「CHAPTER 3」
He thought it was proper to receive an OK from Hatori for the storyboard
corrections before he started drawing the comic scenes. Ever since he saw the dispute
between Hatori and Yanase, Yoshino could not think straight for his head was full of
thoughts. He did not have much spare time like always, so he had to hurry. But the only
thing he thought about was what he had witnessed.
However, time did not wait for him. Before long he will be facing the deadline, so
Yoshino set to work - drawing manga - and called his assistants to help finish the rough
draft. Usually, while Yoshino did the inking, they drew things like the backgrounds,
minor characters, and flowers. Naturally, Yanase also came; but somehow the event from
the other day worried Yoshino and he could not make eye contact with him.
There's no way I can just tell him I saw that... and I can't just bluntly ask him
about it either.....
It was their business. It had nothing to do with him. If he was so anxious to talk
about it, he should probably start on a casual note, but at any rate there was no use in
being so anxious.
Why am I so shocked?
Was it the fact that his childhood friend and his friend from middle school were
gay? The fact that the person Hatori liked was Yuu? The fact that they kept it a secret
from him? Or was he disappointed at knowing he was an outsider? Yoshino was in
distress, as he did not fully understand his own feelings about it.
“ — ki . . .Chiaki!”
“Wha—? What?”
“Not 'what'! I said I finished the backgrounds so can you check it for me?”
“Ah, sorry. Um... It's fine.” He glanced at the manuscript held out before him and
gave the OK. Even if he did not check it, Yanase was skilled with art, so it was
impossible for Yoshino to complain. Yoshino trusted him, so it was fine even if Yanase
never showed it to him; but since this was work, Yanase always asked him to check it.
“What should I do with it?”
“It'll be good if you do a daytime-like scene.”
“Jeez. Your instructions are so unclear as usual.”
“That's cause you're Yuu, so you draw exactly what I expect.”
“Can I take it that you trust me then?”
“Of course. How many years do you think we've known each other?”
While Yoshino gazed at Yanase returning to his desk, he was relieved he could
talk to him like usual.
The person Tori likes......
Yoshino felt a change in his heart as he realized this person, who was so close to
him, would not tell him anything no matter how persistent he was in asking him. Then
another assistant came up to him calling out nervously.
“Um......Sir, I finished the toning.”
“Huh? Really? How surprising... I didn't get much done with the inking...”
He searched for another page he could give, but all of them where unfinished. On
top of that, he had been so busy thinking that he had done only half the usual amount of
work he always did.
“Hmm... Well then, I'm sorry but that's it for today. I'll finish the inking by
tomorrow.”
“Okay. Don't slack. Please hurry up with it.”
He always made his regular assistants help him with his terrible progress until
they had reached their breaking point, so he could not talk back to them.
“I'm sorry you had to come all the way here. Oh, you can go home too, Yuu,”
Yoshino said, feeling ashamed, and showed the assistants out.
“See you tomorrow Sir.”
“Work hard!”
He watched the assistants leave as they said their goodbyes, and when he returned
to the living room, for some reason, only Yanase had stayed behind. As he was thinking
if there was something wrong, before he could ask Yanase, he was asked instead.
“Is something wrong?”
“Huh? What?”
“Did something happen with Hatori?”
“T-Tori? N-No! Not really.”
All of a sudden, Hatori's name popped up and Yoshino changed his tone of voice
accidentally.
I'm definitely under suspicion now......
He searched for the words that would somehow avoid the suspicion, but could not
say anything at the moment. Yanase had his usual surly expression and sullenly
questioned nervous Yoshino further.
“......Did Hatori say anything about me?”
“Huh!? Wha- wha- what? About what?”
“...... No, nevermind......” Yanase avoided the flustered Yoshino's question. Then
he briefly said, “See ya tomorrow” and slipped out the front door like a stray cat.
“Wha... What?”
Yoshino sadly muttered to himself as he was left behind in confusion. Yanase's
attitude indicated the two might have started dating each other. Otherwise Yanase would
not have suddenly asked “Did he say anything about me?”. It was only natural that both
of them could not tell Yoshino, their friend. Perhaps they were not sure which one of
them should tell Yoshino that they were dating.
