Chapter Text
You have, at last, reached the third and your final year of attending the Kaijou High School. You will admit that it makes you feel a little bit sad since you will miss the place and memories you created here once you graduate, but there is still plenty of time to be thinking about things like that. After all, there is still a full year ahead of you and you could not be more excited!
One of the things you are looking forward to the most is the Art Club. You have been participating in it since the moment you stepped on the school grounds back in your first year here. Art is your hobby, passion even and you would like to pursue it professionally in the future like your father, your grandfather and your great grandfather before you.
The name (L/N) is a well known name around the Japan islands since you have been creating beautiful pieces of art for the state for generations and you wish to carry on this tradition like all your predecessors before you.
You enter the school building early in the morning, since you were too excited to sleep, and make your way to the Art Club room where everything important for the upcoming year is stored. Happily skipping down the empty hallways, since most students should be arriving in an hour or two, you reach your destination and pull out the keys that were passed on to you by the previous president of the Art Club.
You insert it into the door and turn the key clockwise, the lock makes a clicking sound and you push the door open. The club room looks as wonderfully messy as always, you cannot help but smile.
You move towards the windows and breathe in the smell of paints, canvas, clay and so much more. You open all the windows and peek out to look at the front entrance of the school. Your peers are already there, diligently preparing tables, chairs, flyers and so more to assure they catch the attention of as many applicants as possible for their own clubs.
Your table and chairs for you and your fellow vice-president, Komatsu Tomiko, to represent your club are already pre-prepared for you by the Basketball Club. They were kind enough to carry them outside for you, you remind yourself to treat them to some ice-cream as a thank you later.
You walk towards the main table and grab the pile of papers placed on the wooden desk and check them one last time before you put them into your backpack. They are probably the most important thing you will need this week since the papers contain applications for anybody who wishes to join your club.
Just as you finish doing that, your vice walks in, looking as excited as you are feeling.
“Good morning, (L/N)-senpai! How are you doing today? I’m very excited for all the talented artists we might get!” You smile politely and greet her back.
“I’m alright, though I am a bit restless since I’m excited for today as well.” You forget to mention the stress and nervousness you will probably be feeling later on. “And I told you to call me (F/N)-chan, Tomiko-chan, we are friends.”
“I know, I’m sorry, but you are the president, not to mention a third year!” She pouts a little bit. “But I’ll try my best to call you that!”
“Good, I would not expect anything less from you, Tomiko-chan.” Tomiko is a very hard-working, capable student, which is one of the reasons you admire her, aside from her positive attitude. Not to mention she is only in her second year and she already holds the title of the vice-president. The girl in question skips next to you.
“So, what is the plan, President-chan?” She leans forward. You do miss the teasing nickname.
“I already have the applications safely secured in my backpack. We only need to grab some of the pieces we made last year and display them.” You explain and show Tomiko which paintings and sketches to grab, while you reach for some smaller statues you made. “We will probably have to make more trips.”
“No problem, (F/N)-chan, I started jogging during the holiday so I’m ready to take on the stairs!” She announces proudly and you chuckle at her antics.
“I’m sure you will.” You grab one last thing and start walking out of the room. The two of you finish preparing everything right on time before the new students are let in to roam all the possibilities of clubs to choose from. You let Tomiko take charge of the representation of your club while you focus more on the administration of things. You watch her cheer loudly and introduce what your club is all about everytime new students pass by.
The morning passes by rather quickly and before you know it it is time to start packing up. You have two neatly organised piles of applications on the table. Your eyes are blown wide at how many candidates you managed to get this year, more than any of the previous two years, you look over the bigger pile of applications with a smile. You are just hoping it is not because of the fact that you are the daughter of a famous artist, or the fact that Tomiko is a very attractive looking girl.
“All right, time to clean up.” You clap your hands together and stand up. You put the applications, both filled and empty, back into the safety of your backpack and start helping put everything away. Once everything is securely back in the art room and the furniture is returned to the correct classroom you send Tomiko away to go and get some lunch from the cafeteria. She refuses at first, but when her tummy growls, loudly echoing around the clubroom, she gives in and waves at you with parting words of seeing you tomorrow.
You turn back to work after that. You set a small table in front of the classroom door and place the remnant of unfilled applications there in case anybody would like to join and could not make it today to the official event. You stick one of the flyers above the table with some tape and add some information on it with a black marker. The applications must be handed in on Friday of the first week latest.
The only thing to do after that is to go through the applications themselves and there are a lot of them. Tomiko offered to help you, but you refused and instead asked her to prepare a plan for the first week of the club. You want to see what your vice organises for the enthusiastic first years and veteran second years and third years.
You close the windows and grab the applications from the table. Looking at the door, you check the flyer and small table one more time before you start making your way to the cafeteria as well after locking the door.
You look through the filled papers with interest, you are curious to see what kind of people will be joining you this year. Unfortunately, you forget to watch where you are going and suddenly you slam into something with force. You fall to the ground with a loud thud and a groan, your papers flying everywhere. You slowly sit up and look up only to see a blur of yellow and grey pass by you.
“S-sorry! Sorry!” Is the only thing you hear before the person disappears deeper into the side hallway you just walked out off. You are left confused and your bottom hurts, but at least nothing worse happened.
Well, that is until you are in the middle of picking up the applications and suddenly hear these high pitched sounds and loud stomping getting closer and closer. You pick up the rest of the fallen applications and check one more time that you are not missing any before you set foot into the main hallway.
That is when you notice a mob of girls running towards you at high speed, so you move out of the way, pressing your back against the wall. You highly doubt they are here for your club with how much they are excited, not even you have such naive thoughts and high hopes. Most of them pass by you without acknowledging you, but two or three girls stop.
“Hello, you wouldn’t happen to see Kise-san pass through here?” The first girl asks politely. You have no idea who they are talking about so you simply shake your head. One of the girls scoffs and mumbles something rude under her breath that you deliberately ignore.
You shake your head and continue walking towards the cafeteria, forgetting the absurd interaction almost immediately.
The lunch is nice, they have one of your favourite foods today so you have something nice to munch on while reading through the papers. Sadly, none of your friends are there yet, they were either already done eating or still cleaning up after their own clubs. However, this does not bother you much since it gives you the time to focus on the papers instead.
You work through them rather quickly, you are thinking of accepting most of the applicants even though there are a lot of them, you think to yourself as you walk back to the clubroom to leave the papers there. You asked everybody to bring one of their pieces to show to you to the first lesson on Monday. Since it is the trial week, you and Tomiko will give the new members some tasks to see their level of skill so you can separate them into groups properly.
There is something strange about one of the applications, you notice. One of the applications is dedicated to the Basketball Club. You are confused on how it got there, either somebody forgot it at your table, which is unlikely, or… The person that ran into you earlier dropped it. You will just have to drop it off at the basketball club later, you are sure your longtime friend and the captain of the basketball team, Kasamatsu Yukio, will happily receive it from you. You were headed there anyway since you promised him and his teammates ice-cream for helping you carry the furniture.
