“Woah woah woah! Who let you ask for help, exactly?”
“Why are you making a big deal out of this?”
“Because it is! Please follow the proper Yui Incorporated office procedures!” Yui spread her arms out, blocking Yuuki’s path.
“Move.” He pushed her to the side by the armpit.
One soft touch to her vital area sent Yui down to one knee and nearly made her go ahn. Well, she did go ahn, but only a little.
“It looks tricky at first glance but if you just…”
Yuuki dragged Rio away in this moment of weakness, a Yui-less lecture had begun at his desk. Rio, who she had hoped would refuse, instead began patiently explaining step by step-- likely her teacher instinct kicking in.
“I see. You really are amazing, Rio.”
“It’s kind of a trick question, I think.”
“Right, right?” Yui stuck her head in so as to not feel left out and went along with the conversation.
Yuuki stopped nodding, giving her what felt like an “imposter spotted” look. “Ask Rio to help you out with any difficulties.”
“Difficulties? Wh-What difficulties?”
Begging for Rio’s help meant instant defeat for Yui the Intellectual.
“Uh-huh.” Yuuki shot her a quick glance, flipping through his workbook and pointing at a different page as he turned back to Rio. “There’s also this one…”
The two gazed down at the workbook as if to say “we’ve had enough of you, pseudo-intellectual,” their heads practically touching.
Irritated, Yui stepped away. Carefully adjusting the angle, she reflected sunlight off her glasses and into Yuuki’s eyes. Eat this!
Yuuki frowned, getting up from his seat and marching over to Yui. He was deadpan but also felt angry, somehow. It was hard to tell.
“Wh-What?”
“Come.” He said, grabbing Yui’s arm and heading toward the door.
The sheer abruptness, the forcefulness sent Yui into a light panic as Yuuki dragged her across the hallway, rounding a corner into a, mostly empty, connecting corridor.
He, then, finally released her and, with a somewhat stern expression, said, “Rio came over to chat with you. Quit messing around and talk to her.”
How bold, dragging me off by the arm in front of everyone. No guy’s ever been so forceful with me before. Is this... the intellectual effect?
“Are you listening?”
“Y-Yes?”
Crap, didn’t hear a thing.
Yuuki made an astonished look before abruptly putting on a smile, the tension in his face lifting. “Alright, if there’s anything you want to say, say it. I’m listening.” He said, his tone of voice soft, shifting into his rare gentle mode. Yuuki had a kind heart deep down, a big brother’s heart.
Is it time? Time to activate intellicute mode?
Yui pulled her chin as far back as she could, giving Yuuki the puppy dog eyes. She practiced the perfect angle in front of a mirror yesterday, to make sure the glasses didn’t get in the way.
“Y-Yuuki…”
Stop eyeing other girls, you are mine... that’s the clincher right there, an instant one-way ticket to horny jail. Now you just need to say it. Keep the vibe jokey and you won’t embarrass yourself... probably, maybe. The technique is beyond next level; His heart races while you maintain a comfy veil of irony. Victory is as good as yours. However, nevertheless, that being said, actually delivering the line is a li-li-li-little...
And yet, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to turn the tides in one fell swoop. The line held that much potential.
“S-Stop–”
“Stop?”
Unfortunately, the warning bell went off at that exact moment. Yui calmed her nerves as she waited for it to stop.
I need to spit it out, fast. Time’s running out.
She gulped.
“Y-You–”
“Didn’t you hear the bell? Class is about to start.”
“SEOG-YAM?!”
Yui let out a kung fu master style scream in response to the sudden loud voice to her back.
The male teacher’s eyes widened in horror, “U-Uhh?”
Crap. Yui put on a great big smile.
“L-Looking sharp in that suit, Miura!”
“Th-Thanks. Now head back to class.”
“Aye aye!”
Yui pulled through, she got a weird look on her way out, yes, but she pulled through.
Phew, I almost seog-yam’d a teacher!
Stop eyeing other girls, you are mine, or seog-yam for short.
Pff. Lee, the yandere.
Yuuki looked at her funny as Yui imagined a martial artist swinging his fists about going seog-yam.
“Why the smirking?”
“D-Don’t ask.”
Yui wiped her brow.
She then noticed Yuuki staring.
“Yui…”
“Y-Yes?”
Yuuki began fumbling around in his pocket, only to suddenly reach out his arm, grabbing Yui’s. Her heart started pounding at yet another unexpected sneak attack.
“Y-Yuuki?”
“It’s a little expensive but here, take it.” He said, placing something inside her hand, something round and hard, almost like a stone. “I need to go to the bathroom. Talk later.” He promptly sped off.
Yui tried not to think about how going to the bathroom was more important than her as she opened her palm. It looked like a healing crystal, or rather, it was a healing crystal.
A little expensive... a high-end worry stone, in other words. Great, so he does think I’m mentally unstable!
“Ha-chaa!” Yui slammed her fist against the wall, a hollow bang echoing across the hall.
“Takatsuki?”
It was quickly followed by a relaxed female voice.
Yui whipped her head around and saw Kogawa standing there with a puzzled look, a file full of papers tucked underneath her arm.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, she says. What are you doing out here? Homeroom is about to start.”
“There was a fly on the wall.”
“Fly? I don’t see any fly. Is there anything... bothering you? Midterm stress, perhaps?”
“Nope, my days are filled with nothing but joy and laughter.”
“Uh-huh. I think we need to have a talk. Can you swing by the teachers’ room during lunch break?”
“That might be a little difficult.”
Being a high-strung worrywart, a forceful one at that, Kogawa’s talks were needlessly long-winded.
Her personality coupled with her gentle looks earned her an “angelic” or “wholesome” reputation among the boys. Yui, however, didn’t really, no, she just straight up didn’t like Kogawa due to her somewhat resembling Maki.
“Huh, glasses?” Kogawa brought her face right up to Yui’s, examining her fashion glasses as if she had just taken notice. “Are those... real?”
“Oh, they’re real alright.”
“Show me.”
“Can’t, it’ll undo my transformation.”
“Actually, let’s meet after school; Take all the time we need.”
Grrrrrrrrr.
“Off we go now. Homeroom’s about to start.” Kogawa said, gently nudging Yui all the way to the classroom.