Chapter Text
“Another thought,” Hayasaka whispered as he stared into the sky, dim stars barely shining through the haze. He pressed his cheek against the cold window, the faint clicking of his lenses accompanying the bustling streets below, cars honking endlessly, shop advertisement signs flashing from the tacky parts of the city. His gaze drifted further down as faint snow fell from above, slowly piling into soft, powdery heaps along the area.
Eventually, Hayasaka collapsed back onto his creaking couch, his back slumped as he stared at the dark floor beneath him. Yet again, he was alone on another Christmas Day. Normally, people would be going out with friends, couples sharing their first Christmas kiss or simply hanging out together, but for Hayasaka? He was going to stay home, like always, work on his damn laptop (which was on the verge of breaking under the weight of its files), and drink cheap beer to feel better about himself.
He slipped back into his endless cycle of pain, the clicking of each laptop key echoing in his head like a horrible hymn. His greyish-blue eyes scanned the screen as his glasses slowly slid off the bridge of his nose. Every so often, he averted his gaze to his phone resting on the coffee table beside him, the screen flickering with light. After a while, it began to annoy the poor office worker, so he quickly snatched his phone, shoved the laptop off his thighs without care, and curled into the corner of the couch, clutching a pillow close to his chest.
There, he watched messages appear in the group chat titled ‘ASUNARO LOSERS’ (a group he hadn’t named and certainly hadn’t agreed to join, having been added without warning).
His finger glided across the screen as he read through the suggestions people were tossing around, a few catching his attention more than the rest.
“A drinking session for lonely people this Christmas? - Emiri Harai.”
“That’s not funny, Emiri… but seriously, we’re hosting a session this Christmas. Drinks are on us. - Michiru Namida.”
He stared at the messages in silence, pondering. Technically, he could go but he already knew Emiri and Michiru would spend the entire night flirting with each other. In fact, the whole drinking session would probably revolve around romance and personal attacks, so with that in mind, he quietly pressed the downvote button before reopening his laptop.
Wait…romance?
Why was Hayasaka thinking about romance, of all things, instead of getting drunk or stuffing himself with food?
There was only one answer: he longed for it. In all his years of life, he had never truly understood what a romantic relationship felt like…at least, not for himself. It wasn’t that he hated people; it was simply that he couldn’t be a proper boyfriend without stuttering, messing things up, or becoming an anxious wreck. For a long time, he’d believed he would never find what he was looking for.
Not until he met him, the one who changed his blurred vision, and perhaps even his life.
That dark-skinned man, with eccentric, vibrant blue hair and bright, shining pink eyes…he could never forget him.
A sudden knock echoed through Hayasaka’s apartment, snapping him out of his daze. He blinked rapidly, staring at the door. Who could be here at this hour? Emiri, trying to drag him out of his hellhole? Or perhaps Michiru, politely convincing him to join them?
But no, it was neither of them. He released the chain lock and turned the handle with a click.
“…Yo, Hayasaka.” A rough, low voice greeted him as Naomichi Kurumada leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. He wore a dark blue bomber jacket trimmed with fluffy fur along the collar and hood, his iconic black tank top visible beneath it. Instead of his usual orange pants, however, he wore a pair of grey joggers.
“K-Kurumada… good evening,” Hayasaka mumbled, pulling his light blue cardigan closer around himself. He awkwardly scratched one leg against the other, arms folded tightly. They stared at each other in a stretch of awkward silence. Finally, Kurumada exhaled, scratching the back of his neck, his expression unusually nervous.
“…So, uh. Are you free this Christmas?” he muttered, eyes deliberately avoiding Hayasaka’s. “…Um…” Hayasaka glanced side to side, anxiety flickering across his face, before breaking into a soft grin. He chuckled quietly.
“W-Well, what do you think, hm?” he laughed a little louder, tilting his head with an endearing sweetness Kurumada hadn’t expected. The dark-skinned man froze, staring at the office worker who suddenly looked unbearably cute. Heat rushed to his face, a reddish tint spreading across his cheeks as his eye twitched.
“Ugh, don’t tease me, dumbass!” Kurumada snapped, swatting Hayasaka’s arm with playful force. Hayasaka only laughed harder.
“But seriously, I don’t have any plans this time around. Is something… up?” the brown-haired man asked, raising an eyebrow as he studied Kurumada’s face.
“Oh… uh… I was wondering if…” Kurumada paused, struggling to find the right words, his gaze flickering anywhere but Hayasaka’s eyes.
“…If you wanted to go out. For Christmas, that is. My treat, of course,” he blurted out, coughing loudly in an attempt to mask his wavering voice.
For a moment, the world fell silent.
Hayasaka froze, slowly uncrossing his arms and standing up straighter as his eyes widened in surprise.
”E-Eh? Wait… are you serious?” he whispered, blinking rapidly as his pale skin flushed a vivid scarlet.
“Yeah, of course, idiot. Are you coming or not?” Kurumada huffed, arms crossing even tighter as he rolled his eyes.
“I-uhh… um…” Hayasaka rubbed the back of his head, completely still. He didn’t know what to say, it was all so sudden. But at that moment, he made his choice.
Abandoning his usual nervousness, warmth filled his voice as his eyes softened. He smiled wider, his glasses catching the cold moonlight.
“…Sure. I’ll join you.” Kurumada grinned back, a smug smile tugging at his lips as he let out a quiet laugh, clearly amused by Hayasaka’s unexpected confidence.
Yet again, it wasn’t a lonely Christmas.