Acrimony

[Word Count: 1433]

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With the test completed, Leo was finally ready to attend classes at the school. Since there was no time for proper preparation, they had to improvise a uniform using spare items they had stored away.

"See, doesn't it all just fit together?" commented Chiyo, pleased with the outcome.

Leo wore a slightly oversized white dress shirt and baggy pants that were not an ideal fit. They couldn't improvise the suit jacket or find suitable shoes, and the uniform had some wrinkles, but overall, Leo looked presentable and ready for school.

With the uniform sorted out, Leo could now proceed to attend classes. His schedule consisted of two different orientations: one day involved moving between three different classes, while another day was dedicated to another set of three classes. On one day, he had Math, Science, and History, while on the other, he had Art, Social Studies, and Language Arts.

"Now, a few important things to note," began Chiyo. "You won't receive your tailored uniform until next week, and since there are only two months of school left, you'll be taking finals next month. Got all that?"

Leo simply nodded in response, and Chiyo nodded back, satisfied with their understanding.

As lunchtime was coming to an end, Leo followed Chiyo since their next class was Science.

"Two more things," Chiyo suddenly turned around and added. "Everyone in your class has the same schedule, so if you're curious about your next class, just follow someone from your class. And lastly, tomorrow your Art teacher, Akari, will guide you to your art class. If she doesn't call you out first thing in the morning, just look out for a lady with dyed blond hair. You can't miss her."

Leo nodded once again, taking note of the instructions, and they continued their way to Chiyo's science class. As they walked, Leo suddenly realized there was a third set of footsteps following them.

"Shouldn't you have left by now, Shouzou?" asked Leo, not turning around.

"I have nothing better to do," Shouzou replied.

Coming to a stop, Leo turned around to face Shouzou. Chiyo, feeling a nervous sweat trickle down her cheek, also turned around.

"Go home, Shouzou," Leo said firmly, pointing towards the window.

"But—" Shouzou attempted to argue, but Leo interrupted him

"Shu shu," Leo interjected. "Go home, Shouzou."

While Chiyo felt a nervous tension due to Shouzou's imposing presence, she couldn't help but feel somewhat amused as Shouzou complied and began making his way out of the school.

As they made their way back to Chiyo's classroom, they entered to find some students already waiting for her. As they closed the door behind them, all ongoing conversations in the room came to a halt.

"A new face," some students thought, their curiosity piqued.

Pointing Leo towards the empty seat they had prepared beforehand, Chiyo directed him to take a seat. Walking through the silence, Leo could feel the weight of the stares, particularly from one person who seemed to be glaring at him, as if trying to burn a hole right through him.

Settling into his seat at the back, next to the window, the stares ceased, but the intensity of the glare only seemed to increase. Making eye contact with the girl who was fixated on him, he noticed she had black hair that reached only to her shoulders. She seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen her before.

"What's her problem?" Leo wondered silently.

The rest of the day proceeded without any major issues. As Chiyo had mentioned, following the other students led Leo to his history class. Taking his seat, he couldn't help but notice that the girl from before continued to send glares his way whenever she had the chance.

Meanwhile, the majority of the students in the classroom focused on the topic at hand, diligently reviewing their work in preparation for the upcoming finals. Leo's presence seemed to fade into the background, and he was able to blend in with the rest of the students, his identity becoming less of a focal point.

Leo couldn't help but feel bored throughout the class. They were simply reviewing material he had already covered during his earlier test, leaving him with nothing new to commit to memory. If he had to guess, it seemed likely that the final exam would be a repetition of what he had already completed.

As the teacher droned on, Leo's mind began to wander. He rubbed his temples, fighting off a headache, as he grappled with the realization that this routine would be his day in and day out for the next month and a half.

"It's just eight hours, how hard could it be?" Leo thought, trying to maintain a positive outlook.

Despite the monotony, Leo made an effort to appear attentive and participate when necessary. They didn't want to draw unnecessary attention or disrupt the flow of the class. Instead, they focused on observing the dynamics among the students and the teaching methods employed by the instructor. Silently analyzing the classroom environment, they gathered insights that might prove useful in the future.

