enstars scenarios

middle sister~ ☆

→ the toughest of the three. she believes more than anything in the need to be strong, and gyms almost on a daily basis. her dedication to her physical fitness has made her the most muscular of her siblings, and also caused her to be unable to control her strength. more often than not she’s breaking down adonis’ door demanding him help her fix some keychain she broke.

→ she’s also the most feminine of the three, and melts overy cheesy romance novels. when they were younger, she was the one who read bedtime stories to adonis and swooned over the fairy tale romances, dreaming for her own one day. nowadays, she tries to hide this side of hers, and limits it to when she forces adonis to go accessory shopping with her.

→ of course, she’s thrilled to know that her little brother’s dating, though she laments over her own singlehood. demanding to know every last detail of adonis and his partner, she makes adonis recount all of his dates, and is the first to meet them. she’s also the one who gets her elder and younger sister to warm up to his partner.

youngest sister~ ☆

→ although she’s closest to adonis in age, she’s the one he’s the most wary about. after all, she’s usually the ringleader in them tormenting him, and he still has nightmares of how she’d fit him into her dresses and practise her makeup skills on him. of the three, she’s also the most bitter over his growth spurt, as it made her the shortest in the family.

→ indeed, she’s the one who has her two older sisters wrapped around her finger, and loves to tease her younger brother too. to adonis she may seem like a monster, but in truth family is of great importance to her, and she’s adonis’ greatest supporter in UNDEAD lives.

 He doesn't reply immediately. Then his lips part slightly, in pensive realisation.  "Oh. I didn't 'know' that."

  Droplets of water accumulate at the tip of his hair, bending over and falling over at the whim of gravity. He'd just immersed himself in the fountain, from head to toe. Maybe there had been some water in his ears, gurgling their voice and distorting what he heard.

  Maybe?

  But they avert their eyes from his, and scuff their shoe against the ground. "I'm sorry. I just... never told you. I've always known how much you love the ocean, so I thought you wouldn't like me if you knew that I didn't."

  "Oh _____," he hums, reaching out from the fountain to hold their hand. "Why would you 'say' such a thing? You should know that's not 'true'. I wouldn't not 'like' you just because you're 'scared' of the 'ocean'."

  "I guess." Their smile is rueful, and sensing their pain, he lets go of their hand. "Like I said, I'm sorry for never telling you about it. And now... I've ruined your plans for our three month anniversary."

  "No no, it's 'fine'. We can always 'go' somewhere else. Somewhere you feel 'comfortable' in."

  Kanata cocks his head, thinking to himself. Hm, what a shame. He really did want to take them to the beach and see them in their swimsuit. They'd look adorable, he knows that for a fact. And whenever he frolics in the water, as he does in the school fountain now, they never truly joined him. Occasionally they'd sit by the side and dip their feet in the water, and he'd think to himself how much more wonderful... how much more free he'd be if they were by his side.

  "...Kanata-kun?"

  "Huh? Ah, I'm 'sorry'. I was lost in 'thought'."

  "It's okay. I was just wondering... Kanata-kun can't swim either, can he? That's why whenever you tell me about the times you went to the ocean with your friends, you'd only be allowed to wade at a very low depth, or watch the tides crash down onto the shore from a distance. Isn't it scary then? Being near the ocean w-when you can't swim. Like you'll get s-swallowed up by it any second and drown."

  Kanata looks up at them in surprise. Scary? Is the ocean scary?

  "To me, it’s very scary," they confess, and their eyes reflect the depth of their emotion. "It’s large and bottomless and relentless... y-yeah."

  "Mm, I guess I’ve never 'thought' of the 'ocean' like that," Kanata says slowly, carefully. "To me, the 'ocean' is all of that, but also more. That is why it is so 'amazing'. Doesn’t it feel 'nice' and 'relaxing' to take a 'bath'? That’s the same for the 'ocean', you know."

  "A bath?"

  "Yes yes, think of it as a large 'bath'! To me it is 'soothing', and in water I feel 'free'. That is why I love the 'ocean', but I understand if you 'cannot' do so. I also will not not 'like' you, or 'like' you 'less' because of your 'fear'. We can go 'somewhere else' for our 'anniversary', okay? Cheer up, _____."

  They hesitate, then the tension leaves their shoulders. "Thank you, Kanata-kun. You're always so nice to me."

  "It's 'nothing'," he says, giggling. They're finally smiling. He guesses this has been something that has been on their mind for a very very long time. It's good that they finally let it out, he thinks.

  "Maybe I'll take a bath instead of a shower today," they say, and it takes Kanata a while before he realises they're just thinking out loud. "Then maybe I'll learn what Kanata-kun is talking about."

  "Hm? Why not just 'learn' now?"

  "What do you mea-"  Kanata reaches out, curling his hand around their wrist. He gives a little tug, and they fall into the fountain beside him.

  "AH!"

  He watches, amused as they emerge from the water, clinging onto him. "W-what was that for?" they exclaim.

