Friday, April 16th
For Morgana, the first waking moments of his day were the best. They gave him a fresh slate, a nice reprieve from everything. Serenity and peace.
Then it would all disappear within a second.
Quickly replaced with anxiety and worry.
Morgana wasn't like his brother, no matter how much he tried.
He never would be, and the separation between them came in the form of management of fear.
Akira was reckless, fearless, and protective.
Morgana was the opposite of all that. Responsible, fearful, and thoughtful.
And yet, why did Morgana boldly state to Kamoshida that he'd be joining on Friday?
Considering he stayed up all night analyzing why, he couldn't come up with a concrete answer.
Maybe what he told Akira was the truth.
Maybe he was being resentful and lashing out, this becoming a surrogate way for him to prove that he wasn't weak in Akira's eyes.
Maybe he was overthinking, and simply he was an idiot.
That's probably it.
He did know one thing for sure, he didn't need Akira nor Ryuji.
This was his responsibility that he brought upon himself, and he would see it until the end.
He was planning on leaving early again, but it seemed that would be impossible as he couldn't find his trombone mouthpiece.
Unlike Akira, Morgana brought his mouthpiece just in case. As a little pastime if he ever did decide to buy a trombone from a second-hand shop. Though he needed it much sooner than he thought he would, and that was the entire reason why he couldn't find it.
The second he got to Tokyo, he threw it somewhere lazily.
A choice he was annoyingly regretting.
Shuffling and throwing everything around his room, a groan came from his mouth as he heard knocks.
Akira stood in the doorway, a piece of toast hanging from his mouth. Clearly, he was still tired and only up because of worry.
Of course.
Taking a bite of the toast, he spoke first, "You good in here?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just can't find my mouthpiece..." He searched through more clothes in his drawer.
A chuckle came from Akira's mouth, "Did you check underneath your bed?"
Feeling like an idiot, he drooped his head, "Why didn't I think of that..."
"You always overthink, baby brother."
Morgana shoved his hand underneath his bed whilst turning his head at Akira, grabbing his mouthpiece, "So what? You do it too!"
Akira turned around and returned to his room, "That is true, but you're worse."
Morgana grabbed his bag and plopped the mouthpiece in as he walked into Akira's room, "Hey."
His brother was laying on his stomach, his eyes closed as he seemingly attempted to get some more sleep. Even if he had a piece of toast in his hand, "Hm?"
"You know I'll be okay, right?"
"It isn't a matter of you being alright on the first day, I'm not worried about that...it's a matter of you being there consecutively."
"I have to be there consistently. I have to get him weak enough to slip up. Then, when he does...I'll catch him."
Akira propped up on his bed, pointing his finger at Morgana, "And that's another thing, stop acting as if we're not supposed to help you. This isn't a one-man job, so stop acting as if it is."
He held his tongue.
"For this part? It is. Just...don't do anything stupid, you two. I can tell you're both perfect fits for each other in that department."
Annoyance flashed on Akira's face but quickly dissipated, "Whatever. Just—"
"Stay safe. I know, I know," and with that, their conversation ended.
By the time Morgana got to Shujin, it seemed he was the first there. Which was strange and foreign. He wasn't fully acquainted with Shujin yet, which made the feeling of aberration even creepier.
Though the loneliness was quickly swamped the second he stepped foot on the third floor by the terrifying sight of one Makoto Niijima exiting the student council room.
Akira hadn't relayed what resulted from their conversation, each time Morgana tried, it only caused a smirk to form on his face.
Morgana muttered a silent prayer as he hoped she wouldn't notice him, but that quickly failed as she turned her head.
Aw crap.
"Niijima-senpai...hi."
She strolled up, her demeanor being more irritated than usual, "Kurusu-kun. Good morning."
Morgana became a bit uncomfortable as Makoto glared at him, her glance was seemingly becoming more and more twisted with annoyance the more she lingered.
"Niijima-sen-"
"Anyone ever says you two look alike?"
"Me and Akira? No?"
"That look in your eyes is just like his. But besides that, mind coming with me to the council room?"
Morgana tightened his jaw, reluctantly nodding, "S-sure Niijima-senpai."
"Great. This won't take that long."
I hope to God it doesn't.
Mirroring his brother, Morgana sat opposing Makoto. Though, he didn't share his brother's resistance to her glare.
"So, since Akira didn't want to cooperate yesterday...I have a simple question for you."
"Uh...whatever Akira didn't tell you...I can't divulge...that's his information and uh—"
"Why did your brother really leave Kyoto?"
Visibly, Morgana choked, "W-wait what?"
"Why did he leave Kyoto? From the way he's been conducting himself since he came here...and yesterday, that's not the typical behavior of a delinquent. Someone of his...nature should be in league with Kamoshida. Both in skill, albeit from what I've heard, and personality."
