Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

If you told Harua that three of his friends had a crush on his crush, he would laugh. Then he would ask for each of their names so that he knew who his competitors were.

Here's how it all begins.

Harua is in the library attempting to study.

Well, key word is "attempt." Harua's attention span has already reached max capacity. The numbers on his calculus assignment are starting to blend together to form the numbers equivalent of alphabet soup in his mind, and he is pretty sure he wants to cry.

Harua is joined by Yuma today. The older has been furiously typing on his laptop for the past half hour doing peer evaluations, leaving Harua to entertain himself. He loathes that Yuma makes both the best and worst study buddy ever. Best because he always does his work when they study together, worst because he refuses to serve as nothing other than an academic weapon.

They've been at the library long enough where Harua's head starts to hurt from the prolonged concentration. He finds himself also feeling a little parched which is as good as a sign as ever that he should drink water.

Harua reaches for his water bottle and takes a sip.

"Taki is going to give out chocolate on Valentine's day," Yuma chooses to say in that exact moment.

Harua chokes. Apparently he had chosen the worse time to take a sip of water. Harua coughs a couple of times while slapping his thigh.

"Taki?" Harua manages to ask once his coughing subdues. "Where did you learn that from?"

"Saw him at the supermarket yesterday," Yuma replies, not looking up from his laptop at all. "He was buying the same ingredients as the girls next to him. Basket looked exactly like theirs, chocolate and all."

"Oh," Harua says. This is news to him. He lives with Taki but he did not see any chocolate ingredients in their kitchen last time he checked. Not that he's in the kitchen all that often, but now his curiosity is piqued. "Do you know who he is going to give chocolate to?"

Yuma shrugs. "I don't know, he wouldn't tell me when I asked."

Harua can imagine it: Yuma walking up to Taki with a smirk on his face, poking the boy's cheek as he teased, and Taki whining while trying to fend himself from one Nakakita Yuma.

"Interesting," Harua mumbles to himself. Just to make sure, he leans across the table closer to Yuma and asks, "Are you sure he's going to give chocolate to someone?"

Yuma finally pauses in his typing ministrations to look Harua in the eyes. "He didn't deny it when I asked him. You know how he is."

Harua knows. Taki is an honest boy; he can't lie to save his life. That's why he loves to tease the boy any chance he gets.

Still, something doesn't sit right with Harua about this whole thing. Yuma is usually all up in their friend's business about romantic endeavors. He treats matchmaking like it's a full-time job with benefits, so it's odd that he's not trying to figure out who Taki's mysterious chocolate recipient is going to be. It's almost like he's acting nonchalant to hide something.

(Not that Harua is keen on finding out Taki's chocolate recipient either. The thought of Taki confessing to someone makes him want to throw up.)

Before he can ask any further questions, someone takes a seat next to Harua.

"What are you guys talking about?" Maki asks as he sits down, sliding off his backpack and setting it on his lap.

"Did you just get out of class?" Harua asks instead, ignoring Maki's question.

Maki nods his head as he takes out his laptop, seemingly ready to join the study session. "Yeah. So what's the hot gossip?"

"Taki is going to give out chocolate on Valentine's day," Yuma says, not even sparing a glance at Maki. He's returned to furiously typing on his laptop but with more rigor this time. Harua fears for whichever peer is being evaluated this time.

"Taki?" Maki squeaks, dropping his laptop on the table and wincing when it makes a loud thud sound. "Like, our Taki? Takayama Riki? You're lying, right?" he asks in rapid succession, eyebrows shooting higher up with each question. He quickly looks over both shoulders to make sure no one is eavesdropping on their conversation, then leans in across the table towards Yuma and whispers, "Do you know who he's giving chocolate to-"

"No," Yuma scowls, cutting Maki off.

Maki pouts. Then he turns to face Harua and tries asking again. "Do you know who Taki is giving chocolates to?"

Harua shakes his head. "I only know as much as you do. Yuma just told me this a minute ago."

Maki pouts harder and crosses his arms. He's clearly not happy with that answer. "Fine, don't tell me."

"What is Yuma not telling you?" A fourth voice chimes in. Harua looks up and sees Jo standing beside their table, hands shoved in his jacket pockets. He looks like he just got out of class as well.

"Taki is going to give out chocolate on Valentine's day. No, I don't know who he's giving it to yet, and neither do they," Yuma huffs as he gives his spiel for the third time today.

Jo's eyes widen in surprise. "Oh. That's...a lot to take in."

Harua and Maki solemnly nod in agreement.

The topic drops as Jo eventually takes the remaining empty seat next to Yuma, pulling out his laptop and assignments to work on. Harua picks up his pencil and tries to focus on his calculus assignments once again. The four of them work in a comfortable silence for a couple of minutes before Maki finally breaks the silence.

"So...who do you guys think Taki is going to give chocolate to?" Maki asks.

Harua scratches his head and racks his brain for an answer. It's still a number-alphabet soup in his brain, but a couple of letters have snuck in to form a potential candidate. Although it's a hopeful one if he's being honest.

"I don't know but I have a guess," Yuma shrugs.

"I also have a guess but I don't think it's right," Jo sheepishly replies, scratching his head.

"So we all have a person in mind?" Maki asks, glancing at everyone in the table. He looks at Harua, who gives a slight nod in response. "I wonder if we're all thinking of the same person. Why don't we all say who we think it is on the count of three or something?"

Everyone exchanges glances with each other and nods. What's the worst that could happen?

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

"Me," all four of them say in unison.

Chapter Text

Harua doesn't know what to do with the fact that three of his friends are vying for Taki's heart. All he knows is that he has three competitors now, and they go by the names Maki, Yuma, and Jo respectively.

Sure, Harua kinda already suspected that Maki had a puppy crush on Taki. The younger would always cling onto Taki and laugh louder at his jokes than anyone elses. He also knew that Yuma was a complete tsundere around Taki. Yuma would always act like he didn't want Taki's attention but getting angry if he didn't have it, so this didn't surprise him at all. But Jo? He wasn't expecting Jo to be in the running. He didn't even think Jo knew what a crush was.

Harua has an advantage though: he lives with Taki. He is certain that he'll be able to catch Taki in the kitchen or corner the boy and find out who he is making chocolates for.

If anyone is going to get chocolates from Taki, it better damn well be him.

