Sometimes We, Always You

Kirihara hated everyone and everything. Period.

Yes, everything, even the trees swaying as the winds carried its fallen leaves, even the melody of the chirping birds waking up the lazy students, even the playful morning sparkle from the sun that bathed almost everyone and welcomed the entirety of the world's population with a warm embrace.

Yes, even the most beautiful of things.

This, of course, was beyond his understanding, although at some point he did try to understand himself no matter how demented that seemed. He believed there was no point in figuring himself out. It was a bore, he thought, that was why he asked someone else to do the supposedly self-discovering for him which wasn't entirely self-discovery anymore.

Then again, he mused, it wasn't such a good idea.

The reason? Ibu Shinji.

He, naturally, would not have chosen the said person over the more respectable and sufferable people he knew of, such in the case of Yanagi and Niou. He knew that those two were the people in Rikkai who he was closest to, excluding Jackal, of course. Jackal wasn't a friend, that was what he thought. The bald player was more of a… father.

Which now brought him to the conclusion that he was more than demented. He was mentally deranged.

Not that he'd mind. He didn't care, actually, being... himself.

But it seemed that he cared.

"I do not take pleasure in seeing other people and analyzing them. You might as well back away from me. But, come to think about it, you were the one who asked for my help–"

"Ah? I did not! Why are you even here? I swear… God, someone get this person away from me! SEMPAI!"

Okay. Street courts, Akaya. Care to remember that?

Which was the primary reason why he did try to… befriend Ibu Shinji at some point, at a certain period in their so-called friendship. He wasn't really sure of that. Or perhaps he was, given the fact that the said person was currently beside him, blowing up every part of him in a simple, what Ibu insisted on calling a "conversation".

"Now Kirihara, if you wouldn't want me to resort to taking drastic measures to shut you up… You're irritating me. Why did I agree to come with you? Why did I even come to exist in a plane where I must collide with you? I don't like you."

"What! You actually think that I like you!"

It was official. Hell just froze over.

He would, of course, retort, and naturally defend himself. He did not like Ibu. He wouldn't. He couldn't.

… Right?

He was about to open his lips when he was stopped by a soft… object – he insisted that it was an object thought he knew what it was – and…

He pulled away, pushing Ibu away. What was he doing? Why did he let Ibu do that? Why…

"What were you doing then?"

"Kissing you, naturally. What's with that shocked look?"

He lowered his head, a shade of red suddenly gracing his face. "First kiss…" he managed to say, walking away from his so-called companion. He then proceeded to pick up his tennis bag, leaving Ibu behind.

So the self-discovery thing was a fluke. So sue him.

Perhaps Ibu was one thing… person he liked.

He bit his lip, trying not to let a smile escape from it.

But it was no use.

And, the strange thing was, he liked it.

578 words + 07 September + 8:15p