The Idol Confession Room: Between Jokes and Truth

SixTONES had sworn they were done with chaos.

A year had passed since the KyomoHoku scandal; what began as a PR nightmare had somehow turned into the most iconic love story in idol history. The group had survived the storm, their fans were more united than ever, and their manager had begged them not to do anything scandalous again.

But SixTONES being SixTONES, trouble never needed much of an invitation.

This time, the spotlight wasn’t on Hokuto or Taiga. It was Jesse and Kochi.

It started harmless enough. Jesse had always teased Kochi; tossing flirty comments into interviews, flashing heart signs behind him, leaning just a little too close. Fans called it fanservice. Staff called it Jesse being Jesse.

But SixTONES? They never let things go. Not when there was chaos to be made.

So here they were; six idiots crammed into Hokuto’s living room at nearly midnight, surrounded by empty soda cans and half-eaten pizza boxes.

The so-called “KyomoHoku Anniversary After-Party,” as Jesse had proudly dubbed it, was meant to be a harmless hangout. Just the six of them, celebrating one year since Taiga and Hokuto’s not-so-fake-anymore love story went public.

But somewhere between Juri’s tragic impersonations and Shintaro attempting to break his personal record of three slices of pizza in under a minute, the conversation took a dangerous turn.

“Bro, you’re literally glowing,” Juri said, squinting across the living room like Jesse was some kind of radioactive lamp.

“I’m just happy, man.” Jesse grinned, stretching his legs out across Hokuto’s carpet.

“Happy watching Hokuto feed Taiga pizza like he’s a baby bird?” Shintaro deadpanned, pointing to the corner where KyomoHoku were very much in their own bubble.

“Disgusting,” Kochi muttered, shoving a cushion over his face.

“They’re in love!” Jesse argued, dramatic as ever. “We should celebrate their happiness!”

“Sure, but you’re acting like you’re in love too,” Juri fired back, his grin sharp and mischievous. “Unless, of course…”

The whole room perked up instantly. Hokuto raised a brow, Taiga blinked out of his bliss, and Shintaro leaned forward like a gossiping aunt.

“…you’re in love with Kochi.”

The room exploded.

“EH?!” Taiga yelped, nearly choking on his pizza. Hokuto immediately rubbed his back and held out a drink. Total in-love couple core.

“FINALLY, SOMEONE SAID IT,” Shintaro cheered. Even Hokuto smirked, clearly enjoying the chaos.

Jesse, caught mid-sip of soda, nearly spit it everywhere. “WHAT?! NO! Shut up!”

Kochi hurled the cushion at Juri’s head. “Oi! Don’t drag me into this!”

“I mean… he does follow you around a lot.” Taiga said, smirking.

Hokuto nodded thoughtfully. “Always sitting next to you. Always laughing too loud at your jokes.”

“ALRIGHT, ENOUGH,” Jesse barked, cheeks burning as the entire group howled. He tried to glare, but the flush creeping up his neck betrayed him.

Kochi, unfazed, shrugged. “Jesse teases everyone. Don’t make it weird.”

“See?!” Jesse jumped on the lifeline instantly. “Kochi gets it.”

But the teasing only escalated, louder and more relentless until Juri, grinning like a menace, leaned back on his hands. 

“Fine then. Prove us wrong. Do a better fake dating act than KyomoHoku ever did. Outdo KyomoHoku’s saga. Show us how it’s really done.”

The room went dead quiet for a beat.

Jesse laughed nervously. “Ha! Yeah, right. As if.”

“YES. THIS. BEST IDEA EVER.” Shintaro clapped like an overexcited seal, practically bouncing and grinning from ear to ear.

“Yeah, let’s see!” Taiga joined in, voice too eager for someone who’d just survived the same hell.

Even Hokuto hummed, smirking. “Could be fun.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Kochi said quickly, hands up. “That’s stupid.”

But the trap was already set. 

The room erupted again, voices overlapping, laughter echoing. Jesse, caught in the storm, realized a second too late that he’d already nodded along. His heart hammered in his chest, but his mouth betrayed him.

“Fine! We’ll do it. Fake date. Better than Taiga and Hokuto. Easy.”

The room exploded again, everyone yelling at once.

“WHAT?!” Kochi spun toward Jesse. “Bro, you can’t just—”

“Too late!” Jesse announced loudly, throwing his arm around Kochi’s shoulders like he’d won something. “Contract sealed. Fake dating starts now.”

Taiga buried his face in his hoodie, shoulders shaking with laughter. Hokuto looked one second away from grabbing his phone and documenting the entire downfall.

Kochi just stared at Jesse, wide-eyed. “You’re insane.”

“Yup,” Jesse said with his brightest grin, ignoring the way his stomach flipped hard enough to make him dizzy. “But guess what? You’re stuck with me.”

Kochi swore he was two seconds away from either jumping off Hokuto’s balcony or calling their manager to prepare for yet another headline-making disaster. Maybe even dragging them all back into another crisis room, like last time with Hokuto. But at least Hokuto and Taiga had survived that mess because they’d actually been in love.

He stared at Jesse in pure disbelief. How could he so easily accept a dare that was supposed to stay a joke?

Jesse still had that ridiculous grin plastered across his face, his arm heavy across Kochi’s shoulders like this was the best idea in the world.

Meanwhile, Kochi had only one thought: I’m going to kill him. Slowly. And then kill Juri for starting this.

SixTONES Group Chat

[Juri]:

THIS IS THE BEST TIMELINE. KYOMOHOKU WALKED SO JESSEKOCHI COULD RUN.

[Shintaro]:

Nah bro, they’re sprinting. Straight into chaos.

[Taiga]:

I can’t believe you guys are actually doing this.

[Hokuto]:

Bold of you to assume they’ll survive a week.

[Kochi]:

I DID NOT AGREE TO THIS. HELP.

[Jesse]:

Too late babe 😘 fake boyfriend privileges unlocked.

[Kochi]:

DELETE THIS

[Juri]:

Screenshot. Framed. Printed as a poster for the rehearsal room.

[Shintaro]:

Jesse’s already whipped. Kochi’s already crying. Peak romance.

[Taiga]:

Lowkey rooting for them tho.

[Hokuto]:

Same. We as KyomoHoku officially bless this union. YugoJe let’s go!

[Kochi]:

I hate all of you.

[Taiga]:

Deja vu

Jesse lay on his bed, staring at the screen with a grin that matched the chaos in the chat. He tossed in emojis, laughed along with the others, played the part so well that no one noticed the tiny hitch in his chest or show it on chat. They couldn’t catch it.

Because in between the jokes, he thought: If only it wasn’t fake.

The chat kept scrolling, a storm of inside jokes and teasing, but Jesse’s smile lingered with a heaviness no one else could see or predict. He wasn’t sure which was harder; the act of pretending it was just a dare, or living with the fact that, for him, it already meant something more.

Meanwhile, Kochi thought the whole thing was pure madness. They’d just survived the KyomoHoku saga, and he swore they should’ve learned not to invite chaos twice. Yet here they were, with a brand-new “couple” rising in the group.

And his feelings? He didn’t know what to call them. Because Jesse was Jesse. Loud, playful, impossible to pin down. Kochi had always known he wasn’t serious. Or at least, that’s what he thought.

To everyone else, it was just a dare. Just another SixTONES joke spiraling out of control.

But for Jesse and maybe, eventually, for Kochi; it was the beginning of a story they’d never be able to laugh off.

Kochi had survived one night of group chat bullying, but barely. He thought maybe; maybe if he ignored Jesse long enough, the whole “fake dating” thing would just die quietly.

Unfortunately, Jesse didn’t believe in “quiet.” Or “quit.”

So when Kochi walked into rehearsal the next afternoon, drinks in hand, the first thing he saw was Jesse leaning against the mirror like some kind of bargain-bin K-drama lead, grinning like the devil. Bargain-bin, because Jesse was acting like Kochi was the heroine of his dreams; except, in reality, Kochi was two seconds away from throwing his iced coffee at him.

“There he is,” Jesse announced loudly enough for everyone to hear. “My boyfriend.”

Kochi froze mid-step. Juri nearly dropped his phone. Shintaro choked on his water. Taiga covered his mouth to hide a laugh, while Hokuto muttered under his breath, “Oh no, it begins.”

“…I’m killing you after practice,” Kochi said flatly.

But Jesse only winked. “Not before our first date, babe.”

And just like that, the SixTONES fake-dating saga officially began.

Kochi swore he should’ve known better.

He should’ve walked out the second Juri started chanting “Date! Date! Date!” like a deranged cheerleader.

But no. Because here he was, standing in front of a half-empty Tokyo cafe on a Sunday afternoon, pretending this was normal.

The only reason he agreed at all was because Jesse had promised — sworn — that they’d pick somewhere quiet. “Either an uncrowded cafe, or this whole operation is canceled,” Kochi had said. Somehow, Jesse actually delivered.

“This is stupid. Why are we doing this again?” Kochi muttered for the tenth time, tugging his cap lower as they walked side by side. Even if the place wasn’t packed, they were idols. All it took was one fan recognizing them, and boom — chaos.

Beside him, Jesse looked like he’d just walked out of a magazine shoot, with ridiculous long legs, denim jacket hanging off his shoulders, grin too bright for someone plotting public humiliation. He slipped on his sunglasses with a flourish, leaning just close enough to annoy.

“Because,” Jesse said, tone infuriatingly cheerful, “we have to prove we’re better than KyomoHoku. Obviously.”

Kochi shot him a flat look. “Better at what? Lying?”

Jesse ignored the jab, casually resting his hand against the small of Kochi’s back as he guided him toward the door. The touch was light, practiced, like Jesse had done this a thousand times. Too natural. Kochi nearly tripped over his own feet.

“Relax, babe. First fake date. We gotta sell it.” Jesse said smoothly.

“Don’t call me babe. And stop touching me.” Kochi shoved his hands into his pockets, already regretting every life choice that led him here.

“Can’t. Boyfriends do this,” Jesse replied without missing a beat, tugging the door open and gesturing grandly. “You want us to look believable, right?”

Kochi grumbled something under his breath, but stepped inside anyway. Jesse, hidden behind his sunglasses, ignored the small twist in his chest at how dangerously easy it was to pretend.

Halfway to the counter, Kochi froze.

No. No, no, no.

Hell had just manifested itself in front of him.

Because at the corner table, four idiots were doing the worst undercover act known to man.

Juri crouched behind a menu like it was a bulletproof shield. Shintaro was kneeling on the floor, “tying his shoelaces” for the fifth consecutive minute. And Taiga and Hokuto had their sunglasses indoors, hoodies up; looked less like casual customers and more like two suspicious spies seconds away from being arrested.

Kochi slapped a hand to his face. “They followed us?!” he hissed.

Jesse only winked. “Of course they are. Moral support. Or chaos support. Same thing.” He leaned in closer, voice dropping mischievously, “Guess we just gotta give them a show.”

“This isn’t a date,” Kochi muttered darkly. “It’s a public execution.”

The cafe smelled like roasted beans and warm pastries, comforting and soft; a cruel contrast to Kochi’s misery. Jesse guided him to a corner table (after Kochi threatened to bolt if they sat anywhere visible). Across the room, their members “acted casual” which only made them more suspicious. Juri nearly choked on laughter when Jesse reached over, all chivalry, like some kind of gentleman; pull out Kochi’s chair.

“After you, darling.”

Kochi choked on air. “Don’t call me that.”

“Too late, darling. Fake boyfriend duties. Gotta make it look real.” Jesse said with a wink loud enough that Taiga almost spit out his drink.

Kochi wanted the floor to open and swallow him whole. He was about to hiss another warning when Jesse leaned in, just close enough for no one else to hear.

“Don’t worry,” Jesse murmured, softer than Kochi had ever heard him. “I’ll take care of you.”

