First Impressions

The classroom buzzed with energy as students filled the seats, exchanging morning greetings and discussing the latest campus happenings. The scent of chalk lingered in the air, mixing with the faint aroma of old books stacked on the shelves. A ceiling fan hummed overhead, its steady rhythm adding to the background noise of whispered conversations and the occasional scrape of chairs against the floor.

Hyacinth settled into his seat, quietly observing his new classmates. Some gave him polite nods, while others seemed too engrossed in their conversations to notice him.

The professor soon entered, setting his materials down before scanning the room. He dusted off his hands, a faint cloud of chalk settling on his desk. "Before we begin, I'd like to introduce a new student joining us this year. Everyone, please welcome Hyacinth Flores."

A few heads turned in his direction, some with mild curiosity, others with indifference. Hyacinth gave a small nod in response, his fingers tightening slightly around his whiteboard.

Whispers started to circulate among some of the students, though they weren't all about him being new.

"Is he… wearing a flower headband?"

"That's kinda… you know."

"Never seen a guy wear something like that before."

Some of the boys exchanged glances, their expressions ranging from confusion to mild amusement. One even scoffed under his breath, shaking his head. Another muttered something to a friend, making them stifle a laugh.

Hyacinth noticed but kept his expression neutral. He was used to looks like these, to silent judgments hidden beneath casual remarks. Instead of reacting, he simply adjusted the headband, making sure it was properly in place. If they had a problem with it, that wasn't his concern.

Before the professor could continue, the door swung open, and a figure strolled in with an air of nonchalance.

A sudden burst of hushed squeals erupted from a group of girls.

"Ahhh, Yukimura's here!"

"He's late again, but I don't even care!"

"Did you see the video of Rhapsody's latest performance? He was incredible!"

Hyacinth blinked, glancing between them and the latecomer. He observed the way some students looked at him—some with admiration, others with irritation. The boy carried himself with an effortless coolness, dark eyes scanning the room as if nothing around him was worth his time. Even the professor only sighed, as though he had long given up trying to correct his tardiness.

Curious, Hyacinth quickly wrote on his whiteboard before showing it to the girls. Is he famous?

One of the girls gasped softly. "You don't know Yukimura? He's the drummer of Rhapsody! He's insanely talented!"

Another chimed in, "Not just that, he's a total prodigy! He's good at everything—piano, drums, even composing! But he's kinda… you know, hard to talk to."

Hyacinth glanced back at Yukimura, who had already taken his seat, looking completely uninterested in the conversation around him. He was the same person he had seen at the auditorium earlier. The cold, empty playing suddenly made more sense—despite the praise, despite the admiration, there was something distant about him.

The professor sighed, rubbing his temples. "Since we're all here, let's get started. But first, I need to inform you all about an upcoming assignment."

Hyacinth turned his attention back to the front as the professor continued.

"For this challenge, you and your partner will be recomposing a song together. It's a test of creativity, collaboration, and technical skill. Since we have an odd number of students… and because someone was late again, I'm assigning them as a partner to our new student as a form of punishment."

A few students snickered, some covering their mouths to stifle their laughter, while others exchanged amused glances. The occasional whisper floated through the air, just quiet enough to be overheard. Someone near the back muttered, "This should be interesting," earning a few quiet chuckles in response.

The professor sighed, looking directly at Yukimura. "That means you."

Yukimura, who had been resting his chin on his palm, barely reacted. He exhaled through his nose, clearly displeased. "That's unnecessary. I can do this alone."

The professor shot him a pointed look. "And yet, you won't."

A few students murmured among themselves, entertained by the situation. Some even shot Hyacinth amused glances, as if to say good luck dealing with him.

"Anyway," the professor continued, rubbing his temples, "the music rooms on the 9th floor are available for practice. Just make sure you don't wreck anything, and you'll need to request permission with the counter on that floor before using a room."

Hyacinth jotted the information down in his notes. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Yukimura tapping his fingers against the desk, a subtle sign of impatience.

Once the lesson ended and students began packing up, Hyacinth wasted no time in approaching Yukimura. He tapped his shoulder lightly. Yukimura stilled for a brief moment, his posture going rigid as if startled by the unexpected touch. When he turned, his dark eyes flickered with something unreadable—mild surprise, perhaps, before it quickly hardened into irritation.

Hyacinth quickly wrote on his whiteboard. When do you want to start?

Yukimura read the message before scoffing. "Do whatever you want. I don't need a partner."

Hyacinth frowned slightly, tightening his grip on his whiteboard. This wasn't exactly surprising, but it was frustrating. He wrote again, It's an assignment. We have to work together.

Yukimura barely glanced at the message before grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "I can handle this on my own." His voice was devoid of any warmth, his words clipped and final. For a split second, his fingers tightened around the strap of his bag, as if restraining an unspoken thought. Then, without another look at Hyacinth, he turned on his heel and strode toward the door, his posture rigid with quiet defiance.

Hyacinth watched him leave, fingers tightening around his marker. A few remaining students muttered among themselves, some exchanging knowing looks. Clearly, this wasn't an unusual interaction with Yukimura.

Hyacinth took a slow breath, then exhaled. This was going to be more difficult than he thought. He wasn't sure how he would manage to work with someone so unwilling, but if Yukimura thought he could simply push him aside, he had another thing coming.

One way or another, they were going to complete this assignment—together.