Chapter Text
Everything hurt.
Giyuu's face twisted as pain dug claws into his body. He groaned weakly. Muffled chatter skated past his ears.
What was the last thing he remembered? He woke up late for work that morning, so he biked as fast as he could to school (without breaking traffic rules of course. A late teacher was still a teacher).
And then—
Car horns blaring.
Ah.
He got knocked down. And now here he was, lying on the pavement.
His body screamed in pain. But nothing seemed broken, he could still move. It could also be the adrenaline talking.
Giyuu felt some hands on him, and peeled his eyes open. He did not recognize the people hovering over him, some passers-by perhaps.
He did not know how much time had passed, but when the paramedics arrived he was able to sit up and the world stopped spinning. Aside from some scratches and mild abrasions, he was assessed to be fine. He declined to be taken to the hospital.
He had class, after all.
(“I need to go to school.”
The paramedics frowned. “You're a student?”
“...no. I'm a teacher.”)
He sorted things out with the driver, who was very apologetic and offered to help with the medical expenses. But Giyuu felt fine and declined as well.
Giyuu picked up his bicycle which had been flung to the side of the road from the impact. Thankfully, it was still functional. He rode the rest of the way with a much more cautious pace.
Things rolled back into its usual cycle and rhythm. He went about his typical routine at school, stationed at the school gates assessing the students’ attire as they entered, chasing down any student who failed the dress code – namely the usual suspects such as Agatsuma Zenitsu with his hair color, Kamado Tanjirou with his earrings, and Hashibira Inosuke with his shirt (or lack thereof).
Giyuu did not have any class in the first period, so after assembly he headed into the storage room to pull out some supplies for his upcoming classes.
Just as he pulled out a box of volleyball equipment, his vision flashed with a bright light. Giyuu dropped the box with a start, clutching onto the shelf to regain his bearings.
And then he heard a voice.
Robotic, feminine, and awfully chirpy.
[Good morning, Tomioka Giyuu!]
Giyuu jumped. He spun around, trying to discern the source of the voice. But the room was empty. There was no one else.
[You need not look around! I am an incorporeal being that exists in another plane of existence, but have also taken temporary residence in your head.]
Against his own rational comprehension, he responded to the voice: “Who are you?”
[I am your Charisma Ultimate Perceptive and Imaginative Decoder! Also known as CUPID for short!]
Perhaps he should have gone to the hospital after all.
Giyuu reached for the baseball bat next to him, wondering if he should do himself a favor and reset his own head.
[No need to hurt yourself unnecessarily! Even with a concussion I will still be here! Fret not, for I will only exist in your head until the fourteenth day of February. After which I will be making my exit to guide another lonely soul in need of my assistance.]
That was about a month from now. Giyuu let the words sink in as he tried to push away his disbelief and shock.
“I’m not a lonely soul.” He said when he eventually registered the last part.
[Sure, if that is what makes you feel better! I suppose the solitary lunches at the staircase eating store-bought bread don’t really count, anyway!]
Never would Giyuu have thought he would be offended by an invisible, bodiless presence. “What do you want?”
[My purpose in this universe is to help souls fill their hearts with the affection they crave, even if they do not realize that they yearn for it. I have sensed your loneliness and based on my assessment I have deemed you in need of my specialized assistance. From now till the end of my service, I will be providing tips and tools to help you with your interactions with the person of your heart's desire, with the aim of achieving a Happy End.]
Giyuu frowned, finding the words more bizarre with every passing second. “Who is this person?”
[I believe he goes by the name of Shinazugawa Sanemi. Based on my initial scan, you have a very poor relationship status with him. His affection rating for you is in the lower ranges.]
Disappointment tugged at him upon hearing the blunt statement. “I seem to make him angry a lot.”
[You do! Your way with words has an unfortunate effect on him, resulting in increased agitation and rising blood pressure. Prolonged exposure to you may cause detrimental consequences to his health.]
That was not good. Giyuu did not want to cause any harm to Sanemi’s health and well-being. “How will you help me?”
[Allow me to introduce you to the affection rating system. It is a one-of-a-kind point system that calculates Mr. Shinazugawa’s approval towards you. How it measures the rating is based on the choices you make. When you interact with him, I will offer you some response options which can help you gain or lose affection points. This will accumulate in the affection rating that will determine if you have obtained enough affection to achieve the Happy End. The affection rating also gives you a tangible assessment of where you stand in his eyes.]
