On the last day of Golden Week, I spend my afternoon fooling around in Shibuya with Koki, Takeru, and Reiya. Our pointless conversations and jokes are just what I needed after two weeks of non-stop shifts at Yumeya.
We decide to call it a day when Koki has to head to his part-time job. After parting with the guys at Takadanobaba Station, I reach into my pocket for the phone I had been neglecting all day. My LIME shows two chats with new messages. I'm happy to see one of them is from my favorite gray rabbit, but the guy holding a parfait below it is what really snatches my attention.
Shun
Have you ever watched this guys channel before? 👀
https://metu.be/XXXXXXXXXXX/
His ukulele lessons are super easy to understand ✨
I sit, blinking at the screen. The only other message on it is the one I sent him over two weeks ago. Since when does he send messages? And with emoticons? I almost want to believe his account got hacked.
While I'm still contemplating whether to reply or not, my train stop is announced and I tuck my phone away as if I hadn't seen anything.
Once in my room, I rip into a package of convenience store bread and devour it while logging onto my computer. I'm halfway into KanZi's new video when I hear a knock on my door. I hit pause and look up as if to make sure I'm not hearing things. The knocking repeats and I get up to answer it.
I'm surprised to see Shun standing in front of me with his ukulele, an out-of-character smile on his face.
"Hey!" he greets me.
"H-hey." I'm even more confused than I was when I saw his LIME message.
"Sorry to bother you. I just wanted to show you something," he says timidly.
"Okay." I can't keep the uneasiness out of my voice.
He lifts the ukulele to his chest and watches his hands as he plays Happy Birthday on the chords C, G7, and F. Pink forms in his white cheeks while he sings with the same shy smile I saw on him yesterday. His vocals are a little off-key and he ends the song off partially laughing. The scene leaves a weird feeling in my chest. I want to keep watching, but at the same time, I wish he would stop.
"What do you think?" he asks, looking up at me with a widening smile.
"It's not my birthday," I say flatly.
"I figured." He nods.
I have to admit I'm impressed he learned to play the three chords smoothly in such little time, but there is a different emotion overshadowing my surprise. I don't know exactly what it is but it's making me uncomfortable.
"Did you stay home and practice all day?" I ask in response to the expectant look on his face.
"Yeah," he admits, the ukulele slowly lowering from his chest.
"Wow. You must have been bored."
His smile weakens. "I-I guess so."
He looks down at the instrument and I wonder if he's going to play again, but he doesn't. I want to close my door already.
"I want to see you play guitar," he says, running his fingers up and down the strings.
"I left my guitar back home," I state. "Besides, I'm not that good at it. It was just a hobby."
"Oh really?" I can hear the disappointment in his voice.
"Yeah. Sorry."
He awkwardly picks at the ukulele strings, showing no sign of leaving my doorway anytime soon.
YOU ARE READING
A Mark That Lasts Forever
RomanceAll Makoto wants is to enjoy his new life in Tokyo, but his gay roommate Shun has other things in mind. Despite wishing his nightmarish roommate away, Makoto does his best to tolerate him until learning he might not be the person he's making himself...
