I can't refuse him. If he wants to go, we'll go. I'll just follow along silently.
"Then it's settled."
He said that happily in response to my answer, and he went back to the room. Thinking he was going to change, I waited for a bit and then returned to my own room.
When I entered the room, Nada-san was almost done changing, and I felt relieved enough to start taking off my yukata. His movements stopped for a second, and he turned his back to me.
I didn't mind him seeing me naked. But I also felt bad about making him wait, so I quickly finished changing.
"Nada-san, let's go."
I put on my down jacket and called out to him, and Nada-san turned around. And so, we left the room together.
After leaving the inn, Nada-san walked briskly ahead on the dark road. However, after a few minutes, his pace slowed. He started to stop, and I had a bad feeling.
"Tadashi, sorry. I'm lost."
Ten minutes later, he confessed, without a hint of embarrassment.
I knew it.
Since it was just as I expected, I wasn't particularly shocked.
Well, I knew the way back anyway.
Nada-san, with a pathetic look on his face, hung his head and rubbed his arms as if he were cold.
Honestly, this person.
It's so cold, he should have at least worn a scarf.
I took my scarf from around my neck and wrapped it around his. A cold wind brushed against my neck, but I couldn't leave him to shiver.
"You can borrow my scarf. I'm quite warm."
"My bad. Thanks."
His face lit up instantly, and he wrapped the scarf I put on him even more tightly.
"I can't see anyone. What should we do?"
He didn't seem ready to give up and looked around at the houses that were spread out.
"It'd be a little sketchy to just go knocking on someone's door at this hour, huh?"
You're right, Nada-san.
The lights were on, so people were definitely awake.
But if a stranger visited someone at this hour, they would probably think he was a suspicious person.
Since he didn't seem to have any intention of going back, I squinted and looked ahead for any hint of a shrine.
And then, in the distance at a Y-intersection, I could faintly make out what looked like a torii gate.
"Nada-san! Look at that."
When I pointed, Nada-san looked in that direction.
"It's a shrine!"
Nada-san shouted that and started to run.
Is he a child?
I knew I wouldn't lose sight of him, but I reluctantly ran after him.
A few minutes later, out of breath, we arrived at the torii gate. But the grounds beyond were deathly quiet.
"Seriously? It's not open?"
"It seems not."
Nada-san looked incredibly shocked, and I thought he might just collapse right there.
"...Tadashi. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
He stared at me and apologized. He looked so cute, like a scolded puppy, that instead of getting angry, I laughed.
"You don't have to apologize. I couldn't sleep just staying in the room anyway."
"...Is that so. Good."
He looked relieved at my answer and started walking back.
A few minutes later, I suddenly wondered what time it was and looked at my watch.
"Ah!"
It was 12:30.
The new year had started abruptly, without me even realizing it.
"Happy New Year!"
I called out a greeting to Nada-san, who was walking in front of me. He looked surprised and turned around, then he looked at his own watch.
"Ah, already. I couldn't even do a proper countdown. I'm so sorry, Tadashi. Anyway, Happy New Year!"
He said that regretfully, then bowed his head.
"Yes. Let's have a good year."
Since he bowed, I instinctively did the same.
"Yeah. I hope we have a good year too."
He had just bowed, but Nada-san bowed again, and I found it hilarious. The two of us were standing in the middle of the road. Bowing to each other over and over seemed so silly that I laughed. Nada-san seemed to realize the absurdity of it as well, and he started laughing. Once we started, everything became funny, and we laughed all the way back to the inn.
"Nada-san, want to start drinking again?"
After we got to the room, I asked that, not wanting the night to end. He glanced at the sake carafe and cups on the table.
"It's probably cold by now," he grumbled, sounding disappointed.
"Yeah. But I think it's still delicious this way."
I wanted to drink with Nada-san, so I answered forcefully.
"...I guess so."
He thought for a moment, then nodded.
We sat across the table from each other and started drinking.
Nada-san drank the sake with a look of enjoyment, his face looking so happy.
Seeing his smile made me happy too.
Now that I think about it, I've never been made happy by someone else's smile until I met him.
Nada-san really is special to me after all.
"Nada-san, I... I'm glad I met you."