“What do I need to do to get this ‘Happy End’?” One month was not a lot to improve his relationship with Sanemi.
[Well, nothing really. Just the haunting realization that you are terrible at social interactions and you will probably never become closer with Mr. Shinazugawa!]
“...”
Giyuu sighed.
“You…whatever this is, will not harm Shinazugawa and the students?”
[Not at all! I am providing my services with the aim of improving your relationship with Mr. Shinazugawa. I have no physical form and am unable to control you, mainly offering guidance for you to make your decisions. The only exception will be the instances when I offer you response options during your interactions with Mr. Shinazugawa. You are limited to those options, and the way you convey the option you choose. So rest assured, everything you do is within (mostly!) your control.]
Fine. It seemed there was no way out of it and it would not bring any harm to the people around him. Giyuu had no other option but to play along. “What do I need to do?”
[All you need to do is go about your day as usual. I will be providing guidance starting from the next time you interact with Mr. Shinazugawa.]
The first class was starting soon. Giyuu had no classes that period, so he patrolled around to make sure that students were not loitering or late for class. As he walked along the hallway, he saw Sanemi striding in his direction.
Yesterday’s interaction replayed in Giyuu’s head. Like most of his conversations with Sanemi, it left him clouded in confusion. He had tried to offer Sanemi ohagi because he heard that was his favorite food. Instead of accepting, Sanemi yelled at him and stormed off.
Sanemi was not known to have a mild temper, but he was not one to anger for no apparent reason. Unruly students, poor grades, ridiculous exam answers.
And yet, he would get upset with Giyuu over every reason under the sun.
Giyuu did not understand why. Could not understand why. He even tried to ask Tengen once, when he was driven to a complete loss. Having three girlfriends, Giyuu reckoned he would be well-versed in the inscrutable world of relationships.
But Tengen only offered cryptic wisdom that Giyuu still lacked the means to decipher.
“Some people mistake their affections as anger.” Tengen even winked at him, as if confident that Giyuu would understand with lightning clarity. But Giyuu could only liken the rationality of his words to the same level as that of Tengen blowing up his art room.
Nothing that Giyuu had attempted so far had worked. Would this strange voice really be able to help him?
Just then Sanemi looked up, the piercing glint in his eyes pulling Giyuu back to reality.
The moment their eyes met, Giyuu’s head was bombarded with the chirpy voice again. His vision was filled with rows and boxes of text overlaying his real-life surroundings.
[Welcome to your first guided interaction! Pick the response option you feel is most suitable! Depending on what you choose, you will gain (or even lose!) points in the affection rating which will impact your ending. Have fun!]
- Good morning.
- You look nice today.
- Button up your shirt.
Giyuu considered his options. The first one was rather neutral, so it would not likely help him gain affection points. The second one did not seem the right response either. Sanemi was wearing the same outfit as he did every day, so it made no sense why he would look nice today compared to any other day.
Giyuu, however, had an issue with that outfit every day as well.
He swiftly gravitated towards the third option.
“Shinazugawa, you should button up your shirt. It's against the school rules to dress unkemptly.”
Sanemi’s mouth twitched. “How is this unkempt? What’s wrong with what I wear? Mind your own business and go bother the students instead!”
[Uh oh! Your affection rating with Mr. Shinazugawa has gone down! Seems like that was not the right choice.]
Though it was not good to hear that he had upset Sanemi again, Giyuu found no fault in his reasoning. He decided to double down. “As a teacher, you are also required to follow the school rules. We are role models to our students, so we must exemplify what it means to be upstanding citizens of society.”
Eyes narrowing in hostility, Sanemi gritted his teeth. “Oh yeah? Then explain to me why you chase students down the hallway when you're not supposed to run!”
- I am not like the rest of you.
- I will be better next time.
- You have been watching me?
The answer was obvious.
“I am not like the rest of you.” Giyuu was in charge of maintaining discipline and order. If students were running along the hallway, especially if they were running away from him, it was his duty to catch up to them and stop them.
It only seemed to anger Sanemi further.
“Always thinking you're better than us, huh?”
[Your affection rating has gone down again! Better be more careful when you make your choice next time!]
Giyuu’s brows pinched together. The voice was starting to grate his ears a little.
[Would you like to turn off the “Handy Helper” feature? That way I will only notify you about the affection rating upon being prompted, and not whenever it changes.]
That would be preferred. Giyuu disabled the feature.
Sanemi eyed him skeptically. His gaze flitted across Giyuu from head to toe.
