Everchanging

A Bad Day

!!TW!! Bullying, Nightmares, Slight SA/Injury, Slight Self-harm, Panic Attack, Slight Suicidal Thoughts

The room was ungodly loud for how early it was in the morning. It was doing nothing to soothe Kaigaku's ever growing migraine. Something in his stomach told him that today wouldn't be a good day and by the way that his temples were throbbing; he was inclined to agree.

Zenitsu sat on Kaigaku's desk, flicking his pens into his brother's lap. The rest of his friends haven't arrived yet since the boys got dropped off early so Sakura could go to a doctor's appointment. Now, Kaigaku was left mentally calculating how much sleep he could sneak in between now and when the bell rang. The desk was cool against his cheek but it didn't do much to quell his migraine, so he shut his eyes against the lights.

"Hey, Kai, did you finish Mr. Shinazugawa's study guide?" Zenitsu's voice was close, the boy leaning over so he could look at his brother's closed eyes. His warm fingers pushed inky black hair back and he watched Kaigaku's brows pinch slightly.

"Exams start tomorrow, and you still haven't finished the study guides?" Kaigaku huffed, swatting Zenitsu's hand away when the boy sheepishly laughed. "You're gonna fail."

"Nah I won't. I can just ask Tanjiro to help me study. Or Nezuko. Yeah, I'll ask Nezuko." The boy's face grew a little pinkish at the mention of the girl and Kaigaku simply rolled his eyes. "Hey! The only subjects that I suck at are Math and Chemistry. That's it!"

"And English Studies. You also suck at Mr. Tomioka's class." Kaigaku supplied as he patted his brother on the knee when the boy lost his coloring. He was probably just realizing the predicament he had gotten himself into. "Don't worry, I'll lend you my notes after dinner. And maybe your friends will send you some of theirs."

Zenitsu opened his mouth to say something else but both Agatsuma's were interrupted by a hand slamming open on the desk. The blonde boy yelped with a jump, quickly moving so he was standing behind his brother instead of sitting on the desk. Kaigaku, however, stood his ground and simply glared.

"Long time no see, Kaigaku~" Ume smiled as she took Zenitsu's spot on the desk, shoving Kaigaku's things onto the ground with a loud clatter. Ignoring his growing migraine, Kaigaku simply raised a brow and scoffed.

"Your makeup looks like shit today, Ume. Are you feeling okay?" He leaned back in his chair, only two feet remaining on the ground when he noticed her brother walking over to join the fray. Ume, however, rolled her eyes hastily. Kaigaku could see her trying to check her makeup on the reflection of the window.

"I feel fine, thanks for asking though." Ume sighed, pulling out her ChapStick and resting her feet on the desk beside Kaigaku's. Her eyes shot to her brother quickly and Gyutaro simply shrugged so the girl smiled widely and turned back to Kaigaku. "We've noticed that you've been hanging out with some new friends. We're so happy for you, you used to have so much trouble making friends."

"Oh, fucking shove it you two-faced bitch. We all know you're lying." Kaigaku sneered back at her and took pride in how Ume minutely shrunk at his harsh tone. Gyutaro instinctively stepped between them, resting his knobby hand on his sister's knee in comfort.

Kaigaku often wondered about how those two worked. How did you genuinely love a sibling who was so twisted and disgusting? How could you stand by and watch someone hurt people and still completely support and love them? Was that what unconditional love meant?

But the more Kaigaku thought about it, it wasn't fair to either of them. To be loved and supported no matter how the other acted was unfair to them. It didn't give them room to grow or to see their wrongs or faults. They could never change or truly communicate if neither of them ever puts down the rose-tinted glasses.