Gift fic for talisa_ahn


Title: A Comic Love Story
Pairing: YaraRyo
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Some angst, family drama, swearing
Summary: When Ryota moves to Tokyo with his sister, who needs treatment at the national hospital, he feels lost and alone. Little does he know that next to his new class mate he is going to meet someone very special – in a place he never would have expected.
Notes: I really hope you will like this. Somehow this story took my heart, I enjoyed writing it a lot and I hope that you will enjoy reading it.
* A little pun with words/Kanji: ”hon”=book, “to”=and, “ni”=red clay  “honto ni”=really





*~First meeting~*


Ryota looked at the huge sign that hovered over the rather small book store in front of which he had been standing for about twenty minutes.

“Hon to Ni*”, it said, which was as interesting as slightly disturbing. Ryota hated places he didn’t know to begin with. In unknown places there were unknown people and he never knew how to approach someone he didn’t know. But then, after moving to a new place you couldn’t help but meet new people basically every day. And the book store looked neat enough, despite its slightly weird product combination. And so, after taking one deep breath, Ryota finally moved towards the door and stepped into the small store.

“Welcome,” he heard someone calling, even though he couldn’t see anyone. “If you need anything, let me know and I’ll help you, but right now I’m reorganizing the shelves in the cellar.”

Ryota blinked for a second, but then shrugged and made to check out the store. It didn’t look nearly as clean and inviting as from the outside. Books were standing basically everywhere, in top of, in front of and next to the equally well-filled shelves and there didn’t appear to be any kind of organization. Ryota had to give the owner that the store had a huge amount of books available, despite its small room capacities, but he wondered how he should ever find what he might be looking for.

“Stupid kids,” he could hear the voice rumbling from the cellar. “Never buy anything anyway.”

Ryota blinked.




Is he talking about me?




“And no good days or greetings. One could at least try to be polite. But that’s just youngsters.”
Ryota chuckled. Apparently the man thought that he had left.

“I’m still here, actually,” he called out.

He heard some rumbling followed by a loud crashing sound, which made him jump. Ryota stared, unsure what to do next, but before he could recover from his petrified state the head of a young man suddenly appeared among a bunch of books, making Ryota jump slightly yet again. The hair set on the head was a total mess and just as dusty as the face of the man.

“Hi,” the young man grinned apologetically. “Sorry for being rude.”

“Well,” Ryota mumbled, “strictly spoken I didn’t give you a greeting, so…”

“Nah,” the man waved him off, “forget about it. Just an old man’s rambling.”

Ryota laughed at that. “You can’t be that old.”

“I feel like 102,” the man told him.

Ryota nodded, grinning at the man. “You kind of look it too right now,” he joked.




The man blinked at that. He scratched his cheek in confusion and only then found that apparently he was in a messed up state.

“Oh dear,” he laughed. “Well, it’s pretty dusty down there. So, can I help you with anything?”

Ryota nodded slowly, feeling a bit insecure, but then, since he was already there talking to the man, he figured he could just give it a try.

“I’m actually looking for comics,” he explained. “You wouldn’t happen to have any?”

The man grinned at him. “I happen,” he announced. “Are you looking for anything in particular?”

“Not really,” Ryota muttered. “The thing is, they’re not for me, but for my sister.”

“Oh, as a present,” the man nodded. “Of course, and what does she like to read?”

“I’m not sure,” Ryota admitted. “I kept buying them at a store that she was visiting regularly. The shop keeper would always help me pick something.”

“I see,” the man nodded. “But then, if he always helped you out, why don’t you buy your books there anymore? Not saying I don’t want to sell books to you, just…”




“That store was in Kanoya,” Ryota explained. “It would be difficult to go back there to buy stuff.”

“Ah, so you’re new in town?” the shop keeper asked. “Well, do you remember any titles that might help me?”
Ryota shook his head.

“How about a gift coupon, maybe? Then your sister can come in and choose something she enjoys,” the man suggested.
Ryota shook his head again, sighing deeply.

“No, I…” he stuttered. “Sorry, I’ll better…”

Ryota was already turning around and making his way back out onto the street when he bumped into a body that had definitely appeared suddenly in front of him.

“Oi, better watch your step,” another young man advised him.

“S-sorry,” Ryota mumbled.

“Seriously, Koichi, don’t run my customers over,” the shop keeper complained.

“That one doesn’t look like a customer,” Koichi analyzed. “Have you bought anything?”




Ryota looked shocked at the question directed at him.

“Customers aren’t only determined by the things they buy,” the shop keeper explained.

“And here we go again,” Koichi said, rolling his eyes. “You have to become more of a business man, Yaracchi, just stapling books doesn’t make a merchant. What are you looking for, young man?”

Ryota was still merely staring at the other.

“Koichi, really, leave it alone,” the shop keeper grumbled.

“But you were looking for something?” Koichi urged towards Ryota.

“Will you leave the kid alone, already,” the shop keeper insisted. “He doesn’t know what he should get for his sister.”

“So, why don’t you recommend something?” Koichi suggested.

“But I don’t know her at all,” the shop keeper insisted. “How can I choose something that will be suitable?”

“Well, tell us something about your sister,” Koichi shrugged. “I’m sure Yara can find something she will like. Even though this store is small, the
variety is huge.”

“I…” Ryota stuttered, “I really have to get going. Thank you for trying to help,” he said towards Yara, the shop keeper.




