Title: Whistle
Rating: PG
Summary: Fai learns how to whistle.
Author's Note: This will be the first ficlet in the ongoing series. Strange as it seems, I'm starting this to practice writing scenarios that aren't either dramatic or too serious - and what better setting is there for that then Horitsuba? Plus, it's a nice break from Tsubasa turmoils.
Some people rely on coffee or tea for their early morning rituals. Kurogane prefers jogging. There's nothing like running laps around the school's track just as the sun is rising and all is peaceful (for once) at Horitsuba Academy. Today is no exception as he breaks his eighth lap.
That is, until the gym teacher receives a rude awakening.
"Hyuu~ Kuro-rin-sensei is so cool!"
He nearly trips, and now all concentration and meditative efforts have gone to waste as he looks at the chemistry teacher cat-calling from the bleachers in scorn. Fai, his unruly neighbor, is unusually up early. His blond hair is messy, and in his lap is a steaming cup of coffee (Kurogane never understands coffee – to him it tastes horrible and the bitterness of tea is much preferable). All efforts to run the usual three kilometers in the morning are gone, and in huffed indignation, Kurogane runs over to Fai to give him a piece of his mind.
"Don't you ever freak me out like that again," he practically roars, causing Fai's cup to tremble.
Fai just laughs, and for some reason he makes those goddamn noise again.
"And quit it with those 'hyuus'!"
"Eh? I thought Kuro-tan-sensei knows that's how I whistle."
"Wait a minute, you can't whistle?"
"Nope," Fai admits, grinning so cheerfully that it's causing him a headache. "Never was able to."
"Yeah, well, I'll show you how to do it," Kurogane offers. In his own defense, it's just so he doesn't have to hear that pathetic 'hyuu' again. He then proceeds to demonstrate how to whistle for the blond, quickly laying out the steps.
"Okay, now you try it," he instructs.
Fai nods, but instead of pursing his lips as Kurogane expects him to do, he leans over and grabs the whistle hanging from the teacher's neck. Before Kurogane can swipe it out of his hands, Fai blows on it and the shrill noise reverberates around the field. Satisfied, Fai lets go of the whistle with a sly smirk.
"How was that?" Fai says.
Kurogane splutters and turns bright red. "I didn't mean that whistle, idiot!"
Long after the taunts the gym teacher hits the shower before school starts. He leaves his whistle in his office drawers – and for nearly the entire week he resorts to yelling and using ridiculous arm gestures when he needs to get the students' attention during gym classes.
