He's not my type.
A round nose, coarse black hair.
He was absolutely not supposed to be my type.
But for some reason, I fell for him.
It's hard to win over someone so easygoing.
But I thought I could if I took my time.
"Nada-san."
When I saw Nada-san for the first time in five days, he seemed a little down.
I thought maybe he was just depressed because it was the first day back at work.
But it didn't seem to be the case.
"Nada-san, what's wrong?"
After hearing him sigh for the umpteenth time, I asked. Nada-san stared at me, then averted his gaze.
"Oh, nothing in particular..."
He furrowed his brow in a troubled way, and there was no way I could just ignore it.
"Really? I might not be someone you can rely on, but I can at least listen to you."
"..."
At my words, his eyes returned to me. I could tell he was conflicted.
What could it be?
My curiosity only grew.
"You know, Mi..."
The story he finally started to tell was completely unexpected.
He was apparently holding a matchmaking party under the guise of a New Year's party.
Since they do it every year, his female friend had gotten ahead of herself and invited some girls, so he was stuck with the job of gathering some guys. And handsome ones at that.
He had asked all his friends, but they had all said no, so Nada-san was looking troubled as he asked me to join.
"A matchmaking party..."
To be honest, I didn't want to go to a matchmaking party. I already don't like women, and I definitely don't want to go to a place with women who have turned into female leopards.
"I guess you don't want to. Sorry. Just forget I asked."
It must have shown on my face. Nada-san looked apologetic. The usually cheerful Nada-san was so down that it made me feel a little sad too.
"...But you don't have anyone else, do you?"
When I asked that, Nada-san suddenly stopped moving. He stared at me. His round eyes held me captive, and my heart was shaken.
I don't want to go. But if I go, I might be able to stop him from getting a girlfriend.
I hate to say it, but I know I'm handsome.
I've been unpleasantly popular with women. If I can draw all the women's attention to myself, Nada-san won't be able to get a girlfriend.
Yes, for my sake, for my purpose, I need to go.
I made up my mind.
"...Fine. I'll go. I can't really get involved or act like I'm interested, but I'll participate."
Nada-san's eyes went wide, and his face broke into a smile like a flower blooming all at once.
"Really?! Thank you!"
And with a firm grasp, he took my hand.
"Nada-san!"
My face couldn't control its expression from the unexpected contact. The warmth of his hand transferred to mine, and I instinctively pulled away. I could tell my overreaction had surprised him.
"Nada-san, where is the location?"
I desperately tried to get my expression back to normal so he wouldn't sense my unease, and I spoke as calmly as possible.
He seemed to forget my panic just now and answered right away.
"The location is an izakaya in the city. Even though it's a matchmaking party, it's also a New Year's party. Yurin and I aren't fans of stiff gatherings."
Yurin, huh, Nada-san's female friend. I really need to see if they're "just friends." She sounds pretty forceful.
"...Yurin-san is the one organizing this party, right?"
"Yeah. That's her. She's the one who went ahead and organized this without even asking me. I'm really sorry for getting you involved. But I'm so glad you're participating. I figure one good-looking guy is enough. I'll just ask my other friends to join."
I was invited because I'm good-looking. My feelings are a bit complicated. If I hadn't been invited, I wouldn't have even known Nada-san was going to a matchmaking party.
Nada-san really does want a girlfriend, doesn't he?
"...Okay."
My reply didn't sound as normal as usual.
"Tadashi. You really don't want to? In that case..."
He must have thought I really didn't want to go. He said that with a panicked look.
"It's fine! I'll go."
It's okay. This is a good opportunity.
I'll use this chance to check on the movements of that female friend and stop him from getting a girlfriend.
I hardened my resolve for the following Saturday.
And on the day of the party—I put my all into drawing the women's attention to me, as Nada-san had asked. It was the first time I'd ever put this much effort into being popular with women.
The meeting time was 7 p.m. at the station near the office, but I arrived 10 minutes early. I had nothing to do, so I just stood there and felt the women's gazes on me.
Usually, I would find these gazes annoying, but today I knew my plan was working, so I just let my eyes wander without any hostility.
"Ah, Nada-san!"
