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It was a normal day at Mankai. If you said that to any of the Mankai residents, though, they would laugh in your face and ask you what the definition of normal really is. Especially Taichi, who happens to be in the most extraordinary relationship with three of the best people in his still expanding world. Though to make matters worse, they all live together in such close quarters and nobody else acknowledges it. There is never a quiet moment in the dorms and especially not in Taichi’s life. Not when he has Juza, Tenma, and Banri to keep him steady and chaotic all at the same time.
For instance, if one was to peer inside the lounge, they would find Banri and Taichi sitting a little closer to each other than normal buddies usually would, both of their eyes glued to the dirty blonde’s Nintendo Switch. During this moment, Taichi feels content and overall happy. His chest feels warm and fuzzy as he rests his head on Banri’s shoulder, hoping he could somehow channel the positive energy to his cheek and transfer it through the other’s shoulder. He assumed that it worked once he felt a pair of lips on his forehead. Taichi also felt the heat from his chest rise to his cheeks, his forehead where Banri’s lips once were now hot. He became embarrassed and tried to hide his slowly reddening face against the other’s neck, earning a chuckle from the dirty blonde.
“Heh, you’re too cute..”
“Ban-chan! Be quiet!”
And soon enough, the two fell back into a comfortable silence.
Normally, the situation wouldn’t be like this. Most of the time if Banri and Taichi are alone, they would be in room 104 with the door closed. This is to protect their relationship since none of them are ready to come out yet. That doesn’t stop a few secret kisses from slipping by when no one’s watching though. Now, what’s the special occasion the two are in the lounge for? It turns out the two “special occasions” just entered the scene.
“We’re back!”
Banri immediately paused his game once he heard Tenma’s voice and set his Switch down, turning around at the same time as Taichi to see their missing boyfriends. They approached with exhaustion written all over their bodies, covered in sweat and satisfied smiles. So yes, the special occasion is to greet their boyfriends that are coming back from the gym.
This is where things become slightly more chaotic.
“Uh…”
Taichi could only stare, unable to form any coherent words. How could he when his boyfriends are so breathtaking? Banri’s reaction was to become oddly quiet, trying to hide the fact that he’s also staring. There was an unspoken agreement between these two where they would never tell Juza and Tenma how hot they look once they get back from the gym, afraid of not being able to see such a sight anymore.
Taichi had no idea how awkward it must’ve been for the other two until he heard Tenma clear his throat.
“So… I’m going to take a shower. Come on, Juza-san.”
Tenma grabbed Juza’s hand, knowing the other would somehow make the situation more awkward if he stayed behind. Before they could even step forward, the smallest of the four abruptly spoke up.
“W-Wait!”
The three turned their heads to look at Taichi and the abrupt situation that caused him to blush. He looked at Banri for help but was met with an unhelpful raised brow, amusement written all over his stupidly pretty face. Taichi narrowed his eyes to show his distaste before looking over at Tenma and Juza again, expression back to normal. Before he spoke up, Tenma broke the silence for him to spare Taichi from the embarrassment.
“Captivated by our beauty, huh? Wanna take a picture? It lasts lo- hey! Are you actually- Taichi!!”
Tenma immediately dropped the act and took quick strides over to the redhead, immediately regretting the comment he made once he saw Taichi take out his phone to actually take a picture. Juza watched the scene, too oblivious and dense to know why everyone was freaking out. He looked at Banri to see his reaction about their boyfriends messing around, only to catch the other staring. Banri blushed and quickly looked away at their other two boyfriends instead. The tallest of the four sighed quietly to himself and walked closer to the two, pulling Tenma off of Taichi as they had devolved into roughhousing with the redhead’s phone going back and forth between the two.
Tenma easily let himself be pulled away, regaining his composure next to Juza. He turned away from him to look at Taichi, eyes slightly widening once he met the lens on Taichi’s phone.
“Get ready to pose!”
