umm i have no idea how to bleach ur hair so if i have incorrect info forgive me bc i looked up on wikihow and took it from there u_u"
Kishinuma Yoshiki stares up at the ceiling, narrowing his eyes and wiping the drool dribbling down his chin. Closing his mouth, he gets up to brush his teeth and shower.
Aggressively moving the toothbrush inside his mouth, he looks in the mirror. His real hair is fading into the mix of his platinum blonde hair, starting at the roots and moving forth. He widens his eyes, nervously scratching his head.
Changing into his regular uniform and grooming himself in front of the mirror, he tilts his head to the side and raises his chin. It isn't that noticeable from there, right?
He's going to be late if he doesn't hurry the hell up.
Kishinuma frantically gathers his belongings and shoves them in his backpack. Before he leaves, the boy grabs a baseball cap and yanks it on top of his head, a few tufts of blonde hair poking out. He furrows his brows, grabbing his bag and running out the door and rushing into the bus.
He sits next to his beloved friend, Mochida Satoshi. The brunette gives him a questioning look before silently reaching to grab his cap, to which Kishinuma smacks his leg angrily. Mochida gasps, hand retreating as if it touched scalding hot water. Kishinuma squints and the corners of his mouth twitch, biting his lip and embarrassedly looking away. Mochida blinks.
"Kishinuma…?" The brunette touches his shoulder, leaning over to look at his face. The other boy's face is contorted into a grimace, looking down at his balled up fist.
"Don't fuckin' touch me." He snaps, adjusting the placement of his cap. Mochida scoots away from the boy and closer to the window.
As they get to school, students pour out of the bus and into the school. Kishinuma shoulders everyone he passes, even the gym teacher. Shinozaki knits her brows together when Yoshiki bumps into her without apologizing. "Hey, Kishinuma!" She grunts when he doesn't respond, continue to shove through the crowd. Her fingertips dig into the paper of her documents and she runs, hair flowing behind her.
Reaching out to grab his shoulder, Ayumi stumbles next to him and tries to get a look at his face. It's covered by his baseball cap, an apparent new style out of the blue. Kishinuma freezes, scowling and moving on to his first class. "What's gotten into you?" Shinozaki steps directly in front of him, sticking her nose in the air. Kishinuma stubbornly keeps his head low and shoves his hands into his pockets. The blue haired girl elbows him, steps matching with his.
Yoshiki murmurs. "Swear on your holy grave that you won't tell." Ayumi salutes, posture as flat as a board.
Dragging her behind the lockers, he takes off his cap and bows, the bleach fading away and his stunning auburn hair bleeding through. Shinozaki cocks her head, ruffling the mess. Yoshiki's cheeks are tinted with pink. "Stop…—"
Ayumi chuckles. "Is that really what you're worrying about?" The boy nods, putting his cap back on. "Honestly, nobody's going to really care."
The afternoon was drawled out immensely, however, Kishinuma survived. Mochida saw him after school, walking right up to him. "Kishinuma, you were acting really weird in the morning. Also, what's with the hat?" Yoshiki closes his eyes, dragging his hands down his face.
"I've—I've just been having a really bad hair day. Don't worry about it." Satoshi nods, rubbing his friend's shoulder apologetically. They get on the bus, engines coughing out smog and wheels powering away. Mochida spreads out his legs and lays back, slouching down his seat. Kishinuma looks out the window and unconsciously takes off his hat, putting it in his backpack. Satoshi can't help but stare.
Thickly swallowing at his friend, the brunette profusely adverts his gaze and tries to close his eyes, fiddling with his thumbs. Yoshiki looks over at him. "It's noticeable, right? What's even the point…" He scratches his head, placing his hands in his lap. Satoshi sputters.
"Wh– no! Of course not, Kishinuma…!" Is what he said. Well, maybe a little, is what he thought. No matter, the sky blue eyed boy sighs and shakes his head, looking at him.
"I'm planning to recolor my hair when I get home. Help me. Invite Shinozaki too, would ya?"