Kochi’s heart betrayed him instantly, thudding hard against his ribs. For a second too long, he couldn’t breathe; not from embarrassment, but from something far more dangerous.

They ordered coffee and cake, and Jesse slid effortlessly into the role of “boyfriend of the year”.

He stole bites of Kochi’s cake without asking, leaned way too close to “fix” his collar, and laughed too loudly at his own dad jokes like the cafe was their stage.

Kochi kept up the act; scowling, muttering, rolling his eyes. But his ears burned red the entire time. Every time Jesse leaned in, it felt less like a performance and more like Jesse was just… being Jesse. And that was dangerous.

Then Jesse rested his chin on his hand, eyes fixed on him.

“You know,” he said casually, “you’re kinda cute when you’re mad.”

Kochi froze, fork suspended halfway to his mouth. “You’re only saying that because they’re watching.”

“Maybe,” Jesse replied. The smile he gave was softer than it had any right to be. “Maybe not.”

Across the cafe, Taiga and Hokuto exchanged a loaded glance. Juri clapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the squeal threatening to escape. And Shintaro, grinning like a maniac, was already spamming the group chat.

SixTONES Group Chat

[Shintaro]:

BRO JESSE JUST CALLED KOCHI CUTE. IN PUBLIC.

[Juri]:

CONFIRMED. FAKE DATING SPEEDRUN TO REAL FEELINGS.

[Taiga]:

Ngl… Jesse looks too natural…

[Hokuto]:

Correction: Jesse IS way too natural. That wasn’t fake at all.

[Jesse]:

Stop spying losers 😘

[Kochi]:

STOP TEXTING ME I CAN SEE YOU GUYS

[Shintaro]:

Pretend you don’t know us. Make it sexy.

[Juri]:

LMAO HI FAKE BOYFRIEND.

[Shintaro]:

How’s the cake, “darling”? 😏

[Jesse]:

Delicious. Just like my boyfriend ❤️

[Kochi]:

I will END you.

[Taiga]:

Please don’t end him. This is too entertaining.

[Hokuto]:

SHIP SAILING. NO BRAKES. YUGOJE FOR LIFE.

[Juri]:

Yeah, hold his hand next.

[Taiga]:

OMG YES! Public handholding!

[Hokuto]:

And that’s how the fake date escalates. 

[Kochi]:

I seriously hate all of you.

Across the table, Jesse’s phone buzzed with their chaos, and he tried to stifle a laugh. Kochi looked murderous.

“This isn’t funny,” Kochi muttered.

“It is, when you’re glaring at me like I proposed,” Jesse teased.

And for one horrifying second, Kochi realized it almost felt like he had.

Jesse leaned back in his chair, grin lazy but sharp, like he was waiting for the perfect punchline. Kochi was mid-sipping his coffee when Jesse suddenly reached across the table and slid his hand over his.

Kochi froze.

The cafe wasn’t loud enough to drown out Juri’s muffled screech of laughter from across the room. Shintaro practically nearly fell off the chair. Taiga buried his face in his hoodie while Hokuto just sipped his drink like he’d predicted the whole thing.

“W-what the hell are you doing?!” Kochi hissed, eyes wide.

“Commitment to the bit,” Jesse said smoothly, fingers curling around him like it was the most natural thing in the world. His thumb brushed once; too soft, too real. “We’ve got an audience. Gotta sell it, right?”

Kochi yanked his hand back like it burned, his face hot enough to rival the cafe’s espresso machine. “You’re insane,” he muttered, pushing his chair back.

But Jesse only leaned forward, grin widening, eyes glinting with something Kochi couldn’t quite name. “Maybe. But admit it. You felt that.”

Kochi’s pulse betrayed him, hammering like crazy. He didn’t answer. He couldn’t.

Across the room, the others exploded into silent chaos. Juri choking, Shintaro fist-pumping, Taiga whispering “oh no oh no oh no”, and Hokuto smirking like he’d seen the ending already.

And Kochi, very much not in control, realized one terrifying thing: This fake dating disaster had already spiraled out of his hands.

By the time Jesse and Kochi escaped the cafe, Kochi was two seconds away from throwing himself into the nearest river. Jesse, on the other hand, looked like he’d just won a game show.

“Successful first date!” Jesse announced cheerfully, stretching his arms above his head as if he hadn’t just publicly committed social homicide.

“Shut up,” Kochi snapped, tugging his cap lower. “That wasn’t a date.”

“Fake date,” Jesse corrected. “And fake dates count.”

Kochi groaned. This was hell.

The late afternoon air was too cool for how hot his ears felt. He shoved his hands into his pockets like they were guilty of a crime, stomping a step ahead of Jesse.

“Hey,” Jesse drawled, lengthening his stride until he was right at Kochi’s side again. “You’re fast. Running away from me already?”

Kochi glared at the pavement. “I’m running from the embarrassment you caused.”

“Embarrassment?” Jesse tilted his head, smiled all teeth. “Pretty sure the only one embarrassed was you.”

Kochi stopped dead, rounding on him. “You — you held my hand in front of them! Do you know what that looked like?!”

“Like a date?” Jesse supplied, far too casually.

Kochi’s ears burned hotter. “Exactly! We’re supposed to be pretending, not —” He cut himself off, realizing too late that his voice had cracked on the word.

Jesse leaned in just enough to be infuriating, eyes sharp with amusement. “Not what? Not enjoying it?”

Kochi’s pulse skipped, traitorously loud in his own head. He opened his mouth, closed it, then muttered, “You’re impossible,” before storming toward their parked car.

Behind him, Jesse grinned, shoving his hands into his pocket like he’d just won something Kochi didn’t know he was playing for.

Across the street, four idiots tried (and failed) to hide behind a lamppost. Juri whisper-yelling commentary into his phone, Shintaro crouched on the pavement pretending to tie invisible shoelaces again, Taiga’s hood slipping off as Hokuto calmly sipped bubble tea.

And Kochi, very much aware of all of it, decided his life was officially over.

SixTONES Group Chat

[Juri]:

I AM STILL LAUGHING HELP

[Shintaro]:

BRO THE HAND HOLDING??? 💀💀💀

[Taiga]:

I can’t believe you did that in public

[Hokuto]:

Yes you can. It’s Jesse.

[Kochi]:

STOP TALKING ABOUT IT. IT MEANT NOTHING.

[Jesse]:

Wow 🥺 it meant nothing to you?? After everything we’ve been through??

[Kochi]:

WE’VE BEEN THROUGH ONE COFFEE.

[Juri]:

And eternal comedy gold.

[Shintaro]:

Ngl though… you guys actually looked… kinda real 👀

[Taiga]:

Don’t curse them like that. That’s how we ended up here.

[Hokuto]:

Facts. Fake dating is a gateway drug.

[Jesse]:

Too late 😘 Kochi’s mine now

[Kochi]:

DELETE THIS RIGHT NOW

[Juri]:

[attached image: photo of Jesse holding Kochi’s hand at the cafe table]

[Juri]:

Already framed. Printing 6 copies.

[Shintaro]:

Make it 7. Manager deserves one too. 

[Taiga]:

No, Manager deserves a break 💀

[Hokuto]:

KyomoHoku officially passes the chaos crown. Long live YugoJe.

[Kochi]:

I HATE ALL OF YOU.

[Juri]:

Love you too, bro ❤️

Kochi tossed his phone onto the couch like it was cursed and buried his face in his hands. His ears were still burning.

This was supposed to shut them up. One fake date, one ridiculous performance, and the guys would get bored. They’d laugh, tease, and then move on. That was the plan.

But judging from the endless flood of messages, screenshots, and memes now circulating in their group chat, the “fake date” wasn’t the end. It was just the beginning.

He groaned into his palms. “This is hell.”

The worst part? Jesse wasn’t denying anything.

If anything, he was leaning into it. Way too much. Calling him “darling” in chat. Calling him “babe”. Acting like this was some kind of rom-com and not the dumbest dare in idol history. And Jesse was good at it; too good. Every smile, every touch, every teasing line looked so natural that Kochi couldn’t tell anymore if Jesse was acting or just… being himself.

And that made it dangerous.

Kochi peeked at his phone again, only to see another ping light up the screen.

SixTONES Group Chat

[Shintaro]:

BROOOO I JUST REWATCHED THE HAND HOLDING VIDEO. IN HD. THANK YOU JURI FOR THE SCOOP.

[Juri]:

My pleasure. I’m crying, laughing. Kochi’s face is priceless.

[Taiga]:

Precious. Protect this couple at all costs.

[Hokuto]:

No protection. Let it burn.

Kochi groaned louder, grabbing a pillow and screaming into it. He was two seconds away from muting the chat forever.

Meanwhile, in another apartment across Tokyo, Jesse was sprawled across his bed, phone glowing in his hand as he laughed at every chaotic message. He tossed in emojis and snappy replies like it was all just fun and games.

But underneath the laughter, Jesse felt the weight in his chest again. That hitch he kept hiding. Because when he called Kochi cute at the cafe, when he slid his hand over his, when Kochi’s ears turned red —

God. Jesse wished it wasn’t fake.

He dropped his phone onto his chest, staring up at the ceiling with a grin that felt too soft for a joke.

“Yeah,” he whispered to no one but himself. “Definitely not fake.”

Kochi walked into rehearsal the next morning with a pounding headache and the deep regret of ever agreeing to this stupid fake dating idea. He hadn’t slept and his phone hadn’t stopped buzzing all night. The group chat was chaos and Jesse? 

Jesse had gone radio silent after dropping one single emoji in the chat: 🔥.

Kochi wanted to strangle him.

“Morning,” Jesse greeted cheerfully, grinning like nothing was wrong.

Before Kochi could bite his head off, the studio door slammed open. Their manager marched in, phone in hand, eyes blazing.

“Which one of you,” the manager hissed, waving a printout, “thought it was a good idea to go on a very public coffee date yesterday?”

Silence. Six guilty faces avoided eye contact.

He slapped the printout onto the table. A grainy photo from the café. Even blurry, the hand holding was obvious.

Kochi groaned. “Who even took that?!”

“Public cafe. Fans have cameras. Welcome to your lives,” the manager snapped.

Juri coughed into his fist, clearly trying not to laugh.

“Not funny,” the manager barked. “We barely managed KyomoHoku with the agency. Now you two want to speedrun the same disaster?”

“It’s not like that!” Kochi said quickly. “It was a joke! A dare. Take it as a friendly cafe outing.”

“Yeah,” Jesse added brightly. “Fake dating! Totally fake!”

The manager stared them down. Long. Hard. Then sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Fake, my ass. How long have I known these toddlers?

“Fine. But if you’re gonna fake it, do it better. I don’t want another PR scramble. You either convince people it’s a bit, or you convince them it’s real. Nothing messy in between. Clear? I’ll handle the agency.” He muttered the last part to himself; already planning to recycle the same crisis script he’d used for KyomoHoku.

“Crystal,” Jesse said instantly, way too happy. Kochi wanted to throw him out the nearest window.

Later, after rehearsal, the group sprawled across the practice room floor.

“Congrats, guys,” Taiga whispered. “You’re officially endorsed by management.”

Shintaro snorted. “Not a fake date anymore because it’s now company policy.”

Kochi glared at Jesse. “This is your fault.”

Jesse just winked. “Guess you’re stuck with me longer, babe.”

Kochi’s heart did that annoying skip again. And that was the real problem.

“Checked the video online,” Juri announced, showing them a fan upload. “They caught you guys clear as day.”

“Can’t run now,” Hokuto added flatly. “You’re trending. Speculation’s everywhere. You’ll have to play it.”

“This is all your fault, Juri!” Kochi snapped, jabbing a finger into his side. Juri yelped.