--

The two of them are eating dinner in their apartment together when Harua decides to throw all subtlety out the window.

"I heard you're going to give chocolates to someone on Valentine's Day," Harua asks casually, setting his chopsticks down to look Taki in the eyes.

Taki, having chosen that exact moment to take a sip of water, chokes and slams his cup on the table. Harua slides a spare napkin across the table as he watches Taki cough into his elbow a couple of times, the scene being reminiscent of Harua's earlier choke attack in the library earlier that day. The two of them should really just stop drinking water around people if it continues to be a choking hazard.

"How did you find out?!" Taki exclaims once his coughing eventually subdues.

"Yuma told me."

"Of course Yuma would tell you," Taki mutters under his breath. He grabs the spare napkin from the table to wipe his mouth. "Knew I should've run away the moment I saw him."

Harua ignores Taki's monologue and leans closer into his space. "So are you going to tell me who it's for?"

"What? No! That's none of your business," Taki denies, stubborn as expected. He casts his gaze away from Harua, denying any eye contact.

Harua blinks, a little surprised. He wasn't expecting that response. "Um, it is exactly my business? We live together. Your business is my business."

"None. Of. Your. Business," Taki eunciates each word through gritted teeth. He tries to look intimidating but all Harua sees is a puppy trying to act menacingly. It's cute if anything.

Harua sits back down and crosses his arms. What a weird reaction; Taki usually doesn't hide anything from him. They're like two peas in a pod: what is Taki's is Harua's, and what is Harua's is Taki's.

Harua glances back at their kitchen and finds it void of any chocolate ingredients. He squints suspiciously at Taki. "You're acting weird. I don't see any chocolate ingredients in this apartment so you must be hiding them somewhere else."

Taki ignores Harua. Instead he picks up his bowl and begins shoving rice into his mouth, signaling that he doesn't want to talk about this topic anymore. A moment passes before Taki glances back at Harua and motions for him to continue eating his food. It's one of the many endearing things Harua finds about Taki, that nothing will stop him from making sure his loved ones are well-fed, even if there is thick tension in the air.

Harua sighs as he picks back up his chopsticks, ultimately deciding to drop the topic for now. "Silent treatment won't work for long. Don't think you're off the hook yet."

Taki swallows his food before sticking his tongue out at Harua in a childish manner. Harua responds by sticking out his own tongue at the latter before resuming his meal.

If Taki doesn't want to talk, then Harua will just have to use alternatives ways to get answers out of him.

He's got a Plan B.

--

"Harua? What are you doing here?" Euijoo asks in surprise as Harua takes a seat across from him at the engineering library.

The "B" in Plan B stands for Byun Euijoo.

The older doesn't know what's going on but he begins to organize his belongings on the table to make space for Harua.

"I need your help, Euijoo-hyung," Harua says. "You're the only person I can ask this."

Euijoo's eyes widen at seriousness of Harua's tone. He immediately closes his laptop, studying be damned, and gives his full attention to the younger. "I'm listening."

One thing about Euijoo is that if one of his precious dongsaengs asks for something, Euijoo will drop whatever he's doing to help. This is why Harua loves him.

"I need you to help me find out who Taki is planning to give chocolates to on Valentine's Day."

Euijoo blinks at Harua. It takes him a moment to process what was just said, but once it all clicks, Euijoo simply reopens his laptop and resumes studying for his midterms.

Harua forgot that the other thing about Euijoo is that he can be a total bitch sometimes. This is why he doesn't love Euijoo anymore.

"Hyung!" Harua whines, reaching across the table to slap on the arm. He leans closer into Euijoo's space. "Did you not just hear what I said?"

"I heard you. I am just choosing not to listen anymore," Euijoo says as he types something on his keyboard. He lasts five seconds before he glances at Harua and cracks at the younger's pouting face. Euijoo lets out a chuckle as he closes his laptop once again. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I just wanted to tease you."

Harua crosses his arms and pouts. "You're so mean, hyung. Can you help me or not? Taki won't tell me anything."

"Well if he didn't tell you, why would he tell me?" Euijoo asks, bringing up a good point. Curse his smart, sexy brain.

Harua doesn't have a good answer to that question. But what Harua does know is that he wanted to go Euijoo, the person he could trust the most with his Taki-feelings. He also knows that Euijoo is also the person who Taki goes to for his own Taki-feelings when he can't go to Kei.

"Are you sure you don't know anything?" Harua asks skeptically. The older must know something, anything.

Euijoo leans back on his chair and scrunches his face in deep thought, almost as if he is debating saying anything or not. Eventually he lets out a deep sigh before glancing around him to make sure there were no eavesdroppers, and leans across the table. Euijoo motions with his hands for Harua to lean in closer as well.

"Okay, you didn't hear this from me," Euijoo begins to whisper in a hushed voice, "but I think Taki likes someone in our friend group."

Harua's eyes widen immensely. This is news to him. "How do you know," he whispers back frantically. He needed this information since yesterday.

Euijoo vaguely gestures at his face. "Taki gets a certain look on his face whenever he gets a message from our group chat."

Harua frowns because what does that even mean? "Like are we talking a look of disgust or something?"

"What? No!" Euijoo responds, waving his hands frantically at Harua. "It's more like his face lights up into a smile."

Harua's frown deepens, confusion written all over his face. Taki is always smiling though.

"It's a different smile," Euijoo tacks on, almost as if he could read Harua's mind. His tone turns softer. "I haven't figured out who that smile is reserved for because I only started noticing it recently, but he smiles like a person in love. It's like receiving a message from one of us is the best part of his day, so I think that it may be one of our friends who he's planning to give chocolates to."

Harua leans back into his chair and furrows his eyebrows in deep thought, going through all of the possible options in his head. In their friend group, Kei and Fuma are practically married without the actual legal bindings, so that obviously rules them out. He also rules out Euijoo and Nicholas because those two having something going on that cannot be explained in any human language available. With those four crossed out, that narrows down the list to Yuma, Jo, Maki, and Harua himself.

Okay. Harua can work with this list.

"Thanks Euijoo-hyung, this was really insightful," Harua says, thankful that his Plan B proved to be useful. In all honesty, he doesn't know what he would've done if otherwise. Harua never made a Plan C to begin with.

