Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Reki Kyan’s world had always been a canvas of greys and monotone colours — until a Canadian boy came into his life, changing it forever.

My calloused hands held my pencil tightly as I etched into my desk a little palm tree. Ms Sayaka was telling the class about an important test that we had coming up soon, my eyes stayed glued to the desk that lay infront of me as I slowly started to zone out. The sound of a wooden door sliding open could be heard in the background, the class got eerily quiet, my attention turned to the front of the class to see a bubblegum blue haired boy standing awkwardly in front of everyone.

Amber eyes locked with an aqua pair as the class erupted into hushed conversations. The red-haired teen froze as he stayed staring at the Canadian teen. "everyone, this is langa Hasegawa. he has moved here from Canada so please treat him with kindness and respect" Reki shook his head and looked back down at his desk trying to shake whatever it was he was feeling in his chest right now.

Class seemed to move by quickly as everyone was talking to or about ...l-langa..? I think thats what his name was, either way the bell just rung and I have a new board to design so I needa get home as soon as possible.

"uhm excuse me" a soft voice caught my attention, I turned around to see the transfer looking at me,

"hello...? what do ya need" god this is so awkward why isn't he saying anything 

"sorry I was just wondering, you're Reki, Reki kyan correct?" 

"uuh yes I am why do you need help with anything?" a smile was etched across my face, because of course I still have to act friendly i'm not home just yet 

Lang's eyes were piercing my soul as he spoke "sayako sensei said you could help me find my way around the school?" 

"oh yeah no problem ill just get my bag and then I can give you a tour" okay its fine its only a few extra minutes anyway I'll just get this over and done with and go home.

He waited by the door, standing perfectly still like he wasn’t sure what to do with himself. His uniform looked crisp, like he actually ironed it this morning, which made me painfully aware of how wrinkled mine was. I hurried to pack my things, pretending not to notice how quiet he was. Every time I glanced over, he was looking at the floor, fiddling with his bag strap like a little anxious kid.

As the sun dimmed in Okinawa two boys could be found laughing under a skate ramp, school bags thrown to the side and two empty gatorade bottles resting next to a pile of bandaids.

The golden light hit everything with this soft glow, making the concrete shimmer like it was made of melted amber. The air smelled faintly of salt and sweat, the kind of mix that made me feel alive. My hands were scraped from falling too many times, but I didn’t care. I hadn’t laughed this hard in ages.

"hey langa" I could feel the cold touch of the concrete on my back as I lay next to langa 

"whats up?" I tilt my head to look over at langa, who to my surprise, was looking right back at me. 

"why'd you move from kanadia to Okinawa?" langa stayed silent for a little bit, oh god did I say the wrong thing what if I made him upset what if-  

"canada reki, canda not Kanadia" langa was laughing...he was laughing, and oh god how that made me feel so weird. Why does my chest feel so weird, his laugh echoed under the ramp, bouncing off the concrete walls, and it did something strange to me. It wasn’t loud or showy, it was soft, like the kind of sound that makes the world stop for just a second. I wanted to hear it again. I didn’t know why, but I did.

langa told me it was a story for another time, whatever that meant. We spent the rest of the evening relaxing at the skate park, turns out earlier langa happened to see my skateboard and asked if I skated, and obviously I said yes I mean like hello skating is my whole life so without realising it I had started rambling to langa about how amazing skateboarding was, after some time we found ourselves at the skate park, I was teaching langa how to skate and for the first time in a while I felt relaxed. like nothing could ruin the peace I had finally found.

langa fell a lot—like, a lot—but every time he hit the ground, he would laugh, brushing off his knees and getting right back on the board.

“You’re supposed to ride it, not crash it,” I teased. “You’re supposed to teach, not laugh,” he teased back, grinning. I had to look away to hide the stupid smile that crept onto my face.

When he finally managed to roll more than a few meters without falling, he looked so proud of himself I almost cheered. His hair stuck to his forehead, and his cheeks were flushed pink from the effort. The streetlights flickered on above us, and for a moment it felt like time had stopped, just me, langa, and the birds flying around us. Maybe today wasn’t such a waste of time after all.

