Hi! Welcome back to "Our Secret Game!"
Seeing that the last time I updated was last year, Happy New Year and all the other holidays! Also, the Lunar New Year started! It's the year of the Ox, which happens to be my zodiac animal! Maybe I'll get some good luck (like a job). So far, the only luck I have gotten is spending more money that I should not be. Including on a pair of wrist braces. Also, in case you don't follow me on tumblr, I live in Texas. And you know the absolute horror that went down last week because of the winter storm. I was extremely lucky not to lose either power or water, but people I know did. People I didn't know died because of it, mainly elderly and weaker people who froze in their homes. We are not used to that kind of weather and we are still recovering. But it was fun to see snow. I had never seen actual snowflake shapes before then. My dog hated it, though.
Anyways, like I said before, this chapter and the next are special. They are special because they are going to be intermission/recap chapters. They are also not written from Megumi's or Isami's POV, but rather from Takumi's. I have wanted to write in his POV for a few chapters now. I think I wanted to do it from chapter nine, but I was like "No, there's more I want to add before he comes in/ discovers what was going on." So, his chapters got pushed to now. I was also going to put the recap in one big chapter, but by the time I got to around fifteen pages, I realized that it would be much better and even to break it into two chapters. We get to focus on our favorite blond twice!
I also want to give a shoutout to Diarose on AO3. They decided to make the crostata that Isami made in the previous chapter and they showed me the finished product. I'm going to count that as my first fanart for this story. I was giddy for hours…
Earworm time! I've listened to so many songs that I forgot names but here are the recent ones.
"Touch" by Daft Punk ft. Paul Williams. (currently on repeat as I write this. Thank you. Daft Punk for all the great music over the years!)
"10 freaky girls" by wingnut. (It's a lofi mix of the song by 21 Savage, but the instrumental was what I loved.)
"Man Down" by Rihanna.
Seeing that this is a recap/filler chapter and that my hands need a break, there will be no endnotes for this chapter.
This chapter starts between chapters 2 and 3 and ends in chapter 6.
"It looks nice outside right now."
"It might look nice, but it feels like hell."
"I don't mind the heat."
Takumi let out a sigh before turning his body around in his chair to face the person behind him. Isami was standing by their sliding glass door, admiring the early afternoon summer sunshine.
"If you want to go outside at what is probably the worst time of the day, be my guest."
"Do you want to go with me?" Isami asked, not looking at the blond.
"Hell, no." Takumi snorted. "I hate the heat."
"If you weren't so full of hot air, maybe you would fare better in it."
"Do you actually need something, or did you just want to insult me?" Takumi barked, not impressed by that comment at all.
Isami shrugged, still looking out the window. Takumi scoffed and turned back to the laptop on the kitchen table. Whatever. He only had the rest of the day to finish this section of work because he and Isami were leaving for a conference for a few days. Autumn Elections were coming up for the first years and he had to confirm the judges for the event. He started to type at an email again, trying to ignore the antics that his brother was up to.
He couldn't be too angry at his brother's restlessness. It was summer break, after all. Unlike the previous summer, when they were preparing for their own Autumn Elections, the second-year event had taken place right before the break started on the beach. Now, all they could do was wait until the semester started for their next event. Well, every second year that was not in the Elite Ten did. The six of them on the council were going to be preoccupied with the first years. If this had been a normal year for them, they would have been in Florence right now helping out with the family business. But it wasn't and they were still in Japan.
In a couple of ways, it was Takumi's fault that they were still here. Sure, the new Elite Ten were now in charge of cleaning the mess that Nakamura had left during the winter. Sure, they had spent many long hours trying to smooth everything over. Still trying to, actually. Even though, he could have taken a few weeks off for the winter break or even the summer break to go back home to see his family.
But he didn't and chose to stay in Japan to help out for both breaks.
And because Takumi stayed, Isami stayed.
The phone calls from their family were relentless, especially from his mother and grandmother. Because Isami was only staying to keep an eye on him, Takumi got the brunt of the angry phone calls. It even got to the point that he had to put the phone down and walk away because of it. He tried to get Isami to go home several times on his own in order to quell their anger somewhat. However, Isami shared his stubbornness and refused to go back unless he was coming along with him, which wasn't an option that Takumi was willing to take.
So, despite angering their family, they ended up staying here for both breaks.
Another reason why it was his fault for their delayed trip back home was that Takumi was sort of a workaholic when it came to office paperwork. He wasn't bad until he started something. Then the urge to finish it would consume him, no matter how big and time consuming it was. The only things that would stop him were human interference and exhaustion. Isami would periodically make him take breaks so it wouldn't get to the latter option. Takumi was very lucky to have a such a caring sibling like Isami.
Suddenly feeling guilty for snapping at him, Takumi sent the email before turning around to peek at his brother. The younger Aldini had not moved from the glass door. Rather, he seemed like he wouldn't for a while longer as he seemed deep in thought. It wasn't an action to be concerned about, since Isami was the quieter and more calculating of the two. However, Takumi had noticed that his brother had been lost in his own thoughts a bit more than usual, especially after the last Polar Star dorm party.
