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rockcandymines707 · 2 years

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Quiz Team Quarrels (Part 1)

Word count: 2k

You'd never admit it, but one of your favorite pastimes at school is bickering and competing with Zach, a fellow team member on the Hillcrest Quiz Team. Just his smart mouth alone is more than enough to provoke you now after a year of rivalry. But lately your focus is on something else. The National Championship Tournament is approaching fast, and you're struggling with stage fright. Will Zach only serve to distract you, or is there a chance that things could go back to the way they used to be?

Content Warnings: None, just quiz nerds and classic tsundere antics.

The official quiz team meeting ended almost an hour ago. Most of the members were long gone, but a few still remained in the school. They all huddled around two desks pushed head to head in a classroom, watching as two of their own teammates fought to win in a sudden-death style quiz.

Buzzers were going off non-stop, and answers were being shouted loud enough to be heard from out in the hallway. This should have been a friendly practice match between allies, but everyone witnessing it knew the players wanted nothing less than a fierce battle where everything they held dear was on the line. And you knew they were right, because you were one of the players.

"What is the capital of North Korea?"

As soon as the question was asked, your sweaty palm flew to the buzzer on your desk and pressed it. It lit up under the touch, and you answered immediately, a bit too passionately, "Pyongyang."

Kahina, quiz team leader and mock moderator, didn't look up from her laptop as she nodded in confirmation. "Correct. Next question," there was no pause to award points. You decided to get rid of them because they were useless in a battle where one wrong answer sealed your destruction. Anxiety compelled you to glance at the desk across from you. This struggle had been going on for so long already, all you needed to win was for him to slip up just once.

Everyone could feel the end approaching. The members who stayed behind were invested enough to become stirred by this, and a steady murmur of bets and comments began to pollute the silence between questions. They were close enough for you to side-eye them, but with most of your attention on the battle, the crowd devolved into blurry blocks that radiated invasive warmth and discomfort. Not to mention their eyes, always staring with the stressful weight of expectancy. You knew you couldn’t afford to be intimidated by people who weren’t even a threat, but knowing that did nothing to change your situation.

The only presence you didn’t mind was Kahina’s, and that was because she always insisted on remaining neutral. She had no problem calling out the questions in a constant, even tone, or letting the contestants’ reflexes and knowledge decide who earned the right to answer those questions first.

"Finish the quote from Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet: ‘ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a…’”

You were so caught up assessing your audience, your reflexes suffered just a fraction, but that was more than enough for your opponent. Your gaze quickly flew back to the desk across from you and landed squarely on a boy with clear-framed glasses. The buzzer on his desk was glowing under his hand, and Kahina prompted him with a nod, "Zachary."

His lax words didn't match the speed and intensity at which he raced to press his button first, “Grave man.”

"Correct."

You mentally cursed as you felt jitters start to threaten your body. This wasn’t good. Your little stutter meant that you were both tied now. This was the third and final round. You had won the first, while Zach took the second. There was no way you’d let this be settled with a tie, so that meant…

By pure chance, you both tore away from your buzzers at the same time and locked eyes. His stare was frosted with an icy glare, but underneath the surface, you could tell he was thinking the exact same burning thought you were- It all came down to this last question. You two were equal distance from the finish line, but only one would get to cross.

At this point in your relationship, words were not needed. What he wanted to say to you was written all over his face, from his taunting eyes to the cocky smirk curling his lips. I’m going to win, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Within, you were seething at his shameless arrogance, but you knew better than to show it. Frowning, you imitated his cool exterior. I’ll show you, just wait. The silent conversation ended when you refocused your attention to the plastic surface of your buzzer. You’d show him, alright, you’d show him when you buzzed in first and answered the question before he even had a chance to blink-

Kahina closed her laptop, "Okay, that was the entire set. Congratulations, you both got all of your questions right."

Hearing those words was like waking up from a dreamless sleep, except not nearly as seamless. You could see it with your own widened eyes, Zach was just as startled as you were.

You watched as he turned away from you and looked towards Kahina with an affronted expression. "Wait, but that means this whole thing ends in a tie!"

