By no stretch of imagination would Sora consider himself a good student. To him, school wasn't noble or necessary, but a unique form of torture— As uninteresting as it was stifling.
But he had no choice. It was this, or he would likely have been sold to the highest bidder. He wasn't sure how long that would remain just a joke in his household.
Still, why couldn't the topic be about rare insects or something? He sighed for the thousandth time. At least then I could learn about something cool.
He shut and pushed his books aside to make space.
Not even waiting for anyone to leave, he laid his head down on the hard desk. It used to be a regular blue desk, but much of the paint had peeled off over the years, revealing uneven wooden pieces and pen marks saying nonsense like 'Jackie was here'.
If one were to ask, Sora much preferred books with pictures. That was why he eagerly opted to read the art books, only to be disappointed that it was strictly art psychology. Endless pages about how colour theory ties with self-expression and whatnot.
His head ached. Actually, it was more like a sculptor was denting him around the eyes with a chisel. Putting finishing touches on his eye bags.
Just like that, their first project meeting was over.
As the sound of his teammates packing up ended and their steps faded away, he relaxed further. He was grateful to have gotten through it without slowing them down. He was also grateful that nobody noticed anything under his usually stoic demeanor. He would never explain, but it would be a hassle if anyone asked.
Noticing meant prodding and prodding was a pain.
The low rumbling of thunder sounded and steamrolled over his thoughts. He was then made very aware of the fact that he didn't carry an umbrella.
He sighed, beginning to feel he came to the earth to learn the art of sighing in deep melancholy. Why was nothing going his way?
He lifted his head up, only to freeze at the hand already reaching towards him. He looked beyond the tanned hand, and saw Gavin's surprised face. One that likely mirrored his own.
The boy retracted his reach, his face flushing once again. Throughout the session, whenever they locked eyes, he would flush just like that. He must be easily embarrassed, Sora noted.
Gavin cleared his throat and stood straight, adjusting the bag on his shoulders that had dropped uncomfortably. "I came to see if you were still asleep. The weather's changing.. so you should go home." Sora looked towards the window. Then he checked the time on his phone.
It was only 3PM, yet the sky looked like a mind in turmoil. Lightning peeked out from dark clouds, as though to show the weather wasn't just joking around.
Sora pondered. He was certain he couldn't out-run it, but wasn't willing to buy an umbrella either.
He had a perfectly good one at home!
He steeled his resolve. If he got sick, he got sick. He stood up to leave, but had barely taken a step when Gavin spoke up again, "Want a ride?"
It was a quiet offer, even in the quiet library.
When Sora turned back, the look in his eyes was so kind and warm that he almost couldn't believe it.
He blinked. "No need to put yourself out… Don't want to intrude. I'll walk, or run."
The rumble of thunder sounded again, practically asking 'are you sure about that?'
"It's really no trouble, okay? Let's go." Gavin confirmed, with a small smile.
In the end, he found himself as the passenger princess in a sleek grey Mazda. Gavin even opened the door for him, which was questionable. But maybe he was just a gentleman by default. He looked like a nice guy, though he only ever saw him in some classes and around the campus. Still, he seemed nice enough.
He gave the location and described the twists and turns leading to his house, and Gavin laughed softly. "It's a little embarrassing but that is actually in the opposite direction I'm heading in. It's really no problem, though." He started the car before Sora could protest further.
Sora's stomach dropped slightly, regardless. He began to nurse a bad feeling, already wondering how he could make it up to Gavin later.
After a beat of silence with only the engine grinding, he then added, "At least now I'll know where to pick you up, if you ever want to hang out..?"
He kept his gaze fixed forward, even when Sora turned to him with wide eyes.
Sora wasn't stupid, but he was unnecessarily cynical. He knew that nobody would put intentional efforts in without expecting returns. It was bold of him to assume, even as a tiny growing thought, that someone was simply interested in trying to help him— or was being nice for the sake of it.
It annoyed him more than he wanted. Slight rage began to bubble within, and he almost made a face. Somehow, he managed to squeeze out a polite chuckle. "Maybe."
He reminded himself that this was just a guy shooting his shot. It wasn't Gavin's fault he was such an emotional hot mess at the moment. Why was he even so upset? Maybe hanging out could be a way to repay him. Maybe it would be fun.
Although, if he pressed or tried anything, Sora had a taser and a mood bad enough to use it.
After driving for twenty minutes, Gavin was genuinely curious, "You really walk this distance every morning? There's still some way to go." He gaped.
"Well, most of the time." Sora answered casually. "And it's not like we have class every single morning."
"That's really cool, though."
Sora shrugged. It was just walking.
"It's a peaceful time, before the storm that is that school. I can mentally prepare." He looked out at the drenched window. Water rolled down like cold tears on the glass.
Then Gavin spoke up, yet again.
"By the way.. I wanted to say this earlier, I didn't know how to bring it up.. but your hoodie is like socool. Oh my gosh, it looks amazing! The soft colour and the grunge patterns go well together. It's literally perfect." Gavin fanboyed and Sora felt his heart unintentionally swell at the compliment. Before he could catch his lips, they went on a voyage of their own.
"Oh, thank you. My roommates got it for me. It was so thoughtful. They're like my best friends actually, family maybe. I've know them most of my life. Well, I met one more recently." He chuckled. "Anyways, it's the first time I've worn it out. I usually make the designs, but this wasn't by me. They got it commissioned by one of my favourite small designers as a surprise… Okay, context. We actually have, like, a business. Not just hoodies, but clothing altogether. It's a whole brand." Sora's yap button had unfortunately been activated.
"Woah, that's so incredible. That was really nice of them. You must know each other well." Gavin returned the energy without missing a beat. "What's it called? I mean, what's the business name?"
"Daekora. We're trying to get a website done now, instead of just a social media shop. It would be really great for us, to add some credibility to the growing brand. That's what my aunt says, at least…"
Sora cleared his throat, finally catching himself. He gripped the seatbelt on his chest like a lifeline. He had said way too much and just wanted to wrap it around his neck so he would shut up.
"I think I can help with that. My sister works in web design. She's helped me with some projects before. I've connected her with jobs too. And since it's for a friend, I'll try to get a good deal." He winked, then immediately flicked his eyes back to the road ahead. "I think we're here? Fits the description." He murmured.
A friend, huh? Sora smiled faintly. It sounded nice, if he was being honest. Someone that heard him out and got excited with him, just because. It really sounded nice, and too good to be true.
Before he could respond, the car was rolling to a stop in a familiar driveway. He looked through the windshield wipers, then back at Gavin. "Yeah. And I think I'll take you up on that offer. Thank you." Sora smiled.
He tried to undo the seatbelt, but it refused to be released. "Ah, sorry, it gets stuck at times. Old car." Gavin apologized timidly.
"Still looks pretty good to me…" He mumbled, focused on the black strap. Gavin reached out to help, toggling it with an expert touch. Seconds later, the belt snapped open.
After the familiar 'click' sounded, they both looked up and realized how close they were to each other.
Close enough for Sora to smell the mint on his breath.
As usual, his mouth betrayed him. "Is that gum? Can I have some?" Sora blurted. Gavin flushed and backed away quickly, as if the question burned him or brought him back to life.
He managed to choke out a "Sure," reaching into the pigeon hole and handing him three wraps. "There's an umbrella in the back if—"
"No no no, I'm literally right in front. I'll make it. Bye Gavin, and thank you so much for everything. I'll text you, okay?" He grabbed his bag and hopped into the pouring rain, making a jog for the front door.
Gavin stared at the shut door for a minute. He steadied his heart and clutched the wheel, before reluctantly driving away.