Work Text:
It was 3:00 PM, and there was a downpour. The weather broadcast announced that this rain won’t stop for the next few hours. It must be terrible to be outside when a sudden cloudburst happens.
“Where’s he…?” Lime was sitting on the lounge in Cyan’s living room, glaring his eye at the yard in front of him. The droplets hitting the ground, the leaves, and the gardening equipment created a harmony from nature. That was the moment Lime suddenly remembered something.
“Heh… That reminded me of him at that time… It has been almost 10 years now…”
Just as Lime began to lean his head on the lounge, he heard car honks.
“That’s him!”
All of a sudden, he stood up and quickly ran into the garage with a happy-looking face.
*Honk honk*
It was Cyan’s car. After the gate automatically opened by the face recognizer, he drove into his garage. As he parked his car, he saw Lime looking at him with that classic smile. After going outside in the cold, seeing Lime brought him some warmth. Cyan stepped out of the car, and Lime already hugged him tight.
“Where were you?” That warm and soft voice soothed his partner, who still didn’t really understand why Lime did it.
“Bro-” Cyan was surprised. “I just had some important appointment, and the weather hates me.” Lime let loose his arm, grabbing Cyan’s hand.
“You know where I put the house key?” He asked while staring into Lime's eyes, which made Lime blush.
“I- Under your favorite plant pot… right?” Lime tried to look away from him. His sudden mood swing made him reluctant to speak.
“You are the only one who knows that spot, anyway.” Cyan smirked at Lime, who still couldn’t get through that flash moment. “Let’s get back to the room, Limey.” He took Lime back to the living room. His partner still didn’t let go of his hand. They went back to the living room, sitting together.
“I told them there would be rain today, but they didn’t listen… fuck sake…” Cyan turned to Lime. “Wasted some of my time with you…” He hung his arm over Lime’s shoulder and patted it twice.
“Yeah…” Lime looked outside. “Anyway, I came here because I have some questions to ask.”
“Huh?” Cyan questioned. “You meant that?” He realized something.
“Our… wedding…” Lime blushed again and looked down at the ground. His hands were shaking on his thighs. He wasn’t sure how he should act right now. “Damn it… I thought we would be just friends… How in the actual fuck…”
“That?” Cyan looked at Lime, who was still trembling from what he had to do in the future. “Uki said it’s fine, he and our friends really want to see-”
“I DIDN’T MEANT THAT!” Lime yelled at Cyan. They suddenly had a moment of silence. There was no sound, except for the sound of the rain and the breathing.
“Why are you shooting at your feet, Lime??” Lime realized what he just did. This is the first time he has ever yelled that aggressively at Cyan since they became boyfriends. “It’s so over...”
“I-” Cyan was stunned.
“Forget it, hmph!” Lime turned away sharply.
“Lime…” The other’s voice dampened. He doesn’t sound as energetic as before. “You… still remember that right?” Cyan tried to persuade Lime, who still didn’t accept the truth that they would no longer be platonic friends in the foreseeable future.
“You acted like this when you came out to me…”
Lime turned back to Cyan and frowned.
*sigh* He glanced at him, then looked at the front. “That’s the reason why I’m here…” Lime appeared like he was low on energy. Every time Lime shows up, he always acts like a nonsensical jerk who likes to speak questionable stuff and make the most unhinged jokes, but Cyan barely sees him when he's not in the right mood.
“Like… you still think of your life choice, right?” Cyan persuaded. Lime proceeded to lean on his shoulder as an instinct.
“I don’t know if that’s good or bad…” Every word Lime said right now made Cyan worry more about him.
“It was a thing from the past.” Cyan swiped on Lime’s forehead. “Our parents accepted it, so why are you still worried about it?”
“But… you know… I still don’t know if this will… disappoint my parents…” Lime doubting. “I feel I forced you to do all of this for me.”
“That’s not forcing. Since the moment you followed me, you have shown me affection, and I knew it.” Cyan smiled. “So every effort I made until now, all for you, Limey.” His voice softened.
“You did all of this for me?” Lime no longer appeared gloomy.
“Because I love you, duh.” Cyan kissed Lime's cheek.
“You loved me… that much?” Lime blushed again, pinching Cyan’s hoodie sleeve. When talking to Cyan, Lime always treated him as a normal friend, like Red or Azure, so he wasn’t used to talking about romantic stuff. But now it felt like he had to prepare for conversations like this to appear more frequently in the future. He felt some happiness, yet some misery. He felt he hadn't done much for Cyan, other than sticking with him. He wanted to be as good as him, but he couldn’t. Cyan is a renowned sportsman who has competed in many international competitions and won numerous awards, so he had to make a room dedicated to showcasing his achievements.
Meanwhile, Lime didn’t get that much recognition, even when Cyan officially revealed to be dating Lime. Aside from positive ones, there were several negative reactions from his fans, mainly because Lime feels completely out of place, and there’s no reason to stay with him. But much of the reason came from their backstory, which not many people knew, even Uki’s Algicosathlon crew.
The rain still didn't stop, but it was weaker than earlier. Lime decided to lay his head on Cyan’s thighs.
“Do you feel like revising old stories?” Cyan put his thumb on Lime’s face, tracing softly from his eye to his chin.
“Sure.” Lime looked up to his partner. “Without it, we wouldn’t be together.”
“Well… so you remember that day…”
== 10 years ago ==
“Dang it, I’m gonna be late for school at this pace!” Lime was rushed into his class since he had just woken up late. He was a grade 10 student and had been in high school for a month now.
“Alright, class, how many students attended today?” The teacher asked the class leader, Almagra.
“There are 33. Lime is absent without notice.” She replied.
“Well then…” The teacher took out a notebook to write something down. Just as he began to write, Lime rushed in.
“Sorry, I’m late!” Lime breathed heavily.
“Technically, I haven’t started the class yet, so you are fine. Go back to your seat, please.” Lime walked back to his seat.
“Bro, you are lucky!” Lime’s classmate, Euclase, complimented.
“Heh,” Lime smirked, placing his backpack down.
“All right, class, before we start, as you know, there are many clubs in our school that we already introduced on the first day. You can consider joining one to help connect with more people during school days and show what you're passionate about.”
