he's quite a challenge [togami byakuya x reader]

Chapter 5 - Q&A

Groaning in anguish over the light that was blinding me, I quickly realized my alarm was going off. I jolted up and frantically searched for my phone. Once the sleek device was in my hand, I quickly shut off my alarm and glanced at the time. 11 am.

"What the fuck?! How did I sleep in so late?! Holy shit! My alarm has been going off for seven fucking hours?!"

Scrambling out of bed, I tried to figure out the best course of action. The student handbook. We all got one on the day of the entrance ceremony. There has to be something in there about being late to class.

After finding the book at the bottom of one of my drawers, I leafed through the 4-page table of contents to find nothing about tardiness. One section, however, did catch my eye: Attendance. Page 465. Quickly flipping to that page, there was only a small paragraph on attendance.

Section XLVII: Attendance

Students of the Academy are not required to attend classes. Their performances will be evaluated at midterms and finals. Failure to pass midterms will result in the requirement of class attendance until the end of the year. Failure to pass finals will result in the removal from the Academy.

That four sentence paragraph was literally the most helpful thing I had ever read. Since I had basically wasted half of my day catching up on sleep, it seemed harmless enough to just opt out of going to classes for the day altogether. I decided to not even bother getting dressed and remained in my pajamas. I glanced around my room, searching for my laptop. Once I found it, I grabbed it and jumped on my bed, powering up the device and getting comfortable. Might as well use my newfound free time to work on stuff for my channel.

A few hours passed, and once I checked the time I figured it was about time for me to grab some lunch. Some of my classmates should be in the cafeteria still, since the time we're allotted for lunch is so long. I threw on a hoodie, some sweats, and a pair of sneakers and headed downstairs.

The second I stepped foot in the dining hall, I was met with wolf whistles. My head snapped up at the noise, and I located the table where it came from. Kuwata, Oowada, Yamada, and Hagakure. Douches. Once the redhead noticed that my eyes were on them, he stood up and yelled at me:

"Hey, ____! I'm surprised you're still walking after what Byakuya must've done to you last night! Heheh!"

At his outburst, the guys around him all burst out laughing. I simply rolled my eyes. Fukawa must've spread word about seeing Togami and I in the library last night, and my absence today plus whatever misconstrued story she spread must have painted a pretty depraved picture. I walked towards the kitchen at a nonchalant pace, not really bothered by the rumors. As the SHSL Vlogger, I've certainly heard worse.

Walking through the cafeteria and into the kitchen, I was greeted with the sight of Togami once I was inside. Well, the sight of his back anyway. At the sound of my approaching footsteps, the blond turned around. His cornflower blues widened in shock at my presence. I walked past him towards the produce, perusing my options for lunch while striking up conversation.

"Mornin'."

"How casual of you, considering what you must have experienced on your way in here."

I shrugged at his statement, grabbing a green apple and shoving the fruit into the pouch of my hoodie, and then crossing my arms while turning to him.

"Trust me, I've heard my fair share of slander and seen plenty of libel directed towards me. It comes with the territory. I'm sure you've experienced something similar."

Togami nodded and looked at me expectantly. I shook my head a little at his obvious request and walked toward him, hand outstretched. He intertwined our fingers and dragged me out of the kitchen behind him.