#sure i can make some Weirdo who'd do that to him- wait i already have one nvm

[hcadlesshuntcr]

Eirnin with autopsy scars....

[puff-mmd]

There's one time in his life that Kaisei kissed a girl.

--

He had a friend named Hanako in high school (he had quite a few friends, she was one of many), but she always seemed a little different to Kaisei. Her eyes would linger a little longer on their other girl friends, she didn't seem to be interested when they talked about guys even though she tried to be. He speculated to himself, but of course those notions were kept to himself. He knew being that way could make some people feel differently about themselves, whether they liked it or not.

But he didn't pry, they were friends but not super close. Or so he felt, at least.

One day she asks to hang out with him after school. An odd request since again, Kaisei didn't think they were really close enough to hang out by themselves. But she says it's to talk about something important, so he agrees.

They go to a cafe or restaruant, and Kaisei approaches the subject first, asking what it is she wants to talk about. He's a little nervous since Hanako seemed her calm and cheerful self when they met up after school, but now she was more fidgety and quiet.

'She knows that I'm gay, so it can't be a confession,' he thinks. Unless she's accidentally fallen for him; it wouldn't be the first time he'd had to reject a nice girl who'd fallen for his charms. But this being Hanako, he doubted it even more.

"I wanted to ask you...How did you know you liked guys?"

She's looking at him now, her eyes giving unpoken clues as to why she asked such a question.

'I'm unsure of myself right now, and I may be like you.'

Kaisei explains that it's somerhing he's always felt. He would crush on other boys as a kid, he shared his first real kiss with a boy in middle school, and in high school he's just been more comfortable flirting with guys. Hanako listens carefully, nodding as he speaks.

"I wondered, because I thought I was crazy. When you say things like that, it makes me feel not so alone, because that's how I've felt."

The small smile on her face is infectious, and Kaisei grins too before leaning in closer to her.

He whispers, "I always thought you might be like me."

"Birds of a feather, huh?"

Hanako takes a last sip of her drink before gathering her school bag.

"It's getting late, we should probably head home."

Kaisei offers to walk her back home, and they wait at a bus stop together for a bit. That's when Hanako asks another odd request.

"Kaisei, this might sound strange but...can I kiss you?"

He looks at her rather shocked, and his face must have said it loud and clear because she followed up,

"If you don't want to, that's totally fine! I was just wondering, I've never kissed anybody before after all."

Kaisei sits and thinks for a moment before asking, "Okay, but why? You already know you like girls."

"Well, I feel like it would help me be sure. If I can't enjoy kissing a guy as pretty as you, then I know how I feel without any doubt. Plus, you won't happen to fall for me from a little kiss since you definitely like boys."

'Fair enough,' Kaisei thinks.

And so, on a muggy sunset evening at a bus stop, Kaisei for the first and only time in his life, kisses a girl.

When they pull away, Hanako blinks at him. Then she starts to giggle, before it turns into a full on laugh.

"What's so funny?" He asks, clearly confused.

"It's just, a guy who likes guys, and a girl who likes girls, kissing each other like that," she manages out between fits of laughter.

'I guess that is a little funny,' Kaisei thinks and chuckles a little too.

As the bus pulls up, Hanako stands. Before getting on, ahe turns to Kaisei, who's also stood up.

"This drops me off pretty close to my house, sobyou don't have to come with."

She kicks a rock towards him before adding,

"We can still be friends after that, right?"

Kaisei smiles at her, before reaching out to ruffle her hair.

"Of course, us weirdoes gotta stick together, don't we?"

--

I like to think even as adults they aren't super close still or anything, but they do talk from time to time. Hanako probably ended up going to college and doing something a little more average than Kaisei, but she's very happy for him when she sees his social media post about being engaged to Ciro years later.

This isn't something that takes place within the story, but just a little sidenote about Kaisei's past. I feel like it's affirming to who Kaisei is, in that he truly does only like guys but also that he is a good friend to others. He's a listener, and makes other people feel comfortable enough to be vulnerable around him.