  "I just wanted you 'learn' how it feels," he says, his eyes twinkling. "To be 'immersed' in water... to feel 'free' and 'comforted' in it... what do you 'think', _____?"

rei~ ☆

→ an extremely charismatic child: while rei was nowhere as near charismatic and charming as he is now, even back then he had everyone wrapped around his little finger. children were excited over his clever and quirky speech mannerisms, and adults were charmed by his cool and polite exterior. he’s extremely popular wherever he goes.

→ as esteemed as he is in the playground, rei has an extremely soft spot for his younger brother. he holds ritsu’s hand whenever they walk together, and would always sneak him treats that he receives from aunties or the children he hangs around with. none of them are as important to him as his darling little brother.

→ that being said, whenever someone dared to bully ritsu behind his back, rei would be beside himself with anger. in the eyes of the other children, his fury changes him into someone else; someone terrifying, and only the bully would know the sheer extent of rei’s wrath. needless to say, barely anyone dared to pick on ritsu from just hearing about rei’s reaction.

→ rei was also widely celebrated as a child prodigy at the violin. he attended countless recitals, clinching awards after awards. his favourite activity back then was to make music together with ritsu, even if they could never harmonise and all they made was a racket. but then one day all his awards mysteriously vanished, and he no longer attended his violin lessons as regularly..?

ritsu~ ☆

→ compared to how he is now, ritsu was much, much more shy. he didn’t know how to interact with the human children his brother so easily integrated into, and often spent time playing alone when rei wasn’t there with him. but when rei appeared, scooping him into his arms, ritsu would be ecstatic and cheer. “onii-chan, you came! i’ve been waiting for you!”

→ he spent his formative years hiding between rei’s legs, craving a friendship or interaction with someone beyond his immediate family, yet enjoying the attention rei showered him with. ritsu was stuck in a limbo between wanting change and rejecting change, until mao came into his life like a ray of sunshine.

→ because of mao’s affirmation and friendship, ritsu became braver, more comfortable around others and also a lot more mischievous. although he was still close to rei, he became super clingy around mao, and called for mao even though rei was right by him. to a certain extent, rei became rather jealous of mao.

 Shu sighs, loudly so that it reaches Kuro. When it fails to garner any reaction from him, Shu speaks.

  "Listen here, I believe I agreed to go on a ‘date’ of sorts with you - purely to give you the opportunity to redeem yourself in my eyes, and for me to consider entering a relationship with you. Granted this opportunity, you choose to… do nothing at all but saunter about some deserted neighbourhood with me in your wake? This is… this is beyond me!“

  This time Kuro reacts, though it’s not necessarily the reaction Shu was looking for. He snorts, then stuffs his hands deeper into his pockets and strides on.

  "Honestly!” Shu hisses, yet he follows.

  Honestly! Then again honestly, he doesn’t really know what to expect. It’s been barely a week since Kuro cornered him after school and told him he liked him, and his stomach still twists when he thinks back to it.

  "W-why are you telling me this?“ Shu had demanded, still dazed even after the shock faded away. "You know better than anyone else that… that our relationship is in shambles. What do you want me to say - 'Yes, I’ve felt the same way about you all this while, Ryu-kun!’ - because I’m afraid that is not the case.”

  "…I don’t really want you to say that.“

  "Then why? We are no longer children, Kiryu. You cannot go on playing pranks and expect me to humour you.”

  "Itsuki.“ Kuro had reached out for his wrist, and the contact was scorching. "How about you humour me just once? Go out with me - just the two of us. Give me one chance.”

  In the heat of the moment, Shu had said yes. Now as he continues to trudge on on an unfamiliar and bitterly cold street, he regrets it.

  'If only I was back home,’ he thinks to himself, watching the snowflakes fall from the overcast sky. Caught in the wind, they twirl away, and he watches them twirl to the left and-

  "…Oh?“

  "What is it?”

  Shu hears the crunch of snow as Kuro stops and turns, and clicks his tongue. 'You choose to stop now, but not when I express open dissatisfaction? Honestly!’

  Nevertheless, he makes a gesture at one of the shops lining the pavement. “That ramen shop… it appears familiar.”

  "Ah, does it now?“ Kuro takes a few steps closer to him, and Shu stiffens. But then he sees Kuro’s expression soften. "You probably don’t remember, but that’s the ramen shop I treated you to after you were bullied by those kids in the playground. Remember, they pushed you into the sandbox.”

  Suddenly Shu’s knees prickle with heat, and he remembers the blinding pain of dry sand in his eyes. Red in the face, he jerks his head away. “I remember no such thing. I-if it did happen, by any chance, how certain are you that it’s this exact ramen shop that you… treated me to as you say?”

  "One hundred percent.“ Kuro’s gaze falls away from the ramen shop, and lies on Shu. "This is the neighbourhood we grew up together in, after all.”

  "W-what did y-“  Shu takes a step back, and now he can almost see the phantoms of their childhood selves running along the street to the playground they frequented.

  'Hurry up, Icchan! If you’re too slow, the swing set will be taken!’

  'W-wait for me! Ah, Ryu-kun, you’re too fast~’

  They continue running ahead, but Shu is grounded in the present, staring slack-jawed at Kuro. Kuro smiles.  "C'mon, Itsuki. Let’s go to the playground.”

  "…Alright then.“

  This time, Shu walks alongside Kuro, matching his pace. Their hands brush against each other, and Shu jolts.

