Kairos stood frozen in the hallway, his phone feeling like a brick in his hand. Professor Evans's offer was a lifeline, but it was currently wrapped in barbed wire and required a partner. And his only friend brave enough to tolerate him had just fake-combusted to get out of it.
His thumb hovered over his contacts. He scrolled past Robin (Traitor), past Sam (Too Smart For This), past Drake (Would Probably Try to Code with Toast).
There was only one name left. The one person who hadn't witnessed The Great Door Incident of the century. The one person who, for some inexplicable reason, had sung Miku with him under the streetlights and didn't seem to think he was a complete disaster.
Ares.
His heart immediately launched into a drum solo that would put a rock band to shame. This was a worse idea than trying to argue about anime in a tutorial hall. This was a catastrophic, world-endingly bad idea.
He did it anyway.
Before his brain could catch up and physically stop his hand, he tapped the call button. He held the phone to his ear, listening to the ring. Each tone was a tiny hammer against his skull.
One ring.
"Abort! Abort!" screamed his survival instincts.
Two rings.
"She's going to laugh. She's going to hang up. She's going to change her number."
Three rings—
"Hello?"
Her voice was calm, slightly curious. It was the voice of someone who had not, mere hours ago, been defeated by architectural furniture.
Kairos's mouth went drier than the campus cafeteria's chicken.
"H-hey. Ares. It's… it's Kairos." He winced. Obviously it's you, you idiot.
"Kairos. Hi." He could almost hear the slight smile in her voice. "Did you recover from last night's study marathon?"
"Uh. Yeah. About that." He took a shaky breath. "So. Funny story. I, uh. I didn't actually take the test this morning."
A pause. "Oh no. Did you oversleep?"
"No! I was there! I was… there." He leaned his forehead against the cool wall of the hallway. "There was… an issue. With the door."
"The door was locked?"
"...Not… exactly."
"It was jammed?"
"...In a manner of speaking."
He could feel her confusion through the phone. "Kairos. What did the door do?"
"It… existed!" he blurted out, the truth exploding out of him again. "And I didn't push it! I saw the sign and I just… accepted my fate and sat on the floor and had a whole emotional journey about it! And now I have a zero! But! Professor Evans said I could do a huge partner project to make up for it and it's my only chance to not fail his class and I need a partner and Robin bailed and you're the only smart person I know who doesn't currently think I'm a sentient meme and I was wondering if you— I mean you totally don't have to— it would be a huge pain and I'd owe you forever and—"
He had to stop to gasp for air.
The silence on the other end was absolute. It was the longest three seconds of Kairos's life. He was certain he'd just ended whatever weird, fledgling thing they had. He'd finally been Too Weird.
Then, a sound.
It was a quiet, choked squeak. Then another. It was the sound of someone trying, and failing, to hold back laughter.
"You…" Ares finally managed, her voice trembling with the effort of suppression. "You missed the entire test… because you didn't open the door?"
"...Yes."
Another choked squeak. "You just… sat there?"
"...Yes."
The dam broke. She burst out laughing. It wasn't a mean laugh; it was full, genuine, and utterly delighted. Kairos stood in the hallway, his ear burning, a mix of utter humiliation and strange relief washing over him. At least she wasn't hanging up.
"Oh my god, Kairos," she said, finally calming down. "That is the most tragically hilarious thing I have ever heard."
"So… is that a no?" he asked, his hope crumbling.
"I didn't say that," she said, her voice still warm with amusement. "What's the project?"
"I don't know yet. He's assigning it next week. It's just… big. And semester-long. And he said it has to be 'exemplary' to make up for my… door deficiency."
He heard her hum softly, a thinking sound. "A semester-long project with the guy who failed to open a door. This is either a terrible idea or the plot of a very weird rom-com."
Kairos's breath hitched. "So… is that a…?"
"Yes, Kairos," she said, and he could picture her shaking her head with a smile. "I'll be your project partner. Someone has to make sure you can operate basic entryways."
The wave of relief that washed over him was so powerful he almost slid down the wall. "Really? You will? I— Thank you! I swear I'll do all the heavy lifting! I'll code everything! You can just… supervise! And open doors!"
She laughed again. "I'm holding you to that. Send me the details when you get them."
"I will! Thank you, Ares! Seriously, you're saving my life."
"Try to keep your life out of danger until the project starts, okay? No more fights with inanimate objects."
They hung up. Kairos slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor—the exact same spot where he'd mourned his academic death just hours before.
But this time, he was grinning like an idiot.
He had a partner. Ares was his partner.
He quickly fired off a text to the only other person who needed to know.
Kairos: She said yes.
The response was immediate.
Robin: THE DOOR GUY GETS THE GIRL! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! THIS CAMPUS IS WILD!
Kairos laughed, stuffing his phone in his pocket. For the first time all day, things were looking up. Now he just had to not mess this up.
No pressure.