One Hundred & Forty-Two Steps Up (Autumn Challenge)

:mushroom:

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Characters: Itona Horibe, Karma Akabane, Terasaka Ryouma, Maehara Hiroto, Taiga Okajima, Hazama Kirara, Yoshida, Muramatsu.

A/N: Not a ship fic. I tried to base this around Itona's friendships and attempted to focus on characterisation a bit more around the small canon events n shit, but it still what the fuck did i write and f for my vocab lmaooo. also gotta learn not to write shit last minute so i can yknow actually edit.

Tag: #autumnchallenge

Prompt: climbing trees with browning leaves

Word count: 2060

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Sun illuminated on the edges of the aging leaves, turning the tips of the almond coat into gold. Loose leaves on the next branch he stepped on flew away to dance in tune with the wind. The damp smell of soft mellow earth mixed into the cold air filled the air. A light-blue sky streaked with delicate-looking clouds, contrasting with the red and brown leaves of the trees in perfect harmony.

A white-haired boy took a peek of what was ahead of him from a two-story building height off the ground. He sees the architecture that makes up the traditional wooden Japanese building that was Class 3-E.

It hasn’t changed at all.

The stone slabs for stairs remain in front of the building, the plentiful of wooden lined windows that folded around the school, the scarlet and white tulips aligned in the garden beds at the front, The slanted roof that you can see the stars from- a school only reachable from a long walk in the forest.

Some surroundings have changed, though. The trees have gotten taller- the treetops look like a canopy of orange and cola-flavored cotton candy. The forest surrounding the classroom sings nothing else other than the melody of tranquillity. A flock of pigeons dive over the treetops and the clouds allow the sun to peek out just a little more to outline the margins of the trunks and branches.

The barren arms of a tree held Itona’s weight as he climbed up the great oak tree.

A tree he has climbed a million times before.

A tree he has fallen many amounts of times over.

A tree that held plenty of memories for him.

______

Eⅈᧁh𝕥 S𝕥eρs

It’s the first day of being officially a pupil in Class 3-E.

He’s uncertain of what to do, but Itona’s bloated egotistical side should get him through the day. But he figures out that he needs to grab more intel in the classroom, he’s new and yet needs an introduction around right? He doesn’t know much other than to sit down and “learn”.

Should he ask Terasaka? No. Itona could count the number of brain cells he had with his fingers. He wouldn’t have much to say.

So he asks the opposite of Terasaka by that logic.

“Hey Karma, do you know any good spots around the campus that you could show me this period?” Itona asks.

To his surprise, the redhead accepts. Maybe socializing people wasn’t as difficult as he thought and never tried throughout his childhood. But he keeps an undecided expression and follows Karma down the gravel track to the shade of woods lying ahead.

“The view from these trees is always a good spot, it’s nice to clear your mind after dealing with muscled-no-brain dumbasses,” Karma stated with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Like Terasaka?”

“Bingo. You already have my respect.” Karma jokes sarcastically, the boy in the black jacket still doesn’t know if Itona still looks down on him yet- like the first time they met. This would take some time to resolve, eventually. But for now, they are wandering around the school campus.

Karma had the eyes of a lion, out and alert to catch someone, he could put up a fight that would haunt your dreams. Every time he would get physical in fights, his attacks were almost downright lethal, acquiring a reputation- a person of people desired to prove wrong, and the one who could turn the puddles of rain to blood. Itona hasn’t gotten many impressions of this side of Karma yet. For now, Karma is just nonchalantly walking in front without a care in the world.

It’s odd.

Last time they met, they were enemies now they were casually strolling through a school campus as acquaintances. Itona would have expected some punishment but nothing happens.

It’s just a walk. He finds this hard to believe.

Itona’s amber eyes took notice of a considerably large oak tree and started to dash in the grass towards it. Karma followed behind him.

The shorter boy scans the tree for a coupleof moments, finding a way to get up the tree and thus started moving.

Left-arm to the branch on the top left.

Right foot on the dent of the thicker branch in the middle. And so on.

Itona is now a meter above the ground.

Snap. The branch breaks.

Itona falls on his back into a huge pile of leaves, tossing them into the air- making it rain leaves. Karma chuckles as he hovers the stick he cracked under Itona’s foot above his head.

“Did you think I had nothing up my sleeve?” Karma asks with a hint of sarcasm. He gets a groan in return from either from lack of amusement or pain.

Itona honestly thought Karma had nothing up his sleeve. The false egotism that Shiro gave him still lingered within him upon judging people. After his realization, Itona makes a call back to the classroom so he wouldn’t fall for any more of Karma’s pranks.

But as he was facing away from Karma to walk back, a smile trickled its way to his lips. He had never been pranked in a friendly manner because he used to deprive of social interaction for such a long time. But just this little stupid prank that gave him a sore back...

... made up for the extra steps he could’ve taken to go higher. Besides, there’s no reason for him to rush up to the top anymore.

_____

Tωen𝕥y Eⅈᧁh𝕥 ડ𝕥eρડ

They got caught. But that’s all right. They all cackle and grin about it, and plot the next move to get away with it.

They sit up, twenty-eight steps up the tree, snickering.

“Come on Itona, get the video camera up faster,” Okajima exclaimed.

“All right, all right.”

The remote control tank roams through the woodland. The boys use the cameras to locate the nearest batch of girls to spy on.

Maehara- one of the most socially competent people in the school, a womanizer swooning ladies from the main campus. Beaming as his blond locks run in the air and his amber eyes widening to see what they would see out of this.

