“Stormy Rainbow” was written in elegant letters on a sign outside the building, indicating that it was on the 9^th and last floor. Jun was excited, but he was also a little apprehensive. He was back to Japan after 15 years of living in France and working as a chef there, in a restaurant that combined the best out of French and Japanese gastronomy. The owner was his uncle, and he was managing the place with his wife, who was born in Paris but studied in Tokyo for two years as an exchange student.

Matsumoto Daisuke and Louise had taken Jun under their wing when he had announced that he would go to Paris when he was 18. They had helped him with settling down, learning French and entering a good culinary school. He had gotten used to things pretty fast, and ended up graduating with honors, working in a high-class restaurant for some time before joining his uncle’s team. He was really happy at first, but as years passed by, he found himself wanting to change things in his life, break the routine.

“Why don’t you come back to Tokyo, then, Matsujun?”

He was talking on Skype with his best friend Aiba Masaki, whom he had met in a bar in Paris when he was still an apprentice. Aiba was a bartender, and he had been travelling in various places at that time to participate in contests and learn more interesting techniques. He had married and settled down in Tokyo some years ago, but he and Jun had stayed in contact nonetheless.

“How would Tokyo be any different from here? I’m fed up with boring routines!”

Aiba grinned mysteriously.

“I’ve got the perfect job for you! It’s actually in the place where I work. Sho-chan, the boss, needs a new cook soon, because Matsu-nii is going to America with his fiancé to get married and live there in a couple of months. Matsu-nii is a really good cook, but I think he just wants to be Nagase-kun’s housewife!”

“I have no idea who you’re talking about. But didn’t you tell me you were working in a gay bar?”

“Well… it is kind of an LGBTQ+ friendly bar, and it’s also a restaurant. It’s a really nice place, and they have special shows, depending on the day of the week. I can guarantee you’ll never get bored!” And he continued babbling about it. “It’s not one of those shady gay bars or those scary drag queen night clubs… not that we don’t have drag queens, we have fabulous ones, but it’s one of those kind of…fancy places. It’s not exactly in ni-chome either, but it’s close. And everyone is so nice! And you won’t have to cook all the time… you’d be usually done before shows start… we kind of serve snacks and drink during those… and we…”

“Ok ok Masaki, I get it!” Jun interrupted him. “I’ll think about it.”

“Good! Great! I’ll talk to Sho-chan then! He’s a really nice guy!”

“I didn’t tell you I was…”

“Yeah yeah, but knowing you, you’re already thinking of a way to send your stuff to Tokyo and sell your furniture. By the way, if you have nowhere to go, you can stay at my place by the time you find an apartment! I don’t think Rinko will mind.”

“Masaki! I will think about it.” He sighed. “But anyway, my sister lives in Shinjuku, so if” he looked at his friend’s Cheshire grin “if I come back, I’ll probably crash at her place while searching for an apartment.”

Aiba had been right. Jun had spoken to his uncle about his intention to go back to Tokyo that night, and Daisuke hadn’t been surprised about it.

“You deserve to be happy Jun, and I will support you no matter what you decide to do. And you know you’ll always be welcome here!”

His friend had told him that his boss wanted to meet him as soon as possible when he would be back.

Jun left Paris one month later. His sister was waiting for him at the airport, and she was accompanied by her children and Aiba. His friend had ran to him, hugging him and taking his luggage. His arms became soon full of Megumi and the kids. Miyo was 15 years old and Yuta was 11. They both loved their uncle, and they were very close to him, since he was the one to make them discover Paris and other places in France when they came during vacations. They were very excited to have him temporarily living with them, and kept talking to him and asking him questions all the way to Masaki’s car and on the way home.

“I will leave you with your family now Matsujun! Rest well! Rinko will be home soon~ She says hi by the way”

“Oh say hi to her too! And when should I meet your boss?”

“You should rest and spend time with Megumi-chan and the kids for now. I’ll send you the address and Sho-chan’s available times soon!”

Aiba had left and Megumi’s husband came home not long after, bringing dinner with him.

It was the end of September, and the weather was starting to get colder, with a lot of rain, so Jun didn’t get out much in the next couple of days, enjoying the company of his nephew and niece during the whole weekend. He had passed by his parents’ home when he hadn’t felt jetlagged anymore.

+++++

From: Aiba Masaki
Subject: Stormy Rainbow
Matsujuuuuun! I told Sho-chan you were here, and he’s really looking forward to meeting you~ He will be at the Stormy all day on Wednesday (tomorrow). You can come whenever you want to! I’m usually there on evenings, but I advise you to go during the day, cause it gets really crowded, especially on Wednesday nights! Anyway I’ll give you the coordinates of the Stormy Rainbow~ Tell me how it goes!

Jun followed his friend’s advice, and left his sister’s house late in the morning. He took the lift to the 9^th floor, and was pleasantly surprised with the simple yet elegant decoration of the place. There were tables with comfortable-looking couches, a big stage and a bar. The walls were painted in a rainbow-themed way, but it wasn’t too flashy, and they were covered with various paintings. The place was empty, but that was totally expected, since it didn’t open until late afternoon. The door hadn’t been closed though, so it wasn’t completely deserted. And there was indeed some light coming from behind the stage’s curtains.

“Excuse my intrusion, my name is Matsumoto Jun, and…”

“Oh! You’re Matsujun! Aibaka’s friend!”

The person who had just interrupted him was a slender young-looking man, who seemed to be in the middle of a trying-on session, with a series of dresses and skirts haphazardly thrown all over what seemed to be a backstage changing and makeup room.

“Nino? Do you need help with… oh a new person?”

Another man had emerged from another backstage area, with a blonde long curly hair wig in one hand and a black bob one in the other. He was tan and looked quite sleepy.

“Euh… My name is Matsumoto Jun, and Aiba Masaki told me I could meet the boss of this place today…?”

“Oh! You’re gonna replace Matsu-nii! My name is Ohno Satoshi. And this is Ninomiya Kazunari. We’re employees here, and we’re also in charge of drag queen night.”

It was the tan man who had spoken, extending his hand towards Jun with a smile. The other man, Ninomiya, also shook his hand, asking him to call him “Nino”.

“Ohchan, you should bring him to Sho-chan’s office. I’m kind of half-dressed now.”

Jun followed Ohno to a “Staff only” door beside the stage, and they walked through a hallway, until the other man stopped and knocked on a large door, opening it without waiting for an answer.

