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Hiro couldn't help the quiet gasp that escaped him. Here he was, a nameless first year at Morinomiya high school, just looking for a quiet place after school. But had he accidentally stumbled upon what might be the greatest secret of all time?
(Actually, what Hiro was on the quest for was to find a quiet, deserted restroom. During lunch, there was a milk drinking competition among the boys in his class. Like a foolish knight competing to impress his maiden love, Hiro had won by a hair but was now starting to regret it as his stomach protested loudly. Unfortunately, he did not impress the girls in his class when he accidentally squirted milk out of his nose during the competition. )
This brings Hiro to the sports club locker room, where he was sure it was deserted because hadn't the baseball club ended practice an hour ago? There's no way anyone was still around, right?
Wrong.
He couldn’t make out their faces completely but wasn't that the captain of the baseball club, third-year Kamitani Hayato-senpai who was pinning a girl up against the row of lockers?
He couldn't quite hear what was going on with how far away he was and didn't dare move closer in fear of getting caught eavesdropping. All he saw Hayato-senpai, sweaty still in his baseball uniform towering over a pretty girl wearing their school uniform…a senpai maybe? Her waist length honey brown hair curtained most of her face from Hiro's view but he saw a glimpse of her dainty features as she looked up at Kamitani-senpai through the gaps of her straight cut fringe.
Hiro watched as Kamitani-senpai leaned down to whisper something in her ear, one arm braced over her head against the metal lockers in a move he's only seen on TV. Hiro fanned his face with his hands, trying to calm down his fluttering heart. Why am I the one that's flustered? He was getting too ahead of himself!
Focus, Hiro, focus!
From his position behind the lockers, peering around to where the couple was located, he only heard bits and pieces of the juiciest scene that would fuel the rumor mill for weeks to come.
"Mmm? What's this? A surprise for me?" Hiro didn't expect Kamitani to sound so…playful. All the rumors pointed to him being a blunt and stoic third year that has driven many girls (and boys) to tears.
"Nevermind… I guess this was a bad idea. I'm gonna go back now." The girl's voice was soft, and her words mumbled as she shied away from Kamitani, fingers twiddling with her skirt.
"Already? You just got here, let me take a look at you." Broad hands hardened from years of playing baseball reached down to wrap around the mystery girl's small waist, and Hiro saw her pout a bit before she twirled once, skirt flaring around her to show off her long legs.
Kamitani give a low chuckle.
"Don't be so mean, Hayato." The girl pouted and pushed Kamitani back an arm's length away and moved to walk off. He caught her wrist and pulled her back to him, wrapping his hands around her trim hips.
Hiro cursed. Now they were both turned away from him and all he saw was Kamitani-senpai's broad back, shoulders straining against the white of the baseball uniform as he embraced the girl from behind. Their conversation was even more disorted and Hiro almost fell over from how much he was leaning forward, straining to eavesdrop to his little drama-loving heart's content. Luckily though, he managed to catch himself and now he was left straining on all fours like a strange cat.
The mood had changed however, and what started as a saucy little scene giving Hiro a nosebleed had changed to something tender and soft. Kamitani-senpai's murmurs against the girl's ear echoed against the metal lockers but was too distorted to catch.
Hiro turned away. As much of a gossip as he was, he understood that he was intruding on something intimate. It wasn't for him to hear.
(Nevermind that he wasn't meant to overhear the whole scene in the first place.)
Hiro slipped away from the locker rooms as quietly as he came, his mission to find a bathroom urging him again now that his head was out of the clouds with the scene he didn’t mean to see.
It wasn't until after his episode with the boy's toilet when he passed by the school's daycare room that he remembered something very very important that had been niggling in the back of his mind. Wasn't Kamitani-senpai dating Kashima-senpai from the babysitter club????
Who didn't know the story about the school's two most sought-after students who started dating in their first year, each leaving a trail of distraught girls? This only left Yagi-senpai and Nezu-senpai, until the fangirls were crushed again when those two started dating a couple months later.
Point was, although Kamitani-senpai was popular for being cool and athletic, Kashima-senpai probably had him beat in popularity. Girls and boys (heck, even teachers) couldn’t stop gushing about his kindness, his soothing demeanor capable of taming even the infamous Kamitani temper.
There's no way that girl he saw in the boy's locker room was Kashima-senpai, right??? With long brown hair, a skimpy skirt showing off those long legs, and those fluttering eyelashes, she was too flashy in Hiro's opinion. Nothing like the kind Kashima-senpai at all!
Hiro really couldn't help the loud gasp that escaped him this time.
Was Kamitani-senpai cheating?
