An Onigiri's Rock Collector (Bo x Masao)

Chapter 17 | Reimbursement

"Just wait for me until five, and when the science club disperses I'll meet with you."

Bo tapped on the table in anticipation, thinking time couldn't possibly pass any slower. He had told Masao to wait for him in the art room while he sat in on his first meeting with the science club. He loved science; his prior love for rock collecting got him interested in it.

However, it was hard to focus knowing the round-headed love of his life was waiting for him just a few meters away.

As soon as the meeting ended, Bo clutched his bag and went to the art room in a hurry. To his surprise, Masao was attentively drawing again. It looked like he had kept himself busy for the past few hours.

Bo snuck behind him and put his hands over his eyes. "Guess who" he softly whispered.

For a second, Masao was alarmed. He turned around and saw the taller male smiling. "Bo-chan! How was the science club?" He asked. "You showed up way earlier than I thought you would."

"It was fun. I can't wait to go tomorrow, too." Bo said.

Masao was happy Bo had listened to him; he found his own passion and now he could see him smile more often, which is something Bo wasn't used to doing. "That's great. Hey, I have to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"I...still have the money from the competition, so I was wondering if you'd like to go out on a real date with me this time. After all, I still owe you for the tea and cake you bought me on Saturday."

"You want to use the money on me?"

Masao nodded.

"Don't do that. I rather you save it for when you truly need it." Bo said to him.

"Bo-chan, I truly need it now. I want to repay you."

Bo knew there was no point in arguing with him over sometime so trivial. "Okay. Just promise me you won't overspend it."

"I promise, Bo-chan. Don't worry. Now, tell me what you prefer! Any place is fine with me as long as we're together."

His words struck Bo's heart, making him look down at the wooden floor of the art room. "I'll think over it."

Masao smiled at him. "Alright! Would you want to see what I'm drawing?"

Bo agreed and sat beside him at the table. He examined the drawing. "You're drawing...rocks?"

"I'm drawing the ones you gave to me! It was really thoughtful of you. Knowing that you thought about me while collecting those rocks. It made me like you a lot more."

Bo had nearly forgotten about it. He had stopped doing it after their day at the riverbank, prior to when Masao had gotten sick. For a mere second he longed to collect rocks of him again, just to make him happy.

"You're a great artist, Masao-kun."

"Thank you."

The sky turned cobalt blue and the two were still spending time in the darkness of the art room, talking about the non-important things that somehow lit up more sparks in their relationship. As if they were getting to know one another for the very first time.

When the time struck 18:00, Bo offered to walk Masao home. So they left, slipping on their coats, and not letting go of each other's hands. They had gotten so used to hand-holding nearly every time they walked together.

When it was just the two of them, that is.

"You don't have to always walk me home. I'm fine on my own." Masao told him, feeling a bit guilty.

"Do you dislike it?"

"Well, not at all...do you?"

"Masao, I couldn't never dislike spending time with you, no matter what we're doing. Even when we were younger, our time together meant a lot to me."

"Really? You definitely never said that to me before."

That's because Bo didn't want to admit to himself that he loved him back then. "Let's forget about the past, because the present feels happier, don't you think?"

Masao nodded at him and tightly squeezed his hand.

"What if...I said I wanted to go watch Nene-chan perform in our school's play for our date?" Bo asked him.

Masao shuttered at the horrible thought. "I'd have you choose something else, because I don't want to be tortured!"

Bo laughed at his serious, yet dramatic, response. Surely Nene was good enough to perform in a play. She had definitely been better at acting than him, Masao, Shinnosuke, and Kazama combined. Not even Ai could reach her level of talent. It all stemmed from her many pretend-house scenarios she used to force her friends to play when they were children.

"But, now that you mention it, she'll probably buy tickets just for the four of us to see her." Masao sighed, already feeling defeated.

"Like I said: the present feels happier, doesn't it?"

"It truly does, Bo-chan."

They made it to Masao's house a few minutes later. They said their farewells for the night.

Before leaving, Bo told Masao what he wanted to do for their date. He whispered his idea to him.

"Really? That's it?" Masao asked.

Bo nodded. "It'll make me happy, Masao-kun."