Homework

"Yeah, sure, no problem," I replied, trying to sound casual despite a sudden flutter in my chest. This was… unexpected. Spending time alone with Akari outside of a mission context felt different.

I quickly caught up with Yuki and Takeshi, who were waiting for me by the training room exit, already bantering about the merits of extra chili flakes in their ramen. "Hey," I said, falling into step beside them.

"Everything alright?" Yuki asked, his brow slightly raised, sensing a shift in my usual eagerness for post-mission noodles.

"Yeah, uh, Akari just asked if I could help her with some homework," I mumbled, feeling a blush creep up my neck.

Takeshi's eyes widened, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Homework, huh? Alone? With Akari?" He nudged me with his elbow, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Dude, this is it! Your first real solo hang with a girl!"

My nervousness spiked. "It's just homework," I insisted, though even to my own ears, it sounded weak. "Theoretical cybernetics. It's complicated."

Yuki chuckled, a rare sound. "Sure, Hiroto. And Captain Fujimoto knits sweaters in his spare time. Look, man, just relax. Be yourself." His advice, while well-intentioned, felt utterly unhelpful. "Just… don't say anything stupid."

Takeshi, never one for subtlety, chimed in with his own brand of wisdom. "Alright, listen up, Romeo. Girls are like… uh… complicated code. You gotta find the right input to get the desired output. Be confident, but not cocky. Offer her snacks. And for the love of all that is holy, compliment her hair. Trust me on this one." He punctuated his advice with a theatrical wink.

I listened to their utterly cliché and likely disastrous suggestions with a growing sense of unease. "I'm not trying to… I just want to help her with her homework," I reiterated, though a small, traitorous part of my brain was now replaying Takeshi's ridiculous advice.

"Right, right, homework," Takeshi said, drawing out the word with exaggerated skepticism. "Just remember what I said about the hair."

We finally reached the bustling cafeteria, the aroma of spicy ramen filling the air. Despite my burgeoning nervousness, the familiar comfort of my friends and the anticipation of the hearty meal helped to ground me. We slurped down our ramen, the conversation oscillating between Takeshi's continued "romantic" advice (which I diligently ignored), Yuki's dry observations about human social interactions, and my increasingly frantic internal monologue about not saying anything stupid.

The rest of the school day passed in a blur of lectures and training simulations, my mind often drifting back to the impending "homework session." By late afternoon, the academy's corridors had emptied as students retreated to their dorms for some downtime. I changed out of my school uniform into a more casual t-shirt and jeans, my hands feeling slightly clammy as I adjusted the collar.

Taking a deep breath, I walked towards the girls' wing, my footsteps echoing softly in the quiet hallway. My heart hammered against my ribs as I approached Akari's door. Hesitantly, I raised my hand and knocked.

The door slid open to reveal Akari, her hair slightly tousled, wearing a comfortable academy sweatshirt. She smiled, a genuine, welcoming smile that instantly eased some of my anxiety. "Hey, Hiroto. Come in."

Her dorm room was surprisingly neat, a few textbooks and datapads stacked neatly on her desk. A small bonsai tree sat on her windowsill, bathed in the soft afternoon light. Mei wasn't there, presumably still assisting Ren with his decryption puzzle.

"Sorry about Mei," Akari said, noticing my brief glance around. "She got really engrossed in Ren's work. Apparently, it involves some kind of visual encoding that only her 'artistic eye' can decipher." She chuckled softly. "But honestly, I think she just sensed a prime opportunity for some solo study time for us."

She gestured towards a small table with two cushions on the floor. "Make yourself comfortable. I managed to scrounge up some snacks." A plate of colorful mochi and a steaming pot of green tea sat invitingly on the low table.

As we settled down, the initial awkwardness began to dissipate. Akari genuinely seemed to need help with the cybernetics problems, and explaining the complex theories actually helped to calm my nerves. We spent the next few hours immersed in diagrams and equations, my explanations intermingling with Akari's thoughtful questions. I found myself enjoying the way her mind worked, her sharp intellect tackling the intricate concepts with focused determination.

