A/N: Happy Monday everyone

I don't own Kodocha or any of its contents.

Chapter 9: Real Talks

This was probably the worst situation she had ever been stuck in. She knew that getting him to speak was going to be difficult. She knew that just because he agreed to this project, it didn't mean he wasn't going to make it easy for her.

But dear lord, Sana thought.

She felt like she was talking to a freakin' wall!

Hayama was walking a long side with her as they made their way to her home. They (in which Akito made it clear they would not go to his house) were making their way to Sana's house and the air was very heavy around them for a cold, winter day.

In the last ten minutes, the auburn haired teen had tried starting a conversation ten different times, to which he just merely scoffed or ignored. To say she wasn't getting irritated would be an understatement.

She was entirely aggravated with him and his lack of participation in these conversations. Sana knew she was a motor mouth. That much was obvious. But, it wouldn't kill the guy to at least make an attempt at joining the conversation.

"You really don't like me, do you?" Sana stopped in her tracks as she looked at him. The blond stopped in his step and looked back at her with his guarded eyes.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" The young Kurata narrowed her eyes as the sarcasm practically came rolling off his lips.

"Well, I'm sorry that you got stuck with such an unfortunate partner, but you agreed." She could hear him groan slightly. "And because you agreed, you have to participate."

"Why the hell did I agree to this…" She could hear him mutter and that frustrated her.

It wasn't like she made him do it!

Sure, she begged and gave him ultimatum that he may or may not could have backed out on. But, she didn't blackmail him or anything!

Sana was starting to think that the side she saw of Hayama back at the park that day was a onetime thing with that crappy attitude he had.

"I really try not to pester or annoy-" she started as she continued walking ahead of him, but was interrupted midway.

"Tch, you don't try hard enough." He responded. This caused Sana to turn around with a mean glare etched on her brows. Her hazel eyes were raging with irritation as they connected.

His dull, golden eyes that were always so guarded to the world seemed almost… bored.

"Are you saying that I'm annoying!?" Her fists were clenched at her side.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying."

Sana gritted her teeth as a vein bulged from the corner of her forehead. The nerve of the damn guy!

"Oh? And you think you're so perfect, don't ya?" She countered, which made him raise a brow.

"So now you're calling me annoying?" His tone of voice increased slightly as the agitation poked at him.

Hayama Akito had never been called annoying. He hardly spoke to even be given that title. If anyone was the annoying one, it was the freakin' alien that was standing right in front of him.

"Yes! You are annoying!" she stood her ground with her glare deeply embedded and her nares flaring while she stared at him with irritation. "You know why you're annoying?"

Oh, this should be good. Hayama thought to himself. "Humor me, Kurata."

"Because you're a jerk! That's why!" The blond rolled his eyes, scoffing at her lame excuse.

"That hardly counts as a-"

"Ah! I'm not finished!" He glared, not appreciating her interrupting him mid-sentence.

"You're annoying because you have this awful sense of pessimism. It annoys me because every time I look at you, I see dark clouds and rain storms. Would it kill you to smile every now and then?" Sana finished, still trailing in front of him as they argued.

"Hate to break it to you sweet heart, but life isn't about sunshine and rainbows. Life is dark and twisted and there's nothing bright about it. That idealistic thinking is just going to lead you to fail." Sana turned around and matched his glare.

She knew that Hayama was a broody teenager with serious family issues, but she had no idea about how pessimistic he really was. He had such a dark out view on life in contrast to hers. Her mother had always taught her to appreciate life, to never take granted to what was given to you. She always made the best of the situations she was given.

But, he was so different.

"Mama always taught me that positivity in life is what keeps us moving. If we have a bright outlook on life, it gives us a purpose, a reason to keep moving." She turned and smiled. "Because even if we don't quite accomplish it yet, we will someday."

He stared at her intently while inwardly groaning.

Forget what might have been raw emotion that day he saw her upset. She really was just a stupid, naïve little girl.

"You've never suffered a day in your life, have you?" She looked almost offended by that question. And he didn't care. "Such idiotic thinking. Life is going to tear you apart, Kurata. It doesn't care about your optimistic views. We're meant to fail. It's in our nature. Tell me how the human civilization has been successful at anything other than having sex and reproducing, bringing more brats to this miserable world?"

