Chapter Text
Shuichi is walking down to the train station, schoolbag light on his shoulders. It's his first day at the academy, a lifelong dream of his, being accepted into the most prestigious school of Japan: Hope's Peak Academy.
It's September 7th, his birthday, and for once it may just be an exciting day, he tells himself.
Hope's Peak. The place where dreams come true, the cultivation center of talents. It is said that once you graduate from Hope's Peak, you are set for life.
And Shuichi should be happy, really, but part of him thinks he doesn't even deserve this spot. Being scouted by the academy like a daydream springing to reality, and it took him a while to actually accept his invitation letter had been real.
The chance of being picked is as high as winning the lottery. For Shuichi, generally not gifted with luck, that would have been zero, but it still happened.
The academy granted him his ultimate title along with it: the ultimate detective. He should be happy, if not for the fact that it doesn't mean anything. His parents had divorced the prior year, both world famous actors, after his father had cheated on his mother.
It wasn't really a surprise to him, his parents did not marry out of love but rather for comfortability, and he himself had been an accident. Something his mother constantly reminded him of, any chance she got.
He spent most of his days with his uncle if he could, pretty much since he could walk, helping with paperwork in his detective agency, until he became a witness to a money exchange of a local drug ring when he was a teenager.
He was on his way home from school, taking the shortcut through an underground garage when he heard voices, loud shouting and shuffling of multiple people. He hid behind a sports car in the back, watching the scene unfold.
A man dressed in a fine champagne colored suit handing over a large black gym bag to someone dressed in a hoodie, shrouded completely in black. The obscured figure handed over an envelope and fled the scene quickly after the exchange, both groups of people dissapating into cracks and corners of the garage.
Shuichi watched the man jump on a bike near the entrance, and imprinted the number plate into his brain. The next day, when he told his uncle about it, he had sparked up, his face so bright it reminded him of the star on top of a Christmas tree.
Turns out, the local police and his uncle had been working to catch the leader of the ring for well over five years, never enough evidence to pin him. The license plate on the bike had been his downfall, and Shuichi identified the man, because even though he could not see his face, his movement pattern was unique, with a soft limb in the right leg.
Shuichi had been celebrated as somewhat of a local hero in his street, officially becoming a detective apprentice. Not that his parents recognized any of it, or the cold cases Shuichi went to solve in the following year, or the abduction case of a little girl that almost went south.
All the while he tried to impress his parents, failing over and over, and he was bitter. He gave his best, and for what?
And perhaps he's staring a little to longingly onto the train tracks (and honestly, not the first time he thinks about how easy it would be to escape all this misery) when he waits for his train, because he feels someone touch his right wrist, gently but firm. Definetly able to grab him if he jumped.
"You okay there?", the stranger asks, a kind smile on his face that reaches up to his emerald eyes, crinkling at the corners.
Shuichi gasps in surprise, almost stumbles but catches himself quickly. "Ah yes, sorry. I was a little lost in thought", he stammers out, awkwardly smiling back and tugging his hat.
The stranger tilts his head, green curls falling into his freckled face, the sun dancing across his perfectly smooth skin. He looks like a saturday in October, bright and warm, a spotless sky over vast green meadows.
Shuichi's eyes widen, realizing he is staring, and the way the boy expectantly looks at him, he probably missed his words.
"Nervous?", the boy asks, unfazed by the previous silence, "Your first day at school?"
Shuichi nods. "Yeah, I uh... I'm really excited, too."
He now takes a look at the entire picture, the boy is wearing a striped sweater under a brown coat, and a silver necklace, multiple bracelets around his wrists, and rings on his fingers as well as his ears. They clack together as he gestures towards himself,
"It's my first day too. Can't believe I'm actually doing this, haha."
His laugh is sweet and soothing like honey, Shuichi feels his cheeks redden and quickly turns away as the train rolls into the station.
People swarm around them, and he finds himself seperated from the boy before he can ask his name. He shakes his head and boards the train, leaning his head against the window as he rides into this new chapter of his life.
Hope's Peak towers high against the perfect cyan sky as Shuichi walks through the gates. The school yard is filled to the brim, endless chattering while the new students scurry around, looking a little hopeless.
There is a seperated building fenced off to the left, half hidden behind the main building; the reserve course, for talentless people in queque for the main course, and the dormatries on the right. Hope's Peak researches talent, down to the very core, exploring the possibilities of developing ultimates out of ordinary students.
That, and it ensures the funding of the school, while even a graduation as a reserve course is a winning ticket, so nothing is really lost over there.
He checks his plan, the first hour would be homeroom to meet their teacher, followed by the entrance ceremony. He hurries up the stairs of the main building, until he finds room 202, class 79, briefly catching his breath before he enters.
The classroom is already decently filled, his new classmates chatting away cheerfully as they pick out their seats. Shuichi picks a spot near the door, he doesn't like being in the back of a full room. His mind always making up fake scenarios about fire alarms or bomb threads, and then not being able to get out, getting locked in, or being forgotten inside.
His hands are a bit shaky, and he sits down and presses his palms into the wooden desk to calm down.
The last students flood into the room, as the door closes and Shuichi focuses on their teacher. She indroduces herself as Shishido-sensei, and Shuichi likes her calm low voice. She is about average height, her light brown hair is maybe shoulder long, stacked into a low ponytail, her eyes icy blue.
