Archive of Our Own ^beta

Rosho, a 26-year old math teacher, Tsutsujimori. A man who is in the Division-Rap-Battle(DRB). A man who could look so intimidating, yet so welcoming. A man who loves pudding with a passion. A man who was once in the comedy duo, Dotsuitare Honpo with now-famous comedian Sasara Nurude. A man who's glare could part the red sea, as Sasara Nurude said himself. A man who… loves Sasara Nurude…

It is the early morning of Japan, the Sun, Sasara Nurude, is perhaps still drowsy. Even in the morning, the Moon, Rosho Tsutsujimori, is awake.
The moon still travels in the morning, out of the apartment, to the train station, then to school, back to the train station, back to home. That is the daily routine of the moon. A normal day, normal job, normal lesson.. yet the moon didn't feel.. normal.

Rosho sat at his desk, more slumped than usual. Quite a powerful sigh came from him, glasses out of shape and a little sweaty of course.
"What's wrong, Tsutsujimori-san?" a coworker noticed him, a disheveled and unusual version of Rosho Tsutsujimori is a sight indeed. He's known in Osaka's Gyoshin Private High School as the most organized, cleanest teacher ever, and his smile could make girls fall. Others would think a misshapen Rosho would be the cause of rapping with his division, Dotsuitare Honpo. So, a chuckle came from the man along with a fake smile, "Haha- it's nothing Nakamura-san- really-", he lied on impulse.
The truth is, there is something wrong.
It started last night- in the Tsutenkaku tower- with the Sun. Sasara Nurude. They were practicing.
The Moon's heartbeat becomes a race, going faster and faster as if it were a competition. His usual pale face becomes redder and warmer, like the Sun really was heating him up. "Well he is bright, and is my dearest friend after all- it would be normal to feel such things around him…" the moon thought.
As Rosho spent more time with the man whose emerald's hair could belong in a mine, he developed warm thoughts that he deemed shameful. "His lips look really soft", "He's quite pretty today..", "His smile- it's really cute-", type of thoughts would emerge. Is it really okay to indulge such things though?
He felt weak and sweaty around him- "Am I sick..? Is this normal…?" Rosho always asks himself.
.
There was a pause. Rosho wanted to say something, but stayed silent. His mouth sewed shut, was it the right thing to do? He felt a little shameful just from acknowledging such thoughts about his friend the Sun and decided to refrain from them.
He was wrong.
Rosho was good at hiding and suppressing thoughts and emotions but these emotions… were more powerful than he thought.
.
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"Rosho-Sensei really does feel off, does he?" one of his students whispered to another. It was the next day after the moon's lie, "-Maybe it's because Nurusara is leaving to Ikebukuro for a month for a shoot-", Rosho twitched. "Ah~~ R-sensei is so lucky to know Nurusara!"whispers spread around the room, bouncing along the walls and into the teacher's ears. Seems like this lesson of the Pythagorean theorem will have to wait.
You would think that the Moon's words would be cold, calm and calculated- quite the opposite- Rosho's words are warm, yet messy and lots of stammering. Is the mere mention of his friend Sasara really messing him up? Maybe he should've moved to Shinjuku, to get checked up by Jakurai, since he definitely has an illness.
.
It is lunch time. The students are free and so is the moon. He can't seem to keep his mind straight at all, it feels as if it is broken, broken to the point where Rosho can be considered a crescent moon instead.
Rosho thought he was alone, but he was wrong. His safe space, known as an empty and quiet classroom during lunch break, seemed to be interrupted by a group of asteroids! Three asteroids confronted the moon, to make more craters on him- to break him more.
"Oi~~ Sensei- You've been really- *really* strange today~ is something wrong?" An asteroid spoke up.
Oh. Oh… the roles have been switched.
It was usually Rosho's job to ask that first, but it seems like his students have won that race today.
He would have an answer for that, but no matter whatever he spouts out, the group will always know the correct answer.
The teacher heard a giggle from the group, he knows that this is trouble- he is sweating. "It's about Nurusara- riiight~~?" They teased.
If the craters on the moon could erupt like volcanos, Rosho could be exploding lava out of his head.
So, ding ding ding! They were correct.
.
"H-how did.. you know!?"-The moon was shocked. A little too stunned, but considering he wasn't prepared for this moment, he sat there with his mouth gaping like an idiot.
The group of three students let out a, really, disappointed sigh. This would be a really bad sign for Rosho, and it is- "Duh! You make it so obvious! You love him dontcha!?".
The moon paused along with the solar system.
He was confused…

Rosho.. a man who is smart… who teaches kids at a private school math-calculus-algebra-geometry… is a man who does not understand the concept of "love".
"Love..? Like… I like-like him…?" He was genuinely curious. His parents have never allowed such degenerate emotions, and never taught him how to deal with the warm feeling you get around from a certain somebody. Always told to never focus on that, as it was bad and ruined his studies.
Sigh count number 2. They were disappointed at him, that a smart teacher like him cannot understand his feelings for his best friend.

