Chapter Text
+1
The news spread like wildfire.
Obviously it was to be expected, but he couldn’t even get an ounce of a break.
Wherever he went, it was like straight out of the shitty teen dramas his older sister forces him to watch.
Here’s how it started off:
Everyone, literally everyone, was talking about it. And while he usually would be flattered at being the center of attention, he’d rather die than hear his name one more time—
—Kanae sighed, dragging a palm down his face. Right, it’s not just his name, it’s also related to a certain someone as well.
He allows himself to glance at the subject of his growing heart ache.
He was a bit jealous to be honest, Kuzuha did not look bothered whatsoever, just chatting away at Ibrahim who was pointedly ignoring Kanae’s burning stare.
Kuzuha in all his glory, looked the same as any other day. Beautiful, handsome, pretty, show stopping, adorable, his only love—
Kanae pauses himself at that, wincing at the turn of events that happened just yesterday.
‘ Am I even allowed to call him that anymore ..’
Kanae groaned internally, just two days ago they fell asleep on call. Well Kuzuha did, Kanae probably stayed up an hour or two just to wallow in the comfort of his boyfriend’s presence. Just how the hell did everything go to shit, he doesn’t know.
He himself looks like shit currently, he barely got a wink of sleep last night. Too busy tossing and turning at the fact that he might’ve gotten dumped by a baddie.
What makes it worse is that he currently sees Ibrahim pointing at him, trying to be subtle but it wasn’t subtle at all and when he and Kuzuha made eye contact the latter looked away so quickly he literally bumped heads with Ibrahim.
Kanae winces slightly, a hand reaching out to where he would usually try and soothe Kuzuha’s every ache out of instinct but his hand falls down when he realises things weren’t the same anymore.
Kanae swallows as he watches Kuzuha whine lowly, Ibrahim chuckling at their collision, bringing up a hand—that should’ve been his—to pat the place of Kuzuha’s where they head butted—
—and oh god is Kanae cursing every deity out there for his stupidity.
Everything that happened, happened because of him.
Cut back to where he is now:
He’s completely miserable. Courtesy of Lauren and Hoshikawa reminding him every few minutes so he doesn’t forget.
They’re his closest friends, the same age, and two people who would not hesitate to give him shit.
It’s proven true by their so-called “advice counselling”.
“Well you obviously fucked up.” Hoshikawa said loudly from her place at his desk.
Kanae groaned. “Tell me something I don’t know.” He reaches up to his head of hair and pushes it down intensely, screaming into the palm of his hands.
Lauren snickered, puffing smoke into his face to which he spluttered and choked. Too preoccupied at the thought of potentially losing the love of his life to kick the redhead out for smoking indoors.
“Well you gotta fix it somehow. Me and Kuzuha senpai game every Saturday, it’d be a shame if I don’t get to play with him anymore because you made it awkward.” Lauren grinned like the brat he is, not having any remorse for the brunette.
Kanae glared at him, seriously thinking of whether it was too late to kick him out.
Hoshikawa, being the voice of reason, to Kanae’s credit, actually offers some advice. “Well you gotta fix it somehow Kanae, you can’t get dumped by someone like Kuzuha senpai.”
Kanae narrowed his gaze at her to which Hoshikawa rolled her eyes at.
“You know I don’t mean it in a bad way. In fact, Kuzuha senpai is too good for you.” She muttered that last part and Kanae chooses to ignore it.
He jumps up. “You’re right! I won’t allow myself to be dumped by a baddie like Kuzuha!”
Hoshikawa blinks. “That’s not what I—“
“It’ll be his birthday soon, in about a week. Maybe I can do something by then.”
Hoshikawa lights up at the announcement, already jumping to recommend some romantic date ideas. Lauren is just glad that he doesn’t have to ditch Kuzuha and their game nights, so he begrudgingly helps too.
——
Now, the plan was supposed to be fool proof but Kanae got a little too ahead of himself.
He was supposed to wait till Kuzuha’s birthday in November, right where graduation was around the corner but—
—he didn’t want to wait that long. So he decided to speed up the process a little.
Kanae lifts his head from where he was sulking on his desk, refusing to talk to anyone and pulling out his phone to a familiar chat.
He winces at the chat background, it was a picture that he took of a sleeping Kuzuha who was resting on his shoulder.
