𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗗 𝗢𝗨𝗧! | bokuto kōtarō

𝗧𝗘𝗡 // what kind of future

WEAKNESS #10
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
❝ He's easily distracted
when he's bored. ❞

☾ 𓅓

"I KNOW you're a busy person..."

Mr. Serizawa nudged his glasses further up his nose bridge as I struggled to maintain eye contact, trying not to seem impolite or timid by looking away.  

I suppose there are some things you have to face head-on, some things you have to hear no matter how much you don't want to.

"And I know you're in the middle of studying for exams, so I'll be brief," he spoke in a careful tone, mindful of his voice carrying throughout the corridor. "Mochizuki, you're the only one who hasn't turned in your career planning worksheet. I'd like to know... is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," I replied despite the uncertainty gnawing at my gut. "It's just... I haven't really decided what I wanted to do yet."

"I see," Mr. Serizawa shifted his feet, glancing around the empty hallway before continuing, "Well, I've known you as a student for a while now, so I understand that you're the type to weigh your options carefully before deciding on anything just yet, but don't wrack your brain over this, okay? Whatever you write down, it won't be set in stone."

"Yes, sir." I chewed on the inside of my cheek. Mitsu and Toshi said the same thing, but I can't just not worry about my decisions — about my imminent future, nonetheless.

Mr. Serizawa's eyes were usually half-lidded and sleepy, but now, they were clear as day, sharp and focused on me. Maybe it was a bit rude to call his lucidity a surprising and rare occurrence, but I couldn't help myself from being taken aback by his sincerity.

"You're a bright girl, and you have an admirable dedication to responsibility. You're an excellent test-taker, so you have a high chance of passing your college entrance exams. There are teachers and staff here who would be willing to give you letters of recommendation if you ever need them. Me, included."

I let a small smile surface at those words, chuckling softly, "I really appreciate that, Mr. Serizawa."

My homeroom teacher hummed in response. "Maybe you're not aware of it, but you have a lot of people on your side. You have the means and the resources. And not to rat him out or anything, but Mr. Sanada told me the other day that you've been asking about Kyoto University's math program lately. Even though it's a pretty difficult school to get into, I think you have a good shot."

"T-Thank you, sir."

"Look, I'm not trying to overwhelm you, kid. I know you have a lot of things to do and you're under a lot of pressure, but just give it some thought. Once you're done, return to me with the worksheet after midterms."

My brow furrowed. "After midterms?"

"That's right. I wouldn't want you to stress about this when you're already studying for exams," he explained, crossing his arms. "Does that sound reasonable?"

Eyes widened, I nodded fervently. "That's actually really generous! Thank you so much for your help."

"No need to thank me," he laughed lightheartedly. "This is what I'm getting paid for, right? Now, unless you need me for anything else, I'll be heading back to the teachers' office for my afternoon snooze. Go and enjoy the rest of your lunch, class rep."

"I'll see you at the end of the day, Mr. Serizawa." I bowed to him quickly. "Thanks again."

The instructor gave me a terse nod in response as his lethargic strides took him further down the hallway, and as soon as he turned a corner and disappeared from my sight, I immediately released a breath I didn't even know I was holding.