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You’ve never been particularly good in school, but it’s not something you hold against yourself so harshly. You don’t particularly hate studying and the act of going to school isn’t something that bothers you. In fact, you often find yourself in the school library during lunch or before school when you arrive early enough, sometimes flipping through notes or paging through reading material if you’ve found yourself behind. While you would much rather be doing something else, maybe exploring the city with Mondo on his motorcycle or dozing off after a long night of gaming with Chiaki from the other classes, you still make a diligent effort to be present in class.
After all, you’ve learned your lesson after earning several (emphasis, really, on several) detention slips from one hall monitor who just won’t seem to let up on you.
Kiyotaka Ishimaru, a student councilman from another class, has been harsh on you since the first day of school, and you’ve found yourself constantly progressing through a spectrum of emotions because of it. While there had been a time in the beginning when you’d held a secret crush on the other, you’d learned over time that perhaps that was best kept to yourself. Since then, however, there had been times you were just downright enraged at the other when you’d be in a rush or having a rough day, and then there were times you just accepted the detention slip and continued on your way. No matter what, that hall monitor would catch you doing something that was against some rule in some book and he would have that slip waiting with your name on it.
At first, you thought it was because the guy hated you. That had to be it with how much he always seemed to watch you and your every move. Harping on you about your fashion and how against dress code it was had been the start of it, but now it felt like there was even more the other would find to catch you on. And, somehow, it felt like it had gotten significantly worse lately. Everywhere you went, bright red eyes would be staring at you intensely as you scurried down the halls, not too fast or too slow to get a slip, but just enough to escape piercing eyes.
You talk to Mondo about it finally, knowing the other was very close with Ishimaru, and the taller man lets out a loud guffaw as the two of you continue chowing down on street food you’d picked up on one of your weekend trips together.
“Yeah, that’s Taka for you!”
Mondo explains that Taka is, has, and probably always will be, that intense. That their friendship started off the same way, long before you’d even transferred to this school, with a stack of detention slips on his desk every morning and the feeling of being watched everywhere he went.
“I think he uses those slips to try and get closer to people - as annoying as fuck that it is.” Mondo muses, folding his arms over his chest before adding something that makes it feel like he knows something you don’t. “Who knows? Maybe he likes you.”
You grimace, because that doesn’t sound right at all. In fact, it feels very wrong because you definitely never saw the slips as anything less than the other’s dislike for you. Especially when the next morning, you walk into the classroom with a stack of detention slips on your desk. You grit your teeth and crumple them in your hand before shoving them into your backpack. “Maybe he likes you” felt even more ridiculous and preposterous of an idea now. Today was as good a day as ever, you suppose, to pay the toll. You didn’t have anything to do after class anyway, you reason with yourself. You feel those same intense red eyes on you as you zip your backpack back up.
You decide that you’re not going to back down. You turn and glare down the hall monitor, your eyes not breaking contact once until the teacher opens the door and forces everyone’s attention to the front. If you’re going to keep getting these slips, you might as well give the other an actual reason for giving them to you.
Later that day, you shove the classroom door open, met with the usual suspects in the detention room. There’s Mondo in the back, who had escaped the last few detention sessions (but you suppose even he can’t escape detention forever, despite being best friends with the very hall monitor dishing them out), Leon next to him, Makoto looks regretfully at you like he, too, had probably been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hifumi is moping in the corner and you can only imagine that Ishimaru probably caught him reading manga in class again.
And again, those red eyes are on you the very second you enter the room. You glare back defiantly, watching Ishimaru stare you down as you plop yourself down in a desk in front of Mondo.
“You’re late! Punctuality is very important in a student’s life, as it provides the tools needed for success in school!” The hall monitor nearly shouts. “You will have to stay late to make up for the infraction!”
You huff but say nothing back. You suppose it’s better than being given another detention slip. The other seems annoyed at your lack of response, but with the long silence that makes everyone begin to fidget, the other finally turns back to the board in defeat to continue writing. You feel something poke at your back before you see a slip of paper reach the edge of your vision. You quietly pluck it before unwrapping it, glancing at the hall monitor with each crinkle.
‘You weren’t kidding.’
You nod, knowing Mondo would see the motion from behind you. You scribble something on the paper and carefully hand it back.
It returns quickly.
‘He’s been asking where you were since before detention even started.’
You reread the paper before you put your hand over the paper when Ishimaru turns around to glare at your corner of the room. Those eyes land on you again and you clench your jaw.
Honestly, why does this guy hate you so much, anyway? His eyes don’t leave you the entire time, even when you finally break contact to pull out homework and notes - just to do anything to avoid that unwavering gaze. You feel something tap the side of your thigh before you dare a glance down. A paper is folded and you stealthily pinch it between your fingers before you clear your throat and stuff it into your pocket. There’s no way you can read this now, not when Ishimaru is still staring you down.
You raise your hand, but there’s no real need to.
“Yes?” Ishimaru’s voice is stern.
“I need to go to the bathroom. Is that allowed?”
If Ishimaru detects the sarcasm in your last words, he doesn’t comment.
“Of course, but remember to grab a pass. And you must return promptly! A student’s job is-“
“Yessir.” You earn some snickers from behind you before you walk to the door, not bothering to look back to see the other’s face of what you assumed would be annoyance. You unhook the pass (really, why do you need this - it’s AFTER school hours), before walking out of the room. You let out a sigh of relief before digging into your pocket. You unfold the paper and scan through it.
‘You know, now that I think about it, the last time Taka was like this toward someone was when he had a crush on them.’
Your eyebrows furrowed as you read Mondo’s words. Over and over again, you think about it. Ishimaru? Having a crush? And was Mondo implying that he had a crush on YOU? You definitely don’t think that’s right.
