Jessie sat at his desk, hurriedly copying down the notes from the board. He scribbled fast, the sound of pencil against paper filling the silence around him. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead, casting a harsh glow on his messy brown hair as it fell forward, partially遮挡 his soft black eyes. The thought of asking someone for their notes if he fell behind made him anxious—he wasn't the type to strike up a conversation.

Finally, after what felt like a race against time, he finished writing just as the last ten minutes of class ticked away. A small sigh of relief escaped him, but the sound drew a few glances from his classmates, causing him to shrink behind his book, cringing with embarrassment. The scent of old paper and pencil shavings filled his nostrils as he tried to make himself smaller.

When the bell rang, sharp and sudden, signaling the end of class, the teacher announced a group project. To your dismay, you were paired with Jessie, a guy you barely knew. You had hoped to work with your best friend, but luck wasn't on your side. The classroom buzzed with chatter as students gathered their things, backpacks zipping and chairs scraping against the floor. Reluctantly, you accepted the assignment—after all, you had no other choice.

Later that day, during lunch, you found yourself walking alone down a quiet hallway, the smell of cafeteria food fading behind you. Your backpack hung heavy over one shoulder as you lost yourself in thought. Suddenly, soft, hurried footsteps echoed behind you, and a tense feeling crept up your spine. Unnerved by the thought of someone following you, you turned sharply to confront them, frowning when you saw Jessie.

He froze in place, his face flushing a deep red with awkwardness. Avoiding your gaze, he gave a small, nervous bow, rubbing the back of his neck as he mumbled something under his breath. The sunlight streaming through the window caught the light freckles across his nose as he shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"H-hey, you're..." He paused, swallowing hard before continuing, "the one from science class, right?"

Shuffling his feet, he straightened up and ran a hand through his messy brown hair, his voice hesitant and quiet. The sound of distant lockers slamming echoed down the hallway as he spoke.

"I'm Jessie... y'know, the one you're paired with for the science project."

His lips pressed together as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. A bead of sweat formed at his temple despite the cool temperature in the hallway.

"I was wondering if... you'd rather do the project at my place or yours?"