CG | Chapter 1.9

Even if they’re not repulsed, not many people actively seek out bugs. Lane’s eyes widened in genuine shock. Sean was slightly taken aback by his more shocked reaction than expected.acdd47f8cb5b9831

Even though Lane was someone who didn’t care much about the world and played well on his own, Sean thought he would know that his tastes weren’t mainstream.d7569f630e9e6fc3

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“Do you think it’s gross too?”19a454aa897bb76b

Lane, who 5595812622 had been 73083d94e7 frozen like 552787a357 someone facing b555f09a35 a plot 382a02af25 twist, asked 5d4c93aa60 quietly. Sean quickly shook his 266b74dbdd head and began to 247c38b963 reassure him.161cd55b44117d6c

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“I like it. I didn’t at first, but I got used to it being with you.”971f6ab5668710f7

“…Then how do you feel when you see Lupin?”b4d09e7441910975

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Lupin was Lane’s pet snail. It wasn’t kept in captivity but was regularly observed in his garden, identifiable by its unique shell as a tree snail. Praising its survival skills, Lane had personally named the snail Lupin. That was three years ago. Lupin was still bravely living.a88d8108b40314b9

“I think it’s really cute.”939f323f5ded0001

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Sean said, e09da74cb9 half sincerely. Which meant he was 7fc14dbc05 half insincere. Hearing his f7355dcc40 answer, Lane a90bb84cf1 slumped his d27de68276 shoulders and 06325237aa muttered in a0ec9c2282 disbelief.e60b7549b05659db

“I always thought people liked insects.”96622505c125bb09

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Then, for some reason, he stared intently at Sean. Was he shocked that even Sean didn’t like insects from the start? Feeling a wave of guilt, Sean decided to administer a drastic remedy. In times like this, showing him something he liked was the best.fceb46cf5c3d0f59

“Come on, you fool.”381330883411b401

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Grabbing Lane’s wrist, Sean started running. As he pulled Lane along, Lane slowly began to move, eventually matching his pace and following. Once they were inside the forest, Sean pushed Lane further in, and finally, like a fish in water, Lane began to scan the forest. The remedy worked.86df294e5111ac6b

Within seconds, 6228bdee97 Lane found 5f6c1281fa something interesting ce81497a37 and quickly 4f715fc3a5 moved forward, a9a86e117c crouching down 25b0580382 with his 299401a1b8 tall frame. His white 46def8d1ce cheeks flushed, 2a0d5d28ef and he 0f676ac8a9 called out df32a94df6 to Sean 3396eae3f2 in an 489c75b050 excited voice.34b9ef79c6db483a

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“Sean, look at this. It’s a dung beetle trail. They weren’t in our neighborhood, but it seems they’ve come all the way to New York.”773d002c1b232be7

“Oh.”85f0896054d52e14

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Having only heard of 6b99041e84 them and never seen 09955bb090 one, Sean approached with 42ec136204 curiosity. Where Lane 891b1800be was looking, 781de54080 there was 2a3045034c something like 377fecd254 a round 1a4a45dab4 ball of 14285080c5 mud. At first glance, b4e9fc286f it looked like 3ba1439e33 a clump of 9736741b17 dirt someone had 19b874bcc6 left behind.60dcbceab7aaf792

“So this is dung?”a8c1de2c4cdad2bb

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“Yeah. They roll herbivore dung into balls and take it to their burrows. I’ve seen it elsewhere, but it’s my first time seeing it here.”317148de47fcb31e

His bright 34c66f9da4 voice continued f9da2eaa31 with excitement.213e3d781f116fdd

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“In some countries, dung beetles are extinct, so they import them. In Australia, they imported them from around the world in the 1960s and released them. It’s really fortunate that they’ve settled well in the U.S.”3b25a3530ac680b6

Wow, that’s interesting. Sean nodded along, listening intently to his explanation. Although he had a different major from Lane, Sean also enjoyed learning new things, and having spent time with him, he had come to like such things to some extent. He realized that seeing the sights while walking or passing through the forest wasn’t just nature but thousands of individual entities.94702b311eebbeb5

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Just by looking at b7ebcd2550 the leaves, he could 9a8529d478 tell what family the 6c9cf0a7ef plant belonged to and f820ddcd36 its characteristics, and it 61cf4fe798 was fascinating to realize 5e384f2dcd how many things existed dbbc5476db in the world.65c0c7566fbceed5

But…84480c8cbb4aade0

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“That’s great information, but don’t talk about this on a date. Other things are fine, but at least hold back on insects, no, dung beetles. Oh, and don’t say mosquitoes are cute either.”7feea895e01340f3

There’s nothing that kills the mood on a date more than suddenly talking about animal dung. Sean sincerely advised, and Lane looked up at him and asked.dca382246afc2c0f

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“Why do I have to date? Can’t I just start dating?”aa011222c9bf490b

This guy… seems to be in a pretty serious state.1bff4b186ec33051

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Sean realized that Lane’s level of common sense wasn’t great. Since they never talked about such things, he didn’t know what Lane thought about them. As a friend, Sean decided to impart some knowledge for Lane’s future.8da066ae1ba119ab