Euijoo smiles and reaches out to ruffle the Harua's hair affectionately, the younger leaning into the touch. "Anytime, Harua. I'm rooting for you!"

Taki is in love with one of their friends, and Harua's going to make sure that he is the friend.

Chapter Text

Nakakita Yuma likes Takayama Riki. But you didn't hear that from him.

He just thinks that Taki has a cute smile is all. And he also finds it cute how Taki's latest hobby is cooking, and how he has a habit of smelling all of the ingredients whenever he cooks. Yuma looks forward to seeing the latest meals in their group chat, even if he doesn't know how to do anything except react to the photos with a "thumbs up" in order to maintain his cool, aloof image.

So what if he is just a tad bit jealous that Taki is always cooking for Jo, or that Harua gets to see Taki every day because they live together? That doesn't matter. He's Nakakita "Nonchalant" Yuma; none of this stuff bothers him.

Except it does bother him that Taki is planning to give someone chocolate on Valentine's Day and Yuma doesn't know who it'll be. Because like, why the fuck doesn't he know? He's supposed to know everything about Taki.

--

It all starts when Yuma runs out of toothpaste one morning.

He decides to stop by the supermarket on his way home from class, grabbing a shopping basket from the entrance and immediately speedwalking through the familiar aisles. Within minutes, Yuma has acquired toothpaste, protein powder, and a variety of snacks. He even discovers that they've restocked on Taki's favorite brand of chips and tosses a bag in his basket to give to the younger later.

It's on his way to checkout where Yuma passes by the supermarket's seasonal display. It's February, meaning that supermarket currently has their Valentine's Day display set up. Red, white, and pink heart decorations are plastered all across the aisle while shelves are packed with chocolate and other goods that practically scream "LOVE" at any passerbyers.

Now, Yuma doesn't really care for Valentine's Day. It's one of those holidays that just screams capitalism to him, and he refuses to let capitalism win against him unless it's for something important like Pokémon cards. Normally he would've kept walking to checkout, but someone in the aisle catches his attention and causes him to stop in his tracks.

Amongst all of the girls scattered across the aisle was a singular boy, towering over everyone around him and sticking out like a sore thumb. The boy's back is turned towards Yuma as he chats with a pair of girls who are excitedly selecting chocolates to put in his basket. Yuma can't see the boy's face but there's something about him that draws his attention, so Yuma continues to stare (so he has a staring problem, sue him).

Interesting, Yuma thinks to himself. You don't normally see a guy shopping for Valentine's Day chocolate.

Yuma stares at the group long enough to watch the boy exchange goodbyes with the pair of girls. They then proceed to turn around in Yuma's direction, and he feels as if time slow down in that moment.

Nothing would've prepared him for who turns around.

"Taki?"

Taki's eyes widen as he makes eye contact with Yuma, clearly not having expected to run into anyone he knew today. The boy freezes in place as if he were caught doing something he wasn't supposed to.

Without thinking, Yuma's feet move against his will as he makes his way towards the frozen Taki. He grabs the arm that isn't holding a shopping basket and drags the boy with more force than necessary to a secluded aisle where it's just the two of them.

Once the two are alone, Yuma lets go of Taki's arm and turns to face him. He blinks at Taki, who blinks back at him, then glances down as Taki's shopping basket full of chocolate before.

Yuma's not dumb. Chocolate can only mean one thing during this time of year.

He's about to question Taki when the younger beats him to it first.

"What are you doing here?" Taki asks with the casualty of ignoring an elephant in the room. He keeps glancing behind Yuma, nervously shifting on his feet, but Yuma pays no mind to that.

"I needed toothpaste," Yuma answers, gesturing to the contents of his shopping basket. "Better question is what are you doing here?"

Yuma's eyes fixate once again at Taki's shopping basket, ready to address the elephant in the room. The younger notices Yuma's prying gaze and quickly hides his basket behind his back, but he's too late because Yuma has already ingrained the image of Taki's shopping basket into his memory.

"Nothing," Taki feebly replies.

Yuma rolls his eyes and scoffs. "You're a terrible liar, you know that right? No one has a basket full of chocolate ingredients and says it's for nothing. You're making chocolates for someone, aren't you? Who's it for?"

"I'm not telling you," Taki huffs. He turns his head to the side so that he doesn't have to look at Yuma in the eyes, knowing that he'd reveal everything the moment they make eye contact.

Yuma frowns, catching that Taki didn't deny his accusation. So Taki really is going to make chocolate for someone. But that's not the only thing that bothers him about the current situation.

Yuma takes a step closer. "What do you mean you're not telling me?"

Taki takes a step back. "It means exactly what I said. I'm not telling you."

"That makes no sense. Why won't you tell me?" Yuma hisses, frustration starting to seep out.

"Why do I need to tell you? I'm not obligated to share everything about my life with you," Taki retorts.

Yuma freezes. He's...not sure how to respond to that actually. He's never had to ask Taki to tell him things, the younger always willing to give up information. But now Taki has secrets apparently. What the fuck? Does the person that Taki plans to confess really need to be a secret?

Noticing that Yuma is distracted, Taki takes the opportunity to escape and quickly rushes past Yuma towards checkout. He turns around and shouts his farewells.

"It was nice seeing you but I've got to go now. Bye Yuma!"

And just like that, Taki leaves Yuma with nothing but his own thoughts and speculations.

--

"Who is Taki going to give chocolate to?" Yuma bursts into the apartment of an unsuspecting Fuma. The older, having been seated on the couch, jolts in surprise by the sudden intrustion and drops his phone on the floor.

"Yuma?" Fuma asks once he's recollected himself and looks at the intruder. He sighs as he bends down to pick up his phone to set it aside. "What are you doing here? I thought Kei and I told you to use our apartment key for emergencies only."

"This is an emergency, Fuma-san," Yuma exclaims as he takes off his shoes to neatly rearrange them in the entryway before marching inside to crowd Fuma on the couch. He drops his bag on the floor and places his hands on his hips. "I just learned that Taki is giving chocolate to someone on Valentine's Day, and I don't know who it's for but you look like the kind of person who would know who this recipient would be, so tell me right now or I will combust right in front of you," Yuma says in one full breath.

Fuma's eyes widen, unsure of how to respond. This is not how he expected his evening to go.

