Author's Notes: There's extra non-story content in AO3 featuring art and relationship diagram thus far. Can't post it in FF. You can find me in AO3 as "thebirdofthechapel"

Uenohara Elementary School

3 years ago

Every morning, Hitomi passes a look at the slogan of their class. Still as bright red as she remembers it, colored in their enthusiastic scrawls, it reminds her: "Hard Work and Smiles Everyday." Summer break has come and ended. As class representative, she can't give up and let everyone down. Kageyama-kun will be her friend.

But how? She tried to come up with a list to get him to like her. Offering him her notes hadn't worked (he was first in the midterms exam; she was second.) She congratulated him over his recent achievements (as it turned out, he was the local student who got second place in the regional Judo Children's Tournament last year.) She tried to spur discussion with him about the ways of solving the problem on the board… and right there and then, Kageyama-kun put his head down and fell asleep. It was a difficult problem. Hitomi had not been worried since Kageyama-kun was in the group, so his sudden decision to pass out sent her to a panic.

Last May, she went as far to invite him on her birthday expecting to be turned down. They have only made it as far as introductions. Why would he come to a stranger's birthday? She filled the awkwardness by talking about the lemon blossom cupcakes her aunt from Isesaki was bringing over. Kageyama-kun's head jerked so fast that Hitomi had to blink twice to make sure she wasn't imagining getting his attention. Before hope could form though, Kageyama-kun - rather sadly - informed her that he had to be somewhere on that day. Hitomi had been glad just to get a response from him. It was a good sign. She thought that was the beginning of the turnaround, but that was the last Kageyama-kun would speak to her.

"He should be making his own effort to fit in," Take-kun is telling her.

"It must be hard though. I wish I knew how to help him."

"Maybe he doesn't want any help."

"We should always help each other out."

"But he doesn't want you to, Mishi-chan. It's not like he's good to anyone," argues Take-kun strongly.

Hitomi frowns. Take-kun doesn't like Kageyama-kun, but that would be Hitomi's fault since she's been dispirited this whole year. But he's from another class. He wouldn't know Kageyama-kun enough to say those things. "Kageyama-kun is quiet, but he's never been mean."

"That's not what you were thinking before…"

"I never said he was mean! Why are you talking like this?" Something underneath those innocuous words stab her. An accusation, calling her a liar. By Take-kun, of all people. Fighting the painful heat burning her eyes and nose, Hitomi heads back to the classroom. As her school shoes resound on the floor, she strains her ears for another set of footsteps to follow. Or a cry apologizing to her. But Take-kun is quiet. He doesn't care, and for weeks, they stop talking.

In the middle of dodge ball, Hitomi, ten years old, loses her bladder. Only by a bit. Her pants are dry and safe, though she's not satisfied until she's patted her pants ten times once she's out of sight. But when she gets her privacy in the toilet, it turns out to be something else. Something that makes more sense over a ten-year-old peeing herself.

I thought it was something I ate this morning that I felt funny.

Hitomi plots how she'll get from the stall, to the classroom, then back to the bathroom. She'll have to bring her bag with her. It would be too suspicious. The nurse's office is far, but no one will ask. The way there, however, is a walk of shame.

Her pants are cream-coloured today, but since she's on the move, the worst thing that could happen won't happen. But it's impossible to not fret about it. She could just imagine someone behind her turning their head and noticing a spot right near her back pockets…

When she arrives thinking it's the end to her concerns, she's proved wrong. The teacher inside is a male teacher. Short in stature and young-looking, Hitomi would have mistaken him for an older middle school student if not for the uniform. It's not as bad with her mom though, who has been mistaken for Hitomi's twin sister far too many times.

The teacher looks up from his book while Hitomi is deciding whether or not it's worth heading back to the classroom now. "Good afternoon. Please come in."

"Um. Sorry." Meekly, Hitomi steps in and closes the door behind her very slowly. It's do or die. "I know what to do. Could I speak to a female teacher instead?" Though very embarrassed, Hitomi forces herself to look at the teacher to not be rude. The teacher pauses briefly.

"I see. I'm sorry I can't be of help." Hitomi is horrified when the teacher makes a slight dip of the head. He reassures her with a smile. "Don't worry, I understand. Please wait a moment…" He looks at her meaningfully.

"Mishima Hitomi. I'm a fourth grader," she replies in a small voice. She's very grateful, but it's still embarrassing. "Thank you so much, sensei."

"It's no problem. Please wait a moment, Mishima-san." As the teacher turns to leave, he gestures to the cabinets. "They're in the first cabinet near the desk."