"Y-you- you don't know!? C'mon teach! You're better than this-! This- This is the famous Nurude Sasara we're talking about!", one of them decided to lecture the teacher.
Oh- how the simple name of Sasara Nurude, could send Rosho's name into a chaotic haywire.
Was this connected to the feelings and reactions he felt 2 nights ago- when they were practicing their rap skills in the Tsutenkaku Tower?
The Moon scratched his head, perhaps itching a crater. "W-well.. erm- I will have to be honest," He opened his mouth as the three asteroids eagerly waited for his response, "I- I guess-..." He stopped.

He needed a moment to pick his words.
Anxiously looking around the room, a desk, the blackboard, his book, the tests he was grading, until something hit. Maybe it really was connected with his reactions around him..
"I- I really do.. feel.. warm around him- but is this normal as friends..?" He asked.
Sigh count number 3.
The students were dumbfounded, how oblivious and dense could their teacher be?
They didn't decide to respond to that, maybe it's best for him to figure it out on his own.
Rosho was quiet for a moment, this was harder than he thought and he has been through the hardest of hardships. "Sasara.. he's my dear friend. Although we squabble.. there are times where I- is this too shameful..?," stopping to signal for reassurance, "But.. there are times where I wonder- how would it feel if we were- perhaps closer..?"
It has been a while since Rosho has opened up, especially on "girl-talks".
There was silence, usually Rosho would like the quietness but this is overwhelming.
The group was standing there, trying to acknowledge what their teacher had confessed.
"Hah! I won the bet! Now where's my 1000 yen!?" one of them shouted to the other, cutting the silence.
"Rosho-Sensei is in love! He has a crush on Sasara Nurude!" They ran out of the halls, yelling and chanting that- making it *loudly* clear about Rosho's not-so subtle crush on the leader of Dotsuitare Honpo.
He groaned, he didn't even request to make it a secret.
.
The next day, time is ticking. The math teacher expected it to be a normal day, unlike the *abnormal* day yesterday, but he was struck again wrong.
"Congrats Tsutsujimori-san, fight on for your romantic journey."
"Ah~ even a 26 year old math teacher can find romance~ You truly are lucky Tsutsujimori-senpai."
"Haha! I knew you had it in you! I know he will love you back! Don't forget to invite me to the wedding-"
Types of comments came to him from his coworkers. Well- more like comets. Haha.
Was it really that much of an accomplishment?...

