Summary: When a rumor that he and Miyuki are dating prevents Eijun from getting a date for the spring festival, he's determined to find out who started it. Meanwhile, the rest of the team can barely believe that Eijun thinks it's just a rumor. "Surely…" Haruichi thought, "Even HE isn't that oblivious…"

Rating: T

Warnings: Cheerfully oblivious Eijun; sexy Miyuki (umm, as always); a very nosy baseball team

Obligatory disclaimer: I own nothing, and am terribly grateful that the author wrote such fun characters for me to play with.

A/N: There's no real explanation for this fic. I just wanted to write something cute & silly where whole team is cheering on Kazuya's & Eijun's relationship. Plus, I've been reading a lot of lovely MIyasawa fic on tumblr, and I wanted to contribute somehow. So here we are. :)

#

"…Eh?"

Haruichi paused the racing game he and Ryosuke were playing to glance at Eijun, who'd barreled into Ryosuke's dorm a moment earlier and flopped himself onto Ryosuke's bed with a loud cry.

"I don't understand, Harucchi!" he'd moaned. "Why doesn't anyone want to go with me to the spring festival?"

A date...?

"It's like — it's like — they're afraid to go with me!"

But — shouldn't Eijun not have to worry about such things, when he and Miyuki were…?

"Y-you mean the rumors aren't true, Eijun?!" Haruichi yelped.

Eijun gave him a blank stare. "What rumors?"

Haruichi's controller slipped out of his fingers and clattered to the floor. What rumors?! He spun abruptly to face Eijun, and even Ryosuke swiveled himself around halfway, his eyebrows raised incredulously.

Surely… Even he isn't that oblivious…

Eijun barked a nervous laugh. "Ah-ha-ha, you both turned at once; kinda freaky…"

"Ahhh, Eijun," said Haruichi carefully. "You must have heard… The ones about you and Miyuki-senpai… Dating?"

There was a long pause.

"HA! HA! HAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Eijun shrieked. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Stupefied, Haruichi blinked at him: once, twice, even three times, but Eijun didn't stop. He laughed so hard he almost fell off the bed, and had to grab the bed post to support himself. Haruichi looked at Ryosuke in bewilderment. The dangerous smile twitching on Ryosuke's face indicated he thought Haruichi had befriended a complete idiot.

But — I thought those rumors were true...?

Ryosuke raised his eyebrows at Haruichi in silent conversation as the minutes passed, and still Eijun's hysterical laughter echoed around them. Is this a joke? Or is he really this stupid?

Haruichi reddened. H-he's just playing, I'm sure…

Ryosuke's mouth gathered into a unconvinced frown. I don't think so.

"Th-that's soooo funnyyyy," Eijun gasped at last. He was wiping tears away from his eyes. "Harucchi, you should be a comedian, ha, ha, ha—"

He fell silent upon looking up and seeing the sympathetic flush on Haruichi's cheeks.

"It's not a joke, Eijun," said Haruichi as kindly as possible.

Eijun's mouth twisted into a weird, confused slant, like a smile turned on its side. He looked strangely desperate. Haruichi could see him trying and failing to digest this information.

"Told you," Ryosuke murmured.

"I-I don't understand!" Eijun wailed. His eyes had become wild. "What — how could people even think he and I — NO! Who would start a rumor so evil?! Th-that's not true, it's obviously not true! I mean, that would be weird, wouldn't it? W-wouldn't it, Harucchi? I-I mean me and —?"

Haruichi bit his lip. "Um…"

He's such an idiot, said the slow tap of Ryosuke's fingers against his controller. How does he even leave his room in the morning without injuring himself?

Haruichi frowned. Sometimes he wondered the same thing himself.

Eijun sank back into the bed with a muffled cry. "Why me?" He seemed honestly distraught.

"Um, I'm sure no-one's really heard it," Haruichi lied. "R-right, brother?"

"No-one but the entire baseball team," Ryosuke agreed. "And maybe the managers. Ahh, and maybe everyone else in the high-school…"

"I WANT TO DIE!" Eijun moaned. He promptly buried his head in Ryosuke's pillows. "Who would start that type of thing?!"

Haruichi glowered at Ryosuke from under his bangs. Ryosuke just smirked.

He tried to remember when the rumor had generated, but found that he couldn't. Had it been on their very first day of baseball, when Miyuki and Eijun had been spotted crouching sheepishly behind that shed, trying to sneak into practice together? (Masuko swore that Eijun'd been in his room all night long, but was unable to provide proof that he hadn't just returned in the early morning hours. Both Masuko and Kuramochi were sound sleepers, and Kuramochi in particular seemed to think Eijun must've been out late, given how deeply he'd been asleep when they left in the morning. Miyuki's roommates had no comment, because they were too terrified of Miyuki to discuss his sleeping patterns.)

Or had it started even before that? Although Haruichi hadn't been there, he'd heard the story of Miyuki deciding to catch Eijun's pitches when Eijun was just a loud-mouthed middle-schooler who hadn't even been on the team… That was pretty unusual for Miyuki, wasn't it?

Or was it after that…?

Haruichi couldn't pinpoint it exactly. It seemed like the rumor had been around forever, and at some point it'd been repeated so much it'd stopped being a rumor and just become fact. Coach was strict, Ryosuke was the best second baseman who had ever played on the team (okay, maybe Haruichi was biased), and Miyuki and Eijun were dating. Those were the universal truths of the baseball team.

And it was backed by good evidence, from what Haruichi could see. If their practices didn't have Eijun demanding that Miyuki catch his pitches, or Miyuki constantly teasing Eijun, with a permanent arm around Eijun's shoulders, than instead they had Eijun getting jealous whenever Miyuki so much as looked at another pitcher, and Miyuki becoming sour when Eijun was taken away from him — those weren't normal teammate reactions, were they? And Haruichi had seen the look on Eijun's face whenever Miyuki praised him, like he was going to burst from sheer joy. You don't get that kind of look on your face for anyone else, Eijun…

Haruichi wasn't really sure who'd started the rumor, but Eijun and Miyuki were certainly the ones perpetuating it.

How did someone so dumb make it on the team? Ryosuke's knuckles asked as he cracked them one by one. It was a menacing sound, not even masked by Eijun's loud mumbles as he talked to himself.

Suddenly Eijun leapt out of the bed, his whole body rigid and furious. "It was Furuya, wasn't it!" he shouted. He clutched Ryosuke's pillow and began to wring it between his hands. "I'll kill him. I'll KILL him! He thinks he can take my tire, and my catcher, and now my dates? He's dead—!"

My catcher... Are you sure you aren't confused, Eijun?

"I'll stop this nonsense," said Ryosuke pleasantly. Before Haruichi could react, he'd crossed the room and dealt Eijun a sharp karate chop across the back of his head. Haruichi winced in sympathy, mildly embarrassed by both Eijun's shriek of pain and the cheerful fervor with which the hit was delivered. (He was, admittedly, grateful that Ryosuke had cut off Eijun's rant before it could get to full power. Eijun's rants about Furuya were horrendous.)

"AIEEEEEE!" Eijun screamed, nearly buckling over. "Senpai, why?!"

"Because you're being an idiot," said Ryosuke. He snatched his pillow out of Eijun's clutches, fluffed it, and re-placed it on the bed. "And because I wanted to."

Then, for what seemed like good measure, he karate chopped Eijun on the head again.

Eijun fell onto the bed, howling. He sent Haruichi a beseeching look, his eyes full of tears. "Harucchi, make him stop!"

As if Haruichi ever had any say in what Ryosuke did.

"Brother," he said, holding out his hand in a weak attempt to intervene.

"Shut up, Sawamura," said Ryosuke, raising his hand for another hit. "Your voice is grating on my ears."

Eijun darted away from Ryosuke, shielding his head with an arm. "Tell me who started the rumors!"

"I don't know," said Haruichi. "But I don't think it was Furuya. Sorry, Eijun…"

As Eijun collapsed back onto the bed, clutching the pillow once more and sulking, Ryosuke drew his cell phone out of his back pocket. A thrill of nervous fear went through Haruichi.

"Brother—"

Ryosuke gave him a look that made Haruichi clamp his lips back together. A familiar little noise told him Ryosuke was now recording Eijun thrashing on the bed.

"Miyuki started the rumor, of course," said Ryosuke blandly.

Eijun's chin jerked up. "Miyuki!" he exclaimed. He looked bewildered and furious and a little hurt, all at the same time. "Why would he…? Does he want me to be miserable? I'll never get a date for the festival if people think we're dating!"

"Good question," said Ryosuke. "Why would he start a rumor about you, Sawamura?"

"I-I don't know," said Eijun, his mouth caving.

The mischievous curl to Ryosuke's mouth told Haruichi that he was lying, but of course Eijun didn't pick up on it. Eijun hadn't even noticed the camera recording him right in front of his face. "Why don't you go ask him, idiot?"

