It’s safe to say there was a mutual attraction between Gentaro and you when you met again after all these years. If you want to be really cliché, you could say it was love at first sight. Or rather, love at first sight after graduating high school and moving on with your lives. As soon as the two of you locked eyes in the middle of a crowd, both of your hearts skipped a beat. The only thing was you both had different reactions to your hearts flipping around in your chests.

While you were excited and tried to push through the crowd to talk to him, Gentaro panicked. And in his panic, he started to hide from you. He had no idea what to do or say to you. He had never felt this way about anyone in his life before. It also didn't help that he was drunk and feeling sentimental. If you got too close, he wasn't sure what kind of poetic nonsense would come out of him. The only thing on his mind was getting as far away from you as possible.

Of course, as he was practically running away, he ran into Ramuda and Dice. He knew that as soon as he found out he was hiding from you, they would not only start teasing him, but push him towards you, despite his desire to stay as far away from you.

“You good, Gentaro?” Dice asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I-”

“He may well have.” He froze. You laughed before addressing Ramuda and Dice. “Hi! I’m Y/n, an old school friend of Gentaro's.”

Ramuda's eyebrow raised as he glanced between the two of you. “Old friend or old flame?”

While Gentaro wanted to die on the inside, you laughed again. “No, no, just friends. Besides, it’s not like I ever had a chance. He was leagues above me in school.”

His jaw dropped and words tumbled out before he could stop them. “That’s not true!”

Dice nodded. “I agree with Gentaro here. A cute thing like you probably had loads of lovers.”

“I never said I didn’t have loads of lovers.” You winked before chuckling once more. “Regardless, it would be nice to catch up sometime. You’ll have to let me know when you’re free, Gentaro.”

“Why not right now?” Ramuda spoke before Gentaro could use the polite excuse to leave. “We don’t mind giving you two a little privacy to reminisce about the good old days. Right, Dice?”

He shook his head, a devious smile on his face. “Not at all. C’mon, Ramuda. Let’s give these two kids some alone time.”

As his two former friends left him, you touched his shoulder. “Do you want to? Talk I mean. You kind of look like you want to get out of here. I don’t mind. I remember you weren't very good with crowds”

Gentaro knew he should say something. You were offering him an out and he should take it. All he had to say was yes, he’d like to leave.

“Let’s go somewhere quieter, yeah?”

Well, he was always weak when it came to his heart.

Nodding with a soft smile, you gently took his hand and led him to a stairwell. You both climbed the stairs until you reached the rooftop. You let out a sigh and shook out your shoulders.

“I’ll admit, I was also using this as an excuse to get some air. It’s pretty stuffy in there, you know.”

He nodded, keeping a few paces behind you as you made your way to the ledge. “Yeah, I get it.”

As you leaned against the safety rail, you glanced at him, the smile still on your lips. “It is really good to see you again, Gentaro. You look great and you’ve done really well for yourself.”

He ducked his head to hide his blush. The alcohol in his system was making him awfully shy for some reason. He's never experienced this before. “Thanks. You do too. Look great, that is. Uh, I mean, what are you up to?”

“Let’s just say I’m still trying to find myself.” You chuckle. “But you don’t have that problem. I mean damn, how awesome is Fling Posse? I gotta admit I have all your albums. You’re really good at rapping. And you're also a renowned writer! That's absolutely fantastic! You always came up with some of the most fascinating stories, so I'm glad you could make a career off it.”

“Ah, thank you.”

He didn’t know what else to say, so he just kept his mouth shut. This is why he didn’t want to talk to you. Even when you both were back in school, he could never find the right words to say to you. As he had gotten older, finding the right and the wrong words to say came easier, but with you, words failed him altogether. He wanted to say something, anything, but nothing would rise past the lump in his throat. Gentaro knew he needed some air, some space to think. But he was already outside. With you, his high school crush.

“Hey, I’m sorry.”

He looked up at you. “What?”

You shrugged, turning back to the skyline and the city lights. “I’m sorry if I am making you uncomfortable. It’s just, I saw you downstairs at the party, and all those good memories from high school came flooding back. I really wanted to talk to you. But if you don’t want to talk to me, that’s okay. I can leave.”

“No!”

The two of you jolted in shock at his loud exclamation. While you were more surprised by how loud he was, Gentaro was caught off guard by what he said. He really must be more drunk than he thought. No? But wasn’t he all embarrassed about the fact that the alcohol was making him more tongue-tied than usual? You were giving him an out again. Why wouldn't he take it?

