Chapter Text
Muichiro had sat in this boring desk, in this boring room, in this boring building for hours- maybe not hours but it had still felt like a long time. It was so quiet he could hear the buzz of the lights, a high pitched sound that hurt his head after only a few minutes. But this place was familiar, he spent some decent hours of his days here.
Detention.
He recounted what brought him here in the first place, such a silly reason in his eyes. He had Tomioka-sensei for P.E, but he refused to do anything, he didn't want to waste time and energy on something stupid like that. Of course, Tomioka-sensei was pretty pissed at some things he may or may not have said, and he was immediately reprimanded and ushered here. So that's where he'd been for the past period, asleep. That was all he could do, because he sure as hell wasn't going to "think about what he did"
He was apathetic to the whole thing; it wasn't important. Another drop in a glass of water. He didn't leave when the next classes started, even though he was told to. He remained with his head down, because despite being boring here, it was peaceful. However he was quick to make a different decision when a harsh voice started yelling. Two voices, actually. One he could recognize as Shinazugawa-sensei's.
This was confirmed shortly after he sat up to see the commotion to find the teacher fuming, dragging a boy by the arm with ease despite being a little shorter. As much as they were distinctly different in appearance, the similarities present were almost uncanny. They were for sure related. Muichiro almost felt pity for the poor guy being pushed into a seat, being shoved a bunch of paper worksheets to spend his time here doing. Shinazugawa-sensei turned on his heels to leave, but paused when he saw Muichiro with a blank stare at the situation, he sighed and shook his head; ultimately looking disappointed he was here, and waved as he walked away.
Seemed like he already built a reputation with the staff.
From what Muichiro had gathered from eavesdropping on everything said, the troublemakers name was Genya, his older brother was the math teacher, said older brother had searched for him once he noticed the little one wasn't present at the start of class, and he was dragged here for skipping. He also picked up that Genya was behind? Which confused him, considering he remembers seeing that same face on a bulletin board celebrating the win of a math competition, him being labelled the one who got the most questions right. Of course his memory could be wrong, he never trusts his memory, it mixed up a lot of things.
Muichiro couldn't care that much about the drama that unfolded, but he still had the urge to stir the pot, so before he packed up his stuff and left for his class, he turned to look at the frustrated boy.
"My my, how embarrassing is it to be the center of attention in that class? I hear you're falling off moron, aren't you? Shouldn't you be ashamed of yourself? What's even the point of trying. Dumbass."
Muichiro knew he could easily get his ass kicked, but it was funny seeing how easily he angered, how easy it was to provoke him. But to save his ass from any ass kicking he ran out the room, giggling as he heard the incoherent and angered shouts of protest. This was what he lived for, chaos.
Now time to find his next class, was it art? He was sure it was, he was already gonna be late from staying a bit longer in discipline, but he couldn't care. Instead he was just gonna make himself even more late, taking lots of detours, stopping for water, reading the various boards in the halls. He just wanted to go home.
Of course he got scolded at by Uzui-sensei for being 20 minutes late, it was "unflashy" to skip such a creative subject, so he was subjected to being left out on the lesson and being sat in the corner of the classroom. He didn't mind though, working with paints he didn't like. People were always messy with them and somehow he'd always end up having paint stains on him somewhere. Instead he tested his mind like he always did, he drew people he saw throughout the day from memory. At least to the best he could.
And today's victim was the dude from detention, he had memorable features, plus a memorable entrance, so it wasn't hard. The scar across his nose was a key feature he couldn't get wrong, it was probably a feature that everybody first sees. His mohawk was another, it was for sure against school rules, so how did he even get to keep it? Did the math teacher pull strings to let him? Judging by the twos relationship in that brief moment, that probably wasn't the case.
Muichiro was surprised when he finished the sketch, it actually resembled a person and not any of the uncanny shit he drew when doing this. Unconventionally attractive, the features might put some people off, but some could possibly be into it, he wouldn't judge. He could see the appeal, he just wasn't interested too much into looking further. Romance wasn't something he was interested in period.
Class was over pretty quickly, considering he was late to it so he had less time there, but there was a roadblock as he walked through the halls, folded drawing in pocket. A crowd had formed, blocking his way to pass through. Students were hyped about something, and his curiosity got the best of him.
He squeezed through the crowd, and when he got close, he could finally see the commotion. People had formed a ring, and at the center were three people. It was a fight, 2 against 1. And the people he could recognize was the boy from earlier with blood staining a shaved side of his hair, standing with his battered fists ready to swing again next to another taller kid, frail but reeking of strength, bloodied knuckles wiping the same crimson stains from his broken looking nose, adorned in strange birthmarks, with short wavy hair tied back, fading to green.
the one name he could fix on a person was the one by himself, one with the same long dark hair with teal tips, the same cold blue eyes now accompanying an all too familiar scowl. The one and only Yuichiro, his older twin brother.
”Hah! You swing good! I have to give some praise, you pack quite a powerful punch. But you really ought to be more strategic when picking targets, you do know who you’ve messed with, right?”
