Chapter Text
“Karma,” Gakushuu groaned, stretching his back after a long night. Karma looked over at him, smiling slightly. He was sure that if any one of the ‘Asano worshippers’ at school could see him now, all sweaty and beat, they wouldn’t recognize him.
“Yes princess?” He teased, holding a plastic crown, walking over slowly. His legs were sore too.
“Can you give me a ride?” The strawberry blond asked, tying his laces.
“Another one?”
“Yeah, and if you can, please stop five houses away,” he asked, standing up with a sigh, “my father doesn’t approve of this ,” he explained, but Karma knew that, and knew what happened to the last student who tried to defy Gakuhou.
“Yeah, got it,” he nodded, slinging a bag on his shoulder and turning around. He was eager to leave the bleak room. It never looked nice there after dark.
“Gosh, why is it so bright?” Gakushuu squinted at the light coming from the lamppost. The same light that illuminated his tired facial features and the small blush he still had from twenty minutes ago.
“Just about as bright as our futures!” Karma teased, hopping onto his bike, “do you want to sit?”
“I’m better off standing,” he replied, thinking about events from earlier in the night- events that could’ve been avoided if he just took the right turn, but with his luck he came out of the place with a sore butt.
“Well hold on tight.”
“Don’t need to tell me twice,” he smiled a bit, getting on.
It was a miracle how Gakushuu was keeping up with his school work. He was still the top of every class Karma didn’t claim as his own (though it was another miracle that Karma could keep up too.) The bags under his eyes were getting darker with every passing day, but no one had anything to say about it. Everyone just assumed he was pulling more allnighters as the course work got harder and harder.
If that was the case about the course work, then Gakushuu probably would’ve dropped out. Luckily the work was as easy as ever and he could still face his father when it came time for awards and report cards.
One Tuesday after a particularly long night, he found walking up the stairs difficult, so much so that he fell down the first three steps- oops. His five ‘friends’ looked at him with questioning looks on their faces, and no one came to help him: typical. He stayed there on the floor for another minute or so, enjoying the time he got to let his legs relax. The staring continued.
“Asano?”
“Go ahead, I’m just worn out,” he wasn’t lying.
“Can you walk?”
“Yes of course, I just find my position very comfortable, plus with the pace we’re going at we would’ve been eight minutes early to class. With this setback we’ll still be at least four minutes early.”
The other four blinked in response. Asano never seemed like the type to do things ‘just because,’ and sitting on the floor broke so many rules they barely knew how to respond.
“Oh alright, well I have a math test next period so I’ll be going ahead boss,” Koyama chuckled awkwardly, running up the rest of the stairs. Gakushuu nodded and decided it would be better for all of them if they went ahead and didn’t have to see Gakushuu’s struggle.
They went on, with Ren being the last to look on Gakushuu smiling on the floor.
Once he was sure he was alone in the stairwell, he sighed, slumping back. He really had to start taking days off. He was overworking himself like crazy. He was about to laze off for another second (meaning he’d only be a minute early for class,) when Karma walked through the metal door. He looked unimpressed, as if to say he was exaggerating.
“Piss off, your legs hurt too,” Gakushuu groaned, taking the hand that Karma extended out to him.
“Well yes, but we can’t have people getting suspicious, can we?”
“I’m sure their first guess at least will be wildly off.”
“Hm, you should take tonight off.”
Gakushuu stopped walking up the stairs to glare at Karma. Since when was Karma so concerned about him? It was annoying.
“No, I need this job,” he explained, making it to the top of the stairs, “I think you should be taking the day off.”
“Me? I feel as great as ever Asano, what do you mean?” They walked into class together with under a minute to spare, “at least I can-”
“Ren, can we look over the plans for the next student council meeting?” Gakushuu interrupted Karma before the idiot said too much.
“Keep up,” Karma panted, his hands were sweaty gripping onto Gakushuu’s costume. The latter decided someone who was tired twenty minutes in wasn’t worth his breath. “Silent treatment?” Gakushuu rolled his eyes slightly, making sure that they avoided the flashing of the camera, it felt less real that way. He could pretend he wasn’t being filmed. “Shuu come on,” Karma pouted, lifting the shorter boy up by a bit.
That wasn’t part of the routine .
“Idiot. Save your breath and stay on script. If we have to film this one more time-”
“Asano-kun, sorry your voice was a bit too loud there,” the director said, cutting the background music. Gakushuu felt like crying. Stupid Akabane. Stupid Akabane and his taunts, stupid Akabane and his odd job recommendations.