Takumi didn't remember too many details from that gathering. It had gone similar to many of the other parties that the dorm hosted. There had been less people this time, as some students were still vacationing at home or taking advantage of their Elite status and travelling. He also remembered drinking a quite a lot of rice juice and hazy challenges between several of his friends. Three things did stand out in that party, though.
First, he had passed out on the kitchen floor. It was common for the students to knock out on the ground, but it had been the first time Takumi had passed out in the kitchen.
The second thing, which was the one he wished everyone would forget about, was that he had found with Yukihira curled around him. Yukihira Soma! Him! Out of all people, why did it have to be him? It had been bad enough that Isami found him like that, but to hear that almost everyone else had seen them like that…
Ugh…his face started to burn again from the memory. At least he had gotten over the "kill-me-now" phase. It did help that no one but Yukihira and Isami had really contacted him since then.
The third thing was something that he had remembered after they had left the dorm. Isami had disappeared early from the party. When Takumi first noticed his brother's disappearance, he didn't think twice of it because he was in the middle of a battle with Hayama. The dorm mother was nice enough to allow the visitors to have a room to sleep in, so Isami might have taken advantage of the offer again and went to retire in a room.
"I do it when I feel second-hand embarrassment of you trying to get Yukihira's attention." Isami had joked a couple of times before.
Of course, Takumi had been annoyed with that answer, but he chose to ignore his brother's teasing.
That was why he hadn't thought twice about Isami disappearing then. In fact, the only reason why Takumi had brought it up was because he was desperately trying to change the subject off from the Yukihira incident when they were walking home. He regretted the question as soon as Isami gave him a variation of the reason he had told him before, which did nothing to change the subject.
But Takumi noticed that his brother had relented from teasing him and was mostly stuck in his own thoughts since then.
Or on his phone, Takumi remembered as Isami dug it out of his pocket to look at it. A small smile graced his face as he texted someone back before sliding it back in his pocket.
"Am I still distracting you?" The brunet asked, reminding Takumi that he was still staring at him.
"Ah…no. I was just…taking a break." His answer caused Isami to spin around in a dramatic fashion.
"You? Taking a break willingly?" He gasped.
"I know how to take breaks." Takumi mumbled.
"Are you sick?" Isami made his way to the older twin and put a hand to his forehead before the other could protest. "You don't feel warm. Did Yukihira say something to you?"
"Wh-what does he have to do with anything?" Takumi stammered, his face flushing from what he hoped was from annoyance and not because of anything else. Isami's expression shifted from worry to amusement.
"Nothing, Nii-chan. Just eliminating reasons."
"I'm hungry." Takumi pushed himself away from the table. It wasn't a lie. It was past his usual lunchtime and he was feeling the effects of a missed meal. The excuse also deterred Isami from coming up with any other ridiculous reasons. "You made something for lunch, did you?"
"Yup. I'm surprised you noticed, since you were absorbed in your work."
"Isami, I'm literally in the kitchen. How would I not notice you?"
"You seem to not notice a lot of obvious things." Isami hummed and walked off to the refrigerator.
"I've sure as hell noticed that you've been in la-la land for the past couple of days." Takumi retorted. Isami, who had been stooping to get the food he made earlier from the fridge, shot up and hit his head on the top of the appliance. Takumi smirked, knowing that he had caught his brother off guard.
"…I have no idea what you're talking about." Isami groaned as he briefly rubbed the sore spot.
"Uh-huh." The blond took the tin away from his brother and started to serve enough food for the both of them. They sat on the side opposite of Takumi's computer and paperwork, for obvious reasons. The blond, still wanting to get back at his brother for the comments earlier despite watching him hit his head, brought up a new topic after the previous conversation lulled.
"So, how's Tadokoro?" He asked.
"She's fine." Isami replied, giving him a confused stare.
"Ah, so you've been keeping contact with her often?" Takumi really did try to keep his poker face on, but seeing his brother's faint blush made him break out into a grin. Isami had admitted to him that he liked the quiet girl last year, and Takumi did feel slightly guilty for exploiting that secret. However, that guilt always flew out the window when Isami would tease him about Yukihira. He could barely tolerate the redhead, let alone have a stupid crush on him. Honestly, where did Isami get that idea? This was his way of getting revenge for that.
"Yeah. I've been checking on her because she seemed very tired lately." The innocent answer made Takumi's playful mood turn into worry. Isami picked up on that. "Don't worry. She says that she's better now that she came back to the dorm and rested."
"That's good." The blond hummed. He did remember that the bluenette looked exhausted at the party, as she had just gotten back from a trip overseas. He also remembered a faint compliment the next day about her looking much better. He was glad that she was taking the time to rest up because he knew that she was prone to worry about other people and things before she took care of herself.
"Are you finished packing for tomorrow, Nii-chan?"
Exactly like someone else he knew.
"Other than the things I am using tonight." Takumi replied.
"Did you remember to take everything this time? You forgot your shampoo last time, and before that…" Takumi inwardly sighed as he half listened to his brother list the things that he had forgotten over the years. He knew that he had good intentions with this, he really did.
But sometimes Takumi wished that Isami would go off and do his own thing instead of worrying about him.
"Takumi…"
Takumi turned his head towards the sound of the sing-song voice.
"Isshiki?" He half- questioned the senior coming up to him. The senior then proceeded to place one hand on his shoulder and shoved a couple of papers into his hands with the other.
