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These memories are available to anyone doing the Flowers for Cynthia mini event or the February Event!

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College years: meeting Kio

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"That Agatsuma, he's awful."

"Who is Agtasuma?" Kio is bright-eyed as he looks toward the student the others point out.

"That guy over there."

"Oh, him! I like his paintings."

"His paintings are good, but... his art and his personality are two totally separate things."

"I'm going to sit next to him."

Soubi can hear the entire conversation. He doesn't react, thinking it will be easiest to just ignore them all - like he usually does - and continue his work. But then there's shuffling and scraping next to him as someone sets up next to him. He frowns.

"What's up? I'm Kaidou. Can I sit next to you? Ooh, you're using ink? Want me to grind it for you?"

Soubi sighs and sits up, offering Kaidou a dead-pan stare. "That's all right. Don't bother."

"Aw, how come?"

What the hell does he have to do to get this guy to stop talking?

"Because I like grinding my own ink." He can control it that way. And besides, Soubi doesn't really want someone else touching his things now that he has everything set up the way he likes.

"Oh, c'mon, me too!"

It goes on like that for days. Weeks. Months. Kio Kaidou sits next to him in every class they share. He sets up next to Soubi in the studio. He talks, incessantly, until all Soubi can do is respond in hopes of shutting him up. Soubi doesn't really notice when he starts... sort of looking forward to those interactions.

"Sou-chan!"

"I don't like nicknames."

"What are you doing for lunch? Do you want to eat together? You want to drop by the arcade on the way back?"

By now, Kio just assumes his answer. Of course they're going to eat lunch together. They eat lunch together whenever Kio is around. Soubi's stopped arguing or trying to avoid him.

"No, it reeks of cigarette smoke."

"Sou, you smoke."

Soubi just rolls his eyes. It's different when he does it.

"You know, despite everything, you've been hanging out with me a lot lately."

He isn't expecting to be called out. Soubi pauses and tries to muster a withering look.

"Not really," he says. But then... He feels himself smile. "You're just annoyingly persistent, Kio."

Before he can move out of the way, Kio's slung an arm around his shoulders and is squeezing him closer.

"Oh come on! Not that again. Nobody hangs out with someone who annoys them! You're just shy."

Soubi rolls his eyes, trying to suppress his smile and trying to shrug Kio off him.

"Sure they do, right here."

It's useless. Kio is still on him. And it feels... nice. Kio is warm and gentle and clinging to him like a child, but. Soubi doesn't mind. He hasn't minded for weeks.

"Don't be like that, Sou. You love me, don't you?"

"I thought we were going to lunch."