Chapter Text
“Let’s see... I have never been to Osaka castle,” Shiraishi says, waving his hand in a sweeping gesture as though to further show how his statement was an example. “Now, either put down a finger if you have, or leave your fingers up if you haven’t done it either.”
He waits patiently for people to move their fingers, looking around the vague circle of current and former tennis teammates. Most of the group is perched on couch cushions, wicker chairs, and large pillows made specifically for sitting on the floor in Shiraishi’s sitting room at home. Plates of food and drink cups lay scattered near the collection of boys. It’s getting late in the afternoon, but the April days have already started getting longer and the half-light from the full-wall patio window, combined with the single reading lamp, is plenty to see by. Besides, the room was designed to give off a sense of openness and light, perfect for entertaining guests.
Shiraishi’s demonstration is given in hopes that those who haven’t played the game “I’ve never” before will catch on quickly. After all, the game would be no fun if they spent half the night going over the rules.
“Next?” he prompts.
“Umm, umm,” Kintarou asks, raising his hand as though he was in class. “Do you put down a finger for every time you’ve been to Osaka castle? Or does it only count once?” He counts up his fingers just in case, to make sure he would have enough. Ok, he had ten. That would probably work. He’d be out of this game really fast at this rate, though!
“Just the one time, Kin-chan,” Chitose tells the kid, leaning around behind Shiraishi so he could see him from his pillow on the floor. “Otherwise the game goes too fast.”
Koharu titters to himself at Kintarou’s obvious confusion, from the cozy, little moon chair he shares with Yuuji. Of course, clarification of the rules doesn’t really matter for him this first round, since seeing the castle once was good enough for him. “What I would like to know is whether or not there’s a prize for winning this game,” he asks.
Spurred on by the new idea, Kenya, the dear soul, just has to chime in. “No. What we need is a penalty game! That’s what I’m sayin’!” he suggests, already starting to climb up from his place on the floor. “Seriously. Give me half a minute in the kitchen, and I can mix up something nasty for the loser.”
“You know, usually people play this game with alcohol,” Chitose directs his comment toward everyone besides Kintarou, since he of course wouldn’t be playing with booze. “With 7 of us and only 10 fingers each, depending on the questions we might not even get through two whole rounds. And we won’t be drunk.”
"Alcohol isn't necessary for a good time," Shiraishi intones, but nods his head toward the liquor cabinet questioningly, saying with the gesture that if Chitose feels the need, he can help himself. It seems best not to make it an open offer to everyone for many reasons. Age, tolerance, and getting found out by his parents if half their stock disappears being the main ones.
Meanwhile, Zaizen tries tugging on Kenya's pants to get him to sit down. He doesn't want to be on other end of whatever Kenya might decide to mix as a penalty and hopes that if he can keep him away from the kitchen, there won't be an issue at all.
Unfortunately for him, because no one is actually speaking up against the idea, Kenya takes that as tacit permission and makes a beeline for the kitchen without missing a beat. He doesn't realize there was a hold on his pants until he's pulled himself free of it. Mistaking it as a sign of affection from Zaizen, rather than an act of self-preservation on the younger teen's part, Kenya walks backwards through the kitchen door and apologizes, "Sorry, be right back. This'll just take a sec."
Trying to get them back on track, Chitose speaks, “Clockwise, right? So I go next?”
"Yeah, senpai," Zaizen directs his response to Chitose, even though his focus is on the door where his other senpai disappeared to, "I think it's your turn."
In an impressive show of speed, the short time it takes for Chitose to consider what he hasn’t done is all it takes for Kenya to complete his concoction and reappear from the kitchen with a blessedly small, clear glass of something brown and chunky, with a slice of lemon and an umbrella hanging off the rim. He sets it down in the middle of the ring of boys and reclaims his spot between Zaizen and Chitose. "So what'd I miss?"
“That looks gross!” Kintarou yells, grinning appreciatively. That had to be the grossest thing he’d ever seen, including that green stuff that the gigantic Seigaku guy made when they were all eating yakiniku the other time! This would be awesome!
Chitose eyes the concoction warily, all too easily able to picture himself being forced to drink it. He doesn’t want to know what’s in it. “O...kay. Right. Well, I’ve never worn makeup,” he offers, smirking with the knowledge that he’d get at least a few takers.
"Awww man. That's not cool," Kenya whines, putting down a finger, along with over half of the room. That cross-dressing cafe is coming back to bite him in the ass in ways that he hadn't imagined. Kenya feels rather personally picked on, even though he's not the one with a taste for shiny lip gloss and fake eyelashes, unlike some people. He's starting to wonder if maybe this penalty thing was a bad idea. He knows exactly what's in that drink, and he'd hate to have to swallow it....
"Alright then. I've never smoked a cigarette!" Kenya shoots back for his round and watches for Chitose's finger to go down.
