Counting Skyscrapers
by Oceanmegami

A/N: This is my first DRRR fanfiction… this certain plot bunny has been plaguing my mind since I first watched the anime, so now I've finally got the chance to type it out. And yes, if you're wondering, this will have yaoi in it…eventually. Not sure how many chapters it'll span, but we'll see. XD Anyways, I hope you guys like it! :D

Summary: AU. Mikado goes to the city to start life anew as a high school student, but in the process, rekindles old bonds and discovers the answers to questions from the past instead.

Warning(s): Eventual yaoi, some sensitive topics (maybe), possible ooc-ness, unbeta'd work, erroneous grammar and all that shizz [/laughs] Also English is not my native language, and I haven't written anything in a while so quality may not be so good orz

Chapter 00: Prologue

- x -

"Hey, do you think people build skyscrapers just so they could touch the stars…?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But who knows? Maybe it's because man had always been fascinated with the sky, but no one really knows for certain…"

- x -

"I told you I'm fine, so please stop worrying about me." Mikado resisted the urge to sigh in exasperation towards the person he was talking to on his cell phone. Really now, it had just been a few minutes since they had parted from each others, and yet here he was, listening to said person fuss over him via the phone. God, and to think that this had been going on for a while now! Not to mention every single person that passed by him cast him a not-so-hidden smirk. They probably are thinking that it's his mom he was talking to. Well they were wrong. But that's not to say their guess was completely off. It was quite close, actually. And speaking of close…

The young man cast his gaze at his watch which he wore on his left wrist and almost squealed at the time. He was running late; first period is about to start and he hasn't even checked which class he is in! Hurriedly, he bade his caller goodbye, assuring the other person one last time that he's perfectly fine before he hung up completely.

Making his way to the bulletin board, the teen found himself face to face with a throng of students. Seems like he wasn't the only one who's running late. After much squeezing and trying not to get pushed by the crowd, the raven-haired boy was finally able to reach the board near enough for him to read its contents. Slate blue eyes scanned through the lists and soon enough he was able to find his name under Class 1-A.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, he proceeded to look for his classroom...or he tried to. The prospect of having to go to a new school never scared him; at least that's what he thought before. He felt the stirrings of newfound agitation inside of him, and his hands began to dampen slightly. He was nervous, that much was obvious, and by the time he had come out of his thoughts, it was far too late for him to have noticed that he was totally, utterly lost.

Well great, just great. Mikado thought as he roamed the halls in an attempt to retrace his earlier footsteps. But his mind was far too cluttered at the moment, and no coherent thought came into his mind. Luckily, as he paced through the corridors, he spotted another boy with bleached blonde hair. From what he could tell, he was about the same age as him. Almost timidly, the raven-haired boy approached the other student.

"Uhm, excuse me?" He called out, sounding a bit hesitant.

The blonde turned to Mikado's direction; a friendly smile on his face. "Yes?"

"I was hoping if I could ask where Class 1-A is…?" He fiddled slightly with the strap of his bag. Oh, how pathetic he must have sounded. The other boy would just probably laugh at him…

However, the blonde just grinned at him, telling him he'll take him there. "My classroom's right next to yours, see?" He said as the two of them reached the hallway where their respective rooms are located. As the bell rung signaling the start of first period, the blonde waved Mikado off, telling the latter that he should get going as well. He was about to walk into his room when he turned back to the raven-haired boy and told him, "My name's Kida Masaomi, by the way. If you need help again, you could always look for me."

Mikado nodded at the boy; smiling a little in the process. Taking the blonde's advice, he headed straight to his classroom. As he entered, all eyes rested upon him. The raven-haired boy flushed; not used to being the center of attention. But soon enough, the stares stopped as the other students resumed their previous activities—which mostly comprised of idle chatter.

Looking at his copy of the seat plan, Mikado was relieved to know that his desk was located at the second to the last row. Even better was the fact that it was located right next to the window. A small thing, really, but one the boy appreciated greatly. Once seated on his chair, the boy cast a look around the room; scanning the faces of his new classmates. As expected, none of them looked familiar to him. Only then had the reality of his decision sunk upon him. A new city; a new school…and hopefully a new life. Mikado then added unconsciously, 'And to catch up with my past as well, it seems.'

The boy's musings were then interrupted as the door slid open. Their teacher has arrived. As one, the students stood up upon command; giving the proper bow before settling back into their seats. With a semi-bored tone, the teacher then addressed his class; asking them to introduce themselves one by one up front.

Mikado listened intently as his classmates introduced themselves. He tried his best to remember their names, but in all honesty, the boy found it as boring. Everyone was just…well, like everyone. Or to be more precise, they just seemed ordinary. None of them really caught his attention, except perhaps for the girl named Sonohara Anri. From the looks of it, she seemed to be a shy, silent type. But he has this gut feeling that there's something more than meets the eye with this particular girl.

Finally, it was his turn. Mikado walked off to the platform; his actions seeming to mimic that of a robot's. As he turned to look at the entirety of the class, he felt his earlier nervousness coming back. A few seconds passed, and after clearing his throat, the boy found enough courage to speak out. "My name is Ryuu—" He suddenly stopped mid-sentence, and shook his head. There was a light tint to his cheeks, and he looked embarrassed as if he just made a mistake. He then resumed introducing himself, this time in a more confident tone, "My name is Orihara Mikado. I hope to get along with everyone."

A/N: bwahaha cliffhanger! Because I'm evil like that. xD Stuff will be explained in the next chapters.
Also, this is just the prologue; the coming chapters will be longer (I hope lol)
Tell me what you think and review, please? :3