warning 20 pages! it's a long chapter so get comfy!
a/n: i just wanted to let you all know that i edited/took out some really minor things. i changed the chapter titles since i wanted it to fit in with the theme. i also slightly changed asano's fiance's name and gave her a better personality (her name's is now yumiko akamine) bc she'll be playing a bigger part other than just his fiance
she doesn't ride a motorcycle anymore and instead rides on of those ebikes with the electric motor that are really common in Japan (look up "yamaha pas with" for an idea)
also i took out the bonus from last chapter bc i decided to change whatever that was.
~~~~
Boring.
Tiresome.
Repetitive.
Those were words that described Mondays.
Everyone felt that way, right?
Actually, at the moment, Gakushuu's mood differed. Usually, he'd feel neutral but not today.
Something "unfortunate" had happened to the car of his main chauffeur. A calico cat had gotten stuck in the engine and refused to leave. This ended up with Gakushu having to walk to school. He was offered to take a different car, but he opted not to.
While he did have his color vision, he still enjoyed walks on a good day. With a little bit of persuasion, his chauffeur was sworn to secrecy and had no need to tell his father about anything.
A spring breeze blew through his locks of strawberry blond. His face displayed neutrality, but on the inside he was just a bit "happier" than usual.
The sun seemed to be shining a little brighter today.
At some point, he stumbled upon a crossroads and had to wait until the crosswalk light changed.
RING RING!
Initially, he ignored the ringing of a nearby bike.
RINGRINGRINGRING!
Annoyed, he turned his head and glanced in the direction of the violent jingling of a bike.
From across the street, (Y/N) had been maniacally ringing her bell to get his attention. Nearby walkers gave her a quick glance, but proceeded to ignore her as they went along with their day. She had come from the east lane, while Gakushu came from the south.
When did he start walking to school? More importantly, when did he start going this way?
Once it was okay to cross, she pedaled over to Gakushu's street.
"Are you sure you're not stalking me?" (Y/N) scowled.
"Yes, I assure you. You're life does not seem intriguing enough," He clarified with a semi-joking tone.
"Okay, so what I'm hearing is that you do stalk people if they are interesting?" She asked with a voice laced with snark.
"No," He replied curtly and began to continue to walk to school. His content morning became a slightly irritable day.
Well, at least that's what he thought.
"Hmph..." (Y/N) puffed out her cheeks and swung her leg to her side, un-mounting her bike. She pulled it alongside her as she caught up with Gakushu. He was only a few steps ahead of her.
"I've never seen you walk by this area," She pointed out, directly observing him as they walked.
"A cat happened to find its way into the engine of my chauffeur's vehicle," He explained, "It's a nice day today, so I did not mind walking."
"What...?" (Y/N) scowled, "Is the cat okay?"
"Of course," He reassured, "It wasn't stuck, per se, it just did not want to leave."
"Ah."
An awkward silence filled the air between them. (Y/N) was debating on several different conversational topics. She thought about bringing up the last time she had seen him which was at her grandmother's house.
She figured that she wouldn't bring that up, considering that it was mildly embarrassing for her that he even showed up. She decided to just suppress that memory within her databanks and never look back on it again.
I could easily drive by him, but wouldn't that be even more awkward? Why did I even decide to pause for him? God... It's too early in the morning for this.
"Soo..." She started, eyes looking the other way.
So...? Gakushu quirked an eyebrow.
"How was your weekend?" She asked, trying to fill the quiet void.
"How was my weekend?" He repeated for clarification, slightly surprised that she would even ask him that question.
"Yes, how was your weekend," She stated, "There's no one else here, is there?"
"It was... Fine," He pondered.
"You sound unsure," She pouted.
"I just didn't expect you to ask me a question such as that," He hummed in response, "Though, I do appreciate the effort."
It's not an effort, but okay I guess... She inwardly shrugged.
"And you?" He chirped.
"Hm? Me?"
"Yes, you," He looked over to her.
"What about me?" She deadpanned.
His eyebrows lowered, showing exasperation, "How was your weekend?"
"Oh! Um..." She thought for a moment, "It wasn't too bad, I think..."
"I did... Home... work..." She trailed off.
"I asked how your weekend was, not what you did," He pointed out with a scowl, "But you sound suspicious."
"What ever do you mean, Kunugigaoka High School Student Council President Asano?" She blinked innocently with a voice lined with sarcasm.
"Please never call me that again," Gakushu clicked his tongue, "President is enough."
"Okay how about 'President Ass-ano'?"
"Absolutely not."
(Y/N) snickered at his quick response, causing his scowl to deepen.
"Let me guess, all you did was study, right?" She inquired with a coy smile.
"Actually, no. I did not," He clarified, "My life isn't 100% school and academics."
"You sure do act like it..." She mumbled.
"I did spend a portion of my weekend looking after your cousin. After all, your aunt had a meeting with my father."
"Ahah," (Y/N) laughed with a bit of snark, earning an annoyed look from him.
"I mean, how did that go?" She asked.
Gakushu tilted his head upward as he thought back to his Saturday.
~~Saturday 10:46 a.m.~~
Gakushu could have been spending his Saturday completely different.
Himiko zoned out for the majority of the conversation her mother, Gakushu, and Gakuho had in front of her. Occasionally they'd ask her a question about something. She'd respond accordingly, but that was about it.
She had no interest in their conversation that included two old people reminiscing about a plan their old friend group had more than twenty years ago.
Fortunately for her, she was able to successfully excuse herself by asking about the nearby mall.
Unfortunately for her, Gakushu had to accompany her.
Gakushu resisted letting out a sigh as he followed the older (L/N) daughter. Himiko was currently wandering around the mall, taking note of what things did and didn't change since the last time she had been.
"You don't have to stick around me, you know," Himiko hummed, "It's obvious you don't want to be here."
"To be frank, I don't," Gakushu bluntly admitted.
"I don't really want you here either to be honest," She replied, "I don't really like you."
'Does that run in the family...?' Gakushu inwardly irked.
"And it's not because you're my loser cousin's soulmate," She clarified, but then said under her breath, "Well, actually maybe that's a contributing factor but I digress."
'Loser cousin?' Gakushu raised an eyebrow.
"It's just so painfully obvious that you're only doing this to get on me and my mother's good side," Himiko shrugged, "And honestly, I hate that so do feel free to leave."
She waved him off and began to walk away.
Gakushu let out a sigh, 'I suppose perceptiveness runs in the family as well...'
As much as he did want to leave, Himiko was his responsibility at the moment. He quickened his steps to trail after Himiko. She had paused at a pet store with animals on display in the window.
"They haven't gotten rid of this place..." She whispered with a nostalgic expression.
"It must get good business considering the placement of the store," Gakushu pointed out, "It's near the food court so people might shop here right after eating."
Himiko watched as a trio of caged birds chirped on the other side of the window.
"This takes me back. Aunt (M/n) used to take (Y/N) and I here a lot," Himiko reminisced, "I wonder if they still sell jellyfish..."
"Is there a particular reason for jellyfish?" He inquired.
"I just think they're pretty," She smiled softly, looking back at the store.
Himiko's shoulders slumped as her phone vibrated in her pocket.
A melancholy look decorated her face.
Gakushu spoke up, "I don't mean to intrude, but your phone goes off quite frequently. You must be very important to someone if they are trying to get in contact with you so much."
He watched as she took out her phone only to turn of the vibration setting.
"I wish that were the case..." She muttered under her breath.
Before Gakushu could question what she said, she whipped to the side and took long strides away from the store.
Gakushu, once again, followed after her.
~~~~
"I will stick to the idea that I could have spent my time doing something more... productive," Gakushu clicked his tongue.
"Don't be shy. Go ahead and say that she was childish~" (Y/N) hummed in response.
Gakushu lowered his head and sighed, "That's against code of conduct."
"Huh?" She laughed with a raised eyebrow, "It's like you're running a business."
