CHAPTER 17 Every year the school arranged either a barbeque or a prom at the end of the summer holiday. Since a prom was more expensive, it went three years between the times a prom was arranged. And this year the event was a prom. Kusano had seen some of the girls from his school stressing about getting a pretty dress and matching shoes. He was so glad he was not a girl. Rolling over to lay on his side he poked Shige on the shoulder. “Who’re you taking to the prom?” “Kei” Kusano coughed, “You’re what?” “I’m taking Kei to the prom!” Shige rolled his eyes at his best friend as if a boy taking a boy to the prom was a “normal” thing to do and that only Kusano did not understand that. “Like… maji?” “YES! God, do I have to tell you for the third time? I am taking Koyama Keiichiro to the prom!!” “Wow, that’ll be a sight” Kusano laughed before asking, “Who gets to wear the dress?” “No one!!” Shige smacked Kusano with the magazine he was reading. “We’ll both wear suits~” Opening his bottle of water Shige asked Kusano who he was going to invite to be his date for the prom. “I think I’ll go alone” not wanting to ask the girl he used to like, Miki, he figured it was best to come alone. Besides… he would might be alone… Hanging out with his gang was not one of Yamashita’s favourite things anymore. They were all nice and fun to be with, it was just that he wanted to distance himself from people. He did not want to be missed nor miss people. Moving away was such an unfair thing. His mother had decided that they were going to move to Tokyo since Yamashita had been offered a job. A quite good job to be a newly graduated student. Yamashita could not lie either, he looked forward to start the job and move to Tokyo. “Ooooooi!” someone grabbed him by the shoulders and shocked him a little. “Hm?” he looked up. Ayaka. “For old times sake… take me to the prooooom!” Ayaka was one pushy lady. Whatever she wanted she got. A real daddy’s girl. A princess. “And what makes you think I wanna take you?” Yamashita cocked a brow at her teasingly. “’cause I want to!” “Ha ha ha ha! Hai hai hai, I will take you~” ”ASK!” Pout. Wow, she was worse then ever! “Dear Ayaka” Yamashita turned around, took her hands in his and put on his prince charming smile. “Would thee do me the honour to go with me to the prom?” “I will~!” she said in her princess tune before kissing him lightly on the lips. … Yamashita’s smile faded a bit. “Ah yes, that’s right!” Ayaka dabbed her fingers “I will be wearing a pink dress, you better match with me!” Faking a huge smile he replied her with a nod. Match you huh? White suit and pink shirt is that it? … Sighing when he knew no one was watching, he sent a sms to his mum to get his white suit cleaned for tomorrow’s prom. As usually it was volunteers that had decorated the hall where the prom was going to take place. The colour theme this year was blue and silver. At the back of the hall tables and chairs were, decorated with flowers, glittering stuff and whatnot. In front of the stage the dance floor was, and upon the stage, two crowns, one for a queen and another for a king. The crowning of a queen and a king were new this year since those who arranged the prom had been slightly influenced by the foreign prom traditions. Stepping into the gradually crowed hall, Kusano found Shige and Kei sitting by a table in one of the corners. They were holding hands. How come they had no drama? Maybe because he and Yamashita were both drama queens, but still, he envied them. “Aren’t you looking handsome” Kei commented when Kusano joined them. “Oh shut up and look at him” Kusano nodded his head towards Shige. “He’s pretty, you’re the handsome one” “Kei!” Shige frowned, obviously he did not like his boyfriend to have his eyes on anyone else then him. Smiling at his younger boy, Kei placed a kiss and loud kiss on Shige’s cheek to make him stop frowning. “If you frown to much your face will stay like that~” Kusano could not help but to laugh at Shige when he immediately stopped frowning. “So…” he looked at Koyama. “What will you do this year since you’ve graduated and all?” Kei drank from his glass before answering. “I will go to university and work at a ramen shop in the weekends” “You’ll be bust then” Shige pouted but quickly turned it into a smile after remembering Kei’s words. “Yeah, but I don’t have classes all the time you know, I have classes on Monday to Thursday, two or three a day” “Sou ka~” seeing that Shige were building up an argue about the weekend working, Kusano excused himself and left the table. Walking over to were the food and drinks were placed he saw Yamashita entering the room, hand in hand with Ayaka. It was too good to be true wasn’t it? Kusano sighed. Yamashita had had his fun with him. It was over now. It fitted more that the most popular guy was with the most popular girl. It would always be like that. Trying his best to keep a genki face he returned to his seat. As the time passed Kusano had been asked to dance by at least five different girls, he had turned them all down. He was not in a dancing mood. Kei and Shige on the other hand were dancing their asses of. It was okay to see them dance together when the songs were fast, but slow romance songs? A shiver went down his spine. That was another story. Moving his eyes from Kei and Shige he saw that Yamashita was on his way over to him. Shoot… Pretending that