"Um... hello." The girl looked everywhere, but avoided looking directly  at them. Her cheeks were dusted in pink and she had a wobbled smile. The very place she did not dare to look at was the place two boys stood. One with a curious smile and the other with a blank expression. He hummed, turning his head. When he caught sight of the girl, his blank expression changed and instead, expressed boredom.

Another one. The dark-orange eyed boy's smile disappeared as his lips parted. Kazui stared at the back of his friend's head. In only a few days of school, Akemi became popular and the majority of the girls want to be his friend!

But the thing is...

"I wanted to... um..." She stuttered out. Once she got the confidence, she opened her mouth to speak. "I-"

"Stop," he interrupted her words and sighed. The girl's face morphed into a confused one - the same could be said about her friends. He glanced at the ground and then straight into her eyes. It made her see the cold look in his teal eyes; there wasn't any emotions written in them. "What?" Her little confidence was gone.

"If it is what I think you're saying, don't say it. I have no interest," he said. He had tried to be as harsh and cold as his five-year-old-self could be.

... he doesn't like the attention his getting, so he tries his best to scare them off.

The response given was unexpected: squeals. The three girls looked completely smitten, "He's so cool!"

But... it never works out.

Kazui held back his laughter, because he didn't want to be glared at by Akemi. He may have gotten most of his traits from his mother, but he had his dad's too. He had his father's teasing and mean side. Albeit, he was one of those who were sometimes oblivious to his own blunt comments. He tried not to be like that.

As Kazui struggled to hide his amusement, Akemi was in an agitated state. How could five-to-six year old girls be so - he couldn't even get to the word! What was the world coming to!?

Young love, my foot!

After finishing their swooning over his 'coolness', they left.

"Akemi, you're popular as ever!" The boy had a disturbingly innocent smile plastered on his face and it ticked Akemi off. Even more so at the fact that it was genuine innocence.

"Yeah, whatever. I don't like it."

He chuckled. Kazui swung his legs back and forth. "How much was that?" He wondered out loud. Akemi could hear that teasing voice clearly. Kazui really couldn't help it sometimes, could he?

"Has anyone told you how annoying you are?"

"No, people say I'm an angel," Kazui replied, yet there wasn't a trace of arrogance in his voice. He wasn't lying either, so it had been an genuine answer too. In fact, his mother called Kazui an angel many times. This made Akemi scoff, "Go away."

"That's mean!" Kazui exclaimed with a pout. His arms were swung around this time and his eyes comedically changed shape into a three. "Mean!" He repeated over and over, while Akemi stared at him with a stone-face. "How are you doing that with your eyes?" He inquired dryly.

The two hadn't noticed yet that another group of children had neared their hangout spot. They were only aware of there presence once the trio made it known. "Woah, so it's true, huh? The boy has blue eyes and the other has orange hair?"

"Talk about abnormal."

Akemi was careful not to say anything. He wouldn't until - and if - they caused any harm. Though, he was quick to notice the three looked older than them. He was smart enough to know that he would have some difficulty dealing with them. They were, indeed, bad news.

"Oh, hello!" Greeted Kazui cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to his friend's tension.

Idiot. Akemi had thought.

"Hey, there." The one who spoke first grinned, "You're the two new kids that everyone's been talking about, right? Akemi Dragneel and Kazui Kurosaki?"

"That's us," Akemi answered, while narrowing his eyes. Kazui tilted his head, "People are talking about us?"

"Yeah," answered another one. "It's weird to see a six-year-old kid with dyed hair, so it's only natural to be the talk of the school," he explained as a smile creeped onto his lips. He looked at the blue eyed boy. "And it's obvious to know why Akemi is so popular." He shrugged.

"So did you just want to see us? Seems odd to skip classes just to say hello. After all, the older kids have separate breaks," Akemi said and waited for their reactions.

He almost let his guard off when the talkative one - always assumed to be the leader - smiled wryly. 

"Smart boy. Are you the older one?" He inquired, playing buddy-buddy. Kazui felt a bad vibe from the trio too, but he shook it off as he took his chances. They couldn't be all that bad? He should be nice; he shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Plus, it was in his nature to be a friendly person - it wasn't a self-proclaimed quality.

"I'm older than Akemi by a year!" He replied, naturally cheerful.

Fool. Akemi mentally scoffed.

Their 'senior' nodded, "So listen."

They finally made the first move.

The three walked closer, the other two lagging behind, and came into arms length of Kazui. Akemi only watched with a blank expression, yet he was observing every signal he could take. A signal that his friend was in danger.

