[A/N: I did warn you guys that I might be busy for a while. If you stuck around though, I am back!]
The ticking arms of a clock dragged on, watching. Students tapped their desks, each beat feeding an erratic tempo—and it was getting loud too. Grey eyes sluggishly opened, with a resting chin in his palm. Their bespectacled teacher droned on about History
'I can't believe I lost interest 45 minutes ago.'
As the bell rang, relieved grunts slipped through an indifferent air.
"That's it for today."
'Can't blame them though. Even I was like this when I was young.'
When the teacher was finally gone, every desk rumbled except for one. The class stood divided into different cliques, but Kaien found himself stuck between that divide. His body rested against his seat, the empty desks now his daily companions.
"Jeez, finally."
After a struggle for the most comfortable position, he adjusted at last.
"You wanna have lunch together?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Hey Naruto, you wanna join us?"
"Huh?! Of course I am coming dattebayo!"
Discussions sparked within each clique. Kaien's ears twitched. His gaze was now partially elsewhere. He caught sight of a group, his expression flaring up.
They were an interesting bunch, one that drew his head closer than he would like. Their conversation poured into his ears, a few individuals now at the centre of his focus.
He could have sworn they were part of canon. Shouko's friend group in the future?
'I don't think I should be evesdropping like this.'
Grey hair twisted into twin braids, caught in the dim, classroom light.
Her grey eyes aligned with his. To his relief though, they bubbled away.
Then, his vision was filled with someone familiar.
...
Speak of the devil...
"Uh, hi Shouko."
Her hands held a book against her frilly skirt—themed yellow with red lines. A simple pink shirt was the next thing he noticed. Then he noted her pink, neck-length hair—like Sakura petals in spring.
Her lips curled. Her brown eyes glimmered.
Kaien's own remained fixed on her. The faint light did wonders for Shouko, highlighting her smile. He didn't know if it was nature's attempt to get a reaction out of him.
Attention flared towards them. Her body tensed moderately, though he doubted anyone had noticed. Normally he would never shy away from the friendly contest, but it felt... wrong.
Something registered beyond that though. It was a notebook, grasped rather tightly in Shouko's delicate hand.
'It must've been bought recently, or perhaps she's just neat. Either way, she must really cherish it.'
She felt the warmth of the sun on her skin, but her nervous smile says something else.
Footfalls echoed, but neither one of never actually bothered. A few girls had just arrived, and watched a horribly silent exchange. They glanced between the two, growing more dumbfounded as they saw her innocent brown eyes.
'This girl is too straightforward.'
They couldn't help but think about the rumours surrounding Kaien.
No one actually knows much about him, and theories have sprung since he arrived. He did nothing to refute or validate them.
Well, that was because it was just a waste of time.
And yet this girl faced him courageously.
'This girl is so naive!'
While others had their mouths agape, one of the girls differed from the rest. He could see stars in her eyes, matching her dark hair.
Besides that, he couldn't see anything else of note. Though unsure, he noticed feet shuffling nervously.
'This must be... that girl who stood by Shouko's side for a while. What was her name?' [A/N: Don't ask me, I forgot man.]
He couldn't remember any of their names.
He buried a hand inside his pockets, grabbing a pen under their unwavering curiosity. He jotted something down on Shouko's notebook, then he stopped.
'What is he writing, a proposal?'
His face did not reveal anything. It was
probably better that way.
Shouko's eyes widened.
The notebook was in his grip—waiting.
She accepted the book with a curt nod. Her eyes dashed across the page, and obviously the others leaned in.
'My name is Kaien Tsukihara. Since we're neighbours, I was wondering if we could be friends.'
As they finished reading what he wrote, his lips curved. They caught sight of his smug, one he never got to notice this time around.
To them, it was a rare spectacle to behold.
'The guy can actually have a decent conversation?!'
To Shouko however, it was something else—something that called out to her. She shouldn't be able to hear anything per say, but she knew he needed company.
Shouko stood there, unmoving.
Her lips parted slightly.
"Wawawa, but you're always so silent."
