The next morning, Masumi bright and early to prepare for the day ahead. His preparations quickly proved impossible, with all of his things locked away by his parents, and he found his time filled with nothing to do. He spent some of it preparing breakfast for himself, brushing his hair and treating it as best he could, and wearing whatever he felt most comfortable with. By the end, he was wearing things baggy enough to hide him completely...which he didn’t necessarily dislike.

He left a on the side, to let his parents know that he’d gone outside, and felt some small satisfaction from the fact that they’d have to make their own breakfast. They’d done so for years before he got into cooking, but it was nice to have some way to disrupt their routine all the same. He waited a little way down the street, conscious of his upcoming meeting with Akira, and spent his time counting anything that went by, just to pass the time.

Akira eventually arrived for him, and insisted on taking his bike for the trip. Her riding still rattled his teeth, but at least it got them there quickly enough. And there was soon revealed to be the school grounds. Akira parked near the back of the building, then hopped off and put her hands on her hips. “She’s in the pavilions, the ones the teachers use. I’ll go now, so bye.” She gave him a little wave, and he waved back, but his eyes were entirely too set on his destination to worry about her passing footsteps.

Yui was going to be around the corner, she was going to be sitting among the flowers, waiting for him, and he’d have no more time to think about what he could say or what she could say or even if they were going to make things up to one another. It seemed like there was no time, all too suddenly. So he inhaled slowly, clenched his fists together, and forced himself to walk around the corner.

And there she was. Yui was seat in the furthest pavilion, flanked by school walls and surrounded by the simple flowers that surrounded the wooden platform. She was wearing the coat, he noticed, the one that he’d bought her, and she was reading a book that rested on her lap. It was easy to see her as a person, in those moments, rather than a creep he’d shifted to in his memory or the giant he’d built her up to beforehand.

So Masumi made the long walk up to the pavilion and did his best not to jump when she heard his approach. Her eyes flicked up, he met them, and kept walking. She sat straight up, put her book to the side, and then he was before her.

“Hello, Masumi.” Yui said. Although she wasn’t smiling, there was a warmth to her voice.

“Hi.” Masumi replied, then sat down on the bench. He didn’t want to sit too close to her, but he didn’t want to sit opposite, like rivals. So he did the thing that would do nothing and sat on the awkward inner corner.

“How are you?” Yui asked, as she clasped her hands together in her lap.

“I’m, um. Not great.” Masumi admitted. He felt all of the things he’d told Akira building on his tongue, just waiting to be unleashed on Yui. But he knew that she’d probably been told already, that it wasn’t the time. Most of all, he just wanted to bury the awkwardness.

“I heard that things weren’t going well.” Yui said. “I was sorry to hear it. I don’t want to overbear you, so...if you want to say anything to me, please say it. I’ll wait until you’re finished and then we can talk about it.”

“Well...” Masumi bit his lip. “I told a lot of it to Akira yesterday, the things about being a creep and obsessed and how that might be the kind of stuff you were doing, but she disagreed, and kinda convinced me that it wasn’t, so I don’t know if that’s even the right stuff to bring up right now...”

“She did.” Yiu nodded. “I have been thinking about it, as well. I can only say that I’m sorry, Masumi. I think I know what happened, if you’d like me to say?”

“Okay.”

“I believe that telling you so personal a thing, about my childhood, and how I grew up, must have unsettled you.” Yui explained. “Even though it was a good thing, I know you haven’t had many friends, and that people likely haven’t said such things to you before. I think that you’d have been nervous because of that. Am I right?”

“W-Well...” Masumi looked at Yui and nodded slowly. “It sounds kinda pathetic when I say it, but...yeah. I don’t think I’ve ever had something like that said to me and I didn’t know what to say and I kind of wanted to move past it.”

“But it had already happened and that made the rest of our time there uncomfortable, for you.” Yui nodded. “For me, I was just so happy to have had someone to share it with that I don’t think I paid attention to how you felt about it. I know how you look when you’re not comfortable or something, when it’s awkward, and I know the difference between when it’s something you’re fine with being teased about and when you’re genuinely anxious. But, I didn’t notice, and instead I was candid when I should have been reserved, or at least more aware of you.”

“That, that sounds right.” Masumi nodded. Some part of him wished that he had more to offer than that. “And then you tried to, um, tried to k-kiss me and that made all of it worse and I kinda panicked and just wanted to get away to get that stuff out of my head and then the rest of it came in and I thought that you were being creepy. And stuff.”

