#era and the question of whether we leave it behind or continue to spiral deeper into it...

[missblanchette]

Rumor Has It [5/10]

Series: Hypnosis Mic

Characters: Izanami Hifumi/Yumeno Gentaro

Rating: T

Summary: Thousands of hearts broke that day. With tears shed and cries resounding to the heavens, each grief-stricken woman wondered how this could possibly happen. In the year 20XX of the H. Era, Matenrou’s MC GIGOLO and Fling Posse’s MC Phantom were officially in a relationship.

Except they weren’t, actually.

Notes: As of posting this, the name of Gentaro’s friend has yet to be revealed so I’ve chosen the name “Atsushi” for him. Please see the end notes on AO3 for further explanation + some other minor notes!

Words: 5,145

ko-fi // Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | You can read this on AO3! Thank you muchly for reading~! Hope you guys enjoy~! ( ﾟ▽ﾟ)/

Ch. 5: Spring Fling

"What do you think of this?"

Gentaro's voice bounced off the white walls, the levity within it yet another one of his lies. His reply, as usual, was the beeping of the heart monitor. By know he should've known not to hope for anything more, but he bit back the well-acquainted feeling of disappointment and read aloud:

"Though neither the moon nor the stars could be seen, the neon lights shone on his figure. Even before I could see him, there was not a doubt in my heart it was you. Amidst the lights blurring in my vision was a roguish smile with a youthful hint..."

Hardly half way through the passage, he trailed off and pursed his lips. The heart monitor beeps questioned his pause.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Gentaro muttered, making a note to rewrite this part for the umpteenth time. Setting his pen down, he rested his chin upon his palm as he gazed at Atsushi -- his unconscious figure a sight he'd long grown accustomed to, but a sight he refused to accept.

With his manuscript and a box of Atsushi's favorite strawberries, Gentaro had came to Shibuya Central Hospital bright and early in order to make up for the day he had missed -- had been turned away, rather, due to some complications in Atsushi's health. Or so the nurses had said, but he'd learned long ago that questioning them was useless. Barred from the one confidant he trusted the most, he'd contacted Yamada Ichiro again and visited the source of his guilt in hopes of clearing his mind. Irony of ironies, it seemed that the day spent with Izanami Hifumi only muddled it further. It didn't help that pictures of him leaving Hifumi’s apartment had surfaced on the internet, God knew how.

An amused lilt filled the heart monitor beeps, as Gentaro heard it; confidant Atsushi might've been, but his best friend he was first and foremost. Even if that included being a tease.

Gentaro rolled his eyes as if hearing a verbal reply. "It's merely a case of writer's block, unfortunate as it is."

The beeps chuckled at him but he chose not to respond to it. Instead, he took a strawberry and leaned in closer to Atsushi. Though the box was much too big for him to finish himself, he always ate for the both of them.

"Must you have such expensive taste?" Gentaro asked Atsushi with a feigned annoyance, rolling the strawberry in between his fingers. One day spent with him wasn't enough to spoil years’ worth of memories, but the odds of Hifumi having the same preferences as Atsushi must had been abysmally low. It was like the gods were playing some sort of joke on him, a kind of cosmic karma for being a serial liar.

The heart monitor replied with another laugh; a cheeky smile, he imagined, on Atsushi's face. He huffed and ate his strawberry, not sure as to whether or not he should blame himself for the direction this conversation was heading. Deciding not to dwell on it any longer than needed, Gentaro returned to his manuscript though he knew progress was futile. He twirled his pen, staring at words already written and blank pages begging to be written in. To his side, the heart monitor sang encouragements -- a pretty thought it was, as per Gentaro's wishful thinking.

