Friendship
Title: Friendship
Author: hotfruits
Prompt: Apathy from 30emotions
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Inoo + Keito (one-sided)
Disclaimer: Nope
Summary: AU HS fic. There's a new boy in school and Inoo is determined to become his friend, no matter how many times the new boy rejects him.
AN: A big thank you to my Yuuyan ♥ crazy_otaku911 for giving me the idea of this fic and then reading it over to assure me it didn't suck.
He’s tall, is the first thing Inoo notices about the new boy. He’s tall, and he’s strong, defined muscles visible under their school uniform. He has black hair, some of it spiked up and some of it covering his eyes, hiding them from sight. He has a cute nose and a nice jaw, and even though Inoo is sitting at the other side of the cafeteria, he’s positive that the new boy is very handsome.
Getting up, Inoo waves goodbye to his group of friends and decides to introduce himself to the new boy, because being the new boy in the middle of school year can’t be easy, Inoo imagines. No friends, no connections, no one to even sit with during lunch, just alone with a sandwich and a paperbound book.
Approaching the table, Inoo smiles and sits down, waits for the new boy to acknowledge his presence. It takes a few moments but the new boy looks up, an eyebrow raised as he asks, “What?”
“Hey there!” Inoo bubbly replies, takes notice of the boy’s accent, “I’m Inoo Kei,” the boy looks bored, starring at Inoo with dead eyes, “Where are you from?”
“England,” the new boy replies, glancing back down at his book, “So,” he mumbles, sighing, “What do you want?”
Inoo’s smile falters by the new boy’s lack of emotion, but he quickly recovers and asks, “What’s your name?”
The new boy closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, before getting from the table, throwing his book into his bag and leaving his half-eaten sandwich at the table. Inoo’s mouth drops open as the new boy walks away, surprised by his rude departure and unfriendly attitude. The new boy clearly didn’t like him, Inoo wasn’t stupid, but there was something about him that attracted Inoo. He was right about his assumption that the new boy was handsome, but once he got a closer look, he almost found himself turned off by the other’s eyes. They were so…expressionless, uncaring to Inoo’s friendly advances.
Maybe it would have been in his best interest to just leave the lifeless-like boy alone, but he couldn’t, Inoo felt a strange sense of determination to know this boy. Why did he leave England, how long was he there and most importantly, what was his name?
***
After the final bell rang, Inoo packed up his stuff and rushed out of the class, nearly knocking over his classmates in his haste. Quickly, he rushed outside and began looking around, his tongue poking out from between his lips as he eyed every student that passed him. Finally he saw him, backpack slung over one shoulder as he walked alone, looking down at the ground. Dodging through the various students, Inoo made his way towards the new boy and began to fall in step with him, their shoulders brushing by accident.
“So,” Inoo looked up at the new boy with a smile, “How was your day?”
The new boy shrugged, remaining silent.
“Mine too,” Inoo awkwardly replied, chuckling, “It was pretty boring, usually science is my fun class but not today, we just watched videos on insects.”
The new boy looked over at him, eyebrows pulled together as he asked, “Why are you following me?”
“Because I want to be friends!” Inoo instantly replied, “You’re from England which is really cool, and you’re really quiet and I don’t know, I just find myself intrigued by you,” Inoo reached up and squeezed the new boy’s shoulder, frowning slightly when the other shook it off, “But yeah, I think we should be friends!”
The new boy stopped, running a hand through his hair, “Look, Inoo, you seem nice and all but I’m not interested in friends, alright.”
Inoo’s frown increased as he starred up at the new boy, his head tilting to the side, “But…everybody wants friends. They’re necessary.”
“Not to me,” the new boy replied, a trace of sadness passing over his features, “I don’t want nor do I need friends, so leave me alone,” the bored, lifeless look returned, and before Inoo could regain his bearings and tell the new boy how wrong he was, he was already gone, crossing the street.
“I’ll prove you wrong,” Inoo promised himself, watching the new boy til the crowd surrounding him swallowed him up, and Inoo could no longer see him.
***
Sitting out in front of the school, Inoo wrapped his scarf tighter around his neck as he waited, scanning the crowd that walked past him and into the school. It was probably stupid to wait out here, looking for the new boy but Inoo couldn’t control this urge, especially after what happened yesterday. The new boy’s words kept repeating in his head, the sadness behind them that was reflected in his eyes for only a moment, til the apathetic look settled back in.
