"Aha! There you are!"
Asahina called out to the hall monitor that was in the process of trying to sneak into his dorm room. He froze halfway through opening the door. Chihiro, unable to see his face, couldn't tell if it was surprise or fear that halted his movements. But, either way, he stopped. Finally, at long last, they had caught that infuriatingly speedy prefect.
Asahina stomped up beside him, wasting no time in scolding him.
"Taka-kun! We've been trying to track you down since yesterday!" she reprimanded, giving his shoulder a slight shove. His eyes, wide and innocent, blinked.
"Oh?" No stammer— it seemed that Kiyotaka genuinely hadn't noticed. "I do apologize! I've been very busy trying to get approval from the headmaster for a proposition of mine, and it's had me running around the building quite a bit." His eyes glistened, and he clenched his fists. "To ignore my dear friends... How could anyone ever forgive such a thing?!"
His sudden burst of emotion seemed to stun Asahina out of her anger. She fumbled for a response. Sakura chuckled at the immediate change in atmosphere.
"Th-That's— You obviously wouldn't do that on purpose, of course! It's no big deal! You don't have to cry, really!"
"...R-Really? You aren't angry?! If you are, you may strike me! Only once, though. I have to look presentable for my presentation before the financial board tomorrow morning!"
"Taka!" Chihiro lightly slapped their overzealous friend on the back of the head, and that seemed to snap him back into his senses. Kiyotaka gasped in a breath, and his tears receded as quickly as they had appeared. "It's okay, really. It's just frustrating chasing you around, is all! If you're busy, it can't be helped. We have you now."
"R-Right. Of course." Kiyotaka grinned, having recomposed himself.
A little over a year ago, emotional outbursts like this had been commonplace for the prefect. He had been the sort of person who overreacted to, quite literally, everything. Now, after spending a couple of years picking up on social skills and developing healthy friendships, he was able to keep this mostly under control. Externally, anyway. He was still a very genuine and open person, emotionally (which wasn't a bad thing by any means— in fact, it was one of Chihiro's favorite things about Kiyotaka), but he could usually keep from having sudden fits of rage or bursting into tears without warning. He'd also learned to bite back comments that weren't appropriate for the time, and had started to loosen up a bit in regards to things like schedules and doing things simply to have fun.
The thought gave Chihiro pause. A lot of things had changed in such a short span of time. Hope's Peak seemed to have that affect on people. After all, two years ago, no one at the school had known the truth—
That Chihiro Fujisaki was a boy.
He smiled as he thought back on how remarkably understanding both Mondo and Kiyotaka had been. Chihiro had been certain, when he'd decided to tell them, that Kiyotaka would have some kind of nervous breakdown before he could accept it. And he had, to some degree— he'd cried confused tears and shouted so loudly that Chihiro had feared the entire school would unwittingly learn his secret. But Mondo had calmed him down, and then Kiyotaka had quietly asked for an explanation. Chihiro told them both why he he chosen to begin dressing in skirts, and when he told them this, they understood. And they'd sworn to help him out and keep his secret, no matter what.
They were good friends to him, those two. That day in the gym had been only six months ago, but it felt like it had been years— they'd both adjusted so comfortably to switching pronouns when appropriate, and neither one had had a slip of the tongue around the others. Chihiro had honestly expected Mondo to mess up by how. He had a habit of letting things slip that he hadn't meant to say. That, and Kiyotaka was almost incapable of lying... Even so, the secret had stayed with them, carefully guarded.
Mondo helped Chihiro work out. He didn't have a great deal of spare time to do this, but he worked as hard as he could when they did find the time. Kiyotaka was handy with first aid if Chihiro happened to pull a muscle or bruise himself, and he brewed tea that somehow soothed the muscles even after the most long and grueling of workouts. They were like best friends, and like older brothers, and, in some ways, like parents, and they were all of those things to Chihiro at once.
To other people, it might have seemed strange to go so far for a friend's anniversary. But for Chihiro Fujisaki, it was the least he could do.