“What's wrong with you anyway? You look a little more…ragged today.”
“I got into a car accident.” Giyuu said, matter-of-factly.
“You what?” Sanemi exclaimed, jaws dropping. “Why the hell are you still here and not in the hospital?”
Lurching forward by one step, Sanemi scrutinized him with wide-eyed shock. The burning intensity of his gaze was different to the other times. Giyuu felt his body tensing under the new, unfamiliar attention.
“It was not serious. I got knocked over by a car, but no major injuries.”
Sanemi gawked at him. “...You sure you didn't get hit and lose a few more brain cells than you could afford?”
Giyuu’s mind went to the peculiar voice in his head. “I reckon I gained a few more.”
Sanemi’s face twisted with wary concern, as if he was one confusing remark away from hauling him to the hospital himself.
“Tomi—” He began to say something, but the school bell rang, indicating that class was about to start.
“Shit.” Sanemi threw a hasty glance at his watch. “Don't collapse in the hallway or whatever.”
With that, he sped-walked to his class.
Their conversation did not end on a sour note like the other times, though he had agitated Sanemi initially. He went on with his patrol. While keeping a keen eye on his surroundings, he spared some attention to his new incorporeal companion.
“How is my rating now with Shinazugawa?”
[It is still in the low ranges, especially after the choices you had made. But not all hope is lost, you still have many more opportunities ahead to gain his affection!]
“What should I do to improve my relationship with him?”
[Talk to him more often, and choose the options that will gain you points!]
Giyuu’s lips pressed into a troubled line. “I thought I had earlier, but I seemed to have made things worse.”
[The options I offer always serve to change your affection rating in either direction. So before you make your choice, always consider if your response will make Mr. Shinazugawa happy or upset. The more you talk to him, the more you understand him, and the better you will be able to pick the responses to improve your relationship!]
This sounded hard. But it was also an opportunity to become closer to Sanemi. Giyuu was never one to back down from a challenge. And so he would not back one from this peculiar one either.
His next interaction opportunity happened later in the morning sooner than he expected.
It was his lesson right before lunchtime. He was waiting for his students at the field. Five minutes passed, and he figured that the students were still making their way over and were late. But there was no sight of them at the ten-minute mark, Giyuu checked his schedule, wondering if he had mixed up his timetable.
It was then he realized who was teaching the class right before his.
It was not the first time it had happened. Sanemi was a strict man, and kept to his allocated timings. But when it came to Giyuu’s lessons, sometimes he would eat into his class time, and unapologetically so.
Giyuu swiftly made his way back into the building and towards the classroom. Upon reaching he opened the door without bothering to knock. Everyone in the room snapped their heads towards him. He even heard a terrified yelp from the Agatsuma boy.
Everyone, except Sanemi.
Sanemi continued to write on the board without a flicker in his expression, explaining the equations he had written up without missing a beat.
“Shinazugawa-sensei,” Giyuu attempted to be polite. “It is P.E. class for the students now.”
Sanemi’s hand on the board paused. Then, with a challenging tilt in his head, he turned to look at Giyuu. “I understand, Tomioka-sensei. But I'm not done with the materials I prepared, and they need to be taught everything to make sure they pass their exams.”
“But physical health is just as important to ensure a holistic development,” Giyuu reasoned calmly. “And you are already breaking the school policy by not adhering to the allocated lesson slot.”
Sanemi's lips twist in displeasure. His fingers around the chalk tightened. The students stared on in bated-breath tension.
Just as Giyuu wondered if this exchange was taking a nosedive, the voice echoed in his head with robotic brightness.
[Oh dear! It seems like you are in need of some assistance! Pick wisely, and remember what I told you!]
- Do as I say or I will report this to the principal.
- You can have this class.
- Let me have my class back, I will offer you something in return.
Giyuu did not like any of these options. He was not the one at fault, and it was his right to have this class for this slot. He did not think this required the attention of their principal either, though he was tempted to.
He tried to utter another response, but an unknown force clamped his tongue, rendering unable to say anything other than the options available to him.
With a begrudging sigh, he picked the third option.
He walked up to Sanemi (some students squeaked in nervousness) and spoke in a tone low enough not to be heard by anyone other than his colleague.
“Let me have my class back, and I will offer you something in return.”
Sanemi stiffened in surprise. The sharp intake of his breath was loud enough for Giyuu to hear.
“...Like what?” If Giyuu did not know Sanemi enough, he would have mistaken the tautness in his voice to be nervousness.
