Chapter Text
I love you.”
“… What?”
It wasn’t something anybody would expect to hear so early in the morning. Akane stared at the man who supposedly confessed his feelings to him, hand still gripping the locker’s handle as he had just taken his notebooks for the schedule today.
“You’re… Talking to me?”
“Yes.”
Akane’s nose scrunched up, his eyebrows furrowing as he stared intently at the green-haired boy. He closed his locker as he turned his body towards him.
“This early in the morning?” His eyebrow raised “No build up whatsoever?”
Well this is new — Akane thought briefly. Still, this confession is so bland and just not special that it almost feels offending in a way—like taking his love for granted. Even if they were grand with styles and parades, Akane would still, undeniably, reject it.
The, what? Second year? He nodded densely as if not seeing what was wrong with the confession he had just told so suddenly, his eyes tracking Akane’s movement.
“I’ve been interested in you for a while,” he finally elaborates further when seeing Akane’s unimpressed expression, but the look on the second year's face is still so bland. Everything about him is bland, actually.
They both stay silent. Looking at each other for a few moments. Akane glanced at his side, waiting for more explanation about the man’s supposed feelings for him.
It took a while for Akane to realize that—that was it. He was just interested in him for a while. No “I admire you,” or “I like this about you,” or something shallow like “I like your good look”. Just interested in him for a while.
This confession is not only shallow but just ground level. Nothing sea-deep and special. Still, he gives the second year another chance and stays silent, giving him time to redeem himself before Akane properly says no.
He just stays quiet, both of his hands on his sides. What did this guy even expect, actually? Just blatantly told his love in the most un-special, boring, bland way and expect his feelings to be returned? If it were just any person other than Akane, rejecting someone early in the morning would make the person drown in guilt and a bad mood for the rest of the day. Wait until recess or after school to confess to someone at least.
Akane sighs, keeping his stare neutral as he looks at the taller man’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” he starts once he sees that the guy has nothing more to say. “But my heart belongs to someone else.”
The green-haired guy let out a barely heard “Ah,” good. He understands.
“Well then, I’ll be on my way. I hope you have a pleasant day.”
He walked past the taller boy, walking silently. Ugh, the confession is such a mess… Who just starts with a simple “I love you,” no love letter, flowers, or any build-up to the moment whatsoever? It’s not like Akane expect everyone to cater to him like that—God no—It’s just the way he confessed his feelings of being interested so casually.
He just hope the second year hadn’t caught sight of Ao-chan.
Wait, if this guy easily confessed to someone just because he “has been interested for a while,” it wouldn’t be long before he actually caught eyes of Ao-chan. He’d say something dumb to her, wouldn’t he? He probably liked something like how beautiful her hair is without even considering what she values too.
He turns his head towards him and there he is—the guy, just standing still. He looked a little lost actually. It was only when Akane called out for him that he finally moved from his rigid position, his eyes still the same bland stare.
“Word of advice,” the guy stared at him, letting him elaborate further. “At least introduce yourself before confessing to someone,” Ao-chan deserves to get strangers to stop telling her that they love her without her not even knowing their name. It must be exhausting. If this guy ever confesses to Ao-chan, at least make it somewhat less awkward. That would be before Ao-chan rejected him, of course.
Akane turned his head without seeing the guy’s reaction. He still needed to make a trip to the Student Council room before going to his class.
… That was an awkward morning, not to mention it’ll be added by the president’s incessant pestering. Morning’s not off to a good start, is it?
“I’m here!” The vice president huffs, opening the door as he steps inside. He would appreciate not being hung up on the ceiling to be added to his progressively awful morning just because he’s later than usual. “The paperwork for the festival. Here.”
“You’re almost late, why?” Teru mused, looking up from the computer’s screen as he leaned back on the chair.
“Nothing, I just had to pick up something from the locker.” Akane stretched his free arm, the other holding the books, and some stack of papers slipped between them.
He walked up to Teru’s desk and put down the stack of papers “The list of the expected budget is all noted down,” he sighed “There’s still two months until the festival, and a lot of the class have missing chairs, and tables, we should make a report for the teachers about the sudden decrease of school’s property.”
“Hm,” the president looked at the window “I doubt the Mokkes would steal something as big as tables and chairs.”