"I choose you!" He grinned.
"…What?" That was the only thing the baffled blond was able to say in response.
"I choose you to be the opener for the B block." Isshiki sort of clarified before turning around.
"No, what, wait!" Takumi shifted the papers into a hand and grabbed the retreating senior by his sleeve with his other hand. "Explain more!"
"What do you need me to explain?"
Questions surged through his mind but only one managed to escape coherently. "Why me?"
"You're the only one capable of doing the job at the moment." The older teen said.
"I am? Are you sure there isn't anyone else?"
"Not really." He held up his hands and spoke in a low voice so whoever else was in the office couldn't hear them. "As mean as it sounds, I don't trust Alice, Ryo, or Kuga to do it." Three fingers went down. "Eizan and Hayama are already busy overseeing other things." Two more fingers, and three more went down as he listed the other three. "And Nene, Megumi, and Soma are camera shy."
"Wait. I understand Kinokuni and Tadokoro, but Yukihira? I find that hard to believe."
"I find it even harder to believe that you haven't seen how he acts when a camera is shoved in his face." Isshiki smiled and continued on before Takumi could question him about that. "I'm already doing the A block, and you were the only one left."
"…I see." Takumi looked down at the papers that Isshiki gave him. A speech, it seemed like, and not very long. There were also some bullet points that were added.
"You can memorize the speech, or you can make your own." Isshiki told him. "If you do choose the second option, make sure you add everything in the bullet points because they are important."
Takumi nodded.
"I'm sorry for springing this on you, but you are really the best choice in this scenario."
"It's fine. It's doable."
"Thanks!" Isshiki smiled in relief before heading out, leaving Takumi to figure out exactly what the hell he had agreed to.
The days after that encounter seemed to fly by. The semester started with the most of the second years being sent out to various cities. The Elite Ten were stuck around Totsuki for the Autumn Elections.
Takumi soon came to believe that the easiest job was the one Isshiki had given him. It had taken all of five minutes for him to speak before handing off the microphone to the commenter.
The event itself wasn't too hard as well. He had to just oversee the competition and run errands back and forth between the two rooms. He even had enough time to sit down and have a conversation with whoever was in the room with him.
The hardest and the most time-consuming parts were the long periods between events, where the hosts had to help take care of things. They all stayed at a nearby hotel. It wasn't the Totsuki Resort, as that was too far away from the school, but it was still a grand place to be at. The Elites were in charge of everything that had to do with food. The planning, the supplies, the distribution, the allergies, and especially cooking. It would have been fine if it had only been just the judges they had to care for. But that would have been too easy. So, for some godforsaken reason, they had to take care of not only them but whoever they brought along. It ranged from family members to their entire entourage of staff. The number of guests went into the hundreds. Probably into the thousands.
It was the training camp on steroids.
However, even though it was exhausting work, it still had its perks.
"I'm finishing up number fifty-four!"
"Oh, yeah. I'm on fifty-six!" Yukihira grinned. "You need to catch up if you plan to beat me!"
"You're just ahead because I had to fix a special meal for someone with allergies!"
"A likely excuse!"
Takumi gritted his teeth at the answer.
"Why did I have to be teamed up with these idiots?" Takumi heard Eizan mumble.
"Hey, senpai!" Yukihira called out to the older blond. "What dish number are you on?"
"I have no intention of telling you, since I am not part of this stupid competition." Eizan defiantly turned away from the redhead. Takumi didn't hear Yukihira's reply as he was starting to take the tray to the guest in waiting.
"Here you go, signorina." Takumi announced as he gently placed the tray on the edge of the bar.
"Thank you, Takumi!" The female was quickly becoming a regular at whatever area that he worked in, and, from the way she batted her eyes at him, it wasn't hard to figure out why. Takumi was used to people of all genders and ages flirting with him, and this woman was no different. "You work so hard for us." She cooed.
"It's no problem. I'm used to it." He could see where this conversation was going to lead.
"But still," The woman leaned forward, obviously trying to show as much cleavage as she legally could. She was attractive, but not enough to gain his interest. Also, she seemed a little older than she looked. "You need to have a break every once in a while. You should come spend some time with me and some of my friends later after you finish."
And there it was. But before he could open his mouth to politely reject her, red filled half his vision.
"Takumi, remember you promised to play with Megumi and me tonight." Yukihira reminded him before thanking his own guest for getting food with them.
"I know that." Takumi replied to him once his guest took the food before turning back to the female. "I am going to have to decline. I have plans tonight."
"Oh. Well, how about tomorrow night?" She asked, not giving up.
"We have a Shokugki with Hayama and Kurokiba tomorrow night!" Yukihira interrupted again. The female gave the redhead a death glare at the interruption, which Takumi found that he did not like.
"I'm sorry, but I won't be able to make any last-minute plans this event." Takumi hoped that his growing annoyance did not leak into his apology. "I really have to finish making meals for the guests now-"
"Oh, wait!" She pulled out a piece of paper and wrote numbers with the pen on the counter. "Call me once everything dies down for you." She thrusted the note at him. Takumi only accepted it because he thought it would make her leave faster. He was right as she thanked him and left with her food. Takumi didn't even bother watching her disappear, his gaze falling on his rival instead.
