Smile Until It Hurts

   Onodera Ritsu pulled his jacket tighter around himself as he shivered from the cold. His boots crunched the snow with every step he took, echoing into the shadowy December night. It was a painfully frosty day in Japan, and all the young manga editor wanted was to crawl into bed and fall asleep under his thick covers. Of course, that would never occur. There happened to be a little parasite in his apartment room named Takano Masamune who would undoubtedly convince him to 'warm up' a different way.

   Masamune was definitely a pervert.

   Ever since Ritsu had begun to love him again, that insufferable man had constantly been at his side. It was a wonder at how Ritsu had even managed to convince Masamune to stay home while he went to buy some groceries. He buried the bottom half of his face in his jacket collar. He should really get hom soon- Masamune was waiting for him. It took about eight more minutes of walking until he finally got to his apartment and opened the door.

   It was empty, but a small note was left on the coffee table.

   Got a sudden call from one of the artists. They won't make the deadline in time so I have to go settle matters. I'll be back late. Don't wait up.

-Masamune

   Ritsu sighed and set the note aside. It was the third time this week that Masamune had up and disappeared and Ritsu was starting to get suspicious. Work at this time of the year didn't usually call for late hours. And... And was there even a deadline coming up soon?! He whipped out his phone and called the first number on his speed dial.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

   'THE HELL?! HE LEFT HIS PHONE?!'

   He shut his phone and picked up the stay cellphone tossed carelessly on the couch. How could Masamune leave his phone? He never left his phone before... The twenty-six year old sighed a second time and walked to the bedroom. There was no use worrying about it now. 

   It was probably nothing.

~

   During the next few weeks, Masamune's disappearances frequented more often, and Ritsu was starting to get worried. The younger man was growing aggravated over this, but didn't want to say a word to his significant other. He thought he was just frazzled over his work and that it was only some stupid paranoia.

   Well, that paranoia got to him about four weeks later.

   It was 11:39 am and Masamune still wasn't home and Ritsu was on his last nerve. In twenty-one minutes, it was going to be a special day.

   Ritsu sprung up, grabbed his coat, and snatched up the bouquet of flowers that he was going to present to Masamune later that day. If Masamune was going to be late, might as well surprise him at work, right? He stormed towards Marukawa, flowers in hand. The elevators were broken, so he had taken the stairs all the way up to the twelfth floor. He was out of breath by the time he made it to the floor, he had begun to hear... noises...

   "Yo... Yoko... zawa..."

   Ritsu recognized it immediately as Masamune's voice. There was heavy breathing and a string of airy grunts before the manga editor decided to peer around the corner shakily. Two sweaty bodies were intertwined with eachother, moaning and groaning and too wrapped up in their own pleasure to notice the newcomer. Ritsu didn't say a word and backed up slowly.

   A wobbly smile crawled onto his face as tears welled up in his green eyes. He took his sweet time trudging down the steps of the building. Masamune...

   Masamune...

   Masamune...

   He shook his head and suddenly sprinted forward towards his apartment. He couldn't take all of this. He couldn't be humiliated by him a second time.

~

   The following morning as Emerald's Editor-in-Chief returned home at six am, the place felt strangely empty. The clutters of paper were gone, there were no clothes strewn on the floor, and about half the books on the bookshelf were gone. He walked to the coffee table where there was a bouquet of flowers and two pieces of paper. One was a resignation form, and the other was a note.

Takano-san,

   Ten years have passed since I last saw you in high school. I can only hope that once another ten years have gone by, I won't get the chance to see you again.

-Onodera

P.S.- Happy Anniversary.

Written By: Seth