Math has always been a strong point of Kiku's. At least, until this year. Functions, long-division, algebra: it all came with such little effort to him. Geometry, Algebra I and II were passed with flying colors, effortlessly. There is just something about the way in which trigonometry is used in Pre-calculus that doesn't sit well with him. Not well at all. The whole year he has struggled with the course, barely managing to keep a solid A-.

His midterm was a nightmare: a "C", the first of his life, and not even a plus, but a minus. Kiku can still see his older-brother-turned-caretaker's face when he heard. Pitying, of all things.

"It's alright, aru. I never even took Pre-Calculus in high school. The fact you passed is—"

Kiku shudders to himself, cutting the memory short. Wang Yao, of all people to be pitied by. That was the final straw. He refuses to let that happen again.

And so he stayed after everyday for nearly a week, seeking extra help, a measure he has never before needed to take. Surely those hard hours have gotten him somewhere, even if his teacher continues to be as confusing, mixing up numbers and giving the wrong problems. Surely it isn't her fault. She is trying, he can tell.

The second semester turns out much the same. Well by many people's standards, but mediocre by Kiku's own. He knows he should be happy with anything in the A-range, knows that many of his classmates would have done anything to achieve such. But to Kiku, it simply isn't enough. Not at all. Especially in his junior year, the year colleges look at.

And so the weeks passed until June, and his final trial of Pre-Calculus. The final exam, his final chance to prove himself, and show Wang Yao that he doesn't need his pity. Not at all.

The day starts off well. Sleepy, but well-prepared, Kiku stumbles out of bed at six in the morning, preparing for school methodically before jogging to the bus.

His exam even goes well. At least, as far as he can tell it does. None of the problems give him more than a few minutes of trouble, and his answers seem right, as much as an answer can seem right at this stage, with the lack of clean numbers.

With a smile, he hands the completed sheet in, giving one last glance to the rows of neat work filled out in his tiny, dark, precise handwriting. This has to be one of Kiku's favorite feelings. When the work is done, thoroughly so and correctly (with any luck), just a few minutes left in the exam period for him to relax and enjoy his sense of fulfillment. Perhaps scribble out a few little doodles in the empty portion of his math notebook. A wonderful feeling, truly.

He can't wait to get home. Pre-Calculus is his last final, the final step towards completing his junior year. Needless to say he has spent the week studying every spare moment, preparing himself for these weighty exams to best ensure success. There has been no time for his computer, no time for that treasured hobby of his that usually takes up his free time after school and on weekends. But now there is all the time in the world, relatively. The empty days of the summer are a welcome and long-anticipated break.

Kiku sighs to himself, in satisfaction, as the bell "rings"—it is an electronic buzz, hardly a ring—and he makes his way out the door.

"Hey!" the Asian boy turns around, knowing the voice's owner before he sees the face.

"Hello," Kiku greets pleasantly, shifting his messenger bag on his shoulder as he maneuvers through the stream of students towards his locker. There are a few notebooks in there he has yet to grab, if he remembers correctly.

"Do you wanna come over later? I was thinking of inviting a couple of the guys to play some videogames and stuff," Alfred inquires brightly, expectantly following the other boy through the teeming masses.

"Ah…" Kiku hums pensively, trying to decide the best way to decline. "I'm sorry, but I had other plans for this evening. Perhaps some other time."

The blond sighs, visibly deflating. "That's what you always say. I know how it is, you little computer geek." A teasing sentiment is back in his voice by the end of the sentence, and so the insult is of little effect, especially as it is mostly true.

"Pot calling the kettle black," is all Kiku responds in a passive tone, the slightest hint of a smile tugging at his lips. He narrowly dodges a football player as he reaches his destination, habitually inputting the combination.

"I'll make it over sometime, I promise," Kiku further answers when Alfred doesn't immediately brighten up.

It has the opposite of the desired effect, earning another of those sighs from the taller boy. "I know, I know," he replies absently, and not without a tinge of disappointment. Quite more than a tinge, actually.

"I'll see you around, then, I guess," Alfred bids his goodbye, and is gone before Kiku can make a further apologetic attempt. A brief anxiety flares up in his gut for a moment, but thoughts of his computer soon push it away. A whole three months to spend on it…

He gets off the bus, enjoying the slight breeze on his face, tugging at his hair. Nothing can ruin his mood now, not even a stream of near-rhetorical questions from his elder brother about his test as he enters the house. No, not even that.

He stows his remaining books in the corner of his room, to be sorted through at a later date, and boots up his computer.

And that is when it happens. Or rather doesn't happen.

His computer goes through all the proper motions of starting up, the mechanisms whirring, and the blue lights shining pleasantly, as it passes through the opening screens. But right where the Windows screen is supposed to be, there is just darkness. It doesn't appear.

Perhaps it is being slow, is Kiku's first line of reasoning. Surely that is the case. Computers can sometimes be finicky, and it must be groggy after so many days in rest, Kiku reasons. He just needs to give it a minute.

And so he does. Several minutes: nothing occurs. And then several more, and still nothing happens. When the hour mark is reached, Kiku begins to panic. Not frantically, surely, just a little. Only a little, because with the malfunction of his computer, his fond plans for the summer are going up in a mushroom cloud.

He restarts it, hoping it will start up as normal, proving everything a bad dream. It whirs, the lights glow nicely, and the opening screens pass. Only to show blackness when the Windows one should appear.

Kiku is in shock. The panic has passed, and he is staring at the blank screen, brain cells refusing to accept this new information. There's no logical reason for his computer to be doing this, no logic at all. So really, it isn't happening. Because things are logical. The world is logical.

He convinces himself of this as he fumbles for his mobile, flipping through the contact list until he settles on a number that is all too familiar to him, although he hasn't called it in months.

"Kiku?" he sounds surprised, and just a little hopeful, a change from their recent encounter. "What's up? Did you decide to come after all?"

"Alfred, I…" and Kiku clears his throat, the words catching on something. They aren't tears, no, he would never cry about something as trivial as this. Something as…

"Are you okay?" Alfred's voice is suddenly alarmed, and no, those can't possibly be sobs working their way out of his mouth and into the receiver. That can't possibly be the case, because Kiku simply doesn't cry easily, and it's just a computer, and it's fine anyway, because there's no logical reason for it to be acting this way…

But why else does Alfred sound so alarmed, impossibly so?

Impossible…

"Kiku, don't hang up," Alfred issues urgently, the shuffle of keys evident to anyone paying the slightest bit of attention. Which Kiku is not. "I'll be right over. Stay on the phone."

And just like that, the first tear in years drips out of the corner of Kiku's eye.

Based on a true story. Really. Sort of just a random muse. I need practice writing Japan, and so I decided to start this.

I don't know how regular updates will be. We'll see. Let me know what you guys think, and if it's worth continuing.

As for any of my FCTH readers reading this…I'll be back on that story once my computer is fixed. The textbook is on its way.