“I’m sorry, Masumi.” Yui kept her hands on her lap and her legs crossed. “I really am. I was too pleased with myself, let my emotions get away with me, and I tried to kiss you when you were vulnerable. I should have waited, or did more to check, instead of letting my feelings run away with me. You were perfectly justified in leaving.”

Masumi felt his cheeks burning as he peered at Yui, at her earnest voice and her gentle posture. “I, um, I didn’t handle it well, though. When I was away, I could have talked to you or something, but, um, I didn’t.”

“That’s hardly your fault, considering the other things you’ve had to deal with.” Yui said. “But it’s true that I would have preferred it, so thank you.” She briefly bowed her head.

Then there was nothing but the wind, as Masumi gave his thoughts time to stew and Yui waited. It stretched on for a few moments, until the boy finally found something to say.

“I didn’t expect you to be all sorry right from the start.” Masumi said. “I thought you’d be defensive or angrier or crying or something and then you’ve just come up here and were reasonable and now I don’t know what to do.”

“I’m sorry.” A soft laugh followed. “I can be unreasonable, if you would prefer.”

“No, that’s, this is good. It’s better, but, um, not what I expected when I came here.” Masumi said. “Akira said that you were sad and all, but, yeah.”

“I’ve had a lot of time to deal with sadness. I’d rather focus on the good things and how I can keep them going.” Yui said. “I don’t know whether our relationship if something you want to keep going, after this. If you don’t feel safe with me, or anything like that, please let me know now and…that, I probably will argue with, at least a little bit.”

“Yeah, that’d be understandable.” Masumi shifted in his seat, moving to the part of the bench that was beside Yui rather than the awkward half-angle. “But, um, I don’t know if it’s a thing that we can do. I mean, um, I like you still, and you’re nice, and I know that I wish that what happened didn’t happen so that what happened when I got home wasn’t so bad.”

“I wish the same.” Yui said. “There’s nothing I dislike more than having been a stupid idiot, as Akira would put it. I would very much like to be your girlfriend, even if it requires wearing a collar that you can shock me with if I get too kissy.” She smirked.

“You’d look good in a collar.” Masumi said. “You’ve got the neck for it and your braid is already elegant and, um,” He paused. “Sorry, right, um. If you can promise me that you’ll try to pay more attention, and I promise that I’ll let you know as soon as something is making me nervous, and that we’ll try to handle it better when we break those promises, then I-I think that I would like you to be my girlfriend.”

“I promise.” Yui nodded. “To both.”

“I promise too.” Masumi said, smiling back at Yui as some warmth filled the space that had been empty just a few minutes before. They gazed at one another and Yui leaned back.

“Now would be when I’d kiss you, but I think I’ve learned my lesson there.” Yui laughed.

“And we’ve not got the shock collar yet.” Masumi giggled, and it sounded alien to him. Still, he didn’t move away. “But, um, there’s still another problem that’s gonna get in the way...”

“Your parents.”

Masumi nodded.

“That is something we’re going to have to deal with.” Yui said. “I don’t know them very well personally, but I think there’s something we can do to get through to them. Ideally, we’d be able to do something with reason and convincing them to let you do what you want.”

“Um, isn’t that the only option?”

“Yes. Unless you’d like to get the Yakuza involved.” Yui pointed out.

“You don’t know any Yakuza!”

“Or do I?” Yui cocked an eyebrow at Masumi.

“No, you don’t!”

“Perhaps not. But I know that a certain Mr Chiba never uses the public baths...”

“He’s in a wheelchair!”

“A wheelchair...or an instant getaway vehicle?” Yui mused aloud.

“A wheelchair.” Masumi prodded at Yui’s arm. “I thought you said you were going to stop teasing me!”

“I don’t remember that, but if you say so.” Yui smiled at the blushing boy. “But, yes, we’ll have to convince your parents to let you keep streaming and dressing up. Have you tried anything?”

Masumi sadly shook his head. “I haven’t spoken to them much since they told me I couldn’t do it, I’ve been going to sleep before they get back and I left before they woke up today. And they wouldn’t let me talk when they were punishing me.”

“That’s hardly fair.” Yui said. “We’re going to have to come up with a plan of attack, and you’re going to need to tell me everything you know about them that might help convince them to our side.” She pulled herself to an upright position. “Then, we can head over there today and gets things sorted out.”

“Are you sure it will be that easy?” Masumi leaned forward with Yui. “They seem pretty set on it and I don’t think they’re just going to listen to another student...”

“I’m not saying that it will be easy. If it were easy, I’d be able to stroll up there and do it right now. What we’re doing is plotting,” There was a twinkle in Yui’s eyes. “The most difficult part of that is gathering information – and we have the boy who knows the most about them, right here in this pavilion.”