She is wearing a navy blazer over a rosy shirt with a black skirt, and a necklace of a panda around her neck. She explains the basic school rules, hands out their time tables and two keys and tells them they would be able to move into the dorms tomorrow, before she claps her hands together and smiles.
"Now, since that is all done, we shall have an introduction round for you. I already started, so I suppose we just go round. Please state your name and talent and a little about yourself!"
Great. Fun facts about yourself. Shuichi's favorite (not). Shuichi seems to be the only one who dreads introduction, because the first student eagerly perks up already.
"Hello everyone! My name is Akamatsu Kaede, and I am the ultimate pianist! I have a twin sister who is in the reserve course, and she-"
Shuichi tunes out midspeech. He's already feeling exhausted and he won't be able to remember all their names right away anyways. He isn't good with names, so he decides to close his eyes for a moment, only half following the voices of his classmates.
"Hey everyone, my name is Amami Rantaro, and I am the ultimate adventurer."
Shuichi sits up abruptly at the sound of the new voice and turns around to see the green haired stranger from the train station. Rantaro catches his gaze, gifting him a smile, before turning back to the class.
"I have traveled around the world since I learned to walk, my parents own an international business so I naturally got around a lot because of that. And I, haha... I have twelve sisters."
"Jeez Amami-chan, don't your parents have any other hobbies?", a short, purple haired boy chirps from the back row of the room. He's dressed in white, with loose straps dangling from his slim pants, and multicolored buttons over his coat, finished by a black and white checkered scarf around his neck.
"Shut your mouth Ouma!", a buff violet haired guy with a heavy galaxy jacket scolds him. The smaller boy stretches out his tongue at him, skipping his chair on the backlegs and sways back and forth.
Rantaro just smiles, unfazed by the rudeness. "Most of them are twins, the first set are quintuplets actually. I know it sounds like a lot, but I do love them all equally."
A general awww goes through the class, and Shuichi turns back around when his turn comes up.
"I'm, ah... I am Saihara Shuichi, the...the ultimate detective, I guess-", Shuichi presses out, a bit dry, and his cheeks burn unbearably hot.
"YOU are Saihara?", the small boy from the back yells out, and he hears another few people mumble.
He wasn't that famous now, was he?
"The one who solved the drug ring case?", Kaede asks, and he nods.
"Yeah, I guess that's me."
He gets drowned out in chatter and sinks back into his chair when the attention skips over to a strange guy in a mask who introduces himself as Shinguji Korekiyo.
The schoolbell rings, and Shuichi gets up to leave the room as the boy from the back, Ouma Kokichi, grabs his wrist. It stings, and the sudden pain startles Shuichi as he looks down into wide curious eyes.
"Hey hey, Saihara-chan, guess what!", he sings as he jumps up and down, "Do you know about the phantom thief case?"
He raises an eyebrow. "Of course, it's all over the news", he responds, watching the violet haired guy approach them with an annoyed expression on his face. Momota Kaito, Shuichi remembers, the ultimate astronaut.
"Well, that thief is none other than me!", Kokichi proclaims and puffs out his chest. Shuichi chuckles at the sight, Kokichi sure is energetic... and kind of cute.
"Don't believe a word the brat says", Kaito warns him, "He was titled the ultimate Lil' liar in Hope's Peaks Elementary before he coaxed a bunch of strays to join his stupid street gang."
Kokichi's face derails, shock written all across his features and in the next second, he flips out a butterfly knife, pointing it threateningly at Kaito.
"Momota-chan, how could you betray me like that? Do you not know disclosing highly confidential information like that is met by severe punishment? Now I have to send you off to Siberia to work in my secret facility!"
"Ou-Ouma-kun, weapons are strictly prohibited by school rules!", Shuichi gasps out, and the supreme leader spins around on his heels, glaring at him, and Shuichi is not sure if that murderous glint is real or not.
"Do you think some silly school rules can stop an evil leader of a super secret underground organization like me? I thought detectives are supposed to be smart!"
He smiles widely, mocking, as he rocks back and forth on his shoes.
"Maybe I'll have you both sent to Siberia!"
Out of the corner of his eye, Shuichi sees Rantaro enter his vision, and he makes space to let him through. The taller boy bows down slightly to Kokichi, cups his face with a ring littered hand, and takes the knife with the other, his movements silky smooth, slithering in one swift motion like a snake. Kokichi's expression blanks completely, his eyes transfixed on Rantaro, who smiles down on him.
"Good boy", he hums.
And Kokichi's cheeks flash red as he sputters to find a response. "H-Hey! Don't touch me with your filthy hands, Amami-chan!"
He jumps and tries to take back the knife, which Rantaro holds just out of his reach. Shuichi scoots over to Kaito, eyes glued on the spectacle in front of them.
"Did he really attend Hope's Peak Elementary?", he asks, genuinely curious.
Kaito nods. "Yeah. I've known him for all my life, we grew up as neighbours. The guy is a genius, but he suffers gifted kid disease. He's chronically bored and easily distracted. Don't take it too hard though, he's nice if you get him to be a little more honest. He's just a handful."
Kaito's expression is fond while he watches Kokichi pout. Rantaro holds a hand in front of his mouth to mask his laughter.