“Hey, Lime.” Euclase shook Lime’s arm.
“What?” Lime looked at him.
“Have you joined any clubs yet?”
“No?” Lime replied.
“Oh, then how about you join the club I’m in right now? It’s about gemstone!” He suggested.
"I’m not interested in stones, sorry.” Lime answered while taking out books from his backpack.
“Aww…” Euclase frowned. “There are many glorious, lovely girls there…”
Lime looked at him, confused.
“Sad that you won’t be able to make friends with them…” Euclase’s voice lowered.
“Well, I’m not that interested…” Lime still doesn’t understand why he said it.
“Fine…” Euclase looks disappointed.
8:30 AM - It’s breaktime, and Lime can be seen sitting at the bench near a football field.
“Hmm… I should make some friends.” Lime looked around a bit while drinking a fizzy drink that he bought from the canteen. He saw many groups of friends or pairs playing together, cheerfully walking by, and, from observation, yet Lime still sat there alone. He looked up at the clear blue sky above.
“There are many stories of pairs from high school who managed to date and marry once they grew up. I don’t think it gonna be true for my case…” Although Lime made some friends in his school years, he has always lost contact with them, so he doesn’t believe he could keep someone by his side. While Lime appeared to be someone one could easily keep in touch with, he was very picky about connections because he knew his personality could irritate people.
“Who are they?” Lime looked at the field. A group of people walked to the middle of the field and sat there. They appear to be lectured by another student of the same age.
“Hey, what are you looking at?” A classmate from Lime’s class patted his shoulder.
“Huh?” Lime turned at him.
“Oh, the person standing right there?” He pointed. “That’s Cyan, the co-leader of the school football club. He is also a grade 10 student like us.”
“Already a co-leader? How??” Lime was surprised, since usually club co-leaders are grade 11 students.
“From my friend in that club, he said that Cyan has already accomplished remarkable things more than other people in that club in previous years.” He explained. “He’s not only good at football but also at other sports too, but since it’s his favorite sport, he decided to join it.”
“Oh, they walked away.”
“I think they just had a small conversation. They would practice with each other during free time after school.”
“Wait, have you joined any clubs yet?” Lime wondered.
“I’m in the track and field running club. You could join if you want, we are short of people right now!” He suggested. “We also have a good connection with other sports-related clubs!”
“Hmm… I think I should take this as an opportunity to improve my health, too. Sure!” Lime agreed.
“Alright!” He shook Lime’s hand. “You can apply to join on the weekend. See ya!” They walked away.
“Great.” Lime looks pleased. “One step done.” He looked at the field again and still saw Cyan. “I don’t have time right now. Maybe later.” Just as Lime thought of that, the bell rang, announcing that it’s study time again. Lime walked back to his class.
“Hey, bro, you got any friends yet?” Euclase asked.
“Not yet…” Lime replied.
“Aww…”
“But soon!” He smiled.
After hours of studying, the class has ended, and everyone is returning home. While walking out of the school, Lime saw that same group from earlier passing by.
“Cyan? Interesting…” He quickly glanced at the tallest person in that group. It looks like he’s having an interesting conversation with them.
“2:00 PM at the Verdant Field, alright?” Cyan told his friends. His voice felt powerful.
“There’s no way he’s just grade 10…” Lime quietly giggled.
Lime walked back to his home since it’s near the school.
“Mom, I’m back!” Lime opened his front door and took off his shoes.
“Have you made any friends yet?” She talked to Lime while she was in the kitchen.
“Soon!” Lime ran upstairs, threw his backpack on the ground, and launched himself onto the bed.
“I can’t wait to talk to him!” Lime happily rolled back and forth on the bed. There’s no person who made him that excited before even having a conversation. But for some reason, he was already interested in Cyan just by looking at his figure and his attitude alone.
“Lunch is ready!” His mom yelled.
“Ok.” He quickly changed his clothes and went downstairs.
After having lunch, he was at his desk in his room, opening his laptop.
“Still more than an hour left…” He looked at the clock. “I think there should be information about him on the internet.” Lime entered a keyword and immediately found results for "Cyan".
“Found it! Let’s see…” He scrolled through an interview from last year. “Regional champion?? No. 1 in the miscellaneous sports competition at school? Is he even a normal person?? How long has he even trained for…? Huh… His parents passed away…?” Lime stopped. Despite being amused by Cyan’s accomplishments, knowing his parents aren’t alive made Lime feel heartbroken. Maybe that’s what pushes Cyan’s motive to do his best, so his parents in the otherworld can be proud of their son. “‘He’s living with his adopted brother, Turquoise, on…’ Wait… his home is close to mine! I should come and support him whenever possible.” Lime took his notebook out of the cabinet and wrote down any information relevant to Cyan so he could approach him properly.
“I never did this much for someone before… Probably, he will be someone I can rely on.” He began writing down information while browsing the internet, even details about Cyan’s brother. He noticed it was already 1:30 PM.
“It’s time. Lemme remember… Verdant Field? Not that far.” He closed his laptop, taking his notebook and the signature green cap.
“I’m going out now!” Lime told his mom while taking out his bicycle.
“Be careful outside!” His mom replied.
“Alright!” Lime rode the bicycle to the destination. It would take him 15 minutes to get there. The weather is sunny, but not scorching, just warm enough. There are many crossroads in his area because it is densely populated. The street was also narrow, so he had to be careful of large vehicles.
“At this crossroad, turn left…” Lime recalled the map from memory since he didn’t bring his phone. And just like that, he managed to reach the destination, although a bit later than he expected.
“I can see some bikes here, probably from Cyan’s friends.” He rode his bike into the parking spot. While Lime was buying some snacks and drinks, he gazed and saw Cyan park his bike, but Lime chose not to start the conversation. “Take your time with your friend…” He smiled.
“What are you smiling at?” The shop owner asked.
“N-nothing!” Lime ran away. He found a bench to sit on.
“This view is perfect.” Lime looked at Cyan as he walked to his friend's spot. All of them appeared to wear the same uniform.
“Hey Cyan, who’s that person over there?” Someone pointed at Lime.
“Shoot, I got noticed!” Lime startled.
