Aria Ootake liked two things about her high-school:
1. The fact that the library was always empty during lunch.
2. The fact that no one ever bothered her when she hid there.
At least… until today.
She was halfway through scribbling another poem in her battered notebook when the library doors slammed open like someone had kicked them.
BANG!
Aria froze.
"Hide me! HIDE ME!"
A boy skidded inside, out of breath, holding his backpack like a shield. His tie was half undone, his Navy hair sticking out at odd angles, and his eyes were Golden brown, wild with panic.
The librarian looked up, unimpressed.
"Mr. Akiyama…"
"Shhh!" he hissed, throwing himself dramatically between two bookshelves.
"I'm not here."
Aria blinked. She knew that voice. Everyone did.
Kai Akiyama: the school's current resident chaos gremlin.
She sighed, lowering her pen. Of course he'd find his way here. Of all places.
A second later, a teacher stormed past the doorway, yelling something about "unfinished math homework and detention". Kai peeked over the shelf like a spy in a bad movie, then ducked back down when the footsteps faded.
Finally, he turned—and froze when he spotted Aria staring at him from her table.
For a moment, silence. Then his eyes lit up.
"Oh! You're that quiet mysterious girl, right? The one who looks like she's plotting the downfall of humanity?"
Aria's face went flat. "I—was—writing."
"Writing your villain monologue?"
"No. A poem."
"About my tragic beauty?"
She rolled her eyes and
"…No."
Kai gasped, clutching his chest as if she'd stabbed him. "You wound me. At least pretend you were writing about me."
Aria shut her notebook. "I'd rather not waste ink."
He looked at her as if she had just committed a crime against Humanity itself. Then, with no invitation whatsoever, Kai plopped into the chair across from her, spreading his arms over the table like he owned the place.
"So, what's your name, Cute,mysterious dark poet?"
She considered ignoring him, but knew it wouldn't work. People like Kai never shut up. "…Aria."
"Ariaaaa," he sang dramatically, leaning back so far in his chair it nearly toppled. "Beautiful. Elegant," He judged as if waring an invisible glasses."name destined for just someone like you . perfect!." with sparkles in eyes and neck stretched out like giraffe he exclaimed.
"You're going to break your neck," she muttered.
"If I die in the library, promise you'll write me an epic ballad."
"I'll write your obituary."
"Cold. I like it."
---
That was how it began: the chaos gremlin crashing into the quiet poet's sanctuary.
And somehow, Aria had a sinking feeling he wasn't going away anytime soon.
---
Kai Akiyama tilted his head, studying her like she was some rare species of bird he'd accidentally stumbled upon. His brown eyes were annoyingly bright—like sunlight that forced its way past closed curtains—and they carried this dangerous spark that screamed trouble.
"So…" he dragged the word out, tapping her pencil against the table like a drumroll which she don't remember how the heck, when it went to his hand, "what are you writing in there? Secret diary? Forbidden spells? Confession list of everyone you've ever hated?"
Aria calmly slid her notebook closer to her chest. Her face betrayed nothing, but her hand tightened ever so slightly around the spine. And eyes blasting silent flustered look.
"Poetry."
Kai gasped dramatically, leaning so far forward his nose almost touched her notebook.
"Ohhh, like—'Roses are red, violets are blue, detention is scary, and so are you'?"
Aria's lips twitched. Not enough to be called a smile, but enough for Kai to notice. His jaw dropped.
"Wait. WAIT. Was that a smile?!"
Her expression instantly froze back to neutral, like a mask snapping in place. "You're imagining things."
"Lies. You smirked."
"I don't smirk."
"You did." He pointed an accusatory finger, grinning like he'd just uncovered a national conspiracy. "Mysterious Dark Poet Girl has emotions. This is groundbreaking discovery. Someone alert the media. Even scientists community will award me Nobal for this."
Aria sighed through her nose and reached for her pen again, hoping he'd get bored. He didn't. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and started spinning the pencil between his fingers with suspicious levels of focus.
She eyed him warily.
"You're plotting something?," she muttered.
"Me?" He widened his eyes, innocence painted across his face like a child caught with cookie crumbs. "Never."
Thunk.
Her pencil went flying across the room, clattering against the wall before rolling under the shelves.
Kai stared at his empty hand. Then at Aria. Then at the direction the pencil had disappeared.
"...That was a practice shot," he said solemnly.
Aria pinched the bridge of her nose. "You're unbelievable."
"No, no, don't move, I'll retrieve it with the elegance of a ninja." He stood, dramatically tiptoeing across the library floor. Every step was exaggerated, like he was sneaking through a video game level.
Aria watched him crouch down by the shelves, muttering under his breath about "pencil spirits" and "fallen warriors." Struggling to find it.
"Found it!"
When he finally returned, triumphantly holding up the pencil like it was Excalibur, the librarian cleared her throat.
"Mr. Akiyama."
Kai froze mid-victory pose. Slowly, like a child caught with chocolate-stained hands, he turned to the librarian. "...Yes?"
"Sit down. Quietly. Or I will make you finish your homework here."
Kai gasped, clutching his heart. "You wouldn't."
"I would."
Defeated, Kai slumped back into his seat, dragging his chair noisily before collapsing across the table as though his very soul had been crushed.
Aria glanced at him, unimpressed. "Dramatic much?"
"Tragedy is my middle name." His muffled voice came from where his face was smushed into the table. Wiping invisible tears."Kai 'Tragedy' Akiyama. Remember it."
Aria rolled her eyes, but when he peeked up at her through messy strands of hair, his grin was boyish and ridiculously… alive.
Too alive.
For someone like her, who lived in quiet corners and shadows of thought, he was blinding.
She looked back down at her notebook, flipping to a blank page. Maybe if she ignored him long enough, he'd get bored and leave.
But deep down, some stubborn little part of her already knew—
Kai wasn't the type to leave.
When he stick to someone he'll Suck that someone to death with his sunshine bright dazzling nature.