Chapter Text
Shuu was lucky that ONE OK ROCK wasn’t as popular as other bands or artists, like My Chemical Romance(which Shuu did enjoy) or Any Hatsune Miku Album Ever™(which was more Remi’s thing), because the display wasn’t crowded with ravenous fans who can and would bite someone to get their hands on an album.
But unfortunately, ONE OK ROCK wasn’t as popular as other bands, so it was a bit of a scavenger hunt to find the display.
But, scavenger hunts were a walk in the park for Shuu! Especially when there was a middle-schooler practically bouncing their way to the display, leading Shuu and Akane to their destination!
Completely disregarding the fact that the two of them were now holding hands, Shuu wondered why his heart was beating so fast. Excitement, obviously! Euphoria! ONE OK ROCK!
Obviously, the person who guided them thought the same, because they were silently squealing. Like a kettle with a sore throat. They grabbed the album and scurried over to the girl in an East High uniform, the one who entered in immediately after Shuu and Akane.
Connecting dots was Shuu’s speciality, so it didn’t take long for him to deduce they were siblings. It was how similar their charisma was, and how it responded to each other(Definitely not their shared freckles, eye shape, and the younger one’s drawn out “Oneesannnn!”). You could say it reminded him of his dynamic with Motoko.
“Motoko-chi said their brother likes the band too!!”
Speak of the devil! Wait, what?!
Likely just a coincidence. Last Shuu checked, Motoko was a common name. It also meant “resourceful child”. Fitting.
Sadly, Shuu never got confirmation or denial. The two siblings paid and left in record time, maybe in a rush to that egg sale that Hori accidentally blurted out in frustration when Miyamura didn’t hear her the first time. It ended in an hour, though.
“Iura-kun, the album!” Akane whispered, and Shuu snapped out of his weird egg sale spiral. With Akane’s hand still in his, he strode closer to the display, practically vibrating from euphoria(coupled with the fact that their hands were now intertwined ). His normal chipper smile grew up to be a big strong, almost manic beam.
Now was the moment he’d been waiting for since the album got teased!
Buried deep in his bones was a twinge he couldn’t ignore. It’s dopamine, Shuu reassured himself for the gazillionth time. It disappeared when he felt Akane squeeze his hand, so was it really ? Whatever, he grabbed the album and beelined to the self-checkout station.
Sure, it was way less eventful than Shuu had anticipated, and sure he was forcing Akane to keep up with his new speed, but this feeling was so weird. Like, weirder than Remi(affectionately). Weirder than Yasuda-sensei (derogatory)! Speaking of Remi, she was subject to a two hour minimum call with Shuu about his problems tonight.
Taking out his wallet, Shuu eyed the picture he kept in there (a polaroid of him and Remi falling off a water tube, taken graciously by Yoshikawa), but immediately switched to wiggling his debit card out to pay. “You don’t have your driver's licence yet?” Akane asked, confirming to Shuu he was indeed still awake.
Akane probably noticed the empty slot that usually contained a licence.
Huh, Shuu has been eighteen for a bit now… Alas, he felt as though he was but a young boy who just gained the right to drink in his dad’s home country. But frankly, alcohol is disgusting to Shuu (but Cuba has some great non-alcoholic beverages!), and he was getting sidetracked again…
“Oh, I didn’t study so Mami didn’t let me take the test… Which, fair enough! Also Moto would suddenly sign up for seven extracurriculars in high school just to mooch off their personal brother-uber.” Shuu as always, let his tone give away his fondness for a subject, despite the biting words.
Akane nodded when he was finished explaining, humming in acknowledgement.
Akane didn’t realise until Shuu gently ripped his hand away that they were:
- Holding hands to begin with
- Outside, and the errand was done
- How cold Shuu’s hands were
The third one was more due to how he missed the coolness on his hand now that it was gone, like how he only missed his betta fish after he flushed it down the toilet when he was seven years old and oh boy not that rabbit hole…
Anyways, this outing with Shuu was fun and all, but he had a Weekly Shinobi chapter 39 to make him cry waiting for him at home! Oh, and overthink this entire event of his life, but that’s for a later time(later as in, two hours before he has to get up)! Just as he was about to open his mouth, Shuu beat him yet again.
“So, this was fun and all…” Shuu trailed off immediately, his face showing a mental dispute between at least five different directions he wanted the sentence to go. Akane hummed politely, letting the other know he was listening.
This seemed to do the trick, because Shuu nodded and took a deep breath(he exhaled, which Akane sometimes forgot to do…) and resumed his train of thought.
“Well this was fun, but your nose didn’t get proper treatment, yeah?”
