Chapter Text
“Please help me!”
A desperate plea rang out in a corner of the classroom. There were two girls, one bowing profusely to the other. The one sipping on their milk carton is the popular gal, the Madonna of the school. The one bowing is her dear friend, an average girl who’s always underappreciated by others.
“What do I get from this, girl?”
“I’ll help you with your overdue biology homework.”
“Deal.”
The popular girl threw away the milk carton carelessly. Some random faceless boy would take care of it for her anyway. What mattered was her dear friend, who had never been one to ask for favors.
“Who is it?”
“Huh?”
“If you’re looking for me specifically, this has to be about a boy. Who’s the lucky guy? Our class? Or a different school? Do I know him or not?”
“Slow down with all the assumptions! It’s not a crush or anything; I’m just…interested in him.”
Her friend sheepishly replied. Based on how red her cheeks got, this was not just simple interest. Someone here just fell head over heels.
“But I barely ever talk to him, and he’s too dazzling to be talking to me. Please, I don’t know who else to ask.”
The girl sighed and rolled her eyes. Her friend was plain, that was inevitable, but also a gentle and decent person, more than what she could say about many people in this Academy. What are friends good for if not to be supportive at times like this?
“Girlie, I know you saw yourself as a Villager B – “
“I am a villager B.”
“Anyway, don’t shoot down your chances when you haven’t tried yet.” She smiled confidently. “Tell me the guy’s name and I’ll help you conquer him in no time.”
Her friend brightened up at the bold promise and whispered to her excitedly.
“It’s Aotsuki-kun.”
Her smile was immediately shot down.
The guy in question was sitting at his desk alone with a book in hand. Handsome, polite, a passionate leader. She wasn’t surprised that her friend would have a crush on Aotsuki Eito. However, this was a target she could not help her with. She tried her damndest to stifle a sigh.
“Girlie, what do you know about him?”
“Umm. He’s our class president. He’s good at his job and is well-liked by the teachers. He’s really kind too, even though he doesn’t have to. Remember the festival day when I got harassed by a bunch of seniors and got all the work put on me? Aotsuki-kun helped me with that!”
She could see where her friend’s infatuation came from now. For a reserved gal who had no guy friends, a situation like that could easily turn into a crush.
“And he likes eating sandwiches. He’s good at sport even though he looks like a sickly prince. He seems to like red too. Isn’t the contrast cute? I saw him at the stationery store the other day, and all the things he bought were red. And did you know he likes listening to rock music? I caught him tapping his foot to that famous song in the library. Also – “
She hurriedly interrupted her dear friend before this spiraled into a stalking session.
“Alright, alright, girlie, I see the virtue and all that.” She put her hands firmly on her friend’s shoulder and asked: “But is that the only thing you notice?”
“What do you mean by that?”
There wasn’t exactly a good answer to that. The truth is, the school Madonna had gone after Aotsuki Eito once. Their personality didn’t match, but Aotsuki himself was easy on the eye. She wasn’t looking for a committed relationship anyway. Just a few dates, maybe a kiss, and then she could dump him and kiss him bye bye like numerous boys before.
However, she didn’t expect the wall to be so high. Aotsuki was polite as ever, but all her attempts were rebuffed effortlessly. In the end, she could not do anything except admitted defeat. Ever since then, she too kept an eye on Aotsuki. It was simply petty anger at how a boy dared to reject her advances, but it brought her some interesting realization. Aotsuki Eito kept everyone at arm’s length. He may appear social and friendly, but truthfully, no one could even came close enough to be called his friends. Admirers, maybe. Acquaintances, sure. But friends? No one seemed to deserve that spot.
Aotsuki reading alone with a cold complexion on his face was the true Aotsuki. If she went and talked to him, that face would be wiped away to be replaced by a charming smile. But she knew better. Call it instinct from dealing with various types of people.
That smile on his face never reached his eyes.
“Girlie, no offense, but I really think you should change your target.”
“But why? I know I’m already plain and unattractive and unpopular, but I thought with your help I could at least get a shot. Oh gosh, is it because you like him too?”
“Keep your voice down, girl. No, no, I’m not into him.”
Not after all those observations. Getting involved with that type could only bring trouble, and she did not wish any painful memories to her friend, villager or not. Besides, there was a more concrete reason why her friend could not stand a chance anyway.
“Did you really not know why I advise you not to? Even after all that stalking?”
“You don’t have to call it stalking…I don’t know what you are getting at though.”
She sighed. Love was truly blinding. Her friend was normally the smarter of the two, but the allure of love must have made her willfully ignorant of the details. In that case, better let her see the bitter truth before this crush got too deep and personal.
“Do me a favor and just listen first, deal? How does he look like when he looks at you? Be honest.”
Her friend mulled in thought for a moment. She was clearly confused by the question, but was never one to doubt.
“He’s pretty!”
“And…?”
“And distant, I suppose. I’m not yet a friend to him, and he doesn’t know me at all. He’s nice, but so far away I can’t grasp.”
Would you look at that? Her dear friend did notice something after all.
