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Scaramouche has had a crush on Kazuha for a while.
He doesn’t know why. Well, more like he doesn’t want to know why.
Because he’s pretty? Nah, that’s too simple. Because he’s popular? Hmm, that can’t be it. Because he can actually get along with people? Nope, not that too.
So, then, why? Why did he like this boy so much?
It was in the evening when Scaramouche and his friends, Childe and Signora, were all sitting in Childe’s car in the almost-empty parking lot of a shopping center. With Childe in the drivers seat, Signora next to him, and Scaramouche in the back.
It was raining, and they were waiting for Aether, another friend of the 3, to come back from the shopping center.
As the other two’s chatter started to drown out the sound of the rain outside, Scaramouche’s head was anywhere but here.
He was looking out the window as he let himself try to piece together why he likes Kazuha so much.
Childe’s voice fill his ears, “Kuni!”
Scaramouche answers with a quiet ‘huh?’
Childe looks at him from the rear mirror, Scaramouche doing the same, “You’ve been quieter than usual, what are you thinking?”
Scaramouche shrugs and goes back to looking out the window, “Well, that’s definitely none of your concern.”
Childe looks down at his phone but asks, with a lower tone this time, “So it could be someone else’s concern?”
As Scaramouche was about to reply back, the car door opens, and shuts. Aether had came back, “I’m here, we can go.”
Scaramouche payed no attention to him, only the smell of sweat mixed with rain could be sensed in the air thanks to how wet Aether was.
Childe had started the car and they were on their way back to their dorms. They all went to the same college, so they didn’t have to worry about dropping everyone off one by one.
5 minutes on the road, Scaramouche breaks the prolonging silence, unsureness audible in his tone, “Do you guys know who Kazuha is?”
Everyone makes some kind of a humming sound as they think. Signora is the first to answer and ask, “Uh, what’s his major?”
Scaramouche replies, “I think literature.”
Signora recollects her memory again, “Wait, you mean Kazuha Kaedehara?” She turns to look at Scaramouche in disbelief.
Scaramouche nods as everyone makes sounds of shock and surprise.
Scaramouche raises one of his eyebrows and asks, “Why? Am I supposed to know who he is?”
Childe explains to him in full sympathy, “He’s the one that managed to take on your mom’s Musou no Hitotachi! How do you not know?!”
Scaramouche freezes in place, eyes wide.
“W-what..?” He says in a quiet voice.
He adds, “He was the one to…?”
He goes back to his usual blank expression, mouth still agape in full disbelief.
He felt even more attracted to him now.
The one to duel his mother? His mother, who’s the best katana user throughout the whole continent, the woman everyone fears, was defeated by a guy around his age who majors in literature. It’s unbelievable.
Not long after, they arrive at their dorms. Everyone says their goodnights as Scaramouche is the only one who runs to his dorm.
He sits down at the edge of his bed after changing into dry clothes, quickly calling his mom, his fingers shaking from the cold and shock.
After the phone rang a few times, his mom, Ei, answers the phone,
“Yes?”
Scaramouche hurriedly starts talking, “Mom, do you remember or know who Kazuha Kaedehara is?”
“Oh, the Kaedehara. Of course, i remember him.”
“What..? You actually do? Is he the one who took on your Musou no Hitotachi?”
“Yes, he is. His swordsmanship is still clear in my memories. The relation he had with his katana, the way he used his hands and the bravery… I still remember it like yesterday. Ah, i do have to correct you though, he didn’t defeat me, it was a tie. He just managed to survive through the Musou no Hitotachi.”
Scaramouche answers after a long silence, “…Ah, i see. Thanks, mom. Bye,” he hangs up before his mom can even say anything.
He throws his phone somewhere around the bed, falling back down on the bed and covering his face with his hands.
Well, now he has an excuse to not hang out with Childe anymore.
Scaramouche opens his eyes next day to all of his body parts sore, with the worst headache he’s ever had in a while, every joint in his body cramped.
He winces in pain as he gets up from his bed and stretches, trying to recall last night’s events.
Oh, thats right! He found out who Kazuha was!
Right, he has stuff to do.
First, find out which dorm Kazuha is in.
He quickly changes into some more fit-for-the-occasion clothes and combs his hair after washing his face. His classic routine, except this time, it’s rushed. Very.
He quickly makes his way out of his dorm and goes to where the elevator is.
Next to the elevators they had a list of every student and their dorms. Scaramouche always thought this was stupid, but now that he needs it, it didn’t seem so stupid anymore.
He drags his finger down the list as the tries to find Kazuha’s name.
He finds it, ”Kazuha Kaedehara”
Next to his name it reads,
“Dorm number: 43 — Floor 3”
Scaramouche gets taken aback by this. Shock and disbelief written all over his face.
43?!
That’s 3 doors away from his dorm!
How did he never notice him?!
Entailed with this new information, Scaramouche quickly makes his way to Kazuha’s dorm. Dorm 43.
He stomps all over the ground as he picks up a pace, a frustrated look on his face.
He comes to a stop and stands in front of Kazuha’s door, his fist-shaped hand about to knock on the door.
He stares down as he fixes his posture and gulps, his blank expression coming back to him.
He doesn’t know what to do.
He doesn’t know what to say.
Well, he never does.
He just goes with the flow.
He inhales, exhales, and knocks on the door twice.
A few seconds later, a well-dressed and well-mannered Kazuha opens the door, “Oh! Hello! What do you ne—“
Just before he can finish his sentence, Scaramouche invites himself in. Smirking, he cups Kazuha’s cheeks and forces him backwards.
He reminds Kazuha, “So, I heard that you’re the one who managed to take on my mother’s Musou no Hitotachi?”
“Ye—“ cutting off Kazuha once again, Scaramouche stops forcing onto him and kisses him. Roughly, just for a few seconds.
He lets go of the boy, Kazuha making a small ‘ah’ sound as Scaramouche makes his way to the door.
Before he leaves, he comments, staring at Kazuha in the eye, “Dorm 40.”
Kazuha, unable to say anything, just watches him shut his door and excuse his way out.
Kazuha gently drags his own fingers along his lips, unable to believe what just happened.
He looks down on the ground, the world falling silent for a moment.
He decides in the blink of an eye.
He gets his phone and dorm keys, and just like that, he follows behind Scaramouche.
The last standing son of the Kaedehara clan, and the son of the most feared katana user.
What a funny world it is.