It is not enough that we do our best

    “I kept it out in hopes of getting everyone in the mood,” the chemical engineer admits while folding her fingers together and sighs. It seems as if overthinking had let to another problem, and not a fun one to begin with. She kicks the end of her heel towards the ground and nods her head at the idea. “I really didn’t expect anyone too–”

‘No, no!’ 

   She shakes her head and a smile blossoms on her face. The woman sticks out her finger and looks over to the man without further dilemma. “That’s it! If I leave more candy in the boxes, more people will give it more attention!” 

“Little lady you had me at more candy” The former Olympian laughed, golden eyes flashing as he watched how easily the girl’s mood seemed to bounce back from a low; reminded of his own sibling for a moment.

“So now your only problem is how to stop little chow hounds from taking handfuls of the stuff out of your little boxes everyday” He pointed out, tapping a finger on his chin as he contemplated.

  “Por dios..” Aiko rubs her hands together and re-imagines scenarios in her head. Who would be as dastardly to commit such a felon? From what her roommate, Momoi, has spewed about several freshmen on campus, it wouldn’t surprise her if one of the basketball players were up to mischief. 

  “Oh!” The hazel-eyed woman blinks and turns to direct her attention to the redhead. Definitely not someone she’s seen on campus before. Oddly enough, while his mannerisms reek of a child with his body language, her conscious suggests that he isn’t at all a student. She shrugs it off and returns to looking at the calendar. 

  “Aye..” She shakes her head gestures her folded out hand at the advent calendar. “No, no, someone ate some of the candy from it and it ruins the holiday spirit..!” However, the hazel-eyed woman looks back at shorter man and nods her head. “It wouldn’t hurt my feelings, it’s just plain rude.” The ‘r’ rolls off her tongue. 

Listening to the woman explain her dilemma with the apparent dorm candy thief he frowned, his attention moving between the raided calendar and the fallen face of the girl beside it. 

Sliding an arm free from where it was resting the man ran his fingers through spiked hair, just contemplating her words, unable to help the small grin playing on his lips as her accent was clear in her words. Cute.

It was her very first assignment and Juliet couldn’t help but feel excited. She just couldn’t wait to show off the piece she had decided on but perhaps she was getting a bit ahead of herself. It would be important to get in as much practice as she could before she presented her monologue and even more importantly she needed a location to perform said practice.

They had been told at the time of receiving the assignment that they needed to sign for a room and have one of the faculty supervise them. This ‘supervisor’ would also have to sign to say that they had been supervised to keep a record of their attendance at practice so to speak.

juliet had met with little success in finding herself a free faculty member thus far, all the office doors she knocked on either getting no answer or the person behind offering their apologies at being too busy. Hopefully this next door would provide better results.

Knock! Knock!

“Come in, it’s unlocked!”

Beaming at her success, she opened the door a smidgeon and slipped inside. Not paying too much attention to exactly who the other person in the room was at this point, since her mind was currently locked on a single mission, Juliet offered a polite greeting before making her request known, her hands moving to clench together as she braced herself for the answer to come.

“Sorry to bother you Sir, but I need a faculty member to sign out a room for my monologue practice and was wondering if you were available…”

Momentarily removing the pen from his nose as the girl entered, the redhead simply stared. He liked to think he knew most of the faces in his lectures, if not by name then at least by appearance, but the girl in front of him was a completely new face; something that baffled him considering his office hours were only really handed out to his classes.

Though as he watched her seem to tense, as though nervous to speak he raised a brow, wondering what possibly she had to ask that could warrant such a preparation.... Though her words made sense. A faculty adviser. He had heard the other professors on campus complaining about the drama students needing to have the rooms both unlocked but also supervised. While he hadn’t ever been asked himself he didn’t quite get their gripe with it. Wasn’t it their job to help students? Not complain when they had to do exactly that.

