A/N: Okaayyy... new story. This is an expansion of the universe of my other fic (Kindergarten Bully) on another account (jungkookies), but I didn't want to post it there because I felt like it would get too messy with so many unfinished projects, kek...
Summary:
Every human has emotions; to find a person without any would simply be incomprehensible. But when Kindaichi Yuutaro inadvertently meets someone who meets that exact criteria, their meetups soon become one big life lesson on teaching her how to feel.
Iwasaki Shino can't recall ever feeling anything stronger than annoyance and confusion. But a series of encounters with one Kindaichi Yuutaro shows her that all humans—including her—are capable of feeling.
"Oikawa is an asshole."
The girl looked up from her piano. She was just about to start playing, but had been interrupted by her sister opening the front door and slamming it shut. "I don't understand, nee-chan. Who?"
Her sister's eyes were smudged with tears and runny mascara. "Never mind. I shouldn't have said anything, sorry. Sorry." She wiped at her face with the back of her wrist, sniffling.
"It's okay. I forgive you."
Her sister's smile wavered. "You make me so sad, Shino. The kind of forgiveness you give out is so cruel."
"I don't understand."
"That's fine." Her sister moved over to where Shino was sitting at her piano, patting the younger girl's pale blonde hair. "You don't have to."
Kunimi Akira exhaled as he kicked a stone, looking the epitome of a bored teenager. He lifted his arm, checking his watch.
He's five minutes late already and school starts in fifteen. Yeah, I'm not taking any chances. Shrugging to himself, he began to walk off, placing earbuds into his ears and letting the world of music consume him.
"ACK! KUNIMI, WAIT UP!"
Kunimi sighed. There went his peaceful morning. "Hey," he drawled without turning back, "You're late again, Kindaichi."
"Sorry!" Kunimi raised an eyebrow at the piece of toast that Kindaichi grasped between his teeth.
And here I thought that the toast in the mouth was only a girl thing.
"Shall we go?" Kindaichi invited, walking ahead.
"That's what I was doing before you showed up."
Kindaichi flushed. "I overslept, okay? Don't act like it hasn't happened to you before..."
As the two boys made their way to school, they passed by a house that had been recently sold. There used to be an old couple living there, but they passed away a few months ago.
"Have you met the new neighbors yet?" inquired Kindaichi through a mouthful of bread. He swallowed.
"No," Kunimi replied, wholly uninterested.
"I think they have a dog," Kindaichi continued, not discouraged by Kunimi's reaction, or lack of thereof. "I've been hearing barking in the middle of the night. It was only when they moved in that the barking started."
"Cool. Can we please pick up the pace? I don't want to be late."
Kindaichi sighed before grinning. "Yeah, sure."
As the two boys walked away, a girl with long blonde hair exited the house, rolling her bike along the pathway to the gate before opening it and exiting.
Yawning, she stretched, mumbling tiredly before hopping onto her bike and cycling away. On the handles of her bike, her fingers twitched, in sync with a melody that was currently invading her mind. She glanced upward as she cycled past two boys, who hardly spared her a second glance, allowing the sun's rays to warm her face.
Suddenly, a bark sounded and she looked down to see a coal colored small ball of fluff with white socks running alongside her, tail wagging and tongue hanging out of its mouth.
"Hm?" She stopped her bike. "Pochi, what are you doing out here?" She then picked up the dog, who nuzzled her neck. "Kaa-chan and tou-san are going to get worried, you know..." The girl looked backward, her expression never changing as she took in the distance she had traveled from her home to where she was now. If I turn back, I'm going to be late.
Her mind made up, she placed the dog in the basket attached to the front of her bike, turning around the vehicle. "Don't give my parents too much trouble, Pochi," she scolded lightly as she pedaled back home.
"Eh? It's her again," Kindaichi said to Kunimi as the blonde-haired girl on the bike zoomed past them again, this time headed in the opposite direction. "I've never seen her around these parts before. Is she the new neighbor?" It would explain why she had a dog in her front basket.
"Me neither," his friend replied, "That's probably it." I'm sure that she's in our class, though. Kindaichi just never pays enough attention to our classmates. He vaguely remembered her face, though it was mostly buried in her arms whenever Kunimi turned around his seat. She sat in the very back row, beside the window.
The pair made it to school just on time, greeted their upperclassmen in the hallways (they had no morning practice on Mondays and it was nice to meet their teammates outside of the sport for once), and entered their classroom just a minute before the teacher did.
Everybody who was loitering around immediately took their seats, Kindaichi and Kunimi included. Kindaichi sat next to the window in the second last row while Kunimi sat to his right. Today, the seat behind Kindaichi was empty. Only Kunimi noticed.
It must be hers, he thought absently, slouching in his seat. She's going to get in trouble.
Attendance had already been marked and class was beginning when the door opened and a latecomer stepped in, a bead of sweat beside one pale blue eye.
"Sorry," she said simply, "I'm late today."
