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Enjin starts counting from one to ten. It takes maybe another five to seven rings (he already lost count), and then a click comes.
“Rare for ya to be the one calling, Enjin. What do ya want?”
The blonde smirks. It sounds like Zanka is in a bad and impatient mood, but Enjin knows better.
“Hey there, Zanka. I got some good news!” too bad he won’t be able to see Zanka’s face and expression when he starts talking and sharing. It had occurred to him before this phone call that it might be more interesting to tell Zanka in person the next day at school, but Enjin may or may not be more excited or proud than he thinks; he’s feeling like a rather sillily proud guardian right now after all. “Riyo’s gotten herself an eighty-one for her math and eighty-four for her science in her mid-terms! Can you believe that?!”
Silence follows from the other for a moment. It takes some time, longer than he expects, before Enjin thinks he can hear some sort of whispered cheer from the phone.
“…I see, I guess teachers like ya can pull some strings and have advanced access to our test results, huh. Not that I’m interested to know my own mediocre results first.”
The blonde closes his eyes and smiles. He decides to ignore the last comment; he’s pretty sure Zanka is confident of his own scores anyway.
“Thanks a lot, Zanka.”
He hears the sound of someone clearing his throat.
“…whatever for?”
“For helping Riyo, that is,” and then a soft gasp, where he can definitely hear the surprise behind. “I know you’ve been the one tutoring and mentoring Riyo’s homework and studies. I was the one who recommended you to her to ask for help after all.”
Silence follows once again. The silence lingers longer than the one before. Enjin takes the chance to continue.
“I know I’ve set quite an impossible task for Riyo when she told me the college she wishes to go to after graduation, but I needed her to take her studies more seriously so that she can have more options for her future just in case. And thanks to you, she’s doing a lot better.”
“I…I-It’s nothing, really,” oh, seems like someone finally found his voice to respond. “Even I didn’t think Riyo could get the eighties in all the subjects like ya want. She has worked hard on her own.”
And trying to be humble too, as usual. This kid really needs to know how to give himself more credit, Enjin thinks and decides with gratitude. And who else better than Enjin himself to gladly give the kudos Zanka deserves, and so much more?
“Just like with Rudo, you did great, Zanka. As expected from our school’s top scorer,” the smile on Enjin goes wider, the face beaming with pride as he tenderly lays bare the sincere words he cannot wait to convey. “Thanks, Zanka. I appreciate it, a lot.”
And the blonde waits, expecting the third round of silence, waiting for the student to wholly process the words, the praise, the gratitude, before Zanka goes back to his unfazed, uncaring mask once more.
He absolutely did not expect the sounds of creaks and crashes coming from the other side of the call, followed by spluttered voices that are horribly failing at keeping the usual calm demeanour.
“Zanka?”
“I-I-I’m oka’!” Enjin raised an eyebrow on that. “I-It’s just–I mean–!”
“You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine! Never been better!” a sharp heave of breath, followed by another before the voice comes back lowered and stable than before. “I mean, sorry, it-it’s all good here.”
But Enjin could hear it—the obvious hint of nerves and delight, the restraint pride and satisfaction. The teacher goes back to his mood of confidence here, a rather playful smirk growing back on Enjin’s face now as he wonders with anticipation on how the student will react next; he hasn’t landed the biggest bomb yet, dear lord.
“Hey hey, don’t fall apart on me now, I have not gotten to the best news yet.”
“…What, there’s better news? Is it about my own test scores? If it is, then ya do not need to–”
“No, no, that’s not it,” you can see it yourself and weep for joy tomorrow, heh. “Have you forgotten the promise you have with Riyo?”
“…what promise?” hmm? Has the boy forgotten or is he just waiting for Enjin to make the first move? Rather bold now huh, Zanzan?
Enjin tries so hard not to vibrate in excitement.
“Did you forget the promise to go on an exclusive date with me if you help Riyo got her eighties?”
“…”
…
“…”
…
“…HUH?!”
The response is so loud that Enjin has to pull his ear away from his phone. He doesn’t know if he can laugh at the reaction, but he can imagine the full-blown blush on the boy’s face right now as his mind still splutters and processes the words.
“I’m hurt, Zan. Do you not want to?”
“W-W-W-What? I-I mean, I…I thought that was a joke!” ah. Well, if it had come from Riyo, it’s no wonder the matter isn’t taken seriously. Enjin shakes his head in amusement. “B-Besides, she said it’ll only happen if she got more than eighty in her whole year average. Which means, there’s still the finals she has to–”
“But I want to take you out shopping this weekend, Zanka,” Enjin’s determined voice interrupted to stop the restless voice. The boy can be far too serious for his own good sometimes. “I even got a movie picked out already.”
“Ya…you did?”
“Yep, got it all planned out,” Enjin switches the phone to his other ear, his jaw already tired from speaking and smiling too widely and too long but his grin still refuses to go away. He’s rather stoked for this, a lot. “So let’s meet up at eleven this Saturday morning at the mall beside the station. Don’t be late if you don’t want me to mark down your scores for your history test.”
“Wait, Enjin–”
“See you then, Zanzan. And don’t forget that it’s ‘Enjin-sensei’ for you tomorrow.”
And with that, Enjin presses the button to end the call, not giving the student any opportunity to respond as if he is worried that Zanka will say no.
But the blonde isn’t worried. He gleefully taps his phone on his chin; the smirk, hums and snickers randomly leak from him as he waits.
Suspicious glares from his colleagues in the school staff office are sent to Enjin when the latter suddenly bursts in fits of laughter after he sees the words on his phone.
‘One wrong move on Saturday and you’re history to me.’
‘See you too.’