Type: Novel Translation
Title: Back Stage!!
Series: Love Stage!!
Author/Circle: Eiki Eiki, Amano Kazuki
Rating: R
Language: English
This time: A close call pushes Rei to make a decision.
Feel free to check out the book in-progress on Pressbooks!
Chapter 3 (cont.)
However, as if laughing in the face of Rei’s suppositions, for some reason Shougo showed up once more at his parents’ home for the New Year’s holidays that year—and after spending a pleasant break with his parents and hitting up Rei for several rounds of sex, he left again. Granted, while only a few months had passed since his previous visit, it had been the end of the year, and so Rei had supposed that it was hardly unnatural for a son to visit around those holidays, passing Shougo’s homecoming off as nothing more than just that.
Except he came home again for Spring Break.
And again for Summer Break. And then again the following New Year’s.
“Shougo’s been coming home to visit every chance he gets lately, huh…”
“Yup, he even said he’s coming again on his next break!” Izumi pronounced cheerfully to Nagisa, who seemed relieved but still a bit confused by the situation herself. Izumi himself was over the moon with joy that his beloved big brother was coming home so often now. He was often left feeling rather down in the few days following Shougo’s eventual return to England, but it never lasted all that long, and as soon as Shougo showed his face again, he’d be off chattering about what all had happened in his absence.
And of course Nagisa as well as Seiya were thrilled that their son was visiting home so often. However…
Whereas the Sena family was in high spirits about the whole situation—Rei couldn’t seem to stay calm. How could he, after all? He still cared greatly for Seiya, but every time Shougo popped in, they’d slip off for a secret sexual rendezvous… Rei was only going along with everything to ensure that Shougo didn’t spill about their relationship to Seiya—but at the rate things were going, there was no way things weren’t going to come apart at the seams at the worst possible moment now.
While he knew he ought to be thinking of a way out of the situation, though, he reluctantly continued to allow the relationship to continue. Until—
Shougo came home during Spring Break once again. “Good grief—why must you come home every single chance you get? You were perfectly content only coming back once a year before.” He muttered these complaints while unthinkingly helping Shougo strip him.
He understood well enough that he, as a houseguest, had no place complaining while the family were all so happy with the situation—but the lapse in time between New Year’s and Spring Break had felt far too short, and the bitter complaint just leaked out.
“Mm, well—sex with you feels way better than with anyone else, so I just find myself dropping in whenever I find the time!”
Rei felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him at the cheerful proclamation, delivered with a smile. It was times like this that left Rei certain this man never thought anything through. Though, Rei had to admit, sex with Shougo was the best he’d ever had as well…
Not that he planned on ever letting Shougo know that himself.
“…Whatever, let’s just get this over with.”
“There you go again~” Shougo teased, letting a hand slide down to massage Rei’s shoulder as he slowly drew in close, and Rei’s eyes slipped shut as he accepted the kiss, responding to it.
“Mm…” Heat flared up slowly at the touch, and a moan slipped out as they kissed. His tongue entwined eagerly with Shougo’s own as it slid into his mouth. As they exchanged kisses, Shougo’s hand dropped down to further explore Rei’s body, drifting over his most erogenous points, then to the areas teasingly close—until falling further away…
He tweaked Rei’s nipple with one hand while stroking his side with another, sending a shudder of pleasure through Rei’s body. Shougo gently pressed him down onto his back on the bed, breaking the kiss only long enough to strip Rei’s shirt off over his head. As their bare chests brushed together, Shougo nipped lightly at Rei’s earlobe.
“Nngh…” The lips soon descended in a line down his throat, with his hand coming up to palm between Rei’s legs—and then it happened. “—w-wait…”
“Hey—what’s the big idea, all of a sudden…?”
“Just shut up—I heard something.” He thought he’d heard a sound—something not roused by their own actions, and he shoved Shougo up off of himself. He strained to hear over the sounds of his own heart thudding loudly in his chest, and then—
”…-chan…Oniichaaaan…where are you…”
There was no mistaking it—that was Izumi’s voice. Something must have woken him, and seeing that Shougo—who was supposed to be sleeping with him—was not by his side, he’d probably come looking for him. Thankfully, he didn’t hear any other sounds, but if they let him wander about crying as he was, it was only a matter of time before Seiya and Nagisa woke as well.
“Hurry and get dressed and go see to him!” Rei urged, tossing Shougo’s clothes at him. They hadn’t yet managed to divest themselves of anything below the waist, so it didn’t take too long. Shougo must have felt the same sense of urgency as Rei, for he quickly dressed without protest and slipped out of the room.