When you walk back in, Mondo is giving you a knowing look and Ishimaru actually looks...embarrassed. His cheeks are slightly flushed and he’s not meeting your eyes for once. His eyebrows are furrowed as he folds his arms over his chest, and everyone in the room looks slightly amused. Knowing you must have missed something, you return to your seat after hanging the hall pass and sigh before flipping through your textbook absently for a few minutes.
The air of the room returns to the usual dull silence, but you still see that Ishimaru won’t look at you. Everyone in the room keeps glancing at you, too, and you can’t help but wonder what happened in the time you stepped out. The hall monitor’s lack of intense staring allows you to scribble something on a paper and slip it behind you.
It returns promptly.
“Taka’s gonna want to talk to you after.”
That really makes you curious. You chance a glance back at Mondo, who’s smirking wide, before you turn back to glance at Ishimaru. The other was actively fidgeting, as if facing an inner turmoil that left him anxious. You frown, praying you wouldn’t end up with another stack of detention slips by the end of this.
You look at Makoto, who gives you a sheepish gaze in return. You wish you could ask the other for a hint, as he might be a little more forthcoming with information, but you were just far enough away that any note passed that far would definitely catch the hall momitor’s attention. You groan softly before returning to your work.
You finish your homework just in time for Ishimaru’s booming voice to make you jump. You blink and look up, seeing everyone shoving things into their backpacks and making their way out. You’re about to do the same when a hand rests on your shoulder. You look up and Mondo winks at you before moving past you. You sigh before shoving your own work into your pack, making to stand before Ishimaru awkwardly stands at the front of the room, clearly waiting for you.
You shoulder your backpack, aware that it’s just the two of you in the room now. A part of you remembers a time when you had wished something like this would happen. Now, however, you slowly make your way to the front where Ishimaru mumbles something to himself before standing a little straighter. You really hope you hadn’t earned yourself another week of detention.
“Um!” His voice is shouting again before he begins to sweat, lowering his voice. “Uh.”
You stop to look at him and a part of you actually finds him kindof...adorable. You want to shake your head at the thought, but Ishimaru is still standing in front of you with a mixture of anxiety and determination. Weirdly enough, though, you feel the remnants of an old love warm your chest at the sight.
“I have been informed that my recent actions have come across...not in the way I had intended.” Ishimaru admits and you just stare at him. “A-As you know, Mondo and I are brothers, and...I know you two are very close as well, so I - well, I failed to find an appropriate way to bridge the, as you may say, ‘gap’ between us.”
You think you’re dreaming. Somehow, this felt about as realistic as if Byakuya were apologizing for something he said or did. You swallow and remain silent as the other continues to stumble over his words.
“I must ask for your forgiveness, as I’ve never been very good at this - and Mondo can only offer so much help, but...I was wondering if, perhaps...you would like to maybe...agh...” Now he looked pained, his face clearly showing a belief that whatever this was was nosediving.
“Are you trying to ask me to hang out...or something?” You offer, because you’re not sure what to say in this situation. Your heart is drumming because this most certainly feels like a confession, but you don’t get your hopes up.
“Ah, well, in a basic sense, yes! But-“ Ishimaru fidgets before seeming to finally settle his resolve. “Actually! I’m asking if you’d like to go on a date with me!”
Your heart stutters to a stop, as do your thoughts, before you hear soft snickers from outside the classroom. You turn around to see everyone staring in from the window. You blink before turning back to Ishimaru, who looks thoroughly terrified. His face is bright red and he looks like he’ll die of humiliation at any moment.
You feel a pang of sympathy, but only for a moment. Actually, when your heart does start again, it’s racing in your chest and you’re sure you, too, are blushing wildly from the feeling of heat that spreads across your cheeks.
“I...I’d really like that.” You admit aloud, watching the other’s face form into something of shock.
“Y...You're not lying, are you?” He looks genuinely worried then, those usually intense piercing eyes seeming to water. “You’re not just saying that...right?”
“Why would I do that?” You don’t know what Ishimaru’s past was like, but the very thought of doing something so cruel leaves you frowning. “But I do have one condition.”
“Y...Yes?” Ishimaru grimaces then, as if, for sure, this was going to be the big moment that it all came crumbling down.
“You halve the amount of detention slips you give me daily.” You find yourself smiling jokingly, watching the other’s eyes widen.
“W-Well! I-I can’t promise something like that, but I will...perhaps...” Watery red eyes look past you and you look back to see Mondo giving Ishimaru a pointed look. You look back to see those eyes on you again. “A-Alright.”
Even despite this, there’s a look of clear relief on the hall monitor’s face. You find it...touching. You rarely saw the other relax, always seeming so on edge with everything and everyone around him that even the slight slouch of shoulders leaves even you lowering your defenses.
“I’m free on Friday.” You tell him honestly, watching him return to attention. You shift your backpack off and pull a piece of paper out before scribbling your phone number down. You hand it to him, watching his face brighten an even darker red. “We can plan something out.”
“That’s - yes, that will work! Most definitely!”
You find yourself smiling widely at him then and he looks absolutely dazzled. You walk out, suddenly aware that his entire class was crowded outside. Everyone seems genuinely pleased and you realize that everyone really was there to support their dear friend. Something about that makes your heart melt as they all cheer when their friend walks out behind you.
“Taka, you did it!”
“Finally, bro!”
You give the other a warm glance, seeing the other’s face completely filled with a dark blush as his friends compliment him. You chuckle as you make your way to your locker, your heart a little lighter.
You receive several messages that night, some from Mondo, a few from the other classmates from other classes that the news had spread to, and one from Ishimaru himself, which read like a neatly published novel. You can tell it must have taken the other several tries, just from the shear size of the text and just how meticulously it had been written, but you think it’s sweet nonetheless.
You find yourself genuinely looking forward to Friday.