❝ i've been sarcastic since the day i was born. ❞ // at anyone who is best fit
@tojida
Kagura had spent the better part of her life learning how to enter rooms without being noticed, although usually those rooms had been backstage dressing areas, private lounges, or fashion-show venues rather than university classrooms. Slipping through the doorway of a professor's classroom while carrying the reputation of a well-known international model was therefore both ridiculous and strangely exhilarating. She kept her sunglasses perched on top of her head and hugged her coat closer around herself, hoping the students would be too absorbed in their notes to recognize her immediately. The last thing she needed was a crowd gathering around her when she was already running late and in absolutely no mood to explain herself. Her heels made a quiet click against the floor as she moved toward an empty seat near the back, praying that she could disappear before the professor noticed her. Naturally, the universe seemed determined to make that impossible. She had barely lowered herself into the chair when she felt the unmistakable weight of someone's attention settle on her. Kagura slowly looked toward the front of the room and found the professor staring directly at her.
She offered him what she hoped was an innocent smile, though the expression probably looked more irritated than apologetic. She was accustomed to people staring at her, but there was a difference between the fascinated attention of strangers and the dry amusement in this man's eyes. Kagura crossed one leg over the other and tried to project the effortless confidence that had made her successful in an industry where hesitation could be devoured within seconds. The professor continued with his lecture as though she had not interrupted anything, which somehow irritated her even more. When a student near her whispered something about her being late, Kagura shot them a warning glance before returning her attention to the front. The professor finally paused, looking directly at her with an expression that suggested he found the entire situation entertaining. Kagura raised an eyebrow, silently challenging him to say whatever sarcastic remark had clearly formed in his mind. Instead, he simply said, ❝ I've been sarcastic since the day I was born. ❞
Kagura stared at him for a long moment, genuinely wondering whether he had just admitted that he had been impossible since infancy. She could practically feel her patience draining away, especially after spending years dealing with photographers, designers, executives, and journalists who had all possessed their own particular varieties of arrogance. Somehow, this professor managed to irritate her within minutes without even raising his voice. She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms, studying him with narrowed eyes as the lecture continued around them.
"Is that supposed to make me feel better about you?" she asked quietly, making sure only the students closest to her could hear. A few of them immediately lowered their heads, clearly trying not to laugh, which only made Kagura more annoyed. She had not come here to become entertainment for an entire classroom, and she certainly had not expected to be challenged by a man who seemed to treat sarcasm as a personality trait. "Because if that's your way of welcoming students, I can already tell this is going to be a very long semester." She glanced around the classroom, noticing several students sneaking looks in her direction as recognition slowly spread among them. The familiar feeling of being watched settled over her again, but this time it was not photographers waiting for a perfect angle or fans hoping for a picture. It was simply a classroom full of strangers witnessing her lose patience with a professor who appeared entirely comfortable pushing her buttons. Kagura sighed through her nose and rubbed her temple, silently reminding herself that she was an adult and did not need to argue with a man who had apparently declared sarcasm his lifelong calling.
The professor's attitude continued to grate against her as she tried to follow the lecture, although Kagura reluctantly admitted that his material was considerably more interesting than she had expected. She took notes with one hand while resting her chin against the other, occasionally glancing toward the front whenever his explanation caught her attention. Every so often, however, she caught him looking in her direction, and each time she felt the same spark of irritation return. She had entered the classroom hoping to remain invisible, yet somehow she had become locked into an unspoken contest with the one person in the room who seemed least interested in being impressed by her. Kagura found herself wondering whether he treated everyone this way or whether he simply enjoyed provoking her. The possibility that it was the latter made her grip her pen slightly tighter. "If you're trying to annoy me, congratulations," she muttered, her eyes remaining fixed on her notebook. "You're doing an excellent job."
