At the fragile age of eleven, he came eye to eye with Akira Kurusu.
Honestly, the raven-haired boy didn't seem that bad at first, he was a mess of puffy curls and dimples, a smug smirk and a witty humor that could charm any girl at the lunchroom. Kurusu made an effort when it came to the shy, chestnut-haired boy and that much was obvious. Whether it was helping him with his math homework to letting him have some of his bento, Akira never minded showing the older boy care.
Care was something Goro never received, his mother shot herself only a few years after having him, ashamed of having such an unruly child. It broke his heart, he always blamed himself for that, he should have never been born… Then his mother would still be alive, beautiful and happy. His father was a very respected politician, he did not have the time for such a terrible child and only hired a nanny to take care of him. He couldn't tarnish his beautiful reputation with the public knowing he abandoned his own son, so hiring the best nanny there was seemed to be a step in the right direction.
He never had friends to show him care, he was known as the weird kid in class who still watches Featherman every Friday. (It was a good show!) He was picked on and treated as a burden, just as his mother had treated him, just as his father had treated him. He was a burden, he knew that, so he never defended himself. Why defend something that was already known to be true?
Who could blame him for getting attached to the glasses wearing boy? He finally had something he had been yearning for his whole life. He felt love for this boy, shameless, unconditional love that consumed his entire being. The love that was most prominent when the other boy spent a few minutes talking to him, heart pounding and hands shaky. He was not sure why he felt this way, but he was not complaining.
It was only when a red-haired seventh grader (-an odd hair color, he heard somewhere that his mother was English, so maybe that was an explanation?) had vulgarly harassed him was when he realized he may have a problem. That these feelings may be problematic.
Were these feelings only supposed to be harbored for females? Not other boys? Was he defected? Toxic? Messed up? How was he supposed to fix himself? What was there even to fix in the first place?
The chestnut haired boy was in quite the situation, in only sixth grade he had discovered his sexuality. It was kind of sort of a big deal. With some sleepless nights, chatting with his Featherman action figures, and a whole lot of chocolate milk, he had come up with a solution. He would have to ask Akira what he thought of it! Surely, if he thought it was okay, then it was okay, right?
On a bitterly cold Friday afternoon, he pushed his chestnut locks back and stuffed his gloved hands into his pockets with determination. He was going to ask. He was going to do it!
He slipped through the crowded hallways and into the courtyard, he knew where Kurusu always was, between the eighth-grade building and the lunchroom. He was going to do this, he was feeling excited and-
And all that shattered once he caught sight of him kissing Amaya Anju, a girl with dark locks, brown eyes, fair skin and a Hello Kitty key chain sticking off her bag.
He decided on that day that he hated Akira Kurusu.
At the bumbling age of twelve, he decided Kurusu was the most irritable person on earth.
He was annoyingly charming, horribly sweet, terribly witty, he took everything as if it was a damn joke. It irked him to no end.
Akechi made it a point to ignore Kurusu, he had gone out of his way to avoid him, making sure to go to school earlier than him so they didn't cross paths in the morning, left earlier after school so he did not have to deal with the raven-haired boy trying to engage him in conversation with the other. He did everything in his power just to make sure that the other would not bother him. He did not try to hide this either… So why was the other still trying?
"Did you watch the new Featherman episode, it was-" The younger boy said softly after the bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Goro sighed, blinking his reddish-brown eyes at the raven with acute boredom.
"No," Goro said plainly, without any emotion or care at all. It was a lie, he had seen it, he never misses one, and as much as he adored the latest episode in particular if he said yes then he would have to talk to the other. Lying seemed easier. Annoyance bubbled in his mind as he heard the other laugh softly and warmly.
"Come on now, I know that isn't true, you always watch it-" He began, he was quite determined wasn't he?
"Kurusu-san, I'm truly sorry, I'm tired and if I don't get back by a certain time I am afraid I will get in trouble, may we speak another time?" He said softly to the other, faking a more tired expression, it worked, which was not surprising, after all, he had a natural talent for acting.
