AkaFuri Week Project Fic: Who Are You? (Akashi/Furihata; KagaKuro; Pg-15)
Who Are You?
Fandom: Kuroko no Basket
Genre: Drama/Romance/Friendship
Rating: Pg-15/T++ (bordering into M, but only tiny lil bit)
Prompt: First Time
Pairing: Akashi/Furihata (main), Kagami/Kuroko
Summary: It starts with an accidental love letter. Then friendship and relationship happen… for quite awhile until something inside Akashi snaps and ends it one-sidedly. It's a lot of hard work to get Furihata's Akashi back, but it still works out in the end.
Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basket © Tadatoshi Fujimaki, not mine.
Warning: shounen ai-yaoi, AU-Canon Divergence and AR, slight oOC, language, possible spelling mistakes and grammar errors.
A/N: Alright… so I decide to write this hopefully short one shot before my muse is gone (I wish). Yep, another AkaFuri for that pairing lovers *snickers*. Yes, I know, I'm trying to update my other stories,but I wanna write this first so badly since the idea is quite interesting, I think, and it's for AkaFuri day (4/12) too. Hopefully, no one has written the same theme *doesn't have time to check*.
Also, additional warning: there will be inconsistency about Akashi's background, mostly with the fact that his mother died when he was in 5th grade, but for the sake of this story plot, she is alive until Akashi is at least in his 2nd year of middle school.
If you are very anal about inconsistency, I advice you turn back. If there's no problem, then please carry on reading it!
Who Are You?
(Part A)
Before…
"Um… um, excuse me!"
Akashi blinked and looked up from a piece of paper which contained rough ideas of the training menu that he got from the head coach and Nijimura, since Akashi would be helping them run Teikou basketball club as a vice captain starting next semester.
It was the last day of school before summer vacation started in his first year of junior high school, and even though there would be summer training camp starting next week, Akashi wanted to complete the next semester training schedule before the activity began in order not to get distracted during summer training camp. He should meet Nijimura and the head coach at least two or three more times during week off.
Anyway, there was a boy in front of Akashi. A shorter boy, with auburn colored hair and dark brown irises, in a uniform he hadn't seen before, and he looked very nervous for some reason.
"Yes?" Akashi leveled him neutrally.
"Um… uh," the boy visibly gulped and then glanced at behind Akashi. Three taller guys stood there looking at them curiously.
Ah, right. Akashi and the other first year's first stringers were on the way to have dinner together. Aomine, Murasakibara and Midorima… huh, there should have been Haizaki Shougo as well, but the silver haired boy decided he wanted to play in the game center so he passed on Aomine's suggestion to a group outing.
"Can I help you?" Akashi asked again, instantly gaining the boy's attention back since he seemed kind of sidetracked.
"Ah, so-sorry, um… you are… Akashi Seijuurou, right?" the boy stuttered and Akashi nodded silently, raising one of his eyebrows slightly in surprise of how the boy knew his name. Akashi would have remembered if he had ever met him, but he drew blank from his memory.
"I- I'm Furihata Kouki from Sutoyama Middle School. You might not know me, but I… I know you. Uh, my friend told me about you and… uh…" The boy appeared rather panicked as he gestured rather wildly with his flailing hands, like frantically looking for something inside his gakuran pockets. "Ahah!" His face brightened for a moment when he found what he was looking for. "Here!" then he thrust the thing-which in closer look was actually a white envelope- to Akashi, with both hands, and he bowed a little as he said, "Please read this!" before he suddenly straightened his body and then dashed away with a completely red face.
…
…
"What was that about?" Aomine quipped in incredulity since no one said a word after a minute of awkward silence.
"Aka-chin… is that a love letter?" Murasakibara surprisingly asked the hard question which was probably in Midorima's mind as well, judging from his ridiculous expression.
Akashi was still speechless even though his friends probably wouldn't describe his expression as stunned. He believed it should be more like surprisedsince that was exactly how he felt. He stared at the white envelope in his hand with slight trepidation. He knew that he attracted attention with his family background, and maybe there were a lot of suitors that liked to be his acquaintance, but…
A male suitor, seriously?