“Even if they do, we would’ve noticed them marching down the halls,” he eyed the two Mokkes on his chair, snooping on the desks for any candy. “Ah, honestly, what type of people would steal school property? Some students even have to share a table because theirs were missing.”
He throws one of the Mokke carelessly onto the floor, its friend hopping down to check on it, then turns to Akane and lets out a swear word. Huh, well that’s new.
“Well that’s an inconvenience,” the blond lifted up one of the papers regarding the school’s property and scanned through it “The first years are missing 6 tables and 3 chairs, second years lost 2 tables, and the third years,” he paused “That’s a lot. 10 tables, 12 chairs, and 3 black board from different classes?”
Going to Teru’s side, he points out the bottom section of the paper “And if you look down, the Home EC is missing an entire oven.” Akane groaned, “At this point, there’s going to be a new rumor going around the school again.”
He could Imagine a bigger version of the Mokkes hopping down the hall and bringing the school’s property to god knows where their nest is.
Teru only hummed as he went through the paperwork, skimming through it as he started another stack that had been read on his side.
“Prez, something on your mind?” Akane asked. The president, even with the same smile plastered on his face, is more silent than he usually is. Less annoying, even.
“Ah, do you prefer for me to tie you up, Aoi?” Nevermind, he’s still the same asshole. It’s probably just his little siblings that tugged his brain today.
He clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes “God, you’re hard to converse with.” Akane then slings his bag to a better position and walks towards the door.
“Remember, after school I’m going to need you to help me with the report.” Teru’s eyes crinkled as he smiled; ah, there it was. Why does Akane even bother worrying.
“Yeah. It’s not like I’m ever late,” with that, Akane steps out of the Student Council’s office. The door creaks back to its position as he walks down the hall.
This morning has been eventful, really. President is acting weird, no matter how hard Akane convinces himself that he’s not. Would the missing school property be the work of a supernatural? But then again, why would they even steal them? To make some nest?
Even if it is the work of a supernatural, Teru shouldn’t be that worried about it. There’s also absolutely no reason for Honorable No. 7 to pull stung like that. No. 3, maybe? He has only heard of him, but from what he heard, he doesn’t think No. 3’s the right culprit either.
A wannabe rebellious student? Someone who resents festivals or just school in general? Akane pinched the bridge of his nose. Two months and they need to resolve this problem before the festival begins.
“Hey, bro,” Lemon called out; he leaned against the wall near the window as he played with his phone, the audio too loud as it matched his thumbs that pressed the screen.
Akane let out a simple hum as he stopped in front of him; the blond didn’t look up from his phone. “Been trying to chat you, but you kept your notifications off,” oh, right. He tried to reach for his pocket but Lemon beat him to it.
Using his one hand, he points at the open door of their classroom. “Your table is missing.”
“What?” Oh god fucking damn it.
He immediately walks into the classroom and Lemon is right. There’s only a lone chair on his designated seat with the table gone.
Great, everything is going great.
“Akane-kun…” Yashiro called out, her hands balled onto her chest as she walked towards him. “Your table is also missing, huh?”
“Also”? Did Yashiro took notice of the missing school property too? Akane only sighs as he put his hands on his forehead. “Yashiro-san, do the missing tables and chairs affect the middle school division too?”
“Mm,” she nodded “Minamoto-kun said a couple of shelves are missing from his class.” This is the work of a supernatural, isn’t it?
Yashiro seems to notice his distress; she puts her finger on her bottom lip as she looks up. After a few seconds, she snapped her fingers. “Ah!” she turned her head and looked over at Aoi, who was watering the flower pot. “Aoi, is there any new rumor this past few days?”
“Hm?” Ao-chan's cheek hit the sunlight reflected from the window so beautifully, her cheeks looking a little red from the light making her face looks like it has a cute blush plastered on it. She turned towards the two, as she’s called, before putting down the watering can beside the pot. “No, as far as I’m aware.”
However, she steps closer to them and holds Yashiro’s hands. “Even if I knew, I’d tell you right away, Nene-chan. ♡”
Seeing Ao-chan’s smile relieved Akane’s growing migraine by a lot. She looked so happy as she held Yashiro’s hands in hers, her eyes crinkled as she looked at the slightly taller girl’s eyes, her cheeks a beautiful rosy red that wasn’t from the illusion of the morning sun. Akane finds himself smiling at the sight.
