Stuck in the Middle [Hikaru, Kaoru] | ♡

Chapter ♞ 2: Honey Tastes Like Betrayal (1)

Y/L = Your last name. [I know their isn't a 'N' but oh well.] 

7/26/23 - Added more choice descriptors within the text to appeal to different skin tones. More changes like this will be seen throughout the story. 

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You struggled to stay awake in your last class before study hall.

Honors English was always fairly easy for you, so sleeping and missing a lesson wouldn't hurt you yet...

Well, you just didn't want to get caught. Luckily, you were in the middle row and managed to catch a few Z's but that didn't last long.

"Y/N Y/L and Kyoya Ootori."

Yours eyes flashed open when you heard your name. Were you in trouble?

Suddenly a student on the taller side, with dark hair and and glasses walked over to you. He was carrying two 'Excel Honor English' textbooks that were in mint condition.

It still surprised you that every year the school would buy all new textbooks instead if re-using them for next year and years to come, just because they could.

Quickly stretching and letting out a yawn, you sat up and stared at the guy.

He placed the textbook in front of you before fixing his glasses. He seemed agitated.

"Judging by your tired eyes, I suppose you don't know what we're doing. Am I right Y/N?"

"How do you know my name...uh..."

"Kyoya Ootori. Isa-sensei assigned us as partners for one of those creative essays. If you hadn't been sleeping maybe you would've known." He didn't say it spitefully, but their was venom to his words.

"Yes I was listening! That's how I know the essay is based off of... uh..." You opened the large textbook to a random page, and buried your face in the book. Your nose, and some of your cheek turned a light/deep shade pink/red whenever you lied, so it was best to hide it...

"It's about insects! Wait insects?!" You exclaimed. The random page you turned to was an example article, given by the book. Its was detailed about how cockroaches spent their lives.

"Actually Y/L it suppose to be a personal response essay, about a childhood memory. We were assigned random partners to compare and analyze the two. Like proof-reading in a way."

You're not the type of person to give in easy.

"I'm afraid of bugs... and my childhood is filled with them, from when I played outside. So yeah, my essay will be about bugs... Like I said." You lied.

Kyoya only sighed in response.

"Are you free this study hall? I want to get this over with as fast as possible, so I don't have to be stuck with you." Kyoya remarked unhappily.

This wasn't the best morning for you, and he had just crossed the line.

"Excuse me Mr. RichGuy! I wasn't able to get any sleep last night because my best friend Haruhi almost burnt our place down by leave fire on for tea! I might fail all my classes if I can't keep up with my studying and that's just the tip of the iceberg! I'm not going to take any crap from you!"

After a few moments of silence and death glares the ending bell for that class rang. Feeling a bit bad for going off on the Kyoya guy, you decided to apologize. Sort of.

You stood up the the textbook in your arms, before you shoved it back into Kyoya's grasp.

"Look I didn't mean to go off on you, or confide in you. But you were just plain rude. I was a little tired is all." You said honestly.