"You've been glaring at that notebook for five minutes," Terumi said, leaning back in his chair.
"What is it, writer's block? Or did you finally realize your last chapter made zero sense?"
Sayuki gasped dramatically, clutching her notebook to her chest like he'd just insulted her firstborn child.
"Excuse you! My last chapter was a masterpiece!"
"Uh-huh, sure" he replied, letting out a lazy yawn. "A masterpiece of plot holes and unnecessary monologues, maybe."
Sayuki puffed out her cheeks, looking every bit like a cartoon character about to blow steam out of her ears. "You're lucky I don't base my villains on you."
"Please," he leaned forward resting his chin on his hand. "I'd be the hero everyone pretends to hate, but secretly roots for."
"No, you'd be the annoying character I kill off at the start of chapter 2!" she shot back adjusting her glasses with an exaggerated flick.
"And yet," Terumi said with a grin, "I'd still be more popular than your protagonist."
This was how it always went between them.
Sayuki Mayuno, with her boundless energy and passion, and Terumi Kuro, the eternal cynic who somehow never got tired of teasing her.
They'd been friends since middle school, their arguments sharpening over the years into a well-rehearsed routine.
Sayuki opened her mouth to retort but hesitated, a sad smile appearing on her lips "Not that it matters. You don't even read my work"
"Of course not," Terumi replied, spinning his pen. "Why would I waste my time on something so predictable?"
"Ugh. You're the absolute worst, you know that?" She began scribbling on her notebook.
"Yeah yeah," Terumi sighed, his expression the perfect mix of disinterest and mild irritation.
"You should be grateful, you know," Sayuki said, pointing her pen at him like it was a weapon.
"Grateful?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "For what? The privilege of listening to your never-ending rants about magic circuits and hyper-advanced combat gear?"
"For being my sounding board!" she declared, striking a triumphant pose. "Do you know how hard it is to find someone who can handle my genius?"
Terumi snorted. "Oh, I'm handling it, alright. Barely."
She swatted at him with her notebook, and he leaned just out of reach, grinning.
The truth was, he didn't mind.
Her endless enthusiasm was infectious, even if he'd never admit it out loud.
He clicked his pen against the edge of his desk, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
Sayuki was the kind of person who didn't do things halfway. If she liked something, she lived it.
She didn't just watch anime, read light novels and drown in rpgs—she learned Japanese just so she could read watch and play them before they were even translated.
She didn't just write for fun—she poured her entire soul into every chapter, agonizing over the details like her life depended on it.
Terumi always thought she had way more energy than a normal highschool girl would.
But him?… Well, he wasn't like that. At least, that's what he told himself.
He was the laid-back one, the guy who didn't take anything too seriously. It was easier that way.
Safer.
But every time he saw her scribbling away in that beat-up hard cover notebook of hers, the way her face lit up with excitement over some new ideas for a plot only she could fully understand, he felt something strange.
Jealousy? Maybe. Admiration? Probably.
"Why are you staring at me?" Sayuki's voice cut through his thoughts like a splash of cold water.
"Staring?" Terumi blinked, quickly masking his surprise with a smirk. "Please. Don't flatter yourself."
Sayuki puffed out her cheeks again, her expression somewhere between annoyed and pouty. "You're not cute at all."
["Yeah, that's because you're the cute one, not me, dumbass,"] he thought but kept those words firmly locked in his head.
Instead, he shrugged and pulled out his phone, letting her comment slide.
5:55 PM.
The glowing numbers reminded him that time was slipping away. It was getting late, and he needed to be home by 7 PM for something important.
He glanced at Sayuki, who was still glaring at him, completely oblivious to the ticking clock in his head.
With a sigh, he stood. "If you're done accusing me of staring, I've got places to be."
"Aww, you're leaving already?" she whined, tilting her head in mock disappointment.
"Yes, ma'am. Your diligent underclassman has homework to do. Unlike a certain unserious upperclassman."
"Ugh," she groaned, rolling her eyes dramatically.
"Well, then," he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I'll be off."
Sayuki's expression softened, her lips curving into a warm smile. "See you tomorrow, then."
In that moment, she looked every bit like an angel, the golden evening light streaming through the windows framing her perfectly.
Her brown hair shimmered in the golden glow of the evening sun, strands catching the light like threads of silk.
Her beautiful blue eyes, bright and full of warmth, reflected the soft colors of the setting sun.
Terumi paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, see you tomorrow."
He turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing through the library, but her smile lingered in his mind far longer than he wanted to admit.
◇◇◇
Later that night, Terumi sat hunched over his desk, the dim glow of his pc casting shadows across his room.
The screen displayed a sleek, magenta purple and black homepage laced with intricate designs that looked almost professional.
At the top, bold letters spelled out the site's name: NOVUS WATCHERS— one of the largest fan forums dedicated to Sayuki's novel; Primus Novus: Ashes to Apex.
Terumi's fingers flew across the keyboard as he scrolled through the latest threads, his eyes scanning the theories, debates, and some memes.
-----------------————————-----------------
> SkyfallX: "Do you think Jenna's maid is actually secretly working for the Council? The clues are all there!"
KnightedWings: "Nah, it's too obvious. I think they're setting up a double-cross."
CR_Observer: "Interesting theories, but don't forget Chapter 87. The maids motives were hinted at during the Council meeting—there's more going on than we realize."
-----------------————————-----------------
The corner of Terumi's mouth twitched into a smirk as he hit "post," watching the thread come alive with replies.
This wasn't just a hobby; it was an obsession.
He'd started the fansite back when Sayuki's novel had barely gained traction, pouring hours into building a community that now boasted a couple thousand of dedicated readers.
Every week, he dissected her chapters, wrote essays on character arcs, and theorized about future plot additions—all under his alias, CR_Observer.
Nobody knew the cynical, "too-cool-for-this" Terumi was the mastermind behind the site. Least of all Sayuki.
Leaning back in his chair, he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Man, I'm such a hypocrite."
After all, how could he keep pretending not to care when he was her biggest fan?
◇◇◇
"Can't sleep." Terumi tossed and turned on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
The clock on his phone glowed past midnight, yet sleep refused to take him.
Why?
Sayuki hadn't texted him yet.
It's been a few days since then and they haven't spoken or met up ever since.
"Maybe she's busy," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Or maybe she's just taking a break... Hell, I could use one too."
But still, something ate at him. Something felt off.
He couldn't shake the memory of the last time they'd spoken in the library, a few days ago.
She had been quieter than usual, her usual energy was there but it felt like she was forcing herself.
He hadn't pressed her then, thinking it was just a passing mood. But now, looking back, he realized that hesitation in her voice, the one she tried to hide, had been there all along.
Something had been wrong, and he hadn't noticed.
"Damnit where are you…"
After a while he finally drifted off to sleep.