Studies were as boring and mundane as you expected. Teachers talked your ears off, and there were countless times where you were gazing at your desk like it was some sort of soft pillow. Being unwilling to focus leads you to start playing with anything to keep your mind busy; like twirling your pencil, doodling, etc.

Of course you were caught a few times by your homeroom teacher, all of which you were given a small slap on the wrist and good ole' public humiliation.

The classroom as of now was full of excitement after the bell had rang permitting a brief 15-minute break for all students while the teachers gathered in the faculty's office for usual meetings. You stretched your arms and legs in your seat and then closed your notebook, dazing away quietly as you shrink in boredom.

Per usual, you'd watch as Shiro would stand out of his chair and then leave to the doorway without a word. You assumed that he was leaving to the vending machines like he'd done just the other day. And, well, while you loved some free time-- you didn't want to spend it doing nothing. So about a few seconds after Shiro had left, you also stood up and walked towards one of the two doors in your classroom shortly before leaving.

Of course no one really paid you any particular mind since frankly; they didn't care enough, only Seiichiro appeared to show interest by following you with his eyes. Though he simply continued to sit where he was and mind his business.. after all there were a dozen notes that he had to complete.

You on the other hand stopped in the hallway and promptly scanned the perimeter - noticing no sign of Shiro who you managed to lose track of within a heartbeat. "That was... fast?" Ah, whatever. Assuming he left to the closest vending machines, you knew you had to wander near the outdoor courtyard if you wanted to catch up with him... So that's exactly what you'd done.

The courtyard was bright and surprisingly desolate. Clearly he wasn't there either, so part of you had already given up on the search. But since you were already there, you didn't want to skip out on the opportunity to fetch a drink. Having slipped a few quarters into the vending machine that sat there alone, you pressed one of the many buttons on the machine to vend some banana milk for yourself. Ironically it reminded you of Shiro and the lunch you promised you'd prepare for him.

A subtle thud made your attention drop towards the compartment containing your beverage. It was nice and cold as it fitted in your palm upon picking it up- and you literally wasted no time in digging your white straw right through the aluminum covering. You were about to take a sip before your nose caught wind of an incredibly potent scent of tobacco. In fact, the smell was closer than you thought. No teacher would ever be so audacious as to smoke openly on school grounds.. which is why you tossed that idea aside and figured this reckless behavior could only be a hard-headed student.

Your [E/C] eyes shifted towards the shroud of bushes on your left-aware that the scent was tracking from one location and one alone. "Eh? Hello?" You called out as you spotted cigarette smoke peeping out behind the bushes. "You do realize you shouldn't smoke on school grounds, right?" Whoever you were talking to didn't matter. What matters is whether or not they had any decency.

Yet another puff of smoke lifted up into the air unannounced, while the hidden guest loitering behind neatly trimmed bushes remained silent despite your words. It ticked you off a little bit, but you didn't have a single interest in entertaining someone arrogant.

Another tousling sound occurred from behind the bushes, and before you knew it- out popped a person like they were looking to give someone a heart attack. Obviously you were bound to react like any sane person would; and that would be to charge up the most profound scream known to man. Your new encounter saw your reaction and moved swiftly like a plague: reaching out to grab you with what little distance was remaining between them and the bushes.

Your eyes widened upon the feeling of a calloused hand being pressed against your mouth to be silenced completely, and once you gave a short glance to your shoulder- you also saw the stranger gripping it tightly with purpose. "Shh! You'll get me caught here!!" Hearing the mature, masculine voice of the stranger before you made you immediately do a double-take when fixating on his appearance.

Staring right through you were a humble shade of pale blue; more or less like a desaturated gray, and they were raging with a certain determination. A drive. It was unlike anything you've ever seen in a person. This stranger was also a brunette, his locks being cut neatly; however it was rather unkempt, similarly to Shiro, adding a particular allure to his features.

He had his index finger placed on his lips, imploring you to remain silent. Considering this person was nothing short of a stranger you struggled for a moment only to realize that his strong grab on your shoulder was nothing to underestimate.

Finally, you wiggled out and stepped back, swatting his hand away from you. "Hey!" And understandably, you were both perplexed and alarmed. "You're the one who's smoking where you shouldn't be!" Scanning the guy up and down, you watched as he ignored your statement and crouched down behind the bushes again-- seemingly tousling to grasp at something as he muttered incorrectly beneath his breath.

"Great, now I've dropped my cig.. finding it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack... Sort of."

Quite frankly, you weren't sure what you were looking at here. A bead of sweat treads down your cheek as you watched a defiant loony at work. Was he really rummaging through shrouded leaves simply for a smoke?! "Aha..." You awkwardly forced out a laugh, shifting away discreetly. "You know what? I'll just leave you to it.." Seeing as he barely acknowledged you anyway, you thought it'd pretty be easy to evade the situation...

"Aha! Gotcha!" He sprung up yet again, this time much more energetically than the first--causing you to jump out of your own skin violently. Your banana milk went juggling on top of your palms whilst in a panic until eventually you calmed.

The stranger shifted on out of the greenery with much ease, and by the time he was in front of you.... You saw that he was much taller than you first imagined. Your shoulders just about reached his chest, barely. He stuffed the cigarette into his pocket and took out a fresh pack of cigarettes from the other-along with a lighter for use. Just like seconds earlier, it looked like this guy payed no attention to you; like you were transparent glass.

Casually he strikes the spark wheel after he placed the stick between his lips, and when it was lit enough he breathed in for a moment before releasing most of the smoke right against your face. It was rather unintentional to say the least, but did he care? "Still here, hm?" He said. You started coughing and took a step away as you harshly swatted the smoke between the both of you.

The audacity of this guy!!

"Ugh, you shouldn't be smoking those cancer sticks. They reek." You grumbled, "Why'd you open a fresh box when.. you just found another?" You had a load of questions to ask- such as why on earth he decided to hide behind a bush, when he could've found a secluded spot somewhere on campus. Come in, every high schooler who skips class always manages to find a blind spot that the staff are unaware of.

The brunette pulled the cigarette from his lips and breathed out once more, then lowered his arm so he could watch you with a steady, albeit curious, eye. "Oh, I just hate leaving evidence behind." He shrugged his shoulders, "If a janitor finds a cigarette hanging out in a bush, then it'll give 'em a reason to be suspicious. I wanna avoid that, y'know?" His character was pretty.. interesting? I mean I guess it was one way to look at it.

Your facial expressions were inconsistent. You seriously had no time to dally around with him. "I see..?" Shiro's habits seemed to rub off on you, seeing how you hushed yourself into silence for a second. "I should.. get going." All you wanted was a little drink, and seeing how your task was complete you didn't see why you should stay any longer. "I won't tell anyone what I saw here today," you graciously spared him, "But I will tell you this." Pointing at his messy hair, what rested entangled in his brown locks was a bit of greenery from the bushes themselves. "You have a dozen leaves in your hair."

That's when you decided to leave, bidding the stranger a brief wave of your hand afterwards. And with the conclusion of this small interaction, the male reached up to pick out one of the many leaves that remained attached to him.

In his cut-throat world, not many people are worth a second glance. Yet he couldn't help but acknowledge that perhaps you had a life worth investing in.

[Chapter END]