Hey, it's been a while

"Should we go, Sensei?"

"Okay."

When dinner ended and everyone had cleaned up, they were hit by exhaustion and thought to go to sleep. Their trip took quite a while, and they were in an excited state for a while, so it was natural for them to be tired. Even more, they were doing something they shouldn't do behind everyone.

This was something that shouldn't be done yet, and somehow, it excited them.

"....." Shishio.

After they decided where to sleep, Shishio and Kiriya walked out of the villa together to the hotel where the movie crew stayed in. The two entered the car and drove out, yet his eyes became subtle when one girl seemed to be watching him from a distance.

'It's been so long, huh?'

Shishio remembered that it had been so long since he had mentioned her. He also hadn't given the right answer yet for her, but she might have gotten restless and wanted to know what their relationship would become from now on.

'It's also unfair to make her wait so long...'

However, it was impossible to change that now since there was something that he had done now.

The two were talking to each other about a random thing they found interesting around the Izu, movies, or even the dinner they had just eaten.

After all, it was Kiriya's first time eating ajillo, and he didn't expect the food would be so delicious even though it was prepared with just a simple ingredient.

However, even though their conversation might seem amicable, Shishio could tell that there was something that Kiriya wanted to ask, yet when Kiriya asked this question, something would change between them.

It was something that Kiriya didn't want to do, especially when they were on holiday.

"Now that you've mentioned it. Kiriya-sensei, don't you have a girlfriend?" Shishio asked casually.

"What? Are you interested in me?" Kiriya asked with a smile.

"Is it not okay to ask this question?" Shishio didn't care about Kiriya's reaction. Instead, he said, "Leaving the students aside since I have a feeling you won't touch a student, you must have a lover or two, right?"

"A lover or two..." Kiriya was speechless and said, "I am not you."

"..." Shishio couldn't say anything in this refutation. Still, he shook his head and asked, "Or are you the type that likes to hide your relationship? If you don't want to tell me, it's alright, though."

"I don't hide it, but no one asks me. Still, to answer your question, I don't have a lover, and I'm still single," Kiriya said frankly. "Do you want to ask why I don't search for one?" He stared at Shishio and waited for a while.

"No, this type of question is often asked by anyone, but frankly, I feel that this question is troublesome. When are you going to search for a girlfriend? I mean, being alone is fine, and to be happy, it doesn't mean that one needs to have love," Shishio said.

"Then, to be happy, what does one need?" Kiriya asked curiously with a smile since he must admit he was so comfortable with Shishio.

"Friendship."

"Friendship?"

"Yeah." Shishio nodded. "It's not the lack of love that makes one unhappy. Instead, it is the lack of friendship. You don't lack one now, so I don't think you're unhappy. As for love, it is a great thing, but sometimes, it is also troublesome." He must admit his days with his girls weren't all rose-colored life. He also often had arguments from time to time, and he would be lying if he wasn't tired, but this was a relationship, right?

Shishio must also admit that the make-up sex was so great that the effort he put into solving their relationship was worth it.

"So you think the highest relationship among people is a friendship?" Kiriya asked.

"I think so." Shishio nodded since he must admit that compared to a couple, the relationship between a friend with benefit was longer. Still, everything depended on the individual, nothing concrete since everyone was different. "It's just my opinion, though. Every person is different, but of course, I can't deny love is also a strong relationship, yet it is also something fleeting." He thought for a while, then shook his head. "Sorry, that's the wrong example."

"Then, what do you think love is like?"

"I guess it's like the bonfire earlier," Shishio said.

"Bonfire?" Kiriya's eyes flickered.

"Yeah, if we add more wood, the flame on the bonfire will be even bigger, but if we add nothing, slowly, it will dim before vanishing into ash." Shishio felt this was the most suitable way to describe what love was. "Love is like that, right? If we do nothing, it'll vanish and disappear, leaving nothing behind." However, he didn't receive an answer from Kiriya. Instead, he saw him writing something on his notes.

"..."

Shishio was speechless but didn't say anything, focusing on driving the car. After all, he felt Kiriya's act was natural since Kiriya was a writer.

Unlike Tokyo, Izu was quiet. Even after they had moved for a while, they hadn't seen any vehicles along the way. Even the existence of street lights was quite scant, leaving them with the brightness of the car light and the stars.

"Then, if it disappears, what'll happen to the pair?" Kiriya suddenly asked.

