Hyoutei
6
Oshitari kept clicking his pen after working on a math problem he didn't feel like doing. His thoughts were too preoccupied on practice earlier this afternoon. Which new student he should focus on, he didn't know. Tenka Morita and Matthew Fatale together were peculiar in his eyes.
He glanced at his computer screen, tempted to research, but not until his homework was finished. If it wasn't for the casualty that was Tenka and the mystery that was Matt, he'd be able to move on with his life. They were just new students, weren't they?
After forcing focus on his homework, he finally finished. For once, he didn't care if they were right as long as it appeared finished. He wondered who he should research first.
Unintentionally, he thought about Tenka's words to him:
"You know, you're a mysterious person?" Tenka conversed with him during practice. "I like that in another male. It makes me wonder what secrets there are in your head. Maybe we should exchange thoughts."
That did it. He was first. He would gladly learn what secrets the cocky redhead had without revealing his own. The first article that popped up about Tenka Morita was most recent – a fire had occurred a few months ago, completely burning down a middle school. He skimmed over the context and learned that Tenka, Matthew, and another boy called Tatsuya were hailed as heroes for rescuing trapped classmates. There were even pictures of the three after the rescue. Other than that, he found no use in the article and closed it.
The next one was of a junior boxing championship, featuring Tenka. It was dated quite recently, just a few weeks before the fire broke out. He vaguely wondered why Tenka ended up playing tennis rather than continuing his career in boxing.
As his research continued, he found more articles, but nothing out of the ordinary. It seemed like Tenka was an ambitious boy who loved boxing. What threw him off were no mentions of his family. It was easy finding information about the Morita family, who were renowned for their sponsorships and breakthroughs in science. They were wealthy though it hardly matched up to Atobe's fortune. But they weren't Tenka's actual family. He lived with his aunt and uncle. Well, there was a sibling (a younger sister) and a few cousins (a much older cousin and two younger twins). As for his parents, there was nothing.
Then he tried searching for articles about Matthew. There was the same article involving the fire and a few others in English. Other articles showed that the boy entered a few tennis tournaments, which he found perplexing. Matt seemed to have no interest in the sport. He did notice another recent article – a court case about him.
Before he could click on the link, his older sister called from downstairs.
"Yuushi-kun, it's time for dinner!"
Oshitari sighed and reluctantly pulled away from the computer screen. He would have to read it later.
Meanwhile, Tenka stretched after reading a novel for English. He glanced at the clock wondering if Matt was at work. Being the older, more responsible male he was, he couldn't help it. If Matt hadn't taken that stupid job, he wouldn't be tapping the edge of his book impatiently or pacing as he read. The boy got himself in stupid shit at times. Then there was Tatsuya at the other academy. He figured he should call him tomorrow to make sure he didn't have a nervous breakdown.
Thinking about others gave him a headache. Sometimes, it was a bit stressful being the older brother to well… everyone. Now that Atobe and he rekindled their friendship. He was in for some serious dramatics. Actually, that wasn't so bad. Atobe complained about trivial crap, and they understood their familial situations.
And then there was Yuushi-kun. The male was definitely on edge with him, just as he wanted. Now he had to make sure it stayed like that, so he could figure out what he exactly wanted. People under pressure tend to let slip of their motives. But he had to keep himself aloof, which meant he had to remain the teasing playboy.
Okay, okay, he didn't hate being that kind of guy. It had its perks. He just wanted to be someone else for once. Being the adopted child of the Morita family meant he had to look and act a certain way. Somehow, that equated to him acting as he did now. Only in the comfort of his room and mind did he act like whoever the hell he wanted.
"Man… I need some sleep…" A yawn escaped his lips, and since there was no one in the room, he was free to yawn as long and as loud as he wanted to.
In a few minutes, he laid down on his bed, resting his hands over his head while staring at the ceiling. It was relatively quiet at this hour. His uncle and aunt slept way before he did along with his kid cousins. He didn't give a damn about the eldest cousin who had a consistency of sneaking out at night. Then there was his little sister.
