Cardigan
Vintage tee, brand new phone
“Sousuke-Kun!” I turned around to see an ecstatic Kou running towards me. I smiled slyly. That
was also when I noticed he’d changed up his style a little bit— He now had shifted towards
wearing more vintage clothes. He’d also gotten a new phone. Whatever this new style was, I did
not mind it one bit. I thought it suited him. But I did have to give him a piece of my personality,
so naturally, I insulted him. He began yelling at me playfully, but I only giggled in response and
motioned for him to come with me; We were supposed to be walking home together after all.
High heels on cobblestones
I ran. I ran all the way until I was out of sight of those boys. Before I knew it, I had begun
crying. I didn’t know why. I could usually defend myself, but I didn’t know what came over me
today.
“Ha Ha, Mitsuba! Wearing heels today?”
“Are you gay?”
“Who are you trying to impress? That blonde idiot?”
“Ugh..” I took a seat on the cobblestoned pathway. Burying my face on my knees, I was about to
start crying again, when I heard a voice.
“Mitsuba-Kun?”
Oh, that sweet voice.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?” I was met with many questions before I just
hugged Kou. He was startled but did hug me back.
We stayed like that for a while.
When you are young, they assume you know nothing
“Have you heard? Sousuke-kun wore heels the other day. I wonder what bought him to do that.”
“Maybe he is gay? What if he likes fellow classmate Kou? The two are super close.”
I listened through the door of the classroom, standing outside the hall. Geez, they’ve started
again. And they assumed I wouldn’t know? Because I’m expected to be some sort of naïve kid? I
shoved the thought out of my brain and ran off to meet up with the Lame Earring Boy.
Sequin smile, black lipstick
“Hahaha Minamoto-Kun, what on earth is on your lips?” I chuckled when he opened the front
door for me. “What? I’m experimenting. Tiara wanted to try makeup on me. We found some in
my mom’s dresser.” He grinned. I admired his sequin smile. “Anyway, come on in! I’ve set up
the Nintendo Switch.” I obeyed, took my shoes off, and wandered inside his house.
Sensual politics
I was walking towards my locker when I passed by two upper-class women. Now, I’m not one to
eavesdrop on someone’s conversation, but this one caught my ear. “Ahh, I’m so happy for you,
Nene-chan! Kou-Kun is a great guy!” the violet-haired exclaimed excitedly. The cream-haired
girl smiled sweetly, “I know Aoi! It’s amazing!” The two girls chatted, but that was all I needed
to hear. Stuffing my belongings into my locker, I ran to the boys’ restroom and had a good cry.
When you are young, they assume you know nothing
A few days passed, and I hadn’t seen Kou-Kun around. Yet. I was walking alone in the park,
listening to my music, looking down at the pavement gloomily when I bumped into someone.
“OW! Watch where you’re going, stupid!” I looked up to find only Minamoto-Kun. I managed to
mumble a small ‘sorry’ and walked right past him. But he grabbed my hand from behind.
“Mitsuba, what’s wrong? Why have you been avoiding me?” My fists clenched, and I yelled out,
“Why don’t you go ask your girlfriend about that!” Kou blinked and stared at me. “W-what?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know, Kou.” I then walked away without waiting for his response,
leaving him standing there.
“I don’t know, though…”
But I knew you, dancing in your Levi’s
That night, I was going through my phone gallery, feeling more bummed than usual, when I
came across pictures of me and Kou. One of them was a video I took of Kou back in December. I
played it to see Kou dancing under the lamppost outside my house. I could hear him laughing
happily and myself laughing along with him from behind the camera. “Wait, you’re recording
this? No! Stop—”
Drunk under a streetlight, I
The next video was Kou on the floor next to the lamppost, in the extreme cold. At that point, it
had begun to snow, and I was bickering at him, telling him, “I think you had too much
Gatorade,” and whatnot. He wouldn’t listen to me and passed out right there. I unknowingly
smiled at the memory.
“Mitsuba… carry me please!” I looked him deadpan in the eyes, “What! No!” but he passed out
at that very moment, and eventually, I did have to carry him.
I threw my phone across the room.
I knew you, hand under my sweatshirt, baby kiss it better, I
“How many times have I told you to stop messing around with the super naturals? You’re hurt
now, look!” I pointed to his arms, as I took out cleansing wipes from the first aid kit and began
tending to his wounds. He only grunted in response. When I put on the Band-Aids and looked up
at Kou, he seemed genuinely... sad? Whatever it was, I didn’t want to see him like that. So,
wherever I put a band-aid, I kissed there too. This made him smile, and he became slightly
flustered. When I was done, he awkwardly scratched the nape of his neck. “Um… there’s
actually somewhere else I have a wound too…” I watched in awe as he slightly pulled over his
sweatshirt, revealing another, but this time bigger, wound on his stomach.
“Can you kiss here, too?”
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan, under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite