Chapter 15: Chapter 15

"…I don't want to ask, but I'm going to ask," Kanzaki looked at Aoi and Yanagi from one to another. "The hell is with this cuff!?"

Aoi raised his left hand, showing his wrist that was cuffed to Yanagi's right wrist, "Someone pranked us and we're looking for the key now."

"Huh!? That's scary!" Kanzaki was horrified. "You guys should go to the local police box!"

"Too far," Aoi lowered back their hands. "If we can't find it by the end of the day, then we'll go there."

"What a pain in the ass…I better watch out," Kanzaki couldn't imagine him getting cuffed to a guy at the school festival. "Well, at least you won't have any problem when going to the toilet. It would be a disaster if you get cuffed to a girl."

Yanagi was getting impatient and grabbed Aoi's hand, "Let's go."

Aoi nodded and walked away with him.

"I'll ask around in case anybody sees the key!" Kanzaki shouted behind them.

The two of them pretended they didn't hear him and blended into the crowds. There were a lot of people in the hallway and even more people outside the school building.

Fortunately, the student council provided a map and directory of every stall and class attraction around the school grounds, so they decided to check the one at the campus building's entrance first.

"Can't believe we ran into Kanzaki out of all people," Aoi sighed. He looked up at Yanagi, "You should've picked something more natural."

"I'm sorry…this was the first thing that I thought of and I couldn't think of anything else…" Yanagi scratched his neck.

Aoi narrowed his eyes, "Have you fantasized about this?"

Yanagi flushed red and frantically covered his face, "I-I…I have…not."

"If you know you can't lie, why are you forcing yourself?" Aoi shook his head in wonder.

Yanagi lowered his hand a little and glanced at Aoi, "Aoi, you're the one who can lie too easily…"

"Do I?" Aoi tilted his head and his lips curved mysteriously. "What if I told you that everything I have ever said to you was a lie?"

Yanagi lowered his gaze in thought and looked back up at Aoi with a smile, "It's alright. Even if it would hurt, I don't mind being deceived by you. As long as I can stay by your side."

"You always know what answer will satisfy me," Aoi chuckled. He pointed at a stall on the map, "Should we start with fried soba first?"

"Mn!" Yanagi nodded. A few seconds later, he quickly added, "Ah, um…but earlier, i-it was my real thoughts. I didn't just say it to make you like me."

"I know," Aoi pulled Yanagi's hand, heading to the first stall. "Let's go."

He was already used to Yanagi's extreme replies, but it still made him happy. It gave him a sense of security that he always seek.

With Yanagi, he never needed to doubt his true thoughts on him. He never needed to read between his lines. He never needed to second guess his intentions. He never even needed to question whether he was showing his true self or not.

Keiko said that he was attentive, but he wasn't. It was his survival instinct to observe people because of his trust issue.

Because he knew people could and would lie. He had listened to people bad-mouthing their friends behind their backs and he had heard people who were nice to him trash-talking him behind his back.

That was why he also learned how to lie.

"Aoi, should we eat this first or should we buy some more?" Yanagi accepted their fried soba and showed it to him.

"It'll be a hassle to go back and forth. If we can't finish all of the food we bought later, we can bring them home with us," Aoi replied. "If it gets too late, you can stay at my place. We'll eat the rest while we continue that game."

Yanagi beamed, "Really?"

"Mn," Aoi inwardly chuckled.

Even after staying over so many times, Yanagi's reaction was still exactly the same. Well, except for the super-flustered one the first time he did.

They walked around the stalls around the school yard and bought many foods. There were also some game stalls but since they had a lot in their hands, they could only pass that.

"Since we bought many foods this year, we should try the games and class attractions next year," Aoi said as they arrived at their usual lunch spot.

Yanagi sat down next to Aoi and nodded happily. He sheepishly smiled, "I hope we'll be classmates next year."

"Then…I should study hard, don't I?" Aoi leaned his back against the wall. "Our class system is based on grades after all."