Giyuu could not think of anything that could interest him, and bribery was an absolute no-go especially for a teacher, so he said the next best thing he could come up with:
“Myself.”
Sanemi dropped the chalk in his hand, eyes blown wide.
“I—huh—?”
Giyuu tilted his head. “Is that a yes?”
Sanemi blinked feverishly. “I, well, no, I mean, I guess…?”
“Good.” Giyuu nodded resolutely, relieved to have resolved this without much of a pushback. He turned to the class, who were all leaning forward in nosy anticipation. “Alright, get changed. I will see you all at the field in five minutes.”
Bouts of celebratory whoops erupted as they were finally released from this numerical hell.
As the students scrambled to get ready for PE, Sanemi continued to gawk at him as red crept up his face. Giyuu hoped he had not chosen the wrong option again and angered him. He wondered if it was possible for the rating score to go into the negatives.
“Are you alright, Shinazugawa-sensei?” Tanjirou, who was sitting in the first row, called out in concern. “Your face is red.”
At that, Sanemi rebooted and reverted to his usual self. He glared at Tanjirou and snapped hotly at him. “Mind your business, Kamado!”
WIth a loud huff, he swept his materials into his grasp and stormed out of the classroom.
Tanjirou turned to Giyuu with a troubled frown. “He looked a little agitated. What did you say to him, Tomioka-sensei?”
“Nothing much.” Giyuu did not think his seemingly mundane response would garner such a strong response either.
As he headed back to the field, he prompted the voice. “How has the rating changed?”
[Positively! Your response has resulted in an increase in affection rating. Keep it up and continue to improve your relationship! There is hope for you yet!]
The intricacies of human interaction remained an elusive mystery to Giyuu, for Sanemi did not seem that pleased as the voice had claimed. But if it was working then he did not intend to complain.
Classes ended at half past three that day. Giyuu’s classes were practically back-to-back, so once school was dismissed he returned to the staff room for a well-needed break. Some of his colleagues were also in the staff room. Kanae was marking some papers. Kyoujurou was digging into his beef bento. Tengen had his headphones on as he watched something on his phone.
Giyuu settled at his desk to start clearing his administrative work. He was going through his tasks when he heard a familiar voice call out next to him.
“Hey.”
He looked up to see Sanemi stopping at his desk. His colleague stood before him with his arms crossed, eyes darting everywhere but him.
“What you said earlier, do you mean it?”
It took Giyuu a few seconds to realize he was referring to their conversation in the classroom. Though he was unsure what of himself would be valuable to Sanemi, he was a man of his word.
“Yes.”
Sanemi’s shoulders twitched. His gaze snapped over to Giyuu, bright like blazing lilacs, before flickering away again. His finger tapped a quick staccato against his arm. “Okay. Well, uh—what exactly are you offering?”
Giyuu had not thought that far. At that time he just wanted his class back, and that seemed the most effective option.
Not to worry, he thought to himself as a few options flashed before him.
- I can help with your admin work.
- I can get us something to eat.
You can find out tonight.[This option is unavailable as your affection rating is not high enough]
He was a little hungry, he supposed.
“Are you hungry?”
Sanemi blinked, seeming surprised. “What? Well, I guess so. I haven't had the time to have a proper lunch.”
“I can get us something to eat.”
Sanemi considered him for a few moments. Then, he shrugged. “Sure, why not.”
They decided to eat at the diner next to the school. It seemed a little awkward to eat at the school cafeteria, which no doubt would attract a lot of unwanted attention. Giyuu ordered salmon daikon and Sanemi got some fried pork cutlet rice.
A bowl of salmon daikon never failed to lift his mood, even in his most stressful of times. Giyuu took his time to savor his meal, thankful that this diner was so close to his workplace.
“All this time, never would I have thought that our stonefaced, ironfisted teacher would eat like a child.”
For a while Giyuu was so immersed in his food that he had forgotten that Sanemi was sitting opposite him. He looked up to see Sanemi staring at him, intrigue coloring his expression.
“I don't eat like a child.” He protested flatly.
Sanemi merely scoffed, gaze dipping to his mouth. “Sure you do. You’re messier than my siblings when they were still in diapers.”
Before Giyuu could think of a retort, he saw Sanemi raising a hand towards his face. But then he stopped short just before his fingers touched the corner of Giyuu’s mouth. Giyuu stared between it and Sanemi’s face, which froze with rigid alarm.
