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It starts when Yosuke receives a package outside his door.
There's no sender's name written atop the package, and no message upon it either -- Nothing but his name written in a neat scrawl across the soft paper.
At first he wonders if it's a prank, something some person or people at school thought would be funny to do, because really, who would pass up the chance to mess with the inheritor of Junes?
But he realises about five seconds later that no, that's not right -- It couldn't be when this unknown identity has obviously put in effort. If it were meant to make fun of him, the neat handwriting would be messy and downright degrading, probably, but it isn't. And the paper this person chooses to use -- It isn't some random bookstore packaging. No, it looks ... not exactly fancy, but nice enough. Definitely not subjecting him to mockery.
So he takes it in, curiosity rising like a kite, and trudges all the way up to his room with barely concealed anticipation. No one could really blame him, right? He's never received this kind of thing before. It's a first, one that Yosuke actually hopes wouldn't be the last. He hasn't even opened the package and he's already thinking that -- He really needs to stop being so pathetic.
The thing is, he doesn't actually get to open it until after dinner. The thing is, he'd had a bath to take and assignments to complete. And that's pretty funny, him doing assignments, but honestly? No student in their right state of mind would want to fail their overall grade. So he at least has to try. Which, don't anyone dare say otherwise, he does. Until Teddie came bouncing into his room and bugging him to keep the bear entertained. And he hadn't had the heart to reject the poor boy - uh, not really boy, but he had been in his human form. Not-really-human-boy-bear, then. So of course Yosuke had to play with him. He's kind, right? Right?
Totally right. Yu would agree with him.
But the thing is ... you see, the thing is. He had placed the parcel right under his table, out of sight in case someone saw it and decided to take the damn thing (read: Teddie) before he had went about his day.
So, the thing is. He might have maybe, just maybe, perhaps, kinda forgotten about it.
Whoops.
It turns out to be something Yosuke had never thought to expect. At all.
He's staring down at one considerably large tire in his room, cross-legged and very confused, because what the actual heck? He doesn't even drive. Maybe this is a prank after all. But then, how did people even get this thing? And if it's meant to be making fun of him, why spend the money, right? Yosuke doesn't get it. A tire. He's not even legal for that yet.
His confusion turns into blankness eventually, and he is just so done, he doesn't even know if this is real life anymore. The box is shoved under his bed without hesitance, all traces of it gone, and if Teddie one day found and took it, Yosuke doesn't think he'd quite care.
He cannot figure out the meaning behind the sent tire, now dubbed literally as The Case Behind The Mysterious Tire, and really, he isn't a detective, this was a job better meant for Dojima-san. And he couldn't be bothered, anyway. Yosuke takes it as a mistake.
It's probably a mistake.
He receives another parcel, one week later.
When he opens it to find the Partner Tire, Yosuke wants to rip his hair out.
He tells Yu about it.
It doesn't help much, because Yu just offers a sympathetic little smile, not even looking quite that sorry, and tells him that it'll stop eventually. Well, yeah, Yosuke knows that. But he doesn't know when, or better yet, why he's on the given end of a pair of tires, that neither sabotages or helps him. It's killing him, the curiosity, and also the weirdness of it all, because who sends unusual things like that, and why send it to the heir of the Hanamuras, whose family owns a shopping mall? It doesn't even make sense.
But maybe it hadn't from the very start. He slumps in his seat, jaw going slack, and begins his silent countdown.
True to his timer, he comes home to many different parts of something he's supposed to assemble, the following week, and he isn't even surprised anymore, as he takes it in and ignores the blatantly obvious look his parents shoot him, and the excited brightening of Teddie's face.
He thinks he catches sight of pedals. He can't be sure, but there is a rising suspicion building up in him that makes him want to go up to a shrine and hope to whatever god there is out there, if there is one at all, pray tell it isn't what he thinks it is.
When he gets the lasts of the parcels the next week, Yosuke is almost tempted to actually assemble the damn thing, just so he could run whoever that has the galls to send him this over when he finds them. Because, really.
A bicycle. Yosuke is going to kill.
The next course of action, obviously, is to consult Yu about it. Though really, he's tipping just slightly into complaining regions, but that isn't important. The important thing is, Yu is laughing, and Yosuke wants to dunk his partner's head into shaved ice, because what, what, is that his only reaction, really, Yosuke is at a loss here and he's just laughing. He is cheating, too, because he's using the quiet-chuckle-hidden-behind-a-hand thing, and that is completely unfair and should be illegal, especially when people like Yu do it.
