STAR-CROSSED, t. keita

✩ THREE

"How do I look?"

"As good as you looked the last time you asked."

"Right, right... But do I look better now?"

Mashiho dropped his head into his hands, swallowing the words he wanted to say to Naomi and settling with a forced smile. "You look great."

Unlike her two friends, Naomi lived in a dorm on campus. Mashiho stayed with some friends at an apartment a few miles away, and Hiro lived in her parent's old house. Given the proximity, Naomi had already changed her outfit four times after deciding to help greet the new students with Hiro.

"They should be here already," Hiro checked her watch and blew a piece of hair from her face as she sighed. "What's taking so long?"

She wasn't excited to greet the transfers, but the longer she wasted waiting around, the less time she had to study and work on her assignments. Hiro was always on top of her schedule, and greeting newbies wasn't something she had planned for.

Her gaze flew from the door back to the automatic clock on the wall. "Ten minutes..." she mumbled to herself. A thin layer of sweat was forming on the back of her neck. "Ten minutes until we have to fight to stay in this class."

"We don't have to fight anyone. We aren't getting kicked out." Mashiho encouraged with a toothy grin. It was true, technically, but still. Hiro wasn't as worried about the class as she was about the internship that came after.

As if he could read her thoughts, Mashi pat Hiro on the back. "Don't worry, Hee. Everyone and their mothers know that the NASA internship spot belongs to you."

"Yeah," Naomi joined with a reassuring smile. "You have nothing to worry about!"

But all Hiro could do was worry. If these students were good enough to switch into their Japanese program mid-year, how good were they really?

Sensing her friend's worry, Naomi threw an arm around Hiro's shoulder and pulled her close. "Aw, babe! If it comes down to it, Mashi and I will sabotage all six students so you stay in first."

Her words were meant to be comforting, but for some reason, they made Hiro feel worse. She leaned against the wall, arms over her chest as she continued staring at the clock. Naomi and Mashiho got bored, and when Hiro looked back at them, she realized they'd started having a thumb war.

"Ha! I win again!"

"No fair, you're cheating!"

"Why? Cause my hands are bigger than yours?"

"Shut up!"

A soft, subtle knock on the door broke the two's bickering, and Hiro pushed herself away from the wall with the heel of her shoe. Her arms remained over her chest as her eyes fell on the creaking door.

One by one, students entered. They all bowed respectfully upon seeing the three and greeted them with polite smiles that Naomi and Mashi happily returned.

"Hello! I'm Seowon, this is Chaeyeong and Eunhye," the boy in front introduced, sweeping his hand as he named the two girls beside him. They all looked pretty, with glassy skin and sparkly eyes. Hiro didn't want to admit the twinge of jealousy that pinched a nerve in her chest.

Naomi stepped forward and waved with both hands. "Hi! My name is Naomi," she stepped to the side to reveal Mashi, who'd been standing behind her. "This is my friend, Mashiho, and that's Hiro."

Seowon's face lit up. "Hiro? Like Big Hero Six? It's nice to meet you!"

Hiro's face remained blank as she fought the urge to say "No." Both Naomi and Mr. Toyonaga warned her to be on her best behavior, so instead of arguing, she forced a smile. "Sure. Like Big Hero Six."

Before the others could ask questions, the door moved again, and two more students stepped through. They were both male, one wearing a cute pair of glasses while the other wore a black Adidas jumpsuit.

They both smiled, and the shorter of the two said, "It's nice to meet you. This is Taerae, and I'm Wumuti."

"Wumuti?" Mashiho asked slowly with furrowed brows. "That doesn't sound very Korean..?"

The boy, Wumuti, smiled in a way that made his eyes pinch. "I'm from China! There weren't a lot of astrological opportunities there, so I moved to Korea, and now I'm here!"

They seem nice enough... Hiro thought with narrowed eyes. Still, they were her competition. Half of them would drop out before the semester was over; there was no point getting close.

After a few more moments of greeting, Hiro started counting heads under her breath. "One, two, three, four, five... where's six?"

"Hm?" Seowon looked around before scratching his head. "I don't know? He was right behind us—"

The door opened a final time, and Eunhye stepped back to scold the boy for being late. Hiro couldn't see anything from behind the girl, but she wasn't bothered. Why would she be? It's not like they'd become friends or any—

"Sorry, I'm late. I accidentally got off on the wrong floor." The boy chuckled, and Hiro felt her blood run cold.

She knew that voice, that laugh. But from where? The sound itched her brain, begging to be recognized, but Hiro couldn't figure out why he sounded so familiar until Eunhye moved.

Hiro's breath caught in her throat. He'd aged from the last time she'd seen him, but it was him. He had the same nose, the same crooked smile, the same melty-brown eyes. This boy was Terazono Keita. He was her best friend.

He must have recognized her to, because Keita's lips suddenly fell to part in shock. Neither said anything as they stared, taking in each other's appearance in surprise.

Finally, his mouth twitched. "H-Hiro—"

But Hiro had already turned away and made her way back to the classroom, her heart about to beat out of her chest as tears pricked her eyes.

•
hiii how are you guys today? <3