Satzu one-shots + incorrects

The nerd

From the very beginning, Sana had Chou Tzuyu perfectly categorised: top of the class, sharp eyes and sharp words. She was probably emotionally inaccessible and intimidating in a way that only beautiful, brilliant people with naturally perfect posture could be. She looked like the kind of person who probably brought two pencil cases to lectures for emergencies, corrected professors with grace and a look of indifference and filed her lecture notes with military precision. She probably also had the neatest handwriting known to mankind.

However, Tzuyu wasn't mean. She wasn't cruel. She just looked like someone who had never laughed at a stupid meme...or cried at a movie. Or, god forbid, procrastinated. 

"She probably hasn't smiled since birth," Sana whispered to Momo in one of their shared electives, watching as Tzuyu calmly raised her hand to debate with the professor about the structural inconsistencies in the assigned text.

"She looks like she east facts for breakfast," Momo replied, sipping on her coffee, "Y'know...just chew on some raw statistics with her toast."

Sana shuddered, "I can't even look her in the eye. She's so composed."

They both nodded solemnly before tuning back into the lecture.

Naturally, Sana tried her best to avoid Tzuyu at all costs. So when Sana found her name listed next to Tzuyu's for a thesis project, Sana sat in silent protest for ten full minutes. Then, in her usual dramatic flair, she launched herself onto Momo's bed and groaned like her soul was escaping.

"I can't do this! I will literally combust. My heart cannot handle such pressure. I'll choke on my own awkwardness and wish that I'd stayed at home instead. Do you think I can get a doctor's note for psychological distress?" Sana cried.

"You could dislocate your shoulder," Momo offered helpfully.

"Or pretend that you forgot how to write," Mina added thoughtfully.

"I can't even act convincingly. She'll see through me and then recommend a more effective method of faking injuries," Sana mumbled then dropped her head back onto Momo's pillow to continue her self-wallowing. All Momo and Mina could do was pat their best friend's back as a quiet sign of comfort. 

-

Their first meeting in the university's quieter café which was tucked away near the Archives building. Sana had arrived late on purpose, hoping Tzuyu would get annoyed and leave.

However, she had no such luck.

Tzuyu was seated neatly in the far corner, laptop propped open and fingers flying across the keyboard like she wa decoding ancient scripture. She looked up only briefly to offer Sana a nod in greeting. Not a hello. Not a smile. Just a tiny nod.

Sana took the seat opposite her with the stiff formality of someone walking into a job interview unqualified.

"So," Sana started, trying to sound breezy, "Thesis."

Silence engulfed them, the only sounds being the quiet tapping on the keyboard.

Then, out of nowhere, Tzuyu mumbled without looking up, "Did you know the Tyrannosaurus Rex couldn't run?"

Sana blinked, "...What?"

Only then did Tzuyu look up. Her steel-framed glasses caught the light slightly, but her eyes were focused and soft. She then reached up to adjust her glasses before explaining, "The structure of its bones actually suggest that it was more of a power walker, not much of a sprinter."

There was a beat.

"Also," she continued, shifting slightly in her seat, "its arms weren't useless. They were compact...just like built-in weapons."