Since that day, for a month and a half Kirihara Akaya stayed after with Marui Bunta, always after his class the two would train and practice; always learning from the other, the two continued to progress even when time and time again
Akaya beat Marui's ass.
"Damn it all! You're too good Kirihara!"
"That's to be expected! I try for the best"
"So I'm your stepping stone huh?" making a face the redhead glared at the black haired boy, who in turn grinned
"What else would you be"
"Tch cocky bastard"
"I see you two are getting along" the two looked to the person standing at the door only letting the sun dance on his blue hair, purposely hiding the rest of his face in shadow
"Niou!"
"Yo" letting himself in, the fellow second year sat down among the other two.
"What are you staying after for?"
"Nothing much, just that I'm suppose to tutor a kid in English"
"I didn't know you tutored!" Marui exclaimed with shock, who would have thought that Niou Masaharu the Trickster of Rikkai would care about anyone else other than himself
"Yagyuu said it'd look good for colleges and crap"
"I didn't think you'd still listen to him"
"I don't but when he told me about the kid" looking up at the redhead and then turning to the freshman "I couldn't say no"
"Hmm? Why are you-! No way! Kirihara?! You're Niou's student!"
"…" looking away the green eyed boy, avoided the shocked eyes and the grinning face.
"Yup, he's the kid I'm suppose to tutor"
"But he didn't say anything-"
"Really Marui, and I thought you were a 'genius' would any kid his age with his personality stop martial arts training to go practice English?"
"No I guess not…and since he's not in any clubs his grade won't effect him"
"Bingo"
"…."
"So Kirihara brat, are you going to come to study or do you need to fail the class before your parents say-"
"I'm not a brat and don't bring my parents into this! I make my own decisions!" turning to glare at the blue haired teen,
"Then are you going to do anything about your failing grade in English?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…I hate eng-"
"That's not a reason" smirking just as he did so long ago in the restroom, Akaya unconsciously knew….somewhere he had lost.
But. for some reason…he didn't care. Something was changing in him, around these two second years, the born to be killer he had become was fading away, and for some reason again….he didn't mind.
At first the changes didn't show themselves but until recently Akaya found himself smiling more, laughing and joking; things he had long ago remembered of doing but forgot for the longest time how it felt. To feel so alive. Akaya didn't know why he felt this way around these odd upperclassmen but…. He found it didn't matter.
"Fine, but I still want to train with Marui"
"Senpai!" hitting the boy gently on the head Marui pouted "you're still a freshman and I'm a sophomore, call me senpai"
"Tch" turning his head, Akaya too pouted.
"You guys are such babies" Niou laughed falling backward onto the tatami floors,
"Shut up, like you're any better" Marui spouted, he too falling backward to lay on the ground
"What days are you free, Kirihara brat?"
"I'm not a brat so stop calling me that! I'm free everyday"
"Must be nice not having anything to do, freeloader"
"..it's not like I don't have anything to do, just…things not school related"
"…"
"…" unknowing to the first year, the upperclassmen shared a look of…understanding?
"Brat when do you have English?"
"Wednesday and Thursday, and I'm not-"
"Then we'll start tomorrow, when the language is fresh in your mind" cutting off the black haired boy
"Wow Niou, you're really into this tutoring stuff"
"Why not? It's something to do"
"Glad I'm nothing but entertainment to you" trying to hide the bitterness of his voice, in his pouting face
"Now now brat, I didn't say that" sitting up, the blue haired boy placed a candid hand into wild curly black locks, earning him a pout
"Will you ever stop calling me a brat?"
"No, get used to it"
"Tch bastard"
"So sue me" smirking, the teen grinned to his redhead of a friend as the three lay there peacefully, on the floor, in the middle of the dojo; and for once in a long time….they were free.
And all Akaya knew was that, he didn't want this to end.
"Alright where are you?"
"Umm…I think here"
"Pronunciation hmm" looking at the book, the second year held his chin as the first year lost himself in his train of thought, glancing about the empty classroom on a Wednesday afternoon.
Letting his eyes wander onto the upperclassman beside him- currently staring intently at the book as if it was written in another language, minus the fact that the book was written in another language.
The former was nothing special, hell at first Akaya thought he was a stubborn ass who thought the world was a piece of shit under his foot; everyone was below him. He wasn't completely wrong however, Niou Masaharu was a stubborn ass but still he had a quality about him that reminded of himself.
He was headstrong, didn't care what others thought of him, stood his ground, and more… although Akaya would never say it but he kind of maybe admired the blue haired boy.
"Are you going to drool over me all day?"
"Huh?"
"Or have you already fallen for me brat?"
"Like hell" maybe admiration wasn't the right word after all.
"Alright I got it, look at this passage and read it to me"
"Tch don't boss me around"
"I'm not, I'm telling you" smirking at the younger boy, Niou got up and walked around the classroom as he listened to the latter's voice.
Without having to hear the rest of the passage, the blue haired boy knew what the kid's problem was. He spoke with a yakuzan accent, he had thought he heard the accent in the kid's speech but he couldn't put his finger on it.
Now that he was reading it was clear. He had a thick accent filled with wrong and broken grammar.
"Stop"
"..I wasn't finished"
"Do you watch yakuza movies brat?"
"…why" Akaya felt his body stiffen
"You have a thick accent of yakuza speech"
"…sorta"
"That's your problem all we have to do is get rid of that accent"
"How are you going to do that?"
"Listen to my voice when I read and copy" receiving a look from the emerald eyed boy Niou raised a fine bleached brow "problem?"
"That's your great tutor plan? I can do that when Yagyuu-senpai reads"
"Do you listen when he reads?"
"…."
"Or when someone else reads?"
"…"
"At least with me you can try to read like a regular person without having to embarrass yourself…much"
"How lucky I am"
"Damn right" grinning Niou walked over to his seat and began to read, letting his hard voice fill the room.
Akaya unconsciously listened to every word, roll of the tongue, twist of the words, intake of the breath. Akaya memorized it all, but as he listened he couldn't help think, why?
Why did it matter if he had an accent clearly gained by his upraising in the Yakuza. Why did it matter if he was taught to read and write proper Japanese. Why did it matter at all?
His mission was to gather information on the public life, he needed to know how the world moved in the light rather than underground filled with murder and betrayal. His task was to comprehend, process and perform as Head of his family line.
None of this was suppose to happen, him being here, being tutored by a prankster, taught martial arts by a sugar freak….making friends.
It wasn't suppose to be like this. And yet….it happened.