“Him?” Cyan asked. “I saw him earlier today, too. Let me check.” Cyan quickly ran toward Lime’s spot.
“You there!” Cyan called Lime.
“What?” Lime replied wth bafflement.
“Why do you keep watching us?” He stared at Lime. Lime felt like he couldn’t get away. That stare and the low-pitched voice Cyan had trembled him.
“I- I had a friend waiting here…” Lime answered while he kept tapping his fingers.
“Hmm…” Cyan looked down. “My brother said that’s a sign of lying. Whatever...” He walked away. “It’s just a stranger! Get back to our business, guys!”
“‘Stranger’? Right, I haven’t made friends with him yet...” Lime looked at the light blue figure.
“None of you still trusts my capability, right?” Cyan joked. “Eleven of you on a side, I will be on the other side.” He challenged everyone.
“Bro, you serious?” One of the club members asked after hearing that decision.
“Yes. The rest can stay outside the field.” Cyan gave directions to the members.
“Alright. You ready?” Cyan crossed his arms, and his foot was stomping on the ball. That pose and his perfect posture emitted a strong vibe. That’s the sign of courage and determination he has.
“Damn, he’s gonna solo versus all of them?” Lime bit his snacks. Suddenly, he put the package down.
“YOU CAN DO IT!” Lime spontaneously yelled, which caught Cyan and the other people’s attention. “Shoot… I didn’t control myself again… I feel embarrassed.” Just as Lime thought he had made the most depressing action in his life, Cyan gave Lime a thumbs-up.
“He gave me a thumbs-up…? I thought he wouldn't care about it… What does he mean by that…?” Lime questioned himself after that reaction. It looks like the so-called prolific sportsman started to notice a random stranger like Lime now. He gained some confidence.
The match began. Right when Cyan blew the whistle, he began to dash past other players while still controlling the ball. There were many close calls, but he used many different techniques to evade them. Finally, with a strong kick, he scored.
“Heh, how do you guys think?” Cyan grinned at them.
“That’s amazing!” Lime didn’t even sip a single drop of juice, since he couldn’t keep his mouth shut from such a performance Cyan just did.
“That’s also the skill you will have once you complete my course. Today I will be in charge, tomorrow the leader, then repeat. You guys are potential players.” He looked at everyone, believing their time together would be successful. “Now get back there, we will study the basics, then practice.” While Cyan walked to the position, he turned to Lime and gave him a wink.
“Did he just wink at me?” Lime started to feel shy. Having a well-known athlete make such a gesture toward him made him feel quite uneasy, since it was his first time actively approaching someone.
After 2 hours of trial and error, the club finally completed today’s training task, and Lime still sat there aside from going into the WC.
“That concludes today, see you guys later! I will keep the ball.” Cyan waved at other people departing. But he seemed not to want to leave yet. He put the ball down and started volleying the ball alone. Not alone, though, since Lime still looked at him.
“Hey, you there!” Cyan stopped and called Lime. “Come here.” He waved his arm.
“Me?” Lime pointed at himself.
“Yes. Come here, you can look at me more closely. That protection net obscured the view.”
“Ok.” Lime put the packages and the empty cup in a nearby bin, then ran toward Cyan. “Can’t believe he called me…” Lime sat near where Cyan was practicing. It’s 4:10 PM, so it’s less hot than earlier.
“So why did you come here? When you are at school, you also look at my people.” Cyan questioned Lime. His face looked a bit strict.
“I-I… I like seeing people playing!” Lime felt a bit overwhelmed. Cyan's attitude changed from friendly to aggressive in a second, which was unexpected.
“Hm? Nah, I’m chill.” Cyan pretended.
“Phew…” Lime gave a deep breath.
“But I’m that serious in competition so I could focus on myself, avoiding as many distractions as possible.” Cyan explained. “And you are quite ‘distracting’ to me.” He used his finger pressing on Lime’s forehead.
“Oop- I’m sorry! I can leave if you want-” Lime decided to move out.
“Hey, don’t.” Cyan quickly prevented Lime from walking away by grabbing his shoulders, accidentally dragging him down the ground.
“Ouch!”
“I’m sorry!” He helped Lime to stand up by holding his hand.
“Don’t worry!” Lime persuaded.
“Anyway…” Cyan wiped out dust from Lime’s clothes. “You came here because you want to play football, right?”
“Well… I like football…” Lime explained, though he can’t connect his words well. “Though I already joined the running club.”
“Oh. You can only join one club at a time.” Cyan kicked the ball into the net. “Wasted opportunity.” He felt a bit disappointed.
“I- I feel bad…” Lime frowned.
“People have different preferences anyway. My dad was a pole vaulting champion, and my mom was an ice skater.” They sat down. “They told me to pick a different sport, since football is highly competitive, but because I like it, I decided to go with the wind. Competitiveness improves skills. So don’t worry, you are fine.” Cyan patted Lime’s shoulder. The frown on the other one’s face faded away.
“Thank you.” Lime smiled at him.
“Even though I don’t follow their opinions, I still owe them a lot… And even if I accomplished something, they won’t be able to see it, since… You already knew…” Cyan suddenly looked depressed, and a tear also formed in his eye.
“I’m sorry to hear that loss…” Lime looked at him, putting his palm on Cyan’s hand to calm him down.
“The day I said I would pursue football, they had an appointment, and… They got involved in a fatal accident… Cyan, you can’t cry.” He tried to hold back his tears.
“That’s… shocking… I feel bad for what you went through.” Lime pushed himself closer to Cyan.
“T-thank you.” Cyan wiped his tears. “After that tragedy, someone introduced me to Turquoise, and we became brothers.”
“But I don’t see any mention of Turquoise’s parents.” Lime curiously asked.
“Because they are busy working in another country, they only visit us 1-2 times a year. His family does scientific stuff, and Turquoise used to diss me because of my interest, but we are fine together now.” Cyan confidently explained. “But thank you for comforting me. I look strong, but when a strong man cries, they became weak… I’m not that strong, like you think…” Cyan looked up. “So I’m trying to make myself stronger day by day.”
“I see… I’m still amused by what you did, though. That many awards at 16 years old is crazy to be honest… Do you even have a break?” He questioned Cyan’s career. Being recognized that young must be pressing him.
