08; video

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji is sitting in a tea room, stringing a key on a blue string. Once it's on there safely, he puts the string around his neck and tucks it under his shirt.

Then he picks up the device to address the network.]

Have many people been to the beach today?

Comments

[masukukunai]

The beach? Why?

[masukukunai]

[Yousuke naturally goes through the motions of being handed something, then looks at the cake like he had no idea where it came from.]

Okay?

[It is just him and Souji. There are Christmas lights all over. He has Christmas cake. He is staring straight forward and his eyes have gone blank. Like a deer in the headlights. Someone save him before he gets brained by a figurative suburban.]

[In all seriousness, he is trying to justify Souji's behavior. He is trying very hard. But even for Souji, who sometimes has mind-boggling habits and unexplainable whims, this is hard to brush off and call nothing. The implications are enormous.]

[After a few moments stuck still like he should have a macintosh swirly-rainbow-now-we-wait dongle hovering somewhere nearby, Yousuke realizes he must look like a complete idiot just standing here, with cake in hand. He shoves a forkful in his mouth so he can at least have a legitimate reason for being totally dumb.]

[Also, the cake is delicious.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji tilts his head and eats some of his own cake. Having thus assured himself that the cake isn't the problem, the great Souji has deduced that the problem is Yousuke's brain.]

What is it?

[masukukunai]

[He shakes his head after a slight delay of "oh, he's making words now", and points at his cake with his fork. Then he remembers to swallow.]

This is really good.

[Yes. Let's talk about cake. A nice, safe subject that doesn't have to do with being on a date with your best bro, and how your recent thoughts and feelings about said bro have made you increasingly uncomfortable. Let's not talk about that ever.]

[eatsyourscience]

I made it.

[masukukunai]

[Yousuke snorts so gracefully, managing to not get cake everywhere.]

Don't get full of yourself!

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji smiles a little.]

Sorry it's just the cake. And it's late.

[masukukunai]

[See, there it is again. How does he say those kinds of things with a straight face-- no, smiling.]

Dude... It's okay. It's not like you owe me or anything.

[eatsyourscience]

It's not like that.

[masukukunai]

[Yousuke is seriously confused. You gotta give him a hint here Souji.]

Then-- what is it like?

[eatsyourscience]

[Dude, you are eating a Christmas cake made from scratch for you. How is that not a hint?]

[masukukunai]

[Shut up you're Souji you're just as likely to make a Christmas cake for a cat and have a candlelit evening with the thing. He makes an insistent motion with his head. "So?"]

[eatsyourscience]

It's because we're dating.

[masukukunai]

[Yousuke responds by forcefully choking on his cake.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji blinks.]

You okay?

[masukukunai]

Oh yeah-- Fine--!

[Just swallowed cake down his windpipe is all. He beats at his chest, takes a long drink of whatever Souji had set out and gasps for air. He is too preoccupied with not dying for a few seconds to react to Souji properly.]