Opportunity

I rushed out to the only safe spot I had left in the whole academy—the courtyard. Slumping on the same concrete bench that was overlooking the well-kept garden of the academy. The sky was a pale gray that cast a monotone tint that washed out the vibrant colors of the campus. It looked like it was about to rain, but I didn’t care at all... I just sat there, staring off into the distance for a while.

By the time the lunch bell rang, I still hadn't taken out my sad excuse of a meal out of my bag. My appetite was entirely gone; the entire reason was because my mind was still replaying what I saw in the library on loop.

The way Asano slowly brought his face closer, and how Reina almost didn't even budge...

Did she actually let him?

The girl who practically scolded me every time I accidentally stepped too close to her, had just let his face close the distance.

I just spent the last night convincing myself that stepping away from the spotlight was the responsible thing to do, giving her enough space to breathe without fear of being scrutinized. And yet, it seems that we weren't on the same page anymore.

Watching Asano take what I hadn't even dared to dream of made all my desperate, late-night resolutions feel like a pathetic joke.

I was just blankly staring at the courtyard when a group of students exited out of the main building. Amidst the group, I spotted Hasegawa.

When she saw me on the bench, her face lit up with that warm, effortless smile that beamed across the courtyard. She casually broke off from the group, slowly walking in my direction. "You’re actually here," she chirped, sliding over to give me space on the concrete block. "I was worried you'd try to hide in the library or something."

"I don’t have any reason to," I mumbled, finally taking out the sandwich from my bag, taking a dull, tasteless bite. "So, what did you want to talk about, Hasegawa?"

Megumi set her bento down beside her. "Always straight to business, aren't you?" She leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her hands as she looked at me.

"I'm just being realistic," I muttered, chewing slowly. "We're in different classes; we didn't know each other until yesterday, and you're buying me drinks. People don't do that without a reason."

Megumi let out a soft, delighted chuckle. "Not everyone who shows a little kindness is hiding some agenda. Who knows? Maybe I called you here to confess to you."

"But you're not."

"Fine, you caught me,” she conceded with a playful roll of her eyes. She picked up her polished chopsticks, but rather than eating, she used them to point lightly in my direction. "It’s about the upcoming assessment next month," she said, her voice dropping so it wouldn't carry across the courtyard.

"Well, you see... My grades aren't exactly where my family wants them to be," she said, looking away slightly as if trying to hide her embarrassment. "And our teacher has been hinting that the next exam would be incredibly hard."

I didn’t say a word, nor did I avert my gaze from Hasegawa’s eyes.

"So, I wanted to ask you directly—would you be willing to be my private tutor?" Megumi continued as she reached into her bag and slid a pristine, leather-bound notebook toward my side of the bench. “Name your price, Akizuki. Any amount, I’m willing to pay for it."

Name your price.

The words echoed in my head; this was it, the opportunity that I'd been waiting for, the exact breakthrough I had been screaming for on the overpass last night.

Real money. Not the pocket change I make from the hourly rate of the konbini's graveyard shifts. If I take this deal, I would have the chance to get proper meals and get enough sleep; I could finally contend for the number one spot again without being held back by exhaustion.

But most importantly... I could pay off the ¥11,500,000 debt I owe to Reina, clean, and erase the liability tag forever. And when that happens, I could finally be with her—

My mind stopped for a second. Another replay of the scene I saw at the library earlier played, an even more toxic version than what really happened. It felt like a physical punch to the gut, instantly turning the hope in my chest into bitter ash.

But I couldn't let my feelings get the better of me. "Why me? Have you seen the rankings lately?" I said, breaking the eye contact and taking another bite from my sandwich. "My grades have plummeted recently, and I've dropped down to 5th. I'm not the right person to tutor you."

"I don't believe that rankings dictate a person's abilities!" She leaned closer, her eyes filled with confidence. "Only merit does! So please, Kaito!"

I averted my gaze, looking at the trimmed hedges of the courtyard. Hasegawa still hadn’t taken her eyes off me, waiting for my answer with absolute patience.

"...Fine."

Hasegawa’s eyes widened with a sudden flash of triumphant satisfaction before her bright, flawless smile snapped right back into place. "Oh, thank you, Kaito. You're a lifesaver!" She said, throwing her arms around me.

"Okay, okay, no need to hug me..." I muttered, gently but firmly nudging her back by her shoulders. "So where do you want me to tutor you?”

As she pulled back, she reached into her blazer pocket and took out her phone. "Can you give me your Line ID? That way I can text you all the details later.”

She tilted the screen toward me, displaying a contact card with lots of cute characters and pastel colors. Her eyes crinkled at the corners with that same effortless, fluid warmth. “Don’t worry; I won’t leak your number to anyone.”

Giving out my personal contact information wasn't something I did lightly, with Reina the only exception... But I had no choice.

I pulled out my phone, tapped in my contact details, and handed it back to her. "There, that’s my direct number."