Shuichi allows himself to take a bite of the moment, Rantaro with his brown Hope's Peak coat wrapped over his shoulders, the striped sweater just merely poking out at the bottom. While the school uniform isn't mandatory, everyone is wearing at least a part of it, except Shuichi in full attire, and Kokichi with none of it.
Rantaro's fuzzy green curls gently shimmer in the sunlight that falls through the window. He looks like a highly priced jewel, locked away in a museum behind glass to be looked at, mesmerized by its beauty and perfection, never able to grab a hold of the smooth surface.
Shuichi feels like he could watch him forever, each of his movements so effortless, his kind eyes scintillating like fireworks.
Kokichi finally pries the knife out of Rantaro's hand, earning himself a ruffle through the hair. He scoffs, looking flustered, before he jumps back to Kaito.
"Amami-chan is a big bully! Momota-chan, save me!"
Kaito sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Do you have to be so annoying this early in the morning already?"
Kokichi frowns, tipping his index fingers against each other. "Does Momota-chan hate me that much?"
"Oh can it, you little menace." He lightly punches Kokichi into the shoulder, before he swings his bag over his arm. "Let's go. The entrance ceremony is over at the gym."
Shuichi is not looking forward to this part of the day. Being paraded in front of the entire school is something straight out of his nightmares. He's never been the most social person, spending his years as a loner in his former school, resulting him in a great lack of friends and social contacts.
He lags a little behind his classmates, who seem to hit off as easy as breathing, and it does make him a bit jealous. They exit the main building to walk over to the gym, and he finds himself next to Rantaro, who trails behind to match his pace, previously talking to Kaito.
"Hi there", he says, ever kind smile on his face, and Shuichi feels himself blushing. He hopes it can be brushed off to the cold early morning breeze, but he tugs his hat a little lower into his face. The September sun is still merciful and the days decently warm, but the mornings are cold and foggy, goosebumps run all over his skin.
"Hello, Amami-kun", he responds, trying to sound friendly but his voice cracks. Rantaro is unbothered, because he's still smiling and crosses his arms.
"What a coincidence, that we end up in the same class", he chats away, "You looked sad this morning. Something bothering you?"
Shuichi freezes, thinking this may be a subtle way to ask if he considered jumping in front of the train. He forces a smile but avoids eye contact. "I'm fine. It's just, ah- I feel like I don't deserve to be here. I'm just an apprentice, not even a real detective."
Rantaro chuckles, a soft melody in the air coating Shuichi in his breathy tune. "If you didn't deserve it, you wouldn't have been scouted. And I'm not sure if you're aware, but you are kind of famous. Nobody here thinks you are just an apprentice."
His words reach Shuichi's heart, like a bandaid fixing a papercut, and he feels more encouraged. He subconsciously lifts the brim of his hat, and Rantaro stops walking.
"Huh?" Shuichi stops as well, but Rantaro quickly brushes his hand through his hair and picks up the pace again.
"Sorry, your hat hides your face so much, I got caught a little off guard. You have really pretty eyes."
Shuichi thinks about his matt yellow eyes and chuckles. Says him, he thinks, with his gorgeous emerald rhinestones.
"Ah, oh... Thanks", he stammers.
They enter the gym, and it's packed with students, their upperclassmen and teachers. Shuichi feels eyes on him, way too many eyes, staring and judging and he feels small and worthless again, his flash of confidence ripped apart like a spidernet.
His heartbeat picks up and he wishes he could just turn and run away, when he feels a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry", Rantaro says reassuringly as he leads Shuichi to their assigned seats, "Remember, you are a star here. Be proud of yourself."
Shuichi relaxes when he slumps into the chair next to the adventurer.
Headmaster Kirigiri holds a speech about a new wave of hopeful talented students and a few new reserve course attendants (like Kaede's sister, he supposes) and Shuichi tunes out. His social battery is nearing its limit, and the room is too full and crowded.
When he directs his attention back to the stage, Shishido-sensei is talking, before asking the class to come forward.
Thankfully, she introduces them herself and each student just smiles and waves, before they can return to their seats and she talks about safety measurements, the renewed dormitories and an incident about a break in to the library.
After the ceremony closes, they are excused for the day, and Shuichi wants nothing more than get back home and sleep.
As they exit the gym, there's a massive black cloud in the sky, just one in a perfectly clear blue horizon, and he hears murmuring from some students of the upper class, 77-b.
"Hinata-kun was right", a tall skinny boy with long, wavy white hair says. He's wearing the girl's uniform, Shuichi notices, with high white socks that complement his long legs, giving his thin frame an elegance Shuichi would die to have.
The slightly shorter, brown haired boy next to him smiles sheepishly and scratches the back of his neck. Shuichi has read about Hinata Hajime before, he had been originally in the reserve course until he actually developed the strangest of talents: predicting the weather with precise accuracy. It earned him the title of the ultimate weather forecaster, and he had been promoted to the main course.
"Come on, snow in September? It's way too warm! I sometimes think he manipulates the weather on purpose!", a boy in a blue overall says, his wild pink spikes hidden under a brown beanie. He bumps Hajime into the shoulder, which earns him a death glare from the white haired boy.
On the topic of snow, the cloud suddenly unloads a bucket load of snowflakes, or really frosty rain if you will, which strangely only hits the pink haired boy and drenches his clothes.