"I- You!- I can't believe you!" Sana said as she fisted her hands. What a terrible thing to say! He had taken her words and officially stepped all over them with his nasty comments.

She couldn't believe how morbid and dark this guy was!

"You can't believe that I'm telling you the truth? Or that I'm right? Because that's just how life is. Someone like you just wouldn't understand."

Sana bit down on her lip as they continued walking, thinking of something, anything to say. Who was Hayama to tell her she didn't understand anything? He didn't know a thing about her!

"You're so quick to judge, aren't you Hayama?" stopping in her tracks, Sana turned around to see Hayama looking at her with a blank stare.

Hayama almost went wide eyed with the look embedded in her eyes.

For the first time since her arrival, Akito wasn't able to read those hazel eyes of hers. They were always so easy to see through, so easy to decipher. But in this moment, he couldn't get a proper reading. Her eyes were as blank as his.

What the hell?

When he blinked, that hazy gloss was gone. Instead, there was now irritation and- was that sadness? - in her eyes. The oldest Hayama was perplexed by this sudden development. He didn't know what to make of it.

"Tch, says the one throwing judgment around." He quickly recovered from whatever the hell that was. He could see her narrowing her eyes at him as she crossed her arms in front of her.

"Just really shows how different we are." Mumbling under her breath, Sana turned around and continued forward. Hayama didn't press for more.

This conversation spiraled as soon as it started. Hayama touched a nerve in her that she hadn't felt in years. She couldn't face him right now with the way she was feeling. A familiar street name became visible and Sana sighed in relief.

"My house is up the road on the right." Sana pointed and Hayama's eyes almost fell out of his head.

Her house was huge.

Luckily for him, she was facing away from him and couldn't see the shock on his face. As they grew closer, he gulped, blown away by the sheer massiveness.

He recalled hearing from Buka that Sana's mother was a renowned author, but he didn't know authors were this well off. This was stardom status. He took a look at his surroundings and noticed that the other homes in this area were mimicking the status of hers.

You're so quick to judge, aren't you Hayama?

"We're here." She turned back at him and she smiled. That made him wary as they had just finished arguing.

She opened the gate and he followed closely, observing his surroundings. While the front yard wasn't as big as he had imagined, it was still hefty in size. There was a fountain to his right and a garden to his left. He could see the yard wrap its way around the house as there were was a few trees that were losing its color.

"I don't remember if Mama said she would be home…" she said to herself as she reached for the door. When the door clicked open, a grin reached her lips.

"Ah ha!" She opened the door and waited patiently for him to follow behind her.

She was smiling at him as she held the door open for him. He narrowed his eyes, still confused as to how she just shifted her moods so quickly. Only a few minutes ago was she introverted and quiet; a state he never thought he would see her in.

And now, she was smiling at him like they had been friends their entire life. And they weren't even friends. They were just partners for this stupid project.

"Well are you going to stand there all day or are you going to come in?" Akito scowled as she smirked. Stupid girl and her stupid emotions. He honestly didn't know why he was getting so overworked by her bipolar tendencies.

The moment he stepped inside the house, he welcomed the warmth instantly. With the fall season in full reckoning and the winter approaching quickly, his old injuries began to ache.

Akito never said anything, but there have been moments where his right arm had stiffened and his shoulder felt like it would pop right off. His leg would fall numb and sometimes stiffen to where he couldn't move it properly. The aching in his body made him feel as if he was closing in on his 70's, especially during the winter.

He wondered if his younger sister suffered through the same pain he did. And if she did, Ayame never showed it. Like him, she refused to become a burden for others and succumb to the pain of the accident two years ago. Hell would freeze over before he admitted to needing help.

"You sure do like to space out a lot, don't you?"

Breaking out of his thoughts, Hayama blinked, realizing how close to his face that stupid, idiotic girl was.

Bright and overly brimming with optimism were her hazel eyes. He could see her determination and her fighting spirit. Gone was that blank slate that he had saw earlier.

Akito wondered if she was masking something as well.

