Chapter Text
Sanemi Shinazugawa scowled as he entered the teacher's lounge, gripping a stack of graded math tests in one hand. The students had barely passed, which was enough to annoy him, but that wasn’t the source of his frustration. No, the real problem was already there, sipping on what looked like a cup of green tea.
Giyuu Tomioka, the school's PE teacher, sat at one of the tables, a serene expression on his face as he gazed out the window. He looked like he didn’t have a single worry in the world, and that alone was enough to make Sanemi's blood boil.
"Just my luck," Sanemi muttered under his breath as he slammed the papers down on the nearest table, causing a few other teachers to jump in their seats.
Giyuu turned his head slightly, acknowledging Sanemi’s presence with a simple nod. "Good morning, Shinazugawa."
Sanemi gritted his teeth. He hated how Giyuu always acted so calm, so detached, as if nothing ever bothered him. It was infuriating, especially after Sanemi had spent hours grading papers and dealing with students who seemed to think algebra was a foreign language.
“What’s so good about it?” Sanemi snapped back, dropping into a chair opposite Giyuu. He pulled out a pen and began scribbling furiously on a piece of paper, trying to ignore the calm atmosphere that surrounded the PE teacher.
Giyuu blinked, seemingly unbothered by Sanemi's outburst. “You’re in a bad mood.”
“No kidding,” Sanemi replied sarcastically, not bothering to look up.
A few moments of silence passed before Giyuu spoke again. “Is there something on your mind?”
Sanemi rolled his eyes. “You mean besides having to teach a bunch of brats who can’t tell the difference between an equation and a sandwich? No, nothing at all.”
Giyuu didn’t respond immediately, his gaze drifting back to the window. “Maybe they just need more guidance.”
Sanemi scoffed. “And what do you know about teaching anything that requires brainpower? All you do is run around the field all day.”
Giyuu’s eyes flicked back to Sanemi, the slightest hint of a frown on his otherwise neutral face. “Physical education is important for a well rounded education.”
“Yeah, sure,” Sanemi said dismissively, “because running laps and doing push ups is going to solve all their problems.”
Giyuu’s frown deepened, but he remained silent. Sanemi could feel the tension building between them, a familiar feeling whenever they were in the same room. It wasn’t just that they were opposites in teaching subjects; it was something deeper, something that neither of them had ever addressed.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break. Giyuu stood up, placing his empty cup in the sink before grabbing his whistle from the table. “I have to go. I have a class.”
Sanemi watched him leave, irritation bubbling up inside him. It always ended like this. Giyuu leaving without any real confrontation, and Sanemi left fuming for reasons he couldn’t fully understand.
As Giyuu walked out, a few students passed by, greeting him with smiles and waves. Giyuu acknowledged them with a nod, his expression softening slightly.
Sanemi’s hand tightened around the pen, his knuckles turning white. It didn’t make sense. Why did it bother him so much that Giyuu was so liked? Why did it irk him that Giyuu seemed so unbothered by everything?
“Damn it,” Sanemi muttered to himself, shoving his papers into his bag. He didn’t have time to figure it out. He had a class to teach, and he wasn’t about to let thoughts of Giyuu distract him.
But as he walked out of the lounge and headed towards his classroom, the image of Giyuu’s calm face lingered in his mind, irritating him in a way he couldn’t shake.
The school day had finally come to an end, and the once bustling hallways of the school were now eerily quiet. Sanemi found himself back in the teachers' lounge, alone except for one other person Giyuu, who was seated at the same table as earlier, flipping through some documents.
Sanemi couldn’t help but steal glances at the PE teacher. Despite his usual irritation, something about Giyuu’s demeanor seemed off. He was quieter than usual not that Giyuu was ever particularly chatty, but there was a tension in his posture that Sanemi hadn’t noticed before. His brows were slightly furrowed, and he seemed almost lost in thought, staring blankly at the paper in front of him.
