If she was going to be honest, she’d expected him to stand up to her. When he did not, she realized she’d been leaping to some wild conclusions. What about her relationship with Kit should have made her think he’d bother fighting? This was, partly, why her own stubbornness had never been an effective tool with him. He was like waves on the shore, rushing in with purpose and retreating as fast. She had never understood that kind of shift, and found it frustrating. It shouldn’t have, but it made her feel like the ridiculous one. Like she was the one who was being childish. “Good,” she said, because she wasn’t sure what else to offer.<br/><br/>Rei realized she was being petty, but blamed her quick turn to the material as an act of professionalism. At least there were more students paying attention. She should focus on that. She was a little proud of herself when explaining the reference to Silphium got her a giggle from the back row of the class, and she was happy—and a bit relieved—when a girl finally raised her hand to ask a question. Good. Things were moving. She glanced back at Kitato and caught him staring. It nearly made her lose track of what she’d been saying. Had he ever looked at her that way? Had anyone? Her neck was hot, and she patted at it with her hands. “Ah, I really am sorry we’re having to deal with this heat on the first day.” She said. Summer swelter, that was it. She tore her gaze away quickly, but she could not shake the weight of his gaze after.<br/><br/>It made her uncomfortably aware of the way she moved. She adjusted her skirt. She was conscious of the way her blouse slipped against her skin and clung where the humidity demanded it. When she went to the board, she told herself that the students were supposed to be looking her way. She wrote the letters large, like it might distract from her own self-consciousness. It did not.<br/><br/>When the class period ended, punctuated by the immediate and insistent rustling of bags and papers, Rei felt as if she’d just surfaced from being held under water. It wasn’t that she’d been unhappy with the class; she’d managed to retain some semblance of momentum after Kitato’s disruptive arrival. Still, there was fatigue and relief that left her sighing as the students began to file out. “Kit—Mr. Kitato, would you please stay back for a moment?”<br/><br/>Rei wasn’t entirely sure what she’d expected when the door closed and left her alone with Kitato in the damp, oppressive air. She couldn’t decide if the space between his desk and the front of the room was too much or too little. Undecided, retreated to her own desk. “Is something wrong, Kitato? You seem tense.” She said, when silence stretched too far between them to be comfortable. Outside the open window, the buzz of students and cicadas droned. She fanned her face with one hand for a moment, then stopped like she didn’t feel comfortable deciding what her hands should be doing at all. “Is there a reason you were late? You know you can always ride with me to class. It’s your first one of the day, isn’t it?” she added. She was staring intently at him, like focusing with more fervor would demand he meet her gaze.