  ”’s a pity the ramen shop’s closed today,“ says Kuro. "Let’s go together next time - I’ll treat you again.”

  "Who says there’ll be a next time?“

  "Hm, I dunno. Will there be one, Itsuki?”

  Shu knows Kuro is staring at him, and if he looks over he’ll see those intense gold eyes and it’ll be game over.

  "I’ll… think about it.“

  Next to him, Kuro exhales. A small, small sigh of relief.

  "I see. Thank you, Itsuki.”

eichi ~ ☆

→ 6/10 good at hugging

→ eichi is too intimidating (and possibly too frail too) to be hugged casually by others, but he does enjoy being hugged. to be hugged is to be intimate with another human, therefore when he’s hugging the person he likes, he rests his chin on their shoulder and amuses himself with how their hair flutters with his breath.

→ interestingly enough, he likes it when his partner sits on his lap and lets him hug them. no matter how big they are, he loves to have them cling onto him, and tease them about it softly. although afterwards, he does get chastised by his doctor not to overexert himself to look cool.

kaoru ~ ☆

→ 8/10 good at hugging

→ in a lot of his prior relationships, the furthest he’s gotten with girls is cuddling and maybe kissing. perhaps that’s why he’s so cool with giving another girl a hug, but somehow when it comes to the same gender he freezes up a bit. it’s only if he’s completely comfortable with the other party and himself that he relaxes, and melts into their grasp.

→ kaoru is quite physically clingy with the person he likes, especially if they reciprocate. out of the prying public eyes, he loves to snuggle up to them and hold them tight. he’s oddly sweet about it, but also rather shy when it’s brought up to him in front of others.

izumi~ ☆

→ 3/10 good at hugging

→ if you don’t count his parents and ‘yuu-kun’, izumi has never initiated a hug in his life. granted so, because he hates how much others can get within his personal space, and ruin his clothes. and with his unit mates and classmates the way they are, hugs are long and hot, and he squirms and complains a lot, desperate to have the ground open up before him and steal him away from the hug.

→ nevertheless, when the time calls for it, izumi will grudgingly offer his friend a hug when they’re sad, or allow their partner to rest in his arms when they’re tired. it’s not comfortable, especially with how not used to hugs he is, but izumi can be sweet about it too, smoothing their hair as he lets his guard down around the people that matter.

chiaki~ ☆

→ 8/10 good at hugging

→ warning! approach with caution when he is excited or risk being crushed with too much affection! it’s a real problem, and chiaki is embarrassed by it. therefore, when he greets you with a hug, no matter how excited he is, it’s very, very gentle, but still very, very warm.

→well, aside from his lack of control when he’s excited, chiaki gives great hugs. and the best thing is that he gives them all the time, always ready to cheer you up when you’re down, or to get you all excited with him! when you’re with him, the warmth radiates, and his energy contaminates: you’re bound to feel better.

shu~ ☆

→ 5/10 good at hugging

→ while he’s as enthusiastic and receptive to hugs as his classmates keito and izumi are, shu is learning to be more physically affectionate, though he’s not very good at it. he’s offered his shoulder to mika to cry on multiple times, therefore though he pretends to hate hugging the people he cares about, he does so regardless.

→ but shu is not honest with his feelings, so sometimes he uses mademoiselle as a pretext for a hug. “‘you seem like you need a hug’,” mademoiselle says, “‘i can’t give you a hug, but perhaps you’d like one from shu-kun’?” rejecting his hug would make him sulk for hours at end.

madara~ ☆

→ 8/10 good at hugging

→ much like chiaki, madara loves to hug people - he says it’s a good way for him to bond with others. his signature move is to lift the other party up in the air and spin them around, non-stop until either he or they are dizzy beyond belief and they’re both laughing on the ground.

→ the first time shinobu saw midori, he was intimidated beyond belief. how could a boy his age be so tall, and so handsome? to be so blessed... it’s unlikely he’ll be nice to a nobody like shinobu. but shinobu was sorely wrong, and the opportunities he got to speak with and bond with his new unit member proved to him how kind midori was, and how enamoured shinobu was with him.

→ the first time midori lets shinobu sit on his shoulders is the first time he’s ever felt useful in his life. “i’ve been on high places before, but this... this is simply too thrilling de gozaru!” shinobu tells him, his little legs shaking with excitement. seeing him makes midori rethink his prior statement; more than feeling useful, it’s the first time he feels really, really at peace with himself.

→ it takes a while for both of them to realise that the feelings they harbour for each other are not just platonic, but they’re both way too shy to make a move. day after day they sit together, on the brink of a relationship, yet unable to close the gap between them. it’s only with the help of their friends that they’re forced to admit their feelings to each other and get together.

→ the height difference is quite... drastic when it comes to the two, and they both lament over it, wishing they could be at each other’s height to make their relationship so much easier. but sometimes when midori leans down to press a kiss on the top of shinobu’s head: sometimes their height difference isn’t so bad.