“I wonder why,” Inoo mumbled to himself, trailing off as he blew on his cold hands. The boy’s lack of feeling made Inoo want to know him even more, especially what caused such a tragic thing to happen in the first place. Was it possible he had bad parents, and his only way of dealing with the pain was by hiding his emotions? Or did he have a troubled past with friends, who abused his feelings and abandoned him afterwards, leaving him cold and broken? Inoo didn’t know, but he was determined to find out, no matter what it took and once he found the problem, Inoo would use his kindness and friendship to fix the new boy, to bring life back into his eyes.
“Inoo-chan!” breaking out of his musings, Inoo smiled and waved to another group of girls, who blushed as they looked at each other and began giggling, waving shyly back at him.
“You’re popular.” Inoo jumped, turning around to see the new boy standing behind him, starring down at him with a bored expression.
“I guess, yeah,” Inoo chuckled, grabbing his bag as he stood up, “So, where’s your first class? I’ll walk you.”
“No,” he replied, “I want you to leave me alone Inoo. Stop trying to be my friend because it won’t ever happen, so give up already and go back to your life before you became interested in me.” the new boy finished, getting ready to walk way but Inoo stopped him, grabbing his forearm in a tight grip.
“I can’t do that,” Inoo shook his head, fighting against the other’s struggles, “I won’t, because there’s something wrong with you and I can’t ignore it. You put on this uncaring act but I don’t buy it, there’s something you’re hiding it and it’s clearly hurting you. Let me help you,” Inoo pleaded, “Let me be your friend.”
The new boy stopped struggling, turning towards Inoo with an incredulous expression, “Help me? Are you an idiot?” he chuckled sarcastically, “There’s nothing wrong with me. I am perfectly fine.”
“No you’re not!” Inoo shouted, getting emotional as he blinked back his tears, “I can see it in your eyes, no matter how expressionless they look, there’s something wrong.”
The new boy sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes, “Just leave me alone, and let go of me.”
Inoo cleared his throat, “I will, but on two conditions. One, let me walk you home from school today.”
The new boy nodded reluctantly, “Second, tell me your name.”
“Keito,” he responded, walking away as soon as Inoo dropped his arm, the school bell ringing just as he entered the building.
Picking up his bag, Inoo smiled and rushed to his first class, feeling a small sense of victory.
***
Keito, his name was Keito and Inoo couldn’t wait to walk him home, cursing the clock on the wall that mocked him with it’s endless slow ticking. He just had to wait five more minutes, which was beginning to feel like five hours due to Inoo’s excitement.
He almost couldn’t believe that Keito was finally giving him a chance, because Inoo knew that with those muscles, the other could have easily over powered him, but he didn’t, and although Keito acted all bothered by it, it must have been Inoo’s kindness that finally won him over.
The bell rang and Inoo jumped, nearly forgetting his bag in his haste to meet Keito outside. Once he pushed past those double doors and almost tripped over a friend’s foot, Inoo saw Keito waiting for him where they had their confrontation earlier. Walking over, Inoo grinned and asked, “Ready to go?”
Keito nodded, looking away from Inoo as they walked past the school gates, crossing the street where Inoo lost Keito the other day.
“So, how far do you live?” Inoo asked casually as they walked amongst the crowd, “Must be fairly close if you walk?”
“About fifteen minutes away,” Keito replied, “Just continue on this street and eventually, there’s our apartment.”
“I see,” Inoo looked around nervously, seeing that they were entering a district most people tried to avoid, “So, you live with your parents?”
“My Dad, Mom left when I was a kid,” Inoo looked over and could see some sadness in the other’s eyes, but it disappeared quickly to be replaced with his usual apathetic demeanor, “Haven’t seen her since.”
“That must’ve been really hard,” Inoo laid his hand on Keito’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze, “I can’t imagine, really.”
Keito shrugged the hand off, “There’s nothing to imagine, she hated Dad so she left. Easy and done, didn’t bother me at all.”
Inoo frowned, but he wasn’t surprised by Keito’s uncaring response. He wasn’t positive, but from what Keito has shown him, it seems that the other prefers to be apathetic than to feel sadness. It was strange, but Inoo could almost understand it. If his mother had left him, he’d rather be empty too, than to feel that kind of abandonment.
