Picture This | Balam Shichirou x Reader
Fandom: Mairimashita Iruma-kun
Pairing: Balam Shichirou x GN! Reader
Word Count: 2.1k
Genre/Tags: Fluff
Summary: You find out about the kind and gentle Balam Shichirou and meet him with a proposition of your own.
A/n: I have known this demon for 3 episodes and I'm in LOVE;; so I basically got possessed by the sudden urge to write something for him. he's the kindest, the sweetest, the BEST TEACHER EVER 😭 I love teachers like him so much, this was very self-indulgent and kinda just me admiring him hehe...
I hope you enjoy this short thing I wrote, even though there's a high chance that he might be slightly ooc since I haven't known him for longer than 3 episodes.
also available on ao3!
The chatter in the class was a low hum as everyone worked on their own worksheets that you had just printed out. The Apocalypse Test was close and as a new teacher at Babyls, you wanted your first results to reflect well. If the results were not good then that would mean you had to work harder as a teacher.
You were walking amongst the students, listening in on their discussions or aiding them in finding where the answer could be found in the textbook. It was an open book, open discussion worksheet solving session and you were pleased with how well the students seemed to be handling it without making too much noise. The abnormal class could be really serious about studying when they put their mind to it, huh?
The bobbing of a blue head caught your attention and you walked closer to Iruma's seat. As always, he was sitting between Alice and Clara but the three of them were referring to their own books. (Except for Clara; you were pretty sure the book in her hand had nothing to do with studying…) The book in Iruma's hand was one you had never seen before but it looked interesting.
"Iruma-kun?" You stopped in front of his desk and looked down at the book curiously. Said boy startled and looked up in panic until he realised it was just you. "Where did you get this book?"
"Oh!" He gave you a warm smile, the kind that always made you smile in return. "Balam-sensei gave it to me because I was… y'know… struggling to understand."
"Can I see it?" You asked, curiosity taking a hold of you. Iruma handed you the book and you leafed through it. Surprisingly, it was a picture book with really easy explanations. Whoever wrote it had your gratitude; these were the kind of books that made learning enjoyable and less daunting. You closed it and looked at the cover to check the author's name. "Huh? Balam Shichirou…? Balam-sensei wrote this book?"
"Yes!" Iruma beamed at you. "He made some of them especially for me."
"That's wonderful," you felt touched even though you had never met the man. When you had aspired to be a teacher, this was the kind of teacher you were aiming for. Somebody who helped even the students who were struggling to understand, from the basics so they could build a stronger structure of knowledge on it. "Is it easier for you to understand this way?"
"It is," Iruma admitted, shyly scratching the back of his neck. You smiled and lightly patted the top of his head, startling the boy a little.
"I'll keep that in mind for my next class," you said. "And while I'm grateful for Balam-sensei… Why didn't you tell me if you were struggling to understand my teaching, Iruma-kun? I would have adjusted for you."
You pouted at him so he knew you weren't seriously mad at him; just a little upset.
"No, no, no!" The boy panicked and shook his hands in a negating gesture. "That's not it, (y/n)-sensei!! I just didn't want to burden you because I was the only one struggling even with your easy explanations… I guess having it in written form like this just helps to remember what you've already taught."
"It's not a burden, Iruma-kun," you reminded him. "It's my job as a teacher to make sure you understand. If you don't understand something, that's my responsibility. If you're worried about being a bother to the rest of the class, you can always come to me after the classes are over to get a quick personalised lesson."
"Eh?" He looked surprised. "Wouldn't that take up your time, sensei?"
"If it helps my students then it's time well spent!"
•
After your classes for the day were done, you asked around the staffroom for where you could find Balam Shichirou. Kalego gave you the directions and you made your way to his office, curious about what kind of person he must be and how he would look. From whatever Iruma had told you, he already sounded like a kind person and a great teacher. You found the door and knocked on it before looking inside.
"Balam-sensei?" You asked. There was a demon with long white hair sitting on a table, writing something down, who startled at your voice. "Can I come in?"
"O- Oh, yes, please!" He seemed a little confused by your presence but you stepped in and closed the door behind yourself. There was an empty stool across the table so you sat down on it. "Um, (y/n)-sensei, would you like some Hell Grey Tea?"
"Oh!" You hadn't expected him to know your name. Suddenly, it felt embarrassing that you had never heard of him before this. "Yes, thank you for the offer, Balam-sensei."
He nodded and got up to make you some. He worked in silence so you took the time to look around his office. The shelves full of books were eye-catching and your hands were already itching to dig into them and read all the unfamiliar volumes. Your eyes drifted over to the book sitting in front of you that Balam was working on. Your eyes widened when you realised it was another picture book, this one on one of the battles that had occured some centuries ago. Your hands moved to check it before you could even think that it would be rude.
"Here you go– oh, you saw my book," Balam placed the tea just out of the way enough so that you wouldn't accidentally bump it. "Do you… like picture books, (y/n)-sensei?"
"Not particularly," you admitted as you skimmed through what was already drawn and written. "But I like to read so picture books are fun too! I suppose I never got much into them because my home was full of textual books and I liked those just fine so I never had any picture books as a kid. I may not know much about them, but this is really well-written, Balam-sensei! You draw so well too."
