𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐬 | niki

5 | strange request

"Bitch, you better be joking." Hana gasps, her hand over her mouth as I quickly try to shush her before the librarian complains again.

"I'm not joking." I whisper.

"So he really followed you into our dorm to put a plaster on your elbow!?"

"Yes Hana. It's shocking, I know."

"Damn, I never expected that from him." She sighs and I lean back in my chair.

"Neither to be honest. But that's the least of my worries, the rumours are still going around and I swear every corner I take there's people whispering about me." I groan.

"They'll fade away soon don't worry. Everyone eventually has to get themselves in a little scandal at some point, even if you do have the perfect rep." She explains to me.

"I guess so... but for this situation I've done nothing. It's been Riddle the whole time."

"He's the biggest player of the school, you know that... but I get that it wasn't your fault whatsoever... I can't lie though Nari, you've had a huge glow up over the summer and I think that's definitely why you're attracting a lot of male gaze." She raises her brows and giggles whilst I drop my jaw.

"There's no way that's the reason."

"Girl, don't be so humble or blind. It's so obvious."

"I mean I guess I definitely have changed from last year so you could be right." I sigh. "But that's not the type of attention I want at all. This year is so important and-"

"Nari Akiyama." The librarian calls out and my heart skips a beat, terrified over whether I'm going to get screamed at for talking too much.

I stand up and head over to the librarian, who looks at me through her lowered glasses that hang barely over the tip of her nose.

"The headmistress calls for you. Go to her office." She tells me and I look over at Hana who gives me a concerned look.

***

"So, Nari. Do you remember our conversation last week?"

"Yes Professor." I gulp. "About how I have to continue to work hard this year and not get distracted."

"Exactly right. Now please do explain to me what happened after school on Friday, between your self, Mr Riddle and Mr Nishimura."

I take a deep breath. "Well you see... I wasn't involved at all. I was only told by the detention supervisor that I had to escort the two of them to your office... but on the way, they broke out into a fight after bickering." I explain to her and her brows raise.

"I've heard about this detention that you were at." She says, sounding almost disappointed and I swear I'm so close to throwing up.

I can't help but yet again clench my fists in anxiousness.

"Professor, please just know that it wasn't my fault. Niki had copied my work and the two of us were both given a detention, all because he wouldn't confess." I explain and she nods, seeming like she understands.

"I see. I do believe you Nari...." She pauses for a moment as if to think. "Mr Nishimura is in most of your classes, correct me if I'm wrong?"

"Yes... he is."

"Well you see, he's been struggling with coping with the NEWT curriculum, as you know the difficulty of content increases by a lot after the OWLS - which he barely passed." She explains and I nod, not even a little surprised.

"I see."

"And since you're in practically all of his classes, and because you're our top student with straight As, I have a request." She tells me and my heart rate increases by the second, having a small idea about where this is going. "Would you mind tutoring Niki for a while? Just up until the mock exams, and if he doesn't pass those then he'll have to drop out."

My mouth is agape. "Drop out?"

"That's if he fails all of them, yes." She adds and I nod.

"Professor... he is the most mischievous student in our year..."

"I know you're worried with having to deal with him, but I promise any idiotic thing he does, report it to me and I'll get it sorted. I do remember what happened to you in first year, and Mr Nishimura was the culprit."

Gosh, this is so embarassing. Even McGonagall remembers and she's ancient.

"And plus," she adds. "This would look amazing on your Head Girl application, supporting an underperforming student at Hogwarts."

My eyes light up. "I'll do it." I say immediately and she smiles in relief.

"Thank Merlin. Right, I've granted permission for you both to use the library after 7pm everyday after school. You might want to go everyday to make most of the time you have left before the exams in December."

"Of course Professor. Does Niki know about this?" I ask.

"Not yet. I'll let him know now, he should be waiting outside the office. Please do call him in." She tells me and I stand up with a gulp before leaving her office.

I look to my right and then my left to find the tall boy with brown and blonde hair stood leaning against the wall, a lolly pop in his mouth. He looks over at me with a curious expression.

"Professor McGonagall wants to speak to you now." I tell him and he takes a couple of steps forward, and towers over me.

He takes the lolly out of his mouth and raises his brows at me before going inside.

For some odd reason, I stand there, frozen in space before I blink back into reality.

Why does he have to be so fine?

***

On my way back to the library to spill the news to Hana, I'm met with Mattheo who falls into step with me as I continue to walk through the corridors.

I scream internally and my face turns red again, as I notice the students walking past us, each one of them giving us a stare and glare, whispering amongst themselves.

"Hey darling." He says and I nod in response, hoping to get away asap.

Yes, Mattheo Riddle isn't awfully looking, and definitely knows how to flirt... the only issue is that he's notoriously known for sleeping with girls, and I don't want people to assume he's done the same with me.

"Just wanted to ask if you're okay, I saw you got hurt on Friday after the fight." He says.

A bit too late, no?

"I'm good, thanks." I reply, and it's only then do I notice that his face is looking awfully injured, with multiple bruises and cuts that are barely healing.

Damn, Niki really did a number on him.

"Where you off to now then?" He asks and I sigh.

"Library. To study." I tell him.

"I'll walk you there."

"It's fine, don't worr-"

"Nari, can I speak to you for a second?" A voice says, a boy passing by us. I turn to realise it's Sunghoon, one of Niki's Slytherin friends.

Sunghoon gives a glare to Riddle and then looks back at me with a smile.

"Sure..." I say awkwardly and leave Mattheo as I continue to walk with Sunghoon. "What's up?"

"You looked uncomfortable. Just wanted to get you out of that awkward situation." He explains to me and my face brightens.

"Ah thank you so much, I'm glad someone noticed." I laugh and so does he as we turn the corner.

"Okay, I think we've lost him. I'll let you go now to wherever you need to be. Don't want to spark any rumours between the two of us now, do we?" He says with a wink, making me laugh as I wave goodbye to him.

Sunghoon is really nice.