As stifling as the hospital room was, the unconscious figure lying within it served as his inspiration. The process went much easier when Atsushi could talk with his own voice, though, and not with the cold beeps that replaced his soft cadence. His first novel had started as a nonsensical tale to entertain Atsushi during dreary days, but he’d completed it after he'd fallen into his deep slumber; the second one he'd written while clutching onto the sparks of inspiration he had left behind; the third, he'd finished due to the deadline looming over head; this time, the spark of creativity had begun to fizzle out. Perhaps if Atsushi was still conscious, the words would flow easier. Perhaps if Atsushi was still awake, defeat wouldn't have stung so badly. Perhaps if Atsushi was still by his side, he'd know how to handle the conflicting feelings bursting inside him. Perhaps --

Perhaps he needed a Goddamn break.

Gentaro sighed, finishing the last of the strawberries and cleaning the table he'd been sitting at.

"I'm sorry that I can't stay longer," Gentaro said, apology genuine. Half the day was already gone, and he hadn't accomplished a single thing. At the very least, he shouldn't neglect his home and leave the household chores unattended. Gathering his belongings, he gave Atsushi a sad smile. "I promise I'll have my manuscript done next time we meet. Hopefully you'll enjoy it. You've always been taken with the night life, haven't you?"

The heart monitor cheered its excitement, though Gentaro's smile fell little by little. He ran his fingers through Atsushi's hair, brushing his bangs from his eyes. Odd was it to see his hair matching his own length. Atsushi preferred to keep it short since he said it was a hassle to have it constantly in the way. Never mind that he played with Gentaro's locks when he could, within those moments of tranquility between them. It felt like ages since he'd last seen the crinkle of his dark brown eyes.

"I'll see you," Gentaro said softly, taking Atsushi's hand and running his thumb across his knuckles. His hand was as cold as the room he was in, the warmth having left long ago with his light. Gaze lingering on the slow rise and fall of Atsushi's chest -- the sole sign that he was still alive -- he finally tore himself away from his side.

Seeing him off, Atsushi's heart monitor bade Gentaro goodbye.

No matter how many times he left Atsushi, it grew harder and harder with every visit -- especially when he came to him as a loser instead of a victor. Standing outside of Shibuya Central, the clear skies that hung overhead and the temperate winds that breezed by reminded him of the day they'd met. Spring was said to herald new beginnings, but it brought him overwhelming bouts of nostalgia every year. Before the feeling spiraled deeper and deeper, Gentaro shook himself out of his thoughts and began his trek home. Were it up to him, he'd spend the entire day at Atsushi's side, but he knew he would be disappointed in him if he dropped everything for him. For his sake, he continued his work; for his sake, he carried on forward.

But as such, there were some obstacles in the way.

"Hey! Yumenon!"

Gentaro's steps faltered to a stop, scanning the crowds of Shibuya for the source of that strangely familiar voice. There was only one person who'd dare think about calling him "Yumenon," but he was another division away. At least, he should've been.

From across the street, his eyes landed on a man waving at him. Though a pair of Nackymade sunglasses framed his eyes and a leopard-print medical mask covered his face, the blond and lime hair sticking out of his ball cap undoubtedly belonged to Izanami Hifumi. Bemused, Gentaro raised a hand in reply, standing in place as Hifumi jogged up to him.

"I didn't think I'd run into you here, Yumenon!"

"How funny, Izanami-san. For once we're thinking the same thing," Gentaro mused. "What brings you to Shibuya?"

"Well~" Hifumi singsonged, the zippers of his backpack tinkling in harmony. "Doppo and Doc said I shouldn't stress my body out, right? So I decided to have some fun!"

"So far from home?"

"They don't have to know. And they won't know if I'm outside of Shinjuku Division!" Hands on his hips, he puffed his chest out like he'd solved the secrets of the universe.

"Ah. Sound logic," Gentaro said, leaving out the fact that nearly everyone in Japan knew who he was. Gossip spread faster before one could even say it.  

"Right?" Bouncing on his heels, Hifumi took his hand and rocked it back and forth. "Hey, why don't we hang out today?"

Gentaro retracted his hand from his hold, lips tugging down. "Izanami-san, I believe we should be stopping the rumors about us rather than fueling them."

