Lighter | Noriaki Kakyoin

1| Scratch

They entered the classroom together.

And with that, confirming every rumor that Kujo Jotaro and Kakyoin Noriaki were together on whatever it is that made them stay away from school for more than two months.

No one tried to disguise their stares as they occupied their seats. To be fair, I couldn't look away, either. It made me wonder what had made The Kujo Jotaro allow himself to get close to that boy who walked as silently as his shadow. He didn't look insecure but instead dissatisfied with all the attention he was receiving. He moved his elegant frame with composure, delicate features almost too sharp.

We met eyes as he passed. For the brief second that his gaze lingered on mine, I tried to get the most detailed picture of him. Red hair, purple eyes, and yet managed to give the impression of someone who valued keeping a low profile. Something about him was so... compelling.

I didn't hear his voice for the rest of the period.

...

I drummed the melody looping inside my head as my feet dragged me home. The leaves and branches on my way all met the same merciless fate of boot flattening, and the sound was pleasing. That is, until one particular sturdy twig decided to avenge its friends. It didn't crack beneath me, and my body yanked forward as I lost balance. I let out a small cry of pain as my knees absorbed half of the impact, the other half distributed to my palm.

I cursed quietly. Quick and agile footsteps neared me from behind, and this time I cursed slightly louder. My hands swiftly snapped the dirt off my skirt, but a sudden pain made me realize I had scratched them. This delayed me for long enough for that person to catch up, and soon he was crouching beside me, his hand laid carefully on my back.

"Are you okay?" He asked even as he inspected me from head to toes, scanning for damage.

"I'm fine." My face, which was already reasonably red, heated even more as I recognized the purplish gaze greeting me. Did he see me fall? Was he walking behind me all along, or did he just come running because of my shriek? Either way, talk about a good first impression. "It was nothing, really."

"Let me see that." He motioned me to sit back, and I did so without thinking. A small pouch of blood dotted my knee and threatened to drip. It was not a big bruise, but I was still a little surprised. He gently brushed a tiny leaf away from my thigh, making me wince. "I'm sorry." He froze and looked back at me as if waiting for my reaction.

"It's nothing! Don't worry about it. I'll just put on a bandaid once I get home." I motioned to get up, but his hand moved to my shoulder and kept me still.

"I have one with me. Please wait a second." He set his bag on the ground and reached for a side pocket. His long fingers fished a bandaid out and started opening it. "Hold still, please. This should only hurt for a moment." I nodded and braced, only to avoid making an even bigger fool of myself in front of him.

As it turned out, his touch was as tender as he appeared to be, and I barely felt any pain at all. What I did feel was the brush of his skin against mine, his fingers carefully holding the back of my leg still while his other hand pressed the bandaid against my bruise. 

"There, all done." He smiled lightly and offered me his hand as he got up first. I finished freeing my palms of what was left of the dirt and accepted. "We are from the same class, aren't we? My name is Kakyoin Noriaki."

"I know." I felt my blood grow hotter as it came to me that this was perhaps not the wisest choice of words. "I know you, I mean! I'm Natsume Yubi. I sit a couple seats ahead."

"I see. I am glad to have another friend in our class." He said the word 'friend' as if it tasted strange on his tongue and wondered for a bit before proceeding. "Well, it appears that our ways home are similar. May I accompany you?" His words were formal, yet he sounded natural. He looked at me in expectation as the sun rays lazily bathed his skin.

"Of course! Everything's better with a company, after all." I smiled as broadly as I could, but he answered with a puzzled expression.

"Is that so..." His feet were already moving, though, and I got the impression he was only talking to himself. 

...

We walked in pleasant silence for a while, until a noise made Kakyoin halt. I noticed his muscles suddenly grow tense, his eyes running every centimeter of our perimeter until he spoke again.

"You heard that, didn't you?"

"I did. Must have been a cat or something." His frown didn't ease at my words, and he kept alert.

"Mayhaps. In any case, I must stop somewhere before heading back, so I am afraid we will be parting ways now." Even before the phrase was finished, his body had already turned to leave. 

"Oh. I see. Well, see you tomorrow, then." I did my best to hide the disappointment in my voice, as I wasn't really sure where it came from.

"Yes, see you tomorrow."

The suddenness of his departing caught me off guard, but I waved and continued on hesitantly. After two or three steps, I looked back to see where he was headed, but there was no one to be seen.