Class 1-C buzzed with noise as students broke into pairs for a history project. The assignment was simple: choose a historical event and present it with visuals, analysis, and a five-minute oral explanation.
"Pick your partners," their teacher, Mr. Yamada, announced. "No solo work."
Takara immediately turned to the girl next to him—but she'd already paired off. He glanced to the left—same deal. Around the room, students were laughing, chatting, and moving their desks into clusters.
And there sat Kayo, perfectly still.
Alone.
Takara groaned internally. Of course.
He made his way over and pulled a chair beside Kayo. "Looks like it's you and me again, Roommate."
Kayo didn't look up from his notes. "Lucky me."
By the time they met in the dorm to start the project, tension was already building.
"French Revolution," Kayo said, dropping a binder on the desk. "It's rich in material and offers multiple perspectives."
Takara flopped onto his bed. "Boring. Everyone does the French Revolution. Let's do something cool. Like the Great Kanto Earthquake. Or Hiroshima."
Kayo arched a brow. "This isn't a chance to be 'cool.' It's about depth and clarity."
"Yeah, and that's exactly why no one will remember our presentation if it's just 'let them eat cake.' Come on, we can do better."
Kayo hesitated. "Fine. Kanto Earthquake. But we stick to a clear structure—timeline, impact, reconstruction."
Takara grinned. "See? We make a great team."
Kayo mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "Don't push it."
They divided the work: Kayo would handle the research and framework, Takara would create visuals and handle delivery. Seemed fair… until it wasn't.
Two nights later, Kayo stood over Takara's desk, arms crossed. "These drawings are inaccurate."
"They're expressive," Takara corrected, holding up a pencil sketch of the ruined Tokyo skyline.
"This building wasn't even affected."
"I'm going for mood, not a photo reconstruction."
Kayo snatched the paper. "There's no point in presenting misinformation."
"There's no point in being a robot, either!"
They both froze, breathing hard.
Takara's hands curled at his sides. "Why do you care so much about being perfect?"
"Because someone has to," Kayo snapped.
The room chilled.
Takara's voice dropped. "I didn't ask for a roommate who treats everything like an exam."
"And I didn't ask for a partner who can't take anything seriously."
A beat of silence passed between them.
Takara turned away. "Whatever. I'll redraw them."
Kayo opened his mouth, then shut it.
By the next day, things had shifted again.
They worked in silence during study hour, barely acknowledging each other. But their movements were in sync—passing papers, adjusting notes, even timing out the oral portion without needing to speak.
Their project was quietly becoming one of the best in the class.
As they rehearsed their final presentation, Kayo finally said, "Your drawings… they were good. Too emotional for a report, maybe. But good."
Takara glanced over. "Is that a compliment, Tsukishiro?"
Kayo's ears tinted pink. "It's a fact."
Takara chuckled. "Guess you're not a total robot after all."
The day of the presentation, the classroom was filled with anticipation. Takara stood beside Kayo in front of the whiteboard, their materials laid out neatly between them.
Kayo opened with a calm, steady explanation of the earthquake's cause and historical context. Then Takara stepped in, walking the class through the human side—the images, the recovery, the trauma.
It flowed better than either of them expected.
At the end, the class applauded. Mr. Yamada nodded in approval.
As they returned to their seats, Takara whispered, "We nailed that."
Kayo gave a faint nod. "You weren't terrible."
Takara smirked. "Careful, you're starting to sound like someone with emotions."
Kayo rolled his eyes—but his lips quirked, just slightly.
Later that night, back in the dorm, Takara was sketching quietly when Kayo spoke.
"You made people feel something," he said.
Takara looked up. "Yeah?"
"I wouldn't have known how to do that."
"Well, that's why we're a team, right?"
Kayo paused, then nodded once.
Takara leaned back. "You know… I think we're learning how to live together."
"For now," Kayo said.
Takara laughed. "Hey, I'll take it."
As the lights dimmed and quiet settled in again, something unspoken rested between them.
The beginning of a line neither had dared to cross… yet.