Chapter Text
Shuichi staggered through the auditorium’s double doors, shouldering apathy and exhaustion. Kaito, whose demeanour completely contrasted with the latter’s, followed along several steps behind. “You’re looking tired... as usual.” He exhaled and took his seat beside the raven-haired boy. All the while, the auditorium was teeming with the muddled sound of students’ voices.
“It’s...” Shuichi broke off his sentence with a yawn. “This class.”
“Yeah. Sure. Couldn’t possibly be anything else.”
“No, seriously! When have you ever seen me tired?” Kaito stared at him incredulously. “...Okay. This tired other than on Wednesdays? This is my only morning class, Kaito.” The latter seemed tentative before letting out a defeated sigh.
“Maybe if you didn’t do homework at, like, three in the morning, Wednesdays wouldn’t be so hard.”
With a completely baffled look on his face, Shuichi turned towards his friend. How did Kaito know about his early morning antics?
Their eyes met. Without warning, the two erupted in wild laughter. Cackles shot out of their mouths like water from an uncontrollable geyser.
“Wait, you weren’t sleeping?” Shuichi asked inquisitively, still chuckling a bit.
“No, but I know you well enough that I’m able to guess.” They shared another laugh as Kaito put an arm around Shuichi’s neck. “I mean, we’ve been best friends ever since freshman year of high school!”
Saying that Shuichi was extremely grateful to call Kaito his best friend would be an understatement.
He often wondered why someone like Kaito- someone confident, brave and lively, would even notice him- let alone want to be his friend. It was a given that they were complete opposites.
After all...
Kaito was a social butterfly.
Shuichi was a reclusive moth.
Yet, despite their blatant differences, they’d made it this far. All because Kaito had approached him in their freshman year. Ever since then, many of Kaito's habits and mannerisms influenced Shuichi and, of course, vice versa. It was only natural after half a decade. Though, there was one aspect of himself Kaito’s influence could never change.
It didn’t matter how long they had known each other; a moth with a butterfly by its side was still a moth.
Kaito pulled Shuichi closer before his smile disappeared entirely. While giving his friend an intimidating side-glance, he said: “No, seriously. If you keep staying up late, I will get Maki-roll to murder you.” Shuichi half-supressed a giggle.
A soul-sucking silence enveloped the two.
“I’m not kidding.” Kaito’s face was completely blank, unfeeling.
“Oh.”
“Seriously, what’s the point of evening classes if you operate like this... Aren’t they supposed to give you more time...?” Kaito whispered this, loud enough to know that Shuichi heard him, but it was still more of a verbal thought. “Anyway.” The purple-haired boy’s joyful demeanour came back instantaneously. "Are you excited for another wonderful Wednesday morning in humanities?”
Shuichi let out a tormented groan before resting his head on the table. “I can’t take two whole hours of this...” His voice came out muffled as he spoke into his sleeves.
Regardless of his response, Shuichi didn’t actually hate humanities. Hell, he thought it was an interesting class. The thing is, for him, anyway, ten was too early in the day for a lecture.
“Holy overreaction!” Kaito laughed heartily and gave Shuichi a firm pat on the back. “I promise you; you'll live.”
As if on cue, the professor burst through the auditorium’s doors. She fumbled about with her bag and glasses, made her way down the stairs briskly and assumed her typical position at the front of the room. Soon, after apologising profusely for her tardiness, she began lecturing.
***
The professor glanced down at her watch. “We have less than five minutes left, so I wanted to tell you about the homework.” Naturally, hearing the word ‘homework’ made Shuichi sigh wearily.
“You’ll be working in pairs.” The friends shared a quick look. “It’s a presentation on how society views freedom politically, philosophically, and culturally. It’s due in next week.”
Kaito spoke in a low tone. “Okay, not that ba-”
“I’ll be choosing your partners.”
Shuichi’s heart dropped. What if his partner hated him? What if he had to do all the work? What if he couldn’t get his ideas across?
Murmurs and moans stirred throughout the room.
“Aw, come on, guys! This’ll do you some good- adapting to new people is a life skill, after all!” The professor smiled faintly. “Anyway...use this time to quickly plan your course of action with your partner!”
Before long, she was calling out people’s names and put them into pairs for the assignment. Kaito was paired with a random guy neither of them knew. As a result, he produced a disinterested hum.
“Shuichi, you go with... hm.” The professor was clearly in thought. Her eyes scanned the room critically before stopping on a particular student. “Kaede.”
Kaede? Who was that?
His tornado of thoughts resumed. He didn’t know where she was, much less who she was. How could he recognise her? If he couldn’t recognise her, then he couldn’t find her. If he couldn’t find her, then how would they work on their proje-
“Um, you’re Shuichi, right?”
He turned around, his pupils dilating at the sight before him.
Blonde, wispy curls framed her face and delicately sprawled along her shoulders and back. Every loose ringlet, every feathery tendril, every ample section; they all enthralled Shuichi, bewitched him, even. Lustrous, long eyelashes only complemented her rich, plum-purple eyes. Her glossy lips were round and tinted ever so slightly, as if cherry stained.
“Excuse me?” The girl took a step forward.
Upon hearing her voice, Shuichi was dragged out of his thoughts and back to reality- wait, had he been staring?
“S-sorry! What is it?”
“I'm Kaede. Are you Shuichi?”
He nodded, trying his best to detach himself from his previous thoughts.
“Alright!” She smiled warmly as she pulled her phone from her jean pocket. “What's your email? You know, so we can work on a shared document.”
He told her his email, and she quickly punched it into her phone. “Th... ere! Thanks, Shuichi. I’ll add you to the doc soon, ‘kay?”
Again, he nodded mindlessly, his brain so quick to empty out its contents. Ugh, why can’t I just reply like a normal person?!
“Kaede! You almost done? Let’s get lunch soon!” Shuichi’s eyes flickered over to the voice’s source; a guy with matcha-coloured hair and an eyebrow piercing.
Kaede quickly spun back to face her friend and say: “Coming! Give me a second!” She looked to Shuichi once more, tucking her hair behind her ear to reveal a chunky, gold hoop earring. “Are you free tomorrow at ten?” She wrapped a finger around a blonde strand. “Maybe we could work together in the campus’ cafe...?”
“Yes!” Shuichi practically shrieked. He flushed at his prior enthusiasm, mentally cursing himself for it.
Her giggling face lit up. She was iridescent. They’d only known each other for three minutes, but Shuichi already knew she had this uplifting way about her. Kaede was refreshing, like opening a window in a stuffy room; a gust of wind. “Cool! I’ll see you tomorrow, then!” She rushed over to her waiting friend, linking arms with him as they left the auditorium.
Upon viewing that sight, a strange, almost acidic pang throbbed away in Shuichi’s heart.