“That’s some pretty cool graffiti,” Inoo pointed to the wall, trying to break the silence that had fallen upon them, “Do you like to draw or play any instruments? I play the piano myself.”
“Guitar,” Keito smiled a little, much to Inoo’s delight, “My Dad taught me when I was a kid, he used to be in a band.”
“Is that why you learned, to be in a band someday also?”
“No,” Keito stopped walking, leaning against a rusty gate, “I just love it. We’re here.”
“Oh,” Inoo sighed, disappointed that it was over so quickly, “Well, alright. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Maybe,” Keito shrugged, opening the gate but was stopped when Inoo’s arms wrapped around his waist, holding him close and preventing him from moving. “Why?” Keito asked, glaring down at Inoo’s arms, “Why won’t you leave me alone?”
“I don’t know,” Inoo replied, his cheek pressed against Keito’s shoulder, “What do you mean maybe? Why won’t you be in school tomorrow?”
Keito was silent, so Inoo continued, “The way you said it, it sounds like you’ll never come back to school again. Are you transferring to a different school or are you going back to England?”
Keito sighed, not answering Inoo’s frantic questions. The other began to tear up, wetting Keito’s white polo-shirt, “I don’t know why you affect me so much Keito but you do, there’s something about you and I have to know you, need to know you. Why do you hide your emotions, Keito? Why do you try to force yourself to not care that your mother left you?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Keito mumbled, “It really just doesn’t matter, Inoo. Just forget about me, forget this obsession and just leave me alone.”
“No!” Inoo sniffled, tightening his hold, “You’re important to me Keito.”
“But you barely know me,” Keito reminded him, shaking his head, “You’re just obsessed with me because you want to fix me, but there’s nothing to fix. You’re nice Inoo, you really are but I’m not interested in having friends. Sorry.”
Inoo dropped his arms, crying as Keito walked away. What was wrong with him, why was he acting like this? Keito was right, he barely knew this boy but for some reason, he felt insanely attached to him.
“Please come to school tomorrow!” Inoo shouted at Keito’s retreating back, “I’ll wait for you, okay?!”
Keito entered the building, vanishing from Inoo’s sight.
***
Just like he had promised, Inoo waited for Keito the next day, shivering outside the school’s doors as the students passed by him with curious glances. Keito never showed though, leaving Inoo depressed as he dragged himself to his first class, fighting back the tears.
The rest of the week continued in the same fashion, and by Saturday Inoo was desperate, ditching school in favor of going to Keito’s apartment. When he reached the building, Inoo pushed past the rusty gate and walked around, eyeing the dirty walls and chipped paint. Finally, he entered the building and saw a short man sitting behind a desk, watching a small TV set. When the man saw him, he jumped up and smiled, showing off his yellowed teeth, “Hello sir, are you looking for a place to live? Because here, we have-”
“Actually,” Inoo interrupted, “I’m looking for a resident. A teenage boy by the name of Keito, who lives alone with his father.”
“Ah yes, Okamoto Kenichi and his son,” the short man nodded, “He used to be a famous rock star, you know? Married a hot model and everything.”
“Can you tell me what apartment they live in?” Inoo asked, but the short man sighed, shaking his head.
“Sorry kid, but they moved out a few days ago.”
“What?” Inoo gasped, eyes widening, “But, but they just moved here!”
“Okamoto-san is a rock star, they probably move a lot,” the short man shrugged, returning to his seat from behind the desk, “Makes me feel bad for that kid of his.”
Inoo sniffled, “Yeah, well thank you for your-”
“Wait, are you Inoo?” the short man interrupted, waiting for Inoo’s nod to begin rummaging through his desk. Quickly, he handed Inoo a small envelope and said, “The kid left this for you then.”
“Thank you,” Inoo bowed before leaving the building, waiting til he was outside by the rusty gate to open the envelope. Taking the letter out, he leaned against the gate and began to read.
Inoo,
Sorry. Maybe we’ll meet again one day.
Holding the letter close to his chest, Inoo didn’t bother wiping away his tears as he began to walk home, hoping with all of his heart that he’d see Keito again one day, and that maybe then, he could finally be the boy’s friend.
