The first time Keith sees Shiro is in hand to hand training. The Garrison's focus on space exploration may make its members combat 'expertise' the laughing stock of the other branches, but the brass will be damned if their cadets can't at least handle themselves in a bar brawl without embarrassing themselves, so hand to hand combat is mandatory for everyone. Engineers, pilots, scientists, Garrison command doesn't care if you will be spending the rest of your life staring at rocks, you will know how to throw a punch without breaking your thumb. As to be expected, some people are a bit more competent than others. Keith is one of those people, and apparently so is Garrison golden boy Takashi Shirogane. He's been tossing around any poor sap that gets paired with him for the entire class, then stopping to give them advice on where they went wrong. Keith's never seen people smile that much while being told they were incompetent, in much nicer and round about words than he would have used of course.

He really shouldn't be surprised. He has been hearing about ace pilot Shirogane, more commonly known as Shiro, since he first set foot in the Garrison. If the local rumor mill is to be believed, he's the best pilot of his generation, a natural born leader, walks on water, and will give you good grades by merely being in his presence. It makes sense that he's heads above everyone else in the class at hand to hand too. Keith expected that. He just hadn't expected him to look quite so good doing it.

Muscles, cute smile, easy laugh, Shiro could be on a charity calendar. Keith can already feel the first tickling of an unwanted crush. Unwanted because Shiro is an ass. He has to be an ass. No one is that good looking, skilled, and popular without being an ass in his experience, or straight. Damn his hormones.

They don't go up against each other that day, much to his disappointment. He thinks he could have beaten Shiro, and maybe that'd convince his stupid brain that the guy wasn't all that perfect. The teacher has been watching pretty closely, though. Next class, he'll get his chance.