“Until high school, you see each other at school, so confessing directly works, but as an adult, you usually go on a date or two. Even meeting once and then dating is considered fast.”afb9b4b6824aa8a5

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Some people have one-night stands and then continue, but that seemed far from Lane, so he skipped it. He couldn’t even imagine it and hoped it wouldn’t happen. Besides, Lane probably hadn’t even had his first kiss yet. The thought of skipping steps made Sean’s head spin. Stop. Stop thinking. Let’s get back to the main point.49aed9754672cd96

“Do I really have to? Why is it necessary?”2c8657fda5e96460

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“You need time to get to know each other. Like preferences and stuff.”916d5bb955eee098

“Don’t you already know that to some extent by seeing them regularly?”619843e6d6d49f93

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“That’s different from personal stuff. There are preferences and aspects of a person that you can only know on a date, different from what you see in social situations.”ee5fb460e09c1b1a

Like teaching a child, Sean patiently explained to Lane. Listening intently like a student in class, Lane eventually lowered his head. Watching him stare at the dung beetle’s food and trail, Sean found it cute and peculiar.288164c58b4c04b5

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Normally, he’d say, “Do what you want, Lane,” but playing in the forest could never be a date. It might become a routine activity after dating, but not before.d4cfca3e3d4aa899

“Are you like that too?”863f9f4235b2cffe

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As Sean 3e79bb8eb9 was giving fca20b87d2 Lane time 40b60e06fd to realize 6045888894 reality, Lane 350f3eafa3 suddenly asked. Looking at him, 161f34fcf5 wondering what he b716b5fd65 meant, Lane quietly 7536f73dd3 questioned.959987fe11b9eb9d

“Are you different when you’re with me and when you’re with other girls?”ebb47ea432d7ff5d

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“…Uh, well.”0784551456fbbe39

Sean was taken aback by the question from Lane, who usually didn’t care who he was with. For some reason, his cheeks flushed, and he felt strangely embarrassed. What’s this, Sean Delight? You’re not a kid.c6d357bb96951c4a

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“That’s probably true, right?”1e4105f3f4da6f56

“What don’t I know?”e025fc562b826551

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That is…c0e58b53d54a91e7

For a moment, Sean couldn’t find the words. Although he said yes, Sean wasn’t someone who showed a wide range of aspects when with girls. As he did in front of others, he would smile as usual, gauge their mood to meet their needs, and talk about current trends, going to experience them together if they clicked.502ea22ce44f65d8

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The only e677ea10d1 difference was ae1ed086e6 physical affection. Putting his hand c69e6b32a6 on their waist, d5d6d2acc1 holding them close, 9f365e98df stroking their hair, 93e01e0938 kissing their cheeks cac6caee5b and ears, and 5e9ac50a8e when the mood 2f727440a2 was right, pressing 4c1c597d0c lips together and 5cdabf4f0e intertwining tongues. Naturally caressing their c4da077b80 back and rubbing b5380a2ff9 their earlobes would 9ce4caa11d elicit excited moans.32a729916d8893b4

Sean usually stopped things from going further. The problem was that, unlike when he was younger, now that he was an adult, girls were starting to find it strange that he held back. That’s why it was uncomfortable when Robert caught him with Rose yesterday morning. Fortunately, rumors hadn’t spread yet, but if Robert and Rose talked and the question of whether he was impotent came up…4220a9f3e56872fb

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Oh, damn. It’s horrifying just to imagine.bf9b46ff107e8eb1

Feeling conflicted, Sean didn’t want to talk about this topic anymore. Looking for a way out, he cowardly brought up what Lane had said earlier. It was childish, but he couldn’t help it.e9d971331e69251e

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“It’s personal, so I don’t want to tell you.”b2b8f9097452c8ce

“What?”eecbc7e2413bc63b

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“You said yesterday not to be curious about Dion.”1519362469349016

“…I thought I ended up answering your questions.”89a000d0a9ef3fcb

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“You don’t have to answer anymore.”069213918fec6fc3

Lane stood 21665c9f13 up abruptly. Then he 43d3602938 launched a 9e36a93b3b cowardly attack.3713c067e6c563a3

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“Then don’t touch me anymore.”2e529b987b08dda0

“When did I touch you?”2007222337cc6589

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“You rested your head on my thigh today, and you grabbed my wrist and ran earlier.”0f7ed635707d7fbb

He was at a loss for words. The argument was regressing to an elementary school level, making it difficult for him, with an adult’s mind, to refute. Feeling exasperated and annoyed, Sean began to act stubbornly.b8a6120ba069cc75

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“No. It’s not like touching wears you out, and we’ve always done that.”d3f26ee2581bb2e4

“I’m going to date Dion, so don’t.”8b653de4213eda16

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Oh, he’s already sure he’s going to date someone he hasn’t even gone on a date with? He likes him that much? More than a good friend like me who watches animal dung with him?c91ae9465e15becb

“You’re not dating yet.”7472132f9133c035

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“We will be soon. After the date you keep emphasizing.”2a3daf74cd5ef893

“Do whatever you want. Just don’t get dumped while looking at animal dung in the forest.”8d53040371b32fb3

