#happy anniversary ryuu you oblivious dork 🥺🥺 i adore you

[ryuubees-moved]

summary ; ryuunosuke finds that the moments he spends with his new friend hachimitsu are like espresso shots: small and fleeting, yet nonetheless revitalizing...then again, perhaps it’s more than a simple friendship that’s brewing.

pairing ; ryuubee (ryuunosuke tsunashi x hachimitsu aino)

a/n ; let me just start by saying that love is one hell of a motivator, apparently—i wrote this in 5 days and it ended up just under 4.5k words?? which is the most i’ve ever written in that short of a time period,,,crazy.

anyways!! i thought it’d be fun to do something special for our three month anniversary (especially considering i forgot the day and missed the last two but shhh), so this is a little trip down memory lane with a little lot of oblivious pining on ryuu’s end. it’s a far longer read compared to my last fic, but i hope you give it a go and enjoy it!! 🤎

ryuu remembered their first meeting like it was yesterday.

night had begun to settle over the city, bringing with it a faint chill as he walked home from a hectic day. it was still hard to believe that they had won at the black or white competition little more than a month ago, but, since then, the skyrocket in popularity that came with their victory had left him with busier schedules than before. it wasn’t that he minded—though it was hard work, he still enjoyed it—but he’d found that free moments like these were becoming increasingly difficult to come by. and when work typically consisted of not only rushing between rehearsals, publicity stunts, and the like, but mediating the ever-frequent spats between his two groupmates as well, he’d come to appreciate these quiet moments where he finally had time to think and unwind.

it seemed that the night had other plans for him, however, as his train of thought was cut short at the sound of a familiar melody playing from nearby—all too familiar, in fact, he noted as he stopped in his tracks for a moment. after all, that was definitely one of their songs he was hearing, wasn’t it? it may have been one of their newer releases, but it was still easily recognizable—and, from what he could hear, whoever was playing it sounded good.

his curiosity piqued, he resumed his walking, the melody growing louder as he followed it to its source. eventually, he stopped at the door of a small café situated along the street, the sign hung above the door reading "kumamai café," accompanied by a little bear drawing that he assumed was the store mascot. his hand rose to the door handle, resting there for a moment as he debated whether or not to enter, but eventually made up his mind, readjusting the mask on his face before stepping inside.

the bell by the door chimed softly as it closed behind him, though it was paid no mind as he laid his eyes on the singer. she was seated on a stool towards the back of the café, her gaze on the guitar she was strumming as she led into the chorus of the piece. it was new, hearing a song like theirs in an acoustic form like, but it was far from bad. maybe it was the way the accompaniment carried through the microphone, or the way her voice lilted along every phrase, but he soon found himself lost in the melody, hanging on to the notes he knew by heart.

and then, as suddenly as he’d heard her, it was over, the strum of the final chord snapping him from his trance. as the guests began to applaud, and him with them, she looked up from her instrument with a smile.

"alright, that’s all for tonight!" she announced cheerily into the mic. "thank you all for coming to listen!"

oh, that was it? it seemed he’d only caught the tail end of her performance. the applause quickly simmered down, the members of her audience returning to whatever conversations they may have been engaged in before. his attention remained on her, though, watching as she slipped off of her stool and began to set about clearing her things. noticing she seemed to be stuck doing so alone, he made his way over to her to offer some assistance.

"need any help with that?"

"oh!" the girl glanced in his direction as she continued wrapping up the cord from her microphone, flashing him an appreciative smile. "if you don’t mind! i just need a little help carrying all of this back to store away until next time."

he gave an affirmative hum and set about picking up some of the heavier-looking items, following after her as she led him to the storage cabinet in the back of the café, directing him as to where it all went.

