Figuring It Out

3 - day two

~ akafuri & kise x kasamatsu ~

Curious of the middle class lifestyle, Akashi amused himself with basic studies. It came to his attention that while Midorima was of the same class, he was still humble in regards to his classmates who, unlike him, couldn't afford attending prestigious schools. Akashi was drawn to the idea he can do the same. His studies never expanded from there once his schedule became full. His stay at the Furihata residence, however, refueled that interest.

He always had the luxury to arrive to his designated area by car courtesy of his own personal chauffeur. Yet here he was beside the brunette, walking for approximately 20 minutes to the group's agreed meeting spot. With no complaint, Akashi followed his lead while better appreciating the ambience of Tokyo. The fresh air accompanied with a warm sun would've never been felt if he was stuck in his air-conditioned ride.

He was so consumed by the interesting aspects around him that it never occurred they already arrived. Neither did he catch Kouki's urge to use the restroom until he bowed in front of him and raced to the nearest one. Akashi was left to observe on his own. In the middle of the fairly small mall, he questioned why huge, black cube-like structures were blocking the pathway. The one to his right side was occupied by a group of three girls who moved the red curtain aside to reveal themselves back to the world. Printing out in the front-side were two strips of paper and the girls giggled when first seeing it.

His attention broke away when he felt a familiar presence approaching him from behind. His eyes darted to what lied beyond his shoulders. An expected, startled look displayed on Kazunari's face at Akashi's unusual sense but was quick to ignore it when he saw the interested glint in the prodigy's eyes.

"Oh, I get it. You want to take pictures." The many times Akashi has faced Midorima's partner, he was sure he's never seen him wear a frown. It was as if his face was forever meant to be complacent. It struck a nerve when he talked to him like a toddler.

If Furihata hadn't come at the right time, Akashi would not hesitate making a fool out of Takao in public. "Sorry I took so long! There was a- Oh. Hi Takao, is it just you?"

"Yup, everyone's just slow," replied Takao with boredom. He was quick to change subjects. "Never mind that. Seriously Furihata, you haven't introduced Akashi to photo booths? He was staring at it like it was a robot or something."

"That can't be. Right, Akashi?" Kouki asked in a tone that neither mocked or comforted him.

He didn't have the heart to admit the truth.

"You know what, I'll just take matters into my own hands," cried Takao with a grin. The latter sentence was not approved.

Soon enough, Akashi found himself being pushed along with Kouki in the cramped box he was, at first, curious about. The girls from earlier made the experience look fun but if their definition of fun is being squeezed into a tight space just for some pictures he can take on his phone then it's a hard pass. But when his eyes glanced upon Kouki's nervous ones, he thought the experience might not be so bad if he could touch shoulders like this with him for even a moment.

The screen was black but Akashi didn't question it, he was quick to pose. Kouki tapped his leg and shook his head. A shaky finger pointed at the sign above the cash machine. "We need to pay before taking photos."

He didn't catch it initially but Kouki wore a sling bag over his torso and with a few seconds of digging, he took out a cheap wallet that revealed a crumpled 5 dollar bill. Akashi didn't mean to flex when his left hand grabbed Kouki's wrist to stop him from paying. He thought it was the polite thing to do. As someone with a ridiculous amount of money, he couldn't watch someone with less cash pay for him.