Chapter Text
I can't stand him.
That was the first thought that entered your mind when you saw him. You couldn't help it. Even though you weren't the type of person to judge someone without knowing them, there was something with the new guy that didn't sit right with you. And apparently you were the only one, because every other student in your class was head over heels for him. Maybe it was the way he was standing so effortlessly, with his head held high, as if he was trying to catch a glimpse of something far off in the distance. Or maybe it was because he was wearing sunglasses inside the classroom. Guys who did that usually were trying to be cool, and yet he made it look natural, as if you were the weird ones for not wearing sunglasses in a window-less, artificially lit room. It was obvious he liked the attention, which he got easily, not only for his overall confident nature, but also for his hair, which he had dyed a bright white.
He always sat the furthest back, where he didn't have to pretend to care for the lesson, and on his way there everyone would turn their heads and smile at him, hoping he would greet them back. Even now, as he was standing there, chatting with a couple of guys he'd made friends with, a group had formed around him and the majority was only paying attention to him and every word that rolled off his tongue, so much almost nobody noticed that the professor had walked in and started preparing the lesson of the day. You nudged your friend sitting by your side, who had also been bewitched by the new guy.
"Everyone, please take your seats". The professor was so used to it by now, he raised his voice loud enough for the people in the back to perfectly hear his every word. The others unwillingly ushered back to their chairs and even though the new guy was the closest to his seat, he was the last one to sit down. He grabbed a pen and started twirling it between his fingers, so fast it looked like a red, shapeless shadow from where you were sitting, which was first row, of course. Not only was this class extremely difficult, all because of the professor, Mr. Graham, but you had a perfect score in every other class, and you had to pay extra attention to this if you wanted to graduate with a perfect overall score.
Professor Graham taught you Latin grammar and literature separately. He was a tall man in his forties, with small, beady eyes and a stern face, who always dressed in brown clothes. He was the strictest out of all the other professors, especially when it came to translation. It wasn't enough to ace the translation of Latin texts, you had to understand what the author was trying to imply and convey that in the best was possible with your own words. It wasn't enough to know Plautus's contribution to Roman comedies, you had to know all the names of his plays and their plots, one by one. College had only started a month ago and you already had double the notes for his class than you had for any other courses, and not only that, but he'd already asked the class to write an essay on the subjects covered so far.
"I've brought back some of the essays. I'm still going through most of them, however I'm really satisfied with your work so far. You'll find a grading on the top right, but remember this is not an official score, it's just so you know how I grade papers and what I expect from a well written essay". Professor Graham drew a small pile of documents from his bag and placed it on his desk. "On the back you'll find my thoughts and some advice to changes that could benefit your writing". He held up one of the papers and showed the last page, which was full of red ink. "A reminder, today is the last day to submit your essay, so you have time until the end of today's class. Just drop your papers on my desk, here".
Mr. Graham then opened his book and was about to start the lesson, when he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, I wanted to add. Who's...", he reached for one of the corrected essays to look at the name. "Y/l/n?". You immediately felt your cheeks start to burn up, as your classmates turned to look at you. You raised your hand reluctantly and waited in anticipation for him to see you. That's when his stern face let out a genuine smile. "I don't like to do this, because I never want to incite competitiveness in my students, but your essay in particular really stood out. Good job". You let out a weak 'Thank you' you were sure he didn't hear, and just like that it was over, Mr. Graham was already writing on the white board and carrying on with his lesson. Your friend gave you a gentle nudge and when you turned to her, she had the widest smile on her goofy face. She mouthed a quick 'Well done', before going back to taking notes. You smiled and followed right after her.
After that, it was hard for you to give your full attention to the lesson. Only a year ago, when you started college, all you heard second-years complain about was Mr. Graham's cold personality, how he never encouraged his students or praised them for their efforts. They had said that he was the toughest out of all the professors. Last year was very difficult, not because of college, but because you were already worrying about your second year, but now that this happened, you couldn't help but think to yourself: if this is the toughest, I can really do this, and suddenly you felt a weight lift from your shoulders. Your friend noticed you weren't paying attention, and she passed a little note to you.
Would you mind reading my essay before I submit it?
Marina was another one of the best students in the class, not because she cared about grades, but she sincerely had a passion for everything and every subject this college had to offer. The only problem was she didn't really know how to turn her passion into words, so while she excelled in practice, theory wasn't her biggest suit. When you met during orientation, she had her eyes glued to the pamphlet and kept going in different directions than the group and had to run back to catch up each time. You had knew immediately she was going to be your best friend. You wrote back.
Of course, give me.
Marina read the note and passed her computer over to you. As she was writing down notes for the both of you, you started reading her essay, making sure to add a few notes on what she could change and improve on. You were almost half way through, when you sensed Marina moving around in her seat. She grabbed another paper and passed you a second note.
The new guy was staring at you.