"Oh yeah..." Pouting, Hifumi's shoulders sagged but his glum mood didn't last long. Gasping, he pointed a finger up. "How 'bout you wear these then?"

Without giving Gentaro the chance to question what exactly "these" were, Hifumi slapped his ball cap onto his head and shoved his sunglasses onto his face. Gentaro blinked, registering the sudden weight atop him and the dark tint of his vision. The hat sat loosely and the glasses perched lopsided as if they didn’t clash with his clothes enough already, but he made no move to remove them.

"And what about yourself? Someone is bound to notice you.”

"Um... I'll do this!" Pulling his hood up, Hifumi tugged the drawstrings of his sweatshirt so that the hood practically swallowed his face whole. Around the edges, tufts of blond hair stuck out. "See, now no one will recognize us!"

Though he couldn't see his mouth, the crinkle of Hifumi's eyes was a sure sign of a grin beneath the medical mask. Shaking his head, Gentaro's lips quirked up. He adjusted the hat and glasses, speaking with a yankii's accent.

"Ya damn right 'bout that, ain't nobody gonna mess with us lookin' like this."

"Totally yeah, we're some tough lookin' guys!" Hifumi said, with a flex of his arms and a hop in his step.

Not expecting him to follow along, Gentaro smothered his chuckle with a cough into his sleeve. "Very well then. Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"

Hifumi tapped his chin, head swaying from side to side. "Not really!"

"You mean to tell me you came all the way to Shibuya without a plan in mind?" Gentaro asked, incredulous.

"Yeppers! It was the closest division so I hopped on over here." He gasped. "Where are you going, Yumenon? I'll go with."

"No where particularly interesting," he said, technically not lying.

"Aw, boo," Hifumi whined, shaking his shoulder. "If you think it's cool, then it'll be fun! Y'know like, I invited Doc to go fishing and he was all like 'I don't know, Hifumi-kun, I've never fished before,' but now he totally loves it."

Picking Hifumi’s hand off, Gentaro let out a hum. "While Dr. Jinguji may be easily entertained, my intuition tells me we might have different definitions of 'fun.'"

"Try me!"

Despite how much of his face was covered, Hifumi was a rather expressive man. His bright irises held an excited shine and the dimples that surrounded them accented the smile Gentaro imagined underneath the mask; his body, as free and loose as his attitude.

"Then I shall," said Gentaro. Gesturing him to follow, he spoke in his yankii's lilt again. "Les' go."

The walk to Sakuragaoka-cho Street wasn't short per se, but Gentaro had gone through the path plenty of times for it to pass by quickly. With Hifumi, however, it seemed that the walk didn't last long enough. While Gentaro would usually be daydreaming as he made the trip, Hifumi gave him no opportunity to drift off into his made up worlds. From the puppies he ranked in terms of fluffiness, to the petals he counted drifting onto the ground, to the odd cracks on the sidewalks he skipped over, Hifumi chattered on just about every little thing he saw and Gentaro couldn't help but be swept up in it. Indeed, once they'd reached Sakuragaoka-cho, Gentaro's throat started to tickle from all the talking, but somehow, he found that he didn't mind.

"This is it?" Hifumi asked as Gentaro lead them to a quieter area of the street. Gentaro nodded an affirmation and the two of them took a seat near one of the sakura trees, Gentaro moving over a smidgen when their arms brushed against each others'. "Now what?"

Gentaro didn't reply immediately, scanning the people passing them by. Certainly, everyone had a tale to tell, but the ones who caught his eye first were the children standing off to the side like rocks amongst the flow of a river. Possibly no older than thirteen years old, looks of apprehension crossed their faces; the taller one pacing about and the shorter one frozen still.

"Izanami-san, what do you think of those two children over there?" he asked, pointing towards them.

Hifumi tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly as I said. Anything will suffice, simply say whatever comes to mind."

