"I'll finagle something. He's very preoccupied with his image—"

"Like father, like son..." murmurs Subaru.

"Okay first of all how dare you."

"I'm not wrong."

"But you don't have to say it."

Subaru just offers Tōkan a cheeky grin.

Which he has to respond to with a kiss that makes Subaru squeak. Tōkan feels satisfied enough that he continues. "Anyway, he needs his heir to inherit something, and I'm pretty sure he's not even trying for another one. It would not be like him to cheat on his wife or even get a kid on the side with her consent, I existed already before they got married is the only reason she tolerates me, and she doesn't want to have any kids of her own. Plus she's getting old.

"So the old man's stuck with me, and even if I'll forever be a brat in his eyes it'll still be better if I have something to my name."

"The school's kind of important though."

"Yeah but he hates it. He has no patience for teenagers and no real training as a teacher or anything like that; he went to business school. He'll be happy to offload it onto me if I frame it the right way."

"Well good luck with that. Your father's right, managing a school does sound like a nightmare."

"This stupid goddamn world is a nightmare."

hey <

> sup?

wyd after school <

> no particular plans
> mb study (⌐⊙_⊙)

{ಠʖಠ} <
dont do that <

> got a better idea? ♥‿♥

ye <
lets meetup <
u can bring satoru ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ <

> subaru

⥀.⥀ wtv <

> so... not a date?

? <
idc it could be a date <

> love, dates are between people who are dating

ur fucking satoru <
subaru* <
so it's like dating <

> ...
> I like you but no it's not :P

idc <

> well, fine by me
> you come over to the gates?

ye <

> ( ˘ ³˘)♥
> why are you typing like that anyway
> doesn't your phone have autocorrect?

not on my phone <
im at the school library <

> what for?

studying <

> 𓏗𓏗

stfu <

Tōkan shows this conversation to Subaru as they pack their things after their last class.

He snorts and says, "He's really weird."

"Yes he is," sighs Tōkan fondly.

"And I presume you want me to come?"

"I think that was the closest he could get to saying he did, yeah."

"I'm not fucking him."

"Yes, I know, you're gay and he's not interested. Even though it'd be pretty hot to watch—"

Subaru punches him. Then he hums thoughtfully. "It... He made it sound like he's okay with the idea of a vee, though."

"My worry there is that this would hurt you, I don't want you to feel like you're second place or something."

"What's even the difference between us being friends with benefits and the thing you've got going on with him?"

"...what's the difference between the way you feel about me and the way you feel about any other friend?"

"I'm not fucking my other friends."

"I am."