"Ah… right… I should check up on Kameko…"
He rose up from the bed and headed towards the room across from his. Slowly and soundlessly, he opened it and took a peek inside. From where he stood, he saw his little sister tucked under the thick covers. But he always checked.
Tenka approached cautiously, tilting his head under he saw the top of her crimson-colored hair. Seeing her innocent face made him smile because she was his cute little sister. He found it funny how her head was tucked in, like a turtle with its head in its shell.
Exactly as how he entered, he left and closed the door behind him. A sigh of relief exhaled deeply from him. His worries were one less for now.
The moment he returned to his room, his cell phone vibrated noisily against the wooden surface of his desk. He groaned and snatched it up. The caller ID was Matt as expected.
"Before you say how stupid I was, I broke my leg, so I won't be in school tomorrow," said the boy once Tenka answered. His voice sounded irritated although winded too.
He smirked for it was nice hearing he was right every once in awhile. "Anything else I should know?"
"Tell Choutarou and Shishidou that we'll have to meet up another day. And…" There was a pause. "…shit… I need to ask someone for notes…"
"Ah, that's right. We're not in the same class anymore. You see, this exactly proves my point that the friends I make are yours to." Tenka said for the purpose of rubbing it in because he knew who was in the same class. "Atobe's in your class, so ask him."
"No! I refuse to ask any favors from him. I think I've made my point that I don't like associating with him."
His smirk grew wicked, amused by Matt's outright refusal. He could have fun with this. "Well, you don't need to ask him. But I can make you do it."
"…wait, what? Tenka, don't even-!"
"Consider this a favor, neko-chan. Besides, you did something stupid, so I'm teaching you a lesson. I'll have him at your house tomorrow, so you have to ask him." He hung up before Matt could treat him to some colorful language.
The smirk on his lips remained as wide as ever. Oh, how he loved playing with him. Though, it did worry him that he broke his leg already.
On the other end, Matt snapped his phone shut, fuming. What a shitty night… he sighed loudly before falling onto the pillows of the hospital bed. His silver eyes rested on the propped up leg. Admittedly, he did do something stupid…
The great king stared at the envelope being presented to him in class by a heavily blushing girl. It wasn't uncommon for him to receive them, but the envelope wasn't for him, but for Matthew. A king should never be reduced to a messenger.
"Please, Atobe-sama, could you give this to Matt-kun?" The girl bowed her head, partly out of embarrassment. She had previously adored Atobe, but now her new obsession was Matt. It was hard facing him.
Not wanting to seem rude, he accepted the letter. "I'll be sure to deliver it myself."
She nodded gratefully and hurried back to her friends. Together they squealed about her success.
Atobe kept a neutral expression although he wondered why girls squealed in the first place. He slid the letter into his bag. This was becoming a nightmare. He needed to reestablish who the more attractive love interest was.
Class was soon dismissed and so was school in general. Flicking his hair back, the king left and headed towards the student council room. Surely, there would be no more love letters from his faithful student council. He could have some peace and enjoy a good tennis practice afterwards.
Sometime in the middle of looking at reports with Kabaji, it began to rain outside. There had been gray clouds hovering over the school since this morning, but no one could predict the coming of rain. Still, it came down hard and fast. There went the necessitated peace.
A sigh left Atobe's lips, and he spent the next thirty minutes or so informing every club member that practice was canceled.
"Kabaji, I want you to go home now before the rain gets worse. I can't afford having you or any of the regulars getting sick."
"Usu," said the obedient second-year, collecting his things and leaving.
Alone in the council room, Atobe gazed out the window, his fingers splayed across his face in their usual manner. If he wasn't chivalrous for delivering the letter himself, he should have asked Kabaji to deliver it. He really wasn't in a good mood. It still bothered him that Matthew hadn't fallen for his prowess like everyone else. And it was raining. Rain in his hair was the last thing he wanted to deal with.
Before calling the limo, he called Tenka to get the boy's address and inform him of the cancellation.