A couple seconds pass before Fuma eventually grabs one of Yuma's arms and guides the boy to sit on the couch next to him. Fuma then repositions himself on the couch so that they're fully facing each other.

"Where is this all coming from? Why do you want to know who Taki is giving chocolate to?" Fuma asks, choosing his words carefully. He knows it's never easy when it comes to getting Yuma to talk about his feelings.

Yuma looks down at his hands and starts picking at his nails, an old habit that he's never been able to break. It takes a couple of seconds before he finally mumbles something that Fuma can't hear.

The older frowns. "Sorry, I couldn't hear that. What did you say?"

Yuma takes a deep breath and sighs. "I want to know because he wouldn't tell me," he eventually confesses, still not making any eye contact with Fuma.

"He wouldn't tell you? That's...odd," Fuma says, a little surprised. Taki is usually an open book. He's never really hid anything from them before.

"That's what I'm saying!" Yuma agrees, snapping his eyes up at Fuma. "It's odd that he won't tell me, so now I have to find out who it's for because what if he confesses to the wrong person?"

"Wrong person?" Fuma asks, latching onto those words immediately. For a man with attrociously terrible eyesight, he has scarily good hearing. "Are you sure this isn't because you have a crush on Taki?"

Yuma makes an indiscernable sound as his ears begin to redden, clearly caught off guard. "What? I don't have a crush on Taki, why would you say that?"

Fuma scoffs. "I don't believe you. You always have a special look in your eyes when it comes to Taki."

"No, I don't," Yuma tries to deny.

"Yes, you do," Fuma refutes. "You look at him with too much adoration to be deemed family-friendly, and you're weirdly possessive over his attention. Only people with crushes do that."

Yuma groans as he deflates on the couch, covering his face with his hands. He wasn't expecting his business to be aired out just like that. He's supposed to be Nakakita "Nonchalant" Yuma, not Nakakita "Taki Yearner" Yuma. This feels as embarassing as having his parent find out about his secret crush, which is crazy because Fuma is basically a parental figure in his eyes.

A moment passes before Yuma eventually lowers his hands from his face and turns to face Fuma again. No point in trying to hide it any further. "Okay, fine, I like Taki. So what?"

"This is a big deal!" Fuma says with a little too much enthusiasm. "You're being honest with me about your feelings, which means that you should be honest with Taki about them too."

"That isn't an option!" Yuma instantly rejects. Heck no!

"Why not?"

"Taki can't find out that I like him. It's embarassing!"

"Why is it embarassing?"

"It just is!"

"Well, what if Taki confesses to someone else and they start dating? Are you going to accept that?" Fuma retorts, crossing his arms while giving Yuma a pointed look.

Yuma closes his eyes as he tries to envision Taki confessing to someone on Valentine's Day. Taki would probably spend hours making the chocolate because knowing him, he'd want it to turn out perfect. His hands would probably be shaking as he tries to package the chocolate as neatly as possible. He'd probably confess to his crush in a secluded, intimate area, hiding the chocolate behind his back while wearing the most bashful smile on his face.

Disgusting. No one should be allowed to see Taki in that state except for Yuma. That smile is reserved for him only.

Yuma abruptly opens his eyes. Wow. Maybe he isn't normal about Taki after all.

Fuma gently pats Yuma on the shoulder, drawing the younger's attention back to him. "I'm not saying you have to confess to Taki right at this very moment, but at least consider what I've said. There's no shame in having feelings for someone. Besides, what if the feelings are mutual and he likes you back?"

In all honesty, Yuma thinks he would actually ascend if Taki liked him back, but he refrains from telling Fuma that. He's had enough embarrassment for the day. For now, he’ll keep these feelings to himself.

Chapter Text

Jo loves Taki's cooking. He is Taki's star taste tester, having the privilege of being the first person Taki goes to when he tries out a new recipe. The younger always calls over Jo to eat with him, and Jo comes sprinting to their apartment because he would never miss a meal made by Taki. Taki's cooking tastes like comfort and feels like home.

So when Jo finds out that Taki is going to make chocolate to give to someone in Valentine's Day, he doesn't know how to react.

Taki has never made chocolate before. If he did, Jo would know. He would have eaten it and given the boy words of praise because he loves chocolate and thinks that Taki deserves all of the praise in the world. What do you mean Taki is going to make chocolate for the first time and give it to someone?

The whole thing doesn't sit right with Jo (or his stomach). Seriously. If anyone should be getting chocolate from Taki, it's Jo. He deserves it. He always has first dibs on Taki's cooking, it's only fair.

--

"Jo-kun, are you okay?"

Jo, who was just resting his head down at the dining table, lifts his head and finds Kei looking at him with concern.

It's like his entire world had been turned upside down after learning about Taki's chocolate plans, the way his smile has turned into a persistent frown now. Jo doesn't know how to feel about the whole situation, but he knows that he doesn't like what he's learned so he's resorted to sulking in his apartment like a wet limp noodle. This is the state Kei finds him in when he stops by the apartment to drop something off.

Jo shakes his head and goes back to sulking. "No, not really."

Kei frowns. He takes a seat next to Jo at the dining table and reaches out to gently pat Jo on shoulder, ready to lend a listening ear.

"Do you want to talk about it, Jo-kun?"

Jo thinks for a moment, then nods his head. Maybe talking it out will help him conceptualize all of his feelings. If anyone can help sort out his feelings, it's Kei. He's good at this kind of thing.

"Yuma told us that Taki is planning on giving chocolates to someone on Valentine's Day," he confesses, then drops his head back down in agony. Saying it aloud makes the situation feel even more real and depressing.

Kei blinks at Jo, clearly not having expected that. "So that explains why he dropped off all of that stuff to my place the other day," he mutters under his breath.

Jo lifts his head again and makes an inquisitive sound, not having heard what Kei said. "Hmm?"

Kei shakes his head. "Nothing, I was just talking to myself. So what is it about Taki and chocolate that is making you feel not okay?"

Jo thinks for a moment. Whenever Taki tries a new recipe, Jo is usually the first to know. Taki has never made chocolate before, and now he's suddenly trying to make it on Valentine's Day? The one major holiday where chocolate is gifted to people to convey romantic feelings? That leaves a bitter taste in Jo's mouth for reasons he cannot explain. He hates that he found this out from Yuma, and he hates that he can't be happy for Taki.

