Inside a cozy, dimly lit room, the air buzzed with the sound of rapid button presses and occasional exclamations of triumph. Satoru, with his signature sunglasses, was sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed frame, his eyes glinting with mischief as he held the game controller aloft like a trophy. Beside him, Suguru, his best friend, wore an expression that was a mix of annoyance and determination.

“Come on, Suguru! You can’t let me win this time!” Satoru teased, his voice light and airy. The atmosphere was thick with camaraderie.

Suguru huffed, his brow furrowed in concentration. “You’re just spamming the same move over and over. It’s not fair!”

“Ah, but that’s what you get for letting me practice while you were out on that solo mission,” Satoru said with a playful grin. He leaned in closer, his shoulder brushing against Suguru’s.

Suguru rolled his eyes. “You know, if you keep being this insufferable, I’m going to have to take my skills elsewhere.”

“Oh please, where would you even go? You can’t escape me that easily.” Satoru winked, and in that moment, the room felt smaller, the air heavier with a tension that neither of them acknowledged.

As Suguru focused on the screen, Satoru’s gaze drifted over his friend’s features—the sharp lines of his jaw, the way his hair fell slightly over his eyes, and the intensity with which he played.

“Okay, enough of this,” Satoru said, the tease in his voice barely masking the seriousness beneath. He leaned in, tilting his head slightly as he pressed his lips against Suguru’s. It was just a fleeting moment, soft and hesitant, but it felt like the world around them paused, the game forgotten, the noise faded into the background.

Suguru froze, surprise coursing through him as his mind raced. He had always seen Satoru as a brother, a partner, someone he trusted above all. But this…this was different. As Satoru pulled back, an expression of playful innocence danced across his features, as if he hadn’t just breached an unspoken boundary.