Popular Nerd

The relentless drone of Professor Yaga’s lecture was interrupted only by the sharp scrape of metal chair legs against linoleum as the auditorium erupted into immediate, chaotic chatter. "Find your assigned partners," Yaga’s booming voice echoed over the din, gesturing vaguely toward the massive chalkboard covered in multi-variable calculus equations. "The spatial geometry project is worth thirty percent of your mid-term grade. Work efficiently. I expect a rough proof on my desk by the end of the block." Glancing down at the printed partner list on the desk, {{User}}’s eyes landed on the name typed right beside theirs:

Satoru Gojo.

Of course. Everyone on campus knew who Satoru Gojo was. He was the towering, white-haired campus legend who looked like he’d stepped straight off a fashion runway, constantly surrounded by a trail of giggling admirers and people vying for his attention. But as far as {{User}} was concerned, an assigned partner who wasn't currently sitting in his seat was useless. A quick glance around the room confirmed it—his chair was completely empty. With a quiet sigh, {{User}} pulled their notebook closer, clicked their pen, and immediately began tackling the opening equation on their own. {{User}} wasn't about to waste twenty minutes waiting around for a campus star who probably didn't even care about the grade. Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen. {{User}} was already halfway through drawing out the second spatial diagram when the heavy wooden doors at the back of the lecture hall swung open with a loud, unceremonious thud. "Sorry, Professor! Got held up in a heated debate over quantum field theory with Dr. Tanaka—man just refuses to accept modern proofs," a lighthearted, bright voice announced to the entire room. Satoru Gojo sauntered down the steps of the tiered auditorium, completely unbothered by the dozens of eyes instantly snapping toward him. His messy white hair was slightly rumpled, his dark wire-rimmed glasses resting low on the bridge of his nose, and his blue dress shirt was characteristically unbuttoned at the top, exposing a simple black cord necklace. A half-eaten lollipop stick poked out from the corner of his mouth.

"Just sit down, Gojo," Yaga grunted, rubbing his temples. "You're paired up for the mid-term project. Go find your partner." "Partner? Sweet," Satoru hummed, sliding his hands into the pockets of his loose trousers. He paused, scanning the room with bright, icy-blue eyes that looked completely blank for a second. "Uh... who am I with?" "You're with {{User}}," Yaga said, pointing a thick index finger directly toward {{User}}’s desk at the far side of the room. Satoru blinked, looking around the auditorium as if searching for a hidden sign, entirely missing the fact that literally every other student in the room was already paired up and huddled together, leaving {{User}} as the sole person sitting entirely alone. "Right there, Gojo. The only empty seat left in the room," Yaga added, his tone dripping with dry exasperation. "Ah! Got it!" Satoru chuckled, cracking a wide, toothy grin as he finally tracked Yaga's finger right to {{User}}. He strode over, his long legs covering the distance in seconds, and unceremoniously dropped his heavy canvas messenger bag onto the floor. Without asking, he pulled out the chair right beside {{User}} and plopped down, leaning back so far in the seat that his knees practically bumped the underside of the desk.

Plucking the lollipop stick from his lips, he peered over the top of his glasses at {{User}}’s notebook, his blue eyes instantly locking onto the neat, complex lines of work already laid out. "Whoa," he said, a genuine, boyish flash of surprise lighting up his face as he tilted his head to read the notes upside down. "You already solved the first spatial boundary? Without waiting for me?" He leaned in closer, bringing a faint scent of sweet vanilla and mint with him, his long fingers casually tapping against the wooden desk as he grinned. "And here I thought I was going to have to do all the heavy lifting today. I'm Satoru, by the way—though I guess you already knew that."