→ shinobu is always so quick to serve others, and midori hates to admit that he gets jealous sometimes. seeing shinobu light up when mao or yuta calls out to him makes him feel awful, and he doesn’t know how to channel this energy properly. once, he ends a call made to shinobu half-way on impulse. although he immediately grovels for shinobu’s forgiveness in regret, shinobu is flustered to find midori so envious for his attention, and promises to pay more attention to his boyfriend.

→ hokuto was confident that he kept his crush on subaru secret from his classmates and subaru especially. then his whole world came crashing down when natsume confronts him about it. initially he declines, but then accuses natsume of using some black magic on him. “black MAGIC?” natsume laughs. “i don’t need black magic to know who else likes the person i DO.”

→ since this was unexpected, hokuto wasn’t exactly planning on making a competition out of winning subaru’s heart, but by god natsume really knows how to grind his gears when it comes to subaru! he’d deliberately hold subaru’s hand as they walk to class together, and throw the smuggest of looks back at hokuto. it makes his blood boil.

→ when it comes down to it, hokuto’s chief strategy is not to go with physical affection, but that of with words. with the extra time he spends with subaru in trickstar, he gets to close the distance between them even more. sure, natsume might not know of how happy subaru can be around him, but when he praises subaru in front of natsume and subaru sparkles brighter than his 100 yen coins, he takes pride in how natsume’s smile dips into a frown.

 'Okay, sounds good! I'm on my way over now!'

  If Natsume says he didn't smile when he saw that message, he's a filthy, filthy liar. "Of course it'd sound GOOD," he says, words almost muffled by how his smile stretches itself across his face. "Since when does anything I say not sound good, HM?"

  Maybe it's because he hasn't really spent quality time with them for a while already, that's why being able to do so makes him unbearably happy. In fact, Natsume positively cannot wait to get his well-deserved alone time with his partner; his idle hands drift to the crystal ball in his room.

  "Let's see what you're doing now, little KITTEN," he murmurs, channelling his energy towards the ball. The ball lights up, and an image of them running out from the school campus, bag thumping against them manifests before his eyes. They look excited too... as expected, of course. He'll tease them about it later.

  Then the image flickers and changes - "Hm, I wasn't too interested in seeing their future but why NOT?" - and Natsume sees them leaving his house. The smile on his face replaces itself with a frown.

  "...Why are they leaving when the sun is still UP? Didn't _____ agree to have dinner with me?"

  Scowling, he watches them leave in a hurry, and run straight into someone. A stranger.

  A man.

  With easy good looks and of great height.

  That doesn't do much to ease the firmly-set scowl on his face.

  Now the two of them are talking, and they look very much at home with this man. Natsume's eyes harden; how could they... why are they...

  He loses concentration, and the image disappears. Pushing the crystal ball aside, he makes up his mind.

  "I'm not going to let them leave me for MAN... over my dead BODY!"

    "Ah, hello Natsume!"

  He closes the door after them. "G-good evening, _____."  Natsume winces the second the words are out of his mouth. Dammit, why did he hesitate - they're definitely going to pick up that something's up!

  "How was your club ACTIVITIES?" he says quickly, hoping to smooth over the tension. If they noticed anything different, they didn't mention it; instead, they prattle on about their day as they always do with him, and Natsume secretly heaves a sigh of relief.

  "Anyway, what're we having for dinner? You said we're ordering in, right?"

  "HUH? Oh, no, I was thinking of cooking something for YOU." That's right - if Natsume cooks, there's no way _____ can leave him without feeling horrible. "What do you SAY? Don't you miss my COOKING?"

  "Natsume is cooking?" Their eyes widen like saucers. "Really? Oh score! I can't wait! Just don't curse the whole kitchen into shambles when you cut yourself, okay?"

  "That happened ONCE. Stop bringing it up all the TIME."

  "You wish! I'll never let it go!"

  Natsume huffs to demonstrate his frustration, but in actuality he's rather pleased. This diversion seems to be going smoothly, and for once - just once - it almost seems as though his divination had failed. And it is probably just this once too that he is glad that his divination has failed.

  As they rummage through their bag, Natsume slips on his apron. It's probably better to start cooking early, so they don't go gallivanting off.

  "What do you feel like having TODAY? I'm thinking of making your favorite..." Natsume trails off when he sees them freeze, and instantly his blood runs cold. "W-what's WRONG?"

  From their bag they retrieve a notebook; the hastily scribbled name on the cover doesn't match theirs. "So I've been holding onto this all along," they murmur, and then their grip on the notebook tightens. "Sorry, Natsume-kun, I need to run back to school and pass this to my friend! She needs it urgently and has been looking for it really hard. I'll come back in about twenty minutes, so-"

  "No, you can't LEAVE!"

  "H-huh?"

  They gawk at their boyfriend standing guard by the front door. "I really need to pass this to her, Natsume. I don't know what's gotten into you, but..."

  "Don't GO!" he says, his eyes begging them; how pitiful he must look right now. "Just... stay with ME. You promised ME."

  _____ touches his arm, and he feels himself falter. "I know I did," they say, "but now I promise I'll come back immediately. Trust me."

  They're gone almost as fast as they came, and, very much anxious and disgruntled, Natsume trails after them.

