Work Text:
"You're nothing but a crybaby." The voices jeered, and Ishimaru tightened his stance and stared them down. Despite his best efforts, the tears still formed in his eyes, and spilled out as soon as he tried to speak. He was fifteen, he shouldn't be standing in the classroom crying. One of the bullies cackled as he moved in, raising a hand and delivering a sharp punch to his jaw. This only caused more tears as blood poured from his mouth in a sickly, thin trail, and tears gushed out like water from a faucet.
"I..." Kiyotaka tried to defend himself, but burst into sobs once more, and the kids only jeered louder as they left the classroom before the teacher came back. When the teacher entered the room she saw the tears and blood, and hurried over to her favourite student.
"Kiyotaka, are you okay?" Her voice was gentle, and she took some tissues from her pocket to help him wipe away the blood. Ishimaru spat a couple of teeth into his hand.
"Y-Yes...I just... hit my jaw on the desk!" He answered, he didn't want to lie, but he knew if he mentioned the reason he had the blood on his face, and why he was crying, he felt the situation would only begin to worsen. The bullying would get worse, he’d be a tattletale as well as a crybaby. His teacher carefully took the teeth and put them in a cup of water. Ishimaru insisted on helping to clean the classroom despite his injuries. His teacher helped him. He asked for extra homework, and she handed him a small pile of it, as he usually did. Before he left, she gave him his teeth in a small plastic bag. He was too old to still believe in the tooth fairy too, but the little hints of fantasy helped him cope.
Anything to make his life easier. Every day was the same.
Relentless bullying and then scolding when he got home for not getting any grades which he was expected to achieve.
And he hated it. He cried at every little thing.
He really was nothing but a crybaby.
But he had to stay strong. He had to stay strong for his friends. For Oowada, Fujisaki, Naegi, Oogami and Asahina. He had to do it for them.
And he did.