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OoOoOoOoO
Winter break has begun for Rakuzan and while most students have decided to visit their families over the next two weeks, a fair few opted to stay in the dormitories like Rakuzan’s basketball team for some last minute practice – at least, until the New Year.
It’s already early evening; the temperature is a lot cooler and it hasn’t snowed yet but thankfully, the heating system was fixed long before the winter months set in. It’s quiet in the boys’ dormitory seeing as how it’s nearly empty and it’s just perfect for concentrating on holiday assignments and readings.
Akashi Seijuurou is in the middle of writing his history essay when his phone gives off a quiet, tinkling sound. The screen lights up on an old picture of Teikou’s first string as his wallpaper, an old picture Satsuki took before their official photo for their championship trophy and it never fails to make the corner of his lips tilt up in a barely there smile. He looks down, seeing the notification that takes the bottom half of Daiki and Ryouta’s faces as they bickered while the rest of their team looked on with varying states of irritation (Shintaro), disapproval (himself) and indifference (Tetsuya and Atsushi).
The message flashing across his screen came from an unknown number and he frowns. Very few people know his number and he can count on one hand who sends him messages, most of which are some subtle questions and cat pictures from Satsuki and game requests from Ryouta.
He thinks of ignoring it for a few seconds before deciding to pick it up anyway. It may be important, after all.
(Tuesday 5:54PM) 3 12XX XXXX
“Will you go out with me?”
He reads the message on his phone, his brows rising steadily at the sheer audacity that he is somehow impressed with, if only because no one had ever been so bold when approaching him. Most of the time, they keep their distance and often throw their feelings his way through love letters and gifts that he has no way of reciprocating if only to turn them down as gently but as firmly as he can. (Contrary to popular belief, he does know how to interact with people.)
On a more important note, he wonders how this person even has his number in the first place, considering the only ones who he knowingly gave it to were his family, the Kiseki no Sedai and his team and he made it explicitly clear that it was not to be given to anyone. Or else.
He thinks about who would be the likeliest to give his number away but none comes to mind. Another chime from his phone and he looks down at the message.
(Tuesday 5:56PM) 3 12XX XXXX
“Im sorry for asking you this way but I cant find the courage to ask you face to face.”
He reads the message dispassionately. He is not one to indulge in pointless things like this and had often discouraged affection of this sort. It’s too tiring, too exhausting to keep up a façade when he turns them all down nicely with a well-rehearsed speech and it’s too inconvenient when there are a lot of things he can better use his time on. It reminds him too much of the love letters stuffed in his locker or sent to his home and the piles of gifts on his desk. It reminds him of his mother’s attempts to find him a suitable wife from a sea of vapid daughters and nieces of business contacts – nevermind that Akashi has just started high school.
Another message comes in and he finds himself growing annoyed.
(Tuesday 5:57PM) 3 12XX XXXX
“I did what you asked me to and I know Im not really the best but I really like you! Please go out with me Mayu-chan!”
Now that, Akashi has to admit, he didn’t expect but it works in his favor. This would be a lot easier to shake off.
He decides to ignore the other person, knowing that he’d get bored eventually. But a few hours later, while he is heavily absorbed in reading the assigned text for his English class, his phone beeps again. He glares at it then picks it up to read the message and to just inform the other that this is not the girl’s number like he really should have done earlier.
(Thursday 7:00PM) 3 12XX XXXX
“Its Furihata.. Did I give you the wrong number?”
(Thursday 7:03PM) 3 12XX XXXX
“Mayuchan?”
No, Akashi wants to say as the situation begins to make more sense in his mind. Then he rereads the name and he wonders if fate has a sense of humor.
There is only one person he knows (who matters, in his opinion) who is named Furihata.
Akashi never forgets his opponents no matter how little their impact on him and he remembers the slightly taller boy with the wide, brown eyes and the mussed brown hair. Just a plain-looking, mousy boy who looked at him with determination in his eyes even though it was perfectly clear that he was scared out of his wits and they were horribly unmatched.