"…and that should be the last of it!" she concluded, brushing off her hands on her jeans before turning to face him fully. "thanks for your help, um—"

she cut herself off abruptly as her eyes landed on him, shock and realization slowly dawning on her face. "wait…you’re—!"

she’d recognized him? well, considering she had just been performing one of his group’s songs, maybe it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise. tenn had always told him that he and gaku were still pretty noticeable despite their disguises, especially now with their popularity on the rise. "ah, yeah," he confirmed her discovery, his hand rising to the back of his neck as he chuckled sheepishly.

at that, she clasped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide as saucers. "oh my god, i’m so sorry! i didn’t even notice, and you…" she trailed off, struggling to find her words amid her disbelief. "…you heard me?"

he nodded, lowering his mask and offering her a smile—they were the only two back there and she’d already figured him out, so he supposed it was alright. "only that last one, but you sounded good! i was impressed by what i heard, especially considering that son hasn’t been out very long."

a squeal escaped through her bit-back grin, practically bouncing in her place as she flapped her hands excitedly. he had to admit, it was quite endearing to see.

"you’re kidding! you really—" she cut herself off with a breathless laugh, growing more awkward as she began to settle. "sorry, i just…i’ve been doing this for years, but i never would’ve expected this! it’s like a dream...i mean, you’re here, and you heard me singing your song, and you…you liked it?"

once again, he answered with a simple nod, which seemed to be more than enough to brighten her features once more. even so, she cleared her throat in an attempt to calm herself.

“well, i suppose i probably shouldn’t keep you! i’m sure the life of a black or white champion is a busy one, and i wouldn’t want you wasting your free time like this,” she mused, adjusting her glasses with a sheepish expression. “thanks again for your help, ryu—er, tsunashi-san.”

“happy to help,” he replied with a chuckle. “and it wasn’t a waste at all! this was just the break i needed to end my day.”

“really?” she blinked at him owlishly. “well, if that’s the case, i’ll be doing another one of these again a week from now, if…”

she trailed off, but it wasn’t hard to figure out what she was implying. then again, maybe it was because he had found her hopeful proposition so appealing. “i’ll keep it in mind, um...”

“aino hachimitsu,” she finished for him. “sorry, i guess i forgot to introduce myself.”

“it’s alright, don’t worry,” he assured her. “well then, aino-san, i’ll try to stop by if i can.”

sure enough, he’d managed to stop by that next week—and the next, and the next, until the two found themselves settling into their own little routine before they even realized it. they certainly had their share of awkward moments, of course, but even so, he found that being around her brought him an odd sense of comfort he couldn’t quite place. he’d come to appreciate the nights he got to spend just talking with her in the back of the café, away from any stresses of work or fan’s prying eyes.

"you seem tired today, tsunashi-kun. you didn’t have too much trouble at work, did you?"

well, away from all but one.

"no, work’s been the same as usual," he assured her, though he could still see the doubt in her eyes as she stared him down from her chair. "things have just been a little busier with the concert coming up, that’s all."

"oh, that’s right! that’s in a few weeks, isn’t it?"

"mhm. are you going?"

"of course, i have my ticket and everything! i even splurged a little and got myself a good seat," she declared, puffing her chest out proudly while he chuckled at her response. "i was glad i managed to get one before they sold out, honestly."

he was relieved by the fact, too, though he didn’t mention it. it was true, their notoriety made tickets hard to come by, typically selling out within a day or two. he was certainly experienced in his work by now, but that wasn’t to say that he didn’t still feel that pang of nerves before a performance. just knowing he’d have a friend out there in the audience cheering him on already helped to put him a little more at ease.

"how have you been, though?" he asked after a moment, moving their conversation forward. "i assume things have been normal here?"

"yep! business has picked up some, but otherwise it’s all good here," she answered, though she grew more sheepish as she went on. "between you and me, though, i think some people have caught on to the rumor that you’ve been coming here. i get questions every once in a while from a couple customers."

"oh, really?" that was a cause for concern. his visits hadn’t caused them any trouble, had they? hachimitsu seemed to be fine with it and her boss had never complained, but he didn’t want to end up making them overwhelmed later on. and what if it sparked some odd rumor about the two of them? tenn and gaku would never let him hear the end of it, and he wasn’t sure that he wanted to know what president yaotome would say on the matter, considering it definitely wouldn’t be anything good.

"oi, earth to tsunashi!"

a poke on his shoulder accompanied by her raised voice served to startle him out of his worries, and he looked to his companion to see her staring at him with her brows furrowed. however, as she heaved a sigh, her expression softened upon successfully regaining his attention—he wasn’t sure how long she’d been trying.

