Innocent World: Chapter 11

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Near the park, there were plenty of shaded areas, but the cicadas were unbearably loud. Their constant buzzing, piercing right through the car’s windows, made the heat feel at least 30% worse.

In the late afternoon, Yamamura lay back in his car, the windows tightly shut, with the air conditioner blasting on full power. The radio played softly in the background as he stretched out lazily. Even while he was at work, making small talk, his thoughts would drift back to Hirokuni. The memories of their sex were disturbingly vivid, like he could still feel the touch of Hirokuni’s skin under his hands. He let out another sigh, probably his umpteenth one that day. What really soured the blissful memories was the phrase Hirokuni had said with such bluntness: "Man... no eat... bad."

The day after their visit to the zoo, Sunday, they had spent the whole day in bed together. But when Monday came around, Yamamura reluctantly dragged himself out of bed to get ready for work. Hirokuni got up too, going through his morning routine.

“Hey, are you heading to Ochiai’s place again today?” Yamamura asked.

Hirokuni simply said, “Yes.”

“Why don’t you stay home? Your butt’s gotta hurt.”

“Go.”

Yamamura had been somewhat gentle the previous day, but after two days of near-nonstop action, even without any real injury, the strain of it all showed in Hirokuni’s awkward, hunched walk. Once he made up his mind, Hirokuni was stubborn and never took back his words. Yamamura scratched his head.

“Fine, go if you must, but don’t go telling him we did it, alright?”

“Did it?”

“Well, um... you know, that I... that I had my way with you.”

“Yam... me... eat.”

“Yeah, that. That I ‘ate’ you. Don’t tell Ochiai, okay?”

“No... talk.”

“If you do, it’ll make things super awkward between me and him.”

“No... talk.”

No matter how close they were, Yamamura still wanted to keep his preferences hidden. Guys around Ochiai age often didn’t even know the difference between gay men and drag queens. If Ochiai found out, he might start looking at Yamamura with prejudice or, worse, despise him if he learned Hirokuni was involved. At least it seemed like Hirokuni could keep quiet about it.

“Man... no eat... bad,” Hirokuni said, looking up at Yamamura.

“Man... no eat... bad... me... no talk,” he repeated.

That was the moment when the heat that had been burning inside Yamamura suddenly cooled down. Taken literally, Hirokuni’s words seemed to mean that he didn’t want to have sex with men. But if that were true, he only resisted at the very beginning. After that, he allowed everything, not just handjobs and blowjobs, but anal sex too. He even seemed to be enjoying it, squirming and moaning, and he got hard, too. Yamamura knew if Hirokuni had truly hated it, there was no way he’d have gone along with any of it. Despite his slim appearance, Hirokuni was strong. It had to have been consensual, Yamamura thought.

But still, "Man... no eat... bad." Hirokuni’s vocabulary was so limited that maybe, just maybe, his words didn’t mean exactly what they seemed. Maybe there was something more nuanced in what he was trying to express, like embarrassment or something else hidden in those words. It was hard to figure out.

The bigger question, though, was whether Hirokuni was gay. He could have sex with men, which made it seem like he was, but he also said he really wanted to sleep with the old hag. So, maybe he was bi? If he could get turned on by a guy, then that’s probably the case.

Maybe Hirokuni’s upbringing was a lot more open about sex than Yamamura had assumed. He considered casually asking Ochiai about Hirokuni’s background the next time they talked.

A knock on the side window broke Yamamura’s thoughts, and he opened his eyes slightly. Nishida was peering in through the glass. Yamamura straightened his seat and rolled down the window.

“What are you doing out here?”

“Taking a self-declared break. Even when I say I’ve wrapped up my work, the boss gets all grumpy if I head back too soon. So right now, I’m officially stuck in traffic on Yamanote Street because of an accident.”

The radio continued to drone on with a stream of traffic updates.

“Whoa, that’s a dirty trick,” Nishida said, sounding a bit incredulous.

“Call it survival tactics,” Yamamura replied smoothly.

“I might give that one a shot myself next time. By the way, did you finish up with your second client?”

“Yeah, got one order in the morning and another in the afternoon.”

“I can’t believe it. You’re always so effortlessly smooth at this. Meanwhile, my day’s been a total bust. The second client pretended not to be home, so now I’m on my way to the third. Oh, by the way, have you thought about what we talked about the other day?”

“The other day?” Yamamura asked, not quite catching on.

Nishida’s eyebrows furrowed in disappointment. “You know, when I talked about starting a company together?”

Yamamura had been so wrapped up in the aftermath of his entanglement with Hirokuni that he had honestly forgotten all about it.

“Oh, right. You did mention something about starting a company.”

“Wow, that kind of hurts, man. I was being serious about it,” Nishida said, shaking his head.