"You're still behind." Yukihira taunted.
"Not for long." Takumi huffed before going back to the kitchen. He really wanted to throw away the note right then and there, but he was around too many people. Instead, he placed it in his pocket with the intent of doing so in private later.
Takumi ended up tying with Yukihira in their little contest as the redhead had to take care of his own special meal for a guest. Eizan left as soon as he made his own food, but Tadokoro soon showed up and the three of them ate together. After a bath, Takumi came to the shared common room for the planned card game, but to his amusement he found the bluenette curled up and asleep in a recliner. He saw the glow of her cell phone in her hand, and he could make out a chat window. It seemed that she had fallen asleep texting someone. But before he could get closer to see who it was, her screen shut off.
Well. It wasn't his business, anyways.
Yukihira eventually came in the room with the card deck in his hand. He hummed in amusement when he saw his friend's state.
"Ah. She fell asleep." He placed the deck on a small table before coming up to her. "I kinda figured that she would. She was already drowsy when I left her."
"And yet she still came here." Takumi marveled at her commitment. "Are you going to wake her?"
"I might. It seems like I have to take her to bed." Yukihira slid the female's phone out of her hand and gave it to him. "Hold this. And this." He added, holding out a key card.
Curious, the blond did as he was told. He then saw Yukihira's arms go under Tadokoro's frame. The female murmured something incoherently as she was moved but didn't resist when the redhead scooped her up with such ease that he wondered if this was a common occurrence.
"Have you done this before?" Takumi voiced his thoughts.
"A lot." Yukihira replied. "She's an insomniac. But when she does fall asleep, it's deep." He shifted Tadokoro in his arms until he was carrying her in a much more comfortable bridal style. "Follow me."
Takumi did. He watched Yukihira with a wary eye to make sure he didn't drop her. It definitely wasn't to marvel how strong he seemed, since he didn't even falter on the way over there. And he definitely did not let his eyes trace every single muscle that stood out in his arms, which were exposed due to the tank top he was wearing.
"Do you work out?" The question slipped out before he could stop it.
"Hm?" Yukihira glanced over at him while he processed the question. "Maybe once or twice a week. Not as much as Kurokiba for sure. I feel like he's exercising when he's not cooking. He tried to get Hayama and I to work out with him a couple of times and Hayama and I almost died trying to do his regime."
Takumi lifted an eyebrow in surprise. He worked out even less than he did and looked like that? His thoughts briefly went to Saiba, who also had a muscular build. Maybe it runs in the family?
"Why do you ask?" Yukihira questioned.
"N-no reason." Takumi was not going to admit that he was low-key checking him out. Yellow eyes looked at him dubiously before he stopped in front of a door.
"We're here. Use the card I gave you."
Takumi swiped the card and opened the door for them. Takumi could tell that this was Tadokoro's room by the way the other male placed the sleeping girl on the bed. Luckily for him, the covers were messy and pushed to a side so he didn't have to pull them back.
"Can you plug in her phone over here?" He asked as he fixed the blankets so that would cover the female properly. Takumi did as he was asked and the phone screen flashed once it was plugged in. He noticed that she had a new message, but she had set her phone to the point where he couldn't even see the sender.
Again, it was a reminder that it was none of his business.
His eyes went back to Yukihira again, who was finishing tucking Tadokoro in. Takumi was surprised to see how careful the redhead was acting with her. He was used to him being loud and impatient and annoying and all those other things. But right now, Yukihira was none of those things he had come to associate him with.
"You really do have a nice side to you."
Again, his mouth spoke before he could think.
"I thought I was a nice person in the first place." Yukihira quirked an eyebrow as he straightened up.
"I meant like…" Takumi wanted to say 'domestic' but he forgot the translation for it in Japanese, so he said what he thought was a suitable substitute. "…warm."
"Warm?" Yukihira echoed. Tadokoro shifted in her sleep then, catching both of their looks. "We should probably leave." He whispered. Takumi nodded, and the males slipped out of the room.
"Well, it's just the two of us." Yukihira pointed out once they were in the hallway. "Do you still want to do something?"
Takumi was about to say yes but then remembered how unfiltered his mouth had been all night. Not wanting to completely embarrass himself, he ended up shaking his head.
"Nah. I'll take the time to make a call."
"You're going to call that lady?" Yukihira's voice took an odd tone when he asked the question.
"Hell no! I'm calling Isami!" Takumi shook his head vigorously. "Besides, I threw her number away as soon as I was alone."
"Really?" Yukihira's voice sounded much more normal this time so the blond disregarded what he had heard prior.
"Really." Takumi confirmed. "She wasn't my type. And she's definitely too old for me. I should actually thank you for interrupting us. But I think you made an enemy of her, judging by the way she glared at you."
"I've made so many enemies that I've lost count." Yukihira laughed.
"…That's…not a good thing, Yukihira."
"But still, nothing new." The redhead gave him a foolish grin before continuing. "I guess I should go return those cards then. I'll see you tomorrow." With that, the redhead turned around and sauntered away, stretching his arms above his head in his usual fashion. It took Takumi a moment before he was aware that he was staring at the retreating form.
He scoffed and shook his head, trying to clear his mind of whatever fog had been clouding his mind.
