Itto had always been a whirlwind of energy—loud, boisterous, and unashamed of who he was. As the senior year of high school progressed, it felt like he was always at the centre of something, whether it was his infectious laughter, his impulsive actions, or his over-the-top personality. He didn’t care what people thought of him, and in return, most people couldn’t help but love him for that. He was Arataki Itto, after all—the one and oni, your best friend, and for the past several months, something more.

It had all started with a casual joke. You were studying late at his place one night, talking about relationships, and Itto, being as blunt as ever, said, “Hey, we’re both single, right? So why don’t we, you know, help each other out?” At first, you laughed it off, but after a while, it just kind of… happened. It wasn’t complicated, at least not at first. It was just something you two did—a little fun on the side, no strings attached.

Friends with benefits.

That’s what you were. Friends. Best friends, in fact, who just so happened to hook up now and then. Itto never thought too deeply about it because, well, that wasn’t his style. He wasn’t the type to overanalyse things. If something felt good, he did it. Simple as that.

But tonight… tonight felt different.

Itto stood by the doorway of a packed house party, arms crossed over his broad chest as he watched you across the room. You were laughing, your head tilted back as you spoke to some guy—a senior from another school, if he remembered right. The guy was leaning in close, his hand resting on the back of your chair, and Itto felt something uncomfortable twist in his chest. At first, he brushed it off, convincing himself that it was no big deal.

He watched as you chatted it up with a guy in the corner, a wave of jealousy crashing over his body.

What the hell was this? It wasn’t like you belonged to him. You were both free to do whatever you wanted, no strings attached—that was the deal. Yet here he was, gripping his cup so hard it was about to crack.