Archive of Our Own ^beta

Dear Miss Hina,

I would like your advice. Recently I’ve been hanging around with this guy. He’s very small and has a fluffy tail and ears like you! I’ve been getting this real fuzzy feeling every time I talk to him. It’s weird but somehow I feel like he understands me? We barely know each other which is why it’s weird. I don’t understand it, maybe you can get it? Is there a connection between us or something? Or am I the opposite of allergic to him?

Yours truly,

The One and Only Arataki Itto

It was very obvious who the guy Itto was talking about was referring to. Gorou stared at the letter and reread it once again, making sure he hadn’t misread it. Yae picked out the letters for him to answer, so she probably had read this one too. Itto’s messy handwriting that Gorou was very familiar with— as was probably everyone in Inazuma who walked past the boards on the Island to read announcements and was faced with Itto’s notes. It was amazing how a handwriting could be loud, just like its owner.

Gorou was not sure how to answer this, however, he did his best to reply.

Dear Arataki Itto, 

such feelings are rare but not uncommon. Some people make us feel appreciated and nice in their presence. One might say you have found a person you can feel comfortable around. If your body reacts that way, it must mean you can trust them. Maybe try being closer to them? You could become great friends, great friendships are always something to treasure.

Sincerely,

Miss Hina

Gorou hesitated. He wasn’t so sure if that letter was okay but he was at loss at what else to say. He was flattered that Itto felt like that around him but that was most likely only because maybe a part of his subconsciousness knew Gorou was Miss Hina. Arataki Itto was no stranger to him, it was impossible not to know the tall and loud Oni when you lived on Inazuma. His appearance was overwhelming that one could even spot him from afar standing out from a huge group, and his voice was loud and deep. He was known, seen, and heard by everyone. He was on top of that a pretty open person who would strike up conversations easily.

Of course, even if Gorou had never crossed ways with Arataki Itto, he would still know him. Not just because of the tales other people would tell about him or the messages he left at Inazuma’s boards, often challenging Kujou Sara but because he was a huge fan of Gorou’s other persona, Miss Hina. He was a long-time fan who asked her for advice when he had questions, troubles, or just wanted to let out his thoughts which were rather often.

Gorou didn’t mind reading and answering them. Sometimes he caught himself looking forward to it. He read a lot of people’s troubles and while many of them were easy to solve or they just needed someone to reassure them, others were very heavy and depressing. Gorou felt great being able to answer those letters and help people as best as he could but often he felt frustrated in his inabilities that reading Itto’s letters always cheered him up. He often caught himself laughing or smiling reading them.

It was the first time Itto inquired help about Gorou but he was sure that won’t happen that often again.

Inazuma City was bustling with life.

It was nice to be able to walk through the streets with her Excellency and see the people of Inazuma enjoying their lives. Children running and playing around, people eating at the street vendors outside, the loud chatter of both salespeople and other civilians. On top of that, seeing people walk past them with their colorful visions in plain sight and not hidden or taken from them warmed Gorou’s heart as well.

There was still a lot to do which was why they were in Narukami Island right now as Gorou had accompanied Kokomi for more peace treaty agreements and meetings with the Shogun but things were good. He still worried for hier Excellency's health and her over-working herself but she seemed to be in good spirits today after she bought a new book right after the meeting.

She was so excited to get back to reading it but tried not to show it too much. It was probably another volume in her favorite novel series, that Kokomi often reread. Before they could get back to Watasumi Island, a loud voice made everyone turn around.

"Gorou!"

It was none other than Arataki Itto. People were stepping back to let him run past them with his huge frame. He was smiling brightly when he came closer and a few of their guards stiffened upon this huge Oni approaching them out of nowhere with a bit too much enthusiasm.

"It’s fine," Kokomi said.

"Oh, Kokomi you’re here too!" Itto smiled and then he looked to Gorou. It had been a few days since he read Itto’s letter to Miss Hina. Seeing Itto now, he recalled his words and got a little bit embarrassed.

Kokomi and Gorou greeted him and they exchanged a few words. "Do you want to have dinner with me?" Itto asked.

Gorou glanced at Kokomi. He knew she wanted to get back as soon as possible. She’s been up all day since the dawn for preparation for today’s meeting and should rest. He also wanted her to be able to treat herself and just read her book as she’s probably been looking forward to for weeks, if not months.

