Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Come on Mitsuba pleeasssee I never ask you for anything.” Mitsuba rolled his eyes at the blatantly false words of his classmate. Just last week, Kuroki had borrowed his pen, asked to share some of his bento, and even begged to copy his notes! Now he wanted Sousuke to come on a trip with their class? He knew a few classmates wouldn't be going to high school at Kamome, but he didn't really care. It wasn't like he particularly knew any of them. 

“Kuroki, you know I'm not a social person, besides, I don't care about any of the people leaving and everyone else will just be at school with us next year, I'd rather not go.” Honestly, he just didn't give a shit.

“But Mitsuba, the whole class is going, we even invited some kids from class 3-1! Yokoo, Satou, Minamoto…” Kuroki continued listing off students, but Sousuke wasn't listening anymore, the pink haired boy was lost in his thoughts, and when they latched onto the red-blonde boy, they didn't tend to leave him. Minamoto, the two of them had met in their first year, but he was too busy trying to fit in and have people like him to stand out much, and so he never made any friends, but they had been kinda close in the second year. Well, according to his standards, at least.

They had seen each other by coincidence at the grocery store one night. He had been getting some potatoes for curry. It was his mother's birthday. Minamoto appeared to be doing some shopping as well, and he had asked what Sousuke was doing that late. When he heard that the pink haired boy was alone, he had offered to walk him home. Which was kinda weird… but it was late, and Minamoto seemed nervous about the traffic in his neighborhood. It made sense with that stupid earring. So they walked home together, it turned out they lived pretty close together, only about a block apart. 

Although Sousuke would have rather complained about that loud idiot tagging along, he really couldn't. After all, he hadn't really been paying attention to the roads, and he was rushing to get home to finish dinner, and he slipped while on the road. It was slushier than he had realized, so he was only wearing some running shoes. Minamoto caught him and helped him off the road, and they watched as a massive truck speeded past, spraying them in slush. 

If he hadn't been there to catch him…

The two of them made the last bit of the way to Sousuke’s house, his mother had invited Minamoto in, since they were both cold and wet and covered in slush. She had gotten them both some tea, and invited him to stay for dinner. He was planning on going home, but once Minamoto found out it was her birthday he offered to help Sousuke with dinner and so the two of them cooked together. 

They had some short conversations at school and really were starting to become friends, (not that he'd admit to hanging out with lame-ass traffic safety earring boys) so he was shocked and hurt when third year started and they never talked. Yeah they weren't in the same class, but he thought they were friends. He really wanted to believe that they were friends.

“Mitsuba, I do believe you didn't hear a word I just said.” The unimpressed face of Kuroki Ukyo looked at Sousuke, his arms crossed. “You've been spacing out for the past minute and a half I've been talking to you!” 

“Of course I have, when have I not listened to you?” A total lie on his part, but hey, they were both hypocrites so it was fine. And besides, Kuroki definitely wasn't buying it, so he wasn't deceiving him or anything. 

“So you're coming, Mitsuba?” Ahhhh, maybe he should have come up with an excuse instead of… doing what he was doing. A sigh of defeat exited his mouth slowly.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm coming. When is it?”

Sousuke checked the location that Kuroki had sent him for the fourth time that night, he was standing outside the Karaoke place and it was definitely the right place, he just kept stalling, hoping for a reason not to go in. 

Big groups and parties just weren't his thing, it always felt claustrophobic and sweaty and he'd rather be anywhere else. Especially if Minamoto was going to be here. Sousuke wasn't exactly going to call it an unresolved long running crush, but he wasn't exactly in a position to say it wasn't an unresolved long running crush. 

Look, he was cute, kind, funny, more than a bit of a dork, and he could cook! Don't get him started on that fluffy red-blonde hair, his bright blue eyes and his smile, that wide grin with his damned canines. (Which made Sousuke have some not so pure thoughts) Cute didn't even begin to describe Minamoto Kou, and he was whipped. How could anyone blame him though? 