"Whoa! A love letter?! From a guy?!" Aomine's shocked exclaim was incredibly loud and Akashi wanted to chide him from making a scene. Some interested pedestrian actually stopped walking to see what was going on.
"Aomine, have a little tact, will you?" Luckily, Midorima could always be counted on for his rational sense, and his scowl apparently worked to cause Aomine to look a bit sheepish.
"Sorry," the tan boy said, scratching the back of his neck. "But… wow, even a guy you don't know has a crush on you, Akashi. What do you say to that?" Now the tone Aomine was using sounded quite teasing and Akashi only let out a deep sigh impassively.
"I honestly have no answer for that question." He just put the envelope inside his standardized school bag as he resumed walking.
"Wait, you're just gonna ignore it?" Aomine widened his eyes as he quickly followed Akashi.
"Aomine, cut it out. It's Akashi's private business," Midorima huffed at him, most likely annoyed with Aomine's nosiness.
"Wait, Aka-chin, why don't we stop by that department store over there first before getting dinner? I want to buy some Maiubo* to go," Murasakibara didn't even comment on the strangeness of what happened just then. He didn't seem to care one bit, except for his first question whether or not what Akashi received from that boy… Furihata Kouki, right?-was a love letter.
~Akashi x Furihata~
After…
"How did it go?" Sasaki looked at Furihata's eyes with her own jet black colored ones, shining and full of hope, right after he came back from giving her letter to Akashi Seijuurou.
Seriously, what he would do for her.
Furihata painfully realized that Sasaki already had him completely wrapped up in her fingers. Whatever she wanted him to do he would do it to impress her, even though it was to give her love letter to Furihata's -technically- love rival because Sasaki was too nervous to do it herself. He just hopped that those guys that were around Akashi wouldn't see him again since heaven knows what they would be thinking after seeing him, a boy, handing another boy a love letter.
I wanted to die!-Furihata was so embarrassed he might have prayed to every deity for the ground to open up and swallow him up fully right there and then when he had been doing it. Though, he manned up, okay? Well, he ran away after that… at least Akashi and his friends didn't see him blushing, right?
He wished. Furihata cried inwardly at his own pessimistic thought. He was kind of almost 100% sure that they completely witnessed his spectacular tomato impersonation of a face. He could still feel the heat on his cheeks after all, even until now.
"I did it, Sasaki-chan. I delivered your letter to Akashi Seijuurou," Furihata nodded, still unable to keep his flushing face under control.
Sasaki's worried expression immediately brightened and she hugged him right away, causing Furihata to swoon because-Oh my God! Sasaki-chan is hugging me!
"Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU very much, Furihata-kun! You're such a nice friend!" Sasaki said with a dazzling smile when she released the hug.
Upon realizing that he was totally friend-zoned again by his major crush, Furihata slumped. Well, at least she was smiling so brilliantly. It was totally worth all the shameful, nerve-wracking experience. Besides, Akashi Seijuurou didn't know who Sasaki was despite her love letter. There was no way he would respond to it seriously.
~Akashi x Furihata~
Now…
"So… how on earth has it become this way?"
Furihata seriously wanted to bang his own forehead against the tabletop, but he refrained from making an idiot out of himself in front of the red haired teen who had been sipping mocha latte from his cup quietly, his ruby eyes never straying from Furihata's feature, which kind of freaked Furihata out a little bit.
"What do you expect from me after you showed such public spectacle of giving a love letter to a guy?-by the way, in case you misread my gender, which was exceptionally foolish if that was really the case," Akashi calmly replied.
Furihata paled slightly. "Did I just say that aloud?" He wanted to die ten times over now, because he didn't think Akashi would catch on his thought, which apparently wasn't exactly a thought because he mumbled it out loud enough to be heard by the Teikou student sitting across of him.
