Alex’s answer to “I just finished your Learning How To Lose series, and was wondering, will we ever get a glimpse int…” > Likes and Comments

I loved the series! Hiro might be a new favorite hero of mine, and I liked Ryuu a lot too, in spite of his prickliness. I guess my main question about Hiro is when he started looking at Ryuu the way Ryuu looked at Hiro. We got to see Ryuu as he went from competitor to friend to wanting more, but we didn't get to see that transition in Hiro. Had he considered Ryuu that way before Ryuu reached out and touched his neck that day? Did he have the same fears Ryuu had about his career, or did he look at that the same way he seemed to look at everything else- just wanting to be happy and always looking for the best?

That's wonderful to hear! :-) I love that Hiro’s mysteriousness didn’t prevent you from liking him. And yes, Ryuu really can be a prickly hedgehog, but he has his moments.

My take on it is this.

(view spoiler)[Hiro already knows he’s attracted to men as well as women when the series begins; it’s not a big deal to him, though, and in typical Hiro fashion, he rarely even thinks about it. Mostly, he views it as an entirely theoretical thing that won’t have any impact on his life. He never plans or expects to do anything about it.

So while he is certainly theoretically aware that Ryuu is attractive, he honestly never views him in a sexual light before Ryuu slips up by touching his neck and confessing his own attraction.

Hiro’s first reaction is surprise. He had no idea Ryuu was attracted to men in general OR to Hiro in particular. Hiro’s second reaction is intrigue, because… well, now that he thinks about it, yes, Ryuu is indeed attractive, and Hiro likes him a lot, and Hiro also likes sex and all of these things might go very well together. So hey, if they both want to, why not just try it and see? Could be a lot of fun!

It’s a very spontaneous thing. In that moment, Hiro doesn’t really think it through in terms of career risk (or how it might impact their friendship, for that matter).

Later on, of course, he is aware of the danger to both of their careers. He doesn’t worry about it obsessively like Ryuu, though; he thinks that if they’re a little careful, the risk of being discovered is fairly small, and definitely acceptable when weighed against how wonderful and amazing his new relationship with Ryuu is. This may well be a bit too unconcerned a view, but being Hiro, he really doesn’t see the point of dwelling on fears and anxieties and making yourself unhappy. (hide spoiler)]

I should add: I belong to the school of thought that holds the author’s take on a story is not in any way more valid than the take of the reader. In a real sense, the reader creates the story in their mind when they read it, and every reader brings it to life in a unique way. So basically, this is just one possible interpretation among many. :-)

Excellent, thanks! That's just the sort of thing I've been wondering about.:) Thanks for answering my questions.