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“Soooo, Love-han,” Kohaku started, sidling up next to Aira, “ya thinkin’ ‘bout yer boyfriend?”
Aira flushed and chewed his lunch more aggressively, moving down the lunch table bench away from Kohaku.
“Love-haaaan~” Kohaku teased, sliding down the bench to chase after Aira. “C'mooon~”
Aira pointedly looked away from his close friend, swallowing his food and allowing his mouth to fall into a pout. “Aren’t you supposed to be the more mature one!?”
Kohaku deadpanned at Aira, sure that the idol fanatic could feel it despite still refusing to face him. “You’ve been talkin’ ‘bout Hiiro-han all week, so at least let me tease ya a little~♪”
Aira groaned, dropping his head onto the table.
“Uhh… Love-han?”
“Have I been that obvious!?” Aira’s yells were muffled by the surface of the lunch table.
Kohaku waved to a worried Shino in assurance that Aira was okay before turning back to him. “I’m happy fer ya, Love-han. Really.” He took a few sips from his water bottle and sighed in relief as the scratchiness in his throat dissipated.
“Kohakucchiiii,” Aira whimpered. “What if he finds out!?”
Kohaku paused. “Wait… y’all ain’t even datin’ yet!?” He winced as the occupants of the nearby tables glanced at them, and he coughed awkwardly into his hand.
“N-No,” Aira admitted, barely audible. Even as his face was still shamefully laid on the table, his ears burned like bright red beacons.
The honeybee sighed. Well, he probably should’ve seen that coming, all things considered. He loved Aira, but… Aira tended to avoid any difficult situation that involved communicating his feelings.
“I don’t have to lift my head off this table to know that you’re giving me a disappointed look.”
“I’m not disappointed in ya,” Kohaku reassured. “Jus’ thought that y’all would make a great couple, and I don’t know why we’re waitin’.” He took another sip of water.
“I-It’s because…! Uh, uhm, well, I, you know… Because we, well, me, I… Yeah!”
“…What?”
Aira lifted his head and looked at Kohaku with a flushed face and desperate eyes. “I don’t even know if he likes me like that! And even if he did, what if we broke up!? What would happen to us!? ALKALOID!?”
Kohaku frowned. “Love-han, jus’ between the two of us, lemme tell ya, Hiiro-han is just as head-over-heels for ya as ya are for him. An’ I know he’d be willin’ t’ stay friends and stay in ALKALOID, even if ya guys broke up. Y’all like each other ‘nough t’ stay with each other, ain’t that it?”
“Mm… I-I guess…”
“See, what’d I say~?” Kohaku grinned, internally panicking. I definitely ain’t cut out for romantic advice, what if I just screwed ‘em up!? He mitigated his thoughts by chugging more water.
“Still… I— AH, HIDE ME!” Aira suddenly ducked under the table, hitting his head on the way down. “Owwieee, why me!?”
Kohaku turned around to see Hiiro steadily approaching their table. Would ya speak o’ the devil? The young assassin felt a mischievous grin unconsciously spread across his face. “Hiiro-han~!”
“What are you doing!? Don’t encourage him, or I’ll never forgive you!” Aira threatened in a hushed tone.
Kohaku ignored the hopefully empty threat and waved the redhead over. “How’re ya doin’?”
“I’ve been well, except for the latest project Kunugi-sensei gave us.” Hiiro chuckled a bit bashfully. “Hinata-kun has been helping me though, and Shiina-senpai… tries.”
“Like Hiro-kun ever needs help with anything academic,” Aira whispered vehemently while Kohaku cleared his throat, covering up the noise.
“Tell ‘em I said hi, and that Shiina-senpai still owes me a couple o’ sweets after our last gig.” Kohaku’s eyes flicked toward Aira’s position under the table, and he paled as he realized Hiiro’s eyes followed him. Now he really hoped Aira was making an empty threat.
“Kohakucchi-san?”
“Y-Yeah…?”
“…Why is Aira under the table?”
“YOU TOLD HIM, DIDN’T YOU!?” Aira screamed from under the lunch table.
“I DIDN’, I SWEAR!”
“WHY ARE WE YELLING!?” Hiiro joined in.
“WHY ARE YOU YELLIN’!?” Kohaku yelled back.
“WHY ARE ALL OF YOU YELLING!?”
The trio froze and turned toward a very stressed-out Hasumi.
“What reason could you three possibly have for disturbing the public peace around here!?” Hasumi rubbed his temple, which seemed to almost be throbbing, and took a deep breath. “You three,” he ordered calmly. “Come with me.”