You quietly hum to yourself as you turn the corner back to the clubroom. However, you halt to a stop when you almost run into somebody again. They should seriously put some warning signs into this hallway.
“Hey…” You call out and the person jumps up with a shriek, turning quickly to face you. He is a very tall boy with blond hair, wearing the school uniform, though it looks a little bit messed up.
“Hello.” He calls out smoothly, trying to cover up for whatever he just did. You watch him curiously as he runs his hand through his blond locks before you realise it is probably the person with whom you collided earlier and is very likely looking for something they might have dropped, something like the application to the basketball club.
You grab the paper and offer it, but before you can say anything the boy interrupts. “Oh, would you like an autograph? Sorry, but I don’t really have a pen on me right now.” He giggles apologetically, his laugh seems a bit fake.
His words take you by surprise, because you have no idea what in the world he is talking about. “What?...” You clear your throat and offer him the paper again. “No, I just assumed this might be yours.”
Now the blond is the one looking confused. He hesitantly reaches forward and takes the paper from your hand before he realises what it is and his eyes go wide. “Thank you so much! I was looking for this!” He does not bow and his smile seems a little bit fake too, but you're not Kasamatsu Yukio who calls for respect every time a kouhai does something stupid, and if anything, he will probably beat the rudeness out of this first year for you. You register he does not apologise properly either for sending you to the ground earlier. You can already imagine how furious Yukio will be with this particular individual.
“Anyway, I have to go now!” He waves at you as he passes like you are his friend and disappears behind the corner again. You stand there for a moment before you shrug and keep walking. Your phone buzzes once you set the papers on the desk in the clubroom. It is a message from Yukio, telling you to hurry up since they are already finished with their club for today. You snicker and send a cheeky remark back before you depart from the room once again, already too excited for some promised ice-cream.
—
The next week is a bit hectic, but with the help of Tomiko, the two of you successfully manage to separate the new and old club members into three equal groups depending on their skill sets and specialisation. There will be three lessons every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, one lesson for each group. The second week of school goes surprisingly smoothly, you baked cupcakes for all the new and old members and somehow it is Monday again and you are cleaning up a few last things after the Monday lesson.
It is already quite late in the evening and you now just have to wait for Yukio so you can walk home together. The point guard appears soon after you arrive. You watch him lock the doors to the gym before you walk up to him with a smile.
“Hello, Yukio!” You give your friend a hug like always and he reluctantly returns it. He always gets embarrassed when you do things like that, he is terrible at interacting with girls and you are a girl that he has known since diapers.
You quickly notice his sour mood when he does not return your smile. “You look upset. Did something happen?” The male huffs before he checks the door one more time and starts walking next to you. “Just some stupid first years. They are so annoying. And they have no respect for their senpai!”
You pat his shoulder encouragingly. “Well, I’m sure, with you as their captain, they will learn how to be respectful in no time.” You slide your hand from his shoulder and link your arm with his before you start dragging to your favourite supermarket the two of you visit at least once a week. He protests, but ultimately gives up and allows you to lead him to your destination.
“Come on, let’s get some ice-cream, Yukio. Let’s turn that frown upside down!” You tease, already running ahead to avoid his hand in case he decides he feels like punching you for your comment.
“I’m not frowning!” He shouts, running after you.
“You are! You’ll get your first wrinkles by the age of twenty if you keep this up, Captain!” You call over your shoulder.
“Do you want to get hit?!” He threatens, speeding up a little. You can only laugh.
Eventually, he catches you and ruffles your hair while you protest. You buy him ice-cream as an apology.
—
You wake up early the next day, around four in the morning since there is something you want to do for the basketball team. You quickly wash up to wake yourself up and change from your pyjamas, before you move to the kitchen. You make yourself a cup of tea and drink while you work.
You grab some eggs, flour, sugar and all the other ingredients you will need to make cupcakes for the basketball team and start mixing them together.. The cupcakes are baked and cooled by six and you use that time to clean up and prepare your icing in the meantime.
It takes you about thirty minutes, maybe a bit more to decorate them, before you shove them into the fridge so the icing can properly set. Your father joins you in the kitchen soon after you finish and the two of you make breakfast together. You eat and talk. You mention your club while your father talks about his upcoming projects. He asks for your help with some of them, you love helping your father paint and sculpt, it is one of the many things that the two of you have in common.
You change, brush your teeth and hair. You grab your school bag and the cupcakes from the fridge, putting them safely away into a big plastic box with a lid. You leave one of the cupcakes on a plate in your father’s workshop.
“I left you a cupcake! Have a nice day, Otou-san!” You call inside the workshop. Your father rushes out and gives you a kiss on the forehead and a hug.
“Thank you, sweetheart. Enjoy your day in school!” He calls after you. “And say hi so Yukio-kun!”
“Will do!”
—
You usually walk alone to school in the morning since Yukio has basketball practice in the morning most of the days in the week. However, at least you get to enjoy your evening walks home together.
You arrive at school and the lessons pass quickly. Some of your classmates notice the baked goods you brought and ask you to share with them, you only apologise and say it is not for them.
You see Tomiko at lunch and the two of you chat about the lesson on Wednesday some more before you part ways to return back to your individual classrooms. The afternoon lessons pass just as quickly as the morning ones and you pack up, say goodbye to some of your friends in your class and make your way to the basketball club.
You come and watch their practice whenever you can and since there is no Art Club on Tuesday, you can go and watch the players train. You enter the gym and notice most of the members are already there. However, the practice has not started yet.
You also notice there are a lot more people than usually, mostly girls who are whispering rather loudly amongst each other, by the door you just walked through as well as in the stands. You take your shoes off and try to find your friend, but it is hard to see behind the crowd, especially with your height.
You are not even sure he is in the gym yet until you hear a familiar yell in the distance. “I SAID NO MORE FANS!” His loud scream echoes around the entire gym, silencing the conversing students immediately and you are almost impressed. “EVERYBODY OUT!” The students slowly and reluctantly start moving out of the gym area and they do not look happy, you step to the side to let them pass.
A pair of first year girls notices this and stops in front of you. “They asked us to leave.”
“Thank you, I’m aware. I will leave soon too, I just need to drop something off to the captain.” You point to the box in your arms and the two girls almost look embarrassed and leave you alone since they do not want to get into a fight with the already furious captain of all people. Soon the stands are empty and so is the court, only the basketball team and yourself remain.
“Hey, Yukio!” You call. He turns around and his frown slowly dissipates when he notices who called his name. You smile at your friend teasingly. “Should I leave too or?...”
He walks towards you with purpose and you notice when he lets out a relieved sigh. “No, no, sorry about that, this has been happening since the start of the year. I feel like I’m going to lose my mind.”
You give your friend a hug and show off the box of sweets you brought. “Well, if it makes you feel any better I made you something tasty.” Yukio smiles at you gratefully and examines the box.
“Looks good. Did you make them?” Yukio examines the cupcakes inside.
“Yeah, this morning. I hope everybody enjoys them.” You pass him the box.
“Thanks, I’m sure they will. Just don’t do this too often, they will all get spoiled.” You giggle at his comment.