The white haired boy giggles behind his hand as Hajime quickly glances between them, before laughing too. The pink haired boy scowls, before he stops dead in his tracks, staring at Shuichi's classmates. He's over with them in a second, clutching the arm of Keebo, the ultimate robot, who stares at him with wide cyan eyes.
"You are an actual walking talking robot!", the boy squeals, eyes sparkling, "Can I dismantle you? Oh oh, I wanna see your insides!"
The robot raises his arms defensively. "Ahh-- ah, please do not?", Keebo stutters and helplessly looks around.
"Souda-kun, do not treat him like some object!"
Before Shuichi can intercept, a tall slender blonde girl steps over, her light brown dress dancing under her firm step as she roughly drags the boy away from Shuichi's robotic classmate.
"But Sonia-san, look at him! He is technologically so advanced, I need to see which color is blood is!"
Sonia scoffs. "So rude! He's a person just like you and me, and you ask to open him up! Sometimes I think you're living under a stone!"
His eyes go wide. "What's that supposed to mean?!"
She drags him away without indulging any further, and Keebo stares after her like he'd been struck by lightning. Or maybe he's short-circuiting. "She-she said I'm a person", he mumbles, his cheeks faintly pink.
"If you are a person, are you even an ultimate?", Kokichi barges in, and Keebo's eyes narrow. He glares at the smaller boy, who throws his hands behind his head, nagging on.
"I mean, is being a robot really a talent? Can you do anything special?"
"I-I can- I can whistle!", Keebo yelps, "My statistics tell me 67% of this academy cannot whistle, therefore I am quite special!"
Shuichi catches himself smiling at the senseless banter. They walk to the exit gates, but before he can leave, he feels a tap on his shoulder. He turns around and is met by Rantaro, again, and his heart jumps at the sight.
"Hey, Saihara", he says, "May I have your phone number?"
Shuichi stares at him, dumbfounded, before another voice interrupts his daze.
"Awww, is Amami-chan already asking emo-boy out on a date?", Kokichi chirps, as he dances around them on his tiptoes.
Rantaro smirks, effortlessly rising back at him. "And what if I am? Jealous?"
Shuichi feels his face flush red. Kokichi blanks completely before crossing his arms.
"Yikes! I'm not into goths!"
Shuichi feels the need to defend himself, even if the interaction is lighthearted enough. "I'm not a goth or an emo!", he retorts.
But Kokichi is already distracted, gasping before he holds his balled fists in front of his mouth. His eyes sparkle, making his violet eyes look like starlittered galaxies in the sunlight.
Shuichi turns to see what he is looking at, only to see a single white cat sitting a little ways away from them.
"Neko-chan", Kokichi whispers breathlessly, totally entranced, "I wanna pet Neko-chan! Pspspspsps."
The cat looks up, flicks an ear before turning around to clean itself.
Rejection. Kokichi looks like the world has just ended.
"A majestic creature like her must be asked for permission by lowly mortals just as you", a low voice drones behind them. Shuichi spots one of Hajime's classmates, the one who has been walking with Sonia before. He's wearing the brown school coat over a white shirt, his undercut grey hair is styled back into a curl.
He has two toned eyes, grey and red, a scar framing the left grey one. His thick purple scarf flaps in the wind, and Shuichi thinks he sees something furry scitter within, as he kneels down and whispers something he can't make out. It sounds foreign, like a chant.
The boy reaches out his left, bandaged arm and points at the animal. The cat looks up at him, and nods - the cat nods! -, before walking over and brushing past Kokichi's legs.
He pets the cat, so careful and gently; Shuichi can barely comprehend he's the same obnoxious person as his classmate from earlier.
"So cool!", Kokichi whispers as he looks up at the older boy again, "How did you do that?"
The cat purrs loudly, making Kokichi's face spark even more.
"As the supreme overlord of ice, I've been granted the ability to talk with the mighty creatures of earth", the stranger proclaims, "The pits of hell know me as Tanaka, even the gods fear my almighty powers!"
"Tanaka-senpai is soooo cool!", Kokichi gushes, and the boy blushes, tugging at his scarf.
Shuichi notices how this is the first time Kokichi addresses anyone formally, and that probably means a lot coming from him.
He turns back to Rantaro with a fond smile, and taps his number into his contacts.
"Aren't you taking the same train home?", he asks, and Rantaro shakes his head.
"Gonna have to go to the city first, one of my sister's birthday is coming up and I don't have a gift yet!" He tilts his head. "Can't disappoint her, can I? Take care, Saihara. I'll see you tomorrow morning."
Shuichi watches him head the opposite direction, and realizes he means tomorrow at the train station. The thought that someone is actually looking forward to see him sends a warm feeling through his body. Rantaro is so nice, he is easy to talk to and Shuichi would like to befriend him.
He walks back to the train station and returns home, finding the flat empty as always. His uncle works late, and tomorrow he'd move into the dorms.
They had a quick celebration in the morning, time his uncle took out of his busy schedule just for him, and really, it's enough. His birthday has never been special, except today. Today had been a good day, he thinks.
He's been living with his uncle for roughly six months now, and it is better than pendling between his parents who don't care about him either way.
He sets down his backpack and packs it for the next day, eats a cup of instant noodles before killing time watching humorless shows on TV before getting ready for bed. He should pack, but really, he doesn't have a whole lot of things to begin with.
