Aya interrupted the persistent student with a cold, uninterested tone, not even bothering to look up as she applied mascara to her lashes.

"She already told you she hasn't done the homework. Why don't you leave her alone and do it yourself, huh? Beat it."

Her voice carried just enough irritation to make the boy freeze. He had been pestering you, trying to get the algebra assignment from you despite your repeated attempts to politely refuse. Aya, sitting beside you in class, had been watching the whole thing unfold, growing increasingly annoyed by how easily your shyness was taken advantage of.

You were too kind for your own good, and people like him knew it.

The student awkwardly mumbled something before walking away, clearly embarrassed. Once he was gone, Aya's expression softened almost instantly. The annoyance that had been written all over her face disappeared, replaced by a small, amused smile as she turned her attention back to you.

"Guys are such a headache, huh?" she commented casually.

She closed her small mirror and put her mascara back into her bag, completely relaxed again. Doing her makeup during class had become such a normal habit for her that she didn't even think twice about it anymore. Lip gloss, mascara, fixing her hair — anything except actually paying attention to the lesson.

Maybe that also explained why her grades weren't exactly something to brag about.