EPISODE 4~IMPACT OF FINDING DESKMATE
494 Words
Toshiro started stepping over stray bags and dodging students who were still arguing over their new seating arrangements. He scanned the rows until he found his desk—at the very back, near the window.
There sat a girl with a composed, almost sharp elegance. She didn't look like the type to be easily rattled. Toshiro slowed his pace, that same mysterious grin returning to his face.
"So," he said, pulling out his chair with a deliberate scrape against the floor. "You must be Shoko Vicon. I hear you're the unlucky one."
Shoko didn't look up from her book immediately. She turned a page with a crisp snap before finally meeting his eyes. Her gaze was cool, analytical—as if she were reading the answers he’d written on his 'Reality Check' test right off his forehead.
"Luck has nothing to do with it, Toshiro," she replied, her voice steady and unimpressed. "The teacher said this was a test of common sense. If the algorithm put us together, it means we either think exactly alike—or we're each other's worst nightmare. I’m currently placing my bets on the latter."
The atmosphere in Class 1-A was a chaotic mix of hushed whispers and loud protests. The teacher, seemingly unfazed by the tension she had created, stood at the podium and tapped a wooden ruler against the surface to bring the room to order.
"Now that you’ve found your 'better halves' for the semester, open your textbooks," she commanded, her eyes briefly flicking toward Toshiro and Shoko. "And remember, your desk is now a shared ecosystem. If one of you fails, the other feels the heat."
Toshiro chuckled, leaning back in his seat and resting his back against the cold wall. "A nightmare, huh? Well, at least it won't be boring."
From three rows over, a loud thud echoed as Shisei slammed her books onto her desk, still sending a murderous glare toward a very stressed-out Saito.
Shoko glanced at her friend’s meltdown, then back to Toshiro. "We’ll see. Just try not to fail the 'don't annoy your deskmate' portion of the day."
A few rows ahead, the energy was significantly more explosive. Shisei had drawn an invisible line down the center of the desk with her finger.
"This is my side," she hissed at Saito. "Your elbow, your eraser shavings, and your 'i***t energy' stay on your side. Understood?"
Saito groaned, resting his head on his hand. "It’s been five minutes and I already have a headache. How did the 'common sense' test put us together? We don't agree on anything."
"Actually," the teacher interrupted, appearing suddenly behind them like a ghost, "you both answered the 'Lost Wallet' question with the exact same word: 'Retribution.' You’re both equally stubborn and vengeful. I thought you’d appreciate the mirror image."
Saito and Shisei blinked at each other, horrified. They looked back at their papers, then quickly looked away, blushing with a mix of anger and realization.
- Writer