“Chill! It was supposed to stay a dare. Jesse’s the one who went through with it!” Juri pointed at Jesse.

Jesse, who’d been quiet for a minute, spoke up. “We never back down,” he said, eyes locked on Kochi. “Right?”

Then he winked.

Kochi swore he either felt his heart skip a beat, or his soul leave his body or maybe both.

Kochi grabbed his bag, storming out of the practice room before Jesse could say anything else. His heart was still hammering for all the wrong reasons. This wasn’t fake anymore. It was spiraling into something he couldn’t control.

SixTONES Group Chat

[Juri]:

Still crying at “company policy romance” LMAO

[Shintaro]:

Manager basically shipped you guys 💍

[Taiga]:

At least act convincing if you’re forced into this - Manager

[Hokuto]:

Correction: Jesse is convincing. Kochi’s one nervous breakdown away.

[Kochi]:

STOP TALKING ABOUT ME

[Jesse]:

Can’t stop talking about my boyfriend. Sorry 🥰

[Kochi]:

WE. ARE. NOT.

[Juri]:

Says the guy who blushed when Jesse winked in rehearsal 👀

[Kochi]:

I’M BLOCKING YOU.

[Shintaro]:

You can’t block destiny, bro 💀

That night, while the group chat was still exploding with memes and screenshots, Hokuto sat on his couch, a blanket thrown over his lap. Taiga was sprawled beside him, nursing a cup of tea he hadn’t touched.

“They’re screwed,” Taiga said flatly.

Hokuto chuckled. “You’re not wrong.”

“Seriously, Jesse’s enjoying this way too much. And Kochi…” Taiga shook his head, sighing. “You saw his face today. He looked like he wanted to quit the group.”

“He won’t,” Hokuto replied, calm as ever. “He’s just panicking. He hates losing control, and Jesse is… well, Jesse.”

Taiga let out a humorless laugh. “That’s one way to put it.”

For a moment, the only sound was the low hum of Hokuto’s air purifier. Then Taiga’s voice softened. “Do you think they’ll be okay?”

Hokuto leaned back, thoughtful. “We made it through, didn’t we? Everyone thought we wouldn’t survive our mess either.”

Taiga glanced at him, lips quirking despite himself. “True. We didn’t kill each other.”

“Yet,” Hokuto deadpanned.

They both laughed quietly, the tension breaking.

“…I’ll talk to Kochi if it gets too bad,” Taiga said finally, more serious. “He listens to me sometimes.”

“And I’ll handle Jesse,” Hokuto agreed, eyes glinting like he’d already seen this play out.

Taiga exhaled, sinking further into the couch. “Look at us. Actual responsible senpai.”

“Scary thought,” Hokuto murmured, a small smile tugging at his lips.

And somewhere across town, while Jesse spammed heart emojis and Kochi threatened murder in the group chat, KyomoHoku sat quietly in the dark, bracing themselves for the storm they knew was only just beginning.

The next day at practice, Kochi cornered Jesse with all the menace of a man on the edge. The others hadn’t arrived yet, and this was his only chance to strangle Jesse in peace.

“Rules,” Kochi said firmly, pointing a finger at Jesse like he was disciplining a child.

Jesse, sprawled across the couch with his long legs taking up unnecessary space, blinked innocently. “Rules?”

“Yes. Rules. If we’re doing this fake dating crap, then we need boundaries.” Kochi crossed his arms. “Rule number one: no handholding or forced skinship in public.”

Jesse gasped dramatically. “But babe, that’s our thing!”

“Rule number two: don’t call me babe.” Kochi groaned, nearly kicking Jesse’s stupid long leg out of the way.

“Breaking it already,” Jesse said with a grin.

Kochi pinched the bridge of his nose. “Rule number three: no flirting during interviews, no weird Instagram captions, no —”

“Wow, you’re really killing the romance,” Jesse interrupted, leaning forward, chin propped in his hand, smiling infuriatingly. The sudden closeness caught Kochi off guard for a second.

“…Fine. What’s rule number four?” Jesse pressed, eyes locked on him now.

Kochi hesitated, throat suddenly dry. “…Don’t make it real.”

For the first time, Jesse’s grin slipped; just for a heartbeat. Then it was back, brighter than ever, like nothing had happened. He stretched his arms above his head, voice light.

“Sure, sure. Totally fake.”

The grin was still lingering when Kochi muttered, barely above a whisper, “Actually… if this were real, the rules would be the opposite.”

But Jesse being Jesse, if it was about Kochi; even something as small as a speck of dust, he caught it right away. Jesse perked up instantly, eyes lighting up.

“Opposite, huh?” His grin widened. “So… handholding mandatory, calling you ‘babe’ every day, flirting in every interview….”

“SHUT UP,” Kochi snapped, cheeks heating. “That’s not what I —”

The door banged open.

“Handholding mandatory?!” Juri’s voice cut in, way too loud. He was halfway into the room, eyes sparkling like Christmas had come early.

Behind him, Shintaro was already cackling. “Oh my god, I knew you guys were drafting boyfriend rules!”

Taiga wandered in next, sipping from his water bottle, deadpan as ever. “So this is like… the prequel to wedding vows?”

Hokuto followed last, calm on the surface, but his smirk betrayed him. “Rule number five: don’t get caught by the fans again. Which, let’s be real, you definitely will. Our fans will analyze every single move and they’ll support this relationship, no doubt.”

Kochi wanted the ground to swallow him whole. “HOW MUCH DID YOU HEAR?!”

“Enough,” Juri wheezed, clutching his stomach. “Opposite rules? Bro, you’re practically manifesting your own relationship.”

Jesse leaned back on the couch, looking far too smug for his own good. “See, even they get it. Thanks for the support, guys.”

Kochi groaned, throwing his hands up. “I hate all of you.”

As Kochi buried his face in his palms, Taiga glanced at Hokuto over the rim of his water bottle. Hokuto didn’t say a word; just raised an eyebrow, like told you so.

Two days later, Jesse broke every rule.

The group was filming a variety show, light banter bouncing back and forth as usual. The MC, clearly fishing for drama, leaned forward with a grin.

“Jesse-kun, we’ve been hearing rumors about you and Kochi lately. Care to comment?”

Jesse didn’t even blink. He leaned closer to Kochi, draping an arm casually around his shoulders, smile bright enough to blind.

“Of course! Kochi’s my favorite. Always has been. Right, babe?”

The studio erupted in laughter and teases. The MC ate it up immediately.

Taiga dragged a hand down his face like he was physically in pain.

Juri nearly fell off his chair. “NO WAY. HE DID NOT JUST SAY THAT ON CAMERA.”

Shintaro was pounding the armrest, wheezing. “Oh my God! Look at Kochi’s face; he’s dying.”

Hokuto, calm as ever, just smirked. “Textbook Jesse. Zero restraint.”

Meanwhile, Kochi was trapped under Jesse’s arm, ears burning, jaw tight. He hissed through clenched teeth, slow and venomous, words only for Jesse.

“Rule number one. Rule number two. Rule number three. ALL. BROKEN.”

Still grinning for the cameras, Jesse whispered back, voice low, teasing, dangerous in its own way. “But rule number four’s safe… unless you wanna change that.”

Kochi’s blush deepened, bright enough the makeup team wouldn’t be able to hide it. The cameras kept rolling. The audience kept laughing.

And SixTONES? 

They knew this “fake” thing was spiraling faster than Kochi could ever hope to control.

Later that night, the group chat exploded.

SixTONES Group Chat

[Juri]:

JESSE. YOU ABSOLUTE MENACE.

[Shintaro]:

BRO WENT NATIONAL WITH IT. NO FEAR. 

YOU JUST CONFESSED TO THE ENTIRE COUNTRY ON TV.

[Taiga]:

I thought we agreed not to repeat our mistakes??? You know, KyomoHoku incident 2.0???

[Hokuto]:

Correction: you agreed. Jesse didn’t. Classic Jesse.

[Kochi]:

DELETE YOURSELF.

[Jesse]:

Sorry babe can’t hear you over the sound of our undeniable chemistry 💕

[Juri]:

CHEMISTRY?? THIS IS A VARIETY SHOW, NOT A DRAMA.

WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE.

[Shintaro]:

Nah nah let him cook, this is hilarious.

Fans are already clipping it.

We’re trending top 3 btw 👀

[Taiga]:

I actually lost brain cells today.

Please, for the love of god, behave at least once in your life.

[Hokuto]:

Behave? With Jesse? Impossible. You should know better by now.

[Kochi]:

I SWEAR TO GOD. NEXT TIME I’M CHANGING GROUPS.

[Jesse]:

You can’t. We’re soulmates 💘

[Shintaro]:

😭😭😭 HE SAID SOULMATES. THIS IS FREE ENTERTAINMENT.

The chat kept buzzing long after midnight, Jesse gleefully throwing fuel on the fire while the others piled on.

And Kochi? He eventually gave up trying to argue.

He tossed his phone aside, staring at the ceiling in the dark. His chest felt too tight, his thoughts looping back to the moment Jesse leaned in close, whispering like it was meant only for him.

Unless you wanna change that.

Kochi buried his face in his pillow, groaning.

This was supposed to be fake. So why did it feel like he was the only one struggling to keep it that way?

Meanwhile, across town, Hokuto sat cross-legged on his couch, phone still buzzing with notifications.

Taiga leaned against him, scrolling through clips of the broadcast.

“They’re trending everywhere,” Taiga muttered, half in disbelief, half in amusement. “And Jesse doesn’t even care.”

Hokuto smirked faintly, though his eyes were sharper. “That’s Jesse for you. But Kochi…” He trailed off, thinking. “He’s not laughing.”

Taiga hummed in agreement, locking his phone and setting it aside. “Should we step in?”

“No,” Hokuto said after a pause, his tone steady. “They need to figure it out themselves. But if it gets too real…” His gaze softened, just a little. “We’ll have their backs. Like always.”

Taiga smiled, leaning his head on Hokuto’s shoulder. “Mmmm. Chaos or not, we’re still SixTONES.”

And somewhere, Kochi turned in bed for the tenth time, unaware that two of his bandmates were already quietly rooting for him.

By morning, Kochi’s phone was a crime scene.

Notifications stacked so high they blurred together. News alerts, trending hashtags, fan edits that somehow already had dramatic background music. Headlines screamed across the screen:

“Jesse & Kochi – Just Variety Show Banter or Something More?”

“SixTONES New Power Couple?”

It was supposed to stay an inside joke. Just SixTONES chaos, the manager’s headache, and maybe the occasional variety show slip. But nothing stayed small in the idol world. Not when fans had eagle eyes sharper than snipers.

The tweet went viral by the time the show finished airing:

“Jesse looking at Kochi like THAT on national TV… we see you 👀 Maybe this is another KyomoHoku!! #YugoJe #JesseKochi”

Then came the fan edits. Tons of them. Clips of Jesse’s arm around Kochi. Screenshots of blurry cafe photos resurfaced. Even ancient footage from old times popped up again; Jesse laughing too hard at Kochi’s jokes, Kochi nudging Jesse away but secretly smiling.

A trending hashtag appeared overnight:

#YugoJeFakeOrReal

Kochi wanted to dig a hole and live in it. 

“Why is this happening,” he groaned, flopping face-first onto the practice room floor.

“Because you’re a star,” Juri said, scrolling gleefully through his phone. “Listen to this fan comment: ‘KyomoHoku gave us romance, JesseKochi is giving us a rom-com.’”

Shintaro snorted. “They’re not wrong. This is peak slow-burn energy.”

“WE’RE NOT A SHOW!” Kochi shouted into the floor.

Taiga crouched down, voice gentle but amused. “I hate to break it to you, but you two kind of… look good together.”

“Don’t encourage this,” Kochi groaned.

