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Once they finish, the outside proves time to be about evening already, clear by the ever darkening sky fading to yellow as seen through the windows.
Standing in front of the science room’s door is Sakuma, Abe’s good friend (but that’s up for debate these days) of three years. They had met in their first year of high school – when Sakuma couldn’t find a partner for a science project – and like a pair of opposing magnets that attract each other, they have kept close until this day, through their stark differences in many things.
With a sour look on his face, he turns his head to face Abe. “The door’s locked,” he mutters sorrowfully, hands frantically searching through his pockets for any objects they can use to pick the lock of the door, before quickly giving up.
“Got any ideas, Einstein?” He asks him as a last resort, or not – as Sakuma asks him with many things – moving towards one of the many counters in the room.
Right. He’s been standing still in the middle of the lab this entire time, unsaid secrets hidden beneath the lab coat draped upon his shoulders.
“Well,” Abe replies innocently, faking discontent as he fights the smile spreading across his lips. “Can’t we wait for someone to find us?”
“You told the cleaners that we’d clean up by ourselves after we were done with it so they left early.” Remarks Sakuma, reminding his brain of how he stayed up all night trying to perfect his strategy to achieve the best circumstances.
All that hard work is paying off, Abe tells himself, thanking the neurons making up his brain as he plans his next move, checking meta-physical boxes in a checklist he’s thought up in his brain.
“Plus, it’s unlikely that anyone would visit school at this hour, especially since it’s Friday.” The boy continues, lifting himself up to sit on top of a lab bench, “even more so go to the science room. Pretty sure half the school wants this place destroyed.” He explains as he fiddles with one of the many empty beakers on the surface, examining the many marked symbols on it, then to Abe’s eyes briefly as the pair make eye contact, giving him a ‘just-gotta-deal-with-it’ look.
Step two is in action. Approaching the sitting Sakuma to his right, Abe takes up the remaining space available on the bench and lifts himself up to sit down right beside him on the smooth surface.
Eyes darting to the boy to his right, he asks him, voice faltering. “What’d you do if I told you that I locked the science room’s door?”
“I’d go ‘that’s so youuu, Abechan~’ or something.” Sakuma replies, head resting on Abe’s shoulder as he usually does, throwing the boy in question off-guard.
“But, be honest with me,” he tells him, grinning coyly as their eyes meet once more. “Weren’t you the one behind this? Two can play this game, you know. I’m not as oblivious to this as you think.”
Struggling with a proper response, he blurts out, “what do you mean by that?”
“You’re super easy to read, especially when you’re lying.” Sakuma continues, “well, actually, I guess it’s kinda nice that you think you have me under control. Easier to attack. I may not be a genius, but I’m still your friend, you know.”
A pause. “And I don’t like how long you’re taking.”