I mean, I am, but it's—I didn't have a cool altruistic wish like yours. And I'm not gonna be able to do it on my own anyway.

I'm happy to help! Or, well, I'm pretty anxious about it but I am glad to be able to.

Yeah. Which makes him a better person than Yutaka, since Yutaka is personally not at all glad to be here, but it is what it is, he's not about to let Tokyo sink.

School ensues.

If Haru is going to spend time with Yutaka, he might end up starting to get surrounded by the random people who keep wanting to surround him and spend time with him, too.

That's kind of a lot? You have a lot of hangers-on.

...yeah, I kinda do, don't I.

He's definitely enabling them, though. Yutaka seems to know all their names and know enough about them to show some of an interest in their lives, and to remember things they said or like. The vibe is decidedly friendly, and not just like there's a bunch of people fawning, though there's some of that, too.

You've been going here for like less than a week! Also everyone knows you're gay now!

To be fair this is a different group than last time. Yoshino—uhhh maybe I shouldn't have said his name, actually, but too late now I guess because it'll be obvious I'm talking about him now—anyway he's not hanging out anymore because he's on the DL and when I was also a bit on the DL it was cool but now that I'm super out he probably doesn't want any suspicions to fall on him? Just guessing, though. Being really rich will do that, anyway, people will overlook all kinds of flaws if you're really rich. ...not that being gay is a flaw obviously but you get me.

Do they hope it's contagious or something??

They want connections? It's good to be on the good side of someone high status? I'm admittedly pretty generous with gifts but they don't know that yet, I haven't had the chance to buy anyone any gifts...

I suppose none of these people are doing reconnaissance with your former classmates, that would be a lot of sophistication for high school flocking behavior.

Probably not! Admittedly Yamada said that she knew someone from Nada High but she is not one of the people who are here, on account of I am immune to her attempts at flirting. She tried it for a week last time before giving up but now that I'm so obviously totally gone on you...

Eee.

When they have a class apart - English, as it happens - somebody leans over. "So why Suwan, is it just that he's the only other gay guy in the school?"

Yutaka's smile freezes before getting all the way to his eyes. "Well that certainly can't be true, it's estimated that at least about ten percent of the population is some form of not heterosexual."

"The only one anyone knows about then."

"Hmm, I suppose. But no, that's not why."

"Why then? He's so..." She wrinkles her nose.

"The thing he wants most in the world," he says, still in a cheerful tone of voice, "is for malaria to be gone. The disease. There have been serious estimates put forth that it might have been responsible for half the deaths in the history of humanity. He deeply, viscerally cares about other people, like that. I could never hope to be as good a person as he is.

"He's incredibly smart, and committed to what he thinks is right, and good at knowing what he wants and going after it. He's insightful and introspective, he's knowledgeable about all kinds of things I never even thought about. When he talks about things he likes his eyes shine, and when he smiles he makes me want to do everything to make him keep smiling. He's interesting to talk to, every opinion he has he really thought through and has a good, solid reason for. And he's drop-dead gorgeous.

"That's why." You bitch.

She doesn't really have any reply to that.

Someone else says, "But malaria is gone? I saw it in the newspaper."

"It is! As of this week! So now he'll have another, equally cool thing to want most in the world, and I can't wait to find out what it is."

And now the teacher would like to try to teach them English, please.

Someone, he says, only gritting his teeth a little, asked me if the only reason I like you is because you're the only other out gay guy in the school. It took me every ounce of self-control to not punch them.

Thank you for not punching them.