for very long. Who was to say it was love? There was only one thing to do.”

“Alright, I will try to come to terms with my feelings. If I really do like her, I’ll confess. If not, then no harm done. But Kei-chan, what do I do if I like her?” Yamapi asked worriedly.