since deadlines are coming up faster than i care for, here's my new music school au for midotaka! featuring: classical pianist midorima, lead vocalist takao, takao with synesthesia, bakagami vs ahomine battle of the idiot drummers, izuki's cringeworthy puns, kasamatsu's badassery, miyaji's pineapple threats, and too much colour imagery!
notes/disclaimers: i don't own knb. i don't actually have chromesthesia like takao, and i don't know how music schools work. i only know how to play the piano.
Kazunari is in deep shit.
Not, like, actual shit, because that'd be gross, and honestly, how does one accidentally (or purposefully?) fall into actual shit on a school campus at eight-twenty-three in the morning? You'd have to be especially clumsy and have terrible luck and probably own a giant dog or a freaking horse because where else would the shit come from and anyway, that's not the point.
"Come on, come on, come on," he mutters under his breath, fingers tapping the counter impatiently. He stares down the barista currently topping off his drink with an intensity he usually reserves for the studio room or on the rare occasions he steps on court. There's a line behind him and a class he's definitely late for as of three minutes ago.
"One hazelnut soy latte, here you go-"
"Finally, thanks!" Kazunari grabs the drink right out of the barista's hands, nearly causing the poor kid to spill the beverage. Thank gods for the lid on the cup.
He turns and starts to weave his way through the ridiculous morning crowd of half-awake students and barely-slept-last-night crammers. It's a cloudy day, a pretty mellow and aloof Thursday, which was a nice change from yesterday's melodramatic Wednesday. He pushes through the people milling about, moving as fast as he can without burning himself with his drink, conscious of the fact that this is the third time this week he's going to be arriving late to Nobu-sensei's class with a caffeinated beverage in hand. Ah, well. It isn't like Nobu-sensei really cared, and Kazunari is breezing by at the top of the class anyway. Music just came naturally to him.
He reaches his class, slipping into the lecture while the sensei is writing some scales on the board. Nobody even glances at him, and he slides into his seat at the back of the classroom, right next to Kuroko, who blinks at him once before facing forwards again. When Kazunari is settled in with his notebook out and half-finished coffee on the desk, a note slides over from his left.
Seventeen minutes late this time. A new record, Takao-kun.
Kazunari rolls his eyes. Pulling off his headphones, he scribbles right back.
it wasn't my fault there was a line. i need my caffeine to function, kuroko.
Kuroko snorts lightly, barely looking up at him. The fair-haired boy turns his attention back to the lecture, and Kazunari does the same, allowing the muted olive of the sensei's droning voice to lull him into a half-awake sensation, not unlike the feeling he experienced barely two hours ago, when his alarm clock rudely interrupted his sweet dream of performing at the Budokan.
An hour later, Kazunari follows Kuroko out the door. The halls are filled with other students rushing to get to their next class and students with a need to stand in the middle and block everybody's way. He keeps pace with Kuroko, who somehow always manages to find the exact spots in the crowd that he can slip through without bumping into anyone.
"I finished another one," the shorter boy says to him, his expression and voice as mild as ever. But Kazunari has known his friend long enough to tell the tiny shifts in Kuroko's demeanor: the slight lift of his eyebrows and the brighter shade of azure in his tone indicates his pride and excitement in that statement.
"I thought you just started yesterday," grins Kazunari. "You're a miracle worker, you."
"Only barely," Kuroko replies with just a hint of a smile on his lips, "But if you'd like to see it, I can bring it around this afternoon. You are in the studio this afternoon, correct, Takao-kun?"
"You just want to see Kagami, don't you."
"Darn, you caught me," says Kuroko, though his facial features and voice remains blank and unchanged.
Kazunari laughs, hooking an arm around his friend's shoulders. "Yeah, your boyfriend looks hot playing the drums, I get it. You can also take a listen to the finished sound of the lyrics you gave me last week."
They're making their way to the west entrance when Kazunari suddenly pauses, his ears alert and listening. Kuroko walks a couple steps before turning back with a question in his blue eyes.
"What is it, Takao-kun?"
"Shh." Kazunari cocks his head, eyes widening. "Hear that? Forest greens and deep-sea turquoise, the sound of a piano."
"We're standing outside a music room, Takao-kun."