“Sorry sir,” Gakushuu turned his way and bowed, closing his eyes. His dignity would not let him look anyone other than Karma in the eye while in his ridiculous blue outfit.
“You’re probably tired, good work boys. Keep it up, let’s go from the second switch to the end and then you can go home.”
That took another hour and a half.
“Asano? Asano. ASANO?” Karma yelled, tapping on the younger boy’s shoulder. He had fallen asleep in math class and they were supposed to be working on a project together.
“What?” He grumbled, turning his head in his arms, just five more minutes.
“Asano,” he shook the boy, who ended up falling from his chair.
“WHAT THE FUCK-” he covered his mouth with his hand and looked apologetically at their teacher, who wrote something down in a notebook.
“Language Ace-kun,”Karma scolded, offering him a hand.
“I blame you,” was all Gakushuu said before finishing his portion of the assignment in absolute silence. For all he was concerned, this was good practice for when he had to be quiet with Karma while filming.
“Thanks for finishing,” Karma started off, “but take a day off, you just fell asleep in class. In dream time that must’ve been like twenty years or something.”
“You’re clearly the sleep deprived one here. Talking nonsense as usual,” he brushed his concern away, “why do you even want me to take a day off?” He whispered.
“You’re no fun when you’re tired.”
“I’m never any fun. If you want fun then ask for another partner,” he rolled his eyes, closing his notebooks. They still had a few minutes of class left and he intended on making up for lost sleep in that time.
“He thinks we have chemistry, I can’t get a new partner.”
“So you just want a day off too then,” Gakushuu replied angrily, “you could just take a day off and then I’d take one too. Why do I have to start everything?” This was probably their most stupid argument yet. Asano was too tired to make valid arguments and Karma was too childish for any.
“He likes you better, he makes you take the less aggressive roles.”
“Excuse me?” He looked at him as if he had just questioned ability to multiply, “are you saying that I don’t have it rough?”
“Well not nearly as rough as I have it, no.”
“Those are fighting words Akabane. Fighting words. I can barely stand in the mornings,” he said that last part a little too loudly. Ren glanced at him, raising an eyebrow, but Gakushuu didn’t quite catch it.
“I’m the one who has to carry you.”
“You never hold me properly,” even whispering that was too loud in a quiet math classroom.
“Maybe you’re just too heavy,” Karma scowled because he was sure his form was always excellent.
“Maybe you’re just too weak. What, do you need me to lead next time?”
Before Karma was able to say that Gakushuu didn’t have the balls to do that, the bell rang, saving them from further embarrassment.
“What happened out there today guys? Where was the tension? The spark? Did you guys fight? Break up?” Gakushuu coughed at that.
“Excuse me?” They asked at the same time. Letting go of each other briefly.
“You joined together and wanted to stay partners so I assumed you were dating,” the director explained, shrugging, “look I don’t care about your love life but I want more passion okay? Feel the music and get in sync.”
“Yes sir.”
They were at it again.
“Akabane I don’t care!”
“WELL YOU SHOULD.”
“I don’t need lunch,” he snapped. This had been happening more often, with the two of them arguing in the stairwell, sometimes at the top of their lungs.
“Eat the rice ball Gakushuu. Or we’re not going tonight,” he forced the rice closer to Gakushuu’s mouth.
“Even if you don’t go that doesn’t mean I’m staying home.”
“Well it should because you can’t do it with anyone else,” he tried again, but Shuu swatted his hand away. Then Karushuu’s good luck kicked in because Araki decided to walk in (don’t break the fourth wall Jay.)
“Yes I can. I can do it with anyone I want,” he rubbed his eyes. The dark circles under them were starting to cave it worse than they ever had. Karma was barely better, but wanted Gakushuu to at least calm down a bit. The boy had soccer and other extracurriculars to juggle around. He was dying, and people were beginning to notice.
“You can’t. I can’t do it with anyone else either,” Karma confessed, “we’re both barely good enough to perform, imagine being put with one of the bigger guys.”
“They’d probably know not to bruise me,” Gakushuu was fed up with the conversation at this point, and he started walking towards the door when Karma grabbed his hand.
“I said I was sorry.”
Gakushuu didn’t bother turning around.
“Yeah well my dad saw it,” Karma let go.
“Oh…”
“I’m going to class. See you tonight.”
