Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The morning sunlight filtered through the café windows, catching flecks of dust as if even they were too lazy to move. A soft lo-fi tune played through the speakers — something mellow that Kohane had queued up the night before — and the smell of ground coffee filled the air.

Akito leaned on the counter, sleeves rolled up, lazily mixing milk into a cup of iced coffee. His red-orange hair stuck up slightly, refusing to behave, and his expression screamed “I’ve already had enough of today.”

Across the room, Toya was methodically wiping down the espresso machine. He worked with quiet precision — the kind of calm that should’ve been relaxing. But for Akito, it was… unsettling.

He narrowed his eyes.

“...You’re quiet today,” he muttered, suspicious.

Toya didn’t even look up. “You say that every time I don’t lecture you before breakfast.”

“Exactly,” Akito said, tapping his straw against the counter. “That’s the problem. You’re supposed to nag me about doing homework or practicing diction or whatever. It’s like the universe is off-balance without it.”

“Maybe,” Toya said, glancing over, “I trust you to take care of it yourself.”

Akito froze mid-sip.

That was... weirdly nice. Suspiciously nice.

He set his cup down slowly. “...Okay. What are you planning?”

Toya’s brows furrowed slightly. “Planning?”

“Don’t play dumb. You, An, Kohane — someone’s scheming something. You’re way too calm for this early in the morning.”

Before Toya could respond, the door jingled open.

“Good morniiiing!” Kohane’s cheerful voice filled the café as she stepped in, balancing a tote bag nearly her size. She wore her favorite pastel hoodie, hair tied neatly, and radiated that same wholesome energy that made customers love her.

“Yo, Kohane,” Akito greeted, relaxing a bit. “You’re early.”

She smiled shyly. “An wanted me to help with… uh, something.”

Akito’s suspicion meter spiked again. “...Something?”

Kohane froze, blinking. “O-oh! I mean—! She’s organizing the equipment for tonight’s performance!”

“...Right,” Akito said flatly, clearly unconvinced.

Just then, An’s voice rang from the back door. “Kohaneee! I can’t find the extension cord for the lights!”

Kohane turned like she’d just been rescued by divine intervention. “Coming!”

As she hurried off, Akito muttered under his breath, “Lights? We’re not even performing tonight.”

Toya set the cloth down, straightening up. “Maybe they just want to improve the stage setup.”

Akito shot him a look. “You’re a terrible liar.”

Toya didn’t deny it.

An reappeared moments later, holding a box of colorful string lights. “Found them! Oh—morning... Akito.”

Akito crossed his arms. “What’s with all this decoration stuff?”

An tilted her head innocently. “What, a café can’t have a little aesthetic upgrade once in a while?”

“You hate manual labor.”

“Correction: I hate boring manual labor. Hanging up lights with Kohane isn’t boring~”

Kohane poked her head out shyly. “She means we’re doing it together because teamwork makes things easier…”

“See?” An said, dramatically flipping a strand of hair. “Wholesome productivity!”

Akito groaned, rubbing his temples. “Whatever. As long as I’m not the one untangling those wires again.”

An smirked. “Oh, don’t worry. We wouldn’t make you do that. You’re far too busy being cranky and suspicious this morning.”

“Gee, thanks.”

From behind the counter, Toya’s quiet chuckle slipped out — soft, genuine. It made Akito glance over, startled.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you,” Akito accused.

“Maybe a little,” Toya admitted.

Akito groaned again, sinking into his seat. “I swear, you’re all up to something. And when I find out, you’d better have coffee ready.”

“Already brewing,” Toya said, sliding him a fresh cup.

“...You know, sometimes I can’t tell if you’re trying to bribe me or calm me down.”

“Yes,” Toya replied simply.

And as the café filled with the hum of light banter and the faint buzz of fairy lights being tested, Akito didn’t notice An mouthing to Kohane behind him:

“Phase One complete.”

Kohane smiled, whispering back: “Operation Firecracker Birthday is go.”

Chapter Text

Akito Shinonome’s morning classes went surprisingly well.

Too well, in fact.

No explosions from Rui this time, no Tsukasa yelling from across the hallway, no Mizuki barging into his classroom uninvited (which had actually happened once, and the teacher had given up trying to stop it halfway through).

Just quiet. Peaceful. Ordinary.