He remembers the audible tremor on his voice as he tries to provoke Akashi, his face pale as sweat trickles down his temples, plastering his hair on his face. His knees were shaking, too, even after the customary bow after the game.
Now that he’s not in a basketball court and the Winter Cup is already behind him (with the loss that doesn’t feel like a loss anymore), Akashi allows himself to chuckle, not unkindly, at the way the boy tripped on his own feet and fell. Had it been any other circumstance, he would have offered his hand to him but he was confused and pre-occupied enough as it was at the time.
He begins to type his reply, putting effort in being considerate at the very least.
(Thursday 7:08PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“I’m sorry but you have the wrong number.”
(Thursday 7:09PM) 3 12XX XXXX
“Oh Im sorry! I guess I heard her wrong!”
Akashi sincerely doubts it but far be it for him to disabuse Furihata of this notion. Still, a part of him is slightly concerned about how this will play out.
(Thursday 7:17PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“Perhaps, you should ask her in the morning.”
He sends the message out but feels very slight trepidation. He doesn’t bother introducing himself because he knows that Furihata would only be mortified. (It bothers him somewhat that he cares about Furihata’s feelings when they only have a few minutes on the court between them and Kuroko in common.)
(Thursday 7:18PM) 3 12XX XXXX
“Yeah Ill do that! She should be in a better mood tomorrow.”
If that doesn’t tell Furihata even a little bit of what kind of person he is dealing with then Akashi is seriously disappointed in him.
(Thursday 7:19PM) 3 12XX XXXX
“Thanks for the advice and Im sorry again for the messages.. It must have been a shock”
(Thursday 7:20PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“It’s not a problem. Good night.”
He tosses his phone on the bed immediately after sending the message, eager to be away from it so he can concentrate on more important things other than the inevitability of Furihata’s impending heartbreak. He knows it’s none of his business and he tells himself not to get involved.
It doesn’t take him more than few minutes until he sighs heavily and takes his phone and sends a quick message of warning to Tetsuya before shutting it off completely lest the other boy pester him about it (which he does in a seemingly formal way; Tetsuya has the ability to ask some very embarrassing questions with a straight face).
The next few days are quiet and Akashi doesn’t know if he should be concerned. Only once did Tetsuya text him about Furihata and what was surprising was the simple: ‘Thank you.’
He forgets about it completely, watching practice, mixing and matching his first string with the other members, carefully observing new talent and mentally thinking of the right training regimen, at least, before everyone leaves for the New Year.
OoOoOoOoO
It’s less than an hour before midnight on New Year’s Eve and the party Akashi’s father lavishly threw in their hotel’s grander banquet halls for relatives and business associates alike are in full swing. The hall takes up a whole floor in the hotel, the walls painted a warm shade of yellow with several crystal chandeliers hanging strategically all over the ceiling. There are thick pillars in two opposing rows and a stage at the front where the orchestra is playing. The floor is made of white marble, shined to perfection and in elegant patterns with tables and chairs arranged with a theme of red and white – stark, white tablecloths accented with red napkins and red-bordered plates. The thick drapes were drawn back to open the ceiling to floor windows to better watch the fireworks display at the stroke of midnight.
A hundred or so guests arrive, dressed vibrantly in luxurious gowns and tuxedos and traditional silk kimonos and servers in formal wear rotate and offer flutes of expensive champagne and little servings of caviar, smoked salmon or expensive cheeses to tide over until the actual feast.
Akashi watches the proceedings with a bored air as he sits with his father who looks just as bored as he is. He wears a kimono himself, a dark red one with dark gray hakama and had been complimented by it most of the night (mostly by girls and their very hopeful parents).
He was polite and gracious but it’s exhausting and he is thankful that his father knows him so well, pulling him aside smoothly so they can sit on the table together and not be bothered. Of course, his female relatives notice right away even if they are all the way across the hall from them, tittering and gossiping away with the other women. They promptly send one of those “nice” girls his way, introducing her before leaving the girl at their table.
