The library was quiet, filled with the scent of old paper and the soft hum of the air conditioning. It was a world away from the neon lights and vibrating bass of The Blue Basement.
George sat across from Yori at a secluded wooden table, looking like a caged lion. His history textbook was open to a chapter on the Edo period, but his eyes were glazing over. Yori, meanwhile, was meticulously highlighting key dates, her hair acting as a curtain between them.
"Yori," George groaned, leaning back until his chair creaked dangerously. "I think my brain is leaking out of my ears. Why did your ancestors have so many shoguns? Can’t we just focus on the ones with the cool swords?"
Yori peeked out from behind her bangs. "There were... fifteen Tokugawa shoguns, George-kun. You need to know at least the major ones for the midterm."
"I can't remember the shoguns if I can't even see the person talking to me," George said, his voice dropping the playful whine for something more direct.
Yori froze. "What do you mean?"
"You're doing it again," he pointed out. He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands. "You’re hiding. You talk to your shoes, or you talk to the book, or you talk through your hair. But you don't look at me."
Yori felt the familiar prickle of heat on her neck. "It’s just... it's hard. Looking at people feels like... like being under a spotlight without a guitar to hold."
George hummed thoughtfully. "Okay. New deal. We’re going to do some 'crosstraining.' In basketball, if you’re weak at free throws, you spend an hour just shooting from the line. If you're weak at eye contact..."
"No," Yori whispered, already knowing where this was going.
"Yes! The Eye Contact Challenge," George declared, his eyes sparkling with that relentless American enthusiasm. "Every time I get a history question right, you have to look me in the eyes for five seconds. No blinking, no looking away, and definitely no hiding behind the bangs."
Yori bit her lip. "And if you get it wrong?"
"Then I have to do ten pushups right here in the library," he grinned. "And the librarian scares me, so I’m really motivated."
Yori hesitated, then nodded slowly. It was a small price to pay to get him to study. "Fine. Who was the first Tokugawa Shogun?"
"Easy. Ieyasu Tokugawa," George snapped his fingers. "Boom. Five seconds. Start the clock, Coach."
Yori took a shaky breath. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear—an act of bravery in itself—and lifted her gaze.
For the first time without the safety of a stage, she really looked at him. His eyes weren't just hazel; they had flecks of gold in them that caught the library light. He had a small scar near his eyebrow, probably from a stray elbow on the court. He was smiling, but it wasn't his usual boisterous grin. It was something softer, more focused.
One... two... three...
Yori felt like the air in the library had suddenly become very thin. The intensity of his gaze was overwhelming. It wasn't judgmental; it was appreciative. He was looking at her like she was the only thing in the room worth seeing.
Four...
Her heart gave a violent thud. She cracked. She looked down at her highlighter, her face crimson.
"I... I can't," she breathed.
"You made it to four!" George cheered, though he kept his voice to a library-appropriate whisper. "That’s a personal best! See? You’re getting stronger."
"Why do you care so much?" Yori asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Most people just think I'm stuck up because I don't look at them. Why do you keep pushing?"
George’s expression turned uncharacteristically serious. He reached across the table, his hand stopping just short of hers, giving her the choice to bridge the gap.
"Because when you sang the other night, you looked right at me," George said softly. "And I saw someone incredible. I don't want that person to only exist in a basement club once a week. I want to see her here, too. I want to see all of you, Yori."
Yori looked at his hand, then back at his eyes. This time, she didn't wait for a history question. She looked at him for five, six, seven seconds.
"Okay," she said, her voice small but steady. "Next question. Who was the third shogun?"
George laughed, the tension breaking. "Aw, man! There's a third one already?"
ns216.73.216.23da2
and then Add to home screen.