Akai sat half-slouched in his seat, long legs stretched under the desk like he owned the place. His basketball rested between his knees, spinning lazily with one hand as he chewed on a straw from his juice box. The reddish brown in his hair caught the sunlight through the window, giving him that warm, fiery look that made everyone stare. Confident, sharp, and a little dangerous, he looked bored, like he couldn’t care less about class.

The classroom door slid open with a soft click.

Everyone turned to look.

Kurosawa stepped inside, his black hair clipped back messily with a few colorful pins. A white mask covered the lower half of his face, hiding the usual teasing grin he wore. His eyes looked tired, and he moved slowly as if even talking might hurt. The guitar case on his back swayed slightly with each step, the little bear keychain bumping against it.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, voice muffled behind the mask. “Had an appointment.”

The teacher barely looked up and waved him toward his seat beside Akai.

Kurosawa dropped into the chair, adjusting the straps on his bag. His jaw ached, and the braces felt heavy and strange against his teeth. He kept his head down, pretending to focus on his notebook, but he could already feel Akai’s eyes on him.

“You look like a surgeon,” Akai said with a grin, leaning closer. “What, too shy to show me your new hardware?”

Kurosawa glared, his cheeks already turning pink. “Shut up.”

“Come on,” Akai whispered, his tone teasing. “Let me see. I bet you look adorable.”

“No way,” Kurosawa muttered, tugging the mask higher. “It looks stupid. And it hurts.”

Akai’s grin softened. He could tell Kurosawa was uncomfortable, not just embarrassed. Under the desk, he nudged his leg lightly against Kurosawa’s.

Kurosawa froze, glancing up at him.

“Don’t worry about it,” Akai said quietly, meeting his eyes. “You still look like you.”

Kurosawa’s face turned redder, and he looked away quickly, pretending to search through his bag.

Akai smirked, his voice dropping lower. “Guess I’ll have to wait till you’re ready to show me.”