He’d give anything to go home or better yet, go to one of the street courts and just play some basketball and he barely stops the urge to yawn but his father catches it anyway and disguises his laugh into a cough. He glares at the older man, straightening his shoulders so he doesn’t slouch because he’ll never hear the end of it. His father raised him to be excellent in all things but the way he motivates Akashi is nothing short of humiliating (which is why he is determined not to follow in his example).
The girl beside him (a daughter of yet another business acquaintance) is telling him something about her vacation overseas, how it was much lovelier than being here in her own country.
He lets her drone on and on. He’d been to Paris before but she doesn’t need to know that.
He listens to her with half an ear, able to respond to her questions even as he thinks of a new training formula to improve his team’s agility and stamina.
Then, his phone vibrates and it’s a welcome reprieve as he subtly looks at it.
(Monday 11:26PM) Furihata Kouki
“Hi”
Akashi blinks at the message on his phone, Furihata’s name (because for some reason, Akashi thought to keep his number) on top of the screen.
(Monday 11:28PM) Furihata Kouki
“I dont know if you remember me but I just”
(Monday 11:28PM) Furihata Kouki
“I just need someone to talk to”
He really doesn’t know how to respond so he doesn’t but he waits. For what, he’s not exactly sure of yet.
(Monday 11:33PM) Furihata Kouki
“Nevermind.. just forget about it”
Against his better judgment, he replies. There’s really no reason for him to do so, not when they barely know each other and he highly doubted Furihata would continue speaking to him had he known who exactly he’s texting but he does it anyway.
(Monday 11:34PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“What did you want to talk about?”
The response is immediate.
(Monday 11:34PM) Furihata Kouki
“Oh um anything really.. I just need to talk about something else”
Ah, it’s about that girl, Akashi realizes before Furihata can clarify which he does a few seconds later.
(Monday 11:35PM) Furihata Kouki
“Something thats not Mayu-chan..”
(Monday 11:35PM) Furihata Kouki
“I really dont know why Im telling you this but I found out that Mayu-chan never really wanted to go out with me.. She said so when I asked her out the next day..”
(Monday 11:36PM) Furihata Kouki
“Its a shock and kinda painful because I really did like her but Im getting over it.. it never stops coming up in conversation and well Im getting tired”
(Monday 11:36PM) Furihata Kouki
“I know they mean well.. I know that much but still… theyre treating me like im gonna fall apart..”
(Monday 11:37PM) Furihata Kouki
“I dont even know how they knew.. I know I didnt tell anyone about it”
Akashi refuses to feel guilty for telling Tetsuya though he didn’t actually say anything of consequence – only to be watchful.
Furihata is annoyed more than he is heartbroken which means that he is distracted and will forget about his infatuation with the girl very soon and focus on more worthwhile things – like improving his basketball. He’s a mediocre player at best but that doesn’t mean that he cannot improve or use a different playing style. Tetsuya had proved that more than most.
(Monday 11:37PM) Furihata Kouki
“Oh sorry.. I said I wasnt gonna talk about her but turns out I just did.. sorry”
(Monday 11:39PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“It’s fine. Sometimes, it’s much easier to talk to strangers than it is to your friends about certain things.”
(Monday 11:40PM) Furihata Kouki
“Your right”
(Monday 11:40PM) Furihata Kouki
“*youre”
Akashi smiles slightly at Furihata’s attempt to fix his mistake. His text grammar is horrendous but Akashi, oddly enough, doesn’t mind so much (not when Ryouta sends him messages that are mostly full of emoji and lacking in actual substance). He’s vaguely aware of his father watching him closely but he pays him no mind.
(Monday 11:41PM) Furihata Kouki
“So what are you doing for the New Year”
(Monday 11:43PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“I’m attending a party.”
(Monday 11:43PM) Furihata Kouki
“Wow.. sounds exciting!”
