Advanced Calculous.
A world filled with numbers and equations. Yuri liked math. It was because how straightforward it was. If you got the wrong answer, you'd know. But it didn't leave much to the creative mind unless you were able to find a new way to solve a problem.
But Yuri's mind was slightly on the topic of Monika. She was worried about her. Not much, of course; she knew the brunette could take care of herself, but she never liked seeing her so tired.
The thought didn't last long as the teacher in the front of the room spoke. "Alright, that's it for today. Work on page 249-252, numbers 1-17. You can have free time for the rest of the period."
Yuri was going to begin her math homework as a head start, but she decided against it. She's always been so busy doing school work now that she hasn't gotten a chance to read anything.
And the books she took from the library looked pretty intriguing. She carefully closed her notebook and slipped it as quietly as she could back into her bag, pulling out a large, brown hardcover book.
The book was called, "Dark Roses as a Gift". It had a small, black thorny rose on the cover, and it had caught Yuri's interest. She wasn't sure why, but the books premise seemed interesting.
The book was a horror novel, something about a fake sense of romance when a new girl moves into a strange country, and she meets a boy, who she begins to like. Yuri wasn't in for the romance, more for horror aspects.
She recalled the page number she left off on; 73, and she opened the book gently. Her eyes flickered on the words as she began to read, the world around her fading as the voice in her head narrates.
•••
'And thus, a petal fell off the rose.'
'Chapter forty—'
Yuri glanced up from the book, her mind slowly coming back to reality. Only then did she notice the classroom so quiet, all the seats empty, the teacher had left, some students walking in the hallway with lunch trays or money.
Ah..! Did I just..?
Hesitantly, Yuri glanced at the clock. 12: 27. She was almost thirty minutes late to the cafe! She was about to hurry out before she looked beside her, someone she recognized sitting down at his desk, his black eyes focused on the pages of a book.
Jess hasn't left either, which surprised Yuri. After all, he was starting the cafe too.
Yuri flinched as Jess glanced up from the book, and looked beside him, straight at the maiden. Quickly, the girl looked away, embarrassed. I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't be starring..
"Oh, hey." Jess says casually, as if Yuri hadn't disturbed him.
Quietly, Yuri glanced back at the black haired boy. "I-I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to interrupt you..!"
Jess shrugs. "We're not going to the cafe. I called it off."
Yuri blinked in surprise. He called it off for lunch? "U-Uhm, apologies for asking, but why did you cancel it..?"
"Wanted to read." He replies coldly, turning his head back around and looking back at his book.
Yuri took this as a hint to stop bothering him, and did. She looked back at her own book, but her mind refused to concentrate.
Did she disrupt Jess? Why is he just sitting there, is he not getting lunch? Should she leave? Maybe find the others? But she can't just walk out and leave him alone. Or what if that's what he wants? Does she leave or not? And even if she does leave, where would she go-?
Yuri looked up, feeling a pair of eyes set on her. Jess turned his head to look at her, his black eyes hard, like coal.
Did she do something to him? Yuri ducked her head down. "I'm sorry.."
"Why?"
Yuri slowly looked up. "I interrupted your reading. Would you like me to leave?"
"Do you want to leave?"
H-How am I supposed to respond?
Jess smirked. "I'm joking. You can stay."
Yuri nods, glancing back at her book. The room stayed silence, and it wasn't as comfortable as she thought it might've been.
But Yuri re-focused her nervous gaze on Jess after he got her attention once again, "So."
"Y-yes..?"
"What.. uhm," he pauses, glancing around himself. "What book are you reading?"
Yuri looked down at the book placed on her desk, and gently flipped the book closed to look at its cover. She, of course already knew what it was called, but wanted to show him the cover.
"It's.. It's called Dark Roses as a Gift." She says. "It's a horror and romance book.."
"You enjoy romance?"
"Ah, not really.." Yuri looks down. "I.. I'm more into psychological horror.."
"Cool."
Silence.
Taking a small breathe, Yuri glanced up at Jess. "What are you reading?"
He shrugs. "It's also a horror novel, but it's not a published book."
"..?" This got her attention.
Jess continues, "My younger brother was writing it. He gave it to me as a reminder of him after I got in."
"Oh.. I'm sorry."
He shrugs plainly. "Meh, it's whatever."
Yuri nods and looks back at her own book, debating if she should continue reading it or not.
"You know," Jess starts again. "You could read it with me."
"W-With you?" Yuri repeats. "Are you sure..?"
"Yeah." Jess nods and stands up. "But can we do it outside? I normally hate reading inside."
