Chapter Text
Byakuya was distracted.
He couldn’t focus, no matter how hard he tried, as he stared at the work in front of him.
But it wasn’t his fault. There was a game being played a few seats next to him, loudly. A card game, it seemed like, one that apparently required a lot of screaming and shouting that his classmates just had to play during their free time.
Byakuya Togami was above that, above playing childish games and above his classmates.
But he still couldn’t focus.
Those dastardly bastards, he thought. They have no reason to be playing this silly game and to be so loud. It was aggravating.
There were only few people that weren’t playing, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, who was also doing work, Kyoko Kirigiri, who was merely watching, and Mukuro Ikusaba, who was forced by her twin sister Junko Enoshima not to play, because she was “too dumb” to.
It seemed to be a game that required being left with zero cards in order to win, along with screaming.
“Would you cut that out?” Byakuya almost snapped, but didn’t, knowing that all his attempts to snap back at his classmates were either ignored, or worse, laughed at. So he sat there silently, staring at his paper, with only angry, unproductive thoughts entering his head.
How foolish of them, to not take him seriously, to not take anything seriously. Laughing, playing, they’re unproductive activities affecting others, himself only, yet they don’t care. Selfish. Typical.
Byakuya’s eyes kept slipping, catching glances at the group of students playing. He was particularly looking at one boy, Makoto Naegi. Looking at him, almost staring at him, it was if it was from pure fascination despite the fact that Byakuya had only felt hatred for Makoto. But yet, he couldn’t stop looking at him.
“Uno!” Makoto shouted, now holding only card. The other people playing the game groaned, complaining about Makoto’s luck when it came to playing games.
“It’s no fair!” Junko angrily exclaimed. “Why don’t you let someone else, like me, win for once, you twerp?!”
Makoto looked startled. “H-huh?! I haven’t even won yet!”
“Yeah but you’re always winning and you already have Uno! I bet you’re cheating.”
“Wh-what?! No! I would never!”
“Quiet down, he can’t help that his pathetic talent always makes him win.”
Everyone turned towards Byakuya.
Junko frowned. “And since when did Mr. Prissy Pants care about shit like this?” she accused.
“I can’t help but be irritated by your screaming and your ignorance, Junko,” Byakuya simply defended, also not knowing why he cared about this.
Makoto’s eyes looked like they sparkled. “Byakuya, are you…defending me?”
Byakuya’s mouth suddenly could not open, as he somehow became flustered. He only turned his head completely sideways away from the group of people playing, now only showed his side profile to them.
So the card game continued until Makoto won, to no one’s surprise. After the game, Makoto went up to Byakuya.
“Hey, Byakuya,” he awkwardly started, “you know you could always play a game with us?”
Byakuya, secretly excited and intrigued that Makoto came up to him, squinted his eyes. “Hm? For what? What are you suggesting this to me for?”
Makoto nervously put his hand to his chin, curling his pointer finger. “I don’t know, it’s just that…um, you wouldn’t want to play to Uno with us someday? Or any other game?” You seem kinda lonely, he thought to himself.
“As if I would waste my time when I could be doing something productive. And what is even Uno?” Byakuya spat.
“Seriously?” Makoto was surprised. “You don’t know what Uno is? That’s the game we were playing.”
Byakuya suddenly felt embarrassed, but kept his stone cold face. “Hmph, the only games I’ve ever played are pool and chess. I have no time for such juvenile games.” But it did feel tempting….
“Really? Well, that seems kinda of boring, but if that’s what you want….I just wouldn’t mind spending more time with you, you know? That’s why I suggested that….”
Byakuya only crossed his arms, sighing to himself. “Whatever I wouldn’t want to play with you people, anyway.”
Makoto seemed kind of disappointed, hanging his head down, which made Byakuya feel a pang of sympathy for some reason. “Alright, well, I don’t want to bother you, so…” And then he wandered away.
But Byakuya couldn’t keep his eyes off of Makoto as he walked away, thinking I would want to play with just you, though.
Stupid unproductive thoughts.