Chapter Song - Youth by Daughter

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Shu sighed, turning on the stove and checking on the microwave to see if the leftovers were heating. So far, Ryuji has been merciful with the tasks. He was just a housewife for the team and they specifically asked for the students in charge of the dinner that he will be cooking for them. And here he was stacking plates on a tray to take them over to the dining area. "Looks like they're taking full advantage," Chiasa commented with a grin while taking a mug as she filled it with cold water.

Shu smiled, "I'm Cinderella minus the Prince Charming part."

He balanced the tray in his hand grabbing a bowl full of spaghetti from the other. "Gods, I hate this."

Chiasa shrugged unhelpfully, "For the record, you refused the other's help. Curse you for taking the burden alone. I would've killed to see them eating Valt's cooking."

Shu chuckled, "Well, there's that." He walked out of the kitchen towards the dining area where the others were already having their dinner.

"And he arrives," Shin cheered. Shu could feel the pitying gazes of his classmates. He ignored them. "Your work is sleazy, Shu. You better get a grip on yourself if you want to keep the job."

Ryuji snorted, "C'mon Shin, don't tease him. He was just appointed. Every maid should be allowed to have a training period."

Shu wordlessly placed the food on the table and turned to leave. Ryuji cleared his throat loudly. "Where are you going, sweetheart? There's plenty of space for you here."

Shu slid his gaze towards Edna who smirked, crossed her arms and leaned back on her chair. "Yes," She chirped. "Do sit with us."

"That's the smile of a girl who's up to something," Takeshi grinned. "I like you."

Edna tossed a lock of her blonde hair over her shoulder, "I don't."

Takeshi — one of the members of Ryuji's team to whom Shu was newly introduced— held his heart in mock sadness as Shu took the seat beside Tatsu which — in his opinion, was the safest place around the table. The latter acknowledged him with a nod and passed a pristine white plate towards him. "Thank you," Shu muttered.

"As much as I hate to compliment you, you make a mean Pasta," Shin said between mouthfuls. "I wouldn't mind making you my personal chef."

Shu wasn't listening, his gaze was on his friends who were sitting in the far corner, staring at him not so discreetly. Shu raised his brow at Valt who ducked behind his stacks of bread trying to appear stealthy but miserably failing. "I was thinking," Yuto — the last and the fifth member of Ryuji's team who he just learned the name of— "Did you and Edna know each other before?"

Edna froze, "Why do you think so?"

Yuto shrugged, "Seems like you two have this unsolved burden between you two every time you guys interact. I'm just theorising of course."

Edna laughed — an awkward, shrill sound. "Fat chance. That guy's existence pisses me off," She said, pointing her fork at him. "Sometimes, it is like that. Isn't it Shu?"

Shu shrugged, "If you say so."

"Aw, we've run out of pasta," Shin added, "My maid, more please!"

Shu sighed, pushing his untouched food towards him. "Here, have this." Shin didn't bother questioning his appetite as he dug in.

"Are you dieting?" Tatsu asked, tilting his head.

"Don't really have an appetite."

"Losing does that to you," Takeshi added philosophically. "I'm out," He grinned at Shu. "Take care of the dishes, sweetie."

Shu refrained from scowling as he watched — stone faced, as he walked out. It was the repulsive nicknames he hated the most. He could feel the back of his neck heating up from shame and anger as Edna added. "You guys are way too lenient on him. Ask him to stand on the table and dance or something, I'm bored."

Shu clenched his fists on his lap. Tatsu pushed his empty plate towards Shu. "Go and do the dishes." He stood. "I think dancing on the tables is really cliche for the record."

Edna huffed, watching him walk out. "What's his problem?"

"Takeshi is a weird guy," Ryuji added, standing. "Let's go. It's getting late."

Yuto yawned, stretching his arms. "It sure is."

Shu watched as they filed out of the room, a very disappointed Edna following them. Shu sank back to the chair, turning his head to see his friends staring at him. "Stop it."

Valt kept staring intently at him. "We're stalking you," he said from the table opposite him.

"I can see that," Shu chuckled, standing as he started gathering the plates when Wakiya suddenly stood and stormed out of the room without a second look at him.

"Well, goldilocks is surely angry with you." Honcho reached out and took half the plates from his hands. "And it's very much justified."

"I second that," Chiasa said, shovelling pasta into her mouth as her eyes focused on the phone on her other hand.

Hotaru lightly tapped on the back of her head. "No phones on the table, young lady."

Chiasa grumbled something under her breath while Daigo and Ken walked into the kitchen with them. "Let me help," Daigo said, rolling his long sleeves to his elbows. Shu looked as if he was about to protest but pursed his lips seeing the rare stern expression of the ravenette. They started working in silence. After everything was cleared, they wished good night for their fellow classmates, and walked to their room. Wakiya was on his bed, scrolling through his phone.

Shu walked to his own bed and was about to sit down when Wakiya said, "So, are you having fun?"

