Another day passed, and the guitars Nemuri bought for Maki finally arrived.
Nemuri was at the condo door when the delivery came. To make sure the package was safely delivered, Mic was there to watch. After all, this was the first time his friend had ordered something—and it was a gift—so Mic decided to come along.
"YO, NEMURI! WHERE DO I PUT THIS?" Mic asked.
"You're even here, Hizashi?" Nemuri said. "Just put it in the living room."
Many of the delivery men were shocked when they realized that the R-18 Hero, Midnight, was the one who had placed the order. Still, they kept their professionalism and did their job properly. They used carts to transport the goods safely.
Nemuri had only ordered a guitar, but Mic, driven by his passion, knew that a guitar alone was an incomplete set. So he added drums, keyboards, speakers, and many other necessary items for a wild show.
As they approached the living room, they noticed a man sitting on the sofa, writing something. He was so focused that he didn't notice them at all.
The delivery men—and even Mic—stared at the man.
He was really handsome. His black hair reached his shoulders, his eyes were dark red, and his frame was well-built, with broad shoulders.
Nemuri coughed loudly enough to draw everyone's attention back.
At the sound of her cough, everyone turned—including Maki, who had been writing.
When Maki looked up, he saw five people in blue uniforms and a tall man wearing distinctive rectangular, orange-tinted sunglasses. His bright blond hair was styled into a massive, gravity-defying upward spike. Around his neck was important support gear—a large, bulky mechanical collar that rested over his shoulders. He wore a black leather jacket with silver studs on the shoulders, matching tight leather pants, black boots with metal plating, and large black headphones over his ears with the word "HAGE" written on them.
Maki tilted his head slightly. He felt like he had seen this man somewhere before—probably while scrolling through the internet.
As Maki stood up, he towered over them.
At this time, Maki was only fifteen years old, yet his height was over 6.9 feet. Mic was about 6.1 feet tall, and the others were even shorter. Standing there, Maki looked like a massive statue.
They watched as he approached.
When he opened his mouth, his voice rang out—deep and soothing to the ear.
Maki looked at Nemuri and said, "Honey, who are they? Are they your friends?"
Then he added, "Do you want me to prepare something?"
Nemuri smiled. "Ah, don't worry. They're just here to deliver some gifts."
"Gifts? What gift?" Maki asked.
"Oh, it's nothing," Nemuri said. "I just saw you writing some things, and I noticed you still didn't have any instruments, so I ordered something for you—"
She was cut off when Maki wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a tight hug.
Maki didn't say anything. He didn't need to. He just hugged her, and that was all she needed.
Their happy moment was interrupted by a loud cough from Present Mic.
"AHEM! YOOO! WHAT'S WITH THIS LOVY-DOVEY STUFFY? LET US DO OUR JOB FIRSTY!"
Maki snapped back to his senses. He carefully put Nemuri down and said apologetically, "I'm sorry. I got too emotional."
Then he added, "Please wait. I'll prepare some refreshments for you guys."
They watched as he walked toward the kitchen.
"NOW, FELLAS, BACK TO WOOOORK!" Mic shouted.
Mic then turned to Nemuri. "SO THAT'S YOUR MAN, HUH? GOOD TASTE—I APPROVE!" He gave her a thumbs-up.
"Fufufufu, stop it, Hizashi," Nemuri said casually. "He's only fifteen years old now."
The room froze.
"WHAAAAAAAAAT?! H-HE'S FIFTEEN?!" Mic shouted. "NEMURI, I'LL CALL THE POLICE RIGHT NOW!" he said jokingly.
"Fufufu, it's not my fault," Nemuri teased. "That's just how things turned out."
"YOOOO! CALM DOWN, MIC!" he said to himself, then continued, "SO THE GUITAR'S FOR HIM, HUH? WELL, ANYWAY, LET'S FINISH THIS FIRST!"
♤
It took thirty minutes for the small group to finally finish setting up all the instruments. After everything was ready, Maki served them refreshments along with his homemade pizza.
Of course, it tasted as heavenly as it looked.
After resting for a bit, the small team bowed politely and returned to their company vehicle before driving away. Present Mic, however, didn't leave with them. He stayed behind for a while, watching the kid—or man—who was now cleaning the table.
Mic turned to Nemuri and asked, "So… what's going on here?" He took a sip of his drink as he spoke.
Nemuri replied calmly, "Well, it's a long story, so let me shorten it for you." She explained how she had met Maki, how they teased each other along the way, and how it eventually led to them living together and calling each other the way they did now.
Mic raised an eyebrow. "What a love story," he said jokingly. "Well, it's not my business."
But then his tone grew serious. "Did you do any research on him?"
Nemuri straightened her posture. "No, I didn't."
"What? You didn't?" Mic asked, clearly worried. "Then how do you know he's telling the truth?"
Nemuri shook her head. "It was my decision. I asked where he wanted to go, and he told me he wanted to live alone. All this time, I've seen that he really can handle things by himself, but—"
"You grew fond of him," Mic finished for her.
Nemuri lifted her latte and took a sip. "Fufufufu… maybe."
Mic ignored her teasing and glanced at the papers scattered across the living room table. "Are these his works?"
Nemuri smiled. "No, no reading, Hizashi. I'll surprise you once he's finished. I want to hear it first, so—no peeking."
"What a cliffhanger," Mic said.
He checked his watch. "Oh, look at the time. I'll head out now. I've got more things to attend to."
Nemuri stood up. "Okay, go back safely."
Just then, Maki came out of the kitchen. Seeing Present Mic about to leave, he asked, "Oh, your friend is already going back?"
He walked over slowly and raised his hand. "Ah, hello. Sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. My name is Maki."
"OHHHH! BOOOY! SO YOUR NAME IS MAKI, HUH? HAHAHAHA!" Mic laughed. "YOU CAN CALL ME HIZASHI—OR BETTER YET, BEST MAN!"
He grabbed Maki's hand, and the two shook hands firmly.
Maki smiled. "Then I'll call you my future best man."
"HAHAHAHA! THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" Mic laughed.
Nemuri added, "Told you—he acts old."
"HAHAHA! YEAH!" Mic said. "WELL, I'LL LEAVE YOU LOVE BIRDS NOW! I'VE GOT PODCASTING TO DO! GOOOOODBYE!"
With that, he hurried out of the condo and drove off on his motorcycle.
Maki looked at Nemuri and slowly stepped closer. He bent down slightly and hugged her again, wrapping his long arms around her waist.
"Thank you, honey," he said softly.
Nemuri smiled. "Oh? Look who's being clingy. If others saw us, they might think I'm your sugar mommy," she teased.
Maki didn't answer right away. "Sugar mommy?" he said lightly. "With that face? Tell me—how old are you?"
"Fufufufu," Nemuri replied. "You don't ask a woman her age."
"Around twenty-five or so, right?" Maki said. "A ten-year gap isn't a big deal."
In his mind, he thought, I was twenty-one before, and now I'm fifteen again… I think I'm actually older than you.
He smiled—and then did something Nemuri didn't expect.
Maki bent down and pressed his lips gently against Nemuri's long, white neck. What started as a soft kiss turned into a gentle bite to her neck leaving a bite mark on her white skin.
Nemuri looked down at Maki's head and said, "What a wild cat I picked up."