Aira reluctantly maneuvered his way out from under the lunch table, grabbed his lunchbox, and stood in between Hiiro and Kohaku, all three of their heads bowed in shame as Hasumi began leading them out of the dining hall. “He’s going to lecture us for like three hours…”
Kohaku snickered, quickly shutting up as Hasumi glanced at him. “Maybe only two hours… if we’re lucky.”
“I think it will probably be two and a half hours,” Hiiro guessed.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, WHY IS HIRO-KUN ALWAYS RIGHT!?”
“Love-han, shhh!” Kohaku hushed. “We’re gonna get kicked out o’ the library…”
“S-Sorry…” Aira hid his face in his English workbook.
“An’ don’t forget that you’re pretty good yerself. I mean…” Kohaku gestured to their study table. “See how hard you’re workin’?”
Aira pleasantly flushed a light pink and hesitantly nodded. “Well~ If Kohakucchi thinks so…”
The young honeybee felt his heart’s pace pick up. “An’ that’s why I’m sure Hiiro-san would find ya a lovely boyfriend ♪”
Aira’s pleased expression faltered, and he sighed broodingly. “Mmm… I don’t know… Ahhh, someone like you would be a much better boyfriend for him, Kohakucchi,” he whined.
It was Kohaku’s turn to flush at the thought of being Hiiro’s significant other. Flustered, he frantically shook his head as he flailed his arms. “N-No, I can definitely say you’re the one he likes!” He hid his face behind his water bottle as he chugged it.
The fledgling idol laughed at Kohaku’s panicked floundering, his face flushing again as he tried to control his giggles.
He looks so cute like that… Kohaku finished chugging his bottle. “C’mon, ya can trust me on this one~ Ya really do have a chance with Hiiro-kun!”
“But I don’t even know how I would…” Aira’s eyes lit up. “I’VE GOT IT!”
“Is everything okay over there, Shiratori-kun?” A worried voice called from behind a bookshelf.
“Y-Yeah, sorry, Aoba-senpai!”
“…Love-han?”
“Yes, Kohakucchi?” Aira asked innocently.
“Y’know this is a bad idea, right?”
Aira laughed, waving off Kohaku’s concern with a dismissive hand. “I’m sure that Tenshouin-senpai will have an idea on what to do!”
Kohaku shook his head disbelievingly. “Ya wanna know what I think? I think ya just want an excuse t’ talk t’ him.”
The idol maniac laughed nervously. “W-Whaaaa!? No way! Why would I need an excuse to get advice from the Tenshouin Eichi!? He’s my roommate after all. Haha. Ha. Ha…”
Kohaku only raised an eyebrow, ultimately deciding to let the matter go.
As the pair approached the StarPro office, Aira jittered next to Kohaku with excitement. Upon reaching the open doors, voices could be heard from within.
“2wink’ll go first! No wait, actually… second!”
“Fufu, which one is it?”
“We~ll, first is the worst and second is the best…♪”
A condescending chuckle followed. “How does it feel to have your junior talk down to you like that?”
“Surprisingly, refreshing. It reminds me of the same playful determination I saw in Trickstar ♪”
“Are you insinuating that Eden— Oh, it appears we have guests.”
Yuta, Tenshouin, and Saegusa all turned toward Kohaku and Aira.
“Ah, Shiratori-kun, Oukawa-kun, welcome,” Tenshouin greeted with a smile.
Kohaku nodded back. “What’re ya guys up t’?”
“We’re discussing our arrangements for the Chocolat Fes,” Saegusa explained.
Yuta jumped toward the other two first-years. “Yeah! 2wink is coming out with a new song called ‘Swee2wink Love Letter’, so stay tuned for when it comes~”
Tenshouin put a hand to his chin, looking at his phone. “Even though 2wink is performing under COS PRO’s funding, they are still performing outdoors, as is fine. In addition, both 2wink and Eden are sharing some set pieces to keep within the set budget, so we will need to account for that as well. Currently, we are attempting to properly schedule to avoid conflicts.”
Aira’s eyes sparkled at what would surely be his new obsession for the next two weeks. “Is fine also coming out with a new song!?”
Tenshouin chuckled at the former underachiever’s enthusiasm. “Yes, it will be called ‘Koi Wa Primavera.’ I do hope you enjoy it.”
Aira tilted his head. “Primavera, huh?” He pulled out his phone, typing a note for himself. “I’ll be sure to look that up later.”