What?
Aggression tacked onto his voice, "Niijima-sensei, I don't know how you came to that conclusion, but my brother is not anything remotely like Kamoshida."
"Really? Even when your brother is like a snake? Always able to sneak out of situations? Twisting things to work for him? I wouldn't be surprised if he gained some information from our conversation yesterday."
"Niij-"
"Keeping that in mind...why is your brother seemingly against Kamoshida? Why did he sneak into his office? Because he thinks he leaked his record? To get revenge? I don't want his web of...misfortune to suffocate you, Morgana. I can already tell that happened once with what actually happened at Kyoto. I only want what-"
Morgana shot from his chair, his anger contorting his face for once, "What the HELL do you know about my brother!? Don't give me that bullshit about wanting what's best for me! If that was the case, you wouldn't be sitting side by side with Kamoshida and trying to pry information from any of us!"
Makoto hadn't expected this, "W-wait, Kurusu-kun—"
Morgana stared back at her, her vicious glare dissolving from his rare rage that he kept deep inside his grey eyes, "If you're going to tell Kamoshida about whatever you think happened in that office, go head. It doesn't matter in the long run."
Then he rushed out, leaving Makoto with a knocked-over chair and a new point of information. Though, she hadn't planned that.
A sigh came from her mouth, "Well...at least I know which buttons not to press with him. He's much easier to read like a book than his brother. Though, I thought he would give in...guess he doesn't resent his brother as I thought from Monday. Or maybe it's a mixture..."
Makoto stood up, placing the fallen chair upwards as she muttered, "I guess I know what that's like...and I'm not buddy-buddy with him..."
Morgana, for the rest of the school day, annoyingly cringed in his head each time he replayed the conversation over and over again. He hated getting angry. He hated the fact she brought him to that point. He simply hated being reckless without critical thought. Though, it seemed that hatred for recklessness was dissolving since it was his second time.
I don't know how Akira does it.
I doubt he does either.
In the last period of the day, Morgana kept dreading the eventuality of his first day. Something that was outwardly visible to the student sitting behind him, a quiet boy he met on his first day, Shinya Oda.
Admittedly, in any other situation, they wouldn't have even talked, but Shinya spoke to him first. Asking him general questions and eventually giving him his contact information. He kept bothering him once he got home after the first day by sending him memes and even information on Shujin's teachers, with their habits and weaknesses as if they were video game characters.
SHINYA ODA: Hey, you okay?
MORGANA: Totally, just a bit shot with my nerves.
SHINYA ODA: y?
MORGANA: It's nothing really, I promise.
SHINYA ODA: You sure? You don't have to tell me, but I'm here if you want to.
Morgana contemplated it before he tapped away at his screen.
MORGANA: Well, I'm joining the band today. Just a bit nervous is all.
SHINYA ODA: The band? Oof...good luck. I couldn't do that, I'd puke being in front of all those people...
SHINYA ODA: Much rather stay at the arcade and smoke some dumbasses who think they can stand up to 'The King'!
God, he's weird.
MORGANA: Lol. But, I have something to do, so I have to join. No way out of it.
SHINYA ODA: Well, I wish you luck.
The bell rang, and Shinya quickly left as Morgana sat at his desk for a few moments. His eyes had a vacant stare, something that the girl sitting in front of him noticed pretty quickly as she hopped up. She leaned down, waving her hand in front of his eyes. As expected, he returned from the stupor of his mind, "O-oh, hello?"
The girl smiled, seemingly charmed by his stutter, "Hi...you're Kurusu-san correct?"
"...yeah? I'm sorry, who are you?"
"Oh, I'm Kasumi Yoshizawa. Nice to meet you, I just couldn't help but notice the look you had."
Morgana nervously chuckled as he scratched the back of his head, his brother's resistance to charm was seemingly rubbing off on him, "Right...sorry. Just lost in my thoughts there."
Kasumi sat back in her desk, getting comfortable, "About?"
"Everyone keeps asking me that...it's nothing really. Just that I'm about to start a commitment to something, and it's my first time."
"Your...first time? Forgive me, but...I don't think that's—"
Morgana quickly blushed as he waved his hands in front of him in a flurry, "N-no! Not that—"
Kasumi started to laugh, "I know, I'm just joking with you. But...whatever this is...just keep a level head! You got this Kurusu-kun! Don't back down just because you're scared, okay?"
Morgana, for some reason, couldn't pull himself away from her gaze.
It was truly lovely.
"Pretty..."
"What?" She started to blush as she barely caught what he said.
"N-nothing." Quickly, Morgana glanced at his phone as he got a text from Ryuji asking to meet on the rooftop really quickly, "Damn it. Yoshizawa-san I'm sorry, but I have to go. Let's...talk again sometime, okay?"