Sanemi pretended to busy himself with his own work, but he kept watching Giyuu from the corner of his eye. Something was definitely wrong. The calm, unflappable Giyuu was acting different.
About fifteen minutes passed in silence before the sound of a phone vibrating broke the stillness of the room. Giyuu stiffened, his hand hovering over his pocket where the phone was. The screen lit up, displaying a caller ID that Sanemi couldn’t see from where he sat.
Giyuu’s expression changed, his eyes widening ever so slightly as he stared at the phone. For the first time, Sanemi saw something that looked almost like fear in Giyuu’s usually composed face.
Curiosity piqued, Sanemi watched as Giyuu hesitated, his thumb hovering over the screen as if debating whether to answer or not. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Giyuu picked up the phone and pressed it to his ear.
“Hello?” Giyuu’s voice was quieter than usual, and there was an edge of unease that Sanemi hadn’t heard before.
Sanemi tried to focus on his work, but his attention kept drifting back to Giyuu. He strained his ears, hoping to catch some of the conversation, but Giyuu’s voice was too low. All he could see was the way Giyuu’s grip on the phone tightened, his knuckles turning pale as he listened to whoever was on the other end.
After a few moments, Giyuu’s eyes darted around the room, as if checking to see if anyone was watching. He must have thought he was alone, because he didn’t notice Sanemi’s gaze on him.
“I don't want to” Giyuu’s voice was barely above a whisper now, laced with worry. He listened for a few more seconds before saying, “I'm sorry, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Giyuu ended the call and let out a shaky breath, closing his eyes for a moment as if trying to collect himself. When he opened them, there was a hint of something vulnerable in his gaze, something that made Sanemi’s chest tighten with an unfamiliar emotion.
Sanemi cleared his throat, unable to hold back his curiosity any longer. “Everything okay, Tomioka?”
Giyuu flinched, clearly startled by Sanemi’s voice. He turned to face him, his usual mask of calm slipping back into place, but it was too late, Sanemi had already seen the fear that had been there just moments before.
“It’s nothing,” Giyuu replied, his voice steadier now, but Sanemi could tell it was a lie.
“Doesn’t look like nothing,” Sanemi pressed, his tone more concerned than he intended. “Who was that on the phone?”
Giyuu hesitated, his eyes meeting Sanemi’s for a brief moment before looking away. “It’s personal." he finally said, his tone firm but not unkind.
Sanemi frowned, not used to seeing Giyuu this rattled. The irritation he usually felt towards Giyuu was still there, but it was mixed with something else, a nagging concern that he couldn’t quite shake.
“If it’s something serious, you should tell someone,” Sanemi said, trying to keep his voice neutral. He wasn’t good at this kind of thing, comforting people wasn’t exactly his strong suit, but something about Giyuu’s fear bothered him more than he wanted to admit.
Giyuu shook his head. “It’s fine. I just have to take care of something.”
Sanemi opened his mouth to argue, but before he could say anything, Giyuu was already gathering his things, clearly intent on leaving.
“Thanks for the concern, Shinazugawa,” Giyuu said quietly, offering a small, almost forced smile as he slung his bag over his shoulder. “But I’ll handle it.”
Sanemi watched as Giyuu hurried out of the lounge, his usual calm stride replaced by something more urgent, more desperate.
Sanemi watched as Giyuu hurried out of the lounge, his curiosity now fully piqued. He knew he shouldn’t care. Giyuu’s business wasn’t his to pry into, but something about the way Giyuu had looked so scared, so vulnerable, gnawed at him. Without thinking, Sanemi found himself rising from his seat and following Giyuu at a distance.
He kept a safe distance as Giyuu walked through the quiet hallways and out into the school parking lot. Sanemi’s eyes narrowed as he saw Giyuu head straight toward a black car parked at the far end of the lot. The driver’s window rolled down as Giyuu approached, and the PE teacher hesitated for a moment before opening the passenger door and getting inside.
