Classroom "Awkwardity"

Hah… I’m doing it again. So, I interrupt my leering with a brief image of me slamming my fist against the desk three times, the sound produced with a surreal quality. Anyway, returning my mind to my eyes, I wonder why I keep lusting after what I can never have. There she was, sitting pretty– no, anything she does really was a point of my admiration.
I nodded to myself: yes, I’m a creep, a damn creepy stalker, but right now, I acted as if a mere diligent observer, curious as to the wanderings of the social psyche. Mmm, yes, buzzwords that I myself don’t know their denotation.
It was either that, or my intricate plans of making myself disappear, or if there was to be a calamity… right about now, how I would handle it. Alas, I return to my phone and scroll mindlessly—ah, a cute girl dancing–AH!

A heavy, rough hand devoid of feminine delicacy landed on my shoulder.
“Ehem!” Yet, a feminine sound… “Women are not objects.”
“Let’s not debate–”
“Pardon me?”

A blunder!
“Wait, that sounded bad.”
“Why yes, indeed.”
A short pause as I stare at her in disdain. “What do you want?”
“To correct your sexist notions.”

“Don’t ragebait me, Yue.”

“Ragebait?” She tilted her head. “You spend too much time on your phone.”
I groaned and asked with restrained annoyance, “What. Do you want?”

“Well, I came here to interrupt your perverse thoughts and point you in the right direction.”
The psycho-psychic-pseudotherapist strikes again, as per usual, to meet her quota.

I raised my hands, “You got me.”
Then, she adorably winked and smiled– CHE, adorably!?

But it was time to take the initiative; to kick her out of my territory. “What are you doing here anyway? This is not your class at all.”

“Don’t get any ideas, but I’m not here for you.”
Okay!?

“I’m actually here for your crush.”
“Shut the fu–”

Suddenly, I felt tense in another’s comforting presence. The radiant spirit that I’ve only admired from afar has come close to blessing me with her warmth.

“Yue!”
“Seru!”

They could have easily interacted somewhere else, far from me.

“I brought you the hairpin I mentioned!”
“Aww, that’s so cute! Thank you!”

Gosh! Get your cheerful aura away from me!

Then, a light nudge, and then another persistent nudge. It was as if she were whispering to me, “Hey, hey, now’s your chance,” or could that just be my fantastical assumption?
“Seru, you know this guy?”

This. “Guy”?

“Ah, I know he’s in my class. Hello…! Um…”

Another nudge, another annoying nudge. Don’t you know I’m trying to play it cool here, you stupid young lady!?

Finally, I slowly looked up… but my eyes refused to look her in the eyes, “Hello, Ouno.”

“Hi! Nice to meet you! I’m– well, you already know my name.” She politely chuckled. “And you are?”

‘It’s not important,’ was what I wanted to say, but that could just be too edgy, too cringy. Just be normal, damnit!

“Liam.” As short, as curtly, as nonchalantly as possible. I cannot help but be cool and mysterious.

“L-Liam?” She repeated, as if it were foreign. “Are you a transfer student?”

Because it was foreign.

“Actually, yes. You can just call me Riamu.”
“Wow, your name sounds classy!”
That was a compliment, yes, a compliment. My heart can take a compliment.

“T-Thank you.” Great, I stammered. “No one has ever described my name like that.” I guess, thank you, Mom and Dad?

“That’s your first name, right? Sorry, I get confused with foreigners’ names.”
“You’re right, my family name is Capernaum. But I’d prefer it if you call me Riamu. Capernaum is… pretty difficult to pronounce, isn’t it?”

“K–Ka…Pah…”

I wave my hand. “No–No need to try it. It’s fine.” But, please continue. You’re sounding cute right now.
I think I should just imprison myself for being too much of a creep. Why can’t I just think normally, as I interact, damn it!?
Then, I only now noticed that Yue was staring at me for a long time… with disapproving eyes.
‘Ah, so that’s how it is,’ what might she be thinking– Don’t give me that!

“So, uh, Yue–” I saw both of these women’s eyes widen—Yue, quickly covering her lower face with her signature scarf; Seru, wide-eyed, glancing between both of us.

“Are you stupid!?” Yue hissed.

“Are you two a thing?” Inquired Seru… with maybe too much curiosity.

Ah, I forgot. It was because Yue and I usually talked to each other so casually when we were alone. And this was the very first time Yue approached me outside of our meeting on the bridge. So… my bad, I guess?

I coolly chuckled. “No, no, no, we’re definitely not a thing.” Surprisingly, I stated that with ease, with no hesitation, but there certainly was an aftershock, a quick question for the imagination: “What if we were though?” I couldn’t help but smirk briefly, and my eyes landed on Yue’s… blushing… face.

“Hey! That’s kind of hurtful!” She exclaimed.
Then, I smirked even wider, my eyes communicating, ‘Ahh, so there is a chance, huh? Too bad! HAHA!’ I loved being cruel.

“Whoa!” Then, she slapped and essentially shoved my back.

“The way you’re acting, Yue,” Seru waggled her eyebrow. “So is it true?”

“NO! Never!” Her pitch was increasing now by the second, and she imbued a tone of disgust.

But there was just that something, an undertone, that ‘what if.’ But it might just be my imaginative mind. I should stop being a perverted opportunist at every turn before I truly bury myself deservingly.

Though it was very fun seeing her being teased like this– it must have been that.

“Found your weakness,” I muttered, facing Yue, so that she would read my mouth.

She clenched her jaw and glowered, and I could barely contain my laugh with a smile.

“L–Let’s talk somewhere else, Seru. Not with this,” she looked at me and mouthed ‘perverted’ and continued, “guy.” Yue essentially dragged Seru to another faraway desk, where I won’t be able to ascertain their topic.

That’s payback, that’s vengeance: Yue, don’t try to embarrass and make things awkward for me in front of Seru ever again! Because that was only a fraction of my power!