But it wasn't all just dry academics. We took breaks to sip tea and nibble on mochi, our conversations drifting to other things – our experiences on past missions, our favorite anime series, even some of the more eccentric professors at the academy. I discovered that Akari had a surprisingly dry sense of humor and a genuine passion for classic sci-fi films. We even bonded over our mutual frustration with Professor Ito's notoriously cryptic grading system.

As the afternoon light began to fade, casting long shadows across the room, I realized that I wasn't nervous anymore. I was simply enjoying spending time with Akari. We laughed, we debated the finer points of quantum entanglement in neural networks, and we discovered shared interests I never knew existed. The "homework session" had organically transformed into something much more.

The last equation on the problem set finally yielded its solution, a satisfying string of symbols illuminated on Akari's datapad. A sense of accomplishment, mixed with a comfortable exhaustion, settled over us. Looking out the window, I noticed the sky had deepened to a velvety black, the distant lights of the academy grounds twinkling like scattered stars.

"Well," I said, gathering my own datapad and textbook, "I should probably head back to my dorm. It's getting late."

As I stood up, Akari's hand gently touched my arm, stopping me. "Hiroto," she said softly, her gaze earnest. "Would you… would you mind staying a little longer? Mei won't be back for a while, she gets really engrossed in Ren's work, and… it's just nice having someone to talk to."

My heart did a little jump, a sudden surge of unexpected hope. "Yeah, sure," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady despite the accelerated rhythm of my pulse. I sat back down, a nervous energy bubbling beneath my calm exterior.

Akari smiled, a genuine, unguarded smile that made my stomach do a little flip. She pushed the plate of remaining mochi towards me. "Good. More snacks then." She then reached under her bed and pulled out a worn, slightly battered game box. "And… I found this. Monopoly. It's been ages since I've played."

We spent the next hour engrossed in the surprisingly cutthroat world of buying properties and bankrupting each other. Laughter filled the small dorm room, the competitive spirit bringing out a playful side of Akari I hadn't seen before. Just as I was about to land on her heavily mortgaged "Neo-Tokyo Electric," the television screen flickered to life, the familiar opening notes of an anime series filling the room.

"Oh!" Akari exclaimed, her eyes widening with a mixture of surprise and a poignant fondness. "This… this is 'Starlight Brigade.' I used to watch this with my parents," she said, her tone matter-of-fact, almost detached. "Every Saturday morning. We'd make popcorn and… yeah, it was our thing." A beat of silence followed, and then she added, almost as an afterthought, her voice barely above a whisper, "Before… before everything. Before the robots, before they…" She trailed off, her gaze fixed on the screen, a subtle tremor in her voice that belied the seemingly casual words.

She then looked at me, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. "You know, I don't think I've ever told anyone that before." A faint blush dusted her cheeks.

A wave of understanding and empathy washed over me. I offered her a gentle smile, a silent acknowledgment of the vulnerability she had just shown. "It looks good," I said softly, turning my attention back to the screen, wanting to let her know it was okay, that she didn't need to explain further.

We settled into a comfortable silence, the vibrant colors and heroic theme of the anime filling the room. The shared experience, the unspoken connection forged in the aftermath of the mission and the quiet intimacy of her dorm, created a sense of unexpected closeness. Occasionally, Akari would glance at me, a small, wistful smile on her lips, and I would return it, a silent reassurance that we were sharing this moment, this memory, together.

Time seemed to melt away as we watched, the familiar tropes of the anime weaving a nostalgic spell. Eventually, a heavy weariness crept in. I vaguely remember Akari leaning against the wall, her eyes fluttering closed. The next thing I knew, my own eyelids felt impossibly heavy, and the vibrant colors of the anime faded into a soft, dreamless slumber.

A sudden jolt and a cheerful voice jolted me awake. "Well, well, well! Look what we have here!" Mei stood in the doorway, a mischievous grin on her face as she surveyed the scene: Akari and I asleep on the floor, the credits of the anime rolling on the screen, and scattered Monopoly money surrounding us.

Akari stirred beside me, her eyes blinking open in confusion. "Mei? You're back."

"Indeed I am," Mei said, her smile widening. "And it seems I've returned to quite the cozy tableau." She wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

I sat up, a blush creeping up my neck as I realized the situation. "Uh, we just… we fell asleep watching the show."

Akari, looking slightly flustered but also strangely content, nodded in agreement. "Yeah. It was… a long day."

