Chapter Text
Ever since he was little, Toya had only known loneliness. He would watch the other kids running around outside as he sat behind the barrier of his window. He would hear his classmates laugh among themselves, wishing he could be like them. He never had friends, except for the Tenmas, whom his Father let him hang out with on occasion. But even then, he always felt like there was a barrier between them, as if they lived in a different world. One much brighter than his own.
He thought it’d be that way forever. He never imagined things would be the way they are now. Now, Toya stays out with his friends at night. Now, Toya goes on camping trips and snowboarding. Now, Toya has friends, people who love him.
And it’s all thanks to the three people standing in front of him, sweat still clinging to their foreheads, faces flushed from the effort. Toya’s heart pounds in his chest, adrenaline surging through him like a wave. He can barely catch his breath—but in this moment, he’s never felt more alive.
“That was amazing,” Mike beams, pulling everyone from their trance.
“I agree,” Luka comes up behind her, gently clasping her hands together. “I think that’s the best performance to date!”
Akito nods, raising an arm to wipe away the sweat on his chin. “We just have to keep this energy up for our next show.”
“Mhm,” An agrees. “If we keep this up, we’ll surpass Rad Weekend in no time!”
“As amazing as that was, it’s important to stay hydrated. Do you guys want anything to drink?” Meiko calls from over the counter, a hand resting on her hip.
“Yes, please,” Kohane responds, walking over to the bar. “I’ll take a latte! Extra cream.”
An skips over, taking a seat next to Kohane. “I’ll have a soda, please!”
Meiko nods, grabbing two glasses. “Akito? Toya?”
“I’ll have a soda too,” Akito answers before glancing at Toya, waiting for his answer.
“Ah,” Toya raises his hands. “I’m okay, thank you.”
While the other three sit around and enjoy their drinks, Toya takes the time to pack up their bags. He carefully tucks away all their water bottles. Making sure everything's zipped up and secured. Once he deems it a job well done, he glances back at everyone sitting around the bar.
Smiles are stretched across all their faces, the excitement lingering in the air. Toya’s lost in it all, the warmth spreading in his chest, the ache in his jaw from smiling so hard. He can’t believe he’s lucky enough to be here, with all of them.
A hand suddenly slaps against his back. He flinches before turning to the side, olive eyes meeting his own.
“You good?” Akito asks, one eyebrow raised slightly.
Toya nods, “Yeah, just spaced out a little.”
“Makes sense,” Akito drops his arm, the spot where it once rested suddenly feeling cold. “It’s getting pretty late. We should probably head back soon.”
“Probably.”
“I’ll grab the girls, you sure you don’t want a drink for the road?”
“I’m sure,” His shoulders sag slightly. “If I got a coffee now, I don’t think I’d sleep tonight.”
“Fair,” Akito hums before making his way over to the girls, not before offering Toya one last smile.
Toya’s eyes linger on Akito as he walks away. There’s something about the boy that makes it hard for Toya to look away. Whether it’s his vibrant orange hair or his unyielding passion, Toya can’t seem to get enough of it. Not that he wants to, if Toya had one wish, he’d ask to keep Akito in his life forever.
Akito was Toya’s first real friend. The first person to break him out of his shell, to share his dream. Toya never wants to go back to life before he met Akito. So, he allows himself to watch, giggling as he and An bicker back and forth.
By the time they leave the Sekai, the moon is already high in the sky, casting a dim glow over the quiet streets. A light breeze moves through the air, cool against their skin and enough to raise goosebumps. None of them say much at first, just standing side by side, letting the stillness of the night settle in around them.
“Oh man,” An breaks the silence, stretching her arms out. “It’s way later than I thought!”
“No kidding,” Akito scoffs.
“It’s easy to lose track of time in the sekai,” Kohane chirps up.
An frowns, slinging an arm around Kohane’s shoulder. “I just hope your parents aren’t mad, it’s a little past your curfew.”
“I’ll be okay,” Kohane mumbles, tapping at her phone. “But what about you, Aoyagi? I know you have a curfew too.”
He shakes his head, “No worries. My Father’s been much more lenient recently.”
“That’s good to hear,” An hums. “Anyways, we have an event coming up in two weeks. I know this week is pretty busy for all of us,” She taps her chin dramatically. “So, why don’t we plan to meet again on Friday?”
“That works for me,” Akito grunts. “We can all get individual practice in when we have time.”
Kohane nods along, eagerly agreeing. Toya almost does the same but suddenly stops himself as he remembers a conversation with his Dad from a few days ago.
“Ah, umm, sorry guys. I forgot to mention, I won’t be here.”
“What? Where will you be?” An asks, and Akito lifts a brow in his direction.
“My brother’s getting married. So, I’ll be out of town.”
“What?” An practically shouts. “That’s so exciting, how could you forget?”
Toya shrugs, not quite understanding where her sudden enthusiasm is coming from. “I don’t know. I guess it hasn’t been on my mind much.”
He glances over at Akito, his arms crossed, a questioning look in his eye. “Which one?” He asks, head tilting slightly to the side.
“Nastuomi.”
“I didn’t know he was dating anyone.”
Toya reaches an arm up, awkwardly scratching at the hair on the back of his neck. “I guess I don’t really talk about him much. I don’t get the chance to see him often anymore, but- uh, ya, he’s been dating her for about four years now.”
Akito hums approvingly, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Good for them,” He mumbles, hardly loud enough for anyone to hear.