His violet eyes glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and replied with a serious tone, "And? What about it?"
(Y/N)'s smile dissolved, "It was a joke. You're not serious, are you?"
The strawberry blond male thought she would understand, but apparently he thought wrong. Instead, he plastered an amicable smile.
"Of course. I jest."
(Y/N)'s eyes lowered to the pavement in front of her, not knowing what she expected.
"Yeah, right...." She sighed, "Sometimes, the shit you say makes me sick to my stomach."
That is none of my concern... Gakushu expression remained unchanged, Perhaps, you shouldn't have approached me if you were going to react that way to my methods of execution.
He glanced over to her as she walked in silence. What confused him was her facial expression. He'd expected her to be annoyed or angry, but she only showed pity and disappointment.
She has no reason to react that way, He decided as he observed her stature. Upon doing so, he noticed the tips of her hair were no longer (f/c). He stared at her hair more. Her hair appeared to be shorter, but it wasn't noticeable unless if you were actively searching.
"You cut your hair," He pointed out.
(Y/N) didn't brush off her previous thoughts, but found it odd that he had noticed.
"Not really," She curtly replied, "I just cut off the dyed parts because one: the color was fading and two: my hair felt dry and unhealthy."
"Do you plan on dyeing it again?" He question.
"Hm... Probably not," She hummed, "I have a hard time finding good hair products for dyed hair."
"I see," He replied, "That's understandable."
"Is it...?" She deadpanned.
"Of course," He said in an as a matter of fact tone, "I'm especially diligent when it comes to haircare."
"Why...?" She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"I don't believe I have a reason to tell you," He dodged the question.
"Woah woah, you're the one who brought it up," She pointed at him with a now raised eyebrow, "Can't go back on it now."
"I'm not telling you," He scoffed.
"Come on."
"No."
"Yes."
"I refuse."
"Please?"
Gakushuu took a long inhale, "My mother's younger brother went bald at a young age, so I'd rather not lose my hair any time soon."
....
"...Pffttt..."
(Y/N) slapped a hand over her mouth as she continued to pull her bike along.
"It's not funny," He irked.
"I'm not laughing," She cackled, laughing through her hand.
"You obviously are!"
~~~~
The two separated at the front of the school. While Gakushu went ahead to put on his school slippers, (Y/N) stayed behind to put her bike away.
Now, both stood in the doorway of their homeroom classroom. The desks were arranged a circle. The earlier students were trying to find their desks by looking inside the contents of the shelves underneath. Their English teacher sat in a chair towards the front of the room. A slideshow was being presented to the class titled, "Romeo and Juliet Socratic Seminar."
"Uhh... Good morning..." (Y/N) greeted, reluctance coming over her as she knew what was coming.
"Good morning, Sensei," Gakushu greeted after, feeling neutral at the sight of the new formation.
Behind (Y/N) was her friend Seiji, who looked over her shoulder groaning, "Don't tell me we're gonna have a Socratic seminar..."
"We're gonna have a what...?" Kyo followed behind him, looking over the other shoulder of (Y/N), "Hold on! What's the topic?"
"Romeo and Juliet," Miwa answered with a grin, "You'll have discussions and use the notes you and your partner wrote. This is how I'm gonna assess how much you understood the English text."
That's not that bad... Both Gakushu and (Y/N) thought at the same time.
"We don't even get a head's up to prepare?" Seiji asked, unable to hide his panic.
"Do we at least get discussion questions?" Kyo mirrored his tone.
"I'm sure you all will be fine, but I did prepare discussion questions that I will announce when we start. Just a few open ended questions. I might add more if the discussion goes quiet," Miwa reassured, "This won't weigh heavily on your grade. I'm just curious since we haven't done a Socratic seminar before."
Solid, (Y/N) shrugged, not really finding the assessment all that difficult.
Meanwhile, her friends filled with dread as they started to look for their desks.
Gakushu, being the overachiever he is, already had what conversational strategies he was going to use.