Akashi let out a sigh as he put down his cup. "We need to talk."
That kind of line never bode well in Furihata's life. It spelled out Trouble. And yes, with capital letter.
"Uh… did you actually read the letter?" Furihata asked awkwardly.
"No," was Akashi's fast reply. "But you are the first boy that actually gave me one," he added, the corner of his lips tugging up slightly. "It's kind of fascinating, I admit. I've never seen a homosexual before."
Furihata flushed red instantly at the last sentence. "I'm NOT a homo!" and he raised his voice in a moment of panic, which he realized immediately to be a very stupid move because now everyone at the café were staring at heir table with funny looks.
I'm an idiooot!-Furihata covered his face, wanting to run away and hide and never come out for the rest of his life again after such embarrassing screech.
"Then, why did you give me the love letter?" Akashi didn't seem fazed by his overreacting.
"It's not mine," Furihata muttered, still hiding his face behind his palms. "My friend… a girl, asked me to deliver it to you because she was too nervous to do it herself," he tried to explain, albeit very timidly.
Akashi was silent for a moment before Furihata heard another sigh from him, a deeper one this time. "And you like this girl, don't you?"
Furihata looked upward so fast he thought he would get a whiplash. "How do you know that?!" He widened his eyes, very surprised and slightly mortified with the totally dead on guess. Did Akashi read his mind or something?!
"Figures," Akashi looked the other way, completely ignoring Furihata's question, and then went quiet for some seconds before speaking, "Even though I know the reason of your action, I still don't understand the significance of it. Delivering a letter from a girl that you like to another guy… doesn't it betray your own feeling?"
Furihata was surprised because Akashi seemed genuinely curious to understand his motivation. Though, he still couldn't answer that because he was too busy gaping and staring at the red head.
"Flies are going to enter your mouth if you keep hanging your jaw like that," Akashi raised his eyebrows in an amused look and Furihata snapped his mouth shut in reflex to his soft reprimand. "Are you going to answer any of my question at all, Furihata Kouki?"
Furihata blushed hearing his name from Akashi's mouth, spoken with such tone that was bordering into playful, but still regal enough to be polite. How Akashi do that was beyond him, really. "You really are like… a prince," he unconsciously repeated Sasaki's word (or was it a squeal?) when she told Furihata about Akashi while showing him his picture in some kind of featured magazine. It even wasn't a basketball magazine, but more like some kind of magazine for business men. Akashi was featured there as the sole heir of Akashi Corporation which would inherit his family wealth and giant company in the future.
"I am not a royalty though," Akashi responded to him, still wearing an amused face.
Upon realizing that he had spoken his thought aloud again, Furihata blushed harder. "S-sorry, that's not what I-…! I mean your mannerism! You act and behave like a proper prince…" He didn't know what prompted him to be that honest. But man, seriously… Akashi was very beautiful for a guy, like a painting.
Akashi chuckled lightly, seeming to appreciate the compliment. "Thank you."
Akashi's small genuine smile that graced Furihata's life at that moment moved him in a way that he couldn't explain and understand. For some reason his heart started to pick up pace and he became even more flustered. "Y-you're welcome…"
Furihata looked at the hem of his long sleeve, feeling like fidgeting in full awareness that Akashi was still watching him. Attempting to strike another conversation (because he didn't want to feel another weird awkwardness), he suddenly remembered something important that he had been dying to ask until before Akashi distracted him with his words.
"Uh, Akashi-san…"
"Akashi-kun is fine. Yes?" Akashi lifted his eyebrows.
"Oh, alright, Akashi-kun then… um, how did you know where I live?"
~Akashi x Furihata~
After 'After'…
Akashi was in his room, studying.
Well, he wanted to study, but his mind was slightly occupied by the letter in his school uniform pants pocket. He decided to take a five minutes break before his distraction could do some real damage to his study session. After all, he had to concentrate fully if he wanted to cram the knowledge his history text book spew.
He stood and went to take out the letter and then proceeded to stare at it for a few seconds before turning it over in his hand. There were only letters 'For Akashi Seijuurou-san' printed there in nice cursive of hand writing, nothing of the sender's name. He remembered the boy who gave it to him. Furihata didn't look like a guy who would write with such nice and neat style. He looked ordinary. His body was shorter than Akashi, smaller and probably slenderer as well judging from the slightly too big uniform that he wore.
"Please read this."
Akashi remembered his shy face when Furihata said that line. It was slightly adorable, he admitted. He was tempted to read the letter, but… well. He felt that would be unfair to his all admirers. Oh yes, he had those people that called themselves his fans club. Akashi wasn't blind. Thank you very much. However, he always tried to treat them all equally, whether it was a girl or a guy. He received a lot of love letters since he entered Teikou from his suitors, although it was the first time that he got it directly from the source (or from a guy), unlike the others that left those letters in his shoe locker.
"Alright, this can be a bit special, since he was the first and the bravest one," Akashi determined. Though, he was too late to actually open it up and read it since his five minutes break was over, signaled by his phone alarm. Akashi sighed. "I guess I can read it tomorrow." He kept it in his studying desk drawer when he went back to sit down. Then he started his reading again with a small smile on his face.
The next morning, Akashi forgot about the letter because his father summoned him to have an early breakfast together, since he would have to leave the house for a week to do a business trip at 7 o'clock. As always, father lectured him about being a proper Akashi's, how he should act and behave and of course, his accomplishment.
His mother just smiled ruefully at both of them when Akashi said, "Yes, father," like an obedient child he was. As soon as his father left, mother inquired him of what his plan for the day since it was the start of his summer vacation. Akashi just smiled and asked her to accompany him to his favorite street basket court near the house.
Akashi couldn't be more surprised when he saw Furihata play in that court which Akashi frequented when he had free time in his hand. He glanced slightly at his mother when she seemed to notice his revelation as he stopped all movement.
"Is something wrong, Seijuurou?" She tilted her head aside with wondering look as she peered at him.
"Um," frankly, he didn't know what to say. Usually, he was always able to confide with his mother about anything at all. But right now, he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell her that he had received a love letter from a boy… a boy that was playing basketball in front of them at that moment.
"Seijuurou?"
Akashi couldn't possibly lie to her though, so he cleared his throat quietly so as not to be noticed by the party on the court and spoke the truth. "I have a confession to make," he started.
"You sound like you've done something wrong, Seijuurou," his mother chuckled at his slightly odd starting line, which was indeed strange because he hadn't done anything remotely wrong all the time.
Akashi chuckled as well. "You're right. That wasn't a… proper opening," he admitted, slightly bashful. "Alright, hypothetically speaking, what would you think if your son received a love letter from another boy?"
His mother blinked once. And twice. And then she started to giggle hard, her shoulders shaking in her effort to hold down an inelegant hilarity if she wasn't the wife of an Akashi. Though, his mother always looked regal no matter how ludicrous she made her expression. Akashi couldn't help blushing slightly in embarrassment for causing such mirth in his mother day.
"Oh Seijuurou… hypothetically speaking?" She still tried to give him serious response despite her occasional giggle then. "I think my son should know the boy better if that boy could actually give him such difficulties to react to an affectionate gesture." She ruffled Akashi's hair fondly.
"You didn't mind it at all?" Akashi immediately felt like a fool after asking that question. It was his mother. Of course she wouldn't make a deal out of a single love letter. He saw the same thing as she just shook her head, still smiling in amusement.
That was how Akashi decided to look for Furihata's name in Yellow Pages. He surely lived near Akashi Residence if Furihata played stobas at the street basket court near Akashi's home. Some way or another, he entirely forgot to read the letter and decided to just get to know the person that wrote it personally.
In the afternoon Akashi visited Furihata's home, much to Furihata's look of horror, to ask him out on an outing to start to satisfy his own curiosity.
