and they were roommates,

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FROM THIS THREAD.

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[selfconcept]

Sure. That sounds good.

[ Hien looks forward to it. He really does. He even finds himself smiling a little.

It's probably time to go. ]

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[ right! let him just - haiga gives hien a brief smile before going to the counter to pay for their food. normally he’d wait for the bill to come to their table, but this way he can guarantee that he’s the one paying. no sneak payments here.

and when he gets back hien: ]

What do you think? If you’d rate - um - today. As a… date?

[selfconcept]

I gotta rate a date? I thought it was good. Isn't that enough?

[ Hien is standing by the time Haiga returns and leads him out of the restaurant. There's a bit of silence before Hien adds: ]

My rating is the only one that matters anyway. It'll mean a lot to us, but nothing for everyone else since it was a date with me. Just me.

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[ he laughs a little. so blunt. ]

Nah, that’s more than enough. My goal for our dates is to keep you fed. Um, keep things easy and casual. And make you more aware of me.

[selfconcept]

Keep me fed, huh...?

[ He was never really self-conscious about how much he ate, but he wonders if it stands out that much for that trait to be prioritized. To be fair to Haiga, Hien gets incredibly hangry when he doesn't stuff into his mouth, so that's that. ]

I think you'll do a good job of all of that. I like the atmosphere of being casual. And... you're already making me more aware of you.

[ Then he mumbles: ]

As if I wasn't already...

[ He unlocks the car and gets into the driver's seat, turning the car on and waits. ]

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[ he doesn’t think hien eats an abnormal amount. pretty typical guy appetite, in his humble opinion. ]

I’ve never been good at showing off my - y’know, my anything. So cooking’s what I got good at and that’s what I like to share.

[ that mumble though, he does catch. ‼️‼️‼️ follows hien as he gets into the driver’s seat. he’ll join hien in a moment; he needs to cool his happy, blushing face against the car frame. hien notices him? oh man, oh god.

and if he slides into his seat with a smudge on his forehead, that’s his lot in life now. he’s accepted it. he’s quiet as he buckles his seatbelt, but then he asks in a low voice: ]

Really? God, I’m so happy right now.

[selfconcept]

[ After Hien gets in the car, he looks to where Haiga is, seeing his face against the car frame. The smudge is apparent on the forehead when Haiga goes inside the car. He sighs and reaches out to ruffle Haiga's hair. senpai noticed you. ]

It doesn't take much for you to be happy, huh? I'm glad.

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[ he can tell he’s being teased (at least a little), but hien’s hand in his hair feels good, so he closes his eyes and lets himself enjoy it. ]

First off: it’s a lot because it’s you. And even if it wasn’t, all the little things build up, too.

[ if he’s been happy since day one, then his happiness stock is pretty high. ]

But… I’m glad that you’re glad.

[selfconcept]

Yeah?

[ Hien finally starts driving the car back to the dorms. Away they go! ]

I'm not really good at this dating thing though. So you might have to lead me.

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[ haiga lead? uh ok ]

Me? I can try but you’ll have to hold my hand probably. Maybe be my soundboard.

[ THERE WILL BE A LOT OF TALKING IT OUT. ideally he’d like for them to encourage each other and get to where they need to go together, but he’s determined enough. ]

Wait, am I… your first serious boyfriend?

[selfconcept]

Yeah. I never dated.

[ Yet he casually accepts Haiga anyway. ]

Never had a reason to. Never really liked anyone like that yet. I'm hoping to see if it changes with you.

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[ he glances at the side of hien's face. that's surprising, both that hien's never dated and has never liked anyone like that. and for some reason, he's decided to try with haiga of all people? haiga's nothing special. ]

Changes... Well, Hien, honestly? I wasn't looking to change much about us. I like how we are already, so...

[selfconcept]

If you really liked how we were, you wouldn't have confessed.

[ Hien isn't saying this to bully him. It's just one of his moments of casual bluntness that doesn't mean anything other than the words spoken. ]

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No, I don’t want us to stay that way either. I really do mean that I don’t want us to change much - as in how we interact. But of course, I want to kiss you or be closer to you.

[ back up, he’s getting things all jumbled. ]

We get along, I want to keep getting along. We talk and I want to talk about more things. We’re comfortable together and I want - [ he cuts off. then starts again: ] I want what we have but more. At our own pace.

[selfconcept]

... Yeah.

[ Hien keeps his eyes on the road as he drives. ]

That's what I mean. It's a small change, but it's a change nevertheless. I also think what we have is really comfortable.

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Right!

[ he sighs with relief. they seem to be on the same page! oh but he’s gotta add: ]

You said you don’t want me to see you pissed off, but I kinda hope I do.

[selfconcept]

[ Hien stays quiet for a while as he continues to drive with his eyes on the road. ]

... Why? Is that the "I want to see every side of you" thing? Because I think you'd be better off without seeing that sort of thing from me.

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[ which, yeah, he does wanna see all sides of hien. ]

It’s not good to hold stuff in, so if you’re upset I want you to show it. If it’s something I did, I’d like to know… but I also want you to know my feelings won’t change? And be comfortable to just… feel things around me. Something like that.

[selfconcept]

Well... that's the thing. I don't really get upset in the first place.

[ He'll get annoyed sometimes, but never upset. ]

And you know how I am.

[ "Chill senpai" or something. ]

I'm already comfortable around you.

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Yep, my favorite super cool, super chill senpai.

[ he doesn’t push it. it’s enough that he’s laid out his feelings plainly for hien to see. and if it ever happens in the future, then it’ll happen and hien will already know and they’ll be ok together. ideally. ]

Though… um… I have a request. Could you call me “Yuki” from now on?

[selfconcept]

[ whomst ]

Sure. I'll do just that, Yuki.

[ Hien parks the car into the space well. Nothing out of alignment. He says that casually like he does with everything else. ]

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[ HIS FAVORITE SUPER CHILL SUPER COOL SENPAI

but he glows like a lightbulb when hien (his!! boyfriend??) says his (hien’s!! boyfriend??) name for the first time. today has been the best day ever, maybe. memorable in the same way he’ll always remember the first day they met - and the way they met with hien dead on arrival. ]

Thanks for driving us! [ and for the date. and for saying yes to basically everything. wait - ] If I keep asking for things, are you going to keep saying yes?

[selfconcept]

That depends on what you're asking for.

[ Though Haiga is likely to understand that Hien says yes to everything he asks for is because he probably doesn't mind. ]

Why? You got a big one to ask of me now?

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What do you consider big?

[ unbuckling his seatbelt to get out, though he does back in lean in to say: ]

I’ll ask when we’re inside.

[selfconcept]

[ Hien pauses when Haiga leans in, blinking. ]

... Alright. It's just anything that I can't do.

[ He unbuckles his own seat belt and gets out of the car. ]