"Perfect," Megumi hummed, her manicured thumb tapping rapidly as she saved the data. She immediately closed her phone and slid it into her pocket. "Well, I should let you get back to your notes. I don't want to take up any more of your alone time."

She gave me a polite, lingering smile and turned to leave.

"...Hasegawa."

The words left my mouth before I could stop them. She paused, turning her head back over her shoulder, her soft waves shifting with the movement. Her eyebrows raised slightly in curious anticipation. “What is it, Kaito? Don’t tell me... You actually wanted my company?”

I crumpled the empty sandwich plastic and threw it into a nearby bin, my posture rigid as I looked at her. "Our arrangement... let's keep it between us."

Hasegawa blinked, a small, knowing glint flashing in her eyes before she let out a soft, amused chuckle. She slowly raised a finger to her lips, pressing it there in a silent shushing gesture with a wink just to mess with me. "Got it. This is our little secret."

With a final, graceful wave, she walked away toward the main building. I sat alone on the concrete bench for a long moment, the quiet rustle of the courtyard trees filling the silence she left behind.

...

It was midnight; I was walking through the dimly lit streets of the city after standing for hours in the konbini. Now that there were no distractions, no humming of the refrigerators, and no random conversations with Haruna, the flashbacks came rushing back. Reina and Asano...

My mind was spiraling down a dark path when a sudden vibration came from my pocket. I fished my phone out of my pocket and checked to see what the notification was. It was a text message... from Hasegawa.

     [Megumi H.]: Good evening, Kaito! Sorry for the late message. I was just checking if you gave me your real number~ (>ᴗ•) !

I stopped beneath a lit lamp post, wondering how I should respond to her sudden message... After a few seconds of thinking, I typed out a reply.

     [Kaito A.]: There's no reason for me to give you a fake number.

She read my message literally seconds after I sent it, and her response was also just as fast.

     [Megumi H.]: So mean! Not even returning my greeting? ૮(˶ㅠ︿ㅠ)ა

I sighed, leaning off the pole, and started to walk while typing.

     [Kaito A.]: Sorry. Good evening, Hasegawa. What did you want to talk about?

I kept my pace steady, my sneakers squeaking faintly against the damp pavement. A moment later, the ellipsis bubbled up on screen before popping into a block of text.

     [Megumi H.]: Geez, Kaito, a cold attitude like that won't get you a girlfriend, you know~ But since you asked, I want to talk about our deal, since I’m paying for the premium Kaito tutoring, I wanted to make sure that I get my money’s worth!

I really wanted to tell her that I'm not available right now, especially since I'm exhausted from work, and I still have yet to reach my apartment, but that will just start another random conversation of her repeatedly asking me why I was out so late.

     [Kaito A.]: Right... Then I need to know which subjects you've been struggling with so I know what to focus on for our first session.

     [Megumi H.]: Let’s just say physics and chemistry are absolute disasters for me right now. My brain completely shorts out during those lectures. (╥﹏╥)

 Physics and chemistry. I ran a mental inventory of my notes. Those were my strong suits, luckily, though I have no idea if she’ll be an easy student to teach.

We kept chatting about what topics she had trouble with, but as I drew nearer to my apartment, she kept going off-topic, asking about my night, what type of music I listen to while studying, and even personal questions like what school I went to before getting accepted to Seiryu.

By the time I finally kicked off my shoes inside my apartment and settled in my bed, we were only just wrapping up our conversation.

     [Kaito A.]: So to summarize, tomorrow we'll primarily focus on probelm solving for physics and chemistry. Correct?

     [Megumi H.]: Spot on, Kaito! I'll just text you after class about where to meet up. ~

     [Kaito A.]: Alright, but one last thing, we didn't have the chance to finalize the rate for the tutoring.

     [Megumi H.]: Oh, right, sorry! I actually had a very convincing amount in mind.

I was already typing out my response, asking what number she was planning to give. Before I could hit send, her final bubble popped up.

     [Megumi H.]: But that would have to wait after the first session, 'kay? Now, you better head to bed. I don't want my tutor falling asleep mid-session, hehe~ Good night, Kaito! ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

     [Kaito A.]: Good night, Hasegawa.

I stared at the screen as the three dots vanished and her status went offline ... a "convincing amount"; I could only hope her definition of the phrase paid better than the meager scraps I earned at the konbini.

I locked the phone and tossed it onto the pillow edge of the bed and pulled up the thin blanket at my shoulders, but I didn't feel like sleeping yet.

Now that the shock of Hasegawa's sudden proposal finally settled in, my mind began to drift back to the memory at the library.

I hated everything about what I saw.

I hated how it all looked so casual, like they had done it so many times before.

I hated how I didn't do anything, just sitting there like a spectator to a theatrical performance.

I hate... her.

But when the words left my mouth, my chest tightened until it physically ached.

If I truly hated her, it wouldn't hurt this much. I wouldn’t have accepted Hasegawa’s proposal; I wouldn't be tearing myself apart, thinking whether or not his lips actually touched hers.

I couldn't understand why I was still fighting so hard for a girl who had already branded me a liability.