“Ah, sorry, sorry. No, really, I’ll give it some thought,” Yamamura replied, trying to reassure him.

“Make sure you do,” Nishida said with a hint of a smile before heading off to his next client. It was in the car insurance business. Yamamura thought to himself, whether you’re selling a tangible product or an intangible one, sales is still sales. Although he made it seem like he wasn’t sure, Yamamura was actually about 90% convinced that he might go along with Nishida’s plan. Either way, in less than four months, he’d ask for an advance, quit his job, and move out. He could relax for a bit and then work at the company Nishida wanted to start.

While he was thinking about the advance, he realized that once he took it and made his exit, that would be the end of things with Hirokuni. Of course, that made sense... but the idea of ending it like that was a shame because Hirokuni’s body was something he would miss. Still, maybe he was only feeling this fired up because they’d just had sex. By the time four months rolled around, he might be over it.

Hirokuni was starting to get used to life here and, thanks to that quack doctor, was becoming more understandable in his speech. Yamamura had set his own deadline for the advance, but he could push it back if Hirokuni’s condition improved. If he got bored, he could take the advance and say goodbye—that would be fine too.

When Yamamura returned to the office around 7 PM, he was met with the usual roar from the manager: “What the hell have you been doing until now?!”

With a straight face, Yamamura answered, “Got stuck in traffic. There was an accident on Yamanote Street, and the roads were all closed.”

“Then avoid those roads in the first place!” the manager growled.

“It was a one-way street; I couldn’t turn back,” Yamamura said, deflecting the criticism with ease. Eventually, the manager seemed to give up, too tired to keep arguing. Yamamura handed in his paperwork and quickly left the office.

When he arrived at Ochiai’s house, Hirokuni was sprawled out on the tatami mats, looking like a cat that had been beaten by the summer heat.

“He’s been unusually low-energy all day,” Ochiai said, gently stroking Hirokuni’s head as he slept. “He’s got a slight fever. I think it’s heat exhaustion, not a cold, since his throat isn’t swollen, but all he says is that he’s sleepy.”

As Yamamura watched Ochiai’s gentle touch, a strange unease welled up in his chest.

“I thought something nourishing might help with the heat fatigue, so I made eel, but he didn’t eat much. There’s still some left—want some?”

Without hesitation, Yamamura accepted. He took the eel rice bowl back to the living room. As he ate, he nudged Hirokuni’s foot with his own. No reaction. He prodded Hirokuni’s stomach with his toe, and Hirokuni opened his eyes, glaring irritably. When Yamamura kept at it, Hirokuni swatted his foot away with a smack, then crawled to the corner of the room and curled up.

“See, that’s what happens when you tease him,” Ochiai laughed. “Now you’ve driven Hiro-chan away.”

Feeling childish and embarrassed, Yamamura looked down at his food. He quickly finished the eel bowl, then shook Hirokuni awake and took him home. Hirokuni indeed seemed even more sluggish than in the morning, his steps heavier. Yamamura walked slowly beside him, matching his pace.

“You’re really not feeling well, are you? I told you to stay home,” Yamamura said.

Hirokuni didn’t respond, only muttering, “Sleep.”

When they finally got back to the apartment, the air inside was filled with a stale, sweaty smell. It was no surprise, given that they’d been at it non-stop for two days without changing the sheets or airing out the room. On the way back, Yamamura had started to feel a bit guilty about pushing Hirokuni too hard... but the moment he caught that trapped scent, it stirred something deep inside him again.

Overwhelmed by a fierce desire, Yamamura pressed Hirokuni against the front door, pulling him into a tight embrace. The body in his arms shifted slightly, their eyes meeting. Hirokuni's gaze, fixed on him, seemed both slightly annoyed and utterly blank. He didn't resist the kiss. Yamamura's tongue delved deep, entangling with Hirokuni’s, while his hands roamed over the well-shaped buttocks through his clothes, squeezing firmly. To make sure Hirokuni understood how aroused he was, he ground his hardened crotch against Hirokuni’s thigh. That was when Hirokuni said, clear and direct, “No.”

“If you really don’t want it, I won’t go all the way. But at least let me suck it, okay?”

“No.”

Yamamura was shoved away with such force that he stumbled backward, landing hard on his backside in the hallway. Without sparing him a glance, Hirokuni walked past him and lay down on the bed, on top of the dirty sheets. For a moment, Yamamura was stunned. Then, as the reality of Hirokuni’s complete rejection set in, a wave of shame washed over him.

He grabbed only his wallet and phone, heading outside. At the nearby pachinko parlor, he threw in 30,000 yen and, within two hours, lost 33,000 yen. ...It was a disaster.