Kohaku then looked at Saegusa. “What about ya, Vice Prez-han?”
Saegusa pushed his glasses up and delivered a sharp grin. “Eden, or should I say… no, I’ll let it be a surprise. Let’s just say that we have something special prepared for the Chocolat Fes~♪”
“U~uu, I hope one day ALKALOID can get a Valentine’s Day song~” Aira lamented, cupping his head with his hands while sighing wistfully. “I can see it now~ Tattsun-senpai and Mayo-san with flowers in their arms while they dance on stage, and Hiro-kun and I… we…” Aira’s face flushed.
“Love-han?” Kohaku asked worriedly. He reached out, and the second the tapped Aira’s shoulder—
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” Aira screamed at the top of his lungs, making everyone else in the room jump, except for Tenshouin. His face burned a bright red as he continued to let out muffled wails into his hands, to the confusion of everyone… except Tenshouin.
Damn you, Tenshouin.
“Fufu,” Tenshouin chuckled. “To be young and in love…”
“Awwwww,” Yuta cooed. “Is that what this is~? Does Shiratori-kun like Hiiro-kun~?”
“I-I’M NOT! WHEN DID I SAY ANYTHING ABOUT HIRO-KUN!? I WOULD NEVER!” Despite Aira’s words, his stuttering and deepening crimson face only incriminated him further.
Tenshouin reached into his front jacket pocket and pulled out a blinking pen that recorded not only the business meeting but also Aira’s outburst. He unscrewed the pen to stop the recording, plugged in the pen to a nearby laptop, and replayed the audio back to the audience. Aira’s face flushed maroon when he heard his voice and words about himself and Hiiro in a Valentine’s Day song.
Damn you, Tenshouin!
“Ah.” Tenshouin stopped the recording after Aira’s scream and turned off the laptop. “Is that why you have come here Shiratori-kun? You wanted advice on how to approach your feelings with Hiiro-kun from your wise senior.”
“U~mm, shouldn’t you have gone to Kazehaya-senpai for that?” Yuta asked. “No offense to Tenshouin-senpai, but…”
“’Cause he’s a fanboy,” Kohaku said bluntly.
“AHHHHHHHHHH, KOHAKUCCHI, THAT’S TWO STRIKES NOW!”
“THAT FIRST ONE AIN’T EVEN M' FAULT! I TOLD YA I DIDN’T SAY NOTHIN’!”
“Hmm…” Tenshouin cupped his own cheek as he pondered Aira’s request. “Have you ever considered yourself a good strategist for war?”
“W-Wha—!?” Aira’s face paled. “What does that have to do with anything!?”
Saegusa nodded solemnly. “I do agree with His Eminence Eichi. Nothing will grab your loved one’s attention quite like starting a revolution.”
“B-But…” Aira protested. “We already did that!”
Kohaku chuckled. “Well, it was kinda more like Crazy:B and ALKALOID. Gotta admit though, doesn’t exactly sound the safest… we gotta try somethin’ surer to get Hiiro-han’s attention.” He took another swig of water, feeling Saegusa’s unnerving eyes on him. Ah, crap.
“Don’t listen to these silly adults!” Yuta stood in between his seniors and juniors and smiled softly at Aira. “There’s no need to do anything crazy. You just gotta be direct ♪”
“Direct…?”
“Yep! Just tell him how you feel, and I’m sure you’ll reach him! I’m sure that’s what Aniki would do too!” Yuta put a reassuring hand on Aira’s shoulder. “You’ve got this~☆”
“See, Love-han, what’d I say?” Kohaku smiled, putting his water bottle to his lips.
“And theeen…” Yuta continued. “When you guys get together, you can do all that couple stuff you’ve always dreamed of, like holding hands and making out in corners ♪”
Both Kohaku and Aira choked.
Saegusa pulled Kohaku to the side as Aira discussed romance plans with Tenshouin and Yuta. “I can tell, you know.”
Kohaku tensed as he felt the viper’s eyes pierce straight through him. “How do ya mean?”
Saegusa rolled his eyes patronizingly. “Do you truly believe I’m that incompetent?” He gestured to the water bottle Kohaku was carrying.
The honeybee placed a protective hand on the bottle.
“So, are you going to do something about it?”
“It’s none o’ yer business.”
Saegusa raised an eyebrow at him.
A sigh. “…No. I don’t hafta quite yet.”