Snatching his hand back, Sanemi cleared his throat as he pulled out some paper napkins with slight haste. “Sorry, muscle memory with my siblings since I was mentioning them. Here.”
They ate the rest of their meals in silence. Sanemi did not meet his gaze anymore, but it did not bother Giyuu. This was the most cordial they had been with each other. Giyuu was able to successfully sit down, have a meal with Sanemi and make light conversation.
All in all, not a bad day.
The days continued and Giyuu eventually got used to the voice in his head and the occasional pop-ups. Likening it to a friendly and harmless virus, he let the response options and sporadic prompts guide his interactions. His relationship with Sanemi had also improved since it had barged into his life, so he accepted its temporary presence.
During one of the schooldays, when he finally had time to grab lunch, he huddled on his usual spot at the stairwell, biting into his grape bread as always.
“Is that really all that you're having?”
Sanemi came over to this corner of the school and found him while he was eating. Giyuu thought he had some work matters to discuss, but Sanemi merely commented on his food choices.
“It is what I’ve always had.” Not one to speak while eating, Giyuu responded after he swallowed his mouthful of bread.
Sanemi peered at him, hand on hip as he gave him a onceover. “And why are you hiding over here like a loner?”
“I am not a loner.”
Sanemi narrowed his eyes, unimpressed. His glare that typically had his students cowering, only received a blank stare in return.
“For a P.E. teacher, I'd expect you to have a more balanced diet.”
“Teaching students to have good physical health and well-being does not equate to doing the same in my own life.”
“You should be a good role model at least! If a math teacher is bad at math, then they shouldn't even be teaching in the first place!”
“It's different. I'm not like the rest of you.”
Sanemi was fuming at this point. “Fine, whatever! Miss out on your fiber and vitamins for all I care!”
He walked off with an irritated scoff.
Giyuu blinked. Did that lower his rating score?
[This conversation has no impact on the affection rating as of this point!]
Having received the reassurance, Giyuu went back to eating his bread.
The next day, Giyuu huddled at his usual spot again. Just as he was able to tear open the packet of bread—
“Tomioka! Stop it right there!”
Giyuu paused, the clear plastic packet pinched between his fingers.
Sanemi appeared before him again, this time with a wrapped box in his hand. He held it out to Giyuu.
“I made some extra. Don't you dare begin to think I’m being charitable.”
Giyuu took the box with both hands. He unwrapped it and lifted the lid. It was a bento box containing seared salmon, rice and green vegetables.
- Thank you, Shinazugawa.
- Why are you giving this to me?
- [Take a bite of the food]
Giyuu thought the most obvious answer was the first one. But he had not been presented an option before where he could take action immediately. So out of curiosity, he picked the third option, and ate the food in front of Sanemi.
Sanemi watched him closely, eyes bright with something Giyuu might even call anticipation.
It was good. Perhaps even better if there was simmered daikon. But this was already delicious on its own. The salmon was seared to perfection, falling apart in his mouth into tender, flavorful flakes.
“This is good.” He said, after swallowing the mouthful of food.
Sanemi’s shoulders relaxed. “Really? That's…that's good.”
Giyuu nodded. “Thank you, Shinazugawa.”
Sanemi rubbed the back of his neck. “It's nothing. Like I said, I just made some extras.”
Giving another glance at Giyuu and the box in his hands, Sanemi returned inside the building. Giyuu finished the rest of the bento. His chest was warm with something other than the heat of the food.
From then on, once every few days, Sanemi would come over, bento in hand and reasons at the ready. Groceries were on a huge sale and they would spoil if not finished within these few days, his brother decided to get cafeteria food with his classmates like the ungrateful brat he was.
Giyuu did not see why he would be dishonest, so he took him at his word. And the voice seemed pleased with his progress and claimed his affection rating was going up, so he let things happen as they did.
But Giyuu did not want to become a leech, and eat all these delicious meals for free. He thought he ought to get something in return. He knew he would not be able to match him in culinary skills, so he decided to get his gifts from the professionals instead.
He remembered his sister recently mentioned a newly opened cake shop that was very popular. So he went there after work, and bought the last piece of their bestseller strawberry tart.
The next morning, he was able to catch Sanemi before he left for his first class.
“Shinazugawa.” He called out to him, and handed the delicately wrapped box to him.
Sanemi stared at the box as he took it with both hands. His eyes were wide with shock, even disbelief.
“Just a thank you for the meals.”
