Renga Oneshots

Joes restraunt

Heres some subtle matchablossom in here for you <3 
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Joe's POV

I was wiping down the counters of my bar, getting everything in order before closing up for the night, when the familiar sound of boots clicking against the floor caught my attention. Without even turning around, I already knew who it was.

"Hello, gorilla," Kaoru greeted in his usual low, unimpressed tone.

I smirked, tossing the damp cloth over my shoulder as I leaned against the counter. "Oh, how cute of a nickname, Pinky Pie."

Kaoru sighed, running a hand through his long, rose-colored hair. "Do you ever grow tired of being insufferable?"

"Not when it means getting under your skin," I shot back with a grin.

We continued our usual back-and-forth, a banter that had been going on for years. It was second nature by now—this constant teasing, this dance where neither of us backed down. It was familiar, maybe even comforting in a way neither of us would ever admit.

The small chime of the entrance bell interrupted us, and we both turned as two more familiar faces entered the nearly empty restaurant.

"Reki! Langa!" I called out, waving them over.

Reki's red hair stood out even in the dim lighting, and beside him, Langa walked with that same calm, almost dreamlike presence he always had. They were always together these days, practically glued at the hip. Not that it surprised me—anyone with eyes could see how much they liked each other.

It was late enough that most of the usual customers had already cleared out, leaving the place quiet except for the low hum of music playing in the background. Since we were close to closing, I guided them toward a table near where Kaoru was sitting, figuring we might as well all chat for a bit before wrapping up for the night.

They both ordered something light—just small snacks and drinks.

"Today, Reki and I went to the library," Langa began, taking a sip of his drink. "There were these magazines featuring Cherry's newer calligraphy pieces. They were really impressive."

"Of course they were," Kaoru said, not looking up from his cup of tea. "I don't half-ass my craft."

Langa continued, undeterred. "They even had a section about the history of calligraphy, and it made me think about how much technique actually goes into it. It's kind of like skating in a way—precision, balance, flow."

I had to admit, it was always amusing to see how much Langa admired Cherry's work. The guy was always so analytical about everything. Reki, on the other hand, was far more expressive, constantly bouncing between excitement and frustration when trying to learn something new. It was cute, in a way, how well they balanced each other out.

But I wasn't about to say that out loud.

"Man, you two really are something else," I muttered, shaking my head with a grin. "Always talking about each other like that."

Kaoru scoffed. "They're nauseating."

I laughed. "Come on, admit it—you think it's cute."

"Not in the slightest," he said flatly, though the faintest smirk played on his lips.

Langa's POV

Reki's hand was warm in mine, his fingers occasionally squeezing mine absentmindedly as he talked. I always liked the way his hands felt—calloused from years of skating and working on his boards, but still gentle when he held me.

I was about to say something else when the door suddenly slammed open, and Miya stormed in, looking furious.

"Reki!" he shouted, marching straight toward us.

Reki startled, sitting up. "What? What did I do?"

"Did you steal my cat sticker?!" Miya accused, pointing at him dramatically. "That was supposed to go on my skateboard!"

Reki blinked at him, deadpan. "Miya, why would I even want a cat sticker? I don't even like cats."

"Because you were the last person who had it!" Miya huffed, crossing his arms.

Silence filled the space as we all watched Miya stand there, fuming. Then, after a moment, he hesitated, pulled out his phone, and sheepishly turned it over. There, stuck behind the transparent case, was the missing sticker.

Miya's face turned red. "...Oh."

Reki burst out laughing. "Dude, you came in here all dramatic and ready to fight me, and it was with you the whole time?"

Miya mumbled something incoherent, then spun on his heel and stomped out of the restaurant, completely flustered.

Joe snorted. "That kid needs to chill."

Reki was still laughing as he leaned into me, his eyes crinkling at the edges. It was moments like these that made me love him even more—the way his laughter was so contagious, the way his face lit up when he was having fun.

"Alright, I'll grab a game for us to play before closing," Joe announced, disappearing into the back.

A few minutes later, he returned with a deck of UNO, Reki's all-time favorite. His eyes immediately lit up.

"Oh man, you guys are so gonna lose," he grinned, cracking his knuckles like this was some sort of intense competition.

We all gathered around, shuffling the deck and passing out the cards. As the game went on, it was clear that Reki was way too into it, taking every opportunity to sabotage Kaoru, who only sighed every time he got hit with a +4.

Joe, meanwhile, had draped himself lazily over Kaoru's chair, resting his chin on the top of Kaoru's head. It wasn't something out of the ordinary, but as I watched them, I couldn't help but wonder—was there something more between them?

The way Joe always seemed to touch Kaoru so casually, how Kaoru let him get away with it despite being so particular about his personal space...

Maybe Reki and I weren't the only ones in this place who had something going on.

The night eventually wound down, and we finished our game with Reki coming out as the undisputed champion (as he so dramatically put it).

After saying our goodbyes, Reki and I left hand in hand, the cool night air brushing against us as we walked toward my place.

"Today was fun," Reki said, swinging our hands slightly.

"Yeah," I agreed, squeezing his fingers.

He smiled up at me, his eyes twinkling under the streetlights.

It was moments like this—just us, just being together—that made everything feel perfect.

And as we walked home, I couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, I'd finally found the place where I truly belonged.