Eijun's eyes flickered, then took on a murderous glint. He threw himself out of bed and stomped to the door, fists clenched. "Good idea, senpai."

"Eijun, wait!" Haruichi called, feeling apprehensive. "Maybe—"

The door slammed shut so hard that one of Ryosuke's neighbors rapped on the wall. "Could you keep it down in there?"

"S-sorry!" Haruichi said.

This is bad! This is very bad!

Ryosuke settled down beside him again and reviewed the video.

"Why don't you go ask him, idiot?"

"Good idea, senpai."

The little flash of hurt in Eijun's eyes was far too obvious.

"What are you typing…?"

"I told Miyuki I've sent him a gift," said Ryosuke. Haruichi put a hand over his eyes. Eijun, how can you be so unaware of your own love life?

"Ahh, but… Miyuki-senpai's going to destroy Eijun if he sees that…!"

"I hope so," Ryosuke said, snapping his phone shut. "He deserves it for being so ignorant. But instead of babysitting Sawamura, you should be more concerned that I'm about to beat your ass again, Haruichi."

"But what if—"

"After all," Ryosuke purred, "I'm sure Miyuki will take good care of him."

Haruichi's whole face flushed. "Um, I don't really want to think about that…"

"You won't have time to," Ryosuke told him. He picked his controller back up and unpaused the game. Immediately, Haruichi's racer headed towards a cliff.

Haruichi yelped and grabbed his controller. "Hey, wait!"

Sorry, Eijun, he thought a few moments later, as his character finally caught up with Ryosuke's. But brother's probably right. You and Miyuki need to handle this alone.

#

Eijun had known that Miyuki didn't really like him, but this — this was a whole new low.

That demon, Eijun fumed, storming across the campus to Miyuki's dorm. It's not enough that he has to make fun of my pitching — now he's spreading rumors just so I won't get a date for the festival—!

Miyuki's door swung open just as Eijun raised his hand to pound on it, and he nearly tripped forward into the doorway. Miyuki grabbed him and pulled him up, mouth quirking into a wide, mocking smile. His hand lingered on Eijun's shoulder until Eijun jerked back.

"What the hell, Miyuki!" he shouted.

"Ahh, Sawamura," said Miyuki. He leaned against the doorframe and tossed Eijun that infuriating, easy grin of his. "There you are. Are you being even clumsier than normal today?"

…That asshole thinks he knows everything! I'm not going to let him off so easily!

"How could you start those rumors?! No-one will go with me to the festival because they all think we're — we're—"

"We're what, Sawamura?" asked Miyuki. He shifted against the doorframe, crossing his arms. Something in the way he said it sounded a little dangerous. Eijun decided he didn't care.

"You know what!"

Miyuki's smile eyes had sharpened behind his glasses. His hat — purple, today; why did he have so many damn hats?! — cast a shadow over his face. "I guess I do."

"I want an explanation," Eijun growled.

"An explanation, I see," said Miyuki. He smiled with far too many teeth, and it was weirdly menacing. "Well, I'm sure I can come up with one of those. So are you coming inside, or what?"

I don't want to play your games!

Eijun crossed into the threshold of the room, fists clenched. Miyuki didn't even have the decency to step back, so Eijun was forced to edge around him, and their shoulders bumped together. "Can't you move?"

"Show a little respect for your senpai," said Miyuki, shoving him further into the room. Eijun stumbled and whipped back around to scowl at him, but he was instead distracted by the howl of laughter that came from Miyuki's bed. Belatedly, he realized they weren't alone. A pair of familiar eyes glanced at him gleefully.

So, they really are close friends… For some reason, a part of Eijun's stomach tightened into knots.

"That just gets better every time I watch it," Kuramochi snorted. He was watching some sort of video on Miyuki's cellphone. "Ah, why does Ryosuke-senpai always capture the best stuff?"

Miyuki did not look looked amused.

Why does he get to hold Miyuki's phone?

"What is it?" asked Eijun, curious despite himself.

"Do you really not know?" asked Kuramochi. He shook his head and sighed. "Oiy, Sawamura, this is pathetic even for you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Eijun grumbled. Bad enough he had to deal with Miyuki: he couldn't take Kuramochi at the same time.

Kuramochi gave Miyuki a quick, indecipherable glance and started to snicker again.

"Idiot Sawamura," said Miyuki, not quite under his breath. Eijun whirled on him, flushing."Get out, Kuramochi. This idiot and I need to have a talk about these…" His eye twitched in irritation. "Rumors."