“Mitsuba? Is that you?” Speak of the devil, Minamoto had come up behind him without him realizing, Sousuke’s head whipped around to stare, and stare he did. That boy was gorgeous. Sousuke only really had the opportunity to see him in his uniform and the occasional casual wear if they came across each other at the store or something, so seeing him, tight dress pants and a leather jacket, the pink haired boy was speechless.

“Uhh yeah. Mitsuba.” He shook his head quickly, Snap out of it, he's just a boy, a really cute boy and… Shut up brain! “Umm, Minamoto, right? You here for Karaoke?” 

“Yeah, are you heading in?” Damn. He'd been stalling for too long, and for no good reason, since the object of his affection was right in front of him, rather than in the Karaoke room like he'd feared. 

“Yeah, I - uhh… just wanted to make sure this was the right place.” An awkward silence seemed to surround them, neither saying what they wanted to, nor wanting to say anything. 

“Let's go in, eh? Everyone will be waiting for us.” Sousuke let out a sigh for the second time that week and surrendered. 

“Yeah, let's go in.” It wasn't worth arguing, he'd technically already agreed to coming. (but in his opinion he was coerced into it)

Sousuke’s head throbbed with pain right around his temples. The bright lights and loud noises weren't helping his already unbearable headache and he just wanted to go home already. Thankfully if he just waited ten more minutes he should be good to go, using the excuse that his mother wanted him home by then, and he'd already gotten her to promise she'd call him if he didn't text her soon, so he could get out of whatever interaction was keeping him. 

A hush came over the crowd of students as Kuroki stepped onto the platform and cleared his throat.

“Thank you everyone for coming tonight. As you all know we're here to say goodbye to those of us who will be leaving Kamome Academy for high school, and wish them best of luck on their academic ventures!” A cheer rang out from one of the students, and the rest joined in, clapping and cheering for their classmates and friends who wouldn't join them for the next years of school. 

“I'm now going to invite those leaving us up onto the stage to sing!” Some familiar faces, some unfamiliar made their way up to the stage, Sousuke observed them uninterested. Isn’t this all a bit unnecessary? It's not like I actually know- 

Damn … 

Crap…

His luck was impressive. Impressively bad.

Up on the platform stood none other than the one and only Minamoto Kou. He was leaving, and he hadn't even bothered to tell Sousuke. He knew they didn't see each other much, but they had literally just talked outside less than two hours ago! He felt betrayed, and angry. But he also felt sad. He knew they hadn't talked, he knew Minamoto probably didn't think they were friends, but he had. 

His first friend didn't even think to tell him that he was leaving him.

Tears began to fall down his face quietly, and as the song began he stood up and left, without so much as a goodbye.

Chapter Text

"Have you heard the legend of Hanako - San? The ghost who haunts the girls bathroom in the old building? They say she was a murderer but the guilt was too much and she took her own life. However that guilt continued into the land of spirits, and she was given the opportunity to serve the land of the living in penance. Now she gives wishes to anyone who can find her, but you have to pay an unnamed price in return…”

“Mitsubaaa!! You know I don't like scary stories!” Sataou complained to her classmate. The pink haired girl giggled, her short bob of pink hair blowing into her face. The group of friends was seated on the school roof, despite being berated by their teachers for it, and it was uncharacteristically windy for a spring day. 

“Well, Kou, what do you think of my story?”

“Yeah, Minamoto, what do you think? Do ya think Mitsuba should stop scaring us? Because I do.” Sataou said indignantly.

“It's not my fault I learn so many stories in the broadcasting club. Nanamine loves them and always broadcasts about them, so I have to hear him tell them all the time,” Sousuke defended herself. “Besides, you always get scared, which makes it more fun.”

“I don't mind, I think that they're interesting.” The red-blonde girl spoke, looking up from her homemade bento to watch her friends bicker. The thought of Mystery number 7 worried her, especially since her sister tasked her with exorcising it, and after what happened with her Senpai… 

Seeing that her best friend was on her side, Sousuke donned a smug look on her face, lightly tossing her hair. 

Kou was ever the unlucky girl, losing her mother on top of having an unavailable father. Having an order to exorcize her friend. Her first crush used to be in love with her sister before… the incident. And now? Falling in love with her best friend. 

