Chapter Text
Shinsou was glad that the bell finally rang. He obviously liked English and he was good at it, so it wasn't hard, but there were things he was far more passionate about. He wouldn't have gone to forensics if that wouldn't be the case.
He stood up from his seat, turning off and closing his laptop, then packing it carefully into his shoulder bag - it served him for a long time and he wouldn't like if it changed. He didn't have money for another anyway and he wasn't going to ask for it. Of course, he knows Monoma or Aizawa-sensei would agree, but he wasn't going to be a beggar with Monoma and Aizawa-sensei was giving him enough kindness as it was. Asking would go over an unspeakable barrier in the kindness that the teacher was giving him. It was far too kind anyway for him to teach Hitoshi what he knew. Take him under his wing, nurture the talent he had, shape him into the passionate student he was now. If he didn't do it, nobody would have. His parents couldn't imagine him going into this line of work, telling him that he should become a lawyer instead. Pushed him into different after school activities, hoping that he would change his mind. He never did.
And after all that, he was finally here - on the line of university he wanted to, with the support of his mentor and the crazy bastard that he can call a friend. Although Monoma wouldn't really like that Shinsou called him that, would he?
Obviously. Obviously he wouldn't like that. But after seeing Monoma play Hamlet, he wasn't so sure that he wasn't. Because hell, he can surely sell his monologues.
Shinsou sighed, closed the zipper then swinged the bag over his shoulder. This was the last class they had for today, so he was free to go. He took out his earphones - he thought about buying proper headphones, but he realized early on that his hair wouldn't survive that, so he had to sadly decide against them - and plugged them back to his phone.
As he did, he also checked it - just to be met with a ton of messages from Monoma. He stared at the notifications, wondering how he managed to produce this many texts in just 45 minutes.
He pushed the earphones into his ears and put on his playlist, making his way out of the classroom. The chipper of the people drowned in the music as he began to read through the messages.
Monoma: Math is soooo boring
Monoma: Like I don't care about ts, let me out
Monoma: I didn't choose acting just to listen about math
Monoma: I have a role to rehearse goddamit
Monoma: Macbeth won't act himself
Shinsou scrolls as Monoma talks and talks. Mostly about theatre and musicals, but he throws a little about people in the science group, saying that they get so much funds, but the theatre gets ignored to the point they sometimes have to deal with the malfunctions themselves.
He walks down the hallway - it was almost empty as only a few students waited around - and towards the exit as he responds:
Shinsou: I ain't reading allat
Monoma responds almost instantly with:
Monoma: You did.
Shinsou: I did
Shinsou: And I can say one thing
Shinsou: The duality of men.
He looks up as he opens the door - he did not want to accidentally smash his face with them. When he was on the courtyard, Shinsou looked around, searching for Monoma. Since Neito had a licence, he drove them both to school and Hitoshi paid him back for the gas.
The heat became increasingly more and more noticeable, so he began to fan himself with his hand. He wished that he could be in the car, where the air conditioning could do its job or back in the cold halls, where it was already doing its job.
Shinsou: Where you at
Monoma: At play rehearsal
Monoma: Like I told you in the morning that I will be
Shinsou: Right
Monoma: You forgot didn't you
Monoma: I didn't know that my friend was an undercover gramps with shit ass memory
Shinsou: K
Shinsou sighed as he remembered that Monoma indeed told him that today, he was just too tired to register that. He just stared at him as Neito talked about the new musical they were going to put on.
He checked on his phone when the train in the direction of his house was leaving. The fate smiled to him on this one - ten minutes is ideal to make his way to the station and not be late. He was happy that the station was so close to his university - he obviously reconsidered what apartment was well connected, right before Monoma got his licence.
After buying a ticket and leaning against the wall of the train - unfortunately there wasn't a free seat left - Shinsou started to stare at the moving picture behind the windows. He would do something on his phone, but it wouldn't hold long if he did. So listening to music while thinking is the next best option.
He decided that when he gets home he's going to immediately go to sleep as he was hardly keeping his eyes open. But since he had to juggle studying, his part-job and writing, there weren't many time left.
