NOTE:Baek Seungjo is named after the character in the Korean Drama based on the manga "Itazura na Kiss", entitled "Mischievous Kiss." and Hwang Taekyung is named after the lead male of the Korean Drama "You're Beautiful." Originally, the two names were just sub-names until I could think of a fitting one but the names stuck true.
CHAPTER 1:
One year and a few months later . . .
+ Hokkaido, Japan
The alarm blared but the occupant of the bed refused to get up. Grabbing a pillow and throwing it directly at the alarm clock, the boy went back to sleep. That is, until a certain red-head barged into his room.
"Seungjo! Seungjo! Nya~! It's time to get up!" The familiar blue-eyed redhead shouted at the sleeping boy.
"Ngh, Go away Eiji!" The now-awake Seungjo, who was also a redhead, grumbled in Korean.
Baek Seungjo and his family moved to Japan with Seungjo and his older sister and younger sister going to Hokkaido with him while his parents as well as his older brother and younger brother stayed in Kyoto where his father was transferred to work in. Kikumaru Eiji on the other hand, moved to Hokkaido with his grandparents to escape the "experience" he had in Tokyo.
Eiji smirked and said "Speaking Korean to me isn't going to work anymore Seungjo! I know how in case you've forgotten, and I know you understand Japanese so don't pretend you can't understand either!" doing a V-sign afterwards. When Seungjo refused to budge, Eiji sighed before whistling.
1… 2… 3… "WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!" A Siberian Husky came running in, jumping on the bed and then proceeded to jump around.
"AISSH, STOP! STOP DAREUM! I'M UP!" Seungjo exclaimed, scuttling of the bed, grabbing a towel from his closet and running into his bathroom.
The dog looked up at Eiji, tongue out and seemingly satisfied, Eiji grinned back and the dog "ruffed" and ran back out. Eiji's phone rang as the dog went out and Eiji was quick to answer it.
"MOSHI! MOSHI!" he greeted cheerfully, picking up the yoyo Seungjo always had on his desk.
"Yo! Eiji! I'm on my way to Seungjo's house." The person on the other line said.
"Good, Seungjo just woke up so he'll be done by the time you get here."
"All right, this way we won't be late, again."
Eiji laughed lightly, but he's expression turned serious the next second, "Have you eaten?" he deadpanned.
"…"
"Marui Bunta! Don't tell me you threw the breakfast Reina-nee-chan made you!"
At that moment, Seungjo came out of the bathroom, fully dressed and groomed. His hair was a little bit damp but he was quickly finishing that. Unfortunately for Marui Bunta, Seungjo heard what Eiji said. Taking the phone from Eiji which surprised the other redhead, he started to say, "You're eating here once you get here and no, I'm not taking no for an answer." He also said this in Korean. Basically, he is always speaking Korean unless he needs to speak Japanese, for example, to other Japanese people he doesn't know.
"… Fine,but I'm only eating an oatmeal cookie, that's it. Either that or I won't pass by your house anymore." said Marui, the other, other redhead. He moved to Hokkaido as well to live with his older cousin and his wife. As to why, Marui claims he wanted to experience the weather in Hokkaido.
"Fair enough." stated Eiji, getting the phone back from Seungjo.
"Ja ne!"
"Ah! Ja!" Eiji put the phone down and turned to look at Seungjo.
Seungjo noticed his friend's stare and returned it with a small smile, "My parents aren't home yet, they'll be home the day after tomorrow, don't worry."
Eiji looked at him carefully, before nodding and returning to his happy, childish self. He dragged Seungjo down the stairs with him and into the dining room.
"Ohayou, Chaeyoung-nee-chan!" The cheerful redhead greeted Seungjo's older sister.
Baek Chaeyoung greeted back, "Good Morning, when will Bunta arrive?" she asked nicely as an afterthought.
And Speak of the Devil, he arrives, "Present Chaeyoung-nee-chan!"
Chaeyoung greets him as well, ruffles her younger brother's hair before moving her way out of the kitchen and to waking up her other, younger siblings.
"Bunta, eat." Seungjo deadpanned, shoving an oatmeal cookie down his throat.
Bunta cringed, but started chewing and then swallowed. He then looked expectantly at his friends, who nodded at him with smiles on their faces. Seungjo then started to eat his own plate of sausage and eggs with Eiji eating some of it. Once he was done, they all left for their High School.