“As I said, I’m trying to do everything to please my parents in heaven. Like…” Cyan took off his shoe, showing a scar after pulling down his sock. “This one was 3 years ago, after I got scratched by a sharp piece of metal because I got tired from practicing too much and didn’t focus on my step.”
“That must be painful...” Lime surprised.
“I know. From that point, I stopped being too try-hard. I just practice them in Turquoise’s yard. His yard is very big.” Cyan put on his shoe. “You don’t have to worry.”
“Nice… Well… I have something to ask-” Lime was going to say something.
“Shoot, it’s 4:30 PM. I have to buy food for dinner now.” Cyan looked at his watch. “See you later.” He waved and ran away.
“Bye.” Lime looked at him for a bit, then decided to move out, taking his bicycle and riding back home.
“Just day one and he already noticed me… This progressed too fast!” Lime smiled cheerfully. “Wait…” Lime suddenly realized. “I FORGOT TO ASK FOR HIS CONTACT NUMBER!!” He rode slowly as he realized how forgettable he was.
“But Cyan… just looked at him made me can’t concentrate on myself…”
“Mom, I’m back!” Lime opened the house door.
“Why did you come back late?” His mom stood in the hallway.
“Just talking with my friend.” Lime happily replied and ran upstairs.
“I already prepared dinner, remember to come to the kitchen.” She walked away.
Lime sat on his bed, reading the reports he had been writing while observing Cyan playing.
“I didn’t ask much about his preferences. I just wrote about his attitude. I should ask more tomorrow.”
Lime put the notebook on the desk, took the clothes he would wear after the bath from the cabinet, and walked downstairs.
Meanwhile…
Cyan opened the front door with his key and carried a handful of groceries. He took off his shoe and walked past the enormous hallway. If someone is new to Turquoise’s house, they can easily get lost. It looked like a miniature maze, with so many rooms, though most were empty; they were only used for science competitions. The kitchen is located on the east side of the building.
“Done.” Cyan put the shopping bags on the kitchen table before taking a bath. While bathing, aside from picking up a melody from his favorite song, he thought of the stranger he had just met.
“They followed me the entire day; there must be something going on with them… Maybe just a fan.”
After Cyan took a bath, he went to find Turquoise. His brother was a 4th-year university student in Applied Physics. Currently, he was writing a paper for a test. Cyan knocked on the door.
“Turquoise?”
“You back?” He hopped out from the work desk, opened the door, and went to the kitchen with him.
“So, how is your day?” Turquoise asked his younger brother. While they are adopted, he still treats them as members of a family. Although they often have conflicts, they have been resolved peacefully.
“Great. I got promoted to the co-leader position immediately!” He told what happened in the school. “And, I think I got a follower.”
“That’s cool!” Turquoise complements. They were in the kitchen now.
“Well, I thought that’s just a normal person… but he looked more interesting than I thought…” Cyan took the ingredients out of the bag. “I think he has something to say to me, but he kept avoiding it.” He went to the kitchen sink to wash the food. “You remember that one time you taught me how to know if someone is lying?”
“Yeah?” Turquoise took the pot from the shelf. “He can’t speak clearly, right?”
“When I asked why he followed me, his words felt disconnected.” Cyan chopped the food and put it in Turquoise’s boiling pot. “I feel like he came for a different purpose.”
“Mhm… Maybe ask him more clearly?” Turquoise suggested. He then turned off the gas and scooped out the food from the pot for dinner.
“I think so. And…” Cyan was thinking of something. He paused for a bit.
“Huh?” His brother was confused.
“Probably he also thought the same thing as me…” Cyan lowered his voice. His face was quite red.
“What’s that?” Turquoise asked.
“Nothing!” Cyan increased his voice tone. “Enjoy the dinner!”
“You look suspicious…” He smiled suspiciously.
“Erm…” Cyan tried to pretend nothing happened. They had dinner normally.
On the other hand, after finishing dinner, Lime did some homework.
“I can’t stop thinking of him…” Cyan came to Lime’s mind again while doing assignments. “I should try to get this done first.”
Simultaneously, Cyan was looking outside from his window, looking up at the starry sky for his favorite constellations. His house is far from the urban region, so light pollution is not a problem.
“You looked way cooler than other strangers.” He remembered the moments with the new person he had made friends with. “I don’t know why I shared so many of my stories just the first day I saw him…” Cyan then went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. In his bedroom, he thought of his future.
“Someone had to stay with me in this life…” He fell asleep.
The next day…
“Hey, have you found any friends yet?” Euclase asked Lime. “Yesterday I managed to get a girl’s number, hehe!” He giggled.
“No.” Lime confidently replied. “But soon…”
“Who’s that?” His classmate was curious.
“You will know soon~” Lime grinned.
During break time, Lime went around asking people where Cyan’s class was, since he didn't see Cyan go out today. His class was on the same floor as Lime’s class, but in the opposite building. Lime saw Cyan sitting in the lowest seat row and made some hand gestures to get Cyan to come to him. At the moment, Cyan was talking to his friend as well.
“I have free time this afternoon.” Cyan talked to his friend. He then turned to the right and saw Lime. “I will be back soon.” He moved out of his seat and walked to Lime.
“What’s up?” Lime greeted Cyan. He looked more confident than yesterday.
“What do you want?” Cyan wanted to know why Lime made his way to his class.
“Your contact number? I forgot to ask. And also your social media profile, too, so I can chat with you.” Lime gave him a piece of paper and a pen.
“Ok.” Cyan wrote down the information. That smile Lime made Cyan giggle.
“Your smile is so awkwardly funny.”
“I know…” Lime smirked. “I think that’s the attitude Cyan wants to see from me…” This is when Lime began to form his signature personalities, which would endure for many years.
“Also, what’s your name? We haven’t had a proper introduction yet, have we?”
“I’m Lime from class 10C! Nice to meet you!” Lime shook Cyan’s hand.
“You already knew me, but I will introduce myself again. I’m Cyan from class 10A, also the co-leader of the football club. I hope we can be friends together.”
“Sure!” Lime stepped closer to his friend. Suddenly, he unknowingly wrapped his arm around Cyan and hugged him.
“What did you just do?!” Cyan pushed Lime away.
