Classroom of the elite short Stories

Boldness

Sitting on a bench in a park, I find myself watching the scenery around me. The leaves shake above me, and small patches of light pass by as the sun shines in between the leaves. From below, I can see small blades of grass and the sidewalk. The air around me smells like freshly cut grass and flowers wafting through the air.

A girl dressed in dark colours with a mysterious vibe, she has long black hair and dark eye liner, as well as pale skin and a dark ress. She walked over and, without a word, sat next to me, watching the scenery with me.

I glance over at the girl sitting next to me with her beat-up vape pen in her hand, sucking on it like there's no tomorrow. I can't help but wonder how she got her hands on something like that—it's probably homemade or something since there's no way someone her age could buy this legally in school.

Out of nowhere, the girl lets out a blast from her vape pen, sending a plume of vapour right into my face. She follows it up with a laugh, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Hey, new boy," she addresses me, her tone light and playful. "I don't think I've seen you around here before.”

"Uh, hi," I reply, trying to keep my voice even despite the unexpected cloud of vapour in my face. " "I'm not really the new guy," I reply, my voice measured and calm. "I've been here for a while; I'm just not very sociable. Also, I'd really appreciate it if you could quit blowing that stuff in my face.”,” I add, gesturing towards her homemade vape pen.

With a mischievous grin, she takes another puff from her vape pen and blows an even larger cloud of vapour into my face. I feel the nicotine-laced mist land on my skin, and I can tell she's just teasing, but the strong smell bothers me.

"Lighten up a bit, won't you?" She says it with a carefree smile. "I'm just playing around. You take things too seriously."

I nod slightly, acknowledging her demeanor. "Ayanokoji Kiyotaka," I introduce myself, "you must be the troublemaker."

She gives me a sly grin and laughs before replying in a sultry tone, "Yeah, I go by Voriya. Trouble queen. But I have a feeling you could totally call me ‘princess.’” Her voice is laced with flirtatious undertones as she looks at me, her eyes glinting with a mix of mischief and charm.

I acknowledge her flirtatious words by nodding my head silently. I don't reciprocate her advances, but I can't help finding her boldness a bit amusing.

She moves closer, the scent of her vape filling the air as she puffs on it again and blows the smoke in my face once more. She looks me up and down, her eyes filled with curiosity. "You're kind of weird," she repeats more softly this time, her tone holding a slight hint of intrigue. I meet her gaze steadily, maintaining my composure despite the close proximity of her body to mine.

the scent of artificial raspberry filling my nostrils. Her gaze fixed on me as she made her observation.

"I've been told that before," I respond, my voice neutral yet polite.

I let out a small sigh before responding,Funny, I was just thinking the same about you." As I reply, I lean back ever so slightly to maintain some distance between us.

Her hand reaches out to touch my cheek, her fingers grazing lightly over my skin. As she speaks, her tone is filled with mild irritation, as if she's frustrated with my lack of reaction. “At least I've got emotions to show," she says, leaning in closer. “But you seem like a damn machine.

As her fingers move down to my lips, she continues, her voice teasing and soft. “Smile. Laugh. Cry. Do something to prove you're alive.”

"It's the default setting," I replied. A scoff of disbelief escapes her, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise at my remark. "Default setting? Really? You're joking, right?" Her fingers, still resting on my lips, move slightly, as if trying to coax some expression out of me.