Rest was a term that rarely graced Takumi with its presence.
He had hoped to see it the day he came back to his apartment after the Elections. His wish did come true, but it had been slow in being granted. He had arrived before Isami did. It felt weird being in the apartment by himself because he was so used to his twin either welcoming him back or unpacking along with him. He could always feel Isami faintly because of their connection, but he still could not shake the odd feeling of loneliness.
Was this how Isami felt on days he wasn't here? Or was he so used to it already?
Thankfully, he wasn't alone with his wandering thoughts for too long as Isami came home the next day. Due to the couple of phone calls they had time for and the occasional flares of discontent he felt from their link, Takumi knew that his brother hadn't had a good experience during his trip. However, it only took one glance at the younger twin for Takumi to tell that Isami had a harder time than he had let on. In fact, the frustration was wafting off of the younger twin. Takumi moved from the punching bag that took up part of the living room, giving Isami the option to vent with it. Isami understood the gesture, dropped whatever he was holding, and attacked the bag with screams and punches. Takumi just watched until Isami's arms stilled and he was heaving. Then blue locked with his.
"I'm tired." He announced in a flat voice.
The taller twin then tipped over and faceplanted into the rug. Takumi knew that his brother had accidently knocked himself out in the process because their link all but disappeared. He chuckled as he rolled his brother onto his side so he wouldn't suffocate, thankful that he was still in his thin form to make the process easier. It was only when Isami woke up hours later with the rug texture imprinted on half his face did Takumi properly greet and inspect him for any injury.
Takumi was glad that the school granted a few days of rest for all students after their respective events. The first two days were spent in their apartment so they could recharge mentally. They even ordered food and warmed up instant meals so they could truly take a break. The eve of their second night they received an invite to another Polar Star gathering, which was the beginning of the end of the lull they had been in. It truly went away the moment that the doors opened and he was nearly dragged in the dining room by Yukihira where everyone else was. It was then an offer was made.
"You're asking us to move in with you guys?"
The dorm residents voiced their confirmations, which only made his surprise grow. They wanted them in the dorm. People that he had barely acknowledged until last year wanted them to live together. He was jolted halfway out of his thoughts when Yukihira elbowed him.
"So, when are you moving in?"
"Don't just assume that we're moving in! W-we haven't even thought about this yet."
"But we've talked about it before." Isami contradicted his words. "You even agreed that it would be beneficial to us."
That was true. They had even had a conversation yesterday about this very same subject. Yes, he had agreed that it would be nice for them to move in. However, he also said that he might not want to because he had heard the semi-horror stories that Megumi had told them about living next door to a certain redhead and in the same building as a certain senior. But the whole conversation had been based on a whim, not an actual possibility, and that was the point he was going to argue to both of the males by him. However, he barely acknowledged Yukihira before Isami attacked him.
"Please, Nii-chan? I want to, and it will be weird not to have you here." His brother even used his puppy-dog eyes tactic, something that they both knew Takumi was weak for.
That next week was filled with their new dorm mates helping them move into Polar Star.
No sooner than the twins had settled in their new space did Takumi start to hear the whispers of the next big things that were happening in Totsuki. One was the Moon Banquet Festival. He started to hear snippets of it in the Elite office, as Hayama told Alice and Kurokiba that he would not tolerate a last-minute booth invasion like last year.
"Don't worry." Alice grinned. "This time I'm planning to submit a place for all three of us!"
"And have you change up the recipe several times a day again? I'm working alone." Hayama grunted.
And so, Takumi and whoever else was in the room got to hear the argument between Alice and Hayama, with a few words from Kurokiba every so often. No one really paid attention to the arguing trio, as it was normal for disputes to break out between all of them.
Takumi hummed. This was what Hayama had been trying to avoid yesterday when he suddenly showed up after his and Isami's Shokugeki. Well, to him it was sudden. Apparently, he had been in the audience with Yukihira and Megumi and the latter had invited him over to the dorm for dinner to help him out. It was a little odd to spend time with the green-eyed teen, as he usually tried to stay away from his peers when he wasn't doing Shokugekis with them. But seeing the people that normally attached to him Takumi could easily see why he acted like a semi-recluse. He did feel bad for Hayama, up to the point that he wanted to help him. However, that would mean going up against Alice and Kurokiba, and he did not have the mental nor physical strength to do so.
And it seemed like Hayama's mental strength eventually ran out. Barely an hour passed before a defeated sigh escaped him and Alice was crooning triumphantly. She dragged Ryo out a couple of minutes later, blabbing something about pictures as the door shut behind them. Takumi looked over to the slumped figure again. He had the sudden urge to help him.
"Hey." Takumi found himself in front of Hayama's desk a few seconds later. The owner of said desk slowly lifted his head to stare at him.
"What?" Hayama hissed. Takumi didn't flinch at the harsh tone or distrustful gaze. It was expected after the ordeal he had gone through. For a moment, the blond debated on challenging him. However, the other teen may not have the mentally to even think right now.
"Do you want to walk to Polar Star with me?" He asked instead. "The path's quiet, and it might help you let off some steam."
"Don't you have other, louder companions?" Hayama asked.
"Well, I don't think Isami is loud, but he's already at home."