And Akito didn’t trust it one bit.

He sighed, leaning against his locker. Maybe everyone was busy. Maybe—

“AKITOOOOO~!”

The shrill voice cut through the hall like a war trumpet. Akito froze. Slowly, painfully, he turned his head.

There, sprinting down the corridor, was Mizuki Akiyama, holding a huge sparkly banner that screamed “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LIL’ BROOOO ♡♡♡” in glitter glue.

Behind her, Tsukasa Tenma ran with equal enthusiasm, holding what appeared to be… a confetti cannon.

“Oh no,” Akito muttered.

“OH YES!” Mizuki yelled gleefully. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY DEAR LIL’ BROOOOOO!”

“MIZUKI—shut up! Not in front of everyone—”

Too late. Every head in the hallway turned.

Tsukasa skidded to a stop beside them, glitter already leaking from the cannon. “Today is a most glorious occasion! Let the celebration of our comrade’s birth commence!!”

Akito paled. “Tsukasa. Don’t you dare.”

Tsukasa’s grin widened. “Fear not, young Shinonome! I’ve perfected the art of celebratory glitter dispersion!”

Rui’s voice floated down the hall. “No, you haven’t.”

And sure enough, Rui Kamishiro appeared, carrying a box of suspiciously labeled “SAFE(ISH) PARTY SUPPLIES.”

“I told you last night that the pressure gauge might be faulty,” Rui continued.

“Details, details!” Tsukasa chirped, already preparing to pull the string.

“MIZUKI, DO SOMETHING!” Akito hissed.

Mizuki grinned. “Oh, I am doing something.”

BOOM.

A tidal wave of glitter and confetti erupted across the hallway. Pink, gold, and silver dust floated like snow.

Students screamed. Someone sneezed. The janitor, passing by, just sighed in resignation.

Akito stood there, drenched in sparkles. His red-orange hair shimmered like a disco ball.

Mizuki squealed, clapping. “Oh my GOD, you look so cute!!”

“I’m going to kill you all,” Akito said flatly.

Tsukasa beamed proudly. “You can thank me later!”

Rui nodded, entirely too amused. “An impressive reaction time, by the way. You flinched exactly 0.3 seconds before detonation.”

“Why are you timing my trauma?!”

At that exact moment, Nene Kusanagi walked out of her classroom, blinking at the spectacle. She had her handheld console in one hand, still mid-game.

“...It’s too early for this,” she muttered. “It’s not even lunchtime.”

“Happy birthday, Akito!” chirped Emu Otori, suddenly popping out from behind her.

Akito jumped a foot in the air. “EMUUU—how did you even get in here?! You go to a different school!”

“WONDERHOY!” Emu declared, spinning in the glitter storm. “It’s a special occasion, so I snuck in!”

Rui leaned toward her with a knowing smile. “Technically, I told the guard she was delivering an interschool event poster.”

“And he believed that?” Akito demanded.

“Eventually,” Rui said. “After I built him a miniature stage light as a gift.”

Akito pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re all insane.”

Tsukasa slung an arm over his shoulders. “Insanely supportive!”

“Insanely annoying!” Akito shot back.

The teacher suddenly appeared at the end of the hall, crossing their arms. “What’s going on here?”

Every single one of them froze.

Mizuki coughed, glitter still floating in the air. “...A science experiment?”

Rui nodded solemnly. “Yes. Testing air pressure and emotional resilience.”

The teacher just sighed. “You could’ve waited until after class.” Then, oddly enough, they smiled. “But since you’re all here…”

They stepped aside—and revealed Akito’s classmates standing behind them, holding a small birthday cake with candles already lit.

“Happy birthday, Shinonome-kun!” the class chorused.

Akito’s brain short-circuited.

“What—how—when did you—”

“Surpriiiise!” Mizuki sang, waving jazz hands.

Rui grinned. “I may have leaked the date to the homeroom group chat.”

“RUI—”

“Happy birthday, Akito!!” Tsukasa cheered, blowing a party horn directly into Akito’s ear.

Everyone started clapping and singing off-key. The teacher even joined in.

And Akito, standing in a literal hurricane of glitter and chaos, could only hide his red face in his hands.

“...You guys are the worst,” he muttered.

But the tiny smile twitching at his lips betrayed him.