Hokuto, of course, sipped his water and smirked. “Encouragement not required. It’s already happening.”

Meanwhile, Jesse was absolutely thriving. He posed dramatically in the mirror, flashing a grin. “What can I say? The fans ship us. Who are we to deny destiny?”

“You mean who are YOU to stop acting like this,” Kochi snapped, throwing his towel at Jesse before stomping toward the bathroom.

Their manager, who had been lurking silently in the corner, pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Another damage control meeting with the agency. He should’ve known Jesse would take it this far. KyomoHoku had been trouble enough, but Jesse? Jesse was on a whole new level.

The worst part wasn’t the fans or the trending hashtags. It was the interviews that came after.

The storm hit full force on a primetime variety show. SixTONES sat lined up on the studio couch under the bright lights, the cameras rolling, the audience already buzzing.

The MC, a veteran host with a mischievous grin, leaned forward. “So, Jesse-kun, Kochi-kun…” he drawled, drawing out the pause for maximum suspense, “…are the rumors true? Are you two really dating?”

The studio erupted with laughter and squeals. The camera zoomed straight onto Kochi’s face, which was already bright red.

“EH?!” Kochi nearly choked on air, waving his hands frantically. “No, no, no, that’s a no. Why would you even—?!”

Meanwhile, Jesse didn’t miss a beat. Flashing his signature grin, he slung an arm casually around Kochi’s shoulders.

“Guess you’ll have to keep watching us to find out,” he said smoothly, winking at the camera.

The audience screamed. The MC clapped his hands, delighted. “Ohhh, what a suspicious answer!”

“Suspicious my ass!” Kochi snapped, smacking Jesse’s arm, which only made Jesse laugh harder. “Stop saying stuff like that on national TV!”

Juri doubled over in his seat, clutching his stomach. “This is the best day of my life,” he wheezed.

Shintaro, already recording on his phone from behind his cue cards, muttered, “This is gold. Pure gold.”

Taiga tried to cover his mouth with his hand, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. “You really do make it worse by denying it that much…”

And Hokuto, ever the calm instigator, leaned toward his mic with a smirk. “For the record, the members aren’t surprised.”

The MC’s eyes lit up. “Oh? Not surprised?”

Kochi whipped around. “DON’T ENCOURAGE THIS!”

Too late. The MC was grinning ear-to-ear, the audience chanting “Kochi! Jesse! Kochi! Jesse!” like it was a love confession segment instead of an idol interview.

Backstage, their manager stood in the shadows with his arms crossed, sighing so deeply it could’ve powered a wind turbine.

“I said lean into chemistry,” he muttered under his breath, glaring at Jesse on the monitor, “not propose marriage on live TV.”

But Jesse? Jesse looked absolutely in his element, basking in the chaos.

And Kochi? Kochi wanted to dig a hole, crawl inside, and never, ever come back out.

SixTONES Group Chat

[Juri]:

YOU GUYS ARE TRENDING. AGAIN.

[Shintaro]:

KyomoHoku walked so JesseKochi could run. 

[Taiga]:

You guys are reckless. But lowkey… kinda cute.

[Hokuto]:

Correction: they’re cute.

Also, manager says if you’re gonna trend, at least make it profitable. He’s googling “stress baldness cure” right now.

[Juri]:

Imagine him bald though 💀😂

[Shintaro]:

STOP. I can’t unsee it. 

[Kochi]:

I’M DELETING THIS GROUP.

[Jesse]:

You can’t delete destiny babe 💘

[Kochi]:

STOP CALLING ME THAT.

[Taiga]:

At this point, Jesse’s basically a one-man PR machine. Should we… let him? 

[Hokuto]:

We don’t “let” Jesse do anything. He just does.

[Juri]:

True. Man’s chaos incarnate.

[Shintaro]:

And Kochi’s his favorite target 🥰

[Kochi]:

I HATE ALL OF YOU.

[Jesse]:

No you don’t ❤️

The chat eventually slowed down, but Kochi didn’t close it. He stared at the screen long after everyone else had gone quiet.

Jesse’s last message; simple, stupid, way too sincere; just sat there, glowing in the dark of his room. And that was the problem.

The more the world believed it, the harder it was to convince himself it wasn’t real. The harder it was to convince himself that Jesse didn’t mean every reckless word.

Kochi turned his phone face down, exhaling hard, but Jesse’s grin, Jesse’s voice; still lingered.

Like always.

Across the city, Jesse lay sprawled on his bed, phone balanced on his chest. The group chat was quiet now, but he kept scrolling back to Kochi’s messages, replaying them in his head.

“I HATE ALL OF YOU.” “STOP CALLING ME THAT.”

It was all bark. Jesse knew the bite wasn’t real. Not with him.

Because underneath Kochi’s exasperation, Jesse could see it; those little cracks. The flushed ears. The way Kochi never actually walked away.

Jesse’s grin softened in the dark, the kind only Kochi ever pulled out of him.

“Opposite rules, huh?” he whispered to no one, voice low, thoughtful.

Then he tossed his phone aside, hands behind his head, smile stubbornly lingering. 

Let the world speculate. Let the fans ship them. As far as Jesse was concerned; this wasn’t fake at all.

Kochi hated quiet nights.

Not because of silence, but because that was when Jesse’s words and gestures replayed in his mind like a broken record. That stupid grin. The way Jesse’s fingers had lingered over his hand at the cafe. The way the fans and even the group were convinced there was something there.

It’s fake, he told himself. It’s all fake. Just a dare.

And yet, every time he thought that, his chest tightened in protest.

He shifted on his bed, scrolling aimlessly through social media, hoping for distraction. Bad idea. Within seconds, a new clip popped up on his feed: Jesse leaning close, whispering to him during a show years ago. He remembered the exact moment; how Jesse’s breath had tickled his ear, how he’d shoved him away with a laugh, how the audience had screamed.

His heart thumped painfully at the memory.

Why do I feel like that was real?

With a groan, he tossed his phone onto the blanket and buried his face in his pillow. “Stop it,” he muttered. “Stop feeling things that aren’t there.”

But his brain didn’t listen. It pulled up more evidence he hadn’t asked for. Jesse laughing too hard at his jokes, Jesse draping an arm over his shoulders, Jesse catching his eye across the room with that knowing look. It wasn’t just the fans making connections; it was him.

The problem wasn’t just Jesse’s charm, it was Jesse himself. That ridiculous, over-the-top confidence, the way he could make Kochi smile even when he didn’t want to. The way he made it so easy to forget this was supposed to be fake.

A notification buzzed on his phone. SixTONES group chat. He didn’t even check; it would just be Juri or Shintaro making more jokes, Jesse fanning the flames with emojis. Instead, he turned the screen face-down and lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling.

“This is getting out of hand,” he whispered to the dark. But the worst part was knowing it wasn’t Jesse losing control of the fake dating mess.

It was him.

The next day at practice, Kochi kept his distance.

It wasn’t obvious, not yet; but Jesse noticed. He always noticed. When Jesse threw an arm over his shoulders, Kochi shrugged it off too quickly. When Jesse cracked a dumb joke, Kochi only smiled halfway before finding an excuse to talk to someone else.

By the time rehearsal wrapped, Jesse was frowning. “Hey, you good?” he asked casually, reaching out to nudge Kochi’s shoulder.

Kochi stepped back before Jesse could touch him. “Fine,” he said too sharply, grabbing his bag. “Just tired.”

But when he left the studio without looking back, Jesse’s grin finally slipped for real.

By the third day, the change was impossible to ignore.

Normally, Kochi and Jesse were loud together, feeding off each other’s energy. But now? Kochi laughed at everyone’s jokes except Jesse’s. He switched spots in formation to avoid being next to him. During break, when Jesse flopped onto the couch beside him, Kochi muttered something about needing water and walked away.

Juri squinted across the practice room. “Am I hallucinating, or is Kochi… dodging Jesse?”

Shintaro, sprawled on the floor with his phone, didn’t even look up. “Not hallucinating. Been watching it all morning. It’s like live theater.”

Taiga raised an eyebrow, sipping from his water bottle. “More like slow-motion self-destruction.”

Hokuto leaned against the wall, arms crossed, observing quietly. “Whatever it is, it’s not just a joke anymore. He’s pulling away.”

Juri let out a low whistle. “Yikes. Manager gonna blow a fuse if their big fake dating stunt collapses in a short.”

But while the others traded comments, Jesse stayed quiet, eyes tracking Kochi as he busied himself on the far side of the room. His usual grin was missing, replaced with something tighter, more serious.

He didn’t know what had changed. He just knew he didn’t like it.

That night, the SixTONES group chat lit up again. Except this time, the chaos wasn’t about trending hashtags.

SixTONES Group Chat

[Juri]:

Okay. WHO cursed our fake couple because the vibes today were so awkward. I almost died.

[Shintaro]:

Bro… Kochi dodged Jesse's high five. A HIGH FIVE. 💀. 

[Taiga]:

They didn’t even argue. That’s worse than arguing. That’s like… heartbreak energy.

[Hokuto]:

He’s avoiding him. Point blank.

[Kochi]:

STOP TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE I’M NOT HERE.

[Juri]:

So you ADMIT it 👀 

[Kochi]:

ADMIT NOTHING. Goodnight.

[Kochi has left the chat]

[Shintaro]:

LMFAOOOO HE RAGEQUIT

[Taiga]:

…Ngl I actually feel bad for Jesse…

[Hokuto]:

Same. He looked like he was waiting for something that never came. 

[Juri]:

Oh no. He's typing.

[Jesse]:

Don't worry about me. It's fine.

[Shintaro]:

Bro.. that’s the least fine “fine” I’ve ever read

[Jesse]:

Shut up 😒

The notifications kept buzzing, but Jesse couldn’t stare at the screen anymore. He switched his phone off, tossed it onto his nightstand, and lay back in the dark.

He could handle fans screaming his name, managers barking impossible demands, even scandals exploding across headlines.

He could take the hate, the rumors, the endless interviews. He’d always been the loud one, the shield, the distraction.

But Kochi avoiding him? That cut deeper than anything strangers could ever say.

Maybe he should just stay in his lane. Stop pushing. Stop reading into things.

Maybe he’d read it all wrong.

Maybe those stolen moments, those fleeting smiles, meant nothing.

Maybe Kochi’s heart had never leaned toward his at all.

What if he’d been the only one imagining it?

What if Kochi’s shy smiles and lingering glances were just natural kindness, nothing more?

The thought pressed down on him until breathing hurt. His hand twitched toward his phone again, desperate to call, to beg for a word, any word. His thumb hovered over Kochi’s name, trembling.

But in the end, he locked the screen and turned away.

What if Kochi rejected him? What if he shattered everything they had left?

What if Kochi didn’t feel the same? What if admitting it out loud ruined everything?

For the first time, Jesse; the one who always had something to say, was completely speechless.

Meanwhile, in his quiet apartment, Kochi sat staring at his phone long after leaving the chat. His chest was tight, his mind louder than the silence around him.

He hadn’t meant to snap, but he couldn’t take the spotlight on something he himself didn’t understand.

Since when did this feel like more than just a dare? More than just a game?

The chamomile tea he’d made sat cooling on the table, untouched. Nights of restless turning had already left him drained, yet his thoughts kept circling back to the same place: Jesse.

Jesse’s laugh. Jesse’s warmth. Jesse’s hand brushing his and the way his own pulse always stuttered after.

What if Jesse’s feelings were real all along? 

And worse… what if he wanted them to be?

Kochi pressed his palms over his face, heart pounding. The truth was there, rising like steam he couldn’t contain. He liked Jesse too.

But knowing it, admitting it, stepping into it? That was the part that terrified him most.

His thumb hovered over Jesse’s name. Just one word. One message. That’s all it would take.

But he set the phone down instead, retreating into silence.