“I-I’m so sorry!” Lime quickly apologized. He ran away from Cyan.
“D-don’t worry.” Cyan yelled at Lime and walked back to his class. “He just hugged me?? Is he…”
“We saw it!” Cyan's other friend pointed at him. “Who’s that?” They approached Cyan’s table.
“They just accidentally fell on my body.” Cyan tried to divert the conversation into a different direction.
“Okay… Not what we thought…” They went back to their seats.
“Is that an accident, or did he intentionally hug me? I should find him and make it clear later.” He wondered.
Lime was trying to forget what he just did. Euclase looked at his friend, who was blushing.
“Why are you so red… Are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine!” Lime pinned and covered his head with his arm. He didn’t even want to show how embarrassed he was.
“Huh?” Euclase didn’t understand what Lime was trying to inform him. “I assume you are alright…”
After the class ended, Lime walked slowly, still thinking about why he had done that action to Cyan, whom he had just met for a day. That action is only for long-term friends. So does it mean Lime already considers Cyan his best friend? Not so sure, that’s how Lime thought of it.
Cyan was also walking behind Lime. Looking at his figure reminded him of what had happened a few hours ago. He wanted to ask him, but at the same time didn’t want to, since he felt that would make him depressed more. They later went on their own path to their home.
Returned home, Lime opened his laptop and sent Cyan a friend request. He looked at his profile page.
“Wow…” He scrolled down. “I’m now friends with a prolific player like this? I’m so happy!” He raised his arms. “This has to be my biggest flex, hehe… Oh, already?” Cyan accepted the friend request. They began to chat with each other.
Lime: hi!
Cyan: I don’t chat online much LOL.
Lime: :P
Cyan: Anyway… Why did you hug me?
Lime: i… i don’t know
Lime: 😭
Cyan: Well… To be honest… That was awkward.
Cyan: :/
Lime: i didnt know why i did that… im so sorry…
Lime: :(
Lime was thinking about how to respond to that message. He kept typing a message, then deleted it.
Cyan: I really like it. (^_^)
“He… He liked it?” Lime blushed. His hand was shaking uncontrollably on his keyboard.
Cyan: Hello?
Lime: sorry i
Cyan: 🤔
Lime: thank you so much
Lime: 😊
Cyan: What’s that reaction?
Cyan: :/
Lime: nothing much
Lime: i have to go now, see ya
Cyan: Bye. 👋
Actually, Lime ended the conversation because he felt so euphoric after what Cyan said. He doesn’t care whether it was a joke or not; he still knew that Cyan actually enjoyed it.
“YESSS!!” Lime jumped on the bed multiple times like a toddler. The noise was so loud that his mom even heard it.
“Stop making noise!” She yelled.
“Okay!” Lime stopped, then he got back to his laptop and started surfing the internet again.
At the same time, Cyan also looked at Lime’s reaction. Clearly, Lime wasn’t even embarrassed, which is the complete opposite of what he thought initially. But Cyan actually liked the feeling of someone hugging him. The warmth from Lime’s body gave him comfort.
“That’s how he greets people, I guess.” Cyan closed the message tab. He left a smile on his face.
Fast-forwarding through the months. They still share their daily lives, either face-to-face or by chatting, flexing what they just got, or doing some weird challenges like who could eat the most rice in a session. Cyan was also promoted to a leadership position at the end of grade 11 because the previous leader was busy with graduation exams. Lime managed to earn more recognition as well, bringing his school several medals in various competitions thanks to his determination to reach Cyan’s level of skill. Their academic performance was above average as well, since they often study together with other friends. Seeing Lime and Cyan together so much made people think they were lovers, but of course, they immediately denied it, saying they were just long-term friends. But Cyan started to feel differently. Many times, Lime tried to ask Cyan something, but immediately changed the topic of discussion. Cyan also wanted to question about it, but it’s not always the right time to do that. He got an answer in his mind already, though…
2 years later since they made friends…
Grade 12 is the moment when everyone is expected to show their full potential and prove their position in the harsh national exam after the curriculum ends. That also means the time friends can spend together outside of studying is small. As usual, Lime walked into class with a smile. His classmate, Euclase, also has a girlfriend now.
“My girlfriend demands so much help.” Euclase shows the messages he screenshots. “How can I fulfill it?”
“I honestly don’t know…” Lime shrugged. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Bro, why don’t you still have any?” Euclase disappointed. “There’s no time left…”
“Not like I plan to have one anyway, they are quite annoying to deal with...” Lime smirked. “Have you revised your homework yet?”
“You thought I spent time with her so much that I forgot to prepare? Silly.” Euclase grinned.
“Whatever.” Lime turned at his deck. “I feel like wanting to eat out with him again. I should message him.” He took his phone out and messaged Cyan.
Lime: hey, you want to go out tonight?
Cyan: I’m free today, sure!
Lime smiled at the screen.
Unlike what Lime initially assumed, it was raining in the afternoon, and since he didn’t return home after the morning class, he forgot to bring his umbrella.
“Shoot, I forgot.” Lime panicked. The more he looked at other people walking away with an umbrella, the more he fluttered. He turned around, wanted to ask a stranger to help him reach his home, but he always missed the opportunity. Lime could wait until the rain ended at school; however, he already had an appointment with Cyan, so he had to return home quickly to prepare himself, and he didn’t want to cancel it, since he didn’t want to ruin his fun. While Lime leaned against the pillar, he thought he had broken the promise, until…
“Hey, hey!” Lime found Cyan. He was preparing to go outside.
“What?” Cyan opened his umbrella. “Where’s your umbrella?”
“I forgot to bring it…” Lime looked at Cyan, and he knew that was the chance. “Can we go together?”
“Huh? Sure. Come here.” Cyan told Lime to get under the parasol.
“Alright.” Lime pushed himself against Cyan.
“That’s too close!” Cyan awkwardly responded. Lime proceeded to distance himself a bit.
They began to walk in the rain. The rain wasn’t too heavy, only reaching the bottom of their shoes, so they didn’t have to worry about it wetting their clothes. The sound of raindrops hitting the ground was fun to hear. Cyan decided to take Lime to his home.
