Chapter Text
AKIHIKO SHIRAISHI POV
The journey home is usually my favourite part of the day. I guess I appreciate the trains, but mostly it’s just the only time I can spare to listen to music uninterrupted. Probably the reason I didn’t notice Kurose in the flesh standing right next to me.
I sound calm about this, but I’m majorly freaking out. He’s about three steps in front of me and it’s slowly becoming more obvious that we take the same train. And get off at the same station. And walk the same way home. And now he’s turning to face me. Shit.
“Hey.. sorry, but that’s Suisha’s uniform, right? Do you happen to know Akihiko Shiraishi?”
Kurose has light hair and pale skin, a pink jacket, and a less intimidating voice than I had feared; so it is easier to lie. “Ah, no, I’m sorry-“
“Well, if it isn’t Akihiko! Good morning, sonny, how is Mrs. Shiraishi doing?” Nevermind.
“G-good afternoon, Mr. Takeda… Mom’s doing just fine, thanks..!” So much for lying, I’ve made a completely fool of myself. In front of my rival, of all people.
HARUMI KUROSE POV
I’ve made a complete fool of myself in front of my crush. No, crush isn’t a strong enough word. In front of the guy I’ve been completely smitten over for months. Who also probably doesn’t know I exist, by the way.
I don’t even know how this happened. I know how all this rivalry stuff started, though. Which, yes, I’m aware of.
The second I moved here my reputation was just handed to me. Which, okay, at least people leave me alone for the most part. But I don’t want to be on my own all the time. So I was pretty close to ecstatic when I found out this guy from my opposing school seems to be in the exact same situation.
At first, when people kept shoving pictures of him in my face, I hated the guy. My ‘rival’, how stupid. But I figured he probably felt the same way about me, if he’s heard of me. Although I hope he hasn’t; they wouldn’t be good things.
Anyway, I couldn’t get his stupid smile out of my head. So friendly. Why is he so friendly? Is it possible for a human to be that happy? Then it just clicked. He’s not.
We get each other perfectly. I understand him like nobody else does. Nothing’s ever been clearer, we’re going to get along so well. He just doesn’t know it yet. Doesn’t know me yet.
And of course this is how our first interaction goes. Intimidating the shit out of him. ‘As expected of Kurose’, I guess. But if I gave up that quickly, I wouldn’t stand a chance; I just need to try not to be creepy.
“Ah. So you’re Shiraishi.”