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Aotake feels a lot like home in the early mornings.
Kakeru is glad he's always been an early riser, because he likes the way nobody bothers him at dawn. He still doesn't feel at ease in the dorm, not when he can't tell what Haiji wants from him. But it's not as bad as his parents' house, he thinks… not the way it had been after he screwed everything up and let everybody down.
He doesn't think he's let anybody in Aotake down, yet. Well—maybe the twins, who have suddenly acquired a passion for running now that they think it will get them girls. And… maybe Haiji, but Haiji never actually acts like he's disappointed, which is odd. Kakeru is used to people being very vocal about their disappointment. They sigh, or yell, or shame the people they're disappointed in.
Haiji doesn't do that. He seems confident everything will turn out the way he wants. So he just waits.
And speaking of Haiji…
The kitchen isn't empty when Kakeru passes by the doorway. He makes the mistake of peeking inside when he hears noises, and falls into Haiji's trap.
Kakeru had been surprised to find that Haiji cooks the meals for all the residents. Today he's up earlier than usual, already started on breakfast.
"Ah, Kakeru," Haiji says right away, as soon as he sees him standing there, "could you hand me the dashi?"
They've made eye contact, so Kakeru can't ignore him without being rude, which he isn't. Refusing to be forced back into a competition he wants nothing to do with is not the same thing as refusing to help with breakfast, even if that breakfast is being prepared by a possible demon. He sighs, and ducks under the noren.
It's just light enough in the kitchen to see. The room is painted pink and orange in the sunrise, old wooden walls soaking up the light like it might still help them grow. Maybe that's not entirely wrong—the space seems to expand at this quiet hour, there's more room to breathe.
"It's there," Haiji says, as Kakeru looks around for it. He spots it on one of the window ledges. The myriad pots and pans stacked there make soft rounded shadows in the rosy light. Haiji could have easily reached the soup stock himself. Kakeru sighs heavily and glares at him. Haiji pointedly busies himself over the stove.
"Quick, Kakeru!"
Kakeru stomps back to the window to retrieve the miso. Haiji graces him with a thank you and a beaming smile.
"You like extra mayo with your rice, right?" Haiji asks him. "I put more in the cupboard for you."
"Oh," Kakeru says, "thanks." They always "ran out" at home. His dad thought it wasn't good for his physique.
He considers asking why Haiji is up so early, but a ghostly shadow pushes past him into the kitchen, slumping into a seat at the table with a groan.
"Exciting night?" Haiji asks brightly.
"Don't talk so loud," Yuki mumbles.
"Turmeric," Haiji says, setting a glass down in front of him. "Soup's almost ready."
Kakeru blinks. Turmeric and miso—classic hangover cures his dad always swore by. He'd thought Yuki and Haiji didn't get along judging by their bantering, but as Yuki pathetically sips the drink Haiji prepared him, he thinks they seem like better friends than most of his old teammates, who only pretended to get along.
"See you back here for breakfast!" Haiji calls after Kakeru, and he unthinkingly waves a hand in farewell as he heads for the genkan to retrieve his shoes.
*
Kakeru bumps into Musa and Shindo in the genkan in the afternoon when he's coming back after class. He's been at Aotake for a few weeks now, and he manages a small smile at them as he takes off his shoes. The two of them are off to one of their afternoon lectures.
"See you this evening," he says, because he knows the two of them will be there. Somehow, they've joined the group who wants to run. Kakeru had thought he'd be more annoyed by this but they both seem… earnest. He just doesn't know how far that'll get them.
"Ah!" Shindo says, like he's remembered something. "We're going shoe shopping today after classes."
Kakeru raises his eyebrows in surprise. It's true that their current shoes aren't doing them any favors, but running shoes are a big investment. Good ones don't come cheap. He doesn't want to assume anything about their financial straits, but none of them chose Aotake because it seemed like luxury living.
"Would you like to come with us?" Musa asks with a smile.
Kakeru likes looking at different running shoes. And Musa and Shindo, with their soft voices and gentle demeanors, lull him into a false sense of security. He's already opening his mouth to say okay before he realizes what he's doing.
"I already have shoes," is what comes out instead. Rude, a little voice in his head says, and he hurries to correct himself. "I mean, I don't need to look at new ones, so I'm okay… sorry."
"You don't have to apologize!" Shindo says. "It'd probably be boring for you. I told Musa he didn't have to come, but he wouldn't listen!"
"I'm interested!" Musa protests.
They wave goodbye to Kakeru and open the sliding door, letting in the bright midday sun. As Kakeru squints into it, a thought strikes him.
"Your feet will swell!"
They turn back. Musa looks confused. "What?" He glances at Shindo for reassurance. "Did I misunderstand…"
"My feet swell?" Shindou asks, just as perplexed.