She had met Sousuke in their first year at Kamome and they immediately became inseparable, the pink haired girl becoming her closest friend. 

Then came the problem. At first it was just noticing little things, when she did her hair differently, the turquoise earring she tried to hide behind her hair, what foods made her smile. Then she started to feel nervous when they got close, when they spoke, when their hands touched, and the breaking point was the first day of this year. 

They had been trying on their uniforms for the new year, and Sousuke’s was too big. She had told Kou that it was because she wanted it to be extra long, so that “Perverts won't try and look under my skirt, and see my delicate legs,” and to her credit, it was much longer. Combined with the tube socks she regularly wore there was only a sliver of skin right below her knees visible. But an unforeseen side effect was that the top would also be bigger, and it was a lot bigger, to the point where it was sliding off her shoulder. 

Now, afterwards she would realize how strange it was that this was the trigger for her realization, after all, they'd seen each other in bathing suits, pajamas, yukata, even in silly costumes! But in the moment all she could think about was how cute Sousuke was, and how much she wanted to kiss her. 

Ever since then she'd been head over heels in love, but she'd tried to hide it, to preserve the friendship. It was undoubtedly getting harder by the day. 

“Hey Kou, wanna go try and find Hanako - San with me?” She looked up from her bento again to lock eyes with Sousuke, red and blue meeting to match the purple hue of the trees behind the school. She didn't really want to go, fearing that Souske was close enough to the far shore to see Hanako, but she also had no excuse. After all, she always asked to hear Sousuke tell the rumors of the seven mysteries.  

“Sure, when do you wanna go?” It was the only answer she could make, Souske was so excited…  

“How about tonight? My mom has a later shift, so you can come over after and we can make dinner so she'll have leftovers when she gets back.” How could she say no… 

“Shhh, don't be so loud Kou.” Sousuke whispered to her taller friend. The two students were sneaking around the old building at Kamome and wanted to avoid being caught.

“Sousuke, you know that they don't have any type of security and we're allowed to be here…” With a swish of pink hair and a pout of glossed lips Souske turned to glare at her best friend.

“Kouu it ruins the mood if we aren't being subtle, we're looking for a ghost! It's supposed to be spooky!” Complained the shorter of the two. 

She's just so cute 

Kou's face was red at this point, Sousuke had insisted that they hold hands to “Set the mood” since they were supposed to be scared, even though Kou had already met Hanako, (she was a weirdo who liked pervy books and doughnuts) so she wasn't scared, and Souske, who didn't actually believe in supernatural stuff, but liked to brag to the younger girls. 

“Sorry Sousuke,” She sighed, staring down at their intertwined hands. She was down bad for this girl, in spite of her faults and barriers. 

“Shhh, I forgive you, we're here.” Kou looked up to see the door that was long familiar by now, hours of hanging out with Yashiro, Hanako and the Mokke coming back. She hadn’t been back here since… 

She sighed.

 Since Yashiro had passed. It had been hard to lose him, obviously. But knowing Hanako tried her best to save him? It made the task of exorcising her even harder. 

The two girls walked hand and hand into the shadowy bathroom, the late evening sun turning the walls shades of orange and red and leaving the shapes of the window panes on the floor. Sousuke took a hesitant step towards the third stall, before pausing to look back at Kou.

“I'm kinda nervous all of a sudden.” She laughed, pulling her sweater closer around herself, Kou tried to give her best reassuring smile “I don't even know what I'd wish for, even if it wasn't just some stupid story.” 

“Hah, yeah.” Kou’s laugh was obviously forced, even trying her best to hide it. The pink haired girl took a deep breath…

Knock

Knock

Knock 

Her fist rapped on the stall, once, twice, and thrice, but with no answer. Unsurprised at the results of the venture, Sousuke turned to Kou, “You try now, no point coming if you're not gonna try to summon her, am I right?” 

“Y-yeah.” Kou's breath was shaky, but she imitated the movements of her friend, three knocks on the door.

Knock 

Knock 

Knock 

The door slowly creaked open, revealing the brown bob and red skirt Kou had grown familiar with. 

Hanako.

“Hey kid, long time no see, hey?” 

“Woahh! It opened! That's sick!” Sousuke peered into the stall, grabbing Kou by the arm in the process.

“Awww that sucks, nothing there, maybe the latch or whatever just got old.” The shorter had a disappointed look on her face, glaring lightly at the stall. Kou inhaled quickly, thank the gods. 

“It'll be okay kid, she still has many years ahead of her.” Hanako gave her parting words, before fading back into the stall. The red-blonde girl softly nodded back at the ghost.

“Kou, you're crying! What the heck? Don't tell me you're scared, I didn't sign up for being friends with a wimp!” Hints of worry in her voice could be heard, Kou smiled up at her best friend genuinely happy, for the first time since their Senpai’s death.

“I'm not scared, Sousuke, just glad we didn't see anything.” 

“Sureee, you're definitely a wimp…” Kou just looked at Sousuke, the girl she loved, and finally she had the feeling that everything was going to be okay. 

Chapter Text

Mitsuba stood at the center of the crowd, staring up into the bright lights, flashing with hues of fuchsia and gold. Despite being outside, and despite being against the rules, the venue smelled of alcohol, sweat, cigarettes and weed. Drunk teens and adults danced to the rock being blasted from the speakers, but despite all that Mitsuba was relaxed and content. With earplugs in and his secure spot he could watch the young band perform, the noise and bustle of the crowd melting away, leaving him alone with the music.

“Oww, what the hell?!” Mitsuba was shoved forward by a passing elbow, but when he looked to see the owner he couldn't tell who it belonged to. It was just too crowded.

Luckily for him, when he had been shoved he bumped into someone ahead of him, who then moved, giving him the perfect view of the band.

The band's name was Supernatural Beats, and they were amazing. Made up of drummer Amane Yugi, singer and keyboard player Nene Yashiro, and songwriter/guitar player Kou Minamoto. Mitsuba had come across their music randomly when searching up some obscure urban legend, and it turned out that they had a song of the same name. 

He had clicked on it out of curiosity and instantly fell in love with their sound. The rest was history, he found out they were playing at a local music festival and just had to get tickets. 

So here he was, squished between people, smelling like sweat and secondhand smoke, someone had splashed their drink on his favorite shirt, and he was having the best time of his life. 

“Thank you everyone! Please check out our stuff at the merch tent, our good friend Mei Shijima designed some awesome shirts and we have some special cookbooks with all our favorite homemade snacks!” The brunette drummer announced to the crowd. The band took their final bows, and left the stage so that the group at the main stage could begin their performance.

Mitsuba decided to stick around at the Kamome stage, even after the performance at the main stage had begun, it was just less crowded there, and the food was nearby, so he figured he'd grab a crepe in a bit. 

He was startled out of his thoughts by the light sound of a cymbal bumping into something, causing him to whip his head around. There, on the stage stood the red-blonde guitarist, Kou Minamoto. He was packing up the instruments, but clearly struggling with it.

“You want some help?” Mitsuba was surprised by the sound of his voice, not intending on saying anything to the young man. Said young man looked up, clearly just as surprised.

“Actually, I'd really appreciate it. My band mates have a date, so I'm stuck cleaning this up by myself.” 

“Actually?” Minamoto nodded, “The fuck… that's kinda a jerk move.” Mitsuba climbed up onto the stage, and, unbeknownst to him, stepped on his undone shoelace. “You sure they're actually your friends? Like, no hate or whatever but that shit isn't what friends do, you know?”

Minamoto paused for a second, before doubling over laughing, “Thanks for worrying about me,” he looked down at Mitsuba. “But there's no need, I actually told them to take the night off after the show. It's their third anniversary of being together, so I wanted them to have a nice date together. Amane is planning on proposing tonight, so I figured I'd give him time to make it special.” 

