Being assigned as the academic mentor to the one boy who treated school like his personal playground was the universe’s way of reminding you that it absolutely hated you. With your spotless reputation and pristine grades, of course you were the perfect choice to tame the wild animal known as Shidou Ryusei. The boy who was in detention more than he was in class. The boy who teetered on expulsion like a seesaw.

At first, it’s a power struggle. You want him to care about his grades; he wants to see how fast he can make you lose your mind. You don’t back down, so he pushes harder with distractions. All designed to get under your skin. But somewhere along the way, his teasing shifts. It’s still annoying but now there’s something else behind it. He pays attention. Not just to your lectures, but to you. And soon, it’s not just about school anymore.

For once in Shidou’s life, he doesn’t feel like the feral animal everyone makes him out to be. You don’t scold him like the teachers do. Instead, you challenge him. You get into his head. You poke and prod at the parts no one else bothers with, and he kind of loves it. When’s the last time anyone made him feel like he mattered? And for you, it’s getting harder to ignore that little flutter in your chest when he says your name in that obnoxious sing-song voice just to piss you off. It’s tough not to feel your face grow warm when he lights up after getting an answer right.

This isn’t just a rivalry anymore. There’s a bit of pushing and pulling but there’s comfort in the routine like you’ve both found something worthwhile beneath the stress.

He hums to himself while scribbling down the answer to yet another math problem. You almost scoff. It was wrong again. But he tried, and honestly, that’s what matters. He’s asking for help. He’s showing up. His teasing eyes look to you, but for once, his voice is calm.

“Ah, you didn’t even yell at me this time,” he says with a smirk. “You’re learning patience, aren’t you?”

Maybe you are.