"A-Ah.." Yuri reluctantly stands up as well, putting her book back into her bag. "If you wish.."
Truthfully, Yuri didn't want to go outside. It was more people that would see her, after all. But she was excited on reading the novel, and she didn't want to upset Jess.
Both of them walked outside; Yuri noticed how even though the campus was quite big, it still looked small to all the students who were outside. Either talking or eating.
Yuri follows behind Jess, hiding her face behind her violet hair quietly.
She finally looked up when she noticed Jess stop walking. They had seated themselves against a thick tree, that provided a light shade. They were also on a small hill, so they were able to look around at most of the students.
Both of them placed their bags on the grass and sat down next to each other.
"Tell me when you're done each page." Jess said, opening the book to the beginning.
Yuri nodded, moving closer so she could see. Since Jess was holding the book, he was in an awkward position. To help, Yuri grabbed her side of the book, letting Jess turn the page so she could hold it down under her thumb on her side.
They started to read.
After finishing the first two pages, she waited for Jess to be done. Silently, she looked at him. "A-Are you finished?"
He blinks in surprise. "Huh?"
"The p-page.."
"O-oh.." He glances at the book before nodding. "Yeah, sorry."
Yuri nodded and let the page flutter under her thumb. She didn't want to bore Jess, so she tried to read faster.
So far, the book was coming along great. She enjoyed being able to be swept away in another world. But Yuri didn't need to tell Jess to flip the page, he simply did it on his on.
After for about twenty minutes, Yuri glanced up in front of her. Slightly farther in the distance she would see a track made of dirt, a group of males running around it, a group of girls beside them.
They seemed to be playing the same game; throwing a football and then running to it. The girls seemed softer, they simply pulled a flag from the other ones pocket.
The boys, however..
Yuri nearly jumped, being startled. The boys just jump atop of each other. Won't they get hurt?
That's when she noticed a small, pink haired figure making her way towards the older man who watched the boys. Surely that can't be..
Yuri shook it off and continued reading.
Though, she couldn't help but get curious after a while later. She looked back up so see the pink haired girl on the track along with the boys. She ran up to the boy with the football, and—
"...!" Is she supposed to do that?! Why is she attacking him?!
"Is something wrong?" Jess asked, following Yuri's gaze.
Yuri watched as the smaller girl tackled for the ball and ended up successfully getting it. She stood up, running past any other boy who tried to grab her down.
"Wait, is that Natsuki?" Jess asks, almost as shocked as Yuri.
"Y-yes.. I-Is she supposed to..?"
"Why is she playing football on the boys team?" Jess asked. "I mean, she's pretty good, but.."
Yuri sighed. Leave it to Natsuki to tackle boys twice her size.
"I'll ask her later.." Yuri mumbled, focusing her eyes back on the pages of the book.
To focus harder and to see better, Yuri moved closer to Jess, trying to ignore the sudden worry about Natsuki, or even Monika.
They finished the book, as it wasn't done yet. After closing the book, Yuri blinked back into reality and nodded in satisfaction.
She turned to face Jess, who was fidgeting nervously, and blushing a light pink.
"I like the book." Yuri says. "I think it was nice. You should encourage your brother to finish it."
Jess says nothing as he continues to stare at Yuri, the girl now looking down. "I-I mean, only if he wants too, I wouldn't want you to force him, or I wouldn't want to force him.."
Again, Jess doesn't respond.
"I'm sorry.." Yuri mumbles, fiddling with the ends of her hair.
Suddenly, Jess smiles. "W-Why are you sorry?"
"W-well, I made you uncomfortable.."
"No you didn't." Jess says. "I'm just tired."
"Oh.. Sorry.."
Yuri looks back up at Jess, "You really do apologize a lot, huh?"
Embarrassed, she looks back down. "Do I? I don't mean to. Sorry."
Wait—
"Ah-!" You can't just tell that him you're not sorry! "I mean-!"
Jess laughs, making Yuri give a shy glance towards him. "Ahaha! It's fine Yuri."
"O-okay.."
"Should we head back inside now?"
Yuri nodded, standing up. "Thank you for.. For sharing that with me.."
Jess smiled, his eyes planted on the ground. "Yeah, don't mention it."
Yuri picked up her bag, resting the strap on her shoulder. Jess did the same, putting the book in his bag.
"I mean," Jess trots over to Yuri, both of them walking back to the entrance in pace. "We could- Like, read.. Again. Together. You know?"
Surprised, she glances at him. He still wants to read with me? "Y-yes.. I would. We can.. I'd.. I would like that.."
Nodding Jess looks down to hide his smile. "Cool, thanks Yuri."