Shinjiro and I spend the next morning lazing around until we decide to head to Ochanomizu for lunch and guitar shops. I'm surprised when he tells me to invite Shun. Shun, who is already out running errands when I try knocking on his door, agrees to join us in front of a Chinese restaurant near Ochanomizu Station.
"Hey! What took you so long?" Shinjiro teases when Shun approaches us looking a little out of breath. "Makoto's so hungry he's been threatening to eat me."
"I'm sorry," Shun's eyes widen in panic.
"Don't listen to him. We literally just got here, too," I assure him.
"Sorry. There was a long wait at the post office," Shun apologizes anyway.
"I'm just poking, Shunie," Shinjiro laughs as he pushes Shun's back toward the door. "Let's go inside."
After we're seated and have our orders taken, Shinjiro turns to Shun. "So what did you get up to this morning?"
"Oh, nothing that interesting," Shun answers. "I just had to send a few orders out to my customers."
"Customers?" Shinjiro lifts an eyebrow.
"Shun makes and sells his own clothes," I explain.
Shinjiro's face lights up. "No way! Seriously?"
"His designs are pretty cool, too," I add.
"They must be if he has customers," Shinjiro says.
"It's not that big of a deal." Shun has an embarrassed smile. "I'm just one person doing everything, so I can't make a lot, but I try."
"That's still amazing," Shinjiro praises him. "Do you design it all from scratch?"
I grin, watching Shun explain to Shinjiro how he designs and sells clothes. He's already looking a lot more relaxed than he did yesterday. It's a huge relief to see Shinjiro making him smile and laugh. I was a bit worried at first, but I'm glad to see him opening up like this to someone I'm close to. Of all the people I could introduce to Shun as my friend, I'm glad it's Shinjiro.
"So most of the people who buy your clothes are your fans?" Shinjiro gapes down at Shun's Intogram profile on his phone.
"My followers," Shun corrects him. "I don't know if you'd call them fans exactly."
Shinjiro tilts the screen toward Shun. "So you have 15,500 fans?!"
"Yeah. Followers."
"So when you go out, do people come up to you like, 'Oh my God! It's Shun! Give me your autograph!'" Shinjiro places his hand over his mouth, pretending to squeal.
Shun laughs.
I smile until I watch Shinjiro tap the blue button underneath Shun's profile—the one I've always avoided accidentally hitting with my thumb.
"There," he announces. "You now have fifteen-thousand-five-hundred and one fans."
"Thanks," Shun says with a modest smile.
I try to smile, too, but can't help but feel almost jealous of how easily Shinjiro can follow Shun and call himself a fan.
After paying for our meals, Shinjiro leads us down the street toward a guitar shop. As we walk, he snaps his fingers and bobs his head while half-humming, half-singing mimicked lyrics to the catchy Chinese song playing in the restaurant on our way out. Shun and I trail behind him, Shun laughing in amusement. Shinjiro adds a little footwork to the rhythm, throwing in a glide.
"Whoa!" Shun exclaims. "That was cool!"
"What, this?" Shinjiro says, gliding with his feet again.
"Yeah, that!" Shun beams. "You must be a really good dancer."

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...