I got to school really early this Wednesday morning, which was odd since I usually only went to school early on Tuesdays. I didn't see anyone on my way to leave my bag in my classroom, and I was actually sort of thankful for it.

When I got there, I considered eating the breakfast I'd packed but realized I didn't really feel like eating. I tried to sleep some more or just stare out the window but didn't feel comfortable doing... anything, really. But doing nothing also felt wrong, so I eventually got up and started walking aimlessly around the school. Maybe I should get something to drink from the vending machine...

I remembered that the vending machine was near the place that the family of stray cats liked to hang out so I decided to go there after all.

"Oh! L/n-Senpai!" a much too energetic voice called out from behind me as I opened my bottle of iced tea.

I turned around and, upon recognizing the kouhai, tried my best to give him a small smile, "Good morning, Kumon-kun."

He smiled back and was about to say something before the kitten in his arms started squirming in annoyance.

"Oh, I forgot Yuki doesn't like being held for too long. Don't want to get scratched again~" he laughed as he put the annoyed cat down.

"Yuki? Did you name them?" I asked as I bent down in an attempt to soothe the kitten.

"Ah, Sumi-san named them. He's from my troupe. He used to go here too and was friends with one of the parent cats so I took him to visit on his birthday a few days ago," he explained as he rummaged around in his bag.

"I see...oh did you say his birthday was a few days ago? Does Sumi-san happen to be Ikaruga Misumi?" I looked back up at him.

"Oh, you knew him? I guess you were a first year when he was a third year, huh?" Kumon put a finger on his mouth as he thought.

"Yes. I wasn't really sociable when I was a first year, most of my friends were cats. I met him when he was playing with that very same parent cat...When he found out I was eating my onigiri by myself he said that triangles tasted better when you ate with someone and from then on he became my first friend here," I recounted as we fed the cats some onigiri Kumon brought with him.

"It must've been a bit sad when he graduated," he said after plopping down.

"I guess, a bit. But I have other friends now...and I still get to see him when I go watch your plays. Though I do miss the quiet times when we'd just play with the cats together instead of doing self-study," I must have smiled as I sat beside him, but my face relaxed back into its usual tired expression before long.

"Hm...do you wanna come visit him at our dorm later?" he asked after a short stretch of silence.

"There's lots of cats near there too so you guys can catch up while playing with them," he gestured excitedly and stood up.

"Oh...later I..." I averted my eyes from his bright, innocent smile.

"Sure, I'll go later," I nodded without looking at him and stood up to head back to my classroom as well.

...

An overdramatic gasp was the first thing I heard when I entered Mankai's dorm.

"Tenten, can you believe what we're seein' here? Kumopi totes just brought an older girl home! I'm like, so proud?!" if I remembered correctly, the loud one talking to Sumeragi Tenma was Miyoshi Kazunari.

"Get off me," he sighed as he struggled to get away from Kazunari's grasp.

"So who's this, Kumon-kun? A friend from school?" a woman who must have been their director popped her head out of the kitchen with a gentle smile.

"Nice to meet you, I'm L/N Y/N. Kumon-kun's Senpai," I bowed slightly as I introduced myself.

"I see. My name's Tachibana Izumi and I'm Mankai's general director," I nodded as she took her apron off while talking.

"She was friends with Sumi-san when he was a third year so I brought her here to catch up with him!" Kumon chimed in.

"Hah? What could she even talk about with him besides triangles?" a boy who I assumed was Yuki commented as he walked past me to get to the fridge.

"Hmph, you're too nosy. This is why you don't have friends at school," Tenma turned his nose up and essentially started an argument.

"That was nice of you, Kumon-kun. Would you like some apple tea while waiting for him to get home? It was his and Muku-kun's turn to do a street act today," she ushered me to the dining table, ignoring the two bickering boys.

"Ah, sure. Thank you," I replied as she started brewing it.

I must have been spaced out again because before I knew it, I'd already emptied the cup halfway. At least it was really soothing and had a nice flavour.

"Tadaima!" came two cheerful voices, interrupting whatever I was doing.

Scattered voices shouted, "Okaeri!" and "Okaerinasai!" from across the dorm.