Sanemi did not say anything, and for a split second Giyuu had worried he would refuse it just like he did with the ohagi. But Sanemi pulled the box closer to his chest, stared at it and mumbled a quiet ‘thank you’.
Satisfied with the acceptance, Giyuu walked back to his desk, not realizing that a lilac gaze had lifted back up and onto his unsuspecting back.
Tengen suddenly invited everyone to get after work drinks on Thursday. He had the tendency to spring up spontaneous invites and activities, and the usual few agreed to go in the evening.
Giyuu did not often join the gatherings, and he hardly drank, so he did not indicate interest. So when evening rolled around and the other teachers who agreed got ready to leave, Giyuu stayed at his seat to continue working.
“Hey, are you not going?”
Sanemi walked over to his desk, all packed up already. He looked at Giyuu, as if expectantly.
- Yes.
- No.
- I’m not sure…
“No.”
Sanemi’s expression shuttered. The corner of his mouth twitched downwards and his eyes dulled to a sullen shade.
[Uh oh! Mr. Shinazugawa didn't like that! The affection rating has gone down.]
Giyuu thought he disabled the feature, why did the voice speak up without prompting?
[Under normal circumstances the “Handy Helper” feature has been disabled. but for the sake of your happiness I will override it under extreme circumstances that can severely impact your affection rating. And this scenario warrants my intervention.]
Did that mean his decision to not join the gathering had major consequences to his relationship with Sanemi?
Before Giyuu could say anything else, Sanemi spun away from him. “Fine. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
He began to walk away. Suddenly Giyuu did not like the sight of his retreating back.
“Shinazugawa, wait.”
Sanemi paused in his tracks. Giyuu got to his feet and walked up to him.
- It’s nothing.
- I’ll join you.
- Do you want me there?
Even though Giyuu knew that Sanemi was not pleased that he did not want to come along, he was not going to change his mind without consideration.
“Do you want me there? At the gathering?”
Sanemi turned back to face him. His face was creased with a frown. “I’m not forcing you to join us. Come along if you want to, or don’t.”
“It’s just,” Sanemi’s mouth opened and closed, as if rolling his words inside them in contemplation. “It would be nice. If you were there.”
When Giyuu did not respond, Sanemi started to ramble. “Not like it’ll be the end of the world if you don’t come. It’s just that Uzui and Rengoku are going to be a menace and I don’t want to be the only one to deal with them. Iguro will probably be texting his girlfriend the entire time so he’s going to be no help. I don’t want them to give Kochou a hard time. And Himejima—”
“Okay.”
Sanemi blinked. “What?”
“I’ll go.”
He narrowed his eyes, skeptical. “Are you sure? You’re not saying because you feel pressured to, right?”
Giyuu nodded. “I’m sure. I want to go.”
Sanemi regarded him, a considering look etched into his face. “...Okay.”
[Success! Your affection rating has gone back up.]
Internally Giyuu breathed a sigh of relief.
He followed his colleagues to a nearby bar that Uzui had picked. It was a cozy izakaya and they all huddled around a table that could fit everyone. After a few quick orders the table was filled with food and drinks, with excited chatter bouncing across all corners.
Sitting opposite Tengen put Giyuu in his direct line of sight and immediate attention for some enthusiastic hospitality. Tengen shoved a mug of beer into his arms. “Tomioka! I don’t want to see your hands empty. Drink up!”
Giyuu peered at the mug brimming with cold alcohol. He spared a glance at Sanemi who sat next to him, and only then he noticed the glass in front of Sanemi was filled with a soft drink instead.
“You are not drinking?” He asked.
Sanemi shook his head. “No. You don’t have to drink either if you don’t want to.”
It was not that Giyuu did not want to. He just rarely touched alcohol. Steeling himself, he raised the mug to his mouth and took a large gulp.
Tengen gave a loud cheer. “That’s the spirit!”
The beer was cold on his tongue but warm in his chest. It was a peculiar feeling. Giyuu could understand why some people enjoy drinking.
Beside him, he heard a quiet snort from Sanemi. He threw a glance at his colleague to see him watching with an expression he might even call amused.
Giyuu’s quiet observations were soon to be impaired, however. The world started to spin before he was halfway through the mug. Laughter and noise clogged his head in a cottony fog.
- [Try to stay upright]
- [Lean against Sanemi]
- [Lie your head on the table]
Giyuu's vision blurred as his surroundings tilted like a rocking boat. He meant to pick the first choice but in a muddled daze he—
—swayed sideways and leaned into Sanemi’s side.
