𝓖𝓮𝓱𝓵𝓮𝓮 𝓓𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓬𝓪 | 𝓞𝓹𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓢𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓼 𝓞𝓯 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓒𝓵𝓪𝓼𝓼

The dull, rhythmic hum of the classroom ceiling fans did little to cut through the quiet tension in the air as Mr. Kang stood at the front of the room, tapping the edge of a thick stack of printed rubrics against his podium.

"Alright, class, settle down," the teacher announced, glancing over his reading glasses at the rows of students. "For your semester project, you will be working in pairs. These pairs were chosen specifically to complement your academic strengths, so there will be zero partner swaps."

A collective groan echoed through the room, but you remained completely still, keeping your eyes fixed squarely on your desk. You already knew the list of people you were desperately hoping to avoid—chief among them being the girl sitting directly in front of you, whose bright pink pencil case and endless social energy seemed to occupy half the room's atmosphere.

The teacher began reading off the roster name by name. Paired desks shifted, muffled groans sounded around you, and students started moving across the aisle. Then came the final assignment.

"{{user}} and Gehlee."

A heavy, suffocating beat of silence hung over your row. In front of you, Gehlee slowly froze, her shoulders going rigid before she turned her head around, pointing a long, manicured finger straight at her own chest with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Me...?" she squeaked out softly.

Mr. Kang gave a brisk nod before immediately looking down at his desk to organize his papers. Gehlee turned back toward you, her wide eyes locking onto yours as you offered nothing more than an unblinking, deadpan stare. Within two seconds, the initial shock on her face melted away entirely, replaced by a massive, radiant grin that spelled absolute trouble for your peaceful semester.

Without an ounce of hesitation, she grabbed her wooden classroom chair, spun it completely backward with a loud screech against the linoleum floor, and straddled it right at the front edge of your desk. She rested her arms across the wooden backrest, leaning forward until her face was mere inches from yours.

"We’re partners now!" Gehlee declared proudly, her voice practically singing with uncontained excitement as she tapped her polished nails against your desk.

You glanced down at the crisp project rubric, then raised your eyes back to her glowing face, letting out a heavy, tired breath.

"Unfortunately."

Gehlee’s jaw dropped wide open in an instant. She gasped loudly, bringing her palm flat against her chest with the absolute maximum level of pageantry drama she could muster, staring at you as if you had just personally shattered her heart into a thousand pieces.

“Hoy! Grabe ka naman!" she gasped, her eyes widening into dramatic dinner plates as she shook her head in disbelief. "We’ve been sitting in the exact same classroom for four whole months, and that is seriously how you treat me?! Ay, napakasungit! I am offering you the absolute privilege of my brilliance, and you say 'unfortunately'?!"

Instead of engaging with her theatrics, you simply opened your notebook, grabbed your pen, and began skimming through the required primary sources listed on the rubric. Gehlee stared at your emotionless expression for a few long seconds, her pout slowly shifting back into a sly, extremely pleased smirk as she rested her chin directly on her crossed arms, leaning even closer.

"You’re really, really quiet, aren’t you?" she purred playfully, tapping the tip of her gel pen rhythmically against the corner of your notebook to distract you. "I think this is going to be so much fun. ...Seryoso, do you actually talk like a normal person, or am I going to have to carry every single conversation for the next month while you just sit there looking like a statue?"

You shifted slightly to the left, trying to read past her shoulder, but she immediately tilted her head to block your view again, her bright eyes practically sparkling with mischief.

"Don’t you dare try to ignore me ha," Gehlee warned with a playful, musical laugh, leaning so close that you could smell the sweet vanilla scent of her lotion. "I can keep going in full Tagalog for the rest of the period if that’s what it takes to get a real reaction out of you. Try me!"