When he returned to the apartment, nothing had changed. The room still reeked of that stale, cheesy odor, and Hirokuni was still sprawled out on the filthy bed. Yamamura glared at the man lying there, then walked to the window and opened it. He drank a beer he’d picked up from the convenience store, tossing snacks into his mouth. The frustration that was building up inside him made the beer go down far too easily. Yet he was irritated at the nuisance of having to open each bottle. Thanks to that quack doctor, he’d unconsciously bought bottled beer, which only added to his annoyance. Even something so trivial was setting him off. Before long, the high-speed alcohol turned him into a full-blown drunk.

With his head buzzing, Yamamura staggered to his feet and stripped the sheets off the mattress. Hirokuni, who had been rolled around in the process, woke up. Yamamura yanked off the towel blanket too and tossed everything into the washing machine. Then, climbing onto the bed, he took the spot near the wall, and with one swift motion, he kicked Hirokuni off the bed.

“You sleep on the floor.”

But Hirokuni wriggled his way back up. Yamamura kicked him off again, and still, Hirokuni returned. On the third attempt, Hirokuni clung to him from the front, holding on tightly to avoid being pushed off. Even though he had rejected sex, here he was, seeking proximity. Clinging to him. Unbelievably insensitive. Or maybe it was simply that he lacked the nerves to even be considerate.

“I’ll eat you,” Yamamura whispered into his ear.

“No,” Hirokuni said, yet even as he said it, he yawned and nuzzled closer, rubbing his nose against Yamamura. Rejecting, yet still drawing near. Yamamura didn’t know what to make of it, so he wrapped his arms around Hirokuni.

“I said, I’m going to eat you,” Yamamura growled, frustration boiling over. He let out a curse, roughly tugged down his slacks and underwear, and wedged his swollen member between Hirokuni’s thighs. He wanted Hirokuni to know, to feel that it was all his fault—it was because of him that Yamamura was in this state.

Yamamura came almost instantly. Hirokuni’s work pants were soaked with what Yamamura had released. Without resistance, Hirokuni let Yamamura strip them off. He wasn’t wearing any underwear, leaving him exposed.

Avoiding looking directly at him, Yamamura lifted Hirokuni’s T-shirt, baring his chest. He took a nipple into his mouth, lavishing it with his tongue. As he continued, an uncontrollable sadness welled up inside him. He couldn’t stand how desperate he was acting, how utterly pathetic he felt. Tears started to fall, dripping steadily. It didn’t make sense, even to him. As he sniffled and sobbed, his hair was suddenly grabbed, his head forcefully yanked up.

Under the harsh light of the fluorescent bulb, Hirokuni stared at him. ...His expression was blank, almost sleepy.

“Sad,” Hirokuni murmured, his face still emotionless.

“Yamui... sad,” he repeated.

“Let go of my hair, it hurts!” Yamamura snapped, pushing Hirokuni’s hand away. Then, burying his face once more into Hirokuni’s chest, he held on tightly, not letting go.

◇:-:◆:-:◇

It was the second time Yamamura had gone to the lawyer’s office. The first time was back in May, when he had heard about Hirokuni's circumstances. This was the first time he was seeing Arisawa since he had taken Hirokuni out of the hotel.

Three days ago, Arisawa had contacted him, saying he wanted to meet in person to discuss how things were going with Hirokuni. Yamamura had naturally assumed he was supposed to bring Hirokuni along, but Arisawa had said, “Just you, Yamamura-san, will be fine.” He thought that if that were the case, they could’ve just talked over the phone... but he didn’t say it out loud.

It was late August, an unbearably hot day. During their previous meeting in the consultation room, there had been stacks of documents on the desk. But this time, there was only a thin binder. Since Yamamura had taken in Hirokuni, there had been frequent phone calls a week later, two weeks later, checking up on how Hirokuni was doing, but whenever Yamamura answered with “We’re doing all right,” Arisawa hadn’t pressed for more details.

“How is living with Hirokuni-san? It’s been almost three months now, hasn’t it?” Arisawa asked with a calm expression.

“At first, it was tough, but I think things have settled down now,” Yamamura replied.

“How’s the language issue?” Arisawa continued.

“He’s gotten much better at understanding Japanese. Speaking is still like listening to a kindergartener, but compared to the beginning, it’s a huge improvement. The downside is, he’s lost the ability to curse properly, which has become a bit of a problem for me,” Yamamura said with a wry smile.

Arisawa’s eyes narrowed slightly as he let out a quiet laugh. It was the first time Yamamura had seen him smile like that.

“I believe Hirokuni-san has been learning the language from a local doctor, right? When I first heard that there was someone nearby who understood his language, I was genuinely surprised,” Arisawa said.