Shiraishi wasn’t surprised to see so many of their number fall at Chitose's attack, himself included, but Kenya's turn catches him off-guard. "What kind of cigarette exactly? Tobacco only, I assume?" Shiraishi just wants to make sure...
"Uh, yeah," Kenya clarifies, hoping that it's not incriminating to get so specific. "Cloves, too, I guess, since you'd still call that a cigarette, right?" He's not exactly well-versed in the realm of smokeable stuff.
“Eh, whatever the definition you probably have me,” Chitose sighs, lowering a finger. He had figured when they suggested this game that he was not going to last long, but he does hope that future questions might be a little less target-specific. “But I will say that I don’t recommend tobacco. Nasty stuff.” He holds his tongue regarding whatever he might prefer.
“Wait, there are different kinds of cigarettes?” Kintarou asks, confused. People smoke it, so it’s a cigarette, right?
Zaizen rolls his eyes at Kintarou's naive question and chooses not to answer it. He's gotten good at that over the last year or so, though it helps to have the buffer of a lot of upperclassmen to take the questions for him. It'll be even easier in high school, where he won't be captain anymore either.
"I've never owned a pet," the prodigy drawls, pointedly not looking at Kenya, in a vain attempt to diffuse blame for asking a semi-specific question. Other people have pets, too, after all. This game isn't ending up too difficult for Zaizen. He's even winning so far.
However, acting oblivious doesn’t get him off the hook with Kenya, who pouts and pokes Zaizen in the side with his elbow as he puts his finger down. He's tied for last place now, and that sucks. "I feel picked on," he mock whines, because he can't find it in himself to be legitimately mad at his boyfriend. Just a little fearful for his future health, if he happens to be the first one out.
And that makes it Yuuji's turn. He's been quiet thus far, but not for any unsavory reason. He's truly happy to be in the company of so much of the old team. In fact, he'd forgotten how fun it is to really hang out with these guys, since so much of his attention has been consumed by his issues with Koharu lately.
Now, like in tennis, watching his opponents and learning their methods is all part of Yuuji's strategy. What he notices first and foremost is that Zaizen is kicking their asses. "I've never had a body piercing," he announces, hoping to even the playing field a bit.
“Eh, maybe I shouldn’t have gotten that earring after all,” Chitose teases, putting a finger down. At least Zaizen didn’t have to lose points all by himself. “Kippei did try to talk me out of it at the time. ‘It’ll hurt. It might get infected. You’ll probably never remember to wear earrings anyway...’ If he’d told me I’d lose points on an I’ve Never game, though, maybe I’d’ve listened.” He grins, and shifts on his seat a little to get the blood flowing to his feet better.
Koharu, instead of progressing with his turn, takes the opportunity to flirt. "Really, Kenya-san?" he coos when he sees that the other boy didn't drop his count. "I think I want visual proof that you're not harboring some secret nipple piercing," he insinuates, earning a careful smack from Yuuji. It would probably have been a more animatedly violent act of jealousy and possessiveness if it wouldn’t have upset their precarious balance in Shiraishi's moon chair. Koharu grins and snuggles back into Yuu-kun's embrace with a twinkle in his eye. Oblivious to the shudders that Kenya experiences at Koharu’s come-on, the bespeckled boy feels that it's time to lead this game in a more sexy direction.
"I have never kissed a girl~" he states.
Though commenting casually that, “I hate to kiss and tell,” Chitose lowers another finger.
Meanwhile, Kintarou’s face falls. “Aw man! I’ve kissed my mom!” he moans, waving his hands in despair as he puts down a finger. Suddenly the weight of his statement hits him. “I wasted my first kiss on my mom!” he realizes with horror, jaw dropping. “And I don’t even remember it! It was probably ages ago!” He feels torn between wondering whether worrying about this means that he doesn’t love his mom enough, and whether this means that he’s damaged goods if he ever wants a girlfriend. He doesn’t want to think about it.
Kenya’s empathetic heart goes out to Kin-chan, stupidly ignorant as the kid is. “Ya’know Kin-chan, I don’t think kissing your mom really counts....” Kenya takes note of everyone’s scores. “As your first kiss, I mean. Especially if you can’t even remember it. You’re still good, man,” he comforts.
Kintarou breathes a big sigh of relief. “That’s good.” He looks really relieved. “So, it’s my turn, right? And I’m supposed to say something I’ve never done. Ok.” He concentrates hard. “I’ve never--oh wait, I totally did that!” He frowns. This was going to be harder than he thought. What on earth hadn’t he done? “I’ve never... I don’t think I’ve ever... no, wait... I’ve never eaten a... Oh! I’ve never drunk any alcohol!” he finishes, finally coming up with something he’s sure he’s never done.
