Chapter 37: Are you jealous?
"I... well, I haven't really thought about that anymore," the man with yakuza tattoos said to his psychiatrist when asked about his secret plan against his former bully.
"I imagine what food I would cook for us and what shows we could watch... that kind of thing," he continued, a trace of a smile appearing on his face.
His mind swirled with images of his teal-haired friend. He couldn't help but smile wider as he recalled how he had burned the rice or how clueless he was when it came to movies, having never watched any classics.
During the past few months, the man had become fond of his ex-classmate's company and the routine they had developed - like when the two would stroll to the grocery store together and even tackle chores around the penthouse. It was surprisingly fun, as the two chatted and joked while working, making the time fly by.
But when night came, his roommate would shyly enter the other's bedroom, blushing and avoiding eye contact. He came to say him a good night, but stayed there in the doorway, as if too timid to crawl under the covers with him despite sharing a bed for a while.
Jiro had grown used to his reserved housemate and always motioned for him to come closer, encouraging him to come out of his shell. He would softly call out his name, ensuring he was welcome to join him in bed so he could protect him from nightmares.
Sometimes they stayed up until sunrise, talking about everything from their past lives to the most random of topics. Other times, they would simply lie there in comfortable silence, falling asleep instantly in each other's presence.
"I can't wait to see him every day. He is the first thing on my mind when I wake up and the last thing on my mind when I fall to sleep," Jiro laughed stiffly, his face contorting in a bittersweet frown as he thought of the unexpected happiness in his life.
(A couple of days later)
The man with unkempt teal hair brushed his long hair over his eyes, obscuring his face as he looked around the yakuza bar. His gaze landed on his roommate in a suit, who was leaning against the bar and chatting with a familiar red-haired woman.
She had a delicate face defined by high cheekbones, a small nose, and luscious lips. Her lilac dress revealed her ample cleavage and clung to her curves very seductively.
The young man with blue eyes was wearing a gray sweatshirt and black pants, his skin almost as pale as the paper, contrasting with the woman's bronzed complexion.
It was clear they were from two different worlds - the woman's luxurious manners and the man's awkward demeanor separated them along with their physical appearances, but one thing united them - the longing in their eyes for the yakuza.
"I made the whole thing exactly how this customer wanted it yesterday - did you hear me, exactly how she wanted!"
Natsuo wasn't even listening to Ayumi's dialogue when his focus was on the woman who was affectionately touching his housemate. He observed as her hand casually grazed his friend's arm and how her expression lit up with a sweet chuckle.
A strange emotion stirred in his chest - it was an unpleasant feeling he had never experienced before. He quickly turned his gaze away so he wouldn't be caught staring.
"The person had the guts to return and demand a refund. Can you believe it? A refund!" the salon owner snorted as she sipped her drink and shook her head.
Like a reflex, Natsuo's interest returned to the redhead and the white-haired one, watching how they interacted - the woman leaned closer and whispered something into his ear, smiling sulkily.
"Ugh, what are you looking at?" Ayumi asked as she turned her head.
Natsuo immediately shifted his attention, embarrassed by the intense heat crawling up his cheeks. He tried to hide his anxiety as he took a long sip of his beer, hoping to distract himself from the bizarre feelings that had suddenly taken over his body.
"I bet she is the same skank that fucks him."
Natsuo choked on his beer, spluttering and coughing as he fought to swallow the bitter liquid.
"What is wrong with you? You are acting so weird," Ayumi asked with a frown.
"What did you say? A-are you serious?"
"Well, he didn't say it directly, but I think that is what he meant. They have been hooking up."
All of a sudden, his heart thundered inside him. The young man clenched the bottle as he tried to contain his emotions, squeezing it so hard that his knuckles turned white.
Ayumi's eyes narrowed and her terracotta-painted lips arched to a smirk as she seemed to notice the drastic change in her friend's behavior.
"You have been so quiet and now you look like you might explode. Are you jealous or something?"
The redness deepened on the other's cheeks and he swiftly shook his head, trying to deny the truth that his friend had just put into words.
"Why would I? He is a m-man," he stammered, his voice trembling as he struggled to find the right explanation to justify his sudden shift in behavior.
Ayumi's black eyes glowed with amusement as she realized what was happening.
"Oh, so you are jealous," she stated confidently, in a low, suggestive tone.
Natsuo knew he needed to say something but all his words were stuck in his throat, so he downed his beer anxiously, hoping the alcohol would calm his nerves.
"Are you gay?" she asked bluntly, making the teal-haired one spit out his drink once again.
"N-no! Why are you even asking that?" Natsuo stuttered, his voice higher than usual, but fixed it back to normal with a cough.
"You know in biology, the same gender couples are problematic, because it doesn't work. That isn't supposed to happen. It's not normal, it's not natural," he concluded, thinking about his strict childhood and the social norms he had been raised to believe in.
"Is that so?" Jiro snorted, standing behind them with an unreadable face. It was as if he had heard everything the other had said, and clearly, he didn't like what he heard.
"You don't think love is natural, do you? If it doesn't fit into the laws of nature, why do you think it exists in the first place?" he asked coldly.
Natsuo swallowed nervously as the man's expression was so dark with disappointment - it was like the man no longer saw him as a friend.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone