Work Text:
It's impossible for anyone not to know Itoshi Rin from class 102. He's arguably the most famous boy in the entire school despite being a new student. Incredibly, in less than a year he had established himself as the center of attention at school. Everyone was always talking about him. But how could they not?
His physique, his school standing, even his family, something about a famous brother or something like that. Everything was remarkable.
If you ask Isagi well... He really has nothing to say about Itoshi Rin.
He knows he has crossed paths with him a few times, like many, it is normal to run into other students when you are walking through the school hallways but nothing more.
No words. Not one remarkable interaction. They haven’t crossed paths and honestly Isagi couldn't care less. He has enough problems to deal with without paying attention to what others do or don't do. Or at least that was the case until he became Bachira's favorite topic of conversation.
The cafeteria was busy as usual, some fighting over the last cinnamon rolls on the counter, while others worried about finishing their pending assignments before the next classes started.
“Isagi! Isagi! Are you listening to me?” His best friend Bachira had been calling out insistently from across the table.
“Yes Bachira, I heard you the first time when you said that another girl from 107 confessed to Rin” He answered, rolling his eyes, and finishing taking out the plastic that came wrapped in his onigiri.
“From 117! And it was a boy this time,” he added with his arms crossed, visibly annoyed by his best friend’s lack of attention, although he was exaggerating.
“Is this the second one this week?” The black-haired man asked, taking a bite of food.
“Third! You’re not paying attention to me!” Bachira complained with a shout that caught the attention of those passing by, as well as sporting a rather noticeable pout on his face. “Nagi, you too!”
The white-haired boy who was completely absorbed in his cellphone, surely in some game as usual, answered without stopping to move his fingers quickly on the screen “It's the fifth in total this week if we count the girl from yesterday”
“See! Even Nagi is listening to me and he’s playing the level…” He cut in to lean over his friend’s shoulder and take a look at the screen “139?! Man! When was that? You were barely level 80 yesterday.”
“I finished my homework early,” Nagi replied calmly, shrugging.
“Gosh, I envy you. I stayed up all night doing an essay that Miss Anri gave me as homework,” Bachira replied, stretching out his arms and putting his chin on the table.
"The one about climate change? It wasn't that difficult, he left it for us too, right Nagi?" The caller just nodded slightly.
“It was seven pages!” Bachira quickly said in an offended tone.
“He gave us two weeks to do it,” Isagi contradicted again.
There was a deep silence from his brown-haired friend, he only gave himself away with his nervous look and immediately Isagi understood everything
“You started it last night, right?”
"Yeah"
There it is. A small laugh escaped his lips. It sounded so Bachira-esque to leave tasks to the last minute.
“Ah! Don’t make fun of me Sagi! Nagi, tell him something!”
The named man just shrugged his shoulders again, because he apparently doesn't know how to react any other way, and answered sincerely: "It was your fault."
“Don’t say that, you make me feel bad!” Bachira shouted loud enough again to draw a few curious glances towards his table.
Bachira Meguru has been friends with Isagi since their last year in middle school. A curious friendship if you think that it started with a simple and direct 'I like you. Will you be my friend?'
Nagi Seishiro came along soon after. It was a fluke of fate that the three of them were in the same class during their first year of high school and when Nagi joined them on a collaborative project at his own invitation, they were never apart again after that.
“Back to the point, why do we always have to talk about Itoshi Rin at lunchtime?” Isagi asked, already fed up with the topic of the past few days.
As expected from the most popular boy, confessions of love were the order of the day. After so many rejections, those who tried to approach him with romantic intentions were considered brave because no one has managed to cross the line of rejection and absolute humiliation.
Rumors are flying with the wind and it seems that people are really interested in knowing how the story will continue, which apparently included Bachira.
"Because if it's not me, you won't talk about anything interesting," Bachira said in a complaining tone.
It is true that of the three, the chestnut is the one who is in charge of maintaining the topic of conversation most of the time.
“It’s because we’re supposed to be eating. That includes you, that’s why you fall asleep in class.” Isagi simply pointed at the untouched food on Bachira’s tray.
“You haven’t finished your cereal and we only have fifteen minutes left,” Nagi added, putting his phone in his pants pocket and stuffing his cheeks with the last pieces of the cookies he bought.
It's usually like this, Bachira takes a few bites while talking non-stop until he is the last one to finish his lunch.
“But if nobody talks it’s very boring!”
