Chapter 9 : Insecure

Furihata groaned once he saw the mark in his returned test paper. He walked back to his desk with a gloomy expression.

"Such a gloomy expression you got there, Furihata-kun." Kuroko peeked at the mark and Furihata jolted. He quickly crumpled his test result and laughed nervously at Kuroko.

"Hahahahahaha I'm fine, the mark wasn't so bad."

"But you're crumpling it." Kuroko said while staring at the test that had turned into a ball. He chuckled when Furihata only gave him a weak glare.

"Leave my mark alone."

"If you want to own a library you need to study hard."

"M-math has nothing to do with-"

"Furihata-kun, keep it down!"

Both boys quickly shut their mouth when the teacher called out.

"I'm sorry." Furihata bowed with a waterfall tears on his face. This is a disgrace. He never really pay attention to his study that much before, but now… now that he got a bigger aim for a university, he really have to spend more time to study. A promise is a promise after all. Furihata sighed once again.

Akashi was checking on his thesis with his glasses on when a knock interrupted him. The girl didn't wait for his answer and simply came inside, smiling up to him.

"Sei-chan, how do I look?"

Akashi raised his head and stared at the tall chocolate girl who was wearing a perfect secretary suit. He walked around her checking every inch and smiled.

"Alright, you look perfect! Thanks for agreeing to cooperate with me! I'll tell you when we shall meet and do the play." Akashi smiled up at her. "I hope you don't mind helping us a bit."

"Of course, Sei-chan." She winked and leaned to kiss his forehead.

A voice interrupted them and Akashi saw his boyfriend online.

"Then I better get going." The girl winked again and left Akashi alone.

Akashi smiled when Furihata's face was pretty close up, the brunette was checking on his camera, frowning slightly and mumbling to himself. For a second the camera turned dark before his Kouki re-appear in the screen. Akashi couldn't help but chuckled at his confused look. He saw Furihata blinked when he heard his chuckle.

"Kouki, I can see you."

"Sei. Wait, mine isn't working properly. There's something wrong with the cable." He adjusted his camera and draw back to check his appearance in the screen. "Now I can see you as well." He nodded satisfied to himself.

"Is it broken?" Akashi leaned closer to the screen.

"I accidentally dropped it yesterday night before I went to bed." Furihata scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile.

"I see. Be careful with it. Have you had your dinner?"

"Not yet. By the way, I need your help." Furihata bowed and clasped his hands in front of his head, giving Akashi a pleading look. His coughed and averted his eyes when Akashi gave him a questioning look. "For my math subject."

"Why of course, Kouki. I can help you from here. Which one is the problem?"

"Uhh… well…" Furihata uncrumpled his test result and showed it close to the camera.

Akashi blinked at the red mark showing 20 point. He leaned back to his seat and crossed his arms.

"Furihata Kouki."

"Yes?"

"That's a very bad mark you got there."

"Read the problem, not the mark, Akashi Seijuurou!" Furihata covered his mark with his fingers, glaring back at his boyfriend.

Both of them glared at each other before Akashi sighed. He had learnt by now that Furihata could be very hard-headed when he wanted to.

"Come here this weekend and I'll teach you properly." Akashi said and massaging the bridge of his nose.

Furihata sighed. "Understood." He mumbled.

"And don't even think about the train fee. I'll pay your ticket back once you arrived."

Furihata rolled his eyes. He was getting tired of this, trying to refuse Akashi's offer was pretty tiring. He chose not to reply him. Akashi knew he couldn't refuse nor immediately agree. The redhead was pretty sneaky the time he left his bag alone. The moment he went back to his home to take out his belongings, there's a certain amount of money in his wallet.

"Anyway, is this the only reason why you turned on your cam?"

Furihata pressed his lips together and looked down. Akashi smiled, eyes glance at his project, patiently waiting for an honest answer.

"I want to… see you." He mumbled while staring up to Akashi from the corner of his eyes.

Akashi curled his fingers. Oh, long distance… why you did this to me? How he wanted to hug his Kouki right at this moment. "Same with me." He took off his glasses and smiled tenderly.

"Sei…"

Both of them wore a longing expression for a moment.

"Three days, Kouki." Akashi said and brushed his fingertips on the screen, tracing Kouki's cheek.

It's been more than two weeks since their last encounter with the rainbows. Furihata couldn't come to Kyoto like their usual routine due to the test. Akashi was having his regular meeting with Rakuzan and having a friendly match with another school in Kyoto. Furihata had promised to watch the game from the TV but they both know his mind was somewhere else. This though, would make a good scenario upon the plan Akashi had set up for him.

"I know." Furihata said with a small nod.