"So you did start them!" Eijun exclaimed, bristling.

"Out," said Miyuki, jerking his thumb at the door.

"I'm going, I'm going," said Kuramochi, leaping off Miyuki's bed and tossing Miyuki's cell phone on a nearby desk. He grinned at Eijun, then smacked him squarely on the forehead as he passed. "Don't be too stupid, eh Sawamura?"

"Hey!" Eijun yelped.

Normally there was at least a reason for the others to pick on him, but this abuse wasn't fair! The back of his head still hurt from Kominato's karate chops, and now Eijun was certain he was going to have a bruise on his face…

And he hadn't even done anything!

Miyuki slammed the door behind Kuramochi, tearing Eijun from his thoughts. Slowly, as he pivoted, Eijun caught a glimpse of his face, and he recoiled. Miyuki's eyebrows were drawn low, and his eyes were narrowed. He crossed his arms, staring at Eijun fiercely. Something dark and foreboding sprung up between them, and it choked the breath in Eijun's lungs.

His indignation over Kuramochi drained away. What…?

This wasn't the face of the Miyuki Eijun normally dealt with, the one who laughed at him and teased him. This was the Miyuki Eijun saw on the baseball fields, the one Eijun respected and admired, with a serious face and an unforgiving eyes.

Wh-why does he look like that?

"Uh," said Eijun, with a nervous laugh. He tried to regain his anger, but found it'd shrunk and been replaced by a healthy amount of caution in response to Miyuki's dark look. Miyuki said nothing in response.

Eijun wished, suddenly, that he hadn't come. The air felt oppressive, weighing heavily on his chest. Who cared about the spring festival, anyway? He could go alone; it didn't matter… Maybe he wouldn't go at all…

No!

Damn it, Miyuki'd spread a rumor just so Eijun couldn't get a date! What right did he have to look so pissed?

"What the hell is your problem?" Eijun demanded, with more bravado than he felt. "I'm going to have to go to the festival alone because of you!"

Miyuki strode across the room and swooped in close, barely a foot away from Eijun. His eyes flashed. "I don't want to hear another word about you finding a date, Sawamura. I hope you never find another damn date for the rest of your life."

Eijun flinched. Miyuki's words were unexpectedly cruel, and they hit Eijun in that small place he had in his chest that catalogued everything Miyuki said to him, the place where he hung on to Miyuki's every word. Miyuki didn't want him to be happy... at all?

"H-hey…" he protested, feeling like his lips had gone numb. "That's — you shouldn't say something so mean…"

Miyuki stared at him, stony-faced.

"Don't look at me like that, Miyuki…"

Eijun had a flash of memory from when he'd insulted Chris-senpai in front of Miyuki, and the look of sheer anger on Miyuki's face. Miyuki was just as truly angry now as he'd been back then. Eijun stumbled back a step against the burning anger in Miyuki's eyes.

But what did I do, to make him so mad…?

"M-Miyuki—"

Miyuki stepped forward again, closing the space between them and cornering Eijun up against the wall when Eijun hastily tried to retreat. His face was inches from Eijun's own. Eijun felt a dark flush work it's way up his throat.

I… I won't let him intimidate me, no matter what he says!

"You said you'd give me an explanation!"

"Who's been helping you learn your new pitches?" Miyuki demanded.

"Uhhhh," said Eijun, taken aback.

"Who?"

"You have…"

But what does that have do with anything?

"And who's been massaging your pitching arm after games?"

"You," said Eijun uncertainly. "But only because Boss—"

Miyuki's eyes flashed behind his glasses. Eijun swallowed the rest of his words.

"And who's been coming to your room after practice lets out?"

"…Harucchi?" Miyuki's eyes narrowed further. Eijun hastily amended his sentence. "And, uh, sometimes you come to visit Kuramochi…"

Miyuki leaned in even closer. It was dangerous how close he was now; Eijun knew, because his heart had begun to race in his chest, chanting Danger, danger, danger!

"I don't come to visit Kuramochi," Miyuki snarled.

"I-I don't understand," said Eijun, sucking in a sharp breath. He became aware that he recognized the smell of Miyuki's cologne. Sometimes Miyuki left his sweatshirts on Eijun's bed when he visited, and Eijun's pillows would smell like it afterwards. It was oddly, embarrassingly, a comforting smell.

"Maybe you're visiting Masuko…?"

There was a long pause. Eijun gazed up at Miyuki and watched him press his lips into a thin, pale line. Eijun's heart drummed hard in his chest.

