Author's Notes:
· If you have any words that you don't know what it means, tell me or something, so I could put it in the 'dictionary' at every beginning of chapter
· There's one Miku Project Diva model where she has black hair and dark eyes so… yeah. Imagine that one. I'd be using that one as her 'normal' image. You'll understand when you read the story.
· I don't have an editor (I think they call 'em beta reader? Idk) for this piece so if you notice some mistakes in spelling, grammar, etc, notify me.
· Kiyoteru's Hiyama means ice mountain while Akito's Hiyama means fire mountain. Both are read the same way but have different Japanese characters so means entirely different things. However, I would love to note that Akito is the leader of their band ICE MOUNTAIN.
· Yes, the band is canon, and most band/member facts that I'll portray here are canon. Most.
· Universe is not just Japan. Since I don't know how it would be like to live in Japan… let's say it's some sort of a mixture… like San Fransokyo from Big Hero 6.
· The thing is, the Prologue is short. Yeah, and all the Author's note was like there. So I'm sorry. Actually, this was supposed to be just a one shot but I figured I had time in my hands so there.
Dictionary
· *herbivorous (n) – slang., males who: act kindly; are family-oriented; do not predate on women
Chapter One: A New Day Comes In
Akito stared at the girl taking a pick on the vegetables in the store. Her hair was black, reaching halfway past her back, held back by a ribbon on the side. Under her violet sleeveless hoodie (which hood wasn't on her head) she wore a white shirt, and a skirt. Now, Akito wasn't being a pervert or a pedophile or both even, but he looked because the girl somehow looked oddly familiar. He just can't shake the feeling that he'd seen her somewhere before.
"Uhm, I'm taking this…" the girl said shyly and softly.
He blinked rapidly out of his stupor, looked hardly at the girl. "Why, oh yes!" He replied energetically, not wanting to scare off the girl (or boy, he thought wryly as he remembered the incident with Hokaze and all the other failed attempts that followed). "Here 'ya go, miss!" He grinned, and asked, "Why lots of negis there?" Akito gestured at the bag of goods he just handed to her.
She smiled, obviously warming up to him. "Oh, they're my favorite. I love negis."
"Well then. Come back here if you ever get out of stock, okay?"
"I will, don't worry," she laughed. "Oh, uhm, do you know a bakery near here?"
He nodded, telling her directions towards Hokaze-tei. "And please do me a favor and tell the shopkeeper practice at four, okay?"
"Will do. Thanks, Hiyama-san!" she waved and was gone just like that, before he could even ask how she found out his name.
He sighed, thinking it was probably because of the band and went back to watching TV, a show about celebrity gossips was playing, and they were talking about the famous pop star Mirai who just gave an official statement about quitting yesterday—and she was in the height of her career too. It was just so unexpected, it seemed, that people talked about it. And since the company doesn't comment on anything, reporters had asked Mirai's co-pop stars and friends: HANAKO, TARO, Luka Megurine and her BFFs, the popular Kagamine twins, but even they have no answer. It's not like they don't want to, it's just that they seem to not know what to answer. They were as shocked as everyone after the announcement.
As videos and pictures of Mirai played onscreen, Akito's eyebrows raised in surprise and creased in confusion. He was sure, so sure in fact, that that girl, under the teal wig and all the make-up, was actually the girl he'd just sold the negis to.
"Hiyama-sensei," a little girl in pigtails looked at her teacher pleadingly. "Are you gonna practice today? Can I watch you practice? Please? I promise I'll do my homework as soon as I get home. Can I just watch you? I would be quiet too!"
The man laughed, patted the girl at her head. "I'm sure you will and you can. But shouldn't you be asking if you may?"
Yuki gasped, bit her lip, blushing embarrassedly while averting her gaze at the floor. And then, as if with a sudden burst of confidence she looked up again. "M-may I watch you then?! Please, Hiyama-sensei!"
Kiyoteru was about to reply, when a blond man walked to them. The girl had stared in awe, for the man was the sixth grade teacher known for being handsome and genius.
"Hiyama-san," the blond nodded towards Kiyoteru, and smiled at the little girl. "You should not be so hard at Yuki-chan."
Yuki shook her head. The man might be handsome, but Hiyama-sensei was her homeroom (her favorite) teacher. "It's my fault, anyway, Amane-sensei. I didn't use the appropriate word. Hiyama-sensei's just teaching me."
"Ah, then he is teaching you well, and you must be learning well!"
Haruto Amane smiled, and Yuki immediately beamed back. She's starting to like this teacher, he's always been nice to her. She can't wait to be in the sixth grade. Ah, but no, not yet. She can't be in the sixth grade yet. She's enjoying the third grade anyway, with Hiyama-sensei as her teacher.
Amane presented his hand to her. "Well, then, since you are learning well, surely Teru-san here would not be against the idea of your watching us practice. Do you want to go then? I am pretty sure Teru-san would still be going to the gates to receive Natsuki-san and Akito."
If possible, the girl's face brightened up even more, her smile going wider. She immediately took Amane's hand, and they left, but not without her saying, "Hurry up after us, okay, Hiyama-sensei?"
Kiyoteru waved, and began striding off to the school gates. As soon as he strode out the school he bumped to someone, sending that someone's things off to the ground.
He quickly apologized, while picking up the groceries that were splayed all over. "I'm sorry, I really am," he mumbled. He could almost feel the person's glare without even looking. He noticed she was grumbling about dinner, and the guilt he'd been feeling earlier felt heavier. He helped her put everything in the bag, and when that was over, decided to offer her a dinner treat tonight, and paying up for everything (even though that meant he'd be broke again, which he usually was). She still wasn't looking at him as he said it, busying herself at looking at the bag and wondering what could still be salvaged, perhaps, but he knows she was listening all the same for when he stopped speaking, she looked up.