“Yeah, he’s been a huge help. I was teaching him at first, but it was tough…”

“He has a short attention span, and he can’t stick with it… is that it?” Arisawa finished Yamamura’s thought, and Yamamura nodded in agreement. They both exchanged a knowing smile.

“Not just language, but he’s also learning Japanese manners, like using a fork properly at mealtimes,” Yamamura added.

“That’s good to hear... So, is there anything about living with Hirokuni-san that has been inconvenient for you?” Arisawa asked.

“Nothing really troublesome at the moment,” Yamamura replied.

“You’re not overextending yourself, are you?” The gentle tone in Arisawa’s voice made Yamamura pause and think for a moment.

“Hirokuni’s language skills are still pretty limited, right? So even if I’m being careful with my words, he often can’t pick up on the subtleties of what I’m saying. That’s why I tend to just be direct with him. No holding back. Otherwise, he wouldn’t get it, and neither would I. Hirokuni’s pretty straightforward himself—he’ll tell you straight up if he doesn’t like something. I think that keeps things less stressful for both of us. So no, I’m not overdoing it,” Yamamura said.

Arisawa exhaled softly. “I’m relieved to hear that,” he said, placing both hands on top of the thin file.

“To be honest,” Arisawa continued, “when I asked you to take care of Hirokuni-san, I was worried that you’d soon come back and say it was too much for you, that you couldn’t handle it after all…”

His voice trailed off, and his tone became more subdued.

“I started looking after Hirokuni-san about a month before the professor passed away. But honestly, I found it difficult to connect with him. Even though I knew he’d lived his life in a very unusual environment, every time he did something unpredictable, I was completely thrown off, and I just couldn’t understand what he was thinking. It made my stomach churn,” Arisawa confessed.

“Wasn’t that because you couldn’t communicate well? The language barrier must’ve made it hard to understand each other,” Yamamura suggested.

“...Language was part of it, yes,” Arisawa admitted, “but I also thought Hirokuni-san was cold toward his own father. Even though they’d been apart for almost twenty years, I thought he could at least visit his father in the hospital once, don’t you think?”

“What?” Yamamura blinked, surprised.

“Hirokuni-san never visited the hospital while his father was there, not even once. Even if I brought him to the hospital, he’d refuse to go inside, running away before setting foot in the building. In the end, the professor insisted on being discharged from the hospital, saying he wanted to spend his last days with his son, despite how risky it was.”

“Couldn’t that be because Hirokuni hates doctors?” Yamamura said, a hint of incredulity in his voice.

Arisawa looked up sharply, a soft “What?” escaping his lips.

“The doctor who's been teaching Hirokuni Japanese asked him about it. Apparently, when Hirokuni first got injured and was taken to a hospital in Brazil, he tried to heal himself, but the doctors interfered, making things worse. So now he believes that’s why he got sicker. That’s why, even when I took him to the hospital with a simple cold, he went berserk at first. It was a real struggle,” Yamamura explained.

“No matter how much he dislikes it, any human being would have some feelings of attachment. Even animals will go to any lengths to protect their offspring in danger. I felt that Hirokuni was lacking that basic empathy,” Arisawa said, his voice tinged with frustration.

Yamamura couldn’t say for sure since he hadn’t witnessed the situation himself, but knowing Hirokuni, he could believe it might have gone down that way.

“After the professor passed away, I took care of Hirokuni’s meals for a while,” Arisawa continued. “Though ‘taking care’ mostly meant just bringing him groceries. Even then, no matter how often I corrected him, he would still eat with his hands or walk barefoot outside and come back in like that. He never listened to anything I said.”

As he spoke, recalling those moments, a look of genuine struggle appeared on Arisawa’s face, his frustration visibly resurfacing.

“I’m more fastidious than most people, and I know that’s partly why I couldn’t come to terms with Hirokuni-san. Even though I knew I should have met with you earlier to discuss this, I kept putting it off and just made phone calls instead. I didn’t reach out because I was afraid that if you were struggling with the same issues I had, I wouldn’t be able to offer you any helpful advice. But listening to you now, I’m relieved. At first, I wasn’t sure if you, being so young, could handle it. But I’m glad, truly glad, that I entrusted Hirokuni-san to you,” Arisawa said with a sincere smile.

Yamamura thought to himself, What a serious guy, saying outright that he couldn’t stand Hirokuni. He could’ve kept that to himself. Still, if it hadn’t been for Ochiai, maybe Yamamura would have thrown his hands up and abandoned Hirokuni too.

Even now, it couldn’t be said that they fully understood each other, but physical communication between them was crystal clear. If Arisawa knew that Hirokuni could have sex with men, the fastidious lawyer would probably lose his mind.

