54Wow. It's been almost a year since I updated, and I'm so sorry for the long hiatus. Long story short, I used to live in Canada. Then I moved to Japan last summer to teach English to high school kids. Needless to say, my life has turned upside down, and I love every minute of it. If you are still reading, I'm sorry again for the long wait. This chapter is monstrously long, so I hope that's a little consolation. Thank you for still reading and please enjoy and review the chapter!
Warnings: There is shounen-ai, which is slash, which is boy/boy action.
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.
Chapter Four: Hate Doesn't Cut It
Sunlight filtered through the blinds, cascading rays onto the sleeping figures of Kai and Tyson. Sometime around 5:30 in the morning, Kai had finished gathering research for a group project and decided to get a bit of sleep. Though by the time he actually fell asleep, the sun was already tickling the night sky with faint pinkish light. As usual, Kai left the stereo on throughout the night, and the tinkling of the music drifted in the room.
Beeeep! Beeeep! Beeeep!
Kai's mauve eyes jerked open, his heart racing. He hadn't used an alarm clock in years—not since he had discovered that he found it impossible to sleep past nine in the morning. Kai sat up, rubbed his eyes, and glared at the lump on the other bed.
Tyson.
The alarm clock next to Tyson's bed blared like a banshee, while Tyson just lay there. Kai looked at the clock: 7:56.
Ugh…again? Kai groaned. He gritted his teeth as the noise continued and fumed over the fact that Tyson's alarm clock always woke him up instead of Tyson.
"Tyson!" There was no movement from the boy and Kai wondered for a moment if he had died during the night. "Tyson!"
The noise seemed to be getting louder and louder. Tyson smacked his mouth and turned over, still asleep. Kai groaned and reached over to his lamp stand. He found a thick book and without any hesitation at the thought of how much damage he could inflict, threw it at the younger boy. Then Kai watched in disbelief as it conked Tyson right in the head, eliciting not so much as a grunt from him.
"That kid is practically comatose when he sleeps," Kai muttered.
The alarm kept shrieking. Suddenly Tyson sat up and put a hand to his head.
"Ugh…my head hurts!" Tyson moaned.
"Turn your damn alarm clock off!" Kai demanded. He reacts slowly, he observed. To the extreme.
Tyson paused, gathering his bearings for a moment. Kai flopped back onto his bed, putting his hands over his ears. The sound was giving him a headache, and he wondered whether he still had any of the Tylenol Hilary had given him last week.
The noise finally stopped as Tyson pushed a button and Kai let out a sigh of relief. Silence filled the room, along with the faint strains of the stereo.
"Um… sorry about that," Tyson offered lamely.
Kai sighed again and sat up. He doubt he could get back to sleep at this rate. He pushed his bangs away and gave Tyson a pointed glare. Tyson shrugged slightly, a sheepish look on his face.
"Good morning?" he ventured tentatively.
Kai was about to snap at him when the door opened and Tala stumbled in.
"Ooooh, my head!" Tala wailed, dropping into Kai's chair. He held a bottle of vodka in the one hand. Tyson looked disturbed, but Kai got out of bed, stifling a yawn.
"Why are you playing loud music at the eight o' clock in the morning?" Tala cried dramatically, clapping his hands over his ears. Kai rolled his eyes.
"I hardly think this falls into the category of loud," Kai said flatly, turning off the stereo.
"Is he okay?" Tyson asked, watching from underneath the covers.
"What do you mean?" Kai asked in disbelief. "Ah…right…this is your first time seeing him like this, isn't it. Well, introducing Tala with a hangover," Kai announced, as he took the bottle out of his friend's grasp, marched to the bathroom, and proceeded to pour it down the sink. Without Kai's aid, Tala's hangovers usually lasted a few days, since Tala insisted on nursing them with even more alcohol.
Tala groaned, ran past Kai into the bathroom, and began emptying his stomach. Tyson cringed and heard Kai yell something along the lines of "get-the-fuck-out-of-my-bathroom-before-you-make-the-entire-room-reek."
Kai appeared again, slamming the bathroom door behind him. Tyson slipped out of bed and promptly tripped, falling on his face. Kai didn't bother to catch him, but did throw him a glance.
"Ow!" Tyson pushed himself off the ground and picked up the heavy book that he had tripped on. "The Chamber by John Grisham? This isn't my book."
"It's mine," Kai said, not bothering to explain how it had gotten down there. Tyson wouldn't remember, anyway.
The younger boy stood up and flipped through the pages.
"Hmm… this is pretty intense stuff."
"You idiot." Kai snatched the book away and put it back on his lamp stand. His day wasn't starting pleasantly, and he had very little patience at the moment. No sooner had the thought left his mind when the door banged open again. Hilary appeared with Max in tow.
"Good morning!" she sang out.
Max smiled cheerfully. "Hey, Tyson! What's up, buddy?"
"Max!" Tyson climbed over the bed and Max jumped on him with a bear hug. Hilary walked in as if she owned the place and tapped Kai on the nose. Kai squeezed his hands into fists.
"So, how did the night go?" Hilary smirked.
"Why do you always ask me that?" Kai growled. "It didn't 'go.' It never 'goes.' It was just like any other night. Now, would you kindly stop barging in here like this? And did you have to bring Max? My room is crawling with people."