After giving Koichi another helpless look Ryota quickly stepped by the man and rushed out the door. Once out on the street he sighed deeply. That hadn’t exactly gone as planned.

In the store Koichi looked after Ryota.

“Weird kid,” he commented.

“You just keep being too intense,” Yara told him. “Not everybody responds well to that.”

Koichi merely shrugged. “Well, he wasn’t buying anything anyway.”

Yara sighed. “Well, he’s definitely not going to now. And what are you here for?”

“Ah,” Koichi perked up. “My mother wants to order… wait…” he pulled out a small paper, reading, “deep moisture red clay, vermilion earth powder and some of those capsules that you mix together.”

Yara nodded, quickly taking a few notes. “Ah, a small or big jar of the clay?”

“Make it a big one, please.”

“Alright,” Yara muttered. “I have to order in stuff for the capsules. About ten days, then I’ll have everything ready.”




“That’s perfectly fine,” Koichi smiled. “Now, close up and let’s have a drink.”

Yara blinked at him. “Eh? It’s the middle of the day, I can’t just close the store.”

“Nobody’s here,” Koichi argued.

“Well, if I close it, nobody can come in,” Yara countered.

“Oh, come on,” Koichi sighed, rolling his eyes, “we’ll be back in about half an hour. You need to take a break.”

Yara thought about it for another moment. Then he nodded. “Okay, fine. But really just for one drink.”

“Right,” Koichi agreed. “Let’s go.”




*~*~*~*




*~School obstacles~*


Ryota had had a short night and thus was feeling exhausted already as he walked into the class room. As soon as he was spotted by his new found class mate Nagase Ren, who seemed to want to befriend him, the young boy came rushing right towards him.

“Good morning,” Ren greeted him.

“Morning,” Ryota mumbled.

“Oh, short night?” Ren asked, sounding a bit worried.

“Mh,” Ryota nodded.

“Well, if you want to, we can skip club this afternoon,” Ren suggested. “I’ll explain it to Midori-chan. I’m sure she’ll understand.

“Hm, that might actually be nice,” Ryota mused.

“Ne?” Ren smiled. “Then you can…”

“I can go back to the hospital,” Ryota cut in.




Ren gave him a sad look. “I meant that you should get some rest. You can’t be there all the time. You need to take care of yourself as well.” When the other did not respond, Ren nudged him with his elbow. “How about we skip and just walk around the streets a bit and have some fun? And… ten I can come to the hospital with you.”

Ryota looked at his class mate, considering the offer. That kid could be really bothersome. And most of the time he was way too cheerful. But then, he was a reliable comrade. Ryota smiled.

“Alright, let’s do that.”

“Cool,” Ren cheered, jumping up and down excitedly.

And there it was again – definitely too high spirited.

“Oh,” Ren suddenly exclaimed, “totally forgot, how did your book mission go?”

Ryota cringed a bit at that. “Disastrous,” he answered honestly.

“Oh, so you couldn’t get anything?” Ren asked.




Ryota merely shook his head.

“Well, maybe you can just buy a variety and…”

“No,” Ryota interrupted him, his voice intense. He softened it again as he continued. “Sorry, but you don’t understand… it’s not the same.”

“Well, it can’t be the same as before, right?” Ren asked. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything.”

“I’ll think about it,” Ryota sighed.

In that moment their home room teacher came in and they had to get to their seats. Ryota’s mind wasn’t on the school subjects all day. He kept thinking about all the things that were going on around him. There was so much that still needed to be settled after moving. Reorganizing an entire life sure was exhausting. But then, he didn’t have a choice but to pull through. And so he would.




*~*~*~*




*~As chances are~*


As promised, Ryota willingly followed Ren after school for some spare time activities. In the end, he had to admit that it was fun, after all. They visited a gaming hall and had a few matches, then moved on to tower Records to check out some new music releases. Ryota kept watching how Ren was circling the latest release of a male idol he seemed to like, but never dared to actually grab it. Maybe he thought Ryota would laugh at him. But really, while he wasn’t interested in that kind of thing, there was nothing wrong with enjoying these things. In the end, Ryota decided to point the Cd out to Ren, who immediately started an enthusiastic monologue about all the things he liked about that guy. Ryota listened patiently and even asked a few questions.

“Do you think Maya would enjoy that?” he finally asked.

Ren was apparently surprised by that question. “Well… I don’t know. I mainly like the cheerful atmosphere that surrounds him. His songs always make me smile.”

Ryota nodded. “Then maybe they’ll make Maya smile as well. I’ll get a copy.”

“Really?” Ren asked, smiling brightly. When Ryota nodded in confirmation, he dared to press a bit. “And will you listen to it too?”

Ryota chuckled lightly at that. “I will,” he promised. “But you better don’t expect me to become a fan.”

“That’s okay,” Ren said, still smiling happily. “You’re the first guy who’s not laughing at me because I like this.”

“Well, if someone can’t handle the things you enjoy, they’re not suited to be your friend,” Ryota shrugged.




Ren blinked at him. “So… do you mean you’re my friend?”

Ryota gave him a pained look. “You do have to stop being girly like that, though,” he told Ren. “If you talk to guys like that, they might think you hit on them.”

“What?” Ren exclaimed. “Oh, no, no, no. I’m not… it’s not like that.”

