Chapter Text
The Yokohama Academy was a place where only the elite of the elite could send their children. It had everything. The campus had beautiful gardens, modern classrooms as well as vintage, and world-famous teachers who were strict for a reason. It was a place where the privileged and talented children were prepared to become future leaders. The academy offered every resource needed for a well-supported education. Students wore perfect and neat uniforms, and the school had a long history of academic and extracurricular excellence. The air was filled with ambition and competition, as each student tried to outdo the others, driven by their families' high expectations.
Chuuya Nakahara, at the age of nine, found himself stepping through the giant gates of Yokohama Academy for the first time. With his ginger hair the other kids would either adore or hate and a very aggressive personality to match. He felt out of place among the polished and perfected children of Japan's most influential families. His parents, both high-ranking executives in their respective fields, expected nothing less than excellence from him. But Chuuya wasn't what they wanted him to be.
As he walked around the school garden, he walked enough to the point he was behind the castle of a school, he caught a smell of something unfamiliar. Smoke. Curiosity got the best of him, he followed the scent around the corner of the back of the building to find a boy, about his age, leaning against the wall, a lit cigarette dangling casually from his lips.
"Hey!" Chuuya shouted, anger flaring in his blue eyes. "What do you think your doing!"
The boy turned to face him, unfazed. He had dark hair and eyes that seemed to pierce through Chuuya. "Nothing?" he replied unbothered, taking another drag.
Chuuya glared "Then go to your room and do nothing! Smoking is bad for you! And it's against the rules!" Without thinking, he ran up and kicked the cigarette out of the boy's hand. The boy barely flinched, but his eyes narrowed.
"What's wrong with you. Leprechaun." the boy said, brushing the ashes of the cigarette from his uniform.
"Don't call me that you loser! You have brown hair! Basic as hell!"
"Well then what's your name, gingifive?" the boy answered, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Why gingifive first of all? My name's Chuuya. Why do you need to know?" Chuuya replied defiantly.
"Your the fifth ginger I've met today. I was hoping to keep that number at four but guess who comes in and ruins it!"
"Well then, what's YOUR name?" Chuuya's fists clenched.
"Dazai. Osamu Dazai."
From that moment, a rivalry was born. Chuuya and Dazai found themselves at odds in every way possible. In class, they competed for the top spot, each refusing to be one step below by the other. On the sports field, their fights became normal, each boy pushing the other to new heights of athleticism. Even in the dorms, their pranks and arguments became something people got used to.
By the time they were eighteen, their hatred for each other grown deeper and deeper each day. It was late October when the academy was holding it's annual festival, a chance for all the students to team up and show off all their knowledge, new friendships, and to show off which family holds the most title. Of course Chuuya teamed up with his friends, Kenji Miyazawa, Higuchi Ichiyo, Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, Kunikida Doppo. Their common goal was: to beat everyone else. In this case, to win they would have to not only impress all the families, but make them think about it, wonder about it, ask questions about it.
"Cultural showcase!" Kenji exclaimed, eyes shining with enthusiasm. “We can create something that tells a story of our culture but combining all our special talents too you know? Since I have art, I can make something artistic? While yall can make your own things to add onto the project!"
“That’s a actually a really good idea, Kenji. I'm quite surprised your the one coming up with stuff...Kunikida, you've been real silent...you good?" Higuchi softly replies while giving a glance to Kunikida.
"Yea I'm fine just this Katai guy...He's the nerd in the class as you all know. But he's been annoying me this past week. For computer and technology science, I've always been the most 'prestigious' you could say but lately, he's been getting ahead. But that doesn't matter. I'll still find a way to get rid of his greasy ass hair. Anyway, Kenji that's actually a good idea, we should do that." replied Kunikida.
As the day went on, they all explained their ideas, how to add onto the project, and what to do.
Akutagawa Ryuunosuke - Akutagawa’s family has old money and a prestigious history, involved in politics and high society. Sister: Gin Akutagawa. Special talent: Knows a LOT about Japans culture and history.
Kenji Miyazawa: Kenji’s family is wealthy from owning and supporting art galleries and museums. They’re known for their philanthropy and cultural contributions. Deep connection to art. Close to the Izumi family.
Higuchi Ichiyo: Higuchi’s family is rich from owning successful businesses and investments. They’re known for their financial power and strategic expertise. Enjoys technology yet isn't chronically online.
