Chapter Song - Rainbow by Kacey Musgraves (it fits with the month too sniff)

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Shu pushed the key into his locker, opening the aged metal door. He had placed a couple of books in the past few days and a few things he'd need to get through the prolonged days of school. It was already Friday and from next week they were allowed to come to school from their dorms. As far as he knew, today, the roomates for each dorm would be chosen — As Valt said they used this lottery system to mix up students in the rooms so the hierarchy would be broken down, but Shu just couldn't see how class A will get along with their class — He stared at the sticker adorning the inside of his locker. He could only wish that Valt would be in the same room as him. He just couldn't see himself getting along with other kids so easily.

"Kurenai Shu, right?"

Shu was too invested in his thoughts that he didn't notice the blonde standing beside him, opening the lifeless locker beside him. He had never come across his locker mates before. It was a surprise to see the locker to his right belonged to Wakiya. "Yes," Shu answered, placing a hand on the strap of his bag. "Good morning."

Wakiya nodded, "Morning." His eyes were trained on the locker door Shu had opened, the sticker Valt had slapped across it the first day he had been there with him. The blonde smiled, "That was Valt, wasn't it?"

Shu blinked, realising Wakiya had an identical sticker on his own locker. "Did I accidentally sign up for some weird bread cult?"

To Shu's delight the blonde chuckled, closing his locker door after tossing some notebooks in. "You can say that." His voice was levelled, and this was the first time Shu had a one on one conversation after their brief interaction the first day at the studio. Sure, they had taken classes together but the class disparity hadn't allowed them to talk between those times.

Shu turned back to his locker and closed it when another person slid into the cramped corner of the hallway, a familiar face but he didn't quite catch the name of the person. It was the male who was with Edna the first day. "Oho~" He cooed, leaning against his locker and crossing his arms in mocking delight. "I didn't know they even mixed up the lockers between different classes. Just how desperate they are to make those Class E students better like us?"

Shu frowned, taking in the hostile tone and the carefree attitude. This guy sounded like bad news. "I'll get going now." He wasn't looking for trouble and this guy looked like the teen rock version of trouble. But to his dismay, Shu found the guy sliding to a stop in front of him.

"What's the hurry? Don't you want to get to know me?"

Shu considered this. No. He really didn't. But he didn't want to come off as rude for all he knew, Japanese people valued etiquette. He didn't grow up in this culture because of the constant movements, but his parents had drilled these things into his brain. Hence, Shu gave him a curt bow, "Kurenai Shu, nice to meet you."

His eyes slid along his body, Shu shifted under the strong gaze. "Ryuji," The guy said, not offering his last name and Shu didn't bother asking.

"Well, then-" Shu tried to sound bright and friendly the best he could. "See you around, Ryuji."

But the male didn't seem to have an idea of letting the albino go. He stood squarely in his path, blocking his procedure. Shu pressed his lips into a tight line when Wakiya intervened. He had almost forgotten the blonde was there. "That's enough, Ryuji." The male placed a firm hand on the shoulder of the taller. "Leave him alone."

Ryuji raised his brow, his eyes darting between the hand on his shoulder and the male in front of him. He didn't step away but Shu rounded him with a thankful glance to Wakiya. He didn't want to linger to see anymore trouble unfold. He only wanted to keep a low profile, survive high school and graduate. He was sticking to the plan.

"Why are you protecting those lowlives from Class E?" Ryuji grunted, slapping away his hand. Wakiya didn't answer, he turned to leave. "Don't tell me." Ryuji followed him, falling a step behind as they walked down the corridor to reach their class. "Are you hanging out with that group again? C'mon Wakiya, you're better than that."

Wakiya shot a glare over his shoulder, walking in. It was the truth. He had strayed away from his — annoying, yet endearing — friend group since the start of Highschool. Was it the fact that he was in Class A while the rest were not? It was true that this school had a reputation for its devilish hierarchy, but it was not that he was ashamed of his friends, he could never be. They are talented, that was without argument but Wakiya had found himself stuck between two worlds. On one hand, the pressure of his family — especially his mother — was weighing him down and on the other hand, he found it hard to get along with everyone, the rest of the gang hung out all the time, Wakiya didn't like the superiority Class A carried. It was almost like a prison.