"I’m sorry," he excused.

"No, it’s fine, Gorou," Kokomi said. "You can stay here."

"But—"

Kokomi smiled and put her hand on Gorou’s shoulder. "I know you want to go back for my sake. But as I will give myself a break tonight, so should you."

Gorou’s heart squeezed at her words. She was always so considerate and had even noticed how he wanted to go back for her! As expected of her Excellency. There was no use protesting now and Gorou wouldn’t do it anyway. If she told him she should rest, he would. He said his goodbyes to her and the other guards who followed Kokomi back. Itto was waving at them before he turned to Gorou.

"Let’s go eat! How about ramen?"

They went to Shimura’s where they sat next to each other at the seats. Itto didn’t even have to order as Shimura Kanbei already knew him and what he wanted to eat.

"Don’t eat everything again! I won’t get a new shipment of food for another few days," he warned.

Itto just laughed. "I’ll try to hold myself back! But I just got paid!"

"You got paid?" Gorou asked.

"Ah, I won a lot," Itto corrected himself. "I won against young Master Kamisato." He seemed proud of himself, raising his chin.

"Ah, I’ve heard of it. Of your beetle fights."

"You’ve never been to one?"

"A long time ago," Gorou said. He’s been so busy with the resistance that he hadn’t had time to indulge himself in such things. He knew their men would use their free time for games such as these but Gorou didn’t stay around for them.

"You should next time!" Itto said. "Don’t they say touching your ears gives good luck? Maybe I should take you with me as a good luck charm!" His laughter roared through the streets.

"You just want to use me as good luck?"

"No! I also want to spend time with you!" They were served their bowls of ramen and Itto’s was bigger. He couldn’t imagine eating all of this but Shimura Kanbei leaned in.

"This is just one of three," he said. "And your limit is three."

"I’m a growing guy," Itto defended himself. "Itadakimasu!"

"Itadakimasu," Gorou said as well before he started to eat.

"I mean it though. We should hang out more, you and me," Itto said.

Since Itto wasn’t aware Gorou was Miss Hina, he shouldn’t know the reason behind it. "I don’t mind," he said, "but may I ask why?"

"Why not? I think we would get along!" Itto explained. "Okay, this is a bit embarrassing but you know. The last time we met, I felt weird around you. Not in a bad way, of course. Ah, it wasn’t even just the last time but always."

If Gorou didn’t know where this was leading, he might be a little bit insulted at those words. He hummed and continued to listen to Itto’s explanation.

"Like all fuzzy and warm, you get me? At first, I was really confused and I even asked Shinobu but she just rolled her eyes at me!" Itto raised his hands. "So I went to Miss Hina for help to figure it out."

"I see."

"You know her?"

She is me. Gorou cleared his throat. "I think everyone in Inazuma does," he said. "She is a rather popular columnist."

"She’s amazing, isn’t she? I always ask her for advice." Itto talked even more about how great the columnist was and how much she’s helped his life that Gorou was rather embarrassed. He could feel his cheeks heat up at the amount of praise Itto showered him.

"Is everything okay? Your face is so red!"

"My ramen was very spicy."

"That’s not good! Do you want a new bowl?"

Gorou shook his head and looked away. "No, it’s fine."

"Your tail is wagging! You must like eating here."

Stupid tail giving him away. As embarrassing as it was, hearing from a fan directly how much Gorou has helped make him happy. Kokomi had once told him she liked how his ears and tail gave his emotions away, which made Gorou come to a certain peace with it. But right now he was cursing it.

"Yes," he agreed and smiled. "Thank you for inviting me."

"I completely went off course," Itto noticed. "What I was trying to say is that she told me I should spend more time with you. So we could be friends! I think that feeling I have with you is a good sign."

Gorou smiled. "I’m glad," he said.

"Ah, she was as always right! I feel all refreshed and chummy here," he pointed at his chest, "just being with you."

Did this big guy realize what he was saying? Gorou noticed the look he got from Shimura Kanbei and averted his gaze. "I’d like to be friends with you too."

Itto grinned widely. "Great. Next time, beetle fight? I’ll even ask Ayato too. He’s a worthy opponent. I won this time though, so maybe I am way better than him."

