Chapter Text
Denji really wants a girlfriend.
It’s been something he’s been thinking about since the concept of it was introduced into his life. Someone to spend time with, to talk to, to touch, it all sounded good to him.
He’s spent all 16 years of his life without one.
-
The bell rang, sending all the students scurrying to their desks. It’s been about a month since the school year has started, and Denji still hasn’t gotten a girlfriend, or any friends.
“Alright class,” The teacher started, “Since we’ve just finished reading our novel, I’ll be introducing the project going along with it today. It’s very important, being about 40% of your overall grade for this semester. It’ll be due next month.”
Denji sighed. He didn’t exactly need this. His grades already suck, and a new project didn’t exactly sound very promising. Aki was always on Denji about schoolwork and grades. Man, fuck.
“Since it’s such a big grade, I'll allow students to work in teams or partners.”
The class perked up at this, eyes making contact with other eyes, except for Denji. He just looked out the window, watched some students pass through the two school buildings.
It did kind of hurt him when no one in the class even considered working with him.
“You’re Denji right?” A smooth voice asked, making Denji’s hess tilt up to see the owner of this voice's face. A tall boy with dark hair and bangs that laid in front of his eyes stood above him. He’s seen him before, talking with the girls in their class. Lucky bastard somehow attracts all the ladies.
“Hmmm, yah.” Denji replied, pouting his bottom lip and giving the boy a confused look. “Why do you care?” Denji really didn’t need to be on the good side of the boys in his class. If the boy standing next to his desk was a girl instead, this whole thing would be different.
“Do you want to be partners?”
Denji’s heart stopped for a moment. No one even looks his way in this class, let only want to work with him on a project. He felt his stomach flutter with butterflies. This was kinda weird though. Why does someone, especially someone as popular as this boy want to be partners with him? The thought of this being some sort of prank crept into Denji’s mind, stomping on the butterflies.
“What about your friends?” Denji asked, looking up at the boy.
He laughed. Damn guy has a nice laugh too.
“I want to expand my connections in this class.”
It was kind of nice knowing Denji was considered a part of their class.
“Uh, what’s your name?” Denji asked the boy.
“Yoshida Hirofumi.” Yoshida smiled, “So this means we’re partners?”
It’s nice being wanted.
“Yeah sure.”
The two boys exchanged numbers as a way to communicate about their project.
-
Later at home Denji received a notification, which is a rare occurrence. Most of the time his phone buzzes with alerts for free games he spends his time playing. His hands grabbed at the phone as he was yelled at by Power for abandoning her in the midst of a video game.
Yoshida - Hey
Denji stared at his phone for a moment. He typed out a few words, deleting them soon after.
Denji - hi
He waited for a moment, watching his message be read and then three dots appearing.
Yoshida - Do you want to work on the project tomorrow during school?
Denji’ face contorted with confusion.
Denji - why are we working on it so quickly?
Yoshida didn’t reply for several minutes.
Denji sat back down with Power, resuming their game, although not focusing very hard.
Maybe he has other stuff he has to do, so he won’t have time in the future to work on the project with him. Or maybe he just wants to get the project over with. To get away from Denji.
A swift smack to the face with a pillow brought Denji out of his thoughts.
“C’monnnnn, join me!” She yelled, gesturing towards the TV.
Ding
“Hold on.” Denji said, going back to his phone.
Yoshida - I think it’s best to start early, plus I want to get to know you better.
Denji sat for a moment.
“Power,”
“What?” She asked impatiently waiting for him to play with her.
“Is it weird for someone to say ‘I want to get to know you better’?” Denji asked, greeted by her wide smile.
“Who said that?” She moved towards his phone, quickly grabbing it from his hands.
“Hey!” He yelled when she got up and started reading the texts Yoshida and him had exchanged.
“Is this Yoshida from school?”
“Give it back” Denji got up and snatched his phone.
“How do you have his number?” She asked, half-mockingly, half-appalled.
“He asked for it.”
“What?” She said shocked. “Why’d he ask for your number?”
Denji grew angrier. Does it matter?
