A Liquid Inspiration
Summary: (A re-telling of Classroom of the Elite sparked by a certain conversation between Masterpiece and Professor.)
One day, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka receives a surprising invitation from his father, Ayanokouji Atsuomi, to join him for a drink. It was unusual for Kiyotaka, who normally wouldn't be summoned by his father without a hidden agenda.
That's why even the emotionless Kiyotaka was surprised when his father began to open up about his own experiences with love and relationships.
For the emotionally distant "masterpiece," this conversation is a rare moment of connection with his father, and it sparked a curiosity within him to explore the world of human relationships, to be more specific: romance and intimacy.
It was that spark that pushed Kiyotaka to demand something from his father:
"Father, teach me everything about human relationships."
This then begins a ripple that changes how Ayanokouji Kiyotaka would approach the world in the foreseeable future.
Do check out this fic on Wattpad. It has the same title and content, but we do have illustrations there to increase immersion for the fic. Thanks, and here's the chapter!
Vol 3. Prologue - Tsubaki Yuki's Soliloquy
Memories are an enigma, some more insidious than others. Their traces cling to you, like shadows tailing your every step. They carve an indelible imprint, shaping your existence in ways you can't always comprehend.
The memory of the White Room, the austere world of my childhood, was one such shadow. It was a place that birthed unending trials, yet it was the crucible that honed me, where I met him—Kiyotaka. He was my companion in that strange little world, a beacon of resilience I was inexplicably drawn to.
However, at the tender age of seven, I was abruptly uprooted from this world and thrust into a reality where Kiyotaka was absent. In this strange new realm, my heart grew silent, my spirit listless. There I merely existed, my life devoid of the vibrancy that came with truly living.
I found myself often drifting back to him, my phantom companion, the only silver lining of my memories from the White Room. His absence carved a relentless, gnawing void within me, one that persisted, seemingly immune to the healing balm of time. His presence, although ethereal, permeated my thoughts, dreams, and words, persisting like a specter that refused to fade.
The abrupt separation from him and the harsh severing of our companionship... haunted me persistently.
As such, the memory of Kiyotaka morphed into both my salvation and my curse. It served as a lifeline, keeping me grounded amidst the stormy seas of my life, yet also a chain that kept me anchored to the past. I found myself a mere observer in my own existence, watching years roll by, leaving their traces on everything but my heart.
My heart, after all, was still tethered to the past, forever entwined with the memory of a boy who had long since slipped out of my grasp.
But then, in an unexpected twist of fate, seven years later, our paths crossed once again. He was there, all of a sudden, standing in front of me. The shock of it rattled my feeble mind, and shattered the self-imposed barriers that kept me cocooned from the world. He ignited a spark within me, rekindling the fire that had all but dwindled to ashes. In his presence, I found a sense of belonging, a sense of home I hadn't felt in a very long time.
But our reunion was far from the fairy tale I had often dreamt of. The Kiyotaka I had known in the White Room was no more. In his place stood a stranger, a young man bearing the weight of his past, yet somehow, inexplicably, more human than before. And there I was, grappling with the unfamiliarity of it all, the drastic shift in our dynamics, the person he had become.
While my heart rejoiced at the sight of him, my mind was left wrestling with a painful realization: the Kiyotaka of my memories was not the Kiyotaka of the present. The boy who had been my companion, my shining beacon in the cold confines of the White Room, was now a stranger. Yet, he was a stranger I couldn't help but be drawn to.
Our past bound us, intertwining our lives in ways we couldn't untangle. But it was more than that now. It was his kindness and his newfound compassion that made me see him in a new light. The Kiyotaka who had returned to my life was no longer the detached, mechanical boy I once knew, but a young man grappling with his own humanity, carrying the weight of his past and striving to understand what it meant to truly feel.
His transformation fascinated me, and I found myself captivated by the man he had become. But amidst this fascination, a stark reality dawned on me: while he had moved on, I was still the same. The same Yuki, rooted in the past, shackled by my obsessions, by my dependence on him.
This dependence, which had once been my lifeline, began to morph into something dangerous. It was no longer just about needing him in my life. I found myself gripped by a consuming fear, a fear of losing him once again. This fear drove me to him, tightening my grasp on him, and transforming my dependence into a desperate obsession.
I was happy to have him back, but I was terrified. Terrified of losing him again. So, I did what I knew best. I clung to him, my dependency growing stronger, transforming into an obsessive force that consumed my very existence. Despite everything, I remained the same. The same Yuki, clinging to the past, clinging to Kiyotaka, unable to let go.
This turned worse once we entered Advanced Nurturing High School. There, I felt a surge of protectiveness, of possession that I'd never felt before. My heart pounded in my chest, my gaze lingering on every girl who dared look his way. Each glance, each giggle, each whispered word filled me with a possessiveness I found hard to contain.
My mind rationalized it as protecting what was rightfully mine, even though he never was and perhaps never would be.
And one day, Kiyotaka confronted me about it. His words were like cold water on a hot day, surprising and yet, soothing. He warned me of the path I was treading, of the damage it could cause. The stark reality of his words hit me harder than any physical blow ever could.
The boy from the White Room, now a young man, challenged me to change. To grow. To evolve. But change... change was difficult, like trying to alter the course of a river that had flowed the same way for years. It was then that I realized how different we had become. While he had grown and matured, facing the world with a newfound determination, I was still a child, stuck in my ways and unwilling to move forward.
Change... was it even possible for me? Could I even change after all these years? The questions swirled in my mind, overshadowing every other thought. Yet, despite the turmoil within me, I knew I had to try. I had to break free from the shackles of my past and tread a path of my own. The process was slow, filled with self-doubt and internal struggle. But I had taken my first step towards change.
A couple of months later, I learned something that left me reeling yet filled me with newfound hope. A chance conversation with Chiaki revealed Kiyotaka's feelings. To know that he would choose me over her, was a revelation that filled my heart with joy.
It felt like a validation of my feelings, an unspoken assurance that I held a special place in his heart.
That conversation became a catalyst for my transformation. My possessiveness began to wane, replaced by a confidence I had never felt before. I knew I had a long way to go, but for the first time in a long time, I was ready to move forward. I was ready to evolve, to become a person worthy of standing beside Kiyotaka.
In this process of self-discovery, I have come to grasp a profound truth.
Our memories, our past, though undeniably significant, do not hold absolute sway over us. They do not solely determine who we are or what we can become.
I am more than my past, more than my obsession, more than the shadows that tail my every step.
And in this metamorphosis, I felt a sense of enlightenment washing over me.
Now, Kiyotaka, for me, is no longer a figure from my past to be clung to. He's not a prize to be claimed, not a territory to be guarded. I've finally come to understand that he belongs not to me, but to himself, with his dreams, his desires, and his aspirations.
Nevertheless, I wanted to stay by his side... I wanted to become his. And so, I realized it was time for me to step up. Not to rescue him, for he needs no saving. Instead, it was time for me to be there for him as an equal, a partner, and an ally who stands by his side, as he has always stood by mine.
This time, it's not about having him.
It's about loving him. Truly, selflessly, loving him.
And that, perhaps, was the greatest challenge I had experienced so far.
End of Chapter
A/N: Hopefully, that sets the mood for another arc that intertwines with the upcoming Deserted Island Special Test.
(It should be obvious what it is by now...)