He didn’t really seen an issue with helping, after all he was bored out of his mind and this girl seemed sweet enough, besides it might not be half bad listening to a dramatic performance for an hour or so.... But of course boredem was a fickle mistress and the Professor found himself wanting to have a little fun

Leaning back in the chair the man feigned a look of contemplation, once more lifting the pen to try and balance it on his nose as golden eyes just stared up at the ceiling.

“Well, when your parents name you Kisumi…” The strawberry haired male shrugged, feigning annoyance. Kisumi lifted a hand and brushed his bangs back, only to wink and grin at the older male suddenly. It wasn’t so bad, having the name that he did. Growing up, kids had teased him about it but he’d grown out of being the kind of person who took childish jeers to heart. He instead made his own game out of the confusing first name, finding enjoyment in the shocked expressions of others whenever he had the chance to strike.

“…It’s a great ice breaker.” Kisumi laughed, slipping his hands into his pockets and slipping into a more relaxed position, smiling brightly at Seijurou before continuing, “sorry to disappoint, but you’re not that special. Everybody gets at least one~”

Another laugh, “unless you want to be special. I can make an exception for an incredibly talented professor.”

He was joking, of course. The devilish grin that painted his face and the way his violet eyes danced, almost with glee, gave away his intentions as being harmless. A gurgle of laughter flitted its way out of Kisumi and the pinkette kept his gaze settled on Seijurou. He had a lingering fear that perhaps he was taking his teasing a little too far, but was already preparing an apology speech in his head. It was often that he was told he took things too far, and would rather avoid doing so with a professor at his university. 

“An icebreaker huh?” He chuckled, just running his hand along the back of his neck, where the skin was still burning red from residual fluster.  Sure, he was a flirt himself, a shameless one if he had to be completely honest. The difference was that while his flirting rarely got him anywhere, it was more often than not taken as a joke, laughed off... Never reciprocated and certainly not with eyes that were looking at him like Kisumi’s were just then.

He hated to admit he was one upped but the Professor found himself between a rock and a hard place so to speak...  Any other situation he would throw the boy’s flirtations right back in his face but standing behind the desk of his classroom, a professor eyeing a student in his class... It reeked of something he shouldn't be allowing even if it was all just in fun and meant nothing... 

Oh well; he was never very good at following rules anyways

       “It’s only the first and already six pieces are gone..” Aiko taps her foot and stares at the sabotaged Advent Calendar.  Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to leave it out in the hallway for everyone to get in the spirit of the Holidays. 

Seijurou’s obliviousness was surprising – almost humourous. It was also refreshing to meet someone who wasn’t fully aware of their popularity, or their looks. Kisumi found his smile growing the more time he spent standing in front of the professor, glad that he had decided to come and investigate.  “Well, it is pretty impressive, competing in the Olympics. The brand is probably what draws them to you,” Kisumi chuckled lightly, “I can’t blame them for getting excited around you.” However, he laughed hard and real when the conversation steered back to Rin and his relations to the shark-toothed redhead, “believe it or not, but compared to Rin and his friends I can understand why you wouldn’t remember me. They’re all pretty unique – and besides, we’ve never formally met.”  Which is why Kisumi did what he did next. With a wicked grin, the pinkette bounced up, moving forward to press his lips gently to Seijurou’s cheek. It was with another bubble of laughter that he fell back on his heels, sticking his tongue out playfully. “Oops~ It is, isn’t it?” 

“The brand huh....” The professor repeated slowly, a small smirk finding his lips as he did. The brand had been his every day for years, The brand had been his everything between his sponsors, his regime, his publicity.... But never once had he thought about it as an.... Allure? Could he even call it that? Apparently he could from what Kisumi was saying and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

He was usually the excitable one wasn’t he? And he didn’t like to lose.

“Heh, they’re unique alright, but I find it hard to believe that you are going to be a boring kid yourself, afterall if you were friends with them in---”

Well that was different.

Seijurou could feel his ears turning red as the entire back of his neck heated up from the kiss that was just pressed to his cheek. He would admit, a dude had never done that before, and he wasn’t exactly sure it was something he wanted to make a habit, though he would give Kisumi credit for the clever pun on his own name to justify his actions.