So I've had this idea for awhile, but have been putting it off because I'm already stressed from school and trying to balance two of my other fics, but, oh well! Might as well do one more!

Yes, I'll admit - the idea is really weird. And it'll be following more of America's high school then Japan's.

Yes, that's right. I'm calling Reading & Writing class English in this.

I'm so sorry.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sekaiichi Hatsukoi.

The band room had recently been refurbished, walls painted a blinding white, promethean board up at the front of the room, and fake marble flooring installed in place of the dull, old carpet.

The veterans of band figured this was a good way to begin a new year, with the new batch of freshmen coming to their high school, and with their new teacher.

Their new teacher was a handsome young upstart, with a head of mussy honey hair, and ears full of piercings from his high school years he found himself unable to part with. He had served only two years of college, taking enough classes to receive all his credits in such a short time, and was currently working on his major when not teaching.

The previous year he had been a guest in Marukawa High's band room, and the students had immediately fallen in love with his outgoing nature and sparkly appearance. He had the ability to play almost every instrument, though he specialized in percussion, and the students could only find this fitting in with his loud demeanor.

The students were used to him, and had grown to love him - perhaps that is why he will be teaching this year's band class of 2014.

The Freshmen of 2014 gathered together when they heard of a new teacher - unlike the veterans, they had never met young Kou Yukina, and, already nervous about leaving behind the middle school and entering high school, they were slowly but surely scaring themselves.

Shouta Kisa and Ritsu Onodera were two of the soon-to-be ninth graders present, sitting on Chiaki Yoshino's couch, still dressed in their nightwear at 3:30 in the afternoon. His sister had thankfully gone to one of her friend's to give them the house, his mother at work until 7:30.

Chiaki stepped out from the kitchen, vigorously pouring salt over his ramen.

"You're going to give yourself a heart attack." remarked Shouta from the couch, hand itching at his stomach, pulling up the baggy tee-shirt to expose pale, smooth skin.

"Tori can't come over today to cook for me." said the other noirette, sitting the salt shaker on the entertainment center and plopping down on the recliner.

"I could of cooked for you." said Shouta, though did not move from the couch, not even bothering to sit up - though he did kick his foot out, hitting Ritsu in his elbow, effectively scaring away the gray, long-haired cat the brunette had been petting.

"Ano - Mr. Jingles, come back." said Ritsu, rubbing his pointer finger and thumb together, the overweight cat watching with round, yellow eyes.

"Ricchan, what are you doing? You're really quiet." said Shouta, finally sitting up, shirt falling down as he rose.

"Thinking." replied the boy as Mr. Jingles swayed as elegantly as his weight would allow towards Ritsu, fluffy tail swishing behind him.

Shouta's brown eyes blinked at him, though Ritsu paid him no mind, scratching the cat's chin, listening to him purr. "About what?" asked Shouta, scooting closer to his friend on the couch.

Ritsu sighed - ever since he'd left school at the beginning of eighth grade after a nasty break-up with a certain Drum Major upperclassman, Shouta had been especially leery about Ritsu's thoughts and actions, even though he'd returned towards the end of the year. Perhaps he was different, yes - though Ritsu could only justify this with the fact that time changes people.

"About the new teacher Hatori-san told Chiaki about." replied the brunette, sliding off the couch to sit on the floor with Mr. Jingles, picking the cat up and cuddling it into his lap.

Shouta hesitated, shrugging his shoulder as he reached for the remote on the arm of Chiaki's recliner. "I've heard he's nice. That's all we care about, right?" he said, finally able to reach it, wrapping his hand around it and beginning to flip through channels.

"I guess." replied Ritsu, and Chiaki made himself heard through his mouthful of ramen.

"I've heard our English teacher throws books at us! Do you think it's true?!" he waited until he was finished speaking to swallow.

"Isn't the Advanced teacher the same as the regular?" asked Shouta, eyes on the T.V. as he spoke.

Chiaki nodded, "Yeah - he teaches the AP classes, too."

"I don't think he throws books at us. Isn't that, like, illegal?" asked Shouta, finally deciding on What Not To Wear, dropping the remote beside him.

Chiaki shrugged, "That's just what Tori told me! Yuu too!"

Shouta grimaced, "What do we read as Freshmen? To Kill a Mockingbird? Romeo & Juliet? Are those thick books?"

"It doesn't matter - they're all hardback!"

Shouta sank down into the couch, eyes on Stacy London and Clinton Kelly, "Why didn't Ichimura tell me about any of this?..." he muttered, and the other two boys noticeably got quieter - even Ritsu stopped stroking Mr. Jingle's fur, resulting in a nibble to his palm.

Probably because he was in remedial classes. thought the two boys, blinking at each other before glancing back at their laps, Chiaki at his bowl of ramen and Ritsu at Mr. Jingles.

Shouta Kisa's boyfriend, Ichimura Adachi, was quarterback of Marukawa's football team - though he was loved by most, he wasn't exactly the brightest, having whatever willing girl he could to do his homework, and all he needed to do was blink for them to agree. Chiaki and Ritsu weren't exactly fond of the eleventh grader on the Varsity football team - Ritsu, though he would never admit this out loud, was scared witless by the six foot boy, who was always hitting on the tinier brunette, whether Shouta was looking or not regardless. Ritsu however would always snap back at whatever comment was thrown his way, of course.

Yoshiyuki Hatori and Ichimura Adachi were not the greatest of friends, and that was a good enough reason for Chiaki Yoshino not to like him.

Though, for the sake of their friend's happiness, they kept their mouths shut, only speaking of the asshole in private.

Ritsu was the only to break the silence, "So - about band. How do you think band camp will go?"

"Tori said your first year's always the worst." said Chiaki.

"First year? You mean I have to do this every year?" asked Shouta, turning to Chiaki, who nodded in response. "I can't do that. Have you seen that uniform? That hat-"

"It's called a shako."

"-looks awful. And before you say it, Ricchan - I can see you opening your mouth! - I am not being picky! I'm not letting Ichimura see me in that. I just won't march in the football games."

Chiaki blinked, "But - that's your grade."

"It's band class. How hard could it be to bring your grade back up?"

The other two boys shrugged, figuring his point wasn't actually all that bad.

"Besides," began Shouta once more, "I'm already giving up a week of my Summer to go to band camp, twelve hours every day of my life for five days. Isn't that enough?"

Little did the three boys know, that week would probably be the most interesting one of their careers of high school students.

And, for one of them, the beginning of a very strange relationship.

I actually don't hate this! But it is pretty short, and not a lot happens...

So, yeah! Can anybody guess which instruments they're all gonna play?! :D