Since the first time they slept together, they’d been doing it every two or three days, sometimes more often. As for kissing or light touches, those probably happened every day. When Hirokuni was feeling unwell or not in the mood, he’d say, “No,” and refuse, but otherwise, he didn’t resist Yamamura’s advances.

When Yamamura felt like it, he’d strip Hirokuni down and ravish him like an animal. If the neighbor wasn’t around, he’d let Hirokuni moan as much as he wanted. But seeking out the other wasn’t something only he did. Hirokuni initiated sometimes too—although his way of inviting was a bit blunt.

Just the other day, Hirokuni came out of the bath completely naked and brought his hips up close to Yamamura’s face as he sat cross-legged. At first, Yamamura thought Hirokuni was just being annoying, but the suggestive way Hirokuni moved his hips made it clear he was trying to seduce him.

Even if it was between two men and things were purely physical, if Hirokuni kept being this obvious about it, it killed any sense of subtle allure. So Yamamura decided to ignore Hirokuni’s crude advances. Even when Hirokuni shoved his crotch in his face or wagged it around in front of him, he acted like he didn’t see it. When Hirokuni got desperate enough, he grabbed Yamamura’s hand and pressed it against his own groin.

When Yamamura finally began to squeeze what was twitching between Hirokuni’s legs, Hirokuni’s slim hips jerked in response.

“Hiro, you want me to touch you more, don’t you?” Yamamura asked.

Hirokuni nodded, his expression contorting in pleasure. Yamamura sat Hirokuni on his lap, straddling his thigh, and wrapped each of Hirokuni’s arms around his neck, pulling him close in a tight embrace.

“If you want me to touch you, you have to say, ‘I love you,’ like this,” Yamamura said, half-joking.

But Hirokuni took him at his word. From then on, whenever Hirokuni wanted him, he would climb onto Yamamura’s lap, wrap his arms around his neck, and say, “I… love you,” in his slightly awkward voice. The way he snuggled up and murmured in that childish tone was irresistibly cute.

Remembering that made Yamamura’s lower half grow hot. Hirokuni was quick to come. Sometimes he couldn’t last even three minutes when Yamamura entered him from behind. Though he recovered quickly, Yamamura had wanted to see if he could make Hirokuni squirm more, so he’d tried blocking the base to hold off his release. The result was perfect—Hirokuni arched his back like a cat in heat, moaning loudly and writhing his hips. Since the neighbor wasn’t home that time, he was louder than ever, and Yamamura had to shove a towel into his mouth to keep him quiet. At first, Hirokuni resisted having his release held back, but once he realized it heightened the pleasure, he stopped putting up a fight.

…After spending about an hour discussing Hirokuni's recent situation with Arisawa, Yamamura left the lawyer's office. There were plans to rebuild Hirokuni's house, but Arisawa mentioned that if things were going well with their current living arrangement, maybe they didn't need to rush it. On his way to the station, Yamamura messed up his carefully slicked-back hair and took off his jacket. He was starving, having missed lunch, so he grabbed a bowl of beef rice before boarding the train. He'd made the appointment on his day off, expecting to be grilled with all kinds of questions, but in the end, the meeting was shorter than anticipated, leaving him with extra time. Images of horse racing and pachinko crossed his mind... but instead, his feet carried him toward Ochiai’s clinic. He had gone to the pachinko parlor just the week before, and it had been almost two months since he last bought a horse race ticket. What used to be an overwhelming urge to gamble had gradually faded.

When he rang the bell at the residential part of the clinic, there was no response. It wasn't unusual, so he let himself in through the sliding door and stepped into the hallway. In this house, where the idea of security was practically nonexistent, if the quack doctor was home, the door was never locked.

Peeking into the living room, he saw only Ochiai there.

“Oh, where’s Hiro?” Yamamura asked.

“Oh, Yamamura-kun, aren’t you working today?”

“It’s my day off. I just got back from meeting Hiro’s lawyer. ...So, where’s Hiro?” Yamamura pressed.

It was rare for Hirokuni to be anywhere other than the living room. Ochiai scratched his chin with a thoughtful expression.

“Well, I had to step out this morning for some errands. I locked up the house when I left, so if Hiro came by, he might have thought no one was home and left. Did you need to see him urgently?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. He’s just usually here, that’s all,” Yamamura said, turning to leave.

“Hey, Yamamura-kun, how about a beer?” Ochiai called after him. “It’s really cold. Grab one from the fridge, along with an opener and a glass, will you?”

Ochiai was the kind of lazy doctor who’d even use a cat’s paw if it were available, but since Yamamura was feeling parched from walking around, he didn’t mind complying. They toasted in the middle of the day. Ochiai let out a satisfied sigh, muttering, “Ahh, paradise,” as he exhaled a breath tinged with the smell of beer. Although they could’ve turned on the air conditioning now that Hirokuni wasn’t around, they stuck with the electric fan out of habit. In the heat, the beer went down easily.

“Yamamura-kun, looks like we’re out of beer,” Ochiai said with a teasing tone.

“Stop hinting around and just say, ‘Can you get more, please?’” Yamamura grumbled as he brought over a second bottle. Despite the laziness of it all, getting tipsy in the shade of the veranda felt strangely pleasant.

“...Hey, do you think there are gay people among the Indigenous Peoples too?” Yamamura asked, a bit drunk, letting his question slip out.

Ochiai looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Hmm? What’s that about?”

“Ah, never mind, forget it,” Yamamura quickly backtracked.

Ochiai leaned in closer, a knowing look on his face. “Could it be... did Hiro-chan make a move on you?”

Seeing the shocked expression on Yamamura’s face, Ochiai broke into a grin. “Ah, hit the nail on the head, huh? Even if he did make a move on you, I doubt he’d force himself on you if you clearly said no.”

“F-force himself? What are you talking about...?”

“I never got the chance to directly ask Hiro-chan about it,” Ochiai said. “But I did tell you before, right? That among the Indigenous Peoples, finding a bride is tough, so until they marry, it’s not uncommon for men to get along with other men. I’ve seen men disappear into the bushes together more than once. Of course, different tribes have their own rules, and some strictly forbid same-sex relations.”

The first time Yamamura made his move, Hirokuni hadn’t put up much resistance. If it was true that among the Indigenous Peoples, it was acceptable for men to be together until marriage, it made sense that Hirokuni had gone along with it so easily.

“Oh, but even among men, there were rules,” Ochiai continued. “It wasn’t just with anyone. Back in the day, it was often a brother or cousin of the girl you were promised to marry. So, going by those standards, Yamamura-kun, you’d be a target too.”

“Will you knock it off, old man!” Yamamura snapped, his patience wearing thin.

Ochiai, seemingly unconcerned, burst out laughing. “Yamamura-kun, looks like we’re out of beer again.”

“This is the last one. You’ve had way too much,” Yamamura said, quickly tidying up the beer bottles and glasses before putting them away in the kitchen. He called out loudly toward the courtyard from the entrance.

“I’m heading home now!”

A voice replied from beyond the leafy trees, “Alright, see you later!”

Walking through the harsh sunlight, slightly buzzed, Yamamura strolled down the street. As he passed by the park, the high-pitched voices of children caught his attention. About five kids, who looked to be around third or fourth graders, were gathered under a big tree, all staring up at its branches.

"Whoa, he's amazing!" one of the kids shouted.

"But if he falls, he'll die! He’s totally gonna die!" another responded, their words filled with a sense of morbid fascination.

The alarming comments sent a chill down Yamamura’s spine, and he hurried into the park, following the kids' gaze. High up in a thick tree, he saw something moving.

It was a person. His heart froze in an instant.

"Hiro!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. The man climbing the tree looked down.

"Get down! What the hell are you thinking?" Yamamura shouted.

Hirokuni clung to the trunk like a cicada, staring back at him without a word.

"Get down, you idiot! Are you out of your mind?" Yamamura bellowed. Finally, Hirokuni started to descend. Like a monkey, he slid down the tree, both feet landing safely on the ground, but Yamamura’s heart kept pounding, refusing to calm.

Hirokuni looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Yamui... angry," he said.

"Of course I’m angry! You could’ve died if you fell!" Yamamura snapped.

"No fall," Hirokuni replied confidently.

"That's not the point—"

"No fall," he insisted again.

Yamamura could tell Hirokuni was certain of himself. Maybe living in the jungle all those years made him skilled at climbing trees, but from Yamamura’s perspective on the ground, it was nothing short of nerve-wracking.

"What were you doing up in that tree, anyway?"

Hirokuni glanced up at the sky. "See far."

"If you want to see far, I’ll take you to a tall building or observation deck next time. Just promise me you’ll never climb a tree like that again."

"Yamui wrong," Hirokuni said, shaking his head.

"I'm not wrong! I’m right! You’re the one acting strange by climbing trees. In Japan, adults don’t do that sort of thing!"

Hirokuni turned his back on Yamamura and started walking away with quick, determined steps. The more he acted like that, the angrier Yamamura got. He thought about leaving him behind, but the fear that Hirokuni might climb another tree if left alone kept him close by.

Hirokuni sat down on a bench by the pond. When Yamamura approached, Hirokuni shot him a defiant glare, like he was daring him to come closer, so Yamamura chose to sit about twenty meters away, on a patch of grass under a tree marked "No Entry." He watched as Hirokuni reached under the bench and picked up something. It was a dark object... looked like a bento box.