"Then you won’t need to touch my ears."

"Whaaat? I was so looking forward to it!"

Gorou laughed.

Dear Miss Hina,

You were right as always with your advice! I asked him to have dinner with me! And the weird feeling was still there but it wasn’t so weird anymore because of your advice. I now know that it means I must feel comfortable around him. Which it really is. He’s a nice guy to talk to. He didn’t even mind when I ate so much ramen and didn’t complain! He can actually eat more than he looks like. He told me he wants to build some more muscles and I gave him some tips but I’m not sure if they were good, I’ve always been like this.

Do you maybe have some advice that I could give him? I already asked him to go to a beetle fight with me next week and he agreed! Even though he’s so busy he agreed. He’s such a capable guy despite his size! I don’t think he needs more muscles he’s cute the way he is and still very strong!

Shinobu (do you remember her? I mentioned her a few times in other letters! She’s kinda my right-hand man, okay woman, in my gang!) told me I shouldn’t bother him too much because he’s so busy. I’m sure he doesn’t mind or he would’ve told me, right?

I like being with him so I hope I’m not pressuring him. What do you think?

Yours truly,

The One and Only Arataki Itto

PS: Agh I wanted to challenge Sara to another fight this week too but I might have to postpone it if Gorou says it’s the only day he has time! She never agreed on a fight but might as well try…

PPS: I really want to touch his ears do you think it’s weird if I ask him again? People say they bring luck but I also just think they look very fluffy! So different from my horns.

PPPS: Should I give him a present or something??? Is gifting him a beetle weird?

 

Gorou felt his face heating up as he read Itto’s letter.

He had always found Itto’s open nature and strong spirit endearing in his letters but they had never affected him. He was okay with reading about Itto talking about how strong Kujou Sara was but still wanting to beat her face on in a fight, and also how much he appreciated his gang or loved his granny, but reading about him praising Gorou was something else.

Now Gorou was the one who felt all weird. Wait, did Yae read this one too? Gorou wanted to avoid meeting her. He could already imagine the look on her face the next time they crossed paths. She would probably not even say anything and just smile which was just as bad.

Why was he even so embarrassed? Itto was just a very earnest and eager friend. Nothing more. And yet Gorou couldn’t just come up with an answer on spot. He walked around all day thinking about the letter and carrying it with him. Sometimes, he’d take it out and reread the lines and try to come up with an answer. Most of the time, he would just hold the pages against his face and scream in to it when nobody was around. He never expected one of his fans' letter to bring him both so much frustration and joy. Why did Itto calling him cute make Gorou’s heart jump? It shouldn’t. He wanted to get stronger and bigger, not as big as Itto but at least bigger than he was right now. And yet he couldn’t help but smile.

Dear Arataki Itto,

I am pleased to hear that you listened to my advice and got closer to your friend in question. I am sure he appreciates your earnest friendship and how much thought you put into your meetings.

If your friend wants to gain muscles, I am sure he has already tried a lot of things. Consistent workout and having a clear goal is the key. Encourage him not to give up just because he doesn’t show any signs of improvement in his body yet! Things take time, and everyone’s body is built differently. Taking in the right nutrition is important too, so remember to eat healthily. Maybe you two can work out together, or you can spar with him? However, also keep in mind that since everyone’s body is different, not everyone can build muscles quickly or as much! That shouldn’t discourage you, since appearance isn’t as important as how you feel. If you are strong and healthy, that is already enough.

If your friend agreed to meet you, he probably wants to spend time with you as well. Don’t push him too much and give him space though since he might not always have time for you. That doesn’t mean he wants to be around you. I am sure Miss Kujou Sara would understand if you didn’t challenge her to a fight for one week.

As for gifting him a beetle, if this is his first beetle fight, that might be too much. Most people don’t enjoy such things and you should introduce him to that world first! Who knows, maybe he will find a liking to it later as well and you can then still gift him one. But only after talking with him about it! Holding a beetle is after all a big responsibility and not everyone has the time for it.

Sincerely,

Miss Hina

Itto lost. He groaned in frustration.

"What is it, buddy? What’s up with you today?" he asked his beetle. "Are you nervous because you’re performing in front of the General?" Itto looked to Gorou. "Maybe you should encourage him."

