Dead Man's Tales: HSOTD

Takashi Komuro sat lazily on a bench at the train station, his gaze absentmindedly fixed on a nearby bird's nest. The small, intricate structure was perched precariously on a branch just within his line of sight. Within it, two birds performed a delicate dance of affection, their movements gentle and meticulous. One bird, with feathers slightly ruffled by the breeze, would nudge a twig towards the other, who accepted it with a soft chirp, their beaks touching briefly in what seemed like a kiss. 

Just as he was lost in the thought of whether human relationships could ever mimic such straightforward expressions of love, a voice intruded on his reverie. 

"You know, it's kinda lame to get depressed seeing the love life of birds," said the voice, dripping with sarcasm. 

Takashi's eyes shifted from the nest to his best friend, Hisashi Igou, who stood towering over him, a slim figure with striking gray hair and an amused look in his brown eyes. Hisashi held two cans of coffee, extending one towards Takashi as a peace offering of sorts, though his grin betrayed his real intent—to make fun of him.

"They are obviously siblings."

Hisashi snorted at the weakass reply, glancing at the romantic scene above them before flashing a mocking Cheshire grin.

"Love through the eyes of a lonely man can't exist," Hisashi declared, his voice carrying a theatrical, almost poetic tone that irked the boy even further. The vein on Takashi's temple throbbed visibly. He regretted ever mentioning his crush on Rei to Hisashi, who now seemed to seize every opportunity to rib him about his unconfessed feelings.

Takashi took the offered coffee with a grudging nod, his fingers tightening around the can. He cracked open the can, the sound sharp in the quiet morning, and took a long sip, hoping the caffeine might soothe his frayed nerves or at least give him a momentary reprieve from responding.

Hisashi sat down beside Takashi, still wearing that insufferable grin. 

"Come on, Takashi, admit it. You were totally projecting yourself onto those birds," he continued, nudging Takashi with his elbow, trying to provoke a more defensive reaction.

The distant rumble grew into a steady roar as the train approached, heralding its arrival with the high-pitched squeal of metal on metal. With a final hiss and a clunk, the train came to a halt, the doors sliding open with a mechanical sigh, releasing a burst of artificially chilled air.

"You know, I think it's romantic that you came here for her even though Rei moved houses. Recreating the love of going together. Maybe that will make her fall for you instead of you actually confessing," Hisashi mused aloud. 

Takashi clenched his fist, the comment stirring a tempest within him. He almost swung at Hisashi, his irritation peaking, but his attention snapped towards the train doors as people began to disembark.

Among the exiting passengers, Takashi's gaze locked onto Rei, her laughter floating across the platform as she walked alongside another guy. 

The sight was like a punch to the gut. Involuntarily, his grip tightened around his coffee can until the aluminum crumpled, the remaining coffee spilling over his hand and dripping onto the platform, dark droplets disappearing between the concrete slabs.

"Come on, man," Hisashi murmured, his voice laden with disappointment as he observed the boy beside Rei. 

"There are plenty of fish in the sea."

Takashi responded with a death glare, his emotions raw and visible. His anger was not just at the situation but also at the clichéd consolation that felt like salt in an open wound.

"Oh, hey, what are you two doing here?" 

"Well, we were going to surprise you…" Hisashi stammered, scrambling for an excuse. "…But we got distracted by birds."

"Birds?" 

"Yep, really romantic birds," Hisashi continued, glancing at Takashi whose face was a mask of blank resignation.

Hisashi sighed internally, frustrated at Takashi's passivity. 

Of course, the idiot wasn't going to do anything, he thought grimly. Determined to shift the focus and perhaps ease the awkwardness, Hisashi took the initiative. "So, who is our friend over here?" 

Rei quickly filled in with her two friends on the recent events. Hisashi listened attentively, his expression morphing into one of gratitude towards Kozen for his intervention. However, it was Takashi who, surprisingly, took the initiative to step forward first.

"Hey, thanks for protecting Rei," Takashi said, his voice carrying a slight edge as he extended his hand towards Kozen.

Kozen accepted the handshake, his expression unreadable at first. However, as Takashi's grip tightened unexpectedly Kozen's eyebrow raised in amusement at the clear display of jealousy. 

"No problem.'

Kozen then responded to the challenge by squeezing back. 

The black haired teen felt the pressure increase exponentially, his hand caught in an iron vice that threatened to bring him to his knees. He managed to stay upright, but it was a struggle; his face remained stoic except for a telltale twitch in his eye that betrayed the intense pain he was experiencing.

Observing the scene, Hisashi quickly realized that Takashi was on the brink—not just of physical collapse but potentially of lashing out in frustration and pain. Hisashi intervened smoothly, extending his own hand to Kozen in an effort to diffuse the escalating tension. 

"Yeah, man, I don't know many people who do something like that," he said, giving Takashi an out and potentially saving him from further embarrassment—or worse, a beatdown.

There was something about the way the new kid moved, the controlled rhythm of his breathing, the precision in his steps—it spoke of a trained awareness that only someone familiar with martial arts could recognize. Hisashi himself was a black belt in Karate, and his instincts screamed that Kozen was not just skilled but potentially dangerous. It was clear that neither he nor Takashi, alone or together, would fare well in a fight against him.

The tension from the handshake dissipated as Kozen released Takashi's hand. Takashi, trying to mask his discomfort, subtly placed his shaking hand behind his back, his pride wounded but intact. When Kozen then shook Hisashi's hand, his grip was firm yet controlled, devoid of the earlier challenge. It was evident Kozen was like a sleeping bear, formidable yet peaceful unless provoked.

"You three can shake each other's hands after we get to school." 

Hisashi noted the familiar school uniform. "New kid?" 

"Yeah, first day."

Takashi interjected with a near growl, "Class?"

Kozen started and directed his answer to Hisashi, as though he had been the one to inquire as if he didn't acknowledge Takashi.

"1A."

Rei's reaction was immediate and bright. "Yay, we are in the same class!" 

Kozen offered a small, polite smile in response to Rei's cheerfulness, but internally, he was already thinking about transferring classes.

He would rather have some peace and quiet in his high school life.

I wonder what Rika is doing right now?