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Loud footsteps echoed through the mafia's hallways, growing louder as they neared the boss's room. The door swung open, and there stood Mrs. Kaneshiro, her eyes shining brightly.
"Luca! We're going back to our hometown!" she exclaimed.
“Wait, really?!” Luca's frown melted into a wide smile as he ran to hug his mother. "Does this mean I can see him again, Mom?" His pleading eyes made her heart soften even more.
"Of course," she replied with a warm smile.
Luca grinned and bounced on his bed, excitement radiating from him. “YES!!! I'M GOING TO SEE SHU, SOON– POG!”
Shu had been his childhood friend—they had spent every day together since they were four years old. Shu had been the only person who wasn’t scared of him back then. Rumors had labeled Luca as a bully because of his intimidating appearance, and many kids ignored his presence. But Shu always stood by his side, comforting him and making him smile.
Unfortunately, business matters forced the Kaneshiro family to move to a different country. The young mafioso had cried endlessly while hugging Shu, and Shu had cried too, knowing that their friendship would be stretched across an uncertain distance and that God knows how long it would take before they saw each other again.
Their flight from Australia to Japan was hours long, and all Luca could think of was Shu. How is he doing? Can he still remember who I am? A lot of questions filled his mind, completely distracting him from his mafia work. His restless thoughts made him drowsy. In the next second, he fell asleep in his seat, his head resting on his mother's shoulder. The woman turned her head toward the weight on her shoulder and realized it was her son. She smiled and rested her head on his, sleeping peacefully as the flight went on.
The airport buzzed with the noise of arrivals and reunions. Luca stretched his long legs after the hours-long flight, tugging his hood lower to avoid curious stares. His physique was impossible to hide now—broad shoulders, muscular arms and chest decorated with tattoos, long golden hair that flowed down his back, its ends dyed darker. Years away had changed him.
On their way back to their old home, he encountered someone he had always been waiting years to meet again: Shu.
Except… he wasn’t alone.
A tall man stood beside him—black hair that flowed on his shoulders, red highlights in it. His golden eyes met Shu’s amethyst ones. He was dressed elegantly, like a rich man. The stranger's hand tucked Shu’s hair as he leaned in to whisper something, drawing out that shy smile Shu always gave when flustered.
Luca was annoyed by the actions he was expressing.
He moved forward silently, his footsteps almost predatory, until Shu suddenly stiffened, sensing the weight of someone’s gaze. Slowly, Shu turned.
“Who?...” He froze.
“L-Luca?” Shu’s eyes widened, shining with recognition despite the years that had passed. His lips curved into the brightest smile, as if the world had just tilted back into place. “Oh, it really is you!”
Luca’s chest loosened, relief washing through him. Shu still recognized him despite all the changes on his body.
“Yes,” Luca chuckled, his voice deeper with a hint of an Australian accent. “I’m back.”
Shu jumped and hugged Luca tightly. He buried his face in Luca’s chest, overwhelmed, while Luca held him like he’d never let go again.
But as their embrace lingered, Luca's smile faded into a frown when he made eye contact with the stranger. His sharp glance gave the stranger a hint about what was going on between the two.
They then let go of each other's arms.
"Who's that?" Luca raised an eyebrow, staring at the sorcerer across from them.
"Oh, that's Vox!" Shu smiled. "He's my close friend—Vox, this is Luca! The guy I talked about last time.”
Luca turned around—flushed. Shu talked about me?
“He's a great guy, Luca! And it's really fun to hang out.” Shu complimented.
“Oh, alright.” Luca responded. Shu stared at him, concerned about what made his mood a little down.
Vox then broke the silence. "I think I should go now, I have some errands to do. Have fun, you two, hm?"
Luca did not utter a word and continuously stared at Vox with furrowed brows.
"O-oh, is that so? Take care!" Shu replied with a smile. When Vox finally disappeared into the crowd, he glanced at Luca, who was already gloomy.
"Luca?"
Shu calling his name startled him. "Ah, sorry."
"It's okay, I'm so happy that you're back!" Shu smiled from ear to ear. Luca’s heart softened as he pulled him into another tight hug.
"I missed you," the taller male uttered.
Shu smiled. “I missed you more, Luca.”
That night, Mrs. Kaneshiro invited Shu over to their family estate, which the maids had kept pristine in their absence. The house felt warmer with Shu’s presence, laughter filling the long halls once again. The three of them reminisced late into the evening—childhood stories, embarrassing memories, and how different life had become since they parted.
Days blurred together. Shu and Luca spent every moment possible together, making up for lost time.
