Chapter Text
Hirose wouldn’t call himself a social butterfly under any circumstances, not only because it sounds kinda narcissistic but also because he doesn’t really get along with everyone in that sense. Sure, he has a lot of people he can call friends, more than the average person, one or two close friends (Otogiri-sensei included), but that doesn’t mean he can just go up to someone and chat them up. So when he is not around people he knows, he just becomes quiet, pretending to be the backdrop, quietly observing them. It’s like a safe space of sorts.
Nakamura has always been a quiet, mysterious student. Dressed properly always, the school uniform buttoned up to the top. His expression always seemed to range between indifference and downright scary sometimes. He had noticed at the high school entrance ceremony and waved, but that was more of an impulse than a conscious decision. The guy was staring, and Hirose didn’t know what else to do. Nevertheless, it never hurts to have a few acquaintances.
Sometimes Hirose looked at Nakamura and felt like they lived in two different worlds. Hirose always felt like he was trying to prove something to someone, his school uniform being more casually worn than the others, as if he was trying to rebel against something. He can’t put a name on it yet.
Hirose knows almost everyone has a fairly positive opinion about him, but that doesn’t mean no one will hold any negative opinions at all. He has caught Nakamura staring at him sometimes, of course, he didn’t pay it any mind, instead focusing on his friends. It’s fine. One person holding negative opinions about him isn’t going to make him feel any less.
Really.
It was fine.
Until said person was standing beside his desk, staring, no, glaring down at him. He could feel the gaze burning his nape. Cautiously, he looked up. Nakamura seemed to want to say something to him, but he took a deep breath and went back to his seat. Confused, Hirose submitted the assignment he was working on. He was already late to his friends’ meetup because he had forgotten to do it the day before.
He packed up his bag, and as soon as he was about to leave the classroom-
“Hirose-kun! Your handkerchief…”
The classmate’s voice cut off, and as Hirose turned, he saw Nakamura step on the handkerchief, very purposely, he might add. Then he picks it up and gives it to Hirose as if there isn’t a huge, dirty shoe print on it. Baffled, Hirose took it, deciding to throw it away on the way.
He sighed. Of all the things, he didn’t expect Nakamura to be a bully.
—--------------
They have home economics in their routine today. Hirose was in charge of bringing the seasoning. As soon as he entered, his friends crowded around him, asking if he had brought it.
After distributing, he put on his apron when Otogiri-sensei walked in with a huge box of octopus. Apparently, that was going to be one of their ingredients for today. As soon as he opened the box, the whole class released various noises of disgust. Otogiri was reprimanding them about how expensive they are when Hirose saw Nakamura go up to the sink and cradle one of the octopuses in his hands. Nakamura was looking down at it with a slight smile, definitely not something you can expect from someone who is about to cook said thing. Some people saw that and were aww-ed by his bravery.
Curious, Hirose followed and held the slippery creature. Its soft body, wriggling arms reaching for his face and wrapping around his hands, suddenly made Nakamura's gentle smile make sense. These creatures are cute.
His friends came beside him and asked if he was okay, and Hirose could only reply with a ‘Yeah!’, too fascinated by the octopus he picked up.
Turning towards Nakamura, he almost felt sorry for saying this, “Let’s hurry up and prepare the food, Nakamura-kun.”
Nakamura, who was already staring at him, suddenly got a face full of ink from the octopus he was holding. The whole class dissolved into laughter while Otogiri sensei asked him if he was okay, amusement evident on his face. Nakamura wasn’t angry; an awkward expression slid onto his face, but not anger.
Later, when Hirose was going home with his friends, his mind recalled the moment he saw the soft smile on Nakamura’s face.
Hmm, come to think of it, that’s the first time I have seen such a soft look on him.
Smiling to himself, Hirose turned towards his friends.
—--------------------------------------------------------
The school’s delinquents are really getting out of hand, Hirose thought as he noticed two of them tripping Nakamura.
An irrational amount of anger flowed in him, and he yelled, “Leave him alone! What if he got hurt?”