"Oh," the other demon pinked at your words as he took his seat. "Thank you. I'm glad you like it. I'm making this one for a student but you could borrow a different one if you're interested."
"Ah! That reminds me why I came here," you beamed at him, gently placing the book back where you had picked it up from. "I saw the picture book you gave Iruma-kun in my class today. Our subjects have a small section that overlaps so he was referring to the book you made for him and I couldn't help noticing it. It was truly so easy to understand and it gave me the idea that such a method would be helpful with other subjects too."
"Really?" He seemed surprised by your words but you could tell that he was also touched. "I would like to share them with all the students too, but for some reason, they keep running away when I try to show them my picture books."
"Ah," you leaned back when you realised that you had accidentally leaned over in your excitement. The other teachers in the staffroom had told you about Balam's reputation amongst the students. "I'm sure they would benefit from it. I could share your books with some of my students if that works for you, Balam-sensei. And, if you would be interested, I wanted to try making a picture book explaining my subject too. It's a huge task and I would compensate you accordingly for your time and efforts–"
"You…" If Balam had seemed shocked before, it was nothing compared to his face now. Although his mouth was covered by a metal mask, you could tell from how wide his eyes had gotten. "You want to… make a picture book… with me?"
"Only if you're interested!" You bit your bottom lip nervously. "I personally really liked your books and I thought it would be a great way to learn for the students who have a weaker or slower grasp of understanding. Since I'm not very familiar with the process, I thought it would be amazing if I could have the aid of your experience. I understand if it's a commitment that you don't have the time for, and there's no guarantee that it will work out but I would love to at least try it with you."
"I would love to," Balam uttered softly and even without seeing his mouth, you could tell that he was gently smiling at you with how his eyes curved just so. The sight made your heart unexpectedly quicken and you fidgeted in your seat, picking up the Hell Grey Tea you had forgotten about. "I didn't think any of the other teachers liked me much but I'm very happy that you thought of me when you wanted to try this out."
"I don't think they dislike you, Balam-sensei," you smiled from behind the cup of tea. "But I suppose people just get so caught up in appearances and assumptions. People who have much to hide seem dangerous at first glance and we don't take time to get to know them if we can help it. I admit I might have fallen prey to the same kind of thinking if I hadn't heard about you from Iruma-kun. I could tell you were a kind and wonderful teacher from the way he spoke about you."
Balam's eyes widened and for a second, you thought his eyes seemed glassy. You blinked and the light was gone but Balam's eyes were still the soft shape. Now that you took the time to study his face, you realised he was quite handsome. The thought made you accidentally slam your tea cup down on the table in panic and the ceramic broke, startling the both of you.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry!!" You were flustered but you hurriedly tried to collect the pieces together without hurting yourself. "I'm so clumsy…"
"It's okay," Balam reassured you, coming over to your side to help you pick up some of the pieces. "I'll take them to the trash. Are you hurt?"
"I don't– oh, just a little it seems," you had a very tiny cut from a sharper piece you had picked up. It didn't hurt. You waved it off as you carefully put the pieces you had collected in Balam's large gloved hands. "Nothing to worry about. It will be healed in a day or two. I really am sorry for troubling you, Balam-sensei!"
"I told you, it's fine."
He carefully threw away the trash then returned to you with an ointment from his desk drawer. You had stuck the finger into your mouth to suck at the blood and stop the flow but it felt embarrassing when you realised that Balam was watching you. You hurriedly removed the finger and tried to find a cloth to wipe it off but Balam crouched in front of you and asked for your hand silently. You ended up placing yours in his and watched him carefully pat it off before putting on the ointment.
"Thank you," you blushed fiercely when he was done and still hadn't let go of your hand. In fact, he was now standing up and holding both your arms in his own; the proximity was making your heart beat unnaturally fast. "Um, Balam-sensei..?"
"Yes?" He asked, blinking down at your comparatively smaller form in his arms.
"Y- You can let go of me now," you mumbled. Your words made him stutter and he let go in a panic.
"I- I'm so sorry, I just tend to do that without thinking!" He was blushing too, embarrassed. Balam didn't want to make you uncomfortable after you had been so nice to him. For once, he was actually getting along with someone new. For that matter, you were the one to approach him first! Not to mention, he had found you really beautiful when he had first seen you in the staffroom, laughing at Dali's joke. You hadn't seen him then, but that brief memory flashed in his mind when you softly giggled.
The sound of your laugh made his heart skip a beat. Balam stared at you as you flashed him a warm smile.
"If you wanted to hold me, you could have just asked, Balam-sensei!" You beamed and opened your arms for a hug. "I don't mind you touching me. I was just surprised."
Oh.
Balam's hands twitched for a second, the same nervousness he felt when Iruma tried to touch him popping up. But this time, it felt a bit different. The nervousness in his stomach felt like those fantastical creatures called butterflies that he had read about. His heart seemed to be thumping louder than usual too.
It was only when his larger frame swallowed yours into a gentle grip that he realised. He could feel the outline of your smile against his bicep.
Ah, this was what they called a crush, huh?
