10 Things Shirabu Kenjirou Learned and One Thing He Didn't (Hanahaki AU)

The First and Second Things

Shirabu and Semi, setter and setter, sat there for a moment, silent.

Semi was the first to talk.

"Hey, would you rather always be 10 minutes late to everything for the rest of your life, or 20 minutes early for everything in your life?"

Shirabu paused, looking at the older boy in confusion.

"I'm trying to start a conversation." said Semi, after some silence.

"O-oh. Sorry." said Shirabu. "I think I would be twenty minutes early to everything though." he quickly added. "And you?"

"Ha!" Semi laughed, the noise echoing in Shirabu's ears like a tinkling bell. "I would be 10 minutes late to everything. I'm a very lazy person." he winked at Shirabu.

Shirabu's heart did the thing again.

He looked away quickly.

Semi asked a few more would you rather questions.

"Would you rather be an average person now or the kind of a rich country 2,500 years ago?"

"Would you rather have more time or more money?"

"Would you rather send a text or call someone?"

"Semi-san, why do you have all these questions hovering around in your head?" asked Shirabu.

Semi smiled sheepishly. 

"I don't know. It was useful for just now. But if you're bored, let's do something else. Hey Shirabu, truth or dare?"

Shirabu stared at Semi.

"How would we even do a dare? There's not a lot of space or time here."

Semi pondered for a moment.

"Good point. I don't know, maybe something simple for a dare then."

"Okay then, Semi-san. Dare."

Semi pouted. 

"You're no fun."

"Fine. For the next one, I'll pick truth."

"Great! Now, a simple dare? Let me think..."

His face lit up.

"Oh! I know! Stop with the formal 'Semi-san' this, 'Semi-san' that. Call me Semi-senpai for the rest of the day!" He smiled, flashing Shirabu a thumbs up.

"What kind of crappy dare is that..? You'd waste a perfectly good dare so your kouhai could call you 'senpai?' You're an idiot." 

"I mean, sure though, Semi-senpai." added Shirabu, putting emphasis on the word "senpai."

At this, Semi smiled his smile.

"Ok, now your turn. Truth or dare, Semi-senpai?"

"Truth."

"Okay. What's the biggest misconception that people have of you?"

"Oooh, that's a good one. Well, because of my hair or something, because apparently it looks 'punk' or whatever, people sometimes think I'm a moody e-boy or something." He laughed.

Shirabu laughed back.

"That's understandable."

"Ok, enough of that. Shirabu, truth or dare?"

"I already said I was going to pick truth."

"Ok. When's the last time you lied?"

Shirabu flushed.

"Today. I think. A few minutes ago."

Semi raised his eyebrows, waiting for Shirabu to continue.

"When I called you an idiot. I don't actually think you're an idiot."

Semi sat there, eyes wide. Then he broke out into his gentle laugh.

"Tsundere!" he wheezed.

Shirabu blushed.

"Shut up!"

Desperate to change the subject, Shirabu practically yelled over Semi's laughter:

"SEMI-SENPAI! TRUTH OR DARE!"

Semi continued to laugh, but it was fading away.

"T-truth." he said, holding his stomach.

Shirabu paused, contemplating for a moment.

"Have you ever had a crush on someone?"

Semi immediately stopped laughing blushed red.

"Yes."

Shirabu waited for him to elaborate, but Semi didn't.

"Anyways," said Semi, clearing his throat. "what about you?"

Shirabu felt... what was this? The feeling when a friend cancels an appointment. When it rains on your birthday. Dissapointment?

"Shirabu?"

Shirabu snapped back into reality.

"Oh, I don't know. I don't think I've every had a crush on anyone before."

"Really?" said Semi, wiggling his eyebrows.

Shirabu sighed. The old Semi was back.

"Yes, Semi-senpai. Really. I've just never felt a romantic attraction to anyone before. If I did, then I probably didn't know what it was because of..." Shirabu blushed.

"...Lack of experience."

Semi laughed.

"That's perfectly fine, Shirabu. If you don't feel any romantic feelings towards anyone, I don't know if this is the proper term, but maybe you would be aromantic?"

"Huh. I've never thought about it in that way before. I don't know though. I think I could, you know, feel a romantic attraction though. I don't have a complete lack of desire to... date."

Semi pondered for a moment.

"Demiromantic, maybe? Or greysexual?" Semi paused, as if something was registering inside his mind. "Wait, Shirabu, I'm so sorry! I didn't ask if you were okay with having like a deep conversation about your sexuality- like most people are sensitive about that stuff-"

"No, it's okay. Thanks for considering that though. I don't really know my sexuality yet, and I think I'm fine with that." Shirabu smiled.

"But hey, you know, just maybe if I was demiromantic, or greysexual or something... you wouldn't mind, right?"

Semi smiled kindly.

"Of course not. You are who you are."

Shirabu smiled, feeling happy. They continued on their conversation, laughing about some things, occasionally making fun of each other.

Shirabu found the nurse came back too quickly.

And so, walking back out of the nurse's office with a freshly bandaged Semi, Shirabu learned two out of ten things.

1. Semi had a nice laugh.

2. He enjoyed talking with his senpai.