Sensei- Chotto Yasunde Ii Desuka -rj01292809- -

He just smiled that small, private smile. “Anytime, Sensei.”

“Just a little rest, Sensei,” he murmured, so only they could hear. “I’ve got you.”

The silence stretched. The tick of the clock seemed louder. Then, Akira stood up, legs unsteady. They didn’t walk to the sofa. Instead, they sank onto the floor, leaning back against the solid, cool wood of their own desk. They pulled their knees up and rested their forehead on them. It wasn’t comfortable, but it felt less… vulnerable than lying down. Sensei- Chotto Yasunde Ii Desuka -RJ01292809-

“Sensei,” he said again, quieter this time. He reached out, his long fingers hovering just above Akira’s wrist but not touching. A question. A pause. “Chotto yasunde ii desu ka?”

Akira let out a shaky breath. The offer was absurd. Unprofessional. A student shouldn’t be taking care of their teacher like this. But the exhaustion was a physical weight. “I’d fall asleep,” Akira whispered, the admission feeling like a surrender. He just smiled that small, private smile

“I know.” Haruki didn’t leave. He placed the books on the return cart with careful, deliberate movements. Then he walked closer, stopping on the other side of the teacher’s cluttered desk. “You’re still here, too.”

“I… I don’t have time, Saito-kun.” The tick of the clock seemed louder

Akira managed a tired smile. “Finals are next week. These essays won’t grade themselves.”

When Akira woke up, disoriented and warm, twenty-three minutes had passed. Haruki was still there, quiet as a shadow, reading a book by the light of his phone. He looked up and their eyes met.