"Sure!"
Surprisingly, the talk with Kasumi filled Morgana with a deep sense of optimism. That he could actually do this, and he really didn't need his brother.
That was all he needed.
Ryuji and Akira were already on the roof, as expected, once Morgana stepped through the door.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Nothin' much, only reason we're here is because of Akira. He wants to check up on you."
"Great..."
Akira sighed, "Yeah, yeah I get the annoyance, little brother. Now, so far today...has anything happened? Kamoshida? Any band members? Hell, even Niijima-senpai?"
Oh no.
Should I tell him?
If I do, he might go do something stupid...
"Nope."
"And you're sure about that?"
Morgana nonchalantly waved a hand, "One hundred percent."
"Hm...okay. Now...you remember what we spoke about in the morning, okay?"
"Of course. I'm not gonna do anything stupid. Analytical and careful moves are my entire goal."
A deep reverberating sigh came from Akira, seemingly freeing him of some weight, "I hope so. Go. We'll be in the area. Text us if you need anything."
"I hear you."
I got this.
Stepping outside of Shujin and walking towards the bandroom, little dread still filled Morgana. Though it quickly dissipated once he thought of Kasumi's advice.
Which...quickly turned into him thinking about her eyes. Then her eyes led to her smile.
Morgana took a deep breath as a genuine smile formed on his face.
I wonder if she has a boyfriend?
"Uh, hello!"
Jerking out of his romance-infused trance, Morgana gazed around to meet eyes with Shiho Suzui, "Hello?"
"Are you new?" Her voice carried a sweet and worrying tone, despite the wear and tear clear on her face. It was something that made Morgana both feel at home while making him feel bad somehow for being there.
"Yeah, my name is—"
"Kurusu-kun, correct? I met your brother the other day...you two don't look that much alike, besides the eyes."
"Oh, so you're Suzui-senpai? Akira mentioned you. And yeah, people don't usually say we look alike."
A wry smile formed on her face, "He's mentioned me, huh? Well, he could try to talk to little old me again...though I guess I get it since he's running around Shujin with Sakamoto-san." Suzui took a deep breath, looking forward at the bandroom as the grip on her bag tightened, "So, what brings you here?"
Morgana noticed the heightened tension as he stuttered, "R-right, I'm here to join."
A confused expression formed as she tilted her head, "You are? Would Kurusu-san even be okay—"
"I don't need his permission to join, thank you very much."
Shiho faltered as she backed off, "I'm sorry, it's not my place."
Morgana relented, cursing himself for being an asshole, "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. But...Akira is okay with it. At least for now."
As more and more students started to pile into the bandroom, Shiho sighed as their time was starting to run out. She turned towards him, a warming grin on her face, "If you need anything, just ask me, okay?"
Another woman to satiate my nerves.
"Of course, Suzui-senpai. Thank you."
She gave him an endearing nod as the two of them entered the bandroom, which shared its oval-like structure with the gymnasium.
The entrance revealed a large typical bandroom, with numerous stands and chairs scattered across the floor, sheet music, and folders lining each one.
On the side of the building were the lockers for instrument cases, each section of instruments was labeled. From clarinets, flutes, saxophones, trumpets, it kept going on and on.
Opposite of the entrance laid two doors, one on the left leading to Kamoshida's actual office, and the one on the right leading towards the unknown rooms that were hidden from Morgana.
Man, let's get this over with.
Morgana detached himself from Shiho and weaved through the crowd, ignoring the stares and mumbles of people.
By the time he stepped into Kamoshida's office, there were two boys inside. Yuuki Mishima, who kept his signature defeated look, and another boy who was seemingly Morgana's senior. His brown hair was styled into a bowl cut and his glasses hid his eyes away.
Mishima eyed Morgana and a sense of dread filled the kid, which confused the younger Kurusu.
Okay...what a weirdo.
Mishima shuffled out of the office as Kamoshida turned around in his chair, finally noticing Morgana's presence with gave him a cheeky grin.
"Shigeo, do you mind?"
Shigeo nodded and bowed, giving Morgana an empty smile as he passed.
"Close the door behind you, will you Kurusu-kun?"
The closing of the door seemingly muted the noises of the crowd outside, giving Kamoshida a much-needed reprieve.
Morgana glanced around, finally getting a sense of the office. From the little he saw from yesterday, this office wasn't that much dissimilar from the faculty one. It was still as messy and littered with instruments, although it was noticeably smaller.
There's a joke in there, somewhere.
Akira would probably find it...
Morgana was snapped from his thoughts as Kamoshida's sickening voice reverberated, "So, how are you feeling today?"
Besides snapping on the Student Council President? Oh, I'm completely and totally fine! I'm doing an infiltration of a band that's curated by you and attempting to bring you down!
