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Nazuna knew studying wasn’t Kuro’s strongest suit, but he enjoyed watching him try his very best.
Kuro liked to turn to Nazuna for help whenever there was serious help needed with the material his class was learning for—which honestly, was almost all the time. One would think that he’d turn instead to Keito, who was smart and easily understood the lessons given all the time. But Kuro ran into a problem right away, learning that the man was strict when it came to tutoring after engaging in small talk with a certain student council president. He was pretty merciless if you didn’t understand the material despite his help, and that was enough to scare Kuro out of asking his help when it came to academics. There was also the issue that they both studied in different classes and were under the tutelage of different teachers, which meant that often the material one class was studying would be different from the other.
So Kuro turned to his next best option which came in the form of one Nazuna Nito, and the blonde agreed right away to help Kuro with the material being taught in their class. Nazuna enjoys spending time with Kuro, whether it was hanging out during lunch time or on outings outside of the school premises, and there was no way he was going to miss the opportunity of helping Kuro out with school work.
Nazuna wouldn’t say he’s the smartest guy he ever knew, as his grades weren’t exactly the highest nor were they the lowest. But he works hard everyday in trying to understand the lessons that Kunugi-sensei taught the class, and the fruits of his labor blossomed in the form of decent grades higher than the average. The blonde had dreams of attending a good university in the future, so he worked hard everyday in whatever activities he did in school. Whether it was idol work or academics, he made sure he didn’t half ass anything at all.
And that also meant helping others out, leading to here where he finds himself sitting down on the table in his room with Kuro sitting next to him. They decided to come over to Nazuna’s house since they find it a better place for them to concentrate on studying. Gratefully, his parents are currently busy with work out of the city, so Nazuna didn’t have to bother asking their permission if he can have Kuro come over.
It is quiet in his bedroom, with only Kuro and his pet bunny who is sleeping in his cage keeping him company. On the table, there was a stack of textbooks and Nazuna could tell what his or Kuro’s were. His books often had sticky notes pop out from the pages, while Kuro’s books usually look like they were barely touched. He really mustn’t like studying at all, huh?
Just a little earlier, Nazuna helped Kuro study mathematics for one of their homeworks due the next day. It was one of their algebra lessons, which is one of the few topics in math that Kuro really really detested learning about. Nazuna understood the sentiment, as he did take some time to fully comprehend the subject, but now he passes down the knowledge that he picked up on from self-studying to Kuro.
While he worked on his own homework, the blonde can’t help but glance at the side to watch what Kuro is doing on his side of things. His eyes peek upwards from the notebook he wrote his own solutions down to be met with the scrunched up face of Kuro, his hands fiddled with the pen in hand while glaring down hard at the paper before him. He notices how some have already been answered and the answers he wrote for those other questions were correct, but it seems with each question finished does the next become harder. Nazuna can see clearly how hard Kuro tries to concentrate on answering the problem he’s currently at. The expression on his face made it easy for him to read what he wouldn’t say.
The creases on his eyebrows and forehead and the scowl on his lips had the blonde come to the conclusion that Kuro is having such a difficult time trying to answer. It made sense, since the current question he’s working on is significantly harder than the rest.
Despite seeing the difficulty clearly painted in Kuro’s face, Nazuna can’t help himself but find the worried expression on Kuro to be cute. The pout on his lips and his brows furrowed as he tries to jot down the solution he thought would be right for the question on the paper, this was a rare sight for Nazuna to see—rare enough for Nazuna to try his hardest to stifle a chuckle, but it comes out and catches the attention of the man sitting beside him.
“Somethin’ funny, Nito?” Kuro asks with an eyebrow raised. Nazuna can barely hold his laughter then, allowing himself to let out a hearty laugh that just continues to confuse the hell out of Kuro.
“Haha! Sorry, Kuro-chin~” Nazuna finally calms down, grinning at Kuro bashfully. “You just looked funny making that face! It’s kinda cute~”
“Cute?” Kuro scoffs, the frown on his face turning into a smile. “I ain’t cute at all, but it’s nice to see yer entertained even while studyin’.”
“I’m always entertained when I’m with you, Kuro-chin~” Nazuna scratches his cheek, a blush beginning to make visible on his face. “I like spending time with you.”
The words that he speaks are true, enjoying every moment he and Kuro share ever since they first met. From his smiles and surprised expressions to furious gazes and quiet sad faces that people rarely see, Nazuna has witnessed it all from him. And Kuro can say the same about him. They are close friends after all, having laid bare a lot about themselves to each other. They know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and would protect the other from any harm or ill will that comes their way.
And these feelings of happiness have blossomed to something more recently, Nazuna thinks, but he isn’t sure if now is the time to put it out there and confess to Kuro.
“Well, I like spending time with ya too, Nito.” A familiar voice cuts off his thoughts and there’s a sudden realization that something heavy is on top of his head. He lifts his face upwards to find himself staring eye to eye with Kuro, who had knelt up to give Nazuna a pat on the head.
The blonde’s cheeks start to burn even hotter, not just because of the words spoken from the taller man’s lips but also realizing the closeness they have between them. Nazuna tries to keep his cool though, changing quickly from an awed expression to his lips grinning cheekily at Kuro before reaching out to pat his head too.
“Yeah! You’re a good friend, Kuro-chin. That’s what I like about you~” He turns his head around now and points a finger towards the problem Kuro had a hard time solving in hopes of changing the subject. “Now, do you want me to help you with this question?”
“Yes, please.” Kuro begs now, taking the bait and moving slightly away to give Nazuna some space. “I tried the method ya taught me but it came out weird…”
Nazuna laughs hearing Kuro’s reasoning for having so much difficulty with the problem. But no matter what, he’s going to try helping him in any situation if he could. He’s going to make the most out of his time in Yumenosaki, and that includes finding time to hang out with Kuro whenever he can.
And maybe one day, he’ll allow himself to finally say those three words he wishes to tell him.