 'It's exactly like I predicted,' he thinks to himself, miserable. They're heading the exact same path he saw them head down. And if they go straight this path and turn left, they'll run straight into-

  "O-oh!"  Natsume hides himself behind an adjacent lamp post, and watches like a hawk as the scene unfolds.

  "O-oh no, I'm so sorry!" _____ goes, bending over to pick up the notebook they dropped. "I wasn't looking where I was going a-and-"

  "Hey, it's alright!" The man grins back at them, and Natsume grips the lamp post. Tightly. "You seem like you're in a big rush - I should have been paying attention too and ducked or something."

  "No, it's not your fault at all!"

  "Well, you know it takes two to make an accident!"

  ______ laughs; that expression is so warm, so genuine it makes his heart ache knowing it's not directed at him.

  And the man glows knowing it's directed at him. His tone is a bit more serious this time when he says, "Hey, I know you're in a rush now, but do you want to get coffee together some time? I can give you my number, you know."

  'I knew IT! I knew that this'd HAPPEN!'

  Natsume's grip on the lamp post tightens tenfold and he holds his breath.

  "A-ah," _____ starts, visibly surprised by the invitation. "That's really nice of you, and you seem like a nice guy but I have a boyfriend."

  If Natsume says he didn't smile when he heard those words leave their mouth, he's a filthy, filthy liar. He relaxes his grip on the poor lamp post, and his smile reaches his eyes. 'That's RIGHT,' he tells himself. '_____ has me as their BOYFRIEND. I have no reason to be AFRAID.'

  He doesn't catch what happens next because he's far too pleased with himself, but from what he sees the man is totally cool with being let down and they head their separate ways. Natsume, too, turns and heads back home.

  "I better get started on COOKING," he murmurs, still wearing that smug little smile. "Wonder what _____'ll say when I ask about that man LATER."  He laughs to himself.

souma ~ ☆

→ 4/10 effective at being positive

→ souma immediately thinks the worst when he notices how sad his partner has been, and flies into a rage. “tell me right away - who is the cause of your unhappiness? have they been bullying you?” he exclaims, his katana already in his hands. until his partner finally relents and tells him the root of their bad day - be it a person or not - souma will not calm down.

→ once that’s out of the way, souma is sure to listen to their every word and complaint, and also quick to reassure them that their unhappiness is justified. he’s not that good with words, but he says sweet things to cheer them up - and also insists that they smash some plates or crockery with his katana; apparently, it’s his surefire way to feel better about anything.

natsume ~ ☆

→ 7/10 effective at being positive

→ bad days aren’t foreign to him, and before he met them, natsume was used to dealing with it on his own. had the past him seen someone struggle like they did now, he’d have scoffed at them: as if just having one bad day made you so unhappy, how laughable! but now natsume recognises that he should be more accepting and understanding of the people around him, especially of the people - or, person - he loves.

→ perhaps the fact that he’s gone through hardships makes him more empathetic, and therefore more able to talk to them about their problems. in any case, he prides himself in his ability to solve problems, and if cheering them up is a problem, natsume will work his magic to get that smile back on their face.

shinobu ~ ☆

→ 6/10 effective at being positive

→ one of shinobu’s greatest fears is being a nuisance to his partner, thus when he sees how gloomy they are, his first instinct is to fear that he’ll only further worsen their mood, and withdraws. but when he sees them almost lonelier without him by their side, he’s the first to run over, promising them that everything will be okay.

→ he doesn’t really know what to offer other than a listening ear, so after hearing them out and doing his best to affirm them, shinobu’s a little stumped on how to improve their mood. well, he decides that an ice cream date will be the best way to treat their unhappiness, and buys an array for them to share with him, and allow them to unwind.

kuro ~ ☆

→ 9/10 effective at being positive

→ bad days? oh does he know them - having a little sister means there’s no end to hearing about them. already from the subtle change in body language, kuro can tell they’re feeling down, and is quick to accomodate them. “sit down, i’ll come back in a while,” he tells them, and soon returns with a pot of freshly brewed tea and a shoulder to cry on.

→ madara was as big of a fan as everyone was of rei in his second year, and even though the present rei is nothing like his past self, he can’t help but feel a great sense of admiration for him. and, to be quite honest, he is pretty proud that he was rei’s successor in dealing with overseas aspects of school life - just like that, he’s a little bit closer to following in rei’s footsteps.

→ though he tends to shy away from the louder and more boisterous people, rei does find comfort and companionship in madara. there is much to talk about with him, be it of the places they’ve been to and the people they’ve met, or simply about their world views. there is genuineness in all that madara does, and that is something rei, too, admires about him.

→ while he hasn’t made this crush on rei of his quite that obvious, it has ballooned from the puppy love it was in his second year to a deep, deep attachment to rei, and a desire to constantly be around him. madara confesses, words a little jumbled, at the back of an abandoned classroom, and rei, intrigued, accepts it and they start to date.

→ rei always appears to be the more dominant one in any relationship, but in truth, he has a secret desire to be pinned down and taken care of strongly and swiftly by his partner. madara leaves no stone unturned; he picks up rei as if he were a baby, and holds him close to his chest. it’s comfortable like this, so comfortable rei could swoon when madara dips in to kiss him.

