The following post was written in response to Stiles Long's writing contest. Each participant was given a list of KS character pairings and a list of locations. One of each was chosen for this fic.
My hand found its way to the top of my alarm clock, connecting with it and silencing its beeping. Normally, this being Sunday, I would be sleeping in, but this is also the Sunday before final exams began. While I would probably do decently well as things are right now, a few subjects had me worried to the point where I enlisted someone to help me study.
I got dressed and left my room, walking down the halls towards the staircase.
Shizune was waiting for me outside the boys dorm. I thought she smiled when she saw me, but as I grew closer I discovered she was actually smirking.
I already had prepared for this.
["I know what you're thinking."]
She signed back, ["What? That my lovely boyfriend came crawling back to me for help when he suddenly realized his exams were tomorrow?"]
I rolled my eyes playfully. ["I didn't wait that long."]
["It was 2 AM when you texted me asking for help, Hisao."]
["To be fair, I wouldn't be needing your help if we actually studied half the times you called me over for a 'study session' in your room."]
She blushed, but maintained her smirk. ["And you had a problem with that?"]
["Not exactly, no."]
She moved her hands to sign something again, but I instead gently took one in my own hand and intertwined our fingers. She rolled her eyes at me but conceded, my arm falling limp by my side with her hand in mine as we began our walk to the school building.
The library was packed. Despite most libraries being relatively quiet places, the sheer number of people in the school library meant there was a low hum of people studying with a large study group or with friends. Yuuko looked a little stressed as she sat behind the circulation desk - no doubt this was one of the busiest days of the year for the sleepy library.
Shizune got my attention and signed, ["I don't know what I was really expecting."]
["Yeah, it's one of those things where you hope it won't be as bad as you think it'll be but it totally is."]
She paused, and then signed, ["I'll look in the back and see if there's anywhere we can sit. You search up here."]
I nodded. I started off, slowly walking around the library scanning for empty seats. Practically everyone I'd met here at Yamaku was in here. I saw Rin and Emi at one table as I walked past, Emi looking significantly more stressed out than Rin. The only person missing is...
Kenji. Oh God, not today.
I tried to walk past him inconspicuously but he still saw me.
"Oh, hey dude. What're you doing here?"
I turned to face him. He'd forgone his normal scarf and jacket combo for just his uniform shirt and scarf.
"Studying for my exams tomorrow."
Kenji's eyes slightly widened when he heard me say that, like he'd forgotten something very, very important. I basically knew the answer to my question, but I asked anyway.
"Are you here studying too?"
"What? No, I'm not studying. I have a book to return. Actually, I should've returned it three months ago according to that piece of paper in the back."
He held up a book, "Advanced Cryptology and Codes". Sometimes I'm amazed how he both defies and perfectly conforms to my expectations at the same time.
"So you're going to turn the book in and hope she doesn't notice it's three months overdue?"
"What? No, that'd be stupid. Watch and learn, dude. Watch and learn."
Kenji walked away from where we'd been standing and took a seat at one of the tables near the circulation desk.
He then silently stood up and moved one seat closer to the circulation desk where Yuuko sat.
He repeated this a couple of times until he was at the seat closest to the circulation desk.
He then winked at me and held up three fingers, silently miming a countdown from three to one.
Suddenly, Kenji leapt up from the table so hard he knocked his chair over.
"AVAST, YE HARBINGER OF FEMINISM! I, KENJI THE MIGHTY, WIL-"
BAM
Yuuko smacked Kenji. With a book.
Kenji hit the ground faster than a yakuza informant. Yuuko gave a small shriek and immediately fell to his side.
"Kenji?! Kenji, are you okay? Ohmygod, they're going to fire me for sure! I just hit a student with a book!"
I gave up trying to process the scene before me a long time ago. I stood there like a man witnessing a horrible traffic accident, unable to draw his eyes away from the sheer display of destruction happening before him. I tried to open my mouth to say something like "well, on the bright side Yuuko, only 90% of the library probably heard you knock him out!" or "hey, at least he finally shut up!" but I couldn't say anything. Maybe I should go.
I didn't get much studying done that day, even with Shizune's help.