"Moshi moshi?"
"It's Atobe. I require Matthew's address."
Tenka stayed silent for a few seconds. He was just about to call Atobe and feed him some excuse to go to Matt's house. He wondered what sort of reason there was behind this, but figured he'd be more entertained if he asked.
"I'll text you it." Feigning innocence, he asked, "So why do you require his address?"
"A girl with no taste asked me to deliver a letter for him." He drawled on, "I don't see why she couldn't have you deliver them. I have more important matters to do than play messenger boy." Then out of nowhere, he added, "The boy doesn't like me anyway. I'm a king, and he treats me as an equal."
That was news to Tenka. He hadn't known a boy disliking him bothered him. Well, not to the extent that he'd complain about it. More or less, Atobe didn't give much thought about boys because he could crush them in tennis or with his intelligence. Matt was a different case. He didn't give a damn about either.
"Charm him then, if you're that desperate." Tenka suggested, though he wasn't serious. He doubted Atobe would go as far as to wooing a boy. It'd be a funny sight the more he pondered on it… "Anyway, I'll send you the address and see you tomorrow. Oh, and he'll need homework and notes in case he refuses to ask."
Atobe hung up after a farewell. A frown appeared on his lips at Tenka's suggestion. Charming Matthew was the last option on his mind. It wasn't advice he had to take anyway.
After an impatient wait and ride to the boy's home, he was at the front door. His first thoughts on the house were its small size and the awning leaked. A puddle of water had formed in the middle of the porch. He eyed it carefully so his hair wouldn't get wet. Next thought was the distance. He didn't understand why he lived this far from the school.
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the chauffeur before rapping his knuckles against the door. He didn't want to appear as though he flaunted his wealth.
"Coming…! Coming…!" called out the boy. Uneven thumps soon followed.
Eventually he slid the door open and found the pompous ass on his porch. With a heavy sigh, he leaned against the doorway for support, rubbing his forehead. Matt seriously was having a bad day. A pounding headache coupled with a painfully pulsing leg worsened his mood. But he had to show some respect, taking in the fact that Atobe was willing to drive out here.
"Thanks for coming out …"
Atobe gazed upon him, taking careful notice of the rings under his eyes and the cast around his left leg. It actually worried him that the boy would pass out. Other than that, the boy looked the same as usual, except for his hair. It was as messy as ever. And that Pocky stick in his mouth was simply unbecoming.
Flicking back his own, he spoke, "It seems you have finally come to your senses. My presence brightens your doorstep."
Matt shot him a glare, his teeth grinding on the tip of the stick to the point it snapped and fell from his mouth. Great, a perfectly good stick wasted on the ass. Okay, forget being respectful. The sarcasm dripped in his voice like acid. "Oh, yes, I definitely wanted you here because you complete my life. No, I just need homework and notes from you if it isn't too much trouble."
A shot of pain coursed through his body. And he couldn't bite back a wince. Fuck, his leg wasn't helping his mood. He didn't mean to be that cold, although Atobe provoked him.
Gnawing on his lip, he felt guilty. "Sorry… just… come in, please. As you can tell, my leg is broken, and I'm not Mr. Sunshine."
Somehow witnessing the hasty changes in Matthew's attitude entertained Atobe. The boy really was like a cat. And he made the most obvious expressions. It was easy reading his emotions.
"That's all right, neko-chan. I know how to be forgiving when one learns one's mistakes."
He strode inside, carefully taking off his shoes before walking in. The interior was surprisingly larger than how it appeared outside. There wasn't much in the living room, except for the television, a plain coffee table, and simple couches. It didn't seem lively.
"You might be here for awhile so make yourself comfortable. I got to copy your notes and everything." Matt moved past on his crutches towards the kitchen.
Atobe took a seat on the couch, crossing his legs and smoothing his pants. His hands remained folded on top while he continued his gaze around the room. No pictures or even plants existed. He wouldn't be surprised if the boy's parents were dull.
"Mew!" a tiny voice could be heard from under the table.
