[This time: thoughtful. Silence doesn't hang heavy from Akira's end. The projection of his voice goes to a higher angle; he's tilting back his head. When he hums, it's hnn, not hmm, because the tip of his tongue is against the roof of his mouth. It's that way because he's smiling, just small, not unhappy with what he's hearing. It would be a nice morning, breakfast with Hikaru, letting Hikaru brush his hair, it arranged how everyone will see it when he's bowing before the goban.] Well... [Well. A benevolent ring, smooth like the flow of a spring.
The spring of the door, meanwhile, makes Akira even more willing to be kind. Its mechanism slides heavily, and Akira feels fond of Hikaru, who wants him to such a degree, who gets him to smile like a spread of marmalade, who inspires him to straighten his spine away from the door, poised but ready to bend any which way. There's something indulgent in him when he says,] Of course they know about that. ['Of course'—an inevitability, and a satisfying one, from the sounds of it. Frankly, Akira doesn't care who does or doesn't realize that he sleeps with his fiercest rival. His father has known for a while, now, and that's just about the only opinion on it that matters to Akira. Once he got past that confrontation, the others seemed small and unworthy. Sure, he shows decorum in it; speculations are ultimately just that. Akira shows enough propriety for it to count. They might ask him, "How does it feel to be challenged by Shindou Hikaru 6-dan, who's now pursuing your title? Your history with him reaches far back into both of your careers, doesn't it?" And Akira will answer: "I'm sure you can imagine how it feels for me to be facing him tomorrow." He does this politely, fresh air, and people enjoy that. It's nice for them to have something to imagine, whether they're thinking of anticipation, trepidation, pleasure, or desire. It's a mystery of its own sort, but the magic of it is how they think it's not. Oh, I can imagine, they say. I can imagine how Touya Akira feels, and that's exciting. Each leaves with a personalized idea, and is content with that.
Some things, though, are clearer, close to crystal.]
We missed most of the morning events during the goodwill exchange event with Russian players because we had sex for longer than we meant to. When we were instructing games during the New Year's event, the second morning, you were cranky when you had to sit up straight and attentive for very long, and a photographer thought I was wearing lipstick because my mouth was so red. I won that lottery at the Centrair Festival, but my prize was given away when I didn't show up to claim it, which was because I was jerking you off in the restroom. At the meeting of six prefectures, we went to have sex instead of going to the lunch. [If his methodical inflections are any indication, he's ticking off instances on his fingers as he goes.] We go missing together more than incidentally. Plus my favorite spot to kiss you happens to be a visible area. If it's such a troublesome thing, I'd think you would have taken it upon yourself to be more subtle about walking into an observation room halfway out of your afterglow.
[What he means is this: he's not sorry for being such a temptress. One should, he believes, take the time to revel in one's rewards.]
If I found it too troublesome, I wouldn't lead you away from dinner early all those times. Right?
no subject
The spring of the door, meanwhile, makes Akira even more willing to be kind. Its mechanism slides heavily, and Akira feels fond of Hikaru, who wants him to such a degree, who gets him to smile like a spread of marmalade, who inspires him to straighten his spine away from the door, poised but ready to bend any which way. There's something indulgent in him when he says,] Of course they know about that. ['Of course'—an inevitability, and a satisfying one, from the sounds of it. Frankly, Akira doesn't care who does or doesn't realize that he sleeps with his fiercest rival. His father has known for a while, now, and that's just about the only opinion on it that matters to Akira. Once he got past that confrontation, the others seemed small and unworthy. Sure, he shows decorum in it; speculations are ultimately just that. Akira shows enough propriety for it to count. They might ask him, "How does it feel to be challenged by Shindou Hikaru 6-dan, who's now pursuing your title? Your history with him reaches far back into both of your careers, doesn't it?" And Akira will answer: "I'm sure you can imagine how it feels for me to be facing him tomorrow." He does this politely, fresh air, and people enjoy that. It's nice for them to have something to imagine, whether they're thinking of anticipation, trepidation, pleasure, or desire. It's a mystery of its own sort, but the magic of it is how they think it's not. Oh, I can imagine, they say. I can imagine how Touya Akira feels, and that's exciting. Each leaves with a personalized idea, and is content with that.
Some things, though, are clearer, close to crystal.]
We missed most of the morning events during the goodwill exchange event with Russian players because we had sex for longer than we meant to. When we were instructing games during the New Year's event, the second morning, you were cranky when you had to sit up straight and attentive for very long, and a photographer thought I was wearing lipstick because my mouth was so red. I won that lottery at the Centrair Festival, but my prize was given away when I didn't show up to claim it, which was because I was jerking you off in the restroom. At the meeting of six prefectures, we went to have sex instead of going to the lunch. [If his methodical inflections are any indication, he's ticking off instances on his fingers as he goes.] We go missing together more than incidentally. Plus my favorite spot to kiss you happens to be a visible area. If it's such a troublesome thing, I'd think you would have taken it upon yourself to be more subtle about walking into an observation room halfway out of your afterglow.
[What he means is this: he's not sorry for being such a temptress. One should, he believes, take the time to revel in one's rewards.]
If I found it too troublesome, I wouldn't lead you away from dinner early all those times. Right?