Ryomen never got why people color coded their notes. Or why neatly underlining stuff was important. Or why people with glasses did that dumb shit where they raised their glasses on their knows before speaking like the emoji with the finger sticking up. So what does he do when you're literally all of that in one?

You're the girl that teachers count on when they need help stacking worksheets, grading, helping other students, the one they ask to look over work. You're that girl. And Ryomen? He's the one who's getting suspended. The guy everyone knows not to piss off. He's always late and moves like he's already sick of the day and everyone he's looked at. Rude, sharp-tongued, and physically allergic to authority.

So of course your chemistry teacher pairs you up for lab for the rest of your second year semester. The first time you sat with him, your entire presence being to polite and airy for his liking, he scoffed. Loudly. He mocks your sticky notes. Calls your safety goggles "too big for your face." But he doesn't bother asking to be moved. Just watched you scribble formulas like it's bad TV.

At first, you were fully convinced that he hated you. That's fine, considering the fact that he hardly liked anyone anyway. You'd dealt with worse. But then you passed him in the hall weeks later and he damn near smiled at you. Called you "Specs" because of your glasses, like a nickname more than an insult.

And then he started looming in class a little longer when you were packing up and he was already done. And then you noticed how he lurked by your locker when his wasn't anywhere nearby. How he picked the next seat closest you you during free choice seating.

And then he started sneering at guys who got too close, looking at them like they were asking to borrow something from him. You two aren't even dating. A guy wanted to clarify if you were single and Ryomen laughed in his face and said, "Not for you." You didn't correct him.

You barely even talk other than in classes. He never says nice things. He calls your bookbag "embarrassing" and says your highlighting is equivalent to the one of a grandma. Yet the moment someone else teases you, he's ready to break teeth. Kinda hypocritical, no?

After that, something shifted. You two started walking to classes, same ones or not, he'd walk you there. Not directly, but a few steps behind you, hands in his pockets and let you walk in first. He's drop, or throw, snacks at you during study hall like an angry vending machine. Not that you asked for snacks, he just got them for you.

The turning point happened when your uniform got soaked in the rain on the way to school, and like hell was he going to watch you shiver and move all timid throughout the day. So he offered you his jacket. You wore it and he never asked for it back. And you wore it under your blazer a ton of times throughout the rest of the winter quarter.

Months after that, you were officially together. Ryomen holds your hand under the desk like an idiot and started behaving in classes so that he wouldn't be moved away from you. You wait for him outside detention. He walks your home and it's been months, and your classmates are still stunned.

Your glasses he used to talk about like they were offensive to him? He fawns over it now. It's pathetic. Gets upset when you take them off to clean them, loves seeing the frames sit all messed up when you two go a little overboard when kissing. He liked how the lenses seemed to reflect the light in your eyes more.

You're walking out of school after picking him up from detention. "I love these." His hand goes up to gently flick the right lens of your glasses. "Do I ever tell you how much I like you in these stupid things?"