Talk about it! Tsuchi nearly groaned aloud. For a long time he was too frustrated to hear a sense of tenderness in the other boy's voice. They were waiting uncertainly for each other to speak - before the courage started to rise in him and he spoke, with his eyes still modestly lowered.

"I think so," he said.

There was so much silence. Sometimes he found himself being almost as sweet as his friend. And on how many other times had he been a sort of enemy?

His eyes turned musingly to his friend's hand, where the flame had been. "Say what you like, I have no idea what I should be feeling. I wouldn't even know what to do with... all this."