About five minutes before the agreed-upon time, I saw Nada-san arrive. For the matchmaking party, he was wearing a coat and pants that seemed more popular with women than usual. His hairstyle was the same as always. He came over to me, stared, and sighed.
"What's wrong?"
I got worried, thinking I might be dressed poorly.
"No, I just thought you look handsome after all," he said, staring at me again.
"Oh, is that so?"
I knew I was handsome. But being told that by the person I liked still made me happy and a little embarrassed.
My embarrassment must have shown on my face, and Nada-san looked at me with a puzzled expression.
Oh, crap.
This is no time to be genuinely embarrassed. If my feelings are revealed now, I'll be repulsed one hundred times out of one hundred.
Just as I was thinking that and steeling my heart, I saw a man slightly taller than Nada-san arrive. He wasn't my type. But he had a face that would probably be popular. He had sideburns and his hair was just about a permissible color for a working professional.
"Nada! Happy New Year!" [T/N: Used Ake-ome a very informal and abbreviated gretting. You will know why I am adding a note soon.]
That's how he greeted him, with a cheerfulness that surpassed even Nada-san's.
"Ah, Happy New Year to you too."
Compared to him, Nada-san seemed to have more common sense. Nada-san flinched a little at the greeting but returned it.
"Nada. Who's the handsome guy?"
The carefree man with the sideburns noticed me. He asked with a hint of hostility mixed in with his curiosity.
"Oh, he's my friend Isamu's junior from work. Kihara Tadashi. He's two years younger than us."
At Nada-san's answer, the man gave me a look that was sizing me up. But it only lasted for a second, and he put on a smile.
"Younger? Oh, I see. Nice to meet you. I'm Kurita Tomoki."
The man named Kurita swung his palm from side to side, as if it were a greeting.
"Ah, um, I'm... I mean, my name is Kihara Tadashi. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Confused, but thinking he was my senior, I answered him formally.
"Kihara-kun, don't be so formal. Don't be so formal. I mean, no matter how you look at it, you look the same age as us, or even older."
"Ah, I see..."
I didn't know him well, so I just let it slide. I knew I had a face that looked older. Nothing anyone said about it now could hurt me.
"Kurita. You're so rude without even trying. You venom-tongued man."
But to Nada-san, they seemed to be rude words. He said that in return.
"Don't be so loud. I'm just being honest."
This man Kurita was using the word "honest" wrong. I don't think that's what you call being honest.
Nada-san seemed to agree and opened his mouth to say something.
"Oh, everyone is here."
But he was stopped by a relaxed voice.
"Kizaki! Happy New Year!"
Kurita bowed his head to the person behind us.
Huh? He said "Happy New Year" to Nada-san before. [T/N: To Kizaki, Kurita said Akemashite omedetou! A bit formal and so the huh? in Tadashi's tone.]
"Yes. Happy New Year to you too."
The owner of the relaxed voice returned the greeting slowly and appeared in front of us.
He was a slender man. He wore a high-quality coat and exuded a refined atmosphere.
The man, with a gentle demeanor, approached Nada-san and smiled at him.
There was nothing odd about the man. But I had a bad feeling.
"Oh, Nada-kun. Who's this handsome gentleman? I don't think we've met before, have we?"
The gentle-looking man also smiled at me. He was making a smile, but there was something strange about it. Like he was keeping me in check...
"Ah, I just introduced him to Kurita. He's my friend Isamu's junior from his company. Kihara Tadashi. He's two years younger than us, but he's a dependable guy."
Nada-san continued to talk without paying any mind to my confusion.
"Hmm. Kihara-kun. Nice to meet you. My name is Kizaki Keitaro."
"Ah, nice to meet you too."
I couldn't not return the man's greeting, so I did.
Including me, there were four men.
Nada-san, seeing that the members had gathered, started to walk.
A sense of unease passed through my heart.
That man's smile was seared into my mind.
"First, let's make a toast."
Yamakawa Yurino was a woman who loved to be in charge. Her assertive, almost carnivore-like attitude put me off a bit. As the organizer, she made sure everyone had their drinks and began to give the toast.