"Iwasaki-san!" the teacher barked, looking as if he were about to snap the chalk in his hand. The entire class winced; their teacher was quite infamous around the school for being one of the strictest and meanest teachers students had ever had the displeasure to encounter. "Why are you late?"
"She's going to get it now," Kindaichi heard one classmate whisper to another.
Iwasaki-san? Kindaichi thought wondrously. Isn't she the girl from this morning? Has she always been in our class?
"My dog followed me to school so I had to take him home," the girl explained, completely unfazed.
Unfortunately, her cool response seemed to only further agitate the teacher. Five minutes later, Iwasaki had been sent outside with two heavy buckets in her hands, instructed to hold them until she was allowed to return to class.
"Kindaichi!" Fifteen minutes into the lesson, the teacher snapped a question at him. "How would you expand cos(θ+α)?!"
What?! Kindaichi began to sweat. What the hell is that?! We haven't learned anything like that before! He swallowed. "Cos... theta plus cos alpha?" he tried lamely.
A dark aura seemed to consume the teacher. And it was at that moment that Kindaichi knew he was doomed.
Kunimi wished to reach over and sympathetically pat Kindaichi on the back, but he wasn't particularly in the mood for heavy lifting.
Iwasaki Shino stared at the wall in front of her as she held two very heavy buckets of water. What a pain. My arms are getting tired...
Suddenly, the door swung open and a boy with hair spiked up like a turnip was all but pushed outside by the teacher's broad hand. The water in the buckets he was carrying splashed around in the container, a bit spilling over and wetting the tiled floor.
"Geez," he muttered. Some of the water had splattered his pant leg. He turned to Shino. "Oh, it's you. I saw you this morning."
"Hm...?" Shino turned her head slowly to him, her eyes uninterested. "Oh, yes. I saw you too."
Kindaichi sweatdropped. Wh-what is with this girl? "... You must be new around here. Welcome to Miyagi, I guess..."
"I've lived here all my life."
"Oh. Sorry."
"For what?"
"Huh?" Kindaichi did a double take. I thought she would be more offended. Aren't girls supposed to be really sensitive? "For... you know what, never mind." He grumbled and tried to stretch out his arms. A silence ensued, one that was becoming far too suffocating for Kindaichi's taste. Isn't she going to say anything to me? Seeing as she seemed to be zoning out, Kindaichi cleared his throat. "I'm Kindaichi Yuutaro."
"I know."
A vein popped in Kindaichi's cheek. "You don't have to be so rude about it. Don't you know how to make a proper conversation with someone?"
"Isn't that what this is?" Shino tilted her head to one side, looking mildly confused.
"No! Nobody... nobody talks like this. Ah," Kindaichi exhaled exasperatedly, "Whatever. Just tell me your name. All I know is that your family name is Iwasaki."
She stared at him before answering, "Iwasaki Shino."
"What club are you in?"
"I..." Shino trailed off. I'm not in a club. Clubs were compulsory in Aobajosai, but, somehow, Shino had slipped through the system. Nobody had ever called her out on it either because no one ever talked to her. "Music club."
"Oh, I see." Kindaichi nodded. "I'm in the volleyball club. What instrument do you play?" Ugh, man, this is so awkward. I'm half-hoping that Hashimoto-sensei will call us back in so I don't have to talk to her anymore...
"I play piano," Shino answered, and Kindaichi nearly shivered at how plain and clipped her voice was.
Is she a robot...? "That's... nice," Kindaichi offered lamely.
She didn't reply, simply continuing her staring at the wall.
Kindaichi frowned. Weird.
"I'm home," Shino declared to an house empty of other people. Pochi barked and ran up to greet her, licking her legs as she took off her shoes. "Hello, Pochi. Are kaa-chan and tou-san not home yet?" They normally worked late anyway, so it was really no surprise. She glanced over at Pochi's empty bowl. They haven't fed Pochi yet... "Come, boy, I'll make you some dinner."
Pochi barked happily, wagging his tail excitedly and nipping at Shino's heels as she walked over to where they kept the dog food in the kitchen. Pochi couldn't keep still as Shino poured food into his bowl agonizingly slowly, not wanting to spill any on the floor. "Eat, Pochi."
The dog didn't need to be told twice.
Shino watched as Pochi ate, content. She sat beside the dog and stroked his fur. "Nee-chan would love to see you again." After all, Pochi had been her dog. Pochi looked up from his green bowl, whining softly. "I miss her too. You know, Pochi, I met someone today."
Pochi cocked his head inquisitively before starting to eat again.
"His name is Kindaichi Yuutaro. And his hair reminds me of a turnip." Distractedly, Shino continued to stroke Pochi's soft fur. "I think I'm going to be seeing him again in the future."
Pochi barked.
"I don't know." She passed her hand through her hair, pulling her bangs upward and revealing a large scar that crept down her forehead. "I don't understand." Shino got up, stretching her back.
Quickly, Pochi devoured the rest of his food and followed her to her piano. Shino sat down, running her fingers over the ivory keys. Then she started to play.
Soothed, Pochi curled around the legs of the chair, his fluffy tail tickling Shino's calves as it flicked back and forth lazily.