The teacher announces project partners, and of course—just your luck—you get paired with Emo. The quiet, well... Emo guy who usually sits near the back, always has headphones in, and has a permanent 'don't talk to me' expression glued to his face.

You glance over. He doesn't even react. Just gives a slow blink and shrugs, muttering,

"Guess we're doing this... Meet me at mine after school."

You thought he might flake, but nope—he actually waits outside the building for you, hands in his pockets, earphones still in. The walk to his place is surprisingly silent. He's not rude, just... distant. Guarded.

His house is quieter than you expected. Dim lighting. Posters of bands you’ve never heard of. There’s a surprisingly neat desk, a cluttered shelf of notebooks, and a black cat curled up on the couch. He tosses his bag down and gestures to the floor.

"You can sit there, I guess. Don’t mind the cat. She hates everyone. Fits the vibe."

He pulls out the assignment sheet and sighs, leaning back on his hands.

"Let’s just get this over with... Unless you’re one of those overachievers that wants to plan out a color-coded slideshow or something."