[COMPLETED]
(Book #1 of 'The Clever Series')
There couldn't be two people more different than each other, but there couldn't be two people more alike, as well.
Perceptive eyes that notice everything.
Battle of wits, with intense romance.
But what...
"Alright, Romeo. Go finish your workout and I'll go compile my notes from today. Need to send them to the Promotions department to start ideating," said Ren, as she pulled away from his embrace and grabbing her can of cold coffee from the vending machine.
"Eh? Not fair!" exclaimed Atsumu. "My timings with you are till 5:00pm, Ren-chan," he said while pointing at himself, eyebrows all furrowed and lips curled into a pout.
Indignant... Just like an undisciplined baby...
"Firstly, you were supposed to get only 3 hours for today. You're lucky your teammates, Coach and I are giving you so much leeway. And secondly, I have to wrap up work by 5:00pm Atsumu. I have plans later. How will I finish work if I'm loitering around the gym, doing nothing but staring at you since that's the only way you wouldn't throw a tantrum?" she huffed.
"On the contrary, you haven't seen everything I can do." He inched closer to her, a little smirk lifting his lips up, "I can move in many ways you still have no idea about Ren-chan~."
Ugh... Damn his sinful innuendos...
"I think I know plenty for now. I really should go," she insisted, trying to sound serious, but not without feeling her face burst into flames at his flagrant lecherousness.
"Just get your laptop up here and work then. Let's hang out," he smiled, seeming his most relaxed since they met again. "We haven't done that in a while."
"... Fine," she sighed and walked towards to the elevator that dinged open almost immediately.
And just before the elevator doors slid shut she heard, "Wait a minute! What plans do you have later, Ren-chan?"
All she did, was smirk at him, letting the shutting doors of the elevator end the line of conversation, right then and there, watching him gawk at her for being at the receiving end of her cheekiness.
Serves you right!
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Plans? What plans? Is it dinner? Drinks? Is it with the team? Or the team members?
Is it that shiny Purell bastard? No wait, I like Omi-omi... He's a fantastic spiker... But no... I won't like him anymore if he has plans with Ren-chan...
He did seem to secretly talk to her in the morning though. Didn't hear what he said, but...
Or is it Bokkun? Oh my god, are they gonna talk about that Gopro or Kopro dude?... What the hell was his name again?!
Shit where the hell is she? And why does it take so long to get her laptop? It's literally two floors!
... Is she not coming back? Oh my god, is she trying to get her revenge on me by ditching plans with me.
She better not, and if she's not here in 2 minutes, I'm going to march into her office, haul her over my shoulders like a sandbag, and get her back-...
*ding*
... okay, so at least she didn't ditch me...
He watched her like a hawk, as she strolled out of the elevator doors and into the gym with her laptop, scrolling down something on her phone.
She was wearing baby pink top today with grey slacks. Her hair was longer than their high school days; he had noticed that on her first day. The light make-up (that she honestly didn't need to put on) did make her look pretty, but he only wanted to see her at her natural best, completely bare...
Bare faced, I mean!
... Well, bare like that too... I definitely wouldn't mind...
He shook himself out of his internal monologue and went back to watching her. Baby pink on her always reminded Atsumu of their early morning ventures on Inarizaki's rooftops during their last spring in high school. It was Atsumu's favourite time of the day, just being with her.
On somedays, they'd talk about everything and anything, and on other days they'd just relax in each other's embrace, enjoying their peaceful bubble together. He remembered how in one of those days, the words "domestic bliss" entered his teenage mind, obviously freaking him out momentarily, but when he looked at the almost dozing face of one beautiful Shimizu Ren, his heart calmed down, and he felt peace come back into his chaotic mind.
'Maybe one day,' he'd wistfully think, without a smidge of worry about their future. Who knew it would become so complicated after their university started? He thought everything was going pan out just fine, which was his downfall. He really was unprepared.
"I'm going to probably finish in an hour or so," she drawled, as she walked into the gym, pulling him out of his introspection. "You better start finishing your workout for today if you want to get done by the time I'm done with my work."
"Aye, aye!"
... And with that they resumed their respective work, sneaking glances at each other, sometimes unbeknownst to each other, and sometimes catching the other in action as they would quickly turn away with a blush on their faces.
To Atsumu, it felt like the beginning of a brand new romance that would definitely last longer than all his relationships so far, since breaking up with Ren. But this time, he knew that relationships won't last because they're meant to, they'll last because both of them will, will it to last that long. It wasn't ever a given.
.....
Wait a minute! She still hasn't told me who she's meeting later on!
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"Aran San~," she sang out to her drinking companion, as they were almost done for the night.
"You drink good, Ren-chan! We should do this often," he chuckled at her antics.
"Oh yea! Definitely... you make a goooood~ drinking partner! I miss Ki-chan," she pouted.
"Kita doesn't drink that much though. He just gets the super drunk ones back home safely."
"Exactly," she smirked.
"So anyway, what are you gonna do about 'Tsumu now?
"Now?" She blinked her eyes lazily, her head lolling on the table. "I feel like... I feel like the whole world has opened up to me, you know? I felt really happy today to know that he didn't... you know... hate me? We found out that we still have each other's phone numbers, so that's something... But I'm also feeling like... like... there's too much to do... too much to think about and too many paths that have opened up... I don't know which one to walk down now."
"Hmm. When are you going back to Hyogo next?"
"Me? Maybe coming weekend? Or the next?" She hiccuped, finally feeling like she had enough to drink for the night.
This bottle is the last one though...
"Kita is coming back from his trip in 10 days."
Ah. I see...
"I'll be going back the weekend after this then," she smiled sheepishly.
"Yup. You need it!"
And they clinked their glasses to the incoming guidance that Ren definitely needed.