"Thank you!"

Once the teacher is gone, Hitomi claims a pad from the cabinet and takes care of her hygiene. She already decided she's going home. Having always been healthy, her classmates will surely wonder and ask her the next day about what happened. She doesn't care. Hitomi lies down happily on a bed, eager to go home, take a shower, and treat herself to a movie night. Mom will understand. It's not like she's the kind of girl who would slack off on purpose.

While waiting, the door slides open. A moment later, a boy's voice speaks up, "Yuugi-sensei?"

"Sensei is not here…" The drawl has Hitomi concludes this is a lower elementary student. Before Hitomi can finish putting on her shoes to help them out, the teachers arrive.

"What's the matter?" Hitomi hears the voice of a female teacher.

"He got pushed and skinned his knee. I washed it with water from my bottle, so that it can't get infected."

"Ah, that must have hurt," the teacher from before, Yuugi-sensei, says sympathetically. "Let's have you sit there. I'll get the disinfectant. You can return to your class, Kageyama-kun."

Kageyama-kun? Hitomi can't believe her ears.

"Senpai, thank you."

"Good job looking out for your juniors," praises Yuugi-sensei.

This slightly, higher-pitched Kageyama chuckles softly, happy to be praised. "Mm! Bye, sensei."

It has to be a different Kageyama. Hitomi may not know her classmate well, but it's very hard imagining an affable voice with his very hard and detached face. She would love to be wrong though. A part of her longs for that tiny possibility that Kageyama-kun is this sort of happy, helpful person underneath his shell.

The curtains around the bed opens with the female teacher coming through. "Mishima-san? I'm Inukai-sensei. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, Inukai-sensei. Thank you for checking on me. I'd still like to go home though, if it's okay. I feel embarrassed since I don't have a change of clothes."

After touching Hitomi forehead gently, Inukai-sensei nods. "Class has already started. I know how awkward it might feel to show up in the middle of the lesson. Do you have questions, Mishima-san, or has your mom explained it to you?"

"I already had it before, but I didn't want my classmates to ask why I was bringing my bag to the toilet…"

Inukai-sensei nods again, knowing exactly what she means. "Do you still have the hygienic products in the pink kit? You can ask your mom to buy you a small purse enough to hold one pad. That way, it will be less conspicuous bring it to the toilet."

"I see! That sounds very useful."

Sitting by the foot of the bed, Inukai-sensei smiles. "It won't hurt to have one with you at all times. Sometimes, your female friend will appreciate it."

They talk a bit more, stuffs that are not related to school. Having a grown-up listen and understand her has brought Hitomi validation and encouragement she hasn't been seeking. Inukai-sensei is very kind and her smile radiates like the sun. There's a tinge of sadness knowing she'll never have her as a teacher, since Inukai-sensei takes care of the lower grades.

After Yuugi-sensei finishes dressing the student's wound, Inukai-sensei takes the boy's hand to help him back to the class. "Inukai-sensei," says the boy, his weight on his good leg. "Senpai has pink hair. Why is that?"

"Kageyama-kun?" exclaims out Hitomi in shock, getting both Yuugi-sensei and Inukai-sensei to look at her. Not reprimanding, but it makes her squirm in shame anyway. "S-sorry, he's my classmate." Hitomi is sure now. A Kageyama with pink hair has to be Kageyama-kun.

Yuugi-sensei frowns slightly. "Classmate? But he's…"

Inukai-sensei helps pull a stray strand of hair from the boy's face. "Senpai is the one who helped you, right?"

The boy nods.

"I think senpai's kindness is what really stands out. Don't you agree?"

"It's pretty," blurts the boy innocently. "I want to have pink hair too."

"You can wear pink t-shirt, or have a pink backpack. How about that?"

"Pretty… I wonder if Kageyama-kun would be happy to hear that," wonders Hitomi to herself after Inukai-sensei and the student are gone. "I thought his hair had an embarrassing story. What if Kageyama-kun wanted us to ask about it?"

"Mishima-san, are you classmates with Kageyama Shigeo-kun?"

"Yes… Kageyama-kun is incredible, but he hasn't smiled once."

Yuugi-sensei returns to sit by his desk. "He hasn't changed, huh? Well, maybe he has a bit. He used to have a hot temper, but he's been easing up."

Hitomi's eyes widen. How can Yuugi-sensei speak so familiarly about Kageyama-kun, who just transferred here?

