Boy Talk
12/1/2022
BajiFuyu ver.
It was after school when Chifuyu Matsuno had been in Keisuke Baji's room, staring silently at his friend reading manga on his bed. Chifuyu rested his arms on the back of the chair and leaned towards Keisuke.
"Hey, Baji-san, is there anyone you like?"
Keisuke took a second to process the question and briskly turned towards Chifuyu.
"W-What--Why are you asking that all of a sudden!?"
"Well..." Chifuyu's eyes shifted downwards, "I saw the girl who gave you that letter earlier. Before we left."
The anxious pang in Chifuyu's chest stirred as he waited for an answer.
Keisuke sighed, "Hah...that. Right..."
"Huh?"
"I've never met that girl before. She just handed me a letter all of a sudden and left." Keisuke explained, having calmed down.
Chifuyu's eyes lit up as he straightened back, "That's just like Baji-san! Getting letters from chicks without even meeting them! So cool...!!"
Keisuke shot him a side-eyed glance, "Is that something to be excited about? I didn't think you cared about that kind of stuff."
"Ah, no, I didn't mean it like that, sorry." Chifuyu shyly looked away, "I just felt like I can understand you having a lot of admirers. Plus, you don't seem like the kind of guy who'd have a girlfriend hanging around him anyway."
Chifuyu quietly sighed in relief as Keisuke pondered how to respond.
"...It's whatever. That kind of thing doesn't happen that often. Honestly, it's annoying that I'll have to track her down just to reject her."
"You're not interested at all?"
"Of course not. I don't even know her name and she wants me to date her? Who would want a relationship like that?"
Chifuyu brightened up again, "I totally get that! Man, I knew you weren't the type of guy to play around with girls!"
The younger boy practically had stars in his eyes as his role-model continued to exceed his expectations. Perhaps those stars might have clouded his vision, preventing him from seeing a slight tint of blush on Keisuke's face.
"But..." Chifuyu regained his composure, "...that is pretty unexpected of you."
Keisuke blinked, "Huh? What is?"
"Seeing you get so flustered over a question like that." Chifuyu flatly replied.
Keisuke frantically sat up on the bed, "That's...!! There's no reason for it! I just wasn't expecting you to ask something like that. That's all."
"Uh-huh..." Chifuyu returned to his bashful state and once again turned his gaze downwards, "So then...is there someone you like?"
"Why are you asking again!?" Keisuke was yet again thrown off as his face grew redder.
"Well, you didn't answer the first time." Chifuyu pressed on, not intending to be pushy but too anxious not to ask.
"There's no one, okay!? Even if there were, that's none of your business!"
"'Even if there were'...? Wait, it is my business! I'm supposed to be Baji-san's #2! There's no way I would approve of someone who's not good enough for you!"
"How the hell does that involve you!?"
"It just does!"
"God, you are so...nevermind. Forget this." Keisuke sighed and dropped the topic.
Just as Keisuke began turning his attention back to his book, Chifuyu held his hand out to stop him.
"Wait! At least tell me your type!" Chifuyu's heart raced as he desperately tried to hold the conversation, "Don't worry, Baji-san, if they're meant for you then I won't disapprove!"
"I told you, why the hell do I need your approval for this!?"
Keisuke wanted to put a stop to this prying conversation, but knew that Chifuyu might keep pressing on and make him look even more suspicious. Maybe if I say the bare minimum, Keisuke thought, it would satisfy him. As long as I don't let him know that I...
His mind trailed as he succumbed to Chifuyu's persistent questioning.
"...But...I guess if there were someone that I liked..." Keisuke forced out the words with a bashful expression, "...they'd be cute."
"Cute?" Chifuyu cocked his head to the side, "Huh. I figured you'd want someone more mature."
Keisuke stared back at him, "...I don't think being cute means they can't be mature. I mean, I guess they can be a bit reckless, but that's part of what makes you wanna take care of him, I guess."
"I see..." Chifuyu nodded, but noticed Keisuke had mentioned a 'him.'
"...Huh?"
Keisuke continued, not noticing Chifuyu's expression change nor his own tone getting softer, "He's not that old, but he's got a pretty tough heart and can endure a lot. Maybe it's a little childish for him to have such extreme tunnel-vision, but he's loyal. Loyal enough that he needs someone to look out for him. Although, he's also not the type that needs protecting. Oh, but he's not as complicated as it sounds. It's just nice spending time with him. Like, being with him feels natural, you know?"
Keisuke didn't even realize he was trailing off, smiling as he forgot to stay subtle about his crush. Chifuyu stared in awe at Keisuke, who rarely ever showed this side of himself to others.
"...Uhh...hold on, Baji-san...who are you talking about?" Chifuyu asked, oblivious to who Keisuke had been describing.
"Ah...!!" Keisuke came back to Earth and realized what he had been saying, "Damn. Just forget it!"
He turned away from Chifuyu defiantly, this time walling off Chifuyu to let him know he was definitely done with this conversation.
Chifuyu held out his hand again, "W-Wait! Baji-san, you're talking about someone specific, right!? Who is it!?"
"There's no one, alright!? Just leave me alone!" Keisuke hurled a pillow at Chifuyu and kept his back turned.
"Baji-san...!" Chifuyu wanted to know more, but he could tell Keisuke had had enough.
Chifuyu thought about what Keisuke had been saying, but couldn't figure out who Keisuke knew that would be described like that. He resigned to accepting the information he got and returned to a slump in his chair.
Keisuke, who had been keeping his rose-tinted face out of Chifuyu's sight, tried to calm himself down, but a thought had crept into his mind.
"Hey, Chifuyu..."
Chifuyu raised his head, "Yeah? What's up?"
"You..." Anxiety had begun to grow in Keisuke's chest as he had trouble forming words, "What about...ugh..."
Chifuyu gave Keisuke a puzzled look as he struggled to say what he wanted. Keisuke turned his face slightly, almost appearing annoyed if it weren't for his blushing cheeks.
"...Do you...have somebody you like?" Keisuke managed to get the question out.
Chifuyu heard the words, repeated them in his head, took another second to process them and then felt all alarms going off in his head as he jumped up from his chair.
"M-Me--Do I l-like--Um...!!" Chifuyu averted his gaze and looked around in a panic, "You don't need to worry about that!"
Keisuke practically threw himself from where he was laying down, "Hahh!? Don't give me that shit! Why the hell are you getting all shy for now after badgering me just a second ago!?"
Chifuyu nervously raised his hands in defense and took a step backwards, "Baji-san, that's not really something I can talk about...!!"
"Don't try to act chicken-shit with me!"
"Oh--Uh!! Baji-san, I should get going!" Chifuyu carefully maneuvered himself around Keisuke towards the door, "P-Peke J should probably be fed soon! I'll see you tomorrow, okay!?"
Chifuyu made a dash out the door.
"Hold on, dammit! Get your ass back here!" Keisuke shouted as he sprinted after him, both of their faces now completely red as they stubbornly refused to be honest with each other.
==================