(Monday 11:45PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“Hardly. It’s pretty boring.”
(Monday 11:45PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“How about you?”
(Monday 11:46PM) Furihata Kouki
“I guess same thing we do every year”
(Monday 11:46PM) Furihata Kouki
“Have some food watch the red and white show on tv and then tomorrow well go to the shrine”
(Monday 11:47PM) Furihata Kouki
“Hey.. weve been talking for a while and I even asked you out that one time.. haha.. but I never really introduced myself”
(Monday 11:47PM) Furihata Kouki
“Im Furihata Kouki! Its nice to meet you!”
Akashi frowns. Should he or should he not introduce himself? He weighs his options warily. He doesn’t want to intimidate Furihata off but it is simply not in his nature to lie or to omit. He supposes it would be better to get it over with now than to do it later.
(Monday 11:49PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“Akashi Seijuurou. It’s nice to meet you again, Kouki.”
He waits. It’s as he expected. Furihata does not reply. He thinks he shouldn’t be as disappointed as he is when he knew that this is what’s going to happen. Still, he feels a dull pang but he ignores it. He knows his father noticed the change in his mood but thankfully, he doesn’t ask.
At the stroke of midnight, the sky is illuminated by fireworks, loud and booming but altogether breathtaking.
Akashi sends a group message of New Year’s greetings and receives replies almost immediately. Greetings from Tetsuya, Daiki, Satsuki and Kise. His horoscope for the year from Shintarou. A catalogue of new snacks from Atsushi. A love reading from Reo (because he worries about Akashi’s non-existent love life) and miscellaneous greetings from his team.
Then, his phone vibrates for the last time that night.
(Tuesday 12:12AM) Furihata Kouki
“Happy New Year Akashi-kun”
OoOoOoOoO
Furihata doesn’t know if he’s extremely lucky or the exact opposite but to get Akashi’s number from Mayu-chan, of all people, is really mind blowing. It’s been three weeks since the startling discovery that he’d been texting Akashi Seijuuro (aka captain of Rakuzan – Inter High champion, former captain of Teikou and the Generation of Miracles and all-around terrifying guy).
He remembers when he read Akashi’s name and the way he flailed, dropping his phone on the bed as if it was burning before he toppled over in a tangle of sheets and limbs. His mother had even scolded him from downstairs for making too much noise.
Ugh. So embarrassing.
The thought that Akashi was calling him by his first name didn’t weigh as much as the fact that Furihata had been talking to him about Mayu-chan rejecting him for about ten minutes and even reminded him that he’d asked him out (accidentally).
Never had he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him as much as he did then and it had taken him a long time to gather his courage and send a message back because he was raised better and it wouldn’t do to just leave Akashi hanging like that.
But what to call him?
He finally settled on calling him “Akashi-kun”, the way Kuroko calls him and he thinks that it was probably Akashi who told Kuroko (who then told Kagami who then told their senpai who then told the coach who then told the whole team, etc.) about being dumped but why he’d bother to do so is still a mystery.
(He couldn’t have been worried… could he?... Nah.)
In any case, it’s still pretty unbelievable that he and Akashi are texting each other a lot more frequently and that the other boy isn’t bored of him yet. He doesn’t think there’s anything particularly interesting about himself at all but Akashi makes him feel that what he says is important somehow even if they’re talking about nothing in particular and not once did he feel uncomfortable or awkward with him (except the first few days but he can’t be blamed for that).
Akashi is surprisingly easy to talk to.
Aside from being a genius at practically everything, Furihata realized that Akashi is pretty normal with the same likes and dislikes as any other person. He learned that Akashi likes playing shogi and is quite good at it (which, if Furihata translates for someone like Akashi means that he’s most likely a prodigy). He also likes to ride horses and his family owns their very own stable back in Kyoto. He likes simple food but doesn’t like anything with seaweed on them.
“Oi, Furi, let’s go before Coach realizes we’re late,” Kawahara calls and he hikes his sports bag over his shoulder and follows them to the gym. He takes out his phone and sends a message.
