#matamina

"Matatagi? Can I see you for a second before you go?"

The voice had came from the front of the class, the teacher, Ms. Mizuki had called for his attention right after the bell had rung. The boy in question peered towards her. He didn't want to be late for his next class, but how could he say no to a teacher? Mentally, he rolled his eyes, regretting the fact that he might have to dash throughout the school in order to not be late. He's confident that he'd make it on time.

"Yeah," he responds back, grabbing his bag and heading to the front of the room just after the rest of the students had trailed out the door. The boy bites down on his lip, a little worried about what this might be about. He had a feeling that he knew what this would be about and he was dreading it.

The woman wears a gentle smile, brushes back her brown bangs as she prepares herself for this conversation with her student. Matatagi takes notice how she's hesitating and figures it really is bad news, no matter how kind she wanted to be about this.

"Matatagi…I hate to say this, but you haven't been doing well in my class."

And there it was. What he had been dreading to hear, even if he had known it from the start. He just wants to groan in annoyance, but holds back. Not in front of a teacher, he tells himself.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that. I do plan on doing extra credit questions for homework to make up for it though," he responds as he glances down, avoiding her gaze. His hand clenches, angry and frustrated with himself for allowing this to actually happen. Matatagi had wanted to pass all his classes, get nothing but straight A's to keep up that scholarship, but…physics had been taking a toll on his hard work. It was the one class he couldn't defeat and it would hold him back if he didn't at least pass it.

"While I do appreciate you trying, I don't think that it will bring your grade up too high." She pauses. "I think you should get a tutor, Matatagi."

Dark eyes widen as his head shoots up immediately. "I can't-!" His response comes out too fast, maybe makes him look a little scared to even hearing that. "I-I mean…I wouldn't be able to-"

"Oh no," she cuts him off, waving a panicked hand. She hadn't meant to startle the boy. "I don't mean get one outside of school."

Matatagi feels himself sight out in relief.

"I meant another student could do it for you. Someone else in the class. And I already picked someone out to help you," she says with such a sweet smile, as if she were proud of her idea and choice. "He currently has the highest grade in my class, and he's a good boy, so I think he'll be able to help you. I already asked him it he'd be alright with it and he said he would. I just wanted to know if you would be to."

He wanted to say no. He didn't like getting help, even from a classmate that he hardly spoke to. His mind reels through the students who had just been here seconds ago as he tried to figure out who it might be. It couldn't be those he spoke with, they were…average. He only spoke to them about homework and that one kid about track. None of them seemed to be a physics genius. Was there even one in this class? A kid he hadn't spoken to? That seemed like the case.

"Um, who is he, exactly?"

"Minaho Kazuto."

Yeah, doesn't ring a bell.

"Well, I guess taking some lessons from him wouldn't hurt." He tries to make it sound like it's not a big deal and that he's mildly interested. It's not like he was in a position to say no anyway. She had already gone out of her way to pick out a student, talk to him, get him to agree. The only thing he could do was go along with this. Besides, he needed this- he'd do this for his grade.

"Great!" Ms. Mizuki claps her hands together with a joyous look. "I told him that you'd go see him at the library after school. All I want is for you to study with him for an hour a day if you can. Any more is up to you. I told him to go over most subjects and even gave him some spare notes to help. You'll be in good hands."

Matatagi forces a smile to his lips, a little surprised that she had already told him he'd agree. She couldn't have planned him to say yes, could she? What if he had declined? Oh well, he's not going to worry about that.

"Thank you, Ms. Mizuki. I promise I'll do better from now on."

~…~

When he steps into the school's library, he's quiet. Matatagi makes sure his shoes don't squeak as loud, keeps his bag pressed against him to limit the noise he might emit. He keeps his gaze away from the librarian as he passes by the desk. His eyes already begin to scan the room, going to the tables that were set up near the entrance for someone- alone, he assumes, someone he could possibly recognize.

The library is fairly empty, some students in the rows of bookshelves off to the right, theres one table that has a couple studying- they don't look interested in him or physics. He lets out a sigh, wondering why that guy couldn't have just been waiting for him by the door. Or maybe he was early? He was hoping that Minaho hadn't bounced on him.