"it’s nothing to worry about, okay? i promise we’ve got things under control here," she told him sincerely, a laugh escaping her as she continued. "it’s not like this is some sort of big scandal or anything, after all! i’ve just had to disappoint a curious fan or two with a little 'oh, i wish i could say i’ve met him!' you know, waxing poetic and all that.”

finding her laughter infectious, he couldn’t resist the amused smile that tugged at his lips. "little do they know, huh?"

"little do they know," she echoed, a similar look gracing her features. "so no stressing here! i wouldn’t wanna lose my vip audience because of a couple fangirls. that, and i really enjoy your company."

"alright, i’ll take your word for it, then." his smile had only grown at her comment, touched by her reasonings and glad to hear that she appreciated these moments as well. in only a few weeks, it seemed that she already had a knack for knowing how to make him feel better. "thanks, aino."

"of course! now, moving on...since you’ve obviously been spending a lot of time prepping for your concert, are there any fun work stories you can share with me?"

he laughed at her request, his concerns dissipating as he put them behind him. "well, there was this one moment today when—"

"hacchan!"

a voice cut in on their conversation, and the two turned to the doorway to see the café owner standing there.

"sorry, i didn’t mean to interrupt you two!" he apologized, bowing to them both before turning to his employee. "i just wanted to let you know that i need to head out for the night. you don’t mind closing up tonight, do you?"

"not at all! i’ve told you i can take care of closing on these nights, kumamoto-san," she replied, getting up from her seat to grab the keys from the man. "did you want me to go ahead and do that now?"

"no, no, you two take all the time you need. i just thought i’d let you know. goodnight, both of you!"

they both offered their goodnights, and ryuu watched as she stared after her boss for a moment before turning back to him, hurrying back to her seat with an eager grin, one that he couldn’t help but mirror.

"so, where were we?"

"happy new year!"

hearing hachimitsu’s voice through the phone, cheerful as ever, immediately brought a smile to his face. it was still hard to believe that a year had already come and gone, especially considering all that had happened within the past months. between all of the concerts and events they’d participated in (or not, he noted, considering the sound ship incident), their newfound rivalry with the still-new idolish7, and, as of that night, their big showdown at black or white, the past year had felt full of unforgettable events.

"happy new year! did you watch the competition?"

an incredulous scoff sounded from the other end. "are you kidding? me, watch black or white? i wouldn’t miss it for the world!"

"just thought i’d make sure," he said amusedly, a soft chuckle escaping him. "so? what did you think?"

"oh my god, it was amazing! i’ll have you know i got chills watching both of your performances, even from the television," she told him. even without seeing her, he could recognize her excitement from her voice, easily able to picture the grin on her face and the sparkles in her eyes she always had when talking about things like these. he always enjoyed listening to her ramble on about the pieces she got interested in, whether he knew them or not.

"yeah, idolish7 did a great job, didn’t they? i think we all nearly started cheering them on."

"right? they just have this draw to them or something."

"i think so, too. they definitely earned that win tonight."

"hey, you guys deserved it just as much! i was impressed that the votes were so close," she noted, quick to jump to their defense. "i’ll have you know i voted for you guys, of course. i even got my family in on it, too!"

"really?"

"yeah, of course! what, you think i wouldn’t be rooting for you? i thought you knew me better, ryuu."

"no, that’s not it! i’m glad to hear it, hachi." he laughed at her antics, but couldn’t ignore the fluttery swell in his chest at her words of support. well, he supposed it was just because he was happy to hear that she was that dedicated to his group, like when their fans started cheering for them after the winners announcement at the competition. settling on that conclusion, he pushed the feeling away, moving the conversation along. "let me guess: you’ve already started trying to learn the songs, haven’t you?"

it was silent on the other end for a brief second, giving him the answer before she even spoke up.

"…i may have recorded the show so i could go back and try to figure out the chords, yeah."

"i thought so," he mused with a laugh. it seemed that every time they or another group released a new song, she’d always managed to pick it up within the next week or two that he saw her. then again, he may have been one to help every once in a while when he could. "how far have you gotten?"

