Chapter Text
Makoto had just arrived at his new high school, Gekkoukan High by train. Apparently, this school was extremely prestigious and getting into the school would’ve been hard. Somehow, he had gotten a scholarship for it in the mail. It was surprising. Though, it didn’t really matter to him. He wouldn’t have gone if it wasn’t his relatives telling him to. It was already dark as he stepped out of the train. The moon was bright, with the clouds covering the stars. The cool air washed along his face. It was refreshing compared to the dense air inside of the train. There were only a few people at the train station since it was midnight.
Outside of the train station was desolate. There was no one to be seen in the darkness nor any sounds to be heard. Only his breathing and footsteps. The sky and moon shifted to a gooey green colour as blood splatters faded into the floor. Makoto continued walking, ignoring how his surroundings changed drastically. To him, this was a normal occurrence. He had been experiencing this ever since his parents died years ago. It didn’t matter if it was dangerous or not, it doesn't matter if he dies or lives. He only exists.
The walk to the student dorms was dull. Thankfully, he had his headphones and the light of the moon to illuminate his path to the student dorms. The dorm building was tall, packed with hundreds of students. He climbed up the few stairs leading up to the dorms and opened the door with the key that was provided to him. Inside the dorm were a few sofas, a front desk and a dining table. All the lights were turned off. Sounds of someone heading down the stairs trickled into his ears. They slowly came into view as they walked closer to Makoto. He squinted to get a better look at the person. The person wore a scarf, had extremely blue eyes and a beauty mark on their left eye.
“Hello!” the scarf-wearing person said. Makoto turned off his music to listen to the person talk as a respectful gesture. “You’re the new transfer, right? Yuki-san? I’m Mochizuki Ryoji. I’ve been waiting for a long time for you. I’ll be guiding you through the school for the week– Ah, it’s really dark in here. Sorry, I’ll go turn on the lights!” Mochizuki ran to the lights and turned them on. He turned back to Makoto and smiled. Makoto noticed that he had a sense of naive happiness floating around him. Such positivity, such will to live for himself. The total opposite of him.
“School doesn’t start until a day later. So, why don’t we get to know each other a bit?” Mochizuki playfully tilted his head in contentness. He walked and sat on one of the sofas. Makoto hesitated before sitting down on the sofa facing the opposite direction of Mochizuki. They stared at each other until Makoto got up.
“Yuki?” Mochizuki said, looking up at Makoto.
“I don’t…” Makoto mumbled as walked to the stairs.
“...have anything to say, so I’m leaving?” Mochizuki finished Makoto’s sentence. He furrowed his brows in disappointment. “That makes me kind of sad, y’know? You don’t even know where your dorm room is, silly. Is there something you’re afraid of?”
Makoto raised his head and turned around in shock that Mochizuki was able to guess so accurately. He knew the answer in his heart, and he wasn’t going to tell this new stranger he met. Mochizuki stared, crossing his arms, waiting for a response.
“You have such kindness in your eyes. But, that same kindness isolates you.” Mochizuki broke the silence. His eyes saddened as he continued to speak, yet keeping his smile. “It’s really unfortunate to see such a nice guy all alone.”
Makoto blinked then turned his head away. He couldn’t care less if he was alone or not. Nor did he care if it was ‘unfortunate’ if he was a good guy constantly isolating himself from society. He didn’t want pity, he didn’t want to feel anything. He just wanted to get this interaction over with. He went up the stairs, avoiding the conversation. “Hmm, that’s too bad.” Mochizuki whispered to himself. As Makoto slowly disappeared from his view, only then did he go up the stairs to follow Makoto.
Makoto arrived on the second floor. It was similar to the first floor with a few sofas and the decorations. Except, there was a hallway with 3 doors on each side. Makoto continued walking upwards while Mochizuki stared.
“Yuki-san, your room is on this floor.” Mochizuki pointed out. Makoto was already half way to the next floor. He sighed and walked down the stairs to him. Mochizuki chuckled at the adorableness of Makoto. He pointed to the last door on the right side of the hallway. “That’s your room!”