Shiraishi's smile goes up as the rest of the team's fingers go down. "Good one, Kin-chan." He's always steered clear of alcohol due to the proven negative side effects on your health (unlike some debatably healthy things that he might have experimented with in the past) and, despite how his abstinence might make him a bit of a prude, he's glad of it now. After all, it feels good to be winning. It’s time for another zinger that he's fairly certain will take out a considerable number.
"Hey, Koharu? I've never kissed a boy," he admits shamelessly.
Koharu, in response, rolls his eyes in an overly-dramatic fashion but puts down a finger. "Why must you punish me for my better taste in partners?" he asks, running his fingers over his collarbones.
"Partner. Singular," Yuuji hisses at him.
"As if I had a choice in that partnership," he shoots back with a kiss to the air between them. Yuuji isn't sure if the comment was meant to be encouraging or hurtful, but it certainly leaves him uncomfortable.
“Anyway, Shiraishi,” Chitose cuts in, hoping that a slight topic-change would keep the mood light but also hoping to nag for the sake of nagging, “I’ve been telling you, you’re missing out.” He smirks and raises an eyebrow. “Guys kiss better. Much more interesting.”
Chitose's tone and expression make Shiraishi pause. He wants to be dubious, but a quick survey of the room shows that every single person there, besides Kin-chan, of course, has kissed a boy. It's not as if to do so would be abnormal or anything, just that he's never found occasion to attempt. Somehow, he feels remiss in his duties as a young, open-minded, and healthily curious teenager.... And maybe the idea is just a bit thrilling in its unconventionality.
Moving his hand away from his contemplative posture, Shiraishi's eyes land on the closest person to him on the couch. Kin-chan. "Never too late," he mutters and quickly, but gently, moves to capture Kin-chan's chin in his right hand, mindful of the other's aversion to his left. The kiss isn't long, it's not deep, it's not sloppy, but it is firm and warm and Shiraishi finds his lips closing along Kin-chan's and rubbing for the briefest of seconds, before he pulls away and moves his lips together on their own, analyzing the feeling.
Mm... maybe Chitose had a point after all.
Kintarou’s brain has a momentary shut down. It can’t quite compute that Shiraishi seriously just kissed him! What was that all about? After a few seconds, though, his brain kicks back in, little the worse for wear. “Wait, so... that was it? That’s not much!” he laughs, surprised. That was the thing that people spend so much time talking about? And it’s really just bumping faces together! Weird!
Blushing after that little bout of exhibitionism, Kenya makes a quiet aside to no one in particular, "Well, that's not -all- you can do with a kiss..." Not that he wants to heard.
After a pause, Yuuji finds it in himself to respond to their favorite wild child. "Yes, Kin-chan. That was it! Congratulations on your first kiss." Koharu politely applauds and presents him with a congratulatory ribbon taken from who knows where, though the message reads 'I can tie my shoes!'
Kintarou is still confused, since he has no idea why Shiraishi just did that, but accepts the ribbon regardless. Then it occurs to him--”Oh, does this mean I lose a point now?”
Kenya latches on to Kin-chan's question enthusiastically. "Wait, no!" he calls out loudly. "That round shouldn't count! Shiraishi, you've totally kissed a boy, too. Bad statement. No good. I'm just sayin', we should all get our points back, I think." Kenya grins and implores all the other players, slowly inching his finger back up, in hopes that they'll agree with him.
“Ooh!” Chitose’s attention is gotten. “I like this idea!” Throwing a wrench in the works might keep the game going longer, which sounds like more fun. Besides, it’s a chance to needle Shiraishi for being a hypocrite. Chitose puts his finger back up, too. He’s down to one hand anyway, but at least his situation would be a little less dire.
Zaizen can't believe his senpai sometimes. He'd almost felt like being affronted on behalf of his underclassman for getting molested like that... but Kin-chan didn't seem to care, so there wouldn't have been much point. But besides that, he thinks it's a little hypocritical of Shiraishi to still keep his finger up after that display, too. Zaizen's eyebrow and finger raise back up at the same time.
"Personally, I think that it should count since the action came after the 'I've never'..." Shiraishi starts, but seeing as he's outnumbered, it seems best to give in gracefully. "Fine, I'll change my answer,” he allows. “I've never kissed my cousin. How's that?" And all eyes fly to Kenya.
Kenya, in turn, is struck by how oddly specific the round has turned out. He surveys the room to see if any of his friends have crossed that particular line of indecency, and realizes in the meantime that everyone else's eyes have locked back on to him!
"What, ME?!" Kenya squawks. "Woahwowowo- I have NEVER kissed Yuushi!!! SERIOUSLY?!?!" He balks at them all, though they stare back dubiously.
"Of course~. With a cousin like that..." Koharu drifts off and goes starry-eyed. "I would," Yuuji finishes for the both of them and shrugs one of his shoulders. The idiot pair finally agree on something.