"Fine. Just...a little rusty is all."
Kamoshida lurched from his chair, placing a hand on the young trombonist's shoulder, "That's alright. We'll get that rustiness out of you soon...but...you did bring a mouthpiece, right?"
Morgana dug in his bag and quickly felt it, brandishing his golden mouthpiece in front of the director.
Even if he hadn't touched a trombone nor played in over a month, he still loved the gleam the gold mouthpiece gave. It still made him giddy with subtle joy.
"Nice. Now, why don't we introduce you to the trombones?"
"That would be great!"
And a rather quick way to fit into the 'normal' here.
Morgana followed behind Kamoshida as he guided him to the trombone lockers, spotting a group of fifteen trombone players. Which, even he had to admit, put a smile on his face.
Kamoshida spoke, "Morgana Kurusu, this is Daisuke Hirata. He's the trombone section leader."
Daisuke was a rather chubby boy, his bulky glasses and messy chestnut hair taking up most of his face, bar for his gleaming smile.
He jerked his hand out, meeting eyes with Morgana, "Hi!"
Awkwardly, Morgana smiled back and shook his hand, "Hi..."
Kamoshida's voice cut through the awkwardness and he placed his hands on the two boys' shoulders, "I truly do expect great work from you two. Now, we'll start off with sectionals for an hour, and afterwards I'll pass out new music. Have fun."
With the swiftness, he disappeared and left the two trombonists to their own devices.
Morgana took a page from his brother's book and rubbed the back of his neck, "So...what's the game pla—"
"Why are you here?" All the joy and sincerity in Daisuke's face drained, leaving only a cold and harsh glare.
"Uh...what?"
"You heard me, why are you here? I'm just curious. Aren't you from Kyoto? I mean...I know why you're here, thanks to that brother of yours."
"Right..."
"Was it actually sexual assault or just physical? I've heard a mix of both. Your brother doesn't look the type...so, I must admit, I'm intrigued."
"That's none of your business, Daisuke."
Daisuke backed up jokingly, putting his hands up in defense, "Woah, woah...calm down there. I get it. Don't wanna give up the blood who probably ruined your future, right?" A sickening smile formed on his face, "But...as long as you're in this section, you will call me Hirata-sama."
"Wh-"
"And no questions."
Morgana's face contorted in a mixture of disgust and confusion.
This guy is a goddamn nutcase, what the hell?
"Now, I think it's time we got to exceeding Kamoshida-sama's wishes."
Oh my god, I'm in a cult.
Morgana Kurusu's first session with the Marching Buccaneers did not go as planned at all.
He was extremely rusty and horribly tired. His lips were shot within the first fifteen minutes of playing and no matter how much he tried to recover them, they would constantly fail him.
Things only got worse from there when Kamoshida forced them into the gym to run a horrible number of laps.
Morgana was limped over the water fountain, his poor lungs begging for water when he heard a voice behind him, "Can you hurry up?"
"..urah..." A breathless moan came from his mouth as he turned around to meet Ann Takamaki.
Oh shit—
"T-Takamaki-senpai! Uh—sure, yeah I'll move!"
Ann looked at him with a curiousness in her eyes, wondering where he got that energy from and why he was so willing to move, "Thanks...do...I know you? Something about you is really familiar..."
Oh, course she doesn't remember the first-year oogling at her!
'Hi, I'm Morgana Kurusu and I have a crush on you because I saw you after you slapped the dog shit out of my older brother!'
No...
"Uh—"
Shiho's voice came up right beside Morgana, "He's Morgana Kurusu. You know, the brother of the boy you slapped?"
SHIHO, WHY?!
Ann, who had taken a sip from the water fountain, choked violently the second her eyes widened.
Shiho chuckled as she patted her back, "Sorry."
Weakly, Ann spoke as she straightened herself up, gazing at Morgana "It's fine...and you're his brother..."
Morgana meekly scratched his head, "Yeah..."
Ann's face took on a position of pity and regret, but before she could say anything, Kamoshida strolled up.
"Ah, I see you're already getting off to a good start, Kurusu-kun."
A nervous chuckle rose from him, "I wouldn't say that Kamoshida-sensei."
Kamoshida cleared his throat, "Takamaki-chan, would you mind stopping by my office after practice?"
Ann's face faltered, only momentarily, which Morgana caught onto.
Hm?
Almost too quickly, Shiho spoke up, "S-she can't! She...has something to do with her mother today!"
Morgana tilted his head, a bit confused as Kamoshida's face faintly morphed into anger. Though, that quickly faded.
"That's completely fine. I didn't know your parents came back into town, Takamaki-chan."
Ann swallowed heavily, picking up the conversation, "Yeah, they just came back yesterday night, I was pretty confused also."