Sanemi immediately tensed beside him. His body, firm with the well-built muscles that he was openly very proud of, went rigid.
Giyuu wanted to apologize and sit up, but his body was leaden with inebriated lethargy. Even his tongue felt heavy and slow as he mumbled his apology.
Fighting against his intoxication, he struggled to sit upright. But something curled around his arm on the other side and pulled him back into Sanemi’s space. Giyuu toppled back into his shoulder, face pressed against Sanemi’s collar. Even through his shirt and vest, Giyuu could feel Sanemi’s warmth seeping through.
Squinting through his tipsiness, Giyuu could make out the shape of Sanemi’s fingers pressing into his forearm. Firmly, but loose enough to shake off he wanted to. Giyuu did not do it.
“My, my, it seems that Tomioka-san is rather drunk.” Kanae's voice sounded far away, as if submerged.
“With only half a mug, it seems!” Kyoujurou’s voice, despite sounding muffled, was deafeningly bright. “Tomioka needs to work on his tolerance!”
“What have we here?” Giyuu idly picked out Tengen’s voice as well. “It's not every day we see our spartan Tomioka Giyuu let loose. He looks cute, even.”
“Shut up, Uzui. You got three girlfriends already, stop ogling at other people.” Being pressed against Sanemi, Giyuu felt Sanemi’s voice rumbling against him. It was strangely comforting. Giyuu was almost tempted to sink into it.
“I can be a loyal partner and still admire other people's appearances objectively. I’m an art teacher after all. Why, is someone perhaps feeling a little…jealous?”
“Take your nonsense elsewhere. No one’s feeling jealous.”
“Unbelievable, Shinazugawa. And to think you could not stand to be within five feet of him for more than ten minutes.” This time it was Obanai that Giyuu heard.
“I—You—!”
Gyomei’s calm voice drifted to Giyuu’s ears. “To witness my colleagues getting along after a prolonged period of animosity, what a touching scene to behold.”
Sanemi’s fingers twitched against Giyuu’s arm. A moment passed, and then Giyuu felt a glass being pushed into his hands.
“C’mon. Drink some water and stop making an idiot out of yourself.” Sanemi snapped at him. His hands, however, wrapped around Giyuu’s grip to prevent him from dropping the glass.
Giyuu blinked past his stupor. He stared blankly at the water. Then slowly, he took a long sip. Some of the water escaped his mouth, still sluggish with drunkenness, and dribbled down his chin.
He heard Sanemi click his tongue. A napkin was pressed against his face, gentle despite the irritated grumbling from the man.
“Wow, and to think I’m watching this for free.” Tengen stared at them in fascination, chin propped on his hand.
“See no evil. I see nothing.” Obanai mumbled as he obstinately fixed his gaze onto his phone screen.
The water helped slightly with Giyuu’s sobriety and he regained enough strength and sense to sit upright, but the dizzying intoxication lingered still. Giyuu dared not touch the beer again, and took a bite of the skewers to fill his stomach.
After a while, Sanemi spoke up amidst everyone’s conversations, “I’m heading back now. I have to make sure my siblings are asleep.”
“They’ll be fine,” Tengen drawled with a lazy grin. “They’re good kids. They’ll be in bed like obedient little ducklings.”
Sanemi scoffed at that. “They are many things, but obedient is not what they are. Little menaces, all of them.”
“Genya is a sweet boy,” Kanae said with a gentle smile. “He’s very attentive in my class.”
Sanemi sighed. “I wish he was that attentive in my class.”
“Well, if you are heading back early,” Tengen said, and suddenly his gaze drifted to Giyuu with a strange glint in his eyes, “why don’t you send Tomioka back as well?”
Sanemi’s back straightened. “What? Why? He’s a grown man, he can send himself back just fine.”
Giyuu nodded in agreement. “I can go home by myself.”
Tengen let out a drawn-out hum. “Tomioka, how do you say ‘I’m a salmon daikon maniac’ backwards?”
Giyuu furrowed his brows. His mind struggled to piece the words together in the right order.
“See?” Tengen gestured at him. “Absolutely wasted. Send him back, please.”
“Hear no evil. I hear nothing.” Obanai muttered.
“You, just—” Sanemi took a deep breath. “Fine. Just doing what all good responsible civic servants ought to do.”
“Thank you for your service.” Tengen raised his glass. “Okay, who else wants another round?”
“Shinazugawa.”