Oh... What's this feeling...?
He felt depression for the first time. Then, somehow a feeling of uncertainness
welled up inside him. But maybe they did not mean to leave him in the dark and did care
for him. Maybe since the three of them had been together for a long time they did not
know how to tell him.
“But, somehow that's too distant....... Why won't they tell me?”
It was like they were a single existence — Hatori could tell anything to Yoshino.
That is why this time Yoshino thought Hatori would open his heart to him again.
However, that was probably just Yoshino being conceited. Perhaps he was full of himself
and narrow-minded. In the past, Hatori had told him everything: about his family, his
career paths, and his relationships. Hatori was overly serious and stubborn, but he was the
one who decided Yoshino should debut as a manga artist. At that time, Yoshino was not
sure whether to drop out of university and become a full time manga artist but Hatori told
him, ‘If you ever end up on the streets, I'll take care of you’ and pushed him to pursue his
dreams. Of course, Yoshino knew Hatori was only exaggerating in order to encourage
him, but when he found out Hatori, who always thought indifferently about Yoshino's
talk of following his dreams, was willing to help him, he was touched.
“AUGH! Stop! Stop! I have work to do right now! The manuscript!!”
He sat down at his desk, thinking he would get rid of the strange thoughts and
wildly began drawing. Nevertheless, thoughts about Hatori would not leave his head, but
nonetheless he progressed with the inking unusually fast. The whole day he had been
falling behind and now he immediately regained energy.
“Shit! Why does only that guy's face pop into my head......?”
That serious expression that never changed; for some reason Hatori's stony face
would not disappear from Yoshino's mind. Thinking to shake off his confusion and
embarrassment, Yoshino violently shook his head from left to right when all of a sudden
the telephone rang.
“Wah! Yes, hello?”
While thinking who in the world is this person to call at such a bad time, he
braced himself, picked up the phone, and felt like taking out his anger by responding in a
rude tone.
“It's me. How is everything?”
“T- Tori!?”
Exactly then, it seemed like his heart jumped out from his mouth since the call
was from exactly the person who was causing him to be troubled. Yoshino regretted that
he did not answer the phone after checking the name displayed on the telephone display
screen.
“S- so far everything is going well, I think. Rather, I feel on top of things?”
...Seriously, I'm such an idiot! It's not going well at all!!
He was trying to pretend to be calm so that his trembling would not be noticed;
but because he was worrying, he told completely the wrong information. Yoshino fully
realized it was not good to pretend to be okay and he sighed deeply within himself at how
stupid he was.
“......All right. I guess for now I will proceed with the usual intended printing
deadline.”
“What the hell? Didn't I say everything is going well!?”
Annoyed with the words that were beginning to criticize him, Yoshino was on the
verge of flaring up at Hatori. He lied and it was contradictory of him, but he was
offended Hatori did not have confidence in him when he informed him that everything
was okay. Even though his bragging was seen through, Yoshino stuck to it like a child
and could not stop himself from continuing to speak in that way.
“I-I said I'm okay, so I'm okay!”
“Don't get cocky!!”
“......!” Being yelled at unconsciously brought Yoshino to be at a loss for words.
“The pace of your work is inconsistent. Even if you are doing good at first, after
that you will be stuck, won't you?.”
“...Yes.”
He finally succumbed to the words that continued to fire at him, and helplessly
nodded his head in agreement. Hatori's words were reasonable. There were no cases
showing cockiness bringing about good results. While bearing that in mind, Yoshino
would improve the progress of the manuscript from now on and fix his pretentious
behavior that was inside his head; then all of a sudden he realized.
I'm talking to Tori normally right now, aren't I?
While he was talking, he began to calm down and now it seemed like he could
have a natural conversation. Yoshino realized this and for the moment was relieved. Even
if Hatori was keeping a secret, Yoshino did not want to have strained relations with him.
“Well then, do your best.”
“Yes. Leave it to me.”
He felt the fog in his head clear away a little and this time he said it from the
bottom of his heart as he was filled with pride to draw the best manga. He should flow
along with his pace; not have his mood of a moment lead him astray from his work.