A little chuckle came from his mouth as he nodded, "Our discussion can happen later." Kamoshida turned around and echoed his voice throughout the gym, "Practice is officially over everyone! You are cleared to go home!"
Morgana, who was still weathered, breathed a silent prayer as he turned to walk out of the building.
That relief quickly went away as he saw 'Hirata-sama' scurry over to him.
Why is my luck so shit.
Am I turning into brother more and more?
"Kurusu-kun, where do you think you're going?"
"I'm...leaving? Where else would I go?"
"Did I say you could leave?"
OH COME ON!
"Dais—"
"ERR! Wrong name!"
Morgana took a deep breath as he truly began to contemplate his entire existence.
Why did the tiles of fate line up to give me a shit day like this...
On God, someone PLEASE help me.
As if she was reading his mind, Shiho once again came to his rescue. She cleared her throat as she positioned herself between the two men, "Daisuke-san, don't you think Kurusu-kun deserves a little break for his first day?"
A cocky grin formed on his face upon seeing Suzui, "I don't really think this is your place, Shiho-san."
"I'm the Vice-President of the band council, aren't I? And you are?"
Daisuke dropped his head as if his confidence was obliterated by a meteor, he began to grumble under his breath, "And I'm just the secretary..."
"Right. Now...can Kurusu-kun leave for the day?"
A reluctant nod came from him as Morgana silently pumped his fist into the air.
LET'S 'EFFIN GO!
Ew.
Yeah, I'm not doing that anymore.
Shiho whirled around and gave Morgana an honest smile, one that made him feel warm inside, "Now, you should be going to your locker and getting ready for the trains."
"Right."
Everything happened in a blur, and before he knew it, Morgana was on a train towards Shibuya with Shiho and Ann.
All he remembered was Ann reluctantly asking him, per Shiho's advice, to hang out with him after practice. She mentioned something about a diner in Shibuya that she and Shiho would regularly frequent.
Idiotically, Morgana quickly agreed.
In all honesty, he knew the only reason she even asked was that she felt guilty slapping her brother. Which he found both admirable and annoying. He didn't want her pity but grabbing some food with two pretty girls? That was something he admittedly wanted, even if he subconsciously wanted it to be Kasumi instead.
Dude, we JUST met Kasumi fully today, what the hell?
Yada, yada...she's still cute.
God, what's wrong with us! Stop thinking about her, Takamaki-senpai is right there!
Oh, shut up you damn horn-god. You see a blonde girl and suddenly you 'Return to Monke'
A deep sigh flew from his mouth as he passed a glance to Ann, who was sitting next to him. Actually, both of the girls were sitting on each side of him. For some reason, it made him feel a bit nervous.
"S-so, Takamaki-san, what happened to the thing you had to do with your mother? I thought—"
Shiho, once again, quickly spoke up, "That was a little lie. Kamoshida...drags on with his discussions, and sometimes makes us miss our trains. And Ann's been tired lately, so..."
Discussions huh? Suzui-senpai's only being really nice because of Akira and his subsequent slap right?
Hm...I need to get close to Takamaki-senpai. Maybe she can tell me more about these discussions then? Suzui-senpai wouldn't divulge that information, I think. Plus...why wouldn't I want to get closer to her either way?
"I see, I see. So, you're the VP? How's that?"
Shiho's expression dimmed a bit, "It's...not all that, just a bunch of busywork."
"I'd assume Ann is the President then?"
Ann perked up, "No? Why would you assume that?"
Because Kamoshida clearly has some sort of control over you two to an extent? Why wouldn't he let you two be in the upper echelon of the band?
"Because...you two are best friends? I'd assume you'd at least be a duo in everything, right?"
Her posture eased, "O-oh. No, I'm not. All that pressure of being in a position of power isn't really my type of thing."
"Then who is?"
"That would be Mishima-san."
Isn't Mishima that meek little second-year Akira mentioned might be a loser? Really?
"Oh, the percussion player who was being targeted by Kamoshida a lot today?"
"Yup, that's him. Don't ask how he got it, Shiho and I have been wondering that for a while."
Huh.
Before Morgana could continue with getting any sort of information, the train came to a grinding stop. Signifying that their ride was complete.
Mindlessly following the girls, Morgana got a text from Akira.
KURUSU 1.0: Hey, I just wanted to see how you were doing? Isn't practice supposed to be over?
MORGANA: Yup, but I'm being dragged to a diner out of pity.
KURUSU 1.0: Let me guess, Suzui-san?
MORGANA: Yup, completed with Takamaki-senpai too.
KURUSU 1.0: Holy shit that's good! You know the drill!
MORGANA: So...where are you? Home?
Akira took a few seconds to reply, the dots signifying him typing soon disappeared, much to Morgana's confusion. Then, a photo went through.