“Okay,” Ryota nodded. “Well, just for the record, I wouldn’t mind – you know, if it were like that. But at any rate, it’s better to be more discrete. People will think you’re weird.”

“Ah, and you wouldn’t want to have a weird friend,” Ren nodded.

Ryota bumped against his friend playfully. “Don’t say stuff like that. I already said I like you the way you are. But things might be easier for you if you knew how to interact with people more randomly.”

“I’ll try to be more discrete, then,” Ren answered.

“Good,” Ryota nodded at him.

Ren nodded back at him. “Okay, let’s pay for these and then go for a frappé. We can share one of those huge couple cups they serve at that shaved ice shop. Oh, I want strawberry.”




Ryota blinked after the guy as he happily hopped off towards the cashier, wondering if he actually understood manly behavior. But then he just shrugged to himself and followed along. And as they were sitting in that shop sharing a huge strawberry cup, Ryota found that the sweet taste of the treat was indeed nice and that sharing it felt comforting in a weird way. Maybe he was just too uptight. Sometimes he couldn’t tell if he wasn’t the one being weird. He didn’t interact with people too often, after all. And ultimately he found that just enjoying what you liked without paying too much attention to how other people perceived it needed a good amount of strength and inner stability.

“It’s really good,” he smiled.

“Told you,” Ren grinned at him. “Should we get something for your sister?”

Ryota shook his head. “No, she’s not allowed sweets.”

“I see,” Ren nodded. “Well, once we finish this, why don’t we go, see her right away?”

“Alright.”

They finished their shaved milk ice and Ryota found that he hadn’t felt as light-hearted before going to the hospital in a very, very long time. His worries caught up with him eventually as they neared the building, but even so, it had been good to get his mind off everything for a while. As they walked in and announced their arrival at the reception, Ryota froze.




“What’s wrong?” Ren asked.

Ryota just kept staring at the man who was approaching them, though. He felt a sudden urge to run and hide, even though it was ridiculous, but before he could react in any way, it would have been too late anyway.

“Oh, you’re here,” Yara exclaimed, coming up to the pair of them. “Listen, I really want to apologize for my friend the other day. He is often trying too hard and I don’t want you to misunderstand. He didn’t mean to be intrusive.”

Ryota merely nodded vaguely. “It’s okay, really,” he muttered.

“Oh, who’s that?” Ren asked.

Yara smiled apologetically. “Oh dear, look at me here, not even introducing myself properly. Yara Tomoyuki, at your service.”

“He… he owns that book shot,” Ryota explains. “The `Hon to Ni´.”

“Ah,” Ren made, nodding quickly. “I’m Nagase Ren, Ryota’s class mate.”

“Nice to meet you,” Yara smiled. “And then, you’re Ryota,” he nodded.




“Oh, you haven’t introduced yourself?” Ren asked.
“I was going in to buy some comics,” Ryota argued. “Why would I introduce myself?”
“Well, if you want to go back and be a regular customer,” Ren suggested, “isn’t it better if you make proper introductions?”
“I already told you, I couldn’t buy anything anyway, so that would be difficult,” Ryota explained.
“Well, maybe he can talk to your sister,” Ren suggested. “If you don’t mind?” he asked Yara.
Ryota stared at his friend. “Are you nuts? You can’t just invite someone to visit my sister.”
“Oh, you’re visiting your sister here?” Yara asked. “I’m sorry to conclude that’s why she isn’t coming in to buy comics herself?”
Ryota merely bit his lip, averting his gaze. Just why did Ren have to be so blunt about everything?
“Oh dear, sorry,” Yara muttered. “I didn’t mean to be intrusive.”
“No,” Ryota sighed, shaking his head. “It’s not your fault. It’s true, my sister is under treatment here. She’s very sick, you see.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Yara said sympathetically.
Ryota nodded. “Thank you. They are using a very special treatment here,” he explained. “One that’s very promising. She was suffering a lot before. That’s why we moved all the way to Tokyo, in hopes for her to recover fully.”




“I see,” Yara smiled. “Well, even though it’s not a nice reason to move, it’s good to have a loving family like that.”

Ryota stiffened a bit at that.

“It’s actually just her and Ryota,” Ren explained.

At that Ryota had had it. He glared at his friend.

“Stop babbling like that,” he yelled. “Nobody asked you to give out such details.”

“But he seems to be nice,” Ren shrugged. “He cares. I can tell.”

“So you came together with your sister?” Yara asked, surprised. “And your parents?”

Ryota sighed. “Well, might as well tell you the rest now too. Our mother passed away when we were still very young. She had the same disease my sister is suffering from now, you see. Back then there was close to no treatment. I was lucky, I didn’t inherit it. But when my sister fell ill, our father… even though he was always loving and taking good care of us… somehow he gave up right away. He never even visited Maya in the hospital back at home. After a while the contact reduced to zero.”

“Wow, that’s tough,” Yara said, sounding pained.




“I understand it in a way,” Ryota admitted. “Seeing someone you love suffer, fearing that they might die, no matter what you might try to prevent that from happening… Ultimately you can’t really do anything but watch. It’s tough. And dad… he already watched our mother die – I guess he just couldn’t take it.” Finally realizing that he sounded like a suicide candidate he changed his attitude, pulling himself together and even managing a small smile. “Well, for about two years now I’ve been taking care of my sister. We lived together when she didn’t have to stay at the hospital, the school was very supportive too, but a few months ago her condition got considerably worse. I debated with myself what I should do. I consulted her doctor and he recommended coming to Tokyo to try this new treatment. And on the plus side, I have to say that she has been getting better lately.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Yara said encouragingly.

