Trapped Behind Words: InuOkko

Chapter 3: Carnival

To say waking up on Inumaki's couch was surprising for Yuta was an understatement. The leather was coated with a thin white sheet that was surprisingly warm for how airy it was. For a moment, the room felt foreign, but it all came back to him in time. He had woken up startled in his own apartment the first few nights.

A cup full of water was placed on the dark walnut coffee table beside him with a note and two pills. That was nice of him. Did Inumaki leave for work? What did Inumaki even do? Then it dawned on him-he was at Inumaki's, and it was daylight. Yuta jumped off the couch and looked for his phone.

Realizing it was on the ground, Yuta swiftly picked it up and checked for a missed call. Instead, he saw three text messages from different people. That was a good sign.

The first text was from Gojo and read, "You are really funny when you are drunk."

Yuta remembered the phone call with Gojo. He recalled that Gojo asked if he was drinking because he seemed annoyed. The words that Yuta said weren't quite there yet, but he knew he needed to apologize. If it weren't for Gojo, he wouldn't have made a friend in Inumaki.

The second text was from Yuta's boss: "Don't worry, Okkotsu. You have never asked for a day off. You can have it regardless of the reason."

That was odd. His manager had never seemed like a reasonable man when it came to asking for a sick day, at least with Yuta's coworkers. He supposed it made sense that his boss would give him time off considering the long and most definitely drunken message Yuta sent.

The final message was from Inumaki, and it was only ten minutes old: "I am getting us breakfast sandwiches. You're getting my favorite, no complaints."

Promptly after reading those messages, Inumaki walked through the front door, holding a large paper bag. It was only at that moment Yuta realized he was only wearing a t-shirt and underwear. Inumaki was dressed in a graphic tee from a game Yuta recognized but didn't know and light washed jeans cuffed at the ankle. The man didn't talk, but he knew how to dress.

There was no reaction from Inumaki other than a smile. No big deal then, right? Yuta looked for his pants before Inumaki placed the bag on the table. His pale finger pointed to the pills and the note.

Yuta picked up the small yellow sticky note with Inumaki's familiar handwriting: "Take these so you don't ache. Don't be in a hurry to flake."

Next to the message was another character he drew with a big nose and glasses. It was cute, something Yuta wasn't used to. Did Inumaki expect him to run off without a proper thank you for the hospitality? The blond was so sweet. He bought breakfast and was taking care of him like they had known each other for years.

With the hospitality came memories of Rika. Her voice would call for Yuta to come and play. The gifts she gave him, like the engagement ring, seemed so silly. That wasn't long before she was gone. Then, years later, Inumaki would be treating him to the same friendly luxuries.

Yuta's eyes began to warm as he folded the note, avoiding meeting eyes with Inumaki. It was only a matter of time before he was ripped away too, right? There was no one like Rika. No one dreamed of treating Yuta like he mattered until Inumaki reached out. Even Gojo took pride in breaking down Yuta's boundaries with force.

Inumaki's hand entered his vision, calling for Yuta's attention. It was a gentle, unknown gesture, perhaps a form of sign language. Yuta looked up to see the violet lenses returned to Inumaki's eyes, and below them, a concerned frown.

"It's nothing, really. Thank you for the food and the medicine," Yuta smiled, trying to hide his emotions.

Inumaki replied, holding a single hand up to stop him.