Practically- he was greeted with the whispers of his students- or by the whole school. The loud mouth of the three asteroids has seemed to reach the entire school- He felt pretty overwhelmed.
The Moon surely is rotating around the Sun, perhaps admiring his beauty as it got the Moon into a frenzy! Especiallu during class.
Seems like this lesson on the Pythagorean theorem will be postponed.
A lot of pestering and encouraging a confession, wait- this felt a little too sudden, "Postponing lessons and now postponing a confession, sensei?" he heard.
Well- he's not experienced in his system called "love"- "Sensei~ When did you start liking him?" a student asked. There, the moon stood in front of the class, red as ever as the students also perster that question.
This is where he draws the line as personal information, Rosho is still a little private about his past and refuses to elaborate how far his friendship with *the* Nurude Sasara went.
But he chuckles a bit, good memories. He fell in love the day he got him glasses. It has been a while since he was shown love that day, and being shown a form of affection towards him.. wow.. the Moon really can fall for somebody just so easily. If gravity existed in space, he would be falling so fast.
.
A full rotation has passed, and the day is new. Yet… as the rotations go on and on, he feels different from the usual ones.. the moon still feels so shameful around the sun, feeling so fluffy around your best friend is normal, right? It's not.. weird, right? Does he.. love him back..?
Oh. That-...
That question sent a shiver down his spine. Cold as ice, and sharp and painful. A lump in his throat stuck. Does Sasara reciprocate his feelings? Does his small compliments and teasing of Rosho mean something deeper? If the sun ever said "I love you" to the moon, would the moon believe the sun?
Rosho questioned, he was in a predicament.. he was confused and quite lost. He doesn't understand his emotions, though, luckily he has his students and coworkers.
.
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It is the 5th day since he has admitted his feelings, though it feels as if it was many moons ago.. but Rosho did feel like a weight just got off of his shoulders- how long was he really hiding this unconsciously?
Who knew falling in love with your best friend would be so complicated. Rosho can solve many, many problems but this one situation he's in is a problem he can't seem to solve.
Glancing at the math problems on the board for reassurance, of course, Rosho Tsutsujimori doesn't like being lost..
Lost in his thoughts, full of equations and the lesson script he had memorized the night before. His mind is in space at this point, letting gravity take him, maybe witnessing some stars.
He feels really light, and out of it- just the mere thought of being with Sasara got him collasping…. how lovely. Sasara… how woulf hr react.. maybe- "Hai Domo~~! Sensei!"
His thoughts has been interrupted- once again- but instead of his students mentioning *the famous and witty Sasara Nurude.. the famous and witty Sasara Nurude came himself instead.. through the window. Rosho was quite speechless, but not surprised.
"I- I.. Sasara you idiot! If you wanted to drop by then go through the door!", he snapped out of his stargazing to lecture his best friend who had just so happened to be his crush and is currently breaking and entering his classroom during a lesson, "Haha! But that would take too long, don't RUSH-o me, Rosho!" The other man slowly climbed in. According to Sasara's logic, climbing a 4 story building just to see Rosho is quicker than entering the building and entering the classroom to the doors.
Sasara cleaned himself up, brushing his suit before turning to the teacher. Sasara, the sun, is brighter than usual so maybe that's why Rosho was flushing a little red, "Anyways~! I wanted to tell you, I'm leaving for Ikebukuro for a month! Maybe take care of the old man for me, will'ya?" the sun came closer and closer to the cold moon.
Why did Sasara decide to tell him that now? Could've texted him, or at least took him out somewhere private instead of declaring it in front of the class who was smirking, but perhaps Rosho would melt on the spot if taken to somewhere private with Sasara- His hands are melting already because the Sun's hands are on the Moon's shoulders.
Sasara was touchy alright, he liked holding Rosho's hand, it was soft and warm unlike his cold face. But- a month.. that's quite a long time.. and the crime rates in Ikebukuro are rising. Wait- no- why is Rosho worrying for Sasara- he can take care of himself, he'll be safe. No need for protection. The Moon reminded himself that the Sun will be safe. His light will brighten any dark places, it was the same light who lit the young Moon's way after all.
.
It was quiet. Sasara's sudden appearance disappeared. It felt dark, the Sun was gone now.
Of course, didn't Rosho also love this mental silence he was always used to? Yes. Silence.. empty, it calmed his head. But- although the stars and asteroids are accompanying the Moon, without the Sun, it's empty. The Moon was lonely once again, although it was only for a month- That could feel like centuries. This was the same thing that happened in the past, right?
Rosho had to get a hold of himself. He was in the middle of teaching his kids.
Rosho Tsutsujimori, he is a man, a teacher, he is good at everything, good at supressing thoughts and controlling emotions but- these emotions are strong. Rosho.. he.. is a man who.. loves Sasara Nurude.
He gets it now. It just clicked.
The Earth really does revolve around the Sun, as the Moon is following alongside it.
.
.
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The Moon doesn't know where it's going, but it's following the Sun. The Sun is nearly setting, perhaps that is why the Moon is running fast towards it. The Moon may as well just be a rock who shines, but it will drop everything to follow the stars.
Just like constellations, they all connect, and so do the Sun and the Moon.

The Moon ran and ran, out from his classroom, out of the building, outside, and ran as his legs took him wherever. Until calling for a taxi to its destination, demanding to hurry as it was a race against time.
The clock was ticking, going faster by each click. Will the moon rise just before the sun sets? Will they meet in the middle? Those questions don't matter now, Rosho has made up his mind.

It felt like forever until the taxi got to the train station of Osaka, where the Sasara Nurude was at, but they made it at the nick of time. Rosho falls out of the door when they have arrived, stumbling his pockets at the entrance. He *needed* to get it. Now.
Fumbling at the swipe, but after many attempts, getting in, and running faster after as he could feel the train coming. It is the train everybody rides at during 5:00… it will be crowded. Just the thought of that, Rosho sweated more and more.
.
There he is. The sun.
The solar eclipse could come quite early this year, as the moon and sun are meeting right now. The bright sun, Sasara, thinking it was silent; soon hearing footsteps adding. Frantic running, then his name. Sasara? Sasara. Yes. That's his name.
The Moon, Rosho, dashed at the Sun.
Will he say it? What will the other man say? But the train is coming right now, it's now or never Rosho!
Gripping Sasara's hand, making Sasara was a little stunned at first, yet confused but there wasn't a second to spare, Rosho took this moment to strike, "Sasara- I-"
The horn of the train may be loud, but Sasara could hear the "Love you" part.
The Moon finally said it, waiting for a response from the Sun.
Rosho heard a small, soft chuckle, making his heart skip a beat.
.
"Ah, Rosho- You were right all along- the moon isn't even out.. but..
..the moon really is beautiful.."
.
There, the sun and moon lean into each other, lips meeting.
Standing in front of the metro door, sharing a kiss, the sun and the moon finally declaring as one. Although both weren't used to it, they would still love each other until the clock stops.

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BONUS:
"Ahahah… did Sensei really leave us during a lesson…?"