Hilary clapped a hand over her heart in mock drama. "Kai's friends have come to see him! Oh, the world is ending!"
"Shut…up."
Max looked up from where he was on top of Tyson. "Hey, Kai, did I ever tell you that I almost had a heart attack when Hilary told me Tyson was your new roommate?"
Kai exhaled loudly. "Yes. Everyday. For the past week."
"Ah, but do you know why?"Max wiggled his eyebrows, exchanged a look with Hilary, and they both burst into giggles.
"I'd rather not," Kai retorted, having a pretty good idea of what was going on in their dirty little minds.
"Hey, what are you talking about?" Tyson cut in, poking Max's side. "Tell meeee…" he whined.
Max grinned and gave Kai a wink. "Ask Kai," he laughed.
Kai felt like beating… something—anything!—over the head with a very large stick. Hilary brushed past him and opened the bathroom door. They all jumped when she shrieked.
"Kai! Your friend is dying!"
Kai rolled his eyes and Tala came stumbling out. "Not dead yet, Hilary," Tala muttered, dragging his wasted carcass a few steps before finally throwing himself onto Kai's bed in a heap.
Kai looked around the room with narrowed eyes. Including him, there were five people in the room. That was four too many for his liking. He could put on his famous death-glare and get people to leave, but that would require too much energy and take up more time than the alternative.
"I'm leaving," Kai said, moving to his closet to quickly grab a change of clothes. Audible groans were heard around the room.
"Aww, Kai, but you're the life of the party," Max insisted, putting on a puppy-dog look. Hilary joined in, her voice grating on Kai's nerves. Tyson decided that since everyone else seemed to be ganging up against Kai, it would be safe for him to contribute as well.
"Yeah, Kai, what's wrong?" Tyson ventured with a mischievous glint in his eye. Before he could get the rest of his statement out, Kai whirled around and glared at him.
"You, who broke my vase, can shut up right there," Kai ground out.
Tyson let out an exasperated moan, "That was ages ago! God, you are so anal."
"You would be too if you were me and had to deal with you," Kai shot back.
Tyson snickered at the fact that he hadn't denied it. "So you like being anal?"
Kai took a deep breath. His first week with Tyson actually hadn't been that bad. Kai spent most of his time at the library, while Tyson had a week of Orientation, followed by a lot of time with Max and Hilary. They only saw each other at night, and during those times, Tyson was a bit calmer and didn't—thanks to Hilary's helpful donation—snore too loudly. Kai even vaguely remembered thinking that he just might be able to get through the year with Tyson as his roommate. But early mornings (when Tyson was awake) were a constant reminder as to why their first day went so badly.
Kai went to the bathroom and slammed the door. Max giggled again, and it was contagious. Tala threw Kai's pillow over his head and moaned to himself.
"So, Tyson, what'cha got planned for today?" Max asked.
"Um… I have lectures and—ah!" Tyson's mouth turned into an "o", which soon melted into a wide grin. "Today is my first official day of classes," he announced proudly.
Hilary clucked her tongue. "I surely hope you do better here than you did in high school," she commented. "Speaking of, it's quarter past eight. You should be up and getting ready, Tyson!"
Tyson rolled off the bed and headed to his closet. He cracked it open slightly as to not let everything fall on top of him and pulled out some clothes. The door to the bathroom opened and Kai came out, shutting it quickly behind him.
"Tala, my bathroom reeks of vomit," Kai said icily.
Tala moved the pillow slightly. "Well, duh, Kai, I threw up in there. Don't be stupid."
Kai held his tongue and, much to his dismay, saw that nobody had left. Tyson was pushing the closet door shut with some difficulty, Hilary was adjusting Max's collar, and Tala was just lying there.
"Thou shalt not kill," Kai muttered, walking to his desk and picking up a notebook. "Tala, get out."
"Aww, Kaiiiiii—" the redhead was cut short as Kai yanked his arm off the bed and forced him to stand. "You would kick out your one true friend?"
Kai shoved him out the door and into the hallway. Tala's hangover was still too fresh for him to put up a struggle, so he headed for his own room. Kai turned back around and glared at Hilary and Max.
"Goodbye," Kai said. "I think you've overstayed your welcome."
"Let them stay," Tyson said, pulling a shirt over his head.
Kai glared at him. "I am this close to—" Kai stopped himself, cleared his throat, and swallowed hard. "I'm leaving now and when I get back, I expect you two to be gone."
"Such a stick in the mud," Tyson sighed.
"You've certainly grown arrogant," Kai commented. "Don't think I've forgotten about that vase. It was expensive."
"Blah," Tyson said, hunting for his jacket.
Max chuckled. "Don't worry, Kai, we're leaving," the blonde said, sliding off the bed. "We'll be gone soon."
"Yeah, so just shoo," Hilary said, waving her hand at him. Kai growled again and walked out of the door, closing it behind him.
Tyson found his jacket and shrugged it on. "Okay, time for me to go to my first lecture!" he exclaimed.
Max laughed, "Don't sound so excited."
Tyson walked through the striking green campus towards the core structure of Aoki University. He had a navy backpack messily slung over his left shoulder, in addition to his trademark red and blue baseball cap atop his head. There was a wide goofy grin, plastered like glue, on his face, and his eyes were literally sparkling with exhilaration. It was still hard for him to fathom the fact that he, Tyson Kinomiya, was actually heading to his first university class. Damn. Who would've thought?