"I'm a new teacher. I was transferred here from the school the Kageyama brothers came from. By the way," he explains, uncapping a bottle of water. "The Kageyama that was here is the younger brother, Ritsu-kun. I figure you were talking about Shigeo-kun since you're a fourth-grader."

Hitomi isn't surprised to know her classmate has a brother. She didn't know a lot about him. But if that were his brother, doesn't that mean both of them have pink hair? Is it genetic? Did their parents have pink hair, too?

"You were Ka… Shigeo-kun's teacher?"

"Nah." Yuugi-sensei is a lot more relaxed now. Hitomi can't help but think he shouldn't be talking like this to a student. But then again, Hitomi isn't from his classes. "I was Ritsu-kun's homeroom teacher for two years. Never had Shigeo-kun under my care. But Shigeo-kun is never far behind his little brother. He was really scary," he reminisces with an amused smile. "His classmates didn't understand him. He never gave them the chance to."

"I want to understand him," asserts Hitomi. Her heart is sinking at what has only confirmed her suspicion. "How can I help him, sensei?"

"Why not be friends with him?"

Isn't it obvious that's what I've been doing? Hitomi looks down at her shoes. "He doesn't like me. I talk to him everyday, but he ignores me. He might even be avoiding me. I tried looking for him during lunch break so we can play with our classmates, but he's never around."

"Oh, that," laughs Yuugi-sensei. "That's because he's with Ritsu-kun. I told you, he's never far behind him. Ritsu-kun's classmates saw Shigeo-kun so often they started asking me why Shigeo-kun doesn't take classes with them. They wondered if he were being bullied."

Despite feeling demoralized, it's hard not to smile from that story. "So does that mean Shigeo-kun doesn't like to be friends with me?"

"I think anyone would want to be friends with someone they can laugh with."

"I've never seen Shigeo-kun laugh."

"He's a very honest child. He laughs when he's happy; he snaps when he's angry. He can be rude when crossed. Maybe he'll cry when he's sad."

Hitomi processes the teacher's words. Isn't what Yuugi-sensei describing true for everyone? "But that's normal. Everyone feels happy and angry too."

"That's right. Shigeo-kun, no matter how he seems to be on the outside, is like everyone else. Has Shigeo-kun made you laugh?"

"Well…" Hitomi can't form a response. The answer is no. The very opposite, but Hitomi can't say it out loud.

"It's not bad to get along with everyone. But you can't be friends with someone you don't enjoy your time with. Do you have trouble making friends, Mishima-san?"

Hitomi shakes her head. "I'm surrounded by nice people. Though there's this one friend of mine I haven't been talking to. I miss him, but I don't think he likes me anymore."

"Is that so? Well, do whatever you want," responses Yuugi-sensei breezily. "If you don't mind losing someone precious to you, then you can give up."

She stares at him. Losing Take-kun? They haven't been talking for weeks, yet it hasn't crossed her what that can mean to their friendship. Were they no longer friends? Were they never going to hang out again? Were things not going back to how they used to be?

"I won't give up," mutters Hitomi. "I won't give up!" she says again, louder this time. She's never given up before. What's so different now? "Thank you so much for your wisdom, Yuugi-sensei! I'll make up with Take-kun, and I'll make Kageyama-kun smile!"

"Shigeo-kun isn't an easy person to deal with. You could just - "

"I can't ignore him, sensei! You told me that he's no different from everyone, and everyone wants to have friends, right?"

Yuugi-sensei hesitates. He looks like he's regretting saying a couple of things to an impressionable girl. "I suppose so, yes."

I 'll be more genuine with my feelings. Honesty will surely reach the heart of a person, whoever they are.

That afternoon, Hitomi goes back with her spirit rejuvenated. She tries calling Take-kun to ask if they could talk tomorrow. Only his dad picks up. Take-kun has apparently been going out of the house for the last couple of days. It worries Hitomi. While watching news about a sixth grader from Takasaki beating up high school students, Hitomi starts considering the possibility of Take-kun falling in the wrong crowd.

That can't happen, she assures herself. He's always been a level-headed person. Take-kun isn't going to lash out.

"By the way, Hitomi, we'll be seeing a rising 'pollen wave' in the next three years. There have been people who, even with anti-allergy medications, still collapsed. Be sure to take extra care in going out during spring."

"That sounds scary. I haven't heard anyone talking about it."

"The school will be announcing it soon. Don't worry, it's treatable," says her mom assuredly. "But over-the-counter medicine won't be enough to get rid of the headache and dizziness. You'll need to get a shot in the hospital."

