𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐄 | 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧 | ✓

ℌ𝔞𝔳𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔉𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔫𝔡𝔰

Shinso still felt bubbly inside from the kiss when he got home. He had an entire night to himself now that he'd cancelled his shift at work. He could catch up on his assignments for school... and get some sleep. That sounded blissful.

He heated up some ramen for himself and his mother, but when he tried to give it to her, she just rolled over on the couch and went to sleep. He cleaned up her empty liquor bottles and carried her slight frame into her bedroom, tucking her under the covers.

He took a quick shower and washed his hair. In the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the dirty mirror above the sink, he saw something beneath all the exhaustion... he looked happy.

Though his mother's alcoholism usually dampened his mood, he still felt an undeniable buzz beneath the surface. Staring down at his pale, scarred wrists, he for once in his life didn't want to see them bleeding in shreds.

☂

"Come eat lunch with us again, Hitoshi?" Monoma asked him at school the next day.

"Sure. But I have to stop by the faculty room first. Go on ahead without me."

"Okay."

Shinso had to make things right with Aizawa. He knew he'd lashed out when his sensei was just trying to help him. And he'd been avoiding him for a whole week now.

He knocked softly on the door to the faculty lounge.

"Come in."

"Hi. I came to say sorry for getting angry when you were just trying to help me."

Aizawa looked a little surprised at the sudden amend. "Shinso. I only want what's best for you."

Shinso folded into a respectful ninety-degree bow. "Gomen nasai," he said with utmost sincerity.

"It's forgiven. How are you feeling?"

"Good," Shinso couldn't keep a smile off his face.

"You look happy. Did something happen?"

"Well," Shinso shifted his weight from one foot to another. "Yes... I'm dating someone."

Aizawa flashed him a supportive grin — it was almost disarming to see the usually-dead-looking male show any emotions. "Really? That's great news."

"Yeah," Shinso grinned back.

"Does he go to this school?"

"Yes. Actually, it's Monoma."

"Monoma? Neito Monoma?" Aizawa did a double take.

"Is there something wrong with that?" he asked cautiously.

"No, no. He's just a bit of a lunatic," Aizawa said bluntly.

Shinso gave a short laugh. "I think he's just passionate about his class being the best."

"Alright. Well..."

"Well..."

Awkward.

"I'm going to eat lunch at his table."

"Oh. That's good."

"Yeah. Bye."

"Bye.

Saying everything was perfect would be a huge stretch. But Shinso could tell things would be looking up for him.

Monoma was halfway through his delicious lunch — Lunch Rush was a culinary king — when Shinso finally appeared.

"Oh, hello!" Monoma waved the other boy over.

Kendo and Tetsutetsu nudged each other and shared a look.

Shinso sat down next to Monoma. "Hi."

"So, listen Hitoshi, we've come up with the best game to prove whose class is better," Monoma began excitedly.

"He's so obsessed," Tetsutetsu drew circles in the air next to his temple.

"What's the game?" Shinso asked.

"Laser Tag!" Monoma said with a flourishing flick of his chopsticks.

"Um, pardon?"

"What?"

"What is Laser Tag?" Shinso repeated.

"I... Guys..." Tetsutetsu croaked in disappointment. "He doesn't know how to play Laser Tag."

"Do you get out much, Shinso-kun?" Kendo asked.

"Not rea—"

"Come on! I thought everyone knew how to play it!" Tetsutetsu gasped.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?" Shinso asked patiently.

"Okay, okay," Monoma recovered, "Basically, you're on separate teams, and you use laser guns to hit the enemy's vest, which has targets on it, and you get points for taking out the enemy—"

"Like paintball?" Shinso said.

"Yeah, pretty much!" Kendo enthused.

"So, do you wanna join class B's team?" Tetsutetsu asked.

Shinso shrugged. "Sure."

"Actually," Monoma cut in, "We're going to put you on Class A's team, because we asked Mei Hatsume to be our teams 21st member."

"Shinso-kun, you could be a double agent!" Tetsutetsu exclaimed.

"No, that's cheating. We'll beat Class A fair and square," Kendo said.

Shinso got the feeling he wouldn't get a say in this, so he nodded. "Class A is fine."

"Okay. We're going to Zone Games this Saturday, so make sure your schedule is free. Be there at 2 pm."