he had not seen him he told the guys he was currently sitting with that he had to get some fresh air. Hurrying out he did not notice that Yamashita followed after him outside. A couple of girls were smoking and chatting lively as he came outside. It had been raining, therefore the air was smelling nice. New rain. Kusano took a deep breathe. “Hironori” Yamashita said barely touching the back of the other boy. “Yeah?” he turned around. “Yabai!” okay, that word was not meant to slip out. “No, Yama-chan” he smiled. “Ye ye ye, I was about to go inside anyway” what a lie. “No you weren’t…” Yamashita said blocking Kusano’s way in. “Just let me pass okay?” he grabbed onto both of Yamashita’ over arms to move him out of the way. Freaking skinny, he though as he could almost hold around his arms. “You sick?” “Iyo… it’s getting better, I eat, really I do!” “Un, good, now move” this time Yamashita had wrapped his arms around the other one, holding him close. The girls who were standing a few meters away were giggling at the scene in front of them. Trying to wiggle away Kusano understood quickly that he was in some kind of death grip because Yamashita would not let go. “TOMOHIIIIISA!” a girl voice called from the door. “They’re announcing the queen and king, get in here!” It was Ayaka. When he did not come after about ten seconds she walked over to the two boys and ripped them apart. “You’re most likely to be king and me to be queen so come on!!!” How much Kusano wanted to hit Ayaka in the face he did not know, but it was for the best. Waiting a short while before going inside as well he cleared his throat as he sat down next to Shige. Receiving a smile from his friend he fixed his eyes on the stage like everyone else. “Alright, since it’s more exiting for the girls to become queen I will announce the king first!” it was the youngest of the teachers who were speaking. She was pretty cool actually. “And the king is” she glanced at the name on the note. “Yamashita Tomohisa!” The crowed cheered and clapped. Putting up the best smile he had Yamashita walked up to the stage to be crowned as king. The sliver crown is a pretty contrast to your black hair, Kusano thought as he began clapping too. “And now, the queen” she glanced once more at the note “Tachikawa Ayaka!” Kusano could see her go ‘Yokatta!!’ before smiling widely, hurry up to the stage. Being crowned as well she took a good grip around her king’s arm. “Now, the king and his queen will share a dance” The “royal” ones walked down the stairs and to the middle of the floor. A song started playing. Kusano had heard it before. It was English. An English speaking female was singing. Something in your eyes makes me wanna lose myself— Kusano blinked. It was the same song that had been playing just before he crashed… Crashed in Yamashita’s car. “Perfect” he mumbled darkly to himself. Since they had been told to gather around the dancing couple Kusano had been forced in the front by Shige and Kei. Not doing anything in particular he began making his way through the crowd of people. Yamashita who had his arms rested around Ayaka’s waist was searching for Kusano’s face among the people. Trying not to be too obvious he looked down at the floor once in a while. Half through the song he saw Kusano - leaving. Panicking that he would not be able to tell Kusano how he felt he forgot to apology to his queen before leaving the dance. “But Tomohisa!” but the queen got no reply. Running through the halls, checking every unlocked room Yamashita was panicking more and more as he could not find Kusano. Ending up outside the entrance to the hall he caught up some breathe. “He’s at the benches” Kei was sure he scared the shit out of Yamashita coming up behind him like that. Jumping at the sudden shock he turned around to face Kei holding around his Shige. “T—Thanks” and with that he ran over to where the benches were with the trees behind. He was not there. Taking of his crown he was about to smash it into the ground when he spotted Kusano between the trees. “Hiro!” he said hurrying over to the other boy. Hearing someone call his name he turned his head in the direction of the speaker. What was he doing here? “Aren’t you supposed to be dancing your highness?” Yamashita shook his head. “I need to talk to you…” Knowing that long speech might not reach Kusano, he placed his crown on Kusano’s head. “You’re my king” “More like your servant or something else that is low of worth…” “Baka” Yamashita let out a small laugh. Taking of the crown Kusano stared down at it. Neither of them said a word. Kusano was building up the courage to tell Yamashita he still liked him, and Yamashita was just happy to be alone with the person he cared about the most. “I…” Yamashita looked down at the boy in front of him. “I…” Kusano smacked himself inside his mind for not looking up. Giving it another few seconds he finally lifted his chin and looked into Yamashita’s eyes. “I like you… still…” Gah, why are those words always hard to say? Yamashita bent down and whispered into Kusano’s ear. “Am I gonna tell you a secret?” Kusano nodded. “I l-o-v-e you” Allowing those three words to sink in Kusano wrapped his arms around Yamashita’s neck, hugging him closely. Feeling Yamashita’s arms lay around his waist then to move up to his back to hug him back Kusano could for the first time in a long while say he was happy and mean it.