“Well, we’ll have to wait and see now,” Ryota explained. “The treatment will continue through the next three months. I dare not get my hopes up just yet. Symptoms have been getting better and worse before and nobody can tell just yet if she’ll actually recover. But I want to keep up my hopes. Because I want her to go out into the world again, enjoying a carefree life, without having to fear that she might have to go back to the hospital again at any time. That’s what I want for her.”




“And the comics,” Yara tried carefully.

“Well, can’t you imagine it’s boring to be in hospital by yourself all day?” Ryota asked. “She can’t get out of bed most of the time, so reading is something she enjoys.”

“I see,” Yara nodded. He gave Ryota an intense look. “Please tell me which room your sister is occupying.”

Ryota blinked at that. “Huh?”

“Tell me and I’ll go back to the store and choose some comics and bring them here,” Yara offered.

“Wha-what?!” Ryota gasped. “But…”

“I can’t promise I’ll be any good,” Yara grinned apologetically, “but I’ll try my best to do for her what you former book merchant did or your sister. I want to make her smile a little, if I can.”

“But…” Ryota argued, “you can’t give me comics just like that.”

“Oh, I can’t?” Yara asked. “I happen to have loads and I can do with them whatever I want.”

Ryota shook his head slightly, but smiled genuinely. “You know, your friend does have a point, you don’t have a merchant’s heart at all.”




“I guess I don’t,” Yara admitted. “But that should not concern you.”

“But I can’t just accept something like that,” Ryota insisted.

“I’m sure we can find some kind of agreement,” Yara offered.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Ren said enthusiastically.

Ryota still looked insecure, but finally he nodded. “Well, she’s on the second floor, the room number is 2041. Oh, and if you want to get there you need to say you’re with Yamamoto. It’s family restricted, but if you say you’re with the family it’ll be fine.”

“Alright then, Yamamoto Ryota,” Yara smiled. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Please choose carefully so Maya will have fun reading,” Ren said, bowing his head slightly.

“Of course,” Yara promised, mimicking the action.

With that he excused himself to get back to the store. Ryota looked after the man wondering if he’d made a good decision allowing such a thing.

“Wow, he’s super nice,” Ren cheered.

Ryota nodded absentmindedly. “I guess so.”




“You keep being too closed up,” Ren scolded his friend. “I know it’s not a nice thing to talk about, but if you want people to walk the path with you, you’ll have to tell them where you are.”

“You might have a point there,” Ryota admitted, smiling at the other. “Well, let’s go and see Maya.”

“Right,” Ren nodded.

It was about an hour later that a nurse came in, bringing a big pile of comic books. Yara had had them sent up. Ryota found he was a bit disappointed that the man hadn’t come up to see them, but he figured that it would have been too troublesome for the man and he was thankful enough, even more so when his sister cheered at the selection.

“That one is so cool,” she said happily, holding one book out in front of Ryota. “I’ve already read three books. I really like the story line.”

“I’m glad you like them,” Ryota smiled.

“They are super cool,” Maya repeated. “There’s even a horror story, I love those.”

“But you shouldn’t read stuff like that,” Ryota said. “Won’t you be scared?”

“Of course not,” Maya pouted. “I’m not a little girl.”

Ryota laughed at that. “Right, sorry. I’ll tell Yara-san that you really liked what he picked out.”

“Please do,” Maya nodded.




“Oh, I almost forgot,” Ryota suddenly perked up. “We got something else for you.” He pulled out the Cd they had gotten earlier. “This was Nagase-kun’s suggestion. I hope you will like it too.”

Maya’s eyes sparkled as she accepted the item. “Wah, oh my god! You bought that? Isn’t that too expensive?”

“It’s fine,” Ryota assured her, even though they truly were tight on money.

“I adore him,” Maya stated. “He’s just so… I listen to his songs when they’re on TV and stuff. They always make me feel happy. It’s like I can forget
there are problems troubling me. Just hearing his gentle voice…”

“It’ll make you forget even how time passes, ne?” Ren said, a smile on his face.

“Yes,” Maya agreed. “So, you like him too?”

Ren nodded. “A lot. I even collect the DVDs of Live releases.”

“Wow, so cool,” Maya cheered.

“I can bring you some next time I visit,” Ren offered.




“You don’t have to,” Maya waved him off.

“No, it’s fine, “Ren insisted. “Can you watch it somewhere?”

Maya nodded. “I’m not supposed to use the laptop too much. But when it’s Yuicchan…” She blushed slightly.

“Then I’ll bring them,” Ren decided.

“Well, why don’t we listen to that song, then?” Ryota suggested. “I promised I’ll listen to it, didn’t I? So, why not do it together?”

“Okay,” Maya nodded, putting the Cd in her player and starting the song.

Ryota found it was, as expected, light pop music. But the voice of the man really was memorable. It was a low pitch with a gentle timbre. Paired with a handsome face and the right effects here and there the man must have been eye-catching. His eyes swept over the bunch of comics on Maya’s table and he smiled. He’d have to thank Yara for making that kind of effort.




