Author's note: This is a quick story I made featuring Akama Yuto and Nyamirin and taking place during episode 4. It's sadder than I anticipated, but I think (hope) it reflects both characters well. Please read and review if you can, so I'll know whether or not you like it. Also, if you come across any errors, let me know. I'll try to fix the mistakes as soon as I can.

Disclaimer: I don't own Mikagura School Suite/ミカグラ学園組曲

Smile for you

That evening Yuto watched as the inevitable happened. The smaller footsteps couldn't keep up with the clicking sounds of the high heels. The woman, tall, fiery, with long blond hair draped around her shoulders, hold the hand of his younger brother firmly, ignoring the high pitched protests. The sky-blue eyes of the kid stood confused.

"Yuto-nichan? What about Yuto-nichan? Isn't he coming with us?"

"That boy is going to live with daddy."

That boy. His mother didn't even bother to call him by his own name. She disregarded him as if he was nothing more than a bundle of clothes that occupied valuable space. He didn't resent her, though, for thinking that. If any, he had to agree with her. Compared to his younger brother he might as well not exist. His younger brother was bright, energetic, smiling, always the center of attention. Unlike him. He did nothing more than hide in the shadows. In the shadow of others who were more perfect than him. He didn't know how to smile and that earnt him the disappointment of his own mother.

Despite the protests, his younger brother followed his mother through the front door. The door fell shut, leaving the hall empty and silent. By now his mother and brother would be walking to the closest bus stop, taking off to whatever place was far enough from him. Yuto was eager to jump to the door, break it down and run after them as hard as he could. But it was no use. Even if he was able to catch up to them, his mother would just shun him away again. He was left alone. Alone with his dad.

Yuto turned on his heels, slowly shuffling towards the living room. Just before he entered the brown-haired boy exhaled deeply, gathering all the courage he could muster and then peeked around the corner.

"Dad?"

The sound of shattered glass reached his ears simultaneously with the registration of the horror before him. His dad sat on the ground behind the low Japanese table, a few bottles of heavy alcohol in various states of emptiness decorated his surroundings and the pieces of the glass that had hit the wall just left of Yuto now made contact with the ground.

"What'd ye want?"

The voice of the elder man was so calm, so unrealistically restrained, it sent shivers down Yuto's spine. He stood frozen, unable to move an inch, as if someone had glued his feet to the pavement. His dad rose, swaying on the influence of the liquor he just drowned in.

"I'm talkin' to ye," he slurred dreadful and Yuto no longer knew what scared him more. The composed speaking or the drunken moves. "What'd ye want?"

"I-…"

But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. His father wasn't interested in what he wanted. He never was and never would be. All Yuto was in his eyes was another burden. And now that his mother was gone, all limits broke. No-one cared anymore. In his father's eyes, everything was permissible.

The first fist made contact.

With a shock Yuto bolted upright. The night terrors recurred as movie-frames in his head. He cursed them to go away, to go back to the far corners of his mind. The anxiety flooded through his veins, but he controlled his breathing quickly. It was the past, he repeated over and over to the point he convinced himself against the better judgement.

Throwing off the sheets, the teen stumbled from the couch he had been laying on. It was late in the evening, judging from the dim light shining through the window curtains. He walked over to his clothing cabinet, but before he could pull on a different – sweatless – shirt, there was a knock on the door of his dorm room.

"Yuto?"

Nyamirin.

"Yuto? Are you there?"

Feeling guilty to let the girl standing in anticipation of his reaction, Yuto crossed the room to the door and opened it slightly. Just far enough to face his club-member and friend, but not so far she could barge in uninvited. He smiled at her. The exact same way he had learnt to smile all those years ago. Not because he felt like smiling, but because it reassured the people around him. He needed to be perfect, just like his brother. He could no longer receive the acceptance of his mother, but he could seek approval from others.

"Sorry, Nyamirin, I didn't mean to let you wait," he greeted in a fake sereneness. "Can I help you?"

The girl watched him with an inspecting eye. Of course she did. She was probably the only one who suspected the fakeness of his smile. Key word being suspected. Keen or not, the girl could not have known for sure.

"You weren't answering your phone. I got a little worried." She hesitated for a moment. "I'm sorry for what happened during club-hours. They definitely didn't mean for you to get upset after hearing the Super Miracle Man intro song. I hope you will forgive them – forgive me…"

Yuto shook his head. "No, that's alright," he soothed. "I'm not mad."

The girl sighed visibly at his comment. "I'm glad to hear so," Nyamirin answered and smiled lovingly at him.

She actually smiled at him. Not a fake smile like his, but a sincere, honest, warm smile. The one he always wanted to give, but never could manage. Not truthfully at least. It wasn't the same one as his brother, nor the smile his mother used to give before everything went downhill. It was a special smile he only knew Nyamirin could produce. A smile that she reserved just for him.

"Yuto?"

He looked up and drowned in her dark pink eyes.

"It's okay not to smile," she told him in a soft voice, while she cupped his cheek in her hand.

Before he could stop himself, Yuto gave in and rested his head in her comforting gesture.

"It's okay not to smile, because I'll smile for you."

A.