For a while neither of them moves.
Kin remains leaning over him, one hand cupping Sute's cheek, his thumb idly tracing the soft hollow beneath his eye while he studies that brilliant, luminous blue as if committing it to memory all over again. The room is still dim with early morning light, the quiet kind that makes everything feel suspended in place.
Then, almost reluctantly, Kin glances toward the wall clock. His gaze sharpens slightly when he reads the time.
"…Ah."
The moment breaks, though he clearly doesn't want it to.
"It's time to get up."
He murmurs, more to himself than to Sute.
School.
The word hangs silently between the thoughts in his mind. He doesn't say it immediately, but the routine has already begun pressing itself forward.
Kin sighs softly and finally pulls himself away, climbing out of the bed with a stretch that makes his shoulders roll slightly. The mattress shifts when his weight leaves it, and he reaches down automatically to help Sute sit up.
"Come on…"
He says gently.
"We should start getting ready."
Sute blinks up at him, still half caught in the lingering warmth of the moment, before nodding obediently. This morning routine still feels new to him—waking up somewhere safe, having someone tell him what to do next in a voice that doesn't carry threat or irritation. Kin guides him out of bed.
"First we'll wash up…"
Kin continues, already moving toward the hallway.
"Then I'll get dressed for school and after that we can have breakfast."
Sute nods again and follows.
They walk together into the bathroom, and Kin reaches automatically for the faucet, adjusting the knobs until the water begins filling the tub with that steady, comforting sound Sute has quickly grown to love.
Behind him, Sute begins removing his clothes but he turns his back while doing it.
His shoulders hunch slightly as he undresses, clearly trying not to look in Kin's direction, his face already flushing faintly even though Kin hasn't said a word about it. Kin notices but he doesn't comment.
Instead he finishes adjusting the water and turns slightly, glancing back just long enough to see Sute standing there shyly before he looks away again.
"I'll be right back…"
Kin says, as casually as possible.
"I need to grab you something to wear."
Sute nods immediately.
"Okay."
By the time Kin steps out into the hallway, Sute has already slipped into the tub. The warm water wraps around him and he sinks down into it with a quiet sigh, letting the heat soak into his shoulders while he waits patiently.
—
Meanwhile, Kin returns to his room.
He heads straight for the wardrobe again, sliding it open and beginning the familiar search through older clothes that might actually fit someone Sute's size. After a bit of rummaging he manages to find another faded light blue shirt and a pair of running shorts from his middle school years.
"Perfect."
He murmurs, setting them over his arm. He opens another drawer and grabs two long socks—mismatched again, but at this point that hardly matters.
Then he pauses. His hand freezes halfway through closing the drawer.
"…Wait."
The realization arrives all at once.
'The washing machine. Fuck, I never started it.'
Last night had spiraled in too many directions—dinner, the kitchen accident, the bath, the strange warmth of the evening—and somewhere in all of that he had completely forgotten to wash Sute's boxers.
'Which means… Sute isn't going to have any underwear again today.'
Kin stands there staring down at the clothes in his hands, a rare feeling creeping up the back of his neck. It's an unfamiliar sensation for him, being embarrassed, and it makes him wrinkle his nose slightly in irritation at himself.
"Seriously?"
He mutters under his breath.
For someone who prides himself on control and planning, this is a ridiculous oversight. He considers his options and there aren't many.
With a small, resigned sigh he gathers the clothes properly, adding his own neatly folded school uniform to the bundle before heading back down the hallway toward the bathroom.
—
The door is still closed. When Kin had stepped out of the bathroom to fetch the clothes, the bathroom had felt strangely quiet to Sute.
Inside, Sute sits quietly in the tub with the warm water up to his waist, knees drawn slightly up as he watches the steam curl lazily along the surface of the tub, fingers idly tracing small ripples along the surface while he waits. Steam curled softly along the tiles, fogging the mirror and softening the harsh edges of the room.
He heard Kin's footsteps returning then light knocks.
"Sute?"
There's a faint splash before Sute's voice answers.
"Y-yes?"
"I brought your clothes."
Kin pushes the door open just enough to step inside, careful not to look directly toward the tub. For perhaps the first time in his life, he feels oddly self-conscious about the situation and doesn't tell Sute about the laundry mistake just yet.
