Chapter Text
It had been a hard day for Daki, who sighed and stretched, "Yeah... sure." Right now, she had just talked to her brother.
Daki, also known as "ume," joyfully entered her dorm's kitchen to see a delicious snack waiting for her in the fridge.
The chilly air gently brushed across her as she opened the refrigerator, introducing her to a whole new flavor world.
Snatching a granola bar, Daki's gaze stumbled on the black-haired girl who was sitting motionlessly like a shadow. For a time, Daki watched Uta as she sat in front of a fried rice onigiri.
Mitsuri stepped out of the shower looking fresh while a towel hung in her shoulders
Little beads of water fell to the ground as Mitsuri rubbed her towel against her scalp to dry her hair, as she said to Daki, "She's been doing this consistently since we left the restaurant."
"Is it about the man"
Mitsuri nodded. On their way home, uta had already told mitsuri about what happened in the park, while shinobu being there, she laughed while mitsuri tried to cover her's to not cause anymore embarrassment to her best friend.
Daki grunted in disappointment and ate all of her granola in one mouthful before crossing her arms and throwing the wrapper in the trash.
Uta was brought back to her senses when daki snapped her fingers across her face.
"Watcha think'n about?" Daki asked, hunching her waist in a menacing manner while Uta only blinked.
"If your not gonna eat it, I will"
After ume said this, She took the onigiri with care and began to unwrap it.
She laughed, sounding bashful, "I'm overreacting, aren't I?
As she chuckled, Mitsuri's hair dryer could be heard in the distance, "The guy offered you an onigiri, so what?"
"Yes, but kocho-san was told to give it to me, so why didn't he mention it was from him?"
"The real question is why he didn't just give it to you forward" she added.
when uta bit into the onigiri, her body relaxed in response to the rice's flavor; she would be lying if she said she didn't like it.
uta says with a childlike grin, "mhh....yum." even though daki's brow twitched, she wasn't irritated and instead was amazed at how quickly uta's mood shifted.
Uta continued to eat while thinking deeply. Being a talkative person, she watched her mouth and kept her words to a limit since she knew that if she didn't, people wouldn't like her.
However, she was taken aback by the fact that the man offered her food without even exchanging a single word to each other. Perhaps Yoriichi was just shy? A man who seems like he can annihilate a soul with a single glance cannot possibly be shy.
But Uta didn't believe it; perhaps the man was merely trying to make a good impression and avoid coming off as threatening? Uta maintained her optimism and didn't set the conclusion that he was a horrible guy.
"He probably just didn't want to come off threatening to me, I think he's a nice guy!" Uta cheered like a child, Daki grinned and sighed, she flicked her finger at uta's head to put her senses back to her brain.
"You pea-brain, the last time you said that about a guy, your relationship didn't even last for a month" she snickered, but uta only smiled.
"I wouldn't want people to get hurt if they knew their friend had a bad view about them, besides, the last guy wasn't that bad anyways, I've met worse people"
Ume sighed bet let her be, "if she's got a problem, she can deal it on her own,"
Is what ume always says
"Well, I'm going to bed, I have to wake up in 4, see ya" a big yawn was released before the pearl colored girl went to the room where both mitsuri's bed and her's was theres.
Uta only nodded and took the quietness of the room for her own mind to wander.
Uta finished the onigiri and was now staring in to pure darkness.
Her vision kept looking at lumps of shadows in corners,.not helping herself to stand up and finally finish the day. Yet she stayed. Her teeth nibbled at the tiny rice that was left to stick in her gums.
A cold breeze hit her legs and she shuddered, her eyes landed on the open window Daki must've left. She stood up, thanking herself for already wearing slippers with the cold wooden floors.
She leaned in the window and didn't bother to close it, she ignored the wind as it stopped. She looked down below the window. Streetlights glowed where shadows disappeared, the wind was strong enough to make the thin trees wobble yet the branches never falter.
She gazed widely outside the warm home and peeked her head closer outside to see.
She didn't see a few people down, of course, it's close to being midnight now and she's wide awake.
She closed the window, blocking and creating a wall between her and the outside world.
She lazily bought her body to bed, her phone connected to a charger beside an empty space above her bed and didn't hesitate to use it.
She wanted to tire herself till her eyes couldn't take it anymore and pass out. She scrolled through social media, reading story's, and just looking at other people's lives through pictures.
Her mind kept echoing for her to sleep until she gave up and did so.
She hoped, she just hoped, that tomorrow or the day after that, would be okay, even if it's boring, it would all be okay for her.
It would be okay.
____________
It's funny how Yoriichi-the student who graduated at the top of his class and remained there-won nearly all of the school's awards and received accolades from the school's professors.
