For the longest time in Kento's life, he didn't think he would fall for his own teammate. But sometimes, life is just full of surprises. Kento realized it's not a spur of moment when he realized he fall in love, instead it was gradual, one moment after others. But it was certainly when they finished rehearsal. Kento feels slumped, he feels stuck in his life, his life is boring, full of routine, and sometimes he just wants the world to swallow him. He buried himself at work just to feel alive. Then Kento remembers how a scuffle sound can be heard from the hallway, and Fuma enters, with his baggy blue jeans and his sneakers, muttering apologies as he is late for the schedule, but still smiling widely. They start the rehearsal that night.
It took them half an hour to dance without rest when the choreographer allowed them to rest. Fuma hands him a bottle of bottled water. "Drink, you'll dehydrate," and Kento spent the whole night looking at Fuma's reflections in the mirror, hair mess, dripping sweat, dancing in precise movements. He looks handsome, hot, and something that Kento wants to cherish for his whole life.
Kento tries to bury it, obviously, he can't just say to the world that he fell in love with his friend, his close friend, his bandmate. That was like the first rule, not to fall for your bandmate. But it is always easier to do. Kento always thinks Fuma is like a flashlight, so bright, easy-going, he has more friends than Kento could even count. social butterfly, and people see Kento as someone unreachable. They are kinda the opposite. But it doesn't stop Kento from falling in love. With how bright Fuma is, Kento feel like there is no way Fuma likes him too.
It was the end of the year, and they had countdown show. Big concert while their screen times are probably just minutes. After a long time, they were together as a group to promote their song and album in the company's annual show. They need to look perfect for both their seniors and juniors. They were done for that day. They finished late at night, it was the change of another year. Kento changed into his jeans and his own shoes, his hair is a mess after a long day of work, makeup is not even on the right places. But then he hears Fuma laugh from behind, a light laugh. Kento turned, "What? I'm tired, I look like shit," he said, but Fuma kept giving his little laugh, "No, you're not. You're beautiful, looking like that," Kento doesn't think Fuma will tell him like that.
He felt starstruck at how easy Fuma said to him. He looks around. Maybe Fuma just wants to tease and mess around with him. But nobody is in the same room as them. Sou and Marius are still not old enough to work this late, and Shori is already going back, it's just two of them.
"Thanks," that's the only thing Kento could mutter. Because truly, he looks a mess with his worn jeans and old sneakers, pretty shouldn't be the first word to describe him like this. But then Fuma walks closer, he gives Kento a pat on his shoulder, "Happy New Year, Nakajima," and by that, Fuma walks out of the room, leaving Kento wishing he could just tell Fuma to stay.
Whenever they have a schedule, or just together for fun, Kento could see how Fuma used to give a glance to girls near them. Just like it is right now. It was subtle, just a glance over and there. Kento understands it, Fuma is a teenager, it's the age when he is full of himself. Kento himself does that once in a while. But he realized most of the time the glance is toward his own member.
Sometimes, Kento feels jealous; he also wants Fuma to give him a look, a glance, an attention. But Kento realized, Fuma is used to looking at girl wearing high heels, dresses, with their long, smooth legs, a perfect body. There is no way Fuma will look at him with the same glance; it feels like a long fantasy.
Kento looked at his reflection in the window shop, "I don't fit with the scenery you look for," Kento muttered to himself. Fuma comes up behind, their reflection together in the window shop, both with their jeans and sneakers, Fuma looks ahead, to their reflections, "What are you talking about? Kento is enough, you're pretty as you are."
One night, their meeting and rehearsal went past midnight. Kento looked at the clock on the wall of the practice room, a minute past 1 am. He is sitting, backing up the mirror, Fuma sits beside him, their knees touch, and they look at the younger members dozing off in the corner of the room. "This is nice," Fuma said. Kento hummed, agree. Their old sneakers touch. Kento looks at it before they continue their rehearsal again; the concert needs to be perfect.
They finished when the sunrise shyly came up, Kento for once being brave, holding Fuma's hand, not letting Fuma go, even when now Fuma looked a mess, his hair a mess, his sweater wrinkled, sweating, in Kento's eyes, he was still the same boy he gradually fall in love since Kento younger days.
"Stay for a while," Kento requested, for once. hesitant, but just maybe, maybe it's not that scary to spend time with Fuma.
Fuma looks at him, "Want to grab breakfast together?" Kento smiles, and Fuma goes to hold his hand.
Kento looked at his hand on Fuma's grip, they were waiting for the train to arrive, "Ne, Kikuchi, do you think what happened with our future? Will we stay like this?" Kento shouldn't ask that, but sometimes, he just wants to know if he and Kikuchi have a future.
Fuma tightening his grip, "Let's keep it as surprise, even if you know, don't tell me that now,"
A continuous BIIP sound can be heard. And Kento woke up his eyes, his eyes wandered, and it was his own room. He takes his phone and looks at the date, July 2025. and he chuckled, his eyes stings, "Guess I will never move on, huh,"
Kento looked at the jeans he threw at the bottom of his bed and his old sneakers lying around, "My heart is a mess."