A loathsome burden.

---

It was during the lunch period they were all gathered in the main hall. A big glass box with numerous slips of papers stood in front of it just beside the stage. Several teachers from the staff were handling the event as one after another the students dipped their hands into the glass box and chose a random slip of paper — including the dorm name and the room number — sealing their fate and their roommates for the rest of the years to come.

Shu was standing behind Valt, his palms sweating. They were not allowed to tell anyone about their room until they got there on Sunday. It was all going to be a big surprise and sometimes Shu felt like he didn't like surprises all that much. He would've preferred what he was facing before he went to his room on Sunday. He watched Valt choosing a red slip of paper which held the room number, the Hazel eyed male dramatically peering at it, his eyes widening in surprise. Shu shook his head with a fond smile, Valt had his own charm, alright.

When it was his chance, he randomly went to a light pink one that touched the edge of his fingertips first. He pulled it out and walked away letting the student behind him approach for his judgement. Valt grinned as he stopped in front of him, "I'm not going to tell you!" He said, excitedly. "But I hope we're at least in the same dorm building." His voice was genuine and Shu sincerely wished that to be the case.

"Same here, fingers crossed." Shu said, glancing at his paper. In perfect cursive it read; Mozart, Room Number 10. Shu knew all the names of the dorms were after popular classical musicians, he liked Mozart's music and he hoped this room was not chaotic.

He pushed the slip of paper to his pocket and looked around. The students were talking excitedly among each other, none of them revealing their classified information. It was like an interesting tradition and everyone seemed to be enjoying every second of it. Shu smiled, getting caught up in the positive energy brimming in the room. He just knew that no one would be concentrating in class for the rest of the day, neither would he.

---

Zac was humming to himself as he reached the apartment. The bus ride had taken longer than any other day because of the increasing traffic. He sighed, fiddling with the keys before opening the door. His parents wouldn't be back for another week, they had just texted him this morning with a string of apologies. Not that he minds. Besides, the blonde had Shu for company. At least until this Sunday. He pushed the door open and bent down to slip off his shoes. Putting on his comfortable house slippers, he dropped his school bag in the nearby chairs decorating the front corridor.

The apartment was silent. Most of the time it was. Shu had always been a silent, quiet kid. And after the death of his parents, he had grown even quieter, keeping everything to himself and refusing to be a burden no matter the times they reassured he was not. It will take time, he will come around, his dad had said when they were distressed by the short period of self-destructive behaviour.

He did come around, eventually. But Zac still worried about him. Especially the way he bottled up every single thing in his wreckage of a mind. Zac walked into the sitting room to see his younger cousin curled on the sofa. His blazer abandoned on the glass table in front of him. He hadn't even changed his school uniform. Zac tilted his head, amused. These days Shu often came home exhausted and he had even confided in him about a close friend he had made.

It was a small step, an achievement nevertheless. The blonde rounded the sofa, picking up a discarded blanket, he wrapped the younger in it. Though it was Spring, the temperature was still down, making it colder in the evening. Zac looked around, his eyes settling on the light pink paper slip on Shu's hand, dangling dangerously threatening to fall.

He picked it up carefully, reading the cursive letters that declared Shu as a member of the dorm Mozart and in room number ten. He fell back into the sofa opposite him, chin resting on his palm. He really wished Shu to have an amazing time back at school with as few problems as possible. Everyone suffered as they went through life, Zac was no stranger to the concept, but he knew Shu had suffered enough, he deserved love, care and friendship. And a life where he didn't need to feel guilty for surviving.

It was only when Zac had changed his clothes and settled himself on the sofa again to scroll through his social media Shu woke. He grunted, stretching as the blanket fell off his body, startling the house cat — which they had named Sushi — who was sleeping by Shu's knees, curling in for warmth. Shu sat down, rubbing his eyes as he sank back to the cushions, still half-asleep.

