Shattered Bonds-Okuyasu & Josuke

Finding You Again-Part 10

Josuke's heart was racing as he navigated the treacherous forest path, the morning light barely piercing the thick canopy above. The storm from the night before had left the forest in disarray—branches scattered across the muddy ground, leaves clinging to everything, and the trail ahead almost entirely obscured. But none of that mattered. Okuyasu was out there somewhere, and Josuke was going to find him.

Earlier that morning, when Okuyasu hadn't come back home, Josuke's worry had quickly turned to panic. After hours of fruitless searching around town, he had called his parents, who immediately organized a search party with the neighbours and local police. They scoured the streets and parks, but something inside Josuke told him that Okuyasu wasn't in town. He was out there, in the forest.

It had been a reckless decision to separate from the search party, but Josuke couldn't ignore the instinct pulling him toward the woods. So, while the others continued their search, he slipped away and headed into the dense forest alone.

As he trudged through the mud, calling his ex's name, he looked for any sign, any clue that might lead him to where Okuyasu had gone. His eyes scanned the ground, catching glimpses of footprints partially washed away by the rain, broken twigs, and patches of disturbed earth. The storm had done its best to erase any trace of him, but Josuke refused to give up...

An hour passed; he was exhausted, soaked to the bone, and covered in mud, but he pushed forward, driven by the fear gnawing at his heart. He called out again and again, his voice hoarse from shouting, hoping against hope that Okuyasu would respond.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, Josuke came upon a steep, muddy hill. At the bottom, partially hidden by a fallen tree, was a deep burrow. His breath caught in his throat as he approached the edge, peering down into the hollow.

"Okuyasu?" Josuke called out, his voice trembling.

For a moment, there was only silence. Then, from the shadows, he saw movement. Okuyasu slowly emerged, his body caked in mud, his clothes torn and soaked. His eyes, wide and filled with exhaustion, locked onto Josuke's. Despite everything, a fragile smile crossed his face, and he opened his arms, relief washing over him as he saw his past lover standing there.

But Josuke's relief quickly turned into something else—anger, fear, frustration—all of it boiling over in that moment. Without thinking, he slid down the slope toward Okuyasu, his emotions taking over. As soon as he reached him, Josuke slapped him across the face, hard enough to sting.

"What the hell were you thinking, dude?!" Josuke shouted, his voice breaking as he fought back tears. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? How stupid it was to come out here alone in the middle of the night? You could have died!"

Okuyasu flinched, his eyes widening in shock, but he didn't say anything. He just stood there, the weight of everything finally crashing down on him as he watched Josuke struggle to keep his emotions in check.

Josuke's anger dissipated as quickly as it had come. Seeing the look on the petrified Okuyasu's face—the guilt, the fear, the exhaustion—he couldn't stay mad. Instead, he pulled him into a tight hug, holding him close as if afraid to let go.

"I'm just glad you're okay," Josuke whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Please, don't ever scare me like that again."

Okuyasu's arms wrapped back, and for a moment, they stood there in the rain-soaked forest, clinging to each other like they were the only two people in the world.

Does this mean he loves me again?

Eventually, they made their way back home, Josuke keeping a firm grip on Okuyasu's hand the entire time, as if making sure he wouldn't disappear again. When they finally emerged from the forest, they were greeted by the sight of Mr. Mansaku, red-faced and shouting, locked in a heated argument with Josuke's parents on the front porch. The tension that had been building for days was finally being unleashed.