He obviously could talk with his parents - they would probably lend him money right away - but he won't. They haven't talked since they had the big fight over him changing from the law major to the forensics one. When he chose the law major in his college, his parents were out of the roof with happiness. He didn't have any choice - his grades didn't allow him to go where he thought he would go. His biology and chemistry teacher was awful and his parents never let him catch a break from the extra classes so he almost failed both. That's why the forensics major didn't want him. So he had to settle on the second best thing - law at the same college. It's not that he didn't like law, he wanted to do something different in life from his parents.
But it doesn't matter. His situation will change soon - at least he hopes it will. Soon - obviously - meaning two years from now, when he graduates from college. When he can officially become a forensic scientist and finalize the long plan of fulfilling his dreams.
And the dream’s not going to be realized without his little side quest with writing. He always loved crime books - to the point that he started to think about his at fourteen and still keeping strong with the idea almost seven years later.
As every writer would say - the first draft is never ever perfect. It's just simply the thing you have to polish over time. And as he grew up, so did his book. Almost a year ago he managed to realize the perfect plot - leaning into the old idea, but not really. He just needed to write and actually present the idea to somebody…
So it wasn't happening in the near future. He wasn't really working on the writing aspect. There wasn't much time since his college was pushing his ass to the limit and his job was pushing him off.
It's not a big deal. It's nothing Shinsou couldn't manage.
He saw his stop approaching and he had to literally peel himself off the wall because of how hot it was. He didn't really feel it through the ride since he was falling asleep standing, but as he was coming out of the car, the heat hit him in the face like a train.
He slouched as he thought of walking in this absolute lamp. He covered his eyes from the sun, trying to see anything that could result in an accidental death.
He walked through the crosswalk and took the pavement towards his house. It was quite the longer walk then from his college to the station. Finally, after a long week he has a moment to breathe and do something not related to his studies or work. He was so happy that he took this day and the weekend off. Shinsou realized he was close to a total burnout and he couldn’t allow that.
So this is almost three days of freedom. He sighed with relief, feeling like a burden was taken off his shoulders - at least for some time.
He looked both ways before he crossed the street - the crossing was a lot further and he wasn't losing any of his precious sleep. He saw his precious house from a distance. The dark walls and covered windows in his room were alluring him. He could see the small strip of grass before it that the landlord called a garden. Both of them thought that maybe there was a garden in the back - there wasn't. But even if it didn't have that, it still had everything else they needed. So the renting still happened, no matter there wasn't a garden - who would use it anyway? Phantom was too lazy to even move around the house.
As he stepped onto the middle of the road, he heard a panicked voice screaming something from his right. He turned, having exactly two seconds to comprehend what was happening before he was violently pushed onto the ground and crushed by the weight whoever drove into him, but not quite.
He rapidly let out his breath, feeling his oxygen fail him at such important time. He blinked twice, trying to focus his vision once again.
All his senses sharpened at the same time. He felt his body aching like hell, mostly his back. He started to hear a voice coming from somewhere close - he started hearing it normally and realized his earphones weren't in their place anymore. He hoped that they weren't trashed…
He opened his eyes for good this time, seeing an unfamiliar face hoovering over him. The person was moving their mouth and it quickly overlapped with the sound that he heard.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I didn't mean to do that. There wasn't anything on the road and you came out so unexpectedly…” The person explained themselves, overly moving their hands and head. Shinsou’s attention got caught by their bright yellow hair with a black, lightning kind of streak.
He didn't say anything in return, just started to pick himself up from the ground. The stranger quickly realized what he was doing and jumped onto their feet, extending their hand to help.
Shinsou accepted the help, looking - this time closer - at the person before him. The guy was wearing an awkward smile, clearly not used to this happening before - because who would?
Hitoshi looked around, searching for his earphones and more importantly - his phone. As he did, he also felt his bag, trying to realize if something broke.
“If it calms you down, I tried to miss you as much as I could.” The stranger said, massaging his right arm. “But before I saw you… it was already almost too late.”
Shinsou nodded, quickly checking on his laptop. But alas, his most prized possession was okay. It was a good idea to buy a bag this thick.
He searched his pockets for his phone and he found… nothing.
