It was late afternoon when the bell rang, signaling the end of another school day. Sunlight streamed through the classroom windows, casting warm golden light across the rows of desks. 187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfiJnbeCB5
The students, eager to escape the confines of the classroom, packed their things and chattered about their plans for the evening. Kaito sat at his desk, scribbling notes neatly in his notebook, his mind already a few steps ahead, planning for the quiet evening ahead.
The teacher, a middle-aged woman with a no-nonsense attitude, stood at the front of the room, scanning a list on her clipboard.
"Alright, everyone," she called out, her voice cutting through the noise. "Don't forget, the project is due in three weeks. I’ll be pairing you up now..."
Kaito’s eyes lifted briefly, just long enough to catch the teacher’s eyes before she scanned the list, her finger trailing down the names. He had hoped for a quiet, straightforward partnership. Someone who would take the work seriously, someone who liked to get things done early.
"…Kaito, you’re with Ryu," she announced.
The name hit Kaito like a cold splash of water. His pen paused mid-sentence as he looked up, scanning the room. Ryu. The class’s infamous troublemaker and slacker. Kaito couldn’t help but groan. He had hoped to avoid this kind of pairing.
From the back of the room, Ryu slouched in his chair, his head tilted toward his notebook, where he was doodling in the corner. When he heard his name, he lazily looked up, meeting Kaito’s gaze with a bored expression.
"Yo," Ryu called, giving a lazy wave.
Kaito’s face tightened into a frown. Great, he thought. Just great.
He sighed and muttered under his breath, barely loud enough for anyone to hear, "Fantastic…"
After the bell rang, Kaito made his way to his locker, his mind already running through what he’d need to do for the project. He’d handle it like he always did efficiently, methodically. He’d do all the heavy lifting and make sure everything was done on time. As he turned the corner to the hallway, he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He turned slightly to see Ryu walking beside him, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, a cocky smirk playing on his lips.
"So, you’re the 'let’s finish everything in one day' type, huh?" Ryu said, sounding amused.
Kaito barely glanced at him, keeping his eyes on the path ahead. "And you’re the 'let’s not finish it at all' type?" he replied dryly, not missing a beat.
Ryu let out a chuckle, clearly unbothered. "Nah, I finish stuff… eventually."
Kaito rolled his eyes but said nothing as he approached his locker, pulling it open and beginning to shove his books inside. He sighed, trying to keep his patience. Ryu was exactly as he’d imagined a guy who would coast by on charm and half-effort.
He closed his locker with a snap and turned back to face Ryu, who was leaning casually against the lockers, still smiling.
"Let’s meet at the library after school tomorrow," Kaito said, his tone businesslike. "We’ll plan everything out then."
Ryu raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by Kaito’s forwardness. "Tomorrow? Man, that’s fast. You really don’t waste time."
"I like getting things done," Kaito replied, his voice flat.
Ryu studied him for a moment, a thoughtful look crossing his face before his smirk returned. "Cool. I’ll bring snacks," he said, as if that settled everything.
Kaito didn’t respond, simply turning on his heel and heading down the hallway. As he walked away, he could hear Ryu’s voice calling after him.
"See you tomorrow, Mr. Efficient!"
Kaito didn’t look back. Whatever happened, he knew he’d end up doing all the work. That was just how things went.
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