He whispered to no one, “Why does it hurt this much?”

The room stayed silent, offering no answer. Just the echo of his heart, pulling him toward a truth he wasn’t ready to face.

And so, two men lay awake in the night. Both wishing, both reaching, both hesitating, both breaking; yet neither daring to reach across the distance between them.

The night ended with nothing said, nothing changed. Only the ache of everything they almost confessed.

It had to happen eventually.

Both Jesse and Kochi knew, sooner or later, they had to talk. They couldn’t keep orbiting each other like mismatched planets, pretending silence would dissolve the pull between them. Before their manager barged in again, before the agency dragged them into another crisis room, before things spiraled completely out of their control… they needed to come clean. Or at least, that’s what they told themselves.

The rehearsal had run late. By the time it wrapped, the agency studio was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that made every breath sound too loud. The rest of SixTONES had already disappeared; no laughter in the halls, no lingering chatter. Probably not a coincidence. Maybe they had left on purpose, nudging fate along, leaving Jesse and Kochi alone with the weight of what had been building between them.

Jesse stretched, ruffling his hair like it was nothing, though his chest felt like it was caving in. He glanced toward Kochi, who stood near the mirrors with his arms folded, reflection rigid, mouth pressed thin. The weight of unspoken words pressed between them until Jesse broke it, reaching for humor like a shield.

“You know,” Jesse said, trying for lightness, “this fake dating thing? Kind of fun.”

He forced the grin, desperate to rewind things to when Kochi would snort and throw a jab back, when the teasing had been easy. Anything but the cold shoulders, the silence that had sliced deeper than he would ever admit.

Kochi’s brows furrowed, and for a moment Jesse thought he’d walk out without answering. But Kochi’s voice, quiet and sharp, cut through the room.

“Fun? Are you insane? This is a nightmare. A public nightmare.”

Every instinct told him to shut down, to turn and walk away, to keep ignoring Jesse like he had all week. But he couldn’t. Not anymore. Because… deep down, avoiding Jesse hurt more than facing him. They were in the same group, bound together by more than just music. If he kept running, their manager would be the one cleaning up the wreckage. And Kochi hated being the reason for more chaos.

Jesse grinned, leaning into the role that had always fit him too well; loud, shameless, untouchable. The joker.  “Nah. It’s cute. Watching you squirm? Adorable.”

Kochi’s cheeks burned instantly. God, he hated that Jesse could still do this to him. With a single word. With that grin. With the kind of attention that made his chest tighten. “You’re impossible.”

Jesse stepped closer. The air between them grew heavier with every inch he closed. He lowered his voice, softer now, almost intimate, though there was no one else left to overhear.

“You know… sometimes I forget it’s supposed to be fake.”

The words slammed into Kochi, stealing his breath. His pulse hammered, hands twitching at his sides. Did Jesse just…? No. No, it couldn’t mean what it sounded like. He couldn’t let it mean that.

“You’re… imagining things,” Kochi muttered quickly, gaze falling to the floor. He couldn’t risk looking up, not when Jesse’s eyes always gave too much away. Not when his own heart was already betraying him.

Jesse tilted his head, grin fading into something softer, almost tender. “Am I?”

The space between them shrank. Kochi could feel the heat of Jesse’s presence, the teasing lilt in his voice laced with something heavier. His throat tightened. Words rose and died all at once.

Jesse’s lips curved faintly, but the light in his eyes wavered, fragile beneath the mask. He chuckled, brushing past Kochi, his shoulder grazing with a spark that lingered far too long.

“Come on,” Jesse said, tone breezy again, though it didn’t quite hide the roughness in his voice. “Let’s grab a late-night dinner. My treat. We’re good, right?”

Kochi followed, legs moving on autopilot, stomach tangled in knots. Every step beside Jesse felt like walking a tightrope between wrong and right, between danger and the warmth he secretly craved.

Outside, the neon glow of the city casts them in shifting colors: red, gold, blue; each flicker making Jesse’s face look different, softer, unreadable. The streets buzzed faintly with traffic and chatter, but around them it felt like a pocket of quiet. Fragile enough to break with a single word.

Jesse nudged him, easy as ever, though his eyes didn’t quite match the grin.

“You know, if anyone asked me…” His voice dipped low, playful on the surface but steady underneath. “…I wouldn’t lie.”

Kochi froze mid-step. His breath hitched.

“You… wouldn’t lie?” The words slipped out smaller than he meant, almost a whisper.

Jesse’s smile curved, softer now, carrying something real beneath the playfulness. “Depends on who’s asking. You?”

Kochi dropped his gaze, staring at the pavement as though the answer might be written there. His pulse was a hammer in his chest, each beat a reminder of the truth he was too afraid to name. He wanted to answer. God, he wanted to. But the words stayed locked in his throat; fear and confusion weighing them down.

Jesse let the silence breathe between them. Then he laughed, not his usual loud bark but something quieter, gentler. Almost sad.

“Don’t worry, babe. You don’t have to answer yet.”

The city lights flickered across his face, steady and warm. For a heartbeat, Kochi wished he could freeze the moment, hold it between them forever. Because even if it was fake, even if it had all started as a stupid dare… it didn’t feel like it anymore.

They walked in silence until Jesse, ever the one to break tension, clapped his hands together. “Alright. Ramen? Gyoza? I’m starving. And don’t even try to argue, I’m paying.”

“Sure,” Kochi said, voice low.

The small restaurant they ducked into was quiet, lanterns swaying gently at the entrance. Inside, the clatter of dishes and the faint aroma of broth filled the air.

They slid into a booth across from each other. Jesse suddenly blew his nose, loud and obnoxious, just to get a reaction. He shot Kochi with a grin.

“What? Gonna lecture me about manners?”

Normally, Kochi would’ve rolled his eyes, fired back a snarky comment. Tonight, he just forced a weak smile.

The grin on Jesse’s face faltered. For a heartbeat, something softer flickered there; like he wanted to reach out, to ask. But then he swallowed it back down, slipping into his loud, playful act again.

Kochi barely heard a word. He sat stiff across the table, fingers tapping against his knee beneath the wood, eyes catching on Jesse’s every careless smile. The distance between them was only the width of a table, but it felt like an ocean.

When their bowls arrived, Kochi’s chopsticks hovered uselessly. His appetite had disappeared, replaced by the knot in his chest. He caught Jesse watching him through the steam rising from the ramen. Jesse didn’t say anything, just gave a small, lopsided grin; as if to say ‘I see you. I won’t push.’

And Kochi, for the first time, wished he could be brave enough to close that distance.

“You know,” Jesse said suddenly, fiddling with his chopsticks, “I thought you were gonna stop talking to me for real.”

Kochi froze mid-stir, pulse skipping. “…What makes you say that?”

“Because you did,” Jesse said simply, but the lightness in his voice cracked at the edges. “You’ve been… gone.”

The weight of his gaze pressed down on Kochi until he dropped his chopsticks. His throat was dry. He wanted to deny it, to joke it off, but the truth was too close to spilling.

So instead, Kochi forced out, “You’re imagining things.”

Jesse’s smile came crooked and strained, but it was still Jesse. “Maybe I am.”

They finished the meal in silence, the kind that was thick and heavy rather than comfortable; nothing like the easy kind they used to share. When Jesse insisted on paying, Kochi didn’t argue. He didn’t trust his voice not to break.

When they finally parted ways outside, Jesse clapped him on the shoulder, all easy warmth again. “See? We’re fine.”

Kochi nodded, but the word lodged like a splinter in his throat.

Fine.

Nothing about this felt fine.

Kochi’s legs carried him into his apartment, but his mind stayed trapped in the glow of neon and Jesse’s voice.

Sometimes I forget it’s supposed to be fake. 

If anyone asked me… I wouldn’t lie.

The words looped, relentless, burning holes into his chest.

He tossed his bag onto the floor of his apartment, kicked off his shoes, and collapsed onto his bed without bothering to change. The quiet didn’t help. It only made Jesse’s laughter ring louder, his grin shine brighter, the phantom warmth of his shoulder brush more unbearable.

Kochi pressed a hand over his chest as if he could physically still the storm raging inside.

And yet, Jesse’s words had felt so real that for a terrifying moment, Kochi almost believed them. Almost let himself hope.

He squeezed his eyes shut, but the memory of Jesse leaning close lingered anyway:

“Am I?”

Kochi groaned softly, burying his face into the pillow, as if the fabric could muffle the ache clawing at his ribs. His throat tightened until breathing hurt. He couldn’t let this consume him. He couldn’t risk it. Not when he didn’t even know if Jesse had meant any of it. Not when the price of being wrong was losing everything they had.

And yet, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, the truth whispered louder in the dark:

It didn’t feel fake anymore. Not to him.

The ache that followed was enough to keep him awake till morning.

The door clicked shut behind him, and Jesse let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. The sound echoed through his apartment, bouncing against walls that felt far too empty after the quiet weight of dinner with Kochi.

He dropped his keys onto the counter, tossed his jacket over a chair, and for a long moment just stood there. The smile he’d worn all night; easy, bright, practiced — finally slipped, leaving his face bare. Tired.

“See? We’re fine,” he muttered, mimicking the words he’d thrown at Kochi earlier. But here, alone, the phrase cracked at the edges. It didn’t sound fine at all.

Dragging a hand through his hair, Jesse moved into the living room. The faint glow of the city bled through the blinds, painting fractured lines across the couch where he sank down heavily. He pulled out his phone.

The group chat buzzed. Shintaro teasing Taiga. Juri dropping dumb memes. Hokuto playing peacemaker.  Normally, Jesse would’ve jumped in with a joke of his own, something loud and ridiculous to keep the rhythm alive. Tonight, he just stared at the screen until the words blurred. His thumb hovered over the keyboard, then fell back. Then he set the phone aside. He couldn’t fake it, not even for them.

A thought flickered. They’d notice eventually. The way he’d gone quiet. The way Kochi had too, after practice. 

The apartment was too quiet. The silence pressed in, heavy and merciless. His chest was too loud.

His mind replayed the dinner, unkind in its clarity: the way Kochi’s eyes had darted away, the weak smile that never quite reached his mouth, the silence that pressed between every word. And worse, at how Jesse had pushed anyway. Teased anyway. Because what else could he do? If he stopped filling the air, if he let the truth bleed through, everything might shatter.

He couldn’t afford to lose Kochi. Not Kochi. Out of all people.

He leaned back, arm draped over his eyes. Sometimes I forget it’s supposed to be fake. The words tasted different now, dangerous. They weren’t just a tease. They had been the closest he’d ever come to telling the truth.

A humorless laugh slipped out, quiet and rough. “Guess I’m the insane one.”

For a fleeting moment, he considered sending a message. Just something small — Did you get home safe? or Thanks for having dinner with me today.

His thumb hovered over the keyboard, but the heaviness in his chest pinned him still. With a sharp breath, he locked the phone and let it fall onto the table, the dull clatter echoing too loudly in the quiet.

The silence pressed down on him. Heavy, familiar, suffocating.

Jesse shut his eyes, but Kochi’s voice still wove through the dark, soft and haunting. He could almost hear the hesitation in it, the distance. It followed him like a shadow.

It wasn’t rejection he feared. What terrified him more was the thought of Kochi pulling away, little by little, until there was nothing left to hold onto. That kind of loss would wreck him. He couldn’t survive it.

Better to stay hurt, to stay friends, than to risk being pushed out of Kochi’s life entirely. That was the one thing Jesse knew he could never endure.

When Jesse finally lay back on his bed, after spiraling through every thought of Kochi, his phone buzzed with a sudden notification. He reached for it, thumb swiping the screen. The sender made his chest tighten. Hokuto.

Hokuto: You’ve been quiet today. Is everything okay?

