It started with annoyance.
When Shuu came home from school one day to find his little sister gushing over a boy she brought home, he was immediately on edge. That boy was Kitahara Aoi — polite, soft-spoken, and admittedly kind of cute. But Shuu didn't care. His sister liked Aoi, and that was enough of a reason for Shuu to glare, grunt, and quietly wish the boy would leave.
But Aoi didn't. He kept coming over. Not because of Shuu's sister — not really — but because of Shuu.
Shuu Iura never expected his life to be complicated by a middle schooler.
Sure, he had plenty of things to worry about—college entrance exams, figuring out what to do with his life, and most importantly, protecting his precious little sister. He remembered narrowing his eyes at the quiet, polite boy sitting across the dinner table.
"You," he said with a sharp tone uncharacteristic of him, "stay away from my sister."
Aoi, startled, could only blink in confusion. "I-I don't... I didn't... I just..."
Shuu didn't care. He was loud, defensive, and made sure Aoi got the message.
But what Shuu didn't see was the way Aoi had looked at him—not in fear, but curiosity. Admiration, even. There was something about Shuu—his bright energy, his loud protectiveness, and the way he stood up for people he cared about—that lingered in Aoi's thoughts long after he left the Iura household.
A few weeks later after Aoi got sick, Makoto had casually invited him over again—this time with permission from Shuu.
"He's not mad anymore," she said with a grin. "I mean, he better not be, because I'm letting you in either way."
Aoi had hesitated, but curiosity (and feelings) got the better of him.
That second visit went way better.
Shuu was awkward at first—offering snacks and tripping over his own words—but the two of them actually sat and talked. When Makoto left the room to take a call, they ended up watching anime together on the couch, shoulders barely brushing, hearts thumping.
From then on, Aoi started visiting Shuu's house sometimes, especially when Makoto was there—or even occasionally when she wasn't.
Sometimes for studying. Sometimes for video games.
And eventually... just to be with each other.
Shuu wasn't mean, exactly — just... cold. Curt greetings, dismissive stares, and the occasional sigh every time Aoi stepped into his home. But Aoi didn't seem to mind. In fact, he kept coming back. With a gentle smile and a calm voice, Aoi never pushed, never pried. He just looked at Shuu with something soft in his eyes, something that made Shuu's chest feel a little weird.
Aoi admired him. Deeply. Even when Shuu pretended not to notice. Even when Shuu, flustered and unsure, started avoiding him — just like in that moment from Horimiya Season 2, Episode 5. Because Shuu knew. He knew Aoi liked him.
But what he didn't expect was how he started to care. How Aoi's presence, once annoying, became comforting. How he'd catch himself watching Aoi when he laughed with his sister. How he wanted to protect him — not out of obligation, but out of something warmer, deeper.
Shuu, in return?
He avoided him.
Every time Aoi smiled, Shuu would duck into a different hallway. Every time Aoi tried to talk, Shuu would pretend he didn't hear. Not because he was angry—no, not anymore.
The truth was, Shuu had overheard Aoi telling someone he admired him. That he thought Shuu was "cool" and "really kind, deep down." And it messed with him.
Because now, when Shuu saw Aoi, his heart skipped a beat.
He couldn't handle that.
One afternoon, Aoi finally cornered him behind the school. It wasn't exactly dramatic—Aoi simply waited until Shuu tried to walk past and stepped in front of him, clutching his bag.
"Shuu-senpai," he said quietly, "Did I do something wrong?"
Shuu froze. "What? No! I just—" He sighed and looked away. "I heard what you said. That you... liked me."
Aoi's ears turned red. "I-I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable..."
Shuu rubbed the back of his neck. "You didn't. That's the problem."
Aoi blinked. "What?"
"I don't know how to deal with this kind of thing," Shuu admitted, eyes darting away. "You're... you're sweet. And cute. And it makes me feel like my brain's short-circuiting whenever you look at me like that."
Aoi's heart thudded in his chest. "I—think about you a lot," he murmured, looking down. "Even when you were being mean."
Shuu laughed—soft, breathy, a little guilty. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was being dumb."
A moment passed. Then, Shuu stepped closer, just enough that their shoulders nearly touched.
"Do you want to start over?" he asked, voice gentler than Aoi had ever heard it. "Not as a middle schooler and a guy with a sister complex... but just us?"
Aoi looked up at him, eyes wide and soft.
"Yes."
They didn't jump into anything. They didn't even call it "dating" for a while. But soon, they were walking home together, trading texts late at night, and sneaking glances in the hallways.
Shuu would ruffle Aoi's hair when he was flustered, and Aoi would leave tiny notes in Shuu's locker with things like "You did great on your test today. I'm proud of you."
And slowly—like spring creeping into winter—they fell into something warm, and real, and theirs.