“I wasn't worried!” An awkward pause between the two, Mitsuba had hoped he'd grown out of that habit… “Uh, I'm gonna just work over here.” Mitsuba gestured towards the tangled array of wires and cables at the back of the stage, half regretting the offer to help, half enjoyment of the warm feeling filling his lungs. 

Look, Mitsuba Sousuke was a great many things, and yeah, sometimes he could be oblivious to social cues, but he wasn't stupid, and he didn't lie to himself. Minamoto Kou was undeniably his type, fluffy hair, bright eyes, and a friendly, excited personality. He'd found him attractive since before they met, but when you find someone on the Internet attractive you don't tend to assume you'll ever get to know them, so it would just be weird to think about a relationship.

He lightly shook his head, why was he already thinking about dating the guy, they'd just met. He knew Kou was bi from a Q & A the band had done on their channel, for the celebration of the release of Teke Teke, the first song in their album the red room, but it's not the same as having him right in front of you and having the knowledge that dating was possible? It kinda made a difference. He sighed, no point dwelling, he'd just run himself in circles, so he'd be better off getting to work.

And now he was falling, what was this? Some bl fanfiction where the protagonist meets their favorite musician for the first time and dramatically falls into his suspiciously strong and muscular arms, sparking mutual romantic feelings, that will inevitably drag on because of stubbornness and miscommunication?

Nope. He stepped on his shoelace.

If only that had been foreshadowed.

“Fuck, owch.” Mitsuba shook his injured wrist in pain, using the other hand to push himself up onto his legs and standing up, brushing the dust from the cement off of his wide-legged pants. The teal linen was his current favorite, it was great for summer, and it went so well with button ups and sweaters. The light, cool, fabric, allowing for pants to be wearable even in the summer heat. 

Minamoto turned to look at Mitsuba, a look of concern for the pink haired man. “You okay… uh.” He wrinkled his brows in concentration and confusion. Ah shoot, he hadn't introduced himself.

“Mitsuba Sousuke, I'm fine.” His eyes lit up.

“I'm Minamoto Kou, nice to meet you Mitsuba!” The red-blonde held out a hand for Mitsuba to shake, which the latter took, and was met with a firm grip and a warm grin.  

The two worked together, cleaning up the tech from the outdoor stage, organizing wires, putting instruments in their cases and such. A larger artist may have had a person, or even a crew working the tech, making sure it all went where it needed to be, but despite the die-hard fans like Mitsuba, Supernatural Beats was still just another niche band.

 A light conversation between the two ebbed and flowed as they tidied, naturally, with one subject leading to another, just chatting about life, hobbies, (Minamoto loved to cook!) and how the other was enjoying the festival. Someway or another they were led to favorite foods, and what types of desserts were best.

Kou preferred a more subtle sweetness, especially Imo Yokan*, and while Mitsuba’s motto was generally, the sweeter, the better; having a particular preference for flan, as well as pastries, he could respect the pallet for a softer flavored treat. They continued like this for a while, little debates on their opinions, and minor refutes to accompany. This was then followed by a surprisingly comfortable silence, with neither feeling the need to break it unnecessarily.

“Well, it looks like that's the last of the speakers, I'll get some of the volunteers to help me take them back to our van.” Kou turned towards Mitsuba, smiling at him thankfully. “I really appreciate the help…”

Kou trailed off, thinking to himself about who knows what, his eyes softly glazing over the scenery, the dark sky studded with stars and the warmth of chatter in his ears. His gaze landed on a food truck, ice blue with fairy lights around the window, a warm light spilling out of its seams. 

“Can I buy you a snack? Y’know, to thank you for all your help today? I heard that place has good crepes,” he gestured towards the aforementioned food truck, “And, uh, since you like sweets and all…”

Mitsuba said nothing.

Crap, ughh Kou, you have to learn, you'll scare him off… too much… to forward

“Yeah, uh, that sounds good, of course I'd lo-like that. Um… what about you though? I know you aren't a huge fan of sweets.” came Mitsuba's reply, a shaky and hesitant reply. 

Kou looked up, He hadn't screwed it up? 

“Heck yeah!”

Mitsuba laughed, “C’mon lame ass earring boy, let's go get some food.”