Yohei: Inviting a Softer Kind of Light

“You’re here.” The relief in his voice is much too noticeable, just as the big smile he can’t hold back. But not holding back is what today is all about. “Thank you for coming and giving me another chance.”

“Of course.” She looks around the lobby, where the concierge is politely looking the other way, a small paper bag clutched tightly in her hands. “It’s… a nice building.”

“It is,” Yohei agrees as she leads her to the elevator and pushes the button for his floor. The silence is heavy, making the ride seem longer than usual, but eventually he holds his key card to the pad and opens the door to his apartment.

“Welcome, please come inside.” It feels strange; unless he counts a few visits from his family just after he moved here, she’s his first real guest.

“Thank you,” she says, stopping just inside, holding out the paper bag with both hands.

“I brought some cookies from a bakery I like. They’re nothing special… maybe for later?”

“Thank you. That’s very thoughtful of you. We can have them with tea after lunch, if you like.”

“That’d be lovely.” She hangs her jacket and bag on one of the empty hooks on the wall, placing her shoes neatly under it. Not just kicking them out of the way as usual. “Something smells wonderful. Did you cook?”

He laughs at that, a little guiltily.

“No, I’m not a good chef.” That’s an understatement, as he doesn’t know how to cook at all. “I ordered some ramen from one of my favorite restaurants. Nothing fancy, just… comforting. I often eat it when I get home late.” He looks at the bags sitting on his small counter. “I hope you’ll like it too.”

“Ramen sounds perfect. I’m sure I will.” She appreciatively sniffs the air again and smiles, almost as if nothing had happened between them. Almost.

“So, do you want to see the apartment first? Or eat first?”

“Look first!” She pads inside, eyes lit up with curiosity that slowly fades the more she sees.

“So, what do you think?” Looking around the room as if it’s the first time he sees it, he can understand the confused look on her face. The room looks like something out of a catalogue: the fancy L-shaped sofa with a modern table, the classical framed posters on the wall, the big TV with its high-end soundbar, and the latest gaming consoles next to it. The ones he never really has time to use.

“I never imagined that living the dream could look so… barren. Impersonal.” She says after a few long moments. “Except for that,” she adds quietly. “That’s you.”

She nods to the corner holding his work area; the big desk filled with notebooks and headphones, the elaborate keyboard, and the comfortable working chair – the only things he’s chosen himself. The place where he spent most of his awake time when he was here.

“That’s my favorite spot.”

“I can tell.” She gravitates to it, placing a hand on the backrest of the chair as she looks out the window. “The view is beautiful. I understand why you chose this place.”

“I didn’t,” he confesses, his insides shrinking as she raises a questioning eyebrow. “When they decided my career was solid enough and it was time for me to move from the shared apartment, they arranged this for me.”

His apartment might be twice the size of hers, but hers had a hundred times more personality.

“I see.” She continues walking around the sofa until she reaches a door, looking questioningly at him.

“My bedroom,” he mumbles, stupid heat rising to his face and ears. “You’re welcome to have a look.”

The cleaning lady was there earlier, so he knows the bed is perfectly made, the small carpet fluffed up, and the bedside table spotless. Like at a hotel.

“Very nice,” she says neutrally, then squeals. “You have wall-to-wall built-in closets?!”

“I do. They’re very practical, though most of them are empty.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I don’t have all that many private clothes. Everything for shows and appearances is stored elsewhere, with little notes pinned to them with dates and addresses…”

“Huh. I guess that makes sense.”

“Then you don’t think…” He swallows hard. “You don’t still worry about me…”

“Living with someone?” She smiles and shakes her head. “No. It’s clear you’re alone here.”

Alone. Lonely. He’d never really thought about that, not until he met her and realized how alive a space can become. With the right person.

“So, now that you’ve seen it all, would you like to eat?”

“Absolutely. I’ll just go wash my hands first.”

“Bathroom’s over there.” He points to the door, then carries the take-away bags to the sofa, arranging the dishes neatly on the coffee table. He suddenly wishes he’d bought a real dining table. Something normal. Something that said people ate here together.

“Your shower has more buttons than my TV remote,” she laughs as she comes back, shaking her head in disbelief. “And you have more skin and hair products than I’ve ever seen outside of a shop.”

He shrugs, then laughs. “Keeping up appearances is important. But, the shower has some useful settings – and probably several that I haven’t discovered yet.” Is that a faint blush on her cheeks? “I can tell you all about my morning routine if you want.”

“Perhaps later. Let’s eat first. It looks and smells amazing.”

They eat mostly in silence, interrupted by happy little sighs and the occasional compliment to the food. It seems he made a good choice, going for a favorite instead of the overly fancy meal he considered first.

Once he’s put the containers and dishes away, they move on to tea and the cookies she brought.

“Wow, these are delicious. I understand why they’re your favorites.”

“They remind me of some of the cookies my mother used to make. Though hers were even better.”

“I can imagine.”

“At least now I can tell my parents that I’ve been here.”

“You told your parents about me?”

“Of course. Do you mean you haven’t told yours about me?”

