Under the Cherry Blossoms (Kurusu Kaoru x Reader)

It was another beautiful day today.  The sun was shining through the scattered clouds, making light dance amongst the blades of grass beneath your feet.  Raising your head toward sky, you took a deep breath of the fresh, spring air.  Winter’s chill had left the area and welcomed in the budding cherry blossoms.  It was only a matter of days before your walk home would be dotted with little, pink flowers.  And you couldn’t wait.

Walking several feet in front of you was your best friend.  You had met him in school last year when you first started attending the sister school of the famed Saotome Academy.  The blonde seemed oblivious to the fact that you had fallen behind, walking with purpose toward his home.  When you realized just how distracted you had become you called out to him.  “Kaoru-Kun, wait up!”  You ran up beside him and grabbed on to the black blazer he was wearing.

“Ah, I’m sorry, ________-Chan.  I hadn’t noticed that you were so far back.”  He smiled sheepishly down at you.

“I figured that out!  It’s so nice today though, Kaoru-Kun.  Don’t you think?  And look!  The cherry blossoms are going to bloom soon!”  You pointed happily to the many trees that lined the walkway back to your dormitories.  “See?”

“You’re right.”  He smiled back at you, finally pulled free of whatever train of thought had caught his attention.  “By the end of the week I may be dusting petals off your head.”

“Haha, you just might have to!”  The two of you laughed as you made the final stretch toward the dorms.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, _______-Chan.”

“Wait!  Don’t you want to do homework out here?  It’s a perfect day!”

“We both know that if we try to work out here, nothing will get done.”  You began to pout, thinking he had rejected your suggestion when he spoke again.  “However… a day off might not be such a bad thing.  How about I meet you back here in fifteen minutes?”

You nodded happily and turned back toward the girl’s dorm.  “You bet!  See you in fifteen!”

Kurusu Kaoru was studying to become a doctor someday.  He had told you that it was to take care of his brother, a member of STARISH, who had a heart condition.  You thought it was very sweet that he would go to such lengths for his brother, and to be honest, it made you like him even more.

When you got to your room, your roommate was laying on her bed, a manga covering her face.  “Hmm…?  ____-Chan..?” she yawned.  Slowly she lifted the book from her face and looked at you groggily.

“Good afternoon, sleepy,” you laughed.  “You know you missed class again right?”

“Mmm, I know…  What time is it?”

You glanced at the watch on your wrist, “About quarter after three.”

“Alright, cool.  I can go back to sleep then.”

“If you say so.  I’ll be back in a bit, Kaoru-Kun and I are going to work on homework outside.”

“Yep.  Let me know how it goes,” she mumbled as she drifted back into a sound slumber.

The sounds of her soft snoring made you chuckle as you quickly changed out of the school’s uniform and into something a bit more comfortable.  Ok, you’ll be honest, you also wanted to look a little cuter for Kaoru too.

After a few minutes getting ready, you grabbed the school books you needed as a cover and ran down your hallway and down the stairs.  Sure you were five minutes early, but… so was he.  However, all he had done was removed his blazer so that only the white button-up and cream sweater vest could be seen.

“Where would you like to go to study then?” he asked with a smile.

“Hmm… the courtyard will be crowded and there aren’t many benches on the east side of campus…  Oh, I know!  We could go to library rooftop!  It’s usually pretty deserted and there will be an amazing view!”  You were thrilled with this idea and didn’t even give him time to respond before taking hold of his hand and practically dragging him there.

Once on top of the building, you ran toward the edge and looked out.  “See!  This is what I was talking about!”  You grinned and turned to look at the blonde.

“I do see.  It’s very nice up here.”  After a moment he sat down on the ground and pulled out a textbook.

“……….”

In response to your discontent silence, he looked up to you with a grin.  “Well you did say we were going to study didn’t you?  You even went to the trouble of bringing your books.”

You audibly sighed and sat beside him.  “Yeah, I guess that was silly of me.”  You pulled your supplies from the messenger bag.  It was a good idea to do homework as long as you were there.

“Oops.”

“Huh?”  You looked over at Kaoru, confused.  You noticed he had the slightest grin still present on his features.  “…What do you mean ‘oops’?”

“It seems I forgot my notebook.”  Despite the fact that you could both clearly see his notebook shoved in the bag, he was playing dumb.  “I guess we can’t do the homework yet after all.”

