Chapter Text
"Hey!" Osana shouted at him, even though they were right next to each other,
"Hm?" He looked up from his book for the second time this morning, the first being when Osana greeted him at his front door,
"I want you to meet me by the headmaster's statue behind the school at 7:30! Don't be late." The red-headed girl scoffed
"Why can't you just tell me no-"
"It's not important right now! Geez..." She looked down a bit at her feet as we walked,
"Osana?" He leaned over a bit to look at her face better,
"Sorry...I just... never mind. I...didn't mean to be so harsh...I'm sorry..." She sounded a bit embarrassed,
"It's fine," He chuckled a bit, not really getting why she was so worked up this morning,
As soon as they walked through the gates, the short pigtailed blonde sped over to Osana. He remembered her from last year, she was still as bouncy as she is today but she was the leader of the Martial Arts Club. He was slightly intimidated by her even with her bubbly personality.
As Osana walked away with Fumetsu-San she spun around and walked backward while speaking to Taro,
"Remember! 7:30! Behind the school!" She smiled at him, her cheeks slightly pink.
He nodded and waved with a weak smile.
After changing his shoes he took his usual place sitting at the fountain while reading. Today it was something his sister had bought for him. It was out of his usual genre but it was worth a shot. The smell of the chlorine-filled water from the fountain was not the best smell for most people but to him, it was comparable to freshly cut grass or red roses, it made him calmer. This was his happy place. Time flew by and he hadn't even noticed the cooking club member who approached him.
"Hey, you're Yamada Taro right?" He looked up to see a teal-haired girl with a purple apron, she was holding a plate of mini strawberry shortcakes,
He nodded a bit, "Yeah..." He put his book on his lap, he wasn't exactly expecting to talk to someone this early in the morning, let alone someone he doesn't even recognize.
"I'm Saki Mayuzumi! It's my first year in the cooking club and my first year in Akademi...um...you were all alone so I was wondering if you'd like the first shortcake of the day!" She smiled at him expectingly, he couldn't tell if she thought he was some outcast loner who needed someone to save him from his 'never-ending loneliness' or if she was just being genuinely nice.
"Um sure...!" He smiled back at her before taking one of the shortcakes and taking a small bite. His face lit up. "Wow! This is amazing Mayuzumi-Chan! You really have a talent for baking!"
Her cheeks turned a bit pink at the compliment. "Really! That's so nice to hear Yamada-Senpai...you're such a nice person!" She smiled, "Have a nice rest of your day Senpai!" She waved at him before moving on to the next person.
He smiled before absolutely demolishing the rest of the small shortcake, "I wonder if I should check out the cooking club...If they make food like this every day...hm..." He talked to himself for a moment, it was one of the small quirks that he's always had. It used to get on Osana's nerves when they were younger but I think she's learned to tune it out.
After a few moments of muttering to himself, he glanced at his phone. "Oh shit, it's 7:29." He got up, book still in hand, and began to speed towards the back of the school.
Past the Cooking Club, Past the Drama Club, and past the Occult Clu-
He suddenly slammed into something, well, most likely someone. A small yelp escaped his lips as he closed his eyes from impact. He opened his eyes to see who he had to apologize to awkwardly.
It was a girl.
Her hair was black and shiny. She wore a ponytail, when she looked up at him he was swallowed whole by her dark grey eyes. They were empty but they were like an endless void in themself.
"Ah! I'm so sorry!" He quickly put his hand out to help her up. She took his hand and then looked back up at him, a light in her eyes he hadn't seen when he first looked at her was visible. "Are you okay?" He said as she stood up, her hand still in his. She nodded silently looking at him in the eyes. "That's a relief...sorry again...um..." He just realized he recognized her, "Oh! You're In my friend's class, um..." He thought for a moment, absolutely racking his brain, "Aishi right?" She was absolutely frozen but she nodded her head quickly in response.
It quickly dawned that him that it was most definitely past 7:30 at this point and an angry Osana could be waiting for him behind the school, "Oh um, I have to go! But um it was nice talking(?) to you," He smiled and waved goodbye to her, she stood motionless looking at him as he sprinted out the door.