Not possible. He immediately thought to himself as he recalled their conversation from earlier. This girl talked rainbows and sunshine. She was a sheltered girl who understood nothing about the hardships. Especially if she grew up in this place.

Speaking of the Kurata residence…

The inside was even more massive than the outside.

"Don't forget to remove your shoes!" She called back to him as she ran inside screaming for her mother.

As she trailed off ahead of him, he took a look around the place. They entered through a narrow hall that lead to an open area that he assumed was the common area. Directly in front of him was a stairwell that lead up the second story of the Kurata household. To his right was an entry way to the kitchen and to his left was the living room, in which Sana was standing in the middle of.

She turned to him and gestured for him to make his way over. Reluctantly, he followed.

The living room was simple. There was a couch and TV set up with a coffee table in the middle of the couches. A few tables set up across the room with pictures and vases sitting on top. The walls were a pasty pink and there were a few pictures hung on the wall. He could still see moving boxes on the floor.

"We haven't finished unpacking yet. We didn't realize how much stuff we brought from Nagoya." She laughed as she rubbed the back of her head. "But, slowly this place is starting to feel like home!"

There was that annoying sense of optimism of hers.

"Anyway! Make yourself at home!" She grinned as she gestured towards the couch.

So he sat while she disappeared in the midst of her home, doing whatever it was that she was doing.

"So how do you want to start this?" she asked, and he shrugged.

"Does it matter?" Sana frowned.

"Well, no. But, I figured, I'd ask."

Akito wouldn't say it, but It was considerate of her to think of his thoughts on it.

"Then let's look at the outline sheet she passed out in class, yeah?" Sana turned to him with questioning eyes.

He nodded and they got to work.

Throughout the outline, there were different bullet points that their sensei had outlined for them. Some ran along the lines of basic questions like: "How long has your partner lived in Tokyo?", "How many siblings do they have?", "How old are they?" "What is their favorite dish?"

Questions that were innocent enough for him to answer. It wasn't until he looked further down that the pace of the questions changed. To say they were more detailed was just an understatement.

"Is there anything your partner is afraid of?"

"What are your partner's deepest regrets?"

"What makes your partner aggravated with life?"

He clicked his tongue, straying his eyes away from the rest. Hayama refused to delve deeper than what they agreed on. Those questions were mere words on paper for him.

"When's your birthday?"

The blonde looked up from the paper in his hand with a blank stare.

"Don't tell me that's too much now?" There was that annoyance in her eyes and he rolled his eyes.

"October 7th."

Sana's eyes went wide in realization. That was coming up within a month's time.

"Are you just turning 16?"

"I'm turning 17." Akito was always older than the rest of his class due to him starting school later than when he was supposed to.

"Oh. So you're older than most people in our class, huh? Explains the maturity versus the other boys." The auburn haired teen mumbled to herself. Even if she didn't play the part, Sana was far more perceptive than what she looked.

I wasn't always, Hayama thought to himself. But, he decided to keep that to himself.

Instead, he shrugged his shoulders and turned his eyes to the room around him.

The few photos that did loiter the walls featured an assortment of people. Photos of her and what he assumed were her mother and grandma were scattered on the scarce pictures. Interesting, he noted. The oldest Hayama failed to see the resemblance in the family. Sure, they share that uncanny smile that was obnoxious to him.

But, Sana failed to share any similar traits to her mother.

"That's my mama!" Turning towards her, Sana was grinning proudly.

"She's a famous author. We moved here from Nagoya so she could get more inspiration for her third novel!" It was obvious Sana was proud of her mom. The glee and sheer happiness that glittered her voice when she spoke was evidence enough.

But something wasn't right.

Hayama scrunched his brows together at this. Why would her mother make her pack up her whole life for a novel?

"So your mom made your leave your home? For the sakes of her own novel?" The idea sounded even worse when said out loud.

Sana didn't take kindly to his statement as she scowled slightly. Akito noticed her sudden change in demeanor.

"Now you sound like Fuka."

He wondered if this was why the two were having conflict earlier in the week. It was unsuffereable really. Between Tsuyoshi's mumblings about their fight and Fuka attempting to vent to him about it, he had decided to ignore the entirety of the subject.

