Drawn to You

15. Epilogue - Like a BL manga

He walked down Akihabara Electric Town, trying to hear Xie Lian over the phone: there were just too many tourists and otakus walking around, chatting and laughing. Everyone after games, anime and manga, capsule toys, dressed up girls calling in nasal voices about hot new maid cafés in every corner, or wearing cat ears and tails (these worked at cat cafés).

Hua Cheng covered his other ear and went on, "Gege, you were at the very first book signing for Colours, you don't need to go to every single one. I told you, I usually do a few signings in different places – "

"Yes yes yes, but I'd like to go to all of them", Xie Lian replied in a pouting tone, and Hua Cheng couldn't help but smile, imagining Xie Sensei behaving all spoiled, "If I didn't have this event – "

"That's right, you worked hard for it too. Look, I'll be finished around eight, how about I pick you up at TUA?", he suggested to cheer Xie Lian up a bit, "We can eat something somewhere – "

It was already December, the chilly evenings perfect for going to small cosy places, but if Xie Lian wanted to cook something at home, that was alright too. Hua Cheng wouldn't admit even to himself Xie Lian wasn't the best cook, but it didn't matter: he faced the kitchen only for him and Hua Cheng loved it.

He thought of when they first got together: buying beer and snacks to see some festival by the river, then Hua Cheng going all out in his confession during the fireworks, just like a BL manga. They ended up going back to Xie Lian's flat (he had been there before, but that didn't count), and while looking around that spacious lounge with art posters, Hua Cheng saw his own books on the bookshelf.

He couldn't believe Xie Lian had actually gone and bought Shibuya Sunrise and Don't Let Go!

"Gege, why did you buy these? You could just have asked me – ", he said.

Xie Lian replied almost the same as what he was saying now, "Well I want your sales to go up the roof – "

Hua Cheng pffted a laugh, "Sales are good, what did you expect? This main character is fucking hot!"

They had met more than one year ago at one of his book signings in Junkudo Ikebukuro, and a lot happened since then, but on the previous summer they finally sorted everything, and have been together ever since. Not that he had any doubts, even though Xie Lian and him were completely opposites (or so he thought).

Thinking back to that night at Xie Lian's flat: they had some chicken katsu Xie Lian cooked, drank some more beer, cuddled a bit on the sofa, and around half eleven Hua Cheng said he was going home.

Seeing Xie Lian frowning slightly, he quickly held his hand, saying, "I'm not freaking out or anything. Gege, it's just that I don't want you to think – "

"To think you want sex?", he replied, pffting a laugh: he could be pretty straight-forward sometimes.

Since that night (well, since meeting Xie Lian really) he never slept with anyone else, he never needed to. Xie Lian turned out to be quite naughty in an easy-going and cute way, and sometimes they even met in a bar, like that time at Ichi-Hachi in Sendagi, as a fun, sexy role-playing (even though it's always Xie Lian, but that's who Hua Cheng would want anyway).

"San Lang? After we eat somewhere, you're staying over, right? Because I'm thinking of – "

He said over the phone, lowering his voice in that same pouting tone, and Hua Cheng, feeling his face burning, would give anything to be with him right then. How did Xie Lian always do that?

Back on that first night, when he said he was leaving, Xie Lian didn't protest, only coolly got up from the sofa and sat on Hua Cheng's lap, straddling on him, wrapping his arms around his neck.

"San Lang, I'm sorry, but you're not going anywhere", he had said, smiling wickedly, "I want sex".

Back to the present, Hua Cheng kept telling himself, no no no, think about something else! It'd be still a few hours till they could –

He arrived at the manga store that was holding his book signing, and stopped by its entrance. Looking briefly at the shop windows, he saw some posters of Colours framed with balloons, and a few of his books piled in an arty presentation.

"Gege. You know I'm up for anything you want", he replied with a low voice, then talking normally, he added, "I have to go. Do your best on your event too! See you later".

He hung up and, putting his phone away, paused for a moment, looking at the posters, at that face (that was Xie Lian's face really), and thought: who said this all only happened in BL mangas?

Smiling happily to himself, he walked into the bookstore.

Arigato gozaimasu to everybody reading and commenting, and a big welcome to new followers. 😊 I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing!

Writer's notes here (gomenasai): I had the idea for this fic a long time ago (with references to some animes I like). Mangaka Hua Cheng comes from "The World's Greatest First Love" (only not missing deadlines, ever) and Xie Lian as an art professor at TUA from "Blue Period". 🥰

Then MONTHS after I decided to actually travel to Japan then why not, while being there, getting some local vibes? And thanks to this fic... I want to go again already!

Ja ne, see everybody on the next fic (hopefully soon)! 😁😁😁