“I don’t know, I’ll just-“
“Wait!” She interrupted, moving to Denji’s back and looking over his shoulder at the phone. “Let me help.”
“What do you mean help? I’m just gonna say ok.”
“No, tell him…’I’d like to know more about you too’”
“What! No. I’m not trying to flirt with the guy.” Denji said, snarling in disgust.
“Ugh, fine…tell him ‘Ok, let’s work on the roof’, I’ve heard good rumors about that place.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
“You’re no help,” Denji pushed her off him and went to his room, laying on his bed cluttered with miscellaneous items. Opening his phone again and thinking for a few minutes before typing out,
Denji - same
He sat for a second before adding.
Denji - like i want to know you better
-
They ended up working in their class room the next day.
Denji noticed two things about Yoshida.
One, he is super easy to talk to. He adds onto the conversation perfectly, but doesn’t talk too much. And, he seems to care about what Denji’s interested in, and listens to him.
Secondly, Yoshida has a staring problem. Denji would be asking about which pen he should use, and after replying, Yoshida would keep his eyes on him for a few more seconds than what’s seen as normal. Denji gets staring at a girl, they’re pretty, but he’s Denji.
Popular people have faults too.
-
The two grew closer by the passing days, eventually having lunch together. This all was noticed by their classmates, starting rumors about the two, ‘Denji is paying Yoshida to be his friend’, ‘Yoshida feels bad for Denji’, all the suggestions being at Denji’s expense.
After a week of hanging out, Denji asked if Yoshida wanted to come to his house, you know, to work more on the project. Yoshida agreed quickly.
Aki pulled his shoes off and walked into the apartment, seeing Denji standing next to an unfamiliar tall boy. Aki felt a little relieved, Denji has never had a friend over before.
The boy was moving his gaze from Denji’s eyes to his lips as he ate yogurt.
Was he a friend?
“Hey, I got off work early.” Aki made his presence known. “Who’s this?”
“This is-“ Denji started.
“Hello, I'm Yoshida Hirofumi.”
The boy’s smile and how he looked at Denji disturbed Aki.
God why’d Denji have to choose such a creep for a friend.
“I’m Aki Hayakawa, Denji’s older brother.” Aki made sure to give Yoshida’s hand a strong grip when shaking it. “Are you a friend of Denji’s?”
Yoshida laughed a bit. “Yes, we’ve been friends for a while now.”
“Really?” He asked. Denji never said anything about a friend.
They both kept their eye contact, Aki trying to get a sense of this boy.
“We’re working on a project together.” Denji added, reminding Aki that he’s still there.
“Good, hopefully this can get your grade up.” He said, moving to the living room and turning on the tv.
“Yeah, yeah I know, ‘get my grade up blah.’” Denji mocked, sticking his tongue out slightly.
Aki only glared back. Yoshida and Denji’s height difference was pretty noticeable, Yoshida being about half a foot taller than Denji. The way Yoshida looked down at Denji was also pretty noticeable.
“Let’s go work on the project Denji, I don’t think I'll be able to pay attention until we’re alone.” Yoshida loudly whispered.
“Uhuh, sure.”
The door closed behind them loudly.
Something’s off about Yoshida, the way he looked at Denji, gripping Aki’s hand just as strongly back, how he made it apparent he wanted to be alone with Denji. He’s had his fair share of encounters with bad people, Yoshida reminding him all too well of them.
He’ll ask Denji about it later.
-
“What happened between you and Aki back there? You guys looked like you were about to bite each other’s heads off.” Denji asked Yoshida who was writing down notes at his desk.
“Is Aki strict?” Yoshida questioned, ignoring Denji.
“Uh..no not really,” Denji said, “I mean besides like grades and stuff he doesn’t care much.”
“Really?”
“Why do you question it?” Denji looked up at Yoshida now.
“I don’t know, he just seems like he’d be a helicopter parent or something.”
“Ehh not really.” Denji looked back at the half-finished project, feeling Yoshida’s gaze linger.
“I think he’s too overprotective.”