"ryuu, you guys only sang them earlier tonight. i’m not a wizard, y’know," she answered jokingly. "the melodies are easy, but i’ll have to go back and listen to you guys a couple of times first before i really get the hang of the accompaniment. i might try to pick up re:vale’s song while i’m at it, too…"

"you should! they were phenomenal—though i guess i shouldn’t expect less from the overall winners."

"right? they were bound to come out on top with that!"

"well, if you want, maybe i can let you take a peek at my sheet music the next time i’m there?" he offered, "that way you can focus more on the other two, if you think it’ll help."

"ryuu, what do you think i’m going to say?"

he couldn’t help his amusement upon hearing the barely-suppressed excitement in her voice. "alright, i’ll be sure to bring it with me, then."

"yes! i can’t wait!" she cheered, going on hopefully. "next week?"

"next week," he agreed with a smile, feeling that warm, fuzzy feeling again at the prospect. it had been a little while since they’d last met up, what with the holiday rushes and crammed schedules, so he was looking forward to seeing her again. he opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted as another voice cut in.

"ryuu, are you coming? you’re the one who said we should do this…"

"i’m coming, just give me a minute!" he called back, before returning his attention to his phone. "sorry, we’re going out to celebrate our performance. i probably shouldn’t keep them waiting any longer."

"even though you lost?"

"yeah, i thought it’d be good for team morale!"

"oh, gotcha! yeah, i wouldn’t leave them hanging like that," she reasoned amusedly. "you go have fun! i’ll be waiting for you next week!"

"we will," he replied, "and don’t worry, i’ll be sure to remember my music. goodnight, hachi."

the little bell chimed softly as he entered the café, exhaling a content sigh as warmth returned to his body after the winter chill outside. his final rehearsal for the day had run longer than expected, so he could only hope he’d gotten there before she’d gone.

"oh, you’re here!"

looking over to the counter, he was relieved to see her standing there, thus proving his worries unnecessary. she placed the dish she’d been cleaning in its rightful spot before bounding over to him, face alight with happiness.

"sorry i’m late! gaku arrived a bit late from a shoot, so we started later than planned," he apologized, a sheepish smile on his face. "i left as soon as we were done."

"no worries! i figured it had something to do with work since you never texted me about cancelling," she assured him, though her attention quickly shifted as she eyed the folder in his hand, breaking out into a grin. "is that what i think it is?"

"i promised you i’d bring it today, didn’t i?"

"hey, i’m just making sure!" came her defensive reply, though her eyes danced with amusement. "i have to finish up a few things for kumamoto-san first, but can i take a look at it after that?"

"that’s what i brought it for," he pointed out with a laugh. "if you want, i can help you with those, too."

"are you sure? it’s my job, you know. i don’t wanna put you to work after you’ve come here to wind down and all…"

"i don’t mind! besides, the quicker you finish them, the more time you can have to read over the music, right?"

she pondered over his reasonings for a moment as he made his way behind the counter, but eventually gave in with a nod. "yeah, i can’t argue with that," she admitted, before sighing exasperatedly. "honestly, ryuu, you do too much for me."

he only chuckled at that, and the two set themselves to work finishing up her tasks for the day. a comfortable silence settled over them as they worked, save for the occasional bits of small talk they’d throw out to pass the time. he couldn’t help but find the situation comfortably domestic, a thought which sparked a flutter in his stomach that caught him by surprise. it wasn’t a new feeling by any means—in fact, he’d felt it a small handful of other instances in their times spent together—but he had never been able to place exactly what it was. still, he wasn’t given much time to dwell on the matter, not as hachimitsu brought up another story of hers that quickly stole his attention.

the minutes passed by on the clock above the counter, but between the two of them, it didn’t take long until each of her assigned chores were taken care of.

“...and that should be the last of it! thanks again for pitching in.”

“of course! i told you i’m happy to help,” he answered as the two stepped back from the counter.

“yeah, i know, i know,” she sighed lightheartedly, giggling softly as she removed her working apron. “i’m gonna go put this back real quick, but i’m checking out that music as soon as i’m back!”

he had no time to respond to her claim as she rushed off eagerly, staring after her retreating form for a moment before making his way back over to where he’d laid the music in question down upon the counter. surely she’d want to waste as little time as possible, he thought to himself, chuckling lightly at the notion as he opened the folder to the first page.

