Kirishima isn’t usually the type to keep secrets; lying or hiding things from others isn’t something he enjoys doing ( the fact that he can’t lie to save his life is not important ) and he abhors the mere thought of tricking someone into believing something for his own personal gain. He’s always considered himself an honest guy, a man with integrity, truthful and considerate of those around him, but even he has something he carefully keeps to himself. A secret. A hobby that none of his classmates can ever know about...
A secret love of K-Dramas.
His obsession began at the tender age of seven, back when he and his older sister used to fight for control over the TV after arriving home from school. Naturally, being bigger and stronger and seven years older than him, Akane would always win and took it upon herself to lord it over him at every chance she got. She happened to flick to a channel he didn’t recognise one afternoon, the people on screen speaking in a language he didn’t understand, although their words translated thanks to the Japanese subtitles streaming along the bottom of the screen. Despite the fact that he had trouble watching what was going on screen while keeping up with the rapidly changing kanji, Kirishima found himself instantly engrossed. From that day on, he would look forward to returning home after school to watch the newest episode of the K-Drama his sister was most recently hooked on, only ever pretending to kick up a fuss and complain. Needless to say, it didn’t take very long for him to be equally as hooked.
And so here he is, a mere eight years later, sneaking down to the dormitory’s lounge area to catch the latest episode of the K-Drama he’s been intrigued by ever since it started airing a month back. While the genre is certainly something he’s dabbled in frequently in the past ( a slice of life romance with a hint of mystery ), the plot itself is a little different from his normal tastes, but it had taken a mere handful of episodes to leave him eager for more.
He’s settling himself on one of the couches, the volume on the TV turned down low as the opening credits begin to roll, when he hears the sound of floorboards creaking behind him. Kirishima’s body stiffens from head to toe, an instinctual reaction, his heart slamming wildly behind his ribs.
Slowly, almost fearfully, he turns in his seat and locks eyes with a rather shocked looking Ashido. Before he can explain, before he can even speak, she’s gone. Turning on her heel and fleeing without a word. Something cold and unpleasant ( something that feels very much like dread ) slips into his stomach as he watches her go, his mouth suddenly unbearably dry.
It’s not a promising reaction. While he knows without needing to be told that it’s silly to even think it, he finds himself fearing that Ashido will tell everyone of his secret hobby. He’s not ashamed, not in the slightest as it’s something he loves, but it’s not something he wants made common knowledge, either... He has something of a reputation to uphold, pride to maintain, even though Ashido has certainly seen him at his worst during their shared middle school years.
Kirishima turns back to the TV, staring vacantly at the screen as the opening scene of the episode unfolds. After a few minutes, he picks up the remote control and clicks the standby button. His once good mood is ruined, and in its place a stomach-churning anxiety has taken root. He wobbles to his feet, trudging back to his room in a daze in the hopes that he might find some reprieve in the form of sleep, only to spend the rest of the night lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling until the sun finally rises and what is likely to be the day from hell begins...
Only one thing is for certain: he needs to find Ashido and set the record straight. Everything else may as well be up in the air.