Osana's berating didn't really register with him. A small part of his brain was on Aishi, he still felt a bit bad. For the most part though, he was thinking about that shortcake Mayuzumi made earlier. He really should visit the club soon.
Class with Kanokogi-Sensei was as it usually was, fast-paced and yet so uneventful, most of his attention was on the pencil he was chewing on for the majority of the class, another one of his small habits. As soon as the bell rang Kanokogi-Senpai left the classroom leaving the students alone.
Uekiya waltzed over to Taro and waved with a smile, "Hey Taro, how have you been feeling lately?" Her voice was soft and gentle, she put an ounce of care into every syllable.
"Oh! Hey Uekiya, I've been doing well! How are things in the gardening club lately?" Even though he was no longer in the gardening club and hadn't been since his first year he still stopped by at least twice a week to see how the plants are doing.
"They're doing great! Even the tomato plant you planted is still going strong!" She smiled gently.
He chuckled a bit his face a bit pink from childish embarrassment, "That's good to know," He smiled at her.
"Well just know you're always welcome in the Gardening Club! I have to go now but I'm always here to talk if you need me," She really lived up to her reputation of being 'Everyone's Big Sister', she waved as she walked away with her bento in hand.
As he ate with Osana and Fumetsu, Osana ranted and whined about Fukahori-Senpai.
"It's not fair!" She whined a bit before picking up a baby carrot from her lunch,
"Cannibalism." He said plainly as he watched her eat the carrot, he quickly covered his mouth after he said that realizing the horrid mistake he had just made.
Fumetsu-San almost choked on her food as she looked at Osana who had her mouth opened in shock. Her face was red with embarrassment as she looked at Taro.
"What."
"I...I mean um..." He looked away nervously, he needed an escape route. He cared for Osana but he was not prepared for the earful of screeching he would receive in a few moments. "I need to um..." He glanced around the roof and spotted a pencil on the floor. "I forgot my pencil in my class!" He stood up quickly and smiled apologetically before bolting.
As he made his way one floor down he slid into his classroom, the aircon was on full blast still. It felt nice. The smell of the aircon is something else he enjoyed. He walked over to his desk looking for the pencil he'd left. He looked in the desk and even under the seat but it wasn't there. "Aw man...that was my favorite pencil too..." He sighed and turned around. He sat in his seat, enjoying the cool air. A moment of calm and silence. It was nice.
He ended up falling asleep through the rest of lunch, setting his head down for a few moments had turned into a full-on nap. He awoke to Uekiya gently shaking him awake,
"You're going to want to wake up before Kanokogi-Sensei gets back," She spoke softly to him.
He yawned a bit, "Oh...I didn't even mean to fall asleep heh...thanks for waking me," He smiled thankfully.
"No problem sweetheart," She smiled at him.
He thought for a moment before feeling a bit bad, Uekiya noticed his expression before softly asking, "What's wrong sweetie?" She crouched down a bit.
"I was having lunch with Osana and Fumetsu-San, I think I insulted Osana and then I...fell asleep. They probably think I bailed on them or something..."
"I'm sure they'll understand if you explain after school," She smiled. Everyone's Big Sister...
He sighed "Thanks onee-sama~," He said a bit jokingly, putting an emphasis on each syllable.
She giggled a bit, "Taro!"
As the last class of the day ended he and Uekiya walked out together, she was gushing about her boyfriend. He'd met him before, they were a match made in heaven both of them were the sweetest people he's ever met. He was in a college across the city so they only really saw each other on weekends.
"Oh! And don't be worried about Osana! You got this Taro!" She was trying to yell but it came out more like a whisper yell, seeing her in good spirits made him more confident.
He nodded and smiled, "Thanks Uekiya," He waved before heading to the fountain. He was one of the few students that cleaned the fountain during cleaning time.
As he walked to the plaza he saw Aishi cleaning his spot near the fountain. It was a bit of a surprise, awkward but still pleasant. He approached her crouching down next to her.