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Sean, throwing a curse-like 5af1c0cf80 remark, turned and walked 5aeda234a2 into the forest. Lane and he 5134196eda had both been 4b52ac6019 acting strange since 573a9276ff yesterday. The frequent e9a21234aa arguments and fc9b20e75d the unfamiliar 0ec092301d topics made a0eac285e3 him feel d13ac54385 childish.c251c13da89ecedf

Why is da65a7bc59 everything changing e92c5c70bd all at 524c4c27fd once?8a9ed9a6488d0164

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With his parents’ divorce and Lane getting a boyfriend, Sean would have no one left by his side. Even when his home was chaotic, he found some stability because of Lane, like a lighthouse, but now that lighthouse was going elsewhere.b5bce11646287f24

Ignoring Lane’s calls from behind, Sean continued walking into the forest, trying to calm his complicated feelings. The sensation of the fluffy dandelions and grass brushing against his ankles only seemed to irritate him more. He wished he had time to adapt, but the rapidly changing circumstances unsettled him.ed205008ded32ad7

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“Sean Delight!”e47b620a381bfafa

He was stopped by a strong pull from behind. As his wrist was grabbed firmly, Sean leaned back and collided with a solid chest. Blinking in surprise, he heard Lane’s tense voice.02ca1b4c1217293c

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“What are you doing? If you keep walking, you’ll fall off the cliff!”b0a16ce757496c1e

“Ah…”1d9c232497fbb7bb

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Startled, Sean finally 9f0ac4a645 looked ahead. There was 95cb0c28ba a cliff 151375c6ad nearby, not 1ef830435c steep but 90fe059f9a dangerous if 7a7b79052c he slipped e4a6ebe5bd without preparation. He suddenly remembered 93e7635362 that this was 0f93ae0b89 a forest near 6e60fa37f4 the coast, where 8626dfc658 cliffs appeared without 4ac6d629e0 warning. A chill 08e546ed1d of realization 10723370a9 ran down 91f8d6bb1b his spine.74aa7a752d48ab18

“Sorry.”e919355cdd70c2d8

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Sean apologized. Lane, who was holding him tightly from behind, remained silent for a moment. He could feel Lane’s chest rising and falling rapidly, more shaken than he was. Along with the warmth, Lane’s torso, transmitted through the thin T-shirt, felt surprisingly firm. It wasn’t as toned as Sean’s, but there was no excess fat, and the lean muscles were well-defined, creating a solid build.afcf6cc174c699eb

It felt strange.6818914552f614c4

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The tension spread through his body, following the warmth against his back. In a position akin to being hugged from behind, Sean awkwardly looked down at the arms wrapped around him. He raised his hand to push them away but stopped, feeling the strength leave him. He didn’t mind the pale hands holding him tightly.98a6db6d6545188e

He must have been a03773b110 really scared. Sorry.f2947107c0f75f09

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Sean would have af7b8c35f4 felt the same. It was a 6cf17a6fb3 place where, without c3449094fe preparation, a fall d9ee8b6e45 could lead to 41538c42dd a serious head 005c0cfa7d injury. Just as e21100ed4c he was cde687866c about to 004def33d9 apologize again, 806f6e40d2 Lane spoke 608492192d first.de437aa6e4e21edc

“You’ve been acting strange since yesterday.”0373f21b2121ee61

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“…Have I?”97dac7e406cd029a

In a low aaba4ecf68 voice, Lane asked 0b0c86f307 quietly.8bff66a3c8146fd1

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“Do you… not want me to meet Dion? Is this unpleasant for you?”fca01587f0af398a

Lane’s voice, quietly flowing out, held a hint of unease. Sean suddenly realized that his behavior had been confusing for Lane. He was confused himself, and it seemed those emotions had reached Lane.b94f870090d91c24

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He felt pathetic. He had decided in his heart to be happy and supportive, but he hadn’t yet acted that way. If he couldn’t even handle something this simple, how would he manage in the future?929641d52c630d4e

Unwanted things would always happen. They’d come all at once, like this weekend.7e462794c537ab28

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Sean took a 95816e3061 deep breath. Looking down at the 381f1190b5 hand holding him, he 3714591d18 steadied himself.b544e276941f75b9

Lane is 25176edc0f the most cbdec71acd important person 5eec8493e5 to me. As his 270a56ce1f friend, I bad597fa99 need to d7fc566f62 help him 81d7b6c625 build good d8549e969a relationships with 67c38ddb0a others through fae5c37fc4 this opportunity. Just like 729492407e when Lane 3d879e74e6 mentioned Dion 81be531dbf yesterday and aafcd20dd6 asked for 67d177ce4b my help.0217999b84fc58df

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Lane trusts me, 8e030a3aaa which is why e469940a3f he said that.b3bed18647c24358

“No. It’s a good thing for you, so there’s no way.”185335bf117ca0d0

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At his response, Lane’s grip loosened. The blue veins on his pale hands briefly stood out and then subsided as Lane stepped back and released Sean.deed8d3b6e2e1f95

“Then why did you do that just now?”33f61ccc2a5f59e0

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