~Akashi x Furihata~
After Now…
Akashi and Furihata became friends… short off. Akashi couldn't help feeling that Furihata felt intimidated by him, even though Akashi didn't mean to act intimidating towards him.
"Uh, it's not you. It's me," he said, looking down at the ground when they talked while they took a walk along the riverbank that divided the neighborhood between Akashi's elite complex and Furihata's common suburb. Seriously, they lived across of each other, only separated by a -five meters width and three meters depth- river, which could only be crossed through the bridge 200 meters to the west from their home.
"You?" Akashi raised his eyebrow, wondering.
"I'm just… not confident enough to be your friend." Furihata scratched his cheek with his forefinger, his cheeks reddening slightly and his eyes averting their gaze from Akashi's.
"What makes you think you're not good enough to be my friend?" Akashi couldn't understand that logic.
Furihata shrugged. "Well, you're… you're classy, a-and handsome, rich; a prestigious Teikou student. And I am just… me, an ordinary boy."
"What's wrong with ordinary?" Akashi frowned slightly. Furihata didn't make any sense.
Though, the other boy only looked surprised when Akashi asked that question, like he didn't believe that Akashi himself mentioned the issue. "We're too different, aren't we?" Now he sounded confused and a bit unsure.
"Differences make complements, Furihata." It was honestly Akashi's belief. Difference didn't make something a disparity; it made it a complement to the others. Like basketball players with their different skills and different roles on the court, they created harmony in a team with singular purpose: to win the game. "Each person has their own good and bad things. You have weakness, sure, and so do I. What you're good at might be what I'm bad at. Which means you can cover my weakness with your good aptitude and vice versa."
Furihata looked absolutely astonished at that. "B-but you're good at everything!" he complained, more flushing for some reason.
"Not true. I seldom play video games. You're better at it than I am." Akashi chuckled as he argued while Furihata continued his protest that video games didn't count because it wasn't a necessary skill to survive in this occasionally cruel world.
Akashi just thought that this, this ordinariness -arguing and bantering with a friend, having fun by doing nothing but conversing, walking along the river- that seldom happened to him, was actually what he needed most as an Akashi, to balance his responsibility to his family and his need as a person, a growing child.
~Akashi x Furihata~
Later…
"Akashi-kun…" Furihata couldn't help sweating bullets as Akashi stared at Furihata's hands speculatively from across the coffee table in Furihata's living room.
"Yes?" He didn't even avert his scrutinizing gaze as he responded to Furihata's call.
"What are you doing?" Furihata felt rather uncomfortable with the way Akashi stared. He thought there was some dirt on his hands, which wasn't there when he checked just then.
"I'm just wondering…" Akashi brought his right index knuckle in front of his mouth as his ruby colored eyes narrowed slightly at Furihata's perspiring hands. "You have peculiar hands," he said.
"Eh?" Furihata looked at him absurdly, totally baffled.
"May I?" Akashi offered his hand and Furihata was a bit hesitant as he looked at Akashi's smooth looking palm. He didn't know why Akashi wanted to borrow his hand. There was nothing special with his hand. But then, when Furihata almost said that, he looked upward only to meet Akashi's expectant look. Now Furihata wondered what could go wrong giving Akashi his hand if only he wouldn't betray that expectation. In the end, he reached out to grasp Akashi's.
Akashi gave him a tender smile as he brought Furihata's hand closer to inspect it some more. The way Akashi held his hand was… gentle for the lack of operative word, like he was holding something delicate. It was rather funny since Furihata wasn't a girl. Then again, Akashi seemed to play with it, touching the inside of his fingers; the cleft between them, the sensitive tips. Then the way he caressed his skin at the back of his palm was also making Furihata squirm a little. He didn't know that his hand could be that ticklish.
"As I thought," he said a moment later, to Furihata's innate surprise. "You have a nice hand." His smile widened slightly as his fingers entwined with Furihata's, clasping firmly.