“Sho-kun, I’m bringing you our new cook!”

The office wasn’t too big but it was warm, and the man who was sitting down on the desk, typing things on a computer stopped what he was doing to look at them. He then stood up and was about to speak, when his eyes widened and his mouth stayed opened. Jun was in almost the same state of disbelief.

“Sakurai Sho….senpai?”

“Oh my god, Jun-kun! I should’ve known it was you! When Aiba-kun was taking about his best friend who’s a chef in France, Matsujun, I felt like it was somehow familiar!”

“Um….So you guys know each other already?” Ohno was giving them a confused look.

“Sakurai…kun was my senpai in high-school. He also tutored me in math, and saved my life!”

“Well Sho-kun is good with numbers! I should go back to Nino now. We have to be ready for tonight!”

He then exited the office, and Sho invited Jun to sit down on one of the chairs facing him.

“It’s been so long! You’ve grown up so much! How have you been? Do you want to drink anything?”

“No thank you… Well it has been more than 15 years…” Jun smiled. “I’m not an insect anymore, aren’t I?”

Sho blushed really hard at those last words. He used to tease the other man by calling him an insect during their high-school days. At that time, Jun had been all thin and tiny, with huge timid eyes. He was a first year and terribly failing in math, when his teacher had asked Sho, who was a third year, to help him. The older teen had been an excellent tutor, making him easily understand what had seemed to be complete nonsense to him before. Sho was also a really nice guy, and Jun used to have a huge crush on him, trying not to be too obvious about his growing feelings. They had both lost contact after Sho’s graduation, but it was a pleasant surprise for Jun to see his old tutor again.

“You’re far from being an insect… I almost didn’t recognize you! But your thick eyebrows are still there~”

“I see you still like teasing me, Sakurai-kun!”

“Oh yes! And please, call me Sho. Everyone here calls me Sho-chan or Sho-kun, because a lot of the employees are from the same generation!”

“Alright, Sho-kun. You’ve done a great work with this place by the way! I was kind of hesitating about the job offer at first, but now I’m really curious.”

“Well the Stormy isn’t your typical gay bar/restaurant! I always wanted to create an agreeable space that would be friendly to the LGBT community as a whole, without being too flashy or obnoxious. We serve meals between 5:30 and 9:00 pm usually. After that we have snacks and side dishes that are made in the bar area. We have themed nights, and shows that usually start around 8:30. We close the place around 1:00 am usually, but you’re free to leave around midnight, if you’re on side dishes duty. Your shift is the meal shift, but if you take side dishes duty you’ll have a bonus salary. Ohno and other people take care of it when they’re not performing, so we usually have a meeting with all the staff once a week to decide on shifts and shows. And even if you’re not on duty, you’re free to stick around! If you have a proposition for a performance, feel free to talk to Ohno about it. As for days off, you have to tell me in advance about them, unless you’re sick. Matsu-nii is training an apprentice, but Marius-kun is still very young and inexperienced.”

“So I’ll have to take Marius-kun under my wing when the other cook will leave?”

“Well yeah, if you’re ok with it.”

“Of course I am. I’ve already trained people back in Paris, so I’ll manage.”

“Oh you will like Marius. He’s mixed Japanese and German, and he can also speak some French, so I think you two will get along. He’s barely out of high-school, but he’s got a really good sense, according to Matsu-nii. By the way, Matsu-nii or Matsuoka Masahiro, our current chef, will be showing you the basics and helping you around for a couple of weeks. He’s leaving because his fiancé Nagase-kun has a job opportunity in the USA. They’re going to get married there too.” Sho was smiling with a lot of fondness. He seemed genuinely happy for the couple. “Even though they’ve been like a married couple for decades. They’re just gonna make things official!”

“It’s a pity gay marriage hasn’t been legalized here…”

“Yes! I’m still hopef…” Sho’s growling stomach loudly interrupted him, making him smile sheepishly. “Oops! I didn’t have breakfast today, so this guy” he touched his belly “isn’t happy at all. Do you want to have lunch with me in the neighborhood?”

“How about I cook something, if there are enough ingredients?”

“Well actually Matsu-nii is the one who controls his kingdom, like he calls it, so I’d prefer him to be here and explain everything to you himself regarding the kitchen. He’ll be here around 4 I suppose. We could hang out till then and catch up if you’re free!”

Jun accepted gladly, feeling excited at the prospect of spending time with Sho. They ended up going to a café that had lunch sets, and discussed about what they had done after high-school. Jun talked about his life in Paris, and he learned that Sho had studied economics at Keio University, and then continued with a masters in international business. He had spent a year in the USA as an exchange student, and after graduating cum laude, he had decided to open the Stormy.

“Actually, my late grandfather was very rich and I inherited this building from him. And as I told you before in my office, I’ve always wanted to do something for the LGBT community here in Japan, so the idea of the Stormy Rainbow was a longtime dream for me. The ones who supported me at first were Ohno and Rinko-chan. And then Nino came, and Aiba-kun was introduced to me by his now wife. My family has always been here for me, and even though they’re really supportive when it comes to me being gay, a lot of families aren’t the same here. So I actually rent the apartments in the rest of the building to people from the LGBT community, who might be rejected in other places. I also help people who are kicked out of their home without proper means to survive by providing them with temporary shelter and helping them find a job.”

“You’re an amazing person, Sho-kun! I’m seriously impressed. If I could be of any help… I’d love to contribute!”

“Thank you…” Sho was blushing adorably, and Jun felt his heart skip a beat. “Actually… we organize a lot of activities and workshops with the other employees of the Stormy, to help members of the LGBT community not to feel alone, to educate them about things and sometimes just to hang out with people who can understand you. You can help in organizing those if you want.”

Jun nodded eagerly, and he asked more questions about the workshops. He received a call from Aiba at some point, taking his phone out, and realizing it was almost 4:00 pm. His friend wanted to know how his meeting with his boss had been, and Jun told him about the fact that they already knew each other from high school, and that he was with Sho at the moment. His friend had sounded really happy and excited, telling him he would see them later, and to “Say hi to Sho-chan for me!”

+++++

Matsuoka Masahiro looked more like the leader of a biker’s gang than a cook, with his large pants, his graphic shirt and his intense look. He spoke in a very straight-to-the-point manner that made Jun like him instantly. He had explained everything in very simple terms, showing his very neat organization and his obsession with cleanliness in the kitchen.