*~*~*~*




*~Books and Clay~*


“Welcome,” Yara yelled out. Yet again he was nowhere to be seen, though. Ryota wondered if he sold even one book per day, working like that.

“Ah, sorry, I hope I’m not disturbing you,” Ryota called out. “It’s Yamamoto Ryota. I was just…”

“Oh,” Yara exclaimed and suddenly he appeared in the door that led to a small room that looked like a place to stock books – but then, the entire store looked like that, really.

“Hi,” Ryota offered shyly.

“Good afternoon,” Yara greeted him back. “Finished with school?”

Ryota nodded. “I’m actually heading for my job. But I wanted to come by and thank you for the other day. My sister totally loved the comics you
brought her.”

“I’m really glad to hear that,” Yara smiled. “Tell me if you need any more.”

“I still have to pay you for the ones you brought,” Ryota reminded him.

“It’s really not necessary,” Yara tried again.

“No, I insist,” Ryota said with a smile. “Please, ring it up.”

“Okay, then,” Yara agreed.




“Sorry, if it sounds rude, but… how do you live of this store?” Ryota asked.

Yara blinked at him at first, but then he laughed. “I’m really no good as a shop keeper, am I?”

“No, that’s not it,” Ryota amended.

“It’s fine,” Yara waved him off. “I kind of inherited it from my grandfather. In a way I felt like I had to take it over, after my dad and brother refused to do it.”

“But you don’t enjoy it,” Ryota analyzed.

“I do love books,” Yara told him. “Most of all the comics, actually.”

“And… what about the clay thing?” Ryota asked.

“Do you think it’s strange?” Yara asked.

“A bit,” the younger man admitted. “I mean, it seems to be a weird mix.”

“I guess it must,” Yara nodded. “Well, I am a bit of an artist at heart, I guess, even though I’m too much of a mess to actually pull anything off. But within my own limited abilities I want to do stuff that I enjoy doing. And producing cosmetics is one such thing. I am a certificated beautician, you know. So, I know all about ingredients and stuff. I have found that red clay is extremely beneficial to skin that gets blemished easily. So I thought up my own recipe, if you want to call it that. And now I’m selling a range of products to anyone who orders them.




“I see,” Ryota nodded. It sounded a bit weird, but in way he could sympathize. He knew what it meant to make sacrifices for those you loved.

“Okay, that’ll be 3,000, then,” Yara declared, presenting a receipt.

“For all those books?” Ryota asked. “That can’t be right.”

“That’s the price,” Yara assured him. “And if you need any more, let me know. In fact, if it’s okay with you, think of this as a lending fee. You can
come back with old copies and exchange them for new stuff.”

Ryota stared. “Wha- really?”

Yara nodded firmly. “That way you won’t have a bunch of old books you don’t know what to do with, your sister always gets new stuff and I get the books back to sell as second hand. Everybody wins.”

Ryota nodded, smiling. “That sounds nice, actually. Thank you. You know, for caring.”

“Happily,” Yara smiled back at him.

“Ah, I’d love to stay and chat, but I have to get to my job,” Ryota explained. “But if it’s okay, I’ll be back soon to choose new books.”

“Anytime is fine,” Yara assured him.

“Cool,” Ryota nodded. “Well, see you around, then.”

“Yeah, see you, Yamamoto-kun,” Yara waved.

With that Ryota headed out the door and off to get to his job. He needed to earn some money, after all. He found work wasn’t nearly as unnerving as it usually was. Ren even visited him as the evening drew near. They went out for dinner, talking randomly and having some fun together.




*~*~*~*




*~The Kiss~*


“Welcome,” Ryota called out as he heard the bell of the door’s store.

Being there so often during the past six weeks had gotten to make him feel quite at home there. In fact he often found himself going to Yara’s bookstore when he was done working rather than home. Of course, seeing Maya was still first priority, always. But he enjoyed having a place he felt he was welcome in at all times.

“Good afternoon,” a young woman greeted him. “Do you have the latest book by Yamaguchi Naoki?”

Ryota nodded quickly, jumping down from the small ladder he had been standing on.

“We do,” he smiled. “Do you want it as hard-cover or paperback?”

Ryota was relieved. Even though he had worked hard to bring some kind of order into the mess of books around the store, he still knew well only about the new releases. When people were looking for older books, he often had to search a while.

“Paperback would be nice, thank you,” the woman said.

Ryota quickly grabbed the book and made to ring it up.

“Welcome,” he yelled out as he heard the bell ringing again, even though he was too pre-occupied to look properly. “That’ll be 2,000,” he said to the woman with a smile.

“Oh, it’s that much,” the woman mumbled, hesitating.




Ryota smiled at her. “Well, this is a small book store, you see. We cannot buy huge stocks for books, but we still want to get what everybody wants to read so anyone who comes in can find something they like. Furthermore, this store organizes a library service for the local hospital, so the long term patients can enjoy reading books as well. So, please support us.”

The young woman smiled at that. “That’s nice. I’ll buy it.”

“Thank you for your purchase,” Ryota said with a bow.

He finished the transaction and carefully placed the book in a small bag before handing it to the woman and wishing her a nice day.
“Impressive.”

Ryota jumped at the voice behind him. As he swished around he found Yara’s friend Koichi standing in front of him.

“You should take money from Yaracchi,” he suggested, “running the shop like this.”