Gorou wasn’t quite so sure how he should do it and cleared his throat. "Good luck… beetle," he said.

"That’s not very encouraging."

"Kokomi is the one who is better at this than me," Gorou said.

"That’s not true! I’ve heard a lot of people sing praises to your leading! I’m sure they’re all right," Itto said and put his beetle down again.

"Have you given up?" Ayato asked from the other side.

Itto laughed. "Never! I will have to win at least once!"

"You don’t need to," Gorou said.

"Of course, I do! I invited you here, so I want to show you my best side!" Itto put his hands on his waist and raised his chin. "Besides, Arataki Itto isn’t that easy to beat! Although, I’ve lost quite a few times against Ayato already. Ahh, if I lose all my money I can’t ask you out to eat with me later."

Gorou sat on his tail now so that it wouldn’t wag at Itto’s words. It wasn’t the most comfortable position but the way the gang and others looked at him made him even more embarrassed than he already was. They didn’t all need to know how much those words affected him. "I can pay for myself," he said. "Actually… if you want…" His voice grew smaller towards the end that Itto leaned down to Gorou to be on the same level as him.

He was so close, Gorou thought.

"What is it?"

Gorou looked away. "You can touch my ears. There’s no guarantee, however! It’s just a stupid saying."

Itto’s eyes seemed to sparkle. "Really?"

"Just a little bit," Gorou said quietly. "But not in front of everyone."

Shinobu was eyeing them with raised eyebrows. It was almost the same look Kokomi had given him when Gorou had excused himself for today to spend time with the infamous leader of the Arataki Gang. She hadn’t pressured him to ask what was going on between the two of them and Gorou was thankful for it because he had no words for it either.

"Everyone give me a second! You can start the next match with someone else!" Itto jumped up and just grabbed Gorou. He let out a surprised sound when Itto just picked him up and ran off with Gorou.

God damn it, how did that guy just pick him up so easily like he weighed nothing? Gorou could technically get out of his arms. He was trained in combat and knew every technique to get out of an enemy’s grip but this wasn’t an enemy. And he liked being in Itto’s arms.

Once they were out of sight from everyone, Itto put him down behind a huge tree. Gorou stepped back nervously, his back hitting the tree as he looked up to Itto looming over him. His heartbeat faster at the sight of Itto’s big eyes and how fixated they were on Gorou.

"Can I really touch them?" he asked.

"Yes," Gorou said. "You better treat me something nice when you win."

"Of course! I’ll treat you anything you want!" Itto reached out to Gorou and he almost flinched when Itto touched his ears. Despite his appearance, Itto’s touch was strangely gentle. He was touching Gorou as if he was afraid to hurt him. He knew that Itto didn’t look down on him for being short, so it wasn’t that he thought Gorou was weak. It looked more like he was unsure how further he could go.

"They’re so fluffy," Itto said, amazed. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah. You can… keep going." Gorou looked down. It felt so good to have Itto touch him. A moan almost escaped his lips when Itto’s thumb brushed the inside of his ears and Gorou pressed his lips together.

"Thank you," Itto said. "I’m sure I can win now. I feel all different now too!"

"Different?"

"Yeah, like I could take on the entire world! I wish I always had you around me before I get into a fight… Oh, that would probably be kinda unfair, right? Is this unfair? I want to keep a fight fair, after all."

Gorou shook his head. "It should be fine. It’s not like my ears actually bring luck."

Itto hummed. "It doesn’t matter. It was nice to touch them. Thank you. If you want, you can touch my horns!"

Gorou’s eyes widened. "Okay."

Itto seemed surprised at Gorou’s words and got down on his knees so that Gorou was on the same level. "They’re all yours!"

He didn’t have to go all out like that, Gorou thought. He could’ve just bent down. He reached out to touch the horns. He wasn’t sure how he pictured their texture but it was nice. They weren’t cold but very smooth and hard. It was so different from his ears. His finger went to the top of the horns to the spike and he pressed his thumb gently against it before pulling his arm back.

Then, he noticed how red Itto’s face was. "Is everything okay?"

Itto quickly jumped up on his feet. "Yes, of course! Aha, it was just a little bit new for me."

"Does nobody else touch?"