"Uwoh~ It's N/n-chan~!" he bounded up to me from behind and was patting my head before I knew it.

"Ah, Sumi-Senpai," was really all I could say.

He stopped patting my head but didn't reply, so I looked up at him in question. Surprisingly, I caught sight of him with a small frown and knitted eyebrows, but it went back to his normal bright smile before I could even blink.

"Ne~ Let's go out for a bit! I'll introduce you to the cats in the park," he offered his hand to me as I put down my teacup.

"...okay," I said as I got up from my chair.

"Have fun, L/n-Senpai!" Kumon called out as we walked to the door.

Before I could reply to him, Misumi suddenly picked me up and started running.

"Sumi-Senpai?!"

"You looked tired~ your eyes aren't smiling all triangle-like anymore~" he said without stopping.

"But I can—"

"We'll get there faster like this anyways~" he simply laughed.

...

"...Sumi-senpai, why are we in a tree?" I sighed as he coaxed a bird to come closer.

"When I'm wayyy above the ground I feel like allll the sad things can't get to me~" he laughed lightly as he plopped down on the branch beside me.

"...so you're sad right now?" I tilted my head slightly, trying not to remember that a fall from this height would certainly break a few bones.

"Hm~ I dunno...but I think you are!" he turned to look at me with a slight pout.

I simply closed my eyes and resolved to ignore him, but he soon started poking me incessantly.

"...well yeah, my grandpa just died yesterday. Not like I should be celebrating," my words came out more venomous than I expected and I clamped a hand quickly onto my mouth in shock.

When Misumi didn't say anything, I started rambling some semblance of an apology, "Look, I'm sorry about snapping, Senpai. I'm just really tired from everything right now...and...and can we please just go down already?"

He merely gave me a soft look before turning to look back up at the sky.

He swung his legs slightly as he asked in a distant voice, "Did I ever tell you what my gramps said about happiness?"

"...I don't remember."

"When I was little, he gave me this really cool triangle ruler~"

I closed my eyes again and leaned back onto the trunk of the tree.

"I was really~ happy! So...he asked me if I liked triangles. After that, he told me that there are three super duper important treasures in life."

"I didn't understand it then...but I think now I've found my triangle of happiness," his voice got quieter as he spoke.

"Triangle, acting, and friends...You're an extra important friend so that's why...I'm sad when you're sad. I'm sure...you were in your gramp's triangle too. So he wouldn't want you to be sad either," his words were barely above a whisper, but they still seemed too loud.

"I know that, Sumi-Senpai. I just... it's still...I wasn't even there when he died and..." I quickly covered my face with my hands, finally turning into the sobbing mess I was trying to keep at bay.

I could feel him gently pat my back, humming a familiar tune to try and calm me down.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I'm very good at cheering people up..." there was a forced lightness to his voice as he smiled awkwardly.

"...no...no, you're actually strangely comforting," I managed to say as I swiped at the tears on my face, desperate for them to stop flowing.

"I can bring you down now. Omi made onigiri for dinner. Oh, and there's always dessert. You like triangle sweets too, right?"

I shook my head, giving a short laugh as I remembered something.

"Yellow bird, up high in banana tree...Yellow bird, you sit all alone like me..."

He tilted his head in question as I continued to sing, seemingly entranced despite my partially hoarse voice.

I closed my eyes as I sang the last few...the most painful lines of the song, almost choking up again.

"I wish that I was a yellow bird...I could fly away with you...But I am not a yellow bird...So here I sit, nothing else to do..."

I opened my eyes to see a look of understanding on Misumi's face, "Your gramps favorite song?"

"Yeah..." a short stretch of silence as we stared at the darkening sky, both of us in a mix of emotions.

"Let's go eat? I hope I don't cause too much trouble..."

"It's okay~ Director picks up all sorts of people every now and then~" his demeanour reverts back to normal at a worrying speed as he swings me over his shoulder and begins to climb down.

"...you guys know that's actually dangerous, right?"

A/N

I lost my grandfather a few weeks ago, so I wrote this in an attempt to cope. Sorry to anyone who made requests, it might take a bit longer.