A week has passed, the weather has cooled considerably, and the school has been noticeably quieter than normal. It was 12 p.m., lunchtime at the middle school, and shockingly, Hideki had skipped school today. Shoto discovered his favorite area for lunch alone; it was towards the end of a field, and no one ever went to the rear of the school, making it the ideal location to avoid being harassed. 

Shoto rounded the corner, his eyes widening slowly as he saw someone else resting under it, the boy's hair neatly arranged on the grass, the blond strands strewn out across the grass. Shoto froze in place as he felt his heart skip a beat. The boy's eyes were definitely closed as if he were calmly resting there, the tree shielding any sunshine from shining on his face, just a sliver of light slipping through the thin leaves and striking the surface of his flawless skin. 

The wind blew as Shoto approached the youngster gently, taking care not to tread on any stray leaves on the ground that may alarm him.  Shoto clutched two books he typically read around lunchtime in order to avoid eating food he didn't have. However, this person seemed to be just like him, disregarding social conventions and neglecting his appetite. 

Shoto loomed over the youngster, plainly not treading on his hair as he looked down, locked his gaze on his face, quietly speaking. 

 "I never noticed, but you have gorgeous hair." 

 “Captain.” 

 Goro's eyelashes fluttered gracefully as he opened his eyes slightly, unsurprised, without even flinching at the unexpected interruption. He said, staring up at Shoto and closing his eyes once again. 

"I am aware." 

Shoto pouted, frowning faintly and muttering to himself. 

He's still brimming with it... 

He clutched his books close to his chest, somewhat embarrassedly announcing as he cleared his throat. 

“Uh...well, you're in my spot!” 

Goro lifted his body from the grass as his hair dropped swiftly onto his back, he sighed slightly as he stared straight at the field before him, replying.  

“I wasn’t aware you owned this spot.”  

“The last time I checked it’s a free area, for anyone to use.”  

Shoto glared as he stood behind Goro, he scoffed as he walked over to the nearest sport beside the fellow, standing there instead. He gripped onto his books tightly as he looked over to the field as well, uttering with a slight attitude.  

“Why are you even out here, don’t you have your clique to entertain...”  

“You know...the entire basketball team and your crazy fangirls?”  

Goro rested his right hand on the grass as he kept his head forward, informing in an uninterested tone.  

“It’s bold of you to assume I actually like people.”  

Goro turned his head to the side as he glances at Shoto, continuing as his tone of voice immediately changed to something airier.  

“Would you believe me if I told you that’s a mask?”   

“That isn’t me at all?” 

Shoto's eyes steadily widened as the words lodged in his throat and he felt Goro's hand seize the wrist of his right hand as he flinched, causing him to fall to the grass. His books strewn over the grass as he forced his eyes tight, allowing hair strands to brush across his face and pushing his eyes open as their gaze connected, he laid there, his pulse beating. Goro remarked as he trapped Shoto under him. 

“For a boy...” 

“You have a very beautiful face, Tanaka Shoto.”  

Shoto remained there with his face flushed crimson, everything in his body tingling as his heart hammered; it was as if he were on a race track, everything appeared to be moving at a rate that was too fast for him to keep up with. He mumbled and his face flushed with embarrassment. 

“This isn’t appropriate-”  

Goro interrupted as he looked down at the frightened youngster under him. 

“It’s not appropriate for you to write about me in your diary either.”  

Shoto's eyes gleamed as he questioned with a stutter, unable to find the appropriate words to confront the circumstance he had found himself in. 

“W-what?!”  

“How do you know about that...”  

Goro released his grasp on Shoto as he rose to his feet, staring down at him resting on the grass, informing, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets. 

“I didn’t” 

“However, now I know you actually write about me.”  

Shoto instantly got to his feet, pointing his finger at Goro and shouting somewhat in humiliation as the kid deceived him into confessing. 

“Hey! Nakamura!” 

“You can’t do that! That’s not fair at all!”  

Goro stood there dumbfounded as he countered.  

“I can do what I want.”  

“You’re the careless one who leaves their diary under their desk at school.” 

Shoto shrugged as he scanned his surroundings, attempting to ignore Goro's sneaky comment as he carefully began picking up his reading books that had strewn over the grass during their meeting as he whispered. 

“Not like I can keep it home...”  

Goro stooped slightly as he reached for the book at his foot, just in time to prevent Shoto from grabbing it, as he warned. 

“It’s not safe to keep something like that at school.”  

“Especially when you're writing about boys-”  

Shoto's eyes widened as he scowled at Goro, aggressively taking his book from him as he grew defensive, discrediting the comment. 

“I don’t like boys okay!”  

“I don’t write about that!”  

Goro observed Shoto with narrowed eyes, uttering as he reintroduced his hands to his pockets. 

“Why are you getting so defensive over something that isn’t supposed to be true...”  

“Did I strike a nerve-”  

Shoto forced his eyes shut as he clutched his books strongly in both hands, painfully pressing them to his chest as he yelled in annoyance. 

“Just shut the hell up! It’s none of your fucking business!”  

Shoto glared over at Goro as he continued.  

“Just who the hell do you think you are...”  

Goro gave Shoto an earnest look as he stood there, undisturbed by the yelling, advising. 

“If you like boys, my advice to you would keep it to yourself.” 

“You already stand out being a Yakuza’s kid...”  

“Imagine liking boys on top of that label, don’t create more reasons for people to look down on you.”  

