Since Childhood, Keitaro never fit in the stereotype of an aggressive and manly boy. He doesn’t mind sports; he finds it fun but he enjoyed arts more. He got along with girls in his hometown and he learned how to braid their hair. He only showed this side of his to his brother and friends. Keitaro never asked his parents for toys, he was only satisfied with the sheep stuffed toy that his brother gave him when Keitaro was a baby. Keitaro still kept the stuffed toy since it’s extremely important to him, it helps him keep calm, especially for what comes next.
Keitaro has always been attached to his older brother, Kenji. Ever since their parents have been treating Kenji unfairly, Keitaro would always be there to stand up for him. Keitaro knew why they treated him like that, and he chose to side with Kenji. He felt so frustrated that none of them could do anything about the mistreatment. Keitaro’s parents still treated him like their own son, but Kenji was treated like a bug, they were always crushing his self-esteem whenever they see him.
As the days went by, Keitaro was sleeping peacefully in his and Kenji’s bedroom. However, the next day, Kenji was nowhere to be found. Keitaro, at first, assumed that Kenji went to the bathroom, but when he saw a note on top of his desk, Keitaro’s heart dropped as soon as he read the first sentence. Keitaro didn’t know what to do. Kenji never even hinted where he went. He kept hoping that it was a nightmare, but when he heard his parents calling him for breakfast and asking him where Kenji is, he realized that what's happening now is reality.
“I don’t know,” was what Keitaro answered. His parents brushed it off, thinking Kenji went out to play somewhere. When nighttime came, Kenji still hasn’t come back home and Keitaro spent all day worrying about him. Their parents suddenly stormed in the room and demanded Keitaro for answers about Kenji’s whereabouts, but they noticed Kenji’s notebooks and stationery are gone. They were the only things Kenji would bring with him. His parents went on a search party since Kenji blocked their numbers, and Keitaro didn’t have a phone at the time so he couldn’t contact Kenji. The search party failed since Keitaro’s parents gave up and can’t bring themselves to talk to Keitaro. Keitaro stopped talking to them as he continued putting up missing person posters, resenting his parents for hurting Kenji. At the same time, he was mad at himself for not being able to do anything that could save Kenji.
When it was time for Keitaro to go to college, he was devastated and prayed every day, hoping God would bring a miracle for this damaging situation. Keitaro was able to focus on his studies and achieved more than average grades, but his mental health kept worsening, worrying about Kenji's whereabouts. He doesn't even know if he's alive. The only thing that was keeping him sane was the squid stuffed toy that Kenji gifted him. It was mentally exhausting not knowing what happened to Kenji, and he’s desperately hoping that Kenji’s safe and sound.
After Keitaro finished college, he celebrated his and his friends’ graduation at a restaurant, then Keitaro went to a gay bar to spend time by himself. It was his first time visiting OceanBlue, a small gay bar that was next to a lot of marketing companies. He thought the bar looked appealing from the outside with the blue glowing logo accompanied with an ocean drawing. As Keitaro entered the bar, he was greeted by a familiar voice. Keitaro walked closer to the bartender table and when the bartender looked up at the customer, that was when Keitaro realized.
With his mouth agape and eyes wide open, “Aniki?” was the first thing that Keitaro blurted out. The person in front of him looked as stunned as he is, and after a long silence, the bartender finally replied. “Kei?”
Keitaro’s tears began to flow. Finally, he found Kenji. After 13 years, he finally found his brother, safe and sound like he always prayed. He kept bawling like a little kid while Kenji exited the bartender table to give Keitaro a hug. There weren’t any customers at the moment since the bar was about to close soon, so Kenji didn’t find it necessary to bring Keitaro to the back. After calming Keitaro down, the first thing Kenji did was apologize to Keitaro for disappearing like that. He knew that Keitaro would be miserable at the news, but he’s happy that he could see him again. Kenji still sememed like a calm older brother, but Keitaro could tell that his voice was shaking while explaining his situation.
Keitaro told Kenji not to blame himself for the mess, and even though Keitaro was depressed over the situation, he didn’t want Kenji to feel guilty for leaving him, knowing that Kenji went through worse than him. Keitaro doesn’t want Kenji to feel guilty for running away from his parents. Keitaro wished Kenji could have brought him, but he also understands that it’s because Kenji doesn’t want Keitaro to suffer when Kenji didn't have anywhere safe to stay. Now that Kenji has been found, Keitaro decided to sit down and have a drink. He and Kenji had a chat over what happened to them during the time when Kenji went missing. Keitaro was pleased to know that Kenji had an amazing guardian to take care of him. Knowing how well Kenji’s life went, Keitaro felt relief.
The two of them exchanged numbers and after the heart-wrenching reunion, Keitaro went to sleep peacefully while hugging his sheep stuffed toy. Keitaro’s days began to change as he decided to head to therapy first before getting a job, and with the support of his brother and friends, Keitaro was looking forward to the future. Keitaro managed to get a job and due to his hard work, he earned the role of a marketing officer. With how sociable and empathetic he is, he’s able to get along with his coworkers and people outside his office. After work, he’d visit the bar Kenji works at and have a chat with not only his brother, but other customers in the bar.
After the reunion, Keitaro was finally able to calm down and focus on himself. He’s a hardworking office worker with girly interests, and he’s not ashamed of himself. Keitaro is barely in contact with his parents. He'd answer their call sometimes and that’s it. After everything that has happened, Keitaro has moved on and continued living his life with happiness.
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