“Yukio?....So senpai’s girlfriend can stay, but not my fans?” A familiar voice calls behind you two, you jump a little, you completely forgot that you are not alone with your best friend for a moment. “That is simply unfair, senpai!” The person whines and you recognise him from your collision a few weeks back.
“Ah, it’s you.” You call before Yukio can get angry at the comment and hit the first year in the face and the blond boy looks at you. His eyes widen comically once he recognises you.
“Oh no, I ran over Kasamatsu-senpai’s girlfriend! I’m definitely toast now!” The blond whines some more.
“She is not my girlfriend, idiot!” Yukio hits the boy over the head and you notice crocodile tears streaming down his face.
“Why did senpai hit me? And in front of a pretty girl nonetheless!” You can already guess why your friend has been so stressed so lately if this is the behaviour he is receiving from his kouhais.
“Stop crying! And what do you mean run over! Speak clearly!” Kasamatsu raises his hand to strike the boy again, but you stop him.
“It’s fine, Yukio, it was an accident and he apologised for it.” You explain calmly, lying a bit about the apology part, before you tug him by the arm. “Shouldn't practice be starting soon, Yukio?” You distract your friend with your question and he goes to scream some more (mostly at the first years) to gather around.
He invites you to stand next to him and his vice-captain, Kobori Kouji, who you are very fond of. You wave at Kobori and he politely waves back with a smile.
“This is (L/N) (F/N), she is the president of the Art Club here at Kaijou High School. She occasionally comes to watch basketball practice. Treat her with respect!” A shiver runs down everybody’s spine at Yukio’s words, you know he is only trying to protect you from delinquents, but knowing your friend, he definitely made sure there are no such people on this team.
You bow politely. “It is very nice to meet you all.”
“(L/N)-san brought us cupcakes to enjoy after practice, express your thanks, everyone!” Kobori speaks next. The line of boys standing in front of you bow in synchronisation and call ‘thanks!’ in unison. You think to yourself, not bad, barely two weeks passed and Yukio and Kouji already have the team trained nicely.
“Thank you for letting me stay and watch everyone practise.” You bow lightly once again and watch some of the boys go red in the face at your words.
You turn to Yukio. “Is it alright if I sketch as always?”
“Knock yourself out.” Yukio answers and turns away from you to start the training. You give him a thankful smile before Kobori leads you to the bench and sets the box of cupcakes that Yukio passed him next to you. Kobori grabs a basketball and jogs to the rest of the team, but not before sending you another polite smile.
You watch the team warm up for a little bit before you pull out your sketch book and a pencil and start sketching the players. You want to work on sketching moving individuals so you can improve and this is the perfect practice for it.
You focus mostly on Kasamatsu since you do not wish to scare the new players with your focused intense gaze and because your friend does not mind, he is kind of used to it if anything.
However, you stop in the middle of a sketch of Kobori when the crying blond from earlier dunks the ball into the basket hoop like it was nothing. You watch him some more as he moves around the court effortlessly, defending the basket without issues, stealing balls and scoring points. You can only gape, he is only a first year and he can already play so well.
You watch some more before you return back to your sketches, you choose the blond as your model for the next drawing. He is constantly moving so this is perfect.
The training ends before you know it. Kasamatsu orders everyone to shoot 10 free throws and 5 three successfully before they can come and retrieve their well-earned cupcake. You put the sketch book away, having done enough practice for the day yourself, and watch players shoot.
Suddenly, a shadow appears over you. You recognise the insanely talented blond boy from earlier.
“Hello.” You greet him. “Are you done shooting?”
“Yes.” He answers with a smile. “Can I have my cupcake now?” Not even a please, huh.
You open the lid and pass him one of the cupcakes decorated to look like a basketball.
“Wow! So cute!” He observes the cupcake for a little bit before he bites into it eagerly and makes a small satisfied sound. “This is yummy!” He munches on the rest of it while you continue watching the other players.
“-hey!” You turn your head back to the blond who is now waving a hand in front of your face.
“Sorry, what did you say?” You straighten up on the bench to see him better.
“I was just asking if you really made these yourself! They look very professional! Like from a bakery or something!” The remark was a bit rude, but you let it go since it was probably meant to be a compliment.
“Well, thank you for the compliment…” You realise the boy never introduced himself to you.
“Uh, Ryouta!” He seems to realise the same. “My name is Kise Ryouta!” He let his hand rest at the back of his neck in embarrassment. You only smile at him.
“Well, congratulations on getting in the club, Kise-kun.”
“Uh… Thanks.” He seems to be taken aback by your words, but you cannot tell why. He appears a little bit arrogant so maybe he did not expect your words since he already knew he would get in without any issues. Or maybe you are just overthinking this.
“Oi!” Kasamatsu arrives. “Have you already finished, first year?” Your friend immediately drills the boy. Kise can only manage to nod, probably too afraid he will get hit again. “Go and practise more if you’re done with the food!” Kise rushes off in fear, picking up his fallen ball to shoot some more.
You pass your friend a cupcake to calm down, Kobori and the other third years join you right after, and after a few minutes so do the rest of the players. You distribute the rest of the cupcakes to them as well with a smile. They seem a bit shy around you, but you do not mind, you do not think that you are that pretty anyway.
You wait for Yukio and the others after that and once everyone has left and the doors to the gym are locked you take your leave. You link your arms with Kobori and Kasamatsu while Moriyama whines about you never holding hands with him. You can feel Yukio itching to hit your classmate, so you simply tug him forward and keep walking.
—
The next time you run into Kise (fortunately not literally, one time was enough) is when you are collecting some materials from the school basement where things that do not fit into the clubroom are kept. You are carrying a heavy box up the stairs, but you do not mind, you help your father with heavy things all the time so it is no issue for you.
However, you almost lose your balance when you suddenly hear a high-pitched voice behind you. You manage to catch yourself on the wall and turn around to look who called your name. You notice the familiar blond head.
“(L/N)-senpai! Good morning!” The boy sounds cheery even though it is rather early in the morning. You notice he used honorifics properly, Kasamatsu must be hard at work with him. You rearrange the box in your arms a little before you greet the first year back.
“Good morning, Kise-kun.” You give him a smile before you continue your track up the stairs. The blond quickly catches up with you and stops you.
“Let me carry that for you, (L/N)-senpai!” Before you have the chance to decline his offer, he snatches the heavy box out of your hands and you see him struggle for a moment. He probably did not expect it to be so heavy.
“Thank you, Kise-kun.” The first year gives you his famous smile that you have seen a few times now, but it still seems a bit fake to you. You do not mention that out-loud though.
“So where to, senpai?” You point up the stairs.
“Just up the stairs to the clubroom, I will show you.” Kise follows you like a duckling around the school hallways, stirring up some conversation.
“So, how are you this morning, (L/N)-senpai?” You cannot quite tell if he is really interested in your answer or if he is simply asking out of politeness, you keep your answer short.
“I feel fine, just preparing some things for tomorrow’s lesson.” You answer before you look his way. “How are you, Kise-kun?”
“I’m great! I was supposed to have a photoshoot this morning, but it got cancelled last minute.” He explains. “So I finally got to sleep in, that was nice!” He continues and you notice him looking at you out of the side of your eye, like he is searching for something. You do not let it bother you and simply keep walking, guiding him to the art clubroom.
“I’m happy to hear you got some rest. You need it, especially as an athlete.” You slowly come to a stop in front of the door. You turn to the first year. “Thank you for the help, Kise-kun, you can set the box down here.” You point to the floor in front of the clubroom door.
Kise sets the heavy box down and smiles at you once he straightens again. “No problem, senpai!” He stops himself for a moment like is contemplating something before he speaks again. You allow him to take his time. “Though there is something that I wanted to ask you, senpai.”
“Sure, you can ask, Kise-kun.” You had a feeling there was a reason why he sought you out this morning. Especially, since you barely know each other. “Though, I cannot promise that I will know the answer to your question.”
“Do you know who I am?” The question catches you off guard, because it is such a strange question to ask.
“I feel like you should know that, Kise-kun. Are you, by any chance, having memory problems? If that is the case, you should seek out medical help.” You answer bluntly, because that is honestly the only logical response you can gather from his question. The blond seems shocked by your response before he laughs loudly, his laugh echoes around the hallway, it sounds like a bell, ringing loud and clear, announcing what time it is. You actually quite like this sound, because it sounds completely natural, compared to the expressions and smiles he has been showing you so far.
“You are funny, senpai! Perhaps… I should rephrase that.” He speaks again once he manages to get hold of himself. “Have you heard of me before? What I do? Where I am from?”
You are still confused, but you answer anyway. “You are Kise Ryouta, a first year at Kaijou High School and a basketball player.” You pause. “Right? I mean, I don’t know much about you, we only spoke properly for the first time on Tuesday.”
He seems amused by your response. “I see…”
“Anyways.” He continues. “I wanted to thank you once again for the delicious cupcake, senpai! Hopefully, you will make more of them in the future!” You only hum. “See you around, senpai!” You watch him jog away until he disappears behind the corner.
After a few seconds of silence the door to the clubroom opens and Tomiko peeks out. “Good morning, (F/N)-chan, was that Kasamantsu-senpai?” She is looking around curiously. “And was he laughing just now? I’ve never heard him laugh, he only ever frowns.”
You turn to her. “Good morning, no, it was just a first year who was kind enough to help me carry this bad boy up the stairs.” You pat the box in front of the door. “And don’t be rude to Yukio, he may be giving himself early wrinkles, but he is very kind.”
“Sorry, (Y/N)-chan…” You ruffle her hair and she protests ‘Hey, I spent a lot of time on my hair this morning!’ . “It’s fine. I promise not to tell him if you help me get this box in the classroom?” Tomiko immediately agrees in fear of being hunted down by her senpai.
—
It is Wednesday afternoon and you are on your way to the clubroom with your vice-president, discussing some future plans regarding the members and activities you would like to try out with them soon, since they are all improving rapidly, faster than you anticipated when you are stopped, once again, by a familiar voice.
“(L/N)-senpai! (L/N)-senpai!” You both turn around only to be met with the sight of a very happy looking Kise Ryouta.
“Oh, good afternoon, Kise-kun. Are you on your way to basketball practice?” You check the time on your watch and notice that the practice has already started about ten minutes ago.
“Yes!” He confirms. That is rather strange. He looks like he is about to say something, but you cut him off by accident. “Then you should hurry, you are already late and Yukio does not take kindly to people who arrive late to places.”
“Y-you, you are absolutely right, senpai! I’ll hurry! See you!” And he takes off, faster than he should probably be around the hallways. If your collision in the first week is not enough evidence of that.
“Slow down, Kise-kun! Or you might collide with someone again!” You call after him, but you highly doubt he heard you. You sigh to yourself and turn back to Tomiko to apologise for the interruption in the middle of your conversation, only to find her gaping at you like fish out of water.
“Are you alright, Tomiko-chan?” You ask her, concern decorating your voice.
“I-y-you- what?....” He seems absolutely speechless. “(F/N)-chan, do you know who that was?”
“Why do people keep asking me such strange questions, I’m not a fortune teller.” You huff to yourself. “That was just Kise-kun. He is the first year who helped me with the heavy box last week, Tomiko-chan.” You explain simply.
“Kise-kun? The Kise Ryouta!” She grabs you by the shoulders and starts shaking you rapidly. “Do you know how big of a deal that is!”
“Please. Stop. Shaking. Me.” You grab her hands with yours and pull them off your shoulders. “Please, explain, I have no idea what you are talking about, Tomiko-chan.”
She takes a deep breath, she almost looks offended at your lack of knowledge on whatever matter she is talking about. “That was Kise Ryouta, (F/N)-chan. A famous model, an incredibly talented basketball player and a member of the Generation of Miracles.”
“Oh, I mean, I know he plays basketball and he mentioned something about a photoshoot, but-” Tomiko cuts you off.
“ (Y/N)-senpai , I cannot believe you do not know who he is. He has been the talk of the school since he joined and you just casually befriended him just like that.” She snaps her fingers to make her point. “Literally every girl has been crushing on him, probably some guys too, I am not surprised, he is very handsome.” She makes a dreamy sound at the end.
You suppose it would answer some of your questions. Like why he was running down the hallway at top speed, or why there were suddenly so many people interested in watching the basketball club practise or why the girls all seemed so distracted lately.
“Thank you for the explanation, Tomiko-chan. It cleared some things up.” You take her gently by the arm and tug her in the direction of the clubroom. “But quite frankly, I do not care much. Come on, pull yourself together, we’re going to be late to our own club if we do not hurry.”
She reluctantly follows behind you.
—
You visit the basketball practice frequently, sometimes you bring something sweet for the players, other times you only sit there and sketch. You mostly chat with Yukio and the other third years, especially when you are all walking home together. However, you do not stray from talking with the newer players if they start up a conversation with you. Kise is one of those people, though you usually exchange only a few words before you hear Yukio’s roaring voice and you quote ‘Stop getting distracted, you brats, focus only on the game and the ball!’.
Unfortunately, today is not one of the days, you stayed behind late this Friday to lock up the clubroom since the club members took a little bit more time to clean up after working (playing) with clay for the first time this year (for some for the first time in their entire life). It was quite messy so you messaged Yukio that you would not be joining him (and the others) on your walk home today, but you promised to see him tomorrow and cheer him on at his practice match with one of the other schools outside of your school’s district. You do not remember the name of the school, but you will probably learn it tomorrow anyway.
“(L/N)-senpai! (L/N)-senpai!” You hear the high-pitched voice of Kise Ryouta behind you just as you are locking up the door. You turn around to greet him.
“Hello, Kise-kun.” You ańswer. “What are you still doing here? I thought the basketball practice ended a while ago.”
“I was waiting for (L/N)-senpai!” Kise explains like the answer is as clear as a day.
“Oh, thank you, but why?” This first year confuses you quite a lot, more than you would like.