You instinctively turned around, to check if it was true, but he was looking straight ahead, right at the white board, for the first time he seemed to be following the lesson. You shrugged your shoulders and carried on reading Marina's essay, trying your best to get back into the rhythm, but suddenly the hairs on your body stood up, as if electrified. Your stomach clenched and an awful sensation ran through your body, like nothing you'd ever felt before, so awful it made your whole back shiver, as if a long, slender finger had brushed swiftly down your spine. Your shoulders felt strange too, they fell forward to a hunch, weighed down by an invisible force. Wondering if it could've been the amount of hours you'd spent sitting down in class or studying, you tried to stretch, still, this force was so strong you could barely move.
"Are you okay? You're acting weird", Marina whispered to you.
"I don't know... my back kinda hurts".
She suggested going to the bathroom and taking a little walk to warm up your muscles, but class was almost over anyway, so you decided to wait. In that moment, a strong gust of wind blew past you, which sent dozens of papers flying through the air. A few students, including you, let out a surprised gasp, which prompted the professor to turn around and look at the commotion.
"Is something wrong?", he asked, addressing the students around you, but they all fell silent, unable to explain what exactly had happened. Suddenly, his attention was caught by someone else, further in the back. "Mr. Gojo, do you have a question for me?".
You followed his gaze and spotted the new guy with his right hand in the air, but not all the way, it was clear he wasn't trying to get Mr. Graham to notice him. His hand was at the same height as his eyes, and his fingers were twisted into a shape you couldn't recognise from so far away. Everything had happened so quickly, you didn't have time to realise the weight on your shoulder was gone, as if it had never been there in the first place. Finally, you straightened your back, releasing the tension in your muscles.
"No, you can carry on", he said, with his usual carefree attitude.
The professor's eyebrows tilted upwards, clearly annoyed by the lack of respect, then his hand found its way back to the white board and the lesson started back as normal. Time was running out, so you quickly finished adding a few more notes to Marina's essay, then gave her back the computer so she could try and edit everything before the end of class. In return, she gave you her notebook and you gave your full attention to the final few minutes of the lesson, adding some annotations under her own. When class was over, at the sound of the bell, everyone stood up, bags ready, and walked out of the classroom, only a few people remained.
"Can you wait for me? I'm almost done", Marina asked you.
"Sure, take your time".
You weren't in a hurry, since you had a couple of hours to kill before the next lesson. So, you took your time organising a couple of annotations that were out of order, meanwhile the professor started clearing his desk, closing his books and positioning them neatly, one next to the other, in his bag. One other person was left, taking his sweet time to leisurely make his way down the stairs, hands in his pockets, head high and his renowned insolent smirk. He was about to walk past Mr. Graham, but the professor halted him.
"Mr. Gojo, can you come to my desk? I need to speak with you".
Usually, you were very good at minding your own business, but Mr. Graham had never asked a student to talk privately with them before and a part of you was worried he could've gotten a better score than you. You knew it was unhealthy, to have this intense competitiveness against other students, but you couldn't help it. So, you looked down at your notebook, trying your best to seem as uninterested as possible. Satoru approached the professor with his hands still in his pockets, as if nothing fazed him.
"I have to say, I'm very disappointed by your work. Out of all the essays I read, yours was really badly thought out and the quality of the writing was truly quite low".
Your eyes widened. Suddenly, you would've given everything to be out of that classroom. You stole a glance at Marina, to share this awkward moment with someone, but she was too focused rearranging the last steps of the essay.
"It's only been a month since college started, so I expect my students to be at the top of their game. Whatever this was... it's not going to cut it".
Satoru had his back to you and trying to make out his expressions was impossible.
"I'm not one of those professors who'll just let you survive with the minimum of your potential. So, I'm going to keep a copy of this, because I want to see you improve. I expect another essay from you, due next week. If the paper is not up to par with the others, don't bother coming back to my class".
Mr. Graham walked back to his desk and finished packing up the last of his things. Satoru's only answer was a confident Thank you, stated just before walking out. No matter how little you thought of him, in that moment you gained a little respect for the guy, because if Mr. Graham had said those things to you, you probably would've been heard screaming and sobbing while speeding to the bathroom. Your train of thought was interrupted by Marina, who hurried to Mr. Graham's desk to hand him the USB key.
"Sorry for taking so long, I promise next time I'll be more punctual".
Mr. Graham waved the problem away.
"Don't worry. I'd rather have a student take time to perfect a project than have them send something first, but with no substance".
While Marina talked to the professor, you cleared your desk and set your pencil case, notebook and computer in your backpack. When she came back, you were ready to go. You said goodbye to Mr. Graham and left the classroom. The hallway was full of students your age, with a few exceptions, some were hurrying to their next courses, which would start soon, others, like you, had enough free time to stroll around the corridors and chat with their friends.
"Where do you wanna go?", you asked your friend.
"I really need something to drink. Some coffee maybe".
"Ooh, should we go to that new café from across the street? It looks really good".
"Which one?".
You showed Marina a picture of the place from your phone.
"Sure, let's go", she said.