Notes:

okay! heh so like I said it would be very short as its the first chapter, i've always hated writing the first chapter (I used to make like these stories blah blah) um I hope you like it, I'll try to finish the next chapter soon and post it, HOPEFULLY within a week or so. latest should be 2 weeks, also if you have any recommendations on how I can write better or what I should include In the next chapter please let me know! 

okay byeeee ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

Chapter Text

The streets were quiet when I started walking home, the kind of quiet that makes every sound feel louder than it should. The soft melody of the cicadas, the faint creak of my board’s wheels as I rolled it alongside me, everything felt almost peaceful. For the first time in a while, my head wasn’t so loud. I kept thinking about how Langa laughed earlier, how it sounded light, like he wasn't aware of the hurt and pain this world carried.

Maybe that’s what I’ve been missing, someone who makes things feel easy again. Someone who makes the world stop spinning for a bit.

The air smelled like salt and asphalt, and I caught myself smiling at nothing, which was weird, I don’t smile at nothing, but I couldn’t help it. Every time I blinked, I saw Langa’s childish grin, that tiny sparkle in his eyes when he finally balanced on the board. It was strange, feeling so light for once. Like the heaviness that usually followed me everywhere had stayed behind at the skate park.

But those thoughts didn't last long.

Rocks bounced off my blue and yellow shoes as I wandered down the street, nearing my house. The cool breeze felt calm against my forehead (the parts that weren't covered by my hair at least), the overhead street lights illuminating every object, the shadows dancing around me. I turned the last corner to my house, my front door in view, I made my way to the door dragging my board behind me, the sound of the wheels rolling against the pebbles weirdly calmed me. 

I was humming the tune of 1985 - bowling for soup - while rummaging in my pockets for the house key.

"bro where are these damned keys-" I whispered under my breath 

"oh here they....are" a tall looming shadow stood over me. 

I slowly turned around to see Kenji. shit shit shit shit! How stupid am I!? I completely forgot about that board I was supposed to make after school. i'm so fucked.

Before I could even open my mouth Kenji had swooped me up by the collar of my shirt, after being lifted in the air i had discovered something, Kenji wasn't alone. Around 6 people stood guarding the exit to my house with bats in their hand. what the hell is this, some gang shit?? 

"OI, TWAT" I flinched internally as Kenji spat in my face 

"where the hell were you!? I paid you to make a new board for my race tonight at S and you don't even show up!" Kenji howled. dammit! mums gonna wake up if he doesn't shut up soon 

"my new car was on the line for my race, I bet it all because I heard there was some kid that created these awesome boards, but now thanks to that kid I LOST MY FUCKING CAR AND I WAS HUMILIATED IN FRONT OF EVERYONE!!" Kenji’s voice burned in my ears, and I stared down at the cracked pavement, wishing it would just swallow me whole.

"look kenji, I am so sorry it completely slipped my mind I-I can get the money back for the board really so-" my body was thrown across the drive way, the pebbles scraping my back.

"moneys not going to fix an'thin unless you got the money for a brand new car.....which I take is a no from your silence...ha" Kenji stared down at me, a foul look on his face, suddenly he looked up at one of his friends and nodded his head to come over here. I could see him whispering something and then before I knew it I was being dragged to a back alley, 6 men standing around me, Kenji was looming in the back. 

"tsk. Show him what happens when you fuck up." and as soon as that sentence ended I felt a metal rod make contact with my head. 

The air felt heavy, like it was pressing down on me, thick with the smell of rain and rust, like something that had been left alone too long to the point it was deteriorating. My head was spinning, but I could still make out their voices, laughter mixing with the scrape of shoes against asphalt. Every sound echoed too loud, too close. The graffiti popped off the wall, the moon light highlighting the outline of all the vandalism, such beautiful art..too bad this is the situation i'm when I first see it. I tried to twist away, but someone shoved me forward, my knees gave out, hitting the ground hard. My skateboard clattered a few metres away, the sound sharp against the concrete. It almost felt like it was mocking me for forgetting to make that stupid board earlier. I could see a pair of hands wrapped around a bat being raised in the air, it came down sharp and fast.