After Kai had stomped out like he was on PMS—something that Tyson didn't think was possible for guys, but his one-week acquaintance with Kai had proved him otherwise—Tyson had found out that his lecture actually started at ten. That was great news because it gave him a chance to eat breakfast for a blissful extended period.
The cafeteria food, much to Tyson's surprise and delight, was more than satisfactory. It didn't even bother him that some people stared at him eating, while Hilary kept saying disapproving comments that he never quite heard, except for the random words such as shovel, vacuum cleaner, closet, and world record.
After Tyson had stuffed one more croissant into his mouth, Max and Hilary had offered to walk him to his first class, but Tyson had insisted that he could find his way on his own. The freshman had hastily mentioned something about standing on his own two feet and being a true university student before dashing off.
Unfortunately, in the midst of all of Tyson's excitement, it somehow slipped his mind that one, the main building was huge; two, he didn't have a campus map; and three, he wasn't the only student who now had to attend class.
As soon as he entered the hall, Tyson's mouth dropped open, and he gawked like a goldfish. The main foyer bustled with countless students, all going in different directions. The lobby seemed to extend to various different hallways and stairwells that probably went on forever. People rushed around like they were high on caffeine (which, perhaps, they more than likely were). Some of them swam in fairly large clusters, while others journeyed alone.
Still staring, Tyson couldn't help but suddenly feel like he was in a human beehive. Now why was he here again? Oh, right. Class.
Tyson felt somebody curtly brush passed him, and he took that cue to start treading with the rapids. As his eyes wandered, taking in the foreign environment, he absently zipped open his backpack and pulled out his schedule.
Introduction to the Theory of Theatre, MB 2014, he mentally read. Tyson crinkled his forehead. Where the hell was that anyway? For a fleeting moment, Tyson wondered whether he should've taken taken up Max and Hilary's offer to walk him to class, but quickly dismissed it. Afterall, Tyson had a great sense of direction, and all he had to do was read the began digging through his bag before gravely realizing that said map was still sitting on his desk. Crap.
The bluenette's eyes darted around for someone who remotely looked like they weren't rushing to some class.
"Hi can you… Excuse me do… You see I'm looking—gah!" Tyson groaned in frustration. Everyone was so caught up in whatever they were doing that he just couldn't seem to get any of them to notice him!
What to do…what to do… Tyson chanted to himself. The increasingly flustered teen checked his watch: 9:50. Only ten minutes left. He mentally thwapped himself for taking so long to eat breakfast. I knew I shouldn't have eaten those five extra croissants! he continued to scold himself. Gaaaah…stupid stupid stupid stupid stu—
"Excuse me, but are you lost?"
Tyson quickly shook out of his crisis and turned right. He met a pair of vibrant blue eyes, and he couldn't help but be reminded of the sky on a clear summer day.
"What?" Tyson asked.
The girl leaned forward, her long red hair falling past her shoulder "Are you lost?" she repeated louder.
Tyson stared at her for a moment, allowing the question to be absorbed and an answer determined. Suddenly, he began laughing as if he had been told an incredibly funny joke. The newcomer stepped back, giving Tyson a slightly puzzled look.
"Me? Lost? Of course not!" Tyson announced, subconsciously putting a hand behind his head. "I was just…uh…deciding on the quickest route to room MB 2014."
Tyson received a raised eyebrow, followed by nothing but silence. The girl seemed to be contemplating something. The first-year silently observed her, beginning to wonder what she was thinking. Actually, why was she here in the first place anyway? As if the redhead heard his question, she finally began to speak.
"Hm…well, I hope this doesn't sound too strange, but…" she paused, making Tyson's curiosity rise, "do you happen to be Tyson Kinomiya?"
Tyson shook his head in slight confusion. "Y-yeah," he answered clumsily, giving the petite girl a questioning stare.
"Oh good!" she laughed in relief. "That would have sounded quite bizarre if you weren't, huh?" Tyson stared at her blankly, and a subtle grin swept over her face. "Ah, I haven't introduced myself yet. My apologies. My name is Suzaku. Suzaku Hinote." She extended her hand, which Tyson tentatively accepted.
"I'm…well I guess you already know who I am…" Tyson replied awkwardly. "So…um…how do you…uh…" his voice trailed off, leaving his question unfinished.
"I'm a friend of…Hilary's," Suzaku answered after a slight pause, still smiling. "She told me that her best friend was coming to Aoki this year, and if I ever saw a boy with a red and blue baseball cap aimlessly wandering amuck, I should help him out."
Suzaku's response settled into Tyson's mind, and he soon found himself chuckling softly with a slow smirk playing onto his lips. Hilary always seemed to look out for him like that.
Ever since they were kids, Hilary always watched his back. Of course, she also had a tendency to push him to the brink insanity at times—okay, maybe all the time—but that was just her way of showing that she cared. Besides, what were best friends for if not to look out for one another, while driving the other mad at the same time?
At the moment, Tyson did appreciate Hilary's concern, but his pride also wanted a say in the matter. Hilary always seemed to believe that he couldn't find his way out of a shoebox, and Tyson always wanted to prove her otherwise.