He brushes his teeth, cleans his face and changes into his pyjamas, before crawling into the covers. He fishes for his phone to set his alarm, only to be greeted by a message from an unknown number.
'See you at the train station tomorrow?'
Shuichi breathes out audibly and saves Rantaro's number to his contacts. Rantaro technically already knows this, but it makes Shuichi fuzzy that he asks anyways.
'Sure :)' , he responds, and gets a smiley face in return.
He sets his alarm and puts the phone away, laying in his bed for a moment and taking in the silence. As he reaches to turn off the lamp, he notices a bruise on the inside of his right wrist.
It looks like a scar, dark purple and reddish against his pale skin, but the edges are smooth. It looks round, like a teardrop, and when he touches it with his left index he feels like he touched into a power socket.
The scar burns, even though it's no wound and Shuichi can't remember where he could have gotten it. Thinking about it, the spot hurt earlier too when Kokichi grabbed his wrist.
The strange sensation subsides. He dismisses it as a result of being clumsy and he turns off the light.
Yet, even though he is extremely tired, he can't fall asleep. He tosses and turns, almost dozes off only to wake up again, and somewhere in the middle of the night he gives up and starts packing his things. He neatly stacks his belongings into a single suitcase, and except a few books, everything fits in.
He could still get the rest later on, on a weekend or vacation. After he puts the suitcase to the side, he spends a while on his phone, browsing the academy website.
He cringes as he finds his own student profile, thinking he looks like a corpse on his picture, with his dead eyes staring stiff into the camera.
Shuichi checks through his class, trying to get all their names into his head, hanging over Rantaro's information for a while (which is impressive, really. But apparently he's also very prone to injury, which worries him. Being an adventurer sounds dangerous), before he heads to the upper classes.
He finds Hajime, with his ascend from the reserve course, and next to him the white haired boy, Komaeda Nagito. The boy in the overall turns out to be Souda Kazuichi, the ultimate mechanic, which explains his obsession with Keebo.
He pauses as he clicks on Sonia Nevermind, an exchange student as it seems, an actual princess on top of that.
Other than that, he also finds Tanaka Gundham, who turns out as the ultimate breeder. His profile states that he actually can talk to animals, which Shuichi wouldn't believe if he hadn't seen it himself.
The light of the screen starts burning his eyes, he thinks he should have the most names down by now, so he shuffles over to put his phone on the nightstand.
A little lost, he sits on the carpet of the room next to his packed suitcase and looks out the window. The stars sparkle across the night sky, the moon shyly pokes through from behind a shadowy cloud.
His mind feels blissfully empty now, exhausted from the long day. He's suddenly so, so tired and lays down right there, and falls asleep on the floor.
The next morning, he finds the texture of the carpet imprinted all over his face. It's very early and he feels like he's been run over by a truck, a glance at the clock tells him that he has barely slept three hours. Yawning, he crawls into his bed but finds himself too awake to sleep again.
He takes his time getting ready, but ultimately leaves way too early. The apartment is empty, his uncle probably already gone back to work.
He drags the suitcase on its wheels behind, his thoughts dance through the cool morning air. This is a new chance for him to fix his life, make friends for once, achieve something he can be proud of.
He walks along the busy street down to the train station, and to his surprise he sees the green curls of Rantaro from afar, half hidden under a purple beanie. Rantaro turns as he hears Shuichi approach, smiles and waves.
"I had the feeling you'd be early", he says, stifling back a yawn. Shuichi notices his eyes are reddened at the edges when he stops in front of him. Rantaro is holding a cardboard cutout with two steaming cups of to-go coffee.
"Long night?", he asks, and hands Shuichi a cup. He stares at it, slightly taken aback by the gesture, before taking it quickly when he realizes he's been staring too long again.
"Ah, yes. I couldn't really sleep. Uh, thank you, Amami-kun."
Rantaro chuckles, grabs his own coffee and throws the cardboard into the trash. Shuichi takes a sip of the steaming hot drink and feels more alive. It's black, just a hint of milk, just how he likes it.
"How did you...?"
It's almost a little too right on the money.
"Figured you are a black coffee person", he says, "But damn. You really have raccoon eyes today."
Shuichi taps his face with his free hand, and feels the area below his eye subtly swollen. He sighs. "Ouma-kun will call me an emo again", he predicts, already feeling a slight headache under the thought.
"Hmm, then let me help you out?"
Shuichi looks up to him as Rantaro sets his cup down on the ground and sorts through his school bag. He doesn't have any luggage, he notices, just as the green haired boy pulls out a container of concealer and a brush. Shuichi just nods, and feels Rantaro gently apply a light layer of make up.
He feels his face heat up, being so close to kindhearted Rantaro, and he hopes the other doesn't notice. Not the best moment to break into a panic with his attractive new classmate.
"You didn't bring anything?", he asks to distract himself from the proximity, "I mean, to move into the dorms?"
Rantaro hums in concentration. "It's going to be delivered, haha. You see, my parents are kind of loaded. I don't really have to do anything even though I hate being spoiled."
"You don't strike me as spoiled", Shuichi blurts out, as Rantaro packs his utensils again.
He scrutinizes Shuichi for a few seconds, before turning on his phone camera and turns it towards him. Shuichi looks into his mirrored selfie on the screen, and is positively blown away. Rantaro barely put any work into it, and he looks like perfect porcelain, not a single blemish on his face. In all honesty, he thinks for once he looks pretty decent.