+ Teikoku High School: Hokkaido Branch
As the trio were about to enter the main gate of the school, Eiji's phone rang once again, checking the caller and finding out its one of his best friends from Seigaku, Fuji Shuusuke, who also moved to Hokkaido as a boarding student, he immediately answered. "Moshi! Moshi!"
"Eiji, is the Freshman Batch Representative with you?"
"You mean Yukimura? Nope! Nope! Bunta and Seungjo are the only ones with me right now. But I saw Hwang Taekyung going in the school building. Wait a minute Fujiko! Are you even allowed to used the phone as the first ever Freshman Student Council President nya~?
A chuckle was heard on the other line before Fuji started to speak again, "The reason I accepted is because the Student Council President, Like the Freshman Batch Representative and the Top 1 or running Valedictorian, gets privileges."
Eiji pouted, "Mou, unfair Fujiko!" he shouted, but he stopped once he saw his seniors gathering to enter the main gate. "I-Ill see you later Fujik— I mean, Fuji."
Fuji knew what was happening but he didn't say anything, "Ah, Ja ne."
"Ja…" Eiji muttered, putting his phone back, straight-faced.
Bunta and Seungjo looked at Eiji with well-masked, worried glances, but neither said a thing as they followed their friend through the gate.
+ Classrom 1-3
Bunta grumbled when Seungjo, once again, beat him in hangman.
Seungjo smirked and said, "That's five for me and two for you."
"Whatever! Eiji, help me out here!"
Eiji smiled widely and flicked a piece of eraser dust at Bunta, "Hoi! Hoi! Bulls-eye!"
"Some friends you are." Bunta grumbled some more, but then he laughed along with his friends when they started to laugh.
"Eiji-kun! Can you help me?" A random girl asked, pouting slightly.
Eiji stopped laughing and nodded at the girl, "Sure nya~! What do you want me to do?"
The girl squealed and started asking him if he could go meet her at break time later on. The redhead nodded, his friends heard so they just waved it off when he looked at them. The girl then ran to her friends, her friends squealing with her.
Bunta looked amused, "You do know it's a confession right?" He told Eiji.
Eiji nodded, not letting his smile fade, "I know, but I don't want to gain a reputation as a heartbreaker or a snob who can't even do a favor from a girl."
"You please people too much, you know that?" said Seungjo, tossing an eraser on Eiji's head.
"… It's better than being judged by one simple mistake." Eiji muttered, smiling sadly but laughing afterwards when Seungjo was hit by a blackboard eraser.
"PFFT! B-BUNTA!" Seungjo shouted, getting rid of the chalk dust on his hair.
Bunta snickered before giving Eiji a high-five and going back to his seat when he saw that their homeroom teacher and coincidentally their first period teacher going in.
"Good Morning." The teacher greeted, he was a strict looking, mid-aged man who really wasn't strict at all.
"Good Morning Yamada-sensei!" His class greeted.
The teacher smiled at them before continuing, "I have the results of your quiz the other day. Would you like—"
"YES!" The class answered before he could finish, chuckling he started to pass the paper around.
Once Seungjo got his paper however, he frowned and put his head on his hands. Eiji and Bunta were silently cheering that they didn't fail and that they at least got above 83 but knowing their friend…
"Seungjo, what did you get?" Eiji asked, patting Seungjo on the back.
"91." He murmured.
Bunta's eyes widened, "That's pretty high already Seungjo."
Seungjo smiled at Bunta for trying to cheer him up but returned back to frowning once he looked at his paper, "Don't mind it."
"By the way, some of you haven't passed the project due last week, please pass them by tomorrow or I will have to start giving deductions immediately." Their teacher suddenly said after giving out the last paper.
"Seungjo, did you—" Bunta started, but Seungjo cut him off, "No. I forgot, I forgot. I was studying for this, I forgot all about the requirements." said Seungjo, shaking his head. Eiji tried to cheer him up by poking him many times for fun on the face which would usually get a reaction out of Seungjo. But the Korean was not responding at all.
+ School Gymnasium
"Line up!" The health teacher bellowed.
Class 1-3 did as was told, however Baek Seungjo was forced to go to the clinic by Eiji and Bunta because he became incredibly pale after their first period was over.