Mamizuka Umi prided herself to not fall prone to silly rumors. After all, she was married to a very popular actor whose face happened to be plastered on multiple tabloids every week. (Mamizuka Kousuke's new girlfriend? Plastic surgery?? Read it here!) She was thankful that her Kou-kun just happened to be the most loyal, honest idiot on the planet. But as simple-minded as he was, he at least had the vigilance to not let the paparazzi find out about her or their children. For that she was thankful, and combined with her cheery demeanor, she was ready to take on just about anyone speaking ill of her family.
However, this didn't mean she didn't indulge in some gossip here and there. Especially when it concerned some of her students. Especially when it concerned two students she knew very well from the Morinomiya Babysitter's club.
It happened as the students were broken off into pairs to stretch and cool down after running.
"Are you sure it was him?" It was said by a girl attempting to do the splits.
"Yes, it was Kamitani-senpai from the baseball club!", said her friend as she pushed her down into a stretch.
"But what if it wasn't? Wait, here, let's move onto the next position."
"It was! Some first year saw him in the locker room with a girl! "
"A girl ? Oh my god."
"I know right? I heard it was an older college girl. I heard she was dressed all flashy."
"No way"
"Yes way. Wanna move onto the next stretch?"
By this time, Umi had heard enough. She knew how damaging rumors can be and couldn't help but worry for Ryuuichi-kun's relationship. Takuma and Kazuma looked up to Hayato-kun so much, and absolutely loved Kotarou and Ryuuichi both. She didn't want to assume, but maybe their relationship had taken a turn for the worse? She couldn't imagine Hayato-kun falling for a flashy older girl over the kind and soft-spoken Ryuuichi-kun who took care of everyone like they were his own family.
With her husband bursting into tears every 10 minutes and Kazuma crying every 5, Umi takes pride in maintaining her cheerfulness. But she might be panicking, just a tiny little bit, at the sounds of these rumors.
The Morinomiya Drama Club is a close knit group of the most talented and dedicated students. Sure they might be rambunctious but they had good intentions at heart. That's why Yayoi couldn't blame them when a couple of second years approached her looking grim with hesitant faces.
The drama club had adopted Kirin as their mascot, and of course that means all the daycare kids were familiar with the club, having dropped by for some event or another. By extension, half the drama club were sporting huge crushes on either Kashima-kun or Kamitani-kun whenever they accompanied the kids, and Yayoi knew as much.
To say she was surprised was an understatement when her students told her about the incident that was spreading like wildfire throughout the school but her voice was nothing but calm when she asked the students to repeat themselves because she couldn't be hearing this correctly, right?
"Kumatsuka-sensei, it’s just like we said. Kamitani-senpai was seen in the baseball locker room with a girl after practice."
Her friend chimed in, "Yeah!I heard she was a student from another high school. Apparently she had heavy makeup on and wore a tight dress!"
Now Yayoi loved drama and tragedy as the basis of the passion behind theater, but this type of drama was too much for her. She couldn't be hearing this right, right??
Everybody knew that the high school chemistry teacher, Hebihara-sensei, was overly strict. So everybody knew to stay under the radar in his classes unless they want to risk the chance to stay behind afterschool as punishment. He was quite a stern looking man, with his back ramrod straight, and a severe expression on his face. Rumor was that he couldn't find anyone to marry him and hated eating anything sweet because of how strict he was.
If only his students knew he kept a huge bowl of sweets in his desk drawer and still sent Shizuka her favorite flowers on her birthday.
Hebihara-sensei ruled with a tight fist, but even he could not prevent the simmering undercurrent of easily distracted high schoolers. Even the threat of turning in the dreaded essays he assigned did nothing as he heard snippets of a conversation between the students in his class.
"Hayato-senpai was….at the lockers….with a kouhai…cheating…poor Ryuuichi-senpai…"
Well now, that couldn't be right could it? Hebihara knew their divorce took a toll on their sons, but to the extent that Hayato was cheating on Kashima? He couldn't, no he didn't, believe what the students were saying. Hayato didn't show emotion most of the time (wonder where he got that from, eh?) but he's never seen his son happier than he was when he was with Kashima, even if Taka and Kashima's little brother did tag along with them most of the time. What is really going on?
Taka is a big boy now like his nii-chan. That's why even though his mama put him to bed an hour ago, he was hiding in the living room while his nii-chan watched the baseball game on TV. If nii-chan can stay up late, then Taka will stay up late too.
From his hiding place under the blanket, he heard his mama come in. Taka snickered. She'll never notice him here! Taka is glad he stayed up past his bedtime today.