But that's too much to unpack with Kei at the moment, so he settles for a simplified version instead.

"Taki usually asks me to taste test whenever he tries a new recipe. He's never made chocolate before, and he hasn't asked if I wanted to taste test for him yet."

"I see," Kei nods in understanding as he pieces things together. "It sounds like you're feeling hurt because Taki usually asks for your help and it feels like he's hiding something from you this time."

Jo stares at Kei and takes a moment to process what the older said. Huh. When he puts it like that, it starts to make sense why Jo feels the need to sulk.

"I guess I do feel a little hurt," Jo pensively whispers after a moment. There's not much else for him to say, so he turns his gaze down and begins to fiddle with the string of his hoodie.

"And that's okay," Kei reassures, patting Jo on the shoulder to console him. "I'm sure Taki didn't mean to hurt you. He likes you too much to do that."

Kei is probably right. Taki couldn't even hurt a fly, less so anyone's feelings on purpose. He's too kind-hearted for that.

"What should I do then?" Jo asks, still not looking up.

Kei hums for a moment, and then ruffles Jo's hair affectionately. Jo finds himself leaning into the touch. "I say not to worry about this. Taki will probably tell you everything when the time is right."

Jo lets Kei's words simmer in his head for a moment before nodding his head. Kei is probably right about that too. If anyone knows Taki the best, it's Kei.

--

"Jo-kun, are you okay?"

Jo feels a sense of dejá-vu, although this time he isn't sulking with his head face down on a dining table. He's sitting up properly at the dining table this time, staring into the abyss that is the empty rice bowl in his hands.

Taki had invited him over for dinner. Today's menu was mapo tofu, one of Taki's favorite things to cook and also one of Jo's favorites things to eat. It's just as delicious as the first time Taki made it, rich in flavour and complimenting well to a bowl of rice. Jo would've gone for seconds by now if he wasn't so stuck in his head right now.

It's just that he can't look at Taki without thinking about his conversation with Kei. He's trying to not take it personally, trying not to feel hurt, but something in him twists whenever he looks at Taki and remembers about the chocolate. The bitter taste hasn’t left his mouth so he wallows in silence, not eating with the same enthusiasm that he normally does.

"Jo-kun?"

This time Jo jolts and looks up to make eye contact with Taki, the boy looking at him from across the table with concern written all over his face. It's times like these where Jo can really see the similarities between Kei and Taki's mannerisms, how Taki embodies a mini Kei in his own unique way. It's endearing, really.

Realizing that he never responded, Jo clears his throat and puts his acting skills to the test.

"I'm okay, Taki. Why do you ask?"

Taki scrutinizes Jo's face for a moment before leaning over to poke Jo in the forehead. Jo flinches and looks back in confusion.

"You've got that look in your eyes, the one where your head is in the clouds and you're thinking too much," Taki states as he sits back down, not taking his eyes off of the older.

"Oh, sorry," Jo sheepishly apologizes. He scratches his head, feeling bad that he's ruining the vibe of tonight's meal. "I was just thinking about something."

"Do you want to talk about it, Jo-kun?" Taki frowns, eyebrows furrowing once again in concern.

Jo contemplates his options. Taki sounds so earnest and ready to solve all of Jo's worries that it has him debating whether or not he should just ask upfront who Taki is going to give chocolates to on Valentine's Day. That would definitely solve this worry.

But then the conversation with Kei replays in his mind, how Taki will tell him everything when the timing is right. It wouldn't be fair to ask and put him on the spot.

So Jo swallows down his curiosity and shakes his head. "No, it's okay, but thank you."

Taki stares at Jo for a moment before finally relenting with a sigh. A frown now remains on his face. He's clearly not satisfied with Jo's response but chooses not to push the matter further.

Taki then glances down and notices the empty bowl in Jo's hands. Without saying anything, he takes the empty bowl from Jo's hands and makes his way towards the kitchen. Jo watches as Taki proceeds to open the rice cooker and fill his bowl back up to the brim before making his way back to the dining table.

"Eat," Taki instructs as he hands back the now-filled bowl of rice to Jo. "You've only eaten one bowl since you've gotten here and I know you usually eat at least two. I made mapo tofu because you mentioned craving it the other day and it'd be a shame if you don't eat more."

Jo glances down at his hands and then back at Taki's expectant face. His hands feel warm from the steaming bowl of rice, and his heart feels warm from the kindness of Taki's actions.

Jo can practically hear Taki's unspoken words, "I'm worried about you and I don't know how to help but I can at least make sure you're well-fed."

His heart skips a beat, and he comes to realize something in that moment.

Jo wants to share a meal with Taki every day, he's always known that. Taki's cooking fills his heart with warmth and his belly with joy; it's one of the main reasons why he's always running over to try Taki's latest recipes. Jo knows that Taki will always have a bowl of rice ready for him without fail, there's nothing new about that.

But what Jo realizes in this moment is that as much as he likes Taki's cooking, as much as he likes knowing that Taki will always have rice ready for him, Jo likes the boy who always fills his bowl with rice even more. Nothing will make bring him as much joy as spending time with Taki. Jo likes Taki so, so much.

A genuine smile grows on Jo's face as he picks up his chopsticks to start eating again, his world being turned right-side up by the person he likes the most.

"Thank you, Taki."

Taki beams brightly at him, and Jo finds himself wishing he had his sketchbook on hand so that he etch the smile that adorns Taki's face into his memory forever.

Chapter Text

Maki has never clicked with someone as well as he does with Taki. Not only do they share the same first name but they also share a collective of three braincells whenever they are together. It's great, really, and Maki wouldn't have it any other way.

No one makes him laugh as much as Taki does. His joy is so contagious that Maki never stops laughing. Just like how earth orbits around the sun, Maki's happiness orbits around Taki's sunshine energy.

To say he was unhappy when he learned about Taki's chocolate plans is an understatement. Maki was fucking devastated. He felt like he spedran through the five stages of grief actually.

Call him dramatic, but Maki would rather die than have anyone who is not himself receive chocolate from Taki.

--

"I think I'm going to crash out."

Nicholas looks up from his phone to find Maki laying face down on his bed, wallowing in despair. Nicholas blinks, then provides a noncommittal hum and turns his attention back to his device. He estimates a minute before Maki starts whining and opening up with more details.

