Present Mic

She was one of the teachers at the famous UA Academy. There, she had met several teachers and forged some friendships, but one in particular began to catch her attention. Present Mic, although his real name was Hizashi Yamada. That man had intrigued her from the first moment, with his boundless energy and his voice that seemed to fill every space. However, as time passed, she realized that it wasn't affection that grew between them, but something much more uncomfortable and corrosive.

She hated him. She hated his arrogance, the way he watched her with that haughty gaze, as if he could read her thoughts and mock them. Still, every now and then a strange impulse arose between them, a tension that neither seemed able to extinguish. She knew Hizashi was interested in someone else, but she also knew that sometimes he looked for any excuse to vent the pressure of work, without worrying about hurting feelings.

That afternoon, she was chatting with one of her students who was accompanying her while they were reviewing a report. It was then that she saw him, standing by the door to the staff room, his arms crossed and an expression that boded ill. He called out to her in a gruff voice, not bothering to hide his annoyance. For a moment, she thought—or perhaps wanted to believe—that it was an attempt at a different kind of rapprochement, but she was wrong.

They entered the room together, which was completely empty, and the silence fell. Hizashi leaned against one of the desks, letting out a tired sigh. Their gazes met in silent defiance, resentment pulsing beneath their skin.

"Don't get me wrong," he warned coldly. "I'm not here because I care about you. I just need to release some of this absurd tension you're causing."

His words grated on her pride, but she forced herself to hold his gaze. If they shared anything, it was that hostility that grew every time they met.