"I-I'm-", he stammers, and Rantaro tilts his head, "Thank you. It-it looks really good."
He looks pleased, and smiles again, before he picks up his backpack and lines up next to Shuichi.
"I don't think Ouma really means any harm", he says after a few minutes of silence, "Momota told me he had a rough childhood. I think he's just coping."
"Yeah", Shuichi responds, thinking about yesterday, "The way he acted with the cat was really sweet. He's such a troublemaker."
Rantaro rubs his hands against each other to warm them. "My big brother instincts are kicking in full force with him, makes me want to protect him." He shrugs. "Am I creepy?"
"N-No! Not at all", Shuichi fumbles with his hat, "No, you're really kind, Amami-kun. I think he appreciates it. I- I do."
Rantaro eyes him with his shining emerald eyes and opens his mouth when the train comes crashing in, drowning out anything he was about to say. So instead, Rantaro just waves and Shuichi boards the train with him, pulling his suitcase along.
It's packed, and only one seat is left unoccupied. Rantaro gestures him to sit and he shakes his head, but he insists, and Shuichi feels bad making him stand.
The taller boy holds onto the pole right next to him, leaning against the cold metal and sighing. It's barely audible, but Shuichi hears it, it sounds exhausted and so tired, yet Rantaro blinks slowly and it's all gone the next second, when he faces him again.
"Are you excited to move into the dorms?", he asks, and Shuichi smiles sheepishly.
"I'm nervous. I've never lived together with so many people before."
"Don't worry, it's going to be fine."
His honeyed words take the edge off him, and he feels himself relax.
"The first years have single rooms, before moving to shared rooms next year. So you don't have to worry about boarding with a stranger."
The school had just expanded the dormitories in the last few months or so, and Shuichi wonders how they afford all that. Then again, even the reserve course costs a ridiculous amount of tuition, and the school has several rich sponsors, most of all the Togami family, since their son attends the school as well.
They arrive at their station and walk together towards the school, as a familiar white haired boy cuts in front of them from a side alley. He walks quite fast and gains a bit of distance, before he walks past Hope's Peak Elementary. A small girl in a wheelchair rolls through the gates, effectively blocking Komaeda Nagito's way.
She smiles bright, her short green hair is tied by a red ribbon, her blue frilled dress is knee long, met by tigh high socks. She should be cold, considering the morning temperature, but the girl looks unfazed by it.
"Servant, servant!", she chirps and claps her hands. Nagito kneels down in front of her and pulls a little plastic rose out of his sleeve. It's dark red, with fake thorns, and the girl spins it between her fingers, clover eyes sparkling.
"Is Monaca-chan happy today?", Nagito asks, and the girl giggles gleefully.
"Mmmm!", she hums, smiling even wider.
Nagito gets up and pats her on the head. "Then Monaca-chan got to do her best today, yes?"
Her eyes light up bright, huge in awe. "Yes, yes!", she sings, swaying left and right.
"Monaca-chan! We have to get in!", a blue haired boy calls out to her from within the school yard.
"Better not let him wait", Nagito says and she nods.
"Bye bye, servant!" She turns around and hurries after the boy into the building.
Shuichi and Rantaro have stopped walking, not wanting to interrupt the moment.
Nagito turns around and smiles. "Oh, good morning. Did I block your way? I am so sorry, that you had to wait for trash like me."
He says it like it's the most normal thing in the world. Shuichi frantically waves his hands. "Please don't insult yourself like that, Komaeda-senpai. We are fine. That was actually really sweet."
Nagito blanks, looking thoroughly confused.
"You know Monaca?", Rantaro asks with a raised eyebrow.
Nagito smiles again."Oh, yes I do. We used to live in the same street."
"She's so tame with you", Rantaro laughs and Shuichi shoots him a questioning look.
"Ah, one of my little sisters was classmates with Monaca before she enrolled in Hope's Peak Elementary", he looks more stern now, "She is, well... how do I put it?"
"She is a little demon, I am quite aware", Nagito intercepts him, "I was there when she had the accident. She got hit on her bike by a drunk driver. It was a really close call, and she says my luck saved her." He sighs deeply. "I know she's hard to handle, but she can be very sweet."
Rantaro looks over the now empty yard of the elementary school. "I believe you. You seem to have a good influence on her."
Nagito shakes his head, his smile slipping. "I'm no good to anyone, really, but thank you."
Shuichi turns around, looking back to where Nagito has crossed their path, before he addresses him again. "Where did you come from though, Komaeda-senpai? Do you not live in the school dorms?"
"Oh, no. I live a few blocks away, but it's within walking distance. If I lived in the dorms the school would surely burn down. Last year I blew up the gym just by existing! So unlucky."
Shuichi doesn't know a whole lot about Nagito, just that his talent, luck, is described as unpredictable and erratic in his student file. Looks more like a ticking time bomb, which is odd, because Nagito seems genuinely nice.
"Would you like to walk with us?", Rantaro offers, and Nagito blanks again.
"Oh I don't want to burden such talented young-"
"Please. I'm asking, aren't I?", Rantaro deflates his self deprication, and Nagito nods with a small smile.
"By the way", Rantaro grins, "Is Monaca making you wear that skirt?"
Nagito lights up at that. "Well yes, but Hinata-kun says it looks nice on me. And you don't want to upset Monaca-chan, right?"
He smiles, a smile that spreads among all three of them.
"You definitely don't want to upset Monaca", Rantaro agrees.
They walk together, Nagito has his hands folded, looking nothing short of stunned, as if being invited to walk with the newbies of the school was some insanely high honor.
Hajime is waiting for him at the entrance gates, his eyes briefly widen as he sees Nagito walking with other students, before he grins and waves.
"Good morning, Hinata-kun", Nagito greets Hajime, who looks incredibly happy.
"Good morning Komaeda. And you two, as well. Amami-kun for sure, and Saihara-kun, was it?" He greets them with an open, kind smile.
"Ah, yes, ah- good morning, Hinata-senpai", Shuichi stutters, surprised that he remembers his name.
"Good morning", Rantaro says, and points towards Nagito, "We collected your boyfriend before he could adopt yourselves a child."
Hajime's face turns three shades darker and if he had been drinking something, he totally would have spat it out now.
"I-I-He, I'm...!", he blurts out, caught completely off guard. Nagito laughs out, and Hajime covers his face with his hands.
"I was just checking on Monaca-chan", he explains, and Hajime grabs his wrist and drags him into the yard.
"I figured!", he gasps out, still flustered.
Shuichi breaks out in a quiet giggle, and Rantaro chimes in as they head towards the dorm building.
"That was, uh", Shuichi stifles his giggles, "Daring?"
"Someone has to call them out", Rantaro retorts. Shuichi remembers Nagito's death glare as the pink haired guy, Kazuichi, had accused Hajime of changing the weather on purpose.
"How'd you know?", he then asks, because they just met them yesterday.
"Well, I've known them for a while", Rantaro explains, "I met Komaeda last year on an adventure trip, the same year I was originally scouted, but I was out traveling. So I'd technically be in class 78."
So Rantaro is a year older than him, Shuichi notes. He's glad though, because if Rantaro wasn't in his grade, he'd be alone right now.
"His stunt with the gym got him suspended", he continues to listen to Rantaro's lyrical voice, "He took a vacation and his plane crashed on the island I was at. Nobody got hurt, thankfully, that idiot with his stupid luck. But yeah, he's been pining for Hinata the moment he laid eyes on him, but they think they are extremely subtle."
He chuckles softly, taking a breath, before he continues to explain.
"And Hinata always worries, because Komaeda's luck goes both ways, and he ends up in the strangest places. He can be hard to grasp, and he hates himself for causing so much trouble. His classmates think he's weird, and he has a hard time making friends."
"He's so nice, though?", Shuichi notes as they walk to the dorms, "And he was really kind with that little girl."
"He's a good guy", Rantaro agrees, "Hinata is probably celebrating right now, to catch his Komaeda talking to someone other than him."
They walk through the big doors leading towards their rooms. The building has multiple floors, but thankfully, the new students have the ground floor. Shuichi checks his notes on his phone, confirming the location of his room. In front of the room across from his are multiple cases stacked.
"That would be mine", Rantaro says, "We are almost neighbours!"
Shuichi puts his suitcase down, and fumbles around his pockets for the keys. He unlocks the door, taking a quick glance. The room is decent, small but still spacey, a nice well lit window facing away from the yard. He drags his suitcase inside and locks the door again, before going over to help Rantaro.
"Thanks", he says, as he locks his own door, "I feel like I came overdressed."
"Then I am underdressed", Shuichi offers, "I barely have anything that was worth packing."
He readjusts his backpack and they leave the building, heading over to the main entrance. Their first proper lecture is maths, something Shuichi thankfully has no trouble with.
"Hey, Saihara", Rantaro stops him before they enter the classroom, "Would you like to have lunch together later?"
He tries not to let his relief show, because getting lost in the cafeteria between tons of strangers is not that high on his wishlist.
"That sounds nice", he responds, "Sure. If I don't get lost in between periods somewhere."
"I'll make sure to find you."
Shuichi knows they have some subjects seperated from each other, and the thought of someone wanting to go that far for him is nice.
They take their seats, and their teacher appears just before the bell rings. It's not Shishido-sensei, who teaches English and Japanese, the man introduces himself as Yoshida-sensei as he enters, but Shuichi is only half listening.
He's suddenly tired again, met by the warm classroom and the low murmuring of the room drawing out the remnants of his sleepless last night. The lecture dissolves in a blur, but it's not so bad, the first few days are just stuff from before, and Shuichi has decent grades.
His next lecture his criminal law, a subject he has picked out himself, but he's sure Rantaro won't be there. He's surprised when he finds Korekiyo approaching him instead.
"May I ask you for directions? I am sure you attend criminal law as well?"
He's shy, and speaks quietly, a little anxious maybe. Shuichi takes a proper look at him now. Korekiyo is tall and slim, his long silky hair ocean green. His narrow eyes are yellow, brighter than Shuichi's, always looking around with suspicion.
His mask hides most of his face, but he's pretty, Shuichi thinks, his voice pleasant and polite, and if he looks past his get up (a dark green military uniform below the signature brown coat), he's just as shy as himself.
Shuichi nods, realizing Korekiyo is still waiting for a response. "Of course, it's not far, I think. Let's go."
By the time lunch break rolls around, he can barely keep his eyes open. His heart sinks when he sees the long line and he curses himself for not bringing his own lunch.
"Hey, Saihara", he hears as someone taps him on the shoulder. He turns around and sees Rantaro, smiling like always.
"So", he says, "This will probably take forever and I'm starving. How does Takoyaki sound to you?"
Shuichi tilts his head, taking a short look around. "I don't think they offer that here", he replies confused, and Rantaro smirks.
"No, they don't."
Shuichi raises an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting to sneak off school grounds?"
Getting into the city and back would take longer than lunch break.
"I would never!", Rantaro says, throwing his hands up before pointing a finger at him, "But you know, attendence isn't mandatory. And you look like you could use a proper meal."
"I can't ditch on the first day!"
"You're smart, come on. It'll be fine. We can hurry?"
So he lets Rantaro tempt him, and they get off the school grounds without being caught. They run back towards the train station, and the rush of adrenaline makes him feel more awake.
They find a vendor just at the corner of the city, and he's glad they went, because it's delicious, and Shuichi mostly lives off instant noodles and rice anyway, so it's a nice change.
They eat in silence and it's comfortable, before they hurry back and actually make it just a few seconds before the bell rings to class. Rantaro gives him a thumbs up, and Shuichi finds himself smiling, sinking into his seat.
Shishido-sensei walks into the room mere seconds later, and tells them something about their ultimate labs being available towards the end of the week. Some are being reconstructed, so it's going to take another day or two.
The day ends uneventful, and when Shuichi finally makes his way back to the dorms, he can barely keep himself on his legs. He's tired, but it's been fun. Nothing like his old school, where he spent his days as a loner with no friends, being laughed at and insulted because the others thought he's creepy, hiding behind his hat.
His classmates are all nice, and his upperclassmen too, like Nagito and Hajime, and then there's Rantaro who may just be the very first real friend he's ever made.
His steps are heavy when he enters his room, and he's too tired to properly unpack so he just digs out his bedsheets and pyjamas, his toothbrush and spare clothes. He tosses his bag to the ground, and decides to postpone showering to the morning, because he can barely keep his eyes open at this point.
The bathroom is down the hallway, devided in three seperate rooms, and he enters the men's bath. Nobody's there, so he quickly freshens up, washes off the concealer and brushes his teeth before heading back to his dorm, changes and makes his bed. It's soft, when he falls in, sets his alarm and checks his messages.
Of course, his parents haven't bothered to write anything, there's only a single chat as of recent, and it's Rantaro. He finds himself smiling, and a little bit envious of the green haired boy, who seems to deal with everything so calm and collected.
He puts the phone away, and as he thinks about Rantaro he lays there, awake, tossing and turning, like he's laying on hard stones.
"Not again", he sighs, after what feels like hours. He's never been the best at falling asleep, but he never had such trouble. If this kept on, he's going to get some herbal sleeping aid, he decides.
Sudden exhaustion crashes over him, and he pretty much blacks out instantly.
His dreams are blurry, filled with static and incoherent words, but there's a kind figure next to him, and he feels safe, and it feels right, he looks into big eyes but can't make out their color, can't understand what the person says but he just knows, he wants to stay there, wants to keep this feeling.
Clutch it, wrap it into his arms, never letting go. The figure fades away, and the dream dissipates into a light, restless sleep, before his alarm rips him back to reality.
"Ugh." Shuichi groans and turns the phone off, and even though he did sleep, he feels like hell. He closes his eyes but he's awake now, he might as well get going. He decides he's definitely getting those pills today, because he already knows he's not going to be able to pay attention in class.
Rantaro's words ring inside his head, how attendence isn't mandatory, and he toys with the thought of not going but ultimately decides against that.
He drags himself out of bed, picks up his clothes and goes to the bath to shower, and he feels more awake after he's all done.
When he goes back, he meets Rantaro, who looks just as awful as he does, with dark bags under his eyes.
"Good morning, Amami-kun", he greets him, and Rantaro smiles.
"Good morning. Short night?"
"Ah, yeah. I really need a coffee."
Rantaro raises his index finger. "Give me five minutes, and we'll raid the cafeteria together?"
"Sounds great."
Rantaro disappears, and Shuichi feels lighter, his heart fuzzy at the thought that he has a friend now. He puts his things back into his room, fixes his damp navy hair and checks himself in the mirror, wondering if he could ask Rantaro for make up again but decides against it, thinks it might be weird to ask.
He should really get some himself, though, because it actually looked decent. Maybe Rantaro would show him how it's done, at least. Or maybe the adventurer can read his thoughts, because he hears a knock at his door, and Rantaro is armed with concealer again.
"Should I offer you a little rescue again?"
"Ah, I'm... Yeah, yeah that'd be great."
Rantaro is quick, and his fingers faintly brush past his skin as he pats the brush across his face. He feels a cool touch of eyeliner, and looks into the mirror to find that it makes his eyes look bigger, brighter and less muddy.
"You can keep that", the other boy says, "Let me know if you need a teacher."
That stuff is probably expensive, Shuichi thinks, but it's rude to deny a gift, so he accepts with a smile, before they both leave for coffee.
And Shuichi has already forgotten about the scar on his wrist, has not seen how the purple bruise has faded and imprinted into his skin like a tattoo, a guide, to connect two souls that are meant to be.