And true to his guess, a minute passes before Maki finally turns his head to face Nicholas. He pouts when he realizes the Nicholas's attention is elsewhere. "Why aren't you asking me anything?"

"Because I know you'll talk whether I ask for it or not," Nicholas says, rolling his eyes. He finally shuts off his phone and places it in his pocket, then swivels his chair to face Maki. "Okay, you have my undivided attention now. Why are you crashing out?"

Maki throws his head back down onto the bed and groans, earning an unimpressed look from Nicholas. But the older has been practicing the art of patience so he waits, giving Maki a moment to collect and organize his thoughts. Eventually the younger lifts his head back up and turns to Nicholas with a pout on his face.

"Taki is going to give chocolates to someone on Valentine's Day," Maki mumbles disheartenedly.

Nicholas raises his eyebrows in surprise. He's known Taki for years. He knew that the younger harboured feelings for someone, but he didn't think Taki had gathered the courage to confess this year. A sense of pride fills his being.

"Oh! Good for him," Nicholas says, because he truly means it.

"Good for him? Well, bad for me! I don't know who he's going to give chocolates to," Maki whines, now kicking the bed with his feet in despair.

Right. That was apparently the wrong thing to say. Nicholas forgot that Maki has a massive crush on Taki. This complicates things just a little bit.

"Don't you think we should be happy for Taki?" Nicholas tries to reason. "It takes a lot of courage to confess to someone."

"I know that," Maki whispers quietly, resembling a sad wet dog. He looks pathetic almost. "I just wish it were for me."

Nicholas stares at Maki and feels his heart clench just a little bit. He hates making people feel sad, so he ends up blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. "What makes you think it won't be you?"

A moment of silence passes between the two before Maki slowly rises into a seated position on the bed and faces Nicholas completely.

"Me," Maki says in disbelief, pointing at himself. He stares at Nicholas like he can't believe the words that just came out of Nicholas's mouth. "You think it's going to be me? Wow. That's a funny joke, dude."

"I mean, why not?" Nicholas replies, deciding to roll with the punches. "You're a good guy, good-looking, and Taki seems to like you-"

"As a friend," Maki interjects, trying to clarify. "He likes me as a friend."

"Okay, and I like Euijoo as a friend too," Nicholas retorts sarcastically.

"No, you don't, what the fuck? I know your pining ass is lying," Maki bewilderedly exclaims.

"My point exactly," Nicholas says, crossing his arms. He doesn't really appreciate Maki's tone but chooses not to comment on it because now isn't really the time. Besides, he's still working on the situation between him and Euijoo, okay? "Just trust me on this, bro."

Maki stares back with an unreadable face. Then, without saying anything, he grabs the nearest pillow on his bed, holds it against his face, and lets out a muffled scream. The kind of scream that makes you sound like you're going through puberty all over again and while losing your sanity.

And Nicholas just watches Maki in understanding; he's been in Maki's position before.

--

The thing about Maki is that when it comes to his emotions, he truly does fake it 'til he makes it. Anyone who truly gets to know him knows that beneath all of his confidence is a boy who doesn't believe he deserves good things.

Sure, Maki may have said himself when they were guessing Taki's chocolate recipient in the library a couple days ago, but that was moreso a silly, hopeful guess and not a serious guess. He was saying it for funsies. He didn't think the others were serious. But then he looked at each their faces and realized that wasn't the case.

So when Nicholas suggested that Maki could be Taki's potential chocolate recipient, he doesn't believe it for one second. Not when there are so many other plausible options like Yuma or Harua or Jo, people who are just as close to Taki as he is.

Maki tries to act as normal as possible, but he fails miserably. He's so stuck in his own head that he can't focus on any of his class lectures, including the statistics course that he's taking with Taki.

Today's lecture has something to do with probability, but Maki's too distracted to take notes. Class ends before he knows it, and the only probability Maki can think of as he walks out of the lecture hall with Taki is the probability of their chances together. His calculations add up to zero, so it's not looking good for him.

Taki must have noticed something off about Maki because as soon as they walk outside, he pulls Maki aside into a secluded area.

"You seemed a little distracted during class today. Are you feeling unwell?" Taki asks, concern written all over his face. He scans Maki over for any signs of illness, then raises one of his hands to brush Maki's bangs aside and check the younger's forehead temperature.

Maki's heart starts to beat a little harder in his chest from the sudden attention, a blush slowly creeping onto his face. It's almost like his heart is threatening to burst, but Maki thinks he's too young to die from heart palpitations so he tries to calm it down.

Maki gently grabs Taki's hands and lowers them away from his face. "I'm not sick," he mumbles.

"Are you sure? Your cheeks are a little red," Taki says, frowning. He tugs one of his hands out of Maki's grasp and cups the younger's face, thumb lightly brushing against his cheek.

"That's because it's cold outside, dummy," Maki deflects. He's never been more glad that it's the middle of winter right now, the weather so chilly that he can see his own breathe in air.

As if on cue, Taki turns to sneeze into his elbow, proving Maki's point.

Maki clicks his tongue as he scans the older's attire. Taki's jacket was unzipped, most likely a result of being hazardly thrown on during their rush to get out of class, and his scarf was barely hanging around his neck like a limp towel. The gloves that Jo gifted Taki during their latest secret santa gift exchange were tucked underneath Taki's armpits as if they were a mini purse and not an accessory to be worn on the hands. This dude basically had all of the appropriate winter attire only to wear none of it correctly.

"You shouldn't be fussing over me when you can't even take care of yourself," Maki chides, reaching to zip up Taki's coat all the way. He then takes the scarf off Taki and reloops the fabric around his neck, tucking the ends so that the scarf is more secure this time. "Worry about yourself catching a cold before you worry about me."

It's only when Maki takes the gloves that he finally glances down at Taki's face and freezes. He didn't realize how close they were. Maki is only taller by a couple of inches but there's enough of a height difference that Taki has to tilt his chin up to make eye contact with him. Maki doesn't think his fragile heart can handle Taki looking at him so purely through his eyelashes. He might actually combust right on the spot.

Taki lets out a soft chuckle as he reaches his hand up to ruffle Maki's hair affectionately. "I worry about you because you're the only one younger than me in our group, you know that right? Let me have this."