The accursed word “tie” shocked you from your daze, "No way. That's not happening. Kahina, could you moderate just one more-"

"No. Three rounds are more than enough.” Blunt and to the point, Kahina moved to pack up her belongings. “I appreciate how eager you both are, but I think we should all start to head home now."

In unison, you and Zachary began to argue, but she cut you off with a shout.

"Would you two give it a rest already!” The rise in volume was unnatural to hear from your captain, and the impact was enough to shut you up. “In case you’ve forgotten, you two are playing for the same team during the Quiz Bowl, which is now less than a week away. If we can’t become synchronized by then, we may as well forfeit now."

Her words had no cushion or restraint to them. She was a student just like you, yet she had a harsh authority that was potent enough to make you feel like a toddler being scolded. Even Zach wasn’t immune- He tried to hide it, but you noticed his head was lowered enough for some of his brown curls to hang on his face.

It wasn’t that you had forgotten about the Quiz Bowl, or the fact that the purpose of today’s meeting was to work together and train for it, but Zach had gotten in the way! Thinking back to how he provoked you before the meeting made your mood sour all over again. He’s had this habit of going out of his way to mess with you for a year now, always putting himself on a pedestal and looking down on you just to spite you.

You had no idea why he decided to target you of all people, but one thing you did know was that you were done trying to just ignore him. You admit, he knew how to bait you, but once you gave in and challenged him to a one-on-one battle, you couldn’t take it back. Your pride wouldn’t let that be an option.

"If you two have a problem with each other, I recommend settling it as soon as possible to ensure others don't suffer because of your little… rivalry."

Kahina gave you one last look before she slung her bag over her shoulder. She turned to address the entire room. "Have a good evening everyone." Silence followed her retreating footsteps until it was all that filled the classroom. Everyone’s eyes lingered on the door until the slam of its closing signaled them to return to their business. While the crowd prepared to leave, you were still trying to recover from your leader’s lecture.

Beside you, Zach clicked his tongue. “This is all your fault.”

You glared at him, “My fault? How the hell is it my fault when you were the one who started this whole mess in the first place?” And just like that, you two were at it again.

He crossed his arms, “If you hadn’t challenged me, then none of us would even be here right now. Am I wrong?”

You pointed an accusatory finger at him, passion growing in your voice. “If you hadn’t come up to me out of nowhere and started bothering me, then we wouldn’t have had a problem to begin with!”

“You should have known having a contest would end with me being the victor. That was a complete waste of time.”

His matter-of-fact tone was your worst weakness, “We tied, you idiot. That means no one won, whether you like it or not.”

He gritted his teeth. For a moment, his focus drifted away from you, and an irked frown broke past his mask, “That had no reason to end in a damn tie.”

In an extremely rare event, you and Zach were on the same page, “I’d be more than happy to break it by winning, but we need a moderator.”

You both looked towards your fellow teammates at the same time. The students who were engrossed in your drama eventually registered your expecting gazes. All of them accelerated gathering their belongings in response, then rushed to hurry out the door with only cursory goodbyes.

After witnessing the group flee to safety with annoyance, Zach rolled his eyes, “Whatever. Having another round would be pointless since we both know I’d win in the end. I’m clearly at a higher level than you.” “Excuse you? You’re revealing how insecure you are with those weak insults. And where in the world did you get the idea you’re better than me? If anything, that game showed I’m perfectly capable of surpassing you."

He scoffed, closing in on you with a pressuring aura. He was close enough to see your own reflection in his lenses, “Are you sure? Someone capable of surpassing me wouldn’t freeze up like you did on the last question. If that was an actual match in the Quiz Bowl, the enemy would have eaten you alive.”

You felt hot blood rush to your face, not only because he noticed you were distracted, but also because his last remark pierced you right in the heart. You stuttered out, “T-That wouldn’t have even happened if you didn’t-!” Your own intrusive thought made you pause. It told you that you couldn’t dismiss the remark as easily- because there was an ugly truth hidden in his words.

The Quiz Bowl in less than a week was the National Championship Tournament. Every team you encountered there would be made up of the most brilliant and formidable foes. Since this will be your first Quiz Bowl, there was no doubt that most of them would be more experienced than you, as well. Less likely to trip than you. If your anxiety about playing in front of a crowd persisted, then he may very well be right. One trip could be the difference between life and death.

Irritated by your body’s abnormal heat and your insecurity in front of Zach, you grabbed your nearby bag and headed straight for the door. You accepted what you had to do now. Zach excluded, your team didn’t deserve to hold you as deadweight. For Kahina and the others’ sake, as well as your own, you’d find a way to conquer your fear before the deadline. “What happened today won’t ever happen again. I’ll make sure of it.”

You didn't see it, but Zach's face flickered with surprise. He followed you to the door, “Hold on! What happened to finishing our match? We can keep competing without a moderator, you know.”

You looked back at him with a raised eyebrow, a little surprised he would insist on you staying, “No thanks, I’ve tolerated you long enough for today, and I have something important to do with my time, unlike you.” You just couldn’t resist throwing in one last dig before walking out with your head held high. It was immature, you knew that, but Zach had the odd talent of making you not care anymore. You were perfectly content with your childish satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Zach stood still, bathing in the perfect silence surrounding him. He stared at the spot you were just occupying in the doorway, something unknown stirring behind his pupils. Then, he sighed, and began preparing for his way home.

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rockcandymines707 · 2 years

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The Delinquent Student President

Word count: 3.4k

Summary: Being vice president of Hillcrest's student council means being responsible for upholding your duties as well as the academy's prestigious reputation. But, does prestige even matter anymore when you've fallen in love with Ryosuke, a sly yet clever delinquent who also happens to be the president?

Content Warnings: None, this is a short and sweet one-shot about school romance and opposites attracting.

It was finally the end of the school day. Once the bell for dismissal rang out, you were ready to leave with your classmates to join the sea of students now spilling out into the hallways. However, unlike them, you wouldn’t be heading towards the exits just yet. There was a student council meeting right after school you needed to attend.

You almost forgot that you had asked your art teacher to check over a draft for a poster you were designing. She reminded you when she waved you over to her desk, but when you spotted a manila folder packed with copies of your work, you didn’t recall asking her to print them.

“Really, it looked okay?” you rubbed the back of your head with a sheepish smile when she tried to hand them to you, “I was actually hoping to hear any feedback you had before I went ahead and printed them. I thought I had more work to do, to be honest.”

The woman gave a knowing smile, then responded in a blunt tone, “Alright then, here’s my feedback,” she thrusted the folder into your hands, her eyes earnest and steadfast. “They look great. Now stop being a scaredy-cat and go put them up.” You clutched the folder to your chest, caught off guard by her unusually strict tone. In the end, you were no match for your teacher’s strong resolve, and so you relented with a grateful smile. “I will. Thank you, Ms. Ori!”

Although you were quick to deny them, your teacher’s words made you very happy. Designing posters wasn’t a part of your traditional duties as vice president, but you had volunteered to do it since no one in the art club was available. You did a lot of research into the art of graphic design in order to create the best result possible, so it was a relief to have that effort validated by someone more experienced.

In the end, their opinions didn’t matter since you had the last say, but you couldn’t help but wonder what the other members would think. Specifically, you were very curious to hear what the president had to say. It was hard to stop thinking about the president once you started. He was the heart of the entire committee, after all, and he had such a unique way of pumping life to his subordinates- including you.

You ended up fixating on the president until you arrived at the Student Council’s headquarters. He hadn’t arrived yet, but a handful of other members were present, lingering either at their seats or near the windows where it was warmer. You called a few of them to the conference table and presented the large stack of posters. The stack was divided, and each of the smaller piles were handed off to a student so they could put them up around the school. You thanked each of them and disbanded the team with a sense of pride. That’s another task done and under your belt.

The hands on the clock inched closer to the starting time of the meeting, but a quick glance around proved that the president was still missing. Your eyes began to narrow with suspicion, but you stopped yourself. Today, you would give him the benefit of the doubt. More so than anyone else, the president had many important errands to run. Maybe he was busy with one of those errands, like you just were.

That thought eased your worries some, so in good faith, you prepared his seat at the table for him, setting up all of the necessary supplies and notes so that they would be ready for him when he arrived. With everything prepared, there was nothing else to do but mingle with the other members and wait for the meeting to begin.

Or not. The meeting was supposed to start in less than five minutes, and the president was still not there. Everyone was settled in their seats by then, but in the absence of their leader, annoyed banter and gossip was allowed to flourish instead of anything productive.

“Where’s the president?” “I bet he’s not even going to show up. He’s so irresponsible.” “But did you see his test scores? He barely studies and yet he’s in the top percent of our class!”

“That’s so not fair. Someone has to be giving him handouts.”

You could feel an ache already developing in your temples, and you tried your hardest to massage it away. The gossip was so brain numbing, too... You would have loved for the council to become independent and have meetings without the president so work could be done, but that wasn't possible.

From the moment he took office, the president had always been at odds with the rest of the student body. He believed the council was not capable of making "good" decisions on their own, so the president made a rule forbidding any meetings from occurring without him present. If you went against that rule, the drama that would follow would not be pretty. That's why in cases like this, it was best to simply suck it up and go fetch him, then the meeting could start on time.

Day, the treasurer, smiled with sympathy when you stood up from your chair with a deep frown. “You have to go get him again, huh?”

You huffed, “Yes. Again. Please wait a moment.” you sped-walked out and down the hallway with your hands balled into fists at your sides. You had a very good guess as to where the slacker was.

You went down to the right wing of the second floor and pulled open a classroom door. The moment your eyes laid crossly on him, you called out his name, “Ryosuke!”

Your sudden arrival startled the three young men playing poker in the room. The student in the middle had been balancing himself on a leaned back chair, and would’ve come crashing down to the floor if he didn’t quickly shift his weight forward. The two front legs of his chair knocked against the tiles beneath as he steadied himself, untidy clothing and strands of dark hair flying with the momentum. He smoothed his hair back with the hand that wasn’t holding his cards and grinned at you. He recognized your voice right away.

“Hey, babe! You’re just in time to see me win.”

The boy to the left of him said nothing but smirked to himself, raising his bet and putting ten more dollars into the pile already in the middle of a desk.

You marched over to his side and crossed your arms across your chest. “The meeting starts in less than five minutes, you know,” you wanted him to realize how annoyed you were at his irresponsible behavior first and foremost, but your ears gave way when they turned slightly darker with embarrassment. You leaned in and covered your mouth to whisper, “and I told you not to call me ‘babe’ during school.”

“School hours are over, though,” he whined softly, but surrendered when he saw the shy glare you were giving him. He returned to the game and called, adding a couple dollars to the pot. “Don’t worry, we’ll be fashionably on time today, this is the last round. And look-” He showed you his cards- four tens and an ace. You were almost certain that he had cheated to get such a high value set, but you were just as certain that his opponents were none the wiser. You rolled your eyes in silence, giving him your grumpy permission to finish the game up.

The final player raised the bet, and at last it was time for the showdown. No players had any busts, but with only a three-of-a-kind and a full house as competition, Ryosuke’s four-of-a-kind won the round. The other two could do nothing but throw their cards down and listen as he laughed in their faces, swiping up handfuls of their cash and stuffing it into his bag. The guy on his left shook his head. “How, man? You were in last place right up until the end. A comeback like that doesn’t make sense.”

Ryosuke stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder. He offered an innocent shrug, but his black eyes flickered with the light of mischief, “If I told you how, that would take away the suspense.”

He took your hand and tugged on it, compelling you to follow him to the open doorway. He stopped momentarily to peer over his shoulder. “Take some time to hone your skills, then come back and rematch me. I’m a bit out of your league as of now.” Over your own shoulder, you saw the boy who had spoken out scowl with resentment, but he kept whatever obscenities he wanted to hurl at him locked tight in his throat.

While he and the other boy wallowed in defeat, you left hand-in-hand with the champion. You couldn’t help but feel a bud of pride blossoming after watching your boyfriend win. You had counted- there was at least a hundred dollars in that pot. You would be resentful too if you lost that much money to someone as smug as Ryosuke, and yet there was a good chance now that the boy would come back for a rematch due to the way Ryosuke needled him. It was a dirty, but smart move.

You knew you should be focusing only on the student council meeting, but you had to admit it- you loved it when Ryosuke showed off his cleverness. Still, now wasn’t the time to be rewarding him with praise. Quite the opposite.

“Can’t you play a game without relying on cheating?” you remarked with mock criticism.

“That’s awfully rude of you to assume I was cheating that game. Where’s your proof?” he countered teasingly.

Your eyes shot down to his waist where his pants pocket was covered by his unbuttoned uniform jacket. You wove your hand past the fabric and found exactly what you suspected to be hidden away. Before Ryosuke could stop you, you pulled out the stray playing card and held it up to him, your eyebrows raised with self-satisfaction.

“Right here,” you dangled the thin piece of cardboard in his face, chuckling as he snatched it and stuffed it back into his pocket.

“Woah, woah, you can’t just be exposing me out in the open like that! Those guys could’ve been behind us.”

You stuck your tongue out at him. “Would’ve served you right for almost being late.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but cut himself off when you both realized you were already back at headquarters. Through the square window, the council could be seen still chattering away. You gave him an apologetic glance before putting space between you two, brushing off your clothes out of an awkward habit.

It was already bad enough that there were so many rumors hurting his image, you didn’t want to add fuel to the fire by being too close to the president. He only answered your gaze with a thin but understanding smile. Your message was loud and clear. Play time was over. Now there was work to be done.

Ryosuke waltzed in first with his hands in his pockets, “Alright, people, let’s do this.” His announcement silenced any lingering conversations, and all eyes were on him as he plopped down in his chair at the head of the table and skimmed over his paperwork.

You, in contrast, simply sat down and folded your hands over your lap. There wasn’t a thing on your being to give away the words and thoughts shared during your private time with the president, besides the smile still on your lips, maybe. “Good afternoon everyone, I’m glad you could all make it to the first meeting of the week. Before we start, I have a brief recap of last week’s discussions…”

Just a few minutes before the meeting’s end time, all but one issue had been discussed and addressed. The president and the treasurer were in disagreement on what events would take place during the school’s next pep rally.

“It’s the truth. If we rent those BMX bikers, we won’t be able to make the money back. Sure it’d make for an entertaining pep rally, but we’d only be setting the students up for disappointment when we can’t meet their expectations next time.”

Ryosuke spun a pen idly between his fingers. You weren’t sure if he was aware of it, but he always did that when he was deep in thought. The image of gears turning in his head along with the writing tool made you bite back a laugh.

“Their sponsor has agreed to sell us their merch at a discounted price at the next football game. We already have a great turnout for regular games, but this exclusive sale will incentivize even more students to come. Not to mention we’re still selling tickets and concessions at the same time. There’s a pretty steady income from the monthly raffle I started, too.”

Day hummed, revelation widening her eyes, “If you count homecoming tickets, as well…” she mumbled to herself, crunching the numbers in her head and scribbling them down in her notebook. After a while, she nodded, “I still prefer the game night idea, but we can make this work, I guess.”

“See? Told ya it’d work out.” Ryosuke glanced at a nearby clock, then tossed away his paperwork. “Just in time, too.” He raised his voice to address the entire room. “Now, don’t forget. All of you have work to do, so don’t just turn your brain off when you get home.” His gaze swept every single council member at the table, ensuring that all of them were soaking in his authority. You weren’t excluded. You had the role of the note-taker, as well, so you were in the middle of rapidly updating the digital document. But, that didn’t mean you couldn’t feel the weight of his stare making knots in your stomach.

His attention went back to the student body. “Make sure your shit gets done as soon as possible, and we should be good.” He waved a hand. “Meeting dismissed- Get outta here.” Slowly, members began rising from their seats and shuffling towards the exit. In a vast building that was filled mainly with empty halls and silence, the last ones standing were finally released. You were preparing to leave, too, but you were more careful than others when packing up. Being vice-president meant a lot of people in lower positions depended on you, and it wouldn’t do to be untidy. You and the president quickly became the last of the last.

Speaking of untidy, you couldn’t help but notice how chaotic Ryosuke’s workspace had become, papers and folders all strewn about without care or reason. He had to sift through a big pile just to find the one exact document he needed. Despite his lax attitude during the meeting, it didn’t look like he was ready to leave at all. With a chuckle, you approached his side and bent over, collecting all of the loose papers and sorting them as you went.

