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"Ugh. It's like high school all over again." Asa groaned. "All everyone ever talks about is how hot he is, how amazingly talented he is, how his parents must be so proud of him, like are we not related? Am I invisible?"
Arsyne hums out a response, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she writes down notes for her liberal arts course.
The usual chatter of her best friend was muffled in her ears, her mind still replaying Akira's performance from the night before. She couldn't shake the image of him playing the piano, the way his fingers danced over the keys with a confidence that was almost intimidating. His deep gaze was ingrained in her brain, making her frown slightly at the tingle she felt in the pit of her stomach, or maybe it was the heated stare he was sending her across the room.
"So, I am invisible."
"Not as much as I'd like," Arsyne teased. "You don't even have this class, Asi."
The youngest Saito looks around in confusion before mumbling which lesson was she meant to be in. "Humanities." Arsyne sighed.
The reminder made the blonde girl shoot up out of her seat and bolt out of the Music class, quickly greeting a short man with salt and pepper hair who was walking into the lecture hall.
"Settle down, class!" Professor Miyazaki's voice cut through the brightly lit lecture hall. The students gradually quieted, all eyes turning to the front of the room where the professor stood with a stack of papers. "As you all know, students are required to complete a minimum of 24 credits by the end of this year. To help you achieve this goal, I have a new project for you all, and it's going to require you to work in pairs."
Whispers and groans echoed from the class, but Arsyne remained silent, her narrowed eyes fixed on the professor. She hated group projects. They always meant relying on someone else to put in the work, and she preferred to work alone.
Professor Miyazaki continued, undeterred by the students' lack of enthusiasm. "This project will focus on blending different art forms to create a cohesive piece. Each pair will need to combine their musical talents to compose an original work that incorporates elements from both members' specialties."
Arsyne's stomach churned at the thought. A heavy feeling settled in her chest as she wondered who she would be with. She kept to herself most of the time, so she didn't know that many people. She could already feel the tension building in the lecture hall, everyone looking around for their perfect partner. She hoped she wouldn't be with someone incompetent. Or loud. Or talkative. Or Akira.
"I've already assigned the pairs for the most compatible students, talent-wise," the professor announced, scanning the room, before lifting up his round glasses to read off his stack of papers. "Listen carefully for your name."
Arsyne listened as name after name was called, her heart pounding louder with each one. She squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation, reassuring herself that everything would be fine.
"Akira Saito and Arsyne Zervas."
Her head snapped up, eyes widening in shock. She glanced across the room to where Akira sat, his usual smug expression replaced with one of mild surprise. Their gazes locked for, a moment, and she quickly looked away, scoffing in annoyance. Heat spread across her chest, all throughout her body reaching her fingertips. She clenched her fists to release the feeling.
The professor finished reading off the pairs and clapped his hands to silence the students. "Alright, find your partners and start discussing your project. Remember, this will be a significant portion of your grade, so please, take it seriously."
Arsyne hesitated for a moment before slowly gathering her things and making her way over to Akira's desk which was surrounded by his friends, Riki, Kairo, and Zero. Each step she took was heavier than the other, the feeling of running away stronger than her strides. He watched her approach, an amused smile playing on his full lips.
"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise?" he drawled, leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed. "Looks like we're compatible, Zervas."
This made his friends chuckle slightly. She clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to snap at him. She responded with an uninterested hum.
Akira chuckled, shaking his head. "Always so charming. Let's sit over there, these idiots might distract us." He pointed to an empty row farther up the room, and she followed him reluctantly, her heart beating erratically.
They sat down, an awkward silence settling between them. Akira had the urge to fill the silence with snarky remarks but decided against it due to how nervous the silver-haired girl looked. Arsyne busied herself with arranging her notebook and pens, avoiding his gaze, shifting her eyes all around the room, analysing her peers and how joyous they looked with their partners.
"So," Akira began, breaking the silence. "Any ideas on how we should start, Zervy?"
She frowned at him, irritation bubbling up. "I don't know. You're the prodigy, remember? Why don't you come up with something?"
He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "That I am. Fine, let's start with what we're good at. You're a cellist and I'm a pianist. We could create a piece that combines both instruments, creating a harmonious rendition of our favourite artists. Using the composition of different composers, we can get an idea or inspiration on how to proceed, don't you think?"
The words he spoke so expressively and articulately had her slightly impressed with his passion and devotion to music. He almost seemed...cute.
Arsyne quirked a brow, considering his suggestion. "I agree. But we need to make sure it's something unique. I don't want to sound like every other duet out there."
Akira nodded while leaning forward, looking closely into her hazel eyes. "Mhm. We'll need to find a way to blend our styles without clashing, Zervy. It'll take some work, but I think we can manage."
"If you need to call me a name, call me by my first."
"Why? You don't like, Zervy?"
"If I didn't have a problem, I wouldn't have called you out on it," she rolled her eyes, her hands clamming up at the close proximity.
He smirked smugly, "So you're saying if I called you...sweetheart, you wouldn't mind?"
"Don't piss me off." She scoffed in disbelief.
"Okay...honey" he bit back a smile from how Arsyne's face curled up in disdain from the pet name.
"You think you're so cute."
"I think I'm adorable."
Arsyne sighed, vehemently bothered by his presence. "Alright. Let's start brainstorming then."
They spent the next hour tossing ideas back and forth, the initial tension gradually easing as they found a rhythm in their discussion with a few smart remarks here and there. By the time the professor bid them goodbye, signaling the end of the lesson, they had a rough outline of how they wanted to proceed with the project.
As Arsyne gathered her things to leave with a quick goodbye to Akira, he called after her. "Hey, Zervas."
She turned with a hum; an eyebrow raised in confusion as he towered over her figure. His expression softened slightly, a hint of sincerity in his eyes. "We make a pretty good team."
She stared up at him for a moment, her mind running with confused thoughts. Taken aback by his unexpected compliment, finally, she nodded. "Yeah. Maybe we do. You're smarter than you look."
He laughs in disbelief at her words, "I should've seen that coming."
As she walked out of the classroom, Arsyne couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, this project wouldn't be as terrible as she had feared.
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𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐲𝐧
Teen Fiction"Don't talk to me. Don't look at me. Don't think about me. Don't even breath in my direction." Akira said before walking away from her. She sighed loudly in exasperation, barely keeping up with his long strides. After a few minutes he suddenly stopp...