Akira and Ryuji were in a boat on a lake. It looked as if Ryuji was having the time of his life, seemingly rowing at a pace akin to a crackhead. It was easy to see that Akira, on the other hand, was struggling with being on the water.
MORGANA: Inokashira Park? Seasickness kicking your ass?
KURUSU 1.0: Bruddah I am fighting demons right now.
MORGANA: My sincerest condolences.
KURUSU 1.0: I hate you so, so much.
Morgana stifled a chuckle as they entered the dinner. It was a moderately sized place, stuffed with multiple booths that were decorated sparingly with brown wooden pillars both supporting and separating each booth along with giving a minute sense of privacy.
A server quickly got to them and gave them the first open booth.
She spoke, sporadically gaining each of their starter drinks. After she left, Morgana spoke first, "So, why bring me here?"
Shiho gave a short laugh, "Isn't that easy to figure out?"
"I'm not a snarky ass like Akira."
At least not out loud.
"O-oh, well, because Ann feels bad about slapping him."
"He could use another one of those, actually."
To his surprise, Ann and Shiho both laughed. Though, they both quickly stifled them.
"Trust me, he'd say the same thing. It's fine." The server came back quickly, placing down their drinks. Morgana quickly latched onto his coffee and took a sip, "But, I appreciate the sentiment. Though...why not just talk to Akira himself?"
Ann parted her lips from her boba tea, "Well to be fair...he's a delinquent right...?
Right...Why do I keep forgetting about that?
Shiho stared at Mona for a few seconds, "Though...that's not true, is it?"
Why of course, the part about my brother fighting 500 delinquents with nothing but a bandana and a mechanical pencil is a lie!
"I...can't say. It's a long story. Honestly, I doubt you'd believe me."
"Hm...maybe Ann should just sit down with him either way, to organize their issue!"
Oh hell no, that sounds like a disaster.
"No!" The little outburst of a scream startled everyone in the diner, especially Shiho and Ann, "Uh—no, I mean...Akira is busy most of the time after school, so I don't really think he'd be okay with it."
"Hm...maybe I can just get his number and text him instead?"
"Akira doesn't like people randomly texting him or having his number."
Surprisingly that's true. Even if they're beautiful women.
"Jeez...your brother doesn't like people, does he?"
"Yup."
Shiho placed down her emptied cup of water, focusing on Morgana again as she gave another heart-warming smile, "So, how was your first day?"
"Besides the nut-job known as 'Hirata-sama'?"
"Yes, besides the chronic pain known as Daisuke."
"Well...my playing was shit. I'm not what I used to be, at all."
"Crappy playing? No way! I heard you, your tone quality was pretty nice!"
Mona waved a dismissive hand, "Nah Suzui-senpai, it's not what it used to be at all. My tone was darker...my ability to play complex runs was easier. All of that? Gone. Hell, even my range is gone."
Ann gave him a look of sympathy as Shiho piped in, "First off, just call me Shiho."
"But—"
"It's fine! Honorifics get tiresome after a while. And second, for you to be 'so bad', Daisuke seemingly got pretty annoyed at your abilities."
"Huh?"
"Why do you think he kept doubling up with you on parts? And tried to outrun you on the laps? If I noticed it from afar, there's no way you could've missed it. You're something special, Morgana."
A faint chuckle formed on his lips, "I see...and you can call me Mona, Shiho." A cough soon came after, with him whispering under his lips, "That also goes for you too, Takamaki-senpai."
Acknowledging what he said, Ann gave him a nod.
"Thank you, Shiho, I feel a bit better about myself."
"That's good, but you shouldn't need me to do that! Feel confident in yourself, you deserve to feel proud of yourself."
For the first time in a while, a sincere smile formed on his face, "Right...but can either one of you tell me why Daisuke calls Kamoshida...sama?"
Both of the girls groaned with much disgust, with Ann speaking, "Ugh...Daisuke's been such a...fanboy for Kamoshida. It's like he idolizes him. I'm not sure why anyone would though."
Oh, ew.
"That's...really—" Morgana's phone started buzzing as he began to speak, a text from Ryuji.
BLOND MONKE: HELP
MORGANA: What?
BLOND MONKE: AKIRA THREW UP ON THE BOAT
MORGANA: LMAOOOO
BLOND MONKE: DONT LAUGH YOU ASSHOLE HE KEEPS PUKIN JUST COME AND EFFIN HELP ME GET HIM ON LAND AND CLEAN THIS SHIT OUT BEFORE I GOTTA PAY FOR IT
MORGANA: Fine, I'll be there in like five minutes tops. Enjoy Akira Kurusu's delicious puke Ryuji!
