The Second Button tradition has been around since the '60s. It's a popular Japanese tradition that involves the man giving his second button to the woman he adores. A similar tradition has been around in the lives of Wolf Winchester, Chris Lancaster...
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"Gentlemen, let me present to you– the second button." An eighteen-year-old Ace grinned as he showed the shiny white button to his best friends.
Wolf raised his eyebrow. Being half-Japanese, he had a vague idea of where Ace was going with this. Still, he wanted to hear the young man explain himself as he and their other best friend, Chris, patiently waited.
"Where are you going with this, Ace?" Chris asked, unable to contain his curiosity. "How is this second button related to our conversation?"
Ace chuckled.
"Patience, Chris," Ace said. "It has everything to do with what we previously discussed. But before I explain, tell me this: Do you know the significance of this second button?"
"Isn't it a Japanese tradition?" Wolf replied. "Guys give girls their second buttons while expressing their love for them."
Ace proudly grinned, snapping his fingers.
"Excellent," Ace said. "You're right, Wolf. The second button symbolizes the guys' feelings for the girl they like."
"That doesn't explain why you brought this up, Ace," Chris pointed out. "Why are we talking about this again?"
"Well," Ace began, putting the button back in his pocket. "I was thinking we should have a cool ritual like this. When we find the girl who is perfect for us—"
"---we give them our second button?" Wolf raised his eyebrow, skeptical about the whole idea. "It might work on Japanese girls since they are familiar with this. I'm not sure if it'll work on American girls."
"I...have to go with Wolf on this one," Chris said. "Japanese girls expect something like this, but regular American girls are used to their dating culture: flings, casual relationships, situation-ships, etc., etc. I am damn sure most are not even looking for something serious at our age. ."
Ace sighed. They were right. As romantic and swoon-worthy the idea sounded, he knew the tradition only applied to Japanese girls. Yet, he could not give up like that! Young Ace was determined to convince his best friends that this idea was perfect and was the best way to express their feelings to their future girlfriends.
"Come on, guys," Ace urged. "I'm sure not every American girl is like that. There will be someone who genuinely understands the deep meaning behind this tradition. Plus, it does not necessarily have to be the second button. It could be something precious to us. The main idea is to give them a part of us so they know we're serious about them. For instance, Wolf's Porsche."
Wolf refused without missing a beat.
"Nope. Not my Porsche. Anything but my Porsche."
"Your signature jacket, then?" Chris smirked. He knew very well that Wolf would die before he handed his jacket over to someone. That jacket meant a lot to him. He never knew why, and every time he would ask him, Wolf would deflect the question.
"Take my Porsche."
Chris and Ace chuckled while shaking their heads in sync.
"Fine," Ace began. "Let's say for Wolf, the second button is equivalent to the Porsche. What about you, Chris?"
Chris thought for a while. What was the one thing that he kept close to his heart?
"Chester," Chris smirked. "And maybe Blaire too, if she's not allergic to/hates cats. What about you, Ace? What's your second button equivalent?"
"Hmm," Ace thought for a moment. "I would have to say my favorite book. I would like her to have that, and if she's a reader like me, I'd let her have free access to my castle's library."
Wolf was genuinely impressed with his best friends. Even though this situation was hypothetical, they were willing to give away a precious part of themselves for the girl they liked. However, despite how cute and romantic the idea sounded, Wolf still had doubts.
"It's impressive," Wolf commented. "You two are speaking as if something like this is going to happen to us. I don't think true love is in our fates, boys."
Chris rolled his eyes.
"Oh, please. Stop being such a pessimistic ass for once. Even a guy like me believes in such a sappy concept; why don't you?"
Wolf quickly shot back. "I have my reasons."
Ace chuckled, which caught Wolf's attention.
"What are you chuckling at, dork?" Wolf asked, narrowing his eyebrows.
Ace smirked. "You know what they say: the one who believes in true love the least is the one who falls the hardest. I can't wait for the day you fall in love, Wallace Winchester."
Wolf was agitated. "Number one: Do not call me by my government name, and two: I ain't falling in love. True love doesn't exist."
Chris laughed. "Wolf will fall the hardest among the three of us; I can bet my Chevy on that."
"You're going to lose your precious Chevy then, Chris," Wolf retorted with a confident smirk. He was so sure he would never fall in love. "Don't bet that on a situation like this. I'm not losing my heart to anyone. I will never lose my heart to anyone."
Chris grinned. "Sure, sure. Whatever you say, pal. I am not worried about my Chevy because I know I'm right."
"Shut up."
"Guys, cut it out," Ace interjected. "I need an answer: Are we or are we not starting this second-button tradition?"
"You realize it's never going to happen, right?" Wolf reminded him. "We're only getting flings or casual relationships. No girl would want a serious relationship with us."
"Even if they don't," Ace began. "What's the harm in having a ritual like this? It makes me feel like we're the main protagonists of some romance novel."
Wolf snorted in derision.
Ace ignored him and continued.
"So, let's pretend that some girl is interested in a long-term relationship with us, and we love them to death. What's that part of ourselves that we will let them keep?"
"Well, if it's only for imagination's sake," Wolf began, even though he was not really into the idea. He was only playing along for his best friend's sake. "Then I guess I'll let my non-existent girlfriend have my jacket since you two would willingly give them something precious to you as well. But I'm only giving away my jacket because we're discussing a hypothetical situation. I would never let anyone touch my jacket, let alone let them keep it for the rest of their lives."
Chris raised his eyebrow, clearly amused by Wolf's willingness to give away his jacket. But once he said the last sentence, he realized that Wolf only agreed to let go of it because they were discussing a situation that, in his eyes, would never happen. He let it slide instead of dragging this conversation more than needed.
"It's settled then," Ace said. "Hypothetical situation or not, we now have a ritual like the Japanese do. If, someday, we find the one, despite Wolf saying we won't, Chris will give his cats, Chester and Blaire; I'll give my favorite book and the library access; and Wolf will let go of his jacket. These are our second-button equivalents. Is that alright with us?"
Wolf sighed but nodded. Chris nodded as well.
Ace grinned, clearly getting a kick out of this new ritual he and his best friends had created. While he committed to this ritual wholeheartedly, Chris seemed a little more enthusiastic than before, and Wolf was only playing along for their sake. It was alright, Ace thought. When love hit Wolf, and he hoped it did soon, he would finally understand the significance of this ritual.