Rei strained to hear, not daring to move a muscle, until he caught the sounds of Shougo descending the stairs. His heart was thudding so loudly, he was sure that anyone wandering by might be able to hear it and clasped a hand to his chest.
”What’s wrong, Izumi?”
“Oniichaaan! Where’d you go??”
“Sorry! Was just getting some air out on the third-floor balcony!”
Their voices grew fainter and fainter, until at last Rei couldn’t hear them at all. They must have finally retired once again to Izumi’s room, and as a sense of relief dawned, Rei wiped away the sheen of cold sweat from his face, but his heart continued to pound.
The hand he’d clenched to his chest trembled nervously, and he was sure if he looked into a mirror just now, his face would be as pale as if he’d just seen a ghost. He dove under his futon and covered up to his head, curling in on himself into a tight ball.
And as he listened to the sounds of his own labored breathing, he finally made a firm decision.
The next day, he knocked on the door of Shougo’s room. Seiya and Nagisa were both out taking care of their respective work, and Izumi was at school. The housekeeper was gone as well, as after she’d prepared lunch for all but Shougo, she’d headed out to do some shopping for dinner—which meant she wouldn’t be back for another hour at least.
This was the only chance he had to really talk. He’d wanted to wait until the evening, but Shougo generally slept with Izumi, and he absolutely did not want a repeat of the previous night.
“Come in~” At the invitation from inside, Rei took a deep breath and opened the door. “…Huh? Wow, it’s rare for you to come visit me!” He likely had thought Rei the housekeeper, come to collect his laundry, and his eyes were wide with surprise as he sat up from where he lay lounging on his bed—not sleeping, but reading magazines apparently, based on the publications strewn about over his pillow.
Rei swallowed thickly. He knew he’d made his decision, but now that the moment had arrived to say it, he didn’t know how to broach the subject. Until—
“What’s wrong? Oh—you wanna continue what we started last night?” The moment Shougo opened his mouth and delivered the question, all casual and unruffled, Rei felt his will firm, and he stared straight at Shougo.
“…Please don’t make me do this anymore,” he voiced, facing Shougo. “I don’t want to risk what I have here—if anyone found out…my life would be over. Please understand. I’m sure you…have any number of other partners you could turn to, right?”
No…that wasn’t right, and he shook his head after allowing himself to speak too emotionally, lashing out at Shougo. This was his own fault as well. He’d told himself the reason he’d allowed this relationship to continue as long as it had was because he needed insurance to keep Shougo quiet; he was as much at fault for not nipping this in the bud to begin with.
Of course, it hadn’t been an excuse in the beginning—he truly had believed this to be the only way to ensure Shougo wouldn’t talk. But now, after spending as much time with Shougo as he had, he could tell—believed—that Shougo wasn’t the type of person who would callously reveal their relationship or Rei’s feelings for Seiya. Even if Rei hadn’t given in that first time, if he’d pushed Shougo away, he surely wouldn’t have retaliated.
The fact that he’d continued dragging out this relationship, giving in to Shougo’s desire despite understanding that he wouldn’t do anything if Rei refused…was, he supposed, simply because of Rei’s own innate weakness. Living his life clinging to these feelings for Seiya that would never, ever bear fruit had always been so frustrating, and sex with Shougo had truly felt amazing…so he supposed he’d just been putting off the inevitable.
He knew that he should have done something before things escalated to what had happened the night before. Seiya and SenaPro were the most important things in Rei’s life.
“I was wrong—I can’t lose my dream, my life…just for a few hours’ pleasure with you.”
And maybe Shougo understood now…how serious Rei was. “I see… Your dream, huh,” he allowed with a sigh, having kept silent through Rei’s speech, and then nodded shortly. “All right; guess there’s nothing we can really do about it. This only works if we both agree to it, after all.” He slipped off the bed here and strode forward to stand before Rei. “Guess that’s the end of our secret alliance.”
Rei glanced down at the hand Shougo held out for him—switching his glance back and forth between Shougo’s face and hand. Shougo reached forward and took Rei’s hand in his own, squeezing it tightly—and it was only here that Rei realized Shougo was shaking his hand. His palm felt warm, and Rei realized that his own fingers had been frozen with nerves.
Rei returned the firm grip, glancing up at Shougo—realizing for the first time that Shougo was taller than him now, had passed him in height without Rei even realizing it. Quite some time had passed now since they’d first met—and this difference pressed that point home.
“…A ‘secret alliance’? Are you an idiot?” He knew he really ought to be thanking Shougo for agreeing so easily to dissolve their relationship, but he couldn’t help the nasty quip, and Shougo released his grip with a goofy smile.
And so, their relationship ended just as secretly as it had begun, and without even waiting for his Spring Break to end this time, Shougo returned to England.
To be continued…