Among the small group of students, no one stood out except for the black-haired girl who continued to glare at Leo. It was clear that whatever was bothering her would likely carry over after school, but Leo had no interest in getting involved. He made a mental note to avoid her as soon as the class ended and head over straight for the exit, wanting to steer clear of any potential conflicts. Whatever issues she had, she could address them with future Leo.

Shortly after the bell rang, just as Leo had anticipated, the girl attempted to make her way toward him. However, she found herself blocked by a crowd of students heading in the opposite direction. With a slight push, she realized that Leo was no longer in her sight. While she struggled against the flow of students, Leo managed to slip away by following those exiting through the back.

It wasn't until he reached the door that she managed to spot him again. Their eyes briefly met, and at that moment, time seemed to slow down. Leo mockingly stuck his tongue out at her before swiftly disappearing through the door.

Even though he was already down the hallway, Leo could sense the frustration emanating from the girl. Since coming here Leo rarely smiled, but this, this brought a smile to his face.

Walking past the school entrance, Leo noticed Shouzou leaning against the passenger door of his black sedan, seemingly unperturbed by the onlookers. As Leo approached, he faintly heard someone yelling, "Wait." Although the voice sounded familiar, Leo didn't take any chances. Remembering the headache from earlier, he quickened his pace and completed the remaining distance with a brisk walk. Shouzou pushed himself off the passenger door and moved to open the back door as Leo neared.

Entering the car, Leo was immediately enveloped in a tight, bone-crushing hug. He recognized the familiar scent of Yuki's perfume, and as he looked up, he spotted her signature blond hair. Still adjusting to her spontaneous displays of affection, Leo awkwardly returned the hug as the door closed behind him.

Shouzou took his seat on the passenger side, and before they knew it, they were back on the road.

When Yuki finally released her grip on Leo, he glanced at the rear window and saw the black-haired girl catching her breath on the curb. Meanwhile, Yuki asked casually, "How was school?" although it was clear to Leo that she had been rehearsing that line.

Leo remained silent, his gaze fixed on the black-haired girl as she struggled to catch her breath.

Curious, Yuki shifted to get a better view of what had captured Leo's attention. When she spotted the girl, she wondered why she seemed breathless but quickly dismissed it, turning her attention back to Leo. A victorious smirk adorned his face, one that Yuki had never seen before.

"Only one day in, and he's already causing trouble," Yuki thought, amused. "Boys will be boys, I suppose."

And so, the day came to an end. Shouzou and the driver dropped Yuki and Leo off at her apartment. Yuki repeated her earlier question, "How was school?" but received a simple reply of "Not much" from Leo.

Yuki contemplated whether she should discuss the incident with Leo, as it seemed he had gotten into trouble. However, she decided against it. Seeing Leo genuinely smile was a rare occurrence, and she decided to let him savor his moment of triumph.

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[Word Count: 1200]

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The following week, Leo did receive his uniform. He would be wearing it for a month before he needed to get a new one for the new year, but it's the thought that counts.

Inevitably, Leo had to confront the black-haired girl, whose name he discovered to be Himeno during attendance. He had managed to avoid talking to her for three consecutive days, even during lunch breaks. However, Himeno grew tired of their game of cat and mouse and instructed her driver not to speed off once Leo was in the car.

When Himeno caught up to him, she immediately tattled on Leo, and now with Yuki learning about not only his obscene gesture but his profanity during their first encounter. As Leo endured his mother's scolding, Himeno stood outside, wearing a smile. Deep down, she knew that Leo's expression indicated he would continue to engage in mischief, but she was relieved to see him being held accountable for his actions.

The next day, since Leo no longer had to avoid Himeno like the plague, he ate his lunch in the classroom. Himeno, out of kindness or pettiness, sat down in the seat next to him and tried to get him to talk.

Leo stayed quiet; he didn't know what her intentions were. Maybe she was trying to let bygones be bygones and become friends, or maybe she was trying to get him to say something he wasn't supposed to so she could tattle again.

Leo didn't know much about the kind of person Himeno was now. All he knew was that he wouldn't let her tattling go unpunished. Snitches deserved stitches, regardless of their reasons.

Nevertheless, Himeno's friends eventually joined her, and by extension, Leo. Like Himeno, they tried to engage him in conversation, but Leo kept his lips sealed.