Abruptly, Miyuki groaned softly and dropped his head to rest in the curve where Eijun's shoulder met his neck. It was an unexpected movement to a sensitive place, and Eijun yelped, feeling his face getting hot.

"Idiot Sawamura," Miyuki muttered, shifting more of body weight onto Eijun. His glasses dug into Eijun's skin as he leaned forward, settling his chest against Eijun's.

"H-hey! Don't just—"

"Shut up, Sawamura. Why do you think I do those things?"

Eijun jerked violently. Miyuiki's face had slowly traveled to a different part of Eijun's body, and now his breath was warm on Eijun's ear.

"I-I-I don't know!" Eijun exclaimed. This was — Miyuki was way too close to him; he felt like he couldn't breathe! "You're just, ah, feeling friendly, I guess? G-get off of me!"

Miyuki moved his arms swiftly, bracing one against the wall above Eijun's head and using the other to grip Eijun's chin. Eijun squeaked. He was forced to make direct eye-contact with Miyuki for a long moment, and he felt his breath hitch just from the sheer intensity of it.

T-that's not backing off! That's getting closer!

"Do I ever do anything," Miyuki said, "Because I'm feeling friendly?" He pushed Eijun against the wall more firmly and moved back in — too close, much too close. His lips dragged over Eijun's earlobe and trailed over his neck. Eijun trembled and squirmed, eyes wide. He was sure, absolutely sure, that Miyuki smirked when he felt Eijun's pulse slamming madly. "No answer, Sawamura?"

Wh-why does it seem like he's going to…?! Is he playing a joke on me?

Eijun swallowed. "W-well, you—"

"Aren't you the one who's always saying I have a nasty personality?" Miyuki's lips were a whisper against Eijun's throat. Some sort of flame had erupted in Eijun's belly, and he needed it to go away or Miyuki was going to win this, whatever this unholy game they were playing was.

"Stop messing with me!" he growled. He shoved at Miyuki's chest, trying to free himself, but Miyuki's didn't budge. He snapped his hips forward, pressing them directly against Eijun's, and forced Eijun back again. Miyuki's thighs were powerful, much stronger than Eijun's from all that time squatting in the catcher's position, and now one of them was pressed in-between Eijun's legs…

"Hey," Eijun protested, but he knew his voice was weak. It came out low and raspy.

"Why would I do all that?" Miyuki said again. He paused, tilting his head with faux-thoughtfulness. Asshole. "Can you think of a reason, Eijun?"

Now his lips were right against Eijun's chin, barely a breath away from Eijun's own. Eijun's whole body trembled.

He could think of a reason, but it was… — but Miyuki had just called him Eijun — but it was still…

Crazy.

"We aren't dating!" Eijun blurted. "We don't hold hands — or do the kissing stuff—"

We aren't, we absolutely… aren't dating… right?

"If you wanted to do the kissing stuff," Miyuki purred, "You should've just asked, you idiot. I've been waiting all this time." He slipped his glasses off his face, looking obscenely calm, and tossed them onto his bed.

Eijun'd never seen Miyuki without his glasses before. It was a strangely seductive look on him. His face appeared naked and bold; his eyes looked even more heated, sensuous and dark. Before he could stop himself, Eijun reached his hand up and touched the side of Miyuki's face. Miyuki's hair, where it touched his fingertips, was softer than he would've imagined. He pushed Miyuki's hat off his head and heard it topple to the floor. He twisted his fingers in Miyuki's hair gently. Miyuki leaned in very slowly, inch by inch by inch…

Eijun knew he could've used that moment, when Miyuki's hand had released his chin to remove his glasses, to escape. He knew it, he knew he should run. His heart was pounding in his ears. And yet…

What came out of his mouth instead made Miyuki's lips curl up, and Eijun really liked that smile.

"I'm asking," he whispered, and Miyuki finally closed the space between them.

#

"…Do you think we should check on them now?" asked Haruichi in a tiny voice. He was squeezed between Ryosuke and Furuya in the cafeteria, poking anxiously at his bowl of rice.

Ryosuke cocked his head. I'm listening.

It had been three hours, according to Kuramochi, and neither Eijun nor Miyuki had left Miyuki's dorm.

"It's been an awfully long time…"

"What did I say about babysitting?" Ryosuke murmured. Haruichi ducked his head and worried his lip.

But what if Miyuki really did destroy Eijun…?

"I'm sure they're fine," said Chris-senpai, who sat across from him. He looked at Haruichi with kind eyes. "They've probably resolved any — ah — tension by now."

There were a few snickers. Haruichi flushed and nodded.