“But why, of all possible topics, do we have to talk about school gossip?” the black-haired boy asked.
“Because they’re fun,” Bachira replied, simply stating it as if it were an obvious thing. “I don’t know about you, but I’m curious. Why is it that everyone who confesses to Rin ends up crying?”
Isagi began to give up on his mission to convince his friend to change the subject, so he resignedly agreed to continue the conversation even if it was just to please his best friend.
“It’s normal to cry if you get rejected, right?”
“Yes, well, but they end up absolutely devastated.”
“Crushed, like a bug on the floor.” Nagi added. Isagi managed to quell his urge to laugh, because even the most disinterested boy in the world joined in on the discussion of such a ridiculous topic.
“Literally crushed, reduced to ashes.”
A few spoonfuls of cereal and Bachira beckons them over. Isagi and Nagi look at each other strangely but do as he pleases.
"Chigiri says that he heard the girl Rin rejected talking near the sewing room."
"The one from 507?" Nagi suddenly asked.
Isagi isn't sure but he thinks they're referring to the captain of the tennis club. The girl from two grades above him with black hair and emerald eyes.
Ok, maybe they have over-involved him, putting useless data into his head.
"Yes, she! It seems that Rin told her that he has a girlfriend. That's why he rejected her."
"Or maybe he made it up so as not to ruin his reputation. If someone like him had a girlfriend, everyone would already know about it." Nagi pointed out the theory, with the same passivity on his face as always, whoever saw him from the outside wouldn't know his true, unserious personality.
It makes sense, the girl is one of the most popular. Just the kind of person who would do anything to not ruin her reputation. It must have been a stab in her pride that Itoshi rejected her like everyone else.
Before they finished Nagi got up from the table and walked, maybe he was going to buy something else before entering his class, leaving Isagi and Bachira alone for a moment.
"It’s elementary to solve this mystery, my dear Isagi."
"It's not elementary, it's just cheap school entertainment."
"Shh shh" Bachira interrupted him, practically shoving a handful of cereal into his mouth to shut him up. "I said elementary" And he smiled amusedly.
Isagi who was choking on the cereal and struggling to catch his breath in the midst of a coughing fit saw Nagi return. Three lollipops in his hand. Two for each of his friends and one for him. Strawberry for Bachira, mint for Isagi and the bubblegum one is Nagi's.
"D-damn it man," Isagi finally spoke, his voice still hoarse. "I told you to stop throwing food in my mouth."
He managed to take the last sip of his fruit drink, in a poor attempt to calm the last traces of cereal that were still stuck in his poor throat. One of these days this Bachira habit will really kill him.
“Thanks for the sweet Nagi” Isagi thanked him, and the boy gave him a slight nod that immediately acted as a way of acknowledging him.
"I just came up with a plan. Today, after school, I'll see you outside your classroom," Bachira said with great excitement, and ran like a little devil through the cafeteria hallways.
Although Isagi and Nagi don't understand anything, they decide to worry about it later. Now what matters is getting to their classrooms before their teachers start the last round of classes.
They are not allowed to carry buckets of water outside the classroom anymore, as a punishment for arriving late.
Not again…
The loud sound of the bell in the hallway alerts all the students, signaling the end of classes. Finally after long hours of sitting Isagi gathers his things and walks to the back of the classroom.
Nagi is sleeping on his notebook as usual, with some pencils and pens scattered around his desk. The white-haired boy looked at him with the sleepiest face he has and with the greatest regret in the world followed his friend out of the classroom.
When they left, Bachira was already there. The brown-haired boy greeted them with great restrained effusiveness, which resembled a reunion after years of separation. Funny because it's not as if they hadn't seen each other a few hours ago.
The group of three set off. They had promised to help Isagi carry the new canvas he got to the art club. The size of the thing was exaggerated for an art supply, Isagi obviously couldn't carry it up to the second floor by himself, so his friends offered to lend a hand.
They quickly take the canvas and move it carefully so as not to kill anyone by getting a head injury. Then, when they finally arrive at their destination and arrange everything, Bachira releases the bomb he had been keeping hidden.
"Wait, what am I going to do whaaaat?"
"You Isagi." Pointing at his friend calmly.
“You're going to confess to Rin in…” Bachira paused dramatically to look at something on his phone screen and then continued “Fifteen minutes” He said finishing with a big smile on his face.
"Huh?" What? Wait, what the hell? "Why in the fucking hell would I do that?" He wanted to ask as calmly as possible but it was more than obvious his failure when it came out in an almost panicked scream.