“But, are you okay? Did you hit your head?” The person asked and Shinsou didn't answer, just looked around. He saw his phone not so far away, on the ground, next to it were still plugged into it headphones. The screen was cracked, but it wasn't something it didn't see before.
“Yeah, I’m good.” Shinsou finally said, picking up his phone. He turned it on and off and it worked. So it wasn't broken that badly.
“Will you accept a token of apology in the form of a coffee?” The stranger awkwardly said, toying with his shirt’s seam.
Shinsou thought. He wanted sleep, but a free coffee in this economy? Sign him up. “Sure, why not.” He said, shrugging his arms.
“Nice. But wait a second, I need to chase down my skateboard.” He sighedly laughed as he ran into the direction the escaped skateboard was headed.
Shinsou looked at him as he chased down the skateboard and gave Hitoshi a thumbs up. He quickly jogged back to him, still standing in the middle of the road like he was dumbfounded. Good that there weren't any cars driving, because he didn't want the scenario to happen again.
“What's your name? I didn't really ask before…” The stranger smiled, taking his skateboard under his arm. “I’m Kaminari.”
“I’m Hitoshi Shinsou. Nice to meet you.” He held out his hand so the other could shake it.
Kaminari visibly wanted to high five him, but he changed his mind halfway through and weirdly shook his hand. “I also have a name, of course… It's Denki!”
“Okay, nice to know.” Shinsou didn't feel as tired as before. It seemed that this boy before him had so much energy that it transferred to him - somehow.
“Yeah…” He awkwardly said that and quickly changed the topic. “So, I go to the café and you wait around in the park? Is that okay?”
Shinsou didn't protest. The café was a lot further than the park and his legs weren't ready for that. “It's alright. Do you maybe have a charger and a powerbank?” It was a fleeting hope, but he still wanted to ask.
“Yeah, actually. But I left it at the park with all my belongings. I was supposed to be right back…” He shook his head.
“You aren't scared that somebody will steal it?”
“Nah. It looks old and used as shit. Nobody would want that.” He waved his hand up and down. Except you, Shinsou thought.
“Right.”
“What kind of coffee do you want? My treat of course.” Kaminari put his foot on the skateboard. Guess that will make him quicker.
“Black with no sugar.” Somehow, he made himself unable to drink any other type of coffee. At least it's profitable - he didn't have to spend a ton of money on it.
“Expected. You look the type.” Shinsou raised a brow at his words. He looked the type? What does that mean?
“Will be back in ten minutes, bye-bye!” He waved as he quickly gained speed. Shinsou, without thought, waved back.
What was getting to him? Suddenly wanting to make random friendships? He felt stupid admitting this, but he felt like he had known this strange man for longer than it was. A quite peculiar feeling - a familiarity that he couldn't explain.
Before he thought, he was moving into the direction of the park. Even though Kaminari crashed his earphones - to the point there is no way that they could work - he still looked around for a trashed bag next or on a bench.
He saw it lying on the bench near the entrance. It was almost the same as he imagined it - a lot of pins and patches on a dirty black bag.
There weren't many people in the park. Just some mother with a child in a stroller, a pair of older people walking arm in arm and a runner with a dog. Quite the normal view for a Friday.
He sat down on the bench and took out his headphones - which looked like they survived war - and plugged them into his phone in hope that they may still work. His hope was fleeing though, because instead of music, it played a big bunch of nothing. Not counting the few weird noises it made, of course.
He sighed and since he didn't have anything more interesting to do, he started observing. He watched as the person with the dog ran. The dog was cute, but not as cute as the spawn of Satan in the flesh of his stupid cat. Or maybe he was too biased, because he was the one who chose Phantom - though he didn't name him. Monoma was faster and the cat started to respond to that instead. Not only that, he's also the cat’s favourite. Somehow.
As he watched closely the moving people and falling leaves in the wind, he heard his name called. It came closer in a second and Kaminari appeared, holding a two-holder for cups and a bag in one hand. In his other hand was his skateboard. It seemed like he didn't move on the skateboard on the way back, yet he was as quick as before - how was he doing that?