“We’re not close. They’re very traditional, and while they’re proud and happy for my success, they also don’t really understand the industry and the sacrifices it involves.”

“Well, mine might be coming here during my long break, combine it with one of father’s business trips.” She smiles mischievously. “They’ll want to meet you.”

He freezes, chopsticks halfway to his mouth. She’s making plans for their future. Together. The cold lump that’s been living in his chest since yesterday starts melting away.

“They would?”

“Of course they would.” She looks down at her hands, voice suddenly smaller than usual. “We don’t need to tell them about this…” She vaguely waves an arm around. “If you don’t want to…”

He puts the chopsticks down and takes her hand.

“While they’ll have to know at some point, I think that for the moment it’s best if I’m ‘just Yohei, in the entertainment industry’ when you talk to them.”

“Okay…” She hesitates. “It’s just… I don’t like lying to them.”

“It’s not lying… not really… just…”

“Omitting important details?”

He winces, but nods. He deserved that one.

“It’s just that… the more people who know about us, the greater the chance of the public finding out.”

“And that would destroy your ‘marketing relationship’...” She makes a face and then smiles wryly. “Sorry, it’s still hard to take in.”

He squeezes her hand reassuringly. “That’s part of it, yes. While I don’t have a specific ‘no dating clause’ in my contracts, suddenly announcing a secret girlfriend wouldn’t be popular. Neither with the crew, nor the fans.”

Understandably, she looks annoyed, so he leans closer, looking her in the eyes… How can he make her understand?

“The media, they’d twist everything. Start following you around, looking for anything that can be turned into a story. The more grisly, the better. I can take it, but I don’t want to drag you into that world.”

“You already did,” she whispers, and he’s about to apologize again when a small but defiant smile lights up her face. “You pulled me in, but I choose to stay.”

He closes the last gap between them, hesitating just before their lips meet. Hoping his eyes convey everything he wants to say, to ask…

Her arms slip around his neck, fingers burying themselves in his hair. His whole body is tingling as she leans into him, pressing her lips against his. The kiss is even better than he imagined, and his head is spinning as they part just enough to look at each other. Her eyes are darker than usual, her mouth still close enough that he can feel every breath.

“You said girlfriend?” she whispers. “Do you really mean…?”

“I do.” He winces… “Unless you think it’s going too fast, and I’m just assuming things.. It’s up to you…” Her lips press against his once more, her hair tickling his neck. This feeling… like they belong together... His arms tighten around her and he never wants to let go.

When she breaks away, she has that little smile that always threatens to make his heart stop,

“I confess that I’ve thought of you as my boyfriend for some time, holding on to hope.” She straightens and gives him a stern look. “Too fast? Yohei-kun, if anything, you’ve been moving too slow.”

“Sorry.” He grins sheepishly. "I'm not very good at this."

“So, was it worth waiting for?”

“It was amazing. Better than anything I could ever have imagined.” He smiles a little awkwardly. “Would you believe that was my first kiss?”

“No way?” she breathes, clearly surprised. "I'd never have guessed..."

“Unless you count a few pecks on the lips with my kindergarten crush.”

“Still hard to believe. You must have girls swarming around you all the time.”

“Ryo has, yes. As for me… I’ve been in the public eye since I was 16. My life has been scheduled and watched ever since. And busy.”

"Yeah, I've noticed the busy part..."

 “I really want to spend more time with you. But…” He sighs, and her eyes narrow suspiciously.

“But…?”

“December is crazy busy. I have the TV show on New Year’s, and there are so many rehearsals, interviews, clothes fittings… you name it.” He rubs his eyes, trying to come up with a solution. “But I’ll find time to see you. I promise. What about you? You’re not going home for the holidays?”

“No… I’m crazy busy too. I have several exams in January that I need to study for, and three projects to hand in. Only one is finished so far.” She laughs, shaking her head as if she can’t really believe it. “I also signed up for a lot of extra shifts. Christmas is always super busy.”

Oh yes. With everybody wanting to go on romantic dates, the cafe would be very busy… He's hoping to take her on one too.

“And on top of that,” she continues. “I promised to help with a fundraiser for the cat shelter MofuMofu works with. I’ll draw the posters and help with some of the administration.”

“That sounds great. Can I help? Unofficially?"

“Perhaps…” She purses her lips, tapping her chin thoughtfully, and she looks so adorable that he melts for the umpteenth time today. “It’s not until February, so I’m sure we can think of something.”

“I do know a thing or two about marketing.” He says it with a straight face, breathlessly waiting for her reaction, and thankfully, she smiles.

“I’m not going to lie and say that all is forgotten. It still hurts. That you didn’t trust me.”

“I know, and I’m sorr…” A finger on his lips silences him.

“But, I’d love to work on a project with you, especially one for a good cause, and,” her eyes get misty with emotion. “And I really think that his thing we have… it’s real. It can grow into something beautiful. And I want to give it a chance.”

“Me too.”

“And Ryo?”

“Never with you. With you, I’m just Yohei.  Always.”

“Good.” She leans closer again, eyes sparkling. “Now that's settled... why don’t you kiss me again, Yohei-kun?”