He almost wants to say something when Yu finally stops, hand pulling away from the remnants of his smile still lingering on his lips and in his eyes, and he can only chuck if off to yet another reason why Narukami Yu plays absolutely dirty, and why he should just be sent off to jail.
But Yu only says, in a soft, questioning, amused tone, something in stormy orbs brightening with a twinkle, cheek pressed into his pulled away hand and a somewhat sheepish tug of his lips upward, "Surprise?"
Yosuke has to pause, lets his lips stay parted in one second confusion before it clears away into something akin to are you serious and why at the same time. He's definitely not the most intelligent one on their team, but he isn't completely dumb either and he doesn't quite know where to place this feeling, teetering between positive and negative whilst not leaning towards either side.
"Yu," he says dryly, cautiously, though his expression pulls into one of slight betrayal. Of course, he doesn't feel that way, not really, but he wonders if there even is any word that could describe the emotion thrumming through his veins right now. "I have been agonizing over this for how long, and you knew, and now you tell me, surprise?"
And he only frowns when he hears a hum of agreement, before he sits upright, crossing his arms together with a furrow between his brows.
"Totally uncool, man. You could have told me sooner."
Yu only laughs some more, how dare he, but the sound is as melodious as ever, light enough to be brought by the wind in a gentle breeze, tickling his ears and making Yosuke's lip quirk up slightly, too, because how could he help himself, right?
"Sorry. I thought it would be a nice surprise, especially after all that suspense."
"Why would you give me a bicycle, though," he murmurs, arms falling away as he slumps forward, cheek pressing into the cool surface of the table, head tilting to the side as he gazes up at the other questioningly. Sure, what Yu had done for him was really nice, and he cannot even begin to imagine how much it could have possibly cost. How long it had taken for money to be raked up enough. And Yosuke is touched, how could he not be, when he's on the receiving end of such thoughtfulness, ever present in Yu -- how could he not be, when Yu has always given so much, and he's still giving, and what has Yosuke ever given him? He swallows down the sentimental feelings, though, tells himself this is not the time, that this can be saved for another time, when another story is to be told and unfolded between them.
"I thought you needed a new one," he hears Yu saying, in that thinking tone of his whenever he's pondering over something, "and this just seemed like a nice gift. But Yosuke, you know, you really have to start being more careful."
Hand it to his partner to bring his cycling issues up at this moment. Not like he could really blame Yu, because damn, Yosuke knows he has to start being more careful too. He's just lucky he hasn't been in anything drastic with his out of control paddling skills, but how long can he be lucky for, exactly?
"I know, Partner." It doesn't help the way his words come out slightly strained, though, and he cringes slightly, tries to clear his throat and dispel the uncertainty he feels. He doesn't want to sound like he's snapping at Yu, because he's doing anything but that, it's just his voice comes out all wrong and unlike what he had planned for it to come out like. "I know," he tries again, softer this time, gentler, and offers a small grin, because it's still a sore spot when someone talks about this, but Yu is right, and Yosuke knows he's right. "I'll try. And thanks. For the bicycle, I mean."
He anticipates the softening of eyes before he actually sees it, and his grin only widens when Yu offers up a smile of his own, rare as it is. An arm slings around a broad shoulder almost instinctively, because this is habitual to Yosuke and it's too easy to press his fingers into covered flesh, squeezing in appreciation as he breathes out a laugh. There is warmth prancing about his chest, and Yu's response gets lost somewhere in between them as he tips his head forward and swallows the reply in an exchange of breath, letting it spread throughout his veins the moment Yosuke tugs Yu closer and presses their lips together.
When he gets up to receive yet another package the next morning, he dials Yu's number immediately, making an affronted noise when he tears the gift open to reveal safety equipment. He's glad he isn't face to face with Yu, though, because even through the insulted tone he uses, he's smiling, and he knows his partner knows. The only difference this time is that there's a note, too, his name penned in the same neat scrawl he now recognizes, and a simple surprise? written beneath it. Yosuke tucks it away safely, balancing his phone expertly between ear and shoulder as Yu agrees to let him take them on a ride the minute his brand new bicycle has finished assembling.
With that, he picks up the parts and gets on with it.