2026 January content preview (Pixiv Fanbox)

“Whoa! So your mom’s remarrying, huh?”

I responded to my friend; Ren’s news with words of congratulations. At least, that’s what came out first, and I suppressed any worry that had sprung up.

It’s been over a year since Ren’s parents divorced. Back then, Ren looked so gloomy… Even during our phone calls, his face was often dark. Seeing him look so genuinely bright for the first time in a while put me at ease.

…But is he really okay? I wanted to ask that, but I also struggled with the thought that this wasn’t the right time to question his happiness.

For now, all I could do was simply celebrate with him while he seemed happy.

“So yeah, we’re moving. So things might get a little busy for a while. But, once we settle in, I’d love for you to come visit, Yuto.”

“Yeah, sounds good. Maybe in about six months I’ll come see you. It’s only about an hour by bullet train, and if it’s after summer vacation starts…”

“Hehe, I’m looking forward to it. Oh, sorry! Someone’s calling me, so I gotta go.”

“Yeah, talk later.”

It took three whole months before we had another call, after the previous one. We still messaged on LINE pretty often, but Ren kept saying he was busy with the move, and that he had other things to do at night and just couldn’t find time… Those kinds of replies just kept coming. The plan to meet up in the summer wasn’t moving forward at all, and by that point, I was starting to feel pretty lonely… Honestly, also a little irritated.

We finally managed to talk again, after so long… That was tonight.

“Man, it’s been forever!!”

“Sorry, sorry! But, I’m glad you look like you’re doing good.”

“Yeah, you too.”

There was a short pause as I looked at Ren after such a long time. Had his face gotten a little more mature? And somehow… He seemed kind of, well, more ‘attractive’ than before. It’s hard to put into words exactly how.

…Whatever. It’s fine. Ren knows I’m gay, anyway.

“You’ve got some sex appeal now, huh?”

“Eh? Really? Ehehe.”

Ren is my friend, but we’ve never actually met in person. We’re the same age and got closer after vibing in a gay online chat. The reason Ren joined that community in the first place was because things were bad with his dad…

I plan to keep my sexuality a secret from my parents, but Ren said early on that he wanted to come out. When he actually told his parents, however, his dad flipped out and things got really strained. In the end his mom accepted him, which led to the divorce. When I met him, during that time, he was really torn up and blaming himself for ‘ruining the family’ because he was gay.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen Ren looking this confident.

“Sex appeal, huh? Maybe I do~.”

“Eh, what’s with that teasing tone? Wait… Don’t tell me you actually got a boyfriend??”

Of course I didn’t mean it seriously; It was just our usual kind of joke.

But, then, Ren’s face turned red. Whoa, hold on…

“…………Well, ‘boyfriend’ isn’t quite the right word.”

“No way, Ren, seriously?”

“No, that’s not it! Or rather…”

Ren had a look on his face, like he was lost in thought for a moment.

Man, come on. He’s just been making faces that I’ve never seen him make, until today. Don’t go silent on a video call like that. What am I supposed to do?

Ren thought for just a little longer. Then, keeping his gaze fixed on me, he whispered in a small voice.

“…Yuto, we’re friends, right?”

“Of course we are.”

“Then… Will you listen? To my secret?”

‘Secret’. That word should have been tied to Ren’s trauma. Coming out… That’s what caused him to be separated from his father. Even after the move, he said he’d never see his father; the man who couldn’t accept him, ever again. Ren, he actually really loved his parents, so he was genuinely sad about it… Come to think of it, has he told his new dad about being gay? What’s he planning to do? While my thoughts were wandering; Ren started lifting up his shirt.

“…Huh??”

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen something like this. I’m gay, and yeah, at our age you end up using the internet for all sorts of ‘naughty’ things. Gay porn pics sometimes just pop up on your timeline, even if you’re not looking for them. So, nipple piercings? I’ve seen those before… I wasn’t so shocked that I flipped out or anything.

But, it was only ever through a screen. Sure, this call is online too, but that’s not the point. On Ren’s nipples… There were piercings, like they were straight out of a porno video. This wasn’t some stranger’s erotic photo, nor was it a BL illustration. Even though we’d only ever talked online, this was more real; They were on the nipples of my actual friend.

“They’re not fake.”

Ren reached out with his finger and lightly tugged on one of the piercings. The metal pulled and stretched the slight swell of his chest with it. His nipples, which I was seeing for the first time… They were nothing like what I’d imagined.

“W-Why…? Fashion…?”

I tried my best to act calm. Some people are into this kind of thing. You’re not supposed to judge a friend’s preferences or lifestyle! That’s something we minorities absolutely must never do to each other, right? But, Ren just gave a little snort at all my inner turmoil and said:

“No.”

“That’s not it.”

“I was made to wear them. The mark of being a slave. Because I became a slave...”

“Wha…? Ren, what are you talking about? I don’t… I don’t get it…”

“There’s something… I haven’t told you, Yuto.”

Ren continued through the phone screen, still touching his nipple.

“The truth is… I’m a pervert.”

“Huh… What?”

“That’s also the real reason the divorce happened.”

Ren kept going.

“It’s true that I came out… But the real trigger, was that my dad found my search history. Stuff like ‘gay BDSM’, ‘human urinal’, that kind of thing.”

“W-Wait, really…? So, you mean…???”

“That’s the kind of thing I wanted to become.”

What was he talking about? No… I was starting to understand, even if just a little. My friend wasn’t just into guys; He was into the dangerous stuff too… A masochism kink? My heart started pounding hard at his confession. It wasn’t just surprise.

What was this huge pulse? No… I knew what it was. I’d always called Ren a ‘friend’, but deep down I actually liked him a little. He was a gay friend my age. But, I hadn’t wanted things to change. So, I’d refused to admit it, even to myself.

Still... I liked Ren. Now, here he was, and showing me this incredibly erotic side of himself. Why was Ren telling me all this? Could it be that Ren felt the same way about me. That’s when it happened.

*Click.*

On the screen, I could see the door behind Ren’s room open.

“Re-Ren!!! This is bad!!!!”

Who was this?! Family? Ren was already starting to get naked, and someone had just walked in behind him. This was the worst! Who was this unknown man?

I knew about Ren’s family… Everyone except for one. Which meant… This guy had to be his new father. Ren had been caught again and his secret—the one that absolutely couldn’t be found out—had been exposed. But Ren didn’t look panicked at all. In fact… quite the opposite.

“Re-… Ren…?”

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