paradox | ushijima wakatoshi

eleven | cherry bomb

"Please-" she begged, hands clasped together as she stared at the three volleyball players in front of her. "Please, don't tell my brother of any of this. He thinks that my relationship with Kindaichi ended normally, and I wish to keep it that way."

Kageyama nodded hesitantly in acceptance, while the other two were taken aback. Ushijima was the one to voice his concerns first.

"No."

Shiori furrowed her brows, thinking she didn't hear him properly.

"I'm sorry?"

"I said no. I'm sorry Shiori-san, but we can not allow this matter to go unaddressed. You must inform your brother about your situation. It is not healthy to keep everything so hidden away and buried inside your mind like this."

She was taken aback. How could he say something as insensitive as this? Ushijima wasn't close to her at all! So why did he think that he had a voice in this situation? Her confusion soon morphed into anger, and she turned away from him.

"No. I refuse."

Ushijima sighed, as if expecting the response he was given.

"Shiori-san, listen to me."

She attempted to cut him off, but as soon as Shiori opened her mouth, Ushijima muffled her voice with his hand, effectively cutting off all sound and simultaneously making her cherry red.

Wait-

Cherry? Red?

She was blushing, and there was no doubt about it.

How long has it been since she blushed as innocently as this? To other girls, blushing was embarrassing, and an obvious sign of their flustered state. But what came before their tomato face, was a series of unforgettable moments. Another's slight flirty gesture that had her screaming on the inside. Maybe a sweet, innocent smile that makes her melt. Or even a few sincere compliments that make her heart beat faster and faster.

Shiori used to be like that too.

Before Kindaichi.

Too wrapped up in her own thoughts, Shiori failed to pick up on what Ushijima was saying. She nodded along mindlessly, unknowingly sealing herself to a new fate.

"So you're okay with it?"

Huh?

Shiori looked up in shock, and maybe a little bit of horror as well. Her subconscious was whispering to her, but she refused to believe it until she heard it again.

A little hesitantly, she squeaked out, "S-Sorry, but what exactly did you just say I was okay with doing?"

He huffed, looking a little irritated upon being asked to repeat, but did so anyway. "First off, I'm not making you do anything. I just asked if you would reconsider keeping your previous relationship a secret, and you nodded."

Shiori gulped, becoming increasingly nervous as Ushijima didn't seem like he was finished speaking yet.

'God,' she whined to herself. 'How much worse can this get?'

As she would find out in a few seconds, a lot worse.

"When you confirmed that you would reconsider, I asked you if you would just go and tell your brother, and you agreed.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Sure, Shiori was "supposed" to go, but Ushijima would never know if she did or not.

It's not like he was going to follow her home and watch her while she talked to get brother.