Immediately, a kitten jumped onto the couch and settled next to Atobe. Her wide blue eyes stared as her tail swished from side to side. She tilted her head at the stranger and mewed again.
That had to be the smallest kitten the king had ever seen. Most likely, it was the runt of the litter.
Before he could stop it, the blonde kitten sniffed at him and rubbed its head against his thigh. Atobe stiffened. Oh no, he did not want the tiny feline getting too comfortable on him. Cats shed hair, and he hated finding them all over him. His fondness for cats had an extent. He could admire from afar, and he preferred the hypothetical kittens that were the girls he teased and Matt.
"No… I didn't allow you to come near me." He grabbed it by the scruff and dropped it on the arm of the couch.
"Well, that's not nice." The silver-haired boy stood across from them with a tray of tea balanced in his hand while the other clutched a crutch.
The king huffed, "I don't like hair on my person besides my own." He spoke as though it was obvious.
Matt took extra seconds to keep calm despite his twitching eyebrow. He just had to bear with him for a few hours. It couldn't be too bad, right? "She doesn't shed much hair, and she doesn't bite either. Lucie just likes meeting new people."
"Lucie…" Then he noticed the connection between her name and the blonde fur. "Ah… I see now… 'She was the golden thread that united him to a Past beyond his misery, and to a Present beyond his misery…' as described in A Tale of Two Cities." It seemed strange naming a cat purely because of its fur color.
"Y-Yeah…" He set the tray down and began pouring the tea. Not another word passed his lips for he didn't know what to say.
Matt and Atobe fell into an awkward silence that hung in the air. Both were occupied with something trivial – Matt, the hot tea; Atobe, the minuscule wrinkles of his blazer. They finally found something they had in common, but neither proceeded forward. Even Lucie lost interest and jumped down from her spot, padding out of the room.
The silver-haired boy still didn't know what to say. Yes, Tenka advised he took every opportunity he could to open up. Problem was who to open up to. Out of all people to find common ground with, it was Atobe. He was the last person he wanted to share any interests with.
As for the king, he could carry a conversation with ease. But the boy gave off a vibe that told him he didn't want to speak. Never before had he encountered such an issue. At the social events held at the manor, people were dying to speak with him. With someone like Matt… the opposite had happened.
Atobe was the first to break the silence, refusing to be the last to speak. "How did you break your leg, neko-chan?"
"Wouldn't you like to know…?" muttered the boy, surprised he even asked. Now to figure out whether or not Atobe asked because he actually cared or because he wanted to show he cared about someone other than himself.
"I had work. I'm a sort of handyman whenever someone needs me because it's convenient. My first job was yesterday and I had to… babysit someone." His silver eyes remained on the pot of tea. Despite his efforts, anyone could tell he was lying… sort of.
"Ahn, I didn't know you liked kids." He picked up a cup and took a light sip. The flavor wasn't as colorless as he expected of a commoner's brand. "That still doesn't tell me how you broke your leg."
"Bullshit… perfect insight my ass…" the boy muttered again. "It was a stupid mistake, that's all. I acted before thinking."
Now that part was true. He always got himself in trouble before he never took the step back and reasoned with his actions. But it was a natural feeling, acting on impulse. He wasn't like Tenka who could predict future steps and execute them perfectly.
For some reason, hearing Matthew's sarcasm brought a faint, amused smile on his lips. It was better than receiving no response at all. And it showed personality too. Maybe he was getting somewhere with the boy without charming him. The option remained open though. What other expressions and reactions could he pull from the boy with mere flirting? And speaking of flirting…
"Speaking of people with silly actions…" Atobe grabbed the letter from his bag and handed it to him. "The girl must have diminishing tastes, but it's a love letter for you."
Matt stared at it but didn't take it. He frowned slightly. It wasn't out of surprise; it was out of dread. One letter would cause a whole chain reaction and then he'd be flooded. "You shouldn't have taken it. I'm not going to read it." He pointed to the kitchen. "Trash can's over there, or better yet, burn it. Do you mind letting me borrow your notes? I want to get started on homework."
