Yu waved cheerfully as he and Sakura crossed back toward the school gates. Fumiko was already waiting, arms folded, trying to keep her expression neutral. Yu smiled anyway.
"Sorry for making you wait! We just stopped to eat the snacks."
Yu said brightly, holding up the half-eaten pastry.
Sakura chimed in.
"Worth it. Totally worth it."
Fumiko's lips twitched into a small smile, but her eyes were still sharp, lingering on Sakura as if to ask: You kept him safe, right?
Sakura just gave her a tiny nod in return.
Yu tilted his head curiously but said nothing.
The heavy clang of the school gates opening broke the moment. Taichi stepped out. His stride was steady, his shoulders broad, but there was something different—his eyes weren't blazing with his usual intensity. They were lowered, thoughtful, shadowed.
Yu brightened instantly.
"Taichi!"
Taichi glanced up at the sound of his name, and something softened in his face. He walked toward them silently, slipping into place at Yu's side without a word.
Sakura caught Fumiko's eye, lifting her brows in a subtle: see? He's not exploding.
Fumiko inhaled slowly, her tension easing only a little. She still kept stealing glances at him, half-braced for the storm she feared might come later.
But Taichi said nothing. Just walked, hands shoved in his pockets, gaze flicking occasionally toward Yu like he was measuring something silently.
Sakura filled the air with chatter, teasing Yu about how he still had crumbs on his lips, how he was too easy to spoil. Yu laughed, embarrassed, brushing at his mouth with the back of his hand. Taichi's eyes followed the motion closely, unreadable.
By the time they reached the familiar crossroad, the sun was dipping lower, painting the pavement gold.
Sakura stretched, smiling.
"Guess this is where we split. Karaoke this weekend, don't forget!"
"Mm! I'll be there!"
Yu chirped, waving.
Fumiko gave Yu a softer look than usual.
"Take care on your way home."
She glanced briefly at Taichi, lips pressing tight.
"...Both of you."
Taichi inclined his head slightly, as if acknowledging her words, though his eyes never left Yu.
The girls peeled off in their separate directions, leaving Yu and Taichi alone.
The silence wrapped around them as they began the walk toward their apartment complex. Yu's sandals tapped against the sidewalk rhythmically, but beside him Taichi's steps were heavy, almost deliberate.
After a few blocks, Yu finally spoke, tilting his head with concern.
"...Taichi? You're quiet today."
Taichi blinked, as though pulled from far away thoughts, and gave a small, crooked smile.
"Am I?"
Yu nodded. His brows furrowed faintly, his voice soft.
"Mm. Did… something happen?"
Taichi's hand twitched at his side, like he almost reached for Yu but stopped himself.
"...Nothing you need to worry about."
He said, low. But his eyes were strange—stormy, searching.
Yu bit his lip, uncertain, but he didn't press. Instead, he just walked a little closer, letting the distance between them shrink naturally.
And for the rest of the way home, Taichi's silence was heavy but no longer sharp—more like he was carrying words he hadn't yet decided how to say.
The faint hum of cicadas clung to the air as Yu and Taichi made their way down the narrow streets, the orange glow of sunset bleeding into the first blue-gray shadows of dusk.
Yu stole glances at Taichi—how his jaw was set, how his hands flexed like he wanted to hold onto something. His usual clinginess, his constant need to be pressed against Yu, was replaced with silence.
It left Yu uneasy, but not frightened—just… uncertain.
When they reached the apartment complex, Yu fumbled for his keys, trying to fill the silence with a cheerful smile.
"Let's hurry, I'll cook something light before bed!"
Taichi only gave a small nod, following him inside.
---
Later that night, after dinner and homework were finished and the pair settled into bed.
Pajamas donned. Their toothbrushes stood side by side in the bathroom, like some silly little symbol of togetherness.
Now the room was quiet except for the sound of their breathing. Yu had curled up beside him, long hair spread across the pillow like spilled silk, already starting to drift.
Taichi lay awake, staring at the ceiling. His chest felt tight.
Fumiko's voice echoed in his head.
"You can't just lock her away. She deserves a happy life. If you push too hard… you'll lose her."
He turned his head slightly, watching Yu's face in the dim glow of the streetlight filtering through the curtains. The way his lashes brushed his cheeks. The way his lips parted softly as he slept.