°•❀•°
All likes, comments and reblogs are appreciated! ♡
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HELLO!!! before i start i just gotta say i absolutely LOVE your writtings!!! they bought me smile into myface whenever i read them
okay back to the topic, i hope you see this and if you do can you make a reverse comfort? basically they had a nightmare at a sleepover and woke up in the middle of the night only to find you were awake for whatever reasons. They are absolutely flabbergasted, embarrassed about the fact that their s/o is seeing them crying over a dumb nightmare.
This promt with Teru, Kou, Akane, and Yashiro please! or if it was too much you can hust write Teru :)
have a nice day!!<3
JDHHDJQ IM HAPPY PPL LIKE MY WRITING SM I SWEAR I WILL IMPROVE MORE !!
" this is so embarrassing .. "
; yashiro :
being in contact with so many supernatural entities can lead to feeling a little paranoid. She asked you to have a sleepover mainly because of her nightmares , maybe if she slept with someone who brings her peace all the nightmares would stop , that's what she thought.
So there she is , sleeping on the futon next to your bed , though unfortunately the nightmares kept going ; she was moving and whimpering under the blankets , seeing all her loved ones under the grasp of the entities when suddendly she woke up sweating and trembling , she sitted trying to wipe her tears , when she turned her head to you and found you awake looking at her too
She was so embarassed she started smiling at you trying to pretend nothing happened " w- what are you doing awake at this hour [ name ] ..? " you looked at her with pity " i heard you moving around and i woke up " you said while getting closer to her " Nene did you have a nightmare ? " she was so embarassed about you seeing her cry , sure you've already seen her in despair but not her crying like that " me ? Crying ?? No way , why would you think that !! " obviously her attempt failed miserably " alright , i did have a nightmare ... but it was nothing , really ! "
You could see her being uncomfortable thinking about what she saw , so you didn't ask anything else ; you let her lay her head on your shoulder for comfort ; it ended up with both of you sleeping on eachother and Nene stopping having nightmares
; kou :
Kou invited you to have dinner at his house with his brother and sister , the weather got bad though so Teru suggested you to sleep with them , at first you suggested to sleep in the living room on the sofa but Kou asked you if you wanted to sleep in his room , and who are you to decline the invitation to sleep with your boyfriend. You are now sleeping on his bed and his sleeping on the floor ( he forced you to sleep on the bed )
Kou doesn't really happen to have bad dreams often , so it was really strange when he dreamed of you getting the same treatment that got Mitsuba from Tsukasa ; he was so scared of losing you too , the dream felt so real that he suddendly woke up with tears covering his eyes. He tried to search for you on the bed , just to find nobody on it ; he started freaking out when he saw you to the door walking in the room , but before you could do one step more he literally jumped on you , to your surprise ; he was touching your hair , arms , your back , he wanted to control if you were really you or if he was still dreaming " Kou ..? What happened to you ?? " you took his face in your hands just to find him quietly sobbing and with his eyes red from crying " what happened Kou , talk to me ! Did something happened while you were sleeping ? " he tried to recompose himself before talking " i - i had a bad dream .. you were there and .. and then he did something and s - sudde .. suddendly you were a supernatural .. i thought i would've lose you forever .. " you hugged him closely to you for about 5 minutes , before he calmed himself down.
you took his hand and guided him to the bed , you laid your head on his chest , his heartbeat was a lot calmer than before. You then woke up in the morning still in the same position you two were in
; teru :
You two dated long time ago , so you already knew his past , the fact that he's always been a good exorcist and he couldn't live his childhood like he wanted to. That's something it always upsetted him : being the strongest to protect the others while the live their happy lifes , not that he isn't happy tho ; he has 2 adorable siblings and a perfect s / o by his side
By now it was normal for you to sleep at the Minamotos house , its like a second family to you. It was night , everyone was sleeping , some dreaming something beautiful , others dreaming things not so amazing. It's rare for Teru to have any nightmares at all , or getting any sleep at night overall ; he has many duties to attend to and many thoughts in his head that sometimes even he can't control
Terrible scenarios were heading into his mind : people assaulted by supernaturals and he couldn't do anything about it , his siblings in danger , than you leaving him because he wasn't enough. Every little fear he has showing up in his dreams until he couldn't take it anymore. He woke sweating , he touched his cheeks that were stained with his tears , he felt so dumb for crying over a stupid nightmare
" Teru ? Is everything alright ?? " he looked up at you confused and shocked : he didn't noticed you weren't in bed with him and honestly he was embarassed you had to see him like that , he never showed his true colors to anyone and he didn't mean to show them to you like that " ah , nothing dear , i just noticed you weren't here and i woke up " of course he lied , he didn't want you to worry about him for such a meaningless dream " mhm .. then why are your eyes red ? Did you cry Teru ? You know you can tell me everything right .. " he patted the empty spot on the bed , you laid down and he guided your head to his chest , his arms on your back
" [ name ] .. i love you , you know that ? " you looked up at him surprised , it wasn't flirty or anything like that , it was sincere and pure " of course i do , and i love you too Teru " he smiled while you laid down to sleep. Maybe , just maybe , someday he'll show you his true self and his fears
; akane :
he really really loves when you ask to do a sleepover to his house , he couldn't be more happier to spend the entire day with you ; and he also loves when the night arrives and its time to go to bed , so that he can cuddle you to sleep all he wants
though tonight plans didn't go as planned , he didn't know why but this nightmares continued to torment him over and over again ; everytime he thought it was over it would start again : it was you and him being together as always , when suddendly something bad was about to happen to you but he couldn't stop the time ; he had to watch without the force to do anything , he felt useless , comparing to everyone , Teru or even the Honourable Number 7 , they are definitely better than him to fight
he woke up screaming to the time to stop , he felt that you weren't in bed with him and freaked out so bad. He calmed himself hearing your steps coming to the bedroom " is everything okay Akane !? " he started tearing up again and hugged you tightly " Akane ?? " " i really thought it was all real .. i couldn't stop the time and y - you ... you ... " you embraced him and stopped him before he could say anything else " shh ... it's okay my love , it was just a bad dream , im still here with you , and i'll always be " hearing you saying that calmed him down a lot " im sorry you had to see me like this , it was just a dumb nightmare and i couldn't help myself , its so embarrassing .. " he was so flustered it was so cute.