Shiraishi looks particularly dubious. Maybe Kenya hadn’t initiated anything, but he definitely would have thought that Hyotei's Oshitari would have attempted something. "Then... you're really sure you've kissed a boy?" Shiraishi looks around the circle of boys, looking for backup. Surely everyone else was thinking something along the same lines.
"What, you think I'm not kissable or something?! Even Kin-chan's kissed a boy!" Kenya is slightly incredulous. He's afraid of getting himself in trouble by saying too much, so he keeps his mouth shut beyond that. But he happens to think that he's a pretty damn good kisser! It's not like he happened to accidentally fall onto some guy's face one day; he gets lots of mutually consensual kissing practice!
Meanwhile, Zaizen finds himself now stuck with a mental image of the two cousins... He shifts a little on his floor cushion. It's not exactly... a bad image. His eyes stay trained on his senpai, but his thoughts are back on that unexpected idea.
Chitose, for his part, is amused out of his wits. This game is great. He hasn’t had this much fun in a long time. It’s quite a pity, then, that he has only five fingers left, even considering that Shiraishi wasted his turn. It would help if there was a way to make the game last. “Hey, guys,” Chitose suggests. “How about we give everybody ten extra points, to keep the game going?”
Kenya is of the opinion that this game would be better if he weren't getting picked on so much. That's not to say that he isn't having fun, but he would like to keep at least a little of his dignity, and a shorter game would help that. "Yeah, that way I can have my truthfulness and desirability questioned for ten extra turns," he says sarcastically. The baka pair nods sagely in agreement.
"We could count back up to ten after running out of fingers," Zaizen offers up to the group, tapping Kenya's foot with his own, hoping that the attention will get the other boy to stop pouting. He wasn't in any position to question Kenya's kissing experience, after all.
“That sounds great!” Kintarou chimes in. This game is fun! No way he’ll be able to remember what people’s scores are, but that would be their problem. He can keep track of his own fingers! Or at least he thinks so.
“Cool, so we’re agreed?” Chitose grins. Fifteen points is much more comfortable than five, wary as he still is of that hideous liquid concoction sitting unobtrusively in the middle of their circle. He knows he’s probably going to have to drink it, but he sure as hell doesn’t want to any time soon. “Well, it’s my turn, and I’ve never shaved my legs.”
This time it's Yuuji inwardly lamenting his involvement in the middle school maid cafe. Because he always gets to play the male part in his and Koharu's costuming gag's, he never really has to (or even feels a desire to) shave his legs. That one event does him in for this round.
Kenya wants badly to remain self-pitying for the remainder of the game, but the silent support he's been getting from his boyfriend makes it hard. Kenya taps him back with his own foot and gets on with the next round. "Fine. I'm not ashamed to admit that I've never had a girlfriend."
Great. Zaizen attempts to be nice to Kenya and this is what he gets, another finger down. Not that anything you do in 4th grade really has much bearing later on in life, but now Zaizen finds himself losing more points because of his five-month girlfriend back in elementary school.
See if he ever sticks up for Kenya again.
"I've never dyed my hair, and yes," the underclassman clarifies vindictively before being asked, "Bleach is a kind of hair coloring technique. It counts."
Kintarou looks at Zaizen as though Zaizen had directly attacked him, a sort of betrayed puppy look. “I thought nobody had noticed...” he whispers, lowering a finger and hanging his head in shame. His black roots are showing. Though, if there’s any consolation in it, Koharu hadn’t noticed that his hair was a dye job, and Kenya was experiencing a strong sense of empathy at being betrayed.
“Whoa whoa whoa,” Chitose butts in, noticing the score. Something is wrong here. Yuuji is losing worse than he is! This should not be happening under normal circumstances. “Am I seriously not losing anymore?”
Yuuji huffs a little at Chitose's observation. It's time to change strategies. He may be losing now, but with the way things have been going, this could turn into practically anybody's game. And so, instead of singling people out, he goes for a big hit. "I have never been naked outside, at an onsen or otherwise."
“Never would have marked you for a prude,” Chitose comments, conceding a point and tying for last once more. Chitose sees no problem with nudity, personally. Outside, inside, makes no difference to him.
“How are you even Japanese?!” Kintarou gawks. It’s part of their national heritage to go outside naked! The whole point of hotsprings is the skinny-dipping! He, of course, has done it numerous times.
"Obviously I need to take this into account for future team bonding exercises. This problem must be fixed." Shiraishi comments. He hadn’t realized his failure to plan for the tennis team members to participate in communal naked baths and now, is a little disappointed in himself.