“Well, (L/N)-senpai usually leaves with Kasamatsu-senpai, but that did not happen today!” He continues. “So I was curious as to why!”
“Oh, I see.” You hum thoughtfully. “I just finished up a bit later today with the club, that is all.”
Kise makes an ‘oooh’ sound like your explanation is the most interesting thing in the world.
“Anyway.” You decided to change the topic. “How was practice today, Kise-kun?”
“It was kind of boring.” The blond starts as you begin walking away from the art clubroom. “And Kasamatsu-senpai hit me!” The blond sniffs. “Several times!”
“Oh, why did he hit you?” You humour him with your question as you begin your descent down the staircase.
“He hit me in the head because I arrived late to our practice!” You can see his lip wobbling like he is about to cry, it kind of reminds you of Yukio’s younger siblings when they get upset. “And it still hurts!”
“You were late, so you probably deserved it.” You love pouring oil into a fire sometimes.
Kise sets the waterworks free and you jump back in surprise. Well, now you feel a little bit bad, though the boy might just be pretending, he seems like the theatrical type, but you are not willing to risk that, so like the good senpai you are, you reach forward and rest your hand on top of his head (though it is rather difficult to reach with how tall the first year is, what do they feed these people?) and start gently patting him, moving your fingers left and right through the golden locks. It works on smaller children, so why would it not work on a teenage boy too, right?
You must admit that his hair is very nice and soft to the touch, you wonder what products the first year uses. You assume it must be something expensive, but of high-quality since he is a famous model as Tomiko-chan mentioned.
“Sorry, sorry, I was just teasing you.” You apologise and continue patting him on the head. “Yukio probably shouldn’t hit you, but you cannot be late for practice, that is rude and disrespectful.” You explain.
The first year seemed to have frozen on the spot and you are hoping you did not cross any boundaries, his eyes are a bit wide and staring right at you. His eyes close after a moment and he bends down a little bit so you can reach him better. He kind of looks like a kitten like this, or maybe a puppy, it’s kind of cute.
You continue for a little bit longer before your hand retreats away from his golden crown and Kise stands straight again, looking down at you,blinking owlishly at you. “Is your head better now, Kise-kun?”
The boy nods his head enthusiastically. “Much better, thank you, senpai! It stopped hurting completely!” You do not believe your pats have that kind of superpower to immediately take all the pain away, but you do not argue with the first year.
“That’s good to hear.” You begin walking again, and Kise runs after you. You reach the school’s main entrance and exit the building with the blond still walking beside you. You are not really sure what more he could want so you turn to ask him, but stop yourself when you spot his hair. It looks completely messed up after your pets. It looks kind of funny since Kise obviously cares about his appearance, you bite your lip to hold back your laugh before you speak.
“Sorry about your hair. It seems I messed it up a little bit.” Kise only makes a perplexed sound before he pulls out his phone to check his appearance in the reflection of the display. His cheeks turn a bit red and he quickly fixes his hair up, you turn around politely and allow him to do so.
“Thanks for letting me know, senpai!” He says after he is done, you turn back to him. “No worries, it was my fault after all.” You give him a smile and continue walking. You reach the main gate soon after.
“Well, this is goodbye for now. See you around, Kise-kun.” They boy quickly calls after you.
“Wait!” You stop in your tracks and turn back to him. “I-I mean, (L/N)-senpai, wait!”
“Yes, Kise-kun?” You quirk your eyebrow.
“I was wondering if (L/N)-senpai would be interested in watching me play tomorrow at a practice match?” He starts. “The coach says I won’t probably play, but I think he is wrong, we are playing against Kurokocchi after all.”
You don’t know who this Kurokocchi is, but you do not have to think it over for far too long. “I was already planning to go tomorrow, Kise-kun, I never miss any of Yukio’s games if I can help it.”
The blond seems a bit disappointed by your answer even though you already confirmed that you will be attending tomorrow. “But I will make sure to cheer you on too, as well as the rest of the team.”
Kise beams at that and suddenly moves forward, hugging you tightly. “Thanks, senpai! I really appreciate it!” You only pat his arm weakly, not expecting the hug at all. “No problem.” You answer a bit muffled.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, senpai!” And just like that the blond rushes off. You stand there for a moment, trying to process what just happened before you shrug and start walking in the opposite direction where your house is located.
What a strange first year.
—
You walk with Yukio the next morning. He has to be there earlier than others since he is the captain, but you wake up early every day anyway so it does not bother you much. You two walk and talk until you reach the school grounds. Yukio unlocks the gym and you follow him in, the coach arrives soon after, players slowly start filling in as well.
You sit on the bench while the players leave to change in the changing room. You start up a small conversation with the coach, he is used to your presence, when it comes to things like this, you and Kasamatsu are kind of like a package deal.
“Yukio mentioned you are playing against the Seirin High School, isn’t that a relatively newly established school, Takeuchi-san?” You have heard of Seirin, the school is so new that they have yet to have a third year, only second and first years are attending the school, that is how new it is.
“Yes, so I do not have high expectations from them, that is why we will be dividing the court into two halves, one half for the match and the other for practice.” The Kaijou coach explains, you feel like that is a bit disrespectful towards the other team, but you understand where Takeuchi-san is coming from, you restrain from voicing your opinion out loud.
The training starts and the coach leaves for a moment to direct the players who are not playing in the match today. You sit there alone for a bit, watching as the stands steadily fill up with more spectators than it should be able to hold. You are brought back out of your thoughts by a voice that you know quite well by now.
“Yo, (L/N)-senpai, good morning!” Kise greets with one hand waving, the other by his mouth. “I’m so glad you could make it, senpai!” He stops in front of you.
“Good morning, Kise-kun.” You wave back. “I would not miss one of Yukio’s matches.”
Kise seems to pout at your answer. “What about me, senpai? I will be playing too, ya know!” He whines a little bit.
“Kise, you are sitting this match out.” You turn to the left, Takeuchi-san has returned from the other side of the court, he must be done with giving the players instructions.
“Coach, but I want to play! Seirin has Kurokocchi and I want to beat him, so he can come to Kaijou with me!” Kise protests.
“You are not playing and that is final. You can watch, but that is all, Kise. Understood?”
“Yes, Coach…” You take pity on the first year and stand next to him, patting him reassuringly on his shoulder.
“Oi, brat!” Uh, it seems like Yukio and the others have returned from the changing room. You step away from Kise just to narrowly miss being hit in the face by a basketball, instead it hits the blond and he cries out in pain. “Go get changed! The game is starting soon!”
“Ow, senpai, that hurt!” Kise strokes the sore spot where he was hit. “You could have hit, (L/N)-senpai!”
“Ah, I know how to dodge, it’s fine.” The boy straightens at your response.
“That hurts my heart, (L/N)-senpai, and here I thought we were starting to get along!” The blond whines dramatically and sets the back of his hand against his forehead, closing his eyes, pretending to feel betrayed.
“KISE!” Kasamatsu shouts again and the boy rushes off in fear of being hit again.
“Hello, (L/N)-chan. How are you this morning?” Kobori comes to stand next to you.
