her hand
still rested on Hiro’s chest, “but don’t dare approach
him.”
Hiro looked across the room. “He’s
coming out of a side room now. Wouldn’t you like to meet him? I’ll
make the introductions.”
She stiffened a moment, but then the
shy smile returned. “No, but thank you. I am content.” She pulled
away and hurried off before Hiro could stop her. He watched her go
until he heard Masaki clear his throat.
“ Was that the artist?”
Masaki asked as they watched her go, her hair rippling in waves
behind her. “Chiasa said it was a young girl.”
“ Yes, that was her. She’s
shy, and she ran off before I got a chance to really ask her
anything. She seemed happy you bought her sculpture. Honored, she
said.”
Masaki blinked and then furrowed his
brows. “Really? She must’ve seen me at other shows. Chiasa said
this is her first piece.”
“ She’s kind of odd. Maybe
she has a crush on you.”
Masaki chuckled. “So, someone has to
be odd to like me that way?”
Hiro started to apologize, but then he
laughed as well. “Um, well, you never know. Maybe weird, artsy
types like us are drawn to you.”
Masaki stepped a bit closer. “Perhaps.
You do seem to enjoy my company.”
Hiro slipped his hand under the jacket
of his suit, his chest itching suddenly. “Tonight was fun. I’ve
never been to a show like this one. Only the small ones in our own
city when my work was on display.”
Masaki extended his arm, and after a
brief hesitation, Hiro took it. He glanced around, but no one
seemed to care. Being gay was still relatively taboo in Japan, but
perhaps among artists and the types of people who acted as their
patrons, this might not be the case. Hiro had certainly encountered
more liberal, enlightened individuals since gaining recognition as
an artist.
“ Would you like to have
your pieces in larger shows? Chiasa said she would like to see your
work. I told her which gallery still has a few of your paintings.”
He smiled. “The few I haven’t bought.”
Hiro couldn’t help beaming. Masaki had
paid close attention to everything he’d said tonight, as if he
truly respected Hiro’s thoughts on art. “Nice of you to share me
with the world, just a little.” Sobering a bit, he added, “It means
a lot to me, knowing someone who’s seen and done so much truly
likes my work.”
Masaki smiled, but then he stopped and
pulled Hiro aside. “Are you all right?”
“ What?”
Masaki took hold of Hiro’s wrist. “You
keep scratching your chest.”
Hiro hadn’t even realized he’d still
been doing it. His skin burned now from all the scratching. “Yeah,
I’m fine. Maybe something bit me.”
“ Why don’t we head home?
It’s getting late. The arrangements have been made. The sculpture
will be packed tonight, and one of my brothers will bring it to us
tomorrow. He’s here attending an opera tonight, I think. Something
like that.”
Hiro nodded. “Sure. We’ve seen
everything.” He let Masaki lead him to an empty room, where he
opened a portal and helped Hiro through. Hiro felt his stomach do a
little flip as he wondered what else was going to happen on their
“date”.
They walked a few steps, and Masaki
stopped, pulling Hiro to his side. “How about here? In this small
clearing, surrounded by the moss. Coming upon the sculpture would
be a nice surprise for anyone walking in the garden. Morning
glories grow around the edges. See?”
“ Yes, that would look
nice. What colors do you have?”
Masaki smiled, slipping his hand into
Hiro’s. “Every color possible, and even a few that aren’t, but
mostly blue and lavender. They would look nice ornamenting the
sculpture.”
“ A few that
aren’t?”
“ Some that are not
natural. It’s my presence, the magic in the air.”
They sat on a bench nearby, which Hiro
hadn’t noticed until that moment. Masaki draped his arm across the
back of the bench, and Hiro leaned close but didn’t press against
the other man, even though
still rested on Hiro’s chest, “but don’t dare approach
him.”
Hiro looked across the room. “He’s
coming out of a side room now. Wouldn’t you like to meet him? I’ll
make the introductions.”
She stiffened a moment, but then the
shy smile returned. “No, but thank you. I am content.” She pulled
away and hurried off before Hiro could stop her. He watched her go
until he heard Masaki clear his throat.
“ Was that the artist?”
Masaki asked as they watched her go, her hair rippling in waves
behind her. “Chiasa said it was a young girl.”
“ Yes, that was her. She’s
shy, and she ran off before I got a chance to really ask her
anything. She seemed happy you bought her sculpture. Honored, she
said.”
Masaki blinked and then furrowed his
brows. “Really? She must’ve seen me at other shows. Chiasa said
this is her first piece.”
“ She’s kind of odd. Maybe
she has a crush on you.”
Masaki chuckled. “So, someone has to
be odd to like me that way?”
Hiro started to apologize, but then he
laughed as well. “Um, well, you never know. Maybe weird, artsy
types like us are drawn to you.”
Masaki stepped a bit closer. “Perhaps.
You do seem to enjoy my company.”
Hiro slipped his hand under the jacket
of his suit, his chest itching suddenly. “Tonight was fun. I’ve
never been to a show like this one. Only the small ones in our own
city when my work was on display.”
Masaki extended his arm, and after a
brief hesitation, Hiro took it. He glanced around, but no one
seemed to care. Being gay was still relatively taboo in Japan, but
perhaps among artists and the types of people who acted as their
patrons, this might not be the case. Hiro had certainly encountered
more liberal, enlightened individuals since gaining recognition as
an artist.
“ Would you like to have
your pieces in larger shows? Chiasa said she would like to see your
work. I told her which gallery still has a few of your paintings.”
He smiled. “The few I haven’t bought.”
Hiro couldn’t help beaming. Masaki had
paid close attention to everything he’d said tonight, as if he
truly respected Hiro’s thoughts on art. “Nice of you to share me
with the world, just a little.” Sobering a bit, he added, “It means
a lot to me, knowing someone who’s seen and done so much truly
likes my work.”
Masaki smiled, but then he stopped and
pulled Hiro aside. “Are you all right?”
“ What?”
Masaki took hold of Hiro’s wrist. “You
keep scratching your chest.”
Hiro hadn’t even realized he’d still
been doing it. His skin burned now from all the scratching. “Yeah,
I’m fine. Maybe something bit me.”
“ Why don’t we head home?
It’s getting late. The arrangements have been made. The sculpture
will be packed tonight, and one of my brothers will bring it to us
tomorrow. He’s here attending an opera tonight, I think. Something
like that.”
Hiro nodded. “Sure. We’ve seen
everything.” He let Masaki lead him to an empty room, where he
opened a portal and helped Hiro through. Hiro felt his stomach do a
little flip as he wondered what else was going to happen on their
“date”.
They walked a few steps, and Masaki
stopped, pulling Hiro to his side. “How about here? In this small
clearing, surrounded by the moss. Coming upon the sculpture would
be a nice surprise for anyone walking in the garden. Morning
glories grow around the edges. See?”
“ Yes, that would look
nice. What colors do you have?”
Masaki smiled, slipping his hand into
Hiro’s. “Every color possible, and even a few that aren’t, but
mostly blue and lavender. They would look nice ornamenting the
sculpture.”
“ A few that
aren’t?”
“ Some that are not
natural. It’s my presence, the magic in the air.”
They sat on a bench nearby, which Hiro
hadn’t noticed until that moment. Masaki draped his arm across the
back of the bench, and Hiro leaned close but didn’t press against
the other man, even though
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