“How can Hillcrest Academy’s student council president be so disorganized?” You teased him with a light smile.

Ryosuke heaved out a sigh, “Too much work,” you tugged on the form still in his hand and he relented, using his now free fingers to massage his forehead.

And rummaging through all of this isn’t? is what you wanted to say, but you saw how spent he was and decided against it. He had fulfilled his duties, after all. He didn’t deserve your sass- he deserved a reward. You glanced around the vacant space and towards the door before your next move- you bent down and placed a quick peck on the side of his head. Ryosuke, not expecting that sudden display of affection, marveled at you with wide eyes. “You did a good job today, president. I was very impressed.”

The shock in his striking features faded, replaced by a widening smirk and irises dark with enticement. “Finally, you recognize my hard work.” He took hold of your hand and pulled you towards him again, “I want another reward. Come sit on my lap.”

It would be an understatement to say you were just shocked. You were mortified.

Your blood boiled beneath your skin, causing your entire body to feel like it was glowing red. “No way! We- We’re still in school! Someone could catch us.”

“The janitor already cleared this room, and everyone else is long gone! They won’t mind if the president and vice-president spend a little extra time together.”

You knew they were only excuses, but that didn’t make them any less alluring. You turned away from him, restraint and desire locked in a heated struggle. “It’s not proper… to have a romantic relationship with a coworker. What if a teacher or another council member came back and reported us? I’d hate it if you lost your position because of me.”

A second or two of silence followed your words. In a rare turn of events, Ryosuke didn’t have an immediate snarky response. Any other time you would have taken the opportunity to rub it in, but right now you were genuinely anxious for what he was thinking. Then, Ryosuke slowly stood up in front of you, climbing in height until he was peering down at you from a little more than six feet. He lowered his head, pools of inky blackness holding such a sultry look, your breath was caught in your throat with anticipation.

He took your chin with gentle care between his forefinger and thumb. When he spoke in a low, husky tone, your attention was fixed solely on the movement of his fine but fierce lips. “You really are something else, you know that?” He bumped your forehead with his, “The best of the best of students. That’s one of the things I really love about you.”

All your dopamine-filled brain could manage was a sigh of enchantment. You were won over by a landslide. You lifted slightly off your heels to press your lips to his. They were chapped and scratched at your own as they moved, and you absolutely adored that.

He put some space between you after you parted, “But it also makes you think the weirdest things sometimes.” His hands moved to cup both of your cheeks, and he gave you the softest expression you’ve ever seen him make, “You could never make me lose my role as president. Not when you’re the only one who goes out of your way to support me. Obviously, I know it’s because you love me, but that doesn’t change the fact that your love helps me grow and keep my seat at the head of this table.” You felt your heart swell at his words, but you still held enough anxiety to argue one more time, “Well, yeah, but what if someone sees that love and then tries to-”

“Tries to what? Get rid of me?” You saw lightning flash in his irises as he tightened his grip on you the slightest bit, “Not in a million years. I’ll never let some outsider butt in on us like that. If someone has a problem with me, then tough luck. I’m not planning on leaving until graduation, and once I’m gone, they’ll realize that this school will never see a student council president as great as me ever again.”

You knew he was trying to be sincere and reassuring, but the way he spoke made it sound more like he was reciting some overly cocky speech for himself. It was touching, yet ridiculous at the same time, and it made you break out into a grin.

“But, as long as I’m still here, if you’re really that worried someone’ll bust us, I’ll just add a rule to the handbook making it ‘appropriate’ for the vice-president to sit on the president’s lap whenever they want.” He was so confident when he said that, and with such a playful grin on his face-

You scoffed and shook your head at his suggestion, finally breaking away from his embrace. “Honestly- you’re unbelievable.” Still, you considered his words, turning them over carefully in your mind.

Then, a playful smile of your own graced your lips, and you felt safe enough with him to tease, “Well, then you’d better get on making that rule official, Mr. President.”

#short story #fiction #original fiction #romance #delinquents #reader insert #yn #oneshot #high school #anime and manga #school life #opposites attract #love

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