Yuichiro huffed, giving a sarcastic chuckle as he rolled his eyes, he seemed almost out of breath. How long had he even fought with them? Any answer to that question only made Muichiro worry more, and he couldn’t bear to watch, but he needed to see what would happen.
”I’m very aware of your reputation Gyutaro, and I really could not give a fuck about how tall or scary or strong you are, you’re still pathetic. I did this for a reason I’m not backing down from.” Yuichiro was resonating with confidence, beaming with a sense of pride, but the minute detail of his unsure stance, the tremble in his feet gave away the fact he was scared.
And he had every right to be, facing these two always meant picking a loosing battle the moment it starts. Muichiro almost held his breath in anticipation, the two initiated a charge towards Yuichiro, and despite him weaving through the gap between, the taller of the two managed to get a sturdy grasp on his hair to yank him back. And his stomach was met with a strong kick back from the other, knocking him off balance, sending him falling against a locker, but he didn't remain there long. He felt that Gyutaro had found another firm grip on his hair, his head swung around before greeting the floor in a swift slam against it, then lifted up to meet the culprit's face as his own head lowered.
"You know, if you weren't so emotionally charged with your swings, I might actually be scared of you. You're indeed strong but you don't know how to use that effectively. You're just pathetic." Gyutaro sneered, a sick grin widening against Yuichiro's ear, his battered teeth displayed in a twisted glory. Yuichiro's glare hardened, he seemed to regain his composure, or at least hid that he didn't have any to begin with. He was plotting something. That was revealed when he swiftly headbutted Gyutaro, disorienting him enough to free his hair- and himself, from his harsh grasp. And just for spite, landed a kick into his face to knock him off his tail more.
Genya was standing off to the side until he noticed Yuichiro free, quickly intervening- or at least trying to. Yuichiro was the first to land a hit on him, and they both engaged in a quick fist fight, but Yuichiro got the upper hand when he used is leg to kick at Genya's to knock him down. When on his knees, Yuichiro grabbed the long strands of his mowhawk, brought his face down to meet his raised knee, then pushed him into Gyutaro who just started standing up. Yuichiro felt proud of himself as he watched the two struggling to regain composure and untangle themselves from each other. He also thought he looked badass, reinforced when he spat out a piece of a tooth that chipped off when his face kissed the ground, deep red staining the off-white tiles when blood marked it, his hand wiping off the same vile stains on his lips.
His eyes finally met Muichiro's in the crowd, and his widened when he saw his younger brother watching. Unfazed.
Just when Gyutaro and Genya stood up with new boiling rage, a shout paused everyone's chatter. A shout filled with authority. When the ring parted, it revealed a pair of staff, both very annoyed about the disturbance, wondering where any civil behavior went. The one who had spoken up was the Chemistry teacher, Iguro-sensei. Accompanying him with a mild scowl was the principal herself. Amane Ubuyashiki.
"What the hell is all of this?!" He yelled out, scaring away the smart ones who didn't want any trouble, fleeing. Others followed behind when he approached Gyutaro and Genya, apprehending them with a brutal grip on their wrists, Genya wincing and Gyutaro just rolling his eyes. The rest who lingered soon left when Ubuyashiki-sama dismissed them, approaching Yuichiro with a more gentle but stern hold on his shoulder. "All three of you are in serious trouble!" Iguro-sensei called out, quickly hushed by Ubuyashiki-sama who wanted to calm things down from earlier. As Yuichiro was escorted with everyone involved, he stole a glance back to where Muichiro was, but all he was met with was the fleeting figure of his twin brother walking away.
"Fuck my life..."
"Language, Yuichiro."
The twins walked home in pure silence afterwards, the rest of the day uneventful. A certain someone was waiting for them when the got inside, someone quite annoyed about what they did. Someone that was Mr. Tokito.
”You two. Would you mind telling me why I got 2 separate calls from your school that did not involve anything good?” He stared the both of them down, when they weren’t replying with anything but unamused looks, he continued. “Muichiro, detention again? For refusing to participate? You liked P.E, hell- you liked a lot of your classes. And Yuichiro, another fight? You look awful.”
For once, Muichiro looked guilty, avoiding eye contact from his dad. Yuichiro had a touch of pride in his stance, though quickly shot down with a sigh from Mr. Tokito.
”Where are the boys I raised? Where are the bright kids I used to know?” He spoke out again, this time his tone more solemn, his stern glare sorrowful. “I know you miss your mother, I do too, but that does not excuse this behaviour. Talk to me, please. At least talk to eachother, you barely get along anymore…”
He was right, a lot of things had changed. Mrs. Tokito had passed away only a couple years ago from an illness, but ever since then there had been a heavy disconnect between the family. It was obvious from anyone that the home was colder. Empty.
”I’m sorry..dad…It won’t happen again.” Muichiro mumbled, the first to speak up, his fingers twirling around one another as he stared towards his feet.
