Overgrown ➵ Akashi Seijuro

three

Chapter Three

About two weeks after my outing with the other first-years, I found myself running to the gym, papers clasped in my hands and a grin on my face.

Time at school passed quicker than I could have expected. Homeschooling had passed by in a monotonous sequence of the same room, the same tutor, the same style of lesson no matter the subject. I'd found myself dragging my feet to lessons, dreading the same pattern yet again, and time dragged if only to mock my frustration.

Teiko was the exact opposite. Every day blurred together in different patterns, different teachers, and different content. I found lessons thoroughly enjoyable and delighted from learning the new content in a way that contrasted the methods my tutor of six years always had.

Of course, having Sei in the same class made classes that much better. I'd started to pass notes to him while the teacher was talking, usually with a quip about the class or content. He'd stared blankly at me after the first one, but eventually relented and sent me notes back, even if they always involved a dry comment that we shouldn't be doing this.

Well, we hadn't gotten caught so far and, frankly, I doubted we ever would.

And then there was the basketball club, and it was more than I ever imagined.

Being in the same club as Sei was reason enough for me to love it, but I'd made other bonds, too. I wouldn't exactly call Aomine, Midorima, and Mursakibara my friends yet – we hadn't interacted often enough to become really close – but I was comfortable around them. We were definitely more than acquaintances, at least. They always greeted me if we passed, and stopped for a small chat between breaks when I passed around towels and drinks. And that wasn't all I did during the club: there were the jobs more management-focused that Satsuki and I performed often, helping every training session run smoothly.

I was thriving on it – and I loved my position as manager most, being able to help from the sidelines, watching my fellow first years already succeed.

I'd been asked to leave the gym to pick up some training menus that had just been printed out, which I gathered quickly. When I re-entered, it was to find the team had disbanded for a quick drink break. My eyes instantly picked Sei out in the crowd and, before I sought out who needed the papers, I grabbed Sei's drink bottle and a towel and made my way to him.

Sei smiled when I handed the items over to him. It had become a habit, me seeking him out whenever practice halted. "Thanks, Akane," he said, and towelled down his sweat-drenched face. He only managed to chug down a few quick sips before the team was recalled: I took them back with a word of encouragement, which made him chuckle before he jogged in with the rest of the team. I put both objects back, carefully holding the papers the entire time so as not to mess them up.

Satsuki materialised beside me when I placed the bottle down. "Hey, Akane?"

"Hmm?" I turned, grinning when I saw her. Satsuki and I had become particularly good friends over the past few weeks: we'd had ample opportunity to talk, and found we got along without much effort at all. The fears I had about being unable to make friends vanished shortly after I met Satsuki. "What is it?"

"You and Akashi-kun are close, aren't you?"

My eyes slipped involuntarily over to Sei at mention of his name. My face softened. "Yeah," I murmured. "We are."

"He doesn't seem to get particularly close to anyone but you."

"Believe me, Sei likes everyone here – we both consider you all to be friends. His upbringing, however -" I cut myself off with a sigh, pressing my lips tightly together. I wouldn't divulge my friend's past to others without knowing if he was comfortable with it being known. It felt like a betray of trust.