( SURVIVAL LOOKS A LITTLE LIKE DEATH. )

FUN — a word that almost sounded foreign to emile. he regarded the other student with raised brows. “i don’t believe fun to be everything,” he simply answered in return, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. “i don’t listen to any particular bands.”

“my, what else did you work on today? another sacrifice made, ROMAN?”

“i DID, actually,” emile replied dryly, giving the girl the most unamused look he could muster. “crashed right into my skull and lodged itself there. can’t you see?” there was a pause. “no, i in fact did NOT see such a bludger, though i imagine if you had thrown it from the quidditch pitch, it wouldn’t end up anywhere near here, would it?”

“well, you said and i quote, ‘he’s older than you, you know, at least respect him.’ so yes, ren, you were clearly implying that i showed disrespect to your brother when i’ve never done such a thing. do you have memory lapses?” he sneered, posture rigid and not moving an inch from his seat when they scooted closer. “i suppose we’d have to agree to disagree to that, considering that i find myself the luckiest man for never having to like you — not that i ever would.”

“If I have to write one more page of this potions essay I think my brain might explode.”

“funny, considering that if your brain exploded that would mean that you have enough brain cells to cause it to e x p l o d e.”

❛ i’ve heard asking politely works w o n d e r s… ❜

“have you, now? apologies, then. would you please tone down your voice? it’s disturbing my focus.”

“he’s much smarter than me. he’s also smarter than you. he’s older than you, you know, at least respect him, millie!” they rambled, giving the boy lesson to respect elders. “Ah, are you sure? tell me, is it the dumbness that’s lingering my brain or are you just a dumb butt for not liking this cutie?”

“tell me, ren,” he began, voice already dripping with sarcasm. his gaze still hadn’t lifted from the book, though by the way emile was gripping the edges of it, it was quite obvious that he was no longer reading it and rather had his focus on the argument with the other student. “when did i EVER disrespect your brother in that sentence?” there was a pause as he flipped the pages of the book. “the word cutie in itself happens to be a turn-off. my most sincere apologies if that’s a let down.”

ren smiled satisfied. “i’m not even tired, millie. i don’t want to give you a new insult because then, maybe you’ll fall for it.” ren didn’t want to run out of their own patience with this guy today. they are just going to lay low. “my brother used to say that HATE and LOVE could be so blurry sometimes. i don’t want you to hate me more ‘cause then you might fall for me.” 

he opted on completely ignoring the mocking nickname yamamoto gave him, and instead returned his gaze back down to the book that he had been reading. “tell your brother that’s quite an interesting concept, though it isn’t one that i believe or have given much thoughts to. seems like he’s at least smarter than you are, though, so i suppose i’ll give him credits for that,” the boy replied dismissively, fighting the urge to roll his eyes at how stupid the very idea of that was. “but frankly, yamamoto, you just don’t HAPPEN to be my type.”

I am too intelligent, too demanding, and too resourceful for anyone to be able to take charge of me entirely. No one knows me or loves me completely. I have only myself.

“wasn’t talking to you, mr. smarty pants,” they hissed. they couldn’t believe that the only one responding was emile. “ah right! my purpose here wasn’t actually only to read books. it also happens to annoy you as well! how fun!”

“MR. SMARTY PANTS,” emile repeated flatly, brows still raised at the other student. “how incredibly creative of you. that’s a new one i haven’t heard before. but really, i wouldn’t want to tire your brain cells out trying to come up with new CREATIVE insults just to annoy me. aren’t you exhausted already?”

“and NO OFFENSE, but i wasn’t actually the one asking. perhaps pay attention next time — just enough to not embarrass yourself? you, unfortunately, have the wrong person here.” emile jerked his head toward the boy sitting at the far end of their table, whose head was now buried in his book to save himself from the embarrassment. “it was him asking.”

“and yes, please do understand that i’m not here to stop you from finding that out, though asking me about it might not be the wisest idea you have. whatever makes you think i’d have an idea at all about it?”

“I think I’m just going to dropout or something. I’m so fucking done with this school.”

“yes, and i’m SURE it’s entirely necessary for the whole school to listen to your dramatics. if you’re so ‘fucking done’ with this school, then no one’s really stopping you to try go through those gates. and if you expected me to cry and tell you i’d miss you if you do drop out, then i’m afraid i’m going to have to disappoint. don’t be a dramatic child.”

“not particularly. you were merely a little too loud for my liking, and if isn’t quite obvious yet, i was trying to FOCUS before you came alone.”

his brows quirked upon overhearing the other person’s words. “i believe that you aren’t required to be in the library if books are boring to you. it’s the library, it serves us students to read. if that doesn’t suit you, then by all means, you’re free to leave.”