"I, Yamakawa Yurino, will lead the toast. Everyone, please grab your mugs!"
The way she spoke sounded like an old man, and it felt more like a banquet at a hot spring inn than a matchmaking party.
"Is this going to be okay?"
Perhaps sensing my confusion, Nada-san, who was next to me, asked me with an awkward expression. Since I'm more comfortable with this kind of vibe than a regular matchmaking party, I simply replied, "Yes." Then the organizer's voice boomed.
"Hey, you two, let's toast! No talking!"
She's like the athletic club type. Carnivorous and from the athletic club. She looks like a cute girl, but appearances can be deceiving.
But I was relieved that she wasn't Nada-san's type. She didn't seem to be interested in Nada-san either.
As I was thinking that, the toast began.
"Happy New Year! I hope you all have a good year. Cheers!"
I thought her powerful toast was a little odd, but I still clinked my mug with Nada-san's first, then with the other participants in front of me and diagonally.
After introductions, we were even forced to switch seats. I wanted a break.
"Oh, sorry. I'm going to the restroom."
As I got up to catch my breath, that man also stood up.
"I think I'll go too."
Why him?
I wanted to say, "Don't come," but of course, I couldn't.
As we walked together, that tactless person called out to us.
"Peeing together? Are you in elementary school?"
"Peeing together," he says.
I wanted to sigh. But I wasn't in a position to complain, so I just started walking towards a private stall, ignoring Kizaki-san.
However, Kizaki-san caught up to me and started talking.
"It's kind of tiring, isn't it? This party."
At that, I just gave him an awkward, forced smile.
I tried to escape Kizaki-san's chatter by heading to a stall in the men's restroom. But I was surprised when I heard a soft thud as the door shut.
Kizaki-san had closed the door to the men's restroom.
"Kizaki-san?"
I stopped and turned around.
"I just wanted to talk. About Nada-kun. You're gay, aren't you?"
He found out.
I don't know how he figured it out, but it can't be helped. Well, at least if a guy finds out, he'll be on his guard, but it probably won't ruin the mood of the party. There was no point in denying it.
"...Yes, I am."
"Hehe. I knew it. You like Nada-kun, don't you?"
"!"
"It's no use hiding it. I can tell. Because I like Nada-kun too."
What is this man saying?
Gay?
But Nada-san never mentioned anything, did he?
He doesn't seem to have any experience with gay people, and when we went to the hot spring together, he was extremely cautious.
"Nada-kun doesn't know. I'm bi. I like girls too. So, when I'm with Nada-kun, I pretend to be easygoing. Nada-kun is cute, isn't he? He's like a puppy. But since he's so carefree, I was going to give up. But today... he brought you. And it looks like you two drink together a lot."
Kizaki-san folded his arms and spoke to me gently.
"But I've known him longer. If he's okay with a gay guy, I'll just take him for myself."
"You can't!"
"You'll stop me? Try to stop me if you can. If you're capable of it. Well, I'm going back first."
He said what he wanted to say, opened the door again, and walked out quickly. I hurried to follow him.
I could have given up if it were a girl. But losing him to another man was something I absolutely couldn't stand.
When we got back to the table, Kurita-san looked annoyed when he saw us. Or, to be more precise, when he saw me. Ignoring him, I sat back down in the chair I had been in. Nada-san was sitting diagonally across from me and was about to say something.
But Kizaki-san leaned forward with a grimace. It was as if he was trying to block my view.
"Nada-kun. Can I have this tempura?"
Kizaki-san pointed to the last piece of tempura on Nada-san's plate. Nada-san shifted his gaze to him.
"Sure. But I've already taken a bite."
"It's fine. I don't mind that kind of thing. This tempura is delicious, isn't it?"
When Nada-san said that, Kizaki-san smiled, grabbed the tempura with his chopsticks, and slowly put it in his mouth. He moved his mouth as if savoring it and gave a soft smile.
I felt nauseous.
The thought of something that had been in Nada-san's mouth entering his made me sick to my stomach.
"Did you want some too, Kihara-kun?"
He licked his oil-slicked lips and gave me a challenging look.
Anger surged up in me.
But I desperately suppressed it and replied, "...No, not really."
