The hallway was buzzing after presentation day.Not because of grades or group evaluations—but because of the aftershocks.
"I swear,they were flirting right there on slide six", someone whispered near the lockers.
"I thought Yuuji hated Ren?"
"Well,not anymore apparently."
...
Classroom 2-A was never silent. Not really.
But this morning, something crackled in the air—like the moment before lightning strikes. Yuuji Aikawa felt it in his spine the second their homeroom teacher entered with a file tucked under her arm and a glint of mischief in her eyes.
She didn't even wait for full silence.
"Alright, listen up. Semester-long project. You'll be working in teams of six. The topic: Cultural Identity and Gender Expectations."
Half the class groaned.
The teacher grinned.
"I've grouped you based on academic compatibility, skill distribution, and a sprinkle of drama. You're welcome."
Yuuji's brows twitched. A sprinkle of what?
---
Group One – "The Perfectionists"
(Officially led by Yuuji Aikawa)
Yuuji Aikawa – Focused, meticulous, quietly respected. Class rep,top scorer, first top position
Ren Sakamoto – Chaotic, flirty, and annoyingly brilliant.
Ian Moore – Cold logic and consistent top scorer.
Rio Wilson – Charismatic, rebellious, and always stirring the pot.
Kenji Suguru – Quiet illustrator, unpredictable depth.
Will Ethan – Friendly, steady, the group's emotional translator.
Yuuji stared at the list in disbelief.
Her idea of compatibility is psychological warfare.
He glanced around. Ren had already kicked his chair lightly, grinning like a cat who'd found the cream. Rio raised his brows, as if to say fun times ahead, while Ian sighed like he was already reconsidering his life choices.
Kenji simply blinked. Will gave Yuuji a calm, encouraging nod.
Yuuji wanted to scream.
---
Group Two – "The Elite Clique"
(Glamour, ego, and sharp tongues)
Akira Matsuno – Son of a politician, born leader (or dictator).
Rei Nakamura – Social media star and ruthless presenter.
Chiyo Arakawa – Grade-obsessed and subtly manipulative.
Minato Yu – Head of drama club, always in character.
Sayuri Hoshina – Ice-queen logic, tactically brilliant.
Junpei Arai – Quiet, deadly, top three in every subject.
Yuuji shuddered. That group was like a walking, talking corporate merger.
---
Group Three – "The Chill Misfits"
(Oddballs and under-the-radar geniuses)
Shun Okabe – Comedian masking real insecurities.
Yumi Nishikawa – Quiet, sharp, sees everything.
Naoto Kimura – Gamer philosopher.
Aya Morimoto – Tech crew, night owl, impossible to reach before noon.
Toshiro Inoue – Science whiz, chronically sleep-deprived.
Kaede Sato – Artist, likely to disappear mid-session to sketch.
---
Group Four – "The Wildcards"
(Explosive chemistry, chaotic teamwork)
Haruki Kato – Former class rep, recovering control freak.
Mei Tanaka – Top scorer, rarely speaks.
Daichi Yoshida – Jokester with no filter.
Sora Fujimoto – Creative genius, lives in her own timeline.
Emi Kagawa – Amateur documentarian, records everything.
Takashi Endo – Once athletic, now sarcastic and deeply done with school.
---
Back in Group One, six very different personalities sat at the same table. The vibe? Tense. Like a powder keg waiting for a spark.
Rio stretched like a cat. "So... we're the Perfectionists?"
"Sounds like a threat," Kenji said lazily.
Will chuckled. "It fits, honestly."
Ian flipped his notebook open. "If we want to live up to the title, we start now. Let's delegate topics."
"Easy," Rio said. "Ren and Yuuji handle Japanese gender identity. You've got the experience."
"Experience?" Yuuji asked flatly.
"Repressed masculinity and overthinking," Rio said sweetly.
Yuuji opened his mouth, but Ren threw a candy at him. "Chill, partner."
"You're not my partner," Yuuji muttered.
Ren just smiled. "Not yet."
Ian cleared his throat. "Rio and I will take on Western contrast models. Kenji and Will, you cover the aesthetic and cross-cultural comparisons."
Kenji nodded. "I'll handle visuals."
Will added, "And I'll make sure it doesn't look like six separate projects duct-taped together."
Yuuji, despite himself, wrote that down.
---
After the group dispersed, Yuuji stayed back to stack the leftover books. Will hovered by him.
"You okay?" Will asked.
Yuuji gave a non-committal shrug. "Just processing the amount of disaster we're expected to navigate."
Will smiled gently. "You're good at it, though. Whether you admit it or not."
Yuuji didn't respond, but his eyes flicked to the window—where Ren and Rio walked ahead, laughing at something that probably shouldn't be funny.
Behind them, Ian followed silently, checking notes on his phone. Kenji wandered behind, headphones in, lost in his own beat.
And somehow, this mess was his group.
The Perfectionists, indeed.