Swaying his head back and forth, Hifumi's cowlick bobbed along with the motions. "They seem kinda worried. Like maybe they're lost or something? 'Cause that kid's looking at their phone really hard."

It was as he said: in the shorter child's hand was a phone, their eyes fixated on the screen and their tongue poking out their mouth. The taller one's pacing picked up speed, their hands flying about as they ranted on.

"Yes, that may be so but don't you see why they're lost?"

“No…?” Hifumi said, brows furrowing.

Gentaro's lips quirked up. "Do you not see how uncomfortable they are? They were part of a lab experiment gone wrong that resulted in them switching bodies. Obviously, they're on the run as they no longer trust their superiors."

Gasping, Hifumi shook his shoulder. "So, so, so! So now they're trying to find a way to un-switch themselves! And that kid on the phone's trying to find a guy who can do that!"

"But that other child doesn't seem to think it's a good idea. See their face? They must think they're being tracked down by the scientists as we speak."

A hand flew to Hifumi's mouth. "And they think the guy their friend's found is probably a spy that'll turn them in!"

"Precisely. So now they're facing a bit of a dilemma: meet up with the man who claims he can help them or risk being captured."

"Oh no!" Hifumi said, hands clapping his cheeks. Before them, the children glared at one another with frowns on their faces; the air surrounding them tense as they faced off nose-to-nose. "What if they end up splitting up and something bad happens to one of them?!"

"It's certainly a trial for their friendship," Gentaro said, lips pursing as the children huffed and turned away from each other. "But..."

He trailed off, the two of them watching the stalemate between the children with bated breath. Like an episode of a drama that ended on a cliffhanger, Gentaro's mind went wild with speculation. Maybe Hifumi's prediction would prove true and the children would go their separate ways, off to face their unknown fates on their own. He, on the other hand, liked to believe in golden endings. Life was filled with enough bitterness already, after all.

"...But if the trust they have in one another is true," Gentaro continued, as the children turned back to each other with sheepish looks on their faces. "Then surely they'll find a way."

Though he couldn't hear a word they were saying, no doubt they were making amends for whatever disagreement they were having. Hand-in-hand, they smiled at one another and ran off to their destination together.

"You got that right!" Hifumi bounced in his seat, his knee knocking against his. "I hope they're able to un-switch themselves!"

The backs of the children growing smaller, Hifumi waved goodbye as if they could see him. A chuckle escaped Gentaro's lips.

"I as well."

This hobby of Gentaro's had originally started for two, but it became a solitary pass time as the years went on. Long had he grown used to being lost in his own thoughts that Gentaro had forgotten what it was like to bounce ideas with another, even if it was as juvenile as this. Though Dice praised his work, he had little insight to offer when it came to the creative process; likewise, Ramuda was more interested in what was in front of him than fleeting worlds. The only other person who'd followed his flow was trapped in his own dreams, but here Hifumi delved into his tale without question and picked up where he left off with no hesitation. Cliche as the scenario they'd written out was, it was the most fun Gentaro had creating a scene in a while.

Scanning the crowd for yet another story to spin, Gentaro pointed at the man in a business suit and neon pink hair. "How about that man over there, Izanami-san? What do you think of him?"

"Oh, him? He's, like, totally torn between being a superhero and a businessman!"

To the boy running around to test his not-so-useful invisibility powers to the couple eloping so they could support all of their magical pets together, the two of them continued weaving tales about those walking through Sakuragaoka-cho. Who knew how many people they'd seen or how many stories they'd told, but Gentaro didn't mind going on and on for the rest of the day. Sadly, the rest of the day was forced to a stop when a pair of girls blocked their sight.

"Oh my God, is that Izanami Hifumi?!"

"I think it is!"

While Gentaro's guard went up, Hifumi's vigor died out. His teeth chattered and his body trembled, cowering as he hid behind Gentaro; fingers quivering, he clutched onto the straps of his backpack. Gentaro had no chance to ask about his well-being as one of the girls pointed right at him.