Maki knows this. He prides himself on being the only one who Taki gets to spoil, but he's not going to admit that aloud.

"I know. I just wish that you'd put yourself first sometimes," Maki huffs.

"And that's why I have you, because you'll always put me first," Taki beams back.

Maki stares at Taki, unsure of how to respond. He knows Taki probably means it in a teasing way, but Maki can't help but think it's the truth. Taki always comes first in his heart.

Without saying anything else, Taki takes his gloves back and puts the left one on first before putting the right one on Maki. He then interlaces their non-gloved hands together and stuffs them into one of his coat pockets for warmth.

Taki gives Maki's hand a squeeze before tugging the boy slightly closer to him. "C'mon, let's go now. It's cold out here and I don't want either of us to actually get sick."

Maki nods, a little bit distracted by the warmth of Taki's hand, and the two easily fall into a comfortable pace towards the direction of Taki's apartment. Neither one makes a move to let go of each other's hands.

And just for that moment, with the way Taki turns to smile so brightly at him, Maki finds himself thinking that maybe the probability of him being the lucky recipient isn't so impossible after all.

Chapter Text

Taki is at one of his favorite places in the world: the supermarket.

It's a magical place really. You can find anything from fresh produce to home goods, and get great savings if you save up coupons from newspapers and flyers like the way Taki's parents raised him to do. Taki loves this place, he's here like every week.

Taki usually comes to the supermarket with a written list of all of the ingredients he needs to buy for meal prepping for the week. But today's supermarket trip is different. He's not here for meal prepping purposes. Instead, he's here to buy ingredients to make chocolate for Valentine's Day.

Now Taki has never made chocolate before in his life, but he is willing to learn this year.

Actually, he is more than willing. He's a man on a mission. He needs to learn how to make chocolate because this is the year that he'll finally confess his feelings.

That's right folks, Taki is planning to confess on Valentine's Day. He's liked them for years now, and feels like his heart will explode if he holds it in any longer. He's going to do it.

Taki meanders around the supermarket for a couple of minutes before he finally ends up in front of the aisle he was looking for: the Valentine's Day aisle. Pink, red, and white decorations are plastered across the entire aisle, heart cutouts adorning the shelves that practically screaming "LOVE" at him. There are a couple of girls scattered throughout the aisle, each with their own baskets of ingredients as they peruse the shelves for what they need. Taki feels severely out of place like an alien that somehow spawned their way into the wrong place.

Except Taki is at the right place. He's just a little nervous but he can do this. There is no time like the present. He takes a deep breath and writes the character for "person" on his palm three times for good luck, then "swallows" it down along with his nerves and begins making his way into the aisle.

"Excuse me," Taki politely says as he passes by people. He can feel the stares on his back as he makes his way into the aisle, everyone probably wondering what a guy like him is doing here, but he tries to pay them no mind as he begins to inspect the products on the shelves.

Taki spends a couple of minutes making his way down the aisle as he carefully decides between products and places them into his basket. Soon enough, he's got chocolate molds, decorative baking cups, sprinkles and icing. All he needs is to grab the final ingredient: the actual chocolate.

Taki stands in front of the vast selection of chocolate and begins perusing his options in earnest. Except one problem: there are too many to choose from. He picks up one option, then puts it down to pick another option, and repeats that sequence at least ten more times because his mind has apparently chosen the worse time to be indecisive. There are just so many options to choose from, it's making him feel overwhelmed.

Suddenly, Taki feels a tap on his shoulder. He flinches and quickly turns his head, finding himself face-to-face with a pair of girls in the aisle.

"Can I help you with something?" Taki asks apprehensively. He was not expecting to be approached by anyone.

The girls make eye contact and silently converse with each other. Seconds pass as Taki becomes more nervous, wondering what they have to say to him. Maybe he was standing in their way, and now he feels like an asshole for getting in the way of two girls who are just trying to buy chocolate.

Before Taki can spiral any further, the girls end their silent conversation and turn their attention back to Taki.

"We saw you standing in front of the chocolate section for a while and were wondering if you needed help choosing what buy," one of the girls says.

"You seem to really care about the person you've planning to give chocolate to," the other girl jumps in. The both of them look expectantly at Taki.

Taki blinks. He wasn't expecting such a generous offer. A smile makes its way onto his face as Taki nods. "Yes, some help would be lovely actually."

--

Taki doesn't want to risk getting caught making chocolates in his own apartment, so he ends up hiding all of the ingredients in one of the kitchen cabinets in Kei and Fuma's apartment. Everyone in their group has a spare key to the apartment for reasons unknown, but it's only Kei and him who actually use the kitchen. No one would go snooping in the cabinets for anything other than bowls or plates. It's the perfect hiding spot.

Taki tries to act as nonchalant as possible on the days leading up to Valentine's Day, even if his friends are suspicious or acting weird during the past week. Harua keeps scrutinizing his every move and Yuma has been scowling at Taki like a hissy cat every time they see each other, but Taki deems their weird behaviors as a result of midterms season. Jo and Maki are also unusually glum, but the two of them won't open up about their troubles despite Taki's attempts to talk with them, so he ultimately decides to give them space in the meantime. Besides, he's got other things to worry about right now like figuring out his confession plans.

The day before Valentine's Day, Taki returns to Kei and Fuma's apartment by himself. He had asked the four oldest in their friend group to keep everyone out of the apartment for the day, so he's sure no one will interrupt him.

Without further ado, Taki retrieves the ingredients from their hiding spot and rolls up his sleeves to begin cooking.

--

It takes a couple hours before Taki is finally done making chocolates. He packs the chocolates neatly into bags, making sure to label them appropriately, before setting them aside on the dining table. Once that's done, Taki takes a moment to admire his handiwork, the little bags of chocolates sitting so cutefully on the table. He can't believe he actually did it.

With the main action item now done, Taki can finally relax. All he needs to do now is clean up and mentally prepare for tomorrow. He walks back into the kitchen and makes his way towards the sink, ready to tackle the countless dishes that have accumulated during the past few hours.

Taki is arms deep into washing a mixing bowl when he hears the door open.

"Taki? What are you doing here?"

