Need's Some Flair

Lunchtime at Higan Academy came with the vast separation of students who flowed along the halls and bursting out every exit. The cafeteria filled up first, then the roof became a quiet reprieve which overburdened itself with others. Clubs took the time to meet for brief moments and even enjoy their meals together. The Student Council would meet, the Census members or what remained of them, even delinquents found themselves together. It was nice to simply enjoy yourself in between the hustle and bustle of a days work.

Today was a bit peculiar in itself, however. Usually, a normal day for Tomaki Warumachi had him walking through these area's of interest like he had belonged to each one. Approaching others with a bright smile and sharing a days joke with any and all whom's path he crossed. A quick competition on the field? A race with other runners? Tomaki would enjoy it all. Hanging from the fence above on the roof, to even making a fool of himself in the cafeteria. But that's where today became different than the others. Tomaki Warumachi, 3 time flunkee, dimwit, and one day; Sage. Maybe. He sat alone in the classroom beyond his means with a pencil gripped by his sock-covered foot. Papers were crumples and strewn overflowing from his desk on to the floor.

"Ugh." Tomaki laid his head down for a brief moment. On his desk was another failed draft of a failed attempt at a failed idea. It was difficult for him to do any form of writing now, and for it to be such a large part of his abilities at school. It made the boy silently yearn for the days he could easily scribe upon pages with his own two hands. Instead he had to learn new forms of expression. It left his handwriting strained and nearly illegible. Tests were doable but he struggled with being limited to large print. He would hand in pages upon pages just to solve something students could do in simple lines. It never bothered the wild teen but it was frustrating to be limited.

"Haha, Hey, If it isn't Tomaki-san!" Hands were tucked into his pockets as none other than Kohaku Fukuzawa himself strolled right into the class. A beaming smile on his kind face. "How have you been, Senpai-- Oop! Well. Grademate now, I suppose." The grin was met with one in turn.

"Go-Haku!" Tomaki smiled. Looking at his once-upon-a-time younger classman. It was a year or two ago that they had met when the youthful cook had met face to face on a particular assignment– one of the only that he had come down from the mountains to do– in which he met the student who now stood above in grade. "You know. Time well spent in moun-tain! Careful, now. Haku may just grad-u-ate before I do!"

The two share a laugh. Tomaki stared at Kohaku for a long moment before shaking off a feeling that made his ears twitch and nose itch. An itch that he couldn't ever reach even if he had fingers. This strange feeling was one had he been getting a lot at Higan and its various students, but went largely ignored as a superstition shared to him by his Mother. Something about people, about youth and their potential. He didn't understand so he didn't hold on to it. Probably just allergies.

"What are you working on, Tomaki-san?" Kohaku peered at the mountain of crumpled papers and the boy who leaned hard back into his seat with a restrained sigh.

"Too much." Tomaki returned. "Can-not fit every-thing." He snorted as he looked back down at the nearly empty page in front of him. An entire stack of paper disheveled at its side.

Kohaku was quick and easy to spot that these were empty papers and unaware of any homework he took a shot in the dark at what he could be doing.

"You uh... trying to draw?" His shoulders shrunk a little as he asked only for Tomaki to laugh back at him in jest at his accidental humor.

"No." He said bluntly at the end of his chuckle. "Try write. Receive Letter from sister, Grandpa not here to help write. Trying do on my own." He nodded swiftly.

Tilting his head Kohaku had his turn to find joy in that. "To Namida-chan?" The joy was double sided. The day Namida left was something that Kohaku had ever only heard about. Beneath his smile bubbled a annoyed frustration directly at Tomaki himself that he had never had the time to approach. His stance on Tomaki's sister venturing out into the world, alone, without her brother, without her closest confidant was vastly different than how the boarish teen felt himself. It wasn't his place, but it was something that only built more questions.

"How is she doing? I hope well, Tomaki-san. She writes every month or so doesn't she?"

"Doing okay." He responded. "Go on... Arche-olo-gomy dig in Asia. Want to write back to her but. Ah. Haku-san. I admit, Tomaki hasn't–" A rare time that his smile would fade. "–Esther not know about accident."

Kohaku's eye twitches. But then he sighs and pulls a chair to sit at Tomaki's desk and pat his back. Taking a look at him and giving a normal, reassuring smile. "It'll be okay. I'm sure it's best saved for the day she comes back. Though, I wouldn't lie to her or—" He shook his head. "What are you even writing about?"

"Time at Higan. Other Stu-dents." He shrugged in answer. "She miss a lot, thought it would be nice to share as she share's her adven-ture's too. Only shame," He scratches at his cheek like a dog, "That limited. No do any tourn-e-ments lately. No get into major fight except with thug or random toughs."

"That sounds..." Kohaku smile returned. "Honestly sweet. I can see why you've got so much paper then, Tomaki. I can only imagine what it's like to write about like 20+ people with how big your print has to be. I've seen one of your essays, 3 pages for 200 words is pretty crazy."

Giving the other boy a quick look, "Would Haku be willing to lend his hands? Write for me, perhaps? Would go quicker." Tomaki suddenly asked with a chuckle.

Taken aback slightly by the other boys pointed request, Kohaku rubs at his neck. "Well, uh. Hm. It has been forever I guess since I've seen you. Frankly when I heard an armless monk suddenly showed up outside Higan I thought that it'd have to be you but I wasn't sure. Look, I have some left over takoyaki from lunch. We can snack on that while you also catch me up too. Did you really start dancing for everybody?"

His head cocks back to laugh. "I stumbled! But every-one got a good laugh. Met a few other students as well. It was an al-right first day. Where I met some of first people we write about" Tomaki looks back at Kohaku and crosses his legs back into his chair. He then bows from his position to Kohaku. "If Haku would assist, I would be honored."

Snickering, Kohaku warms up to the seat and grabs the pencil. "You can count on me. I'm going to need you to start over though. What you have now is kind of... well. 'Dearist Sister' is a bit grating. Wait—" Kohaku got a look at the first 20 or so words that Tomaki had on his newest scrap of paper before his jaw hangs open at the incorrect grammar and vastly below high-school use of words. "No- okay no man. This has to–" He stares at the prepositions, the pieces were the paper was torn. Looking at the armless brawler who himself was chuckling full of brightness, Kohaku couldn't help but slide his hands down his own chin.

"Alright. Okay. We'll start over." He blows out air to steady himself. "From the top, Tomaki-san."

"Hm!" Tomaki returned with a determined nod.

From there, Tomaki began to slowly explain himself. Talking about the past month and even various people he's met here at Higan in his first few weeks back. Kohaku began to write and scribble at the pages and even shoot idea's back at the boy at how various things should be phrased or written out. Stopping to ask questions about how he had met so many people already, and what he thought of various 'Rumors' on the street.

The pair would restart quite a few times. From Tomaki's rambling way of speaking, to Kohaku's need to impress some level of craftsmanship into the page. This hadn't bothered either of them though. Tomaki was used to getting back up, retrying again and again until he met his mark. And Kohaku, well, had to make sure his effort wasn't being wasted.

Going back and forth made the hours feel stretched to their limits, even as Kohaku swore they would continue in-between classes and afterwards. Lunch had to come to an end sooner or later, but the work would be complete.

The words would be read soon by Cherry colored eyes...

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Pub: 12 Nov 2025 01:12 UTC

Edit: 12 Nov 2025 03:43 UTC

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