Sensei- Chotto Yasunde Ii Desuka | -rj01292809-

“Ah, Saito-kun. You’re still here?” Akira’s voice came out rougher than intended. They cleared their throat. “The library closed ten minutes ago.”

The voice was soft, almost a whisper, yet it made Akira flinch. They looked up to see Haruki Saito, a student from Class 3-B, holding a stack of returned library books. He was a quiet boy, the kind who vanished into the background, but his eyes… his eyes had always seen too much. Sensei- Chotto Yasunde Ii Desuka -RJ01292809-

When Akira woke up, disoriented and warm, twenty-three minutes had passed. Haruki was still there, quiet as a shadow, reading a book by the light of his phone. He looked up and their eyes met. “Ah, Saito-kun

“Feeling better?” he asked.

“Just for a few minutes,” he insisted gently. “The essays will still be here. You won’t be able to grade them properly if you’re running on empty.” “The library closed ten minutes ago

“Just a little rest, Sensei,” he murmured, so only they could hear. “I’ve got you.”

Haruki tilted his head, observing the empty coffee cups, the faint shadows under Akira’s eyes, the way their hand trembled slightly as it reached for the next paper. The air in the library felt thick and lonely.