“…I see.” Saegusa continued to stare through Kohaku, making him feel extremely vulnerable. “You will need to make a choice eventually.”
“…I know.” As Saegusa walked away, Kohaku took another sip from his bottle. The relief he felt from the water running down his throat didn’t feel as good as before.
“Love-han, y’know what ya gotta do, right?”
Aira nodded, face filled with determination. “I’m just gonna walk up to him and tell him! Tenshouin-senpai will tell him to go to the sakura tree where he’ll meet me, and Yuta-senpai said he would sneak along to make sure Hiro-kun gets there without any trouble.”
Kohaku nodded back. “And I’ll also be there t’ make sure everythin’ goes smoothly.” He took a moment to take in the sight of Aira standing in front of the sakura tree, hair billowing gently in the wind as the cherry blossom’s petals fluttered around him. After taking a gulp of water, Kohaku waved goodbye to Aira. “I’ll see ya on the other side ♪”
“Hello, Oukawa-kun,” Tenshouin pleasantly greeted for the second time that day. In Kohaku’s humble opinion, it was two times too many.
The young honeybee took a moment to catch his breath, taking a few gulps from his water bottle to ease his parched throat. “Hahh… D-Did Hiiro-han make it here yet?” He took a few more sips. Maybe he should’ve considered how much he’d be running doing this.
“Tenshouin-senpai!” a young eager voice called.
Ah crap, I wasn’ s’posed t' be spotted. Kohaku internally groaned, plastering what was hopefully a normal and totally not nervous at all smile onto his face.
Hiiro blinked in surprise as he saw Kohaku. “Oh, Kohakucchi-san is here too?”
“Yep, jus’ catchin’ up with Tenshouin-senpai since I happened t’ run int’ ‘im ♪” Kohaku lied, as if he would ever want to spend his free time with Tenshouin. He could feel sweat slowly start to bead on his forehead.
“Kohakucchi-san… are you okay? You seem a bit nervou—”
“So, Hiiro-kun, I am glad to see you have responded to my text in good time.” Tenshouin stepped forward, bringing attention back to himself and allowing Kohaku to breathe again. The corner of his mouth was upturned in mirth, that bastard, but Kohaku couldn’t find it in himself to not be grateful at that moment.
“Tenshouin-senpai, what did you call me for?”
“No need to worry, nothing much,” Tenshouin assured. “I simply want you to go to the sakura tree on the hill. From there, you will know what to do.”
Hiiro stared at STAR PRO’s representative in confusion. “U~miu~ I don’t really get it, but why didn’t you just text me that?”
“Oh, because I wanted to give you this.” Tenshouin handed a couple roses to Hiiro. “After all, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. To put it simply, you should give these to people who are dear to you.”
Hiiro stared at the roses as he processed Tenshouin’s words. “I see…” He placed one rose in each hand and outstretched his right hand to Kohaku.
“H-Hiiro-han!?” Kohaku gaped at the rose being handed to him before taking it with trembling fingers.
“You are one of the ones I hold dear to me, Kohakucchi-san ♪” Hiiro smiled innocently at Kohaku, most likely completely unaware of the implications of his actions.`
“I… thank ya, Hiiro-han…” Kohaku ignored Tenshouin’s body trembling in suppressed laughter and smiled back at Hiiro. Even if Hiiro didn’t understand, Kohaku decided he would let himself indulge for just a bit. Aira would never know, after all.
“Do you want to come with me?” Hiiro offered. He outstretched his now free hand.
“Uhmm…” Kohaku tried to think of an excuse, his heart practically pounding out of his chest. Dammit, this ‘s why he wasn’ s’posed t’ see me! “Uh, ya see, well, I’m actually busy. Tenshouin-senpai had somethin’ he wanted t’ debrief me on too.” He glared at his smug senior. “Ain’t that right?” Say no and ya can bet I’m murderin’ that flat ass!
“A-Ah, pfft… I mean, yes, of course~” Tenshouin stifled his giggles, leaving Kohaku wishing that Tenshouin would choke on his own spit.
“Oh.” Hiiro’s face fell in brief disappointment before going back to his typical kind smile. “I’ll see you around then, Kohakucchi-san, Tenshouin-senpai!” He waved goodbye to them both, quickly exiting the room and striding down the hall.
‘Kay, time t’ follow ‘im. Kohaku took a few gulps of water, preparing himself to be as stealthy as on his assassinations.
“Wait.” Tenshouin gently gripped Kohaku’s wrist.
