『A3! ❀ 』20 Minute Mankai

Tenma ❀ Drama

our conversation tonight
Starring, Tenma and Yuki

☆彡

Yuki's sewing machine bumbled and roared loudly, refusing to properly stitch together the velvet fabric on the glistening fish nets. Yuki's eyebrows creased. This thing couldn't be breaking down on him now.

"Hey, can you turn it down?" Tenma sighed. He was lying back on his bed, pillow caved over his ear, craving some decent shut-eye for once. "I have a shoot tomorrow."

Yuki rolled his eyes, but continued his project. "Oh, so the great Tenma has a weakness after all."

"Hey, anyone needs sleep-"

"You're sensitive to noises."

"What, no. Only annoying ones."

"Please," Yuki scoffed, changing out the bright yellow beads for green orbs. "I saw you this morning. You woke up the moment you heard footsteps outside, even before your alarm set off."

It was normal for Yuki to be up before him, but Tenma had to wonder, how did he notice?

"Don't look so surprised. It's nothing special. I just happened to be awake," Yuki added while pointedly looking away, waiting a bit before glancing over at Tenma's side of the room. "So? What's been keeping you on edge?"

"It's work. Just work."

"Huh..." Yuki finally put his foot off the pedal, bringing up the fish tail to his eyes for better measurement. "And what's the work?"

Tenma tossed over to his side. "We're filming a short commercial break over at the cathedral." With his back turned to Yuki,  he was subconsciously hiding his expression. "But, a couple days ago there was an accident on set by the sanctuary. No one was hurt, but on my way back I saw it..."

"Saw?" Yuki finally placed the fabric down, "What?" Was it something bad? - - - -【❀】

"A broken chandelier. With billions of pieces of glass." Tenma sighed as he continued, "And I guess I just haven't been able to get that image out of my head. I've seen a lot of props before, but that was real. And it just looked really... dangerous."

"Oh."

Tenma sat up suddenly: "And it's like! I didn't even notice. I didn't hear it fall at all. I was so caught up in the my scene..." He scratched his head. "I can't help but feel kind of dumb. How could I be so out of it?"

Yuki smiled at that. "Well, you are the self-proclaimed great master of acting. It's only logical you keep at it, even if the sky is falling."

"What was that—"

"But," Yuki interrupted while stretching, "it is a problem if the leader can't focus. So, I will graciously cease making scary sounds with my spooky machine."

"I didn't say it was scary!"

"Yes, yes. Now, shall I keep the lights on just in case?"

Their little banter continued as Yuki packed up and Tenma made disgruntled comebacks, increasingly defeating his cause. Yet, the tension in their room began to dwindle down as competitive grins replaced their frowns.

Once the last box was placed in the drawer, Yuki walked towards Tenma (who used a pillow as a shield). Yuki leaned over to poke the creases between Tenma's furrowed brows.

"Ouch!"

"Jokes aside, it's okay to feel scared, but no more trying to hide it. It's annoying when you aren't direct and annoying like usual."

Making people worry, the nerve of this guy. Yuki crossed his arms, flashing another confident grin, as though he wasn't ever afraid of anything.

"And your response is?"

Tenma pursed his lips. If confidence was all just one big act, then there was no way he was going to lose. That Yuki saw through it, meant he was already losing. He had to acknowledge that.

Or, he could throw a pillow, instead.

"You're the one who's annoying!"

"Why you! Scaredy-cat!"

"I'm not scared!"

"Well, you will be!"

And so their act went on and on. Until one tired, and both went for water.

scene.

written by - l u k a
cover by - saraphiel

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