𝗣𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗦 ━ MIYAMURA IZUMI ¹

chapter three

when (name) thought about the friends he had in the past, he imagined them to be the stars in a black velvet sky, bringing comfort within whatever reality he found himself in. it felt as the wind or the water that flows beneath open fingers in a summer stream, yet when the wintry wind blows it is the woollens and the hearth. in dangerous times it becomes both sword and shield. for friendship is a kind of love and love is an emotion.

however, ever since he moved to osaka, he's been having a bit of trouble making friends. sure he has akane, but (name) doesn't want to be seen as clingy if he's always hanging out with him. which is how he found himself searching through google for any sort of solution.

he wanted to get to know miyamura. he'd like to hang out with him, but how was he supposed to go about it without sounding weird? where would they even go if he where to ask him? the arcade was always an option. but would miyamura be into that?

"hey, (name)! you've got a fancy delivery here."

the teen nearly jumped out his skin and slammed his laptop shut as he glared at his older brother who hovered in the doorway.

"i thought i told you not to walk in without knocking!"

"you make it sound like you were doing something dirty. if you ever need any pointers, just let your big bro know."

"shut up! it's not like that!"

"by the way, when did you submit an entry to this?"

(name) takes the invitation card from him, taking a moment to glance over it's contents. he had won a luxury gourmet dinner for two people. he could use this as a way to ask miyamura to hang out with him.

"this could work!" he exclaimed.

but would it be weird if he asked him out to dinner? is that normal? friends do that all the time, right?

"what the hell are you yelling for?"

tomorrow (name) will ask him. which was far easier said than done. the train rocked him gently as if he were a sweet babe in its carriage. it was a sweet mediation as he watched the countryside pass by as one huge masterpiece of art.

or at least, it would have been if his anxiety and nerves weren't currently shooting through the roof. (name) willed himself to take comfort in his school bag that sat in his lap. the train continued it's gentle rock, anchored to an old railroad track. raising his gaze, he caught sight of miyamura standing near the door - watching the world fly by.

"hey miyamura, good morning." he greeted, standing next to him.

those ocean strong eyes, swimming with warm sun-lit currents met his.

"morning. what's your name again?"

'you've got to be kidding me!' (name) internally groaned.

"i'm only joking," miyamura reassured. "(last name), right?"

"for a second there, i thought you were serious."

"sorry. we're in the same grade, so there's no reason for you to be stiff or formal around me."

"wait, you're a second-year? i thought you were a third-year seeing as how mature you are. i assumed you were older."

"trust me, you're not the first person who's mentioned that."

the two find themselves in a comfortable silence. (name) notices, with delight, that up to this point the conversation has been going smoothly. after silently debating whether or not now was a good time to bring up the gourmet, (name) decided to go for it.

"hey miyamura? do you want to join me for dinner tonight?"

"what?"

realizing how that must have sounded, (name) hastily backtracked.

"i didn't mean it like that. i won this entry for a luxury gourmet dinner and i wanted to formally thank you for stepping in yesterday."

"i said i don't need your thanks. besides, don't you have friends or family you can go with?"

"you're right. i guess i could do that," (name) responded, a titter like laugh following after.

"hinanogawa. the doors on the right side will open. please mind your step."

"ah, i just remembered i forgot something. i'm gonna get off. see you around."

without giving miyamura a chance to reply, (name) swiftly departed from the train. he internally scolded himself, feeling completely stupid for even suggesting it in the first place. what did he think was going to happen?! miyamura probabaly doesn't want to have anything to do with him now.

maybe he should skip class today. he'd definitely get an earful from his mom, but it'd be worth it. anything was better than making a bigger fool out of himself. trying to make friends was a stupid idea to begin with.

"(last name)."

caught by surprise, (name) came to an abrupt halt before turning around.

"miyamura? what-"

"are you okay?"

"why wouldn't i be?"

"i see. i must have imagined it."

"why did you get off the train?"

miyamura shifted slightly from one foot to the other.

"it bugged me. something seemed off with you. i just wanted to make sure everything was okay."

"why?"

the little rise in the corner of miyamura's mouth combined with that soft gaze of his sealed (name's) fate.

"what do you mean why? because we're friends. anyway, i'll see you later."

as he turned away heading towards the railway platform, (name) couldn't help but listen to that small voice in the back of his head. was that it? he followed him all the way here just because of that? was (name) really going to repeat his past mistakes?

"miyamura, wait. about earlier, i wasn't just trying to thank you with dinner. i wanted to go with you because i'd like to understand you better. i mean, we're friends right? i don't know much about you so i thought it'd be a good idea..."

he trailed off, not sure how to end the sentence. miyamura stared at him for a moment before a soft, low-toned laugh slipped past his lips.

"and here i thought you were a quiet goody two-shoes, but you can be quite bold when you want to be, huh?"

(name) stumbled over his words, trying to piece a sentence together.

"i...goody two-shoes? what makes you think that? for all you know, i could be a delinquent."

"a delinquent who doesn't get in fights, turns in all his assignments on time, and never skips class? you must be the real deal."

there's a light playfulness to his words.

"anyway," miyamura continued onwards, redirecting the conversation. "i'll join you for dinner. let's exchange numbers."