"And you!" Gentaro held his breath, fearing more death threats. Fortunately, she appeared to be starstruck instead. "You're Yumeno Gentaro!"

Pulling the brim of the cap down, Gentaro spoke in his yankii's accent. "The hell's Yumeno Gentaro?"

"But your clothes are just like his!"

"Yeah, so? Ya actin' like clothes like this are one of a kind."

"Well, no, but..."

"Forgive me, dear kittens. Did I keep you waiting for long?"

Gentaro's head snapped over to see Hifumi holding his hand out to the girls. He'd pulled his hood and medical mask down to reveal impossibly perfect hair and a blinding grin, a suit jacket completing his attire. He figured that it'd been kept away in his backpack, if the haphazardly opened zippers were anything to go by. The girls, dazzled and captivated, didn't seem to care about the sudden change in Hifumi’s demeanor and squealed.

"We're big fans of you, Hifumi! We were wondering if we could take a pic with you?"

"Why, of course, darlings," he said, gesturing them closer to him. "A photo, an autograph, anything your heart desires; you name it and it shall be yours."

Giggling, the girls shoved Gentaro off and flanked Hifumi's sides. A terrible sense of deja vu crashed over Gentaro, washing away any offense he might've felt. As Hifumi and the girls snapped pictures, the women walking along Sakuragaoka-cho looked over Hifumi's way and whispered amongst themselves.

"My lovely kittens," Hifumi said to the ever growing crowd, winking as he stood up with a flourish of his hands. Gentaro's stomach dropped, memories of Chuuoku hitting like a tidal wave. "No need to be so shy. There's plenty of me to go around~"

As if he'd broken the spell of stillness, the women screamed and clamored towards Hifumi. No time to offer platitudes nor any time to quell the fervor, Gentaro had to act now. Before the crowd could suffocate them both, he grabbed Hifumi's wrist and ran off as quickly as he could.

"Wait, wasn't that Yumeno Gentaro?!"

"He just took Hifumi!"

Groaning, Gentaro mentally berated himself for his less-than-flawless course of action but he'd save his regrets for later.

"One at a time, my dears!" Hifumi called back to the women. "My love for you all knows no bounds!"

Yanking his arm, Gentaro sped up. "Hush, you!"

The streets of Shibuya became a blur, the screams of the women behind them surpassing the city's white noise. Never was he one for physical activity, Gentaro would be hard-pressed to admit, and the burn spreading throughout his legs was proof of that. Nonetheless, he pushed on. For all the death threats he received in the past month or so, nothing topped the fear of being devoured by a horde of fans.

After an eternity of running, Gentaro spotted an alleyway and dipped left. He pressed himself against the wall and slapped a hand against Hifumi's mouth, keeping a tight grip on him to prevent him from causing any more chaos. His heart drummed against his ears and he counted down the seconds as the women came and passed by like a hurricane. The noise fading away into the distance, Gentaro allowed himself to breathe.

"My dear Yumeno-sensei, there wasn't any need for interference," Hifumi said as soon as he let go of him. "I had it all under control."

"If that was having the situation 'under control,' I don't wish to know what you consider to be a disaster."

"The only disaster is that I couldn’t share my love with all those kittens today.” Hifumi laughed a hearty one at that.

Gentaro sighed as he slumped against the wall, but the sound of Hifumi's laughter was much preferable to the screams from mere moments ago. Catching his breath, he couldn't help but notice how flawless -- for lack of a better word --  Hifumi appeared to be in spite of all the running they'd done. In fact, the only sign of fatigue on his person was the sheen of sweat on his face, but even that could've been mistaken for some sort of highlighter. Indeed, the man in front of him stood tall and proud in contrast to the perky and bubbly demeanor he had earlier or the terror he displayed before the whole fiasco. He'd had his suspicions from Chuuoku and the day spent at Hifumi's apartment, but this confirmed it for sure.

"I see that story about your jacket wasn't a farce," Gentaro said, voice recovering from exhaustion. "It truly does change your personality."

