In last week’s episode of ‘Tokyo In April Is…’, Ren and Kazuma begin a relationship that is more than friends, but definitely not lovers.
Will they be able to keep up with their end of the bargain? Let’s find out in BLtai’s recap of ‘Tokyo In April Is…’ episode 3!
WARNING: Spoiler alert! Don’t read on if you don’t want to be spoiled by the story.
Episode 3: “I missed you.”
The young Ren and Kazuma go to a love hotel and become each other’s first time. As young awkward teenagers, they take time to learn from each other – beginning with their first kiss. It was then that Kazuma learned how important Ren is to him. The feeling overwhelmed him and he begins crying, which Ren thought was because he forced Kazuma to have sex with him (which is definitely not it!). Young Ren hugs the young Kazuma, apologizing for doing it with him, a “straight guy who loves women”. But that scene of Ren apologizing to him was the last thing Ren remembered before he was rushed to the hospital for acute pneumonia and meningitis due to a virus. It was not until a month later that he regained consciousness, but Ren was already gone.
Back in the present time, Ren and Kazuma sleep together. Kazuma hugged him tight, crying and whispering how much he misses him. Ren hesitates before he hugs him back. The next day, Ren wakes up later than Kazuma who is already up and gearing up to prepare breakfast. Kazuma was about to start a serious conversation about what happened a decade ago (again!) but Ren beat him to it and suggested that they should be “friends with benefits” since Ren “is not gay and likes women”. (Ren, you don’t sleep with men and say they’re straight!!) Kazuma, despite some hesitation, agrees.
They begin their “friends with benefits” relationship with a few rules like turning off the lights, Ren doesn’t show his face nor lets him hear his voice, and Kazuma having to leave after sex. They have sex every day after work, but everything else remains the same in their relationship. They still work well together, and in one business meeting where both went, they meet Ren’s former senior colleague, Ochi. He gives him advice about work and how certain people in the company could bring trouble to him.
