Chapter Text
You were being stared at, you were fully aware of it. People’s eyes were like little lasers aimed at you, and your skin was prickling. Still, you paid them no mind, eyes focused on the crowd of unfamiliar faces streaming out of classrooms.
Your aunt told you he was in class C, and you’d gotten permission from your teacher to leave a bit early to try and catch him.
“Whose that?”
“Dunno, she’s pretty though.”
“Didn’t she just move here?”
“Isn’t she an upperclassman? Why’s she hanging around the second year wing?”
Your ears were burning, and it took so much effort to not turn and leave with the crowds. It’d be so much easier to go home but—
Walking out of the classroom, nose buried in a book— something occult, you were sure— there he was!
“Okarun!”
“Kenny!”
He startled, eyes wide behind his glasses. He looked left than right, before left again, making eye contact with you. You could see your name falling from his lips, but you were too busy pushing through the other kids. All but launching yourself at him, your arms wrapped around his shoulders, squeezing him tightly.
“W-What are you doing here?”
You were all but pulling him down some, and you realized he was taller than the last time you had seen him. You stepped back, smiling largely at his confused face.
“We moved back last week! Didn’t auntie tell you?” He shook his head at your question, and you huffed, “She said she was going to. Oh well, guess it made for a surprise!”
He chuckled, sounding semi-nervous as he adjusted his glasses. “Do you, ah, do you go here now?”
You nodded, “Yup! Class A, second year! Everyone’s nice so far.”
“Yo.”
You watched as Ken jumped, cheeks burning a soft pink as he turned. Behind him, hands stuffed in the pockets of her pink cardigan, was a girl. She looked to be about Ken’s age, but for some reason she was glaring at the pair of you. Was she a bully? Was she here to bully Ken?
“Who’s this?” She tilted her head, stepping to stand next to Ken, staring you down.
“Ayase-san! Oh, this is—”
“Oh! Kenny, is this your girlfriend?”
Cutting him off, you felt excitement pull at your chest. Has your baby cousin managed to land himself a girlfriend? Though based on the sputtering and red cheeks you received as a response, that was not the case.
“No! Ayase-san is not— we’re not—”
“Hell no! Okarun and I ain’t a thing!”
“Oh, I’m sorry!” You tried placating the two, realizing you three were gaining a crowd of onlookers. “I just assumed… but anyways! I’m Kenny’s older cousin!”
You tilted your head forward, giving the new girl— Ayase-san— your name, before standing back up, “It’s nice to meet you!”
“Older cousin?” The aggressive look on her face melted, and for a moment she looked almost sheepish, “Oh so you’re not— never mind. Okarun didn’t tell me he had a cousin moving to our school.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, “I didn’t even know she was coming until just now.”
She raised an eyebrow, “Oh?”
You chuckled lightly, bouncing on your toes as the attention came back to you, “Yeah, we had some family issues come up and- and my folks thought moving back would be for the best!”
“What kinda family issues?”
Her tone wasn’t rude or aggressive, just genuinely curious. You expected it, but it still stabbed at your chest. Safe to say your situation was a bit more… nuisance than a simple family issue. And judging by the look of confusion on your cousin’s face, he didn’t even know.
Getting into it in the hall at school wasn’t ideal.
“Oh, we—”
“Yo! Momo, Okarun! What’s up? I was waiting for you two outside forever!”
Startled, you turned to the person interrupting. He was quite tall, far taller than the three of you standing around. His hair was a hot pink, slicked back with what looked like sweat. His sleeves were rolled up, and the overexaggerated pout on his face melted into something more curious as he noticed you.
"Oh, who's this?"
"Okarun's older cousin," Ayase-san, or Momo, answered, "She just transferred here apparently."
"Older cousin!" He repeated excitedly, stepping closer with a bounce in his step, "You're far cuter than our Okarun! Are you sure you two are related?"
"Jiji!"
"Hey!"
He just laughed as the other two yelled at him; his smile was rather boyish. He stuck his tongue out at your cousin teasingly, and you couldn't help but chuckle at their interaction.
"We are! I have plenty of embarrassing memories of him from when we were little. Like, did you know that one year he—"
"Okay!" Ken jumped forward, hands outstretched in a panic, "Why don't we start walking home?"
"Aw, wait, I wanna know the rest of the story!"
"Okarun, don't interrupt her!"
You just laughed as your cousin turned you around, pushing against your back to lead you down the hall. Momo and Jiji were trailing behind you two, and it sounded like their chatter turned into bickering.