"There's no reason to lie about such an integral part of me, Yumeno-sensei." Placing a hand over his chest, Hifumi continued. "You see, this jacket is the source of my confidence. As a boy, I'd experienced abuse at the hands of women and developed a terrible phobia ever since. When I turned twenty, I became a host in order to face my fears and wearing this jacket aided me in the endeavor."

To his bemusement, Hifumi had narrated his tale much like a script. Ever the storyteller, Gentaro's mind wandered about as to why he'd glossed over his trauma as if it were a minor detail, but he of all people knew that some things shouldn't be pried open.

"That's quite the leap you made in order to overcome your phobia," Gentaro said, an observation rather than an accusation. "But that does explain the discrepancies in your behavior back in Chuuoku."

"A face so pretty deserves to be treated accordingly.” Hifumi smirked, peering into his eyes.

Looking away with his chin held high, Gentaro’s stomach flipped. "I see the one thing that doesn't change is you speaking without thinking."

"I speak only the truth, Yumeno-sensei~"

With an exasperated sigh, Gentaro shook his head. "Be that as it may, there's no need for your suit jacket any longer. Come now, it's time to put it away."

"Ah, I beg to disagree," Hifumi said, adjusting his jacket with a casual tug. Despite the way he tried to play it off, there was a slight reluctance in his voice. "Who knows if we'll happen across another woman? As they say, it's better to be safe than sorry."

"And as I say, that jacket brings no safety given your gallivanting about." Gentaro’s annoyance melted away, however, when he saw the wariness in Hifumi's eyes. He'd claimed that the jacket was the source of his confidence, but it seemed that such a deep-rooted fear could even seep into such a proud persona. "Besides, I can handle the women fine."

Giving him a once over, Hifumi's grip on his jacket's lapel tightened. "Can you?"

Gentaro spoke with no hesitation. "Yes, Izanami-san. There's no reason to fear while I'm here."

Hifumi's gaze fell down to his jacket, his lips pursed tightly together. Patiently, Gentaro waited as Hifumi made his decision; the white noise of Shibuya filling his silence. After a moment, Hifumi smiled at him -- the sincerest smile he'd ever seen him wear while in his flirtatious character.

"I place my trust in you, Yumeno-sensei."

"You have my oath," Gentaro said much like a knight to his liege as he gave a small bow.

After another heartbeat, Hifumi shrugged off his suit jacket and hung it over his arm. Immediately, he slumped onto the wall and let out a strained exhale.

"Phew, I'm beat!" Wincing, Hifumi held a hand to his abdomen. "Y'know, I think Doc said something 'bout not running so much."

Gentaro frowned as Hifumi’s chewed on his lip, a wave of guilt rising up. "My apologies, Izanami-san. I'd forgotten to consider your condition when I acted."

"Psh, it's nothing," Hifumi said, waving him off. "Just feels kinda funny, is all."

"Still..."

"I said it as nothing, so it's nothing!" Perking up, Hifumi gave him a playful shove. "Besides, you were pretty cool back there!"

Gentaro raised an eyebrow. "Was I?"

"Yeah, like --" Hifumi squinted and scowled, posing in a way that Gentaro could only assume was himself back at Sakuragaoka-cho. "-- you looked so tough! And in front of all those women, too! I couldn't ever do that."

Gesturing vaguely, Gentaro shrugged. "One must do what they must, it was nothing so grand."

"I mean it though!" Hifumi said, bouncing on his heels.  

Abashed under his gaze, Gentaro cleared his throat. "Anyhow, we still have the day ahead of us. Is there anywhere else you'd like to go, Izanami-san?"

"How about --"

Before he could finish his thought, a tune blared and echoed against the alleyway walls; the melody sounding like it belonged in a nightclub.

"Whoops, totes soz, that's me!" Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Hifumi beamed as he answered the call. "Hiya, Doppo-chin~ How's it going? Oh, I'm a-okay! Yeah, I'm to~tally at home and didn't leave and -- ah..."