“I decided that the coffee was too little for what I did, so I also brought a cookie. A oatmeal one with raspberries.” Hitoshi looked at him as Denki said his exact favourite cookie but he brushed it off as a lucky guess.
“Thanks.” He smiled slightly as he took the food from Kaminari. He swept his bag off the bench - guess that how it got this damaged - and sat down next to him. “You're new to the neighbourhood? I never saw you before.”
“Yeah. I recently moved here from another country to study.” He said, fixing his hair to the condition it was before. Then he rummaged through his bag, finding the exact things Shinsou needed and giving them to him.
“Thank you…” He quickly plugged his phone in before it could die. “Moved from where?”
“Poland.” He answered and before Shinsou could ask another question, he added, “Before you ask, I’m half Japanese. I grew up in a bilingual household.” Somehow, he guessed the question Hitoshi was about to ask. Probably wasn't the first time he answered this one.
“What do you study?” Shinsou never was this talkative with new people. It felt strange even to him.
“Electronics. My mom is an electrician and wanted me to do the same. And since I didn't have any other plans, I agreed. Maybe it was stupid since I almost fail math. But it's not my fault - the teacher always tells me that I am not showing my work. Even so, I still get the right answer?” Kaminari stopped, realizing that maybe he should also give Shinsou a chance to talk. “And you?”
“I study forensics.” And there wasn't much more to add.
“Ohh, cool.” Kaminarii looked impressed, before he questioned, “Is it like in the movies?”
“Yeah, not really.” Shinsou said. “But it's still a good major.”
“Why did you choose it?” Kaminari asked. He looked consumed by Shinsou's words, even though he wasn't saying anything special.
“I always thought it was cool and read up on it any chance I took. It was a little obsession of mine.”
Denki nodded and then, “Are your earphones okay? They looked trashed.”
“And they are.” Shinsou pulled them out of his pocket and showed Denki. “Shame, they served me long.”
“Hmmm…” He took the earphones out of Hitoshi’s hand and looked closely at them. “They can be fixed by doing that… and that…” He made some quick moves and handed them back. “Test it.”
Shinsou plugged them into his phone and to his surprise, as soon as he clicked on the unpause button, the music started playing.
“It actually worked.”
“Obviously it worked. I wouldn't be a handyman if it wasn't the case.” Kaminari looked proud of himself.
“Thanks.” Shinsou took another sip of his coffee, which he has been drinking for the length of the conversation. “What did you do to them to make them work again? You didn't actually say.”
“I did whatever I thought was gonna fix them. I had no idea if it was gonna work though.” Kaminari scratched his head, smiling awkwardly.
“So you just winged it, that's what I’m getting?” Shinsou asked.
“I guess.” He shrugged, playing with his hair.
“Okay.” Shinsou accepted this information and decided to move on, “What do you do in your free time when you're not crashing into people on your skateboard?”
Denki gave him the most deadpan face he could muster, even though he looked like he wanted to laugh. “I do many things in my free time, thank you very much.”
“Right. Like what?”
“Mf I…” Kaminari suddenly stopped, not even mid sentence, and started snapping like crazy. “I-I… Um… Fuck… Uh…” He went on like that for a second then just said, “Okay, no.”
Shinsou watched it unfold and was very amused. “What happened?”
“I don't remember.” He shook his head in resignation.
“Remember what?”
“My interests. I forgor.”
“How can you forget your own interests?”
“Normally. They were there and now… puff… no longer there.” He gesticulated an explosion with his hand. “Brain empty. So to restore the conversion flow, lemme ask - what's your interests?”
“I write… I guess.” As Shinsou said this, he realized how plain his life looked.
“Oh? Write what?” Kaminari looked suddenly interested.
“Ah, a crime book.” Hitoshi made circles with his fingers. He never actually told anybody about his book - only Neito knew but only because he walked on him writing.
“I love crime books! Maybe you could show me in the future?”
“Sure.” The word escaped his mouth faster than he could think. It was their first meeting and Shinsou thought it was going to be the last. But, deep down, some part of him didn't want it to be their last meeting. He never would have thought that part exists.
“What’s it about?” Denki asked.