You two returned to bed , and if you thought he would've let you go in his sleep , you can be sure he wont now
i honestly got carried away with Teru and Akane but i love them so much , anyways this was really fun to write !!
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"Do you think she'll like it?" a particular ginger asked his companion, his eyebrows knitted together to show his anxiety and doubt.
His close friend glanced over at the item he was implying, the top of the lunch box was removed to display the variety of food inside. Raibaru took a second to peer at Osano's conflicted expression before her honey-gold eyes landed back at the box. It was [f/c] in color with a [fav/flower] on the lid, one section of the lunch was filled with white rice, a single dried plum perched in the middle of it. The other half section was filled with two slices of fried salmon, five cherry tomatoes, some chicken karaage, and lastly, tamagoyaki. Beside the opened lunch box was another bento, this one a deep red. The female could only assume this was Osano's lunch.
Returning to his earlier question, the blonde flashed him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry too much, Osano-kun. I'm sure [Surname]-senpai will like it. She liked yesterday's lunch, right?"
"That's only because she didn't prepare lunch yesterday," Osano rebutted with a sigh. His gaze never left the lunch boxes on his desk. "And besides, I did tell her that it was made by my mom."
Raibaru frowned at his negativism. "Don't say that; I'm sure she truly enjoyed your cooking."
Osano remained silent as he contemplated her words. She did indeed enjoy the food, but that still didn't settle much for the male. With a sigh, the second-year high schooler proceeded to wrap [Name]'s lunch box in a [f/c] cloth before putting away the two items on his desk. The martial artist refrained from speaking after her last comment and instead returned to her seat, a slight frown etched on her face as she did so.
There is only a small gap of free time before classes start. After the pair finished their stroll around the campus and checked out each club, they returned to their designated classroom for the time being. It was only them and a few bunches that were idly waiting for the school bell to chime. Drowning out the noise coming from his classmates, the ginger turned his attention toward the scenery outside his window with his cheeks pressed flat against his palm.
〝Will she like it? What would she say if she knew I made this and not Mom? Would... she still think of it as the same?〞
"Hey, mom. Can I ask you a favor?" Osano asked as he entered the kitchen where he saw his mother still preparing dinner. He dropped a plastic bag containing the items his mother asked him to buy outside on the kitchen counter.
"What is it, dear? And thanks for bringing me these," the woman replied, sending her son a small smile before resuming her work.
The ginger merely shrugged. Leaning on the counter aisle, he continued. "I want to cook lunch for school starting tomorrow."
Hearing his request, the adult abruptly paused and turned around to face her son. Her expression contained bewilderment at his words. The woman was always the one to cook and prepare meals for her son ever since middle school, also, she would mother the girl next door and bring her lunch as well. She knew that Osano had taken a strong liking to cook, but never once did the thought cross her mind that he would cook for himself as well.
Osano's opal orbs stared at his mother's, his determination and seriousness for this matter evident in those pools of his. He waited patiently at the adult's response, his heart racing in his chest as silence befell upon them. In a moment, the woman exhaled and simpered at the teenager, her expression soft.
"Let me guess: you want to prepare lunch for [Nickname] from now on, do you?" she prodded, returning her attention to her unfinished task.
The male flared up at the mention of the girl. His cheeks blazed with crimson as beads of sweat started to cascade down from his forehead. His heart skipped a beat and his body warmed up. He tried so badly to hide the reasoning behind his sudden request, yet in the end, it was futile. The baffled look his mother showed earlier was expected, but when she didn't question why, he thought he could get off the hook this time. Oh, how naive that boy can be.
"I'll be taking that as a yes then," Mrs. Najimi tittered at the boy's silence. Even though she couldn't see his reaction, she knew that he was flustered at the moment.
"Wha?! No!" Osano roared defensively, his eyebrows knitted together in agitation. However, it seemed that his denial fell on deaf ears.
"Whatever you say, Osano. It still doesn't change the fact that you'll be doing it for [Nickname]. Good luck then!" She winked at the furious boy, making his blush grow even deeper.
