my saving grace ~ terukane

a misty memory?

2. Lemon

~

It doesn't take long for Akane to put a label on his feelings, something other than a general sense of discontentment.

Something else was there, rooted deep into his heart, squeezing and suffocating him.

"Yes!" A cheer brings Akane back out of his thoughts, glancing over at his closest friend.

"High score?"

"Mhm."

Lemon Yamabuki was, surprisingly, his best friend. Surprising, mainly because of how they first met. A bat to the head is a fairly unconventional way to start a friendship, but hey, they made it this far.

The telltale sign of another level starts up, and Akane hums as he hears the notes on the screen being tapped. He waits a beat, maybe two-

"Lemon?"

"Mm?"

"Do you think I'm a good person?"

A harsh noise echos around the empty rooftop as Lemon misses a beat, eyes widened and hands frozen. Because that other feeling, that Akane was able to identify, was a deeply rooted hatred.

It takes a moment, but Lemon puts down his phone. "What?"

The amount of disbelief in Lemon's tone immediately signals that Akane's said something wrong- as if what Akane had asked was ridiculous.

So, of course, Akane tries backpedaling.

"It was just a thought, you don't need to answer that-"

"No, no, we're talking about this."

It's no secret that the vice president was, mostly, an open book. He expressed his feelings daily and holds strong and firm beliefs, all whilst helping everyone he can. Akane's emotions are always written all over his face, so knowing Lemon's this shocked-

"Do you think you aren't a good person?"

But an undeniable truth is that Akane can't help but be angry. He's constantly simmering in it- whether it be for Teru, the supernaturals surrounding him, the stupid work students dump on him...

"I don't know, that's why I asked you."

Lemon sighs, heavily, before placing a hand on his forehead. His brows are knit together, and it's unnatural to see the phone placed gently next to the boy, instead of in his hands.

"Do you remember how we first met?"

Akane thinks for a moment. "Ao-chan said she had a crush on you, so I almost bashed your brains in."

"Yes, it was absolutely terrifying by the way." Lemon nods, snapping his fingers. "But then after that, while you do occasionally beat up metal trash cans with your baseball bat, or get too over protective over Aoi, or angrily rant about Minamoto-kaichou-"

"What wonderful examples of how good I am." Akane replies softly, bitterness filling his tone.

"Hush." Lemon shushes Akane, before turning and grabbing his phone again. Frowning at the level failed screen, before pressing replay.

"But you're also stupidly dedicated to your work. Someone could piss you off to no end, and ask you for help immediately after. You'd grumble, sure, but you would immediately move to assist. Before you, even if how we met was super weird, I had no friends."

Lemon's fingers are flying across the screen, passing the level with ease, even whilst talking to Akane. "Because, like it or not, you're someone people like and rely on. Everyone judged me because of my appearance, but then when you befriended me? It's like I had a chance to be normal."