"Yeah, what gives?"
"Do you really need a friend? You seem fine on your own."
Questions rolled in, beating her to it. His eyes were mildly icy, but he couldn't help smiling from time to time. Naruko caught wind of this, but she did not intervene. She rolled her eyes, but a faint smirk caressed her lips.
'Good grief, he's actually talking to the other classmates.'
Then it cramped.
'Still though...'
A pang slowly flooded her chest, feeling it sting like frostbite.
Her heart was still light, or perhaps it carried a weight she wasn't even aware of.
'Why girls of all people?'
...
..
.
A certain douche sat at the corner of the room, his hair protruding like porcupine spikes. His eyes matched his hair, looking at their way—absentminded. A flick on the head jolted him awake, unsurprised it was a certain chubby individual.
Shouya tensed. He looked around but found nothing strange.
'If you ever act up...'
Grey eyes captured all this—unmisted. His eyes reflected faint light, piercing from within the shadows under his hair.
'You'll only have three days.'
His glare was dangerously locked onto him, and sharpened with time. He jerked his head up at the mention of his name, his steady orbs brought out of darkness.
"Huh?"
He blinked. Why wouldn't he with so many girls waiting for an answer? A particular girl looked him straight in the eye, her identical ones shimmering with light. From her lips, he noticed crimson trickling down her chin.
He blinked yet again, and then he saw nothing.
'I really need help.'
Kaien simply nodded, writing on a notebook as he spoke.
*Ring*
"Aww! I wasn't done yet."
The girls whined under laboured breaths. He gave a faint smirk, his cheeks slowly pressing against his knuckles.
"It was a rare opportunity."
They murmured all the way to their desks with half-hearted steps. There really wasn't much power behind it. Kids were really funny sometimes.
He muttered their names in one breath.
Even with his eyes closed, he could still hear them treading to their desks. After mentioning Shouko however, his eyes opened.
He gave them one final glance, before he turned towards Shouko. She was taking her seat, finding comfort quite easily. Just then, she paged through her notebook rapidly.
Maybe she still couldn't believe he wrote that.
'Will canon truly repeat itself?'
A stream of children paced through the school building. Others walked leisurely, but a few children brushed past him, probably in a hurry. The noise left his thoughts clustered, and so their own voices were drowned by the rest. Unlike the lively crowd, they were more reserved.
Ahead of them were the parents, some with open arms and wearing odd smiles. Either way, he found their behaviour strange. As they walked away, they seemed happy—but why cling and never let go?
'Middle scholars can cross a road just fine, right? Why would parents hold hands like
that?'
These parents, why did their eyes bubble around students as if they lost something?
Why are they even here?
A figure at his periphery crumbled his thoughts, but he did not stumble nor change his pace. Naruko and Naruto's eyes flared to life, and they really couldn't help but run towards her.
"Did you make any friends today, Shouko?"
Alongside a woman with similar pink hair, Shouko could only watch. They exchanged glances, becoming more immersed in her mother's soft eyes. At that moment, her mother gave her soothing smile.
Her presence and that smile...
Those alone were enough.
...
..
.
Unaware of this, Kaien went on his way with Mei and the two foxes.
'Seriously though, their guard is way up... It would be plausible if it was cultural, but I don't trust this world at all.'
His hands slipped inside his pockets, hunching over as he strode. He then tilted his gaze towards Mei, never losing sight of her at all.
Meshed wires clawed at his periphery. They took a turn, and found themselves in the midst of parked cars.
"What are you talking about? The girls do like me, dattebayo!"
"With that ugly smug of yours, I have a hard time believing it dattebane!"
Naruto just stared at her dryly.
"You do realize we have the same smug right?"
*Cough* *Cough*
And she choked...
Despite the other two bickering at the background, he wouldn't look away. Not when he had questions—and they demand answers. Mei then finally fixed her blue eyes towards him.
"We need to talk about something."
Naruto's ear perked up, the same as his sister.
Kaien's gaze was calm but imposing.
Mei mindlessly held her chin in thought.
"Go on."