No Matter What the Cost

Doing what was necessary

A/N: The unholy POV of Gakuhou Asano.

So this will be a two-parter basically showing Gakuhou's pov, starting off in the past and then catching up to present day post-canon universe.

Pt 9 of That universe where Karma and Asano are brothers and everyone else suffers because of it.

***

Gakuhou didn't really understand if it was possible to love something more than life itself, to have something worth dying over. He'd always had difficulty making attachments with people, and when he did, it was like he was diving in full force, latching on like they were the only life-raft left in a vast ocean.

His future wife, Kairi Akabane, had thought it was charming at first, the complete commitment. He thought he knew what love was when he married her, but that changed with the birth of Gakushuu and then his unexpected second son, Karma.

Gakushuu was perfect when he was born, so perfect he had to step outside of the hospital room just to compose himself and not cry.

Karma had been just as perfect as well, a playful baby who was always laughing and smiling.

They were his pride and joy.

Those first four years had been bliss, perfect. Everything in their family felt complete, and he'd wanted it to last forever.

... Then Ikeda died, and everything started to fall apart.

He had to do whatever it took to protect his two boys and student, to make sure they grew up strong, even if that meant he had to be cruel to be kind.  He wasn't going to lose them like he'd lost Ikeda. He wasn't going to fail again.

His sons were brilliant, and they'd be the canvas for his new educational philosophy. They didn't understand, of course, Karma was four and Gakushuu was five when he started to make major changes in their everyday schedule. He knew they were confused and upset when he'd thrown away their toys and made so many alterations, but he was doing it because he loved them.

They'd thank him one day. When they were strong and successful. They'd thank him.

The road ahead was difficult, he knew that. Karma especially was difficult.

Gakuhou was trying to prepare him for primary school, spending a long amount of his free time teaching them extra lessons in a small study room he'd set up.

His second son may have been four years old and a year younger than Gakushuu, but he knew Karma was smart enough to catch up and attend school the same time. That way the two boys could properly motivate each other and be challenged.

"No!" Karma decided he didn't want to study today, throwing the expensive textbooks on the floor. "I don't want to!"

"Karma." Gakuhou narrowed his gaze, pausing from writing on the blackboard. "That's enough, pick up your textbooks—"

"No!" Karma kept screaming, turning red in the face as he started to cry. "I want my blanket! I-I want—"

"Enough." He grabbed his son's arm hard, which made the boy scream and kick.

Gakushuu was watching with wide eyes; he never threw tantrums. Perfectly behaved.

"I WANT MY BLANKET!" Karma kept screaming for the ratty blanket which had been thrown out weeks ago.

Gakuhou felt his temper rise at the shouting, his son's screaming wringing in his ears. "I said, that's enough!"

He could feel a headache coming on when his son kept screaming. The boy needed to be silent.