Something in Taichi's chest ached.
His voice came out in a whisper, low and raw, not meant to wake anyone.
"...I don't know how to do this, Yu. I just… I don't want to lose you."
His hand twitched, hovering above Yu's, before curling back into his chest.
"I'll… I'll figure it out,"
He murmured to the dark.
"I'll be better. I promise. Just… stay with me."
The words were swallowed by the stillness. Yu shifted faintly in his sleep, unconsciously inching closer, his forehead brushing against Taichi's shoulder.
Taichi froze—then let out a shuddering breath.
The whisper brushed the edge of Yu's sleep.
Yu stirred, eyelids fluttering without opening. His foggy mind only caught fragments—better… promise… stay.
Warmth bloomed faintly in his chest, even through the haze. He burrowed a little closer against Taichi's shoulder, his body answering where his voice couldn't.
Taichi froze, panicked for a moment that he'd woken him. But Yu's breathing soon deepened again, the rhythm of sleep steady.
Only then did Taichi let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
When Yu's breaths grew soft and even again, Taichi carefully shifted his arm free, making sure not to disturb him. He sat up, the glow of the streetlight barely enough to see by, and reached for his phone on the floor.
The screen lit his face in stark blue as he opened the browser. His thumb hovered for a second, then typed:
how to stop being a possessive boyfriend.
Search results filled the screen: articles, forum posts, relationship guides. Words like boundaries, trust, communication stared back at him.
He scrolled, reading in silence.
"Clinginess can smother a partner and make them feel trapped."
"Healthy love means respecting their independence."
"Talk openly about your fears without controlling them."
Each line hit him like a jab to the ribs.
His jaw tightened, but he forced himself to keep reading. He clicked on videos, letting some relationship coach drone quietly in the background about self-awareness and healthier ways to show affection.
Taichi's eyes flicked toward Yu's sleeping form, framed by moonlight.
'I can do this,'
He thought, clenching his phone.
'I have to. If I lose him, I'll…'
He stopped the thought there, throat tight.
Locking his phone, he laid back down, sliding carefully into the futon without disturbing Yu. His hand found Yu's again in the dark, tentative, as if relearning how to hold it.
"...I'll learn."
He whispered, the vow only for himself.
Yu's fingers twitched faintly in sleep, curling into his palm.
---
Yu awoke first, stretching and blinking blearily. Normally by now, Taichi would have been wrapped around him like an octopus, arm hooked tight, face buried in his hair.
But instead, Taichi was… sitting up? He was just watching him, but not leaning down, not pulling him close.
"...Morning."
Taichi said, voice unusually even.
Yu blinked.
"Morning…"
No sudden grab. No crushing hug. No kiss ambush. Taichi just stood, padded to the bathroom, and came back to start preparing for the day like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Yu sat frozen.
'Did he… did he reset overnight? Is this what they call a "bug"?'
Breakfast only deepened the strangeness—Taichi didn't hover over his shoulder while he cooked, didn't snatch tastes with chopsticks. He just… set out the tea. Quiet. Patient.
It felt wrong. Wrong enough that Yu set down his spoon and squinted.
"…Are you feeling alright?"
Yu asked carefully.
Taichi froze halfway through pouring tea. His jaw worked as if he was fighting something back—but then, almost against his own instincts, he forced himself to speak.
"I'm…"
He swallowed.
"I'm trying. To be better. Not clingy. Not scary. I… want to be the kind of boyfriend who makes you happy."
Yu's eyes went wide. His heart tugged.
"Taichi…"
It was so raw, so vulnerable, Yu couldn't help but soften.
"I don't mind sometimes when you have your arm around me. Or when you… kiss me."
His cheeks turned red.
"It makes me happy. Just… maybe not so much in front of everyone else. I-I get embarrassed, even if it's nice."
Taichi's head shot up, stunned.
"It… makes you happy?"
Yu nodded quickly, fiddling with his sleeves.
"Yeah. Just… tone it down when other people are watching."
Something bloomed in Taichi's chest at that—warm and fierce. He nodded hard.
"Okay. I'll tone it down."
Yu blinked, encouraged, and suddenly found himself on a roll.
