Denial and Betrayal - Fushimi Saruhiko x OC

Chapter 10

"The Red King" Suoh Mikoto.
It is known that those who want to be his comrades mostly got burned down to nothingness by the flames surrounding him.
But those who conquered the flames were granted powers.

"Can you take my hand?" The King asked the two boys, his hands lit up in flames.

I stood by the side, watching, a hand on the Homra tattoo that appeared on my right collarbone.

Saruhiko and Misaki exchanged glances before hesitantly reaching out. A swirl of flame surrounded them before dying down.

"...Hey, they're in the same spots as mine too!" I exclaimed happily to the boys.

"Eh, they really are." Saruhiko said, looking down.

"Yes!" Misaki pumped his fist up in the air.
"With this we're genuine partners!"

"Ehhhhh..."
"So you mean all this time you haven't thought of us as your partners?" I teased him, laughing.

"Heh?"
"O-of course I did! Do you even have to ask?"
"But you know, it's awesome to have something as proof!"

"See I know it would work out somehow." Totsuka-san said from the couch behind us.
"Congrats, you three!"

"Yeah, it's gonna look bad if middle school candidates are burnt to death..." Kusanagi-san sighed.

"Saruhiko."
"Misaki."

"...Yeah."

We smiled and laughed, the boys bumping fists on each other's tattoos, me standing beside them, hands on their shoulders.
---
There was a chilling storm on the day of graduation.

Aya walked down the streets, umbrella in hand as the sad exchange of crying friends parting ways sounded in the background.

"Oogai." A raincoated figure called out to her.

"Yo, it's been a while huh." He said, lifting back the hood of his coat.

"...What do you want with me, you loser."

"Ahh...Ummm...."
"You don't need to worry about Saruhiko, Kaiharu, and I."
"We'll be able to graduate.

"Who's worried about you?"
"Anyways you'll be a dropout if you graduate from middle school."

"Aya, like, made it to Tsubagahara's high school."
"It's the best school for girls in Kanto. Mama is super happy."
"But Aya is not satisfied, boys school have higher standards. It's just that Aya, like, cannot go to one."

"Uhhh... You said so much in one breath..."
"You don't have to tell me all those things..."
"It's not like you want my acknowledgement, right?"

Misaki is so normal...
His parents remarried but that wasn't rare.
Born into a normal family and raised normay. That's all.
His only strong subject was P.E.
He acts tough but does nothing more than to rebel halfheartedly.
Why is this normal person... One of Saruhiko's only friends?

"That guy's well, you know, his father affects him." Misaki tried to explain.
"You should probably know better than I do."
"So why can't you understand him?"
"If you try to get his attention that way, he'll only interpret it as spite."
"That guy, gets easily affected by his own negative feelings."

"What do you mean like, get his attention?" She scoffed in disdain.
"Ridiculous."
"What else is there other than spite?"
"Aya hates Saruhiko."
"He has been a thorn in Aya's side every since he was born."

"Maybe things got bad cuz both of you are too smart..."
"But... Wouldn't it be better to say things out honestly?"
"He's weak against that... Most probably."