Chihiro shook his head to focus himself on the conversation once more. It had advanced without him, as he'd expected. The others hadn't acknowledged his quietness, save for the occasional curious glance from Sakura.
"Well... I can't chat for long, but if you wish to discuss something, you're welcome to use my dorm," Kiyotaka announced. He pushed the door open, and Asahina stormed right through it, Sakura right behind her as always. Chihiro followed only after Kiyotaka nodded at him.
Instead of sitting on the cushions on the floor, Asahina threw herself into Kiyotaka's bed. Sakura laughed under her breath as she sat on the bottom corner. Chihiro and Kiyotaka exchanged glances, shrugged, and then jumped onto the mattress together. They formed something of a circle.
"Sooooo," Asahina began. "Can you guess what we're here to talk to you about?"
Kiyotaka looked at his boots as he thought. Chihiro noted the way that he tried to keep the soles from touching his clean sheets. He'd normally remove them before getting on a bed, but with that many laces, it would likely be a hassle.
"...The anniversary? I suspected that you all might be... involved."
"You're sharper than your boyfriend, that's for sure," Asahina laughed. Kiyotaka frowned.
"He's not stupid."
"Well, no, he isn't. Not really. He's just kinda forgetful."
"...That's true." Kiyotaka scratched his cheek. "I-I do hope he hasn't forgotten—"
"Oh, he hasn't," Chihiro interrupted. "Kirigiri-chan is making sure of that much."
Kiyotaka blushed, looking immediately flustered and defensive.
"She doesn't have to go to such lengths!" he declared, his voice booming. "We are both perfectly capable of handling—"
"Yeah, yeah," Asahina giggled. She ignored the oncoming lecture. "We're helping whether you like it or not. You should just accept it by now."
Kiyotaka grumbled something under his breath, his arms folded. Chihiro could see him holding an angry outburst in. He was probably counting, just to focus his mind elsewhere.
"...I suppose certain things must be tolerated. ...I won't have any of you interfering with my plans, though," Kiyotaka replied sternly, assuming his prefect stance. Sakura perked up.
"Plans? What plans would those be?"
"Er..."
A long pause. Kiyotaka fiddled with his disciplinary committee armband.
"...You don't wanna tell us?" Asahina pouted. "Come on, spill the beans!"
"It's not that I don't want to tell you," Kiyotaka corrected. "It's that I don't know whether or not I can. It's... I have to focus on the project, and I'm afraid I can't even give you many details about that. The only one who can truly help me with this is Kirigiri-chan. If you want to help, tell her to continue dropping hints to her father."
Sakura nodded slowly, while her two companions looked lost.
"...I... see. They must be tied together in some indirect way, yes? Regardless, you do not have the time to plan anything in this current state. The sooner you have concluded your work on this project, the sooner you can begin work on the anniversary surprise."
"S-Something like that," Kiyotaka agreed. Asahina hummed.
"Well, isn't there anything we can do to help with the project?! You don't even have to tell us what it is yet!"
Kiyotaka paused again. His brows knit themselves together, and for a moment he looked like his old self, like the Kiyotaka that couldn't relax no matter how hard he tried.
"...I suppose there's something you could do—"
"Tell us!" Chihiro squeaked, balling up his fists. Kiyotaka tried to hide his slight smile.
The trio stared at him, waiting for him to arrive at a decision.
"Alright," he relented. Asahina let out a loud whoop. Her friends were more subtle.
"Hina-chan, Oogami-chan. I won't need your help for a while, but when I do get my, er, present in order, I could use your assistance with... Presentation, I suppose."
"Presentation...? You mean wrapping it up?" Asahina asked, her blue eyes wide and alert. Kiyotaka made a strange gesture, something between a shrug and a desperate grasp for words.
"...Well, yes, there's that. Wrapping it will be... complicated. That, and I don't want to simply walk up to him and hand it to him. I want to do something clever. It's a surprise, after all..."
