Salmon - Agree/Affirm
Bonito flakes - Disagree/deny
Kelp - Greeting
Mustard Leaf - Concern / Worry
Salmon Roe - To grab attention
Tuna - Focus
Tuna tuna - Look
Tuna mayo - Talk
------
"Y/N! There you are!" A familiar voice calls out to you as you near one of the buildings on school campus. You raise your head up, looking in front of you. There stands your parents with panic written all over their face.
The two hurry over to your side, embracing you. Your father holds you tightly while your mother pulls away to take a look at your face and wrist. "That young boy was right, dear. Y/N's classmate did hurt her. We must take her to the principles office right now."
Confused, your brows furrow together. "W-What are you talking about? Why are the two of you here?" Your father pulls away, gripping tightly onto your shoulders. He wears a stern glare that renders you into silence. He wears a serious expression you're not accustomed to.
"We should ask you the same thing Y/N. You ran off campus and we were called here after a student reported your absence. We're lucky the boy was around to witness everything. This time we'll have justice for one of your bullying incidents." Your fathers voice trails into silence from his last sentence.
You feel a tightness in your chest when your parents both wear heartbroken expressions. You never realized how much the two are hurting themselves. They must feel useless being unable to protect you. You curse yourself for thinking about suicide earlier. There's no way you're going to tell them what you ran off to do.
Your mother grabs hold of your hand, lacing her fingers with yours. "Let's go honey." You nod your head, following beside your parents.
*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*
The closer you get near the principals office the more nervous you grow. You're unsure who or what to expect behind the large double doors. Even with your parents next to you, you feel anxious. It's never a good sign to visit the principles office. Most students are sent here because of misconduct.
Your father opens the door for your mother and you. He steps inside after you, closing the door behind him. Upon entering the principles office, you see two students seated in front of the principle. The two turn to look behind them, wondering who entered inside. You stiffen when one of the students is Hiroshi.
He glares daggers at you the moment you share eye contact. A shiver runs down your spine, you subconsciously take a step back. Your father holds you still with his hand that rests on the small of your back. "Sir, we--"
"You found her!" An unfamiliar voice boasts beside Hiroshi. You take notice of the boy when he turns around to look at you. The boy has large eyes and spiky hair with an undercut. You wished to see what he looked like in color, but your usual grays are back.
He hops out of his seat, standing in front of you. You stiffen when he leans his face close to yours. "E-Excuse me..." You mutter under your breath. He blinks, raising a finger to point at the slowly faded red spot on your face. He then turns around to the principle.
"See, she still has a subtle mark from his slap." The boy then returns his eyes on you, darting his eyes down to your right wrist. You quickly hide your hands behind your back but your mother stops you. She carefully grabs hold of your arm, raising it up.
She points at the fingernail marks on your wrist, dried blood in it's place. "Hiroshi's nail marks are also on her wrist like young Itadori's stated. Is this enough proof for you sir to take us seriously? Or should I spread word that this well respected school accepts bullying."
The principles face pales over from your mothers taunt. He quickly straightens himself up and clears his throat. You feel his eyes rest on your face. "Is it true that Hiroshi bullied you Y/L/N? We've only heard from Itadori's perspective and Hiroshi's. I'd like to get your side as well."
You nervously look at Hiroshi, his eyes narrowing on your face. The hairs on your arms rise when you're littered with goosebumps. The boy you assume is named Itadori stands in front of you to block Hiroshi's glare. "Sir, I think Hiroshi should wait outside while Y/L/N says her side. A victim is most likely to remain silent if her bully is in the same room."
The principle glances over to Hiroshi who clicks his tongue and flares his nostrils. He nods his head and motions for Hiroshi to leave the office. Hiroshi quietly stands up from his seat, sending you a malicious look before walking past you and your parents. He closes the door behind him and the atmosphere in the room seems less tense now. Itadori then moves out of your way.
He flashes you a smile. "I'll excuse myself too." Itadori bows to your parents before leaving the room. You watch Itadori leave. The principle clears his throat and you jolt in response. Resting your eyes on the man before you, your stomach ties in knots.
"Well Y/L/N?" The firm tone of the principles gives you anxiousness. Your dad tries to ease your nervousness with his gentle rubs on your back. Your mother gives your hand a gentle squeeze. Closing your eyes, you inhale deeply before slowly recalling everything. You explain everything to the principle from the beginning. The only thing you leave out is the reason why you ran off. You made up a quick excuse of wanting to get as far away from Hiroshi as you could.
*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*
Hiroshi rolls his eyes when he notices the spiky pink haired boy step out from the principles office. He crosses his arms, leaning against the wall. "Why'd you snitch?" Hiroshi mutters under his breath, his eyes staring forward.