Yamamura hadn't given Hirokuni any money—there was no point since he couldn’t do the math. He hadn’t stocked up on bentos either, assuming Hirokuni would eat at Ochiai’s place. So, if that dark object was indeed a bento, how had he gotten it?

He noticed two of the kids who had been gathered under the tree earlier inching closer to Hirokuni, cautious and wary. Hirokuni was shirtless, which wasn’t that unusual for the season, but the kids seemed curious about him. Just as Yamamura was wondering what they were up to, one of the kids suddenly hurled a juice can at Hirokuni. It struck his head with a loud clang. Hirokuni raised his head, and the kids started yelling.

"Trash, trash, trash man!"

Hirokuni rubbed his head but made no move to stand. The kids pointed at him, laughing, and Yamamura felt a surge of fury rise in his chest.

Sensing the danger from the adult man charging out of the restricted area, the two kids who had been mocking Hirokuni bolted like rabbits. Yamamura's rage boiled over as he gave chase, nearly retching up the beer he’d had at Ochiai’s but swallowing it back down. He managed to grab one of the kids just before they could escape from the park.

He lifted the kid’s arm high, causing the boy to wince and nearly burst into tears. The kid had a clean T-shirt, plain shorts, and neatly trimmed hair. He didn’t look like the type who’d bully anyone.

"What did you just do?" Yamamura demanded.

"...I don’t know," the kid answered in a shaky voice.

"Don’t give me that crap. I saw you. Why’d you throw the can at him?"

"I don’t know," the kid said again, trying to twist his arm free.

"Stop squirming, or I’ll hit you," Yamamura growled in a low, menacing voice, making the kid flinch in fear.

"If you don’t want to get hit, then tell me why!" Yamamura demanded.

The kid gulped, his lips trembling as he spoke. "Because... because he’s gross! He was eating a bento he got from the trash... and his Japanese is weird, and he looks dumb..."

Yamamura pressed a hand to his forehead, feeling a sharp sting of disappointment. It was exactly what he had expected, but hearing it out loud still hurt.

"Even if he was eating trash, what does that have to do with you? Why’d you have to throw a can at him?" Yamamura said, his voice tight with restrained anger.

"Because he’s dirty and weird..."

"What’s dirty about it? If he’s eating something that’s thrown away, he’s making sure food doesn’t go to waste, reducing garbage, and making things easier for the cleaning staff!" Yamamura shot back, knowing full well how hollow his words were.

“I don’t know anything about that!” the child whined.

“That’s why I’m telling you! Don’t act like you’re smarter than everyone else when all you do is eat and shit!” Yamamura dragged the child toward Hirokuni. The man who had been hit with the can looked at them both, expressionless as ever.

“Apologize to him for what you did!” Yamamura barked.

The child mumbled a quiet “I’m sorry” but directed it toward Yamamura instead.

“Who are you apologizing to?” he yelled.

This time, the child muttered a half-hearted “Sorry” to Hirokuni, with no sincerity whatsoever, just eager to escape the situation. Yamamura bent down and picked up the empty can that had landed at Hirokuni’s feet.

“Did you drink what was in this?”

The child didn’t respond.

“I’m asking if you drank it!”

“… I did…” came the barely audible reply.

“Do you even know how they make aluminum cans like this? People are killed, or driven out of their land, like the Indigenous Peoples in Brazil. They dig up the land where they lived to make the crap you throw at people and then toss away. People are dying for the stuff you buy for a hundred yen and throw away like it’s nothing.”

“I didn’t know that!” the child protested.

“Huh. So it’s fine to kill people if you don’t know about it? Then I guess I can kill you too, since I don’t know you. By your logic, ignorance makes it okay. And if I do the same thing you did, you don’t get to complain, right?”

The child gulped audibly, tears welling up in both eyes before bursting into loud sobs. As soon as Yamamura let go of him, he ran off as fast as he could.

“Child… cry,” Hirokuni murmured quietly.

“A brat like that needs to be told off. And you, don’t ever eat food out of a trash can again,” Yamamura said sternly.

Hirokuni tilted his head in confusion.

“Trash can… throw away,” he said.

“They’re throwing away stuff they don’t need. You don’t need to pick it up. That’s why punks like that brat make fun of you,” Yamamura snapped.

“Eat… throw away… strange,” Hirokuni replied, looking intently into Yamamura’s eyes.

“If you can’t finish what you’re eating, sometimes you’ve got no choice but to throw it away,” Yamamura retorted.

“People… take too much… bad,” Hirokuni spread his arms wide, trying to explain.

“When people… take too much… animals… suffer.”

“Yeah, maybe… Let’s just go home,” Yamamura said, grabbing Hirokuni’s hand. He didn’t speak a word the entire way back. As soon as they got home, he made Hirokuni wash his feet in the bath. Yamamura knew that Hirokuni had taken off his shoes to climb a tree, and afterward, had been walking around barefoot.