“The atmosphere is so cold…” Lime looked at Cyan. “Do you feel it?” He rubbed his hands together to create heat from friction.
“Right.” Cyan was holding the handle so that he couldn’t do it.
“Anyway, thank you!” Lime held Cyan’s other hand.
“You are in trouble, so I should help.” Cyan winked.
“And-” All of a sudden, Lime paused.
“And what?” Cyan questioned. They continued to step for 20 metres without any discussion.
“Actually…” Lime talked quietly.
“Huh?” Cyan turned to Lime.
“You know… we have been friends for 2 years now…” Lime smiled. “Cyan, you are my best friend!” He complimented.
“I really like to hear that from you!” Cyan giggled. Suddenly, he blushed.
“I… I love you.”
Lime felt he was frozen in time after Cyan said those three words. Both stopped and stared at each other. The rain still fell. While Cyan still didn’t know what to do next, Lime already hugged his body, just like what he did 2 years ago.
“I know you are~” He murmured. “I already fell in love the moment I saw you…” This is what Lime was going to say a long time ago, but he was scared that it would embarrass him to come out that early. He didn’t even want to ask how Cyan felt about him; he didn’t want to force him since he preferred this friendship to go naturally. “Friendship” is not the right word now; that’s a “Relationship”. There wasn’t a moment in high school that he was as pleased as he is today. Even though the weather is cold, the heat from the hugged pair who just confessed their love warmed them up.
“So we are still friends, right?” Lime looked up while hugging Cyan.
“I don’t think we could publicize our relationship, haha.” Cyan smiled and patted Lime’s back. “Just remember that you are my boyfriend.”
“Aww…” Lime wriggled his body in joy.
“Let’s go home, Limey!” Cyan gave him a nickname.
“‘Limey’? That sounds cute! Hey, wait for me!” Cyan was already several footsteps ahead of Lime while he was drowning in happiness.
“So about the thing tonight-“
“I had enough.” Lime cut Cyan’s words with a low voice tone. He was a bit wet on his shoulder.
“What?” Cyan thought Lime was angry after he left him.
“That confession made my day, man!” Lime raised his voice and shook Cyan’s hand.
“Bro, don’t make me scared like that.” Cyan was surprised. “Hey, we already reached your home.” Cyan pointed at Lime’s house.
“Well, see you tomorrow! Love you!” Lime sprinted to his home.
“Bye!” Cyan waved. “I knew he loved me. He has been in love since the first day we met?” He turned back at Lime’s house. “I will protect you, from now on…” He walked away. The rain also stopped, and a rainbow could be seen. Cyan looked at it, believing that it was the most successful day in his life, as he thought…
After the day they confessed, these lovebirds started to stick with each other more and more. Of course, they are hiding the fact that they are loving each other, since they still don’t know the impact of coming out publicly, though rumors that Cyan and Lime were gay spread around the school, which quite irritated them, but they still can handle it.
“This question…” Cyan was helping Lime with Biology in the school library.
“How do I know which blood type their son will have?” Lime asked for help.
“Well…” Cyan instructed Lime through the steps.
“O negative?” Lime realized something. “That’s also my blood type!”
“Hey, you know what?” Cyan patted Lime’s shoulder. “My blood type is the same as yours.”
“Wha- There are only 7% of the population having that blood type!”
“As long as it’s not 0%, it’s still a possibility that a couple has the same rare blood type…” He smiled at Lime.
“Mhm… so we are really lucky to be together.” Lime closed his book.
“What are you pursuing in the future? I saw you studying a lot lately.” Cyan curiously asked.
“I think I will continue my sports hobby, like you.” He replied. “I argued with my parents a lot about that some months ago, but they finally accepted it.”
“I’m sure we will be successful in the future.” Cyan held Lime’s arm. “Let’s go to the canteen now, shall we?”
“Sure.”
Cyan didn’t know that the information he just got from Lime one day would turn out to be useful…
After eating at the canteen, they returned to the main buildings to prepare for the afternoon lessons. There aren’t many students who stay at school at noon, but Lime stayed for convenience, and Cyan stayed because Lime told him to.
“Ok, let’s go.” Lime just walked out of the toilet.
“Hmm…” Cyan looked around. “Lime…”
“Wha-” Cyan grabbed Lime’s arm and took him somewhere.
“There aren’t many people in this place. Lime… I… Want to do this…” Cyan blushed. “For the past, you are the one making my life better, so I should like… compensate you for something…”
“You… Ah, I understand. But you are going to do it at school?” Lime grinned, knew exactly what Cyan wanted.
“Well… yes… I mean, we don’t have to.”
“Silly, do it.” Lime pointed at his lips.
“You being that serious?” Cyan felt like he had been swapped with Lime, acting like how Lime used to engage with him.
“Don’t you want to taste how my lips taste like~?” Lime suspiciously smirked.
“God, you are disgusting!” Cyan kept denying doing it.
“If you don’t want to do it, then I will leave.” Lime was going to walk away, but Cyan pinched his shirt.
“Fine.” Cyan wrapped Lime’s body and slowly lowered his head. Lime also knew what he needed to do. He tried to stand taller to match Cyan. In fact, Lime was 15cm shorter than him. Lime grabbed Cyan’s shirt collar, pushed himself closer, and closed his eyes. Just like that, they kissed. Their lips synced, pressed against each other softly. Cyan wrapped Lime’s body tighter. He felt so satisfied, just like they were blended into this moment of love. It only happened within a minute, but it felt so long. Lime slowly pulled himself away. When they finally decided to stop, their face reddened.
“I didn’t know you craved to kiss me that much.” Lime smiled sharply.
“Shut up.” Cyan turned his face away.
“How do you feel?” Lime poked Cyan’s face.
“I feel like…” He lifted Lime’s body.
“WHOA!” Lime was flabbergasted. His face slammed into Cyan’s chest.
“I will bring you to your class like this, ok?” Cyan smirked.
“You look like a prince carrying a princess…” Lime was pleased.
“You are my treasure anyway.” Cyan proceeded to carry Lime to his class.
They thought the day they could truly express their love freely would be successful, but not far from the romantic scene they had just finished, a phone camera silently captured the moment…
Later that night, Lime couldn’t stop rolling on his bed. His first kiss will forever be engraved in his mind. The way Cyan treated him made Lime wish he were his partner forever.