Tenma would be damned if Taichi was able to get another embarrassing picture of him, so he decided to model like the professional he is with a smirk on his face as he wrapped an arm around Juza’s waist. Seeing his other boyfriend’s faces light up red was a sign of victory for him.
“...Taichi.”
Taichi turned around to look at Banri and they both nodded to each other, knowing that the other wants the picture he just took. Tenma had to clear his throat for the second time that day to get everyone’s attention back on track.
“You two okay?”
Tenma walked toward the two, the smallest hint of a smirk still on his face.
“Did I blow you guys away? Here, Taichi, take another one.”
The bright-haired boy posed again, this time showing off his biceps. His smirk only grew at the sight of Banri becoming more flustered.
“Tch, that’s not impressive! Look at this!”
Banri’s competitive side kicked in, causing him to stand up and start flexing his own biceps in return. Taichi had no clue who to keep his eyes on, trying not to hide his red face in his hands.
While the redhead experienced his internal gay crisis, Juza had his own problem; he wanted to be involved, feeling a little left out of the situation. So, he did the first thing that came to mind. The idea he followed through with was to walk over to Tenma and pick him up bridal style. He had done it with such ease that would make any person believe that Summer troupe’s leader only weighed 20 pounds. Once it happened, it aroused an array of reactions.
“GYAAH! Juza-san!!”
“Juza-san! So cool!”
“Oi, Hyodo! The hell!?”
Juza only shrugged, glancing around the room before placing a quick kiss on Tenma’s forehead. This only caused Tenma to become more flustered.
“P-Put me down! This isn’t funny!!”
The boy with vivid orange hair had the smallest pout growing on his face that everyone silently agreed is the cutest thing. Juza wasn’t fazed at all, having been with Tenma long enough to be used to his tsundere ways. Banri, always having been more emotional and vocal than Juza, took a few steps closer to the two with a small hint of agitation on his face.
“We were in the middle of somethin’! Are you tryin’ to one-up me? I won’t be outdone by you!”
Banri, dead set on his train of thought, suddenly decided to pick up Taichi and hold him the same way Juza was holding Tenma. This elicited a small yelp of surprise from the redhead, the smaller of the two clinging onto his boyfriend’s leopard print jacket. It also brought out a response from Tenma.
“Banri-san what are you doing? This isn’t a competition!”
Juza slightly narrowed his eyes, making eye contact with his boyfriend— the person he would never lose to— across the room.
“...Now it is.”
Taichi widened his eyes at the declaration while Banri smirked, acting as smug as ever.
“Bring it on! Whoever drops their boyfriend first loses and has to treat the other three to dinner.”
The brunette lowered his voice near the end, holding Taichi closer to his chest. Of course, no comment can go without a response with these four together.
“Do you mean it, Ban-chan?”
“‘Course I mean it! I’ll make sure Juza doesn’t pick some cheap ass place either.”
“Hell yeah! Free food! Are you excited, Ten-chan?”
“I- I guess I can’t deny free food..”
Banri would never admit it out loud, but he became somewhat nervous about the possibility of losing. He knows his boyfriends all too well to know that Juza might secretly be a horse because of how much he eats without getting full, Taichi wouldn’t go easy on his wallet (on purpose, that adorable little shit), and Tenma has refined taste— being a rich kid and all— and would destroy his wallet without intending to do so (unlike Taichi).
Juza also began to have secret worries, thinking about how he doesn’t have a credit card like Banri does so he can’t afford to do any reckless spending. When he truly considered it, he realized that anything that has to do with his boyfriends can be pretty reckless, so yeah. He’s definitely terrified.
Both boys were snapped out of their thoughts by hearing a loud laugh.
“Ten-chan! You’re still so red!”
“Sh-Shut up! No, I’m not!”
“Haha! Are too!”
Banri looked at the boy in Juza’s arms and sure enough, Tenma adorned a bright red blush on his face. ‘It’s really cute’, they all thought and knew it to be true. The dirty blonde couldn’t help but join Taichi in his laughter, the smallest of the group having the most contagious positive vibes that never fail to seep into his heart.