"Yeah, well, I'm not lost, you know," Tyson stated as-a-matter-of-fact.
As soon of the words left his mouth, a nagging voice suddenly entered his mind. Oh god... not now, Tyson inwardly moaned.
"Just what the heck are you doing?" Tyson's inner-self fumed. "Weren't you desperate for some help just a second ago?"
Tyson silently groaned again, wishing that his subconscious picked another time to invade his head.
I wasn't desperate! he quickly shot back. Besides, it's different since Hilary was involved. You actually expect me to give in to her?
"Well, you're gonna to be late for class."
So what? It's not like they'll kick me out for this.
"Your Prof is going to think you're a lazy tardy brat." Inner Tyson seemed to rethink that statement for a moment. "Well, I guess you are to some extent, but don't you think it's too early in the year to have Profs out to get you already? Have you forgotten how high school was like?"
Tyson sweatdropped, as a surge of love-hate memories of detention, clean up duty (no thanks to Hilary), extra assignments, and many other things flooded his mind.
…Quiet.
"You do remember then! Then why don't you just turn around and let—"
Tyson cut him off by firmly sticking Inner Tyson into a box and sitting on it, drowning out his loud protests. He focused his attention back to the girl in front of him.
"Thanks anyway," Tyson said, his words genuine, but his overly cheerful look a façade. How happy could he actually be when his inner self was hounding him, and he knew that he was right?
Tyson dismissed the thin eyebrow that Suzaku raised on his account. The younger boy continued to paddle on ahead, hoping to somehow find his way alone. However, the girl he tried to leave behind apparently was not too fond of that idea.
"Hold on Tyson," Suzaku called out, lightly jogging to catch up. "My class is in the same direction. Would it be alright if I walked with you?"
Tyson seemed to ponder the idea for a moment before checking his watch. Five minutes left.
"Just say yes, idiot," Inner Tyson said, his volume still muffled by the box.
Tyson flinched. Now that was annoying.
You sound like Kai, Tyson thought crossly.
"Then I guess you two have bonded pretty damn quickly if his attitude is already in your subconscious."
Shut…up.
"Whoa! I guess it rubbed off on your conscious self too."
Tyson was about ready to bang his head against a wall.
Am I really this annoying?
Inner Tyson didn't say anything back, and Tyson mentally groaned; he already knew the answer to that. The defeated teenager looked back to meet Suzaku's gaze before giving her a short nod.
"Okay, fine."
She smiled. "Shall we then?"
The soft-spoken girl initiated a stride, while Tyson followed suit. Walking side-by-side—Suzaku slightly ahead—the two students established a steady, quick pace. They weren't talking much, and Tyson was rather thankful since he was a tad busy organizing his thoughts—alone this time.
Now that dilemma number one of finding his first class was over, he was thinking about the next thing on his to-do list: finding a job. Tyson only had two classes today (both in the morning, no less), so he figured that he'd go job-hunting after lunch. Not that he actually needed one; it was more of a personal thing.
Tyson was actually very fortunate. His father was a renowned archaeologist, while his mother used to be a remarkable doctor. Moreover, his grandfather ran (and still does) a successful dojo—one that Tyson would probably inherit in the future.
The dojo was one of Tyson's favourite places. He spent a lot of his time there doing practically anything, though often just randomly lazing on the wooden floor, much to his grandpa's disapproval, who frequently insisted that Tyson use that time to train. However, despite his habit of lounging around, Tyson's dedication to kendo was quite genuine. It often surprised (and perhaps overwhelmed) people to see just how serious he could be. And it wasn't just with kendo either.
Tyson's fortitude and wealth were two aspects about himself that people rarely saw. His fortitude involuntarily came out when he faced something that he felt strongly about (like kendo). Tyson's wealth, on the other hand, was something that he purposely hid. Tyson just didn't like the idea of being given special treatment because of it or the effect it could have on his character.
Take Kai, for example. From what Tyson had seen so far, Kai seemed like the typical rich boy type. The way he talked down to people and his whole high and mighty attitude really gave it away. Plus, Kai had that abnormal obsession with a vase. Seriously, a vase!
If Tyson really wanted to, he probably could get Kai a new vase from France. It would be really annoying, but not impossible for him to pull off. Honestly though, it was a vase. Anything breakable was prone to breaking. Kai was just being a condescending rich prick about it—something that Tyson swore he'd never turn into.
"We're here," Suzaku suddenly announced, breaking Tyson's musings.
The bluenette looked up. "We are?" His auburn eyes finally noticed the open door just up ahead. "Oh. That was fast."
Suzaku laughed. "Well you learn how to get around pretty quickly after being here for four years."
"I'll bet," Tyson idly answered, advancing forward. "Hey wait a sec…did you just say four years? But aren't you a second-year like Hilary?"
"Oh, no," she replied with ease. "I'm in a graduate program. I met Hilary through the Aoki Student Council."
"Oh, right," Tyson said, nodding.
Tyson's attention then went back to his first class. Silently, the freshman sauntered towards his gateway of university manliness, his eyes locked on the sacred passage. He left Suzaku to follow him with a small simper on her face—one that he completely missed. Finally, Tyson took in a deep breath, and the nineteen-year-old curiously peered into the foreign area.
