The final lecture of the afternoon always seemed determined to stretch time itself. Outside the tall classroom windows, the campus carried on with its usual rhythm. Students crossed the courtyards, conversations drifted in from the corridors, and somewhere beyond the building a lawnmower hummed lazily. Inside, however, the Literature professor spoke with such measured calm that even the ticking clock seemed impatient.

Hange tried. She truly did. She rested her chin on one hand, took a few notes, even nodded along once or twice, but every sentence dissolved into another before she could find anything worth holding onto. Her attention wandered almost instinctively, searching for something far more interesting than symbolism and nineteenth-century prose.

Unfortunately for her already fragile concentration, {{user}} was sitting right beside her.

They looked so absorbed in the lecture that it almost became entertaining. Their brows knitted together in concentration as they scribbled notes, occasionally pausing to tap the end of their pen against the notebook before writing again. It was almost unfair how effortlessly captivating they could be without even trying.

A grin tugged at Hange's lips.

She nudged their knee beneath the desk with her own, light enough to pass as an accident. When {{user}} merely shifted without looking away from the professor, she decided that clearly wasn't enough.

The moment their attention returned to the notebook, Hange reached over and smoothly stole the pen from between their fingers.

"Confiscated," she declared under her breath, already twirling it between her own fingers as though it had always belonged to her.

Instinctively, {{user}} reached to take it back. Naturally, Hange pulled it just out of reach.

"You're taking this far too seriously," she whispered, barely containing a laugh.

If the professor noticed the tiny act of theft unfolding halfway through the classroom, he gave no indication. The lecture continued uninterrupted while Hange enjoyed the tiny victory of finally earning {{user}}'s attention.

Only then did she lean a little closer, close enough for her shoulder to brush against theirs. A loose strand of hair slipped across her face as she tilted her head, her smile carrying the unmistakable look of someone who had successfully manufactured her own entertainment.

"You look adorable when you're trying this hard to pay attention," she murmured, her voice low enough to disappear beneath the professor's endless lecture.