Kazunari turns. Kuroko's right, they are standing in the hall of independent study rooms, and the one on his left is currently in use. He steps closer, peeking in through the door to see a spacious room with the blinds open and natural light pouring in, spotlighting a single grand piano, and a boy sitting before it, coaxing a myriad of lush, steady hues from the ivory keys. Kazunari can only see his profile, but his sharp eyes can make out the youthful, smooth-cheeked face, and the serious set of the defined jawline. He leans closer, trying to make out the eyes hidden behind the reflection of the boy's glasses, but his nose hits the glass, and he lets out a small yelp.
"Who is that?" he says, rubbing his nose. The boy's fingers are still moving across the keyboard smoothly, showcasing obvious skill and grace. Kazunari has seen great pianists before, been to his sister's recitals numerous times, and has even worked with people that can master the classic instrument quickly and easily, but this is the first time a nameless piano player has captivated him so. Something about the boy sitting straight as a mic stand and the clear dignity in how he holds himself has Kazunari unable to look away. "He's amazing, isn't he, Kuroko? Man, what I wouldn't give to know his name."
"His name is Midorima Shintarou, year one, classical pianist."
Kazunari blinks, looking over at Kuroko with bewilderment. "You know him?"
"No, it says right here." The blue-haired boy points at the paper taped under the STUDY ROOM 4 sign, where there's a signup sheet for users.
"Oh." Kazunari returns his gaze to the boy inside. "Midorima Shintarou," he mutters to himself. "Midorima the pianist. Midorima Shintarou. Shin-chan."
Kuroko sends him a sidelong glance. "I thought you hated classical musicians."
"I wouldn't use hate, exactly, more like... an aversion. They're just kind of, boring, you know, always sticking to the score as written, like where is their sense of risk and adventure? And have you met some of them? That giant of a cellist, Murasakibara or something? He won't even talk to you if you aren't holding a string instrument in your hand. Or freaking Akashi Seijuurou, holy shit. He dismisses you as soon as you let slip that you can't identify between Haydn, Mozart, and Bach."
"Murasakibara-kun will talk to you if you give him Umaibo. And Akashi-kun is a musical genius, so his knowledge of music is probably on par with the professors here."
"Yeah, well, he freaks me out." Kazunari presses his face against the door again, watching the boy play. "Shin-chan here seems different though."
"You don't even know him," Kuroko deadpans.
Kazunari grins, his eyes narrowing. "Not yet I don't."
Kuroko sighs, glancing at his watch. "We're going to be late for our next class, Takao-kun."
"Alright, alright." The raven-haired boy steals one last look at the green-haired boy sitting at the piano, still in awe, before turning and following his friend down the hall.
...
..
.
"How did it end up like this," Kasamatsu, the lead guitarist, says flatly. His expression is a cross between absolute resignation and I-am-so-close-to-strangling-someone.
"Eh, I might've sorta told Kise that we were having practice today?" Kazunari shrugs, scratching his head.
They're in the private studio that they book every week for their up-and-coming band, which has just recently been gaining some attention from scouts and record label agents, thank you very much. Kuroko had brought over the newest songs he's finished writing, and Kazunari and Kasamatsu usually set about to adding a melody and arranging the piece right away, but ever since Kagami and Kuroko hooked up, the process has gotten even longer. It doesn't help when Kise and Aomine manage to follow Kuroko in as well, causing their practice to cease altogether in favour of ruckus and too many college boys in one room.
"Why" is all Kasamatsu has to offer, rubbing his temples in an exasperated manner.
"He's my roommate, man. And besides, it never hurts for Kagami to learn and improve." Kazunari grins carefreely, gesturing at where Aomine and Kagami are going at it on the drums, creating sharp shades of ginger and amber from their intense desire to show each other off. Aomine is well-known on campus for being a master of the rock genre, especially freestyling and improvisation, and his drumming skills were sought after from many bands but he refuses to join any, saying it "requires too much effort, I just want to nap and play ball, man."
"They're beating each other with the beat," Izuki exclaims, a finger in the air and a triumphant smile on his face. "Aha, can't believe I never thought of that before." He quickly pulls out his little joke book and leans against his keyboard to scribble his new oneliner down.
"Can't believe how terrible that pun was," sighs Miyaji, facepalming himself. He's already put his bass guitar back on the stand, knowing that practice, for the time being, was postponed indefinitely. "Why is this guy in the band, again?"