Kakeru shakes his head. "It's normal for your feet to swell a bit throughout the day, until it stabilizes around three or four PM. So I wouldn't go to the store until around five?"
They both look amazed. "I never knew that! Thanks, Kakeru!" Shindo says.
It's not that he's helping with the "team" or anything like that, Kakeru tells himself. He just doesn't want anybody getting subpar running shoes and risking injury all for some impossible goal.
He nearly jumps out of his skin when a loud THUMP on his ceiling startles him. Most likely, Prince has made some new purchases and needs to rearrange the stacks. Kakeru sighs—annoyed but also relieved at the thought that there's one person he can count on to never get on board with Haiji's scheme.
*
Perhaps an even more impressive feat than Haiji convincing Prince to run is Prince convincing Kakeru to read shoujo manga.
Kakeru can't say he was ever an avid manga reader to begin with. There were a few series that he started reading after overhearing all his other teammates talk about them, but he inevitably always fell behind on chapters, losing interest or simply lacking the time to keep up. Nobody ever really talked to him much about the stories, and he didn't attempt to bring them up.
Prince doesn't let him fall behind. They read together in his room in the evenings when the sun warms the room and turns the pages golden. They are completely silent but in sync; but when they finish a volume, even if they haven't been reading the same manga, Prince will want to hear everything Kakeru thought, everything he felt about the story. Even with the hundreds upon hundreds of books he owns, he remembers every single one and can talk at length about the characters and plot.
Kakeru likes that they share something beyond a diet and a training schedule. He didn't appreciate it at first, but now the fact that the members of Kansei Track and Field didn't come together because they wanted to win Hakone has made him feel more like part of a team than he ever has before.
He goes grocery shopping with Musa, and he walks to class with the twins, and he helps Shindo with their website. The team lights fireworks at Lake Shirakaba, and when anyone tries to make Kakeru feel ashamed of being on a team again, they stand in front of him to remind him that they are not his past.
He sees now why Prince likes sports manga so much. Sometimes he feels like he's in one.
A knock on the door draws their attention. Nico-chan-senpai stands in the doorway, very amused, arms crossed.
"Still where I left you, eh?" he says, and doesn't seem very surprised. "Dinner's ready. Haiji sent me to summon you."
"One more chapter," Prince and Kakeru say in unison.
Nico shakes his head. "You know he won't let the rest of us start eating until everyone's there to make sure we all get the right portion size. You can read after dinner."
"But the climax—" Prince wheezes, "I can't stop here, I need to know who wins this match, the cats or the crows—"
"After dinner," Nico echoes. "Honestly, how am I the one who gets stuck dragging the two of you to the table every night?"
"Probably because it's your fault we started getting along," Kakeru tells him. Nico sighs heavily, and the corner of his mouth twitches into a smile.
*
The kitchen at dinner time is always loud. These days, Kakeru is more likely to think of it as lively rather than noisy.
"Need any help?" Kakeru asks, as he parts the noren with his hand. It's not lively yet, because he's early.
Haiji, already at the stove, glances over his shoulder. "Could you hand me the—" Kakeru sets the dashi soup stock on the counter next to him before he finishes asking. Haiji grins. "And the carrots could use cutting."
It's already November. Hakone feels like it's just around the corner, and it makes every training session, every post-practice discussion buzz with excitement. The climb to the summit isn't a joke to any of them any longer. But neither is it a weight pressing down on their shoulders. It's the goal they want to see through to the end, together.
Kakeru shares a lot of different things now with the rest of the team that have nothing to do with the sport they've chosen—he's come to realize that running is what he shares with Haiji. There's an answer to the question they're both seeking, even if they don't know what it is yet. What is running? He thinks they'll find that together, too.
The rest of the team start to roll in for dinner gradually. The twins are first, never ones to be late when food is involved. Yuki and Nico-chan are next, with Yuki fussing at the older man to get an early night's sleep after how late he stayed up the previous night coding; they both glance at Haiji before lowering their voices upon remembering Nico is technically in violation of the "no working" rule (that Haiji rarely bothers to enforce, as long as it's not cutting into practice time). Shindo, Musa, and King come in still arguing over the last answer to a question on one of King's shows. Prince is last, as usual, dragging his feet with his nose in his manga.
Kakeru leans against the sink, elbow to elbow with Haiji, both of them watching as the others grab for plates, serving up the meal they made, chattering and arguing and laughing. It's a nightly scene, a familiar one, and it doesn't surprise Kakeru as much as it once might when he realizes how comfortable it makes him feel.
"It's your birthday in a couple weeks, isn't it?" Haiji suddenly says. "We should have a party."
Kakeru blinks at him. He didn't realize Haiji knew. "Alright. If you want."
A couple months ago, he might have said no. But now… he actually sort of likes the idea of celebrating with all of them. Especially if it's at Aotake, where every room, from sunrise to sundown, feels like home.