Furihata promptly blushed and gaped. He didn't know why, but it was rather mortifying for some reason. Anyway, he was just complimented by Akashi about his hand, his supposedly ordinary hand. What did Akashi even see there? Furihata couldn't comprehend it at all.
Akashi just chuckled at him. "It's a hard working hand," he explained further, apparently reading Furihata's bewilderment as clearly as day on his expression. "I like your hand, Furihata."
If Furihata had been able to spontaneously combust, then it would have been the perfect time to do just that. He could feel the heat on his entire facial skin spreading to his ears and neck. His heart started to pick up paces and wow. Now he understood why Sasaki could be in love with Akashi Seijuurou aside from his beautiful exterior. He was like… the smoothest guy in the entire universe which Furihata had ever met. He didn't even look remotely embarrassed as he said such embarrassing line.
"I-I-… uh, thank you, Akashi-kun, but… you should really keep such kind of compliment to girls… it will make them swoon," Furihata laughed sheepishly while on the inside he was swooning as hard as he was capable of.
Akashi huffed out a small laugh. "It's not just your hand that I like, though. I like your voice and the way you blush at the smallest teasing too," Akashi added, laughing some more.
Furihata just blushed harder as he realized that Akashi was just teasing him. "Akashi-kun!"
Akashi jus continued chuckling as he protested in righteous indignation that Akashi only liked making fun of him.
~Akashi x Furihata~
Before Later…
The sound of the whistle signaled the end of basketball practice.
"Alright! Everyone, gather around!" Nijimura shouted at all first stringers, including Akashi and his extra-ordinary group of first year.
After All Middle tournament in Akashi's first year a month ago, the third year officially retired and Nijimura, second year, was nominated to be the next captain. The head coach and assistant coaches all agreed that he would make a fine leader, but Akashi couldn't help feeling that Nijimura was slightly distracted this past week. He hadn't said anything though, but there was an inclination that he would possibly turn down that responsibility.
As everyone was done shuffling in a perfect line around the bench which was occupied by the coaches, Nijimura nodded at them in satisfaction. "Alright, I have an announcement to make," he said before he turned his head around slightly to look at the head coach and he gestured at him to continue, Nijimura faced his fellow players once again. "Some of you might have heard about my nomination to be the next captain. I'd like to clear out the rumor. I won't be the next captain due to personal issue," he said as some of the guys started murmuring in surprise.
See?-Akashi gave himself a pat on the back mentally for guessing it right. His observational skill was superb after all. He already proved it by finding Kuroko's hidden talent and raising the shadow to the first string directly from third string.
"But I nominated the next guy who'll become the captain and lead Teikou to continuous victory," Nijimura smiled here and focused his gaze on Akashi who was a little bit taken aback but had kind of expected the development since the run in at the corridor outside of the teacher lounge the day before. Nijimura kind of implicitly told him that he would take the next baton of the title after all. "Akashi Seijuurou will become the next captain starting next spring. If there's any objection to this decision, I'd like you to speak up now and state your reason." Nijimura spoke in serious tone as his eyes raked on the lines of players in front of him.
As expected of our senior. He commands respect perfectly even though he isn't a captain-Akashi thought fondly. He really did admire him, Nijimura Shuuzou. He was a remarkable person.
Akashi had a confidence that everyone agreed with his opinion. Even the guy as wild and rebellious as Haizaki listened to Nijimura, though the threat of bodily harm played a lot in his submission to their senior. He was strict to his juniors and himself. Besides, he had that aura that made people want to follow him willingly. Akashi was a bit like him since he made Nijimura as an example to his leadership skill. Though, Akashi's way was probably a little bit more thought out and sneaky.
No one had any objection to Akashi's nomination for the captain position. His fellow first years gave him a nod of approval and a look of admiration. Aomine whistled slightly in awe and Midorima's eyes glinted proudly. Only Murasakibara didn't seem to care and though Haizaki snorted derisively, he didn't verbalize any complaint.
"Alright, if there's no objection, it's official," Nijimura nodded in satisfaction before he turned to the coaches. "Coaches, do you want to add a thing or two before I dismiss the players?"
