[Yep, they've talked about this. Hiyori assumed Jun was making fun of him when he first heard the nicknamed. Maybe he was. Maybe he still is. But now that things are more certain between them now, more intimate, it feels more like a term of endearment than ever. Like a name he wants to wear with pride.
Even if he can't resist returning Jun's teasing.]
You know calling me "princess" takes on a completely different meaning now that we're lovers, right?
[He draws out the L-word as part of their teasing.]
It's like Jun-kun's saying he wants to be my prince! Or perhaps my knight in shining armor. Is that why you've been acting so smooth lately? ♪
[His smirk grows more pronounced. But then he admits:]
It's a bit ironic, when I'm the one who's more prince-like onstage. I'm sure all our fans would agree! But I guess I don't mind if Jun-kun wants to slay dragons for me. Having someone like that around is useful ♪
[But even if Jun fails to be useful, he still won't throw him away.
... even though he threatened to in the beginning.
This is the closest he's ever come to apologizing for that, or for some of his other nastiness. Jun's pointed out that he has a bad personality before. And it's not like he disagrees, despite his ego. There are things you don't say, things you don't do, when you're part of a noble family. His upbringing was strict. He was taught good manners. He worked hard to repress all the ugly thoughts he had. Then it was like a dam burst, and as soon as he was out of his family's reach, he just couldn't stop voicing them. But that's fine, right? He's someone important, so he can treat those beneath him however he wants.
Or so he thought, but that sort of self-serving attitude isn't really any different from the one Tatsumi was fighting, is it? The one that made Jun-kun's life miserable.
It's odd and uncomfortable. Feeling this pang of guilt over something he didn't used to feel bad about. But Jun doesn't see a problem. Jun smiles at him earnestly and tells him he's a good person. Because he "accepted him." As though that was some huge hardship.
But it makes sense for Jun to see him that way. As the kind-hearted savior Hiyori positioned himself as. Jun doesn't know what he was like before they met. What he and Eichi-kun did to the "Five Oddballs."
... Or what he did with Eichi's money.
That's not even something he normally feels bad about: using money to woo girls he'd forget by the morning. It's not like he hurt anyone. They were using him, too, of course. But it's something he's been forced to reflect on, thanks to this place. When he thinks about it now, he's not exactly proud of himself. He'd be embarrassed if Jun found out. But of course Jun doesn't know about that, either.
There's no two ways about it. He was pretty unpleasant back then. Still...
He was given a second chance, in the form of the person sitting next to him. A chance to start over from the bottom and become someone different. Which he did. And isn't that worth cherishing? Jun wasn't put off by his bad personality—he's happy to put up with him forever. That makes Hiyori very fortunate. And he would rather celebrate his good fortune than linger on the past, so that's exactly what he'll do.]
Well, I haven't been stabbed yet. Even though, as Jun-kun said, I have that personality.
[He smirks again, remembering what Jun said in the past.]
So, since I've still got a thousand lifetimes left to live, I'll just work extra hard to cherish Jun-kun during all those years. That should more than make up for all the rude things I've said!
[He reaches for both of Jun's hands this time. There will definitely be more rude words; he's himself, after all. But no more threats of abandonment or jokes about throwing Jun away. That's what he quietly decides.
And it's not like he was kidding about cherishing Jun, either. Because, as he says next:]
Jun-kun was kind enough to accept me with his whole heart. So the least I can do, as his partner, is to accept every last bit of him.
no subject
Even if he can't resist returning Jun's teasing.]
You know calling me "princess" takes on a completely different meaning now that we're lovers, right?
[He draws out the L-word as part of their teasing.]
It's like Jun-kun's saying he wants to be my prince! Or perhaps my knight in shining armor. Is that why you've been acting so smooth lately? ♪
[His smirk grows more pronounced. But then he admits:]
It's a bit ironic, when I'm the one who's more prince-like onstage. I'm sure all our fans would agree! But I guess I don't mind if Jun-kun wants to slay dragons for me. Having someone like that around is useful ♪
[But even if Jun fails to be useful, he still won't throw him away.
... even though he threatened to in the beginning.
This is the closest he's ever come to apologizing for that, or for some of his other nastiness. Jun's pointed out that he has a bad personality before. And it's not like he disagrees, despite his ego. There are things you don't say, things you don't do, when you're part of a noble family. His upbringing was strict. He was taught good manners. He worked hard to repress all the ugly thoughts he had. Then it was like a dam burst, and as soon as he was out of his family's reach, he just couldn't stop voicing them. But that's fine, right? He's someone important, so he can treat those beneath him however he wants.
Or so he thought, but that sort of self-serving attitude isn't really any different from the one Tatsumi was fighting, is it? The one that made Jun-kun's life miserable.
It's odd and uncomfortable. Feeling this pang of guilt over something he didn't used to feel bad about. But Jun doesn't see a problem. Jun smiles at him earnestly and tells him he's a good person. Because he "accepted him." As though that was some huge hardship.
But it makes sense for Jun to see him that way. As the kind-hearted savior Hiyori positioned himself as. Jun doesn't know what he was like before they met. What he and Eichi-kun did to the "Five Oddballs."
... Or what he did with Eichi's money.
That's not even something he normally feels bad about: using money to woo girls he'd forget by the morning. It's not like he hurt anyone. They were using him, too, of course. But it's something he's been forced to reflect on, thanks to this place. When he thinks about it now, he's not exactly proud of himself. He'd be embarrassed if Jun found out. But of course Jun doesn't know about that, either.
There's no two ways about it. He was pretty unpleasant back then. Still...
He was given a second chance, in the form of the person sitting next to him. A chance to start over from the bottom and become someone different. Which he did. And isn't that worth cherishing? Jun wasn't put off by his bad personality—he's happy to put up with him forever. That makes Hiyori very fortunate. And he would rather celebrate his good fortune than linger on the past, so that's exactly what he'll do.]
Well, I haven't been stabbed yet. Even though, as Jun-kun said, I have that personality.
[He smirks again, remembering what Jun said in the past.]
So, since I've still got a thousand lifetimes left to live, I'll just work extra hard to cherish Jun-kun during all those years. That should more than make up for all the rude things I've said!
[He reaches for both of Jun's hands this time. There will definitely be more rude words; he's himself, after all. But no more threats of abandonment or jokes about throwing Jun away. That's what he quietly decides.
And it's not like he was kidding about cherishing Jun, either. Because, as he says next:]
Jun-kun was kind enough to accept me with his whole heart. So the least I can do, as his partner, is to accept every last bit of him.
[He squeezes Jun's hands.]
Okay? ♪