DREAMBOUND

Bonds Formed in the Morning Light (Part Three)

The duo settled into their seats at a cozy corner table nestled among the towering shelves of the library. Saku watched as Shoji retrieved a folder, a notebook, and a pencil from his bag, his movements deliberate and focused. Inspired, Saku reached into his backpack, fingers grazing over the smooth surface of his laptop.

Lost in his thoughts, Saku found himself staring blankly at the wall, the soft hum of conversation and rustling pages surrounding him like a comforting blanket. Suddenly, a whispered voice pierced through his ears, accompanied by a startling wave of Shoji's hand dancing in front of his face. Saku jolted back to awareness, his head spinning as if he had been pulled from a deep trance.

"Are you okay?" Asked Shoji, Sounding quite concerned.

For a moment, it felt as though he had a vision of some sort, something just beyond the edge of his consciousness, but the memory slipped through his fingers. Shaking his head to clear the lingering confusion still dancing around his mind.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, Saku smiled faintly trying to reassure Shoji that he's okay.

Minutes ticked by in silence, broken only by the soft shuffle of pages and the occasional whisper coming from the front desk. Shoji swiped out his headphones and slipped them on, disappearing into his own private world of music and distraction. Saku observed him discreetly, his own curiosity grew by his friend's actions. imitating Shoji's movements, he retrieved his own phone and earbuds, careful not to attract attention.

A mischievous grin tugged at Saku's lips as Shoji caught Saku's imitation out of the corner of his eye.

With a raised eyebrow and a playful tone, he teased, "Hey, are you copying me?" Saku couldn't help but chuckle at being caught in the act.

"Yes, you practically screamed at me, keep your voice down!" Saku replied, seeming like he might burst out laughing.

Shoji's hand flew to his mouth dramatically in realization, his eyes darting around the library in exaggerated paranoia. "Oops, my bad," he whispered, his voice barely audible above the hushed ambiance of the library. He cast a quick glance over his shoulder, ensuring no one had overheard their playful banter.

As an hour passed by, Saku's fingers danced across the keyboard, each keystroke bringing him closer to completion. With a satisfied sigh, he closed his laptop, the soft click echoing in the quietude of the library. Shoji, focused on his own work, glanced up from his notebook at the sound.

"Done already?" Shoji exclaimed in a quiet tone, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise as he tried to maintain his tranquility.

"Yep, now I only have to wait for you-" Saku began, but before he could finish, Shoji interrupted with a playful jab.

"Oh shut up!" he teased, a smile forming at his lips.

With a chuckle, Saku nodded. Both of them knew that Shoji only meant it in a Playful manner.

Shoji still had his eyes on his notebook despite the conversation going on. Shoji carefully placed his pencil down, signaling the completion of his own task. He slid his pencil into the spine of the notebook and closed it. Then he slipped the notebook alongside the folder neatly into his backpack.

Hanging his backpack on the back of the wooden chair, Shoji twined his fingers together and placed them on the back of his head, increasing his lungs, following a large sigh. Leaning back in his seat, he savored the moment of relaxation after the flurry of productivity, and working in the quiet of their shared study session.