[It occurs to Yosuke at this moment that he really has no idea how many times Souji's moved around. Moving even once from one town and school to another is hard, but how often has Souji had to? He's curious but not enough to break the thought Souji's telling him.
He nods as Souji says he's never considered what kind of person he'd want to date or be interested in. But even Souji can see the light surprise on Yosuke's face when the other boy announces his parents aren't here and he isn't going anywhere.]
Yeah? I mean - I'm still not a hundred percent sold on this place, but it is giving us some time we probably didn't have back in Inaba.
I don’t think the court rulers are trustworthy, and I don’t like that they brought us and are keeping us here against our will … but I don’t really believe what they said about everyone at home being gone, either. [He shrugs lightly.] The truth is that we don’t have a way to leave, so until we find a way, it seems best to make the most of the situation we’re in.
[There’s more to it for Souji, of course. Being brought to another world with no way back is an escape from his past, from the guilt of the deaths he caused and the crushing pressure of returning to an ordinary life with his parents. Sure, this world may be dangerous and strange, but he isn’t alone. He has a friend, a true friend he trusts with his life.
… Maybe more than a friend.]
What I’m trying to say is … I don’t know if I feel the same way about you, Yosuke. I’m glad you told me … but I’m not sure what to do now. [He pauses, lips pursed, carefully choosing his words.] I’m surprised you can stand to be in the same room as me, after what I told you.
[Yosuke isn't always the immediately rash reactive one. He takes his time to think this over. He knows how he feels. And he does regret terribly not telling Saki-senpai how he felt despite knowing how she thought of him; in the end, he wishes he could have simply gotten the words out and in the open rather than kept to himself.
In a turn of events, he's said what he wanted to Souji. Souji knows how he feels. It's still a fledgling feeling after only a couple of months, not the longer time he spent with Saki that gave those feelings room to breathe and grow as they spent more time together. He could easily move right on past this crush spending more time with Souji either here or back home.
And more than that, he doesn't want to lose his friend. Their friendship matters more to him than any other building feelings. Souji was the first real friend he made in Inaba. The first person that reached out and made a genuine connection and followed through on it instead of saying one remarkable thing that changed his view and then putting distance between them. On top of that, Souji's now seen the worst of him twice and is still sitting next to him, saying he doesn't want to lose Yosuke.
He looks down at the bowl of stew in front of him. That Souji cooked and prepared to share with him. Whether it was because Souji genuinely wanted to do that, or to soften the blow of saying no, it doesn't matter. It's the actions that matter, and Souji just... did it.
He smiles a little, probably familiar to Souji now.] I told you before. It couldn't have been your decision alone. I probably agreed with you. So if you think you're a murderer, then so am I at that point.
[It's as simple as that.]
Edited (my grammar upon waking... fixing that) Date: 2025-10-01 02:20 am (UTC)
[Souji doesn’t tell Yosuke that he did in fact agree with him, and not only did he agree, he was the loudest to advocate for pushing Namatame into the TV and leaving him to die in that other world. Someone close to me died … her killer can’t be convicted … and now I’m gonna let the same thing happen again? There’s no way I can do that! Souji remembers how angry Yosuke was during that confrontation, how distraught he was when Nanako died. He can’t make Yosuke go through that again.
(Souji can’t bear to see Yosuke go through that again.)
There were others from the team who agreed, and some who disagreed. It wasn’t a unanimous decision. They all looked to Souji to make the decision for them as their leader, and Souji is the one who gave Namatame his death sentence: Push the bastard in. Yosuke and the others may be complicit in the murder, but in Souji’s mind, he’s the one who bears the brunt of the blame.
But he doesn’t want to argue about this again. It was hard enough confessing to it in the first place, and for some reason - loyalty? the rose-colored glasses of having a crush? - Yosuke doesn’t hate him for what he’s done. That’s better than Souji thinks he deserves, and his expression settles into a small rueful smile.]
I don’t know if I’ll be any good at dating, or - being a boyfriend, or whatever you want to call it. But I think … unless you’ve changed your mind, I think I’d like to try.
It's okay, I understand. Like I said, I don't want you to think this changes anything about our friendship and I'm not upse-
[Wait.
Yosuke blinks a couple times in confusion looking over at Souji. His expression teeters between surprised and disbelief. After a minute of waiting for Souji to say "just kidding" or something similar, his lips quirk up in an unsure smile.]
Heh. You... really mean that? I mean. I'd- like to try to? I haven't dated anyone before either, so... We can figure it out together?
[Souji nods, and his smile warms. He would never joke about something so serious as Yosuke’s feelings. Hearts can be fragile things, and after sharing such a sincere secret, it would cruel to give Yosuke anything less than full honesty.]
I’d like that too.
[They’re partners, after all. Doing things together is how partners operate.]
If I do something wrong, you’ll tell me right away, right?
[There is just something small that shifts in Yosuke's eyes, like a nearly-imperceptible light that shines through as the realization sets in. Souji's not only okay with Yosuke like this, but also wants to try dating him? Maybe Yosuke won't completely screw this up.
