Lunch break.
Yuuki set out to the bathroom after having lunch at his desk, only to run into a rowdy pair in the hall.
He tried walking past them, only to be approached by the needlessly well-maintained spiky, well-combed, silky haired duo.
“Yo, Yuuki. Fallen for the seatmate killer yet?”
“No need to put up a brave front, Narito. We’ll always be here for you.”
Standing in Yuuki’s way, blabbering their mouths off, were his classmates Keitarou Hayami and Kento Sonada.
Forming the seatmate killer casualty league, the two had once professed their feelings for Yui, only to be rejected.
As much as Yuuki would’ve liked to ignore them and walk away, the two stood in his path like a forced encounter. “You two seem to be getting along.”
“Yo, don’t go lumping me with this idol crazed pervert over here.”
“Refrain from calling me that, please. I find no pleasure in being lumped with a failure of a normie like you either.”
The two locked gazes, sparks flying everywhere.
It appeared as though solidarity between the seatmate killer casualty league’s members was at an all-time low.
“This guy started raving about idols completely out of the blue.”
“Completely? Please, you make me sound like I’m some idol newbie.” Sonada pulled out his phone. “You don’t understand anything, Hayami.” He muttered, taking a step toward Yuuki. Yuuki took a step back, only for Sonada to forcefully close the distance. “Look, Narito.” He said, showing Yuuki his phone. “This is Miyorin-- my oshimen. Cute, isn’t she?” Shown on screen was a close up shot of a smiling girl.
She was cute, sure, yet Yuuki couldn’t help but feel an urge to show him Yui’s picture--the one--and say he liked this one better.
But why add fuel to the fire? It’ll only make him a hundred times more annoying.
Yuuki contemplated as Keitarou poked his head in from the side, peeking into the screen.
“Doesn’t she kinda remind you of Takatsuki? Bro, I thought you were over her!”
“N-No! Yui Takatsuki just happens to resemble Miyorin!”
“What’s the difference?!”
And so, the two started fighting. Shoving and pushing, they almost bumped into a girl walking down the hall.
She shot them an angry glare, having just barely dodged out of the way. “Go outside if you want to act like a bunch of children.” Her voice was cold, piercing. She wore a stern, rigid expression, her almond eyes alternating between Tweedle-dee and Tweedledum. “I could’ve gotten seriously hurt, you know?” She scoffed, scowling at them.
The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Undeterred, Keitarou, a wry smile on his face, went, “Sorry, sorry but you dodged it, didn’t you? Killer reflexes, by the way. Haha...”
“Haha? What if I impacted the floor at a weird angle and ended up a cripple? Would you be willing to take responsibility?” Keitarou fell silent this time. She stared him down, frowning. “Also, what’s with the get-up?”
Keitarou’s shirt wasn’t tucked in, his tie loose, his chest exposed down to the second button; Warranting a warning if caught by the wrong teacher.
It seemed like she’d continue the onslaught, only to suddenly close her mouth, averting her gaze then directing it toward Yuuki. She gave him a firm glare before silently turning around, her black shoulder-length hair swaying as she stormed off.
Keitarou shrugged as he watched her leave, whispering, “Yikes, that’s one nasty stare. What’d you do?”
“Beats me. Who even is that?”
“Knowing you, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d stepped on a landmine without even realizing.”
A landmine that left me completely unscratched? We’re strangers, what landmines are there to step on?
“Actually wait, you don’t know her? She’s fairly famous.”
“She is?”
Shock colored Keitarou’s face as Sonada stroked his chin, muttering, “Rio Hanashiro, Year 2 Class 4. One of the prettiest girls in school but certainly not without her issues, to put it lightly.”
Sounds eerily familiar. Yuuki now knew two of the prettiest girls in school.
She did, from what Yuuki had glanced, have a really well-put together face: commanding eyes, straight nose, pretty facial features. Add her slender figure and you had a beaut different from Yui in type.
“What you saw back there was her default modus operandi.”
“I know she’s in the disciplinary committee and all but what’s with the stuck-up tone? “Read one too many of those mangas, I bet.”
“No, she was in the disciplinary committee, up until last year. That’s just how she is.”
“That makes it so much worse. What’s got her panties in a twist anyway, talking down to an apologetic guy like me. Reminds me, this dude I know got into the same class as her last year. Said she’d nag him non-stop, 24/7. No wonder she’s hated. Actually, how do you know so much about her?”
“Heh, because she and I are in a constant tug-of-war over the top spot. Rivals, if you will. I’m sure she keeps tabs on me too.”
“Whatever you say.” Keitarou groaned, frowning. “Either way, no amount of hot can save that one. No charm, nada, only a permanent ‘watched my parents get murdered in cold blood’ face. Sitting next to her must be torture. I guess you could say she’s a seatmate killer... in a way.”
“If Yui Takatsuki is the seatmate killer then I suppose she’s the seatmate breaker. Instead of charming her seatmate, she nags them until their spirit is completely broken. Anything you’d like to add, Narito?”
“Wouldn’t it be fun to see them duke it out? ’Zilla vs Kong style.”
“Yuuki, I swear to... Wait, did she just go inside our classroom?” Keitarou went up to the door and peeked inside. “Get over here. Now.” He whipped his head around, gesturing us over with his chin. “Look. You’ll never believe this.” Keitarou pointed toward a seat in the back near the window--Yui’s seat--where the killers were having a nice, friendly chat.
“I’ve... I’ve never seen anything like it.” Sonada squinted, pinching the arms of his glasses.
A curious smile spread across Keitarou’s face. “Be a bro, Yuuki.” He nudged. “Go listen in on what they’re saying.”
“I don’t have the energy for it.”
“Energy? You put on that innocent face of yours, you sit down at your desk, and you listen. Easy, yeah?”
That innocent face of mine? Before Yuuki could voice his protests, Keitarou shoved him inside the classroom.
Defeated, Yuuki tottered across the back row, over to his desk. He took a seat, put on ’that innocent face’ of his, and listened or rather was subjected to their conversation.
“Pretty please with a cherry on top.”
“Oh, alright. If you insist.”
What Yuuki heard was Yui’s usual self and Rio’s unimaginably soft tone of voice.
He glanced over, only to see Rio standing beside Yui’s desk, all smiles. It’s like she’s a completely different person
“You haven’t even been taking notes? Come on, Yui.” Rio scolded her, giggling with a smile.
Yui sat at her desk, playfully swinging Rio’s arm around. “How you like my secret weapon, Yuuki?” She suddenly tossed the conversation over to him, lifting Rio’s arm up by the wrist. It appeared this secret weapon of hers was Rio all along. “Rio, Class four. She’s super smart, so I’m having her tutor me. I can already taste victory!” Yui explained as Rio locked a killer stare onto Yuuki.
Off-put, he tried not looking Rio’s way as much as possible. “You two seem to get along.”
“Oh, we’re max hearting it. No ribbon or ciao here.”
“Yui, please!” She said as her mouth busily shifted from closed to grinning and back.
She seemed awfully comfortable around Yui. Maybe they go way back.
“Are you childhood friends or something?”
“No but we were seatmates last year. What luck, right?”