Project Cupid | Ongoing

07 | queen of the classroom

"AS PROMISED, I will be passing out today's quiz. This is the first one for this year but I expect you all to take it extremely seriously. Am I clear?"

The second year mathematics teacher, Mr. Koganei, was leaps and bounds younger than Mr. Fujinaka and a heck of a lot stricter. While my classmates recited an extended "yes, sir" in accordance, Ren Takumi, the king of the classroom himself, sat straight as a ruler in his chair, his posture textbook perfect.

My eyelids prickled with tears as a yawn came over me. I bet his back never hurt.

"Take one and pass it down." Mr. Koganei interrupted my train of thought. His sharp eyes bore into mine as he dropped a stack onto my desk. "Those who fail will have remedial lessons with me after school. Indefinitely."

"Just for a quiz?" Naoya Otomo called out. "Come on, that's unfair!"

"If you have a problem, then pass. Failures have no say in my classroom."

"Cruel bastard."

"Otomo. Come visit me after class."

"You heard that?!"

Naoya's complexion visibly reddened. He didn't make a peep after that. Up against a snob like Mr. Koganei, it was the smartest move.

Since Mr. Koganei had high expectations for all of his students, that meant he was especially cruel to those who didn't reach them. In the past, I'd written a fair share in the school's gossip column where I highlighted his questionable teaching methods. So far, the headmaster hadn't done anything to address them—merely brushed the gossip aside as nothing less than baseless rumours. Most likely than not, nothing was going to change this year either. In that case, it was better to do as told. Pass and avoid his wrath.

As soon as the signal to start was given, the classroom was engulfed with the scraping of erasers, the taps of pencils, and the clicks of Mr. Koganei's shoes as he strolled up and down the rows.

I twirled my lead pencil between my thumb and index finger. Or, at least, tried to. Amidst my struggle to master the art of pencil-twirling, Takumi's chair screeched, and he ascended to his feet. He approached the front of the room where Mr. Koganei stood adjacent to the front podium.

Mr. Koganei blinked three times as he received his quiz. Then, glanced at his watch. "You've finished already? It hasn't even been ten minutes."

"It was just that easy," Takumi answered, coolly as ever.

Murmurs arose.

"Takumi is so smart," a girl gushed.

"I bet he'll score at the top of the class, like always," whispered another.

"There's no way Mr. Koganei's dumb tests could hold a candle to my best friend's great mind. The guy's a genius."

"Otomo." Mr. Koganei glared directly at the guy. "As of this moment, you're attending remedial lessons."

"Why me?! I wasn't the only one talking!" Naoya complained.

As Naoya grumbled under his breath, the classroom fell deathly silent. 

Takumi's eyes crossed mine as he returned to his desk. He scoffed under his breath. His disgust was clear as glass.

Nevertheless, I twirled my pencil. In due time, other students got off their butts to hand in their quizzes. Mr. Koganei graded them as they piled in one by one. Before I knew it, almost a half hour had passed, and hushed whispers picked up around the room.