Lust of Misanthropy

Tepid

Yuri had almost appeared to have hurried out of the room, along with the rest of the materials she was using to make tea for us. Monika sat down on the desk that I was stationed at, and tapped a finger on the spine of the book Yuri gave to me.

"What've you got here; where's your new girly?" she said, giggling under her smile.

I returned glance and shut my book, and ignored her plea to evoke a reaction from me. "Portrait of Markov, Yuri gave it to me not too long ago, actually. And, she went to make us tea." I replied.

Monika held her chin philosophically, "You too seem quite sociable, hah. Just don't spend multitudes of time with her, she gets a little," Monika leaned in and whispered into my ear, "Excited!"

I withdrew from her approach, "Uh, what do you mean?" I asked.

From behind Monika, Sayori and Natsuki showed up. Sayori looked at me with a vague, unsure expression, "You too are so friendly!" she spoke.

Yuri had returned, noticing everybody crowded around my desk, and held an austere look at them. She sat a slender, petite tray on my desk, as if to surprise me, withholding two teacups. "I know it's not something you'd probably enjoy drinking much, but I thought it's the least I could do, for you..."

Alongside Sayori, Natsuki grinned widely, in an almost perverted manner, "Makin' tea for -kun, now? I think he would rather have Mtn. Dew, right bud?"

I smiled awkwardly with my eyes partially closed, and shrugged.

Yuri brusquely held a soft, yet firm hand spanning across my lower wrist and palm, and tugged me to a few seats back, tea cups in another hand.

"I'm sorry about that. I know they can be bothersome, very bothersome, and-" she paused abruptly and stared at our hands, still locked in position. She withdrew rapidly, and held her hands behind her back. "I-I... I'm sorry -kun, you're just so warm... and I just wanted to-"

I chuckled, causing her to cease her rambling. "You don't need to apologise, it's more than okay," I assured her in a tranquil voice, picking up both of our books. "Would you like to continue?"

She nodded hesitantly, and sat down one desk from the right of me. Of course, I had the urge to stare at her for a few seconds during a collective amount of intervals into our reading, but upon one of my more heavy glances, I saw her darting her eyes over at my book every few seconds or so, as if reading from my copy.

I turn to face her, but as soon as I do so, she flinches and buries her face deep beneath her pages. I set my copy down, and speak, "Hey, do you want to read together?"

Yuri slowly turned to me, and whimperingly replied, "Well, yes... I wasn't staring, or anything, I mean, well..." she came off a little disjointed. "Yes, I'll share, if it's with you, of course..."

I smile, and slide my desk over to her's, as they collide together, along with the steel legs of our chairs. Yuri's eyes flicker intensely, as she sets down her copy. "We can read from your's, if you want." she said, smiling sympathetically.

I nod, and open my copy, pushing slightly in her direction. "It'll be easier to read if we operate like this," I declare to her, as I hold my right hand on one corner of the book, while she follows my notion and holds the left side with her hand.

It was nice being this close to Yuri, although it was quite flustering to experience such a semi-romantic moment with her. "You know, Yuri, the main character kind of reminds me of you a little bit."

Yuri's eyes widen in an almost eerie way, as her mouth drops open in a sort of wide smile, "W-what? No, she's nothing like me..." she retaliated.

"I mean, you're similar in a way that she overthinks often, and second-guesses things so commonly." I say to her, assuring her that I don't think poorly of her.

Yuri dropped her looney expression and blushed. "Ah... I thought you meant something else. But yes, I can agree with you, -kun. You're so understanding."

We read about seven or eight pages for about 18 minutes together, it was quite a calming activity, and the whole time, Yuri remained ever so rosy as usual.

Before we could finish our ninth page, Monika spoke in a congregational tone, "Alright, everyone! Time to share poems, I hope you all wrote something worth while."