Sendoh sat halfway up the lecture hall, gazing out of the window and twirling his pen around his fingers. Beside him, Koshino gave him a firm elbow between the ribs, and Sendoh startled.

"What!?"

"Shhh!" Koshino sent him a glare. "Professor Grump is looking this way."

Sendoh's eyes went directly down to the front, to where their criminal law professor was speaking in a smooth, rumbling tone, gesturing to the screen while at the same time glaring up at Sendoh who had not been playing any attention at all.

Flushing red with embarrassment, Sendoh quickly stabbed his pen down onto the paper's surface and began to move it in meaningless motions, pretending to be writing. Underneath the random spirals of the nib was a sketch he'd drawn earlier of Rukawa leaping up for a jump shot. His pen slowed again as he considered it. He'd drawn Rukawa's eyes fixed on the basket, his hair rising, the sharp sketchy lines capturing the handsomeness of his face…

"Idiot," Koshino muttered quietly, "You've really got it bad."

Sendoh covered the picture with his arm and compulsively pushed his glasses more firmly onto his nose.

"It's not like that," he replied.

Koshino rolled his eyes.

Professor Grump was infamous for his strictness, so Sendoh knew he probably shouldn't keep daydreaming about Rukawa in class. He tried to force his attention back to the lecture material. "The mens rea..." Professor Grump was saying, "...for theft is dishonesty. And as you all doubtless recall, the test for dishonesty was outlined in the Supreme Court by..."

Sendoh stifled a yawn, his eyes glazing over a little. He had barely slept for all his excitement. His focus blurred a little as his eyes watched Professor Grump explaining without really seeing anything at all. But then he sat upright as if struck by a lightning bolt.

"Hey!" he hissed to Koshino. "Hey, psst!"

Koshino glared at him from the corner of his eye as he continued to write.

Sendoh leaned a bit closer, his voice a whisper. "He's really tall!"

Koshino huffed. "Would you please just shut up about that guy?"

"No! No, no no. I mean him." He pointed with the end of the pen. "Professor Grump. He is. Isn't he? I didn't notice before but-"

"Whatever," Koshino muttered back. "You're getting crazier by the day."

"No. Look. Look at him. Don't you see? He looks… he kinda looks like…"

"Sendoh Akira!" the Professor's voice rang out across the quiet lecture hall like a gunshot.

Sendoh's mouth snapped shut and he sat abruptly upright.

Professor Grump tapped the projector screen with his finger. "Since you already seem to know, please explain to us all how the test for dishonesty differs for civil and criminal cases."

"Er-" Sendoh sunk a little in his seat. "Is it the, uh - different standard of proof?" he took a guess. His voice sounded weak and limp in the large lecture hall. Everyone was looking at him.

The Professor narrowed his dark eyes. "Please start paying more attention, and come and see me after the lecture."

Sendoh winced. "Uhm, yes. Professor. Sorry." He ducked his head down and focused again on his notebook, feeling hot with embarrassment. It was incredibly rare to actually get scolded in a lecture.

Crap. I'm supposed to meet Kaede for lunch. Now I'm gonna be late.

He made as many notes as he could in the remaining time. Then, once the Professor had dismissed the class, he made his way down to the front, bag hanging from his shoulder.

Professor Grump looked displeased. Sendoh tucked his tie into his belt nervously.

"Well?" the Professor asked. "Is there a reason for your inattention today?"

"Not really. I'm sorry."

The Professor peered closely at him. "You're one of the best students in this cohort," he said, causing Sendoh's face to redden a little. "So it particularly irritates me to see you wasting time by failing to pay attention. You do aim to qualify as a lawyer, don't you?"

"Ah, yes. Yes."

"So are you understanding the material?" the Professor asked. "If you have problems or questions, you should approach me after class, and not disturb your classmates during the lecture."

That made Sendoh looked up at him. Professor Grump had a reputation for being hard nosed and unfriendly. But at this moment the Professor's fierce eyes were not unkind. Sendoh had not expected him to be the type who was caring towards his students.

"Ah! No. No. It's nothing like that. I'm… doing fine. I was… I was just… thinking about something else. It won't… happen again."

The Professor held out his hand. "Is that so? Let me see your notes then."

Sendoh cringed. "Really it's- it's fine- I..."

He trailed off when the Professor lifted one eyebrow and curled his finger in expectation of being handed the book. His manner was such that it did not appear a good idea to refuse.

Sendoh opened his bag and pulled out his notebook.

The Professor flicked through the pages until he reached the most recent, then he looked over Sendoh's writing carefully.

Sendoh felt relieved that he had at least made an effort in the later part of the class and so his paper looked reasonably full. But then the Professor turned the book sideways and lifted it closer to his face to examine it, and Sendoh suddenly realised what he was looking at; the sketch of Rukawa.

Sendoh's stomach twisted in embarrassment. Cringing, he tried to justify himself, "Oh, that, uhm, that is- well- ah..."

But to his relief, the Professor only closed the book silently and handed it back, his lips pressed into a line.

"Your notes on the definition of propertyare incomplete. I expect you to improve them before the next lecture."

"Ah, yes. Yes, Professor. I'm sorry. Thank you. Thank you." Sendoh took the notebook back and hid it in his bag.

After saying goodbye he tore out of the door as fast as he could without seeming rude and then hurried up the stairs to the canteen on the third floor.

-tbc

ANs: Oh, thank you for your comments! I didn't realise so many people were reading along. I really appreciate your feedback T.T. Thanks so much to KazeLei, "Me" and "Guest", Addicted, Roku, and Caro. I'll keep on adding chapters when I have time :)