“Gosh… you are so stupid… I want to kiss again…”
Not that far, Cyan was talking with Turquoise.
“I see you smiled the entire afternoon. What happened?” Turquoise interested. “Usually, you weren’t happy like that for that long.”
“Erm…” Cyan tried to come up with a different answer. “Something life-changing happened.”
“Just won a competition?”
“No. Hehe…”
“Just tell me already.” His brother was disappointed. “Whatever, it’s late now. Go to sleep.”
“Ok.”
As the night began to fade away, the sun brought color to the world again. Lime was walking to school as usual. However, he saw many people pointing at him and whispering. He felt like he was the center of attraction of the school. The same also happened to Cyan. When Cyan asked, none of them replied. On the other hand, Lime asked Euclase what just happened.
“Hey, bro, why did people look at me like that?” He pointed around. “Am I being dangerous to society or something?”
“NOT THAT!” Euclase showed him something from his phone. “READ THIS POST FROM THE SCHOOL FORUM PAGE.”
“What’s tha-” “‘HIGH RANKED SPORTSMAN CAUGHT KISSING WITH A GUY’?!” Lime was completely shocked; his hand shook from such breaking news. He confidently believed no one else was present when they kissed, yet it was leaked to the public. “Oh fuck… I’m fucking screwed.” Lime embarrassingly put the phone on Euclase’s table.
“Anything to explain-”
“SHUT UP!” Lime got mad.
“That’s straight up rude, bro.” He criticized.
“I- I didn’t mean to yell at you-” Lime quickly apologized.
“To be honest, I can’t really help you, so… I hope you won’t hate me.”
“I will deal with this all by myself.” Lime messaged Cyan something.
After the whole messed-up morning, Lime finally broke free from chaos at home.
“Hi, Mom.” Lime, who looked distressed, immediately ran to the upper floor without waiting for his mom to respond. He sat on the bed, regretting what he did yesterday.
“It’s all of his fault… He was the one who fucking suggested it.” He looked at the picture he took together with Cyan. Oh, the great days, Lime wished it could have gone peacefully, but just like any other relationship, there are obstacles. He wasn’t prepared that it could happen, but now he has to solve it alone. Lime decided to take a nap before dealing with it.
“He said he has an important matter to discuss…” Cyan was waiting at the crossroads where they had confessed their love to each other a few months ago. “Should be about that news.” Just as he mentioned, Lime, he came.
“Let’s get this straight, shall we?” Lime looked to be serious, in contrast to Cyan, who didn’t know what had happened to him.
“What…” Seeing Lime being unhappy made Cyan worry more and more.
“Can we end here?” Lime put his hand on his waist. “I’m tired of this romantic story.”
“What do you mean?”
“I SAID WE ARE NOT RELATED ANYMORE, YOU FUCKING IDIOT.” Lime angrily yelled at Cyan.
“I…” Before Cyan could react, Lime pushed him. A small van was speeding toward him, and Cyan suddenly stepped in front of the driver, preventing him from acting immediately. Just as Lime noticed a van, he pulled Cyan back to the safe lane, but due to inertia, Cyan unfortunately fell and was hit by the van. The van stopped, but Cyan had already seen the horror happening right in front of his eyes.
“LIME!!!” Cyan screamed in pain. He quickly ran toward the scene and saw his friend being unresponsive, face covered in blood, and various injuries across the body. He is still alive, but in a critical state.
“CALL THE AMBULANCE!” Cyan told the driver, who was still stunned at what he had just done.
“O-ok!” He quickly pulled out his phone.
“Lime, don’t give up, rescue is coming!” He teared.
“C-cyan…” Lime uttered something. “I… I still… love you…” He fainted.
“I…” Cyan wiped the tear. “You can do it!” The ambulance came. While in the ambulance, Cyan called Lime’s parents using Lime’s phone, for which he already knew the password.
At the local hospital, his parents, Turquoise, and some of his friends were waiting in front of the emergency room.
“Son…” Lime’s mother teared up. His dad tried to calm her down.
“I hope he will be safe…” Lime’s class leader, Almagra, talked to Euclase.
The nurses and Cyan came, quickly pushed the bed to the emergency room.
“You can do it.” Cyan repeated to Lime multiple times.
As he saw the bed go into the room, Cyan gave a deep breath. But before he could rest, another trouble came. A nurse ran from the room and called the doctor.
“We don’t have enough extra blood for the surgery!” She worried. Although Lime didn’t get his head hit first, he lost so much blood that it could be fatal.
“We can’t wait any longer.” The doctor sadly responded.
Suddenly, Cyan told them something.
“Doctor, you can use my blood. We have the same blood type.”
Everyone else was shocked and turned to Cyan. Meanwhile, Lime was in bed with an oxygen supply. He tried to open one of his eyes and looked at Cyan, who had just made such a statement.
“Cyan…”
“You sure?!” Turquoise asked seriously.
“I’m sure.” Cyan nodded.
“Then follow me.” The nurse instructed Cyan.
The surgery began. While everyone was waiting for the result, Cyan looked at the bandaged part of his arm that he had just used to do a blood transfusion, hoping everything would go well.
The next morning…
“Uh…” Lime finally woke. “Ouch…” He felt the pain from yesterday's accident. He saw his arms and his head got bandaged, and his right leg was cast. At least he knew that he survived. “Is that…” He looked at Cyan, who fell asleep next to his bed.
“You…”
Shortly after that, Turquoise walked in, being sincere to him. “You see that?” Turquoise told Lime what Cyan had done, crossing his arms. “He just gave you 500cc of his blood yesterday, and looked after you the entire night. Remember to thank him when he wakes up.” Turquoise walked away, not forgetting to look at the couple again.
“I…” Lime turned to his boyfriend, looking at the bandaged part on his arm. “You are really tired now, right?” Right after Turquoise walked out, Almagra walked in.
“Lime, you know about the news yesterday, right?”
“Yeah.” He frowned.
“I already discussed it with the school council, and we already told the uploader to delete that post and make an apology, so don’t worry about it anymore.” Almagra patted Lime’s shoulder.
“Who did that?” Lime asked.
