Chapter Text
Aiko Osami is the only child of Himiko Osami, a baker, and Kyoya Osami, a member of the Hell Guard.
She knew as a kid that she wanted to follow in her dads footsteps. It always looked so cool, Dads uniform and his sharp set of kunai. Mom had tried to convince her to help run the bakery instead, but she wanted to fight bad guys. Her dad made it sound so badass.
Now though, Aiko wishes she listened to her mom more.
Everything was intimidating. The school was huge! There were so many stairs just to get to it, she’s glad that she decided to live on campus full time. Aiko can’t imagine walking up those stairs every morning and also having to go through an entire day of classes.
But it wasn't just that. The people were intimidating too. The headmaster looked so serious. She tried to focus on the speech, she really did! It’s just that everything was so overwhelming. And there were so many older students looking at them from the second and third floors. They looked kinda mean.
Not that they were staring at her. If they were, Aiko thinks she’d cry. Actually, she'd most definitely cry. Thankfully, they weren't looking at her. They were looking at the most intimidating thing she’s seen today.
Zanka Nijiku.
Just my luck, Aiko despairs. I was already unlucky enough to get a Nijiku in my year, how come it’s the Nijiku.
Everyone in the Kamuatari District has heard of Zanka Nijiku. Hell, people outside the district probably knew about him.
Prodigy. Golden boy. The pride and joy of the Nijiku clan.
Better than his sister, stronger than his brother. Everyone knows if the youngest Nijiku gets the Golden Throne, Rekka Nijiku will name him her heir. That is, if she hasn’t already.
Aiko doesn't know a lot, but from the gossip, she knew that he didn’t just have the strength, but the skills and the brains too. And the beauty, she sighs, sneaking a glance at the boy in the row in front of her. Man, some people really have it all.
Aiko sighs again, sorry dad, but I don’t think I’ll be getting the Golden Throne.
Aiko wants to cry. Her entire body hurt.
The instructors were so strict, they wanted everything to be perfect. Even a toe out of line was punished.
“My arm was an inch too low and Masao-sensei made me rerun drills for an hour.” she sighs, chin propped up on the table. Around her, the cafeteria was busy. Students getting food, running to classes, doing some last minute cramming. There were even a few crying into their food and being consoled by their friends.
Mood.
Her friends make the appropriate sympathetic noises.
Himari shakes her head, “I forgot the second form of the kata set we’re learning this month and Rin-sensei scolded me so hard I cried in front of the entire class.”
Aiko looks closer and sees the corner of Himari’s eyes are still red. She pats her friend's shoulder. They’ve all been there.
“You think that’s bad? I missed a part while reassembling my rifle and Izo-sensei saw.” Watase mumbled into his rice.
The entire table winced at that. Everyone knew how much of a hard-ass Izo-sensei was about their firearms.
“I don’t think anyone’s escaped Izo-sensei’s criticism before.” Tsubasa shrugs. “It is what it is.”
They eat in silence for a while, too tired to keep up the chatter. Aiko takes a sip of her ramen broth and lets out a contented sigh. Hot soup was best on a cold day.
Watase takes a drink of his water. “That’s not exactly true though. There’s one person who’s never made Izo-sensei angry.”
Aiko pauses mid bite of her lunch. That’s right. Almost as one, the table turns their head.
In the far corner of the room, eating by himself, was Zanka Nijiku. Even during lunch, he’s writing in that notebook of his. He's taking the same classes as everyone else, but somehow he looks perfect. Not tired at all, not even a hair out of place. Untouchable.
“Seriously,” Tsubasa complains, “some people really have it all. He’s already a Nijiku, does he really have to be so talented too?”
Aiko shrugs, “I mean, he’s the Nijiku. It’s not surprising.” The table makes various sounds of agreement.
“Yeah,” Watase snickers, “he doesn’t count. I mean, everyone knows he’s a genius. And he’s physically gifted too. That basically makes him, like, perfect.”
“Plus, he’s really cute,” Himari giggles into her hand.
The guys start gagging and making fun of Himari for her crush. Aiko sneaks another glance at Zanka. He’s finished his lunch in record time and is already getting up to leave. She watches as the students walking by instinctively move out of his way. The way the tables he passes watch him as he goes. There’s still 20 minutes left of their lunch break.
Man, I wish I was him. Then this Academy thing would be so easy. Must be nice.
Zanka Nijiku is a loner. Aiko knows that. Everyone knows that. He has no friends or people he talks to. He gets a perfect grade in every class and spends the rest of his time in the library or on the training fields. Aiko doesn’t think she’s ever seen him when he wasn't training.
“I didn’t expect it,” Aiko says, laying on her bed. “I mean, he has the looks and the talent and the money. He’s nice too. You’d think he’d be friends with everyone.”
Rin, one of her roommates, shrugs. “Maybe, but he’s too intimidating.”
He is. It’s been almost a year since orientation, but her first impression of him stays the same.
Zanka is still the most intimidating thing she’s ever seen. He probably always will be.
It’s his attitude, she thinks. If he was a spoiled rich brat who was an annoying ass kisser, he would probably have more friends. At least having a bad personality would humanize him in some way. But Zanka isn't like that. Diligent and meticulous with his work, earnest to a fault. Humble too. He never lies, never shies away from the truth, never puts anyone down to lift himself up. Of course, he doesn’t need to, but the point still stands.
She’s never seen it, but if he ever makes a mistake, Zanka would probably own up to it.
Aiko sighs, as expected of a Nijiku.
Rin speaks up from her desk, “If you don’t stop thinking about Mr.Popular and get started on your essay, Mikoto-sensei is going to have your ass tomorrow."
Aiko flops over onto her stomach and groans into her pillow.
It isn’t until later that night, when it’s nearing early morning and she’s finally crawling into bed, that she finally puts her feelings into words.
What makes Zanka so unapproachable is that his demand for perfection was absolute. When someone has such an unyielding desire of perfection, even if it was just for themselves, it creates a barrier around them. An empty space.
Yes, that’s what Zanka had. A barrier.
Something that prevented anyone from getting too close, from getting too familiar.
In such a competitive environment, there is no one who isn't envious. Who isn't comparing themselves to the standard, to him, and finding themself lacking.
It's humiliating. To see proof of their incompetence every day.
Aiko snuggles deeper into her blanket, eyes slowly drifting shut.
For someone to willingly subject themselves to being friends with someone like that, they must be crazy.