“Ah, good morning, Akane-kun,” she waved a little when she notice the boy standing in front of Nene. “Did you finish your Student Council’s work from earlier?”
“Good morning, Ao-chan,” He answered, sending back the smile she gave him “I just need to give that guy the paperwork; he’ll work it out.”
“So, where are you gonna sit now?” Lemon stepped in beside Nene, his hands halfway into his pockets. It’s really a rare sight for Lemon—the addicted to social media boy—to even pay attention or concern to this thing.
There are lots of things to do and think about, a headache that begins to form inside of his skull. Akane sigh, his main concern is where he sits right now. “I’ll think about it later,” why can’t supernaturals just stay quiet for a second and not do this petty little thing? “If it comes down to it, can I sit with you?”
“Yeah, sure. I don’t mind.” The blond stretched his arms before going to his seat, his hand taking his phone from his pocket.
It's going to be awkward sharing a seat with one table, and also going to be messy—Yamabuki is the kind of person to put all the subject books for the day on the right corner edge of his table, alongside his water bottle.
Hell, everytime Akane visits the blond's desk—it’s a catastrophe. There would be ripped papers, and in each one of them would be doodles, sometimes even those S things people draw all over their table would fill that one paper, the books are scattered, a pencil case that’s been used since middle school open with its contents out, and a jacket laying on top of the mess whenever Yamabuki decide that sleeping is more important than the notes he should take.
Then again, half a loaf is better than none, Akane reprimanded himself. He just hope there would at least be some space for him to do his work.
“Could it be a supernatural?” Aoi softly suggested, breaking Akane out of his thoughts. Her voice has a hint of hesitant yet interest with the situation “I also noticed some things missing.”
“Ao-chan, your stuff also went missing?” His eyebrows furrowed, getting more irritated with the supernatural’s shenanigans.
“Mhm, the flower that I take care of is missing,” she looks down at her hands that are still gently gripping Yashiro’s. “It’s a shame, I really like the color.”
“Aoi…” Yashiro tilts her head slightly; her thumb caresses Aoi’s hands as if offering comfort.
Taking care of flowers and plants took time, patience, care, love and so much more. Something Aoi doesn’t carelessly give the effort to just anyone. Akane can tell that this bothers her a lot more than she shows—piercing through that reassuring smile she tries to put on for Yashiro with ease.
Ever since the Severance, supernaturals are being more aggressive than they used to. Their beastly instinct feeling threatened, going out of their way to make more problems. Maybe this is why president was way too silent, night spent by cleaning the supernaturals must’ve been rough.
“Ao-chan, I’ll take care of it, I’m positive the thief is just wandering around this school!”
“Ah, thank you Akane-kun, ♡” she smiled.
Oh, how her adorable smile fluttered Akane’s heart every time he had the fortune to see it.
Though, it was short-lived as from behind, a finger tap on Akane’s shoulder. He looked back to a boy holding a sheet of paper “Akane-kun, the assignment last week,” he chuckled, avoiding eye contact “I… forgot to turn it in.”
Again? Akane sigh, taking the sheet of paper “What subject was it?”
Aoi stared at Akane as he scolded the boy, her gaze lingering before Nene spoke to her “The flower that went missing… What was it?” she puts a hand over her mouth, her eyes shine with sympathy.
A gentle smile formed on the shorter girl's face, an attempt to soothe Nene's worry “A purple hydrangea,” still, for a second her smile wavers “A beautiful one, that is.”
Nene doesn’t know how to respond to that, her eyes looking down on their joined hands. Lately, Aoi has been showing subtle hints of her vulnerable side, something she picked up on after the severance. It’s not that it’s not a good thing—Nene is just not used to be the one to comfort.
The only thing she can offer is her ears, so she stayed quiet. Offering a genuine concern by gripping her hand tighter.
“Alright, settle down kids, go back to your seats,” the loud chattering disappears immediately as the teacher walks into the class, everyone going back to their perspective seats including Nene and Aoi “Class is about to begin.”