Dude…it's so…big…
Tyson's inquisitive gaze cautiously swam across the room, taking in every detail. There was a wide area in the front of the room like a stage, and a few sets of stairs led upward with many rows of long tables beside them. It looked a lot like a theatre.
"Pretty different from high school, huh?"
Tyson glanced beside him to see Suzaku, who wore a light smile. "It is," Tyson nodded. "I mean seriously…damn."
It's not like Tyson had never seen a lecture hall before (or, as Hilary liked to call it, an auditorium). There were things such as brochures, movies, and TV, but to see it in person? Now that was a different story.
"Anyway, it was nice meeting you," Tyson went on. He was about to go into the lecture hall, but turned around instead. Tyson leaned on the wall beside the door, not wanting to be an obstruction to other students entering the auditorium. "Hey Suzaku, where's your class?"
Suzaku pointed a thumb further down the hall. "Just over there," she replied. "Maybe I'll see you afterwards. What time do you finish today?"
Tyson shrugged, "At 1."
His newly found friend grinned again—the same one she seemed to be giving liberally. "Okay. Hopefully, I'll see you at the caf then. I'll catch you later, Tyson."
That said, Suzaku waved at him and quickly left. It was then that Tyson suddenly noticed that the halls weren't as busy as they had been when he had first arrived. Oops.
Tyson dashed into the nearby door and scrambled up the short flight of stairs before settling into an empty seat near the back. Upon sitting down, an older gentleman (probably in his late-thirties or so) strode through the door and stopped at the front desk. Tyson couldn't help the smug look on his face. Perfect timing.
"Your timing sucks balls," Tala groaned, still staring at the shut door where one of his lady friends had just stepped out of. "I was just about to—"
"Do stop," Kai cut in, not in the mood to listen to one of Tala's sexcapades. Kai sauntered over to Tala's wooden desk, placed his bag on top of it, and settled into the black, leather chair. "You seem to have recovered quickly," Kai commented, noticing Tala's showered hair, fresh clothing, and collected demeanor—quite opposite to Tala's state about an hour or so ago.
Tala smirked, his gaze wandering to the ceiling. "Well, you know... with the right motivation, hangovers are just a speck of annoyance. But anyway," Tala pushed himself up into a sitting position, leaned against his bed's headboard, and crossed his arms, "enough about me. What brings you here? After this morning, I was sure you would've stalked into a dark corner somewhere," he grinned.
Kai shot him a fatal glare. "It's not funny."
"It's a little funny," Tala chuckled.
"I want Tyson gone," Kai denounced. "I'm about ready to—"
"Kai, Kai, Kai," Tala swept in, clicking his tongue in a disapproving manner. "Didn't you say you wouldn't force anymore students out of Aoki?"
Kai scoffed, shaking his head, "I said I would try not to force students out."
"And you haven't for over half a year now!" Tala promptly exclaimed, swinging his legs over the bed and facing Kai properly. "Why don't we keep it that way, hm? Tyson's not so bad. You survived a week with him, didn't you?"
"Only because we rarely saw each other," Kai muttered.
Kai glanced at the other side of the room, noticing a large, wooden corkboard hanging over Max's desk. It was filled with pictures, some recent and some from what looked like high school. One picture in particular—it showed three students in navy high school uniforms in a classroom—grabbed Kai's attention. A girl with brown hair sat on a desk, legs-crossed, and a cocky expression on her face. A blonde boy held a blackboard eraser, laughing. And a bluenette with a red and blue baseball cap knelt on the floor, scrubbing the tiles with what looked like cheap white styraphone, a scowl on his face.
"What'cha smiling at?" Tala's voice suddenly interrupted him.
"Nothing," Kai looked back at Tala.
Tala stared at Kai for a second, before his gaze floated to the object of Kai's attention. Tala stood up, strolled over to Max's desk, and began examining the corkboard. "He does look pretty cute in this picture," Tala smirked.
Kai made a low sound in the back of his throat. "I shouldn't have bothered trying to talk to you," he said, as he stood up, snatched his bag, and stomped towards the door.
"I'm just kidding! Aw, come on Kai," Tala laughed, dashing after him, just in time to stop Kai from trudging out of the room. "Look, just give him a chance. Tyson's still just a kid, so maybe he does act a bit immature, but he's also interesting, upbeat, and fun," Tala stated, ticking off each trait with his fingers. "Now are those such bad things?"
"Yes."
"Kai..." Tala gave him a dull stare.
Kai took a deep beath and sighed loudly, "Fine. I will try to continue to tolerate him, but if he annoys me, I'm not holding back."
Tala smacked Kai on the back, smiling from ear to ear, "That's my Kai! Always trying to be a better person."
Kai grit his teeth, trying to keep himself from punching his best friend.
Tyson's class went on at a fairly reasonable pace. He didn't find all of it especially interesting, but he did manage to pay attention the whole time, and for Tyson, that was saying a lot. He vainly hoped that they'd get to do some kind of acting exercises so that he could show off his self-proclaimed skills, but had no such luck. The Professor, Mr. Okazaki, pretty much lectured about dramatic theories and a little bit of history throughout the whole hour. Tyson loved acting and all, but sometimes all that theory and history made his head feel like a whirlpool.