“I have my own specialties in the menu, but it’s quite flexible, and we change the recommended set every month. We can work together on adapting the menu to your area of expertise by the time I’ll be gone, but I’ll give you the recipes and tips for the popular stuff here. Mari-chan can also be a great help, and I’m entrusting him to you. He should be there any minute now.”

They were preparing the work place when a very tall smiling young man had entered the kitchen. He had been shy around Jun at first, but had warmed up to him quite fast, especially when the older man had talked to him in French. He was very enthusiastic about learning and becoming a great cook, and Jun noticed how talented he was. He was only observing them for now, but he was actually quite excited about starting to work there.

Aiba came a little before opening time, “stealing” Jun from the kitchen to introduce him to other members of the staff. Kamenashi Kazuya “Kame”, and Nishikido Ryo were kitchen helpers and waiters, and they were also pole dance performers for the “Fire Friday” night special. Yamashita Tomohisa “Yamapi” was with Aiba behind the bar, and performed as a singer from time to time. Kame and Yamapi were roommates and best friends, renting the apartment that was right next to Sho’s in the building. They knew each other since kindergarten, growing up together in a calm neighborhood in Chiba. Kame had been kicked out by his parents when he had come out as gay at 17. Yamapi had followed him when he had moved to Tokyo after high-school, both of them going through hard times before they had met Sho and became a part of the “Stormy team”.

“Nino and Leader will get back here soon. They’re the stars tonight. Some other drag queens will also be coming.”

“Leader? You mean Ohno-san?”

“Yeah! Everybody calls him Leader, cause even though Sho-chan’s the boss, Leader’s in charge of the performances, and he’s also the one who designed the place. And the paintings and pictures on the walls….it’s all his work.”

Jun looked around him, shocked.

“He’s an amazing guy, isn’t he? But don’t try to make a move on him, you don’t want to get on Nino’s bad side.” He then smiled mischievously and wiggled his eyebrows. “But Sho-chan’s single~” His eyes widened when he saw Jun blushing. “Oh. My. God. Don’t tell me you two have a history…”

“Nonononono! Nothing of the sort! He was my senpai. And he tutored me! That’s all!”

Aiba smiled knowingly and got closer to Jun, whispering in an amused tone:

“But you totally had a crush on him. And now you still do. I know you, Matsujun!”

“Stop it, Masaki!”

“You’re blushing, Ma~tsu~jun~”

Aiba’s teasing were fortunately interrupted by Ohno and Nino coming in and greeting them before going backstage.

“Ok I should get going. We’re opening soon. I’ll keep an eye on you, though.” The barman winked – or contorted his face in what seemed to be a wink – before going to the changing area to put on his uniform.

Jun went back to the kitchen, where Matsuoka gave him some information about the materials and the ingredients, while doing last minute preparations with Marius.

The Stormy was quite popular, as Jun noticed the activity in the kitchen never stopped during the whole meal serving time. At 8:30, he heard some louder music coming from the restaurant’s main room.

“That’s the start of tonight’s show. You should go and take a look! Drag queen night is kinda awesome.”

Jun thanked the other chef and went out towards the bar. Aiba smiled at him and gave him a drink “On the house, for our future new chef!”

The stage was the main focus of the room, and everyone’s attention was fixated on the gorgeous curvy lady who was graciously walking towards the central mic, in a completely effortless way despite the high stilettos she was wearing.

“Good evening, Stormy people!” Jun was shocked to recognize Ohno’s voice. “For those who don’t know me, I am your main host for tonight, and my name is~” He turned the mic towards the audience, who screamed “Satoko!” in a very enthusiastic voice.

The show began with the introduction of the 7 drag queens that would perform, and one of them was Nino “Ninoko”, and he was as stunning as Ohno. Both of them had a singing/dancing duet performance to open drag queen night, and they also performed with other drag queens during the night.

“Ah! I’m gonna miss those shows!”

Matsuoka sat beside him, gladly accepting a drink from Yamapi.

“They’re quite impressive, I must admit!”

“Yeah. You should take a look at the other shows. You can never get bored here!”

Jun chuckled.

“It seems so. Did Marius leave, by the way?”

“Yeah. He’s going to an art school. He’s a good kid. His mum is an old friend of mine, and she asked me to take care of him, because she wants him to be more confident in himself and to see more people from the LGBT community.”

“Wow, she’s a good mum.”

“She sure is! Mari-chan was like a terrified mouse when he first started to work with me. Turned out he was mocked and bullied by his high-school ‘friends’ for being ‘too gay’ and ‘too feminine’”

Jun frowned and looked pensively at the show that was still going on.

“He seems like such a sweet guy. People should mind their own business.”

“Mari-chan is a sweetheart. Tomo, my fiancé, loves him to death, and always whines about wanting to adopt him! Tomo and I gave him advice and tips, and he’s doing well now in art school. He’s got better friends too. Maybe a boyfriend, I think?” the man winked. “I just want him to be happy. He deserves it.”

The two men continued having some small talk and watching the show, and when Jun went back home that night, he was feeling more alive that he had felt in the last years.

+++++

The following days were quite full, between learning new recipes, adapting the menu and discovering new shows. Jun learned quite a lot of things about the “Stormy team”, and he was happy to be a part of it. Ohno and Nino were different as night and day, the first liking fishing, art and dancing, and the latter being more of a recluse gamer, always beating up new bosses on his Nintendo DS, but they were inseparable. They also helped with quite a lot of stuff in the organizing part of the stormy and Sho’s LGBTQ+ help association. Aiba’s wife, Rinko, was a regular at the stormy, and even though she had a tight schedule as a caregiver in a house for senior citizens, she helped a lot with the association, giving advice and reassurance, especially towards transgender people, since she was herself born biologically a man. Aiba was the gossip man, who knew everyone’s story, and he was also the mood maker of the team. Ryo was a quiet man, and appeared hostile or grumpy to people who didn’t know him, when he was, in fact, very shy. But when he pole danced, he changed into a completely different person. His pole dance partner, Kame, acted like a diva most of the time, and it was no secret to anyone that he had a huge crush on his roommate and best friend. Well, to anyone except Yamapi himself, who also had feelings for Kame, and seemed ready to devour him every single time he saw him moving his body on stage.

Jun also met Nagase Tomoya, Matsuoka’s fiancé, during one of the music nights. The man was a giant teddy bear, who was a musical genius and a very loving partner, with a huge paternal instinct, especially when it came to Marius. The apprentice seemed to be more and more at ease with Jun, and they were both very happy to have someone to speak in French to.