The male left the kitchen in deep thought. Burrowing his hands inside his pockets, Osano made his way upstairs to his room. The prior excursion to return home was draining his body of the remaining energy he had left, and just the thought of arguing with his mom would surely tire his mind even more. He knew that it was a likely possibility that his mother would eventually learn about his intentions, after all, she is his mother. But no matter how many times the ginger hides his true intentions and even argues with the adult because of it, he knows that she'll always support him.
That's one of the pushes he needs to pursue her. He uttered something under his breath... repeating the words that person told him a long time before.
Students filed out of their respective rooms and into the crowded hallway. Their countless chatters mixed with the echoing bell chimes were the only sound that filled the school building. An exasperated sigh left a certain [h/c]ette's lips as she fixed her textbooks and neatly put them away under her desk. She waited for her classmates to exit the room for a few more minutes, watching as they disappeared into the sea of people. As the number of students diminished, [Name] got up from her seat and trotted towards the back door.
Lips pursed into a thin line, the third-year female took large steps down the halls toward the nearest staircase. Just yesterday night, her childhood friend had texted her not to prepare lunch from now on. Of course, the upperclassman was puzzled by his sudden demand and questioned his reasons. But when she tried to press the boy about it, his only reply was 'Because mom said so'.
〝Osano's been a bit assertive recently. Did something happen during the vacation that made him like this?〞
The female frowned at the thought, her eyebrows crinkling as her [e/c] pools lingered with unsettlement. As she reached the staircase, she saw a familiar mop of ginger hair followed by a blonde walking up towards her. She abruptly halted in her tracks and waited for the pair to arrive at the third story of the building. Her gaze immediately fell on the two bento boxes in Osano's left hand, the other shoved inside his pants pocket.
"Hey, Osano, Fumetsu-san," [Name] greeted, a friendly smile on her face as she gave a small wave.
"Good afternoon, [Surname]-senpai," the blonde greeted back, bowing a bit.
The orange-haired male glanced down at the shorter stature of his upperclassman, an intense look on his handsome face. He bit his lower lips anxiously, his heart racing inside his chest and his face started to heat up. It also didn't help that he was wearing his favorite scarf around his neck. Osano never knew that such a simple act would be so difficult to execute.
〝Dammit! Why is it difficult to just ask senpai to have lunch together?!〞
"Osano?" A gentle voice broke the male out of his stupor.
The mentioned boy blinked twice and instantly, his coral-colored eyes landed on his best friend's confused expression. He tugged his scarf upwards to hide his incoming blush and thrust the [fav/color] bento box toward her, averting his gaze as he did so. "H-here's your lunch!"
"Ah..." The female sweat-dropped at his unexpected move and blankly stared at the item before her. In a second, a small smile was etched on her face as she gladly took the lunch from the ginger. "Thanks, Osano."
Beneath the scarf was a satisfied smile that the second-year had on his lips. "Let's go to the rooftop again. It's quiet there."
Hearing his words, however, made the smile on her lips contort into a slight frown. Her brows were knitted together with regret. "Sorry, I can't have lunch with you, Osano. I need to finish something in my club as soon as lunch starts so I'll be eating with my members. Thanks again for lunch. I guess I'll be seeing you later. Bye!"
After she said that, she took a small dip of her head and took off running right past the two down the staircase. Osano could only let his gaze follow her figure as she scurried away from them, his coral pools containing slight hurt at her earlier gesture. Even the blonde beside him, who was quiet during the whole exchange, was puzzled at the occurrence. They both stood at their position by the stairs, the ginger seemingly lost in thought while Raibaru had a concerned expression while observing her classmate.
"Osano-kun?" she called, placing a hand on his arm to gain his attention. "Don't worry too much about it. [Surname]-senpai must be busy. Let's go have lunch in the garden."
"Yeah..." was Osano's forced reply.
Reluctantly, he followed right behind Raibaru as they descended the stairs to have lunch together in the garden. Heavy atmosphere clouds over the pair as they ambled through the corridors to reach their desired destination, no words were exchanged as if to welcome the unpleasant silence.
But no matter how much the blonde martial artist wanted to break the depressing air around her and ease the sullen male, she had no courage to do so. All she could do was glance back at her classmate with worry flittering in her golden hues, a visible frown decorating her pink lips.
〝Why does my heart twinge in pain after she said that? It's quite... upsetting...〞
Heaving a small puff of air, Osano lifted his scarf to further cover his face from unwanted gazes. He pocketed his hand after, a pair of orange orbs lifelessly staring at the tiled floorboards of the school building. He trailed after Raibaru, albeit lagging and lifeless with each step he took.
〝Maybe I can't comfort him as much as I wanted to. After all, I was never like her.〞
Raibaru side-glanced at her companion, an indescribable expression written all over his face. It's been like this for the last minute or so, the boy staring mindlessly at his barely touched lunch. She had rarely seen Osano upset before, and it was quite disheartening to witness him like this; the Osano she was used to was rather effusive at times like these.
