The worst thing about biology class, I swear, is how it always seems to drag on forever. I don't mean regular forever, like when you're waiting in line for ramen and the guy in front of you is ordering half the menu. I mean forever forever, like time stops moving altogether and the only sound you hear is the teacher's voice droning on about things you'll never use. Mitosis, meiosis—whatever. Who cares how cells divide? They just do.
I was slouched in the back of the classroom, my seat conveniently tucked in the farthest corner from Ms. Hirano's line of sight. My pen twirled lazily between my fingers, more out of boredom than skill. The sunlight from the window caught the dust in the air, making it shimmer like glitter. I focused on that for a while, letting my mind drift to nothing in particular. If I tilted my head just right, I could almost convince myself I wasn't in school.
Almost.
"Hayashi!"
Her voice shot through the haze in my brain, sharp and loud enough to make me jerk upright. My chair wobbled dangerously on its back legs, and I had to grab the edge of the desk to steady myself.
"Yes?" I said, blinking at her like I hadn't just been halfway to unconsciousness.
The class erupted into snickers, and I caught a few people glancing my way, clearly amused. Whatever. This wasn't the first time I'd been called out for zoning out. Definitely wouldn't be the last.
Ms. Hirano folded her arms and gave me that look—you know, the one teachers have mastered to make you feel like you're two inches tall. "Care to explain the process of cell division, since you're clearly paying such close attention?"
"Uh…" I scratched the back of my head, stalling. "Well, it's, uh… magic?"
Laughter rippled through the room, and even I had to bite back a grin. If you're gonna get caught, might as well go out with flair, right?
Ms. Hirano didn't seem to share my sense of humor. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, like she was reconsidering all her life choices. "That's enough, Hayashi. Since you seem to need some help staying engaged, I'll be assigning you a partner for the upcoming project."
Great. Just what I needed—more group work.
"Hayashi, you'll be working with…" She scanned the seating chart, her eyes landing on someone near the front of the room. "Sakamura."
I frowned. "Sakamura?"
I barely even recognized the name, and that's saying something. I know almost everyone in class, even if I don't talk to them much. But when I followed Ms. Hirano's gaze, it all clicked.
Towa Sakamura sat in the second row, near the window. He wasn't exactly hard to notice—tall, pale, with messy black hair that somehow still looked good. He was one of those quiet types who always kept his head down, scribbling notes like his life depended on it. Nobody really talked to him, not because he was rude or anything, but because he gave off this weird vibe. Like, "stay away from me or else."
Towa glanced back briefly, and for a split second, his eyes locked onto mine. They were dark and sharp, almost unsettling. I don't know what I expected—maybe some sign of annoyance or interest. Instead, his expression was completely blank, like I didn't exist.
"Great," I muttered under my breath, slumping back in my seat. "The class ghost."
The bell rang, and the usual chaos erupted as everyone scrambled to leave. I stayed behind, dragging my feet as I packed up my stuff. I wasn't in a rush to talk to Sakamura, but Ms. Hirano had other plans.
"Hayashi," she called, waving me over to the front of the room.
Sakamura was already there, standing stiffly with his hands in his pockets. Up close, he was even more intimidating. There was something about the way he held himself—calm, controlled, like he was constantly watching and waiting for something.
"Kairo, this is Towa," Ms. Hirano said, gesturing between us. "You'll be working together on the biology project. I suggest you coordinate schedules quickly. It's due in two weeks."
Towa gave a small nod, barely even looking at me. "Library after school," he said, his voice low and quiet but somehow still commanding.
"What, no 'please' or anything?" I shot back, trying to lighten the mood.
Towa's eyes flicked to me, and for a moment, I thought he was going to ignore me entirely. But then he said, "Just don't be late," and walked out without another word.
I stared after him, completely thrown off. Who did this guy think he was?
"Looks like you've got your work cut out for you," Ms. Hirano said with a wry smile.
"Yeah, thanks for that," I muttered.
After School – The Library
The library was quieter than usual, which made sense since most of the students were already off doing whatever normal people did after school. I wasn't exactly thrilled to be here, but I figured the sooner we got this over with, the better.
Towa was already there when I arrived, sitting at a corner table with a stack of books and a notebook that looked like it had been through a war. He didn't acknowledge me as I sat down, which was fine, I guess. I wasn't exactly in the mood for small talk either.
"So," I said, breaking the awkward silence, "what's the plan?"
Towa looked up from his notebook, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. "I've already outlined the main points," he said, sliding a sheet of paper across the table. "You'll research the diagrams and summarize them. I'll handle the data analysis."
I glanced at the paper. His handwriting was ridiculously neat, every letter perfectly formed. "Wow. Did you start this last week or something?"
Towa didn't respond, just went back to writing in his notebook like I wasn't even there.
"Okay, cool," I said, leaning back in my chair. "Guess I'll just do the easy stuff, then."
"It's not easy if you do it properly," he said, not looking up.
"Relax, man. I'll get it done."
Towa sighed, like he'd heard that one before. "Just try not to fall asleep this time."
Ouch. Fair, but still.
I wanted to argue, but instead, I opened a textbook and started flipping through the pages. I wasn't going to let some quiet overachiever make me look bad—not completely, anyway.
As I skimmed the diagrams, I couldn't help but sneak glances at Towa. He was so intense, like he had something to prove. It was weird. Most people would just do the work and move on, but Towa treated it like a life-or-death situation.
"What's with you, anyway?" I asked suddenly.
Towa paused, his pen hovering over the page. "What do you mean?"
"You're, like, super serious about everything," I said. "Do you ever just… relax?"
For the first time, Towa looked at me properly, his dark eyes unreadable. "Some of us don't have the luxury of being careless," he said quietly.
The way he said it made my stomach twist. It wasn't just condescending—it sounded… personal.
I didn't know what to say to that, so I didn't say anything. Instead, I went back to the diagrams, letting the silence stretch between us.
But in the back of my mind, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something different about Towa. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on.