He set the bundle of clothes neatly on the counter beside the sink as though entering the bathroom while someone was bathing were the most ordinary thing in the world.
Sute blinked at him. Before he could say anything, Kin began unbuttoning his shirt.
The motion was casual, almost absentminded. The shirt slid off his shoulders and was draped over the edge of the counter. His belt followed, then his trousers, each piece of clothing discarded in a tidy stack. Within moments he was stepping out of the last of it and moving toward the tub then he climbed in.
The water shifted around them, rising slightly with the added weight as Kin settled himself against the back of the tub.
The contrast between them became obvious immediately.
Kin's body was tall and well-formed, the result of good food and regular activity. His shoulders were broader, his limbs stronger, muscle subtly defined beneath smooth pale skin. Aside from the bandage wrapped neatly around his hand from the knife accident earlier, his body was unmarked.
Sute's was the opposite; thin and fragile. Bones visible beneath sickly pale skin that bore the faded traces of bruises and scars that hadn't yet disappeared.
Sute noticed the difference the moment Kin took off his clothes to settle into the water beside him and he flushed so suddenly it was almost impressive.
His entire face turned bright red, the color creeping down his neck and across his shoulders until he looked almost like a lobster dropped into boiling water.
Immediately he turned his head away but Kin had already noticed. At first he simply watched the reaction, puzzled, before reaching forward and touching the water near Sute's arm.
"You're really red…"
He said thoughtfully.
"Are you feeling okay? Is the water too hot for you?"
Sute shook his head quickly, still refusing to look at him.
"I-I'm fine."
He murmured. Kin studied him for another second before making a small decision.
"Come here…"
He said, shifting his legs open slightly.
"Sit between my legs."
Sute's head snapped around in alarm.
"I—what—?"
"So I can wash your hair."
Kin explained patiently, as though the reasoning should have been obvious. Sute blinked in confusion.
"My hair is already wet…"
He said quickly.
"So it's… washed."
Kin stared at him.
"That's not how that works."
He reached behind him, grabbing the bottle of shampoo sitting on the edge of the tub and holding it up.
"I noticed you haven't used any of this…"
He continued calmly.
"Or conditioner. You've just been using the bar soap."
Sute looked confused. He had no idea why that was wrong. Kin sighed softly, though there was no real frustration in it.
"Haah, come here…"
He repeated, this time reaching forward to gently take Sute's wrist.
Sute was guided, shifting awkwardly until he settled between Kin's thighs with his back to Kin's chest. The position felt… very close. The heat of the water and the warmth of Kin's body made the space feel even smaller.
Sute's ears burned. Kin poured a small amount of shampoo into his palm and rubbed his hands together before bringing them up to Sute's head.
"Relax."
He muttered. His fingers began working the shampoo into Sute's hair, combing through the long black strands carefully so they wouldn't tangle. The motion was surprisingly gentle, almost soothing.
Sute blinked as the unfamiliar sensation spread across his scalp. It felt strange, soft even.
Then suddenly—
"Ah—!"
A small amount of soap slipped down into his eyes.
Sute panicked immediately. His body tensed and he tried to pull away, rubbing at his face as his eyes watered. The stinging sensation made his breathing quicken. Kin's reaction was immediate.
"Wait—don't rub them!"
He said quickly, grabbing the cup sitting beside the tub and filling it with water. He leaned forward, carefully pouring the clean water over Sute's eyes.
"Here…"
He murmured, his voice calm despite the flicker of alarm that had sparked inside him.
"Blink a few times. It'll wash out."
He kept rinsing until the suds were gone, wiping gently at the water that ran down Sute's cheeks. For a moment Sute's shoulders still trembled. Kin wrapped an arm loosely around him from behind, steadying him.
"It's okay…"
He said quietly.
"You're okay."
The panic slowly faded. Sute sniffled once, blinking the last of the water from his lashes before relaxing slightly again. Kin exhaled in relief and only then did he realize how tightly he had been holding him.
He loosened his grip but didn't move away entirely, keeping one hand resting lightly against Sute's shoulder as he finished rinsing the shampoo out of his eyes.
The bathroom returned to its quiet warmth and the water settled once again around them. For a short while after the panic with the shampoo, Kin doesn't rush anything.