(Y/N)'s desk was in between Seiji's and Kyo's, which relieved her because she was comfortable around her friends. Across from her was Gakushuu. The bell rang, signifying the start of the class. Once role call was done, a wave of concern washed over everyone.
"(Y/N), I'm gonna be honest. I didn't read jack shit of that book," Kyo whispered to her.
"Ma'am??" She raised an eyebrow at her, "I don't know what you want me to do about that?"
"You know... I didn't either..." Seiji admitted.
"I-" (Y/N) deadpanned, "What the hell did you guys get as a grade on the notes?"
"We got an 100..."
"How?"
"I don't know!" Seiji whispered, "I watched the Gnomeo and Juliet movie!"
"Same, but instead I watched the version with Leonardo DiCaprio," Kyo sighed, "He was so pretty in his teen years..."
"Are you guys deadass right now?" (Y/N) muttered.
She didn't get an answer as Miwa started speaking, "I already explained earlier I have several questions that you all will discuss. The questions will be displayed on the board as we proceed. All you have to do is speak at least three times to get full credit. If you talk to much, I'll put you on mute so that others get the chance to speak."
Once again, Gakushu was an overachiever so he planned on speaking more than that.
(Y/N) was planning on doing the bare minimum since she wasn't really interested in the story anyway. While she was invested in the symbolism and the messages that are overlooked, she had a feeling that a lot of people were not going to participate.
"Are we ready?"
No one answered.
"Heh... Y'all read the book you'll be fine!"
(Y/N) snorted as her friends had guilty smiles on their faces.
"First question," The teacher clicked her mouse and the screen changed, "In Western literature, Romeo and Juliet is one of the most famous couples. However, many people are unable to draw the line between 'love' and 'infatuation' in regards to the story. Was the relationship between Romeo and Juliet true love or was it just infatuation?"
The room was dead silent. The only sounds came from classmates who flipped through pages of the book.
So is no one going to talk first? (Y/N) inwardly sighed.
I suppose I'll start then, Gakushu held back a smirk, secretly looking forward to carrying the entire conversation.
"Is there anyone who wants to start everyone off?" Miwa asked the class.
Gakushu was about to speak up, but (Y/N) was faster.
"I can start," (Y/N) leaned forward in her seat, interlocking her fingers together on her desk, "Upon my analyzation of the Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, I conclude that they were not in love. They were only infatuated with each other. My reasoning behind this is because this couple found identity within each other. Prior to them meeting, both had someone keeping an eye on them constantly, which caused them to have a lack of personality."
Everyone in the class was mildly taken aback, including Gakushu.
When did she include that in her notes? He was trying to recall everything she had typed into the document they shared, However, she's not incorrect either. It's definitely a thorough analysis.
"I agree, (L/N)," He announced before anyone could say anything else.
(Y/N) directed her gaze to him, biting her inner cheek, Why is it so vexing when he agrees with me...?
"Your reasoning is an acceptable cause for how they reacted when the other died," Gakushu continued, eyes flitting between her and the rest of the class, "The two individuals became attached to each other because of the identities they established. Their only sense of self was in each other, which ultimately led to the arguably irrational actions they took when the other died. In other words, like (L/N) stated, this was not love. It was infatuation with the identities they made in each other."
(Y/N)'s lips pressed into a thin line, holding back a glare, Okay then, thanks for stealing everything I had to say...
"In my opinion, I think the discovery of identities is very evident in Juliet," She added, "She was only thirteen at the time. Preteen years, including the age of thirteen, are an important time for developing one's character. With all of the influences she had, whether it be her neglectful mother or her abusive father, she had no way to form a personality or identity. She felt stable with Romeo, which basically caused her to sacrifice everything for him."
"Yo..." Seiji muttered under his breath, highly stressed out and on the verge of tears, "What the fuck are we talking about?"
