▃▃▃▃▃ "AHH KITA!! 'SAMU'S DYING!"

kita's brows furrowed as osamu laid on the wooden floorboards of him and etsuko's room.

etsuko, who was laying on her stomach on her futon, snorted as she flipped to the next page of her book.

"how? he's not bleeding, and neither does he seem like he has a disease", kita stated, to which the twins had deadpanned.

immediately, osamu stood up, brushing off the nonexistent dust that was on his plain nagagi. after all, kita had managed to keep the room extremely clean.

osamu cleared his throat as suna and etsuko looked at each other. suna sat on the floor since kita didn't allow him to sit on his clean bed.

"then let me tell you some embarrassing things about 'tsumu", osamu started, clearing his throat.

suna gripped tightly onto his brush as he anticipated writing down everything. it was way too juicy to give up on any details.

"there was one time when we were kids, mother had us dress up. because I was the favorite, I got to put on a fancy sokutai, but 'tsumu had to wear a jūnihitoe. he even had makeup put on him, and—"

     "SHUT YER TRAP!"

osamu tried prying atsumu's hands off his face as atsumu knew he was only saying that to embarrass him.

"say, haru-san, what are you going to do to try and make kita laugh?", suna asked.

etsuko hummed, turning onto her back as her head hung on the edge of the wooden platform, dangling meanwhile the blood had seeped to her head.

"say, what does kita even find funny? does kita even like anything other than cleaning and learning?", etsuko wondered out loud.

"if I knew, I would've already tried it", suna muttered.

"have you tried anything yet?", suna asked.

     "nope!"

     "you're not the least bit worried that the twins are going to crack kita before you do?", the dark-haired male questioned.

     "kita won't be defeated so easily. plus, let them try everything first and I won't have to try the same things later on", etsuko winked, grinning as she suddenly sat up, feeling her head become woozy.

     "aw shit! why's everything so blurry", etsuko cursed as she closed her eyes momentarily, trying to let her blood flow back to where it actually belonged.

"shouldn't you three be getting back to your rooms and completing your homework? today's sunday", kita reminded.

"OH SHIT! YER RIGHT!!", atsumu said as he hastily left the room, with osamu calmly following behind.

"I already did it", suna said, to which kita had looked over at the male, staring at him without saying a word.

suna's right eye twitched, clicking his tongue as he stood up.

"I...still have some to do...", the boy commented as he too left, closing the door behind him.

"haru, did you finish your homework?", kita questioned.

     "mhm! I finished it yesterday night", etsuko said, smiling as she was glad that she was somewhat responsible.

     kita just nodded, taking out his book as he started reading once more.

etsuko sighed as she dropped her book on her futon, meanwhile the girl herself rolled into sushi with her blanket.

"kita?"

"mhm?"

"do you...ever have fun?", etsuko asked, to which kita had stopped reading to answer.

     "yes, why?"

     "what do you do?"

     "I like cleaning, reading, learning, and sometimes archery, but it's way better with my granny", kita honestly answered.

     "your grandma?"

     "mhm. I grew up with my granny. she's the one that taught me how to clean", kita slightly smiled, reminiscing back to his past.

     etsuko thought for a bit. looking out the open window, the sun was still up in the air, meaning curfew wasn't until way later.

"how about we go visit her?", etsuko suggested, to which kita was a bit surprised at the suddenness.

"right now?"

"yeah! and we can bring suna-san along too!"

     "suna? he has homework thoug—"

     perhaps the male had internally felt himself being summoned, but suna had abruptly appeared at the doorway of the two's room.

     "I finished", suna stated, to which kita had raised a brow, debating whether it'd be wise or not.

     "but I haven't informed granny ye—"

     "let's surprise her! imagine how happy she'll be once she sees you as a surprise", etsuko smiled, unraveling herself as she stood up, patting down her raggedy clothes.

     "if it'll make granny happy...", kita mumbled, stacking his book back on top of the others as he stood up, grabbing his pocket of money.

     suna and etsuko shuffled next to each other.