Author: hotfruits
Prompt: Apathy from 30emotions
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Inoo + Keito (one-sided)
Disclaimer: Nope
Summary: AU HS fic. There's a new boy in school and Inoo is determined to become his friend, no matter how many times the new boy rejects him.
AN: A big thank you to my Yuuyan ♥ crazy_otaku911 for giving me the idea of this fic and then reading it over to assure me it didn't suck.
He’s tall, is the first thing Inoo notices about the new boy. He’s tall, and he’s strong, defined muscles visible under their school uniform. He has black hair, some of it spiked up and some of it covering his eyes, hiding them from sight. He has a cute nose and a nice jaw, and even though Inoo is sitting at the other side of the cafeteria, he’s positive that the new boy is very handsome.
Getting up, Inoo waves goodbye to his group of friends and decides to introduce himself to the new boy, because being the new boy in the middle of school year can’t be easy, Inoo imagines. No friends, no connections, no one to even sit with during lunch, just alone with a sandwich and a paperbound book.
Approaching the table, Inoo smiles and sits down, waits for the new boy to acknowledge his presence. It takes a few moments but the new boy looks up, an eyebrow raised as he asks, “What?”
“Hey there!” Inoo bubbly replies, takes notice of the boy’s accent, “I’m Inoo Kei,” the boy looks bored, starring at Inoo with dead eyes, “Where are you from?”
“England,” the new boy replies, glancing back down at his book, “So,” he mumbles, sighing, “What do you want?”
Inoo’s smile falters by the new boy’s lack of emotion, but he quickly recovers and asks, “What’s your name?”
The new boy closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, before getting from the table, throwing his book into his bag and leaving his half-eaten sandwich at the table. Inoo’s mouth drops open as the new boy walks away, surprised by his rude departure and unfriendly attitude. The new boy clearly didn’t like him, Inoo wasn’t stupid, but there was something about him that attracted Inoo. He was right about his assumption that the new boy was handsome, but once he got a closer look, he almost found himself turned off by the other’s eyes. They were so…expressionless, uncaring to Inoo’s friendly advances.
Maybe it would have been in his best interest to just leave the lifeless-like boy alone, but he couldn’t, Inoo felt a strange sense of determination to know this boy. Why did he leave England, how long was he there and most importantly, what was his name?
***
After the final bell rang, Inoo packed up his stuff and rushed out of the class, nearly knocking over his classmates in his haste. Quickly, he rushed outside and began looking around, his tongue poking out from between his lips as he eyed every student that passed him. Finally he saw him, backpack slung over one shoulder as he walked alone, looking down at the ground. Dodging through the various students, Inoo made his way towards the new boy and began to fall in step with him, their shoulders brushing by accident.
“So,” Inoo looked up at the new boy with a smile, “How was your day?”
The new boy shrugged, remaining silent.
“Mine too,” Inoo awkwardly replied, chuckling, “It was pretty boring, usually science is my fun class but not today, we just watched videos on insects.”
The new boy looked over at him, eyebrows pulled together as he asked, “Why are you following me?”
“Because I want to be friends!” Inoo instantly replied, “You’re from England which is really cool, and you’re really quiet and I don’t know, I just find myself intrigued by you,” Inoo reached up and squeezed the new boy’s shoulder, frowning slightly when the other shook it off, “But yeah, I think we should be friends!”
The new boy stopped, running a hand through his hair, “Look, Inoo, you seem nice and all but I’m not interested in friends, alright.”
Inoo’s frown increased as he starred up at the new boy, his head tilting to the side, “But…everybody wants friends. They’re necessary.”
“Not to me,” the new boy replied, a trace of sadness passing over his features, “I don’t want nor do I need friends, so leave me alone,” the bored, lifeless look returned, and before Inoo could regain his bearings and tell the new boy how wrong he was, he was already gone, crossing the street.
“I’ll prove you wrong,” Inoo promised himself, watching the new boy til the crowd surrounding him swallowed him up, and Inoo could no longer see him.
***
Sitting out in front of the school, Inoo wrapped his scarf tighter around his neck as he waited, scanning the crowd that walked past him and into the school. It was probably stupid to wait out here, looking for the new boy but Inoo couldn’t control this urge, especially after what happened yesterday. The new boy’s words kept repeating in his head, the sadness behind them that was reflected in his eyes for only a moment, til the apathetic look settled back in.