"Similarly," Gakushu added to her point, "Romeo, despite being eighteen, consistently despised the role he was given as a Montague. He fled as much as he could from violence with the Capulets. Because of his lack of acceptance of his role, it led to the conflict between Mercutio and Tybalt. Inevitably, it leads to both of their deaths. In a way, one could think of the identity he found in Juliet as safety from that initial role."
(Y/N) leaned into the palm of her hand as she and Gakushu made eye contact. While other students were shuffling through their papers and books, his lips turned upward into a smirk that was directed at her.
Her stomach tightened as she sucked on her teeth. She rolled her eyes and looked off in another direction, attempting to hide the smile that was trying to force it's way onto her lips.
"While I do think you are both correct, I think that in some cases of the story there were some instances of true love," One of the male students spoke up beside Gakushu, "For example, there was an instant connection between the two when they met. They didn't have an interactions before that moment, so they couldn't have formed the identities you two are talking about that quick."
"Hm..." (Y/N) hummed, "I see where you're getting at, but let me stop you right there."
How passive aggressive... Kyo, Seiji, and Gakushu collectively thought in their heads.
"Since you mentioned it, let's talk about the characters before they met," She continued in a semi-monotonous voice, staring dead into the eyes of the boy who spoke, "In the beginning of the play, we first meet Romeo sulking. Why? Because he had been rejected by a girl named Rosaline. He ended up being heartbroken because she didn't want to sleep with him. However, the moment he received attention from Juliet, he completely forgot about Rosaline. Friar Lawrence even mentions Rosaline to Romeo. In response, Romeo literally says 'I forgot that name' or something along the lines of that. Is that not something we should to take into account?"
Gakushu perked up for a moment and realized he could add something to her answer, "In addition, Capulet and Lady Capulet had been pushing Juliet into an arranged marriage."
That sounds familiar... He inwardly grimaced as he took a quick breath to continue.
"The Capulets wanted her to marry Paris. Naturally, Juliet disliked the suggestion but had the inability to get out of her situation. The attention she received from Romeo is where she forms her identity; furthermore, she creates a sanctuary in Romeo. One that she believed would keep her 'safe' from her marriage to Paris."
He held back a scoff, What a foolish way to handle her arranged marriage.
As another student began to lead the conversation, (Y/N) decided to be silent for the rest of the discussion on that topic.
I'll just observe for now. I don't want to get muted just yet, She listened to others speak, filled with boredom. To her, it was surprising that there was a significant portion of people who argued that it was true love.
"Alright, next question," Miwa announced, "In regards to the last question, what is love..."
"Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more..." Seiji mumbled with (Y/N) humming along.
Kyo glanced at them with a confused look, "What...?"
"You don't know that song?" (Y/N) almost gawked.
"...Are teenagers capable of expressing or feeling something known as true love?" Miwa went on.
I think I'm gonna stay quiet for this one, (Y/N) thought, relaxing in her seat, Well, actually... I have a good answer for this, but I'll wait for someone else to talk first.
"I think..." Seiji, to (Y/N)'s surprise, was the first to speak up, "I think 'love' is something you can't have an exact definition for. There's an indefinite number of definitions for what is considered 'love'. It really depends on who you ask. For example, people have different love languages."
"Well, then what's your definition of love?" (Y/N) smugly smirked at him, calling him out.
"Uhh..." Seiji began to sweat at that question, "Heh... Good question... Um... Love is..."
She watched as her friend took a deep breath.
"True love is a an unbreakable, unparalleled fondness to your partner. It's the feeling of sharing an emotional connection with someone," He stated, "It's unmeasurable and deep. In some cases, it's the thought of thinking that life without that someone would be drastically different."
"Oooo go off, Casanova..." (Y/N) whispered.
"Shut up..." He scoffed with a faint red face.
"That's quite an altruistic definition," Gakushu gave him a benevolent smile, "However, in the case of Romeo and Juliet, people consider it 'love at first sight'. Do you think that they felt exactly that the moment they met?"
"Well, if we're referencing what you and (Y/N) stated about them forming identities within each other," Seiji answered, "Then, I guess we can say that they only subconsciously replicated that emotional connection."
