Work Text:
The last place anyone would expect to find happiness was a math class, let alone a prereq statistics class. That assumption is what made the entrance of Emu Ootori so spectacular every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
She seemed to buzz when she entered the room, and Mafuyu could only assume that she buzzed when she exited as well, loudly saying hello every time she entered. Welcoming the seemingly disgruntled professor and animatedly talking to a quiet looking purple haired man, who seemed to be seriously considering her vocabulary of mostly sound effects.
“And then BOOM! It’s gonna be like CRACKLE first though and maybe we could-”
“Emu, if you could please quiet down, we’re about to start.”
“Y-yes! Sorry, Professor.” Emu always seemed shaken when the professor quieted her down, Mafuyu noted. It was as if she had no idea that the entire class listened to her, that everyone stared and seemingly judged, that everyone only knew her name because class wouldn’t start without it being spoken first to quiet her down.
Statists was required by the school to apply for the early acceptance pre-med program, becoming a doctor was required by Mafuyu’s parents. When she thought about her future, she imagined nothing - the complete absence of anything - and this feeling is what she carried with her in each class, while talking to her “friends,” and most of all while listening to her parents' desires. This nothingness paired with the leash from her parents was why she was here. Here at school. Here in the pre-med track. Here in the stats class.
Mafuyu did not understand why Emu would be in a stats class. Today, like most days this semester, the professor lectured and Mafuyu diligently took notes. However, when she would peek over at Emu’s seat, her sparkly-pink notebook would be covered in the beginnings of problem sets. Instead of answers, her equations drifted off into doodles of cartoon ducks, magical trains, and elaborate costumes.
Emu’s loudness and brazen disinterest in paying attention in class annoyed Mafuyu, but it also intrigued her. Mafuyu couldn’t help but wonder if she would still see Emu after this class was over.
The professor flipped slides. “Alright everyone, I’d like to introduce your final project. This will be a partner project in which you and a partner must answer a research question of your choosing, then analyze the data you have collected, synthesizing all of the material we have learned in class. You will present all of this information to the class in place of our final. To keep this project fair, I have partnered you all up based upon opposite average class scores.” He flips his slide again. “Take a look here to find your partner and I’ll give everyone the last five minutes of lecture to go and find their partners. Don’t forget to exchange information, you only have a month left to complete this! Let me know if there are any questions and as always you’re free to come to office hours if you need it. Have a great day everyone.”
The fluorescence of the projector burned Mafuyu’s eyes as she stared at the screen. She was paired with… Emu? She looked over to where she was sitting, Emu was pouting at the man next to her.
“Ehhhh, Rui, if you actually turned in your work then maybe we’d actually be able to be partners!” She whined.
He let out a small chuckle and gave her a pat on the shoulder, “I’m sure you’ll be alright. Asahina seems to be quite capable, especially if she’s getting paired with you,” he teased.
She pouted, before splitting into a grin, “Wait! Do you know her? Point me towards her, I gotta get her number!”
He began looking around, so Mafuyu lowered her head, not wanting to be caught staring. “She’s over there,” he pointed. “I’ll catch you later at Phoenix.” Trying her best to appear casual, Mafuyu didn’t quite catch the rest of their goodbye, but she heard a rustle and an airy laugh from Emu. Something inside her twitched, her heart felt cruel.
That brief flick of a feeling, if it was at all, faded as she heard footsteps shuffling up towards her. She felt the mask slip back on, “Hi, are you Ootori?” She gave Emu her best smile.
“Eep!” Emu grimaced. She then immediately looked shocked, and maybe a touch afraid. Mafuyu tilted her head, her smile feeling like cement on her face. Emu waved her hands around in the air, speaking fast, “Wait! No. I meant- um. Eeee.. Emu… is my name. And… you can call me that.” She looked mortified.
How odd, there was no script for what she was expected to say to that, so she paused, her smile only briefly faltering. “Ah, Emu, I’m aware.”
Emu looked up at her puzzled and interrupted, “Aware?”
Mafuyu’s eyes squinted and she gave out a breathy laugh, “Well, the class seems to start with you. The professor always says your name.” Emu’s face turned bright red while listening to Mafuyu.
“Ah! I’m so sorry! I promise to be less disruptive in the future, Miss Asahina.” Emu let forth a burst of short bows.
Everything she did seemed so confusing, Mafuyu couldn’t expect what would come out of her mouth next no matter how hard she tried. “Please, call me Mafuyu, we’re gonna be partners for a while after all. And no worries, it makes me so happy to see you so energetic in the morning.” Mafuyu’s eyes turned even further into crescents as she accentuated her thin smile. Emu seemed to try to smile back, but her lips seemed to shake and her face seemed to darken.
“Scary…” Emu whispered.
“Scary?” Mafuyu echoed.
Another burst of energy seemed to hit Emu as she flailed about again, “Scary… late for my next class… soon.” Even Emu didn’t seem to be impressed by her attempt at a save. “Um, anyways let’s exchange numbers! Now! So, I can… get to my next class?”
Mafuyu nodded and pulled out her phone. “Here, give me yours and I’ll give you mine and we can just enter our own numbers.”
“That’s really smart Mi- I mean Mafuyu!” She grinned towards Mafuyu as she shoved her phone towards her. It must have been the force from the shove, but as Mafuyu took the phone it slipped in her hands for a minute before she steadied herself. They typed in silence for a moment before handing their phones back to each other. Emu seemed to type rapidly on her phone for a moment before a message popped up on Mafuyu’s phone.
Emu ☆☆☆~!!
Hi!!!!!! It’s Emu :D
“Did you get my text?!” Emu stared up at Mafuyu.
“Ah, yeah… the emoji’s you put next to your name are very… cute.” She smiled towards Emu, hoping to convey some positivity despite the growing pit of numbness that had been encroaching on her throughout their interaction. She needed to leave, she needed to be alone. Emu’s smile, her energy, it was too much.
Emu looked at her for a second, her expression unreadable before giving a small smile. In an endearingly genuine tone she said, “I hope I see you soon.” Her cheeks turned red. “For the project of course! That we… have to work on and, yeah! Um, I gotta go because… class! Bye!” She hiked her backpack up high on her back and sprinted out of the classroom. Literally. Mafuyu blinked for a moment before performing a small laugh to the few pairs that were in the room.
This wouldn’t phase her, she promised herself. This project would be over in a month, and at the end, she spoke to herself, nothing would change.