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“What is that, that green sound?” I asked my mom once. “What do you mean, Daiki? What green sound?” She asked me without paying too much attention as she neatly folded the bed sheets that had been just dried. I tried my best to mimic the sound for her, but I felt it wasn’t quite similar so I insisted, “It’s green, don’t you see it?” but I only got a smile in return and told me she wasn’t sure what it was. I was probably about five or six when it happened but that was not the only sound that I could see. Perhaps “see” is not the best word to describe it but of course at that age it was the only way I could explained it; I, somehow, was seeing sounds and it was completely normal. I never thought it was scary or something special as the colours and shapes would appear by themselves in front of me without even thinking of them. Voices, nature, music and city sounds all have colours for me. My mom’s voice, for example, was a very light red colour; my dad, on the other hand, was a very dark blue almost black; the sound of the river I used to visit as a child was white coloured, the doorbell ring looks like brown triangles and so on. There were some other sounds that didn’t have a colour though so as I was growing up, sometimes I would ask myself why they didn’t have one. Most of the time; however, I didn’t even notice as the colours I did see where always there as though an extension of myself."
"One time in elementary school, I remember our teacher gave us an assignment. She asked us to describe certain words as in what they mean to us and all of that; and I think I spent a few minutes reading every word on the paper and repeating them in my head and before I could think of what they meant, colours and shapes appeared in my head almost instantly for some of the words. Hope is yellow; a very vibrant tone and it is shaped like circle floating in waves of the same colour; the word Friendship is a light blue spiral, ‘Sincerity’ is green and sort of an hourglass shape but the one I really like the most is the word Love. You might think that because love associates with read hearts most of the time, I would probably see it like that but not at all... - Aomine rested his head against the wall and continued “Love was probably or is, because I still see it like that, the nicest shapes or colours I've seen in my head, how do I put it? It's beautiful.”
Kise whose head was resting on Aomine’s shoulders, lifted it slightly and looked at him “Are you seeing it now?”
“Yeah, I mean it’s always there when I hear the word... in front of me, to my left. It’s like a translucent silvery-white screen made of fine crystals and glitter and they are silky and pearl white. At the top of it as though floating in space, there are some very light purple or blueish-white spheres made of glass and they are flickering in blue tones... the whole screen is moving gently like a curtain being blown by the wind letting a golden shimmer illuminate the entire screen. It looks beautiful but fragile.”
“That indeed sounds pretty, I wish I could see it Aominecchi but why you never told this to anybody?”
“I did, as a child that’s how I would describe sounds remember? I thought people were able to see those same colours or shapes as I did when hearing those sounds but they didn’t seem to understand.”
“But... I mean you never asked them why they didn’t see them like that?”
“I don’t know, maybe my brain couldn’t think of that and I thought they just didn’t care much to see the sound. So, as I grew up, I was so used to that I didn’t pay attention anymore”
“Hmm okay and how about other people like Kurokocchi or Momoicchi ? Do they have colours too?”
“When I was ten, I was at Satsuki’s birthday party and I remember asking her why she didn’t choose purple balloons and party hats to which she replied with a scowl on her face – why would I choose purple? - I was a bit confused so I just commented that it could have gone really well with her name and birth month as the word May was purple but she just ignored me so I stayed quiet after that; later though I realized that colour it was only in my head of course but her voice doesn’t have a colour, it’s only her name that triggers it. With Tetsu... uhh, I don’t see anything not even when hearing his name, Akashi though is a dark grey background with some silver lines crossing or cutting through the solid color .”
“That’s sounds scary... just like Akashicchi himself” They both laughed at the comment.
They went silent for a moment before Kise asked again.
“So, when did you realize that you had this thing... synaesthesia?”
“Some time at the end of junior high school, I think? I was watching a movie or something like that and one the characters could see colours when hearing people’s voices so I was surprised when the word synaesthesia was mentioned. I remember looking that up, and I felt... I don’t know kind of dumb and embarrassed but at the same time some things were finally making sense.”
“Did you tell your parents about it?”
“Nope, I couldn’t bring myself to tell them I had that; not when for so many years they didn’t seem to pay attention to it. I guess I was also afraid of them not believing me and thinking I was crazy. I mean I myself was surprised about it and although I could name what it was, I had questions and there wasn’t much information about it.”
“Hmm yeah, I get you mean but to me that just sounds nice to have, like a kaleidoscopic world, right? Or does it bother you sometime?”
“Not at all but colour-hearing synaesthesia is not the only type, there are many others and from what I know sometimes it doesn’t seem sounds as nice as mine since people can feel confusing and overwhelming and actually avoid certain places with or sounds because it will make them feel frightened or exhausted.”
“Really? Then you are a lucky one Aominecchi! Also, the way you talk it makes me feel like I’m in one of those scientific conferences you sound like an expert in the matter; I wish Midorimacchi was here to hear you; I’m sure he would be proud of you” Kise said giggling.
“Shut up, I had to make sure I was not crazy, okay?”
“Right, right, you have always been scared of ghosts and odd things.”
“Quit it, Ryouta ” said Aomine in a stern voice. “Also, I got this one book about the topic that I’m pretty sure I never finished reading but somewhat helped me to get what it was.”
Kise shifted his body to a more comfortable position on Aomine’s lap and then asked almost tentatively “So, uh how about... me?
“Hmm?”
Kise lifted his head again, golden eyes staring at him “Do I have a colour too? Does my name have a colour?” he asked softly.
“Sort of”
“If you tell me it’s yellow, I won’t believe you.”
“Your name doesn’t have a colour but your voice does.”
“So, you see it every time you hear me?”
“Yeah”
“How is it then?”
“I don’t know why but your voice shares the same shape and colours as this one word too and so far, you are the only one like that; it has been like that since the moment you talked to me when I met you the day I threw that damn ball at you.’’
“What is the word?”
“Love... I can see the exact image of the word love when I hear your voice; call it fate, coincidence, good luck or whatever you like, but that’s how your voice is and I’m so fucking happy is that way.”
“Daiki...” Kise felt tears welling up.
“Okay, now that was not the reaction I was expecting but I should have known better. If I’m the chicken one then you are the cry-baby.” Aomine said with a sigh.
“You’re an idiot... you first get all deep and sweet and then expect me not to feel anything” Kise said almost choking up and smiling at the same time.
Aomine laughed and pulled him to kiss him softly on his lips.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Daiki.”
“ Whether was destiny or not what brought us together; and until you and your smile disappear, I have no choice but to cherish our love in this kaleidoscopic world full of colours and dreams” Aomine thought to himself.