"What will happen?" Shishio didn't answer immediately but thought for two seconds and said, "I guess they will be either flame or ash."

"Flame or ash?"

"If they become a flame, they will burn something else and create another love, but if they become ash, they'll be decadent since the damage caused by love isn't something easy to solve."

Frankly, Shishio must admit the feeling of love was scary since it made people unpredictable. While he might not have said it, he often had stalkers that followed him. His appearance was handsome, so handsome that it would make people stare at him after they saw him. Even if they looked away, they would take a second glance at him.

If Shishio was gay, Kiriya was sure that he would make a move on him.

"That's true." Kiriya nodded since he knew how heavy a feeling known as love was. It often brings misery, and one might even die for it.

When one's life is all about love, one will be able to do anything. Even when they want to die together, they will be able to do it since death as a couple isn't dead, not even for unbelievers. What distresses them isn't losing a life but losing what gives it meaning.

When love is our whole life, what difference is there between living together and dying together?

However, Shishio must admit that taking this difficult topic took a lot of his calories. "Sensei, I want to eat something first."

"Alright, I also want to eat too." It wasn't that Kiriya hadn't eaten, but he didn't want to fight the dinner with the girls, so he didn't eat much. He also felt slightly tired after talking for so long with him regarding a human relationship.

As for whether Kiriya had a relationship or not, it wasn't a problem for the two since they wanted to fill their stomachs. After parking the car, they went into the nearby restaurant and entered it without hesitation. The only thing that they hesitated about was the fact there was only one menu.

"Tonkatsu?"

Eating something so heavy and oily might be something unbelievable for every girl, but neither of them had a problem with it.

Hearing their order, the chef also prepared the orders.

The sound of the sizzling oil and the sports commentator on the television mixed together. It might be because they were quite late that only two customers were inside, eating silently, without interrupting anyone.

"Please enjoy."

After waiting for a while, the chef gave their order.

The bright-colored egg was mixed with the crunchy, meaty tonkatsu topped on top of the glistening rice.

The appearance of this dish made their appetite rise, and they ate without hesitation.

Meat, crispy batter, egg, sauce, and rice in this dish created harmony, and they must admit this taste delicious.

Shishio then looked at the chef and asked, "Can I get another one? If possible, I want to bring it back."

The chef nodded and prepared another tonkatsu for Shishio.

Neither of them talked much when they ate.

Still, Shishio knew that Kiriya still wanted to ask him something, but Kiriya didn't really want to. However, he wouldn't open his mouth regarding this matter and just kept quiet, maintaining the status quo between them.

After they had eaten, they went to the hotel, but Kiriya looked at Shishio weirdly and asked, "You don't want to enter?"

"I'll enter from somewhere," Shishio said and walked to the side of the building.

"...." Kiriya was speechless, but he didn't say much and entered the hotel since he must admit there were many things that he wanted to discuss with the director.

On the other hand, Shishio walked toward the building on edge before climbing up to the second floor, walking through the roof's eaves. Even though the hotel was quite good, it wasn't the best. After all, the total budget for the movie wasn't much, so they could only stay in the business hotel. Yet they didn't complain. Instead, they had gotten used to it.

This hotel was also several times better than the one the movie crew usually stayed at. Even sometimes, they could only go home and eat normal food.

However, this was a normal treatment since this movie was planned to be put at the Venice Film Festival.

Anyway, Shishio knocked on the window of the room where Mai stayed. "Mai, I am here." Then, he heard the abrupt sound of the window being opened. There he saw she was surprised to see him. He then raised his hand and showed the thing in his hand. "I brought you a tonka—" He hadn't finished his words, but he was pulled inside, and she threw away his pants.

"You're too thirsty..." Shishio was speechless.

Mai blushed and then asked, "You don't want to?"

"Who has ever said that?"

Shishio caressed her cheek, and the image where she danced was still on his mind as if it was burnt right into his mind. Yet he was still greedy and put his hand into her snow-white breasts.

Mai held her voice and didn't slap his hand since this was something that she wanted to do. However, she was quite confused since he suddenly stopped. "Why did you stop?"

"We haven't closed the window." Even though he knew no one would peek at them, especially when he had checked it previously. It was better to be careful, right?

"Done?"

When Shishio turned, he saw Mai was already naked, showing her seductive body, tempting him, and erasing his reasoning.

The two were like a pair of moths in front of the fire. They were dancing around the fire, attracted by it, before they jumped into the fiery passion.