“Because I already left a letter in your name in his locker,” Bachira insisted again, going over his plan one last time, “In fifteen minutes, so we have to run.”
Isagi wanted to die right there, his cheeks kept burning pink and he felt like his head was about to explode.
"Why did you do that? I don't even know him. How am I supposed to confess-"
“Of course not,” Bachira interrupted. “It’s just an undercover mission to find out what he says to everyone when he rejects them. You’re not really going to really really confess, it’s just a little act.”
"No!" Isagi cried out, raising his voice. His reputation, and the little pride he had left as an emerging artist, hangs in the balance. His precocious career can't start with ridiculous high school gossip.
"Don't drag Isagi into your weird stuff, Bachira," Nagi complained, and Isagi internally thanked him for the support in solidarity.
Impossible. Even if it's a lie, he can't confess words of love to a boy he doesn't even know.
"Come on, don't be a party pooper, nothing will happen."
"Then why don't you do it?" Isagi claimed, pointing accusingly with his finger. The worst thing about a betrayal is that it doesn't come from an enemy, that's what they said, so it was true and his now (ex) best friend proved it. Congratulations on the promotion Nagi, you're now the new Bachira.
"You know our classrooms are on the same floor. I couldn't stand having to see him every time he passes by. You can imagine how awkward that would be." Bachira argued, and it was clear that they were just excuses. He's the kind of boy who likes to watch the world burn, but from the outside.
Little son of a…
"And just because of that you chose me? Why not Nagi?"
“Hey, I’m not going to support you again.” Nagi shouted with a slight frown. Isagi ignored his video game addict friend’s complaint.
"Nagi can't. This has to be convincing enough to make that genius fall. Nagi is too unserious, he's sure screw up with a bad performance." Bachira took the trouble to explain his elaborate plan point by point.
“Hey, I’m still here listening to everything you say about me.”
The two friends once again ignored Nagi completely, both getting carried away by the little fight that spilled over into them.
"I'm not even an actor!" Isagi retorted.
"But you are an artist! The talent is there" The brown-haired boy affirmed, totally convinced of what he said as if it were an absolute truth.
Meanwhile, Isagi, no matter how much he turned it over in his head, came to the same conclusion.
"No, I can't play with someone else's feelings like that."
“Man, it’s not like he’s going to accept you! You just go, confess, get rejected, and come back to tell us what he said.”
Bachira, seeing that his friend continued to refuse, began his secret plan: bribery.
"If you do it, I'll pay you half of that expensive oil paint set you want."
Isagi frowns at what his friend says.
"Don't try to blackmail me like that Bachira. Besides, I won't let you pay for my materials for me." He wouldn't budge, not even for the paintings he'd been saving up his allowance for.
"Besides, if you do this, I'll never talk about Rin at lunchtime again." Ok, the offer started to sound more tempting.
“A paint set of my choosing. And no mention of any Itoshi’s name for the rest of our high school years. It’s that, or nothing.” Isagi finished, offering his hand in formality of the deal.
“It’s a bet then! Only if you do it” Bachira exclaimed, almost jumping for joy.
"But Isagi..." Nagi tried to reason with him, but it was too late. The white-haired boy sighed heavily and laid his head on his desk. Anyway. If anyone wants to blame him later, he tried.
Suddenly a purple haired boy burst into the art room, grabbing the raven haired boy before he fell asleep. The two best friends waved at Reo, and looked back at Nagi.
"Do you have an archery club session today?" Isagi asked, discreetly trying to postpone the inevitable. Too bad the Bachira is more cunning, and could practically see behind his intentions.
"Too bad, we'll tell you tomorrow what we found out." Bachira cut the conversation short, grabbing Isagi's arm and running off, not giving Nagi a chance to finish what he was saying. "Bye Reo."
"Bye guys. See you later." Reo waved goodbye, as always with a soft smile, before turning his attention back to the sleepy boy.
"What are those two up to?"
“They are fools,” Nagi sighed, and tried to go back to sleep before being scolded by Reo.
Upon reaching the agreed place, Isagi was barely able to slow down to calm his labored breathing, when a second later his friend carelessly pushed him out of the gardens without saying anything.
As soon as Isagi turned around to protest, Bachira had already hidden somewhere.
'Damn it, but don't leave me alone,' Isagi thought, his mind racing and unable to clearly process the situation he was facing. He remembered telling his friend off later for throwing him into the sea without a life jacket.