Mr. Tokito raised an intrigued eyebrow, he’d never heard that kind of guilt from Muichiro in a while, however it was very welcome, and he smiled warmly. “Thank you Mui, do you have anything to say too Yui?”
Yuichiro’s glare snapped out with his eyes widening, he’d zone out during lectures. Yui rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as he looked at something extremely interesting on the wall, his face however twisted into an ashamed pout, presenting as annoyed. “I- I had a reason. For what I did…”
Mr. Tokito tilted his head, curious. “Alright, let’s get your cleaned up better Yui. You can tell me more then. Muichiro, why don’t you go catch up on any schoolwork?” He suggested, ultimately dismissing him, his tone sweet despite his previous authority filled presence. Muichiro nodded slowly, walking off to his room, but lingering just longer than he should to attempt to catch a snippet of conversation. Nothing heard, however.
At his desk, there were different papers scattered around, and he couldn't focus on any of them. Muichiro's eyes were focused on a certain picture frame instead, a picture of him, his brother, and his mom, sitting around a campfire making s'mores- though Muichiro was getting assaulted by marshmallows getting thrown at him because of Yui. Good times. Apparently while he was zoned out thinking about how much he missed his mother, his hands had made folds into his worksheets. Origami folds. And before long, he had 3 cranes in front of him made out of Civics, Bio and Geometry. Could he hand this in for a grade or will they scold him again? Muichiro wasn't going to find out.
When he was unfolding his sadly beautiful skills, he was interrupted by a sharp knock on his door, followed by the sound of the door opening and Yuichiro's harsh voice, "Hey! Could you help me with cutting my hair?"
Muichiro looked at Yui curiously, almost baffled about the request. Then, he grinned. "Really? My own brother asking me for help? Who are you??" Mui teased, and this was simply met with an exasperated sigh from Yui. "But seriously, why ask me?? I don't know how to cut hair, unless you want a bowl cut."
"Just search for a tutorial or something dumbass! Meet me in my bathroom, I've got everything there." Yuichiro pretty much demanded, making Mui seem like he didn't have a choice. Then he left, as quick as he came, the average span of the two's interactions. Muichiro paused what he was doing and groaned, he didn't exactly want to do this, but it's been too long since they actually bonded, maybe this was an opportunity to have a good chat that lasted more than a minute or two.
When he met up with his older twin, he was already sitting on the rim of the bathtub facing inwards, a towel wrapped over his shoulders and quite a few supplies like combs and brushes, a spray bottle with just simple water, clips and a pair of kitchen scissors laid out on the sink. The scissors were the first to get picked up, and Mui made the note of a label taped on the handle. "Yui! Why do you have scissors from school! This literally says 'Property of Home Economics: Kimetsu Academy'! What the fuck?"
"Because Home Ec has the sharpest that I know of." Yuichiro said, as if it was common knowledge everyone should know. After a long pause without Yui turning around to face Muichiro, but still feeling his burning glare piercing into his back, he said something again, more dismissively reassuring. "Oh relax, I'm just borrowing it. I'll return it tomorrow when I have the class again. Plus everything else is from home."
Muichiro continued to glare at the back of Yui's head, but there was no changing minds, and it was already too late, so he just gave in and sighed. He approached closer to Yuichiro, his hand running through the long silky hair in front of him, his nerves started building. It would be such a waste to cut all of this if he messed up. "Alright Yui..What do you want to do with all this?"
"I want it short, like- collarbone short, but make it look natural."
"WHAT?"
The moment of silence that followed was awkward, Muichiro was in disbelief, and Yuichiro acted like he had no idea what he said. "What are you thinking?? I thought you liked our long hair? Mom liked when it was long."
"It gets in the way. Easy target so i want it less grab-able." Yuichiro shrugged, "Now are you gonna do it or not?"
Muichiro sighed. He was kind of bummed he wouldn't be matching with him anymore, but Yui had a right to how he wanted himself to look, he couldn't argue back- Plus he probably would've been kicked out if he recommended anything else. "Alright fine, show me what you want."
Yuichiro wasted no time and pulled up one of those handy-dandy YouTube tutorials, which if you're careful, actually do work. Great, after one watch through to see what he would do, it looked complicated- He had to do layers. Fuck this- He couldn't back down now, he wasn't a coward. So he followed along, paying attention to what the selected video said to do, he used the spray bottle to dampen Yui's hair, it supposedly made it easier to work with and kept it together.
He followed along with how to cut, clipping up sections and making vertical cuts down the hair gathered, chunks of Yui's black hair fell so gracefully onto the tiles, the blue dyed tips he had no longer were attached to his head, so if he wanted those back he needed to re-dye it. Yui had directed that he kept the two longer tufts in front and only the back would be tampered with, which Mui gladly obliged. Despite no prior hairdresser experience, Muichiro thought it looked fucking awesome. Yuichiro agreed once he got a look in the mirror.
"You're cleaning up your bathroom." He grinned, Yui groaning as he pushed Mui out the door. Yuichiro didn't leave his room again for the night. They only saw each other again in the morning to repeat another boring school routine.
Starting with walking there fuckass early