Work Text:
“If the number is above…”
Your maths teacher’s voice drones on like the whirring of a fan as your pen scratches idly across your notebook. The lines take shape though you aren’t looking at the paper. Instead, your eyes are focused on the back of the student sitting in the desk in front of you.
He seems to be absorbed in the lesson, but you suspect that his own attention is wandering as well. He hasn’t glanced up at the teacher once since class began. Strands of his long, unnaturally red hair shift slightly in the breeze created by the fan overhead.
Your hand stills and you finally look down to see what image your unconscious mind has produced. You blink in surprise. It’s a sketch of your classmate, Minamino Shuichi, the owner of the very un-Japanese red hair. You’ve drawn just his face, almond-shaped eyes and model cheekbones framed by bangs.
You smile and shake your head. Why wouldn’t it be Shuichi? You’ve been staring at his back for the past twenty minutes or so.
You begin to work on a border for the drawing. Flowers suit Shuichi, you think. He’s knowledgable on many subjects but his plant knowledge boggles your mind. Botany is an unusual hobby for a high schooler, but, then, Shuichi is exceptional in many ways.
The bell rings, signalling the end of class. You jot down your homework assignment below the completed sketch. As you begin to close your notebook, you sense a presence beside you. You look up into the face of the boy whose image is etched onto your notebook paper.
One finger flicks the cover of the notebook back, fully revealing your sketch. Your cheeks burn red as Shuichi studies it, his expression inscrutable.
“Ah, sorry, Minamino-san,” you stammer out, sure that he won’t appreciate the drawing. Shuichi is the most popular boy at Meiou and the unconsenting object of many female students’ fantasies.
He’s very handsome, you can’t deny that, but those other girls sometimes take their infatuations way too far. You worry that, this time, perhaps you’ve done the same. Shuichi might assume that you are another of his obsessed fan girls. The truth is that you’re just an aspiring artist with a desire to draw.
“There’s no need to apologise. It’s a very nice sketch, though somewhat idealistic,” Shuichi says.
“Idealistic?” you inquire, your embarrassment turning to confusion.
“It’s too perfect,” Shuichi explains. “Rather like an airbrushed photo.”
“Oh,” you say in understanding. Shuichi is right. The sketch isn't an entirely accurate depiction. With the subject before you to compare, the differences are as glaring as the headlights of an oncoming car. Shuichi’s nose is wider than in your sketch and his eyelashes not quite so long. His eyes seem larger in real life as well, but you wonder if that’s merely because of their forest-green colour.
But, really, does he have to critique it? You suppose you can’t take offense though, given how well he is taking it.
“Nonetheless, it’s quite good,” Shuichi says. “You have a talent for drawing.”
“Thanks, Minamino-san.”
You finally close the notebook. You are incredibly relieved that Shuichi isn’t offended by your drawing.
Shuichi continues on to the back of the classroom, apparently on his way to discuss something with another student. You turn back to the front of the room, your eyes going to the clock above the board. Your next class begins in just a few minutes.
Shuichi returns to his seat just as the history teacher enters the room. You let out a sigh as you realise you can’t allow your mind to wander during this class. It’s not your strongest subject by far.
You flip past your sketch to a blank page and then swap your maths textbook for your history one. In front of you, Shuichi is also preparing for the lesson as the teacher greets the class.
Hours later, as you wait for your fellow art club members to arrive, you find yourself further embellishing on your sketch. It’s occurred to you that Shuichi’s hair looks rather like a fox's tail.
You hear the slide of a chair across the floor and turn your head to see your fellow club member Masaki’s slim frame settling in it. He leans over to look curiously at your drawing, tucking black strands of hair behind his ear as he does so. He lets out a short snort of laughter as he sees the fox ears you’ve just penned in atop Shuichi’s head.
“Cute,” he says. “But you might want to keep that to yourself. You wouldn’t want Minamino’s fan club seeing that.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s true.” Forget Shuichi not appreciating the addition. His fan club would probably either murder you for ‘defacing’ him, or demand prints. Neither prospect is favourable.
Yet another sketch to tuck away in a dark corner of a drawer, never to see the light of day again.