He also lets out another defeated sigh when he sees that it’s been 3 days since they’ve last spoken, on the bright side at least Kanae hadn’t been blocked yet.
Before he can regret what he’s doing, he quickly sends out a text. It read:
Hey, could you meet me behind the club? I wanna talk to you.
8:34 am
The brunette throws his phone away slightly, shutting it with an obnoxious click.
He’s about to rethink whether or not he should unsend it or block Kuzuha, or both until a slight ding! rings in his ears.
He scrambles for the phone, garnering weird looks from his classmates but he doesn’t care.
Because Kuzuha had just sent him a message—and he has to read it thrice—it says:
🤍kuuchan
fine. Be there in ten.
8:39 am
Kanae could not care less about anything else in the world anymore as he jumps up and whoops silently, getting a raised eyebrow from Lauren.
Before slipping away to mentally prepare himself for the meeting, he entrusts his president duties to Hoshikawa temporarily, making himself as least suspicious as possible.
Although it didn’t matter because the shorter girl just nodded sleepily and waved him away, going back to laying her head on her desk.
He escapes quickly, and as soon as he excused himself from his classroom, he books it.
Getting some confused glances he ignores them in favor of running out of school grounds. His eyes wander around until they land on just what he needed.
Bingo. The flower stall.
He took notice of it around the corner when Valentines was booming and he had bought Kuzuha flowers in a panic since they weren’t dating back then yet.
Kanae sighs internally as he remembers everything that’s happened and how much he’s fucked up.
But he shakes his head and perseveres, determined on making things right again.
The nice old lady that works there stares at him incredulously as he’s beaming towards her, causing her to be a little frightened.
But it all goes away when Kanae reaches there and flashes her his signature smile, albeit he was heaving for air.
He makes small talk with her just to be polite, then buys her medium sized bouquet of roses. Cliche he knows, but it matches the color of Kuzuha’s eyes and the latter seemed to have enjoyed it last time if it weren’t obvious by his blush.
He would’ve bought the biggest size, but Kuzuha would’ve been embarrassed carrying it around (if he decided to take it that is.) so he settled for one that could easily be hidden.
He checks his phone, still running from the stall to the school grounds, he lets out a sigh of relief at the numbers displayed. He’d be able to make it in time.
He only slowed down once the clubs were in his sight, giving him a chance to regulate his breathing and fix his messy look at the nearest window.
He hums, satisfied at what he sees then marches over to where they’d meet up in determination.
There was still a bit of time left, at least 3 minutes before Kuzuha was supposed to be there. Knowing the silver haired, he’d probably take longer.
He did have the thought that Kuzuha wouldn’t show up, too mad at him to do so, but he quickly shakes it away as he knows that Kuzuha would never reply to him if he didn’t want to go somewhere.
He’s not quite at the spot yet, making sure he’d pick a secluded area to do the talk.
But as he passes by a particular large student body near the third year hall, someone grabs him by his wrist from behind.
He wishes it was Kuzuha, but it was too small and dainty to be his.
Kanae turns around questioningly, hiding the bouquet slightly around his back as he flashes the girl an annoyed smile.
He knows her, well a bit. She had a half updo, glasses that suited her well, and she was quite short. The girl was in his class, Hadako? Himako? He can’t remember.
She was pretty. He muses. But he had places to be.
“Do you need help?” He starts with, silently begging for her to refuse.
She blinks up at him, blushing furiously once he spoke, then glanced back down at her hands and oh.
Kanae grimaced. ‘Not the time..’
“Um, I really admire you Kanae-san! You’re always so helpful and nice to others so I was wondering if you could go out with me!” She pushes a letter forcefully into his hands. He tries not to take it, but it would’ve fallen down since she let go so he reluctantly takes it.
Although his face was set on a smile, he’s not sure he can keep it up longer because he was really reaching his limit.
It was obvious she could tell to, with how her eyes start to water as she blinks back tears.
His gaze softens at that a bit, or at least until he delivers the finishing blow.
He speaks slowly, “This is sweet and all—“
“Kanae?”
His head has never snapped quicker at the familiar voice he had been missing.
He begs to see the face of it but instead of the usual annoyed but fond look his lover throws his way, he sees one filled with disgust and confusion.
“Is this really what you called me here for? Laugh at my face why don’t ya Kanae.” Kuzuha spits out, looking straight into the brunette’s soul as if to pierce it even further.