“And what if I tell you that’s the case with everyone, not just you?”
“Really?”
“Well, save for one.”
Speaking of the devil, the door to their classroom was thrown open.
“Sorry, is Aotsuki here?”
The one asking was a boy with bright red hair and deep blue eyes. He wasn’t from their class, but they both knew who he was, for different reasons. She gently nudged her friend towards Aotsuki’s direction.
The boy in question looked up, and his cold gaze immediately softened. The corner of his eyes crinkled as a bright smile painted that angelic face. It was a natural smile, far removed from his normal mechanical interactions. Aotsuki stride towards the red-haired boy without hesitation.
“What do you need, Takumi-kun?”
The moment she heard those soft words, the villager girl knew that she had lost from the beginning.
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“Takumi-kun, this is the fourth question with the same formula. Are you messing with me or are you really just that dull?”
Takumi groaned as he buried his head further into the pile of books. He wasn’t exactly bright when it came to theoretical studies, especially math. They had been staying in the library for almost all their lunch break and only half of the questions were done.
“Sorry to intrude on your break, Aotsuki.”
“I did promise to help. We’re friends, right? So even if we have to go to hell and back, you will finish all these today.”
“How do you say something so threatening with that smile on your face?”
Takumi returned to the math problems once more. He was trying so hard Aotsuki could almost see smoke coming out of his ears. With a chuckle, he pried Takumi away from the book and started explaining the questions again.
Aotsuki didn’t mind helping at all. Tutoring someone so dull was a but frustrating, but the silent time he could spend not being surrounded by annoying classmates far outweighed anything Takumi could do. Aotsuki was a model student, which forced him to be civil to the hideous students around him. Anything remotely troublesome, and someone would go seeking for him, a vicious cycle between keeping his image and not wanting to interact with anyone. Having Takumi with him helped somewhat. Unlike him, Takumi was just a genuine busy body who couldn’t say no to anyone. So when Takumi needed his help, others would understandably back down, and Aotsuki could finally have some peace and quiet.
He didn’t particularly enjoy seeing Takumi getting chummy with so many people, but that wasn’t something he could control. Not right now.
“Ugh. Can we stop by the library after school too? I don’t think I’m gonna be done with this in time.”
“What compels you to not do this until the eleventh hour? You do know you are stupid at studying, right?”
“Lay off me, will you?” Takumi closed the book in exasperation. “I know I needed help. Things just didn’t work out.”
“Oh?”
“I asked the others, but Amemiya is just as dump and Shizuhara had her hand full already. Omokage was in detention. Kirifuji had club activities, and I kinda don’t want to ask the twins.”
Aotsuki felt his eyes twitched.
“Why didn’t you ask me sooner then?”
Takumi avoided his eyes.
“You’re in the student council, so I didn’t want to bother you.”
“Yet you asked Nozomi-san anyway, even though she was busy too.”
“She can’t be busier than you, you’re the Vice-president!”
They were going back and forth on a pointless argument. In truth, Aotsuki was irritated. Takumi was popular, even when he’s a naïve fool who is too kind for his own good. Around him, there would always be people who were willing to help. Aotsuki was just one of them. But to Aotsuki, there was only Takumi who he felt safe enough to depend on.
Takumi could be his everything, but he could only occupy a part of Takumi’s life.
That made him irritated to no end.
“Are you mad, Aotsuki?”
He glared at the red-haired boy.
“No.”
“You’re not even trying. You’re definitely mad at me right now.”
“If only you are this smart when it comes to study, Takumi-kun.”
Takumi protested loudly before remembering that they were still at the library.
“You have helped me too many times. I just don’t want to be a nuisance, okay?”
Takumi was considerate, he knew that. But the boy was always considerate for all the wrong reasons. Takumi knew what Aotsuki was like, he just never truly understood what Aotsuki wanted. Maybe it was better that way. If Takumi knew what Aotsuki wished for, there was no saying where their relationship would turn.
But Aotsuki could try. Because Takumi was too nice for his own good.
“Next time, just ask me first.” He caught Takumi’s hand in a tight grip. “Don’t worry about bothering me or anything. If there’s anything bothering you, I want you to come to me first.”
His voice was forceful, far removed from his usual calm and collected demeanor. Takumi was getting butterflies in his stomach, and he sure was not ready to confront what that feeling was. Not when Aotsuki was staring at him like a carnivore in a hunt.
“Okay, okay, I get it. I’ll do so. Can you let my hand go?”
He gestured awkwardly at their joined hands. Aotsuki didn’t release him immediately.
“Good. We’ll meet after school. Be prepared to spend a whole night here if you must, Takumi-kun.”
“And here I thought you were going to be nicer.”
Takumi grumbled, but he didn’t protest. He knew better than to upset his academic savior.
Aotsuki smiled. Takumi was simple, so it was easy to goad him into doing something with enough force. Others knew of this too, but Aotsuki would be damn before he let Takumi be swayed by anyone but him.
He couldn’t occupy all of Takumi’s world, but he could take up more space than anyone. Enough that Takumi could never ignore him.