Araki had no idea what to do with this information, but he knew he couldn’t keep it to himself.
“Where did you get this?” Ren asked, going to rewind the video again. It was obvious that that was Gakushuu in the video but it didn’t sound like anything he’d say.
“I walked in on it, in the right wing stairwell,” he explained, taking some notes down, “so do we publish it?”
“Are you kidding? It’s Asano, we can’t publish it,” Ren set the phone down, “plus Akabane would kill us.”
“They don’t need to know we posted it.”
“They’re the smartest students at school, they’re going to find out.”
“It’s already on the school blog,” the shorter boy pushed his glasses up and took the phone, “but I took all the necessary precautions to buy me a month before certain death.”
“Asano?” It was around 11pm and Ren wanted to apologize for their friend’s behaviour. The video had blown up in the school and Gakushuu seemed oblivious to that. He had called the boy, expecting him to be the one to answer.
“Did you post the video?” That was Karma. Ren rubbed his temples.
“No I didn’t. Do you know where Asano is?”
“ Look , I know you have your assumptions and I know you know who posted it. I don’t care about that as much right now, you just can’t bring it up with Asano. When he finds out he’s going to freak out and he already has too much on his plate. Tell whoever posted it that we were practicing for a play.” Ren blinked. “I’m serious.”
“Why do you even have his phone?”
“He doesn’t know that I do. I don’t have your number and you called at the perfect time. He’s going to come back soon, not a word about this. Got it?”
“Are you guys…” he had to choose his words carefully, “um, safe?”
“Why wouldn’t we be? He’s coming back, night.”
He put the phone down and focused on tying his skates. Skating every night for hours on end had taken a bigger toll on his physical stamina than he cared to admit. It was easier to worry about Asano than himself.
“Were you talking to someone?” Gakushuu asked, coming out of the change room in his skating costume. They were going to film a scene of the Nutcracker tonight, and he was the sugar plum fairy.
“Yeah I was, just Nagisa,” he explained, getting up.
“Oh alright,” things were awkward with the both of them, especially after their telling exchange in the stairwell. “Want to go in now?”
“Yeah. How’s the ankle?”
“It’s fine,” Gakushuu waved off his concern, “let’s go so we leave early, we have a math test tomorrow.”
“If you don’t understand I can always tutor you,” Karma smirked, wobbling into the skating room.
“Gakushuu.”
He stopped in his tracks, why was his father in his class? Gakushuu looked up at him. What did he want?
“Akabane,” Karma looked up too, “my office, now.”
Everyone looked their way, whispering about what they were in trouble for. Some speculated that it was because of the video that was leaked. They were more verbal about their opinions when the boys left.
“What’s this about father?” Gakushuu asked, taking a seat in his father’s office, “we had a math test.”
“For your sake I hope you finished. I take it you’ve seen the video,” He sounded unimpressed, and Gakushuu flinched. He had seen the video the night before with Karma while they were sitting on a bench.
“Yes.”
“And Akabane?”
“Yep.”
Gakushuu stared at his feet, not ready for his father’s comments on the matter.
“Do you have anything to say?”
“No, and I don’t want to know what you have to say.”
“You don’t get a say in that, now sit down. Even Akabane knows it’s rude to walk off while I’m talking,” Gakuhou raised his voice.
“What is there to say? You never have anything good to say anyways.”
“I just want to know for how long,” Gakuhou looked tired.
Gakushuu stayed silent, puffing his cheeks out. He could get expelled for having a job on the side. He overestimated his father’s inferring skills though and he would soon find out that everyone was thinking pretty much the same thing.
“Nine months,” Karma admitted.
“So that’s where you’ve been going off to every night,” Gakuhou took note of this, and there was something in his eyes that looked like regret. Gakushuu was sure he was about to get expelled.
“Yes it is.”
“Why Akabane?” He sounded genuinely confused. Gakushuu was beginning to feel the same way.
“What do you mean?”
“You heard me. Why Akabane?” Karma shifted in his seat. Could they not see that he was right there?
“Look if you’re going to expel me I suggest you do it quickly, so I can go home and enroll elsewhere.”
“That’s ridiculous. Do you know how many girlfriends Sakakibara has had from middle school till now?” Gakushuu released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Hang on what? Why is Ren’s love life relevant?
“Girlfriends sir?” Karma asked, dumbfounded. Gakuhou sighed.