"They do actually. The kids love to play with them and sometimes decorate them! They do it as a punishment when I lose in games. Which isn’t often, you know. I don’t go easy on opponents, who am I?" Itto scratched the back of his head. "It was just a little bit different when you did it, I guess. Oh, we should get back."

Gorou followed him and ignored the looks of everyone else when they got back and sat down. He couldn’t even help it when his tail was wagging and he was glad that at least Itto sat next to him and couldn’t see it.

Dear Miss Hina,

I haven’t written to you in a while because I’ve been quite busy. That doesn’t mean I don’t need you anymore, I still always read your columns and appreciate your advice! I also look forward to your meet and greet soon. I have just been busy lately and also don’t have any problems anymore…

I have one now though but it’s not quite a problem I just need advice.

So, I’ve been hanging out with my friend a lot lately. He’s a very fierce general who has a tight schedule but he always makes time for me so whenever he can hang out I drop everything! (Not everything I wouldn’t just run away in the middle of a fight!)

We’ve been doing all kinds of things. He really brings me good luck in beetle fights even if I don’t touch his ears all the time because it feels like cheating (I want to though! They’re very fluffy! You have ears too, so I hope this isn’t weird or anything. Is it weird?), we go out to eat sometimes, and even spar together as you suggested! He knows everyone from the gang now and everyone knows him and they all agree he’s a great guy. We’ve even met on different islands now and I think the guys from Watatsumi Island like me too now that they know me as their General’s friends!

So, this is all great but here’s where I need your help.

I’ve been feeling different lately about him so I asked Shinobu first. More like, she just talked to me and confronted me about meeting up with him so much. I told her about my troubles and she said that it was only natural and that I like him.

Like romantically!

Do you think I do? I’m confused but I like being with him and I don’t want things to change. What if he doesn’t like me back? We’ve just become friends and I look forward to meeting him! I think he does too because whenever we meet, his tail always wags. It’s very cute! I thought he does that with everyone but Shinobu told me he doesn’t.

What do you think? Please help, I never asked you for love advice before but I don’t know who else to ask! Shinobu isn’t that much better in romance either and I even asked another friend (I don’t want to name names here but we’re really tight and she is better at advice than expected! Even if she always steals away the kid’s attention from me…) and she just told me I should ask him out!

What does she mean by that, haven’t we already been hanging out all the time? What even is so different from a date and what we do?

Yours truly,

The One and Only Arataki Itto

Gorou couldn’t sit still ever since he got that letter. He hasn’t replied to it yet and also hasn’t reread it because he felt like he would explode if he did.

Itto liked him. Or at least, he might do. Gorou wasn’t so sure. He couldn’t just send him a letter back and say that he did like Gorou, as much as Gorou wanted to push their relationship further. What Itto said also applied to Gorou. He liked spending time with Itto and he didn’t want to mess things up as well. He felt like everyone already knew about them, he’s heard a few teasings here and there already.

And Itto’s comment about Gorou’s tail just made it worse. He noticed. He noticed how Gorou’s ears would stand up and his tail would wag whenever they were close to each other. No matter how great his poker face was, he couldn’t hide his affection for the Oni.

The next day, Yae came to him.

"Did you read the letters?" Gorou asked.

"What letters?" she responded.

"You know… Arataki Itto’s."

Yae smiled slyly. In times like these, it reminded him how much of a fox she was. "I didn’t," she said, "I noticed early on that those letters were of different, hm, nature than the usual letters he would send. I thought I should keep you two that little privacy."

It didn’t matter that she didn’t read it, she knew as well. Gorou felt like everyone in Inazuma knew. He was hiding his face behind his palms. Even Kokomi had confronted him last night about it because he couldn’t sleep and had been training in the night outside. She had also pulled an all-nighter and after a talk with her, he felt more at ease but now that it was the next day, Gorou was all giddy once again.

"That doesn’t matter," Yae said, "I am here because of something else."

"Do you need to talk to her Excellency?" Gorou asked.

"No, I am here for you. Did you forget the meet and greet?"

Gorou’s face paled. "No, but what do you even want to do? I’m not Miss Hina."

Yae smiled and Gorou felt uneasy. "I don’t know what that smile means," he said.

"You could be Miss Hina." Yae stepped closer and raised his chin. "You have a pretty face. We can fix you up to be Miss Hina."