Kanae interjects quickly, trying to explain the misunderstanding. “Wait—!”
He feels someone snatching his flowers, his grip faltering at the situation. He looks at the culprit in anger, and it was none other.
“Thank you for the flowers Kanae-kun! How did you know roses were my favorite?” The brunette whips his head in shock as he stares at the girl. One he couldn’t even remember the name of as she looks up at him with a smirk.
Kuzuha mirrors an expression of his own, but instead of shock he sees more of hurt.
Undeniably hurt, but only for a second till it switches to rage.
He sees Kuzuha swallow then turns around and stomps over to where he came from.
“Kuzuha, wait please!” Kanae yelled out, giving the girl one look that screamed ‘ Good luck seeing graduation.’ And he’s satisfied when she squeaks in fear but he shakes it off to instead start follow the silver head.
He walks quicker, ignoring the stab of pain his heart got when the older quickened his pace.
Kanae shakes his head, reaching out once more. “Kuzuha, baby—“
That gets him to stop, because the older looks around and seethes.
“Don’t fucking call me that! We’re—!”
“I’m not about to let you tell me we’re done!” He yelled back louder, making Kuzuha falter for a moment.
This makes Kanae catch up to him in time, grabbing his wrist gently that gave Kuzuha a chance to pull away.
But he hopes he doesn’t delude himself into thinking he has a chance because Kuzuha doesn’t pull away.
He looks straight at Kuzuha, making sure not to mess up his chances.
“If you want us to be over, then say it to my face.” Kanae muttered, furrowing his eyebrows.
The older stares in shock, registering his words before he scowls, pulling his arm away.
“And why should I?”
Kanae isn’t discouraged, he pushes again.
“Kuzuha. Say it to my face. Tell me that you want us—“ he gestures to himself, “—tell me you want this—” he gestures to them. “—to be over.”
At that Kuzuha pauses, not once looking away from where he was staring up ahead.
After a few moments of silence, Kuzuha turns his head around slowly. Making eye contact with Kanae, who’s breath hitches at the sight of the gaze he longed for looking at him.
However, each word of Kuzuha’s felt like venom as he says, “You’re fucking shameless Kanae. Fuck off.” Before stalking away to the third year corridors.
Kanae drops his outstretched hands dumbly at his sides, trying to calm down the incoming surge of waterworks his eyes were producing.
He’s successful in it, taking a few seconds to blink it all back in before letting out what seemed to be the hundredth sigh that day.
‘Fuck, I’m never hearing the end of this tomorrow.’
——
‘ Please just kill me already.’
Kanae was currently on the receiving end of karma’s wrath tenfold.
Firstly, he had an even shittier time sleeping the night after and after texting Kuzuha apologies and trying to explain the situation, he gets blocked.
He should’ve expected it, but he got blocked on delivered. Meaning Kuzuha didn’t even want to hear him out.
Secondly, he forgets that he had an early meeting with the council about something to do with the paint peeling off the school’s backyard? He doesn’t even know.
Instead he sleeps in, opting to be half an hour late to first period in order to avoid any means of staring or gossip there’d be.
Lastly, Tsukino Mito is pissed.
As he approaches school, he finally turns on his internet to see an influx of messages. He wishes it was Kuzuha, but unfortunately he was still blocked.
It was instead his daisenpai, President of the council, Mito senpai that had texted him asking about his whereabouts.
He thinks he’s been doing a lot of sprinting lately as he runs towards the council room in a desperate attempt to save face.
It doesn’t work, because he was the only one on the receiving end of Mito’s wrath about how the maid café wasn’t up to standards and she subtly not so subtly glares at him at that part as if to say ‘ get your shit together’.
He gulps as he nods and listens.
But that wasn’t even the worst part, cut to where he was currently standing face to face with his vice president, Kenmochi Toya.
“Kanae? I need to speak to you for a moment, everyone else may leave. Thanks Mito.” Mito grumbled at her friend, shooing the rest of the council away, leaving with a resounding bam! to the doors.
As soon as everyone leaves, Toya looks over to Kanae with a levelled gaze.
Kanae tries not to show how sleep deprived he was by offering yet another one of his signature smiles.
“Kanae. I assume you know why you’re here.” Toya starts.
Kanae looks at him in confusion, unsure of how to answer that. “I’m sorry, I don’t senpai.”