Mizuki caught it immediately. “Awww, he’s blushing~!”

“I’M NOT—”

“Oh yes, you are~!”

Rui chuckled. “A successful experiment indeed.”

And that’s how Akito Shinonome’s peaceful school day turned into a carnival of confetti, chaos, and questionable sanity.

He’d later find glitter inside his pencil case for the next three weeks.

Chapter Text

By the time Akito trudged back to WEEKEND GARAGE, the sun was setting.
He looked like he’d fought in a glitter war and barely survived.

There was confetti in his hair, on his jacket, even stuck to his shoes. When he pushed the café door open, a soft ding echoed — and everything inside was quiet. Too quiet again.

“...Hello?” he called, peeking around.

The café lights were dim, the usual chatter absent. He frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. “Did they close early or somethin’...?”

He took one cautious step in.

The lights flared on.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AKITO!!”

The shout hit him like a bass drop.

An explosion of lights, streamers, and laughter filled the café. Kohane, An, and Toya stood by the stage, beaming at him. The decorations were so over-the-top it looked like a music video set: balloons shaped like musical notes, a banner that read “Our fiery king of rhythm turns another year older!”, and — because it had to be An’s idea — a life-sized cardboard cutout of Akito holding a mic.

“...Oh my god,” Akito muttered. “You didn’t.”

“Oh, we did,” An said, smirking triumphantly. “Welcome to your official Vivid BAD SQUAD birthday bash!”

Kohane clapped her hands, eyes shining. “Surprise! You didn’t notice us planning, right?”

Akito blinked, still in shock. “I—uh, kinda did. But not... this.”

An threw a peace sign. “Then it worked~”

Toya stepped forward quietly, holding out a small towel. “Here. You still have glitter in your hair.”

“Don’t remind me,” Akito groaned, taking it. “It’s Akiyama’s fault. I swear I’ll never—”

An gasped dramatically. “You mean your friends already celebrated before us?! We’ve been scooped?!”

“...If you call being ambushed with confetti a celebration, then yeah.”

Toya chuckled softly. “That sounds like Akiyama-san.”

“More like sounds like chaos,” Akito muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

An crossed her arms. “Well, whatever. Our celebration’s gonna be better. We even got you a cake!”

She pointed toward the counter where a cake sat proudly — two tiers, covered in white frosting, and decorated with music notes made of chocolate. Right in the center was a sugar figurine of a mic surrounded by flames.

Akito stared. “That’s… actually kinda cool.”

“Of course it is!” An said. “Kohane designed it, Toya helped bake it, and I… supervised artistically.”

“That means she ate the frosting,” Kohane said quietly.

“Creative input!” An protested, scandalized.

Toya’s lips twitched — which, for him, counted as a smile.

Akito shook his head, chuckling. “You guys are ridiculous.”

“Ridiculously awesome,” An corrected. “Now sit down. The show’s about to start.”

“The what—”

Kohane grabbed a mic. “We made a remix just for today!”

An struck a pose beside her. “We call it ‘Happy Birthday Fire Remix.’”

The beat dropped before Akito could even react. The café filled with sound — bright, layered, and alive. Kohane’s voice floated gracefully over the melody while An harmonized with that confident, sharp energy that made her impossible not to watch.

Toya joined in on guitar, calm and precise, his notes weaving perfectly between the vocals.

And Akito… couldn’t help it. He smiled — wide and real. The kind that crinkled his eyes and softened his whole face.

They’d gone through so much as a group — insecurities, disagreements, late-night practices that ended in laughter and half-burned snacks. Seeing them like this, just for him, felt unreal.

As the final note faded, everyone looked at him expectantly.

“Well?” An asked. “Did we nail it or nail it?”

“You guys…” Akito said, trying not to grin too hard. “You seriously went all out for this, huh?”

“Obviously,” Kohane said, smiling sweetly. “It’s your day.”

“Yeah,” An said, hands on her hips. “You think we’d not celebrate our fireball drummer-slash-vocalist-slash-disaster-man?”

“Hey—!”

“Cake time!” Toya interrupted, saving Akito from more teasing.

He handed over a small box before they lit the candles. Inside was a simple black bracelet with a silver treble clef charm.

Akito blinked, stunned. “You… got me this?”