"Definitely." They share a longing smile, before Satoshi laughs underneath his breath and rubs his cheek against his shoulder.
His brown eyes shake as they attempt to analyze the instructions. Ayumi is laying out the materials, organizing everything. Clapping her hands together, her gaze darts from the materials to the list. Yoshiki gives a strained look. "Do we really have to do this…?"
Shinozaki jumps, shoulders hunching. "Ab-so-lutely! Do you want to be a whiny, crying mess tomorrow if you don't?" Satoshi gulps and leaves the room, while Kishinuma shakes his head.
"Alright, then." Ayumi begins, rolling the latex gloves down her wrist. She wiggles her fingers, dipping them into the petroleum jelly and applying it to the edges. Yoshiki closes his eyes.
Mochida comes back into the bathroom with a bowl of cream in hand. Dipping the brush in, it smoothly drips down back into the bowl and the blue haired girl grabs it, hands meeting. She massages her fingers through his scalp, slowly applying the bleach. Her hands form slow, fluid motions, faded platinum blonde starting to return.
It takes awhile, but all things do. Satoshi wraps his hands around Yoshiki's and gently presses them against his lips. They're dry, a bit cold but his hand whips back. His eyelids are still fluttered shut. Shinozaki giggles and tries to elbow the brunette.
Tapping him on the shoulder, he opens his eyes and she removes her gloves. "Alright, I'm done! How'd I do?" Yoshiki stands up to look in the mirror above the sink, knuckles grazing over his chin. His eyes brighten and he looks down, rubbing his hands together and licking his lips.
"You did good." Kishinuma says, pinching his neck. Satoshi grins and Ayumi pats his back, leaving the room.
Stripping out of his wear, he cleans up the materials on the bathroom floor and puts the discarded material in the trash. Yoshiki steps in the shower and turns on the water, warm water tickling his chest. "Mochida…! Hey, can you hear me?" He calls, lathering up the soap bar. He starts with his shoulders, moving down to elbows and wrists. Rubbing the suds on his legs and further down, Satoshi finally responds.
"Yeah, I can. Why?" His voice is muffled, sounding even quieter as it fights against the sound of the shower.
"Give me my towel. It should be on my bed." Kishinuma continues by washing his hair, putting his head directly under the water stream. He squeezes a bit shampoo in the palm of his hand, rubbing it into his head vigorously.
Satoshi knocks twice before entering. He freezes when the water goes silent, steam no longer coming from the shower. Yoshiki stands there, head peeking through the curtain. "Here." Handing the towel to him, Satoshi hides his hands behind his back and his heels dig right into the ground. The newly platinum blonde thanks him, wrapping the soft cloth around his waist and making the appropriate folds. His smile is genuine, the way it reaches to his eyes and how the glow to his cheeks seem more familiar to the earlier moments.
Satoshi patiently waits in the kitchen for Kishinuma to arrive. Shinozaki is making glasses of lemonade, squeezing out the sickly sweet citrus and putting it in the pitcher. She adds sugar and a pinch of salt, along with a lot of water. The brunette's head begin to spin when she added the last, seventh cup.
The liquid fills the glass up half way when Shinozaki pours a glass for him. She plops in three ice cubes, and a lemon slice placed at the brim. Satoshi smiles at her and sips the lemonade. It's a mixture of things; a bitter sweetness, and a subtle tartness. Satoshi smacks his lips, watching the ice float in the glass. The blue haired girl pours glasses of lemonade for herself and Yoshiki for when he's finished.
The blonde returns to the kitchen, properly dressed and hair a tad damp. He props himself against a wall and Ayumi hands him a cool glass of lemonade. She quickly kisses his cheek and surprisingly, Satoshi is okay with that. Kishinuma numbingly sighs, taking a swig of his drink. The brunette's brown eyes focus on how the lump in his throat disappears, taking a quick glance at Shinozaki.
They end the day by watching a movie, Satoshi on the left, Ayumi on the right, and Yoshiki in the middle. Somehow, everything felt alright. The sun set with a blur of colors, purple, red, orange, yellow; they all appeared the same.