It all started innocently enough.
Makoto Iura was just hanging out with her best friend, Aoi Kitahara, in the living room of her house, playing video games. Aoi was lounging on the couch, controller in hand, while Makoto was sitting on the floor beside him, arguing about who had the better character in the game.
"Come on, Aoi! You've got to use the fireball attack! It's OP!"
Aoi shook his head with a chuckle. "I'm telling you, I like the speed of this one better."
As the game went on, Makoto couldn't help but sneak glances at Aoi, who was looking especially cute today. She had known him for years, and while they had always been friends, she still couldn't shake the growing feelings she had for him since middle school. She'd kept those feelings hidden all these years.
But, now? She couldn't deny that she was a little… confused?
However, as they played, Makoto's mind started to wander and she began imagining what it would be like to date Aoi. What would it be like to hold his hand? To maybe—
The door swung open.
Shuu, who visits home on weekend, stepped inside looking exhausted from his college classes. "Hey, I'm back."
Makoto looked up at him, then quickly looked down, hoping he didn't catch her daydreaming. But before she could say anything, Shuu casually dropped his backpack and flopped down next to her, stealing a seat on the couch.
"Yo, Aoi, you beat her again?" Shuu teased, leaning back.
But as soon as he sat down, Aoi froze, his eyes widening for a split second, before he quickly looked away. Makoto's here!
"U-uh, no, not yet!" Aoi stammered, clearly flustered.
Makoto turned to look at them both, puzzled by the sudden tension. Shuu caught her gaze and smiled, then gave Aoi a knowing look. "You've been practicing that move for weeks, Aoi. I think you've got it down."
Makoto raised an eyebrow. "You two are acting… weird. What's going on?"
Shuu immediately shot her a look that screamed "Shut up", but it was too late.
Aoi shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting to the ground. "Nothing's going on! We're just—uh, talking about stuff."
Makoto blinked, sensing that there was something way off about the whole situation. Then, she noticed the way Shuu was looking at Aoi, and it clicked.
The teasing, the soft smiles, the way their shoulders brushed when they weren't paying attention. There was a strange warmth between them that was suddenly very noticeable.
A realization hit her like a freight train.
Her heart stopped for a moment.
"Wait…"
Shuu, seeing the gears turning in his sister's head, paled. "Uh…"
Makoto's eyes darted back and forth between the two of them, then it finally clicked.
"No way," she whispered in disbelief.
"Wait, wait—" Shuu stammered. "No, Makoto, it's not like—"
"You two are dating?!" Makoto squeaked, her voice much higher than usual.
Aoi's face turned beet red, and he immediately hid behind his hands, like a cat trying to avoid attention. "M-Makoto, please don't yell."
Shuu sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's not a big deal, Makoto…"
"IT'S A BIG DEAL, Shuu!" she exclaimed, standing up and pacing around the room. "You, my older brother, my cru- best friend? And you didn't think to tell me?!"
Aoi's face was burning, but he just shrunk further into the couch, clearly embarrassed.
Shuu stood up too, holding his hands out defensively. "Look, I didn't mean for this to happen, okay? It just… did."
Makoto wasn't listening, though. She was too busy processing the absolute betrayal of her feelings. "I can't believe you didn't even tell me!" she whined, her voice cracking just a little bit.
Shuu sighed in exasperation and approached his sister, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We weren't exactly planning to announce it this way, alright? It's… just been between us for now."
Makoto paused, her hands on her hips as she considered this. A beat passed, and then she sighed dramatically. "Fine, whatever. I'll get over it. I guess you two are kind of cute together."
She turned to Aoi, who was still sitting there, covering his face in a classic shy Aoi fashion.
"I can't believe you're the one he's been secretly in love with all this time, Aoi," she said, voice dripping with mischief. "I thought you were too sweet for my brother."
Aoi just nodded meekly. "I didn't want to tell you either, Makoto…"
Shuu groaned and dragged his hand down his face. "We're not that cute, okay?!"
Makoto gave him a look. "Yeah, you are. You're both so soft, it's gross."
Shuu glared playfully at his sister. "I'll cut you off from the snacks next time, I swear."
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Later that evening, after a lot of teasing from Makoto, the two of them settled down in the living room, a little more at ease.
Aoi was still red, but he managed to relax into the couch as Shuu sat beside him.
"I'm sorry about Makoto," Shuu said softly, nudging Aoi's shoulder. "She's… well, she's Makoto."
Aoi chuckled, finally feeling a little better. "I'm just glad it's out in the open now."
Shuu smiled, gently brushing his hand against Aoi's. "Yeah. Me too."
Aoi looked up at him, and they shared a quiet, tender moment before Aoi leaned in, his voice soft.
"I'm happy, Shuu."
Shuu leaned in as well, his thumb brushing Aoi's cheek. "Me too."
And for the first time in a long time, things felt easy.
They didn't have to hide anymore.
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After the revelation, Shuu decided to accompany Aoi for a walk to calm down.
Under the soft glow of the fading sun, hands entwined, hearts full. For a moment, it felt like the chaos of the world outside didn't matter. It was just them. Just Shuu and Aoi, together.
The world had shifted from their quiet, stolen moments to something more public, more shared—but Aoi couldn't have asked for anything more. Every day with Shuu was a new chapter in a story he never wanted to end.
"I think I've been waiting for this," Aoi whispered, his head resting against Shuu's shoulder. "For us to be… this."
Shuu smiled, rubbing a thumb over Aoi's hand. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Aoi. Always have been. Even when I was too dumb to admit it."
Aoi chuckled softly. "You weren't dumb. You just needed to figure it out."
"I figured it out eventually," Shuu replied, his voice low and warm. "And I'm glad I did."
They stayed like that for a while, the peace of the moment wrapping around them. Eventually, they knew they'd have to return to the world—return to their friends, the loud noise, the teasing, and the chaos of life—but for now, this was theirs.
"We'll make it through," Shuu added, his voice confident. "Together."
Aoi nodded, looking up with a soft smile. "Always."