"No way!" Gorou said and stepped back. "It’d be too obvious. And your Miss Hina dresses in a way I could never dress. I don’t have," Gorou looked down on his flat chest.

"Nothing we can’t change," Yae said, "you just don’t have to dress as revealing as her."

Gorou remembered Itto’s letter and him mentioning the meet and greet. Oh. No. Yae was reading his expression well and she tilted her head. "Is there another problem?"

"Itto will be there! There’s no way he won’t know," he said.

Yae smiled. "Don’t worry, that Oni won’t be able to tell when I’m done with you. Think about your fans!"

His fans would probably all know too. Gorou was not so sure how great Yae’s skills to change his appearance were to be this confident but he was dreading it. "Okay," he said with his shoulders slumped. "But if people notice—"

"Don’t worry. I will take responsibility."

Dear Miss Hina,

I know you haven’t answered yet but I guess it hasn’t been so long since my last letter! You are busy after all preparing for the meet and greet, right? I really look forward to it!

I don’t need you to answer me anymore because I have come to a conclusion myself.

I like him!

Obviously, I do. I should’ve known when he touched my horns and I felt all warm inside. I also like how cute he is when his tail wags in excitement when he sees me. I wish I could touch his tail… He’s also so strong! Can you believe it? Obviously, you have no idea who he is but he is very small but I break into so much sweat when we spar!

When I said I don’t want things to change between us anymore, I was wrong. I want things to change because I want to touch him! And kiss him! And go on dates. But I still don’t know how to plan a successful date… or to confess? Can you help me?

 Yours truly,

The One and Only Arataki Itto (who hopefully soon has a boyfriend!)

PS.: Can’t wait to meet you soon! I can barely sleep!

"I can’t answer this," Gorou said.

"Why not?"

"What am I supposed to say? I feel like an asshole. He doesn’t know this is me!" he cried out.

Kokomi was sitting in front of him in her chair, listening to Gorou musing about his current crisis. "But you like him too, do you not? Isn’t this rather cute?"

"What if he gets mad when he finds out? What if when we meet tomorrow he realizes I am Miss Hina and then he hates me and doesn’t want to be with me anymore?" Gorou asked. He was scared. He had been lying to Itto for so long now and now slowly it was dawning on him how awful that was of him.

Itto had been nothing but kind and honest to Gorou while Gorou was just deceiving him and preying on his kindness. It was so wrong of him.

"Gorou, I think Miss Yae did a great job on you," Kokomi said and she giggled. "My, If I didn’t know you were Gorou, I might mistake you for your older sister too."

Gorou turned around to look in the mirror. Yae had dressed him up as a test before the big day tomorrow and he had to admit, she was great at this. He barely recognized himself, he looked pretty believable. Of course, Miss Hina’s appearance was based on him, so she still had the same fluffy tail and ears, and not too much from his face was changed.

And yet, he looked so different. This get-up gave him a different air around him, one more mature, elevated, and sultry. Was it because of the makeup around his eyes and on his lips? He was not so sure. He tugged on the accessory that Yae had put on his left ear. It was a little uncomfortable but he had to deal with it.

"That makes it even worse," Gorou said, "I’m still deceiving him."

"Gorou, for someone who gives other people advice, one might expect you knew how to give yourself advice," Kokomi said. She got up from her seat and stood next to him with a smile. "I am sure he will understand. He is a nice guy, as you said. Besides, he’s head over heels in love with you."

Gorou blushed at her saying it out loud. He was, wasn’t he?

"I wouldn’t be surprised if he yelled it down the streets of Inazuma City to confess to you," Kokomi added.

Oh no. 

 

Dear Arataki Itto,

I am glad you were able to come to your own answer to the questions about your feelings. As for the confession, you should be sure that you want this. If you do, you should talk to him alone. Maybe go with him to someplace you’re both familiar with and comfortable and you could talk calmly?

There should be no rush when you express how you feel towards him. Keep in mind, that confessions are very important for both people and a private matter.

I wish you great luck with it and look forward to meeting you.

Sincerely,

Miss Hina

Itto couldn’t be overlooked in the line. He stood out with his horns and Gorou had to hold himself together. It was the first time he met him since he read of Itto’s letter where he talked about how he felt towards Gorou.