Goro strolled past Shoto as he stood there with his head down and his gaze fixed on the grass, slightly quivering as his grasp on his books became firmer. Goro came to a halt in mid-step as he informed in a calm tone. 

“Standing out in our society is a death wish, don’t be foolish.”  

Shoto remained there, his lips trembling with emotion, his head bowed in response to the sound of footsteps heading away from him. As he murmured, tears streamed down his cheeks, clouding his words. 

“Who does he think he is...”  

Moments passed as Shoto strolled down the corridor toward his classroom, his head down and his hands-free from the books he had borrowed from the library to read during lunch. He overheard laughter and muffled conversation emanating from his classroom. 

He took a step forward in his classroom as everyone's gaze fell on him. As Shoto pondered to himself, a small circle of lads stood at his desk, and his eyes instantly moved to Hideki's troubled stare. 

Wasn’t Hideki supposed to be absent today...What’s going on... 

Shoto took a moment to grasp what was happening when he saw Ren turn around to face him, clutching Shoto's journal in his hand. Goro became visible while Ren resumed reading with a mischievous look on his face. 

‘Your eye sparkles, your skin is warm, and your breath on my neck shocks me from inside.’  

Ren laughed as he continued, slightly disgusted.  

“When I first met you, I felt as if I'd known you forever, sharing my secrets with you, Goro, you're so incredible, I wish I could-”  

Hideki shifted his gaze to Ren as he shouted, putting an end to the crusade. 

“Ren Stop!” 

“Stop reading that!”  

Shoto stood there with his pulse racing and every bone in his body trembling while the whole class gazed at him as if they were analyzing layers of his body through his eyes, probing deep into his very core. As they stood next to one another, the boys murmured to themselves, while the girls laughed, appalled. Shoto's breath shivered as he expanded his eyes and cast a gaze around at everyone. Seeing their despair as he strained to articulate a single syllable. Goro and Hideki stood stunned as Ren hurled claims at Shoto. 

“I knew you were a fucking fag Tanaka, who the fuck writes shit like this about boys...”  

Ren stared at him disgusted as he continued, degrading.  

“I mean...seriously who the fuck writes about boys in their class like this...”  

Shoto stood there trembling, his pulse pounding as he hyperventilated and fought to regain his breath, stuttering as he struggled to deny the allegations. 

“I...I...I’m not-”  

“I don’t like boys!”  

“I’M NOT A FAG!” 

Ren mocked Shoto, repeating as all the boys gazed at Shoto and it was as if Shoto were being burned at the stake, unable to express any words in his defense. 

“I bet your father touched you, that’s why you're like this.”  

“Is everyone in your family faggots?”  

Shoto's eyes widened slightly as he locked his gaze on Ren, his eyes quivering as tears streamed rapidly down his cheeks, muttering in between shallow breaths. 

“I’m not...I’m not...I’m not...into boys.”  

Ren grinned as he shouted at him, hurling Shoto's journal at him with a hint of irritation. 

“Holy shit! He’s crying! Everyone he’s crying!”  

“You piece of shit, you're such a fucking pussy!”  

Shoto took a hesitant step back, looking across at Goro and Hideki, who were both mortified as he turned on his heels and hurried out of the classroom. 

Goro tightened his fists as he looked over at Ren, clenching his teeth as he groaned, attempting to contain his rage as he stepped past Ren, exclaiming before exiting the classroom. 

“You’re so childish, grow up.”  

Hideki rushed over and grabbed Ren's uniform, yelling at him. 

“That wasn’t funny! You damn asshole!”  

“I’m going to kill you for that!” 

Ren laughed as his pals grabbed Hideki and tried to pull him away from Ren as they fell into the classroom floor. 

Goro hurried along the corridor, pausing to look around for Shoto. He exhaled and twitched his ears when he heard faint weeping coming from the stairs near the school's exit. He veered in that way when he saw Shoto bawling at the corner. 

He stood there for a moment before interrupting as he uttered. 

“I told you.”  

Shoto sobbed as he muttered, his body trembling as his breaths saw in and out.  

“Leave...me alone...”  

Goro violated the command and moved closer to Shoto, informing him. 

“I’m not going to do that.”  

Shoto cried as he whipped his eyes furiously, unable to contain his emotions as he exclaimed, gasping. 

“My...life is over..it’s over...”  

“He’s going to kill me...”  

“I’m so...dead.”  

Goro fixed his gaze on Shoto's back as he informed, undisturbed by Shoto's tears or outpouring of emotions. 

“Your life isn’t over just because you like boys.”  

Shoto's eyes widened as he spun around, shouting at Goro. 

“What the hell do you know!”  

“Stop acting like you know what any of this is like!”  

Goro stood there as he allowed Shoto to express his anger, staring at him as he continued. 

“You’re so fucking perfect...that's exactly why-”  

Goro interjected, nonchalant, as he cut to the matter, informing. 

“I think boys are cool too.”  

The wind rushed past them as Shoto's eyes widened slightly, astonished as their eyes met in contact, and the silence became deafening for a second as Shoto mumbled. 

“W-what-”  

Goro repeated, self-assuredly. 

“I like girls and boys.”  

Shoto sniffled as he stood there, speechless in response to Goro's comments. Goro's eyes dipped slightly as he informed, his hands stuffed into his pockets. 

“However, you’re right, I am perfect.”  

“And the fact that I like guys in no way diminishes my perfection.” 

Goro leaned forward, speaking, as he drew closer to Shoto. 

“You’re not broken because you like boys, you're broken because you don’t know who you are.”  

“You're damaged because you believe that loving boys makes you damaged.”