One afternoon, they strolled through the park, leaves rustling in the breeze. Shu’s hand brushed against Luca’s by accident, sending a jolt of heat to his cheeks. Luca chuckled lowly, as if amused by how easily Shu got flustered.
Luca insisted on holding Shu's hand, making him blush even more.
But their moment didn’t last long.
“Shu,” a voice drawled from nearby.
Ah, that bitch again, Luca thought. He had no proper reason why he was always negative toward the man, but he had a strong feeling Vox was not a great guy.
Vox leaned against a lamppost, arms folded, smirking like he’d been waiting for them. His crimson eyes flicked over Luca, lingering just enough to provoke, before settling on Shu.
“Well, what a coincidence!” He stepped closer, voice dropping in mock affection. He placed his arm around Shu's shoulders. "How are you? It's been a while since we've talked." Vox grinned while he took a glimpse at Luca, who was starting to get irritated.
Shu stammered, stepping back, but Vox only chuckled, enjoying the sight of Luca’s glare sharpening.
“Stop,” Luca growled. He removed Vox's arms from Shu's shoulders; his voice carried a dangerous edge.
Vox raised an eyebrow, amused. “What’s the matter? Afraid that I might steal your friend?”
"Shut the fuck up."
But Vox didn't budge. He leaned closer to Shu, placing his nose on his neck. Shu was starting to feel uncomfortable; Vox was indeed touchy, but this time, it felt like he was doing too much.
That was the last straw, and Luca's jealousy took over, making him grab Shu’s wrist and pulling him away without another word. Shu barely managed to keep up with his long strides as they left Vox behind.
They returned to Luca’s mansion.
"L-Luca!–" Shu muttered, but Luca wasn't listening at all.
“Ugh, you're hurting me! What's going on with you?!”
Luca paused and let go of Shu's wrist. “Sorry,” the mafioso muttered—jealousy still raging inside him. His eyebrows furrowed as he sat on the couch.
"What's up with you, Kaneshiro?" Shu asked.
Luca looked down. Shu was glaring at him while pressing gently on his wrist. “Look at me when I'm talking to you!” the sorcerer exclaimed as he knelt down and caressed Luca's face. His touch sent shivers down Luca’s spine.
"I'm sorry. I just hated the way he's acting towards you."
Shu raised an eyebrow, then his eyes lit up. It looked like a lightbulb had turned on inside his head.
“Wait, are you… jealous?” Shu asked with a cheeky smile.
“W-what?! N-no? I–” Luca paused, his face red like a tomato. He looked at Shu, who was grinning mischievously. The taller male immediately covered his face in embarrassment.
“Pfft–”
Shu then burst out laughing. Luca got even more embarrassed.
“Oh– shut up, Shu!” he whined. “Come on, Vox is so annoying. I don't allow anyone to touch you like that, Shu.” Luca crossed his arms. “Unless you want it.” He whispered to himself.
Shu heard what he just said. “Bruh, are you seriously sulking right now?” he asked, followed by a giggle.
“Yeah, I am!” Luca turned his head away like a little baby sulking.
“Cute,” Shu whispered, still audible to him.
“Huh?” Luca quickly turned his head. No way he actually said that.
“I said it's cute, you're acting like that.” Shu chuckled. “Vox is not a bad guy, he's just silly in his own way. I don't know why he was so touchy earlier, but man, that stare of yours looked like you could pierce a hole in his face.” He chuckled, then turned to Luca. He still looked mad, but not as pent up as earlier.
“It's okay, Luca,” Shu assured.
“WAAAAAA SHUUUUU!” Luca cried, then suddenly jumped on him, stumbling over him. But Shu didn't care—he just chuckled and let Luca press his body weight against him.
“Oh, Shu! By the way…” Luca stood up and rushed to the library. Shu tilted his head in confusion at the sudden action. Luca came back with a book covered with purple and yellow hearts. Shu immediately recognized that design.
“Our old journal?” Shu raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah! I was looking for this in Australia, but then I realized I left it here. I had to beg my parents to come back to Japan, but man, they were babbling about work and stuff… so annoying.” Luca groaned. “But now, I have it! Pog!” he beamed.
Shu could tell how excited Luca was from his expressions alone; his heart felt warm knowing that he really cherished their memories together. Luca started flipping through the pages: their silly handwriting, their birthdays written down, old photos, and the last thing they did—their painted hands side by side imprinted on the page.
“Aww, look at how small our hands were.” Shu chuckled, comparing his hand to the baby handprint on the page. Luca smiled, staring long into the sorcerer's eyes, adoring his charm. Shu was saying something, but Luca wasn't listening. He continued to stare at him.