You made your way through the groups of students hanging around in the hallway, and on your way out you caught a glimpse of the library hall, which was deserted at this time of the day, except for the shy librarian, who always spent his day on his phone studying some new language on a very loud app. Another person was there, sitting at one of the free tables, rocking the chair with his knee, his face nestled between the pages of a book. His white hair made it impossible not to recognise him immediately.
"That was so embarrassing", you blurted out.
"What?".
"Before, when Mr. Graham went off on the new guy".
"Oh, yeah. I tried really hard to shut my ears off".
You giggled.
"But I mean, I like those types of professors. It shows they care about our progress. At least in my opinion".
"Yeah, I guess you're right", you said, unsure. "But if it was me, I think I would've quit the class".
Marina gave you a confused look.
"You? No, no. Sure, maybe you would've cried and skipped a few classes, but then you would've written the best essay that man has ever read just to prove him wrong".
You smiled at her. "Aw. You really think to highly of me". She also giggled.
"I don't, believe me, you're just not a quitter".
You walked out of the university, leaving the red bricked building behind as you headed towards the main street, through freshly cut grass where hundreds of other students were enjoying the last few droplets of sun before the approaching autumn weather. It didn't take long to get to the café, it was close enough you could see the university from the glass windows, peaking through the dusty orange trees. However, there were many people standing in line, which was surprising considering the café had opened only a little ago. You and Marina decided to look up the menu online, since the heads of the people in front of you covered most of the drinks.
"Buy the way, I got this one", Marina said, and before you could oppose to it, she continued. "To thank you for helping with my essay".
Still, you weren't happy about it. "Fine", you muttered.
The door chimes rang through the store, signalling a new person had come in the café. It was faint, but that electrifying feeling from before attacked your nerves once again.
"Excuse me", you heard a male voice call for you from behind. You turned around, but all you could see was a pair of sunglasses right in your face. You backed off from the surprise. It was Satoru.
"Jeez- have you ever heard of personal space?".
He laughed it off. "My bad".
You and Marina exchanged a confused look. It didn't seem like he was making fun of you, he appeared to be that type of person who was amused by everything and always had a smile on their face.
"You're Y/l/n, right?", he asked.
"Yes".
"Nice to meet you, I'm Gojo Satoru", he said, pointing at himself.
"I know, we have class together".
"Class! Yes! That's exactly why I'am here". He grabbed something from his backpack and waved it in front of your face. "You see this?".
It was the essay Mr. Graham had given back to him. It was full of red ink from the amount of corrections the professor had made to the text. You nodded.
"I need your help If I'm going to pass this course".
You two had never even exchanged a word to each other, yet you were the first person he'd come to ask help.
"Can't you get one of your friends to help you out? I'm busy with other courses".
"I don't want their help, I'd like you to help me out".
"Why?".
"Because you're the strongest", he said with a flashy grin.
You furrowed your brows. It was one of those instances where, even though he was the one who said something weird, the conviction in his voice made you question whether you where the strange one for not understanding what he was talking about. You let out a sigh.
"Give me this". You grabbed his essay, to understand how bad the situation really was, and pinched the corner of the paper, expecting to find another page behind the first one, but that was all there was. "You wrote a single page?", you asked.
"How many was I supposed to write?".
"I don't know, like fifteen?".
For the first time since you'd known him, his composure faltered a little and the side of his nose began twitching. This was bad. No wonder Mr. Graham had gone so hard on him.
"Was this your first time writing an essay or something?", Marina asked him.
"Uum- the college I went to before was more practical".
You handed him back his essay.
"So?".
Many mixed emotions filled your chest. On one side, you didn't like the guy. He was arrogant and clearly wasn't taking his college career seriously. How many times had you seen him striding along the corridors, looking down at others, with no care in the world? Also, college was hard enough with the time you had, adding another thing to that schedule was borderline masochistic. On the other side though, the image of Mr. Graham scolding him flashed through your mind. If you were in that position, you'd probably want someone to help you out. Especially if you'd recently moved here from another country. You looked at Marina hoping she's throw you a lifeline, but you could tell where she stood. She was a much nicer person than you.
"Fine".
"Really?".
"Yes...". He looked so happy that he could start jumping in the air, so you stopped him before his feet left the ground. "But! You're gonna follow my schedule. I don't care if you're flunking other classes, I'm not gonna let you bring my grades down".
"Of course".
"And if I sense even just a little drop in quality from my part, I will drop you, understand?".
"Sounds reasonable". He searched in his pocket for his phone and handed it to you. "Here, let's exchange numbers".
You passed your phone to him. When you were both done, Satoru smiled brightly.
"I'll wait for your text! Have a good coffee girls".
He clapped his hands and walked out the café.
"I can't stand him", you said, aloud this time.
"I think he's charming".
"You would think that of a cow if it had his blue eyes".
Marina chuckled. "Let's get back in line".
But when you turned around, the people in front of you were all gone, as if they'd vanished into thin air.