"We'll be checking your weights today and comparing them to the other records. If you're on a sports team, this is will be the health papers you will pass to the captains. First up, Akagi Hiroyuki! Ando Terumi to our assistant coach!" ordered the Gym coach. The others started to break up into groups, Bunta not at all feeling well.
"Relax Bunta, They won't kick you out of the tennis team." Eiji said, patting him on the back.
Student after Student went to the two coaches up front, Eiji was already underweight in the first place, but seeing as he is an acrobat, he really did need to keep a lithe body structure. Right after Kudou Kogomi was finished, Bunta was called.
"Marui Bunta!" the coach, once again, bellowed. Bunta shook of his thoughts and went on the weighing scale. What he saw, made him happy, he had lost pounds. But to the coach, it wasn't.
"15 pounds only after a few weeks Marui? That's not good. If you lost this much weight on our next scheduled health coverage, you will be kicked out of the tennis team. Understood?" stated the coach, clearly meaning every word.
Bunta sighed to himself but nodded at the coach. But he didn't care about what the coach said, he was going to lose more weight. He still felt as though he was an elephant so until he doesn't feel that way he won't stop.
"See Bunta! You didn't get kicked out!" Eiji cheered once Bunta had gotten back to their spot. Bunta simply smiled and refused the piece of chocolate Eiji offered.
+ Break Time, School Grounds
Seungjo sighed as Eiji asked him if he was okay for the hundredth time. "For the last time Eiji, I am fine. I just had a minor relapse."
"Hmm. . . . . Fine, but I'm telling Chaeyoung-nee-chan tonight." said Eiji, going back to his older cheery self before checking his watch.
"Time to meet the girl huh?" asked Bunta, smirking slightly.
Eiji laughed and nodded, running off to the place the girl told him to meet at, which was in their classroom. Going inside, he found that it was only the girl who was in there.
The girl blushed shyly but smiled at Eiji. "Eiji-kun."
"Hoi, hoi Azami-chan, what's up?" he asked, bouncing on his heels.
The girl blushed more and shoved a letter right in front of Eiji's face. "I-I like you Eiji-kun!" she exclaimed, head down, eyes covered by her bangs.
Eiji blinked, once, twice, and then smiled down sympathetically at the girl in front of him. "Ah, gomen Azami-chan but I'm not really interested in relationships right now. I mostly want to focus on school for now so that my parents won't send me back to Tokyo. If I get into a commitment, they might just get me back. Warui, warui Azami-chan." he explained, reaching down and putting the girls arms back to herself.
Azami wasn't going to back down, "B-But Eiji-kun, I'll follow you to Tokyo if they do! They can't stop me!"
Eiji was taken aback but his smile was kept intact, "Azami-chan. I really can't be in a relationship right now, I can't. I'm sorry… But I do know that someone else likes you and let's just say, he has glasses and dark blonde hair."
His classmate looked at him, shocked. "R-Really?"
Eiji nodded, "Hai, hai! You have to realize that… Gomen Azami-chan, I'll see you later in class!" Eiji was already heading for the door when Azami stopped him.
"Eiji-kun!"
Eiji looked at her, smile still in place, yet he had an expectant look.
Azami blushed but smiled at him brightly, "Arigatou Eiji-kun, I'll be sure to let Hiroyuki-san know that I'm here."
The redheaded teen smiled at her cheekily and made a V before waving and leaving the classroom. He turned to go to the rooftop where his friends would surely be. Once he got to the stairs however, a group of seniors ran into him. They smiled and waved at Eiji who smiled back at them.
"Kikumaru, I was just telling my friends here that you could do simultaneous back-flips. Mind proving it to them?" One of the seniors asked, putting an arm around him.
Eiji froze but he composed himself after a split-second, "S-Sorry Senpai, Fuji is probably waiting for me at the rooftop already, I have to go." quickly excusing himself before the senior could say anything more. Once he got out of the seniors sight, he ran up the stairs to the door going to the rooftop. Stopping to breathe for a second and then going in.
"Ahn~, Ore-sama thought you wouldn't show up anymore Kikumaru."
"But I can't believe you received another confession today. Ah, Ecstasy~!"
"Maa, no need to get on his back now."
CHAPTER 1: