Oumami Week

Garden Tours

Kokichi has just been sent off by his father to a prestigious boarding school in the middle of nowhere. It seems... average, or slightly less - considering the boy who's suppose to guide him hasn't shown up yet. And then that boy does, and he's.... well, they go to the gardens together.

Prompt : Nature Walk

Kokichi was nervous, moving into the countryside and into a boarding school. It was... to be expected - with his statue, and lack of suitable governess (it wasn't really his fault they couldn't keep up with him). But that still didn't mean he wanted to go. On the contrary, he was most certainly forced here. And now, staring up at his new 'prestigious school' he was certainly having to fake a smile.

Halting, the carriage was brought to a stop - and his butler opened the door, offering a hand for him. Taking it, Kokichi put his weight on them before elegantly leaping off and onto the ground, brushing off imaginary dust. Even if no-one was watching, it was always good to play the part. Going inside the carriage, Kazuko quickly emerged with most of his luggage. It was a valiant effort, considering how much Kokichi had ended up packing. Various books and attires had just ended up falling into his luggage, he swore.

At least Kokichi had arrived late Saturday afternoon; just late enough to miss lessons - and of course school wouldn't be on on the Sunday. They had free reign of the estate, as he understood it. Or if he didn't officially have it, he would have it anyway. Corporal punishment was only hard the first couple of times, and he doubted they would strictly discipline such upper-class boys.

He'd called himself an upper-class boy. Grimacing, Kokichi tried to distract himself from that horrid realisation and instead looked around. The boarding school was comprised of two buildings, one for rooms, and one for schooling, Both looked stately, with clean marble and well-polished, if well worn, steps. Everything certainly looked perfect, and the education was said to be very good. Not that Kokichi instinctively believed everyone who said that. Who would tell you they were in charge of a second-rate school, or were educated at one? Certainly not anyone who'd told him about it.

Fiddling with his buttons, Kokichi tried to stare while also appearing completely polite. He patiently watched as Kazuko disappeared into the second house (the dormitories, he assumed) and was left alone with the company of his horse. Not that Kokichi minded, it gave him time to reflect and calm his breathing. This school would be fine, and he would end up enjoying it. The lessons would be both adequate and entertaining, and perhaps he could finally put his language skills to good use. Wherever he was would be pretentious enough to have them speak Latin. Not that he could judge, when he was practically fluent in it.

Waiting, Kokichi counted the passing time. Thirty seconds, a minute, two minutes, three minutes. It was on the two hundred and fifty first second that movement suddenly stirred. Rushing from the house was a boy that looked around his age. Well, he looked older than Kokichi - but that was only because Kokichi looked young. Observing from a safe distance, Kokichi tried to take in the boy.

Green hair, not quite vibrant enough to be lime but still fairly pigmented and rather beautiful. It reminded Kokichi of spring, and of well-looked-after gardens. It was shorter than Kokichi's hair, but not by too much - and there was still just enough of it to whip around wildly as he moved down the steps. As a particularly long strand fell across his face Kokichi was struck by the sudden urge to move it away for him. Although he stayed perfectly still, of course, just waiting for the person to come to him. And keeping up the smile when the boy moved his hair out of his face by himself.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," the boy still seemed to be smiling, and he held out a hand, "I'm Rantaro Amami, nice to meet you."

Kokichi took the hand instinctively, "I'm Kokichi Oma, and please; the pleasure is mine."