His words brought a smile to your face and you eagerly hugged him.  “Thanks, Kaoru-Kun!!” you yelled happily.  When you removed your arms from around him, you were greeted with a very prominent blush.

“Ah, I don’t know what you mean.”  He cast his gaze away, clearly embarrassed.




The week was over and air was filled with the sweet scent of cherry blossoms.  Pink petals were everywhere: on the ground, in the ponds, in your hair, in your bag, etc.

You felt something tug lightly at your hair as you walked back toward your dorm.  At the sudden sensation, you jumped and spun around.  Kaoru was there, holding a small flower in his hand.  “Oh, it’s just you, Kaoru-Kun.  You scared me!”

“Ah, sorry.  I was trying to get this out of your hair.”

“Oh…!  Well thank you very much!”  The two of you walked together in silence for a few minutes.  “Hey, Kaoru-Kun?”

“Yes?”

“Are you doing anything this weekend?” you asked shyly.  When Kaoru looked over at you, your eyes were downcast and your head was turned away.

“I was planning to visit my brother tomorrow.  It’s been a while since I’ve seen him and he will be in town for a concert.”

“Eh?!  STARISH is going to be performing here?!”  You hadn’t heard anything about it.

“Really?” Kaoru’s blue eyes widened in surprise.  “You didn’t know?”

“N-no…  I haven’t been off campus in the last couple of weeks with all the tests coming up.”

“I see.”  The two of you fell into silence again.  “Hey, ______-Chan?”

“Yeah?”  You looked at him, disappointment still present on your face.

“Do you want to go the concert?  Um.. with me that is?”  His cheeks had begun to turn a light red as he spoke and you were sure yours were doing the same.

“Y-you mean…?”  You shook your head.  It didn’t matter if he meant ‘like a date’ or not, you would still get to spend time with him either way.  “Yes!  Of course I will!”

You could see his face visibly brighten when you agreed.    “That’s great.  Shall we meet early and go get something to eat?”

“Mhmm, that sounds good to me.  What time?”

“Let’s meet at 3:00.  The concert starts around 7:00.  Alright?”

“Yes!  Thank you, Kaoru-Kun!”  In your excitement, you leaned over and kissed his cheek.  When you realized what you had just done, your face turned the color of a cherry.  “S-s-sorry!  Uh, I have to go!!!  My roomie is waiting!”  Without a second glance at Kaoru, you took off at a sprint toward your room.



You leaned against your door, hand on your chest.  Your heart was beating furiously and your face was burning.

Suddenly, the door was no longer behind you and you fell backwards into the room.

“______-Chan?!  What are you doing there?  You’re going to give me a heart attack!” your roommate yelled, displeased with you.

“Sorry…  Ow…  Next time, open the door more slowly!”

“How about next time you don’t lean against the door at all!”

“Yeah, yeah…”

“Hey, are you blushing?”

Your face immediately darkened again.  “I-I’m not!”

“Yes you are!  Oh!  Did something happen between you and Kaoru-San?!”

You groaned and stood up.  “Weren’t you leaving?”

“Hm, I was~”

“Leave it be!  Yes, something happened and no it probably doesn’t mean anything!”

She chuckled and left the room. “Whatever you say~”



It was just after 2:00 the next day and you still couldn’t decide what to wear.  “Why don’t you wear the blue skirt with that frilly white shirt?” your roomie suggested.

“This one?”  You pulled out the shirt and set it down on your bed with the skirt.  “Do you think that looks alright?”

“Yeah, it looks good.  And it’s not too dressy for a concert.”

“I suppose.  Ok, let’s see.”  You hastily changed into the outfit and smiled to the mirror.  “I never would have expected you to be so fashionable.”

“Hey, don’t insult me!  I may prefer to be casual, but when I want to, I can be very stylish.”  She gave you a look before speaking again, “Alright.  Now try on your white flats with that.  You’re not going to want to wear heels.”

You did as she told you and were pleased with the results.  “Ok, fashion queen, what should I do with my hair?”

“Nope.  I don’t do hair.  That’s your choice to make.”

You glared at your roomie and sighed.  “Fine then.”  You sat down in front of the mirror and began messing with your (color) hair until you liked it.  “How about this?”

