Free My Heart (Zero Kiryu x Reader)

Chapter IV - Innocence and Scars

With a hand under your chin and another holding a pen between its fingers, you gazed attentively at the words scribbled over the blackboard all the while listening to the teacher as he gave his discourse; Polynomial Functions: Remainder and Factor Theorems. Not that you enjoyed it, really...

"Alright, students. Write down your assignment for tomorrow."

"No!" Long whines of complaint echoed throughout the classroom. Your fellow classmates were clearly not happy. "Can't we pass without any assignments? Just this once? Please..?" some of them protested.

"Not when I'm your teacher." He replied.

"Uuuunnngh..." they all grumbled.

"You'll be working on solving the following problem..." As the teacher was still in the process of writing the assignment on the blackboard, the school bell rang, signaling by that the conclusion of the last period of that day. "Alright, that will be it for today." With that, the teacher dismissed the class. A relieved sigh escaped your lips as the tiring day has come to an end and so you began to gather your stuff. You stood up from your seat and grabbed your textbooks, when a group of girls came to your side: "_______-chan!" exclaimed the first one, "we are going into the town. We're gonna do some shopping. Would you like to come with?"

"Um... thank you, but..."

"Come on, _______-chan!" another girl insisted.

"I'm seriously tired today. I don't think I'll be able to go."

"_______-chan! Please?"

"I'm sorry. Maybe next time." You smiled.

From the corner of your eye, you noticed Zero walking past you and your companions, through the aisle of desks – avoiding the groups of students that scattered here and there – and your eyes followed him as he proceeded swiftly out of the classroom. It seemed, however, that your vision was fixated – a little more than intended – on the door through which the young man had left.

"_______-chan," one of the girls, the feistiest of the gang and quite the fashionista – you have concluded – slid her hand through the crook of your arm and purred quite foxily: "Hmm... so, you're checking him out, I see?"

Your eyes darted to her: "Huh?"

"_______-chan..." her sly words left her expertly glossed lips: "I've got a question for you."

"O-okay?" You sweat-dropped.

"What's between you and Zero?" She asked plainly.

"What?!"

"Come on, tell us!"

"Nothing! There's nothing..."

"Nothing, you say?" she questioned with a skeptical tone to her voice.

"Y-yeah... we're just friends, you know..."

"Right, right..." she tapped your shoulder, "I'll let you off for now." She released you from her hold and pushed you gently in the direction of the exit: "You can go now. You can't keep your date waiting." You could easily espy the tease in her tone.

"He's not..."

"Whatever." She said while the other girls giggled among themselves. You saw it better to leave them before they cornered you any further. So you pressed the textbooks against your chest and hurtled outside the classroom, making sure not to allow them to perceive the intensifying blush that has already made its way to your face. As you stepped out of the classroom, you found the silver-haired male, Zero, standing out there while casually leaning against the wall and with arms crossed in front of his chest. In an instant, your cheeks flushed bright red at remembering your classmates' implicit remarks, but you managed to smile anyways: "Zero."