Toya huffs. “It’s about Kuzuha.”
At that, Kanae stills, cursing under his breath. ‘I really can’t sulk over this alone can I.’
“What do you mean? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” It’s ineffective and he knows it, not even a child would believe that.
Toya also calls him out for his bullshit, raising his eyebrows at the obvious lie. “Kanae, don’t give me that. It’s honestly tiring watching you two.”
Now that, Kanae is back to square one. He looks up at his senpai in genuine confusion.
Toya seems to understand that his look is genuine this time because he clears his throat to start explaining himself.
“Kanae, you should’ve seen him yesterday. I’ve never seen him that depressed before, it was honestly embarrassing. He kept checking his phone for your messages, and when you did text, he ran off.” Kanae grimaces, ‘ yea look how that turned out.’
He clears his throat, “While I’m glad he still thought of me, I’m not so sure that’s quite the reaction now after what happened afterwards.”
Toya raised his eyebrows, urging Kanae to explain and so the brunette did.
Toya listens to Kanae’s explanation, looking livid at some parts then embarrassed at some. But ultimately as Kanae finishes, he sighs with a palm running down his face.
“You’re both actually stupid.” Toya deadpanned, eliciting an offended gasp from Kanae.
Toya ignores it and continues, “You know you guys aren’t actually broken up.”
“Senpai, thanks for deluding me but he literally told me that we were done.” Toya rolls his eyes at that.
“I heard what he said the first time, but the second time he never actually looked at you and told you those words right?” The raven haired deadpanned at his junior.
“Well he did tell me to ‘ fuck off’ so I’m assuming that we’re over.”
“Oh please, he only blocked your LINE right? How many times did you spam him?” To Kanae’s defence, he does look quite sheepish whilst showing the older over 100+ messages.
Toya glares at him. “And you expect that lazy guy to read through those? He never actually blocked your other socials has he.” And true to his senpai’s judgement, he hasn’t.
But Kanae still doesn’t get it and he looks over at the older to elaborate.
“Come on Kanae, aren’t you at the top of your classes? He didn’t actually break up with you, he wanted to see how you’d fix whatever this is.” Toya sighed, watching the gears turning in his kouhai’s brain.
‘It’s about damn time.’ He thinks as he sees a flash of hope flicker across the brunette’s face.
“Do you really think so, senpai?” Kanae flashes him a look of wonder, totally in awe of the thought.
Toya shifted away from his gaze in a huff. “Well obviously. That guy loves you too much to do so.”
Kanae visibly perked up at his words, as if the brunette didn’t believe it—or more so, stopped believing in it.
“Well what am I supposed to do now senpai?” Unable to take in his junior’s pitiful question anymore, he looks back furiously and flicks his forehead, resulting in a pained whine.
“You’re smarter than this Kanae, think. ” Toya is grateful because to his credit, the brunette does quiet down and ponders.
After a minute or so he looks up, shifting his weight from one leg to another. He looks a bit sheepish at which Toya raises a questioning eyebrow.
“So I have an idea..”
——
“Really Kuzuha please just follow me.” Toya tugs him forward, an amused Ibrahim behind him watching the whole thing unfold.
“You idiots! I know it’s my birthday and you probably have a surprise waiting up there. I'm not dumb!” Kuzuha chooses to ignore Ibrahim’s mutter about ‘main character syndrome.’
Toya rolls his eyes and continues tugging the struggling silver haired forwards. “I totally doubt that, but this isn’t about your birthday!”
Toya grits his teeth, dragging the complaining vampire forwards. It’s only until Ibrahim helps him move that their friend resigns to his fate with a sigh.
Kuzuha narrowed his eyes as the two approached familiar stairways that led up. “If it’s not for my birthday, what could possibly be on the rooftop?”
Kuzuha huffs at being ignored when the two remain silent.
As they approach the rooftop doors, Kuzuha sees a silent look of understanding pass through them. They both nod, then glance back at him.
Before he can even process what’s happening next, he gets thrown out of the room. Turning around to see the door closing with a resounding thud.
He flinched a bit, but otherwise he’s used to their antics.
But what was weird wasn’t that, it was that usually he would’ve figured out their little prank by now. However that wasn’t the case as he looks around curiously, no cake, no ribbons in sight.
He shrugs his shoulders and walks forwards, looking around for anything suspicious.
