Chapter Text
An intese moonlight showers over the buildings on the school's field, classrooms and dorms are in a dead silence as the hours go by. Riki sleeps sound on the bottom bunk bed.
--
The baseball practice extended until 6 pm, and even when his stamina have gotten better the last days, he still needs more time to get on Masato and Kengo's level. If he can survive the process.
After the practice, the tireless rivals challenged each other in a race with the dorms as a goal. While Riki, Rin and Kyousuke just saw them sprinted away on the track. They stayed back at the club room half amused for their friends' strength.
"That's what youth is really about!" Kyousuke commented with a smile on.
"They're idiots" Rin added blunty.
--
Inside Riki and Masato's room, an unusual silence is present, because this late at night Masato's snores orchestra would be playing at a middle volumen, but instead a shadowed figure was sitting on top bunk, just staring at the wall. Until with slow and heavy steps, it climbs down to the floor. The tall figure squats down to see the dimmed moonlight that goes through the curtain, weakly shines on Riki's face, showing a blurry view of his calmed expression.
"Riki." A barely whisper breaks the silence of the tidy room.
The figure walks to the door and turns his head to the bed, as if it wanted to say something else, but instead it just opens the door and leaves, leaving the entrance wide open. Meanwhile, the sleepy roommate continues diving in the dream realm, ignoring everything.
--
On the Thursday morning Riki is getting ready for the class. He checks his books and notepads for today's lessons, while Masato is doing his 10 minutes morning plank. The muscle head friend has a different isometric exercise scheduled for every day of the week.
"Masato, you'll get your uniform soaked," exclaims Riki as he zips close his bag.
"Oh Riki, this won't do anything to me hehe," he says as sweat drips on the floor.
"Masato," Riki scoffs, "You're sweaty already"
"That's a leak on the roof, Rikicchi. We must report it to the dorm head as soon as possible," Masato jokes.
"Well, I'm leaving. Bye." Riki waves his hand at his roomate as he fastens the bag's strap on his shoulder.
"W-wait, without me?!?" Masato asks heart broken.
"Yup." Riki makes comical large steps to the door.
"W-wait for ME!!" Masato runs to his bag and leaves the room as Riki holds the door open.
--
Both roommates walk next to each other, talking about yesterday's practice and the improvement of the members. A morning talk that gets bigger and louder as the childhood friends gather in the corridor, their voices overlapping, but still following the conversation. This is part of Riki's precious moments in the school that he's grateful to have everyday in the classrooms, the field and dorms wherever they were. A dreamy sigh leave his mouth everytime he thinks in them.
The day continues its routine, the class goes as always, Haruka asks Riki for something, Kurugaya doesn't go to math, Rin spend time with the cats, Mio reads at least three different books between classes and Komari goes to the roof. Everyone enjoying their time as they pleased as Masato and Riki play together.
"That was really funny Riki!" It's something Masato would always say.
--
At the afternoon when the practice ends, Mio, Kurugaya, Kengo and Riki were cleanining the clubroom, after chasing after a cat. Riki would prefer Masato to take his cleaning task, since out of the four he was the most worn out from yesterday's practice.
Mio doesn't do much physical activity as a team manager, Kuragaya was at the top of members with highest stamina and Kengo was Kengo. They could handle it with ease, but Riki tried to help them as much as he could, even when his legs shake every time he squats and his face tilt every once in a while.
"Young man, you should rest," Kurugaya comments as she helps him sort some boxes and paper that fell.
"You look drained," Kengo adds as he helps Mio gathering the bats and balls.
"Do I?" His question was answered with Mio's nod.
Even when he had the best intentions to help, he decided to leave for the pity the other were showing. He thanks them and leave the club room, barely an hour since they started.
Riki walks alone on the path that connects the field and the school. At 6:30 pm almost all the clubs were empty or in a classroom working in their accountabilities. He was almost misstep a couple of times, his tireness was taking a toll on him.
'This is pathetic!' Riki scolds himself in his mind.
The tired student decides to take a shortcut between the main buildings. It doesn't save much time, but as of how he was feeling, it was best to get into his room as soon as possible. Riki left the main track and walks as fast as he can. The tall buildings loom over him, with the only sound of his steps over the cobble path and a chilly gust that goes with him. He could bet that it wasn't that notorious when he left the club room.
Riki has taken this "shortcut" several times and none of them felt like this, as if something was creeping in the shadows ready to attack. Even when his instinct tells him to return to the illuminated path, nevertheless he just toughens up and continues walking under the massive shadow of the nearby building, and the feeling of being watched feeds his anxiety.
The scared student passes the zelkova trees in the courtyard. Now they give the place a grim look, with how the moonlight goes through the branches and the wind that makes the lights move. Making his mind play with the shadows and see misshapen human silhouettes. Riki quickens his steps, he's already too far into the "shortcut" to just walk back like a scared little kid. Even when there's absolutely no one there to prove anything.
Besides playing tricks in his minds, the trees also mark the half way of his walk. As soon as he passed that point he start perceiving the world blurring in the corners of his sight field and his limbs start feeling weak and unresponsive. A well known feelings, that he knows were it leads. It's happening in the worst moment, when he's alone and apart from everyone. Riki tries to fight back, his unsteady steps lead him to lean on a tree, with half-lidded eyes.
Riki slides down to the ground, almost giving up, but in an abrupt decision he bites the inside of his cheek. With a strong conviction he stands up and sprints as fast as his tired legs allow him. In an attempt to get as close to anyone as possible. Something in him change on each step, something he couldn't point out, but still changing.
