It is the unspoken duty of the student council president and class representative to at least know almost every student, especially all of those in their same grade. And for Tomoe, it's frustrating every single day that she notices Kaburagi's presence. She has no idea who he is; all she knows is his last name, his legs are long, they take the same Advanced Placement courses, and that ninety-five percent of the student body is afraid or prejudice of him because he's a NEXT. He's so aloof, Tomoe has never even heard him speak before. She decides to notice him more often.
As far as she can tell, he walks to school as she can see him out of the window, striding through the gates with his bag on his wrist and his hands shoved into his uniform pockets which is fifteen minutes before the class bell rings after council meetings. His uniform is sometimes worn sloppily, the white button down untucked, the navy-blue jacket open with the sleeves rolled up. He sometimes wore jewelry, maybe a necklace, but mostly rings and wrist cuffs. His ears are pieced too, his hair parted on the side but pushed back and messy. She's reminded of pirates; maybe he is one.
They have the same morning class together. She finds that he prefers the seat in the back corner of the small classroom by the window. And when he sits down, the rest of the students rush to get in their seats, but all away from him, almost as if they didn't want to end up with having to be near. Kaburagi doesn't seem to care.
Tomoe marches over and sits in the seat right next to him, the other students staring at her as if they were asking whatever possessed her to do so. They didn't follow her lead; he's a monster who thinks he's better than everyone else.
They make eye contact for a brief moment, almost as if Kaburagi was asking her why too, but he goes back to doodling in his notebook.
"You draw?" She asks.
"Sure." He replies quietly, not looking at her, not even a glance. Is he shy?
Tomoe looks over, seeing him doodle the HeroTV logo on the corner of his notes. "You like heroes?"
"Sure."
"Do you, or don't you?"
"What do you want…!?" Kaburagi's amber eyes pierced, irritated but asking her why again. A couple other kids look over.
The bell rings, he goes back to doodling, Tomoe tries to pay attention to the teacher talking about the calculus test tomorrow and that some review would be today.
In the middle of class, she notices that his arms are folded on the desk with his head in them. The teacher walks over, a smirk on her face as she attempts to embarrass him. Tomoe's trying not to wince as she quickly rattles off the equation she wants him to solve.
However, Kaburagi lifts his head and yawns, the snickers of his class mates beginning to build, "It's 1284.6. Is the test available now by any chance?"
Ms. Tezuka sputters, unsure on how to cast punishment on a student obviously paying attention. But, he's a NEXT, she can do anything. "If you're just going to sleep, then get out!"
"Okay." Kaburagi stands, takes his things, and politely closes the door behind him.
Where he went or what he did, Tomoe had no idea, but she saw him in the next class: gym which was in the disgustingly hot outside. His navy sweatpants were a little baggy as the bottoms slouched over his white sneakers, his matching jacket around his waist, and his white t-shirt without stain. Coach Ito checked him off his clipboard, clapped him on the back, and he jogged back into the school. Was he going to the fitness center? Why wasn't he joining the rest of the students in volleyball?
"I'm so glad he stays inside," A girl whispers over to her friend. Tomoe begins listening to Yuri and Mei. "He could kill someone…!"
The friend nods. "Totally. NEXTS are too dangerous and stupid. They should be on a different planet or something."
The next class is Advanced Placement Chemistry; Tomoe sees him sit down and open a book, she sits next to him again. Kaburagi refuses to acknowledge her.
"I like heroes too." Tomoe says, the NEXT looks at her weirdly.
"You do…?"
The student council vice president, Tanaka, walks over and touches her shoulder. "Don't bother with him, Miya-chan, he's hopeless."
At this point, Kaburagi stands up to get a spare lab coat. Tomoe hits Tanaka on the arm who looks at her in innocent confusion. "Can't you ever keep your mouth shut!?"
But she does notice that he looks cool in the long, slim coat. It suits him.
The one class they don't have together is the elective. Tomoe preferred her honors art class, but she notices Kaburagi walk by the classroom, carrying a black instrument case. Kokusai had a band and an orchestra, and judging by the thin, rounded out triangle; he either plays viola or violin.
Then there's lunch. Tomoe is about to sit with her friends but she notices Kaburagi walk in, buy some water, and leave calmly but a quicker pace. And right as he's out the door, three boys stand up and try to throw their trash at him even though they're too late.
"Stupid NEXT!"
"Do us a favor and kill yourself!"
"Fucking monster!"
The president stomps over with her tray of food to the culprits. She slams the blue plate on the table. "Who gave you the right to ever do that to anyone!?"
"He's a NEXT!"
"He's a human being!"