Cliche as it may be, nevertheless, it doesn't break the fact that the blonde martial artist had a crush on the ginger male. Yet despite those feelings she held for him, she restrained all of those in the pits of her heart, fully aware that the friend she had was deeply attached to a certain person — [Surname] [Name]. Raibaru was not stupid to not notice Osano's behavior around the upperclassman and by just that, she already knew about the male's feelings for her, although he wasn't fully aware of his tendencies. That's why she tried to lock her emotions away and help him in whatever way she could.
〝It will be almost a year since that day... I just wonder how will things turn out in the future.〞
Staring skyward at the fluffy clouds hovering through the cerulean sky, she allowed herself to delve into the memory lane of their predestined encounter at the hedge maze.
A certain blonde first-year roamed the grounds of the famous Akademi High. Ever since the student was still young, she admired the school for its grandiose reputation decades back. However, news spread that something horrible had happened a few years before that initiated the decline of its name. Even with this major setback, it didn't stop Raibaru from admiring the school — no, it only fueled her desire to attend even more. With her family consisting of martial artists for generations, the girl believed that she could bring change to the school and its students.
It's already been a week since the young female had started, and despite the much fewer students and almost dull school life, it didn't stop her from marveling at the building and its surrounding facilities. Cherry blossom petals floated around her as she made her way to the outskirts of the main building. With each brisk step, her honey-colored eyes stared at the beautiful trees lining up the pathway.
In a while, she had arrived at the hedge maze on the east side of the premises. Staring at the entrance of the imposing foliage, Raibaru decided to venture inside. The first year mindlessly journeyed through the maze, often encountering dead ends that forced her to turn back and try a different route. Her mind was filled with countless subjects, some of her worries and concerns as she entered high school.
It wasn't that long before her ears picked up several voices a few meters from her, breaking her out of her thoughts.
"S-senpai, please stop doing that. I-it's improper."
"Hm~? What's improper? You don't get to say what's improper or not. I'm your upperclassman, after all. You're supposed to stay quiet and listen to me like the obedient dog you are. Isn't that right, girls?"
Laughter and giggles echoed after the arrogant female voice. Curious and slightly alarmed by potential bullying, Raibaru walked further into the maze. Upon spotting a corner, she tiptoed to reduce noise and peered around the corner, only to have her eyes narrowed at the sight.
Five females surrounded a student, presumably male because of the voice she heard earlier. The known attributes that these girls shared are their blonde hair with dyed streaks, tan complexion, and shorter skirts. Raibaru crinkled her eyebrows in disgust. The male student was backed against the tall hedge, the one that she presumed to be the group's leader had her hand on the boy's torso, her body too close for his liking.
"Hey, how about we ditch school and have fun instead~? I reeeaaally love to play with your body~" she cooed, caressing his torso with her hand while the other slowly made its way up to his thighs. Her face was filled with lust as she stared at his orange pools with her half-lidded eyes.
The male flushed in embarrassment at being harassed in front of other people, while the said group was snickering amongst themselves, their phones out to capture the scene. Sweat covered his entire face, and quivering lips were pursed into a thin line. He watched as the face of his assailant came near inch by inch, and by instinct, he shut his eyes close.
But before anything could happen to him, the hands that touched his body were forcibly removed. Several gasps entered his hearing along with a soft thud. Warily opening his eyelids, his gaze immediately landed on an unforeseen confrontation — a shorter blonde girl was gripping the upperclassman's wrist. The four other girls backed away from the two, one of them dropped her phone on the ground while the remaining three were visibly shocked with their hands on their mouths. His tangerine orbs caught a glimpse of his savior's fierce glare which was directed at the other blonde. Unconsciously, he let out a relieved sigh, his tensed body relaxing.
"W-wha? What the hell are you doing?! Let me go, bitch!" The blonde upperclassman screamed, struggling against the shorter female to escape from her grasp, only to prove futile when she felt immense pain in her wrist. She flinched, and a bead of sweat rolled down from her forehead. "B-bitch!"
"Senpai," the word that slipped out of her lips was coated with venom. The addressed female felt a shiver run down her spine from Raibaru's tone of voice, a frightened expression present on her face. "Care to explain why are you harassing another student? A male at that?"
Blue eyes clashed with honey-gold ones. The leader, despite the situation she was in, refused to back down. She gnashed her teeth in annoyance, eyebrows creasing in rage. "Bitch! Who are you to question me?! Don't you know who I am?! I am the daughter of Rokuda Loans, Rokuda Mutsumi! If my father heard of this, I will assure you, you and your whole family will burn in hell!"
"Oh?" Raibaru raised a brow, her eyes narrowing and voice dripping with indifference. "How will you, a lowly, filthy princess of a loan shark, make my family, Fumetsu, burn in hell? Don't you know that even your father can't bear to insult our family? What backings do you and your father have other than money?"
Mutsumi widened her eyes at her claim, her lips started to quiver from the deadly aura surrounding Raibaru. Sweat started to gather on her forehead, her heart thumping hard against her chest in utter fear. The staredown lasted for another minute before the blonde bully clicked her tongue and pulled her hand back, which the shorter girl voluntarily released.
