Chapter Text
Dust billowed under the tires of the rusty, beat-up pickup truck as it pulled into the camp’s makeshift parking lot, though it was more like a dusty clearing in the middle of the woods packed with children carrying duffle bags half their size and waving farewell to their parents.
“Alright Atsushi, here you are!” the redhead at the wheel grinned, turning the key to shut up the roar of the truck’s engine. The 13-year-old in the passenger seat peeked through the cracked window, two-toned eyes staring at the sea of children outside.
“Thanks, Tanizaki,” Atsushi reached underneath his feet and tugged his duffel bag into his lap. “Sorry, your dad couldn’t drop you off, kiddo. He had to work on that case out of town.”
Atsushi shrugged, “it’s okay, I’ll see him after camp.” he smiled, holding up his hand for a high-five. Tanizaki smiled and returned the gesture, watching as Atsushi opened the door and hopped onto the dusty ground.
A tall blonde man stood on a crate in the middle of the hoard of children, a megaphone held to his mouth as he hollered out cabin assignments. Atsushi slung his duffel over his shoulder and looked up at the wooden sign that stood at the entrance of the camp, wooden sticks with the paint peeling and faded were arranged to say “Yokohama Summer Camp”
He was so focused on staring at his surroundings that he walked straight into a short boy in denim overalls and hair that resembled straw.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Atsushi said. The boy only turned and beamed with a smile that blinded him.
“It’s alright!" He said, looking back at the pile of duffle bags with a determined look. The boy looked a bit younger than Atsushi, maybe 10 or 11. A tattered straw hat hung loose on his back from the string around his neck.
"Oh, there it is!" He chirped, reaching down and tugging a small yellow bag from the very bottom of the pile with strength that definitely didn't belong to a scrawny 10-year-old boy. Atsushi stood with his mouth ajar, staring at him.
"I'm Kenji!" The boy grinned, holding out a calloused hand.
"Uh… Atsushi." The other boy supplied, shaking his hand cautiously as if afraid he might rip his hand off with sheer strength.
"Nice to meet you!" Kenji said, seeming like he was truly having the best day of his life, it made Atsushi want to match his cheerful energy.
"Atsushi: Cabin 12!" The blonde man in the middle of the hoard of children shouted into his megaphone. Atsushi jumped at the sound of his name, Kenji gasped and gripped Atsushi's arm tightly,
"Hey! That's my cabin too!" He said excitedly, not noticing the grimace of pain on Atsushi's face from the vice-like grip on his arm.
Across the dusty lot, a long black limousine pulled into one of the last spots in the cramped clearing.
“Here you are.” the red-haired woman in the front seat said, smiling at the boy through the rearview mirror. Ryuunosuke nodded, “Thank you, Kouyou,”
Kouyou smiled warmly and turned in her seat to face the 13-year-old, “You know your father wanted to drop you off, but he was sent off on that mission in Paris–”
“It’s fine Kouyou, I’ll see him after camp won’t I?” Ryuu gathered his things. Dust billowed underneath his shoes, he covered his mouth with his palm and coughed, trying to keep the dust out of his lungs.
“You didn’t forget your inhaler did you?” Kouyou called from the open door. Ryuunosuke shook his head, holding up the small plastic device.
The boy made his way through the crowd, trying to keep his expensive lace sleeves from snagging on his bag’s straps as he slung it over his shoulders. While he was trying to keep track of the cabin numbers being yelled at by the annoying tall man with the glasses and blonde ponytail, he slipped on something small, round, and yellow.
“Oh no, my lemons!” a tall boy with a bowl cut and glasses shouted, rushing over to where Ryuu had fallen, completely disregarding the boy and snatching up the fallen fruit before returning it to his lumpy backpack– presumably full of more lemons.
“Oh no, don’t worry about me, I'm perfectly alright,” Ryuu said, coughing up dust and shaking his head, causing his black and white bangs to waft the dust around his face.
“I was getting to you!” the taller boy frowned and thrust his hand toward him.
“I’m saving these lemons for an experiment. I’ll go down in camp history!” he got a determined sparkle in his eye that made Ryuu send him a concerned glance. “I suppose you’re trustworthy enough to tell!” the boy said.
Ryuunosuke frowned, “we just met–”
“I’m Kajii and I’m planning to make lemon fireworks to set off in the girls' cabins!” he cackled maniacally before remembering Ryuu was still there, “oh uh… and you are?”
“Ryuunosuke, and I don’t plan to assist you in setting fireworks in the girl's cabins.” he deadpanned, dusting off his coat.
“Ryuunosuke: Cabin 13!” the annoying blonde man hollered from his crate.
“Whoa! That’s my cabin too! Looks like you’re stuck with me, Rinosky!” He yelled, brutally mispronouncing his name as if he wasn’t actually listening in the first place while tugging the poor boy along behind him.
The mess hall was the largest cabin in the camp and in the center of the premise. The sound of chattering students and scraping forks filled the hall. Atsushi and Kenji were in line receiving their portions of food, Kenji talking Atsushi’s ear off about farming and cows. Atsushi was so busy trying not to look bored that he ran right into a boy in a fancy black coat, spilling his tray of food all over him. Atsushi went rigid, and the entire hall silenced.
“How dare you!” the boy hissed, staring down incredulously at his stained coat and expensive-looking silk shirt.
“I’m–I’m so sorry! It was an accident!” Atsushi squeaked, putting his hands up in something between trying to defend himself and trying in vain to help.
“Do you know how incredibly expensive this coat is?”
Atsushi’s stunned, terrified face turned instead into a confused expression.
“Um… then why did you take it to a wilderness camp?”
Ryuu’s eyes widened in rage, raising his own tray and chucking it at Atsushi’s head. Kajii’s face lit up with excitement before he scooped up a handful of food and hollered
“Food Fight!” He flung the food across the room, splattering onto a scary-looking girl with raven hair, some noodles getting tangled in her golden butterfly hairpin. That's when the food started flying. Children pushed over tables and hid behind them like professional soldiers in war, the natural-born leaders among them yelling orders and taking charge. Atsushi stood frozen in the middle of the cafeteria, watching in horror at what he apparently started.
Ryuunosuke didn’t react to the food dripping from his bangs, his eyes still fixed on Atsushi in silent rage.
“What the hell is going on here?!” The blonde man with glasses from earlier came stomping into the mess hall, seething with anger. His voice cut through the roar of screaming children, causing silence to fall instantly.
“Who instigated this?” the camp counselor asked, pushing his glasses up to his forehead so he could pinch the bridge of his nose. All the fingers in the hall pointed towards the two boys in the middle of the room, still standing rigid in the same spot. Atsushi looked like he was about to cry, while Ryuu’s eyes were burning holes into the other boy’s skull.