"If it's that simple to replicate, then how can we be so sure that it's real?" Gakushu challenged.
"Um... uh..." Seiji stammered, not knowing how to answer that.
Is he really going to admit so openly that he basically has no belief in love? (Y/N) raised an eyebrow, observing his plastic outgoing expression, No, he's not. He can't. If he admits that out loud, then that news would spread like wildfire to the rest of the student body. He'd gradually lose his littles fans that unfortunately have crushes on him.
Well, actually that might bring out some of his weird diehard fans who are like, "I can change him" or some weird shit like that.
"If I may interject, what is your argument then?" She hummed while fixing her posture.
"If love has indefinite meanings and is up to interpretation, then how can one be certain that it's love if they have never experienced it before?" Gakushu contemplated, "Is it not preferable to be sure?"
This time, Kyo answered with a polite smile, "Finding out what love means to a person is part of the experience when being in a relationship, isn't it? It's part of that risk, I suppose."
"I see," Gakushu curtly replied, thinking of his next strategy.
It is an answer, He thought, However, it's a naïve one. True love is unattainable to anyone, no matter how hard a person tries. Although, I'm not idiotic enough to admit that. Anyone with that kind of though process is surely going to be pitied and that is not my goal. In addition, I would lose my charm.
(Y/N) smirked and thought of an interesting question to ask him. She wasn't particularly interested and if she was, it'd be for the entirely wrong reasons.
That's an interesting look on her face, Gakushu's eyes lowered and his previously victorious smirk dissipated.
"How would you define love, President Asano?" She asked with underlying smug, "I suppose you have experience with it, so how would you avoid infatuation? In contrast to Romeo and Juliet, of course."
Tch... My real answer would to not fall in love in the first place. Much less, don't be attracted, He locked challenging gazes with (Y/N), But if I admit that to the class, my reputation would take a deep plunge.
I'm right! (Y/N) lifted her head, awaiting for his answer, Depending on his answer, his reputation could either rise or drop.
She glanced to her classmates and read the overall mood of the room. There was a concerning amount of girls who were awaiting his answer.
Come on, Asano. What do you have to say?
"In my opinion, it depends on the kind of love. Any kind of love has the ability to be true. For example, familial love can be just as strong, can it not? Furthermore, a mother's or father's love is unconditional. Is that not considered true?" Gakushu questioned.
Not that I'd be familiar with that kind of love, He bitterly recalled his father.
He caught the brief frown on (Y/N)'s face. The girl had remembered a specific memory with her parents on a beach.
"Of course, that kind of love is considered true," She answered, "However, in the cases of Romeo and Juliet, people consider their situation to be romantic true love."
"If that is the situation, then love is something that takes time to be established. In Romeo and Juliet, they 'fell in love at first sight' which is arguably naïve of them. It takes experience to know what love is," He came up with a feasible answer, "And you? What do you suppose love is, (L/N)?"
A bitter taste filled her mouth as prior experiences fled her mind.
It's a weaponized drug that society uses to conform everyone together.
Nausea filled her stomach; nevertheless, she answered.
It's kind of terrifying.
"I agree with you that it's something established through experience. I also agree with Seiji and Kyo. It is an immeasurable emotional connection between two individuals," She stated, "In regards to the second question, however, I believe that the ability of teens to obtain 'true' love is through their emotional intelligence."
"How so?" Gakushu raised an eyebrow, curious of her answer.
"According to Howard Gardner, an American psychologist, there are eight types of intelligence," She stated, "One of those is interpersonal intelligence. Another is intrapersonal intelligence. Both of which can be put under emotional intelligence."
"W-Who's Howard Gardner???" Seiji mumbled under his breath.
"Hell if I know..." Kyo whispered back.
Gakushu was secretly impressed, It was wise of me to not underestimate her. It seems to me that she is hiding more than she lets off.
"For anyone who doesn't know, intrapersonal intelligence is understanding you as an individual. It's being aware of what you want, what you need, and what you feel," She went on to explain, "Interpersonal intelligence is the opposite. It's your relationships with others. It's being aware of other's feelings and motives.