Dusting her clothes, she gathered her group and they left, but not before glaring at the pair. Once Raibaru ensured that the coast was clear, she faced the male. It was by this time that she was able to observe his appearance — short ginger hair, coral-colored eyes, and pale skin. His black uniform jacket was left unbuttoned and underneath was a salmon-pink polka-dotted shirt.
"Hey, I hope you're alright. Don't worry, they won't bother you anymore," she smiled gently at him. "I'm Fumetsu Raibaru, by the way. You?"
"I'm Najimi Osano. It's nice to meet you, Fumetsu-san," Osano introduced himself with a bow. "Also, thank you for saving me earlier."
"It's no problem. I can't let this kind of behavior go unnoticed, after all. It's against my values to just let someone bully others," she stated. "What year are you, Najimi-kun?"
"Oh, I'm a first-year."
"Really?" Raibaru's honey-gold eyes widened at his words, her hues glistening in delight. "What fortune; I'm in the same year! Then I believe you're in class 1, right? Because I'm in class 2."
Osano gingerly nodded at her question, a small smile etched on his face. The pair engaged in a conversation while getting out of the maze. The blonde martial artist never thought that she would end up saving one of her batchmates, nor did they end up being close. Nevertheless, she was extremely happy to have met Najimi Osano — the one that she can relate to and soon bears strong admiration for.
"Hey, Raibaru?"
The mentioned female snapped out of her daydream at his call, her attention aimed at her companion. "What is it, Osano-kun? Are you finished with your lunch?"
"Yeah... somewhat," he replied while putting the lid on his lunch before he wrapped it. "I just wanted to take a walk in the meantime — to clear my head a bit."
"Do you want me to accompany you?" she immediately asked, watching as the male stood up.
Osano shook his head. "No. I wanted to tell you that there's no need for that. I... wanted to be alone for a while."
"But... What if Rokuda and her gang decide to bother you again? I can't just let them bully you," Raibaru reasoned, a frown evident on her face.
"It's fine, Raibaru. I'll be fine," he reassured, flashing the blonde a smile. "Well, I'll go ahead first."
Raibaru watched as her orange-haired classmate left the outdoor eating area, leaving her alone in the empty place. In a few minutes, the figure of the male disappeared around the corner and out of sight. Releasing a heavy sigh, her honey-colored pools soon landed on the tangerine lunch box sitting quietly on the table. She pursed her lips, fixed her half-eaten lunch, and took the other lunch box with her as she also left.
〝I might as well return to the classroom and wait for him there.〞
Osano idly stood at the maze entrance, both of his hands tucked in his pockets as he stared straight at the tall foliage. His lips pursed into a thin line and his brows crinkled together as if he was contemplating something. He lingered there for a while longer, his body stilled like an unmovable statue... that is until a figure wanders right into him.
"Huh? I didn't expect someone to be here."
Startled by the voice, Osano whisked his head toward the source of the sound. There, a few meters away from him was a boy around his age; he had short, black hair and piercing dark eyes. Something about those pools of his gave the ginger an unpleasant feeling — those abyssal cold eyes. His expression was one of surprise, albeit fabricated. The male never felt this so uneasy around someone other than Rokuda Mutsumi and her band of gossiping leeches.
Osano's gaze hardened as he stared at the newcomer, his eyes narrowing. He remained silent as he watched the male take a few steps toward him. Stopping just a foot away from the ginger, the ravenette sported a friendly smile as he addressed the other student.
"Are you, by chance, Najimi-kun?" he airily asked.
"Who are you?" the ginger interjected, his tone as harsh as ever.
"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to appear rude," the male immediately apologized, bowing. "I'm Aishi Ayato. I believe we're classmates. I'm pretty sure you sit in the same row as me."
As he mentioned this, Osano recalled the person who sat in the middle column at the back of the class, just right next to Raibaru. He remembered that someone was seated at that desk, but he didn't remember their name or face — their presence was unknown to the residents of the class.
"Now that you mention it, I do recall that a quiet person is sitting next to my friend," he stated as he eyed the ravenette up and down.
"Yep! That's me!" Ayato chirped, grinning from ear to ear with his eyes closed.
"I'm sorry that I was a bit rude earlier," Osano apologized, bowing sincerely.
"No, no. Not at all! I did approach you first and immediately asked your identity," the other reasoned, waving his hands in front dismissively.
After he said that, the orange-haired male dipped his head. "Let me introduce myself properly then. Nice to meet you, I'm Najimi Osano."
"The pleasure's all mine," Ayato said. "By the way, what are you doing here? It looks like you were staring into the distance."
"Nothing. I just... needed to do something here," Osano replied, averting his gaze away from his classmate and focusing back on the maze entrance.
"Is there something wrong?" the ravenette followed his gaze as he asked.
"Well, you see, yesterday morning, I and my friend decided to take a walk before the ceremony started. We went here immediately and just explored the maze. Unfortunately, I lost my phone charm here and didn't notice that it was gone until I returned home. I was hesitating whether or not to enter."
"Why are you hesitating? You just need to retrieve it right? Although I must say, it's quite tedious to search every corner of the maze. It might take an hour or so just looking for a small item. Also, it is a maze, so getting lost inside will be inevitable. No wonder you were hesitating."
"Yeah... that's about it."