He'll always have that soft spot in his heart for Saki Konishi, a part of him that won't ever forget the change she made in him and what he wishes could have been. But Souji's place in his heart is just as big, if not brighter for all the things Souji's done for him as his friend.
His smile spreads a little wider.] Absolutely. You gotta tell me too, all right?
[That almost undetectable way Yosuke's eyes light up sparks a gentle warmth in Souji, in a place he forgot existed, a place that went cold last December. This decision - to be together - is the first thing that's felt right in a long time.]
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2025-09-30 04:50 am (UTC)He nods as Souji says he's never considered what kind of person he'd want to date or be interested in. But even Souji can see the light surprise on Yosuke's face when the other boy announces his parents aren't here and he isn't going anywhere.]
Yeah? I mean - I'm still not a hundred percent sold on this place, but it is giving us some time we probably didn't have back in Inaba.
no subject
Date: 2025-09-30 02:06 pm (UTC)[There’s more to it for Souji, of course. Being brought to another world with no way back is an escape from his past, from the guilt of the deaths he caused and the crushing pressure of returning to an ordinary life with his parents. Sure, this world may be dangerous and strange, but he isn’t alone. He has a friend, a true friend he trusts with his life.
… Maybe more than a friend.]
What I’m trying to say is … I don’t know if I feel the same way about you, Yosuke. I’m glad you told me … but I’m not sure what to do now. [He pauses, lips pursed, carefully choosing his words.] I’m surprised you can stand to be in the same room as me, after what I told you.
no subject
Date: 2025-10-01 02:17 am (UTC)[Yosuke isn't always the immediately rash reactive one. He takes his time to think this over. He knows how he feels. And he does regret terribly not telling Saki-senpai how he felt despite knowing how she thought of him; in the end, he wishes he could have simply gotten the words out and in the open rather than kept to himself.
In a turn of events, he's said what he wanted to Souji. Souji knows how he feels. It's still a fledgling feeling after only a couple of months, not the longer time he spent with Saki that gave those feelings room to breathe and grow as they spent more time together. He could easily move right on past this crush spending more time with Souji either here or back home.
And more than that, he doesn't want to lose his friend. Their friendship matters more to him than any other building feelings. Souji was the first real friend he made in Inaba. The first person that reached out and made a genuine connection and followed through on it instead of saying one remarkable thing that changed his view and then putting distance between them. On top of that, Souji's now seen the worst of him twice and is still sitting next to him, saying he doesn't want to lose Yosuke.
He looks down at the bowl of stew in front of him. That Souji cooked and prepared to share with him. Whether it was because Souji genuinely wanted to do that, or to soften the blow of saying no, it doesn't matter. It's the actions that matter, and Souji just... did it.
He smiles a little, probably familiar to Souji now.] I told you before. It couldn't have been your decision alone. I probably agreed with you. So if you think you're a murderer, then so am I at that point.
[It's as simple as that.]
no subject
Date: 2025-10-01 10:59 pm (UTC)(Souji can’t bear to see Yosuke go through that again.)
There were others from the team who agreed, and some who disagreed. It wasn’t a unanimous decision. They all looked to Souji to make the decision for them as their leader, and Souji is the one who gave Namatame his death sentence: Push the bastard in. Yosuke and the others may be complicit in the murder, but in Souji’s mind, he’s the one who bears the brunt of the blame.
But he doesn’t want to argue about this again. It was hard enough confessing to it in the first place, and for some reason - loyalty? the rose-colored glasses of having a crush? - Yosuke doesn’t hate him for what he’s done. That’s better than Souji thinks he deserves, and his expression settles into a small rueful smile.]
I don’t know if I’ll be any good at dating, or - being a boyfriend, or whatever you want to call it. But I think … unless you’ve changed your mind, I think I’d like to try.
no subject
Date: 2025-10-02 01:01 am (UTC)[Wait.
Yosuke blinks a couple times in confusion looking over at Souji. His expression teeters between surprised and disbelief. After a minute of waiting for Souji to say "just kidding" or something similar, his lips quirk up in an unsure smile.]
Heh. You... really mean that? I mean. I'd- like to try to? I haven't dated anyone before either, so... We can figure it out together?
no subject
Date: 2025-10-06 10:49 pm (UTC)I’d like that too.
[They’re partners, after all. Doing things together is how partners operate.]
If I do something wrong, you’ll tell me right away, right?
no subject
Date: 2025-10-08 04:23 am (UTC)He'll always have that soft spot in his heart for Saki Konishi, a part of him that won't ever forget the change she made in him and what he wishes could have been. But Souji's place in his heart is just as big, if not brighter for all the things Souji's done for him as his friend.
His smile spreads a little wider.] Absolutely. You gotta tell me too, all right?
no subject
Date: 2025-11-03 03:49 am (UTC)[That almost undetectable way Yosuke's eyes light up sparks a gentle warmth in Souji, in a place he forgot existed, a place that went cold last December. This decision - to be together - is the first thing that's felt right in a long time.]