Jesse blinked at the words, his throat tightening. Out of all of them, it had to be Hokuto; the one who rarely asked, but always noticed.

He typed, I’m fine lol just tired, then deleted it. Tried again: All good. Deleted that too. His fingers hovered, but nothing felt safe enough to send. The weight in his chest refused to fit into words.

Finally, he settled on the smallest lie.

Jesse: Yeah, just tired.

The typing dots appeared. Paused. Disappeared. Then appeared again.

Hokuto: Should I come over?

Jesse swallowed hard. For a split second, he imagined saying yes, imagined Hokuto walking in, offering him quiet company until the storm in his chest passed. But he also knew if anyone saw through him too easily, it would be Hokuto.

Jesse: No, it’s fine. Don’t worry.

He tossed the phone aside, but it buzzed once more.

Hokuto: If you change your mind, I’ll come. Don’t hold it all in, Jesse.

Jesse’s vision blurred. He pressed the heel of his hand against his eyes, biting down a shaky breath. He wanted to say something, or anything. But instead, he let the phone slip face-down onto the sheets, curling in on himself.

For the first time in a long while, he didn’t fall asleep with a grin.

And somewhere across the city, Kochi was just as awake, both of them lost in the same quiet storm neither dared to voice.

The morning light broke too soon.

Jesse woke with his phone still on the sheets beside him, face-down, battery half-drained. His body ached with the kind of heaviness that didn’t come from lack of sleep alone. He dragged himself upright, rubbed at his face, and caught sight of his reflection in the dark screen: eyes rimmed red, smile nowhere in sight.

He forced himself into the shower, hoping the water might wash away the spiral of thoughts clinging to him. It didn’t. The storm stayed.

At least it was an off day for all of them. The group chat was unusually quiet; no Shintaro spamming stickers, no Juri whining about breakfast, no Taiga dramatics. Maybe everyone had decided to sleep in. Jesse almost wished he could, but his heart wouldn’t let him rest.

He padded into the kitchen, aimless. The fridge hummed when he opened it, its cold light spilling over empty shelves. He shut it again without taking anything. His appetite had disappeared somewhere between Kochi’s half-smile and the silence that followed it.

Across the city, Kochi stood in front of his bathroom mirror, toothbrush idle in hand. His eyes looked just as tired, his chest just as restless. Jesse’s words from last night clung to him like smoke that refused to clear. He spat out the foam, rinsed, and stared at his reflection. The hollowness staring back made his grip on the sink tighten.

Something in him knew he couldn’t just sit with this. Not today. He needed to talk to someone who wouldn’t let him brush it off; someone who might force him to admit the truth he was trying so hard to swallow.

Eventually, he grabs his jacket and leaves his apartment, feet carrying him almost automatically toward Taiga’s place. He doesn’t even plan it — it just feels like the only place he can go.

By the time he realized, he was standing outside Taiga’s door. The door was left ajar. He raised his fist to knock but froze when he heard voices from inside. Taiga’s laugh, low and warm. Hokuto’s reply, casual, comfortable. Kochi’s stomach twisted. He almost turned back, but before he could, the door swung open.

Hokuto blinked at him, surprised, a bag of trash in hand. “Kochi? You okay?”

Kochi shifted awkwardly. “Uh… yeah. Is Taiga around?”

“Of course. Come in.” Hokuto’s eyes softened, though he caught the tension in Kochi’s shoulders. 

He led Kochi into the living room, where Taiga was fussing with the couch cushions.

“Taiga, Kochi’s here,” Hokuto called.

“Kochi!” Taiga’s face lit up, and he immediately crossed the room to pull him into a warm hug.

“Come on, sit! Hokuto and I were just doing house chores. He still needs to put out the trash, and when I heard his voice again, I thought he was sneaking back to avoid it,” Taiga rambled with his usual dramatic flair. Kochi smiled faintly, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Hokuto noticed. He always noticed. And maybe he realized Kochi would open up easier if it was just Taiga. So after a beat, he said gently, “I’ll get going. You two should talk.”

Taiga paused, catching the hint in his tone, and nodded quietly.

“Wait, you don’t have to — sorry for coming unannounced, I —” Kochi started, but Hokuto was already moving toward the door.

“You came here for a reason. Stay. I’ll see you later.” He glanced back, offering Kochi a small, knowing smile.

“Wait! Let me send you off!” Taiga said, springing up from the couch. “Hold on, Kochi — I’ll just make sure Hokuto actually takes the trash out.” He grinned before jogging over to where Hokuto stood.

From where he sat, Kochi caught the moment: Hokuto pulling Taiga into a gentle hug, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “I’ll be back later. Just… spend some time with Kochi,” Hokuto murmured. Taiga nodded, hugging him back without hesitation.

The quiet intimacy of it cracked something in Kochi’s chest. Was that what love was supposed to look like? That simple, that warm? Could he and Jesse ever reach that kind of place — or was it already too late?

Lost in the thought, he barely noticed when Hokuto left. Taiga returned a moment later, dropping back onto the couch, eyes shining with quiet concern.

“You look like you didn’t sleep,” Taiga began.

Kochi let out a shaky laugh that didn’t reach his eyes. “Didn’t.”

His fingers fumbled at the hem of his shirt, twisting, tugging, anything to keep them busy. The silence pressed in until he couldn’t bear it anymore. “It’s… Jesse. Last night, he said some things and I… I can’t stop replaying them in my head.”

Taiga stayed quiet, giving him space. Kochi swallowed hard.

“He said sometimes it doesn’t feel fake. The dating. That it… feels real. And then he asked me if I felt the same.” His voice cracked, rough and low. “And it… it hit me harder than I thought it would. I don’t know why. Maybe because I’ve been starting to…” His breath trembled. “Starting to feel the same. Jesse said I’ve been avoiding him, and it scared him. And when he said that, I realized… it scared me too. Because deep inside, I feel the ache too.”

The words tumbled faster now, uncontrolled, like water spilling over a broken dam. “Why do I care this much? Why does it feel like I’m the one losing something when I’m the one pulling away? Am I… am I just a coward?”

Taiga leaned back, eyes never leaving him. He waited until Kochi dared to look up again before he spoke. “Maybe you should stop asking why it hurts,” he said gently, “... and start asking what it means.”

Kochi froze.

“You’re not hurt because Jesse’s just a bandmate,” Taiga continued, steady but kind. “You’re hurting because he’s more than that to you.”

Something cracked inside Kochi at those words. His chest squeezed tight, breath shallow, like the walls were closing in. He buried his face in his hands, the tremor in his shoulders giving him away. Taiga didn’t hesitate; he reached over and pulled him into a hug.

Kochi’s voice was muffled against his shoulder. “I… I don’t know when it started. But when I pulled away… it hurt. And it still hurts.”

Taiga tightened his hold, his voice low and certain. “Then listen to that. Don’t keep shutting it down, or you’ll only keep hurting both of you.”

Kochi let out a choked sound, halfway between a sob and a laugh.

“I know it’s scary,” Taiga said, rubbing his back. “I was scared too, with Hokuto. I thought burying it would make things easier, but it only made me miserable. When I finally let myself be honest… even with all the risks, my heart felt lighter. We felt happier. And Jesse….” he paused, pulling back just enough to look Kochi in the eyes. “.... I think he’s already halfway there with you. He wouldn’t have said all that if he wasn’t.”

Kochi’s tears fell harder now, the truth pressing down on him, undeniable. Taiga was right. Jesse had cracked open a door in him he’d been too afraid to even touch.

And the thought of closing it hurt more than the fear of stepping through.

Meanwhile, after putting out the trash, Hokuto pulled out his phone and hovered over Jesse’s name. His thumb hesitated, but the unease in his chest pushed him forward.

He typed quickly: You home? What are you doing?

The reply came almost instantly. Too quick. Too polished. Hokuto could see the falseness in Jesse’s words, as if the screen itself carried the weight of his act.

Without another thought, Hokuto headed to Jesse’s apartment.

He knocked, half-expecting no answer, but the door opened after a pause.

Jesse stood there looking nothing like the Jesse the world knew: he looked worn down, hair damp, shirt thrown on without thought, eyes heavy with things unsaid. 

“Hokuto? What are you doing here?”

“Checking on you.” Hokuto didn’t wait for permission; he slipped inside and closed the door behind him. “You’ve been too quiet. That’s not you.”

Jesse let out a heavy exhale and collapsed back onto the couch. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not,” Hokuto countered gently. He settled across from him, patient. “You don’t have to tell me everything, but at least don’t pretend.”

Jesse’s throat worked. He stared at the floor, hands clenched. “I just… I want things to go back to how they were with Kochi. But I can’t. I can’t look at him without…” His voice broke off. He shook his head, frustrated. “If I say it out loud, I’ll ruin everything.”

Hokuto leaned forward, meeting his eyes. “Or maybe saying it is the only way you stop ruining yourself.”

Jesse looked up sharply, caught in Hokuto’s steady gaze. For a long moment, he said nothing. His chest rose and fell with unspoken weight.

“You’ve seen it, right? How he’s been avoiding me. It’s only been days but it feels like forever. And it hurts. God, it hurts. I’d rather he jab at me, tease me, anything, than just… ignore me. I can’t stand it.”

His eyes turned watery, voice breaking open. “I like him, Hokuto. I like Kochi. But I’m terrified of knowing if he doesn’t feel the same.” 

Hokuto stayed quiet, letting him pour it out.

“Last night,” Jesse went on, words stumbling, “I almost told him. That this fake dating doesn’t feel fake. That it’s real…. because I want it to be real. I want to date him. But then he went all quiet, and I… shut down. I faked a smile, pretended it was nothing. Because if I bring it up again and he rejects me… fine, I’ll live. But if he walks away, if he decides to put distance between us… I’ll break.”

Hokuto finally shifted, moving to sit beside him. He rested a hand on Jesse’s back, slow and grounding.

“I get it,” he said quietly. “I’ve been in your shoes. That fear eats you alive. I have been there with Taiga too.”

Jesse closed his eyes, jaw trembling.

“But listen,” Hokuto continued, firm but soft, “Kochi knows. He’s not oblivious. He’s just… Kochi. He overthinks. He worries about everyone else before himself. And when you push loud, he retreats, because his brain fills with all the ways it could go wrong. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel it too.”

Jesse let out a shuddered breath, the fight in him faltering.

“I think he likes you, Jesse,” Hokuto said, steady hand rubbing slow circles between Jesse’s shoulder blades. “Maybe more than you realize. He just needs to catch up to his own heart.”

Jesse pressed his palms over his face, but the tremor in his shoulders gave him away. His breath hitched once, twice; and then the dam gave out.

A raw, ugly sob ripped out of him, shaking his whole body.

“I can’t do this, Hokku —” His words broke apart between gasps. “I can’t… pretend he’s just my bandmate anymore. I love him. I love him and it’s eating me alive.”

Hokuto’s arm wrapped around his shoulders instantly, pulling him close. Jesse collapsed against him, fists clutching at his shirt like it was the only thing keeping him from falling apart.

“What if he doesn’t want me? What if I lose him?” Jesse’s voice cracked open, jagged and desperate. “The thought of Kochi leaving…. God, it feels like I wouldn’t survive it.”

Hokuto held him through it, steady as stone. “You’re not going to lose him,” he murmured, pressing his chin lightly against Jesse’s hair. “Not for this. Not for telling the truth.”

Jesse shook his head violently, tears smearing down his cheeks. “You don’t know that —”

“I do.” Hokuto’s voice firmed, grounding him like a hand gripping tight on the edge of a cliff. “Because I know Kochi. And I know you. You’ve already given him so much of yourself. Do you really think he doesn’t see it? Do you think he’s blind to see how much you love him?”

Jesse stilled, sobs tapering into shudders.