“It’s nothing,” Ryota waved him off. “Plus, he does the book thing for the entire hospital now and I’m grateful, so I really want to help too.”

“And where ever is he?” Koichi asked.




“Ah, he went out to buy some snacks,” Ryota explained.

“Well, at any rate, you’re doing well,” Koihci told Ryota. “He should just leave the shop to you.”

“I can’t run a shop, though,” Ryota said.

“Right, you’re still going to school. And then your sister needs your attention too, doesn’t she?”

Ryota blushed at that. “Oh… he told you about that?”

Koichi grinned at Ryota. “Lately Yaracchi hardly ever talks about anything but you.”

Ryota blinked at that, but before he could ask about that weird statement, Yara came in.

“I’m back,” he announced. “And I’ve got chocolates.”




They enjoyed their snacks together, then Koichi had to leave again and Yara and Ryota went back to their tasks in the store. As Ryota was about to grab some boxes to staple them properly, he found that one of them help a bunch of sheets with comic sketches on them. He picked some of the pages up, looking at them curiously. They looked like an unfinished comic story. The drawings were very detailed and the characters looked cool, with stylish clothes and creative hair styles. He flipped through some pages, reading the story of a young man who had to go to a job interview and the guy who did the interview was being quite pushy and altogether it was somewhat intriguing, but as he turned the following page he blushed, gasping slightly.

“Oh, you’ve found that,” Yara said, sounding embarrassed.

“What is this?” Ryota asked, quickly placing the pages back into the box.

“Well, those are comics that I’ve been drawing,” Yara explained.

Ryota stared at the other. “You… you made them?”

Yara nodded. “But they’re no good,” he laughed.

“The drawings are beautiful,” Ryota told the other. “Just… they are…”

“Boy’s Love,” Yara nodded.




“Just… why?” Ryota asked.

“Because it’s popular?” Yara suggested.

“Among girls, yes,” Ryota muttered. “But for a guy…”

“Do you think it’s gross?”

“It’s not like that,” Ryota told him, shaking his head. He bit his lip nervously.

“But now you’re wondering if I’m gay?” Yara guessed.

Ryota’s blush deepened. “It’s not like I’d mind,” he mumbled.

“Oh, you wouldn’t?” Yara asked. “Well, I do like guys,” he admitted.

“So, that’s how it is,” Ryota mused.

“It’s freaking you out,” Yara analyzed.

“No,” Ryota insisted. “I just… don’t know how to act now. I’ve never known anyone who’s gay.”

“You must have,” Yara told him with a smile. “People don’t like to admit these things, so you might not have known, but you’ve definitely met gay guys.”




“I see,” Ryota chuckled. “Sorry for being awkward about this.”

“It’s okay,” Yara assured him.

“Why do you say they’re no good, though”? Ryota asked. “They look excellent.”

“I’ve been praised for my graphics too,” Yara admitted. “But even so, I couldn’t sell a single story to anyone. I always keep receiving the same answers. The story lacks credibility and nice interaction between characters.”

Ryota bit his lip. “Well, maybe you should think of something you’ve experienced, that will make it feel closer to reality.”

“I’ve really given up sending stuff to publishers. I keep drawing because I enjoy it.”

“I see. Well, sorry for intruding.”

“No, it’s perfectly fine,” Yara told him. “I’m not ashamed of them, or anything. I still like them.”

Ryota nodded. “Well, why don’t we call it a day and have dinner and a drink together?” he suggested.

“That sounds like a neat idea,” Yara agreed.




And so they closed the store and made their way to a near-by restaurant. They kept sitting together for hours, enjoying food and drinks.

“If you want to, you can stay,” Yara offered as they went back out onto the street.

“That’s nice,” Ryota smiled. “But I need to get back home to change into my school clothes and I have to get my books too.”

“Of course,” Yara nodded. “Well, then… thanks for today. Good night.”

“Good night,” Ryota smiled.

“Ah, Ryota,” Yara called out.

“Hm?”

“Tomorrow… you’ll be visiting your sister again, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, tell her I said hi.”




“I will,” Ryota smiled.

“And… s-see you soon,” Yara stuttered.

“Of course,” Ryota laughed.

Yara nodded still seeming to be pre-occupied. Then suddenly he moved forward and Ryota gasped in surprise as he found a pair of lips pressed against his. He remained still, completely at a loss as of what to do. Their “kiss” lasted for a few more seconds, before Yara pulled back awkwardly.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

Ryota couldn’t even look at the other anymore, he just took a few steps backward before he turned around and ran off. Yara sighed, looking after him.




*~*~*~*




*~Interlude 1~*


“It’s a good thing you made your move,” Koichi stated.

“He hasn’t come back since,” Yara told his friend. “He doesn’t answer my calls either.”

“Give him some time,” Koichi suggested.

“It’s been almost two weeks now,” Yara said sadly.

“Well, I’m sorry if the kid doesn’t like you back,” Koichi said sympathetically. “But always just looking from afar wouldn’t get you anywhere either.”

“I still could have been close to him,” Yara countered.

“Yearning for something you’d never have,” Koichi retorted. “Believe me, it’s better this way.”

“Even though I might understand that with my head, my heart is still aching,” Yara sighed.

“Why don’t you seek him out then and try to talk to him,” Koichi suggested.