And then there was Sho. Sho was a great boss, treating his employees like old friends and trying to help everyone out when he wasn’t busy. Sho was a great friend, always here to listen to others and trying to make things right and give the best advice. Sho was a great man, a perfect mix between goofy and serious, clumsy and intellectual, dorky and sexy. He was everything Jun had ever wanted in a man, and he was falling hard, for the second time.

+++++

The Stormy Rainbow was full at an unusual hour that day. It was 2 days before the now former chef’s departure, and the Stormy team had organized a goodbye party for him and his fiancé, inviting all their friends and family for a late morning brunch. Jun had been responsible of the food, and he was helped by Kame and Ryo, since Marius has school. The latter came as soon as he finished his courses, because he didn’t want to miss his mentor’s party. Everyone was very happy for the couple, but they were also kind of sad to say goodbye.

“Everyone… I’m so happy to have you all in my life” Nagase had tears in his eyes “… and you took really good care of my darling”

The man continued his emotional and funny speech, and then after that, Sho gave the couple a gift from the Stormy team. All the guest enjoyed a special French-Japanese buffet after that.

“Can I sit here?” Sho was carrying a plate so full that Jun was wondering how he got so much food in there. He nodded, and the older man sat beside him and began eating with a lot of enthusiasm.

“Jun-kun, you’re awesome! We’re definitely going to have great new specialties!”

“I’m glad you like the food!”

“Are you kidding me? I love it!”

Sho’s enthusiasm made Jun blush. His inflated cheeks and shining eyes were adorable.

“What are you grinning for? Do I have something on my face?”

“No… I was just thinking of how you look like a hamster. A very cute one.”

Jun couldn’t believe he had said that, but he noticed the older man’s face getting red.

“You’re the cute one, Jun-kun! Even though I can’t tease you with the insect thing anymore!”

“I’m not cute!”

“You are!” Sho pinched his cheeks.

“Sorry to interrupt you in the middle of flirting guys, but we’re gonna cut the pre-wedding wedding cake now!”

That cake was Jun’s masterpiece. It had taken him 3 days to make it and decorate it with the help of Ohno, and it was hard to keep it as a surprise for Matsuoka. The former chef looked extremely touched by the magnificent cake, cutting it with his future husband under everyone’s cheers and clapping.

Jun’s cake was praised throughout the afternoon, and everyone got ready for the opening hour with full bellies. The couple left to continue the last minute preparations, thanking all the team one final time with teary eyes. It was Fire Friday, so the poles were fixed on the center of the scene, and Kame and Ryo were doing some stretching exercises.

After cooking hours were done, Jun went to relax at the bar, looking at the two dancers while sipping his drink. He thankfully wasn’t on duty that night – preparing the food and cake for the party had been quite exhausting.

“Everyone’s eyes are on Kame and Ryo-kun! I tried learning pole dancing from them, but apparently, I’m not flexible enough.”

Sho was sitting beside him, taking a small break from the register. Jun tried hard not to be aroused by imagining the other man trying to pole dance.

“I’ve tried it once too. It was for a workshop. The teacher wanted me to join their team. She was insisting to the point that it was annoying!”

“Wow… You must be good then! I’d like to see you try to do it!”

“I could never do what those two do! I’m too shy to do that in front of so many people. And the workshop was a long time ago. I’m probably all rusted now.”

“I bet you’re still good at it. You’ve always been the kind of guy who didn’t trust in his abilities.”

“I trust in my abilities as a cook!”

“That’s good, but you belittle yourself in everything else. Sometimes you remind me of that cute shy teenager who looked like an insect.”

“You’ll never stop the insect teasing, won’t you?”

“I said you were cute, ok?”

“I’m not cute.”

“You are. And you’re also hot.”

“Are you drunk, Sho-kun?”

“See? Here it is! You’re belittling yourself again. Can’t I find you hot while being sober?”

Jun lowered his eyes, not knowing how to answer. His chin was grabbed gently by Sho’s hand, and he looked up to eyes that were burning with intensity.

“You’re very dangerous, Matsumoto Jun.”

He then excused himself, because his break was over, and he had to return to work.

Jun touched his chin and blushed, unable to calm the rapid beating of his heart. He hadn’t noticed Aiba approaching him and giving him a new cocktail.

“It’s my newest invention. It’s called ‘second time love’. You kind of know where I got my inspiration.” He did his horrible attempt at a wink, and that make Jun feel more relaxed. The cocktail was sweet with a hint of bitterness and spiciness. “Seriously though, I am honestly surprised that you guys are still not kissing and fucking after more than two weeks of meeting again. There have been sparks between you since day one. And I’m not only talking about physical attraction here.”

“I guess I’m afraid of the intensity of my own feelings.” He continued drinking the cocktail, glad to see his best friend occupied with another customer.

+++++

After that night, Sho behaved in a totally normal friendly way towards Jun, but what the confused younger man didn’t know was that his old tutor was throwing him glances when he wasn’t looking, thinking of the best way to confess or to do something. And he had the best occasion, since October 11 was coming out day, and he had decided to organize some sort of open mic night for it at the Stormy. People would freely tell their coming out stories to the public, and it was the occasion for closeted persons to ask for advice too.

Jun wanted to participate, and he felt more daring than usual that night.

“I always knew I was gay. I didn’t tell anyone during childhood and most of my teenage years, because I was not confident enough, and I felt weak. I was afraid to be mocked or worse, bullied. That was until my first year of high-school. I really sucked at math, so the teacher asked for one of the 3^rd year students to help me. My tutor was everything I wasn’t. He was strong, brave, daring, and self-confident. He taught me so many things, and also encouraged me to be true to myself. I came out to my family at the end of my first year. They weren’t surprised, and it made absolutely no difference for them that I liked boys. After school, I lived in France for 15 years, and there, I was really open with my sexual orientation. I hope you guys will encounter someone like I did 17 years ago. And by the way, that someone was Sakurai Sho, the owner of this place.”

Everyone was applauding and cheering, touched by Jun’s story. When the man was about to get down from the stage, he was interrupted by Sho himself.