Zac snorted, "You should go take a shower." He wrinkled his nose, "You smell, shooting star."

That elicited a reaction. Shu offered him a scowl, petting Sushi who had now taken refuge on his lap, purring loudly as Shu fingers slid along her black fur. "What's the time?"

"Half past six."

"Whoa." He didn't seem to be surprised at all. He tucked his legs under him, getting comfortable. The golden sun rays filtered through the long windows of their apartment. Despite the fragile warmth, the cold breeze snuck in through the gap of the windows. None of them made any attempt to close it. Shu listened to the silence of the apartment, save for the occasional ping from Zac's phone and the loud purring of Sushi. His eyes stopped by the mantel where white framed photos proudly adorned the family.

A young Zac smiling at the camera with his parents holding each of his hands.

A young him grinning cuddling in his mother's hands, his dad cocooning in both of them in a warm embrace.

How normal it all seemed.

"Should we order something today?" Shu asked. He was the one who usually handled dinner. Zac was a fairly good cook but Shu was brilliant at it. Always had been since the time he had found pleasure in handling various spices. "I want to eat a pizza."

Zac looked up from his phone, blinking. Shu seldom made a request and Zac didn't have anything against Pizza, Shooting star could order as much as he liked, but it was the longing gaze penetrating those crimson made him pause. He didn't pride himself as a person who knew Shu inside out because he didn't. Most of the time he had no idea what his little cousin was thinking but now he had a clear idea about the thoughts running in his mind. He was already missing home.

Zac placed his phone on the glass table and crossed over to Shu, settling onto the spot beside him, feeling the familiar cushions sinking him in. "You can tell me you don't want to leave me," Zac said.

He scowled, hugging the cat closer to his chest. "I wouldn't miss you." He knew he would. He would miss the dinner chatter, the quick breakfast before both of them dashed out of the house in a hurry. The creak of the third stair his aunt always wanted uncle to see but he never got the chance to. The faint smell of lavender that clung into the walls. He would miss the portrait of his parents, the familiar stick of incense forever burning in front of them, the rice bowl and the vase with a single flower adorning the polished wooden tables where the pictures were kept.

"You'll be fine," Zac offered, messing his hair which was already in a disarray, loose strand escaped the hairband which kept them in their place in the back of his head. "Besides, you've made friends already. You can call me whenever you want too, you know?"

Shu hummed, leaning against him. The silence broken by the faint thrum of music coming from the apartment above them. Uncle always enjoyed this ominous rhythm of music when aunt complained a number of times. "Do you think you're going to be fine here alone?"

Zac's school didn't have dorms and the blonde would have to stay alone in the apartment till his parents arrived next week. "I've done it before. You don't worry 'bout me, Shooting star. I'll survive."

He wasn't feeling better that he had spoken to Zac. The anxiety was still piling high. He untangled himself from the blonde and placed the cat down who was now stretching on the floor, crossed that she was rudely woken from her slumber. "I'm going to go take a shower. You can call for the pizza."

Zac smiled, shooing him away as he reached for his phone again. He knew the anxieties in Shu's mind were far away from dissolving but he had done the best he could and was reassured. It was only a matter of time until Shu would walk back into an exciting life back at school.

---

It was no ordinary Sunday. The moment Shu stepped out of the cab — and suffocated by a tight hug in the hands of Zac who wished him farewell a number of times — he had been struck by the amount of vehicles. Parents stood by their children, patting their crisp clothes, offering one last goodbyes. Worried mothers voiced their requests to call every day, reminding them of numerous things that were packed inside suitcases but they thought forgotten.

A quick smile passed over Shu's face as he took in the loving environment. He kind of regretted his action of sending Zac off, it was lonely walking alone.

The dorm was settled in the far corner facing the sandy path which split a few miles away, one leading to the school grounds while the other led them towards a private patch of beach which was exclusively enjoyed by all the students alike. The building was imposing, basking in the glow of weak Spring sunlight. The grey walls were not welcoming but the buzz of the voices inside were. His eyes slipped past the massive lettering on the front ; Mozart, allowing the students to feel a bit of the pride the musician carried.