BLOND MONKE: RAAAGH YOU ASSHOLE
Giddy laughter came from Morgana as he stood up, placing some yen on the table, "Right, I would love to continue this...but I have to go be my brother's keeper."
Suzui groaned first, "Aw man...and here I was enjoying this."
"Next time, Shiho. I promise!"
Shiho gave him a reassuring nod as Ann stopped him, "Morgana? Before you go, can you relay one thing to Akira?"
"What?"
"Stop hanging around Sakamoto. The both of you. It's not going to bring any good."
Confusion visibly formed on his face, something Ann took note of, "Just...don't ask. Take my advice, just this once as your senpai."
Morgana stared at her, his face filled with contemplation. He didn't give her an answer, but his face filled with subtle determination gave her the answer she didn't want.
Mona swiftly exited the diner.
Saturday, April 17th
Akira still felt a bit groggy from the excess puking of the day before.
Of all the times for his seasickness to act terrible, it had to be on a calming lake with his new friend. Pretty shit timing in his eyes and another addition to his counter, which he hadn't updated in a while.
So, considering everything...the counter should be...
Good Luck: 6
Bad Luck: -9
Goddamn it, I thought it would be better.
I should probably count the puking and Mona joining the band. So, -11? Jeez...I suck.
That's...not really new though.
Nah, wait I can give myself seven measly points. Seeing Morgana deal with my puke was hilarious. Same with Ryuji. So, eight? Yeah, I'll give myself eight.
Hm. Not so bad now.
For the first half of the day, Akira enjoyed his downtime. Well, partially. He had gotten to Shujin as early as he could and began asking the kids Morgana had told him about some questions. Daisuke and Shigeo were the main ones, with some stragglers from other sections too. Though, none of them budged. Which he expected.
As he said before, he wasn't going to stress. At least on that end, he would continually apply pressure until they cracked. It was all a matter of patience.
However, he couldn't apply that same patience to Morgana.
The fact he was having his first practice and Akira couldn't watch over him was driving him insane in Inokashira Park. It was probably why he puked, in all honesty besides the whole seasickness.
These things were going to come to a head soon, and Akira shouldn't shake the feeling that he was right.
And right he was.
The lunch bell rang like usual, and before Akira could leave, a hand gripped him.
It was Ann, who looked as if she was nervous to grip his arm.
Oh. Right. Delinquent.
"Uh, hello?"
She fumbled with her words a bit, "Hello..."
"Is there...any particular reason as to why you're holding me? I kinda have something to do, Takamaki-san."
"Seeing Ryuji?"
Ann released his hand and he puzzlingly stared at her, "What...does that have to do with you?"
"Nothing, but...if you keep hanging around Ryuji, something bad is going to happen to you. Your brother too."
Ah...she must've said this to Morgana last night. That's why his energy was off around Ryuji.
"Let me guess, didn't expect Morgana to reject you asking him to stay away from him?"
"It's not even like that, just...Sakamoto-san brings misfortune."
A dry chuckle came from Akira, "Then you could say the exact same for me. I think we balance each other out."
"Or you just bring something worse to the table. And it could hurt Morgana."
Akira clasped his hands together and sighed, "Look, I appreciate the sentiment, but worrying about Morgana Kurusu is the job of a Kurusu. Leave me to be my brother's keeper."
Ann scoffed, "Sounds like a bunch of excuses."
"Ah yes, Ann Takamaki being the morally just one after slapping the shit out of me. Now, if you excuse me, I have something to do, Takamaki-san."
Goddamn it Akira, don't let your nerves make you be an asshole! Especially towards someone we're supposed to help.
Strolling off, Akira heard little whispers from his classmates.
"Was he seriously just talking to Kamoshida's bitch like that? Jeez...he's got balls."
"Oh course, didn't you hear? I heard he had a harem of bitches at his old school!"
Oh my god, how I wish.
"They probably already had sex, disgusting asses."
Woah, that...jumped the shark heavily. Though...no. Stop it, Akira.
Akira started to mindlessly pace through the hallways, vaguely keeping an eye out for Ryuji when he felt his phone vibrate.
RYUJI: Hey, come to the restrooms.
AKIRA: ...okay?
Why the restrooms? The roof shouldn't be locked, should it? Unless Niijima-senpai...
Speaking of which, I wonder why she hasn't tried to follow up on an interview lately. Weird, I thought she was the persevering type.
As Akira finished his next thought, a pair of hands gripped him and yanked him into the restroom. Before he knew it, he was thrown into the wall and slid down to the tile alongside Ryuji.
He gave him a quick gaze, "Hey."
"Yo."
Glancing upward, Akira saw two boys. The first was...Tora. The student council member and the other was a grey-haired boy with short spiky hair. His face was complete with permanently scowling grey eyes, thick sideburns, earrings, and headphones encircling his neck.