"It just seems… stupid."

Sana's scowl shaped into a glare as a flash of hurt crossed her eyes.

"And who do you think you are to say that, huh? Plenty of kids move around because of their parent's jobs!" Now standing over him, Sana had her hands crossed in front of him with a sharp glare.

Well, she wasn't wrong.

"Mommy, is daddy coming back soon?"

"Is he leaving for a long time again?"

"Let's leave Tokyo and go to America."

"He already left for one year, what's another without him?"

"We're moving to Los Angeles."

Suddenly, Akito's throat went dry as memories from his childhood resurfaced. He could feel the anger building inside him. There was that tightness that lingered, that constriction around his heart. Faint memories from his past that stung.

She was mad, pissed actually. How did this good for nothing jerk have the audacity to even suggest calling her mother selfish? While he didn't say the word, the implication was there! She was ready to knock his lights out if she needed too!

But, his eyes caught her off guard.

Before, there was wall that prevented her from seeing any ounce of emotion. His golden eyes were blank, almost like an endless void of emotions.

Now, she could see them turning dark. The pale gold that lingered were being shrouded in a faint darkness that left Sana stumped.

Was it something she said?

"Hayama?" Lowering her defenses, she noticed he was staring right at her, right through her.

It was like she wasn't even there.

Reaching for his shoulder, there was suddenly a tight grip on her wrist and she flinched.

"Ow!" She tired pulling back, but his hand kept a tight hold on her.

And dammit it hurt!

When Sana's eyes connected with his, she couldn't help how wide her eyes went.

There was an indescribable fury in his golden irises that left her speechless. Never in her short life had she encountered someone with such anger, with such frustration. His eyes were swirling with this disheveled black mess that she just couldn't understand. Hayama didn't peg her as the angry type. Sure, he was reserved and a jerk, but not the type of guy that was filled with anger.

Maybe she was wrong.

All she could wonder now was who or what made his eyes seethe with such rage.

"Well, isn't this quite the scene to come home to, isn't Shimura?"

Sana could feel herself being pushed away as the dead lock grip on her wrist was released and his eyes were hidden in his bangs. On instinct, she rubbed at the hold while looking over her shoulder to see her mother looking at her with a smirk on her lips.

The back of her neck and her cheeks became increasingly warm.

"Mama! You're home!"

Kurata Misako stumbled across a rather intriguing scene, so to say.

Her daughter and this boy were locked in this trance that was far less than romantic. She couldn't see her daughter's face, but she could see the boys clearly.

What a sight, she thought to herself. Eyes like his she had only seen once in her life. His eyes were burning with a dying fire that flickered. Now she didn't know if it was the author in her, but she was itching to write the emotions he released. Eyes like his held such a story.

"And who may this be, my dear daughter?" But Misako already knew.

She asked for the sakes of being the adult. But, the scene was easy to read. This was clearly the boy that her daughter had talked such lengths about. The boy who held a secret that her daughter was attempting to uncover.

"Mama, Hayama Akito." At the sound of his name, said boy stood from his seat and his eyes left the fortress of his bangs.

Gone was that flickering, angry fire. Instead, she was met with a pale, golden wall. Void of emotions, his strong, golden eyes were bare.

"Hayama, this is my mama! Kurata Misako." Her daughter introduced her to the boy and he scowled slightly.

"It's a pleasure, Hayama-san. I've heard much about you." His eyes flickered to her daughters and she sheepishly smiled.

"What? You had to know I was going to tell her about you!" Sana defended and he scoffed.

"Not only are you noisy, but you're also a loud mouth too."

"That's so rude!"

And in the middle of her living room, Sana took out that ridiculous toy hammers of hers and began to swing it at the blond haired teen. Hayama was obviously surprised at the introduction of the toy as he dodged her attacks.

"Where the hell did you get that damn thing?!" He demanded and she smirked.

"None of your business! Now, SIT STILL." Misako watched as her daughter lunged towards the boy.

Hayama moved aside easily, and her daughter went flying into the boxes that were piled near the (thankfully) bare wall. The oldest Kurata could hear a groan coming from the now destroyed boxes.