“I wonder why,” Inoo mumbled to himself, trailing off as he blew on his cold hands. The boy’s lack of feeling made Inoo want to know him even more, especially what caused such a tragic thing to happen in the first place. Was it possible he had bad parents, and his only way of dealing with the pain was by hiding his emotions? Or did he have a troubled past with friends, who abused his feelings and abandoned him afterwards, leaving him cold and broken? Inoo didn’t know, but he was determined to find out, no matter what it took and once he found the problem, Inoo would use his kindness and friendship to fix the new boy, to bring life back into his eyes.
“Inoo-chan!” breaking out of his musings, Inoo smiled and waved to another group of girls, who blushed as they looked at each other and began giggling, waving shyly back at him.
“You’re popular.” Inoo jumped, turning around to see the new boy standing behind him, starring down at him with a bored expression.
“I guess, yeah,” Inoo chuckled, grabbing his bag as he stood up, “So, where’s your first class? I’ll walk you.”
“No,” he replied, “I want you to leave me alone Inoo. Stop trying to be my friend because it won’t ever happen, so give up already and go back to your life before you became interested in me.” the new boy finished, getting ready to walk way but Inoo stopped him, grabbing his forearm in a tight grip.
“I can’t do that,” Inoo shook his head, fighting against the other’s struggles, “I won’t, because there’s something wrong with you and I can’t ignore it. You put on this uncaring act but I don’t buy it, there’s something you’re hiding it and it’s clearly hurting you. Let me help you,” Inoo pleaded, “Let me be your friend.”
The new boy stopped struggling, turning towards Inoo with an incredulous expression, “Help me? Are you an idiot?” he chuckled sarcastically, “There’s nothing wrong with me. I am perfectly fine.”
“No you’re not!” Inoo shouted, getting emotional as he blinked back his tears, “I can see it in your eyes, no matter how expressionless they look, there’s something wrong.”
The new boy sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes, “Just leave me alone, and let go of me.”
Inoo cleared his throat, “I will, but on two conditions. One, let me walk you home from school today.”
The new boy nodded reluctantly, “Second, tell me your name.”
“Keito,” he responded, walking away as soon as Inoo dropped his arm, the school bell ringing just as he entered the building.
Picking up his bag, Inoo smiled and rushed to his first class, feeling a small sense of victory.
***
Keito, his name was Keito and Inoo couldn’t wait to walk him home, cursing the clock on the wall that mocked him with it’s endless slow ticking. He just had to wait five more minutes, which was beginning to feel like five hours due to Inoo’s excitement.
He almost couldn’t believe that Keito was finally giving him a chance, because Inoo knew that with those muscles, the other could have easily over powered him, but he didn’t, and although Keito acted all bothered by it, it must have been Inoo’s kindness that finally won him over.
The bell rang and Inoo jumped, nearly forgetting his bag in his haste to meet Keito outside. Once he pushed past those double doors and almost tripped over a friend’s foot, Inoo saw Keito waiting for him where they had their confrontation earlier. Walking over, Inoo grinned and asked, “Ready to go?”
Keito nodded, looking away from Inoo as they walked past the school gates, crossing the street where Inoo lost Keito the other day.
“So, how far do you live?” Inoo asked casually as they walked amongst the crowd, “Must be fairly close if you walk?”
“About fifteen minutes away,” Keito replied, “Just continue on this street and eventually, there’s our apartment.”
“I see,” Inoo looked around nervously, seeing that they were entering a district most people tried to avoid, “So, you live with your parents?”
“My Dad, Mom left when I was a kid,” Inoo looked over and could see some sadness in the other’s eyes, but it disappeared quickly to be replaced with his usual apathetic demeanor, “Haven’t seen her since.”
“That must’ve been really hard,” Inoo laid his hand on Keito’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze, “I can’t imagine, really.”
Keito shrugged the hand off, “There’s nothing to imagine, she hated Dad so she left. Easy and done, didn’t bother me at all.”
Inoo frowned, but he wasn’t surprised by Keito’s uncaring response. He wasn’t positive, but from what Keito has shown him, it seems that the other prefers to be apathetic than to feel sadness. It was strange, but Inoo could almost understand it. If his mother had left him, he’d rather be empty too, than to feel that kind of abandonment.