     "what's your plan?", suna whispered.

     "my bet with the miya twins stated that as long I can make kita laugh, I win. and kita said that he's usually happier with his granny, so I'm going to need you to document this down and rub it in their faces", etsuko grinned.

     suna scoffed. "and what's in it for me?"

     "you're the one that showed up miraculously".

     "true, but—"

     "maybe you'll get some dirt on kita", etsuko said, wriggling her brows and making suna concerned.

     "fine", suna agreed, to which kita had cleared his throat.

     "are you two ready?"

     etsuko and suna glanced at each other, nodding.

     hence with the three now maneuvering down the street, etsuko marveled at all the cute little things, having to have never paid attention to them when she hurried back to her mother's.

"oi!! look at all these pretty hairpins!", etsuko smiled, looming over the boxes of blush, pins, and trinkets.

"do you have a secret lover? why are you so excited seeing these things for girls?", suna asked, to which etsuko had momentarily froze.

"I-I just thought they were pretty okay?! a-anyways, let's g—"

"kita-san?"

all three "boys" immediately turned around as etsuko's jaw dropped.

the girl in front of them was like a goddess amongst humans. not only did her gray onyx eyes hold a glint of brilliance, but her smooth black hair was perfectly yet loosely tied back, letting a few strands frame her perfectly pale face.

     though what made her stand out was most likely the beauty mark on the lower left of her chin. with the corner of her lips curling upwards, she inched closer to the trio, much to etsuko's surprise.

     "kita-san, it's been a while hasn't it?", the girl smiled, to which etsuko had nudged suna, who looked as bored as ever.

     "oi oi! who's she?", etsuko whispered, to which suna had sighed.

     "shimizu kiyoko, kita's ex".

etsuko nearly choked. "kita has an ex?!", the girl harshly whispered, to which suna had nodded.

that was the only dirt suna had on kita, but even the end of kita's relationship wasn't anything out of the ordinary, hence it wasn't really worth poking fun at.

plus, kita didn't seem too affected by the breakup either, which made suna deem that the piece of information was even more irrelevant.

     "it has been, shimizu-san. though I would love to stay and talk, I'm visiting granny with two of my friends today. so if you would please excuse us", kita bowed.

shimizu nodded. "perhaps we could sit and talk another time. goodbye then", the girl waved as she quickly left, catching the attention of others as she bypassed them.

kita turned around as he started walking again, as if that didn't just happen.

etsuko stayed silent throughout as her and suna occasionally shot each other glances. kita didn't seem to catch on, as the two were walking slightly behind him.

     "we're here", kita announced, to which etsuko's drooping head had immediately snapped upwards, nearly falling down onto her knees as she saw how luxurious kita's house was.

     'well shit! I almost forgot how rich everyone was. do I look like a beggar??', etsuko worried, awkwardly shuffling behind kita as he knocked on the gate to his house.

     a kind old lady suddenly opened the door, to which kita had given a small smile, one that usually is never seen.

     "ah shin-chan! you're back", the short woman, kita yumie, greeted, opening up her arms as kita immediately fell into her embrace.

     "I am granny. and I brought some friends. remember suna?"

     "hello suna!"

     "good afternoon granny", suna politely bowed, to which yumie had just nodded.

     "and this is haru etsuko, my—"

     "new girlfriend?! oh my, she's so pretty, shin-chan!", yumie smiled, holding etsuko's hands as the girl's face had combusted into flames.

     kita laughed, turning etsuko and suna's attention to the boy.

     suna immediately took out his notepad and brush—that already had ink in the wooden cylinder—as he scribbled down the moment kita shinsuke had actually laughed.

     "you're so funny granny. haru's a boy. he's my roommate", kita explained, to which yumie had furrowed her brows in confusion.

     "oh look at me! getting so old that I can't even tell the difference between a boy and a girl".

     etsuko shook her head, awkwardly smiling. "nice to meet you granny!"

     'and it's not you, granny...it's me', the girl internally sobbed.

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セレンディピティ
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