Sanemi turned to him. They were outside the izakaya, wrapped up in their winter coats. The chill seeped into Giyuu’s bones and shocked him back into alertness. The haze of alcohol finally cleared from his head.
“You can head back home. There’s no need to follow me.” Sanemi did say he had to return home to check on his family. Giyuu did not want to make him go through the trouble of detouring to his home before going back.
But Sanemi merely scoffed. “And get run over by a car again? I don't want to be responsible for you ending up in the hospital for real this time.”
“But—”
“No buts.” Sanemi lightly nudged him forward with his elbow. “Come on, I don’t want to freeze out here more than I need to.”
Giyuu did not live too far from the bar, so they walked back.
The streets were quiet on their way to Giyuu’s place. The tranquil night was punctuated with the rhythmic patter of footsteps and occasional sounds of their breathing.
“You didn't drink.” Even in his intoxicated state, that was something Giyuu had noticed.
For a while Sanemi did not say anything. Giyuu thought he had not heard, or chose not to answer.
Then, slowly, quietly, “My dad's a drunkard. Back then, he would always come back home stinking of alcohol. I grew to hate the smell of it and what it could make people do. So I never let myself drink, even if everyone else around me does.”
Silence settled in the space between them. Giyuu’s gaze drifted to the ground, and watched the way their shadows ran along the pavement ahead of them.
“...Sorry.”
Sanemi turned to him. “For what?”
“For causing you trouble.” For reminding you of bad memories.
Sanemi sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair. “It's different. With you, with the people back there. Uzui can drink up a storm, and you were acting like it’s your first day on earth, but it’s all harmless. I only don’t like it when people get so drunk they forget themselves and start making people around them feel scared and unsafe.”
- Thank you for telling me.
- I still want to apologize.
- [Remain silent]
Usually Giyuu would have chosen to stay silent. But he had come to learn that silence was not always what Sanemi was looking for, not from him.
“Thank you for telling me.”
Sanemi paused, a falter in his footsteps.
Giyuu looked at him just in time to see a smile curve along the lines of Sanemi’s mouth. He felt his breath hitch. The world around him tilted and swayed, bending around Sanemi and the warmth blooming on his face, and Giyuu wondered if the alcohol was still having an effect on him.
Soon after they reached the apartment building where Giyuu lived. None of Giyuu’s colleagues had been to his place, he supposed Sanemi was the first.
“Thank you for walking me back.”
Sanemi shrugged. “Just making sure you make it back in one piece.”
Neither of them said another word, but the quiet was not an uncomfortable one.
Sanemi attempted a step backwards. “I, well, I’ll be heading back now.”
Giyuu nodded. “Stay safe.”
He watched Sanemi’s retreating figure until he disappeared around a corner.
The memory of Sanemi’s smile remained etched in Giyuu’s mind. He reckoned that was the first time Sanemi ever smiled at him. His chest warmed with a sensation that he was now certain was not from the alcohol (as he had downed cups and cups of water after reaching home).
Sleep evaded him even as he lay still on his bed. The phantom image of the gentle crescent on Sanemi’s face lingered in him. Idly, Giyuu called out to the voice, asking how his development with Sanemi had progressed.
[Certainly! Shall I show you some stats of your progress and current status?]
Upon Giyuu’s agreement, several boxes and charts flashed before him. On the left upper corner was his profile with some basic details — his name, birthday, height, weight and whatnot. Below it was Sanemi’s profile. The rest of the space, which was the majority of it, had several icons, metrics and meter bars.
One was the countdown bar till February fourteenth. They were inching closer to the date, with only two more weeks to go.
There was one meter with several hearts. Judging from the layout, there should be space for more hearts to fill out the meter, though more than half of it was already occupied.
“What is that one?”
[It's your affection rating! It shows your relationship progress with Mr. Shinazugawa so far!]
There was a row with an icon Giyuu recognized to be the strawberry tart — the voice explained it was a record of what Giyuu had gifted Sanemi that he enjoyed.
There was also a row of achievements - had lunch with Sanemi, received homemade meals from Sanemi, went to have after work drinks with Sanemi, was held in Sanemi’s arms, walked home with Sanemi.
With so much information staring back at Giyuu, he gazed on in marveled silence, surprised at how much had happened in a few weeks.
Perhaps this strange guide in his head made more of an impact than he had thought. Perhaps he could actually become closer to Sanemi.
Perhaps this so-called Happy End was an achievable outcome after all.