"Oooohh~ I was going to suggest a romantic getaway for two, but maybe I like it better with the whole team getting naked," Koharu purrs, looking past Yuuji to make eyes at Kenya. Yuuji elbows him in the stomach for taking what could have been a sweet moment and turning it into yet another joke. Koharu pouts back at him. "I was just kidding," he claims.
"Fine. My turn~!” the flamboyant boy declares. “I have never....worn loose-fitting boxer shorts!"
“Well, I’m not wearing them right now,” Chitose comments ambiguously, raising an eyebrow and smirking but still lowering a finger. He’s down to two on that hand. It’s a good thing they’ll be going back around.
So it’s now Kintarou’s turn. He’d been trying to think of stuff he hadn’t done, but it hasn’t been very easy. His brain just keeps jumping back to tennis. Though thinking about it again, tennis could make a good topic. Tennis is the point of life anyway, right? “I’ve never lost to Shiraishi in tennis!” he brags, grinning.
Shiraishi actually likes this turn of events, much as Kin-chan's "I've Never" means that he himself has lost to another tennis player. Because it's Kin-chan, it doesn't have the same bitterness or frustration he might have had if it were in reference to a different player. Plus, it feels like he and Kin-chan have teamed up with their questions, in a way. However, it feels to him like time to move away from such tame subject and to have just a bit more fun. Besides, Shiraishi is still a little curious as to the situation surrounding Kenya and his boy-kissing. Not that he hadn't surmised some of it, but still, he hadn't known that Kenya'd actually gotten with anyone, if indeed he had.
"I've never given a blowjob," he proclaims.
Chitose chokes and spits out his drink, which he had only recently obtained. Coughing a great deal, he gets up to go clean it up, taking the opportunity to avoid explaining his lost point.
Kenya is beginning to realize that—in spite of the fact that he never made an extra effort to keep his relationship with Zaizen a secret—very few people realize he's ever dated anyone, much less is currently dating a member of their own team. It's a little disheartening to think that the way they perceive him is so far removed from his sexuality that something like half the room showed surprise at him having kissed a guy! They must be wetting themselves now, knowing that he's given a blow job. Kenya wonders if Chitose's spit-take was for him or for the question in general.
And so, although in some ways it's hella embarrassing for Kenya to admit the places his mouth has been, there's a slight silver lining on this situation, in that his friends are getting to know him better.... Now, if only he weren't losing this stupid game.
Baka pair shares a glance and lower their fingers in unison. Kintarou notices everyone’s reactions and, though he doesn’t really get it, takes the hint not to ask.
Zaizen decides that making any sudden movements, such as looking anywhere besides down at the floor, would draw too much attention to himself, which might in turn make people notice that he's put down another finger as well. His former captain has been taking full advantage of the fact that most of his friends are gay... or bi... or not straight, or whatever. Zaizen hopes that Chitose and Kenya and everyone else is distracted enough to pay him, and his flushed ears, no mind.
Now that it’s his turn again, Chitose is unsure whether to keep the game going along the line Shiraishi has just set out, or whether he should bring it back down so that Kintarou can play. Difficult as it is to come up with anything he hasn’t done, he does his best to compromise. “I’ve never played a tennis game while wearing underwear.”
"Wow. Okay, that's more information than I ever wanted," Kenya says as he puts his first finger back up, now making his way back up to ten. Though honestly, Kenya had always kinda wondered, in the back of his mind, why Chitose chose to wear the tennis pants instead of the shorts. Going commando might be a good reason.
“Well, I didn’t want to know about everybody and their blowjobs, but Shiraishi just had to bring that up,” Chitose counters. Apparently misery likes company, or Kenya was just too easy to pick on. “I really don’t want to know where any of your mouths have been.”
"Whatever. Alright. In keeping with the underwear theme, I have never worn women's panties!" Kenya announces, expecting to get at least a couple people out. The first is Chitose, returning to the positive side (or technically the negative, considering how the points were working).
Zaizen balks and stares at Kenya for a full 10 seconds before looking toward the ceiling and wincing as he puts a finger back up, having also run out of his first ten.
Sensing Zaizen’s incredulous stare, Kenya looks back just in time to see the other boy look away and lower his count. "Wait, really?! I was SO not gunning for you with that one! If there's a story there, I'm sure I haven't heard it!" he defends, hoping that Zaizen won't hold a grudge but will instead go into further detail about why in all hell he's worn women's underwear.
Zaizen can't help but look incredibly uncomfortable, but knows that it would be way worse to let the other boys form their own theories as to why Zaizen had just gotten out for this turn. "It's just.... my mom," he starts, fidgeting a little under everyone's stares, "She liked little girl's clothes and when I was younger... I don't remember it or anything, but... there were pictures..." he trails off, hoping that's enough of an explanation.
Arriving at the conclusion that it was the only even remotely helpful action he can take, Chitose leans over and pats his kohai on the head. At least Zaizen’s crossdressing escapades were involuntary.