“Whaddya’ so red for, hah? Afraid Hyodo’s gonna drop ya’?”
Oh, so badly did Juza want to slap the smirk off of Banri’s face.
“I’m not droppin’ him. He knows that too, right?”
Looking up to meet Juza’s eyes, Tenma could only make a strangled noise in response, still too embarrassed.
Ten minutes later, both Banri and Juza are still going strong, feeling like they can hold their respective boyfriend all day. And that’s exactly what Banri claimed.
“Pssh, this is so easy! I could hold Taichi all day long!”
“That’s ‘cus he’s lighter than Tenma.”
“Haah? You sayin’ somethin’?”
At this point, Taichi and Tenma were just staring at each other as their boyfriends bickered back and forth. Wanting a change of pace, the redhead decided to speak up.
“Uh, yeah! That means he’s at a disadvantage! We should do something about that! Like, uh…like I can make things more difficult for Ban-chan! Watch!”
Banri watched wearily as Taichi maneuvered himself into a very awkward and uncomfortable position, reaching his hand towards his- oh no.
“Taichi! Don’t you dare!”
It took every fiber in Banri’s being to not drop the redhead once he felt the lightest touch on his side. Of course. Of course! Of fucking course Taichi would aim for where he’s ticklish. It didn’t make things easier once he heard Tenma snicker and Juza exhale in silent laughter.
“Shut up, all of you! It’s- pff- not funny! And that can’t possibly be comfortable, Taichi!”
Taichi looked up at Banri from the weird angle he had positioned himself in, smiling that cute and innocent smile of his.
“You’re right, but it’s fine! I wouldn’t be a nice person if I didn’t make things fair for Juza-san, right?”
“Oh, you’re so gonna get it later…”
Banri continued to suffer for a solid five minutes after that, Taichi soon becoming too uncomfortable in the unnatural position. Banri was also growing a steady poker face, so there’s that too, much to the redhead’s disappointment. After that moment, things seemed to be in a deadlock. A tense silence filled the air around them, nobody daring to speak. It wasn’t until another presence entered the room that the situation began to change.
“Hey, what’s going on in here?”
All four boys immediately turned their heads to look at Tsumugi entering the lounge, wearing a rather confused expression. All four boyfriends looked between each other, trying to silently figure out who would speak up first. What were they doing, exactly? Competing to see who would drop who first? ‘Wow’ was a collective thought the four shared, the realization of the situation hitting them all at once. Tenma only felt more embarrassed after that, not daring to look back at Tsumugi. Juza was admittedly embarrassed too, but kept it to himself, as stone-faced as ever. On the other hand, team BanTai were completely fine. Well, looks like they know who is about to speak up.
“Hey, Tsumugi-san! We’re just having a friendly competition!”
Just as bright as ever, Banri thinks. Hold on...that was gay. Keep it together, Banri!
“Ah, Tsumugi-san. Don’t mind us. This’ll be over soon.”
Tsumugi nods slowly, studying the four boys and how frantic they appear to be. ‘How interesting’, he thinks. This goes unnoticed due to Banri’s sudden comment.
“I think Hyodo’s about to cave soon anyway.”
“Haah? Am not.”
“Your arms are shaking!”
“Maybe in your bad eyes they are.”
“The hell kinda insult is that?”
Tsumugi effectively stopped the trivial arguing by clearing his throat, a knowing smile on his face.
“Sorry. I just need to tell Taichi something and then I’ll leave you four be, okay?”
All eyes were now on Taichi.
“Sure! What’s up?”
“I’ll be going out later, so the only time I can help you with any of your assignments is now. Do you have anything you need help with?”
“Uhh...oh yeah! I do! There’s a math worksheet I need help completing. Thanks for reminding me! Okay, let’s…oh.”
A mutual understanding fell upon the four, realizing that if Taichi was set down then Banri would lose. Apparently, Tsumugi caught the hint from the awkward silence, too.