Kunikida Doppo: Kunikida’s family is wealthy from their work in academia and research. They’re respected scholars and educators. Heavy on education. Enjoyed math so much as a child he became a walking calculator. Somehow not hated by half the school for being a know-it-all.
As the team got settled in, they had to eventually split up to get supplies for the project. It took about a day to get everything ready and would've taken longer if the school didn't have literal stores and little shops built in it. It was quite genius. If they didn't get any donations or large amounts of money in time of something, students could just buy stuff and unknowingly fund the academy. Since the shopping for supplies and Higuchi getting distracted on random souvenirs and merch of the Academy, it was already lunch break. All the classes gathered into one giant cafeteria which was most likely the size of a football field or larger. They had multiple areas to buy food, each settled in a special area which would be easily accessible to the students, lots of varieties of food, even for those with allergies, as well as entertainment at certain times. On Wednesdays they had a magic show for the year 4s and lower. On Fridays they would hand out free notebooks to year 10s and lower, And for those above year 10, they would do a Taco Tuesday instead of a Pizza Thursday like the other kids. The cafeteria would have a table with 7 seats for each, an odd choice for table seats but it was for the elite after all. Chuuya and his gang were of course sitting on one of these round seven-seated tables with their food. Higuchi was picking her salad, Kenji as usual was eating beef, Kunikida was doing homework, Chuuya on his phone and Akutagawa glaring at everyone passing by.
"Oh hey guys...we should create a group chat instead of just privately DM-ing each other." Suggested Kenji with his usual enthusiastic grin.
"I mean I'm not against it." Replied Chuuya not looking up from his phone.
"As long as you guys don't spam." muttered Akutagawa as Kunikida and Higuchi simply nodded along.
*Kenji Miyazawa created group chat*
*Kenji Miyazawa added: Chuuya Nakahara, Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, Kunikida Doppo, Dazai Osamu, Higuchi Ichiyo*
*Kenji Miyazawa renamed group chat: super duper puper coolio fellas!*
Kenji: Okay there! :)
Akutagawa: why did you add @TheDazMu
Dazai: Wsg gang 😁😁😁 why yall add me here dawggg
Chuuya: KICK HIM NOW.
Dazai: No.
*Dazai Osamu renamed Chuuya Nakahara :gingifive:*
*Gingifive kicked Dazai Osamu*
*Higuchi is offline*
*Gingifive is offline*
*Akutagawa is offline*
*Kenji is idle*
*Kunikida is offline*
"Yall aren't we literally beside each other...we can use this to text when we're at dorms...speaking of dorms...It's our last day of having the same dorm partners. We're switching tomorrow since it's October." Mentioned Higuchi while taking a sip of her drink.
"WHAT!" Exclaimed Chuuya throwing his phone aggressively onto the table "But i fucking liked my dorm partner! Her name is Yuan or something. She's pretty cute. And we JUST started talking...romantically I mean."
"Well cry me a river, Chuuya. Whatever happens, happens for a reason." Akutagawa replies with passive aggressiveness not even trying to sound nice.
As the discussion continued, their thoughts returned to the project. Each of them knew the festival was more than just a competition—it was a stage where their families' prestige was at stake. They had to ensure the fact that they would impress and shock everyone to bring honor to their name. As the school day soon ended, they all headed back to their dorms. Higuchi with Akutagawa, Kunikida with this random guy Edgar Allan Poe, a transfer from America, Kenji with Tanizaki, an average student at Yokohama Academy, and Chuuya with Yuan. This would be their last night with their roommates until the surprise of the new ones would await them til the morning.
Chuuya put on his pajama pants and batman t-shirt he used for sleeping, he practically died in bed, today was a day full of panic, pressure and just pure hard work in general. He quickly checked his notifications until passing out in bed, with Yuan still awake working on her homework and texting random people in the room next to him.
Meanwhile, across the dormitory hallways, the atmosphere was dreadful. Higuchi and Akutagawa were finalizing their plans for the project, their conversation occasionally interrupted by yawns and sighs. Kenji and Tanizaki were engrossed in a game of cards, their light-hearted banter filling the room. Kunikida, sharing his room with Poe, was trying to find common ground with the mysterious transfer student, who seemed more interested in his stack of books than socializing. All soon got tired and literally went to bed with Higuchi waking up in the middle of the night asking Akutagawa if her hair looks good.