"We can ignore him."

"I'm bullied by my own son and husband. 😔"

"...that day when we got ambushed and you drove us to Tōkan's apartment, his dad was there."

Harutsugu pauses what he's doing then turns around to look at Inori with a very concerned look on his face.

"So... you met him."

"He called me a low-life omega with no respect for his betters and told Tōkan that if Tōkan wanted a piece of ass to get his dick wet his dad could find him one of better breeding."

Harutsugu shatters the egg he'd been trying to crack in his hand. "He said what. 🤬"

"I almost bashed his skull in but Tōkan humiliated him and it was very satisfying." Blush. "And after his dad left I tried to convince Tōkan to pair me."

Harutsugu seems oblivious to the implications as he washes his hands. "I believe I need to have a chat with Kokonoe Tochima. 🙂"

"Haru, don't get into a fight with one of the most powerful alphas in the country," Kuroji sighs, before turning back to Inori. "Go on."

"He said the same stuff Haru was saying, that it was special, and then he said he wanted me to like him and I didn't know if I did but I do but now that I know I can't just tell him and I don't know why."

"Inori-kun, I think you're skipping over some important steps. Tell me more about your conversation with Tōkan-kun."

"...he said we should talk about it rather than me trying to just get him to do it, and... I said that that was stupid, it's just hormones, who cares about hormones, and he asked me if I liked having sex with him," (strangled dying cat noises from Harutsugu), "and I said yeah and then he asked me if it felt like just getting off and getting it over with and..."

"And it doesn't," concludes Kuroji. "It really doesn't, does it?"

Inori shakes his head.

"Having a relationship isn't just about sex but the sex is important, it's good and healthy and it brings you closer. He told you that, didn't he?"

Nod nod.

"What did he say next?"

"That he... was afraid he'd hurt me or push me away and if he did that after we were pairs he'd have taken something important away from me that I couldn't have again." That note of discordance is back. "And he told me he wanted me to like him... and I didn't know what that meant so that's why I asked you and Haru."

"...Inori-kun," says Harutsugu, drying his hands off and walking over to the kitchen counter. "I think maybe you... aren't as sure as you thought you were, that this is really the best decision."

"But it is!!! I like him! He likes me! I'll never find anyone else!!!!!"

"Your father fell in love with me," Kuroji says quietly, "when he saw me fight off this alpha who was harassing a girl in heat. And then he took three weeks to say anything or even introduce himself, not until I did it again to someone else." Kuroji is flushing slightly and Haru's gone bright and perky and smug.

"...what's that got to do with anything?"

"Love can find you in strange ways that you wouldn't ever expect. Tōkan isn't the only person you could like, there are others."

"But I don't want others I want him!"