“That’s some pretty cool graffiti,” Inoo pointed to the wall, trying to break the silence that had fallen upon them, “Do you like to draw or play any instruments? I play the piano myself.”
“Guitar,” Keito smiled a little, much to Inoo’s delight, “My Dad taught me when I was a kid, he used to be in a band.”
“Is that why you learned, to be in a band someday also?”
“No,” Keito stopped walking, leaning against a rusty gate, “I just love it. We’re here.”
“Oh,” Inoo sighed, disappointed that it was over so quickly, “Well, alright. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Maybe,” Keito shrugged, opening the gate but was stopped when Inoo’s arms wrapped around his waist, holding him close and preventing him from moving. “Why?” Keito asked, glaring down at Inoo’s arms, “Why won’t you leave me alone?”
“I don’t know,” Inoo replied, his cheek pressed against Keito’s shoulder, “What do you mean maybe? Why won’t you be in school tomorrow?”
Keito was silent, so Inoo continued, “The way you said it, it sounds like you’ll never come back to school again. Are you transferring to a different school or are you going back to England?”
Keito sighed, not answering Inoo’s frantic questions. The other began to tear up, wetting Keito’s white polo-shirt, “I don’t know why you affect me so much Keito but you do, there’s something about you and I have to know you, need to know you. Why do you hide your emotions, Keito? Why do you try to force yourself to not care that your mother left you?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Keito mumbled, “It really just doesn’t matter, Inoo. Just forget about me, forget this obsession and just leave me alone.”
“No!” Inoo sniffled, tightening his hold, “You’re important to me Keito.”
“But you barely know me,” Keito reminded him, shaking his head, “You’re just obsessed with me because you want to fix me, but there’s nothing to fix. You’re nice Inoo, you really are but I’m not interested in having friends. Sorry.”
Inoo dropped his arms, crying as Keito walked away. What was wrong with him, why was he acting like this? Keito was right, he barely knew this boy but for some reason, he felt insanely attached to him.
“Please come to school tomorrow!” Inoo shouted at Keito’s retreating back, “I’ll wait for you, okay?!”
Keito entered the building, vanishing from Inoo’s sight.
***
Just like he had promised, Inoo waited for Keito the next day, shivering outside the school’s doors as the students passed by him with curious glances. Keito never showed though, leaving Inoo depressed as he dragged himself to his first class, fighting back the tears.
The rest of the week continued in the same fashion, and by Saturday Inoo was desperate, ditching school in favor of going to Keito’s apartment. When he reached the building, Inoo pushed past the rusty gate and walked around, eyeing the dirty walls and chipped paint. Finally, he entered the building and saw a short man sitting behind a desk, watching a small TV set. When the man saw him, he jumped up and smiled, showing off his yellowed teeth, “Hello sir, are you looking for a place to live? Because here, we have-”
“Actually,” Inoo interrupted, “I’m looking for a resident. A teenage boy by the name of Keito, who lives alone with his father.”
“Ah yes, Okamoto Kenichi and his son,” the short man nodded, “He used to be a famous rock star, you know? Married a hot model and everything.”
“Can you tell me what apartment they live in?” Inoo asked, but the short man sighed, shaking his head.
“Sorry kid, but they moved out a few days ago.”
“What?” Inoo gasped, eyes widening, “But, but they just moved here!”
“Okamoto-san is a rock star, they probably move a lot,” the short man shrugged, returning to his seat from behind the desk, “Makes me feel bad for that kid of his.”
Inoo sniffled, “Yeah, well thank you for your-”
“Wait, are you Inoo?” the short man interrupted, waiting for Inoo’s nod to begin rummaging through his desk. Quickly, he handed Inoo a small envelope and said, “The kid left this for you then.”
“Thank you,” Inoo bowed before leaving the building, waiting til he was outside by the rusty gate to open the envelope. Taking the letter out, he leaned against the gate and began to read.
Inoo,
Sorry. Maybe we’ll meet again one day.
Holding the letter close to his chest, Inoo didn’t bother wiping away his tears as he began to walk home, hoping with all of his heart that he’d see Keito again one day, and that maybe then, he could finally be the boy’s friend.