Your roommate tore her eyes from the manga she just picked up and contemplated your hairstyle.  “Yes, that’ll do.  Add your pearl barrettes to finish off the look.”

“Got it!”



A few minutes before three, you walked down to the courtyard.  You fussed with the purse at your side, not used to the feeling of carrying it around.

“____-Chan?”  Kaoru’s voice came from behind you.  You turned and smiled happily at him.  You were surprised, though you weren’t sure why, to see him in something other than his school uniform.  He wore a pair of black trousers and a light gray button up t-shirt.  It was the most casual you had ever seen him, and yet he still looked so nice.

“Hi, Kaoru-Kun,” you said.  “Ready to go?”

He nodded and walked up to you.  “I thought we could go to a restaurant near the concert hall if that’s all right with you?”

“That’s fine.  I’m good with anything.”



The concert was fabulous!  It had been a ton of fun watching STARISH perform and there had even been a guest performance by Quartet Night.  You had a great time, but you could tell that Kaoru had loved getting to see his brother perform too.

You were trying to weave your way through the throngs of fans.  To keep you from getting separated, Kaoru had grabbed your hand and refused to let go until you were out.  This made you unbelievably happy, of course, but it also made you a bit nervous.  You had finally made it over to where you were supposed to be able to go and meet Kurusu Syo.

“Sorry you two, but no one is allowed back here,” said the Security officer.

“Kurusu Syo is expecting me,” Kaoru said.

“Yeah, sure he is.”

“Ah, I’m sorry, you must get this a lot.  But I am Syo’s brother, Kurusu Kaoru.  Please, he is expecting me.”

“I’m afraid I can’t let you in without confirmation from him.”

“Alright, thank you.”  Kaoru, still holding your hand despite being out of the crowd, pulled you along until you were outside.

“Wait, you’re not giving up are you?!”

“It seems Syo didn’t tell them I was coming.”  Kaoru shrugged, but it was obvious that he was upset.  “There’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Can’t you call him?!  You can’t give up so easily!  I’m sure your brother wants to see you!  Either he was really busy and forgot, or they forgot to write down that you were supposed to be here!”

“No, _______-Chan.  There’s nothing we can do about it.  Let’s just go.”  He released your hand and turned to walk back toward the school.

“No.”

Kaoru looked at you in surprise.

“We are not leaving here until you get to see your brother.  I’m not letting you go back while you’re so upset!”

“I’m not upset…”

“Yes you are!  I can tell, Kaoru-Kun!”  You ran up and grabbed a hold of his hand.  “Don’t try and tell me that you’re not disappointed.   We are going back in there right now!  I don’t care if he’s busy, he is seeing his brother no matter what.  Got it?”

Kaoru smiled at you, “I understand.”

You grinned and marched him back over to the door.  You pulled on it so that you might re-enter the hall only to find it was locked.  “………….You have got to be kidding me.”  You banged your head against the door in frustration.

Kaoru chuckled, “No need getting so upset over this.  Syo will be in town for a few days.  I will just see him tomorrow, ok?”

“But…”

“It’s alright.  I promise.”

With a sigh you agreed and walked back to school with him.  “See you tomorrow, Kaoru-Kun?”

“Yes.  I will see you tomorrow.”

As soon as Kaoru had walked inside, you began running back toward the venue.  You were not giving up just yet.



By the time you arrived, you were breathing heavily.  It was not often that you ran that far.  You looked around when you noticed that the lights in the concert hall were nearly all off.  You heard some voices coming from the rear of the building and ran off to see if you were lucky enough to encounter STARISH.

Sure enough, when you turned the corner, you saw the seven boys standing around, likely waiting for a ride back to the hotel.  Jinguji Ren saw you standing there and addressed you, “Hello, Lady. Is there something we can help you with?”

“Ah, did you stay behind to meet us?” Shinomiya Natsuki asked in a happy tone.

“Um…  kind of…” you replied.  It was extremely nerve-wracking to be standing there in front of them.  Your eyes landed then on Kurusu Syo.  “Um..  Kurusu-San, I need to talk to you.”

Everyone’s eyes fell upon the blonde boy at that moment.  He’d been leaning against the wall, not paying all that much attention to what was going on.  “Me?”

“Yes, if I may.”

He approached me while everyone else watched in curious confusion.  “What is it?”

“I’m a friend of Kaoru-Kun,” you began.