“Listen to me,” Hokuto said, softer now, a quiet thread weaving through the wreckage. “The only thing worse than risking it… is living like this, tearing yourself apart. And Jesse? You don’t deserve to live in that kind of fear.”

For a long moment, all Jesse could do was cry; loud, unguarded, broken. Hokuto let him, never loosening his hold.

And when the storm finally eased, Jesse’s voice came out small, hoarse, but clearer than before.

“I just… I just want to love him without being scared.”

Hokuto’s hand rubbed one last steady line across his back. “Then start there. One step. One truth. You’ll see; he’s braver than you think. And so are you.”

By afternoon, two different living rooms carried the same heavy silence.

Kochi sat in Taiga’s, heart pounding as the thought finally took root: maybe what he felt for Jesse had never been just friendship.

And Jesse sat on his own, Hokuto’s words still echoing in his chest, the truth he’d buried clawing closer to the surface.

Neither of them knew it yet, but Taiga and Hokuto had already nudged them closer to the truth than they’d ever dared before.

The next day, the practice room felt heavier than usual. Maybe it was the mirrored walls, maybe the stale air, maybe just the weight Jesse and Kochi carried in their chests.

Shintaro was the first to flop down on the floor mid-break, phone raised above his head as he scrolled. Juri was cracking jokes, trying to make Taiga laugh. Hokuto leaned against the wall, watching the scene with his usual half-smile.

But Jesse’s laugh came half a beat late, and Kochi’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

They went through the choreography again, but Jesse’s timing faltered, his legs moving on autopilot while his head spun elsewhere. Kochi, usually sharp with rhythm, missed a count. Both mistakes drew groans from Juri.

“Oi, what’s wrong with you two? You’re usually the ones scolding me for messing up,” Juri teased, towel hanging around his neck.

“Didn’t sleep,” Jesse muttered, brushing it off.

Kochi only shrugged, pretending to adjust his shoelaces.

The others didn’t press, though Hokuto’s glance toward Taiga spoke volumes. The two of them knew exactly what was happening, but they kept their silence.

By night, rehearsal was called. One by one, the members packed their bags, tossing goodbyes over their shoulders as they filed out. The room slowly emptied until only Kochi and Jesse were left, the door clicking shut behind Hokuto’s retreating figure.

The silence was instant. The air changed.

Kochi knelt to zip his bag, but his hands moved slower than usual, every movement deliberate, stalling. Across the room, Jesse leaned against the wall, water bottle half-empty in his hand, eyes locked on the floor.

Neither of them spoke, but neither of them left.

Finally, Jesse’s voice broke the quiet, soft but sharp enough to cut through. 

“Guess it’s just us in the confession room now.”

Kochi froze mid-motion, a short, awkward laugh escaping before he could stop it. “Confession room? What, are you planning to tell me your sins?”

Jesse didn’t laugh. He lifted his head, eyes steady in the reflection of the mirror. “Something like that.”

Kochi’s throat went dry. He zipped his bag all the way, then let it drop against the floor with a dull thud.

“Don’t joke around, Jesse.”

“I’m not joking.” Jesse’s voice was low, steady in a way that made Kochi’s stomach twist. “We can keep dancing around it forever, but that night — I almost said it. And if I don’t say it now, I’ll never stop regretting it.”

Kochi’s hands tightened into fists at his sides. The words from Taiga still echoed in his head, about not asking why it hurts but what it means. About being brave. But standing here, with Jesse looking at him like that, bravery felt impossible.

Jesse pushed off the wall and stepped closer. Not too close, but enough that Kochi could feel the weight of his presence.

“This fake dating thing… for me, it stopped feeling fake a long time ago. Maybe from the start I always wished it wasn’t fake at all. Being around you, holding you, even the stupid bickering; it’s real. It always felt real. And when you pulled away, it scared the hell out of me.”

Kochi’s breath caught. He wanted to speak, to deny, to laugh it off, but nothing came out. His chest ached with every beat.

“You don’t have to say it back,” Jesse continued, voice softer now, almost breaking. “Just… don’t tell me I imagined it. Don’t tell me it was only me.”

The room seemed to shrink. The mirror reflected everything they’d been running from; two figures standing too close, hearts pounding too loud.

Kochi finally forced himself to meet Jesse’s eyes. They were raw, glistening under the fluorescent lights. Honest in a way that stripped every defense.

“I didn’t imagine it.” The words slipped out, shaky but true. “I thought… I thought it was just me.”

Jesse blinked, stunned. For a moment, silence pressed heavy between them again, broken only by the hum of the air conditioner.

Then Kochi’s lips trembled, his voice cracking as he went on.

“I was scared, Jesse. Scared that if I said anything, it would ruin us. That if you didn’t feel the same, I’d lose you completely. And what if it was just one of your jokes? If you did feel the same… what was I supposed to do then? I didn’t know. So I pulled away before things got messy.”

“Idiot,” Jesse whispered, a laugh catching on the edge of his voice. His shoulders slumped in relief, the tension leaving him all at once. “You think I’d ever push you out? Yugo… you’re the one I want to keep closest.”

Something in Kochi gave way, the dam finally breaking. He laughed through the sting in his eyes, a sound half broken, half freeing. “You’re worse than me, you know that? Making a confession room out of our practice space.”

“Between joke and truth, right?” Jesse said, a small grin breaking through. “But this is the truest thing I’ve ever said.”

Kochi didn’t answer. He just stepped forward, closing the space until Jesse’s warmth brushed against him. He hugged Jesse tightly. For the first time, there was no pretending, no walls, no running.

The silence of the room wasn’t heavy anymore. It was full; of relief, of possibility, of something they’d both finally admitted.

They left the agency late, the city lights painting long shadows on the pavement. Jesse’s hands were buried in his pockets, but his eyes kept darting toward Kochi, like he was afraid if he blinked too long, this moment would disappear.

When they reached the corner where they usually parted ways, Jesse hesitated.
“…Come over,” he said, voice quieter now. “I don’t really want tonight to end yet.”

Kochi’s chest tightened, but he nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”

Jesse’s apartment was warm, dimly lit, the faint hum of the fridge filling the quiet. Kochi dropped onto the couch, suddenly unsure what to do with his hands. Jesse disappeared into the kitchen and came back with two glasses of water, pressing one into his hand.

“Thanks,” Kochi muttered.

Jesse sat beside him, close but not too close. For a while, they just sat there, the silence softer than it had ever been between them. Jesse’s hand brushed against Kochi’s, lingering for a second longer this time before finally holding on.

“This feels real,” Jesse whispered, more to himself than anything.

Kochi squeezed his hand back. “That’s because it is.”

Hours slipped by in a kind of peace they’d never known before. Jesse had insisted Kochi stay the night, rattling off excuses about it being late, about trains being a hassle, about not wanting him to go. Kochi only laughed, hearing the truth in all of Jesse’s flimsy reasoning.

That was how he found himself now, sitting side by side with Jesse on his bed. Jesse had promised — rambling, flustered; that he wouldn’t do anything, that he just wanted Kochi close. Kochi laughed again, teasing him, but he stayed.

And then, just as the quiet was starting to feel perfect, their phones buzzed at the same time. The group chat lit up like fireworks.

SixTONES Group Chat

[Shintaro]:

HELLO why is Kochi not at his apartment?? I passed by just now and lights are OFF 👀

[Juri]:

Better question: why is Jesse online but QUIET? Where’s our loud Jesse? 👀👀👀

He’s with Kochi, isn’t he? I’m betting my life on it.

[Taiga]:

Ahahaha busted. You two thought you were slick.

[Hokuto]:

Mission accomplished ✅ Stop pretending you’re invisible.

[Kochi]:

Why the hell is Shintaro spying on my place?? Planning a break-in or what??

[Shintaro]:

Excuse me 👼 I was passing by on my way to FAMILY MART. Not my fault your love life exposed itself.

[Juri]:

Wow. Back in the chat and your only concern is robbery. Kochi. Babe. Just admit you’re at Jesse’s.

[Kochi]:

SHUT. UP.

[Shintaro]:

GUYS GUYS THEY’RE TOGETHER I CALLED IT 😭😭😭

[Juri]:

Finally. Took years off my life.

[Taiga]:

So… you finally confessed? Come on, tell the class.

[Jesse]:

Don’t you people have better things to do 😒

[Juri]:

NOPE. We live for this drama. This is our Netflix.

[Hokuto]:

You’re welcome btw. KyomoHoku carried this love story.

[Shintaro]:

CRYING SCREAMING THROWING UP 💃💃💃

[Kochi]:

Shintaro you’re literally insane. 

[Shintaro]:

INSANE WITH JOY 😭😭😭

[Taiga]:

Drop a selfie. Proof.

[Jesse]:

Not happening.

[Juri]:

Translation: they’re literally cuddling rn. 

[Kochi]:

WE ARE NOT—

[Shintaro]:

LIES. IF CAPS LOCK IS ON IT’S TRUE.

[Hokuto]:

Just buy us coffee and we won’t leak this to staff.

[Taiga]:

Correction: buy us LOTS of coffee. 

[Juri]:

And cake. I aged five years waiting for this. 

[Shintaro]:

😭😭😭 YUGOJE NATION RISE

Kochi groaned so loud it almost rattled the windows. He dropped his phone onto the bed like it had personally betrayed him and buried his face against Jesse’s shoulder.

“I hate them. I hate them,” he mumbled, voice muffled against Jesse’s shirt. “How the hell do they know we’re—” He stopped himself, groaning again. “Ugh. I can’t believe this.”

Jesse chuckled, the sound rumbling under Kochi’s cheek. “They’re SixTONES. You really thought we could hide it from them?”

“That doesn’t mean they should be psychic about it” Kochi grumbled, tugging Jesse’s blanket up over his own head as if it might shield him from the chaos. “I feel like they’ve got hidden cameras or something. It’s creepy. And Shintaro’s probably writing fanfiction already.”

Jesse laughed harder, shaking his head. “You’re dramatic. But… they’re not wrong, you know.”

Kochi peeked out from under the blanket, scowling. “Not wrong about what?”

“That we’re basically cuddling right now.” Jesse tilted his head, his grin infuriatingly soft. “Which I’m not complaining about, by the way.”

Kochi froze for half a second, then groaned again, smacking Jesse’s arm weakly. “You’re the worst. The absolute worst.”

“And yet,” Jesse said, smug, letting his arm drape comfortably around Kochi’s shoulders, “you’re still here.”

Kochi tried to glare but it broke into a laugh, small and unwilling. “Shut up.”

The group chat kept buzzing on the nightstand, but neither of them reached for their phones again. The noise outside didn’t matter anymore. For the first time in weeks, Jesse felt light. And Kochi; though he’d never admit it out loud — felt safe.

It had been weeks since Jesse and Kochi’s relationship became an open secret among the members. Though there was no official announcement; beyond the endless teasing within the group — the constant jokes during schedules finally caught up to their manager. Eventually, he had no choice but to call everyone together and demand the truth from the source.

Shintaro slumped into his chair in the meeting room, sighing dramatically. “What a deja vu this feels like…”

Their manager had already stormed off to the management office, probably to negotiate how to contain yet another round of chaos caused by SixTONES.

“Don’t look at me or Hokuto. We’ve been through this already,” Taiga said firmly, shooting Shintaro a glare.

Beside him, Hokuto only smiled, his hand resting calmly over Taiga’s. The quiet affection was obvious, and Juri immediately rolled his eyes.

“Stop rubbing your lovey-dovey act in our faces,” Juri groaned, jabbing Hokuto in the arm. “I’m begging — when is it my turn? Everyone’s so unfair.”

The room buzzed with laughter, but Jesse and Kochi stayed unusually quiet. For once, Jesse wasn’t the loud one. He sat rigid, hands clasped tightly together, nerves practically radiating off him. Kochi wasn’t much better.