"Eh? I-I-I didn't mean it like that!" Yanagi hurriedly waved his hands. "I can just lower my grades!"

"Stop waving your hands. You're hurting my wrist," Aoi grabbed Yanagi's hand to stop him.

"I-I'm sorry!" Yanagi checked Aoi's wrist in panic.

"Besides, you think I can't do it?" Aoi pinched Yanagi's cheek with his other hand. "You don't want to tutor me?"

Yanagi's eyes widened and gripped Aoi's hand eagerly, "I do!"

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"That's that, then," Aoi took out the food they bought. "We should eat them before they get cold."

Yanagi nodded and helped put out the food as well. But soon after they started eating, they encountered a problem.

Both of them were right-handed, so Yanagi couldn't comfortably eat with his right hand restricted. It was fine for skewered snacks, but for those that needed chopsticks or even a spoon to eat them, it became pretty difficult.

Aoi stopped eating and raised his palm, "Give me the key. I'll take the cuff off."

"It's alright. I can eat just fine," Yanagi refused.

"You're saying that with all this stuff you spilt?" Aoi pointed at the mess around them.

"But…" Yanagi was still reluctant.

He didn't want it to end so soon. The festival hadn't even finished yet.

Aoi guessed what he was thinking and added, "It's just for now."

"What if Kanzaki appeared?" Yanagi frowned. "We won't be able to put on the cuff again."

Aoi, "…"

It sounded random but somehow, he wouldn't be surprised if that happened.

He sighed helplessly and tugged at Yanagi's hand, "Move here. Sit in front of me."

"?"

Yanagi put aside their food and went to sit down in front of Aoi, facing him. Aoi handed him the box of okonomiyaki they were eating and he held it with his left hand.

"Don't drop it," Aoi warned as he picked up his chopsticks.

"Eh?"

Aoi picked up a small bite and offered it to Yanagi, "Here. Say ah…"

Yanagi, "!!"

The okonomiyaki in his hand almost slipped down but he timely caught it thanks to Aoi's earlier warning.

He looked at Aoi then at his chopsticks then at Aoi again. Seeing that Aoi was serious, his heart pounded loudly and he slowly leaned forward to accept Aoi's feeding.

"It's easier like this, no?" Aoi smirked.

"Aoi…" Yanagi looked at Aoi wrongfully, "…you're doing this on purpose."

"You don't like it?" Aoi tilted his head.

"…" Yanagi shifted closer and muttered pitifully, "…I'd like it more if you feed me with your mouth."

Aoi flushed red and smacked Yanagi's face away, "Pervert!"

With them taking their time eating their food, they somehow managed to finish everything they bought.

Since they still had time, they decided to walk around inside the school building as well. Unsurprisingly, they were caught by Kanzaki and ended up getting dragged into Yanagi's classroom.

"You haven't found the lock yet? Seriously?" Kanzaki brought them the most expensive menu that they didn't order. "Isn't it impossible? You should find the person who pranked you instead."

"We didn't see his face. From the slippers, it seems like a third year anyway," Aoi lied through his teeth.

"Eh…just how unlucky can you two be?" Kanzaki couldn't even laugh, imagining if it happened to him. "But why are you two holding hands?"

Aoi glanced at his connected hand with Yanagi on the table then back at Kanzaki, "It hurts when we tugged at one another."

Kanzaki saw that there was indeed a little red mark on Aoi's wrist, "Uwah…sounds painful."

Yanagi was mesmerized as he watched Aoi fooling Kanzaki so effortlessly. It wasn't that he was completely lying. The fact that he was somewhat telling the truth to some degree made his lie all the more believable.

Outside the classroom, another person was also watching Aoi. Keiko stood still for a while before she walked away.

Aoi said that he promised his lover that he would spend the festival with her. But where was she? Did Aoi lie to her? Or did their plan got cancelled?

But…Aoi didn't seem sad at all.

Rather, it was the first time she saw him so relaxed. She always felt that Aoi was usually on guard around others.

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