Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

September has just begun, the soft breeze of the wind hitting the trees, the leaves slowly falling on the floor. A red, dry maple leaf falls on the ground. Some boy with white hair and a red lock, matching the leaf, kneels down on the ground and picks it up. He inspects it carefully, his red eyes analyzing each vein. The boy slips it into his pocket and opens the school gates, stopping for a moment. He looks around the new building - it's his freshman year, after all. He checks every brick wall, each detail on any poster he encounters whilst searching for the headmaster's office. However, the ground floor is big enough to fit a stadium in, so he asks someone who looks like he knows more about the place. He inspects his blue hair and interesting haircut a bit longer than needed before tapping his shoulder, only to be greeted with a sharp stare.

'What do you want?' The boy turns around to face the freshman, his eyes drowned in annoyance.
'I wanted to ask where the headmaster's office is?' He fixes his glasses, stepping back slightly.
'Fine, follow me then.' He gestures with his hand, not bothering to wait for the other boy. He walks down the corridor, the red-streaked boy trying to catch up.
'Is this your first year here?' The boy rushes over to the blue haired guy, blinking rapidly. 'My name's Kazuha, by the way.'
The boy stops walking for a moment, turning around to look at Kazuha with wide eyes:
'Kazuha? As in Kaedehara Kazuha?' He speaks up with disbelief in his voice.
'Is my last name really that important?' Kazuha smiles, fixing his backpack.
'Shut up, redhead. I'm just surprised. I'm Kunikuzushi, I guess.' Kunikuzushi rolls his eyes, sighing under his breath.
'Nice to meet you Kunikuzushi.' A faint smile paints over Kazuha's face.

They finally approach the headmaster's office. Kunikuzushi knocks.
'Come in.' The muffled voice of the headmaster can be heard. It grows louder as the door is opened.
'Morning...' Kunikuzushi looks down at the floor as he enters the headmaster's office.
Kazuha quickly checks the name written on the nameplate. 'Good morning, Ms. Ei.' He greets the headmaster with a smile.
'You should be more like your acquaintance, Kunikuzushi.' The headmaster glares at Kunikuzushi, shaking her head ever so slightly.
'I don't even know him. Don't embarrass me.' Kunikuzushi rolls his eyes, crossing his arms before continuing. 'Can you give me...', He glances at Kazuha, 'us, our locker keys?'

They get handed their locker keys and leave the office, approaching their lockers. Their lockers are next to one another.
'Which class are you in?' Kazuha makes conversation, emptying his bookbag into the locker.
'1a.' Kunikuzushi replies, not even bothering to look back.
'We're in the same class.' Kazuha snickers under his breath as the bell rings.
'I don't care.' Kunikuzushi slams his locker door, closing it aggressively. They head to their very first class of the year - mathematics.

Both of them open the door, finding one free desk in the back of the class, having exactly two seats. They approach it and sit there, putting their mathematics notebook on the table.
'You any good at math?' Kunikuzushi glances at the board, then at Kazuha.
'Yeah. Don't think I'm helping you though.' Kazuha smirks, rewriting the equation off of the board into his notebook and solving it.
'I wasn't going to ask you for help anyways.' Kunikuzushi lies through his teeth, whispering to himself, 'cocky asshole.'
'I heard that, Kunikuzushi.' Kazuha smiles, continuing to solve the other equations while Kunikuzushi is still stuck on the first one, trying to copy Kazuha's answer by looking over his shoulder nonchalantly. But just as he's about to see the answer, Kazuha rests his head on his hand, his elbow on the desk completely covering his notebook up.

The bell to leave the first class finally rings. Everyone is packing their books and heading off to wait for their next class. Kazuha and Kunikuzushi are no exception. Kazuha grabs his timetable and hovers his finger over their second class - science.
'We really have science next?' Kunikuzushi peeks over Kazuha's shoulder, catching a glimpse of the upcoming lesson.
'Mhm.' Kazuha takes out his science notebook out of the locker while putting in his math one. Kunikuzushi does the same.
'You good at it?'
'I'm good at everything, Kunikuzushi. Stop asking dumb questions.' A sudden, cocky grin covers Kazuha's face.
'Tch...' Kunikuzushi crosses his arms, walking to their science class.

The class goes as per usual, the bell saving them once again.

'Just one more class before lunch break...' Kazuha yawns, stretching as he follows Kunikuzushi to his locker.
'Can you stop following me like a stray dog?' Kunikuzushi looks at Kazuha with that same, piercing gaze once again.
'Are we not friends? The headmaster did say that I'm a good, quote on quote, acquaintance.' Kazuha smirks getting awfully close to Kunikuzushi before being pushed away.
'God, are you gay or something?' The blue haired boy pushes him away, grabbing his biology book from the locker.
'We have biology next?' Kazuha's eyes widen, grabbing his own biology book.
'Yeah. In case you're slow. Next time keep an eye on your time table instead of my belt.' Kunikuzushi faces his back towards Kazuha, making that same waving hand gesture once again.
'Well I beg your finest pardon, but your belt doesn't interest me enough as your eyes do.' Kazuha licks his teeth, earning himself a punch from Kunikuzushi.

They finally go to their biology class after many punches, counting minutes until lunch break. One minute after another, each one feeling like an hour. The last minute leads to the bell, everyone rushing out of the class to the cafeteria. Kazuha and Kunikuzushi rush to a table and sit down.

'We have 3 more classes left, right?' Kazuha asks, glancing over at Kunikuzushi.
'Yeah.'
But before Kazuha can ask which classes they are, Kunikuzushi's childhood friends, Ajax Tartaglia and Shikanoin Heizou approach them.
'Well, well, well, Kunikuzushi talking with someone that isn't us? I'm a bit jealous...' Ajax leans close to Kunikuzushi's face, their breaths mingling. Ajax earns himself a slap from Kunikuzushi.
'He's feisty too. Is this more than just a friend, Kuni?' Heizou smirks, crossing his arms as he snickers under his breath, carefully eyeing over Kazuha.
'I don't even know him. He's been following me around like a lost puppy.' Kuni clears his throat, laughing it off.
'Then why haven't you kicked him in the balls like you do most people? Is something... different this time?' Heizou continues, also receiving a slap.
'Alright, Kuni, no one's going to steal him away from you...' Ajax laughs before looking at Kazuha. 'Your name?'
'Come driving rain or winds that churn, I shall return, by blade alone, armed, if barefoot, to my home... I am Kaedehara Kazuha.' Kazuha introduces himself dramatically.
All of them go silent for a moment, Ajax and Heizou looking at each other before Heizou speaks up:
'This dude opened his mouth and flowers came out...'
'Anyway, Kaedehara Kazuha, huh? Nice to meet you then. But please speak normally next time, alright?' Ajax clears his throat, laughing silently.
'Your name does sound pretty familiar I can't lie... Kaedehara...' Heizou murmurs quietly, thinking intently.
'Alright, Mr. Detective, let's leave the faggots to be for now, eh?' Ajax smirks and winks at Kunikuzushi.
'Do you ever shut up, you ginger asshole?' Kunikuzushi rolls his eyes, standing up from the table.
'Where are you going?' Kazuha asks, fixing his glasses as he stands up with him.
'Um... away from the freak of Narukami High?' Kuni laughs mockingly.
'Oh come on, don't be so rough on the new guy, Kunikuzushi... let him hang with us for a bit.' Heizou crosses his arms, genuinely smiling at Kazuha.
'No, no way! I've had enough of his cocky attitude!' Kuni's eyes widen.
'Cocky? He's cocky? He looks like he'd feed pigeons on the street, man.' Ajax raises his eyebrow in confusion.
'You should've seen the smirk on this faggot’s face in science class!' Kuni tries making his point, but Ajax and Heizou already brought Kazuha with them.
'Well fuck you three...' Kunikuzushi sighs before walking next to them.

The four of them spend the break together, laughing and getting to know Kazuha more. The bell to their next class, social studies rings. Ajax and Heizou are in class 1b, so they head to the other side of the corridor.
'Well, we're gonna head to history, you?' Heizou nudges to the other side of the corridor with his head.
'Geography. See you next break?' Kazuha smiles.
'Yeah. Meet us right here.' Ajax and Heizou wave them off, heading to their class. Meanwhile, whilst Kazuha and Kunikuzushi are heading to their class, Kuni speaks up.
'Listen, asshole, don't think you're special just cause those idiots decided to spend one break with you.' Kuni clenches his geography book harder, looking at the end of the corridor.
'I'm not gonna steal them from you, if that's what you're worried about.' Kazuha snickers under his breath, looking at Kuni with genuine care in his eyes.
'Whatever!' Kuni raises his voice in an attempt to maintain his composure.

The geography class goes by, the teacher nagging about climate change. The bell excuses them once again, Kazuha and Kunikuzushi going to the same spot they split up with Ajax and Heizou last time. They stand for a little while until the two show up.

'Where now?' Ajax waves to Kazuha and Kuni.
'We're thinking about heading out to the lockers for a moment. I want to get my PE uniform.' Kazuha raises his hand, glancing at Kuni, then at the others.
'You have PE next? Lucky ass...' Heizou scoffs, continuing, 'we've got maths.'
'Sucks to suck, huh, Hei?' Kuni snickers at his friend.
'Say that again and I'll show you what real dreams are made of, Kunikuzushi.' Heizou whispers in an intimate manner, Ajax laughing at his attitude.
'Pride month is in june, Heizou.' Ajax laughs ever so slightly, Kazuha right behind him, sneering quietly.

The friend group head to their lockers, Heizou and Ajax leaning against the locker on Kuni's right side, Kazuha's locker being on his left. Both of them grab their clothes out of their lockers, approaching the gymnasium. As soon as they do, the bell to separate them rings once again.

'Well, see ya later, gayasses. Kuni, don't stare at the poet for too long.' Ajax waves them off, walking to his maths class with Heizou.
'You're gonna get it for that! Just you wait!' Kuni waves his fists in the air, attempting to make a threatening gesture. He glares over at Kazuha and lets out an annoyed sigh.
'It's okay, Kuni, not every lady, or, in this case guy, can resist my charismatic looks.' Kazuha approaches Kunikuzushi, his hand on his jaw, tracing Kuni's lips before being pushed onto the floor.
'Watch it, fag.' Kuni snickers, speaking further, 'Also, it's way too early for you to call me nicknames. I've known those dickheads all my life, meanwhile you – half a day. Get your finger out of your ass.'
'Alright, alright.' Kazuha picks himself off the floor, walking to the changing rooms.

They're greeted by their other classmates, already changing. Kazuha and Kunikuzushi slam their clothes on a wooden bench, slipping off their shirts. They're a bit late, so everyone has already left by the time they only started changing.
'Kuni,' Kazuha speaks up, looking back at his classmate, only to be met by a piercing gaze.
'What?' Kunikuzushi eyes Kazuha up and down, attempting to maintain his composure.
'You have any deodorant, maybe?' Kazuha looks down, suddenly very interested in the floor.
'I can't tell if you're actually gay or not,' Kuni murmurs to himself, rustling in his bag to find a spray can of deodorant before continuing, 'not that I care though.'
'Thanks,' Kazuha ignores Kuni's murmuring, even if he heard each word. He quickly uses it and hands it back over, slipping his shirt and shorts on, speaking up again, 'you take quite an awful time changing.'
'Shut the hell up. I'm already done anyway.' Kuni fixes his shirt, walking out of the changing rooms to the gymnasium, not even looking back to wait for Kazuha. The boy sprints down the stairs from the changing rooms to the gymnasium. He looks around the room intently, walking over to his classmates. The coach looks at everyone with sharp eyes, though his body language isn't as intense.
'Sup. I'm your coach Wriothesley, but you can call me whatever you want. I don't bite. Since today's the first lesson of the year, I'll let y'all play whatever you want. Not my business anyway.' The coach leaves as soon as he finishes his sentence, sitting on the chair and leaning back on it.
'You any good at basketball?' Kazuha asks Kuni, looking at the other classmates running around, throwing the ball into the hoop.
'Wanna play basketball that bad, nerd? You can be good at math, but no way are you beating me in PE.' Kunikuzushi's cocky attitude flies over the roof, stealing a basketball from one of his classmates.
'Bet.' Kazuha's cockiness also fills his veins.

Kunikuzushi and Kazuha run around the basketball for the entire hour, their bodies dripping with sweat, eyes gleaming with pride. The coach whistles, signalizing the end of the lesson. Kuni beat Kazuha barely, just by one point. Both of them leave the gymnasium to change.
'Next time mark my words, Kunikuzushi, I'm gonna score more than you ever have.' Kazuha wipes his face into his shirt, a slither of his abdomen visible.
'Mhm, keep telling yourself that.' Kunikuzushi snickers, throwing his shirt onto the floor and changing back into his clean, school clothes. Kazuha does the same, spraying some cologne on himself.
'You wanna share, maybe? I don't want to be the only one reeking of sweat.' Kuni eyes the cologne bottle, getting a whiff of it.
'Beg for it.' Kazuha smirks, handing him the bottle anyway, 'Just be careful with it.'
Kuni sprays some on himself, choking at the overwhelming scent. 'Is this vanilla?'
'So? You can't be complaining when you asked for it.'
'Well, that's...’ Kuni sighs, admitting defeat.

They approach their lockers yet again, stuffing their clothes in.
'This is going to be our last class, right? History?' Kazuha asks, glancing at his timetable.
'Fucking finally, I wanna go home.' Kunikuzushi stretches, yawning loudly.

Kazuha and Kuni walk to their history class, waiting for it to end. It goes by just as any class of the day has, the bell ringing for the last time. Both of them rush out of the classroom to their lockers to get their bookbags. They stuff their books as soon as possible, being approached by Ajax and Heizou.
'Well, well, well, look who we see yet again... heading home, Kuni?' Heizou smirks, crossing his arms.
'Yeah. I don't want to be in this shithole much longer.' Kunikuzushi snickers, slipping his bookbag over his shoulder.
'You and Kazuha seem to be getting along well. Are we going to be replaced?' Ajax falls into Heizou's arms, lifting his arm over his head dramatically.
'Shut up, this nerd can't even play basketball right.' Kuni looks over at Kazuha, pulling his eyelid and sticking out his tongue simultaneously.
'You beat me by one point!' Kazuha gets defensive, rolling his eyes.
'Just admit you're bad at the game.' Kunikuzushi crosses his arms above his head, the four of them laughing as they leave the school campus.
'See you tomorrow, Kuni, Kazuha.' Ajax and Heizou wave them off, walking home.
'Why didn't you go with them?' Kazuha asks, approaching the bus stop.
'I use the bus. My house isn't as near for me to walk.' Kuni follows him, sitting on the bench right next to the bus stop sign.

They talk for a few minutes until the bus stops near the school, Kazuha and Kuni hopping in. They continue to talk there until they get off at Konda Village.

'You live here?' Kuni asks, stopping after they get off the bus.
'Yeah.'
'I live right there.' Kunikuzushi points to some houses behind him.
'Oh, I don't actually live that far from you.' Kazuha points to the houses opposite of Kunikuzushi's.
'Ha, don't think I'll be visiting you.' Kunikuzushi waves Kazuha off, walking to his house, Kazuha doing the same.

AT KAZUHA'S HOUSE:

Kazuha heads home, opening the door and slipping his shoes off.
'Mom? You home?' Kazuha shouts, waiting for a response.
'I'm here!' A faint, prideful voice echoes back to the corridor from the kitchen, Kazuha walking to the kitchen to see his mom.
'It's just me, mom.' Kazuha smiles, continuing, 'I'm going to go upstairs to my room... what's for dinner?'
'I'm cooking up a nice, tasty flash-fried fillet. I'll call you down when it's ready.' His mom smiles, cutting up the fish.

Kazuha nods and walks upstairs to his room, closing the door behind him. His backpack drops to the floor, approaching the closet. He picks out a worn out shirt with some sweatpants, putting them on after he takes off his school uniform. As he's done changing, he walks over to his desk and pulls out his laptop to do his assignments. Around two hours pass when he finally closes his laptop, a faint voice calling him downstairs for dinner. Kazuha quickly rushes out of his room down the stairs, sitting at the table.

'So, Kazuha, how's the first day of freshman year going, eh?' Kazuha's mom shoots him a sharp glare, though her smile is genuine.
'Oh, it went better than I expected. I made a few new friends, I think.' Kazuha smiles, taking a bite of his food.
'Did ya lure them in with your poetic words?' His mom laughs, taking a large bite of her food as well.
'Haha, no... well, I got teased for it a bit, but I don't think they meant it in a bad way like my previous school.' Kazuha smiles softly, reminiscing on his experiences with Kunikuzushi, Heizou and Ajax.
'They better not, otherwise captain Beidou's going to show them what a true storm looks like! Ain't that right, ya maple-leaf poet?' Kazuha's mom, Beidou, laughs wholeheartedly.
'Mom, it's okay... I really don't think I'll get bullied... or, at least, definitely not as much as last year...' Kazuha looks down at his food, fiddling around with the fork.
'Kazu, just don't let people step all over you again. Stand up for yourself this year, okay?' Beidou looks up at Kazuha with care in her eyes, standing up.
'I promise, you don't have to worry about me...' Kazuha pushes the plate aside, 'Thanks for the meal, by the way.'
Beidou's eyes widen at the plate, most of the food still there, just pushed around. 'Kazuha, you sure you don't want any more?'
'Yeah, I'm full. The food was really good though.' Kazuha smiles, walking upstairs to his room once again. He sighs and walks up to the mirror in his closet, lifting his shirt up, intently inspecting his body and figure from every angle. He swallows hard and pulls his shirt back down, going to lie down in his bed for the rest of the evening. He looks at the time on his phone and gets out of bed to take a shower and brush his teeth. He spits the toothpaste out in the sink and drowns his face in cold water, going back to his bed and looking up at the ceiling with a soft smile on his face. However, the thought of someone haunts him until he eventually closes his eyes and decides to rest.

AT KUNIKUZUSHI'S HOUSE:

Kunikuzushi walks home, nibbling on his lip. He opens the door quietly, letting his backpack hit the floor. He doesn't call or look for anyone, just slips his shoes off and heads to his room. He closes the door and lies down in bed, scrolling endlessly on his phone. His mom, Ei, enters the room.
'Kunikuzushi, clean your room. It's a mess in here. Also, change out of your dirty uniform clothes and throw them in the washing bin. I'm not going to repeat myself.' She shuts the door after, heading back to her bedroom.
'Old hag...' Kuni lets his uniform hit the floor, changing into a plain sweater with loose pants. He doesn't bother picking the clothes off of the floor until he carelessly cleans his room. He makes his bed effortlessly, walking to the bathroom and throwing in his dirty uniform in. Just as he's about to return to his room, a sharp voice is heard from downstairs.
'Kunikuzushi!'
He doesn't answer. Instead, he just walks downstairs, peeking into the kitchen to see his mom and her fiancé at the dinner table. He walks towards it, sitting in front of them.
'So? How did school go for you, hm?' Ei's fiancé smirks, taking a bite of the food Ei made.
'It went fine.' Kunikuzushi replies coldly, pushing the food around.
'Kunikuzushi, eat the food given on your plate.' His mom's gaze is sharp as lightning, her tone no different.
He silently, slowly eats the food before being interrogated by the fiancé yet again.
'Did you make any new friends? Your mom told me you came into her office with this Kaedehara Kazuha. Is that true?'
'None of your business, Miko.'
'That's Guuji Yae to you. Respect your elders.' Ei scolds him once again.
'Ei, it's okay, after all, it hasn't been that long since I've moved in with you two.' Yae Miko smiles gently, gesturing at Kunikuzushi and Ei.
'Sorry mom, Guuji Yae.' Kunikuzushi swallows hard, muttering the words under his nose.
'It's okay honey, you can call me Miko if that makes you more comfortable around me.' Yae Miko sighs, looking at Kunikuzushi with a genuine care for him in her eyes.

They all silently finish their dishes, one after another. Kunikuzushi walks back to his room, slamming the door behind him and rushing into his bed, burying his face into his pillow. He lies down on his stomach like this for what seems like an eternity before deciding to do his homework. Kuni gets out of bed slowly, opens up his laptop and attempts to do his school assignments. Just on the first one he's struggling, holding his head in his hands. He quickly checks any answer he thinks is the most logical and hands in the assignment, doing the same practice on the other assignments. When he finally finishes, the sun has already set and so he decides to lie down in his bed. Kunikuzushi stares out the window, collecting memories of his day. He gets up to go to the bathroom and brushes his teeth, getting ready for bed. He wipes his face and walks back to his bedroom only to lie back in his bed yet again, with the attempt to fall asleep. He stares at the ceiling for what feels to be decades, only being a few minutes in reality. The thought of someone never leaving him alone only frustrating him further. Eventually, after so many efforts, he falls asleep.

Chapter Text

The sun's rays burst through the window, waking Kazuha up. He stretches and gets out of bed to go to the bathroom, drowning his face in freezing cold water. He walks back to his closet to pick out his school uniform and stuffs his books inside of his bookbag, tying his hair into a ponytail soon after. Kazuha walks downstairs to see his mom getting ready into her own uniform.
'Kazuha, I'm going out on a mission with the Crux Fleet. I'll be gone for a week. Think you'll be okay?' Beidou slips on her pirate hat.
'Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm heading to school now, see you.' Kazuha waves his mother off, getting into his shoes.
'You're not gonna eat breakfast?' Beidou lifts her hat ever so slightly to catch a glimpse of her son's expression.
'No, I'm not hungry.' Kazuha smiles before putting his backpack on, leaving the house.

Kazuha shuts the door behind him and sighs softly, approaching the bus station. He's a bit early, so he decides to wait for a while. The bus finally arrives and he gets in, looking around for a seat. Just as the doors are about to close, someone rushes into the bus, panting, falling on their knees. The boy gets up from the floor and also looks around for a seat in the bus, before noticing Kazuha.

'Tch, you're late.' Kazuha smiles from his seat.
'I think I know that, asshole.' Kunikuzushi rolls his eyes, standing next to Kazuha.
'You wanna sit down? Your knee is a bit bruised.' He gets up from his seat, pointing to it.
'No, I'm fine.' Kunikuzushi shakes his head, but Kazuha pushes him onto the seat anyway with a cheeky grin spread across his face.

They reach the school station and get off there, walking towards the front door.

’You think you're so funny, don't you, Kaedehara?' Kunikuzushi smirks to himself.
'Like my last name that much? You can inherit it if we get married.' Kazuha notices his grin and smirks back at him.
'You're asking for a death wish.' Kunikuzushi grits his teeth, aggressively opening his locker. He gets his books out for the day and slams the door shut, waiting for Kazuha.
'Kuni,' Kazuha tries to make conversation, picking out his books from his lockers before closing the door, 'wanna exchange phone numbers?'
'You tryna hit on me now?' Kuni raises his head, crossing his arms.
'No, but I just think that having you in my contacts would be nice.' Kazuha rips out a piece of paper from his notebook, writing his phone number in it and handing it to Kunikuzushi.
'Thanks, but don't think I'll be calling you.' Kuni snatches the paper from Kazuha, ripping out a piece of paper from his own notebook, writing his phone number as well.
'Chemistry...' Kazuha sighs, slipping his bookbag over his shoulder.
'You are going to help me, right?' Kunikuzushi walks in front of him, his hands above his head.
'Struggling that much, hm?' Kazuha snickers under his breath, following Kunikuzushi to their chemistry class.

The class goes by faster than expected, the bell excusing everyone to break.

'Music next, huh...' Kunikuzushi grabs out his timetable, shoving it back into his pocket once he eyes the classes carefully, 'You any good at it?' He continues.
'Music? Yeah. I play three instruments, all of them of different classes.' Kazuha's pride roams through his veins, a cocky smirk on his face.
'No need to get cocky, asshole. I just need help with notes.' Kuni yawns, leaning on the wall next to the music class door.
'Not to mention I sing in my free time too...' Kazuha continues teasing Kunikuzushi, standing next to him.

They talk for a minute or so, until their friends approach them.

'Good morning, lovebirds.' Heizou waves at them, winking.
'Now, now, Hei, no need to get jealous. You have me.' Ajax puckers his lips, wrapping an arm around Heizou's waist jokingly.
'What the fuck is into you two?' Kunikuzushi raises his eyebrows, blinking harshly.
'Well, we just thought to take inspiration from our two best friends...' Ajax teases Kuni and Kazuha, Heizou laughing behind him.
'We're not even like that, Ajax.' Kazuha snickers, not taking Ajax's words to heart.
'See, you really should be more like him, Kuni.' Heizou gestures at Kazuha.
'Both of you better shut up before I send my fist up your ass.' He shakes his head angrily, fixing his bookbag.
'Okay, okay, sorry. We'll leave you two to be then.' Ajax waves them off, walking to his class with Heizou.
'Are they dating?' Kazuha looks over at Kunikuzushi, a slight smile on his face.
'Normally I'd say no, but they're acting really fucked up today. So maybe.' Kunikuzushi sneers quietly.

The bell to the second class rings. They walk into their music class, sitting down the corner of the class. They get handed a sheet of paper by the teacher.

Kunikuzushi stares at his assignment blankly, trying to decipher what's written on it. He takes a peek over Kazuha's shoulder, only to see his paper almost filled.
'Can you help me out?' Kunikuzushi whispers aggressively, pointing to the first question.
'Wait, I'm almost done with mine.' Kazuha doesn't even bother looking over, his full attention on the sheet of paper in front of him. He finishes his worksheet and swaps his with Kunikuzushi's.
'Oh, thanks, a lot.' Kunikuzushi smiles, trying to act as nonchalant as possible as he thanks Kazuha. Right after, he looks down at Kazuha's sheet that's now right in front of him. He's got no idea what's written on it or what any of the things mean, but he leans back in his chair casually.
'Hand me the eraser, please?' Kazuha looks up from Kunikuzushi's sheet, his expression completely different than usual. His eyes consist of nothing but focus and concentration, his tone steady.
Kunikuzushi's eyes widen ever so slightly, the expression catching him off guard. Despite himself, he still hands him the eraser.
'Thanks.' Kazuha nods his head and finishes the work sheet, swapping it with Kunikuzushi's again.
'You study music or something?' Kunikuzushi rests his head on his hand, his elbow pressed against the desk.
'Yeah, I finished music school last year.' Kazuha replies with a subtle smile, the teachers sharp voice catching them off guard.
'You two! Just what could be so interesting neither of you can keep your mouths shut? You wanna sing in front of the class for us?' The teacher points at them with her pen.
'Sorry, miss.' Kunikuzushi raises his hands in defeat, rolling his eyes.

The class ends and they hand their assignments back to the teacher, walking out of the class laughing.

'That teacher is such a whore...' Kunikuzushi walks out of the class with Kazuha, laughing wholeheartedly.
'I know right! No wonder she became a music teacher, maybe she couldn't hit the right pitch when moaning in bed...' Kazuha laughs at his own joke, Kunikuzushi right behind him.
'Woah there, slow down there, Kaedehara, I thought you were supposed to be the philosophical poet, no?' Kunikuzushi stops for a moment, wiping the tears out of his eyes from laughing so hard.
'Well god forbid someone wants to express themselves in another way rather than poetry.' Kazuha rolls his eyes, the bell silencing them for a moment.
'Shit, what's our next class anyway?' Kuni raises his eyebrows, digging in his pockets for his timetable, sighing dramatically as his eyes land on the third class of the day, 'oh.'
'What is it?'
'Math.' Kunikuzushi drags himself across the hall, opening the door.

They sit down in their seat from yesterday, the class no different from last time. They take notes, Kazuha concentrating especially, since they're preparing for a test that's announced to be in 3 days. The bell rings, excusing the students to lunch. Kazuha and Kunikuzushi sit down at the same table, Ajax and Heizou already sitting at it.

'Sitting at our table now?' Kunikuzushi crosses his arms and sits down in front of Ajax and Heizou, snickering under his breath. Kazuha sits next to him.
'I don't see your name on here.' Ajax smirks back at him.
'Oh you think you're so smart, don't you?' Kunikuzushi shoots him a sharp glare, nudging Kazuha, 'Kaedehara, back me up?'
'I don't see your name on it either though.' Kazuha looks at Ajax, smiling.
'Thank you so much, Kazuha. You're so much better than these assholes...' Kunikuzushi points at Heizou and Ajax sarcastically, though he's actually quite thankful. Kazuha sneers under his breath, smiling gently.
'Alright, we get it. You two want each other.' Heizou rolls his eyes, resting his elbows on the table.
'How many times do we have to tell you!' Kunikuzushi raises his voice, the others laughing. 'What's so funny, huh!? Tell me!!!' Despite himself, Kunikuzushi finds himself laughing with them.

The friend group spend the lunch break at the table, laughing together. The bell rings, forcing them to return to their classes. They split up at the cafeteria, walking opposite ways.

'We have biology now, right?' Kazuha looks over at Kunikuzushi.
'Yeah.' Kunikuzushi replies, walking towards the biology classroom. He opens the door and finds two empty seats, nudging at them with his head.

Biology class isn't anything special. The teacher narrates about plants, their structure, how they live on a daily basis. The bell saves them once more.

'What's next...' Kunikuzushi mutters to himself, Kazuha walking on his right side. He glances at the timetable, only to smile, 'free period!'
'We have a free period now?' Kazuha's eyes light up, a bright smile painting his face.
'That we do.' Kunikuzushi smiles, walking towards the lockers to put his bookbag away, Kazuha doing the same.
'Where do you want to go?' Kazuha interrogates Kunikuzushi again, shutting his locker.
'Hm... I think I know how to get on the rooftop.' Kuni answers back.
'Really now?' Kazuha's expression changes into a subtle smirk, the bell to class ringing.
'I think that's our cue. Come on, Kaedehara, after me.' Kunikuzushi turns his back to face Kazuha, waving in the air as he walks towards the stairs.
'I'm right behind you, Kuzu...' Kazuha smiles, matching Kuni's pace.
'Kuzu, hm? I'll only let you call me that.' Kunikuzushi grins to himself, his heart stopping for a moment.

They continue up the stairs, Kunikuzushi lockpicking the rooftop door. He opens the door, a prideful smirk painting his face.
'Tada. I hope you're not afraid of heights.' Kuni smirks, sitting on the ground as he stares into the sky.
'I'm not, don't worry. Would you catch me if I fell, though?' Kazuha looks around, his curious nature roaming through his veins. He sits down next to Kunikuzushi.
'Not a chance, Kazu.' Kunikuzushi sneers, turning his head to face Kazuha. 'I mean, maybe I'd consider it if you'd do my assignments for me.'
'For you? No way.' Kazuha laughs with him, locking eyes with Kunikuzushi. A faint, heavy feeling engulfs his heart, the feeling lingering a bit longer than a moment.

They look into the sky, spending the rest of their free period talking, bonding, learning more about each other. A subtle sound of the bell is heard through the walls, reminding them to return back to their classes. Kazuha and Kunikuzushi walk through the broken door as if nothing happened, coming back for their last class of the day - physics. They're greeted by Heizou and Ajax once more.

'Where were you two?' Heizou raises his eyebrow in confusion.
'At the rooftop, he led me there,' Kazuha smiles softly before continuing to speak, 'we had a free period.'
'That makes sense... did you two make out?' Ajax smirks, though his eyes hint at something else, rather than playful teasing.
'No we didn't, Ajax, but if you keep repeating that, we might just do it in front of you.' Kunikuzushi crosses his arms, the bell cutting him off.
'Is it just me, or do the breaks feel like they just get shorter?' Heizou gestures with his hand, looking around at his friends.
'You're kinda right... well, we have to go anyways. See you after school?' Kunikuzushi glances at Kazuha, already walking towards their class.
'See you...' Ajax waves them off, looking over at Heizou, 'they're getting awfully close, aren't they? It's only day 2.'
'You're not lying... though, it's good to see Kunikuzushi like this. I'm glad someone brought his spark back after so long.' Heizou smiles before speaking further, 'now come on, AJ, we've got geography.'
'Didn't have to remind me.' Ajax rolls his eyes, walking after Heizou to their geography class.

The classes go smoothly, the students not concentrating as much as they normally would. After all, it is the last class of the day. The bell dismisses them for the day, the four of them reuniting at the lockers.

'What's good?' Heizou waves at Kazuha and Kunikuzushi, smiling happily.
'Hey, we were just about to head to the bus stop.' Kazuha waves back, slipping his bookbag over his shoulder.
'We're kind of in a hurry though today, our asshole of a physics teacher held us back.' Kunikuzushi rolls his eyes, hurriedly stuffing his books into his back and mirroring Kazuha's actions.
'Alright then, see you tomorrow.' Ajax waves them off, walking to the exit with Heizou. Kazuha and Kunikuzushi go the opposite way to the bus station, finding empty seats and waiting for their stop to Konda Village, just like yesterday.

Kazuha and Kunikuzushi get off of the bus, Kazuha stopping Kunikuzushi just for a moment.
'If you want, you can head to my place. My mom's not going to be back for at least another week.' Kazuha smiles, pointing to his house.
'Well, I guess I could crash for a bit.' Kunikuzushi shrugs, walking after Kazuha.

They reach Kazuha's house, Kazuha locking the door behind him.
'Make yourself at home.'

The home interior is far different from Kunikuzushi's, with vibrant, red streaks painted on the white walls, matching Kazuha's hair. A wall with a painting of the sea and the Crux Fleet is right in front of him.
'Holy shit, who painted this?' Kunikuzushi's eyes widen, walking towards the painting to inspect it further. He notices some text at the very bottom, squinting to read it. His smile grows admirable as he turns around to face Kazuha. 'You drew this?'
'Yeah, it's not my proudest work though.' Kazuha keeps himself humble, despite the praise hitting him hard.
'Not your proudest work? You mean to tell me there's something bigger than this?' Kunikuzushi snickers under his breath in surprise, looking back at the drawing.
'Hah... we should just go to my room for now.' Kazuha switches the topic, walking upstairs, Kunikuzushi rushing behind him.

Kazuha opens the door to his room, catching Kunikuzushi by surprise once more. The room is filled with paintings, drawings, awards from music school, music note sheets and so on. The room is drowned in red and white, some hints of black to be seen.
'Kaedehara, this is insane... you decorated this all by yourself?' Kunikuzushi's smile grows wider, his eyes glowing brighter.
'I mean, most of it, yes... my mom did help me arrange it though.' Kazuha smiles, pointing to his bed, 'You can lie down in my bed if you want. I'm gonna do my assignments for now.'
'You're not even going to change?' Kunikuzushi sits down on the bed, continuing to look around the room.
'I'll change later. I really want to hand in my assignments.' Kazuha turns back to look at Kunikuzushi with a sweet smile, his eyes having a hint of unnoticeable insecurity in them.
'If you say so... by the way, your bed is really comfortable.' Kuni smiles at him.
'Thank you.' Kazuha nods, sitting at his desk to do his homework. He concentrates hard for an hour, finishing all his assignments relatively quick.
'Done already? Mind doing mine next?' Kunikuzushi smirks, reaching into his bookbag for his laptop.
'You're lucky I'm nice.' Kazuha takes the laptop from Kunikuzushi, sitting at the desk for yet another hour.
'Thank you, a lot. I mean it. Kunikuzushi smiles genuinely, watching him concentrate on the assignments.
'No problem, it's the least I can do.' Kazuha sighs in relief, truly meaning his words.

Kazuha stretches and walks around the room for a bit after finishing both his and Kuni's homework. He walks into his closet to find a change of clothes, picking out a simple shirt and sweatpants from yesterday.

'I'm gonna change. Look away for a sec.' Kazuha makes a turning around motion with his finger, telling Kunikuzushi to turn around.
'Okay.' Kuni turns around, waiting for Kazuha to change into his clothes.

Kazuha takes a bit longer than usual changing, compared to the time when they were changing in PE. He carefully inspects his body, pinching at his stomach and thighs, silently wishing to cut the fat that's not even there, off. Regardless, he changes into the clothes he picked out.

'Alright, I'm done. You can look now.' Kazuha picks up his uniform and carefully hangs it on his chair.
'What was taking you so long?' Kunikuzushi rolls his eyes.
'I always change like this.' Kazuha sits next to him in bed.

They sit like this until the sun sets down, talking for hours on end, until Kunikuzushi's phone starts ringing. He takes it out to see who it is and sure enough, it's his mom. He declines the call and just gets out of bed.
'Where are you going?' Kazuha asks, standing up after Kuni.
'My mom's calling me. If I don't get back home soon, I'm fucked.' Kunikuzushi tries to brush it off with a laugh, swallowing hard after his words.
'Oh, alright then. Text me when you can, 'kay?' Kazuha smiles, leading Kunikuzushi back to his entrance.
'No promises, Kaedehara.' Kuni makes a smart remark, slipping into his shoes. He smirks at Kazuha, thanking him once again for allowing him to stay for a bit.

Kazuha waves him off kindly, opening the door for him. Kunikuzushi waves back, rushing out of the house to his own. He closes the door and speed walks to his house, opening the door, only to be greeted by his mom.

'Sorry, I was at Kazuha's place.' Kunikuzushi looks down at the floor, kicking his shoes off.
'I don't care where you were, you know what your curfew is. Mess up like this again and I'm grounding you, understand?' Ei's tone is sharp, walking out of the corridor. Kunikuzushi shakes his head, walking to his room and slamming the door shut, holding his head in his hands.

He lies down in his bed to empty his bookbag, only to find out that he left his laptop at Kazuha's. He picks up his phone to text him, but he's already met with a text from an unknown number, but he figures who it is from the given context:
'hi, u left your laptop at my place. u want me to come over and give it to u?'
Kunikuzushi nibbles on his lip before replying:
'no, its ok. as long as its with you, i trust you. just hand it back to me first thing tomorrow in school, alr?'
Kuni throws his phone on the bed and changes into his own sleepwear, lying down in bed to stare at the ceiling. He stares at it for what seems to be an eternity, before his bed vibrates from his phone. He picks it up, only to see a text from Kazuha.
'kay, i wont forget. take good care of urself, ok? dont stress it too much.'
Kuni's lips curl into a faint smile, saving Kazuha's contact in his phone before heading to the bathroom to take a quick shower. He brushes his teeth soon after, walking back to his room to get some rest for the day. Kunikuzushi closes his eyes and a faint picture of someone fills his mind, sending him into an easy rest. Kazuha does the same, falling asleep with the same person in mind as yesterday.

Chapter Text

Kazuha stirs out of bed, being blinded by the sun's bright rays for yet another day. His morning is no different from the previous ones, getting ready for school and slipping his books into his bookbag, along with Kunikuzushi's laptop he left at his place yesterday. Kazuha brushes his teeth and hair, tying it into his signature ponytail. He heads out of the house, approaching the bus station. Kazuha checks the time and notices he's a bit early today, so he decides to lean against a tree to wait for the bus to arrive. The students living near by collect one by one, Kunikuzushi being the last just as yesterday. Kazuha waves at him, inspecting his unusual, cold expression.
'Kuni?'
'What?' A piercing voice, mirroring his mother's slips out of Kunikuzushi's lips.
'Good morning.' Kazuha stumbles ever so slightly from the lack of enthusiasm in Kunikuzushi's words, but he maintains his calm demeanor no matter what. 'I have your laptop. Do you want it now?'
'Hand it over.' Kunikuzushi makes a gesture with his hand, opening his bookbag and waiting for Kazuha to give him his laptop back.
'You're a bit off today...' Kazuha tries to save the awfully dry conversation, rustling in his bookbag, 'is everything okay?'
'Everything's fine, just quit talking and give me my laptop back.' Not even a hint of an apologetic tone escapes Kunikuzushi's lips once more.
'Here it is.' Kazuha eventually pulls out the laptop from his bookbag and hands it into Kuni's hands, watching him stuff it into his bag aggressively.

They both silently wait for the bus to arrive, Kazuha giving up on trying to figure out Kunikuzushi for the morning. The bus arrives and they get in it, along with the other students. The ride is silent, awkward and unsettling, much different from yesterday. At last, the bus drops them off at their school and everyone gets out, walking towards the gates.

'I can tell something's off.' Kazuha looks over at Kunikuzushi, trying to understand his expression.
'Do you ever leave people alone, or do you cling onto them like they're your world?' Kunikuzushi stops, staring at Kazuha blankly.
'I just care about you, Kunikuzushi.' Kunikuzushi's words pierce Kazuha deep, but he tries his best not to take them to heart.
'Listen, come here for a second.' Kuni gestures to himself, walking behind the school, Kazuha right after him.
'Are you finally going to tell me what's wrong?' Kazuha raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms.
'Nothing's wrong with me, I'm just... you're new and I don't want to get too close to you in such a short amount of time.' Kuni's voice is quiet, unsure.
'What?' Kazuha's eyes widen in confusion.
'I'm saying we're not as close as you think we are. Got it?' Kunikuzushi looks up and down at Kazuha, walking back to the school entrance without saying a word.

Kazuha remains silent, following Kunikuzushi to the school entrance, then to the lockers, then to their first class of the day - art. They sit down and sketch what told by the teacher, handing in their works at the end of the class for a grade. The students walk out of the class, Kazuha and Kunikuzushi still next to each other, just awfully quiet. Heizou and Ajax approach them with their same, cheeky yet teasing attitudes.

'What's going on, you two?' Heizou waves at them, immediately analyzing the both of them.
'Everything alright?' Ajax raises his eyebrows in surprise before continuing, 'y'all are way less talkative.'
'Yeah, nothing's going on.' Kazuha smiles politely, gesturing kindly at Kunikuzushi.
'Kuni, wake the fuck up, man. Don't give us this bullshit again.' Ajax sighs, shaking Kuni until he starts laughing.
'Oh my god, AJ, stop!' Kunikuzushi's voice comes out choked, trying to speak through his laughter.
'There he is. You just had to shake him into it. It happens, Kazuha.' Heizou smiles, sneering at Ajax and Kuni.
'Don't take his dumb advice, Kazu, he just wants my fist up his ass.' Kuni turns over to Kazuha with a subtle smile on his face.
'Got it.' Kazuha laughs softly, trying to process everything that has happened so far.

The bell rings to the second class of the day, their laughs silenced. Ajax taps Heizou on the shoulder, leading him to their class. Kunikuzushi is back to his lively self, Kazuha looking at him weirdly.

'So what was that in the morning?' Kazuha crosses his arms, walking to history class.
'Just because the ginger made me laugh, that doesn't mean I didn't mean what I said. I get pretty distant from people sometimes, that's why he said to not give him the bullshit again.' Kunikuzushi replies, following Kazuha.

Kauzha nods as he walks towards history class. He opens the door and holds it for Kunikuzushi, sitting in an empty seat. The teacher nags about some world war, no one really paying any attention. The bell dismisses them to break once again.

Kunikuzushi walks to his locker with Kazuha, putting his laptop away.
'Math?' Kazuha asks, looking at his timetable which is in the inside of his locker door.
'For fucks sake... why do we need so many math classes?' Kunikuzushi sighs, closing his locker and heading over to their math class, not turning back to look at Kazuha.
'Could at least wait for me...' Kazuha mutters under his breath, pacing towards Kunikuzushi, bumping into Heizou.
'Watch it... oh, sorry, Kazuha.' Heizou nervously smiles, pushing Kazuha off of him. Kunikuzushi finally turns around to look back.
'It's okay, I'm the one that bumped into you, haha...' Kazuha laughs it off shyly, looking around Heizou, 'where's Ajax?'
'I was going to go look for him... that dumbass stole my phone and won't give it back.' Heizou sighs, waving Kazuha off before running down the hall.

Kazuha scratches the back of his neck, walking towards Kunikuzushi awkwardly.

'Bumping into Heizou now? You like him or something, hmmm?' Kunikuzushi smirks, his eyes drowned in something else.
'No I don't, it was merely an accident... potentially 'cause someone didn't want to wait a few seconds...' Kazuha clears his throat, suspiciously eyeing Kunikuzushi.
'Watch your words.' Kunikuzushi turns around to head to their math class once more, ending the conversation there. Though, as Kazuha follows him, he can't help but notice a subtle, unsure feeling in his chest when he saw Kunikuzushi turn around. Despite himself, he tries to brush it off and not think about it too much.

Just as they reach the third class of the day, the bell echoes through the halls, signaling every student in the facility to head to their classrooms, Kazuha and Kunikuzushi being the first ones to do so. They sit down in their seats and wait for their other classmates to arrive. The class goes by exactly like yesterday, consisting of everyone paying as much attention as they possibly can when taking notes for the upcoming test. The bell rings, everyone rushing to the cafeteria for lunch break.

Kazuha sits down at the same table, Kunikuzushi right after him. They patiently wait for the other two friends to arrive and sure enough, they do.

'Missed us?' Ajax spreads his arms wide, as if waiting for a hug, Heizou right beside him.
'You want a hug or something?' Kunikuzushi raises his eyebrows, eyeing him carefully.
'Are you not going to give me one?' Ajax gestures to himself.
'Take a shower first, then maybe I'll think about it... no.' Kunikuzushi sneers.
'Wow, so friendly.' Ajax rolls his eyes, sitting down at the table next to Heizou.
'Not even Heizou wants to deal with your bullshit.' Kunikuzushi looks at Heizou with a prideful grin.
'Yeah, 'cause this faggot stole my phone and would only give it back if I kissed him! I'm convinced he's gay!' Heizou raises his voice, his cheeks beaming a subtle red color.
'Did you?' Kazuha looks at Heizou with a cheeky grin.
'I had to!' Heizou drags his hands over his face in embarrassment.
'Oh my god!' Kazuha and Kunikuzushi laugh together, wheezing.
'My stomach hurts! Heizou and Ajax kissing! I can already see it...' Kazuha grabs himself by his stomach, trying not to laugh so loud as to not make himself the center of attention in the cafeteria.
'Hey, you're way too confident, new guy.' Heizou points at Kazuha aggressively, 'You are not the promised poet we met a few days ago!'
'I'm sorry, but I can't keep up my composure when I have the picture of you two kissing in my head! I'm not that different from you three!' Kazuha wipes the tears off his face, pointing at Heizou, then Ajax, then Kunikuzushi.
'Still, don't lift your head so high, otherwise, you'll end up higher than AJ.' Heizou shrugs, reminiscing on the time Ajax got stoned.
'Don't tell him that!' Ajax raises his voice, looking at Kazuha.
'What? Why not?' Kazuha looks around the table nervously.
'I just smoked way too much weed than I needed to once and I did some stupid shit. That's all there was to it.' Ajax looks away in embarrassment, almost as if hiding something.
'That was not it! You went to toilet paper Kuni's entire house! Don't you remember how mad his mom was!?' Heizou starts laughing.
'Dude, I was fucking terrified. I haven't heard my mom scream like that in years.' Kunikuzushi smirks nonchalantly, remembering the situation.
'Oh my god...' Kazuha mutters under his breath, imagining the whole picture.

They continue talking about the situation in more detail until being excused back to class, splitting up at the cafeteria entrance.

'We've got two English periods in a row. See you.' Kazuha waves them off, walking to their English class with Kunikuzushi quietly.

They sit down at their seats, taking notes. The teacher rattles on about Shakespeare.

'You must know a lot about him, huh?' Kunikuzushi glances at Kazuha, snickering quietly to himself.
'Is it because I'm a poet?' Kazuha whispers, writing the notes off of the board.
'Well take a good guess, dumbass.' Kunikuzushi mirrors Kazuha's actions, his pen gliding across the paper. Even if the joke was too bland, Kazuha still found it just a bit funny.

The first English class ends, sending them off to break. Kazuha and Kunikuzushi don't wander too far, sitting on some chairs next to the class door. One of their classmates, Ayaka, approaches them.
'Excuse me?' The girl raises her hand ever so slightly.
'Hm? Need anything?' Kazuha looks up.
'Um... I'm new here and I really need to go to the bathroom. Do you know where it is?' Ayaka mutters under her breath, her cheeks burning.
'It's on the right. Kazuha, lead her, okay?' Kunikuzushi points to the right hall.
'Come here.' Kazuha gets up from the chair, walking towards the hall that Kunikuzushi pointed to, Ayaka following right after. He finds the women's restroom and smiles carefully.
'Thank you so much...' Ayaka smiles shyly, clasping her hands together as she rushes to the bathroom.
'Do you need anything?' Kazuha shouts from the hall, leaning against the wall.
Ayaka stops, turning around to look at Kazuha. 'No, it's okay. Thank you so much!'

Kazuha nods and walks back to where Kuni is sitting, sitting next to him once again. They patiently wait for the class to start once more. The bell rings, forcing them back to their English class. They listen to the boring lecture once more before the bell saves the students just as Kunikuzushi is about to fall asleep.

'Finally...' Kazuha sighs, yawning.
'Last class is... geography.' Kunikuzushi rolls his eyes, stuffing his timetable into his pocket, walking to the geography class, Kazuha pacing after him. Both of them encounter their friends.
'Last class of the day, how we feeling, fags?' Heizou smiles.
'You just never know when to keep quiet, hm?' Kazuha smiles back, laughing nervously.
'Someone finally grew some balls.' Ajax laughs, getting kicked into his own by Kunikuzushi, earning himself a loud hiss.
'Woah, Kuni!' Heizou laughs along with Kazuha, gently rubbing Ajax's arm, in a pitiful attempt to make him feel better.
'Ow, watch it next time... that hurt like hell!' Ajax whines, hissing sharply through his teeth.
'Too bad... now quit whining like a five year old. You're fifteen.' Kunikuzushi shrugs nonchalantly, a prideful grin gleaming on his face.
'I'm gonna shove my dick up your ass if you don't shut your bitch ass up...' Ajax cusses Kunikuzushi out, the bell ringing them just in time.
'Well, guess we have to head to our last class, don't we, Kunikuzushi? See you after school, guys!' Kazuha smiles and drags Kuni out of the corridor before he could get punched.
'Damn assholes... my balls hurt so much right now...' Ajax laughs it off silently.
'Come on, AJ, let's go to our class too... I wanna get home.' Heizou stands patiently in the middle of the hallway.

Kazuha and Kunikuzushi laugh as they walk into their geography class, sitting down at the desk and calming themselves down. They try their best to concentrate, but everyone's already burned out, wanting to go home and rest for the day. The bell saves the students for the last time, everyone sprinting out from the classroom. Some people want to meet their friends from other classes, some are tired and want to go home to rest, some have after-school activities. Kuni and Kazuha walk out of the class, approaching their lockers. They get their stuff out and walk out of the school gates, seeing Heizou and Ajax.
'I will never forgive you for kicking me in the nuts like that, faggot!' Ajax flips Kunikuzushi off, wrapping an arm around Heizou's waist, continuing to speak in a girly voice, 'come on, baby, let's go. I don't want to be with these gay's no more!'
'Um... AJ...? Is everything okay...?' Heizou clears his throat, blushing subtly.
'So you're going to treat me like this? After everything we've been through? Wow, I see how it is...' Ajax crosses his arms, attempting to make Heizou mad.
'Okay, I'm sorry... darling?' Heizou laughs, swallowing hard, 'We're going to go home now... bye...' Heizou nervously waves them off, dragging Ajax by his shirt.

Kunikuzushi and Kazuha silently stand there, trying to process what just happened. As soon as they do, they find themselves laughing uncontrollably. They laugh so hard, they don't hear the bus approaching, only until it honks do they realize they're late. Both of them quickly sprint to the bus, apologising.
'Sorry!' Kazuha shouts, standing near the door awkwardly.

The two of them continue laughing quietly about the situation, getting off at their stop.

'You wanna come by my house again?' Kazuha asks, fixing his bookbag.
'Sure, I just won't be there for too long, otherwise my mom's going to beat my ass...' Kunikuzushi sighs, following Kazuha to his home once more. Kazuha opens the door and kicks his shoes off, walking upstairs to his room.

'Kazu, can I ask you something?' Kunikuzushi looks around Kazuha's walls, inspecting the awards deeply.
'Anything.' Kazuha pulls out his laptop, turning his chair around to face Kunikuzushi.
'Can you tell me where you got these awards from? They look impressive.'
'Sure...' Kazuha gets out of his chair and walks over to the most eye-catching one in his room, pointing at it, 'I got this one when I entered a music competition, the most serious one in the entirety of Narukami Island... I placed second.' Kazuha's cockiness roams through his veins, a prideful smirk beaming on his face.
'Uh-huh...' Kunikuzushi raises an eyebrow in surprise.
'This one I got after being the top student in my band for 8 years straight. Not bad, hm? My friend, Kokomi, got one of these too. Though she only placed right below me... good riddance.' Kazuha's pride bursts through, not even trying to hide it now.
'You got anything not music related?'
'In fact I do,' Kazuha smiles, walking over to his other awards, consisting of poetry and writing, 'Third place in national poem contest, participation in national writing contest and so on...' Kazuha smirks, remembering he has one more. He walks up over to it, holding it in his hands. 'First place in a mathematics contest.'
'Sorry?' Kunikuzushi's eyes widen.
'Mhm.' Kazuha's smirk only grows wider, setting the award back on his nightstand.
'Maybe I did underestimate you... stupid poet...' Kunikuzushi rolls his eyes, scrolling on his phone, 'Willing to do my assignments for me again?'
'Sure, but just don't leave your laptop at my place this time. Got it?' Kazuha sits back at his desk, finishing up his assignments.
'Whatever...' Kunikuzushi yawns, rolling around in Kazuha's bed, carefully looking at the awards to make sure Kazuha wasn't spouting complete nonsense. To his surprise, Kazuha's information was, in fact, accurate.
'Give me your laptop, Kuzu.' Kazuha turns around, closing his laptop and pushing it aside.
'Here.' Kunikuzushi rustles in his bookbag, handing his laptop to Kazuha.
'Thank you.' Kazuha sighs, opening the school website and doing the assignments for his friend once more. His fingers glide over the keyboard, writing a short paragraph about global warming for geography.
'I'm gonna head home when you're done.' Kunikuzushi stands up from the bed and stretches, walking to look over Kazuha's shoulder.
'Okay... you should ask your mom to stay over though one day. I think it'd be pretty nice.' Kazuha's words are emotionless, trying to concentrate on his work as well as make conversation with the person behind him.
'Eh... doubt that hag will let me.' Kunikuzushi sighs.
'Here you go.' Kazuha hands in the last assignment and hands Kunikuzushi the laptop, standing up from his desk.
'Thanks a lot again.' Kunikuzushi's tone is the same as in the morning, cold and dull.
'Could've at least meant it.' Kazuha rolls his eyes, leading Kunikuzushi downstairs to the exit.
'Shut it.' Kunikuzushi slips his bookbag over his shoulder, not bothering to wave him goodbye.
'Tch...' Kazuha closes the door and just walks upstairs to his room, changing into his sleepwear, brushing his teeth early and lying in bed for the rest of the evening, scrolling on his phone endlessly until the sun sets.

Kunikuzushi walks back home, kicking a rock on his way. He opens the door to be greeted by Miko.

'Hi, sweetie.' Miko shoots him a warm smile.

Kunikuzushi ignores her completely, walking to his room to rest. He changes into his casual home attire, throwing his bag on the ground next to the door. Soon after, he hears the door bust open, immediately recognizing the footsteps. It's his mom. She doesn't bother looking for her son, instead, she just goes into the kitchen to make dinner.

A few hours pass, but dinner is finally ready. Kunikuzushi walks down to eat with the rest of his family, the table silent as usual, until Miko makes conversation.

'How's it going in school, Kuni?' Miko takes a bite of her food.
'Fine.' Kunikuzushi pushes the food around, taking a small bite.
'Good to hear. Any new friends?'
'No.'
'Liar. I saw you hanging around with that white-haired boy.' Miko smiles, taking another bite.
'None of your business. He's just a stray dog following my every move 'cause he doesn't know how to navigate the damn place.' Kunikuzushi's words are sharp, taking yet another small bite of his food.
'Mmm... fair enough.' Miko's brows furrow just a bit, finishing her plate.

Kunikuzushi gets up and thanks Ei for the meal, walking back to his room and shutting the door, trying to fall asleep as quick as possible. He rolls around for what seems to be forever, trying to get the thought of a specific someone out of his head. Despite his efforts, he falls asleep with the thought anyway.

Kazuha does the exact same, closing his curtains when he notices the sun has set. He brushes his teeth and hair, lying into bed. He falls asleep quickly, though the thought of someone, just like Kunikuzushi, starts to bother him just a bit.

Chapter Text

Kazuha wakes up, opening the blinds that forced him to get out of bed. His morning goes the same, dressing up, brushing his teeth and leaving the house for school. His stomach growls at the thought of food, but he just takes a few sips from his water bottle as he walks to the bus station, early once again.

Kunikuzushi stirs out of bed, missing his alarm. The bus is told to arrive at 7:50, the time being 7:45. He quickly gets up, slips into his uniform, messily brushes his teeth and rushes out of home to make it just in time for the bus. He's greeted by Kazuha's soft smile.

'Good morning to you too, Kunikuzushi.' Kazuha waves at Kunikuzushi, his expression bright.
'Morning.' Kunikuzushi gets on the bus, leaning against the window.
'Overslept?' Kazuha reaches out to fix Kunikuzushi's messy hair, only for his hand to be shoved away.
'Yeah. And my hair is fine.' Kunikuzushi fixes his own hair, brushing it with his fingers.
'Mmm... okay.' Kazuha smiles, nibbling on his lip.

The bus is silent, dropping everyone off to the school once more. They enter the school gates, walking towards their first class of the day, science, the bell's chime echoing through the halls. The students sit in their seats and listen to the teacher's lecture, taking notes. The chime is heard once more, excusing them to break.

'You studied for the math test, Kuni?' Kazuha walks out of the glass, occasionally glancing at Kunikuzushi.
'Math test? What math test?' Kunikuzushi looks over to look at Kazuha.
'We have a math test tomorrow, don't you remember?' Kazuha glimpses at Kunikuzushi with a subtle smile on his face.
'We do? Damn... I'll just study for it when I get back home.' Kunikuzushi shakes his head side-to-side in disappointment.
'Do you want me to help you, maybe?' Kazuha pulls out his timetable, his eyes hovering over their next class, physics.
'No. I don't need your help.' Kunikuzushi shoots back a cold response.

Kazuha doesn't say anything about the sudden change in Kunikuzushi's demeanor, instead, he just proceeds forward to their physics class, waiting for the bell to ring so that they can enter the classroom and sure enough, it rings just as they reached it. Kazuha opens the door and sits in his seat, waiting for Kunikuzushi to sit next to him. The others arrive, the teacher waiting for everyone to gather in the class to start teaching. The class goes by slowly, but soon enough, the bell rings again. They leave for their lockers and sure enough, they reunite with their good friends.

'Good morning.' Ajax waves, smiling kindly.
'What's up with you? High on weed again?' Kunikuzushi crosses his arms, raising an eyebrow.
'Do you ever wake up on the right side of the bed? Every time we talk you're always grumpy.' Ajax rolls his eyes. 'God forbid I just want to be nice to my childhood friend.'
'I don't need your kindness or pity.' Kunikuzushi's voice is sharp, much similar to his mother's.
'You sound just like headmaster Ei. Did you start to look up to her?' Heizou sighs, shivering ever so slightly at the thought of the intimidating headmaster.
'Maybe I naturally picked it up by living in the same house as her for fifteen years... did you ever think about that?' Kunikuzushi replies.
'Okay, I'm sorry...' Heizou raises his arms in defeat. 'Anyway, what class do you two have next?'
'We have PE next again.' Kazuha takes a quick glimpse at his timetable.
'Oooh, we have biology... human stuff freaks me out, man.' Heizou shivers once again.
'Just say that you like seeing the tits in every bio book, Hei.' Ajax sneers under his breath.
'You better shut up before my finger ends up where the sun doesn't shine!' Heizou raises his voice slightly.
'See? I told you he's a freak.' Ajax tries to make another cocky joke, instead earning himself a good slap from Heizou.

The bell dismisses their friendly banter, separating the friend group. Kunikuzushi and Kazuha take out their PE uniforms from their lockers, heading to the changing rooms.

Kazuha takes off his shirt and quickly throws on his PE one, trying not to catch any eyes on his body. He does the same thing with his legs, slipping on some shorts. Kunikuzushi, meanwhile, struggles to unbutton his blazer.

'Need any help with that?' Kazuha sits on the bench and waits for his friend to finish changing.
'Are you suggesting to take my clothes off for me? Yeah, no thanks.' Kunikuzushi narrows his eyes as he takes a cold glance at Kazuha, successfully unbuttoning his blazer and slipping on his PE shirt.

Kazuha and Kunikuzushi, along with some other students, head to the gymnasium to be greeted by their coach, Wriothesley once more.

'Hey. Basketball today. I'm too tired to split you into proper teams so just... uh... play it yourself. I don't know. Just make sure everyone's alive after. I don't want to be responsible for y'all's deaths.' Wriothesley waves his pen in the air, sitting on his chair as he's done with his speech.

Kazuha and Kunikuzushi remember their bet from the first day of the year, deciding to continue it.

'Don't get so cocky this time, I'm gonna score much more than you think. I was gentle on Monday. I'm not holding back this time, Kunikuzushi.' Kazuha's eyes narrow, a prideful grin beaming on his face.
'Yeah? Let's not forget who couldn't get their finger out of their ass that day.' Kunikuzushi smirks back, pacing around Kazuha with the ball in his hands, almost mocking him.

Kazuha catches Kunikuzushi off guard and snatches the ball from his hands, running to the hoop and scoring.

'Asshole! You caught me off guard!' Kunikuzushi shouts, running after Kazuha, trying to retrieve the ball back.
'Let's see who's really good at basketball now...' Kazuha runs around Kunikuzushi, purposefully being close, snatching the ball away from him just as he grazes it with his fingertips.
'You wanna play it like that, huh, faggot? I'll show you just what a real athlete looks like...' Kunikuzushi runs after Kazuha, stealing the ball from him when he's about to shoot his shot.
'Ha...' Kazuha snickers, wiping the sweat off of his face and neck with his shirt, taking a quick break and letting Kunikuzushi score a point.
'You tired? Well too bad!' Kunikuzushi throws the ball right over Kazuha's head, attempting to tease him, but instead he only plays himself - Kazuha catches the ball.
'Oops.' Kazuha smirks and throws the ball into the hoop, right over his head, not bothering to turn around to face the net.
'Ugh... how are you good at everything...' Kunikuzushi bends over slightly, having his hands on his knees, resting for a good minute.
'You tired? Well too bad...' Kazuha walks over and lifts up Kunikuzushi's face by his chin, his fingertips grazing his jawline ever so slightly, his tone mocking.
'You...' Kunikuzushi tries to form an insult, but the sharp whistle echoes through the entire gym, dismissing the students back to their changing rooms.

Kazuha celebrates his victory as he walks back to the changing rooms, Kunikuzushi refusing to accept his defeat. He sits down on the bench and wipes his face aggressively.

'You... I'll make sure that your precious reputation is ruined...' Kunikuzushi pants heavily, worn out from the constant running.
'Mmm? Is someone saying something?' Kazuha looks around the room, holding his hand behind his earlobe.
'Ohh... you wanna act smart?' Kunikuzushi laughs, slipping his shirt off and walking towards Kazuha.
Kazuha's eyes widen in surprise, his cheeks burning ever so slightly due to the lack of space between them. 'Come again?'
'Asshole.' Kunikuzushi sneers, pulling away from Kazuha to change back into his uniform, Kazuha doing the same.'
'You were awfully close. Are you trying to tell me something?' Kazuha sprays some cologne on himself.
'No. And give me some of that.' Kunikuzushi spreads his arms wide, waiting for Kazuha to spray him all over, only to be sprayed once.

They leave the PE changing rooms and walk to the cafeteria for lunch, Heizou and Ajax already waiting for them at their table.

'Save me, you two. AJ got some really weird food from here... it looks expired.' Heizou pinches his nose, looking at Ajax's meal.
'Um... what is... that?' Kazuha points at the meal, furrowing his eyebrows slightly. The meal looks like it consists of chopped up mystery meat with some secret syrup.
'Ajax, you better not eat that. That looks like it's straight out of a porno.' Kunikuzushi's face contorts in disgust.
'It doesn't even look that bad.' Ajax shrugs, taking a bite of the food, immediately spitting it out.
'We told you.' Heizou shakes his head, rubbing his temples.
'This tastes like straight dick with expired semen on it! Why would they serve this in a school cafeteria!?' Ajax picks up the plate and throws it into the trash.
'Kinda looks like it too.' Heizou smirks, Kazuha and Kunikuzushi sneering quietly at his joke.
'Yeah, yeah.' Ajax rolls his eyes, sitting back at the table.

The friend group chat for the break, until being dismissed by the bell. Heizou and Ajax head to their English class, while Kunikuzushi and Kazuha walk to their chemistry class. The classes go by, meeting up at the lockers.

'Hey.' Ajax waves.
'Hi.' Kazuha waves back. 'We were about to go to our computer class. You?'
'We have a free period. Suck my dick.' Ajax replies.
'Pull the pants down then.' Heizou murmurs under his nose.
'What did you say?' Ajax turns his head to look at Heizou.
'You heard me.' Heizou smirks.
'Okay... I think we should go to the library...' Kunikuzushi drags Kazuha by his arm, away from Heizou and Ajax.
'Oh, well, bye then!' Kazuha waves them off, being dragged off to the library to wait for computer class.

The class starts and they're given an assignment to do, handing it in at the end of the class. The bell rings, dismissing them, heading to the final class of the day - English. The break goes by as per usual, some chatting with Heizou and Ajax until being separated by the bell. They sit and wait for the class to end, counting each and every last minute. After what seems like waiting decades, the bell rings, freeing the students to their after-school activities. Kazuha and Kuni walk to the bus stop, waiting for the bus to arrive.

'How do you study for tests?' Kunikuzushi starts a conversation.
'I don't. It comes naturally to me.' Kazuha replies, fixing his hair.
'Gifted?'
'Yeah.'
'Makes sense.'

The conversation ends there. They stand near a tree, waiting for the bus to arrive. It's a bit late, but it does pull in eventually. They get on and wait for their stop to get off.

'See you tomorrow.' Kuni waves Kazuha off, walking to his house.
'Bye.' Kazuha happily waves his friend off, pacing to his own home.

Kazuha opens the door, changes out of his uniform into regular attire and sits down at his desk to turn in any unfinished assignments. He lies back down in his bed to scroll on his phone, his stomach growling like hell. He heads to the kitchen and makes himself a small meal, filling him up for the rest of the day. When he finishes eating, he heads back to his room to play some osu! on his PC. He plays it for a few hours, noticing the sun has set down. Kazuha walks to the bathroom, brushes his teeth and lies down.

Kunikuzushi enters his home, sighing as he kicks off his shoes. Just as he's about to walk into his room, he's greeted by Miko.

'Welcome back, Kunikuzushi. Can I talk to you about something?' Miko smiles gently, trying her best to not fend him away.
'What is it?' Kuni's voice is cold and dull.
'It's about your new friend... Kaedehara Kazuha, was he?' Miko sits down on an armchair, taking a sip of her coffee.
'So? What about him?' Kunikuzushi crosses his arms.
'I think he's a lovely influence on you. Ever since you met him it's like you've almost become softer. In a good way, of course.'
'And?'
'Nothing. I'm just telling you to make sure that you if keep him... maybe it will become more.' Miko giggles at her words.
'What are you trying to tell me? Are you asking if I'm gay!?' Kunikuzushi raises his voice, his eyes widening.
'No, not at all... I'm saying that me and Ei will love you no matter what.' Miko smiles, taking another sip of her coffee.
'Whatever.' Kunikuzushi rolls his eyes, storming up to his bedroom, slamming the door shut in annoyance.

'Gay... tch, not in a million years.' Kunikuzushi sneers under his breath, changing into his home attire. He lies into bed to scroll on his phone, deciding to text Kazuha:
'hi'

He waits for a response, scrolling on Twitter as he does so. He gets a reply not long after.
'hi, need anything?'

Kunikuzushi nibbles on his lip before his fingers fly across the keyboard of his phone.
'nothing, dont worry about it'

He sighs and continues scrolling until the sun sets. He doesn't bother eating dinner or making conversation with anyone in the house. Instead, he just decides to go brush his teeth and rest for the day, completely forgetting about his homework and the math test he should have studied for. He lies down in his bed, staring up at the ceiling in an attempt to fall asleep. However, the conversation he had with Miko haunts him, always in the back of his mind, just like someone else has been ever since they met. The thought of him annoys him more and more every day, Kazuha reciprocating this exact same experience. At last, the both of them fall asleep peacefully, getting some well deserved rest for tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Kazuha stirs from his bed, being blinded by the sun. He stuffs his books into his bag, remembering he has a math test he didn't necessarily study for. Despite this, he'll still trust his gut and pick the most logical answers, or at least, try to solve the problems he knows how to. His morning goes by as usual, consisting of him tying his hair into a ponytail, changing into his uniform, brushing his teeth and heading out to wait for the bus. Soon after, Kunikuzushi arrives.

'Good morning.' Kazuha waves at Kunikuzushi. 'It's Friday today.'
'I know that.' Kunikuzushi looks down at the ground, kicking a rock.
'Did you study for the math test?' Kazuha asks, checking the time on his phone.
'Uh... you'll let me cheat off of you though, just in case, right?' Kunikuzushi lets out a nervous sneer.
'You know what, sure.' Kazuha smiles shyly.

They wait for the bus to arrive, the other students gathering in a short period of time. The bus finally arrives, picking all of the students up and driving them to their school. They get off, walking towards the gates, then approaching the lockers, being greeted by their good friends.

'Happy Friday!' Heizou smiles, waving at Kunikuzushi and Kazuha.
'Good morning. The birdsong at daybreak is nature's gift to us.' Kazuha smiles at his friend group.
'Just ignore him.' Kunikuzushi rolls his eyes.
'Ignore me and see who's going to be doing that math test all alone.' Kazuha whispers under his breath.
'Okay, I'm sorry.' Kunikuzushi raises his arms in defeat, the bell discontinuing his apology.
'Well, we're going to head to philosophy.' Kazuha smiles, glancing at his timetable and raising an eyebrow.
'Good luck with the new philosophy teacher. She's a whore.' Ajax smiles, heading to his own class with Heizou.
'Can't be worse than music... right?' Kunikuzushi mutters under his breath, leading Kazuha to their philosophy class.

They open the door and they're greeted by a warm, gentle smile. Kunikuzushi's eyes widen as he realizes who the woman sitting in the seat is. He looks down at the floor and quickly heads to a seat as far as possible from the teacher, Kazuha pacing behind him. They sit down, Kazuha leaning in to whisper.

'Why did you look so worried? I think the teacher looks nice.' Kazuha's lips barely graze Kunikuzushi's ear, his eyes on the teacher.
'Because, dumbass, that's my mom's fiancé!' Kunikuzushi buries his face in his hands, praying for the class to end as fast as possible.

'Good morning! I'm your philosophy teacher, Ms. Guuji Yae but you can also call me Miko for short!' Miko puts her hands together in a prayer, her soft smile enveloping her face. 'I also want to mention, please be nice to Kunikuzushi.'

Kunikuzushi's cheeks burn red as he hears his name, Kazuha sneering quietly next to him.

'What's so funny, huh!?' Kunikuzushi whispers sharply, his eyes narrowing.
'Nothing... I think it's just a little cute how she's so protective of you.' Kazuha smiles gently, almost seeing himself in the teacher.

Miko goes on to teach the kids, acting like a teacher but being charismatic at the same time. The bell rings, Kunikuzushi being the first one to leave the classroom, Kazuha right behind him.

'Kunikuzushi...' Kazuha paces after Kuni, panting ever so slightly. He tugs him by his arm.
'What?' Kunikuzushi turns his head back to look at Kazuha.
'Stop running. The class is over. Besides, no one even laughed except for me.' Kazuha looks into Kunikuzushi's eyes deeply, searching for an answer.
'Right, as if that makes it any better?' Kunikuzushi raises an eyebrow, slapping Kazuha's hands away.
'I didn't even mean it in a bad way. I'm sorry, okay?' Kazuha smiles gently.
'Whatever. Just shut up, Kaedehara.' Kunikuzushi turns his head away from Kazuha, avoiding any eye contact.

They walk to the other side of the school hallway, before Kazuha starts another conversation.

'What's our next class?'
'History.' Kunikuzushi's voice is monotone.
'Got it.' Kazuha nods his head.

Both of them head towards the history classroom, the bell ringing just in time. Everyone sits in their designated seats, listening to the teacher talk about some war yet again. The class ends, Kazuha and Kunikuzushi meeting their friends.

'What's good?' Ajax smirks, wrapping his arm around Heizou's waist.
'What do you think you're doing?' Kunikuzushi raises an eyebrow.
'Loving the love of my life, isn't that right, baby?' Ajax glances down at Heizou, puckering his lips.
'Yeah...' Heizou smiles nervously, making an SOS symbol with his hand.
'Get your hands off of him...' Kunikuzushi rubs his forehead.
'God forbid I just want to appreciate someone who just helped me cheat on our English exam.' Ajax rolls his eyes, unwrapping his arm from Heizou's waist.
'Speaking about tests... me and Kunikuzushi have a math one right now.' Kazuha swallows hard.
'What? We have math now!?' Kunikuzushi's eyes widen, turning to look at Kazuha, then at their timetable.
'Oh, damn. Good luck.' Heizou sneers under his breath.

The bell rings, excusing them to their classes. Kunikuzushi and Kazuha walk into the math class, being the first ones there. Soon enough, the others arrive one after another. The teacher hands everyone the work sheets, her gaze sharp. Everyone glances at the sheet, taking in the questions, trying to think of solutions. Kazuha breezes through the test, nibbling on his lip in focus. Meanwhile Kunikuzushi, struggles to understand what the first question on the paper means. He takes a quick glance at Kazuha's sheet and copies the answer down, doing this same strategy for a bit. However, not long after, the teacher catches Kunikuzushi's eyes on Kazuha's paper, shouting across the classroom, everyone in the room flinching ever so slightly.

'Kunikuzushi! If you can't keep eyes on your own paper, then come sit alone.' The teacher points to a free desk.

Kunikuzushi sighs in fear and disappointment, accepting his fate. He begins walking to the desk, holding the paper in his hands, shaking just a bit. He tries to freeball the test but just as he expected, nothing. The bell rings and not even half of the test is answered. The teacher walks around the classroom, collecting papers one by one. She stops by Kunikuzushi's desk, tapping on the desk and forcing it out of his hands. The students walk out of the classroom, some quiet, some discussing their answers with each other. Kunikuzushi sighs, looking down at the floor in disappointment, Kazuha walking up to him.

'You okay?' Kazuha tries to understand Kunikuzushi's expression.
'I'm fine.' Kunikuzushi continues staring at the ground.
'Let's go to the cafeteria, hm?' Kazuha smiles, searching in Kuni's eyes.

Kunikuzushi nods and they both head to the cafeteria, already being greeted by their two best friends, as per usual. Ajax and Heizou laugh together, noticing Kunikuzushi looks off.

'Kuni?' Heizou shoots a glance at him.
'Hm?'
'You're not as talkative. Did something happen?' Heizou interrogates the boy.
'No.' Kunikuzushi shakes his head.
'If you say so.' Heizou nods, continuing the story with Ajax.

The bell rings, everyone going to their designated classes, Kunikuzushi and Kazuha no different. They walk towards their English class, listening to yet another ramble about some famous poet. The class is dismissed by the bell, lesson feeling shorter than usual. Both of them walk towards their lockers, checking their timetable.

'Free period! Do you want to go on the school rooftop again?' Kazuha smiles.
'Sure.' Kunikuzushi nods, still feeling off.

Both of them wait in the toilets for the bell to ring. As soon as it does, they head to the rooftop door and open it, leaning over the fence.

'Kunikuzushi,' Kazuha starts speaking, 'I want to know something.'
'What is it?' Kunikuzushi glances at Kazuha, looking away right after.
'Is your mom strict with your grades?'
'Kinda. It's not that big of a deal. Kunikuzushi stares into the atmosphere.
'I'll always be here for you, you know?' Kazuha glimpses at Kunikuzushi, a subtle smile on his face, his voice coming out in a comforting tone.

Kunikuzushi stays silent, taking in Kazuha's words. He never actually had someone say that they're there for him. Just as he realizes Kazuha's words, his heart stops for a moment, his pupils dilating ever so slightly.

'Thanks, Kazu. It means a lot to me.' Kunikuzushi's words are truthful, but yet he still refuses to make eye contact with Kazuha. He thinks for a moment before speaking again. 'Can I ask you something?'
'Anything.'

Kunikuzushi stays silent for another moment, nibbling on his lip. A faint, heart-wrenching feeling envelops his chest, almost as if some sort of confession tries to escape his lips.
'Nevermind.' He decides to keep it to himself.

Kazuha takes a quick glance at Kunikuzushi again, trying to analyze his expression. Fear, guilt, misunderstanding, he can't tell, even if he's been reading people's faces ever since he was little. He has been yearning for people's opinions, after all.
'That's okay. Tell me when you're ready. I won't judge you, ever.' His tone consists of that subtle comfort once again, playing with Kunikuzushi's heartstrings.

They stare into the sky for a little while until they hear the faint ringing of the bell echoing through the school halls. They go back, acting as if nothing happened. Kunikuzushi and Kazuha walk towards their art class, when they suddenly run into their math teacher.

'Oh, Kunikuzushi, perfect timing. I was just looking for you. Can you come to my classroom for a bit? I want to talk to you in private.' The teacher's voice isn't scary or frightening, but it still sends a shiver down Kunikuzushi's spine.
'I'll wait here.' Kazuha points to the wall, leaning on it.

The teacher brings Kunikuzushi to the classroom and closes the door.

'Come here.' The teacher points to her desk, sitting at it.
'What is it, miss?' Kunikuzushi swallows hard, his voice coming out choked.
'Your mother is headmaster Raiden Ei, yes?'
'She is.' Kunikuzushi's voice is even smaller than before.
'You failed your math test.' The teacher speaks up, searching for Kunikuzushi's test. When she finds it, she points at the score, continuing to speak. 'I tried to help you by adding a few points, even if you cheated, but you still failed.'
'Can I retake it?' Kunikuzushi asks, his voice breaking ever so slightly.
'Kunikuzushi, you know the school rules. You can never retake the first test of the year.' The teacher puts the test away, looking at Kunikuzushi with a concerned expression.
'I know, I'm sorry. But is there any way I can lift the mark up, just a bit?'
'There's nothing I can do, I already did everything in my favor.' The teacher glances at the desk.
'Okay, sorry. Thank you anyway, miss.' Kunikuzushi swallows hard and leaves the classroom, carefully closing the door. Just as he's about to skip the last period, he's greeted with Kazuha's sickening face once more.

'Kuzu, everything alright?' Kazuha walks up over to Kunikuzushi.
'God, do you ever leave people alone? All you do is follow me around like a stray dog, all the time, it sounds like you kinda don't have anyone else to talk to, but you have other friends, don't you?' Kunikuzushi raises his voice, his eyes narrowing and his voice choked.
'I'm sorry, I just want you...' Kazuha flinches slightly, defending himself with his arms.
'You want me to what?' Kunikuzushi gets closer to Kazuha, looking deep into his eyes, almost seeking for an answer himself.
'I just want you know that I care, okay?' Kazuha maintains his calm composure, trying to comfort Kunikuzushi to the best of his abilities, whilst slowly breaking inside.
'Whatever.' Kunikuzushi walks away, the sound of the bell's ringing bouncing off of the walls.

They head to art class, hand in their assignments and leave for home. Kunikuzushi avoids talking to anyone, especially people close to him. Despite this, he still has to go on the same bus as Kazuha, forced to be with him anyways. They wait for the bus and get off at their usual stop.

'Bye, Kuni.' Kazuha waves Kunikuzushi off, a soft smile on his face. Kunikuzushi turns back to look at him before heading home.

Kazuha opens the door to his home and kicks off his shoes, sighing. He walks to his room and changes into his clothes, lying down in bed and staring at the ceiling, a sea of thoughts running through his mind. He recalls his past, recollecting the experiences of middle school. All of the bullying, the neglect, the things he would do for attention and to impress anyone. He's always yearned for some kind of attention or friend group, and now, when he's finally achieved it, he never wants to let it go, ever again. Especially one particular person in this friend group of his. A few tears trickle down his cheeks, wiping them off immediately and going to bed early, skipping yet another meal. The thought of that person continues to haunt him, wrenching his heart more and more with each day.

Kunikuzushi opens the door, taking off his shoes and heading to his room. He closes the door and changes into his regular attire, throwing the uniform into the laundry for the weekend. He sits down on the bed and stares out the window, praying for no one to see him in such a fragile state. He picks up his phone and scrolls on it to try and ease the thought, but just as he begins to do so, a faint creak of the door opening is heard. His eyes widen, recognizing the sharp voice from downstairs.

'Kunikuzushi!' Ei's voice echoes through the walls.

Kunikuzushi swallows hard and slowly gets out of bed, biting his lip gently. His body trembles slightly, holding onto the rail for support as he walks down the stairs, only to be greeted by Ei's sharp as lightning stare.
'Care to tell me why you failed your math test?' Her voice is calm, but the passive aggressiveness roams through her body language.
'I'm sorry, mom, but you know I'm not good at math.' Kunikuzushi attempts to reason with his mother, only to be cut off by a slam at the wall.
'You want to talk back to me now? Do you know how embarrassing this is for me? Knowing that my son, Kunikuzushi Raiden, failed the first test of the year and got caught cheating!?' Her voice is as loud as a storm, pouring her anger onto him.

Kunikuzushi remains silent, staring at the ground in fear. He doesn't know what to say or do, so he just listens to Ei's words shake him down like thunder. He flinches as her voice pierces through his heart once more.

'Am I talking to a brick wall? Answer me, Kunikuzushi, why did you fail your math test? Am I being too loose with you? Because I can whip you back into shape faster than lightning ever would.' Ei's walks closer to Kunikuzushi, her hand slapping his cheek.
'I'm sorry, ma...' Kunikuzushi swallows hard, his voice breaking.
'I don't need your apologies, I need your grades. And what I have right now isn't cutting it.' Ei's voice returns to that calm yet aggressive tone. 'If you're going to keep this up, you're out of the house. I want to see nothing but excellent from you.'
'Understood, mom.' Kunikuzushi continues staring at the ground.

Kunikuzushi waits for Ei to leave, walking to his room himself. He shuts the door and sits on the bed, weeping quietly. He doesn't want anyone to see or hear him, especially not the person he cares about most, even if he isn't there with him. Kunikuzushi sits like this for a good hour before wiping away the tears off of his cheeks, getting out of bed to brush his teeth. He walks back into his bed and stares at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep as quickly as possible. He avoids talking to Ei or Miko, not seeking any comfort whatsoever. He closes his eyes and falls asleep, with the same person in the back of his mind, as he has been for the last five days.

Chapter Text

Kunikuzushi is forced to wake up, the sun piercing through the window. He gets up to close the blinds, darkening his room. His eyes glance over to look at the time, realizing he woke up midday. A soft sigh escapes his lips, lying back into bed to scroll on his phone, seeing a notification from Kazuha:
'morning!!!! wanna hang out maybe?'

The message was sent at 9 AM, so cheerful and bright, just like him.

'How is he always so on point with everything?' Kunikuzushi mutters to himself, replying to Kazuha:
'maybe. youre like a parasite'

Kunikuzushi sets his phone aside and walks downstairs to check if anyone's home. When he finishes walking around the house, with no clue where Ei and Miko have gone, he perceives he has the house to himself. Kunikuzushi walks back to his room, opening his closet to find a small box, filled with used razor blades and a few half-empty packs of cigarettes. He grabs his blade, rolling up his sleeve. The blade separates his skin, gliding over smoothly. One swipe after another, the blood softly trickling down his wrists, the harsh hisses for air through his teeth, all felt with each graze against his skin. He pours out all of his heartfelt anger, disappointment, fear, guilt and sadness into his blade, swiping fast and hard. Kunikuzushi holds the blade firmly in his hand, swallowing hard as he watches the blood seep out of his skin.

Kazuha smiles at the text he receives from Kunikuzushi. Though, as he continues to text him, waiting for a reply, his concern washes over him. He begins to worry, wondering if he should pay a visit. Eventually, after some overthinking, he slips on his jacket and walks over to Kunikuzushi's house. He knocks on the door, waiting for a response. When no response is received, he opens the door and walks into the corridor.

'Miss Ei? Kunikuzushi?' Kazuha's voice echoes through the walls.

Kunikuzushi stands in his room, his eyes wide. His breaths are shaky, inconsistent, his heart beating faster by the second. He sets the blade down quickly, in an attempt to make it seem like nothing's wrong, until he hits one of the scars accidentally, hissing sharply through his teeth. The door is wide open, so every hiss and stutter can be heard.

'Kuzu? Where are you?' Kazuha looks around the first floor in distraught. He starts walking up the stairs, in search for Kunikuzushi.
'Wait! I'll... um... be there in a minute...' Kunikuzushi's voice comes out choked, small. He rushes to the bathroom and looks for a bandage. Just as he finds one, he starts wrapping it around his wrist, Kazuha appearing at the door soon after.
'Kuzu? Is everything okay?' Kazuha's soft voice hits Kunikuzushi like thunder.
'I told you to give me a minute! Don't go in.' Kunikuzushi double-checks if the door is locked, continuing to bandage his wrist up. He walks out of the bathroom, only to be greeted by Kazuha's big, worried eyes.

'Kuzu! How are you? Is everything alright?' Kazuha starts interrogating the boy, immediately noticing the bandaged up wrist. 'What happened to your wrist?'
'Nothing... I just bruised it a little.' Kunikuzushi lies through his teeth, his voice still shaky.
'Can I see? I'm good at bandaging things, and especially taking care of bruises.' Kazuha walks closer, reaching out to touch his wrist.
'No, it's okay. I don't need any help.' Kunikuzushi raises his voice ever so slightly in fear that he'll find out the truth, swallowing hard, avoiding eye contact as much as possible.
'Are you sure? Do you want anything else then?' Kazuha flinches, walking back slightly as he fixes his glasses.
'Yes, I'm sorry.' Kunikuzushi continues staring at the ground.
'It's okay.' Kazuha walks closer again, wrapping his arms around Kunikuzushi.
'What are you doing?' His voice is sharp, trying to push Kazuha off of himself.
'I know what you're really doing, Kunikuzushi. You can't fool me.' Kazuha whispers quietly in his ear, his fingers grazing the bandaged wrist softly.
'What!? I told you, it's just a stupid bruise!' Kuni gets defensive, his voice a pitch higher.
'Stop lying to me, it's only the two of us here. I know.' Kazuha keeps his arms around Kunikuzushi, in an attempt to comfort.
'Get off of me!' Kunikuzushi kicks Kazuha off of his body, clutching his fragile wrist.
'Kuzu...' Kazuha falls onto the ground, looking up at Kunikuzushi before picking himself off. 'I won't tell anyone. I promise.'

Kunikuzushi stands there in front of him, dumbfounded. His deepest secret is out, to the person he prayed it never would've been. The silence awkwardly lingers in-between them, before Kazuha speaks up yet again.

'You don't have to hide the truth from me, Kunikuzushi. I have the same problem.' Kazuha smiles softly, unzipping his jeans and showing a slither of his hip and thigh, covered in scars − some healed, some fresher than others.

Kunikuzushi remains silent. He doesn't know what to say or do, continuing to stare at the scars before they're covered up by Kazuha's jeans.
'Promise you won't tell anyone? Please, I'm begging you.' His voice is pleading, gentle, much unlike his usual self.
'I promise, Kuzu.' Kazuha walks closer to him, hugging him once more.

Kunikuzushi reciprocates, wrapping his arms around Kazuha's waist gently, in an attempt to not damage his wrist further. He finds his voice and finally speaks up again.

'You smoke, Kazu?'

He stands there, looking dumbfounded. He's always wished of giving it a try, but he never had a way how to, due to his lack of connections in the past. He nods, a subtle smile on his face.

'Come here then.' Kunikuzushi turns his back to face Kazuha, walking to his room to find the same box yet again, taking out two cigarettes and a lighter. Kazuha is behind him, his eyes widening.

'Where did you get these?' Kazuha stares at the cigarettes, watching Kunikuzushi light one up and take a drag out of it.
'I steal some from Miko, some I find on the ground. I take advantage of my surroundings.' Kunikuzushi passes the cigarette to Kazuha, their fingertips grazing as if a soft, feather-like touch.
'Thanks.' Kazuha nods, inspecting the cigarette before also taking a drag. He coughs a bit, exhaling the smoke.
'There's some water there, if you need it.' Kunikuzushi points to his nightstand, lighting up his own cigarette.

Kazuha walks over to the nightstand and takes a small sip of water. He sits on Kunikuzushi's bed, getting comfortable on it as he takes another long drag.
'You're really fucked up.'
'Look who's talking, asshole. When was the last time you ate?' Kunikuzushi blows the smoke in Kazuha's face.
'You know?' Kazuha's eyes widen, fiddling with the cigarette.
'I mean, it's pretty obvious. I have noticed how you act in PE. Especially in the changing rooms.' Kunikuzushi looks away from Kazuha, staring at his cigarette instead.
'Didn't know anyone really caught on, though.' Kazuha smiles slightly.
'Listen, just don't skip too many meals, 'kay? I still need my homework done for me. Also, your build is fine.' Kunikuzushi takes a quick glance at Kazuha before taking yet another inhale.
'Yeah, yeah... do Ajax and Heizou know? About your little addictions?' Kazuha shoots a sharp glare to Kunikuzushi.
'Sure, they know I smoke and get high, but they don't know jack shit about my self harm. They think I'm sober.'
'You have weed too?' Kazuha's eyes widen even more.
'Yeah, but I'm out of it for now. I'm thinking about buying some tomorrow. Wanna come with?' Kunikuzushi smirks, sitting next to Kazuha on the bed.
'Really?' His eyes light up, smiling.
'Sure.'

They sit like this for a good few hours, feeding into their addictions, getting even closer than before. The sun starts to eventually set, Kazuha deciding it's best if he returned home. He helps Kunikuzushi clean up his room, making sure no residue is left. Kazuha waves him off at the door and leaves, returning home. But just as he exits Kunikuzushi's house, he's greeted by Ei and Miko.

'Hi! You're Kaedehara Kazuha, right?' Miko's face lights up.
'Yeah, that's me.' Kazuha smiles nervously, his heart beating fast.
'I just want to thank you for being such a good influence on Kunikuzushi. Even if he has a rough time in school, I just think someone with such a unique and caring mindset like yours is a great addition to his life. Run home, now.' Miko waves Kazuha off, Kazuha doing the same.

Kazuha's vision blurs slightly as he paces back home, swallowing hard. 'Good influence, huh... I guess you could say that.' Kazuha speaks to himself, in his mind, where no one else but him can hear his thoughts. He changes into his sleepwear, lying into his bed and scrolling on his phone.

Ei and Miko return back home, setting the groceries they bought while they were away in the kitchen. Miko starts cooking dinner whilst Ei storms to Kunikuzushi's bedroom.

'What do you think you're doing? Bringing over friends when you're failing school? You're a disgrace to the Raiden family name.' Her voice has the same tint of passive aggressiveness as from yesterday.
'Ma, I'm sorry, I really am. I tried retaking the exam, and I really tried my best.' His voice comes out choked.
'What did I tell you yesterday? Did you even listen!? Starting tomorrow, your head is going to be buried in books. I want to see how much time for friends you'll have then.' She raises her voice slightly, bouncing off of the walls.

Miko walks into the room to call them both for dinner, and to calm down Ei.

'Aren't you hungry, Kunikuzushi? You haven't eaten anything all day.' Miko's face is worried, drowned in concern.
'Go eat dinner. Don't make me repeat myself.' Ei turns away from Kunikuzushi, heading to the kitchen with Miko.

Kunikuzushi sits in his bedroom for a few minutes before deciding to head downstairs to eat dinner. He sits down at the table, fiddling around with the food before taking a small bite. His appetite is completely gone, in fact, it wasn't even there ever since yesterday. Despite himself, he forces himself to eat the food on the plate in front of him, feeling bad for Miko, who tried so hard preparing the food. The mere panic and guilt overwhelming Kunikuzushi's entire body forces him to cough up what he just ate. He excuses himself from the table as soon as he's done eating, rushing to the bathroom. Kunikuzushi locks the door, turns the shower on to cover up his retching and kneels over the toilet, throwing up every single bite. Tears fill his eyes, rolling down his face as he continues to bring up everything. At last, when he empties his body fully, he flushes and turns off the shower, walking back to his room and closing himself off in it. He isolates himself from everyone, mirroring his behavior from yesterday, the thoughts of suicide and being a failure drowning him. He picks up his phone, only to see a text from Kazuha again:
'everything ok? also thanks for the cigs lol :p'

Kunikuzushi sneers softly under his breath before replying:
'yeah im ok, np. im gonna go get some rest for now so goodnight'

He sets his phone aside and lies down in his bed. 'Old hag...' he whispers quietly to himself, untying the bandage on his wrist. 'All of this is her fault... if only she'd pay attention to me rather than my grades.' He stares at the dried blood, swallowing hard before wrapping the bandage on the scars again, falling asleep with Kazuha in mind, Kazuha doing the same thing, falling asleep with Kunikuzushi in his.

Chapter Text

Kazuha wakes up, feeling refreshed and like himself. He feels more relaxed and collected than usual, most likely due to yesterday's experiences. He gets out of bed to brush his teeth and lies back down into his bed, reaching for his phone to text Kunikuzushi:
'good morning!!!!! hang out today?'

He exits the messages app and goes to scroll on TikTok until he receives a reply.

Kunikuzushi wakes up, stretching, a slither of his abdomen peeking out. He gets out of bed to wash his face under cold water, entering his room soon after. He lies down in bed, staring at the ceiling and remembering Ei's words, how he had to study today, until Ei comes into his room, dressed up.

'Kunikuzushi, I'll be out for the day and I will be back at 6 PM. If I don't see your head in those books, you're getting your phone taken away for a week.' Ei's voice is her usual sharp tone.
'Understood, ma.' Kunikuzushi nods his head, hiding his smirk.

Ei and Miko head out, leaving Kunikuzushi alone in the house. He quickly gets his phone and reads the text Kazuha sent, immediately replying:
'morning, can i come over to yours today? ill bring the stuff'

Kunikuzushi sets his phone aside and gets dressed, hoping Kazuha would say yes.

Kazuha's eyes glance at the response, a smile painting his face.
'sure, my mom is out and shes an alcoholic sooo if u know u know'

Kazuha's smile grows wider, changing into a t-shirt, not bothering to change out of his pajama pants since he's going to stay at home anyway.

Just as Kunikuzushi finishes getting ready, he picks up his phone only to see that Kazuha agreed. He quickly grabs his backpack and stuffs his stash in, rushing out of the house and glancing at the time - 11 AM. He knocks on the door before entering inside anyway.

'Kazuuu? It's me, Kuni.' Kunikuzushi's voice echoes through the house, Kazuha rushing down the stairs.
'Hey.' Kazuha greets him with a smile, helping him set his shoes aside.
'I have to be back home at 6 PM, so we kinda have the whole day to ourselves.' Kunikuzushi fixes his hair before continuing, 'So?'
'You want the alcohol already?' Kazuha sneers, walking to the fridge to find a cold, half-empty bottle of vodka.
'Vodka? Damn.' Kunikuzushi eyes the bottle carefully, watching Kazuha open it up with his teeth.
'Oh shit, did you get the weed?' Kazuha spits the bottle cap onto the ground, looking at Kunikuzushi.
'No, wanna go get it now? I'll call him.' Kunikuzushi grabs his phone out of his pocket, ringing his dealer.

The phone rings in silence. After what seems to be an eternity of waiting, the dealer picks up and a faint voice on the other side of the phone is heard.

'Hello?'
'You got any weed?'
'Yeah, when do you need it?'
'Like, as soon as possible.'
'Alright, I'll be near the bus stop in 10.' The dealer finishes his sentence and hangs up.

Kunikuzushi and Kazuha go to Kazuha's room, setting their stuff away. Once they do, they leave the house and walk towards the bus stop, waiting for the dealer to arrive. Just a few moments later, a car pulls up, the window rolling down. The guy hands them a small bag of weed, Kunikuzushi handing him the money and watching him drive away. They head back to Kazuha's house, returning to his room.

'What do you wanna do first?' Kazuha asks, looking at the small bag that Kunikuzushi is holding.
'I say smoke, 'cause then the smell?' Kunikuzushi replies, already getting his rolling papers, rolling the marijuana in a joint.
'If you say so.' Kazuha smirks, watching Kuni roll a joint.
'Give me a lighter?' Kunikuzushi reaches his hand out, stuffing the filter at the start of the blunt.
'Here.' Kazuha passes him the lighter.

Kunikuzushi lights up the joint and takes a long inhale from it, handing it to Kazuha, mirroring his actions. They continue smoking it, their heads spinning and vision slightly blurry. When they reach the end of the blunt, Kunikuzushi stubs it into the ground, his expression dazy.

'Grab the alcohol, Hara.' Kunikuzushi leans against the headboard.

Kazuha's vision is blurry, his hands shaking. He eventually spots the bottle of alcohol and takes a large swig from it, handing Kunikuzushi the bottle, Kuni doing the same. They look at each other, completely fucked up and stoned like crazy, until one of them speaks up after minutes of laughing.

'Hara, do you want to know a secret?' Kunikuzushi's voice is slurred, leaning in closer to take a better glimpse of Kazuha's face.
'Hmm? What is it?' Kazuha smirks, snickering under his breath.
'I've been thinking a certain someone non-stop, every night... every time I go to bed...' Kunikuzushi leans in closer.
'Really now? Who is this lucky person?' Kazuha lifts his head up, his grin only growing wider.
'Don't act stupid...' Kunikuzushi leans even closer, holding onto Kazuha's waist for support, their noses brushing against each other.
'Come on, just tell me... I don't wanna guess... I won't tell anyone, I promise...' Kazuha's words are slurred, barely audible before being cut off, his lips interlinked with Kunikuzushi's. The kiss is sloppy and messy, arms all over his body.
'I want you, Kaedehara.' Kunikuzushi smirks, kissing Kazuha again.
'Haha... stop that, I love you too...' Kazuha laughs softly, holding Kunikuzushi in his arms, supporting them.

Both of them are out of their minds, kissing and holding each other, their heads spinning as the sun sets. Kunikuzushi remembers he has to be home by six, pulling away from Kazuha.
'Give me your cologne.' Kunikuzushi stands up from the bed, his legs barely holding him. Kazuha looks around his room and finds the cologne, spraying it on Kunikuzushi.
'Wait, before you go, can I see your wrist?' Kazuha gently but firmly grabs his wrist, looking up at Kunikuzushi, his eyes gleaming under the dim light.
'Fine.' Kunikuzushi unwraps the bandage, the scars fresh.

Kazuha inspects the scars slightly before closing his eyes and leaning down, his lips gently grazing against each one. He kisses them repeatedly, holding Kunikuzushi close as he winces.
'Kazuha, stop...' Kunikuzushi's voice comes out choked, laughing and tearing up at the same time.
'I love you so much, Kunikuzushi, you're perfect.' Kazuha whispers into his ear, wrapping the bandage around his wrist again and leading him downstairs.

Kunikuzushi slips his shoes on and gets his backpack, kissing Kazuha on the cheek before walking back home. His legs are shaky, just barely getting back home safely. He opens the door and already finds Ei and Miko standing in the hall.

'Where have you been?' Ei looks at Kunikuzushi, crossing her arms, snapping her son out of his daze immediately.
'I was at Kazuha's... he was helping me study.' His voice comes out shaky, trying to prove his point further, 'You know that he's good at math.'
'How do I know you're not lying?' Her voice is dull.
'I can call him and he'll prove it to you.' Kunikuzushi gets his phone out of his pocket, ringing Kazuha and praying he would pick up. When he does, he starts lying through his teeth. 'Kazuha, when I was at your house, you helped me with the quadratic formula, didn't you?'
Kazuha's eyes widen, never teaching him anything about the formula. But regardless, he lies back. 'Yeah. I helped you with it, right?'
'You did.' Kunikuzushi smirks, continuing. 'Thanks.' He hangs up.
'Fair enough. I'll let you off the hook this time.' Ei looks at Miko, trying as to not be so strict with Kunikuzushi, taking her advice. 'Go to your room.'
'I will, ma... by the way, I ate at Kazuha's place.' Kunikuzushi leaves for his room, shutting the door and calling Kazuha again, waiting for him to pick up. When he picks up, he smiles and thanks Kazuha endlessly for helping him lie.
'Thank you so much, baby, you helped me so much...' Kunikuzushi's voice is soft.
'Haha, no problem. After all, I could tell that you needed cover.' Kazuha's fragile voice can be heard through the other side of the speaker.

Meanwhile, Ei and Miko are sitting in their bedroom, talking about Kunikuzushi and Kazuha.

'I told you he was a good influence. I hope he finally has the motivation to study.' Miko smiles at Ei.
'I pray that you're right. Otherwise, I'm going to teach him a lesson he will never forget.' Ei crosses her arms, sighing in what seems to be relief, but with a hint of something else.
'Trust me, Ei. He's a teenager. He's going to do these things. Besides, we've raised him well. He doesn't do any drugs or anything of the sort.'
'If he ever did, I'd lose my mind. Do you know how humiliating that would be? I was already embarrassed enough when people asked me about his scars.' Ei rubs her temples, feeling Miko's arms wrap around her waist, shushing her.
'Shh, Ei. Don't think about these things. They're all in the past now. Love him for who he is, support him, he's our son, after all.' Miko's soothing voice caresses Ei's ear.
'You're right, Miko.' Ei smiles at Miko's comforting words. However, she doesn't want to let go of her strict habits, at least not yet.

Meanwhile, Kuni and Kazuha are on call for hours on end. The sun sets, Kazuha's soft voice speaking up.

'It's getting pretty late, I think I should get some sleep... next time, you should come to sleep over.'
'Really? It's not a problem? I'll try...' Kunikuzushi smiles, the thought already engraved in his mind.
'Goodnight, angel.' Kazuha whispers quietly but soothingly, 'I love you.'
'Night, Hara. I love you too.' Kunikuzushi replies, hanging up and deciding to go to bed himself. He walks over to the sink to brush his teeth and run his face in cold water, getting comfortable in bed and falling asleep with Kazuha in his mind.

Kazuha smiles at Kunikuzushi's wish, setting his phone on his nightstand and going to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He looks at himself in the mirror, leaning over the sink, staring deeply into his passionate, red eyes. He smiles, reminiscing on the experiences he had with Kunikuzushi, finally reaching his long-awaited goal. He finally has a friend group, a boyfriend even, all in just his first week after moving to Konda Village and enrolling into Narukami High. He never wants to let go, wanting to dive deeper, try more things with Kunikuzushi, continue to keep his friend group. He finally found a reason to live, finally found an escape from his dark past that haunted him for his entire life. He eventually lies back down in his bed and falls asleep with Kunikuzushi in his mind, completely forgetting about the past and only focusing on the present.

Chapter Text

It's Monday morning, another week repeating. Kazuha gets out of bed to brush his teeth and fix his hair, tying it into his beloved ponytail as per usual. He slips on his uniform, stuffing his books into his bookbag. He walks towards the bus station, waiting for Kunikuzushi to show up. He stands there for a few minutes until he hears someone walk towards him, glancing over his shoulder to see who it is – a boy with short, blue hair approaches him with a subtle smile.

'Morning.' Kunikuzushi waves and smiles at Kazuha.
'Good morning.' Kazuha smiles back, kissing his cheek.
'Hara...' Kunikuzushi laughs it off, looking away for a brief moment.
'What? Can I not love my boyfriend, hm?' Kazuha grins at him, glancing away.

Both of them watch as the other passengers arrive, the bus stopping at the station. Everyone gets in, Kazuha and Kunikuzushi leaning against the window. They stay silent for a minute or so until Kunikuzushi speaks up.

'Kazuha, I want to ask you something.'
'What is it?' Kazuha looks over to catch a glimpse of Kunikuzushi.
'Can we keep our relationship... private? Well, at least for now.' Kunikuzushi looks over at him, then at the ground.
'Why?' Kazuha raises an eyebrow.
'It's just because I don't want those idiots Ajax and Heizou knowing. Besides, I want you to be only for my eyes.' A subtle possessive tone escapes Kunikuzushi's lips.
'Alright, if you say so.' Kazuha smiles, his cheeks burning up slightly at Kunikuzushi's words.

They get off at the stop for Narukami High, walking into the school, laughing together. They approach their lockers for the first class of the day, getting out their math book. Both of them walk towards their math class until they bump into Ajax and Heizou.

'Good morning, Kazuha, Kuni.' Ajax waves at both of them, Heizou right behind him.
'Morning.' Kunikuzushi waves back, oddly close to Kazuha.
'You and Kazuha close again? Seems fair.' Heizou smirks.
'Shut up. He just helped me learn the quadratic formula.' Kunikuzushi pouts.
'Kunikuzushi and studying in the same sentence? Unheard of.' Heizou continues, sneering under his breath before continuing, 'You sure you didn't just make out or something?'
'No. I really did help him study. Ei is pretty strict with him, after all.' Kazuha immediately starts defending their relationship, making sure that no one finds out about how they spent the weekend together and how it went down.
'You're right...' Heizou nods, glancing at Ajax. 'You're awfully quiet today, AJ.'
'No I'm not. I can be loud if you want me to.' Ajax snaps out of his daze, glancing over at Heizou with a smirk.
'Okay, okay. I know you can get loud.' Heizou rolls his eyes.

The bell rings, forcing everyone to go to their classes. Kazuha and Kunikuzushi sit in their designated seats, the teacher talking about their test scores, Kunikuzushi hating the class more than ever after Friday's test. The class ends, everyone rushing off to break.

'What's our next class again?' Kazuha nonchalantly glances over at Kunikuzushi.
'You can still act like yourself, you know? Just don't go around jerking me off in the middle of the hall.' Kunikuzushi mutters under his breath, taking out his timetable from his pocket, his eyes hovering over their next class, science.
'Okay, I'm sorry.' Kazuha smiles at Kunikuzushi's words.

The bell to class rings again. Kunikuzushi and Kaedehara, along with their other peers enter the classroom and sit down, taking out their books. Kazuha's eyes widen as he rustles in his bookbag continuously.

'Shit... I forgot my science book.' Kazuha mutters under his breath, taking out a random book as a placeholder so his desk doesn't look empty.
'The perfect nerd forgot something? That's new...' Kunikuzushi murmurs back, looking away.
'Asshole.' Kazuha rolls his eyes, sitting at the desk and waiting for the class to end.

The students take notes, the bell ringing soon after. All of them leave the classroom and wait for the last class before lunch break. Kazuha and Kunikuzushi approach their lockers once more.

'Didn't have to act so rude...' Kazuha sighs, searching for his biology book.
'It was a joke. Besides, being mean is my love language.' Kunikuzushi shrugs, waiting for Kazuha to stuff his biology book inside of his bag.

Kazuha makes a face, walking to their biology class. They lean against the wall and wait for the bell to ring, Kazuha and Kunikuzushi talking as if nothing ever happened. The bell rings, everyone entering the class and waiting for it to end. The teacher talks about organisms and photosynthesis, the lesson being relatively easy, a chime echoing through the halls for lunch break. Kazuha and Kunikuzushi approach their cafeteria table, no signs of Heizou or Ajax. They sit at it and wait for them to arrive, chatting together. Soon enough, they arrive.

'What's good, you two?' Heizou smiles at the both of them, sitting at the table with Ajax.
'Hey.' Kazuha waves at the both of them.
'Kazuha, how do you like the school so far?' Heizou continues interrogating him.
'I like it, mainly because I have you three.' Kazuha smiles at his friend group.
'Watch as flowers start to bloom in the middle of the cafeteria.' Kunikuzushi rolls his eyes, playfully making fun of Kazuha.
'Here we go again...' Kazuha sighs in disappointment, rubbing his temples.

The friend group talks throughout the break, laughing and having fun together, until the bell to class rings. Kazuha and Kunikuzushi head to their geography class, meanwhile Heizou and Ajax heading to their history class.

'Listen, Hei...' Ajax whispers in the middle of class to Heizou while the teacher is talking about a war.
'Yeah?' He turns around to look at Ajax.
'Don't you think something is going on between Kuni and Kazuha? They got awfully close within a week. It's unusual for Kuni.' Ajax stares blankly into his history book.
'I guess you're right... but I think it's pretty good, no? Kuni finally has another friend other than us.' Heizou whispers back, doodling in his notebook.
'Maybe, but... you know...' Ajax glances over at Heizou, hinting at something.
'Oh... right... I'm sure it's not like that.' Heizou nods his head, continuing. 'We can try to keep a close eye on them for a bit.'
'Yeah.' Ajax nods as well, thinking about Kazuha and Kunikuzushi.

As the thought of Kazuha and Kunikuzushi drowns Ajax's mind, he stares at his book for the entire lesson, the bell dismissing them to break. Heizou and Ajax pace around the school, finally spotting the two, attempting to act casual.

'Hey, guys.' Kuni waves at them.
'Hi.' Heizou waves back.
'Did you need something?' Kazuha looks over at the both of them, immediately feeling that something isn't right, solely based off of their body language.
'No, we just missed our two favorite lovebirds. Isn't that right, Heizou?' Ajax nudges Heizou with his elbow.
'Yeah... don't mind him.' Heizou shakes his head, rolling his eyes.

The break goes by, a similar chime ringing throughout the halls of the building. Kazuha and Kunikuzushi head to their lockers to get their PE uniforms, going into the changing rooms to change.

'Kuzu, did you notice that AJ and Hei were acting a bit... weird?' Kazuha makes conversation as he slips off his shirt, his back facing Kunikuzushi.
'Hm? Maybe a bit.' Kunikuzushi slips his PE uniform on, waiting for Kazuha.
'Just something about AJ especially, it didn't feel right.' Kazuha inspects his thighs and hips carefully before Kunikuzushi cuts him off.
'Are you going to stand there staring at your dick for a century or are you actually going to change?' His sharp tone echoes through the changing room.
'I'm changing, god.' Kazuha flinches slightly, slipping his shorts on and facing Kunikuzushi.

They head to the gymnasium, the lesson going as usual. They sit on the bleachers to rest for a bit, Kazuha speaking up once again.

'Kuzu, why are you so mean to me all of a sudden?'
'I told you that it's my love language.' Kunikuzushi replies, clasping his hands together and looking down at the floor.
'Listen, I know that it is, but it hurts me. Just a bit.' Kazuha's voice is soft, unsure.

Kunikuzushi's eyes widen as he takes in Kazuha's statement, looking at him with confused eyes.

'I was hurting you? Why didn't you tell me?'
'It's okay, it's not even that bad.' Kazuha smiles nervously.
'No, I'm sorry. I really am, I never wanted to hurt you, Hara.' Kunikuzushi stares deeply into Kazuha's eyes, his tone a bit shaky and nervous, much unlike his usual cold tone.
'It's okay! You don't need to apologize so much.' Kazuha raises his hands, reassuring Kunikuzushi.
'I do it so that Ajax and Heizou don't think we're dating if I'm being too nice. I promise I love you.' Kunikuzushi inspects Kazuha's facial expression.
'I know, I know, and it's fine.' Kazuha nods, reassuring Kunikuzushi once more before switching the topic. 'You want to go back?'
'Yeah.'

Both of them go back to play their usual rounds of basketball, the coach's high-pitched whistle echoing throughout the gymnasium. Everyone goes back to their changing rooms, changing into their uniforms for the final class of the day. Kazuha and Kunikuzushi head to their lockers to put their uniforms in, walking to history class. They talk for the break, entering the classroom when the same chime is heard. The two of them, along with their peers, wait for the class to end, barely paying any attention. At long last, the class finally rings, everyone free to go home. Kazuha and Kunikuzushi head out from campus, heading towards the bus station. They lean against the tree, waiting for the bus to arrive, laughing and smiling together, Kazuha kissing Kunikuzushi's cheek. Heizou and Ajax walk out just in time, Heizou's eyes glancing at their friends in the distance, his eyes widening as he notices Kazuha's lips gently graze Kunikuzushi's cheek. Ajax notices his sudden change in demeanor.

'Hei?'
'Yeah?'
'Everything okay? You look like you saw a ghost.'
'Yeah, sorry. I just zoned out.' Heizou decides to keep the sight to himself, a guilt inside his heart.

Meanwhile, the bus arrives, Kuni and Kazuha getting on it. They get off at their usual stop.

'Wanna come over to my place for the night? Maybe to sleep over?' Kazuha smiles.
'Um... I have to ask my mom first.' Kunikuzushi scratches the back of his neck.
'That's okay. I don't have anything to do today anyway.' Kazuha smiles before speaking further. 'We can just wait at your place for your parents to come home.'
'Yeah.' Kunikuzushi nods, both of them heading to his home. They sit in the kitchen for a bit until they hear the door creak open, Ei and Miko coming back.

'Mom... can I sleep over at Kazuha's today? We'll study, just like last time. We promise.' Kunikuzushi looks at Ei and Miko with pleading eyes, Kazuha smiling generously in front of them.
'Uh...' Ei raises an eyebrow, but before she can protest, Miko cuts off her words.
'Of course you can. Just make sure to go to bed.' Miko smiles at the both of them, shooting a sharp glance to Ei.
'Okay, thanks Miko!' Kunikuzushi smiles, running out of the house with Kazuha, laughing.

'Thank fuck Miko is in my house...' Kunikuzushi smiles, running after Kazuha, holding his hand.
'I know, right!?' Kazuha turns his head over his shoulder to glance over at Kunikuzushi.

They reach Kazuha's home and go in it, rushing to Kazuha's room. Kazuha grabs his sleep attire and changing into it, not bothering to go to the bathroom. Kunikuzushi takes a quick glimpse at his body, his eyes widening in concern.

'Hara, how much do you eat?'
'Huh? Where did that come from? I eat normally.' Kazuha turns around to look at Kunikuzushi. He only has his pajama pants on, ones that hang low on his hips, his shirt on the ground. Kazuha's chest and arms are covered in scars, his waist being narrow and thin, a subtle happy trail visible.
'Nothing, it's just... you look really skinny. Also, where are the scars from?' Kunikuzushi takes another glimpse at the scars before looking up at Kazuha's face, scanning it to see any suspicious expression.
'Me and my mom, since she's a pirate she usually goes on missions with the Crux Fleet. When I was little, she used to bring me with her since I was too young to be left alone, and so I was taught how to fight.' Kazuha smiles nervously, immediately slipping his shirt on.
'Oh... that makes sense.' Kunikuzushi nods, speaking further and switching the topic. 'You have anything for me to change into?'
'I do. Search my closet.' Kazuha smiles, lying down on his bed.

Kunikuzushi picks out a pair of pajama pants and some shirt he found in Kazuha's closet, changing into them and lying down next to Kazuha. Both of them stare deep into each other's eyes, admiring one another.

'You're so beautiful, Kunikuzushi...' Kazuha whispers under his breath, his soft voice only meant for Kunikuzushi's ears.
'I love you so much, Kaedehara.' Kunikuzushi whispers back, his hand reaching out to hold onto Kazuha's hip, pulling him in to kiss him.

Kazuha's hands roam over Kunikuzushi's body, pulling him closer, his fingers tangling in his soft, blue locks. He stares deep into his sky-blue eyes each time he pulls away from a kiss, getting lost in them. Even if he pulls him away, Kunikuzushi just pulls him back in, entwining their lips together softly. They talk for hours on end, holding each other close. Kunikuzushi also brought some of his cigarettes with himself, smoking them together with Kazuha. They do this until late night, until they end up closing their eyes as the sun sets down.

'Goodnight, angel.' Kazuha whispers to Kunikuzushi, grazing his lips with his own ever so softly, as if it were to be a light feather touch.
'Nighty night, baby. I love you.' Kunikuzushi whispers back in a soothing voice, kissing his forehead.
'I love you too...' Kazuha murmurs under his nose, the scent of his sweet, vanilla cologne filling the tight atmosphere between them. Even if both of them forgot they had homework or assignments to do, the only thing they care about is each other, resting an easy sleep as they hold each other close throughout the night.

Chapter Text

Beidou comes back from her trip with the Crux Fleet at midday, a bit hungover. She opens the door and falls on the floor, hissing through her teeth before picking herself up from the ground and looking around.

'Kazuha?' Her voice echoes through the hall.

When met with no response, she assumes he's in school, but decides to check on him anyway. She drags herself up the stairs into Kazuha's room, her eyes widening as she sees him and Kunikuzushi in the same bed. Beidou walks over to Kazuha and shakes him awake.

'Huh...?' Kazuha stirs from his sleep, turning over to see who woke him up.
'Kazu? Who is this?' Beidou looks over at Kunikuzushi's sleeping figure.
'Aaa... this is my... friend, Kunikuzushi.' Kazuha rubs his eyes, yawning.
'Kunikuzushi? You didn't tell me anything about him.' Beidou crosses her arms, confused.
'Uh... sorry, I guess...' Kazuha smiles nervously.
'Why aren't you in school?' Beidou checks the clock, noticing it's already 12 PM.
'Oh, I overslept...' Kazuha looks away, staring at Kunikuzushi.
'Kazuha...' Beidou sighs, speaking further. 'It's alright, I guess. I'll call them in and tell them you're sick.'
'Wait, can you cover for Kuni too?' Kazuha sits up, looking up at his mom.
'Why?'
'His mom is strict and she's the headmaster of the school. If she finds out he overslept, both of us are fucked.' A subtle swear word escapes Kazuha's lips.
'You swear now too?' Beidou raises an eyebrow, sighing.
'Oh... sorry...' Kazuha looks down.
'It's alright. I'll cover for the both of you.' Beidou yawns, walking to her bedroom. She glances over at something at the back of the bed, not quite picturing what it is due to her lack of sleep, but a faint, blurry image of an empty alcohol bottle is seen. However, she doesn't ask him about it, at least not yet.

Kazuha smiles, shaking Kunikuzushi awake. As he watches his eyes flutter, he gently kisses his forehead.

'Good morning.'
'Morning... what time is it, Hara?' Kunikuzushi rubs his eyes aggressively.
'Uh... 12 PM. We overslept.' A shy grin paints Kazuha's face.
'What!? My mom is going to kill me!' His eyes widen, sitting up from the bed immediately.
'It's okay, my mom is back home. She'll cover for the both of us.' Kazuha shushes him.
'Oh... okay.' Kunikuzushi nods.
'Anyway... how did you sleep?' Kazuha starts interrogating Kunikuzushi.
'Good. Your bed is comfortable.' Kunikuzushi smiles softly, kissing Kazuha's neck.
'Haha, stop that, Kuzu...' Kazuha laughs nervously, trying to push Kunikuzushi off in a playful demeanor.

They sit in his room for a good hour or so, talking and bantering playfully. Kunikuzushi grabs his phone, only to see a bunch of missed messages from Ajax and Heizou. He tells them that he overslept and couldn't make it.

'Do you wanna do something?' Kazuha asks Kunikuzushi, leaning on his elbows.
'Hm... I don't know...' Kunikuzushi replies, scratching his neck.
'Mmh... oh, I know! We should play truth or dare, hm?' Kazuha smiles, sitting cross-legged in front of Kunikuzushi.
'Okay, sure.' Kunikuzushi nods once more.
'Truth or dare?' Kazuha asks first.
'Truth.'
'Hm... have you had any crushes on anyone else besides me? Or am I your first?' Kazuha smirks, proud of his question.

Kunikuzushi's eyes widen for a second. He takes in the question, then carefully shakes his head.

'No.' Kunikuzushi replies calmly.
'Okay... your turn.' Kazuha nods, nibbling on his lip.
'Truth or dare?'
'Truth.'

Kunikuzushi thinks for a good minute for a question before interrogating Kazuha.

'Is it okay if the questions are personal?'
'Yeah.' Kazuha nods again.
'Why did you start cutting?' Kunikuzushi's voice is soft and small.
'Come again...?' Kazuha's eyes widen, speaking further. 'Sorry, I just didn't expect the question.'
'It's okay.'
'I started doing it 'cause I didn't know what to do with my life anymore. It's like kind of an escape for me. Also, I hate my body.' Kazuha avoids eye contact, the words softly leaving his lips.
'Oh... I understand.' Kunikuzushi looks up at Kazuha, continuing, 'I still love you, no matter what.'
'Kuzu...' Kazuha smiles, reaching out to hug Kunikuzushi, being met with a kiss on the cheek.

They play this game further for a few hours, until their classes end so Kunikuzushi can make the impression of coming back home after school. He waves Kazuha goodbye, walking back home. As Kazuha shuts the door, he walks back to his room and cleans it up. He hides the empty alcohol bottle in his closet, cleaning his room delicately, maintaining his perfect personality. Not long after, Beidou hears Kunikuzushi leave and goes to check in on Kazuha, still hungover.

'Kazuha, I think we need to talk.' Beidou enters the room, closing the door behind her.

Kazuha's heart sinks, his eyes widen as he hears Beidou's words. Regardless, he plays it off as if nothing is wrong and that he has nothing to hide.

'What is it, mom? Everything okay?'
'I want to ask you about this... Kunikuzushi?' Beidou sits on his bed, looking at Kazuha.
'Yeah?' His voice comes out a little bit shaky, but he maintains his calm demeanor anyway.
'Is he really just a friend? You can tell me anything, Kazuha.'

Kazuha looks at his mom with wide eyes, swallowing hard as his mind brainstorms on what to say.

'Would you be upset if I told you he's not?' His voice is small, unsure.
'No.' She shakes her head.
'Okay, then he's not. We're dating.' Kazuha smiles nervously.
'Good job, I'm proud of you.' Beidou smiles back at him, her smile beaming with pride.
'Thanks, mom...' Kazuha replies, nodding his head.
'I wanted to ask you something else too.' Beidou continues, her face changing.
'Hm?'
'Have you been drinking?'

Kazuha's throat closes up. He doesn't know whether to lie or tell the truth, so he mutters out the first thing that comes to mind.

'No! Why would I...?'
'Can I go through your room then?' Beidou carefully inspects Kazuha's expression.
'Why would you need to do that?' Kazuha attempts to maintain his composure, despite it slowly crumbling due to his nervousness. His heart is pounding in his chest, almost trying to break free from the cages of his ribs.

'You don't have anything to hide from me, do you?' Beidou raises an eyebrow in suspicion.
'No! Of course not!' He shakes his head nervously.
'Kazuha.' Her tone is strict, concerning. It's far more different from her regular personality.
'What!?' He stutters out, raising his voice.
'Tell me the truth!' Beidou raises her voice back, standing up from the bed.
'I am!' He stands up with Beidou, his body shaking ever so slightly.
'Kazuha, you can't hide it from me! I saw what I saw!' Beidou continues raising her voice, approaching Kazuha.
'Why can't you trust me!?' Kazuha backs up against the wall.
'I would if you wouldn't be so defensive about it!' Beidou slams her fist on the wall.
'I don't have anything to hide, mom, believe me!' He starts lying through his teeth, trying to keep his secret hidden no matter what.
'What's gotten into you, Kazuha!? Get your shit together!' Beidou raises her voice once more, slapping Kazuha back into his senses.

Kazuha widens his eyes, placing his hand on the cheek Beidou hit. He looks at her, tears in his eyes, completely breathless.

'Shit, Kazuha, I'm sorry...' Beidou apologizes, reaching out to hug Kazuha.
'Fuck you, Beidou!' Kazuha pushes her away, cussing her out.
'Kazuha!' Beidou's sharp voice echoes throughout the room, striking him like lightning through his spine.

Kazuha's throat closes up once more. No fancy remarks, no swearing, just pure silence. He stares into his mom's eyes, his body shaking ever so slightly.

'Show me your hips.' Beidou breaks the silence.
'What!? Kazuha swallows hard.
'Don't make me repeat myself!' Beidou's opens his closet, finding the empty bottle. 'Care to explain what this is then!?'

Kazuha tries to make another excuse, but before he can, Beidou throws the glass bottle at the wall, right next to Kazuha, the glass shards grazing his skin softly. He pulls the waistband of his pants down ever so slightly, his scars peeking through.

'You've been cutting yourself again? I give you a place to live, I take care and love you, but you still do this!? What is not enough for you!? Do I need to cut to see what this is about too!?' Beidou keeps talking over Kazuha, raising her voice with each sentence.
'Mom!' Kazuha raises his voice, slapping Beidou back into her senses. 'Get ahold of yourself!'

Beidou stands there, dumbfounded, switching her demeanor again.

'Kazuha... what happened to you? You never used to act like this. I never thought you would be someone to drink or smoke.' Her voice is much calmer in contrast to the voice that was bouncing off of the walls moments ago.
'Nothing happened, it's just... forget about it.' Kazuha shakes his head, swallowing hard.
'Not to mention you're oversleeping? Have you been handing in your assignments late too?' Beidou's voice is full of concern.
'I told you to forget about it!' Kazuha raises his voice again.
'Lower your voice before I give you a real reason to cry about!' The aggressiveness in her voice returns once more.

Kazuha remains silent, muttering an apology.

'I'm sorry, ma...' The apology is barely audible, small.
'It's...' Beidou sighs throughout her sentence, in awe, 'Is this because of your new friend group?'
'No!' Kazuha shakes his head.
'Kazuha, you know best that you don't have to change yourself for others. Don't you remember what happened last year?' Beidou walks towards Kazuha before being pushed away again.
'I don't want to remember! I'm a different person now, mom! Stop reminding me!' Kazuha turns away from her, his voice breaking.
'Don't hurt yourself again. When was the last time you wrote a poem?' Beidou continues pushing her beliefs onto Kazuha, even if he protests.
'Why do you care anyway!? I don't have to write stupid poems every day. I was frail and I don't want to be known to be that person anymore! I want to fit in and be normal like everyone else! I don't want to lose my friends when I finally have them after so long.' Kazuha breaks down in front of Beidou, wiping his tears aggressively off of his face.
'Kazuha, when was the last time you ate? You're so thin.' Beidou's concern rushes throughout her body.
'I eat regularly!' Kazuha raises his voice again, completely fragile.

Beidou sighs, shaking her head and walking towards the door.

'I'm going to sleep. Goodnight.' Beidou wishes Kazuha a good night before closing the door, leaving Kazuha alone in his room.

Kazuha jumps onto his bed and cries into his pillow, weeping silently. He doesn't answer anyone's texts or concerns, completely isolating himself from everyone. He cries for hours on end, his nose stuffy and body shaking constantly. Eventually, he gets up to go to the bathroom and takes off his clothes, staring at his body for minutes. He inspects each vein, bone, freckle, scar. He looks at every imperfection, wishing he could erase it off of himself. He puts his clothes back on and opens the cabinet, grabbing his razor and opening it up, letting the blades fall out. He picks the blade up and presses it against his hipbone, letting it glide through his skin. Kazuha winces slightly at the sting the blade brings to his flesh, his dark red blood trickling down his leg. One swipe after another, each cut piercing deeper than the last, eventually hitting a soft spot. Tears fill his eyes, hissing through his teeth to try and soothe the pain momentarily. He bites on his towel, silencing his weeping before quickly grabbing a tissue and damping it on the scars. He sits on the cold bathroom floor, waiting for the tissue to absorb the blood.

Kunikuzushi gets back home and waves at Ei and Miko, none of them catching on. Beidou successfully covered for him, and so thus he proceeds to his room. He stares at the ceiling, deciding to respond to Ajax's texts.

'sorry, i overslept. ill be in school tomorrow though.'

As soon as he replies to Ajax, he decides to text Kazuha.

'tell your mom im thankful for her covering me. i love you baby'

He sets his phone aside and goes to play a game on his laptop. Even hours after his text, he still hasn't received a reply from Kazuha, which seems a bit unusual for him. Despite this, he still wishes him a good night through text and goes to the bathroom to brush his teeth and gets ready for bed, falling asleep with a concerned thought about Kazuha, hoping that everything's okay.

Kazuha quickly sprays some peroxide on the scars, watching it seep into his skin, mixing with the blood. He winces at the sharp pain again, swallowing hard, trying not to wake Beidou up. He bandages his hip, sighing. He stands up from the floor heavily, leaning over the sink and staring at his reflection for longer than needed, pure malice and hatred for himself in his eyes. He shakes it off and brushes his teeth, going to his bed to fall asleep with the thought of Kunikuzushi in his mind, how he's his only escape from his past and present, wanting to spend time with no one else but him.

Chapter Text

Kazuha wakes up, dragging himself out of bed to put on his uniform. He ties his hair into a ponytail, slips his bookbag on and goes out of the house to wait for the bus. He's much earlier than usual, deciding to lean against the same tree he always does to wait for everyone. Around half an hour passes by until people start gathering, Kunikuzushi being the last.

'Kazuha! You didn't answer my texts yesterday, is everything alright?' A concerned expression paints over his face.
'Morning, Kuzu. Yes, I'm okay.' Kazuha nods, hugging Kunikuzushi.

The bus soon arrives, everyone getting on it. They get dropped off at Narukami High, Kazuha and Kunikuzushi walking up to their lockers, soon being interrupted by Ajax and Heizou.

'So? Overslept you two? What a coincidence.' Ajax crosses his arms, raising an eyebrow.
'No, I felt sick.' Kazuha shakes his head, making up a lie on the spot. 'I had a stomach ache.'
'Damn... still seems like a coincidence though.' Ajax looks at Kazuha and Kunikuzushi suspiciously.
'Uh...' Heizou avoids eye contact, much unusual for him, almost as if he's keeping a secret from everyone.
'You two are so off today.' Kunikuzushi sighs, the bell discontinuing their awkward conversation.

Kazuha and Kunikuzushi head to art class, sitting at their desk and gossiping about the weird interaction as they do their assignments.

'What was up with them?' Kunikuzushi nibbles on his lip in concentration.
'I have no idea.' Kazuha shakes his head.
'It's like Ajax has a dick up his ass while Heizou... I don't even know, but that's not the Hei I know.' Kunikuzushi brainstorms, trying to figure out what happened with their friends.

The lesson goes by smoothly, everyone handing their assignments in. The bell rings and they head to their second class of the day, history. Both of them decide to walk to their history class and wait there, talking about Ajax and Heizou.

'You should ask them what's wrong. I don't have their phone numbers.' Kazuha speaks up, grabbing a pack of gum from his pocket.
'I can make a group chat with the four of us and ask to hang out today.' Kunikuzushi replies, going through his phone.
'Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.' Kazuha nods.

Kunikuzushi adds Ajax, Kazuha and Heizou all into one group chat, asking if they want to hang out. Kazuha immediately responds with an agreement, the two of them waiting for the others to respond. Just as they finish texting and brainstorming, the bell to their history class rings. The class goes by, everyone taking notes. Soon enough, the bell's chime is heard. Kazuha and Kunikuzushi walk to their math classroom, leaning against the wall and waiting for the bell to ring once more. The break is short, due to it being the last one before lunch. Students walk into the class, the class feeling slower than usual – after all, Kazuha and Kunikuzushi slept in yesterday. But, at long last, the bell echoes throughout the hall, everyone rushing to the cafeteria to sit at their designated seats, Kazuha and Kunikuzushi no different. Soon enough, the both of their friends show up.

'Hey, I made a group chat with all of us in it. Want to hang out today after school?' Kunikuzushi is the first to make conversation, looking around for any opinions.
'Sure, I'm down.' Heizou nods, speaking further. 'What time?'
'Like, right after school. You know how my mom is...' Kunikuzushi rolls his eyes at the thought of Ei. 'What about you, AJ?'
'Hm? Oh, yeah.' Ajax snaps out of his daze after staring at Kunikuzushi and Kazuha for much longer than necessary.
'Dude, what happened? You're always so talkative.' Kunikuzushi inspects Ajax's expression.
'Sorry, I didn't sleep right...' Ajax shakes his head, laughing it off.
'If you say so.'

The four of them awkwardly sit at the table, the mood being slightly lifted as they finally find a conversation, even if Ajax is unusually quiet. Despite this, Heizou shakes him back into reality, being his lively self once more. They bond further, the bell dismissing their conversation. They walk to their two English periods, Kazuha noticing the teacher's weird, off-putting look. He pretends to be taking notes, only to be doodling on the side of his page. Both of the classes end, the teacher calling Kazuha out to stay for a bit.

'Yes, miss?' He walks towards the teacher, looking back at Kunikuzushi.
'What happened to your creativity, your poems? You had the most delicate writing I've seen in a while. Not to mention you've been slipping up on your assignments lately, is something going on?' The teacher speaks up.
'Oh, uh... I just haven't been writing lately. I found other hobbies.' Kazuha makes up an excuse on the spot, completely ignoring the second half of the question.
'Why not? I was planning on singing you up for a writing contest that's due soon.'
'Ah, sorry, I'm not very interested.' Kazuha smiles politely before continuing. 'I've did my fair share of representing myself in contests back in middle school.'
'Hm... if you say so. But, never stop pursuing this passion of yours, okay? I'm sure that one day you will be able to make it far.' The teacher nods, taking in Kazuha's words and lets him go.

Kazuha walks out of the class, scoffing at the teachers words. He walks towards Kunikuzushi.

'What did she say? Anything interesting?' Kunikuzushi looks up from his phone.
'No. Just another incident of people shoving my poetry down my throat.' Kazuha looks down at the floor, avoiding any eye contact.
'Oh... you seem really off though.' He pursues, being shut out by Kazuha.
'I'm not. It's just that it's annoying when people get on my ass for these types of things.' Kazuha remembers his argument with Beidou he had just yesterday, trying to get it out of his mind.
'Hm...' Kunikuzushi drags Kazuha to a nearby toilet stall.

'What are you doing?' Kazuha raises an eyebrow, his pupils dilating ever so slightly.
'I love you, Kazuha. No matter who you may be, you will always have my heart.' Kunikuzushi speaks up in a low voice, staring deep into Kazuha's bright, red eyes, holding him firmly by his shoulders.
'Kuzu?' Kazuha raises an eyebrow, trying to figure out what's going on before Kunikuzushi's lips end up on his.

They kiss passionately in the stall, Kunikuzushi's hands roaming across his body, pushing all of his love onto Kazuha. It's overwhelming, possessive, but despite himself, Kazuha gives in, reciprocating this same love. The bell rings, Kunikuzushi pulling away. Their lips are swollen, breaths mingling due to the lack of distance between them. Both of them walk to the last class of the day, geography, sitting it out. A chime is heard from the other side of the door − the final class of the day finally ended. Everyone goes to their lockers, the friend group meeting at the gates.

'What's good?' Heizou makes conversation, waving at Kazuha and Kunikuzushi.
'Hey.' Kazuha waves back.
'So, where should we go?' Ajax asks, walking out of the school campus.
'There's an abandoned building nearby here.' Heizou points out.
'Bet!' Kunikuzushi smirks, glancing at Kazuha every few moments.

They walk to the bus stop and get off at their needed destination, Heizou leading the way. They find an old, rusty abandoned home.

'Holy shit...' Kunikuzushi swears under his breath, taking in the atmosphere.
'How'd you find this out, Hei?' Ajax continues, jumping into the building through the window.
'Me and my family were driving somewhere and when I was looking at the window... I saw this.' Heizou continues, a prideful gleam on his face.
'I never expected this, damn...' Kazuha takes in each detail, jumping in from the window as well.

All of them explore the place until sunset, deciding it'd be best if they all went home. Ajax and Heizou at theirs, Kazuha and Kunikuzushi at Konda Village. They get off the bus until Kunikuzushi looks into his eyes again.

'Listen, I know I said I love you, but if they catch onto us – it's over.'
'What? You're telling me you'd break up with me if they found out we're dating!?' Kazuha furrows his eyebrows, not understanding where Kunikuzushi is coming from.
'It's... I really don't want them to find out.' Kunikuzushi shakes his head.
'Am I someone you're ashamed to be with? Do I embarrass you or something!?' Kazuha continues speaking, trying to defend himself.
'No, it's not that! It's just that... ugh, I don't know how to explain it.' Kunikuzushi raises his voice.
'What? Tell me! Is it because I have scars on my hips? Is it because I can barely eat?' The argument continues.
'Can you listen to me!? I told you why a thousand times!' Kunikuzushi raises his voice further.
'I'm going to kill myself if you break up with me!' Kazuha makes a statement out of pure anger.
'Try me, asshole. I'm going to overdose if you don't stop the bullshit.' Kunikuzushi yells at him again, his voice echoing.

They remain silent for a good minute. Both of them are heavily codependent on each other, unable to live if one of them isn't going to be there at all times.

'I'm sorry. I love you, angel.' Kazuha breaks the silence first, walking towards Kunikuzushi and wrapping his arms around his waist.
'I love you too, faggot.' Kunikuzushi hugs him back, kissing his head.

They part ways, Kazuha walking home and opening the door, searching for his mom.

'Mom? You home?' Kazuha looks in the living room and there she is, knocked out with a bottle of booze in her hand.

Kazuha sighs and walks to his room, changing into his sleep wear. He brushes his teeth and goes to lie down in his bed, skipping yet another meal.

Kunikuzushi opens the door and waves at Miko and Ei, passing up on dinner. He walks to his room and changes, lying in bed, extremely tired from the entire day, especially the draining argument. He knows he isn't able to live without Kazuha, so why push him away? The past, however, will haunt him forever, no matter what he does. He falls asleep with the thought of Kazuha filling up his head. He loves him dearly, so much as to push him away. Kazuha does this same thing, replaying their argument over and over again, regretting each said word. Despite this, he falls asleep due to the lack of energy from his malnutrition, the thought of Kunikuzushi occupying each vein.

Chapter Text

Kazuha wakes up, sighing. The argument keeps replaying in his mind, trying to brush it off and put his uniform on. He walks out of his house early as usual, his bookbag on his right shoulder as he begins to walk towards the bus stop. He waits and waits for Kunikuzushi to arrive but, no one shows up. The bus arrives and everyone gets in, Kazuha still wondering where Kunikuzushi is. Just as the doors are about to close, Kunikuzushi jumps in, looking around for Kazuha. Instead of exchanging greetings, he walks to the opposite side of the bus, avoiding Kazuha as much as possible. Kazuha watches his weird behavior, deciding not to cause a scene on the bus. Everyone gets out, Kazuha's eyes wandering for Kunikuzushi in the wave of people. Just as his eyes lock on the blue haired boy, he rushes through the crowd, placing his hand on his shoulder.

'Why are you ignoring me?' Kazuha walks beside Kunikuzushi, studying his face.
'Ah... sorry.' Kunikuzushi apologizes, still avoiding eye contact.

The conversation ends there. Kazuha doesn't understand what's going on. Maybe it's from yesterday's argument? Or maybe it's how clingy he tends to act? Despite this, they walk into campus, the bell ringing soon after. Class 1a's students walk into the science classroom, taking notes. Kazuha, meanwhile, desperately tries to start a conversation with Kunikuzushi, wanting to sort this out as fast as possible.

'Kunikuzushi, what's wrong?' Kazuha whispers sharply, turning his head to analyze his expression.
'Nothing.' He shakes his head.
'I can tell something is wrong. You never act like this. Are you hiding something from me?' Kazuha continues interrogating him.

Kunikuzushi's eyes widen at Kazuha's statement. Hiding? What should he be hiding? He shakes his head once more.

'No, I'm not hiding anything from you, Kaedehara.'
'Are you sure? I promise I won't get mad, just tell me, please.' Kazuha begs, the teacher soon cutting off their conversation.

No matter how hard he tries, Kazuha just can't get the thought out of his mind. He stares at his notebook blankly, trying to concentrate on the teacher's words. But it's useless. Everything is useless unless he fixes the situation with Kunikuzushi, determination roaming in his blood. He's sure to fix things, no matter how gruesome they may be. Soon enough, the class ends, everyone free to go to break.

'Kuzu, can we talk for a bit after school? Privately.' Kazuha walks behind Kunikuzushi.

Kunikuzushi's response is nonverbal. He simply nods his head. He hasn't looked at Kazuha once the entire morning. Guilt? Fear? Anger? No one can tell, not even him. Is it really the argument they had yesterday, or is it something deeper? Something that could break their relationship once and for all? The bell to physics class quickly silences any of the previous thoughts. The class is no different from any other that morning, awkward and silent. Despite this, it seems to run much slower, probably due to the lack of distractions and conversations. The bell excuses everyone, forcing them to head to their lockers for their PE uniforms. Both of them walk next to each other, an awkward, gut-wrenching tension between their atmosphere. They change in the changing rooms, their interactions much less different than they would be. Everyone heads to the gymnasium, playing a game of volleyball. The coach's whistle echoes off of the walls, leading the students back to their changing rooms. They change back and set their uniforms into their lockers, heading to lunch to greet their friends. Maybe they will know what's going on?

'Good morning.' Ajax waves at the two, mainly focusing on Kunikuzushi.
'Morning.' Kunikuzushi waves back, sitting at the table.
'How are your classes going? Friday is tomorrow.' Heizou speaks up.

Kazuha is oddly silent, no one speaking up about it until Heizou finally catches a glimpse at his gloomy expression.

'Kazuha, you're silent today. Something on your mind?'

He blinks harshly, looking up at the friend group, nodding.

'Oh, sorry. I'm okay.' He shoots them a sweet, careful smile.
'You can always tell us, you know?' Even if Heizou is the only one speaking, he's speaking on behalf of everyone, even if the other two are participating in their own conversation, not even aware of the circumstances around them. Heizou clears his throat, elbowing Ajax. 'Isn't that right, AJ?'
'Hm? Oh, yeah.' Ajax turns his head at Heizou, glancing at Kazuha, then back at Kunikuzushi.

Kazuha watches Kunikuzushi and Ajax make conversation flawlessly, as if nothing ever happened. His chest and throat tighten, unsure of what to do or say. Not like he can speak anyway. His jaw clenches, heart pounding harder and faster against his ribs, almost as if it were a state of panic. He feels his throat tighten more, as if suppressing something. His eyes widen as he realizes what it is, quickly pushing himself away from the table and rushing to the bathroom without a word. Heizou watches his distressed expression, looking over at Kunikuzushi.

'Do you know what's wrong with him?' He speaks up, a hint of worry in his tone.
'No.' He shakes his head.

Kazuha searches the campus for the bathroom and finally finds it, rushing to one of the stalls and locking himself in it. He kneels against the toilet, retching. Kazuha coughs, trying to push the sickness away but everything comes out, puking into the toilet. Spit drips down his chin, tears running down his cheeks as he tries to suppress the puking in an attempt to not catch any attention. The vomiting is heavy and painful, due to the lack of food, mainly consisting of water and other drinks. Thankfully, no one was in the bathroom at the time, so he quickly wiped himself up and flushed his remains, his body trembling slightly. He catches a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror – skin pale, hair messy and tangled, his glasses covered in fingerprints. He quickly looks away and sprays himself with his cologne, hiding the smell before making it back to the cafeteria.

'You okay? You were out for a while.' Heizou asks again.
'Yeah...' Kazuha nods, shooting almost a hateful glance at Kunikuzushi. How could he not be there for him? Is he not even the slightest bit concerned as to why he just rushed to the bathroom, reeking of cologne when he came back?

Regardless, the bell rings once more, excusing everyone back to their classes. The classes go by swiftly − chemistry, computer science and finally English. Meanwhile, while Ajax and Heizou are in their math class, Ajax starts interrogating Heizou.

'Why do you care about Kazuha so much?'
'I don't know. Maybe because I have basic human sympathy?' Heizou whispers back, drawing on the corner of his notebook.
'Yeah, well I don't.'
'Talk about being a heartless, blue-eyed ginger...' Heizou raises his eyebrows, murmuring under his breath.
'Shut up, Hei. You still haven't told me what you saw the other day.'
'Hm?' Heizou thinks hard, before remembering the day where he saw Kazuha kiss Kunikuzushi's cheek.
'You know, when we were walking home and you looked as pale as a ghost.' Ajax continues.
'Ah, that.' Heizou nibbles on his lip, debating on whether to make up a lie or tell him the truth.
'Tell me.'

At long last, the pressure gets to Heizou. His words are heavy, the guilt in his chest weighing them down.

'I saw Kazuha kiss Kunikuzushi on his cheek.'

Ajax widens his eyes in surprise, furrowing his brows.

'Sorry?'
'I might've just been seeing things though.' Immediate regret fills Heizou's whole body.
'What are you trying to say?' Ajax's words are breathless, surprise overtaking his face.
'I'm saying they might be dating, you brainless asshole.' Heizou whispers sharply.
'Why didn't you tell me that sooner?'
'Because I'm not an idiot like a certain someone I know.'

Ajax and Heizou sit silently for the rest of the class. Ajax is brainstorming whether Heizou is telling the truth or bluffing, but, knowing him for so long, he wouldn't lie to him, especially not about someone as dear as Kunikuzushi. Heizou, on the other hand, starts rethinking his decisions, if it was really right to just out Kazuha and Kunikuzushi like that.

Meanwhile, when Kazuha and Kunikuzushi get off of their bus, Kazuha firmly grips Kunikuzushi's wrist.

'Let's go to my place. I don't want to fight here like yesterday.' Kazuha pulls on his wrist, walking to his home.

Surprising enough, Beidou isn't at home, which is perfect. Both of them take their shoes off and walk upstairs to Kazuha's room. Since he lives in an apartment, he lives on the highest floor, the ninth. He sits on the bed, staring deep into Kunikuzushi's eyes.

'Why are you avoiding me? What did I do?'
'You did nothing.' Kunikuzushi shakes his head, still avoiding eye contact.
'Stop lying! You didn't give a shit about me when I went to the toilet in the middle of lunch! You didn't even take a glimpse at me!' Kazuha raises his voice.
'Well, god forbid I don't want to follow you to the toilet.' Kunikuzushi murmurs under his nose.
'Speak up, asshole, I can't hear you! And can you look at me when we're talking?' Kazuha forces his jaw up, locking eyes with Kunikuzushi.
'Good god I feel suffocated when I'm around you! I can't do anything right. It's like I breathe near another person that isn't you and you start acting like this. Get a grip of yourself!' Kunikuzushi raises his voice back.
'We're arguing every single day!'
'Well maybe it's time someone took accountability for that then?' Kunikuzushi raises an eyebrow.
'We only argue because I have to force the words out of your throat! Maybe, if you didn't lack communication skills, none of this would be happening!?' Kazuha grabs Kunikuzushi by the collar of his shirt, pushing him away.
'Asshole...' Kunikuzushi pants heavily.
'And maybe if you cared just a pinch about me and not go giving head to AJ, maybe we wouldn't be fucking arguing?' Kazuha raises his voice further, gripping onto the balcony.
'Yeah? And what would you do if I left you for him?' A sadistic, wide grin paints Kunikuzushi's face.
'Do that and I'm jumping off this balcony. Right in front of you.' Kazuha grips tighter onto the balcony, his hair swaying from the wind, tickling his neck.

'I dare you.' Kunikuzushi replies in a calm, passive aggressive manner.

Tense silence fills the room. They stare at each other, eyes full of hatred, anger and a hint of jealousy. Tears roll down Kazuha's cheeks, weeping silently. He pushes himself off of the balcony, walking back to Kunikuzushi, falling into his arms.

'Don't do that, faggot.' Kunikuzushi grunts against his teeth, catching Kazuha in his arms. 'Have you had anything to eat?'
'Ugh... don't talk about that.' Kazuha murmurs against his collarbone, barely able to move a muscle.
'I'm serious, Kazuha.'
'I haven't ate properly in like... days.' Kazuha rests against his body, feeling his heartbeat.

Kunikuzushi lays Kazuha down on the bed, quickly making him a sandwich in the kitchen and forcing him to eat it.

'I'm not even hungry.' Kazuha attempts to push the food away, but Kunikuzushi forces it in anyway.

Kunikuzushi takes gentle care of Kazuha, making sure he eats and drinks throughout the day. Not long after, he kisses his forehead.

'I'm sorry, Hara.' His soft lips tickle his forehead.

'I'm sorry as well, Kuzu. I love you.' Kazuha smiles, holding Kunikuzushi's hand and pressing his lips against it.
'I think I should go now. I love you too.' Kunikuzushi waves Kazuha off before leaving the house.

Kazuha falls asleep early, the lack of nutrition helping him fall asleep with ease, already forgetting about the argument thanks to Kunikuzushi's gentle care and reassurance.

Kunikuzushi, meanwhile, gets back home and does his routine, lying down in his bed and scrolling on his phone until midnight, falling asleep with someone in mind.

Chapter Text

It's Friday morning. Kazuha gets up, his head heavy. Despite this, he still drags himself out of bed, pushing himself to keep going, for the sake of Kunikuzushi if not himself. Kazuha slips into his uniform, staring at his reflection in the mirror. He shakes his head, avoiding to look at himself for longer than needed, his disordered thoughts already fogging his mind up. He quickly tries to distract himself by shoving books into his bookbag and heading out the door to wait for the bus. He waits for what seems to be ages before the bus finally drives to pick everyone up. Since the music blasting in his earbuds, separating him from reality distracted him, he didn't even realize Kunikuzushi never got on the bus until he got off. Kazuha sighs, walking to his locker and there he finds Ajax and Kunikuzushi talking to each other. His eyes widen, nibbling on his lip in what seems like a pinch of jealousy. He doesn't speak up, at least not yet, walking straight past them to his locker in hopes they would talk to him first. But sure enough, not even a glance from Kunikuzushi nor Ajax. The bell rings and everyone heads to the first class of the day, philosophy, where they are greeted by none other than Guuji Yae. Kazuha sits down at the desk first, waiting for Kunikuzushi to sit next to him. At last, the blue haired boy approaches the desk and sits next to it, staring at the window.

'What is going on between you and Ajax?' Kazuha whispers, looking at Kunikuzushi.
'Nothing.' His words are bare, emotionless.
'You keep distancing yourself from me and spending time with him instead. I need to know.' Kazuha continues interrogating him.
'Can you not be so parasocial for once? God forbid I want to talk to someone else rather than you.' Kunikuzushi spits out, furrowing his brows.
'Parasocial? I just want to know why you keep distancing yourself from me, asshole!' Kazuha whispers sharply, looking back at the board.

He stares at the board blankly, his mind working hard to figure out why Kunikuzushi has been acting almost distant from him these past few days, constantly clinging onto Ajax. The bell soon dismisses these thoughts, almost clinging onto Kunikuzushi and the rest of his friend group, not a single one of them acknowledging Kazuha. He floats around them, quietly listening to their conversations, trying to get as much information as possible. But, just as expected, nothing. He follows them around like this as if the floater friend of the group, not participating in any interactions whatsoever, until him and Kunikuzushi have a free period. Kazuha just looks at Kunikuzushi before grabbing his wrist, just like yesterday and dragging him to the rooftop.

'What now?' Kunikuzushi crosses his arms, his words brutal and harsh.
'Are you going to pretend like I don't notice you spending much more time with AJ and Hei than you do me? We're the ones dating, not you and him.' Kazuha shoots back.
'Do you not have any friends? You follow me around constantly. Listen, I love you, but you really need to lay back a little.' Kunikuzushi replies calmly.
'What if I was doing the same?'
'I wouldn't care. We both have lives of our own, Hara.' His voice remains calm, with that honesty behind it.
'Well, maybe, but it's just that this is a friend group I finally have, that finally acknowledges me, and I don't want to let it go. I don't want to let you go, Kunikuzushi.' Kazuha walks towards him, his eyes glinting under the bright sun, the wind swaying his white locks beautifully.
'I'm never letting you go, Kazuha, I promise you.' Kunikuzushi smiles and grazes his lips with his own, giving him a soft kiss. 'I love you.'
'I love you too, Kuzu. All of this, it comes from love.' Kazuha whispers in his ear, holding him close.

The bell to end their free period faintly rings from the walls of the school, both of the boys heading back to campus. The break is short, a chime leading them to their final class of the day, art. They hand in their assignments and go home early, Kunikuzushi and Kazuha waiting for the bus. When it arrives, they get off at the Konda Village stop.