“Apparently, it was one of the members in your club.” She showed him the photo as proof.
“I saw them before!” Exactly, that was the same person who introduced Lime to the club. Because he was jealous of how much Lime had accomplished, and after learning that Lime and Cyan had a secret relationship, he decided to use it to harass them.
“That liar…” Lime got quite angry. “But thanks for resolving it, I totally appreciated it.” Lime shook her hand.
“It’s my duty. You are fortunate that the accident occurred months before the graduation exam. Though you can’t go to school for a while…” She was thinking of a way to help Lime. “I will record the lessons and homework for you to do, alright? Your arm didn’t get injured anyway.”
“Aww… I thought I didn’t have to do homework…”
“Study is important…” She smiled. “I have to go now, see you later.” She gently closed the door.
“Hmm…” Lime looked outside at the clear blue sky. He felt refreshed, yet there are matter he want to resolve, mainly with the one who took care of him the most, who is sleeping right now.
Suddenly, Cyan yawned. He finally woke up after a tiring and stressful yesterday. He saw that Lime had already woken up.
“Are you ok now?” Cyan stood next to Lime.
“I’m alright now, thanks.” Lime nodded. “Cyan…”
“I mean… we can break up if you want to.” Cyan’s eyes cast down. “We can be friends like before. It’s my fault that you became like that…” He sat down and lifted Lime’s arm lightly.
“You silly…” Lime patted Cyan’s shoulder. “I had some indecisive thoughts, so this is the punishment I have.”
“So… you forgive me?” Cyan was about to tear, but Lime dragged his head close to him and kissed his cheek. Cyan missed this feeling so much, the feeling of someone you love expressing how much they care about you. Lime never wants to be separated from Cyan because everything happened suddenly, and he has experience dealing with it.
“I…” Cyan glanced at Lime, who was pressing his lips on Cyan’s cheek. He slowly moved his lips out.
“Without you, I would already be dead!” Lime grinned. They smiled at each other, and the conflict was resolved in peace. It was this precious moment that they could share how they feel together. They slowly moved closer to each other, their lips were about to touch each other…
“LIME!” Euclase broke in, saw that Lime and Cyan were about to kiss. “I…” He was unresponsive. The lovebirds blushed. “Well… you two can do your thing together, I will come later…” He lightly closed the door.
“As I said, you are the treasure I must protect…” Cyan swept Lime’s face lightly.
“And I will try to make your life better…” Lime looked at Cyan. Next to Lime’s bed was a pot of sunflowers that Cyan had put last night, after performing a blood transfusion. In hanakotoba (Japanese language of flowers), it meant respect, passionate love, and radiance. Since the sunflower always points at the sun, it felt like he hoped their relationship would always be brilliant, stand strong, and never wilt.
After more than a month of recovery, with the help of his boyfriend and classmates, Lime finally managed to walk freely and go to school again, though he can’t compete in any running events for several more months. They have been working hard together, helping each other study, which has resulted in their graduation exam going well, and both have managed to enroll at their desired university. Although they study in different places, they still always keep in contact. Cyan also studied at the same university as Red, an aspiring artist who later became a friend in their group.
“Hey, why do you keep putting that armband?” Red and Cyan was drinking in a coffee shop, since Cyan needed help from the other one.
“I take it off during tests, but well…” He looked at the blue armband. “It’s because my partner…”
“You had a girlfriend?” Red surprised.
“No!” Cyan giggled. That armband was covering the spot he did blood transfusion a year ago. It will remain there as a proof that he have saved someone’s life.
On the other hand, Lime went back to his apartment he rented. He took his backpack and hung his jacket. He took out his cap while standing in front of a mirror, revealing a scar on his forehead.
“Without you, I couldn’t see it…” It will stay there as a proof that he has survived an accident and that his partner saved him.
Eventually, they graduated from university and decided to live together.
Back to present time…
“Yeah, I know that was an amazing story, right?” Cyan felt refreshed after revising old stories with his boyfriend.
“I couldn’t imagine how my life would be without you…” Lime looked up Cyan. He was still laying his head on Cyan’s thighs.
“I’m pretty sure everyone we know recognized our status, even your parents. So…” He looked outside. The rain started to weaken.
“You know what…” Lime pulled Cyan’s head and make their lips touched each other before his partner could react. They kissed again, but this time felt different. The settings and after a reminiscent of their past made them feel that their love is priceless. Cyan doesn’t want to let go of his lips, but Lime did.
“That’s what you did back when you were in the hospital!” They blushed.
“Hehe…” Lime giggled. “Now I think about that…” He stared at Cyan. “Can we be together forever?” He wrapped Cyan’s hand in his palm.
“S-sure!” Cyan agreed in shyness.
“Come on, where’s my bravery Cyan~?” Lime grinned.
“I…” Cyan scratched his head.
The rain finally stopped, bringing back the blue sky. There were many flower pots outside Cyan’s home. Dew droplets stuck on the leaves and flowers, including the sunflower. And only Lime could know that the sunflower is Cyan’s favorite plant, since that represent their relationship, a never wilt relationship.
The day after...
“Oh, they will be married?” Uki showed his phone to Lemon. Apparently, after that day, Lime and Cyan decided to reveal their plan on the Algicosathlon chat group. Most of the contestants were surprised.
“These gay scares me, man…” Lemon jokingly laughed.
“You too…” Uki pointed at Lemon.
“I’m not marrying a stupid bird like you!” Lemon softly punched Uki’s stomach.
“Bitch.” Uki squinted, being unhappy.
Meanwhile, the remainings that weren’t surprised by the news, Azure and Red.
“I knew they would do it.” Azure was at Red’s home playing games. He looked a bit angry, though.
“Uhh…” Red brought a cup of water. “Why are you looking uncomfortable like that? You are literally beating the other team.”
“Because…” He turned at Red. “I THOUGHT WE WOULD BE THE ONES WHO WOULD MARRY BEFORE THEM!!” Azure yelled at Red, which made the other one splash the cup of water on Azure’s face.
“You dumbass…” Azure put his controller down and looked at Red furiously.
“Oops, sorry!” Red chuckled. “Why am I acting like Lime now..? Well, I think I know why Cyan hid me when I asked about that now...”