Tyson's second class wasn't too far from his first, but if it hadn't been for Suzaku, who was coincidentally one of the Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Acting I, he probably would've been late. Not that he'd actually admit that though.
Tyson had high hopes for his second class since it was being held in a studio—an indication of more application rather than theory—but sadly, the Professor was still on vacation, and they had some random substitute who kept gibbering about god knows what. He had this monotone voice that seemed to be hypnotizing Tyson into a dreamless sleep. Suzaku's faint voice was the only thing that would systematically interrupt him from drifting into an uncomfortable nap.
There was one good thing that Tyson thought would come out of it: no homework. Unfortunately though, the real Professor, Mrs. Honda, had actually left them an assignment to look over, which, during the last five minutes of class, the stand-in had randomly sprung on them before they could leave. Something about memorized improv…? Oh well. He'd figure it out.
"So are you still coming with me?" Suzaku inquired, while neatly placing her papers into a pile and sliding them into a binder in her bag.
Tyson furrowed his eyebrows, trying to get some of his brain cells to start functioning again after the narcotic lesson. A few seconds went by. Then a minute. Suzaku was staring at him now. Damn that substitute for putting his precious genius to sleep!
Tyson heaved out a sigh. "Coming…where?" he eventually had to ask.
She raised an eyebrow with a small grin. "To lunch."
"Oh right!" Tyson laughed sheepishly, as he stuffed his pencil case into his backpack. "Well, wherever there's food, I'll definitely be lurking around somewhere. Plus, I'm starving!" Tyson let out a content breath of air, stretching his cramped arms in the process. "Ah, food and a pretty girl for company. University life is good," he added, sending a wink towards Suzaku.
Strangely enough, Tyson received a comfortable smile in return. Not quite what he expected—girls usually blushed or actually flirted back—but hey, smiling is a good thing, right?
"I like you," Suzaku suddenly announced.
Tyson blinked. She…what?
"Come on Tyson, let's go." Before Tyson could ask anything, Suzaku was already gliding down the stairs. "What are you waiting for? I thought you were dying for food," she called from below.
"I-I'll be there in a second!" he yelled back, quickly shaking off the unexpected declaration. Tyson darted to the front of the class where she was waiting.
"Shall we then?" Suzaku asked with a grin, imitating their meeting a few hours ago. She started to walk ahead, probably knowing that Tyson would tag along.
Does she have a crush on me or something? Tyson wondered to himself, walking a little bit behind her. Even if she was a friend of Hilary's, she was acting really nice to him. Ah, it doesn't matter. It's definitely a nice change from the treatment I've been getting lately anyway, Tyson decided, thinking about Kai. Stupid anal rich prick.
"Are you all right?"
"What?" Tyson blinked out of his growing displeasure.
"You looked upset," Suzaku pointed out. "Is something wrong? Did I—"
"It's not you," Tyson promptly stated. "I've just been having a little bit of… difficulty, I guess you can say, with my current roommate. He's…er…we'll let's just say that we clash. Don't worry about it though; it's no big deal. Everyone has to deal with people they don't like once in a while, right?"
Suzaku nodded. "That's true," she agreed, consciously tilting her head. "Still, you have my curiosity now. May I know who this difficult roommate is?"
Tyson scoffed as the name flashed in his mind. "Kai Hiwatari," he replied in a flat tone.
Said name of rich prick was followed by an interval of silence. That or Tyson went momentarily deaf.
"I…see," Suzaku eventually said in an eerily slow, composed manner. Tyson looked down at her and noticed that she was staring straight ahead, her appearance mirroring her voice. "Well, good luck with that then," she suddenly added. She seemed to take notice of his staring and promptly changed her demeanour and returned him with that familiar, calm smile.
Maybe I was just overreacting about nothing, Tyson thought, continuing to walk. After about five minutes, the teenager was a becoming bit restless. How long are these hallways? he wondered. Oh well. The bigger they are, the less likely I'll run into—
"Kai! Will you quit walking ahead of me all the time?" a voice—one that Tyson was reasonably familiar with—suddenly complained up ahead.
No. No. No no no! Tyson internally groaned, as his eyes quickly scanned through the rabble. It must be another Kai, he tried to rationalize. Kai's a pretty common name, isn't it? And this university is huge! There's no way that he could be—
"If you would stop flirting every five minutes, then perhaps you wouldn't be left behind," came the snarky retort.
That voice. Damnit! It is him. Ugh. This really sucks. Unless…
Tyson turned his attention to Suzaku. He just didn't want to deal with Kai right now. He wasn't in a terribly bad mood or anything, but the last lecture and all his thinking made him a bit cranky. Plus, being exposed to Kai didn't usually end with marshmallows and rainbows. Tyson would be doing them both a favour if he avoided him.
"Hey Suzaku, do you think we can go over—"
"Hey there," a low, sensual voice greeted. Tala stood a few metres away from them, in the adjacent hallway.
"Hello back," Suzaku replied, eying Tala cheerfully. Tyson cocked an eyebrow; it was strange how she said that without sounding like she was hitting on him—kind of like it was an every day greeting. The female averted her gaze to Kai, who was currently giving her a neutral stare. "Hi Kai. How are you?"