The assumed 'leader' reached for Kazui's orange-hair-filled head and rested his hand on him. "The oldest usually takes the fall. If you're the oldest, this makes things less complicated." His friendly smile seemed to change as his tone turned into a mocking one.

The boy gripped tightly on Kazui's head; simultaneously, he tugged on his orange locks harshly.

Kazui winced.

The six-year-old took a hold of the older boy's hand. "Originally, I was going to warn the blue-eyed one to keep a freak-show like you away from us. The guy is popular, so we'd look like the villains if we beat you up." He smirked, "But since you're the oldest, I don't have to give mercy. I might as well beat the lesson into you. Trying to act all high and mighty with your dyed hair, huh!?"

The two behind him quietly whispered:

"He's one to talk."

"Yeah, he just wants a chance to show off and bully the younger kids. He's just making excuses."

"Whatever, I'm not getting involved."

Akemi had been close enough to hear them. Good. He focused all his attention on the leader. One more move.

A single tear remained at the corner of Kazui's large dark-orange eye. "But my hair is naturally orange." His lips formed into a pout.

"Don't go joking around with me!" He lifted his free hand to hit the six-year-old. But before that, swiftly, a foot made contact with the bullies ribcage. The strong hit caused him to fall to the floor. There wasn't any time to process what happened, because the five-year-old kicked him to the floor after he barely lifted himself.

Akemi kicked him one last time in the guts, which made him feel like throwing up! How could a five year old be so strong!?

The said boy stepped on the bully's stomach. Akemi's blank expression terrified the older boy. It was just so unnatural! It was as if this Akemi kid was used to the cruelty of fighting. What five-year-old would have serious combat skills!?

"Yeah, listen." Akemi put force on his stomach, which caused a great deal of pain. "You're the one that's going to stay away from us. And if you think of telling on us 'bullying you'... well, good good luck explaining why you were here in the first place. That and you seem like the kind of person who wouldn't risk getting your pride hurt."

"A toddler beating you up? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?"

Akemi retracted his foot and the boy immediately, and pathetically, nodded his head. "I won't bother you again!" He exclaimed as he fled with the other two running off behind him.

"Wasn't that too harsh?" Kazui asked with a chuckle.

Akemi shrugged. "At least I didn't let you handle it."

"Come on, it wouldn't be that bad!"

"Right, sure."

➵

School ended not too long ago. The two stood inside school grounds - just as the educators said - to wait for their mothers. Normally, their mothers would've been waiting in front of the gates for them.

It wasn't the case this time.

"Why's mom so late today," Kazui slightly whined. Akemi scowled at the boy's loudness and caught sight of a pout. His dark-orange orbs moved left to right. Each second, his eyes would be either in the corner of the right or corner of the left. Right, left, then right and then left again. His nerves were getting to him.

"Just wait," the young Dragneel said, "You said your mom was taking my mom somewhere. That might be why they are late. It's the second month in school, you can't expect everything to go the same way everyday."

It's true that a month has passed since starting school. They had the same agenda over and over: learn, break with a pinch of drama, learn more, immediately get picked up to go home and homework next. Getting out of the usual routine was bound to make you uncomfortable and not to mention the high rate of super natural phenomenas in Karakura Town.

Change is different and different is something that caused fear for some. That was how the phrase went.

Akemi was used to different, because his family was different. Kazui should be too, but this was a different situation. Albeit, Kazui listened to him. Akemi was right and he was right almost all the time. He remembered how the brunet got full marks on his tests! "Kazui!" He snapped his head to look at the person who had just called out his name.

There stood his waving mother, standing close to the exit. Her bright smile caused him to reflect the same smile. In addition, just like always, Akemi showed a 'rare' smile he done only at this specific time. At least, to the Akemi-observers it was like that.

To Kazui it wasn't so rare, because he'd seen his friend smile on more than just one occasion. He'd noticed, though, how their peers - mostly females - stood close by to see this 'rare' happening.

The two went to their mothers and said their goodbyes. "Bye, now." Kazui's mother, Orihime, waved briefly. They separated ways, but the orange haired boy couldn't help but look back. His eccentric expression distorted with wonder. The stare he gave Akemi was focused, yet it didn't seem like he was staring at him directly.

It wondered to something else.

"Mom," he called weakly as if it was a sin to speak. Orihime responded with a 'yes'. "Why does Akemi have so many ghosts around him?"

"What?"

"Do you think he can see ghosts like us?"