A/N: So here we go! To give you a bit of background, this is just your typical university AU. The main focus of this fic will be Makoto, and the many things he experiences (most importantly, love) as he goes through the motions of college life. Please note that I made all of the characters batchmates, so please don't be confused by the events and details that come up. It IS an AU after all, so as long as I have the essence of the character down, it's all good. Right? Okay, enough of my yapping! LET'S GET TO THE STORY. I hope you guys enjoy reading, and I'd appreciate it a whole bunch if you left comments and reviews! It'll make me much more inspired to finish the following chapters!

CHAPTER ONE: A Hard Day's Night

"Here ya' go, kid! Hakken University! I don't think I can go inside, so you'll have ta' go down here and look for your dorm yourself."

After catching a glimpse of his destination through the vehicle's window, Makoto quickly turned his head back to the driver, flashing a genuine smile out of gratitude. Remembering that he has yet to pay for the kind man's services, he quickly rummaged through his belongings for his wallet. With his money in hand, he glanced at the amount that was flashing on the automobile's meter and took out the amount of bills that would suffice for his fare. The operator received the cash graciously and then pulled out his own purse, looking for the change to be returned. Before he could, however, the teenager spoke up.

"You can keep the extra! I'm sure you could buy something for your kids with the amount left over."

There were no second thoughts about the altruistic gesture, as such was the nature of the adolescent. Throughout the ride, the two had exchanged anecdotes with one another - the elder about his family and the younger about his hometown.

"Thanks for the ride, sir. I enjoyed listening to your stories! I hope you have a nice day."

With one last smile, he proceeded to get out of the cab. He was greeted by the intimidating architecture that was the university he was going to be attending, and after panoramically taking the sight in, he stuffs his money back inside his backpack and moves his luggage from the trunk of the taxi to the sidewalk. He diverts his attention back to the entrance of the institution that was going to be his home for the next few years, and he couldn't help but feel anxious.

As cliché as it might sound, those gates were a metaphor for him. It really felt like he was entering a brand new chapter in his life, being away from his family and the place where he had spent the whole of his life in. This was certainly uncharted territory for him, in more ways than one.

This is really it, he thought. Starting tomorrow, Tachibana Makoto was going to officially be a college student.

Breathing in deeply, he decided that he should waste no time in finding his dormitory. Living alone was going to be a first for him, and he thought that he should get settled as soon as possible. There was also the fact that he was getting tired of dragging all of his stuff around.

Now, without hesitation, he headed to the entryway where he was greeted by a couple of security guards who promptly asked for some sort of identification. After reacquiring his wallet and showing them his former high school ID, they told him that he could resume on his way. Before he did, he explained to them that he was a freshman and that he needed directions to where his living quarters would be.

"Of course, sir. Just turn right, and walk all the way until the end of the road. There should be a sign pointing to the dorm complex there. All of them have guideposts, so you shouldn't have trouble in finding the one you've been assigned to."

He nods and voices his gratitude before following the instructions that he had just received. It took a while on foot to get there, but the series of buildings for lodging were there just as the watchmen had described. There was a form of signage on each one, bearing a single letter that referred to which residence they were.

Makoto had been allocated to Dormitory B, which was the one that was closest to him.

A few minutes after, he found himself standing at the front desk area, eager to get the keys to where he would be living. There was a man there with golden hair who greeted him with much enthusiasm, and the fresh grad couldn't help but notice his unusual hairstyle.

"Welcome! The name's Goro Sasabe, an' I'm the manager of Dormitory B. What can I do for ya' today, kid?"

"Good afternoon! My name's Tachibana Makoto, and I'm an incoming freshman. I've been assigned here, and I was hoping to get the keys to my room."

"Sure! What room number?"

"214, sir."

"Here ya' go, Makoto-kun – the keys ta' room 214. You can take the stairs there, an' it'll should be the first room on the right. But just in case, check the number."

"Thank you, Sasabe-san. I hope you have a nice day."

"No worries! It's a pleasure ta' have ya' here!"

