As Long as I'm With You || Tsukasa x Reader

chapter six: groundhog dilemma

"Sorry for being late.." Y/N said, yawning as she locked the door of the Broadcasting room. "I had to sweep the halls for clean-up duty this afternoon."

"Shinpai shinaide." The composed, green-haired girl replied. She stood in front of the broadcasting system desk, her back facing Y/N. "Mind if you help me set up the mic?"

"Oh, yes, sure." Y/N laid her bag on the floor next to the pile of televisions and radios. She scurried beside Sakura.

While readying the speaker units and the microphone, Y/N continuously rubbed her droopy eyes, despite them wanting to rest shut for the day.

"Y/N-san, you look exhausted today." Sakura stated, a hint of concern in her serene voice. Her frigid light green eyes studied the wearied girl next to her.

"Yeah.. I have unit exams coming up." Y/N said, bending closer to the microphone, adjusting it. "I've been staying up late a lot more than usual these last days.. anyway I think I got it, try testing it out."

After Sakura successfully tried the new working system, she peaked over her shoulder to the second-year boy hiding in the corner of the room, seated on the floor clustered into a tiny ball. He recited his textbook noisily to himself, eyes not leaving the pages.

"Natsuhiko also has exams coming up as well. He's very determined to get a good mark, for some reason.."

Y/N looked at where Sakura was watching, and they both stared at the boy, an intense aura coming out of him.

The first-year definitely remembered the reason he's been working hard.

(Four days ago at the Broadcasting Room)

Sakura remained sat down on an old grey swivel stool, while Natsuhiko leaned back against the table of the Broadcasting system.

"My lady, if I may ask you.." Natsuhiko tapped his fingers on the desk. "What is your preferred type for a man?"

"... Nande?" She responded coldly, shortly after taking a light swig of her cup of bancha tea.

"Just wondering." He shrugged.

She paused, clearly pondering over it.

"I guess someone intelligent would be my ideal type," Sakura lifted her chin from her chest to face the boy. "Like Fukuzawa Yukichi-san. "

"Yeah.. what really could be the reason.." Y/N shifted her eyes over to her third-year upperclassman.

"Well," Sakura sighed before continuing on. "I wish you both the best of luck on them."

"Arigatō, Sakura-senpai."

Taiki, Y/N's father, was strict with her when it came to school, already giving her more advanced work as early as the day she stepped into pre-school. To Taiki, a grade lower than an A was a fail, so the girl always studied hard.

But hard-work does indeed payoff, considering she's always gotten top marks of her grade. She would always be on the list of the top five students every year. Nothing less.

But she's never been #1.

This year, since she is now in high school, her father had been incredibly even harder on her, already assigning her of university level schoolwork. She worked tirelessly through those additional papers each night, aiming to gain the highest mark of her grade.