“okay, okay, i’m back! let me see!”

once again, he was given next to no warning other than her call before she was back by his side, nearly bouncing with anticipation as she began to look over the notes in front of her. ryuu, however, found himself more focused on the fact that she had practically pressed herself flush against him to get to it, a realization which only brought back that fluttery feeling, along with a warmth to his face.

seeming to notice their proximity only seconds after him, she quickly jumped back, a blush dusting her own cheeks (it was cute, honestly...not that that was important, though). “oh my god, i’m so sorry! i was so excited, i just—”

“i-it’s alright!” he cut her off with a response he could barely squeak out, clearing his throat in an attempt to both calm and hide his sudden nerves. “you just surprised me, is all.”

she eyed him a moment longer, but said nothing, simply settling back into her position as she pored over the melodies. despite his initial reaction, he settled back in close beside her nonetheless, answering her questions and providing commentary on some of the sections she found tricky or confusing. her body felt warm against his own, fitting against his side like a puzzle piece, and he couldn’t help but admire the way her eyes seemed to shine behind her glasses, her gaze trained devotedly on the pages in front of her, or the way her lips pursed in concentration, humming a line or two to herself every so often.

he was certain he was staring, but couldn’t bring himself to look away. that fluttery feeling returned, but this time he found it bearable…almost comfortable, even.

and though he still didn’t quite know what it was, as the night drew on in her company, he hoped it would last forever.

"oi, ryuu!"

he jumped, startled, as he was quite literally snapped out of his reverie, turning in time to see gaku’s hand return to his side as he stared at him exasperatedly. "are you even listening?"

"ah—no, sorry," he admitted sheepishly, offering his friend and groupmate an apologetic look.

the group leader only sighed, hands braced against his hips. "honestly, you were like this all of rehearsal, too! you know you can tell us when something’s bothering you, right?"

"oh, no, nothing’s bothering me!" he assured him, feeling a pang of guilt over potentially causing them any concern. it was true, the thoughts plaguing his mind were anything but concerning. it was just that—

"you’re thinking about her again, aren’t you?"

his eyes widened, and he turned to face their center, who he found eyeing him with a pointed look.

"what was her name again? something like—"

"hachi," ryuu answered quickly—perhaps a bit too quickly, he noted, judging by the identical looks of surprise on tenn and gaku’s faces.

tenn was the first to recover, though, a faint huff escaping him. "well, you can do what you want with your time. just do us a favor and don’t let your little crush get in the way of our work."

wait, what? as his words registered, ryuu felt a rush of warmth to his face. "no, wait, you don’t understand! it’s not like that!"

"i’d say! your crush is anything but little," gaku noted with a teasing smirk, though it was quickly replaced with a glare to their third member upon hearing him mutter a judgmental "like you’re one to talk."

but as the two soon devolved into their usual bickering, he couldn’t bring himself to step in and break them up, his focus occupied with mulling over their claims, however teasing.

that couldn’t be it, right? they were just messing with him. sure, despite what his public image might’ve suggested, he’d had very little romantic experience, but he was certain he’d be able to recognize if he’d fallen for someone.

hachi was just a close friend, after all! they’d known each other for a little over a year now, which was certainly enough to consider her such. it was natural for him to look forward to seeing her, or want to be close to her, or feel his heart swell whenever he made her smile or laugh, or—

oh.

oh.

the realization crashed over him all at once. that was it. the nervous jitters, the giddy rushes, the warm, fuzzy feelings...it all made sense, and at that moment he wondered how he’d failed to notice it sooner. how was it that his friends managed to piece it together in teasing, when with all the time he’d spent with her, he hadn’t figured it out?

he couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of the situation, the sound of which caused the other two to break off their argument, turning to him with curious expressions.

“sorry, sorry!” he managed to say as his amusement died down. “i just realized that you two might be onto something.”

they shared a look, before turning back to him.

“might?” gaku asked incredulously, raising a brow.

“okay, fine, fine, you’re definitely onto something.”

and despite the grounding realization, he felt as though his heart was lighter than ever.