“Wait, Jun, wait. I also have something to say. It will sound corny and everything, but you’re also the one who gave me courage to be who I am. I was raised in an elite conservative family, and deep down, I also knew I wasn’t into girls, but I kept pretending for a long time, not wanting to admit to myself that I was gay, and not wanting to be rejected by my family. Meeting you in high-school made me realize how useless it was to lie to myself, and how hypocritical I was by encouraging you to be who you are, while being so deep in the closet that I could almost reach Narnia. I came out to my family before entering university, and they told me I was silly to pretend to be straight. My sister told me she knew all along by the way I was looking at all her male idol posters and magazines. So I might have been an important encounter to you, but you were also important for me. You still are.”

Cheers and “awwwws” from the audience could be heard. Sho took Jun’s hand and led him out of the scene, discreetly leading him towards the ‘staff only’ door.

“I have something to tell you. Can we go to my office?”

Jun nodded, following the other man, not noticing Aiba’s knowing smirk, as the bartender was looking at them, before high-fiving an equally smirking Ninomiya.

When the door of the office was closed, Sho looked at Jun with very serious but intense eyes.

“I actually have something to add to my story. Something only you are meant to hear. So… when I saw you again after all these years, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was, because it was as if life was giving me a second chance. You may have been a tiny insect at that time, but you were so cute and so charming that I couldn’t help but be drawn by you. And well, falling for you made me realize I couldn’t lie to myself anymore. You kind of dragged me out of my very deep closet.” he chuckled. “And well, I was so afraid of the intensity of my feelings that I didn’t act on them. I came to regret my decision, but I thought it was too late, and after you graduated you went to France, so I did my best to try to forget you. But I never could. And when you came back, still charming and more confident and gorgeous and with magical cooking powers, you kind of made me fall all over again. I know it’s been barely 3 weeks since you came here, but I just needed you to know that I have very strong feelings for you.”

“Sho…” Jun’s voice was cracking from emotion. He took the older man’s hand in his. “My feelings are the same. I had a huge crush on you when we were in high school. And I felt instantly attracted when we met again….not only physically… and the strength of my feelings kind of scare me…”

Sho looked at him with understanding and love, letting go of his hand to hug him tight.

“I know… but you’re not alone. We can do this together, Jun.”

Both men were very emotional, and they stayed in each other’s arms for some time before deciding to go back to the main room. It was more crowded than before, and everyone was laughing at Rinko, who was telling her story, from how her mum knitted her first “pair of boobs” to her when she was a teenager to when she met the man of her life “this monkey husband of mine”, with said man blowing her a kiss across the bar.

There weren’t many spaces to sit or stand anymore, so the newly formed couple went to sit behind the register area, where they found Ninomiya playing on his Nintendo. He looked up for a couple of seconds, grinning and congratulating them, before going back to his game.

The stormy team caught on the change between their boss and cook very quick, and they got reactions that varied from a knowing smile and a tap on the back, to thumbs up and congratulations, to merciless teasing. The last one was mostly coming from Aiba, and sometimes Ninomiya. Both men got along really well, especially when it came to making other people flustered. Their usual victims were Kamenashi and Yamashita, but it was easier to make Jun blush and Sho almost choke on his food by talking to them about their partner with small innuendos.

Despite all the teasing and sexual jokes, Jun and Sho had agreed to take it slow, even though they knew how much they were attracted to each other. They went out on dates, held hands, kissed, cuddled, and made out heatedly sometimes, but they wanted their first time together to be something special. And Sho knew exactly when the perfect moment would be.

+++++

Every year, the Stormy closed for a week by the end of November, to give some sort of Christmas holiday to the whole team, since the restaurant was very busy during the whole second half of December. For this occasion, Sho had invited his boyfriend to spend four days with him in a ryokan in Hakone, to relax and enjoy the natural hot springs and the traditional Japanese atmosphere of the place. He knew Jun wanted to have the weekend with his family, especially his niece and nephew, so he booked the hotel during the week.

“It’s such a good thing that you decided on this vacation week to be in November, Sho! And since it’s the beginning of the week, there’s no one here!”

Jun looked at Sho with a huge smile on his face, as they were putting their luggage in the Japanese style room that was wonderfully decorated and had a really nice view.

“I’m glad you’re happy! And we’ll have the onsen all for us!”

“We will! I’m really excited to try it.”

They changed into the hotel yukatas, and went directly to the empty hot springs. When it came to stripping in order to go to the shower room, Sho started to feel a little self-conscious.

“Don’t tell me you’re shy now! You have a really nice body. Plus you know that I’m going to see you naked at some point, hopefully very soon, with a lot of kisses and touching involved.”

“Where has the shy little insect gone? Please don’t talk like this, or I’ll want to take you right here right now.”

Jun laughed and took Sho’s hand – the one that wasn’t holding the towel that was hiding his hardening dick – and guided him to the shower room. They began washing themselves in silence, and then the younger man felt something warm caressing his back. It was Sho’s towel, slowly going back and forth, rubbing in between his large shoulders, and massaging his firm muscles until he reached the area that was dangerously close to his butt crack. Jun let out a small whimper.

“Your turn, Sho.”

His voice sounded very husky, making the older man sit next to him, exposing his back. Jun’s towel lingered on the lower part, lightly touching one of the round cheeks. Sho felt a quick kiss on this shoulder blade, before he heard his boyfriend getting up.

“You were totally groping me, weren’t you?” Sho joked while going ahead to the outside area.

“What if I was?” Jun was smiling innocently. “I’m glad we’re alone in here, so no one else gets to ogle your perfect perky butt.” He then proceeded to squeeze one of the full globes before immerging himself in the water.

“You little minx.” The older man smiled, before following his boyfriend into the hot spring.

“You like that side of me, don’t deny it!”

“I’m not even trying to. I like every single side of you.”

“You romantic flatterer.”

“I am only telling the truth!” Sho put an arm around his boyfriend’s shoulder, kissing his pouty lips.

The atmosphere was relaxing and romantic, but the sexual tension was going stronger and stronger. When they finally decided to go back to their room, both men were trying to hide their erections with their yukatas while walking in the hallways.

Jun was pushed on the door as soon as it was closed, putting his arms in Sho’s hair as the latter’s tongue was invading his mouth. Their moans were getting louder, especially the younger one, whose body was burning from his lover’s full lips, marking his collarbones, sucking on his nipples and going south to his very hard cock.

Sho didn’t hesitate before he licked the humid tip and engulfed the whole member, bobbing his head up and down and having his hair pulled by one of Jun’s hands, while the other one was kind of muffling his screams.

