You're Really Leaving?

As soon as Beihai opened his dorm room door and stepped inside, Kiyotaka Kiyotaka followed right behind him, thoughtfully closing the door behind himself.

Beihai turned around, ready to close the door, and found himself faced with this scene. He had to admit, it was a little unsettling. More importantly, he couldn't understand it.

The movie was over, and so was their hangout. By all rights, it was already dark, so shouldn't Kiyotaka go back to his own dorm while Beihai stayed up late studying? What was he doing coming in?

The two of them looked at each other. Beihai was the first to give in. There was no helping it; having a dead-fish stare fixed on you was hard to take. So he spoke first. "Uh, it's getting dark.

If you want some afternoon tea or a late-night snack, you can go get it yourself. I doubt there's much delivery around here."

Beihai put it tactfully, but it was obvious he was trying to get rid of him.

After hearing him out, Kiyotaka Kiyotaka merely shook his head. Then he brought his backpack around, unzipped it, and took out several stacks of game discs.

"It's still early, isn't it? The night's just getting started. Want to play together?

You can catch up on sleep at your desk tomorrow morning. Once these few days are over, there won't be any more time to relax."

Beihai said nothing. That didn't mean he was the one with a problem. Kiyotaka was the one with a problem.

Sure, Class D was beyond saving this month, but this guy hadn't been like this before!

And taking a break was fine, but once he let his guard down, it would be the end of him. Beihai had kept himself wound tight for so long. If he completely relaxed, wouldn't all those years of effort go to waste?

Beihai could only resist temptation with all his might. After all, once you started slacking off, it was like writing in a diary:

Day one: played games. Day two: played games. Day three: watched a movie.

Beihai, oh, Beihai, how could you let yourself fall so far? Had you forgotten the study plan you made? Examine yourself three times a day!

And how did it end? There was no need to say.

Beihai refused with unwavering resolve. His gaze was so firm that not even a lever with a fulcrum could move him.

"You could go play with some other people, like Yamauchi or Sudo. Weren't you getting along with them before?"

"No. If we're talking about friends, you're the only one I have."

That sounded a little strange. If he'd said it to someone else, or if the other person had been a girl, it would definitely have earned him some affection points. But Beihai refused.

"But Kiyotaka, I'm actually pretty busy. If possible, it'd be better to talk another day."

"I know a thing or two about higher mathematics, too."

"Huh?"

In the end, a large screen was mounted on the wall of Beihai's dorm room, with a game console hooked up to it.

Beihai sat on his bed and picked up a controller to test it. It wasn't that he couldn't play; he just needed to find a way to improve his studies. Then he could be Kiyotaka's best gaming buddy.

"Let me tell you, games are like fine wine. Sometimes, the older they are, the richer they taste."

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka didn't argue. He was enjoying the moment. He couldn't quite describe how he felt, but it was something special.

Games really were a special kind of medium. They let you experience lives you'd never get to live yourself, and embark on fantastical adventures.

They kept playing until the dead of night. When they finally stopped, Beihai stretched and yawned. He checked the time. He could still push himself for a few more hours,

but Kiyotaka Kiyotaka was clearly still raring to go. Beihai didn't know if this was his first time staying up late, but either way, he had to look out for his own interests and speak up. "I really can't go on. If I'm listless all day tomorrow, it'll be torture."

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka came back to his senses, too. Once he stopped, his energy began to flag, and he rubbed his eyes without thinking.

"Mm, you're right. Let's call it a night."

He picked up his backpack from Beihai's bed, zipped it up, opened the dorm room door, and walked out.

Beihai watched him go, nearly saying something, but swallowed his words. It was so late; calling him back would be inconvenient.

When Kiyotaka reached the doorway, he suddenly turned back.

"Get some rest, my friend."

Those words made Beihai think Kiyotaka had finally had a change of heart.

But hadn't he said he'd teach him higher mathematics? Why was he leaving after they'd finished playing?

Who was going to make up for all the time Beihai had wasted? So it turned out he still had to brute-force his way through it himself?

The controller slipped from Beihai's right hand and hit the floor. He barely noticed. He scrambled to his feet, turned on the light, and dug his assignments and textbooks out of his bag, determined to cram as much as he could while there was still time.

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka walked down the hall and returned to his own dorm. He turned on the light by the entrance, then collapsed onto his bed and stared blankly up at the ceiling light.

He'd hurried away just now because he hadn't known what to do next.

But he'd also managed to interrupt Beihai's windup, so to speak. Now, lying on his dorm bed, a wave of drowsiness washed over him. It wasn't physical exhaustion, but something psychological.

In the past, going to sleep had always been mechanical. There had never been anything to look forward to. Every night, he'd wanted tomorrow to come later. As long as he didn't sleep, time seemed to stretch on forever.

But now, did he feel a strange sense of anticipation? Was he looking forward to spending time with Beihai, and to tomorrow arriving sooner?

Was he looking forward to what they'd do tomorrow, what games they'd play, and what movies they'd watch?

Was he looking forward to their friendship growing closer, to the gifts they might exchange, and to sharing what was in their hearts?

That night, all he wanted was to fall asleep early. Because if he closed his eyes, then opened them again, he'd immediately see the thing he was looking forward to.

Still studying, as usual.

Beihai worked miserably through his assignments and practice problems. In the end, he stayed up all night. That wasn't even the most despairing part. The worst part was that Kiyotaka Kiyotaka was already waiting outside his door early in the morning.

The guy was like a ghost. He scared Beihai half to death.

Forcing himself to stay awake, he made it to class. He'd planned to put his head down on his desk and catch up on sleep, but there was an exam today.

It was only a routine in-class test, but it was still an exam. Every test was a chance for students to measure how well they'd learned.

Beihai was about ready to hang from a beam and prick himself with an awl just to stay awake and get through this exam properly.

By the time he got to the math questions, after thinking hard for a long while, Beihai couldn't hold on any longer. His head hit the desk, and he fell asleep.

As he drifted off, Beihai couldn't help thinking that damn Kiyotaka couldn't be allowed to bother him again.

Wasn't it just that he had no one, no friends, and nothing to do? Fine. After today, Beihai would find him someone to keep him company!

Otherwise, who could keep playing like this every day? Even with a system, Beihai couldn't take it!