"OH! CRAP" Deji screamed under her breath, with the bell running, kids— chaos; was it not obvious she was late?
Her suitcase wouldn't budge. More than one tug, yet no centimeters. Until it did. Kyo Deji one second, sprinting down the empty corridor, focused on not being any later than she already was, and the next—
WHAM.
Colliding with something solid, her shoulder slamming into a broad chest. A shout—hers? his?—rang out as they both hit the floor in a tangle of limbs and scattered bags...and a ball?
For a moment, Deji just lay there, stunned and staring at the ceiling. Then came the voice—deep, sharp, and brimming with irritation.
"Are you serious?"
She sat up with a wince, quickly pulling her blazer back into place. Across from her, the guy she'd apparently flattened was sitting up too. He wasn't anyone she could have recognized—tall, dark hair falling into his eyes, a basketball rolling away like it had been trying to escape the chaos. Deji scowled, all her embarrassment boiling into frustration. "Me? You're the one playing basketball in the middle of a hallway!"
He blinked at her like she'd grown a second head. "And you're the one running around corners like you're being chased."
"I wouldn't have to if people weren't treating the hallway like it's a gym!" She gestured sharply to the basketball, still wobbling to a stop near the wall. "Who even does that?"
The boy pushed himself to his feet, brushing imaginary dust off his shirt. "Clearly me. You're welcome for the assist."
Deji blinked. The assist? Oh, he was going to be unbearable. "I—what? Aren't you supposed to be at the opening ceremony anyway?" she snapped, also getting to her feet and brushing herself off. "Or did you miss the part where it's mandatory?"
He bent to pick up the ball, his movements annoyingly slow, as if he had all the time in the world. "Didn't miss it," he said lightly, spinning the ball on his finger. "Just didn't care."
"You didn't—?" Deji sputtered, cutting herself off as she tried to reign in the sudden urge to smack the smugness off his face. "Are you serious right now? Do you even know what you're missing? This is important."
"Yeah sure-"In a sarcastic manner, he finally looked up, meeting her gaze with that unreadable calm, like she was the one acting unreasonably. "You're talking like you're on time."
Deji froze, her face heating up. He did not just—
"That's not the point," she muttered, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "I'm not the one skipping to play pretend NBA."
His mouth twitched—like he was fighting a smile. "You've got a lot of opinions for someone who just knocked me over."
"I wouldn't have knocked you over if you weren't loitering around like—like—" She struggled for a word, pointing sharply at him.
"Like what?" he asked, clearly enjoying himself now. Deji dropped her hand, breathing hard through her nose. This was ridiculous. She was late, and now she was stuck arguing with some random guy who looked way too entertained by the whole thing. "Whatever," she muttered finally, brushing past him. "Do what you want."
To her immense irritation, he didn't move out of her way. He just turned slightly as she passed, like he couldn't resist getting in the last word. "Hey—next time, try looking where you're going"
Deji stopped mid-step, turning back to glare at him. The boy grinned, bouncing the ball lazily against the floor. "Suit yourself." Before she could come up with a response, he turned and sauntered away down the corridor, completely unbothered, leaving her fuming and staring after him. She clenched her fists, muttering under her breath as she spun back around. "Unbelievable."
But as she hurried off to the ceremony, trying to shake the entire interaction out of her head, one thought nagged at her: Who even was that guy?
[how troublesome]
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