"Want me to look for it for you then?" the male declared, his tone abnormally serious. The light in his eyes disappeared in a flash while staring at the ginger's back.
"Huh? Are you sure?" Osano looked baffled at the other one's suggestion, orange pools widening an inch at his words. He glanced back at the peculiar male to see his reaction. "Lunchtime's ending soon. It's fine; I'll just look for it later or tomorrow morning."
As soon as the male's attention was on him, a bright smile was plastered on his previously blank slate of a face. "Don't worry about it!"
"But..." Eyebrows creased together in thought, and the scarf-wearing male sweat-dropped.
Ayato strode towards his classmate and halted in front of the ginger, obviously invading the other male's personal space. The two made eye contact, but as soon as they did, Osano felt a sudden chill down his spine at the ravenette's imposing aura. He tried to take a step backward but wasn't able to move his foot. With a racing heart, the male swallowed a lump in his throat.
"Please, I insist," Ayato pressed, his smile widening further.
"O-okay, then..."
And just like that, Ayato entered the hedge maze without any words escaping his mouth. Osano could only let out the breath he'd been unconsciously holding in, sighing in relief as his body relaxed. Wiping away the sweat from his face, the male then pondered about what the hell just happened to him. He just wanted to take a nice walk without anyone disturbing him to clear his thoughts but instead, he encountered a rather peculiar guy who happened to be his classmate.
〝He's creepy... I think it's better if I stay away from him from now on. But...〞
"Is this the charm you're looking for?" Ayato asked upon returning from the innards of the maze, a familiar phone charm hanging in between his fingers.
"Huh? You've...found it?" upon hearing his voice, Osano glanced up to see Ayato beside him. Disbelief was seen on his face.
〝It's only been 10 minutes and he already found it?〞
Pushing his body away from the hedge wall he was leaning against, Osano took the item from Ayato's hand and examined it. Indeed, it was his lost charm from yesterday. A relieved sigh escaped his mouth at the sight of his treasured item. He immediately fished out his phone from his pocket and strapped the cat charm on it, ensuring that it wouldn't fall off again.
"Yep! It was lying on the ground in the middle of the maze. Honestly, it was straining my eyes while I was searching for it," the ravenette commented, massaging his nape.
Osano bowed in gratitude, the earlier impression he had on Ayato beginning to fade away. "Thanks a lot, Aishi-kun. And sorry for making you do this."
"No, it's fine. I did insist, after all," the boy, once again, dismissed.
"Yeah," was all Osano could say in reply, his voice soft.
Ayato's sharp gaze caught the ginger's expression — it was full of adoration for the recently found item as if it held sentimental value. The ravenette couldn't comprehend why would he act this way, unless... The thought whizzed past his mind for a second before it disappeared, however, that left an awful taste for the male. Osano's slim fingers gently grazed the outline of his belongings, his thumb brushing past a bump on the surface, unknown of what it was.
"In exchange..." Ayato spoke up, breaking the peaceful silence. He successfully gained the ginger's attention and continued. "May I become your friend?"
"Huh?" Osano blinked in confusion.
"Well, you see, I had no friends when I started high school here. I was lonely during my first year since I had no one to talk to. And then my second year came and saw you and the blonde girl and I was thinking, 'They seemed friendly and they're my seatmates. Why not try to talk to them?'. I was fortunate enough to even meet you here, Najimi-kun. I hope you consider being my friend," he explained, a slight frown resting on his lips.
"Well..."
Noticing the hesitation and skepticism in the male's voice, the black-tressed student sighed out loud, a sullen expression present on his face. "Though it's fine if you decline. I just thought you needed a best buddy. You seem to only have a female friend and no male friends. It'll be quite the bummer if you don't have any friends of your gender."
Tugging on his polka-dotted scarf, the boy considered the request. It's true that Ayato was acting creepy and weird and that he was freaked out by him at first impression, but...maybe that's just how he was. Maybe he just wanted to have friends to get along with despite his nature. Somehow, Osano felt guilty for rejecting him especially when he offered to help him retrieve his lost phone charm. As he observed the male, he could subconsciously see part of himself in the ravenette — a pitiful, lonely child.
It took the male a minute to finally give in to Ayato's persuasion, albeit reluctant. "Well, I guess it won't be that bad."
"Is that a yes then?" Ayato questioned expectantly.
"Yeah."
"Thanks a lot for accepting me as your friend, Najimi-kun! I hope we get along more from now on!" elated by his answer, Ayato bowed a full 90 degrees.
"Yeah, you too, Aishi-kun," as if influenced by the other student's happiness, Osano mustered up a small smile.
〝Maybe I misjudged him... maybe it's not that bad to actually have Aishi-kun as my only male friend.〞
Unbeknownst to the ginger, Ayato sported a sinister smile hidden away from the male's gaze. Both corners of his lips were stretched further across his face, accentuating his wicked smirk and twisted personality. A tinge of scarlet adorned his otherwise abyssal hues, the brightness glowing underneath the shadows.
〝Ah~ Najimi-kun, Najimi-kun~ The fun has yet to get started~ I hope you prepare yourself soon~〞
𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞
𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫
𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫
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