Chapter Text
Shiraishi Akihiko. Suishas “bright knight.” Top of the school.
He’s flawless, shiny personality, amazing grades, athletic, everything someone would dream of having. The perfect student. He smiled at everyone, even people he secretly wished would die in a hole somewhere under his own hands. But, even after being ‘perfect’ to all his peers, he was slowly but surely dying inside. Everyone kept staring at him on his first day of school, and he was immediately pitted against Higasas top of school. I mean, he hadn’t even met…?
Kurose Harumi. Higasas “ice prince.” Always wearing a glare, cold and condescending. Barely any emotion, at most arrogant pity. Good grades, sure, but lazy and not athletic. At all. Everyone knew who he was, but no one knew him. People were honored just to talk to him.
“I won’t meet him…probably.” Shiraishi thought, confident things like that doesn’t happen to people like him.
Probably always means maybe. Maybe means it might or might not happen, most times yes. Unless it’s your parents, “Maybe we can get McDonald’s!” Lies. They mean no. Everyone knows that. (I’ve been through that more times then I can count, I’m broke as hell.) And Shiriashi thought that too. There was NO way it could happen.
But in this unfortunate case, it did happen.
He met Kurose.
On the train.
And they had to stand next to each other, of course.
Shiriashi had to double take at him.
Oh, and, they were going the same way.
Great, now Shiraishi had to keep up his facąde, and he wasn’t even at school! This day truly couldn’t get any worse.
“Aren’t you Shiraishi Akihiko?” Kurose questioned, stopping in the middle of the road.
Shiraishi looked at him, put on a sugary smile, and nodded. He then walked to the sidewalk, praying Kurose would turn.
Nope! Of course not! “Someone kill me right now before I do it myself!” Shiraishi thought with fake cheerfulness.
He quickly caught up, moving to the sidewalk as well.
“You go to Suisha Academy, right?” Kurose asked again, glancing towards the other boy next to him as they walked.
Shiraishi glanced back.
“Yeah, why? Oh, the uniform, right?”
He confirmed.
Kurose hummed a “Mhm,” as confirmation. Then he spoke again, his own fącade still up. “Suisha students are the worst, they always act like they’re better than us, when they’re not. You don’t act like that, right?” He looked over, shooting Shiraishi a cold glare over his shoulder.
Shiraishis brows furrowed, giving Kurose a questioning look. “Uh, I mean I don’t think we’re worse than Hagasa?”
Kurose gave a questioning look back. “So you think you're better?”
“That’s not what I-“ Shiraishi began, but was quickly cut off.
“It basically is.” Kurose gave him another glare, face full of condescending disgust. He stopped walking, causing Shiraishi to stop as well.
“That’s all you Suisha students do,” Kurose began, “All you do is act like you're so much better than everyone else. But he wasn’t yelling, his tone was calm, consistent, controlled. “I should’ve known the top of school was like this too.” He scoffed, rolling his eyes.
“This rivalry thing must be serious.” Shiraishi thought.
“Woah, I don’t think that? I think we should just get along, I think it’s stupid anyway!” Shiraishi tried to reason, but only got more of that condescending disgust in his face.
“You should care about it. Everyone else does.” Kurose responded, looking at Shiraishi the same way kids did in middle school. Like he was weird. Like he didn’t belong. Like he shouldn’t be there.
Like a freak.
“So what if everyone else cares about it?” Shiraishis voice shook slightly, but he prayed that the other boy didn’t notice.
But of course he did. Kurose stepped closer, speaking coolly as he walked.
“Aw, scared? Pathetic. What would your classmates think of this? How would they react seeing their ‘bright knight’ with his enemy?” Kurose mocked. “Aren’t you…ashamed?”
That’s when Shiraishi Akihiko snapped.
“WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!” He exclaimed, his fącade breaking. Kurose smirked at his outburst, a sense of happiness at it.
“My problem? You’re the one who implied you were better.” Kurose said, looking as if he was trying to provoke him further.
“I. NEVER. SAID THAT!” Shiraishi yelled back, hands moving to his hair. He tugged at the strands roughly, before pivoting on his heel and turning away.
“You know what? I’m done with you. Maybe our schools were right. And you truly are an asshole.” He said, before walking away to his house. Kurose smiled. He waited until the other boy turned the corner, then started walking to his own house.
…
Akihiko stormed into his house, slamming the door. He shoved off his shoes, muttering angrily to himself about an “asshole”, a “bitch”, and multiple other curses. His older sister, Akemi, suddenly appeared behind him. {A/N: AKA THE GOAT}
“Geez, who lit the fuse on your tampon?” She snickered.
“Not now, Akemi.” Akihiko muttered, still pissed off. She just laughed, patting his shoulder.
He stood up quickly, glaring at Akemi
“Well, if you MUST know, I met someone while walking home from Hagasa.”
Akemi raised her eyebrows, placing a hand over her heart. “Oh? Scandalous. Do continue.” Akihiko rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, yeah. Well anyway,” He continued as he walked to the living room. God, he needed to sit down. “He was such an asshole! He was like ‘you think you're better than me’ when that’s not what I said! And he was so rude! I see why he’s known as an ice prince…fuckin uncultured swine…” Akihiko mumbled.
Akemi laughed, so hard she almost spilled over the couch. She gained her composure after a long, long pause, sitting back up and clearing her throat.
“…are ya done?” Akihiko asked, unimpressed.
Akemi coughed.
“Why, indeed I am. Please, go on.”
And so, Akihiko did.
“God, he was so rude! He was such a dickhead! I don’t know how his classmates deal with him. I bet he doesn’t even have friends, I’ve heard that he barely talks to anyone!”
Akemi giggled, then saw something from the corner of her eye. It looked like a mini Akihiko…
Oh wait, that's just Kazuki.
Kazuki waves to Akemi, his eyes lighting up when he spotted Akihiko. He quickly undid the laces of his soccer cleats, placing his bag by the door.
Kazuki ran to his older clone, sitting next to him on the couch and hugging him tightly.
“AND THEN HE-“ Akihiko paused his rant, wrapping his arms around the mini him. “Hey, Kazuki! How was soccer?”
Kazuki beamed up at him, squeezing him tightly before letting go. He swung his feet, grinning ear to ear.
“It was good!”
Akihiko patted his head, smiling back at him. Akihiko then stood up, stretched, then leaned down to peck his brother on the forehead.
“Okay, I’m going to go study now. Love you, Kazuki. Tell me everything at dinner, okay?
Akihiko started walking up the stairs, hearing “Okay! Love you too!” From his brother as he walked.
He then quickly ran back downstairs to grab his bag, then ran back up to his room.
{A/N: That’s a lie. I just forgot to write him grabbing his bag…shhh…}
Akihiko went back to his room, setting his bag down on his desk. He pulled out multiple textbooks, a pencil case, and his phone and headphones to listen to music with. He put on the headphones and cracked open a text book.
“I have so much work to do…” He thought.
“Who will love me if I’m not the top of my school?”