“I should’ve known. After how you rejected all those valentine’s cards. I won’t meddle but I do hope you’ll refrain from coming to school bruised. Both of you.”
Karma’s face flushed red and Gakushuu puffed his cheeks out. This was embarrassing, but it wasn’t suspension. Maybe they could live with this newfound humiliation- did he say bruised?
“Father you’ve got this all wrong,” Gakushuu said after thinking about his final comment, “very wrong. If I could only explain,” he looked at his father with pleading eyes, “I fell. That’s how I got bruised.” Gakuhou raised an eyebrow.
“Why did you blame Akabane?”
“I dropped him sir.” Gakushuu gave Karma a sideways glare. He could handle this himself.
“In what situation would you have to drop my son?”
“We were rehearsing. It was my fault, I tripped. It messed up the whole routine and I didn’t want to take responsibility for messing us up.”
“No matter the cause, you can’t let this get in the way of your studies. You’re dismissed.” He didn’t need to know what kind of romantic dances they did in the middle of the night. What he needed now was quiet and a therapist.
“You believe me right?”
No response. Gakushuu groaned and walked out, slamming the door on Karma who sighed and ran out to catch up with him.
“Asano c’mon,” who knew the class pres could be such a baby, “was that the worst thing that could’ve happened?”
“It was embarrassing and that’s the worst thing ever. Now my father thinks I’m with you ! Of all people!” He sighed, speed walking to class.
“If you go in they’ll just ask you questions.”
“You’re thinking of skipping?”
“I’m going to take a nap Asano, I think you need one too.”
“My father would see me going home, he’d contact me through the doorbell.”
“Come over?”
“So we’ll have a sleepover on the couches.”
“It’s just a nap Akabane, you don’t need to take blankets out,” Gakushuu said, taking his shoes off and setting his bag down on a bench before going to sit down on the black leather couch.
“More blankets for me then,” Karma sang, going into one of the lean-in closets, “I’m taking a day off today.”
He was getting ready for a scolding from Gakushuu about how skipping work was immature and irresponsible, but instead all he heard was snoring and the AC. There went his conversation partner, but then again, at least Gakushuu was getting some sleep.
He passed out soon after, lying down on the couch to the right of Gakushuu.
He woke up to the sound of someone falling, he opened his eyes, ready to grab a weapon to hit whoever the intruder was. Then he realized Shuu, who was asleep on his couch, was now snoring on the floor. He looked kind of cute. Even cuter than when he was in his Elsa costume.
He went back to sleep and woke up at around 8 because of the same person but for different reasons.
“Akabane?”
“Five minutes,” he grumbled, turning around. Gakushuu took his phone out and flashed some light in his eyes.
“We have to eat soon so we can go tonight.”
“I told you I’m not going.”
“Come on.”
“Why did you even take the job?” He turned to face Gakushuu.
“I needed the money,” he mumbled. And here folks is where Jay gave up on this totally. anything after this i’m not responsible for.
“Needed? So you don’t still need it? What did you need it for? You’re like abusing yourself.”
Gakushuu frowned, kicking at the floor. Why did Karma take the job?
“Well why did you get the job anyway?”
“I needed money for university,” he explained, standing to stretch.
“Why do you need money for university?”
“Because I want to go to school.”
“You live on this street,” Gakushuu frowned. It was obvious that Akabane wasn’t poor. The tuition for their school wasn’t cheap to begin with, and Karma’s house was really nice. He also had a lot of things from foreign places, implying that he travelled.
“My parents’ house. They’re not paying for my university.”
“Oh,” Gakushuu gave him a sorry look, but he laughed and shook it off.
“Don’t get me wrong, they want to, but I don’t want to owe them any more than I already do.”
“Isn’t that being petty?”
“It is yes,” Karma smirked, walking into the kitchen to make them dinner, “but this is the least I can do. Now it’s your turn. Why did you take the job?”
“I need to move out,” he explained, looking anywhere but at Karma.
“Oh.”
He had probably heard of the principal smacking him not too long ago, but Gakushuu never liked admitting that things like that bothered him. It’s not like the slap was deadly, he was stronger than that. He just wanted his own place to clear his head.
“I don’t need your pity. If you’re rested enough to pity me then we’re going.”
“You could always just,” he cut himself off. He cleared his throat and started boiling some water. “Never mind. We’re staying here though. You’re also sleeping over.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your father will be fine with it. Plus, it helps you get a feel of what living away from him will be like.”
“Fine.”