Magnanimous (Blue Exorcist ~ Yukio Okumura)

Chapter 6

I sat alone at my table in Literature, reading my book as I waited for the class to begin. There was a sounding of a moving chair as someone sat next to me. I looked up at Yukio, who placed his bag on the floor next to his feet. He turned his head and gave me a small smile.

"Hey," he greeted softly.

"Hey," I echoed.

"All right, class, please take your seats," the professor's loud voice boomed. His volume lowered once the classroom was quiet. "Please take one of each paper that I am passing around. Your assignment is to complete reading and analyzing one of the pieces of literature on this list. You will work with a partner of your choice, and you must write a lecture in which you both speak, regarding all the topics on the assignment."

I took the papers as they were passed to me. One was an unending list of books, and the other held the assignment guidelines. Again, an unending list. 

"This assignment is due next week on Tuesday, as it is a fairly large project. However, this does not mean you can slack off on all other assignments. You may determine your partners and novel later. Until then, we will continue to analyze the tropes and schemes of Great Expectations. You should have read chapter twelve by now, so who can tell me what Dickens meant when he said 'Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape?' How about Miss Sansen?"

The professor continued with his lesson on the meanings and interpretations of Great Expectations, and the class followed his quoting and references in the book. When he went silent to allow the students to read through chapter thirteen, I looked down at my book, pages I had already read at least five times. There were some small whispers and movements as students read and talked.

Two paragraphs of skimming in, I felt a soft nudge on my arm. I gazed up at Yukio, taking my head off my hand. "Work with me on the project?" His voice was no louder than a quiet whisper. 

I nodded. "Okay."

As soon as the bell rang, we stood and grabbed our bags, but girls began swarming Yukio already. He gave a nervous smile. 

"Work with me on the assignment, Yukio?"

"No, I'm great at partner assignments! Work with me!"

"Senpai, I know all the books, I can just get all the answers easily!"

"Uh, sorry, I already have someone I'm working with," Yukio stood in his position stiffly, hoping to be able to walk through the group of girls. 

"What?"

"Awh!"

"Already?"

"Well, does that surprise you?"

"Which slut is it?"

Yukio seemed to tense up more, and he began trying to walk past. "Excuse me, please."

I managed to follow Yukio out of the crowd of girls in the classroom, who stood in disappointment or anger. He gazed over his shoulder at me once we exited the room and matched his pace to mine. 

"So that's why you wanted to work with me?" I laughed. "What, you don't want someone flirting with you while you work?"

Yukio gave another nervous chuckle. "Honestly, that didn't even cross my mind. I just seem to know you the best, and I don't think working with you would ever be any type of problem, seeing as we both strive for the grades and get our share of work done on time, if not early."

I nodded with a soft smile at the teal-eyed boy. "I think I've read a lot of the books on the list, though, and the guidelines said it has to be one we haven't read yet, so we have to figure that out."

"I think I've read a majority of them, too, but I'm sure we'll be able to find something. Hang on," Yukio took a pen and small notebook from his pocket. He scribbled something in red ink on the tiny page and ripped it from it perforated edge, then handed it to me. "My phone number. Text me once you get back to your dorm, and we can arrange which novel we'll use, and when we'll meet up to work on it."

"Okay, sounds good," I folded the paper into the front pocket of my bag.

Seeing as my uniform doesn't have any goddamn pockets, I thought to myself. 

"I'll see you later, Yukio."

"Goodbye, Akilina."