AYO, UPDATE! I'm sorry for the wait :)
Thank you all so much for the support, I really couldn't believe that there was still someone who cared about this story. I'm not abandoning this story. Love you all :)
This takes place after the school festival where the E-class improvises and uses the mountain's resources to open a restaurant, which becomes a huge success.
Asano would never admit it, but he was starting to respect the E class.
Yes, he still hated the thought of being in the same room with them. Yes, he still couldn't get rid of his tendency to feel repulsed by them. But was that really him in the first place? Or was it the ideology his father taught him?
He glared at the results of the school festival for five minutes straight, thinking about this and this only.
1. place Jr. High 3-A
2. place High 3-A
3. place Jr. High 3-E
He, not even in his wildest dreams, would have never imagined that the E class would be this successful. They literally had no support from the school, sponsors or anyone for that matter when they started up. They didn't even have a budget. The placement of their classroom was ridiculously inconvenient and yet they managed to attract a crazy number of customers.
After seeing their capabilities in the pole-topping competition, he expected they would find a way to adapt.
But to this point?
No.
Not even his class would have been able to think of something that innovative and genius. Let alone execute it.
And that's what made him think again.
Why did he hate the E class?
Was it because of their grades? But those have improved significantly. He even suspected that some individuals were even more useful and smarter than a majority of students in other, "better" classes.
Not even their behavior could be criticized. There was that incident with Isogai and his part-time job and of course, Karma and his violent tendencies - but honestly? Both of them were doing it for good reasons. Isogai needed the money to take care of his family. Karma never got into a fight unless it was to protect someone else.
And that's what the E-class always did. They protected and took care of their own. That itself was a truly strange concept to Asano. He has always been taught that caring was a weakness. He has been taught to trust himself only and to use others in order to benefit. He followed the chairman's footsteps, learning quick, making connections when needed, using them yet keeping a distance. It was what he saw every day - an absurdly tenacious and cold man standing high, wearing smiles like masks, none of them real but all of them convincing. He saw a man who could wrap anyone around his finger, make them dance round and round while they believed it was their own idea. He saw a man with no friends, only minions, and enemies because he allowed no weaknesses and no failures.
That was the person he was taught by and told to become. Or rather, what he was made to become.
And he tried. He always tried so hard to be like that despite knowing that it wasn't possible. Because he wasn't emotionless like his father. Because at the end of the day, no matter how many competitions he won, no matter how many people he looked down on in disdain, there was still that one person with a special place in his heart. And no matter how old he was, he still remembered the innocent, adorable golden eyes of his baby brother that looked at him so tenderly, looking for guidance, for love when there was no family, no parents, just the two of them.
He could never deny it to him. Not then, not now, not ever, it seems.
"The E class sure is persistent," Ren, suddenly appearing on the boy's right side, stated, pulling him away from his thoughts. His tone lacked the usual annoyance, sounding concerned more than anything else.
"Don't you think they're kind of... catching up?" Seo laughed and Gakushuu I didn't know him, he'd dare say he did so out of nervosity.
"We still won though," the brunette brushed it off. Then he looked at his genius friend, putting a hand on his shoulder as if to assure him, "and as long as it is you, Asano, who leads us, we will always win in the end. Isn't that right?"
The strawberry blonde didn't waste a second to agree though his mind was once again wandering.
Why was Ren suddenly being so supportive? How did he even know that the son of the chairman, the council president, genius, leader - basically the only one who was rightfully and invariably confident in everything he did - that he was now feeling anything but confident?
The hand on his shoulder was still there, the firm hold somehow making Asano feel more grounded.
He never thought about it nor did he ever before care, but now he was starting to realize that maybe, the people he considered minions - they were more than just pawns. That maybe to him, Ren wasn't just an instrument to achieve his goals anymore and that to Ren, Asano was no longer just an untouchable authority.
When did that happen?
More importantly, what were they now, then?
He turned towards the four virtuosos, deciding to find out right away because if he didn't, it wouldn't let him sleep.
"Why do believe in me so much? Is it because of my academic success?" he asked, his voice almost accusatory.
The question took all of them aback, no doubt, but they weren't at a lost for words. Nor did they appear guilty, which surprised the strawberry blonde.
"Because we know you," Ren simply answered, his smile welcoming, "We know you care and that you do your best."
Now it was Asano who didn't know what to say. He definitely didn't expect that.
"Yeah, you are hella smart, genius smart and so awesome in everything. It's no doubt everyone admires you," the other three added.
This, he expected. Praises, compliments - that's what he dealt with every day.
But Ren's response stuck with him because it didn't have anything to do with his grades or with his athletic capabilities. Ren's reason for staying was Asano himself, not his achievements. And that was... that was new.
But what did it mean?
He pondered about it the whole afternoon, even when they were supposed to clean up after the festival and even when they could go home already. Before he could leave though, his fellow classmate stopped him in his tracks.
"Hey, Asano, wanna grab a drink or something?" Ren asked casually despite it being the first time he ever did something like this. Usually, when they hanged out, it was all five of them and as a general rule, only to study.
"Uh," the boy mentally ran through all the tasks that awaited him, weighed down his options and in the end decided that he had to satisfy his curiosity no matter what. It wasn't every day, after all, that someone would ask him to actually hang out - not study or tutor - just out of nowhere.
"Yeah, sure," he offered a smile which might have put the other at ease, "just let me get my bag,"
And they were off in five minutes.
They agreed on the usual coffee shop (the one Asano visited a few days ago). The walk there wasn't awkward, Asano knew how to keep a conversation going after all. Moreover, Ren was naturally gifted when it came to speaking with people. That guy could be talking about pineapples and still make it sound pleasant and interesting. Yet both of them were aware of the invisible barrier, a particular border none of them dared to cross.
It was only when they sat down, waiting for their order to come, that the silence befell on them. Asano didn't try to break it out of politeness in the beginning - Ren looked to be struggling with words for once, glancing up and down insecurely.
"Is there something you want to talk about with me?" the student council president offered a helping hand in the end though, which the other gratefully accepted.
"Yeah," the brunet nodded, slightly relaxing, "it's been on my mind for some time now but I never knew whether to bring it up."
Now that could be interesting. Asano thought about how to reply.
"Why so?" in the end, he asked.
"Because it seemed that I was the only one who thought that way," Ren shrugged.
"What changed?"
"You,"
At this, Asano straightened up, brows slightly furrowed in confusion.
Has he changed? How? Was that... good or bad?
"What do you mean?" the boy did his best to sound nonchalant despite the anticipation burning him inside out.
Once again, Ren took longer than usual to answer.
"It's kind of hard to explain. I guess it's more about your attitude and aura than anything else," he started, obviously out of his comfort zone. After all, this was Asano Gakushuu he was speaking to. More importantly, it was Asano Gakushuu he was trying to speak like a person to. Like one normal person to another, rather than a subordinate to their superior. But at this point, seeing who the strawberry blonde was becoming, Ren wanted to believe that it would be alright.
"You have been our strong, fearless leader since forever. And we - I - never doubted you. In fact, I've always admired you so much, I've always seen you like this... like this role model, someone I wanted to become. And that was, who you were. The perfect, unquestionable yet at the same time distant and untouchable authority, "
"Where are you going with this?" Asano interjected, clearly annoyed. He didn't want to hear this. He didn't want to hear about his perfect self that wasn't even him. At least not completely.
"Sorry. I just... it's not that way anymore. Lately, I felt like I was actually looking you in the eye, although not like we were equals because we obviously aren't equals, but like... like you stopped being the stone cold picture perfect. It may have something to do with the... losses against the E class," Ren's voice faltered a bit, "but I can't say it's a bad thing. In fact, it feels like you're growing into a- a better person?"
They both stayed quiet for a while, neither daring to even move.
Ren contemplated his next words while Asano's mind was racing, trying to process what he just heard.
A better person? He never heard those words in the same sentence with his name. And besides, how could losing make him a better person?
Before he had the chance to figure out what to think of it, Ren finally found the courage to get to the point.
Chin high, eyes warm and hopeful, he started: "I always thought I could only be your follower, someone at your disposal. A pawn. And I was fine with it. I-I really was. But now - it might be bold of me to say - now I believe I could actually become your friend," he declared, "someone who stands beside you... and I'm not the only one."
