Chapter Text
I sat in the empty classroom, fidgeting with my pen, expecting, or you could say hoping, Yuktha or Shrika to just burst in and make a goofy pose, making me fall off my chair from laughter. At this point, I just want all the psych students from biology to come here already. No business students have chosen psychology except me.
I sigh as I see no shadows appearing near the door. My mind keeps drifting away with thoughts of who might all have selected psychology as a subject. I just know Yuktha and Shrika are, because they mentioned it today while we headed to the grounds for games. I also saw this new girl holding the psychology course book, so I know she's there too.
Soon, one after the other, the classroom was filled with new psychology students coming from their biology session. The room was crowded with people I vaguely knew, until Shrika and Yuktha came in and sat in front of me.
All three of us gave each other discreet smiles before settling down, creating this thick layer of awkward tension between us three before Yuktha leaned in.
"Why are there only girls in psych??? Did we join a men-hate club or something?"
"I don't know, maybe the boys didn't want to learn about psych," Shrika replied, stuffing her hands into her pockets.
I just raised my shoulders in response to Yuktha's question.
The noise quickly died down as we all heard sharp, leisure tapping on the floor tiles. The girl next to my table said, "heels?" while the others nodded. All six pairs of feline eyes fell on the door, since that's where the tapping ended.
There stood... MRS. CRABS.
The same teacher who made an entire batch of students retake because of her strict rules. The same teacher who almost kicked a student out for disrupting others' ideas.
And not even one minute in, I can already understand how much of a pain in the ass these two years for psych would be, because what do you mean I have almost 21 research theories to do?! I already miss my middle school days. Good ol' days.
I looked at Yuktha with all the color drained from my face, and I could see the same in her, while Shrika was radiant. Of course, this girl loves research. How can we forget that? I can already see her eyes going over the topics we are about to do for these two years.
I sigh, already defeated. I'm already planning whether I should drop the subject or not. Maybe it's better if I change to—
My attention goes to the desperate sound of someone's shoe dying. I hear a clean squeak, making me look at the source.
And there he stood.
The same person who made me act like a toddler during lunch. The same person who I have ranked a 10 outta 10. There he stood, with his dark hair falling over his forehead as he leaned slightly into the doorway, fingers hooked around the frame.
I found his eyes glancing around the room, and then landing on mine. I avert my gaze to the rest of my classmates to gauge their reactions. All of their eyes were on him, except Yuktha, who was too busy coloring her nails with my POSCA marker, and Shrika, ogling the screen. Their eyes looked... sparkly? Maybe I'm overthinking.
I brush off the cloudy thoughts in my head. I hear Mrs. Crabs sigh so loudly, it could appear in my dreams.
"Mind explaining why you are late, Mr...?" she pauses, not knowing what to call him since she doesn't know him.
"Rintaro... my name is Suna Rintaro, ma'am." His voice was so smooth I could believe he could sing me to sleep. He shot his best smile, or well, that's what I think, a small, subtle smile that hung on his lips like a tiny painting in a nursery.
"Right... Mr. Rintaro, mind explaining?"
"I stayed back in biology to gain more information about the program."
I could see Mrs. Crabs think for a second before sighing.
"Just don't repeat it again."
"Yes, ma'am."
He kept his head down for a second, then glanced up, that small shy smile appearing again. My heart froze for a second. Froze? Maybe leaping into the air.
I noticed that there's a seat next to me empty... holy— I look up to see seats next to... Stella!? I couldn't help but notice the gleam in her eyes when she saw him. I can only hope he wouldn't sit there, next to my day-one enemy.
Suddenly everything felt like slow motion, my heartbeat racing. It could probably beat Bolt in a race. I close my eyes and tilt my head down, my hands joining together. I hear a chair scraping near me... very near... NEAR!?
I shot my head up to see him pulling out the chair next to me.
HOLY FUCK
FUCK
FUCK
FUCK
FUCK!
I look down at my notebook which was spread out. Hmm, this empty notebook is so interesting. I couldn't help but peek at his notebook being open, him clicking his pen open to copy the notes displayed on the screen.
