𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗗 𝗢𝗨𝗧! | bokuto kōtarō

𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 // change is a constant

WEAKNESS #8
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❝ He can't control his volume. ❞

☾ 𓅓

MAY ARRIVED FASTER than expected, and with it came warmer days.

For underclassmen, the bluer skies and greener trees were harbingers of a long-awaited summer, but in most eyes of seniors, they saw it as a race against time, a challenge to grasp onto the remnants of their high school life that was quickly approaching its end.

With midterms and finals coming up, it was easy to get caught in the stress of it all. Any third-year planning to graduate and continue their education would be intimidated by the thought of their future being decided by class rankings and exam scores.

I can't say that goes for all third-years, but I'm quite terrified, myself.

"So, what are you putting on your career worksheet?"

"Well... I'm not sure."

Mitsu raised an eyebrow at my response as she slipped her coins through the slot, punching the buttons for a bottle of unsweetened green tea, a can of Kona coffee, and a carton of strawberry milk.

"I would say I'm surprised since you always like to plan things out," Toshi began, "but then again, I remember you do that to help with your constant indecision."

"It's not constant indecision... I think."

Bumping the bottle against my head, which resulted in a weak "ow" to escape my lips, Mitsu snorted, "Tomo, you're not exactly proving us otherwise with that kind of argument."

Toshi stabbed his straw into the box and sipped his milk, humming in satisfaction before replying, "Didn't you say you wanted to go to Kyoto?"

I twisted the cap on my drink. "Yeah, I was thinking about it."

Mitsu lifted the tab of her can with a swift crack. "And didn't Mr. Sanada recommend their math program to you? Even though it's hard to imagine any sane person wanting to be a math major, I thought he really inspired you to go for it."

"He did, but it's not like anyone can just get into Kyoto University."

"Well, I wouldn't say it's impossible, Tomoyo. You're placed at the top of your class, and Fukurōdani's college prep program isn't exactly the easiest, either. Our school is regarded as one of the best public institutions in the district. We also have an impressive repertoire of instructors, ranging from nationally competitive coaches to respected former professors, and there are plenty of alumni who have gone to elite universities," Toshi listed without breaking a sweat. "You see? You already have an advantage just by being a Fukurōdani student."

Mitsu snickered. "Did you memorize all that from a brochure or something? As expected of our proud and dependable vice president."

"Oh, shut up," he scoffed, squeezing the empty milk carton and tossing it into a nearby waste bin.

With our fifteen-minute break ending soon, we turned away from the vending machines and started back to class. Climbing up the stairs to the third floor seemed more difficult now compared to previous days — or maybe my footsteps just felt heavier than usual.

Lost in thought, I lingered a couple steps behind the two, who were bickering back and forth after Mitsu commented on Toshi's rather uncharacteristic choice of drink ("Your image fits more with black coffee," she described, "Bitter, disliked by most people our age, and in desperate need to lighten up").