With the help of a slight buzz, I spoke what was honestly on my mind. His eyes went wide, and he stopped the sake cup he was about to bring to his lips.
"It doesn't mean anything serious! Just drink."
Oh no. That was a slip of the tongue.
"Oh, I see. And ah, I'm glad I met you too. Thanks for everything, really."
However, he seemed to have a change of heart.
He said that to me with a satisfied nod.
"Let's make a toast, Nada-san."
"Yeah! Cheers!"
We clinked our sake cups together and drained the contents. The delicious sake flowed freely, and soon the carafe was empty. Still not having had enough, we took out some beer from the small refrigerator in the room.
"Tadashi, you're a really good guy."
Nada-san, his face beet red and completely drunk, stared intently at my face.
"On Christmas, when I opened my eyes, I saw your super cool face, and I was completely captivated."
Huh? What did he just say?
"You're cool, and you have a good personality. It'd be a bargain to be in a relationship with you."
Wait, what?
Nada-san probably had no idea what he was saying. But I was completely at a loss because of his words.
"Ah, outside!"
He suddenly stood up. But he was drunk. I held him up as he was about to fall.
"I want to see outside the window. The first sunrise, isn't it almost time? I want to see it. Take me over there."
His usual caution was completely gone, and he was leaning his body on a gay man.
I reluctantly supported him and walked over to the window.
Had he been watching the time?
After we had been looking outside for a while, the color of the eastern sky began to change. And then the sun started to show its face.
"The first sunrise. I heard it's best to actually go outside and walk to the coast."
He stared intently at the sunrise and murmured.
"Tadashi. Thank you. I'm happy I got to welcome the new year with you."
Nada-san's gaze returned to me, and he smiled.
I was speechless.
The parts of our bodies that were touching felt hot, and I couldn't look him in the face, so I turned my head away.
Nada-san, I'm happy too.
I tried to say that, but my mouth was so dry that I couldn't make a sound.
"Nada...san," was all I could manage to say.
"I'm sleepy. So sleepy."
He rubbed his eyes and acted spoiled towards me.
At least, that's what it felt like.
"My bad. I'm at my limit."
Those were his last words. He suddenly lost all strength, and his entire body went limp against mine. I couldn't support him, and we both fell down.
"Ow!"
This is unbelievable. He's not skinny, but still.
Even though I had fallen so dramatically, he was using me as a mat, sleeping soundly and looking happy.
"Honestly..."
I propped myself up and held him in my arms. Nada-san, nestled in my embrace, didn't even stir despite being held by a gay man. Well, he was asleep, so it couldn't be helped.
"It's okay to do just a little, right? He won't notice."
I lightly dropped a kiss on his cheek.
"Nada-san."
You're so defenseless. Really.
I exercised my self-control and, after that, carried him to the futon. I then took my own futon to the other room and went to sleep there.
I dozed off and on and then woke up. I didn't feel like sleeping anymore, so I just stayed awake.
A little while later, Nada-san woke up. He asked me if I had seen the first sunrise, and I replied, "Yes."
He didn't remember at all.
I had a feeling he wouldn't.
But they say when people get drunk, they become honest, so I'm sure his words were his true feelings.
"Damn it. I'm definitely going to get up and see it next year. If I don't remember it, it doesn't count as having seen it."
Nada-san said that, sounding genuinely frustrated.
Next year, huh?
I want to see the first sunrise with Nada-san next year too.
No, I'm going to make sure I do.
"Nada-san, can I watch it with you again next year?"
I wasn't going to let him say no.
My sheer intensity made him look flustered.
"I guess so. But you don't have to force yourself if you get a girlfriend—or a boyfriend."
That's never going to happen.
The person I like is Nada-san.
I don't even know what's so good about a person like this, but I love Nada-san.
"...It's fine. That's absolutely not going to happen."
That's right, it's impossible for me to date anyone but him.
Nada-san certainly has feelings for me.
Even if it's just as a friend.
But just like Xiuxiong won over Mita-senpai, maybe I can win over Nada-san too.
I was planning to just be his friend.
But if he's already fond of me, maybe I can use that to become his boyfriend.
There's nothing impossible in life.
And so, right at the start of the new year, I became aware of my love and decided to win over the man I love.