Chapter Text
"Green is a color that to me symbolizes a new beginning. I imagine a fresh green plant emerging from the soil. Whenever I'm trying to get motivated to tackle a new goal or start over on something, surrounding myself with green can be quite helpful."
As if positioned perfectly in the sky to shine down upon her, the sun beamed- bright and hot. Tiny beads of perspiration formed at the crown of her seafoam green hair. She dragged the back of her hand across her forehead, scrunching her face up in disgust at the moist feeling that now glazed her skin. Scanning the field before her, she hastily made her way over to a nearby tree and plopped down, unzipping her tote bag and shoving her hands inside. Where had she placed it?
The sound of a whistle to the tune of a catcall caused her neck to snap up. Two figures approached her and she soon deducted that the ruckus was coming from the mouth of the blonde with far too much hair gel.
“Haven’t seen you before. I would’ve noticed the hair.”
The blonde now had his elbow pressed upon the trunk of the tree, cooly smiling down at her. His dark haired companion maintained his distance.
“Ah. Judging by the looks of your own hair, you’re in no position to be paying any attention to anyone else’s, bubba.”
His companion lowly chuckled from where he stood as she threw a smile and playful wink up at the blonde.
“Ha ha ha. I see you have jokes.” he responded.
He had a rather boisterous tone, one where every word he spoke came from the very core of his being and projected out to land upon any ears within earshot.
Quickly getting back on her feet, she extended her hand.
“The name’s Emi Fukukado.”
“Emi huh? I’m Hizashi Yamada and this here is my best friend, Shota Aizawa.”
Emi glanced back over at the silent observer. Tall and slim, he looked to be around the same height as his blonde accomplice. They towered over her 5’5 frame easily and she placed them at around 6 even. His serious demeanor was the complete and total opposite of Hizashi, whose playful nature seemed eerily similar to her own.
“What’s the matter? Cat’s got your tongue?” she teased, only to be met with the same deadpanned glare.
“Don’t mind him. He’s always this unamused. Anyways, you. I haven’t seen you around campus before. You must be fresh meat.” he leaned in and obnoxiously sniffed the space around her.
“If only you had that same energy when it came to smelling your own breath.” she flashed him another smile before bending down and picking up her bag and the schedule she had finally retrieved from it.
“Since you’re so concerned, here, show me to my first class.” she shoved the crinkled paper into Hizashi’s hand before turning her attention back over to Shota, whose silence had captured her interest. She wondered how these two came to be best friends.
“Whoa. Your schedule is all over the place. Are you a first year student or what?” Hizashi questioned, creases lined upon his forehead indicating confusion.
“Eh. Something like that. Started at university two years ago, took some classes, then went on a few adventures. I am ready to dedicate myself to my education though. Some of my classes transferred over, others didn’t. No biggie.”
“Oh. Two years younger than us, but you’ll be two years older than some of the others in your classes.”
“Right. Like I said. No biggie. Now, are you going to show me to my first class or what?”
“You’re in luck! It looks like you’re on the academia track like we are. We’ll cross paths in a few classes, just not your first one of the day. Unfortunately, that’s a freshman seminar course.”
Emi was a bit annoyed that she had to sit through the freshman seminar course at Kyoto university as if she didn’t already take a similar course at her previous university. Still, she focused on the brightsides. At least this meant that it would be an easy A.
She strolled across campus with the two Juniors mindlessly answering questions that Hizashi threw her way while eyeing Shota. People typically warmed up to her fairly easy and aside from his one chuckle earlier, he had been completely silent. He almost ignored her presence entirely and it drove her nuts. She had been so enclosed in her thoughts that she did not realize they had reached the destination of her lecture hall already.
“Well. This is you. I would show you to your next class, but I’ll be across campus and won’t make it in time. Shota has a free period though so I’ll send him back this way for you. Good luck, kiddo.” Hizashi exclaimed, patting the top of her messy bun.
“Watch it bukaroo! I am 20, not much younger than the two of you I would imagine.”
“We still have you beat by 2 years.”
Before she could respond, the two already had their backs to her and were making their way down the hall. She stuck her tongue out at their backs before making her way into the large lecture hall. To no surprise, the room was packed with bright-eyed freshmen. She quickly scanned the rows looking for an open spot that was near the back where she could easily blend in with the crowd.
She took the stairs, two at a time, bouncing up until she arrived at the row she wanted.
“‘Scuse me. Pardon me. Coming through. Watch your toes. Thanks so much.”
Squeezing by the seated students, she finally plopped down in the empty seat and decided not to even take out a notebook or pen. There was nothing she would learn in this class that she didn’t already know.
“Hey. You have another piece of gum I can borrow?”
Emi turned to the peer seated to her right, the bubble she had blown slowly deflating and landing upon her lips and nose. She sucked the gum back into her mouth and took in the being before her. The brown skinned woman’s red eyes peered into her own and the unique bunny ears upon her white hair caused Emi to pause.
She had spent the last year and a half traveling across the world, but she was simply caught off guard by the features and the beauty that sat beside her.
“Ah. How rude of me. I’m Rumi Usagiyama.”
“Hi Rumi, I’m Emi Fukukado.” Emi reached into her bag and pulled out her pack of gum.
“Here, please don’t worry about returning it.” she joked, extending a stick to the rabbit Rumi.
“Huh?”
“Well, you asked if you can borrow a piece of gum. I assure you that I won’t need this back.”
This caused Rumi to let out a hearty chuckle and the classmates in the rows surrounding them threw disapproving glares.
“Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all week.” Emi responded, standing up and taking bows as if she had just amused an entire audience at a comedy club. Rumi chuckled even more, her laughter only subsiding when their professor entered the lecture hall.
“Wanna be friends?” Rumi whispered, to which the green haired responded with a thumbs up.
It was still too soon to tell, but Emi had a feeling that things would be much better during her take two of college.