Yoriichi, the person people frequently compare him to his mother, because of how similar they are, was the same person who was late for his second lesson of the day.
This was three days after the meal he shared with tengen's friends
He slumped his body and he felt his own brain slip of from his consciousness, it wasn't fun for him to feel like this, nobody would think it would.
But he remained his posture but couldn't help but place his chin on his palm, it'll be just an hour, he thought, trying his hardest not to drift off and fall asleep.
He had plenty of instances where he arrived at class after the bell had gone off, but he was even more embarrassed by the fact that he kept up this habit throughout college.
Internally groaning, he pulled his hood over his head because the brightness pained his eyes and he didn't want to see anything too bright around him just now. However, he was unaware that a ball of sunshine was already sitting close by, just right next to him.
"Yoriichi?" A chirpy voice entered his ears and he turned abruptly to the woman.
"..uta" he whispered tiredly, though he was surprised she had coincidentally sat beside him.
"Yoriichi! I'd didn't know we had the same class!" Uta cheered, her bright demeanor surprised yoriichi once again.
"Yeah me too..."
She softened her voice and asked, "How are you doing? You don't seem good. I wonder why we didn't see each other yesterday....But it doesn't matter; how are you feeling?" she's a kind person, yoriichi was taken aback by this.
"I'm okay, mornings just aren't made for me.." he said as quietly as he could, looking awful from lack of energy and making Uta feel sorry for him.
Yoriichi cursed himself as he always felt like garbage in the mornings, just a few more days and this pain of waking up in the morning and feeling like shit would pass.
"Does your stomach hurt? Are you feeling sick?"
His back hurt, causing him to whimper, and he shook his head sourly as he lowered his head to the open book in front of him. Uta could only stare at him and feel pity for the suffering he was through.
Uta had an idea for later to at least make an effort to comfort her own friend, if she can even call him her friend.
She had noticed that yoriichi had fallen asleep, she tapped his shoulder causing him to alertly wake up.
He sat with his head on the table for the entirety of the lesson before falling asleep for five minutes later, again
Although she couldn't deny it, she could not help but be hypnotized by his appearance. She could even refer to him as... unique.
Her gaze studied every detail of his face could offer to her, from his remarkably clear complexion to his softly spoken, flawlessly falling hair, as his delicate crimsons fell elegantly upon his face.
he was beautiful.
And she knew
She ignored her desires to gaze at his face and focused directly on the lecture, after all, this was part of her idea.
Uta's whisper of Yoriichi's name caused him to wake just in time. When he opened his eyes to see her resting her head on the table in the same position as him, she chuckled at him and continued to mumble that the lecture was finished.
"Why are you whispering?" Ironically, he whispered back at her.
"Well, who said I couldn't?"
"Why are you still whispering, I'm awake now"
"Well your whispering too"
It appeared just as horrible if someone had noticed these two idiots whispering to each other while leaning their heads on the table.
Yoriichi had heard a giggle behind him, a few people passed by them and seemed to chuckle, but upon realizing why, he swiftly turned up. He wasn't aware of how foolish he appeared while he spoke so quietly.
"Something wrong?" Uta questioned, going back to her original position.
"Wa- actually, it's nothing" he stood up and walked outside the auditorium.
Though uta walked by his side, he didn't question her actions, but it only ended after uta asked him a question.
"Yoriichi-san, are you feeling well?"
"Hm...I'm okay" he scratched the back of his neck in hesitation.
"Hey..I know this place near campus that sells really good drinks, want to come? I know a something that would make you better,"
Yoriichi was briefly debating going as he had extra time and wanted to finally get rid of his somber mood. However, since he had less to eat that morning, he accepted the invitation.
He followed her like an obedient puppy tailing behind uta, he continuously had to look down at her to not lose her to such a big crowd.
She was able to drag him to the store despite the huge crowd surrounded around them.
They were both standing at the counter, and while Uta was speaking to the cashier, Yoriichi was still off. Since he occasionally dozed off, Uta couldn't help but smile at the look of clueless on his face.
She ordered for him as he seemed as he didn't mind at all.
Yoriichi had only snapped out of his trance once they exited the shop. Uta held the two warm plastic cups with each hand, clouds of warm smoke entered the man's nose, and he became alert to the sweet scented aroma.
Yoriichi took the second cup from her hands as she was already drinking hers.
"Hm.." he exclaimed while gazing into the cup. His stomach immediately melted upon taking a small taste of the steaming tea. He had thought that the beverage would be enough to keep him alive for a day and uplift his spirits since he had one more thing to do.
He appreciated the tea uta had given him, although this was too much for somebody that you just met three days ago. Yoriichi was still taken back from her kindness for him, he truly wondered wether her sudden kindness was because of him or her.
