Opening Up

It was yet another quiet night in the outskirts of Yokohama.

Nanba and Ichiban sat side by side on the grassy bank, enjoying the peaceful ambiance after a long day of work. The river lazily meandered past, its tranquil waters reflecting the golden hues of the setting sun.

Although it should've been a relaxing moment of reprieve, Nanba's heart drummed loudly in his chest, his palms clammy from nervousness as a result of what he was about to say.

"Hey, Ichiban," Nanba began hesitantly, his voice low and barely above a whisper.

Ichiban turned to him, immediately picking up on his sudden shift in tone, his brow raised in curiosity. "Yeah? What's on your mind, Nanba?"

Nanba swallowed hard, mustering all the his courage he had at his disposal. This confession had been a long time coming. Well, It's now or never. He thought.

"I, um, I have something I need to tell you," he confessed, his cheeks tinged with embarrassment. "It's about... well, it's, err... about my feelings."

Ichiban's eyes widened in surprise, a rare occurrence for someone usually oblivious to such matters. "Oh, really?" he replied, intrigue lacing his tone. "What is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Nanba plunged forward. "I... I have a crush on you, Ichiban," he admitted, his words coming out in a rushed jumble. "I have for a while now. I know it's probably weird, and I'm certainly not expecting anything to come of it. I just... really needed to get it off my chest."

For a few brief moments there was silence, broken only by the gentle murmur ripple of the river.

Nanba squeezed his eyes shut and cringed, bracing himself for the impending rejection. Tons of negative scenarios flashed in his mind, the most prominent being the terrifying thought of Ichiban completely removing himself from his life.

Then, the unexpected happened. Ichiban chuckled softly, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Nanba. I... I had no idea," His tone was laced with genuine surprise as he reflexively scratched the back of his head, doing his best to process the sudden confession. "....But thank you for telling me. If anything, I'm happy that you feel comfortable enough to open up to me. I'm flattered, really."

Relief flooded through Nanba, mingled with a hint of disbelief. He had mentally prepared himself for the worst possible reaction, as he knew Ichi was straight as a rail and has had feelings for Saeko for sometime. And yet here he was, taking his confession not just surprisingly well, but in stride.

"You're not... upset?" Nanba asked tentatively, daring to hope. "I thought you might not want to hang around me anymore. I mean, you sure it's not going to bother you knowing that one of your close guy friends has a thing for you?"

Ichiban shook his head, still wearing that easy smile. "Of course not. You're my closest friend, Nanba - at this point, you might as well be my brother."

He nodded gently as he spoke, in hopes of putting Nanba at ease. "That bond isn't gonna just disappear because of a little crush. You've never made me uncomfortable, and I'm not put off by your feelings. There's nothing to worry about, man, I promise."

Still smiling, he placed his hand on Nanba's shoulder and gave him a hearty shake of reassurance.

Nanba chuckled as he felt a weight lift off his shoulders, a sense of gratitude washing over him. "Thanks, Ichiban," he said, a relieved smile spreading across his face. "I... really appreciate it. I'm happy you're in my life and more importantly, that you're here to stay."

"Hey, right back at ya. You know I'll always have your back." Ichi flashed him a grin before turning to observe the blossoming sunset before them.

As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, it crafted a cascade of hues and colors, casting a warm glow over the river and the two men. Nanba and Ichiban basked in the serenity in comfortable silence, whatever awkwardness that lingered in the moment long faded away.

Though Nanba's feelings remained unrequited, he once again smiled to himself, as he was grateful to have found solace in Ichiban's acceptance and understanding, He could rest easy now, knowing that their bond would endure the test of time no matter what.