He wished he could just run towards him and tell him he felt the same. Kokomi was right though, he should know how to give himself advice. The best thing for Gorou to do was get to Itto before he could confess and tell him he was Miss Hina. Itto could then still decide if he liked him or not. Maybe he would need some time for himself.

Gorou was fine with it. As long as Itto didn’t hate him, he would be fine with any reaction. What if he was just disappointed and sad? He didn’t even want to think about those scenarios.

He was busy interacting with his fans and answering questions to them that his thoughts for a moment weren’t drifting around the over-grown Oni anymore. That was until Itto was standing in front of him. His eyes were wide open when he looked down at Gorou. He knew.

"I can explain—"

"Miss Hina! It’s me Arataki Itto!" He bowed to her. "You know who I am, right? If not, then I can—"

"No, I remember you," Gorou said with a smile. "You send me letters often. You’re one of my biggest fans, besides I don’t forget people."

Itto was smiling so brightly that it tugged at Gorou’s heart. He was so excited and Gorou would destroy this moment soon. At least, he would let him live his high just for now.

"Yes, thank you! You’ve helped me so often in the past and of course, recently too." Itto laughed nervously. "If it wasn’t for you, I would have never become close to—," he leaned closer to Goru, "you know. The guy I like."

Gorou’s ears twitched when Itto’s warm breath hit them. "I’m glad I could help."

"You smell really nice." Itto sniffed around her. "Familiar too."

"Oh, it’s a very common perfume," Gorou quickly said.

"Okay. Anyway, it’s great that I can finally meet you in person. I admire you! And er, you look nice in person too," Itto said, trailing off. He was staring at Gorou a bit too much.

Was it weird that Gorou felt jealous? The time was over for Itto as the fan behind them urged him since they wanted to talk to Miss Hina as well.

"Good luck!" Gorou told Itto but he seemed pretty much out of it when he left. What was up with that?

Dear Miss Hina,

You might want to know if I’ve confessed to him yet. I haven’t. I have been avoiding him lately and I feel so bad!

But it’s just that I met someone who is really pretty. And now I feel bad for being attracted to another person. I never was before! Every time I am with him, it’s like nobody else existed to me. Of course, they existed but none of them were as beautiful as he is, you know? And then I meet someone who looks exactly like him and they also have ears and a tail… am I fetishizing dog people?

I know this sounds like I’m talking about you, but I’m not! Would be pretty weird if I told you this if it was about you, right? Haha.

Now I’m unsure. I still know I like him but I’m so conflicted because I feel like a cheater. Even though I am not. They just looked so much like him! I told Shinobu and she just called me an idiot which was pretty unfair. She never dated anyone and also she still hasn’t asked out Yoimiya a friend even though it’s clear she likes her too!

What do I do????

Yours truly,

Arataki Itto (without a boyfriend)

After Gorou received this letter and found out why Itto hasn’t contacted him since that day anymore, he knew it was now on him to take action. He had been anxious about it, thinking that Itto had found out and resorted to giving Gorou the silent treatment.

This was getting ridiculous, so Gorou had to put an end to it.

He asked Kokomi to let him off for a few hours and she said he could take off the entire day instead. He just barged into the place where the Arataki gang stayed without announcement. It’s been a while since he’s been here since even before he’s been busy with preparing for the Meet and Greet that a lot of them were excited to see him.

"It’s good that you’re here. Itto’s been weird lately," someone told him. "He even met Kujou Sara yesterday and he didn’t even try to fight her."

Gorou felt bad about it. If he had been honest from the start, Itto wouldn’t feel so conflicted right now. It was his fault and he was here to fix it. "Where is he?"

"He’s down there. I think he’s even trying to fish."

Itto and fishing sounded wrong because he couldn’t picture him standing still. Gorou thanked them and walked down to the beach where he found Itto. He wasn’t fishing but standing up to his knees in the water trying to catch fish with his hands.

"Argh! Stay here! No, why are you so slippery?!"

Gorou laughed upon seeing this and Itto looked up at him. "Oh. I didn’t know you’d come here."

Gorou stepped closer to him. "It’s been a while," he said.

Itto’s shoulders were slumped and he was looking nervous. "I know, I’m sorry. I didn’t avoid you on purpose. Although, I guess I kinda did. I was just figuring things out."

