Someone was in the stairwell – which was only to be expected – but she cringed as the footsteps kept climbing higher. She shrank against the wall, hoping that whoever it was would go away. The steps paused on the lower landing and she held her breath hoping she wouldn't be spotted. She didn't mind being seen studying, not at all – she was known as a studious nerdy person after all, but this was her new favorite place to study and she didn't want to share it. Suddenly footsteps bounded up the last flight of steps and the person came into view.

"Rooster-head?" She fairly shrieked.

~o~

Sanosuke casually strolled out of the cafeteria, hands in his pockets. He sauntered down the halls, exiting the building. Once he was outside, he nonchalantly strolled to the library. Entering a stairwell which was externally accessible, he climbed all the way up to the 4th floor. He stopped on the landing at the bottom of the 5th floor stairwell, listening for any activity. Satisfied that no one else was around, he bounded up the steps to his own private on-campus sanctum, eager to tackle the latest pre-calculus take home test.

"Kitsune?"

~o~

The two voted "most likely to butt heads" in the superlatives edition of the school paper gaped at each other.

"What are you doing here?" Megumi hissed.

"I should ask you the same question!"

"I study here." She crossed her arms over her chest with finality.

"No you don't."

"How would you know, you don't know what studying is."

"Just because I'm the team MVP doesn't mean I'm stupid. I know because I study here." He had recovered from the surprise of seeing his arch—well, not exactly enemy, but close enough, nemesis. He casually leaned against the wall, his cool demeanor back as if it had not been fazed.

"Right."

"I defy stereotypes." His tone was patronizing.

She scoffed.

"So do you."

"Excuse me?"

"There's this stereotype that nerds aren't easy on the eyes."

His words caused the heat to flare up in her cheeks.

~o~

The following year, when the school's start athlete asked the school nerd to be his date to prom, she said yes but only if he helped her study for AP Calculus.


I imagine this fifth floor landing to be the last one for that particular flight of stairs; the one that leads to the locked maintenance room or roof so it's basically a dead end. All the stair-traffic happens on the lower floors.