"Same as always," Kai replied evenly. "You?"
"I'm good; thanks for asking."
Suzaku started to advance towards the caf again, as if the conversation had already ended. Tyson hastily followed and was surprised that Tala and Kai soon joined them. Tala on his left, and Kai thankfully walked on Suzaku's right, thus separating the two roommates.
Am I missing something here? Tyson wondered, while glancing at his present company. He felt a different atmosphere around the three, but it wasn't awkward. It was actually very calm and…comfortable even. It was quiet too. Nice, but still a bit strange since usually—
He hasn't said a single word to me, Tyson realized. Not even an insult. Why isn't he insulting me? Am I suddenly not even worth insulting anymore? Jeez! Kai's so—
Tyson stopped. It suddenly dawned on him that he was whining about Kai not provoking him. Tyson promptly crinkled his forehead. There had to be something wrong with that. It must be that substitute's fault that he was getting irritated more easily. He was totally fine in the morning, so it makes sense! That had to be it. Right? Right.
"Did I mention that I picked up a stray puppy this morning?" Suzaku randomly said out loud.
Tyson's copper eyes widened in slight confusion. She did? When? Tyson could have sworn she didn't have anything when he saw her this morning...but maybe she found it during the time he was in his first class. Or maybe—
"I can see that," was Kai's simple reply.
Oh. Kai sees that. It took Tyson an additional three seconds to absorb that remark. Wait…what the hell? He does? How?
Tyson felt rather befuddled now. Kai was talking about this puppy as if it was walking right beside Suzaku, and that was clearly impossible.
"A stray puppy?" Tala repeated, with a hint of amusement in his tone. "I doubt you'd consider him a stray since he lives with Kai."
If it were possible, Tyson's eyes would've widened even more at the redhead's comment. He immediately directed a pointed glare at Kai. Why hadn't Tyson seen Kai with this puppy before? Has Kai been hiding it his closet? That idea seemed to click.
Holy shit! That must be it! I knew Kai was a jerk, but god! That's animal cruelty! Tyson mentally ranted.
Tyson was not conscious of how his facial expression exposed his current emotions perfectly, but everyone else sure did. And they reacted accordingly. Well, except Kai, of course.
Just as the freshman was about to voice his feelings to the non-animal abusers, Tyson noticed that Tala was now wearing an obvious smirk, while Suzaku seemed to be holding back laughter. This only oxidized his fire.
Are they…amused by this? How could they just stand there? Tyson fumed. Puppies deserve to be treated with respect too!
Tyson's inner turmoil was rising. Fast. He had this rapidly growing urge to smack Kai on the head and demand that he let the puppy out of his closet. Moreover, he had this vivid image of a poor little puppy pawing sadly against the closed closet door, while making sad little puppy sounds.
"—ven listening?"
The vision seemed to disappear. Tyson turned his head to the person beside him. "Did you say something?" he asked Tala.
"You kind of spaced out there for a minute," replied the animal abuser's best friend, chuckling to himself. "You thinking about something especially interesting, little Tyson?"
Somehow, the whole puppy ordeal seemed to slip from Tyson's mind. "Do you have to call me that?" Tyson whined, pouting (unintentionally, of course).
Tala smirked, followed by a smart snatch at Tyson's hat. Before Tyson could object, Tala had already ruffled the teenager's already slightly muddled dark hair, making it even messier than it was before.
"Hey!" Tyson finally shouted in protest. "What was that for?" he demanded, immediately taking his hat back and planting it firmly on his head. The last time someone did that to him was when he was still lit—Oh. So that's why. "I'm not an eight-year-old, you know."
Before Tala could give a quirky response, Suzaku reached over and lightly flicked Tala's chest. "Now now Tala. Stop teasing the first-year," she chided softly.
Tyson cocked his head; didn't Tala say something like that to him about not throwing pillows at Kai?
"Don't let him bother you. Tala just likes to fool around is all. He means no harm," Suzaku told him reassuringly. "He was probably just testing you to see if you'd snap at him like someone else would."
"Someone…else?"
"Yes, someone else, but don't worry too much about that Ty. Oh, I'm sorry…may I call you Ty?"
"Uh, yeah, sure."
She's really polite, Tyson declared, glancing back at Suzaku. It was strange. All of them had really different, but distinct personalities. Instinctively, Tyson began to examine the three people around him. Tala was like an outgoing flirt, but on the other hand, Suzaku was like one of those approachable adults. And then there was Kai…
Leaning forward a bit, Tyson's dark eyes ultimately landed on the profile of his grouchy roommate, and a frown naturally found its way onto his lips.
How do I even start to describe the great Kai Hiwa-tightass? I bet he practices his death glare everyday in front of the mirror when no one is looking. Kai probably keeps a secret book full of jerk lines too, along with notes on how to piss everyone off.
Tyson glanced at Tala and Suzaku, scrunching his face.
I have no idea how they can stand him. It's weird. They're all so different, but they still seem to be really close. I guess it's the whole opposites attra—
"Tyson?"
Tyson firmly shook his head and swiftly refocused. He suddenly realized that Suzaku was giving him a very concerned look.
"Er…yes?"
"Are you really okay? You keep doing…well, that," she said quietly.