He simply lets Sute sit there in the warm water, one arm still loosely around him while the other rests along the rim of the tub. The steam thickens in the room again, softening the edges of everything, and the steady warmth of the water slowly helps ease the last of the tension out of Sute's shoulders.
Only when Sute's breathing has returned to something calm and steady does Kin move again.
"Alright…"
He murmurs quietly, reaching for the bottle once more.
"Let's try that again."
This time he's far more careful. He works the rest of the shampoo into Sute's hair in slow, deliberate motions, making sure the suds stay well away from his face. After a moment he gently lifts Sute's chin with his fingers.
"Tilt your head up…"
He says.
"Just like that."
Sute obeys immediately, eyes squeezed shut just in case, and Kin pours water over his hair in careful streams, rinsing the shampoo out a little at a time. The method works. None of it runs toward Sute's eyes this time, and the tension in Sute's body slowly melts away as he realizes the stinging won't happen again.
"See?"
Kin says softly.
"Much better."
Next comes the conditioner.
That part goes far more smoothly. Kin works the cream through the long black strands with slow, patient strokes, untangling the knots that had built up over years of neglect. The motion is almost meditative, his fingers sliding carefully through the wet hair while Sute sits quietly between his knees.
When it's finished and the last of it has been rinsed away, Sute's hair feels completely different—softer, lighter, cleaner than it has likely been in years.
Neither of them say that out loud but both of them notice.
After Kin quickly washes his own hair as well, they step out of the tub together. The bathroom feels cooler once the water is gone, the air brushing against their damp skin as they reach for towels.
Sute wraps his around himself first, rubbing awkwardly at his arms and shoulders but his attention keeps drifting. He sneaks small glances toward Kin without really meaning to.
'Kin-san's body looks… different. A lot stronger, broader than me.'
There's a solidness to him that Sute can't help noticing. The muscles along his shoulders and back move naturally when he dries himself off, and the contrast between them feels striking.
'Kin-san looks like someone who belongs in the world. Like someone who was made correctly.'
Sute, meanwhile, feels thin and fragile by comparison.
And yet, looking at Kin like this also brings something else with it—something warm and fluttering in his chest that he doesn't quite understand.
He assumes it must be gratitude. That seems like the most logical explanation. Kin notices the glances, of course but his interpretation is far simpler.
'Sute must be comparing himself to me.'
"Don't worry, you'll look like this eventually…"
Kin says casually, nodding toward himself as he drapes the towel around his shoulders.
"Once you've been eating properly for a while. Good food and sleep will fix most of it."
Sute looks up at him quickly and nods, accepting the reassurance without question then he goes back to drying himself.
Kin finishes first. He's just about to reach for his clothes when he notices something. Sute's hair.
Even after all the effort with the shampoo and conditioner, the long black strands are still dripping steadily at the ends, darkened by water that continues to run down the back of his neck.
'If he gets dressed like that, the shirt will be soaked within minutes.'
Kin frowns slightly.
'There are only so many clothes I can find that even come close to fitting Sute. And worse than that—if Sute walks around in wet clothes and catches a cold…'
The thought makes Kin's mind jump ahead immediately.
A fever with such a weak body would require a hospital visit. Doctors would be asking questions and the risk of someone noticing.
'No. Absolutely not.'
"Sute-chan…"
Kin says firmly. Sute looks up as Kin walks over and gently takes the towel from Sute's hands before he can protest.
"Sit down."
Sute glances around the bathroom in confusion.
There isn't a chair or a stool around so he begins bending his knees, clearly intending to sit directly on the cold, damp tile floor. Kin reacts instantly.
"No—wait!"
He says, catching him before he lowers himself all the way down. For a second he looks around the bathroom as well, realizing his instruction hadn't exactly been practical then his eyes land on the counter.
"Here."
He says. Before Sute can process what's happening, Kin slides an arm around his waist and lifts him easily, settling him up onto the wide sink counter beside the mirror.
"Eep!"
Sute yelps softly in surprise but quickly steadies himself, legs dangling over the edge. Kin drapes the towel over his head and begins drying his hair properly.
"Your hair has to be fully dry before you get dressed…"
He explains as he works, rubbing the towel gently but thoroughly through the strands.
"If it stays wet, you'll end up getting sick."
Sute blinks. He hadn't known that.
"When I washed in the river…"
He says thoughtfully.
"My hair always dried on the way home."
