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AKASHI'S FIRST IMPRESSION of you could be summed up with one word: underwhelming. He held little to no expectations for you and honestly believed your performance would be subpar at best.
You were also sickeningly warm, and he'd never admit that it made you somewhat endearing. But other than a pretty face, you seemed painfully ordinary.
That was not a problem, however. When Akashi became president, he didn't plan on relying on anyone else, including you — his vice president. He was more than capable of handling any and all affairs by himself.
A vice president is inherently inferior to a president, and that was exactly how he viewed you. You were someone below him, and he held absolutely zero qualms about bypassing you entirely.
You, on the other hand, refused to cooperate with this plan, much to his distaste.
"Akashi-kun," your voice called out to the red haired male. It was easy to tell you were frustrated from the way your brows furrowed and lips clinched into a noticeable frown. "I can assemble the proposal myself. Please let me do my job."
"It would be more efficient for me to make it instead [name]-san."
He couldn't understand why you were so deadset on doing things yourself. Was it because you felt useless? You needed something to do?
Couldn't you see how much easier things would be if you just let him take over?
The treasurer and secretary both thanked him over and over, overflowing with relief when he offered to help ease their workload. They would much rather do nothing and still claim credit as part of the student council than be constantly busy.
Why were you so stubborn?
He observed your still figure with annoyance. You gave no hints of backing off, and his patience was at its limits.
"Fine, two days. I expect it to be in by then."
You smiled at his defeated response.
He narrowed his gaze on your content expression and impulsively slipped in a comment he knew would irk you greatly. "I hope you won't disappoint me [name]."
"Of course not," you curtly replied.
To his displeasure, your smile did not break.
◴◵◶◷
You didn't see Akashi again until a few days later when you walked in on him playing shogi. The quiet room was eerily dim, lit only by the rays of sunlight that managed to seep past the curtains.
"You're playing alone?" Curiosity got the best of you, and the question slipped before you could stop it.
Unlike the snarky reply you were expecting, he simply gave you a glance before half-heartedly inviting you. "Why don't you join me then."
Akashi had already read over the proposal you submitted. Just as had you promised, it was done within two days time and to a standard on par with his own work. You surpassed his expectations, and for that he would give you a chance.
Choosing to ignore his tone, you grabbed a seat across from him, watching as he reset the board.
You took note of how his fingers deftly collected and repositioned the pieces. As expected of Rakuzan's 'emperor', he managed to look elegant even when doing such a simple task.
Taking five pawns into your palm, you were just about to toss them and determine who goes when he interrupted.
"You go first."
You shot him a look, "you sure?"
"I always win so it doesn't matter."
Shrugging, you placed the pawns back onto your side and moved one forward. You weren't going to argue with him over something so trivial.
You watched as he moved a pawn forward as well.
The game progressed as typical, although you were keeping up better than Akashi had originally thought. Unfortunately, your efforts would be for naught — it was obvious he would win.
Your offensive playing style left your king open, and he was confident he could make you resign with a few more moves.
Resting his cheek against his palm, he moved the gold general over and peeked at you once more. His eyes widened when he caught sight of the smirk playing on your lips. You didn't look like someone about to lose.
It happened so quickly, your next series of moves shutting him down completely.
"Tsumi." Checkmate.
The way you enunciated the word caught him in a trance, and he could only dazedly stare when your (e/c) gaze met his.
He had underestimated you, greatly. You were skilled enough to set a trap without him catching on in the slightest. Who knew the first person to beat him in shogi would be you.
"Ha, haha, hahahah," a low chuckle left his mouth. His face was partially covered with one hand, and his expression concealed by the shadow of his bangs.
He looked insane.
After recovering from his burst of laughter, he glanced up, heterochromatic eyes piercing through yours. "You certainly intrigue me, [name]."
If it was even possible, your smirk widened and you leaned further back into your chair with a gleam in your eyes that rivaled his own. "And here I thought your were going to be a sore loser, Akashi-kun."
In that moment, you looked so devilishly attractive that he had to consciously suppress the urge to press you against the table and swallow your lips with his.
With his heart thrumming violently against his chest, Akashi couldn't help but lean closer. He needed to shorten the wretched distance between you both, even if it was by an inch.