After that, Kizaki-san continued to talk to Nada-san, getting on my nerves.
Nada-san himself didn't understand what was going on, and neither did Kurita-san, who was just as oblivious.
Kizaki-san stopped talking to the girls, and I didn't have the emotional bandwidth to either, so the atmosphere of the party grew worse and worse. Nada-san and Kurita-san desperately tried to talk to the girls, but it was beyond repair.
And so, the organizer forcefully ended the party and went to settle the bill. The calculation was 70% men and 30% women. Even so, the women looked dissatisfied. There was no way a second party would be happening.
Yurino-san went after Nada-san, and then led the girls out into the city. Then Kurita-san, looking a little angry, asked.
"Kihara-kun, Kizaki. Did you guys have a fight or something?"
A fight? Yes, it might have been. He had picked a fight with me.
But Kizaki-san answered with a smile and looked for my agreement.
"Huh? No way. Right, Kihara-kun?"
"...Yes."
I hated to agree with his words, but I also had to think about Nada-san. I nodded.
"Kurita-kun. Since there's no second party, why don't we all go for a drink somewhere else?"
Then, for some reason, Kizaki-san said something strange.
"What? No thanks. It's no fun with just guys. Besides, you two are making the atmosphere really bad."
Of course, Kurita-san wouldn't agree, and he glared at Kizaki-san. Then he looked at Nada-san and started to complain.
Nada-san was the victim. But I couldn't say anything.
In the end, Kurita-san left, still looking angry.
I wondered what we should do now and looked at Nada-san's face. He was looking at Kizaki-san's back with a troubled expression.
"Well, now there are just three of us. Why don't we go for a drink, the three of us?"
Despite the terrible atmosphere, Kizaki-san was smiling. Nada-san gave him a look of anger.
"No way. I'm in a bad mood, and Yurino and Kurita are both saying 'pay me back what you owe me,' which is getting on my nerves. Besides, Kazaki, you're being strange today. Were you always the type to pick fights with people?"
He gave Kazaki a disgusted look. My heart pounded.
"Kihara-kun is special. Because he's trying to lay his hands on something that I like."
"Kizaki-san!"
I tried to stop him. I didn't know exactly what he was about to say, but I knew I couldn't let him say it.
"Nada-kun. Want me to tell you something you don't know?"
"Kizaki-san!"
I desperately called out his name.
"Kizaki, what the hell is wrong with you? It's not about Tadashi being gay. I know that. Tadashi, what's wrong with you, too? Why are you so desperate?"
Nada-san, who knew nothing of the deeper truth, stared at me. His gaze was so direct that I turned my face away.
"Oh, so Nada-kun knows. I knew it."
"What's wrong with that? I'm Tadashi's normal friend even if he's gay."
Friend. That word cast a shadow on my heart. He's so easygoing. I shouldn't get my hopes up.
"Friends, huh? Nada-kun, actually, I'm bi. That's how I knew Kihara-kun was gay right away. And I figured out who he likes just as quickly."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Kizaki-san! Please don't say it. I'm begging you."
I was desperate. I lowered my head and pleaded with him.
I didn't even want to be his boyfriend.
I just wanted to be by his side.
If my feelings were exposed, our relationship would be over.
"No way. I came out. It's not fair if I'm the only one. Nada-kun, this Kihara-kun... he likes you. Not as a friend, but as a romantic partner. You know that deep down, don't you? Because you've been checking his expression all day. You're so obvious. You thought your friend was only interested in girls, but it turns out he's fine with men too. If I'd known that, I would have made a move from the very beginning."
Nada-san's expression changed.
His gaze wandered into space.
It was over.
It was completely over.
He knew my feelings.
"Nada-kun. You're really curious about him, aren't you? Why don't you try it? The three of us: me, you, and Kihara-kun. It might feel strange, but..."
"Are you kidding me?!"
I couldn't believe what Kizaki was saying. I instinctively punched him.
"Nada-san, I..."
I looked at Nada-san, trying to explain myself.
But he averted his gaze from me.
"...I'm going home."
He said that quietly and started to walk away.
"Nada-san!"
I called out to his back.
But he never looked back.