He waved goodbye to the place's overseer, before making quick work of the flight of steps and locating the promptly numbered door which unlocked with ease. Faced with where he was going to be sleeping for the following school year, his green pupils scanned the area. All the basic necessities were there – a bed, a closet, a study table, a chair, and a fan. It wasn't as big as his bedroom back at Iwatobi, but it was spacious enough for him not to have any misgivings.

He set his luggage aside and sat on the bed, only just realizing how exhausting his journey had been. He wasn't surprised, though, for he had taken all kinds of transportation to get to the university, and his baggage wasn't exactly the easiest thing to drag around. He feels the call of nature nagging him, which reminds him that he still has to do an inspection of the bathroom.

Just like the previous space, it only housed what was required – a water closet, a sink, and a shower. His thoughts immediately drift towards his best friend, Haru, and how he would disapprove of the non-existence of a bathtub to wallow in. For Makoto though, it was enough.

After a quick session of urination and washing his hands, he returned to the comfort of his mattress. Suddenly, he felt his cellphone vibrate in the back pocket of his pants. Upon unlocking it, it revealed to him that he had 3 unread messages - the most recent one from his high school friend, Rei, and the other two from his mother. He presses the older messages open, thinking that she was just checking up on his situation.

[Mom]: Mako, text us when you're in your dorm, honey!

[Mom]: If ever you need more money, just call us. Okay, honey? Your father and I love you.

It didn't come as a shock to him that his parents were worried, for this was going to be the first instance that they were going to be apart for such a long period of time. If he were to be completely honest, he was much more amazed that they hadn't bombarded him with texts. It seemed, though, that they had accepted the long-term separation easily, and he could only be grateful that he had such a supportive and loving mom and dad. Yes, he sorely missed his family already, but he was looking forward to this new environment.

[Text]: I just arrived at the dorm, and don't worry, I'm doing good so far. Love you too, mom. Tell the twins and dad that I'm safe and I love them!

After sending his reply, he checked the message from Rei, which he had also expected. The two of them, along with Nagisa, were going to be attending Hakken together, and the aspiring scientist was even going to be residing in the dormitories as well. Despite applying for different courses, he found comfort in the fact that two of his good buddies were going to the same school and that he would, at least, know two people in campus.

Once again, he remembers his closest friend. They had been inseparable - from when they met each other when the Nanase's were new in the neighborhood up until their high school graduation. When the time came for them to diverge paths, it was extremely difficult for Makoto to fathom that they were going to be miles apart - him, continuing his education, and Haru, training for a career in competitive swimming. He would have loved to have stayed close physically, but both of them knew that it was for the best if they each pursued their own passions. After all, a little distance couldn't possibly degrade their friendship, especially if they promised that they would at least chat once a day.

Pulling his mind back to present issues, he reverted himself back to the message.

[Rei]: Makoto-san, I'm here at my dorm fixing my things. If you're at the campus already, would you like to have dinner together?

[Text]: Sure, we can! Which dorm were you assigned to?

It doesn't take long for the other to answer.

[Rei]: Dormitory F.

[Text]: I'm in Dorm B. I'll visit you there in a bit. I'll just arrange my stuff later tonight.

[Rei]: Okay. It's directly in front of Dorm C, which is beside you. See you in a while, Makoto-san.

[Text]: See you!

Right after the last words were sent, he returned the phone to his pants, searched his bag for his wallet which he intercepts with little difficulty. After peeking at its contents and being secure that he had enough for a full meal, he hastily rammed it into his other back pocket. A night out with someone he knew well and without any kind of supervision was just the beginning of a path towards independence.

He tried to envision what the following day would be like for him – with his first lectures, meeting new classmates and professors, moving from classroom to classroom and getting to explore the wide expanse of the school for the first time. He immediately regrets not being able to familiarize himself with the campus layout, but he remains hopeful that he would not get lost and that there would be no mishaps.

He ruminated on his decision to go after a degree in education, something that a lot of people encouraged him to push through with. They reasoned that it would be the perfect avenue to take, for it was a match with the caring and patient personality that he had. The truth was, he didn't really have a clear dream of his own, and that was something that had been bothering him. When the time came for him to decide on a road to tackle, he guessed that it would be fulfilling to help children realize and achieve their respective goals in life.