Since the first few tables didn't have anyone familiar, he passes them, heading over to those off to the side nearby the computer stations. As he crosses over, someone catches his eyes- a hand movement. His head turns and he finds someone waving to him. His eyes narrow for a second and he recognizes that face. It wasn't someone he spoke to, but someone he did have a few other classes with.

"Matatagi," the other boy speaks his name once he had walked over to him, voice low, but not in a whisper. He guessed they could speak somewhat normally since they were pretty far from the librarians corner.

"Yeah, that's me. Minaho, right?" He asks while dropping his bag by the table taking the seat beside him.

"Mhmm!" Minaho smiles, extending a hand to him. "Pleasure to finally speak to you."

"Uhh…same to you," he says, not as enthusiastically before taking his hand to shake. This seemed a little to…formal for his liking. They were in the same year, so he was hoping that he wouldn't do a 180 and become one of those punks who loved shoving their knowledge down other people's throats.

"Thanks for agreeing to be my tutor," Matatagi says, figuring he might as well try to be polite.

"Oh, no need to thank me. I've been curious on how it is to teach someone. You know, they say if you can teach a subject to someone, that means you have a good grasp on it," Minaho replies with a confident grin before he puts a hand on his book. "Besides, I have no problem helping someone who actually needs and wants the help."

"Excuse me?" Matatagi raises a brow to the last comment, hoping that sarcasm hadn't slipped through his teeth.

"I noticed," he starts, eyes going from him to the book, flipping through the pages, "that you do try your best in class. I've seen you struggle a lot, especially with the weekly quizzes. You're not the only one, but you are the one who takes it seriously."

"You've been…watching me?" Matatagi asks in disbelief.

Minaho nods with a hum in response, his hand stopping on a page as he slides the book over to him. "I prefer the term observing. I get bored when there isn't anything else to do in class. You could say people watching is a little hobby of mine to. So, I may not know that much about you, but I do know some small things about you."

"Oh really?" Matatagi gives him a challenging look, finding this to be some bluff of his. He didn't like how…sure of himself he looked when he said that. As if he could list quirks about himself that even he wasn't aware of. "What do you know then?" He's not sure if he wants an answer to that question. He could feel the regret build up when he watches that smile on Minaho's face widen.

"Since you asked…You're one of the few who come early and study beforehand, being on time shows your studious nature, especially for the first class, but looking over previous notes shows that you doubt yourself or are underprepared. You tend to avoid causing trouble with those who sit beside you. And you're rather polite, trying to avoid conflict, even when the occasional rude comment comes up. I've noticed you only talk to a certain few people, but it's always small talk and-"

"That's enough." He says, suddenly, really not having expected that. Maybe he wasn't just all talk. Hopefully that would apply to him being able to teach.

"But I didn't get to the best part…"

Matatagi sighs as the other boy pouts. "I don't need to hear anymore. Just…teach me on this already, okay? I can't stay for long today."

"Why not?" Minaho asks with a curious gaze. "It's the first day, you should stay as long as possible."

"I have something else to attend to, okay?" He replies, hates how he's sounding impatient and rude. That earlier observation of his had thrown him off. Part of him is ready to just tell him to figure it out. "I'll stay longer to make tomorrow to make it up for today. But I have to leave early. Teach me what you can, now."

Minaho stares for a moment, trying to read him. He doubts that Matatagi is trying to get away from him, but something else is important. The tutor doesn't push, not today.

"Alright, let's get started with this problem…"

~…~

"Your grades have been improving, or so I've been told by Ms. Mizuki," Minaho states when Matatagi meets with him at their appointed time and place.

"I've only managed to get a handle on the subject thanks to you," he admits while taking his seat. "I doubt I'd be doing so good on my own. Or with another tutor."

"It's rare of you to actually praise me while looking at me," Minaho says as he props his elbows up on the table, holding his head in his hands. "At least your warming up to me."

