I Want to Hear Your Voice

Satori closed his eyes tightly.
Tears spilled down from his eyes.

Sousuke.
Sousuke.
Sousuke.

It was like there was a huge flood inside his chest.

“…What a face you’ve got there.”

(Please, don’t cry.)

Despite the troubled tone, Sousuke’s words sounded gentle.

“Come on, sit down there.”

As Satori sat down in the chair meekly, Sousuke rolled up the sleeves of his shirt.
Warm water poured down from above his head.
Sousuke put the head of the hose in Satori’s hand for the time being.

“Hold this against your body.”

Then, Sousuke poured some liquid that had a very nice smell on his hand and applied it to Satori’s hair.
Satori was entranced by the warm water hitting his stomach and the gentle touch of Sousuke’s fingers.
 His eyelids felt like they were about to fall off.

“Look down.”

“Hm?”

Satori, who was in a daze, didn’t understand what Sousuke was saying, and he reflexively looked up.
He was started by the large amount of foams and hot water that suddenly flowed onto his face.
The foams got into his eyes, and it really hurt.

“Ugh…”

“Whoa.
I told you to look down, you idiot.
How could someone look upwards when they’re washing their hair?”

Sousuke hurriedly washed off the foam that had flowed down to Satori’s face.
As his face was wiped with a towel, the pain in Satori’s eyes finally subsided.
Even so, it still felt slightly uncomfortable, so Satori blinked his eyes several times.

(He’s really like a kid…)

“Just how have you been living all this time…?”

(I guess we don’t need to use hair conditioner for today.
Let’s save it for next time.)

Sousuke muttered those words in exhaustion and removed the plug that covered the bathtub drain.
Then he put in some kind of powder, and the water became slightly colored.

“Make sure to warm up properly before you come out.”

Sousuke walked out of the bathroom, leaving Satori alone.

When Satori got out of the bathroom, this time Sousuke came to take his place and take a bath.
Satori sat down on the sofa in the living room with his body all warmed up.
The change of clothes that Sousuke had prepared for him was just a little bit too big.
Satori wondered if it was Sousuke’s clothes, and the thought made him want to roll around on the floor.

“Hehehe.”

My stomach feels somewhat warm and tingly.

As he lay down on the sofa while looking at the ceiling, Satori felt as if he were still dreaming.

“So this is where Sousuke lives.”

Satori suddenly felt a twinge of pain deep in his chest, and tears trickled down from the rims of his eyes into his ears.
Satori rubbed his eyes and sat up.
He thought that all of this was good enough.
He was able to see Sousuke.
He reunited with him and could see him grow into a fine adult.
He learned that Sousuke had achieved his dream of becoming an announcer, which he had wanted to be when he was a child.
He also learned that Sousuke was still as kind as he had always been in the past.
On top of it, he was currently in Sousuke’s house, waiting for him to come out of the bath.
What else could he wish for?

At that moment, Sousuke came out of the bath.
He had changed into something more comfortable than the clothes he had worn earlier.
He looked much more relaxed now as he rubbed his wet hair with a towel hanging from his shoulder.
Each of Sousuke’s gestures felt so new and refreshing that Satori couldn’t take his eyes away from him.
When Sousuke noticed Satori, he narrowed his eyes.

“You’re gonna catch a cold.”

(You’re really a handful, aren’t you?)

Having said that, Sousuke then took the towel that was draped over his shoulder and patted Satori’s wet hair dry with it.

Sousuke’s body had the same smell as Satori’s now.
No, it was Satori’s smell which became the same as Sousuke’s.
It was a pleasant and very comforting smell.
Satori was entranced.
When he was together with Sousuke, he felt like he was being treasured, not a tiny spirit who was hated by everyone.
It had always been like that since Sousuke was a child.
It was Sousuke’s behavior that made Satori feel that way.

“Okay.
It’s done now.”

Sousuke removed his hand from Satori’s head.
He picked up the towel he had been using and then disappeared somewhere again.
From Satori’s position, there was a bookshelf that hid his view, so he couldn’t see Sousuke.

The faint sounds that Sousuke made eased Satori’s mind.
He blinked his eyes several times.

“Just a little bit more”, Satori made an excuse to himself.
Satori rested his head on the back of the sofa.

I’ll wake up as soon as Sousuke comes back.
So, can I stay here just a little bit more?

After all, this place is so comfortable and calming.
It makes me feel that I’m allowed to stay here.

As Satori felt relaxed and dozed off, he then fell asleep.