Sho felt the taste of cum on his tongue, going down his throat, and he swallowed it all, kissing the oversensitive tip of the clean softening dick before standing up and carrying his satisfied lover to the laid out futons. Jun’s back was on the cover, and he was smiling, welcoming the older man in his arms and kissing him lazily while stroking his still very hard member.

“Do you want to come in my mouth too?”

“I… I want your… magical hands….oh yes! Just like thissss…. Oh!”

Sho loved Jun’s hands, and always called them “magical”, because of his cooking talent, but now, he was discovering a new “magical ability” of said hands. They were sharing open-mouthed kisses, and when Sho came, he coated his lover’s body, while moaning in a high-pitched voice against his lips.

“We’re gonna need another shower!”

Sho was coming down from his high, caressing Jun’s torso and teasing his pointed nipples.

“We have a private bathroom for that, but I am not nearly done with you anyway… Especially when you touch me like this…”

The two lovers didn’t get out of the room before the afternoon on the next day. They ate a late lunch at the restaurant area of the hotel, and went for a walk in the garden, enjoying each other’s company. Ever since they had started dating, they had been discovering really interesting things about each other. They had a lot of common interests and a lot of differences, which made conversation topics absolutely endless. They really liked going into a debate about a book they had both read, talking about their favorite artists, sharing their hobbies and interests.

Being able to enjoy nature together, and walk hand in hand in a serene environment was as important to the couple as the hot sex that happened in their hotel room. They also treasured the post-orgasm moments, during which they cuddled and shared lazy kisses, resting their sore bodies.

They were almost sad to leave Hakone on their last day, packing slowly before going back to the noisy and crowded town. During their train ride, Jun invited his lover to join him and his family for dinner the day after, not wanting to be separated from him very long.

“They really want to meet the man who makes my life better!”

Sho kissed the younger man’s cheek.

“I’d love to meet your family. It makes me really nervous though…”

“I’m sure they’ll love you. Because you’re the one I love.”

“Oh Jun, I love you so much!”

+++++

Megumi was absolutely delighted to receive Sho in her house, and Masaharu – her husband – was happy to have a fellow Keio alumni with them. Yuta was impressed with his uncle’s “very very special someone”, asking him a lot of questions about his job as the boss of his own business. But the person who had the biggest smile out of everyone was, by far, Miyo. She appeared to be calm, but her eyes were shining, and after Sho left, promising to come again, she patiently waited for the others to give their feedback to Jun, and helped with cleaning everything up. She then dragged her amused uncle to her room.

“You didn’t talk that much for the whole evening, but I know you have a lot to say. I recognize that look, Mimi-chan!”

“Oh. My. God. Jun-chan!!!!! You two are absolutely adorable! I can’t! You’re so perfect for each other! So fabulous! So gorgeous! I’m totally shipping you two! You’re THE couple! You’re better than any of the guys in my yaoi manga collection!”

Jun laughed really hard at that. He sometimes forgot that his cute baby niece, who had still been in her mother’s belly when he had moved to France, was now a teenager. Everyone in their family, including the Matsumoto grandparents, said that Miyo resembled Jun the most, both physically and in terms of character.

“You’re not the only one who ships us. You should’ve seen the other employees of the Stormy when we were still not together!”

“I bet Aiba-kun was trying to push you in each other’s arms!”

“He wasn’t the only one…. Still teases us all the time though.”

“I wanna see the place where you’re working!”

Jun though of a themed night that wouldn’t be too inappropriate to show to his niece.

“I’ll ask Megumi about it. I’ll see if I can bring you with me one day during your winter break.”

He knew that his sister wouldn’t be opposed to that. In fact, she trusted him and knew that he wouldn’t do anything that could potentially harm the kids. She even voiced her own desire to go, when she wouldn’t be busy with lesson preparations, as she was a high school teacher, and taking care of Yuta.

+++++

Jun ended up taking his niece with him on a “Wednesday Drag”, since it was the one she had chosen among the options he had given her. He had been sleeping at Sho’s place from time to time during December, and he had to go to his sister’s apartment on Wednesday morning to pick up a very excited Miyo.

The teenager was welcomed very warmly by the employees who were already there, receiving complements on how pretty her dress was by Ohno, who asked her to choose between a tight red dress and a yellow skirt for him to wear later.

“The skirt! It goes well with your skin tone. And it would show off your legs better!”

“Your niece has good taste, Jun-kun!” Ninomiya complimented her, appearing behind them in men’s clothes and high-heels.

They greeted Sho, who was in his office, and went to the kitchen after that.

When Marius came in, he looked at both of them with round eyes, putting a hand on his open mouth.

“I should’ve known you two were related! Oh my god, you look like you’re siblings, honestly!”

Miyo laughed at her uncle’s confused face, and explained.

“Remember when I started taking French courses to surprise you? Well now I’m in an advanced course, but when I was still in an intermediate level, I had some difficulties, and since his mum was my teacher at that time, she asked him to tutor me a bit.”

“Yeah. I was happy to have someone other than my mum to talk to. And we became friends. We haven’t seen each other that much lately, though.”

“Yeah… so I’m glad to see you here!” She turned to Jun with a big smile. “Mari also taught me some German!”

“Well Mimi wants to be a translator…. And she talked about her uncle a lot…. I should’ve known!”

The 3 of them continued speaking while preparing the ingredients, and Jun discovered that, before he and Sho became her favorite “OTP” (One True Pairing), Marius and his boyfriend Sou had the first place. It turned out that his apprentice was also into BL manga, and that his “OTP” was their colleagues, Kame and Yamapi.

“You’ll see how they’re soooo into each other. They’re gonna be there in a bit.”

The chef was very amused to see the young man acting this way, since he usually spoke in a soft and calm voice. If only Matsuoka-san could see this…. he thought with a soft smile on his face.

When the show started, Miyo went to stay with Aiba, leaving her uncle and her friend in the kitchen. She had a “special spot for the princess” behind the bar, and she had a really good view of the stage.

“How do you find the Stormy so far, Miyo-chan?”

Sho was sitting across from her, sipping on a colorful drink.

“Sho-kun, you’re awesome! I’m so proud to have you as an uncle-in-law!” Sho choked on his drink, and Aiba, who had heard it all, was giggling uncontrollably. “Everyone is so nice, and the drag queens are soooo pretty! And Jun-chan’s cooking is perfect for this place!”