Zaizen, however, twists his head away from Chitose's uninvited hand. Everyone should know better than to touch Zaizen's hair when it's styled. Which is always. As petty as it seems, Zaizen really wishes that he had a perfect question to get everyone out right about now. But all he can think of is, "I've never made my own dinner." Even when left alone for the evening, his mom had always prepared stuff for him to just warm up in the microwave.
Yuuji looks a little surprised but puts up a finger, lowering his score. "Not even a sandwich or some ramen or something? That's quite the pampered lifestyle," he observes, his tone slightly mocking. To his left, Koharu coughs and raises an eyebrow. It seems that Yuuji's partner has never made his own dinner either. Yuuji tells himself not to feel bad about his comment, but he still does, just a little. "Come now, Koharu. Is it right to pout when I'm the one that pampers you?" He manages a half grin, and the tension diffuses.
But, knowing already that his next turn will put Koharu down a point, Yuuji spares his boyfriend one last apologetic glance and turns back toward the group at large. "I've never tweezed, waxed, shaved, or in any other way removed hair from my eyebrows," he states.
“Aw, dammit,” Chitose sighs, putting up another finger. “That wasn’t even my fault.” He doesn’t really technically have to explain, since it still makes him feel rather stupid, but at least it wasn’t as embarrassing as some of the other things he’s heard so far today. “I’d just had my eye poked out, so my depth perception was not at its best. Well, I missed with my lighter and lit my eyebrow on fire. Pretty scary, I can tell you that.” No point mentioning that this had happened more than once.
Shiraishi shakes his head at Chitose and raises his eyebrows. "And this, Kin-chan, is just another reason why smoking is bad for you. People sometimes catch on fire." He nods sagely in the younger boy's direction.
"As far as eyebrows, go, though, I see no reason to be embarrassed about keeping yourself well-groomed." Shiraishi flicks his bangs out of his eyes with a practiced swish, demonstrating how shapely eyebrows can only improve a person's overall look.
Kintarou’s eyes widen at Chitose’s fire story and Shiraishi’s comments about it. He’s never been allowed to mess with fire—his parents seem to think he’ll burn the house down or something. He knows he wouldn’t, but rules are rules. Still, Kintarou looks at Shiraishi and pulls a face. “But your eyebrows are so girly!”
"Be careful, Kintarou-san. That was quite rude!" Koharu leans forward and scolds, but then turns to Shiraishi and bats his full, fake eyelashes. "I happen to agree wholeheartedly," he says, before Yuuji throws an arm defensively across his chest and pushes him back deeper into the cushion of the chair.
"Ara! My turn again!" And what a turn he has planned. He's curious and eager to know who among them are not virgins anymore. "I have never had sex with a woman," he says, daring someone to turn the tables back on him.
Shiraishi doesn't even take the time to sweep a look around his group of friends. He looks at Chitose from the corner of his eye as just the two of them put their fingers back up. At least he has some company in having had dealings with women, though he wouldn't really put Chitose past much of anything, so the comfort is a small one. "Well, you can't say this is unexpected, right?" Shiraishi nods just a little self-deprecatingly.
“Nah, I guess not,” Chitose replies, smirking a little. It’s just a pity that his only fellow in girl-liking is so deeply in denial that he doesn’t know he’s in the closet.
All this girly stuff is starting to bore Kintarou. He hasn’t even run out of fingers yet. But now it’s his turn, and that’s fun too! “Ok! I’ve never read a whole book more than 100 pages!” he announces triumphantly, grinning. He knows that he spent all the time he could have used on books flipping through comics and playing tennis, so he feels proud that he’s spent his time well.
"Kin-chan!" Shiraishi is rightly disappointed in the younger boy. Surely he's had assigned reading assignments longer than 100 pages. If Kin-chan's grades when he gets into high school suffer, he may need to take more drastic measures.
But for now, he's got a game to try to win... or at least not lose, since Kin-chan is the current favorite. It’s time to get back at Koharu for his last comment and see how many people he can get in the meantime.
"I've never had sex with a man before," he says smugly. But much to his surprise, only three points are lost, and none of them belong to the idiot pair.
Koharu grins brightly at Shiraishi, having caught the tennis captain in his trap. Perhaps his oh-so-manly pride should feel wounded at the fact that his virginity is intact, but the thrill of outwitting Shiraishi is so many times greater than the slight sting to his pride. But then, when he finally gets a good look at all the red faces in their circle and takes note of the fingers now standing upright, he realizes just how much he underestimated his teammates all this time.
"Oh my. I was hoping to see Shiraishi waste his turn again, but this result is much more interesting~. I never realized that I was missing out while so many of my friends here were indulging," he says in a fluttery sort of manner. Yuuji's cheeks gain a light pink dusting, since he knows that he's the one holding them back from taking that step.
