Technical Support

Chapter 29

"Sasaki Ayano will be paired with Fujiyoshi Yuudai!"

Honestly, she couldn't say that she wasn't expecting that. It was quite obvious this would be the outcome, but that didn't mean she was no less annoyed with it.

By the looks of it, so was Fujiyoshi.

After all the pairings had been announced, Junk Master gave the rest of them some time to figure out what they wanted to do. In ten minutes, the class would be split up into either the Development Studio, supervised by Power Loader, or to one of the training grounds with Junk Master. Many chose to start their independent projects on the first part of the practical exam. Others took the opportunity to work with their partner on the second portion of the practical.

Currently, Ayano was flipping through some papers. Her and Fujiyoshi had been assigned to design a support item for Class 1-B's homeroom teacher, Blood Hero: Vlad King. She was looking through his file when Fujiyoshi decided to confront her.

He sat down directly in front of her, but it seemed as though she had no intention of addressing him. Eye twitching in annoyance, Fujiyoshi made a fake but obvious cough. The girl's eyes flickered up to him, acknowledging that she heard him, but they immediately returned to reading over the details of Vlad King's quirk.

As always, Fujiyoshi was irked when he realized that he would have to start the conversation yet again. "What? No rude comment or snide remark? Hmm?"

Ayano set down the papers, causing Fujiyoshi to smirk at his success in getting a rise out of her. "If anyone makes rude comments or snide remarks, it would be you." His smirk disappeared. "Well I would say that was rather rude of you." Was his retort.

She scoffed. "No. Not rude. Just a simple observation—a fact—in response to your question." He growled but quickly tried recomposing himself. "Look, I know neither of us wants to work with the other bu—" "I never said I did not want to work with you."

Fujiyoshi paused, regarding her with a careful eye. Her words were always quite straightforward and she always said them in a particular way. Not quite fast, but in a way that made people feel as though she didn't want to waste even a single breath or second. As if she wanted a better use of her time and was using it the most efficiently.

Unable to discern whether she was saying that sarcastically or not, Fujiyoshi decided to just ask her outright since it seemed that was usually the best way of dealing with her. "...I know you don't want to work with me." "I never said that." Ayano repeated.

"I know you're thinking it." He pushed again. "I have never thought that I did not want to work with you." Her response only confused him further.

"That doesn't make any sense! If you don't think that way, then why have you been so hostile to me!?" Ayano raised a single eyebrow. "I could ask you the same question." "I asked first." The girl closed her eyes in what he saw to be frustration. She was calmly evaluating the situation, growing more annoyed at his childish antics.

"You are correct in assuming that I have a mild dislike of you." Fujiyoshi mentally disagreed that it was only a 'mild' dislike. "However, that has no bearing on whether or not I would want to work with you. In fact, I have thought—on multiple occasions—that I would like for us to collaborate."

At his deeply furrowed brows of confusion, Ayano continued. "I do not like allowing my personal feelings to cloud my judgment. Although your attitude towards particular subjects is certainly less than desirable, it is obvious that I cannot say the same for your skills. I have seen your designs. I have seen your work. I have seen your ambitions. It is clear that you placed so high on the entrance exams for a reason."