Maybe, just maybe, a part of him was hoping you’d stay. Maybe, just maybe, a part of him liked being with you even though you teased him and made it harder for him to speak. Maybe, just maybe, he hoped you liked him just as much as he liked you.

Your look of surprise melted into a soft smile and you held out your hand. His hand reached for yours out of instinct. He relished how soft your hand was in his and how perfect it fit with his. He hoped you could feel it too.

“I’m glad I got to see you again, Gentaro.” You said softly into the night. “It feels like it’s been ages since we were last together.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“I hope…” You trailed off and looked away. For the first time in his entire life, Gentaro saw you at a loss for words. It wasn’t like you at all.

Finally, he managed to speak around the lump in his throat and the alcohol flowing in his system. “I hope we can do this again sometime soon. It’s nice and I really do enjoy being with you.”

You looked back at him and the city lights sparkled in your eyes. “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot, Gentaro. I’ll give you my number, okay? Call me sometime when you need some air from being a member of Fling Posse and all of your crazy schedules.”

Gentaro loves his adopted parents. They were there for him when his biological parents weren't. They made sure he had everything he needed to be successful and were always supportive of him and his future.

However, he doesn't visit them often. He's usually far too busy spending his days writing in Shibuya, or chasing after Ramuda and Dice. He doesn't have time to visit them out in the country. And especially what happened with his brother, he tries to stay away from home and the unpleasant memories that surround it.

Of course, all that changes when he receives a letter from his parents, asking him to come home. The letter says it's just for a visit, nothing more. They just miss seeing their son and want to see how he is in person. Of course, Gentaro can't ask them to visit him in Shibuya. All the lights, noise, and people would just stress them out. But going back home isn't a great option either.

"What're you reading?" The letter drops from his hands as you enter his office.

He gives you a polite smile and shakes his head. "It's nothing important."

You narrow your eyes at him, pausing in the doorway with two cups of tea in your hand. "Is that a lie?"

His smile becomes cheeky. "Why would you think I'd lie about that?"

With a roll of your eyes, you place the cup of tea on his desk and snatch the letter before he can react. He sighs, but doesn't stop you from reading it, instead taking a sip of his tea.

Your eyes widen and your jaw drops. "Your parents want you to visit? How sweet! I've never met them but from this letter alone I can gather they're lovely people!"

"They're nice." He mumbles as he drinks more of his tea. "But I have no intention of visiting them."

"Why not?"

"Because my work is here. Fling Posse is here. And our mail correspondence is working just fine. They do not need to see me in person to know that I am doing well. I plan on writing to them to let them know about my intentions to stay in the city before the end of the day."

You slam your hands on his desk, causing him to jolt in his seat. "Yumeno Gentaro! There are a lot of things about you that annoy me and there are a lot of things I've had to get used to in order to date you. I've made peace with the fact that I will never know your true intentions or who you really are as a person, but this! This is something I cannot allow! You may be the most heartless and cruel person in the world, but you will not deny your lovely parents a visit! Even if it means I have to drag you there myself!"

Gentaro's mouth opens and closes a couple of times as he tries to compose himself. He didn't realize you would have such strong feelings about him seeing his parents. Sure, he's never really talked about his family with you, and he's appreciated that you've never felt the need to pry. But this outburst has him truly shocked. He thought you would be on his side, but it almost seems like you want to meet his family. Maybe you cared more about knowing the real him than he realized. And that thought practically terrified him to death.

"You... you want to meet my parents?" For once, the usually composed Gentaro Yumeno stuttered over his words. He stared at you like you were crazy, and maybe you were, since he never really saw the need to get to know much about you either.

You nod, a look of raw determination in your eyes. "Yes, of course. They were the people who raised you. They gave you the best chance at a good life and helped you through so many trials and tribulations. I want to meet the kind people who raised such a wonderful man. Is that so wrong or selfish of me to want to meet them?"

He didn't think so. He was honestly a little bit touched with how sincere you were in your request to meet his parents. Again, your words have truly shocked him. He didn't think you would care that much. And yet, here you stand, asking, or rather begging him to meet his parents. How could he say no to that?

"I suppose..." He started, trying to carefully frame his words, "a little trip to the country is in order."

"Really?"

He slowly nods. "We won't stay long. Just enough time for you to meet my parents and for them to see I am doing well, and then we'll be off."

You nod and straighten up. "I'll go get the train tickets. We'll leave in a couple of hours."

Gentaro's jaw drops. "Wait-"

But you were already gone. He didn't think he would be seeing his parents so soon. He thought he would get a moment to prepare himself for going back home and confronting the traumas of his past. But you seemed far more determined to meet them as soon as possible. Perhaps he did need to get the visit done right away, like ripping off a band-aid. Perhaps this was what he needed. 

