Second Chances

Part 6

A week went by and it was miserable. 

Two weeks went by and life began to settle back into a routine. Hira pretended to forget about Kiyoi and for the first week, didn't even notice that Kayama wasn't coming to the photography club any longer until one of the seniors asked him where his partner was.

No, they didn't ask so politely, they teased him about his 'lover.'

Hira didn't even look up from cleaning his camera, carefully blowing the dust from the lens. "If you want to fuck him, go ahead. I don't." He gently put the equipment away, packed the Nikon into the camera bag and stood up. "If I am not w..w...wwanted in the club, I quit." As he was walking to the door, the senior stood up as well,

"Damn it, Hira, that's not what I meant. Fuck." He dropped his hand from his arm and sighed. "For months, all Kayama could talk about was how he was going to ask you to be his boyfriend on his birthday. Since then, we haven't seen him, and he won't pick up his phone."

The senior abruptly sat down, running his long fingers through his hair, messing it up good. "Can't you tell we're worried? Are you that slow? What happened?"

Hira's mouth formed an 'O' as his words sank in. Damn social skills! How was he supposed to know what was expected of him? No one had ever confessed before and he definitely hadn't tried confessing either! "Uhh, I tur..r..rned him d.d.d...down." His stutter worsened as the embarrassment of being noticed, of having his personal life talked about.

There was NOTHING worse than being the center of attention!

The other man in the room suddenly chuckled and put his hand out. "I told you so! Pay up!" The senior swore and fished out a 1000 yen, walking over and slapping it down in his hand. Then he walked over to Hira and slung his arm around his shoulders, guiding him to the couch. 

"Hira, why? Do you not like Kayama?" 

"Friend." It was all Hira had in him to say. He shrugged off the senior's arm and stood, clutching the camera bag. "Pictures." He walked slowly out the club room, feeling guilty. If anyone should quit, it should be him, not Kayama.

"He's weird, don't you think?" The one senior said to the other, flipping through one of the many photography books in the room. 

The senior who had talked with Hira shook his head. "Not anymore. I think he has a disability, like my cousin. She is autistic and won't speak with anyone at all but when I show her pictures, she takes one and runs to that object." He tapped his lip silently. "Did you know Hira has a perfect grade point average? He could have gone to Toyoko University but didn't, and no one knows why."

"Are you serious? That kid has a perfect grade point average? And I've struggled with all my homework and I could have had him tutor me???" The other senior sat up and slapped the table. "I feel like an idiot."

"I think that's part of Hira's charm." The senior sighed. "He has no interest in anything or anyone, so nothing matters except studying and photography." He stared at the first picture Hira took for the club, a tradition for all members. It was a picture of a light standard, the full moon, framing a tree branch. 

It felt lonely but wasn't, with all the light and leaves. "I believe that once Hira sees you, truly takes notice of you, you become the whole world to him. Heaven help that person."

~~~~~~~~~~

Two weeks!

It had been two weeks and again, it had been Kiyoi that had been left hanging. Yes, it had been him who had told Hira he would call, but honestly, deep inside, he had hoped that for once, Hira would take the first step.