He let him look through his bag and take out the notes. As for the letter, Atobe didn't want to throw it away. Being the magnificent king, he was at least raised to be courteous to females. The letter should at least be read.
"Dear Matthew, I know it's only been a week since you've come to Hyoutei. I feel nervous for saying this so soon, but I have a connection with you. You're so sweet and kind. And-"
There was no time for more words for Matt practically tackled the king over, making a grab for the letter. He wasn't going to waste his breath demanding for the letter, and his leg was the last thing on his mind although it hurt like a bitch. So there he was on top of Atobe.
His extremely blue eyes widened at Matthew's attack. But he reacted in time, falling back onto the couch while holding the letter out of reach. His free hand firmly held the boy's shoulder and kept him away from advancing and possibly damaging his face.
With a smirk, Atobe used his superior strength and pushed the boy over. He preferred being on top anyway. Taking advantage of his surprise, he pinned both wrists over the boy's head.
The letter was held teasingly over his head. "My, my, if you wanted to read it yourself, all you had to do was ask ore-sama."
"Fuck you, Atobe. Now let me go and let me destroy the damn letter!" Matt struggled under his grasp. If his leg wasn't broken, he could easily push him off with his legs alone.
The king made a face, displeased. "That's not how you should be talking to ore-sama." He didn't relinquish his hold and kept the boy there until he apologized.
Outside the house, a sleek car pulled up. The driver frowned when he saw the limousine in his usual parking space. Someone was most likely inside, but it seemed strange that Matt would have a friend over, especially a wealthy one.
He looked to his companion in the passenger seat, a smile on his face. "Go in ahead of me, darling." He shut off the engine and handed her the keys. "I'll get your stuff."
"All right, Akriel." The female giggled and accepted the keys. Even though the blonde man spoke Japanese, his French accent was evident, somehow making his speaking very alluring.
She opened the door and dashed through the heavy rain to the porch. After figuring out which key was the right one, she slid it open.
Meanwhile, Akriel walked over to the driver's side of the limo and knocked on the window.
The chauffeur looked startled after rolling down the window. He had been sitting outside for almost half an hour, but he couldn't move without Atobe-sama's orders. "Yes?"
"Uh… whose the owner?" inquired the blonde, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I'm sorry, sir. Atobe-sama had me wait out here. He's still inside."
"Right…"
The surname he recognized instantly although he couldn't believe it. Matt didn't like rich asses. Before he could inquire who 'Atobe-sama' was for certainty, he heard a shriek. It distinctly sounded like his female companion and he cursed under his breath. He hoped Matt didn't do anything stupid. The boy always had a dislike for the company he brought.
Akriel sprinted inside towards the female, who was completely red in the face and shocked. "Hey, hey, what's going-? What the fuck?!"
"Okaeri…" Matt grumbled, still in his pinned down position. His face was just as red as the girl's, and he was mortally wounded. Never had he been embarrassed to this extent before. He was seriously going to get Atobe back for this.
Author's Note: On a serious note, the new characters mentioned (Kameko and Akriel) belong to me. They're my other OCs. I can't believe I forgot to mention it but Lucie the cat is also in a sense another OC.
Has anyone noticed that I suck at expressing Atobe? I can't take him seriously because of how ridiculous he is, so I struggle on how to portray him, even though there are arrogant people like him who exist (*cough Tenka cough*). I've tried my best though.
I did mention that Matt didn't live alone, right? RIGHT (*being paranoid*)? So enter Akriel Evrard, the legal guardian of Matthew. He is 18, and that is all the information you get about him. More information about him and his relationship with Matt will be found out in future chapters. But you can see where Matt got his dirty mouth, huh?
And all readers out there are lucky this was a long chapter. I couldn't find a good point to divide it, so here's an abrupt ending!
One last note even though I wrote too much, the quote from A Tale of Two Cities rightfully belongs to its author – Charles Dickens.
I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter! Next update shall be up in a few days!