Yoshino warned himself of that and was about to hang up the phone but the silence at the
other end of the line somehow worried him. Whenever he said, ‘Leave it to me,’ the
phrase ‘Don't flatter yourself” were certainly supposed to be the harsh words returned to
him.
“Tori?”
“. . . . . “
What is it...?
He did not know why, but he had a feeling that Hatori was hesitating to say
something.
“What's wrong? Are you worried about something?”
The OK for the storyboard was in effect. But, there were things to be fixed in
order to adjust the dialogue in progress, so Yoshino thought this time he would have a
conversation like that again. However, the words, which came out of Hatori’s mouth,
seemed to dig up Yoshino's worries.
“. . . .Yanase said you were acting strange.”
“Yuu...?”
“Yeah. I was told that a while ago when I got in touch with him. Did something
happen?”
“Uh...” He was shocked. If Hatori says a while ago, then it meant Yanase told him
right after he left Yoshino's home. Yanase's behavior was also peculiar, but his own
attitude, trembling at all sorts of things, was probably without doubt strange. However,
more important than that was how shocked he was at the fact that the first thing Yanase
did was contact Hatori and to tell him that.
“I'm - I'm completely calm. I'm not acting strange!” Yoshino desperately
pretended that it was nothing.
He absolutely could not talk about those things he saw happen with Hatori and
Yanase. Until he was told by Hatori and Yanase themselves about what was going on
with them, however much he was questioned, he made up his mind to be silent on this
matter.
“I see......” And yet, even if Yoshino's attitude was like that, all Hatori did was
mutter this. If Yoshino's behavior was even a little bit strange, the usual Hatori would
persistently ask the reason for it and would to try to get rid of the source of the problem.
Nevertheless, Yoshino thought that something was odd.
“......Yanase didn't say anything?”
“Huh...?”
His heart gave a huge leap and for an instant darkness shrouded his eyes.
If I remember correctly, didn't Yanase also ask me something similar?: '......Did
He did not have any will power to fight anymore. As Yoshino abandoned his tired
body on the sofa, Hatori tried to hold him. Although Hatori forcefully violated him, his
heart ached that Hatori was holding him like a treasure. His eyes turned hot and the
moment he blinked, a single tear spilled out.
“......I'm sorry,” Hatori finally breathed out a small apology.
“...Tori, aah... haa—!!”
Yoshino had no time to respond to him, since the next moment their intertwined
bodies began to shake violently. His rubbed insides were hot and his voice came out of
control from the strong pressure and vibration coming inside him.
“Ow... Ah...ah! Ah...!”
It was painful, but that was not all; he felt another feeling intermixed with it. As
the desire roughly bore repeatedly into his body, Yoshino gradually lost all sense of
reality.
“...Ah...Oh—Aaah...!!”
Yoshino sobbed from this violent act. Both his head and his body were a mess.
Just like the violent creaking of the sofa, his body was also probably going to break.
Within Yoshino's still clouded head, this is what he thought of:
If I were destroyed into pieces, I wouldn't have to feel anything......
As he was losing consciousness he saw Hatori's face. For some reason his face
was more wretched than Yoshino's. Even though he was the one inflicting pain upon
Yoshino, Yoshino wondered why he was making such a face.
......Don't make such a face, like you're about to cry......
Although a very terrible thing was happening to him, Yoshino wanted Hatori to
comfort him in any way, since this was a habit of his.
“Haa, ah...aah......!”
However, it was only natural that he was at his limit. He definitely could no
longer maintain his consciousness. As he felt his thoughts diminishing, his eyelids
lowered. Then, Hatori's tiny whisper reached his ears just as his consciousness came to an
end.
“. . . I . . . have always loved you.”
......Why are you saying that......? I seriously don't understand......
Why did he do such a thing to him? Why did he say such a thing to him? And
Yoshino also did not understand his own heart.
“. . . I . . .”
The words he wanted to say were swallowed up within his fading consciousness.
And faintly hearing his own continuous breathing was Yoshino's last memory of that day.
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