Ok. The black-haired boy took a deep breath and filled his lungs with oxygen, trying to calm the restless pounding of his heart against his chest.
'It's just like a bet, you just go and tell a lie and you win. Easy.'
It's not easy at all.
Isagi walked towards the back of the school, a place where there are gardens, but most students avoid it because of how lonely it can be. His breath caught for a second when he saw it. Itoshi Rin was in front of him, leaning against the wall with his gaze fixed on some point above the blue-orange sky.
A gust of wind subtly moved his hair and dragged the leaves of the trees in the middle of summer as if it were autumn. Isagi saw Rin with his hands in his pockets and slowly approached him. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous at all.
How the hell was he even supposed to start?
"Hey hello, sorry to have kept you waiting" Isagi said, running a few fingers through his hair, trying to arrange his physique and not look so messy.
"Are you the one from the letter?" Itoshi Rin immediately cut off his words, completely ignoring what Isagi said earlier.
"Uh yeah, I'm Isagi Yoichi from 302."
Idiot. Don't tell him your grade. Great, now everyone will know who the other idiot who fell victim to the rejection master was.
Well this is getting a lot more awkward than he imagined and even more so when Itoshi started to shamelessly examine him from top to bottom. They were behind the school, near the gardens and there was no one else around.
He didn't know whether to feel relieved or uncomfortable with such a fact.
If someone saw him, they would surely die of embarrassment, but being alone with someone who looked like he wanted to commit murder didn't bring relief to his exhausted nerves either.
"You better finish this quickly before you waste my time any longer."
Then, Rin's gaze turned away as if with a hint of disappointment that came from nowhere. His cold voice, rather than being intimidating, sent a chill that enveloped Isagi in a survival instinct. Oh no, that's not it, you arrogant little shit.
The rumors were starting to make sense now.
Ok so. A cold, unfriendly but extremely good looking guy, popular to the bones, probably vain, rude and insensitive to others. He already understood where this was going. And it was certainly the worst first/second impression he had of someone in a long time.
Of course, anyone would cry if the guy you like looked at you with that kind of unfiltered contempt and disgust. Isagi bit his lip so hard that he felt like it was about to bleed.
You little son of a bitch…
"Ah, it's just... You know the usual." Isagi started, starting off with the most dejected look he could muster on his face. Bachira wanted a fucking play? Then he would have the best acting performance of his life, to end it all once and for all.
"I just wanted to say that I've been interested in you for a while now and that I wanted to go out with you. But the truth is I was just pushing my luck. I don't even know you, and you're actually not what I expected."
Itoshi Rin stared at him blankly, his hands shoved into his pockets. Isagi cleared his throat uncomfortably and only received a flash glance.
“Well, you aren't what I was expecting either. Your letter sounds more like despair.”
"You're misunderstanding everything." Isagi rolled his eyes
“"You tell me, after all, you're the one confessing here." Rin said, putting a teasing smile on his lips.
“Don't think that high of yourself just for that. Or is your self-esteem so low that you fill yourself with the attention other people give you?”
“Starting with you, am I wrong?”
Fuck it, everything has already done its part, isn’t it?! Yoichi quickly pinched his cheeks to hide the red color that began to rise to his face.
"Just. Ugh. Listen. My friend forced me to come so I'll be spared the rejection and humiliation. That's all thanks and goodbye."
Once Isagi turned around he was able to release the breath he had been holding and let the relief flood through him as he practically took a step to run away and never see this guy's face again. Or so he wished.
“Wait.” Itsohi Rin spoke up, catching up to his stride. A hand grabbed the back of Isagi’s uniform shirt collar and abruptly pulled him back on his own steps to where he stood.
“Hey, what are you doing? Let me go!” Isagi demanded, waving his hands in the air.
"Tomorrow at 8 in the shopping district. Don't be late again." Itoshi said, before walking away from the place. His teal eyes shot him a menacing look, and Isagi was suddenly stunned.
"W-wait, I don't…" He began to falter, the words falling in disarray from his tongue, but Itoshi walked without looking back until he disappeared.
"I don't really want to go out with you," he whispered to himself, defeated.
"How did it go?! Tell me everything" Bachira shouted, jumping out of who knows where with an impatient leap.
Isagi is sure that his friend shaking wasn't the reason why he started feeling nauseous and a pit in his stomach at the same time.
"It seems I got a date with him..."
"Eh."