Fascinated Freak

"What did you get in the chemistry test?"

"Only 70%, you?"

"I failed."

"Oh... That sucks!"

"It was so hard!"

"I know!"

"I bet the freak got 100% again."

"He probably did. He's really smart.

"So what? Who even cares. It isn't like he's got any friends. He isn't street smart, only book smart."

"I guess..."

"He probably isn't even going to make it to graduation anyways. that's three years away."

"That's taking it a bit far, Toru..."

"That little freak thinks he can get his degree like the rest of us. What a retard."

"Shut up Toru, he can hear us!"

"He's meant to."

"Toru!"

They shut up as a group of fourth years walked past, bags heavy with books, exam stress etched upon their faces.

The girl in the middle of the group looked as though she'd just been crying.

"I'm not going to graduate if I only have a 2.2 average!"

"Matsuri, don't worry! You'll be fine. You can always get a tutor."

"They're so expensive though..."

"Ask Temari to help you."

Shikamaru finally looked up from his textbook.

Toru and Tomoko's conversation hadn't bothered him, but the name Temari had actually managed to pique his interest.

It wasn't a common name.

"Ask me to help who with what?" came a harsh voice from a short distance away.

"Matsuri isn't doing so well with her exams. Would you be able to help her?"

"Yukata, if Matsuri needs help from me, she should know to ask for it herself."

Shikamaru hid his face amongst the pages of his book, pretending to be fascinated by Dalton's Atomic Theory.

Temari truly was troublesome.

"T-Temari, please help me, you're top of the class and I'm sure you're really busy, but even for just an hour a week, please tutor me!"

A low chuckle sounded from Temari.

"I suck at teaching, you know that right?"

Shikamaru glanced up to see the girl called Matsuri nodding at Temari, who still wore her hair in the four ponytails.

"Alright. My place on Monday, five till seven. Every second week. Sound good?"

Another nod.

Shikamaru kicked himself for not recognising the girl from the front as someone from his university.

Granted, thousands of students attended Konoha College, but he tended to remember names and faces fairly well.

The group of fourth years walked on, hardly paying any attention to the freshers.

He watched her with careful eyes as she walked away, back straight, head held high.

Apparently top of her class as well.

Oh how lucky she was.

A/N: A short one, sorry! I just feel as though I hadn't made it clear that they were in uni, does that make sense?

ALSO I WAS OFFERED A JOB! PRAISE ME MY FRIENDS, PRAISE MEEEEE. IDK if I'll accept the offer, but meh.

Onto the reviews!

ohud63~ Kyaah! Thank you for calling my writing style interesting, honestly idk how to describe the weird smush of existencial/coming of age/ metaphorical bleh that I throw onto my screen, but thank you for commenting on it mate! Also, Shikamaru's disease makes me sad too, especially since I know someone who suffers from MND, I'm trying my best to make this seem as authentic as i can.

a01~ hello smol! Please don't die, then you won't see how this fabulous fanfic ends, that would make me sad :(

That's all. I didn't get many reviews on the last one.

THANKYOU FOR ALL THE FOLLOWS AND FAVOURITES!

AND THE REVIEWS!

KEEP EM COMIN'

~Lee