Both of them smiled at each other before Akashi told Furihata he needed to work on some report. The red haired boy promised to pick Furihata on the train station like usual.

Furihata stared at the black screen and sighed. He'd missed him again, seeing his face in the screen, and his voice. He wondered by three days couldn't come faster. If only he could control the time, he didn't have to wait that long to meet him. Furihata walked back to the bed with a loud sigh. He rolled to his side, staring at his phone and cuddle it close to his face. The wallpaper showed him and Akashi in their last meeting.

Furihata fidgeted while standing in front of Akashi's door, eyes staring to the side while his hands clutched the handle of his bag slung over his right shoulder. He raised his head when the door opened. A very tall woman her glasses, she was wearing a short tight skirt with a white dress shirt and gray blazer. Her brown hair all tied up neatly, the carrier woman that Kouki imagined Akashi would walk for lunch with everyday. He quickly shoved the thought off from his head when she smiled and make way for him to come inside.

"Kouki."

Furihata smiled at his boyfriend who pulled him into a bear hug and kissed his forehead.

"S-Sei…" He pulled away, embarrassed by the opened display of their affection to whoever she was stood behind him.

Akashi smiled knowingly and nodded at her. "Thanks for greeting him."

The woman bowed and winked. "My pleasure, Akashi-sama."

Furihata twitched his eye at the wink gesture. Somehow… it reminded him to one of the Rakuzan's player. Who was his name again? He was cut off by Akashi chuckled directed to her.

The only son of the Akashi family then dragged Kouki to his room.

"W-who is she?"

"She's my father's secretary." Akashi explained while closing the door behind him.

"I see… She's very tall."

"Well, she is very bright." Akashi chuckled at Furihata's puzzled face. "Anyway, Kouki, I shall not letting you leave this room until you memorize every single formulas I'm tutoring you." Akashi glared at Kouki's sheepish smile.

Furihata gulped.

The lessons went far from smooth. Furihata kept getting confused over his problems, with Akashi guided him, he was getting better. Or so he thought.

Until the day of the exam came and his mind was very dizzy by studying too much. Furihata couldn't move a muscle over each problems. The day he got the result, Furihata wish he could kill himself for being too stupid and nervous over a math problem. He crumpled his math result and threw it to the trash can.

Akashi frowned. It's been several days since he taught Furihata before another exam of his coming. Much to his surprise, Furihata didn't contact him at all regarding the result of his test. He pulled out his mobile phone and checked on the caller id. Nope, he didn't have any missed a call from his boyfriend. He wondered if something happened during the test. Surely he'd done well right? He quickly gide his phone when the teacher approaching towards his directions.

"Such a rare sight for you to have something distracting your mind, Akashi. During my lesson." The teacher pressed his last sentence right after he stood before Akashi.

Akashi quickly stood up. "I'm sorry. I'll focus in your class, sensei."

"If your mark wasn't very magnificent, I'd have confiscated that mobile phone of yours." He smack Akashi's with his curled textbook. Akashi jolted at the contact, he didn't say anything. "Concentrate!"

"Yes, Sir." The teacher left and Akashi went back sat down.

"Read 75 page, please, Akashi. And explain the meaning of those dialogues to your friends."

Akashi quickly did as he was told. First time ever that someone distracted him greatly, his Kouki was really something.

Beside him, Reo raised an eyebrow while Akashi read out loud with a smile on his face. Such a rare of him getting scolded and smacked. He smiled and follow the text Akashi read.

The bell rang, marking the end of the day. Akashi quickly walked out of the classroom. He told Reo to go ahead to the gymnasium while he made an important phone call. Reo knew not to ask who he was going to make a call with. He left him for his privacy call and lead the team to the basketball court.

Akashi dialed Furihata's number and pressed the phone against his ear, listening to the dial tone before it was picked up. His Kouki's hoarse voice made him frowned.

"Kouki?"

"Sei, don't you have club?"

"Forget about that, how did the exam go?"

Furihata clenched his phone at the question. He stared at his best friends who were still staring at him with concern. Furihata's fingers started playing at his basketball shoe laces unconsciously. They were sitting at the corner of the basket court, waiting for the others to come and start practice. Furihata as the captain of course wasn't able to skip practice, he wasn't allowed to have his problem get in the way of their practice.

"It's not… going so well." He muttered, lips puckering at the reminder.

"I see… Are you disappointed by the result?"

"I'm sorry, Sei. You spend your time teaching me yet I… I hate my nervousness. If only I can re-do the test…"

"It's alright, Kouki, don't think about it."

Kouki gritted his teeth at the reply. "Don't you care about us anymore?! If I cannot go into Tokyo Uni, we won't be able to be together."

