๐œ๐ก๐š๐ฉ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ

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You ended up going straight from your desk to your bed, too tired to even think straight.

Perhaps you were putting too much unnecessary pressure onto yourself so early in the academic year, but this year was important.

When you woke up, it was Saturday  and the first thing you noticed was the dull ache in your neck from having slept in an awkward position.

The second thing you noticed was the smell of...scrambled eggs?

You groaned before stretching and heaving yourself out of bed.

"L/n." he spoke, noticing your figure.

You AMOST turned around because, for some reason, the sight of him made you strangely nervous.

Instead, you inhaled deeply before shuffling forward slightly.

He said nothing but pushed a plate in your direction as you approached the kitchen counter.

"Thanks..."

You weren't ungrateful, but it felt...strange. Your interactions had been limited, and you were so used to him making your blood boil, and now you were being somewhat civil, and it was so uncharacteristically frustrating.

You ate the food silently, and he stood there studying you.

You let out a confused hum.

"You need to take care of yourself." he said.

"Not that it's any of your buisness but I take care of myself perfectly fine."

"You're not eating."

"I'm not hungry these days."

"Which should be worrying in itself,"

"Why do you care?"

There was a beat of silence. His expression remained unreadable, but something in his gaze wavered for just a second.

"Youโ€™re my roommate," he finally said, voice level. "It would be inconvenient if you passed out."

"Right. So itโ€™s just about convenience."

He didnโ€™t confirm or deny it.

"Well, donโ€™t worry," you muttered, pushing the empty plate aside. "Iโ€™m not going to pass out."

He gave a single nod before grabbing your plate and turning around to put it in the sink.

You watched him for a moment, a strange tightness settling in your chest.

"Tomioka..." you spoke after a few moments of awkward silence.

He paused, his hands still submerged in the sink. He didnโ€™t turn around, but you could tell he was listening.

You swallowed, suddenly unsure why youโ€™d even called his name.

"Never mind," you muttered, shaking your head. "Forget it."

He was silent for a beat before finally speaking. "Okay."

You exhaled, rubbing your temple. Maybe you were overthinking things. Maybe this was just what roommates did.

Still, as you turned to leave, you couldnโ€™t shake the feeling that something between you had shifted, just a little.

-

The couple of days you had a meeting with your supervisor.

You had already discussed the title of your research and were quite certain with the direction you wanted your it to go.

Because you'd had this planned out for years.

But it was also the early stages.

And maybe you were rushing ahead too quickly.

"I just think we need to take a few steps back." your supervisor explained.

You nodded slowly.

He gave you a patient smile. "Your research idea is solid, but PhDs are a marathon, not a sprint. Right now, I think you're trying to answer too many questions at once."

"That's understandable." You exhaled.

"I know you've done this briefly. But I'd like you to explore the existing literature more thoroughly," he continued. "See what gaps truly need to be filled before you refine your question further."

You pressed your lips together, nodding. "So, more reading before I finalize anything?"

"Exactly. And don't just skim abstracts. Really engage with the studies. Look at their methodologies and their limitations. That'll help you shape your own approach."

You scribbled down a note in your planner, resisting the urge to sigh. Youโ€™d already read dozens of papers, but he was right. Your research needed a stronger foundation.

"Alright," you said finally. "I'll go over everything again and narrow my focus."

The man smiled, satisfied. "Good. This isn't about rushing to results. It's about building something meaningful."

You left the meeting with a clearer path forward.

But also a growing sense of just how much work still lay ahead.

-

"I wouldn't dwell on it too much just yet. Remember, it's still the early stages," Shinobu said.

You let out a breath, leaning back in your chair. "I know, but I feel like I should be making more progress."

"You're being too hard on yourself," she pointed out. "PhDs arenโ€™t about instant results. If they were, everyone would do one."

"Yeah, I suppose. I'm honestly so tired already,"

"Rest babes and do something other than work," Mitsuri added. "Come on, let's go out tonight!"

You raised a brow. "Where too?"

She pursed her lips to the side. "I feel like pizza and champagne,"

"Say less," you grinned.

-

"No, please don't say Sanemi's driving..."

Mitsuri bounced on her heels, clearly excited. "It'll be fine! He drives like a maniac, but weโ€™ll survive."

You sighed, rubbing your temples. "Iโ€™m not sure I want to survive this, but alright."

"Trust me, it'll be an adventure," Shinobu said dryly, already knowing what you were in for. "Let's just hope he doesn't do something ridiculous tonight."

You could only hope.

-

"YOU FUCKING MORONS PARK BETTER."

"It's fine..!" Mitsuri smiled. "He's just passionate about parking,"

"...you're half a meter over the line you stupid cunt," he snarled at the person who parked next to him.

You and your friends quickly walked inside to the restaurant, Sanemi's voice growing quieter each step.

"Is he even coming with us or is he going home?"  you asked as you waited to be seated.

The door slammed open.

"Sanemi!" you smiled.

"No." he growled.

"Alright then..."

-

"Have you figured out who you're bringing to your sisterโ€™s wedding?" Mitsuri asked as you waited for your food to come.

"I honestly forgot about that..."

"You aren't exactly swimming in options," Sanemi commented.

"Thanks bro,"

"Anytime," he nodded.

"Well, it's months away, so you have time!!"

"Yeah, true!"

Though your stomach twisted uncomfortably.

Maybe everything would work out, one way or another.

-

a/n: almost 2 years ago when I was 16 I went to the opticians, and the optician was quite young, and started very obviously flirting with me, like he did not try to hide it all, even my mum was like "tf ๐Ÿคจ"

and then he asked how old I was and started flirting with my mother when he found out the answer

I wonder how he's doing now


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