Toya nodded. “You said once you wanted something small to wear onstage. So I asked a shop in Shibuya to make it.”

There was a quiet pause. Kohane and An smiled knowingly from the sidelines.

Akito rubbed his neck, face turning pink. “You… remembered that, huh?”

“Of course,” Toya said. “You remember everyone’s birthdays. It’s only fair.”

“...Tch. You’re way too thoughtful sometimes.”

Toya’s mouth curved faintly. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

An cleared her throat loudly. “Okay, lovebirds, let’s not make this a romance movie. Candle time!”

Kohane giggled. “Make a wish, Akito.”

Akito glanced at all of them — Toya’s quiet warmth, Kohane’s kind smile, An’s teasing grin. For once, he didn’t have to hide behind sarcasm.

He took a breath, smiled, and blew out the candles.

Everyone cheered.

An popped a small party popper. “Okay! Who’s ready for karaoke round two?!”

Akito groaned. “I just blew out the candles!”

“Exactly!” An said. “The night’s still young!”

Kohane clasped her hands. “Can we sing Just Be Friends first? The remix version?”

“Only if Akito sings the harmony,” An smirked.

“Like hell I—”

Toya handed him a mic. “You should. It’ll make them happy.”

Akito sighed, pretending to glare, but his grin gave him away. “Fine, fine. But only because it’s my birthday.”

“That’s the spirit!”

As the music started up again, laughter and rhythm filled the café — a sound that carried warmth, familiarity, and just the right amount of chaos.

It was loud. It was ridiculous. It was them.

And for Akito, that was perfect.

Chapter Text

The celebration at WEEKEND GARAGE stretched late into the night, leaving Akito half-tired and half-glowing. After rounds of karaoke, mock-arguments with An, and Toya subtly fixing his hair every time it got too messy, he finally made it home past midnight.

He expected the apartment to be dark. Ena always stayed up late painting, but maybe she’d finally gone to sleep for once.

When he unlocked the door, though — the lights in the living room were on.

And there, sitting cross-legged on the couch with her tablet and a sketchpad balanced on her knees, was Ena Shinonome.

“...You’re home,” she said without looking up.

Akito blinked. “You’re still awake?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” She smirked faintly, setting her stylus down. “How was it? The big, flashy VBS bash?”

He shrugged, trying to play it cool. “Loud. Dumb. Fun.”

“Translation: you loved it.”

“Shut up.”

Ena chuckled. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

“For what?”

“For the best part of your day.”

Akito frowned. “If you mean that glitter bomb Mizuki and Tsukasa set off, I already know you told them.”

Ena grinned, unashamed. “Guilty.”

“Do you want me to disown you?”

“Please, like you could survive without me.”

He groaned and flopped onto the couch beside her, too tired to argue further. He’d barely sat down when she nudged a small white box toward him on the table.

“What’s that?”

“Open it.”

He gave her a skeptical look but did as told. Inside was a pristine slice of cheesecake — creamy, golden, and topped with just enough powdered sugar to look fancy.

Akito froze. “…Cheesecake.”

“Duh,” Ena said, pretending to scroll on her tablet. “You’ve been obsessed with that one bakery near the station, so I got it on my way home.”

Akito’s brain short-circuited. “Wait. You—bought me cheesecake?”

She side-eyed him. “Why do you sound like I just confessed to murder?”

“Because you don’t do nice things out of nowhere! What’s the catch? You want something?”

“Wow. Paranoid much?”

“You’re you,” Akito said, pointing accusingly. “There’s always a catch.”

Ena dramatically gasped. “Unbelievable. I, your loving older sister, go out of my way to get you your favorite dessert, and this is the thanks I get?!”

“I knew it,” he muttered. “You’re setting me up for something. Did you post my childhood picture again?”

Ena coughed suspiciously. “...Define ‘post.’”

“ENA!”

“Okay, okay! It was just in the group chat! Mizuki begged for it!”

“That doesn’t make it better!”

Ena smirked. “Relax, it was a cute one — you had that tiny paper crown from kindergarten. Toya reacted with a heart emoji, by the way.”

Akito’s soul visibly left his body. “He saw it?”

“He loved it.”

“ENAAAAA—”

She laughed so hard she almost dropped her tablet. “Oh my god, your face! You’re turning red again!”

