Specks of Light

Spin Off Chapter: Christmas Lights

Has winter always been this dark? Fujino Aki thought as he stared out of the window. The Christmas environment had settled around Tokyo with lights decorating the whole city, still to Fujino's eyes, all those bright colors looked quite gray. A week had passed since the whole incident happened with the guy he had loved for two years, and now even thinking of his name was hurtful. He had seen Yanase walking around at Marukawa four days ago and judging from the ring he carried in his left hand, Aki guessed Ijuuin- sensei and Yuu- san had moved one step forward in their relationship. As much as it hurt to see it, he tried to convince himself that the most important thing was for Yuu to be happy even if it wasn't next to him. 

People say that in order to forget a lost love, you needed to keep your mind busy and that had been what Fujino had been trying to do everyday. By now, he had probably completed three chapters worth of manga sketched ready to be taken by his assistants. Yuu was a great loss to his working team, but Kirishima- san had promised to find a new chief assistant in a matter of days, so it would probably be alright in the end.

He turned to see all the Za Kan volumes in his bookshelf, he had thought of throwing all of them away, but he stopped when he realized that the action would not change his current situation. If anything, he would be throwing his own money away. The clock indicated it was 5pm, it was still early yet it seemed like night had settled hours ago. He took a deep breath thinking that since it was friday, he could go out somewhere. He didn't know where exactly, but anywhere was fine to escape the horrible state of mind he was in. He put on one of the warmest jackets he owned planning on not returning home until late. He didn't want to drive, since it could be dangerous while he spaced out so much, so walking would have to do. Plus Fujino had always believed there's a certain pleasure in walking, seeing places and people around you helped your mind find some relief, not to mention that it was the perfect excuse to have some alone time.

He exited the apartment complex and headed west, knowing that if he went on that path, he would find the same shopping mall he had picked Yuu from a week ago when everything had gone down. He sighed thinking that he needed to force himself to face the reality of the matter even if hurt. The streets were crowded and he looked at all the people who happily played, skated or took pictures with their kids or with their significant others. Maybe he should accept one of the engagement meetings his mom had planned for him, maybe he should marry a nice lady and have family like everyone else did. Of course, he was not attracted to females, he had never been, but there was no need for his mother or his future bride to be, to know that fact. Still, it wasn't a bad idea, he knew he was attractive and probably marrying and having kids could fulfill a tiny part of his life.

He decided to give the idea more thought as he approached the shopping mall. The big Christmas tree along with the lights that decorated the streets were almost blinding. He has always like this festive season, in fact Christmas has always been his favorite holiday but this year it certainly felt really numb. He started to feel the cold wind freezing his cheeks and ears, he should've worn a hat, but it was too late to regret his clothing choice. Looking to his right, he found the coffee shop where had asked Yanase to wait for him the day the little guy had called him asking if he could visit his house. He entered the place and got surprised by how crowded the shop was. Still it looked like the tables next to the window offered a nice environment of privacy, and so he took a seat in one of the furthest tables. He knew this choice would keep him waiting since the waiters could barely see him there, but he definitely wasn't in a rush and he could wait. He checked the menu and decided what he wanted to have to ease the cold he was now feeling. He took his cellphone out to check social media and to check the sales of his manga when a sudden voice interrupted him "Excuse me, Fujino- sensei?" he turned to see a short guy who, for some reason, looked extremely familiar. "Yes?" he answered intrigued of where he had met this person before. But before he could figure that out, the guy spoke making him immediately remember where he had seen him "I'm Nakao Koji*, the seiyuu who was selected to play the main role on your work's anime adaptation" the guy said shyly. "Yes, thank you for your hard work" Fujino instantly replied giving a polite bow.