Title : Is Anyone in This School Even Normal?!

...Chapter 5: “A Group Project or a Love Trap?”...

——————-

By the time the bell rang for the final period of the day, I was exhausted. Not from classes—oh no, that was the easy part. It was the constant avoidance. And the weird interactions with Kai. My brain was fried.

But of course, it wasn’t over.

“Alright, class!” Mr. Suzuki announced, clearly too enthusiastic for a Monday afternoon. “Time for a group project! We’re assigning teams randomly.”

I froze. Random teams? No. No way.

Kai’s voice was the last thing I needed to hear right now. “Looks like fate’s on my side,” he said from behind me, a little too smug.

The teams were announced, and of course—of course—I was paired with Kai.

I felt my stomach twist in an unholy mixture of dread and something that might’ve been excitement. But I quickly ignored that thought.

Kai leaned over the desk. “Guess it’s just you and me now, huh?”

“Guess so.” I gave him a tight smile, hoping it didn’t look as strained as it felt.

The project? Simple. Work together, present something about school culture. But the problem? I couldn’t focus with him so close. I tried to focus on the topic, on the material, anything. But every time I looked up, I found him watching me with that infuriating smirk.

“I swear, you’re the most distracting person alive,” I muttered under my breath.

“What? You don’t like having me as a partner?” He asked, leaning in, his face suddenly far too close.

I nearly knocked my papers off the table. “Are you trying to make my life harder?”

“I just want to see how much you can take.” His eyes were playful, teasing—dangerously so.

I wanted to scream.

But then, out of nowhere, he pulled back and started gathering the materials for the project. “I’ll handle the poster. You take care of the notes.”

I blinked at him, confused. “Wait, what?”

“I don’t mind doing the ‘artsy’ part,” he said. “You seem more like the note-taking type.”

I stared at him, trying to gauge if he was mocking me or being genuine. But the thing was, I couldn’t tell. Not with Kai.

“So,” he continued, drawing something on the poster, “what do you think we should put for the heading?”

“Um… School Spirit: More Than Just Cheering?”

“Lame.”

“Why do you always act like I’m trying to torture you?” I asked, exasperated.

“Because,” Kai grinned, “it’s fun watching you squirm.”

I stared at him, my heart racing.

Was it bad that, just for a second, I almost wanted to be tortured?

——————

“The Art of Not Being Normal”

The next few days felt like a blur of forced smiles, awkward silences, and Kai.

Our project, “School Spirit: More Than Just Cheering,” was coming along—sort of. The poster was coming out pretty well, thanks to Kai’s “artsy” side (which I had learned consisted of drawing stick figures that looked like they belonged in a children’s cartoon), and I had carefully compiled the research. But as much as I focused on the work, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was… off.

Kai’s presence wasn’t the problem—no, that was something I was long past pretending didn’t affect me. It was more that every time I didn’t want him around, he was suddenly there. Like he could read my mind. Which he probably could.

“Rin,” he said one afternoon, interrupting my flow of thoughts as he walked into the library, “are we ever going to talk about this… thing?”

I glanced up from the notes I was pretending to organize. “What ‘thing’?”

“You know. The fact that the entire school is convinced we’re dating.”

“Just ignore them,” I muttered, shifting my gaze back to my paper, but I could feel the heat creeping up my neck.

“I’m serious, Rin.” He leaned in slightly, enough that I couldn’t focus on anything other than the way his hair fell around his face. “Are we pretending it’s not a thing? Or are we—”

“Are we what?” I snapped, not sure where I was going with this. I had a terrible habit of not thinking before speaking around him.

But Kai didn’t seem fazed. “Are we going to keep this… awkwardness going? Or just admit that there’s something here?”

I froze. It wasn’t what I had expected him to say.

“I mean—” I began, but he didn’t give me a chance to finish.

Kai shrugged, then gave me a wink, as if nothing was wrong. “I’m just here for the ride, Rin. Whatever happens happens.”

