Chapter Text
It’s hard to forget the first time he laid eyes upon Sumeragi Tenma.
That is to say, the first time he saw Tenma properly. Not his first impression of a conceited boy looking down on everyone from behind a pair of shiny sunglasses. At that point, he didn’t think much beyond “wow, sunglasses indoors? Pretentious, much?”
No, the first time Yuki saw him, really saw him, was when Tenma took the sunglasses off and stood on the Mankai stage to deliver his audition. Standing beneath the lights, even the glint in his eyes changed with each shift in his expression. When he demonstrated “sad,” his eyes were a melancholy indigo. When he switched to “pleased,” a deep ocean blue.
Yuki could recall his outfit that day with perfect clarity. Tenma had been wearing a denim shirt over marine stripes, fitted drawstring pants, and red lace-up, high-top shoes.
Even with the stylish pant leg cuffs and the amount of ankle on display, it was an unpretentious getup. Especially in comparison to his obnoxious hair color and indoor sunglasses.
He had a good face. Broad shoulders. Real “boy next door” appeal, assuming you lived in a Friday night drama. The kind of features that were born to sell jeans in a monochrome ad on the side of a shopping bag.
Yuki decided immediately that he hated everything about him.