While Leo kept quiet, he listened in to their conversation, which mostly consisted of boring kid stuff. He hoped they would talk about the things they liked or, better yet, the things they took pride in—the kind of things Leo could mock and ridicule without facing repercussions.

After three incredibly patient days, cracks started to appear. To expedite his plan before it fell apart completely, Leo started to participate in brief conversations with Himeno and her friends. He kept his responses minimal, enough to maintain the illusion of engagement but not enough to warrant a longer discussion.

It required immense patience, but by the final day before the exams, Leo achieved his goal. Amidst the pleasantries disguised as "good luck" wishes, Himeno's friends expressed their hopes for her to secure the top spot.

At this point, Leo's tolerance had worn thin. The abundance of holes in his patience ship had him neck-deep in water, but he had finally obtained what he needed—a way to tarnish Himeno's pride and get away with it.

"Grades," Leo scoffed inwardly. "Piece of cake."

With no studying required, Leo felt confident about his upcoming exams.

Unfortunately for him, though, it was no longer Leo's mission to get back at Himeno. That ship had sailed the minute he started talking to her friends. At this point, it was just straight pettiness that kept Leo going.

When the day of the exams finally arrived, it went exactly as expected.

Leo took his seat and patiently waited for the examiner's announcement. Once given the go-ahead, he tore through the test booklet with the fervor of a rabid animal but managed to flawlessly fill in every answer on the sheet.

As Leo expected, this "Final Test" was the same test he had taken when he first entered this school. Some questions were different, whether that was just his test or everyone else's didn

't matter—the outcome would be the same.

The same process would occur over the following days. Leo would tear through the questions and, like the exorbitant champ he was, finish first in every exam. Both in being the first to finish and in his placement for scores. Though, in hindsight, it probably would've been better to take his time, since finishing first meant he had to wait for everyone else to finish, which left him listening to everyone else as they tap, tap, tapped their pencils. He was also bored, which didn't help.

When everything was said and done, the leaderboard was finally placed for all to see, and sitting handsomely at the top spot was yours truly, Leo Tsukumo.

Leo didn't mind the placement anymore. In fact, he had forgotten why he wanted it in the first place. All the tapping and insistent noise during the test had taken a toll on his psyche. He drowned it out every now and again with his own tapping, but when he inevitably finished, the sound became significantly louder. And when you aren't contributing to an annoying noise, it tends to be just that—an annoying noise.

During these trying times, Himeno approached him and offered her congratulations. Leo stared at her blankly before acknowledging her with a nod.

Upon closer observation, Himeno didn't appear particularly bothered. She had come in second place, missing first by only five points, which was quite impressive considering third place was ten points behind her.

Leo read her expression carefully. He didn't know why, but he felt the need to find something. "Wasn't this all about her?" he thought.

Eventually, Leo stopped looking for answers and simply rubbed his forehead. He was going to desperately need the upcoming break.

It wasn't until Leo started walking out of the school's entrance that he noticed he had been mindlessly talking to Himeno, about what he didn't know. But whatever it was left her looking at him wide-eyed. Leo ignored it; whatever it was would be future Leo's problem as the current Leo was fighting off a killer headache.

As Leo fell back into his routine of saying his goodbyes, he walked away from Himeno, leaving her at the entrance. Meanwhile, she pondered over whatever Leo had said to her.

Approaching Yuki's car felt like the final stretch of a marathon for Leo. Each step seemed heavier than the last, but eventually, he reached the car, with Shouzou already holding the door open. Leo hurriedly climbed inside, sinking back into the seat with a groan.

"How was school?" Yuki asked casually, her words no longer sounding rehearsed.

"Never again," Leo groaned in response.

Yuki giggled at Leo's antics.

While Leo appreciated his newfound genius, it also felt like a burden. It served as a constant reminder of how much he disliked school, especially now that everything felt twice as tedious. Taking a cue from Yuki, he clung to the tiniest sliver of hope that things would improve in the coming year. No matter how small that hope was, he refused to let go of it.

"So help me God, I will burn that school down," Leo's mind was filled with thoughts of arson, but he was brought back to reality as Yuki pulled him into a side hug.

"There, there," Yuki hummed softly.

With Yuki's comforting presence, Leo felt a slight relief. It was as if he only needed one gentle push to drift into sleep and let the exhaustion take over.