"Nakano-san!"

Nakano Shinji turned at the sound of his name. The voice was that of Matoh Yumiko, the head of the drama club, who was hurrying up to him.

"Ah, excuse me, Nakano-san, I'm sorry to bother you, but are you signing up for the drama club again this year?" She sounded out of breath, he supposed that she must have been chasing after errant club members all morning. He smiled and nodded, giving her his affirmation.

"Good! We've got a lot of new members this year, too, so it'll be easier if the old ones can help to keep them in line. Thank you! There's a meeting at Wednesday lunchtime. Come if you can!"

She dashed off, presumably to accost another unsuspecting person. Shinji smiled after her. She was nice. If he brought her home and introduced her to his family, they'd be delighted. Returning to the contents of his locker, he felt a pit of dissatisfaction low down in his stomach, but he wasn't entirely sure why.

It wasn't until Wednesday morning that Shinji remembered about the meeting. After cursing quite colourfully, he sighed and cancelled his plans to eat lunch with one of the girls in his class. She forgave him, but there was a slight downward tilt to her mouth that haunted him as he made his way to the clubroom after the bell rang. When Yumiko greeted him cheerfully, he scowled back and slumped down in one of the specially arranged seats. Even if he had to be here, he didn't have to like it.

As the room gradually filled up, Yumiko walked to the front of the room and began to speak at great length about the general responsibilities of each person there and the hard work required of them. Having heard it all before, Shinji drifted off into a daydream, barely registering it when a boy entered and sat down directly across from him.

"Well, that about sums it all up. Any questions?" Yumiko's clear voice cut through Shinji's reverie and he straightened up in his seat. The boy sitting opposite him raised his hand and asked, "What will the end of year production be?" in soft, respectful tones that somehow sent a shiver down Shinji's spine.

"Excellent question," replied Yumiko approvingly. She went on to explain about the play while Shinji stared at the small, pale boy who sat straight in his seat, hands folded neatly in front of him.

He really was short, he decided, it wasn't just because of the large chair that seemed to swallow him up. He looked oddly severe with his black school uniform, meticulously smart and unwrinkled despite it being a midweek lunchtime, his serious expression in a face with dark, dark, solemn eyes which caught Shinji's gaze and held it unwaveringly. Shinji flushed deeply and turned his head to study the wall behind Yumiko. In later years, he would never be able to understand his penchant for magnolia paint.

"Senpai?" It was with a shock that he realised that the meeting was breaking up. Had he really missed the entire thing?

"Senpai." The voice was slightly more impatient this time. Shinji looked up and immediately bit his tongue on the irritated comment that had been building up inside him.

"Yes?" he inquired, trying to look as calm as possible. It wasn't working very well.

"Why were you looking at me?"

Shinji stiffened and, to his horror, felt a blush creeping up his throat. "I wasn't," he snapped, and regretted it instantly as the younger boy looked sceptical.

"You were gazing at me for five whole minutes."

"I was just staring off into space," Shinji lied, not having the nerve to look into those beautiful eyes as he did it. The boy seemed to crumble.

"…Oh," he said quietly.

Shinji felt his stomach twist at the strange expression on the boy's countenance and put a hand out on impulse as the boy turned to go and caught him by the shoulder.

"What's your name?" he asked.

The boy blinked. "Kanau," he said.

"…Kanau." Shinji tested the word on his tongue. "Can I call you that, then?"

"I suppose." He didn't look very happy about it.

"Great." Shinji smiled, relieved to be back on familiar ground. "I'm Shinji, then."

"…Senpai?" The dubious expression of before was back on Kanau's face, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Call me Shinji," he explained, or tried to. Kanau just looked at him.

"Senpai," he said flatly. "I won't call you by your first name."

Shinji sighed. This was going to take some work.