Kin pauses for a moment, picturing the scene without meaning to—small, thin Sute walking alone through cold wind after bathing in freezing water somewhere outside town.
"That's because the wind dried it…"
Kin says quietly.
"But that's not the same thing."
Sute nods slowly.
"That makes sense."
As Kin continues working the towel through his hair, Sute suddenly lets out a small giggle. The sound is soft and bright, almost surprised. Kin blinks.
"What is it?"
He asks. Sute shakes his head, smiling shyly.
"It just… feels nice."
He says. Kin pauses.
"Your hair being dry?"
Sute laughs again, the sound light and genuine.
"No…"
He says softly.
"Being taken care of."
The words are simple but they land heavily.
Kin doesn't quite know how to respond to that, so he simply continues drying the long black strands until they're completely free of moisture, the towel moving slowly and methodically through them while Sute sits there smiling, wrapped in that strange new warmth he's only just begun to understand.
By the time Kin finishes with the towel, Sute's hair is completely dry. The long black strands fall neatly down his back now, softer than they've probably ever been, and Kin gives the last few stubborn pieces a quick rub before finally dropping the towel over his own shoulder.
"There…"
He says quietly.
"Now it won't soak your clothes."
Sute smiles at him again, that warm, fuzzy feeling still lingering in his chest, and for a moment neither of them moves. Then Kin reaches for his folded uniform.
"Alright…"
He says, his voice shifting back into the quiet efficiency of morning routine.
"Let's get dressed."
He turns away to give Sute some space as he pulls on the crisp blue shirt of his school uniform, fastening the buttons with quick, practiced movements. The fabric falls perfectly into place across his shoulders, the jacket following soon after, the familiar rhythm of getting ready for school settling over him like a habit his body knows by heart.
Behind him, Sute picks up the clothes Kin had brought.
The faded blue shirt first then the shorts but when he lifts the shorts, something feels… wrong. His hands freeze slightly as his mind catches up with what he's noticing. His boxers aren't there.
Again.
For a moment he just stands there holding the shorts, confusion twisting slowly into something heavier. His eyes drift toward Kin, uncertain and searching, and the memory creeps in before he can stop it.
Bullies. Gym lockers. Hands snatching clothes away while laughter echoed through the locker room.
Gym clothes and shoes tossed into trash bins or puddles just to see how panicked he'd get. The thought settles like cold water in his stomach. His gaze lingers on Kin longer than usual. Kin notices immediately but more than the look itself, what catches his attention is the change in Sute's eyes.
That color again. That dull, distant gray-blue that makes Sute seem like he's retreating somewhere far away. Kin's stomach tightens.
"Oh—uh, that…"
He says quickly, realizing exactly what Sute must be thinking.
"That's my fault."
Sute blinks. Kin rubs the back of his neck, clearly a little embarrassed.
"I forgot to start the laundry last night…"
He explains, his tone unusually sheepish.
"So your boxers still aren't clean yet."
He gestures vaguely toward the hallway.
"I'm going to put them in the washing machine now before I leave. I'll show you how to move them into the dryer too. By the time I get back this afternoon, they should be ready."
The explanation comes quickly, almost urgently. Sute processes the words for a moment then the realization hits him.
'It was a misunderstanding. Kin-san hadn't taken anything from me. He hadn't done it to humiliate me. He had simply forgotten!'
Relief spreads across Sute's face almost instantly.
"Oh…"
He says softly, nodding quickly.
"Okay."
And with that the tension drains out of him. His eyes brighten again—not the dazzling sparkle from the night before, but a calm, steady blue that Kin finds far easier to look at than the dull gray from moments ago.
Kin exhales quietly.
'Pretty. That colors also… acceptable.'
Sute feels a small twist of guilt in his chest.
How could he have thought something like that about Kin? After everything Kin had done for him since bringing him here.
Embarrassed by his own suspicion, he quickly finishes getting dressed.
The blue shirt slips over his head, the old shorts settling into place a little higher on his thighs than normal, but still comfortable enough. The mismatched socks follow, tugged up carefully along his calves.
When he's finished, he looks up. Kin is already adjusting the collar of his uniform jacket. For a moment they simply stand there then Kin nods toward the door.
"Come on."
He says. Sute nods eagerly and follows him out of the bathroom together, the quiet rhythm of their morning continuing as they step back into the hallway.