“I can’t do that,” Yara shook his head. “If he doesn’t want to see me, or even talk to me, I can’t force myself on him.”

“Well, then, you’ll have to forget it,” Koichi told him. “But suffering like that won’t do anything either.”

“Then I’ll have to forget him,” Yara agreed.




*~*~*~*




*~Interlude 2~*


“Is it really okay not to talk to him at all?” Ren asked.

“What should I say to a man who kissed me?” Ryota asked.

They were cleaning the library after their weekly book club.

“You shouldn’t make it that much of a big deal, really,” Ren told him. “I mean, seriously, it was just a kiss. So he likes you. Even when you don’t want to answer to that, he’s still the guy who helped you and Maya so nicely, the person you kept spending so much of your time with, just because he made you feel at ease. You two have quite some things in common, I think. Doesn’t that count for anything?”

Ryota sighed. “I just really don’t know what to do with him,” he explained.

“Well, you shouldn’t just dismiss a new found friend like that over a simple press of lips,” Ren told him.

“That’s easy for you to say,” Ryota grumbled out. “You aren’t the one he smooched.”

Ren sighed, rolling his eyes. “Come here.” He quickly grabbed Ryota by the collar of his school uniform and pulled him close, pressing a quick, but intense peck on his lips. “There,” he grinned, sticking out his tongue a bit, “now I’m the one being smooched. Totally not a big deal.”

“What the…” Ryota gasped, bringing some distance back between them. “That’s totally not… you did it to me, not the other way around.”




“I still had your lips on mine,” Ren shrugged. “Really, stop being such a girl.”

“Why does everybody think it’s okay to kiss me without my permission?” Ryota asked angrily.

“Aw,” Ren crooned playfully. “If I actually kiss you, I won’t leave any breath for you to complain about it.”

Ryota blushed slightly at that. “Stop saying weird stuff like that,” he demanded.

“What?” Ren asked. “It’s okay to fool around.”

“But I don’t want to,” Ryota insisted.

“Well, then maybe you feel weird because you like it?” Ren suggested. “Or you fear you might like it?”

“I’m really done discussing this,” Ryota decided, shaking his head.




“Okay, fine,” Ren sighed. “But what are you going to do about Maya? She’s already been asking about Yara and new books.”

“I know,” Ryota sighed. “But I just can’t…”

“Oh, come on, now,” Ren urged his friend. “Be a man.”

Ryota sighed deeply. “Well… of course, for Maya, I’ll do anything.”

“There you go,” Ren nodded. “Well, then, off you go. Or do you want me to come along?”

“No, thanks,” Ryota said quickly. “Alright, then. I’ll go.”

That said Ryota set out to visit the “Hon to Ni” for the first time in two weeks. His guts twisted up at the thought of meeting Yara there. But then, he still wanted Maya to be as happy as possible, so he had to go, even though it pained him going to a place he used to feel at home at when it was making him feel almost painfully awkward now.




*~*~*~*




*~The next step~*


“Welcome,” Rota heard Yara’s voice calling out.

For a change the man was actually behind the shop’s counter as well. As he spotted Ryota, he froze.

“Hi,” Ryota offered shyly.

“H-hey,” Yara answered, not knowing how to react to Ryota’s sudden appearance.

“Listen,” the younger man started right away, “I don’t want to… you know, to talk about it. I’m just here for books. Even though I am not comfortable with it, I can’t deprive Maya of the only thing she enjoys right now, just because I can’t cope. So, will you take these back?”

Yara nodded slowly, accepting the books while never breaking eye-contact with Ryota.

“Yamamoto-kun,” he began carefully, “I’m sorry. I never wanted to make you feel awkward or uncomfortable in any way. I’m sorry I was acting so impulsively. And of course I’ll give you new books for Maya.”

“Thank you,” Ryota smiled, even though he couldn’t hide well that it was fake.




Yara merely nodded quickly, took the comic books and left Ryota standing at the counter. The young man sighed. In a way it felt good to be back at the store. He had come to truly like the surroundings of it, the smell and the feeling of being at home it gave him. As he looked around, he even found that Yara had continued to use his sorting system, which made him smile unconsciously. Yara wasn’t nearly as fast at filing the books, but he seemed to be working his way through the mess of them alright. Ryota thought back to the day he’d spent rummaging through shelves and boxes and how he found the comic Yara had created himself. He blushed thinking back to the picture of those characters engaging in an intimate kiss and he couldn’t help but wonder why Yara’s stories kept being rejected. They definitely left an impression. Or was it just him?
“There you go.”

Ryota jumped as Yara addressed him, holding out a pile of new comics for him.

“I hope she’ll like them,” Yara smiled.

“I’m sure she will,” Ryota smiled back. “She always enjoys what you pick out for her. Thank you for taking the trouble.”

“Any time,” Yara offered. He bit his lip for a moment. “Ne, Yamamoto-kun… I understand that you’re feeling awkward around me. I just wanted to say, even if it doesn’t mean anything to you… I always enjoyed having you around. So, if you ever find that you can put up with me, the way I am and the way I feel… you’re always welcome here.”




Ryota smiled at the man and that smile was as honest as it was sad.

“Thank you,” he said honestly. “I always enjoyed being here too. It’s just… I don’t think it would be good, hanging out the way we did before. Wouldn’t you hate looking at me from a distance?”

