As always, every time Kiyo returned home, Ryota ran out to meet him.

He noticed that Kiyo looked different. His brother's face heats up, like he's done something embarrassing.

"What's the problem?" - Ryota asked curiously.

"No, nothing." - Kiyo quickly entered the room.

"I see. I've just cooked rice, come out and eat."

Kiyo was supposed to go through the books again, but he dropped onto the bed, the exact same bed that Sunny and he used to lie on. Because of it, now his mind only had images of the person he liked.

Everything that happens is real. Everything around him is real. But it happened so quickly.

If Sunny found out who he used to be, it would be dangerous. If that was revealed, how would he react?

While Kiyo was wandering about this afternoon, Ryota called him back to reality:

"It's time to eat!"

Kiyo slowly pulled himself out of bed.

"You're weird today." - Ryota picked up a piece of meat.

"Really?"

"What's wrong? You look like someone who just got confessed."

"This brat, just good at making bad judgments! Nothing, I'm just tired." - Kiyo frantically picked up a delicious piece of pork on the plate.

While swallowing the rice, Ryota said:

"So you have a fever? Your face is red."

"Come on, just eat already."

After finishing the meal, Kiyo sat down to rest for a while and then took out his books and looked at them again.

"Did the teacher assign summer homework, Ryota?"

"Yes, but I'll do it myself."

"Yeah, but you can ask me something."

To stay awake, Kiyo sucked on a cinnamon stick. But it's not as sweet as usual, it's plain spicy. The spicy taste made him remind something.

Suddenly tears fell from his eyes. Why is like this? Who made him cry? They kept pouring out of his eyes, rolling on his face.

Is Kiyo's cinnamon stick too spicy? No, that's not it. He never cried for the spicy cinnamon stick.

So why would he?

....

Right.

Not because of the taste of cinnamon, nor because of his hard life, but Sunny. He never received love from family, or friends, until he met Kiyo. And Kiyo is the only person Sunny can trust, can rely on.

Thinking of his fate, Kiyo cried for him.

In addition, he didn't fully understand the emotions that were welling up inside of him. It was too abstract for him to analyze.

Sobbing quietly, he couldn't stop quickly. It's been a long time since Kiyo cried.

No, I must stop now, there's an exam tomorrow.. I must focus.

I must focus.

I must focus.. I can't let love infiltrate in my head, what if I fail the test tomorrow?

I should have been more careful about this...

The next day, after taking the History and Geography exams, Sunny and Kiyo just held hands and went up to Kikyo Hill to play. Fortunately for them, both of them were able to concentrate on their test. It's a rare thing for many people because once the mind is full of that person, how can you focus on anything else?

"Is this our first date..? - Kiyo confused.

"Maybe so, but we're not lovers yet."

Kiyo noticed that Sunny had something white under his brown bangs.

"What's that on your forehead, Sunny?"

"Ah- it's nothing!"

"You think you can hide me that way? My eyes are sharp."

Sunny had to pull his hair up. The entire forehead area had been bandaged.

"My God! What happened?"

"Ah, it's just... I fell yesterday."

"What kind of fall.."

"Stumbled on the stairs and hit my head on the floor, but luckily I didn't die."

Alas, Sunny fell and hit his head like that, but still passed the exam unharmed?

"It really hurts, but at least it's not neurological, I went to the doctor."

"Who took you there?"

"I went by myself. But next time I'll be more careful. See? Everything will be fine."

Kiyo sighed, looking worried at his friend. If we look closely, he was not very neat today. The hair seemed uncombed, the button missing an unclosed end.

"Did you wake up late today?"

"Huh?"

"You're not very neat, Sunny."

"Ah, yeah right."

"Okay, let me fix it."

"Don't! You don't have to be like that!" - Sunny blushed.

Pretending to be deaf, Kiyo searched his bag for a comb.

"Sit still."

Sunny sat still while Kiyo combed his hair. It is inherently protruding from the outside, but if not combed, it will become even messier. Kiyo's hand kept touching his hair, making Sunny embarrassed. Because no one has ever done that to him.

"It's done. Do you see anything to look at?"

Sunny looked over a splinter in the grass.

"Okay. Thank you very much."

"Remember to wake up earlier next time. As for the button..." - Kiyo pointed to the unclosed button.

"Ah, there's no need!" - Sunny quickly closed.

Kiyo burst out laughing, causing Sunny to ask what he had to laugh about.

