Even so, we are living in the present

Chapter 13 – The Debt of Gratitude that Binds the Emotions

By the time the tense interaction had settled down, Reito had left the hospital room to pay for hospitalization and other expenses, while Yuu and Kyosuke were both getting ready to head home.

“I’m sorry, Kyousuke.”

With an apologetic tone in his voice as if he were about to disappear, he slowly stood up with both feet out of the bed, supporting himself with his left hand.

For the first time in a long time, he approached Kyosuke on his own two feet.

After putting the pudding from the refrigerator in a plastic bag, Kyosuke turned around and tenderly stroked the other’s hair.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, you know. If anything happens… or even if nothing happens, you can always call me at. I’ll be right there.”

“… Yeah…”

With a downcast nod, Yuu then retrieved something from his bag with his left hand and placed it in Kyosuke’s hand.

“?”

Upon checking his palm, he found it to be a key with a four-leaf clover decorated strap attached to it. Stretching up slightly, Yuu brought his lips to the other’s ear and assembled his words as if he was whispering.

“Don’t tell my uncle. You can keep it with you, Kyosuke.”

“Ah, ah, okay.”

Responding with a low volume to accommodate the other guy, he swiftly tucked the key into his pocket. Kyosuke, carrying the luggage on behalf of the right-hand disabled Yuu, left the hospital room with him, mindful of the other person.

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After paying the expenses, etc., both Yuu and Kyosuke were being driven home in Reito’s car. While seated in the back seat, Kyosuke was looking out the window on his cheekbones.
This was because if he looked forward, Reito would glance at him from the rearview mirror as if he desired to say something to him.

Having been made to sit in the passenger seat, Yuu was touched on the leg and patted on the head while Reito was driving, and the car came to a stop in front of the apartment where Kyosuke lived, with Reito’s skinship unsettling him.

“Thank you very much…”

He lightly bowed, and the passenger window lowered to reveal Yuu’s face.

“See you later, Kyosuke.”

“Ah, yeah.”

With that brief conversation ended, the car drove off.

“… Yuu…”

After watching the car out of sight, Kyosuke strode to his room in his apartment, unlocked the front door, and stepped inside.

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“…”

“Yuu, let’s take a bath together.”

“Eh…”

At the unexpected suggestion, his shoulders twitch, and Yuu’s right eye peeked out at the other party.

“You haven’t had a bath after the accident, have you? I have been told that as long as the hot water is not splashed around the left eye area, the bath will be fine. Besides, it’s difficult to do that alone, isn’t it?”

Upon being asked this question gently and tranquilly, with an expression and tone of voice that conveyed no sense of malice, Yuu swept his gaze in bewilderment, then bit his lower lip once before giving a small nod.

“… Yes… I understand.”

While Reito drove to the Sonohara family’s home, he touched Yuu’s body gleefully from beginning to end. Within a few minutes of arriving, Reito got out of the car first, went to the passenger seat, and opened the door before he reached out his hand and grasped the white, thin hand of Yuu and softly lowered it and held it close to his body. Although it was in the parking lot of the house, it was still bright in the day.

Yuu’s cheeks flushed with shame at the thought of being spotted by other people.

“There’s no need to be so shy.”

After telling him delicately in his ear, he almost forcefully embraced him around the waist and walked through the front door and into the house.

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“…”

When brought to the changing room, Yuu made no comment and watched Reito as he cleaned the bathroom and began to fill the bathtub with hot water. As he gazed at the other man, who did not appear to be coming towards him for a while, he recalled the past. The last time they met was five years ago.

Once or twice a year during the annual New Year’s holidays and the Bon Festival, he would meet with his relatives. Even back then as an elementary school student, Yuu was kindly treated by Reito. From that time on, Reito’s skinship may have been excessive. And it was always with Yuu, not his younger sister.

They bathed together, slept on the same futon, and he was sometimes kissed on the cheek or neck. Having been loved by many people since he was a child, Yuu had not thought that was odd in childhood. He thought he was being loved.

“…”

However, now he has begun to feel that the way Reito touched him included feelings other than kindness.

“Let me undress you, Yuu.”

Upon hearing Reito’s words as he returned from the bathroom, Yuu stiffened.

“Eh, that is…”

“Look, be a good boy. Your right arm hurts, doesn’t it?”

While saying this, he went behind Yuu and slipped his hands into his jacket and started to undress him.

“Uncle, un…”

He stifled for breath as his skin was stirred by the other’s hands caressing his skin as he undressed, exposing his upper body in embarrassment.

The thin, toned body from daily dance lessons reflected his growth from a few years ago.

Reito’s gaze regarded Yuu as if he were licking him.

“Beautiful, Yuu…”

The other person, who released an exhale of admiration, embraced him from behind. Yuu’s heart was pounding, but it was not from joy, but from nervousness. Swallowing down his saliva, Yuu looked back at him as his arms, shoulders, back, and flanks were stroked.

“… Uncle, stop it…”

He looked over at him, his eyes wet with shame, and weakly wished for him to stop.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I just can’t help loving… the adorable Yuu.”

With a soft laugh, Reito’s long fingers hung on Yuu’s pants, exposing the lower half of his body. Reito was Yuu’s sole next of kin. He was the one who came for Yuu. Despite his feelings of not being pleased to have his bare skin stroked, if it was out of kindness, he could not be disrespectful in a poor way. It would be difficult to deal with the various things he will have to do without him, who also represented his only immediate family. Considering all of this, there was nothing to be said, and all he could do was bite his lower lip and endure this situation from which there was no escape.