Riki reaches the dorms with a huge smile and heavy breathing. He's even more tired and feels his bottom of the feet beating with a heartbeat rhythm, but at least he was closer to his room. He jogs to where Masato must be and opens the door with a strong slam.
"Oh, Riki!" Masato greets his roommate while he's doing squats next to the glass door. "The four of you made a really fast team!"
"Kengo, Nishizono and Kurugaya told me to leave. There was pity party for me there," Riki shyly admits.
"Well I'm glad you're back," Masato adds sweetly, "More time with you, it's always a win."
"Then why didn't take the cleaning task with me, Masato?" Riki jokes as he looks for a short and a shirt.
Masato gives a big grin as a answer, a little blush can be seen on his cheeks as the squats continue at a slower rhythm.
"I'll take a shower," Riki announces as he grabs his towel.
"Wait for me!" The taller roommate shouts looking for his stuff.
Riki just look at him giving a fake exasperated sigh and a frown.
"Please forgive me, Riki Naoe. As an act of repentance I'll clean your back." Masato implores, clapping his hand and bowing his head following Riki's act.
"Just hurry up!" Riki awaits next to the open door.
--
After going to the communal male bath of the school, both walk wearing their shorts. Riki has a cotton blue shirt and Masato sporting a sleeveless black one with his distinctive bandage. Walking next to each other, the couple of roommates' height difference is a noticeable head of different. Riki has to look up to meet his childhood friend's eyes.
"Riki the practice is doing wonder to your biceps!" Masato squishes his roommate's arm.
"You think so?" Riki feels shy with such a comment. He has been looking up to Masato for his discipline and the body. That's evidence of that.
"Thanks Masato, I still have a lot way ahead to be just like you."
Masato smiles lose his bright and a deep frown appears. "Don't compare yourself with anyone or you'll only end up discontented with yourself. Doesn't matter what."
"Oh... You're right." Riki was taken aback by the change of his tone and expression.
"Hehe Riki, you're amazing the way you are. I love that of you," Masato puts an arm across Riki's shoulder and gets their bodies into a hug.
"I love you Riki." Masato has always been vocal about the love and appreciation he has for him, but those last words were almost as a whisper meant for himself.
"Yeah, I love you too," Riki answers and puts his arm around his friend's waist.
The soft aroma of the soap between them exudes from their bodies as they continue walking to their room. Still in their friendly embrace that made them wobble with each step, like a couple a silly friends.
--
In their room, the five friends play together for some time, until, with a silent agreement, the four of them call it a night, with what effort Riki was making to keep himself up. After an hour full of their casual shenanigans, everyone left the room.
"I wouldn't change this for anything," Riki comments when he locks the door. The tiredness is heavy on his eyelids and movements.
"...Me neither." Masato looks at his tired roommate. "We should go to sleep, you look exhausted."
"You're right, night!" Riki says before falling on his bed.
"Goodnight Riki," Masato says as he puts a blanket over his friend. He glances at his calm face and climbs to his bed with a smile on.
--
Masato lays down on the soft mattress, the moonlight going through the curtain gives a dimmed illumination like the last night. The rustle from Riki on the bottom bed can be heared all over the room.
The muscular roommate close his eyes at the thought of Riki sleeping safe and sound. That kind of thing always bring him peace in a sense he can't comprend. Does everyone else feel this happy sharing room with their childhood friends?
Do their hearts skip with joy every time they're close to each other or do their stomachs feel funny whenever their friends say the other's name? Masato recalls how Riki told him that he loved him in the cafeteria or the time he told him he was his favorite. Those were days ago, but they still make him smile until his cheeks hurt.
Masato closes his eyes and with a whisper he wishes his friend, once a again, a good night.
The night continues in silence on the dorms, most of them with their light off. The school building and courtyard have a constant gust that moves the trees and rustles the main hallway's doors. Its corridor run with the wide windows and classrooms' doors in the dead silent night of clear full moon sky.
All the ethereal peace of the night switches, when a storm-like wind drags an immense cloud bank that covers the sky. Eventually engulfing the bright full moon. The darker night swells on the constructions, making the light poles flick violently until they give up their artifical light, making the paths and surrounding areas pitch black.
In the room, Masato snores weakly until the darkness conquers inside the room and makes the tall student sneeze loudly, not potent enough to wake up any of them, and the night continues in pitch black.
--
The lazy sun rises from the horizon, marking the start of Friday's morning. The tall student feels his body weird: it's heavier and his senses are oddly different. Something in him begs him to go down, which he carries out, in a state between being awake and asleep.
He climbs down in the well-known distance between each step of the ladder, no worrying on opening his eyes and in a clear movement he gets inside Riki's bed, cuddling next to him, something that he has never done, but now it feels natural.
After a couple of hours almost at 8 am, Riki notices how he's warmer than usual on his bed, a soft presence cuddling onto him and a steady breathing on his neck. With all unusual inputs Riki opens his eyes, now with a stronger daylight he can identify a creature next to him. He feels how his body temperature drops to 0° along with a goosebumps that invades his shaking body.
Riki yells, as if his life depended on it, and falls on the floor, crawling his body with erratic movement trying to make the most distance between him and the bed.
A human like tiger creature rise with his strong arms over the mattress with a confused look on his amber eyes and dropped big ears.
"Riki, w-what's the matter?" A well-known voice is listened through the strained screams of the smaller student.
Riki halts all movement and stares back at the creature on his bed. "M-Masato?!?" the roommate asks, stunned.