He groaned, covering his face with his hands. “I swear I’m gonna delete your social media one day.”

“Sure you are,” she said, still giggling.

Silence fell for a moment — comfortable, rare, the kind they only had when both of them were too tired to bicker.

Akito finally picked up the cheesecake box, muttering, “...Thanks, though.”

Ena looked up, blinking. “Huh?”

“For the cake,” he said, eyes averted. “And… everything. Even the annoying stuff.”

Ena’s teasing expression softened. “...Yeah. You’re welcome, idiot.”

He cut a piece of cheesecake with the plastic fork, took a bite — and immediately made the kind of face that only true dessert enlightenment brings.

“Holy—this is so good.”

“Told you,” Ena said smugly. “The last slice too. You should feel honored.”

“Wait—you got this for me even though it was the last one?”

“Yeah, duh. What do you take me for?”

“A menace.”

“Correct, but an affectionate menace.”

Akito rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the smile tugging at his mouth.

Ena watched him quietly, the smirk on her face gentling into something softer. “...You had a good birthday, right?”

Akito nodded between bites. “Yeah. Better than I thought.”

She smiled faintly. “Good.”

Then, after a beat—

“So, wanna watch me edit your embarrassing childhood video next?”

“ENA!”

She cackled as he lunged for her tablet, nearly spilling the cheesecake in the process.

And somewhere between the yelling, laughter, and faint smell of frosting still clinging to his jacket, Akito realized — maybe having people who teased him this much wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

Chapter Text

The next morning at Vivid Street, Akito arrived early. For once.

He had his hoodie up, earbuds in, pretending not to exist — the universal sign of do not approach me unless you value your life.

Except, of course, that An, Toya, and Kohane all approached him immediately.

“Morning, Akito!” Kohane greeted, too cheerful.

“Hey,” Akito muttered.

Toya gave a small nod. “Morning.”

An, however, was already shaking with suppressed laughter. “Soo… Akitooo~”

He froze. “…What.”

She grinned like a cat who’d found the biggest bowl of cream. “Cute picture, by the way.”

Akito’s stomach dropped. “What picture.”

“Oh, don’t act innocent! The crown one! The one with your little paper crown and that smug ‘I just won at musical chairs’ smile!”

Kohane blinked. “It was adorable! You looked so proud!”

Toya — traitorous, beautiful, calm Toya — added, “The crown suited you. You haven’t changed much.”

Akito spun on him, horrified. “YOU TOO?!”

Toya’s lips curved slightly. “Ena sent it to the group last night.”

“She what?!”

“Technically,” An said, scrolling through her phone, “Mizuki forwarded it to our chat. With the caption: ‘Prince Shinonome in his royal debut 👑✨’.”

Kohane nodded seriously. “It was really cute.”

Akito wanted to disappear. “I’m never showing my face again.”

“Come on, it’s not that bad,” An said, still giggling. “You were like five!”

“Exactly! Five-year-old me didn’t know betrayal existed yet!”

Toya gave a small chuckle — quiet, rare, enough to make Akito glare at him. “You’re all enjoying this way too much.”

An leaned on his shoulder. “Lighten up, birthday boy! At least now you have a new nickname.”

“What nickname—”

“Prince Akito.”

The way she said it — smug, dramatic — made Kohane gasp and Toya actually smile wider.

Akito’s soul visibly left his body. “No. No. No way. Don’t start calling me that.”

“Oh, it’s too late,” An said gleefully. “Group decision!”

“Toya?” Akito snapped, desperate.

Toya shrugged. “It suits you.”

“TOYA—”

Kohane giggled softly. “Sorry, Akito-kun… but it’s really cute.”

He threw his hands up. “You’re all conspiring against me. Ena infected you!”

“Hey,” An said with mock pride, “sibling energy is contagious.”

Akito groaned and slumped onto a nearby crate, muttering something about moving to another planet.

But even as they kept teasing him — An laughing, Kohane trying not to, and Toya quietly smirking — there was a faint warmth behind the embarrassment.

Maybe because, deep down, he knew this meant they cared.

And as the group started warming up for their practice set, An called out:

“Yo, Prince Akito! Don’t forget the mic!”

He threw her the most murderous glare he could muster — but his lips twitched anyway.

“Keep it up, and you’ll be the court jester, An.”