Hitomi relaxes. Grown-ups are so fast and reliable. They already sorted things out. "I'll be careful."

The buzzer sounds. When Hitomi goes to answer the door, she finds Take-kun in a windswept jacket, holding a bouquet of purple flowers. He stares at her in trepidation, his shoulders scrunched and tense.

"Flowers?" Hitomi is the first to speak.

"It took a while to save up money, sorry. They're not roses or sunflowers. I'm not being romantic. That would be weird. I mean, this isn't a special place and you were…in the middle of eating dinner?" Take-kun hisses in realization, smacking himself on the head. "I know red is your favourite color, but I heard - the florist said the purple is for saying sorry. I forgot what these flowers are called. I think they're pretty though. Do you - Are they good?" He watches a reaction from Hitomi. Though Hitomi has barely time to process a thought, Take-kun quickly falls into despair. "No? You don't… Did I mess up?"

"Wait, wait, Take-kun! It's not like that!" Hitomi can't believe what she's seeing. Take-kun looks like he's crumbling in front of her without Hitomi saying a word. "I was just surprised! I wasn't expecting this from you."

"Is that…good?" he asks hopefully in a small voice.

"It's good! Are they really for me?" she says enthusiastically, marveling at the flowers. Take-kun hands the bouquet to her immediately. "You didn't have to do this. I wasn't planning on giving you something." Then, Hitomi gets a spark of that light bulb idea. With her free arm, she takes Take-kun and hugs him. "I'll have a better gift next time," she says without thinking after pulling back.

"Ha…" Flushed red in the face, Take-kun starts to laugh in a mixture of shyness and relief. "You surprised me there."

"Really now? That's totally my line. I always get the presents I want from you. You did something different this time."

Take-kun peers at her cautiously. "That's good, right?"

"It is! I mean, neither ways are bad! I'm happy. I'm happy you were thinking of me." Hitomi has never gotten flowers before. It feels so nice. She'll have to put this in her room, and the bathroom. "Hey, why don't you come eat with us? Actually, I was planning to watch a movie tonight. Do you want to watch together?"

"With your mom?"

"She's going to have a video call with my dad, so it would be just the two of us."

"No, I shouldn't. I have homework," he croaks, swallowing. Hurriedly, Take-kun heads next door to their apartment and waves awkwardly. "Bye."

"See you tomorrow," bids Hitomi, watching Take-kun fumble with the doorknob. He winds up closing the door on his finger, but Hitomi doesn't hear Take-kun cry in pain at all.

Over the next day at lunch break, Hitomi is on her way to the nurse's office again to return the volume of Little Miss Period Inukai-sensei has left her with. Though she already read it back in third-grade, it was hard for her to turn Inukai-sensei down, so she stowed it in her backpack, promising to read it as soon as she gets home.

Huh? The door doesn't budge. It's locked, but Hitomi definitely heard voices. Knocking, she announces her presence. "Excuse me, I'm here to return the manga. Inukai-senseni gave it to me yesterday."

"Manga?" responds a gruff voice. "This ain't the damn library."

Taken aback by the language, Hitomi stutters. "I-I'm sorry. S-she told me to give it back to the nurse. It's a manga about p…periods."

The door slides half-open to reveal not the frightening person berating Hitomi, but Yuugi-sensei. "Mishima-san," he whispers under his breath. His eyes lock tightly onto her, making her feel uncomfortable. "Hand it over. Do you need anything else?"

Hitomi has never been more glad to have a manga out of her hand. "No, sensei. I'm sorry for disturbing you." Something is different about Yuugi-sensei that makes Hitomi not want to meet his eyes. Her gaze wanders through the gap of the door and just for a tiny bit, she sees movement from a man. Maybe the PE teacher? He isn't wearing the teacher's uniform, but a tunic that exposes muscular arms.

"Heard from Sakurai one of your precious kids transferred here. That's a shame. But hey, now you have three more years together."

"You…!"

The door slams shut, Hitomi catching a glimpse of Yuugi-sensei's face. She recalls what her mom said last night about the pollen wave. Had Yuugi-sensei gotten it? He was looking awfully pale.

[Character Introduction]

Yuugi Amane: A teacher in the Uenohara elementary school, who is also familiar with the Kageyama brothers. He's from the series Toilet-bound Hanako-kun but if you don't want major spoilers (about that series), don't google the name! He teaches science for the upper grades.

Inukai Michiru: Another Uenohara elementary school teacher, who oversees the lower grades. She's from Talentless Nana, though aged up and uh, don't google her either if you don't want spoilers for the series.