(Wednesday 3:03PM) Furihata Kouki
“Practice is about to start! Good luck with yours!”
He stuffs his phone back in his pocket and walks faster to catch up to his teammates. It isn’t until he’s in the locker room when he sneaks a peek at his phone and finds a message.
(Wednesday 3:10PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“Thank you and same to you, Kouki.”
OoOoOoOoO
“Oi, Furi, hurry up!” Fukuda shouts as he and the rest of Seirin’s basketball team walked ahead while Furihata was distracted, looking at a display of dozens of cellphone straps in a stall.
“Wait, I’m coming!” he responds just as he’s about to leave but something catches his eye that makes him stop and grin.
(Thursday 4:24PM) Furihata Kouki
“I saw this little cellphone strap at a stall and it kinda reminded me of you”
Furihata snickers as he pays the lady and immediately puts it on his phone, letting it dangle and make tiny, tinkling sounds. Then he realizes exactly how girly his message sounded and promptly deleted the message that he bought it because it reminds him of Akashi just before he was going to hit send. He looks at the mini-lion staring back at him with intense eyes dangling on his phone and shakes his head at how ridiculous he is.
He runs to catch up to his team, ducking when Koganei means to swat him playfully at the back of his head. His phone beeps and he opens the message.
(Thursday 4:24PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“Shouldn’t you be studying for your math test?”
Furihata freezes in the middle of the sidewalk and does a quick sweep around him. Sometimes he just has to wonder if he’s being watched or something because he could have sworn he hadn’t mentioned that test he has tomorrow.
How did he know?
(Thursday 4:25PM) Furihata Kouki
“Um”
(Thursday 4:26PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“Kouki.”
He swallows. He can actually feel Akashi’s disappointment radiating off his cellphone and it’s just not natural. He begins to type back.
(Thursday 4:27PM) Furihata Kouki
“I know! Im just having some fun before I hit the books”
(Thursday 4:28PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“Kouki.”
Now it definitely sounds like he’s in trouble and as far as Kyoto is from Tokyo, he really doesn’t want to know how Akashi would deal with him if he’s pushed hard enough.
He isn’t suicidal.
(Thursday 4:29PM) Furihata Kouki
“Okay okay! Im about to go home!”
(Thursday 4:29PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“Good.”
That one word positively oozes smugness and he frowns, typing a reply.
(Thursday 4:30PM) Furihata Kouki
“Its not like youd know if I went home or not”
The reply comes faster than he expected and he shivers at the message but he can’t stop himself from grinning anyway.
(Thursday 4:33PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“Believe me, Kouki, when I say that I will know. Would you really like to try me?”
Nope. Nope, nope, nope. He’s not suicidal at all. He loves his life too much right now.
“Furihata, what the heck are you still doing over there?” Hyuuga shouts.
Kiyoshi grins. “If you don’t hurry we’ll leave you!”
“Furihata-kun is talking to someone,” Kuroko observes.
Koganei leers. “Ooh, is it a girl?”
“Just leave him alone,” Coach commands, “It’s good that he already moved on from Ishiyama Mayu. She doesn’t deserve him.”
“Can we just go? I’m hungry,” Kagami whines.
Furihata mumbles but even he doesn’t know what it was he says as he types a reply quickly before following along. He’s vaguely aware of Mitobe taking a hold of his shoulder, guiding him as they walk.
(Thursday 4:35PM) Furihata Kouki
“Um no thank you”
(Thursday 4:35PM) Furihata Kouki
“Its just that math is so hard you know? I dont get any of it”
(Thursday 4:37PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“Then, I will teach you.”
