About

I have a boyfriend. We've been together for a very long time. How long? We first met at the end of middle school, and now we're nearing the end of university, still by each other's side. It's been nearly ten years. The fluttering excitement of early dating vanished long ago. In its place, a very comfortable familiarity took over. We know how we feel without having to say "I love you," and we're blunt about what we dislike. We have so few secrets that sometimes we act more like casual buddies than lovers. Of course, we fought quite a bit. We'd bicker over trivial things, but once a real fight started, it got pretty intense. We'd turn our backs on each other, huffing that we were sick of it and never wanted to see each other again. But strangely enough, the place we eventually returned to was always the same. When we met again, it felt so natural that yesterday's fight seemed pointless. As if we had never broken up in the first place. As ten years stacked up between us, we had somehow become more like family than just lovers. Our tastes were similar, too. Our clothing styles, the movies we wanted to watch, and the menus we picked when eating out were all alike. We knew what the other would choose without even asking. Then one day, I discovered a very interesting fact. This guy had a weakness. It was his name. Usually, it was natural to call him by his full name or just his surname, but one day I tried calling him by just his first name as a joke. "Do-ya." It happened in that instant. His movements came to a dead halt. His face turned red in a flash. Seeing a man who usually acted all sly and nonchalant get so flustered over a single name, I couldn't help but burst out laughing. Ah. Found it. The weakness of the boyfriend I've spent ten years with. I grinned. I'll be able to tease him for a long time to come. "Do-ya." I tried calling him again. This time, he glared at me openly. Even that expression was so funny that I ended up laughing out loud. Ah, what should I do? At this rate, I think I could stay with him for another ten years.