“Is there...a way for all of you to resume this later?”
Even if Banri hated to admit it, he knew that Juza wouldn’t let them engage in this child’s play later in the day.
“Hey, Taichi. Want me to help ya with your math instead?”
“No offense Ban-chan, but you’re an awful tutor.”
“Oi! Be nice if you’re gonna reject my help! Or at least hesitate a little before ya say it!”
While the pair began to bicker lightheartedly, Juza tried to brainstorm some ideas. Of course he wanted to win but having a win handed to you is never satisfying.
“How about Chikage-san? He tutors you sometimes, right Tenma?”
Looking down at Tenma, he could already see the confusion on his boyfriend’s face. His poker face really is the worst.
“Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?”
“He can probably help Taichi with his homework then, right?”
“Good thinking, Juza-san!”
“Ah? Did Hyodo say somethin’ smart for once?”
With a quiet sigh, Tsumugi interjected.
“Normally, I’m sure Chikage-san would be able to help you but... he’s busy tonight, too.”
When all four boys turned to look at Tsumugi, only Banri noticed the faint blush on his cheeks. He had his suspicions but would spare his friend and not point it out, hoping to use his silence as a chance to obtain free coffee later.
“Hm. Itaru-san sometimes helps me and Kumon with our work. You can ask him to help you later, Taichi.”
After Juza spoke, Tsumugi’s blush became a bit more noticeable to the point where all four boys noticed. Banri kissed his chance at free coffee goodbye, knowing that keeping silent about the obvious wouldn’t result in any sort of grand prize.
“He’ll be busy as well. He’s...also going out.”
With the dead-end being hit, another round of silence fell upon the group, giving poor Tsumugi time to calm his blush. After what felt like an hour, Banri spoke up.
“...Is this math paper really that important? You won’t fail if you don’t turn it in, right?”
As expected, the bizarre question extracted an array of bizarre answers.
“Oi, Settsu!”
“Banri-kun…”
“Now that I think about it, probably not?”
“Probably not? Taichi! If you get stuck in supplementary classes because of this then I’m not waiting for you after school anymore. Geez…”
Banri, still clinging to a possible victory, decided to tune out everyone else besides Taichi.
“So you won’t fail. Then let’s continue, yeah?”
Before Taichi could agree on any sort of answer that would enable Banri, Juza interjected with a stern voice.
“No. Taichi, please do your work. If you do then Settsu will have to buy us dinner.”
Another unspoken promise could be seen in Juza’s eyes, a soft look contrasting to his voice that promised a hug and kisses later in the evening. For Taichi, that was more than enough to convince him.
“Okay! Ban-chan, let go!”
“Oi Hyodo! You played dirty, didn’t ya’?”
Banri narrowed his eyes at Juza from the lack of response, the subtle smug grin on the tallest of the group’s face only pissing him off more. The process of placing Taichi back on the ground became a slow one, Banri holding intense eye contact with Juza the whole time this happened, a dissatisfied look on his face. Taichi and Tenma both looked back and forth between the two, Taichi holding back a grin while Tenma sighed. If looks could kill...Tenma suppressed a shudder and had to look away from Banri and only keep his eyes on Juza’s pretty face. How does Juza look so unphased?
Taichi’s feet eventually hit the ground, Tenma now forcing Juza to put him down at that point since “the competition is over!” Taichi smiled despite his team losing and voiced his opinion.
“That was fun! We should do that again one day!”
Mixed reactions came out of the rest of his boyfriends.
“No way! I’m not being picked up like that again!”
“Hell yeah! I want a rematch!”
And then, only a shrug from Juza, but a fire lit up his eyes to signal a silent agreement.
The four would have been caught in another round of playful banter if it wasn’t for Tsumugi stepping closer.
“Sorry to interrupt your fun but I need to help Taichi-kun out with his math. We’ll be done soon, so don’t worry about waiting for too long. Oh, and Banri-kun? Have fun picking out a place to eat.”