A cutthroat silence filled the room. Daigo and Ken shared a glance sensing the impending argument about to burst out. Shu frowned, "I'm not having fun, exactly."

"Yeah?" Wakiya put his phone down and swung his legs off his bed, facing Shu. "Seems to be you like engulfing yourself in misery and not giving a fuck about how other's around you are impacted by any of it."

"Wakiya," Shu sighed trying to explain when the blonde cut him off.

"Don't, Shu." He stood, walked over to him. "If you think you're the only one feeling guilty about everything you're wrong. Did you even stop to think about how we would feel? Did you even spare a minute to stop and think how guilty we would feel when we see you doing everything alone? Fuck, if this was going to happen I wouldn't have offered you my help. You might just as well go solo."

Shu frowned, getting defensive, "I didn't force you to come help me. Besides, it's my faul-"

"How in the world does Ryuji trying to hurt you become your fault?"

Shu stopped, opening his mouth. But no words came out. He had no defence for that. He knew there was nothing wrong with his side. Honcho stood in between them, "Guys, calm down."

Wakiya scowled, "Yeah, that's the best we could do? Seriously Shu? For fuck's sake why didn't you think maybe we'd feel fucking useless? You've been so wallowed in your own ego you failed to see that everyone else around you is happy to help." He stopped, ran a hand through his messy blonde tangles. "Why the fuck am I even explaining shit to you anyway?" With that, the blonde picked up his phone and stormed out of the room without another word.

Shu watched him leave, winced at the slam of the door behind him. His words echoed in his mind. He didn't realise. He thought they were sparing them of his troubles. He didn't realise maybe they wanted to help too. "Shu..." Valt mumbled, reaching to him.

"Do you guys feel like that too?" He asked, his voice quiet. Eyes searching for their expressions. Daigo and Ken glanced at each other and the former sighed.

"A little, I guess. But I wouldn't scream at you for that. Because it seemed you genuinely didn't understand."

Ken nodded as he talked through Keru. "Honestly, we'd be glad if you let us help. You know? We're friends! And friends help each other out whatever happens. And we're happy to do it. You're not a burden, Shu."

Shu looked at him, You're not a burden, how many times people had said that to him in the past couple of months. His aunt, his uncle, Zac, they kept chanting the sentence over and over but he still failed to see himself as nothing short of a burden. He grimaced, sitting back in his bed. Valt sat beside him, "Are you alright?" He asked, caressing his elbow.

Shu nodded with a hesitant smile, "I am. I'm sorry, I didn't realise I was hurting any of you."

"Well, you can start by letting us help you," Honcho suggested.

Shu looked at him, "Help out? You mean with Ryuji?"

Ken nodded, "Yeah," Besu said. "You don't have to do everything alone. We'll figure it out together, how does that sound?"

Shu nodded, "Okay, I guess." He looked longingly at the door, "Do you think Wakiya will ever talk to me?"

Honcho huffed out a laugh, "Of course he will! Blondie might look like he has a stick up his ass, but he's a nice guy. Well, I'm going to brush my teeth. I'm exhausted."

Valt was already leaning against Shu, quiet snoring, escaping his parted lips. "Thank you," He said. "I mean, thanks a lot."

"There you go, trying to be a stranger," Keru scolded. "It's what friends do! No need to thank us."

Shu chuckled, "Right."

---

Wakiya made his way towards the kitchen, part furious, part regretting the words he said. But he was not alone. Edna stood by the counter, her laptop opened in front of her as she typed furiously. Wakiya watched, considering if he should talk when Edna grunted. "Sit down, don't watch me like a creep."

Wakiya walked to her and stood, she was composing an email, he saw. Not wanting to pry, he focused his gaze on the broken coffee machine still in front of their rice cooker. No one had even mentioned replacing it. He had seen Shu and the other coffee lovers dumping instant coffee packets to their mugs the previous morning. "I'm writing an email to my father," Edna said, cutting through the silence. "He wants to know if I'd be interested in any of the candidates he's chosen for me to marry apparently."

Wakiya blinked, "Edna, you're only sixteen."

"What? They're not prodding you around?"

He didn't have anything to counter that, because he knew his mom was not-so-discreetly looking through clusters of photos. It didn't matter he was barely an adult, because according to the adults as heirs it was their responsibility to protect family heritage. All their eccentricities made Wakiya want to run away sometimes. Joining this school was a form of escape for him.

After sending the email, Edna shut her macbook with a thud and plopped herself to one of the high counter stools. She folded her hands on the cool tile, "Why are you here? Got tired of your little group of clowns?"

Wakiya followed her suit and sat down. "They're not clowns, Edna. Stop insulting them. You know they're talented."

"Maybe," She said, "Some of them, I guess. Why are you so keen on waltzing around Shu anyway? You guys don't even know him."

"Why are you so determined to hurt him?"

Edna stared at him a little longer and Wakiya wondered if he saw a flash of hurt in her eyes. She stretched her arms, yawning. "Who cares? If I don't like him, I don't. I'm not bound to love every single person in this godforsaken building."