"Thank you uta for...this, I feel better." his eyes fixated only on the warm cup, his hand gently moved the drink in a circular motion making the liquid inside do a perfect swirl. His eyes lowered as his stomach swallowed itself.
A sudden overwhelming feeling of guilt rushed over him.
all because over a cup of tea.
Although the remorse didn't linger as long before a warm sensation came over him. He took yet another tiny sip of the precious tea, holding the cup near to his face.
He felt his face fell warm after the sip, but all he knew it wasn't because of the tea.
He shook his head as he caught a glimpse of himself in the drink's reflection.
"No problem, I love making people feel better, knowing that i wouldn't want to go through such pain as well" She confessed, taking another sip of the drink and melt herself to the flavor of the tea.
He hummed as a response and continued on with his plans as he walked back to campus.
She asked, sipping, while looking at her phone, "Where are you going next?, if we have different plans I should probably just go." He assumed she was looking at her schedule, so he ought to immediately tell her where he's going.
"Library"
"Oh, same"
she threw away her cup in a nearby bin and happily gleamed on her way to the library.
"You should finish your tea, food aren't allowed inside"
Yoriichi swiftly followed the girl to the library after finishing the entire cup in one swallow and wiping the tea from his mouth with his thumb after spilling it.
He didn't notice the girl's height as he was walking by her side till she got close to him. Her head was peaking above his shoulder in height, the crown of her head could possibly touch yoriichi's chin.
He was aware of his height because he frequently stood out due to his red head, height, and possibly birthmark.
He was surprised that the girl hadn't mentioned how much taller he was than her, but he was ready in case she did.
Uta suddenly looked at yoriichi and he thought she had read what he was thinking just now and was expecting a response from her stare.
He raised a brow and she only smiled.
"I like your earrings yoriichi, they're really cute" she said and looked back where she was walking, she wore a cheeky smile of a child on her face while she said that comment.
His fingers brushed his earrings lightly and he could not help but feel a gasp escape from his mouth.
She complimented him, about his earrings.
His mind bubbled the compliment but his face didn't falter at all, he felt nice about what she said, this was the first time yoriichi was encouraged to wore his earrings more often.
_________
In the library yoriichi put his bag down on a seat and uta did the same. a solid 10 minutes of silence on staring at a book, yoriichi stood up, making uta look at him.
"I'm just going to get something, I'll be back" uta smiled and nodded and response.
Yoriichi was wondering around the aisles and aisles of pages and leather covers in hopes of finding a specific title.
His hand felt the hard leather covers, his fingertips grazed at the letters, reading them as if any word would come in to familiar of what he needs.
"No, it's this" a rather familiar voice spoke behind the shelf he stood after.
He peaked his head over to the other side, his eyes landed on his brother with another familiar friend.
"I don't think that's the right one koku, it doesn't really match the title we're looking for"
"Nakime trust me, I have more than two eyes, my brother said so"
"And you believed him?"
Michikatsu scoffed at the remarked his friend nakime made. Yoriichi observed the two debating about an unidentified book he didn't quite recognize.
"Nee-san, you're here..with nakime-san" he mentioned, the two looked over the quite man and michikatsu seem to light up.
"Oh, yoriichi, how are you" yoriichi slightly smiled and approached the two.
"I'm fine, I didn't know you go here nakime-san, good to see you here" yoriichi nicely greeted an old friend.
Nakime waved lightly, her appearance didn't change a bit in yoriichi's eyes.
She was still as pale as ever, with hair as black as ink covering half of her face. The only difference was that she was no longer concealing her eyes with her bangs, so he might be able to see her face more clearly.
Her straightforwardness showed as she spoke once again.
"Yoriichi-san, wonderful to see you too," remained unchanged. She waved softly while holding a book, turning a few pages forward before closing it.
Nakime hit the spine of the book at michikatsu's head and scolded him.
"You idiot, how come you say that you 'have more than two eyes' and yet still be blind,"
she said "this isn't the right book."
"I've been telling you that IS the right book, you just don't listen to me" michikatsu rubbed his head in pain
Nakime appeared to be fed up with Michikatsu's behavior.
"This book is for hakuji, if we grab the wrong book because of your stupid ass I'll make sure you take responsibility for it." When Michikatsu sneered at her comment once more, the woman's brows appeared to twitch in irritation.
He put a hand michikatsu's shoulder and softened his gaze for a more appropriate approach.
"Why don't you two check out the books you think to be the correct ones? Besides, I doubt Hakuji-san would be upset over a little mistake."
Michikatsu sighed and gave up to agreement and so did nakime.
Yoriichi was the one who always broke the two whenever they butt heads about useless thing,
Though he is still thankful that despite their numerous conflicts, they are still close friends and haven't torn each other apart by now.
