On a cold Wednesday, as the dark clouds gathered outside, a university librarian in her forties navigated the straight shelves, her footsteps quiet on the floor. She let out a soft sigh as she approached a particular desk, her gaze fixed on the university student engrossed in a book. His eyes seemed glued to the pages, his brow furrowed in concentration. Was he even blinking? The librarian's curiosity was piqued - what could be so captivating?
She gently tapped him on the shoulder, making him look up towards her with his green irises staring into her brown eyes through his glasses. She pointed towards the clock on the wall to alert him about the time. It was time to lock up the library, which meant that he had to go home. He nodded his head without stubbornness and stood up to leave.
He placed the book down and gently bowed at her.
"Thank you, Mrs. Ruki," he said gently with a soft smile. Mrs. Ruki smiled at his softness and wished all teenagers were as calm as him.
"You are welcome, dear Takuma. You need to rest for school tomorrow. As much as I love your interest in reading, a young man shouldn't stress too much on books," Mrs. Ruki said as she placed her hands on Takuma's head and patted it gently before watching him leave for home.
Takuma sighed as he adjusted his glasses and walked towards his studio apartment. He lived alone since his parents were out of town. His father was a world-renowned scientist, and his mother was a popular model. Both were almost never home, and he had to be taken care of by a lot of strangers who were babysitters throughout his life until he turned thirteen and restricted contact from anyone ever since.
All his life was filled with loneliness. He didn't really need to have anyone around to feel at ease or at home. He had no friends in school, and the only thing he did was obsess over mathematics, his computer science coding, reading dark psychology books, and mastering mind-cracking games. He went to the library to read because no one waited for him at home anyway, so he preferred sharpening his intellect instead.
A flash of the Headmistress handing over the prize of best Computer Science student 2025 to him, accompanied by the loud applause, made him feel awkward. He always tried his best to get normal scores to avoid standing out, but his classmates were overly struggling to even beat him at his worst. Takuma wasn't the kind to be sweet. He was gentle and did what was right, but he was allergic to anyone he deemed dumb and unworthy of his attention, which made him switch off his heart.
His parents' absence had taken a toll on him. He remembered the days when his mother would come home from her modeling gigs, exhausted but still managing to cook him dinner. His father would occasionally take him to his laboratory, explaining complex scientific concepts in a way that made sense to Takuma's young mind. But those days were few and far inbetween.
As he grew older, Takuma became increasingly independent. He learned to cook for himself, do his own laundry, and manage his time effectively. But despite his self-sufficiency, he couldn't shake off the feeling of loneliness. He longed for human connection, for someone to talk to, to share his thoughts and feelings with. But every time he tried to reach out, he was met with rejection or indifference.
His legs finally reached the doorstep of his home, where he stepped inside and locked the door. He walked towards the couch and sat on it, switching on the TV to find a dating show playing. His mental health was at stake as he tried analyzing his life; he knew that he ignored females. Some tried talking to him since he was always at the top of the class, but he always acted as if he couldn't hear them. He made them feel neglected.
What would have been his life if he was cheerful or if he approached women? Takuma thought to himself. What were the traits of a woman he would like? Would he be interested in her mind, body, behavior, or sense of humor? He sighed and shook his head to ignore all these thoughts. Hopefully, now that the prize ceremony was over, tomorrow would be like the old usual days of no one coming close to him.
"Finally, some peace," Takuma said as he watched the time to realize that he had been overthinking till 3 am. He used one hand to cover his face and drifted off to sleep along with a loud sigh.
The next morning, Takuma woke up feeling refreshed. He got dressed and headed to school, lost in thought as he walked. He wondered what the day would bring, whether anyone would approach him, or if he would be left alone.
As he entered his classroom, he was greeted by the familiar sight of his classmates chatting and laughing. Takuma took his seat, trying to blend in