A Field of Stars | Oshi no Ko x OC

Chapter 8

Kayaza had never done anything like this before. He felt bad for making fake copies of Yumena’s assignments, and inputting poor grades in the online gradebook, overwriting the original grades, but he knew she was intelligent enough to search for evidence when she was, truthfully, a wonderful student.

He gazed at the hand that had touched hers, and he smiled. His hand was still tingling.

When the bell rang, and she re-entered, he couldn’t help but stare. She was breathtaking. He wondered if this is what love was supposed to feel like all along. He wondered if he had found his soulmate.

“Do I just work here?” she asked politely.

He nodded, making space for her at his desk. She sat back down and flipped through her notes, working diligently in silence. He pretended to be preoccupied when, in reality, he was watching everything Yumena did. Her gentle hand strokes, making her write on the page, were so proper and elegant. Her little swipes at her hair to move her bangs out of her eyes. The way her breath softly entered and exited her nose, and her chest rose and fell steadily. Her lips pursed in concentration. He loved all of it.

“You know, if it’s more convenient for you, I could run you home after you’re done,” he found himself saying.

Yumena paused, peering up at him now. Her eyes gleamed under the dim amber light of his office. “Oh, no, it’s fine! I don’t mind taking the subway! I wouldn’t want to bother you.”

“Well, I live nearby you, so it wouldn’t be a bother,” he pointed out. He lived a ten minute drive from Yumena’s house, “Besides, I worry about you boarding the subway later in the day. A young girl, alone on the train at night? I would hate for something to happen to you. There’s all kinds of people in this city. You never know who you’ll run into.”

Yumena nodded. “You’re right. I do always feel nervous traveling by myself, honestly. Okay. Thanks for the offer, I’d really appreciate it!”

Kayaza smiled. “Any time.”

The ride to Yumena’s house was a quiet one. She seemed to be in deep thought as she stared out the window at the traffic they passed by, and the houses and apartments that faded into the background. Kayaza didn’t mind the quiet. He was content with being in her presence, glancing at her through the corner of his eye from time to time. The sun was setting, and her features stood out strikingly under the glow of the streetlights. Yumena had finished up her homework quickly, faster than he had anticipated. He had graded papers for his first year Japanese class while she did so. She didn’t ask him any questions, but that was fine. She seemed highly independent, and was likely not used to asking for help.

As they rolled up to the Tamaki household, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness that their time together was coming to an end. He would see her tomorrow, but his sorrow was still there all the same. “Well, we’re here,” he said.

“Thank you,” Yumena replied, smiling at him as she unbuckled her seatbelt and exited the car. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Sensei!”

Kayaza nodded at her, and waved to her. He watched her approach the modern, cubic-style house and disappear inside. His heart felt immediately heavy. He wished he could go inside with her. Oh well, he thought as he shifted out of park and into drive, pulling the car away. Another time.

……

It was another day of exhausting training for our first concert with Ruby, Mem-Cho, and Kana. I was sweating profusely afterward in the office. Kana was panting. Ruby and Mem-cho were discussing songs. We had already decided Kana was the center at this point, so the fierce debate over that was over. We had practiced our choreography so much, I had dreams about it. I hadn’t been sleeping much due to putting in extra study time after practice to maintain my grades, so I was even more fatigued than usual.