I'm switching the rating this story to M because I just realized that cursing is actually supposed to be in the M rated category. I forgot.


Akashi's Paper Seals


Akashi Seijuurou was very perceptive.

Nijimura couldn't help but notice that. It was one of the reasons why this little first year (no, seriously— Akashi was kind of small) was placed as Teiko's vice captain.

Like that one time where Akashi had stared at an odd, short creature with a pot covering its head a moment too long.

Or that other time when Akashi glanced up at the sky when a shadow of something flew over them during their training camp this year.

Or those little moments when Akashi would occasionally pause in his step or very subtlety twist away from seemingly nothing.

Or this time when Nijimura ended up walking with Akashi on their way home. Well, usually, he took a different route home, but today, Nijimura needed to pick something up at a nearby store.

Akashi just happened to go home the same direction.

….Which was really weird because he could've sworn that the little first year had been chauffeured home immediately after practice or something.

Their walk had been silent so far. It wasn't uncomfortable or anything like that. Nijimura had learned that Akashi was quieter when he wasn't put in charge.

When they both turned a corner, Nijimura noted that they weren't the only ones on the narrow street. A lady casually walked about in her beige simple kimono: a tad too old for their time, and a tad too plain. Her long dark hair was held loosely with an elegant hairpin that seemed out of place.

Of course, Nijimura decided to very much ignore her as he spotted the paper mask covering a portion of her face and the flayed rope clumsily tired to her ankle.

And then the hairpin fell out.

It clattered to the pavement and the lady's hair spilled out of its hold. And yet, the lady, herself, kept walking.

Nijimura squashed his urge to pick up and return the hairpin (though it was rude, there were consequences for helping these ones out).

What he didn't take into account was Akashi.

Akashi— who freaking bent down and picked up the hairpin, turning it over in his hand.

Frantically, Nijimura prayed very, very hard that Akashi only saw the hairpin and not the lady.

Akashi turned on his heel and tugged on the lady's no, the ayakashi's kimono, "Excuse me, you dropped this."

Nijimura instantly paled.

No.

Holy shit— no.

Akashi could see—

Slowly, the ayakashi turned her body to face them. He tensed, reaching for the zipper of his school bag. He mostly doubted that the ayakashi was dangerous, but one just never knows.

Instead of an attack, the ayakashi smiled (beautifully, he might add) and took back the hairpin, "Thank you. This is very important to me."

Akashi smiled back, "It was no problem."

With that, both the ayakashi and vice captain shared a quick bow before they parted.

There were a thousand things running probably a thousand miles an hour in Nijimura's head before it just ended up into a train crash that simultaneously blew up his normal (as if he could call his life that) everyday life.

"Nijimura-sempai?"

Akashi's voice snapped him out of his jumbled mess of thoughts. Nijimura quickly glanced up and down the street, noting the dragged roped was almost out of sight. Without thinking, he grabbed Akashi's upper arm and proceeded to quickly half drag, half speed walk to another corner. If he paid more attention, he would've noticed how Akashi fell dead silent.

When they were a good distance away, Nijimura dropped his grip, digging in his bag.

"Sempai— I— I can explain—"

He didn't let his little first year finish that sentence. Instead, he shoved a good amount of paper seals in his pale hands and looked at him right in the eye (maybe his glasses glinted when he did, but whatever).

"Listen," he said with the most dead serious tone he could muster for his age, "these are seals. If anything tries to attack you, slap this on 'em and send some energy through it. Got it?"

Akashi stared at him, wide eyed, and maybe a bit intimidated for once, "Got it."

"Repeat the instructions."

"…If anything comes to attack me, erm, slap this on them and send some energy through it," Akashi looked completely unsure, "You're not… scared of me?"

It was at this point that he decided that Akashi was perceptive.

But not perceptive enough.

"Do I look like I'm scared of you?"

Akashi stared at him a moment longer, "…No."

When Nijimura ruffled his hair, he didn't miss the tiny flinch and the almost inaudible disbelieving huff.

"Good. Because I'm terrified for you. How the hell did you manage this long without dying or accidentally selling your soul?"

The utter confusion and disbelief in Akashi's face and tone was absolutely worth it.

"I…I punched them?"

"You punched them."

"Yes."

Nijimura wondered how powerful (spiritually) his vice captain was.

Akashi stared at the paper seals in his hands, "I don't understand how to send energy."

Nijimura really looked at him, "You know what— give me your phone. I'm calling your dad."

"Wait what—" He tried and failed to stop Nijimura from reaching into his bag and pulling out a red cell phone with ease (Although, Nijimura was hella sure that the other could stop him but probably the reason why his actions were so discoordinated was due to shock of casually accepting Akashi's "sight").

It didn't take a second to guess which number had his dad on speed-dial. Nijimura shrugged as he held the phone to his ear, "I'm taking you home and teaching you the basics."

"What?!" Akashi squeaked.

Akashi freaking Seijuurou actually squeaked.

"Hold on— My father absolutely cannot know you—"

"Hello? I'm Nijimura Shuuzou, Captain of Teiko's Basketball team. I'm sorry, for using your son's phone to call you, but I need his help with a couple things for the team—"

And just like that, Akashi was allowed to come home later than six that evening.


Nijimura is basically Natori.