“Huh?”
“The way he treated me just ‘cause I was with you,” Yoshida said, “I mean like, isn’t that too much?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Is he into you?” Yoshida suggested.
Denji’s face contorted into disgust. “Dude, what the fuck, he’s my brother.”
“By blood?”
“No, but still, we’re family.” Denji snarled his teeth in aversion, “Don’t ever suggest that again.”
“Ok but brothers don’t act like that.”
“Bro just shut the fuck up.” Denji warned, looking at Yoshida in horror.
The corners of Yoshida’s mouth slightly rose.
“Ok.”
-
“Since when did you make a friend?” Aki asked Denji later at dinner.
“He’s not his friend, he’s his boyyy-friend.” Power interrupted.
“No he’s not!” Denji said, almost yelling back, “Last week HE asked me if I wanted to be partners with him for a project.” Denji replied pridefully.
What was so good about the boy that made Denji feel like he could brag about wanting to be partners with him? He just seemed like a normal boy to him, besides his creepiness.
“I don’t know why he chose you,” Power wondered aloud. “You’re so random and irrelevant. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Shut up, he probably chose me because of all the girls talking about me.” Denji said back smiling to himself.
“Yeah ‘cause of how you paid that girl to sit on you! They all think you’re a creep!”
Aki burst into laughter.
“Y-you…did that!?” He asked in between laughs. Denji’s cheeks turned pink and he mumbled something about them liking it.
“You’re a total pervert!” Power mocked.
“They just needed a seat and I was helping them out!” Denji defended himself.
“Uh-huh, sure you creeeep.”
“Denji, there are better ways to get a girl.” Aki started.
“Yeah, I don’t need to hear it, cause while you use your “better” ways, I’m here, with all the girls at school talking about me.”
“Have you ever even had a girlfriend?” Denji asked, trying to embarass him back.
“Yeah, I’ve had my fair share. I just don’t care about it as much as you do.”
“Haha!” Power laughed at Denji’s expense.
“Whatever.” Denji muttered.
-
Once they cleaned up and Power went to her room Denji and Aki sat down and watched TV.
“What’s Yoshida like?” Aki asked, turning down the volume as Denji whined.
“Ahh why does everyone care so much?”
“Because you’ve never had a friend over before.” Aki said, only getting a frown back from Denji. “Look, I just want to know what he’s like.”
“Fine, uhhh, he’s liked by all the girls, cause he’s tall or something, uhhh, he likes, hmm.” Denji hummed. “I don’t really know what he likes. But he’s nice and well known in the school.”
“So all you know about him is that he’s popular and tall?”
“I don’t know, I mean like yeah pretty much.” Denji reached for the TV remote, stretching to get it as Aki pulled it away from him.
“He seems kinda sketchy to me. He reminds me a lot of the people I encounter while working.” Aki said, “I don’t think he’s a good person to hang around with.”
“Bro, what do you even know about him?” Denji asked defendingly.
“Just as much as you apparently,” Aki said, starting to get frustrated. “I mean, he made it so obvious he wanted to be alone with you, even the way he watched you eat was creepy!”
“Are you saying he’s a pervert?” Denji got up, standing in front of Aki who was still sitting on the couch.
“No, he just gives off a very off putting vibe. I just wanted to tell you my opinion.” Aki said, calmer now.
“Well, I don’t need your opinion, I’m grown now.” Denji said, poking Aki in the chest when saying ‘your’.
Denji is still immature, and he shouldn't be acting like he’s not. He still needs Aki. He was the one who took them in after Denji and Power’s dad died, only being their father’s ex-girlfriend's son. They weren’t even blood related yet Aki risked his life for them.
He just needs Denji to be good.
“For fuck sake Denji, don’t say you’re grown when you act like this.” Aki said, getting up, pushing Denji back onto the couch. “I’m just trying to protect you.”
Denji’s face went from anger to disgust.
“What?“ Aki asked, growing more frustrated.
“…You know what, nothing.” Denji shoved Aki out of his way. “I’m going to bed.”
What the fuck was that?