YNoMH? (BL)

Off Air - Vol. 2 Story 5.2

Off Air – Vol. 2 Story 5.2

Part 2: Oasis

It had been a complete coincidence that he learned that Kei's mother had been sick. They had been watching TV together when news about a fire in Shizuoka City aired, and Kei commented with a true nonchalance, "Oh, that's close to the hospital where Mom was hospitalized."

It had been so flippant that Ushio thought that he was referring to something that had happened years ago. However, not even half a year had passed since it happened. Say something, damn it.

"I had too many things going on at the time."

"But not for several months though."

"It wasn't a huge deal. She was hospitalized, but it was for 3 or 4 days. It was like a short trip. Telling you after all that time would make it a bigger deal than it was."

Kei was about to snap back at him, unhappy at being told Say something, damn it, so Ushio warded him off with an amiable "I'm sorry" and then suggested "Let's go for a visit."

"What?"

"To see her all recovered."

"No way, it's a pain in the ass. I already went out of my way to see her the day of the surgery."

"Aww, you could have said that you were worried and ran over to see her..."

"I wasn't!"

Kei grimaced and told him about how his mother was absolutely fine and even tried to show him the myoma that the doctors had taken out, so he had left.

"Well, okay, sure, but let's go anyway."

"I said no way."

"Why not? Don't you love spending time at your parents'?"

"It's exhausting to go there for just a weekend."

"Let's drive there. It won't be crowded unlike around New Year's."

"Listen to what I'm saying."

"I'll buy you anything you like at the service areas. Like all the things that Gal Sone ate on Legends of Gold.[1]"

"I said I'm not going."

"Fine, I'll go by myself. Take care of the apartment for me."

"You're so weird."

But Kei reluctantly accompanied him. Apparently he was worried about what they would say about him when he wasn't there. Even though Kei was the one who had outed them to his parents in the first place.

Kei warned him from the passenger seat, "Don't say anything unnecessary."

"Anything unnecessary?"

"...Like anything about the apartment."

"What? You still haven't told them that we're living together? Want me to send them a postcard for you?"

"We're not living together; we still have separate households! I only told them that I moved, so don't you dare say anything."

Uh, why are you so desperate to deny that particular point after all this time?

However, Ushio knew that this Prince had a very naive shyness to him. Viewed from the side, he was like a very holey cheese, completely vulnerable, with plenty of room for Ushio to poke fun of him, but because Kei was so stubborn and insistent about it, Ushio had no choice but to let him have his way.

"What do you want for breakfast? Should we stop at Ebina?"

"Ebi ebi yaki[2], melon bread, and smoked turkey."