THIS ONE TIME, IN TOKYO? (AU)

[covenantal]

In many ways, Yu's move back to Tokyo had been bittersweet. He'd missed the city more than he thought, especially the convenience of public transport, and the sudden glut of things to do on the weekends. But he'd had to reintegrate into a new school - his second one in as many years - and though he knew he'd forged bonds that wouldn't break, he still found he missed his friends in Inaba terribly. They all called and texted frequently, especially Yosuke and Teddie, and his second night there he'd picked up his phone to hear Nanako chirping at him from the other end. It had made his heart hurt roughly as much as it had made him smile, which was a lot.

But at least he wasn't the only transfer. There was a huge amount of whispering about this new kid from the United States, and absolutely no one could get over that fact. He was a smash hit immediately, and no one could stop talking about him. Yu found the lack of scrutiny on himself sort of comforting, but also couldn't help but feel bad for the school's new celebrity. The school's new celebrity who, on his third day, got in trouble for refusing not to wear his shades indoors, despite the school dress code.

Snagged by his own curiosity and vague sense of sympathy, Yu just happened to wander over to the staff room after school where he could hear a raised voice...

Comments

[callbacks]

[...but by the time he gets there, the altercation appears to be over. A student is digging nearly waist-deep in an overlarge trash can, cursing to himself under his breath. At least, it's probably cursing--is that English? There's little time to eavesdrop before he leans a little too far in and the trash can, predictably, topples.]

Shit!

[...Now isn't this scene familiar.]

[covenantal]

[ Yu pulls up short at the sight, surprise flickering across his expression. This is strangely nostalgic...

He immediately smiles before he can help it, and has to pass a hand over his mouth to hide it.

Should you help him?

Leave him be
Help him out <

Yu kneels down to the trashcan and places a hand atop it, a sound Dave can probably hear. ]

Hang in there.

[ Grabbing the trashcan, Yu stands, tugging gently until it pops off of Dave. Trash immediately spills out onto the floor around them in a halo of pure shame. Yu pays the mess no mind initially, setting the trash can down and offering Dave a hand up. ]

You okay?

[callbacks]

[The shades are back on his face almost before he even clears the trash can, and he looks up at Yu with an unreadable expression before he nods and accepts the help.]

Yeah, I'm cool. Thanks for the assist.

[He stands and brushes off some lint--thankfully, it's mostly shredded paper trash in there with a few empty coffee cups, so he's not as badly off as he could be.]

Uh...if you could keep all that from getting around, I'd appreciate it.

[covenantal]

[ Sunglasses...

... indoors. Still. Wasn't this what he'd gotten in trouble for? He'd heard some second-year girls talking about it.

Dutifully, Yu stoops to start collecting the lost trash and place it back into the bin, but he keeps his attention on Dave. ]

Sure.

[ He already knows it'll get out. The pair of first years at the far end of the hallway will assure that. But Yu can keep his mouth shut. He sympathizes with being the new kid in a new school, especially when you stand out. And Dave stands out a lot. A foreigner fluent in Japanese. With hair like that. ]

You're new here, right? [ It's a perfunctory question. Yu brushes his hands off on his pants before offering Dave a small smile. ] I am, too. Narukami Yu.