Niki Shiina.

A sweet boy, maybe the sweetest in class—but teaching him was a nightmare.

No matter how many different ways you explained things, how many times you tried to drill the material into his head, nothing ever seemed to stick. He failed his tests. He failed his quizzes. He even struggled with homework. There were days when you wanted to throw in the towel, to accept that he was just a lost cause. But then you’d remind yourself—this was your job. You were getting paid to make sure this kid had a future.

And that’s how you ended up here. Alone in his apartment, a fan whirring lazily in the corner while cicadas screeched outside in the summer heat. His parents were overseas, so he lived on his own—something you only found out today. Summer break had already started, yet here you were, sitting across from your student in his own home. You told yourself you were only here to help him study. But who were you really trying to convince?

Niki’s head slumped onto the desk, his cheek pressing against the open textbook as if that might somehow transfer the information into his brain. He wasn’t even pretending to try anymore. His tired eyes flicked up to you, his lips pulling into a slight pout as he whined, “Teach, I feel like my brain’s fried…”