“I’m alright, but everyone seems kind of rowdy, almost restless. How are you Kobori-kun?” You explain.
“I’m fine, I’m looking forward to the match, though I can understand your concern, it is the first match of the school year and official or practice match, it gets my blood pumping.” You nod in agreement.
Kasamatsu, now having finished players orders so they can warm up properly, walks up to the two of you. “I’m already getting a headache.” He presses fingers into his eyelids, looking exhausted.
Ever the hero, you take off your backpack and open it, pulling out two smaller boxes and pushing them in Yukio’s direction. “I made something for you guys and the team.” Yukio takes the boxes out of your hands with a raised eyebrow.
“They are honey lemon slices.” You explain, smiling. “To give you guys all the energy you need.”
“Woah, thank you so much, (L/N)-chan!” Kobori smiles politely while Yukio gives you a grateful look.
“No problem.”
“Wow! Honey lemon slices and from (L/N)-chan! Now we’re definitely going to win!” Moriyama jumps into the conversation, throwing his arms around Kasamatsu and Kobori’s shoulders. Yukio shakes him off, about ready to strike with his fist.
“You should be warming up, idiot!” He yells.
“So should you two, but here you are, keeping (L/N)-chan all to yourselves, selfish.” Moriyama retaliates.
“I should probably go now so you guys can properly warm up.” You give Yukio and Kobori each a quick hug before you step back. “I hope you like the lemons and best of luck with the match, I’ll be cheering you on from the stands!” You call as you jog off to join the rest of the spectators.
“Hey! Where is my hug?!” You hear Moriyama call behind you, kind of offended. You can only laugh.
—
The other team arrives soon after, and you immediately notice a tall red-head standing next to Kise. They seem to be bickering a bit. Thankfully, Kasamatsu puts a stop to it fast by calling Kise over to warm up as well.
The game starts soon after, they are only playing on half court, but you managed to find a nice spot to spectate from. Well, Tomiko-chan did and she saved a seat for you as well which is very kind of her. You watch the game together until a blue-haired player appears out of nowhere and steals the ball from Yukio. He quickly passes it to the red-head who scores with a dunk and breaks the basketball hoop. And you can only stare.
“This will definitely be an interesting game.” You have watched plenty of games before and you have seen dozens of basketball practices so you have developed a bit of an eye for things like this even though it was a bit unintentional.
“You think so, (F/N)-chan?” You only nod at Tomiko’s question before you look down towards the bench where the Kaijou basketball team is located. Coach Takeuchi seems pissed off (that is the best way to put it) and calls on Kise to play. Once the entire court is cleared and ready to be used for the game, the match continues and it is such an intense game too. The teams seem to be going back and forth constantly scoring.
(F/N)-chan, (F/N)-chan, look!” Tomiko gently slaps your shoulder repeatedly. “Kise-san is looking in our direction!” And she is right. He sends a wink with a smile and Tomiko almost faints next to you. You have to hold her up. It earns the player a strong kick to the back from Kasamtsu who quickly sends you a look and you wave gently back to him. ‘Don’t mind. You can do it.’ You hope Yukio can feel the support you are sending his way.
The red and blue-haired pair seem to be giving your school’s team some trouble, but Kise is consistently scoring so the teams kind of balance out. Though the blue-haired player is definitely weaker than Kise, he takes him head on, they double team with the redhead and stop Kise. And that is when a tragedy strikes. The pair steals the ball from Kise and rush to score. However, so does Kise and as he swiftly turns, he accidentally strikes the smaller player and injures him.
You have to leave for a little bit after that, the match is a bit too intense for your liking. You walk to the closest vending machine and buy a bottle of fizzy water with your favourite flavour. By the time you return the match is almost over. Fourth quarter started a while ago and the score is basically equal, it could be anyone's game. You sit back next to Tomiko and offer her a drink that you bought for her, she gratefully grabs it from your hands and immediately takes a sip.
You notice the blue-haired player had returned to the game while you were away, playing even despite his head injury. He must be a very dedicated player. You turn your attention to Yukio, he is gritting his teeth a little bit, the people there are barely cheering, holding their breaths to see how the match will end.
You take a swig of your water and stand up, cupping your mouth with both of your hands. “Go! Go! Kaijou!” You call at the top of your lungs and somehow Yukio and the others hear you. Your support seems to light a fire and other students join you in cheering their team on. This immediately boosts the morale of the team. Yukio sends you a grateful look and you only wave in acknowledgement.
Unfortunately, it is not enough. The Kaijou team loses by one point and you can see the frustration on the players’ faces. The colourfully haired duo pulled off a really cool move at the end, you believe it is called an alley-oop, where one player seems like he is shooting, but it is actually a pass to another player, usually to perform a dunk.
The audience begins whispering amongst each other, unable to digest the fact that their veteran school lost against the newly established Seirin. That seems to crush the players even more. You hate when people are like this, blind to the fact that the players gave it their all, so you stand again and call as loudly as you can with firmness in your voice. “Good game!” You start clapping and though it takes a while, the rest of the audience joins in. You do not miss the wide-eyed stare from the blond first year with tears in his eyes.
The teams thank each other for the game. You and Tomiko pack up your things after and start leaving with the rest of the audience. “(F/N)-chan, Kise-kun was looking at you.”
“What?” You turn your head to her as the two of you wait for the stands to empty a little. “I mean, most people probably were with how loud I shouted.” You shrug your shoulders.
“No, I mean even before that.” Tomiko continues.
“You are being silly, Tomiko-chan, he was probably just thanking his fans for their support.” You do not believe. “Come on, let’s go.” The second year student loyally follows after you.
—
The two of you say goodbye, Tomiko has to rush home to make it in time to a family dinner. Apparently, her aunt and uncle are visiting. You send Yukio a text and wait for him outside.
You overhear something once you settle against the wall, it almost sounds like crying. You hesitantly step past the corner, and lo and behold, you spot a familiar head of blond hair hidden under a strong stream of cold water. You contemplate whether to approach the crying blond or if it would be better to leave him be, but against your better judgement, you take a step and another and before you know it, you are standing next to the tall player.
“Kise-kun.” You call gently. The blond jumps up and you note to yourself that this is the second time you scared him. He turns his back to you and wipes at his face roughly to dry his tears before he turns to you with his famous smile, but you can see it in his eyes that he is sad.
“(L/N)-senpai! What are you doing here?” He attempts to gather some composure, but it is already too late, you saw.
You give him a small sympathetic smile and turn your head a little to the side. You decide to divert from the painful topic. “You played well, Kise-kun.”
He thanks you, but does not seem to believe you. That’s fine, he showed today that he is an incredibly talented player. If he does not believe you now, he will believe you in the future. He sighs a little bit, feeling defeated and leans against the wall, slowly sliding down. He hides his face under his towel.
You walk over to him and slide down to sit next to him, stretching out your legs is nice after sitting down during the match.
You have dealt with this many times before with Yukio, he lost more basketball matches than you could ever count and you were there to support him, why not do the same for your heavy-hearted kouhai. You let the blond cry for a little bit, simply offering your presence to him.