“Kaoru?!  Where is he?  He was supposed to come see me!”  Syo looked just as upset as Kaoru had by this ordeal.

“Ah, he’s back at the dorm.  We tried to come back to see you, but they said that they would need confirmation that he was expected first.”

“Darn it!  I told them he was coming!”

“Eh?  Syo-Chan, your brother was going to come visit?” Natsuki asked.

“Yeah…  We haven’t seen each other in a few months.  Can you take me to see him…..?”

“________ _______,” you gave him your name.

“_______-San.  Please?”

“I’d be happy to.  I know he really wanted to see you.”  You smiled at the boy and noted the similarities and differences between him and his twin.

“We’ll go too!” Ittoki Otoya exclaimed.

“Yes, I would like to meet this brother,” Ren stated cooly.

“The it’s settled.  We will all be coming if that’s alright ________-San,” Ichinose Tokiya spoke up.

You nodded in agreement.  “Alright!  Follow me.”

You led the group through town until you arrived at the gates of the school.  “The hardest part is going to be getting into the boy’s dorm without being noticed.  They’re pretty strict here, but I’ve done it before.”  You realized they were staring at you oddly and decided to clarify.  “I wasn’t sneaking in to do anything bad!  It’s just easier to study in a dorm room sometimes rather than the library and my roommate almost never leaves.  So, Kaoru-Kun and I will study together in his room or with one of our friends.  But this is beside the point!  The point is we have to get in.”

You were walking beneath the cherry blossoms again when you saw Kaoru.  He was sitting on a bench near the pond.  Quickly you turned to the boys and put your finger to your lips.  You pointed at Syo and had him follow you.

“Kaoru-Kun?  I thought you went to bed already,” you said as you approached.  Syo was now standing behind a tree nearby.

“I could say the same about you, ______-Chan.”

“Hm, that’s true.  Are you still upset?”

“No, not really.”

“You sound upset.”

“………”

“I thought so.  Well I brought something to cheer you up!”  You grinned at him and signaled for Syo to come out.

He ran out with a grin and practically tackled Kaoru to the ground.

“S-syo?!  What are you doing here?!”

“Well, _______-San came back to concert hall and found me.  I didn’t know you had come by!  They were supposed to let you in.”

“______-Chan?”

“What can I say?  I don’t like seeing you unhappy.”

“You have a wonderful friend, Kurusu Kaoru-Kun.  Be sure to treasure her,” Hijirikawa Masato said as the rest of STARISH came into view.

“Ah, yes.  I am well aware of that.”  Kaoru looked past his brother for a moment to smile at me.



The whole weekend Kaoru was spending time with his brother.  You wanted to join them, but you decided that they should get to spend some time alone.  So when Kaoru invite you to come with them again, you smiled and said that you had some homework left to finish.



You stood, as the sun began to set, by a more secluded pond.  It was where you usually preferred to do homework, or at least pretend to do homework.  You closed your eyes and let the wind ruffle your hair and blow petals around the clearing.  You heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching and turned to see who it was.

“Ah, you’re back already, Kaoru-Kun?”

“Yeah, Syo had to leave for their next concert.  I can see you’ve been productive today,” he teased.

You looked at your backpack that you hadn’t touched since you came out here four hours earlier.  “Yeah, well I just couldn’t concentrate.”

“That or you didn’t really have any homework left to do.”

“Well…  Ok, fine.  I didn’t.”

“Then why didn’t you come with me?”

“Because I wanted to give you a chance to spend time alone with your brother…”

“I see.”  Kaoru walked up and stood beside you.  “Thank you, _______-Chan.”

You turned to look at him and as soon as you did, he placed his lips against yours.  It was a short, sweet kiss, but that was enough to turn your entire face red.

“I haven’t ever been able to tell you this, _______-Chan, but…  I really like you.”  His blue eyes reflected his feelings as he stared at you, hoping for a favorable reply.

“You have no idea how long I have been wanting to hear you say that.  I like you too, Kaoru-Kun!”  You wrapped your arms around him in a tight hug and sealed your confession with a kiss.



Syo was back in town for some work several weeks later.  “I knew it!  I knew you liked her!” Syo exclaimed.

“Sh-shut up, Syo!” Kaoru yelled.  He was embarrassed, but that didn’t stop him from holding your hand.