Some Things Stay the Same

2: The First Thing I Learned About You

January 17, Tuesday

First two weeks of school blended in, winter break fun no longer on students' minds in complaint of its end, and Akatani grew comfortable with the routine once more. Wake up early, breakfast, head to school, learn, stay after school, stop at the grocery parlor, dinner, bed, rinse, and repeat.

Every day.

Fridge was emptier than I last saw it this morning. Akatani ponders as he checks his pocket for the upteenth time to make sure the money he grabbed was still there. He should probably put it in his bag but... far away pockets didn't feel reassuring. He must have stayed home yesterday, then... I'll have to go to the supermarket instead to get all the stuff that got eaten.

Without pulling out the money, he carefully grasped onto his phone, cheap and worn from the years of use, and flipped it open to check the discounts they offered today.

"Poultry, so chicken and eggs..." Perfect for Oyakodon, Akatani checks the time the store would close, and purses his lips. He'd barely have thirty minutes of club to relax, practically needing to leave right after school ended.

He didn't want to but... it's not like he has a lot of money to spare. And he barely left any back at the house so he'll have to suck it up.

Akatani enters the school, and immediately goes to his shoe locker to change out of them so he can finally start his day. Annoyedly, he tries to be quick, opening and snatching the white indoor shoes before toeing off the ones he wears, because as much as he'd love to wait for Yuu, Katsukis locker is directly behind him. The prickles he gets just from being near him are exhausting, so he tries his best to avoid him, and if he can't, to at least have the guy in his sights instead of being in Katsukis.

Good thing all the classes they share, Akatanis name - Mikumo - gives him the privilege to always sit behind Katsuki, diagonally or directly. Bless the school seating system.

He's an early bird too, and Izuku has counted that as of currently, he sees the blond out of school just as much as in class. On the train, he's first to get on in the mornings, and last to get off after school-- when he catches him but that's pretty rare since Iuzku gets out relatively late. They almost walk together to school if it weren't for katsuki walking at a faster pace like he was late for something while Akatani takes his time, other students from the train surpassing him easily.

But everytime he gets through the double doors that lead to his locker, Katsuki is still there, putting on his shoes with great care as a scarf remains around his neck. Looks like his hurry is to get all of his winter coats and sweaters off.

There were three total from what Akatanis seen, and that's not including the light brown cardigan he keeps on for the rest of the day.

In his rush, Akatanis head bags against the inside of the locker when he goes to bend down and he hisses as he holds his head. It throbs under his palm, his brain practically vibrating in time with the metal locker as it squeaks weakly, the waves traveling all the way to the back of his head. He tries cooling the pain by pressing his forehead against another locker that's closed from his crouched position.

When he huffs and goes to stand back up, the back of his head bangs against something else, just as hard as before, but when he curses and looks up to see what it was, a body is there. His heart jumps just at the proximity of someone standing so close and his nerves buzz in a means to escape. When he looks up from the cardigan, he meets the person before the object of assault. Katsuki looks right back, an amusing chuckle following shortly after.

"You're a wreck, aren't you?" Katsuki asks as he looks down at the still, semi-crouching boy. Even if he's taller like this by only a few extra inches, Katsukis nose is upturned as his eyes look down at Akatani.