"Hey,"
She looked up at him doe-eyed, she fumbled over herself and her words for a moment before answering with a small, "Hello..."
Something about the way she spoke almost made his heart burst open, her eyes were so pretty and so was her hair. The water from the fountain glittered beside her and each second more he was next to her, her face got slightly more flushed. He just sat couched beside her looking at her for a moment before realizing what he's been doing and shimming a bit away.
"I um..." He put his hand on the fountain and looked at it, "Do you...like the fountain too?" He looked at her waiting for her answer,
"Yes." She answered quickly, "I...I love this fountain."
He was a bit taken aback by her seriousness on the subject, did he offend her? Did he say it in a way that made it sound like he was making fun of her? Dammit. "Oh! Um...same...I really like this fountain too." He smiled at her.
"Oi! Taro!" He looked behind him to see Osana coming up towards him with Fumestu-San right beside her. "Me and Rai were planning on- oh! Hi Yan-Chan!" She smiled.
He had to take a moment to digest what Osana had called her, 'Yan-Chan'!? Gah! That's just, he was practically internally screaming.
"Hello Najimi-San," She waved a bit,
"I told you to just call me by my name! When you call me that I feel like an old lady," She muttered a bit,
"Sorry Osana, I'm still getting used to it," She smiled,
"It's fine," She smiled slightly, "So Taro! Me and Rai were planning to see a movie, you wanna come?" She smiled, she looked excited. Her hair was a tad frizzy from the humidity in the air today, an orange flame is what sat upon her head. She also changed the colors on her braces to pink instead of the red she had last month.
"Oh um, sorry I can't today. I promised Hanako that I'd 'Be All Hers' this weekend," He said in air quotes with a weak smile,
"Oh..." She sighed
"Sorry..."
"No it's fine, say hi to Hanako for me okay?" She smiled
He nodded as she left with Fumestu. Aishi was still there but sitting on the fountain now looking at him while he was still crouched down beside her. the pleats of her skirt gently settled on her legs and moved slightly when she readjusted her hands, she was shaking while looking down at her hands.
"Aishi? Are you...okay?" He looked up at her and away from her skirt and hands, he didn't want to look like a weirdo in front of his new friend.
She nodded silently, now that he's thought about it a bit more he's never really seen her around people, not that it's an issue he also wasn't much of a people person outside of his few friends but she felt...different. He was about to speak again before his phone buzzed. The familiar face of Hanako showed up as his phone continued to ring.
"Sorry Aishi, I'll be right back." He smiled apologetically before taking the call.
>"Taro! Are you almost home?"
"I haven't left the school yet Hana, but I'll be heading home in a bit okay?"
>"Okay! Stay safe okay! And um update me about where you are!"
"I know I know," He chuckled a bit. She was always pretty protective of him. "Love you, I'll see you when I get home,"
>"Love you too! Bye!"
The phone clicked as he hung up before turning back to the fountain, "Sorry about that Aishi, uhm," He saw a familiar twin-drilled girl talking to her.
"Sorry Taro-Senpai! You won't mind if I steal Aishi away for a moment right?" She smiled a bit, he knew Kokona from middle school but that was kind of it.
"Yeah it's cool, I um I mean you don't have to ask me! She's her own person..." Aishi looked up at him a bit embarrassed when he said that but she stood up and looked at Harukawa.
"I don't mind Harukawa." She gave her a small smile.
"Thank you Ayano-Senpai!" She took her by the hand and led her away, presumably to the Drama Club room.
He sighed as he waved at them and then opened his phone to tell Hanako that he might be a bit late home tonight.
"I didn't know you lived in this direction Aishi," She just silently nodded as a response.
The entire time they walked it was mostly silent, the cool late afternoon air rustling the trees was the only thing to break the silence along with the sound of their footsteps. He'd occasionally catch her looking at him as they walked, sometimes she didn't stop looking even when she was caught. As they reached the front of his house he turned to her,
"This is me...get home safe okay?" He smiled a bit.
"I will." She smiled back at him.