Before too long, he found himself sitting next to you on the train to his hometown. He allowed you to have the window seat under the guise that he's seen all of this scenery before. In reality, he didn't want to see what was out there. He wanted to pretend he was going somewhere else entirely. But for you, he would endure this trip home.

As the city fell away into the countryside, your gasps of awe caught his attention. You pointed out every little farm and every beautiful tree. You gushed over the beauty of his home and how wonderful it must have been to live away from the craziness of the city. In truth, he didn't feel lucky to have grown up in the country. He felt more lucky that he got out. But your enthusiasm was contagious. Before he knew it, he was pointing out things he remembered from his childhood. Whether or not you believed he was telling you the truth didn't matter. He found his anxiety easing as he watched his hometown go by through your eyes.

When the train stopped, he held your hand as he guided you through the station. It was strange, as he never really held your hand. But he didn't want you to get lost in the stragglers. He then told you the trip to his childhood home wasn't long and the two of you could walk it. So, hand in hand, the two of you made the trek through his hometown to his parents' house, with you continuing to tell him how beautiful everything is. And for once, he sees it too.

Upon arriving home, he wasn't surprised to find his mother sitting on the porch, knitting away. It was one of her favorite hobbies and she always took advantage of a nice day to knit outside. When she heard people approaching, she looked up from her work and gasped. 

"You're home! So early too! I thought you would write to us before stopping by!" She exclaimed in disbelief, as she opened the gate to let the two of you through. "And my! You brought a girl with you!"

You politely bow and introduce yourself. Gentaro's mother does the same as his father appears. He's equally shocked about his son's quick arrival and the fact that you're here. His mother is quick to usher everyone inside so she can provide refreshments and a comfier place to talk. 

Gentaro finds himself squished next to you on the loveseat in the living room. His father is sitting in his usual chair and his mother brings out a tray of cookies and lemonade before sitting in her own chair. You tell his mother that her cookies are delicious and she gushes over how pretty you are. He can feel his anxiety spike as he still sees traces of his brother around the house, and he's afraid you'll see it too. But your focus is solely on his parents.

"You look well, son." His father comments, regaining his attention. "It seems the city has been treating you well, yes?"

He nods. "Yes, it has. I've been very busy."

"I'm sure." His mother chides, though there is no malice in her voice. "You've been writing so many books as of late! It's been hard to keep up! And they're all so beautifully written!"

"He does have a gift, doesn't he?" You add, giving him a tender smile, one that you usually save when the two of you are alone together.

"He most certainly does."

While you talk about his talents and what you like about him to his parents, Gentaro feels his heart squeeze as he takes your hand. He knows what you think of him, and he appreciates your honesty and patience with him. But seeing you be so open with how much you like him catches him off guard. He thought perhaps he could keep things professional, tell his parents you are his assistant, which isn't a lie. Or maybe, perhaps even pass you off as a friend. But the way you look at him and talk about him to his parents, it's clear that you want them to know the two of you are dating. And he finds that he doesn't mind that fact.

It isn't long before his mother is asking the two of you to stay for dinner. You glance at Gentaro, letting him know that he gets to make the decision. He clears his throat before answering.

"I'm afraid we need to get back to Shibuya. I have an early meeting with my publisher." It's a lie, but he's not going to tell his parents that.

His mother's face falls, but she doesn't let her disappointment show for long. "I see. Well, it was wonderful to see you again and it was delightful to meet your lovely girlfriend."

"Thank you, Mrs Yumeno." You bow your head.

"We'll walk you out." His father says as he stands up.

When the four of you are at the door, the hugs begin. He hugs his father, who tells him not to work too hard and to enjoy spending time with you. He hugs his mother, who tells him he's got a keeper and to not let you go. When he says his goodbyes, he feels a stirring in his chest, like perhaps he should have stayed for dinner. But he knows that if he stays for too long, they'll bring up his brother. And he doesn't want to talk about it.

A kiss on his cheek startles him. You look at him and smile. "Your parents truly are lovely people."

Gentaro's heart flutters again, but this time in a good way. He smiles back at you. He squeezes your hand. "Yes, they are good people. I'm glad you got to meet them."

"We should come back and visit them again sometime."

He pauses to ponder the thought. He doesn't really want to come back. He'd much rather keep his parents, his brother, and you at an arm's length. But he also found that he enjoyed his visit home far more than he thought he would. Perhaps he could let you come a little closer to him.