Wednesday Afternoons (Akashi Seijuro Fanfic)

001: Monday Morning

For some odd reason I admire and really look up to my older brother. He possesses a very calm and cool personality and if anything angers him, it rarely surfaces. To me, I find him extremely realistic, though his self-pride and resentfulness leans towards the unpleasant side, I still like the way he thinks... maybe because we are similar.

That's what I like to think at least.

It hasn't been long after dinner and it's usually during this period of time where my family would sit together on the couch for a little while before everyone disbands to resume their pre-dinner activities. "Hey Nii-san, did you do what I asked you to do the other day?" He stares at me with his blank dark eyes, ignoring me to read some light novel resting on his lap.

My admiration for this person would deepen if he didn't have the tendency to ignore people as often as he exchanges breaths. Sharing the same couch, I scoot over to him and poke his cheek as he continues to ignore me. He doesn't need to act unfazed because I can tell he's irritated, and in about three seconds, he will get a mug of warm water and walk back to his room.

The spot next to me is now empty.

"Noriko, stop watching TV and go study. You look up to Chihiro but your grades are appalling." My mother states, accompanied by the squeaking of a cloth rubbing against an almost sparkling clean dish. I can sense the twitch in my brother's ears as he turns to face our mother, "What? I am not the reason she sucks. I'm doing alright, she's just an idiot on her own accord."

As per usual he ignores me and takes his steps back into his room, and I will probably never see him again until the next breakfast, lunch or dinner.

"Gee, always taking offense to things. I meant he has good grades and since you look up to him you should be doing the same." My mother says, grabbing another dirty dish to scrub.

"I was proud you got a scholarship to Rakuzan High. You were always a top student at your old school but as soon as you transferred... your grades decline faster than Chihiro's happiness, absolutely shameful." My father decides to chirp in, I fake a laugh at the two of them and run back to my room in attempt to avoid the 'family roast'.

I mean after all, I'm still full from dinner.

The softness of my mattress welcomes me as I climb into bed and stare at my distinguished uniform from the reputable high school I attend. Today is the end of my first term holidays, and tomorrow will be a new start to my academic career...hopefully.

*

"Nori!!! Good morning!" My closest friend, Kawashima Mei greets me with a benevolent smile. I have always disliked the way she addressed me, I understand it's a nickname and all but who even wants to be called seaweed (nori)? I guess my brother is also cursed with our parent's lack of creativity and poor naming skills, his name is mostly given to females.

"Good morning Mei, did you do your holiday homework?" I hastily ask but she gives me a weird look, "If you're asking me just so you can copy, I'll let you know right now that you won't be seeing any of it." I close my eyes and heave a long sigh. It's not that I didn't finish my homework, I just didn't do the parts that were overly difficult and incomprehensible.

"Please, I did do it. Just let me see the parts I didn't understand so I can fill in some blank spaces!" I fake a smile only to earn her raised eyebrow.

"So in other words, you didn't do most of your work." I frown at her and lean against my desk, though Mei is a close friend of mine, I don't see us being friends after high school. I did talk to her online during the holidays but she always wanted to be the subject of our conversations, and to me it wasn't pleasant which is why I don't talk to her outside of school anymore in general. Don't get me wrong though, I care for her deeply.