Chapter Text
Hiori is convinced the odds are being skewed out of his favor. How else can he explain crushing on likely the only person in their school who hates confessions? Additionally, what are the odds of Isagi being in the library at the same time as his very careful planning? He knew that Isagi had a class right now. Mr. Ryoumen was a teacher from hell and yet here Isagi was. Add that to the fact that Hiori had a front-row seat to someone else asking Niko out, he’s sure someone is laughing at him from above. What God or Gods did he have to anger to deserve this? Had he cursed his parents too much recently?
Whatever the reason, Hiori felt spited. The person in question was a girl who looked like an apple. A round face and deep brown hair. Her cheeks were flushed an apple red as she kept her eyes away from Niko. The boy in question didn't seem all that bothered, more bored than anything else. “Um… Hello, Niko uh- I was wondering… oh god. Can we talk privately?”
Her eyes kept darting between Isagi and Hiori. He might not have liked it but he had the decency to avoid looking at her. He could feel Isagi staring at him but he refused to look at the blue-eyed boy until Niko left. They watched the younger boy leave with the girl. The moment the library door closed, Hiori allowed his head to fall against the desk.
“Are you okay?”
“Don't start, Isagi.” He groaned. He took a deep breath before looking back at Isagi. The shorter teen laughed a bit as Hiori settled himself. “I'm starting to believe I'm cursed at this point.”
“Oh, I'm sure you're not.”
“No, no I am. Trust me I am. No one has luck as shitty as mine without being cursed.” Hiori rolled his eyes as he spoke. It wasn't often he got so annoyed, usually he tried to maintain the facade of perfect cool. It took more energy to react to every emotion than it did to ignore them. Energy he didn’t have to spare with his extracurriculars and his parents. “Ah, I didn't expect it to be this hard.”
“Expect what?” Both Isagi and Hiori tensed up at the sound of the junior’s voice. He was usually keenly aware of his surroundings. Hell, he was still counting footsteps he heard and tracking people that passed by. How did Niko slip in unnoticed? How didn't he hear the door open? He supposed that was how Niko garnered the reputation of being gloomy, his presence chilling the area around them.
“Nothing. It’s nothing.” Hiori said quickly. He turned to look at Niko and was met with the younger teen staring at him. Or at least in his general direction, the hair over his eyes made it difficult to know where Niko was looking. His mouth was pulled into a slight frown and his body language read as unimpressed. The boy didn’t speak as he nodded. Hiori watched as Niko grabbed his bag and mumbled a quiet goodbye. He could feel Isagi staring at him but his words were lost to his beating heart. He opened his mouth to speak yet nothing came out. He forced a smile out as he gave a polite wave.
His chest hurt as he watched Niko leave but there wasn’t much he could do. All he could do was try again another day and hope for a better outcome. Isagi patted his hand softly after Niko left. Times like these made Isagi look just like his mother, it was equal parts comforting and annoying. He let the day pass as it usually did, from class to class listening to lectures, and taking notes. It was almost easy to forget the library incident and when it did come back to his mind, it didn't carry the same level of embarrassment. It was only after the school day had ended, that the embarrassment came back full force.
After school, the halls were relatively empty. Some stragglers trying to pass the time, others going to and from their clubrooms, and a few were talking to teachers. Hiori didn’t have practice but he enjoyed being in the school after hours. It was far more peaceful than being at home. One day like this he would be seated with the occult club. He didn’t actively participate in the rituals but he got involved in the meetings and otherworldly related things. Occasionally, students would wander past and say hello or rush by the door to mess with them. The head of the club was Shino Miki. A lanky girl with loose curls that reached down to her knees. She had droopy gray eyes that made her look sleepy 24/7. Aside from being the club leader and very tall, the other notable thing about her is her open secret of a crush on the cooking club leader Mirai Suzuki.
Had she been anyone else, Hiori might’ve joked about the crush but seeing as he was sitting in the same boat, he couldn’t judge. The only difference in their situations was the fact, Mirai liked Shino just as much as Shino liked Mirai. It was something anyone except the two girls involved could see. Too often Hiori was playing messenger for the girls who got too tongue-tied to speak to each other. Part of him wished he had that but he knew his friends. They’d likely try to play matchmaker in the worst way possible. But regardless, it gave him reasons to visit the cooking club.
Today, he was heading over to pick something up from Mirai. He had almost forgotten and went home but one of the occult club members caught him before he did. Just entering the hall, Hiori's nose was full of spices. Heavy herbs and sharp spices stunned him a bit. He loved it and judging by the students lurking around in different classrooms he wasn't alone. He took a sneak peek into the clubroom, spotting one of the boys leading that day's meeting. He seemed rather soft-spoken which led to Mirai repeating everything he said but louder. The members of the cooking club were a mixed group of guys and girls of various ages.
It looked like they were mimicking a real kitchen. His eyes drifted across the room, picking out the different people he recognized. A few classmates and underclassmen. He stood in the doorway waiting for an opportunity to speak to Mirai. Thankfully the girl in question noticed him and was quick to join him at the door. “Blue boy! Picking up for Shino right?”
“Yup. What are you guys doing?”
Mirai seemed to light up, her green eyes almost glowing as she started talking. “So glad you asked!” She wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him in closer as she walked into the room. ”So our teacher said we needed more technical kitchen experience so rather than our monthly recipe test–”
“Recipe test?”
“Yes!” She let him go as she maneuvered the crowded kitchen space. Hiori followed close behind, not trusting himself not to bump into the others working. “Our recipe test is where each member will be randomly selected to guide the rest of us in cooking or baking a food of their choice. Last month Ikki had us making a beautiful black forest cake. But anyways!”
She popped open a fridge, talking a mile a minute that Hiori almost didn’t catch the comment she made. “Whoa…”
“Whoa indeed.” She gave a smile as handed him the offerings and ingredients prepped for the occult club. “If you’re still around after we’re done you might be able to catch a meal.”
“No promises but where is Niko?”
“Oh, he's in another club so like two days out of the week, he'll be with them instead. Goodbye now, tell Shino I said hi.” She made a shooing motion with her hands as she waited for Hiori to leave. He held the items carefully as he walked around the different students to the door. For as good as the cooking club smelled, most of the members were rather curt with people not in the club or not of benefit to them.
Walking back to the occult club was like muscle memory. He let his mind drift as he thought about the different clubs the school had. There were sports teams but based on what he saw and knew of Niko none really seemed to be his thing. Maybe the book club? Or maybe the computer science club? Lost in thought, he felt someone collide into him followed by a quiet oof. “Oh, I’m so sorry–”