The classroom was alive with its usual morning energy, chatter echoing off the walls, the shuffle of textbooks being pulled from bags, and the occasional sound of a chair scraping against the wooden floor.

Sunlight streamed through the large windows, casting long golden rays over the desks. Among the students, one sat with perfect posture, flipping through a well-organized notebook, while another was slumped over his desk, completely unmoving.

That was the contrast between Y/N and Nagi Seishiro, one driven, the other completely indifferent.

Y/N had always been someone who took their studies seriously. Every subject had its challenges, but they liked learning, liked the feeling of improvement that came from pushing themselves.

School wasn't just a place to pass time, it was a stepping stone to the future. They had a plan, a path they wanted to follow.

Meanwhile, at the very back of the classroom, Nagi Seishiro existed in a different world.

He had been in the same class as Y/N for a while now, but if someone asked him, he wouldn't be able to say much about them.

Not because he thought they were unimportant, but because paying attention required effort, and effort was annoying.

He was content with his routine, wake up, come to school (when Reo forced him to), nap through most of the day, and leave.

The only thing that ever kept him entertained was his phone, where his fingers lazily tapped away at whatever mobile game had caught his interest that week.

It wasn't that he was dumb. In fact, if he tried, he could probably score high marks without much studying. He just didn't see the point.

Unfortunately, not everyone shared his mindset.

From her desk near the middle of the room, Y/N found herself glancing toward the back.

Her eyes landed on the familiar sight of Nagi, who was fast asleep, arms folded beneath his head as if he had decided his desk was more comfortable than an actual bed.

His white hair was slightly messy, strands falling over his face, but he didn't seem to care.

Y/N exhaled sharply, looking away.

If there was one thing that irritated her, it was wasted potential.

She had seen Nagi play soccer once, briefly, during gym class when they were forced into teams. He barely tried, yet every movement was effortless, as if his body instinctively knew what to do.

Even his most casual kicks had sent the ball flying with pinpoint precision, and when he had gone up against multiple defenders, he had maneuvered past them as if he had done it a thousand times before.

It was unfair.

People like him, the ones who were naturally gifted at something, should be pushing themselves. They should be aiming higher, working toward something greater. And yet, Nagi did nothing.

He ignored the world, choosing to float through life with his half-lidded eyes and his annoying sighs of, "So annoying..."

Y/N shook her head and focused back on her notes.

It wasn't her problem.

"Spacing out again?"

A familiar voice broke through her thoughts. Her friend leaned closer, peeking over her shoulder with a teasing grin.

"I wasn't spacing out," she muttered, flipping her notebook shut.

"Sure," they hummed knowingly. "It's just funny how you always look annoyed when your eyes land on Nagi."

Y/N frowned, about to protest, but her friend had already nodded toward the back of the room. Against her better judgment, her gaze followed.

As expected, Nagi was still asleep.

Beside him, however, sat Reo Mikage, his best friend and the only reason Nagi even bothered showing up to school at all.

Reo was his complete opposite, bright, driven, and always wanting more. He thrived in academics and sports, pushing himself in every aspect of his life.

It was obvious that he cared about his future, which only made his friendship with Nagi even stranger.

"How do they even get along?" Y/N muttered.

Her friend chuckled. "Reo says Nagi's a genius. If he actually tried, he'd be unstoppable."

Y/N scoffed. "Then he should try."

The conversation was cut short when a loud clap echoed through the room. Students flinched, heads snapping toward the front where their teacher stood, holding a stack of papers.

"All right, everyone. Settle down," the teacher announced. "I have an important announcement regarding your midterm project."

A few groans rippled through the classroom.

Y/N, however, immediately perked up, ready to take notes.

"This project will count as a major portion of your grade," the teacher continued, flipping through his papers. "You will be working in pairs, and the topics will be assigned randomly."

A wave of murmurs spread through the room.

Group projects were always a gamble. Some people got lucky with a good partner, while others were doomed to carry the entire workload alone.

Y/N's grip on her pen tightened slightly as she listened, silently hoping for a reliable partner. The teacher began reading off names, pairing students one by one.

And then—

"Y/N and Nagi Seishiro."

Silence.

For a brief moment, Y/N's mind went blank.

From the back of the room, a low groan sounded.

"Haaah... that's so annoying..."

Y/N turned her head just in time to see Nagi lazily lift his head from his desk, his white hair falling over his eyes.

He blinked once, unimpressed, before sighing and letting his head drop back down as if the announcement alone had drained him.

You've got to be kidding me.

Y/N's fingers curled around her pen. She had worked so hard to keep her grades up, and now she was stuck with him? The guy who slept through class? The guy who barely showed up?

This project was important, she couldn't afford to do all the work herself.

Nagi, on the other hand, had already checked out of the conversation. He could feel Reo's gaze on him, clearly amused.

"What?" Nagi muttered, rubbing his eyes.

Reo smirked. "Nothing. I just feel bad for your partner."

Nagi groaned, leaning back in his chair. "It's just a project. We'll turn in something decent, and that's it."

Reo chuckled. "Yeah, good luck with that. Y/N's not the type to settle for 'decent.'"

Nagi yawned, stretching his arms above his head. "Haaah... that's so much effort, though..."

Reo rolled his eyes, clearly entertained. "You're in for a rough time."

Meanwhile, Y/N was still processing the reality of the situation.

This wasn't just a bad pairing. It was a nightmare. She already knew how this would go, she would do all the work while he put in zero effort.

No.

Not happening.

If Nagi Seishiro thought he could just skate through this project, he had another thing coming.

ideas for the next chapter?