“Th…thank you, Miyo-chan! You can come here anytime!”

“I see the ability to make Sho-chan blush runs in the family!”

The bartender offered them some snacks, patting the teenager’s head.

They were later joined by the cook and his apprentice – who was also in winter break and could stay late.

When Marius opened the door of his apartment around 1:30 am, he wasn’t surprised to find the lights on.

“You will never guess what happened, Sou!”

His boyfriend, Matsushima Sou, a design student who was going to the same art school, smiled at him.

“Your OTP finally confessed to each other?”

“I wish! But that’s gonna happen at some point in time. I hope soon. Anyway, remember the French language student that my mum wanted me to tutor?”

“That cute girl with the big eyes and thick eyebrows? Mimi-chan?”

“Yeah!”

“It’s been some time since we last hung out! Did you meet her by chance? Isn’t she a little young for the place you work in?”

“She was at the Stormy because she’s Jun-san’s niece! They look so similar… I should’ve known!”

“Oh the cook who was in France…. It makes sense! How is she?”

Marius told him about the evening while putting his pajamas on, before cuddling with Sou under the covers.

“Your feet are cold, Mari-chan!”

“And you’re all warm!”

Sou pouted before hugging his boyfriend harder.

“Just because you’re cute…”

+++++

After making sure that everything was in place, Sho closed the Stormy, going towards the stairs leading to his apartment that was one floor below. He smiled when he saw Jun waiting for him near the door.

“I returned just in time, I see. Mimi was so excited about tonight that she didn’t stop talking during the whole ride back! She has totally accepted you as her second uncle, she says!”

Sho kissed his lover, who was still removing his shoes in the genkan.

“I’m glad she likes the Stormy… And I’m even happier she likes me!”

“It seems that liking you is a genetic thing.”

“That comes in a package with thick eyebrows?”

“Sho!”

“You know I like teasing you! And I love your eyebrows. And your eyes. And your cheeks. And your lips. And everything about you! I love you Jun!”

Jun liked how his boyfriend always seemed to be over sweet every time he teased him. He went to hug the other man, kissing his nose and then his full lips.

“I love you too, Sho!”

“You’re so irresistible… You make me want to do bad things to you…”

Jun laughed and grabbed Sho’s ass cheeks.

“Why don’t you, then?”

“Don’t distract me…. I have one more thing to tell you.”

“Do it fast…”

“Well… it’s more like a request…. or a proposal…. well I was wondering… since you already spend so much time here…. how about moving in… with me?”

The younger man circled his lover’s neck with his hands and whispered in his ear.

“With pleasure, Sho”

He then proceeded to lick his earlobe and kiss his neck, before going for his mouth.

The two lovers moved to the bedroom, in which Jun stripped really quickly, retrieving the lube and preparing himself, on all four, exposing his twitching entrance to Sho, who took his time to admire the other man while removing his clothes.

“You're driving me crazy, love”

“Then hurry uAAAAH” he was interrupted by a loud smack on his ass, moaning loudly once more when both cheeks were grabbed and shamelessly squeezed.

“Remove your fingers”

Jun couldn't resist the firm tone and his fingers were instantly replaced by a hungry tongue, entering him and making him scream.

“OH SHO! YES! OH MY GOD SHO”

Sho really liked it when his lover was lost in pleasure, and it was the first time that he abandoned himself to the point that he didn't try to muffle his screams.

“SHO… SHO PLEASE… I NEED YOU...INSIDE...PLEASE”

Sho removed his tongue and went for the condom pack, but Jun took it before him, begging him to go in bare.

Jun felt his hole being stretched slowly, as if his lover was feeling his impatience and was teasing him on purpose. He moaned louder and louder every time the hard dick entered him after going almost all out.

“Sho… Sh.. Sho… faster.. Dammit FUCK ME HARDER!”

Sho went out, turning him around and grabbing his legs, opening them wide – Jun was really flexible – and putting them on his shoulders before entering in one go, his balls smacking on the younger man's ass. He started moving hard and fast, and they were both being very vocal in between open-mouthed kisses.

Jun ended up coming first, untouched, surprising both of them. His whole body tensed up, and his sperm coated his torso and a little bit if his chin. Crying out Sho's name made the latter reach orgasm, biting his lover's shoulder before kissing his lips lazily. He stayed inside him until they both came down from their high. They were both already tired from work, and they fell asleep almost instantly, not caring about their dirty bodies.

+++++

When Sho and Jun had started to be loud, they didn't take into consideration the fact that the bedroom was close to someone else's bedroom. And that unfortunate person was Kamenashi Kazuya, whose cheeks were completely red and eyes wide open. He decided to go to the living room before his imagination could strike and make him aroused, and he prepared a cup of his favorite herbal tea before sitting on the sofa.

He was startled when a couple of minutes later, Yamashita sat beside him, patting his hair.

“What's bothering you, Kame? You seem like you're gonna fall asleep, yet you're here drinking that…” he made a disgusted face “thing...”

“That thing is a really good tea, and well… you could ask our neighbors about what's bothering me… even though they're probably not going to answer the door, cause they're very busy with each other.”

Yamashita laughed, taking Kame's cup from his hands and drinking one gulp, making voicing his dislike with his tongue out.

“Nope… still don't like it. Boss like it loud huh! At least he's getting some…”

“I should start searching for a really good pair of earplugs”

“Or get laid.”

“Oh Pi…” He face-palmed.

“What! You could easily find someone! Especially with that stripping performance of yours!”

Kame's heart clenched at these words. He was tired and frustrated.

“I don't need these people's attention.”

“You want Prince Charming to come on his horse and carry you away from the stripping pole?”

Yamashita’s laughter was interrupted by his friend getting up and smacking the cup on the table.

“You really are blind aren't you? It's not their attention that I want!” he muttered before he went back to his room, closing the door and throwing himself on his bed. The neighbors were still quite loud, but he didn't care anymore, lying down in fetal position.

He heard a knock on the door, before it was opened.

“Oh my! They aren't even trying to be quiet… And the walls are quite thick… You should come to my room, you won't be able to sleep for some time with this…”

“I'm fine…”

Yamapi sighed and went closer to the bed, carrying a protesting Kame princess style, going to his own room and putting him softly on the bed.