But Eijun's never done something this stupid before…

Once news had spread that Eijun hadn't known (Kuramochi'd told Masuko, who'd told Tanba, who'd told Jun, and then they'd all insisted on seeing Ryosuke's video. "IS HE A COMPLETE IDIOT?!" Jun had roared as they'd watched.), bets had immediately been placed. Would Miyuki be in a foul mood for the rest of eternity? Would Eijun still be alive when Miyuki finished with him?

…Or would Eijun just be unable to walk for the next week? (If that was the case, the team had privately agreed to go even harder than normal on Eijun during practice, to punish him for his stupidity. No one wanted to think about what would happen if Eijun somehow broke up with Miyuki; the consequences were too terrible to contemplate.)

Now it was dinnertime, and they were all seated together — all of the first-string, and even some of the second-string —, keeping a careful eye on doors. Someone had even set up a guard system by Miyuki's dorm, watching for any signs of life. But dinner was almost over, and neither Eijun nor Miyuki had shown up to eat…

"He's an idiot," Furuya muttered, mostly to himself, "Miyuki-senpai's going to torture him for weeks now."

Hidden under his bangs, Haruichi nodded. But still, he's our idiot.

Ryosuke's mouth flickered down, then back up in amusement. "Don't worry, Haruichi. I'm sure they'll be coming soon, if they haven't already…"

The table snickered gleefully. Haruichi quickly ducked behind his bangs. Not you, too, brother!

"Ahh, you should have seen Miyuki's face," Kuramochi cackled. "Sawamura's not gonna know what hit him!"

"I'm sure he'll figure it out the second or third time around," said Tetsuya. There was more laughter.

Just show your face already, Eijun! Haruichi thought desperately. So I can finally leave our perverted senpais!

At that moment, a flurry of motion spread through the cafeteria, starting from the doorway and swelling towards their table like a burst of energy.

"They're coming!" hissed a first-year who'd been placed on watch at the door.

The cafeteria fell deadly quiet. To Haruichi's immense relief, he could hear Eijun's ridiculous laugh, loud and brash, as they approached. Ryosuke nudged his side, as if to say I told you so.

Because if Eijun were laughing, things were probably okay.

The entire cafeteria swiveled in unison as Eijun and Miyuki appeared in the doorway. Haruichi had to stand on the bench and crane his neck — not for the first time, he wished he were just a little taller! — to get a glimpse of them. The sunset glowed behind them, briefly framing them in a rosy light as they stepped through the doorframe. Eijun's whole face was taken up by a brilliant smile. Miyuki's arm was, as always, wrapped carelessly around his shoulders, and he was teasing Eijun. Haruichi couldn't hear exactly what he said, but whatever it was, it made Eijun's smile even brighter.

It's okay, thought Haruichi, exhaling in relief. It's really okay.

"Were you really so worried?" asked Ryosuke. He hadn't bothered to stand, and instead tilted his head way up to look at Haruichi.

"Ah, I suppose so," said Haruichi, flushing both with happiness and mild embarrassment. "I just didn't want to deal with any broken hearts on the team."

"Eh, Miyuki's stronger than that," said Kuramochi, folding his arms behind his head and peering at the doorway.

"Actually, I meant Eijun," Haruichi murmured.

Eijun finally looked up. He caught Haruichi's eye over the crowd, and Haruichi waved shyly.

"Eh, Harucchi!" he bellowed, sounding bewildered. "Why are you standing on that bench?! You could fall!"

"A-ah, doing nothing, nothing at all!" Haruichi yelped, face flaming. Ryosuke smirked up at him.

I-I should've gotten down, once I'd seen that he was okay!

"Get the details!" Jun hissed, suddenly appearing beside him and thumping him. Yelping, Haruichi nearly tumbled over, and was only saved by Ryosuke's hands steadying his legs. He was vaguely aware of Ryosuke tilting a cool look at Jun, and Jun turning pale and taking a quick step back, holding his hands up apologetically.

"Guess what?" Eijun called out, beaming. Haruichi envied that he didn't seem to notice the crowd, despite the whispers that had broken out. The entire cafeteria was watching them. How does it feel, to be so fearless?

"Wh-what is it?" Haruichi said, in the loudest voice he could manage.

Even from across the room, Haruichi could see Miyuki's mouth curve into sly smile.

"I guess I have a date to the festival after all! Ha, ha, ha!"

Haruichi grinned as the entire room exploded into cat-calls and cheers. I'm happy for you, Eijun.

#

The End.