Words Aren't Perfect | Tsukiyama ✓

[1] Summer Camp

Myself-Bazzi

Slight swearing.

The light haired boy clicked his pencil a few times before jamming it against the desk to push the led back inside.

He sighed. The lesson was boring today, as it had been all week. Ever since he sat down in the chair for the first time, he'd questioned all his life decisions-especially when he realized he'd sat next to the green haired Yamaguchi Tadashi.

Tsukishima hadn't even realized he'd sat next to Yamaguchi. He instantly got annoyed-not at the boy, but at himself-because it must've been instinct, muscle memory, or something of the sort.

He'd sat next to Yamaguchi in 7th and 8th grade, and that must've been why he sat next to him now. On repeat, the green haired boy would wave, smile, say good morning, and make Tsukishima's day.

Now, when Kei sat, bored during the lesson for summer camp, his former green haired friend didn't wave, smile, or say good morning.

It was just a glance. That's all Tsukishima got, and it annoyed him.

"Okay everyone," the teacher said. "Talk to today's partner and introduce yourselves. Remember: your full name, hobby, and an interesting fact about yourself."

Every day, the class got a new partner. It wasn't even assigned. You just had to sit next to someone else.

Both Tsukishima and Yamaguchi stayed silent. Tsukishima, because Yamaguchi already knew everything about him. Yamaguchi, because he was mute, and Tsukishima still didn't know why.

After a few more seconds of awkward silence, the class was brought back to attention, which was ineffective against Tsukishima.

The day passed by slowly. Kei ignored Yamaguchi and vise versa, somehow without passing any negative emotions. Neither answered any questions, and neither took notes. They were both bored, and nothing changed.

Dismissal came. Today was Friday, the last day of the summer class. Relieved, Tsukishima pulled out his phone and set on his headphones, pretending to be busy even though he wasn't even listening to music.

He hadn't even noticed the humming right away; it was faint, but each note was in perfect pitch.

Tsukishima turned around. A few paces behind him stood Yamaguchi, who rocked back and forth on his feet while scanning the car line for his parents.

The two made eye contact for a split second, but Yamaguchi pulled his eyes away first, never pausing the melody. However, another loud noise broke it off.

Another kid fell to the ground and the other three laughed cruelly, watching blood drop from the individual's nose.

Kei instantly knew what was going on. He stepped to the group of three and towered over them.

"Giving your friend a bloody nose? What'd he do to you?"

One of them barks a laugh. "C'mon, look at him. He's ugly and stupid."

"Pushing him over just for that?" Tsukishima cracks out a sadistic smile. "Pathetic."

They shivered, looked at the boy they'd pushed, and walked to a different side of the dismissal area.

Tsukishima looked at the boy as well. A few years ran down his cheeks, but it wasn't anything attention-grabbing. He figured the injury wasn't severe enough to need immediate treatment-it was just a common nosebleed-so he left the kid there and walked back to his spot in front of Yamaguchi.

Except, Yamaguchi wasn't behind him anymore.

The green haired boy held a hand to the other, who accepted and stumbled while standing up. Tadashi gives a sad smile to the boy, squeezes his hand, and gives him a few tissues. Though a stranger, Tsukishima realizes, they both shared a smile. And they didn't even speak a word.

The boy's tears were wiped away. He hugged Yamaguchi almost fiercely, probably feeling indebted. But the boy's name must've been called for dismissal, because he ran off to one of the cars.

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes. The kid had hugged Tadashi, but not him. His tears hadn't settle even after the group had left, and why not?

Yamaguchi must've been a mind reader, because a slip of paper was pressed into Kei's hand.

"Words aren't everything", it says.

What the hell does that mean?

a/n (2nd Oct., 2020)
this book used to be called Words Aren't Everything. I'm now changing it to Words Aren't Perfect because I want to abbreviate it to WAP (for multiple reasons). sorry but whenever people would abbreviate it to WAE i just wanted to lose my shit even though that's what its supposed to be. anyways, head to chapter 2 for that wet ass p-