Makoto nodded and quickly slipped into his room. Mochizuki stood from the doorframe, watching Makoto unpacking and organizing his things. Makoto looked up at Mochizuki staring at him doing mundane tasks, not until then did Mochizuki notice he was looking for too long. He shifted his head away to the sofas and fidgeted with his scarf.
“Oh, um, I’ll come by tomorrow to show you around the school!” Mochizuki suddenly remembered. “I’ll be at your door by 10, then we can go eat something together for lunch.”
Makoto looked at him and went back to doing his tasks. It seems that he had agreed, though not very coherent to say the least. “I’m going to sleep now.” he looked back at him again.
“Okay, yeah. I’ll see you at 10 tomorrow. Good night, Yuki-san.” He waved goodbye and closed the door. Makoto took a deep breath. He went to the closet and picked out clothing for the night. He took a dark blue long sleeved shirt and loose black pants. He placed them on the bed. The one sided conversation he had earlier with that boy tired him out. Asking questions and worrying about him was unnecessary, unneeded. He took off the black school coat he was wearing then unbuttoned his white blouse. His bare, soft and peach coloured skin could be seen. Makoto took a second to examine his body and continued taking off his clothes.
The face of Mochizuki popped into his mind. His piercing blue eyes—shining black hair—and the beauty mark. He looked like the most perfect person alive. Well, almost the most perfect person besides his ability to read him so well. It seems that Mochizuki can see through anyone, no matter if their walls were so thick and high. Makoto took off the shirt he was wearing and put on the dark blue shirt instead. Then, he sat on the bed taking his belt and pants off. He looked out the window to see if the green hue of the sky had left. The moon had returned to its yellow-white colour along with the sky turning back into its usual mix of black and blue. The night looked divine.
He took his loose black pants and raised them along his legs methodically. As he finished changing into nightwear, he laid on the bed and draped the blanket across his body. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep peacefully.
–
“Yuki-kun!” Mochizuki knocked at the door. Makoto slowly woke up and sat up, scratching his eyes. The light of the sun shone through the room. He stood up from the bed and slumped to the door. He opened the door to see Mochizuki dressed in the same outfit he had the night before. “Did you sleep well?” Mochizuki grinned cheerfully, then he looked at the clothes Makoto was wearing. He made an awkward smile and giggled. “It seems you haven’t fully woken up yet. I’ll wait for you downstairs, ‘kay?” he walked away.
Makoto closed the door and squatted on the floor, thinking. He had forgotten about the tour he was supposed to have at the school with Mochizuki. He dejectedly went to his closet and chose clothing. He chose a similar white collar from yesterday, black pants and a brown-grey coat. He wore everything as quickly as possible, took headphones and went downstairs. There were a few students there. They all sat at different seats talking to one another while Mochizuki was waiting near the front desk for him. Mochizuki noticed Makoto heading down the stairs, waved and walked towards him.
“How are you feeling?” Mochizuki questioned.
“Fine.” Makoto responded dryly. He looked around the room, curious about the people. A striking red haired woman sat on a sofa. A white short-haired man sat at another sofa talking to her while adjusting his boxing gloves. At the dining table, there was a… dog? How was a dog allowed in? It had a white furry face, coated with grey fur anywhere else with red eyes. The dog saw Makoto staring and barked. He quickly looked away, pretending to mind his own business.
“That dog is Koromaru. He’s a service dog to one of the students here, but don’t think about bringing any pets here. You’ll get in trouble.” Mochizuki glanced at the dog. “I remember doing that and Mr. Ikutsuki punished me harshly… I don’t want to think about that anymore–let’s get going.”
Mochizuki took Makoto’s hand and headed out of the dormitory. Makoto was a bit taken aback from the physical touch, yet didn’t leave it. The outside was loud and cold. Birds chirped, cars passed by and people chattered. It felt nice seeing how the world harmonized together. Everything complimented each other, with the buildings and the small roads, with nature and humanity.
“Isn’t this world so fascinating?” Mochizuki darted his eyes around the environment. “Every little thing goes through its own experiences. Everyone’s lives are as complicated as one another’s.”