"You're just trying to improve you image just because you're the president."
"You're just another one of those NEXT lovers."
"NEXT lover!"
And with the powers of council president and class rep, she wrote all of them up. She was outraged to find the reasoning that it was rejected by the staff was because 'boys will be boys'.
AP Japanese History is somewhat better as the test that was given out had everyone busy. After twenty minutes, Kaburagi stands from his seat and turns it in, the first done out of everyone. The teacher looks at him skeptically, but accepts the five-page packet of answers. When he sits back down, he pulls out a book.
Tomoe isn't next to him because someone else is: Antonio Lopez. He was the new transfer student whose parents are from somewhere in South America. As the rumors go, even though Lopez was the only other NEXT, he bullied Kaburagi too. That is, until they fought, and it ended almost in a tie or another rumor went that the unbeatable Kaburagi won. So, now they're friends? Tomoe figured.
When everyone finished, Mr. Yamada announced a ten-minute break. The president saw Kaburagi in a different light when he was with his friend; he looked friendly, and it was the first time she ever saw him smile. She pulled out a book for AP Literature/Composition, but listened in on their conversation.
"Hey, your band is playing tonight, right?" Antonio asks.
"C'mon, it's not my band; it's just a job." His friend replies.
"Well, a couple of other people are interested in coming to see you play. What's the address again?"
Tomoe lied to her elder brother about how she rescheduled Shin-Kendo Club for later that night as an excuse to leave. Judging by the address, this place was pretty underground, as she had to follow a few alleys and down a flight of stairs before she arrived. This is an entirely new environment.
Blue Ride was dimly lit, a fierce mix of teenagers and adults sitting at tables or at the bar, cigarettes were common, boisterous laughter, and a stage on a wall. A band was setting up, she found Kaburagi tuning his guitar before plugging it into the amp. She found an empty table, watching.
Playing on stage, he looked the most alive than she's seen him.
They had this weekend to finish most of the history project that was assigned incredibly last-minute.
Tomoe breathed out and rang the doorbell twice, taking off her glasses to wipe some sweat off her brow. She heard light footsteps, the lock being undone, and the creak of the door with a shirtless Kaburagi with a toothpick hanging out of his mouth in the doorway. He leaned his shoulder against the frame with his arms crossed, but a packet of papers in one hand.
Her face went red. "Aren't you going to put on a shirt or something?"
"Why would I need to do that in my own house? It's hot."
"It's the proper thing to do when company is expected!"
The NEXT offered the stack of papers. "Hn. Here's my portion of the project."
Tomoe accepts them, skimming through . "We were supposed to do this together."
"Everyone hates having to work with the NEXT. This way it's painless."
"…I represent the entire student body," She said, frustration edged in her voice. "And that includes you."
Kaburagi let out this chuckle. "Tell me something, Amamyia-san, when did it ever? Just a few days ago? As far as I'm concerned, you're their president, not mine. 'S not like I even know you anyway." He closed the door softly, the president hearing the door lock. She turned on her heel and went home.
They got a B+ on it, and Tomoe was sure they could have scored higher if they had just worked on it together.
Tomoe knows that not everyone likes the class rep and student council president. Especially today.
The council president was coming from upstairs to deliver an envelope to the office during the passing period, she passed by a couple of girls on their way up in the landing.
"Morning, Amamiya-san."
The rep smiled and gave them a nod. "Ladies…"
There was a nasally snicker before a push had gravity pull Tomoe down the rest of the flight. Her eyes squeezed shut as she prepared for the worse.
But she was stopped and pushed back to her feet. The envelope sitting at the bottom instead of herself.
"Be careful." Kaburagi mumbled, continuing his journey upwards.
By the time she turned around, he was gone.
Tomoe noticed that Kaburagi is kind. It doesn't look like it, but he is disgustingly kind.
She witnessed a girl drop her wallet, he picked it up for her and handed it over. But she quickly shook her head, told him to keep it, and ran off. She heard that he left it in the office.
Then, there was a student who dropped their books, and in the crowded hallway, he was the only one to help him. That kid looked dumbfounded as if he couldn't believe a blue would stoop so low or aim so high.
However, it's not his fault that this honest version of him isn't the most prominent when it should be. The students created this 'monster'.
Tomoe witnessed a fight between him and two other guys. The first one pushed him into the second who grabbed Kaburagi's shoulder.
And with an annoyed shine in his eyes, the NEXT grabbed the offending wrist. With a squeeze and a yank, the guy was hurled downwards, hitting his head, K.O. The other tried going for his back, but he turned just in time for a roundhouse kick that sent the first sprawling on the ground. It seemed that Kaburagi's fighting style was not only wild, but fluid as one motion he did flowed to the next with dizzying speed. No powers used. Like an effortless tiger.
