Such Lively Classmates

"Akari… Akari…" The young boy was gently shaken, accompanied by the repetitive calls of his name. Gradually, Akari groaned and slowly opened his eyes. Yuuta, dressed in his business suit, knelt next to his futon.

"It's time to go to school," Yuuta announced. "Misha has already prepared breakfast for you."

"What time is it?" Akari inquired, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

“It’s around seven,” Yuuta glanced at his watch. Akari let out an annoyed sigh and plopped back down.

“That’s too early!” He complained. “Why did you wake me up?”

"Akari," Yuuta's voice began with a stern tone. "Do you not remember your promise?"

"No..." Akari replied nonchalantly, hugging his pillow. A brief moment of silence enveloped them before Akari suddenly realized something.

“AYANO!” Akari shot up from bed, his blanket flinging off and landing on Yuuta. As agreed upon with the class president, Akari had promised to attend school on time, considering it the bare minimum of their pact.

"You even asked me to wake you up early today," Yuuta sadly reminded him as he removed the pastel blue blanket. "I'm supposed to be at work right now..."

"Thank you, Yuuta! And sorry!" Akari declared as he prepared himself for school, shedding his blue and white striped pajamas. Yuuta sighed but smiled at the young boy's newfound determination. It had been a while since he had seen Akari so focused on something.

"Don't give me that look," Akari noticed as he put on his jacket, the final piece of his uniform.

“What look?”

“The ‘he’s growing up’ look,” Akari grimaced. Yuuta ignorantly nodded as he stood up to leave the room.

"Anyway, be careful on your way to school," Yuuta warned. "Ever since Naoki's encounter with the Vipers, they've been lurking around more frequently. We're on high alert."

“Even if they come for me, I'll face them head-on!”

"Like the river incident two years ago?" Yuuta reminded him, a nostalgic tone lacing his words. Akari's mind flashed back to that fateful day when he had fearlessly plunged into the river to rescue a young boy caught in the crossfire of two warring gangs. Despite his lack of swimming skills, Akari had risked his own safety to protect the helpless child.

A bittersweet smile formed on Yuuta's face. "My, you really are growing up," he sighed, his voice filled with both pride and a touch of wistfulness. "Before I even realize it, you'll be the one leading the gang."

"STOP GIVING ME THAT LOOK!" Akari threw a large rhino stuffed animal at Yuuta's face. Dodging it, Yuuta laughed as he hurried out the door.

“Ugh… I’m not a kid.”

♦_______✭❀✭_______♦

Monday had arrived once again, marking the beginning of a new school week. After savoring a delicious breakfast cooked by Misha, the young gangster groggily embarked on his journey to school.

Taking his usual seat by the windows in the middle of the classroom, he prepared himself for the typical reactions from his classmates–stares or outright ignoring. Nevertheless, Akari chose to pay them no mind, focusing on his own thoughts.

“Good morning, class president!” A cheerful classmate waved.

“Good morning!” Ayano entered the room with a beaming smile as she greeted everyone with a friendly wave. Upon hearing her voice, Akari's eyes instinctively swiveled toward her, his gaze fixated on her presence.

“Good morning, Akari-kun!” Ayano had paused by his table, her presence accompanied by a sparkling aura. She smiled brightly at him while brushing her hair back. Ayaki quickly snapped out of his daze as he realized he had daydreamed the entire morning greeting from Ayano. In truth, the class president had already made her way to her friends, engaging in lively conversation with a bright smile.

While Akari hadn’t expected Ayano to say hi to him, he had secretly hoped that Ayano would at least meet his eye before class started. However, between Ayano entering the room and the moment the school chime rang to signal the start of class, she hadn’t even spared him a glance.

"As long as she's keeping my secret..." He let out a soft sigh, brushing away the disappointment.

Throughout the class, Akari struggled to maintain his focus. His gaze would often drift toward Ayano, who sat at the front of the classroom. Each time he caught himself, he forcefully redirected his attention to the front of the blackboard, only to find himself repeating the same pattern soon after.

