Undercover [Asano Gakushu]

chapter 1

It was seven years ago when the gears started working to place everything in motion. Even if she had predicted something like this at a young age, she would've listened to the old man and avoided him.

If she did, he wouldn't be in this mess.

7 years ago.

The flocks of early birds are no longer a rare sight in Kunigigaoka Junior High. Every student in this school strives to be a better student, trying to meet the expectation of the cruel society. You cannot afford to slack off, or else you'll fall behind the rest of the group and join a class where it is useless—as what they call it—students of end class.

There are students who were at the very top of the school hierarchy, they are known as one of the best of the best. [name] is one of those students. She is one of the most active and well-known students in the school. However, despite being labeled as a diligent student,

she was still human.

She experiences laziness and every negative merit that a student can experience, for example, procrastination.This was one of those days where she heads to school without having a wink of sleep.

It is not because you studied for an examination but she needed to take care of things that needed her attention—something she cannot simply ignore, or else there will be unhappy consequences that she might face later that day—if she could see the latter day. She sneaks another yawn as she makes a beeline to the entrance of the school building.

"Good morning, vice president." A second year student greeted as he stopped in front of her. She saw him looking at her up and down before commenting, "You look more tired than usual."

"Ishikawa," She acknowledged his presence. Ishikawa is a colleague of hers in the student council. "Will you ever stop growing every other day? My neck hurts by just looking at you." [name] fussed over his height, glaring before letting out a chuckle.

"I'm sorry for being too tall, vice." He joked before extending his hand out. "May I have the materials now?"

"Materials?" She furrowed her eyebrows before snapping her fingers in recognition, "Oh. The materials I finished last night." She purposely let out an awkward laugh as she handed him the organized materials.

"There you go and your habits again," He lets out a chuckle while shaking his head. "He'll give you another earful for that." He mentioned, pertaining to the student council president.

"As if I'm not aware of that." [name] rolls her eyes at him, "I'll be scolded if you'll tell him," motioning her hands dismissively.

He smirked at her attitude and waved the materials before leaving her alone. He must have been ordered by Gakushu to send them to the council room since he knows that she will make a bee line to her classroom. She finally reached her room and was greeted by her classmates from 3-A. She smiled at them, greeting them in return and felt her energy drained even more when she reached her seat.

After they greeted [name], they went back to their business and luckily, no one else saw her rolled her eyes. She can never trust anyone in this class, they are all using each other to climb on the top. There are only a few notable people she could ever trust here. Neither the teachers nor the principal himself can be trusted.

[Name] needs to be on guard in terms of everything, or else they'll throw her away too. She didn't realize that she fell asleep on her seat until a cold metal grazed on her skin.

She jolts awake, snapping her left eye open to see a metal can of iced coffee. "You don't know how much I'm disappointed with your actions right now."

"I could take a guess if you like." She retorted, accepting the coffee he offered and sat properly. She opened the lid and drank a fair amount, tasting the bittersweet taste of the coffee. [Name] hummed in approval, a smile lingering on her lips as she looked at his direction. "Thanks. I really needed that."

"You're welcome but stop drinking too much coffee." He scolded as she rolled her eyes, sipping at the can again. That's what he says but gives her dosage of coffee anyways.

"I can't live without coffee, Gakushu. You know that." The orange-haired also rolled his eyes at her answer and sat across her by his chair (you are sitting behind him during class). [Name] looked around and noticed some of their classmates are still gone. The class must not have started yet.

"If you're thinking that the class hasn't started yet, then you guessed it wrong. The morning period just ended." He said, like a slap to her face. She glanced at him, eyeing for any sign of lies in his face, and there's none.

"Damn." She cocked her eyebrows, "I fell asleep in the whole morning period. No wonder I still feel sleepy."

He suddenly slaps her arm that made her hiss in pain. "The hell's wrong with you, man?"

"I told you not to stay up too late, right?" He reminded you while glaring. "How many times do I need to remind you of that?"

[Name] snickered at his attitude. He nags at her like how a mother should be. It only means that he is comfortable and cares for her like no other. The fact that the two of them were childhood friends who recently reunited with each other last year, it felt like the two of them really grew up together (side by side).

"I even lied to the teachers that you weren't feeling well and persuaded them to let you sleep in class." He added, seeing a clear irritation on his face as he handed her a sticky note that contains the lesson discussed in the morning period. [Name] felt her heart flutter at his concern and couldn't help but smile.

"Your concern is well appreciated, Gakushu." She leaned and stole a peck on his cheek. He jerked away in surprise, seeing his cheeks flushing from the sudden action but he quickly jabbed her head.

She whined, protecting her head in case he'll jab her again. [Name] pouted while he smirked, regaining his confidence. His cheeks are still flushed, "Just don't do it again. I will not cover for your actions again, [name]."

She sticks out her tongue in reply. He got annoyed and pinched her cheeks. "Ah! I won't! I won't do it again!" She yells in pain. He lets go of her cheeks with a smile of victory while she whimpered from the pain she received from him.

"I hate you," glaring at him. He chuckled and ruffled her hair. [Name] planted her cheek on the desk, caressing her swollen cheek.

A little lie wouldn't hurt, no?