Matatagi rolls his eyes to that comment. "I am not warming up to you."

"Would you prefer for me to say you're less hostile than when we first spoke?"

"Explain? Actually- don't. I don't want to hear you analyze me today."

"But you already said explain, so maybe I-"

Minaho stops himself when he sees that glare from Matatagi. He doesn't need to read his expression in depth to know that it's time for him to be quiet. He shrugs in defeat, letting his hands fall to the table, though doesn't look hurt by this loss.

"Okay, I won't. But only for today. Speaking of…are you able to stay?"

"Mmm. Yeah. My brothers have some little fun fair activity after school," Matatagi answers. "I can stay for a little longer than usual, but not too long. I have to go pick them up."

"Good to know! Anyway, I think I know what I can teach you before the midterm. And maybe after that, you'll be good enough on your own."

As Minaho moves his chair closer to his, nearly pressing their shoulders together, his mind lingers on his last comment. He was hoping that he wasn't telling him that this would come to a stop, that this would all just…end. His gaze lifts from the text to Minaho, taking a quick glance at the other boy and how close they were. His eyes were bright, voice energetic, he swears the other had dimples when he smiled. He notices when their hands touch, both resting on the book. If this were a couple months earlier, he knows he would have swatted him away. But now, he doesn't. When had he stopped?

When had he started enjoying these sessions with him? Just…talking with him? God, he didn't know- didn't know why he was thinking about this all of a sudden now. He needed to focus on his lesson. Maybe he shouldn't be this close to him.

But did this really mean anything? It never would. It couldn't mean anything. This wasn't real.

~…~

Matatagi puts his head into his hand, eyes glancing back and forth between paper and blackboard. His hand is moving, writing down the same words written on the board, keeping up with the teacher. His gaze begins to drift away from the board, going to a more familiar person with orange hair. When he notices his attention had drifted off and Ms. Mizuki is moving on, he shakes his head to snap himself out of this daze. He's forced to raise his hand and ask for an extra minute to jot down notes before they're erased.

A sigh escapes him, hating himself for being the one in class to ask for extra time. He didn't mind asking when he really needed it or the teacher wasn't aware of how fast they were going, but asking since he had gotten distracted? God, he felt like a fool.

The lesson continues and Matatagi forces himself to pay attention. He tries to but physics still isn't his best subject and he finds something- someone else taking priority over this subject. By the end of the class, he's not even sure if he remembered anything that was said.

"Matatagi?" It's Ms. Mizuki, calling for him. "Can I see you for a few minutes?"

"Yes," he answers as he's putting away his belongings. Everyone is already shuffling out the door, his dark eyes meet with green. Minaho waves to him, mouthing a 'good luck' before he scurries out with the others.

"What did you want to see me for?" Matatagi asks once he's at her desk.

"It's not about your grades," she reassures, hoping not to startle him like the last time she called for him, even if it had been so long ago. "You've been doing very well lately. I'm happy to see the improvements and knowing Minaho is helping you. It's nice seeing you even work together with him for class assignments."

He feels his cheeks burn upon her noticing that. Well, he guessed it was fairly obvious. They hadn't been close until he started having to turn to Minaho for tutoring. And Matatagi preferred to go to him over anyone else, not just because he was smart, but because he was more pleasant to deal with. He liked him- no, he didn't. Not like that. Now isn't the time to be thinking about that when a teacher was right in front of him.

"I wanted to ask if everything is okay?" He voice snaps him away from his thoughts, thankfully.

"Everything is fine, why do you ask?"

"Well, you haven't been paying attention in class lately. I know this is an earlier one, so I thought maybe you haven't been getting enough sleep?"

"I have. I think I'm just a little worried about other classes. Midterms are coming up all at the same time. So…its a lot. I'm sorry, I'll try to focus more."

"Oh," she seems a little more relieved hearing that. "Well, if anything is ever wrong, you can come to me, okay, Matatagi? I want my students to succeed."

"I will, thank you."