"And you don't have to, um, follow me every time I talk to the girls. You should give me some space sometimes. Oh, and maybe you could… try not to stare so much when I'm eating, it makes me nervous. And maybe—"
Piece by piece, Yu listed little boundaries as they got ready for school. Each one tugging at the possessive wall Taichi had built around himself. And to Yu's surprise, Taichi kept nodding, silent, as if bracing himself against the pull of each word.
Until—
"...Maybe you should also, you know, move back into your place."
Silence.
Taichi's head snapped up, eyes dark, the warmth evaporating in an instant. His answer was immediate.
"No."
Yu flinched.
"B-but—"
Before Yu could push again, Taichi crossed the room, cupped Yu's cheek, and kissed him hard—final, sealing.
Then he pulled back, grabbed Yu's and his bag in one hand, and swung the door open.
"Let's go. You'll be late."
Yu stood there for a full ten seconds after Taichi swept out, his lips still tingling. His chest felt like it was filled with too many emotions, all rattling around too fast to catch.
'He kissed me just to end the conversation. Like a… period at the end of a sentence.'
His cheeks burned hotter.
'And I let him.'
He pressed his palms to his face.
"Uuuugh…"
[On the bright side,]
DK01 hummed, more sentient-sounding than ever,
[You successfully established multiple boundary conditions without triggering a full possessive lockdown. That is progress, Princess.]
Yu peeked through his fingers, half-mortified, half-grateful.
"…But he refused to move back."
[Mm. Even dragons don't let go of their hoards all at once,]
DK01 quipped gently.
[Still, you're making headway.]
Yu groaned again, and hurried after Taichi.
---
The morning air was crisp, and Yu found himself falling into step beside Taichi automatically.
Taichi, for once, wasn't glued to his side. His arm wasn't around Yu's waist. He wasn't looming. He just… walked. A little stiff, like he was hyper-aware of himself.
Yu snuck glances.
'He really meant what he said this morning…'
But then, a car passed blasting music, and Yu turned his head to watch. In an instant, Taichi leaned down, brushing his shoulder against Yu's—almost like a puppy nudging for attention.
Yu startled, then smiled despite himself.
"I think… this is nice. Better, right?"
Taichi blinked, face heating, but didn't answer. Instead, he tried again: pulling back when Yu chatted idly about the clouds, leaning closer when Yu's eyes strayed away for too long.
It was clumsy, awkward, but earnest.
By the time they reached the corner where Fumiko and Sakura were waiting, Taichi had half-settled into this rhythm—oscillating between "healthy distance" and "clingy puppy," enough that his possessiveness no longer suffocated but still peeked through in softer ways.
Sakura waved cheerfully.
"Morning, lovebirds!"
Yu flushed and waved back.
"Good morning!"
Fumiko's sharp eyes tracked Taichi instead. She saw it all—the subtle restraint, the way he clenched his fists when Yu laughed too long with Sakura, the way he let it go with a deep breath.
She hummed to herself.
'He's trying. Really trying. It's clumsy… but for Yu's sake, he's pushing himself.'
Her lips curved in the faintest smile.
'There's room for him to get better. But… maybe, just maybe, he can.'
---
The moment the four of them stepped through the school gates together, whispers rippled like a tide.
"Look, it's the princess and the beast…"
"They're walking together again today."
"Is this, like, official-official?"
Yu wanted to shrink into his bag straps. His face burned pink, his red ribbon fluttering in the morning breeze like spotlights.
Sakura pressed her hands together dramatically.
"Oh my gosh. This feels exactly like walking into the climax of a k-drama! What episode are we even on right now?"
Yu flailed a hand weakly.
"P-please don't say things like that…"
Taichi, jaw tight, kept pace beside Yu. He could feel the stares, especially from the boys—sharp, curious, envious. Every instinct screamed at him to wrap an arm around Yu, to shield him, to growl until they looked away. But Fumiko's voice echoed in his mind:
"If you keep locking her away, you'll just push her further."
So instead, he exhaled slowly and forced his hands to stay at his sides. His gaze was dark, dangerous, but he didn't touch Yu.
Fumiko caught it—how tense his shoulders were, how he fought with himself. She said nothing, but her watchful eyes stayed on him, ready.
Yu, meanwhile, could only cling tighter to his notebook like a shield.
"It's just… gossip, it's fine…"
He muttered, though his ears were red clear to the tips.