Akane dragged his chair to the very back of the class, where Yamabuki’s designated seat is—after taking the boy's late assignment and agreeing to bring it to the teacher’s lounge later.
He can feel the teacher eyed him at the creaking sound of the chair, but seeing the lack of a table at the front row in the left column he immediately understand.
It's undeniable that the teacher must’ve known that the school's properties went missing. The incidents happened in the span of a week, waiting for the Student Council's to make a proper report and request of all the things that’s gone.
Not to mention the budget—especially with the festival coming. He’s going to stay late again, listing all the things that’s gone from each classes. He miss walking home together with Aoi.
Even as the teacher start, re-explaining the topic he discussed a week ago, Akane barely pays attention. He silently thank the teacher for just doing a deep dive of the topic for the students that still doesn’t quite understand yet.
Tables, chairs, blackboard, potted plants… They all didn’t have any tie with each other except the fact that they’re school properties. So the problem lays within school itself—that much he can understand.
No. 7, no. 3 and the Mokkes were cleared out of suspicion for now. No. 2—the fox, have no interest in this type of things, surely? If she is, her most likely motive would be that she’s still annoyed by the her new rumors and this whole thing is a petty revenge.
He's keeping her in his mental list of suspect for now.
Akane’s mind is wandering about, hands moving mindlessly as he took down the most important point in the blackboard. He nudges Lemon's elbow once he sees the blond staring at the window outside to do the same.
No. 4, Shijima-san of the Art Gallery. He only have met her once or twice, even then it’s most likely just a clone, but for a supernaturals whose her thing is about art, the school properties shouldn’t be something within range of her interest.
… Though, there could be a possibility that Akane is trapped inside her art. For whatever reason. Yashiro-san briefed him over what happened before. Saying that he and Ao-chan crumbled like a broken statue right in front of her and Minamoto-kun while everyone thought it was normal.
If everyone thought that a person broke down to pieces of stone they shouldn’t have bat an eye on the things that went missing. Off the list.
Next, No. 5, the 4 PM Library. The overseer of it is Tsuchigomori-sensei, Akane’s past homeroom teacher in middle school. The only one of the 7 School Mysteries beside Akane that also able to blend in between the students and the teachers.
From what he knows, no. 5 never makes any trouble at all whatsoever, not to mention since he’s also a teacher wouldn’t this just make trouble for yourself? No. 5 is crossed out.
… Akane skipped No. 6 entirely.
Then there’s no one left. The only one in his list of suspect is no. 2, and the reason for it is far-stretch. Unless there’s a new rumors… No, Ao-chan already said there’s nothing new than the usual. Akane pinch the bridge of his nose, this is getting ridiculous.
“Aoi, please recite the paragraphs of the next page.”
“Yes, sir.” Akane stands up, he brings the book close to his chest as he speaks the words out loud.
“Sometimes fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing directions. You change direction but the sandstorm chases you. You turn again, but the storm adjusts. Over and over you play this out, like some ominous dance with death just before dawn. Why?”
He took a breath before he continues, swallowing his saliva. “Because this storm isn’t something that blew in from far away, something that has nothing to do with you. This storm is you. Something inside of you. So all you can do is give in to it, step right inside the storm, closing your eyes and plugging up your ears so the sand doesn’t get in, and walk through it, step by step.”
Akane push down the chattering hush of the students who didn’t pay attention, keeping his voice loud and clear “There’s no sun there, no moon, no direction, no sense of time. Just fine white sand swirling up into the sky like pulverized bones. That’s the kind of sandstorm you need to imagine.”
“Very good, Aoi. You may sit down.”
He did as told, using his one hand to push the chair back to make some space for him to sit. After literature, there’s math period, then lunch break, and a couple of periods before the end of the school—that is if you don’t have any club activity.
Making reports and list of the missing properties… At this point with the stuff actively missing, it’ll just be a waste of time making one then suddenly another couple of tables are missing! A report would be easier, but for the list he’ll ask President for his thoughts on how to do it.
For now, he pushed his thoughts away. It’s all going in circles—even if there’s a lead, it’s a dead end. Today has been eventful, to say the least. Too much stuff happening all at once.
He just hope he could at least take a breath from another supernatural cause.