While the three exited the bookshelf aisle, michikatsu turned his attention to his brother, asking.
"By the way Yoriichi, what are you doing here?" Although it would be an easy question with an equally clear answer, Yoriichi would respond differently than his brother would expect. Hence why he asked.
"I'm here with a friend"
"You already have a friend?"
"Yes," yoriichi seemed to fasten his pace as he mentioned his friend.
Uta was left alone at the table after he almost forgot about her. He prayed that she hadn't already left since he was scared that she would think he left her for too long.
At the table uta waved and yoriichi sighed in relief that she was still there.
"Hi yoriichi-san! You're back with... a second yoriichi" uta greeted him along with his twin brother. Michikatsu seem to be confused as to why she called him 'second yoriichi' but he chuckled at uta's attempt.
"This is your friend?"
The red haired man nodded like an innocent child, michi sighed and looked back at the girl.
Nakime smirked at the girl and laughed, she nudged michikatsu's arm, teasing him lightly
"Hehe, 'second yoriichi'"
"Shut up" michikatsu pushed nakime lightly, it didn't stop her from laughing like a fool at the man.
"Uta, this is my twin brother, michikatsu"
Uta beamed at the twin and greeted him.
"Oh wow, it's nice meeting you michikatsu-san, I'm uta"
Michikatsu only nodded and sat the opposite side from the girl.
Yoriichi opened his book while seated next to her. Despite the fact that they were at the library, Uta couldn't help but strike up a conversation with Yoriichi, who was otherwise preoccupied with his book.
He lowered his own head to hear her whisper in his ear. Michikatsu began to wonder how long they have been friends since it appears that they act as though they've known each other for a while.
Even though he didn't show it, he was genuinely pleased that his brother now has a friend. Looking back, yoriichi didn't put much effort into finding friends in elementary school nor high school. He never hung out with anyone other than his brother's friends.
Sumiyoshi-san was the only friend Yoriichi was able to get. However, shortly after the two received their degrees, Sumiyoshi got married, leaving Yoriichi alone.
Michi was continually concerned that if he wasn't there, the man would carry on with his life without someone watching after him.
Yoriichi constantly said that he was fine on his own, but knowing him, he wasn't.
Michikatsu smiled seeing his brother actually enjoy the girl's company, something in his heart felt light at the feeling of relief.
"Ew" nakime pestered.
"What the fuck is it now"
"You're smiling, stop that"
"Why do you care"
"Because it doesn't match your face, you look terrifying" he could sense that the woman was smirking behind her dark bangs, michikatsu hated that image.
"Is it because I'm ugly"
"Never said you were ugly, I said that it just looks terrifying, I'd rather see you frowning than... whatever you're doing" nakime's honesty was enough to peck through michikatsu's ego and break it down to pieces.
that's what he likes about her, her straightforwardness.
Their relationship was the polar opposite of yoriichi's relationship with uta. Just pure spite and hatred.
Michikatsu wanted to talk to his brother, not seeing him for a few days was enough for him to drown yoriichi with questions.
"Do you have any other friends you've made so far yoriichi?" Yoriichi nodded.
"Actually I met your roommate nee-san" michikatsu didn't expect this response to come out of yoriichi.
"..which one?"
"I think his name was tomioka...giyuu, I think" michikatsu sighed that he met one of the more quieter ones.
"Oh so you met giyuu, how did you guys meet?"
"He mistook me for being you in one of my lecture, and I went to a restaurant with other people and saw him again."
"You got invited to dinner? By who?"
"My roommate" yoriichi recollected his memories of tengen asking him out for dinner.
"Oh, uta were you there too?" Uta nodded.
"I was a little late, but me and yoriichi didn't really talk that much" she admitted, michikatsu seemed to raise his suspicion even more. How are they so close if they didn't even talk to each other?
Yoriichi looked at the time in his phone, and packed his belongings ot his bag.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience but I have to go, goodbye nee-san, nakime-san"
He stood up, but just before he left he side eyed uta.
"And thank you for the tea uta...I liked it" yoriichi made it sound like he was confessing something secretive.
Michikatsu's attention went straight to what he said, but before he could even turn to his brother, uta was already waving him goodbye.
___________
Michikatsu sat in his bed scrolling the his phone, his hand inside his hair, ruffling it.
Giyuu stepped inside the room yet he didn't pay any attention to him.
"You look stressed"
"I am" michi exhaled.
Michikatsu put down his phone and tucked himself in bed, it was a little to Early for him to sleep yet looking at his phone made him put it down easily.
He messaged his brother goodnight for the first time yet he was still dissatisfied. He promised that he'd take care of him, just like what his mother said, so he wanted to meet him again.
He just hoped that he succeeds.
__________