"Oh dear." Shimura commented as they watched the scene unfold.

"Shimura, will you prepare some tea, please?" Misako turned to their house maid and she nodded, moving towards the kitchen.

"Daughter, please stop your silly tactics and come join me here on the couch." Her eyes shifted towards the young Hayama. "You as well, Hayama-san."

The young boy stared at her with a look of suspicion before taking a seat.

Sana distanced herself from the boy, sitting at the other end of the couch. She gave him a side glance of apprehension, but then turned towards her mother. They could hear Shimura fixing the tea in the kitchen and there was this awkward silence before her mother cleared her throat.

"Hayama-san, it is my understanding that you are collaborating with my daughter in a school project?" The blond haired boy nodded.

"Yes." Was his only reply.

So stoic. An idea came to mind as Misako internalized the young man in front of her.

"Daughter," Sana perched from her seat, "Why don't you go help Shimura with the tea?"

Both Hayama and Sana were left surprised by Misako's sudden request. The two teenagers then turned to one another for a moment before Sana responded.

"Why? Hayama and I have a project to get started on!" The oldest Kurata scowled at her daughter's defiance before sighing.

"Because I, as your mother, have the authority to order you to leave the room if I see fit. Now, go help Shimura with the tea you ungrateful child." The immediate reaction from the teenager was a pout and a frustrated sigh. Mumblings could be heard from the auburn haired girl as she stomped away.

Once Sana left the room, shouting at Shimura she was sent, Misako turned her attention towards the boy in room. Sana wasn't the best in the kitchen and Misako would surely be reprimanded by the house maid after the day ends. But, it was something she would confront later.

"Now then, this should make the conversation less lively, wouldn't you say?" The stoic boy scoffed, crossing his arms. She laughed, amused by his reaction.

Before Misako could respond, the cluttering of dishes and broken glass resonated from the kitchen as Sana's shriek followed directly after. The author could hear Shimura chastising Sana for her lack of handling delicate dishes.

Hayama's direct response was an eye roll.

"No matter where you send her, she is still obnoxiously loud."

"My daughter is not one to keep quiet. She has an overwhelming amount of energy that ceases to diminish." And this had been the truth since Sana was a child.

The blond shook his head. "Obviously something you taught her. She's always preaching about your life lessons."

Her eyes went wide at his response.

Interesting.

"While that may be true, Sana is her own person." He arched a brow. "As her mother, it is my responsibility to prepare for the trails she will face in her life. The words I pass to her are of experience from my life. What Sana chooses to listen to, to absorb, and integrate is her own choice. I offer her the support she may or may not need to help her succeed."

The stoic boy narrowed her eyes and the bleak gold in his eyes began to stir again. But, as quickly as the stirring occurred, the defensive wall he so masterly built took seize. The constant guard in his eyes was impressive, especially that of a 16/17-year-old boy.

"Then you must be giving her the wrong advice because that girl is stupidly naïve. Her awful sense of optimism is going to lead her down a road of hardships. She's going to struggle and fail, and have no idea how to handle the messes she creates."

Intriguing choice of words for a boy his age, Misako thought to herself.

"So you think I'm lacking as a parent? Don't you think that's rather disrespectful of you, mouthing off to a someone who is much older than you?" The author was curious for his reply.

This boy was far too mature for his age. And his eyes were not that of a 16/17-year-old boy. His eyes seemed much older than the ladder.

Misako watched as he glared towards her, uncrossing his arms and fisting them at his sides.

"I think you're failing to teach her the truth about the world. It's cold and it's ugly. Her view that everything is going to be okay is so childish." While bleak his eyes might have been, they were strong. And those strong eyes hardened.

"I don't care if you're an adult. I respect those who respect me. Just because you're an adult, that doesn't assume that I should automatically respect you." He made a fair point, the woman thought to herself. "That's what's wrong with our society. They teach children to fear their adults, for the harassment that follows if they are out of place. Adults think they know everything. It's annoying because they don't."

Misako responded with a small smile, which she could tell the boy was puzzled by. He retreated to himself, crossing his arms again to guard his body. Body language was so important in conversations like this. When Hayama was on the defense, he closed his entire body off, trying to hide any vulnerability.

