A/N: after continuous debating, I have finally decided to create this...inspired by my trip to an art museum in Italy, this is the brainchild of my fujoshi alter ego. It makes more sense as the story goes on, I promise ^^
Song for this chapter: Shock by B2ST
Hikaru out~
Art was like fire. It spread out and around from the source in so many ways, warping everything it touched. It destroyed things to make way for the new pioneers. It was a limitation, the beginning and ending of someone's story. It made some feel inadequate while making others feel superior. More than survival of the fittest, it was the predator and prey. Conquer the prey, and your purpose is fulfilled. Art was capable of human emotion, with its ability to hurt while hurting others. It was a weapon of the deadliest kind, the kind that would affect everyone in different ways. But it was a method of freedom so risky that it could consume you. Those who ventured into this terrain of uncertainty were true soldiers. Except Ryugazaki Rei, that is. He stood on the edge of the battlefield, wanting to jump into the fight but afraid of the outcome.
6:15 a.m. The alarm buzzed silently, and a head instantly shot out from under the covers. The boy ran one hand through his messy blue locks while the other groped around the bedside table for his glasses. 1 hour and 46 minutes left. He slowly slid one pajama clad leg to the floor and then the other, into strategically placed slippers. If I leave now, I will have 20 minutes to myself in the bathroom. No distractions. He quickly walked across the darkened room with confidence as he had memorized the arrangement of his dorm the night before. Once he reached the door, he raised a hand and pulled a silicon shower bag off a hook. The knob is creaky, turn it 45 degrees to the right and then pull. Running these calculations through his head, he turned the knob as to not wake his roommate, and slipped into the lit hallway. He took a breath. Here he was, finally, a freshman at Iwatobi University, finally out of the clasp that his parents had on him, finally able to make his own decisions. He constructed a mental map as he followed the signs to the common bathroom, taking note of the corridors that would normally be crowded if he was late. Pulling the shower curtain firmly behind him, he began discarding his clothes, folding them into a neat pile and placing them into a compartment in his waterproof bag. Finally he took off his glasses just as the cold water hit him. He sighed in relief.
His relaxation was only temporary, as the water's temperature dropped from cool to that of liquid ice. Yelping as he fumbled to shut off the water, he hopped from one foot to the other, trying to lessen the amount of skin the water would touch. Finally, he was able to turn off the shower, panting from his efforts. With his eyes still closed, he groped around for his towel.
It wasn't there. His eyes shot open in panic. Here he was, a freshman on his first day of college, shivering in the bathroom without a towel at 6:35 a.m. Could it be worse?
There was only one option to maintain his sanity for the rest of the day. He shook his hand dry and reached for his phone in his bag, cringing at the water droplets his hands made as he swiped his screen. He quickly typed in a few numbers and held his phone to his ear. The call went through, and rang a few times. He had better pick up. I swear, if that guy was doing who-knows-what the night before school, I will….. He sighed. After the fourth ring, it was picked up. Rei heard shuffling as the receiver got his bearings together. A deeper voice could be heard in the background, "Who is it?" Rei rolled his eyes. Of course he would do that the day before school.
"Eh?" the sleepy voice grunted.
"RIN!"