"No," the head coach nodded at him approvingly and with another exclamation that they were dismissed, everyone started to scatter around to shower and change.
"Akashi," Nijimura stopped him from leaving though. "I need a word with you if you can spare a minute." It seemed urgent so Akashi nodded.
"What can I do for you?"
"About Kuroko's participation on the next practice match…" Nijimura voiced his doubt that the newly made first stringer's ability. Akashi liked Nijimura because he didn't sugar coat his words and was very honest with his intention. Surely, he worried for the team, but Akashi was a little hurt that Nijimura doubted Akashi's plan and his future-seeing ability. He didn't show it in his expression, and he chose his words to placate his senior that Kuroko was necessary for the team that he intended to create as a captain. He already had it all in his head and he was pretty confident that it would be the best team in Teikou's basketball club history.
Akashi didn't actually see that they would become the Generation of Miracle, but it was a close thing.
When he was done talking with Nijimura and was about to go home, Akashi was surprised finding someone waiting for him at the gate.
"Akashi-kun," Furihata Kouki waved at him.
"Furihata?" Akashi approached him, a bit mystified. "What are you doing here?"
"Um," Furihata hesitated, his index finger scratching his cheek. "Um, I brought… I brought my friend," his expression was a bit pale and a puff of white fog visible from his breath.
"How long have you stood there?" Akashi was a bit concerned and purposely ignored Furihata's words. It was quite chilly at night at this time of the year and Furihata was only wearing his autumn uniform without any scarf.
"Oh, I'm fine. I was just done with my practice before I got here, so I'm still warm," Furihata's cheeks flushed slightly either from the cold or embarrassment. "You see… my friend wants to meet you," he repeated and Akashi had a niggling feeling that he was talking about his not girlfriend that actually wrote the love letter which Furihata delivered to Akashi some months ago.
Akashi let out a deep sigh. "Alright," he nodded. He wasn't in a hurry. Besides, it was weekend. He had day off tomorrow anyway. "So, where's your friend?"
#
"I like you, Akashi Seijuurou-san!"
Sasaki put her best effort to confess her love. Furihata could see it from the way she trembled and her high voice. She must have pulled massive effort to get the courage to present her heart like that on silver platter to Akashi.
Furihata was worried. Well, he didn't like it one bit that she decided to verbally confess her feeling since there was no response whatsoever from Akashi about the letter. She asked Furihata about it all the time after she learned that he and Akashi short of became… friends.
Akashi was a great person. His first impression didn't do him any justice at all. At first Furihata thought that Akashi was unapproachable with his status and his… his cold impression. He had never thought that Akashi would be the one that sought him out and declared that they were friends. He still disbelieved that he could be Akashi's equal as a friend, but Akashi had made it clear that Furihata's ordinariness wasn't a bad thing.
Akashi said he needed such ordinariness as a growing boy. Furihata couldn't help thinking that Akashi was too mature for his age. He never complained about anything and he always reassured Furihata that he was just fine the way he was. Honestly… Furihata liked Akashi. If Akashi decided that Sasaki's ordinariness was attractive too and wanted to become her boyfriend, Furihata didn't know how he would feel. He would be jealous of course, only… he wasn't sure of whom.
Furihata started to question himself if his crush on Sasaki was just that… a crush. His friendship with Akashi was very important to him. He didn't want something like girlfriend got in the way of that. He enjoyed spending time with Akashi a lot more than he thought he would. He was comfortable with Akashi, even more than when he was with Sasaki.
It was… weird. Furihata still liked Sasaki a lot. His heart still throbbed hard at the thought of her smile, her laugh, her delicate fingers brushing his own. But Akashi was… Akashi was different. For some unfathomable reason, he always felt warm when Akashi was around. He was happy when he was with Akashi. He still wanted to date Sasaki, but the thought of losing his time with Akashi burned sharper in his stomach.