“Whaddya want now!?” Kohaku shook Tenshouin’s grip off, delivering another deathly glare. “I can’t lose his trail y’know.”
Tenshouin returned Kohaku’s glare with a pensive look. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Huh? Ya mean Love-han an’ Hiiro-han? ‘Course, they’d be well off with each other.”
The leader of fine shook his head. “I did not ask if you wanted it to happen. I asked if you wanted to do this.” He gestured to Kohaku’s water bottle.
“…What’d he tell ya?” Kohaku spat.
Tenshouin looked far too pleased with the situation. “Nothing, of course. You really should not underestimate your seniors ♪”
“…”
“I was once in your place, you know. Of course, you know me. I would not be able to afford to risk the same path as you.”
Kohaku froze in shock as he processed the information. “…S-So what’d ya do?” he asked shakily. He had a feeling he didn’t want the answer.
Tenshouin smiled sadly, making a snipping motion with his fingers.
Kohaku’s heart dropped. He took a couple sips of water.
“I was lucky; as you can see, I have Wataru. Please, consider your options. Despite all of us having different timers, they are timers nonetheless. And one day, they will all come to a stop. I would rather you let yours count down than break it while it is still in pristine condition.”
Kohaku left the office without a word, looking back once to glare one last time at Tenshouin.
“Over here, over here!” Yuta whisper-yelled.
“Keep yer voice down,” Kohaku whispered back, joining Yuta. “So, ya got ‘im in yer sights?”
The younger twin nodded, pointing down the hall where Hiiro was still making good time on Tenshouin’s request. “He’s got craaaazy good instincts. Almost caught me a couple of times.”
“Do ya have an excuse ready fer if he finds ya?”
“Of course! Just hope it doesn’t come to that.” Yuta pointed down the hall. “Oh no…”
Kohaku looked at where Yuta pointed and silently groaned. Unfortunately, their precautionary measures were justified, as an excitable chef started chatting up Hiiro. Kohaku and Yuta hid around the corner to avoid being seen.
“Nyaha~ What a coincidence, Otouto-san~ I just needed your help with something!”
“Oh, Shiina-san, what is it?”
“Yep! Are ya busy right now?”
“Sorry, Tenshouin-senpai asked me to do something for him.”
“Did he say when it’s gotta be done~?”
“No…?”
“Well then it can probably wait a sec!” Niki concluded. “Don’t worry, this’ll only take like… half an hour!”
Half an hour!? Kohaku pulled out his phone and rapidly sent a text to Niki.
“Shiina-san, did your phone just buzz?”
“Ahh, it’s prolly just Rinne-kun being annoying again~ See, it just buzzed again. He loves blowing up my phone for some reason. Well, he said it’s ‘cause he loves blowing—”
Kohaku tuned out the rest of the conversation as he silently fumed. Dammit Rinne-han, why are ya still a pain in m' ass, even when ya ain’t here!? He steeled his nerves and stepped out from his and Yuta’s hiding place. “Niki-han!” From the corner of his eye, he could see Yuta gesturing to him in panic.
Niki looked past Hiiro and waved. “Kohaku-chan~!”
Hiiro waved to Kohaku as well. “Hello again! Did you take care of that thing Tenshouin-senpai asked you to do?”
“Ah, uh, actually, I need Niki-san’s help with it, now.” The young assassin quickly strode over to where the roommates stood and tightly gripped Niki’s arm.
“YOWCH!?” Niki shrieked in confusion as he was dragged away. “Uh, see ya, Otouto-san!” He waved frantically, his feet skidding across the ground.
Hiiro waved back, looking equally perplexed.
After debriefing Niki on the situation, the carefree chef offered to help, but Kohaku and Yuta insisted that a larger group would undoubtedly be caught by Hiiro.
The duo had only run into a couple other snags, but thankfully Kazehaya and Kagehira actually checked their messages. In less than ten minutes, they were already approaching the Sakura tree that Aira was supposed to be waiting under.
Get ready, Love-han… Kohaku drank a bit from his water bottle, feeling the anticipation flood his body with adrenaline.
“Hey…” Yuta said softly. “I can go the rest of the way for you. You don’t have to go any further.”
Kohaku gritted his teeth in irritation. “Why the hell does e’ryone keep sayin’ that t’ me!?”
Yuta looked taken aback at the honeybee’s aggression for a moment before his shock devolved into pity. “Kohaku-kun…”
“Whaddya want me t’ do now!? Go back!? Find somethin’ other than m’ bottle!?”