~…~

Matatagi runs a hand through his hair as he stands outside the library. He'd been feeling hesitant to enter this past week. His mind had been overcrowded with thoughts and feelings he didn't want to really address. But, things would be normal. Nothing funny would happen today, he tells himself. With that, he enters the library, heading over to their usual spot. Minaho was already there, as usual.

"I found a really hard problem, bet you can't solve it," Minaho boasts like an energetic child.

"Challenging me right off the bat, huh? Cocky, aren't you?" Matatagi grins in response, taking his seat and already taking the pencil thats left on the table for him. "What is this, for the midterm?"

"Mhm. I think you can handle it now, but taking an extra step of precaution wouldn't hurt."

Matatagi rolls his eyes before they take to the paper. He hadn't expected a problem right away, but whatever. He gazes over the text, reads the problem, and begins to scribble notes necessary that would help him solve this. His mind is completely wrapped up in the problem, so eager to solve it that he doesn't notice the hand placed upon his shoulder and how close Minaho is to him. It wasn't strange anyway, not to him. Matatagi had learned the other liked getting into people's personal space- his anyway.

"Matatagi?"

He hears his own name being uttered so close to his ear, in a strange whisper. It's startling and causes him to turn his head.

"Mina-"

He stops, unable to finish saying his name as he finds something against his lips. He's frozen in place, taking a moment to realize Minaho's lips against his. He's not even sure what to think or if he can. His mind is just blank, everything had stopped. This had all happened so suddenly and- was this real? It is. It's very real. These soft lips pressing against his are definitely real. And upon realizing this, Matatagi bolts up from his seat, knocking the chair back with a thud in this quiet library.

"What the hell was that for?" He shouts, though shortly recalls afterwards that they're in a library and that he might have caused more heads to turn if there were any here. And boy is he grateful the librarian was out for whatever reason, she hadn't come running up to him or heard a shush (and the last thing he needs is detention for being disruptive).

Minaho grins, looking amused though doesn't laugh. "Sorry, I didn't think you'd react so loudly. I just had to confirm something."

"Confirm, what?"

"That you like me."

Matatagi blinks, staring at him. He scoffs, crosses his arms as he tries to think of a comeback, something that wouldn't count as a confirmation or denial. God, his mind was still blank after that kiss.

"What makes you think that, huh? How would you even guess something like that in the first place?" It takes so much to resist shouting at him. For once, he wishes they weren't in the library.

"I thought you'd never ask." Minaho points to him. "Your cheeks are red." This causes Matatagi's cheeks to burn more; he hadn't realized just how madly he was blushing. "You haven't run off or slapped me, as most would do to a failed- hmm I can't call this a typical confession, but one like it. If you need evidence to prove it, you stopped responding so violently to my touch. You find excuses to be with me, in and out of class. I've managed to gain your trust and that's something very hard to earn. And I've seen the way you look at me. I wasn't quite sure what it was before, but I think I was able to identify it. Especially since we're both young adolescents, so I believe you've been having a natural response to-"

Matatagi is quick to move a hand over his mouth before he could continue. This was a physics lesson, not a health one. God, he could feel his face heating up even more now with just a thought of that.

"Okay. Stop." Matatagi slowly removes his hand. "If you…already knew that I liked you. Why did you kiss me out of nowhere?" He hisses through his teeth.

"If I wanted to ask you out normally, I doubt you would have said yes. You would have put on a polite act and turned me down, even if it would be hard for you. Maybe you would have given me time, but call me impatient to say I didn't want to wait. Besides, this was a more interesting way to ask, don't you think?" Minaho gives him an innocent smile.

Matatagi stares at him. He really should have expected something like this from him. But, he was also right and hated that he was. He mumbles a curse underneath his breath and picks up the fallen chair. He sets it back in place, right beside Minaho. He's quiet, just…thinking about what had happened, looking over to the other boy, trying to catch him before he could pull another surprise kiss on him.

"So," Minaho starts, "What's your answer?"

"You didn't exactly ask me, you know…" Matatagi mutters, pulling the book closer to him and trying to see where he had left off. "But, maybe if you help me with this problem, we can figure something out."

"Like a date?"

"Maybe."