"I meant Yukihira."
"Oh. He's challenging some RS today, so he won't be done for a while." Takumi had somewhat planned to wait for the redhead so he could bum a ride on his motorbike, but he could afford to not be lazy this time. "Besides, if I was going home with him, I wouldn't invite you in this state. He'd talk your ear off."
"And you wouldn't?"
"I think I'm capable of staying quiet if needed." Takumi felt slightly offended at the dubious expression Hayama gave him. But then the white-haired teen started to pack up.
"Okay. I'll go with you."
Later on, the two males found themselves on the nearly deserted path that led to the dorm. True to his word, Takumi stayed silent, opting to listen to the music from his earphones. Even though he wasn't a music addict like his brother, the blond still liked to listen to it. His maternal grandmother was a musician, after all, so it was something that he grew up with. It also gave him something to privately fill the silence that Hayama desperately need. However, when they were about halfway to their destination, the long-haired male spoke up. Takumi barely heard him over his music and turned it off to hear him better.
"Sorry. I couldn't hear you."
"I asked if you had any plans for the festival." Hayama said.
"Oh. Isami and I are doing a stand." Takumi didn't miss a beat to reply.
"You two already talked about it?"
"Well, no." Takumi admitted. "But it's something we do every year so it's pretty much a given."
"That's what I used to think until last year." Hayama's voice took a bitter tone. "Now I'm stuck with 'Her Highness' and her pet dog."
"Sorry about that."
"It's okay." The male sighed. "It's not like anyone could help me with her, anyways. I should count myself lucky that neither of them were around like Erina was when I was growing up."
"Did you grow up with Erina?" Takumi asked.
"Yeah." Hayama admitted. "Jun and my godfather would push me to interact with people my age. Around the same time, Erina's grandfather had taken over her parenting so he was trying to do the same. I remember being dragged to the mansion at least once a week to spend time with her, Arato, and sometimes Mito. We got along, but we didn't become closer than forced acquaintances. Well, on my end, at least. Arato and Mito had admired Erina much more back then and were actively trying to gain her favor."
Takumi imagined a scene then. He saw kid versions of the four around a kid's table. Arato and Mito were trying to get Erina to try something off their plates while Hayama sulked by himself at the far end of the table. Takumi could not help but to snicker out loud at the daydream.
"Sorry." He told his companion. "I'm just trying to imagine you guys having a play date." Hayama rolled his eyes and scoffed.
"Thankfully, I was left alone after middle school started, which was about the time Alice showed up."
"That's good, then." Takumi said.
The silence came back and stayed for the rest of the walk. Once they got to the dorm, the two of them immediately peeked into the kitchen to see who was around. They ended up getting separated because Marui took the opportunity to ask Hayama about some ingredients he was using and Takumi decided that he should change out of uniform. He could feel his brother's presence in his room and Takumi chose to visit him after changing.
"Am I bothering you?" Takumi asked as he noticed Isami in front of a textbook and laptop. It was a familiar sight, as Isami had always been the more studious of the two.
"I'm due for a break, anyways." The brunet hummed. "Did you finish your work for the day?"
"Well, I tried to." Takumi said before recounting the events that had transpired earlier.
"Poor Hayama." Isami said, though it was hard to tell if he truly felt sorry for their classmate because he had his usual amused expression.
"Yeah." Takumi agreed. "I'm just glad we have things sorted out up to that point."
"'We'?"
"You and me with our booth." The blond clarified.
"Ah."
"We still need to decide on the location." Takumi started to pace around. "And the menu…Ah!" He turned around to face his twin. "Do you think that we could ask the fanclub if they want to help out again?" His trained eyes caught the flash of discomfort on Isami's face before he shifted back to his neutral smile.
"We can." The slight hesitation that Isami took confirmed that something was bothering him.
"Something's wrong." Takumi didn't ask. He knew that if he did, Isami would have an easier time avoiding a question, especially when he didn't want to answer it. This direct way told the brunet that Takumi was aware of a problem and it would be useless to brush it off.
"I don't want to burst your bubble, but I think that we should focus more on midterms rather than the festival right now."
Takumi grunted.
"It's coming before the festival." His twin reminded him.
"Yeah, yeah." A puff of air escaped him and moved part of his bangs. "I haven't forgotten. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure? When was the last time you opened a textbook out of class?"
"Um…" The blond pondered. He honestly had no idea when the last time he had sat down to study was. Isami sighed in disappointment when he failed to answer. "Hey, I have more important things that occupy my mind." Takumi tried to defend himself.
"Like Shokugekis, office work, and a certain guy with red hair."
"Exactly." The brunet chuckled and Takumi realized that he had missed something in his brother's words.
"But seriously," Isami went on before Takumi had a chance to reflect. "It does bother me that you haven't been studying."
"I'll be fine." Takumi repeated. When Isami's concerned expression did not go away, the blond continued. "Look, I'll focus more on my study habits, alright?"
"I hope so." Isami sighed.
"This is starting to get concerning, Aldini."
"I understand, Sensei." Takumi responded before his eyes went back to what his homeroom teacher placed in front of him. He had originally come into the teachers' office in order to go over a particularly low grade he had received in Japanese. (Why the hell were there three alphabets in this language?) Somehow, the conversation had turned from one grade in one class to all his grades from all classes and the teacher ending up pulling his grades out so he could see.