And with that, he turned away, leaving me alone in my flustered mess of feelings and uncertainty.

⸻

Later that afternoon, I found myself with Yuu, trying to process everything that had just happened.

“Okay, I need to know,” Yuu said, looking at me seriously. “What exactly did he mean by that? Are you two… officially a thing?”

“Absolutely not,” I replied, throwing my hands up. “He’s just messing with me. I mean, who confesses in front of everyone and then acts like it was just a joke? Kai does, that’s who.”

Yuu raised an eyebrow. “So… you’re saying you’re not attracted to him?”

I narrowed my eyes. “I never said that.”

“Bingo.” Yuu smirked.

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “Why is everything so complicated? All I wanted was to get through high school in peace!”

“You’re already a walking drama show, Rin,” Yuu replied, as if this was news to anyone. “You’re going to have to get used to this.”

I sat up and glared at her. “But that doesn’t make it easier.”

“Sure doesn’t,” she agreed, “but you’ll live. And if I were you, I’d figure out what you want out of this whole Kai situation before it gets even messier.”

I didn’t have an answer to that, but the thought of it kept swirling around in my mind like a storm.

Kai was like the wild card I didn’t know how to play—dangerous and exciting, but also a total mess.

And I hated how much I didn’t mind it.

——————-

“The Countdown to Chaos”

The deadline for the project was only two days away, and yet, here I was, staring at the clock and wondering how I had ended up in the same room with him again.

Kai Takumi. The guy who somehow became my partner, made me feel every bit of something without ever meaning to, and then left me questioning my sanity on a daily basis.

Today, we were at his house. The “final touch” of the project was supposed to be adding our finishing touches to the poster and the presentation, but… well, I had a feeling we wouldn’t be focused on that.

“Rin,” Kai called from the couch, where he was sprawled out like he owned the place, “Do you want something to drink? Or are you planning to just stare at me all day?”

“I’m working,” I muttered, trying to keep my focus on the notes in front of me.

“I know. But it’s no fun if you don’t look up once in a while.” He shot me one of his signature smiles, the kind that could melt ice but simultaneously make me want to strangle him.

“Stop looking at me like that,” I snapped, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. “It’s not funny anymore.”

“Is that what you tell yourself every time I mess with you?” His voice was low, teasing. “Does it work? Are you still pretending?”

I clenched my fists under the desk, trying to focus on anything else. “Kai, I’m not pretending. You’re the one who’s messing with me. And it’s getting old.”

For a moment, I thought he might just let it go, but instead, he got up from the couch and walked toward me.

“I’m not messing with you, Rin,” he said softly, his voice suddenly serious. “I’m just… trying to figure out if you’re as confused as I am.”

His words hit me like a tidal wave, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. I was drowning in a sea of feelings I couldn’t control, and Kai’s calm demeanor was only making it worse.

“I’m not confused,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure if I was convincing him—or myself.

He raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

⸻

Kai’s POV: “The Unspoken Truth”

She was fighting it. That much was obvious.

But the more I watched Rin, the more I realized something. This wasn’t about playing games anymore. This wasn’t about having fun at her expense.

This was real.

I’d never really cared about school projects or deadlines, but with her, I couldn’t ignore the tension that was building between us. Something had shifted. Something that felt more significant than I was willing to admit.

Rin was different. She wasn’t like the other girls, the ones who’d fall for the “Kai Takumi charm” without a second thought. She wasn’t impressed by my smile or my status.

And that was exactly why I couldn’t stop thinking about her. The fact that she was so… untouchable in a way. I didn’t know how to handle it.

I could see it in the way she looked away whenever I got too close. In the way she pushed me away, even when I didn’t want her to.

I hated the uncertainty. But at the same time, I couldn’t get enough of it.

I closed the distance between us, my heart hammering in my chest. “Rin,” I whispered, “you’re not as good at hiding it as you think.”

And this time, when I spoke, I wasn’t pretending. I wasn’t messing with her. I just wanted to know if she could hear the truth in my voice.

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