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You shut the door behind you as you carry the box back inside. It’s a medium sized box, and almost a little too heavy for you to carry alone, but still you endure it.
Being with Kenma Kozume is quiet. That’s probably the easiest way to describe life with him.
A quiet, ridiculously soft, peaceful life.
What wasn't peaceful though, is this.
The ever-present, distant, sometimes annoying tapping of a keyboard that can be heard from his office.
But you’ve become accustomed to the sound.
At first, it was irritating. It bugged you to no end. As the days passed by though, you’ve gotten used to it. You even began associating it with home.
It’s even lulled you to sleep a few times.
You take small steps until you reach his slightly ajar office door. Taking a peek inside, you immediately see him. Figure hunched over his supposedly ergonomic gaming chair as his posture perfectly replicated the golden ratio.
He truly is a work of art, even now as the faint light of his computer reflects on him.
You felt yourself smile, and then, you spotted them.
The stuff that’s been the bane of your existence for a while now.
Stacks of untouched console games that towered even him.
You got your own share of love for games yourself, but Kenma’s ever-growing collection is just one more parcel away from being a product of insanity.
A parcel, which you’re holding right now.
You shouldn't mind. It’s his money, you two talked about expenses before, all is good. But his current video game frenzy has reached the point where his office looks less like one and more of a video game fanatic’s biggest dream.
Even if he does play games for a living, you doubt that a mortal could possibly play all the games he’s got in a single lifetime.
With how his cameras are set up for his streaming, you’re willing to argue that he even looks like he’s about to start live-selling them any minute now.
You’re unable to stop the slight chuckle that escapes you and he notices you immediately.
“Oh, you got it.” Kenma says, tone as unbothered as ever. You wonder what he’s talking about before realizing that he’s talking about the box you’re carrying.
The realization came with finally feeling the exhaustion from your hands carrying the box too long and you falter. The box slid down your hands and hit the floor with a thud. You would’ve fallen too if Kenma hadn’t come fast enough to catch you.
You feel like scolding him. Really, you do. But it’s hard to scold someone when they’re looking at you like he is.
All soft eyes as worry etched itself in his features with fine little details. Like the slight crease in his brows and the quiver of the corners of his mouth.
He looks adorable like that. However, you’re not going to make him forget just yet. “You shouldn’t have bought more.”
In true Kenma fashion, he only responds with a simple “Maybe.”
Okay maybe. Maybe his butt. What if you’d hit your head? What would he do then?
You look over to his ceremoniously stacked games and catch it.
A game that he loathes.
“Why’d you get that?” You point towards it.
No answer.
Instead, Kenma moves and grabs the game.
Okay, maybe he is over-indulging. You should put a stop to this madness soon.
“You don’t even play those types of games. And you said that you’d rather sweat for a lifetime than to ever try it again!”
“Chat said that it got better. Decided that I should give it a chance,” he states, trying to defend his case.
It goes on for a while like that. You, pointing out a video game. Him explaining why he got it.
You can’t deny it, he’s got good reasons. If you hadn’t almost fallen earlier, you would’ve proposed you and him play any of those games.
But you did, after carrying an extremely heavy box at that.
He stops. Then he looks at you in a way that strangely reminds you of how cats look exploring unfamiliar territory.
“I’m sorry.”
You blink.
He continues.
“There’s just so many games out there nowadays. You know how much I enjoy them,” that’s true. You do know. Playing games is one of his very few hobbies. “I’m aware that you don’t like the mess it created in my office. And I swear, I’ll clean it. It’s just that I haven’t had the time recently.”
“I didn’t even realize how much I have until it turned into this mess.”
“And I knew you were bothered by it so I tried cheering you up by getting you books.” He got you books?
“Ken,” you said, trying to get him to stop rambling. It’s rare for the streamer to speak more than a few words even to his closest friends. You didn’t expect him to be this worried about you.
“No,” he shook his head. “Let me finish.” You nod. “But I didn’t count the fact that maybe what you really didn’t want was any more clutter inside. And…”
He stops. You wonder what he’s going to say next.
“You were almost hurt because I didn’t carry your books.”
You understand now. Kenma Kozume is feeling guilty. More importantly, he bought you books. What books did he get you — are you really thinking about books right now? You’re not better than his video game fixated self.
For now, you open your arms wide as you welcome him in them. He tilts his head, uncertain about what he should do.
“I’m asking for a hug, Ken.”
He smiles.
Maybe life really is just a never ending pile of video games. It isn't so bad, being with him as his player two.
You just hope that this apartment doesn’t sink from the weight of all the books, games, and the lifetime the two of you would build together.