'I'm gonna head home now.' Kunikuzushi stands at the bus stop.
'Me too. Bye, angel, I love you.' Kazuha smiles and kisses Kunikuzushi's cheek, walking home.
'Love you too.' Kunikuzushi waves him off, still standing at the bus stop.

Kazuha walks back home and waves at his mom, walking to his room. Nothing unusual happens, just taking a shower and getting ready for bed throughout the day, scrolling on his phone until midnight.

Kunikuzushi, on the other hand, walks back home after parting ways with the red-streaked boy, his routine not much different from the past few days. He eats dinner with Miko and Ei, gets dressed and ready for bed, also scrolling on his phone, as well as texting Ajax and Heizou.

Ajax and Heizou walk back home together, Ajax being the first one to lead the conversation.

'Can we go over to your place?'
'Yeah.' Heizou nods, both of them heading to Heizou's home.

After a tiring walk with a heavy bookbag on their shoulders, they finally open the door to Heizou's house. No one is home, Heizou heading straight for his room, Ajax right behind him.

'Why did you want to come to my place?' Heizou sits down on the bed.
'How do I get that poet out of Kunikuzushi's sight?'
'Why do you want him gone so bad? You and Kuni are spending time just fine.'
'Because they're dating, Heizou. Don't you know how much I miss me and Kuni?' Ajax sighs, swallowing hard.
'Ajax, he's moved on.' Heizou looks over at his friend, locking eyes with him.
'No he hasn't, he's with Kazuha 'cause his whore of a mom broke us up.' He denies Heizou's words, raising his voice ever so slightly.
'So what do you want me to do?'
'We should spread rumors about them, no? After all, Kuni is keeping it private with him, so it'd be real devastating if someone found out. Especially headmaster Ei.' Ajax continues, lying down in Heizou's bed.
'You want to spread rumors about them?' Heizou sighs.
'Yeah. You're really good at this stuff.' Ajax continues, smiling at him.
'If you need it that bad, then fine. Only because I've known you practically my entire life, though. I'll think of something and I'll tell you tomorrow probably.' Heizou looks back at Ajax.
'You're the best, Hei.' Ajax's grin grows wider, pinching Heizou's cheeks.
'If you don't stop that you're spreading those rumors all on your own!' His voice comes out muffled, slapping Ajax's hands away.
'Okay, okay, sorry. But still, I'm thankful.' Ajax pulls away, holding his hands to himself.

The two of them talk, thinking how to spread these said rumors about them. The day grows, the sun setting, Ajax deciding it's best if he went back home.

'Text or call me when you think of something, 'kay?' Ajax stretches, getting off of the bed.
'Mhm. Now get out of my house.' Heizou shoves him out of the door, walking back to his room.

Heizou lies in his bed, brainstorming. He stares at the ceiling for hours on end, trying to make up a believable but yet gruesome lie, forcing the reputation Kazuha has built to come to an end. After what felt like decades of thinking, he finally thought of a lie, one that has some bits of truth − the truth behind Kunikuzushi's and Kazuha's relationship, with some of Ajax's past added on to it. He grabs his notepad and writes it down, writing all of the untruth's Kazuha is to introduce Kunikuzushi to, all of the drugs and self inflicted harm, all of the intimacy, forcing Ei to cut their connections off, as well as send Kazuha to move to another place after Ei comes in contact with his mother. The plan seems flawless, believable and actually, kind of realistic. He sets his notes aside and falls asleep.

Kazuha and Kunikuzushi text for a bit before going to bed themselves.

'goodnight, i love you' Kazuha's fingers fly across the keyboard, chewing on his gum as his eyes are peeled wide, waiting for a response.

'goodnight to you too, hara, i love you more' Kunikuzushi's text brings a subtle, gentle smile onto Kazuha's face, letting him get a good rest, with Kunikuzushi in mind.

Kunikuzushi sends out the text to Kazuha and Ajax, closer than they've been in a while, despite him already being in a relationship, forcing to move on from Ajax. He's been missing him dearly, wanting to get back together the second they broke up. He sets his phone aside and falls asleep, two people in his mind.

Chapter Text

It's Saturday morning. Kazuha wakes up late in the morning, stirring out of bed at 10:30 AM. He sighs, picking up his phone and scrolling on it, Beidou entering the room.

'You awake, Kazuha?'
'Mhm.' He nods his head.'
'I made some pancakes. Want any?' She continues, resting against the door.'
'No thanks, ma, I'm okay.' Kazuha shakes his head.

Beidou closes the door, Kazuha's eyes still half closed. He goes to check his messages to see if anyone texted him but, just as he thought, nothing.

Kunikuzushi wakes up as well, stretching. He goes downstairs to see what's for breakfast, noticing the half ate piece of toast on the counter, deciding to have a cup of tea instead. He goes back to his bedroom, lying down in his bed. A bright, heart-wrenching message fills his screen.

'wanna hang out today?'

He stares blankly at the message, thinking for a bit before replying.

'sorry, im a bit tired today'

But if it was someone else, he wouldn't even question his answer, instead, he'd agree within the blink of an eye. Favoritism? No, that can't be it. Unspoken love? Maybe. This person never left his mind, no matter what. Sure, Kazuha may have helped for a bit, but the brevity of their relationship, barely lasting a week, is a profound embarrassment for him. They argue constantly, almost every day, then they just drag themselves deeper into the rabbit hole the both of them have already sunk in. Nothing is healthy about their relationship, if it even is one. All it is − a status to keep. The love he felt was never for him, it was for the imagination that Kazuha could be someone else, that he could be the one person he never lost his love for, someone engraved and sewed onto his soul and heart, a person gently strumming his heartstrings and playing them as if it were a harp. Now, he is doing this same thing to his beloved Kaedehara − gently plucking his heartstrings, hurting him in ways he couldn't even imagine. But it's all in the name of love, isn't it? He can feel it, he can feel everything, the end of their relationship coming near, bothering him more than it should.

Ajax wakes up at 12 PM, picking up his phone to talk to Heizou, sending him a small message.

'did you come up with anything last night?'

Heizou's eyes brush over the message, his fingers gliding across his phone keyboard.

'yep. ill tell my mom everything'

Just as he replies, he gets out of bed to go downstairs, greeting his mom.

'Mom, can we talk? It's about Kunikuzushi.'
'Kunikuzushi? Sure.' Heizou's mom looks at her son with surprise, patting a seat next to her.'
Heizou sits down. 'Uh... you are still in contact with Ei, right?'
'I am. What happened?' She raises an eyebrow, confused where he's coming from.
'Me, AJ, Kuni and there's this new kid, he transferred like last week... Kaedehara Kazuha.' His words carry an intense amount of guilt, as if he doesn't want to do this, but if it's for the sake of Ajax, he'll do anything.
'Ah... him? Isn't he the son of captain of the Crux Fleet? I heard he's an outstanding poet...' Her mind brushes through the people she knows from Inazuma.
'Yeah, him. There's this thing about him though...' He bites on his lip, debating whether he should push through with the lie or not.
'Hm?'
'I think he's a bad influence.' Heizou's mind won, sighing heavily.
'Kazuha? How?' The mother raises her brows in surprise.
'Ever since he came, him and Kunikuzushi got really close. Like, really close, if you know what I mean.' He quickly looks down at the ground.
'They're dating?'
'Essentially, yeah. But that's not the worst part.' Heizou sighs.
'What else is it, Shika?' His mom looks at him with concern.
'Don't call me that, ma... it's just that I've seen them together, smoking, drinking...' Heizou hisses through his teeth, his heart pounding heavily
'Kazuha does that? What did they smoke?' She's taken aback, her pupils shrinking with each sentence that escapes her son's lips.
'Even worse, he's the one that got him into it. They're smoking literally everything. I just feel bad for Kuni 'cause I know he doesn't deserve this, you know?' His words do carry emotion, but roughly any honesty.
'Oh my god... I'm so glad you told me, Shika. I knew I raised you well.'
'I just don't feel safe when they're together. Can you tell Ei about this? I'm kind of scared of her.' Sure, he is a bit scared of Ei, but that's not the reason why his heart is begging to escape his chest.
'Of course I will. I love you.' The mom quickly gets up, dialing her phone.
'Thanks, mom.' Heizou lifts himself off of the couch, walking to his room.

He grabs his head with his hands, staring at the ground in shock and disappointment. Raised him right? All he is, is a lying asshole who can't keep his things to himself. If he never told Ajax about what he saw that day, just how gently Kazuha's lips grazed Kunikuzushi's cheek, then maybe he wouldn't have to be carrying this much weight on his shoulders. Heizou doesn't even bother texting Ajax with the fact that their little rumor spreading plan started. Instead, he quietly sits in his room, trying to focus on his moms voice from the walls.

Heizou's mom immediately dials Ei, hoping she'd pick up. When she sees the time start, she holds the phone to her ear, speaking.

'Hello, this is Heizou's mom.'
'Hello?' Ei's sharp, dull tone pierces the speaker.
'I want to talk to you about Kunikuzushi.' His mom sighs, shaking her head.
'Kunikuzushi? I'm all ears.' Her eyes widen, putting the phone on speaker, letting Miko listen to the conversation as well.
'Heizou has told me Kunikuzushi has been close with Kaedehara Kazuha these past two weeks, am I correct?'
'Yes, you are. They've been studying together.' Ei's concerned yet confused voice speaks up.
'He's told me something far different. You know how honest my Heizou is.' Heizou's mom starts praising him.
'Yes, yes... if only Kunikuzushi was like that.' Ei shakes her head. 'Now, what is it that you wanted to tell me?'
'Him and Kaedehara, I don't know if you've been aware, but they're in a relationship.'

Ei's eyes widen, looking over at Miko, who's sitting there unsurprised, rather more concentrated.

'In a relationship? So, that's why he's been slacking off?'
'Not only that, Ei. It only gets so much worse...' Heizou's mom's concerned voice fills the room.
'Worse?'
'Yes, indeed. Heizou has told me that he's seen stuff so far as smoking, not even just cigarettes and drinking.' She shakes her head, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

Ei looks over at Miko, finally seeing her eyes widen. Smoking? Drinking? After she tried to be less strict with him? Ei's blood boils, sighing heavily.

'He's been abusing substances?' She tries to speak in a calm voice, maintaining her compusure.
'Unfortunately, yes. I don't think my Heizou would lie about these things, especially when it's someone as close as Kunikuzushi.'
'How?'
'He told me that Kazuha introduced him to these things.'

Kazuha? His 'study' partner, turning out to be his love partner and now substance partner? Her pupils shrink, taking in all of the information, her mind already brainstorming on how to get in contact with Kaedehara's mother and block their paths, just as she did with Ajax.

'Is there anything more?' Miko's calm, elegant voice rings through the phone, letting Ei pull herself together.
'No, that's all there is to it... at least, that's what he told me anyway.'
'Understood. Well, thank you and your Heizou.'
'You're welcome. Have a good evening.' His mother politely speaks up.
'You too, miss Shikanoin.' Miko hangs up the phone, sighing.

'I'll ask Kunikuzushi to tell me where Kazuha lives... I'll get in contact with his mother through there.
'That brat... I give him a roof to live under and this is how he treats me!? I've had enough.' Ei's voice is sharp.
'Shh, Ei. I'll take care of it. Go to the bedroom and calm down. We'll figure this out tomorrow. I love you.' Miko gives a soft kiss on Ei's lips, walking upstairs to Kunikuzushi's room.

'Kunikuzushi? Can I come in?' A faint, calm voice echoes from the door.
'Yeah.'
'Where does your friend live?' Miko looks at him calmly, though a pinch of anger seeps through.
'Hm? Which one?'
'Kaedehara Kazuha.
'Oh, he lives on the other side of our house. His is the one surrounded by maple trees.' Kunikuzushi points out the window.
'Got it, thanks.' Miko sighs, closing the door.

Kunikuzushi shrugs and continues talking with Ajax on the phone, hanging up once the sky turns a shade of pitch black. Both him and Kazuha perform their usual routine before bed, Kunikuzushi falling asleep with Ajax in his mind, not even a brink of a thought about Kazuha. Meanwhile, Kazuha still falls asleep with the thought of his beloved Kunikuzushi.

'He said he lives down the street.' Miko walks into their bedroom, looking at Ei's distressed expression sprawled on the bed.
'I don't know what to do anymore, he's a failure.' She shakes her head, dragging her hands through her face.
'Don't say that, Ei.' Miko lies down next to her in bed, locking eyes with her.
'But he is. Are you telling me abusing substances at the start of freshman year isn't a sign of failure?'
'Just be grateful he's still with us, love. Don't you remember what happened when you forced him to break up with Tartaglia? How he got sent to the hospital from an overdose? That was his only reason to live.'
'You're...' She sighs. 'I guess you're right. I don't want to see his face ever again though. He's an embarrassment.'
'Shh.' Miko kisses her lips once more, turning off the night light. 'Goodnight, darling. I'll love you for eternity.'
'I love you too...' Ei stares at the ceiling before fluttering her eyes shut, holding Miko close and falling into a deep sleep.

Chapter Text

Kazuha wakes up, starting his morning as usual. He dunks his face in cold water, staring at his reflection coldly in the mirror before going back to bed.

Ei and Miko wake up, going downstairs to get some breakfast.

'When are we going to Kaedehara Kazuha's house?' Miko's soft voice fills the kitchen.
'We eat breakfast, get ready and go right to his. I need to sort this out immediately.' Ei sets down three plates of fried eggs. 'I'll go call Kunikuzushi.'

Ei leaves the kitchen and walks upstairs, opening the door.

'Get downstairs. Breakfast is on the table.' Ei leaves the door open.

Kunikuzushi sits on his bed and wonders why his mom went back to her strict, bold self. He shakes his head and drags himself downstairs, not muttering a word.

'We're going to your friend's place today.' Miko speaks up, finishing her plate.
'Why?' He lifts his eyes, scanning the room.
'We need to talk some things out.' Miko continues, also unlike her laid-back, usual self.

Miko's words send a shiver down Kunikuzushi's spine. His stomach flips, throat tightening, unable to eat anything, but yet he forces it in anyway. He doesn't want to get into more trouble, especially not like this. He quickly finishes the plate and walks back to his room, trying to grab his phone to text Kazuha. But, just when he tries to do so, Ei's sharp voice, ordering him to get dressed echoes through the walls, cutting him off. Kunikuzushi slips on a sweater and jeans on, swallowing hard before going downstairs, already finding his mom's ready.

'Shall we go?' Miko asks, Ei's nod being enough for her.
'Ma? Miko? What's going on?' Kunikuzushi holds his breath.

But, Miko and Ei simply ignore him. They don't bother telling him. After all, he's going to find out for himself. The three of them walk patiently, spotting a house surrounded by tall, maple trees. This is it. Ei knocks on the door.

Beidou yawns and gets off of the couch, walking to the door and opening it. Her eyes widen as she sees the family, her eyes landing on Kunikuzushi's familiar face.

'Hello?' Beidou looks at them with big eyes.
'Hello. Is Kazuha home?' Miko immediately speaks up.
'Err... yeah, he is.'
'Good, call him down, then.' Miko continues.
'Come on in...' Beidou's voice trails off, letting them in the house as she walks upstairs to call for Kazuha.

'Kazuha, go downstairs. Yer Kunikuzushi's family is here.'
'Huh? Why?' Kazuha's eyes widen, jumping off of his bed and following Beidou downstairs. His eyes widen as he notices Miko, Ei and Kunikuzushi all on the same couch, noticing Kunikuzushi's off-putting look.

'Miss Beidou, are you aware of what your son is doing to Kunikuzushi?' Ei speaks up.
'My Kazuha? Well, I know he loves your Kunikuzushi.' Beidou replies, glancing at Kazuha.
'Not just that. Are you aware of his possession of illegal drugs? Marijuana? Drinking alcohol and smoking nicotine at the age of fifteen?' Ei raises her voice.
Beidou's eyes widen, mouthing the words at Kazuha. 'You got weed on ya?'

Kazuha's and Kunikuzushi's eyes widen, both in horror and shock. Kazuha's eyes are full of hatred, sorrow and confusion, whilst Kunikuzushi's are just empty. He doesn't know where this came from or how they found out, but, regardless, there's nothing he can do anyway. He continues to avoid contact with Kazuha at all costs, staring at the wood floor.

'My Kazuha? He just moved in here, for god's sake!' Beidou shakes her head.
'Kunikuzushi has never done something so outrageous! Not until this absolute pity of a poet arrived into Konda Village!' Ei continues speaking in a loud tone.
'How... I don't believe ya. He has never got into this stuff! I blame your Kunikuzushi!' Beidou shouts back, holding Kazuha in her arms.
'You don't believe me? I dare you to go through Kazuha's room.' Ei continues.
'Alright.' Beidou gets off of the couch and walks to Kazuha's room, everyone following her.

Kazuha sighs in relief, knowing that their stash of drugs and blades is in Kunikuzushi's possession. At least, so he thought. His relief is short-lived as Beidou opens his closet and finds that same box of their secrets.

'Kazuha? What the fuck is this?' Beidou holds the box up to his face.

Kazuha's eyes widen in fear, swallowing hard as he starts stammering his way out of it.

'That isn't mine, I swear! He... he framed me! None of these are mine!' He raises his hands.
'None of these are yours? The blades too? Shit, you've even got half-smoked cigarette packs in here...' Beidou shakes her head, laughing in disappointment.
'What did we tell you?' Ei continues, crossing her arms.
'Jesus, Kuzu.' Kazuha lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, tears filling his eyes, his throat closing up.
'I had to, you don't get it.' Kunikuzushi mutters under his nose.
'I thought you loved me! When did you put this in my fucking closet anyway!?' Kazuha raises his voice, even if it's weak.

Kunikuzushi remains silent. He wants to plead innocent, no matter how rough Kazuha's situation may be.

'We both know this is yours, asshole!'
'Don't call Kunikuzushi that foul name, you pitiful excuse of a writer.' Ei stands in immediately.
'Mom, you have to listen to me! You know this isn't mine!' Kazuha's breaths are heavy, backing himself away from everyone.
'I don't know if I can trust you anymore.' Beidou looks away, staring at the box in her hand instead.
'Come on, where do you think I learned all this shit from?' Kazuha chokes on his own voice, moving his hands around.
'How long?' Miko finally speaks up.
'How long what?' Kazuha's furrows his brows, wiping his tears away.
'How long has this been happening? How long have you two been dragging yourselves down this hole for?' Miko continues, picking up the box and examining it.
'Like a week, maybe? I don't fucking know. Ask your faggot of a son!' Kazuha raises his voice in panic.
'Kazuha!' Beidou crosses her arms, shooting a sharp glare at Kazuha.
'Kunikuzushi.' Miko turns to look at him, holding the box in her hands. 'Is this really yours? You won't get in trouble if you tell us the truth.'
'No, it's not mine. I already told you.' Kunikuzushi looks at the box, then at Kazuha, then at the ground.
'Understood.' Beidou nods her head, rubbing the bridge of her nose. 'We're going to be moving away, so that Kunikuzushi and Kazuha can never see each other again.'
'Good. I don't want to see his sorry face.' Kunikuzushi murmurs under his breath, smirking.
'Oh my god, are you kidding me!? Don't tell me you're the one to suffer the most! You mean everything we went through, you didn't give a single shit about?' Kazuha laughs through his own tears. 'Don't you two know he cuts? Just take a look at his wrists!'

Kunikuzushi's smirk drops, pupils shrinking. He looks around at Ei and Miko, even after promising he'd get better. He never did. All that promise was, was some empty words.

'Show me your wrists, Kunikuzushi.' Miko drops the box and walks to Kunikuzushi, trying to roll up his sleeve.
'No, leave me alone! Don't you dare!' Kunikuzushi tries his best to kick Miko off of him, grunting and groaning.

At last, Miko rolls the sleeve up, her eyes widening at his cut up wrists. The scars aren't healed, not at all, they're fresh − the dark, red blood coating his pale white skin.
'You promised you'd get better...' Miko sighs, walking away from him.

Kunikuzushi slips his sleeves back on immediately, looking at Kazuha with tear-filled eyes.

'So you're the reason he's bruised all over his hips?' Beidou furrows her eyebrows.
'He did that on his own accord! Don't blame me!' Kunikuzushi clenches his wrist, choking on his tears.
'But you did the same thing to me! At least I didn't fucking lie!' Kazuha raises his voice at Kunikuzushi, being cut off by Beidou.
'That's enough! Get out of my house.' Beidou points to the door, forcing everyone to leave.

Kunikuzushi and his family head out the door, shutting it. Beidou looks over at Kazuha with tears in her eyes.

'Pack your things. We're going away.' Beidou hands him a suitcase, walking to her own bedroom.

Kazuha murmurs under his breath, sobbing. He aggressively packs his clothes, shoving them in the suitcase out of anger. 'Just when I thought someone loved me...' He laughs through his words, slamming his fists onto the suitcase and breaking down. He swallows his own tears, stuffing everything he ever had into that suitcase, leaving his room empty. He walks into Beidou's bedroom, finding her holding her head in her hands, her suitcase already packed. She looks up at him, sighing.

'You ready to go?'

Kazuha nods his head, both of them walking downstairs and heading to Beidou's car, leaving the city once and for all.

Kunikuzushi comes back home with Ei and Miko, everyone silent. No one wants to talk about it or communicate, so Kunikuzushi rushes to his room and closes the door, immediately calling Ajax. They talk for the entire night, talking about just how much they miss each other, how Kazuha is finally gone and now, finally, free to be dating once more. Kazuha, meanwhile, starts a new life all over again, even after just 14 days of Narukami High. All of his friends, or so he thought, had, the boyfriend he thought reciprocated his love for him, and didn't only date him solely for the purpose of filling a hole that was never truly filled. He goes back to his usual, closed off self, becoming the same person he was in the past, the same, frail Kazuha that he hated the most.