Chapter Text
>>RITSU: wya
>>RITSU: wya
>>MAO: wya
TO MAO: is this ritsu
>>MAO: no
>>MAO: wya
You smiled to yourself. Tucking your phone away, you turned back to the notes you were trying to take. Today’s “producer lesson” was about costuming, and although you really enjoyed the subject, the lack of a proper classroom was leaving you feeling unmotivated. Although, it wasn’t all bad, you thought. Your break was the last hour of lunch, which meant the cafeteria was pleasantly quiet, and even the scant people you knew were courteous enough to leave you alone.
>>MAO: Do you owe ritsu money??
Well. Almost everyone.
TO MAO: technically, yes
>>MAO: Technically??
>>MAO: WHERE ARE YOU
TO MAO: hi ritsu
You looked at the time. You could finish this later, you reasoned, and began to pack away the small mess you had made. Spending your free time around Ritsu had sharpened a sixth-sense for his presence, and you could feel it going off like a warning bell at the back of your head. You made your way towards the main building (sticking to the edges of the room for Reasons), keeping your head low and ears out for Mao or Ritsu.
It’s not that you were scared of Ritsu, per se. It wasn’t even that you owed him a lot of money - you could probably pull out the amount from spare change in the bottom of your bag. It was… well. You felt your face heat up slightly as you rounded a corner. Ritsu would want to know why you all but assaulted him for exactly 140 yen, now Ritsu it’s important.
>>RITSU: im going to find u
>>RITSU: ur not at the cafe
>>RITSU: ur going to the practice rooms
TO MAO: please. Im begging you
TO MAO: he’s fragile. kick out his kneecaps or something
>>MAO: WHERE ARE YOU
TO MAO: hi ritsu
Was hiding really worth the trouble? You had work you needed to do, and being chased by Ritsu could last for days (or until he got bored again).
The practice rooms were a no-go, and you frowned as you pulled away from the room you were planning on hiding in. You ticked off the list of places where you could hide quickly - the light music room was no good, as Rei would rat you out in a second. The library? Too obvious. You were debating the merits of potentially crossing Wataru in the drama room when your phone buzzed again.
>>ARASHI: Hiya!
Your heart stopped. In the bustling halls of the second-year classrooms, you froze, eyes fixed to your screen in utter and sheer panic.
>>ARASHI: I was going to stop by and see you in the cafe, but you weren’t there. :(
>>ARASHI: If you’re free, would you mind stopping by? I still need to pay you back for the coffee yesterday!
>>ARASHI: I’m at the fountain, by the way. <3
You weren’t proud of a lot of things. Sometimes you chewed with your mouth open, you were terrible with names, and you had a terminal illness called being a huge fucking lesbian. Ritsu be damned, Arashi Narukami - the most beautiful woman you had ever laid eyes on, the embodiment of perfection and hard work - texted you. Asking to see you. Because she was thinking about you.
Gah.
You drop-dead sprinted out of the building, not-so-subtly stopping for a second and collecting yourself before rounding the corner.
“Money. Now.”
It was almost comical how far down you had to look to meet Ritsu’s eyes. “Hi Ritsu,” you said. There was a soft giggling coming from behind him, and a flash of light blonde hair made you look up.
Arashi, sitting cross-legged on the rim of the fountain, was clutching her sides. “I’m so sorry!” She looked up at you, wiping at the corners of her eyes. “I didn’t mean to lie to you, and I really do want to thank you for the coffee from yesterday.”
You glared back down at Ritsu. “You gave her my phone number.”
He shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. “I wanted my money back.”
No you didn’t, you little shit, you wanted to say. You dug around in the pockets of your blazer before shoving a handful of coins at him. “I’m not fixing your jacket next time it rips, asshole,” you whisper.
“You’re welcome,” he yawned. “Practice after class,” he called to Arashi before slinking away.
>>MIDORI: why are you telling me this
TO MIDORI: because you don’t care enough to tell anyone else
>>MIDORI: fair.
Being the only producer at Yumenosaki had its merits. No matter what group or club, people generally seemed to like you, and they frequently asked you for this or that, so you were never bored. The downside, however, was that everyone came to you for help. Which is the only probable reason why Leo texted you, asking you to come down to the Knight’s dress rehearsal to inspect their costumes.
TO RITSU: does everyone in knights have my number now
>>RITSU: y
>>RITSU: sssssssssssssssss
TO RITSU: turn ur phone off when you nap pls
>>RITSU: hut the fuck up
TO RITSU: im hemming ur pants to ur calves now
>>RITSU: snzzzz
They were already in the middle of a song when you pushed open the stage doors, bag full of sewing supplies under your arm. You snagged a stray chair from backstage and sat, carefully pulling out your sewing kit and flipping open the notebook that held all your measurements. The Knights’ page was bare, with only Ritsu’s information in smudged ink.
You remember thinking, I’ll watch to see if there are any glaring problems, and you managed to note a missing button on Izumi’s coat before your dumb little lesbian brain honed in on Arashi. She was dancing now, moving gracefully along with the music as Ritsu belted out his solo. She had a smile on her face, one with teeth, one so confident it screamed, I don’t even have to be in the center to draw your attention.
You watched the rest of their set, eyes never leaving her. As the music came to a close and the stage lights dimmed, you caught a glimpse of her wiping sweat from her face with the back of her glove.
I wish I was that glove, you thought absently, and then, ew. Gross.
You smiled and waved at them as they came backstage, politely avoiding prolonged eye contact with Arashi and making every effort to stab Ritsu with your pencil. You pointed out Izumi’s missing button, and made notes about correcting Leo’s cuff length and fixing a hole for Tsukasa.
“Alright,” you drawled, looking up from your notes. “Any problems for you?” you asked, looking at Arashi.
She smiled. “Hm,” she tapped her chin, “None that I can think of.”
“Um.” You looked back down at your notebook. “Cool.”
Over your shoulder, you heard Ritsu snicker. Snapping your notes shut, you turned on your seat and kicked his shin. “Coats off. I need to get these back to my room.”
>>MIDORI: .
TO MIDORI: .
>>MIDORI: .
TO MIDORI: say something
>>MIDORI: hahahahaha how are you that gay
TO MIDORI: try again
>>MIDORI: you didn’t come here for support
TO MIDORI: .
>>MIDORI: .