"Oh.' Akira, he… He actually looked kind of hurt, but he pushed it away and gave him a smile even faker than the ones he occasionally plasters on his face. "Alright. I guess I should just let you be then. Hopefully, we can talk tomorrow during lunch?" He looked so pitiful, honestly, it made a pathetic amount of sick pleasure emerge in his heart.
"Yeah, maybe." He said softly, leaving it at that and walking away from the other without another word.
Yeah, he really hated Akira Kurusu.
At the confusing age of thirteen, he was accepted into a well known live-in high school, he was going to be given the chance to study at Hokkaido High School in their Political Science department. He was aspiring to become a detective, he has had that dream ever since he was only six, watching crime shows and fantasizing about what may be. Over the years watching dramas turned into the news, the news turned into predicting suspects and what may happen next, that turned into picking up books on forensics. He had quite the knack for it. He was finally escaping from that loveless hellhole of a house, from his nanny and his father's occasional emotionless phone calls. He could be independent, have worth, friends, get a job, anything he possibly wanted!
It was the last day of his middle school life, he couldn't help wear a genuine real smile as the last bell rang. He gathered his things, throwing his bag on his back as he made his exit.
"Hey! Wait up!"
Did he forget to mention that another great positive was that he would never have to see the face of Akira Kurusu again?
"Hello, Kurusu-san. Is there something that you need?" He said softly, playing nicer than he usually did. Goro let the smile falter though upon seeing his face. "I-"
"Have to go, I know, I know." Akira sighed, throwing a hand through his curly, raven locks and looking away bashfully. He looked like he had something important on his mind. He opened and closed his mouth over and over before shaking his head at the other. He looked… Defeated? "Sorry, it's nothing… But, um, have a great summer."
"O-Oh." Akechi paused, sighing softly. "Yeah, have a great summer." He smiled softly, after all, it was the last day, there was no harm in being sweet to him. He'd never see him again. He turned and walked away, leaving his former friend behind. He didn't notice the other blush as he left, maybe he would have stuck around if he did.
At the hormonal age of fourteen he arrived at his new school, high school, year one, it seemed like an amazing opportunity that he, of all people, have been granted to him. He walked through the doors, the scent of artificial lemon that stemmed from the floor cleaner the janitor used invaded his nose. Oddly enough, Akechi found he did not mind it as much as he usually would. He was elated at the moment after all.
"Your room will be 235B, you will be sharing it with another young man. You can not change roommates or rooms. Please come back if you have any questions or concerns." Lipstick slathered lips spoke to him, he was not completely focusing on the older woman, he was too excited to completely focus on anything anymore… And to be frank, he didn't totally care about what she had to say anyway. She pulled out a blue key card that was plastered with the school logo and offered it to him.
"Yes, ma'am." The aspiring detective said casually, taking the key card that was offered and walking off with it. There were maps scattered all around the school, some taking the form of signs, posters, and others small pieces of paper. With these guides, he found it was not as problematic as he thought it would be to find his way around the large complex.
To his appreciation, he didn't pass by any familiar faces, which he was grateful for. The last thing the boy wanted was to deal with his former classmates. Not that it was something he thought he had to worry about, after all, they were much too ignorant to get into a school like this. A new place, no "parental" figures to submit too. Maybe he would actually be able to put his past… In the past.
He slipped the key card into the reader, it was similar to a hotel, he was expecting some sort of physical key but he supposed a piece of plastic was more cost-effective than a metal key.
Didn't the lady say that he had a roommate? Sure, that would not be so bad as long as the person was decent. He personally did not mind sharing his space and giving up some of his privacy as long as the other person was tolerable. Who knows, maybe they would be a good match for him.
Akechi ran a hand through his chestnut hair and felt the smooth locks slip through his fingers, he was admittedly nervous in the face of his new surroundings. Who wouldn't be? New place, new people, it would cause anxiety in even the mellowness of teens. He pushed down on the handle and opened the door to his new living situation. It had that clean air, a small window to the right, two beds and-
"Oh my god, I'm going to kill myself."
Akira Kurusu.