Taki whips his head up in the direction of the apartment entrance and finds himself face to face with his whole friend group. In the back, Kei is making fractic hand gestures at Taki while Euijoo is mouthing "sorry" a million times at the speed of light. Nicholas and Fuma are also present, although they're attempting to pull the younger half of their group back out the door as a last-ditch effort.

But what those four are doing isn't important. It's the other four in front of them who are of more interest.

Taki turns his attention to Harua, Yuma, Jo and Maki, all of whom are standing in a row together. He traces their gazes down to the kitchen counter where they're scanning the various chocolate ingredients are scattered, before their eyes flicker to the nearby dining table.

And what exactly is on the dining table? The four bags of chocolate that Taki neatly labeled moments ago with Harua, Yuma, Jo and Maki's names respectively. It doesn't take a genius to piece together who Taki is making chocolate for.

Shit.

"Oh, you fucking piece of shits," Taki says before he can stop himself, dropping the mixing bowl in the sink. Those bastards had one job. He can hear someone gasp, most likely Kei, but Taki is too flabbergasted to care about his lack of brain-to-mouth filter. Taki frantically wipes his hands dry on his apron before pinching the bridge of his nose. "I thought I asked you guys to keep them away from the apartment today. What the fuck happened?"

Four voices immediately start overlapping, but Taki is too stressed to pay attention to what they're saying, so he just outright ignores them. He crouches down and hides his head in his hands instead, unable to believe this is happening right now.

"I can't believe this is happening right now," Taki groans in agony. "Fuck my life, bro."

Taki takes a couple of deep breaths to ground himself. However, he fails to notice how the front door opens as the four oldest silently slip out. The door closes right as Taki finally looks up, leaving him in the apartment with Yuma, Harua, Jo and Maki. All four of them are looking back at Taki with unreadable expressions.

Fuck.

Taki briefly contemplates disappearing off the face of the earth. He would rather be in outer space right now, floating into the abyss like an extraterrestrial alien, than in the situation he's in right now. Taki does not like being put in situations but situations continue find him anyway.

But then he thinks back to his time at the supermarket. This is supposed to be the year Taki finally confesses his feelings. He didn't build up his courage to buy all of these chocolate ingredients only for them to go to waste. He can't back out now. He has to do this.

So Taki takes another deep breath and swallows his nerves.

"I was going to give you guys the chocolates anonymously tomorrow," Taki confesses, looking up at everyone from his crouched position on the floor. "Like put them in your bags with a note when you weren't looking or something, I don't know. I just wanted to tell you my feelings somehow, and if I found out that none of you guys accepted my feelings, then at least I could pretend that the chocolates weren't from me."

Taki waits for a response, but no one dares to say anything so Taki casts his gaze back down to the floor instead. Great. He's probably going to get rejected by all four of them. Maybe he'll just astral project himself into outer space or something once everyone leaves-

"So, like, can I have my chocolate," Harua suddenly blurts out.

Taki slowly lifts his face up to Harua and blinks, confusion written all over his face. "Sorry, what?"

"Me too," Jo chimes in, shyly raising his hand. Taki's eyes widen further as he whips his head around. "I would also like my chocolate please."

"Same here," Yuma adds, crossing his arms.

"Hey, me too!" Maki jumps in.

Taki looks at all four of them incredulously. Maybe he needs to get his hearing checked later because he's doesnt think he's hearing things correctly. "Did you guys not hear me? I said I made you guys chocolates because I like you."

All four of them glance at each other, having a silent conversation, before turning back to Taki.

"I think all of us are on the same page here when I say that we like you back too," Harua says on behalf of everyone, the rest nodding their heads in agreement.

Taki blinks. "I'm sorry, could you say that again?"

Harua chuckles fondly as he reaches for one of Taki's hands and squeezes. "I said we like you back too, idiot."

"Okay, I thought that's what you said but I just needed the extra confirmation," Taki says. This is not how he was expecting things to go. Taki reluctantly lets go of Harua's hand and walks over to the couch. He grabs one of Kei's decorative couch pillows and brings it to his face, letting out a shrill scream.

Only a few seconds pass before a pair of hands reach out to remove the pillow from Taki's face. "I've had a crush on you for a few years now, " Maki confesses as he looks at Taki straight in the eye, holding pillow in his arms. "In case it wasn't obvious. I always put you first. I just didn't think I'd have a chance with you."

Taki can't handle the intensity of Maki's gaze, so he turns his head to the side, only to find Jo's eyes on him with an even more intense look in his eyes.

"Me too," Jo says, taking a few steps forward into Taki's orbit as if gravity pulled him in. "I only realized it a couple days ago when you made me mapo tofu, but you make me really happy. I like you a lot, Taki."

Taki flushes red at Jo's confession, but there is no time to respond when he feels someone lightly tug his arm.

"Living with your roommate is hard when you're in love with them, you know," Harua says, drawing the boy's attention to him as he intertwines their hands once again. "You drive me crazy sometimes and you don't always follow the chores schedule but there's no one else who I'd rather live with. You make our apartment feel like a home."

Taki feels like his chest is about to burst from how his heart is practically palpitating at the speed of light from all of these confessions. He doesn't think he can handle any more, but he fails to account for the fact that one person still hasn't said anything.

"I like you too," Yuma blurts out. Taki whips his head around so fast he almost gets whiplash, and finds Yuma giving him a shaky thumbs up. "Um, yeah."

The four of them stare at Yuma. Eventually Harua lets go of Taki's hands to slap Yuma on the head, breaking the silence.

"Is that all you have to say?" Harua says flabbergasted. "The rest of us just poured our hearts out here!"

"I'm not about to confess my undying love to Taki in front of you losers, are you kidding me?!"

"Hey! Don't call Jo a loser, that's so rude of you."

"Uh, it's okay, Maki."

"No, it's not, dude! I'm defending your honor!"

"Only Jo's? What about the rest of us, you ungrateful-"

Taki's eyes flicker between the four boys in front of him as they banter with each other, too engrossed in their conversation to pay any attention to him. Then, without saying anything, he takes the opportunity to slip away and grab the four bags of chocolates from the kitchen table. Harua, Yuma, Jo and Maki, these are the four boys that Taki fell in love with and he wouldn't want them any other way. It looks like he had nothing to worry about after all.

A fond smile grows on Taki's face as he walks back to the group of four. He's got chocolates to give to each of them.