“Luca?” Shu waved his hand near his face. He didn't flinch—instead, he held onto Shu's hands, placing them on his cheeks.
“Yes?” Luca replied softly. That response made Shu's heart skip a beat. He quickly turned his face away, his cheeks burning.
“I was asking if we can do the handprint painting again.”
“O-oh… uh- of course! I'm pretty sure I have some acrylic paint.” He started rummaging through the cabinets. Perfect—the last paints he had were yellow and purple, their favorite colors.
They covered their hands with paint and added new handprints behind the old ones. They also started poking each other's faces with paint, their laughter echoing in the mansion.
Finally, they finished fooling around and lay down on the couch together. Shu rested against Luca's arm, nuzzling against his chest. The latter's heart thumped quickly.
“I can hear how fast your heartbeat is going,” Shu laughed. Luca just gave him a warm smile, resting his chin on Shu's head.
“Do you like someone, Shu?” Luca asked abruptly.
“Erm… maybe?” He replied playfully, staring at Luca's lavender eyes.
“What?! You like someone, yet you've never told me about them? Oh hell no.” Luca exclaimed, obviously sarcastic.
Shu laughed softly. “Guess who?” the man replied with a wink.
Luca stared at him, confused. “I– I don't know? Vox?” he asked.
“Wha– no! That guy has a boyfriend, plus he's cocky. I don't like guys like that.” Shu complained.
“Well, I don't know! Just tell me.”
“I thought it's obvious?”
“What are you even talking about? I have no idea what you're sayi–”
Luca's words were cut off—soft lips pressed against his. He realized it was Shu kissing him, so he leaned in to kiss back as well. They both pulled away.
Shu confessed to him, his voice trembling yet firm. “I like you, Luca—No. I love you, Luca Kaneshiro. Since the very beginning, I really thought it was just my brain playing tricks on me by having a crush on a guy. I had no idea what these feelings truly meant until I came to the conclusion that I love you, and I can’t let you go.”
Luca froze in surprise, his lavender eyes wide, but soon a smile tugged at his lips. “I love you more, Shu. You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to hear that. I thought it was just me—every time I looked at you, every time you laughed, goofing around with me, listening to me whenever I talk about the most random topic ever. I felt like my chest was about to explode, You don't understand!”
Shu’s heart skipped a beat at those words, his eyes glimmering with emotion. Without saying another word, he closed the distance between them once more, pressing his lips to Luca’s in a kiss that was both gentle and desperate, full of everything they had left unsaid until now. Luca kissed him back, smiling against his lips, pulling him closer as if afraid to ever let go.
When they finally parted, both of them breathless, Luca rested his forehead against Shu’s. “I don't wanna go back to Australia” he whined.
As Luca was about to fall asleep, Shu suddenly asked a question.
“Luca, are you… going back to Australia soon?” he asked as he looked up.
“Uhh, around next week, maybe. I have a lot of work to do unfortunately.” Luca replied. “Why?”
Shu pouted at the answer. “I don't want us to be separated again.”
Luca felt pity. “Hmm, do you have a phone?” he asked.
“Uh– yeah?” Shu looked confused at the sudden question.
“How about we follow each other's social media and share contacts? It'll be easier for us to communicate!” Luca suggested.
“You're right.” Shu smiled.
That night, the two of them lay side by side, tangled up in each other’s arms. The world outside no longer mattered—because for the first time, their hearts finally beat in the same rhythm. And with soft smiles on their faces, they drifted off to sleep, together.
Mrs. Kaneshiro returned late at night only to discover her son and his best friend cuddling. My baby finally made a move, she thought while holding in her chuckle.
The two woke up to the aroma of food. Luca and Shu sat up groggily and noticed that Mrs. Kaneshiro was already cooking in the kitchen.
“Mom?” Luca called out, his voice still raspy with sleep.
“Oh, you lovebirds are awake? Come, let's eat together!” she said cheerfully.
Both of them froze on the spot.
“Wha– L-lovebirds?!” Shu blurted, his entire face heating up as he immediately hid behind his hands.
“Mooom!” Luca groaned, his cheeks turning red. “You can’t just say stuff like that!”
Mrs. Kaneshiro only laughed softly, clearly amused. “Don’t act so surprised. It’s written all over your faces.”
Shu made a muffled noise of protest and buried himself under the nearest pillow, refusing to come out. Luca slumped back, dragging a hand down his face in embarrassment.
“...This is the worst,” Shu muttered from under the pillow.
But Mrs. Kaneshiro only smiled, setting the table as if nothing happened. “Breakfast is ready.”
Neither of the boys moved, both too mortified to even look at each other.
The End!