Changing Peach Hearts (Akashi X OC)

Chapter 1 | Change

A young woman with peach-coloured hair and matching peach-coloured eyes stared out of the aeroplane window. She propped her elbow up on the arm of the seat, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.

It had been one year since Chiharu had left Japan. She remembered everything and everyone whom she had left behind in Japan; her parents, Satsuki-nee, Daiki, Midorima, the basketball team and the shogi team and of course her first love, Akashi Seijuro.

She smiled as she remembered him and the memories they had made together.

...

"This is Yukimaru."

Akashi rubbed the long neck of a majestic white horse which chortled in response.

The sound startled Chiharu and she took two steps back, holding on to the stable pole for support. She observed the large creature with wonder, her eyes tracing its soft, snowy coat.

"I never thought a horse could be this pretty," she mumbled.

Akashi smiled. He walked towards her, taking her hand in his as he gently pulled her towards the horse.

Chiharu looked up at the large creature as she felt her legs weaken. If it weren't for Akashi, her knees would have already buckled in fear.

Akashi held her hand in his and he slowly pulled it out in front of the horse. The horse's head lowered as it sniffed the unfamiliar scent. It's head then lifted again and stared at Chiharu before turning its head and revealing the back of its neck.

"Yukimaru likes you," Akashi whispered.

He guided her hand to the back of the horse's neck where she felt his soft, snowy coat. Akashi then brought her hand up to a small spot behind the horse's ear. As she touched it, the horse's head lifted higher and it chortled with delight.

Chiharu felt her legs collapse at the horse's sudden movement. Luckily Akashi held her from behind, catching her from her fall.

Yukimaru relaxed as Chiharu continued to scratch the spot behind its ear. Chiharu smiled in delight, turning to look up at Akashi. But Akashi was already looking at her with a smile that mirrored her own.

...

Back then Chiharu knew she was still carrying the wounds of her childhood. No matter how much she had changed with Akashi's help, she was still going to carry her fear of people, her doubts and her hesitance.

And that was what caused her to leave Japan. She wanted to heal from those wounds.

Now those wounds had turned into scars. Whilst they would always remain, they would no longer hurt her. She was confident of it.

Chiharu went to the U.S. for a year. She stayed with her grandma and studied abroad, meeting professionals who could help her through her anxieties, as well as making friends whom she could rely on. She had decided she would stay there until she was stronger. And finally, after a whole year, she chose to return to Japan.

Chiharu flipped through the mails on her phone. While she had kept in contact with her family, she had not kept in contact with any of her middle school friends nor Akashi.

She heard from Satsuki that Akashi had gone to Rakuzan High. Similar to Teiko Junior High, it was a prestigious school for the best of the best and knowing Akashi's family, she knew that Akashi would have to go there.

She scrolled through several more mails.

But unlike when she had chosen to follow Satsuki to Teiko Junior High, she had chosen not to follow Satsuki to Touou Academy. Instead Chiharu decided she would go to Rakuzan High to find Akashi.

She found the email she was look for; the acceptance email to Rakuzan High School. As she read through the details, she found new conviction. She wasn't afraid anymore. She trusted and believed in the friends she had made in the US.

And most of all, she trusted and believed in Akashi.

She remembered his promise to her.

"Chiharu, I will never leave you alone. That is my word, my promise to you. Never forget it. I, Akashi Seijuro, promise to never leave you."

But back then the wounds in Chiharu's childhood that had begun to heal with Akashi, had been torn apart again. She hadn't trusted in Akashi enough and had chosen to run away. She left for the U.S deciding not to contact anyone. She knew she had broken Akashi's heart and she could only hope that it wasn't too late to fix it.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, as we start our descent..."

Chiharu unplugged her earphones from her ears. She heaved a deep breath as the flight attendant walked by, ensuring that all compartments were in proper position for the take down.

This time Chiharu wouldn't run away.

This time she would face him with all her confidence.

...

"Chi-channnnn!"

Chiharu turned to face the source of the voice. She caught sight of the familiar pink haired woman who had greeted her with arms wide open. Chiharu opened her arms in response, a large smile on her face.

"Satsuki-nee!"

She turned to the familiar tanned skin and dark blue-haired man next to her sister.

"Daiki!" she exclaimed warmly.

Aomine nodded his head without much expression.

Before Chiharu could question his unusual behaviour, Satsuki bombarded her with questions.

"Nee, nee," called Satsuki, "How have you been? How was America? How is grandma Koji?"

Chiharu chuckled openly at Satsuki's antics and Satsuki's eyes widened at Chiharu's openness.

"America was good. I made a few friends. Emily, Grace, Alex..." Chiharu started listing before she got interrupted again.

"YOU MADE FRIENDS!" cried Satsuki, tears falling down her face.

After Chiharu had left Akashi and them all behind in Japan, Satsuki could not help but think Chiharu would never recover from her childhood trauma.

Chiharu laughed in response. "Yes, I've made friends."

The warm conversation was interrupted by a disinterested voice.

"Can I go now, Satsuki?" drawled Aomine. Satsuki elbowed Aomine hard in the stomach.

"After we have taken Chiharu back to the house, we need to go to Touou basketball practice TOGETHER," she emphasised. Aomine groaned before walking ahead of the siblings.

"I'll go find a cab," he said lazily, waving one hand up in the air.

Chiharu frowned, unsure at Aomine's sudden cold exterior.

"What's wrong with Daiki?" Chiharu asked, concerned.

Satsuki frowned while rubbing her temples.

"Do you remember around the time you left, Mukkun stopped coming to basketball practice? Dai-chan himself stopped too. He had his own epitome. He said the only person who could beat him is him. He no longer seems to love basketball..."

Chiharu frowned.

"Didn't Akashi-kun keep them together? I can't imagine him ignoring his responsibilities, especially since he used to pride himself as the captain of the basketball club," Chiharu wondered out loud.

This caused Satsuki to frown harder.

"The generation of miracles have changed. Akashi's different now..."

Aomine yelled from afar interrupting their conversation. Both Chiharu and Satsuki jogged up to Aomine who had found a cab. Despite Aomine's initial cold exterior, Chiharu could still sense warmth and familiarity from his actions.

So how different could Akashi be?