He leaned down, and lazily poked his hand out, "Yo, I'm Munehisa Iwai."
Akira flicked his eyes in Ryuji's direction, who clearly wasn't bothered by this situation. Taking that as a sign of goodwill, he sheepishly shook his hand, "I'm Akira Kurusu...hi."
"Nice to meet 'cha."
"So...why did you throw me into the wall?"
"Sorry 'bout that...didn't want 'cha to run out on me."
"And throwing me was somehow bette—"
"Dude, please don't question Iwai. You'll get just a fat headache."
Akira gave his friend an awkward glare, "Sure..."
Tora finally spoke up, "Look, we called the both of you here to tell you some really important information. It's about Kamoshida."
"What?" Confusion came from both of them.
"Yeah, but it's not the kind y'all would like."
"Bullshit, spill it Iwai."
"Stop investigating him."
The faint smile that formed out of anticipation quickly faded from Akira's face, "What?! Why?! Don't tell me he put you up to this—"
"No, and that's exactly why you need to stop. You two are too bold. Too predictable. Too clunky and stupid about it." Tora's gentle nature quickly faded with his serious demeanor, his words kept stabbing away at Akira as he started to contemplate them.
"Then, what the hell else are we supposed to do? Nobody else is doing anythin'! I don't see you two tryin'!"
"Ryuji. I know why this is important to you. I do. But do you really think me and Iwai haven't been trying?"
"...I don't know."
"And you want to know why? Because we're being subtle about it."
Akira shot a rebuttal, "Subtle? Your subtlety has only probably caused more people to get hurt over time since February. And it'll only cause more."
"Really? More people like who...your brother? Is that why you were going around this morning, asking everyone important in the band questions? That type of bold idiotic way is what's gonna result in him getting hurt." Tora took a sigh and crouched, placing a hand on Akira's shoulder, "Look. I get that you want to make sure your brother is fine, so you're rushing. But you two have done something we haven't been able to, have an insider. The band is like an impenetrable castle, and you snuck in a Trojan Horse. But you two...going around willy nilly, is going to destroy that horse. So just...be subtle. Don't ruin it. Kamoshida probably doesn't fully know about you two snooping around just yet, and you should keep it that way."
"Then...why don't we join forces?"
"Nope. Can't do that, at least not yet."
"Why not?"
"Two different ways of operating by two different parties can result in the quicker takedown of an opposing party. Fusing those two efforts can potentially stunt our progress. And besides...we're third-years, you second-years can stay in your lanes."
"Essentially...we keep Morgana on the inside, and stay subtle, while you guys...?"
"We find information on the outside. Kamoshida can't juggle exterior and interior allegations at the same time."
Akira opened his mouth, but Tora cut him off, "Yes, it'll take a while, but it's worth it. Just...be patient. Or at least don't be bumbling idiots."
Akira clenched his jaw, but eventually relented, "Sure."
"Good, now, you two go back to your classes. I don't want to hear a goddamn thing about you two snooping around."
"Yeah, yeah."
As the two third-years departed, Iwai snapped his fingers and pointed to the younger men, "Y'all be easy."
Once they fully left, Akira and Ryuji hoisted themselves up using the counter, quickly washing their hands.
"Well, that was rather swell wasn't it, Ryuji?"
"Shuddup...I didn't know when Iwai texted me, it would be for that. Asshole made me type that message to you."
"Not the first time today I had a talking to."
"Hm?"
"Takamaki-san, she told me to not hang around you anymore. I'm assuming she said the same to Morgana the last night."
"Ah. Lemme guess I bring misfortune?"
"Yup."
"Well...she's not exactly wrong. I'd say I'm just an idiot though, instead of a bad luck charm. But that means to some degree she actually likes Morgana enough to scold him, though."
A huff of air came from Akira, "That isn't the case for me, she just did it as a way of hoping I'd say the same to him."
"Ehh...Nah...Ann usually can read people. Even if that ability...has gotten worse in the last year or so."
Akira started to dry his hands off as he spoke, "Well...subtlety. That's something."
"Pfff, we can be subtle. Right?"
Akira flashed Ryuji a look that gave him an answer he didn't want to face, "Shit."
Soon enough, the lunch bell rang and signified the end of the grace period.
"I'll see you later Ryuji, you be subtle."
"You too, Aki."
"Aki? Ew..."
"Ha, you love it."
Akira grumbled a few things off as Ryuji stood in the vacant restroom, his mind attempting to piece a few things together.
With a bitter taste in his mouth, he came to one conclusion.
We can be subtle.
A/N:
Oh my god, this first section of the chapter bloated into something I wasn't expecting at ALL. If I included everything, this would've been the longest chapter I've ever written, including CTPL lmao. Chapter should be out next week, everyone. Stay safe!