Who knows? Maybe he'll realize his true ambitions soon.

He was rocked back to reality when he felt a massive force hit the left side of his body, which caused him to end up on the floor. He winced at the discomfort from the impact, and when he opened his eyes, there was a hand of assistance that had been outstretched. Without taking a glance at who he had collided with, he took a tight grip, and with both their efforts, he was soon standing upright.

"Sorry 'bout that, I hope you're not hurt."

"It's alright! I'm fine. I should have been paying attention to where I was goi-!"

His speech had come to an abrupt halt, when he laid his eyes on the person he had bumped into. He was left flabbergasted by the sheer height, something that he was not accustomed to for he was usually the one who would tower over others. Frankly, Makoto thought it was a little bit terrifying. In addition to the tallness, there were a number of characteristics that made the other seem very intimidating – the unruly dark hair, the deep baritone voice, the stoic expression, the pierced ear, and the built form.

Oh god, did he just suddenly check this guy out?

"Uh, you sure you're okay? You look like you're spacin' out."

"No, no, no! I'm good."

With his reassurance, the stranger continued on his path, leaving a slightly shaken Tachibana who was still processing what had happened. He was about to resume walking as well, when he saw a glint of something out of the corner of his eye. He stepped towards it and picked it up, and when he brought it close to his face is when he realized what it was.

It was a guitar pick. It was black, but it had a dark teal, tribal pattern that resembled a shark. Something told him that it belonged to the individual that he had run into just moments ago. He turned around, but there was no one in sight. He pondered on whether he should just leave it where he found it, but he ultimately decided against it. He placed the sturdy piece of plastic in his front pocket, before hurriedly treading towards his terminus.

It took him a minute or two, but he finally reached the lobby of met the bespectacled teen who was in his signature, calculated pose, fingers placed on the edges on the red fames of his glasses.

"Did you get lost, Makoto-san? It took you longer than expected to get here."

"Nope, I just got distracted on the way here. It's so great to see you, Rei! How are you?"

"I'm fine, just a little tired from fixing my things in our room."

"Our room? You're sharing it with someone?"

"Ah, yes. The dormitories for those who are attending the university under scholarship have two to a room. So I have a roommate."

"Interesting. Have you met him yet?"

"I had a brief conversation with him, but he had to take off after a while."

"I'm sure the two of you will get along just fine, Rei."

"I hope so too. We are going to be spending one whole school year together, so it would be beautiful if we have a good relationship. By the way, where are we going to eat, Makoto-san?"

"I'm not sure. It is the first time we're both going to explore the eateries here. Let's just go with the first one we see, then?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

I did not take long for them to encounter a restaurant. They had a long conversation over their orders about the courses that they had taken, their hopes and expectations of college, and what they had been doing during the vacation. A couple of hours flew by, and with their hungers satisfied, they resolved to head back to their respective residences and make the due preparations for the big day they both had tomorrow.

Once he reached his room, he flopped on the bed, exhausted from the events that had transpired throughout his day. There was one last thing that needed to be done, however, before he could get the rest that he deserved before the first day of class, he needed to properly arrange his belongings.

He takes off his shirt and replaces it with a much more comfortable one. He was about to do the same with his jeans, but then he remembered that he had inserted something in its front compartment that afternoon. He takes it out, recalling the occurrence that had led the small object to his possession. His stare was fixed at the pick, and he was still curious about who owned it. He turned it over, and he was astonished by what he discerned. It was a detail he had overlooked when he first obtained it.

There were two letters that had been scribbled in silver, quite faded, but still very much readable: Y.S.

A/N: So I hoped you guys liked the set-up. There have been a lot of important details mentioned here that will come up later in the story! Just so you guys don't anticipate too much, the maximum I'll take to update the fic is 2 weeks, since I do have school. Don't worry though, the whole fic has been planned out and I do intend to see this through to the end. Again, I'd really appreciate it if you guys left your comments and reviews! See you in the next chapter, loves!