Assigned Partners

The Weight of Small Things

Episode 4 : assigned partners

Scene: Thursday– Classroom, Morning

The teacher’s voice breaks through the quiet murmur of the class.

“For this project, you’ll work in pairs. Presentations are next Thursday. I’ve already assigned the partners.”

Groans ripple through the room — the kind of collective dread students have for forced social interaction.

Rin doesn’t groan. She doesn’t move.

She just keeps her eyes on the corner of her desk.

She hates partner work.

The teacher starts reading names.

“Takeda and Yamamoto. Hana and Rui. Rin and…”

A pause.

“Naomi.”

Rin lifts her head, just a little.

Naomi, two seats over, turns her head. Meets Rin’s eyes. Gives the smallest, most knowing smile — the kind that says I’m not worried, and you don’t have to be either.

Rin looks away quickly. But not out of discomfort.

More like surprise.

Scene: Lunch – Library

They’ve taken over the same back table they used last week. Naomi spreads out the project instructions — a joint presentation on a story they’ll choose together from the assigned list.

Rin skims the titles. Her fingers pause over one.

“This one,” she says quietly. “The river story.”

Naomi leans in to look.

The story is about a girl who follows a river upstream to find the beginning of something — herself, maybe. She never quite gets there, but she sees things along the way. Small things. Things she didn’t know she needed.

Naomi reads the summary. Then looks at Rin.

“I like it,” she says.

There’s no argument. No debate. Just agreement.

Rin isn’t used to being agreed with so easily.

Scene: Later That Week – Naomi’s House

They’ve decided to finish the project together after school. Rin’s never been to Naomi’s place before — it’s quiet, smaller than she imagined, but full of light. The walls are lined with books, drawings pinned up beside them like thoughts that didn’t want to stay in someone’s head too long.

Naomi brings them tea. Rin holds the cup carefully, unsure what to do with her hands.

They work in near-silence, the way they always do. Occasionally one of them murmurs an idea, and the other nods. Their project begins to take shape: a collage of quotes, sketches, and lines they’ll read aloud together.

At one point, Naomi leans over Rin’s notebook and points to a line she’s written.

“Did you come up with this?”

Rin nods, almost embarrassed.

“It’s beautiful,” Naomi says simply.

Rin doesn’t know how to answer.

So she smiles.

Scene: Walking Home – Dusk

Their bags are lighter now, the sky tinted soft orange.

“I don’t usually do well with group things,” Rin says, barely above a whisper.

Naomi doesn’t laugh. Doesn’t say “me neither.” Just looks at her.

“But this didn’t feel like a group thing,” Rin adds.

Naomi shrugs. “Maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s just… us.”