→ they’re both the meddling sort, so they often share problems about their juniors and friends with each other, and discuss - or well, argue - about how to solve them. with differing views on what is just, rei and madara often sing very different tunes, but they’ll always do their best to help each other out, which only serves to increase each others’ popularity in the school.

→ one way in which madara is particularly meddling is in his valiant attempts to fix rei’s relationship with his brother. more often than not he seeks ritsu out to have a good heart-to-heart with him about his brother, so much so that the one ritsu tries to avoid now isn’t rei but madara. at the very least, perhaps madara is helping - they seem to get along a lot better now!

 "Gorgeous," Shu breathes, stepping back briefly to admire his handiwork, "absolutely gorgeous."

  You're not really sure whether his compliment is directed at you or the clothes you are in; either way, the intensity of it flusters you. "D-don't look at me like that... it's kind of awkward."

  "And why not?" Shu's gaze shifts to your face, and his eyebrows are raised in surprise. "Why would it be 'awkward' for me to look at you and admire your beauty? I am your boyfriend, if you so conveniently forgot."

  "T-that’s not the point," you tell him, running your fingers against your clothes. "I’m just not used to wearing these types of clothing... and it feels weird for you to be making them and asking me to wear them solely for your pleasure."

  "Well excuse me, it is not solely for my pleasure alone," Shu fires back, "I don’t sew such beautiful clothes that fit you perfectly just so I can ogle at you wearing them - don’t paint me to be such a perverse wretch. I sew them for you to wear. They are gifts perhaps, the gifts lovers gift each other as a sign of love."

  That’s a really flattering way to put it, and it easily darkens your face by a tint of red. For a moment you almost resign yourself to his sweet words and give up on finding an argument.

  "Still, I don’t see any reason why you need to replicate clothes I already have from scratch!" You pick at the hand-crafted shirt you wear. "I understand you drew inspiration from some shirt I wore once and wanted to craft a matching pair of pants... but you don't have to sew the shirt too, do you?"

  Shu splutters. "H-how could you say such a thing? Of course I have to sew it too - by Gods, have you wear a pair of Itsuki-special high-waist pants with some mass manufactured... crap? The design may look spectacular on you as it always does, but the material does not befit you at all! My, I will not stand for such nonsense!"

  You sigh; when Shu gets so worked up, you can't possibly find something to reason him with.

  "That's true, and I do appreciate all the hard work you put into your handicraft, but it worries me too, you know? You spend all your time sewing unit costumes for Valkyrie and other commissions... and then instead of resting during your free time, you sew more clothes for me? It makes me feel really bad..."

  "_-_____," Shu says, his eyes soft on you. "Sewing clothes for you brings me joy, and I do unwind during the time spent on it. It is the excitement of how something will look on you that keeps me going... well, we could liken it to a dress-up game of sorts, perhaps."

  You furrow your eyebrows. "A dress-up game? Like the ones kids play where they doll up their avatar or something?"

  "Yes, exactly! Are they not pleased by dolling up their - what did you say, avatars? - yes, avatars in splendid garments? I derive the same pleasure!" Shu nods his head empathetically. "Dolling up... why yes, I see you as a beautiful, precious doll, who I love to shower with the finest of clothes."

  "B-beautiful? Precious?"

  Shu now takes your hands, a proud smile tugging at his lips. "Indeed, you are beautiful and precious. Now don't go and give me that old sob story about how I'm just saying obligatory sweet things because I'm your boyfriend - if I do not believe you to be so, I will not say so. I only speak the truth. Your self-esteem is horribly low for someone of your calibre, and you should appreciate yourself more."

  "A-ah." Looking back into his eyes almost makes you wish the ground would just open and swallow you up. "Y-you're too nice to me, Shu."

  "Not at all, you just need to get some confidence in yourself. Chop chop!"

  The expression makes you laugh, and you sink into Shu's arms. "You're right though," you say, fingers playing with the material of your shirt. "The quality of the clothes you sew is so much better than whatever I buy at the mall."

  "Kakaka, what did I tell you?" You can't see it from your position, but you already know how big the grin that manifests on his face is. "That is precisely why I keep telling you to throw away all that capitalist garbage and have your wardrobe consist solely of my creations!"

  "...I don't think that's possible, but I appreciate the offer."

 He's running late, so he doesn't have much time to worry over the things he has spent nights worrying about: is his hair fine? Did he remember to bring his gift for the present exchange? Is he going to be late - well, yeah, he's definitely late.

  Mika pushes the door to the diner open, and scans the room for that familiar crop of yellow hair - ah! There he is! He slides into the opposite booth, already mumbling a string of apologies.

  "It's alright, Mika-chin," Nazuna tells him, and his smile is understanding. "I didn't wait too long - look, you're only fifteen minutes late."

  Mika shifts in his spot, uncomfortable by how he isn't being rebuked for making someone wait. "I-I guess that's true, yeah."

  "But it's been so long since I've seen you," breathes Nazuna, and he reaches out to touch Mika's hand. Physical contact... physical contact with his boyfriend; it's been something Mika's been longing for, what with Nazuna studying in a university out of town and Mika living in Shu's apartment to finish his third year of high school. It's almost too sinful, and he retracts his hand a little too fast. Nazuna notices. "So... why were you late?"