Reki lay slumped against the brick wall, his hair matching the colour of blood drooling down his head, a rather buff man was swinging a bat back and forth, the sound of a blood could be heard sloshing around, the wall becoming a canvas of red. Another man came up to Reki and rammed his foot into Rekis abdomen, forcing him to topple over gasping for air, the man slammed his foot on Rekis back as he was clutching his stomach, crack. The teens head was smashed into the cement, the sound of a raspy breath could be heard underneath the sounds of laughter and thuds. 

For a second, everything went white. My ears rang. The world tilted sideways, and the only thing that kept me grounded was the burning in my chest. I could feel my consciousness slowly slipping away, I tried to hold on because who knows what'll happen if I pass out. The taste of metal slowly filled my mouth, a foot stomped onto my back slamming my face into the ground.
"AAGHH" My nose was on fire, I could feel blood pooling out from every possible crevice. 

Kenji’s voice cut through the noise like a blade.

“You think you can just mess with me and walk away?” I wanted to answer, to tell him I hadn’t meant to mess anything up, that it was just a mistake, but my mouth wouldn’t move right. Words felt useless in this situation anyway. 

My left eye was twitching to close but I gave it my all the keep it open, through the gaps of hair that was covering my eyes I could see all 7 of them slowly getting closer. The sound of shoes scraping the pavement surrounded me. A laugh. The crunch of gravel. Then another sound, low and dull, that made my stomach twist. I didn’t know if it came from me or the ground. But sooner or later I had coughed out blood, my teeth staining red, my visions becoming even more blurry. 

I....I have to get home 

I tried to get up, hands shaking, but someone grabbed the back of my hoodie and yanked me down again. My palms scraped the concrete, small stings blooming across my skin. My chest felt tight, like the air itself didn’t want to let me breathe. words were spoken, not that I could understand, I could feel my body being bashed around by the impact of the men, but I slowly started to slip Into unconsciousness loosing the sense of my body. It was strange how fast pain turned into noise. My brain couldn’t keep up anymore. Everything blurred together: the smell of sweat, the sound of heavy breathing, the faint hum of a streetlight that wouldn’t stop flickering overhead. Kenji’s friends said something I couldn’t catch. I only heard my own heartbeat pounding in my ears, too loud, too fast. The world narrowed until all that existed was this small circle of light, this patch of concrete, this moment I couldn’t escape. 

i'm so tired....I....I just want to rest. thwack blood sprayed everywhere like when you bite into a juicy plum. The bashed up teen could only pray and hope that this would end soon. 

Something inside me wanted to fight back, to swing or run or something, but my body had already decided it wasn’t worth it. I’d learned a long time ago that fighting never made anything better. My vision blurred again, colours smeared into one another. For a second, I thought I saw Langa’s face, bubblegum blue hair glowing under the streetlight, eyes soft like ocean water. Then he was gone. 

I don’t know how long it went on. Time started to slip, like the seconds were getting lost between the sounds. I remember the cold seeping through my clothes, the taste of salt and metal, the way my body twitched even when I wasn’t moving. I had given up on trying to stay conscious, now I just wanted to drift off to sleep, but as if I would ever get what I want. I could feel multiple bats jabbing at my body. 

Then there was quiet. Not peaceful quiet, just...quiet . The kind that makes your ears ring because you’re waiting for the noises to start again. 

Footsteps echoed somewhere behind me, slow, deliberate. Kenji. I didn’t have to look to know it was him. His shadow stretched long across the ground, swallowing the faint light that still reached me.

He crouched down beside me, close enough that I could smell the cigarette smoke clinging to his jacket. 

"m' s..r..y" I tried to get out a sentence but failed.

“You’ll remember next time,” he muttered, almost like he was bored. gawd...all of this...because of what.....a car..

Then a kick landed near my head, sharp, hard, and painful. 

The world swayed. The streetlight flickered once more, and everything tilted out of focus. I could still hear the ocean somewhere in the distance, waves crashing softly against the shore.

Then nothing.