The Midterm Mayhem

The air was thick with tension as midterm exams approached. The usually lively halls of the school were now filled with the nervous chatter of students, all discussing the best ways to cram a semester's worth of knowledge into their heads in a matter of days. Aizen, though usually calm and collected, could feel the pressure mounting.

As he sat in the library, staring blankly at his notes, Ryuen plopped down beside him with a dramatic sigh. "I hate exams," he groaned, letting his head fall onto the table.

Kei, who had been calmly flipping through her textbook at the next table, looked up with a sympathetic smile. "You always say that, but you always manage to scrape by."

"Scraping by is not exactly what I'm going for this time," Ryuen mumbled into the table. "I actually want to do well. But man, these subjects are killing me."

Aizen chuckled lightly. "I know the feeling. I thought I was prepared, but the more I study, the more I realize I don't know."

Kei glanced at Aizen's notes, then at Ryuen. "Maybe we should do a group study session. It might help us all stay on track."

Ryuen perked up at the suggestion. "That's not a bad idea. What do you think, Aizen?"

"Yeah, that could work," Aizen agreed, thinking it might be a good way to break up the monotony of solo studying. "We could study at my place. It's pretty quiet."

Kei nodded, then looked over at Violet, who had been silently reading at a nearby table. "Violet, would you like to join us? It might be helpful to study together."

Violet hesitated, looking a bit uncertain. Group study sessions weren't exactly her thing—she preferred studying alone, where she could focus without distractions. But the thought of studying with Aizen, Ryuen, and Kei wasn't entirely unappealing. She glanced at Aizen, who gave her an encouraging smile.

"Okay," she agreed softly. "It could be helpful."

That weekend, the group gathered at Aizen's new apartment, books and notes in hand. The atmosphere was more relaxed than Aizen had anticipated. Ryuen's jokes kept the mood light, and Kei's organized approach to studying helped them cover a lot of material without getting overwhelmed.

Aizen found himself impressed by how focused Ryuen could be when he put his mind to it. Despite his usual laid-back attitude, Ryuen was determined to do well, especially in the subjects he struggled with. Kei, as expected, was the most organized, keeping everyone on track and breaking down complex concepts into understandable chunks.

Violet, though quiet, contributed when she could, offering insights that were often more perceptive than the rest of them expected. Aizen noticed how she would occasionally glance his way, as if checking to see if he was keeping up. It was a small, almost imperceptible gesture, but it made him feel connected to her in a way he hadn't before.

As the study session went on, the initial dread of exams started to dissipate. They took breaks, chatting about everything from school gossip to future plans, which helped ease the tension.

During one of those breaks, Ryuen stretched and looked over at Aizen. "You know, this isn't so bad. I usually hate studying, but this… this I can handle."

Aizen smiled, feeling a sense of camaraderie he hadn't felt in a long time. "Yeah, it's nice. Less stressful when you're not doing it alone."

Kei glanced at her watch. "We should probably wrap up for today, but I think we made good progress."

Violet nodded in agreement. "I feel better about the exams now," she admitted, a small smile playing on her lips.

As they packed up their things and prepared to leave, Aizen felt a sense of relief. The haunting fear of exams was still there, but it was manageable, especially with friends by his side.

Before they left, Ryuen turned to Aizen with a grin. "Same time tomorrow?"

Aizen nodded, feeling grateful for the support. "Definitely."

As the group headed out, Aizen lingered for a moment, watching them go. The stress of midterms was still looming, but he knew they could face it together. And that made all the difference.