  "Uh..." He'd been drinking in the sight of Nazuna ever since he'd sat down, and now he finally finds it within himself to look away, abashed by his answer. "I had to explain to uh... Oshi-san that I was gonna meet some friends today for Christmas... instead of stayin’ at home. Took me a while."

  "I see."  Nazuna's smile dips into something disapproving, and Mika already knows what's coming: why haven't you told Itsuki about us? When are you going to? He wouldn't be mad - would he?

  Mika doesn't know, but it's been a sensitive subject between the two of them ever since he confessed to Nazuna over text a few months ago, and they started going out. He doesn't want this to ruin the limited time they have together, so he tries to change the subject. "H-how's school been goin’ for ya?"

  "Oh! School's been going quite well - except for this big project we have due in two weeks time. Did I tell you about it? No? So basically..."

  Almost immediately, Nazuna perks up again, chattering away about life in university, and how he'd made the most of the short break to meet up with his family and the boys from Ra*bits. Mika doesn't know if Nazuna is really that oblivious, or that he too doesn't want this dispute to ruin their day together.

  So they enjoy their lunch together, happy to be able to see and touch the other in real life rather than through the walls of their tiny phone screens. The present exchange goes smoothly too - Mika is delighted by the prime selection of candy Nazuna had assembled for him, and Nazuna is smitten by the handkerchief with a little embroidered bunny that Mika had sewn for him. The rest of the day is wonderful too, and Mika can't help but enjoy every moment of walking around town with his boyfriend hanging off his elbow, excitedly pointing out the shops he used to frequent when he still lived here, or the stages he had performed on with Ra*bits.

  That's why it almost physically hurts when the day ends, and Mika has to finally let go of Nazuna's hand.

  "S-so I'll see ya tomorrow, yeah?" Mika asks, hopeful. "Ya don't mind me sendin' ya off at the station, d'ya?"

  Nazuna laughs. "No, not at all," he says, but then he pauses, and his smile tightens. "But Mika-chin, I do mind that you're not going to tell Itsuki about our relationship."

  Almost immediately, he feels his body stiffen again. Mika doesn't want the day to end on a bad note and yet... and yet Nazuna is so serious, there's nothing he can do to run away from the issue at hand.

  "I... uh..."

  "I know that you're scared to tell him - I-I'm too, y'know?" goes Nazuna, face turning a little red. He takes a deep breath, exhales, and fumbles for something in his back. "H-here. I got this for him - a Christmas present."

  The parcel is pushed into his hands, and just by feeling the material within the thin packaging, Mika can tell Nazuna had purchased some sort of fabric, and that of a really good material. All of a sudden, he feels helpless.

  "Nazuna-nii... I..."

  "Thank you, Mika-chin." Nazuna smiles the sweetest smile he's smiled all day, and Mika's breathless all over again. Then he pulls Mika down, tippy-toeing to kiss his boyfriend on the lips. He's a little shyer when he moves back, and definitely redder in the face. "I-I'ww see you tomowwow, I guess."

  Nazuna slips off into the darkness, leaving Mika standing there, trying to relive the best Christmas present he'd ever received.

 It's past the Itsuki family curfew when Mika slinks back into the apartment, and he expects Shu to be so furious at him that he would've gone straight to bed; curiously enough, the light is still on in Shu's room.

  Mika stands before the door for a few seconds, unsure of whether to leave the gift before it with nothing else so Shu can put two and two together himself, or whether he should knock on it and give it to him directly. No... maybe he should just pass it to him tomorrow-

  "Kagehira?"  Mika jumps when the door opens, and Shu peers at him. "You just returned, did you not? Where were you this whole time?"

  "I... I was out w-with..." Under Shu's scrutiny, Mika almost bursts into flames, and is beyond relieved for Shu's attention to be drawn to the gift in his hands.  "What is that?"

  "This? It's a... Christmas gift for ya," Mika says, placing it in Shu's hands. "F-from... it's from..."

  "Nito?"

  The gift tag tied to the wrapping paper has Nazuna's name, and having it read out by Shu... the shame burns hot. Shu can probably feel it radiate off Mika from inches away, so he mutely unwraps the present.

  "Ribbons," Shu mutters as the slivers of fabric reveal themselves to him. "Oh, and what beautiful ones too... There's so many outfits I embellish with these."

  "O-Oshi-san!" Mika blurts out, pained by the awkwardness of the situation. He screws his eyes shut, and his hands grip helplessly at the hem of his shirt. "I-I'm so sorry for lying' to ya all this time b-but- I've actually been seein' Nazuna-nii for a few months already, behind yer back! I-I was scared of how yer'd react, but... but I..."

  He trails off when he realises that Shu's gaze is soft on the ribbons; soft on him. "I knew it all along, Kagehira," says Shu, his voice quiet and resigned. "I've known about your budding relationship with Nito all along - don't look at me like that now, your phone doesn't have a password feature, does it? - and I was just waiting... waiting for you to tell me. For you to trust me with this knowledge."

  "O-oh."

  Somehow, the fact that Shu knew he had been hiding it from him all along makes everything feel worse. Mika shifts a bit in his spot.

