Camp Criminal (NSFW) (BxBxBxBxB)

Chapter 57 (END)

Hisashi and friends decided to meet at a restaurant. They could talk and catch up and Hisashi could possibly open up a bit more. But the meeting wasn't going to be very much focused on Hisashi as he thought it would be.

Shusaku and Okui were already there when the rest arrived. They piled into the semicircle booth which was a tight squeeze. After settling down, the two who were fated to meet again made eye contact. Akiara's memory was fuzzy, but everything became clear for Shusaku when he saw him.

"...Akiara?" Shusaku asked.

"You're... Shusaku...?" Akiara managed to remember.

"You two know each other~?" Hisashi asked.

Shusaku looked uncomfortable. "Do you remember me...?"

Akiara paused. It was slowly coming back to him. When it finally dropped in his mind, he said it out loud. "We used to hook up!"

"Yeah... Then you ghosted me..."

"What!? That was...! Wasn't that when I got arrested...?"

"So you didn't...?" Shusaku had been hurt because Akiara had ghosted him. But if he got arrested and couldn't contact him because of it, then maybe it made sense.

"I'm sorry Shusaku... I didn't tell you what happened and then... well... With everything that happened at the camp, I kinda forgot..." Akiara scratched his neck nervously.

"It's alright... Things have changed since then... Now I'm with Okui." He held Okui's hand and smiled.

"You really do get around, don't you, Akiara~?" Hisashi teased him.

"So do you!! With all of your clients!!" Akiara got defensive.

"Well, that's work~"

"Anyway... I'm glad you're doing well," Akiara smiled.

"Me too," Shusaku replied.

After the somewhat awkward reunion, they ordered food and talked about what they'd been doing since the camp. Hisashi talked more about his job, opening up a bit. The evening was pleasant. They parted ways in good spirits afterwards.

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Shusaku's friends visited the game store where he worked. They said it was good to see him again and that it was hilarious what he got arrested for. He felt a little uncomfortable now, not wanting to be with toxic friends anymore. He laughed along awkwardly. He wasn't sure what to do about them.

"You could just tell them," Okui said. "Your feelings, I mean. And the fact that you're gay. But I know it's hard to come out. I would personally just want to get it off my chest and if they accept me, great. If they don't, I guess that's the end of that."

"You make it sound easy..." Shusaku replied, curled up on the couch at their apartment.

"Yeah... But you don't have to make it hard. You don't care to be friends with them anymore, especially if they don't accept you, right? So you shouldn't care what they think anymore." Okui sat next to him, his arm around him to comfort him.

"That's true... Ugh, it's just hard... I'm not ready..."

"Then just give it time. Gather the courage to say what's on your mind." He kissed his head.

Since his friends realized that he was back, they came around the game store often. Each time, Shusaku knew he had to say something. But the words never came out. To make things worse, they asked to hang out with him sometimes after work, which he made excuses for saying he was busy.