From Foes To Soulmates

It was a rainy Thursday afternoon, and Zenkichi was already feeling the urge to doze off in his seat. The rain pattered steadily against the classroom windows, creating a lullaby that made it nearly impossible to focus on the math lesson. He glanced at Akane, who was, unsurprisingly, scribbling notes with intense concentration.

When the bell finally rang, everyone eagerly packed up to leave. Zenkichi was halfway out the door when Mr. Sato called his name.

"Nakamura! I'd like a word with you about your latest test."

Zenkichi winced, glancing over his shoulder to see Akane smirking knowingly. He knew he hadn't done great on that math test, but he'd hoped to avoid the lecture today. Reluctantly, he shuffled over to Mr. Sato's desk.

"Zenkichi, I can see you're struggling with some of the recent material," Mr. Sato said, his tone gentle but firm. "If you don't improve, it's going to affect your final grade. I'd recommend you find a study partner. Perhaps Akane could help?"

Zenkichi froze, feeling a mix of dread and… curiosity? Studying with Akane was the last thing he wanted to do—she'd probably make fun of him the entire time. But he also couldn't afford to let his grades slip any further.

Mr. Sato must have noticed his hesitation because he added, "You can consider it an assignment if that makes it easier."

With a sigh, Zenkichi nodded, glancing back at Akane, who was waiting just outside the door. She raised an eyebrow as he approached.

"What did you do this time?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Zenkichi sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Mr. Sato thinks I need a study partner for math. And he kind of… suggested you."

Akane's eyes sparkled with amusement, but she quickly composed herself. "So, he wants me to tutor you? This should be interesting."

"Don't act so excited," he muttered, a bit embarrassed. "Can we just get this over with?"

"Fine," she agreed, barely hiding a smile. "How about we meet in the library after school?"

---

Later that afternoon, Zenkichi found himself sitting across from Akane in the quiet corner of the school library, textbooks and notebooks scattered between them. He tapped his pencil absentmindedly on his notebook, feeling out of place.

"Alright," Akane began, her tone businesslike. "Let's start with quadratic equations. Show me what you understand so far."

Zenkichi gave her a blank look, and Akane sighed, flipping open her notebook. She patiently began to explain the basics, breaking down each step. To his surprise, she was actually pretty good at teaching. She wasn't mocking or impatient, just focused and clear.

"So… if x is 3 here, then you'd plug it into the equation like this," she explained, scribbling an example in her neat handwriting.

Zenkichi followed along, nodding slowly. "Alright… I think I get it."

After a few more examples, he managed to solve one on his own. Akane looked pleased, nodding approvingly. "See? You're not hopeless."

"Gee, thanks," he replied, rolling his eyes. But he couldn't help feeling a little proud.

As the study session continued, they actually found themselves laughing and joking between problems. Zenkichi discovered that Akane had a surprisingly sarcastic sense of humor, and she, in turn, seemed amused by his quick comebacks.

Finally, as they packed up their things, Zenkichi glanced at her, feeling a bit lighter than he had all day. "Thanks for helping me out. I guess I owe you one."

Akane shrugged. "Don't get used to it. But hey, maybe you'll surprise me and actually pass the next test."

With that, she gave him a small smile and headed out, leaving Zenkichi standing there, feeling oddly grateful—and wondering if maybe there was more to Akane than he'd thought.