Sanemi couldn’t see who was in the car, but something about the situation felt off. Giyuu had looked reluctant, and the uneasy feeling in Sanemi’s gut only intensified as he watched the car stay parked there, not driving off right away.
He moved closer, careful to stay out of sight behind a row of parked cars. He could just make out the silhouette of Giyuu in the passenger seat, his head turned slightly toward the driver. Sanemi strained his ears, trying to catch any bits of conversation, but the distance made it impossible to hear.
He was about to give up and head back when something caught his attention. Giyuu’s voice, louder now, more urgent.
“Stop it. I said stop touching me!” Giyuu’s tone was sharper than Sanemi had ever heard, laced with a mixture of anger and fear.
Sanemi’s heart skipped a beat, his body tensing as the words registered. He couldn’t see what was happening inside the car, but the tone of Giyuu’s voice was enough to make his blood boil.
Without a second thought, Sanemi moved quickly, closing the distance between himself and the car. He could see more clearly now, Giyuu was trying to push away the man, whose hand was on Giyuu’s arm, holding him in place.
“Let go!” Giyuu’s voice was trembling now, the earlier calmness completely shattered.
Sanemi felt a surge of protective anger rise in his chest. He wasn’t going to stand by and let this happen. Whatever Giyuu was dealing with, he wasn’t going to face it alone.
“Hey!” Sanemi barked, slamming his hand on the roof of the car. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
The man looked up in surprise, his hand immediately releasing Giyuu’s arm. Giyuu’s eyes widened in shock as he saw Sanemi standing there, but the relief in his gaze was unmistakable.
“Shinazugawa…” Giyuu breathed, his voice unsteady.
Sanemi didn’t waste any time. He yanked the passenger door open, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at the driver, a man in his mid thirties, dressed in a suit, his face twisted in a mixture of surprise and irritation.
“Get out of the car, Tomioka,” Sanemi ordered, his voice leaving no room for argument.
Giyuu hesitated for only a second before nodding, quickly unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out of the car. Sanemi moved to stand between Giyuu and the driver, his stance protective.
The man in the driver’s seat glared at Sanemi. “This is none of your business.”
“Like hell it isn’t,” Sanemi shot back, his fists clenched at his sides. “You don’t get to put your hands on him.”
The man sneered. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. We were just having a conversation.”
“Conversation, my ass,” Sanemi growled, his voice dangerously low. “I heard him telling you to stop. Now, unless you want me to make this real ugly, I suggest you get the hell out of here.”
The man's eyes narrowed as he stepped out of the car, towering over Sanemi. His broad shoulders and intimidating build made it clear he wasn't someone to be taken lightly. But Sanemi wasn't intimidated-he had faced worse, and he wasn't about to let this bastard walk all over Giyuu or anyone else.
"So, you want to play hero, huh?" the man sneered, cracking his knuckles as he advanced toward Sanemi. "Let's see how tough you really are."
Sanemi's lips curled into a smirk, adrenaline surging through his veins.
He wasn't one to back down from a fight, especially not when it came to protecting someone.
"Bring it on, asshole."
The man lunged at Sanemi, swinging a heavy fist toward his face. Sanemi ducked just in time, the punch grazing past his ear. Without missing a beat, Sanemi retaliated, driving his fist into the man's gut with a sharp, precise strike. The impact made the man grunt in pain, but he quickly recovered, grabbing Sanemi by the collar and shoving him backward.
Sanemi staggered but quickly regained his balance, his eyes blazing with determination. He could feel the weight of his training in every move he made, every punch he threw. His coach had drilled into him the importance of precision and speed, and now, all that training was paying off.
The man came at him again, swinging wildly, but Sanemi sidestepped, grabbing the man's arm and twisting it behind his back. The man howled in pain, but Sanemi didn't let up. He kicked the back of the man's knee, forcing him down to the ground.
"Stay down," Sanemi growled, keeping a firm grip on the man's arm as he twisted it further. The man struggled, but Sanemi had him pinned, and he wasn't about to let go.