Chitose wants to complain in exasperation at Shiraishi’s obvious attempt at retaliation, because the only one really getting damaged by this is Chitose, himself, and he doesn’t like friendly fire, but instead he just rolls his eyes and says, in the most sarcastic way he can, “Really, Shiraishi? I never would have guessed.” Looking around at all the tense people, Kenya and Zaizen in particular, he thinks he ought to say just a little bit more. “Dunno about you guys, but I feel like a better person for it.” He shrugs and gets up to go refill his drink, in case anybody wants to talk about anything awkward before it’s his turn again.
Zaizen doesn't acknowledge Chitose getting up, concentrating his eyes firmly on his hands. The ones showing everyone else in the room that, yeah, he's had sex with a guy before. He's so embarrassed he feels like getting up, too, but just can't find the willpower to do much more than sit and fume. This game isn't fun anymore. Not now that he's getting outed all over the place to all his teammates.
There beside him, Kenya is wearing a blush that could rival a strawberry. It doesn't make sense that something he's done so often and enjoyed so much could also make him feel so embarrassed, but if he could bury himself and die right about now, that would be a welcome change of pace. He can feel the embarrassed irritation radiating off of Zaizen as well, and that doesn't help. God, if the embarrassment of this game ruins his chances at getting any later tonight, he's gonna be very upset with Shiraishi....
“Right, so, my turn?” Chitose asks upon his return, scratching his head absently. This game is getting really...bitchy. He probably couldn’t tone it down any by his own power, but he may as well try. “I’ve never watched a whole horror movie.”
"Well, I'm definitely down a point with that one," Shiraishi jumps in, "So you gave up halfway through the show or...?" He hopes with a bit of light conversation he can get rid of the cloudy mood... that he was a definite factor in creating. He hadn't expected to get the people he'd gotten with his last question and is ashamed to see the unhappy backlash.
“Well, they’re scary, you know?” Chitose keeps scratching his head, not entirely sure how to answer this question without sounding like a wuss. He doesn’t really care about losing face or anything, but it was still kind of silly for a high schooler to pass out in the middle of every horror movie he tried to watch. He’d much rather watch those nice, family-friendly sorts of movies. Give him something animated any day. “I just don’t like watching them the whole way through. Kippei does, though, he usually finishes the movie without me.”
"I've fallen asleep through a psycho thriller or two, but as long as there's a bit of action mixed in, I'll watch it," Kenya adds to the conversation with a shrug. Then, realizing that it's his turn, he goes a bit more somber.
"Oh, uh. Me next. Okay, so I tried to think of a better one, because this sounds like it might be a bit of a mood dampener, but at least it's not about sex, sooo...." Kenya drifts off, realizing that he's already said more than was necessary. "As far as I know, I've never made a good friend cry," he finishes in a slightly smaller voice. He knows that it's bound to stir up some bad memories from his boyfriend, if nobody else, but his brain was stuck on the idea and wouldn't let him come up with anything new.
Shiraishi contemplates for a minute, mulling over his acquaintances and good friends. He can't think of a time when he's made someone cry, but... "Kin-chan? This," Shiraishi holds out his left arm, still bandaged same as it has been since the beginning of junior high school, "hasn't ever made you cry, right?"
“What?” Kintarou looks at Shiraishi, then snorts. “NO! I don’t cry!” He laughs at the very idea. What does Shiraishi think he is, a crybaby? The poison is scary, sure, but who would cry when they’re scared? That’s just stupid!
Zaizen, on the other hand, straightens up a little in surprise. Unlike when he was embarrassed earlier, he doesn't refuse to look Kenya's way, but instead shoots him a weird look. That Kenya's mentioning that, let alone in a flippant way, surprises him, even as he feels the guilt spread in his chest and his lips tighten a little. His finger goes up, but he's still not really sure why Kenya brought up the situation in the first place.
The look on Koharu's face is one of internal debate. He's obviously thinking back on all the friendships he's had, trying to think of a time he might have brought someone to tears. He's fairly certain that tears of laughter don't count in this instance, meaning.... "Koharu, put your finger up," Yuuji's voice cuts through his thoughts. Koharu complies with Yuuji's stern tone, though he gives him a quizzical look. Yuuji knows quite personally the tears that Koharu has caused, but he's not going into it any further.
Zaizen's out of ideas and sorta tired of this game. Guilt and embarrassment are not what he signed up for when he agreed to play. So, he sighs and picks the obvious statement. Chitose is going out soon anyway and the sooner he's out, the sooner they can stop playing. "I've never smoked pot."