“Did you eat any of the honey lemon slices I made, Kise-kun?” You ask after a few minutes once he manages to calm himself down a little bit.
He makes a confused sound and looks up from where he was hiding his face between his knees. “What honey lemon slices?” His voice is a bit hoarse. You will have a firm talking-to with Yukio after this it seems. “(L/N)-senpai made me- the team honey lemon slices?”
“Yes, I did.” You confirm. “I usually do when they have matches.”
Kise makes a thoughtful sound. “Well, damn, now I’ll have to wait for the next match to taste them…” The first year tries to joke, sounding a bit sad, but this is where he is wrong. You quickly rummage through your backpack and pull out a small box and offer it to the blond along with the drink you bought for yourself earlier. Hopefully, he won’t mind that you already drank from it, you share with Yukio all the time.
“I always make a special batch for Yukio, don’t tell the rest of the team.” You explain as Kise takes it from your hands, he seems a bit hesitant. “He won’t mind, take them. If he really wants a batch, I can make him one after we walk home.”
He whispers a thank you and opens the box. You can see his mouth watering at the sight of perfectly cut lemons dipped in the sweet honey. Kise does not hesitate to assault the poor lemons, but you are happy that he likes them. “Enjoy them, they are well earned.” You slide the wet towel off the boy’s face and pet his hair again.
“My hair is all sweaty senpai!” Kise protests.
“I don’t care, it’s just some sweat.” You stop yourself. “Unless you mind, Kise-kun.”
“I don’t…” He falls silent after that and you continue to pet him after the confirmation.
The two of you sit in silence for a bit longer until the first year is finished with his lemons and the drink. He returns the empty bottle and box back to you and you put them away into your backpack.
You are the first to stand and offer the blond both off your hands. You are probably not strong enough to pull him up all by yourself, but your effort is appreciated. He grasps your much smaller hands with his own and you pull him up into a standing position.
“Feeling better?” You ask.
And for the first time, the blond gives you a genuine smile and you must admit that it is one of the most beautiful smiles you have ever seen, almost like the sun, shining brightly. You would not mind sketching a smile like that.
“Yes, senpai! Thank you so much!” The boy beams and you return the smile.
Your phone buzzes in your pocket, cutting off the small moment and you pull it out, looking at Kise apologetically. It is a message from Yukio, he is waiting for you in your usual meeting spot, and given by the undertone of the text he is getting impatient since you are not where you promised you would be. You quickly text back, promising you will be there soon.
“Are you really feeling better?” You ask one more time.
“Yes, senpai, you really helped.” Kise confirms.
“Good.” You pat him on his arm and you notice the muscle flexing under your touch. “I’m happy to hear that. If you ever need to talk, your senpai is here for you. I cannot allow one of my favourite kouhai to feel sad.” Kise can only stare at you starstruck.
“I have to go now, but I’ll see you around, Kise-kun! Drink some more water!” You wave as you run off, rushing to meet Yukio so he does not hit you too hard for making him wait.
You swear you can hear the words ‘So cool!....’ behind you.
—
Kise starts attending practices religiously after that fateful match, always on time, trying his best so he can improve quicker so he can beat Seirin in the next match. However, his brattiness remains strong (though he uses honorifics properly now) which still earns him some kicks and hits from Kasamatsu.
You visit their training sometimes to do some practising yourself and improve your artistic skills. Other times you bring sweets, sometimes you only watch and laugh at Kise’s provocative tendencies and silly antics to rile up Kasamatsu. Whenever the third year player sends you a nasty look you pretend to play innocent, looking the other way. You cheer them on during matches too and the team seems appreciative of this.
Another day, another week, and this one will be especially difficult. Tomiko must have eaten something bad at one of her family dinners, because she called you this morning to excuse herself from this week’s art club lesson, explaining that she probably caught a nasty bug and has been spending her time by the toilet bowl since the evening before. You tell not to worry about it and wish her a quick recovery.
The day runs smoothly otherwise. You reach lunch time and walk to the cafeteria with Kobori, who happens to be in your class, to meet up with Yukio and the rest of the team. They are all there once the pair of you arrives, unpacking their homemade lunches or staying in the queue to buy some lunch.
You wave to them and sit down next to Yukio, who is sitting on the edge seat of the table. Kobori takes a seat right next to you, you are comfortably sitting between the two, Moriyama is sitting opposite of you with his purchased food, Nakamura and Hayakawa are both occupying the seats on either side of him.
You pull out your own lunch your father cooked for you this morning and grab your pair of chop-sticks. “Itadakimasu!” You clap your hands together and start eating.
“Woah, I’m so jealous of your homemade lunches…” Moriyama admits after a bit. People are chatting around, but your group has been quietly eating so far, enjoying your meals in silence.
“You can have some of mine, Moriyama-kun.” You pick up some vegetables and meat and place them in his place. “But you have to share some of yours too.” Moriyama beams and does as you asked. He happily munches on the food you have shared.
“Don’t spoil him.” Yukio remarks next to you.
“You wound me, Kasamatsu-kun! My heart!”
“Shut up and eat, idiot.” He warns with a frown and any possible antics are immediately discontinued. They know when to shut up when their captain requests (orders) it. However, the others do not forget to snicker at Moriyama’s misery.
“Hey, Yukio, can I have some of your bento, please? Your mom makes the best one.” You request politely. The others look at you like you have a death wish even though you do this rather often with your friend, that is sharing the delicious food your parents or yourselves make.
“Sure.” He grumbles. He grabs a piece of the bento with his chop-sticks and places it into your lunch box. You give him some of your jello with blueberries in return. The other men at the table stare, looking a bit jealous.
“Thanks!” You dig in.
Moriyama finishes his food rather quickly, swallowing it almost without any chewing and Kasamatsu threatens not to help him if he chokes. He disappears quickly after that, something about getting the phone number of a cute girl he saw this morning. You leave him be. The rest of you continue to eat peacefully after that. Well…
“Ohayo, senpais!”
Until you hear a familiar high-pitched call. Yukio stiffens next to you, you can read his expression perfectly. He just wanted some peace. You pat his shoulder in consolation before you turn around and confirm that it is truly the young blond you have grown quite fond of.
Kise plops into the empty seat between Nakamura and Hayakawa with his lunch tray and beams at all of you.
“And who invited you, brat?” Yukio sounds very annoyed. You pinch his thigh under the table and he jumps up a little bit, the others send the two of you strange looks.
“Don’t mind him, Kise-kun, Yukio is just having a bad day.” You smile at the first year after you send a quick glare to your best friend. “You can sit with us.”
“And since when do you decide that?” That earned the blue-eyed third year another pinch, this time to his side.
“Be nicer to your kouhai, Yukio.”
“Oh, thanks, (L/N)-cchi!” That immediately stops your bickering with Yukio and turns all the heads towards the blond who just spoke.
“What did you just call me?” “ What did you just call her? ” You and Yukio speak at the same time. Your question comes from a place of confusion while Yukio just sounds pissed up.