Furihata doesn’t know whether he should be happy or terrified but it’s a weird mix of the two and it’s making his stomach flip around like it’s doing some crazy routine. It’s not like they haven’t talked on the phone before (which is surprising in itself and he ignores every single time his heart seems to pick up rhythm). They have a handful of times, talking about everything and nothing like how their days went and things they find interesting. (And Furihata remembers his voice, how smooth and relaxing it is to listen to especially in the late hours of the night that it lulls him to sleep. He’d fallen asleep once or twice, too, which horrified him to no end.) But seeing each other face to face is something else entirely and Furihata doesn’t know if he could take it. Akashi’s presence is so overwhelming on and off the court that he doesn’t know if he’d be too terrified to face him again. After all, he barely lasted playing with him for more than a few minutes. How could he possibly last more than that?
Still, it’s just so tempting…
He takes a deep breath and swallows the lump in his throat as he braces himself, typing his reply and sending it out. He puts his phone back in his pocket and willfully ignores it, his heart pounding.
(Thursday 4:40PM) Furihata Kouki
“Ok”
“Furi, you’re blushing!”
OoOoOoOoO
Akashi doesn’t know what possessed him to suggest it at the time but he cannot go back on his word. He wants things to stay the way they are and he wants Furihata to treat him like he usually does but what if this changes everything between them?
Not being able to see each other face to face made things easier and more comfortable for them both. They can speak, joke and even argue with each other without any consequences and Akashi suddenly finds himself feeling uncertain (and he hates it) on how this will play out.
He is at his desk, his laptop already turned on, his text books stacked on his left and just waiting for Kouki to go online. Teaching via webcam is a new experience, even for him, and he would have preferred to teach face to face but he can hardly go to Tokyo with his own classes to study for so this will have to do for now.
All this effort he’s putting… it really mystifies him and he wants to laugh at himself. If anyone had told him a few months ago that he’d form a growing friendship with a boy below his standing, has no remarkable skill and is not even considered good-looking in the conventional way, he’d have laughed in their face.
But now… it’s different. (He doesn’t know when or how, it just is.)
(Thursday 8:15PM) Furihata Kouki
“Ok Im logged in”
Akashi sits on his desk and presses a random key on his laptop. It lights up while he arranges his books and on the open Skype application, Furihata’s username is already listed as online.
He initiates a call and soon enough, another screen pops up, a little blurred but Akashi can see smudges of color going into focus until he can clearly see the mess of brown hair on Kouki’s head, his wide, brown eyes and, for a moment, the stunned awe on his face before it melts into an endearing, tremulous smile on his lips as he blushes lightly.
Akashi doesn’t understand why (yet)… but he feels… relieved, anxious and excited at the same time. He feels that this might go better than he expected after all.
Furihata can see the bright splash of red on his screen (and he’s reminded again of his cellphone strap), the image getting clearer and clearer until he can see Akashi in front of him.
He can’t stop the smile from curving his lips as he sees bright red eyes on a pale, serene face, Akashi’s gaze heavy but not overwhelming or condescending and just very intense. He’s not smiling at the moment but there is a softness in his face that he hasn’t glimpsed before in the short time that he’d seen him.
He runs a nervous hand through his hair, trying to tame it just a little. He’s stunned and he wonders if he looked even half as good as Akashi does and not the slob he usually is. He tidied up his room and had taken his time in the bath and choosing his clothes so he’d give him a good impression a few hours before the time they agreed to meet but it doesn’t look enough.
Akashi looks as elegant as ever.
Some part of him thought that this could very well come out differently, that maybe the Akashi Seijuurou he’d been talking to for a while isn’t the Akashi Seijuurou he’d met before.
‘Akashi-kun is pretty handsome,’ he thinks before his brain stutters to a halt and he doesn’t quite take it back (because it’s true) but he does ask his brain what was wrong with it.
“Kouki, can you see me?” he says and it’s hard to reconcile the voice that he’d been listening to with the image on his computer.
He doesn’t reply until he hears his name a second time. “Um, y-yeah,” he squeaks before he clears his throat and looks back at him, “I mean, yes! I can see you!”
This time Akashi smiles (a small one, just a tilt at the corners of his lips – but a smile nonetheless) and he feels his heart stop for a second before starting up again, beating twice as hard and fast.
