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16: a drunken confession

16: a drunken confession
Alt. Title: ⚠️⚠️⚠️ mentions of suicid3 but not the graphical sort

Something was strange.

Recently, Shihori had been leaving the apartment quite frequently. He would be outside from morning until night and he would head to his room the second he got home. Whenever Yuuta asked him the reason, the nurse simply shook his head and smiled.

This made Okkotsu Yuuta unnerved.

Without knowing the reason, the thought of what if it was because of him echoed in his mind. What if Shihori had figured out what he was doing at night? What if Shihori believed his coworker's words? But Yuuta was confident that Shihori would never find out. After all, it had already been over two months.

And based on his personality, Shihori would have confronted him directly without beating around the bush.

The sound of the door creaking entered Yuuta's ears. When he looked up, he found Shihori entering with a flushed face. Alarmed, the youth left the sofa and quickly caught the nurse before he could trip over the rag. "Shihori-san!"

Yuuta let out a groan when Shihori stumbled into his embrace. The strong scent of alcohol invaded his senses, causing Yuuta to scrunch up his nose. This was the first time Shihori had ever come home drunk. Even when they were in Africa, Shihori had never drunk so much to reach this point.

Taking him to the living room, Yuuta huffed as he placed the nurse on the sofa. Shihori, in his drunken state, moved around and grabbed a throw pillow, hugging it tightly. He brought up his knees close to him and it reminded Yuuta of a sulking child.

This adorable sight made his heart itch.

Smiling softly, Yuuta crouched down in front of Shihori, who buried his face in the pillow. "Shihori-san, are you sulking?"

"... I am."

Yuuta: "..." Pfft--

The youth cleared his throat, trying not to let his laughter out. "Why are you sulking then?"

"Because my nephew isn't cute anymore."

Fushiguro-kun? Yuuta blinked and tilted his head. "Why isn't he cute anymore?" When he asked that, Shihori lifted his chin, displaying his flushed cheeks and cloudy eyes.

"Because... Because he used to give me hugs when he was little. Now that he's older, he doesn't hug me at all." His lips turned pouty, cheeks puffed out as he sulked even more. Yuuta couldn't stop himself as he reached up and gently poked Shihori's puffed out cheek. Yet the nurse didn't react.

How could Shihori be such a cute drunk?

This was a side of him that Yuuta had not seen before. In his mind, Shihori's image was a kind and gentle person who has a mean streak sometimes. "Then," a thought came into Yuuta's mind. "What if I hug you instead?"

For some reason, the drunk Shihori lifted his gaze in attention. Rejection was the first thing that Yuuta expected to come out of Shihori's mouth. However, the nurse's answer gave Yuuta unprecedented joy.

"Will you?"

Oh no, a trembling hand rested over his chest. I, I have to calm down. "Can I really, Shihori-san?"

The drunk Shihori nodded in a vigorous manner, eyes sparkling in delight. "Will you hug me right now, Yuuta-kun?"

A metaphorical arrow struck Yuuta in the chest. Another one hit him when Shihori fixed his posture and spread his arms, eagerly looking at him in expectation. Gulping, the youth moved forward and snaked his arms around Shihori's torso. When Shihori's arms wrapped around him, the nurse leaned back on the couch and dragged Yuuta off the floor.