A/N: I don't own KHR or any of its characters.
"The sun heats our oceans, turning water into water vapor which then…" Mr. Onazuka's voice trails on about another subject I've been long familiar with. There's nothing quite like that rigorous, accelerated Mafia tutelage.
I watch as the boy in front of me - Daisuke - scribbles down notes in our science workbook... for about 5 seconds.
His pencil slips off the page, skimming the side of the workbook. This leads to him coloring in the entire side of the notebook in pencil. He rubs his hand across the side, picking up the grey residue, then smears it across his desk. Then he picks up his pencil sharpener - no, not to sharpen the tip of his pencil, but to grind off the eraser, thus making a double sided pencil.
When his pencil is the smallest nub it could possibly be before getting stuck inside the sharpener, he decides to empty all the pencil shavings out onto his desk and sort them into various piles.
Suddenly sensing my stare, his head lifts up and we meet eyes. He waves fervently my way and proceeds to stick his index finger deep into his nose, digging for gold.
I muffle a laugh with my hand. At least he's loud and proud.
This chaotic behavior pretty much sums up the fifth grade. And then amidst it all there is a surprisingly vicious social hierarchy. Komiya easily takes the top place for the girls. Kyoya takes the spot for the boys.
Mr. Onazuka finishes writing a list of topics on the board. "Everyone get into pairs for your assigned science project. I'll give you 5 minutes to choose a partner."
The class erupts in a loud clamor as friends rush towards each other, while the shyer ones worriedly glance around with downcast eyes.
"Komiya let's partner up!"
"Komiya-chan do you need a partner?"
"Komiya - "
"Komiya!"
Komiya Komiya Komiya. Guys and girls alike flock to her desk as she gracefully declines all the advances except that of her right-hand-woman of the week - Mameko. Hair always in perfectly curled pigtails, wrapped in frilly, pink hair ties.
I lay my head against my desk with a thud, closing my eyes and attempting to drown out the ruckus. I'll partner with whoever is left, I don't care. Also, I sleepy.
I received a ton of attention my first week, which quickly puttered out once Komiya realized I both didn't want to be a part of her clique and also had no desire to take her place. Her blatant disregard for me quickly erased any of my peers' interest in me. Besides Kyoya being his creepy, moody self - AKA, his default - I was honestly living a perfectly normal, content school life. Knock on wood...
"Back to your seats everyone. Who hasn't found a partner yet?"
I raise my hand and drowsily lift my head from the table.
"Then Hatsu and Hibari, you two will partner together."
I quickly swivel back to see Hibari with his hand up at the back of the class.
Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaak.
He glares at me. I throw my hands up in the air, exasperated. Bitch you think this is MY fault? You had six years to make ONE friend (or at least a neutral acquaintance you tolerate) and you blame me?!
Doesn't surprise me.
I try and communicate my frustration by mouthing "your fault" and pointing at him.
To which he mouths back - "I'll kill you". He's so extra.
"Great, the project is due next Wednesday." Mr. Onazuka says, already facing the board once again, unaware of the violent threat.
When I turn back around, Komiya is watching me with a strange look on her face.
She is astoundingly normal. Besides a couple quippy remarks here and there, she is an average student. Seriously average. She falls asleep in class, but not enough to draw the teacher's attention. She forgets to do her homework, but not enough to impact her grade. She gets along with our classmates, but doesn't stick with any particular clique.
She prefers being outside and when the weather doesn't permit it, she'll stare longingly out at the rain just as she's doing now. She stays out as long as possible after school - disappearing into some corner of town only to return at suppertime and always looking a disheveled mess. Obaa-san has yet to reprimand her for it, instead telling ME that I should be patient with her as she adjusts to Japan.
DING. DING. DING.
The school bell rings, signaling the end of lunch.
Hatsu stretches her arms up languidly, then trickles out with the rest of the class toward the gymnasium for physical education.
I stay at the back, but never lose sight of her. She tugs uncomfortably at her skirt - an annoying habit of hers. Hibari's never fidget - they walk with surety.
A gaggle of girls pull her into the girls' changing room. She smiles at them, letting out a soft chuckle as they link arms. I scoff, annoyed at her fake camaraderie. Hibari's don't find assurance in OTHERS - they only need themself.
She disappears as the door closes behind her.
Daisuke, full of ignorant bliss, slaps me on the shoulder with a giant smile. "I know they're cute, but you can't watch them change hahaha!"
I grab his wrist - tightly.
Daisuke winces and quickly removes his hand from my shoulder. "I wasn't watching." I let his bruised wrist go, moving past him into the boys' changing room.
A slight red hue tints my cheeks.
I quickly throw on my P.E. clothes. FREEDOM. Sooo much better in shorts and a loose t-shirt.
I skip into the gym, already in a much better mood now that I'm out of that darned skirt!
"Hatsu-chan." Komiya waves me over with a smile and cute tilt of her head. She stands in a circle of five girls, already starting to stretch out.
Maybe I can just pretend I didn't hear her…
I keep my distance and start stretching on my own.
"Hatsu-chan!" Mameko yells over to me in her fake, high-pitched, friendly squeal. She waves her arms to attract my attention. Ignore…
Komiya whispers something to Mameko and she immediately bolts over to my side.
"Hatsu-chan, why don't you come stretch with us?"
"It's okay. You already have a full group."
"You know, I've always wanted to get to know you more - ever since you moved here. You're so pretty!" Inward sigh. Jesus.
"... What do you want to know?"
"Are you and Kyoya close?" So that's the direction this is taking. NO...
"Who's asking?"
"What do you mean? Me of course, silly!" Her voice gets an octave higher, if even possible.
"No, you're asking for Komiya."
Mameko's mouth opens to speak, but - "Look, I don't answer to you or Komiya. But if she wants to ask me something, she can ask me herself and I can choose to answer or not."
Mameko flushes an angry red. "W-what?! How rude! Haven't you heard of Komiya's family?"
I shrug. "Take it or leave it."
She hesitates, but turns with a huff in the end. And of course, in the next minute Komiya comes prancing over like the perfect little billionaire princess she is.
"Can we talk?"
"Yo. Sure."
Thoroughly thrown off her normal charm, she slowly starts - "Well, I see that you're paired with Hibari for the project. And it seems like you two know each other quite well."
…
"That wasn't really a question."
"Well, do you like him or something?"
"Not even a little bit."
"But you were staring at each other."
"I think of it more fondly as a death glare match. Do YOU like him?"
She crosses her arms and tilts her head up haughtily. "Of course not. But with family background and class standing, we would make the perfect match."
Kids these days, amiright?! (They're insane.)
"Yeah, it's like, what things in common do you need besides rank? Certainly not personality or interests - that would be ridiculous." I deadpan.
She glares at me, with narrowed eyes.
"See, now THAT is the way he was looking at me."
"Just don't get close to him. You don't want to get on my bad side." She flicks her hair over her shoulder as she departs with a flourish.
Lol. No intention of doing so. But man, in a strange, insanely petty way, her commanding me to do something made me want to do the exact opposite…
I bury that petty desire as quickly as it comes though. Kyoya isn't worth the hassle. Not that he'd let any human (who is not a Hibari) be remotely close to him.
A/N: Wow I updated. I'm alive!