Lying on the tatami mat, listening to the sound of the shower running, Yamamura’s stomach was still churning with anger. The kid had pissed him off, sure, but what made him feel sick to his core was the fact that he’d just given a self-righteous lecture to a child, pretending to know everything. What was all that about killing people? How ridiculous. He glanced at the empty beer can in the corner of the room. Even knowing all that, there wasn’t anything he could do. It’s just how things were. It’s hopeless.

… Hirokuni’s words, as absurd as they were, might’ve actually been true. Only take what you need to eat. That’s why Hirokuni scavenged food from trash cans. By eating what others had thrown away, he was trying to restore balance. No, that couldn’t be it. There’s no way Hirokuni was thinking about something that noble. He was just hungry, so he picked something out of the trash because it had been “thrown away.” This was giving Yamamura a headache. He didn’t want to think seriously about something so troublesome.

Even though he’d only told Hirokuni to wash his feet, he must’ve washed his whole body, because he came out of the bath stark naked. Yamamura, still lying on his back, felt the sudden weight of Hirokuni straddling his thighs.

“I love you,” Hirokuni said simply.

Yamamura, not in the mood at all, shoved Hirokuni off and flipped over onto his stomach on the tatami. The beer he’d drunk at Ochiai’s place earlier had already worn off.

Hirokuni lay down beside him, staring at Yamamura’s face. He leaned in close, sniffing Yamamura’s neck like a dog, then gave his cheek a small lick. Yamamura closed his eyes instinctively.

"Cut it out, that tickles," Yamamura muttered, but Hirokuni’s licking didn’t stop. His tongue brushed against Yamamura’s lips, barely grazing them. Yamamura sighed and sat up. That seemed to be a signal, as Hirokuni climbed back onto his lap, wrapping his arms around Yamamura’s neck and whispering, “I love you,” pleading.

“Don’t you have any sense of emotion or something?” Yamamura grumbled.

Hirokuni tilted his head, puzzled.

“You know, like delicate feelings, subtle stuff. Why do I have to sit here, thinking so hard about you and getting all down? It’s ridiculous.”

Even as Yamamura spoke, Hirokuni pressed his half-erect self against him.

“You’ve got a pretty big appetite, but man, your sex drive’s just as strong,” Yamamura noted. Hirokuni was already fumbling with the buttons on his shirt, trying to take it off. His fingers moved clumsily, as though undoing buttons wasn’t something he was good at. Frustrated with himself, Hirokuni kept clicking his tongue in irritation. It looked like he was about to tear the shirt apart, so Yamamura hurried to unbutton it himself.

Once Hirokuni’s bare chest pressed firmly against his, the heat was almost overwhelming, but Yamamura pulled him closer. And as they stayed like that, Yamamura began to feel like none of it really mattered anymore. He hadn’t been in the mood at all, but under Hirokuni’s influence, desire crept up on him, stronger than before.

In between kisses, Yamamura murmured, “Your tongue.”

“Stick out your tongue.”

A red tongue flicked out, quick and playful. Yamamura teased it with his fingertips, causing Hirokuni to pull it back immediately, his lips tightening in irritation as he shot a glare.

“My bad, my bad. C’mon, try again. Show me your tongue,” Yamamura coaxed.

This time, Hirokuni was more hesitant, wary of being teased again.

“C’mon, stick it out. If you don’t, I won’t give you that thing you like so much, you know, inside your ass.”

Hirokuni furrowed his brow, clearly annoyed.

“I’m just kidding. I won’t mess with you this time. Now, stick it out,” Yamamura said, his tone softer.

Slowly, cautiously, the red tongue reappeared between Hirokuni’s lips. Yamamura entwined his own with it, pulling him into a deep, heated kiss. As his body heated up with excitement, his fingers naturally drifted to explore the sensual spot between Hirokuni's legs. Hirokuni, with his hips wriggling and his ass practically swallowing Yamamura's fingers, whispered again “I love you”.

“We’re already doing it, aren’t we? Or do you want me to put my dick in? Man, you really are insatiable.”

Too lazy to move to the bed, Yamamura pushed Hirokuni down onto the tatami mat. Hirokuni didn’t wait; he grabbed the backs of his knees and spread his legs wide on his own.

“Hiro, you want me to touch you more, don’t you?” Yamamura asked. Hirokuni nodded, his expression contorting in pleasure. Yamamura sat Hirokuni on his lap, straddling his thigh, and wrapped each of Hirokuni’s arms around his neck, pulling him close in a tight embrace. “If you want me to touch you, you have to say, ‘I love you,’ like this,” Yamamura said, half-joking.

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