In the other side of the line, Akashi could hear Furihata chocked a sob. "Kouki, Your test has nothing to do with it. Why are you being insecure about?"

"Of course it will! Math is-" He got cut off when Akashi continued.

"I'll still love you even if you're not getting into the same university as I am. Also, even if we're different path, we'll be able to meet anytime since I'll live in Tokyo, more like I'll rent a place beside yours or I'll pay for your rent and live together with you. What are you so worried about?" Akashi pressed, frowning while listening carefully to Furihata's choking voice against his ear.

'I'll pay for your rent and live together with you'

Flushing brightly at those words, Furihata looked down as if trying to hide his red face. He slapped Fukuda when he snickered after seeing his red face and scowled at Kawahara who imitated his face expression. Furihata quickly turned his back towards them, hiding his face.

Receiving no answer, Akashi kept going. "Do you get it? Don't think anything funny, Kouki. It's not even funny that you think so low of yourself just because of a single school subject. You and I are different people, I'm sure your talent is very different than mine." You're not yet an Akashi, enjoy your life more!

"I… get it." Furihata muffled a whisper.

Akashi smiled. "Cheer up… I actually hoping that you'd come over after your exam and we'll have a trip somewhere near Kyoto. But, I have another idea now."

"Eh?"

Akashi smiled. "Pack your things, I'll pick you up at Friday during dawn."

"What? To where?"

"Just wait and see." Akashi chuckled and ended the call. He kissed his phone and quickly called out for his secretary.

"W-wait, Sei?!" Furihata groaned when the line ended. He glared at his phone as if blaming it for the cause of their ended conversation. Brushing his tears away, he sighed. "Always rushing things." He clicked his tongue. He wonder what kind of plan he got this time.

Knowing how well Akashi was when it's about his promises, Furihata didn't waste his time to pack. He waited patiently for the day to come with a nervous beating heart. The time Akashi knocked his front door, Furihata greeted him with a shy smile. He was enveloped in a big hug, Akashi showering him with kisses immediately. It took a couple of minutes for Furihata to let himself free from his arms, telling him they'd spend the day wasted if he kept on doing that. Akashi helped him with his belongings, going out of the house. Furihata expected them to walk the station to go to Akashi's house like usual, but much to his surprise, Akashi leaded him to the car which was waiting for them.

"Is this your car?"

"Even if I am an Akashi, a high school student aren't allowed to drive, Kouki." Akashi chuckled.

"Then… why is this-" He was cut off when the chauffeur walked to them and open the door for him.

"Are we gonna go somewhere or just staying at my house? I don't feel like sharing your moans and cries to the butlers and maid, including my dad." Akashi gave a look.

Furihata felt his face flamed. He mumbled incoherently while getting inside the car. Satisfied, Akashi snickered and get inside from the other side.

Furihata stared outside the window, noticing that they rode further away from the busy city.

"Mind to tell me where we're going?" Furihata finally let out his curiosity.

"The Onsen Inn under Akashi's Corp."

"Onsen inn?"

"They have a basketball court behind the inn. Near the park where they got children's playground and also a private outdoor onsen. Somebody won the raffle ticket before and decided to have a trip with his friends not long ago."

"AH! That inn! Now that answer the question of you being there that time!"

Akashi smiled. "Yes, Kouki. The place when we share our real kisses after becoming a real couple."

Furihata bit his lip at the reminder. They were struggling to be together that time and now Akashi brought them back there.

"It feels it just happened yesterday. It's almost half a year." Furihata chuckled.

"Time flew pretty fast." Akashi nodded. "I've been wanting to have a trip somewhere just for the two of us to enjoy. And then you broke down over an exam and I decided to just have a short trip near Tokyo for you to have fun with."

"Sei…" Furihata chuckled while Akashi gave an embarrassment cough. "Thanks. I think my mind indeed need some vacation but my body is too tired to even go for a long faraway trip."

"Thought so. I hope you've enjoying yourself over there."

"Yes, with you." Furihata put his hand on Akashi's lap, giving him a simple gratitude.

Akashi wrapped his fingers around his hands and giving a light squeeze. "Of course with me and no one else." Akashi leaned forward and captured Kouki's lips with his own, kissing him tenderly while his hand ruffled his chocolate hair. Opening his eyes to look his beloved bathed by the sun reflected behind him Akashi's lips turned into a smile. He pulled him into a bear hug and patted his back, feeling content that Kouki was within his hold.

TBC

Next chp preview just so you know I'm not dropping this fic xD
Furihata's finger wrapped itself around Akashi's hair, his other hand covering his burning face. "Mmh!"

Yea… only that… 8D /escape