Itadori stares at Hiroshi from the corner of his eyes. He slides his hands in his pockets, leaning his back on the wall on the other side of the door. He scrunches his nose slightly. "What you did was wrong. How do you expect me to not tell the principle?"
Hiroshi scoffs, a wicked smirk on his face. He turns his attention over to Itadori. "Trying to be that girl's hero? Do you even know who she is? Why go out of your way to help someone you don't know."
Itadori looks slightly annoyed by Hiroshi's statements. He sighs loudly and keeps his eyes down on his shoes. He forms his hands into fists in his pockets. The last thing Itadori wants is to entertain an idiot. It's common sense to not hurt someone.
Itadori parts his lips slightly to answer Hiroshi. "How can I not know who she is? Everyone likes to run their mouth about a student who's colorblind as if that's something so strange. So what if she's colorblind? That's not an excuse for others to look down on her."
Hiroshi furrows his brows, his hands clenching into tight fists. Itadori's sly comment visibly upset him. He grinds his teeth together, nostrils flaring. Itadori however, hardly gives a shit about the negative reaction Hiroshi shows.
"I only regret not finding out who she is sooner. Who knows how much bullshit she went through because of you and probably many others in her class. It's common decency to stand up for someone who's done nothing wrong. My grandfather told me to help as many people as I can before he passed away. So say whatever you want about me, just leave her alone."
Itadori raises his eyes away from his shoes to glare daggers at Hiroshi. Hiroshi's jaw locks tight, his eyes burning with anger. "You know, you should have more respect for your seniors." Hiroshi growls out, his fist raising up towards Itadori. Itadori easily catches Hiroshi's fist with his palm.
Scoffing, Itadori rolls his eyes. "Like hell I'll respect an upperclassman like you. I only show respect to those who respect me too." Itadori roughly pushes Hiroshi's arm back to his side. The two quickly move aside when they see the door open before them. Y/L/N's father is the one to pop out. He motions for the two to come back in.
Itadori eyes Hiroshi. He waits for Hiroshi to walk in first before entering right behind him. There's no chance Itadori will leave his back open for Hiroshi to sneak a hit in. He's not that much of an idiot. Itadori quietly thanks Mr. Y/L/N before entering inside the office.
Itadori looks over to the left to see Y/L/N darting her eyes down to the floor. Her mother is rubbing her right arm in a soothing motion. The principle clears his throat to speak up. "I've come to the conclusion that Hiroshi, you in fact, have bullied Y/L/N. She has physical proof of the act, as well as, a witness."
"Bull shit. You're just going to take their words as fact?" Hiroshi lashes out, his eyes glaring at the principle who's unaffected by Hiroshi's attitude. He forms a stern glare at Hiroshi, his hands folding together. The principle flicks his eyes to one of the seats in front of him, silently motioning for Hiroshi to sit down.
Hiroshi clicks his tongue, sitting down roughly in the chair. Itadori scratches the side of his head, unsure why he's here for this discussion. "Itadori here is a well-rounded student. I don't see a reason for him to lie to me. The same is said about Y/L/N. She's the highest ranked student in the second year. I find it hard to believe she would hurt herself by accident."
The principles voice is steely and unwavering. His words are absolute. He then states out Hiroshi's punishment. He'll be suspended for a month and transferred out of Y/L/N's class. He then looks over to Itadori. "I commend you for coming to me and standing up for Y/L/N on her behalf. Continue to be a stellar student Itadori."
Itadori awkwardly chuckles. He scratches the side of his nose, feeling his cheeks heat up from the compliment. The principle then looks at Y/L/N and her parents. He gives them a slight nod without saying anything more. The four must have already said what needed to be said when Itadori and Hiroshi were out of the room. "You're free to leave early today Y/L/N. Everyone's dismissed."
You bow to the principle before taking your leave first. Your parents follow after you and Itadori and Hiroshi take their leave as well. Hiroshi zooms right next to you, wanting to purposely bump you. But you find yourself being pulled to the right. You faintly hear Hiroshi click his tongue before disappearing from the faculty office.
You turn to your right to see Itadori. He flashes you a smile. "I never got to formally introduce myself to you, Y/L/N-senpai. I'm Yuji Itadori." Your brows knit together from his formality. Senpai? So Itadori is a freshman? You wouldn't have guessed with how friendly he is with you.
You feel a light tap on your left shoulder. "We'll wait outside the school gates. Make sure to grab your belongings." Your mother smiles at you with your father right by her side. The two say goodbye to Itadori before leaving.
"Right, let me walk you to your classroom." Itadori walks ahead, opening the door for you. Still in a daze, you nod your head and thank him. There doesn't seem to be any moment of silence between you and Itadori. The boy talks endlessly, most likely to not make things awkward for you.