"Going back to the two star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet were lacking in both kinds of intelligences. They lacked intrapersonal intelligence due to their inability to form identities on their own. On the other hand, they lacked interpersonal intelligence because they had limited positive interactions with others."
The room, one again, went quiet. You could hear a pin drop.
Gakushu did not expect such a length response; however, he did commend the effort and was secretly awe-struck by her detailed answer.
"To conclude my answer," She cleared her throat, feeling awkward all of a sudden, "I believe that being able to identify love is based on an individual's levels of both interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. In regards to modern day teens, it's encouraged to be cautious when doing so. Our modern day society romanticizes middle school and high school relationships. In my opinion though, it's a double edged sword.
"While you may be able to gain experience from dating, it can still be detrimental if it doesn't work out like you expected. Similarly to how Juliet was only thirteen, any sort of negative interaction has a possibility of taking a hit on a teen's development in mental maturity."
Okay now it's time for me to shut up because I spoke way too much for that question, (Y/N) inwardly sweat dropped.
"That is an understandable notion," Gakushu nodded in agreement.
Seiji sighed quietly, These two are in a world of their own. No one knows how to follow up on any of what you guys said.
"Many studies show that individuals who don't date as teens come out as less depressed," The strawberry blond added.
I don't need you to tell me that, (Y/N) held her breath, I already have so much to regret...
On the other hand, their teacher observed from the front of the classroom, I could put them on mute... But they're bringing up such interesting points I have to let them keep talking for at least another question.
I feel like those two work well against each other, but have no issue working well together either.
She let out a sigh, I can't be biased though. There are other students who haven't even spoken and need their points.
"Does anyone else have anything to add?" She questioned the entire class, "Asano, (L/N), you are both muted."
Both nod in acknowledgement. Although, both were looking forward to leading the discussions for possible questions.
She was answered with either confused or nonchalant looks. She took that as a 'no' and moved on to the next slide.
"What is a soulmate?"
Both Gakushu and (Y/N) flinched at that question.
"There are surveys done by psychologists around the globe. Many people claim that they see signs that clarify who they have a soulmate bond with, but they are still considered controversial since only about 8% of people in the entire world will ever know for sure who their soulmates are. So in your opinion, are soulmates real? Were Romeo and Juliet soulmates?"
We have no need to have a conversation about that, Gakushu thought, glancing over to the (h/c) haired girl he knew he was inevitably tied to.
We are part of that 8%... (Y/N) glancing to the window and into her own reflection, If we weren't, then our lives would be so much easier. Fate wouldn't even interact with us personally if we weren't so adamant about not wanting to be soulmates.
Gakushu pondered, Romeo and Juliet were soulmates, but not in the way that we are.
What are soulmates? Did we ever get a sound definition of the term soulmates? Why does it even matter if we're soulmates? (Y/N) questioned.
(Y/N) held back a dry chuckle. Gakushu's lips pressed into a thin line, unable to answer the question himself.
What are we?
~~~~
"Aaaa..." Kyo leaned back in her chair in relief, "I did really shitty, but at least we got through it."
"You guys talked more than three times," (Y/N) reassured with a nonchalant expression as she placed her desk back in it's original place, "So you guys got your points."
"Yeah, but the stuff I said made no sense," Seiji sighed.
"What do you mean?" (Y/N) snickered, "That answer for the second question made total sense!"
"I don't wanna talk about it..." He sulked.
"Heheheh..."
"(L/N)."
(Y/N) faced to the direction of Gakushu, who was approaching her desk, "I'm curious. When were you versed in cognitive psychology?"
"Well, my aunt is studying for her PHd in psychology so I read her stuff one day out of boredom," She plainly stated.
"I must be honest, I didn't expect you to be muted at the same time I was," He admitted.
"Aw..." She teasingly pouted, "I'm hurt that you would underestimate me like that."
