Warning: Crude language, eventual violence.

Flash-fic format.

A/N: Trying to come up with a suitable back story is really hard...

I don't own Gintama.


Chapter 2: Unseen Shadow

That's the first time I met him.

And as they say, first impressions last the longest.

I feared him, to tell the truth, even though the other kids eventually warmed up to the 'silver haired weirdo'.

Every day after class, as per usual, we would greet Shoyou-sensei before we are released for our afternoon break and lunch. It is usually the best period in the day, where our boundless energy is finally granted the release it seeks from being cooped up in the mostly enclosed classroom.

Despite being a rather friendly and effective teacher with abundance charisma, one simply cannot hold the attention of pubescent kids for any prolonged periods of time with history books and native folklore, no matter how interesting they may seem at first.

Well, we're kids. And kids plus prolonged lessons dragging from early morning after sunrise to about midday is just asking for trouble to happen.

To prevent this, Shoyou-sensei quickly revised his lesson plans (from what I remember they used to be a couple of weeks back), such that we get a nice long two hour break before our next lesson. The local club of housewives usually pack simple but filling lunches for us orphans and Sensei in a rather simple wooden bento delivered directly to the school by some passing farmers. The cheap but good lunch is the same old rice with some fresh fish delivered by the local hunters whenever they came back each day.

Today's mackerel and rice, plus some dried plums and soy sauce drizzled at some parts.

Well, what can I say? The housewives do love kids after all, and they can't really help it since women are usually banned from leaving the house except to buy groceries or gossip with neighbours. Staying at home all the time only drives their interest in coddling children whenever they can, especially if their own kids are already working in the fields from sunrise to sunset.

Carefully lifting the lid off the bento, I inhaled the delicious smell emitting from the slightly warm bento box. We don't have any set rules on where to consume food, even if it's in our only classroom, as long as we keep the place clean. The only bad thing is that the messy and clumsy kids like Aka-kun tends to be saddled with cleaning duty as revenge for dirtying the floor with the food he dropped. As I chewed my rice thoughtfully, I couldn't help but notice the bunch of kids crowding around the newcomer's desk diagonally behind me and two seats to the left.

"Ne ne, we're gonna play kick the can later. Wanna join?"

"Yeah! I heard you're fast. I'll even invite you to my team!"

"Hey no stealing! C'mon, my team's even better, join mine!"

The kids squabbled and the ruckus grew even louder, the silver haired boy –what's-his-name- looked totally bored out of his mind, ignoring the generally childish competitiveness for him and started picking his nose.

I immediately turned my rapidly reddening face back to my own lunch, barely stopping the light snickers that leaked out from my lips by stuffing as much rice in as I can.

He's… so aloof that it's almost unbelievable how he can totally ignore the fact that people are fighting over him. Mostly.

Taking my chances, I quickly peeked back, only to sigh quietly in relief when I did not catch his eye. In fact, he looked even closer to entering dreamland with how his eyelids are drooping lower and lower with every passing second amidst the ongoing chaos, clutching the sword –I swear I saw Shoyou-sensei carry it before- tightly in his grasp, leaning rather comfortably on it though I highly doubt it is as nice as he makes it look like.

The glint in Takasugi's eye caught mine though, and I dreaded the cold feeling that pooled in my gut, though he smiled and waved lightly at me. I glared back.

Sheesh. That bastard better take a hint or I'm digging him a new one, top student or not.

I think… the monster of my dreams did not really notice me, the loner, the average in the rowdy bunch of orphans, and so I counted my lucky blessings to breathe another sigh of relief.

Just plain old "Kyo-kun".

TBC.