"Actually it wouldn't—" her eyes widened, and he saw a flicker of recognition before it quickly vanished away.
He blinked. Recognition? This girl…
"It's fine, really," she replied rather hastily. "You don't need to do that. I… I saw you… You came from the school didn't you? You're a teacher there? Do you know Yuki Kaai-chan? I'm the one to take her home today. Auntie's gone."
"She's still inside, she said she'll watch the band practice today," he smiled kindly at the girl, having the feeling that he really does know her from somewhere. A childhood friend? But as far as he remembered the only childhood friend he ever had was Akito. Who was she? "I could go tell her if you want to."
"Teru-san!"
"Oi! Teru!"
It was both Natsuki Hokaze and Akito Hiyama walking towards them.
"Please tell her to come home immediately after then. I-I won't be waiting for her, just, tell her to come straight home," she fidgeted, glancing nervously at the two men coming closer towards them. "Don't want her nor I to get in trouble with Obaa-chan. Thank you, sensei." She bowed, and left him standing there.
"So you're picking up girls now, huh, Teru?" Akito grinned teasingly when he was near enough. However, he scowled when he caught the glimpse of the retreating girl.
"I don't know—I was just—She was—"
"Hmm," Natsuki nodded, agreeing with Akito, which was a really rare event. "It would seem like it. Teru-san is hitting on a girl and she ran away embarrassed. Looks like he wasn't that herbivorous* after all."
"It wasn't like that!" their glasses clad friend protested. Akito laughed and Natsuki allowed himself a smile as Teru got red in the face. "You two, you rarely ever combine forces, but when you do, it's got something to do with me."
Akito nodded, "Hmm. O'course. And that's 'cause we love you, Kiyoteru-sensei."
"That girl though," Natsuki suddenly said, "That was the girl you sent at the bakery, right, Hiyama?"
"Yeah," the red haired replied. Hiyama was both him and Kiyoteru, but he was pretty used with Hokaze just calling him by last name so it wasn't any problem. "What's she doing here, Teru?"
The trio started walking in the school. It's a great thing really, that the school allowed them a few hours practice at the music room, so long as they perform at school concerts and whatnots for free. Not to mention Haruto Amane, their blond keyboardist, always manages to pay for it that whatever they do, the school, more or less, just makes it slide most of the time.
"She says she's here to take Yuki-chan home."
"Then why'd she leave?"
Teru shrugged. He really had no idea why. But now that he thought about it, he remembered the grocery that toppled to the ground, and wondered how he could repay that. She really looked at loss awhile ago.
He tells the two of what happened.
"Jeez, man, first impression's 'portant."
"Hey I wasn't trying to date her or anything!"
Akito was to continue what he was saying if Natsuki hadn't glared at him. He raised both his hands. "Don't read too much into it, bro. I mean, come on, past is past."
"Right," Natsuki replied venomously.
Akito grinned, then turned back his attention to his bestfriend. "Tell you what, I really think you should pay her up though. If it's really as bad as she looked like, then you've got every right to be worried."
Kiyoteru nodded. "But Akito, do you know her? The girl? She looked familiar somehow."
"Ah! So you really don't live under a rock as I thought you were!"
"What? What do you mean?"
"That girl, my man, was the pop singer Mirai. I'm sure of it."
"Mirai?" Natsuki raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You're kidding."
"Not at all," he grinned as they entered the music room. "Should've asked for her autograph."
"Coffee first before we perform?" Tohma Azuchi, ICE MOUNTAIN's bassist, asked them as they entered. He was a tall man, with a quite long hair and beard, and looks more like a troublemaker than a science teacher.
"Sure thing, Tohma-nii," Akito smirked at him.
Tohma simply nodded, unfazed by the teasing (because, after all, he does act like an older brother to them—and he is the eldest), as he went out for the coffee, but Yuki called out to him before he could.
"Azuchi-sensei! May I go with you?" she emphasized the word 'may,' while looking at her homeroom teacher, as if asking if she used the word properly. "I'll help!"
Kiyoteru smiled at his student, and Tohma nodded at the girl. "We'll just be fast then."
When they went back, Tohma was grinning when he gave Kiyoteru his cup. The moment he held it, the math teacher nearly made the coffee fall.
"HOOOOOTTTT‼!"
Burst of laughter can be heard inside the room. Everyone was laughing, except Kiyoteru who hurried to the washroom.
"That just never gets old, Tohma-nii," Akito was laughing the hardest.
Tohma grinned, and even young little Yuki gave a smile that she tried hard not to show. It just didn't feel right to be doing that to Hiyama-sensei, but his reaction was really funny she can't help herself.
"Don't worry, Yuki-chan," Amane smiled at her. "I'm pretty sure Hiyama-san's fine."
"Mmm," Natsuki nodded. "He's pretty used to it, anyway."
More Author's Notes:
Alright. I'm sorry. I just love talking… writing? Whatever. And the only space I can do that is both ends of the chapters so I try to maximize it as much as possible… Lol. BTW notify me with grammar errors. Okay? I also don't know how I'll continue the story… I know their backstory and I know what I want to happen (happily ever after ending, of course… well, sort of. The ending I want is tragic haha), but I don't know how to tell it properly so yeah… Besides, rare ship is rare. It's hard to find inspiration.