Damn. That was a question that Kenya had hoped would be overlooked and/or discarded. He'd never told anyone except Yuushi about his one-time experimentation with the drug. After coming down from his high, he'd decided that pot was bad for him in the same way that coffee is, and that he should probably avoid it in the future. He kinda didn't want anyone to know that he ever tried it, but at least by outing himself now, he's in good company.
Shiraishi sighs, having figured that this topic would come up at some point. Let it not be said that Shiraishi is closed-minded. He wouldn't call it habitual, but he's tried the stuff... a few times. He'd site "team-bonding" as another reason behind it, but really, that'd only include Chitose in this case.
“Hey, it’s not like it’s bad for you,” Chitose tries to explain, rolling his eyes and sighing boredly. He’s sure he’s made this argument several times. “None of the carcinogens you get in cigarettes, etc., etc. It’s not even addictive. I just do it because it feels good.” He shrugs and leaves it at that. Some people are prudes.
"We believe you, Chitose," Yuuji says dismissively, having heard the argument many times before. He isn't sure if he's surprised that so few or that so many of their number have had a taste of pot. He's not entirely opposed to the idea of trying it himself, but Koharu is adverse to drugs, and it's not often that Yuuji leaves his flighty boyfriend alone. Besides, marijuana isn't exactly the easiest thing to get a hold of in Japan, though he obviously could have gone to Chitose if he were truly curious enough. Yuuji wonders if that's how Kenya and Shiraishi managed to get a taste of the drug....
In much the same way that Zaizen is ready to quit this game, Yuuji suspects that there will be less damage if they can end it sooner rather than later. The best way to do that is to get Chitose out. However, rather than singling him out and breeding resentment, he goes for what he knows to be a broad hit. "For my turn, I've never played singles in an official tennis tournament."
"Wow, that was a good one, Yuuji," Shiraishi's impressed, having been in many official singles matches himself, "Tennis answers really do get most of us."
"Thanks," Yuuji responds, happy to have accomplished what he wanted without poking at anyone's secrets or bruising their emotions.
Chitose seems a bit doomed to lose now that he's down to his last point, though Shiraishi has to admit that he's a good sport. Better than Zaizen, anyway, who now seems completely disinterested, even though he's not losing too badly.
In counterpoint to Yuuji, Koharu, has no qualms about offending the group, as long as he can stir up drama. He's still quite sexually minded, though it's obvious that starting a list of dirtier deeds won't get very many people. He much prefers it when his questions are shocking and their answers are even more so. “Hmmmm... Well, as for me~ I've never fallen in love," he says with a mischievous glint in his eye. In the chair beside him, Yuuji jerks like he's taken a physical blow to his chest and goes dead still.
The statement seeps through the group and sinks into their brains for a few moments before, "Koharu..." Shiraishi's voice is stern, but not loud, and his eyes hold no amusement. Teasing about sexual exploits and joking about love are two very different things, and he can tell by the sudden stillness of the group that Koharu's remark crossed a line. A very important line.
It’s a line that Zaizen hadn't even wanted to think about for another several years. For all that he's in a relationship, he's only 15 years old. He's just too practical to assume that what he has right now is love. True love. They're too young, too inexperienced, their brains haven't fully developed, and their judgement ability is at an all-time low due to age and hormones. Is he really expected to know if he's in love now? To announce it in the middle of a party as part of a stupid game? ... Does Kenya expect him to know?
Zaizen can barely swallow, but he doesn't move his hands. To do so would be a lie and... he couldn't do that to Kenya. But he also can't look up and face the disappointment he's sure will be on his boyfriend's face when he sees his answer.
Slowly, purposefully, and with a large helping of regret, Kenya puts his finger up. This is not the way he wanted to let loose the Big Three and nowhere near the right time for it. As much as he knows that he doesn't really want to know his boyfriend's response, Kenya sees from the corner of his eye that Zaizen doesn't move. It's as Kenya expected, but that doesn't stop the sting at his heart. He’s starting to feel a little sick to his stomach, but he forces a smile to his face. It's quick to fall. He gathers his courage and slides his hand over to rest on Zaizen's forearm. "It's okay," he says quietly, just for Zaizen. "We can talk about it," he adds and rubs his thumb back and forth across Zaizen's skin.
By Chitose’s judgement, this game has officially gone down the tubes. It’s time for drastic action. “Well, whaddaya know!” he announces loudly. “I’m out of points! I lose! Somebody hand me that... that drink... thingy.” As much as he tries to keep a stiff upper lip, his enthusiasm fizzles out as he reaches the end of his sentence. He really doesn’t want to have to drink it. Bubbles pop ominously it its surface. But, it’s time to take one for the team. Holding it out at arm's’ length, he takes a deep breath, says his prayers, and downs it all in one go.
It takes a couple seconds before, but then all at once, he turns a horrifically pale shade of green and runs as fast as he can out of the room to the bathroom. It’s safe to say that the party is officially over.
~To be continued~