However, Taka would quickly come to regret his decision when he overhears the conversation between his nii-chan and his mom.
Usaida was the one to point it out when it was time for the daycare moms to pick up their kids the next day.
"Hm.. Taka, you've been really quiet today, haven't you?"
Taka looked up from where he was dragging his sword alone in the corner of the room, gloom apparent on his little face.
Ryuuichi added, "Usaida-san is right. Taka-kun, are you perhaps feeling sick?" At the bright, caring smile on Ryuu's face, Taka couldn't keep it in anymore! It was a wonder he didn't explode sooner as his face crumpled and the waterworks started.
With snot dripping down his face he ran to bury his face in Ryuu's lap, his little arms and legs working as he scuttled across the daycare. Taka tried his best to get his words out in between his sobbing breaths, but it was indiscernible as he couldn’t stop crying. Even Kotarou looked stricken, his eyebrows furrowed as he patted his best friend's back with little hands, trying to sooth Taka-cha. Takuma and Kirin stopped playing as they came closer to Taka wanting to know what was wrong, Kazuma holding onto the back of Takuma's shirt as he too, started crying. Midori was quiet as she looked on from where she was seated in Usaida's lap.
"Hah? What's is the brat crying for this time?" Everyone looked up to see Kamitani at the daycare entrance.
Ryuuichi tried to shush his boyfriend of two years, "Hayato-kun, shhh..Taka-kun is upset.." He didn't get to finish his sentence as Taka launched himself at his older brother, barely reaching his upper legs as he attacked him with his bundled up fists.
"It's all…nii-chan's fault! Why did you hurt Ryuu? WHY..??" The words were interspersed with each successful attack of Taka's punches.
Ryuuichi looked on in alarm as Taka slipped from his grasp to start attacking Hayato out of nowhere. He barely managed to separate Taka from Hayato's legs, shushing and soothing Taka who was still sobbing with big gasps, strings of snot dripping everywhere.
"Taka-kun..shhh…shhhh…Why don’t you tell us why you're upset and maybe we can solve the problem, huh?" Ryuuichi smiled brightly, calming the little ball of anger that was Taka in his lap.
By now the rest of the moms have also filed in, having witnessed the last part of the Kamitani brothers' fight.
Taka tried his best, eyes still leaking tears and taking big breaths as he told his story. "Taka was hiding….and he heard mama ask nii-chan..why he kissed another girl and not Ryuu!" He started wailing again, his tears collecting into a sizable wet spot on Ryuuichi's shirt as he buried his face into it, fists clenching at the material.
Usaida was the first to break the silence that descended on the moms and the kids of the daycare, only broken by Taka's loud cries. "Oho. Care to explain yourself, Hayato-chan? Were you really cheating on Ryuu-chan?" The smug look on Usaida's face can only be described as the cat that got the cream, befitting of the biggest gossip of the Morinomiya daycare. The moms leaned in, wanting to finally hear the truth behind the rumors, not willing to believe it themselves. The twins and Kirin were huddled around their moms, confused but understanding that this was a big deal.
Kotarou looked like he had been personally slapped, face stricken as he tried to wrap around the idea that Hayato-niicha dared to hurt his nii-cha.
Ryuuichi turned bright red, eyes widening and ears flaming as he sputtered and waved his hands.
Hayato sighed, explaining with a deadpan expression, "Tch. When did this become a big deal? I wasn't cheating on my boyfriend. That "girl" was Ryuuichi in a wig and skirt. Some first year caught us in the locker room after practice and spread those rumors."
There was a collective sigh of relief in the daycare room. Mamizuka-sensei chimed in," Oh, I see. I knew it couldn't be true. Hayato-kun would never cheat on Ryuuichi-kun!"
"Why didn't you explain that to me yesterday? What an idiot son I have!"
"Wait, why was Ryuu-chan dressed up in the first place? I gotta tell Inui and sell him more photos. LOL."
"Ryuuichi-kun, if you'd like, we have more wigs for you to try out in the drama club room."
"Yes, I do agree that while Ryuuichi-sama looks particularly striking dressed as a young girl, I would also like to see Kotarou-sama dressed as her youthful younger sister."
"Saikawa-san?? When did you even get here? How much did you see???" Ryuuichi was beet red by this time, hiding his face in Hayato's shoulder.
"Well I tried to save you the embarrassment of getting found out but the rumors got too crazy." Hayato snickered as his boyfriend did his best to melt into the ground while the daycare room rang with laughter.
And that is the story of how the Morinomiya academy rumor mill experienced one of its wildest rumors of all time.