“Oi, be more respectful towards your senpai, you brat!” He is about to hit the first year, but the table saves Kise from any more punches than he already receives during practice.
“Why did you call me (L/N)-cchi, Kise-kun?” The nickname feels strange on your lips.
“Why, I only call the people whom I respect with honorifics -cchi!” Kise explained giddily.
“You already do that by saying -senpai, baka!” Kasamatsu rages. Kobori looks ready to jump from his chair and rush into action in case Kasamatsu decides that he really wants to hit Kise, Nakamura and Hayakawa cover from their senpai’s rage.
“It’s fine, Yukio, I don’t mind.” You attempt to calm your friend down before you all get kicked out of the cafeteria by one of the teachers. “You can call me (L/N)-senpai or (L/N)-cchi, I don’t mind either, Kise-kun. If anything, I really appreciate that you feel respect towards your senpai.”
And that is that. You do not discuss it further, though Yukio seems to frown a little bit more every time Kise calls you (L/N)-cchi instead of (L/N)-senpai.
You quickly learn that Kise is a social butterfly, because the moment he joins the table a conversation is stirred up. He talks and talks and talks, bringing everyone into the conversation. It is different from the quieter lunches you usually have.
“Oi, why are you here anyway, brat? Don’t you have classes?” Kasamatsu cuts in once Nakamura finishes talking about a movie he saw recently. He sounds rude, but you know it comes from a place of concern and care. Yukio may be firm and strict, but he wants his kouhai to succeed, both in the club activities and their studies.
Kise puts a hand on the back of his neck, rubbing it nervously. “I was supposed to have a photoshoot the entire day, but we managed to finish early, so here I am!” He giggles nervously, you notice he is putting up a front again. “I am happy I made it to lunch, I’m starving.”
“Then you should eat. You have barely touched your food since you joined us.” Yukio points out with a frown and you agree. Kise starts eating while Nakamura and Hayakawa lead the conversation, you and Kobori sometimes peep in with your own remarks or opinions, Yukio only grumbles under his breath.
You suddenly notice something. “Are you sure you have enough food, Kise-kun?” He ate his portion rather quickly, but he did not have much on his plate to begin with. His portion was even smaller than yours and you are not even a professional athlete who trains at least five times a week like the rest of the people seated at this table. That is rather concerning.
“I’m fine, (L/N)-cchi!” Kise tries to reassure, but that is when his own body betrays him and his stomach growls loudly. You all stare in surprise while Kise just looks embarrassed, his cheeks tinted red.
What surprises you even more is what Kasamatsu does next. He grabs what is left of his bento and sets it on Kise’s now empty plate. “W-what, s-senpai!” Your eyes widen and you fondly look at your friend. As much as Yukio can look mean and grumpy on the outside, he is actually one of the most caring people who you had the pleasure of meeting and befriending.
You follow his lead and share some of your food with the first year as well who sputters in protest, but that does not stop you nor the others. Kobori gives Kise the rest of his rice and some vegetables, Nakamura shares a piece of his chicken and Hayakawa shares some fruits he had for dessert.
“Senpai! You did not have to do this! I could have just bought more food, my modelling pays well!” Kise tries to explain. “Not to mention, I cannot have too many calories. My job does not allow it!”
“Shut up and eat your food, brat. You need to eat more and if the calories are such a problem that I’ll just have you run more laps around the gym to burn them.” Kasamatsu grumbles, giving him a side-eye as he takes a sip of his water.
Kise does not protest anymore and thanks you quietly before he digs into the food. The table is quiet after that, with everybody just silently chewing on their food.
“How long have you been modelling, Kise-kun?” You ask curiously. The blond looks up, his cheek half stuffed with the chicken from Nakamura. He goes to answer and Yukio scolds him for trying to speak with his mouth full.
“Sorry, Kise-kun, it’s fine. Finish first, you can answer after.” You reassure him.
“I’ve been doing it since I was a little boy. Most of my family is in the business, especially my older sisters, they are actually the reason I started my modelling career!” Kise explained cheerily.
“Oh cool, do you have any other hobbies aside from basketball?” This time it is Hayakawa who speaks up and Kise turns to him to answer.
“Not really, I mostly focus on my basketball and modelling career. Though I do enjoy fashion.” You watch him interact with the others, answering their questions and asking questions of his own. He will fit in with the team nicely, you turn to Yukio who seems to hold a similar look in his eye. The two of you stare at each other, communicating silently.
“And what about you, (L/N)-senpai?” He used the other honorific this time.
“Huh?” You turn your attention back to the conversation. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. What was your question again?”
“I was just asking if you have any hobbies, (L/N)-senpai?” Kise repeats.
“I really enjoy art, you could even say it is my passion.” You answer. “Though I do enjoy playing basketball too, but I’m not as good as these guys.” You point your thumb towards the guys sitting at the table with you. “I do find it fun though.”
“Woah! You play basketball, senpai?! We must play together sometimes!” Kise announces and Yukio scolds him for being loud.
“Well, I’m not sure if you can call it playing per say, but yeah, I try my best.” You rub at your chin nervously. “But I would love to play basketball with you in the future, Kise-kun.”
“You’re decent.” Yukio grumbles next to you between bites and you whip your head towards him.
“Aaaw you really do care, Yukio!” You call, embracing your black-haired friend tightly around the shoulders, he starts protesting, but you only squeeze him more and lay your head on his shoulder. He looks like he wants to retort, but eventually gives up, because it’s you. You notice his cheeks, turning a light shade of pink from the embarrassment.
The bell rings soon after that and Yukio pushes you gently off. You all pack up your things and return back to your separate classrooms. You and Kobori walk together again, discussing what might be the topic of today’s English lesson.
You overhear Kasamatsu scolding the first year to hurry to his class as well so he isn’t late.
The rest of the day is stressful, it is not as easy to direct an entire class of artistic kids all by yourself, thankfully they are cooperative, so you have only minimal issues. Yukio is already waiting for you outside by the time you are locking up the door. The others have already left so it is only the two of you today.
“So…” You start and your friend turns to look at you. “Are we gonna talk about it?”
“Talk about what?” Perhaps you will have to be more specific with this oblivious idiot.
“Kise-kun’s unhealthy eating habits.” Yukio makes a thoughtful sound.
“I was thinking about it too.” Yukio agrees. “He is definitely eating less than a person his age should be.” Yukio clears his throat. “I suppose we could talk to him about it, or simply stuff him with food during the summer week training.”
“It is concerning, but I don’t think that by itself will be enough.” You continue. “But I think I have an idea that could help.” And Yukio moves closer to listen to your plan.
And if Kise randomly finds protein bars and cookies in his backpack after every practice, he does not question it (though he will admit that he tried very hard to catch the snack culprit). And if you ask him to share some kind of food that you have brought with you to the school for the day like sliced fruits and vegetables, Kise does not decline and munches on them happily.
And if he later catches Kasamatsu hiding some more food in his bag and notices you two discussing what foods to purchase for the upcoming week, the blond keeps it to himself, feeling his chest swell with warmth from the love and care he is receiving from his senpais.