Tyson laughed nervously. Now he wasn't exactly known for having the best attention-span in the first place, but this morning in particular was especially distracting. There was just so happening: new people, new atmosphere, new everything!
"I'm good! I guess I was just thinking too much," Tyson admitted with a sheepish grin.
"Then don't think so much," said that familiar, arrogant voice. "It's obviously not one of your strong suits."
Oh. Kai finally said something to me. Hey…wait a minute!
Tyson's dark eyes flared."What did you say?" he demanded, preparing for a verbal battle.
"I don't repeat myself."
And that was that. Kai didn't say any following words. Kai just strolled on as if he didn't just insult the younger boy. Tyson quietly huffed in annoyance.
How dare he.
Now this, Tyson was not going to just quietly let go of. Somehow, he didn't think it was right for Kai to tempt him like that and then suddenly stop. It was frustrating—especially since he knew he couldn't really say anything back without making himself look like a jerk since Kai did, after all, drop the attack.
Hold on…that's it! The so-called truth suddenly hit Tyson like a sack of potatoes.So you want this to be an underground war, huh? Fine, Tyson mentally accepted the supposed challenge. I was getting tired of all these kid's games anyway. In that case, let's make this official.
"Hey Kai."
"What?" Kai replied, not even bothering to look at the speaker.
"Can I talk to you about something?" Tyson asked, trying to sound genuine.
"Now why would I want to do a thing like that?"
Hm. Verbal attack. I can handle this, Tyson thought confidently. "Because you owe me."
"For what?"
"For being so rude on my first day here."
There was a temporary hush. It was true, after all.
"At least I didn't destroy any of your belongings," Kai finally said.
Again with the vase! You'd think that it was the urn with his family's ashes or something! Luckily, this didn't faze Tyson one bit.
"You know, that's getting pretty old. Are you ever going to let that go?"
"Not anytime soon."
I feel like he wants to argue…is he trying to make this an open battle now? Tyson wondered to himself. Whatever. I just won't take the bait then.
Tyson tapped Suzaku. "Mind if we switch?"
"Be my guest."
Suzaku stepped back and moved in Tala's direction, while Tyson took the empty space beside Kai. The second-year gave him a bored glance.
"Why are you standing beside me?"
Tyson chose it ignore that. Instead, he sighed. "You know, if it means that much to you, I'll get you a new vase," he offered half-truthfully. He could afford it, right?
Maybe if I just get him to calm down a little, he'll listen to me, Tyson planned. But jeezuz, this is so weird…it's like trying to make a peace treaty in order declare war!
Sadly, Kai didn't calm down. The vase seemed to be a very touchy subject for him.
"How many times do I have to tell you?" Kai asked, sending Tyson that condescending look. "You just don't understand. That vase was a priceless, French, antique. You can't just replace something like that." There was a brief pause. "Then again," Kai went on, "what would someone like you know about the worth of something like that? I'll tell you: nothing. You know nothing."
Tyson could feel his left eyebrow convulse. Breathe Tyson. Breathe, he chanted to himself, which unfortunately wasn't helping him at all. Breathe. Breathe. Bre—ugh! To hell with that!
"I'm sorry," Tyson started, scorn seeping into his voice. "I guess I've just never met any guys that were overly obsessed with pots. Seriously Kai...you just keep bringing this up over and over again! Do you not know what an accident is? Have you no compassion?" Tyson paused as well, imitating Kai's own tactic. "Oh. Wait. Don't answer that."
And then Tyson's eyes shot daggers. So long to being calm about all this. Oh well. Tyson lasted for a pretty good while anyway.
Kai glared back, and although it wasn't as noticeable, his composure was slowly diminishing as well. "It wasn't a pot—it was a vase. Go find a dictionary, Tyson. You might learn something."
And that is when the rest of Tyson's restraints crashed and burned.
"Why don't you go learn something?" Tyson shot back. In his head, he knew he had totally fallen into Kai's pace, but he honestly couldn't help it. "Have you ever bothered looking in a thesaurus, genius? A vase and a pot are the same thing!"
And Kai probably knew that he was dominating as well, since his next action only aggravated Tyson even more: Kai raised both eyebrows, feigning surprise.
"Wait! Stop! Go back...did you say thesaurus? Can you spell it too?" Kai's eyes widened with mock sincerity. "I didn't know you knew such big words Tyson! I'm almost impressed." The façade dropped, and Kai was once again glaring at the younger boy. "Almost."
Tyson growled. Yes, growled.
"Why you little—"
"Okay boys, " Suzaku cut in, suddenly pushing them apart. "I think it's time this stopped, hm?" She turned left. "Kai, walk with me for a while." Then right. "And Tyson, would you like to know the location of the nearest bathroom?"
"Maybe...probably…" Tyson managed to grumble, his annoyance obviously still fresh.
"All right then. Kai and I will go ahead to the main caf and get us a table. Tala can direct you to the men's room, okay?"
"Sure, why not," Tyson replied, just for the sake of replying.
"Fine by you Kai?" Kai acknowledged her question by silently trudging ahead. "That's a yes," she absently said out loud, before turning to the remaining boys. "We'll see you two in a bit then." And with another smile and wave, Suzaku left to catch up with Kai, leaving Tyson glaring, seething, and thinking of a word stronger than hate.
Tsuzuku