They dragged themselves through the same dull English class, the teacher's voice droning like a broken machine. By the time the bell rang, half the students were already half-asleep.
During the break, Yukino wandered near the window, quiet as always. That was when Haruto noticed her again.
Her expression was blank—her wide, stiff smile flickering back for just a second.
That alone was enough.
Haruto's eyes widened, his chair screeched back.
"Gh—ghooosssttttt!" he shouted, bolting from his seat.
Before anyone could ask what he meant, he had already rushed out of the classroom, leaving the other students staring in confusion.
Yukino tilted her head slightly, not understanding why just her face sent him fleeing.
Yuji slapped his forehead, muttering, "Huh"
Yuji darted after Haruto, who had bolted out of the classroom like a cat chased by fireworks.
Yukino blinked, her eyes following the chaos.
"What… happened to him?" she asked, glancing at Yuji.
Yuji forced a laugh, scratching his cheek nervously.
"Uh—mouth pain! No wait, stomach pain! Yeah, definitely stomach pain!" he blurted, before running after Haruto.
Yukino tilted her head, lips curving in a small puzzled smile.
I've never seen such a passionate couple before… she thought, completely serious.
Yuji caught Haruto.
"Oi, don't be dramatic."
Haruto's eyes widened, breath sharp. "Yuji… she's not normal. That girl—she's a demon. My relative must've sent her!"
Haruto clutched his head. "I can hear her voice, Yuji… my aunt's curse! 'Haruto, you'll forever be a single potato!'"
Yuji blinked. "…Single potato?"
Haruto nodded furiously. "Yes! She said it when I was five. And now it's happening… the witch has come to finish me!"
"I'm telling you! I can feel it. She's cursed me."
Yuji gave him a hard shake. "You idiot. She just smiled at you!"
After a long back-and-forth, Yuji finally dragged Haruto back into class. The three of them—Yuji, Haruto, and Sakura—gathered around their desks, trying to look normal again.
"Ugh, another test…" Yuji groaned, slumping forward. "I have to pass this one. Akane ma'am warned me—if I fail, she'll throw me into a special class till seven in the evening."
He dropped his head on the desk like the words themselves had crushed him.
"I'll tell you one thing, Yuji," Haruto said, leaning forward with a serious face. "Akane ma'am actually cares about you more than anyone. Please… just try to get some marks this year."
Yuji blinked. "She also said you have to pass, Haruto—or else you'll be stuck in special morning classes?"
Haruto froze, his smile cracking.
Sakura burst out laughing, nearly falling off her chair. "Pfft—special morning classes just for Haruto! She cares more about you Haruto!"
"Yuji, she doesn't care about the students at all," Haruto grumbled, lowering his voice like he was spilling a secret. "She's the worst teacher I've ever seen."
Ishida Tsukishima, who was sitting in the front chair, overheard their murmuring. He turned around with a calm smile.
"Yuji, shall I help you?"
For a moment, Yuji swore he saw a bright light glowing like a halo behind Ishida's head—an angel descending to save him from the doom of exams. But that light instantly shattered when Haruto leaned forward.
"Ishida, don't bother," Haruto said flatly. "Last year you helped him too, and he still failed. Don't bother about his studies."
The halo flickered out. Yuji's shoulders dropped.
"We'll pass the final exam like always. We're wolves, Yuji—wolves don't dance in the circus," Haruto declared with fiery confidence in his eyes.
Yuji stared at him, completely captivated by the fire in Haruto's eyes.
Yukino's eraser slipped from her fingers and rolled across the floor. When she bent down to grab it, her eyes caught a strange scene—Yuji, sitting far too close, staring deeply into Haruto's blazing eyes like some sort of mystic revelation was about to happen.
*Eyes never lie,* Yukino thought, clutching the eraser. *He can't even take his eyes from him. The best couple I've ever seen.*
Okay, then accept the special class," Ishida said flatly.
Yuji's shoulders slumped in defeat.
At the exact same moment, Haruto and Yuuri blurted out, "Ishida, teach me! I don't want to go to special class!"
Both Yuji and Haruto froze when they thought they saw a strange light glowing behind Ishida's head—like some holy aura.
"Come to my house after class," Ishida said calmly.
Without a second thought, Yuji and Haruto nodded in unison, their heads bobbing like soldiers obeying a commander.
Ishida stood up from his bench. The classroom light hit his yellow hair just right, making it glow like he'd stepped out of a shampoo commercial. His pale face reflected the brightness until it felt like a divine spotlight had chosen him.
Yuji and Haruto froze, shielding their eyes.
"An angel… no, a savior…"
"Just a guy with good conditioner," Sakura whispered
For a second, they genuinely believed this was the man who would rescue them from the hell of special classes.