Gorou took another step closer to Itto. His feet were now touching the water as well. It was rather cold but he tried not to show it much.

"Do you dislike me now?" Itto asked.

"Why should I?"

"Because I’ve been avoiding you. Maybe you’re mad. Your tail isn’t even wagging."

Stupid tail. "No, I’m not angry at you," he said. "My tail isn’t wagging because I need to talk to you."

"Oh no. That sounds bad. That’s how Shinobu sounds like when she bails me out of jail. The I’m disappointed in you voice."

"No, that’s not it! I want to apologize."

Itto seemed confused, even tilting his head. His face was so expressive. While Gorou might give away his emotions with his tail, Itto showed everything with his entire body. He was quite an open book.

"I did something unforgivable. You might hate me for it later on but I need to tell you this. Because I appreciate you as a friend," Gorou explained. He had thought on his way to meet Itto a lot about how he would tell him. He had planned every scenario in his head like how Kokomi would plan her meetings. However, now that he was standing in front of Itto, he forgot all preparations.

That was why he was not their leader. Because Gorou was so shaken up just by being in front of Itto that his heart was racing higher and his throat felt dry.

"Hey. I won’t hate you," Itto said, "no matter what. You look nervous, it’s okay, you don’t need to tell me."

"No, I need to. Give me a sec."

Itto stepped towards him and took Gorou’s hand. His hand was so much bigger than Gorou’s but he was already aware of that. He wanted Gorou to touch his ears with those hands again. Not just ears, but in other places too. He wanted to know how those hands felt like when they were wrapped around Gorou’s waist.

He looked up at Itto. "I am Miss Hina."

"Eh?"

"Yae came up with it. The Miss Hina persona, I had no say in it. I was giving people advice all this time, you included. I never thought it would ever get personal," Gorou said. "Please, I know I deceived you but I never thought it would go this far. I didn’t think I would fall for you and I didn’t expect you to like me too. Of course, it is still wrong. I just never thought you would even like… the other me. I apologize for lying to you all this time."

He lowered his head in front of Itto who let his hand go.

Oh no. It was all over. Itto hated him now. When he looked up, Itto was staring at him with his mouth wide open which he then covered with his palms.

"You like me?"

"Yes, and I am Miss Hina—"

"You like me too?!"

Gorou was a bit confused at Itto’s reaction. "Yes, I’m sorry."

"You’re serious? Like, you want to go on a date with me too? And like, kiss me and stuff?"

"Yes, I want to do that too." Gorou was unsure why Itto was asking him all that without even reacting to the other part of Gorou’s speech. Itto just laughed and threw his arms in the air.

"Yes!"

"Wait—"

Before Gorou could get any more words out, Itto picked him up and twirled him around. "You like me too!" He let Gorou down but didn’t let him go, having Gorou’s body be right against Itto’s.

Gorou breathed in sharply. "Are you not mad at me?" he asked.

"No. It’s a bit confusing and I still don’t get it but it makes sense. I was attracted to Miss Hina because she is you. Wow. I should’ve known there’s only one person for me."

Gorou blushed at those earnest words. "I’m still sorry."

Itto laughed. "You can make it up for me."

"How?"

"Kiss me."

Gorou went on his tiptoes. "Get down then," he said, putting his arms around Itto’s neck to pull him down. When their lips met, he could feel that Itto was smiling into their kiss. As uncomfortable as their kiss was due to the height difference, Gorou didn’t mind so much.

He was kissing Itto. And Itto was kissing him back eagerly, leaning down even further until Gorou was falling backward but Itto’s firm grip around him didn’t let him fall. His hands were gripping Gorou’s waist, fingers against Gorou’s naked skin. The touch made him shiver.

When they parted, Itto was still smiling. "I’m so glad I asked you for advice," he said.

Gorou returned that smile. "Me too."

"Shit, everything I said was sooo embarrassing though."

"I was flattered," Gorou admitted. "It was cute. And you can touch my tail if you want to."

Itto hugged Gorou to his chest. "You’re the best!" he exclaimed. "Oh, I need to tell the gang. And Shinobu! Ha, she called me an idiot but look who has the cutest boyfriend in the world."

Gorou buried his face in Itto’s chest. What an idiot. He never wanted to let him go.