Now feeling that she understood, Asahina nodded excitedly. She nudged Sakura and forced her to nod along.
"I get it! If you can't tell us yet, I guess it really can't be helped, but we'll totally come through when the time comes!"
Kiyotaka flashed a sweet, grateful smile. It was a smile that was exclusively his, and one usually reserved for Mondo. Every time he showed it off, the recipient usually felt the strange urge to give him a hug. Asahina managed to resist this time.
"Now, Chi," Kiyotaka continued. Chihiro perked up to show that he was still listening and nervously played with the ends of his skirt. "I could use your help with something else, but we should probably talk about it privately."
"We understand," Sakura said calmly. She patted Asahina's head, almost like she'd sensed the exaggerated pout that the swimmer had donned. "If you must discuss something amongst yourselves, we shall take our leave. Let's go, Aoi."
"Awww, alright," Asahina relented. She had huffed like she was annoyed, but hadn't put up much of a fight. Kiyotaka knew from experience that when Asahina really meant it, almost nothing could make her budge. She was similar to a particular biker in that way. "But I'm only leaving on one condition."
"What's that, Hina-chan?"
Asahina pouted again and spread her arms wide, clearly expecting something.
"Gimme a hug."
"...I don't know about—"
"Taka." Chihiro narrowed his eyes at the prefect, who gulped.
Kiyotaka sighed heavily, but smiled anyway as he quickly leaned forward to hug his friend. His attempt to escape it as quickly as he could was easily thwarted by Asahina's grip, and she got in one good, tight squeeze before she released him. Once she decided that she was satisfied, she hopped off of the mattress, as cheery as ever, and shouted over her shoulder as she ran out the door behind Sakura— "don't forget to call us when you need help!"
As soon as the door had closed, a moment of quiet passed, almost like a stunned silence. Aoi carried such a tangible force of personality that the atmosphere always had to take its time to adjust.
"...Why are you still so squeamish about hugging people sometimes?" Chihiro asked. Kiyotaka flinched and scratched the back of his neck. It was a tell of his that he was embarrassed to say something.
"I-It's not that I don't enjoy the affection, or that I don't like her, I just... Don't want to do it wrong...?"
"How can you possibly hug somebody wrong?! ...You've really gotta loosen up sometimes, Taka. You don't have to be the best at everything."
Kiyotaka laughed, donning a knowing smile. He'd heard that one a thousand times, Chihiro was sure. He was also sure that Kiyotaka had mentally finished that thought with 'but I do have to TRY my very best'.
"I know... I know." When he'd recovered from his embarrassment, Kiyotaka puffed out his chest and spoke in a clear voice once more. "Anyway, with those two out of the way, I... would like to let you in on a little secret."
"I wanna know what I'm doing before you tell me the secret," Chihiro replied, being as honest as he could. "I-I don't want to agree to something just to let you down. I want to repay you and Mondo for all you've done for me."
Kiyotaka clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times— your companionship is all the payment we will ever need!"
"A-And I know that you mean that, Taka. You... never lie, really." Chihiro was furiously blushing now. Kiyotaka could be stubborn and a bit of a spoilsport at times, but his kindness was always so genuine that it couldn't be doubted. Not one bit. "But... It's not that I feel I have to repay you. It's just that I want to. And you'll let me do that if it's important to me, won't you?"
Kiyotaka studied his teary-eyed friend for a moment before he gave a slow nod.
"Of course. ...It's not as if I can stop you, anyway! You are surprisingly hard-headed for someone so small! Ha ha ha!"
"J-Just— Just fill me in already!" Chihiro begged. He wasn't about to admit to Kiyotaka's accusations. He took a moment to wipe at his eyes. "Tell me what kind of thing I'll have to do to make this work."
"...Alright, then." Kiyotaka stopped laughing and returned to being serious and studious. He held up a single finger. "One— you would have to do a great deal of research on local businesses. Animal shelters, breeders, and rescues, to be more exact."