Takumi had never a straight-A student, but he liked to keep his grades as close as possible to that. Usually, he would check on his grades on his own and study up when he saw his grades dip. He knew he had been neglecting his regular classes, but he had not realized just how much he had until now. Of course, he was passing the courses that relied on cooking with flying colors. He also wasn't failing any of his other classes. But he could see the downward trend his averages were taking. He and the teacher conversed a little more before Takumi left the office. It was only then he allowed himself to think more.
This situation was clearly not something that came out of the blue. From what he saw the grades had already started falling at the beginning of the school year. There was even a high probability that the trend started even before then. This wasn't okay. This wasn't normal for him at all.
But then again, has normal existed for him ever since he started high school?
Up until last year, studying had taken up a lot of his free time. He really had nothing else to do as many of the other middle school activities that his peers were into didn't perk his interest. Heck, most of his peers in general didn't interest him. His textbooks were so much more entertaining to him than his classmates that he ended up reading them cover to cover sometimes. And once he was done with that and homework, he would go play video games or look around the library or something, usually Isami tagging along with him. But high school immediately threw so many things at him that it was nearly impossible to keep the same habits. He had that excuse to reason with himself on why his grades were sliding.
But it was already the middle of his second year. He was pretty much used to chaos. At this point he had been choosing to ignore his studies in favor of other things.
"Takumi?"
A soft voice pulled him out of his brooding. He looked over to his side and saw Tadokoro. No, Megumi. He mentally corrected himself to the name that the female had insisted on since he had moved to the dorm.
"Um…you've been standing at the door for quite a while…" Megumi told him.
Takumi blinked in confusion before letting his gaze shift forward again. The familiar door leading into the Elite Ten office stared back at him.
"Oh." He must have come here out of muscle memory because he sure as hell did not remember coming here. "How long have I been standing here?"
"Well, I came around five or six minutes ago to you standing here so I don't know exactly."
"Oh." He said again, this time feeling his cheeks heat up from embarrassment.
"I'm sorry!" The female bowed her head. "I would have said something sooner but you seemed like you were thinking hard about something and I didn't want to interrupt your thoughts."
"It's okay. I should apologize for standing in your way for so long. In fact, I don't even know why I came by today."
Megumi hummed. They stood there for a couple more seconds before she spoke.
"I was going to pick a spot for the festival before the rush. Do you want to help?" She offered.
Takumi hesitated. Distractions like this were exactly why his grades were so low. He should go back to the dorms and sit down and study for days. However, he knew he was not in the right mindset to focus and retain information. At most, he would read the same page over and over again.
"Okay."
Megumi smiled and walked up the door. Takumi remembered his manners and opened the door for her.
"I'm going to go print up the paperwork." She told him. Takumi nodded and she walked off. The blond collapsed into his chair with a sigh while he waited for her return.
Up until a few days ago, Takumi had been planning for the booth that he wanted to open with his brother for the festival. The preparations had been slow, though, because of his schedule. It also did not help that Isami avoided the subject every time Takumi brought it up. He would bring up midterms or some other subject or even flat out ignore any questions that were asked of him. It frustrated the blond to fight for straight answers from his twin. There were times he nearly yelled at Isami because of it. But he never did. He knew that his brother had a point and a right to focus on things that took priority to him. After all, that is what he did. The festival was still far off in the future to not be worried as much for it as well. So, Takumi kept his irritations to himself.
He soon got the straight answer he wanted from Isami, anyways.
"I don't want to do our own stand this year."
And all of Takumi's efforts up to that point were wasted.
Takumi wasn't angry at his brother for this. He had not done much in regards of set up. Hell, he hadn't even asked his fan club for help by that moment. But the declaration had bothered him.
Was this the reason why Isami had been so averse to the preparations for their own booth? Because he had not wanted to do it in the first place? How come he didn't just tell him directly then? Why did he wait until that meeting to say anything?
At one point, Takumi even wondered if he had caused any of this.
Another sigh escaped him. As connected as they were in mind, body, and soul, Takumi still had problems trying to figure out his brother at times.
A small clatter beside him brought him back to the present.
Megumi had brought him tea.
"You seemed stressed." She told him. "I thought this would help."
"…Thanks, Megumi." He brought the cup to his lips, both the taste and the sensation of the liquid felt soothing to him. "Is there anything else but matcha in this?" He asked.
"No, just matcha." She told him.
Takumi hummed and sipped more of his tea. Megumi never asked what was wrong. Instead, she placed the papers she had printed up on his desk. As they looked and talked over the best areas for their booth, Takumi could feel his mind start to relax, the tea not being the only reason why. The bluenette next to him had a power to make anyone relax by doing the simplest of things. Nearly everyone got affected from her presence. He had even witnessed the grumpy Shinomiya become a little nicer after spending time with her. If it wasn't for the innocent air she carried around her and that strange rumor that she and Soma were dating, she would probably have suitors coming out of the woodwork. He would probably ask her out himself. However, he saw her only as a friend. Plus, he knew that Isami truly liked her. He didn't want to cause any trouble for him in that matter.