I gathered my backpack, a sense of warmth lingering from the unexpected closeness of the evening. "Well, I should probably really head back to my dorm now."

Mei had already disappeared into their main dorm room, presumably to give us a moment. Akari walked me to the door, her gaze soft. "Thanks again for helping with the homework, Hiroto. And… for staying."

As I looked at her, standing in the soft light of her doorway, the events of the evening replayed in my mind – the shared laughter over the game, the quiet comfort during the anime, the vulnerability she had shown. A sudden wave of realization hit me; Akari was beautiful, her kindness radiating as brightly as the stars outside. I found myself momentarily lost in her emerald eyes.

Suddenly, Akari stood on her tiptoes, her lips brushing mine in a swift, feather-light kiss. My entire face flushed crimson, my brain short-circuiting. Before I could even process the electric touch, a playful, slightly flustered look crossed her face. She gave me a gentle, almost jokey, push towards the hallway.

"Goodnight, Hiroto!" she said quickly, a nervous giggle escaping her lips, before swiftly sliding the door shut.

The door clicked shut, leaving me standing in the hallway, a bewildered smile plastered on my face. Inside Akari's dorm, the silence stretched, thick with the aftermath of the unexpected kiss. Then, a soft thump echoed against the door. Akari had slid down, her back pressed against the cool metal, and was now sitting on the floor, her cheeks burning with an intensity that rivaled a supernova.

Her thoughts were a chaotic jumble. Did I really just do that? Why did I do that? He probably thinks I'm crazy! But beneath the panic, a small, rebellious part of her was strangely pleased. It had felt… right. The connection they had forged during the evening, the shared laughter and quiet moments of understanding, had culminated in that impulsive act.

The sound of running water broke through her internal turmoil. Mei emerged from their shared dorm room, heading towards the small kitchenette to wash her hands. "Woah, Akari," she said, her voice laced with amusement. "Why are you sitting on the floor? And why are you blushing like you've just run a marathon in the Sahara?"

Akari instinctively tried to cover her face with her hands, but it was too late. "It's nothing!" she mumbled, her voice muffled.

Mei raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Nothing? You look like you're about to spontaneously combust. Spill."

Akari tried to deflect, changing the subject. "Did you figure out Ren's encryption?"

Mei, however, was not easily deterred. She crossed her arms, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Nice try, but I'm not that easily distracted. Besides, Ren's code is far less interesting than whatever just happened between you and Hiroto."

Akari groaned inwardly. There was no escaping Mei's relentless curiosity. "Okay, fine," she relented, her blush intensifying. "Something… happened."

"Something?" Mei's eyes widened. "What kind of 'something' are we talking about?"

Akari hesitated, then blurted out, the words tumbling out in a rush, fueled by lingering adrenaline and embarrassment. "I… I kissed him! Okay? I kissed him! And then I panicked and pushed him out the door!"

Mei's jaw dropped. Then, a slow, delighted grin spread across her face. "You… you kissed Hiroto? Akari, that's amazing!"

Akari buried her face in her hands. "It was a mistake! I don't know why I did it!"

Mei, however, was having none of it. "A mistake? Please. I've seen the way you two look at each other. It was only a matter of time." She sat down beside Akari, her voice softening. "Besides, from what I saw earlier, I think he liked it."

Akari peeked out from behind her hands, a flicker of hope in her eyes. "You think so?"

Mei grinned. "Trust me, Akari. You just made a move. And from where I'm standing, it looks like you made the right move."

I stood in the quiet hallway, my hand instinctively touching my lips, a dumbfounded, utterly smitten smile slowly spreading across my face. The walk back to my dorm was a haze of bewildered elation. My cheeks burned, and my thoughts replayed the brief kiss over and over, each mental replay sending a fresh wave of heat through me.

I practically floated into my room, collapsing onto my bed with a goofy grin plastered on my face. Sleep should have been a welcome escape from the day's intensity, but my mind was far too active. Every time I closed my eyes, Akari's face, her soft smile, and the fleeting touch of her lips filled my vision. It was a night of fitful tossing and turning, my dreams a surreal landscape of cybernetics equations dissolving into anime scenes and culminating in a loop of that unexpected kiss. I was officially, and perhaps irrevocably, delusional.