And then to his right, there was Okajima- an overall creep judged by most people, specifically the girls. If you were to visualize Okajima doing something regular on the weekend, you’d imagine him in his room jacking off.

But that’s natural, Itona supposes- no he knows this.

They have all have one goal. To see up girls skirts.

Was this childish? Yes, they’re nevertheless young and ludicrous, a lot of things seem seamless and entertaining to do despite the consequences-

But for now, it’s fun.

____

Ｓ𝑒𝓿єnＴʸ-T𝓦𝕠 丂tєℙS

He can’t tell if he’s in the wrong.

He sits in the dark, he can barely make out shapes but the silhouettes of the night. It was crisp and cold, but he still sat up there.

After seeing what happened to him happen to someone else, he can’t help but feel guilty for some reason.

After seeing an expression as inhumanly fierce yet blank, her green hair flickering like dynamite, the smile you put on on a suicide mission as you say goodbye to your small footsteps on the earth for your pathetic purpose. Itona knowing why this was happening felt some amount of responsibility.

But he just stood there. And then she got away.

Just like the white-robed man.

But through his guilt and remorse, he gets interrupted.

"You fuckin’ okay up there, look like you were gonna have a seizure up there.”

Itona replies to the voice down there “If that was the case I would’ve fallen.” then he takes a look down, of course, it’s the stupidest out of all of them, Terasaka.

And there goes the decoy statement, Terasaka only has the choice to directly interrogate him or dodge the main question he has in mind.

But the acorn and dirty blonde haired boy decides, well- that he wasn’t a pussy.

Stupid justification, just like him, but it works.

Terasaka, despite his history of being a stereotypical bully, came to with knowing how to manipulate someone by reading their emotions, to use that ability to calm someone down.

“Is there anything you feel responsible for right now if that’s the case then you’re havin’ illusions,” Terasaka shouts at him making sure his word screams through the wind, pushing all it’s late-golden like leaves in the way to get those words clearly to Itona as he attempts to climb up the tree.

Itona doesn’t want to give in- he’s too certain it’s his fault.

There’s silence for a dandy moment.

Just silence. It burns in Itona’s mind, it’s paranoia in Terasaka’s.

A hand reaches out to the branch he’s sitting on.

“You’re worried about something, aren’t ya shrimp?” Terasaka has been caught numerous times over simply petty things, he knows the look of guilt. “Listen, it’s not about being the one on top ‘ere anymore, no need to deny anything you feel.”

“Fine, I’ll it I feel guilty about something,” Itona says, clearly irritated.

Another pause of silence. Terasaka wants to know specifically why, but there’s something in his gut that’s not a good direct question to ask.

“Man, at least you didn’t lash out as hard as Kayano,” Terasaka chuckles.

That’s what makes Itona shake on the spot.

“Itona?”

“Y-yeah?” a bleak response comes out.

“So it’s something about Shiro and Kayano, correct?”

“I can’t believe I need to correct you on this Terasaka,” Itona lets out a sarcastic mumble to devoid himself from breaking down.

“I thought you were the one suffering,” Terasaka grunts, but it's dramatic enough to off as a joke.

Terasaka's tone is serious again “Is there a reason why? I mean, if you don’t wanna tell me that’s fine.”

Well, of course, there was a reason, the fact if Itona was going to it to it was the deciding factor.

“O-o-on-nl-y-y i-if- c-cou-cou-ld-v” Itona tries to force the words from his tongue

“Take your damn time, you sound like a drunk person,” Terasaka cuts him off.

Moments . The world es. Leaves along wavering in the breeze. Shadows along the ground . Everything moves.

Itona’s mouth moves.

“I could’ve stopped it from happening.”

“So could’ve anyone else- if they knew. C’mon, it was unpredictable,” Terasaka rebuts.

“I suppose so,” Itona states, unconvinced.

“Hey no one is responsible for this but he, that stupid man that won’t show his face is the cause,”

“But-”

“You were a victim, you almost got manipulated by him,”

Itona wants to argue, but some part of him feels relieved.

Screw it, he gives in.

“Thank you,” Itona says with a tired smile.

_____

Oᶰ𝔼 HυＮdRєd & TweⓃ𝐭Ƴ-Sᵉ𝕧乇n S丅𝒆𝓹𝔰

It’s calm.

Really calm.

Not the type of calm where you can soothe and relax- it was more the type of calm where everything feels off, but the world just moves while you play through the thousands of scenarios in your head.

The air was bleak and blustery in contrast from the night before where the sky has illuminated the particles of light itself- Korosensei’s.

He isn’t the only one who feels down and miserable, it’s the entire class.

But Itona knows how to deal with his feelings now. The painful part is now over now.

He takes a step up the tree and moves his muscles to smile over the earth.

“Thank you Korosensei.”

He was going to graduate today.

_____

It’s been seven whole years. He’s well grown now, has the mind of billions of brightly lit circuits omitted in his brain, his intellect and intuitive mindset earning him a respectable job among the ranks of a mechanic. Building up from his father's fallen empire of a company, regenerating its profit and name. He now knows how to be more subtle and informative when giving criticism and has built strong bonds over time. His fluffy blue-tinted hair swaying along with the leaves in the wind as he stands there strong.

Itona, for once doesn’t feel like the shortest in the group, he feels one hundred and forty-two steps taller.

Thud.

“Oi, you better get down here you little shit.” Terasaka grunts, while Hazama, Yoshida, and Muramatsu look at the bulky figure piled in leaves as if putting up with Terasaka was a heavy chore.

Itona smiles in amusement and heads down.