Makoto stared at his feet, thinking of whether he should answer or not. He glimpsed at the people around him. Seeing people creating bonds together was nice. They choose to create and keep it. Mochizuki looked at Makoto, expecting a response. He saw Makoto distracted with his own thoughts and continued walking.
They arrived at the train station with their hands still intertwined. The station was much clearer than the night before. It was a grey building with several shapes. Many people were entering and exiting the building. Makoto felt a bit uneasy with the amount of people. He unconsciously held Mochizuki’s hand tighter.
The train ride wasn’t any better. People crowded the entire car, all touching each other in some way. Makoto turned on his music and looked out the window. He could see a vast blue sea, a light blue sky with clouds dancing around the sun. The sunlight glittered the sea’s surface. It was a sight to see. He glanced at Mochizuki who was admiring the view as well. In this moment, he had a hit of deja vu. Mochizuki felt so familiar, so dear. It felt as if he already knew him in a past life.
“Gekkoukan high. We have arrived at Gekkoukan high. This is the final stop on this route.” a voice said on the train’s intercom. The two both stood up and got off the train. Makoto had noticed they stopped holding hands. He felt a little disappointed and left it at that. The school grounds were huge. There was a gate and tall black fences with linen coloured brick trimming. Makoto looked up at the windows in the building. He saw a few students. They were all talking or looking down at their desks doing work.
“It’s pretty impressive, don’t you think?” Mochizuki took Makoto’s arm and dragged him into the school.
The inside looked extremely polished and modern. Compared to the other schools Makoto had attended, this might’ve had the best interior design. The hallways were empty. As expected, it’s Sunday. Only club members or teachers would be here. Mochizuki guided him to the faculty office.
“You’ll get your schedule here. Toriumi-sama is your homeroom teacher, and luckily mine too! We’ll be in the same class.” Mochizuki giggled and opened the door to the office.
The office was like any faculty office. A long desk with a wall separating each teacher’s spaces occupied most of the room. At the back of the room, there was a large window letting the sunlight in.
“Ms. Toriumi! The new transfer is here!” Mochizuki said in a singsong voice.
A short-auburn-haired woman turned around from her desk to face them. “Hello, Mochizuki.” she greeted. “And you must be Yuki? I’m Ms. Toriumi, pleased to meet you. I have your schedule here.” she passed a piece of paper to Makoto. He folded the paper and placed it into his pocket.
“If you have any questions, ask me or Mochizuki. Don’t be late tomorrow.” Toriumi forced a smile. “Bye for now. Have fun touring the school.”
“Bye, miss.” Mochizuki said while leading Makoto out of the office.
The two spent the entire morning in the school. They had small talk here and there, as well as random students approaching them and introducing themselves to Makoto. The people at the school seemed nice enough. They were all respectful, with maybe a few bad apples. Though, Makoto didn’t care about if they were kind or not.
–
There was a large track field behind the school. Some students were running on the tracks with only shorts and tank tops.
“It’s so cold yet they’re out here running. Isn’t that so heart-warming? They choose to do the things they like, no matter what.” Mochizuki covered his mouth with his scarf.
Makoto observed the people running. Those people looked happy about where they were, who they were and what they were. He wished that he could feel that feeling once more, the feeling of warmth and love. Memories of the past washed into his mind. The precious moments spent with his parents. Eating, playing and sleeping. He should’ve cried when his parents died. But, ever since that accident, he could feel nothing. Nothing at all.
“... Yuki-kun?” Mochizuki tapped his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“I’m…” Makoto trailed off.
“...fine? You don’t seem to be, really.” he replied. “If you keep hiding your pain, you’ll feel even worse than you already are.”
Makoto felt a sense of awkwardness. He stayed quiet. Mochizuki picked up on Makoto's nervousness and looked him directly in the eye with a bright smile.
“It’s almost lunch time! Let’s head over to the mall for food.” Mochizuki said, taking Makoto’s hand again.
