Reunion

Chapter 3

Gakushuu couldn't fall asleep yet.

He rolled over his bed quite a lot of times, thinking that Akabane was going—supposed to make fun out of him. He was sure of it, and he planned to play along just to kill time because he was bored and shamefully craving for some rivalry (because so far, he hadn't met anyone as good competitor as him), then he would walk away and go back to his normal life.

He wasn't supposed to enjoy his company.

Akabane was a pain in the ass as a contender. He had witnessed how shrewdly clever he was during those times they fight for the first place back in high school. The little devil was obnoxious and listless; he always got into fights and that sharp tongue was everyone's source of annoyance. The guy had a very few friends, and tons of enemies. And as the student council president, he wanted nothing to do with him.

They never had a good, long conversation back then. They weren't talking at all, in fact. But Gakushuu, for a few times, listened as Akabane did reports in class. And in all fairness, he had something to say. He had an organized mind for such a chaotic brawn. He could pass with ease: at first look he seemed to be slacking off. Then you'd be surprised the next day to see him all prepared to tackle exams, face his classmates for presentations and pass projects and assignments. If only he was normal in traits and behavior and he wasn't too smart for his own good, he thought they could get along.

After that 'Koro-Sensei' thing that happened on their last year as junior high, Akabane had changed drastically. Laid back and nasty, yes, but there were lesser fights. Perhaps because the Class E system was finally abolished, his classmates (and other schoolmates) had become less tyrannic and condescending towards the lower classes, while those from lower learned not to let the higher ones trample over them by working harder.

Akabane usually didn't socialize with his fellow elite classmates (no one wanted to get close to him to begin with) in Class A. But once or twice, he saw him with a small flock of students from Class D and C huddled in a circle, with Akabane talking about something while the others were tentatively listening. It turned out he was helping them with reviewers for an upcoming exam.

From then on, Gakushuu was convinced that Akabane was more than that delinquent everyone perceived him to be.

Still, he didn't approach him. He didn't care that much; if he was out there reaching out a helping hand and making himself useful then good. He was focused on brandishing the Class A into perfection, and of course they were rivals—let Akabane spend time teaching others while neglecting himself from studying.

But that Akabane Karma he had dinner with was—cool. Yes, he was cool before (and he would die first before saying it out loud) but this time around, there was an air of maturity. The way he spoke, his ideas, the careless smile, the piercing golden eyes, the vibes of confidence. Akabane had grown after all these years, and Gakushuu had to admit: those traits caught his attention.

And that was bad.

Akabane's eyes and laughs carried conflict with them. If this continued, it'd be very complicated.

A news flash caught his eyes one morning days after the dinner with Akabane. It was about a high ranking official from METI that was under investigation after getting involved with a controversial million yen overpriced funding of a hospital in Nagasaki region. The man accused was making a privilege speech while explaining his side of the story. He kept denying the accusations, but with his excessive use of rhetoric and his own gut feeling, Gakushuu could tell that the man was more or less lying.

His phone beeped minutes later. Sipping his coffee, he opened his inbox.

'Saw the news today?'