‘What the heck is wrong with me?’
“Shall we get started?”
Furihata isn’t confident with his voice so he nods vigorously instead and they spend the next three hours studying for Furihata’s test in the morning and he grows more confident, his stutter lost as he asks questions and is thoroughly absorbed by their lessons.
He can’t help but note how amazing Akashi is as a teacher. He’s learned a lot more in the last few hours than he did in the past few months. He thanks him and he is confident as they ended their lesson and said goodnight.
The test results were distributed by the end of classes the next day and Kawahara snatched Furihata’s before he can even take a peek at his score.
“Furi, you got a ninety-five!”
OoOoOoOoO
(Friday 5:17PM) Furihata Kouki
“I got a 95!!! :D Thank you Thank you Thank you!”
Akashi smiles at the message on his phone before sending a reply. He wasn’t worried. He knew for sure that Furihata was going to pass. It was just a matter of convincing him of the same thing.
(Friday 5:21PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“Didn’t I tell you so?”
OoOoOoOoO
(Wednesday 6:14PM) Furihata Kouki
“we have the school festival this week! Our class is doing a café!”
(Wednesday 6:17PM) Furihata Kouki
“wish you could come so I can show you around”
“It’s rare to see a smile on your face recently, Seijuurou. Who are you talking to?”
He promptly scowls as he looks across the table. His father is sitting with his chin propped on his hand and his elbow on whatever minimal space not covered with stacks of folders and documents littering the large, oak table in his office. There is a knowing look on his face and his smile is infuriatingly cheerful that it frustrates Akashi to no end.
Akashi thinks that going to his father’s office today is a mistake. What could be a productive day of learning about their business will now turn to something menial and entirely unproductive.
“It’s none of your business,” he says as he goes back to the document he is reading, ignoring the way his father’s smirk widens into a teasing smile. He looks at his phone and begins to type.
(Wednesday 6:31PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“I want to be there with you, too.”
“Well, why don’t you?”
Akashi stifles the urge to jump as he looks and sees his father reading his message over his shoulder, waggling his eyebrows at him playfully.
He stares blankly at the older man. “Please don’t do that again, Otou-san. It’s uncomfortable seeing that look on my face.”
“I should be the one telling you that when you frown,” his father scoffs as he walks back to his desk and pokes at a stack of paper leaning precariously on one side. “It’s my face first.”
Akashi sighs. He looks eerily too much like his father that they’ve been mistaken for siblings countless times; same red hair and red eyes, same pale skin and above average height. They’re both intelligent and cunning (Akashi knows better than to be fooled by his father’s supposed innocence) but their personalities are the exact opposite of each other’s.
“I don’t know how you became my father.”
“I thought they’d cover that in school,” says his father idly. “Well, let me tell you how it happened.” Akashi’s eyes widen in alarm. “When a man and a woman love each other very much or, in my and your mother’s case, very horny –”
“Stop that,” Akashi snaps at him, composure utterly broken as he glares at his snickering father. He absolutely hates it when he is reduced to a petulant child in front of his father. How his (juvenile, eccentric and irritating) father became head of an international conglomerate Akashi will never figure out.
His father pouts and Akashi cringes internally. “You’re no fun, Seijuurou. I miss the younger you. You used to worship me and follow me around with a basketball twice your size.”
“Can we not talk about this?”
“Sure,” his father chirps. “Let’s talk about the person you keep on thinking about. Is it a girl? Is it a boy?”
“Just a friend,” he says dismissively though he knows Furihata is growing more than that with each passing day and it’s hard to define what he means in his life (though he is a significant part of it).
His father stares at him for a long time that even he finds it slightly unnerving but he doesn’t look away. Then his father smiles like he knows something Akashi doesn’t and he wants to stomp his foot like when he was five but he doesn’t want to give him the satisfaction. His father is the first to look away and they return to their work but Akashi knows that this is not the end of this discussion.