"C'mon, prez, don't write us up." The delinquent's voice rolled, not bothering to remove the cigarette from his mouth. His grin was slimy as he inched closer with his smoke in her face curling out from his nostrils, his cronies doing the same. She felt cornered, being pressed into the wall behind her, and years of fighting as well as being captain of the shin kendo team were on her side. She could fight the three if she had to as it was self-defense. As school rules go, her position would be fine.
Before she could say anything more, there was a familiar voice. "Hey, Amamiya-san,"
The delinquents turned and began backing off. The threw their cancer sticks to the concrete. "Fuckin' blue!" And left.
"I can take care of myself, you know." Tomoe said, crossing her arms.
Kaburagi kept walking by. "Not like I doubted you."
Tomoe always signed up when the annual school blood drive came around. She happily gave hers if it meant it would help someone.
When she was there, sitting in the cushy seat, it seemed that they were low on staff. It was a while before someone helped her, and that person was Kaburagi in nurse's scrubs with a clipboard. He probably took classes when career center ads came around.
"Sign this." He said, handing her a pen and the clipboard. It was just a confirmation sheet.
He looked over the other papers under it, making a few marks here and there before he set it aside. He put on some gloves, another member of staff wheeled over the stand with the empty 'blood-bag' attached to it. Kaburagi mumbled a thanks as he connected the needle and vacuum to it.
"Pull up your sleeve and on the armrest," He ordered smoothly, she complied. He wrapped the rubbery, blue ribbon around her bicep that squeezed her arm like a small constrictor. "Make a tight fist."
The crook of her arm was swabbed down in alcohol with a fluffy cotton ball. He tapped the crook of her arm lightly, the vein standing up.
"Baby pinch; one, two, three, poke." It was quick but not painless, the girl still winced.
This is the most professional that she's seen her classmate as he watched over her.
"Are you thinking you might become a nurse?"
"I don't know yet."
"I think you'd make a great one."
Ambers eyes looked at her, but genuinely. "Thank you."
"All done." He said, pulling it out and replacing it with a dry cotton ball that had tape over it. "Go ahead to the front to get some juice and a snack so you don't feel faint. If you do, have a parent or legal guardian take you home immediately. Have a nice day." Robotically.
The rep went to the library during her study-hall period because she mostly liked the atmosphere, the smell, and the feel of that quiet and warm calm in the soft hum of whispering conversation. She looked around for an empty table to work, all were filled except for the one Kaburagi sat at in his school swim team jacket to remind everyone of their meet today, three other chairs available in front of him. He was reading one of those school 'banned' books the bulletin talked about, looking engrossed. He must be a serial reader, she decided.
"May I sit here?"
"Go for it."
Something kept nagging at her during the quiet twenty minutes that she worked on assignments.
"Do you like heroes?" She whispered over as she put down her light blue mechanical pencil, looking at an eyebrow raise from over the top of his book.
He closed it. "And if I do?"
Tomoe smiled triumphantly. "Well, I like heroes too. I watch HeroTV every night. Who's your favorite hero?"
She noticed a blush grace his cheeks. "Ano…Mr. Legend."
"Really? But, he's not a part of the lineup anymore."
"Doesn't mean he's not a hero anymore…!" He whispered back. "Who's yours?"
"I don't know. I love them all…!"
She thought she had finally made a friend out of him. But, she doesn't blame him for his caution and she still went to his orchestra concert. The director must not mind that he's a NEXT to put him as the first chair violin and in the solo and ensemble group.
Due to the cancel of the council meeting this morning, Tomoe got to sleep in a little and walk to school. She saw a familiar back up ahead.
"Kaburagi-kun!" She exclaimed, seeing his shoulders jump as he turned around. He stopped long enough for her to catch up. "Good morning!"
"What do you gain from talking to me?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you always following me around, huh? What the hell do you want from me?"
Tomoe simply smiled and said, "Your trust. That's all I want." She looked to the ground. "There are people in this world who would genuinely like to be your friend. Maybe you should give them a chance. Or, at least give me one."
"You're pretty crazy, you know that? Haven't you heard the rumors? I could kill you."
"And I can kill you too. Guess we're even, right?"
Kaburagi laughed. "You know what? You're alright!"
By the end of senior year, everyone about to graduate were given assignments in which they fill out what they want to be after high school. Tomoe noticed that Kotetsu and Antonio hadn't turned his in yet.
"You both should be heroes. I've already figured out names for you."