"Because a band with five guys is better than a band with four guys, right guys?" Kazunari grins brightly, ignoring the exasperated looks thrown his way.
Kasamatsu sighs, kicking Kise out of his personal space, and pulls his guitar over to where Kazunari is casually straddling a chair. "Come on, we might as well get some work done. What about that new song Kuroko finished?"
They settle down and ignore the dumbasses in the corner still bickering about who's better at drumming, discussing and debating different chords and tunes for the thoughtful lyrics Kuroko has written. There's always at least three different opinions for each line, with Kasamatsu going for the earnest heartfelt route, Miyaji going for whatever's flashier to play, and Kazunari going for what's going to catch the most attention in the market. At some point, Kuroko tires of hearing the horribly idiotic insults his best friend and boyfriend is flinging at each other, and wanders over to explain his words. Kazunari records a page and a half of what looks less like sheet music and more like a bunch of crossed-out scribbles and markings, but it's normal for first drafts, and by the time he sits down that night to write out a finished version, it'll look like something worth a million bucks.
"I think we got most of it," Miyaji says, looking over their hard work. "I can definitely have the bass down in two days."
Kasamatsu nods, his natural frown directed at the sheet before him. "We should be ready to run it through fully next week."
"That sounds good-" Izuki snaps his fingers, pointing at Kasamatsu, "like music to my ears!"
Everyone groans, but Kazunari furrows his brows at the sheet music in front of him. "I feel like something's missing."
"What do you mean?"
He shrugs. "It sounds good so far, you know, like our regular sound, but there isn't that- that pop, you know? Like, it's all oranges and yellows but it's missing that shade to tell the difference between sunset or sunrise?" He looks up to see the others blinking at him. "Uh, maybe that's too poetic?"
"No." Kasamatsu looks back down at the paper. "I sorta see what you mean, but I don't have a clue what's missing."
Miyaji sighs, rubbing his head. "I don't get your artistic instincts, man, but if you think there's something missing, then you'll find it. You always do, otherwise I would've chucked a pineapple at your stupid face already." He claps a hand on the raven-haired boy's shoulder. "I'm giving you a week."
"Eh?" Kazunari gapes at the bassist, who's already walking over to the corner where Aomine and Kagami are just about ready to tear each other's throats out with drumsticks and threatening to throw various produce at them.
"Yeah, Takao. We're counting on you." Even Kasamatsu is standing up and putting his guitar away. "Oh, and make sure to practice the other songs, too. We have a gig on Monday, right, Kuroko?"
The blue-eyed boy nods. "There is a bar a couple blocks from campus that hosts many underground performances. I've booked the band for 8pm."
"You're the man, Kuroko," says Izuki. He pauses, eyes lighting up again, and ignoring everybody's protests, he goes, "Or should I say- you're the manager?"
Kazunari sighs, looking back at the music. Sometimes he questions the people he spends his time with, and sometimes he asks why he always manages to find more work for himself. He picks up the papers, stuffing them in his bag. Well, the feeling of satisfaction and the looks on his bandmates' faces when they finally come to the right sound will be worth it. The music is worth it.
There's a crash and the sound of fists flying, and Kazunari looks up in time for a drumstick to smack him right in the face. He goes down with an ugly squawk.
"You idiotic boob-obsessed ganguro!"
"What did you call me, you burger-stuffed asshole!"
"Oh, I'm totally uploading this on Vine, Aominecchi, look here!"
"Kise, you idiot, don't record this, stop them! That's the fourth one they broke this month!"
"YOU LITTLE SHITS, I'M GOING TO RUN YOU BOTH OVER WITH KIMURA'S TRUCK!"
Kazunari takes it back. Sometimes, the music just isn't worth all this pain. He groans, already feeling a bruise starting to form on his eye. Stupid hot-headed drummers.
"Takao-kun, are you alright?"
Kazunari opens his good eye to see Kuroko's concerned expression that's really just the slightest of a crinkle between his blue eyes. "Your taste in men sucks."
why do all their names start with 'k'
i apologize for izuki's lame puns bc i have not studied enough in the art of punning, gomen izuki
more midorima next chapter! and akashi. if you'd like to request a character (since idk how long this fic will be) don't hesitate to hit up my tumblr and i'll see what i can do!