“Relax, you two,” Hokuto said gently, cutting through the tension. “Management isn’t going to bite. Remember — they already accepted us before. It’s going to be okay.”

Jesse forced a grin, though his eyes kept darting toward Kochi like he was searching for an anchor. He wanted to reach out, to squeeze Kochi’s hand and calm the storm inside him; but even Jesse hesitated.

Taiga noticed. Without a word, he leaned over and took Kochi’s hand, giving him a steady look before whispering, “It’ll be fine.”

Kochi swallowed hard, his throat dry as sand. He knew their manager had already promised to smooth things over with the company, but the nerves wouldn’t leave. No matter what, part of him was still scared.

Still, he squeezed Taiga’s hand back, drawing on his quiet reassurance. Then he turned to Jesse, offering a small, certain smile.

And Jesse — seeing that; finally exhaled. Relief washed over him. If Kochi was okay, then he could be okay too.

The door clicked open, and their manager stepped back in with a stack of files under his arm. His expression was the same one he wore whenever SixTONES pushed him to the brink of early retirement — tired but resigned.

“Alright,” he said, dropping the files on the table with a heavy sigh. “Let’s make this simple. I don’t want hints, I don’t want rumors — I want the truth. Jesse, Kochi. Are you in a real relationship or not?”

The room went dead silent.

Jesse and Kochi exchanged a glance. For a moment, Jesse’s chest tightened — then Kochi gave him a tiny nod, steady and sure. That was enough.

“Yes,” Jesse said firmly, reaching out to place his hand over Kochi’s on the table. “We are.”

Their manager stared at them for a long beat, then sighed again, heavier this time. “You know what the funniest part is? I remember when this started as a fake dating stunt. And now look at you — holding hands in front of me like it’s the most natural thing in the world.” He shook his head, muttering, “Who said fake dating doesn’t turn into the real thing? Apparently not in this group.”

Shintaro let out a loud cackle. “SEE?! EVEN MANAGER AGREES. YUGOJE WAS ALWAYS DESTINY.”

“Shut up,” Kochi groaned, burying his face in his hands. Jesse laughed beside him, squeezing his fingers tighter.

Their manager cleared his throat, bringing the chaos down a notch. “Listen. The company’s stance hasn’t changed since Kyomoto and Matsumura. As long as your relationship doesn’t interfere with work, create scandals, or affect the group’s reputation — you’re fine. Understood?”

Relief visibly washed over Jesse and Kochi, but before they could even reply, Juri snorted.

“Oh, so when it’s us falling in love, suddenly the company’s fine with it? But when it’s about our vacation days, it’s always ‘think of the brand image’.”

Shintaro slammed the table dramatically. “Exactly! Love? Okay. Holidays? Illegal. Make it make sense.”

Their manager shot them a withering look. “Do you want me to change my mind? Would you want less work then?”

“Nope!” Juri and Shintaro chorused, sitting back instantly. Their manager can be that strict discipline teacher. 

Hokuto chuckled quietly, squeezing Taiga’s hand and then shifted his gaze to Jesse and Kochi. “See? What did I tell you? It’s not that scary.”

Jesse finally let himself laugh, the tension breaking. “Guess we’re officially official now.”

Kochi rolled his eyes, though the corners of his mouth curved into a smile. “You sound way too proud.”

“Of course I am.” Jesse grinned, leaning closer. “I get to say it out loud now.”

Their manager gathered his files again, muttering, “Toddlers, the lot of you,” before waving them off. “Meeting’s over. Don’t make me call another one of these for at least a year. And for the record — next time marketing suggests a fake-dating campaign or you guys start another betting game, I’m banning it. I don’t need another couple proving me wrong.”

The moment the door shut behind him, the group exploded into chatter.

“So when’s the double wedding?” Shintaro grinned, pointing between KyomoHoku and YugoJe.

“Make it a dome tour,” Juri added. “We’ll sell out faster than our concerts.”

Taiga smirked, deadpan. “You’re paying for the flowers.”

The room filled with laughter, teasing, and chaos — but beneath it all, there was a quiet contentment. SixTONES was still SixTONES. And now, again; it felt like the first time, every one of them could love openly without fear.

A week later, the six of them gathered in the studio to film another YouTube video. It was supposed to be simple: a casual cooking challenge. Cameras were rolling, flour was flying, and Shintaro was yelling at Juri for ruining the batter.

But the fans didn’t care about the chaos in the front. Their eyes were glued to the background.

Because in the corner, while Taiga tried to explain the recipe with Hokuto pretending to taste-test, Jesse and Kochi were caught sharing a quiet moment. Jesse leaned in to brush flour off Kochi’s cheek, laughing when Kochi swatted his hand away — only for Kochi to soften, patting Jesse’s shoulder in return. The smile Jesse gave him in that moment was softer than any stage expression.

It was only a few seconds. Barely noticeable. But the fans noticed.

By the time the video went live, Twitter was ablaze.

Fans Tweet : 

• #YugoJeOfficial Jesse just soft launching Kochi as his love life.
• Did anyone else catch Jesse wiping flour off Kochi?? Look at his face. LOOK. AT. HIS. FACE.
• This is not a drill. This is REAL. My YugoJe heart is screaming 😭❤️💛
• KyomoHoku walked so YugoJe could run.
• I swear the staff left this edit ON PURPOSE. BUT WE TAKE IT!

The members scrolled through the trending tag together later that night, groaning at the flood of edits and theories.

“Subtle, huh?” Juri deadpanned, tossing his phone onto the couch. “You two are about as subtle as a fireworks show.”

Kochi buried his face in his hands. “I can’t believe flour betrayed me.”

Jesse, meanwhile, was grinning ear to ear. “What? They noticed our chemistry. Can you blame them?”

“You’re unbearable,” Kochi muttered, though the corner of his mouth twitched with a smile.

Shintaro clasped his hands dramatically. “Well, YugoJe Nation, congratulations. The prophecy is fulfilled.”

Taiga raised an eyebrow. “Prophecy?”

“Yeah,” Shintaro said, deadly serious. “The one where SixTONES YouTube channel doubles as a dating announcement service.”

The room erupted in laughter, the teasing carrying on until Hokuto cut in with a sly grin. “So… when’s the wedding again? Should we just book a double ceremony now?”

Taiga smirked, leaning back against him. “Imagine the headlines.”

“‘SixTONES: From Dome Tour to Double Wedding,’” Juri recited dramatically.

Even Jesse cracked up, sliding an arm around Kochi’s shoulders without hesitation. “If that ever happens,” he said, eyes twinkling, “we’ll make it the biggest event Japan’s ever seen.”

Kochi groaned again, but this time he didn’t push Jesse’s arm away.

SixTONES was still chaos, still laughter, still family. Only now, the love they’d all been hiding wasn’t hidden anymore.

And if the fans had their way, the legend of KyomoHoku and YugoJe was only just getting started.

Later that night, after their get-together, Jesse and Kochi returned to Jesse’s apartment. The atmosphere felt different. Not the kind of nervousness they had when they first blurted out their feelings, but something warmer — like they had stepped into a new chapter of their lives. The city lights spilled faintly through the curtains, painting the room in a soft glow.

They sat together on the couch, the weight of the day settling into something calm. Jesse’s hand found Kochi’s again — like it had so many times in the last few weeks — but this time neither of them hesitated.

“You know,” Jesse murmured, leaning his head against the backrest, “if it weren’t for Hokuto and Taiga, I don’t think I ever would’ve said it out loud.”

Kochi turned to look at him, a quiet smile tugging at his lips. “Same. They really shoved us toward the edge, huh?”

“Best shove of my life,” Jesse said with a crooked grin, then grew serious. His thumb brushed over Kochi’s knuckles, slow and deliberate. “I meant what I said, you know. Back in the practice room. This has never felt fake to me. Not once.”

Kochi’s chest tightened, warmth spilling through him. He squeezed Jesse’s hand back. “I know. And… I feel the same. I was just stupidly scared. But now…” He hesitated, then breathed out. “Now I just want us to be strong. Like KyomoHoku. They went through hell, but look at them. Still standing. Still together.”

Jesse’s expression softened, his usual bravado melting away into something raw, earnest. “Then let’s be like that. Strong enough to handle whatever comes. For the group, for ourselves… for us.”

Silence lingered for a beat, but it was warm, full. Kochi leaned into Jesse’s shoulder, whispering so softly it almost disappeared into the night.

“Thank you, Jesse. For not giving up on me.”

Jesse kissed the top of his hair, voice low but steady. “Never. You’re stuck with me now, Yugo.”

Kochi tilted his head up, meeting Jesse’s eyes in the quiet. For once, there was no hesitation, no second-guessing — just the pull of everything they’d held back for too long. Jesse leaned in first, slow and certain, and Kochi met him halfway.

Their lips pressed together, soft and lingering, a kiss that carried every unsaid word and every promise yet to come. It wasn’t hurried, wasn’t desperate — it was steady, grounding, real.

When they finally pulled back, Kochi laughed under his breath, cheeks flushed. “Took us long enough.”

Jesse smiled, pressing his forehead against Kochi’s. “Worth every second.” Then his grin turned mischievous. “So, when do we announce this to the world? Tomorrow? Or should I just tweet something like, ‘Surprise, Kochi’s mine now’?”

Kochi groaned, shoving at his shoulder, though he didn’t let go of his hand. “Don’t you dare. You’ll break the internet. Are you obsessed with making the official headline or what?”

“Exactly,” Jesse winked. “Go big or go home, right?”

Kochi shook his head, but laughter slipped out, soft and full. “You’re impossible.”

“And you love it,” Jesse shot back instantly, smug but affectionate.

Kochi leaned closer again, his voice quiet but certain. “Yeah. Between jokes and truth… I do.”

Jesse caught the words instantly and kissed him again, deeper this time, before pulling Kochi into his arms. His voice dropped to a whisper against Kochi’s ear, possessive but tender. “Mine. Kochi Yugo. I like you. I love you.”

Kochi smiled over the confession. “I like you too,idiot. I really love you, Jesse.”

In the quiet of that small apartment, away from the chaos of fans and teasing members, Jesse and Kochi held onto each other — hearts steady, promises sealed for the future they would face together.

SixTONES Group Chat

[Shintaro]:

OKAY WHO SAID “MINE” OUT LOUD LAST NIGHT 😭😭😭

[Kochi]:

WHAT THE HELL—HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW THAT?! DO YOU PUT SPY CAMERA OVER JESSE HOUSE?!!

[Juri]:

LMAOOOO not Shintaro leaking the script of your romance drama. And not Kochi just expose he spend last night at Jesse 💀

[Taiga]:

…wait. Did Jesse actually say that? Wow possessive!

[Hokuto]:

Of course he did. Sounds exactly like him.

[Jesse]:

👀👀👀 maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.

[Kochi]:

JESSE!! STOP. ENCOURAGING. THEM.

[Shintaro]:

I JUST GUESSING IT BUT APPRANTLY ITS TRUE 😭😭😭

[Juri]:

I SWEAR!! WE NEED TO CHANGE THE GROUP NAME FROM SIXTONES TO SIXSENSE 💀

[Taiga]:

Congrats, YugoJe. You guys finally caught up.

[Hokuto]:

Just remember, we paved the way first 😌

[Shintaro]:

Imagine that double wedding again — KyomoHoku & YugoJe. The chaos would end the world.

[Juri]:

 I call MC duties at the wedding. Already preparing my speech.

[Kochi]:

…I hate all of you.

[Jesse]:

But you love me ❤️ 

[Kochi]:

…shut up.

Between the fake dating act born from a joke and a dare, Jesse and Kochi had finally found something real. Between jokes and truth, they chose love — and this time, neither of them planned on letting go.

End