“I still think you should go. These things happen only once a year, right? It’s not like you can’t afford being out of class for a day.”
“Unbelievable. You’re encouraging me to skip classes.”
OoOoOoOoO
Because of their win at the Winter Cup (among other accomplishments), many people has become interested in the school and came to visit during the school festival as it opened to guests and is now in full swing. It’s incredibly busy for the students and members of the basketball team are spread pretty far and thin with their classes. So far, Furihata spotted Hyuuga (in a pretty pink gown and a golden tiara) being led around by the Coach for their play (which is Sleeping Beauty and Hyuuga’s the princess). Mitobe is getting so many customers wanting to try his special yakisoba. Kuroko is using his misdirection pretty well for the Haunted House if the screams are anything to go by.
As for him, he’s giving out fliers for their café before he takes his shift serving customers. All in all, the day is going great but there’s just something missing.
He walks around a bit more and thinks he should stand by the entrance, give as many fliers as he could to the passing people but there is some kind of chaos going on at the gate by the time he gets there. He thinks it might have been Kise but then the blond usually skips past the gate and manages to sneak into the gym during their practices or to Kuroko’s classroom all on his own so it can’t be him.
There are a lot of girls there and they’re making a lot of noise. He sees Mayu-chan among them and that makes him back away just a step, turning on his heel before he spots a familiar flash of red hair and –
“Akashi-kun?”
He doesn’t think that his voice was loud when he said his name but Akashi turns just the same and seeing him in person is so different from seeing him in a computer screen. His presence is still overwhelming and intimidating but the way he smiles just the tiniest bit at him gets all the pressure out of Furihata’s hunched shoulders.
It feels like he’s the only one Akashi is looking at.
“Kouki,” he says with a slight nod as he walks closer till they are in front of each other.
Furihata’s not going to deny that Akashi looks so good wearing a long sleeved, dark gray turtleneck sweater and jeans (the most casual Furihata had ever seen him) – he’d already accepted that he liked who he liked and there was no point in fighting it.
“You weren’t answering your phone,” he says, raising his eyebrow.
Furihata grins apologetically, scratching his cheek. “Oh, um, I left it in the locker room. Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Akashi says. “Show me around?”
It’s said more of an order than a question but Furihata doesn’t mind as he agreed. “I thought you had school today.”
“I had permission to come here.”
Furihata smiles. “Oh. That’s good. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“I found that I don’t mind as much if I can spend a few hours with you.”
OoOoOoOoO
(Monday 6:21PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“Will you go out with me?”
(Monday 6:22PM) Furihata Kouki
“YES”
(Monday 6:22PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“Kouki, disregard the first message. My father sent that.”
(Monday 6:23PM) Furihata Kouki
“Oh um.. awkward.. um sorry”
(Monday 6:24PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“I did not mean to imply that I wouldn’t want to. In fact, I do.”
(Monday 6:24PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“I would just have preferred it if no one meddled.”
(Monday 6:25PM) Furihata Kouki
“Oh.. okay… are you sure?”
(Monday 6:27PM) Akashi Seijuurou
“My will is absolute.”
(Monday 6:28PM) Furihata Kouki
“I was hoping youd say that”
OoOoOoOoO
Sequel Preview:
Sometimes, people forget that Sei-chan is still a teenage boy. So does Sei-chan, come to think of it.
It’s only to be expected, Mibuchi thinks, after all, he comes from a well off family and he can’t even begin to imagine the kind of pressure Sei-chan has to live with every day. He might not look bothered by his family’s and his peers’ expectations but he must get tired of that weight on his shoulders.
Which is why Mibuchi does his part and he picks up Kou-chan from the train station in Sei-chan’s place (because weekend practices are a thing for Rakuzan) and leads him to his favorite shop so they can do something to relieve Sei-chan’s stress.
“Um, Mibuchi-san –“
“Ahem.”
“Um, I mean, Reo-nee… what are we doing at a kimono rental store?”