Giyuu watched from a few feet away, his eyes wide with shock and something like awe. He had never seen Sanemi like this,so fierce, so determined. It was like watching a force of nature, and for the first time in a long time, Giyuu felt a sense of safety wash over him.
The man beneath Sanemi gritted his teeth, glaring up at him with hatred burning in his eyes. "You're going to regret this, you little-"
Sanemi didn't let him finish. He slammed the man's head into the pavement with just enough force to stun him, silencing any further threats.
"I said, stay down," Sanemi repeated, his voice cold and unforgiving.
For a moment, the man lay still, breathing heavily, the fight drained out of him. He finally realized he was no match for Sanemi. With a groan, he stopped struggling, his body going limp as he accepted defeat.
Sanemi released him, stepping back and giving him one last warning look.
"Get out of here. And if I ever see you near Giyuu again, I won't be so nice next time."
The man glared at him but knew better than to try anything else. He slowly got to his feet, rubbing the back of his head where it had hit the ground. Without another word, he limped back to his car, casting one last venomous glance at Giyuu before speeding off.
As the car disappeared down the road, Sanemi turned back to Giyuu, who was still standing there, his expression a mix of shock and relief.
“Who the hell was that?” Sanemi demanded, still fuming.
Giyuu shook his head, his voice barely above a whisper. “My roommate."
Sanemi’s eyes widened in disbelief. “That guy? Your roommate?” His expression stayed sharp, why did Giyuu live with someone like him?
Giyuu nodded, looking down at the ground. “I shouldn’t have made him angry. I… I should go and apologize.”
Sanemi’s reaction was immediate, his hand shooting out to grab Giyuu’s arm, stopping him in his tracks. “Are you out of your mind?” he snapped, his grip firm but not harsh. “You’re not apologizing to that bastard.”
Giyuu looked up at him, confusion and guilt swirling in his eyes. “But he’s been under a lot of stress lately, and-”
“I don’t give a damn if he’s stressed or not,” Sanemi cut him off, his voice fierce. “That doesn’t give him the right to lay a hand on you. You’re not going back there, Giyuu, not to apologize and not for any other reason.”
Giyuu bit his lip, torn between his instinct to smooth things over and the fear still gnawing at him from the encounter. “But I don’t have anywhere else to go,” he admitted quietly.
Sanemi’s expression softened slightly, though the anger still simmered beneath the surface. “You think I’m going to let you stay with that piece of trash? No way. You’ll stay with me until you figure something else out.”
Giyuu blinked, surprised by the offer. “With you?”
“Yeah, with me,” Sanemi said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I’ve got a big house for both of us can stay, it’s better than going back to that psycho.”
Giyuu hesitated, the idea of imposing on Sanemi clearly bothering him. “I don’t want to be a burden…”
Sanemi sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “You’re not a burden, Tomioka. You’re in trouble, and I’m not about to let you deal with this alone. So, stop worrying about that and let me help you, okay?”
Giyuu looked at Sanemi, searching his eyes for any sign of reluctance or pity, but all he saw was determination and something that almost looked like concern. Finally, he nodded, the tension in his shoulders easing just a bit. “Okay.”
“Good,” Sanemi said, his tone firm but with a hint of relief. “Let’s get out of here.”
As they walked back toward the school, Sanemi couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between them. Giyuu, who had always seemed so distant and unreachable, was now someone Sanemi felt fiercely protective of. And Giyuu, who had always kept everyone at arm’s length, was trusting him, maybe even relying on him.
Sanemi didn’t know where this new dynamic would lead, but one thing was for sure, he wasn’t going to let anyone hurt Giyuu ever again. And if that meant stepping up in ways he hadn’t expected, so be it. Giyuu was worth it.
When they were finally at their destination, a car's lights went on. It was a brand new black ferrari that Giyuu hadn't even seen before.
"What are you waiting for? Hop in."