Furihata was confused. If he had to choose between the two of them, whom would he choose? Though, it was kind of moot either way because he wasn't in the position to choose. The one Sasaki loved was Akashi and not him and even though he liked both Akashi and Sasaki equally, if by any chance Akashi said yes to her, he would lose them both.
"I am sorry. I'm happy for your feeling, but I can't return it."
Akashi's voice jerked Furihata out of his inner musing as well as relieved him from his pointless worry. Of course he would reject her. What was he thinking, actually contemplating what would happen if Akashi said yes?
He looked upward to Akashi who didn't change his expression from the first time he arrived at the park where Sasaki had waited for him. Furihata stayed rooted on his spot since Sasaki asked him to stay throughout the confession. It was kind of thoughtlessly cruel because Furihata liked her, damn it! But she… she didn't know that, did she? Because if she did… well. Furihata didn't want to think about what that meant.
"Oh, I- I understand," she said, looking down, her hand shakily played with her hair beside her ear, a sign that she was stricken and shocked. How she could be shocked was beyond Furihata because she should have expected that. Akashi didn't know her after all. Besides, first love never worked…
Err… that possibly happened to mine as well…-Furihata sighed deeply. He would be the one to console her broken heart after this. He hoped she wouldn't cry so much then. He never figured out how to act when she cried.
"Also… I have a favor to ask you," Akashi spoke again and Furihata whipped his head to look at him in alarm, especially when Akashi glanced at him for a moment before his eyes was focused back on Sasaki, completely ignoring Furihata's frantic cut-throat gesture to stop him saying whatever it was he was about to say because he had a bad feeling that it would cost Furihata somehow.
"Yes?" Sasaki looked curious.
"Would you please stop giving mixed signals to your friend if you never have any intention to reciprocate his feeling for you? Maybe you think it is okay to keep him as a close friend by encouraging ambiguity as normalcy, but in my perspective, it is selfish and unkind to keep stringing along people that seriously like you," Akashi explained honestly and Furihata wanted so badly to shout at him to shut up as he heard Sasaki's gasp.
She looked seriously hurt and Furihata was angry with Akashi for being so rude to her. He said it as much with loud voice and though Akashi didn't even flinch at his indignant protest, Sasaki looked doubly stricken after he was done yelling.
"I'm sorry, Furihata-kun… I didn't think…" she said, her face almost crying and Furihata just realized that Akashi's guess was actually dead on again. She had known. She knew Furihata liked her like that, but she just wanted him as a normal friend, so she pretended not to notice.
She didn't want to hurt him by rejecting him, but that… not acknowledging his feelings hurt more than being rejected.
Now Furihata knew he couldn't be with her fully. No hope. And so… he could let it go.
#
"I'm still angry with you," Furihata pouted as both he and Akashi went home together since their houses were at the same direction.
"I expect as much, but I won't apologize," Akashi replied, not cold or heartless, but more like resigned. "It was the right thing to do. I want to look out for you as your friend. It might hurt you, but I suppose it would hurt less if you quickly knew before you fell in too deep," he reasoned.
"What would you do if I decided we couldn't be friends anymore after you ruined my chances with my crush?" Furihata huffed, feeling a bit childish and petty, but somehow he wanted to hurt Akashi too after causing that much damage to his heart.
"Then I guess that's how much you treasure our tentative friendship and I'd just quietly look after you from afar," Akashi replied softly, not looking at Furihata, but the light in his ruby colored eyes dimmed slightly and although there was no change in his tone, somehow… Furihata felt a pang of unexplainable regret.
Furihata went quiet and brushed Akashi's shoulder with his own, an unspoken apology for his inconsiderate words. Akashi was only looking out for him. Even though he knew Furihata might hate him for stating the truth… for doing something right, he still risked it because he didn't want Furihata to get hurt further in the future.
"Thank you," Furihata said instead, smiling appreciatively, his anger evaporating completely and he grinned more widely when he noticed a small smile tugging up the corners of Akashi's soft pink lips.
~ Continued to Part B~