 For his first Christmas with his first boyfriend, Shinobu always imagined it to be just the two of them; together, they spend this special day tucked away in a corner of their favourite café exchanging gifts, or holding hands as they walk through the streets lit up by vivid winter illumination.

  Turns out things didn't always work the way he wanted them to - Class 1B decided to throw a Christmas party on Christmas Eve at the Suou residence, and attendance was, for lack of a better word, compulsory. And to spice things up, a Secret Santa was decided on as well, leaving Shinobu with little time and money to do anything special for Yuta now.

  He glances over at the table where all the gifts were placed for a moment too long. His recipient was Mitsuru, and the pair of running shoes he had bought for him made his wallet significantly lighter. But he didn't want to disappoint his recipient with an insincere gift... and that kind of meant his Christmas gift to Yuta now bordered on insincere and cheap... maybe he shouldn't even give Yuta the gift at all... oh, he doesn't know what to do with himself.

  "Really? I can't even imagine how horrified Kunugi-sensei could possibly have been watching you do that!"

  From across the room, Yuta's laughter flutters over, along with hints of the conversation he is having with Mitsuru. Shinobu feels himself shrivel up even more, and pushes the uneaten food on his plate around. Maybe... maybe Yuta didn't want to celebrate Christmas with him... maybe he's even happier being surrounded by their other classmates... maybe it's for the best that their first Christmas together isn't exactly... together.

  "Shinobu-kun? What's wrong, you're not touching your food?" Shinobu blinks, and notices Tsukasa before him, his head cocked. "Is the food not to your liking?"

  "H-huh? Oh, no, not at all! The food is fantastic de gozaru, and I cannot fathom how you managed to prepare such an array of it, Suou-dono!"

  Shinobu's affirmation brings the colour back to Tsukasa's cheeks, and he smiles. "Thank you for your kind words, Shinobu-kun. It definitely was a challenge to find a caterer who was able to prepare a selection ranging from spicy to... well-" he looks down at his strawberry shortcake rather sheepishly "-the other end of the taste spectrum. But never mind that - are you not feeling well? Is that why you don't have an appetite? You must let me know - I am your host."

  "Ah, no, I'm feeling fine!" Shinobu says, starting to panic a little under Tsukasa's scrutiny. "There's nothing wrong at all de gozaru, so-"

  "Shinobu-kun!"

  Shinobu jumps a little; he knows that voice. He turns, and sees the person he's been both waiting eagerly and dreading to meet - Yuta. Graciously, Tsukasa takes his leave, and now Yuta and Shinobu are alone.

  Yuta reaches out to touch Shinobu's arm. "Hey, I haven't been around you much today - can we sit down together for a short while?"

  Oh no, he can feel his palms get wetter by the second.

  "S-sure."

  They sit down, and Shinobu sets his plate aside. With nothing to fiddle with now, his arms hang loosely by his sides, and he waits for Yuta to speak.

  "Have you opened your Secret Santa gift yet?" Yuta asks, and Shinobu tilts his head, surprised by how random his question is.

  "Well, I took it from the table, but I have yet to open it." Shinobu reaches into his bag and pulls out his gift to show Yuta. "Judging from the material, I believe it is some sort of apparel. That's interesting de gozaru."

  Yuta shifts in his seat. "Are you going to open it?"

  "N-now? Should I? Is it right to open it in the presence of-"

  "Whoa! What the heck, these are the latest running shoes!" Shinobu is cut off by Mitsuru's whoops of delight. "Don't these cost a bomb? Thank you Santa!"

  Shinobu feels his face warm up a little, and he reaches over to tear the wrapping paper. The first thing he sees is black fabric, and when he lifts it up to admire it, his gasp is very much audible.

  "T-this is the limited edition jacket from XXX Designer de gozaru!" he cries out. "Not to mention, it's the ninja version of it - there's the special shuriken symbol sewn on the breast! How did my Santa... where did they get it?"

  Yuta chuckles. "I stayed up all night to win the auction for it, y'know? I'm glad you like it."

  Shinobu's jaw drops. "Y-Yuta-kun, you're my secret Santa?"

  "Fate just happened to have it in store for me," Yuta added, winking. "But it's alright if you didn't get me anything, okay? This is kind of a secret Santa gift... even if I was planning on buying it for you for Christmas anyway, hehe."

 "O-oh."

  Dare he give Yuta the present he bought? Comparing it to the jacket of his dreams, its value shrinks even further, and he feels self-conscious again.

  "But next year," Yuta continues, grinning widely, "we'll have a proper Christmas Eve together, okay? I kind of wanted it to be just the two of us... but we couldn't really get out of a class party, could we?"

  "J-just the two of us?"

  "Of course - isn't it better like that?"

  Shinobu nods. "Much better!" Then he pauses. "But what if there's another class party next year? What shall we do then?"

  "Eh..." Yuta makes a face. "Let's just ditch the next one, okay? Promise?"

  The excitement for another Christmas - a better Christmas - with Yuta starts to kick in, and wash away all the doubts that plagued him just moments earlier. Shinobu leans against his boyfriend and smiles back. "Promise!"