“You've always been the most stubborn of us two… and I hope I'm not interpreting your words in a wrong way, but you should know that I wouldn't be able to describe Ryo-kun’s body to you, because I cannot take my eyes off you when you guys perform. It might sound like I only want to do you… and I know you're gay, available and hot, but you were all small and awkward and confused when I decided to go to Tokyo with you… And it wasn't only because I wanted to get away from Chiba…”

Kame was starting at him, mouth open and eyes blinking, unable to utter a word.

“Say something… I just confessed that I've been in love with you for years, in case you didn't get it!”

“We're both idiots… I've been in love with you for as far as I can remember. I've been in denial for so long, because I didn’t want to ruin our friendship… and I thought you weren't interested…”

“I'll show you how interested I am…”

He grabbed Kame's face, joining their lips in a passionate kiss that made them both shiver from the intensity of the feelings that were involved. It felt so right to be in each other's arms, like they were made for each other.

“That thing you call good tea… it tastes good when it's from your tongue…”

Kame laughed and buried his head in the other man's neck.

“Oh Pi….”

“Do you realize how adorable you are when you're embarrassed? And as your boyfriend… I'd like you to call me by my actual name!”

“Tomohisa” Kame was looking at him with rosy cheeks. He couldn't resist and he kissed him again and again, making him repeat his name.

“You know what would be great, Kazuya?”

“To cuddle and sleep?”

“That would be nice, but I was thinking more of something like a private…. Show…”

“You want me to strip for you now?”

Yamapi yawned and lied down on his bed, hugging his boyfriend tight.

“I'd love to, but I don't wanna fall asleep with an erection… So maybe we can… relieve each other?”

Kame could feel that the other man was half hard, so he got up, removed his pajama pants and boxers and straddled Yamapi, who had already lowered his, grabbing both of their dicks and masturbating them together while grinding on him and kissing him.

Yamapi came first, removing his lover's hand and masturbating him with his own cum. He then licked his hand clean after they had both reached their orgasm, wiping the rest with tissues.

“I still want a private show, yeah?”

Kame laughed and kissed him tenderly.

“I'm not going anywhere, you know? We live together.”

“And from now on we both sleep here. My bed is big enough for us. I'm glad Boss and Jun-kun are loud!”

“I'm glad too! Or else we might have continued to be oblivious idiots.”

Yamapi hummed in agreement and kissed his forehead and his lips before falling asleep.

+++++

The next few days were quite busy in the Stormy, because of the preparations for the upcoming party on December 24^th. Christmas Eve was a big event there. It wasn't only because of the very special Christmas party that was organized every year, but also because it was Aiba Masaki’s birthday. The bartender was greeted with a huge chocolate cake when he came to work on that day, together with some gifts from his colleagues and wife, who had taken the day off from work.

There was a special menu, a special show, special songs, and a very cheerful Sho in a reindeer costume. The others were wearing Santa hats, and both Ryo and Kame were in tight showy Santa costumes, the latter having his ass groped every time he passed by his boyfriend.

By the end of the night, after the shows, Sho played the CD that Matsuoka had sent them - it was his husband's first “baby”, a really nice album filled with a bunch of different songs.

Some people started to dance, and Sho extended his hand towards his lover when he heard a slow romantic song.

“Only you can be romantic in that ridiculous costume!” Jun laughed against his ear.

“I am your reindeer baby! You can ride me all night.”

“Oh Sho!”

“Oh Jun!”

“You're teasing me again.”

“And you love it.”

Sho felt a kiss in the crook of his neck, separating from the other man and leading him in between the dancing couples discreetly towards his office.

++++++++++++++++++

Epilogue- 5 years later

“Hello everyone! For those who don't know me, I'm Fukuyama Miyo, Jun's niece. The first thing I want to say is that I was the first one to recognize Sho-chan as my uncle-in-law. I didn't know at that time that this would be legally realizable, but here we are, Japan has finally entered the 21st century! I am not going to make an endless speech about the story of our lives, but I want to congratulate the two grooms from the bottom of my heart. Jun-chan has always been here for me, having endless Skype video calls, making me explore France… and it's thanks to him that I'm studying languages now! I was so happy when he came back to Japan, and I was even happier when he started going out with Sho-kun. They make each other smile in a way no one else can! And they both mean so much to me! So now you guys wipe your tears and raise your glasses, because it's your special day. Cheers to the coolest, cutest, gayest, dorkiest husbands!”

“CHEERS”

Everyone clapped and laughed, while Miyo was getting down from the stage of the Stormy, straight into her uncle's arms. Sho enveloped both of them in a big hug.

“You're so precious Mimi-chan!”

“Oh Sho-kun stop crying you're gonna make me cry too.”

The grooms then went from table to table, toasting with everyone. Their families were there, even Jun's uncle came from France with his family, and their closest friends all came. The stormy team was there too. The Matsuoka-Nagase family had come with their cute 4 year-old Akane. Sou was proudly showing off his designer talents to everyone, since he had been the one to design the groom's outfits, a mix between suits and kimonos. Sho's was black and red, while Jun's was white and purple. Marius was looking at him with proud eyes, waiting for his turn to show off with the magnificent wedding cake that he had baked and decorated with the help of Ohno.

The cake was huge, white, with rainbows and a big unicorn – the Stormy’s newest mascot – and two cute cartoon versions of Jun and Sho on top. It looked beautiful and detailed, and was delicious.

After everyone filled their tummies, they went to the dance floor. Miyo was invited by a lot of the guests, until she found herself in Marius’s arms.

“I loved your speech! You were magnificent!”

“Thanks Mari! I'm so happy for them, honestly!”

“Yeah me too! And we're getting another wedding soon!”

“Oh my god you and Sou-kun???”

“We're waiting a little for this, but I saw Kame talking with Ryo about a ring for Yamapi, and panicking about it.”

“Our cute stripper is going to propose!”

“Yes! Our OTPs are all getting their happy ending! We should drink to that.”

They went to the bar, where Aiba prepared them nice cocktails while dancing and trying to impress his laughing wife.

“Here you go! Two rainbow cocktails for the princess and the cook!”

They were about to thank him when they were interrupted by a loud cheer. People on the dance floor were carrying the grooms, who were smiling and laughing, cheering with everyone.

“After everything Sho-chan and Matsujun did, they're getting the happiness he deserves…”

The bartender was looking at them fondly. Rinko nodded, taking his hand in hers.

“They can make their love official… I'm glad they can finally do it here!”

“Yeah… Cause that kind of love is pure…” he winked – or tried to – at her “and love has no gender, right?”