Shu walked in, his suitcase rattling behind him. The rest of the things were sent beforehand and would be waiting for him at room number ten. Hopefully.

The common room was crowded, students laughing, a faint scent of dust clung to the air which would soon diminish by time when the students settled in. He passed the kitchen and took the wooden staircase. So far, no one seemed to pay attention to him. And Shu found himself studying the railing of the staircase, smoothed with ages of use. The interior looked older, the outside was freshly painted and given a new outlook while the ancient interior was untouched.

It was like stepping into a Victorian style house in the mid eighties. For a moment, Shu found himself studying the abstract tapestry, the looming framed picture of Mozart over the fireplace visible from the sitting room by the front. It was like he had strayed away from Japan and now was in a European country.

He liked the dorm.

Shu broke his trance and made his way towards the second floor which led him through a long polished red brick corridor. The end marking the start of a series of doors, the numbers attached to them with wooden pallets. He counted silently as he passed each one and stopped in front of number ten. His fingertips brushing the cold doorknob, this white door was the start of-

He blinked, was that shouting he heard?

He faltered, tightened his grip on the knob as the frantic shouting grew louder. He hesitated wondering whether he should impose. He willed his roommates to be calm but by the looks of it, there seemed to be a war going on behind this door. He loosened his grip.

"Damn it," He said, opening the door. The shouting stopped as five faces turned to him. All of them stopped mid-action. It was comical how their wide eyes were focused on him. Shu pressed his lips together, the greetings dying on his throat as Valt barrelled towards him, tackling them both to the rough wooden floor.

"Ow," Shu murmured, feeling his back collide with the hard wood. "Easy, Valt."

"Sorry!" The hazel-eyed male said, untangling him from the other on the floor. "I got too excited! We're in the same room. Can you believe it!?"

Shu couldn't but he was happy, ecstatic to be precise. Not only Valt, the rest of them were there; Honcho, Ken, Daigo and even Wakiya were in the room, their shouting had come to a stop as they seemed relieved their newest member wasn't someone stuck up or whining.

"What are the chances?" Ken's puppet; Keru asked. "I mean, the five of us are together and now with Shu. It's fate, I'm telling you."

"Fate or not, I like this group minus Wakiya." Honcho slapped Shu's back in a friendly manner. The two friends had walked in and closed the door behind them when the group broke into greetings of welcome.

Wakiya was on his bed — in fact all of them had chosen their beds leaving Shu with the one beside the long window to the right. There were six identical beds with white wooden frames, three on either side. The light blue painted walls were welcoming unlike the grey backdrop of the rest of the dormitory. The blonde didn't even bother looking up from his phone when he answered, "Not thrilled to have you here either, asshole."

Honcho cracked his knuckles launching at him. Wakiya hissed, yelling something incoherent before he was attacked by Honcho's pillow. The pristine white sheets tangled on the bed by the brawl.

Shu blinked. When he was talking with Wakiya last Friday, he had taken the male to be calm, collected but now he was seeing a totally new side of him. Shu wondered whether he was different from the rest of his peers in Class A. In fact, each and every student in Class A carried this high levelled persona like they were the royalty of the school.

"Welcome to room number ten!" Besu cheered, casually ignoring the fight of the two blondes. It was as if there was nothing surprising about that behaviour.

"Thank you."

"It's awesome!" Valt jumped up and down on his mattress, obviously enjoying the quality. His bedside table was littered with photographs of his family — his parents and two siblings smiling to the camera — his closet door was open, but the male had made no attempt to arrange his clothing. "This is the best group, I swear."

Shu smiled, "I wouldn't have wished for anything else."

"Right?" Valt walked over to Shu who was standing by his bed, eyeing the boxes and two suitcases. Each of them were provided with one closet and a small night table. The windows were covered with white curtains with blue forget-me-not embroidered over the hem.

"This room is spacious." Daigo was sitting on the floor beside his bed, sorting through his clothes. The ravenette was the only one who seemed to have started unpacking at all.