The delinquents ‘tch-ed’ and went off in some other way. Hirose walked towards Nakamura, extending a hand to him, “Are you okay?”
Nakamura nodded, “Yes, I am”. Then he turned around and clenched his fists, looking up as if thanking the heavens for something.
He must have been really scared, Hirose thought. Having never had any proper conversation with the guy, it felt awkward to just stand around. So he said the first thing that came to his head, “Hey, aren’t you that guy who stepped on my napkin and also got octopus ink squirted all over your face?”
Remembering that incident, Hirose couldn’t help but let out a bark of laughter.
He might not remember who I am.
Hirose smiled, “I am Hirose. Nice to meet you, Nakamura-kun…”
Nakamura’s eyes widened, and a faint red took over his cheeks as he echoed his pleasantries when Hirose’s eye caught the manga lying on the floor.
Picking it up, he asked, “Is this yours?”
Nakamura’s hands floundered around as he practically yelled, “Not in a million years!”
The defensive posture was way too strong not to be suspicious.
“It’s probably a girl’s. Looks like a shoujo manga,” Nakamura suggested. His expression still looked crazy.
Hirose thought for some time before walking towards the staffroom. Nakamura followed, “W-where are you taking it?”
“The owner of the book will probably realize they have lost it, so for that time it is better if it remains in safe hands,” Hirose replied.
“That m-makes sense.”
After he handed the book to Otogiri-sensei and went back to the classroom, he kept thinking of Nakamura’s defensiveness. To be very honest, he had an inkling about who the book belonged to, but the person looked so worried, the way he held on to the strap of his bag, almost as if he was going to tear it out, he would be blind not to notice it.
How interesting, He mused, I never expected Nakamura to be into manga like these.
Every time he is with Nakamura, he learns something new about him. Hirose couldn’t deny that it was fun.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Today’s model will be Hirose.” The art teacher announced.
It was the 5th period, and the teacher suddenly announced a sketching competition. Hirose was surprised that he got chosen out of all the people. There were many better people to draw, like Yuuka or Nakamura.
Huh?
Hirose backtracked on his thoughts, but the teacher was already hurrying everyone to arrange the seats accordingly. Against other people’s judgment, Hirose wasn’t a fidgety guy, no matter how much he liked his body to be in motion. He could be very still when he wanted to, but sitting still for one hour straight sounds like a pain.
After everyone had taken their seats, Hirose sat still looking forward. The classroom really gets a new perspective once someone sits on an elevated part. Seeing everyone around him being so focused on their work, he can partly understand the pleasure of being a teacher.
The art teacher allowed him to read a book. ‘It would make for a nice pose,’ or so she said. Hirose felt an intense gaze from his direct right. From his peripheral vision, he noticed it was Nakamura, staring at him so intently that Hirose felt the urge to fidget. Nakamura focused once more on his drawing book, and Hirose felt like he could breathe again.
Hirose unintentionally felt his eyes stray towards Nakamura for the rest of the class. Thoughts ranging from ‘So that’s how he looks when he concentrates on something’ to ‘I wonder if he can draw me well’.
When class ended, Mukai and Takeuchi showed him their poorly drawn sketches of him, to which Hirose couldn’t help but laugh.
—-------------------------------------------------
Hirose will admit to himself that he has been paying attention to Nakamura more than needed. He felt like a creep sometimes, but he couldn’t stop. It’s like peeling petals of a dark rose.
Like how recently he learned that Nakamura isn’t as antisocial as he thought. At this moment, he picked up the book which had slipped from Kawamura’s hands and handed it back to her while saying something which made her blush. Her friends giggled and whispered something to her as soon as Nakamura left, making her blush even more.
Mukai and Takeuchi’s boisterous laughter pulled him back to the conversation he was having with his friends. He kept thinking about all the possible things Nakamura could have said to Kawamura to make her like that. Finally, after thinking for a long time, he gave up. He doesn’t know the guy well enough to make an assumption, nor can he figure out why he has become so fixated on him.