majinjin

[majinjin]

everyone failed the first exam. of course, with the professors’ bad teaching paired with the horribly worded free-response questions, they were bound for failure. except for three people: you, a girl that was captain of the chess team, and of course . . . megumi fushiguro.

since you three were immediately presumed the top of the class—with unidentified ranks—the professor expected no less from someone who could easily ace a complicated first exam with minimum mistakes and beyond understandable questions. when the class found out about the top three scorers, they didn’t look at you—or megumi—they looked towards the chess captain. reveling in her narcissism and success, she watched and adored how the class flocked around her with inquiries and remarks—giving no response, only bathing in the bath of her glory.

throughout all of that, you and megumi were unknowingly standing next to each other the whole time, curious about the actual class rankings as a result of the exam. of course, from the outside, megumi didn’t seem all that interested in learning who placed where and why they did, but from the inside, he was dead curious about where everyone placed . . . especially you.

he had seen your study methods and how you applied yourself to the class, confidently knowing that you were going to ace this psychology exam with no difficulties. however, when the scores were released for the whole class to publicly see, megumi was left in an utter state of shock.

readjusting his glasses, megumi fushiguro took a cautious step forward to make sure he was seeing the scoring sheet right. apparently, you and megumi tied for first with a score of 120—courtesy of the professor showing mercy and allowing extra credit questions. he cleared his throat as he took a step back, relishing in the thought of how someone like you could be on par with someone like him academically. it was almost like . . . he had fallen in love with you—academically.

it was a new feeling for megumi. he had always been an academic overachiever, best to none when it came to his prodigious intelligence that resulted in his academic success. but you, you changed that whole narrative for him. seeing those scores, seeing how you applied yourself—actually caring about your classes unlike a special pink-haired someone—made him feel something for you . . . something akin to respect. no, it was a sense of respect that was felt by megumi, a sense of respect that you both could relish in once he invited you to come study with him for the next upcoming exam—and when he did the same day after for a different class that you both just so happened to share.

day after day, night after night, week after week, megumi felt his desire grow, seemingly overclouding his mind—as the dew does his glasses—a sense of want and desire for you to be always by his side.

studying or not, megumi wished—no—craved to be by your side through thick and thin, through positivity and negativity, through ups and downs. he did not want to become separated from the ones he loved . . . not ever again.