Though he couldn't hear the other end, the way Hifumi's face fell and the sudden increase of volume told him that the conversation took a downward turn. Equal parts pitying and equal parts amused, he watched Hifumi pout as if he was being berated by his parent. Having mercy on him, Gentaro plucked the phone from his hand.

"Hello, this is Kannonzaka, correct?"

"...and what if you got hurt again -- er, hello? Yes, this is Kannonzaka...?"

"This is Yumeno Gentaro, I'd like to apologize on Izanami-san's behalf." Seeing Hifumi's confused expression, Gentaro gave him a knowing smile. "You see, I was in need of references for my upcoming novel and I decided to ask Izanami-san for help. I took him out as thanks for his cooperation, although I should've kept in mind his health. Once again, my apologies."

"Um, I see," Doppo said, his voice returning to the anxious cadence he was more familiar with. "You don't have to apologize. I'm sorry for any trouble Hifumi caused you."

"He was no trouble at all," Gentaro lied easily.

"Ah, well... thank you for taking care of him today, Yumeno-san. Please see that he gets home safely."

"Of course, Kannonzaka."

He returned the phone to Hifumi, who gave Doppo a cheery goodbye before hanging up.

"What was that about?" he asked, lips puckering in question as he pocketed his phone.

"Consider it another form of gratitude for my life," Gentaro said, a teasing lilt to his tone. His next words, somehow, were a little harder to get out. "Although, I do believe this is where we'll have to part ways."  

Letting out a whining noise, Hifumi drooped over. "But we were having a lot of fun! I think we got some time left, like I just gotta get home before Doppo does."

Gentaro shook his head, tutting playfully. "I do believe it would give Kannonzaka peace of mind if you returned home and let him know. He seemed quite worried about you."

At that, Hifumi perked up. "Yeah, you're right! Doppo already worries 'bout a lot of things, y'know? Maybe we should take him out here some day!"

He said it as if they would be meeting again for sure, like an unspoken promise of a reunion. Certainly, Gentaro hadn't planned on seeing Hifumi today nor did he plan on seeing him again, but for some reason, he didn't bother correcting him.

"Hey, what's your email? Or like, do you have LINE?" Hifumi asked before he could respond.

"I'm afraid I've forsaken all forms of contact after the death threats I've received," Gentaro said, matter-of-factly. "In order to find some semblance of peace, I've moved to the woods."

"Oh, that sucks. Well, where's your forest? I'll send a carrier pigeon!"

Try as he might to stifle it, Gentaro huffed a laugh at Hifumi's response.

"It was a jest, Izanami-san." Taking out his phone, he opened up LINE and handed it to Hifumi. "Although I must let you know in advance that I'm a busy man, so most likely I won’t get to your messages."

"That's okay! Y'know like Doc takes for~ever to reply when he's busy and sometimes Doppo's so tired he forgets to respond," Hifumi said as he put in his contact information, not a single ounce of resentment in his tone.

Gentaro hummed in reply, feeling a bit bad for his fib then. His phone returned, he glanced at the username reading "Hifumin🐺🐺🐺" alongside the cutesy photo of Hifumi flashing a V-sign.

"I can't wait to talk with you!" Hifumi grinned, matching the one in his display picture.

More truth than lie, Gentaro said, "The feeling is mutual."

It was only after he'd gotten on the train that Gentaro realized he was still wearing Hifumi's cap and glasses, the reflection staring back at him in the window unfamiliar. Taking his phone out, he scrolled to Hifumi's name and paused, his finger hovering over it. To think, he'd be messaging him so soon when he never expected to be on civil terms with him in the first place. Setting the thought aside, he typed out his message.

He didn't wait long for a reply.

Setting his phone down, a ghost of a smile grew on Gentaro’s lips. Though he didn't intend for a "next time" to come along, mayhaps a very small part of him was looking forward to it. Not that he'd ever admit that -- especially not to himself.