Chapter Text
Akito, sweaty and tired from soccer practice, did not expect to get a text from his sister begging him (or more accurately, threatening him) to bring her food. He called her, and she picked up almost immediately.
“Did you see my text?” She asked instantly.
“Yeah I saw it, why the hell do you expect me to get you stuff now? Practice just ended.” He scoffed.
“So? I have to stay here for another two hours and I’m so damn hungry.” Ena whined. “If you get me something now, I’ll make you pancakes tomorrow!” She promised.
And Akito was never one to say no to free food, so he reluctantly agreed.
“Fine. What do you want?” He asked, sighing.
“Yes! I knew you’d finally agree. Anyways, I’ll take anything sweet. Oh also get extra, An and Mizuki want some too. Okthanksbye!”
Ena abruptly ended the call, and Akito rolled his eyes. Nevertheless, he still went and picked up a bag full of packaged sweets and returned to the school. He pulled out his phone and sent his sister a text.
r u in the auditorium rn?
yeah hurry tf up
Her eloquent response came almost the second he sent the message, so he begrudgingly began to make his way to the auditorium.
***
Akito could hear yelling coming from behind the heavy wooden doors, making him a little nervous to push them open, but the thought of his promised pancakes outweighed the strong urge to run in the opposite direction.
The second he walked in, Mizuki ran up to him, snatching the bag out of his hands, and began looking through it to pick out what they wanted. Right behind them, An and Ena sprinted up and Ena grabbed the bag from Mizuki.
“Excuse you, these are for me.”
“Ugh, c'mon Enanan, I know Lil Bro brought extra for us, sharing is caring” Mizuki complained.
“Hey! Save some for me!” An exclaimed, looking over Ena’s shoulder to see what was in the bag.
“Thanks, Akito, you’re the best. I don’t know what I'd ever do without you” Akito grumbled, clearly expecting thanks.
“Yeah, yeah. I already said I’d make you pancakes, so don’t be such a drama queen.” Ena rolled her eyes at her younger brother.
“Whatever. I’m leaving.” Akito turned around, waving his hand dismissively.
“Hey wait! You should totally stay and watch.” An suggested with enthusiasm.
“Yeah! It’s so fun, we can introduce you to the crew and stuff!” Mizuki agreed.
Akito grimaced. “I’d rather not.”
Ena smacked him on the back of the head. “Don't be a dickhead, just hang around for a bit. It’s not like you have anything better to do.”
“Oh fuck you. Fine. I’ll stay.” Akito conceded with a sigh.
An and Mizuki cheered, each grabbing one of his arms and dragging him towards the stage. He already knew this was going to be a terrible idea.
***
He was right. Not even 10 minutes backstage and he already had a headache. And this headache went by the name of Tsukasa Tenma. Infamous problem child, but a damn good actor (though Akito would never admit it to his face). Not only him but his ‘partner in crime’ Rui Kamishiro. If you saw the two of them together, it was best to back away slowly and avoid eye contact because God knows what stupid shit they’ll pull next. Apparently once during a play, Kamishiro had made an actual cannon and shot Tenma out of it. Akito may have had abysmal grades, but he wasn’t stupid enough to willingly get caught with them. Another girl was hanging around them, and she looked as irritated as Akito felt, but she seemed to mostly ignore them, opting to read what looked like a script instead.
Other than those three and the girls who dragged him here, no one looked important enough to remember, and Akito was getting pretty bored. An had been called up for something, and Mizuki and his sister had run off somewhere. He felt awkward standing there alone when he wasn’t even supposed to be there in the first place. He sighed, pulled his phone out of his pocket, and started to walk towards the exit, looking down at his phone to text Ena a quick ‘im leaving have fun’ message. Not watching where he was going, he collided with someone. Stumbling back a little, he looked up.
The stranger had blue hair in two different shades (which Akito thought was kind of strange, but he couldn’t be one to talk) and a beauty mark under one of the most gorgeous eyes Akito had ever seen. They were a warm, milky gray, changing colors a little under the lights. He probably could’ve stared at them for a while if the stranger hadn’t interrupted.
“Ah, my apologies.” The stranger bowed a little and Akito strangely felt embarrassed.
“Oh no problem dude, it’s all good, I wasn’t watching where I was going.” He apologized sheepishly. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine, thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
The stranger stepped around Akito, walking towards Tenma. Akito stared for a few more seconds before turning around, grabbing his bag, and once again pushing open the heavy theater doors. What a weird place.
***
And so Akito bringing Ena snacks had become a common occurrence, and now he was in the auditorium almost every other day. It was a hassle at first, but now Akito had grown accustomed to it. He usually never stuck around long, but he had stayed to watch rehearsals once or twice. Akito could admit that they weren’t horrible. The actors were pretty good, and the sets and costumes (courtesy of Ena and Mizuki respectively) were near perfect.
Although the faces there had all become familiar, he didn’t really know anyone’s names. An decided this was a problem.
“Aw c’mon Akito, I bet you might like some of these people, they’re pretty cool. And there’s definitely some girls who’d like to meet the star of the soccer team.” she teased.
Akito rolled his eyes, “I don’t have a choice, do I?”
“Nope!”.
***
Unlike the first time, An actually introduced Akito to the rest of the cast. He learned the girl with Tenma and Kamishiro was named Nene Kusanagi, and although he used his most charming smile, she refused to speak more than a word to him. It didn’t really matter to him, since she still seemed irrelevant (she was good at singing though). The blue-haired guy he had run into a while back was Toya Aoyagi. He already knew Tenma and Kamishiro, and they (unfortunately) recognized him too.
“Oh my, is that the ace of the soccer team I see?”
“OHOHOHO, IT APPEARS SO, RUI.”
Akito winced at the blonde’s volume but smiled nonetheless. “You caught me.” He rubbed the back of his head, pretending to be sheepish.
Ena rolled her eyes and smacked him. “God, I always wondered why you never pursued acting you fake ass bitch.”
Akito scowled, rubbing his shoulder. “Jesus, why do you hit so hard, all you ever do is rot on your phone.”
Ena shoved him, and he stumbled. “Ugh, you’re so annoying!”
“Do you want me to keep bringing you food or not?”
“Obviously I do, but it doesn’t mean you have to be an asshole all the time. No wonder your last girlfriend broke up with you.”
“This is why no one likes your stupid Instagram posts, you-”
Their bickering was cut off by Mizuki and An cackling. Both Akito and Ena turned beet red, causing the duo to laugh even harder.
“Ugh whatever, I’m leaving, I have homework.” Akito excused himself, walking out of the auditorium with his bag slung over his shoulder.
“Seeya Akito!!” Mizuki exclaimed, waving.
“GOODBYE SHINONOME-KUN!” Tenma yelled behind him, and Akito scoffed, walking out.
***
“Shinonome?” Toya asked. “Are you two related Shinonome-san?”
Ena sighed, “Unfortunately, that is my younger brother. Technically we’re only half-siblings, but we live together.”
“Wait, half? It makes sense, but I never knew.” An asked.
“Yeah, we have the same shitty dad, he divorced my mom to marry Akito’s mom, but she died when Akito was like.. around 4.”
“That must’ve been hard for you, my condolences.” Toya frowned.
Ena just shrugged, “I never liked her much, and Akito was too young to remember much.”
An awkward silence followed, the tension so thick you could cut it.
“So! How about we practice that last act again?!” Rui clapped his hands.