“Your bottle…? What does your bottle have to do with…” Yuta’s eyes widened in realization.
Shit, thought he already knew…
“Aira-san!” Hiiro called out in the distance.
Kohaku made to go toward the noise, but he was held back by arms wrapping around his torso.
“I-I can’t let you!” Yuta grunted. “Please, Kohaku-kuuun!”
Kohaku tried struggling, but he found his lungs already reaching their limit with exertion. “M-M’ bottle…!” he gasped.
Yuta immediately let go and Kohaku fell to the ground. The younger Aoi quickly handed the bottle to Kohaku, anxiously watching his junior vigorously down the bottle.
The young assassin felt relieved as his scratchy throat was drowned until… “Dammit, I’m out o’—!” Kohaku fell to the ground as the scratchiness became unbearable. “Y-Yuta-han, don’t look!” He choked and launched into a coughing fit.
“Kohaku-kun!”
Kohaku coughed harshly as he pawed the ground from the unbearable pain. Neither bullet nor blade had ever managed to inflict such an immense amount of suffering, and his shut eyes were brimming with tears as all his nerves were set aflame.
“I-I’m calling for help!” Yuta insisted, as though Kohaku could even protest. His voice sounded distant and muffled despite their closeness.
The taste of iron was strong on Kohaku’s tongue, a bitter honey that reminded him of his greatest failure… He loved Aira. He really did. That’s why he needed to do this.
This.
Loving someone meant being for them even if they didn’t love you the same way. Loving someone meant knowing when someone was better for them than some dirty assassin. As his coughing subsided, Kohaku grimaced in disgust at the mess he made.
Beneath his bowed head, laid on the grass, was a pile of cherry blossoms speckled with drops of blood, a couple of large white lilies decorating the top.
“T-Two types of…!?” Yuta gasped. He continued speaking into the phone he had next to his ear, but Kohaku was too disassociated to make anything out, consumed by numbness.
“Hiro-kun, I really, really like you!” Aira confessed from atop the cherry blossom hill.
Kohaku felt more petals start to force their way out of his lungs, starting another coughing fit. The tears he’d been holding back cascaded down his cheeks as he struggled to keep consciousness, gasping for breath that never seemed to be enough to keep him alive. Every time he tried to take in more air, more petals would fall out, as if this entire time his lungs were a dam filled to the brim, just waiting for the smallest opening to crumble. He vaguely registered a comforting hand on his back as the torrent of greenery relented once again.
“H-HiMERU-han…?” he croaked, wincing at the hoarseness of his voice.
“Are you done?” HiMERU asked. “HiMERU will take care of you.”
“Y-Yeah, I think for now… But I’m not a kiIIIIIID!?” Kohaku gasped as HiMERU lifted him up, causing him to cough a few more times.
“Sorry.” Despite HiMERU’s dull tone, the regret was clear in his eyes.
“I-It’s okay, HiMERU-han.” The honeybee tried to assure HiMERU with a small smile before coughing out a few more petals. “I-I’m okay…”
Yuta sighed. “We’ll have to do something about this eventually…”
HiMERU nodded. “Amagi is coming over. His legs are quite long, and if our video call was any indication, he is most likely hopping over cars in his haste, so he will likely make it back from the casino in record time. Shiina… is probably not checking his messages… until Amagi blows it up enough for him to check.” He looked back down at Kohaku. “HiMERU and Yuta will take care of you until then.”
Kohaku coughed out a couple petals and glumly nodded. He was too tired to protest any further, surprised that he even had enough energy to force any more petals out of his lungs. “T-Thank ya…” He closed his eyes, allowing the creeping exhaustion to overcome him in one fell swoop.
“Hiiro-kuuuuuun~”
“What is it, Aira?”
“Kohakucchi’s been busy all week! I haven’t been able to talk to him in-person at all! And he’s barely responding to my texts too…” The pout was evident in his whiny tone.
“Kohakucchi-san is busy a lot, but the work will pass eventually.”
“Yeahhh~ I knowww… but still…!”
“You care a lot about him, don’t you?”
“Mhmm…”
“Aira… do you like Kohakucchi?”
“…”
“I can tell.”
“W-Wait, but you’re still my boyfriend Hiro-kun, a-and I wouldn’t—”
“I like him too.”
“H-Huh!?”
“I like him too, Aira ♪”
“O-Oh, I— Oh, wow, what do we, um… then…”
“Then we should tell him, right?”
“Y-Yeah!”