I could see him trying to make the pen work, but it took a day off. Without realizing, my hand extended to my pen case to pull out a pen. I finally look up at him, his eyes glancing at me and my extra pen. He understood what I was trying to do.
Before he could extend his hand to accept my offering, a screeching voice made both of us stop midway.
"Hey Suna! You can borrow my pen!" Stella spoke, her voice dripping like honey... WHICH IS PROBABLY FAKE AND NOT PURE.
I hear my heart pound louder and louder as my eyes widen. I look back at him, praying that he wouldn't take hers.
His eyes glanced between us both once before he replied,
"It's fine, I already have one."
His hand finally extended as he gently held my pen by the middle. His thumb grazed against my knuckles, which made me force my legs from not standing up and jumping around. His voice lowered, as if it was meant for only me to hear.
"Thank you."
yeah i'm aint dropping psychology cuz i would be idiot if i do that.
...
After psychology, everyone stood up to head out for their next class. We all stood near the door, since the doorway was a skinny bitch.
I was waiting behind Yuktha until I heard my name being called, a male, slightly squeaky voice.
"Y/n, right?"
I turned back to see Suna looking at me. I nodded. "H-how did you know my name?" I tried sounding calm, which obviously failed.
"I heard the girl in front of you call you that," he explained.
I nodded along. "Right..."
He extended his hand to me. "Your pen. Forgot to take it back."
I gasped. "Oh! Right, thank you." I said, grabbing my pen back. I felt his warm, almost sweaty hand against mine for a second, which probably felt like a jiffy. A BIG ONE.
I turn to Yuktha, who was squinting at me, her eyes darting between me and him, her eyebrows raising.
SHIT, she's catching on.
I blink my way through her and shot her my best, charming smile. "Soo... Yuktha, how did you feel about the psychology class?"
She dropped the act and sighed heavily. "Man, God has decided to hate me for no reason by giving me a shitload of homework to do." Her face fell in despair. "But I can try my best because the subject sounds fun."
I nodded. "Same."
We started walking in the hallways. Yuktha was talking about how chemistry is eating her brain, making me grin to a point where my cheeks hurt. While she was complaining, she glanced behind us and quickly whipped her head forward, which I obviously noticed.
She side-eyed me. "If you wanna die from Stella's glaring. look back, If not, don't."
My shoulders stiffened. Why would she be angry at me? God knows why that girl is always moody anyway. Why care?
I turn to Yuktha. "What do we have now?"
Yuktha lifted her shoulders, signaling she doesn't know. Shrika turned back and replied, "Maths. Apparently we got this sir who favors boys more than girls," her voice neutral.
"Oh, like 'women should be at home' type shit or 'hey boys stop fighting already' type shit?" I asked, altering my voice for the impressions, making both of them chuckle.
"Second one," Shrika replied, making Yuktha mouth an "O."
"Y'all are lucky that you're in the same class. I have no one in mine." I sigh, my shoulders slumping downwards.
Shrika reached out and held my hand, her warm palm yet cold nails around me. "Don't worry, you will find someone who will keep you in check," she said with a smile, which I returned.
"I'm at least lucky Stella isn't in my class. She would've bitten my head off," I scoff, my voice lowering since she was kind of behind us.
Yuktha and Shrika agree as we walk to our respective classrooms, and this is also the first class where all my section people share the same class, which means I can finally take a good look at them.
...
I came back from the women’s bathroom to head to my math class, or you could say my homeroom, since our math teacher is also our class teacher. I pushed the door, which said "push me" like it offended me, to see everyone standing in a corner with their bags. I quickly grabbed my bag and joined them.
"What's happening?" I asked the girl next to me.
"Mrs. Wood is assigning us our partners," she replied.
"H-huh?"
"Your soon to be desk mates, idiot!" she snarled, already rage-baited. Mrs. Wood shot us a glare, which made us zip our mouths.
I tiptoed to see a familiar height, a hand in his hair as he leaned against the wall in boredom , his fingers drumming against his strap of the bag, his face so... not warm compared with his smile earlier...
wait...WAIT...ARE U THINKING WHAT I AM THINKING
... HES HERE!?...hes MY CLASSMATE!?
for a second I think of what shrika reminded me
"Don't worry, you will find someone who will keep you in check,"
...