It was curious how Mochizuki knew what Makoto was feeling, even though this is one of their first interactions. Maybe he was just good at taking people apart.
–
Mochizuki had taken Makoto to a small mall, Iwaitodai Strip Mall. It was 3 stories tall with several different shops. There were many individuals walking and in the shops since it was noon. The air was filled with the smell of food. The mall felt nostalgic, something you’d see in a movie.
“Alright, we’re here. What do you wanna eat?” Mochizuki asked.
Makoto glanced at the shops. There was a beef bowl restaurant, a ramen one, and a burger shop. Nothing in particular caught his eye. He faced Mochizuki and placed his hands in his pocket.
“You don’t know? That’s fine. It’s difficult to pick one place to eat with so many delicious choices!” Mochizuki paused. “Hmm… Let’s go to Wild Duck Burger. It’s on me, so order whatever you want. Just don’t go way too overboard. Otherwise, I’d be in big trouble…”
They entered the burger shop. The inside looked as if they had stepped into a stereotypical American restaurant. There were only a handful of people sitting. The servers dressed in orange-white stripes along with the colours of the restaurant. The interior was bright and lively. Mochizuki sat down at an empty booth, and Makoto followed. They both looked at the menu shown above the registers.
“I’m gonna get the limited-time combo with chili garlic and fries. Oh, and a coffee too. What about you?” Mochizuki propped his head on his hands.
“The…” Makoto stopped for a moment. “The same.”
Makoto didn’t know what to choose. He didn’t care for what was on the menu. He glimpsed at Mochizuki as he took his eyes off the menu. Mochizuki had a surprised face and that usual innocent smile.
“Great minds think alike,” Mochizuki said proudly. “We’re really similar. Don’t you think so?”
Similar?
In what way exactly? Mochizuki was cheery while he was gloomy and stoic all the time. There’s no way that they’re similar. His brows furrowed, puzzled by the statement.
“How…” Makoto said in a low voice.
“... are we similar?” Mochizuki inquired. Makoto stared away in response. “We’re similar in many ways that not many people tend to notice. We both seem to yearn for companionship in a different way than society. And, we just ordered the same thing!”
Makoto’s face stayed neutral even with the joke that was added at the end. He was still confused. Yearning for a companionship… in a different way than society… That all made no sense whatsoever.
A server arrived at their booth, taking their attention away from each other and to the server. They ordered as the waiter wrote on a notepad. The waiter left and they looked back at each other.
“I think you’d be a good leader, like me. We both want to help others improve and we’re able to hold them accountable.” Mochizuki took a fry. “I see how you look at others. You look at them with curiosity and consideration. You’re unlike any other, you don’t judge someone immediately. It’s really beautiful. You may not notice but people are attracted to that.”
He stared and listened to him talking. How Mochizuki spoke was un-humanlike, he spoke as if he was a deity observing Makoto’s mind and thoughts. He felt flustered with how Mochizuki was talking about him. Therapists and psychiatrists had tried to figure Makoto out and they couldn’t. Somehow, Mochizuki was able to understand him better than anyone else. It was odd. Really odd. Yet, it felt right. It felt okay that Mochizuki knew him this well.
“Yuki, I know we’ve only known each other for a day. I have this feeling inside me that makes me want to be close to you. I want to become your bestest friend in this lifetime.”
Makoto’s eyes widened. What?
What did he just say?
“I want to become your bestest friend in this lifetime.”
He took a moment to think. He had been so cold to Mochizuki, so how did he even develop this kind of feeling towards him? He looked around the restaurant and looked back at Mochizuki, softly smiling. He wasn’t angry or shocked, just bewildered by the sudden statement.
“Okay.” Makoto said involuntarily.
“That means I can call you by your first name, right?” Mochizuki brimmed with joy. “Then, in return, you can call me Ryoji.”
Makoto nodded and ate his food awkwardly. The rest of the hang out was only Ryoji blabbering about Makoto and girls. It felt pleasant to be around him. Ryoji understood him very well. He would change the topic if he was feeling uncomfortable and wouldn’t force him to say anything. Ryoji was patient, the type of person he needed.