Anything - and it wasn't much - that Asano had prepared to say at that moment got stuck in his throat. Everything suddenly fell into place.
His thoughts earlier that day, what Ren just told him - it started making sense. And it filled his chest with something unimaginable, something warm and strange, almost like fondness, almost the same like what he felt when he could be a brother to Karma.
A weakness, he could already hear the chairman saying.
Friends, feelings, they are all just weaknesses.
He could hear his father disapproving, see his cruel gaze, feel the distaste. He was, after all, giving in to the very same thing he has always been forced to avoid, to shun, to hate. Sympathy. Affection. But he didn't want to do that anymore.
Ren was right. So was Kevin, the American exchange student. Losing did change him. Losing made him change his attitude, see the faults in his doing, it pushed him down from that high horse and helped him realize that no matter how strong he was, he couldn't do everything alone.
It let him see that his father's teaching wasn't who he was. And that he didn't want to be defined by it.
From now on, he wanted to be his own person and carve out his own path.
"Thank you, Ren," Asano finally acknowledged his minio- friend, giving him the most sincere smile, "I- I guess I understand what you're saying,"
The latter nodded, glad.
"And I'd like that. Be friends, I mean. Honestly never thought I could have that," he confessed.
"Yeah, figures," the brunet laughed. Then, something different glinted in his eyes - playfulness? - and he said: "So what about we go and give the staff hell, friend? Because it has been 20 minutes and we still don't have our coffees,"
Asano just rolled his eyes in amusement. Neither of them really cared about the order by now and it wasn't like Ren was the type to harass the poor people who worked their butts off.
"You just want to flirt with the girl behind the counter, don't you?" he came to the conclusion.
"But she's hot!"
The chairman was working late that day so Asano decided to pay his little brother a visit (and anyway, that idiot texted him to come over twice already, something about some really good food he snatched or so). He overcame the paranoia in favour of... doing something he believed was right.
"About time! The noodles are gonna get cold!" the redhead exclaimed dramatically when Asano finally arrived.
The older boy couldn't help but grin, already catching the smell of the said meal. It did, indeed, smell good.
They both sat down and Asano noticed there were actually two bowls - one for him and one for Karma.
"You haven't eaten yet?" he asked, puzzled, "It's seven already,"
"Yeah, I was waiting for you," the redhead answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"You know I could have just not come," he stated plainly.
"You wouldn't do that,"
"I totally would,"
"Then you're an asshole," Karma pouted, already digging into his meal "after all the trouble I went through to let you try our class' specialty! You know, I had to trick my teachers and even come earlier in the morning - and you know how I hate waking up early - to get two portions for free without anyone asking nosy questions!"
The strawberry blond widened his eyes in surprise: "This is the food from E class' restaurant?"
"My class' restaurant. And if you refuse to eat it because of that, so help me-"
"I won't," Gakushuu interrupted him right away, voice even. He grabbed his chopsticks and started eating too.
"Good," the latter said, unsure of what to think because, for some reason, his brother was being way too... nice today. No snarky remarks like he expected. No 'everything from E class reeks of failure'. He was just sitting there with a calm expression, looking as though he was actually enjoying the food.
"We might not have won, but I still wanted to show you that even though we the E class, we can actually do pretty well," Karma declared, testing the ground.
"I know" the older one surprisingly admitted, looking him in the eyes. And for once, there was no sarcasm, no pretense behind it.
Almost moved, Karma's voice cracked: "You do?"
"Yes," Gakushuu smiled at the boy's sweet delight. He found it almost poetic that it was only when he defied everything he had been taught by his father, when he let himself be compassionate and tolerant, that he could bring real happiness into his and his brother's life.
"Maybe we could talk more about it?" he offered, hesitant.
Karma recovered from his initial shock and when he understood what Gakushuu was saying, he could feel tears building up.
"Yeah," he chuckled, rubbing his eyes because his brother was accepting him, his brother was finally caring, he finally stopped being so insensitive and arrogant-
"Yeah, we could."
I hope you liked this chapter! :D
I'm all about character development now and I think that Asano deserves it. It seemed right to me that Ren would be part of that arc because he is, even in the actual series, very close to him. Also, his whole life doesn't revolve around his brother and father only.
Anyway, let's just hope everything works out for them hahahaha ;)