"I did not underestimate you, per se," He crossed his arms and pridefully looked at her, "I know you're a formidable opponent with proper ideas; however, I just did not expect you to say much considering your half-assed notes."
"Hey!" She frowned, "My notes were not half-assed."
"It appeared that way to me," He pointed out, "I can't recall any of what you said in the notes we made."
"That's because I just plainly annotated," She flapped her hands back and forth, "I don't care much for taking notes on books I've read more than once."
"You've read it more than once?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah... I dislike it to a certain extent. But there a lot of themes that are overlooked in the play, for example... It's hard for people to love if they are unable to self-sustain. In that case, love is a weakness," She explained.
Gakushu noticed that there was a small brightness in her eyes as she began to talk.
"Honestly, a lot of themes in Shakespeare's plays are overlooked and Romeo and Juliet is especially overlooked. I hate it when people say that it's true love," She slightly fussed, "It's really just extreme teen angst. If people just analyzed it further, there are so many things that..."
Gakushu proceeded to listen, but at the same time... He couldn't help but recall a certain saying Ren told him awhile back.
"Did you know that people appear more attractive when they talk about something their passionate about?"
As he listened to every word she said, he began to understand what Ren meant.
She looked adorable as she rambled on about the themes of Shakespeare's literature.
"(Y/N), the seminar is over," Kyo reminded.
"Huh?" (Y/N)'s eyes widened, "Oh right."
Gakushu noticed her eyes returned to normal, but he already had her expression engrained into his memory.
"Do your guys' backs hurt?" Seiji asked both Gakushu and (Y/N).
"No, why would it?" Gakushu answered plainly.
"You both carried the conversation," Seiji explained, "The moment Miwa-Sensei put both of you on mute, the flow of the discussion was drastically slowed down."
"Oh," Gakushu put on his iconic smile, "I felt as though it was naturally compelled to lead the conversation as if it were my duty."
"Oh hush..." (Y/N) snorted, crossing her arms, "Quit the benevolence already. All four of us know it's just an act."
"My apologies," He replied with slight snark, "It just comes naturally to me."
At that moment, the next teacher for their next class arrived, prompting everyone to return to their seats.
'It just comes naturally'... Huh... (Y/N) thought as she sat in her seat, Wait hold on...
"Wait, Asano," She called out with a certain thought in her head.
"What is it?" He looked back to her. She motioned him over and he followed.
"The second discussion question," She whispered, "You were lying, weren't you?"
Gakushu tensed at the question, but then he smirked, "Was it that see-through?"
"It was for me," She leaned into the palm of her hand.
He leaned in and whispered, "Of course it was a lie. True love is unattainable. Even for soulmates."
(Y/N) tensed at that answer.
Gakushu left her desk and filled in his own seat.
She wasn't mad or enraged. It was more...
Everything I've learned about Asano today has been against my will, even if it's not a lot, She thought with a frown as their math teacher began the lesson, Would it be wrong of me to psychoanalyze him based on just today?
This morning he basically admitted comparing his interactions with others to a business transaction. And now... If you think about it, he was very adamant about having to experience love first hand in order to know for sure, She explained to herself, So does that mean he's never experienced any kind of true love? Not even from family?
(Y/N) glanced at the back of his head while she still leaned into her palm.
Then again, it makes sense considering his upbringing. His father sucks, but what about his mom? She wondered.
Somehow, she was correct. Gakushu's mother passed when he was at a young age and was immediately placed under his father's teachings right after. And we all know...
His relationship with his father was teacher and student, not father and son like it should have been.
He had never experienced true and proper love.
In a way, (Y/N) envied that. It means he had never experienced heartbreak from another person. She was selfish for thinking that, but she couldn't blame herself.
Asano...
But that envy was only a small feeling. She had another feeling that ate at her.
She frowned as she eyed her soulmate who diligently answered the math question that was asked.
I pity you...
a/n: gakushu stans come get yo juice
would this be a proper gakushu x reader if there wasn't any sort of seminar or debate of some kind?