Akane jolted, his hand instinctively moving to touch his nose. Yeah, it still hurts. He nodded, prompting Shuu to continue. “I-I have the proper treatment for shit like that at home, or I could take you to the pharmacy or something… Specifically PV, they treat nosebleeds or scratches for free.”
Akane was speechless, to say the least. Until a few weeks ago, he didn’t know if anyone in that friend group he found himself roped into actually cared about him. But, he was proven wrong when a good chunk of them kept him company at the bus stop he found so lonely until that day. Shuu was absent, though, so Akane didn’t know if the green-haired boy(-of some sort) cared for him on that level.
Well, absent on that specific day. After that, every day he found Shuu waiting at the bus stop in the morning, and waiting for him at the lockers in the afternoon(Before Akane and Sakura started their bookstore rituals). At first Akane thought he was roped into this by Remi. They were best friends, after all. And, to no one’s surprise, he was! To an extent.
Something Akane learned while being a part of the friend group was 1, Hori and Miyamura could somehow make even Sengoku and Remi feel single, and 2, Remi was pushy. Not in a bad way, though! Everything she pushed for wasn’t solely for herself(usually… but she’s only human!), and if someone says no, Remi stops pushing. Sengoku doesn’t want to hug in public? Remi drops the subject!
So, all things considered, Shuu did not say no to accompanying Akane at the bus stop, but it was up to his anxiety to determine whether the request was accepted begrudgingly or willingly. At first, Akane decided on the former, but when Shuu said something along the lines of “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to,” he realised it was really the latter.
And now, Shuu was offering him remedies for Akane’s own screw-up(Which Shuu, if he was anything like Akane, would be mentally shunning himself for letting it happen)? No, not just that. He was Inviting me into his home?! Only Ishikawa got that honour bestowed upon him, and they knew each other since, like, forever!
Okay, forever may have been a bit of an exaggeration. But this was comparing Ishikawa’s six years of knowing Shuu to Akane’s measly six months! Hey, isn’t that how those romcoms go?
“Of course, you can just treat it yourself! Go to the pharmacy yourself! You’re a big boy, you can go places on your own!” Shuu’s voice cracked, adding a hearty laughter at the end. The silence must have been damning for him to backtrack almost completely. Oh, but his body language gave it away. His hands were fidgeting(begging to be held again― woah, who said that.), and a cold sweat ran down the side of his face.
Of course, Akane had to interject.
“Whichever makes you feel more at peace, I’m fine with!” He blurted, scratching his head. When did it get so itchy?! He’ll have to check his shower head again, probably.
But, this gesture worked as intended! Shuu’s tension almost immediately left his body, and he started walking, likely expecting Akane to follow and keep up with him.
Akane did, but Shuu was quite a fast walker. Near the crosswalk, Shuu finally stopped his trend. First, to unwrap his hoodie and put it on, and then he pulled out his phone. He seemed to have been texting someone, which gave Akane a break.
But, seeing Shuu text someone reminded Akane he should probably text his mom to let her know he’d be at a friend's house.
To: Mama
Subject: Late…
Gonna be at Iura-kun’s house. Complications with lady luck again ☹️ Might be home late!
Unsurprisingly, Akane’s mom responded within a minute. Shuu was ready to roll though, so he read the message as they were trekking along.
From: Mama
RE: Late…
Not my baby!!! 😭 Make sure he takes good care of you! Stay safe!! ❣️
It made sense that she understood what Akane’s vague wording went, but it didn’t make sense that her, the overbearing mother bear, would just leave him in someone else’s hands without a fight…
Oh, whatever. He should just be grateful! Akane ranwalked to catch up to Shuu, who was humming a song that Akane did not know(He only knew broadway songs…)
To: Motoko, Mami, Papa
Subject: Guest
please be normal, i’m bringing akane over cuz his nose suffered serious damages
Shuu waited approximately three minutes before two of three recipients responded.
Motoko: making a move on a Thursday ?? stupid. 💀
Mami: I just started dinner! Do I need to add another plate to the dinner tab...
He clicked on his mother’s text message notification to expand it. Hopefully not another crisis…
From: Mami
RE: Guest
I just started dinner! Do I need to add another plate to the dinner table?! Oh dear, do we even have enough room?! 😭😢
At least it wasn’t another meltdown, but clearly Shuu’s family is not being normal. Then, he got a notification from his dad.
From: Papa
RE: Guest
Puta mierda!
Another notification from his dad.
From: Papa
RE: Guest
Another guy?! Ay dios mio…
Shuu shut his phone and started walking again. He hoped Akane was still following him.
“Iura-kun?”
Okay, he was still with Shuu. “Yeah?”
“Slow down, please.”
Shit.