Wakiya chuckled, "Fine, that's fair."

Edna ran her finger on the counter, "You should actually join Ryuji's band. You're too out of their league, you know? You deserve a better band."

"We've talked about this before. I like my band, I like those guys as annoying as they can be."

Edna sighed, slipping down from the stool as she picked her macbook. She reached out and ruffled his hair with a faint grin. "Whatever you want, Waki. You're going to regret that one day, you know?"

"Hopefully not," He said in farewell as she walked down the corridor, turning the lights off. 

---

Chiasa and Hotaru sat by the open window. The Saturday morning was welcoming with soft sunrays and the distant sound of seagulls breaking the monotonous morning chitchat of the half-wake students. Someone cursed out loud at the broken coffee machine while someone else was dozing around with her cup of tea steaming in her hands. "Morning!" Honcho entered the dining room, a damp towel slung around his neck. His sleeveless t-shirt was still damp with water.

"And that is a human atrocity," Chiasa mumbled, dropping her head loudly to the wooden table.

"Why do you guys look half-dead?"

"Only half?" Chiasa said. "I wish to be fully dead."

"She's not a morning person," Hotaru commented, picking through her cereal. The brand she had chosen this time around was an epic failure. The cereal was soggy and a gross mess inside her bowl. "Gods, I'm going to sue this company."

Honcho chuckled when the bell rang. They looked at each other because the dorm bell rarely rang. They barely had guests because the majority of students visited their homes on the weekend. It was why this was a slow morning unlike the other buzzing days. They all watched the door like predators awaiting prey until Chiasa stood. "Why's nobody getting the damn door?" She asked, tripping her way out to the living room. There was silence until she screamed, "Big sis!?"

"Is it Aika?" Hotaru stood and started walking to the living room while Honcho followed her close behind. The lady Chiasa was hugging wasn't Aika. She was taller with dark hair and tanned skin. Her white blouse was tucked into a knee length beige pencil skirt.

"Why are you here!?" Chiasa said, parting. "I haven't seen you in ages! Are you here to see your adorable baby sister?"

The woman laughed, "Partly, I guess. But I'm here for work."

Hotaru cleared her throat, "This is your big sister? Amiko?"

"Yes!" Chiasa said, looking at her friends. "Guys this is my big sister Nakamura Amiko. And Amiko, that's Rantarou and Hotaru. My favourite people in this old barren school."

"Nice to meet you ma'am," Honcho said with a bow. Amiko smiled.

"Just call me Amiko, it's fine." That's when they realised contrasting to her dark hair, her eyes were mesmerising. Heterochromia eyes; one bright emerald, the other the same shade as Chiasa's. "Well, do you guys know someone called Kurenai Shu?"

Honcho snapped out of his stupor, "Ah! Yes, we know Shu."

"What about me?" A groggy voice asked as the albino walked down the stairs, hair mussed over a good night's sleep. His crimson eyes searched through them quizzically. "Did something happen?"

"Oh my god Shu did you kill someone?" Chiasa gasped, "If it's Ryuji I'd vouch for you."

Amiko flicked her forehead, "Chia, that's enough."

Shu stood frozen on the stairs, trying to decipher her words through his groggy mind when Amiko walked forward and offered him her hand. "I am Nakamura Amiko, it is a pleasure to meet you. I have something to ask you," She looked around at the Students. They had attracted some attention. "Do you have a place I can talk to you in private?"

Shu looked at his friends and pointed at the empty side garden they had. No one went outside to visit there early in the morning. "There?"

"Good," She said as she started walking in the pointed direction. Shu numbly followed him as dread settled in his gut. People rarely came to talk to him, if they did it was always about the incident. Shu closed the screen doors and walked to Amiko who sat down on one of the garden chairs. "Take a seat," She said as if Shu was the guest. Shu did as he was told, wincing when the morning chill of the iron seats seeped into his bare legs. His shorts were really not helping.

Amiko fussed through her handbag and pulled out a pearl white business card, details embossed in dark blue. Shu eyed it, his gaze stopping in the word; senior detective. Chiasa's words started to make sense but only her context was wrong. "Is this about the plane crash?" He asked, clenching his fingers, the card crumpling in his palm.

"I'm afraid, yes."

"Didn't they close the case?"

"We had to reopen it," She said, "Some clues didn't match and then we came across something... unique." She was speaking slowly and carefully as if Shu was a kindergartener and he didn't have the energy to ask her to stop as he watched transfixed, dreading the information yet to come.

'Unique?" His voice was a whisper.

"I'm sorry Shu. But I'll get this over with quickly. We believe the plane crash was not an accident. Rather it seems as if it was a planned murder."

A/n 

Hello! So as you guys can see there's interactions of Edna and Wakiya in the chapter, yay.... I realized my dumbass younger self just blurted out Wakiya loves Edna for the sake of plot twist without actually building a relationship between the from the start. I was so cringe lmao (I mean it's not much changed but still-)

So, yes. I'm trying to make this story make sense i hope it does :DD