“Have you met her?” Kohane asks eagerly.
“A few times, yes.”
“What’s she like?”
“Hmm,” Toya ponders for a moment, reflecting on the rare interactions they’ve had. He remembers her calm voice and her awkward but nice attempts to make conversation with him. He also remembers the cookies she brought to the family dinner; they were good, not too sweet, and perfectly crunchy. But most of all, he remembers the way his brother glows when she’s around. His smile is always much wider, and he looks at her like she hung the stars. “She’s… kind. Very kind. And she makes my brother happy, so she’s good.”
“Awww,” An coo’s, “That’s so sweet! And now she gets to be part of your family!”
“Yeah,” Toya smiles slightly. “Guess so.”
A sudden weight on his shoulder pulls him down. Akito's arm wraps around him, forcing him to crouch down to accommodate their height difference.
“I hate to kill the mood,” Akito sighs, waving his phone in front of the girls. “But it’s not getting any earlier.”
“Ah,” An’s eyes widen as she looks at the time. “You’re right, wouldn’t want you guys to get in trouble! We can text to figure out our next practice.”
“Mhm,” Kohane hums. “Have fun, Aoyagi, I probably won’t see you till you get back.”
“Thank you,” He smiles warmly, watching as the two girls scuttle away.
“You ready?” Akito questions, bumping their shoulders slightly.
“Yeah.”
The two easily fall into a rhythm as they walk side by side. A comforting silence settles between them, broken only by their footsteps and the quiet sound of Akito humming a random tune. Toya enjoys moments like these, the two of them simply existing together. It gives him a chance to think, sort out all the thoughts in his head.
Before now, he hadn’t thought about the wedding much. When they got engaged a few months back, he was happy for his brother; he really was. But it never festered in his mind— he gave his congratulations and moved on. And when his Father told him they’d be leaving this Thursday, he simply nodded his head and moved on.
But now, he’s starting to think about it. He’s never been to a wedding before, he doesn’t quite know what to expect. Also, he’ll be surrounded by a lot of family he hasn’t seen since before he could walk. He’s excited to see his brother and watch him embark on a new chapter of life. But, something about it leaves a heavy feeling in his chest, a feeling he can’t quite place.
“What's got you thinking so hard?” Akito cuts off his train of thought.
Sparing the other a quick glance, Toya shakes his head. “It’s nothing.”
“Your face says otherwise.”
Toya huffs an amused sigh, always amazed by how easily the other can read him. He likes to believe he’s the same, but sometimes with Akito, it’s hard to tell.
“I promise it’s really nothing. I’m just thinking about the wedding.”
“What about it?” Akito presses.
“I’m not sure, I’m feeling kinda nervous about it, but I don’t know why. It’s not like I have to do anything.”
“Hmm,” Akito pauses, taking a moment to think it through. “Could it be because you have to travel with your Dad?”
“Maybe…” Toya shrugs. “But it’s like I said, things have been getting better with him, so I wouldn’t imagine that would cause me so much stress.”
“Yeah, but traveling with family sucks regardless,” Akito responds, a slight annoyance in his tone. “I don’t think my family has ever made it a trip without wanting to rip each other's heads off.”
Toya muffles his laugh in his hand, imagining Akito and his sister bickering back and forth. The two of them are both so stubborn that their little disagreements are interesting to watch.
“I’m glad one of us finds it funny,” He huffs with a small pout. Though if Toya were to ever tell him he is, in fact, pouting, the other would deny it till the day he dies. “Anyways, I know that shit can be stressful, but uh- try not to think about it too much, okay?”
“Yeah, that’s for the best,” Toys agrees.
Akito comes to a halt, Toya almost questions it, until he looks up, realizing they’ve already made it to his house. They usually split off a while back, since Akito’s house is in the other direction. Toya must have been so caught up in his head, he hardly noticed.
“Oh,” he mumbles. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you for so long.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Akito shakes his head. “I didn’t even realize.”
The two stare at each other for a moment, the faint light from Toya’s porch casting on their faces. Akito gives him a small smile, his eyes lingering on Toya’s before glancing away. He clears his throat.
“Well- uh, I should go. Still got school tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” Toya sighs. “I should head in as well. Goodnight, Akito.”
“Goodnight, Toya.”
This part of the day is always difficult for him, having to say goodbye. Call him clingy— they’ll see each other tomorrow— but he’s never been this close to anyone. He could spend all his time with Akito and never get sick of him. He supposes that's what happens when you finally make a friend after years of loneliness.
Regardless, he makes his way to the door, offering Akito a small wave before placing his hand on the knob.
“Toya,” Akito calls out before Toya gets the chance to walk inside. He freezes, turning back towards the other. “You know you can text me, right?” He starts. “Like if it gets too stressful or your family is being a pain.”
Toya smiles, probably the most genuine smile of the night. “Yeah, I know.”
“Good,” Akito grunts before turning away. “Just keep that in mind, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Toya watches as his figure disappears into the night. He sighs to himself. Perhaps he should text Akito more often.
He walks into the house, a smile tugging at his lips when he spots a plate of cookies on the counter. His mom must’ve baked them tonight. Grabbing one, he hums in contentment as he takes a bite. With his free hand, he pulls out his phone and taps on Akito’s contact.
Toya
Text me when you get home.
He gets a response within seconds.
Akito
Ok mom
He chuckles to himself, shoving his phone into his pocket and heading up to his room.