But you find yourself unable to interject to answer his questions. He didn't seem to give you a chance to answer. "U-Um!" Your voice comes out louder than you want. You awkwardly stop in the middle of the hallway to look over to Itadori.
Itadori gives you his undivided attention, patiently anticipating your words. You grow shy from his attention being on you. You try to find your voice again to speak up. "I want to thank you for...helping me." You give a slight bow to Itadori before looking at him. "And I never got to formally introduce myself to you either, I'm--"
"Y/N Y/L/N." Itadori flashes you a beaming smile. He slides his hands into his pockets and wears a gentle expression when he looks at your face. "I've heard a lot about you, senpai."
Your chest tightens and anxiety litters your palms when you listen to Itadori. You force yourself to speak up. "Y-You have?" Itadori nods his head slowly, a deep sigh leaving his lips. He slumps his shoulders and scrunches his nose.
"People like to gossip around this school. Your name has come up frequently. So...it's hard for me to not know who you are. I just never had a face to the name. But don't worry Y/L/N-senpai, I think you're perfectly fine the way you are." Itadori flashes you another beaming smile. One that's too bright for you to look at.
His words alone shakes you to your core. You look away, biting your inner cheek. "You don't have to lie to me to make me feel better Itadori. Or pretend to be nice to me. If you think I'm odd, it wouldn't bother me."
"Woah, woah, woah. That's not my intention Y/L/N. The words I'm saying are genuine." Itadori sounds more serious than his happy-go-lucky attitude seconds ago. His firm tone brings your attention back to him. He holds a still stare on your face.
You search for any trace of a lie in his eyes but there are none. Itadori...is genuinely saying you're perfectly fine the way you are. You feel a tightness in your chest when you stare at the boy.
He parts his lips to speak up again. "What's so great about color anyway? Why do you have to be made fun of for seeing life in grayscale? Why should they gain entertainment from your pain?"
Your eyes slowly widen when Itadori mimics the same questions you've always asked yourself. Itadori clenches his teeth, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said those things so casually. I'm sure you'd do anything to see color." He puckers his lips, scrunching his nose innocently.
"A-Anyway!" Itadori stutters, quick to change the subject. "Let's go grab your things. I'm sure we've made your parents wait long enough." He carefully grabs your right wrist, his hand slightly above the marks on your wrist. Before you know it, you're running with Itadori.
Your mind can't keep up with the events going on. You're still in a daze from Itadori's previous words. "Oh, we should also exchange numbers Y/L/N-senpai. That way if someone bullies you again, I'll put them in their place." Itadori quickly looks behind him towards you.
"W-Why are you being so kind to me Itadori?" You stammer out your inner thoughts. The two of you slow down when you reach the second year wing. Itadori looks at you as if you asked something ridiculous. You find yourself averting his eyes.
"Am I being too forward? Sorry, I tend to do that." Itadori awkwardly chuckles. He releases your wrist to grab his phone, handing it over to you while continuing to walk forward. He folds his arms behind his head and suddenly stops.
Itadori keeps his eyes up at the ceiling above him, he swallows the saliva that builds up in his mouth. With a crinkle to his nose, he speaks in a much softer tone. "I'd like to be your friend Y/L/N-senpai. Something tells me that's something you need most. You can reject my offer if you want. I know I'm pushing the line right now."
You stare in shock at Itadori's back. How does this boy who you've met for less than five minutes know everything you've thought about? Can he read minds? You notice the slight twitch of his ears and the red that slowly forms on the tips of them. Itadori must feel embarrassed having to say that aloud.
A small smile tugs on your lips and you rest your eyes on his phone. This is the second time today that you're giving someone your number. You've always wanted to exchange numbers with someone. The thought sounds exciting as it's one step closer to bonding. You quickly type down your contact information and save it to Itadori's phone.
You quietly walk over to him, extending your hand out with his phone. You refrain from looking at him, your nerves too high. Itadori blinks before he looks at his phone. A smile tugs on his lips when he takes his phone back. Feeling the phone leave your hand, you speak up.
"Y/L/N." Itadori raises an eyebrow, confused to why Y/L/N is saying her name. She nervously raises her eyes up to him, her cheeks a soft shade of pink. "Just call me Y/L/N. There's no need for the senpai."
Itadori bursts into laughter, a wide grin on his face. "You're so stiff Y/L/N. Why are you so nervous to tell me something like that? You're actually really cute. I mean--" Itadori cuts himself off, biting his tongue. He clears his throat, scratching the back of his neck. "I shouldn't tease someone who's older than me."
You purse your lips, not replying to Itadori's comments. All you can focus on is how happy you are to have met two people today that showed their kindness towards you.