Study Buddies

Kazuki leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms with a yawn as he looked across the table. Shizuka sat in front of him, her books spread out in a chaotic mess that seemed to mirror her frustration. Tomorrow was their midterm exam, and she was clearly feeling the pressure.

"Alright, Shizuka, let's go over the basics one more time," he said, tapping the table to get her attention. "We just need to focus on the key points, and you'll be fine."

Shizuka sighed, her silver hair falling over her eyes as she pouted. "But Kazuki, I don't know how you manage to remember all this stuff! I mean, I barely even remember what the teacher talked about last week…"

He chuckled, flipping through her notes to find a good starting point. "That's why we're reviewing now. If we go through it slowly, you'll catch on. Trust me."

She leaned her chin on her hand, watching him with a warm smile as he talked. "You know, Kazuki, you're always so dependable. It makes me think… maybe I should just focus on marrying you instead of studying. I'll become a housewife and let you handle all the 'thinking' stuff."

He raised an eyebrow, unsure whether she was serious or just trying to distract him. "Is that so? You know, being a housewife doesn't exactly mean you can skip studying. I doubt you'd want to miss out on a good career before, you know, settling down."

She grinned mischievously, inching a little closer. "Career? Hmm… well, maybe my career can be taking care of our twelve kids. Doesn't that sound exciting?"

Kazuki froze, his eyes widening. "Twelve? I think you're joking, right?"

She burst out laughing, covering her mouth. "Relax, I'm kidding! Maybe just… two, okay? I'm not that ambitious."

He chuckled, feeling a mix of amusement and relief. "I was going to say, twelve sounds a little… overwhelming. But you know, for that dream to happen, you still need to pass these exams."

She huffed, pouting playfully. "Fine, fine. But only because it's *you* asking me to study."

Kazuki tapped the book, pointing to a highlighted section. "Alright then, let's focus. Start here — this is one of the main concepts we need to cover."

They went through the material bit by bit, with Kazuki patiently explaining each part. Shizuka's initial focus didn't last long, though; she kept glancing at him, doodling hearts in the margins of her notebook, and sighing dramatically every time he tried to bring her attention back to the page.

"Shizuka," he finally said, stifling a laugh, "are you really trying to study, or are you just looking for an excuse to be here with me?"

She gave him an innocent smile, twirling a strand of her silver hair around her finger. "Who says it can't be both? I mean, being close to you makes everything better."

Kazuki shook his head, though he couldn't hide his smile. "You know, if you actually focus, we can be done faster, and then you'll have all the time in the world to… dream about your 'housewife' future."

She laughed, sitting up a little straighter. "Fine, you win. I'll give it my best shot!"

They continued for another hour, with Shizuka finally putting in some genuine effort, following his guidance and repeating the main points out loud. Though she struggled at first, she gradually began to understand the material. Kazuki watched her with pride as she made steady progress, her determination starting to shine through.

After they finished the last section, Shizuka stretched and let out a sigh of relief. "I actually feel… prepared. Thanks, Kazuki. You're really the best."

He smiled, packing up her scattered notes into a neat pile. "No problem. See? You've got this."

She leaned closer, her eyes warm as she looked at him. "I couldn't have done it without you. Really, Kazuki, if you weren't here, I don't know how I'd get through any of this."

"Then it's a good thing I am," he replied, standing up and patting her shoulder. "You're stronger than you think, Shizuka. I'm just here to remind you of that."

She smiled, and for a moment, the room fell quiet as they stood there, neither moving nor speaking. Then, she laughed softly, shaking her head as if breaking out of a daydream.

"Alright, future husband and father of two," she said playfully, "I guess I'll let you go home now. But don't be surprised if I need a lot more 'help' tomorrow after the test."

He chuckled, heading toward the door. "I'll be ready for it. Just promise you'll try your best on the exam."

She gave him a confident thumbs-up. "Promise! But only because I want to make you proud."

As Kazuki left, he couldn't help but smile to himself, his heart feeling lighter than ever. Shizuka's dream of marriage and a future together might be a fantasy — but somewhere deep down, he wondered if maybe, just maybe, they'd both be lucky enough to make it real someday.