“No! I have to stay focused!” Akari thought to himself as he shook his head. “I need to study for Ayano—for her to keep my secret!”

♦_______✭❀✭_______♦

As the melodic sound of the school chime reverberated through the classroom, Akari had already slumped over his desk. His weariness freelancing the last few class periods was evident as he buried his head in his arms. They had been a grueling test of his concentration and determination, pushing him to new limits.

He let out a loud frustrated sigh, startling his nearby classmates. A perplexing question lingered in his mind—why was he investing so much attention and effort into recording almost seemingly inconsequential notes?

With a frustrated outburst, Akari exclaimed, "I don't want to study!" The surrounding murmurs grew louder, confirming the rumors about him. Fed up with the whispers, he glared at his classmates, silencing them instantly.

"Psst! Akari-senpai! Over here! Senpai!" Akari lifted his head from his desk, turning his attention to the doorway where Momo Yuzuki stood, gesturing to him with enthusiasm. Uncertain about whether he should respond, Akari feigned ignorance, resting his head back down on his desk.

“Akari-senpai! Yaho!” Momo persisted in getting his attention. Feeling the weight of his classmates' gazes and their curiosity about her connection to the rumored gangster, Akari finally relented. He slowly raised his head, locking eyes with Momo, who wore a bright smile. With a sigh of resignation, Akari made his way to the doorway, scratching the back of his head as he went.

Despite his efforts to ignore the murmurs and glares, a trace of unease gnawed at Akari's nerves due to the attention drawn by Momo's call. As he approached Momo, she quickly seized his sleeve and energetically pulled him into the bustling hallway.

"It took me a while to find you!" She mentioned as the two stood in the hall next to the windows. "I didn't know but you're apparently 'The Ice Prince'? What a funny title! It doesn't match you at all~" She laughed, finding the nickname amusingly contradictory to when she first met Akari.

"Cut to the chase. Why did you call me?" Akari tried to keep up his icy facade, growing increasingly uncomfortable with Momo's positive and cute demeanor. Having such an adorable junior around a brooding gangster wasn’t ideal for him.

“Nanami-san asked for your number,” Momo excitedly exclaimed. “Since she didn’t know how to reach you, she asked for me to get your phone number for her.”

Before Akari could decline, Momo swiftly snatched the device from his hand. She opened an app and read his phone ID before copying it to her own phone. Momo returned the phone to Akari in a rather hasty manner, nearly causing him to fumble and drop it.

“Thank you very much!” Momo beamed with her eyes focused on her phone.

“This girl…” Akari frowned as he observed Momo's behavior. He felt annoyed by her straightforwardness, disregarding his consent. Despite shooting her an angry glare, she remained engrossed in her phone, unaware of his frustration.

“There… and added!” Momo grinned, satisfied with her task of delivering Akari's phone number.

Akari's phone suddenly chimed, indicating a new notification from a chat app. He glanced at the screen and discovered a new chat showing on his list.

“I added you to our group chat,” Momo's voice rang with excitement as she explained, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. “It’s all of us from the group date last Friday!”

Akari scanned through the chat. As Momo had said, the chat consisted of the five other participants from the hangout. He scrolled through the chat, scanning the conversations that had taken place.

“Ah, I’d better get back to class soon,” Momo realized it was almost time for the next subject. “We’ll talk later! See you, Akari-senpai!”

With a cheerful wave and a warm smile, Momo bid him farewell, her vibrant energy radiating as she prepared to return to her academic responsibilities.

Before Akari could utter another word, Momo had swiftly darted down the hallway, her figure rapidly receding from his view. He watched as her back disappeared around the corner, leaving him momentarily speechless and unable to respond.

Disregarding the event, Akari proceeded to reenter the classroom. In that brief moment, his eyes intersected with Ayano's, capturing a fleeting connection before she swiftly looked away, severing the eye contact.

Her glance made Akari uneasy. He sensed dire consequences would occur if he didn't address the incident from Saturday with her soon.