...I wasn't exactly a bright kid then. ((His grip on Sousuke's hand tightens, looking down at the boards and squinting uneasily. He still remembered a few times when he tried to write to Sousuke, putting words out, crumpling pages, writing a few more, rinse, repeat, until frustration overwhelmed him and he would just knock the pages and pens off of his desk.

He still didn't want to tell Sousuke any of that. He still didn't like to talk about how hard it was for him while he was in Australia. How dumb he was, how hard he made his own life. Even if it wasn't something to worry about now, the regret and frustration would never leave him. He wasn't a better person now for his suffering then. He only became a better person when Haru and everyone else stepped in to change him.

It hits him only now that he might as well have lost Sousuke too, if not for strange fate that brought them together.

Speaking of which...)) By the way... did you know I'd come back from Australia when you moved back here?