"I agree."

Hayama was left stumped as Misako unfolded her hands from her lap. Gone was the protective glare. All that was left was his puzzled, apprehensive eyes.

"We as adults think we know the world, and how it works. We think that we know better because you are children and haven't experienced enough in your short lives." She took a pause as she smiled candidly towards him. "But that's false, isn't it, Hayama-san?"

His posture did not change.

"Our responsibilities as adults is to help support and guide children into the world, letting you all make your own mistakes but still supporting you from behind. We must listen to children and what you say because sometimes adult's need to be reminded of children innocence."

The oldest Kurata watched as Hayama opened his mouth to retort to her statement. But, there was nothing that seemed to slip from his tongue. Any words he wanted to say fell short as he looked away.

"You have good, strong eyes Hayama-san."

At the mention of this, he looked back at her with confusion. His brows were scrunched together; his mouth open slightly.

"It's a shame they are so dull."

Akito went wide eyed once again as the words fell short again. Despite being the top of his class and always scoring at the top 3 during finals, formulating a response did not come easy.

Sana's mother was intuitive and perceptive. How easily did she deduce his stance on adults and what infuriated him so much? Her comments and insertions had him thinking twice about his responses, leaving him flustered on the inside.

The youngest Kurata was nothing like her mother. Kurata Misako was calm, and eloquent with her words. She had a very realistic view on the world. Sana was loud and boisterous, living her life blindly on the notion that everything could be fixed by simply smiling.

And what did her statement even mean?

He had strong eyes? But, they are dull? Akito was aware of his lack of emotional response and his apathetic attitude. He was aware of his rough personality. But, that's what happens when life fucks you over. Sana's happy attitude wasn't normal. People are that happy all the time.

"About my daughter," she started and Hayama listened carefully, "she may be naïve, and childish, and have unrealistic views on the world."

"But you will learn that Sana plays the part well."

Kurata plays the part… well?

What the hell?

"Mama! Shimura and I finally finished the tea! And we made some treats as well!"

Speak of the devil and she will come. Both Misako and Akito turned towards Sana, who was holding a plate of what looked like anpan's and rice cakes. Behind her was their house maid who was carrying a tray with tea.

"So, did you two have a good conversation?" She asked as she dropped onto the couch and grabbed one of the rice cakes from the plate.

Misako and Hayama shared a look and the oldest Kurata smiled back at her daughter.

"Yes, we did. I've learned much about him from the small talk." Sana stopped midway with half the rice cake in her mouth. Tilting her head to the side, her eyes moved between the two in the room.

"Well, I must be going now. I do have an abundance of work to do." Misako stood from her seat on the couch and began walking away. But, not before Sana spoke out.

"Wait, what did you two talk about?" Again, her eyes went back and forth between her mother and Hayama.

Misako merely smiled. "A parent's part in a child's life."

Well, she's not wrong. Hayama thought to himself.

But it was clear that Sana didn't know what that meant as her face light up in confusion.

"Huh? What the heck does that mean?"

Hayama sat and watched as the two Kurata's went back and forth with one another. The youngest was throwing her tantrum, demanding that her mother tell her the conversation he shared with Misako. But all Hayama could do was think about her words.

"You will learn that Sana plays the part well."

His eyes landed on the auburn haired girl and watched her closely. She was loud, and abrasive, and obnoxious. There was never a moment where she wasn't smiling and was awful at school. She cared too much about trivial things and not enough about things that mattered.

Yet, here he was.

A/N: And by chapter, it unfolds (: I hope yall liked the chapter! It was tedious to write, but I definitely liked this chapter a lot! If you pay attention close enough, you can start putting together Hayama's past. But, what I like so much about this story is that Hayama's and Sana's past are so interesting, but for the first time since I started writing Kodocha stories, Sana's is more intriguing. I always make Hayama's past as full as despair as possible (because I love torturing my lovely lone wolf). But, the way this story goes, Sana's got her own share of baggage ;)

Anyway, reviews are always encouraged along with questions, comments, and criticism! I love hearing back from you guys, as you are all what keep me motivated!

Until next time!
-Dark Waffle