The most innocent smile was sent to Banri, who was stuck on how to reply. He ended up brushing Tsumugi off, wondering if the jiangshi that possessed Taichi that one day suddenly decided to reside in Tsumugi’s soul based off of his evil response.
“Yeah, whatever…”
Taichi laughed and looked at Tsumugi, eyes shining with surprise and fascination.
“Tsumugi-san that was so savage! I can’t believe you just said that!”
“...Savage? I’m sorry, I don’t think I know what that means in this context…”
“Oh, that’s okay! I’ll explain on the way to my room!”
He turned to his three boyfriends and waved before turning back to Tsumugi, holding onto his hand to drag him along.
“Bye, guys!”
“Wait, Taichi-kun- slow down!”
It didn’t take long for Taichi to calm down, the two walking in comfortable silence until Tsumugi decided to ask a question that had been plaguing his mind for quite a while.
“Hey, Taichi-kun?”
Taichi turned his head to look at Tsumugi, perking up slightly at hearing his name.
“What’s up?”
“Are you in a relationship with those three?”
Taichi stopped dead in his tracks and the same look came back to his bright eyes: surprise and fascination.
“What? How did you know?! I thought we were doing a really good job at keeping it a secret! Are we that obvious? Do you think other people know!?”
Tsumugi cut off Taichi’s growing worries with a small laugh.
“I majored in psychology, remember? I’m good at reading people.”
Silence hung in the air for a few seconds.
“Oh. I remember now! But please don’t tell anyone, okay? I hope they don’t get mad at me for telling you.”
Tsumugi smiled, patting Taichi on his shoulder before opening the door to room 105, glancing around to make sure there are no signs of Omi before closing the door after they both entered. He turned to look back at the slowly growing nervous boy and kept his hand placed on Taichi’s shoulder.
“Since I know a secret of yours, how about I tell you a secret that I have?”
Tsumugi admittedly became a tad bit nervous after seeing Taichi nod, not having opened up about this to anyone either like his junior. It humored him to think about how similar their situations are.
“You know how I said that Itaru-kun and Chikage-san are busy later today? Ahaha, well...we’re actually going on a date tonight.”
Any sort of worry disappeared at Taichi’s reaction, the comical gasp and signs of excitement reassuring Tsumugi that he shared his secret to the right person.
“That’s so cool! I hope you guys have an awesome date, then! Oh, and thanks for telling me your secret! It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one experiencing this type of relationship.”
“I understand what you mean. You have a fun time eating to your heart’s content tonight, okay?”
Taichi couldn’t stop the wide smile from spreading on his face, it becoming contagious as Tsumugi matched his facial expression.
“I will! And this is still a secret, right?”
“Your secret’s safe with me. Now, ready to start on your math?”
After Taichi’s miniature study session with Tsumugi, he walked back out to the main room to find his three boyfriends sitting next to each other, Tenma sandwiched in between, watching some sort of video on what he assumed was Banri’s phone. The wide smile that was once on his face returned while he looked at the heartwarming sight. His mind wandered back to how lucky he is to have his boyfriends and he didn’t notice he began to daydream until Banri called out to him.
“Oi, Taichi. You okay?”
“Oh, sorry! I’m okay. What are you guys watching?”
Taichi walked closer to his favorite people and sat down next to Banri, leaning against him to get a better look. While the video played, Taichi only blankly stared at the screen, mind drifting off into his daydreams again. He started thinking about how strange his situation is, dating three people and all. It’s definitely not normal and some might even consider it weird. Despite this, the redhead can only think to himself how much he loves his normal he created with Banri, Juza, and Tenma. No matter what happens, Taichi is confident that he will love all three of his boyfriends the same amount and will stick together through the challenges, growing closer in the process. Society wants to dictate a different path for him, a different path for all of them, but going against the standards is the option they collectively chose instead.
Taichi doesn’t regret a single moment of it. This is his normal, and always will be, no matter what other people may think.