"Yeah," Honcho said, having finished with his petty quarrel with the other. "The bathrooms and the showers are down the hallway. You probably saw the common room and the kitchen." The blonde led him to the window and threw open the curtains allowing them a generous view of the magnificent garden. "And that is the garden."

"Wow," Shu said.

"Wow indeed. But that Goldie here has a garden ten times bigger than this one. He's filthy rich."

Shu turned to Wakiya who just flipped him off in return to the insult. Honcho grinned, "You need anything else, just tell us. We're all friends here." Shu thanked him, realising why he liked Honcho. He was like the big brother among them, ready at hand if anything happened. Though it had been only a week since they knew each other, Shu knew he was going to like this whole group.

They fell silent as they started unpacking their clothes and clutter. All of them were settling into this foriegn atmosphere. The silence was occasionally broken by Valt's excited noises and a random insult thrown between Honcho and Wakiya. But overall, it was peaceful.

After unpacking they went through the routine which would become familiar by the days passing by. The dinner was without bother. He had a glimpse of Ryuji in the dining hall, making him aware they shared the same dorm. He didn't mind. As long as he avoided the guy like a plague everything will be just fine.

The room now had a touch of familiarity ebbed into it. The cold, lifeless interior was adorned by the feeling of home with the photographs standing on the nightstand, siblings, families smiling up at the camera, frozen in time. The room already looked lively, lived in. Shu walked to his own bed, eyes resting on his parents' picture. He had asked Zac if he could borrow the picture over the mantel.

They had taken it on the day of his mother's birthday, the background was a solitary island in the Atlantic sea. Shu remembered the surprise meal his father readied for his mother, his own little adventure to make her a beautiful bouquet out of wild flowers which were abundant in the forest area. One of the fragments of memories that was still vivid in his mind. A moment he would never be allowed to recreate.

By ten, the lights were out and they all settled on their beds. All of them decided it was safe to call it an early night because one, it was their first time staying here and they needed the rest, and two, there was not much to do after moving in. With one last quick text to Zac reassuring the worried blonde that he was alive and breathing, Shu climbed onto his bed and threw the covers over his head, curling under them. The windows were firmly closed, but the cheeky cold night air found ways through the ancient cracks on the ceiling to sneak in.

Shu felt himself slowly being lulled to sleep as the darkness took over and the moments started replaying.

The same old monster prying open the healing wounds.

The sound of crashing glass. Passengers screaming trying to go against the protocol striving for safety despite being in the air. If someone asked, Shu wouldn't be able to list down the things that happened because it was black and cold. He could remember screaming and that was it. And then, often in his dreams he was standing on the graveyard, endless lines of tombs stretching to the horizons in front of him. The outlines of his parents leaving the premises with holding hands.

Shu woke up. Sweat coating his forehead, throat clogged with a cluster of emotions clinging to the back of his mind. He sat down, sighing. He had always kept a glass of water by the nightstand back home, but today either because of the new surroundings or because of the exhaustion after breakfast, the thought didn't even cross his mind. Blaming himself for his forgetfulness, he stepped on the cold wooden floor of their room, making his way towards the door. The only sound penetrating the silence was the rhythmic breathing of his friends, save for the low muttering of Valt.

Shu opened the door, wincing at the light creak sound it emitted. When he was walking down the stairs, the details of the nightmares dimmed but the effect lingered in his mind. He was glad it was a silent night. Sometimes, they got to the point he screamed himself awake. And that would've been embarrassing. Maybe he should warn them in advance. Cook up some tale about a childhood tragedy that caused them. He just wasn't ready to tell the truth.

The kitchen was engulfed in darkness. Shu blindly made his way across it and flipped on the light switch — the darkness chased away by the sudden wave of light. He walked towards the cabinet and opened the door. Picking up a glass, he filled it halfway with water, his gaze flicking through the numerous cabinets and cutlery lined on the counter. Raising the glass to his lips, he teased the cold surface over his dry lips.

And the next second, the lights went out. 

A/n ; Happy Pride Month Everyone!!!