It was only until he reached the end of the roof, approaching the barbed fence that he heard shuffling.
His ears slightly tip down as they hear something small from behind.
Kuzuha turns around and he prides himself for not dropping his mouth agape.
In front of his eyes stood Kanae with his head slightly turned to the side, a charming but nervous smile adorning his handsome face. But he wasn’t empty handed, in his hands held a large bouquet of roses, similar to the one he saw— oh. Oh right, that day.
Kuzuha immediately scowls, and he’s a bit annoyed that Kanae just smiles more.
“What’re you doing here?” Kuzuha settles on, eyeing him suspiciously.
“Well, it’s your birthday. How could I not be here?” The brunette replies smoothly, not deterred at all of Kuzuha’s slightly defensive approach.
“If you’re just gonna make fun of me again, then don't. No one’s here to watch.” At this Kanae frowns, to which Kuzuha’s thinks is a bit ironic.
“Why would I ever make fun of you Kuzuha? If you could just let me explain—“
“I think I’ve had enough of you explaining Kanae.” Kuzuha says bitterly, ignoring the way his strings tug at his heart from the saddened expression Kanae had on.
“Please Kuzuha, I truly didn’t mean for you to feel this way. That girl that you saw the other time was a misunderstanding.” Kuzuha rolled his eyes, he highly doubted that.
But Kanae continued, “I actually bought those for you, but then you came while she was confessing—and I get she got mad cus she took your roses and said it was hers.” Kuzuha had to give Kanae credit, the other looked determined.
Kanae continues on but after a while he stops when he realises Kuzuha wasn’t buying it.
The brunette purses his lips. Face set on a determined look.
“Okay, you leave me no choice Kuzuha!” He huffs, settling the roses down carefully then walking towards Kuzuha.
The other tries not to step back, but it seemed he didn’t have to as Kanae wasn’t walking towards him in the first place.
Instead he sees him going towards the railings of the fence. Kuzuha wouldn’t lie if he said he wasn’t a bit concerned.
“Wait Kana—“
“Hey everyone down there—!”
Kuzuha freezes up, jaw slacked at the brunette currently screaming down five floors at the newly formed crowd of students.
“Kuzuha is mine okay—!” Kuzuha chokes. “I’m gonna marry him and love him forever and ever!! And none of you will ruin it!!” Kanae shouts till his last breath, making sure everyone hears it.
Kuzuha could hear a relatively noisy crowd forming, but he doesn’t dwell on it as he yanks the brunette backwards.
“What was that?!” Kuzuha hissed.
Kanae looks at him with the same determination and Kuzuha would find himself short of breath as he listens further to the brunette.
Kanae shuts his eyes closed, then reaches out for Kuzuha by the waist and pulls him in closer by the wrist, grip loose so that the latter could pull away any chance he wanted to.
But he doesn’t.
“I love you Kuzuha, if that wasn’t obvious enough. I’d never do anything to hurt you, and I’m sorry that I did but I will change! I understand if you want to, but please don’t break— mph!” Kanae cracks his eyes open to see the vampire had placed a hand over his mouth, a scowl in place that does nothing to hide the furious blush.
“Shut up! I get it!” Kuzuha yelled at him, then looked away to mutter something ineligible.
Kanae blinks. “What was that—“
“I said I forgive you dumbass! And no, I didn’t break up with you, we’re still fine.”
A few beats of silence pass and Kuzuha’s blush spreads from his face to his shoulder. Which were aggressively scrunched up as if to hide his face in it.
Kanae stares at the sight before he snaps out of it, pulling his boyfriend closer by the waist. The older squawked indigently, but otherwise grumbled only a bit as he sinks into the younger’s embrace, having missed it dearly.
“Ah.. I’m so happy right now I could die.” Kanae whispers into his ears, chuckling at how it easily turned red.
“Hey.. you’re being for real right? This is true? No takesies backsies?”
Kuzuha pinches his ears, resulting in a familiar ‘ mouuu’ that the vampire hadn’t realised he missed so much.
He huffs in retaliation. “Yes. Now stop talking.” He says as he nuzzles in further to his boyfriend.
They stand there for a while, the sound of the muttering beneath them slowly going away.
“Oh yeah, how did those two know to bring me here?”
“Hm? Oh, I kind of asked them for a favour..”
“You—! I’m gonna kill them.”