“About…” Shinsou stopped himself before he could tell the whole plot to him. “It's a secret.”
“Alll…right.” He said dramatically - kinda like Monoma when he told his final words of the play.
“You’re overdramatic.” Shinsou rolled his eyes, maybe also kinda for show. “You remind me of my friend. He’s a theater major and the most dramatic person you could ever know.”
“The most dramatic person? A beautiful title, really.” Denki nodded profusely.
“I know right.” Shinsou said with a deadpan.
Hitoshi looked down on his phone to check how many percent had charged up and as he did, he saw a shit ton of messages from Monoma. How this man can write this much, Shinsou could never understand.
Talk of the devil, Hitoshi thought before he opened up them and saw a litany of words, starting with just information that Monoma was off the rehearsal and he will be home soon. Then it was “Hey were you at?” and “Why aren't you answering?”. And at the end he read:
Monoma: I’m about to report you missing you mf
Shinsou obviously understood where he was coming from - it never happened that he would pass on sleeping and chilling on his days off.
Shinsou: Sorry I didn't answer. A stranger drove into me on his skateboard and offered me coffee as a token of apology
Shinsou: We might have engaged in conversation for too long
Monoma: You? WILLINGLY TALKING TO SOMEBODY? There is no way.
Shinsou: Is it this unbelievable?
Monoma: Yup.
Shinsou sighed and asked. “Can you take a picture with me? My friend doesn't wanna believe I actually talked to somebody.”
“Sure?” Denki leaned in for the selfie, smiling, and showed a peace sign as the camera clicked.
Hitoshi sent the picture to Monoma, smiling slightly as he proved his ass wrong.
Shinsou: See?
Monoma: Let's say I believe you
Shinsou: Fym “Let’s say I believe you”
Shinsou: Gonna be home in a second
Monoma: K
“Sorry, gotta go now.” Shinsou got up and plugged his phone out of his powerbank. “It was nice to meet you. Here, that's yours.” He gave Kaminari his stuff back and started collecting his.
“Wait!” Denki said as Hitoshi was putting his bag on his arm. He stopped and looked at him. “Let’s maybe add each other on social media? It would be easier to communicate.”
“Sure.” He opened his phone and they exchanged socials. “See you.”
“See you!” Denki waved as Hitoshi walked away to the direction of the gate.
As soon as Shinsou exited the park, he felt the physical drainage from a while before. The only thing he wanted to do was sleep. But strangely enough, he felt satisfied, as if he had just finished writing a long chapter.
As he walked back to his house, he scrolled on his - now almost halfly charged - phone. As he did, he saw a notification for a new message.
Denki Kaminari: hey, just seeing if you get the message
Denki Kaminari: (◡ ω ◡)
Hitoshi Shinsou: Yeah, I’ve got your message
Denki Kaminari: cool
Denki Kaminari: what's up with the stiff names we got
Denki Kaminari: my full legal name? not really cool
Denki Kaminari changed his name.
Denki changed your name.
Toshi: Toshi? Really?
Toshi: Why not a full name like yours?
Denki: my name doesn't shorten TT
Denki: unlike yours
Denki: lucky
Denki: sorry mina is nagging me to socialize with her and the rest more
Denki: talk to you later
Toshi: Bye?
Shinsou felt happy and motivated, even though he felt like he was gonna sleep walking. Almost like he could write a whole chapter in one night - which he isn't going to do, obviously. Monoma forbade it because Hitoshi’s “loud” footsteps woke him up “many times” as he walked to the kitchen as he became hungry while cooking up a new chapter. He was calling bullshit but he had no proof. Annoying ass bitch. Why did God had to curse me with such a person? Shinsou thought now at that time.
Monoma: Made you food you stupid freak
Shinsou: Thanks ig
Shinsou: Your food tastes like shit btw
Monoma: You should look into your own “creations” then comment mine
Monoma: Cus what your eating is NOT food gng
Even if Neito annoyed the hell out of him sometimes, he still was very fond of him. Guess if you know a person for years they tend to grow on you.
Shinsou: At least its edible
Shinsou: Unlike yours
Monoma: I know where you live
Shinsou: Right back at ya