Your enthusiasm was gone.
You didn't know where it had gone, it wasn't exactly an object you could have misplaced and suddenly miss. It was just...gone.
You had been at Duel Academia for quite some time, as you were one of the invisible Obelisk Blue students. You couldn't exactly befriend any of the lower ranked students, but the other Obelisk Blue girls seemed to dislike you too.
You felt depressed.
Every day was monotonous, the same feeling, routine, that you couldn't just wait to go to bed and be engulfed by the soft, dreamless lull that grabbed you and embraced you in its strangely comforting and deep embrace. Every person who you dared to look at never looked back at you, it was almost as if you were invisible. You would look at your own hands, and wonder, why can't anyone see me?
Even your teachers ignored you. They gave you As when you were really doing Bs and Cs work. It wasn't that you were dumb, you were far from it. Your dueling skills were buried deep inside of you, but you couldn't show it. You felt as if the other students already knew what you were like, invisible and dull, so you couldn't ruin that image of them. You had to keep seeming like that, no matter what.
You had given up on love. After a few unsuccessful relationships with boys, you decided the only thing that was important was friends. After even more betrayances from people whose smiles covered it all, you decided the only thing that was important was school. And then, you decided, there wasn't anything important at all. You just had to survive through the day and get to your bed, let yourself be taken by that beautiful, soft, embrace of sleep. Dreams you had were soothing, either none at all, giving rest to your mind, or just walking through a long, empty path with no end. In reality, it felt the same, but your path had stones and rocks in it while you traveled barefoot and alone.
You wanted to scream sometimes, just to stop staring at the teacher mindlessly as they went on and on about things you didn't think you needed to know, to stand up on your table and scream at them. To notice you. To pay mind to you. Something that gave you any feeling at all.
But you couldn't. No, you didn't have energy for such things anymore.
So when your grades suddenly dropped lower than you could have imagined, you weren't sure what to say. When people started to stare and whisper at you, you weren't sure what to say either.
And when your teacher called you up to his desk after school, a face that you had been looking for, greeted you. It was emotion. And it was directed towards you.
"W-What's wrong, Professor?" you asked, your muscles buzzing, as if something had jolted you. It felt so good to be afraid. You had thought you had lost that sort of feeling, but the angry way he stared at you just made you felt solid. Visible.
And you were prepared for the consequences.
"(Y/N)," the Professor began, "we have noticed a change in your attitude. Though in the beginning of the year, you had shown enthusiasm, now it seems you do not pay attention to my lectures. Your notebook was found empty."
You opened your mouth to interrupt, but the Professor continued.
"While I do realize some students may partake in much stronger interest in mindlessly doodling, your notebook was completely empty. Furthermore, I expect you to pay more attention in not just my class, but all of them. For this, I am going to assign you a tutor."
Though your heart told you you wanted someone eager, jumpy, to see if more of this foreign feeling of excitement and emotion, your mind told you you would be far more comfortable with someone calm and quiet like you. You were thoroughly disappointed and slightly worried when your teacher told you the name of your tutor.
Ryo Marufji. Better known as the Kaiser Ryo.
You couldn't believe your ears. You knew exactly who he was, in fact, he was the top duelist of the school. Why the teacher had assigned you to him, you had no idea.
"I hope he is a good influence to you, Ms. (L/N). I expect to see your grades improve. Otherwise there may be consequences."
You were grinning as brightly as you could remember, your cheeks stinging, and your Professor gave you a strange look as you nodded vigorously, and left.
***
Your enthusiasm had greatly dropped when you met the Kaiser Ryo in the library to work on your strategic knowledge of dueling. You were familiar with fusion summoning, but all of the seemingly pointless study that came with it seemed like a waste.
"(L/N) (Y/N)." Ryo greeted, not even bothering to look at you as you entered the library and hesitantly made your way over to him, as he had been seated at the quieter, unused area. There was no one there.
"Yeah. Um. Hi." you greeted.
"Let's finish this quickly." he replied briskly as he took the book from the library. Every moment of his was fast, and undirected to you. It was sort of odd, in a way, but made you want his attention.
So you decided to try. You decided to try and impress Ryo so he would be confused, and he'd pay attention to you.
And you succeeded. Anything he quizzed you on, asked you about, you answered with immense description and talent. Your memory was sharp. Although Ryo was too prideful to show any surprise, you could tell he wondered how you knew all of these.
"I thought you needed to be tutored, (L/N)." Ryo said to you in a way that should have made you shrink, and try to fit into this assumption. But you didn't. You were proud of yourself, no matter what he thought of you.
And then there was a ghost of a smile on his face.
"You're talented, (Y/N). I don't understand why you've been failing."
You felt a smirk paint itself on your face at the compliment. You hadn't expected it, but took it gratefully.
"I've been observing you for quite some time." Ryo added monotonously, as if stating a fact. "You seem empty. It intrigues me."
"I am empty. That's what everyone wants me to be." you replied, and you saw Ryo's lips curl into a soft smile.
"You're just like me, then." he replied, and your lips pressed together.
