The next few days were a blur of chaos, snacks, and strange teamwork. Kaito was still getting used to Ryu’s unexpected energy. Every time Kaito thought they were making progress, Ryu would come up with a new, random idea, or start cracking jokes about things that weren’t even relevant to the project. At first, Kaito didn’t know whether to get annoyed or just roll with it.
But by the end of the week, something strange happened. They started making real progress. Kaito had to admit that Ryu’s ideas though offbeat, worked. They created a presentation that was visually interesting, a little chaotic, but memorable.
They met again at the library, and this time, Ryu was focused. No snacks, no random games, just him and Kaito putting the final touches on their project.
"Okay, so if we add this slide here," Kaito said, tapping the laptop screen, "it’ll tie everything together. What do you think?"
Ryu leaned in, his cast still awkwardly sticking out, but his eyes were sharp and focused. "Yeah, that works. But we need to make sure the transitions are smoother. It can’t look too jumpy. You know, like those slideshows that make your eyes hurt?"
Kaito nodded. "I know exactly what you mean."
Ryu grinned. "Cool. We’re almost there, man."
For the first time, Kaito wasn’t thinking about how much he had to do. He wasn’t stressing over every little detail. Ryu had somehow convinced him to stop worrying about making everything perfect, to just make it work. And somehow, it was working.
By the time they finished, it was almost dark outside. The library was almost empty now, just the two of them and a few scattered students still working on last-minute assignments.
"We did it," Kaito said, leaning back in his chair. "I can't believe it."
Ryu picked up his phone, ignoring the notification on the screen. "Yeah, we did. But we’re not done yet, right? We still gotta practice presenting."
Kaito groaned. "I knew there was a catch."
Ryu laughed. "Hey, no one gets a free pass around here. You’re up first."
Kaito shot him a look of disbelief. "What? Me? Why?"
"Because," Ryu said with a smirk, "you’re the one who wanted to do everything perfectly." He made air quotations with his free hand. "It’s your turn to show how it’s done."
Kaito couldn't argue with that. "Alright, fine. But you’re next. You’ll be up there too."
Ryu shrugged casually. "Sure. I’m not afraid of a little spotlight."
As Kaito started going over the slides one last time, he realized how much he’d grown used to Ryu’s presence. The guy had somehow gotten under his skin, in a good way. For all his oddities, Ryu wasn’t so bad. And maybe working together wasn’t the worst thing in the world.
The day of the presentation came faster than either of them had expected. Kaito had barely slept the night before, his mind running through every possible way the presentation could go wrong. But when they walked into the classroom, Ryu was as calm as ever. His broken arm was still in a cast, but that didn’t stop him from wearing his usual arrogant grin.
"Ready to make this happen?" Ryu asked, clapping Kaito on the back.
Kaito nodded. "Let’s just get through this without any disasters, okay?"
Ryu’s grin widened. "No promises."
They took their places in front of the class, and for the first time in a long time, Kaito wasn’t sweating. He glanced at the slides, then at Ryu, who gave him an encouraging nod.
Kaito took a deep breath and started speaking. He went through their research, explained their points, and even managed to crack a joke or two, thanks to Ryu’s influence. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good. The class was paying attention, and Kaito could feel the tension in his shoulders slowly melt away.
When it was Ryu’s turn, Kaito stepped back. His partner, in typical Ryu fashion, took a laid-back approach to presenting. He leaned casually against the desk, using his good arm to gesture, and cracked a few more jokes. But somehow, the class loved it. Ryu’s style was different from Kaito’s, but that was what made it work.
By the time they finished, Kaito was surprised to see their classmates nodding and even applauding. The teacher gave them a thumbs up, clearly impressed.
"That was… not bad," Kaito said as they sat back down. "I guess you know what you’re doing."
Ryu shot him a smug look. "Told you we’d nail it."
Kaito rolled his eyes, but deep down, he had to admit Ryu was right. They had nailed it. And for once, Kaito wasn’t mad about it. He had his doubts at first, but maybe Ryu wasn’t such a disaster after all.
As they packed up their things, Ryu tossed Kaito the bag of chips he’d brought as a snack. "We did good. Let’s celebrate."
Kaito took the chips, his mouth twitching at the beginning of a smile. "Alright, you win. But next time, no more broken bones, okay?"
Ryu grinned, tapping the cast. "No promises, man."
And for the first time in a long time, Kaito found himself actually looking forward to whatever came next.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgu7QZCLVt