Sakura grinned like she was watching her favorite drama unfold in real time.
---
Later, in history class, the room was warm, the test papers stacked high on the teacher's desk. Yu sat at his seat, pencil in hand, DK01 whispering in his head like a tiny cheerleader.
[You've got this, Princess. Remember: dates before details. I'm not gonna help like last time.]
Yu bit his lip, scribbled, and—shockingly—didn't feel completely lost. The questions weren't easy, but they weren't impossible either. Taichi's voice from their study session echoed in his ears:
"No, dummy, it's the Meiji Restoration, not Edo. Think it through."
When the results came back before the bell, Yu's hands shook.
"100…"
His breath hitched.
Across the row, Fumiko groaned.
"A barely passing 67. Tch."
Sakura slumped dramatically over her desk.
"I'm never taking another test again…!"
Yu held his paper to his chest, grinning like he'd just won a prize. DK01 made mock sniffles in his head!
[Our Host is growing up so fast…!]
Taichi, leaning back in his chair, hid a proud smile behind his hand.
---
Yu's grin wouldn't leave his face, even as the rest of the day's classes dragged on. His test paper, crisp with a bold red "100" at the top, sat neatly folded inside his notebook, like a secret treasure.
Fumiko leaned across her desk during a lull, squinting.
"Alright, Yu. Spill. How did you pull that off? Last week you were convinced the Meiji Restoration was a pop idol group."
Yu flushed, fiddling with his pencil.
"Um… well… Taichi helped me study."
Both girls froze.
Sakura blinked, eyes darting to Taichi.
"Him? You're telling me he helped you?"
Taichi raised an eyebrow, lounging lazily against his seat with his usual half-bored expression.
"What, is that so shocking?"
"Yes!!"
The girls chorused in perfect unison.
Yu tilted his head, earnest.
"But it's true! When he explained things, it just… stuck. Way better than when I tried by myself. Or even when we studied together before."
Fumiko's jaw nearly dropped.
"But Taichi's ranked—what—third from last in the entire year?"
Sakura added, whispering conspiratorially.
"Is this some kind of boyfriend power-up thing…?"
Taichi gave a small shrug, lips twitching into the hint of a smirk.
"Stuff just… stays in my head, I guess. I don't really bother with homework or tests. Waste of energy."
Yu's brows pinched together.
"That's such a waste! You should come to our study sessions too. If you can help me, then maybe you can help Fumiko and Sakura too. We could all do better together."
For a heartbeat, Taichi's eyes darkened, something possessive flashing there—Yu's time was his. The idea of sharing even more of it with others made his chest tighten. But then Fumiko's same stern words from yesterday surfaced like an insistent warning bell.
"If you keep her locked away, you'll only push her further."
Taichi exhaled, straightening.
"…Fine. If Yu wants it, I'll come."
The girls exchanged a stunned glance, mouths hanging open.
"Wait—you're agreeing? Just like that?"
Sakura asked.
Taichi's gaze flicked to Yu, softening in a way that left no room for argument.
"Just like that."
Yu beamed.
"Then it's settled! We'll all study together from now on."
Fumiko leaned back in her chair, still processing, but a quiet wave of relief passed through her.
'Damn, he's actually doing it! He's changing… for her.'
---
By the time the final bell rang, the tension of the week melted into chatter about the weekend. The four walked together down the sloping road, voices tumbling over one another.
"Karaoke time! Let's meet up at the karaoke place, I wanna change first!"
Sakura reminded, hands behind her head.
"I'm picking first song."
"Like we'd ever let you do that,"
Fumiko countered.
"You'd monopolize the mic for like two hours."
Yu laughed softly, hugging his bag closer.
"It'll be my first time going to karaoke, I'm so excited but… I-I don't really know how it works."
"That's perfect,"
Sakura said, eyes sparkling.
"We'll break you in properly. We'll order drinks and snack! And since Taichi's bringing his friends, it'll be a real mixer haha."
Taichi walked just behind Yu, one hand looped easily through Yu's bag strap as always, quiet but attentive. His mind was still a storm, but the small glow on Yu's face—warm with pride from that 100, with excitement for tomorrow—kept him anchored.
With his other hand, he texted Yamato and Souma the location of the karaoke place. Both were surprised but figured Taichi was finally back to messing around instead of studying and agreed readily.