“As long as you don’t hate me looking at you,” Yara mumbled.

“I don’t hate you for that,” Ryota stated firmly. “Listen, I meant it when I said I don’t mind it. I don’t. I was just so shocked, finding those feelings directed at me. I didn’t know how to react to that. I… I’m sorry for simply disappearing like that.”

“No, no,” Yara waved him off. “I totally understand. I’m the one at fault. I shouldn’t have been so intrusive.”

“It’s fine,” Ryota assured him. “I can handle a little… well, a small thing like that.”

“Thank you,” Yara smiled.

Ryota nodded at him. “Well… see you around, then.”

“Sure,” Yara nodded back. “Come back anytime.”

Ryota felt slightly relieved when he left the book store, in part because he’d had a hard time being around the other, but in part also because he had seen and talked to Yara again. Kiss or not, he still felt a connection to the man and maybe, just maybe, they could still keep forging a bond that they both could enjoy.




*~*~*~*




*~An unexpected visit~*


Yara was working through a number of boxes with new arrivals. For some reason he found his mind wandering off to Ryota again and again, wondering what he was up to and when he would return again. The young man had been visiting the store regularly again for weeks, but only for returning and receiving books. It saddened Yara a bit to think about that. They’d developed a bond he had quite enjoyed and being deprived of that pained him. In addition Ryota hadn’t shown up recently. Yara was sure that the other hadn’t simply dismissed him. Well, almost sure. Even so he couldn’t stop thinking about Ryota, hoping, wishing he would just come swishing in through the door and give him one of his gentle smiles. Yara sighed. Koichi had been right. Remaining close to Ryota wasn’t exactly good for him. But then, just getting to see the young man made him smile. Yara perked up a the door’s bell rang, announcing a customer.

“Welcome,” he offered cheerfully.

A bit of distraction was just what he needed.

“Good afternoon,” the girl who had come in offered, bowing her head slightly.

Yara blinked in surprise, but he mimicked the gesture. “How can I help you?”

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Yara Tomoyuki-san,” the girl smiled.

Yara blinked again, totally confused at that point. “Wha-… eh?”




The girl giggled. “I’m sorry for the confusion,” she apologized. “I’m Yamamoto Maya.”

Yara’s eyes grew wide. “You… you’re…”

“I wanted to come and thank you personally,” the girl explained, “for being a good friend for my brother and for making me smile a bit when I almost constantly felt like crying.”

She bowed again and Yara still couldn’t do anything but stare. The fact that Ryota’s sister was standing in his store, in front of him was too much for him to comprehend.

“So…” he finally spoke up, “you… you’re out of hospital?”

The girl nodded, smiling brightly. “Yes, the treatment worked wonderfully, really. It took a while for me to recover fully and I will have to go back to hospital for aftercare and regular check-ups, at least for a few more months, but if the progress continues the way it has, I’ll be fully cured soon. And it’s also because your books made me feel happy and want to go out and experience such interesting stories as well.”

Finally Yara got over his initial shock. He smiled at Maya.

“I’m really glad to hear that your health has improved so much,” he said.

“Thank you,” the girl smiled.

“Please keep recovering well like that,” Yara stated.




“Well,” Maya dragged out, “in fact I came here first to thank you for what you’ve done for us and then also to ask you if you will keep helping me now as well. I know it’s a bit rude to say it just like that, but… is it okay, if I keep borrowing books from your store in the future as well?”

Yara looked a bit baffled, but then he smiled genuinely at the girl.

“Of course,” he said eagerly, “you can come in at any time and you can take anything you enjoy.”

“Really?” Maya cheered. “Oh, thank you so much. I can’t say how happy I am that my brother has found a friend like you. After moving here he was being quite isolated. In part it was my fault, of course, because he never met school mates or colleagues, but he always just kept coming to the hospital to see me.”

“It’s not your fault, though,” Yara argued. “He was worried for you and he wanted to support you a much as he could. It was his decision. So, please don’t blame yourself.”

Maya nodded gratefully. “He is really an amazing person. But really, I was so happy when he met you. Whenever he was talking about you and your store, his eyes would light up and I could see that he really think s of you as a special person in his life. So, thank you for taking care of him.”

Yara waved her off. “It’s really that he’s been taking care of me,” he explained. “He established a new sorting system for my books. I can’t quite keep up with keeping everything in order, not the way he always did, but I’m trying and it really makes things easier for me. So, I’m happy too that I got to meet him.”




“I’m glad to hear that,” Maya said happily. “So… is it okay, if I have a look around?”

“Of course,” Yara offered. “Fell free, take anything you want and if you need anything, let me know.”

Maya nodded. “Please, continue with your work, I don’t want to trouble you.”

Yara went back to his boxes, trying to focus on his work, but his eyes kept wondering towards the girl checking through his rather huge selection of books. She kept sticking with the comics mainly, but she also took a look at some actual novels. It was about an hour later that Maya, after thanking him again for taking the trouble to support her, took her leave. Yara felt torn between feeling relieved and sorrowful. For a moment he was wondering if now that Maya could come in and get new books herself Ryota would not come back to the store again. He shook his head, hating himself for thinking such a thing, because, naturally he could only be happy that Maya had recovered so well and that she could walk through the world happily, he wouldn’t have it any other way, even if it meant that he would never see Ryota again. But even so, he hoped that it was at least okay to hope that he would…