"Like... that attitude makes you look cuter."

"Am I cute...?"

"Isn't that so." - Kiyo gently patted Sunny's head.

Sunny smiled shyly, gently letting go of Kiyo's hand.

"Hey, Kiyo... Are you planning to move to another province to study?" - He suddenly changed the subject.

"I don't know. But if you really go, I'll go too."

Sunny was a little surprised and asked:

"Really? But... Aren't you still living with Ryota?"

"Well.. Without you here, I'd be sad."

Sunny didn't know what to say. Kiyo breathes long and says:

"I'm just afraid you'll be bullied. There are many cases of old ones bullying new ones in high school."

Suddenly Kiyo moved closer to Sunny:

"If you're like that, I'm not secure at all. If you're sad, I'm sad too."

Kiyo's hand was placed on Sunny's hand gently and sincerely.

"Okay, we'll go together. Go anywhere if we want.. I promise." - The brown-haired boy said honestly, holding the other's hand.

"Besides, even if we're just best friends, we'll take responsibility for each other's mistakes and be honest with each other, okay? I promise too." - So is Kiyo.

Ignore the killer part.. I hid it to protect Sunny and Ryota.

The promise of both also sounds relatively mature for their age. Of course, they have encountered many obstacles in their life, so they cannot be blindly come to each other.

Anyone who harms Sunny, just wait and see, they will be dealt with by my own hands.. Of course, I don't kill them, unless it's mandatory.

Furthermore, I want to mark those promises somehow..

Or.. Kiyo suddenly turned to look at Sunny.

His face looked quite calm, observing at everything with those bright yellow eyes.

His smooth brown hair was bouncing back and forth in the wind.

The skin is both light and smooth.

Oh my gosh... Sunny, how can you be so pretty? Hey, I'm really blown away by your looks, along with your gentle, kind personality.

If that's the case, then it's not strange that I go from liking to loving him.

Kiyo was a bit embarrassed, but gathered up his courage and said:

"Hey.. We promised that, should we mark the milestone to remember?"

"Write it on paper?" - Sunny did not understand Kiyo's intentions.

"No, no, the other way! For example.."

He tried to describe it with his fingers. Sunny nodded, chuckling.

"Ah, so you want to mark it off by kissing me, right? You're normally so straightforward, why don't you just say it?"

"You think I'd just say this bluntly?"

"But.. Are you sure? Someone like me is.."

Kiyo sighed, a little impatient:

"I told you, you're normal. I have no reason to criticize you."

"Is that so. Then if you want.."

Sunny closed his eyes.

Eh, are we really doing it??

Kiyo had never felt so cowardly as today. His heartbeat was getting louder and louder, even though his blood pressure was clearly normal.

Kiyo slowly closed his eyes and moved closer to Sunny's face. His hand gently stroked a few strands of brown hair over Sunny's ear, to avoid entanglement and to be able to see the adorable face of the person he loved completely.

Kiyo closed his eyes, once close enough. Just then, he could feel the other person's breath more clearly. So is Sunny.

And the lips of the two of them successfully touched.

Although they are still embarrassed, they have never been as satisfied as now, wrapped in tangerines and fully enjoying the sweetness of that love.

Suddenly they forgot all the pain and loneliness of the two of them during the past time. Everything is now as if only they exist.

A certain flower bloomed in Sunny and Kiyo's hearts.

And that flower is hope.

Sunny paused, pulling away from Kiyo with her face as red as a tomato.

"Kiyo.."

"Um.. so we've made the mark, right? A milestone to remember." - Kiyo's face is not that different from Sunny's.

"Yeah, from now on we'll go anywhere together, and stay true to our feelings!"

Kiyo nodded, looking very pleased.

"Now what to do..?"

"Speaking of which, you've never been in my house before, Kiyo."

Kiyo really didn't want to see Sunny's little sister again. She left a bad impression on him from the day Sunny told him about his family.

"Right."

"But my sister's attitude is a bit gruff, so..."

"Well, you don't have to invite me, you can just come to my house freely."

Sunny was about to say more but realized that Kiyo didn't like his sister, so he stopped.

"Is that so. Let's go back then." - They quietly went to the front of the bike.

The scene when they kissed was still stuck in Kiyo's mind, and he kept thinking about it. It was so... satisfied.

You made me know what it's like to love someone more than friends, Sunny...

I'll stay with you until one of us dies. But if you die, that doesn't mean I'll forget you.