Chihiro quirked an eyebrow.
"...Okay... And is there a two?"
"Yes— Two!" A second finger. "You would have to write reports on the best businesses, and likely contact them for further information. I would then use those reports for the budget council and disciplinary committee meetings."
"...And what about number three—"
"You would not be doing all of this alone, of course! I would not arbitrarily assign my own work to an underling! I have compiled a large list of places, but the work would pass by much more quickly if I had an assistant, especially since I'm not very good with computers. It shames me to admit it, but my typing is woefully slow."
"It really is," Chihiro recalled, scrunching up his nose. "How can someone your age type so slow, anyway? Didn't we all grow up with computers?"
Kiyotaka's bright and professional grin flickered.
"...I did not," he reminded his friend. "Computers are... very expensive."
"Ah! Of course they are. I'm sorry, I... f-forgot." Chihiro looked guiltily at the headboard, away from his friend's eyes. Of course Kiyotaka didn't have a computer at home. The boy hadn't so much as bought a new pair of shoes in years.
Kiyotaka, however, wasn't offended. He shrugged.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of! If I ever need the use of a computer, I can always simply walk to my local library. And Hope's Peak provides plenty of them. Problem solved!" Kiyotaka laughed. Chihiro forced an awkward chuckle.
"Okay, then... Is there a number three on that list of tasks?"
"Er, no," Kiyotaka admitted. "It's only those two things. Were you expecting a longer list?"
"Sort of..."
"Well, it's only those two. But each task is quite involved, I assure you."
"It can't be that bad," Chihiro giggled. "I mean, how many shelters and rescues can there possibly be in..."
Chihiro trailed off when Kiyotaka's expression turned grim. Wordlessly, he pointed at the table. Chihiro followed the path of his finger, and then he gasped, feeling the color drain from his face.
The tabletop was covered in stacks of paper— printouts, flyers, and even the occasional phone book or directory. Chihiro hadn't seen a phone book in quite some time, he realized.
"I-Is all of that just the businesses?!" Chihiro squawked.
"Not all of it. There are also my budget guidelines, notes from the headmaster, and some other technical things—"
"Has your job always been this complicated?!"
Kiyotaka's cheeks reddened, and he furrowed his brow. He looked embarrassed, and Chihiro didn't know why.
"It's not always so bad. For the most part, I just enforce the rules that already exist. B-But if I want a student to be exempted from a rule or allowed a special hearing in front of the committee, or if I want to propose some kind of rule or policy change... It can get rather involved. Normally I'd be allowed to work through this at my own pace, but with the current situation, I'm on a bit of a tight schedule," Kiyotaka explained.
Chihiro sighed. Kiyotaka blinked at him, waiting for his answer.
Kiyotaka worked too hard, and he always had. It worried Chihiro, and he knew it worried Mondo and the others as well. But Kiyotaka's work ethic was central to his being, to his character. It was close to his heart, and it was what made him so strong and so effective.
If he needed help— if he was asking for help with his work for once in his life— Chihiro was all too eager to give it.
"Alright!" Chihiro chirped. "I'll help. We can get through this much faster as a team!"
Kiyotaka smiled, almost falling forward in his relief. Then, he scooted forward slightly and lowered his voice to a near-whisper. It was pointless, really, since there was no one else in the soundproofed room, but Chihiro would let him have his moment.
"Glad to have you on board. So, here's what I was thinking..."
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a/n: of course, the girl squad returns. maizono and kirigiri weren't with them this time because they had other things to do— they didn't catch him that first night when they all left kirigiri's dorm.
in the first part of this story, i used female pronouns for chihiro and everyone thought he was a girl (including the narrator). this time around, chihiro has finally pulled his friends aside and told them the truth. he figured they would both be okay with it because they'd already been a couple at that point, which ended up being largely true— if mondo, who already knew how to calm him, hadn't been there, poor taka's head probably would have exploded.