Takumi did think that he may cause trouble for Isami in other places though. Hours after him and Megumi had gotten home, he found himself thinking about his dilemma again, this time with a clearer mind. He wasn't failing yet, but if he bombed the tests coming he would be. He knew that despite his issue there was little chance that he was going to get back on track with his study habits alone. He had lost the willpower for that a while ago. So, he decided to get some help. And the first person he thought of to ask was Isami, the very same person that had pressured him to study in the first place. Takumi felt bad for semi-ignoring his brother's concerns and felt even worse that he was now returning to him with the result that his brother had warned about. But he swallowed his guilt and asked Isami for help the next morning during their run.
He had expected Isami to say something along the line of 'I-told-you-so' and refuse to help him. He deserved that treatment. But Isami was too nice and too good for him. After he had taken time to think about it, the younger twin accepted his plea for help.
"As long as you don't participate in any more Shokugekis until after midterms and limit them from now on." Isami negotiated. Takumi felt that the words were familiar for some odd reason.
"…Yeah, sure. I can do that." He ended up agreeing, a little miffed at the ultimatum. But it was for the best.
It seemed like Isami wasn't too sure about him holding his end of the deal, though. When they met up to study, the brunet and Megumi sat on either side of him as if to trap him in.
"Why are you guys flanking me? It's not like I'm going to run away."
"Wanna bet?" Isami asked. The blond was about to retort when he heard Yukihira's voice. Even though he and Yukihira were friendlier rivals now, his body still went on edge every time the teen entered his vicinity. Takumi didn't even know that he had stood up until he felt Isami dragging him back down with a laugh. Even Megumi poked fun at him briefly and gently before getting everyone on track, which the now-thoroughly embarrassed Takumi agreed to. Yukihira eventually did show up in the dining room, begging them to try his snacks.
"Ten minutes." Isami told them after they agreed on a break.
"Such generosity." Takumi sarcastically replied.
"Hey, you're the one who asked for help. Take it or leave it."
"Fine." The blond huffed. He noticed that Isami was actually putting a damn timer on, but it was on Megumi's phone rather than on his own.
"Help?" Yukihira wondered, bringing Takumi's attention back to him. "I didn't know that you were failing."
"I'm not failing. I just feel that I am not ready for next week." Takumi then went to tell him what had happened beforehand. The redhead ended up laughing at the end.
"I'm sorry." He must have saw the frown on the blond's face. "It's just that, I think Isami is hanging around Megumi too much because she did almost the same thing when I got sick."
Ah. That's why it sounded so familiar. Takumi remembered Yukihira complaining about the limit that had been imposed on him. His gaze flickered to his brother. To think Isami thought he was almost as bad as Yukihira…
Yukihira ended up taking advantage of the break by having them try out some snacks that he had made. While Takumi was conversing with the redhead, he glanced over to where his brother and Megumi were standing in time to witness Isami snatch an offered cracker from Megumi's hand with his mouth. The blushes and silly smiles that they both shot each other after that made Takumi look away, feeling like he was an intruder in a private world.
"Can I join your study group?" Yukihira asked when they were coming back from their break.
"Sure, but we are keeping you and my brother separated." Isami warned. At that comment, Takumi glowered at his brother in his annoyance.
"I'm surprised that you want to study at all." Takumi marveled when Yukihira came back with his bag.
"What do you mean?" Yukihira asked as he took Takumi's former seat between Isami and Megumi, making the blond sit on Isami's other side. "I can't do Shokugekis all the time, especially now." He nodded toward Megumi, who only lifted an eyebrow in response.
"I just don't see you studying." Takumi said.
"You don't?" Yukihira tilted his head in thought. "I guess because I mostly study in the library or in the main Elite office or during long trips to wherever I'm going."
"…You do?"
"He does." Megumi confirmed. "One of the reasons why he's so behind on paperwork."
"Well, I focus better on homework when I'm around other people." Yukihira replied. "Besides, I like to keep whatever time I have in the dorm to relaxing and experimenting if I can."
Even the king of improv has a routine for balance. Takumi exhaled through his nose. He was truly disappointed in himself now.
But he now had a chance to redeem himself, didn't he?
Takumi ended up throwing himself mostly into his studies for the rest of that week. He was glad that he had asked for help because he ended up learning more about his friends in the meantime. Megumi was terrible with math. Yukihira, science. Both of them struggled with equations, specifically, which the twins helped with. Megumi was a great person to turn to for Japanese for Takumi. She had some tricks to tell the difference for the kanji he was having trouble with. Yukihira was also of help in geography, which was a difficult subject for Isami outside of Europe and Japan.
Other dorm mates started to join them in the dining room as well. Ryoko was the first after she overheard all four of them stuck on a science topic. Then over the next few days, the rest of them trickled in. The mass collaboration was something that Takumi had never experienced before, having only studied by himself or with his brother. But it was a nice and helpful change. Because of this, he was more than ready to take on the midterms.
Takumi let out a deep sigh after he turned in the last test and left the classroom. He would not know any of his grades for a while, but he knew that he had done well. He still wasn't out of the woods yet, as this was just one part of his academic career. He still was getting into a routine to keep himself afloat, but only time would make that a habit.
For now, he could relax.
And maybe see if Isami would like to collaborate on a dish for the Moon Festival.
