Reincarnation of hearts. [BL]

Kai

It's already been a week since I joined the school, and somehow, I managed to make a few friends. People here weren't as uptight as I thought they'd be, and that helped me settle in faster. The only thing that really bugged me was him.

The blond guy—Tachibana Harumi, as I'd learned—was always in the background, silently glaring or pretending I didn't exist. Despite sitting in the same class, I could feel his cold stares every time I glanced his way. And as if fate had a twisted sense of humor, he was in the photography club too.

It wasn't a surprise to see him there—he seemed like the artsy type. What was surprising, though, was the way he ignored me so intensely. I'd catch him watching me, only for him to look away as if I was invisible the second our eyes met. It was honestly weird, but I wasn't about to let it get under my skin.

Today, during our club meeting, Airi announced the latest assignment—a photo-taking mission. "We're going to split into teams," she said cheerfully, holding a clipboard. "Your task is to take pictures of the different areas around the school—capture the details, the atmosphere. You know the drill."

She started pairing people up, and I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see her grinning at me. "You're teaming up with Harumi!"

Great. I mentally sighed. Of all people. Harumi glanced at me briefly, his expression cold as usual before he returned to adjusting his camera. I grabbed mine, feeling the awkwardness already settling in.

As we headed outside, the air between us felt heavy. Harumi didn't say a word, his gaze focused on the task ahead, while I fidgeted with my camera strap, trying to figure out how to break the silence.

We wandered around the school, snapping pictures of the garden, the classrooms, the hallways. The quiet was suffocating, but I wasn't the type to let that last forever.

"So," I said, glancing over at him as we stood near the courtyard, "How long have you been in the club?"

He didn't even look at me. "One year."

I raised an eyebrow at his clipped tone but pressed on. "You must really like photography, huh?"

He stopped in his tracks, slowly turning to me. "Yeah." His voice was sharp, and I could practically feel the wall between us thickening. But I wasn't one to back down easily.

"Right." I smiled slightly, trying to keep things light. "What kind of stuff do you like to photograph? Nature? People?"

For the first time, Harumi seemed to hesitate. His eyes darted away for a second before he muttered, "I don't know. Whatever catches my eye."

It wasn't much, but it was something. I smiled a little wider. "That's cool. I'm more into candid shots, like capturing moments when people aren't paying attention. It feels more real, you know?"

Harumi didn't respond, but he didn't walk away either. We kept snapping pictures, the awkwardness still lingering but not as suffocating as before.

I glanced at him again, watching as he adjusted his camera settings with precision. After a few more pictures, I tried again. "So, why do you hate me?"

Harumi paused mid-click, his eyes snapping to mine. "I don't hate you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Could've fooled me. You've been giving me the cold shoulder since day one."

He scowled slightly, but there was a flicker of something behind his expression. "I don't hate you," he repeated, his voice quieter this time. "You just... annoy me."

I laughed, not expecting the honesty. "Fair enough. Guess I'll have to work on that."

For a moment, I thought I saw the slightest hint of a smile, but it disappeared just as quickly. Harumi turned away, focusing back on his camera, but the atmosphere between us felt a little less tense.

Maybe working with him wouldn't be so bad after all.

-
The day passed by, and it was time to head home. Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I made my way toward the bus stop. There, I saw Harumi already waiting, earphones in, looking lost in his thoughts as usual. His blond hair fell in soft strands over his face, with a few strands tucked behind his ear and he had that typical distant look.

Without overthinking it, I stepped onto the bus after him. There weren't many seats left, so I ended up sitting right next to him. He didn't even acknowledge me, staring out the window like he always did.

I tried not to feel awkward, but the silence between us was heavy. Finally, I decided to break it.

"Hey, Harumi," I said, trying to sound casual. He didn't respond at first, so I nudged him lightly.
He turned, blinking at me in surprise, then pulled one earbud out. "Yes?"

I smiled, trying to ease the tension. "I was just wondering... you've been in this school for a while, right?"

"Yeah," he said, leaning back in his seat. "Why?"

"I'm just trying to get to know people around here. You're pretty much the only one who hasn't really talked to me," I said, rubbing the back of my head awkwardly.

He raised an eyebrow. "I don't talk to people much. Especially when they talk too much." His eyes flickered toward me as if to prove a point.

"Well, I guess I'm just different then," I joked. "So, what got you into photography? You're really good."

Harumi stared out of the window for a moment before answering. "It's not that deep. I just like capturing things... moments, places. Stuff that doesn't change, I guess."

I nodded, intrigued. "Sounds like you've been doing it for a while."

"Yeah," he said shortly, but he didn't look uncomfortable. If anything, he seemed like he was thinking about something else.

We lapsed into a brief silence before I spoke again. "So... where do you live? I mean, since we walk the same direction together."

Harumi shot me a sidelong glance with a playful smirk. "You're not planning to stalk me, are you?" he teased. We both chuckled.

For a moment, we both just sat there, the bus rumbling softly beneath us. It wasn't much, but it felt like a start.

As the bus pulled up to our stop, we both stood, stepping off together.
"So, maybe we'll run into each other more often," I said, giving him a friendly smile.

Harumi shrugged. "Maybe."

We walked in the same direction, neither of us in a rush to say anything more, but it wasn't as awkward as before. I had a feeling that, little by little, I was getting to know him.